In Reply to: powerful story I just read posted by Acheick on March 27, 2006 at 21:02:39:
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried. (Gilbert K. Chesterton)
I did some research on independent and Moslem websites trying to find evidence of a peace tradition in Islam similar to what is found in Christianity in such groups as the Quakers, Mennonites, Amish, Pax Christi, Christian Peacemakers, etc. I could find no evidence for a pacifist tradition of nonviolence in Islam. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, only that a search for evidence didn't turn anything up. A similar search on Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism turns up a number of pacifist groups.
The best I can figure out, Islam is peaceful as long as you're in submission to Allah, sort of. But if you're in submission the wrong way, like say, you're Shi'ia, then be prepared for martyrdom to come your way via the Sunni. Kind of like Catholics & Protestants in Northern Ireland, except there isn't an Islamic group like Pax Christi or Christian Peacemakers trying to resolve the conflict & violence.
Although the publisher of the following article is Christian, I found the analysis of the issues confronting contemporary Islam to be fair & balanced. Just as the Christian churches went through several bloody centuries during the Reformation and Inquisition, Islam may very well be going through a similar evolution as a religion. If it isn't, it needs to.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/001/1.32.html