Posted on 03/31/2009 8:23:53 AM PDT by mockingbyrd
8 "Freedom." Unfortunately, "freedom," as expressed in American foreign policy, does not always seek to engage how the local community and culture understands it. Absent such an understanding, freedom can imply an unbound licentiousness. The balance between the freedom to something (liberty) and the freedom from something (security) is best understood in a conversation with the local context and, in particular, with the Muslims who live there. "Freedom" is best framed in the context of how they understand such things as peace, justice, honor, mercy, and compassion.
9. "Religious Freedom." Sadly, this term too often conveys the perception that American foreign policy is only worried about the freedom of Protestant evangelicals to proselytize and convert, disrupting the local culture and indigenous Christians. Although not true, I have found it better to define religious freedom as the promotion of respect and reconciliation with the other at the intersection of culture and the rule of law – sensitive to the former and consistent with the latter.
10. "Tolerance." Tolerance is not enough. Allowing for someone's existence, or behavior, doesn't build the necessary relationships of trust – across faiths and cultures – needed to tackle the complex and global challenges that our civilization faces. We need to be honest with and respect one another enough to name our differences and commonalities, according to the inherent dignity we each have as fellow creations of God called to walk together in peace and justice, mercy and compassion.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
I noticed that beheading, honor killing, and pedophilia didn’t make the cut.
This article shows comprehensively that Muslims have very different foundational ideas than those of Western Civ. As such, it is appropriate to refer to them as separate civilizations. They're built on different ideas and express those they agree on in different ways.
BTW, "civilization" as such refers to a society that meets certain criteria. In every civilization there are some less than civilized institutions and practices. Muslims societies just have a larger number of these.
They like it if you call them “Suicidal Sons of the Desert”.
What counts most is the idea that we are earnestly trying to listen to and understand each other better; demonstrating respect as a result.
Yeah!...right!....Throat slitters don’t listen and understand a damn thing except Jihad!....GET USED TO IT!
I agree with your title change. They should be called what they are.
Apparently this good little dhimmi has never heard of taqqiyah...or is practicing it.
To hell with the islamics. They’re worse than infidels believing a 7th century pedophile as their prophet & God. Good grief!
ca 400 AD: Imperial News Service: 10 Terms to Never Use With a Visigoth...
ca 1490 AD: Seville Times: 10 Deadly Techniques Useful Against Saracens...
ca 2010 AD: NYT: 10 Ways to Peacefully Submit to a Muslim....
Do I see a pattern?
Hey, that looked painful when your head exploded.
Yes. I see a pattern.
>They like it if you call them “Suicidal Sons of the Desert”.
Really? I think that would be a very good descriptive phrase to describe suicide bombers.
I was thinking that the main word to avoid would be “bacon”. You know, like, “you want bacon on that”?
ping
The brain challenged fool writing the article uses the subtitle: There’s a big difference between what we say and what they hear.
Maybe the problem originates in their ears and not our mouths. Leave it to the liberals among us to accept blame for it, and punish the healthy for the sins of the sick.
I’m sure there are those who believe this guy is: 1) a lapdog for 0bama, 2) a closet Muslim, 3) a member of the Communist Party USA
and would like to return to the “good ol’ days” of Rumsfeld and his acolytes who did everything possible to antagonize anyone anywhere who did not agree with “THE” position.
Quothe Rush: “Words mean things.” To those in other countries and cultures, who we are trying to influence to our position, using the wrong words has a deliterious effect.
They forgot “Israel.”
They prefer to use the term “Palestine.”
“Suicidal Sons of the Desert”? Naww, if you want maximum effect refer to them as “sons of pig f’n dogs”.
Bunch of Pig Swill
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.