Should we take this sort of thing seriously? After all, Juan Cole informs us that this kind of talk is perfectly understandable:
The Vatican continues to decline to apologize, only saying that no offense was meant by the Pope’s remarks.Some commentators have complained about Muslim sensibilities in this regard. But in my view, this sensitivity is a feature of postcolonialism. Muslims were colonized by Western powers, often for centuries, and all that period they were told that their religion was inferior and barbaric. They are independent now, though often they have gained independence only a couple of generations (less if you consider neocolonialism). As independent, they are finally liberated to protest when Westerners put them down.
There is an analogy to African-Americans, who suffered hundreds of years of slavery and then a century of Jim Crow. They are understandably sensitive about white people putting them down, and every time one uses the “n” word, you can expect a strong reaction. In the remarks the pope quoted about Muhammad, he essentially did the equivalent of using the “n” word for Muslims. It is no mystery that people are protesting.
Shooting old women in the back, burning churches, and threatening the life of the leader of a billion Catholics is an excellent demonstration of Muslim “sensibilities” I must say. Cole’s analysis is spot on. Who woulda thunk it? All the burning, and killing, and screaming, and gouging, and stabbing is the fault of the West and our mean old ancestors who told the fanatic’s ancestors that their religion was dirt. Failing that, it is the legacy of those superior airs put on by the Brits and the Frogs that is causing our Muslim brothers so much pain.
Of course, the good professor conveniently forgot to mention the most famous footstools in history – the Ottomans – and their bloody, inhuman rule over the Middle East. By the time Napoleon saw the pyramids, the Ottoman’s had made themselves at home in the region for nearly 300 years. Known as “the sick man of Europe” the Ottoman’s proved that they not only could out-atrocity the west on any given day, but also proved that they could be pretty damn good colonial oppressors themselves even when they weren’t feeling 100%.
Of course, the Ottomans didn’t worship Jesus. They didn’t recognize the Pope’s authority. They never saw the inside of a synagogue (except to set fire to one), nor did they worship, Bal, Babel, Ra, Isis, or any other regional deity. They followed the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed.
So much for the Cole theory of Post Colonial Stress Syndrome.
Then again, there’s that curious analogy al-Cole uses to instruct us stupid Americans in how it feels to have your religion called “evil and inhuman” by a long dead and rotting 15th century vassal emperor of Byzantium. It’s exactly the same thing as calling your black neighbor a ni***r.
True, you’re more than likely to get bopped in the nose for using such a racial obscenity. But I daresay you would probably get to keep your head. Nor is it likely that said justifiably outraged black man would follow you home and torch your house, kill your children, behead your wife, steal your possessions, and force your relatives to abandon the religion of their fathers and convert to Islam.
Other than those differences, Cole’s analogy rings true, doesn’t it?
Juan Cole is not an apologist for radical Islamists. He is an enabler. In that sense, he and all who try and pass off the behavior of these extremists as a reaction to anything is either childishly naive or a prevaricator of the first order. The radicals do not need an excuse to kill their enemies. They are told to do so by those who have hijacked Islam and then instruct their fanatical followers using an interpretation of the Koran so far from the true meaning of that book that they can twist and obfuscate anything the Prophet said to justify their murderous urges.
A better analogy is our own homegrown terrorists who use the bible to justify the murder of abortionists. There is nothing in any bible I’ve ever read that could ever countenance murder. Whether you believe abortionists are killing innocents or not, it should be pointed out that it ain’t your call, friends. As we should render unto Caesar, we should obey the law. The abortionists will get their just due in the hereafter. And if you believe in that, then you know they’ll pay for their crimes in ways that makes anything the Christian extremists do to them pale in comparison.
To be fair, Cole graciously tries to show the Pontiff a way out of his death sentence. All he has to do is grovel:
All he has to do is say he is sorry if it appeared he was slamming Muhammad and Islam, and that this is what the Catholic Church actually feels about the issue:
- The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ, “the way the truth, and the life” (John 14, 6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself (4).
There’s much more that Cole quotes, all of it from a 1965 Second Vatican Council pronouncement on the relation of the Catholic church to non-Catholic religions.
Yeah…that’ll do the trick. Try reason and light on people with blood on their hands and hate in their hearts. I suggest for practice, the Pontiff rehearse the speech before a brick wall. That way, he won’t be disappointed when the targets of his sweet reason react with less enthusiasm than the edifice.
Cole usually has something helpful to contribute to the debate over the meaning of Islam and its relationship with the west. I find much of his writing learned and even fascinating. But there are many times recently when he has allowed his obvious sympathies to override his judgment and even perhaps his scholarship.
