[lit-ideas] Re: Olivier Roy, Daniel Pipes and Oriana Fallaci

  • From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:51:46 -0000

This is a rather mild example of Fallaci's method -- I believe we discussed
a more egregious one some while ago:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The impending Fall of the West, as she sees it, now
torments Ms. Fallaci. And as much as that Fall, what
torments her is the blithe way in which the West is
marching toward its precipice of choice. "Look at the
school system of the West today. Students do not
know history! They don't, for Christ's sake. They
don't know who Churchill was!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

A major criticism of history teaching in UK
schools is that it focusses too much on Nazism and WWII.
But I'd say Fallaci isn't deliberately ignoring that fact, she just
says whatever she feels like saying (that serves her political
purposes).

> Ever since Rushdie, I've wondered why the world is
> so complacent about Death Fatwas.

You weren't worried about them before that? (Complacent,
well... Rushdie was put under armed guard.)

>  >>She was in New York within walking distance of
> the Twin Towers on 9/11
>
> Yeah, a sight like that is worth any amount of
> theory or abstract good intentions.

but is not a reason why she (or any other such person) should, prima
facie, command our respect.  The firemen, sure. People who went
to help, sure. People in the towers who endured, sure.

And there are others who merit our compassion.  Sure.  But there are
people among them who have not turned to the Islamophobia Fallaci shows.

Europe cowed by Muslims? Ha.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1737482,00.html

Judy Evans, Cardiff




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