I hear that a group of Canadian Muslims is en route to Iraq to plead with the Swords of Righteousness. That's the group that has kidnapped two Canadians, one American and one Briton and threatened to kill them by Thursday if all Iraqis are released from American and Iraqi prisons.
Admirable, brave...and wrongheaded.
There's no pleading with these people, particularly by Canadian Muslims...which, to the Swords of Righteousness, is a contradiction in terms. If you're a true Muslim, according to this lunatic fringe, you're obligated to be in Iraq killing westerners. And if you're not a true Muslim, by definition, you're just as marked for death.
When will the Canadian government, and Canadians in general, understand this? These aren't people who will be shut up if you throw a nice cushy grant their way. Diplomacy does not work in the Muslim world, and it hasn't for centuries. You can't bargain with a fundamentalist...of any faith. Their minds are made up.
Maybe when Canadians start being killed in cold blood, our government's attitude will change. It sure would be nice to see. Canada is by nature a peace-loving and peaceable nation. But sometimes it is necessary to demonstrate what you are by being something you're not--and we have a history of demonstrating that rather well. Think Vimy Ridge.
3 comments:
Hi,
Although I understand your point of view, I am offended by the comment, "Diplomacy does not work in the Muslim world." In many of the countries I assume you are referring to by your use of the all-encompassing term "Muslim world", corrupted leadership passes itself off as Muslim, while not adhering to the teachings of the Qu'ran. Those who follow Islam faithfully (yes, even outside of the more liberal "West") know that the Qu'ran challenges Muslims to be gentle, peaceful and respectful people. Fundamentalists of any sort (as you point out) are, of course, a different matter.
The same gross overgeneralization could be made by anyone who does not understand Christianity, and sees the completely desipicable actions of George Bush (or many others who identify themselves as Christian) as representative of the "Christian world"
Just my two cents.
Anon, I'm sorry to have offended. I should have been clearer. I WAS referring to fundamentalists, not peaceful and peaceable Muslims the world over, and I should not have generalized.
The holy texts of both Islam and Christianity can be interpreted to mean all sorts of things, some of which are deplorable in the extreme. That's why I don't hold with organized religion of any sort: too exclusionary and, you'll pardon the expression, 'holier-than-thou'.
In future I will try to make the distinction between followers of Islam and Islamicist terrorists.
Thanks. :)
Post a Comment