Interesting

Submitted by Kevin Graham (Brazil), Dec 29, 2005 at 06:41

Islam is both the problem and the solution.

But I guess it all depends on how you define Islam. Do terrorists represent Islam? Sure. How can we say only the good stuff is "true Islam" and the bad stuff is something else? The false assumption that all religions are equal in their capacity to inspire good and evil is at work.

All this does is muddy the waters with politically correct expediency.

Until we're able to name the enemy we'll never be in a position to defend ourselves from it.

Why do terrorists act teh way they do? Just ask them and they'll tell you. Most of the time they believe they are following the example of Muhammed. Others believe they are simply acknowledging the Islamic paradigm of two worlds: House of Islam and the House of War.

Does the sharia have nothing to do with Islam?

Is Jihad nothing to do with Islam?

Does the chasm between believer and unbeliever have nothing to do with Islam?

Of course they do. So how can we sit idly by and pretend all of these factors are to "true Islam" as oil is to water? The problem with Islam is Islam and its failure to reform. The problem we have with our national security is also Islam. There is probably a reason why Islam has not experiences any serious reform in 14 centuries. Islamic principles are at odds with the values that helped spawn the enlightenment periods in Christianity and Judaism. Islam's law is fixed, and it controls the lives of Muslims in debilitating ways that the Jews and Christians never suffered from. Thus, reform is virtually impossible. One cannot reform without discarding huge chunks of Islam that have been revered for many centuries as integral aspects of the faith. That is the obstacle the reformers have.

The end result will be something else entirely, not Islam.

---

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".