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April 21, 2006

Moslems pressing worldwide dhimmitization

click for larger imageIt has been said before that civilizations aren't conquerered as much as they commit suicide. As Western civilization has turned on itself and its values in a bulimic fit of "multiculturalism", the Religion of Peaceā„¢ steps into the vacuum

Islamic groups and governments are pressing ahead with a campaign to have international organizations take steps, including legal ones, to provide protection for their religion in the wake of the Mohammed cartoon controversy.

In a drive pursued largely away from the headlines, the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC) is promoting the issue at the United Nations and European Union, and having some success.

The executive council of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) this month approved an agenda item entitled "respect for freedom of expression, sacred beliefs, values and religious and cultural symbols."

Anyone laboring under the delusion that such an item would have made the agenda at the urging of Christian Evangelicals? Catholics? Mormons? Jews?
"Your anguish over the publication of insulting cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed is clear and understandable," Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a message read on his behalf at an OIC gathering in Istanbul this month.

While he said all should speak up for freedom of worship and freedom of speech, he added: "We must exercise great sensitivity when dealing with symbols and traditions that are sacred to other people."

Addressing a meeting of European imams in Vienna, Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik of Austria - the current E.U. president - also referred to the cartoons. "Freedoms do have limits that should not be overstepped," she told 300 Muslim religious leaders from across the continent.

At the same gathering, the head of the E.U.'s official anti-racism body bemoaned what she said was a "dangerously high" level of anti-Muslim discrimination in Europe.

Beate Winkler, head of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia, said E.U. governments should provide time for religious programs on public broadcasters and support mosque construction.

Participant Turfa Bagaghati of the European Network Against Racism -- an E.U.-funded NGO -- told Islam Online it was time Muslims pressed "for their rights, like enacting laws banning aggression on Islam."

E.U. external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner also addressed the Vienna meeting, saying that both freedom of religion and freedom of expression were "non-negotiable."

But she added a qualifier only in the case of freedom of expression, saying "it does come with responsibilities and should be exercised with the necessary sensitivity to others."

These ostensible representatives of Western Culture dedicated to freedom and liberty are happily slipping a noose fashioned by Islamists around all our necks.

Mark this historical fact well, during the so-called "Moslem Golden Age", peace reigned because Christians and Jews were forced to accept their place in moslem society as second class citizens who existed only at the pleasure of their moslem masters. The contemporary Left in Europe and America, authoritarian to the core already, believe their support of Islamists will exempt them from coming under Sharia. They will not be disabused of this faith regardless of evidence.

Europe is withering. At what point will we?

Technorati:

Posted by Darleen at April 21, 2006 06:30 AM

Comments

I would be remiss in pointing out that cotemperaneous with the Muslim golden age, Europe was having a grand old time variously expelling, torturing, barely tolerating, and executing heretics.

--|PW|--

Posted by: pennywit at April 21, 2006 07:43 AM

Yes, you would be remiss. That was then, this is now. Or are you suggesting we surrender our freedom of speech to Islam in order to atone for the long-ago sins of our Europe? (A Europe that, today, are falling all over themselves being sensitive to Islamic "youths" who riot in their streets, commit crimes and torch cars).

Medieval Europe wasn't perfect (though it wasn't necessarily the hellhole it's often portrayed as being), and the Islamic Middle-East wasn't some sort of fairytale, Arabian Nights Utopia, where everybody lived in peace and harmony.

Having said that, can we focus on the problems we face today?

Posted by: TalkinKamel at April 21, 2006 09:58 AM

PW

I'm not engaging in moral equivalency here. What Europe was/was not at the time of moslem conquest doesn't excuse the obfuscation of the history of moslem society at the time. And that Islamists use that era as one of their many points in violently pursuing a RETURN to that era.

Posted by: Darleen at April 21, 2006 12:23 PM

Darleen:

Part of the problem with culling from history is that historically, few peoples are entirely devoid of sin. I know you're not heavily into the moral equivalency game ... but I thought the European counter-example worth mentioning.

Actually, I find some of the historical angles fascinating. For one thing, there's the shift of civilization; in the Muslim empires' golden age, they were the centers of learning and research, while Europe wallowed in the Dark Ages.

And slowly, the two roles reversed, where the West became more dominant and culturally advanced. What will the next turn of history's wheel bring? The Far East? Africa?

Also suspicious (and highly ironic) is the occasional invocation of Saladin that comes out of the terrorists' mouths. Given that Saladin enjoyed a reputation for honor among both Europeans and Arabs, I doubt he would approve of today's use of suicide bombers.

--|PW|--

Posted by: pennywit at April 21, 2006 02:00 PM

Kamel:

You're putting words in my mouth.

--|PW|--

Posted by: pennywit at April 21, 2006 02:01 PM

I calls 'em as I reads 'em, pennywit. Surely you know that the "Moslems were civilized when Europeans were still barbarians" argument has been used time and again to silence anybody who criticizes modern day Islam. If you were just making an historical observation, you should have explicated on it a bit.

The invocation of Saladin is, indeed, highly ironic, as he was Kurd---a minority looked down on in the Moslem world, much as they still are today. I have no doubt that if he were alive, he'd be longing to rip Saddam Hussein's lungs out. Saladin was very loyal to his own people.

He was forgotten for a long time after his death---more brutal warriors, such as Baibars and Hulagu, were more popular Islamic heroes than he was. His modern day "cult" if you will, got a big boost from the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and from Kaiser Wilhelm (of all people!) who was actually the one who had his tomb repaired, when it was forgotten and falling to pieces.

Would Saladin have disapproved of suicide bombers? To be perfectly honest, I think not.

Saladin was a very pious Moslem, who took his religion---and all that religion entails---quite seriously. Islam has never undergone a reformation; what pious Moslems believed back then is the same thing pious Moslems believe today. I don't think Saladin would have found much to quarrel with in the views of the late (unlamented) Ayatollah Khomeini, or Ibn Qtub, the founder of the Moslem Brotherhood. He was not tolerant. We know of at least one unfortunate heretic he ordered his son to crucify, and he is reported to have disliked all poets, philosphers, heretics etc. The image of Saladin as humorous, kindly, chivalrous and witty, owes more to Scott and to G-dawful movies like "King Richard and the Crusaders" than it does to actual history.

Saladin remarked once, to one of his biographers, that he believed death in the jihad was greatly to be desired. As long as a homicide bomber was blowing himself to further the jihad, and, of course, to kill infidels (not fellow Moslems) I doubt Saladin would have had much of a problem with it.

Posted by: TalkinKamel at April 21, 2006 02:41 PM

As for what civilization is going to come next---my pick would be Africa (if it can ever overcome its internal discord) but, really, I'm more concerned about the survival of my own civilization.

Posted by: TalkinKamel at April 21, 2006 02:42 PM

- Hysterical "histrionics", unfortunately, always tend to come down to who's Ox is being gored at the time, by whom, and why. Then the pols parse together the supportive time bytes and make the case. Sadly leaders seldom if ever pay any attention to the learned voices, but generally find many good reasons to slaughter each other in the name of (paste G_d of your choice here). Wonder if mankind will ever change. Doubtful.

Posted by: Big Bang Hunter at April 22, 2006 09:58 AM