Reply To: Why I left Islam

[Simon Paynton]

Do you have any thoughts on why Islam seems to be so very very paranoid?  Nobody’s allowed to question it, and in general, the religion seems to think that the whole world’s out to get them.  It seems to be defined very much as an opposition to Western values or the West in general.  The West, in contrast, couldn’t really care less what Muslims do in “their own” countries – we don’t define ourselves as “non-Muslim”, we’re just into this or that, getting on with things.

This situation seems very similar to the right-wing evangelical Christians in the USA.  Very paranoid, very inflexible.

At the same time, I recognise that it’s not entirely toxic – many Islamic values seem healthy, and whenever I meet real life Muslims, I find myself very impressed (at least with their gracious manners and hospitality).

I think that the predominant view of Islam in the West is that it’s frighteningly repressive of normal human nature, which is bound to send people crazy and want to blow themselves up and others.