#1 Reason Why Islam Is Dangerous: Illiteracy

[sharkman]

Nearly one in three people in the Arab world is illiterate, including nearly half of all women in the region, the Tunis-based Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation said Monday.

An illiterate population is an uneducated population. What hope is there for a people to grow and evolve their societies so rich with heritage when 3/4 of those aged 15 to 45 can't even read? How can those fanatics who preach hate and lies be exposed when so many in the congregations can't analyze what's being said by studying the Koran for themselves?

This is troubling news indeed.

Edited January 8, 2008 by sharkman

[M.Dancer]

. What hope is there for a people to grow and evolve their societies so rich with heritage when 3/4 of those aged 15 to 45 can't even read? How can those fanatics who preach hate and lies be exposed when so many in the congregations can't analyze what's being said by studying the Koran for themselves?

This is troubling news indeed.

What is also interesting and startling is the imperialist nature of Islam. For instance, If you are a muslim studying the Koran, there is only one language you can do it in, Arabic. So whether you are an Urdu speaking Pakistani or an indonesian you memorize the Koran verse by verse using the arabic script as a mnemonic, never fully understanding what your recite or read unless you are also leaning arabic, which most do not.

[JB Globe]

Nearly one in three people in the Arab world is illiterate, including nearly half of all women in the region, the Tunis-based Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation said Monday.

An illiterate population is an uneducated population. What hope is there for a people to grow and evolve their societies so rich with heritage when 3/4 of those aged 15 to 45 can't even read? How can those fanatics who preach hate and lies be exposed when so many in the congregations can't analyze what's being said by studying the Koran for themselves?

This is troubling news indeed.

Of course it's troubling, but the danger here isn't Islam, it's poverty, poor education and inequality. An uneducated, poor, disempowered majority in any country is easily exploited by people with certain agendas. That's why radical Islamic militants have success in poor or highly unequal Arab states, that's why the BJP and state governors like Modi of Gujarat have success in India, and it's why populist quasi-socialist leaders have success in South America.

The problems of bad education, poverty and inequality isn't just limited to Islamic countries. Radical Islam is just the symptom of the problem.

[White Doors]

Of course it's troubling, but the danger here isn't Islam, it's poverty, poor education and inequality. An uneducated, poor, disempowered majority in any country is easily exploited by people with certain agendas. That's why radical Islamic militants have success in poor or highly unequal Arab states, that's why the BJP and state governors like Modi of Gujarat have success in India, and it's why populist quasi-socialist leaders have success in South America.

The problems of bad education, poverty and inequality isn't just limited to Islamic countries. Radical Islam is just the symptom of the problem.

Unfortunately, although being poorly educated doesn't help - this is not entirely true. Many of the radicalized people are shown to be literate and educated. Canada has one of the best educaiton systems in the world and only last year a major terror plot was foiled. Same as in the UK where British born, and presumably, british educated, muslims resorted to terror.

Complex problems are not solved with simplistic answers even if they sound all nice and PC-like.

[Higgly]

Have you looked at US literacy rates? Get a grip.

[kp186]

I've always maintained that religion is the worst thing that humans ever invented. Letting a religion, ANY religion, rule your life is always a bad thing. I keep hearing how Islam is one of the most tolerant of all the major religions but the headlines these days really don't bear that out. The world would be a much, much better place if Islam were wiped off the face of the earth, along with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and whatever. Without all these archaic and irrelevant beliefs holding us back we could really be the people we aspire to be.

[Michael Hardner]

Murderousness can't be logically tied to any religion, literacy or creed. It is simply related to one's inclination to murder.

[sharkman]

But then why is it that so many Muslims want to wipe Israel off the map? Because it's ingrained in their religion, while Christianity and Judaism do not have similar teachings regarding Islam. Here's an example:

Qur'an 2:64 "But you [Jews] went back on your word and were lost losers. So become apes, despised and hated. We made an example out of you."

Having said that, however, I do believe that there are many peaceful Muslims who discount such verses. It is the ones who can't read and are uneducated which are the ones who are fodder for the fanatics who use religion to spread their hate.

Edited January 8, 2008 by sharkman

[Wilber]

An uneducated population or one that isn't able to read the book they are being taught from in a language they can understand does give the clerics a lot more control over their thoughts. Christianity before the Reformation was very similar. Few other than clerics could read and Latin was the language of Bible and the Church. It seems that in some ways in some places, Islam is still 600 years behind, just as it was when it started.

[M.Dancer]

Have you looked at US literacy rates? Get a grip.

at 99% they really have a lot of work to do....

[AngusThermopyle]

I'm sure illiteracy has some sort of contributory factor, I don't think thats the main factor though. I think following teachings that espouse some mythical characters exhortations to spread his word around the globe without compromise actually has a lot more to do with it.

