Maps, Charts, Tea Leaves And Islamic Reform

Map reading is a skill, science and art. Those trained in the science and art of map reading understand that directional maps, topographical maps, weather maps and population maps, all provide valuable information when navigating new and uncharted territory. Taken together, a skilled map reader can divine a lot more about that uncharted territory than the two dimensional images on a piece of paper. It is only when taken together that a fuller and more complete understanding becomes possible- and even then, a map in and of itself is not terra firma. It is in the end, a representation of reality. No map is a substitute for ’smelling the air’ of a new land.

In trying to understand how important reform is to the Islamic world, we must examine ’smell the air’ of reality.

Notwithstanding media portrayals and ‘talking heads,’ that are in effect, no more than map readers (or even worse, agendized map readers), if we are to really understand Islam and Islamic reform, we must come to understand the players without the two dimensional filters. Islam is no more a more a monolithic faith than is any other religion.

To believe that a simple road map can adequately portray the real ‘lay of the land’ is a dangerous mistake. Understanding Islamic reform is about a lot more than simple driving directions. Often times, Islamic world frustration at out inability to ‘understand’ where they are, is justified. In the same way that America, Europe Christianity, Judaism all defy simple definitions, so too does Islam.

Not all Islamic fundamentalists are the same. There are violent fundamentalists, literalists (who are non violent fundamentalists. Sometimes they are referred to as Scriptutalists. A good example for the purposes of comparison are Seventh Day Adventists), conservative traditionalists, reformist traditionalists, modernists and finally, secularists. In other words, the Islamic world is as fractured as the easily the Christian or Jewish world and just as difficult to define.

It is also true that Muslims of all stripes appear to be less likely to have divergent and differing views. Clearly, there is an anti western bend to what is Islam today. This is not the direct result of the nature of the faith, but rather, because of indoctrination and manipulation of the religion to fit a particular agenda.

We noted that

Dysfunctional leaders, suddenly embraced a religion they had rejected for years and proceeded to reshape that religion into something that would legitimize their own dysfunction and evil ideologies. Aided by ‘religious leaders’ who were in fact no more than paid state employees, Islam began a transformation. The ‘radical Islam’ we see today is not a ‘religious renaissance.’ The violence and anger we see on our TV screens is not an expression of Islam. What we see is a carefully crafted reworking and redefinition of Islam, brought about by evil and dysfunctional leaders that have made those distortions a part of Arab culture.

Whereas Islam was once regarded a numbing ‘opiate’ in the Arab world, the regions dysfunctional leaders have created a cancer, radical Islam. That cancer was designed to poison not only their own societies but to ensure that the west would isolate themselves from the Arab world- and thus, western values of freedom and democracy would be kept at bay. The result would be Arab world leaders unafraid of western intervention and guarantee an unimpeded iron grip.

There has longed ceased to be an independent religious voice in Islam. Virtually every religious leader is a vocal supporter and proponent of the regime that pays him. For example, there are no doubt plenty of Muslim scholars that are appalled at the treatment of Copts in Egypt or the violence perpetrated against Christians at worship in Pakistan. Those religious leaders however, are not free to speak out and their views and beliefs are excluded from public debate. Islam now answers to various ideologies, and not to God.

The impact of this deliberate  manipulation of religion runs deep in Islamic society. Hatred of the west and freedom has become the mother’s milk of almost an entire religious culture (western ideals and freedom advocate personal empowerment and are thus antithetical and oppositional to dysfunctional leaders that want to maintain control at any cost).

The animus toward religion of many reform minded Muslims, is hard to ignore. Some of the most popular secularist movements within the Arab world are Marxist orientated, because of their stated rejection of religion. Notwithstanding the proved failure of Marxism and it’s rejection by states formerly held hostage, many Muslims reformists continue to be fervent believers that they must rid themselves of religion.

