Making Islam illegal -- is it the West's only choice?

Renew America ^ | 2/19/2006 | Warner Todd Huston

[Dark Skies]

When President Bush gave his "axis of evil" speech he went out of his way to make the world understand that it isn't a war with Islam itself that we were joining — and I say joining because the war had been started by the Jihadists decades before. And, in observance to our Western principles, that must be the correct way to view our conflagration with radical Islam.

Let's face facts, it certainly is uncomfortable to a Westerner who has been brought up on tolerance, freedom of religion, and liberty to contemplate a war against an entire religion. But are we approaching a time when Western nations won't have a choice but to target Islam itself in certain ways to keep their own people safe. The best course of action is to make public displays of Islam and certain of its practices illegal in Western nations.

So, the question becomes are we at that time now? Are we fast approaching a time when Mosques will be closed and banned? Have we come to a time when Islamic literature is turned away from our borders? Have the childish and dangerous reactions of Muslims to this cartoon in a Danish newspaper proven that Islam cannot be trusted to be a vital, peaceful, and law-abiding segment of society?

It is looking like yes is the answer to these queries.

We are already approaching this today. In Ontario they have officially outlawed Muslim Sharia law, that law that uses religious precepts to enforce moral and society codes of conduct. And Muslim "family councils" have been stopped where local community groups may supplement Canadian law with their local custom.

Several members of the John Howard administration in Australia have spoken out against Islamic clashes with Western notions of law and societal comportment many times over the last few years.

Recently Howard himself said, "I do think there is this particular complication because there is a fragment which is utterly antagonistic to our kind of society, and that is a difficulty ... You can't find any equivalent in Italian, or Greek, or Lebanese, or Chinese or Baltic immigration to Australia. There is no equivalent of raving on about jihad, but that is the major problem."

Muslims routinely destroy property, threaten death and bodily harm to those who speak out against them, and they constantly fund terrorism throughout the world. In Syria they have burnt an embassy, in Europe Muslims have been responsible for murdering people who have written out against Islam or made movies, and other forms of art. These actions are also approved by Islamic teachers (Imams) and religious leaders, not just undertaken by warped loners claiming to represent Islam quite against the will of the majority or authority.

With this ridiculous cartoon issue, we have seen that Islam has no sense of perspective. In the west parody or satire is seen as not only common, but completely harmless for the most part. And religion is not immune to parody and satire, though even in the west most people are often uncomfortable with religious satire. Usually only people filled with hate attack religion in parody and most in the West instinctively know this. As a result, most people dismiss such parody as foolishness and bad taste.

But with Muslims overreacting — in western eyes at least — to this silly cartoon issue in the way they have, it becomes nearly impossible for Westerners to view Islam as a peaceful religion, but more as a vicious hate group itself. And that perception is justified with the actions that Muslims have increasingly perpetrated over the ensuing years. So, we find that Islam presents a danger to the safety of the populace all too often. It is violent, oppressive, and reactionary.

But, what is to be done about it? We have been raised to feel that religion should be left untouched by government. Freedom of religion is at the very core of our beliefs. And this concept is an important one to uphold. So, how can we honestly and without hypocrisy begin to look toward making Islam illegal?

There is a parallel of sorts in the USA that might be used as a template for action. The Ku klux Klan.

After the Civil War ended, the KKK arose from the ashes of war as an advocacy group for the disenfranchised white voter in the south. But it quickly became a terrorist organization bent on taking out revenge on the south's newly freed black population for having lost the war. It got so bad that even one of the original organizers, C.S. Cavalry General Nathan Bedford Forrest, denounced the organization and quit it in disgust.

But as the late 1800s rolled on and the south began to re-enter the Union as full partners in government, the KKK began to lose steam and prominence. For a time it subsided. But as the 20th century neared, it re-emerged and this time became a nationwide and powerful force taking on the flavor of religious, civic and racial duty. The KKK became invested in government and claimed millions of members nation wide.

In the 1920s, however, it became too much for a liberty loving country to allow the KKK to any longer exist. In Indiana, the entire state government was scandalized by their fealty to Indiana's Klan leader who had raped and beaten his secretary on a train trip. Violence against and frequent lynching of southern blacks became so pervasive that Congress finally acted and banned the Klan. The organization collapsed never again to reclaim the power and prominence it once had.

Now, the KKK has always based its precepts on Christianity, as well as racial identity. It also reacted with violence, rallies, death threats and killing when it was threatened. It careened far away from being a mere "idea" or religious theology and became a terrorist organization. And it became a terrorist organization even though literally millions of Americans that belonged to or identified with the Klan were not themselves violent, evil, or dangerous citizens.

