No way you can beat faith with propaganda
Reader comment on item: Winning the Propaganda War [versus Radical Islam]

Submitted by Boris (United States), Dec 28, 2005 at 21:59

Dear Dr. Pipes,

I am very skeptical about any ability to win hearts and minds of Moslems with propaganda of "liberal, secular, and humane values". Propaganda is too weak when it comes to religion, and conspiracy theories and "attraction to totalitarian solutions" in my opinion are derived directly from religion.

Judeo-Christian values are based on fundamental 10 commandments that directly or indirectly work against conspiracy theories and totalitarian solutions, despite the fact that many people don't see this relation. Indeed, the notion of a single Creator with no particular image or other material representation establishes the most democratic principle of absolute equality of every human being before God, regardless of faith. A ruling of not using God's name in vain (in other words, do not do anything in the name of God or explain personal actions with God's will) directly addresses issues with totalitarism, which is always presented as a "supreme law" standing above individual freedoms.

Totalitarism and conspiracy theories always blossom where fundamental commandments are either rejected or never adopted. The former we witnessed in the former USSR or Nazi Germany. The latter we observe in the islamic world. Fixing soviet or nazi totalitarism consisted of taking their people back to Judeo-Christian values.

Where should Moslems go to adopt the principles of equality of each individual before Creator and personal (not God's) responsibility for their actions? I doubt it can be done by any propaganda.

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