Khaled Abu Alfadhl Quotes
There is a difference between constructive criticism and criticism that is hateful. I can criticize America, but in a way that shows that I want to improve America and its democracy.
He was explaining to an Arab audience how criticism functions in the American democracy.
Khaled Abu Alfadhl, Law Professor, Interview, Egyptian Dream 2 TV, September 12, 2005
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Islamic modernists like Serageldin are many among the educated Muslims but their views are often drowned out by the violence and extremist statements of the fundamentalists. Even in England it is difficult to expose corruption because of the libel laws. In most countries, it is almost impossible which is one of the reasons corruption is so widespread. American law says that it is better to mistakenly hurt some public figures’ reputation than suppress the ability of citizens to criticize and expose corruption.
Islamic modernists like Serageldin are many among the educated Muslims but their views are often drowned out by the violence and extremist statements of the fundamentalists. This quotation is similar to statements by American Supreme Court Justices but surprises us when coming from a Muslim. But there are many who are as much committed to freedom of speech as most Americans. Even in America, some politicians have tried to make incitement a crime. John Adams’ Alien & Sedition Acts and laws of WWi are examples. However, in no Islamic nation have reformers had incitement removed as a crime as of 2011.
Islamic modernists like Serageldin are many among the educated Muslims but their views are often drowned out by the violence and extremist statements of the fundamentalists.
Before the Copts had become Christians, the Egyptians were under the control of the Greeks, Byzantines, and Persians, but before that the people could trace their ancestry to the first organized government under King Narmer in 3200 BC. So the original ethnic stock of the Egyptians were then later conquered by the Arabs and Islam and the Muslims have multiplied faster than the Copts and relegated the Copts to a minority in their own land.
In September of 2005 a Danish Newspaper published some political cartoons showing the hypocrisy of some Muslims who use Islam to justify murder of innocents and terrorism. Months later, in January of 2006 many in the Middle East protested vehemently and Muslim riots broke out because the Prophet Muhammad's visage was depicted against Islamic tradition. Many Muslim nations started a boycott against Denmark. Many Muslim leaders claimed that insulting religion was an “abuse” of freedom of speech including those from nations which regularly publish material that is virulent against Christians and Jews.
Marlette was inundated by complaints from Muslims for his 2002 cartoon depiction of Muhammad driving a Ryder rental truck like the one used by convicted Oklahoma City terrorist bomber, Timothy McVeigh. The caption was, “What would Muhammad drive?” He was front-page news in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic nations. He received death threats. The Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim World League both demanded an apology. Marlette refused. When he was killed in an automobile crash in July of 2007, many Muslims believed that this was the retribution of Allah.
He gave the examples of the fact that two of the leading terrorists of the 9-11 attack had gone to school in the United States, Khomeni—the anti-Western leader of the Iran revolution—lived in Paris for a long while, and other examples.
She is a leading American Arab who is a Syrian expatriate. The examples she gives in the beginning of the quotations are relatively recent atrocities where Muslims have attacked and brutally murdered other Muslims. She articulates one of the theories to explain the Islamic propensity to brutality and violence that the religion itself, when taught literally which it so often is, actually produces an inclination and glorification of brutal violence and develops a tolerance and acceptance of Islamic violence.
This is an interesting quotation because it illustrates the antipathy that Sunni Muslims hold towards Shiites and their concept of the problems of democracy. While most fundamentalist Muslims oppose democracy in principle, others, not wanting to oppose majority rule outright, have used the rationale in Iraq that the Shiites are not in the majority in the country, and that the Sunnis who controlled Iraq for so many years are the rightful rulers.
She was defending the right various media to display cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad which were very offensive to orthodox and traditional Muslims, many of whom had rioted in countries the world over. Many media outlets thought the cartoons too offensive to be displayed; others were too intimidated to display the cartoons and some displayed them anyway. Ali, born and brought up as a Muslim was one of the relatively few of that religion to defend the right of the publishers,
