You are asking a fair question. Indonesia, who has the same population as the US, also has the highest Muslim population in the world (aka more Muslims than any other country). The country is predominantly Muslim and their legal systems are based on Sharia law (as spelled out, NOT the oppressive little extras that have been added over the years) There are all sorts of churches of all sorts of faiths on the city streets of Jakarta and other cities there. My own wife was raised in a Muslim family in Jakarta yet went to Catholic grade school and Protestant middle/high school (yes the education in the private schools are better, lol). As did our President in Jakarta, in spite of the rumors that HIS school in Jakarta was some kind of militant training center or some such. Indonesia is similar to the US in that they fought the Dutch for independence. They are a very young democracy but when election day comes boy do they show up to cast their votes. Their legal system is chosen and they choose to base their laws on Sharia principles.
Sharia law is pretty simple. Some givenments add all kinds of stuff to it and make it opressive. The Mideast is a mix. Egypt, Lebanon, UAE, and Bahrain legal systems have Sharia basis yet are tolerant of other faiths. KSA and others are not. KSA is especially bad about oppression of women. They forget (and believe me when I say I remind Saudis of this) that Mohammed's wife was a businesswoman who travelled and did business all over the middle east. They hate that reminder (laughing) because Islam specifically teaches that a wife's property and business is hers and only hers and that they have the right to manage their own business. Preventing such is against the Quran AND the teachings of Mohammed (they hate to hear that but never contend that is incorrect either).
Sharia law, as spelled out, is not oppressive and was never intended to be opressive. Certainly throughout time oppressive legal systems are by no means limited to those who misuse Sharia law either. It boils down to this as what I have observed in the world: Bad leaders form bad governments who create opressive conditions for the people who then have to live under their control.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferd
In what contry that is majority muslim in belief is a person free to be openly non-muslim in faith?
What Islamic Majority nation does not have Sharia Law?
These are honest questions. I dont know of any but that doesnt mean I believe there are none. I certainly would love to know.
I would be the first to agree with you on these points. In many posts I have pointed out that more Muslim blood than any other has been shed by extremist Muslims and in fact have expressed intolarance for this extremism. I also speak against intolarance of Islam as well. Implication that the people in democratic Muslim countries are "enslaved by islam" is preposterous especially as I have been there to see for myself. Many people choose Islam as a way of life. Even in the US where they can choose any life they want. Many countries have Muslims that are just that, Muslims. Lumping them all together is a form of extremism in itself.
Very few people are just choosing Islam in the US. Most of them emigrated here from Islamic nations.
But even in a place like Turkey, it is dangerous to be a Christian. Not necessarily because of the government but because if the ingrained hatred and intolerance of many Muslims towards Christians.
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Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
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All you have done is validate my point for me. Of course this article quotes only Western sources. In spite of all attempts to spin "slowdown in growth" somehow into something negative -
Ask yourself why and how: The industry escaped the immediate fallout from the crisis as its ban on interest and its lack of structured products prevented it from investing in the assets that turned toxic for conventional banks
Ask yourself why and how: Islamic banks avoided the speculative investments and complex financial instruments that derailed Western banks
Ask yourself why and how: Moody’s said Islamic financial institutions in the Gulf showed strong resilience during the global financial turmoil
Research Dubai / Bahrain business then come back and tell me that the businesses here are not diversified. For goodness sake I live (1) hour from Bahrain. I worked in US industry for (17) years. My in-laws live in Indonesia. My father in law is the equivalent of a Fed governor in an Indonesian bank. Are you seriously trying to convince me to believe something about banking, investments, businesses, jobs, job losses, and economic growth other than what I actually SEE?
All you have done is validate my point for me. Of course this article quotes only Western sources. In spite of all attempts to spin "slowdown in growth" somehow into something negative -
Ask yourself why and how: The industry escaped the immediate fallout from the crisis as its ban on interest and its lack of structured products prevented it from investing in the assets that turned toxic for conventional banks
Ask yourself why and how: Islamic banks avoided the speculative investments and complex financial instruments that derailed Western banks
Ask yourself why and how: Moody’s said Islamic financial institutions in the Gulf showed strong resilience during the global financial turmoil
Research Dubai / Bahrain business then come back and tell me that the businesses here are not diversified. For goodness sake I live (1) hour from Bahrain. I worked in US industry for (17) years. My in-laws live in Indonesia. My father in law is the equivalent of a Fed governor in an Indonesian bank. Are you seriously trying to convince me to believe something about banking, investments, businesses, jobs, job losses, and economic growth other than what I actually SEE?
I really didn't take coadie as slamming the Islamic banking system, and the fact that he went out of his way to point out several advantages shows he at least appears to have a balanced view. There are obviously advantages to every system in play - otherwise the systems would have been abandoned long ago.
Getting back to the subject of this thread (as if the thread really ever had a subject) - what can the Islamic banking system do that would address the problems of Somali piracy? How can you get the benefits enjoyed by those in the Guld region to "trickle down" to those who are suffering such poverty as the Somali people?
I actually looked this up. The results surprised me. The Saudis contribute an average of 3-4% of their GPD in aid to other nations. They per capita surpass the US in aid to other nations by a factor of (5), are 1/10th the size of the US, and are second to the US in total aid. So much for "the most generous people in the world" posts that pop up all the time, yes? Example - $500 MM to Food Aid in 2007 to match $341 MM contributed by (31) other countries. $100 MM to Bangledesh after the cyclone. As opposed to the $40 MM dontated by the US. And so on. Since the population is 1/10th the population of the US it cannot be said that they are not trying to contribute to efforts to fight world hunger and poverty.
To the subject of the pirates:
After the largest act of piracy in human history, the seizure by Somali pirates of the Saudi supertanker last year:
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said his country would throw its weight behind a European-led initiative to step up security in shipping lanes off Africa's east coast.
"This outrageous act by the pirates, I think, will only reinforce the resolve of the countries of the Red Sea and internationally to fight piracy," he said.
EVERYONE in the Gulf area recognizes this country and these groups as world criminals. It is the subject of much discussion here. Aid in this case is useless, it has not been getting into the hands of the people who the aid is meant to benefit. As of now the discussion swings between the effect of forced action on the Somali people vs. the need to forcibly remove the individuals behind these acts. As it does in Europe and the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pelathais
I really didn't take coadie as slamming the Islamic banking system, and the fact that he went out of his way to point out several advantages shows he at least appears to have a balanced view. There are obviously advantages to every system in play - otherwise the systems would have been abandoned long ago.
Getting back to the subject of this thread (as if the thread really ever had a subject) - what can the Islamic banking system do that would address the problems of Somali piracy? How can you get the benefits enjoyed by those in the Guld region to "trickle down" to those who are suffering such poverty as the Somali people?
Hybrid Mode