For Cole, it isn’t that the crocodile will eat him last. It’s that he thinks all those forms around him in the water are nothing but logs.
9:26 pm
[...] Evening Pope news: Juan Cole blames Islamic “sensitivities” on their postcolonial sensibility, which is an elaborate way of saying it’s the west’s fault; the Telegraph borrows a plot arc from the Bush = Hitler storyline and blames the Pope’s coterie of yes men for not having stopped him before he said something so rash; the Pontiff’s visit to Turkey is, tentatively, still on, although there’s no word yet if he’ll meet with any representatives of the 0.2% of the population that isn’t Muslim; and finally, serious props to the CBS Evening News for their choice of guest on tonight’s “freeSpeech” segment. Fatwas have been issued for less. [...]
9:45 pm
[...] Rightwing Nuthouse [...]
9:54 pm
Thank you. Cole sometimes drives me up a tree. His analysis on this issue is so tilted that it indicates a deep lack of critical faculties in his personality.
I’ve blogged extensively on the Pope’s remarks today. Each time I come away with a different impression. I, at least, have tried to think about his comments and react in a positive (not necessarily affirmative) manner.
Ratzinger will not retract these remarks. He will not disavow that speech. It is steeped in Catholic teaching, beyond the rather simplistic Google ability of al Cole.
11:09 pm
If the Pope was to speak plainly, in language that even the heathens could understand, maybe we would not have this problem. If you let the Popes speech be translated by the Iams(?), they will undoubtly provide the interpretation that invokes violence (it’s their nature).
I blame the Pope for not speaking directly to the problem and taking it head-on. Trying to paraphrase so as not to hurt their poor Islamic feelings is what has led to this latest outburst.
I think it is time to ignore their false anger and let the war of civilization begin. It’s not like we are going to appease them forever…(like France hopes to).
1:29 am
Above all else Rick, Juan Cole is a academic fraud!
First and foremost, he’s an apologist for radical, fundalmentalist Islam!
Second of all, he’s a faux scholar!
I’ve had several blog wars with him, since the invasion of Iraq in 2003
Primarily, he’s tried to debunk my research, that clearly shows, that the majority of Iraqi Shi’ites, the NON-Sadrites, practice a more non-poltical, “quietist” form of Shi’ite Islam, known as the Akhbari form of Shi’ite Islam, as opposed to the more aggressive, Iranian Qomi school of Shi’ite Islam, known as the Usuli school of Shi’ite Islam.
The best part, came straight out of Cole’s mouth as “...I’ve never met anyone in Iraq who was an Akhbari…”
Fact is, I don’t think he’s ever BEEN TO Iraq!
Additionally, he overlooks one of the fundamental aspects in general, of Shi’ite Islam: TAQIYYAH!
Which means, Shi’ites, will LIE their butts off, to protect themselves, if they think they are in danger!
If an Iraqi Shia, thinks that acknowledging the fact that they are a “closet” Akhbari, will cause them harm, why would they admit it anyone!
I can remember, when I was in southern Turkey, near the Iraq border, doing some “research” when I was in the military, before I crossed over into Iraq.
I was talking to some Turkish “Arabs”; they knew I was an American, it was obvious, and they kept INSISTING they were “Sunnis”, like all good Turks!
I KNEW they were BS’ing me, so I finally took the tack that I wanted to convert to Islam, and needed someone to teach me about Islam!
They immediately sat down, and tried to convert me to Allawi-type Shia Islam!
I finally said to them, I thought you all told me you were “Sunnis”??
They just laughed, and said, we tell that to all foreigners, so they don’t kill us!
Anyway, in addition, Cole is a western convert to Bahism!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahai
At best, Bahaism is a cult, founded 150 years ago, in Iran, and it has large followings in India, Iran, and even Israel, of all places, ironic, considering Cole is a dedicated Anti-Semite!
It’s also a precursor to the current fad in Hollywood of the Scientologists; Bahaism gained a number of Hollywood/Entertainment type Western “converts” in the 60’s onwards, like the musical duo “Seals & Croft”!
The only rational for Cole, and his “analysis”, and his anti-Semitism, is some type of complex “self-hate”/Stockholm Syndrome; his continued support and excuse making for the Iranian theocracy, the same one by the way, that has been persecuting and executing his fellow Bahai’s actively since 1977, borders on psychosis.
Again, the only explaination, is that he probably feels, if he continues sucking up to the Iranian thugs, and Islamic Fundalmentalists in general, maybe they’ll quit picking on his fellow Bahai, so he has become an advocate for Islamic Fundalmentalism in general, and Shi’ite thugs like Sadr/the Iranians in particular.
