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Former Libyan PM: Why Do Arabs Ignore Their Flaws?
Middle East Media Research Organization ^
| 8-8-02
| MEMRI.ORG
Posted on 08/08/2002 10:35:47 AM PDT by Terriergal
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Is it any wonder then that we should continually hear the Arab pot calling the kettle black?
To: Terriergal
Has Islam threatened his life yet? A great article and from what we have witnessed too true.
To: wingnuts'nbolts
40 years ago, at university, I learned that, unlike other international students, you never asked an Arab, "How do you like it here?"
3
posted on
08/08/2002 10:58:14 AM PDT
by
JimSEA
To: JimSEA
I'm sure it is, was and will be much better where they
hail from.
I have noticed with foreign visitors, some relatives, and a few friends, that after they are here for short while and cannot stay, they begin to tell you why it's better in their country. One consistent cry is that there are too many choices here, and it makes them uncomfortable. None of them were Arabs.
To: Terriergal
bump
5
posted on
08/08/2002 12:00:09 PM PDT
by
Selara
To: Terriergal
Great article! Finally someone who is realistic.
It takes an Arab to make such astute observations about his own people.
Thanks for finding it
6
posted on
08/08/2002 12:15:51 PM PDT
by
fortress
To: JimSEA
never asked an Arab, "How do you like it here?" Care to elaborate?
Or is the standard answer they give something like "this or that is so much better where I come from"?
7
posted on
08/08/2002 12:17:58 PM PDT
by
MrB
To: MrB
Even 40 years ago, the Arab students ould tell you how immoral and decadent American society was. In fact, they would go to great lenths to explain the problems in herent in a "non-Muslim" society. Other international students would usually be thrilled to be here.
There were exceptions within the Muslim community, I had a couple of Iranian friends who, while remaining Muslim, liked the USA. One of these individuals I learned was killed in the revolution (an engineer working on a desalinization (sp?)plant). Of course, they were careful to distance themselves as Persians from the Arabs.
The Arabs which I met were all quite wealthy. (early 1960's)
8
posted on
08/08/2002 1:39:32 PM PDT
by
JimSEA
To: Alamo-Girl
Interesting read.
9
posted on
08/08/2002 2:41:32 PM PDT
by
anymouse
To: Terriergal
Arabs are living in the past, and don't seem to want to come into the present. The problem is, they don't want anyone else living in the present either. The arabs don't even seem to have a real sense of nationalism, just islamic identity. In there history books, everything is the muslims, not the iraqies or iranians and stuff. Even with the history part about the moors invading spain, and eventually getting booted out, is placed in a Us vs Them situation and treated like it happened yesterday. If anyone here watched the Bin Laden tape, where he talks to the other arab guy and says he planned 9/11, watch the early part of the tape. Bin Laden and the guy talk about a loss, and comemorate some kind of islamic set back, the impression you get is that this was something that happened recently, it actually happened hundereds of years ago, and had to do with some island near spain. (this is not about the spanish invading an island that was recently in the news).
10
posted on
08/08/2002 8:14:02 PM PDT
by
Sonny M
To: anymouse
Thanks for the heads up!
To: Terriergal
Why Do Arabs Ignore Their Flaws? Because they are blinded by their false religion.
To: JimSEA
In my former business dealings --- I never met an Iranian (Persian) that I didn't come to respect and trust. Nor did I meet one that didn't look forward to their next assignment to America and dream of becoming a citizen. Strangely enough -- I was surprised to learn that a small percentage of Persians are Christian - many of whom had to leave Iran to avoid "problems"..
That being said --- I can not say the same from my own experience of any Arabs that I came to know and work with. Having never done business in Israel - I can't compare -- but in the rest of the middle east, only the Turks and Iranians were professional and reliable business partners in my experience.
I believe that once the younger generation of Persians is freed from the maniac mullas -- Iran will very quickly join the civilized nations of the world as a welcomed partner.
Semper Fi
To: Terriergal
A facinating article. It's too bad that practically no Arabs will listen to the man. In fact, I'm surprised that Al-Hayat even published it.
14
posted on
08/09/2002 7:48:15 AM PDT
by
Redcloak
To: Terriergal; monkeyshine; ipaq2000; Lent; veronica; Sabramerican; beowolf; Nachum; BenF; angelo; ...
15
posted on
08/09/2002 7:14:13 PM PDT
by
dennisw
To: dennisw
Former Libyan prime minister Abd Al-Hamid Al-Bakkoush This man is a Libyan? Maybe there is hope yet - if he doesn't get Anwar Sadatized.
16
posted on
08/09/2002 8:10:02 PM PDT
by
xJones
To: wingnuts'nbolts
I have noticed with foreign visitors, some relatives, and a few friends, that after they are here for short while and cannot stay, they begin to tell you why it's better in their country.I worked with a guy for years who was born in India but raised in England. He used to continually tell me why "You Americans do everything wrong." Then he would tell me why the English do it better.
I once asked him why he was here, in that case. He said there were no jobs in England. Besides, he's a U.S. citizen now ...
