Posted on 08/06/2004 2:27:25 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
GENEVA PARK, ONT. -- Misbegotten U.S. foreign policy is pushing Islamic fundamentalists closer and closer to the use of weapons of mass destruction, warns British historian Karen Armstrong, one of the world's foremost authorities on religion.
OBL and the boys would never hurt anyone if not for this war on terror, right Ms Armstrong?-SV
"Now more and more small groups will have the capability of destruction that were formerly the prerogative of the nation-state," she said yesterday.
How is it that fighting a war to stop the spread of these weapons is supposed to have caused them to get these weapons?-SV
"The prospects are extremely serious," she added. "And this is just the beginning. Certainly we're stuck with this conflict for this generation. Even to call it terrorism is a mistake. This is war, and they [the U.S. and its allies] are going about the wrong way of ending it."
Ms. Armstrong, an academic specialist on Islam and fundamentalism who several times has addressed members of the U.S. Congress, was keynote speaker last night at the opening of the annual Couchiching thinkers conference north of Toronto.
Being an expert on the ravings of a desert dwelling pedophile does not make you an expert at waging war.-SV
This year's theme is "God's Back with a Vengeance: Religion, Pluralism and the Secular State." In a lengthy interview, she spoke of how U.S. President George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden parody each other with their talk of black and white, good and evil.
Moral relativism at its most extreme.-SV
Ms. Armstrong said that, throughout history, when religious fundamentalist movements have been attacked they have become more extreme. "The way we're going -- and Britain is just as culpable as the United States -- we're alienating Muslims who were initially horrified by Sept. 11 and we're strengthening al-Qaeda, which has definitely been strengthened by the Iraq war and its awful aftermath."
horrified?-SV
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The reason religious fundamentalism exists, she said, is because it is the natural byproduct that follows establishment of a secular, liberal society.
The emancipation of women, she said, has fuelled fundamentalism in all major religions. "We've been the worst religion [Christianity] in the world for integrating sexuality and gender with the sacred.
As evidenced by all of the female Imams issuing Fatwahs against educated women like yourself, right Ms Armstrong?
She said the war against Islamic terrorism -- or, more accurately, she said, against Arab Islamic terrorism -- will only be won by a fundamental change to U.S. policy. "No. 1 is finding a just solution to the Palestinian conflict," the images of which, she said, have "become iconic to Arab Muslims.
Like these images, Ms Armstrong?
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"No. 2 is to stop supporting appalling rulers in the region like the Saudis . . . like Saddam himself who was supported by the West," she said.
And the third step is to recognize that many people "just want to be more religious in some way or another. . . . The trick is to create conditions which will make sure that it's good healthy religion and not distorted bad religion.
"Religion is like any other human activity, like cooking, it can be disgusting, and the litmus test of any religiosity right across the board in all the major world religions is that it must result in practically expressed compassion."
"In a society where warfare and violence becomes endemic, religion gets sucked into that. Religion comes from where our dreams come from, and our dreams become disturbed, everything about us becomes disturbed in times of war and destruction."
Disturbed is certainly the correct description of this author.
The liberal fool needs to STFU. I consider her rantings, aiding and abetting the enemy. Good Muslims? ( The ones who have not turned on you yet) We can never trust a communist and any muslim whatsoever.
Sure, lady. We're pushing them to use WMD.
Far worse than giving them all the time in the world to get it right.
These appeaseniks are really getting on my nerves.
Well, she's right on this point.
Oh really? Like they weren't headed for that path already.
True.I read several of her books on Islam and fundamentalism. One thing that comes across loud and clear, is that she has this animus towards Christianity and it colors all of her perceptions. While I have enjoyed reading her books, she has no business informing our Congress on foreign policy and this latest 'nuanced' rant just underscores the danger of letting 'philosophers' run their mouths on Capitol Hill!! Liberals will buy into it every time. (rolls eyes)
I have just about had it with these morons. We are fighting preemptively to *prevent* the use of WMD's by these terrorists on our land. If there ever was a case for preemptive action, this is it. We have evidence that the terrorists were seeking such weapons, and are still trying to acquire them to kill Americans and Jews on a massive scale. Do we sit around and wait for an another attack, or fight before it happens on a scale that dwarfs 9/11 by comparison.
Perhaps the concept is too complicated for these morons to understand.
