The festival of lies and denial within the Muslim world

Submitted by Kevin M (United States), Dec 31, 2002 at 11:53

Having lived in Saudi Arabia for four years, I am not at all surprised to hear about Islamic apologists flouting "jihad" as "effort against evil in the self and every manifestation of evil in society." I am well acquainted with the Muslim/Arab predilection to whitewash reality in a bath of lies and denial. I asked a number of my Saudi colleagues and students what the word jihad meant, and I invariably got the same answer: "kill the unbeliever/infidel." Now, back in the USA, I get the unparalleled privilege to learn that Islamic "scholars" and other fantasy-spinners want us dumb infidels to think that the worldwide effort to put us all in a box and bury us is really just a friendly way of introducing us into the wonderful, politically-correct, pluralistic ideology called Islam. Aren't we lucky to have such learned minds!

I congratulate Dr. Pipes for being one of very few historians who are not cowed by the sentimental cant that rules the popular media and university campuses, and instead has the integrity to address Islam for exactly what it is, has been, and is becoming.

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