One American woman’s outreach to the global Islamic community

Daniel S. writes:

I came across this picture today of a white American woman holding a sign telling the Muslim world that she is sorry for the anti-Muhammad video, that the video doesn’t reflect American sentiments, and that she loves Muslims:

My first reaction was to laugh, as of course the Muslim mobs that attacked the American embassies in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, and elsewhere would hardly be mollified by such a craven and pathetic act (and could we blame them?). Indeed, if this foolish woman apologized to the Muslims in person, she would likely be sexually assaulted and raped. Judging from the message’s oozing liberalism, this woman is the sort who rails against sexism, the glass ceiling, and the war against women by which white Republican men are taking away women’s tax-subsidized birth control. Yet here she is groveling before Muslim fanatics many of whom who would be only too eager to rape her, behead her, and post it on YouTube.

After my initial chuckle I became aware that this silly woman is hardly an isolated case, but represents the mind-set of most liberal American women and men.

- end of initial entry -

John G. writes:

A message to the peaceful people of Islam. Yes, to all four of you:

As an American, I hereby denounce my God-given, I mean Allah-given, freedom of speech. I condemn the video that so greatly offended you. Please do not believe that it reflects the beliefs of all Americans. You see, we’ve undergone quite the transformation over the last several decades, and many of us are in fact spineless cowards who will make any concession to avoid conflict with others. The filmmaker should have known how offended you would be, and how you would respond. No, your violent response in no way proves the filmmaker’s point that Islam is violent, that is just crazy talk from hateful racist xenophobic Islamophobes who don’t understand how peaceful your religion can be. But many of us Americans are quite enlightened. We understand that Islam is a Religion of Peace (TM) as long as we do our part—our part consisting of denying our right to speak freely, refusing to associate Islam with violence motivated by Islam, insisting that the Koran (or Qu’ran) doesn’t really advocate violent jihad, allowing mass immigration of Muslims into our communities and then compromising our values to accommodate them, and really whatever else you demand.

But the burden must be shared, if we are to get along in a mutually respectful manner. We insist that, in return for the above, you don’t kill us. We may even be willing to negotiate some sort of tax that we pay to offset this burden. We’d prefer not to be raped, but we understand that if we dress in a provocative manner, we were probably asking for it. And of course, this applies to all of us; men, women, children (boys and girls). And even farm animals. We don’t want to be raped, but if you can’t help yourselves, you can’t. And, after all, Mohammed, peace be upon him, did consummate his marriage with a child when she was nine. Some Americans find this offensive, but they don’t understand. He married her when she was seven, so he showed incredible restraint by waiting two years. But I digress.

Anyway, we really must put our foot down on this not killing us demand. You can even have a title for us, and the condition under which we will live. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking dhimmitude. Not really sure where I got the word from, but it sounds good to me. Oh, and you four would probably be lonely, so you can bring along the other Muslims with you. I think under the arrangement I’ve offered, they could be quite happy, too.

So what do you say, do we have a deal?

LA replies:

Just to underscore John G.’s first point, it is so funny that the woman addresses her message to “the peaceful people of Islam,” when, of course, her whole concern—the sole reason she is sending this message—is to pacify violently rioting Muslims. So who are the peaceful Muslims she is addressing?

She fails to make the minimal use of her rational faculty needed to grasp the contradiction.

A reader in England writes:

Certainly the violent behaviour of a significant minority of Muslims worldwide smacks of mental illness.

The sudden fits of group violent rage over the smallest perceived insult to their religion indicates a group mental illness.

My guess is that a huge sense of inferiority to the West lies at the core of it. Plus they behave as many babies and young badly behaved children do when they don’t get their own way, throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat to get what they want.

Gates of Vienna has something on this.

Clark Coleman writes:

Daniel S. can laugh all he wants, but the independent voters who will determine the fate of our civilization this November in the voting booth include a large number of women who would sympathize with this woman and share her views. If that is not enough to keep you from sleeping peacefully tonight, I don’t know what would be.

LA replies:

In fairness to Daniel S., he is not laughing either. At the end of his comment he writes:

After my initial chuckle I became aware that this silly woman is hardly an isolated case, but represents the mind-set of most liberal American women and men.

Bill S. writes:

What do you say we drop her off in Tahrir Square tonight so that they might reciprocate the “love.”

LA replies:

Naughty, and funny.

LA continues:

By the way, has anyone noticed how the word “naughty” seems to have disappeared from our language? In my childhood, it was a common word. A misbehaving or fresh child was called naughty. Now I never hear it, probably because we no longer believe in the good, and therefore we don’t believe in the bad.

Here is the most beautiful use of the word in our literature, from the final, magical scene of The Merchant of Venice :

Enter PORTIA and NERISSA

PORTIA

That light we see is burning in my hall.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

Daniel S. writes:

Clark Coleman writes:

Daniel S. can laugh all he wants, but the independent voters who will determine the fate of our civilization this November in the voting booth include a large number of women who would sympathize with this woman and share her views.

My initial reaction was to laugh at this naive, buffoonish woman (it is funny to see self-righteous feminists groveling before fanatic Muslim men), but I did end my comment on a much more somber note. I do realize that this woman is representative of a very large number of people in America and the West at large and that is certainly not a laughing matter. Still, I have learned to laugh at human arrogance and folly.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 15, 2012 12:10 PM | Send