Re-elect President Bush!
"warns British historian Karen Armstrong, one of the world's foremost authorities on religion."
Armstrong is an apologist for Mohammedan religion who in her books showed an anti-western anti-christian bias. She is one of those 'useful idiots' for the Islamo-fascists, but hiding truth about Islam behind as screen of "religion of peace" pap.
Her bios of Muhammed and other writings are known to be whitewashes. She was a major source for the PBS whitewash of Muhammed, really a propaganda piece for TROP(TM):
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/12/18/153000.php
Sounds like those Islamic fundamentalists have had the capability to use WMDs all along, like for years, but have refrained hoping that we would see the error of our ways.
I wonder what it takes to be one of the "foremost authorities on religion". I do wish reporters would be more objective and leave out the subtle propaganda.
The emancipation of women, she said, has fuelled fundamentalism in all major religions. "We've been the worst religion [Christianity] in the world for integrating sexuality and gender with the sacred.
So, does that mean if women are un-emancipated, then fundamentalism will be de-fueled, and then there will be world peace and harmony? But, if fundamentalism is de-fueled, wouldn't that cause women to want to be emancipated and start the whole cycle over again? Actually, I couldn't figure out what integrating sexuality with the sacred meant, anyway. But, at best, she seems to be making a big deal out of stating the universally obvious -- that until the status quo is threatened, there is no reason or incentive to mount a serious effort to preserve it.
I suppose she does have a point, to a degree, in that liberation of women in the west, along with our other decadent ways, being introduced into Islamic countries is a threat to fundamental Islam. But, wouldn't they have a better chance of preserving traditional Islam by working to keep western influence out of their Islamic countries rather than attempting to blow up western countries (which will probably fail and result in them being blown up)? Maybe the goal is more to spread and conquer rather than preserve?
And the third step is to recognize that many people "just want to be more religious in some way or another. . . . The trick is to create conditions which will make sure that it's good healthy religion and not distorted bad religion.
So, it should be our responsibility and goal to define "good healthy" and "distorted bad" with respect to religion in other countries and somehow manipulate conditions in those countries in order to achieve our definition of good religion in those countries? That would be a nice trick, but would also give the fundamentalists even more justification (in their minds) for blowing us up.
I did a google search on "Karen Armstrong" and read some other interviews. She, IMO, seems to have a real tendency to attribute effects to totally unrelated causes. Also, seems to have some bitterness due to having been in a convent someplace.
Her books are interesting, and I agree with your thoughts on the subject.
Of course the same could be said for the Westward Ho movement in the US and the Native Americans who mounted a resistance involving terrorism. the problem with this is that there is no solution. The world is becoming smaller and things like the internet will move into the Middle East regardless of the efforts of the fundamentalists. The fact remains that you cannot kill people indiscriminently and expect to be left alone.
Ms Armstrong is simply wrong in her leftist belief that (a) if we leave them alone they will leave us alone, and (b) that force never solves anything. It is simply not possible to leave them alone when they have oil and access to satellite TV. And one can ask Carthage or the Third Reich whether force ever solves problems.
Clueless idiot bump.
Yeh really been strengthened. That's why we've seen so many more incidents like 9/11, huh?
How did Islam spread in the first place?
A so-called expert on Islam said this ? From the Kharijites to the Almoravids to the Almohads to the Wahhabis Islam has always had these waves of fundamentalist jihadis who want to go back to an idealized image of 7th century Arabia. And they fail on the battlefield, not the school of ideas. The Almoravids and Almohads could not keep Spain. Fundamentalism burns out because it has been beaten on the battlefield and its spirit is broken.
What total nonsense she talks !
You ask:
"Is there any truth to the rumor that Kerry has hired her to be a foreign policy adivsor to replace Sandy Burgler?"
LOL,let's hope so. It will only make J.Kerry look more ridiculous than he already does with his 'sensitive war on terror' comments!
The Palestinian problem could be solved tomorrow if Jordan took in the refugees they were supposed to, if Arafat released his billions to give them decent living conditions, if they gave up trying to wipe out Israel and the Jews. Frankly, the Muslims have gone on to bigger things. Israel is the beard for their horrific violence. The excuse. If Israel disappeared, they'd still hate the US. We're the new Jews. That's reality. Well, too bad. In the words of TerAYsa, Shove it.
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