(Another reason for the Muslim reformist attraction to Marxism and other forms of socialism may also have to do with the notion of ‘equality’ with the west and the concept of the separation of church and state. In addition, Arab reformists looked towards their cousins, the Jews and their ’sucesses’ with communism. Ironically, what drew so many Jews to Marxist ideology was that they perceived themselves to be equals, ‘comrades’. In 1948, the first nation to recognize Israel as an independent state was the Soviet Union. They thought that because so many former Socialists and Communists were in power, Israel would be a Soviet satellite. Save for the insulated kibbutz movement, when given the choice, the Israelis- like ever other people, when given a real choice- opted for real freedom. Contrast that with the Palestinians chose first Arafat’s Marxism and later, Hamas Nazism. The rest is history.)

The only viable example of a functional Islamic secularist/modernist society today can be found in Turkey. Even in that nation however, there are pressures exerted to lead that country in a more religiously fundamentalist direction. That pressure originates with the momentum of current Islamic thought. Both violent and non violent fundamentalists reject freedom and the west because of the potential of democracy. The fear of losing power and influence- and empowering the individual- is so great that to many (state funded and state supported) religious scholars, democracy is considered ‘haram‘- both unclean and forbidden.

Notwithstanding that these ideologies (flogged around the world in Saudi funded mosques) originate amongst the literalist Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia, pragmatism precedes faith. In need of western protection and acceptance, the Saudis are not openly hostile to hated western countries. They believe the charade is not understood for what it is.

Conservative traditionalists as opposed to literalists, are more interesting- and relevant to understanding the Muslim mindset. They are not instinctively hostile to western beliefs or political ideologies. They do not see democracy as evil- just the opposite, really. They take issue with western values, not unlike the issues that conservative Christians speak of. Of course, it isn’t that simple, or easy to decipher. Muslim conservatives also share many values with their fundamentalists brothers (though usually not as extreme)- sort of like Catholics fundamentalists on steroids. They view Sharia Law as fundamental, they oppose women’s rights as we know them (for the most part, they are nowhere near as cruel to women as the literalists), and they believe that the mosque is not only a place of worship, but a source of political indoctrination as well. Notably, while conservative tradionalists do not condone terrorism, they seem to be either unable, reluctant or unwilling and to condemn terror outright and unequivocably.

The reforming traditionalists, like all religious reformers, are at once traditionalists and modernists. Their numbers are small, but their influence is greater than is acknowledged. They are academics or come from the ranks of the well educated. In Islamic countries, their views are discussed quietly. In the west, their views are debated more openly. As the numbers of well educated Muslims in the west increases, the voices of the reforming traditionalists will gain greater traction.

There are even fewer Islamic secularists. They are marginalized to a degree, not so much because of what they believe, but rather, because Muslims have a hard time identifying with them (Irshad Manji and Wafa Sultan are good examples). They are to be found, scattered about, in the west.
The battle lines have been drawn and the objectives are clear: The reformers want to modernize Islam and move their religion into the 21st century. The radical Islamists wish to Islamicize modernity and the 21st century by moving it back a thousand years.

The conflict, as it is being played out, is not a new one. It is another story of the leader’s will being forced onto a population versus the ascendancy of individual freedom. Islamic leaders say individual freedoms lead to the abandonment of God. Those who believe in the freedom of the individual say that faith becomes stronger when accepted willingly and not imposed.

The conversation would be more interesting (and credible) if the Islamic leaders actually spoke of faith and not politics (The Imams are supposed to be religious figures only. It is the Caliphs that are endowed with political leadership).

Currently, it is only the reformers that see the importance and strength of an individual’s freedom to express his thoughts and ideas. For the rest of the ummah, there is a false perception that the need for ‘unity’ (whatever the political incarnation du jour might be), trumps any and all expressions of freedom. The State knows best what is right. It is that ideology, heavily reinforced with religious indoctrination, that has hampered even political reform.

The Arab world never accepted any Golden Age, other than their own. The legacy of the Enlightenmment, that extinguished the Dark Ages and medieval stagnation, never reached the Arab world. Instead, their leaders, out of fear, instructed them to look back and not ahead. For a thousand years, ‘Retreat! Retreat!’ has been the mantra.

