"Had Maher merely stated that our culture is better than the Taliban's (which is truly hideous), I daresay the majority of Muslims would approvingly count themselves among "us" in that equation. Where he should be expressing solidarity with progressive Muslims who would stand with him in opposition to violent extremism, he instead alienates them by a fictitious cultural divide between simplistic categories of a tolerant West and a Muslim world which he defines by its worst elements.
The correct "us vs. them" divide is between those of us, in all societies (including Muslim ones), who value freedom of speech and thought and who oppose violent extremism on the one hand, and those who employ or endorse such violent intimidation on the other. Someone like Maher should've known this"
No comments:
Post a Comment