The cultural and religious relativism underpinning David Lisle’s letter last week is representative of the soft, inclusive, Trojan-horse left. Through it we could achieve a dewy-eyed appeasement in our time with rising Islamofascism.
Civilisation is advanced by, among other things, pushing back against the claims of religion, not by bowing to them. Islamic fundamentalism is pushing the other way, against secular humanism, diversity and tolerance, not just in the Middle East but wherever it commands sufficient adherents. Wherever religion is strong, human rights are weakened.
Among religions Islam lends itself readily, from its ‘sacred’ texts, to extreme interpretations and justifies exceptional intolerance and brutality. Christianity at least has largely put aside the ‘old testament’. There has been no such evolution or reformation in Islam, as Salman Rushdie noted. The ‘slaughter the infidels for Allah’ stuff remains an unchanging injunction of god for fundamentalists. Thus Cat Stevens, writer of Peace Train, converted to Islam and called for Salman Rushdie to be murdered. We underestimate the power of mad and bad ideas at civilisation’s peril.
It takes just a handful of intelligent, motivated young males, fuelled with righteousness, guns and testosterone, to wreak havoc. Islam carries a potent formula to mix and ‘weaponise’ these ingredients.
Adrian Gattenhof, Mullumbimby
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