It is a frequent complaint among opinion makers in the United States that the global Muslim community does not condemn and prevent terrorism. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has even said that Islam needs a civil war similar to the one the United States fought in order to deal with its extremists. But the truth is that moderate and progressive Muslims all over the world are battling extremism!
In the United States, one-third of al-Qaeda related terror plots have been broken up thanks to intelligence provided by Muslim Americans. It is up to the press to report these positive stories and not exaggerate the sway that extremists hold over the global Muslim community.
Here is an important story reported on by Al Jazeera English recently that has hardly gotten out into the mainstream media, when thousands of Egyptian Muslims showed up to defend Coptic Christians from further terrorism while attending their masses. We regularly watch AJ here in Australia to get the real news.
Those muslims who are battling extremism and protecting Chrisitians must be having a hard time of it when you consider the various Islamic governments have not done much to help them, e.g: The military in Pakistan, the Egyptian government, the afghani government, the Iraqi government and so on. All these countries have seen an increase in attacks against Chrisitians.
ReplyDeleteIt all there for you to read at www.camera.org, search under Christian issues. Of course you don't like that website so you won't like their appraisal of AJ. It no wonder that AJ would want to be seen as supporting Chrisitians - no surprise there - all good propaganda. Also, where are the actual statisitcs showing these " thousands" of Muslims?
As for muslim Americans helping to fight terrorism , well, they are American first, not muslin are they not? In the same way that Japanese American soldiers fought in Europe in the last war. Also, these muslim Americans and their information may be used to kill the enemy. You don't have a problem with this?
That's a lie, there has been a comment.
ReplyDeleteThere is one person who only sends anonymous comments to what I post on my blog and I can always tell they are from the same person by the style of writing and content. The comments are always critical, never able to affirm a single thing I write, and each time they are questioning my integrity - which I wouldn't mind if I also had the ability to respond in a dialogue or in person off-blog by email or in a Skype conversation. For example, he/she just sent me a message saying the story above is a lie and wanted me to read the "facts" at Camera.org and to substantiate my sources -- and to take the cake deriding me for not publishing all his/her comments in the past. (Even though I have half the time.) It's pretty easy to see what the "objective" folks at Camera are all about! So, "anonymous" if you start having enough integrity to state your name or at least email me maybe then we can start to have a dialogue. And by the way, I do not have this blog to win a popularity contest or to see how many comments I can garner. I use it as a personal record/journal of what I am thinking about at the time and what I might want to be praying about, as well. -Clair
ReplyDeleteI rely on various sources, not jut Al Jazeera, although many Aussies here do watch it regularly and it has a good reputation in this country for objective reporting. I found MANY sources for the information above, including for example, this one: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/3351/Egypt/0/In-Egypt,-ministers-and-movie-stars-turn-out-for-t.aspx But even more, I have a Eastern Rite Catholic priest colleague with whom I rub shoulders on a daily basis at the hospital and he is from EGYPT. He reads the news from "back home" regularly and he knows the truth. He corroborated this story in total! -Clair
ReplyDeleteFirstly, thank you for publishing the comments. You ask for comments not dialoque.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I said that it was a lie that there were no comments to your posts. I did not say that the story was a lie, in fact I asked for statistics. I don't care for the bias of an eye witness even from a priest or other religious leaders. Listening to people who will agree with you is no evidence at all. And self praise is no reference at all.
Thirdly, the camera organization is no more bias in what they post anymore than you and what you post. They at least provide some evidence with facts for what they post.
Fourthly, my experience with political theologians like you is that in the end it is not worth dialaloqing with them as they have already decided what they believe, regardless how many facts are given to them.
They, like you, and most people who bash and demonize Israel,seem to have the ability to make the facts fit their beliefs or paradigm.
Anonymous, please take the courtesy of posting your name and yes, I do want to have a conversation with you. I am not a theologian, I am a pastor who works in critical care in a hospital and with hurting people and also spend time in management of a pastoral care department. This involves relating to a wide variety of people within a mileau of great religious and political diversity - Christians (Catholic and all varieties of Orthodox and Coptics, etc) Jewish people (Lubavitch, secular , Orthodox, Reformed, etc) Hindus, and Muslims of three different types, Buddhists from six different communities, Bahai's -- and I could go on. I try to maintain a great sensitivity to issues of injustice and try to do my best utilizing critical thinking skills and sifting through the news and reading other news letters and commentaries. I admit I do not have time to read my personal email everyday, and there are some days where I have 150 to 200 emails so I have to comb through it, don't read half of it, and thus miss some. There can easily be a few days between taking time to moderate comments.
ReplyDeleteFacts: you will get them, but I need to leave right now to attend a conference of young adult physician interns who are meeting in a Christian Medical Society retreat and have a banquet this evening.
I understand how busy people can get. And no, I don't expect you to respond immediately as you claim.
