Here’s a refreshingly candid take on exactly what we’re up against in fundamentalist Islam. It’s from an interview with Syed Munawar Hasan, the leader of Pakistan’s largest Islamist political party in Asia Times Online:
ATO: “You reckon that there are so many contradictions between the West and the Muslim world, is there any chance of reconciliation and dialogue between the two civilizations?”
Munawar: “There is none. The basic concepts of both civilizations are in total contrast with each other. When I say this I do not address Western civilization as Christianity. I speak of a man-made system completely devoid of divine guidance. Our concepts of God, human beings, the universe, are totally in contrast with the concepts of the Western world. We cannot segregate human lives into private and public, our lives are ruled by divine guidance, not by man-made rules based on his own prejudices and specific mindset characterized by its own dilemmas and shortcomings. Our concept of the universe is not materialistic, and the result of an ‘accident’. Instead, it was a very well thought out process envisaged by the creator of the universe with a plan. So these basic concepts have made the difference between ours and Western approaches.”
At some point, people in the West will actually listen to what the Islamists are saying. Their problem is not Christianity as such. It is constitutional liberalism. Pity so many liberals (and some religious conservatives) cannot see this.
A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: Here’s a tiny but inspiring example of what I hope will be a long and durable relationship between the people of Iraq and the people of the U.S. The Iraqi boxing team is now preparing for the Olympics. Instead of threats of torture from Uday Hussein, they are getting salaries and new equipment from the Americans. Hearts and minds … and left hooks.
The Dish 