Published on December 30th, 2015 |
by Diane Bederman
3
I Have Been Radicalized!
I
confess. I have been radicalized! I am a radicalized westerner. I am a
staunch supporter of the morals, values and ethics that underpin my
country Canada: ethical monotheism-the Judeo/Christian ethic that tells
us we are all intrinsically equal and must care for the other.
I am so
radicalized that I spend hours writing articles, posting them, going to
events, speaking at some. As I wrote in my book “Back to the Ethic:Reclaiming Western Values,”
I have been “swaddled and bathed in freedom” from birth-from the womb.
“We intrinsically know, when we awake every morning, that we can gather
in public places and speak our minds, spreading our words through a
plethora of media platforms. We don’t think twice about our right to
choose those who will lead us, because we know that we can change those
leaders through free elections. We have the right to practice our
religion in peace. We can choose where we wish to live, when we want to
move, and with whom we wish to share our life.” This is western culture
and I will defend it with my life.
Just
as there are hundreds of millions of us, billions, who are deeply
embedded in Western culture, so too there are millions, hundreds of
millions of people, billions, who are deeply embedded in a different
culture; one that is based on Sharia law. And they want to share their
beliefs with us. In these countries not all are equal. Muslims think of
themselves as on a higher plane: “better than” while others, Christians
and Jews, are viewed as “lesser than.” Women are not treated as equals.
They are under the authority of their husbands who have the right to
beat them. And if there is no husband then they are under the authority
of male relatives. They are told to cover up-as if there were mere
shadows.
Asra
Q. Nomani and Hala Arafa of the Muslim Reform Movement felt the need to
write about the hijab. It is not merely a headscarf. It means
“curtain” in Arabic. “It also means “hiding,” ”obstructing” and
“isolating” someone or something. It is never used in the Koran to mean
headscarf.”
These two Muslim women added “To us, the “hijab”
is a symbol of an interpretation of Islam we reject that believes that
women are a sexual distraction to men, who are weak, and thus must not
be tempted by the sight of our hair. We don’t buy it. This ideology
promotes a social attitude that absolves men of sexually harassing women
and puts the onus on the victim to protect herself by covering up.”
The
hijab is not some benign symbol. They also point out “The rush to cover
women’s hair has reached a fever pitch with ultraconservative Muslim
websites and organizations pushing this interpretation, such as VirtualMosque.com and Al-Islam.org, which even published a feature, ‘Hijab Jokes,’ mocking Muslim women who don’t cover their hair ‘Islamically.’”
Islam
also allows for honour killings. Gays are hanged. Their justice system
is based on the literal implementation of an eye for an eye. Sentences
for breaking their laws include flogging. Hands and feet are often
amputated as retribution. And then there is decapitation.
Just as we in
the west are “ swaddled and bathed in freedom” people living under
Sharia Law, whether it is called “moderate” or not, are also“ swaddled
and bathed” in their morals values and ethics-which are diametrically
opposed to ours. When they come to the West they bring their beliefs
with them as we would bring ours if we moved to a Muslim country.
Just
as most of us don’t think about our freedoms, taking them for granted
because our ethics are part of our DNA, those who are raised in Sharia
feel the same way. It’s part of their DNA. So at what point does one who
believes in Sharia, whether in a Muslim country or in the West, become
radicalized?
Are they tied down on a chair, water boarded, until they accept “radical” views? I think of their moderate views as
radical compared to ours. Their values don’t fit in with our way of
life at all. To fit in to the West requires dumping the vast majority of
their morals, values and ethics. Why would they? Would you let go of
your western values if you moved to Saudi Arabia?
We make excuses for terrorism. As Phil Gursky, former intelligence expert in Canada wrote in his book “The Threat from Within” there is no use searching for root causes because there is no common path to terrorism.
The
latest canard is the radicalization that may be caused by comments from
Donald Trump. Fits in with the excuse for Benghazi: it was caused by a
“defamatory” video. The massacre by Muslims at Charlie Hebdo was caused
by defamation of the prophet by a cartoon. Can you imagine the number of
deaths we would see in the West if people attacked because of the
disrespect shown toward Jesus and Mary and religion for that matter?
Take a look at the actions of Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Yet we make excuses for Muslim terrorism. Why?
And
what we don’t want to acknowledge in the west is the vicious
anti-semitism that is taught in all Muslim countries-especially in the
Middle East
That hate comes with them to the West. And why not? We in the West have been living with anti-semitism forever. Only recently have the Christian leaders talked about ending this illogical hate. Why would anyone expect people from Muslim countries, bathed in Jew-hatred, to let go of it just because they come to the West? Yet we seem to be turning a blind eye to this hate. Why?
Then think about the double standard in the West. We accept the fact that Muslim countries will not allow Jews to live there. In 1948, 850,000 Jews were ethnically cleansed from Muslim countries.
Since then Jewish organizations have helped remaining Jews to prevent their slaughter. Yet here we are in the 21st century prepared to make room for another Jew free country in the Middle East. Why?
Why do we accept this? And then after we accept this we question Muslim terrorism? We are telling Muslims that we accept Sharia law by accepting the possibility of another legally declared Jew-free Muslim country ruled by Sharia law.
When Muslims in the West turn to a strict implementation of Sharia Law why do we say they have been radicalized? Why are the any more radicalized than those of us born and bred in western values who stand loud and proud for our morals values and ethics?
Why? Because they resort to terror and we in the West cannot get our heads around it. So we make excuses-radicalization.
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