[Nasional-e] Re: [Nasional] Coping with immigrants- "US/West vs Islam is unavoidable"

[nasional-e@polarhome.com]

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Comment : US/West vs Islam is unavoidable ! FACT : The rich guys with more=20
money and more toys against the impoverished guys with some money but almost=
=20
no toys. The leaders on both sides definitely know the probable end result.=20
Suicide bombers are spectacular but futile and contrary to the belief that i=
t=20
will win the war, it only breeds more hate. Remember the Japanese in WW II =20
tried Kamikaze in desperation too - it did not work. There must, can and=20
should be a better way out ! Below is a picture of the change on the=20
political scene in the US:

Bush too easy on Islam, some of his backers say=20
By Dana Milbank
The Washington Post
           =20

WASHINGTON =E2=80=94 President Bush finds himself in a rare disagreement wit=
h=20
conservatives in his party over his efforts to portray Islam as a peaceful=20
religion that is not responsible for anti-American terrorism.=20

In a score of speeches since last year's Sept. 11 attacks, the president has=
=20
called for tolerance of Muslims, describing Islam as "a faith based upon=20
peace and love and compassion" and a religion committed to "morality and=20
learning and tolerance." But a large number of foreign-policy hawks =E2=80=
=94 some of=20
them with advisory roles in the Bush administration =E2=80=94 have joined re=
ligious=20
conservatives in taking issue with Bush's characterizations. While most of=20
them understand the political rationale for Bush's statements =E2=80=94 ther=
e's no=20
benefit in antagonizing Muslim allies such as Pakistan and Indonesia =E2=80=
=94 they=20
say the claim is dishonest and destined to fail. For Bush and for the=20
country, the outcome of the argument is crucial. The administration and=20
moderate governments in Arab and Muslim nations are struggling to prevent th=
e=20
war on terrorism from becoming what Osama bin Laden wants: a war of=20
civilization between the Judeo-Christian West and a resentful, impoverished=20
Muslim world. Calling Islam a peaceful religion "is an increasingly hard=20
argument to make," said Kenneth Adelman, a former Reagan official who serves=
=20
on the Bush Pentagon's Defense Policy Board. "The more you examine the=20
religion, the more militaristic it seems. After all, its founder, Mohammed,=20
was a warrior, not a peace advocate like Jesus." Another member of the=20
Pentagon advisory board, Eliot Cohen of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced=
=20
International Studies, wrote an article on The Wall Street Journal editorial=
=20
page arguing that the U.S. enemy is not terrorism "but militant Islam." "The=
=20
enemy has an ideology, and an hour spent surfing the Web will give the=20
average citizen at least the kind of insights that he or she might have foun=
d=20
during World Wars I and II by reading 'Mein Kampf' or the writings of Lenin,=
=20
Stalin or Mao." Cohen acknowledges it is impolitic and "deeply uncomfortable=
"=20
for the administration to say such things: "Nobody would like to think that=20=
a=20
major world religion has a deeply aggressive and dangerous strain in it =E2=
=80=94 a=20
strain often excused or misrepresented in the name of good feelings. But=20
uttering uncomfortable and unpleasant truths is one of the things that=20
defines leadership." At the same time, social conservatives are resisting=20
Bush's efforts to portray Islam in a favorable light. "Islam is at war=20
against us," Paul Weyrich, an activist who is influential in the White House=
,=20
wrote recently. "I have had much good to say about President Bush in recent=20
months. But one thing that concerned me before September 11th and concerns m=
e=20
even more now is his administration's constant promotion of Islam as a=20
religion of peace and tolerance just like Judaism or Christianity. It is=20
neither." Bush last month distanced himself from virulent anti-Islamic=20
remarks made by a number of U.S. religious leaders. "Some of the comments=20
