SHADOWLAND
Christopher Dickey
Christian Rage and Muslim Moderation
Despite recent provocations against Islam in the West, many Muslims seem weary of the same old tit for tat.
Pope Benedict XVI, an exiled Egyptian journalist, a bleach-blond Dutch parliamentarian and Danish cartoonists all have something in common with a Teddy bear named Mohammed. They have been at the center of that seething storm called Muslim rage in the last few months, and, with the exception of Mohammed T. Bear, they appear to be testing that anger to see if it will erupt … yet again.
If it does, the crisis could peak just as Benedict begins his visit to the United States in mid-April. As he preaches world peace before the United Nations, once more we'll witness scenes of books and flags and effigies burning in the world of Muslims. If precedent holds, rioters may die in Kabul, a nun could be murdered in Somalia, a priest might be gunned down in Turkey. All this is all too predictable, as provocateurs like the peroxide blond must certainly know.
And yet, this time the shockwaves may amount to nothing more than ripples. If the satellite networks allow their lenses to zoom back from the book burners, they may discover there's no raging crowd there, just the usual collection of unemployed malcontents on any street in Karachi. And what is most important, we may find that the Muslims of this world are just as weary of this sorry spectacle—maybe even more so—than the Christian, Jewish and secular publics in the West.
There are several signs of change, and not always from the usual suspects.
In Turkey, the once militantly secular government is now dominated by the AK Party, which has Islamic roots and recently passed a constitutional amendment that ended the ban on women wearing Muslim headscarves at state universities. Yet the same government is supporting theological scholarship intended to modernize—and moderate—traditional Islamic teachings. An initiative run out of the prime minister's office is re-examining interpretation of the Qur'an itself as well as the Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet. Fadi Hakura, an expert on Turkey at Chatham House in London, recently told the BBC, "This is kind of akin to the Christian Reformation. Not exactly the same, but if you think, it's changing the theological foundations."
In Lebanon, Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah once was known as the spiritual leader of Hizbullah and of its suicidal shock troops, who blew up American Marines and diplomats in Beirut in the early 1980s. Today, instead of calling the faithful to arms in response to perceived Western insults, Fadlallah calls on Muslim intellectuals, elites and religious scholars to work through the media and political organizations as well as "legal, artistic and literary" channels.
Fadlallah tells the faithful that the goal of Westerners who commit "aggressions against the Muslim world's sacred symbols" is to create a rift between Muslims and Western societies—and to isolate those Muslims who live in Western societies. He decries those Muslims he calls takfiri who claim they are fighting heresy with violence. He says they play into the hands of Islam's enemies. He even calls for "a united Islamic-Christian spiritual and humanitarian front."
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Member Comments
Posted By: Mariana S @ 05/06/2008 10:34:52 PM
Comment: Chistopher Dickey has problems with the Catholic church. When JPII was dying, he wasn't doing it fast enough for Dickey and of course Benedict's election was a catastrophe. Newsweek should consider hiring reporters for the Vatican beat who have no animus toward Catholics. They don't have to LOVE Catholics, but it would be nice if they did not so overtly hate them.
Posted By: getzel @ 04/21/2008 5:45:10 PM
Comment: Dickey: No I do not agree, I think the Dickey representation of the actual market conditions is as accurate as if Dickey wrote the world is flat;
The idea that Islamis are now: I am Ok and you are OK and if we just talk I am sure we can be good friends; and if westerners want to criticize and make fun of Islam that is OK. For Dickey to write that Islam has moderated because he found a few people who say one thing in English; & no doubt have a completely different tune in their native language, is beyond irresponsible, & may be treasonous.
The Islamis say openly that they use this type activity as a ruse to lull pacifist into encouraging pacification.
What the actual market conditions are: Terrorist &/or Islamis are at war with The West because terrorist believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech to criticize Islam, representative Republic. Yes, terrorist believe Islam is doomed to the trash heap unless freedom to criticize Islam and democracy are eliminated. That is why they send suicide murderers and attack the West. Propaganda, the big lie???
..if only Israel???is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Moslem terrorist bump against another culture they say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing in Kosovo: same thing In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslem terrorist are contiguous with another people: They say the same thing they say about Israel: If only???Sharia???and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam???
there is no such thing as "moderate Islam".... As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it".... Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39).
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Posted By: getzel @ 04/21/2008 5:44:22 PM
Comment: The Jews are the only ones with any claim to the land; no one else was there for any period of time, unlike the American Indian who was also nomad. Nor do you state any claim to the land, only invalid objections to Jewish claim to the land.
I do not agree with your numbers. There has been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel since at least 1313 BC: 2000 years before Mo was born. Jews maintained the countryand had a Capital in Jerusalem for hundreds of years before Mo was born. Just as in Kosovo 1997-2008 where Moslem hordes kill rape and murder Christians and run them out of town and now few Christians live there. So Moslem Hordes did the same to Jews in the Jews land of Israel. Stealing does not make for a legit deed. Moslem hordes did the same thing to Christians in Lebanon 1979-present; now fewer Christians than before. Liars and thieves figure, but figures do not lie. Thanks for the opportunity to remind everyone about Moslem land thieves.
A. I suspect you are trying to say, the erroneous point, that Jews do not belong in this area. Jews lived in this area for 1800 years before Mohammed was born; Jews are documented in this area dating to +/- 1313 BC.
B. Jews had a capital in Jerusalem +/_ 1000 years before Mohammed was born. There is written documentation to prove it. 20th and 21st century ( and previous centuries) archeology to prove Jewish presence and verify the written documentation.
C. Since the Jewish presents predates the Moslem presence and has been open and continuous for +/- 2300 years and includes deeds; it is bazaar to claim the Jews have no claim to the land; and such a statement could only be made by one who has ones mind made up and is not interested in facts
The Ottoman Turks were the government in the middle east until from around 1300 until 1917-8. France and England were given Mandates of these areas of the middle east after the demise of Ottoman Turkey . All of the counties of the middle east were drawn by lines in the sand in the 20th century; including Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon et al. These countries are either all legitimate or all not legitimate as they were all created the same way at near the same time.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Arabs, Persians, & Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech, republic with: womens rights & no honor killing: murdering women is legal in Sharia.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam
Intelligence analyst: Getzel