Posted on 02/06/2008 6:18:47 PM PST by Lorianne
Last October, I participated in a debate in London, hosted by Intelligence Squared, to consider the motion, “We should not be reluctant to assert the superiority of Western values.” Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan, among others, spoke against the motion; I spoke in favor, focusing on the vast disparities in freedom, human rights, and tolerance between Western and Islamic societies. Here, condensed somewhat, is the case that I made.
The great ideas of the West—rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law and equality under the law, freedom of thought and expression, human rights, and liberal democracy—are superior to any others devised by humankind. It was the West that took steps to abolish slavery; the calls for abolition did not resonate even in Africa, where rival tribes sold black prisoners into slavery. The West has secured freedoms for women and racial and other minorities to an extent unimaginable 60 years ago. The West recognizes and defends the rights of the individual: we are free to think what we want, to read what we want, to practice our religion, to live lives of our choosing.
(Excerpt) Read more at city-journal.org ...
Isn't that an oxymoron?
Alas no, the baleful influence of Islam would not be so great were the Koran and Hadiths all there were. Muslim intellectuals built the edifice that is modern (in the sense of current only) Islam: Al Ghazali created the occasionalist epistemology that destroyed Islamic science in the 12th century and bound Muslims in fatalism ever since, and in the mid-20th century, Sayyed Qutb fused the Koranic notion of jihad and the existentialist notion of 'absolute commitment' to offer the justification for suicide bombing, Koranic prohibitions on suicide notwithstanding.
It's not an oxymoron, but like leftist intellectuals, Muslim intellectuals seem to use their intellect chiefly to make things worse.
” The West recognizes and defends the rights of the individual: we are free to think what we want, to read what we want, to practice our religion, to live lives of our choosing.”
Try and tell the leftists and Dhims this today. Tell Al and Jesse, Cindy Sheehan, Murtha, Jon Carry, Big Fat Al Bore, and all the Hollow Wood “stars” and “celebrities” and so called MSM, self appointed pundits this. Try and convince any of your “liberal” friends and relatives.
They simply won’t believe you.
He forgot a big one: capitalism and the free market system.
Sadly these ideals are in large part scorned in our universities, especially those so called Ivey League institutions.
But those ideals are part of the classic Western Philosophy.
I wonder what the suicide rate is in Islam.
Well, the kind of "she fell on the knife nineteen times, officer, when I discovered her dowry was smaller than I thought" types of suicides are probably pretty high.
Thanks for posting. Hooray Ibn Warraq!
He forgot a big one: capitalism and the free market system.
With your addition, a pretty good summary of why the West is winning (even if we have to struggle once in a while).
LOL!
re: no jokes in Islam
Well this might point to the ONLY advantage of Islam for humanity: no jokes means no wannabe awful “comics” like Al Franken, Ellen Degeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, and a few other unmentionables..... I could ALMOST give up all the benefits of western civilization to be spared those jackals!! (just kidding)
That’s easy: Because Jim Morrison said so.
bump for later
read
Hat tip ping. I just found your posting of this article because The Corner at NRO just linked to the original column today. I am going to forward it to my multi culti sister.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDgzYzA4M2JhYzMzN2FlY2U4OTJhMDM2NDk1ZWEyNzE=
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