There goes the neighborhood - Tunisia Edition

There is every reason to believe that moderates and toleration will then gain more voice and more power and the current ugliness will subside.I pray you are correct in your optimism.

I believe you area bit confused as I have not actually quoted anything you warn me against.....and I can ASSURE you Sir I would never couch a quote.....either randomly or specifically.



I don't believe you did and I'm not accusing you of such ;)

2. Correct, politically Turkey is a secular democracy. You are making my point here. It has been a secular democracy 88 years.

It's been a secular Democracy despite not because of islam.

It is also actively Muslim in terms of the religious practices of the population. Has been for about 1,000 years. Just because it is referred to politically as a "secular" democracy does not mean there is no religion.

Agreed.

Therefore, as I type these words, Islam and democracy have a nearly century-long track record of being compatible in Turkey.

Wholly incompatible, at odds and in a prolonged power struggle which islam is now beginning to win.

So we see that when you said, "There's no example of islam and Democracy being compatible," you were mistaken. .

You have still not given an example of islam and Democracy being compatible. It's generally a Theocracy with the facade of democracy.

You can speculate about the future of Turkey all you want. But my argument is not built on speculation - I am providing hard evidence..

You have provided no evidence, merely your opinion.

So my initial point, that you made a false statement, remains established.

Only in your opinion.

Evidence, not speculation, shows that it is simply untrue to say, "There's no example of islam and Democracy being compatible." I will respond to the rest of your post just to defend myself:

3. Religious intolerance in Indonesia does not mean that Islam and democracy are incompatible there, just as religious intolerance in the USA does not mean that Christianity and democracy cannot coexist here. It just means that there are some intolerant people. When the mosque in Tennessee was burned last year, did that mean that Christianity and democracy are incompatible? No.

As islam is a political system as well as being a cult I don't think your comparison is valid. One mosque in Tennessee? Compared to the worldwide stealth imposition of the Pact of Umar? Now I'll be the first to admit a lot of mosques worldwide get destroyed, but it's by moslem-on-moslem violence. Rarely is it by another religious group or my lot.

4. India. India consists of more than Hindus. There are more than 220 million Muslims in India, making India the world's third largest Muslim country. India is also a democracy. So 220 million Muslims in India coexist with democracy.

Most give the figure as 165M but even at 220M they are still less than 15% to 80% + Hindu. Nice use of a large number to give credence to your claim. How did Pakistan come to be partitioned from India? If you'd like an instant replay observe Kashmir. More overwhelming evidence that moslems, when they reach a certain %, cease playing 'nice'. Cline's observation, from 2008 (I think):
Below two percent Muslims are well-behaved citizens and cause little apparent trouble for the host society.
At two percent and three percent Muslims begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs.
From five percent on Muslims exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. They push for the introduction of halal ("clean" by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves--along with threats for failure to comply (United States, Switzerland, Sweden). At this point, Muslims work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia, or Islamic law. (England, Netherlands, Philippines).
When Muslims reach 10 percent of the population, they increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions (Paris--car burning). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats (Amsterdam, Denmark--Mohammed cartoons, murder of Theo van Gogh).
After reaching 20 percent of a population expect hair-trigger rioting, Jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning (Indonesia, Ethiopia).
After 40 percent you find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare (Bosnia, Chad).
From 60 percent you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and jizya, the tax placed on [conquered] infidels (Sudan, Albania).
After 80 percent, expect to find state-run ethnic cleansing and genocide (Syria, Egypt, UAE).
5. Bangladesh. Same argument as Indonesia. If the religious intolerance of some invalidates democracy then democracy does not exist anywhere on the planet. Religious intolerance exists in some form everywhere.

And you'll get the same answer. The madrassars are the lifeblood of radical (or to me mainstream, old-school) islam and the supposed moderate form is just a convenient facade for jizya from unsuspecting Western states.

6. Egypt. Just because they have the Muslim Brotherhood does not mean that they haven't had democratic elections, albeit imperfect. Does the presence of the KKK make the USA not a democracy? No. You make a non-argument about Egypt.

When has the KKK represented 39% of the voting public in an election? That's what the hilariously named Freedom and Justice Party are at right now and that's with almost 40% 'undecided'. That was a Straw Man and a pretty weak one too.

7. The democratic impulse in Islam which I mentioned pre-dates the division into legal schools. Abu Bakr, who was the first caliph (or leader after Muhammad), was put in his position by democratic election. Thus democracy has remained a paradigmatic ideal because Abu Bakr was the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs as well as Muhammad's bff. Later caliphs turned into hereditary monarchs but still had sham "elections" for their sons out of respect for this precedent. The hadith which you produced does not change this fact.

What kind of representation do women get under this 'democracy'? And Dhimmis?

Riiiiiight!

I sincerely apologize for taking so long to respond, I am able to look in anonymously on WP but can't post. I eagerly await your response.

But what was mentioned above is something different: local neighborhood anti-Coptic repression in Egypt and similar realities. This problem is structurally similar to mosque burnings in Tennessee. It is a problem of local intolerance rather than global terrorism.


