A Truck Driver's Experience (October 5, 2004)
I am a truck driver by profession, a Muslim by religion, and an African by nationality. Most of the time when I am driving through either one of the 48 states that I travel, I only listen to the country music station in that city or state, if they have any. But, on this beautiful Saturday evening on the 3rd of October 2004, I was driving through the border of Minnesota and North Dakota going to North Carolina when I found myself blessed to have caught your program while scanning for a country music station.
It is a very beautiful and educational program I think. The guest Mr. Cornell was as eloquent as the host and he spoke precisely and to the point. Spiritually, it made me feel Islamic. I said this because I am not too practical in the Faith as compared to the guest who wasn't born unto Muslim parents like me, I believe. I believe that his conversion like many others to the Islamic Faith will send a clear message to other people of other race or races who think that Islam is theirs.
Krista, I am very sorry that I presently do not have the financial ability to help sponsor your program. I hope one day I will, by the grace of Allah. May Allah help you with many good sponsors. Thank you and please continue the good work.
Ousman Bamba
Fridley, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
A Thought-Provoking Discussion (October 2, 2004)
As a first generation American whose father was a Muslim and mother a Catholic, I have been profoundly disturbed by the way Islam has been portrayed and
discussed in our media since 9/11. The prevalent view seems to be that Islam is an inherently intolerant and anti-western religion that has, as its primary purpose, the end of western civilization and the establishment of theocratic regimes throughout the world. To the degree that many Americans buy into this simplistic analysis, those who seek to sow the seeds of strife win. Dr. Cornell's thoughtful and lucid discussion may be the best antidote to the simple-minded hatemongers who otherwise dominate our broadcast airways. Bravo!
Joseph D. Youssouf
Manalapan, NJ (WNYC, 820 AM)
A Thought-Provoking Discussion (October 6, 2004)
As a Lebanese-American Moslem (Sunni), I was amazed and very interested to hear this program while driving. I could not wait till I got home to hear it again online. I wish Professor Cornell will speak out on national TV main prime time shows such as 60 Minutes where people at least will listen. My wife, now a Catholic (born American Baptist), [and I] were together in the car just silent and listening to your show. We did not even talk through the program. Thank you.
Hassan Naja
McDonough, GA (WABE, 90.1 FM)
A Universal Struggle (October 2, 2004)
Thank you for a great program! Dr. Cornell has articulated some of the inner struggles that I have undergone trying to reconcile the acts of some Muslims with the spirituality of my religion. Hearing Dr. Cornell's words seemed to indicate that this struggle is perhaps not as isolated or as fruitless as I had imagined. Kudos to your team for bringing such depth and skillful curiosity to this topic.
Mohammed Raheem
New York, NY (WNYC, 820 AM)
Understanding the Driving Forces (October 3, 2004)
Congratulations on a wonderful program! Both my wife and I were extremely interested in hearing Professor Cornell's thoughts on the darker side of Islam and the reminder that there also exists today a dark side of Christianity (as well as in the past). It seems to me that we also need to hear the side of those driven to want to give up their lives for their religion. In solving the problem of terror in the world, it is of the utmost importance that we hear the voices of those who may be considering such action or of the families of those who have taken their own lives.
I understand Dr. Cornell's point that there are both conservative and more scholarly interpretations of the verses of the Qur'an, but I think we fail to understand the driving force (which I don't believe is primarily the Qur'an but the absolute loss of dignity and hope) on the part of those who may want to be a martyr in the name of Allah. Again I want to thank you for a wonderful interview with Dr. Cornell!
Bob and Martha Selby
Naperville, IL (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)
Wahhabism Must Be Abandoned for Sauds to Endure (October 3, 2004)
Fascinating. I don't normally listen to the radio at this hour so I hadn't even realized the program exists. I believe Islam is at a crisis stage very similar to that of Catholicism when Martin Luther nailed his reforms to the church door. We of the West were very lucky that we had our own Reformation so long ago; slower transportation and less powerful technology made assimilation of those ideas easier than it is now — and it wasn't easy at all.
