Gods and Monsters

Wash Post ^ | 28 jun 02 | Salman Rushdie

[white trash redneck]

In the United States since Sept. 11, and also in a Europe alarmed by the resurgence of the far right, there have been and continue to be laudable efforts to prevent Muslims from being tarred with the terrorist brush. Muslim voices, those of the people on the Arab, Afghan, Pakistani or Kashmiri streets as well as those of intellectuals and politicians, are being given media time and space, and are being listened to. (The British Guardian newspaper's decision to spend a whole week spotlighting "Islamophobia" is a recent example.) Most of the voices we have heard have had extremely harsh things to say about the United States of America, and its arrogance, brutality, ignorance and so on.

[white trash redneck]

Interesting article by a muslim on how islam does not confront its own pathologies (of course, the fact that he has been condemned under a fatwa might have clarified his vision a bit).

[lepton]

Rushdie is still a jerk.

[johniegrad]

Good essay but I think he misses an important point. The Muslim world that he talks about is not singularly in conflict with the United States nor even with the West. They are in conflict everywhere and with everyone. The lack of a moderate Muslim voice emerging to condemn systematically the terrorism and violence confirms the notion that the Muslim world needs bogeymen to fight. There must be a Great Satan on the horizon because it is the only way that these cultures, if that's what they are, can maintain internal cohesion. With no common enemy, they will disintegrate into the tribal warfare that has preoccupied them for centuries.

[thinktwice]

Gallup poll, taken across the Muslim world a few months ago, in which, by a big margin, those interviewed denied Muslim responsibility for Sept. 11.

Religion? What religion?

Based on September 11th, all religions should have their dogmas clinically examined -- for hate.

[johniegrad]

bttt

[Egregious Philbin]

Rushdie is not a Muslim. "The Satanic Verses" could not have been written by a Muslim.

[gaspar]

He is a bad writer and tiresome nag utterly consumed by the fact that V.S. Nipaul won the Nobel Prize that he believes should have been his.

[John O]

In the United States since Sept. 11, ... there have been and continue to be laudable efforts to prevent Muslims from being tarred with the terrorist brush.

Which I don't understand at all. mohammedans, by their own holy book's commands, are inherently terrorists. Why shouldn't we tar them with the same brush that their scripture tars them with?

God Save America (Please)

[arthurus]

Rushdie is not a Muslim. "The Satanic Verses" could not have been written by a Muslim

The fatwa was issued because Rushdie was regarded as one who had apostasized. He is or was Moslem. When a Christian writes such terrible things about Islam or things Islamic he may be derided but he is not ordered individually killed because that is what infidels do and is to be expected. Such will be taken care of in the general conversion/conquest. Apostasy is, however, the worst sort of sin and deserves death. It is a capital offence in sharia to renounce Islam.

[skeeter]

Which I don't understand at all. mohammedans, by their own holy book's commands, are inherently terrorists.

One need look no further than the amply documented behavior of their religion's founder. There is no such thing as a 'moderate' muslim.

[Savage Beast]

"There must be a Great Satan on the horizon" to prevent the discovery of the real Great Satan at the heart of Islam!

[aristeides]

Which is what makes what happened in those schools in California so scary. The kids who were told to act like Moslems may have recited the profession of faith that in Moslems' eyes would make them Moslems, subject to the death penalty if they apostasize.

[The Great Satan]

Will the real Great Satan please stand up?

[Savage Beast]

He has.