The leadership of the Klan supported violence. The leadership preached violence. The leadership planned and fomented it. Therefore, it had to go because it became a danger to every law-abiding citizen, whether they agreed with the racial and religious concepts the Klan espoused or not.

Islam has become the KKK of the 21st century. The sooner we awake to this truth and take steps to ban the religion, or somehow curtail its pernicious influence the better. The west is going to have to put sever restrictions on Islamic Mosques and public display of Islam. Further, devout Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office (though it certainly should not become a racial issue — sins of the father should not be visited upon the sons).

This is no religious purge as in centuries past. In the past religions were banned to be replaced by the state sponsored sect and believers of the banned religion were mistreated, tortured, unduly taxed, and terrorized. This is absolutely not the model the west would follow by banning aspects of Islam today. No religion is replacing Islam and no one is suggesting that Muslims be mistreated. But the creed to which they hold is fast becoming the most dangerous one in the world today. It is a fine line that we walk to consider banning Islam, but the safety of society is at risk not to do so.

This is not an easy conclusion at which to arrive. But if we continue to turn a blind eye to the danger that Islam presents to the west, we are signing our own death warrants.

The KKK was put down in the USA and made powerless for the same reason. Communism was destroyed for the same reason, as well. Islam is a danger to the world.

Unfortunately, it is just that simple.

[MineralMan]

"I believe it is something else.
"

OK. That's one point of view from one person. Let's see, how many Muslims are there. A billion?

I'm an atheist. I believe that all religions are false. I'm one guy. My belief is irrelevant to those who believe their religion is valid.

[ksen]

Do you really believe that *most* muslims are jihadists? Most American muslims?

Yes.

Yes, and if they ever thought they could get away with it we'd see them acting like European Muslims.

[najida]

I'm not saying we're not at War. Don't assume I'm saying otherwise.

I just don't want to see us become as bad as them.

[Cicero]

Well, I'm conflicted on this. On the one hand, Islam has been violent and destructive from the moment of its origins. It's not just a question of a few bad apples or people falling away from their real religion. Muhammed himself set an evil example.

On the other hand, I agree with those who say they have met Muslims, and that they seem to be decent and honorable people.

What I will say, is that this issue needs to be raised and discussed. If Islam is like the Ku Klux Klan, then it needs to be banned or expelled. If Islam really had honorable, peaceful, tolerant adherants, then they need to be told to start acting to rein in their friends.

In India the British went through both experiences. On the one hand, in the Great Mutiny Muslim soldiers rose up, violated their oaths of service, and murdered their officers, wives and children in the name of Allah. On the other hand, some Muslim regiments remained loyal, and fought to suppress the mutineers. I'm not sure what the ultimate lesson of all that was.

But the one thing we can't permit is to allow it to fester, or to allow Muslim extremist organizations to speak in the name of America's Muslims, as they are doing now. It's a big problem.

[KevinDavis]

My mistake, however, in nations like England they to go to the Church of England..

[Diamond]

In our nation of some 300+ million people, there MAY be 5 million Muslims

Source: Barrett & Johnson, published in the World Evangelization Database, and in ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA Sources: Gudel, Joseph P. from Christian Research Journal, U.S. State Department, BBC News
	While specific numbers may be disputed, most sources agree that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States, in France, and worldwide. Growth rates and future projections are based on combinations of current Muslim population counts, fertility and religious conversion rates, and immigration data. These projections are sometimes labeled as “scenarios” implying a high degree of imprecision and dependence upon initial assumptions. The current global Muslim population of around 20% is likely to rise, by the most conservative estimates, to about 24-25% of the world’s total by the year 2025. Other sources -- many of them Muslim -- predict future percentages closer to 30%, which would have Islam surpass Christianity as the most populous faith community worldwide. As with population counts, these reported growth rates are likely to be influenced by religious and political agendas. The factors related to Muslim population growth vary over time and changing circumstances. It is frequently reported that birth rates among Muslim women, particularly recent immigrants, tend to be higher than average levels in Western nations. However, these rates tend to fall, particularly as immigrant groups become established and incomes rise. Immigration policies and patterns have also changed, particularly since September 11, 2001. This variability makes past national growth rates only an imprecise guide to future growth of Muslim populations. Some have chosen the number of mosques as a key indicator of the rise of Islam in Western countries. Though this is a helpful guide, many note that the sites counted are often small and informal prayer rooms, in basements and other places, rather than full and formal religious institutions. The concerns related to the growth of Muslim populations differ from country to country. In France, a crucial factor is the concentration of Muslim populations in urban areas, where predictions are that as much as one-third of the next generation will be Muslim and some have warned of the formation of "ethnic ghettoes." An important question for many in the American political scene is the relative size and rate of growth in Muslim and Jewish populations. The two groups make competing claims, and while it is likely that they are quite close in population, the Muslim community may now be slightly larger.

link

Cordially,

[Aliska]

It won't work and is a slippery slope. Freedom of religion is a basic human right and should be honored, but . . . They will just go underground.

