Leftist Opinion Writers Continue the Same Old Islamist Apologist Meme
By Rizzuto

Wed Apr 02, 2008 - No surprise that this article from the LA Times was co-written by a college professor and a pollster. It repeats the same old tired assertion that American Ignorance is the root cause of misunderstanding between Muslims and the West. First, I have to laugh at the assertion that a somewhat negative this type of view of Islamic culture is limited to America...because as we know, Muslims have cultivated a wonderful reputation for themselves (just ask the Indians, Danes, Israelis, Lebanese Christians, English, Russians, etc...)
Winning hearts and minds -- the Bush administration, foreign policy wonks, even the U.S. military agree that this is the key to any victory over global terrorism. Yet our public diplomacy program has made little progress on improving America's image. Few seem to recognize that American ignorance of Islam and Muslims has been the fatal flaw.

How much do Americans know about the views and beliefs of Muslims around the world? According to polls, not much. Perhaps not surprising, the majority of Americans (66%) admit to having at least some prejudice against Muslims; one in five say they have "a great deal" of prejudice. Almost half do not believe American Muslims are "loyal" to this country, and one in four do not want a Muslim as a neighbor.

Why should such anti-Muslim bias concern us? First, it undermines the war on terrorism: Situations are misdiagnosed, root causes are misidentified and bad prescriptions do more harm than good. Second, it makes our public diplomacy sound like double-talk. U.S. diplomats are trying to convince Muslims around the world that the United States respects them and that the war on terrorism is not out to destroy Islam. Their task is made infinitely more difficult by the frequent airing of anti-Muslim sentiment on right-wing call-in radio, which is then heard around the world on the Internet.
I am so sick and tired of hearing the same apologist meme that says it's our lack of understanding that causes the tension between Western and Muslim cultures, and that this lack of understanding is fundamentally the product of American ignorance. From what I've seen, Islamic culture doesn’t seem to be the bastion of forward thinking and progress. Even worse, these authors have the audacity to claim that "right-wing call-in radio" is one of the greatest barrier to a true understanding between the two cultures.

Women summarily executed to the delight of packed soccer stadium. Right-wing call-in radio?

Homosexuals hung from cranes in Iran. Right-wing call-in radio?

Woman sentenced to stoning for having sex out of wedlock. Right-wing call-in radio?

Woman sentenced to jail, and her head demanded for allowing her school class to name a teddy bear Mohammed. Right-wing call-in radio?

Savages bomb and gun down children in an elementary school in Beslan? Right-wing call-in radio?

School children taught to believe Christians and Jews are the sons of pigs and apes. Right-wing call-in radio?

A generation of toddlers taught that martyrdom will give them the ultimate reward in the afterlife. Right-wing call-in radio?

Folks it's time to start asking a real question here, one that these leftists have never even thought to ask. We hear over and over again that we have to win the "hearts and minds" of Muslims. That we haven’t reached out enough. That it's up to Americans to extend the olive branch. My question is, what have Muslims done to win OUR hearts and minds? Why must we be blamed for the disconnect between the two cultures?

The Islamic world seems to have little care for the fact that the most recognizable outreach group is Al Qaeda, and that their favorite method of speaking to us is through murder. If billions of Muslims truly are outraged by the actions of Islamic terrorists the let them rise up and crush the extremists in their midst. Until then, their face has a huge wart that the world can't help but notice.

But maybe I'm being a little short sighted and obtuse. Perhaps I should just be happy that their are op-ed writers brave enough to tell me that my ignorance stands in the way of bridge building between western civilization and a barbaric culture of women hating, gay bashing, xenophobes.





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Comments : 4 Comments

mfee01 commented, on April 2, 2008 at 5:34 p.m.:

Oh please the vast majority or Muslims feel that we need to be destroyed or converted. If not we would not see 10's of thousands of them on TV chanting "death to America" and burning our flag. Where are so called moderates when that is going on? out having a Falafel? The ONLY thing these people understand is violence and untill we are willing to match them blood for blood then we will continue to suffer at their oppressive, murdering, raping, hands.

stormin commented, on April 3, 2008 at 9:01 a.m.:

I really have to disagree with the premise that Islam is inherently "a barbaric culture of women hating, gay bashing xenophobes". That describes radical Islam. It does not describe all Islam.

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari (Former Dean of Islamic Law, Qatar University): "We have not succeeded in making our children love life. We have taught them how to die for the sake of Allah, but we haven't taught them how to live for the sake of Allah."

Sheik Mubarak Lamhiri: "Dear brothers, [the terrorists] belong to the enemies of Islam. People who distort the image of Islam belong to the enemies.'

Both quotes from this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QDPzPgkr4vk The first 4 minutes detail Islamic extremism. The last 2 minutes depict moderate Islam, including large rallies from Iran in 2001 changing "Death to terrorists".

Daniel Pipes (Director, Middle East Forum): "It would be a terrible disservice to those Muslims who are liberal, who are democratic, who are moderate, who want to live a civilized life, to throw them in with the barbarians because they are on the right side. And, more than that, they have a great deal to offer in the war against militant Islam"

I'm not going to argue if the moderate Muslims are 1% or 99% of all Muslims. The fact is they are there, and they are not barbarians, and they don't deserve to be called barbarians, and it would be in the interest of the War on Terror to stop lumping them in with the terrorists and start building some bridges.



Rizzuto commented, on April 3, 2008 at 9:55 a.m.:

Nah, I'm pretty happy with my assessment and I'm not going to apologize or back away from it. I'm well aware of both of those quotes and I'm not lumping all Muslims into the same boat.

stormin commented, on April 3, 2008 at 11:07 a.m.:

Well, if you're not lumping all Muslims in together, than I've got no beef with your post. But lines like this: "The Islamic world..." make it sound as though you *are* lumping all Muslims together.

I think your questions (what is the Muslim world doing to reach out to us?) are entirely fair. I think the attempt to smear right-wing talk radio is infantile or dishonest. Probably both. I just *also* think that questions like "why don't we hear more protest from moderate Islam" shouldn't be rhetorical.