Facebook and Pakistan

"Kill those who insult Islam" says the poster held by one of the Pakistani protesters in a picture published in today's newspaper. Is that what Islam is all about? Is that what the Prophet would have encouraged had he been around? Aren't these people insulting everything that he had stood for?

Why is the Islamic community so defensive that it gets the jitters when somebody pokes fun at it. Is this kind of kneejerk reaction an indication of insecurity and confusion of the general pysche of muslims?

So what if if somebody wants to draw pictures of the Prophet? How does it take away anything from what he represented? Does anyone bother to remember that the Prophet always , always stayed away from aggression?

In today's world of communication and technology , one can find thousands of sites and millions of opinions. There are those who denigrate religions and not just islam. So, all of them will attract this murder plea?

I sure am glad that I am not in Pakistan. I guess that because the raison de'tre of their nationhood being adherence to Islam, they feel terrified by anything that they perceive as remotely threatening to the religion they espouse.Can bullying ever win people to your side?

It is sad that the so called defenders of religions(not just Islam) hardly ever bother to follow the lifestyles of the prophets and saints they purportedly rever.

Dalai Lama, on being asked as to which was the best religion is reported to have said that any religion that makes one more compassionate, more loving and more ethical is the best religion. I guess that is the real test of your religiosity and you are not a better muslim just because you want to show the world that you are so incensed by the idea of someone drawing the picture of the prophet that you want to kill all of them who attempt to do so.

Let us talk about Islam

Oh I have lots to talk about on this subject. I am from a muslim family. I have great regard for the Prophet and his teachings. But I have loads of issues about the way they are being interpreted and practiced. Like it or not, my mind keeps buzzing all the time with different kinds of thoughts at war with eah other.

So then I decided that I need to put them down to clear my own head and separate the chaff from the grain.


I hope to have you join in with your comments so that we can really talk.

I've been blogging on Rediff for about three years now. It was quite nice till they decided to do a overhaul which totally wrecked the bonhomie that had come to be established between a regular group of co-bloggers. Suddenly all that easy accesibility went for a toss.

I still blog there . But i wanted to try out other spaces as well. So here I am. This too becomes a bit of an addiction , you see, the need to express oneself, the need to communicate , the need for someone to listen to what you have to say.

I am experimenting here as of now. Not quite sure what will be dispalyed as my name here. I had meant the "why I am here" bit to be the title of my first blog. As Iam typing this out , I have a faint feeling that that may turn up as my identity here, instead. Anyways, will figure out later what is to be done if that is so.

Don't know much about this space. I hope I'll get a few people to read what I post.

That's it for now folks.:-)