Fascinating post, P.G. I think there is much to be said for the use of psychology as a tool in this war. Especially since Islam itself is illogical and, thus, impervious to logic.
OTOH, if Muslims can be shamed into abandoning Islam, upon what foundation can they safely build their sense of self-worth--something that is integral to the human person? As in chemistry, both sides of the equation must be balanced in order to come up with the correct solution.
(I'm not trying to show you up or put you on the spot; I'm just raising the question, that's all. Great job!)
This is one of the most important posts I’ve read in weeks. While most talk about how the “cartoons” need to be tolerated, I’ve argued they need to be “embraced.” They are true! We should be proud of the truth, not apologetic.
If we proudly assert the truth and vilify Islam, they will be on the defensive, not us. Shame and humiliation are powerful forces in Islamic cultures. To omit these tools in our battle (regardless if we have to supplement them with military means) is to remove a potent weapon. I’ve quoted Ali Sina before on this matter. He’s giving us vital insight. By the way, Rafael Patai’s “The Arab Mind” is a good book on Arab psychology.
PG, Great post! I totally agree. We need to constantly needle them about what they believe in. I drove a Shiite to distraction Thursday evening over the shrine bombing... "What's going to happen now? Did the old guy die in the blast? How old is he anyhow? 1200 YEARS OLD? I guess he couldn't protect his hiding place aye?" Needless to say he was pretty PO'd.
Whenever possible stare at them if they're wearing the hijab. If possible point... laugh... point and laugh... humiliation, shunning, degradation...
Our press and the "left" has really screwed up by not showing all the atrocities that go on daily in the muslim world.
I just wish the world would wake up and outlaw Islam. It's not a religion when it condones killing people if they don't convert and killing them if they give it up. It's a Satanic cult.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 5:39:00 pm
Anonymous said...
This post should be required reading for all anti-jihadists. Everyone please propagate it, and Ali Sina's ideas, as widely as possible. The post brilliantly describes both the threat and the opportunity.
Now we know why the bombheads are so desperately keen to stiffle freedom of speech. This is THE number one threat.
We also know how to defeat them. Ridicule, ridicule amd yet more ridicule.
Defend free speech everwhere. Satirise Islam and all its works. Eventually the Muslims will have an Emperor's New Clothes mass-awakening and the whole festering medievil mess will be just a bad dream.
Thank you, and I love your idea Aisha. I am mailing this article to everyone that I can as it is. And by the way Aisha, I even titled a previous article I wrote Cartoonifada 2006 : The Emperor's New Clothes.
Jason, isn't Patai's book great? It was a great help to me when I was still a spy.
I came across Patai's book by accident in the New York Public library. I didn't know it was a classic. It explained so much including personal interactions that I've had here in NYC.
Now, PG, what's this about being a spy? I don't remember this ...
Aisha has the right attitude and spirit! Most people have it all reversed: "be respectful and they'll come around." And, of course, that is seen as a sign of weakness--it emboldens them.
Being burdened with Islamic philosophy from birth is the best way to cause arrested development in an otherwise normal human being.
If anyone who is unfamiliar with it is curious about the value of Patai's "The Arab Mind," trot over to http://thetruthproject.blogspot.comand see the review. There's a whole list of great books, many with substantial reviews. The list is always growing; most are non-fiction, like Patai's, but there is a new section with fiction in it (three titles so far) and a new section on real-life personal stories will soon be added.
There's a whole bunch of other fun stuff there, too!
Hi, Fascinating post. We were having a debate about the afterlife of buddhists and was quite lively. Not there are not that many extremist buddhist, and the few that there are are more worried about the sin of breathing in and killing germs. The muslim perspective of heaven was brought up, do women get 72 virgin boys? What about gay muslims. Why in Old Testerment based religions is there a BRIBE element to heaven and is orientated at control. Where as with buddhist 'heaven' you are out of there is less than 49days (why 49 and not 50?), so if a buddhist went to muslim heaven he would have to be very busy with those virgins, but they would make good mediation buddies.
Jason--fortunately I didn't even have to hunt for some of the better books. My mom bought just about every one and then a copy for me in just the 1st year after 9/11 I think! The only ones I'm missing at the moment are the ones I lost in a bad flood in my old house, such as my Ibn Warraq books.
