|
... more
De Tocqueville Versus Lewis and Pipes
Summary ... Israeli policy-makers and opinion-makers — and those who organize international conferences in Jerusalem involving Islam — should be wary of relying too much on the views of Messrs. Lewis and Pipes.
Anyone who has read Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America knows of his extraordinary mind. He was not only a wise, penetrating, and prophetic, but his was an aristocratic mind: magnanimous, urbane, and free from sectarian prejudice. Hence one should take all the more seriously his assessment of Islam:
I studied the Quran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Muhammad. So far as I can see, it is the principal cause of the decadence so visible today in the Muslim world and, though less absurd than the polytheism of old, its social and political tendencies are in my opinion more to be feared, and I therefore regard it as a form of decadence rather than a form of progress in relation to paganism itself.
Can anyone imagine scholars like Bernard Lewis and Daniel Pipes hinting, let alone saying, such a thing today about Muslims? True, when de Tocqueville was writing in the second third of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was in decline; but I do not see how this could affect his evaluation of Islam.
There were no "Islamists" in de Tocqueville's time, to be distinguished from Islam per se, as "Islamists" are so distinguished by Messrs. Pipes and Lewis. There were no Muslim suicide bombers whose barbarism was cheered by the Islamic world. If de Tocqueville were alive today, he would surely see that Islam is now more decadent than it was in the 19th century.
So how shall we account for the "polite"—or should I say "politically correct"—attitude of Lewis and Pipes vis-à-vis Islam? Comparisons are invidious, but these American scholars—Lewis was born and educated in England—are not more magnanimous or urbane than de Tocqueville. Of course, unlike de Tocqueville, Lewis and Pipes are Jews, and this alone might deter them from disparaging Islam.
They are also the products of the 20th century, the century of triumphant democracy and triumphant secularism, which would prompt them to regard all religions as equal or with skepticism. Nor is this all.
Both Lewis and Pipes are historians, and there is a strong tendency among historians to succumb to historicism, i.e., historical relativism. Historicism is a denial of trans-historical or absolute truths. If Lewis and Pipes have been influenced by historical relativism, they would tend to be non-judgmental vis-à-vis Islam.
Of course they can still write, as Lewis does, about "Islamic rage," or as Pipes does, about "militant Islam." But here it could be said they are being descriptive, not judgmental, even thought neither of these scholars approve of Islamic rage or Islamic militancy. Common sense or reality trumps historical relativism.
It should also be noted that Professor Lewis, the doyen of Islamic scholarship, is well-received in various Islamic countries, which of course would be impossible if he were critical of Islam. As for Dr. Pipes, he is a public official, a board member of the U.S. Institute of Peace, which also precludes his being judgmental about Islam.
Hence, with all due respect for their eruditions and achievements, but in view of their being Jewish as well as secular democrats, I do not believe that either of these scholars can be wholly relied upon for a candid assessment of Islam.
I will go even further. If Lewis and Pipes were citizens of Israel, I dare say their view of Islam would not differ substantially from that of Professor Moshe Sharon and of the late Professor Yehoshafat Harkabi—both of the Hebrew University. Even though these two Israeli academics represent, respectively, the right and left ends of the political spectrum, they agreed on the militant and mendacious nature of Arab-Islamic culture.
Therefore, Israeli policy-makers and opinion-makers—and those who organize international conferences in Jerusalem involving Islam—should be wary of relying too much on the views of Messrs. Lewis and Pipes, which is not to say these two scholars should not be seriously studied. One should bear in mind, however, that what may be "politically correct" and even commendable scholarship in America may be deadly in Israel.
[ Published: December 15, 2004 ]
In Depth Analysis
Resistance and Rockets: Hamas Targeting of Israeli Civilians
Contrary to what the media and world leaders proclaim, Hamas's targeting of civilians is not an Israeli fabrication. The terrorist organization used its own elaborate media networks to publicize and praise attacks on civilian targets in Israel throughout the 2008-2009 Gaza war, despite its recent attempts to prove otherwise. Hamas views attacks on civilians as legitimate, appropriate, effective, and even heroic. In fact, such strikes are fundamental to its operations.
An Apartheid State or the Greatest Lie Ever Told?
