The Nazi/appeasement analogy

[mburbank]

Fine, snootypants.

I moved it. You can respond to it or lock it or make it into a party hat.

"Max, I'd like for you to elaborate on this comment. Do you think he's incorrect b/c Muhammed simply doesn't hold much stature in the "ME"? Did Muhammed preach or practice peaceful Islam?

Which is it?"

Kevin, quite frankly I missed that post in the absolute blizzard of other crap in this thread. To respond, BECAUSE I RESPECT YOU,

I said Muslims had no single leader, no voice they all answered, even remotely comparable to Hitler. Abcdxx responded "What about Muhammed" and I said that was one of te stupidest things he'd ever said.

I didn't take it any further because I thout it was self evident. However unlike him, I am perfectly willing to accept your question as proof my meaning was NOT self evident, and so BECAUSE I REPECT YOU I will respond.

Quite frankly, I don't know anywhere near enough about the Koran to begin to discuss wether or not it preaches 'peaceful Islam' and make any sort of comparison to Nazism in particular or fascism in general, or even violence as a political, social or religous tool.

Here's what I do know. The Koran is and has been historically open to a wide number of interpretations, as have the speciffic words of their Prophet. The same can hardly be said for Hitler during his lifetime. His officers and soldiers were not allowed to 'interpret' his orders, there weren't multiple schools of thought on what he meant. I see little to no comparison between a totalitarian dictator during his lifetime and a religous leader dead for hundreds of years. If you want a comparison, you could look to living leaders capable of enforcing their will as they themselves interpret it. Al sadr, Hussein, whomever, and that was exactly my initial point. We are fighting multiple factions even within the three main ethnic divisions, complicated by countries, tribes, economies, histories, etc, etc, etc.

Of course Muhamed holds stature, but he does not personally enforce and interpret his will. I find comparison between a monolithic nation ruled by a speciffic dictator and a huge, fractured region influenced however strongly (and of course it's very strongly) by the written words ascribed to a man long dead. I find a comparison between Hitlers leadership of the Nazis and Mohameds influence on Muslis, even if you only want to talk about radicalized Muslims, well, stupid. Not to put to fine a point on it.

I hope I have now adressed your query in such a way that you personally feel I have not embarassed myself further, but only because I RESPECT YOU and not because I feel your ownership of the truth is such that you are empowered to make such determinations.