Dawkins blasts segregation on twitter.

[Esquilax]

The truth is that we don't need to focus on 'religion as the root of all evil' - we need to, as one community, root out sexism. It might be an unquestioned aspect of your faith that 'Islam or religions must be sexist' but to be honest this program of targeting religions just doesn't cut the mustard because really there are plenty of men and women - Muslim and Atheist - who know the religion intimately and see clearly that women can and do flourish in the religion of Islam. When Muslim women are actually listened to - instead if having silly opinions foisted upon them - there is not this grim picture of oppression that is assumed. Belief in God is not something that nessecitates abuse if females: as the many Muslim charities aiming to help eradicate domestic violence and support it's victims testify. These are done in the name of God - even if some people wish to say that they are not Muslims cos they are helping women.

Hmm...

... I agree, but...

I think that saying "religion is the root of all evil" isn't useful too, and in fact that's looking at it backwards. Evil is the root of evil, but to say religion doesn't have a hand in allowing people to justify evil actions or concepts is to miss a very important target that does need to take some fire itself.

Sexism is the problem here, but I'm not going to privilege religion to the point where it can't be criticized when it allows sexism to be justified. If I were just some guy on the street saying women should be servants of their husbands you'd call me a sexist dickhole, but if I did it while wearing any kind garment of religious authority, suddenly it's just expressing my beliefs, and therefore fine. I disagree with that: sexism is sexism even if it's expressed in a church.

I'm not going to stand here and tell you that religion needs to be destroyed, because I'm absolutely sure there are religious people out there who aren't dead set on intruding into the lives of everyone else with their faith, but all things need to change with the times and with new information. The problem with just saying "sexism is the problem, not religion!" is that it puts religious doctrine on a pedestal where it can't ever be changed, even when there are parts of it that do encourage sexism and misogyny.

Well, actually, religion might not be the problem, but it's sure as hell a hearty contributor to it, and don't you find that a little fucked up? Or a lot fucked up? The best way to stop sexist practices is to remove the justification for those practices, whether the source of that justification is supposedly divine or not.

Sometimes, religious tolerance needs to take a backseat so the rest of society can correct an immoral behavior, because as much as religions like to consider themselves the source of morality, the truth is that society is often the thing that holds certain religious people back from their religiously prescribed immorality.

I congratulate you for not being sexist, but that doesn't automatically mean your beliefs are untouchable.

As a Muslim I put out my hand and say - let's tackle this together.

Sounds good. Just so long as that hand isn't also shielding certain embarrassing parts of your holy books in doing so.