I'm a 25 year old Pakistani Muslim male living in the USA.

a reply to: AceWombat04

Thank you for the welcome AceWombat.

I will try my best to not be turned away by that type of intolerance.

a reply to: thothful

What are your thoughts on the majorly high incidence of Pakistanis inbreeding? Why, with the horrible number of genetic problems (putting it mildly) this brings, do muslim Pakistanis apparently support this kind of behavior? I know from research this has a lot to do with keeping wealth within a family lineage, but knowing this is nothing but genetic disaster...why? I also know that your prophet, from what I read, engaged in this behaviour and approved of it, encouraged it. So, again, why would anyone follow this lead?

a reply to: thothful

I haven't read the full thread but I want to say Welcome.

originally posted by: thothful
a reply to: SaturnFX

5. Frankly I like democracy, well, actually I like systems where a King rules, mostly because of my readings of Plato's republic. Democracy only functions well where there is education. Democracy fails in countries like Pakistan where half of the population is illiterate and only derive there world view from the village imam. But my belief in God takes first place and then the country.

America is a republic, we rule by law or we are supposed to. Democracy is mob rule and we are teetering with that failed philosophy. Plato may have called it a Republic but that is a monarchy.

Too many people confuse us with a democracy.

Think of it this way.. A mob is running after a thief. The mob catches the thief and they vote to hang him on the spot and so they hung him. This is a Democracy, a mob.

Same mob catches the same thief and they demand to hang the thief but the sheriff says "no, this man will have his day in court and be judged by the law." This is a Republic.

a reply to: Rubicon3

You are right there is a lot of inbreeding. My dads initial arranged marriage was to one of his cousins. Then he met my mom lol. Her family is from another part of Pakistan.

And you are also right about the wealth being kept in the family. I have heard that as well. Maybe there are other reasons, I am not sure.

The genetic component is also valid. My fathers sister children have physical deformities and blindness. I suspect this to be a result of the inbreeding.

I'm not sure if the prophet condoned this practice, maybe he did. I still believe and follow what he said Allah told him regardless. I think that families marrying within each other is more of a cultural thing that hearkens back to a much earlier time. It is also a practice prevalent in India and other places. I would say more in the villages than the cities.

a reply to: WalkInSilence

Thanks for the welcome

a reply to: RepealTheLaw

America is a representative democracy. We are not a direct democracy but we can still vote for who we want to represent us.

If we are not a democracy then I take it you will not be voting in the upcoming election cycle?

If America isn't an embodiment of democratic principles then no country is.

I am not saying you are wrong, but I think it is important to realize measuring a states democratic character isn't just a black and white definition but that there it is a spectrum. Essentially we are a democracy with certain institutions set up to help curtail total mob rule. In the same way that we are not a pure capitalistic society.

originally posted by: thothful
a reply to: RepealTheLaw

America is a representative democracy. We are not a direct democracy but we can still vote for who we want to represent us.

If we are not a democracy then I take it you will not be voting in the upcoming election cycle?

If America isn't an embodiment of democratic principles then no country is.

We vote, we dont decide policy. Our representatives do that. Your mistake is understandable but this should enlighten you as to what form of government you live under. We as in you and I live in a truly unique country "if we can keep it"..

We were founded as a Republic. We are not a representative democracy.

"In the strictest sense of the word, the system of government established by the Constitution was never intended to be a "democracy." This is evident not only in the wording of the Pledge of Allegiance but in the Constitution itself which declares that "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government" (Article IV, Section 4). Moreover, the scheme of representation and the various mechanisms for selecting representatives established by the Constitution were clearly intended to produce a republic, not a democracy."

www.thisnation.com...

a reply to: RepealTheLaw

You know what, you are right.

originally posted by: thothful
a reply to: RepealTheLaw

You know what, you are right.

It's all very interesting and a new subject to research and learn for those who dont realize. It's amazing how many fellow citizens dont know. You and I do though.

