A Little Light Hurts

Ummah Pulse:

The programme in question was "The Choice" - a series in which veteran reporter Michael Buerk interviews a person who has made some sort of life-altering decision. The subject in question for this week's interview was none other than Geert Wilders - the extreme right wing Dutch politician known for his exceptionally nasty views on Islam and Muslims that appear to have captured the popular imagination in the Netherlands.

Later:

Of course Wilders gets away with it all by deploying a simple yet effective tactic. Whilst your average bovver booted skinhead will tell you, as he stamps your face in, how much he hates Islam and all Muslims; Wilders is a bit more cunning. He lets it be known far and wide how much he hates Islam but despite continually quoting seemingly negative statistics about Muslim birth rates, Muslim crime rates, Muslim employment rates etc, Wilders says that he has nothing against Muslims... nothing of course except that which makes us Muslims - namely Islam. This sort of circular argument is a bit like saying to a black person that whilst you hate their skin colour, you have nothing against them personally.

[Emphasis mine.]

No, it isn't. One doesn't have the option of picking a skin color; religion, at least in the West, is a matter of choice. Islam in practice (see Saudi Arabia and Iran) brings gender apartheid, intolerance of the West and xenophobia to the table. A Muslim ought not be respected if s/he continues to believe in the "morality" of sharia.

And that's why most Muslims don't defend these aspects. Often, such as in this case, they react to the blunt criticism of Islam by yelling racism!

Comments

[Saul Wall]

So... would that mean that telling a Nazi that you don't hate them as a person but hate fascism and racism would be like telling a black person that you hate their skin color but not them personally? I mean, by dismissing the thing (fascism and racism) which makes them a Nazi, are you dehumanizing Nazis? And lets not lump all the Nazis in with a few bad apples - some just wanted a strong leader and a nice government job.

Wow.

Criticizing Nazis is racist. Hating fascism is a hate crime. Buchanan was right - we were the evil side in WWII. Oh well.

[David Boxenhorn]

Isaac,

I would be really interested if you were to grapple with this:

An Abominable Blood-Logged Plain
The Bin Ladens of the Balkans, Part I
The Bin Ladens of the Balkans, Part II
An Israeli in Kosovo

Of course, it doesn't change the reality of Islam in most of the world, but it does seem to imply that Islam doesn't have to be a problem.

[MikeT]

Speaking of gender apartheid and Islam, isn't it ironic that surveys show that a significant portion of the Saudi teenage population has porn on their cell phones? Yeah, those complex, legalistic rules sure do make them better, more righteous men and women, don't they?

[Isaac Schrödinger]

David Boxenhorn: I'll read the links and write a response -- hopefully by Monday. It's busier than usual at my job, so it'll take me some time.

[David Boxenhorn]

Thanks, Isaac, looking forward to it!