MUDDLED THINKING.

Submitted by Jeannette Morrison (United States), Jul 3, 2003 at 15:02

"One of the challenges facing America after Sept. 11 is how to deal with Islam. There is a need to understand the Muslim community, its history and its traditions. Who is better placed to act as a bridge than the scholar of Islam?
What better challenge for Daniel Pipes than to assist in creating genuine dialogue with the Muslim community?"

THIS IS A QUOTE FROM PROFESSOR AKBAR S. AHMED's article, and it is misleading, for while other passages in this article clearly show that Professor Pipes is well-versed on and sympathetic to Islam as a mainstream religion and culture, the conclusion fails to give Professor Pipes any credit for his scholarship and deep understanding of these issues, and leaves the reader with the impression that Pipes hasn't really done enough to understand the Muslim world.
This will not help create good will and get Muslims to appreciate Professor Pipes' fair and thoughtful attitude towards them as a group. Rather, this article will leave them with the impression that, at best, he does not understand their culture, and more likely, that he has an anti-Muslim bias.

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