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People only hate what they don't know

Reader comment on item: The Dobbs List: "Militant Islam Reaches America"

Submitted by Ali Hassan (United States), Nov 3, 2002 at 15:47

Commenter Mr. Abraham seems to think that one cannot be a Muslim and a moderate.

As someone who has grown up in both a moderate Muslim country (Turkey) and also in one that is less moderate (Pakistan) I think one can see that Islam like any belief systyem is very open to interpretation and changes in the views of its followers quite rapidly. Yesterday's secularists are today's Islamists who will be tomorrow's secularists.

Pakistanis for the most part have only "hated Jews" for the past 50 years. If anti-Semitism truly was inherent in Islam, why is there no record of hatred for Jews in Urdu literature before the creation of Israel?

They hate Israel because they feel for the Palestinians, because that is what they are told to feel. They hate Jews because many of the simple dear sweet hearts don't know any better.

I had many Jewish friends from Embassies in Pakistan who told bazaaris they were Jewish and were never harrassed. People only hate what they don't know.

It can be argued that anti-Semitism is found in the Qu'ran and I can argue that find Socialism in the Torah. Now go out and hug a Muslim.
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Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Christians or Jews blowing themselves up [42 words]RonSep 29, 2005 22:4926471
MY COMMENTS. THANKS [30 words]REX LOVELLSep 26, 2005 15:2626330
Ignorance is not bliss [170 words]Christopher A.Jan 10, 2004 00:3713272
DIFFERENT RELIGON [31 words]ADNAN SHAHNov 24, 2003 02:0212280
the importance of religion [9 words]SarahFeb 13, 2007 07:0312280
Muslims Nazis? [98 words]Gorkem CillerNov 3, 2002 15:543568
People only hate what they don't know [198 words]Ali HassanNov 3, 2002 15:473567
Is Modernization Possible? [73 words]GEORGE VALDSHTEINSep 26, 2002 03:062652
Empowering moderates is not a new thesis... [112 words]Amjad M KhanSep 12, 2002 00:582438
Label describing Daniel Pipes [26 words]Alfred RitterSep 2, 2002 15:512252
Understanding Totalitatian Thought [208 words]J. W. BeasonSep 2, 2002 13:122251
Did you say Islam is like (similar to)Christianity and Judaism ? [173 words]Saul PfefferSep 2, 2002 10:482249
Thank you [125 words]Elizabeth Duncan (Margie Mcd's sister)Sep 2, 2002 02:182246
The True Face of Islam [323 words]K AbrahamSep 1, 2002 21:102242
Read the true history [266 words]F. ShawkiSep 1, 2002 17:192240
Moderate Muslims are the average Germans of WWII [272 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
David RosenbergSep 1, 2002 13:552238
Amorphous number of Islamist adherants [70 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Dan SchwartzSep 1, 2002 10:222233

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