We are told that the “vast majority” of the 1.6-1.8 billion Muslims (in Deepak Chopra’s estimate) are “moderate.” Maybe so, but they’re also quiet. And, as the AIDs activists used to say, “Silence=Acceptance.” It equals acceptance of the things done in the name of their faith. Rabbi Holtzberg was not murdered because of a territorial dispute over Kashmir or because of Bush’s foreign policy. He was murdered in the name of Islam — “Allahu Akbar.”See also, "Deepak Chopra's Response to Sean Hannity."
I wrote in my book, America Alone, that “reforming” Islam is something only Muslims can do. But they show very little sign of being interested in doing it, and the rest of us are inclined to accept that. Spread a rumor that a Koran got flushed down the can at Gitmo, and there’ll be rioting throughout the Muslim world. Publish some dull cartoons in a minor Danish newspaper, and there’ll be protests around the planet. But slaughter the young pregnant wife of a rabbi in Bombay in the name of Allah, and that’s just business as usual. And, if it is somehow “understandable” that for the first time in history it’s no longer safe for a Jew to live in India, then we are greasing the skids for a very slippery slope. Muslims, the AP headline informs us, “worry about image.” Not enough.
Commentary and analysis on American politics, culture, and national identity, U.S. foreign policy and international relations, and the state of education - from a neoconservative perspective! - Keeping an eye on the communist-left so you don't have to!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Why Rabbi Holtzberg Was Murdered
Here's Mark Steyn on the causes of Mumbai:
I'am sorry, this is no big surprise. Websites like memri.org follow Arab media and report just how biased it is. For example, Egypt, which has a peace agreement with Israel, has a mass media that is extremely anti-Jewish. It promotes hatred. You will find that the mass media in most of the Arab world promotes hatred of the Jews. Iranian news had a fake orthodox Jew being interviewed and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Therefore, the masses of people think that it is ok to kill Jews.
ReplyDeleteSince the disapora, when the Romans defeated the Jewish revolts, Jews were living in small communities without a military to protect them.
The Jew that cannot fight because he was a minority, or had no military to back him up became a symbolic of the Jewish people. Jews were the punching bag. Unfortunately, this attitude is still prevalent in the Arab world.
Bad for them, things have changed.
I know that there are millions of Arabs and non-Arab Muslims who are horrified by Mumbai. I know that they are also terrified of the radicals if they should open their mouths. But it is time that they stood up and fought for change. Time is running out for them.
I couldn't agree more. I think if their faith is to survive, both literally and figuratively, then Islam has to abandon the tradition of Israel as permanent adversary.
ReplyDeleteNot just Israel, Tim. They have to abandon the notion that the entire non-Muslim world is their adversary.
ReplyDeleteNorm: You're right. I think the Israel "problem" as they see it is emblematic of their larger, self-defeating nature.
ReplyDeleteAll Islam has going for it is destructive by nature. I would pose this question to any Muslim: In what ways is your faith constructive?
And people apologize for their behavior saying the West is the cause of all their anger! Well, I am mad too! But we don't go around torturing innocents and bombing buildings. Why can anger be an excuse for their behavior but we are not allowed to express that anger for all which has been committed against us?
ReplyDeleteENOUGH!