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The Trouble With Islam (MUST READ! FROM A FORMER RADICAL ISLAMIST)
opinion journal ^ | 04/03/2007 | TAWFIK HAMID

Posted on 04/03/2007 8:06:22 AM PDT by milwguy

Not many years ago the brilliant Orientalist, Bernard Lewis, published a short history of the Islamic world's decline, entitled "What Went Wrong?" Astonishingly, there was, among many Western "progressives," a vocal dislike for the title. It is a false premise, these critics protested. They ignored Mr. Lewis's implicit statement that things have been, or could be, right.

But indeed, there is much that is clearly wrong with the Islamic world. Women are stoned to death and undergo clitorectomies. Gays hang from the gallows under the approving eyes of the proponents of Shariah, the legal code of Islam. Sunni and Shia massacre each other daily in Iraq. Palestinian mothers teach 3-year-old boys and girls the ideal of martyrdom. One would expect the orthodox Islamic establishment to evade or dismiss these complaints, but less happily, the non-Muslim priests of enlightenment in the West have come, actively and passively, to the Islamists' defense.

These "progressives" frequently cite the need to examine "root causes." In this they are correct: Terrorism is only the manifestation of a disease and not the disease itself. But the root-causes are quite different from what they think. As a former member of Jemaah Islamiya, a group led by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, I know firsthand that the inhumane teaching in Islamist ideology can transform a young, benevolent mind into that of a terrorist. Without confronting the ideological roots of radical Islam it will be impossible to combat it. While there are many ideological "rootlets" of Islamism, the main tap root has a name--Salafism, or Salafi Islam, a violent, ultra-conservative version of the religion.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; cerc; islam; muhammadsminions; terrorism; terrorists
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What a well written explanation of Islam from a person who has lived it. The liberal, feminist, Democrat, anti-religous cabal is our country continues to deny the obvious. They blame us for radical Islam, when is fact, radical Islam has existed forever, and for the most part, there is no balance to these radical teachings.
1 posted on 04/03/2007 8:06:25 AM PDT by milwguy
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To: milwguy
But indeed, there is much that is clearly wrong with the Islamic world. Women are stoned to death and undergo clitorectomies. Gays hang from the gallows under the approving eyes of the proponents of Shariah, the legal code of Islam. Sunni and Shia massacre each other daily in Iraq. Palestinian mothers teach 3-year-old boys and girls the ideal of martyrdom. One would expect the orthodox Islamic establishment to evade or dismiss these complaints, but less happily, the non-Muslim priests of enlightenment in the West have come, actively and passively, to the Islamists' defense.

This should be required reading for Rosie O'Donnell.....

...but can she read?

2 posted on 04/03/2007 8:10:21 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: milwguy
radical Islam has existed forever

Doctor Savage was very funny a couple weeks ago about 300, saying that the islamic Persians were prevented from overrunning Greece by the 300 Spartans. But, islam didn't show up, especially among Persians, for 1000 years. Still, the aesthetics of islam have always been around.

3 posted on 04/03/2007 8:15:03 AM PDT by RightWhale (3 May '07 3:14 PM)
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To: milwguy
It is vital to grasp that traditional and even mainstream Islamic teaching accepts and promotes violence. Shariah, for example, allows apostates to be killed, permits beating women to discipline them, seeks to subjugate non-Muslims to Islam as dhimmis and justifies declaring war to do so. It exhorts good Muslims to exterminate the Jews before the "end of days." The near deafening silence of the Muslim majority against these barbaric practices is evidence enough that there is something fundamentally wrong.

People just refuse to accept this point.

LBT
......
4 posted on 04/03/2007 8:20:43 AM PDT by LiberalBassTurds (The Painful Truth: All the World Terrorists are Muslims! -- Abdulrahman Al-Rashed)
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To: milwguy
"Worst of all, perhaps, is the anti-Americanism among many Westerners. It is a resentment so strong, so deep-seated, so rooted in personal identity, that it has led many, consciously or unconsciously, to morally support America's enemies."

All liberal scum need to read, re-read, and read these words yet again until this concept sinks into the vacuous recesses of their puny minds...

5 posted on 04/03/2007 8:21:51 AM PDT by EnigmaticAnomaly (Grassroots Conservatism at its finest...VOTE DUNCAN HUNTER 2008)
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To: eeevil conservative; Peach; MNJohnnie; sono; rodguy911; HonestConservative; ...

ping


6 posted on 04/03/2007 8:25:05 AM PDT by AliVeritas (Pray for Tony Snow, Liz Edwards, cancer patients, their families and support.)
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To: EnigmaticAnomaly

Agreed.......Islam subjugates women, enslaves non-believers, advocates the extermination of Jews,and kills gays. Still the liberals think that we are the problem? What am I missing here?


