Posted on 09/23/2002 6:55:59 AM PDT by SJackson
The discussion on the possibility of changing the West’s distorted image of Islam, taking place in both Islamic and international contexts, has reached an unprecedented level. The tragic events of Sept. 11 and the dangerous insinuations that followed have created deep feelings of despair among Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
Though change may be difficult, we should, nevertheless, refuse to give up; nor should we give in to the many Islamic and Western “extremists” who believe that Islam and the West can never see eye to eye and who seek to widen the cultural, political and economic divides separating Islam from the West. These “extremists” are taking advantage of the anti-Islamic campaigns in the Western media and even in some important Western policy-making circles.
These campaigns have exceeded all reason. They have brought us all together to cry loudly: “Things have gone too far.” We must not forget though that this propensity to distort the image of Islam and Muslims is not new. It is, instead, the revival of a tendency whose roots go back more than ten centuries. Politicians and thinkers from those times regarded Islam as a threat to the West. This same tendency is evident today in works by Zingenio Bergensky, “Crescent of Ages”, Bernard Lewis in “The Resurgence of Islam”, Francis Fukuyama in “The End of History” and finally in Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations”.
We are faced today with an enmity of unlimited organization and influence, what one British researcher calls the phenomenon of “anti-Islamism”. He believes that this phenomenon has been widening, not merely in the West but throughout the world, as a result of a number of factors. With the end of the Cold War, the idea that Islam, not communism, is the enemy of the West gained acceptability in many circles. Another factor is the rise of an extremist right wing in both Europe and the United States. Far too much anti-Islamic writing and sentiment is being spread in the name of such principles as openness, democracy, freedom of expression and the benefits of globalism.
We must resist all of this. We are a nation with a universal message that must be conveyed to the world. If the image of Islam and its culture remains unchanged, it will keep people from understanding its culture and living peacefully with its followers. It is not within our power, even if we so wished, to live isolated from the world. Our interests have become intertwined. “Islam exists in the West and the West exists in Islam” as a famous French social scientist has remarked. The flood of Western information and advertising has invaded our homes and now shapes much of our thinking. Islam is present in Western societies and is spreading with amazing speed, becoming significant in terms of demographic composition and politics.
The success of efforts to change Islam’s image in the West depends on two factors. The first — Muslims themselves must be convinced of the need for real efforts to change it. Sept. 11 has reinforced the need for us to act and give the matter the attention and care that it deserves.
The second factor is to have an environment in the West, susceptible to such a change. Do we see any real indication in the West of this willingness? Has the question of change been brought up? Is there any sense in trying? And if so, what can we do? How can we act and is there still a chance for us? These are questions that we will attempt to answer next week.
Thats basically my view of them( well minus the satanic im a deist who doesn't believe in Satan).
DEPRIVING THE ARABS OF THEIR PREY
Source: WINSTON MID EAST ANALYSIS & Published: September 13, 2002; Author: Emanuel A. WinstonA Hatred Beyond Understanding
Source: Sierra Times; Published: September 9, 2002; Author: Alan CarubaSaving Islam from bin Laden [Christopher Hitchens]
Source:The Age (Melbourne); Published: September 5 2002; Author: Christopher HitchensMuslim leaders pledge to 'transform West': 'If Islamic state rises, we will be its army'
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: August 13, 2002; Author: Jon DoughertyToday's Criminal Will Become Tomorrow's Islamic Terrorist
Source: CNSnews.com; Published: June 25, 2002; Author: C.T. RossiDavid Horowitz: Know The Enemy (And What He Believes)
Source: FrontPage magazine; Published: June 24, 2002; Author: David HorowitzFour Myths About Muslims
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: June 13, 2002; Author: C.T. RossiTrying To Find A `Moderate' Islam Is A Quixotic Quest
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: May 20, 2002; Author: C.T. RossiThe Islaming of Europe
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: May 20, 2002; Author: Alan CarubaWhy Islam Can't Join the Modern World
Source: FrontPageMagazine.com; Published: May 16, 2002; Author: Jamie GlazovIt's The Attitude, Stupid [re: Palestinians]
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: May 14, 2002; Author: Philip SafranReports of Moderate Islam's Existence Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: April 22, 2002; Author: C.T. RossiIt's time to snap out of Arab fantasy land {Steyn}
Source: National Post; April 19 2002; Author: Mark SteynIslam Vs. The World
Source: Toogood Reports; Published: December 2, 2001; Author: Alan CarubaArab World Poverty -- Whose Fault?