Anti-Copt repression in Egypt is part of the Pact of Umar and imposition of Dhimmitude as I previously mentioned and nothing to do with, or to be falsely be compared to, ONE mosque getting burnt out by some idiot white supremacists.

Mosque burnings? Rhetoric at its finest! I'm now convinced that Lotus is part of the problem.

Look up the FBI stats on hate crimes, see who's at the top with 72%.

Redskin Rat, once again the only problem is that you refuse to admit when you are wrong.

Let's leaving aside other examples which only serve to confuse you and focus on just one example. Turkey has been both democratic and Islamic for 88 years. Therefore your statement that there are no examples of the compatibility of Islam and democracy has an 88 year track record of being wrong. IT IS JUST THAT SIMPLE.

Intelligent conversation involves changing one's notion to fit the evidence. Yet again and again you fit the evidence to meet you preconceived notions.

There is no further point in my arguing with someone who ignores examples which do not fit their preconceived notions. There is no further point in my arguing with someone who uses outdated concepts and outdated statistics. But most of all, there is no further point in my arguing with someone who refuses to admit when they are patently mistaken.

The rest of this thread is full of posters who have intelligent things to say. I don't always agree with them but at least they are engaging in good-faith intelligent conversation. I see no point in dragging that conversation down by responding to you further.

As one last note, once again you have launched a personal attack against me rather than admit that you are mistaken. That is a pretty sucky thing to do. It conversation with you less than pointless.

Redskin Rat, once again the only problem is that you refuse to admit when you are wrong.

So at least I'm consistent, right?
Are you even reading my rebuttals or is your bias just clouding your ability to look at anyone else’s opinion as anything other than invalid?

Let's leaving aside other examples which only serve to confuse you

I'm far from confused, sweetie.....

and focus on just one example. Turkey has been both democratic and Islamic for 88 years. Therefore your statement that there are no examples of the compatibility of Islam and democracy has an 88 year track record of being wrong. IT IS JUST THAT SIMPLE.

As I previously stated 'despite' islam. There has been a ongoing and aggressive attempt at de-democratizing Turkey halted only by the military/secular powers. To argue otherwise is to either be so ignorant of the situation that your opinion should not be taken seriously or that it's a deliberate attempt at misinformation.

Intelligent conversation involves changing one's notion to fit the evidence. Yet again and again you fit the evidence to meet you preconceived notions.

Until I agree with your position I doubt that you'd see my side as intelligent. See my next statement.

There is no further point in my arguing with someone who ignores examples which do not fit their preconceived notions. There is no further point in my arguing with someone who uses outdated concepts and outdated statistics. But most of all, there is no further point in my arguing with someone who refuses to admit when they are patently mistaken.

Classic argument from an 'educator', my sister-in-law pulls that shit all the time when she's losing her position.

The rest of this thread is full of posters who have intelligent things to say.

Sure.......<rolls_eyes>

I don't always agree with them

Most of us (judging by this forum) can barely agree on how to support our team!

.... but at least they are engaging in good-faith intelligent conversation. I see no point in dragging that conversation down by responding to you further.

Then don't, you've failed at every opportunity to actually SUBSTANTIATE your position. Just telling me you're right isn't the kind of evidence I'll accept.

As one last note, once again you have launched a personal attack against me rather than admit that you are mistaken. That is a pretty sucky thing to do. It conversation with you less than pointless.

Personal attack? Saying (tongue-n-cheek) that you are part of the problem? You CAN'T be THAT sensitive.......

'Sucky'.......**** sake!

However, in both Egypt and Tunisia there are sizeable numbers of folks who prefer secular democracy to either an Iranian Islamic model or, in the cases we are discussing, mob rule by Islam. The Arab Spring revolts were driven more by a striving for democracy than they were driven by calls for Islamic government. As emotions settle, the questions will be less "How to we erase traces of Mubarak or Ben Ali?" and more "How do we create a beneficial new society?" There is every reason to believe that moderates and toleration will then gain more voice and more power and the current ugliness will subside.Hindsight is always 20/20 and I understand being hopeful for peace, however the widespread violence we are seeing brings us back to the reality I feared with the "Arab Spring" that violent Islamic, anti-American, factions would take over these countries and make the ME a much more dangerous place....particularly for non-Muslims and moderate Muslims

Don't you just love religion. Look at our omnipotent deity working in mysterious ways! Isn't it glorious? Praise jeebus. Also, way to go America for sticking your collective nose where it doesn't belong for decades. That policy is clearly working out for you. You should stick with that.

Don't you just love religion. Look at our omnipotent deity working in mysterious ways! Isn't it glorious? Praise jeebus. Also, way to go America for sticking your collective nose where it doesn't belong for decades. That policy is clearly working out for you. You should stick with that.This is clearly a problem with "religion" overall, not violent Islamic extremist factions. I was just watching the news reports of violent mobs of Christians, Jews, Buhdists, moderate Muslims, etc. storming the Egyptian and Libyan embassies here in the U.S. in retaliation.

Last I checked the U.S. was providing many countries in the ME with billions (aggregate) in aid to improve people's standard of living and attempt to promote human rights.....bad U.S., very bad!


:frusty:

i hate people who don't share my beliefs and values, they're obviously all evil.