I'm Not a Muslim, But . . .
If I were, I think I would get a little tired of non-Muslims lecturing me about how moderate Muslims must save the "real Islam" from being "hikacked" by extremists.
Isn't this the worst form of condescension? Of cultural imperialism? Think of it this way. Do Catholics like it when non-Catholics lecture them on how the Church should open the priesthood to women? Why not? Well, it's not really non-Catholics' business, now is it?
There may be a war within Islam (I really don't know--like I said, I'm not a Muslim, and I don't know much about Islam). And the outcome of that war may very well impact our national interests (indeed, if there is such a war, it probably does). But is it our place to tell Muslims how that internal debate should be resolved? What's our basis for doing so? We certainly cannot speak to what "true Islam" is.
So, let's just stop doing that.
posted by Number Three @ 9:54 AM
1 Comments:
Good point Celine. But isn't it different in that Republicans and Democrats are, at least in terms of small-d democratic theory, working on a common project, "the public good," the common weal, call it what you will. (This is in theory only, given the current group's policies.) So what happens in the other party can be a matter of public discussion.
But at least from a liberal point of view, religion is a personal, private affair. As TJ said, it doesn't matter to me how (or, I would add, whether) my neighbor worships God, "it neither picks my pocket or breaks my leg." So, in a sense, the punditry's move here is to make religion a public matter, which I am opposed to, 100%.
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