Defacing Islam
Some of you have surely noticed my anti-Islamic views. For example, I oppose the building of a triumphal Mosque and Islamic Center near "ground zero." I am certainly against Islamism, the politically extremist element within Islam that seeks by violent acts to destroy and overtake Western civilization. But, I am totally against the craven act of burning the Koran.
To insult Muslims by defacing the book that they consider sacred is not only morally wrong, it is deliberately provocative and stupid. There have been predictions that there will be a "war of civilizations" between the West and Islam, and in fact that is already occuring. But, by burning the Koran we will reinforce precisely the view of the West that the extremists already believe and we will antagonize millions of Muslims who have not themselves taken up arms against us. Whether or not Islam is in fact a religion of peace, as some contend, the act of defacing the Koran will persuade them that we are inherently their enemies. Once we start burning their books, they will burn our and so it goes.
The Muslim world is a sea in which the terrorists swim. It should be our aim to make their presence in that world much less comfortable rather than making it more so. This is a test of our own civilization. Just as we would resent Mulsims burning our sacred books, they will resent us doing so to them. We militarily attack the Islamists in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but we should not provide them with ammunition in their struggle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim majority. Of course, only a very small minority of stupid extremists would actually burn the Koran, but their act will cling to all of us like tar.
In their war against western civilization (which they regard as Judeo-Christian) the Islamists have carried out despicable murderous acts, on 9/11 in New York, on 7/7 in London and in Madrid, etc. We must take the war to them, while at the same time trying to persuade the majority of non-militant Muslims that we provide a civilized and honorable alternative. This has been the policy of our Presidents, Bush and Obama, and our Prime Ministers, Blair and Brown. To undermine this strategy on the anniversary of 9/11 would be self-defeating and dangerous.
To insult Muslims by defacing the book that they consider sacred is not only morally wrong, it is deliberately provocative and stupid. There have been predictions that there will be a "war of civilizations" between the West and Islam, and in fact that is already occuring. But, by burning the Koran we will reinforce precisely the view of the West that the extremists already believe and we will antagonize millions of Muslims who have not themselves taken up arms against us. Whether or not Islam is in fact a religion of peace, as some contend, the act of defacing the Koran will persuade them that we are inherently their enemies. Once we start burning their books, they will burn our and so it goes.
The Muslim world is a sea in which the terrorists swim. It should be our aim to make their presence in that world much less comfortable rather than making it more so. This is a test of our own civilization. Just as we would resent Mulsims burning our sacred books, they will resent us doing so to them. We militarily attack the Islamists in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but we should not provide them with ammunition in their struggle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim majority. Of course, only a very small minority of stupid extremists would actually burn the Koran, but their act will cling to all of us like tar.
In their war against western civilization (which they regard as Judeo-Christian) the Islamists have carried out despicable murderous acts, on 9/11 in New York, on 7/7 in London and in Madrid, etc. We must take the war to them, while at the same time trying to persuade the majority of non-militant Muslims that we provide a civilized and honorable alternative. This has been the policy of our Presidents, Bush and Obama, and our Prime Ministers, Blair and Brown. To undermine this strategy on the anniversary of 9/11 would be self-defeating and dangerous.
posted by Jack Cohen at 8:49 PM
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