Christopher Hitchens thinks he is being very brave in attacking Islam. So do a lot of other Americans on the right and the on the left. They call the prophet Muhammad a terrorist, the Koran a gospel of violence, and Islam a religion for losers and murderers. Since there is an understandable fear and hostility toward Islamic terrorism in the wake of 9/11, Muslim-bashing has found a big constituency and has now become a very profitable career. Where is the bravery today in denouncing Islam?
Contrast the Islam-bashers on the American lecture circuit with the traditional Muslims who have the courage to take on the Islamic radicals in the Muslim world. The Muslim reformers are doing the really needed work, which is not to get rid of Islam (a ridiculous and impossible project) but to promote traditional Islam over radical Islam. Muslims who are confronting radical Islam in Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are the really intrepid people. Do this and your life can be at stake. No wonder that Hirsi Ali attacks Islam from the safe precincts of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C. Is Irshad Manji all that brave for letting the Muslims have it on her radio show in Canada? "Yes," these valiant souls will no doubt say, "but I've gotten hate mail and even death threats." Welcome to the club, ladies. I'm more impressed with the ordinary Iraqis who face snipers, car bombs, and suicide attackers on a daily basis.
Yes, there are wimps on the American college campus and in various European quarters who kowtow to radical Muslim demands. But these invertebrates cannot say no to anyone, not just Muslims. They are captive to a politically correct, multicultural ideology. The same people who allow black radicals to take over the college library and call for "death to the white man" are the same ones who view calls to Islamic jihad as just another expression of "diversity." The remedy here is not "courage" but rather a recognition that the institutions of freedom need to be defended against political assault.
Hitchens is a witty and erudite columnist. But Islam-bashing in the online magazine Slate or in Vanity Fair? No courage is required there.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 9)
46. Quote from the Ayatollah Khomeini:
"Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those who say this are witless."
Response, anyone?
Those are some great sites, Brian. Too bad we have such dire need for them, isn't it? With the absense of Islam, we wouldn't.
Stephanie at 1:54PM on Aug 1st 2007
47. All this hostility is the very thing that prompts the fire of conflict. Do any of us HUMAN BEINGS know what it is to be human? Questions, philosophies, ideologies, blah,and blah, blah. Without FULL KNOWLEDGE of all the equations, these thoughts and words are futile and, at best, ego centric. Best to judge ourselves, then see if we are equipped to dare judge another.
Athena at 12:28PM on Aug 2nd 2007
48. The real war is not between Islam and the West, Muslims and Christians, terrorists and non-terrorists, Hitchens and religion but its between the Moderate Muslims (97%) vs. Extremists who preach terrorism (3%) and this war has just begun. Since 9/11 more than 25,000 Muslims have lost their lives at the hands of extremists who claim to be the "true" Muslims. For once, Dinesh is right: no need to bash the entire 1.2 billion for the wrongs of a few. It accomplishes NOTHING!
Robb at 1:57PM on Aug 1st 2007
49. No one can understand Islam better than an Arabic speaking Christian who lived under it.
The persecution of the Christians in their native lands after the Islamic invasion is a current event that no one in the west is paying attention to or willing to learn from.
Ask the Egyptian government why is it that the Christian Egyptians can't repair a crumbling bathroom in a church without the permission of the
"Security Forces", or why is it that no new church can be built in Egypt without the personal approval of the Egyptian president, who is by the way a Moslem of course.
Worse, ask the Saudi Arabians why is it that they don't allow a Bible to be sneakked in theeir country, let us not speak about building a church. Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, is the only country in the world where there is not one single church. The Saudis should also be asked why is it that their national flag depicts a long and fearsome sword under a script that states that "There is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is his prophet."
There are many wonderful Moslems especially among the Moslem expatriates. But the reason they are such good people is that they don't treat non Moslems according to the clear islamic tenets of "fighting the infidels where ever they are."
It is also important to know that there is what is called "Al takeyya" in Islamic belief. This allows the Moslem to lie under three conditions without a sense of committing a sin. The first accepted lie is if it is said in the defense of Islam. The second forgiven lie is to lie to a spouse "to keep peace in the family." The third is to reconciliate two (Moslem) enemies.
