Posted on 02/04/2008 7:41:14 AM PST by shrinkermd
When "tolerance" becomes a word of abuse in a place like the Netherlands, you know that something has gone seriously wrong. The Dutch have always taken pride in being the most tolerant people on Earth. And in less feverish times, no one could possibly have taken exception to Queen Beatrix's speech last Christmas, when she pleaded for tolerance and "respect for minorities." But Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing, anti-Muslim Freedom Party, was so disgusted by the queen's "multicultural rubbish" that he wanted her to be stripped of her constitutional role in the government.
Wilders, a popular rabble-rouser whose party occupies nine seats in the Dutch parliament, has compared the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf," wants to stop Muslims from moving to the Netherlands and thundered that those who are already there should tear up half the Koran if they wish to stay. In his eyes, tolerance toward Islam is cowardly appeasement. He thinks that Europe is in peril of being "Islamized." "There will soon be more mosques than churches," he says, unless true Europeans have the guts to stand up and save Western civilization.
Notwithstanding his call to ban the Koran, Wilders and his admirers claim to believe in unfettered free speech as a Western birthright. No criticism of Islam, however offensive, should ever be hampered by political correctness. And Wilders uses every opportunity to test the tolerance of Muslims, which is often very limited indeed. His latest provocation is a short film denouncing Islam, which is yet to be shown but has already caused panic. Remarkably for a Dutch politician, and a minor one at that, news of Wilders' antics has reached the world media.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Super bump
People have invoked Christianity in the past to perpetrate great good and great harm. Christians have been bombarded with the message that the harm is the central aspect of Christianity, and they have been encouraged to abandon Christianity and religion and disregard the good that has been done and the central role is has played in their culture and government.
People have invoked Islam in the past and the present to do great good and great harm. The good is presented as proof that multiculturalism is good for the West and the harm is either ignored or excused as a justified reaction of the evils of the West.
It’s a suicide wish; it’s self-loathing, a neurosis by people who are unable to accept that people can and will do both bad and good and that it’s up to each individual to accept accountability for their own actions and their consequences.
What great harm has Christianity ever brought?
Geert is on to something.
It is time for Americans to question every mosque that has been charged with supporting any jihadists. When will American Muslims come out and decry every jihadist nation, movement, terrorist group? To be frank, CAIR and their ilk must be denounced on a daily level by American pols, media et al. Enough of tolerating Quislings who domestically undermine our manner of defeating Al Queda etc.
Wilders, a popular rabble-rouser whose party occupies nine seats in the Dutch parliament, has compared the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf," wants to stop Muslims from moving to the Netherlands and thundered that those who are already there should tear up half the Koran if they wish to stay. In his eyes, tolerance toward Islam is cowardly appeasement. He thinks that Europe is in peril of being "Islamized." "There will soon be more mosques than churches," he says, unless true Europeans have the guts to stand up and save Western civilization.
Yup.
I'm aware of the great harm. Tell me about the great good.
If the Media treated Islam with the same contempt it does every other religion, we’d be having a frank discussion about the problem “Europeans” and “Moderate Muslims” face.
That's the first time I've seen that pinned to conservatives. Usually the politics of resentment is leftists resenting anyone that makes more money, has a nicer car or house, drives a little faster on the freeway, has greener grass, on and on.
Leftists in the media are masters at hijacking good words for themselves and pinning bad words on conservatives.
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