Keen Arrows

One good apple?

This entry was posted on 10/12/2006 8:56 AM and is filed under Religion,Terror.

Despite the violent teachings of the Qur'an, the furious middle eastern hate machines and the almost daily acts of terror we read about, hear, see and fall victim too every day, there remains a flicker of hope (though just a flicker) exposed by the clear and hate-free thinking of handfuls of exemplary Muslims. For example:

Walid Shoebat, born in Bethlehem of Judea, a former jihadist, is the author of Why I Left Jihad.

"As a young man, he became a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and participated in acts of terror and violence against Israel, and was later imprisoned in the Russian Compound, Jerusalem's central prison for incitement and violence against Israel."

<snip>

"In 1993, Walid studied the Tanach (Jewish Bible) in a challenge to convert his wife to Islam. Six months later, after intense study, Walid realized that everything he had been taught about Jews was a lie. Convinced he was on the side of evil, he became an advocate for his former enemy."

Salma Abdallah was "[b]orn in Israel, to Palestinian parents, she attended a Catholic school and grew up in a vibrant mixed cultural and religious neighborhood populated by Christians, Muslims and Jews - all Israelis. In this mixed community of immigrants hailing from many countries of both Europe and the Middle East, Salma learned basic values, humanitarian lessons and survival skills."

<snip>

"According to Salma, 'democracy is possible in the Middle East, but this will require much experimentation and considerable time to adapt it to the Arab experience and mind-set. It is something that I believe in strongly and feel that it can work. I saw how Israeli's created a vibrant democracy, even though hardly any of them had come from countries where democracy was known or practiced.' "

Ahmad Al-Qloushi, a seventeen year old (at the time) Kuwaiti Arab Muslim and college freshman studying in the USA tells an amazing story of his experience in American academia.

"A week before thanksgiving Professor Woolcock assigned us a take home final exam. The final exam consisted solely of one required essay: "Dye and Zeigler contend that the Constitution of the United States was not 'ordained and established' by 'the people' as we have so often been led to believe. They contend instead that it was written by a small educated and wealthy elite in America who were representative of powerful economic and political interests. Analyze the US constitution (original document), and show how its formulation excluded the majority of the people living in America at that time, and how it was dominated by America's elite interest."

When I read the assignment I remembered back to my high school in Kuwait. Many of my teachers were Palestinian; they hated America, they hated my worldview, and they did their best to brainwash me. I did not leave my country and my family to come to the United States to receive further brainwashing. I disagreed completely with Dye and Zeigler's thesis. I wrote an essay defending America's Founding Fathers and upholding the US constitution as a pioneering document, which has contributed to extraordinary freedoms in America and other corners of the world - including my corner, the Middle East.

Professor Woolcock didn't grade my essay. Instead he told me to come to see him in his office the following morning. I was surprised the next morning when instead of giving me a grade, Professor Woolcock verbally attacked me and my essay. He told me, "Your views are irrational." He called me naïve for believing in the greatness of this country, and told me "America is not God's gift to the world." Then he upped the stakes and said "You need regular psychotherapy." Apparently, if you are an Arab Muslim who loves America you must be deranged. Professor Woolcock went as far as to threaten me by stating that he would visit the Dean of International Admissions (who has the power to take away student visas) to make sure I received regular psychological treatment."

<snip>

"I have since learned that mine is not an isolated case. Many students in American universities are being indoctrinated and silenced by biased professors who hate America. America saved my life and the lives of my family. How can I not speak out?" Read it all, here. And its original appearance, here.

So, an American born professor assails a young Muslim Arab student because he likes America. The troubling thing is that the story is not surprising. Isn't also entertaining that college professors have damned our founding fathers as members of an elite class? If professors do not cultivate and enjoy elitism, who do?

Brought to my attention by, and thanks to Michelle Malkin, Walid Shoebat at Columbia U.