[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Exasperation

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Exasperation
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1158678024.shtml


   The Christian Science Monitor writes on [1]"Avoiding Religious Slings
   and Arrows"

     ..bridge-building between Christians and Muslims would certainly be
     easier if both sides in this case took more care. The Pope's talk
     could have been more sensitive. For instance, in its denunciation
     of violence as a means of religious conversion - certainly a valid
     warning - it singled out Islam, never mentioning Christianity's own
     historic failings. And the talk played down the stature of the
     Koran's message of no religious compulsion by inaccurately placing
     it in time.

     Meanwhile, Muslim reaction in some quarters reinforces the image of
     a violent, intolerant religion. Palestinians attacked several
     churches. Demonstrators in India and Iraq burned an effigy of the
     pope. A Somali cleric said anyone who offends Muhammad should be
     "killed on the spot," and shortly after a nun in that country was
     shot and killed.

   So, the problem is, the Christian side should have been more
   'sensitive' and the Muslim side shouldn't have murdered the nun,
   burned 7 churches and threatened to kill the Pope?

   Jesus Christ.

   Islamist actions aren't meant to provoke an interfaith dialogue. Their
   goal is to exert political dominance; to show Muslims and all the
   world that they are more powerful than the law, the government and the
   Vatican.

   They also want to prove that they dominate the press but that's so
   obvious they hardly have to bother.

   If we react with apologies and appeasement, we may, if we grovel
   enough, temporarily soothe their manufactured outrage. But we're also
   know that we're encouraging the next batch of manufactured violence
   and outrage, which is always right around the corner. Because the
   Danish Cartoons, flushed Korans, Papal quotes, etc. aren't the issue.
   The Islamists' ability to dominate us is.

   We're not going to win the war on terrorism until we can win the
   dominance game - we need to show Muslims and the rest of the world
   that we're more powerful than the Islamists. We don't need guns or
   even rotten tomatoes to do it. All we have to do is refuse to
   [2]grovel, soothe and appease in response to their violent actions.

   Here's one of the few grovel-free responses out there, from
   [3]Australian Prime Minister John Howard:

     Muslims protesting over the Pope's comments that offended Islam are
     overreacting and should move on, Prime Minister John Howard says...

     .."My, I suppose, exasperation, would be that of many people in
     Australia that OK, they may not like what his holiness said - and
     whether he should have said it or not is in a sense beside the
     point - but we are meant to believe in free speech and we are meant
     to not overreact.

     "It's very important with these things that people don't
     overreact."

     Mr Howard said Cardinal Pell had acted appropriately in defending
     the head of his church and would not have intended to insult
     anyone.

     "I think we should all take a deep breath in these things and all
     have a sense of proportion," he said.

     "We seem to be living in a world where people have no sense of
     proportion.

     "OK, they don't like what was said.

     "I'm sure the Pope was not intending to attack Islam, he's
     expressed his regrets and I think we should really move on."

     His comments echo those of leading Australian Muslim leader, Dr
     Ameer Ali, who said on Tuesday that Australian Muslims must accept
     the Pope's apology and move on..

   Why isn't everyone saying that? It's common sense, it puts things in
   perspective and its just not that hard.

References

   1. http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20060919/cm_csm/epope
   2. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/opinion/16sat2.html?ex=1316059200&en=55dd46982dc29167&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
   3. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=145763