I am curious about something....

[gekko]

C'mon now, you don't really believe that, do you? Yeh, a whisper in the US or Europe (well, still in Europe), but there? Bah, you just can't imagine that things can be that different somewhere else. They are, you know. But no, you don't know.
-A
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Well, let's think on this for a second. Martin Luther King has been mentioned in this thread, so let's start with him. I'm certain that when he began his crusade for equality and justice, there were a whole lot of people, from many different perspectives, who were quite certain that he was just a whisper, and couldn't make even the tinniest difference.

And speaking of crusades, let's talk about the crusades. You know, there was a time where it was expected that as a good christian, you went to war to slaughter the infidels and recapture the holy land - or you could look forward to an eternity in hell. Now, I've got no plans on heading to Jerusalem to slaughter anyone, and yet I don't see the new Pope calling for another crusade, nor do I hear any priests condeming me to hell. And we're talking about a religion that still keeps women from advancing or taking any role high enough to determine church doctrine; a church that blatantly refuses half of its members from ever becoming priests just because they're women; a church that has always been extremely patriarchal. Explain to me how this overarching culture of Islam you speak of - but haven't defined - is different in any meaningly way (meaningful to this discussion, of course, not in terms of general doctrine or beliefs).

I still have not seen a shred of evidence that all Islamic or Muslim people fit into this category of brutality and sexism you've set up. I still have not even seen what exactly you find offensive in the Muslim culture - besides, of course, the obvious. While I agree with your disgust at the actions of the rapists, I have not yet seen direct links between those men and all muslims. All I've seen is your allegations that if I choose to disbelieve, then I'm simply wrong. Well, I happen to know a little about Muslim culture and Islamic beliefs, and I happen to know several Muslims who don't believe in gang-rape as a judicial tool. And frankly, that's all I need to know to prove you entirely wrong.

I believe in forming your own beliefs. That applies to everything - government, justice, morality, and religion, among others. That means that the answer to your initial question is, as I've already stated, very simple: I, or anyone else, can support Muslim culture while not supporting the oppression of women's rights or the brutal crimes which you've attempted to use as your "proof."

gekko