What Are You Currently Reading? 2015

[omarali50]

I read "History of God" around 2001 or so and it seemed an interesting book then, though I really cannot remember any salient point by now (not an unusual thing with me and books). But since then I have read her articles and interviews (and once heard her speak) and I find her extremely naive and prejudiced (not in the Right wing sense, but prejudiced by her postMarxist/postmodern political views). She has decided that it is her mission to correct what she regards as an Islamophobic Western academic tradition and/or that she will massage all the expectations of her Eurocentric liberal audience. She then cherry picks verses, events and interpretations to fit that worldview. It is not a vicious worldview, but as a guide to policy or understanding it is severely lacking.
I don't know anything about the author of the following piece and if she is somehow guilty of other thoughtcrimes, please do not hold it against me , but on Karen Armstrong she is spot on..
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/...ill_maher.html

[Backwards Observer]

I read "History of God" around 2001 or so and it seemed an interesting book then, though I really cannot remember any salient point by now (not an unusual thing with me and books)

So true about reading! I barely remember anything about any books I read, I think that makes me more informed. I'm about halfway though "History of God" and all I can recall so far is El Shaddai and a whole bunch of what seems like gang warfare As far as thoughtcrimes, "Your attitude is noticed", as they say

[Backwards Observer]

She has decided that it is her mission to correct what she regards as an Islamophobic Western academic tradition and/or that she will massage all the expectations of her Eurocentric liberal audience. She then cherry picks verses, events and interpretations to fit that worldview. It is not a vicious worldview, but as a guide to policy or understanding it is severely lacking.
I don't know anything about the author of the following piece and if she is somehow guilty of other thoughtcrimes, please do not hold it against me , but on Karen Armstrong she is spot on..
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/...ill_maher.html

Incidentally, re: your link, this is what ye olde culture wars sometimes look like where talk shows have yet to catch on

Chinese going to Bersih, get ready for bloodbath!

http://www.rojakpot.com/chinese-bers...ed-with-death/

[Backwards Observer]

Here's another view of the Bersih thing mentioned above that seems to play down the Islamophobia angle, 'cos turns out it's actually only about pride. That's a relief :

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Thousands of ethnic Malays have rallied to uphold Malay dominance and support Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's government, following calls for Najib to step down over a $700 million financial scandal.

Wednesday's rally, which included members of Najib's ruling Malay party, is to counter a protest in late August by tens of thousands of Malaysians to demand Najib's ouster and political reforms.

A nation of 30 million, Malaysia is predominantly Malay Muslim, with significant Chinese and Indian minorities.

The protesters on Wednesday accused ethnic Chinese of driving last month's demonstration, saying they had insulted Malay leaders and challenged Malay supremacy.

Wearing red shirts, the protesters chanted "Long live the Malays" as they blew horns and marched from several locations in Kuala Lumpur to a field near Parliament.

Thousands of ethnic Malays rally to support Malaysian prime minister, uphold Malay pride - Fox News - Sept 16, 2015

[omarali50]

Malaysia got rich, in large part thank to their Chinese minority, but the Malays have also become more Islamized over time (they were never as relaxed as their Javenese neighbors to begin with) and they will play the race card as well as the "Islam-in-danger" card very freely. I would predict more trouble, except that the Malays also seem to have a functioning "Hard-British-Raj" administrative system, so they may be able to keep a lid on things for a few more years. Plus overseas Chinese communities tend to be docile and not make trouble, especially if they can keep making money.
But as they say, it's a matter of time.

[Backwards Observer]

Malaysia got rich, in large part thank to their Chinese minority, but the Malays have also become more Islamized over time (they were never as relaxed as their Javenese neighbors to begin with) and they will play the race card as well as the "Islam-in-danger" card very freely. I would predict more trouble, except that the Malays also seem to have a functioning "Hard-British-Raj" administrative system, so they may be able to keep a lid on things for a few more years. Plus overseas Chinese communities tend to be docile and not make trouble, especially if they can keep making money.
But as they say, it's a matter of time.

Hey, that's great info. My Chinese family have been living in Malaysia since our grandfather came over in the 1890's 'cos apparently he was too much of a slacker to make it in bad old China. He did okay until the forties when the kempeitai tortured him and chopped his head off for some reason. I was there for the last Malay/Chinese chopapalooza in 1969...bad vibes, but interesting. Our asses got bailed out because the local Sultan sent the Sabah Rangers, who were mostly Christian-ish former headhunters, to our neighbourhood. I remember them slow-walking silently out of the jungle near our house accompanied by a Saladin armoured car one misty morning. They looked cool but kinda scary. Like all backwards foreigners we really don't understand our own countries. It only makes sense when some, uh, 'objective' outsider with no specific agenda to wiggle explains it to us. It's a local code of silence thing, I guess. Thanks!

[Backwards Observer]

(they were never as relaxed as their Javenese neighbors to begin with)

Maybe I misunderstand, but are you referring to Indonesia where they mellowed out on Konfrontasi and relaxingly killed over half a million people in 1965?

Indonesia - Malaysia confrontation - Wikipedia

50 years since the Indonesian massacre of 1965 - Guardian - Sept 30, 2015

Also:

May 1998 riots of Indonesia - Wikipedia

[omarali50]

I know about 1965, but I just meant that their ISLAM really is a little bit syncretic (mostly East Java), so they are sometimes held up as the poster-boys for how Islam will become all multi-culti thanks to the "tolerant Muslims of South East Asia". Of course, the Javanese are also becoming closer to "classical Islam" thanks to closer links to Saudi Arabia, so the whole story is a bit overblown, but anyway, the thought in my mind was that their mildly syncretic and relaxed Islam is then (casually and carelessly) extended to ALL of SE Asia, which is not true. Malays and Moros used to be more "radical" even in the good old days.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...28327041&hl=en

I am sure you know more than me about these things and can enlighten us further