that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my=20
government or the sentiments of most Americans," the president said in the=20
Oval Office before a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. "Islam,=
=20
as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a=20
religion that respects others. Ours is a country based upon tolerance, Mr.=20
Secretary General, and we respect the faith and we welcome people of all=20
faiths in America." Bush's remarks came after religious broadcaster Pat=20
Robertson was reported as saying that "Adolf Hitler was bad, but what the=20
Muslims want to do to the Jews is worse." Another religious conservative, th=
e=20
Rev. Jerry Falwell, referred to the prophet Mohammed as a "terrorist" before=
=20
later apologizing. The Rev. Franklin Graham, who spoke at Bush's=20
inauguration, has called Islam "evil." Lesser-known religious leaders have=20
been downright vulgar in their descriptions of Mohammed. In an interview wit=
h=20
the Washington Times, an unapologetic Robertson complained that Bush "is not=
=20
elected as chief theologian" and objected again to Bush's description of=20
Islam as peaceful. Muslim Americans worry that the anti-Islam conservatives=20
are winning the battle. "These right-wingers are trying to set up a=20
civilizational conflict with all their might in the same way as Osama bin=20
Laden," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic=20
Relations. "We're trying our darndest to prevent it, but every day it's=20
looking more and more like it's heading in that direction. ... It really is=20
getting a bit frightening. At some times I feel like a member of the Jewish=20
community in Germany in the latter stages of the Weimar Republic." In fact,=20
Americans see themselves as increasingly tolerant despite the harsh words=20
from conservatives. In a recent Ipsos-Reid poll, 56 percent of Americans sai=
d=20
they had become more likely over the past year to respect cultures that do=20
not share their values, while 27 percent said they found it harder to have=20
such respect. Bush was trying to encourage that majority sentiment when he=20
hosted a White House dinner last month for Muslim diplomats and=20
Muslim-American leaders for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. "America treasure=
s=20
your friendship; America honors your faith," he said at the Iftaar dinner. A=
t=20
an October event promoting U.S. efforts to rebuild Afghanistan, Bush=20
celebrated Islam as "a vibrant faith." "Millions of our fellow citizens are=20
Muslim," he said. "We respect the faith. We honor its traditions. Our enemy=20
does not. Our enemy doesn't follow the great traditions of Islam. They've=20
hijacked a great religion." Bush has delivered such speeches almost monthly=20
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Conservatives say they understand the=20
political and even moral reasons for such pronouncements. Jeffrey Bell, a=20
Republican operative, said there is no denying that there is a "clash betwee=
n=20
Western values and the radical Islam we've seen" but said it need not be "a=20
war of Christianity versus Islam." "Bush is doing his best to minimize it,"=20
Bell said, and so far has avoided a clash of civilizations. Adelman agreed=20
that describing Islam as peaceful "is the right political argument, but it's=
=20
a harder intellectual argument to make." That likely won't get any easier=20
with the intellectual ferment among American conservatives, many of whom are=
=20
coming to a conclusion reached this year by Norman Podhoretz in Commentary=20
magazine. "Certainly not all Muslims are terrorists," he wrote. "But it woul=
d=20
be dishonest to ignore the plain truth that Islam has become an especially=20
fertile breeding-ground of terrorism in our time. This can only mean that=20
there is something in the religion itself that legitimizes the likes of Osam=
a=20
bin Laden, and indeed there is: the obligation imposed by the Koran to wage=20
holy war, or jihad, against the 'infidels.' "=20


