The idea that the Palestinian people have only been able to persist because of their religion is ridiculous to me. They are resisting because colonialism, apartheid and genocide are very bad things to which nobody would want to be subjected, not because of Islam. If Palestinians were atheists, is he suggesting that they wouldn't have the strength or the will to resist? Would their lack of a belief in the supernatural turn them into doormats for Isn'treal?
I like Hakim's content, but his position on religion is quite frustrating. He is a Muslim first and a Marxist second. Also, Joram van Klaveren is still a right-winger.
i think the primary motive for following religion in a genuine way is to seek peace and acceptance within human existence. being alive and conscious is fucking hard and i'm sure we all know that by now. more people need to understand that religion is or at least can be a deeply personal and philosophical journey for a person. if it drives a person to do good and be good, that is objectively good, and we don't really need to criticize how they got there. some, if not many religious texts have aged supremely poorly, but most religious people choose to follow closely the core tenets of their religions and not much else. organized religion is a whole other can of worms but many find hope and strength in religion, and as long as their beliefs manifest in a positive way for them and/or others, there really is no harm in it imo. some of you mfs need to get off r/atheism because at this point this shit is just corny. word