People should turn to religion for love and kindness, but when it comes to Islam? The question is: is there humanity in Islam, or was it erased with violence and repression with other types of oppressive systems?

Let me begin with the disrespect for other religions right off the bat. Islam has always been involved with different religions, and till today it’s the same way only. Today, Education: In many Islamic countries, people of another religion, such as Christians, Hindus, or Jews, are harassed, tortured, or forced to convert to Islam. Temple demolition, church blasts, and persecution of minorities have become the order of the day, violating the secular status of the state.

In countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the discrimination of people based on religion is almost standard procedure, with punitive measures against apostasy. Are these actions humane? Absolutely not. It is quite surprising that such an attitude toward other religions is maintained when Islam is still regarded as the “religion of peace.".

So the status of women in many Islamic countries is oppressed. In Afghanistan before the Taliban regime, girls were not allowed to attend school and women could not work. Saudi Arabian women now can drive but face severe restrictions in travelling and getting married without the consent of their male relatives.

In many of the Islamic nations, women are considered inferior to men. They are at the mercy of male members of their family and get punished, often severely, for not adhering to strictly discriminatory rules of Islamic governance. Does this sound like the capacity levels of women and men are the same so that gender equality can be achieved? Not at all. The women in the societies are treated horribly, and the problem is institutional; therefore, the societies cannot be taken seriously when they claim humanity.
Al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Taliban all use Islam religion as a reason for terrorism, violence, and cruelty. They practice their corrupt version of Sharia law; they chop the heads off people, kidnap, and bomb non-Muslims and women; the evil deeds they pull in the name of Islam cannot be looked at the other way. Where is the love in these actions?

The time is now for the truth about animal abuse in the Islamic faith, starting with slaughtering goats and other animals in the name of Allah. Year in, year out, millions of animals are killed in the worst ways known to mankind; their throats are cut while still alive, and for what? Religious sacrifice. How is this humane? This means that how does one justify the murder of a living organism—for the sake of celebrating tradition or indeed in the name of religion as a sign of compassion?

It is regarded as joyous; people utter ‘Allahu Akbar’ as if screaming those words justified the deaths. ”Allahu Akbar” means “God is great,” but what’s so great about such inhumanity to animals, especially when it is unnecessary? Such practices are so much part of the social environment and are often not even challenged in these communities.

Describe this as worship does not make it any less horrific. But these rituals are disgusting cruelty. Religious slaughter of animals is as inhumane as it can get—it is nothing but murder in the worst form.

It’s time to face facts: humanity in Islam, especially the extreme Islam and the oppressive kind, is either hidden or inconspicuous. Speaking of the aspects of intolerance, I have no question that Islam, at least as practised in many Muslim countries, has no place for or understanding of compassion whatsoever. With other religions treated with utter contempt, women unequal to men in law and beaten if they dare to rebel, and violence in the name of Allah an accepted norm, one might wonder if anyone can be any more cruel than the Islamic fundamentalist.