They all belong on the Group W bench.

I worry about Islamic radicalism, but I’ve gone on ad nauseum about how if all Muslims really hated us we wouldn’t be able to operate in the Middle East – and large parts of western and southern Asia to boot. And I’m also worried that if we pursue a simplistic anti-religious approach to Islam we will create for ourselves much bigger problems than we have now.

Finally, even though I disagree with Skippy on quite a bit, what he wrote was unworthy of him as well- if I were to natter on about inscrutable orientals he would rightly regard me as a wing nut – I don’t even want someone with whom I disagree and whose view of the world I regard as problematic (esp. given his efforts to advance that view with lots of contempt) to say something so shameful.

Several problems yet remain – the Churchill quote you cited is not about Arabs alone, it refers to everyone who accepts “Mohammedinism” – in citing him (and in your argument) you accept that Islam as such is a retarding influence – yet…

to what shoudl Muslims be “moving forward”? European secular politics within the past 50 years have produced countries unable to protect or reproduce themselves, with a great deal of structural unemployment and whose key governing structure, the EU is profoundly anti-democratic. (And do you really want to go back any further into European history – don’t think the Arabs or other Muslims would do so badly in that comparison even throwing in the Armenian genocide). So, are European politics “forward,” backward or twirling in corkscrew fashion (and would that be up or down)? Is that the direction to which all humankind should aspire?

Or perhaps we in the US are the model – a country you have observed is riven with social inequalities, and worse is (almost) half full of Republicans (and their sympathizers) a very large number of whom espouse religious and cultural values you regard with open contempt (but which are remarkably similar to many Muslims’ – Arab and non-Arab – views of such things). And then there is “Blue America” represented by such leaders as Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, and contain luminaries who have praised Iraqi insurgents as minutemen – and their leader/our President, Barack Obama who, according to some sources can’t multi-task domestic and foreign policy, got his start in politics by proclaiming “We have an awesome God” and other efforts to “win back” religious voters for Democrats and has very kind words for Muslims and Arabs. (I presume He would regard your dissing of Islam and Arabs as a real problems given his very first interview was with the media outlet Al-Aribya http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/26/obama-al-arabiya-intervie_n_161127.html ).

Seems to me that Arabs and other Muslims engaged in the Islamicization of politics in much of the Muslim world could point to the expansion of religion in our own public life and Pres. Obama’s deep respect for Islam and consider itself vindicated in adhering to their faith.

Finally, Churchill’s dream of empire included a sustained British presence in the Middle East (and most places, east, west and south of it) – something you regard as a waste of American blood and treasure (who needs oil when we can power our jet fighters on ethanol I presume). How do you square your respect for Churchill’s imperialism with your full throated opposition to our errand in the Mesopotamian wilderness? (And Churchill, like most good British imperialists never bought into a “mission civilitrice” ideal of attacking openly the religious sensibilities of British subjects)?

I am genuinely curious about these apparent contradictions and tensions.

Sincerely,

David

Ps: Could the Bosnian Muslims have had a culture as exalted as that of the Serbs had they been good Christians?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Murder-video-broadcast-stuns-disbelieving-Serbs/2005/06/03/1117568372197.html

They move slowly, and any progress is quickly lost in sea of corruption and religious intolerance…ask any Chinese person what it is like to be born and raised in Malaysia and they quickly talk about wishing they were Singaporean.

500 years ago the West was similarly crippled by the religious fanaticism that gripped it in the form of Christianity, it was only with the Reformation that real progress began there…I wonder if we would be better to hope for a similar enlightenment in the East, or simply agree with Dawkins that all religions stop the progress of man.