Religion? You call this a Religion? Nah, I'll pass.

I suppose that, after the 'wonders' of Christianity, I just had to have a few words about its sort-of cousin, Islam. This is the one that preaches that it is a religion of peace, all the while stoning women to death in obscure villages in Pakistan, and burning people as witches elsewhere. I could easily find a fuller list of modern-day horrors from this faith. In the 21st century! I will state here that I am sure I have worked with followers of Islam, and I either haven't known or haven't cared. They have been really nice people, a joy to know. Elsewhere we can only recoil in horror at the news entries which assault us on a daily basis. Sunni and Shi'ite simply do not get along, and the other denominations (yes, there are a few: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam#Denominations) simply cannot agree on the ground rules. Every week in Afghanistan or Iraq someone has blown up a market-place, killing dozens, and injuring dozens more. This is what passes for 'normal' in some parts of the world. In the time that we have had so far of the 21st century it has been something of a nightmare. That horrific day in the USA that we call 9/11 brought it home to the world - terror is here, and now. It is no longer in some far-off country that we simply couldn't point to - it is in the town of city that you live in! Yes, there is a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_terrorism#21st_century I remember the London 2005 only too well – one of my daughters sent me a text, saying that she was alright, and up to then I hadn’t heard. So no-one is safe, these days, and it all stems from Islam. Or does it? What is this Islam? If you read up on it (and I am no expert!) then it is the revelations told to Muhammed by Gabriel, and presumably others. A good insight is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam although it tends to go on a bit… The overall result of this is that like all the other faiths, Islam cannot agree! A branch of Islam is at odds with another branch or Islam, in the same way that the Catholics and the Protestants of Northern Ireland are both Christian, but disagree enormously on just about everything! If any faith cannot agree within itself, then how are we expected to take it seriously? How are we expected to listen to any form of discussion from these different sects? Anyway, back to Islam… look up Sharia law – it is the form of internal legal processes that Islam has. On the face of it, it would seem to be a good idea, as it would take a lot of the pressure off the already strained British legal system. But then you start to investigate, to look behind the scenes… what does this Sharia ‘law’ actually offer? Not much it seems. Islam is a faith that defaults all women to the class of second-rate – no woman can have the status of a man – it’s in the print! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam I really think that state and faith have no part to play in each others lives: http://www.secularism.org.uk/what-is-secularism.html http://www.light-of-life.com/eng/reveal/ http://www.islamswomen.com/ and then reality will creep in: http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Arlandson/women_inferior.htm http://www.clarionproject.org/understanding-islamism/womens-rights-under-sharia the articles, and people you may speak to, will promote the equality, but in reality there is no such thing. Islam is a farce, damning all women be second class – and worse!