ABC News reported Three words suddenly have a lot of Westerners worried and, it must be said, likely making some wrong assumptions about modern Islam. "Yaum al Ghadab" is Arabic for "Day of Rage." When the Qatari Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi called for a Day of Rage this Friday in response to Pope Benedict XVI's remarks about Muslims, it might have sounded like a call for street violence.
Gee, why would it have sounded like that?But if there is trouble Friday, and there could well be, it will not be because of language but because of what some people choose to do after they have answered the call for "Yaum al Ghadab."
Or maybe because they are not sophisticated enough to realize how they are being used.Political manipulation of protest crowds is not a uniquely Islamic idea. It happens in the West, as well.
Rarely with as much violence.But why do Islamic leaders use what many Westerners regard as inflammatory language? Because it is not inflammatory, at least not in the context of Islamic culture.
Then Islamic Culture is pretty warped."We must not try to interpret Islamic terms and cultural signals by using our Western ideas," said Fawaz Gerges, a professor in the department of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies at Sarah Lawrence College, and an ABC News consultant. Gerges pointed out that in Islamic culture "ghadab" means anger or frustration. A day of rage does not mean a day of jihad (war), added Gerges.
It means a day of intimidating the West into fearing war.Mimi Daher, a Muslim woman working in the ABC Jerusalem bureau, explained that the Grand Multi in Jerusalem reflected this cultural mindset today when he said, "Muslims have to express their anger.
Why? Do Christians have a "Day of Rage" everytime some nutcase comes up with some offensive art?Was the pope expecting Muslims to clap their hands to him while hurting their faith and prophet?
No but he was not expecting them to act as they did either. He was seeking to establish a dialog, a discussion, about the inconsistencies between God and violence.Of course not. We call on Muslims throughout the world to react in a disciplined manner, according to our Islamic faith."
"Disciplined manner" is a repeated theme among Islamic moderate leaders who encourage people to protest. As Gerges reminded me, when the cleric al-Qaradawi called for a day of rage, he stressed repeatedly that it should be civilized, urging Muslims to behave with civility and dignity.
Do they know how?"We must show the world that we are still civilized even when we are aggrieved," he said.
You failed.
2 comments:
Hello Don and all,
The straw that breaks the camel's back always follows the results of earlier deeds.
The Pope's choice of words was brain dead, in my humble opinion, if he was seeking to spread peace. He could have appealed for cooler heads and humility from all sides using any other words, but instead he chose to quote Crusade era hypocrisy that was guaranteed to inflame Muslims. Now we see the backtracking and spinning that always follows the gaffes of those afraid of simply telling the truth.
More proof that religion is the opposite of truth, wisdom, and justice
The "infallible" Grand Inquisitor (the pot) sought to lecture Islam (the kettle) about spreading religion through dark deeds by quoting a Dark Ages text while the USA and Europe are in the midst of the Neo-Crusades. The irony and absurdity in this situation is amazing, to say the least. It evidences both the fallacy and fallibility of those who vainly and arrogantly pretend to serve the Creator.
Dear Pope, ever heard of Karma or the golden rule? Ever stop to remember how the Vatican and western nations became so rich and powerful over the centuries? Ever consider giving up your blood drenched wealth and earthly power to end the blatant hypocrisy of your vain, materialistic, and duplicitous empire? Ever think of forgoing your peacock's robes to walk the walk instead of simply talking the talk? Remember the "eye of the needle" and "log and mote in the eye" parables? Is this a demonstration of your infallibility, wisdom, or utter blindness? As another wise one once said; What goes around comes around!
The West has killed far more Muslims (and other dark skins) than they have killed westerners, yet our press and leaders can only see Muslim and "third world" desperation in the face of western military and economic dominance and oppression, (in the name of God and country, by the way), as sources of evil in this world.
Guess what guys and girls, war, violence, and injustice are evil, no matter what the excuse or cause or who is doing it to whom. Anyone who thinks the Creator would judge religion, war, or any other profiteering at the expense of others as wise or acceptable activities has a very big surprise in store.
Here is Wisdom!!
...and here too...
The straw that breaks the camel's back always follows the results of earlier deeds.
Your analogy is a bit flawed. The idea of the straw that breaks the camel's back is that you keep piling on more until the back is broken. Once broken, it does not heal. The rioting and violence that was stirred up following the Pope's speech was very similar to that stirred up by the publication of a few cartoons in Denmark. The twelve that were published were really quite mild, compared to he stuff that is printed daily about Jews in the Muslim press, and it was also quite mild compared to the insulting things that the secular press prints here about Christianity. The additional three that the clerics added to the package to inflame the Muslim street were worse, but still not to the level that Christianity and Judiasm are portrayed. The difference is that we (Christians and Jews) know that it is Satan that is spreading those things, and we are familiar with his tactics. Muslims are being manipulated by totalitarian leaders that know they are oppressing their people, but if they can focus the anger of their people on the West, perhaps the people will not demand a better life from their leaders.
The Pope's choice of words was brain dead, in my humble opinion, if he was seeking to spread peace.
Have you read the entire speech the Pope gave, or have you just read one quotation from the 14th century.
He could have appealed for cooler heads and humility from all sides using any other words, but instead he chose to quote Crusade era hypocrisy that was guaranteed to inflame Muslims. Now we see the backtracking and spinning that always follows the gaffes of those afraid of simply telling the truth.
And the truth is that those that profess peace show their true nature through the violence they espouse.
More proof that religion is the opposite of truth, wisdom, and justice
The "infallible" Grand Inquisitor
Is your use of that phrase your way of saying you like the way things were back then? And when is back then? Do you refer to the Inquisition (Medieval or Episcopal Inquisition, the Spanish Inquisition, the Portuguese Inquisition or the Roman Inquisition). Or are you refering to the a parable told by Ivan to Alyosha in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov (1879-1880)?
(the pot) sought to lecture Islam (the kettle) about spreading religion through dark deeds by quoting a Dark Ages text while the USA and Europe are in the midst of the Neo-Crusades.
Are you serious. If we were engaged in another Crusade you would not stand a chance.
The irony and absurdity in this situation is amazing, to say the least. It evidences both the fallacy and fallibility of those who vainly and arrogantly pretend to serve the Creator.
And how do you suggest the Creator be served, with violence?
Dear Pope, ever heard of Karma or the golden rule? Ever stop to remember how the Vatican and western nations became so rich and powerful over the centuries? Ever consider giving up your blood drenched wealth and earthly power to end the blatant hypocrisy of your vain, materialistic, and duplicitous empire? Ever think of forgoing your peacock's robes to walk the walk instead of simply talking the talk? Remember the "eye of the needle" and "log and mote in the eye" parables? Is this a demonstration of your infallibility, wisdom, or utter blindness? As another wise one once said; What goes around comes around!
The West has killed far more Muslims (and other dark skins) than they have killed westerners,
but not nearly as many as the Muslims themselves have killed.
yet our press and leaders can only see Muslim and "third world" desperation in the face of western military and economic dominance and oppression,
Are you foolish enough to think that Muslims are being oppressed by the West? They are being oppressed by their own leaders, who steal what they can for their own benefit, and rile up those they are oppressing to direct their anger toward the West.
(in the name of God and country, by the way), as sources of evil in this world.
Guess what guys and girls, war, violence, and injustice are evil, no matter what the excuse or cause or who is doing it to whom. Anyone who thinks the Creator would judge religion, war, or any other profiteering at the expense of others as wise or acceptable activities has a very big surprise in store.
I agree. The only question is who it is that will be the most surprised.
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