tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post3308574588750071193..comments2024-01-02T02:18:30.960-08:00Comments on Israel Thrives: Why American Muslims are DifferentMike L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06450806807610560873noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post-8603586663072031432016-09-01T07:40:24.247-07:002016-09-01T07:40:24.247-07:00Shirlee, what is the criteria by which you exclude...Shirlee, what is the criteria by which you exclude Islam from world religions?<br /><br />Because I can tell you with great certainty that theologians throughout the world consider Islam a religion... whatever else it may be.<br /><br />Even Robert Spencer considers Islam a religion.<br /><br />Islam may be an enemy to Gay people and women and Jewish people and all non-Muslims, but that just makes it a highly aggressive and violent and fascistic religion, but a religion nonetheless.Mike L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06450806807610560873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post-47553349810838353282016-08-31T22:20:46.617-07:002016-08-31T22:20:46.617-07:00re: The bone chilling speech.
It was bone chillin...re: The bone chilling speech.<br /><br />It was bone chilling.JeffwithaJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07073609950380822171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post-38276799663412618182016-08-31T07:17:28.722-07:002016-08-31T07:17:28.722-07:00I;m in Rockford, Illinois. Dr. Kedar was speaking ...I;m in Rockford, Illinois. Dr. Kedar was speaking in Chicago and our Rebbi convinced him to come here for Shabbas services and then he stayed for lunch. I sat across from him and had an excellent discussion for over an hour. It seems to me that all religions are supremacist in some way. The issue is tolerance. Even if I think my religion is best and has the best answers to the ultimate questions, am I willing to live in harmony with those who think the same of their religion?josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09057606413590949268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post-55807806531578993182016-08-30T22:30:08.957-07:002016-08-30T22:30:08.957-07:00He does think that there is a problem with Islam i...He does think that there is a problem with Islam in itself, in that he considers it a highly aggressive supremacist religion... which it is.<br /><br />But the cultural milieu that one grows up in partially determines one's interpretation of the faith. For example, I watched part of a debate on the question of "Is Islam a religion of peace?" Two participants argued in the affirmative and two, including Aayan Hirsi Ali, who argued in the negative.<br /><br />One of the people arguing in the affirmative was this very attractive young American Muslim woman from Toledo, OH. She spoke of the pluralism of her household and how her parents even sent her to Jewish day school for awhile.<br /><br />And I thought, snap!, this is just what Kedar was talking about. <br /><br />Of course, she thought that Islam is a religion of peace because that was her personal experience growing up in Toledo.<br /><br />Oh, and btw, are you in Israel?<br /><br />And how did you meet Kedar?Mike L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06450806807610560873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post-66612327419585690862016-08-30T20:55:05.291-07:002016-08-30T20:55:05.291-07:00Who first mentioned Kedar around here? Oh yeah, t...Who first mentioned Kedar around here? Oh yeah, that would be me. Anyway, I think all religions are Rorsschach tests. They are what you want them to be. I think it is the culture, not the religion, that is responsible for the violence and intolerance of the Middle East. When I discussed this with Dr. Kedar (note the name dropping), I got the impression that he thought there was a problem with Islam itself. He gave me his card and encouraged me write to him so that we could discuss it further. I have two thoughts on the matter, though. First is that Ruth Benedict wrote an important book about the honor/shame culture. She was writing about pre-world war two Japan. It is important to note that Japan seems to have graduated from that sort of culture to a more weternized one. The other thing is that Americans should be very familiar with tribal societies since native Americans were a tribal society. If I had the real inclination, and sometimes I do, U would like to do a comparison of Native American and Middle Eastern tribes.josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09057606413590949268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6579213173749170024.post-46198472254105761742016-08-30T15:04:34.249-07:002016-08-30T15:04:34.249-07:00I hate analogies. They're unreliable. I don...I hate analogies. They're unreliable. I don't know live and breath Islam so I can't comment with any authority on what it is or the subtleties of what to feel about it. I do know Torah, I do know Daf Yomi, I do know Gemara, I do know Shulchan Aruch, I do know Pirkey Avoth. I have stood in a room of children teaching them ethics and law and love of Judaism. That I know. <br /><br />I make no warranties about what I think I know about that depth of the sensibilities of the Mythical Moderate Muslim. <br /><br />I don't have to know what they feel or what their inner struggle feels like. I don't need to know their bedtime stories. I can only guide my own thoughts and actions according to THEIR actions. I can only evaluate their sense of justice against what they do, what they say. If there ARE moderate Muslims then THESE are the moderate Muslims we have - for better or worse - this is who they are and what they do and say. What I imagine they think is imaginary. I can only make my own best guess. If the Mythical Moderate Muslim is silent on the issue of what radical Islam is, then that is my answer. Empress Trudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06073538968722986065noreply@blogger.com