Radi (Radical): Good morning, Modi and Mani.
Mani (Mainstream): Radi is in a good mood today.
Modi (Moderate): Good morning. I hope your nephew appreciated all that information you sent him.
Radi: He certainly did appreciate it. He said it disarmed a few of the religion’s detractors.
Modi: I am glad to hear that. Nonetheless, one should leave another’s religion alone. Having said that and knowing you were about to jump in with something horrible, let me add that a decent religion with confidence in itself should not worry about detractors.
Radi: Allah has not said we need NOT worry about detractors. Your favorite sura, 33, ayat 57 says, “Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment.”
Following that ayat directly is ayat 58, which says, “And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, they bear the crime of slander and plain sin.”
Mani: Radi is right, Modi. Detractors of the religion deserve anything they get.
Modi: That is not quite right, Mani. You cannot kill someone just because he or she said something about your religion. I can remember recently that you excoriated both Jews and Christians, and they did not pick up axes or picks and kill you and your kids.
Radi: Oh yes they did. Remember the little Palestinian boy who was killed by Israelis while he hid behind his father.
Modi: You jerk! You know very well that the video already has been discredited. Even the cameraman laughed when they confronted him with the truth.
Mani: It does not matter, Modi. People should not discredit our religion.
Modi: Let me put it to you this way, Mani. It is rude and beneath anyone’s dignity to criticize another person’s religion. Nonetheless, you must take into consideration that our religion is a little different from other religions. Our religion is not only a religion, like Judaism or Christianity, but also an ideology like communism or capitalism. So, if someone says communism stinks—you might remember that Qutb said something like that—who cares? A little later, Nikita Khrushchev said something similar about capitalism. Nobody really cared what he said. Was communism or capitalism hurt by either person’s words? No.
What about someone saying Islam is evil? Are they really talking about Islam as a religion? I doubt it; it would not make sense. However, saying it about an ideology does make sense. For example, Radi, I for one do not appreciate your interpretation of our ideology. It not only makes me sick but it also puts me in a position in which I cannot defend against what is being said.
Mani: You are confusing me, Modi. Our religion is still our religion, and nobody should insult us. If they are insulting Radi, they are insulting me also.
Radi: See, Modi. You just do not get it.
Modi: Mani, let us say that Kennedy is a communist and Bush is a capitalist. They are both Christians even if only one acts like a Christian. Now look at Radi. As far as religion goes, he follows Islam. You know what? Nobody cares that he is a Muslim. I am also a Muslim, and I follow an ideology that says I believe in live-and-let-live. Some people call that the ideology of a “moderate.”
Now, here is the deal: nobody cares about me; I am accepted and not challenged because I fit in with the rest of the world. They need not worry about me. Getting back to Radi, people do not care that he is a Muslim, but he is also a radical extremist who believes everyone not a Muslim should be killed.
Mani: I see. The John Smiths of the world worry about Radi because he thinks all John Smiths should be killed.
Modi: Yes. They have a right to worry.
Radi: Anyone who loves life more than death should die!
Modi: See, now he has ME worried.
Mani: But how about me? Why should the John Smiths of the world worry about me?
Modi: Because you will not choose sides and stick with the side you choose, Mani. You outnumber both of us. If you decide at the last minute to join my side, the John Smiths can breathe easier. However, if at the last minute you jump aboard Radi’s kill-em-all express, that could be a major war. The John Smith’s really do not want to fight another war. They should be left in peace. Radi has no right to say what he says, and his buddies have no right to kill anyone simply because they are not Muslims.
Mani: I hate to disagree with you, but Radi is right. I myself would not want to kill anyone or even fight a war. I prefer to live and let live, just as you do. However, we DO have the right to kill the unbelievers simply because they are unbelievers.
Modi: With your last sentence, Mani, you told John Smith you do not really want to kill him; however, you also told him you have every right to do so. If he had any sense at all, he should get you first.
Mani: Ha! With his government the way it is? We could walk right in there and take over. We just have to tell them we are the new lobby for the immigrants. They will do anything we say. One of us could dress up like a bishop and tell everybody to lineup for holy Kool Aid.
Modi: You nut!
Radi: What is Mani talking about?
Modi: I don’t know; something he saw on TV, I guess.
