Rhetoric in British Moslem Mosques

Submitted by j (United States), Feb 18, 2007 at 08:47

In his article, Daniel Pipes commented that the establishment of Islamic law is being pursued by violence eg terrorism and through working the system eg obtaining positions of influence and governmental power. He noted that many Moslems do not support terrorism while maintaining the goal of establishing Islamic laws within specific countries.

My response was an agreement that the threat of the establishment of a government with a fundamentalist religious priority is a threat to democracy and presents a threat to tolerance of other religions within a geographic area that is governed by such a government. In this vein, "working the system" is a threat to established governments because once in power, laws can be changed and circumvented and agendas with religious priority can be put forth--much like the US with its suggestion of a gay marriage amendment to our Constitution.

Your example of Iran is a great illustration of the threat of governmental leadership under a person with a fanatical religious agenda. Iran's President is "working the system," because he has achieved a governmental position of power and influence. The threat of nuclear capability of such governmental leadership is frightening. However, laws that existed before 9/11 permit the preemptive prevention of such nuclear advancements before nuclear capability is actualized. Similarly, there is an international agreement that provides for the prosecution for incitement to commit genocide (which would be the destruction of the Jews in Israel). These rules of law have nothing to do with the vague chaos of political policy that has been named our " war on terrorism".

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