Source: Capitalism Magazine; Published: 11/18/01; Author: Larry ElderWill the Real Islam Please Stand Up!
Source:Van Jenerette Editorial Comment, Various Publications;
Published: October 14, 2001; Author: Van JeneretteCivilization Envy
Source: National Review Online; Published: September 28, 2001; Author: Jonah GoldbergTerror's Homebase, All Over The Map -- Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam
Source: Wall Street Journal-- Book Review; Published: | March 29, 2002; Author: Adrian KaratnyckyThey Live to Die (Islam Martyrdom)
Source: Wall Street Journal; Published: April 7, 2002; Author: Reuel Marc Gerecht20 Suppressed Facts About Israel, Islam
Source: Koenig's International News; Published: April 9, 2002; Author: Jim BramlettHOROWITZ: A MIDDLE EAST HISTORY PRIMER
Source: News and Opinion.com; Published; April 10, 2002; Author: David HorowitzArafat Must Go!
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: April 10, 2002; Author: Alan CarubaNetanyahu speaks before US Senators
Source: http://netanyahu.org/netspeacinse.html; Published: April 10, 2002; Author: Benjamin Netanyahu
A. All Islamic clerics outside of Turkey need to be without exception and without mercy killed to a man preferably the bodies should be defiled with pork before they die. The same goes for anyone who was involved in any way except perhaps being forced to involuntarily attend a Madrassah or religious school and any officials of so called religious police from countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia
B. The political leaders of all Muslim countries who refuse this must suffer the same fate as those in category A.
C. The current ruling clique in the house of Saud must suffer this fate as well
D. The members of the ruling class of each Arab country must be checked for religious zeal any showing it must meet the fate in part A.
E. Mecca and Medina are to be destroyed and all Arabs evacuated from Israel
F. After all this neccasary bloodshed has taken place the oilfields of the Middle East need to be given to America with some bones for other civilized countries who are not anti American.
G. In all Arab countries afterwords all outword signs of Islamic piety such as veils, burkhas,the daily prayers etc must be prohibited on pain of death with threat of invasion to any ruler who does not enforce this.
Yeah, the message is "Convert to Islam or die like the cursed infidel dog that you are"...and they wonder why the West is against them. It's too bad they can't even be honest about their own violent religion.
Bottom line: Islam is a religion which advocates the violent death of anyone who does not convert. They don't want to co-exist in the West, they intend to conquer the West.
Fat Chance!
This seems to be very common in editorials concerned about improving Islam’s “image” in the west. I suspect the concern isn’t as much about Islam’s image but rather the potential economic losses stemming from more hostile relations with the West. There’s no reason to think he’s at all uncomfortable with the reality of militant Islam.
Despite the ability to freely enter this country as citizens, residents, workers, and students living here and enjoying the rights and freedoms that have been extended to them, he questions whether this nation has been able to view them in an unbiased fashion... Islam had better wake up to the fact that it is not being descriminated against and accept responsibility for its own actions.
I doubt he would accept the idea of Moslems integrating into the mosaic of American life, particularly the concept of secular loyalty to America in a conflict with, largely (entirely) militant Moslems. In his view, it’s America’s job to accept their discordant views and actions. All the PR in the world won't change that.
The issuer of that fatwah will be fatwahed himself.
Rather than worrying about increasing inter religious contacts, I’d like to see the content of what’s being taught in the network of Saudi financed Mosques and madrassas. If we’re to believe people like Daniel Pipes and Steve Emerson there’s a substantial amount content and activity which is both seditious and, in the case of school content outside the norm’s of the educational guidelines of the states.
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