A Muslim friend writes:
Neoconservatives always spoke of Islam as a monolithic threat from the Middle East to Pakistan, confronting democracies such as Israel and India. The slippery slide they made was from radical Islam to Islam. The Likudniks always emphasize that slide and argue that until “Islam” is reformed, the Israel-Palestine conflict will not be resolved, which absolves Israel entirely.
So here is David Frum in the National Post of Canada, decrying Obama's decision to speak in Cairo next month:
Frumpish excerpts:
Radical Muslims have constructed a narrative in which Islam is oppressed and colonized by the West, Muslims have real and reasonable grievances against the West and any acrimony between Muslims and the West is due to the actions of the West.
Commentary: The Palestinians aren’t colonized? More:
The very act of speaking to individuals of Muslim origin as Muslims concedes a point that an American president should be wary of conceding. No president would ever give a speech to "the Christian world." He’d take for granted that Christian identity is personal and private, not collective and public. He’d remember that Christian-majority countries contain non-Christian minorities, entitled to equal respect. He’d understand that many in the Christian majority define their identity in terms other than religion; and that the freedom to choose how to define oneself is one of the fundamental principles of a free society…
What could go wrong with this heartwarming outreach? Begin with this question: Does the president regard Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali as belonging to the Muslim world, yes or no? …
[Frum then mentions a lot of reform-minded westernized Muslims] Will the President talk to them? If not – it would be better to stay home.
Commentary: Why not replace Islam by Israel and then ask the question does the president regard Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein as belonging to the Jewish world; and will he address them?
Weiss adds: When Obama goes to AIPAC, he speaks to Jews who form their identity in a public not private manner, for Israel. When he goes to Notre Dame, he presumes to address Catholics who form their religious identity around very politicized issues, too.
Frum: "No president would ever give a speech to "the Christian world." He’d take for granted that Christian identity is personal and private, not collective and public. He’d remember that Christian-majority countries contain non-Christian minorities, entitled to equal respect. He’d understand that many in the Christian majority define their identity in terms other than religion" That was all before the Jewish Zionists came along and abused Christian good will. The Jewish Apparatus has now demonstrated to more and more people that there are other religions out there that operate like a mafiosa, that laugh about Christian naivety, and that will abuse Christian charity no end to the point of happily enslaving the post-Christian West on their own behalf. This is going to open a lot of eyes, and harden a lot of hearts towards Jews like Frum, who have the self-serving chutzpah to order Christians to operate in the manner most convenient to diaspora Jewish Zionist intrigue.
We are not even told what it is about Islam that is so abhorrent, Frankly there are so many controversial subjects, fear stops the discussion. Maybe interest rates and speculation can be discussed, both are banned in Islam. Phobic hate is what is nurtured, No rational debate is allowed.
Uh oh. Sounds like the neocons aren't going to like what Obama says in Cairo.
"Radical Muslims have constructed a narrative in which Islam is oppressed and colonized by the West" Correct… "Muslims have real and reasonable grievances against the West" Yes, also correct. "and any acrimony between Muslims and the West is due to the actions of the West" Not correct. 2 outta 3 ain't bad…
My mom's always saying that Christians are extremely soft-hearted and full of charity. I remember reading something similar in my Quranic studies class too–something about God praising the good Christians in the Quran for their kind-hearted nature.
Why Egypt, though? Does anyone know? Why not Morocco? Or Indonesia? Three governments I don' t like: Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia. Real shitty governments.
Most vibrant intellectual development on the muslim faith/politics intersection is happening in Egypt. And this intellectual leadership should be as little anti-american as Obama can make it. Also, Egypt's input is indispensable in forging new Palestinian State.
Did Frum write "The Protocols of the Elders of Mecca"? Or was that Dershowitz?
911 AIPAC Federal Reserve (whistleblowers multiply)