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Missing sense of proportions and time

Reader comment on item: L'Institut d'Égypte – In Memoriam
in response to reader comment: Intolerance

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Jan 1, 2012 at 19:33

Ronald Ng wrote :

> I have never argued against the fact of the the many, many intolerant acts of militant Islam. i was trying to say the well spring of what happened in history, when one group of people did terrible things to other groups, the people usually were imbued with an intolerant sense of their own righteousness and correct actions.<

This goes without saying and it is no point here. The point is your incredible contention that the Chinese have done as many terrible things as Moslems in terms of cultural genocide. As a proof you quoted Moa's 10-year long period of turmoil which I tried to explain to you with Moa's pragmatic objective in mind.Apparently you don't care about Mao's rationale behind it.

Anyway, your assertion doesn't address the main difficulty which is that Islam is by its very essence violent and always destructive while the Chinese violence has no such deep metaphysical roots and is severely limited and inhibited by the humanistic Confucian ethics and the respect for scholars and books that goes with Confucianism. Now I feel you reject that in order to stick to your view that both Islam and the Chinese civilization are equally intolerant and evil. You even give a few examples allegedly confirming that.

> The religious wars of the West, the burning of witches, the punishment for apostasy in the West, didn't these take place as well, and was during a time when there was absolute belief in the correctness of the Church? If you read Kramer and Sprenger's "Malleus Maleficarum", the handbook for witch hunters of the 15th century, you will find a similar mindset to many of the mind sets that are occurring in the more fundamental Islamic world today.<

I am not sure if you have realized in the heat of your argument that between what you are referring to and now some 500 years have elapsed and we burn no more witches , no more kill each other because of "heretical" views , don't behead atheists while in the Islamic world witchcraft is still considered a serious threat to social and political stability and can be punished with death, the shias are routinely discriminated and persecuted by the sunnis and vice versa and apostasy requires a capital punishment.

> In feudal China, there was a well known law of executing relations of the 9th degree for treason.<

And was this law in force based on Confucius' teachings or was burning books and destroying temples somehow linked to it ?

> During the Qing dynasty, there was a class of crime known as "literary crime" and a famous case was of an examiner who set an Imperial Exam question with four letter, and unfortunately, of the four letters, two of them happened to be very similar to the Emperor's name except that the top part of the name were not there. (I can't explain it to you without writing this in Chinese, which I will be most happy to do so if you tell me you can read Chinese.). He was beheaded because he was accused of secretly beheading the Emperor in his essay question!<

Tragicomic misunderstanding. Are you implying though that such misunderstandings spread massively causing extensive massacres and horrors on a par with the notorious Moslem ruling to kill anybody who criticizes the Quran or Mahomet or wants to say "Goodbye" to Islam ?

Anyway, except for "shan" and "ren" I can read no Chinese characters.

>Read the conquest of Central America by the Spaniards, of the forced conversion of the native Americans by the Catholic priests. Were they not similar to the forced conversion of the people conquered by Islamic nation around the time of the expansion of the Islamic empire?<

Sure, they weren't similar and the reason it is not so hard to see if you want to see it at all. Christianity has long since undergone the painful process of purification and repentance through Enlightenment and Rationalism. It is the Christian authors that wrote extensively on the wrongs done by Christianity and there is nothing paradoxical about it.You can't become a better human unless you openly notice and describe your sins and defects. Perhaps it is only because of that sincere work of Christian self-criticism that you can quote the Christian crimes you refer to. What is more important is that in every European city you will find libraries full of books, movies and articles on those crimes.

Now if you are so sure of the similarity and see no contrast of behavior at all, will you kindly tell me in which Moslem city I can find a public library where books on the crimes committed by Mahomet and his followers are described and denounced by imams and mullahs ? Which Moslem TV stations show Moslem atrocities committed against kafirs like the massacre of 10 000 innocent Buddhist monks in Nalanda and the ensuing burning of hundreds of thousands of ancient Buddhist scrolls and documents ? Or perhaps you know a single library in Turkey which provides a free access to books on the Armenian and Greek genocide or on crimes committed by the Uyghurs against the Chinese during their never ending jihad in Eastern Turkestan?

Islam in its arrogance defines itself as "Truth" and so it recognizes no objective external reality as a point of reference to decide whether a sentence is true or false. Hence in Islam the process of recognizing the truth and as a result of it repentance and Enlightement hasn't begun yet .What is more , the process of admitting that there can be something wrong about Islam can't in principle even commence !!!

Last not least, the crimes you are talking about are being perpetrated by Islam under our eyes on a daily basis while the crimes committed by Christianity you speak of belong to a distant past. But a fresh beheaded corpse under your window with a death fatwa attached to it seems to trouble you much less than the fate of the Incas some half a millenium ago despite the monument erected to them by European scholars.

