03-23-2004, 02:58 AM
Please do not take this as support the practices of the Arab state governments (which, undoubtedly, include plenty of discrimination against all other religious types, most recently Jewish), or support for fundamentalist Islam. They certainly have much to answer for. However...
Relying on us-israel.org for anything, let alone factual information about Islam, is a dubious proposition at best. They have nothing to gain by portraying Islam positively, and everything to gain by portraying it negatively. The more Islam is seen as to blame for the middle east's troubles, the less flak they get for the situation in the occupied territories. Now, this argument swings both ways, and Arab leaders who deflect every question with "oh, but zionism" should be equally brought to account. But that doesn't put the Israeli lobby in any better a position, as far as impartial analysis goes.
National Review might even be worse; they don't even pretend to offer a factual account. Dhimmi.org appears to be a subsidiary of the Jewish Internet Association, again very likely to be heavily biased against Islam.
Not that it might not be true. Just that skepticism is required by the bucketful.
Jester
Relying on us-israel.org for anything, let alone factual information about Islam, is a dubious proposition at best. They have nothing to gain by portraying Islam positively, and everything to gain by portraying it negatively. The more Islam is seen as to blame for the middle east's troubles, the less flak they get for the situation in the occupied territories. Now, this argument swings both ways, and Arab leaders who deflect every question with "oh, but zionism" should be equally brought to account. But that doesn't put the Israeli lobby in any better a position, as far as impartial analysis goes.
National Review might even be worse; they don't even pretend to offer a factual account. Dhimmi.org appears to be a subsidiary of the Jewish Internet Association, again very likely to be heavily biased against Islam.
Not that it might not be true. Just that skepticism is required by the bucketful.
Jester