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A Question

Reader comment on item: Once considered anti-Islam, senior scholar says he's now in the middle
in response to reader comment: Islam and its after effects

Submitted by Ron Thompson (United States), Aug 21, 2010 at 22:47

Dr Sudrania,

I agree with your comments about the "highly intoxicating" force of Islam as devised by its founder, who deserves to be rated down there with Hitler and Goebbels in his ability to convince masses of men that they will find their salvation and meaning in life in hatred and acts of violence.

But as to its getting "more violent and fiery", Islam has had an ally we have yet to acknowledge. Namely, we have and still remain silent in the face of its challenge. We still AGREE that Islam is a "great and peaceful" religion.

We don't know what will happen if enough people, especially a few leaders get up and firmly express their doubts that this is a "great and peaceful" religion. They could do this by simply and solemnly, without stridency, listing all the atrocities of just the last few days or weeks, from the 50 young men suicide-bombed in Iraq to the young girl in Kabul getting acid in her face for going to school.

At the same time they would note the utter absence of any mass protests against these atrocities in any Moslem country, or from their leaders. Not a single Moslem leader, and certainly not the in-your-face Imam of the planned 9/11 mosque has dared say that these unrelenting atrocities have been blackening the name of Islam for decades now..

But why should they? No one in the West have ever said this, but instead goes out of the way to state that no matter how many atrocities happen in the West, let alone against Moslems in Moslem countries, nobody should EVER say a strong word against Islam itself.

We simply don't know what may happen if we take off this blindfold we covered our eyes with, and we start reacting, as we long since should have, to the religion itself. Perhaps the reaction against the NY mosque, although marred by the political opportunism of the likes of Gingrich and Palin, is the long overdue challenging of the supposed merits of the religion itself.

Perhaps there's a huge well of doubters in the ranks of Islam, who will, slowly at first but then with gathering momentum, respond if we recover our own ability to stand up not only to individuals and groups (and crazy Iran) but to the totalitarian ideolog which has bred all of them..

And we could, for instance, make a standing offer: If you wish to leave Islam, but of course fear for your life if you do, come to the West and we will give you religious asylum (although with no purpose to convert you to any other religion). Say we offered a limited number of slots, 1,000 or so at first, just to see if everybody wants to stay in a religion which promises to kill them if they decide to leave it, or even merely to experiment with an alternate belief system, as so many do in the West.

regards, Ron Thompson

Submitting....

