Posted on 10/13/2010 12:36:30 AM PDT by American Dream 246
Khalid Latif, a chaplain for New York University, here complains that moderate and peaceful understandings of Islam are being unfairly discounted: "As much as Muslims need to acknowledge the existence of a minority voice that is radicalized, so too does a broader society need to acknowledge the existence of a majority voice that is not radicalized and more importantly condemns radical thought."
That's just great, and I am happy to accommodate him in this. It is also worth noting, however, that a few years ago, when NYU students planned to display the Danish cartoons of Muhammad at a campus event, Latif wrote a letter to NYU President John Sexton, asking that he "not allow these cartoons to be displayed in any shape or form." Why not? Because "the potential of what might happen after they are shown is something else that should be considered and not taken lightly." For "the repercussions that would take place outside of the university setting are potentially huge. All over the world Muslims have been coming together over this issue and in New York they would not hesitate in doing the same thing."
This has been widely interpreted as a veiled threat, but let's give Latif the benefit of the doubt: let's just say that he was simply noting the possibility of violence, not threatening violence, if the cartoons were displayed at NYU. Even if that were the case, another problem remains: he was asking Sexton to make sure that non-Muslims changed their behavior to accommodate violent Muslims, rather than directing his efforts to violence-minded Muslims to try to get them to stop the violence.
And that has everything to do with what he is saying here. Because here again, he is saying that it is up to non-Muslims to take due notice of peaceful Muslims. But how effective or helpful are these peaceful Muslims when one of their foremost exponents refuses to stand up to his violent coreligionists, but instead demands that non-Muslims curtail their activities to accommodate them? If Latif is really concerned that non-Muslims don't believe his protestations of peace and moderation, this is why: his unwillingness or inability to stand up to the "radicals" either casts doubt upon his sincerity or demonstrates his impotence.
"My Take: Islam is a religion of peace, or it isn't," by Khalid Latif for CNN, October 11:
Last week, New York University hosted the Intelligence Squared Debates at its Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Four panelists, two for and two against, presented arguments on the motion of "Islam Is a Religion of Peace." About 800 showed up to learn the answer. Problem is, there is no one answer.
The Muslim community is by no means monolithic and viewing us as one is problematic. We are diverse.
Yet we find ourselves in a moment in which we are very narrowly understood. That normative understanding is equated to something radical, despite the fact that 93 percent of Muslims are found to be far from radical according to recent Gallup surveys.
What becomes more problematic is that typically when one of us from that 93 percent steps up to speak, we are vehemently told that we either do not represent Islam or even more absurdly that we are not truly practicing Islam's teachings.
Zeba Khan, a panelist for the "Islam Is a Religion of Peace" last week, was met with such a response. She started off the debate by sharing her personal story about growing up in Ohio, attending a Hebrew Day School, and being raised by Indian parents in a Muslim household. "Just because you may not hear us," said Khan," doesn't mean we are not speaking."
Ayaan Hirsi Ali , speaking against the motion, followed Zeba and immediately said, "The problem with Islam is who speaks for Islam." She went on to say, "I concede (the radical voice) is a minority," and expressed her desire that someone like Zeba Khan actually would speak for Islam, but, in her opinion, could not and does not.
And so Zeba's voice, her interpretation, and all of her efforts were collectively dismissed since she did not fit into what Hirsi Ali believed Islam to be.
Maajid Nawaz, Zeba Khan's co-panelist for the motion, was dismissed just as easily. "This debate is not about making excuses for terrorism," he said. "This debate acknowledges that Muslims bear a responsibility in reclaiming their faith from a minority."...
Despite this, those opposed to the motion told him that it is his peaceful understanding of Islam that is rooted in misinterpretation, since it does not match up with the interpretation put forth by the radical minority, and thus somehow ignores the fundamentals of Islam since those groups somehow are the end-all be-all of what Islam actually means.
That a peaceful interpretation of the religion, or even one that is non-radical, can only exist by ignoring fundamental texts is flawed in its logic.
Characteristic of any text - whether religious or not - is its ability to be interpreted through the lens of its reader. Interpretations of the Quran that espouse ideas of tolerance, compassion and mercy have existed and continue to exist in the majority of Muslim communities since the advent of Islam 1400 years ago.
As much as Muslims need to acknowledge the existence of a minority voice that is radicalized, so too does a broader society need to acknowledge the existence of a majority voice that is not radicalized and more importantly condemns radical thought. There are those who make Islam to be something restrictive and radical, but there are many, many more who do not.
Moderating the panel last week, ABC News correspondent John Donvan said speaking to those against the motion, "You are making it sound like Islam is what you make it to be. Why then can it not be the peaceful Islam that we see being practiced by so many around the world?"
The answer, Mr. Donvan, is that it can be, and for the majority of us, it is.
“My Take: Islam is a religion of peace, or it isn’t,” by Khalid Latif for CNN, October 11:
They say pictures speak louder than words
Posting the link instead of the pic since it contains quite a graphic image
Quote from picture
Palestinian crowd waves entrails of butchered Israeli victims. in Ramala. The expression on their faces show they are orgasmic. This level of hate is only possible in Islam
warning graphic link of the Palestinian cannibals
http://www.news.faithfreedom.org/gallery2/v/ffi_gallery/lynching/bodyparts.jpg.html
My idea of peace is quite different.
This happened 10 years ago yesterday .
The victims of their peace - two Israelis who lost their way in Ramallah.
What were the average people on the street doing ?
The same thing they did after 911 - They were in the streets cheering it on .
Moderate muslim = lie
America needs to see this .
America needs to understand just how peaceful these people really are .
every muslime in this country needs thrown out, ALL OF THEM !!
“Peaceful Muslims” huh? Were the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa and Boogey Man there too?
