Muslims Who Renounce Violence

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Muslims Who Renounce Violence

Posted Feb 20th 2008 2:02AM by Dinesh D'Souza
Filed under: Terrorism, Islam, Christianity, Islamic Radicals

When I proposed in my book The Enemy at Home (newly out in paperback) that America should ally with traditional Muslims to defeat the radical Muslims, some conservatives reacted with amazement. Where, these savants inquired, are the traditional Muslims? Clearly the exposure of some on the right to the Muslim world was limited to the viewing of clips of Bin Laden videos on the Fox News Channel.

Then last October a group of 138 Muslim scholars from diverse schools of thought wrote an open letter to Pope Benedict urging "mutual understanding" between Christianity and Islam. Titled "A Common Word Between Us and You," the letter notes that Muslims and Christians can find shared ground based on the dual commandments to love God and love our neighbor.

"As Muslims," the letter goes, "we say to Christians that we are not against them and that Islam is not against them--so long as they do not wage war against Muslims on account of their religion, oppress them, and drive them out of their homes." The letter was carefully worded so that it did not confuse clashes of interests with a war against the Muslim religion. In effect, the Muslim leaders were saying that their religious quarrel is only with atheists and other enemies of Islam.

Liberal Christians reacted to the letter with their usual abasement. Certainly some relief was in order, because Muslims who seek common cause with the West, or at least with the Christian West, are far preferable to those who seek to destroy us. Even so, why are liberal Christians so quick to prostrate themselves? "We want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in the war on terror) many Christians have been guilty of sinning against our Muslim neighbor...We ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world."

The Vatican, accustomed to dealing with Muslim diplomatic initiatives for centuries, responded with much greater caution. While welcoming the initiative to dialog, the Vatican's Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran stressed that genuine common ground requires reciprocity. So if Muslims want to have full rights of worship in Western countries, they should grant those same rights to Christians in Muslim countries. If Muslims have the freedom to build mosques in London and Chicago, Christians should be able to build churches in Islamabad and Amman.

One group of ignoramuses wants to wage an ideological war against Islam. Another group of sycophants wants to curry favor among Muslims, just so long as they abstain from bombing us. In between these two there is a sensible option: to negotiate respectfully but firmly with traditional Muslims, building on shared values but also insisting that justice and goodwill must come from both sides of the street.

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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 35)

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1. "In effect, the Muslim leaders were saying that their religious quarrel is only with atheists and other enemies of Islam."

You lost me as soon as I read this. I saw the title and the beginning didn't sound too bad. As soon as you put in this load of crap though, I could not take you seriously at all. Never have I read such an obvious spinning of words. Nowhere in the statement by the Muslim leaders did they mention atheists. Also, where do you see atheists going and trying to run Muslims out of their homes or tell them that they can't worship? Nowhere! Your idiocy appears to know no bounds when it comes to this article at least. You should have just kept it about moderate Muslims instead of trying to bring in your, "I hate atheists so everybody should hate atheists," crap. When Christians and Muslims say to love thy neighbor, you should remember that atheists are your neighbors as well.

James at 3:12AM on Feb 20th 2008

2. Once again Dinesh D'Sousa reveals his twisted world view through the dark prism of ad hominem attacks, labels, sweeping generalizations and name-calling that would make a self-proclaimed neighborhood bully blush. The good news is, that a world view can change with a little look in the mirror and the realization that what we think we always knew may be - false.

"Ignoramuses"? "Sycophants"? "Savants"? "etc."?

Dinesh? Have you ever studied General Semantics? Just as the map is not the territory, individuals are not the label you so readily attach to them. To say someone "is" something is a lie, because by definition, it is to say that some*one* is "equal" to some*thing*. You stoop lower by stereotyping your false labels not to just an individual, but to entire groups - again and again. We all say and do "stupid" and "brilliant" things, but none of us are either stupid nor brilliant in total.

Why not just address actions and behaviors on their own merit and name names? By not doing so, you give the impression that you think the world's people are just as inflexible as you seem to think yourself to be. Ever heard of egocentrics? Take a long, hard look in the mirror, Dinesh. That superstitious god that you pretend to cling to so hard, does not see us humans in the same false labels as you do. People change and grow all the time, usually through education, not through name-calling and your "us verses them" world view of static labels.

Chris Aable at 3:18AM on Feb 20th 2008

3. To #1. Well stated James. It's by far not the first time Dinesh D'Souza stoops to such behavior, that is anything but Christ-like. And judging from his long history of distortions, lies and stereotypes, it *may* not be his last. I say *may* because I think even D'Souza may be capable of self-reflection and redeemption. No one knows until a person's last chapter in life is written - a consideration he hasn't given millions of others.

Everyone is born an "atheist" it's our default position at birth, until billions of people in thousands of cultures.

Dinesh D'Souza is just having trouble apprehending that he is an atheists to all the other gods so deeply believed in other cultures, some of whom he could not have possibly had the time to study deeply to ascertain their validity nor falsification. Atheist to his religion just happen to believe in one less god than D'Souza does - the one of thousands he elected to believe in, no doubt due to its popularity.

Selecting the god of Christianity or Islam or Judaism, Mormonism, Thor, etc. as the only "correct" one because of his popularity is not too different from selecting McDonald's as "quality food" because of its popularity.

Chris Aable at 3:34AM on Feb 20th 2008

4. Mr D'Souza what a wonderful article, we must all pray for this peace in our world today. I know in time the Lord will make this all possible.

