Steyn: Will we stick our necks out for his faith?

Orange County Register ^ | 25 Mar 06 | Mark Steyn

[rellimpank]

Fate conspires to remind us what this war is really about: civilizational confidence. And so history repeats itself: first the farce of the Danish cartoons, and now the tragedy - a man on trial for his life in post-Taliban Afghanistan because he has committed the crime of converting to Christianity.

The cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were deeply offensive to Muslims, and so thousands protested around the world in the usual restrained manner - rioting, torching, killing, etc.

[91B]

Those are all conservative media folks. I doubt if you'd ever hear that on ABCNNBCBS.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

In a more culturally confident age, the British in India were faced with the practice of "suttee" - the tradition of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Gen. Sir Charles Napier was impeccably multicultural:

"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks, and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."

BTTT

[ncountylee]

"You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."

Under suttee, the guy is already dead and crispy.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Will we require freedom of religion in Afghanistan as the price of their freedom from the Taliban?

Not publicly, unless we want to reenact the First Afghan War.

[shezza]

Steyn ping!

[zeugma]

The end bears quoting. It's classic.

In a more culturally confident age, the British in India were faced with the practice of "suttee" - the tradition of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Gen. Sir Charles Napier was impeccably multicultural:

"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks, and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."

[rellimpank]

--you can say that again--(see posts 6, 15 and 22)

[rdcorso]

Islam might have been started as a religion but it has absolutely nothing to do with religion today.I don't think the Nazis were more racist and hateful of people with different beliefs.If Islam doesn't change from its current form it should be wiped out instead of protected.

[zeugma]

LOL. I guess I'm slow on the draw. Mine was in bold though :-)

[Lurker]

Hey we can always conduct The Last Afghan War.

L

[goldstategop]

To Islam's barbarism, our response should be as follows:

"You say that it is your custom to execute Christians. Very well. We also have a custom: When a person is prosecuted and faces certain death for their beliefs, we offer him sanctuary. Try to carry out your verdict; we will remove him from your custody so he will be able to follow his beliefs freely and in good conscience. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."

It is time for us to follow our customs. They are at the heart of who we are.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[JoeFromSidney]

When a person is prosecuted and faces certain death for their beliefs, we offer him sanctuary.

I don't think offering sanctuary is the right answer. We might offer one man sanctuary, but how about two? A hundred? Ten thousand? Ultimately the Muslims must get used to the idea of infidels living among them, and even of Muslims becoming infidels, without threatening them in any way.

Teddy Roosevelt had it right: "Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead." Substitute respectively the names of the defendant and the judge.

[goldstategop]

In the long run, you're right, its the only answer. Changing the totalitarian outlook of these people is the toughest challenge we've ever taken on.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[Cannoneer No. 4]

How?

[Lurker]

The easy way.

L

[Gritty]

At some point we have to face down a culture in which not only the mob in the street but the highest judges and academics talk like crazies.

Precisely. And it is up to Muslims to prove such is not the case. It is not up to us to prove it as all the evidence already leads inexorably in that direction!

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Won't work. The place already looks like the Nevada Test Site. You could really only target the cities. The worst of them live out in the hills.

The fall out will blow into Pakistan and China.

[Canedawg]

Actually, islam, like the mafia, is an organization of psychopaths."

yup

[Lurker]

The fall out will blow into Pakistan and China.

OK, so what's the down side?

L

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The down side is that they have nukes, too, and can irradiate us.