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What the readers say

Some more readers’ reactions to articles on Diabolic Digest.

March 2008

 

Laughing like hell

I loved [Hell hath more fury] and laughed out loud at the last line. Nice!

I especially like this: “I am constantly baffled by the logic of self-appointed ‘defenders of the faith’, whatever their religious persuasion, who feel it is their duty to silence, sometimes permanently, anyone who does not agree with their worldview.”

It made me think of our former mayor Rudy Giuliani who  tried to shut down a museum exhibit because his narrow suburban Catholicism is the only one he knows. And yet this is a world religion and there are many ways to be part of Catholic tradition. (He was enraged over some work by a Catholic artist.)

T Quan

Author and columnist

New York, USA

March 2008

 

Attacking the faith

I Just read your article [Hell hath more fury] you write: “I also find the hate-filled fury with which some Muslims react to such provocations unpalatable, even though many Muslim leaders have called for calm. Of course, people have a right to express the insult they feel peacefully. But why the calls for collective punishment, such as sanctions? I am constantly baffled by the logic of self-appointed ‘defenders of the faith’, whatever their religious persuasion, who feel it is their duty to silence, sometimes permanently, anyone who does not agree with their worldview.”

 

Well, you would not be baffled if you had read the Quran… So please read through these extracts at your leisure. Then you may be some way to realising the truth in what Geert Wilders is talking about.

 

Sura (2:191-193) ­– “And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]...and fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah." 

 

There is a good case to be made that the overall context of these verses is defensive war. however, there are two worrisome pieces to this passage.  The first is that the killing of others is authorised in the event of “persecution”.  The second is that fighting may persist until "religion is for Allah”.

 

Sura (2:244) – “Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things.”

 

Sura (2:216) – “Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.”

 

Martin

UK

March 2008

 

A better Middle East?

I really enjoyed your piece on young people trying to create a life for themselves outside Egypt. In Israel there is a similar trend among the young and educated classes (not so much ‘wasta’ culture, but much of the other things you wrote about exist here too). And I wonder, if you leave Egypt and I leave Israel, who will be here to work for a better Middle East for all? (Not that I expect anyone to earn pennies and starve just for the abstract joy of being in the Middle East, but still, it’s something of an issue).

 

H Hacohen

Tel Aviv, Israel

February 2008

 

Civil solutions

I appreciate your view on [Israeli-Palestinian conflict] (especially your piece on the movement from the two-state solution to a South African civil rights style situation).

 

C Ninan

London, UK

January 2008

 

Talking about sexuality

Amazing analysis, elegant language… and smart comments on the conservative family perspectives. I forwarded your article ‘The virginity dialogues’ to all my colleagues.

 

G Abouzeid

Cairo, Egypt

January 2008

 

So far, so good

Love, love, LOVE the few articles I’ve come across so far (I got to your website via Wikipedia’s entry on the Yacoubian Building/movie)!

 

M Purzner

Vienna, Austria

January 2008

 

Marginalisation and radicalisation

You’re right to say there’s a link between foreign policy decisions and radicalisation, but to my mind it’s that recruiters can distort it towards preying on the impressionable minds of the marginalised. And it’s this marginalisation that’s the key: it happens across all demographics, each having their own versions of radicalisation. Crudely put, marginalised black kids join gangs, white kids the BNP, Muslims al-Qaida, etc. The challenge for governments is to head off this marginalisation, so that you don’t get communities completely cut off from the social mainstream. So yes, there may be hostility towards policy decisions – be they foreign or domestic – but there’s an ongoing engagement with the groups feeling it.

 

And on that note, I thought you may be interested in this: http://www.demos.co.uk/publications//bringingithome

 

M Fuller

London, UK

January 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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