If the House of Saud is to survive, if their country is to thrive, they must ultimately break with Wahhabism. And, in turn, if Wahabism is to mature to its true spiritual potential it too must relinquish the bully stick and let go the reins of temporal authority — Church and State must be separate for each to thrive. God is not the State's policeman and there is no virtue in following spiritual law when a policeman's club is at your head to enforce it.
Elena Dent
Burbank, CA (KPCC, 89.3 FM)
Today's Truth About Us Muslims (October 10, 2004)
I am so thankful to Krista and Professor Cornell. Thank you for saying out loud what most of us think. I am originally from Morocco and I have lived in the USA for 5 years now. I am a Muslim, and I am so sick and tired of our ways as Muslims. This is the time to step up and take responsibility! Stop waning and blaming others. Our religion is in crisis and there is no way around it, if we don't acknowledge this fact sooner rather than later; we can't own it and if we don't own it we can't fix it. Your show gives me hope in Muslims and hearing Mr. Cornell talking the way he did gave me hope in Muslim scholars, which I was angry with up to know; because of their complacent silence in the face of all the horrors done in the name of our religion Islam. Thank you!
Najat Kessler
Coon Rapids, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
A Universal Struggle (October 2, 2004)
I liked the conversation you have had with Professor Vincent Cornell. In post-September 11th America, we have had a crash course about Islam, but Professor Cornell detailed and provided the geopolitical crises about many parts of the Islamic world and the religion itself. I do not agree with everything he said, nevertheless, he could benefit all of us for what he taught us. Thanks for having him on the program.
Haroun Abdul
St. Paul, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Vincent Cornell Presented a Thoughtful, Instructive View of Islam (October 4, 2004)
I wish that the show was longer and more in depth. I would love to hear more of Cornell's views on the subject. It is important that the moderates of Islam voice their thoughts and opinions and that the media picks up these moderate voices. Unfortunately, these opinions are not as glitzy as the more radical views. But, I know that many Muslims are frustrated by the way that the world perceives them; however, these Muslims seem to be waiting for someone else to present the moderate view. It is frustrating that this program just scratched the surface of so many ideas that I would like more information on.
Sally Goldman
Salt Lake City, UT (KUER, 90.1 FM)
Other Points of View in Media (October 3, 2004)
Just writing to say I enjoyed your show on Islam, and hope you keep up the quality work so seldom seen these days. I always enjoy hearing there are actually other views than what MediAmerica feeds us. Thanks for presenting the view from a different experience.
Mike Barrett
Barron, WI (KXLC, 91.1 FM)
Kudos (October 3, 2004)
My wife and I were driving through the St. Louis region this morning and picked up Krista Tippett's interview with Vincent Cornell. We both found the program informative and very interesting. Are you carried by any station in the Taos, NM region? Look forward to receiving your e-mail newsletter.
Don Baucom
El Prado, NM (KWMU, 90.7 FM)
Islamism Today (October 4, 2004)
A brilliant and timely discussion of a vitally important subject. Your questions were right on the mark and answered with an honesty seldom seen in the media today. Thank you.
Robert Di Diego
Fletcher, NC (WCQS, 88.1 FM)
Understanding Our Christian Society to Understand Islam (October 3, 2004)
Our people know so little of Islam. Your program really elucidated the parallels between our Christian society and that of Islam. I see our society here in the United States as being just as divided and confused as theirs. Our extremists would have us believe that "they" are blood-thirsty and misguided.
Your discussion with Mr. Cornell is an example of the kind of dialogue that we need. Perhaps, with more understanding, we can work together to solve the problems of Islam and Christianity together in a world of help and empathy, rather than one of hate and fear.
Brent Bowles
St. Louis, MO (KWMU, 90.7 FM)
Other Points of View in Media (October 3, 2004)
The time for moderate Muslims to act to protect their religion from being highjacked by fundamentalists/terrorists is now. To quote an article by Dennis Prager, "One can only pray that Muslim institutions will realize the immensity of the damage done to the name of Allah and to Islam by those Muslims who preach or practice evil in the name of Allah and Islam—and the even greater damage done by the Islamic world's failure to protest against this evil…publicly announcing that evil preached or committed in the name of Allah and Islam is the greatest sin… if there is a hell those who murder and torture the innocent while praising G-d are surely the first to go there."