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Reader comments (94) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Diversity is the name of the game [267 words]Mike FranklinJan 23, 2013 14:56202755
3Moderate Muslims [170 words]John NosserOct 13, 2010 15:26179234
9Islam and the message [791 words]dhimmi no moreSep 5, 2010 07:34177695
1Stop the training of Jihad [163 words]SalOct 5, 2010 08:01177695
2Well said [313 words]OlcayJun 23, 2011 18:12177695
Islam and its victims [64 words]dhimmi no moreJun 23, 2011 19:19177695
What is the scholarly reference for this claim of yours. [62 words]Bertan AtalayNov 6, 2013 18:05177695
1About Islam : a theory, why NOT? [2624 words]alessandro alboreAug 30, 2010 07:08177448
3Radical Islamic tribalism worse than third reich of Hitler [171 words]Muslimk***Aug 29, 2010 08:24177418
6DILEMMA ! [129 words]Ange Michel MURANGWAAug 26, 2010 20:01177327
78Islam is a matter of concentration [107 words]Big BAug 23, 2010 11:14177146
2Islam is not good for society in any concentration!!! [222 words]JaladhiSep 5, 2010 08:11177146
2And the answer is.... [56 words]yuval Brandstetter MDSep 7, 2010 17:08177146
Some viruses are harmful in small or big number [17 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 17, 2011 06:49177146
1You are hypocrites [84 words]AAASep 10, 2011 05:44177146
6The question is if the fullest form of Islam, Sharia, can co-exist with Secular Law as practiced in the Democratic Western World. [429 words]Isaac HaskiyaAug 23, 2010 07:42177132
2Sharia in action [658 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 23, 2010 20:46177132
1In the West , freedom comes before religion, Islam included. Good or bad is what you do with it! [355 words]Isaac HaskiyaAug 27, 2010 03:50177132
4Moderate Islam is the solution? [60 words]J PappasAug 22, 2010 11:27177094
8There is no Moderate" Islam - it's only a figment of imagination of Muslim, Muslim apologists, and inteelectual experts!!! [65 words]JaladhiAug 23, 2010 10:09177094
Re: there is no moderate Islam. [63 words]J PappasAug 26, 2010 23:12177094
Moderate Islam [93 words]SanityAug 29, 2010 09:30177094
3There is no moderate Islam - only a figment of imaginatin!!! [369 words]JaladhiAug 29, 2010 15:21177094
5Open your eyes and think for yourself to learn the truth about islam!!! [420 words]JaladhiAug 30, 2010 15:17177094
1100 years ago in Turkey [142 words]Jason PappasAug 30, 2010 21:45177094
3I still say : there is no moderate Islam and no moderate Muslim!!! [199 words]JaladhiAug 31, 2010 18:19177094
2Islam is islam [134 words]btillySep 1, 2010 05:00177094
4Have you forgotten Armenian Genocide committed by "moderate" Muslim Turkey??? [185 words]JaladhiSep 1, 2010 14:29177094
1moderate islam?moderate communist? [172 words]rwSep 3, 2010 05:19177094
1Ataturk was a nationalist not an Islamist [276 words]Jason PappasSep 6, 2010 22:07177094
3Islam and its after effects [137 words]Dr. O. P. SudraniaAug 20, 2010 12:56177016
2A Question [496 words]Ron ThompsonAug 21, 2010 22:47177016
4Understand Our Concern [115 words]Leonard MarkowitzAug 20, 2010 08:43177007
4unsophisticated tone [134 words]rwAug 20, 2010 05:27177004
nuanced solidarity [125 words]Ralph H SidwayAug 19, 2010 19:54176995
2Disappointment [44 words]PezDispenserAug 19, 2010 17:40176989
6Comments on Washington Post article [212 words]Gloria StewartAug 19, 2010 17:33176988
2Oh well, risks of being unsophisticated!!! [50 words]JaladhiAug 24, 2010 19:49176988
4Is There Really a "Middle" on this Issue? [344 words]Ron ThomposonAug 19, 2010 16:01176983
Dr. Pipes has changed viewpoints and possibly History. [162 words]Anne-USAAug 19, 2010 16:00176982
My vote for Dr. Pipes [41 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 28, 2010 04:11176982
5my problem with islam is the murder, rape, stealing, and world domination attempts. [46 words]Phil GreendAug 19, 2010 13:24176977
1Maybe we are learning [125 words]Joe Six-PackAug 19, 2010 10:54176974
How do you differ? [30 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Frank VoslerAug 19, 2010 09:36176969
3I think there is an element of Islam that WANTS and NEEDs war. [509 words]LynnAug 19, 2010 08:38176965
Not relevant [202 words]Daniel TeeboomAug 19, 2010 08:13176964
complex [189 words]mythAug 19, 2010 07:48176963
