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| "The courage to hold our spiritual fortress" |
| 2006-09-03 |
| by David Warren h/t Kathy Shaidle The column I wrote Wednesday ("Chestlessness"), on the two Fox News journalists who were captured in Gaza, and agreed under duress to make a propaganda video, in Arab garb, taking new Muslim names and announcing their conversion to Islam, has got a lot of response. I know I’ve hit a nerve when my inbox overflows. Let us be clear on one fact. Such videos have serious consequences. They are used as a powerful propaganda weapon across the Muslim world, to show aspiring fanatics how spineless Westerners are. And that video in particular was priceless, for the degree of prostration it exhibited. We cannot dodge this issue. Most of my correspondents were favourable to what I wrote, but many, including several who said they generally agree with my views, were horrified by the tone of that column, which they found merciless and uncharitable. This is as it should be: I meant it to be hard. I meant to cut with a dull blade through the glibness with which we accept treason and apostasy, as a small price to pay for one’s personal safety. I refused, in that column, to take the easy way out, to lard it with empathy for the captives’ plight, and other concessions to moral relativism -- let alone to add the excuses the captives themselves have made, on behalf of their captors and the society that encourages them. Nor did I find space for this worthy sentiment, echoed by many readers: “I hope that you and I are never in such a situation, for neither you nor I, though hopeful, can be particularly certain that we would stand.” Others said gloatingly they look forward to when I am captured by terrorists -- a few even volunteered to perform the experiment -- to see how courageous I will be, when I am asked to deny everything I believe in. To which I reply, that I cannot know how I will behave in such a situation, until I am in it. But if I capitulated, from fear of pain and death, I would be deeply ashamed of what I had done. And this shame would haunt me for the rest of my life. I would not be appearing all smiles on TV, I would not be accepting the accolades of my colleagues, and I would surely have the decency to contradict anyone who dared call me “brave” for saving my own skin. And if I had, in that moment of cowardice, denied Christ, I’d be praying for forgiveness as Judas should have prayed. Unless, like his, my soul had been broken by the gravity of my act. This is no mere ethics quiz: I invite my reader to ask himself what he would do in the situation those Fox journalists found themselves in. Not what I would do -- I am just the messenger -- but what you would do. And before you give any quick or clever answer, recall that our whole civilization stands or falls on what you decide. Do you, do we, have the courage to hold our spiritual fortress? Or will we, in the time of trouble, give everything away? Go read the popstscript at the link while you're at it. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #8 The Italian was Fabrizio Quattrocchi - a very brave man. I can't say what would happen if I were in that situation, but I like BH6's idea myself. |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2006-09-03 18:37 |
| #7 No one can know for certain how they would react if they were put in this sort of situation, but I can state with all my conviction that my muslim captors would have to tear me limb from limb and present me with my 'nads on a flaming platter before I'd EVER convert, even with my fingers crossed behind my back. |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2006-09-03 18:24 |
| #6 A couple years ago an italian civilian was captured in Irak ny the jihadi scum. He reamined defiant until the end and before being beheaded sputtered to his captors: "This is how an italian die" |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-09-03 17:51 |
| #5 Jarhead they'd killed you on sight, given a good backshot. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-09-03 16:59 |
| #4 I'm not sure what Centanni or Olaf's personal spiritual convictions were before their kidnapping. Personnally I'm glad not to have been in their shoes. Though I'm sure I'd of been toast either way. If those journalists were devout Christians/Jews or agnostics or atheists I have no idea. If the former then they are not courageous by that standard. If either one of them recognized Jesus as their personal savior then the author is quite correct. I've no idea what they believed prior to their kidnapping. If they had no conviction in organized judeo/christian beliefs then it's debatable. Either way, I could care less what they did except for trying to tell everyone afterward how much they still respect islam - that was extremely weak imho. Hell, if I was in their situation I may have said, "sure dude, I'm a muslim, and my new name is abu baba lu or ali hajji sheik" (NFL field goal kicker - mid 80s), then as soon as the dumbshits release me I publicly renounce that bullshit, piss on a koran, explain it's better to play on the stupidity of your enemy & live to fight another day - then I pick up my rifle and get back to work after those clowns. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-09-03 14:18 |
| #3 I have little pity for these two asswipes either. If you have listened to their comments over the past days, in trying to justify their actions, they have actually incrimintaed themselves. Anytime any of these halfwits venture into the enemy camp, just what do they expect ? If they get captured, shot, blown to bits, whose fault is it? We don't need any sympathy stories on these poor Paleo f**k turds. We'd be far better off if we never heard them mentioned. |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-09-03 14:17 |
| #2 Indeed, Creans Slung1766. And those of us sheep who have any intelligence appreciate the sheepdogs who stand between us and the wolves. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-09-03 12:35 |
| #1 The difference between being a sheep and being a sheepdog. We know how most of humanity prefers the status of sheep. Humanity depends upon sheepdogs to live above anything but existance. |
| Posted by: Creans Slung1766 2006-09-03 12:10 |