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Reader comment on item: Finding Moderate Muslims - More Questions
in response to reader comment: Purposes?

Submitted by JoeRu (United States), Oct 8, 2008 at 09:42

Your comments, while in theory legit (the idea of imposing our ideas on another culture), seem to themselves be on shaky ground. To wit:

On Item 1, comparing Copts to resident aliens. Rather, compare them to Native Americans - a minority that exists not from immigration but who has lived in the country for a rather long time. While it is unlikely that a Native American would ever be President, any American who denies them the right to seek such an office is wrong and has demonstrated his anti-democratic bias.

On item 2, separating sexes for education, sure the USA had separate gendered enducation until a generation and a half ago. But the country no longer has it. Many institutions do - particularly religious ones - but so what? The public school system is integrated, most universities are integrated, and the trend is to keep them integrated. Saudi Arabia can allow spearate gender schooling for those who wish it, but the state sponsored schools should be integrated - as we know, separate but equal generally is not.

On item 3, public dress and alcohol and gambling, just because we had something in this country 50 years ago does not make it right. (Similar to the above issue). But I will acknowledge that every society has its own standards of propriety - beaches in Europe tend to be a little freer than those in the US, I hear, for example, and I am all for public indecency laws remaining as you say, on the books.

On item 8, again, just because women did not hold high public office in this country until the mid 1900's does not mean that they should not. Don't disparage the purpose of promoting equality behind the screen of "what would they do with it anyway" - similar to what you said about the Copts. And yes, indeed, allowing such a possibility may help the "public order" in Arab countries - if more women gain high posts, there would be more regulations protecting women and girls (from things including honor killings, forced marriages, sex trade etc.)

And on item 10, obviously the line about the Napoleonic Code was not to imply that this Code is the ultimate in legal rulings, but rather to pointedly ask if there need be a religious law imposed on a society that works well with a secular law. (One may ask about replacing the US Constitution, similarly, and indeed, some Islamists propose exactly that.) While there may be imperfections in secular law, there is at least an attempt at equality and the ability to change when the times demand it. Religious law often does not have these capabilities, and from what I know about the Sharia specifically, these two aspects are lacking.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (31) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Develop Islamist Detection Software Further [95 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveMay 14, 2016 18:47229458
Good Ideas on Applicants to Citizenship [41 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
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Moderate Muslims Just One Step Away [226 words]MikeNov 2, 2008 22:08141846
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Spencer's offer [88 words]TajOct 30, 2008 20:19141572
2'Tis a consummation... [307 words]donvanOct 28, 2008 11:49141221
1Islam and KKK [62 words]ahmedNov 6, 2008 02:05141221
2Whats confusing you... [175 words]DONVANNov 6, 2008 19:05141221
Does Spencer Think A Muslim will Voluntarily Go Against Koran [103 words]SinghaOct 27, 2008 23:24141181
A Christian with a Christian agenda [175 words]Amin RiazNov 6, 2008 11:35141181
1moderate muslims [204 words]btilly`Oct 24, 2008 09:19140863
Clear choice [34 words]CharlieOct 23, 2008 03:42140735
1Moderate Muslims [292 words]Larry MiddletonOct 21, 2008 22:47140647
Dhimmi [84 words]ahmedNov 6, 2008 01:44140647
1Ahmed [374 words]LarryNov 7, 2008 09:51140647
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I Admire Spencer's Work [247 words]ZentristOct 10, 2008 21:59139903
1How will we ever know a moderate Muslim from a radical? [182 words]Susan BrowneOct 20, 2008 11:30139903
The Readiness is All [260 words]ZentristOct 21, 2008 20:44139903
In A Perfect World . . . . [182 words]Rebecca MouldsOct 8, 2008 17:20139768
Seems simple enough... [22 words]Mark GOct 8, 2008 11:15139745
Fanatical Islamist in Plain View [87 words]Fearless BearJan 26, 2007 10:2774598
the moderate muslim [153 words]rwtwJul 19, 2006 07:4050184
Purposes? [741 words]Art DecoJan 14, 2006 19:5331626
some inconsistencies... [460 words]JoeRuOct 8, 2008 09:4231626
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS... From a Muslim's opinion [1445 words]Jihad Fee-Sabeel'IllahJan 8, 2006 11:1331274
1Nice spoof! [9 words]Nick (South Africa)Feb 21, 2006 12:4931274
1radical moslems [149 words]jimOct 24, 2006 20:2231274
I think [313 words]George petersonOct 13, 2008 13:1131274
1strange answers by you [619 words]G.VishvasOct 21, 2008 05:4931274
1Apologia [116 words]donvanOct 29, 2008 09:5331274

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