Radi (Radical): I accuse the West of engineering the demise of the Ottoman Empire.
Mani (Mainstream): And why, pray tell, would the Europeans want to do that, Radi?
Radi: Because they wanted to destroy our religion. We were too powerful for them.
Modi (Moderate): The reality of the situation, Radi, might shock you. During the extended period of Ottoman decline, the European powers were not slowly picking the Ottoman Empire to pieces, they were trying to shore up our Muslim empire.1
Radi: What? That is a terrible lie. Why should the Europeans want to do that?
Modi: Imperialism was important to the imperialists and they did not want a fellow imperialist power to disintegrate before the world. Such a decline would be bad news for other imperialist powers, seeing that such a power could deteriorate without a major war or a terrible catastrophe.
Mani: I can understand that. If you are an imperialist power, you want everyone to know that you are bigger and more powerful than any one or two countries.
Modi: Right. If the Ottomans sank into oblivion, the world would recognize that such a thing is quite possible and that an empire was only as strong as the sum of its parts. You know, the Ottoman Empire was threatened by Napoleon III and then by Egypt, and both times the infidels in Europe saved her.
Radi: That is hard to believe. Every imam I know has come down hard on Europe for killing our wonderful Ottoman Empire. They say that anything we do to any European is payback and they deserve it.
Modi: I keep telling you, Radi, that those numbskulls will drive you crazy if you listen to them. They hate everybody except other Muslims – and they are not too fond of Muslims who are not Salafists, the ones with the seventh century mindset.
Radi: I had seen in writing, Modi, how the Ottomans were picked apart. You cannot say they were not. It is a fact.
Modi: Facts are very stubborn things, Radi, but you must get to know them before you introduce them to others. In World War I, the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria were line up against the Allied Powers of Russian, France, Great Britain, and other smaller nations with the United States coming into the fray later.
Radi: What has that got to do with anything?
Mani: Don’t you remember your Muslim history, Radi? The Ottoman Empire at first was neutral.
Modi: Exactly. Virtually all of the most powerful nations had emissaries talking to the Ottomans, assuring them that if they maintained their neutrality, the nations would guarantee her safety during the fighting and would ensure her territorial integrity at the conclusion of hostilities.2
Mani: The European powers did not want the Ottoman Empire in the war and just about everyone not associated with Germany told her to stay out for her own interest.
Modi: But somehow she had the idea that Germany would win and after the war she would be in for some great gains in prestige and resources. She did not take into consideration that if she lost, she would lose everything.
Mani: I remember reading that Europeans kept pouring everything they could into the Ottomans to keep them neutral, but to no avail. She came in anyway, on the side of Germany. The Central Powers lost the war and both empires, the Ottomans and Austria-Hungary disappeared.
Radi: And you say that the Europeans tried like crazy to keep her out?
Modi: Right, Radi. And the Ottomans did not have to do anything at all for Europe to give her all those guarantees. She could have just sat out the war and stayed neutral. She might be still there and more powerful than before the war. The Ottomans blew it, Radi.
Mani: So you see, Radi, Europe did not even contribute to the death of the Ottoman Empire. If anything, she committed suicide despite the help and counseling that she received from Europe.
Radi: What about the Armenians. Didn’t the Armenians sell them out?
Modi: Not hardly. Every Armenian church, the masses of Armenians, even the school kids prayed for an Ottoman victory. Even the school kids, Radi. There were only a fhandful of Armenians that were against an Ottoman victory, and they were not enough to worry about.
Mani: Aha! It was the perception that made the difference!
Modi: Yes, just like now. To the Muslims it was the perception that was the reality. Because of a few disloyal Armenians, millions of faithful Armenians died. Didn’t the Americans lock up many Germans and Japanese in World War II because the perception was that they would probably be disloyal to the war effort?
Radi: Of course.
