In the Arena

Submitted by Michael Baker (United States), Jul 24, 2005 at 13:14

It has been almost four years since I have followed the efforts of Prof. Daniel Pipes in the contemporary cultural and intellectual arenas of our times. I have always found him objective and disciplined in his work to a level few academics have attained.

Subsequently, the attention he has generated, whether respect from those seeking the truth behind phenomenon of radical Islam in the global scenario -- or ire from the Islamist world, is understandable.

Yet, for all his professionalism in the Arena of the War of Ideas, I've noticed a basic street fighter attitude that has served him well, and indeed by default, those smaller players who oppose the this newer totalitarian ideology which is radical, political Islam. The struggle against this ideology will ultimately be won in the intellectual arena, and over these years Prof. Pipes has certainly modeled a refusal to back down in the face of the coercion, threats, and intimidation of the Islamists and their aiders and abettors in the radical left in Western culture.

Prof. Pipes' handling of this one scenario reflects that, and should be modeled by "...media figures like Paul Harvey and Mortimer Zuckerman, from businesses like Amazon and Nike, from pastors, columnists, and even from state politicians, a top U.S. general, and the president of the United States," that is, those who have caved in for economic and political reasons, instead standing their ground in integrity and truth. It is not immoderate to characterize Prof. Pipes better than these, that they should be shamed into following his lead.

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