Re: One reason why Israel has so frew friends
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Posted by Bill Narvey on 16:22:34 2007/07/24
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Re: One reason why Israel has so frew friends posted by Meir Weinstein
Whatever point Jonathon was trying to make got lost in his besides the point analysis of Salim Mansur's well written insight.
Salim Mansur is indeed courageous, for speaking out as he does and we benefit from his advice.
Jonathon is wrong to presume that the silence of the vast majority of Muslims as regards radical Islam, is evidence that they vast majority secretly agree with the radical Islamists.
Silence is only evidence of silence. The reason for that silence for some no doubt is because they secretly agree to at least some extent with the beliefs of the radical Islamists. Another reason which Prof. Mansur alludes to is that a great many are intimidated into silence.
Whatever the predominant reasons for the silence of many Muslims, what is very critically important is that Prof. Salim does speak out and does so at risk to himself. By his courage, he serves as a role model for many Muslims to emulate and the more Prof. Mansur is supported in that regard the more likely he will draw Muslims to his views.
Prof. Mansur is also the person who our government should put the greatest confidence in for advice and insight on the relevant issues.
Al is correct that Prof. Mansur is a friend to the Jewish people. More then that however he is a friend to the West for he is a Muslim who by his beliefs and life example has shown that Islam can be compatible with the West and can be a force for good, tolerance, peace and harmony with the West.
That is not to say that Islam has not been a force for bad and evil vis a vis non-Muslims and the West in particular. That evil that Islam is capable of has indeed claimed more lives and caused more suffering amongst Muslims then Westerners, if one keeps track of body counts.
Still, it is Prof. Salim Mansur and other Muslims like him and with their courage who show us that Islam can be a force for good. If greater and greater numbers of Muslims come to follow Prof. Mansur's lead, then there is a chance that Islam as a force for good can overpower Islam as a force for evil which force in Islam appears to now have the upper hand.
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