Slavery of the Mind

This piece over at The American Thinker and linked to by Ace of Spades at this post, raises an issue that bothers me more and more:

Within the emancipating and accommodating haven of liberty, those who wish to remain Muslim can retain and practice the good teachings of Islam but renounce intolerance, hatred and violence. It takes great effort and courage to ascend from the degrading pit of slavery to the mount of emancipation. Yet, it is both possible and exhilarating to do it, since many have done so successfully and happily. As more and more people leave the shackles of religious slavery, more and more will follow and the long-suffering Muslims, victimized by Islam itself for far too long, will be a free people in charge of their own life and destiny. It is a painful process of growing up, of asserting one’s coming of age, and marching lockstep with the free members of the human race.

Slavery of the mind is as evil as the slavery of the body. Islamofacism enslaves them both.

A friend who's best friend is a Muslim American woman (no headscarf, no Mosque attendence, no religiosity) and I had an illuminating discussion today that references the highlighted text. This friend of a friend "doesn't watch the news, she's not interested in politics or wars" stated my friend. Really? Now this is interesting. Has she ever renounced the violence of her Muslim brothers to you, a Jew? "Well, no." Has she ever expressed distress that thousands of innocent people are murdered in the name of her religion? "Well, no." Is she a "moderate" Muslim or do you assume that because she never talks about it? I ask. "Well, I don't know."

Then I launched. What bothers me is that the presumably "moderate" American Muslim sit quietly or more likely, let CAIR speak for them, which is not moderate at all and say nothing. Would that a moderate American Muslim loudly denounce this "slavery of the mind". This friend of a friend either metaphorically runs around living her lovely, wealthy, happy, free American life with her fingers in her ears singing "la la la la" and pretending the world isn't burning and her religion's extremist nuts aren't the cause or she really, secretly supports the terrorists and hopes to live in a world under sharia law, where people enthusiastically cut their forheads and scream to anyone who will listen Allah Akabar!!! Woo hoo!

Where are these "moderates"? I know some. I see them. I have yet to hear the denounciation. Living free and lovin' it does not count, not at times like this. If the tide is to turn, regular Muslim schmos are going to have to find their courage and voice this denounciation.

What, are they, too, afraid? Why be afraid? Islam is the "religioni of peace."

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As an aside, Ace quotes Thomas Sowell before the link to the aboved quoted post. Sowell, as usual, is incisive:

Fanatics filled with hate cannot be either deterred or bought off, whether Hezbollah, Hamas or the government of Iran.

...

Humiliation and hate go together. Why humiliation? Because a once-proud, dynamic culture in the forefront of world civilizations, and still carrying a message of their own superiority to "infidels" today, is painfully visible to the whole world as a poverty-stricken and backward region, lagging far behind in virtually every field of human endeavor.

There is no way that they can catch up in a hundred years, even if the rest of the world stands still. And they are not going to wait a hundred years to vent their resentments and frustrations at the humiliating position in which they find themselves.

Israel's very existence as a modern, prosperous western nation in their midst is a daily slap across the face. Nothing is easier for demagogues than to blame Israel, the United States, or western civilization in general for their own lagging position.

Hitler was able to rouse similar resentments and fanaticism in Germany under conditions not nearly as dire as those in most Middle East countries today. The proof of similar demagogic success in the Middle East is all around.

...

These are the kinds of people we are talking about getting nuclear weapons. And what of ourselves?

Fanatics filled with hate cannot be either deterred or bought off, whether Hezbollah, Hamas or the government of Iran.

...

Humiliation and hate go together. Why humiliation? Because a once-proud, dynamic culture in the forefront of world civilizations, and still carrying a message of their own superiority to "infidels" today, is painfully visible to the whole world as a poverty-stricken and backward region, lagging far behind in virtually every field of human endeavor.

There is no way that they can catch up in a hundred years, even if the rest of the world stands still. And they are not going to wait a hundred years to vent their resentments and frustrations at the humiliating position in which they find themselves.

Israel's very existence as a modern, prosperous western nation in their midst is a daily slap across the face. Nothing is easier for demagogues than to blame Israel, the United States, or western civilization in general for their own lagging position.

Hitler was able to rouse similar resentments and fanaticism in Germany under conditions not nearly as dire as those in most Middle East countries today. The proof of similar demagogic success in the Middle East is all around.

...

These are the kinds of people we are talking about getting nuclear weapons. And what of ourselves?

Go read everything.