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.
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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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
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Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 35)
31. Frank,
I just read a transcript of the letter, and there is no mention of atheism, and it speaks against forced conversion. You are right, Dinesh is flat out LYING TO OUR GODDAMN FACES, and misrepresenting his allies-of-the-day in the process. [SPIT!] Oh crap, i hop i dint jst ruin my kebrd
Mokele-Mobembe at 1:21PM on Feb 20th 2008
32. ATHEIST:
"atheism" is an 'ism' as well. good try, though.
your mumbo-mojo-jumbo-jojo-idoi-speak NEVER disappoints!
Ken at 1:52PM on Feb 20th 2008
33. *****Hey, everyone:
ATHEIST takes it on FAITH that the BASIC T-H-E-O-R-Y of infinite regression is FACT! (you know, the basic argument against the existence of God?)
ATHEIST also takes it on FAITH that, some lab in the Orient there's DEFINITELY some COMPLETELY NEW SPECIES that's already been "created" (c'mon, moron, EVERYONE knows that you're not THAT important....much less BELIEVABLE...ha ha!!!!) also as FACT:
-----> woo-hoo: it's the idiot atheist CON-MAN who comes rushing in with BOTH feet in!!
------> careful: you're starting to look like a dumbed-down 'believer' (of stupid atheism, that is)
if it weren't so frickin' S-A-D, the stupid things that come out of your mouth, it'd
be TOO L-A-U-G-H-A-B-L-E......oh, but, what the heck: ILMAO !!!!!
Ken at 1:56PM on Feb 20th 2008
34. Chris Aable - you need a hug.
Dustin at 2:04PM on Feb 20th 2008
35. Remember the junkyard scene in Superman III where he has this psychosomatic schizophrenic episode and splits in two? Ken is like the "evil" side of Hays (Although I'm not sure there's really a "good" side).
Mokele-Mobembe at 2:03PM on Feb 20th 2008
36. His sentence stated "in effect," meaning Dinesh took this to mean it implied atheists and other enemies of Islam. Would this statement not include the non-Christian groups with which the Muslim leaders are not making concessions? So, what's the issue?
Dustin at 2:08PM on Feb 20th 2008
37. No, I disagree. Chris Aable needs to post more on this blog: cogent, intelligent, plain-spoken blogs are always welcome in my book.
And I LOVE Tim's "steaming cup of stupid". Cracks me up every time.
:-))
Linda at 2:09PM on Feb 20th 2008
38. Listen, Dustin: when DD says "in effect" it means he is about to lie.
Linda at 2:10PM on Feb 20th 2008
39. Ken,
What is your problem?
As a former Atheist I can say without a doubt, that Atheists believe there in no God.
Does that mean they lack morals? No
Does that mean they don't do good things? No
Does that mean they don't have a meaningful life? No
You are an idoctrinated fool. Your ignorance is shameful.
Let me ask you some questions.
Do you know what is Literal and Figurative in the Bible?
Can you pick it out the differences?
What's your take on Science? If you don't have a clue about Sciences, I suggest that you say so, therefore you have no opinion on it.
Be wise. Love our neighbors.
Botts at 2:10PM on Feb 20th 2008
40. Mokele:
whatever.
but, here--on this blog "scene".....Hays has met MORE than his match!
Hays: opinions,1/2truths ,** Ken: sticks to FACTS
Ken at 2:16PM on Feb 20th 2008
41. Linda,
I disagree. The article headline is the cue that he is about to tell lies.
Mokele-Mobembe at 2:17PM on Feb 20th 2008
42. BOTTS;
There's no problem. Hays tells LIES. He doesn't say HE doesn't believe in God, he says there IS no God!
As a fellow believer in God, one would think that you'd be defending God.
However, you don't and that's telling.
I love everyone. I love Hays as my 'neighbor'....just hate the lies.
Remember: hate the sin, NOT the sinner.
Ken at 2:20PM on Feb 20th 2008
43. Ken,
Same one-sided belligerent asshole attitude. Capitalization doesn't make "facts" any truer.
Mokele-Mobembe at 2:22PM on Feb 20th 2008
44. Actually, merely opening up aol in the morning is your cue that he is about to spew lies...and your first mistake of the day...of course, I do still slow down for car wrecks on the turnpike, and bite the inside of my lip, even though it feels horrible.
America's Most Gangsta at 2:26PM on Feb 20th 2008
45. Botts...still trying to figure out what exactly you believe... Jesus as savior or something else?
Shannie at 2:26PM on Feb 20th 2008