working howling

Mosque Rant

I can't remember the last time I did a "rant" blog which means either that it's been a long time or my memory is getting worse. In any case, this one is just a rant. It's mostly about that stupid mosque in NY, and related issues I think the left has some trouble with. First, a few facts regarding that particular building...

It is a part of something called the <a href="http://www.cordobainitiative.org/">Cordoba Initiative</a> which was founded by a man named Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf in 2004. If you care about the issue, you would do well to read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordoba_House"> wiki on Cordoba House</a>. Why was it named "Cordoba"? Why have they now been trying to get it renamed to "Park 51"? Although many other things are said to be included in the proposed 13-story building, it appears that a mosque is a must. Why?

Both the left and right, at least the talking heads on TV, are way to quick to react negatively to something the alleged "other side" has said or done (Fox News and Shirley Sherrod, for example on the right -- MSNBC on the left in this issue for example), not on any merits but simply because its origin is thought to be "the other side". I think this is a stupid reaction, unworthy of any thoughtful person. One of the things the left does too much is to WAY overuse the word hate, which I think should be reserved for persons, things, or ideas who truly earn the appellation. Simply not liking a person, thing or idea does NOT equate to hating it. Although there is certainly some "hate" involved in some of the reasons that some people oppose this building, I insist there are very good reasons for opposing it. My main reason for opposing it is that I consider it a slap in the face to New York and to this country.

I do not think that because I have that mysterious disease, "Islamophobia". I do hate and loathe Islam with a passion (likewise Christianity and all such idiocies), but that is not relevant to my position on that particular mosque. I'm told there is a mosque only a couple of blocks away that has been there 30 years or more. I have no problem with that mosque or any others, any more than I have a problem with churches or synagogues. I have a very big problem with THAT mosque because I am convinced that the major reason that inclusion of THAT mosque seems non-negotiable is the same reason the original Cordoba House was built in Spain...after the Muslim conquest of Spain... a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate_of_C%C3%B3rdoba"> symbol of conquest</a>.

Even though there are a handful of Christians left who try - and sometimes succeed - to kill enemies like gays and abortion doctors, and some still try to beat the demons out of loved ones, modern Christianity in the Western World bears almost no resemblance to the Christianity of three to four centuries ago. I see no reason to think this kind of evolution will ever occur in Islam, certainly not within our lifetimes. The oft-stated goal of Islam is to quit literally conquer the entire world for Allah. This means that the intent, the goal is to make every human on the planet proclaim themselves Muslim, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizya"> pay the Jizya</a>, or die. There are no other choices. I think this will be the goal of Islam as long as Islam exists.

According to a story published last year, "...there are around 85 Sharia courts currently operating in Britain, of which merely a dozen work within the British legal system." <a href="http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-08-17/sharia-court-uk-islam.html"> Source</a>. Really? How many Sharia courts are in the US so far? I'm not aware of any. Yet. But remember the flap with Muslims demanding Facebook adhere to Sharia Law? <a href="http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-17009-Freethought-Examiner~y2010m7d11-Muslims-demand-Facebook-adhere-to-Islamicsharia-law"> Source</a>.

Islam is not "just" a religion in the sense that most modern religions are practiced today. Islam is about absolute control of every facet of life, cultural, political, religious, economic, and everything else you can think of. There is NO "tolerance" in Islam except when a superior power enforces it. Islam is a very real "Borg". You will be assimilated or annihilated. I don't think that the passage of lifetimes and generations and centuries and millennia does anything to dilute this in any way. To the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mujahideen">mujahid</a> martyr, it is irrelevant whether world domination is achieved in his lifetime or whether he is blessed to die in the service of that goal.

I had hoped to read a "presentation" the aforementioned Imam made in 2007, called "The Role of Islamic States in a Globalized World." Interfaith Dialogue Against the Secularization of Nature, Moral Values and Politics. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Institute of Islamic Understanding – Malaysia, July 17-18, 2007. mentioned on <a href="http://www.cordobainitiative.org/?q=content/imam-feisal-abdul-rauf">this page</a>, but I could find no link. "...Dialogue Against ...Secularization..."? Really? How welcome do you think non-believers might be if Islam ruled? I did find something called the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56692653446"> Iranian Secular Society</a> over on the Facepalm. A glimmer of hope! But it seems the society is based in the UK. Surprise.

I'm not completely ignorant of the past history of Islam. I know there was a kind of "enlightenment" period in which many Islamic scholars made great contributions to science and medicine, etc. There were voices of reason...check out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_ibn_Zakariya_al-Razi#On_Religion"> al-Razi on religion</a>. But that was like... a thousand years ago.

Can the proposed mosque be stopped? Highly unlikely. I think that was a consideration as well. As far as I can tell there is nothing that could legally be done to prevent it. It's private property. They can build whatever they like. Nothing short of the government invoking <a href="http://www.expertlaw.com/library/real_estate/eminent_domain.html"> eminent domain</a> could probably stop it. That's about as likely as a visit from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_the_Martian"> Marvin the Martian</a>. I can hope that I am wrong about the future course of Islam. <a href="http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1254573498385&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout">Is this hope</a>? I look at some European countries which, in their eagerness to embrace "tolerance" and multiculturalism, even consider Sharia law...and I REALLY hope I'm wrong. As an atheist I'd much rather deal with the Christianity we currently have than the Islam of the Middle East.

Tolerance is a great thing...to a point. To the point where you become a doormat.

"Consider the source" is usually good advice...so is "Don't shoot the messenger".

And now for something completely retro... I used to correspond often with a feller who is an anarchist and a bit of a Luddite and I read his magazine. Somehow we lost touch and I recently discovered that someone has done a wiki page on both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Woodworth"> Fred Woodworth</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Match!">The Match!</a> Irony.

TRB