I believe that would include people of any religion. One telling example, a photo in the Martinsburg, WV newspaper of 9/24/04, with the caption "…3 Palestinian militants swear as they put their hands on the Muslim holy book, the Quran." Anyone waiting for the fanaticism to pass are likely to get swept up in it.
Aylene Kovensky
Baltimore, MD (WYPR, 88.1 FM)
Crisis of Islam (October 4, 2004)
I know Vincent Cornell personally (although I have not seen him for more than 20 years). I agree with his analysis but this is a partial analysis. It is the same problem that I have noticed in the issue you have had before with the unit on "Progressive Muslims in America." They are talking about ideas in abstract. You have been asking him good questions about why at that particular time the problems are appearing and there are no answers. He mentioned in passing globalization without really getting into this.
If we eliminate the political dimension, then of course it is possible to ask why one day Muslim youth woke up and decided to leave spirituality. What I would recommend you to see is that this is a worldwide problem and that each society is facing it in its own way within its own culture and with its own tools. The problems started with the new English imperialism that started with Thatcher (remember the idea that there is no society and only the individual). Of course, globalization by focusing on the individual and disconnecting him or her from their society, allows the neo-imperial strategies of the Anglosphere.
However, it has affected the newer generation of the Muslim world (many of them trained in the Anglo-American tradition and not in the Cartesian traditions—either the traditional ones or the European ones) with idea of dissecting traditions in superficial sense (what Professor Cornell calls radical superficiality). In addition, the continuous occupation of many Muslim lands has caused disaffection of the new generations. So you have here the confluence of external and internal factors, which is an answer to the question of why this is happening at this time.
Hashem Sherif
Tinton Falls, NJ (Listens via Web Audio)
Addressing an Important Issue (October 6, 2004)
Kudos to all of you for the most recent broadcast "Violence and Crisis in Islam"! I was delighted to receive this week's e-mail and see that you were going to address this difficult issue. I found the discussion with Vincent Cornell to be utterly illuminating, with Krista asking all the painful, direct questions that I myself would have asked. Your series on Islam is providing a great service to those of us who seek a better understanding of this faith in these difficult times. I am a devoted listener to your program, and find every broadcast to be of great interest and enduring value.
Mary Darne
Arlington, VA (WETA, 90.9 FM)
Muslims in a Crossroad? (October 5, 2004)
Your interview with Dr. Vincent Cornell was one of the most enlightening programs on the Muslim experience I've ever heard. My husband and I sat spellbound at the straightforward answers to issues we've never understood before. It was a fabulous program.
Answering your question, Dr. Cornell certainly identified the crossroads of use/misuse of power in the name of the Koran to justify violence and uncivilized behavior. The example of the misuse of the concept of martyrdom was astonishing. So, yes, the Muslim community is at a crossroads where they must either return to the ideal of the Koran or slide into lawlessness.
But, what the program also reminds us is that Christianity is also at a crossroads in the U.S. Here government officials are using their Christian faith to justify war, deny rights to political prisoners, restrict personal freedoms, and scientific inquiry.
What Dr. Cornell presents is a strong argument that in both Christianity and the Muslim faith, religion is at a crossroad where it must be determined how religion affects government and the potential for abuse of power in God's name. Fundamentalists must not be allowed to manipulate basic tenants of their religion nor determine laws. The crossroads in both societies is for rational people of faith to somehow exercise their voices of scholarly reason. For this purpose, the Dr. Cornell's of the world must keep speaking.
Geri Hall
Iowa City, IA (WSUI, 910 AM)
A Universal Struggle (October 2, 2004)
Thank you for the interview you had with Vincent Cornell. It was refreshing for two reasons. First, because this is a Muslim who recognizes and doesn't defend the obvious disaster happening inside Islam. Secondly, he is a Muslim who seems to recognize the Western idea of a "marketplace of ideas." I have not heard that kind of talk from Muslims.
While you covered a wide range of ideas, one I was hoping you would get to is our war on Islamic terror. Why has the moderate Muslim community been so reticent to join the West in our war? Does Dr. Cornell support our going after and killing the Muslim terrorists? Is he, along with the rest of the moderate Muslim world, ready to join the West in fighting this branch of Islam? Does he have any other answers for the West to protect itself from these people?
