I frequently receive chain e-mails from a conservative member of my extended family. Normally, they are innocuous--puzzles, prayers for the troops and first reponders, sexually-based (though usually not explicit) humor, nostalgia. Every now and then I receive the anti-Obama screed. My generaly reply is to look at them in the browser window and delete.
Today, though, I received one titled "Sad, but true." Perhaps you've seen it. It begins:
Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life.
Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components.
Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges. When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.
Here's how it works:
My reply below.
This e-mail goes on to describe (with no comportment to logic) how increasing Muslim populations within a country lead to escalating problems.
As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens.
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs.
And so on, up to 100%, where it says:
100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan -- Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%
Somalia -- Muslim 100%
Yemen -- Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
Then, of course, the anti-Obama screed:
Today's 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world's population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers. Muslims will exceed 50% of the world's population by the end of this century.
Well, boys and girls, today we are letting the fox guard the henhouse. The wolves will be herding the sheep!
Obama appoints two devout Muslims to Homeland Security posts. Doesn't this make you feel safer already?
I normally don't reply with vitriol, if at all--he is a member of my extended family--but I couldn't stomach this one and say nothing. Specific names are bracketed out to protect anonymity.
You and the author obviously don’t know many Muslims. Muslims I know:
- My statistics professor in college. One of the best teachers I ever had. I even dated his daughter briefly. (She is now an Executive VP for [a national organization associated with Wes Clark serving underprivilged children], no doubt trying to prosyletize people to Islam.) He didn’t even try to "honor kill" me.
- A colleague and mentor at [a local university], who has gone on to be an entrepreneur, like me. His business is developing lithium-ion batteries for transportation. (No doubt a ruse—it will become successful, he will pull the plug, and we’ll have to continue relying on all those Muslim countries for oil.)
- A project manager for me while I was at [a local technology company]. Pesky him, he wanted to observe Ramadan (i.e., fast and pray every day) which I, of course, allowed. Shame on him for getting all his work done in excellent manner despite this. It's not like he deserved paid holidays to observe his religion like a good Christian.
- A classmate of mine at [law school], who was on moot court with me. She even occasionally wore a hajib. She coached a moot court team consisting of one Christian and one Jew, which made it to the national semifinals. Surely part of the plot to forcibly implement Sharia law.
Branding a billion people with this type of nonsense is scary enough. I’m waiting for your pals to send you something on the real threat within, which is the nutjob Christian fundamentalists who want to replace the Constitution with the Old Testament (ever read Leviticus? Much worse that Sharia law.). Funny thing is, these "Christians" don’t seem to pay attention to the New Testament. Kind of like their "appreciation" of the Constitution—follow the parts you like but ignore the rest.
Good thing that your "forwarding" list wasn’t attached. I’d reply all with this.
Have a nice day.
No doubt this will solve nothing, and our next encounter is likely to be somewhat testy. I don't care. It does, however, explain the right-wing mindset: take someone's template, "forward all" and don't apply any original thought whatsoever.
Thanks for letting me vent.