Can a Value System Supposedly Primitive Pose a Threat to West? (Whining muzzie barf alert!)

Arab News ^ | 3/14/2006 | Reem Al-Faisal

[butternut_squash_bisque]

As the West enters the twilight hours of its civilization it demonstrates a desperate desire to recapture the glories of a past when the world meant the “West” and the only value system was that dictated by Western powers. According to this way of thinking, modern history started at the Renaissance and Western sciences were the sum of all knowledge.

America, of course, is the most glaring example of this Western malaise as manifested by its refusal to abide by international pacts and agreements or by its savage assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, let us not forget the horror film the world has been forced to watch of torture and abuse of the so-called terrorists in American gulags spread across the planet.

However, Europe also shows signs of stress given the hysteria with which it views the Muslim world. Europe feels both fear and a sort of wounded indignation toward the Muslims. On the one hand it is trying to force the Muslims to abandon Islam as a universal value system claiming it is nothing more than a primitive and archaic religion incapable of dealing with the complex issues of the modern way of life; on the other it feels threatened by this very same culture which it regards beneath its own. One sees and hears an irrational logic in the West today where for some reason it thinks that Islam will overwhelm it and wipe out its own civilization, yet simultaneously it regards it as primitive. So, we get behavior like France deciding that a few hundred Muslim girls wearing their veil to school are a threat to the identity of secular France and might well destroy the French way of life. Then we witness the caricatures in Denmark insulting the Prophet (peace be upon him) and its reproduction in many European newspapers and magazines. There are also books and articles and films and shows made by Westerners depicting Islam as a savage and primitive religion that should be fought and uprooted from this world. If Muslims want to live by their own value system where is the threat in that to the West?

For too long the world has lived with one dominant culture imposing its view on everyone else, where all human experience, be it negative or positive, was seen through Western eyes only. However, recent developments show it is no longer the case. In other parts of the world where people who until recently could never control their own destiny or the fate of their nations a new sense of independence and defiance is evident. Like in Palestine where the people voted into power the Hamas party by an astounding majority.

People might say Israel is not Western; however I say Israel has nothing Jewish about it but its name. Zionism is nothing but an offspring of the Western civilization and since its inception it has been nurtured and protected by its parents, the West. In the days of the Cold War the Soviet Union and America could always agree on one thing and that was the necessity of the continued existence of the Israeli entity, and every other Western power, be it near or far, helped and abetted the crimes of the Zionist nation and still does it to this very day. Israelis themselves see their country as an outpost of Western civilization amid a sea of savages who need to be trained and broken in like wild animals. The tragedy of the Jews is that to survive the European carnage they turned into a copy of what they themselves suffered bitterly from — a racist, colonizer. Or that was the only option given them by Western powers and those Jews who believed in the superiority of their race over the Arabs. However the biggest losers in all this will be the Jews who have always had a safe haven in the Muslim world throughout their long persecution in Europe.

Look back on the short and bloody history of the Israeli nation and ask yourselves who have been the greatest beneficiaries of its creation?

The answer is a few Jews who would never have been allowed to become leaders in their community were it not for the existence of Israel and the great markets of arms in the West. All the rest have lost bitterly. The Palestinians their lands, the Arabs their youth and wealth spent on never-ending wars for the past 50 years and the Jews in Israel who end up living in nothing more than a heavily fortified ghetto. Meanwhile, the rest of the Jews in the world are either held for ransom by Israel and forced to support it blindly through money and effort or held accountable by others for Israel’s criminal behavior. So, in sum, the creation of Israel only benefited those who trade in blood and carnage; they have surely made handsome gains in the past 50 years.

Though we are witnessing the end of a world system which has dominated this planet for over two centuries one should expect a bitter resistance from the West to their slow but inevitable decline. As human beings most of us have difficulty accepting our mortality and many of us never do even to the last minute. The West can’t for the moment come to grips with the fact that they occupy this planet with other individuals who have a different set of values which are as true as theirs. Muslims are not the only ones who feel the intrusive and high-handed behavior of the West. We see examples of this kind of attitude all around the world from Latin America to Africa and Asia.

However the West should be careful for they might be mighty but they are no longer the only kid on the block. The block is getting mighty crowded and we the rest of humanity no longer accept their dictates nor do we regard our civilization as any less.

— Reem Al-Faisal is a Saudi photographer. She is based in Jeddah.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

The author makes it pretty obvious where this article is going, in her opening line: "As the West enters the twilight hours of its civilization..."

[butternut_squash_bisque]

PING!

[CPOSharky]

"As the West enters the twilight hours of its civilization..."

Must have gone to a liberal journalism school. He writes what he wishes was true.

"Meanwhile the islamofacists struggle to move foward into the 15th century..."

[.cnI redruM]

She regard her culture in any manner she chooses. She's suffering from what a Marxist crank would call false consciousness. In the real world, where rational people size up different societies and cultures and then choose with their feet which one is better, the bulk of the traffic crosses the Rio Grande going North; not South.

Any value-system, or culture that lacks one, that gets hold of a big enough A-Bomb can threaten anyone they want. The real $60,000.00 question, is which culture can actually rebuild something once the Strontium has worked through three or four half-lives and is no longer radioactive enough to still pose a threat.

[Leo Carpathian]

America, of course, is the most glaring example of this Western malaise as manifested by its refusal to abide by international pacts and agreements or by its savage assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq.

