While on the debating circuit pounding atheists--a pastime I am really getting to enjoy--I have just started reading Dalia Mogahed and Esposito's Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think. It's one of the first books to put some real data behind a much-disputed question. Go ahead and order the book here.
For several years now liberal and conservative pundits have been pontificating about the Muslim world, usually without a shred of data. I was amused last year to cross swords with some of my fellow conservatives like Scott Johnson and Victor Davis Hanson. These ideologues seem of the opinion that the average Muslim is a crazed polygamist who is ready to blow himself up. No surprise: this is supposedly what Muslims all learn in the school where they read nothing but the Koran! Only pundits who have no exposure to Muslim countries, Muslim history and Muslim people can go on like this.
For such gurus, Islam itself is the problem and nothing short of an Islamic Reformation headed by ex-Muslims like Hirsi Ali will show the Muslim world where it has gone wrong over the past five centuries. Forgotten in all this theorizing is the simple fact that Islam has been around for 1300 years and Islamic terrorism has been around for a few decades. The intelligent questions to ask are, what is it about Islam today that has made it an incubator of radicalism and terrorism? And second, what do most Muslims really think about the West?
Fortunately there is an increasing body of reliable data on Muslim beliefs. One source is the World Values Survey, which has the benefit of tracking opinions over a period of decades. Another is the Gallup surveys which are now under the aegis of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, a group headed by Mogahed. Esposito is one of the most respected American authorities on Islam. I am only getting into their book, but here I offer my own hypothesis, and then I'm going to find out if their data vindicate it.
The problem for Muslims is not Christianity or Judaism. In fact, Islam sees itself as incorporating both in much the same way that Christianity sees itself as incorporating Judaism. The problem for most Muslims is liberalism. But here we must distinguish betwen two kinds of liberalism. There is the classical liberalism of the American founding. Call this Liberalism 1. This liberalism is reflected in such principles as the right to vote, to assemble freely, to debate issues, to trade with others, religious toleration, and so on.
Then there is the modern liberalism of the 1960s. Call this Liberalism 2. This liberalism is defined by such tenets as the right to blaspheme, the right of teenage boys and girls to receive sex education and contraceptives, the right to abortion, prostitution as a worker's right, pornography as a protected form of expression, gay rights and gay marriage, and so on. It is this second type of liberalism that seems to drive the social agenda of today's Democratic Party. For example, Hillary Clinton chaired a presidential task force during the 1990s that promoted prostitution as an international right for workers.
Now we are in a better position to understand Islamic attitudes regarding the West. The vast majority of Muslims worldwide embrace Liberalism 1 while rejecting Liberalism 2. They are generally comfortable with classical liberalism while abhorring the tenets of modern liberalism. And by equating America with such things as blasphemy, pornography, prostitution and homosexualty, the radical Muslims appeal to ordinary Muslims to join their cause in a battle against the Great Satan. This is what I have argued in my recent work and I'm interested to see how my thesis stands up in light of Mogahed and Esposito's data.
Of course today's liberals will chafe at the idea that their values are producing a powerful "blowback" from the House of Islam. That's why we need good empirical work like this book. Let us find out what Muslims really think, and then let us look at the propaganda of the radical Muslims to see how they rally traditional Muslims to their side. Who cares if liberals don't like to admit what is going on? People are entitled to their own opinions but they are not entitled to their own facts.
Reader Comments ( Page 6 of 60)
76. Ryan, you're unwittingly leading us back to DD's "pelvic atheism".
fanmanaf1 at 10:21AM on Apr 23rd 2008
77. randy; Well said. I wonder why the 9/11 hijackers chose to hit the World Trade Center (Global Capitalism), the Pentagon (Military) and tried for the White House (Government)... all the while ignoring Hollywood?
Can any of you right-wingers answer that one?
Ryan Anderson at 10:23AM on Apr 23rd 2008
78. MM: "how are they able to supply 72 virgin ghosts for each terrorist."
You know, they never tell you that you'll be able to deflower the virgins either. Maybe they just cook and clean for you. These jihadists need to ask more questions before they strap on the bombs.
AndrewV at 10:24AM on Apr 23rd 2008
79. Even frothy-mouthed Jerry Falwell apologized for attempting to legitimize the motive of religious zealots who murdered nearly 3000 innocent people on September 11, 2001. He, like Dinesh D'Souza, laid blame on homosexuals, anything not Christian, and even the ACLU - and did NOT point his sanctimonious finger at the God-fearing religious nutbags who actually committed the attacks because they obeyed other God-fearing religious nutbags who told them to do so.
He blamed Americans - just what Dinesh D'Souza is attempting to do here - in an attempt to further his personal agenda.
This one is indefensible.
Frank at 10:25AM on Apr 23rd 2008
80. brian,
Radical anything exists everywhere and isn't limited to Muslims.
I respond to your posts, because you are ignorant. You could give a shit about anything but yourself and people like you. You're bigoted and a completel ass hole. You are a failed representation for Christianity. You are shameful. If Jesus Christ himself was standing next to you, you wouldn't say what you say.
What about all the Radical Christians who have bombed and done the most horrible things in this Country just in the past 30 years.
Should we blame Conservatives for it?
I don't think we should. We shouldn't blame anyone. People that are radical can find any reason they want to do what they set out to do.
Live a little and learn.
Botts at 10:25AM on Apr 23rd 2008
81. fanmanaf1; sexuality is a critically important part of life. It's great fun too!
