"Extreme... What?

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jul 5, 2014 at 15:02

A concensus opinion of these "bold" leaders, who are "calling a spade a spade", is not that the chief problem in the world is "Islam", but that it is "extreme" Islam. "Extreme" is an expression of degree: One can practice "Islam", "More Islam", "Very much Islam", "A great deal of Islam" "More islam than just about anyone" or "Extreme Islam". Only the last one is condemned; the others pass under the bar -- a bar which is set merely by the number passing under it.

The great evil according to these, then, is not to practice Islam, but to practice ____ "extremely", i.e. to "stand out", to "be different". One might note that most people who condemn "Islamic Extremism" feel compelled, out of a sense of "fairness", to condemn every other form of "extremism" as well: "Right Wing" extremism, for instance, or ""fundamentalist" extremism, or "religious" or "political" extremism in general. Because nobody wants to be condemned, people who buy the "extremist" line ultimately become paranoid not of being labeled "Extremist Islamists", but of being considered "not normal", and therefore, "bad". The result is the mealy-mouthed political correctness that dominates our media and educational system; and the natural response to this is senseless rebellion and anarchy.

The problem being alluded to is not "Extreme Islam". It is Islam; and defining Islam is rather simpler than one might think: It is the sort of person who is deemed by the average Muslim as being the most "religious" and therefore the most "Islamic". We know, for instance, the standard Jews put up as "most religious" and "most devout": It is the black-garbed, unhealthy-looking "ultra"-Orthodox of certain quarters of Jerusalem and other places. The standard for religiosity among Christians is, arguably, the Pope; of Eastern Religious devotees it is the ascetic beggar or the Dalai Lama.

Who represent the epitome of zeal and religiosity among Muslims. Is it Anwar Sadat, who reached out in peace to Israel after starting a war against them? No -- he was rejected by the Muslim community and shot, with not many mourners. The ones who are cheered, though, are the suicide bombers; and candy is passed out to children among the masses every time they do their dirty work.

How does a Muslim keep from becoming "extremist"? Suicide bombers are considered "extremist"; but they quickly leave the planet for parts unknown. Of those that remain, Ayatollah Khomeini was, perhaps, not "extreme"; because he did not storm the American embassy; he merely told others to do it. Yasser Arafat was not "extreme", because he shook hands with Yitzchak Rabin. Abu Mazen aka Mahmoud Abbas is even less "extreme", because he wears a business suit and tie instead of a uniform and keffiyeh -- and, something VERY VERY important, he is more clean-shaven than his "moderately extreme" mentor.

It's time for us to stop being so much mealy-mouthed mush, and to become men and women once again. Is(___) is evil; and so is the political correctness that makes me keep from saying so, so my post doesn't get censored. In fact, the latter is possibly the greatest evil of all.

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