[lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 12:37:46 -0700
Simon,
I didn't have any problem with what Phil wrote, but what you are missing,
Simon, is that Qutb assumes all that. He builds upon it. It is who the
Arabs are. He responds to the deep feelings of resentment that are there in
the Middle East and channels them. But Qutb has a bigger target than Israel
or the US. He thinks Islam and primarily Arab Islam ought to rule the
world. The USSR, Israel and the US are but obstacles. Closer to home the
Muslim leaders who replaced the Colonial governors are an immediate problem.
Islam has been held down long enough. Holy Warriors should stand up ready
to fight and if necessary to die. If Allah be for you, who can stand
against you?
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Simon Ward
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 12:23 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis
Thanks Phil, that's good enough for me. The point I've been trying to make
is that it isn't just ideology. It is a two-way process and people all over
the world are responsive to their perceptions and their experiences.
Simon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 8:17 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Amis Antithesis
> Simon Ward wrote:
>
> "Why is it that Muslims are prone to get angry when ..."
>
> In the movie _The Outlaw Josey Wales_, Wales is a farmer with a wife and
> son working a farm during the Civil War. When Northern raiders burn his
> house down and kill his wife and son, he joins a gang of Southern
> raiders. Throughout the movie, and emphasized both at the beginning and
> end, the message is that if Wales is let alone, he would not and will
> not be a raider.
>
> One gets the impression that the same is true of Simon's Muslims, but it
> isn't the case. For a variety of reasons, many home-grown but some
> legitimately drawn from actions of the West, many Muslims are angry
> before the Pope or the U.S. does anything. Arabs have been fighting
> Persians for centuries. Arabs have been fighting amongst themselves for
> centuries. The culture of the Middle East is filled with bravado, long
> memories for insults, and an insatiable thirst for conspiracies. Young
> men grow up hearing stories of wrong done to their forefathers and
> taught that revenge is a part of being male. The vast majority of the
> population deeply resent their leaders, justifiably since almost all of
> them are corrupt and despotic. In short, the Middle East is filled with
> anger. Leaders, both political and religious, are quite happy to
> channel this hatred into conveniently remote targets, whether it be
> Israel, the U.S. or the Pope. The last thing they want is for the
> target to be close so that these angry young men will start acting on
> their resentments, since those resentments include those towards the
> leaders themselves. Better for Saudi young men to shout death to the
> Pope or Israel, less so of the U.S. and certainly not of the ruling
> family.
>
> It is a mistake to think that the young men of the Middle East are like
> Josey Wales, living contented lives until unbearable violence is visited
> upon them. Rather, many of them are very angry from a young age and
> they will draw on opportunities to vent that rage whenever possible.
> The U.S. is in part responsible for causing these angry young men to fix
> their hatred on the U.S., but it is naive to think that the U.S., or the
> Pope, or Israel, is causing the hatred.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Phil Enns
> Toronto, ON
>
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