Here's that
Times story I was looking for in class:
KABUL, Afghanistan — The mullah was astounded and a little angered to be asked why the accidental burning of Korans last month could provoke violence nationwide, while an intentional mass murder that included nine children last Sunday did not.
“How can you compare the dishonoring of the Holy Koran with the martyrdom of innocent civilians?” said an incredulous Mullah Khaliq Dad, a member of the council of religious leaders who investigated the Koran burnings. “The whole goal of our life is religion.” (continues)
“It is not at all clear how we should proceed in our dialogue with the Muslim world. But deluding ourselves with euphemisms and pandering to the religious sensitivities of Muslims is not the answer. There is much about Islamic culture that should appall us. The treatment of women in Muslim communities throughout the world is unconscionable. All civilized nations must unite in condemnation of a theology that now threatens to destabilize much of the earth. Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their coreligionists. Otherwise, we will have to win some very terrible wars in the future.” -Sam Harris
ReplyDeleteGo Jamie Go.
Afghanistan in particular is a deeply screwed up place. I agree completely with the quote from Sam Harris. I'm actually a bit amazed and taken with admiration that he would say something like the end there about Muslim moderates. I agree with Sam Harris AND Dean in the same day? Truly this is a day of miracles! :)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting article Professor Oliver. I am going to be very interested to see what happens as this continues to develop, particularly how the investigation and trial is carried out.
I too was surprised by Sam's olive-branch to us moderates, who I thought he considered "enablers."
ReplyDeleteI take him to mean that he would much rather be engaged in a war of words and ideas with moderates, than a war of bullets and bombs with extremists.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of a quote I saw about the Muslim Brotherhood in the Egyptian Revolution, I don't remember the name of the political analyst, but the rough paraphrase was something like: There are two kinds of extremism, extremism of ends and extremism of means. If someone wants radical and extreme outcomes that seem really regressive for society, but isn't willing to "do whatever it takes" to get there, then you talk to people and work within the system and hopefully you beat them at the polls, that's democracy.
ReplyDelete