[lit-ideas] Re: Anti-Americanism, this malediction considered
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:39:21 -0700
Omar, You don't say anything of your own in this post of yours, but since
you left my Subject title I assume you are saying that Anti-Islamism is also
a malediction. I'll further assume that you agree with the author of the
post you cite, Abukar Arman. I do share Arman's concern but I see it
differently. I have wondered where Moderate Muslims were in the Middle
East. Several times I made the comment that if I ever found a reasonable
article from a moderate Muslim he was sure to be writing from the safety of
the U.S. or Europe. There is no question but that Moderate Muslims exist in
great numbers in the U.S., but unfortunately they have been subdued in the
Middle East. I don't find them speaking out there, and it was about this I
was most concerned - a concern Arman doesn't seem to share - or rather he
seems to suggest that somehow we in the U.S. are muting our moderate Muslims
in their attempts to educate Muslims in the Middle East. I seriously doubt
that many Muslims in the Middle East care what they write. The comments I
have read suggest that the Middle-Eastern Muslims, the Moderates who don't
write or speak out, feel resentful against Muslims who flee to America and
from there boldly speak out. "Who cares what they write in America? They
have almost certainly sold out to the enemy," seems to be the resentful
accusation.
There have been moderates who have spoken out in the Middle East, but they
have been killed, abused, or hounded out of their home country by the
people, presumably, you and Arman would wish us to exercise more tolerance
toward, or perhaps Arman is only interested in American Moderates.
As to the reaction against all of Islam seen recently in the U.S.; I've
noticed that as well. I favored the Dubai Port deal. Bush's Neocon
administration wants to favor those who are "with us" against the Terrorists
and Dubai was in that category. The failure does indicate that the majority
of Americans and their congressional representatives are inclined to lump
all of Islam together. But unlike Arman who blames elements in the U.S., I
blame the Islamic Moderates of the Middle East for not showing that there is
a significant force out there (in the Middle East) which is not actively
bent upon harming us or supporting or sympathizing with those who are.
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: Omar Kusturica
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 3:35 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Anti-Americanism, this malediction considered
The charges have been loud and vociferous, and
sometimes even outlandish. "There is no such thing as
moderate Muslims;" "they are dangerous sleeper cells;"
"they are in cahoots with the extremists and as such
are themselves a ticking bomb;" and my personal
favorite, "they have the sudden Jihadist syndrome," or
perhaps the capacity to combust, as in spontaneous
human combustion.
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_707.shtml
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