ETA: RepealTheLaw is my "Who's John Galt" but that is another subject entirely..

Some Americans need to travel abroad and atop forming opinions of the world, and others, via books and screens.

Some of these comments are kind of sad....

@thotful - Welcome, glad you finally became a member

a reply to: RepealTheLaw

Haha i see. I am sad to say, but I have never read Atlas Shrugged in its entirety. Though I have a feeling it would be worth the read.

a reply to: Elementalist

Thank you for welcoming me Elementalist

originally posted by: thothful
Greetings ATS Community,

I have been lurking ATS for years. I discovered the site when I was still in college. I found some of the threads to be quite intriguing and soon found myself returning this site to browse during my free time.

Lately I have noticed a lot of threads about Muslims and Islam and the like. I understand that in light of recent events and prior ones my religion has again been in full view of the public consciousness and that there is a lot of angst and anxiety going around. I want to say that this is completely understandable.

I just want you guys to know that I wish no harm on anybody and am hoping to perhaps allay some fears. I figure that since I am a muslim male living in the West in my mid twenties, I can answer any questions you have. Ask me anything.

Also, I want to be as honest as possible, I am not the most pious person, I mean I go to the mosque every now and again but I'm definitely not the guy thats front and center standing right behind the imam at every single prayer lol.

Ask away...

Since many of us are aware that your Holy Book commands you guys to murder infidels (Jews and Christians), allows you to own slaves, allows you to rape non muzlim women as is happening a lot in Europe, encourages you to lie to non muzlims to protect your religion, and on and on and on, how do we know you are not here just lying to us to paint your religion as a nice picture???

ISIS members are the ones who are actually doing what your Quran tells all of you to do...And since your community as a whole refuses to single out and report the murdering terrorists among you, how can we trust any of you???

a reply to: Iscool

Which particular verse bothers you the most maybe we can go over it together?

And I don't know who the terrorists are. I gotta be honest with you, no one has ever brought up to me any ideas or grand plans of Western extermination at my local mosque. Nobody honestly cares, most people wonder what you do for a living and are generally concerned with making money and raising there families, because blowing yourself up for the ''cause'' isn't going to do it.

a reply to: thothful

I have one you said you lived here since you were 3 oddly in your op you call yourself a Pakistani muslim. Why did you decide to say that instead of a Muslim amarican??

a reply to: dragonridr

I didn't even think about it. There was absolutely no thought in that decision. It must stem from my perspective that when most people see me here what intrigues them the most is that my ethnicity is Pakistani and that I am a Muslim. No one ever seems to care that I am an American.

I didn't omit American in my OP title as some sort of subtle jab at the USA. I am happy to be a citizen of the United States of America.

"Cause Im proud to be an American, where at least I know Im free!"

a reply to: Iscool

I'm am unsure why they squandered such wealth they had in the 20th century due to the wealth in oil the world needed. They could have had a new golden age but it was squandered. They could have built a shared empire...

People can blame foreign powers for creating the state the Middle East is in now but to a large extent it was dictators that brought Islam to where it is now. Propped up or not, you have to take responsibility for those you allow to rule.

I agree the silent peaceful majority is doing Islam no favors. Or is it complicit silence and there is no peaceful silent Majority?

originally posted by: thothful
a reply to: dragonridr

I didn't even think about it. There was absolutely no thought in that decision. It must stem from my perspective that when most people see me here what intrigues them the most is that my ethnicity is Pakistani and that I am a Muslim. No one ever seems to care that I am an American.

I didn't omit American in my OP title as some sort of subtle jab at the USA. I am happy to be a citizen of the United States of America.

"Cause Im proud to be an American, where at least I know Im free!"

Didn't mean it that way at all just found it interesting that you chose a nationality to identify yourself. And was curious how you made that decision. I guess it appears others did that for you if I understand you corectly. I was actually born in Germany yet I never chose to say I'm amarican even when travelling in Germany I say I'm an amarican. Lived in thr states since I was 7.