Sometimes, it just depends on who says it...
The muslim world (if there is such a thing) shouldn't be neatly defined as an X or a Y because the countries it encompasses are very, very different. Yet some common bond is supporting many of their citizens' feeling that America should be punished (the reasons for the punishment differ, but the usual suspects of Palestine, injustice, and Iraq occur frequently). If the common bond isn't religion, then what is it? And is it wrong to notice that culture and development do seem to have some link in modern societies?
BBC NEWS | Europe | OIC chief attacks Islamic world
What are we to make of the retiring head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference's claim that some of the powerlessness driving feelings of resentment against the west is a direct function of low social development within muslim countries?
It seems to me that when someone in the west (America, specifically) says something like this, then many people feel that cultural prejudice is more responsible for the comments than is truth.
If the OIS leader says it, can it now be considered legitimate truth open to debated?
Thoughts?
1 Comments:
The common bond that Muslims have is the Koran. Even where it's not read, it's there: the seminal seed of the culture. A global culture. And it's a nutty book. OK, specifically it's an irresponsible, mean-spirited power-fantasy. Just open it up and read a surah. Nice, that stuff, huh? And we're not even allowed to call it "divisive" in the popular press without offending. It's a real tribute to the human soul that people who revere that book are still, on the whole, a perfectly normal set of people. Just like everyone else.
But how beautiful is Arabic sung from the Koran. From the mouth of Gabriel. Sure, I'll buy it. Such a song, even for those who've heard it their whole lives -- they tell me it still has the origional intensity. But even something that good has got to be held accountable. Civilization's learned it can't afford anything beyond good and evil.
11:22 PM
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