Free Muslims Rally for Peace
An organization calling itself the Free Muslims Against Terrorism will be holding a first-of-its-kind rally in Washington, D.C. on May 14. (And, um, pardon me, but why has no word of this been published in the MSM?)
This sort of thing is very encouraging. Many see the GWOT as essentially a civil war within the Islamic world that spilled over onto American soil, thus compelling the U.S. to engage directly and pick sides. (This action, if you haven't deduced already was the correct action in this commentator's mind; the laissez-faire alternative would only have protracted the Islamic Civil War, causing an increased security risk to the U.S.)
The two sides of the Islamic civil war are the radical conservatives and the reform-seekers. I know the stronger view on the right (to the right of the Right Track, if you will), doesn't think Islam, being a cult, is capable of reformation. However, comparing, say, Turkey, on the one hand, with Iran on the other shows a huge qualitative differences between what are essentially Islamic societies. (Midnight Express notwithstanding.)
Turkey's balking at supporting the Iraq invasion while certainly annoying, and perhaps damaging to the U.S.'s efforts in Iraq, should not be taken as an indicator that Turkish society is on the wrong side of the Islamic Civil War. Rather, Turkey should be seen as a reformed Islamic Society that was more-or-less geopolitically secure and so not wanting to thrust itself into a conflict that it had already won for its purposes. Similarly, the freedom-loving, and thus conflict adverse, segments of the Islamic diaspora have been unwilling to engage in a high-profile ideological fight against their radical segments. This rally is an indication that this might change, and change soon.
Such efforts by reform-minded Muslims are also important to the U.S. (and, to look a bit more short-term, the Bush Administration), because these efforts show that at least some Muslims ratify the American efforts, which helps to win the ideological fight abroad and on the homefront. In other words, maybe one or two aging hippies who can't get over their Vietnam Complex will see rallies like this and start to think a little better about the motives and moral grounding of their own country. One can hope, anyway.
On a personal note, I really wish I could attend this rally, but since we go to trial on May 12, and expect it to last 4-6 weeks, I expect I will be otherwise engaged that weekend. Bummer.
This sort of thing is very encouraging. Many see the GWOT as essentially a civil war within the Islamic world that spilled over onto American soil, thus compelling the U.S. to engage directly and pick sides. (This action, if you haven't deduced already was the correct action in this commentator's mind; the laissez-faire alternative would only have protracted the Islamic Civil War, causing an increased security risk to the U.S.)
The two sides of the Islamic civil war are the radical conservatives and the reform-seekers. I know the stronger view on the right (to the right of the Right Track, if you will), doesn't think Islam, being a cult, is capable of reformation. However, comparing, say, Turkey, on the one hand, with Iran on the other shows a huge qualitative differences between what are essentially Islamic societies. (Midnight Express notwithstanding.)
Turkey's balking at supporting the Iraq invasion while certainly annoying, and perhaps damaging to the U.S.'s efforts in Iraq, should not be taken as an indicator that Turkish society is on the wrong side of the Islamic Civil War. Rather, Turkey should be seen as a reformed Islamic Society that was more-or-less geopolitically secure and so not wanting to thrust itself into a conflict that it had already won for its purposes. Similarly, the freedom-loving, and thus conflict adverse, segments of the Islamic diaspora have been unwilling to engage in a high-profile ideological fight against their radical segments. This rally is an indication that this might change, and change soon.
Such efforts by reform-minded Muslims are also important to the U.S. (and, to look a bit more short-term, the Bush Administration), because these efforts show that at least some Muslims ratify the American efforts, which helps to win the ideological fight abroad and on the homefront. In other words, maybe one or two aging hippies who can't get over their Vietnam Complex will see rallies like this and start to think a little better about the motives and moral grounding of their own country. One can hope, anyway.
On a personal note, I really wish I could attend this rally, but since we go to trial on May 12, and expect it to last 4-6 weeks, I expect I will be otherwise engaged that weekend. Bummer.
posted by Tanker J.D. at 8:40 PM
5 Comments:
Tanker JD - noticed your blog listed on the roll call of sponsors. Do you have any idea at all as to how large the turnout may be?
Hey, you stole my Post ;-D
Love your blog
Best of luck, best of everything, Pamela
WTF is the year of the rabbit?
Realwest
No, I didn't know that I had suddenly become a sponsor. Will have to check that out.
Atlas-
You really don't know the year of the rabbit? That wasn't my doing, but it's my "sign" in the Chinese Zodiac (you know - year of the Dragon, year of the Ox, etc.) Blogger did that automatically after I gave it my birth date. And I really don't like superstitions like Zodiacal signs
Tanker J.D. - my bad - it was RIGHT TALK that was one of the sponsors - sorry about that! (Talk,
Track, it's pretty much all the same to a former grunt!!)
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