Cure for an Islam Gone Mad - Amos Oz

[Cassandra]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-oz21aug21,1,350920.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

" He was Raed Abdel-Hamed Masq, from Hebron. He was not the usual brainwashed teenage suicide bomber. No. In fact, he was one of the brainwashers: a chief cleric, an imam, in one of the most prominent Hebron mosques; he was also a teacher of religion in a high school.

The two crimes were not orchestrated by the same mastermind, but they do have a great deal in common: A force that once was described by Salman Rushdie as "paranoiac Islamism" was at work in both cases. "
<snip>
" Chauvinistic extremism has become the worst threat to the culture of the Arabs in general and to almost every Arab political structure in particular. Ironically, it must be noted that a somewhat similar mixture of paranoia and aggressive chauvinism is also threatening Jewish Israel from within, and certain Christian societies may not be immune either."
I would have preferred the last paragraph I quoted to have been stronger, but it is harder to see the problem in one's own society and easier to see in another. He didn't have to be so kind to us; we know the US is in a religious mess.

[The Magistrate]

1. The Rank Of This Fellow, Ma'am

Is actually an encouraging development. It may be getting a little harder to acquire cannon-fodder in a situation where there has been a reasonable prospect of progress towards peace.

[Cassandra]

2. Thanks, I hadn't thought of it that way

and welcome back again; I've missed you.

[bemildred]

3. Nice piece.

His emphasis on Islamic fundies, while politic, is as you
say unwarranted. They certainly need to be included, but nutball
extremism is culture neutral and religion neutral. It is political
and economic conditions that bring it out, and observation of where
in the World today it is found and not found in the virulent form
makes this clear.

As you say, it is much easier to see on the other side of the fence.
We all cherish the idea that we are special and exempt from the rules
that govern the affairs of others.

It would be interesting to see what Mr. Rushdie has to say.

[dfong63]

4. any bets?

calculate the death toll from "Islam gone mad" to the death toll from "Americanism gone mad". which do you think is greater???

start counting at the vietnam war, and be sure to include the deaths caused by proxies like the "contras", and the mujahedin who were US funded for awhile.