Tuesday, January 10, 2006
The Importance of the Pope
Most Americans -- other than those who are Orthodox Christians (most especially Greek and Russian Americans) -- tend not to appreciate this history. I have attached an article that may offend or certainly set back certain Catholics who have little historical appreciation for the brutality of the Balkans. The Clinton Administration entered the Balkan conflict ostensibly to put a halt to Serbian aggression against the Bosnian Muslims, but also to quiet the general civil war between Croats and Serbs. Milosevic in particular became the symbol og Serbian genocide and brutality in the region. In no way I am acting as an apologist here for Milosevic. But folks should understand that the Serbs were the "good guys" and victims during WWII and early on on the Balkans conflict. The Nazis feared no one as much as they feared the Serbs during WWII. Croation Catholics were Nazi allies. So were Arab Muslims.
Frankly, my point here is not in any way to vilify Catholicism. As a Jew, it would be easy to do this as Jewish history viz. Catholicism ain't so great (that's another long post). It is meant to put a little more color to the notion that there is a streak of tremendous ferocity to Europeans which, in my view, will re-emerge under severe threat from Islam. The further east you go in Europe, the more ferocious. Look at what Putin did to Chechnya or Milosevic to the Bosnians. Granted, these are Orthodox Christians, not Catholics. But this too shall come. The German Pope will likely try to create some sort of rapprochement with the Orthodox Church in preparation for an offensive against dhimmism. If you really have some time, read the following interview which Hugh Hewitt had with a Catholic scholar and student of the current Pope.
Big stuff, folks. Nothing the MSM will ever really tap into, since they can't spell religion and don't read history. Anglo Saxon preemption against virulent expansionist Islam may ultimately save an extraordinary number of lives of all denominations and prevent a true WWIII. But if Iran acquires a nuclear capability, all bets are off. I wonder if people understand how close we really are.
4 Comments:
By 
TigerHawk, at
Tue Jan 10, 12:24:00 PM:
Great post, and I agree completely. My only addition is to remind readers of this post from last spring, in which a well-connected Catholic law professor observed that Pope Benedict's Church is going to view Muslims, especially European Muslims, as "millions of potential converts."
By 
, at
Tue Jan 10, 01:27:00 PM:
"We must reach out and work with those in the Muslim communities who are struggling to redefine Islam within the context of Western democracy..."
And you assume this is possible?
By Cardinalpark, at
Tue Jan 10, 02:23:00 PM:
Aidan - your posts are thoughtful and considered and I would not disagree with you in certain respects. But I do believe that extremists ignite fires and moderates can often fail to quell them because they are insufficiently aggressive. There is an expression that only unreasonable people change the world.
Hitler was appeased and then pushed off in another direction rather than having his fire extinguished.
If Europe is sufficiently threatened by an aggressive and expansionist Islam, and has sufficient Muslims in its midst to view them as threatening, the result will be quite horrible for those Muslims. Steyn is arguing that Europe has given up and surrendered, innoculated and anesthetized by a brain numbing brand of socialism.
I argued and tried to suggest that Europe is always inches away from an explosion. That's all.
You mentioned Manji and she is very cool and interesting -- but I doubt she will alone have much impact. Akhbar Ganji is an equally fascinating and brave Iranian currently hunger striking in a Tehran prison. We shall see whether he can ignite political change in Iran (I have my doubts).
We cannot adopt an appeasing tone with aggressive and expansionist Islam. Nor can or should Europe. Only when Reagan called Soviet expansionism out for what it was - expansionist, immoral and bankrupt - and put Pershing II missiles in Europe, did the Soviet Union begin to crumble and dissolve. In a much smaller way, Iran requires the same treatment. If not, it could -- or al qqeda could - ignite a much broader struggle between cultures.
I think, by the way, that the Pope's analysis of Islam is correct. Islam does not countenance reinterpretation of the Koran by man. It is the word of God direct. This poses an enormous obstacle to any sort of broad reformation in time to preclude the risk of a broader conflagration. So the west does need to be vigilant and aggressive in addressing active, aggressive, islamism. If not, the threat you fear is more likely to come to pass, not less.
By , at
Tue Jan 10, 04:16:00 PM:
Synonyms for viz: namely, that is to say, videlicet