I'm fed up with the lie that it is a religion of peace. Everybody knows that is not true. It's pap for the masses.

Those in the US who practice the religion may not pose an immediate danger, but most of them support terrorism around the world. It's terrible that we have to spy on mosques and some churches. That is hypocritical, and I hate hypocrisy, but what else can we do?

If they had a proven track record that they can live in peace, I wouldn't have such a problem with it. But they don't. They are a scourge of the entire planet.

Whatever is done, if anything is done, will be too little, too late.

[Dark Skies]

Wow, you've gone and stirred up the hornets nest real good this time DS!!

I'm thumbing through a dog-eared copy of Evelyn Wood's Reading Dynamics and trying to keep up with this thread. Just like a brush fire!

[Wurlitzer]

"Who are you talking about? My Muslim neighbor three doors down? He doesn't want to kill or convert me."

MineralMan, it cannot be repeated enough that their silence speaks volumes about their true feelings. Was your neighbor in the streets protesting any of the 40 years of mudslime terrorist attacks? I sure am seeing thousands not only protesting truthful cartoons but killing people for them. All in the name of the ROP!

We cannot trust these people. There were, I am sure, many good Germans during WWI and WWII but that did not stop us from opening a big can of whoop-ass on them. This is war and in a war certain people are suspect.

[Lewite]

Islime is not a religion, it is a satanic form of witchcraft.

[najida]

Ya know what's really funny?

How emotional it is---aren't conservatives supposed to be the masters of logical, unemotional debate??

Off to lunch!

[MineralMan]

Here are a few definitions of religion for you...with links:

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality"
an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him"

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Religion—sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices and institutions associated with such belief. In its broadest sense some have defined it as the sum total of answers given to explain humankind's relationship with the universe. In the course of the development of religion, it has taken a huge number of forms in various cultures and individuals. ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion

A framework of beliefs relating to supernatural or superhuman beings or forces that transcend the everyday material world.

http://www.modernhumanorigins.com/r.html

a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html

generally a belief in a deity and practice of worship, action, and/or thought related to that deity. Loosely, any specific system of code of ethics, values, and belief.

http://www.carm.net/atheism/terms.htm

[wvobiwan]

"Declaring it is a fact does not make it so.

I don't believe your "fact" for a second."

And the fact that you don't believe it doesn't make it untrue either. There's a wide range of US Muslims, don't paint them all with one brush.

[Radix]

"In other words, people (Westerners) need to understand more about Islam and Muslims..."

It also might be a good idea if Muslims were to familiarize themselves with the history of Islam.

How did followers of that religion ever get the notion of calling it the "Religion of Peace?"

[nightdriver]

"The best course of action is to make public displays of Islam and certain of its practices illegal in Western nations."

Warner Todd Huston is about 114 years behind the times.

Islam has already been ruled illegal in America.

NYSSC, (about) 1892.

Look it up.

[Wormwood]

Islime is not a religion, it is a satanic form of witchcraft.

Of course, Satanism and witchcraft are both legitimate religions.

[tumblindice]

About that time many Englishmen were non-believers and they weren't forced to attend church.
The seaman on boats carrying the Puritans called them "puke-stockings" because they 'hurled' so much on the trip over.

[MineralMan]

"If Islam is like the Ku Klux Klan, then it needs to be banned or expelled."

But, we don't ban the KKK, either. You can find little knots of the racist cretins in many place. They march around in their sheets, with police protection.

Did you think the KKK was illegal? It isn't.

[Earthdweller]

We can ban the "klan" but not Christianity. Same goes for the Muslims.

That said..their numbers within the US should be kept down until it is proven that the terror war is over.

[EBH]

Judge told: Islam illegal religion
Christian group prosecuted under 'tolerance act' turns tables

A Christian group prosecuted under an Australian state's new religious hatred law told a court Islam is an illegal religion because it preaches violence against Christians and Jews.

Turning the tables on its accuser, defenders of Catch the Fire Ministries argued in court that Christianity in Australia has special protection under the constitution, reported The Age daily newspaper of Melbourne.

Lawyer David Perkins told a civil tribunal if the state of Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act of 2001 curbs the teaching of Christian doctrine it is invalid. He further claimed Australia's blasphemy law was intended to protect only Christianity.

The law refers to "lawful religion," which disqualifies Islam, because it preaches violence, Perkins emphasized.
(excerpt)

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37204