How exactly did the Times manage to discern that the children in question were believers.
The Times has a strange, scaremongery headline on its front page today warning (at least it comes across like a warning) of a ‘Rise in Muslim birthrate as families feel British’.
This is the sort of thing one expects from the likes of the Daily Mail and Express, so it feels rather strange to see it pasted across the front page of a respectable organ like the Times.
Without trying to guess the ‘motive’ of the paper’s headline writers, there is another problem with this article quite apart from it blurring the distinction between news and scaremongering about ‘birthrates’.
In the opening paragraph of the ‘story’, the Times says the following:
“Almost a tenth of babies and toddlers in England and Wales are Muslim, a breakdown of the census figures shows.”
What on earth is a “Muslim baby”?
What I mean to say is, can we not at least wait until a child is old enough to make their own mind up before we try to deduce with strand of theology they adhere to? I very much doubt it would be ok to write about Communist babies and Tory babies; so why, then, is it ok to do so with religion?
This sort of thing is not unique to Islam of course; and I can already hear the counter argument: that the children in question are ‘culturally’ Muslim rather than necessarily believers.
Again, though, if it is about culture rather than religion, would it be acceptable to label babies in this fashion based on the political ‘culture’ of their parents? I very much doubt it.
And anyway, in the third paragraph the Times has the following to say:
“One expert said it was foreseeable that Muslims who worshipped would outnumber practising Christians.”
So it isn’t about culture at all, but rather refers to practicing, worshipping and believing religion.
In which case I’d like to know how exactly the Times managed to discern that the children in question were believers.
25 Responses to “What exactly is a ‘Muslim baby’?”
George Carty
The notion that apostates should be killed is a misunderstanding which dates back to the Ridda Wars of the 7th century (the enemies of the Muslims there were not just apostates, but violent rebel traitors, so the analogy is invalid).
The inconsistency is clear when according to the Islamic doctrine of “fitra”, EVERY newborn baby is Muslim (before its parents decide to raise it as a Christian or Jew or atheist or Hindu or whatever…)
John Smith
If a baby needs adopting the religion matters little. Its more about the positive behaviours of the parents & any siblings
John Smith
One wonders why . . .
Fasdunkle
“What I mean to say is, can we not at least wait until a child is old enough to make their own mind up”
Can the parents? Will the child eventually renounce the islam which was imposed upon him/her? Some will but it can be very dangerous.
Anyway, according to islam every child born everywhere is a muslim
ofthehighest1@yahoo.com
Sharia law says that every child born to a Muslim father is a Muslim. The child is then forever threatened with death if he/she leaves Islam.