And the fact that they consider many actions on our part to be weakness needs to be covered much more extensively and shouted from the rooftops!
Interesting. As a member of a Muslim family, as one who was born and raised in the US, let me try to weigh in on this. The idea of a sore spot rings true. Weakness has been exposed, and said weakness is being exploited. On the other hand, real strength need not demonstrate itself, which is why Muslims such as myself who are confidant and sure of themselves, who feel whole with or without the Koran, are in fact the silent majority who are embarrassed about the violent and extreme acts of a few. What anyone says or thinks about Mohamed is irrelevant. Don't expect to see a mass exodus of Muslims from Islam. Instead, you are going to see the fundamentalists become more extreme and the moderates become more liberal.
As to the cartoons, what's incompatible here is free speech and respect. At our workplace we don't walk around telling our co-workers how full of contempt we are towards them, do we? The truth is thusly concealed. Is this a violation of free speech? Is the risk of losing your job over telling off a co-worker un-constitutional, even if it harms said co-worker's mental health?
Sometimes the truth, or the expression of a truthful interpretation, is hard to swallow, it's painful and it hurts. Beneath all anger is hurt...
As I've said in my last post: "There used to be virtues such as manners. Look into it! Better yet: Do Unto Others..."
For these reasons, I believe that those who practice and endorse "ridicule" as a peaceful weapon, intended to shrink the numbers of Islam's followers, are very badly mis-informed.
Many thanks.
Friday, March 03, 2006 2:01:00 pm
[Image] This is an excerpt from an interview with Ali Sina from his site www.faithfreedom.org:
Jarek: Q04: You are asking people to mock Islam. By making fun of it and insulting its dogmas and principles you think good and intelligent people will start to be ashamed of being Muslims and will abandon this religion. However, the cartoons published by Jyllands Posten were only very mild, and yet the reaction of the Muslims worldwide was the opposite. They reacted in unison, in some countries even violent, killing tens of Christians and their faith seems to become even stronger. How do you explain that?
Sina: Why do you think they reacted so violently? It is because you pressed their sore spot. If you are strong you can take a punch and not flinch, but if you have a sore spot, all it takes to bring you to your knee is a nudge on that sore spot. Muslims committed the huge blunder of revealing their vulnerability. Now the world knows what hurts them. When you find your opponent’s weak spot, it is exactly where you want to hit him. (See this!)
Muhammad was a narcissist and Muslims, by having entered into his bubble universe have become narcissists by extension. More precisely, they are reverse narcissists. A commonly used term for reverse narcissist is co-dependent.
The biggest preoccupation of the narcissist is the preservation of his image. But the reverse narcissists do not have self image. The narcissist destroys the self image of his co-dependants and gives them his own image to cling to. He destroys their identity and selfhood and makes them believe that their glory and greatness is in their submission and obedience to him. He makes them swallow that without him they are nothing. That they are like specks of dust floating in the air, invisible and insignificant, but they can light up and become visible if they come under his light. That is how the narcissist controls his co-dependants.
The first thing Islam does is to destroy the self image of the believers. It convinces them that without Islam they are worthless creatures only fit for hellfire. It tells them that their culture is jahelyyah (ignorance) and their ancestral religion was taaghoti (satanic). They are made to despise their identity and selfhood and seek their glory in their submission to Islam and slavery to its deity who was Muhammad’s own alter ego. Islam has taken everything from its wretched believers. They are robbed from their identity and self pride. All they have now is Islam. That is why Islam for Muslims is more than just a religion. It is their identity. When you criticize Islam, they perceive it as an attack on their identity and cringe with pain. They take that not only as an insult but also as an assault on their person. Like a corned animal they become vicious and fight back with all their might – a fight of survival. That is why you see such a violent reaction to a few silly cartoons.
Why we must continue the campaign of humiliation and ridicule? It’s because we must destroy that false image of Islam to which the Muslims cling for their identity. That idol must be smashed. When that false image is destroyed there would be nothing left to cling to and only then the Muslims will be able to find themselves and recover their lost selfhood. The co-dependant must see that his narcissist, the object of his adoration, is not that great but a fraud, a loser, a clown. This can't be done through logical argumentations alone. By trying to disprove the claims of a fruitcake with philosophical and logical expostulations and remonstrations you give him importance. Muhammad was an idiot, a psychopath, a crackpot. He needs to be laughed at not disproved. What is there to disprove about splitting the moon, climbing the seventh heaven riding on the back of a horse with human face and meeting dead prophets who tell him to bargain with God to reduce the number of prayers from 50 to 5 times per day? Is God stupider than his prophets? The entire Quran is a big joke. If it was not so violent, it would be the biggest comic book ever written.
