Katrina is "the Wind of Allah" sent "to torment..." the Infidel!

I sent the following to my friend Dave, an American history prof, who - despite our long discussions - insists on a rigorously anti-statist, pro-isolationist line on Iraq. That is, we need to leave and sin no more with any further military interventions.

By contrast, I've argue that the Iraq war was a case of the least-bad solution the US was already in. And in fact promised to move the GWOT forward because Islam's failures versus modern globalism is the root of the conflict and the true menace roused by 9/11.

Am I crazy?

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Dave-

I often feel as though you ignore the fact that the ME is riven with mysticism, and that this in turn drives terrorism. In other words, it's more about our Enlightened civilization and the West than any anti-imperial cause.

So, I try again with this startling piece from Kuwait. Notice the steeped analogical reasoning from sacred texts to a wishful conclusion. This is an example of Islam as a fantasy ideology, as Lee Harris famously calls Islamism. That is, it has the simulacra of realism without the reality testing you and I and our culture accept as unquestionable necessary.

It's worth re-reading this to grasp the complete otherworldliness behind the rhetoric. THIS is the power of religion to rationalize, shaping the triumph of hope over reality, through an ethic of collective submission against modernity.

We are struggling with a culture ruled by an Abrahamic God of threats and promises, and the writer below thinks he can see the Creators work in the affictions of "the unbeliever" today.

-Orson

Kuwaiti: 'The terrorist Katrina is a soldier of Allah'
World Tribune | September 1, 2005

Muhammad Yousef Al-Mlaifi, director of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Endowment's research center, published an article titled "The Terrorist Katrina is One of the Soldiers of Allah, But Not an Adherent of Al-Qaeda."(1) the Aug. 31 edition of the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa. Following are excerpts:

"...As I watched the horrible sights of this wondrous storm, I was reminded of the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah [in the compilations] of Al-Bukhari and Abu Daoud. The Hadith says: 'The wind is of the wind of Allah, it comes from mercy or for the sake of torment. When you see it, do not curse it, [but rather] ask Allah for the good that is in it, and ask Allah for shelter from its evil.'

"When the satellite channels reported on the scope of the terrifying destruction in America [caused by] this wind, I was reminded of the words of [Prophet Muhammad]: 'The wind sends torment to one group of people, and sends mercy to others.' I do not think — and only Allah [really] knows — that this wind, which completely wiped out American cities in these days, is a wind of mercy and blessing. It is almost certain that this is a wind of torment and evil that Allah has sent to this American empire.

"But I began to ask myself: Doesn't this country [the U.S.] claim to aspire to establish justice, freedom, and equality amongst the people? Isn't this country claiming that everything it did in Afghanistan and Iraq was for truth and justice? How can it be that these American claims are untrue, when we see how good prevails in the streets of Afghanistan, and how it became an oasis of security with America's entrance there? How can these American claims in the matter of Iraq be untrue, when we see that Iraq has become the most tranquil and secure country in the world?"

"But how strange it is that after all the tremendous American achievements for the sake of humanity, these mighty winds come and evilly rip [America's] cities to shreds? Have the storms joined the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization?

"How sad I am for America. Here it is, poor thing, trying with all its might to lower oil prices which have reached heights unprecedented in all history. Along with America's phenomenal efforts to lower the price of oil in order to salvage its declining economy and its currency — that is still falling due to the 'smart' policy America is implementing in the world — comes this storm, the fruit of Allah's planning, so that [the price of] a barrel of oil will increase further still. By Allah, this is not schadenfreude. "Oh honored gentlemen, I began to read about these winds, and I was surprised to discover that the American websites that are translated [into Arabic] are talking about the fact that that the storm Katrina is the fifth equatorial storm to strike Florida this year... and that a large part of the U.S. is subject every year to many storms that extract [a price of] dead, and completely destroy property. I said, Allah be praised, until when will these successive catastrophes strike them?

"But before I went to sleep, I opened the Koran and began to read in Surat Al-R'ad ['The Thunder' chapter], and stopped at these words [of Allah]: 'The disaster will keep striking the unbelievers for what they have done, or it will strike areas close to their territory, until the promise of Allah comes to pass, for, verily, Allah will not fail in His promise.' [Koran 13:31]."

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/front2453615.183333333.html

 

If this is true, then Allah must have been even more angry with the Muslims in Southeast Asia when he sent the "other wind"--the Tsunami. I suppose that would have also been a "soldier of Allah".

If he did one, he must have also done the other.

 

Thus the FUNDAMENTAL problem with the God Christians, Muslims, and a lot of Jews believe in.

 

(C'mon, Gregg. Resist the temptation. Take the high road. You can do it. Resist. Resist!)

 

All religions have their crazies

Not to be outdone, how about this little gem from Westboro Baptist Church.

http://www.godhatesfags.com/featured/20050831_thank-god-for-katrina.html

 

It's interesting how the people that believe this stuff conveniently forget how many deaths the "believers" have suffered since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. If this passage is true, then Allah must be a little ticked off with the "nonbelievers", but really pissed off with his own followers. JMHO

The news media is no better. The media sensationalizes stories when they think it will improve their ratings and ignore stories when they think it will not make them any money.

 

Again, when will we throw off the shakles of religious belief, trust our own minds and TAKE RESONSIBILITY for our own actions?

 

On a lighter note; wasn't there a pop group called 'Katrina and the Waves'?

 

Oh, sure... you get to make jokes.

 

They did that great song, "Walking on Sunshine". I gave it an 82 'cause it has a good beat and it's easy to dance to (Those old enough to remember American Bandstand will get the reference).

 

Wind from Allah....

I have some "wind from Allah" that I'm working up right now after my bacon, eggs, and grits breakfast that I would like to direct towards the entire population of Mecca and Riyadh.....