Sluffy wrote:in the west, religion, politics and the law are all three autonomous from each other, whereas Muslims have them all combined basically into one and that is why their religious leaders are so powerful in their communities.
Religious teachings to the young therefore take on massively more importance to them, as it is a means of control and education (indoctrination for life perhaps?)
It could be argued that religion, politics and law aren't autonomous in the West especially if you look at the USA - all are elements of power wielded by the same group of people regardless of the fact that they largely suppress dissent by implying that there is equal opportunity and preaching "freedom".
Whilst Islam has become more political in some parts of the world in response to Western intervention (and in some cases, personal ambition) over the last 30 years or so, fundamentally the practice for most ordinary Muslims hasn't changed much for centuries.
Whereas the insidious spread of the American Empire via communication media, materialism and economic leverage as well as military intervention is more apparent throughout the world (including Muslim countries) and has had an incredible impact on everyone, including the UK where our children are no longer like we were and we ourselves have changed. Britain is hardly recognisable as we continue to abandon our culture on our journey to become subsumed into Greater America - a journey we embrace wholeheartedly as a nation.
We are "free" in the newly americanised Western society. Free to stare at our televisions until our minds turn to jelly. Free to work like robots so we can buy stuff we previously didn't know we wanted. Free to send our kids off to war against people on the other side of the world. Free to squabble amongst ourselves in a struggle to get to the top of the materialistic pile with the nicest house, biggest car etc. Free to spoil our children with more toys and holidays than we ever dreamed of. Free to watch them grow into obese, media-obsessed, morally bankrupt sheep whose opinions are dictated to them by a screen.
Paranoid rant over.