Hey Shiiiites! I didn't know that World Trade Center buildings were in Afghanistan and Iraq!!!
Yeaaaaarghhh! Lets get back to culture times, cutting heads off, blowing innocent in the name of ..... Time to level the landscape of 21 ccccenturie!

[siunevada]

I glanced at an article on the Top Ten Inventions of the Islamic World the other day.

They are a little short on accomplishments in the last 800 years. Perhaps they have gone beyond twilight.

[Leo Carpathian]

Real deeeeep shiiiite tinkin'!

[elfman2]

"Can a Value System Supposedly Primitive Pose a Threat to West? "

No, not by itself.

Our value system which includes the value to self defense is far superior. It’s only the self doubt that grows from our value of freedom of thought and speech in the form of moral equivalence that poses a threat. That, plus the complacency that comes with all our success, is a threat to us by misleading us to compromise or supirior values, such as our value of self defense.

The rest of the article is wishful nonsense.

[Brilliant]

It's not the value system that is the problem. It is the cold blooded murder that these Islamofacists mete out.

[CarrotAndStick]

I glanced at an article on the Top Ten Inventions of the Islamic World the other day.

Could you please provide me a link to that article?

[Jmouse007]

Can a Value System "Supposedly Primitive"

The title says it all Islam is: "supposedly primitive"

Ah yes; 7th century thought, lifestyle and living conditions; living in caves and treating women and everyone who does not follow Islam, Moham mad or your way of life like dirt, ...or worse, is so "modern," so "22nd century!"

Who knew?

[butternut_squash_bisque]

I don't think the muzzies invented anything. IIRC, they conquered other civilizations who had achieved advances in many areas, and co-opted their inventions. Is that correct?

The last 800 years, like the first 800 years, have been all about murder, terrorism, bloodbaths, head-cutting and savagery.

[Publius6961]

Can a Value System Supposedly Primitive Pose a Threat to West?

YES!

But only if...
They have been given, by the west, unlimited wealth with which to "buy" brains.
They continue to go to the west to learn the tools of civilization.
If they employ the technical wonders of the west.
(As an honest muzzie once said, "we can use cell phones made in the west, but utterly unable to make even the tiniest screw in them"...

Otherwise, no. If all of them stayed home, the rest of the world would be a better place, and there would be no threat whatsoever.

[Publius6961]

Could you please provide me a link to that article?

Save yourelf the trouble.

That would be the "Top ten blank sheets in history" web site.

[elfman2]

If you have a link to that article, I’d like to see it.

The Golden Age of Islam is a Myth.

Myths about the Golden Age of Islam

The Myth of Islam’s Contribution to Human Civilization

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

This BS is not supported by any historical or factual data:

"Though we are witnessing the end of a world system which has dominated this planet for over two centuries one should expect a bitter resistance from the West to their slow but inevitable decline. As human beings most of us have difficulty accepting our mortality and many of us never do even to the last minute. The West can’t for the moment come to grips with the fact that they occupy this planet with other individuals who have a different set of values which are as true as theirs. Muslims are not the only ones who feel the intrusive and high-handed behavior of the West. We see examples of this kind of attitude all around the world from Latin America to Africa and Asia."

In fact most of the world has either adopted western civilization (Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa) or their culture has changed by adopting much of the culture (East Asia and India). The Muslim world has been influenced by western civilization, particularly North African countries, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia, but the Muslim world probably resisted western culture more due to the Muslim religion.

The only reason some of the Arab states that have been left behind by the rest of the world are prospering is the presence of large amounts of crude oil. Once that oil dries up, just watch for the decline in those countries.

The only area that the West appears to be declining is its population. Europe in particular is in decline because of the population growth of Muslim immigrants and lack of replacement of native Europeans. That, I must admit is a threat to the continuation of Western Civilization.

However, Japan, India, China, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and in particular the USA will remain powerful economic, political and military forces in the future. They will dwarf any of the Muslim countries.

As for the Jews being more European than Middle Eastern. I disagree with this premise. It is true that most of Israel is populated by Jews that came from Europe. However, Jews have maintained their own subculture over the centuries. further Jews have positively influenced western civilization as well.

Another factor ignored by this article is the importance of Christianity. Latin America and Sub-saharan Africa are largely Christian, and that reinforces western culture. East and South Asian religions are tolerable to Christians than Muslims.

In summary, the only truthful aspect of this article is that Europeans are declining in population.

[Publius6961]

Why the "Barf Alert"?

This article is so egregiously off-the-wall that only another sandmaggot could see it as rational...

[siunevada]

Had no idea where it was. I love search engines.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article350594.ece

[Publius6961]

I don't think the muzzies invented anything. IIRC, they conquered other civilizations who had achieved advances in many areas, and co-opted their inventions. Is that correct?

That is correct, but you left out the other essential part:
Once they had co-opted all inovation and moved on, all innovation, thinking, progress and invention ceased forever!

[Ouderkirk]

America, of course, is the most glaring example of this Western malaise as manifested by its refusal to abide by international pacts and agreements or by its savage assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, let us not forget the horror film the world has been forced to watch of torture and abuse of the so-called terrorists in American gulags spread across the planet.

Abide by international pacts? Which serves who's interests?

Savage assaults on Afganistan and Iraq...savage? In who's eyes yours? American gulag's...gulags are work camps, I don't see those P.O.S.'s down there in Gitmo doing slavve like work. The only good muslim is a dead muslim