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Comment : US/West vs Islam is unavoidable ! FACT : The=
 rich guys with more money and more toys against the impoverished guys with=20=
some money but almost no toys. The leaders on both sides definitely know the=
 probable end result. Suicide bombers are spectacular but futile and contrar=
y to the belief that it will win the war, it only breeds more hate. Remember=
 the Japanese in WW II &nbsp;tried Kamikaze in desperation too - it did not=20=
work. There must, can and should be a better way out ! Below is a picture of=
 the change on the political scene in the US:
<BR>
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D5 FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times=20=
new roman" LANG=3D"0"><B>Bush </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#c00000" SIZE=3D5 FAMIL=
Y=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=3D"0">too easy on Islam</FONT><FON=
T  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D5 FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=
=3D"0">, some of his backers say</B>=20
<BR></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times=20=
new roman" LANG=3D"0"><B>By Dana Milbank</B>
<BR><I>The Washington Post</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D5 FAMILY=
=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=3D"0"></I>
<BR>        </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FA=
CE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0">    <BR>WASHINGTON =E2=80=94 President Bush finds=20=
himself in a rare disagreement with conservatives in his party over his effo=
rts to portray Islam as a peaceful religion that is not responsible for anti=
-American terrorism. <BR>In a score of speeches since last year's Sept. 11 a=
ttacks, the president has called for tolerance of Muslims, describing Islam=20=
as "a faith based upon peace and love and compassion" and a religion committ=
ed to "morality and learning and tolerance." But a large number of foreign-p=
olicy hawks =E2=80=94 some of them with advisory roles in the Bush administr=
ation =E2=80=94 have joined religious conservatives in taking issue with Bus=
h's characterizations. While most of them understand the political rationale=
 for Bush's statements =E2=80=94 there's no benefit in antagonizing Muslim a=
llies such as Pakistan and </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff0000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"><B>Indonesia</FONT><FONT  COLOR=
=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"></B>=20=
=E2=80=94 they say the claim is dishonest and destined to fail. For Bush and=
 for the country, the outcome of the argument is crucial. The administration=
 and moderate governments in Arab and Muslim nations are struggling to preve=
nt the war on terrorism from becoming what Osama bin Laden wants: a war of c=
ivilization between the Judeo-Christian West and a resentful, impoverished M=
uslim world. Calling Islam a <B>peaceful </B>religion "is an increasingly </=
FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff0000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana"=
 LANG=3D"0"><B>hard argument to make</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3=
 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"></B>," said Kenneth Adelma=
n, a former Reagan official who serves on the Bush Pentagon's Defense Policy=
 Board. "The more you examine the religion, the more <B>militaristic</B> it=20=
seems. After all, its founder, Mohammed, was a<B> </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff=
007f" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0">warrior</FON=
T><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LA=
NG=3D"0"></B>, not a peace advocate like Jesus." Another member of the Penta=
gon advisory board, Eliot Cohen of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Inte=
rnational Studies, wrote an article on The Wall Street Journal editorial pag=
e arguing that the <B>U.S. enemy</B> is not terrorism "but <B>militant Islam=
</B>." "The enemy has an ideology, and an hour spent surfing the Web will gi=
ve the average citizen at least the kind of insights that he or she might ha=
ve found during World Wars I and II by reading 'Mein Kampf' or the writings=20=
of Lenin, Stalin or Mao." Cohen acknowledges it is impolitic and "deeply unc=
omfortable" for the administration to say such things: "Nobody would like to=
 think that a major world religion has a deeply aggressive and dangerous str=
ain in it =E2=80=94 a strain often excused or misrepresented in the name of=20=
good feelings. But uttering uncomfortable and unpleasant truths is one of th=
e things that defines leadership." At the same time, social conservatives ar=
e resisting Bush's efforts to portray Islam in a favorable light. </FONT><FO=
NT  COLOR=3D"#c00000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=
=3D"0"><B>"Islam is at war against us,"</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=
=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"></B> Paul Weyrich, an=20=
activist who is influential in the White House, wrote recently. "I have had=20=
much good to say about President Bush in recent months. But one thing that c=
oncerned me before September 11th and concerns me even more now is his admin=