I am afraid you have got a very distorted idea of history and a twisted sense of historical proportions and forces acting in history.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (104) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Destruction of historical artifacts [77 words]jeanFeb 19, 2012 02:19193485
Muslims not capable of "hate" [412 words]Dan B.Feb 8, 2012 16:30193217
Are today's egyptians a civilization? [142 words]WalberJan 23, 2012 05:21192743
3Upsetting but not surprising [68 words]saraJan 13, 2012 18:05192569
1Just to clarify [25 words]Bernard ZimmermanJan 6, 2012 20:10192350
6Why would a mob destroy a thing of beauty? [283 words]PrashantDec 29, 2011 05:06192124
2Deliberate Defilement [80 words]Garry LockwoodJan 3, 2012 01:27192124
D. B. [75 words]The West becoming Islam's fire hydrantFeb 8, 2012 16:59192124
4Does this signal a shift in self perception of Egyptian identity? [566 words]ShishirDec 28, 2011 04:41192089
1My response to Shishir [344 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 7, 2012 22:11192089
3Response to dhimmi/Islamist apologist Debanjan [738 words]ShishirJan 9, 2012 05:57192089
1Dear Shishir [695 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 11, 2012 02:26192089
3Nile to Euphrates Israel,Mossadegh is an Arab,Islam unites Arabs and other nuggets of wisdom from Debanjan [574 words]ShishirJan 12, 2012 09:39192089
Dear Mr. Shishir [1172 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 16, 2012 00:12192089
More drivel from Debanjan [1357 words]ShishirJan 19, 2012 12:54192089
1Dear Mr. Shishir [1227 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 21, 2012 22:30192089
Debanjan claims he is the next Theodor Herzl [1847 words]ShishirJan 29, 2012 13:19192089
1My dear Shishir [849 words]Debanjan BanerjeeFeb 2, 2012 02:48192089
3At it again Debanjee? [839 words]Peter HallFeb 3, 2012 09:38192089
1My Answers to you. Mr. Hall [1205 words]Debanjan BanerjeeFeb 21, 2012 23:03192089
3Debanjee, you are hilarious [925 words]Peter HallFeb 22, 2012 19:25192089
Banning burkhas in publicc is justified [47 words]PrashantFeb 24, 2012 09:09192089
Dear MR. Prashant [106 words]Debanjan BanerjeeFeb 24, 2012 22:19192089
1Another square peg in a round hole Debanjee? [341 words]Peter HallFeb 26, 2012 08:25192089
Banerjee won't understand and switch the topic [135 words]PrashantFeb 26, 2012 10:16192089
1Dear Mr. Hall [824 words]Debanjan BanerjeeFeb 27, 2012 23:22192089
5The Core for Burning is in First pillar of Islam [75 words]Michael Hanni MorcosDec 27, 2011 21:39192081
Erase and Control [113 words]Jay1Dec 27, 2011 19:59192078
2Very very Proud [108 words]Michael Hanni MorcosDec 27, 2011 17:18192075
Where can the interview be viewed? [53 words]ShishirDec 28, 2011 07:14192075
2Very very Rusty [94 words]Michael Hanni MorcosDec 29, 2011 00:03192075
1Burn the library! [43 words]Martin H. KatchenDec 27, 2011 12:10192073
1Assaulting History [43 words]Georga CollinsDec 27, 2011 11:13192071
4Who controls the past controls the future. [99 words]IanusDec 28, 2011 14:53192071
But it did pose a threat. [67 words]JeffDec 31, 2011 14:50192071
2French government does not learn! [62 words]Gudrun EussnerDec 27, 2011 10:34192068
5The destruction of the Egyptian historical record [135 words]Saul KellyDec 27, 2011 09:51192067
1islamic stagnation [56 words]steve omaraFeb 2, 2012 23:09192067
2Return of "looted arts" to their countries of origin [208 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ronald ngDec 27, 2011 02:32192061
3What to loan Egypt. [17 words]Jon, a Brit in EurolandDec 28, 2011 10:15192061
2Mo vs. Mao [184 words]IanusDec 28, 2011 15:18192061
1Interesting perspective [151 words]Kepha HorDec 28, 2011 20:48192061
Destructions of Works of Art [157 words]Ronald NgDec 28, 2011 22:36192061
1You are right [139 words]Ronald NgDec 29, 2011 20:30192061
3You're too dogmatic about dogmas , I am afraid. [855 words]IanusDec 30, 2011 15:37192061
13The Parthenon Mosque [533 words]IanusDec 30, 2011 18:03192061
2Not Always The Case [145 words]BB KingDec 30, 2011 21:13192061
Intolerance [303 words]Ronald NgDec 30, 2011 21:24192061
Fighting Turkish Barbarity [138 words]7A3Jan 1, 2012 08:55192061
6When burning a book fails, then maybe converting it to Islam will be worth trying ? [785 words]IanusJan 1, 2012 16:48192061
7Missing sense of proportions and time [1047 words]IanusJan 1, 2012 19:33192061
