Re: inquiry

I'm not familiar enough with scripture to give percentage figures, but
singling out any religion in particular as the repository of militant
values is somewhat problematic.  Let's not forget the deuteronomic history
of the conquest of the Holy Land (a chronicle whose strict historical
value is highly suspect), which has been used as the basis of the entire
Zionist project as well as fodder for various types of militant
Protestantisms, etc.  I would, like Wallerstein, advise one to stay away
from President Bush's theological formulations (though perhaps he will
soon restore the caliphate and be crowned defender of the faithful) - it
seems to me one can easily condemn the actions of 9/11 without challenging
bin Laden on his interpretations of the Quran.

On Sun, 28 Oct 2001, Syed Khurram Hussain wrote:

> Two things regarding this question:
> 
> First: suicide bombings were used by the Vietcong and Cuban revolutionaries
> as a war fighting tactic long before they appeared in the Muslim world.
> They are currently employed by the Tamil Tigers to far deadlier effect than
> any Muslim group until the WTC bombings.  So what the "Islamic concept of
> heaven" has to do with "9/11 and the US response" baffles me.
> 
> Second:  it is true that "Islam means peace," but what is meant by peace
> here is not peace between states, or  peace defined as an absence of war.
> More specifically, Islam means "peace through submission" to God.  Peace
> here refers more to a spiritual state than a condition in society.  If you
> read the Quran, you will find that 70 percent or so of it is full of talk
> of war.  In the rush to counter warmongering jingoism, lets not kid
> ourselves.  War is not alien to Islam.  The Salafiyah cadres know their
> doctrines on Jihad very well.  They argue that this inner state of peace is
> essential to victory in war.  We may not like to agree with them, but it is
> not true that war is anathema to Islam altogether.  
> 
> 
> Khurram Husain
> 
> 
> At 02:03 PM 10/27/01 EDT, KSamman@aol.com wrote:
> >>can anyone briefly discuss the Islamic concept of heaven. in particular,
> what role does gender play in >>their conception of heaven. a good friend
> is writing a column for a popular audience on 9/11 and the US >>response 
> >
> >He may want to also ask the question: 
> >
> >In order to learn more about the Oklahoma bombing and the US sponsoring of
> terrorist organizations like the Contras (which killed 20,000 civilians
> with the financial aid and training by the US), I'm also interested in the
> Christian concept of heaven and especially how it pertains to the issue of
> social justice.  Isn't the fact that this question is not asked of "the
> West" but yet made repeatedly for Muslims a racialized question, even by
> those liberals who are well meaning?  I for one am tired for speaking for
> the Muslim world.  "Islam means peace . . ." and all that stuff.
> >
> >Khaldoun Samman
> >
> >
> 

-- 
Boris Stremlin
bstremli@binghamton.edu