Posted on 01/31/2007 7:24:23 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
Great editorial rebuke to a Islamist apologist.
Robert Spencer knows what he is talking about--he wrote a book showing how violence and intolerance goes back to the beginnings of Islam. D'Souza may have grown up around a milder form of Muslim in India.
Well, he is right that for all the cultural left frets about "American's reputation in the world", they sure don't make us look good to any society that hasn't gone over the secular modernist deep end.
Good grief...why don't you and the Townhall folks focus you ire on the REAL ENEMIES!! D'Souza is no Islamic Apologist! GET A GRIP!!
This is getting ridiculous!
In the past I have been an admirer of D'Souza--on some points, I still am. But he is clearly off base on the matter of how best to confront jihadism. The author, Robert Spencer, has done a very good job of pointing out the fallacies of D'Douza's reasoning.
As the Crusaders killed every Muslim and Jew when they captured Jerusalem.
Does this mean endorsement of attacks on civilians is part of Christian doctrine?
I am not unsympathetic with the author's basic point, but this is a really poor choice of argument. If we are going to get into a contest of atrocities, "Christians" over the centuries don't have a record that is much better than Muslims.
The difference is that "holy war" is the main point of Islam, while it is a perversion of Christianity, at least partly in imitation of Islam.
There are some who say it has nothing to do with religion, that those from that part of the world are, and have always been, zealots, regardless of their religion. Under this thought, today's terrorists can be traced back beyond the Assassins to the "sicari" of inter-testamental times.
"In the past I have been an admirer of D'Souza--on some points, I still am..."
Have you read the book?
Here is my take of the 'controversy' so far..and no..I have not read the book yet.
This is much ado about nothing. We need brillant minds like D'Souza on OUR SIDE!! The first book I ever read by him was: "What's So Great About America" and I have been a fan ever since.
Please explain to me what is wrong with the man trying to connect some dots here?
Robert Spencer may have a great way of 'pointing out fallacies'...but so far, other than raising awareness(which is sorely needed) he has done nothing to solve the problem of Islamic Terrorism.
Perhaps, in some way, D'Souza can connect with those Islamists being brainwashed in their local mosque...and like Martha Stewart says:
That is a Good Thing!!
It's important for a person to not give too much credit to the Islamic world. They have plenty of decadance- sexual slavery, arranged marriages which resemble forced prostitution, kidnapping, rape, pedophilia, as well as practices which would equally offend observant Christians and PETA (putting it as mildly as possible).
I agree with D'Souza, and have been saying something similar for a while now. What the Islamic world knows about America is all from television, 100%.
"What the Islamic world knows about America is all from television, 100%"
...or the media in general or from what they are 'allowed' to watch.
Right now, you can go to any Islamic website and they are having a field day with the 'Boston Terrorist Threat' today(been to a few tonight and have seen it).
Thanks to Hollywood,CNN,and the REAL ISLAMIC APOLOGISTS in THE DRIVE BY MEDIA and ON CAPITOL HILL....they will just use this episode as a recruiting tool!
They already are......
How do you come to that conclusion?
I know from direct, personal experience from my travels in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Morrocco that the fundamental premise, (Muslims are offended by and hate the America it sees through the lens of the cultural left), is true.
It is one of the reasons I have been so baffled by the alignment of the liberal left with the interests of the Jihadists. Conservatives of all faiths have more in common with each other than any of them do with the degenerate culture of the left.
Yet, the right works to defend us all against enemies created by the left who, in turn, work to undermine the very effort that stands between them and terrible justice.
Very confusing.
btt
"As D'Souza pointed out, Al Qaida has never once launched a terrorist attack inside Israel--that's all been Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. Their hatred has nothing to do with our defense of Israel...they hate us because THEY JUST DO"
Exactly..and if you do a little research, you will notice that AQ/OBL never even brought up Israel or the Palestinians in his writings until after his manifesto in 1998. Even then, he did not dwell on it.
It was only after 911, that he mentioned the 'Palestinisn cause' as a 'cause celeb' in his rants.
OBL does not give a warts scab about the Palestinians! He wants the OIL REVENUES from the sheikdoms in order to overthrow the western 'infidels'!!
At least that is what the word is on the 'arab street'....LOL
Well, I normally agree with D'Souza. I partly agree with his premise (partly because they not only point out the liberalness/excessiveness/decay, but they also hate freedom of religion, our Republic, and our Christian roots). I do not agree on his solution.
My cousin Grace married a "moderate" Muslim in the 80's. He was handsome, suave, and rich. Trouble was, he kept beating her up. The last straw was when he broke her nose. She divorced him and luckily, there were no offspring for him to kidnap and take back to the Middle East.
No. I am merely commenting on the basis of the brief excerpts quoted from the book.
Please explain to me what is wrong with the man trying to connect some dots here?
I simply don't believe we can win the war against Islamofascism through a hearts-and-minds strategy. On a certain level, it is appealing--making common cause with the "moderates," rather than just writing them off--but it doesn't strike me as realistic.
I believe Spencer makes sense when he observes that "Today’s suicide attacks are a matter of technological progress: It does not represent a theological divergence from traditional Islam," and quotes verses from the Koran to back up his point--as well as giving hair-raising examples from the middle ages through the nineteenth century to illustrate it.
I also find it instructive that "D'Souza is aware that 'traditional Muslims are not 'moderates,' and that there are no theological differences between them and the jihadists," yet still has faith that non-Muslims can somehow mollify the "moderates" in the Islamic world--even though "he [D'Souza] assumes that peaceful Muslims will have a greater sense of solidarity with jihadists than with non-Muslims."
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