Saturday, October 07, 2006

Muslims are hostages of their own religion

From a Danish television DR2 interview, 6/10/06, with Syrian-American Psychologist Wafa Sultan ...

"We as Muslim people have been hostages of our own belief system for too many centuries. We have been hostages of our own prison. We have never heard other voices outside of our box. We are not used to hearing other voices. We barely are allowed to hear our own voices..."

"...Publishing the cartoons was the first crack in the walls of our prison. Because as a prisoner it's almost impossible to break the wall of your prison. You need someone outside of your prison to help you break in it."

"We need to teach them (in the Muslim world) how to listen to other people's opinions, even if they don't like what they hear..."

".... Publishing the cartoons again and again will push Muslims to take deeper look at their religion. And this is the only way to improve our culture, to improve and our religion... So many people criticize Christianity, Judaism, and who cares? So why not Islam."

..."I believe, you know, that the problem with Islam, is deeply routed in its teachings. Islam is not only a religion. Islam is also a political ideology that preaches violence, and applies its agenda by force. I have never criticized the religious part of Islam. I respect the religious part of Islam as much as I respect any religion. But I believe that we have to take the political part of Islam and confine it as a religion to worship places and at homes. This is the only solution..."

".... I don't believe there are moderate Muslims. Because in Islam you have to believe in every teaching as a holy teaching you cannot change, you have to accept it the way it is, because otherwise simply you are not a Muslim."

... "I'm going to say it directly… I don't believe Islam can be reformed, I really don't. I believe Islam shall be transformed, and it will take fearless religious leaders and very well educated people to cause that transformation. If Islam was transformed absolutely, it will have a role to play."

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