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Comparative_Rel
The end goal is to increase the knowledge and the ability to effectively defend Islam against the wave of recent attacks in global media, and to also learn how to position Islam in the right frame and paradigm for effective Daawah.
We hope that the spirit of discussions conducted here is one that fosters mutual understanding and learning away from bashing, and away from debating just for the sake of debating and winning an argument.
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has added a new journalJust noticed this village! Seems like a good place to mention the article I wrote on Abraham and the story of his son's sacrifice for vibes around eid. Any comments?
Edgard
shoot :)
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has added a new journalThis is an extract from a speech that previous Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina gave about the Islamic Civilization.
www.islamfortoday.com
There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world.
It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins.
One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilization?s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.
And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.
Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.
When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.
While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I?m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent.
Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership.
And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population?that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions.
This kind of enlightened leadership ? leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage ? led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.
In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness. More than ever, we must focus on the importance of leadership? bold acts of leadership and decidedly personal acts of leadership.
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has added a new journalI am trying to learn what the Islamic religion is fully about, how it differs from christianity andd judaism. is there one book that will compare these religions? Also is there anyone who will share with me there conversion history, i.e why they came to islam, what was it that convinced them, thanks
fitnessman
Thanks for your entry, I read the link, was good. I will try getting this book
mysticlvr
edgard - interesting article, but the guy has his catholic facts wrong. apparently his Catholic education was not that great