Green Energy
It looks like Muslims had really better start worrying because I am seeing the idea of Separation being discussed in more and more mainstream circles.
Here, CrunchyCon, Rod Dreher, wrestles with the notion of Separationism:
Lawrence Auster notes this blog's discussion of his idea that the West must separate itself from Islam, for its own self-defense. Earlier, I'd written that I more or less accept his first four premises:
1. Islam is a mortal threat to our civilization.
2. But we cannot destroy Islam.
3. Nor can we democratize Islam.
4. Nor can we assimilate Islam. ...but I can't get to the conclusion:
Therefore the only way to make ourselves safe from Islam is to separate ourselves from Islam.
I acknowledged in my earlier post that I can't reach that conclusion in part because I don't want it to be true -- and that if that's my prime reason, it's intellectually indefensible.
Wanting something to be true, or untrue, doesn't make it so. I'm still thinking about it, because the premise of Auster's that I wrestle with is No. 4, which holds that Islam cannot be assimilated. I doubt it can, but I hope it can, because if not, I see no reason why Auster's conclusion is wrong.
At the Dallas Morning News the other day, our editorial board received a delegation from the local Muslim community. They came in large part to complain about editorial coverage of the community, which is to say they came mostly to complain about me. Which is fine: they accurately recognize that I don't believe their claims that they are completely innocent of radicalism, and are wholly victims of irrational fear of Muslims.
Once again, I came away from a meeting with them even more convinced of my views in this regard. I recorded the entire meeting, and hope to have the time in the next week or so to post lengthy excerpts. In summation, though, the group was defensive, evasive, and wouldn't give a straight answer to simple questions.
I asked the delegation's leader to clarify something he'd said to me and some colleagues last time we met, about his belief that homosexuals should be killed, adulterous women stoned, etc. He launched an elaborate defense of this position, saying that Judaism and Christianity are against homosexuality. Yes, I said, but they don't require that gays be killed for being gay. Do you believe that they should? An imam jumped in to explain why the sharia is right to require hand-chopping of thieves. Later, the delegation's leader said that if I'm asking him to apologize for what his religion requires, he's not going to do it.
Trying to get at the heart of the matter, I asked if they thought sharia should be the law of the land in our secular pluralistic democracy. Another round of long-winded answers, amounting to, "It would never happen here." That's not what I'm asking, I said; should it happen here. Someone explained that Muslim community would never be big enough in this country to make that happen. Which is, of course, entirely beside the point, but we moved on. I had my answer.
Go read the whole thing.
- "why We Fight Islam"
This essay by Danish psychologist Nicolai Sennels is excellent. Excerpt: I was recently asked: Why fight Islam? The short answer is because Islam fights us and since it knows no borders and it knows no mercy, it will keep fighting us until we are defeated...
- A Test Interview: An Australian Cabin Crew
I have been wanting to interview people, regular people that are still only concerned with partying and having a good time and nothing else—just like a lot of the anti-Jihad bloggers were before 9/11—to see what their thoughts on Islam are and how...
- Pastorius Statement On The Existence Of God (or Not) And What It Means To Iba
We have contributors from all over the world here. Some are atheists, some are Buddhists, some Hindu, some Jewish, some Christians, etc. The reason this blog exists is to form a coalition of Infidels (those who are hated by Muslims) to fight the war...
- Muslim Roulette
By Bosch Fawstin Islam vs Muslims A is A. Islam is Islam. There is no such thing as ‘Good’ Islam vs ‘Bad’ Islam. Islam is a totalitarian religion, while Muslims are individual human beings who may or may not practice Islam faithfully. I’ve...
- What It Means To Be A "moderate Muslim"
AFP:A huge survey of the world's Muslims released Tuesday challenges Western notions that equate Islam with radicalism and violence.Hmm.About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical,...
Green Energy
The Great Divorce
It looks like Muslims had really better start worrying because I am seeing the idea of Separation being discussed in more and more mainstream circles.
Here, CrunchyCon, Rod Dreher, wrestles with the notion of Separationism:
Lawrence Auster notes this blog's discussion of his idea that the West must separate itself from Islam, for its own self-defense. Earlier, I'd written that I more or less accept his first four premises:
1. Islam is a mortal threat to our civilization.
2. But we cannot destroy Islam.
3. Nor can we democratize Islam.
4. Nor can we assimilate Islam. ...but I can't get to the conclusion:
Therefore the only way to make ourselves safe from Islam is to separate ourselves from Islam.
I acknowledged in my earlier post that I can't reach that conclusion in part because I don't want it to be true -- and that if that's my prime reason, it's intellectually indefensible.
Wanting something to be true, or untrue, doesn't make it so. I'm still thinking about it, because the premise of Auster's that I wrestle with is No. 4, which holds that Islam cannot be assimilated. I doubt it can, but I hope it can, because if not, I see no reason why Auster's conclusion is wrong.
At the Dallas Morning News the other day, our editorial board received a delegation from the local Muslim community. They came in large part to complain about editorial coverage of the community, which is to say they came mostly to complain about me. Which is fine: they accurately recognize that I don't believe their claims that they are completely innocent of radicalism, and are wholly victims of irrational fear of Muslims.
Once again, I came away from a meeting with them even more convinced of my views in this regard. I recorded the entire meeting, and hope to have the time in the next week or so to post lengthy excerpts. In summation, though, the group was defensive, evasive, and wouldn't give a straight answer to simple questions.
I asked the delegation's leader to clarify something he'd said to me and some colleagues last time we met, about his belief that homosexuals should be killed, adulterous women stoned, etc. He launched an elaborate defense of this position, saying that Judaism and Christianity are against homosexuality. Yes, I said, but they don't require that gays be killed for being gay. Do you believe that they should? An imam jumped in to explain why the sharia is right to require hand-chopping of thieves. Later, the delegation's leader said that if I'm asking him to apologize for what his religion requires, he's not going to do it.
Trying to get at the heart of the matter, I asked if they thought sharia should be the law of the land in our secular pluralistic democracy. Another round of long-winded answers, amounting to, "It would never happen here." That's not what I'm asking, I said; should it happen here. Someone explained that Muslim community would never be big enough in this country to make that happen. Which is, of course, entirely beside the point, but we moved on. I had my answer.
Go read the whole thing.
- "why We Fight Islam"
This essay by Danish psychologist Nicolai Sennels is excellent. Excerpt: I was recently asked: Why fight Islam? The short answer is because Islam fights us and since it knows no borders and it knows no mercy, it will keep fighting us until we are defeated...
- A Test Interview: An Australian Cabin Crew
I have been wanting to interview people, regular people that are still only concerned with partying and having a good time and nothing else—just like a lot of the anti-Jihad bloggers were before 9/11—to see what their thoughts on Islam are and how...
- Pastorius Statement On The Existence Of God (or Not) And What It Means To Iba
We have contributors from all over the world here. Some are atheists, some are Buddhists, some Hindu, some Jewish, some Christians, etc. The reason this blog exists is to form a coalition of Infidels (those who are hated by Muslims) to fight the war...
- Muslim Roulette
By Bosch Fawstin Islam vs Muslims A is A. Islam is Islam. There is no such thing as ‘Good’ Islam vs ‘Bad’ Islam. Islam is a totalitarian religion, while Muslims are individual human beings who may or may not practice Islam faithfully. I’ve...
- What It Means To Be A "moderate Muslim"
AFP:A huge survey of the world's Muslims released Tuesday challenges Western notions that equate Islam with radicalism and violence.Hmm.About 93 percent of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are moderates and only seven percent are politically radical,...