Islam as a Mirror
Interesting piece in the Guardian (hat tip: RealClearPolitics) by Timothy Garton Ash that proposes six ways to frame the problem between the West and Islam. The conceit is that the one you choose says as much about you as it does about the Islamic world. Though I don’t agree with all of his conclusions (or premises), it’s a good concept for a column and worth a quick read…
i had my biggest problem with item #2.
it doesn’t go into any type of detail of the differences in/of islam. from the reactionary wahabbi to the docile sufi.
islam had its’ reformation, unlike christianity with it’s words, and selected the sword.
Yeah, I like the concept, but the execution was a little lacking…
Interesting article.
I’d suggest that there’s some truth to at least four of the items, but that they are all so interconnected that it’s hard to imagine an attempt to solve one that wouldn’t also affect others…
For example, modernizing and freeing a muslim, arab state (like, oh, Iraq) will tend to naturally lead to a less medieval arabic culture in that country (addressing #4), a less medieval culture of Islam in that country (addressing #2) resulting in less fundamentalist Islamism in that country (addressing #3), a more gradual societal shift into modernity, unlike the jarring shock experienced by immigration (addressing #6) and more trust of America’s motives in the region (addressing #5). So, it’s not really important which of these factors is the most important — we can work on all of them at once. (And, no, washing our hands of the region is not a good way to address #5.)
In fact, perhaps it’s just watching Galloway spew filth last night — but it occurs to me that the only group that should see no good at all coming from the Iraq war would be those unreformed Stalinists like Galloway who hold that #1 is the primary cause and that the violent suppression of religion by neo-Stalinist Baathists is the best cure for what ails the Middle East.
good comment clint. i liked the way you transferred/tied-in from one item to the next.
here’s a thought. instead of this guy holding up a mirror for it to tell us what we are. why not get islam to hold a mirror up to see itself?………nnnaaaaaaahhhhhhh