I sure hope our family in Belgium is able to stay away from the violence spilling over from the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. News report here.
Well we aren't any where near these happenings. As a matter of fact, and a little bit ashamed to say, since I can't understand much French or flemish, I don't listen or watch french tv news, so I am not informed, unless I hear it in English. I didn't even know any of this was going on here, although it doesn't surprise me as the EU is here and NATO is here, there are often demonstrations and that go on. We are told to steer clear of them, which we do.
Muslims are everywhere in Europe. In fact, in Holland, the people are afraid that they will soon have more Arabs than Dutch people because they have large families. It is a real fear. In Brussels, there are neighborhoods that are full of them and I really do not feel safe traveling through those streets and Dad feels the same way. There is a major store where I don't like to go because it is full of those people who stare at my nametag. They are very numerous in the big cities and could be a serious problem in the days to come. I recognize that they are not all terrorists but they still scare me because I cannot tell who is good and who is bad from their looks. M
As we were in the office elevator on our way to come home for our lunch, a man came in from an other floor. We greeted him as usual, he looked at our nametags with a faint smile on his lips then asked "What do you think about what is happening in the middle East?" We were caught by surprise and said "It is very serious". He then said "It is the American that want that. I see that you are from there. We will see what will happen at the big judgment." He then started to talk about racism but at that time we had arrived at the main floor and he left. I really felt his hatred for us. I must admit that he scared me because he was so close to my face (elevators are not large over here). I told Dad that he is the kind of man that causes problems in Belgium. I hope that I will never see him again.
Islam is a very complicated subject. So is the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Everyone has a take on both subjects. All I will say now is that all of the left and most of the right in our country (and elsewhere) refuse to discuss Islam very critically as it deserves because discussing religion critically is very taboo. Criticism of religion evokes a lot of defensiveness even if religion chooses to jump into the public policy and legislative arena.
Islam claims to be a religion of peace, Bush stated as much incessantly, but he was wrong as he often was: by their fruits you shall know them: it is what Islam does and not what its adherents say that it is that counts.
To understand a religion meaningfully, one has to really know it and especially one must discuss critically the dogma that maintains its orthodoxy. But that is forbidden in western societies. We are instructed to respect all religions equally. So Islam will march on with little meaningful criticism.
I think Doug is right. "By their fruits ye shall know them." However, there is not a common definition of "fruits" for all religions, so western society simplistically accepts all "fruits" as good "fruits." The policy has been to simply pick out and throw away the 'bad apples,' but this approach neglects that it is the tree that is producing the bad fruit. Oops! Another analogy.
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Well we aren't any where near these happenings. As a matter of fact, and a little bit ashamed to say, since I can't understand much French or flemish, I don't listen or watch french tv news, so I am not informed, unless I hear it in English. I didn't even know any of this was going on here, although it doesn't surprise me as the EU is here and NATO is here, there are often demonstrations and that go on. We are told to steer clear of them, which we do.
Muslims are everywhere in Europe. In fact, in Holland, the people are afraid that they will soon have more Arabs than Dutch people because they have large families. It is a real fear. In Brussels, there are neighborhoods that are full of them and I really do not feel safe traveling through those streets and Dad feels the same way. There is a major store where I don't like to go because it is full of those people who stare at my nametag. They are very numerous in the big cities and could be a serious problem in the days to come. I recognize that they are not all terrorists but they still scare me because I cannot tell who is good and who is bad from their looks. M
Maybe you should remove your name tag while in those stores. I would if it made me stand out in a place that I don't want to stand out.
As we were in the office elevator on our way to come home for our lunch, a man came in from an other floor. We greeted him as usual, he looked at our nametags with a faint smile on his lips then asked "What do you think about what is happening in the middle East?" We were caught by surprise and said "It is very serious". He then said "It is the American that want that. I see that you are from there. We will see what will happen at the big judgment." He then started to talk about racism but at that time we had arrived at the main floor and he left. I really felt his hatred for us. I must admit that he scared me because he was so close to my face (elevators are not large over here). I told Dad that he is the kind of man that causes problems in Belgium. I hope that I will never see him again.
Islam is a very complicated subject. So is the conflict in Israel/Palestine. Everyone has a take on both subjects. All I will say now is that all of the left and most of the right in our country (and elsewhere) refuse to discuss Islam very critically as it deserves because discussing religion critically is very taboo. Criticism of religion evokes a lot of defensiveness even if religion chooses to jump into the public policy and legislative arena.
Islam claims to be a religion of peace, Bush stated as much incessantly, but he was wrong as he often was: by their fruits you shall know them: it is what Islam does and not what its adherents say that it is that counts.
To understand a religion meaningfully, one has to really know it and especially one must discuss critically the dogma that maintains its orthodoxy. But that is forbidden in western societies. We are instructed to respect all religions equally. So Islam will march on with little meaningful criticism.
I think Doug is right. "By their fruits ye shall know them." However, there is not a common definition of "fruits" for all religions, so western society simplistically accepts all "fruits" as good "fruits." The policy has been to simply pick out and throw away the 'bad apples,' but this approach neglects that it is the tree that is producing the bad fruit. Oops! Another analogy.
Touché! I'm the one who evoked the analogy this time although a well known one. Alan is right, what is acceptable in Islam is not acceptable in the west necessarily and visa-versa
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