God Bless Anna

anna at 4:43AM on Feb 20th 2008

5. Anna, no offense, but don't you think for one moment that billions of people have been "praying for peace in our world today" day after day, year after year, decade after decade and century after century. Either your god is not real, doesn't care, or worse - he does care, but does nothing. "Christians" are fond of saying its because we "sinned" against this all-knowing god - yet, he "knew" we would sin, which makes him a pretty sick god if wars and rumors of more war is his punishment or he sits by while we inflict war upon nations and vice versa. Your prayers reduce your self-reliance - education about racism, prejudice, religious dogma, etc., may make the world more peaceful, but even that will be a matter of degrees. Cleary, Anna, your prayers are not working anymore than those who prayed for rain in Georgia - instead of getting enough rain to fill their lakes - a tornado hit one of their churches.

Chris Aable at 4:54AM on Feb 20th 2008

6. Chris, mayhap you should be happy she wants peace and prosperity and understanding in the world, and accept that without insulting her religion and telling her that her opinion is therefore worthless. Especially after posting a grievance about the author of this journal insulting another frame of beliefs.

Muslims can talk to the Catholics all they want...but Catholics have no pull in England. Or America, really. Most of the south isn't catholic, unless I'm horridly mistaken. If Muslims are trying to be diplomatic with all Christians in general, they need to address Christians in general. Actions speak louder than words. They should lead by example. I agree with the supposed Vatican reply posted by Dinesh. If Muslims are allowed to build mosques everywhere, then churches and cathedrals should be allowed in Muslim countries. Freedom of religion for freedom of religion. It's that simple.

Strados at 7:28AM on Feb 20th 2008

7. "...If Muslims want to have full rights of worship in Western countries, they should grant those same rights to Christians in Muslim countries. If Muslims have the freedom to build mosques in London and Chicago, Christians should be able to build churches in Islamabad and Amman." --Dinesh D'Souza

_____

I'm not quite sure if these are your words, Dinesh, or the official stance of the RCC, but it doesn't matter because SOMEBODY has confused religion with politics.

The world's faiths are the LEAST qualified organizations on the planet to grant "rights" to any citizens since most religions advocate some form of discrimination against non-adherents. (Christians in the USA [ironically, a nation that prides itself on its FREEDOMS], for example, wish to discriminate against homosexuals by excluding them from the legal, emotional, and financial benefits derived from the purely SOCIAL arrangement of marriage. If it were a "religious" arrangement then we'd have to deny atheists the "right" to wed as well.)

Organized religions have absolutely NO AUTHORITY to grant anybody any sort of "right" (to build a church or otherwise.) And Christians certainly have NO RIGHT to demand that Muslim nations allow the erection of churches as long as Christians also claim that homosexuals have NO RIGHT to marry in the USA.

See, Dinesh, you can't have your theocracy in the USA writing laws of discrimination and then bellyache about the theocracy of another country creating laws of discrimination.

It all smacks of a double standard.

Paul at 7:31AM on Feb 20th 2008

8. So what did the nazi in the vatican say again?

America's Most Gangsta at 7:35AM on Feb 20th 2008

9. dd wrote:
When I proposed in my book...
*************************************************
This is all I need to read AGAIN, to know what a shameless shill and egotist this clown is.

America's Most Gangsta at 7:35AM on Feb 20th 2008

10. AMG, I've been wondering how to get a job like Dinesh. All I would have to do is write out my opinions about everything, with loosely supportive sources, and I could have a blog on which I could publicize my own work for free, and continue posting my opinions about everything without evidence to back myself up. And apparantly get paid enough that I could travel around and debate people on odd topics that really have no substance behind them.

Where's the application for that?

Strados at 7:44AM on Feb 20th 2008

11. Im not very smart intellegent with all these big words, but i do understand the point the Mr. D'Sousa is making. I,am a Born Again Christian, Praise God. I do know that this all came about because of the fall between in the Garden of Eden.
As far as I'm concerned the bible has pleanty of historical facts to prove that.
Thank you Mr. D'sousa for listenting to my comment

Anna

anna at 8:25AM on Feb 20th 2008

12. Anna, actually you've exhibited more intelligence (and much more class) than many of the people who posted here. At least your opinion appeared to be one of conviction, rather than a lot of these smug, intellectual wannabes. On the other hand, how spun-up they get over this blog is always good for laughs.

Jim at 8:41AM on Feb 20th 2008

13. "In effect, the Muslim leaders were saying that their religious quarrel is only with atheists and other enemies of Islam"-Douche Bag Denish

Once again Denish you have proven yourself as a fraud and a fake.
How anyone considers you a scholar is beyond belief. You are willing to pass any lie that suits your intolerance and hate as truth to impose your agenda of extermination of the non-believers.

The comment you made above is proof of the lies you spawn. The letter says no such mention of atheists or enemies of Islam.

Here is a link for those who wish to read the REAL letter;

http://ammanmessage.com/media/openLetter/english.pdf

goddess1prevail at 9:10AM on Feb 20th 2008

14. http://evolutionfacts.blogspot.com

Micah Jones at 9:40AM on Feb 20th 2008

15. BEFORE WE SPEAK LET'S GET A PROPER PERSPECTIVE FROM A FORMER TERRORIST. LISTEN NOW AND LEARN.

Interview With Walid Shoebat Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlyKzojYows

Interview With Walid Shoebat Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVF2pcavxzQ

Micah Jones at 9:43AM on Feb 20th 2008

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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.