Letters 12/7/06

Dec. 6, 2006

The real Islam
With all respect to Mr. Downes and the Northern Express, and the excellent explanation of the schism between the Shia’ and Sunni in Iraq, I believe it sugarcoats Muhammad and Islam.
If I may be very politically incorrect, I don’t believe Islam was ever a progressive or enlightened religion. I might rather argue that much of the violence that we are experiencing today is the “uncorrupted” Islam exposing its intolerant and violent beginnings.
Before Muhammad the “Prophet” there was Muhammad the “Warrior,“ a man who had been in battle. Initially, Muhammad’s new religion had no source of funding, so Muhammad and his followers took to raiding caravans and villages. Stealing from or killing “kafir” (infidels) was permitted as long as it promoted the goals of Islam. So Mohammad basically ransacked most of the Christian and Jewish world as well as all of the so called “pagan” lands if that‘s what you call the Parsi and Zoroastrians.
Islamic law is very clear how it classifies individuals. You are either a Muslim (believer), a Dhimmi (second class, or slave), or dead. This is basically how Islamic “Jihad” conquered the Middle East, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal). This “Jihad” was and is an obligation of all able-bodied Muslims who are not otherwise engaged in other activities that promote the expansion of Islam. The Qur’an states “...God has promised reward to all who believe but He distinguishes those who fight, above those who stay at home, with a mighty reward.”
The politically correct notion that Islam is a religion of “peace” and “mercy” fails to recognize that under Islam, this “peace” and “mercy” is only afforded to Muslims.
To see modern “Jihad” in action we only have to look at the Sudan. Since 1992 the Sudanese government (one-time host of Osama bin Laden and headquarters of Al Qaeda) has killed untold number of Christians and animists. Now it’s targeting Muslims who don’t measure up to the hard-line Jihadist government. We should also look very carefully at Lebanon which is supposed to be a secular democracy. The Islamic terrorist group, Hezbolla, has all but hijacked the country with the help of Syria, Iran, and the United Nations.
Perhaps instead of viewing terrorists, and their supporters as fringe groups, we need to examine Islam, its core principles, and why its modern atrocities are overlooked. Many young Muslim girls disappear in Western countries, most notably as the result of “honor killings.” It is a rarity if such crimes are ever solved, considering the tenuous position of Islamic communities in the West. In Pakistan, a US ally, they are still struggling with the concept of “rape.” Under Islamic law a rape victim must be able to produce no less than four independent witnesses; otherwise the accuser will be tried for adultery.
While I believe that the majority of Muslims are non-violent, peaceful people, I also believe that they fear retribution from within if they were to question or protest against their religious leadership. The modern Islamic world is far from “free” or “informed.“ Most Islamic countries are strict authoritarian states which only allow regulated “press.” Like China, North Korea and Cuba they employ draconian measures to restrict the flow of information to their people.
Perhaps it is time to put petty politics aside and be more critical of real issues. We need to look at our use of oil and how it funds terrorism. At the same time, maybe we should ask why the U.N. and Kofi Annan refused Bush’s demand that the killing in the Sudan be classified as “genocide,” which requires action. France, China, and Russia all have oil interests in the Sudan and veto all actions against its government. Is that not truly blood for oil?

C. Russell • via email

Blaming the Greens
Mike Estes provides some interesting statistics (Letters, 11/23) on Democratic losses in Michigan Senate Districts 13 and 32. He concludes if the Green Party votes in each race went Democratic then “the Democratic Party would today control the State Senate.”
May I respectfully suggest other routes for the Democrats than the blame game? (1) Democratic candidates can visit Green meetings and court the Green votes (as Mike did himself when he ran for office, and as have other Democratic and independent candidates); (2) Dems can champion some Green values themselves; (3) work harder than the Republicans who were the ones that got more votes.
The Traverse Bay Watershed and NMC Greens meet at 6:30 p.m. at Horison Books, TC, on the second Monday of every month (except December). The public is always welcome.

Tom Shea • TC

Easy in America
In response to the letter titled, “Tough Times,” I would like to say that the person who wrote that letter is at fault for the tough times. One can easily sit at home and complain and look up statistics about how many other people are complaining. But you could spend that time looking for government grants and making valuable conversation with those who are spending $600,000 on a condo.
Clearly, there is a very large amount of money in Michigan. Stop being lazy. Entrepreneurship, not job hunting, is the way to turn things around.
I’d wager as much as I could save in a year by choosing not to pay for cable and Internet, that I could make a lot of money as a tour guide for the adventurous spirits that love Northern Michigan. I am in the military for four more years.
Leading by example! But if you’re too afraid to contribute to the war you all voted for, then don‘t be too lazy to keep that tax base strong... to pay for the debt you all voted for. It’s TOO EASY in America.

PVT Jack McKenna • via email

Bad deal for Elberta
I am deeply disappointed by the article “Scott Gest is reinventing Elberta” in your last issue. Did your reporter talk to anyone besides Gest himself and people that are on the Elberta city council? If you interviewed regular residents of Elberta I think your article would have had a very different tone.
This developmet is not going to do anything for the local residents of Elberta except make traffic worse and prices at local establishments go up. As for the 300 jobs promised, I am not going to hold my breath and wait for them to appear. No local contractor will do any of the work on the condos. It will all be done by big outfits from Traverse City or downstate. The only job that a local person is going to get is housekeeping or being a security guard.
Who is supposed to be buying all of these pricey units anyway? The residents of Elberta/Frankfort are sure not going to be able to afford them. The condos that were built last year in Frankfort are still over half empty, and there are plans for more development there already.
Gest doesn’t want to bring up what impacts this plan is going to have on the area. It has happened in the past in Elberta -- when a local spot or restaurant is “discovered” by the summer residents, the first thing to happen is all of the prices go up.
The marina project that is planned will extend into Betsie Bay exactly where the channel (from the car ferry days) is that salmon and other fish use to enter the Betsie River. This journey for the fish is already arduous due to low lake levels.
Lastly, and probably the scariest is that since the acquisition of the old Koch tank farm, Gest and his developers now have year-long access to Elberta Beach. They no longer have to travel down the very steep access road that is closed in the winter. It is one of the best beaches on the west coast of Michigan. You can have a fire, camp out, do whatever. This seasonal-only access is probably the only reason that this prime beach property has never been developed.
How long will it be before developers decide they want that property too? It’s already nicer than what they‘ve got.
Elberta isn’t being reinvented for you or me. It is being reinvented for others.

Jason J. Rusch • Elberta