Modi: Well, the Ottomans did not lock up their perceived enemies; they slaughtered them by entire villages and towns. Men, women, and children were cut to pieces, burned alive, tortured to death, or otherwise left to the mercy of whoever was in charge of each area. And remember, most of the Armenians were loyal to the Ottomans and prayed for their success in the war.
Radi: But they were not Muslims, so who cares. At the very least, we will not have to deal with them later.
Modi: Let me tell you something, Radi. Islam will never rule the entire world because nobody is stupid enough to continue the dumb programs in Europe that let you get this far. Even Europeans will learn. Some have already.
Radi: We should be consolidating our gains now and taking control of the smaller countries. The liberals kept pushing for having smaller families while we always wanted larger families. We are producing more and more babies while the Europeans are opting to not have children and aborting the ones that manage to get by the firewall.
Mani: But Radi is right about taking the planet for Allah, Modi. He said that at his farewell sermon.
Modi: If you go back to the very beginning of our religion, if you read the words of our prophet (pbuh), he himself will tell you in his own words that the documents of Judaism and Christianity are the basis for the start and the development of our own religion.
Radi: But he said that the Jewish scholars corrupted their own scriptures and as a result, Allah had to send another prophet – a final prophet – to straighten them out.
Modi: When the prophet visited the Jewish scholars, Radi, he announced to them that he was the new Jewish prophet and he knew the Jewish scriptures. Why did he not establish some rapport with them first? According to the verses in the Qur’an, starting with Sura 2, Muhammad (pbuh) was angry with the scholars. How much did he really know of Jewish scriptures? We do not know. However, Jewish scholars have a great reputation for being very concise and even overly conservative with respect to exact meanings.
Mani: What are you trying to say, Modi? Are you arguing with the Qur’an?
Radi: I will have your head if you argue with God’s word.
Modi: I would like to point out that it is the Qur’an and the Hadiths that will make my case.
Mani: What case are you trying to make?
Modi: That some things may have been misinterpreted over the years, or perhaps when things were in chaos following the death of our prophet (pbuh).
Radi: I am glad I brought my knife.
Modi: Well, I pointed out a few weeks ago when we were discussing each of the suras that quite a lot of anger was displayed concerning the Jews after their visitor stormed out on them. What happened to the Jews next? One tribe after another was either exiled without their assets, and their land was confiscated; of their land was confiscated and the Jewish “owners” we required to continue working the land for Muslim profit, or in the case of the Banu Qurayzah, about 800 were murdered by beheading. Now, try to tell me that was not the result of Muhammad's anger! Remember, Muhammad (pbuh) insisted on staying and watching the entire massacre, having torches brought so that the beheadings could continue into the night.
Mani: We know what happened to those Jews, Modi. So what? They deserved it.
Modi: Mani, there was no evidence they ever did anything -- they were silversmiths!
Mani: They must have done something to deserve it.
Modi: Is that what you would tell the Jews at Babi Yar, Mani? You and I have agreed that the Holocaust existed, no matter what some of our co-religionists have said. And every time I bring up the Banu Qurayzah, I cannot help but see the similarities with Babi Yar.
Radi: I am going to kill him.
Modi: Right, Radi, think like a Neanderthal again.
Radi: Psst, Mani, what is a neon-something—whatever he said?
Modi: Mani and Radi, if you have serious questions about the Torah or either of the Christian Testaments, can you ask your rabbis or priests and get answers?
Mani: Of course.
Modi: If you have serious questions about the Qur’an, Radi, can you ask your friendly imam here why something does not make sense to you?
Radi: No. There are some things you had better not bring up or you would lose your head.
Modi: Can you become a Catholic, leave after a while. Then become a Methodist, or a Baptist, or even just decide to become an atheist without consequences? Can you become a Muslim, decide it is not for you, then go be something else?
Mani: What is your point?
Modi: We have too many negatives. It is time to think. THINK! I love this world and humanity. I am tired of being pushed into hating people I don't even know!
