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Good and Evil

Reader comment on item: A Madrassah in Bridgeview, Illinois

Submitted by Linas Kondratas (Lithuania), Jun 21, 2005 at 07:21

Dear Daniel Pipes,

I have read some of your comment on Islamic schools and my impression was the the most problematic thing with them is not so much their actual contents, but the mindset which informs all this contents - the belief in the absolute good and the absolute evil as the exclusive opposites. Such mentality can only lead to a position when on'es own camp is seen as the incarnation of the Good, while all other(eg. Jews, Christians etc.) are seen as the incarnation of the Evil, absolute Evil unmitigated by any particle of the Good. Such mindset can only lead to violence sooner or later.

Islam, however, being the strictest monoteism, cannot accept a belief in the absolute evil. If everything is created and supervised by God up to the pettiest particles, so there cannot be something absolutely evil at all! Everything is inherently good-in-itself, however some things can more useful to us while another are more harmful, yet all this harm and profit is relative and depends on circumstances and on who enters into contact with those things. If some things were prohibited and other ordered by Allah, it is not because of inherent evilness-in-itself or goodness-in-itself of these things, but because of the Divine imposition. If Allah prohibited something we should not think that this thing is evil-in-itself; He could prohibit it simply to test us and offer us possibility to show our obedience, or because He knew that this bring us more harm than benefit, in this world and in other; but we should abstain of making our ideas of what is harmful and beneficial to us as being the criteria of absolute good or absolute evil.

So I think until Muslims resident in USA will not realize that what I have said here above they will continue with their morality of ressentful slaves and losers, capable only staging a destructive rebellion against their "masters", but unable to produce something productive and creative.

To know this would be useful to Americans as well, not only for Muslims in America, because there are so many American people who believed and believe in the absolute dichotomy of good and evil, even presidents as Reagan and Bush who spoke about the "empire of Evil" and the "axis of evil". Americans should think that some muslims maybe harmful to them but this does not make them evil;they just happen to be harmful to them, but maybe they are beneficial to some other people. While Muslims should think that some Jews maybe are harmful to them but this does not make them evil;they just happen to be harmful to them, but maybe they are beneficial to some other people. An those who speak about other people as "apes and pigs" should not forget that even apes and pigs are creatures of God and as such not bad or unclean in themselves.

In the American society the problems generated by the belief of good-evil dichotomy are mitigated by profound and strong sense of pragmatism charcteristic for the anglo-saxon society; but the situation is very different in islamic communities of North America, very such beliefs induced both by Saudi and/or Iranian influence and by the local milieu have no counterweight. Yet Islam has a long tradition of the pragmatic thinking as well only that Muslims are unaware of all that.
Submitting....