[M.Dancer]

I'm sure illiteracy has some sort of contributory factor, I don't think thats the main factor though. I think following teachings that espouse some mythical characters exhortations to spread his word around the globe without compromise actually has a lot more to do with it.

There's an intersting letter in this month's National Geographic. The writer suggests that the lack of real schools in Pakistan drive the young to the Madrasses to recieve a educuation where they also get potential employement, subsidies, clothing and a rdical indoctrination. He suggets that those who do not wish to be illiterate have little other choice...

[Moxie]

An uneducated population or one that isn't able to read the book they are being taught from in a language they can understand does give the clerics a lot more control over their thoughts. Christianity before the Reformation was very similar. Few other than clerics could read and Latin was the language of Bible and the Church. It seems that in some ways in some places, Islam is still 600 years behind, just as it was when it started.

Exactly, it is in the best interest of their leaders (usually barking mad Mullahs and Imams) to keep them poor and illiterate. Islamic leaders have an army of the poor willing to fight and die for any cause that they slap the word Islam in front of.

[Michael Hardner]

Islamic leaders have an army of the poor willing to fight and die for any cause that they slap the word Islam in front of.

In other words, blaming Islam for the situation is like me blaming Colonel Sanders for my cholesterol problems.

Homogenous and uneducated populations are able to come up with some frightful ideas sometimes.

[jazzer]

at 99% they really have a lot of work to do....

1 in 5 are functionally illiterate in America. And that is a conservative estimate. A cursory search will provide all the evidence you need. To site Wikipedia and the CIA as evidence of literacy is to include comic books and pictographs as reading material.

Edited January 9, 2008 by jazzer

[M.Dancer]

1 in 5 are functionally illiterate in America. And that is a conservative estimate. A cursory search will provide all the evidence you need.

If you are trying to suggest that 20% of americans are illiterate I would suggest you might want to re-read that.

Here's one that suggests under 5%

http://www.mapsofworld.com/thematic-maps/w...iteracy-map.htm

Less than 1%

http://nces.ed.gov/naal/lit_history.asp#illiteracy

1%

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th.../us.html#People

I take it you weren't able to back up your 20% so you opted not to try.

[jazzer]

I don't think you know what functional literacy is. But here is a lengthy report describing the problems in the U.S. re literacy. link.

[M.Dancer]

I don't think you know what functional literacy is. But here is a lengthy report describing the problems in the U.S. re literacy. link.

Actually I do but your citation is irrelevant. Functional Literacy is defined as being able to communicate (read and write) in every day situations. IE it is a basic level of literacy.

What you have linked to is a study that measures literacy in english....

The National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) is based on a different

definition of literacy, and therefore follows a different approach to measuring

it. The aim of this survey is to profile the English literacy of adults in the

United States based on their performance across a wide array of tasks that

reflect the types of materials and demands they encounter in their daily lives

.

and further, while the report says that 21% of adults in their study operate at the lowest level...

Many adults in

this level performed simple, routine tasks involving brief and uncomplicated

texts and documents. For example, they were able to total an entry on a

deposit slip, locate the time or place of a meeting on a form, and identify a

piece of specific information in a brief news article. Others were unable to

perform these types of tasks, and some had such limited skills that they were

unable to respond to much of the survey.

And the reason for the poor showing goes back to the English question.

Many factors help to explain why so many adults demonstrated English

literacy skills in the lowest proficiency level defined (Level 1). Twenty-five

percent of the respondents who performed in this level were immigrants

who may have been just learning to speak English.

It does not categorically say that 21% of American are illiterate and given that the survey is heavily skewed with non anglophones, no wonder.

That would be like holding the same survey measuring english literacy....in Quebec.

Like I said, you might want to re read ....

[JB Globe]

Unfortunately, although being poorly educated doesn't help - this is not entirely true. Many of the radicalized people are shown to be literate and educated.

Well of course they are - every radical or revolutionary movement needs educated folks to run the show or carry out key complicated tasks. My point isn't that every terrorist is uneducated, my point is that the general public support of a movement that is essential to that movement's success is helped when a population is uneducated, thus leaving them vulnerable to being manipulated - and that can happen anywhere, not just the Islamic world.

Canada has one of the best educaiton systems in the world and only last year a major terror plot was foiled.

Of course, the key player in foiling that plot was the man who decided to infiltrate the cell with CSIS and did it for Canada, but mostly, in his words, for Islam.

And are we really still putting that plot in the same category as the attacks in the UK and Spain? Although I'm very happy that the police treated it very seriously, I think we'd be fooling ourselves to consider those amateurs in the likes of those who pulled off what happens elsewhere. I mean - the man had several tons of fertilizer shipped to his home address in suburban Toronto and dropped in his driveway.