Putting things into perspective [283 words]Ronald Paul NgJan 1, 2012 21:28192061
Still Not Always the Case [152 words]BB KingJan 1, 2012 22:59192061
3Fighting Turkish barbarity [94 words]IanusJan 2, 2012 17:04192061
1The choices... [49 words]Amin RiazJan 3, 2012 21:22192061
5Good news from Saudi Arabia : In 500 years witches will no longer be hunted and executed there ! [1159 words]IanusJan 5, 2012 10:42192061
Dogma [216 words]Ronald NgJan 5, 2012 21:46192061
8Aristotle vs. Allah [1502 words]IanusJan 6, 2012 10:16192061
3Not the Case Again [560 words]BB KingJan 7, 2012 00:39192061
8How many people did Mahommet kill? [873 words]IanusJan 7, 2012 14:27192061
3"He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." [1714 words]IanusJan 8, 2012 10:10192061
1So there is just one muslim voice... [53 words]car313Jan 9, 2012 11:35192061
To Assume [5 words]Amin RiazJan 9, 2012 22:45192061
Oh the Irony and Other Observations [444 words]BB KingJan 10, 2012 01:18192061
Answering Your Question [255 words]BB KingJan 10, 2012 01:49192061
5There is nothing hilarious or ironic in cultural nihilism which you represent . [1703 words]IanusJan 11, 2012 15:47192061
Changing the Goal Post [617 words]BB KingJan 11, 2012 19:10192061
3Feel free to circumvent also these questions ! [2237 words]IanusJan 13, 2012 11:18192061
3Do not trust anybody ! Rely on your ignorance ! [1443 words]IanusJan 13, 2012 13:26192061
Historical Revisionism Part 1 [312 words]BB KingJan 13, 2012 19:26192061
Cognitive Dissonance [168 words]BB KingJan 13, 2012 20:12192061
4"Don't trust your eyes!Trust mine!" [614 words]IanusJan 15, 2012 15:34192061
1Cognitive harmony between not knowing and not realizing one's not knowing [642 words]IanusJan 15, 2012 17:19192061
2Historical Revisionism Part 2 [421 words]BB KingJan 15, 2012 17:33192061
3The mystery of "the unusual depth ... of Lincoln's Christian perception" [772 words]IanusJan 16, 2012 07:40192061
Historical Revisionism Part 3 [443 words]BB KingJan 16, 2012 21:10192061
3The wasteland of whose imagination ? [1070 words]IanusJan 18, 2012 14:31192061
1I think you are onto something [168 words]Peter HallFeb 3, 2012 09:50192061
1Did you hear about ... [181 words]Amin RiazFeb 3, 2012 17:52192061
1Amin, you make a great victim [470 words]Peter HallFeb 4, 2012 20:25192061
Just to add [237 words]Peter HallFeb 4, 2012 20:53192061
8Islam's Destruction of Everything Beautiful [134 words]RobinDec 27, 2011 00:38192059
4You beat me to it, Robin [119 words]DEBORAH THE JUDGEDec 27, 2011 23:30192059
Robin from Australia is right [83 words]TedDec 28, 2011 09:45192059
6Copts are the true Egyptians [106 words]IanusDec 28, 2011 18:52192059
3Only the Koran worth knowing ... [116 words]RobinDec 29, 2011 01:30192059
Copts [142 words]DEBORAH THE JUDGEDec 29, 2011 20:15192059
2It is always Relative to the Time [121 words]Michael Hanni MorcosDec 31, 2011 12:59192059
You are right Deborah [125 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 7, 2012 22:01192059
L'Institut d' Égypte [41 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
hans GuggenheimDec 27, 2011 00:34192058
7"If those books are in agreement with the Quran, we have no need of them. And if they are opposed to the Quran, destroy them!" [517 words]IanusDec 28, 2011 13:35192058
Library of Alexandria [5343 words]Mark BorowskyJan 25, 2020 13:31192058
1Peace Treaty is ultimate target [18 words]P RoseDec 26, 2011 23:41192057
What "peace" treaty [96 words]ShishirDec 28, 2011 04:48192057
4Cyprus [55 words]NikkiDec 26, 2011 23:12192056
8Sibel Edmonds will best explain to you why Turkish barbarity has never been punished. [445 words]IanusDec 28, 2011 14:37192056
1Happy 2012 , Ianus [213 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 7, 2012 21:52192056
4No reason for a Moslem to complain [415 words]IanusJan 11, 2012 17:21192056
1Dear Mr. Ianus [420 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 15, 2012 23:16192056
9An easy way to Islamize Eastern Europe = Saudi bribes +US pressure+Turkish jihad [745 words]IanusJan 22, 2012 09:08192056
Dear Mr. Ianus [138 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 24, 2012 22:26192056
3Cleptocracy [972 words]IanusJan 26, 2012 13:08192056
Dear Mr. Ianus I support you on this [371 words]Debanjan BanerjeeJan 31, 2012 12:03192056
1Re: An easy way to Islamize Eastern Europe = Saudi bribes +US pressure+Turkish jihad [40 words]NikJul 29, 2012 20:14192056

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