Muslim reliance on reason
From the AP via the Buffalo News: Turkish Lawmaker Compares Pope to Hitler:
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about the Muslim faith. A Turkish lawmaker said the pontiff would go down in history “in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini” for his words.
Don’t forget to add Atatí¼rk to that list.
Salih Kapusuz, a deputy leader of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, said Benedict’s remarks were either “the result of pitiful ignorance” about Islam and its prophet, or a deliberate distortion.
I prefer to think the Pope had complete understanding. Mohammed added nothing. He simply took a lot of Orthodox Christianity, some Judaism, and twisted it into a new ‘faith.’ He was the Joseph Smith of his day, and Islam was the Mormonism of its time.
“Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence,” [Pakistani] Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.
I like that – we’re not intolerant – and we’ll riot and kill if you say we are. Oxymoron!
“What he has done is that he has quoted very offensive remarks by some emperor hundreds of years ago,” she added. “It is not helpful (because) we have been trying to bridge the gap, calling for dialogue and understanding between religions.”
Aslam said Muslims had a long history of tolerance, adding that when the Catholic kingdom of Spain expelled its Jewish population in 1492 they were welcomed by Muslim nations such as the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
Yes, yes, Islam is tolerant, like Saudi Arabia where practicing Christianity is outlawed (you will be sentenced to death for doing so, or for even owning a Bible), like Pakistan where churches are regularly bombed and Christians are shot dead in their churches, like Turkey and Turkish controlled Cyprus where the Ecumenical Patriarchy is held captive, priests are killed, Christian women are harassed by Muslim gangs, Christian schools are closed, and Churches are seized and converted into mosques?
there is a plethora of anti-Christian writings and criticism in the West. So the west is equal opportunity when it comes to bashing religion. i think THE REASON THAT MUSLIMS ARE OFFENDED is that a) they don’t realize this equal negative treatment and b) the criticism of Islam is coming from non-Islamic world — the reverse is not apparent to me — You don’t find criticism of Christianity (the religion itself) by the mainsteam Islamic world. Only in the most extreme of circumstances/areas. Whereas mainstream Western leaders such as Bush and the Pope criticize the Islamic RELIGION itself and it’s Prophet (rather than politics). You don’t find Muslims criticizing Jesus. They criticize the geopolitics of the western world. I think that if criticism of Muslims come from the Islamic world then it might have more legiticmacy. If you want my honest opinion I don’t see much difference between politics in the West and politics in the Islamic world — both peoples are ignorant, misinformed and hateful toward each other. I cite Zionism as the main wedge between the two worlds. Oil a close 2nd.
I think one of the reasons many do not see Islam as criticizing Jesus is that they have much the same opinion of Jesus as the Islamic world – nice guy, a prophet – that’s it.
A true Christian would view that as a criticism as it would be a criticism of Jesus’ very identity and nature. That being said, we can and should respect each other’s humanity and debate our respective ideas in the theater of reason (as the Pope urged). I trust that the truth would win out, due to my faith that Jesus is God.
In regard to criticism, the entire world could or could not criticize Islam – and regardless would have little if any affect (except causing riots). The only way Islam will change is if the Muslim world acts on its own to stem violence. That change must be internal, home grown, and must be carried forward on the voices, and by the public actions, of the people.
U.S. policy is blatantly wrong. We cannot impose anything, any more than any dictator can impose upon the thoughts, philosophies, and beliefs of a people. You are right, both U.S. (Western) and Islamic politics are wrongheaded. Imposition of Islam by the sword is no more legitimate than imposition of democracy with cluster bombs. Both reflect the aspirations of a small minority and their uninformed, uneducated followers (regardless of their think tank affiliation and PhD).
I agree on the wedge issues, those being Zionism and oil.
If we look back to Reagan, how did he effectively bring Soviet Russia to its knees? In my opinion it was by sheer economics. The same should be done in regard to oil. If we use our economic resources to effectively eliminate the need for oil then we’ll have effectively destroyed the economics behind Islamic terrorism (and we’ll have done a lot of good for the environment).
As to Zionism – that will end when the West stops bowing to one small country, and a political lobby, out of sheer guilt. I bear the Israelis’ no ill will, but I can think of better uses for $3 billion.