Who Are These People?

In an essay in a recent Wall Street Journal, Bruce Bawer talked about the Norwegian left and its attempts to stifle all criticism of Islam. (Here.) Not for the first time during the past few decades, I have to wonder: Who are these people? I grew up with people like them, and when we were young, this was one of the last things we wanted to do: stifle criticism. So, why do we – or rather they – want to do this?

I’m on the side of Galileo, but they seem to have chosen to side with the Church. I’m on the side of human rights, but they are on the side of total Muslim rights, which apparently means treating women, gays, apostates and infidels in whatever way Muslims like. These people are now a total mystery to me, especially since they aren’t Muslims themselves (though that will happen soon enough, if not with them, then with their children or grandchildren). Are there any lengths to which they will not go in order to protect Muslims? Is there any stopping point? I have yet to see one.

So, I have to say that Robert K. Vischer completely misses the point in his essay in the March issue of First Things (no link that I can find) against anti-shari’a laws. He points out that in Oklahoma, which passed anti-sharia legislation, there has been no incident involving shari’a. But that doesn’t mean anything. Who knows where these people are going? I expected mass demonstrations against the fatwa on Salman Rushdie, and there was nothing. I expected mass demonstrations when Theo van Gogh was murdered, and there was nothing. By now what I expect is that at some point they are going to try to eliminate the Constitution and ram shari’a down our throats because, as I said above, I haven’t seen any stopping place for them yet.

What they are doing is almost completely irrational, but you can’t get through to them on that. Reasonable people on the left – like Bruce Bawer, Phyllis Chesler, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Christopher Hitchens – have all tried to point out uncomfortable facts to them. The feminist card has been played, the gay card has been played, the secularist card has been played, but none of these apparently can trump the race card that the dominant liberals and leftists are playing. The only effect of playing these cards is that those playing them are now seen as on the right, and of course no one on the right is listened to.

So the fact that no clash involving shari’a has happened yet in Oklahoma means nothing. There will be one someday, if things continue on as they are. In addition, because where Europe’s leftists go, America’s are sure to want to go, also, we can expect them to want huge restrictions on the First Amendment.

To put all this in other words, I do not trust these people. I thought I knew them, but I was wrong. They look like they want to give away the farm (i.e., Western civilization) and get nothing in return. And with that sort of mentality, one should anticipate the worst

Comments

[Michael Valle]

Preach on. Keep up this work you do. You are stating bald facts boldly and it is a most noble cause.

[Kevin Stroup]

Hating Islam is NOT racist. Islam is not a race. Islam is an ideology. Do I not have the right to loathe and even fight and destroy an ideology? We fought the Nazis didn't we?
Islam is degenerate and evil. I quote the Koran:

"Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them.” Koran 2:191
“Make war on the infidels living in your neighborhood.” Koran 9:123
“When opportunity arises, kill the infidels wherever you catch them.” Koran 9:5
“Any religion other than Islam is not acceptable.” Koran 3:85
“The Jews and the Christians are perverts; fight them.”... Koran 9:30
“Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam” Koran 5:33
“Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies.” Koran 22:19
“The unbelievers are stupid; urge the Muslims to fight them.” Koran 8:65
“Muslims must not take the infidels as friends.” Koran 3:28
“Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur’an.” Koran 8:12
“Muslims must muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels.” Koran 8:60

Why should I respect this crap? This toxic ideology needs to be fought head on. With no mercy.

[bjb]

I am not a Muslim, nor do I sympathize with any of the people you take issue with in your post, John; but the quotations that Kevin has listed are yet more examples of how westerners think they understand Islam by isolating quotes from the Koran to demonize Muslims. Islam is not a terrorist religion. Just looking at the first quote, if you bother to translate a line before and a few lines after the verse, then you realize that it refers to the unbelievers who have attacked you. As 190 states, "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors."

Koranic experts, not psychopathic terrorists, agree that this quote is not designed to blindly attack unbelievers. Again, you take a few crazies and think they speak for all of Islam. If that be the case, then Christianity is just as guilty as Islam.

[John Pepple]

Michael: Thanks so much.

bjb: I steer clear between Islamophobes and Islamophiles:

http://iwantanewleft.typepad.com/i-want-a-new-left/2010/08/between-islamophobia-and-islamophilia.html

However, since the people who dominate our culture are Islamophiles who seem intent on destroying Western civilization, I lean toward Islamophobia these days.

[John Pepple]

bjb: Let me point out that Kevin Stroup is at least right in his first two sentences.

And while one shouldn't rely on a few crazies who think they speak for all of Islam, here is a fact that people like you ignore: I've often heard of those crazies intimidating other Muslims, but I've never once heard of any Muslims intimidating them.