An open letter to President Obama
By Rummuser. Filed in Uncategorized |Tags: Appeasement of Islamists., Islam vs the Rest, Islamophobia
I simply wish to share this with my readers without adding or commenting on the contents. I however would really appreciate some heart felt comments from my readers who know where I stand on the matter.
More From rummuser
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at 19:37 |
One of the scariest things about Pres. Obama is that he has no inkling of knowledge about international relations. He continues to make gaff after gaff, and charges ahead like a bull in a china shop.
[rq=401,0,blog][/rq]Cosmic Bowling
Rummuser Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 17:06
I would not quite go that far Delirious. He has made a beginning but, he has been politically correct. There are people who think that this may well open dialogues, and I am willing to give time to see if that would happen. I personally do not think that it would.
Wednesday, June 10th 2009 at 21:02 |
Sadly, the ideas of this open letter won’t be persuasive, because of the western liberal mindset. Most importantly, the western liberal makes a distinction between religion on the one hand, and theology/ethics on the other. For them, religion is like choosing a football team to be a fan of. There may be some distinct songs, clothing and rituals, but it is a meaningless choice because all religions are alike and lead to god, salvation, comfort, whatever … Thus, they will never accept that the violence that is correlated with Islam is related through cause and effect. Instead, they will insist that it is the result of people “hijacking religion”, like the recent murder of an abortionist in Kansas. They will insist that there is nothing inherently violent in Islam, but instead, everything can be cured by proper ethics education.
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Rummuser Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 17:03
One more kindred soul. It is not only the Western liberal. The Indian so called secularist is no less and not only that, he also thinks that anything that the majority does or says is communal and anything that the minority says or does is to be lauded and appreciated and supported by the majority citizens’ tax money.
Thursday, June 11th 2009 at 00:54 |
I assume what Obama is trying to do is reach out to the nonviolent Muslims. I wish him luck, but I too am a pessimist.
Rummuser Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 16:59
Ah, a kindred soul. Thank God. I was beginning to feel very lonely.
Thursday, June 11th 2009 at 01:06 |
I still have hopes for Obama although I do feel he needs to adopt a more realistic view of things. Before I proceed, the letter did speak a measure of truth. History shows us the more aggresive side of Islam just as its benevolent side. But honestly who amongst our ancestors was a saint? The Christian atrocities during the crusades is well know. Richard the Lionheart’s order to execute muslim prisoners of war is still considered quite a unthinkable unchristian event. Salahuddin was no saint, but it is believed the man has mercy. The Japanese oppressed the chinese, the spaniards did that to the peruvians, so on and so forth. History teaches us humanity is a depraved race committed to ruin itself. The names of the groups committed to these causes maybe different, but their true nature the same.
The point is how do we forge ahead. President Obama’s speech should not be analysed in the context of its historical accuracies but more in the spirit of what the intention was. The intent simply was to send out a message, that America is willing to acknowledge its role and it expects the same from the muslim world. In the spirit of forging ahead, sometimes the best policy is to forgive and forget.
[rq=807,0,blog][/rq]Vacation thoughts
Rummuser Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 16:58
Yes, none of us are saints. All the religions that you write about have, over the last few decades become peaceful and have instead become victims. One religion has spawned violence on a global scale and the violence does not spare even fellow religionists. Backlash is developing everywhere. Despite becoming victims, Islam is still not willing to give up its violent fringe. They are afraid because, the vested interests secretly support the fringe elements to retain their hold on the flock.
Thursday, June 11th 2009 at 04:37 |
I find Ashok to be on the right path. The problems mentioned above may be accurate in terms of historical truths, but this is his attempt to open a dialogue and bring the world together on firm footing in resistance to radical islam’s ways.
Now, when he uses the big stick to respond to a wrong, it is less likely that America will sit in isolation as part of its aftermath. Mr. Tough Guy, George W. Bush, and his cronies made us no safer, they made us more isolated and I do not believe that strengthens us. We are no weaker unless he is unwilling or unable to respond to future violations.
[rq=1050,0,blog][/rq]Time to Reopen the Whine Bar!
Rummuser Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 16:53
I am willing to buy this stance, if the non radical Islam stands up to be counted and say that they condemn what radical Islam is doing.
Thursday, June 11th 2009 at 13:03 |
In his speech President Obama was holding out the hand of friendship to begin a dialogue with the world of Islam. Bolting the doors and saying ‘NO!’ only causes greater divides, we saw that first hand here in Northern Ireland.
For years, one side refused to speak or sit in the same room as the other. The only words we heard were No! No! No! This only increased the hatred and distrust and the Province was on its knees. At the end of the day, the parties had to begin to speak and share in order to gain credibility from the rest of the world. We still have a long way to go, but we are moving.
We all need to learn to wash the feet of our enemies, then and only then will we discover that they are some mother’s sons and daughters, just like us!
