Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Paul Donnelly over at National Review Online reminds us that this war is a religious war. Now, I don't say this because I welcome religious war. Some might suppose I do, since I am a Catholic and hence in a very real conflict with the theological assertions of Islam. But I do believe that all this talk about "Islam" meaning "peace" is a bit delusional. You can't win a war when you don't understand your enemy. (Pace the peaceniks, "understanding" does not necessarily bring fellowship; more often it brings a clarity that can only deepen the enmity and the resolve.) Anyhow, I suspect that as the war persists (and especially if the Islamic radicals regain some destructive momentum) we'll all be a little less accommodating of "peaceful" Islam...
P.S. Much as, on a larger level, I do not want Islam to proliferate, I would welcome the outcome that Donnelly hopes for: It would be good if an Islamic rationalization for religious coexistence were embraced by the Muslims. Once we're all happily living together, then we can let loose on our respective theologies (in blogs, perhaps, rather than in the streets and mountains).
P.S. Much as, on a larger level, I do not want Islam to proliferate, I would welcome the outcome that Donnelly hopes for: It would be good if an Islamic rationalization for religious coexistence were embraced by the Muslims. Once we're all happily living together, then we can let loose on our respective theologies (in blogs, perhaps, rather than in the streets and mountains).
# posted by Peter @ 12:04 PM 