I fear that the complacency of the moderates on the issue of our war is beginning to be interpreted as approval for Islamic terrorism. This would have been a good opportunity to hear what a genuine moderate feels about this—the most pressing issue of our day.
Mark Sharp
Maple Grove, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Crossroads in History (October 2, 2004)
Another fine program. I'd like to chime in with other listeners who've pointed out that Speaking of Faith is performing a great service at a time it's most needed in our country. Faith and religion can be strong positive forces in society. Sadly, there has always been a tendency for people to become unthinking about their religious beliefs. When this happens religion becomes false, and its force becomes negative. As a result many resort to the belief that only secular thought is valid, which is a tragic loss for the entire society. Speaking of Faith is such a great antidote to both of these!
Responding to the question of whether we should perceive Islam at a crossroads in its history: Yes. At various points in their histories all religions become denatured — sometimes more so, sometimes less. Major crises come about when a large majority within a religion give more weight to religious trappings and nationalistic concerns than to the voice of their own conscience. Clearly this is happening in the Islamic world today; Professor Cornell made it quite explicit. Islam's suffering is peaking now, and much of the rest of the world is suffering in consequence. It's sad, it's devastating, but we have to accept it — and rather than blaming, we should try to help.
Anyone who takes the time to discover the core spiritual teachings of Islam will find them to be loving, truthful, inspiring — and in fact, quite remarkable. In this way anyone can see for him/herself that Islam is not the problem. The problem is in those who have failed to recognize and live by its true essential values. Islam is a great world religion; it can find its way back! Voices within Islam like Vincent Cornell's can and will help. We non-Muslims can help by learning more and by not hating those who are lost along their way.
Bob Salmon
New York, NY (WNYC, 820 AM)
Islam At War (October 5, 2004)
Radical Islam cannot be discussed unless we first discuss neo-colonialism. We cannot blame the victims on either side until we examine our own behavior. Since 1945, the Western Imperialists have been trying to recover their former colonies, the war on and in Iraq is only the latest example. How can Dr. Cornell who purports to know of the Islamic world not consider the importance of neo-colonialism and how it has been used by the United States since 1945 and not factor in 9/11 and its aftermath.
When the Arabs or any Muslim says, Insh'Allah, or at the will of God, they really mean it as part of an Islamic community, but it is the West which has turned it into a nihilistic plea for relief from the neo-colonialism which threatens the very lives of their families in the Neo-Cons quest for oil. America is alway in the search of unquestioned love, but its behavior does everything to elicit hate including putting forth spokesmen for an alien religion, who I believe in his heart, hates the people that the religion represents. This is a reason, I never stray into foreign bounds, and know that I am a sinner and not fit to judge the house-servant of another. Islam is now radical because the West has made it that way.
Mary Gravitt
Iowa City, IA (WSUI, 910 AM)
The State of Iraq (October 4, 2004)
I am not a particularly religious person, in fact, I usually switch to my classical music station during your program, but I was captured by your interview with Vincent Cornell discussing the crisis of Islam. The program held me captivated for an hour.
I have talked to civil affairs brigade officers who had spent duty time in Iraq and combined with their stories, Mr. Cornell's assessment of Islam leads me to believe that the situation there is nearly hopeless. Are there moderate voices like his in the Middle East or have they become targets of extremists. I would have liked to hear his views on partitioning Iraq into three autonomous religious regions for the Shi'ites, Kurdish Sunnis, and Arab Sunnis. I enjoyed your interviewing style and believe I will listen more often.
Robert Ores
Lowell, IN (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)
Hearing Extreme Voices (October 11, 2004)
I enjoyed listening to your program on Islam and Violence with Dr. Cornell. I wonder if you would host a program that would include a wider range of viewpoints and some debate. I would like to hear the radical Islamists respond to Dr. Cornell and hear how they support their political and violent actions in the name of Islam. Do they cite specific Qur'anic verses, for example, or historical traditions. If I heard correctly, Dr. Cornell indicated that one thing they do is take isolated verses out of context. If so, I'd like to hear which verses they quote and what uses they put them to; and then hear a more contextual understanding of those same verses.