The West should be weary of any statement by any Moslem, "good" or "bad" that Islam is a peaceful and tolerant religion. It is not peaceful, tolerant, or a religion for that matter.
All what you have to do if you have doubts about the veracity of this information is to read the Koran and Hadith (the authorized sayings of Mohamed) in Arabic to find the truth for your self.
A major manifestation of Al Takeyya, are the sanitzed translations of the "meanings" of the Koran into non Arabic languages that attempt to hide the many texts that urge Moslems to commit blatant aggression against non Moslems.
As of the way Islam treats women, suffice it to say that a man can divorce his wife by simply uttering the words: I divorce you. A man can marry four wives. A daughter inherits half the share of a son. Women were described by Mohamed as missing in brains and religion! Women are not allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arbia ostensibly not to "seduce" men!
The character and morals of Mohamed leave a lot to be desired. If he lived today he would be called a pedophile: mollesting his 6 year old "fiancee" and actually consuming his "marriage to her when she reached the ripe age of nine. He forced his adopted son to divorce his beautiful wife so that he can marry her as he did. As a result, he had to declare that his god "Allah" indicated to him that adoption is not allowed in Islam. This way, he abrogated his adoption of the young man, forced him to divorce his wife, and took her for himself.
Mohamed fulfils the criteria of a thug and outlaw who raided the trading caravans between Arabia and Syria. He ruthlessly ordered the execution of an octogenerian woman by tying each of her legs to two camels and had them run in two diametrically opposite directions. This was because she dared to "insult" him in a poem she wrote.
Mohamed never respected political treaties he signed with his enemies when he was strong enough to discard and disregard them.
Mohamed's Koran, supposedly the literal words of Allah himself, is full of histrical mistakes such as a statement that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was Aaron (and Moses) sister! Many of the Koranic "verses" were "abrogated" because Allah apparently changed his mind and provided "better ones" according to the Koran itself. Mohamed's Allah made these revisions in a most erratic and contardicting way often within a very short span of time.
Mohamed was a consummate plagerizer. His Koran is a confused mixture of Bible stories, Persian mythology, and even ancient Arabic poetry. If one eliminates the plagerized parts of the Koran only one third of it would be left.
There are many many other facts about Islam that need to be known to the non Moslems and the Moslems themselves. For they are often are kept in the dark when it comes to the contradictions and moral turpitude of this so called religion.
Islam is the third challange we are facing in our modern times after the fall of fascism and communism.
If you have any further questions about Islam ask Arabic speaking Christians. They know the naked facts about this so called religion.
Gaby at 4:23PM on Aug 1st 2007
50. Writes D'Souza: "...Americans on the right and the on the left... call the prophet Muhammad a terrorist, the Koran a gospel of violence, and Islam a religion for losers and murderers."
Oh really? Name ONE prominent leftist who spouts ANY of the above bigotry. Islam bashing is a right-wing bloodsport.
Richter at 2:09PM on Aug 1st 2007
51. Aminy,
First, I don't go to places I am not invited. Yes they welcome my being there. I was asked to come by them. Second, go back and read my original message. I go and minister to the christians...not to the muslims. they already share my faith system.I don't go with the intent of converting anyone against thier will. I am supporting what is and has been there for thousands of years. christianity has been apart of this region of the world for many gererations. After all, Jesus wasn't from Idaho. If muslims come where I am, then they hear a message on Christianity. I don't go out to get them from thier homes. The people of the land in which I go do that. I go to help the brothers and sisters who ask. Period. No American in thier right mind would go into some of these places without an invitation from someone of that place asking. It would be suicide. Bye the way, I have always been recieved in EVERY nation that I preach in. Be they christians, Muslims, Hindus or Buddists. When I go into another country, I adopt thier culture as my own. This is why God opens doors worldwide for me. I love people. Love drives my forward on onward.
I also take things of provision for the children..money, clothing and the like. This is how you touch lives. Love, Love and more love! Thank you for your comments.
