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Inactive on HNN Only: Daniel Pipes

Daniel Pipes

Talking Freely about the Enemy

Two recent developments prompt some reflections:

The State Department took the unusual step of condemning the views of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives as "insulting and offensive"; and
A subsidiary of the Disney Corporation fired a talk-show host.

In both cases, the trigger was the same – speaking about Islam.

I disagree with Congressman Tom Tancredo about keeping the option open to "take out" Mecca and with Michael Graham that "Islam is a terror organization." But I do think it vital that they and others be able to conduct a freewheeling discussion about the Koran, jihad, radical Islam, Islamist terrorism, and related topics, without fearing a reprimand from the U.S. government or a loss of their livelihood. (The same applies to another case I have previously discussed, publication of Craig Winn's Prophet of Doom: Islam's Terrorist Dogma, In Muhammad's Own Words.)

Americans are seriously discussing the nature of the enemy and how to defeat it. It is a confusing topic; for proof, look at how many differing ways George W. Bush has described the enemy, from "terrorists" to "evildoers" to "an ism" to "a fringe form of Islamic extremism" to "Islamic militants."

Especially at a time when establishment institutions are so timid or even deceptive, nothing can be off limits in this debate; and there must be no penalty for those who express their views. (August 22, 2005)

Posted on Monday, August 22, 2005 at 1:50 PM | Comments (0) | Return

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