Is the muslim faith/way of life in the middle east as similar to when it started?

[Sashie VII]

Well, look at the rise of Islamic civilization and you'll see that religion played a very important role in Islam's advancements

 

[ZiP!]

That's of course something the Western world finds hard to understand that the religous leaders can be political leaders? What? We fought long and hard in the west to rid ourselves of religous chains that bound politics an lead to a great deal of human life wasted. We look East and we say Religion in a society nay it cannot be it will not work it is backward it is abhorrent we must bring a government that is secular and devoid of religous complications.

Sadly people from the West just do not comprehend that divorcing religion from the state is intolerable to many Muslims, it leads to a lot of ill will between west and East and bloodshed but hey since when has it been expedient to take into account the religous or cultural ideas of your suposed enemy?

Democracy, as the west knows it, wont work in all of the Arab countries where it doesn't already exist. If it would they would have adopted it or would eventually adopt it. It's so very hard for some Westerners to understand this, in fact for some it's impossible.

Please don't judge me so fast. I might not be a muslim (I'm a ), but I'm from the middle east (Lebanon) and I speak Lebanese (= Arabic language)

I agree that Islam is not beeing understood in the west, mostly. And that causes problems.

Now about having a religious state or not... It's like voting for republicans or democrats, or having the social or capitalist party in power : different political opinions. But difference in these opinions usually don't lead to war. Misunderstanding, on the other hand, does awfully often.

 

[Sashie VII]

But these different opinions usually don't lead to war. Misunderstanding, on the other hand, does.

Quoted for emphasis

 

[Sidhe]

Please don't judge me so fast. I might not be a muslim (I'm a ), but I'm from the middle east (Lebanon) and I speak Lebanese (= Arabic language)

I agree that Islam is not beeing understood in the west, mostly. And that causes problems.

Now about having a religious state or not... It's like voting for republicans or democrats, or having the social or capitalist party in power : different political opinions. But difference in these opinions usually don't lead to war. Misunderstanding, on the other hand, does awfully often.

That wasn't directed at you BTW. Just the west in general, If your Lebanese you aught to know more about Islam than me Are there alot of Lebanese Christians I'd always thought most were Muslims? Scratch that it seems to be quite well split religion wise according to Wikipedia anyway. Interesting

 

[ZiP!]

That wasn't directed at you BTW. Just the west in general, If your Lebanese you aught to know more about Islam than me Are there alot of Lebanese Christians I'd always thought most were Muslims? Scratch that it seems to be quite well split religion wise according to Wikipedia anyway. Interesting

Don't worry I didn't take it personally / didn't take it wrong.

To answer your question : used to be like 50/50, but nowadays most likely 30% christians. Bad thing is, the most intolerant and racist (ethnically and religion-wise) people I found were Lebanese christians
But then 17 yrs of civil war could be taken as a small excuse...

Oh, and sorry for the off topic at least we proved that over the years, religions somehow managed to get a little bit closer and tolerant (I hope !!!)

EDIT : BTW we're by far the largest christian comunity in the whole area (and the only major non muslim comunity, with Israel)

 

[Sashie VII]

Oh, and sorry for the off topic at least we proved that over the years, religions somehow managed to get a little bit closer and tolerant (I hope !!!)

It does. Visit Malaysia sometime