A group of 200 Taliban fighters overran a group of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan on Sunday, killing nine Americans in uniform, and raising the specter, once again, of the Taliban asserting its fundamentalist brand of Islam wherever it holds sway — and killing those who oppose it in doing so.
This raises more than military or political issues and questions. It raises spiritual ones as well. What is the Taliban are right? (They certainly believe that they are.) What if all they are doing is fighting for What God Wants? (Or, in this case, what Allah, bless His holy name, wants.)

I have a thought here about all of this. Or at least a question. I under if, when we as a Humanity end our quarrels about What God Wants, we will end our quarrels with each other? Will we end our quarrels about what we want – and about how to get it?
For more than a week now I have been focusing on the question, What does God want? What does God want from us? What does He demand from us? What does He require of us in order for us to get back to Him, in Heaven?
I have been hoping to engage some of the other bloggers here on Beliefnet.com in the dialogue. So far, not much success. Apparently, no one wants to answer the key question…Is God really saying to humanity that if you are a Muslim, or a Jew, or a member of the Ba’ha’ii faith, or a Buddhist, or a Mormon, or if you follow the Shinto tradition, or are a Hindu, or seek a path to God in any way other than the Christian way, you are going straight to hell upon your death?
Is this really What God Wants?
I also have asked about the Islamic faith. The other day I asked, what does Allah, blessings be upon His name, ask and demand? Does He actually demand that females cover themselves from head to toe, with only an eye-slit to see out of, when moving about in public? Does He truly demand that no woman ever sit beside any man who is not a blood relative? Does He actually say that female children are not to attend school, or that all men must wear beards, or that no music other than sacred music may ever be played anywhere by anyone?
(As I understand it, these are some of the rules laid down by the Taliban in areas where they rule, based, the Taliban say, on a true and pure interpretation of Islam.)
And one of my readers, a self-identified Muslim posting as Mounir, has kindly responded to me here. Said he:

In terms of social behaviors as you indicated, I am afraid, Neale you have very limited view of Allah in Islam. Female children should not be allowed to go to school?? Must cover their entire bodies from head to toe?? No music allowed?? Let me add another one; the dog is dirty and should never be allowed to touch you before prayer, have you heard this one?
This is really what Men wanted, not Allah :). No where in Koran is written to forbid playing music nor to keep women isolated…etc.
I come from the Middle-East, me and my sister are Muslims and went to a quad school, I play the guitar, she plays piano and we love animals and we are not the minority, we are the majority!
In fact, the prophet Mohammed was married to a female merchant. Women in his time were very active in daily lives in all aspects.
Another…The Koran have a story of 3 believers who had a dog, they went to sleep for many years and when they woke up found their dog dead next to them, showing his eternal fidelity.
Lastly, here is a song from a Muslim singer, Sami Yusuf, (with nice piano playing) called “Names of Allah”, which shows many people with different colors, with head scarf and without head scarf, with beards and without beards, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Zt7TDNICI&eurl

I want to thank you, my friend, for your willingness to engage in this dialogue. I believe that it is through such gentle, honest, and thoughtful exchange that people all over the world will be able to know each other better – and perhaps be able to tolerate each other more.
So now I want to ask you a direct question, Mounir, and I hope that you will be kind enough to answer it, with your own best understanding of the teachings of Islam…
Do Muslims believe and teach and practice the idea that a man’s testimony at court is worth twice that of a woman? I have heard that if a woman brings charges of wife beating or of adultery to a court, she must have a second woman to corroborate her testimony, because her testimony is worth half that of a man’s. Yet if a man brings charges of his wife’s adultery to a court, his word alone is good enough to get her convicted (and perhaps even killed as punishment). Is this true?
Do Muslim’s believe and teach, Mounir, that a woman’s right to her father’s inheritance is worth half that of her brother’s? The male gets a full share, while the female gets a half share? Is this true?

Oh, I have so many other questions, Mounir. Of both Muslims and Christians, as well as of Jews and Hindus and others. I want to start a real dialogue here. I want to see if we can all finally come to a place of understanding each other.
For instance, does Islam teach that Islam is the only way back to Allah, bless His holy name? I have heard that Muslims call Christians and Jews “people of the Book,” and that the teaching is to tolerate them, but that, in truth, only Islam is the path back to Paradise. Is this true?
Somebody help me here. Because I am trying to bring an end to Separation Theology, and the only way I can begin is by finding out what practicing Muslims, practicing Jews, practicing Christians, practicing Mormons, etc., actually think and believe.
So, is there a Christian blogger on this Beliefnet.com Internet site who will answer this question?
Is God really saying to humanity that if you are a Muslim, or a Jew, or a member of the Ba’ha’ii faith, or a Buddhist, or a Mormon, or if you follow the Shinto tradition, or are a Hindu, or seek a path to God in any way other than the Christian way, you are going straight to hell upon your death?
Can we all dialogue here? Dare we?
Hmmm…