My point is that Canada is nowhere close to having to deal with the situation that they deal with in the UK PRECISELY because we don't alienate our Muslim community the way they do there, so that when it comes time for Muslims to step up with critical help to foil a plot like this, we have people willing to do so.

I can't understate how valuable it is to have folks from a community who are willing to tackle problematic elements within their community. One of the things that crippled the mob for example is when large amounts of Italians started to enter the police force, they had the cultural and language skills to TRUELY understand the threat and deal with it. Of course, of those police forces had remained hostile to Italians in general who knows how long it would've taken, or if the mob would still be very powerful today?

[JB Globe]

But then why is it that so many Muslims want to wipe Israel off the map?

Do they really? Do you have global opinion polls to back that up?

Because what I'm pretty sure you'll get when you look at those polls is that while many Muslims have negative views of Israel, most of them don't see genocide as a solution.

Because it's ingrained in their religion, while Christianity and Judaism do not have similar teachings regarding Islam. Here's an example:

Qur'an 2:64 "But you [Jews] went back on your word and were lost losers. So become apes, despised and hated. We made an example out of you."

Where are you getting your translations from? EvilIslam.com? I hope you were just duped by a hate site, rather than knowingly posting a Qu'ran verse that doesn't exist, because that would be even worse, here are 3 translations of 2:64

YUSUFALI: But ye turned back thereafter: Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah to you, ye had surely been among the lost.

PICKTHAL: Then, even after that, ye turned away, and if it had not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy ye had been among the losers.

SHAKIR: Then you turned back after that; so were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, you would certainly have been among the losers.

[DogOnPorch]

"2.65": And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.

"2.66": So We made them an example to those who witnessed it and those who came after it, and an admonition to those who guard (against evil).

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/HolKora.html

Missed a verse...

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him.

---Col Sherman T. Potter: 4077th M*A*S*H

[Kitchener]

Nearly one in three people in the Arab world is illiterate, including nearly half of all women in the region, the Tunis-based Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation said Monday.

An illiterate population is an uneducated population. What hope is there for a people to grow and evolve their societies so rich with heritage when 3/4 of those aged 15 to 45 can't even read? How can those fanatics who preach hate and lies be exposed when so many in the congregations can't analyze what's being said by studying the Koran for themselves?

This is troubling news indeed.

It is, indeed. If only there was some money -- oh, say, half a trillion dollars -- that could have been spent on education and infrastructure in the Arab world.

[DogOnPorch]

It is, indeed. If only there was some money -- oh, say, half a trillion dollars -- that could have been spent on education and infrastructure in the Arab world.

Oh...I think the Muslims could cough up a few trillion if they so wanted. Aren't they the ones with big pools of both oil and greenbacks? Seems they can build structures like the Burj al-Arab and Palm Island...a few public schools should be no problemo...

The trouble I have with education in these areas is I can't help wonder if we would be providing a secular education or a religious one. (?)

------------------------------------------------------

I was driving home early sunday morning through Bakersfield

Listening to gospel music on the coloured radio station

And the preacher said, you know you always have the

Lord by your side!

And I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran

Twenty red lights in his honor

Thank you Jesus! Thank you Lord!

---

[Oleg Bach]

Oh...I think the Muslims could cough up a few trillion if they so wanted. Aren't they the ones with big pools of both oil and greenbacks? Seems they can build structures like the Burj al-Arab and Palm Island...a few public schools should be no problemo...

The trouble I have with education in these areas is I can't help wonder if we would be providing a secular education or a religious one. (?)

------------------------------------------------------

I was driving home early sunday morning through Bakersfield

Listening to gospel music on the coloured radio station

And the preacher said, you know you always have the

Lord by your side!

And I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran

Twenty red lights in his honor

Thank you Jesus! Thank you Lord!

---

The New Testiment was hopeful. The Koran gave me a headache. Literacy is not the issue. It's the material.

[Moxie]

I concur Oleg, the Koran is written like a "War/Sex Manual". It teachs it's followers how to wage a war and win. Women and children aren't human were demons in the Koran. Even in polite society Muslims refuse to address violence in the name of Allah or Sharia Law. Watch the following video. Note they refuse to condemn the stoning of women.

Link: http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/019530.php

Snippet: Bedier also tries to excuse stoning by noting that Islamic law prescribes it for both men and women, and that four witnesses are needed to establish the crime, with 70 lashes for a false accusation (actually eighty, cf. Qur'an 24:4). He portrays this as a virtually unattainable evidentiary standard, but in practice that is not the case under Sharia. With eight women awaiting death by stoning in Iranian prisons as of last September, will Bedier condemn the practice outright?