Muhammad was a jackass. People who believe in him are stupid. Let us call a spade as spade. These people must be laughed at. They, and their screwball prophet have to be ridiculed not respected. Let them cringe, let them wince, let them agonize. We must demolish this fetish and break the shackles of these wretched people. They must be set free and the only way to do that is to demolish their fetish.
Once Muhammad is ridiculed, once this talisman is destroyed, Muslims will be liberated and they will leave Islam. When that happens they'll thank you.
It is not difficult to destroy Islam. Islam is the pumped up ego of a megalomaniac psychopath. Muhammad was a narcissist madman. Just as a huge balloon can be deflated by a small needle, all it takes to make Islam explode is to ridicule its loony inventor and its brainless followers.
Shame works! I have seen it work many times. It worked for me. It was not just the truth but also the savagery of the Muslims that made me want to distance myself from Islam. I was ashamed of Islam; I was embarrassed of what Muhammad had done and what Muslims were doing. I thought to myself, what would I say if people find out the truth about Muhammad’s perversions and ask me, how can you follow a pedophile? What is your opinion about the ridiculous scientific and logical blunders of the Quran? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? Wouldn't I look like a fool? Shame works on those who have the sense of shame. Those are the ones we want to rescue. Shame does not work on those who have no shame. Those we don't want anyway. Let the fools remain Muslims. We want to salvage intelligent and good people who call themselves Muslims by error.
I know the Muslim psychology. It is all pomposity and bravado. I give you my word that if Islam is ridiculed publicly and systematically, it will be defeated. Shame is a great motivator as well as deterrent. Do not underestimate the power of ridicule. This is serious stuff not a laughing matter.
****************************
This is a very important point that Sina makes, that muslims have shown their weak point, a point which may be exploited and should be. I have no doubt that it will continue to be exploited, if only in the spirit of American creativity, entrepreneurship and standing up to bullies. In fact, one news report has already stated that Orriana Fallaci is working on her own Muhammad cartoon. I can't wait!
This is the part of this interview that deals with the cartoons. For the full interview, see www.faithfreedom.org.
11 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formFascinating post, P.G. I think there is much to be said for the use of psychology as a tool in this war. Especially since Islam itself is illogical and, thus, impervious to logic.
OTOH, if Muslims can be shamed into abandoning Islam, upon what foundation can they safely build their sense of self-worth--something that is integral to the human person? As in chemistry, both sides of the equation must be balanced in order to come up with the correct solution.
(I'm not trying to show you up or put you on the spot; I'm just raising the question, that's all. Great job!)
Saturday, February 25, 2006 2:24:00 pm
This is one of the most important posts I’ve read in weeks. While most talk about how the “cartoons” need to be tolerated, I’ve argued they need to be “embraced.” They are true! We should be proud of the truth, not apologetic.
If we proudly assert the truth and vilify Islam, they will be on the defensive, not us. Shame and humiliation are powerful forces in Islamic cultures. To omit these tools in our battle (regardless if we have to supplement them with military means) is to remove a potent weapon. I’ve quoted Ali Sina before on this matter. He’s giving us vital insight. By the way, Rafael Patai’s “The Arab Mind” is a good book on Arab psychology.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 4:32:00 pm
PG, Great post! I totally agree. We need to constantly needle them about what they believe in. I drove a Shiite to distraction Thursday evening over the shrine bombing... "What's going to happen now? Did the old guy die in the blast? How old is he anyhow? 1200 YEARS OLD? I guess he couldn't protect his hiding place aye?" Needless to say he was pretty PO'd.
Whenever possible stare at them if they're wearing the hijab. If possible point... laugh... point and laugh... humiliation, shunning, degradation...
Our press and the "left" has really screwed up by not showing all the atrocities that go on daily in the muslim world.
