Posted on 08/03/2005 1:51:33 PM PDT by fanfan
In case you didn't know, Muslims are not a racial group. Like Christians, they come in a great variety. Islam is a religion, and what distinguishes the Muslim from the non-Muslim is his greater or lesser adherence to that religion.
So when Hazel Blair, the British Home Office minister, promised Muslim leaders yesterday there would be no "racial profiling" of Muslims, she was talking complete bosh.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has struck a much different tone recently. He is intelligent enough to realize he is cornered by events. His increasingly short-tempered remarks are harbinger of an increasingly nasty "Jihad politics" in Britain that will put "multiculturalism" to a test it cannot survive.
Mr. Blair has said recently that the problem of Islamist terrorism cannot be solved "using the law alone." But it is not just the law that is useless against Islamist terrorism. Various nonce expressions about "fighting racism" and "creating diversity" open umbrellas against a hurricane.
Rather than say this myself, let me quote Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, the "traditionalist" Anglican who directs the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity in London. He recently found himself trying to explain the crazy truth to a journalist from Reality Magazine who asked him about violent passages in the Koran, which Islamists quote constantly. "Is there no part of the Koran which modifies these violent texts in the way that we would say our New Testament modifies the Old Testament?"
Dr. Sookhdeo: "In fact the reverse is true. ... All the peaceful passages that are enjoined on Muslims occur in the chapters written at Mecca. They are tolerant toward Jews and Christians. But when Muhammad gets to Medina and sets up his city/religious state, the tone towards other groups changes rapidly. The statements about slaying the pagans and killing the Jews and others occur there. Now in Islamic interpretation, all passages that are revealed later take precedence over those revealed earlier. This is known as the 'law of abrogation'."
I quote this because it succinctly presents the one intractable fact that has prevented me from completing my own book manuscript, on "Wrestling with Islam." I am myself stuck, like Mr. Blair, in that modern Western headspace, delineated by President George W. Bush when he said, "Islam is a religion of peace." Well, yes, that is true: but only if you concede that the word "peace" means radically different things in the Islamic and Christian (or, "Western") traditions.
Each tradition is internally consistent. But the two start from nearly contrary premises about the nature of God, or Allah, and this leads to often opposite views on what is right and good and true.
The Muslim conception of Allah is, in fact, much closer to classical Greek ideas of an omnipotent deity, than to ours of one who can agree to be crucified. Every notion of compassion turns on that point. Ditto "tolerance," "forgiveness," "generosity" and the like. "Multiculturalism" and "cultural relativism" are themselves perversions of an essentially Christian message; just as the gratuitous slaughter of civilians is a perversion of the Islamic message.
From Messrs. Bush and Blair down to the lowliest pundit, we are blinded by the notion that the whole world shares our values; that everyone means what we mean, even by such words as "peace" and "violence." It is a testimony to the centuries-long work of Christian evangelism that we can have such illusions today.
Through 14 centuries, in all schools of Islamic thought, Muslims have been taught that Christendom (now, "the West") is in the Dar al-Harb -- the "domain of war." They have been taught that "peace" will not come before that West has been conquered and Islamicized. Which is why, not since Sept. 11, 2001, but for 14 centuries, we've been at each other's throats.
I can hardly hold against Muslims that they believe as they are taught. And I know that few are incendiaries. This is not my point. My point is that to confront this huge obstacle to the peaceful assimilation of Muslim immigrants by promising to eschew "racial profiling" does not make sense. Indeed, it makes so little sense as to be insane.
Ping
If Islamic terrorism and Jihad kill multiculturalism it will be it's only contribution to the betterment of mankind.
Even Musharrif (sp) understands that they must integrate IN TO our society for it to work.
I would like to see scientists pick apart the Quran in the same manner that has been done to the Bible. Most of the Bible has been proven to be accurate. Can Muslims say the same for their religion?
It's not PC to ask.
I never thought I see my society die from the over application of two letters.
I see = I'd see
Darn spelling gremlins.
"will put "multiculturalism" to a test it cannot survive."
This concept ignores the simple fact that a 'culture' can be premised on racism and dedicated to genocide.
Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean.
The whole idea of a "multiculturalism" which devalues Christian Western culture while extending multicultural tolerance toward jihadist barbarians is so absurd, ridiculous, and disgusting, it is almost impossible to find a rhetorical condemnation which does justice to the liberal madness at the heart of it.
Multiculturalism preaches embracing and celebrating other cultures, but has no answer to the problem presented when the other culture insists that it has a sacred obligation to cut your head off.
Gotcha. Thanks for the reply. :-)
"Politically correct" is a term adopted by the left to put everyone, who isn't a liberal, in their place.
There is NO "wall" of separation of church and state.
Jefferson's letter:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/f0605as.jpg
Kind of like when liberals call us bigots because we are winning the argument.
"Multiculturalism preaches embracing and celebrating other cultures..."
That's the propaganda, but in actual practice multiculturalism is an Orwellian tool that the left uses to stifle those that disagree with them. It encourages the Balkinization of our society by presupposing that all cultures are equal (As you say, even those that want to cut your head off) and that all immigrants really don't need to assimilate to become part of the larger American society. Of course, this is completely contrary to 200+ years of our history. The old phrase was "divide and conquor". Once the lefties have divided us into little groups that cannot communicate or are suspicious of the other, it is child's play to pit one against the other for political gain.
"Kind of like when liberals call us bigots because we are winning the argument."
Or Kennedy's attack on Bolton's "abuse of subordinates" claim. Should we remind him of Clinton's abuses of power?
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