Islam is a barbaric religion
Dan Simmons posted his April Message: http://www.dansimmons.com/news/message/2006_04.htm
It is a cautionary tale about the future where Islam is not faced and combatted.
Because he spoke the truth in plain terms, his story was met with a hurricane of scorn and hatred, including those who thought it was an April Fool’s Day prank. His current message dispells this last theory. It was not a prank. http://www.dansimmons.com/news/message.htm
Imagine reading NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR in 1948, and having half your audience laugh and roll their eyes and say, “Well, life under totalitarian nazism or communism is not that bad. The show trials are on the level. There are no secret police, no gulags, no mass starvation. We can trust Walter Duranty. Obviously George Orwell is penning a send-up of those absurd conservatives, exaggerating their simplistic fears.”
Since the Dan Simmons story is about the inability of the intellectuals to recognize the duration and deadliness of the war we are in–indeed, to hear most comments, one would think they do not believe there is a war at all (Perhaps an earthquake knocked down the Twin Towers? Perhaps the SS Cole struck a rock?)–to see those same attitudes on display in the reactions to his peice quiets any skeptics who think the author is exaggerating.
I was castigated for calling Islam a barbaric religion. I am confident than even a cursory examination of the Koran will convince an openminded reader that the religion of Mohammet calls for the violent conversion, extermination, or reduction to Dhimmitude of the unbeliever, and that no parable telling the faithful to love their enemies or turn the other cheek when struck is present.
Below the cut is my comment to a man who politely told me it was not helpful to call Islam barbaric.
Religions are complex, with both enlightened and benighted elements. Islam can perhaps be civilized, as Christianity was civilized by the time of the treaty of Westphalia. However, we sharply disagree as to the approach.
You and yours seem to think (if I understand you) that merely ignoring history will convince the millions who follow the Prophet to rectify their way of life from start to finish, grant equality to women, apologize to the Jew, and put away the sword of Jihad.
I and mine seem to think that, as from alcoholism, the first step to recovery from barbarism is admitting the problem exists.
Islam does not become a civilized religion, and Islamic nations do not become safe neighbors, merely because we put the word “barbarian” in sneer quotes.
Let me remind you what barbarism is: “… noticing her baby, they pulled him out of her arms and, in a Herodian display of evil cut off her breasts. She survived but had to suffer watching her child die a slow agonizing death with no sustenance.”
Saddam wiped out 180000 Kurds at Goptata, Birjinni and Zewa; Danny Pearl’s head was sawed off with a knife on videotape. Need I go on?
Let me remind you that the Islamic world did not condemn the terrorist attacks on 9/11: they danced in the streets and passed out candy to children. We might like to think Jihad and Islam are disconnected; but that is not what Islam thinks.
At his moment in history, Islam, in one interpretation (by no means far from the mainstream), is the fountainhead of bloodshed, a grave threat to civilization. This is the truth of the matter; we might as well say so. We are at war. We are bound to offend somebody. An excessive deference to moderate Islam, or to internationalism, has hindered our war efforts, and placed us in a supine posture.
I submit that wars are determined both by cultural and by material advantages.
Of the cultural, philosophical and psychological, what we might call the spiritual advantages, the ear-biting and eye-gouging grit needed to see a fight through to the bitter end, simple manliness, the faith in the superiority of one’s own culture and way of life … well, let us say that this is our weak spot, isn’t it? Look again at the comments boxes on Dan Simmons’ website: the reaction to his warning was hatred and derision. We do not have the spiritual strength, the confidence, to recognize this war for what it is, or to fight it.
Of the material advantages, the West is strong compared to our foe, immeasurably so; as strong as the British Redcoats facing the disorganized militia of the colonies; as strong as the Russian tank divisions facing unarmed civilians just before the Berlin Wall fell; as strong as Goliath of Gath.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
