Day's Data - Part 10

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0220: "This Islamic Community" - it's an odd term. Not so much for what it means literally, but for the way it's used.

You can meaningfully talk about "The Christian Community" - on the understanding that it excludes most people who call themselves christians, because most self-defined christians don't chose their associations on religious grounds.

"The Hindu Community" as commonly used seems to mean The Indian Community...except for the 5% who are christian. But sometimes it includes The Pakistani Community, but not The Bangladeshi Community.

I've known members of The Islamic Community. Some of them weren't actually muslims because they'd formally ditched their faith but not their families. Some had converted. And some people who actually are muslim and associate with muslims don't get included in The Islamic Community, presumably on the grounds that they're white.

So if you're Arab (but not Palastinian), or Asian (but not Indian, Japanese, Philipino, Tibetan...or Chinese), or politically "islamist" (but not a member of the Nation of Islam)...then you're probably in The Islamic Community. Unless you're from some parts of Africa in which case...you're in a different The Islamic Community.

I love clarity. That's why politics annoys me.

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