Social stability requires religious freedom

ZZim explains
"I think it's not religious freedom they
fear, but the time of chaos in between the stable states of oppression and freedom."
Wrong! It is religious freedom they fear, or why else would they kill their apostates?
Posted by: abhab1 | March 2, 2010 6:19 AM
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Because that’s what oppressive regimes do – they crush any faint glimmer of opposition or change. It’s one of the reasons that Iraq was such a mess after Saddam was overthrown There were no competent people prepared to take over the country because Saddam had killed or driven out anyone who might have had the ability to serve as an alternative.

Religious oppression works the same way. If all alternative religious activities are ruthlessly exterminated, then the people have no choices and change is impossible. The regime stays in power until either toppled from external forces (like Saddam) or until it simply collapses from its own incompetence (like the Soviets and soon the North Koreans).

When the oil money runs out, the al-Sauds will loot the treasury and flee. The country will collapse into chaos.

CLESRTHINKING1
"Sadly, Islam has shown itself to be inconsistent with democracy, tolerance, and plurality. It is ironic that a female muslim sitting in America writes on religious freedom and defends the same islam and koran that oppresses and kills in islamic nations. Just look at the treatment of nonmuslims in "muslim coutries". The record is horrible and unacceptable."
_______
The same could be said for Christianity 100 years ago. Defenders used the Bible to sllow for slsvery, keeping women from voting, etc. do not say "Islam nd the Koran..." but Fundamentalists. Instead of pointing fingers, Help the discussion move forward. There are many modernists in Islam that do not fitthe characture you paint.

ZZim explains
"I think it's not religious freedom they
fear, but the time of chaos in between the stable states of oppression and freedom."
Wrong! It is religious freedom they fear, or why else would they kill their apostates?

Sadly, Islam has shown itself to be inconsistent with democracy, tolerance, and plurality. It is ironic that a female muslim sitting in America writes on religious freedom and defends the same islam and koran that oppresses and kills in islamic nations. Just look at the treatment of nonmuslims in "muslim coutries". The record is horrible and unacceptable.

Ms. Uddin suggests:
“A better method is to work from within the culture and find common ground between universal rights and traditional values, and to use that commonality to advocate for rights.”

A well-known Muslim Saudi cleric by the name Mohammad Mousa al Sharif had answered this proposal in no uncertain terms. He declared on the Saudi Al Daleel TV on Feb19,2010 that “Muslims should not abide by the recommendations of the international human rights agencies pertaining to women since they undoubtedly contradict the Sharia. “After all”, he explains “who are those people but Nazarenes (meaning Christians) and atheists?

By the way, Garoth, awesome comment.

Excellent article, Asma. Thanks for writing it.

I agree that religious freedom is an important component of a stable free society. However, religious OPPRESSION appears to me to be an important component of a number of the world's oppressive societies.

How then shall these societies manage a peaceful transition from an oppressive society to one that is free? And how shall they do so without violence and chaos?

I think it's not religious freedom they fear, but the time of chaos in between the stable states of oppression and freedom.

Thank you for your article. It highlights the difficulty we face, particularly in the United States, in dealing with the religious attitudes of others. We tend not to understand how closely church and state are tied in other countries, nor understand the effect of our parochial and culture-bound understanding of the relationship. We tend to assume that everyone sees things the same way we do, then are suprised by the negative reaction, when they feel attacked.

One thing that many cultures that do not have religious freedom and, therefore, only one religious expression, do not understand, is the difference between religious and cultural values. In many Muslim countries, for instance, conservative values are regarded as religious values - therefore women' rights, for instance, are seen as an attack on religious faith. The advantage of a pluralistic nation is that, as the values held by various religions are experienced, the differences between these and the values of the local culture are more easily seen, and may either support or be understood to be in conflict with those values. So freedom of religion can lead to discrimination of cultural vs. religous values, and greater tolerance.

The other issue, of course, is that of how states use religion to bolster their claims upon their populace. From ancient societies until the present, states hve generally seen a benefit in having only one religious expression. Not only are religious and cultural values seen as the same, but those upheld by the state are also thrown into the mix. So it is hard to get states, which benefit from this mixing of religion, culture, and state, to support freedom of religion.

*Social Stability requires Religious Freedom*
Isnt there Religious Freedom in Islamic Countries and where is Social Stability ?

Social Stability requires Human Rights and Democracy,not Taking Four Women Freedom.
Social Stability should rest on Contemporary Values and Woman-Man Equality,not Two women equals One man mentality.

Religious Reform needs Rationality.Wasnt there Religious Freedom in Islamic Lands since 1400 years and they couldnt reform Islam ?

Core Issue is not *freely interpret*
Islam rejects Democracy,because,there is no any Dissident Concept.Islam means Submission and Dissident means Mischiefmaker.
Islam paralyzes Brain and *freely interpret* or freely think is not possible.
Islam brings Poverty,because,Islam is Idleness and Poorness is the Source of Social Instability.

Dear Panelist,
You are a Woman and Attorney.
Cult of Subjugation doesnt give woman Right of Divorce.
No offend,but,what you write doesnt fit to Realities and Main Problems in Afghanistan,Pakistan,Iran Islamic Rep.,Saudi Arabia and other Islamic Countries.