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comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  2682 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Attack in Berlin

    The idea that Islam is a 'peaceful religion hijacked by extremists' is a dangerous fantasy—and it is now a particularly dangerous fantasy for Muslims to indulge. It is not at all clear how we should proceed in our dialogue with the Muslim world, but deluding ourselves with euphemisms is not the answer. It now appears to be a truism in foreign policy circles that real reform in the Muslim world cannot be imposed from the outside. But it is important to recognize why this is so—it is so because the Muslim world is utterly deranged by its religious tribalism. In confronting the religious literalism and ignorance of the Muslim world, we must appreciate how terrifyingly isolated Muslims have become in intellectual terms.

Yeah. Sounds like he takes extra care to go out of his way to give Islam and Muslims a fair shake.





OftenBen  ·  2682 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Considering he has a leading Islamic reformer and former (now reformed)member of the Islamic Brotherhood backing him, I'd say he's got a point.

user-inactivated  ·  2682 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I could ask you to re-read that, or half the stuff he writes. I could ask you to try and see how he tries to paint Abrahamic faiths with wide brushes, reducing them to ugly caricatures that are easy to criticize and attack. I could ask you to try and see how many of his statements can be seen as divisive, inflammatory, and potentially dangerous. The fact that half the time I don't understand the things he says, but can understand that he takes on the tone of a pretentious dick is telling about how massive of a douche he must really be, because I pretty much never use those terms to describe people.

I don't think it'll do any good. I think at this point, you're being deliberately obtuse. So let's call it a night.