From Imam Rauf:
Mr. Rauf argued radical extremists had “hijacked” the debate over the relationship between the West and Islam, then stunned many in the audience by suggesting one way to reduce ill feeling toward Muslims was to order a “media blackout” of coverage of suicide bombers.
Censorship of Islamist atrocities: yes, that should do it.
From John Stackhouse an evangelical theologian who thinks Rauf is a “moderate”, that he should go ahead and build it and that everyone else concentrate on more important things:
Controversy continues to rage over whether moderate Muslims should build, and should be allowed to build, a mosque or a community centre near Ground Zero in New York City. (Yes, they’re moderate: I have met the imam in question, Feisal Abdul Rauf, and his wife, Daisy Khan, who also leads the project. They are just what intelligent, sensible people would want in Muslim leaders: affable, well-informed, well-spoken, serious, convinced, and committed to good relationships with their neighbours of every stripe.)
Stackhouse does little to bolster his credentials as a judge of character by adding:
I’m a Christian. In fact, I’m an evangelical Christian. Am I implicated in the shooting of abortion doctors? Am I implicated in the policies of the Harper government here or the Bush administration recently gone? Am I implicated in whatever James Dobson or Pat Robertson or Franklin Graham or Benny Hinn says? If so, then I’m a pretty dangerous guy.
How did Harper, Bush, Dobson etc. get lumped into the same category as the murderers of abortion doctors? How is James Dobson dangerous? Why were Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama or Jeremiah Wright not on the list? Presumably because it’s a list of the political right which, in Stackhouse-land is, a priori, tainted.
From someone who has the appearance of being a genuinely moderate Muslim speaking on a US news program this morning – I didn’t catch his name, unfortunately – who made the blindingly simple and obvious observation that if the majority in the US (the number is around 70%) opposes the ground zero mosque, why would Muslims want to further alienate them by going ahead and building it? He said it should be moved.
David, I’m starting to wonder if you and the Imam have something personal going on. Nine posts in just over a week that are directly concerned with, or make reference to, the “ground-zero mosque”?
Warren, since you seem to be as interested in my motivation for making a post – or perhaps more – as the post itself (a tendency I have some sympathy for), please look here.
Understand. Hopefully you don’t mind a little tit for tat in the “annoying” department. To be a bit presumptuous, I would summarize your basic position as follows:
1. Islam and western culture will always be incompatible and Islam is a significant threat to western culture and Christianity.
2. No muslim, who practices his religion with integrity, can be trusted to truly assimilate important western values.
Got it. A gazillion other conservative pundits and bloggers are saying the same thing. I would even partially agree. But what’s to be done? Other than suggest some short-term band aid solutions that don’t address the root problem (e.g., pressure some muslims to relocate a prayer centre) and will likely have little if any lasting effect, do you have any solutions to offer? Restrict immigration? Restrict rights to publically practice religion? Ban the Koran? Conduct a modern crusade with vastly superior weaponry? Mandatory education on western values for children?
For the record, I believe that those of us who claim Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour should spend more time on our knees and invest in reaching out in love to those who we fear may want to harm us and our families.
I know I’m off topic and won’t be offended if you remove this post.
Yes, on points 1 and 2.
I don’t think anything can be done: The conflict – like most major human conflicts – is a mirror of one occurring in the principalities and powers. So I mostly agree with your last paragraph, although I fear you might have made it appear a little too easy: the sacrifice that many Christians make to proclaim Christ as Lord is to see the death of their families shortly before their own.
That is not to say there is not a political component and, while I would not claim my faith dictates my politics, like most Christians – on the political left or right – I believe my faith informs my politics.
Politically, I think the West is self destructing; the fact that I enjoy repeating that in the face of a “gazillion other conservative pundits” is undoubtedly a conceit – but that’s partly what blogs are. I might add that to the About page.
I don’t claim it is easy; nor do I claim that I am a good example.
Is everything on the political left apriori tainted in your view, David? I’m really starting to wonder.
Further – have you read any of Stackhouse’s books? Or much of his blog? I think your caricature of him is unjust.
I’ve read his blog, not his books.
I am still struggling with to understand the relationship of western democracies with Islam.
It seems to me that “radical” Islam is driving their bus and that the majority of Muslims are content to accept the ride.
Rauf refuses to condemn Hammas as a terrorist organization. He has said that US policy caused 9/11 and that Osama Bin Laden is a creation of the US.
If this is a moderate Muslim, then we need to re-assess our terminology.
Peace,
Jim