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| Pâ•qidꞋ Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu |
2002.01.13 MEMRI – It's eerie how this letter to a prominent newspaper isn't what one expects and, by changing only the main characters, the similarity of all ultra-fundamentalist / Ultra-Orthodox elements common to all three of the so-called "Abrahamic" religions becomes apparent.
Which of the following is the real letter – Christian, Jewish or Muslim?
"…We began to turn to those who claim to be clerics, to rule for us on matters of medicine, engineering, space, and all the life sciences. Life moves on, [yet] we are stuck."
"We have begun to live an imaginary life that exists only in our heads, while the reality around us is entirely different. This is the [personality] split which engendered people like bin Laden. Since reality differs from [the picture] in his mind, he sets out as a [crusader]; whether he kills or is killed, he wins…"
"We all focus on bin Laden and his ilk…but we have yet to focus on the more dangerous people, and I mean those who fill our heads with this rhetoric in the schools, the [ultra-fundamentalist churches], and the media, who disseminate words without hesitation and without considering the consequences or even understanding that in this era, the entire world hears what is said."
"What do they care? Every one of them thinks that he has a divine mandate. The outcome is that they have distorted our lives – which were distorted even before then – [and] our tolerant religion, and set us at odds with the world. How long will this damage to the lives of [Christians] everywhere in the world continue? The solution is the [Christianity] that was taught us by [historical Christ] … – [a Christianity] of tolerance – and not the [Christianity] of those who control our media."
"…We began to turn to those who claim to be clerics, to rule for us on matters of medicine, engineering, space, and all the life sciences. Life moves on, [yet] we are stuck."
"We have begun to live an imaginary life that exists only in our heads, while the reality around us is entirely different. This is the [personality] split which engendered people like bin Laden. Since reality differs from [the picture] in his mind, he sets out as a [zealot]; whether he kills or is killed, he wins…"
"We all focus on bin Laden and his ilk…but we have yet to focus on the more dangerous people, and I mean those who fill our heads with this rhetoric in the schools, the [Ultra-Orthodox synagogues], and the media, who disseminate words without hesitation and without considering the consequences or even understanding that in this era, the entire world hears what is said."
"What do they care? Every one of them thinks that he has a divine mandate. The outcome is that they have distorted our lives – which were distorted even before then – [and] our tolerant religion, and set us at odds with the world. How long will this damage to the lives of [Jews] everywhere in the world continue? The solution is the [Judaism] that was taught us by [Hillel] of this nation – [a Judaism] of tolerance – and not the [Judaism] of those who control our media."
"…We began to turn to those who claim to be clerics, to rule for us on matters of medicine, engineering, space, and all the life sciences. Life moves on, [yet] we are stuck."
"We have begun to live an imaginary life that exists only in our heads, while the reality around us is entirely different. This is the [personality] split which engendered people like bin Laden. Since reality differs from [the picture] in his mind, he sets out as a Mujaheed; whether he kills or is killed, he wins…"
"We all focus on bin Laden and his ilk…but we have yet to focus on the more dangerous people, and I mean those who fill our heads with this rhetoric in the schools, the mosques, and the media, who disseminate words without hesitation and without considering the consequences or even understanding that in this era, the entire world hears what is said."
"What do they care? Every one of them thinks that he has a divine mandate. The outcome is that they have distorted our lives – which were distorted even before then – [and] our tolerant religion, and set us at odds with the world. How long will this damage to the lives of Muslims everywhere in the world continue? The solution is the Islam that was taught us by the Prophet of this nation – an Islam of tolerance – and not the Islam of those who control our media."
Excerpts from a letter to the editor of the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat from Dr. Sahr Muhammad Hatem of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, published on 2001.12.21!
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