If she knew, would she care?

Diplomats trying to do diplomatic outreach to people we may disagree with. What are they thinking?

Isn't this EXACTLY what diplomats should be doing, building relationships with groups that you may (or may not be, depending on how your interpret things) or may not agree with? Otherwise, Hughes spends her whole time chatting up groups of old British ladies and the random Swiss grandmothers catillion.

Shameless Karen Hughes and the Bushes would sell this country out in 5 minutes if they could do more oil business with the Arabs.

Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.

On the other hand, you lend credence and legitimacy to these organizations this way.

I say it's a mistake, all things considered.

Here's a story for you, Rod:

"Terror Watch: Scandal at a prominent mosque."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20288239/site/newsweek/

"Notes on a Scandal
Allegations of embezzlement, abuse and hate speech roil a Washington mosque."

Here's the kicker -- I've been to this very mosque (and so has President Bush) as part of a class on Islam that was organized by my church. We received beautiful pamphlets published by Saudi Arabia talking about how Islam had spread peacefully. When I pointed out to some of the people in my church that this was a bald-faced lie, they became angry. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

Does Qutb describe "the movement" in greater detail in Milestones? What you've quoted makes clear his position that more than preaching is needed, but exactly what more I can't make out. Unless he says or implies that "the movement" is violent, I think there is a smidgen of validity to Elibiary's objection concerning your characterization. I think you've proven every other element of "violent imposition of Islamic totalitarianism worldwide," but not quite the "violent" element.

And of course I understand that he's been widely cited as inspiration by a number of groups that are deeply, persistently violent.

(And I don't like defending this guy in the least, I hasten to add.)

Seriously, I hope my raving about "Terror and Liberalism" and other books isn't too tiresome. I realize that sometimes it is easier for me to reference the many excellent books related to the subjects under discussion than it is to think through what I want to say in detail. Since I am usually posting in a hurry at work, I beg pardon if I do the "you should read this" too much.

Cheers, and good night.

I linked here from LGF. Thanks for another enlightening article on the threat-of-Islam.

Only read Chapter 9, from your linked version of "Milestones," but it's VERY clear: believers are to fight, fight, fight, for the imposition of Islam over the entire world, and with that the sharia/"God's" law [sp-!].

In that same chapter, Muslims are clearly told they have no loyalty to the actual physical country they currently live in, unless it is Islamic, w/ said system of law. And if they showed any such loyalty, respect, or obedience, they'd be breaking the Koran's law to be only under "God's law."

"Milestones" is a valuable piece for defenders of the West to read, as it is on the "Young Muslims" website, for one, and secondly is completely interwoven with Koranic quotations to back up every one of the author's exhortations [at least Chpt. 9].

Those of you with family members converting to Islam ought to be aware of one of the examples cited from the Koran to illustrate the need/command to respect parents and other [blood] relations who won't/haven't converted: a believer had his beheading-sword poised over his own dad's neck, ready to do the deed if Mohammed didn't say give permission for him to be let go. Fortunately the "cease and desist" order came.

I guess that's why so much of that is going on now: Mohammed's no longer around to give his permission to be "merciful." Sure.

Rodney boy,

Still up to the same "this is how I understand the world and damn it if you don't believe it like me" attitude. Anyways, I'm sure you're doing all this because you didn't get an invitation to the Banquet and you're upset about my taking your DMN post to task about CAIR earlier this week. You should just be happy that I didn’t cc the entire DMN editorial board to embarrass you. If it was up to me, I would have sent you an invitation but some felt you wouldn't know how to behave yourself in a civil atmosphere. Like I said before: "you don't understand the subject matter you speak on with such authority and it would benefit you to act as a student before grabbing the teacher's ruler."

My response to your tired Khomeini event is online (http://www.freeandjust.org/KhomeiniAyatollapoluza.htm) and the fact of the matter is that no mainstream media or government has ever cared about me giving a 10-15 minute talk telling folks to register to vote and get civically engaged.

The fact you’ll never be able to overcome is I and my views are an open book, and no one including yourself who’s ever asked me a question has ever not received an answer from me. You sent me a laundry list of question after that Sunni-Shia Unity event I spoke at and I answered them all in front of the entire DMN editorial board. You on the other hand still haven’t answered one single question sent to you on why on earth would you willingly attend a forum to discuss the effectiveness of “Nuking Mecca” as a national policy in response to 9/11.

I answer, you hide and complain online on a blog, sometimes forwarding to Charles at LittleGreenFootballs.com and Robert at JihadWatch.com (facts they’ve posted on their own blogs). What a dork…’manufacturing dissent’ while pretending to be a journalist.
And if that’s not lame enough, you attempted to turn my obvious reference to an Eddie Murphy movie (banana in your pipe for treating folks as if they’re below) into a veiled threat to your bigoted views. Like I told you before, pathetic dodge from the real issues being debated when you have no response. You pulled one comical sentence out of about a dozen page response showing you why your arguments are “incorrect”. What does that say for your journalistic ethics???

My offer to sit down over an extended lunch with you and answer any questions on how to improve US-Muslim World Relations has always been on the table and will remain there. Tens of thousands have taken it up by hearing my speeches over the years, but then again either you know your arguments supporting the clash of civilizations paradigm are weak or you're not really interested in improving relations because you can’t even like yourself much less get along with others. “Just kill them all and let God sort it out”...Have fun buddy boy!

Rodney boy?