Earlybird! I like your take except for some points..

Submitted by HARRAK (Canada), Mar 14, 2006 at 22:56

Thanks for your good response, you know it became so rare for someone here in this forum to make good academic arguments that I myself feel that my standing has started declining especially when we talk about people who copy and paste and than read after posting..

You made a lot of good points I agree with and others i disagree with:

1-"Muslims are Muslims own worst enemy." that is true. Every empire gets devided over time. Islam as a cultural empire connecting many peoples -nations- to one gravity point will surely get devided (may be in a healthy way and may be in a conflictual way like you said). I think Americanism as an idea is going the same direction. see how democracy turned against America in Venezuella, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt etc..so I may say America`s enemy is America.

2-"Harrak, when an entire civilization keeps 50% of its population, females, out of the work force, out of modern education, you will not compete with say, tiny.."

That is not too true..yes to universal education and work regardless of sex, But forget not that development sometimes require population and population need women and family care. Many western country (Canada, Scandenavian States) provide to women an opportunity to earn an income no less than that of the minimum wage with child support to encourage women stay home the longest possible to take care of their Kids..I would recommand a documentary for you by PAUL ARCAND named (the thiefs of childheed) (les voleurs de l`enfance) to see how children are suffering from the absence of family care in Canada. I would feel shy to talk about that issue in a country where you open a bank account to get a free fire arm. The violence leading country in the world, the country of Bush and Cheney..

3-" I don't see a lot to learn from Islam, not in 2006. I think it's become radicalized, ugly and a disease"

..That is your choice and your feeling we respect it. Do you think when I read the European History, the American History, The Old Testament Cannibalism, do think I or other people find it clean, moderate, beautiful, a cure..No my friend..people have different views and different talents and tastes. so I think you should be able to see where else disease can be found..

4-"I have to work very hard to have any respect for Islam right now."

Islam does not need your respect, maybe your Muslim neighbours may need respect. So get yourself respect by respecting the others. Ideas do not need credit, discredit and respect from people. Ideas are made the way people want them to be. So may the world make ideas live together...I hope so.

---

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".