The reformists understand that the confrontation with the west is a direct result of Islamic political obstinacy. Despite claiming by religious authorities that the political and religious expressions are rational expressions, it is clear for all to see that modern day Arab world political and religious expression is authoritarian by nature. “Our way is best. Our interpretation is correct. You must accept that God sees things our way only,” and so on.

It because of thinking like that there has been so much death, destruction and mayhem in the Arab world. It is because of that kind of thinking that political and religious disagreements end with calls to violence and cries of ‘DEATH TO…’ All the while, the average Muslim wants to go to work, take care of his family and do right by his kids. Tragically, neither the political or religious leadership in the Arab world give a damn about him, his family or his dreams.

The Judeo-Christian ethic understands what freedom really means. We have accepted freedom and democracy as a way of life. In fact, free societies not only exist, but they proved beyond any argument that they  prosper and progress as well.

Take away free societies and democracies, and our world would look exactly like much of the Islamic world today.

There are hundreds of millions of Arabs, languishing in a netherworld, with societies torn apart by internal strife, political mayhem and economic failure. They live in a world where both political and religious authorities insist that their only purpose is to serve the needs and whims of a regime that cares nothing for them and attaches no value to their life.

Western democracies have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that living in a free and tolerant society creates a culture of progress and the free exchange of idea thoughts and ideas- realities that frightien the dysfunctional leaders of the region.

Our hospitals are among the best in the world because our universities accept the best students, regardless of color, creed, religion or political affiliation. Our research facilities are color blind too, and amazingly, there seems to be a never ending supply of brilliant minds and briliant ideas- home grown and from those who want to come here. In rejecting freedom, Islamic societies reject even the capability to measure up to the west.

Rejecting freedom is a deliberate choice to fail. Those who call themselves ‘Victims’ who choose their fate are not the sympathetic figures they want you to believe believe they are.

Muslims have a choice. They can create that same kind of free society for themselves, with Islamic values, or they can keep looking backwards.

The task Muslims face in reforming Islam (less a religious reform, really, and more of an internal political reform) won’t be easy- they will stumble, fall and have to dust themselves off and try again, over and over. In the end, they will have built something of value, and something worth defending.

One way or the other, we will move ahead.

The Ten Pillars Of Palestinian Pride

The Ten Pillars Of Palestinian Pride

1. WOMEN

There is no such thing as Mothers Day. No worry about cards, gifts, and expensive meals. There is no honor in being a woman in our culture, so there is no reason to devote a day to her. If Dad suspects that Mom spoke to a strange man in the street, he gets to kill her to preserve the family honor! If that nice girl from across the street (or my cousin, for that matter) refuses my advances or attempt to ‘take,’ well, the whore deserves everything that comes her way.

2. WEAPONS

Every child, from the time he can grasp an object, is trained to feel comfortable with a rifle, pistol or suicide belt detonator in his hand. Of course, since every Palestinian has a weapon- a gun, a rocket launcher, a pound of C-4- well, they have to be used. What good are hands if they aren’t used to kill?

3. HATE

Boy, we love to hate. Hate is the very basis and foundation of our culture. From the time a child is old enough to understand language, we teach him to hate. Actually, we don’t even need to be old enough to understand language. We sing our kids to sleep with lullaby’s that extol hate. The idea is clear: hate Jews, hate the West, hate our fellow man, and most of all, hate ourselves. We have no love songs, we do not preach love, the word love does not appear anywhere in our society. Hate is the fuel that runs our motors. Then we tell you, ‘Really, we are just like you.’

