Convictions II.

This is coolbert:

[originally I wanted this to one blog entry. But it grew and grew, and other topics were found to be germane. So "Convictions" comes in parts.]

You the reader decide.

"There shall be no compulsion in religion" - - Muhammad.

"If one must pick between a weak horse and a strong horse, one will naturally choose the strong horse" - - Osama bin Laden.

"It isn't so much the reality that counts, it is the perception of reality that counts" - - Jesse Jackson.

"Kill me O' brother, kill me" - - unarmed Iranian "students" as they advanced on armed U.S. Marines guarding the U.S. embassy in Tehran, 1979.

Most folks by now have heard about or seen the video of the forced "conversion" of the two "western" journalists.

Journalists kidnapped by Hamas or Hamas wannabees in the Gaza Strip. Were forced to "convert" to Islam at gunpoint.

Went through the ritual, videotaped, of the wearing of an Islamic robe, reading portions of the Koran, index finger of right hand pointing upward as they recited the Islamic testament of faith, the shahada.

Subsequent to the "conversion", these two men were released and returned to a much more peaceful world. Interviewed and related how they were "forced" to convert. Had a real fear of being executed if they did not.

Said that what they HAD NOT really converted. "Conversion" was only done to appease and placate the kidnappers. Journalists doing what they did to survive. They affirmed that THEY HAD NOT ACTUALLY CONVERTED TO ISLAM!!

Seeing the video, I had some doubts about this whole thing. These two men said they were forced, and that the "conversion" was invalid. And Muhammad himself seems to say that this IS SO. "no compulsion in religion".

Of this, I am not sure! There are four Islamic schools of jurisprudence. Each has their own take on Islamic law. I was wondering if under one of the four schools, this WAS A VALID CONVERSION. VALID TO A MUSLIM! TO THE JOURNALISTS, NOT REAL!! BUT PERHAPS, TO SOME MUSLIMS, REAL!!

Of this I am not sure. If valid in any degree, these two men could be in big trouble. Will have to watch their backs for the rest of their lives. Apostates from Islam are subject to death!! To say, "I converted, but it was not real", could be considered to be apostasy!! Punishable by death.

By accepting conversion, even if false, and then renouncing the "conversion" these two men may have become apostate in the eyes of Muslims and thusly signed their own death warrants!! Jumping from the frying pan to the fire, so to speak!!

The jury is still out on this one.

The cynic will respond, "well, what did you expect them to do? They wanted to live! When in the hands of murderous men, with guns pointed to your head, you would do the same!! These guys wanted to survive, and would do whatever was necessary to do so! You would do the same!!"

I had thought that the whole mess would disappear a few days after the video was aired. I was wrong. This has become a contentious issue in the minds of other folks. But not an issue in the same sense as I saw it.

Other commentators are citing the performance of the two journalists as an indication of the weak mental state of persons living in the west as compared to those persons living in the ummah [Islamic nation]. Keep in mind that Islam is both religion and culture at the same time, forming what is ordinarily called a nation!!

A commentator on the Bruce Du Mont TV show, "Beyond the Beltway" says that this video will be shown over and over on al-Jazeera, Arabic TV. Only will solidify in the minds of Muslim viewers the belief that "westerners" are weak people with malleable minds and totally devoid of resolve. Don't have the strength of their convictions, if THEY EVEN HAVE ANY CONVICTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

This commentator further goes on to say that he cannot even begin to imagine that all those suspected Islamic terrorists imprisoned at Gitmo for even a moment would ever consider accepting conversion to Christianity, IF EVEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DO SO, EVEN IF FORCE WAS APPLIED!! With this I would whole heartedly agree.

[on this particular "Beyond the Beltway" program, there were three commentators, one of which was from all outward appearances a "westernized" Muslim woman. She said that forced conversions would not be accepted in the Islamic world as Muhammad himself spoke that "there shall be no compulsion in religion". She did downplay the whole video and the "conversions"!!]

Other folks see the "performance" of the journalists as being pathetic:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn03.html

"what's the big deal? Wear robes, change your name to Khaled, go on camera and drop Allah's name hither and yon: If that's your ticket out, seize it. Everyone'll know it's just a sham."

"But that's not how the al-Jazeera audience sees it. If you're a Muslim, the video is anything but meaningless. Not even the dumbest jihadist believes these infidels are suddenly true believers. Rather, it confirms the central truth Osama and the mullahs have been peddling -- that the West is weak, that there's nothing -- no core, no bedrock -- nothing it's not willing to trade."

" . . . In the Muslim world, they watch the Centanni/Wiig video and see men so in love with the present, the now, that they will do or say anything to live in the moment. And they draw their own conclusions . . . It doesn't matter how 'understandable' Centanni and Wiig's actions are to us, what the target audience understands is quite different: that there is nothing we're willing to die for. And, to the Islamist mind, a society with nothing to die for is already dead."

My impression is that devout members of the Islam nation [ummah] world wide would never convert, even with a gun placed to their head. THEY HAVE RESOLVE AND THE STRENGTH OF THEIR CONVICTIONS, AND WE DO NOT!!

[maybe that is not true, BUT THAT IS WHAT I PERCEIVE!!]

As simple as that.

This does not bode well for the future. We in the "west" face an implacable enemy who is strong and resolute in their beliefs. THEY REALLY DO BELIEVE THEIR BELIEFS. They also see the "west" as weak, lacking in will power, character, and again, devoid of convictions.

WHETHER THE WEST IS AS WEAK AS THE JIHADI BELIEVES IS NOT IMPORTANT. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE JIHADIS PERCEPTION OF WEAKNESS. THE "CONVERSION" OF THE JOURNALISTS ONLY CONFIRMS WHAT THE JIHADI PERCEIVES TO BE TRUE!!

The jihadi ALSO DOES believe that time and their strength of will and character and convictions will overcome in the end the military and technological edge the west has over the ummah.

coolbert.