Comments on Washington Post article

Submitted by Gloria Stewart (United States), Aug 19, 2010 at 17:33

People whom Dr Pipes considers "anti-Islam" are those who consider the faith and doctrines of Islam to be incompatible with the West. First, Islam is not a faith: it is a total way of life. There is not one Muslim scholar, alive or dead, who would disagree with me on that point. Islam compares to Fascism and Communism not to, say, Presbyterianism. The Koran is considered the literal word of God, uncreated. Mohammed is considered the perfect human being and may not be compared or contradicted or criticized. Where is the room for criticism, analysis, change, or reform?

Islam is a theological system, a judicial system, a political system and a military system. The theology gives it gravitas and provides a fig leaf for its other activities. There is no Golden Rule in Islam. Muslims consider themselves superior to non-Muslims, and their societies have always reflected this. Assume that most Muslims in the West are peace loving and want only to have a good life for themselves and their children - so what? Don't we all? Most Germans were not Nazis, and most residents of former Communist countries were not members of the Communist Party.

If this is an unsophisticated tone, it has a redeeming feature: It is the truth.

Gloria Stewart

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