[rq=1770,0,blog][/rq]Thursday Special ~ More Pay to Stay
Rummuser Reply:
June 11th, 2009 at 16:51
Grannymar, I admire you for your stand. I am perfectly willing to wash the feet of my enemies, if he would let me. The problem here is the enemy, for centuries has not let anyone wash his feet.
Thursday, June 11th 2009 at 23:59 |
I have to admit I am not a big fan of the hijacking religion theory behind fundamentalist motivation. I believe every religion invariably has some aspects to it that is hardly admirable and warrants amendment. I do not think Islam is an exception to this rule. But the step at reformation as to be initiated by its own members and it is not for us to suggest. For them to begin this process, it is vital to remove the sense of hatred against all things non Islamic that is being propagated by the extremists, allegedly accepted or in the alternative not objected enough by the non extremists. The best way to achieve this is to make a move and take initiative in offering reconciliation. Once the sense of mutual suspicion disappears, reformation would be an automatic process.
[rq=3318,0,blog][/rq]Vacation thoughts
Rummuser Reply:
June 12th, 2009 at 17:50
Please see my reply to Jean’s comment.
Friday, June 12th 2009 at 01:58 |
About the Crusades…as I recall they didn’t just kill Muslims, they also killed Jews and Christians. Many of them were just thugs on a rampage. And as soon as the Christians gained power in the Roman Empire they started persecuting anyone, including fellow Christians, who didn’t believe exactly the way they did. And that was a religion based on love.
Rummuser Reply:
June 12th, 2009 at 17:47
That is precisely the point. This is where the original submission that religion has been hijacked to feed the egos of disturbed souls, came about. They are nothing but thugs who are jealous of the success of others and instead of trying to emulate the others, try to pull them down to their level, or kill and be killed in the bargain.
Friday, June 12th 2009 at 02:12 |
I agree with Ashok, that we have to lighten up the mutual suspicion. When the sides are too polarized then the moderate Muslims don’t have much choice. It would be like the Germans during World War II once their cities were being bombed into oblivion and the Allies had announced the only terms would be unconditional surrender. Suddenly the non-Nazis didn’t hate their Nazi neighbors as much because they were all facing the same fate. I’m not saying the Allied policies were wrong, just that now we want to make it safer for the moderates to speak up. As I understand it, many of the younger generation in Iran are doing that right now. They don’t want to be isolated from the rest of the world. I heard last night that 50% of the voters are under 30 years of age.
The strategy might not work, but I think it’s important to do the best we can to play our part well.
Rummuser Reply:
June 12th, 2009 at 17:45
That we should. Unless of course some hot head Jihadist comes and blows us all to smithereens.
Friday, June 12th 2009 at 06:42 |
The above comments are good.
“jihadist ideology embedded in its holy books and acted upon for 1,400 years.” It sounds hopeless– EXCEPT all the other religions, & non- religious people, outnumber the radicals by far.
We value our lives (& other lives) highly, whereas they blow themselves up to kill lots of people. How do you overcome that? Obama’s talk is a small start.
Rummuser Reply:
June 12th, 2009 at 17:45
I quote from “The Evolution Of God” by Robert Wright.
“There have been many such unsettling (from religion’s point of view) discoveries since then, but always some notion of the divine has survived the encounter with science. The notion has had to change, but that’s no indictment of religion. After all, science has changed relentlessly, revising if not discarding old theories, and none of us think of that as an indictment of science. On the contrary, we think this ongoing adaptation is carrying science closer to the truth.
“Maybe the same thing is happening to religion.
Maybe, in the end, a mercilessly scientific account of our predicament … is actually compatible with a truly religious worldview, and is part of the process that refines a religious worldview, moving it closer to truth.
These two big ‘clash’ questions can be put into one
sentence: Can religions in the modern world reconcile themselves to one another, and can they reconcile themselves to science? I think their history points to affirmative answers.”
I have serious doubts about the last sentence as far as Islam is concerned.
Friday, June 12th 2009 at 20:07 |
The healing must start somewhere. Who cares who starts it. Please let us all realize that we do not live in a vacuum and that our thoughts and actions always effect others. May we all really learn to love ourselves and others. I wish only that ALL OF US no matter what belief we hold or do not hold, that we can live and love in peace.
LOVE TO ALL (even the ones who disagree with me)
Rummuser Reply:
June 12th, 2009 at 20:57
I agree with you most times, but disagree sometimes but love you nevertheless Phil. You are unbelievable! You are in the wrong place, come away here!
Phill Smith Reply:
June 13th, 2009 at 03:16
I miss seeing you and drinking great chi with you!!!
Rummuser Reply:
June 13th, 2009 at 09:21
So do I and that is why the invitation. Inshallah, we shall do it anon.