I know quite a few Muslims and Muslim organizations are upset about the loss of Muslim lives in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, etc.. However, none of them seem to be upset by the fact that the largest slaughters of Muslims (this is opinion, I don’t have the numbers to back it up yet) in the last ten years has been committed by other self-styled Muslims, namely Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In the last 48 hours I’ve seen three headlines (1, 2, 3), which are what have gotten me thinking about this issue. Why aren’t more Muslims decrying this loss of life if for no other reason than they are our “brethren?” One of the greatest ironies is that on 9/11 most estimates have around 10% of the victims as being Muslim. Why weren’t our “leaders” decrying the wholesale murder of Muslims then? Or is it acceptable for “Muslims” to kill Muslims? I’m outraged.
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Dehumanized
Non-Muslims are uncaring people who are happy when they see other people being abused and tortured. At least that’s the impression I got from reading CNN.com today. Two stories talking about the images of torture at Abu Ghuraib prison had the following paragraphs: The images sparked anger among Muslims around the world… (link) The images have sparked anger among Muslims across the world… (link) I never would have thought that CNN reporters would dehumanize non-Muslims, but I guess there’s a first for everything. Just for the record, the second article actually does talk about Muslims across the world. The first…
Mohammed the Brit – NYTimes.com
Mohammed the Brit – NYTimes.com. In this context, the readiness of European Muslims, many bearing the Prophet’s name, to stand up for values of free speech assumes bridge-building importance. It reflects the experience of faith as practiced within a modern secular society.
Is Torture Utilitarian?
Glad other people are speaking up about the immorality of torture. As politicians argue, and our pragmatist-in-chief tries to find an angle, we can agree that not all moral dilemmas can be reduced to a cost-benefit analysis of pleasure and pain. There are some kinds of pain a morally serious person ought never to inflict. [From Is Torture Utilitarian?]