There are more teams than Islam!

Submitted by Demsci (Netherlands), Jan 22, 2016 at 04:09

Darwin B, I think your comment is spot on! And yes, Islam seems to be a strong team! Moreover, it seems to be ïn The Democratic West like in the saying that in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king"".
Meaning that Islam is a lousy ideology, but the one with the most zealous followers, whereas the great ideology of the West is overwhelmingly taken for granted, forgotten and due to political correctness even seen with self-contempt.

That said, ... there are and can be OTHER TEAMS intent to win, and in a good position. Sorry to be vague about this, but somehow Artificial Intelligence or it's handlers lurk in the dark, don't they? Meaning that that "team" also might snatch world-domination, esp. if Islam, through Iran or ISIS does something desperate.

Our own Democratic team, so largely dormant, IS alive, we still have dedicated, committed Democratic ideologists, like me, and they intent to let their team win as much as the Muslims. And Sam Harris IS a accomplished ideologue.

This team may lack in numbers, but might compensate this with democracy's strengths, like openness through freedom of speech. And Islam is frequently hugely and diversely (mis)interpreted, causing Muslims much controversy, yet Islam and Muslims remain totally rigid with their holy texts,

whereas Westerners can and do update their guiding texts regularly after controversy, so they remain much more consistent. And there is unequalled creativity of the West, Muslims only copy.

And there might also be as yet other unknown potential powerful "teams". It all means that Muslims would be ill-advised to think time was on their side and patience is a virtue in their quest for world-domination.

In this context Dr Pipes questions must in essence be designed to let some Muslims join the democratic "team" against the dictatorial teams, including those of "radical Muslims". And therefore the question if Muslims can join democracy against theocracy must be asked and resolved sooner or later. As you indicate; it can no longer be a question of the "bad and the (neutral) rest". There must be a distinction between the "good (democratic) and the untrustworthy rest". Or so goes my thinking.

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