Posted on 06/18/2002 3:06:54 PM PDT by 1bigdictator
Adam -United States Topic Culture & Society Title Is anti-Americanism due to envy? Question For many months the liberal establishment in America attempted to frame the issue of the present war against Islamic-backed terrorism as: "Why do they hate us (i.e. America)? I reject the assumption that the U.S. has victimized Islamic nations or peoples via foreign policy or otherwise, and believe America's prosperity makes an easy scapegoat for other cultures.
So I ask you, why do Muslim cultures always focus blame outwards on others for their shortcomings, is it part of your religious doctrine? Name of Consultant Mrs. Heba Raouf Ezzat
Content of Reply Dear Sir, Thank you for your message.
Well, first allow me to comment on the use of the phrase "Islamicbacked terrorism". It implies that Islam as a religion, backs terrorism. Here, I fully disagree with you. I also do not support the distinction between Americans and non-Americans, or between America and Muslims. Actually millions of Americans are Muslims and Islam is the fastest growing religion at the moment. Therefore, I suggest you look again at your preconceptions.
As for your comment on the prosperity of America, it seems that you went beyond the question: "why do they hate us? " to simply giving us a brief answer: because they envy us! I think such an explanation basically leads us nowhere. It cannot explain the sweeping anti-American mood. This is not only in Islamic countries, but also in Europe, Latin America and East Asia, as well. Examining American foreign policy is badly needed and this view is shared by an increasing number of both Americans, as well as other political decision-makers worldwide.
We do have some good reasons to put the blame on American intervention for their support of many authoritarian regimes in the Muslim world. The nature of this support is both financial and military backing. Still, I do believe that our shortcomings have domestic reasons as well, which need to be addressed by the democratic parties within our societies.
America has done a lot of harm in the part of the world where I live. Still, if more people were ready to pay the high cost of freedom and independence, repression would have never succeeded, no matter how hard it tried. Democratic transformation is, indeed, the key necessary process for economic and strategic-political change in the Islamic world.
On the other hand, to answer your provocative question regarding our "religious doctrine". No sir, this is not part of our religious doctrine, it is part of the "real politics" that trigger similar reactions, regardless of the "doctrine" and/or religion.
I sincerely wish that we can go beyond such animosity and hostility, to have a more fruitful discussion about how we can overcome the atmosphere of polarization that partly resulted from the 9/11 events. This has already happened in many cases, where people have reached out for the "other" and (re)discovered the wealth of world views and perspectives that exist and through which we can enrich our increasingly global culture.
Keep well and
salaam (peace).
You eat with your mouth?
I believe those churches we attended in our buildings were knocked down for a shopping mall. Some Italian contractor (oops, those doggone Catholics again) got a sweet heart deal. I think Trader Vic's or some such was part of it.
Islamic written praise of anything Christian is written with every single appendage crossed, and with the sole intent of posing as something Islam is not - that is, a religion instead of an infestation.
Ah. Astonished/Sawgrass/Passin' Pilgrim/Kudzu/Glassheart3 and so forth and so on for half a page - is that you, back again??
And not every Imam is an honorary Imam. Some are self proclaimed. Without a mosque.
Store front Imams, highly revered Imams, Ph.D. academic Imams.
I can show you a christian preacher that believes dancing with rattlesnakes is God's will.
I can show you a christian church that welcomes Bill Clinton and his sense of marital loyalty.
Neither of those vouch for all Christianity.
There's an Imam in Detroit that specializes in ministering to rap stars. The Imam drives a Lincoln Navigator with bullet resistant windows and female co-drivers.
Say Halleluja!
That's enough "you show me yours and I'll show you mine".
Here the work day is over.
Goodbye.
Islam-online is one of the most progressive and moderate cites representing the Muslim perspective on the web. If these learned individuals, whom you, not I, proclaim are "Imams" (I am familiar with but don't fully understand the title i.e. does it denote some formal education level?)it clearly sends up a red flag which you are quick to dismiss.
By posting this Fatwa, I did not intend to portray Islamic cultural and political thought as monolithic. I did intend to demonstrate that if a moderate Islamic center for thought, such as this cite, could espouse such a cavalier attitude toward Islamic-backed terrorism, imagine the virulent anti-western propaganda published by the more militant outlets which have the ear of the Muslim world.
In short, this Fatwa, while not binding on any Muslim, still illustrates the great risk which Muslim scholars present considering thier aptitude for bending facts to suit thier political agenda.
Who's Astonished Now????
Astonished | J Harris | Lematha | sawgrass |
Passin Pilgrim | LeeAnn6 | tynker | Kudzu Flat |
Samaritan | Patria One | beecharmer | Miss Pixie |
necho6 | glassheart3 | Friend_Or_Foe | Kirkland Junction |
Screen names of one banned recidivist Freeper.
"The God will say: 'Jesus, son of Mary, did you ever say to mankind 'Worship me and my mother as gods besides God?' 'Glory to You, 'he will answer, 'how could I ever say that to which I have no right?" (Surah 5:114-)
"'How shall I bear a child,' she [Mary] answered, 'when I am a virgin...?' 'Such is the will of the Lord,' he replied. 'That is no difficult thing for Him...God forbid that He [God[ Himself should beget a son!...Those who say: 'The Lord of Mercy has begotten a son,' preach a monstrous falsehood..." (Surah 19:12-, 29-, 88)
That's Islamic written praise?
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