What right have Muslims to claim moral superiority?

The Times (U.K.) ^ | 07/20/06 | Mary Ann Sieghart

[Pokey78]

Rarely does a news story bring tears to the eyes. But when I read the account last week of the murder of Samaira Nazir in an “honour killing” (surely an oxymoron), I nearly wept. Here was a bright, articulate graduate who had her throat cut, was stabbed 18 times by her brother and cousin because she wanted to marry a Muslim man whom her family had not chosen. The details were particularly horrific. Her mother stood and watched as she was murdered — how could any mother do that? Her two nieces, aged just 2 and 4, were forced to witness their father stabbing her, close enough to be spattered by her blood — how could any parent do that? She screamed for help and neighbours saw her blood-soaked arm emerge briefly from the front door, but their attempts to intervene were rebuffed.

Of course, grotesque acts of violence happen in all countries. The West is not free from sin. But what sets this type of murder apart is that the perpetrators believe that what they are doing is morally justified. In another (dis)honour killing in 2001, Faqir Mohammed stabbed his daughter 20 times in the head and stomach. He told police: “According to the law it was not right, but according to religion it was right.”

Of course, many Muslims will be horrified by that remark; they see honour killings as positively un-Islamic. But it is peculiarly galling for Westerners constantly to be dubbed “immoral” by Muslims, to be treated as if Muslims occupy the moral high ground while the rest of us swim in a sewer of moral decadence. In fact, many Muslims’ attitudes to the women in their families, even if they fall short of violence, are to most of us deeply immoral.

Ever since slavery was abolished, it has been considered morally abhorrent for one human being to own another. It is just as morally abhorrent for a father, husband or brother to behave as if he owns an adult woman. He has no right to determine whom she marries, what she wears on the street or how she chooses to live her life. He certainly has no right to kill her.

Yes, there are flaws in the Western liberal world, too. But it is not as if we are strikingly more tolerant of activities that Muslims consider decadent. Non-Muslim Britons have roughly the same attitudes to licentiousness as do Muslims. Some 54 per cent of Britons find public displays of drunkenness unacceptable, according to our recent poll, along with 57 per cent of Muslims. And only slightly more Muslims (29 per cent) than the general public (21 per cent) say the same about women wearing low-cut tops and short skirts.

Broadly, with only a few exceptions, ours is a law-abiding society in which we tolerate difference and get on with our lives while trying to behave well towards each other. So why, in that case, are Muslims so negative towards us? We hear a lot about Islamophobia, but to judge from a survey conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, British Muslims are far harsher on the rest of us than we are on them — and they are far more critical of us than are Muslims living in Germany, France or Spain.

Pew gave both Muslims and non-Muslims a list of positive and negative characteristics and asked which applied to each other. Between half and two thirds of British Muslims claimed that Westerners were selfish, arrogant, violent, greedy and immoral. Even Pakistanis living in Pakistan were less likely to say this than British Muslims, and German, French and Spanish Muslims had a markedly less jaundiced view of Westerners.

Meanwhile, British non-Muslims were among the least likely of all Westerners in the countries surveyed to attribute those negative characteristics to Muslims. We were also among the most likely to say that Muslims were devout, honest, generous and tolerant.

It is both remarkable and heartwarming that non-Muslim Britons are prepared to be so open and appreciative to a community that has such a censorious view of us. For if anyone deserves to have a grievance, it is surely non-Muslims whose generosity is not being reciprocated. Forget Islamophobia for a moment: why does no one ever complain about Britannophobia?

[YOUGOTIT]

This is the religion of Peace: More like the religion of PIGS.

[proud_yank]

Yes, there are flaws in the Western liberal world, too. But it is not as if we are strikingly more tolerant of activities that Muslims consider decadent.

How on earth can they even make a comparison like this??? This article is just disgusting.

[kromike]

Muslims who live in glass mosques shouldn't throw stones...

[Kenny Bunkport]

But it is peculiarly galling for Westerners constantly to be dubbed “immoral” by Muslims, to be treated as if Muslims occupy the moral high ground while the rest of us swim in a sewer of moral decadence.

