Submitted by Robert (United States), Aug 26, 2017 at 11:47
Dear Daniel Pipes,
You really understand extremely well the central Concepts in their Historical Context.
Terrorism was particularly well defined in the Context of the French Revolution,
during and after the Reign of Terror under Robespierre.
Now Terror just means Violence by the Other.
Jihad, in the Sixties mean (moral, religious) "Struggle" by Muslims.
"Lefts" initially excused Muslims by platitudes,
that a Suicide Bomber wasn't a "True" practitioner of Islam.
You, as a Non-Muslim still kindly excuses a violent Muslim
who murders a "Non-Believer" as an "Islamist."
But a our Revered Master of the English language - Shakespeare has "Taught" us,
"A Rose by any other Name Smells as Sweet."
What is, or isn't Islam is only for Muslim to say.
Therefore, and act of "Terror" proclaimed as "Jihad"
is Islam, not your Anti-Euphemism "Islamism"
-you obviously wish to preserve Islam as a "Great Religion."
From 1648, the year in which European International Relations emerged, and Power Balance Politics
brought stability in Europe when Christianity became a particular State Religion,
and Protestant States were mutually accepted with Catholic states - in the Mediterranean West,
which bordered by the Sick-Man of Europe - the Ottoman Empire.
It took, in Europe, 200 years, from 1648, to 1848, to subjugate the Christian Religion Believer in Christ,
to that of the Worker in 1847 when Karl Marx published his "Communist Manifesto."
And a year later - 1848 - the 1848 Revolutions took place all over Europe,
except for the extremes of the British and Russian Empires.
The result was the Resignation of the Reactionary Catholic Metternich Nobleman
and his replacement by the Junker Protestant Modernizer subsequent Prince Bismark.
Obviously, the French Revolution, disseminated by Napoleon's French Catholic Imperial victories
had not yet achieved the goal of Liberating Serfs into Ancient Roman Citizenship,
or Ancient Greek Democracy.
History is messy, more like the Weather, than Pure Logic.
It took the rise of Great Britain and the United States as Victorious "Imperial" Powers
to destroy the German Empire, The Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire,
and Ottoman Empire of Islam, with its Caliphate,
by the Two World Wars, one ending in 1918, the other in 1945.
One fundamental result is the elimination of Subjects (of Christian Empires)
and Submission (of Ottoman Islam -ism), with CITIZENSHIP emerging.
We seem to forget that Religious Liberties enshrined in our US CONSTITUTIONS
(State, as well as Federal) were the tools not designed to encourage Religion
-the Founders being mostly Deists and Free-Masons),
but to protect us from the Pilgrims' and Puritans'
Monopoly on Christian Morality
and their version of "JIHAD" - like burning WOMEN WITCHES at the Stake
for allegedly practicing Witchcraft.
So maybe by 1918 + 200 = 2118Years, or 1945 + 200 = 2145Years
Muslims and Islam will Achieve MODERNITY.
In the meantime, unfortunately, the Opiate of the MUSLIM Masses is ISLAM,
and not the Daniel Pipes (among others of course) EUPHEMISM - ISLAM-ISM.
But I certainly do not wish you offend you in any way
by that Hair-Splitting observation, Dr. Pipes.
As I said before, I only differ with you on that Minor, but not Trivial, Point.
Nevertheless, ISLAM - according to a study in 2015,
has 1.8 billion adherents, making up about 24% of the world population.
So, although its only a Quarter of the World Population,
it isn't a Minority in any way in need of your "protection."
It is sufficient to advocate observance of the Law,
and avoidance of Criminality.
But Religious Freedom means Religion is a Private Matter in the West.
And to Discriminate against a Natural Person is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
But there is nothing to stop us from Criticism ISLAM as a Horrible contemporary Religion
because it has produced the ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA,
the subsequent Homeland of the
VICTORIOUS IMPERIAL ARAB MUSLIM ARMIES OF MUHAMMAD.
After Mecca and Medina, it was Damascus and Baghdad,
and even Istanbul/Constantinople
(omitting other Muslim Capitals [like Cairo, etc.] to avoid tediousness here)
...
which emerged as the Capitals of ISLAM = ISLAMISM now.
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