Bob
Bob at 2:21PM on Aug 1st 2007
52. Stephanie,
It might help if you read my whole comment. I asked Larry to include the context, which he probably forgot to include. Hence, your argument that he provided proof is only half correct. Because he did not include the context, you cannot claim he proved that Islaam teaches violence, etc. If you want me to, I will post a comment thrice as long as Larry's that analyzes (includes context, etc.) of each verse and hadith Larry mentioned. Of course, it would save both of us a whole lot of time if you just used the links I provided to actually look at the context of the verses and hadiths that Larry mentioned, not to mention quite a bit of embarrassment on your part. If you want, I can also include verses from the Bible or any other book for that matter that suggest the theme to be violent and of hatred. Obviously, if you continue with your comments without any knowledge about Islaam, there is no point in discussing anything with you.
Also, for anyone who uses proof from sources that are not of Muslims, you are simply not using your minds. If one wants to learn about a particular belief system, it is only logical to use source provided by the people who actually know and practice the belief system. Thus, to claim that an athiest who subjectively analyzed Islaam is actually speaking the truth about Islaam is absurd.
Again, instead of wasting time on comments that show your lack of knowledge about Islaam, please use that time to actually look at the context of everything Larry provided as "proof." Afterall, you don't even need to do research, as I have already provided you the links to complete texts.
If I say, "every person who has murdered another person intentionally, and is found guilty of it by his peers (as the jury) is therefore sentenced the death penalty," and you take part of it out of context and paraphrase it, "anyone who murders is sentenced the death penalty," it seems that I'm saying that everyone who commits murder, whether intentionally or not, is not to get a trial by jury, and is directly sentenced to death. This is exactly what Larry did: he took everything out of context and paraphrased most of his "proof" to seem violent, murderous, oppressive, etc.
And if Islaam is all that you seem to think, why did so many slaves (of non-Muslims) convert to Islaam while still under their masters? Why are people still converting to Islaam today in America? Why are American women converting to Islaam if it teaches men to treat women as inferior, to beat them, to rape them, to treat them as they wish? Why are there Muslims still trying to present people the real Islaam if anyone in the world has access to the Qur'aan and hadiths? Afterall, wouldn't every government in the world ban Islaam from being practiced as it would be a threat to their national security, which would overrule any rights that anyone has, if Islaamic scriptures specifically state that Muslims should kill anyone who is not a Muslim? Because Islaam does not say that, and you would know this too if you actually read the scriptures in context and their origins and such (which I also provide, under the title "tafseer").
Here are the links, in case you didn't see them in my original post:
http://www.muhajabah.com/quran.htm
http://www.quran.net/
http://www.quranm.multicom.ba/
http://www.tafsir.com/
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/
http://free.hostultra.com/~islamglobe/Hadith.htm
With Peace,
Mahen
MahenKhan@aol.com
Mahen at 2:22PM on Aug 1st 2007
53. Oh, please, could you refrain from using "with peace," mahen - your "religion" has nothing to do with peace.
Just open a Koran -anyone can do it - and almost immediately there's "And kill them wherever ye shall find them" (the Infidels). That's chapter 2 verse 187 and it continues. Look, I'm not interested in dealing with you, Mr. Mohammedan, so please don't comment to me again. I'm not about to waste my time replying to your stupid, completely generalized questions. For one example, you ask why are people still converting to Islam today in America? Well, specifically, the "people" you refer to are in the main incarcerated African-Americans. That's fact. Incarcerated men with probably not a whole lot of education and convicted for violent crimes. Hey Great! Gotta love those special new converts!
Leave me alone, you got it?
Stephanie at 2:46PM on Aug 1st 2007
54. Thank you Athena for the comment. I apologize to everyone if I seemed egocentric, or if I seemed to indicate that my religion is better than everyone elses. My main goal was to provide tools for people to be able to gain the full knowledge of Islaam, before attempting to criticize it.
I apologize again to everyone if I was rude or egocentric.
Also, I will not attempt to criticize another religion, as I do not have the full knowledge of another religion yet.
