Friday,
January 10, 2003
I
received an email from a cloudcuckoolander who raised several good points. Although
I agreed with Eddie, I found his observations disturbing...and wrote a disturbing
reply.
Eddie
said:
After
reading Ms
Fallaci's article, I'm afraid she's right when she mentions that it will get
even worse if the US attacks Iraq. I'm kind of worried that Anti-US sentiments
will probably increase 10 fold.
I
replied:
I'm
worried too.
But
I think it is strange.
Nobody
likes Saddam.
He is a catastrophe
for the Iraqi people. If America rescues them from his cruelty, we will be doing
them a favor. So, why wouldn't Muslims thank us?
I
think it is because of a kind of pride. Would people rather see Muslims (Iraqis)
suffer than allow non-Muslims (Americans) to control events? Many Muslims think
that Islam should rule.
And that is more important than anything. More important than the well-being of
people. To me, that is wrong. But, I realize that many would rather see Muslims
suffer in Iraq or the Palestinian areas than see non-Muslims exercise power. Should
I be willing to sacrifice fellow humans, just so people around the world will
like me? I
ask you why anybody would protect a mass-murderer like Saddam?
What is the morality of his supporters?
The
blood
of over a million people is on his hands. He tortures
and oppresses
his own people today. He repeatedly attacks his neighbors. If the US can remove
him, everybody will hate us more.
Why?
Certainly,
Iraqis will be more secure and happy without
him. Why will people hate us for bringing Iraqis freedom and safety? The US
cares more about the lives of Iraqi Muslims than the Ummah
does? Please explain why helping the people of Iraq will earn us the hatred of
the world.
Eddie
continued:
I've
also been reading some articles that either make fun of or ridicule certain Islamic
practices, like covering the head and stuff. I think these articles are wrong
in doing that. Believe it or not, some people actually want to cover their head
and live a very strict Muslim life. I say that's fine and they should choose to
live the way they want. Things like this are for each individual to decide. What's
wrong is not the practice, but the fact that some people want to force these decisions
and rules onto people who don't want to live like that.
I
replied:
Yeah.
I
agree completely.
Well...almost
completely.
If
people want to pray a certain way, or dress a certain way, or avoid certain foods...that
is their choice. And I respect that....even though I live differently.
Ridiculing
those practices is stupid and narrow-minded.
However,
some of the Sharia practices in the Muslim world are not so easy for me to accept.
The
system of justice is cruel. Amputations and executions debase human dignity. (I
oppose executions in the US too). I am disgusted by a legal system that allows
slavery (still
practiced in Sudan), that encourages allows honor
killing, that allows rape to go unpunished since you
need four witnesses to get a conviction.
As
much as I want to respect different ways of life, that is too much.
Another way that Sharia leaves women powerless....if a woman accuses the criminal
who raped her, but doesn't have witnesses, she may be found guilty of adultery
and can be executed.
That
is oppression.
I
don't care if some old book (that people believe is divine) says that is how to
do things. I think it is more important to respect people than books. Islam values
a book more than a person.
How
can I be expected to respect a religion that abuses people so much?
Furthermore,
Koranic instructions about business
and government contribute to poverty and lack of freedom in the Arab world.
Muslim countries are more successful when they disregard those ancient rules.
I used to feel sorry for Arabs living in poverty and ignorance, but believed that
it was their right to choose what to believe and how to live.
That
changed on September 11.
If
poverty, ignorance and oppression in the Middle East lead to attacks on the people
of New York, Bali, Moscow etc...Arabs have forfeited the right to freely choose
their way of life. So, I no longer can accept many practices of Islam. They bear
evil fruit...so they are evil beliefs and customs.
I
am very sorry to say these things, but what am I to conclude?
Some
say that this is not the real Islam...but many others say that it is. Really,
there is more than one "real Islam"...and Muslims (Sunni/Shiite) kill each other
by the millions and call each other kaffir.
I am told Islam is a religion of peace, but I see killing and war almost everywhere
Muslims have neighbors communities. Should I believe Prince Bandar when
he says "Islam is peace" or do I believe all the dead bodies? Algerian Muslims
have killed over 100,000 in the name of Allah, Jordanian Muslims killed 10,000
Palestinians and there was no Muslim outcry. The list is endless. Muslims in the
Middle East frequently
say that they love death more than Westerners love life. Should I believe Islam
is peace...or should I believe that Islam means death? 1,000,000 were killed in
the Iran/Iraq war, tens of thousand killed in the Afghan civil war. This is the
solidarity of the Ummah?
I read the words of Muslims around the world and I read about their actions.
It
looks like Islam means murder.
Yet,
the whole Muslim world is angry about the Israelis. They say that Israel is committing
genocide...even as Muslims kill Muslims a hundred times more often that Israelis
kill Muslims. This is literally true. (Actually, the ratio is closer to 1,000
Muslims killed by Muslims for every Muslim killed by Israelis.)
