Mary
I understand the comparison you're making between Witnesses and Islam, but would argue that Witnesses are a small part of Christianity, and that Islam has many subdivisions too, that's why I wouldn't say that Islam is screwed up - it's far too broad a generalisation. It has screwed up parts. But yes, it has remained isolated from the modernising influence of secular society and to our eyes appears archaic. But what is progress? The Enlightenment project to bring freedom and equality to everyone has failed, hence the rise of the religious right, not just in the Middle East but in America too.
While I oppose the submission of women in the Koranic and Biblical sense, I can also understand Muslims women's opposition to apparent western freedom which some perceive as degarding objectification. The BBC's Panorama programme on Sunday featured four Muslim women who wore the jilbab or headscarf entirely by their choosing, in one instance against the wishes of her parents. We believed Panorama when it exposed the JW child abuse issue, can we believe that head coverings are not simply a sign of religious oppression?
While you agreed that Christianity has a similar past to Islam's present, I guess you wouldn't say it was evil. If you're hoping for change within Islam, I agree with you, but if you're calling for Islam to be stopped (as Thi Chi would seem to like) then I would have to disagree.