How about people having the freedom to ignore “peaceful” Muslims? What if we don’t give a damn what they believe? What if we just don’t want to have to worry that they’re going to start murdering people, or trying to destroy the Constitution? Do these incredibly self-centered egotists ever consider that a lot of people just don’t want to hear about them?
Flip it around - I don’t see any acknowledgement from Muslims that they need to accomodate all the other religions, or even the laws of the country they immigrate into. I just hear endless demands that they be accomodated - more, and more, and ever more. They’re like sullen teenagers who refuse to grow up, and want everything their way all the time. Strip away the violence, and they’re just tediously immature.
Now, the violent Muslims demand accomodation... or threaten murder.
But the “peaceful” Muslims demand accomodation... or they refuse to be responsible for what the violent Muslims will do.
And they’re so used to getting away with crude thuggery, they actually think this ridiculous crap is some sort of sophisticated mental shell game that no one will be able to figure out.
They’re like children too ignorant to know you’re looking straight through them.
Religion of peace? They can’t even explain away the parts of their OWN religion that demand violence FROM them! That’s why there is NO Koranic refutation OF the “violent” Muslims BY the “peaceful” Muslims.
So given all of that, I’d say that rather than “peaceful” Muslims, they’re just liars.
Peaceful and Violent? How about Dumb and Dumber?
Those “majority non radicalized” Mohammedans are no better than the violent jihadis because they approve of the jihadì violence- they just prefer not to participate at the moment. If they do not approve they are apostates and will not like to advertise their apostasy thus they have no influence on their murderous brethren. Jihad and total conquest are inherent in the “religion” and it is reiterated in their one True Source, the Koran- along with Hadith and the Biography. There is no major source in Islam that says different.
Ditto!
As for myself, I'm in agreement with SF_Redux and we should start shipping Muslims out of this country ASAP because their culture clashes with ours. It is their culture and not their race that's the problem because they refuse to melt into and adopt ours.
They can kiss my lily white a$$.
Islam is the sea in which the terrorist shark swims. It aids and comforts the shark on it’s journey. The deeper the sea the larger the shark can grow.
… broader society need to acknowledge the existence of a majority voice that is not radicalized and more importantly condemns radical thought."
Their condemnation is might quiet.
The world would be an absolutely better place if there were no muslims. I'd miss a certain former boxing champ but that's about all.
We know America will not ship muslims out of our country. On the contrary, America keeps bending over backwards to accommodate them. Public schools having muslim holidays, special treatment in jails/prisons by not serving pork, islam promoted as better than Christianity in school textbooks, our elected officials chiding us for not praising islam and endorsing building mosques all over America, including Ground Zero.
Just look at Europe to see the future of islam in America. None of our leaders (a term loosely used) have any desire to stand up to muslims here in America or anywhere else. Perhaps the only solution will be an eventual civil war - us against them.
If this is so, it is the best kept secret of muslims.
Where are the imams that publicly rebuke terrorists? Where are the koran verses that refute the verses that SPECIFICALLY call for the killing & enslavement of Jews & Christians? Where is the muslim public outrage at honor killings & stonings? Where are the masses of muslims protesting the evil of Osama bin Laden & his ilk?
I have yet to see any of this.
What I do see is unspeakable violence, incredible lies, & a vile disregard of others.
Muslim sympathizers regularly trot out so-called moderates, who seem to reject violent islam. But the more you hear from them, the more you realize they are lying weasels. Reps from all the major muslim orgs. in America are often caught “talking out of both sides of their mouths”. They say one thing in English, then something totally different in Arabic.
If islam is a religion of peace, then terrorism must be the greatest insult of all to islam. So, if drawing a cartoon of mohammed is an insult that generates bloody riots worldwide, then why isn't all of "peaceful" islam outraged at the acts of bin Laden? Why, instead, do they dance in the streets when innocent people are murdered by him?
There are no peaceful moslems. There are active jihadists and sleepers who are just waiting their turn. When moslems start hunting down and killing the terrorists (instead of their own daughters in "honor" killings) then maybe I'll believe their are moderate moslems.
Agreed. Islam is a political system at war with these United States. As such, every adherent to islam has chosen to side with our enemies in a time of war. They are at best guilty of treason. By siding with the enemy they have given up tehir citizenship (if they ever held it) and need to be removed or executed.
There are no peaceful moslems. There are active jihadists and sleepers who are just waiting their turn. When moslems start hunting down and killing the terrorists (instead of their own daughters in "honor" killings) then maybe I'll believe their are moderate moslems.
And for those CAIR trolls information, I am one of thousands upon thousands of Americans that are always armed and will not go silently in to the good night! That's not a threat, it's just a fact ................ take heed.
If this is so, it is the best kept secret of muslims.
Where are the imams that publicly rebuke terrorists? Where are the koran verses that refute the verses that SPECIFICALLY call for the killing & enslavement of Jews & Christians? Where is the muslim public outrage at honor killings & stonings? Where are the masses of muslims protesting the evil of Osama bin Laden & his ilk?
I have yet to see any of this.
What I do see is unspeakable violence, incredible lies, & a vile disregard of others.
Muslim sympathizers regularly trot out so-called moderates, who seem to reject violent islam. But the more you hear from them, the more you realize they are lying weasels. Reps from all the major muslim orgs. in America are often caught “talking out of both sides of their mouths”. They say one thing in English, then something totally different in Arabic.
If islam is a religion of peace, then terrorism in the name of islam must be the greatest insult of all. So, if drawing a cartoon of mohammed is an insult that generates bloody riots worldwide, then why isn't all of "peaceful" islam outraged at the acts of bin Laden? Why, instead, do they dance in the streets when innocent people are murdered by him?
As a peaceful Christian, I demand all Muslims sit down a shut their stupid pie-holes!
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