Daniel J. Pipes

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Selling one's soul to the Devil

Reader comment on item: [William Blum and] Al-Qaeda's Leftist Brigade

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Jan 24, 2006 at 17:34

It's nice to know that Osama's second favourite book after the Quran is W.Blum's "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower". I wish he had given a complete list of his 10 favourite Western books so as to enrich nine more leftist "thinkers". It's now him who defines readers' tastes and choices.

By the way, an alternative Osama-Bin-Laden Prize for anti-Western Literature could be set up presided by the most wanted terrorists and most rabid anti-American leftists and subsidized by the secret Saudi funds.

Now with the money acquired through his Muslim advertiser and literary agent Blum will hopefully tour the Near East to sightsee, promote his books, make acquaintance with more Muslim readers, translators and publishers and thank Osama personally for his praise...I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he yearns to shake Osama's hand before telling him about his other books and projects and inviting him to write together a book "The axis of Good. How Left Idealism is implemented with Islamic hands and bombs".

In this context the story of Faust and Mephistopheles comes to my mind. Selling one's soul to the Devil isn't a selfless act. Faust wants to get from the Devil what he can't receive otherwise. He gets it granted for a short time (fame, wealth, Gretchen). Unfortunately enough, the Devil isn't altruistic either. He buys Faust's soul to propagate evil through him and to destroy him in the end, even though Faust hopes he may escape the Evil One.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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