Since the more liberal strains of every religion seem more enthusiastic about engaging in dialogue, I think that over time as I listen to Speaking of Faith programs, I find myself missing the voices of the conservative and, some would say, the extreme. It would be a great service to your listeners if we could hear from some of those folks, too. I imagine it might be quite a challenge to find those willing to be on your show, but I would applaud your efforts in that direction. Thank you for all your work.
Shimon Walner
Mendota Heights, MN (Listens via Web Audio and KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Excellent Program (October 4, 2004)
We love to listen to Speaking of Faith on Sunday morning as we get ready to drive off and attend our Episcopal church. You provide so much reflective material! It challenges us to think hard about our religion, what we really believe in, and what and why others believe in their faith. SOF is an excellent program that should be required listening for all Americans. We would all be enlightened. Thank you so much for you program.
Carl Wilke
Aurora, IL (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)
Heightened Understanding (October 3, 2004)
Rarely have my wife and I heard a program where so much of the information was so new to us and so vital to know. You have provided an essential framework for heightened understanding of events relating to the Muslim world. Thank you.
Walter Sherwin
Bethesda, MD (WETA, 90.9 FM)
The State of Iraq (October 4, 2004)
I am not a particularly religious person, in fact, I usually switch to my classical music station during your program, but I was captured by your interview with Vincent Cornell discussing the crisis of Islam. The program held me captivated for an hour.
I have talked to civil affairs brigade officers who had spent duty time in Iraq and combined with their stories, Mr. Cornell's assessment of Islam leads me to believe that the situation there is nearly hopeless. Are there moderate voices like his in the Middle East or have they become targets of extremists. I would have liked to hear his views on partitioning Iraq into three autonomous religious regions for the Shi'ites, Kurdish Sunnis, and Arab Sunnis. I enjoyed your interviewing style and believe I will listen more often.
Robert Ores
Lowell, IN (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)
Muslim Religion and Violence (October 3, 2004)
Professor Vincent Cornell's discussion of Islam was very interesting and informative. Unfortunately, what he left unsaid was a major flaw in his presentation. He failed to draw any connection between the conditions that many Muslims find themselves living in and their response to these conditions. He did mention that the people in Iraq are living in a Hell. There is no security, massive unemployment, continual deaths of non-combatant Iraqis (including many women and children).
Does it require any rocket science to figure that Muslims living under these conditions may be attracted to those who advocate violent forms of insurgency against those who they perceive as the cause of their misery? Does it make sense to blame the Islamic religion for this? Hopefully in future programs you will have someone who will draw connections between violence in the name of religion and the social context within which this occurs. Failure to consider the social causes of violence may provide ammunition to those who wish to foment hatred against people of the Islamic faith.
Bernard Zwick
New York, NY (WNYC, 820 AM)
Religion (October 3, 2004)
What is the likelihood that an avowed agnostic or atheist could be a suicide bomber? (i.e., are not all suicide bombers avowed believers?) I ask the same questions with "suicide bomber" replaced by "terrorist." I would be very interested in a response. Thank you very much.
George Seifert
Ames, IA (WOI, 640 AM)
A Universal Struggle (October 4, 2004)
For several months I've been listening to this show and Krista Tippett's insightful questions and comments to and about her guests and topics. Each time I listen I learn something interesting and valuable. Many times the show changes my perspective. That's good. New knowledge and ways to find it are immensely important to me and I devour eagerly the new opportunities and sources of this information, wherever I can find it. Thank you!
Professor Vincent Cornell was an eye-opening guest for me. I'm surrounded by Christian fundamentalists and Evangelicals who are all convinced all Muslims everywhere just want to murder "non-believers." I can't argue with them. I can't tell them that I'm convinced that at the heart of Islam is peace and non-violence. They won't listen. They've made up their minds: all
Muslims want to kill us. Now, even though I can't convince them they are wrong, at least I've learned from your guest the truth and that helps me. Keep doing the great job you are doing!
