Merchant of Death
Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible

Blood from Stones

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The Islamist Reponse to the Pope's Comments
I am neither Catholic nor Jewish, but it strikes me as obscene that Islamists would respond with pre-arranged violence to the Pope's recent comments on the nature of Islam and the acceptability of forced conversions, or conversions by the sword. For a look at the historical context of the original remarks, see Andrew Bostom's article here.

Wahhabism, and many branches of Shi'ite Islam not only preach death to Jews and Christians and other unbelievers, they have, for decades, placed such teaching in the textbooks of school children, starting from their entrance into school.

The routine teaching of Jews as pigs and monkeys, the multiple references in the Koran to killing unbelievers and the extensive role of Islam in conquering and enslaving entire peoples (thus, eventually, spreading Islam), all bear out the comments made six centuries ago in the discussion the Pope referenced. That the Pope's decision to discuss this debate in an academic setting led to violence in the name of Islam seems to only confirm those who practice that violence accept that interpretation of the Koran.

Should the non-Islamic world riot at each anti-Semetic remark from the president of Iran, the Saudi royalty and imams? Should we rise up each time a text book portraying us to pre-literate children as sub-human is published? We would have time for nothing else.

The fundamental misconception in this is the very Western idea that we are fighting a war (if we are fighting one at all) on a level playing field. That is to say, we believe the enemy, Islamists, play by the rules we hold as fair and honest. When crowds can form in seemingly spontaneous reaction to an obscure and lightly-reported Papal speech, it is evidence of an organization that has pre-positioned its people to strike when the opportunity arises. It was the same in the Danish cartoon riots.

In this war, the enemy will use denial and deception, propaganda, front groups ready to react with public outrage at even preceived minor grievances to portray everything that happens as an anti-Muslim crusade. So we don't mention what Islam really teaches, or what many in Islam teach as Islam-we believe in free speech and freedom of religion, so we don't want to get involved with what is generally deemed to be protected speech.

And that has vast merit. But it does not mean we cannot point out, and very publicly, the great hypocracy of these groups. It is not all of Islam, but the premediated response by some is designed to broaden the appeal of the Islamists in the Islamic community. We cannot stand by and allow them to define the entire terms of every debate.
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
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