It’s a very peculiar thing; but the most important thing to remember, is to believe the exact OPPOSITE of whatever he writes or says!
1:32 am
While I can agree that Juan Cole is definitely off on the pope’s speech, I would highly reccommend that anyone wanting to know about true Islam get a koran and read it. Once you have finnished reading it, you will see the “outrage” of the Muslim community when someone calls them out as nothing but the horde getting worked up by thier leadership. I would reccommend Penguin books version with the Arabic next to the English.
This idea of Islam as being “hijacked” by radicals is a either a decpetion and piece pf propaganda from Saudi Arabia and the Council on Islamic Affairs, or the excuse for not knowing Islam by what it’s holy book teaches. Get out your shinny new koran and read past the often quoted “There shall be no complusion in religion”. (surah 2:256) Get into the meat of the koran and you won’t find “Love thy neighbor.” You end up finding as your read further into the koran more reasons and excuses to harm and harrangue the infidel. Most Muslims (like Christians and Jews) to not know thier true religious roots and teachings but tend to go with what the person in the pulpit says. The terrorists on the other hand take their religion (albeit a pagan one with a Nazi like system) very serriously. All we are seeing are the Muslims following thier manual/koran.
10:29 am
DaleinAtlanta, I don’t think Juan Cole can be expected to have a firm grasp of the many different schools—and their geographic locations—within Shiite Islam. He can barely write in English.
11:02 am
[...] Nightly Pope news: Juan Cole blames Muslims’ “sensitivities” on their postcolonial sensibility, which is an elaborate way of saying it’s the west’s fault; the Telegraph borrows a plot arc from the Bush = Hitler storyline and blames the Pope’s coterie of yes men for not having stopped him before he said something so rash; the Pontiff’s visit to Turkey is, tentatively, still on, although there’s no word yet if he’ll meet with any representatives of the 0.2% of the population that isn’t Muslim; and finally, serious props to the CBS Evening News for their choice of guest on tonight’s “freeSpeech” segment. Fatwas have been issued for less. [...]
5:38 pm
I’ve read parts of the koran and its pretty violent for my taste.
9:47 pm
Your analysis of Cole is right on the money. But please don’t make the too-common mistake of stating that terrorists have “hijacked” Islam. On the contrary, they are far more closely following the commands of Mohammed than any so called moderate Muslim. Conquer all nations, impose Islam and kill all who get in the way. That is the word of Allah in the Quran. Terrorists are not hijackers. They are dutiful followers of the disease of Islam.
3:59 am
Weds. Morning Links: Warning – This Time Machine may bump and wobble as it advances at the speed of 60 seconds per minute
"They say that it’s the institution…"Â Thinkin’ about blaming it on "the system," at Asst Village Idiot. One quote:The Zen koan "The Tao that can be described is not the real Tao," applies here. The system that can be…
6:28 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG “DAY OF RAGE?” WHAT NEW. JACQUES GOES THE WEASEL THE HOUSE IS UNDER ATTACK! THE POPE’S DILEMMA “THE POPE MUSTDIE” THE RICK MORAN SHOW - LIVE HAS THE POPE THROWN DOWN THE GAUNTLET TO ISLAM? ELITES PREPARING US EXIT FROM IRAQ? IS AL QAEDA PLANNING A NUCLEAR STRIKE? IN DEFENSE OF FEMINISTS. . . OR AT LEAST THEIR BREASTS POPE TRIES AGAIN TO APPEASE THE UNAPPEASEABLE BENEDICT’S SUBTLETY LOST ON THE MSM THE RICK MORAN SHOW - LIVE COWARDLY DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO ENGAGE ON TERROR DEBATE THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT AYATOLLAH BEHIND THE CURTAIN THE RICK MORAN SHOW - LIVE IF IT’S BROKE, FIX IT THE RICK MORAN SHOW - LIVE “THE PATH TO 9/11″ SCRUTINZED UNFAIRLY IN CHICAGO, RATIONALISM REARS ITS UGLY HEAD A RELUCTANT APPEAL FOR FUNDS QUICK THOUGHTS ON PART II OF P29/11 THE TEARS NO LONGER COME QUICK THOUGHTS ON P29/11 “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (97) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (68) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (25) Cindy Sheehan (12) Election ‘06 (1) Ethics (80) General (297) Government (63) History (74) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (31) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (111) Middle East (58) Moonbats (55) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (253) Science (17) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) The Rick Moran Show (46) UNITED NATIONS (8) War on Terror (188) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (56) WHITE SOX (2) Wide Awakes Radio (8) WORLD CUP (9) WORLD POLITICS (49) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]