7 posted on 04/03/2007 8:27:49 AM PDT by milwguy
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To: milwguy

“The near deafening silence of the Muslim majority against these barbaric practices is evidence enough that there is something fundamentally wrong.”

That sentence says it all.

Islam is a covenant against all others that we will see manifest suddenly when the tipping point is reached and the word goes out....to the majority. And it won’t be merely burning cars in the dark....


8 posted on 04/03/2007 8:28:53 AM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: milwguy

“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.”
Ann Coulter


9 posted on 04/03/2007 8:31:32 AM PDT by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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To: AliVeritas

Finally, we’ve found an answer for Paris, Lindsey and Britney... RADICAL ISLAM CAMP!


10 posted on 04/03/2007 8:32:59 AM PDT by RightResponse (It depends on what the defamation of Islam is .....)
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To: milwguy
It is vital to grasp that traditional and even mainstream Islamic teaching accepts and promotes violence. Shariah, for example, allows apostates to be killed, permits beating women to discipline them, seeks to subjugate non-Muslims to Islam as dhimmis and justifies declaring war to do so. It exhorts good Muslims to exterminate the Jews before the "end of days." The near deafening silence of the Muslim majority against these barbaric practices is evidence enough that there is something fundamentally wrong.
Whether one chooses to address or ignore this reality, it's not going to go away.
11 posted on 04/03/2007 8:33:56 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: milwguy

Isn’t it ironic that it is a Muslim who exposes the true face of Islam while our politicians continue to crow that Islam is a ROP?


12 posted on 04/03/2007 8:34:17 AM PDT by 353FMG (I never met a liberal I didn't dislike.)
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To: EnigmaticAnomaly

“All liberal scum need to read, re-read, and read these words yet again..”

They have and continue to do so and are in full agreement with these words. After all, they are members of the international hate-America movement doing more damage to this country than any foreign nation could hope to do.


13 posted on 04/03/2007 8:39:20 AM PDT by 353FMG (I never met a liberal I didn't dislike.)
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To: milwguy

bookmarked.


14 posted on 04/03/2007 8:44:31 AM PDT by mockingbyrd (peace begins in the womb)
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To: milwguy

“Radical Islam” is redundant.


15 posted on 04/03/2007 8:58:40 AM PDT by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
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To: milwguy
“Salafism, or Salafi Islam, a violent, ultra-conservative version of the religion.”
“Unlike Salafism, more liberal branches of Islam, such as Sufism, ...”

When something shouldn't be conserved, “liberal” is better than “conservative”.

16 posted on 04/03/2007 9:17:16 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: milwguy; All

fyi, this was posted earlier:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1811037/posts

However, nobody on that thread discussed the whole point of the article written by a recovering Jihadist in the 12 Step program:

Specifically...the left wing liberals who are actually a hodgepodge of agenda driven Socialists...Green wackos, feminists, PETA, ACLU, gay rights activists, secular progressives, gun grabbers, peaceniks...hate America so much that they would rather take the side of Islamofascists who are the antithesis of everything the left believes.

What does that say about liberals?


17 posted on 04/03/2007 9:27:08 AM PDT by Eric Blair 2084 (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms shouldn't be a federal agency...it should be a convenience store.)
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To: milwguy

bump!


18 posted on 04/03/2007 9:50:11 AM PDT by jonno (Having an opinion is not the same as having the answer...)
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To: milwguy

If I had the opportunity, I’d recommend the following book to Rosie O’Donnell. It probably wouldn’t change her mind, but it just MIGHT make her think a little differently.

Infidel
by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

This is the autobiography of the Somali-born woman who became a member of the Dutch parliament, and collaborated on a film about domestic violence against Muslim women with controversial director Theo van Gogh. He was assassinated, and she has a price on her head now. Her narration on Islamic culture is shocking; the way the women are treated is beyond disgusting. She was subjected to genital mutilation and later forced into an unwanted marriage. She is about 37 years old now, is a strong woman, and gives a real picture of the so-called religion of peace.

No American woman would stand for the treatment that these women of the Muslim world have to endure!


19 posted on 04/03/2007 10:14:16 AM PDT by Maria S
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To: Maria S

“No American woman would stand for the treatment that these women of the Muslim world have to endure!”

This is what is so incredibly baffling about the left in the US. They are choosing not to respond to the known human rights issues that permeate Muslim society. Ther sole focus is on demonizing Bush. Classic example of “forrest and trees”.


20 posted on 04/03/2007 10:26:37 AM PDT by Wyatt's Torch (I can explain it to you. I can't understand it for you.)
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