Posted on 02/03/2006 12:42:30 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
I watched only part of President Bush's State of the Union address. I just couldn't bring myself to watch the whole speech. I soon discovered that I wasn't alone.
Since then, I had the opportunity to talk to a number of academic acquaintances in the Middle East. I was interested in getting a firsthand Arab response to the turmoil taking place between the Europeans and Muslims, but I also took the opportunity to get some feedback on Bush's speech.
To my surprise, none of them heard the address. When I told one that Bush had promised to put in place programs to end America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil by 2025, he retorted, "From your mouth to God's ear." He was hoping without the need for the region's oil, the United States would be less inclined to involve itself in the area's politics.
However, Bush might need to speed up the effort.
A huge storm has been brewing between Europe and the Islamic world since the publication in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten of 12 cartoons depicting Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, as a terrorist. A Norwegian newspaper also carried the cartoons.
Muslims throughout the world took offense, and many were even angrier at the Danish editor's claim to freedom of speech. Demonstrations worldwide denouncing Denmark were followed by the closure of the Libyan Embassy in Copenhagen and the recall of the Saudi ambassador.
Worse yet were the public boycotts of Danish goods in the Muslim world. Danish companies in Saudi Arabia were forced to shut down, and a huge dairy factory under construction had to be put on hold. The citizens of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates also boycotted Danish products.
France Soir, Germany's Die Welt, Italy's La Stampa and Spain's La El Periodico have come to the support of Jyllands-Posten. In Europe, fliers and posters are asking Europeans to boycott Muslim businesses.
Mr. Bush, whether you want it or not, you now have what your neocon advisers planned all along. You have a global religious and cultural war, and I promise no one will emerge a winner. As an American Muslim, I found the cartoons offensive and unnecessary, even if sanctioned by freedom of expression.
Fifteen million Muslims in Europe and 8 million in America have been subjected to alienation, discrimination, cultural, political and legal barriers by governments and citizens alike, all done in the name of security or freedom of expression.
To deal with this, Arab and Muslim peoples, not only governments, must swallow a difficult pill that includes the following:
First, they need to borrow from Gandhi's book and its emphasis on resistance without violence, for violence only gives Western society the incentive and excuse to interfere in their lives.
Second, they need to respect themselves and demonstrate freedom of expression by weaning themselves off Western aid, goods and services. Moreover, they must divest themselves from Western markets.
Third, I never thought I would agree with the Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, but I urge Muslims to sever political and economic relations with any country using "freedom of expression" as an excuse to manifest hate for them.
Fourth, sell to and buy from each other and countries that respect them. That will mean dealing with Latin American countries, as well as China, India and South Korea.
Fifth, investment must be done within Islamic societies. There are 1.7 billion Muslims, and they don't need Western society to create their own common currency and market.
Only by becoming truly independent will they be able to stand up to the nonsense coming from Washington, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and elsewhere.
"...Fifth, investment must be done within Islamic societies..."
But, according to the Koran, isn't that a crime? Lending of money with interest?
It's a cartoon!
The apes in 2001and the monolith.
Nobody touch our Muhammad!
Eat a Moose!
Will you 8 million mooslames please leave the US, we need the room for illegal immigrants.
BTTT
"Fifteen million Muslims in Europe and 8 million in America have been subjected to alienation, discrimination, cultural, political and legal barriers by governments and citizens alike, all done in the name of security or freedom of expression. "
here's an idea, haul you sorry asses back to muslim countries
Start building the interment villages. This is a warning shot from a 'moderate' Mohammedan in America.
"Fifteen million Muslims in Europe and 8 million in America have been subjected to alienation, discrimination, cultural, political and legal barriers by governments and citizens alike, all done in the name of security or freedom of expression."
It's time for these 23 million ragheads to be "invited" to return to their utopian homelands so they will no longer be oppressed by living in the West. Let the deportations begin at once.
Mansour El-Kikhia can kiss my arse BUMP! Islam is a death cult!!!!!!
do I get you right ?"
You must have missed THIS part of the author's rant and public threat:
" Mr. Bush, whether you want it or not, you now have what your neocon advisers planned all along. You have a global religious and cultural war, and I promise no one will emerge a winner."
This Muslim author's OWN words indict him as a traitor, fomenting violence, and threatening American security.
Ha -- "American" Muslim?
Swung from the highest tree I say.
And here all the Muslims have done is cruelly torture and kill 1000's of people for no reason.
But seriously, I understand that this is a difficult issue for Muslims because they aren't allowed to depict the Prophet in any manner, much less in a cartoon.
While people are being given the impression by the media that Muslims are upset about the cartoon, the truth is they're upset that the Prophet should be depicted at all.
Maybe the media isn't as much in love with Islam as they used to be. Wonder if we'll see them use the "T" word again?
"Third, I never thought I would agree with the Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, but I urge Muslims to sever political and economic relations with any country using "freedom of expression" as an excuse to manifest hate for them.
"
Interesting. Here I was thinking it was the work of one cartoonist published in one publication. Now I come to understand it was the work of an entire country. Silly me.
Oooh..does this mean all people of the Moslem faith will be leaving the west and move to Saudi Arabia or some other Islamic country? Is that what is being advocated? Surely this cannot be a suggestion that Moslems living in a free and democratic country should try and gain independence from that country on the basis of their religion, can it?
He's avoiding the elephant in the living room. He knows, as we all do, that it's the violence and the murdering, not the boycotts.
If all Muslims outside the US want to boycott the US, we'd adjust to that. But then there is the tangible threat of violence and murdering that hangs in the air.
Non-extremist Muslims should be trying to calm the extremists, not stir them up. I see no calming voices from Islam WRT this situation. Not surprising, but worth noting nonetheless.
well - sure noone will emerge as a winner - that's what we can all agree on I think.
He's blaming Bush that certain imams seem to be quite hot under their rags (sorry - should have said sheets that's what's politicaly more correct - raghead is very impolite).
That's what we should not agree with - but that he's about to fly his carpet in a higher building - no sir - not my impression.
and no faxe and tuborg either - to bad for them.
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