[Republished to counter the "Sixth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week", March 1-14, 2010] It takes real chutzpah to attach the South African apartheid label to the democratic Jewish State of Israel. For the boot is truly on the other foot. Unlike the Judenrein Arab countries of the Middle East, the Jewish State neither believes in nor does it practice major nor minor racial apartheid. The way the Arabs use "Israeli apartheid" one might think they were protesting because Israel does not permit Arabs in their midst. Of course the very contrary is true. Some 20 percent of Israeli citizens are Arab — it is the Arabs who do not allow Jews in their midst.
UN blames Terrorists for Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan - Unlike Standards Used For Israel
A recent UN report on Afghanistan stands in stark contrast to the infamous Goldstone report issued by a United Nations' Human Rights Council. While the Goldstone report contained allegations of war crimes by the IDF, the UN report on Afghanistan did not blame the United States army or its allies for deaths of civilians who live near where the Taliban launched its attacks while using the civilian areas as a collective human shield.
Emet Blog
Are You Ready for Israeli Apartheid Week?
In case you're out of the loop, last Monday, March 1, 2010, marked the beginning of the 'Sixth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week'. It runs from March 1 — March 14, 2010. But no matter how you want to spin it, the definition of apartheid is racial segregation, nothing more. And in the case of Israel, nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike South Africa, Arabs are not segregated from the population in any manner. In fact, in many cases Israel goes to extreme lengths — sometimes to its own detriment — to appease the Arabs.
"I Support Israel; Let's Divide It"
There are many people who say they support Israel. And that's great! But for some people that also means supporting a "Palestinian" state carved out of Judea and Samaria, and that's not great. By saying they support the creation of an Arab state, they are saying that Israel is an "occupying power" in Judea and Samaria. They are, in fact, agreeing with the United Nation's stance on Israel — and the UN is not a supporter of Israel. Israel is a sovereign nation and must be treated as such.
US Economic Pressure on Israel Via Loan Guarantees? Don't Make Me Laugh
Sever Plocker comments on how people who still speak about "US economic pressure on Israel via loan guarantees" are completely disconnected from reality. He states that it is Israel who is now helping the US pay its deficits, and not the other way around. "This is why we were laughing, the American economists and myself, when the issue of loan guarantees came up in our conversation. I was laughing happily; they were laughing somewhat sadly."
Views/Commentary
Training the Palestinian Security Forces for What?
The United States and Europe provide training and high quality equipment for the Palestinian Authority "security forces" in order to fight terrorism. But instead the training and equipment are used by the Arabs for terrorist purposes. So, instead of preventing terrorism, the US and EU are actually supporting it. In fact, the US and EU are training the Arab terrorists for war against Israel.
Does Israel Need America?
Most people believe that Israel, as a nation, will collapse without the aid of the United States. The truth, however, is quite the opposite. Israel can survive on its own without the aid of the United States or any other country. But what people, including Israel, must realize is that Israel cannot survive without the God of Israel, the God who directs the affairs of men — and it would do Israel well to satisfy Him first.
Where is the Outrage?
Former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion once noted that as long as Members of the Knesset are not individually elected, they are not accountable to the voters and the Government can choose to ignore public opinion. This is exactly what happened under the Ariel Sharon government and is happening now under the regime of Benjamin Netanyahu. It was not until he was elected that Netanyahu endorsed an Arab state carved out of Judea and Samaria.
Selected Reading
Does Israel Need America?
Most people believe that Israel, as a nation, will collapse without the aid of the United States. The truth, however, is quite the opposite. Israel can survive on its own without the aid of the United States or any other country. But what people, including Israel, must realize is that Israel cannot survive without the God of Israel, the God who directs the affairs of men — and it would do Israel well to satisfy Him first.
The Myth of 'Occupied' Territories
To determine the true legal status of the area known as Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), it is important to understand the different types of UN resolutions. Once this is understood, it becomes clear there is no such thing as the Israeli-occupied territories. (If anything, they are actually Arab-occupied territories.)
The History and Meaning of "Palestine" and "Palestinians"
Palestine has never existed . . . as an autonomous entity. There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs.
The Moslem Claim to Jerusalem is False
Is there any foundation to the Moslem argument that this "furthest mosque" (Al-Masujidi al-Aqtza) refers to what is today called the Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem? The answer is, none whatsoever.