Thank You!

Submitted by Avraham (United States), Jun 9, 2004 at 22:38

Dr. Pipes, regardless of what others have said in reply to this article, I do not feel in the least bit offended by it; I think you offer prescient warnings and useful suggestions as to how non-Muslims must counteract Islamist threats. As a Jew myself, I remember that Jews in Spain during the Inquisition often lied about their religion in order to save their lives. Furthermore, given that life is the basis of Judaism (I do not presume to speak for other religions), wouldn't neglecting one's life in order to quench a short-term thirst for emotional pride be tantamount to idolizing certain words and phrases (contained in prayers)? Even further, wouldn't this be tantamount to doing the same as Islamists (i.e. death for the phrase "Allahu Akbar, etc...)?

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".