As you will see in the seven minute video below, Colin Powell says there is nothing wrong with being a Muslim, either as a soldier in the U.S. military or as a president of the United States. He is reasonable and sincere, and if he was talking about just about any other group, race, religion, or ideology, I'd say, "right on."But he's talking about Islam.
"But not all Muslims are terrorists," I can hear someone say. And that's true. But what if you replaced the word "Muslim" in Powell's statements with the word "Klansman." Would his statements still seem reasonable?
"But Islam is not the same as the KKK," I can hear the same dhimmi say. Would it make a difference? What if he was a non-active member of the KKK who was simply raised as a Klansman? Would that make a difference? Probably many Klansmen have never lynched anyone.
"But," I might answer, "if he's a Klansman, he supports the ideology, the central principle being that one kind of person (in this case, African Americans) are inferior and deserve to die, or at least be thoroughly subjugated." Would you really be okay with having someone like that in your military? Or as a president?
If he's an American Muslim, he has probably never beheaded anyone. He may simply have been raised as a Muslim. But doesn't that mean he supports the ideology? What does it mean to be a Muslim if you don't believe in the teachings? If he says he's a Muslim, it must mean he supports the ideology, the central principle being that one kind of person (in this case, non-Muslims) are inferior and deserve to die, or at least be thoroughly subjugated.
Now, of course, not all Muslims would agree with that statement. There are plenty of apatheistic Muslims in America and those who choose to ignore certain teachings, but are you willing to take a chance? You would be putting people's lives on the line to take that chance — other people's lives, not yours.
Anyway, here's Colin Powell being thoughtful, multicultural, and cavalier about something risky yet politically correct:
21 comments:
Citizen Warrior,
mah29001 at his Zionist Anti-Communist blog has another interesting take on thisstory
Damien, Mah29001 seems to think Powell might have endorsed Obama in order to gain Obama's favor, but I think Powell is sincere and endorses Obama for exactly the reasons he says. I think Powell simply knows nothing about Islam other than what people have told him, which was probably damn little and pockmarked with taqiyya.
The word needs to get out there, mighty soldiers! Too many people know too little about Islam!
I wonder if Colin Powell will be willing to apologize to McCain and to the American people if Obama invites Bill Ayers to the White House?
I watched the interview when it aired on Meet the Press yesterday.
Even though I knew Powell's endorsement of Obama was coming, I thought I was gonna puke when he blathered on and on and on.
Disgusting spectacle.
Citizen Warrior,
I agree with you, the world is too Ignorant about the danger of Islam, including Powell. But it is ironic that he is endorsing a candidate whose supporters once insulted him.
Colin Powell is indeed extremely ignorant about the nature of Islam. He asked what difference it would make if Obama were Muslim anyway? Well, is that ignorant, or is that ignorant?
It seems to me surprising and frightening that a top general in the U.S. military can be that ignorant about Islam. And so blindly multicultural.
Citizen Warrior:
It seems to me surprising and frightening that a top general in the U.S. military can be that ignorant about Islam. And so blindly multicultural.
I agree with you 100%!
I just got an email from someone talking about all the "sheeple" who know nothing about how the teachings of mainstream Islam support and encourage both terrorism and working toward global domination.
But I remember I started reading about terrorism after 9/11, and I am an avid and dedicated reader. And it took me awhile to grasp the connection between terrorist acts, the Middle East, and the Qur'an. It was The Sword of the Prophet that first opened my eyes.
So I don't feel the same way as this emailer. I think it would be very difficult for a normal person going about their normal life, watching mainstream news and reading mainstream newspapers to have a clue about the Islam connection. In fact, mainstream sources go out of their way to help Jihadis obscure the connection.
I was wondering how you first discovered that connection, Mark.
I wonder if others would be so kind as to reveal how they first came to realize Islam had NOT been hijacked?
Citizen Warrior,
Right after 9/11, I started reading Jihad watch. That is how I found out about Islam's ultra dark side. Before I knew about things like the Israeli Palestinian conflict, but I assumed that the Palestinians were just some bizarre aberration. I really have to thank Mr. Spencer.
Well Jihad Watch was a good source to turn to! I grew up with the Palestinians hijacking airplanes and killing Olympic athletes, but always thought of it as just an attempt to defend themselves from Israel's cruelty. I never looked into it, never really thought anything of it. The whole thing seemed far away and unimportant.
Citizen Warrior:
I was wondering how you first discovered that connection, Mark.
Good question!
I first came to understand the connection about 26 years ago, when I was working in Saudi Arabia, and mixing with Saudis and other Arabs. I also started reading a lot of literature/books on Islam and the Qur'an and Ahadith. I soon started to realize that this 'religion'/ideology was totally and utterly incompatible with democracy.
