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| Europe |
| Islam's Best Raison D'etre - Abuse of Women was cause of Theo's Death |
| 2004-11-18 |
| A article by Ted Dalrymple - we've heard from him before on the undercurrents of Islam in Europe. Why Theo Van Gogh Was Murdered The slaughter of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh on the streets of Amsterdam, in broad daylight, by a young man of Moroccan origin bent on jihad, has at last dented Dutch confidence that unconditional tolerance can be on its own the unifying principle of a viable society. For tolerance to work, it must be reciprocal..... But why kill Theo Van Gogh, of all the people who have expressed hostility to radical Islam? Perhaps it was mere chance, but more likely it resulted from his work's exposure of a very raw nerve of Muslim identity in Western Europe: the abuse of women. This abuse is now essential for people of Muslim descent for maintaining any sense of separate cultural identity in the homogenizing solution of modern mass society. In fact, Islam is as vulnerable in Europe to the forces of secularization as Christianity has proved to be. The majority of Muslims in Europe, particularly the young, have a weak and tenuous connection to their ancestral religion. Their level and intensity of belief is low; pop music interests them more. Far from being fanatics, they are lukewarm believers at best. Were it not for the abuse of women, Islam would go the way of the Church of England. ...the oppression of women by Muslim men in Western Europe gives those men at the same time a sexual partner, a domestic servant, and a gratifying sense of power, while allowing them also to live an otherwise westernized life. For the men, it is convenient; interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, almost the only openly hostile expressions toward Islam from British-born Muslims that I hear come from young women, some of whom loathe it passionately because they blame it for their servitude. Religious sanction for the oppression of women (whether theologically justified or not) is hence the main attraction of Islam to young men in an increasingly secular world. This explains why a divide often opens between brothers and sisters in the same European Muslim family; the sisters want liberty, but the brothers enforce the old rules. They have to, or the whole gratifying system breaks down. This, I suspect, is the source of the rage against Theo Van Gogh. |
| Posted by:mhw |
| #4 Perhaps it may also have something to do with Islamofacism's assault on Western Civilization, and that Theo VanGogh was the great-great-grandson of Vincent????? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-11-18 3:06:22 PM |
| #3 Interesting analysis but I'll stick with a simpler framework (that doesn't conflict with Dalrymple's insight): this is just another version of fascism. I think further psychoanalysis of the jihadis is pointless-- it's unlikely that we'll really get inside their twisted heads, and in any case their behavior conforms to pretty much everything we know about fascism, which makes it easier for us to predict. Namely: 1) the cult of death. See "Viva El Muerte!", Hitler's SS and Totenkopf units etc. 2) closely related to #1, the warrior cult and the glorification of even pointless acts of violence-- including, or even especially, suicide-- as the fascist/jihadist's highest achievement. See Mishima, Mussolini, etc etc. 3) the cult of the elect, defined in tribalistic terms, and with it the denigration of the jews as the ultimate enemy tribe. 4) the lack of any serious interest in economic systems or economic theory; or in art or philosophy; or in complex social relations or modern political arrangements beyond the overlay of a simplified political party structure onto an essentially tribal/kinship authority structure. Warriors don't need elections or political debate. Orders are given by the leaders, the hard men, and are executed by the devoted, the true and holy. We know how fascists behave, and we know that "dialogue" with them is pointless. As is endless psychoanalyzing. And we know from our own experience that only overwhelming military victory can eliminate fascism as a serious political force. So enough BS'ing. Just win, baby. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-18 2:23:55 PM |
| #2 love the tactic of using photocopies to spread subversive ideas in left organizations I do this myself |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-11-18 11:53:53 AM |
| #1 that is really interesting MHW thankyou! i read ted dalrymple's book on the worldview that shapes the underclass. it was FANTASTIC. I've lent it to 3 people and it rocked their worlds too. I'm gonna photocopy bits and leave it round the library just to pee off the left wing controllers. |
| Posted by: Anon1 2004-11-18 11:46:42 AM |