Interesting how Islam is so criticized.

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Feb 17, 2007 at 15:06

Dear Chris, you wrote :

> Interesting how Islam is so criticized when people fail to recognize our part in its radicalization.

Do you know any time in Islam's history when Islam was not radicalized ? I only know one , namely when it was conquered by the Mongolians around 1258. But eventually the Mongolians succumbed to it and things came back to normalcy.

> Gee, who carved out the Middle East after the fall of the Ottomans?

The Brits and the French , the victors of the FirstWorld War . The idea was not that bad though. To stop inter-Islamic wars from erupting it was the only option. Oil was also important of course. But who liberated the Arabs from the Turkish yoke ? Who was Lawrence of Arabia ? The only problem in the settlement in teh Near East after 1918 was that Turkey was left alive and the Greeks were willingly sacrificed and that the Belfour proclamation was cunningly cicrumvented and no vigorous Jewish state was established in Palestine 1918. This might have had far-reaching propitious consequences. (No holocaust would have taken place). The inertness towards Ibn Saud was also impardonable.

> Whose imperialist policies made Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon etc. The French and the English.

What should they have done instead in your opinion ? Establish a huge pan-Arabic kingdom with King Faysal that would engulf soon the rest of the Arab world , icluding all the European colonies like Algeria ? Give these territories back to Mutafa Kemal's Turkey ?

> Who radicalized the Muslims in the first place?

You don't have to radicalize Moslems. They're per definitionem radicals.

> Gee, maybe the U.S. by supporting totaliterian regimes such as Saddam Husseins, sure its fine to support him while he slaughters thousands of Iranians. But oh no, he might give weapons to al-qaeda so we better stop him now .Who took out a legitimate prime minister in Iran while supporting a King because of this the revoultion took place. How many coups were U.S. led in the region? Who supported the radicalization of Mosques in Pakistan during the 80's in order to send Mujahadeen to fight the soviets Gee I wonder.

You're right here. I willingly admit that. However , the question might be a different one . The Americans "radicalized" and provoked the Russians in a similar way , but why don't the Russians react the way the Moslems do ? Maybe , there is something more elemental and irrational here at work than just external provocation or American malice ?

> And who preaches freedom and democracy while allying themselves with corrupt pigs such as the Saudi Royal family. Who was against pan-Arabism and wishing to take out such leaders such as Gamel Abdel Nasser. Who loves democracy but hates it when it doesnt go their way in the palestinian territories? I wonder.

OK. I know you're right. I also dislike the present American policy and find it self-defeating in the long run. However , don't you think that Islamic theocracy and democracy are mutually exclusive terms?

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