Christian Sponsorship of Rationlist Islamic Charity as Foreign Policy

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Christian Sponsorship of Rationlist Islamic Charity as Foreign Policy

Author:

Inden

Topic:

Diaries

Posted:

Dec 07, 2001

Comments:

I am going to advocate that to win the war against al Qaida, the U.S. needs a very large carrot that is bigger than our already impressive stick.

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The U.S. needs to identify institutions of Islamic charity in the Arab world that are rationalist in their treatment of the Koran. Sufism might be a place to start but I need to learn more about the different trends in Islamic theology today to make a better evaluation.

The U.S. and its allied Arab governments (excluding of course Saudi Arabia the chief sponsor of mystical Islam), most particularly Egypt, can overcome the appeal to jihad that forms the attraction of al Qaida to Arab young men's pride by offering an alternative compelling vision of providing resources for improving Islamic society that is both based in Koran and is rationalist instead of mystical in its appeal.

This ultimately is how we will overcome the threat of "Jihad versus McWorld" on the international scale.

	I am no Koranic scholar (none / 0) (#1)
	by Inden on Fri Dec 7th, 2001 at 04:54:05 AM PST

	My argument is based on the general principle that every theology is plastic to the extent that support for good behavior can always be found in its scripture if one is determined to do so. Religion is a tool for improving human society. It is not the fault of the hammer how the carpenter chooses to wield it. We can influence Arabs more effectively through the carrot/butter metaphor of a rationalist based Islamic society than simple subjugation through superior firepower and better organization. Carrot and stick. This is going to form the core of my essay application to the Masters program in International Relations at Columbia University. Anyone out there have any information as to rationalist Islamic theology in the modern world?

	A wrong is you. (none / 0) (#3)
	by Anonymous Reader on Sat Dec 8th, 2001 at 01:18:01 AM PST

	I was watching Prince of Egypt the other night, and was stuck by what a terrible lesson the myth of Moses offers to the modern world. First, the myth of Moses offers racist divisiveness in place of human rights. Instead of "slavery is wrong", Moses demands: "let my people go. Presumably, if Pharaoh had enslaved a bunch of Kurds, Moses wouldn've have minded. Here can be seen the seeds of the racialist conflict in the Middle East today. Second, the conflict between the Jews and the Egyptian Empire is reductively portrayed in terms of personality: Moses v. Pharaoh. This is nothing more than simplistic "great man" history, which distorts the actual historical record in favor of cheap authoritarinan myths. Finally, the God of the Jews has no qualms about murdering children to prove a point. This kind of end-justifies-the-means insanity leads directly to My Lai and the WTC attack though Hiroshima and Dresden. All religions based on "the book": the Old and New Testaments, and the Koran, are obsolescent, anti-human belief systems. These destructive, hate-inducing religions should be rejected by any civilized society. The only religions that should be practiced in a truly rational society would be harmless, feel-good jibber-jabber like Buddhism or Bahai.

	Rationalist Islamic belief systems? (none / 0) (#4)
	by Anonymous Reader on Sat Dec 8th, 2001 at 09:49:10 PM PST

	You've got to be kidding. So far as I can tell, there are none.

	haha (none / 0) (#5)
	by em on Sat Dec 8th, 2001 at 10:27:16 PM PST

	Carrot and stick. This is going to form the core of my essay application to the Masters program in International Relations at Columbia University. Anyone out there have any information as to rationalist Islamic theology in the modern world? So, lemme get this straight. You are applying to grad school, and need to write an essay. Thus, you go and ask people to do your research for you. Methinks grad school might not be for you. --em Associate Editor, Adequacy.org

	Au contraire. (none / 0) (#6)
	by tkatchev on Sun Dec 9th, 2001 at 08:52:24 AM PST

	Actually, it seems like he's picking up the basics of the academic lifestyle very quickly. To the original poster: don't listen to these idiots. You are doing fine, this is exactly what grad school is all about. -- Peace and much love...

	maybe... (none / 0) (#7)
	by nathan on Sun Dec 9th, 2001 at 01:50:37 PM PST

	Under the corrupt Soviet system, I have no doubt that this was true. In my field, at least, very little plundering is done. (In fact, my practice room is a personal trial every single day, with no-one else even being competent to provide useful input.) Nathan -- Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

	Yeah right (none / 0) (#8)
	by em on Tue Dec 11th, 2001 at 07:23:04 PM PST

	Actually, it seems like he's picking up the basics of the academic lifestyle very quickly. Last I heard, in academia if you want to find out something you look up the topic in bibliographic databases, open up intro books to the section on your topic, follow their bibliographic citations into the literature, and iterate this process over those. You certainly don't go and ask people to do all this for you, because (a) it will piss them off, (b) if you're good enough a grad student, they just might not be able to help you much-- they can give you advice, but you know your own topic better than they do. --em Associate Editor, Adequacy.org

	You misunderstand a little (none / 0) (#9)
	by Inden on Tue Dec 11th, 2001 at 09:52:32 PM PST

	I'm not looking for anything here except general off the cuff leads that a passing reader might happen to have lying around their cranium. This has nothing to do with asking anyone to do any work at all. Just type something that occurs to them or they already know. You are probably someone who irons your underwear and always has a fresh crisp sharp trouser crease. Not everything has to be perfect before it is worth talking about good sir. Sometimes just blue sky talk is worth it for inspirational ideas.

	hey, watch it (none / 0) (#2)
	by em on Fri Dec 7th, 2001 at 11:29:40 PM PST

	I am going to advocate that to win the war against al Qaida, the U.S. needs a very large carrot that is bigger than our already impressive stick. I'm sorry, but even though Adequacy.org aims to be a home for controversy, it doesn't aim to be a home for meaningless controversy. The sexual innuendo here is unwarranted. The U.S. needs to identify institutions of Islamic charity in the Arab world that are rationalist in their treatment of the Koran. And I'm pretty sure you define "rationalist" as "supports western interests", right? --em Associate Editor, Adequacy.org

	Got It Much Better Now (none / 0) (#10)
	by Inden on Wed Dec 12th, 2001 at 09:38:42 PM PST

	Call for a Faith Based Foreign Policy Initiative By Iden Rosenthal Meeting the Al-Qaeda Threat on the Ideological Plane: Calling for a Faith Based Foreign Policy Initiative Good News! God is love in foreign policy too! Good News! The Al-Qaeda challenge is a moral and ideological one for our civilization much more than it is a military or police security threat. American civilization is deadlocked in disillusionment and ambivalence over our own struggles with materialism and consumerism as fulfilling ideologies. Time to regain the momentum from the spirit that dwells within all human hearts and take up the challenge as warriors of the soul. Charity is not a luxury good. Charity is not optional. Charity is not condescencion. Charity is where we learn our (Borg-like) lesson from what is best of Islam and assimilate it ourselves or kill the world with our refusal and our own souls in the process. Charity is obligatory (although not enforced by police) and essential to the spiritual fullness of the individual and of society. We find common ground with Islam over the submission of our egos to the will of God to do charitable works to repair the world. This is the vision of the oneness of Allah and God the merciful and poetic and mystical indwelling spirit in all human hearts. One Love One God One People One Truth One Earth One Equals One Is the One and We Are the One(s) - Der Vilner Chasid

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