ReplyDeleteOn another point there is a lot of violence in Egypt at the moment. They seem to think they can achieve democracy through violence. Are these the same Egyptians that you say defend Christians in Egypt? Don’t you condemn the violence that America uses to defend freedom of religion in America? Or is it a case that Egyptian/ Muslim violence is OK, but American/ Christian violence is wrong. You seem to be rather inconsistent if one looks at your posts.
Do you think that right now, that you could have your blog if you were in Egypt where the internet apparently has been shut down by the government? Oh yes, Israel in comparison is really bad isn’t it? Israel where people can demonstrate, where people can use the internet, where they allow CPT to film and report on Israeli activities - Israel where they have elections.
To "Anonymous": (Why in the world do you insist on speaking behind the mask of anonymity? Why do you not have the courage to identify yourself and your opinions?) Anyway, you said "Or is it a case that Egyptian/ Muslim violence is OK, but American/ Christian violence is wrong. You seem to be rather inconsistent if one looks at your posts."
ReplyDeleteHere you have, once again, erected a "strawman" argument for me to knock down. I will not go there, as I am against all violence - categorically.
The Mubarak regime has been exceptionally repressive all these years, so what the world is witnessing is pent up anger and the Christians and Muslims there are "in it together" in the protests. I have been hoping and praying for no bloodshed but that is not likely.
Just like I don't pretend that America is non-violent in its policies and practices, I ask you not to pretend that the Israeli govt is non-violent in the way it treats the Palestinians. Have you read the Kairos document yet? It contains a good summary of the "reality on the ground" (section 1) and is endorsed by all the major Christian leaders in Israel/Palestine (see the signatories) http://www.kairospalestine.ps/sites/default/Documents/English.pdf It also outlines a good strategy for the way forward. I know some of those signatories personally.
Prominent informed South African leaders who also traveled to Israel have declared its apartheid policies to be even worse than those South Africa had to overcome. One cannot ignore the reporting of Gideon Levy in Haaretz of this reality: http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/twilight-zone-cry-the-beloved-country-1.221250
-Clair
Oh yes, facts:
ReplyDeletehttp://richarddawkins.net/articles/574844-egypt-s-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/07/egypt.coptic.church.attack/index.html?eref=edition_meast&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+rss/edition_meast+(RSS:+Middle+East)
Also, here is a photo gallery of the Muslim human shields - in connection with the original post I made:
ReplyDeletehttp://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/3595/Egypt/0/Photo-Gallery-Egypts-Muslims-attend-Coptic-Christm.aspx
Thant's it I am done with your skewed view of the facts and the leaders of the church with their bias. The way I see it, the church has no real leaders anymore just academics with a bias politcal view. Who are they to dictate to any country? I now leave you with your delusions. I hope you take responsibility for the final outcome of the church's interference with other countries.I really despair for the church's future. I actually wonder if the church still exists. Congratualtions I no longer have any faith in the church if this is what it has come to.
ReplyDeleteI should clarify my last comment. I have lost faith in the leadership of the global church if it has taken a pro-Palestinian stance despite their violence to the State of Israel. The last time I checked, God is no respecter of persons, that is to say, God does not play favorites. Christ died for all sinners. The global church is not represented by its leaders but by those who make up the membership of the church. This is the church I value and have faith in. The leadership of the church does not speak for all of us –neither do you. I will leave off posting on your site. I now turn my attention to promoting the church and the spectrum of beliefs within her.
ReplyDeleteThe evidence the camera.org presents is, as far as I am concerned, as compelling as yours. I agree and support those Anabaptists who went to Israel, (as reported by the Mennonite Weekly Review), to recognize its sovereign right to exist and its territories.
If the Palestinians desire peace then they need to withdraw their support for those who use violence and refuse to be used as their human shields.
I wish you well on your journey of faith, Eric. I read the story in Mennonite Weekly Review (online) about the 45 Anabaptists who went to Israel with their statement and the subsequent comments, including your ongoing "dialogue" with Les. I hope someday you can actually go on a delegation to Palestine/Israel, like Les did and take the time to see for yourself what is really happening. I am planning to do the same within the next year or so, since its been 35 years since I spent three months there. Anna Baltzer who spoke a few months ago at Canberra Baptist Church and at Australian National University here in Canberra, is a Jewish American who grew up thinking about the state of Israel exactly like you do now. Her presentation: “Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness Stories and Photos” is a wonderfully moving introduction to the plight of the Palestinians, in simple, everyday terms, with a captivating narration. Anna Baltzer is a Columbia graduate and Fulbright scholar, and presents her discoveries as a volunteer with the International Women's Peace Service in the West Bank, documenting human rights abuses and now supports Palestinian-led NONVIOLENT resistance to "the Occupation." Read more here about what turned her around: http://www.annainthemiddleeast.com
ReplyDelete-Clair
Congratulations on leaving your religion Anonymous just because a church elder , god forbid, decided to act a bit christ like and praise someone of another faith for their good deeds.
ReplyDeleteSuggest reading over the parable of the good samaratain, then ask yourself how it got so bad that a frigging atheist like me is able to tell you your not acting like a true christian when you disobey gods orders and act like a bastard to other faiths.