I just wish the world would wake up and outlaw Islam. It's not a religion when it condones killing people if they don't convert and killing them if they give it up. It's a Satanic cult.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 5:39:00 pm
This post should be required reading for all anti-jihadists. Everyone please propagate it, and Ali Sina's ideas, as widely as possible. The post brilliantly describes both the threat and the opportunity.
Now we know why the bombheads are so desperately keen to stiffle freedom of speech. This is THE number one threat.
We also know how to defeat them. Ridicule, ridicule amd yet more ridicule.
Defend free speech everwhere. Satirise Islam and all its works. Eventually the Muslims will have an Emperor's New Clothes mass-awakening and the whole festering medievil mess will be just a bad dream.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 9:54:00 pm
Thank you, and I love your idea Aisha. I am mailing this article to everyone that I can as it is. And by the way Aisha, I even titled a previous article I wrote Cartoonifada 2006 : The Emperor's New Clothes.
Jason, isn't Patai's book great? It was a great help to me when I was still a spy.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 10:07:00 pm
I came across Patai's book by accident in the New York Public library. I didn't know it was a classic. It explained so much including personal interactions that I've had here in NYC.
Now, PG, what's this about being a spy? I don't remember this ...
Aisha has the right attitude and spirit! Most people have it all reversed: "be respectful and they'll come around." And, of course, that is seen as a sign of weakness--it emboldens them.
Saturday, February 25, 2006 10:58:00 pm
Being burdened with Islamic philosophy from birth is the best way to cause arrested development in an otherwise normal human being.
If anyone who is unfamiliar with it is curious about the value of Patai's "The Arab Mind," trot over to http://thetruthproject.blogspot.comand see the review. There's a whole list of great books, many with substantial reviews. The list is always growing; most are non-fiction, like Patai's, but there is a new section with fiction in it (three titles so far) and a new section on real-life personal stories will soon be added.
There's a whole bunch of other fun stuff there, too!
Sunday, February 26, 2006 5:26:00 am
You're a twit.
Sunday, February 26, 2006 6:39:00 am
Hi,
Fascinating post. We were having a debate about the afterlife of buddhists and was quite lively. Not there are not that many extremist buddhist, and the few that there are are more worried about the sin of breathing in and killing germs. The muslim perspective of heaven was brought up, do women get 72 virgin boys? What about gay muslims. Why in Old Testerment based religions is there a BRIBE element to heaven and is orientated at control. Where as with buddhist 'heaven' you are out of there is less than 49days (why 49 and not 50?), so if a buddhist went to muslim heaven he would have to be very busy with those virgins, but they would make good mediation buddies.
Sunday, February 26, 2006 5:03:00 pm
Jason--fortunately I didn't even have to hunt for some of the better books. My mom bought just about every one and then a copy for me in just the 1st year after 9/11 I think! The only ones I'm missing at the moment are the ones I lost in a bad flood in my old house, such as my Ibn Warraq books.
And the fact that they consider many actions on our part to be weakness needs to be covered much more extensively and shouted from the rooftops!
Sunday, February 26, 2006 8:18:00 pm
Interesting. As a member of a Muslim family, as one who was born and raised in the US, let me try to weigh in on this. The idea of a sore spot rings true. Weakness has been exposed, and said weakness is being exploited. On the other hand, real strength need not demonstrate itself, which is why Muslims such as myself who are confidant and sure of themselves, who feel whole with or without the Koran, are in fact the silent majority who are embarrassed about the violent and extreme acts of a few. What anyone says or thinks about Mohamed is irrelevant. Don't expect to see a mass exodus of Muslims from Islam. Instead, you are going to see the fundamentalists become more extreme and the moderates become more liberal.
As to the cartoons, what's incompatible here is free speech and respect. At our workplace we don't walk around telling our co-workers how full of contempt we are towards them, do we? The truth is thusly concealed. Is this a violation of free speech? Is the risk of losing your job over telling off a co-worker un-constitutional, even if it harms said co-worker's mental health?
Sometimes the truth, or the expression of a truthful interpretation, is hard to swallow, it's painful and it hurts. Beneath all anger is hurt...
As I've said in my last post: "There used to be virtues such as manners. Look into it! Better yet: Do Unto Others..."
For these reasons, I believe that those who practice and endorse "ridicule" as a peaceful weapon, intended to shrink the numbers of Islam's followers, are very badly mis-informed.
Many thanks.
Friday, March 03, 2006 2:01:00 pm