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Elshazly vs. Westhoff

Reader comment on item: Law Enforcement Urged to Indulge Muslim Misbehavior

Submitted by Earl Mayfield, Jr. (United States), Jun 18, 2006 at 20:43

Elshazly may have simplified for her audience (cops), but her comments were far closer to correct than Westhoff believes. Westhoff seems not to realize that 'stereotypes" develop because there is a lot of truth to them. Only the terminally politically-correct (like reporters and politicians) dismiss stereotypes out of hand.

Anyone who has lived in any third-world country (not just a brief tourist) recognizes that virtually all such peoples tell others (not just foreigners or strangers; everyone - family, friends, business associates. Everyone.) what they think the listener wants to hear. This isn't a conscious decision to lie; it is a cultural norm for these societies. You can call it "politeness," a "cultural imperative," "enlightened self-interest," "survival instinct," or anything else.

It is a behavior learned during childhood, and psychology tells us that behaviors and beliefs learned during childhood are pervasive and enduring. That's why the government is handling the "war on terror" badly; it thinks because the enemy sometimes makes nice, that that is a reliable position.

There's far too much microscopic analysis and intellectualizing going on about the Muslim terrorists. If you get stung by bees, and kill only the stinging bees in the hive, the other bees make more stinging bees. To end the stinging, you have to kill the whole hive. It doesn't matter if the support bees are passive or not. They make it possible for the stinging bees to exist and operate.

Submitting....

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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Reader comments (8) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Law Enforcement Urged to Indulge Muslim Misbehaviour[Weblog] [48 words]S.C.PandaAug 1, 2006 02:2151352
Law enforcement instruction on cultural insights to the nature of muslims and how to relate to them [129 words]Lemuel M. SummeyJun 18, 2006 21:4247869
Elshazly vs. Westhoff [237 words]Earl Mayfield, Jr.Jun 18, 2006 20:4347868
This is fecklessness at best [53 words]MichaelJun 16, 2006 17:2047789
CAIR would have filed a lawsuit if Elshazly's remarks had been made by a non Muslim [343 words]Ben van de PolderJun 15, 2006 21:4147738
point-counterpoint [117 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Pete MooreJun 19, 2006 08:3147738
Law enforcement sensitive [126 words]SybilJun 29, 2006 09:4247738
Law enforcement sensitive [59 words]mikeApr 25, 2007 15:2947738

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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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