David T at Harry’s Place has the right attitude towards fundamentalist Islam.
"There is nothing alien and exotic about islamism, in either its content or its style. The extremists of the islamic and christian/post-christian worlds share a common heritage; they are both self conscious revolts in the romantic tradition against modernism and liberalism.
"Well, we’ve lived through these battles in England and America. We’re surviving their aftershocks, still."
Oppose it. But don’t turn it into the bogeyman that’s going to destroy society as we know it, or you’re doing exactly the same thing as the loons who fear conspiracies of lizards/Jews/Bildebergers…
Let me know when Icke’s lizards book a Quaker Hall.
Not that I’m suggesting David T is wrong, I just think your extension of his argument is wrong.
What relativist crap. Sorry, but it just doesn’t even pass the giggle test. Ask Theo van Gogh who he’d rather meet in a dark alley: a member of the Salvation Army, or a mujahideen. Shit, a bright, Tuesday morning street full of people for that matter. Here’s the real test: given the choice (and assuming you have to make it), would you invite in for dinner a Wahabbist or Jehova’s Witness?
Answer 1: The Salvation Army Member, because they’re more likely to embrace fuzzy relativistic Liberal values such as not wanting to attack me because I disagree with them.
Answer 2: The Jehova’s Witness, because they’re more likely to embrace fuzzy relativistic Liberal values such as not wanting to attack me because I disagree with them.
Incidentally, I’d also choose the Sally Ann or the Witness over a Gun Totin’ Libertarian extremist, for precisely the same reasons.
Eric – interesting you mention Bakri: Jon Ronson’s Them makes a pretty convincing case (based on months of following Bakri around) that he’s just another crazy, deluded fantasist in the Icke mould.
Timbeaux – I’d rather have dinner with an Islamic fundamentalist joker like Bakri than a scumbag like Fred Phelps. I’d be neutral between Bakri and a randomly selected JW. Obviously I’d rather invite in a random Christian than someone like Zarqawi, because I like having a head.
John: you would need to do a quick leg count first. It’s only the two-legged Zarqawi that chops off heads; the one-legged Zaraqwi was more of a training and human resources type for Al-Qaeda.
"Gun Totin’ Libertarian Extremists" make everyone around them safer. I certainly feel safer being around myself.
That says it all, really.