Ma Salaama (with peace),
Mahen
MahenKhan@aol.com
Mahen at 2:54PM on Aug 1st 2007
55. Athena the Moonbat speaks! Hey, you really contributed a lot to the subject here! Oh, Athena is just so above-it-all, isn't she! Must be nice up there in the fantasy-land she lives in that contains no hostility! Certainly, no humans live there, esp. Mohammedan humans who are the most hostile humans going. Do you remember Sept. 11, 2001, Athena? Does that mass-murder event even register in your Moonshadow consciousness? Try saying something of substance next time, why don't you?
Hey Athena - why don't you give a thought or two to those 3,000 incinerated American humans and those who jumped -jumped- out of the WTC? You stupid Moonbat! And we shouldn't judge those evil Mohammedans who committed such an atrocity? My God you are dumb.
Stephanie at 2:55PM on Aug 1st 2007
56. mDNA examination of Dinesh D'Souza reveals he is a Keralese untouchable with one Portugee rapist-pirate within his paternal lineage . However D'Souza naively brandishes his Portuguese rapist moniker , better than being as just another Dravidian Kaffir .
Alexander Dunetz at 3:10PM on Aug 1st 2007
57. My apologies to Bob for misreading his previous comment, but to Stephanie my dear, you have been citing the same verse but have failed to give the quote out of context. Stephanie, one thing, who are you to judge the character of new converts, whether they be African Americans, Whites, Asians, Europeans. Hell if we were all meant to judge, than there would be no use of lawyers in life.
Aminy at 1:44PM on Aug 2nd 2007
58. My question to you is if there are all these peace loving muslims, then why are they not banding together against there terrorist brothers and denouncing them loudly to the world. I am reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book now and she is one of the most courageous woman I have seen. Her world and the places she's lived are so backwards that to come out of it alive and free thinking is a miracle. When is the muslim world going to band together for Peace and stop the extremists
dawn at 3:36PM on Aug 1st 2007
59. Stephanie,
First let me say that I'm an atheist so I have nothing at stake in this discussion.
I just wanted to point out to you that thus far NO ONE here has sounded more hateful and angry than you, including those who are self-identified Muslims. You have placed your hands squarely on your ears with the understanding that you have obtained all the knowledge you will ever need on this subject, yet all you have proven thus far is that you are absolutely CONSUMED with hatred. I just hope you realize that nothing you are doing or saying is making the world a better place, and it certainly isn't making you a better person.
Mahen has proven herself over the course of this discussion to be more than civil and courteous, yet you still regard her with such belligerence. Your hatred of Islam has sunk in so deep that you appear to hate all of its practitioners as well. In the end that is your loss, as you'll be missing out on a lot of wonderful people.
Regards,
Lailah
Lailah at 3:49PM on Aug 1st 2007
60. Well at least we are having a very exciting and educational (in a lot of ways) of today's conversation about Moslem faith verus Christianity and other faiths. Have you ever heard that as a Christian nation we follow Christ by loving the brother not the sin. I agree that there is a lot wrong in our world today and soon very soon I'm afraid that our time good or bad right or wrong is going to run out. I for one want to be ready to welcome the King of King's who will come like a thief in the night. Then what will it have mattered. This is the same Issmel and Issac in the old testament and it has gone on for years and will continue until the LORD stands on the temple mount in Jerusalm and takes back his people and his nation. We have done a lot of horrible things in our history due, to someone theory or stupidty in a belief. We as Christians today have got to get back to the bible and start reading the truth about what has happen and what is to happen in the not so distance future. My question is this? Where will you be on that day providing you are still here on the earth and not have been raptured. Will you take the mark of the beast or will you go with the saints who have served and believe with all their hearts that when a man walked the earth at one time in history, he went to a cross and died for all our sins, and now the answer is very simple, believe and be baptised as Christ was and follow him. I'm not about to tell you that once you decide to follow Christ that everything is going to be rosy!!!!!! He never promised that everything would go great and our lives would be without pain, dissapointment, sorrow, and yes loss but, he has promise that someday all will be wonderful when he comes back for his people and I hope today that you are one of those. So sad to be Moslem, or any other religon that has no living KING OF KINGS.
Rita at 3:52PM on Aug 1st 2007