But
I have hardly read a word by a Muslim writer or speaker criticizing the murder
of thousands in Algeria etc. Is that because it is OK for Muslims to kill Muslims
but somehow wrong for non-Muslims to kill Muslims? I read about how evil Israel
is for refusing to give Palestinians a home. Did even one Muslim criticize Kuwait
when they expelled 500,000 Palestinians after the Gulf war? So, it is OK for Muslims
to mistreat Muslims but wrong for others to do that. Certainly you don't expect
me to feel respect for that bigoted concept of Muslim dignity.
Let's
give a moment's thought to the non-Muslims who are murdered in the name of Allah.
Beheadings in Indonesia, Bombings in Indonesia, Church Bombings in Pakistan, Church
bombings in the Philippines, apartment bombings in Moscow, missionaries murdered
in Yemen, Christians murdered in Nigeria...by the hundreds, airport workers shot
in LA, sniper victims in Washington, countless bombings in Israel, children shot
in bed in Israel, trainload of Hindus set on fire in India (The Hindus killed
a thousand Muslims in horrible revenge)....I can't complete this list...it would
take days just to list what I know about...and there is plenty more that I could
discover by doing research.
How
much concern should I feel about articles that wrongly ridicule Muslims?
I can not believe that Muslim leaders are being truthful when they claim that
human dignity is an important Muslim value. Arabs and the Koran talk a lot about
dignity and say that it is very important. They talk a whole lot about humiliation
and express great rage at the success and happiness of others.
That
is 100% bullshit.
It
is a lie.
You
rightly complain about some articles that ridicule Muslim practices. I spend all
day reading what Muslim leaders say. They say I am a pig and ape.
They
say I am a Satan.
They
have no respect for my dignity (or my right to be alive). What they really value
is their own prestige. Unfortunately I can't respect them until they behave in
a respectable way. Sure, there are obnoxious articles that say insulting things
about Islam. But those articles are by individuals who don't represent mainstream
beliefs or official policy.
In
the Muslim world, the important
authorities...clerics who run important mosques and political leaders encourage
hatred, intolerance and violence against others. Jerry Falwell may be an offensive
idiot, but he doesn't call for the murder of Muslims. When I read the text of
Friday sermons
in Riyadh, Damascus, etc...I read that Muslims are being instructed
to kill others. And when I read the news every day, I read that Muslims obey
those instructions and commit murder all over the world in the name of Allah.
What
should I think when I read about the filthy hatred being expressed as true Muslim
values and then I read about the same hating people being outraged by a stupid
news article in Nigeria and killing hundreds in their anger? I read their praise
of the "operations" in Bali and Moscow. I see them dancing in the streets to celebrate
the murder of children. I am expected to show sensitivity to the delicate feelings
of people who are trying to kill me and destroy everything I value?
Gimme a break!
I
will respect the human dignity of these people when they stop acting like animals.
I will respect these people as equals when they apply the same standard of criticism
to their own actions that they apply to the actions of others. Until then, they
are liars, hypocrites and murderers. They are oppressors who keep their own people
ignorant, illiterate, impoverished and in slavery.
This
is the face that Islam shows to the world.
Maybe
someday, they will smarten up and start acting with decency, honesty and kindness.
Until that day, I will offer little sympathy to those who complain about insults
to Islam. Personally, I do not ridicule others. I think that is childish and stupid.
BUT every time I read about a fatwa against somebody for insulting the Prophet,
I say, "Who gives a damn about the injured feelings of murderers".
Am
I wrong?
Am
I being unjust in my opinion that people who arrogantly demand the murder of infidels
(like me) and the destruction of my world are not worthy of respect and consideration?
You know that I know that not every Muslim is a terrorist or a bad guy. I am sorry
to say such unpleasant things to you, my friend. If you think I am wrong, please
correct me.
I
am willing to listen.
Monday,
January 13, 2003
I
chatted online with Eddie this morning. He said that he was surprised at the length
of my reply. Hahaha. I was too. He had a couple things to add to what he said
in his email.
super-secret
cool handle
says:
The Islam I was taught when I was a kid also opposes mistreatment of women
and stuff.
But we are pretty much very multiracial and women here
occupy positions of power in business and govt.
I
mean, I don't agree with everything Fallaci says, which make Muslims look like
evil beings.
...It's really too bad that extremists get all the news (like that's all they
want to report) and Muslims like me "don't exist".
I feel certain parties, either from Muslim side and non-Muslim are really trying
to wedge the 2 sides apart and want War between the sides.
I
mean my mom is an example, she's an educated women and chooses to live a Muslim
life and I don't see anything wrong with that. She is very religious.
Sometimes
the other guy gets the last word.
After
that, we talked about Excel
Saga...and the computer animation in The Two Towers...which neither
of us has seen yet.
Thursday
, May 1, 2003
Update:
Russ
from BC, Canada found this notes and was kind enough to email me. Here
is my reply.