17
posted on
08/09/2002 9:24:37 PM PDT
by
irv
To: fortress
He's not the only one. Granted the Muslims who hold these views are few and far between, but they are out ther. And deserve our respect and support.
Moderate Muslims Speak Out Against Extremists
Well before September 11 courageous American Muslims were warning their fellow Americans about the danger of Islamic extremism. On Jan. 7, 1999, Sheikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani addressed a State Department forum on the topic "Islamic Extremism: A Viable Threat to U.S. National Security." "Here at home," he said, "we see a threat that will grow if the leadership of this country does not quickly stop the kind of extremist ideology that is filtering in - the same extremist ideology that is being spread all over in many places around the United States."
Born in Lebanon, Kabbani is chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, a Fenton, Michigan-based organization that emphasizes the common heritage of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Calling militant Islam "something that is going astray from Islam," Kabbani argues that traditional Islam stresses "moderation and tolerance and love
and living in peace with all other faiths and religions."
In his 1999 speech, Kabbani singled out Osama bin Laden and warned that "something major might hit quickly." He said bin Laden had formed a coalition with the terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah and Jihad-al Islami to wage terror against the West. And he warned against Muslim nonprofits in the U.S. "whose job is only to collect money and to send it
to extremists outside the United States."
Another important American voice for a tolerant Islam is Khalid Duran. Duran has taught at Islamabad University in Pakistan, the University of Berlin, and American University. He is the editor of TransIslam, a quarterly journal of Islamic issues, and he is the founder of the Ibn Khaldun Society, an educational network of independent Muslim academics. To promote greater understanding between Jews and Muslims, The American Jewish Committee commissioned him to write Children of Abraham: an Introduction to Islam for Jews (2001).
In his book, which was praised by prominent Muslims throughout the world including Jordan's Prince Hassan, Duran criticizes militant Islamic regimes such as Iran and Sudan that violate the rights of nonbelievers. He writes that militant Islam in those countries and in terrorist groups like Hamas "is a form of late twentieth-century totalitarianism. It follows in the wake of fascism and communism, has been influenced by them, and seeks to refine their methods of domination." He argues that the concept of jihad-understood by many Muslims as fighting against the evil within or self-purification-has been hijacked by extremists who use it to justify holy war. The book also warned against bin Laden.
Muslims like Kabbani and Duran are often denounced by "mainline" Muslim groups when they speak out-and they can be in physical danger. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) bashed Duran's book in a press release and questioned whether he was Muslim by suggesting that he had a "mysterious identity." After reading the CAIR assessment, a militant sheikh, 'Abdu-I-Mun-im AbuZant, called Duran an "apostate" in a Jordanian newspaper and issued what many considered an edict for him to be killed. When this was publicized, CAIR's New York chapter issued a press release saying the death threat was a "cheap publicity stunt" concocted by Duran and the American Jewish Committee to sell books "at the expense of Muslims."
Khaled Saffuri, chairman of the Islamic Institute, shares many of CAIR's views about Duran. "Khalid Duran's not a Muslim," Saffuri told me in a November interview for Insight magazine. When I asked Saffuri to explain his opinion, he would only say, "If you read his book about the introduction of Islam to Jews, you will see that Khalid Duran has nothing to do with Islam." Saffuri made similar remarks on the United States Information Agency television show "Global Exchange," broadcast overseas in 1999. When asked about the biggest impediment to Islam in the U.S, he replied that "there are some sects or denominations that claim to represent Islam, and their ideas and views are different and alien from those of mainstream Islam." Most likely he was referring to Duran and Kabbani. Saffuri speculated that "some of these entities are supported by Zionist organizations and entities unfortunately."
In his speech to the State Department Sheikh Kabbani noted that many advocacy groups with extremist agendas claim to be the official voice of Islam in America. He lamented that the media and government officials ignore moderate Muslim voices and concluded: "The problem of extremism is a big danger, and it can be solved if the West better understands Islam and build bridges with the moderate Muslims, the traditional Muslims. This way, the Muslim community will eliminate the extremist threat from within."
Capitol Research Center
18
posted on
08/09/2002 9:45:46 PM PDT
by
Valin
To: Terriergal
Great article thanks. Any country with any collective that supercedes INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, is doomed to the ash-heap of history.
19
posted on
08/09/2002 9:48:16 PM PDT
by
PGalt
To: irv
I worked with a guy for years who was born in India but raised in England. He used to continually tell me why "You Americans do everything wrong." Then he would tell me why the English do it better. I once asked him why he was here, in that case. He said there were no jobs in England. Besides, he's a U.S. citizen now.
That's a riot, and I've seen that in practice also. All the Indians I've ever met were desperate not to get sent back to Calcutta or Bombay. And there is a real caste thing among Indians, skin color and caste matters, except Americans don't understand it. There is a huge volume of writing out there, for those that are interested. Just do a bacic search.
20
posted on
08/09/2002 9:55:18 PM PDT
by
xJones
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