69 million page views

NO, but still valuable and praiseworthy

Reader comment on item: Is Sisi Islam's Long-Awaited Reformer?

Submitted by Ron Thompson (United States), Jan 20, 2015 at 12:49

Sisi's comments about Islam threatening the world are like a 'fireball in the night' (to quote Thomas Jefferson), but also completely schizophrenic in believing the 'fireball' can be reformed without being destroyed.

The only possible lasting 'reform' of Islam was shown the World by Ataturk almost a century ago. What a shame the world did not learn from his example that what he substantially accomplished in the 1920's and 30's was what should have been, if it could not be implemented directly, at least actively advocated for the rest of the Muslim world aftre World war II. The failure to do this has not only resulted in the rise of Islam, which in practice means Aggression, competely unconfronted ideologically for decades, (the harbinger was 1948) but even led to the apparent loss of Turkey and its ongoing regression back into the darkness of Islam.

If this conclusion seems "presumptuous" or shockingly intrusive on sacrosanct religious sensibilities, well it appears now that we may have no choice but to seek the complete ideological defeat of islam as a force in world affairs if not in its own retrograde homeland to which it may have to be confined and left alone (provided it leaves Israel alone). For Islam is unreformable because Mohammed was so cunning in embedding his ideas of religious faith and commandments into the life and psychology of every individual devout Muslim that they have no choice but to view other ways of life, especially when far superior in material terms, as a "threat" to their way of life.

We've seen this before, that is those who have any historical memory have seen it. In the 1930's, as both Fascsm and Communism sought to escape Depression and Chaos, they turned to aggression within and without their countries. They asserted the Right to conquer and exploit, and when any of their victims complained or resisted (or simply failed to covert to the new politIcal Faith), they loudly ranted and raged that they (the aggressors) were the victims, exactly as the terrorists of Islam are claiming victimhood as they shoot and bomb all who do not convert or who "offend" them. Then as now, this high intensity Orwellian 'logic' rendered their victims confused and intellectually cross-eyed, wondering around unable to comprehend what was happening to them and threatening to destroy their entire way of life.

So thanks to Sisi for naming the problem, even if he has nothing to say about the solution. It remains for us to await the first Western leader to reach the level of candor and clarity which, with unfortunate and uncomfortable irony, a Muslim leader reached first.

Dislike
Submitting....

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".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (35) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
When it comes to Islamic reform probably Bangladesh is the leader [670 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PrashantSep 22, 2018 14:00244999
1el-Sisi v Nasser and the regressive left and "Virtue Signaling"! [309 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
dhimmi no moreSep 19, 2018 18:19244933
Is he a Nasserist? [362 words]dhimmi no moreSep 21, 2018 09:22244933
1طاءفة البهرة الهندية Or The Indian Bohra Sect in Egypt! [340 words]dhimmi no moreJul 21, 2018 06:38243826
"Diplomacy: An intra-Arab relationship that's good for Israel" By HERB KEINON [170 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RobertApr 16, 2016 21:31228986
Video appears to have "disappeared without a trace" [69 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Vince EmmerAug 29, 2015 11:34224860
1The strange case of al-Jazeera so called journalist Ahmad Mansour [186 words]dhimmi no moreJun 28, 2015 10:43223980
WSJ Article: "Islam's Improbable Reformer" (i.e. The Case for Sisi as Muslim Conservative, not Islamist) [98 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PezDispenserMar 22, 2015 14:39222457
My enemy's enemy ? [14 words]infosifterFeb 18, 2015 21:45221170
1Egypt Should Conquer Lybia [84 words]LudvikusFeb 15, 2015 23:17221095
2Sisi Is A Decent Person Riding A Wave [110 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveJan 27, 2015 07:05220706
1Sisi is a devout Muslim; but perhaps he isn't an Islamist [464 words]LudvikusFeb 17, 2015 05:54220706
el-Sisi at Davos denegrating [156 words]dhimmi no moreJan 24, 2015 06:54220649
4Coptic Minority - A Source of Hope [345 words]LudvikusJan 22, 2015 20:50220609
1Christians in the Middle East; New king in KSA [179 words]Michael SJan 23, 2015 08:49220609
Explaining why it's hard for an Islamist be a moderate [72 words]Steve ChambersJan 22, 2015 13:36220605
Islamism- or ISLAM [34 words]ayatollahowmanyJan 21, 2015 22:21220581
1Is el Sisi a Reformer [104 words]samJan 21, 2015 21:52220578
1Dr. Pipes' Definition of "Islamist" [160 words]AlexJan 21, 2015 15:50220569
1The very early Islamic literary sources an islamic law [198 words]dhimmi no moreJan 23, 2015 09:22220569
Agree and Disagree [122 words]AlexJan 27, 2015 17:50220569
Res Ipsa loquitur and Omar al-Faruq [165 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 1, 2015 07:31220569
A Call for a Moderate Islamic Counter-Argument to Radical Islam [118 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Richard H. ShulmanJan 21, 2015 09:37220557
Why Islam Itself Must Go [106 words]DaveJan 20, 2015 19:44220533
3Applying logic to Islam [330 words]Sirocco110Jan 20, 2015 19:38220532
Good things are in store for Egypt [728 words]Michael SJan 20, 2015 17:51220528
not possible [8 words]HermanJan 20, 2015 16:12220527
Context and history noted [63 words]Mark WerfelJan 20, 2015 14:52220526
Muslim World's reaction to Sisi [141 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AndrewJan 20, 2015 14:41220525
Does the West need separation of Mosque and State? [31 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anon.Jan 20, 2015 14:31220524
Adherence to reality has real value [36 words]Doug MayfieldJan 20, 2015 14:20220523
1ikhwanonline, Pope Tawadros and el-Sisi [147 words]dhimmi no moreJan 20, 2015 14:16220522
1el-Sisi and ahl al-Qur'an [271 words]dhimmi no moreJan 20, 2015 13:13220515
1NO, but still valuable and praiseworthy [440 words]Ron ThompsonJan 20, 2015 12:49220514
"Israel is a cancer" stated Khomeini and Kamenei! Look who is talking: Ignorant clerics. [83 words]steven lJan 20, 2015 12:22220513

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)