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Reader comments (85) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Command of Hijab [559 words]AnnieJun 29, 2011 09:20186894
Protect the modern civilization [127 words]Syd K. ChavezJun 19, 2008 08:44132617
Comments to Syd K. Chavez about protecting modern civilization [280 words]Harden ErvinDec 4, 2008 10:29132617
oh the ignorance of it all... [45 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Muhammed AbdullaApr 14, 2008 23:38125665
1i wasnt quoting [23 words]Muhammed AbdullaApr 16, 2008 14:07125665
Hmmmm [35 words]Ahmad OsmanFeb 9, 2008 21:16119868
1Peace Everyone [299 words]Leena SuleimanNov 25, 2007 02:15114711
1Islam is the perfect peaceful rule [172 words]EmadSep 4, 2007 13:16107651
1this is crazy! [192 words]muslimahAug 8, 2007 15:58105714
5Islam -Religion of Violence [42 words]Naweed AnwarAug 29, 2007 18:35105714
2West, wake up! [564 words]Lawrence Tanbir AhmedJul 28, 2008 09:12105714
Hypocrisy blind. [109 words]drewDec 30, 2008 10:34105714
even worse [41 words]mosoudAug 2, 2009 21:00105714
hypocrites in islam [53 words]drewAug 12, 2009 06:07105714
you ... ! [25 words]mamoonFeb 9, 2010 15:27105714
"PRODUCE YOUR PROOF IF YOU ARE TRUTHFUL" (QURAN) [102 words]ABDUL KHALIQUEMay 21, 2010 12:22105714
just respond [217 words]rashidMar 12, 2011 19:52105714
islam is one of the truth and good religions of the world [7 words]muhammadalam khanJun 9, 2011 05:54105714
Asleep at the wheel: [234 words]danSep 12, 2006 15:5855719
check your sources [38 words]Muhammed AbdullaApr 14, 2008 23:4155719
What happens at the MCWS (Muslim Community of Western Suburbs) is far worse the relatively trivial things at this Madrassah [52 words]AviDec 3, 2005 13:5729355
What a joke - [65 words]TruthSeekerFeb 2, 2007 19:4829355
large groups of foreigners [371 words]TAPOct 7, 2005 00:2526652
Bad Apples [446 words]Adam BenitezSep 28, 2005 13:2626421
1"Bad Apples"...? [102 words]Tom ZimaFeb 20, 2006 18:3826421
responce to tom [20 words]jasonJul 6, 2006 21:0926421
As Usual! [25 words]harithAug 24, 2007 15:5226421
religion or a political movement [60 words]tom kSep 15, 2005 19:1525875
Muslims Rejoicing New Orleans Katrina Devastation [44 words]D. MartSep 1, 2005 19:5125348
Funding by Saudi's [101 words]Ron NordAug 23, 2005 14:4425008
Muslims Positive Contribution to our American Society [167 words]Hasse LuAug 2, 2005 12:2524212
Western Muslim Schools [31 words]LanceJul 7, 2005 11:5123174
Where are the ethical and good people in Bridgeview, IL? [36 words]GreyGhostJun 26, 2005 15:5322876
Response to "proud to be infidel" [151 words]X5DragonJun 26, 2005 02:2022870
Fair? [50 words]RaySep 13, 2010 20:1822870
"Fundamentalist Immigrants" a contradiction in terms? [29 words]Victor StoneJun 25, 2005 19:0522869
Response to comment by Lynn Pollack [128 words]Alexa P. KeatonJun 24, 2005 07:4522845
Israel is here to stay [61 words]Im OgmiosJan 12, 2009 07:5722845
1The real racists [209 words]Octavio JohansonJun 23, 2005 05:5822817
2Some of Arab racist attacks against Jews in Israel [551 words]GilianFeb 16, 2021 16:4422817
1More on racist Arab attack against Jews in free democratic Israel [234 words]GilianFeb 17, 2021 10:0922817
Our Man in the Trenches [212 words]Dave M. O'NeillJun 23, 2005 02:4222816
Why Stop? Response to Lynn [64 words]Proud to be an InfidelJun 22, 2005 23:2922812
Very good analysis, Dr. Pipes [105 words]Nelson HortonJun 22, 2005 21:5622810
SURPRISE ! [76 words]Angelo GuidaJun 22, 2005 20:5522809
Madrassas need to be closed or not allowed to open [271 words]David DavilaJun 21, 2005 21:5322796
place of worship [8 words]muslimJan 18, 2007 20:3422796
wow [115 words]LeenaNov 25, 2007 02:2622796
Standard Left Wing MSM analysis [142 words]Darwin BarrettJun 21, 2005 21:4922795
A few thoughts on Ms. Pollack's remarks [135 words]Marge Foran-JohnsonJun 21, 2005 18:3722792
Universal School- serious clash of cultures [240 words]A. FestineJun 21, 2005 15:4522790
Reply to article [171 words]Yousif ZegarDec 20, 2006 20:2122790
Outrageous [218 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Zaineb AbdullaJul 3, 2007 14:4222790
Judging the judges [400 words]Lee StewartJun 21, 2005 14:2622788
Distorted View of Sexuality - response to Yaakov Watkins [150 words]Ruthanna KJun 21, 2005 12:3622786
Daniel Pipes sees the realities of Islamists we want to ignore [106 words]Don GistJun 21, 2005 12:2722785
Control Muslim immigration [145 words]Octavio JohansonJun 21, 2005 10:1322782
The naming of names [75 words]SRDec 25, 2006 14:0022782
Protect the Modern Civilization [28 words]Mubarak LyallpuriJun 23, 2008 09:1122782
Amazing Journalism [224 words]Paul Streur, Sr.Jun 21, 2005 09:2022781
Good and Evil [558 words]Linas KondratasJun 21, 2005 07:2122779
Shut down the Madrassah in Bridgeview, Illinois [156 words]Octavio JohansonJun 21, 2005 01:5822778
Check 'em All [102 words]Funk Soul BruhvaJun 20, 2005 21:5922777
Nothing wrong with rejecting immorality [226 words]Long-time ReaderJun 20, 2005 21:2922776
difference between Canadian/US policy towards Muslims [319 words]Terry SenumJun 20, 2005 21:0222774
Islamic Fundamentalism's Ideological Spread [485 words]yonasonJun 20, 2005 18:4422772
WAKE UP AMERICA [262 words]JACQUES HADIDAJun 20, 2005 18:1622771
American madrassah [129 words]Stan BeerJun 20, 2005 17:4822770
American Madrassahs [316 words]PatJun 20, 2005 15:5722768
Forgive me if I may come off a bit rude. I don't mean too. [240 words]HMJan 27, 2008 23:1022768
What we want Muslims to do in America [366 words]Ron KilmartinJun 20, 2005 14:1522767
Oh, how ridiculous. [175 words]Samantha ThompsonJan 29, 2007 23:2322767
excuse me [227 words]HMJan 29, 2008 17:3322767
Protecting our United States [102 words]Kathy O'LearyJun 20, 2005 14:1322766
Interview at Madrassa in Bridgeview, Illinois [106 words]Gert AzarvaJun 20, 2005 14:0522765
madrassah [35 words]MWJun 20, 2005 13:4522764
Between Scylla and Charybdis [120 words]Mark HolahanJun 20, 2005 13:1222763
A Madrassah in Bridgeview, Illinois [309 words]OlieJun 20, 2005 12:3422761
Excuse Me... [183 words]AnonymousMar 20, 2006 23:1922761
Why stop at Muslims? [42 words]Lynn PollackJun 20, 2005 12:2322760
Where is the anger? [21 words]tonymixanJun 20, 2005 11:0322759
You are somewhat off base [144 words]Yaakov WatkinsJun 20, 2005 09:1122757
3Muslum perception of our attitude toward them in the USA. [67 words]Harden ERvinJun 20, 2005 09:0922756
? [46 words]jasonJun 30, 2006 05:1822756
waste [15 words]docAug 3, 2006 10:3822756

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