I don't know much about Islam, but I like the choice of decor they made for their mosques; those geometric designs have withstood the ups and downs of art fashion better than the representational Christian style.
More seriously, I read a book a while ago by an Afghan guy who grumbled about life under the Taliban, and he made this very interesting point:-
The Christians and the Jews were having a hard time when their religions began, what with slavery in Egypt and being crucified by Romans, so their religions look to the future; the world will be a better place when the Messiah comes ....
In contrast, Mohammad was a political leader. He actually established a state in which life was conducted according to his rules. Probably seemed like a good thing at the time, but the unexpected consequence was that Islam is a religion that is always looking backwards. The Taliban took this to an extreme and wanted Afghanistan to live by medieval rules. Hence, tv was not allowed because it wasn't around in Mohammad's model society.
Despite the genuine commitment with which many people embrace Islam, it sounds like there is a fundamental flaw in any religion if it is too intent on living by rules that can't be adapted to new circumstances. "Time's Arrow," as the scientists call it, only moves forwards and as the Luddites discovered, you can try smashing the machines that threaten your livelihood, but it's a losing battle; the future is going to arrive regardless and the more retrograde steps you take, the more isolated you - or your community- will become.
Of course, plenty of religious people thrive in exactly that kind of isolation, but that will always be the exalted few, I suspect - big mistake to make that kind of deprivation compulsory for a whole country, which is what happened in Afghanistan.
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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953
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