I have grave misgivings...

Submitted by J.S. (Canada), Dec 5, 2006 at 13:30

about making a one-to-one comparison with the current situation of Islamism and the fight against Communism (or the fight against nazism). It's all very fine for people in the West to allege that's it's all about "politics." But, surely, this is not how the followers of radical Islam veiw themselves.

To claim the struggle is political, in my opinion, misses a crucial point (if not distorts reality). I think we have to see things as they are (as ugly, as alien, and as disturbing as that might be). The followers of radical Islam are basing their fight on principles found in the Koran. It is a religious struggle. To claim it's "political" would be similar to alleging that the Zealots were mere politicos who wanted to fight the Romans.

Sayyid Qutb, for example, is "widely considered as a matyr for Islam". Qutb is revered -- not on grounds of the politics he espouses, but of religion. That's the reality.

Bat Yeor wrote an interesting article (posted at NRO entitled: "Which one god? Comparing the Muslim and Christian conceptions of god"). In this article, she reviewed Mark Durie's text "Revelation? Do we Worship the Same God?" (I believe this question has also been raised elsewhere on this site.) The conclusion of Durie appears to be "no", but that certain Christian notions are being Islamified (due to inter-faith "dialogues..") If the battle of ideas is to be won -- we need to confront certain stark realities...perhaps beginning with the notion that the "god" of the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) may not be the same.

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