Ryan Anderson at 10:25AM on Apr 23rd 2008
82. ASSHOLE SCORE AT THE FIRST TURN:
brian 2
dd 1
America's Most Gangsta at 10:30AM on Apr 23rd 2008
83. We must learn to appreciate the cultural differences between us, and not judge or disparage. For example, to a radical islamist, a strap-on is a bomb-laden vest intended to blow up gays and other anti-christian blaspheming blasphemers. To an american, a strap-on is a sexual device which i utilize liberally and often, and it is defined in my book, "What's So Great About Christianity", which you can click here and buy.
dd shill at 10:37AM on Apr 23rd 2008
84. amg "WORLD'S THINNEST BOOKS:
"What's So Great About dinesh d'souzah and brian and george bush"America's Most Gangsta at 8:09AM on Apr 23rd 2008"
I take it that is a question?
A:They are saved by the Blood of the Crucified One.
Man_in_Wilderness at 10:40AM on Apr 23rd 2008
85. WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE AN NOT... I HAVE LIVED WITH THEM AND THEY REALLY HATE LIBERALISM 2 JUST AS I DO, IT'S WHAT PREVENT ME IN VOTING FOR DEMOCRATS, WHEN KILLING IS A CRIME EXCEPT WHEN THE VICTIM IS YOUR OWN CHILD(ABORTION) TO ME IS INADMISIBLE...BUT THEM, THEY HAVE PROSTITUTES AND MANY GAYS, GO TO DUBAY. THEY ARE POLIGAMIST IN THEIR HEART, YOU CAN SEE THEIR SOUP OPERAS IN EUROPE AND GET A FRIEND THAT TRANSLATE. TO STEAL ANOTHER WOMAN'S HUSBAND IS A CHALLENGE AND THEY LOVE IT, ONLY OF COURSE IF THE MAN IS RICH. IT'S WHAT REALLY COUNT FOR THEM, TO BE RICH.
AND THEY ARE NOT ALL TERRORISTS BUT THEY SUPPORT THEM, THEY ARE PROUD OF THEM WHEN THEY ATTACK OTHER COUNTRY BUT NO WHEN, THEY ARE THE VICTIMS AS IN LIBANO THAT ARE DAILY VICTIMS OF HAMAS. TO UNDERSTAND THEYR REALLITY I RECOMEND YOU AND EVERYONE TO READ "THE UNFINISH BATTLE, THE ISLAMICS & THE JEWS" BY MARK A.GABRIEL. EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND HE IS AN EX MUSLIM CONVERTED TO CHRISTIAN(BUT REALLY, WITH LOVE IN HIS HEART)THAT STUDIES HIS OWN PROCESS AND IS FINALLY ABLE TO REJECT THE HATRED WAS TAUGHT TO HIM DURING HIS CHILHOOD....
pet at 10:42AM on Apr 23rd 2008
86. ok, fine, Man in Wilderness...i will play along...since you take a joke and make it serious and have the temerity to say that bush is saved by the blood of jesus. why do you think bush is a good christian man? why do you think he is saved by jesus? does bush not have blood on his hands and hate in his heart? i really want to know how somebody can defend bush based on a jesus/christianity perspective.
America's Most Gangsta at 10:45AM on Apr 23rd 2008
87. Jerry "23. Liberalism
-Liberalism #1: Liberty with accountability, the pursuit of God given rights to be cherished and protected. These are personal freedoms that come with an obligation of responsibility and accountabilty to God and man.
-Liberalism #2: Perverted liberty, the pursuit of personal choices without accountability and a total disreguard to responsibility in order to justify ones choices and actions.
Could it be that one of the reasons people choose atheism is so they can be irresponsible and not be held accountable for thier choices and actions and justify it as liberty?58a3704e
Jerry at 8:01AM on Apr 23rd 2008"
I think you hit the nail on the head. Thanks...
Man_in_Wilderness at 10:45AM on Apr 23rd 2008
88. Awesome video of Dinesh getting his ass handed to him by Stephen Colbert on the same topic:
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/01/18/colbert-beats-down-dinesh-dsouza/
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/46901/
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2960555524277386652
DINESH D'SOUZA SYMPATHIZES WITH MUSLIM TERRORISTS. That should be enough to oust him from his comfy ranks amongst the conservative crowd, right? NOPE! Because conservatives only have one emotion: hate. As long as they all hate the same people, they could sympathize with Muslim terrorists, molest children, and have gay sex in public restrooms the Saturday before they preach to the congregation. Conservatives are mostly a party of hate, and they are anti-American. No matter what evidence anyone produces, brian et al. will continue to come here to lick the boot of Dinesh D'Souza. Pathetic.
K at 10:56AM on Apr 23rd 2008
89. I truly can't believe, that if there is a god, it would create a system where you could receive eternal peace just because of your belief, regardless of how much horror and mayham you wrecked upon the world.
No, luckily for Bush there is no such thing as hell.
Ryan Anderson at 10:56AM on Apr 23rd 2008
90. I have to respectfully disagree with your article. My own sister dated a wonderful Muslim man for several years. He treated her like a goddess and all of her friends were jealous of her! Then she got pregnant and he immediately insisted that she go to his home country and raise the child in the Muslim faith under his mothers tutalage. When she refused, he beat her severely in an attempt to make her miscarry. After that failed he told her family and employer that she had moved suddenly. In truth, he was keeping her locked up in her own home. He removed the phone and had her guarded by other Muslims 24/7, planning to take the child home with him after the birth. She suspects he planned to kill her after the birth of their child, but we are not positive of that. Fortunately she ran into some problems during the child's delivery and when he was made to leave the room to change clothing so he could remain with her during a C-section she was able to tell the doctor what was happening and they hid her in a room and contacted her family. She and her child now live under a different name and hopefully he will never find them.
My point is that it is impossible to tell which followers of the Muslim religion actually believe in moderation and which just say they do in order to fit into rational society. And there is no way of telling what will cause one who is faking moderation to snap and show their fundamentalist roots.
falling at 5:32PM on Apr 23rd 2008