Thoughts on Islam

I did not have a clear idea about the Islam when I was young. I do remember when I was small there was one mosque in my city called 'smooth tower', like in contrast to other Buddhist/Taoist towers which has multiple levels, balconies, lots of decoration and stuff. I do remember I have a classmate in middle school who is Hui (a variation of Muslim widespread in China), but she does not distinguish in any obvious way among us. We speak the same language, eat the same food (yes including pork, she did say in her family they are not supposed to but they didn't bother) and basically lead a same life as the Han Chinese people.

The first time Muslims really surprised me was when I was in Melbourne and working part time in the market. I was working with a few Muslims from Indonesia. They had to do their salah before starting their work, which just at the time salah is supposed to be performed. What this guy did is he brought all his gadgets required for the salah to work, then quietly spread a blanket on the floor, removed his shoes and then knelt down kowtowing towards Mecca(?). This goes on for like 5 minutes and then we can start our work. Muslims have to do this five times every day but well we all respect that it is their tradition and culture we should not say anything about them but when I read off news that the Muslim astronaut whom goes around the earth 16 times a day had to pray 80 times per day in theory it just cracked me up, like more than a quarter of his time spent in the international space station was praying if each one takes five minutes. Every university that I know of (I'm not sure about other places) in Australia have some sort of praying facilities dedicated to their Muslim students, which does show how tolerate the Australians towards other cultures. Muslims are allowed to build Mosques in Australia and most of other Western countries (even on ground zero NYC), Muslim woman are even allowed to wear their burqa in public and even on ID photos in some countries, which just goes beyond the line.

Can we expect the same in return from Muslims? I don't think so. The most basic fact is there is no Christianity churches in any Islam countries are allowed to be built, other than that, Islam just do not have any tolerance towards other cultures and religions. They might appear nice and talk to you about all those equality and tolerance and whatever to create the illusion that they are friendly, but once they get what they want initially they ask for more and more, until it becomes irreversible that the Muslims rule in the country. Some of the Europeans have realized a quarter of their population is becoming Muslim and they are the fastest growing in the country as Caucasians tends to have less or no children these days. It is impossible as many people thought that they can convert/influence the Muslim population given that they live long enough on the land of Christianity, they believe in the other way around and they are in no way to be changed seldom get into contact with people other than Muslims. There is a possibility that Muslims born in Western countries be converted through education in schools with children from other cultural backgrounds, but a ban of singing the national anthem of Australia in a primary school in Queensland because of Muslim parents' protests on the news late last year was just makes me rethink this possibility.

In a word, they talk about equality when they build their mosque in your country, and they talk about cultural discrimination when you ask them to lift the burqa. Treat them as is will leave your own country discriminated by Muslims in the end and they will probably celebrating their victory of another jehad against the evil Christians.