MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

Good article. Please read in full …

By Bob Taylor, The Washington Times – “On November 7, 2012, Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch debated Boston College philosopher, Dr. Peter Kreeft, on the topic Is the Only Good Muslim a Bad Muslim? The title alone was thought provoking using the premise that in the eyes of a Westerner a ‘good’ Muslim is considered a ‘bad’ Muslim from the point of view of an Islamic extremist.

In daily conversations and media so-called ‘good’ Muslims are typically labeled as ‘moderates’ today.

The debate was moderated by John Zmirak who later wrote a story for Crisis Magazine with his observations about the evening’s event. A full transcript of the conversation can be found at the end of Spencer’s book Not Peace but a Sword: The Great Chasm between Christianity & Islam.

Among the most fascinating aspects of the dialogue was the context of the word ‘ignorance’ which has distinctly different meanings for both sides of the argument. Many observers, be they educated analysts or average Arab citizens on the street, emphasize that much of what drives Islamic extremism is ignorance that is frequently combined with poverty and a submissive mentality.

The word ‘Islam’ itself means ‘submission’ which translates to signify blind obedience, even if it results in death.

Spencer uses a more philosophical approach to his description but his meaning is the same when he writes, ‘In his absolute and unfettered sovereignty, Allah had doomed the Islamic world to over a millennium of intellectual stagnation and anti-intellectualism. A recurring idea in the Islamic world is that the Qur’an and Sunnah contain all that is needed for the proper functioning of human society, and everything else is either superfluous or heretical.’

That paragraph speaks volumes about the irreconcilable differences between the Arab world and the West for more than 1,400 years.

An article by Hadi Yahmad, chief editor of the Tunisian daily newspaper Al-Haqaiq, expressed a similar view on September 11 when he wrote, ‘We must acknowledge without shame that we in the Arab and Islamic region have become a breeding ground for terrorists… due to (our) cultural and ideological backwardness.’

Yahmed continues to chastise the Arab-Islamic mindset by saying it fails to recognize its own weaknesses while blaming others for all that is culturally wrong in Arabic society.  ‘(How) many of us have never asked themselves (sic) why these horrors, massacres, and cold-blooded murders take place on our lands?! Must we always lay the blame on others, so that we can (continue) to deny (reality), to forget (it) and to wreak vengeance?!…’

It is here that the debate takes on new meaning and the word ‘ignorance’ changes context. Spencer’s analysis of ‘ignorance’ as defined by Western media provides powerful insights as to why it is so difficult to negotiate with the Islamic world.” Read more.

Flashback: Think About It

• A Few Simple Questions for Muslim Visitors
• Radical Islam Is, In Truth, The Normative Islam
• Saudi Cleric: Legalize Slavery Because ‘Slavery Is A Part Of Islam’
• Muslim Husband Beats Wife, Tells Police His Islamic Religion Allows It
• Reality Check: How Peaceful Is ‘The Most Peaceful’ Verse In The Qur’an?
• Arab Writer: Islam’s Uncivilized ‘Civilization’ Has Accomplished Nothing, ‘Philosophy And Logic Are Considered Heresy In Islam’