4. DEATH

The moment a Palestinian Arab child is born, his parents begin to plan his death. How will he die? Will he be struck by an Israeli bullet while being used as a human shield by Palestinian gunmen? Will he get shot while throwing rocks at Jewish soldiers? Will he be packed with explosives and sent to blow himself up, killing others? Or will he merely be one of the many Palestinians murdered by other Palestinians in the normal course of daily life in the death-culture of the Palestinian Arabs. To which militia will he belong? Hamas? Al Aqsa? Islamic Jihad? Who knows? That’s part of the thrill. Whether it’s summary executions in the streets or the deliberate murder of children of political enemies, well, we share your values.

5. UNEMPLOYMENT

Palestinians used to have jobs, working in Israel. But then, our leaders had a brilliant idea: suicide bombings! Not for their kids, of course, but for everyone else’s kids. For their own protection, Israel had to close its borders, preventing Palestinians from going to their jobs, so they could sit around unemployed and blame the Jews for it. Then those same Jew bastards built a fence to keep our bomber outs! What great fun to be your own worst enemy!

6. MARTYRDOM

Now, no one in their right mind wants to be a martyr. In a civilized society and among normal people, a culture and society that embraces and elevates the martyr complex is considered an immature, narcissistic and dysfunctional society and culture. With us, it’s the central syndrome of our society! Of course, we have redefined ‘martyr.’ We include killing innocents to be a central part of ‘martyrdom.’ Hey, look at me, I’m gonna kill myself. A few women, children and old people and become admired! And then, when we do kill ourselves, instead of being considered pathetic, we DO get admired! It’s a whole complete cycle of sickness! American kids collect baseball cards; Palestinian kids collect martyr cards (really! no joke!).

7. ENTITILEMENT

When Israel came into being, we declared war. We lost. We fought again. We lost. We fought again. We lost. If those stupid Jews had half a brain, they would have killed us Israel (we sure would kill all of them if we got the chance). Instead, they made the mistake of behaving in a civilized fashion. But we can’t leave that alone. We will exploit heir weaknesses. We have to claim entitlement to live on land that we lost in 6 wars. It matters nothing that the Israelis gave us indoor plumbing, schools, health care, electricity and Since when does the loser of a war get to claim the land he fought over? They don’t. But we do. Not only that, but we happily kill our kids over it!

8. USELESSNESS

The Jews have won more Nobel Prizes than all other ethnic groups combined. It should come as no surprise that the Israelis are somewhat of ‘over achievers.‘ Their contributions to science, art, literature and the humanities are far out of proportion to their population. What have Palestinians produced? Nothing! Not a thing. We don’t do anything productive. We’re too busy rioting and killing and chanting and screaming and calling for everyone’s death. And we blame the Jews for it, as though the Jews stop us from being productive. Thankfully, our not to smart leftist friends believe that drivel, hook line and sinker.

9. FRIENDS

We Palestinian people sure know how to pick ‘em. Saddam Hussein. The Taliban. Adolf Hitler. You name a psychopath, and we embrace him. And look who our supporters are! The American Nazi Party. The KKK. Stalin, Mao, Castro and Che, the butchers. Constitution busters like Hugo Chavez. Every evil, dysfunctional despot in the world. Just check their websites and see how they stand in solidarity with us. When you support the Palestinian ’cause,’ you’re in real good company. Bring your white sheet!

10. FREEDOM

The biggest laugh in the world is when people call us “freedom fighters” or they say we’re fighting for our freedom. Take a look at all 22 Arab countries. Do you see any freedom there? Well, that’s what our country will be like if we ever get one. It will be a dictatorship run by armed, masked thugs who will kill anyone who dissents. Just like we are now. Freedom???? The word doesn’t even exist in our language. Hey, just like George Orwell said: “Freedom is slavery. Long live big brother!” And Remember: Israel is bad! Its existence keeps reminding us what a bunch of losers we are.

There is more, here. You need to read this, too. Why? Because, in the pursuit of the truth, sometimes you have to take a stand against prevailing and popular opinion.

That is correctly referred to as ‘character.’

This made the rounds a while back and we have discussed each of these ‘pillars’ in depth. We shall do so again, because clearly, you needed reminding on a regular basis.