Sure, but mainstream Islam doesn’t teach that it’s up to the individual to read it metaphorically. The Qur’an is the direct word of God written in Arabic by the prophet Mohammed. It hasn’t changed one iota since it’s inception. Muslims are taught that they must follow everything literally and avoid interpretations. The Salafi/Wahhabi are not really fundamentalists, rather than literalists. What we call moderate Muslims or liberal Muslim are those that reject teachings of the Qur’an or tailor them for modern life.
Im not talking about the cool funky sects like the Sufis.
But yeah, agree that people can justify anything with religion. The Qur’an is not a very nice book to start with though. It’s all online and really short and recommend anyone to read it in a spare afternoon.
Yeah, spent my summers with family in Sarajevo. My aunt and her family was Muslim. Some pious, others not. Most drank alcohol and ate ham sandwiches. But comparing the Muslims of SE Europe to those of the Middle East, is a bit like comparing FLDS to the Mormons of Kansas City.
Agreed – even in Saudi there were huge differences. Some wealthy, liberal Hejazis I met had only been to the Najd (Riyadh) once or twice in their lives—hating the place.
Quran (2:191-193) - “And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing… but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun(the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)”
There’s literally no terrorist attacks or severe public attacks at all in Taiwan (except for one guy who slaughtered people on the MRT few years ago), and people from/in the West still call Taiwan a third world country?