I started warning people near to me about the dangers, but only the few would listen to me at that time. They must have thought I was a kook!
9/11 came as no surprise to me; for a long time, I had been expecting something very nasty to happen. Though, of course, I knew not what.
Citizen Warrior,
Even when I didn't realized that Islam it self could be used to justify what the Palestinians were doing, I never thought it was okay, just to let you know that. I just thought that they were bizarre, and assumed that they were not strictly following Islam.
Mark, do you still come across people who think you're a kook when you talk about this stuff? Is it a smaller percentage since 9/11?
Have you gotten better at talking to people about it, taking into account the kooky reactions you've gotten in the past?
Citizen Warrior,
I also knew something about Islam's past conquests, but I didn't realize how the religion was used to justify them.
Citizen Warrior:
Mark, do you still come across people who think you're a kook when you talk about this stuff? Is it a smaller percentage since 9/11?
Perhaps I shouldn't have used the term "kook". It was overstated. I much prefer the British term 'OTT' - Over The Top! :-) That's what some people used to think, but not all of course. The better-informed, even back then, understood what I was talking about. Especially the people who had served in the ME during the Second World War, and the better-read amongst them. Do I still come across people who are not well-informed? Yes. Most definitely. But far fewer than before.
Perhaps it is also true to say that some people didn't even think I was OTT, but after a while, they just didn't want to talk about the matter, since they knew little about it, and they were busy enjoying their comfortable lives. There are many people who brush unpleasant things under the carpet, as you know.
Have you gotten better at talking to people about it, taking into account the kooky reactions you've gotten in the past?
Stating my case was never a problem for me. Where I perhaps got better was in sensing when to let the subject drop. I became better at discerning who was genuinely interested in what I had to say, and who wasn't.
Many people who thought I was exaggerating way back then have since told me how right I was. But it took 9/11 and all the atrocities that have happened since that heinous crime to wake people up a little. But many are still only half awake.
Mark - What is the ME and why do they know more about Islam?
Also, you seem to imply that you haven't gotten any better at making your case or introducing the subject or reading the faces of your listeners (and adjusting your delivery accordingly) etc., and I find that hard to believe.
Perhaps you've learned a lot that you forgot you learned. Surely you have learned more than just when not to talk to someone.
The reason it's important is that we are all in the process of learning to inform our fellow citizens, and insights from someone who has been doing it longer than probably anybody now reading this would be valuable.
Think back now...What do you do now that you didn't do then? How do you overcome resistance to the subject? How do you introduce the subject when you first bring it up? What do you talk about first? What doesn't work?
Citizen Warrior:
Mark - What is the ME and why do they know more about Islam?
ME is Middle East. They know more about Islam because they were stationed there during the Second World War.
Also, you seem to imply that you haven't gotten any better at making your case or introducing the subject or reading the faces of your listeners (and adjusting your delivery accordingly) etc., and I find that hard to believe.
No, I wasn't implying that at all. What I was trying to say, without blowing my own trumpet, is that I have never been bad at stating my case. I was good then, and I believe I can do it well now, too.
It isn't that I haven't got better at reading people's faces, etc. Rather it is a case of maturity. I think it is true to say that when one is younger, one will state one's case whether the listener wants to hear it or not. One is brasher. When one matures, one takes a different viewpoint on such things. Now I ask myself this: If they appear not to want to learn, then why should I waste my breath. Fact is this: If people don't want to learn, they won't, regardless of how well one states one's case.
Perhaps you've learned a lot that you forgot you learned. Surely you have learned more than just when not to talk to someone.
Please see above.
The reason it's important is that we are all in the process of learning to inform our fellow citizens, and insights from someone who has been doing it longer than probably anybody now reading this would be valuable.
It is important to inform. But it is always important to know when to shut up. Never keep harping on when others do not wish to listen. You will be wasting your time, and your message will not be at all effective. Wait for a more opportune moment instead.
Think back now...What do you do now that you didn't do then?
I wait for the most opportune moment. Maybe I can't get my message through today because people are to tired, or perhaps they're having too much fun to be bothered with such a potentially disturbing subject. Don't forget: There's always tomorrow.
How do you overcome resistance to the subject?
Use a little charm to overcome resistance; and bring a little levity into the conversation, too. A little levity goes a long way.
How do you introduce the subject when you first bring it up? What do you talk about first? What doesn't work?
Remember this: You'll catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
That was good, Mark. Thank you.
You're welcome, Citizen Warrior. :-)
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