Respectfully questioning your views on moderate Islam

Submitted by AlwaysOnWatch (United States), Jun 23, 2005 at 18:46

Dear Mr. Pipes:

I have read most of your books and value the information presented therein. However, I question your view that moderate Islam is the solution. Where is moderate Islam? Strangely silent--and that silence is very disturbing.

What's happening with the Iranian elections right now shows just how much oppostion exists for moderate Islam (Some would even dispute that moderate Islam even exists). Recently, I saw the coined word "Westoxification" used to express the contempt which hardliners feel toward the movement for which you have so much hope. These hardliners find the very words "freedom" and "democracy" offensive. Worse than offensive. They find freedom and democracy to be poisonous because those ideals do not stem from the Koran or the haddiths. The information to which I am referring can be found at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101498_pf.html
Apparently, the jihadist culture of Iran is not completly defunct.

As to your statement about this recent view of Reuel Gerecht, I absolute agree with you that "his conclusion is fundamentally flawed." Furthermore, I'm just not certain that Middle Easter democracy will turn out to be a panacea. If one studies history, one finds that unbridled democracy can lead to some ugly consequences.

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