Leaving Islam - "A Massive Human Rights Issue"
On today's Vent Daveed Gartenstein-Ross speaks candidly with Michelle Malkin about his memoir, My Year Inside Radical Islam. He speaks about his religious (de)formation as a result of being raised in a hippie-ish, "sort of Unitarian Jew[ish]" household; the ceremony of his conversion to Islam; his wrenching participation in undermining his own ability to think critically within the faith; and about the mortal risks of Muslim apostasy.
What a tale. Frankly, his experience recalls many aspects of what I knew during my time in the Marxist International Workers Party cult. Fundamentalist Islam, Communism, and cults clearly share many traits. Let's hope his book emboldens many more Daveeds to step forward, both those who will resolve to quit Islam and those who will resolve to take a shot at reforming it.
I'm not a betting man, but if I were I'd wager all I had that "Daveed" got beat up in the school yard on a somewhat regular basis when he was a kid. Next step-Christianity, for the lad?
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 02:20 PM
Instead spend some of your money on his book. Find out and then tell us what you learn. The spiritual free-for-all parenting he received hits close to home with how you've raised your son, doesn't it?
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 27, 2007 at 02:37 PM
I'll check it out, Jeremiah.
Aside, here is an exert from the "Book O' Zig"; True spirituality comes from within and needs no labels.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 03:00 PM
That soft sell about "spirituality" is garbage.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 27, 2007 at 03:03 PM
[excerpt DOES include a p]
You can count the number of wars in the recorded history of man[woman]kind on a thousand hands based on the premise that "my god [goddess,spiriuality, believe, etc.]is better than yours". Calling my form of spirituality "garbage" isn't all that peaceful. You are a fine represenative of the current administration. Yuch.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 03:55 PM
Islam is the most aggressive, warring, and barbaric of the big 3 religions BY FAR.
Islam invaded and conquered as much of Europe as it possibly could both BEFORE and AFTER the Christian crusades.
The Christian crusades sought to liberate the Holy Land from Islam -- NOT to conquer Arabia or Mesopotamia (Iraq) or other Muslim lands.
Islam targets Christianity specifically and Jews especially for death and persecution. Self-respecting Christians and Jews fight back against Islam.
Of the wars that the Jews (Israelis) have fought against Muslims, how many have been to conquer Muslim land "in the name of Judaism"?
Given these concerns, your form of spirituality is wasteful and harmful.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 27, 2007 at 04:10 PM
Does one have to be labeled a Christian or Jew to stand up against what's wrong? How is my form of spiriuality harmful? Harmful to whom? Are you arguing for arguement sake?
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 04:36 PM
No, I'm arguing to correct you where I think you're wrong.
You despise strictly observant Christians and Jews and Muslims - all of 'em - and you don't hide it. If you saw these Christians and Jews (and certain Muslims) as your allies against militant Muslims, then you wouldn't make disparaging comments about them. You would ackwnowledge them as your allies. You would acknowledge their commitment to your freedom to believe in whatever you want to believe. You would be saying that you believe in their freedom to believe in whatever they want, too. You would be taking a stand with them, instead of against them.
But when you start the comments by suggesting that Gartenstein-Ross is somehow an eternal victim and liable to become a born-again Christian, you ignore 1) the hard-earned lessons he has to teach about Islam, and 2) the real virtues that many born-agains do have or acquire. To dismiss the unique strengths of devout Jews and Christians is wasteful and harmful.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 27, 2007 at 04:48 PM
Perhaps you should just allow this person (as we should all persons) to represent his views and integrate them into your own as needed?
Daveed is acting as a powerful catalyst for change and you should really listen to his views for what they are in order to see that what he is really speaking out against is the so called corrupt "charity" system which afforded many luxuries to arabs (quite unfairly).
Such levels of moral corruption in the ranks of power are inherent in many countries and faiths; whether you be catholic,jew or muslim. I'm just glad that Daveed had the courage to speak out.
Ralph, spellcheck much? (just kidding)
Best,
Mia
Posted by: Mia Trudeaux | February 27, 2007 at 04:49 PM
Dearest Mia,
Yes, my speling [sic] leaves much to be desired...It is impossible for some people to differentiate between religion and spirituality...Regardless of the label, sometimes the most "religious" folks are the least spiritual, me thinkith.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 07:50 PM
Dearest Jeremiah,
It isn't the strictly observant Christians, Jews, and Muslims I despise, rather the war mongering hypocrites who use religion as an excuse to invade other countries and take their oil. Some of the aforementioned assholes have names like Bush and Cheney. I hope this clears up any misconceptions.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 09:39 PM
Ralph,
Your talking points are old and worn out. Bush and Cheney bend over backwards to not let America be portrayed as running a Christian "crusade".