Laura Olson
St. Peter, MN (KNGA, 91.5 FM)
Islam and Violence (October 4, 2004)
It seems to me that the question of why Islam breeds such violence is rooted in history. The bottom line is that Muhammad, Islam's founder, was essentially a warlord. If you look at the history of Muhammad, you will find that he led several very successful military campaigns that conquered various neighboring infidel peoples. By the time of his death he ruled over a sizeable Muslim empire that he led his armies in conquering. It seems obvious to me that this example set by the founder of Islam is a major reason why Islam breeds such violence today. You may have even addressed this point on your program, but I didn't have the opportunity to listen to the whole thing.
Fred Swartz
Cherry Hill, NJ (WNYC, 820 AM)
The Violent Past of Islam (October 3, 2004)
The first obvious question I have is: Why did you not interview someone with an opposing view of Islam? Perhaps someone who is not Muslim but has read the Koran and knows well the history of Islamic society and the history of Islamic interaction vis-a-vis Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and other religions which it has come into contact with over the course of its existence.
Are we supposed to believe that Islam is whatever Muslims make it, violent or
peaceful, as Mr. Cornell says? That's a cop out. Read the Koran! It is not only Wahhabism as Mr. Cornell would have us believe, it is Islam itself. Islam does not allow questioning of the Koran and does not allow an embrace of secular society. Look at the history of Islam. It spread by force across the Middle East. How can Mr. Cornell say that beheadings are not an Islam tradition? Muhammad himself cut off or ordered cut off the heads of hundreds of Jews in Medina. "Radical Superficiality?" You must be kidding? Violence is part and parcel of Islamic tradition. And yet you jump in and heap blame of Islamic violence on global capitalism!
The Christian world has indeed experienced violent periods. But the crucial difference ignored by Mr. Cornell is that Jesus' message was one of love and forgiveness, and nonviolence. Muhammad's message? Read the Koran and it becomes obvious that it is very much a different message. The exhortation to kill infidels is consistent once Muhammad is able to gain a following (i.e., after leaving Mecca for the first time).
Why are Muslims not reflective? Because it is simply not encouraged in Islam as it is in Christianity and other religions. Islam leaves no room for a good Muslim to think freely. Mr. Cornell has excuses for this, but it is the very nature of Islam that is responsible for the lack of reflection (and resulting poverty of ideas as well as actual poverty in Islamic countries).
Mr. Cornell acknowledges many of the problems of Islam but does not explore the crucial issue: What does it say in the Koran? Where did all these Muslims get these crazy ideas about martyrdom? Why did not you push Mr. Cornell on this issue?
Peter Cook
Washington D.C. (WETA, 90.9 FM)
Better Appreciation (October 3, 2004)
Fabulous program. I wish our leaders could understand the issues as Professor Cornell so clearly articulated them in your interview. You asked all the questions I would have asked. As a result I may begin to better appreciate some of the issues of violence and crisis in Islam and the world. This was a very good primer.
Gerie Guirlinger
Powell, OH (WOSU, 820 AM)
More Cornell Insights for General Media (October 3, 2004)
This submission is not so much presenting my thoughts on the contents of the discourse and discussion of this presentation as a suggestion for further action. The topic and substance of Vincent Cornell's insights are sorely needed by the general public; not just those few who read his scholarly articles or listened to this program. I suggest that Dr. Cornell prepare one or more articles for general dissemination in major newspapers, either as op-ed pieces, as background pieces related to ongoing news reports, or as special articles for Sunday news sections such as the Outlook section of The Washington Post. The sooner, the better! Congratulations for staging this hour.
E-an Zen
Reston, VA (WETA, 90.9 FM)
Public Radio At Its Best (October 3, 2004)
I have been aching to hear a program such as tonight's "Violence and Crisis in Islam." You could not have had a better spokesman for modern Islam than Vincent Cornell, nor could you have asked better questions. I turned to my wife and said "this is public radio at its best." Thank you, and I intend to become a regular listener.
Lincoln Stanley
Rockville, MD (WETA, 90.9 FM)
More Shows on Islam (October 3, 2004)
I enjoyed your show about Islam and violence. I feel that we Americans are uneducated on this topic. More shows on Islam would be welcomed.