HJS
1 Islamic Imperialism, Efraim Karsh, Yale University Press, 2007, page 99.
2 ibid, page 107
Mani (Mainstream): And why, pray tell, would the Europeans want to do that, Radi?
Radi: Because they wanted to destroy our religion. We were too powerful for them.
Modi (Moderate): The reality of the situation, Radi, might shock you. During the extended period of Ottoman decline, the European powers were not slowly picking the Ottoman Empire to pieces, they were trying to shore up our Muslim empire.1
Radi: What? That is a terrible lie. Why should the Europeans want to do that?
Modi: Imperialism was important to the imperialists and they did not want a fellow imperialist power to disintegrate before the world. Such a decline would be bad news for other imperialist powers, seeing that such a power could deteriorate without a major war or a terrible catastrophe.
Mani: I can understand that. If you are an imperialist power, you want everyone to know that you are bigger and more powerful than any one or two countries.
Modi: Right. If the Ottomans sank into oblivion, the world would recognize that such a thing is quite possible and that an empire was only as strong as the sum of its parts. You know, the Ottoman Empire was threatened by Napoleon III and then by Egypt, and both times the infidels in Europe saved her.
Radi: That is hard to believe. Every imam I know has come down hard on Europe for killing our wonderful Ottoman Empire. They say that anything we do to any European is payback and they deserve it.
Modi: I keep telling you, Radi, that those numbskulls will drive you crazy if you listen to them. They hate everybody except other Muslims – and they are not too fond of Muslims who are not Salafists, the ones with the seventh century mindset.
Radi: I had seen in writing, Modi, how the Ottomans were picked apart. You cannot say they were not. It is a fact.
Modi: Facts are very stubborn things, Radi, but you must get to know them before you introduce them to others. In World War I, the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria were line up against the Allied Powers of Russian, France, Great Britain, and other smaller nations with the United States coming into the fray later.
Radi: What has that got to do with anything?
Mani: Don’t you remember your Muslim history, Radi? The Ottoman Empire at first was neutral.
Modi: Exactly. Virtually all of the most powerful nations had emissaries talking to the Ottomans, assuring them that if they maintained their neutrality, the nations would guarantee her safety during the fighting and would ensure her territorial integrity at the conclusion of hostilities.2
Mani: The European powers did not want the Ottoman Empire in the war and just about everyone not associated with Germany told her to stay out for her own interest.
Modi: But somehow she had the idea that Germany would win and after the war she would be in for some great gains in prestige and resources. She did not take into consideration that if she lost, she would lose everything.
Mani: I remember reading that Europeans kept pouring everything they could into the Ottomans to keep them neutral, but to no avail. She came in anyway, on the side of Germany. The Central Powers lost the war and both empires, the Ottomans and Austria-Hungary disappeared.
Radi: And you say that the Europeans tried like crazy to keep her out?
Modi: Right, Radi. And the Ottomans did not have to do anything at all for Europe to give her all those guarantees. She could have just sat out the war and stayed neutral. She might be still there and more powerful than before the war. The Ottomans blew it, Radi.
Mani: So you see, Radi, Europe did not even contribute to the death of the Ottoman Empire. If anything, she committed suicide despite the help and counseling that she received from Europe.
Radi: What about the Armenians. Didn’t the Armenians sell them out?
Modi: Not hardly. Every Armenian church, the masses of Armenians, even the school kids prayed for an Ottoman victory. Even the school kids, Radi. There were only a fhandful of Armenians that were against an Ottoman victory, and they were not enough to worry about.
Mani: Aha! It was the perception that made the difference!
Modi: Yes, just like now. To the Muslims it was the perception that was the reality. Because of a few disloyal Armenians, millions of faithful Armenians died. Didn’t the Americans lock up many Germans and Japanese in World War II because the perception was that they would probably be disloyal to the war effort?
Radi: Of course.
Modi: Well, the Ottomans did not lock up their perceived enemies; they slaughtered them by entire villages and towns. Men, women, and children were cut to pieces, burned alive, tortured to death, or otherwise left to the mercy of whoever was in charge of each area. And remember, most of the Armenians were loyal to the Ottomans and prayed for their success in the war.