istration's constant promotion of Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance=
 just like Judaism or Christianity. </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff0000" SIZE=3D3=
 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"><B>It is neither</FONT><FO=
NT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=
=3D"0"></B>." Bush last month distanced himself from virulent anti-Islamic r=
emarks made by a number of U.S. religious leaders. "Some of the comments tha=
t have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my governme=
nt or the sentiments of most Americans," the president said in the Oval Offi=
ce before a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. "Islam, as pract=
iced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that=
 respects others. Ours is a country based upon tolerance, Mr. Secretary Gene=
ral, and we respect the faith and we welcome people of all faiths in America=
." Bush's remarks came after religious broadcaster Pat Robertson was reporte=
d as saying that </FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff0000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERI=
F" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"><B>"Adolf Hitler was bad, but what the Muslim=
s want to do to the Jews is worse."</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3=20=
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"></B> Another religious cons=
ervative, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, referred to the prophet </FONT><FONT  COLO=
R=3D"#ff0000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"><B>M=
ohammed as a "terrorist"</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"S=
ANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LANG=3D"0"></B> before later apologizing. The Rev=
. Franklin Graham, who spoke at Bush's inauguration, has called <B>Islam "ev=
il."</B> Lesser-known religious leaders have been downright vulgar in their=20=
descriptions of Mohammed. In an interview with the Washington Times, an unap=
ologetic Robertson complained that Bush "is not elected as chief theologian"=
 and objected again to Bush's description of Islam as peaceful. Muslim Ameri=
cans worry that the anti-Islam conservatives are winning the battle. "These=20=
right-wingers are trying to set up a civilizational conflict with all their=20=
might in the same way as Osama bin Laden," said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman fo=
r the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "We're trying our darndest to p=
revent it, but every day it's looking more and more like it's heading in tha=
t direction. ... It really is getting a bit frightening. At some times I fee=
l like a member of the Jewish community in Germany in the latter stages of t=
he Weimar Republic." In fact, Americans see themselves as increasingly toler=
ant despite the harsh words from conservatives. In a recent Ipsos-Reid poll,=
 56 percent of Americans said they had become more likely over the past year=
 to respect cultures that do not share their values, while 27 percent said t=
hey found it harder to have such respect. Bush was trying to encourage that=20=
majority sentiment when he hosted a White House dinner last month for Muslim=
 diplomats and Muslim-American leaders for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. "A=
merica treasures your friendship; America honors your faith," he said at the=
 Iftaar dinner. At an October event promoting U.S. efforts to rebuild Afghan=
istan, Bush celebrated Islam as "a vibrant faith." "Millions of our fellow c=
itizens are Muslim," he said. "We respect the faith. We honor its traditions=
. Our enemy does not. Our enemy doesn't follow the great traditions of Islam=
. They've hijacked a great religion." Bush has delivered such speeches almos=
t monthly since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Conservatives say they unders=
tand the political and even moral reasons for such pronouncements. Jeffrey B=
ell, a Republican operative, said there is no denying that there is a </FONT=
><FONT  COLOR=3D"#ff0000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana" LAN=
G=3D"0"><B>"clash between Western values and the radical Islam we've seen"</=
FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"verdana"=
 LANG=3D"0"></B> but said it need not be "a war of Christianity versus Islam=
." "Bush is doing his best to minimize it," Bell said, and so far has avoide=
d a clash of civilizations. Adelman agreed that describing Islam as peaceful=
 "is the right political argument, but it's a harder intellectual argument t=
o make." That likely won't get any easier with the intellectual ferment amon=
g American conservatives, many of whom are coming to a conclusion reached th=
is year by Norman Podhoretz in Commentary magazine. "Certainly not all Musli=
ms are terrorists," he wrote. "But it would be dishonest to ignore the plain=
 truth that Islam has become an especially fertile breeding-ground of terror=
ism in our time. This can only mean that there is something in the religion=20=
itself that legitimizes the likes of Osama bin Laden, and indeed there is: t=
he obligation imposed by the Koran to wage holy war, or jihad, against the '=
infidels.' "=20
<BR></FONT></HTML>

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