(Before It's News)
“Dear Sir or Madam,
1) Even though Islamic terrorism is motivated and ‘
justified’ by the doctrines of Islamic theology, I noticed that neither the Islamic, nor the Jewish or Christian theologians, were even given a place ‘
at the table’ in order that they could be included in the discussion.
(It’s sort of like having a conference of Cardiologists and never mentioning the heart.)
2) In line with #1, why were the anti-Zionist Orthodox rabbis of the Neturei Karta/True Torah Jews, etc. not invited? They are more than capable of providing an example and explaining how the Revelations in the Torah and the Prophets have been expropriated by the Zionists for political reasons and used to justify violence and oppression. And what is really needed in this situation is a Muslim equivalent to the Neturei Karta; in other words, an organization of religious, not political Muslims who are as opposed to the Islamic State on theological grounds as the anti-Zionist Jews are opposed to the Zionist state of Israel.
3) Keeping with that same theme, why was the conference from an exclusively Western perspective?
Islamic terrorism threatens not merely Western civilization, but the very annihilation of this entire civilization, including Eastern civilization.
Should not those from the Eastern perspective—with their doctrine of ‘rebirth’—also be given an opportunity to weigh in on an issue that is of such crucial importance to all of humanity?
So, you managed at your conference not only to completely disregard the issue of theology; but, also, in your arrogance, to consider this problem capable of being resolved from an exclusively Western perspective.
And, not surprisingly, you appeared to be supremely satisfied with the (meager, if any) results.
One woman mentioned the importance of ‘thinking outside the box’ and being ‘open’ or ‘willing to listen’ to other points of view.
But I was left with the very strong impression that the ‘secular and Western box’ was much too comfortable for those at the conference; that the last thing you wanted to hear was anything new from a sincerely different perspective (either theological or Eastern); and that what was meant by the phrase ‘willingness to listen’ was merely a request that anyone with a different perspective kindly shut up and listen to those at the conference.
For a different perspective on this issue, I would suggest that you listen to the following recording which I made in response to a previous (and equally useless) Conference On Violent Extremism (apologies for the severe audio distortion for about 30 seconds near the end of the recording):
Michael Cecil”
