Islamic Official Says West Demonizes Islam

ap on Yahoo ^ | 10/4/05 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

STRASBOURG, France - A top Islamic official on Tuesday criticized the West for what he called "demonizing" Islam following the Sept. 11 attacks, warning against attributing individual crimes to an entire religion.

Even though the attacks were condemned by Muslims, "the majority in the West ... never paused for one second to look back and ask since when an act of individuals could be the reason to condemn one fifth of humanity," said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim group.

Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, Ihsanoglu said Muslims have suffered from ethnic cleansing and massacres that have largely been ignored by the Western world.

"In recent years, war in Iraq without legitimacy gave one further jolt to the faith of Muslims in the efficacy of international order," Ihsanoglu said.

Speaking several hours after the European Union agreed to open membership talks with Muslim-oriented Turkey, Ihsanoglu said he believed the decision would lead to other Islamic states' following Turkey's example in improving human rights and democracy.

He also called on European countries to give Islam the same official recognition as is given to mainstream European religions.

[SmithL]

And suicide bombers aren't helping Islam's image, either.

[Andyman]

He also called on European countries to give Islam the same official recognition as is given to mainstream European religions.

Maybe when Christian churches can get built in Saudi Arabia.

[A. Pole]

He also called on European countries to give Islam the same official recognition as is given to mainstream European religions.

Is he going to call on Saudi Arabia to at least allow churches to be open? I guess not.

[satchmodog9]

So he wants Islam to be ridiculed?

[injin]

gee , I wonder why....?

[clee1]

OK Ayatollah.... YOU deal with the nutcases in your midst and we won't have to.

As for me, I support the policy of "Kill them all and let God (or Allah, if you prefer) sort them out.

I have neither the time or the inclination to sort out the average adherents of your Moon Rock Cult from the dangerous ones.

[MNJohnnie]

Terrorism is demonetizing Islam. Maybe if these hysterics spend even 1/100th as much time chasing their extremists as they do whining at US we might take them seriously. Until that time they are all just bunch of modern day Lord Haw Haws or Tokyo Roses spreading the propaganda of the Islamo fascists.

[Flavius]

For its not fine raiment or stores of gold, silver and gems that bend our enemies to respect or support us; they are kept down solely by fear of our arms. Secondly, in other matters, as Cato says, mistakes can be corrected aftearwards; errors in war do not admit of amendment, because the penalty follows immediately upon the slip.

[onewhowatches]

And which groups were dancing in the streets after 9/11?

[claptrap]

Lets stop demonizing and start vaporizing Islam!

[Publius6961]

Idiot islamic officials not only can say the greatest absurdities, but they regularly do.

For anyone with eyes and ears, however, in the real world islam daily demonizes itself!

[Rennes Templar]

We don't demonize Islam; we demonize Islams demons.

[dc-zoo]

I'd say they're doing a good job of it without our help.

[isthisnickcool]

A top Islamic official.....

There is not such thing. Or, rather, they are all "top officials". Nobody is in charge. Which is by design.

Islam is a wacky "religion" where the followers leave their brains ouside the mosque*....

* The site that's linked above is not a joke site!

[JoJo Gunn]

We need that multiple choice quiz where the answer is always "Muslim extremists between the ages of 17 and 40"....

[A CA Guy]

Islam is about a moon god, not the God of Christianity and Judaism. So what's not to demonize about them worshiping false gods and blowing people up? What they've done with their women is also nothing to boast of.

[pcottraux]

He says the West demonizes Islam, but Islamic leaders like him won't condemn terrorism.

[Johnny Crab]

"the majority in the West ... never paused for one second to look back and ask since when an act of individuals could be the reason to condemn one fifth of humanity,"

Don't see any folks from my religion going to blow up others who won't convert.

OK, so we believe in this big bang theory. When people, trains, cars, airplanes, boats, backpacks, trucks, vans, buildings blow themselves up...which "faith" do the exploders belong to?

[jmc1969]

Who considers these two men of God?