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The Trouble With Islam
The Wall Street Journal ^ | April 3, 2007 | TAWFIK HAMID

Posted on 04/02/2007 11:23:28 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

Not many years ago the brilliant Orientalist, Bernard Lewis, published a short history of the Islamic world's decline, entitled "What Went Wrong?" Astonishingly, there was, among many Western "progressives," a vocal dislike for the title. It is a false premise, these critics protested. They ignored Mr. Lewis's implicit statement that things have been, or could be, right.

But indeed, there is much that is clearly wrong with the Islamic world. Women are stoned to death and undergo clitorectomies. Gays hang from the gallows under the approving eyes of the proponents of Shariah, the legal code of Islam. Sunni and Shia massacre each other daily in Iraq. Palestinian mothers teach 3-year-old boys and girls the ideal of martyrdom. One would expect the orthodox Islamic establishment to evade or dismiss these complaints, but less happily, the non-Muslim priests of enlightenment in the West have come, actively and passively, to the Islamists' defense.

These "progressives" frequently cite the need to examine "root causes." In this they are correct: Terrorism is only the manifestation of a disease and not the disease itself. But the root-causes are quite different from what they think. As a former member of Jemaah Islamiya, a group led by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, I know firsthand that the inhumane teaching in Islamist ideology can transform a young, benevolent mind into that of a terrorist. Without confronting the ideological roots of radical Islam it will be impossible to combat it. While there are many ideological "rootlets" of Islamism, the main tap root has a name -- Salafism, or Salafi Islam, a violent, ultra-conservative version of the religion.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: crushislam; islam; islammustdie; muhammadsminions; muslims
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To: Lurker

Hi Lurker,

You wrote:

“The ‘root cause’ of the problem is islam itself. It cannot be ‘reformed’.”

You are spot-on. To take it one step further, the problem with islam itself is it worships a false god. Thus, muslims can never truly know peace. Humanity’s “lowest common denominator”, i.e. hate, greed, selfishness etc., will always be brought to the forefront with islam.

Brian


21 posted on 04/03/2007 3:42:56 AM PDT by Kharis13
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To: Kharis13
To take it one step further, the problem with islam itself is it worships a false god.

It appears to me that they worship Death itself. And as far as the 'reform' thingy goes, well old mad mo' addressed that very issue himself.

he said no reform was possible, needed, or desired and that anyone attempting such 'reform' should be killed as an apostate.

Ask any mohameden and they'll tell you their religion is perfect and that all that's needed for their to be universal peace and happiness is for everyone to worship their god their way. And if you don't, well they'll quite happily kill or enslave you. After all, it's in the koran.

The problem with islam is islam.

L

22 posted on 04/03/2007 3:46:54 AM PDT by Lurker (Comparing 'moderate' islam to 'extremist' islam is like comparing small pox to chicken pox.)
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To: lentulusgracchus

It is not a clinical malady to fear sin, it’s consequences and those who foist it upon society trying to make people believe it is “normal.”


23 posted on 04/03/2007 3:57:16 AM PDT by John Leland 1789
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To: MinorityRepublican

Reform is not possible. Expulsion is the answer.


24 posted on 04/03/2007 4:07:33 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged
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To: John Leland 1789

Ditto!


25 posted on 04/03/2007 4:07:43 AM PDT by crghill (Jacob Harmenszoon is no friend of mine!)
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To: lentulusgracchus

Until all Moslems speak out against the extremists, the extremists DO speak for all Islam.

Pretty hard to sort out the moslim who is trying to kill you from the one who is only thinking about killing you.


26 posted on 04/03/2007 6:43:04 AM PDT by newcthem
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To: Lurker

Radical Islam wants you dead. ‘Moderate’ Islam will stand and watch in silence.

Islam must be destroyed.


27 posted on 04/03/2007 7:33:41 AM PDT by Noumenon (The Koran is the Mein Kampf of a religion that has always aimed to eliminate the others - O. Fallaci)
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To: lentulusgracchus

What are you talking about? There is no other moral authority in Islam.


28 posted on 04/03/2007 9:18:14 AM PDT by 4woodenboats ("Show me what Pelosi's 100 hours brought , and there you will find things only evil and inhuman")
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To: Lurker
I'm curious as to why you added the CE to your dates links.

There's no CE added to the dates at the site you linked to, so what's your reasoning for adding them here?

29 posted on 04/03/2007 9:22:19 AM PDT by 4woodenboats ("Show me what Pelosi's 100 hours brought , and there you will find things only evil and inhuman")
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To: 4woodenboats
so what's your reasoning for adding them here?

None really. Why does it concern you so much?

L

30 posted on 04/03/2007 12:48:47 PM PDT by Lurker (Comparing 'moderate' islam to 'extremist' islam is like comparing small pox to chicken pox.)
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To: The Truth Will Make You Free

“Gays hang from the gallows”

And yet, there are parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, devoutly muslim, where homosexuality is rampant.


31 posted on 04/03/2007 1:18:54 PM PDT by Levante
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To: Noumenon

“Radical Islam wants you dead. ‘Moderate’ Islam will stand and watch in silence”

And ‘Moderate’ Islam will gladly accept and benefit from the rewards that Radical Islam gains.

Islam is a curse, a disease that must be wiped out.


32 posted on 04/03/2007 1:21:00 PM PDT by Levante
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To: MinorityRepublican; Dajjal; All
Women are stoned to death and undergo clitorectomies.

While the leader of the Congress of the greatest nation on earth grovels before the Islamists with no make-up, wearing a hejab, an act of subjugation and humiliation before the greatest abusers of women since Mohammed himself.


33 posted on 04/03/2007 2:11:20 PM PDT by XR7
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To: XR7

Nancy, you ignorant tool.


34 posted on 04/03/2007 2:29:23 PM PDT by TSchmereL ("Rust but terrify.")
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To: XR7

35 posted on 04/03/2007 2:35:16 PM PDT by Fitzcarraldo (If the Moon didn't exist, people would have traveled to Mars by now.)
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To: sageb1; Lurker
“The ‘root cause’ of the problem is islam itself. It cannot be ‘reformed’.

Let me add my Amen, and also my sentiments, that it may require "by any means necessary."

36 posted on 04/03/2007 3:42:24 PM PDT by happygrl
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To: MinorityRepublican

Thanks for the post. I read (quickly,) the WSJ today, but, I missed this. I appreciate your bringing it to my attention.


37 posted on 04/03/2007 3:51:41 PM PDT by LiberationIT
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To: MinorityRepublican

Thanks for the post. I read (quickly,) the WSJ today, but, I missed this. I appreciate your bringing it to my attention.


38 posted on 04/03/2007 3:51:43 PM PDT by LiberationIT
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To: MinorityRepublican
The "trouble with Islam" is that it is.

The trouble will be gone only when Islam is.

- John

39 posted on 04/03/2007 8:14:19 PM PDT by Fishrrman
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To: XR7

Dhimmi bump


40 posted on 04/03/2007 9:30:58 PM PDT by Dajjal
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