In a series of interviews with ex-Islamo-fascists, British journalist Johann Hari gets to some disturbing realities and interesting opportunities. The article titled "Renouncing Islamism: To The Brink And Back Again," is a long read, but well worth it.
The folks he interviews are home-grown jihadis. Typically they are second generation emigres whose parents came from places like Pakistan, Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Often they were typical naturalized kids, but by their late teens they couldn't fit in and found themselves attracted to the moral certainty of Wahabi Islam. Note - these Imams are Saudi funded...remember, our "friends," whose King Obama likes bowing to. They are actively recruited and turned into active recruiters - just like viruses. The concern over this, of course, is the parallel to Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood killer. We tend to be frightfully naive in the west, thinking our secular openness can convert the most bloodthirsty tribal savage into metrosexual yuppies. The enemy is among us, their numbers unknown. As a recent column by Dan Henninger over at the Wall Street Journal pointed out - the danger is not Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the real danger is Nidal Hasan.
The passions of these jihadis has been inflamed by the actions of the Bush years - Guantanamo, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq - I would add the point of clarification to this: it is not these actions that are the problem, it is the actions of an irresponsible press and a Democrat party so bent on regaining power. Their overstatements and outright lies - remember the flushing Korans - that have created this environment.
The hope in the article is that these people can be converted to rational members of society, but a good deal of this will have to come from the inside of their own faith. A literal interpretation of the Koran will lead to 9/11. An interpretation allowing for nuance and accommodation can lead to a moderated Islam that just might be able to co-exist with other faiths in this world. But in the meantime, their commitment to a new caliphate has to be met head on. Weakness and "wanting to just get along" will only inflame them and allow them a larger foothold in the enormous Muslim population worldwide.
4 comments:
Is this the part where I remind you that a 'literal interpretation' of your Magic Book would involve stoning people to death constantly? And an incorrect value for pi? And something about a talking snake in a tree... yeah. I would probably be more careful playing that card, eh?
All religion is the problem, not just Islam. They use exactly the same mindset that other religious people use: "there is a magic man in the sky telling me to do things".
If you get to say that a magic-sky-father is telling you to do things, so do they. Until we can all take a step back and admit that all religion is the same backward anachronistic means of controlling people... we're not going to solve anything. BUT, if we can embrace a reasoned, secular-humanist worldview, it becomes far easier to point at the crazy people and call them out.
In case you are unaware, atheism/agnosticism is far and away the fastest growing segment of the population. And the only group that is growing as a % of the population in general. (here.) And the farthest-out cult (the Catholic Church, of course) is decreasing just as quickly. Most of those people are just leaving for less-insane churches... but clearly people are increasingly aware that religion as an institution doesn't do anything "good". Seriously, when things like this are the only things you hear from Catholics (except for the molesting boys and such, of course)... the real question becomes "why does ANYONE still think this crap is meaningful?".
Want an end to radical Islam? Make them the only people who still think that "magic" is a reasonable way to interact w/ the world. It is the only possible solution.
Sellersburg, you really like striking out at straw men that don't exist. Do you wake in the middle of the night with tremors about someone pouring Holy Water on you? What happened - were you hated by your parents for being the little potty mouth spoiled brat that no doubt you were? I ask these questions, because your discourse here is only published for how fatuously silly it is.
I know the headlines are full of stories of Christians blowing up airliners and Shintoists beheading Buddhists, or at least there must be in the parallel universe you obviously live in. You despise religion, obviously, and feel that you can gloatingly claim all knowledge without need of a God. Fine. Lucky for you you live in the United States...good luck selling that snake oil in Iraq or Saudi Arabia.
No, my friend, religion is not the root of all evil as you perceive it to be. Organized religions have their flaws, no question, they are formed by men and we are imperfect creatures; but on balance, Christianity and Judaism have done far more for the progress of humanity than any of your secular-humanist buddies that think they can run the world.
The point of the post, if you took the time to read it before spouting off your venom, is that Islamism can be turned around, but only from the inside. AND, the point I was making is that the danger is very real in this country that home-grown terrorists like Hassan are the tip of the iceberg. They are the threat and your secular progressive political correctness will get a lot of people killed. The risk is NOT the local Lutheran coffee klatch or the regional chapter of the Knights of Columbus. They are only a risk in your diseased imagination.
Anyway, I will continue to pray for you...and know this, when the time comes that you will need a loving God, He will be there. Even if you give up on Him, He will not give up on you. Good luck!
you clearly missed the point - there is an underlying assumption that all religious people make: they are NOT the party responsible, in the end, for their lives. There is something 'other' out there watching/caring/killing/whatever...
The way in which people use religion differs, of course... but the root, where you abdicate responsibility for whatever you dont understand to that magic 'other', is the very reason why the islamic crazies blow themselves up. they are doing exactly what you are doing - listening to the voices in their heads and thinking that they are real, and acting on those delusions. the kicker: you are an atheist too. everyone is. if i told you Odin told me to do something, you would immediately laugh and say it was stupid. and you'd be right. why is substituting 'jesus' or 'moses' or 'mohammed' for 'odin' or 'asmodeus' any different? (here's a hint: it isn't.)
so, it doesn't matter that catholics molest people instead of blowing themselves up. or that kabbalah gets madonna on TV instead of exploding. its all the same crap. and my point, that removing all 'faith' from american life would result in it being very easy to spot, stop, and eventually remove completely the threat of Islamofacism at home, stands. Guy says "god told me to...", and no matter what the rest of that sentence, they could be dismissed out of hand.
The ones over there, we should convert... to radioactive vapor. That would also be a solution.
No, my dear friend, YOU miss the point. Religious people do not run around with some assumption that they are not responsible for their actions...at least not the ones I know. Nor have I ever been taught such nonsense. We know we are fallen people totally responsible for our actions. We believe God offers us salvation, but does not excuse us for misdeeds.
Since your primary thesis is incorrect, the rest of your argument falls flat. Again, IF you would read the article (let alone try to learn a little something about religion period) you would learn that the Islamists are doing what they are doing because of a sick strain of their faith that calls for a literal reading of the Koran. You want to make the leap that says ALL religions call for literal interpretation of their texts. Both the Old Testament and the Koran as well as the Gitas have some very ancient practices sited, which we have evolved away from as a society. But it does not follow that the end evolution should be the ending of all faith. The logical parallel would be something like this:
a) Georgia has a law stating that if someone tries to steal your horse, you may kill them.
b)Therefore, ALL laws should be abolished.
So then you wrap up your deeply flawed argument by advocating an eradication of all faith and the nuclear elimination of Muslims? Wow, that's not very "accepting" of you. You obviously don't think much of our Constitution, but then most statists don't.
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