I Hope This Makes You Laugh

Submitted by Alex (United States), Feb 29, 2008 at 10:59

My expertise on Islam is much less than that of Khaled Abou El Fadl, even more less than that of Daniel Pipes. Abou El Fadl's books are actually cited authoritatively and extensively by Shmuel Bar in his recent book on fatwas in Islamism, so I think reader Michael Voytinsky's comments may be valid only insofar as concerns Abou El Fadl's books that were written after Dr. Pipes' article. Nonetheless, however expert Abou El Fadl may be--and his scholarly work does appear to be a little better better than his political commentary, even if this isn't saying much--but he knows nothing close to what Dr. Pipes knows about Islam.

Nonetheless, I know that in the Middle East, respect of fathers, elders and those more knowledgeable is paramount. If Abou El Fadl isn't showing the proper respect to Dr. Pipes, Dr. Pipes should take a page out of both Darth Vader-ic and Islamic tradition and call himself Abi-Abou El Fadl, loosely translated as the reprimand, "Khaled, I am your fatherrrrrrr."

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