October 18, 2006
ALL WELL AND GOOD TO CORRECT THE POPE'S IGNORANCE OF CHRISTIANITY, BUT....
Muslim scholars write the pope - and everyone else (Dan Murphy, 10/19/06, The Christian Science Monitor)
"What you see in the media are people like [Osama] bin Laden, or Zarqawi, the sorts of people who don't represent Islam or the religion at large,'' says Nakhooda, the Jordan-based editor in chief of Islamica Magazine, which has been helping to publicize the "unprecedented" open letter by Muslim scholars."These individuals are a law unto themselves and, sadly, they get the most publicity.... The intent [of the letter] is to start a dialogue rolling so the public would see there's a positive initiative, an alternative to anger."
...the most important dialogue must take place as such scholars explain to the Islamic world that its theology conforms to our standards. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 18, 2006 7:21 PM
Hogwash! We didn't see BinLaden holding signs to behead the Pope, we didn't see Bin Laden burning Embassies over the Cartoon deal either and it didn't appear they needed him.
They have clearly identified the problems in that article. They don't have a central authority. That letter with the 38 signatures will be overturned on any given Friday at any given Mosque, if it's even mentioned at all.
The fact remains it's just as the official in Australia told their religious leaders that terrorism is done in the name of Islam, and since Islam is the reason for it it's their problem.
It's ok to talk and maybe good will come from it but what won't change is the Islamic terrorism. No one in the entire Islamic World can push or pull them into compliance with acceptable standards. It won't be done as long as there are independent mosques headed and peopled by radical fascists. It's still their problem and they need to accept it.
Hope this makes sense, in a hurry here.
Posted by: Tom Wall at October 19, 2006 12:17 AM"...the most important dialogue must take place as such scholars explain to the Islamic world that its theology conforms to our standards."
No, the important dialogue^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H lecture is the one where they exlain to their own people that they'd better start conforming to our standards before they really piss us off.
Posted by: Ralph Phelan at October 19, 2006 6:42 AMSohail Nakhooda says Islam has a problem getting its message heard.
There's my candidate for understatement-of-the-year award.
Posted by: Peter B at October 19, 2006 6:44 AM"Islam has a problem getting its message heard."
Sounds like the Democrats' mantra!
Posted by: Dave W at October 19, 2006 7:16 AMThe West is the evolutionary stress to which Islam is to adapt, or not.
That's the whole point of it. They understand that they have been surpassed and lashing out makes makes perfect sense when the ash-heap of history looms closer and closer.
Posted by: Lou Gots at October 19, 2006 8:50 AMLou:
Your comment fired the proverbial light-bulb.
Out of the ruin of the Soviet dung-heap, the Russian oligarchy (and the mob) arose.
I suppose we could view the rise of Al Qaeda and the nightmares in Tehran, Damascus, Gaza, Ramallah, and Pakistan the same way. The Islamofascists are nothing more than gangsters hiding behind mosques.
OJ -
Did you see the pictures of Khameini's speech of a few days ago, where he was clutching a machine pistol (or an AK)? Amusing, eh? I'll bet Chavez wishes he could have given his speech at the UN in fatigues, with a Makarov on his hip.
Posted by: jim hamlen at October 19, 2006 10:35 AMThe West failed to adapt, leaving most of it with no future at all. The trick for Islam is to try to adapt towards the Anglo model without slipping over the edge into the continental.
Posted by: oj at October 19, 2006 11:48 AMOJ:
The trend towards private armies is not a positive one. In Iraq, in Iran, in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Pakistan, in anywhere.
Posted by: jim hamlen at October 20, 2006 10:07 PM...Concord, MA...
Posted by: oj at October 20, 2006 10:10 PM