Mad Rant: Obama and Islam

Obama has made his much hyped speech to Islam in Cairo, Egypt and he has mauled the truth as only someone of his leftist talent can. Whereas during the campaign he played down or silenced his Muslim background, now he is lifting it up as a benefit (during the course of his political career his father has gone from being an "atheist" to an "agnostic" to a "Muslim"). He also sang the praises of the religion of Mohammed, crediting Islam with giving the world or furthering the magnetic compass, algebra, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Not true. The ancient "Middle Kingdom" of China invented the magnetic compass, algebra has its roots in the ancient empire of Babylon (who were not Muslims at the time -Islam had not been invented yet), the Renaissance was not a result of Islam it was the rediscovery of classic civilization (Greek, Roman) by Europe. As for the "Enlightenment", I don't see how Islam furthered that nor would I consider it to be a credit to Islam if it did. The "Enlightenment" did not bring new light to Europe but rather a new darkness by stamping out the divine in human understanding.

That is not to say that the Islamic world is without accomplishments -by no means. However, a distinction that must be made is that all of the Islamic contributions to the betterment of the world came from the Muslim monarchies -not the fanatical, theocratic republics that are all too in vogue today. Turkey was never greater in learning or culture than when it had a Sultan, Iran was never greater in learning, culture and progress than when it had a Shah, Afghanistan was a much greater country when it had a king than when it had the Taliban. The Islamic Republic of Iran, the Taliban regime in Aghanistan, the secularist regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq or the terrorist state in Syria are all totally opposed to any sort of legitimate, benevolent progress. These were not and are not centers of great learning or flowering culture but are places of fear, repression and overall small-mindedness.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia could easily fall into this category as well but it is clear that as bad as things may be they could be alot worse. We should not forget that Usama bin Laden, a native of Saudi Arabia, is an avowed enemy of the Saudi monarchy. I have no doubt that if the House of Saud ever falls it will not be replaced by a more benevolent monarchy but rather by a Wahabi Islamic republic. Why on earth the government seems to be encouraging their people in this direction is beyond me but for all of the failings of Saudi Arabia its fall would be a disaster in the same vein as the fall of the Iranian monarchy (which is not to say that the Pahlavi and Saudi monarchies are anything alike). The significance of the fall of the Shah of Iran cannot be overstated. A pro-western, modern-minded monarchy was replaced by a horrific revolutionary regime; the first time that the worst, fanatical elements of Islam were able to take over a state. Until that mistake is recognized I cannot hold out much hope that the current crisis can ever be effectively dealt with at its roots. Obama may wow the crowds but he will never be able to bring about peace between Islamic fanatics and leftist, anti-religion liberals in the west. Only a true return to sincere religion, cultural understanding and traditional authority can accomplish that.

Trying to reason with people who are, by definition, unreasonable is surely a mark of insanity and the continuing denial of the facts of history and republican revolutionaries ongoing weakness for buying in to their own propaganda are all further reasons why I remain The Mad Monarchist.