What is it about the Muslim world, that it is capable of going to violent contortions over mere words? See the first article linked below for examples of Church burnings and other "expressions of Muslim outrage" prompted by the Pope's words, and the second article below showing the childish and stupid Muslim "tit for tat" reaction against the Christian world (akin to the Iranian government campaign of some months ago to find the funniest Holocaust cartoons following the Danish Muslim cartoon furor). What lack of positive self image does an entire people and its leaders have that they are prepared to kill over any verbal slight, real or imagined? What do we have in common with them and how do we reach an accomodation where we can at least live on the same planet, particularly as they obtain all sorts of more dangerous weapons and the means to deliver them?
We know that not all Muslims are this crazy (though public opinion polls would indicate that too may of them are), but we do not see enough leadership from Muslim moderates, many of whom are cowed into silence by threatening radicals. So, to follow up on my posting of this morning ("The Islamization of Morocco"), how do we help the moderates obtain a stronger voice and prevail? How do we help dampen the urge to Islamic extremism? Is it even possible?
It might help a bit to ask the Pope to stop making bonehead comments (even if somewhat true today), but there is more to it than that -- some positive progress can come from our own actions and words (as I start to write in "The Islamization of Morocco"), but a lot of it must come from the reformation of the Muslim world's thought processes and absolutist, uncompromising world view. One (our words and actions) will hopefully help the other along, or we are in big trouble and will be forced to think in more violent alternatives.
Demagogue: The Pope and Muslim Reaction
Is it More Insulting to Portray the Pope as a Nazi than the Prophet Muhammed as a Suicide Bomber?
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