Radi: But they were not Muslims, so who cares. At the very least, we will not have to deal with them later.
Modi: Let me tell you something, Radi. Islam will never rule the entire world because nobody is stupid enough to continue the dumb programs in Europe that let you get this far. Even Europeans will learn. Some have already.
Radi: We should be consolidating our gains now and taking control of the smaller countries. The liberals kept pushing for having smaller families while we always wanted larger families. We are producing more and more babies while the Europeans are opting to not have children and aborting the ones that manage to get by the firewall.
Mani: But Radi is right about taking the planet for Allah, Modi. He said that at his farewell sermon.
Modi: If you go back to the very beginning of our religion, if you read the words of our prophet (pbuh), he himself will tell you in his own words that the documents of Judaism and Christianity are the basis for the start and the development of our own religion.
Radi: But he said that the Jewish scholars corrupted their own scriptures and as a result, Allah had to send another prophet – a final prophet – to straighten them out.
Modi: When the prophet visited the Jewish scholars, Radi, he announced to them that he was the new Jewish prophet and he knew the Jewish scriptures. Why did he not establish some rapport with them first? According to the verses in the Qur’an, starting with Sura 2, Muhammad (pbuh) was angry with the scholars. How much did he really know of Jewish scriptures? We do not know. However, Jewish scholars have a great reputation for being very concise and even overly conservative with respect to exact meanings.
Mani: What are you trying to say, Modi? Are you arguing with the Qur’an?
Radi: I will have your head if you argue with God’s word.
Modi: I would like to point out that it is the Qur’an and the Hadiths that will make my case.
Mani: What case are you trying to make?
Modi: That some things may have been misinterpreted over the years, or perhaps when things were in chaos following the death of our prophet (pbuh).
Radi: I am glad I brought my knife.
Modi: Well, I pointed out a few weeks ago when we were discussing each of the suras that quite a lot of anger was displayed concerning the Jews after their visitor stormed out on them. What happened to the Jews next? One tribe after another was either exiled without their assets, and their land was confiscated; of their land was confiscated and the Jewish “owners” we required to continue working the land for Muslim profit, or in the case of the Banu Qurayzah, about 800 were murdered by beheading. Now, try to tell me that was not the result of Muhammad's anger! Remember, Muhammad (pbuh) insisted on staying and watching the entire massacre, having torches brought so that the beheadings could continue into the night.
Mani: We know what happened to those Jews, Modi. So what? They deserved it.
Modi: Mani, there was no evidence they ever did anything -- they were silversmiths!
Mani: They must have done something to deserve it.
Modi: Is that what you would tell the Jews at Babi Yar, Mani? You and I have agreed that the Holocaust existed, no matter what some of our co-religionists have said. And every time I bring up the Banu Qurayzah, I cannot help but see the similarities with Babi Yar.
Radi: I am going to kill him.
Modi: Right, Radi, think like a Neanderthal again.
Radi: Psst, Mani, what is a neon-something—whatever he said?
Modi: Mani and Radi, if you have serious questions about the Torah or either of the Christian Testaments, can you ask your rabbis or priests and get answers?
Mani: Of course.
Modi: If you have serious questions about the Qur’an, Radi, can you ask your friendly imam here why something does not make sense to you?
Radi: No. There are some things you had better not bring up or you would lose your head.
Modi: Can you become a Catholic, leave after a while. Then become a Methodist, or a Baptist, or even just decide to become an atheist without consequences? Can you become a Muslim, decide it is not for you, then go be something else?
Mani: What is your point?
Modi: We have too many negatives. It is time to think. THINK! I love this world and humanity. I am tired of being pushed into hating people I don't even know!
HJS
1 Islamic Imperialism, Efraim Karsh, Yale University Press, 2007, page 99.
2 ibid, page 107
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