(Wow--it's been a while since I've posted here!)
The last few days have seen a media build-up to the 5th anniversary of September 11, and I've noted a recurring theme. Whether on Larry Mantle's interview show on the local NPR affiliate, in letters to Time magazine, or in just about any other medium covering the anniversary, some Americans are indignant that American Muslims don't seem to be sufficiently penitent about terrorism committed by their coreligionists.
On Larry Mantle's show, an angry and strident caller kept insisting that American Muslims never express any disavowal of any terrorist act that occurs. In Time, a widow of a 9/11 victim says that American Muslims "maintain a deafening silence in the face of atrocities." One of Mantle's Muslim guests pointed out that, in fact, every major Muslim organization (and many minor ones) certainly do disavow and condemn all attacks, but the media do not cover their statements. She urged the caller to check the organizations' websites--condemnations would be found there. But he kept insisting that, if the media didn't convey the disavowals, then they'd never been made. He hung up as angry as when he called.
Somehow I don't recall hearing how American Christians rushed to condemn the terrorist attack by Timothy McVeigh as Christians. I don't recall hearing the major churches or famous Christian leaders disavow what the Serbs did in Kosovo. And when the IRA conducted bombings in Britain, did the local archdiocese issue a statement? Of course, then we didn't have the proper perspective. Now that we hear how important it is for Muslims to apologize for everything another Muslim does, I look forward to the rush of Christian apologies for Christian acts (raping and murdering a 14-year-old in Iraq, anyone??) that will inevitably ensue.
I thought I'd personally offer my apology for atrocities committed by my co-religionists, but there are not a lot of atheist/Buddhist committers out there. I'll have to settle for this: I personally condemn and disavow the terrible acts committed by Lenin, Stalin, and the Marquis de Sade, and wish to state that in no way does my own practice of atheism/Buddhism accommodate or justify such acts.
8 comments:
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...
I haven't even read this yet and I can already say it's your best post EVER!!!!!
So good to have you back.
Okay, now having actually read your post, let me just say that, on behalf of all Jews everywhere, including Jews for Jesus, I personally apologize for any disproportionateness in Israel's recent military actions in Lebanon and, more importantly, for every bad movie the damned Hollywood Jews have ever made.
As a non-practicing Nothing with Jewish traces and Catholic connections and some power-of-suggestion-only-psychology-aspect-loving-every-now-and-then reader of horoscopes and Tarot cards, I personally apologise for all those Peaceful people who think Peace will come and that love will heal the world and that it is all in the cards and stars...or some shi...like that... I also want to apologise for owning toy soldiers and allowing those little children to play with them yesterday...
?tnim dellif nister-non a koorb YDDAD lliW
This entry is so deserving of comment. Please let me be the fifth. TYTB!
The furtherance of the contributions made by you to the cyberspacial entity known by some as the sphere of blogging is required by me of you thusly.
Yo, if youse don't stop not blogging, I ain' gonna come aroun' he' no mo'.
How come?
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