3I do not agree with Daniel's concept of possible "evolution" of islam [88 words]zedAug 19, 2010 03:19176953
The Golden Age [64 words]Barry BlackAug 30, 2010 14:30176953
The Church Had Its Golden Age- On the Other Hand, True Christianity Has Been in the Age of Grace for Almost Two Thousand Years [461 words]M. ToveyAug 31, 2010 16:38176953
1everything is changing and adapting [82 words]baker saresNov 17, 2010 12:59176953
you aren't serious [78 words]joyDec 21, 2010 14:42176953
2The fight for free speech [90 words]Cherif El-AyoutyAug 19, 2010 03:12176952
23Islam vs. "Radical Islam" [823 words]Edward ClineAug 18, 2010 22:29176940
2Islam is all radical!!! [218 words]JaladhiAug 23, 2010 16:41176940
1Religion and the Mind [304 words]RobertAug 25, 2010 14:06176940
1Internal Conflict in Islam? [484 words]Edward ClineAug 26, 2010 21:37176940
2Very intelligent post by Edward Cline [256 words]RajeevAug 28, 2010 01:25176940
1Concurrence concerning nature of Islam [148 words]Edward ClineAug 29, 2010 20:37176940
Perspective [192 words]James S. OppenheimAug 18, 2010 21:15176938
Daniel, you need to follow up with your own post on this. [271 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
JohnAug 18, 2010 18:13176925
Big Distinction Indeed [114 words]Bob HoffmanAug 18, 2010 17:13176918
Nuance is the only hope [421 words]John W. McGinleyAug 18, 2010 16:45176914
Nature of the problem [16 words]LindaKAug 18, 2010 16:35176913
Pipes is substantial [97 words]David H. PartingtonAug 18, 2010 16:12176911
The distinction is, indeed, important, Ms. Boorstein. [109 words]Michael JoyceAug 18, 2010 15:35176908
Wilders is no rightist [107 words]Gerry Philip MokAug 18, 2010 15:34176907
13Islam in America [133 words]J.KowalikAug 18, 2010 15:27176905
2Who is afraid of Islam? [137 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 18, 2010 20:21176905
4Islam: a theocratic religion [50 words]Gary GreerAug 19, 2010 11:52176905
2Delusional!!! [82 words]JaladhiAug 23, 2010 09:59176905
2There is No Fear of Islam Where There is the Love of Almighty God of the Bible [671 words]M. ToveyAug 23, 2010 19:20176905
2Islam's Abrahamic heritage [86 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 23, 2010 19:38176905
1Viewing islam with a perfect lens [75 words]BernieAug 24, 2010 03:03176905
1Stll delusional!!! [76 words]JaladhiAug 24, 2010 20:36176905
reply to Ghulam [118 words]csyAug 25, 2010 02:43176905
4passing judgement on the absurd. [234 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanAug 25, 2010 06:43176905
3A funny thing happened on the way to Israel. [97 words]LynnAug 25, 2010 08:34176905
2Abraham's Legacy and our Heritage is His Faith In Almighty God Through His Savior, Just as Jesus Christ Said. [511 words]M. ToveyAug 25, 2010 19:25176905
2Stoning of Adulterous [215 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 26, 2010 19:24176905
4spirit of tolerance [830 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanAug 28, 2010 09:50176905
4change?? [524 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanAug 29, 2010 02:35176905
1Missing Jesus Christ's Expression of Heavenly Love - Forgiveness and the Grace of Almighty God [96 words]M. ToveyAug 29, 2010 19:33176905
2Islamism's comparison with Nazism is not entirely correct [186 words]RajeevAug 29, 2010 22:11176905
Debate for the sake of debates leads to no constructive end. [29 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 30, 2010 20:23176905
1Understanding. [216 words]LynnAug 31, 2010 08:33176905
1Agreed - Accepting Jesus Christ at His Word is Sufficient - Release the Adultress to Jesus Christ's Judgment [87 words]M. ToveyAug 31, 2010 18:10176905
2Prejudiced vision [96 words]Ghulam Muhammed, MumbaiAug 31, 2010 19:31176905
2absolutely [131 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanSep 3, 2010 04:56176905
1Judging the words and deeds of Mohammad. [99 words]LynnSep 3, 2010 10:03176905
6Minor Difference - Non Issue [177 words]Jon AndersonAug 18, 2010 15:15176904
3I don't really see... [121 words]KatyAug 18, 2010 15:04176903
2Intellectualism and Islam??? [447 words]Lewis LoflinAug 18, 2010 22:57176903
3Political Correctness affecting honest intellectual behavior!! [113 words]JaladhiAug 23, 2010 09:51176903

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