Conquest By Stealth
It's most interesting that moderate, intelligent Muslims who know their religion inside out and how it is being misused by the fundamentalist Islamists among them, have no difficulty in understanding and pointing out to any who are interested in listening just why and for what purpose that Imam Feisel Abdul Rauf and the backers of the "Cordoba Initiative" have embarked on their quest to 'encourage understanding' of Islam by building a mosque behind Ground Zero to 'build bridges'.
Read what Raheel Raza and Tarek Fatah have to say about it:
"Let's not forget that a mosque is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims and not an inviting community centre. Most Americans are wary of mosques due to the hard core rhetoric that is used in pulpits. And rightly so. As Muslims we are dismayed that our co-religionists have such little consideration for their fellow citizens and wish to rub salt in their wounds and pretend they are applying a balm to soothe the pain."
New York, as they point out already has 30 mosques for the city's Muslims to pray within.
"The fact is, we Muslims know the idea behind the Ground Zero mosque is meant to be a deliberate provocation to thumb our noses at the infidel. The proposal has been made in bad faith and in Islamic parlance, such an act is referred to as "Fitna", meaning "mischief-making" that is clearly forbidden in the Koran."
As for the apologists, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his city council who chose to make their announcement to deny landmark status to the site in question in front of the American symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty, and others who have spoken up in defence of 'freedom of choice' and 'freedom of religion', and how shameful it would be to deny those who seek to build the community centre and mosque in the venue of their choice, they have this to say:
"As for those teary-eyed, bleeding heart liberals such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and much of the media, who are blind to the Islamist agenda in North America, we understand their goodwill. Unfortunately for us, their stand is based on ignorance and guilt, and they will never in their lives have to face the tyranny of Islamism that targets, kills and maims Muslims worldwide, and is using liberalism itself to destroy liberal secular democratic societies from within."
Well, they may, in fact, get to a place in history where they indeed will eventually 'have to face the tyranny of Islamism' directly, and not quite as subtly as they now do, and to which they respond so obligingly. Not, however, if a growing number of those resisting what appears to be the inevitable, have anything to say about it. Those who author books, the blogging community, some of whom are themselves Muslims who speak out forcefully against Islamism and its growing threat.
Whose pleading message to the public is to become a little more alert to the fact that Islam can be readily perverted by those who instruct the vulnerable and the gullible that Islam speaks of the glory of violence, and that as dutiful Muslims they must be faithful to that violent streak compelling them to fundamentalist violent jihad. A situation that is quietly prevalent in an political-ideological underground supporting moves such as the Cordoba Initiative, in stark contrast to and incompatible with traditional American values.
Response to these innocent-on-the-surface proposals to build bridges comes with the great passion of liberal thinkers whose minds cannot be besmirched by the very thought of any religion being used to undermine and gradually obliterate liberal democratic values. With the introduction of a doctrine utterly at odds with Judeo-Christian heritage, and liberal democratic values. Support comes from Protestant ministers, Catholic priests, rabbis and other clergy, who have organized in defence of the Ground Zero community centre and mosque.
The unease garnered by this issue has spread to other parts of the United States, and has led to a growing controversy over the presence of Muslims elsewhere building mosques and community centres. In bewilderment at the backlash some Muslims point out that Muslim families have done their utmost to contribute to American life through their own contributions to local food banks, their participation in community events, and their willingness to interact with local interfaith councils.
"We do all these activities and nobody notices. Now that we have to build our center, everybody jumps to make it an issue." Perhaps nobody 'notices', simply because everyone is similarly involved, and as part of the community it is taken for granted that everyone contributing to needed social programs benefits the entire society. The larger issue of ordinary Muslims rejecting hard-core fundamentalism that spawns violent jihad is one that Muslims should address themselves to, and have not.
The threats to security that emanate from those social centres and mosques where speakers are busy recruiting restive youth to commit themselves to the struggle of Islam in an "Islamophobic" world which has reacted negatively to the blazing reality of Islamic terror striking wherever opportunity exists, has deleteriously impacted on the view the public holds of Islam. This is the situation that devout Muslims should devote themselves to ameliorating.
And that can be accomplished by denouncing and routing those among them who encourage young Muslims to travel to Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and any other venue that promises to school them in violent jihad, the seeds of which have been planted in mosques and community centres in North America. And by realizing that religious devices notwithstanding, when in Rome do as the Romans do. Sharia law is fine in Muslim countries, and there it should remain.
The fact appears that unlike other religions that have developed an enlightened attitude rejecting the rigid fundamentalist ideologies inherent in religions like Judaism and Christianity, removing from them tribal-based antipathies and the allied process of battling other religions as false, Islam remains as it was in its inception, a primitive tribal mechanism of ingathering and rejection of other religions, other traditions.
A belligerent instrument of rejection of other religions, allied with an incendiary message to the faithful of their duty to mount violent attacks on others, with a view to ultimate conquest is not guaranteed to be widely admired by non-Muslims. Particularly when it is accompanied by a viral reality of bloody violence.
Labels: Human Relations, Political Realities, Realities
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, August 08, 2010
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