HJS
Mani (Mainstream): Radi is in a good mood today.
Modi (Moderate): Good morning. I hope your nephew appreciated all that information you sent him.
Radi: He certainly did appreciate it. He said it disarmed a few of the religion’s detractors.
Modi: I am glad to hear that. Nonetheless, one should leave another’s religion alone. Having said that and knowing you were about to jump in with something horrible, let me add that a decent religion with confidence in itself should not worry about detractors.
Radi: Allah has not said we need NOT worry about detractors. Your favorite sura, 33, ayat 57 says, “Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment.”
Following that ayat directly is ayat 58, which says, “And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, they bear the crime of slander and plain sin.”
Mani: Radi is right, Modi. Detractors of the religion deserve anything they get.
Modi: That is not quite right, Mani. You cannot kill someone just because he or she said something about your religion. I can remember recently that you excoriated both Jews and Christians, and they did not pick up axes or picks and kill you and your kids.
Radi: Oh yes they did. Remember the little Palestinian boy who was killed by Israelis while he hid behind his father.
Modi: You jerk! You know very well that the video already has been discredited. Even the cameraman laughed when they confronted him with the truth.
Mani: It does not matter, Modi. People should not discredit our religion.
Modi: Let me put it to you this way, Mani. It is rude and beneath anyone’s dignity to criticize another person’s religion. Nonetheless, you must take into consideration that our religion is a little different from other religions. Our religion is not only a religion, like Judaism or Christianity, but also an ideology like communism or capitalism. So, if someone says communism stinks—you might remember that Qutb said something like that—who cares? A little later, Nikita Khrushchev said something similar about capitalism. Nobody really cared what he said. Was communism or capitalism hurt by either person’s words? No.
What about someone saying Islam is evil? Are they really talking about Islam as a religion? I doubt it; it would not make sense. However, saying it about an ideology does make sense. For example, Radi, I for one do not appreciate your interpretation of our ideology. It not only makes me sick but it also puts me in a position in which I cannot defend against what is being said.
Mani: You are confusing me, Modi. Our religion is still our religion, and nobody should insult us. If they are insulting Radi, they are insulting me also.
Radi: See, Modi. You just do not get it.
Modi: Mani, let us say that Kennedy is a communist and Bush is a capitalist. They are both Christians even if only one acts like a Christian. Now look at Radi. As far as religion goes, he follows Islam. You know what? Nobody cares that he is a Muslim. I am also a Muslim, and I follow an ideology that says I believe in live-and-let-live. Some people call that the ideology of a “moderate.”
Now, here is the deal: nobody cares about me; I am accepted and not challenged because I fit in with the rest of the world. They need not worry about me. Getting back to Radi, people do not care that he is a Muslim, but he is also a radical extremist who believes everyone not a Muslim should be killed.
Mani: I see. The John Smiths of the world worry about Radi because he thinks all John Smiths should be killed.
Modi: Yes. They have a right to worry.
Radi: Anyone who loves life more than death should die!
Modi: See, now he has ME worried.
Mani: But how about me? Why should the John Smiths of the world worry about me?
Modi: Because you will not choose sides and stick with the side you choose, Mani. You outnumber both of us. If you decide at the last minute to join my side, the John Smiths can breathe easier. However, if at the last minute you jump aboard Radi’s kill-em-all express, that could be a major war. The John Smith’s really do not want to fight another war. They should be left in peace. Radi has no right to say what he says, and his buddies have no right to kill anyone simply because they are not Muslims.
Mani: I hate to disagree with you, but Radi is right. I myself would not want to kill anyone or even fight a war. I prefer to live and let live, just as you do. However, we DO have the right to kill the unbelievers simply because they are unbelievers.
Modi: With your last sentence, Mani, you told John Smith you do not really want to kill him; however, you also told him you have every right to do so. If he had any sense at all, he should get you first.
Mani: Ha! With his government the way it is? We could walk right in there and take over. We just have to tell them we are the new lobby for the immigrants. They will do anything we say. One of us could dress up like a bishop and tell everybody to lineup for holy Kool Aid.
Modi: You nut!
Radi: What is Mani talking about?
Modi: I don’t know; something he saw on TV, I guess.
HJS
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