Sorry Dr. Pipes, I disagree.

Submitted by Brooks Imperial (United States), Mar 12, 2007 at 16:42

Dear Dr. Pipes,

I haven't read D'Souza's recent book, but based on a read of his NRO column, the excerpt above is presented out of context. D'Souza characterizes Qutb in order to frame his (D'Souza's) solution - that the West is not adequately presenting the benefits and examples of our moral lives that are the products of freedom. D'Souza maintains that Islamists are focussed on the negative moral choices that some in the West make, and do not see or recognize the predominantly positive moral choices that most Americans live by, and the constructivef moral environment that most Americans use their freedom to choose.

D'Souza doesn't apologize for the islamist view, he merely states what it is. Recognition that the problem exists is not an affirmation of the legitimacy of the problem.

I thought his NRO article presented a reasonable solution - we in the West need to counter islamist propaganda with the benefits of western society. Perhaps we've grown so used to accepting politically correct denegration of the West that we forget to speak about all of the many reasons why we'd die before accepting the terms of life islamists have to offer.

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