Freely traded Iraqi oil will benefit the entire world market. As one (of several) ways to wean off being dependent on Saudi oil, I'm for it!
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 27, 2007 at 11:26 PM
PS - And a crusade would be in order if Iran manages to level Israel with a nuke.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 27, 2007 at 11:30 PM
Jeremiah, I'm all for redirecting the war effort towards Iran or Afghanistan. The war in Iraq was and is an illegal one.
Plans for alternative energy continue to be thwarted by this adminisration. Because of Chaney's ties [blind trusts, my ass] to Haliburton, this reeks of good old fasion fascism...Over.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 27, 2007 at 11:55 PM
If this is a fascist govt, then why do you trust it to make war in Afghanistan or Iran? To abandon Iraq is to embolden Iran, and radical Muslims everywhere.
The task in Iraq is not to fight a conventional war, but to bring about stability. The US Army is only one (in the end, a small) part of that. It's messy and ugly and will take months and years. Progress is there to be made. As it gets made, though, people like you will deserve none of the credit for it.
Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai has ties to Unocal, which has an interest in piping natural gas from Central Asia to the sea through Afghanistan (and Pakistan). Access to resources in Afghanistan is one of "our" interests there. You think I don't believe that you don't have a problem with that? Nice try at "traingulating" on the Iraq issue. Very Clintonesque of you.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 12:05 AM
1. An example of Bush's environmental initiatiave, "Beyond Kyoto" here:
http://www.techcentralstation.com/080305E.html
"The new Beyond Kyoto agreement focuses on innovative technology as the antidote, not only to carbon-dioxide emissions but also to dirty air and economic deprivation. The very first statement in the pact is: 'Development and poverty eradication are urgent and overriding goals internationally.'"
2. A direct result of the US-led liberation of Iraq is the restoration of most of the Iraqi marshlands (which Saddam drained in order to commit genocide against its residents):
http://tinyurl.com/264un7
"About 40 percent of the marshlands have been re-flooded; and about half of that has been revegetated. The marshlands are coming back pretty fast. The U.N. Environment Programme has spoken of a 'rapid revival.'"
***
Bush policies lead to environmental progress - in their own way, not a leftwing way.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 12:24 AM
Ralph,
At 6:39 you wrote: "war mongering hypocrites who use religion as an excuse to invade other countries..."
That describes al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and their affiliates, sympathizers and recruits. It also describes Saddam and the Saudi royals.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 12:42 AM
Very Cintonesque of me, Jeremiah? I glow.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 28, 2007 at 01:04 AM
Clinton glowed, too, after Monica said "I love you."
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 01:21 AM
If you're gonna glow, that's not a bad time to glow...As the bumper sticker said, "No one died when Clinton lied."
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 28, 2007 at 04:14 AM
Islamofascism will never conquer the world, but it will hurt Islam.
Posted by: Paul | February 28, 2007 at 08:43 AM
That's not true, Ralph!
One, Bush (whom you're you're comparing him against) didn't "lie." He's a more truthful and striaghtforward man than Clinton was.
Two, people did DIE when Clinton lied, they DIED as a result of his lying.
They DIED: he bombed a pharmaceutical (humanitarian) plant -- a negative value target -- in Sudan to deflect from scrutiny over Monica Lewinsky.
They DIED: MORE THAN TWICE as many American servicemen died during Clinton's presidency than have died in Bush's. For a so-called "war-mongering" president, who is one of the most hated men on the planet, by the numbers Bush is a remarkable preserver of American life. Read about it here:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/02/another-grim-milestone-watch-in-war-on.html
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Hi Paul,
Welcome! How'd you hear about this site?
I wonder about how vulnerable the US and G-8 countries actually might be. One or two more 9/11's, especially if major resources were damaged (i.e., water supplies), could provoke a massive economic nosedive.
The Muslims want it all, as far as I can tell, and they feel that this is their historical moment.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 10:40 AM
That's crap, Jeremiah. Go back and read the comments posted to that silly chart that comes up on the link you posted. The math is wrong, simply incorrect.
Enjoy your bus ride to Washington in order to promote war. Maybe Bush and Cheney with their combined five [that we know about] DUI's can drive. These are sick puds that you follow.
Posted by: Ralph Zig Tyko | February 28, 2007 at 07:48 PM
To promote winning war.
Posted by: Jeremayakovka | February 28, 2007 at 08:36 PM