No surprise that what many Muslims consider to be "moral" is actually heinously immoral, because of the false god they worship.

[Ban Draoi Marbh Draoi]

On the surface Islam looks highly moral. But once you really start examining it in the lives of the people who practice it, it is nothing more than a power trip gussied up with a pseudo-Judeo-Christian gloss.

And the Koran is nothing but hate speech, on the order of Mein Kampf.

[Irish Rose]

Ever since slavery was abolished, it has been considered morally abhorrent for one human being to own another.

Hello? Slavery was abolished because it was considered morally abhorrent for one human to own another.

[Soliton]

Islam is a viral meme. It destroys those that espose it. If there is a g_d, then they are the most cursed of the races on Earth.

[Joe Boucher]

I pass gas in the general direction of mecca.

[Candor7]

What right have Muslims to claim moral superiority?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Because we conservatives are so used to letting liberals claim moral superiority for so long, which gave birth to liberal wanna be RINOS.

Humanism is not a philosophy which is known to Islamofascists. Their society is based on," an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

And that is the way we should be treating them, for any other way is simply enabling their inhumanism through our appearing weak, a concept that the allegedly morally superior liberals of America cannot grasp.

In this way we can end their inhumanism ands protect ours. This is a secret well known and practised by the Israelis. The liberals are in fear that we ourselves will become the monsters that we fight. I do not think so, as do the majority of Americans, a fact that liberals do not understand.

[Argus]

Some 54 per cent of Britons find public displays of drunkenness unacceptable

The other 46% were too busy bashing each others' skulls about and vomiting into the gutter to answer the poll.

[DCBryan1]

54 percent of Britons are probably Mooselimbs.

[DCBryan1]

54 percent of Britons are probably Mooselimbs.

[PLK]

In fact, many Muslims’ attitudes to the women in their families, even if they fall short of violence, are to most of us deeply immoral.

Gee, are the NAGS just figuring this out?? Somebody should publish an article on the horrors of the lack of abortion clinics in the Islamic part of the world. THAT would get them stampeding out in their birkies, ugly tee-shirts, and bad haircuts to protest!!! Bwahaha!

[IronJack]

I think the notion that Muslims can somehow claim any moral superiority vanished on September 11, 2001. I know that the vermin still have their apologists, but after 9/11, Madrid, the London buses, Beslan, Daniel Pearl, Bali, and so many others, they are just chattering embarrassments, relics of a vocal past with no credibility left to spend.

[weegee]

Honor killings happen all the time in the middle east and in the west.

They never make world news like the suspected rape and murder by US troops.

This is not to draw an equivalence between the actions (although both are inhumane). It IS to point out a double standard that exists in the liberal media.

[jordan8]

while the rest of us swim in a sewer of moral decadence.

We do swim in a moral sewer.

So why, in that case, are Muslims so negative towards us?

Meanwhile, British non-Muslims were among the least likely of all Westerners in the countries surveyed to attribute those negative characteristics to Muslims. We were also among the most likely to say that Muslims were devout, honest, generous and tolerant.

It is both remarkable and heartwarming that non-Muslim Britons are prepared to be so open and appreciative to a community that has such a censorious view of us.

It is remarkable though hardly heartwarming. You are weak, and they hate you for being weak, for adopting the suicidal attitude that thinks that being appreciative and open to your enemies is heartwarming.

[A CA Guy]

IMO, the vast majority of Muslims are in fact a death cult.

[Gantz]

"What right have Muslims to claim moral superiority?"

From the events described in this story, which correlate to many, many others we've unfortunately witnessed over the last several years now, it is quite clear that Muslims have no right to claim superiority about anything, moral or otherwise.

At best, all one can say is that they're all brainwashed by their murder-cult "religion".

[Vision]

Here was a bright, articulate graduate who had her throat cut, was stabbed 18 times by her brother and cousin because she wanted to marry a Muslim man whom her family had not chosen...Her mother stood and watched as she was murdered — how could any mother do that?

Because her mother is involved in a death cult that should be banned in all western civilization, duma$$.