Reasonable Dhimmitude

I don't know what cracks me up more: When the Reasonable mouth-foam about the Foolishness of belief in God, or when they utterly delude themselves about specific religions' "spiritual" value. Reasonable columnist Eric F. Mallonga clearly falls in the second catagory of hilarity. Observe his insanity here. Here he presents the greatest solution to islamo-fascist terrorism: the inclusion of "madrasah courses in public education." See, according to a "conference" that he attended, the islamo-fascists all attended secular schools. Therefore, they did not receive the value-rich education that authentically-believing muslims receive in the Madrasahs. Ergo, if more muslims receive religious education, then less will turn to terrorism.

Note how well he defends his assertion:

Certainly, if people have been seriously educated on fundamental humanitarian values through religion and faith instilled in childhood, dangers of raising intolerant, rebellious and hostile individuals are minimized. People inspired by the Divine and whose values are shaped in their formative childhood years grow to be more tolerant of various cultures, races, religions, manifesting respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights of other peoples. Islamic terrorists Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, as well as Christian Coalition fanatics Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Franklin Graham, possess biographical backgrounds of racial, ethnic and religious intolerance from their childhood years that reflect lack of proper breeding and education that go against the religious philosophies and teachings of their prophets and messiahs, which they pretentiously claim to espouse.

Such religious and social intolerance is precisely the prevailing cultural attitude that must be properly addressed today in educating our young.

Yes, Mr. Mollangha, great way to use those non sequiturs! And what an original approach! To create a moral equivalence between genocidal islamo-fascist murderers and impassioned (if sometimes stupid) Christian preachers! Brilliant! Juxtapose proud terrorist organization heads with those that have never advocated terrorism, let alone establish such networks of murderers! Such intellectual honest is so refreshing these days.

But I digress. Even if his ridiculous comparisons held, it does not follow that any childhood rearing resulted in Bin Laden or Al-Zarqawi's directly led to their campaignes of bloods. Mr. Mallonga assumes what he ought to prove in order to support even more insane propositions:

Educating Muslim children in an integrated school system on fundamental humanitarian Islamic values and the Arabic language is a welcome development aimed to arrest religious intolerance and the terrorist philosophy that is being conveniently propagated in the Islamic world through a distortion of teachings of their Prophet Muhammad.

Yes, "conveniently propagated in the Islamic world" by Saudi money and Wahibist exports! What makes our esteemed columnist so confident that Islamic teachers of Filipino Madrashes will not be so tainted?

The noble objective of integrating Islamic education is to create Islamic-friendly schools with aspirations of eradicating religious intolerance in Filipino communities.

Would this be by advocating the creation of Sharia law within Muslim-majority areas of the country and instituting Dhimmitude for the non-muslim majority? What a spectacular way to foster diversity! And it introduces no sticky Separation of Church-State issues as well! It doesn't even compromise equality under the law! Well, not much, at any rate.

In integrating madrasah courses into existing private and public-school systems, either in predominantly Muslim communities or in communities with a substantial Muslim population, the constitutional recognition of the “special status” of indigenous cultural communities, particularly the Muslim communities, is transformed into a living reality.

All hail the glories of Sharia and Dhimmitude! Does this columnist even bother to read his own words? Do his editors?

In allowing madrasah courses in public education, the government does not violate the constitutional separation of Church and State. It merely recognizes that the Islamic religion possesses secular elements that could benefit Muslim children to better appreciate their cultural heritage, which should encourage constructive citizenship.

Sure, after all, the Islamic tradition, as interpreted by numerous outspoken Jihadist and their apologists, clearly delineate a role for the state and for religion. That would be a Caliph--a supreme ruler of both government and Islamic authorities. Yeah, real workable in today's world!

In addition to required regular literacy and math courses in public schools, secular courses, particularly Arabic language and Islamic values, are geared at providing skills to enable Filipino Muslim scholars in becoming more competitive in the Islamic world. The Qu’ran is written and taught in Arabic, a universal language and constitutionally recognized national language. Islamic values are also actually humanitarian and universal in complexion. Terrorism will never be taught by madaris teachers (asatidz)

Of course. The Madaris teachers of the Taliban generation never taught terrorism. The Taliban never practiced a militarism that overthrew governments or denied people human rights. The Taliban themselves always respected different religions; their destruction of centuries-old Buddhist statues in Afghanistan was simply an aesthetic statement. Oh, no; no religious intolerance there!

There is nothing in Islamic values or in Prophet Muhammad’s teachings that is premised on terrorism. The Qu’ran teaches values based on peace, justice, human rights and universal solidarity.

Yes: for Muslims. The Qu'ran is not so generous to Non-Muslims. They can expect the subservient tolerance of Dhimmitude at best or outright genocide at the worst. Granted, religious texts written in the 600s suggest that interpretation of them is required to discern their meaning today. Interpretation, however, needs to be accepted in order to command the obedience of the faithful. Who has the authority in the Islamic world to declare particular interpretations as authoritative? There's no central authority in the muslim world, as there is the Magisterium in Roman Catholicism. Indeed, various Mullahs and Imams speak as the authority for their communities. So what happens when those religious leaders buy into the islamo-fascism so rampant in the Muslim world? They cloak that murderous ideology in the culture and language of their religion. Who can challenge them? More to the point, who has? The silence of Islamic authorities in condemning those that advocate terrorism as jihad defeans the civilized world! Confused non-Muslims are left to wonder where the real Islam is. Unfortunately, this situation doesn't show any signs of abating soon. How does Mr. Mallonga propose that the Fillipino government determine which Madaris teachers present authentic Islam? Which authorities shall the government depend upon? He doesn't answer; he simply ignores the very real geo-political complications in play. After all, that wouldn't inspire confidence in multiculturalism. How Reasonable of him!

In that sense, Islamic values are reflections of Christian values or basic secular humanitarian values. However, the teaching of Islamic values shall be within Muslim context, without being religious in character so as not to violate the constitutional separation of Church and State.

Again, by whose authority will such decisions be made? Whose qualified? How? What happens if Muslims within the same school district disagree with the school's interpretation of "islamic values...within Muslim context..."? Well, Mr. Mallonga? I can't hear you! Meanwhile, he ignores the fundamental reality that many Islamic religious leaders argue that Islam can't be separated from the State! The history of the Muslim world is one where the secular leader was also the religious leader. Mohammad the Prophet led armies and commanded the new Empire! How will Madrasis Teachers address this thorny problem? Again, no answer from the great compromiser! What a surprise!

Mr. Mallonga's Reasonable delusions repeat the same sad pattern many Reasonable elites perpetuate. Ideology trumps reality. They confuse what should be with what is. Islam should have no conflict with separation of Church and State. Therefore, it doesn't. Islam shouldn't support terrorism. Therefore, it doesn't. Madrases shouldn't raise fanatical islamic fundamentalists. Therefore, they don't. His specious reasoning allows him to worship the multiculturalism and relativism so prevelant in Reasonable circles. Unfortunately, he's setting himself up to get mugged by reality. What troubles me is how so many of the world's intellectual elites buy the same logic. They hand-wring the policies of the US and the West as the ultimate source of Islamic discontent, and then they propose insanity like this as practicality. Instead of confronting the extremely complex geo-political and historical reality that foments the islamo-fascism plaguing today's world, they hide in delusions that nourish their cherished beliefs.

Some countries will follow these elites off the cliff. I pray the Philippines will not be one of them.