Just help moderate Islam prevail

Los Angeles Times. ^ | 6/24/03 | AMITAI ETZIONI

[Valin]

The United States should cease promoting a secular civil society as the only alternative to a Taliban-like theocracy in Iraq. We cannot quell the religious yearnings of millions of Iraqis merely by fostering democracy and capitalism.

The most effective way to counter a theocracy is to promote moderate, liberal religious institutions.

The First Amendment's separation of church and state is not a foreign policy tool; it's a peculiar American conception. Just because the American government is banned from promoting religion within the United States does not mean that it cannot promote it as part of a civil society in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Sir Gawain]

But yet they point to other countries when they ban guns and say that is the model we should follow. Up yours LAT.

[darkwing104]

Would this be anything like Saudi Arabia or Pakistan?

[joesnuffy]

Let moderate Islam prevail...
Islam is a dialectic tool

[secretagent]

I like clean lines. No foreign entanglements, unless we really need to invade somewhere.

But once there, we totally dominate them. No more "local color" like sharia, theocracy. or terrorist madrassas. For starters.

[secretagent]

Instead of demanding that the current madrasas be replaced by wholly secular schools, as Sen. Joseph Biden has suggested, we might favor the inclusion of religious electives in public schools (as long as the teachers are qualified, which entails tolerance for a diversity of viewpoints).

Biden has a good idea.

[Bill Davis FR]

THERE IS BUT ONE ALLAH IN ISLAM...

[Valin]

Yes and...?

[Im Your Huckleberry]

I will repeat:

There is no such thing as "moderate" Islam.

Did you get that?

I'll repeat it:

There is no such thing as "moderate" Islam.

And again

There is no such thing as "moderate" Islam.

[thinktwice]

The most effective way to counter a theocracy is to promote moderate, liberal religious institutions

Through all of history the worst cultures were -- and are -- those dominated by priest-mullah-dictator types.

Man exists in a real world, and cultures based on unreal-world political/religious philosophies (and that includes Marxism) produce nothing but human deprivation and disaster.

[Gurn]

There is no such thing as "moderate Islam."

[rrrod]

la times is wrong again!!!!!!!

[KantianBurke]

ignore this fellow. he's the "Communitarian" guru

[Capt. Tom]

There is no such thing as "moderate" Islam

Actually there is in this sense. It is the briar patch that allows the radicals to function in non Islamic countries. - Tom

[Lijahsbubbe]

Imagine the world right now without Islam. I wonder how quiet it would be.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

Yup.

That ought to be a bumper sticker.

[Valin]

About as quiet as it was before Islam came on the scene...that is to say not very.

[Cicero]

Would these jokers agree to declaring the United States to be a moderate Christian country? I doubt it.

In other words, unlike Christians, Muslims must be humored, or they're liable to start killing people. Even Santa Claus and Christmas trees are outlawed in public schools, but celebrating Muslim festivals is OK, and even non-Muslims should join in.

That's typical California multicultural diversity for you.

[Gurn]

"Visualize a world without Muslims."

[ricpic]

Moderate Islam. Kill the infidels. Kill them all. Moderately.