Patrick Carron
Lake Village, IN (WBEZ, 91.5 FM)
Fundamentalism in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism (October 2, 2004)
After listening Saturday, Oct. 2nd, to "Violence and Crisis in Islam" on WNYC, it struck me that the fundamentalist Islam Mr. Cornell described on the program
has many similarities with fundamentalist, predispensationalist Christianity, and with fundamentalist Judaism. All three seem to be grounded in popular pseudo-theologies that are not supported by historical theology or by current scholarly thinking of mainstream theologians in any of the three faiths. Fundamentalists in all three religions consider violence to be a legitimate response to perceived aggravations.
I think it would be very informative if you could devote a program to comparing this fundamentalism that has come to the foreground in Christianity, Judaism,
and Islam. It is being played out in the Middle East now by Israel/Palestine, and the U.S. in Iraq.
Henry Norton
Madison, CT (WNYC, 820 AM)
Editor's Note: Speaking of Faith has produced a number of shows dedicated to exploring fundamentalism and violence in world religions:
>>"The Power of Fundamentalism" – Krista speaks with three former fundamentalists — Richard Mouw, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Khaled Abou El Fadl — involved with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim extremist movements.
>>"Christianity and Violence" – The Croatian-born, Yale theologian Miroslav Volf discusses his experiences of Christianity's violent potential and makes the counterintuitive proposal that the cure for religious zealotry in our world is not less religion, but more religion — or rather, stronger and more intelligent practices of faith.
>>"A Perspective on Islam in Iraq" – Iraqi-American professor and advisor, Ahmed al-Rahim, provides valuable insight into the unfolding new relationship between mosque and state in Iraq.
An Excellent Public Service (October 3, 2004)
Thank you for an intelligent and informed program on the crisis in Islam. It shed much light on an area that has been too obscure for most of us in the U.S. An excellent public service.
Al Speer
St. Louis, MO (KWMU, 90.7 FM)
Obsession and Reciprocity, or Lack Thereof (October 3, 2004)
In the program about Islam in crisis, Professor Cornell made the point that the Muslim position on Palestine has become something of an obsession. He later highlighted this point by a comment about Islamic leaders denying the "historicity" of Jewish connections to the Temple Mount as a site of the first (and second) Temples. That was fine. However, a few minutes earlier, Professor Cornell attempted to put the Islamic "obsession" in context by saying that it was comparable to the Jewish mindset about Palestine/Israel in the 19th century. I do not believe that this statement is supported by the historical record.
While it is true that Jews have had a 2000-year spiritual goal of a return to Jerusalem, that spiritual goal only shifted to a geopolitical goal in the very late 19th century. Even works like Drischat Zion (1861) by R. Zwi Hirsch Kalischer (my great great grandfather) did not immediately change that spiritual mindset. Jews began to speak, write, and act about settling in Palestine, but they did so peacefully and through legal process (buying land and settling on it). They may have been naive about the prospects for acceptance by and co-existence with the then-current residents as they began to live in Palestine, but their "obsession" is in no way comparable to the current irrationality gripping many in the Islamic world (an irrationality among the general population which may be understandable in view of the slanted perspective which they are fed by their political, spiritual, and media leaders).
This is not to say that the current Israeli government positions may not be some form of reciprocal "obsession," but I believe that Professor Cornell's historical reference was incorrect and does the overall discussion a disservice if not corrected.
As a broader statement, I would say that the need to provide a reciprocal position between the Palestinian/Muslim attitude and the Israeli/Jewish position is part of an unfortunate trend in current political and "scholarly" discourse. I believe that not everything has a meaningful counterpart on the other side of any given issue. An assessment about Palestinians or Israelis, or Democrats or Republicans, or Capitalists or Communists does not mean that the "other side" must have a comparable element to justify or validate the original comment.
Stephen Falk
Wayne, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
We Should All Know More Than We Do (October 2, 2004)
I was favorably impressed by this earnest broadcast about this critical topic, which I heard on WNYC AM this afternoon, in East Orange, NJ. I greatly appreciated these new insights which I obtained from the program. Krista equated the current paroxysms of violence in Islam with the horrendous abuses perpetrated in the past in the name of Christianity. I think she mentioned ?burnings at the stake,? and I also thought of the abuse of Native Americans by Jesuits and by conquistadors during the Inquisition. (The article in the current issue of ?National Geographic Magazine? about the native peoples of northern Colombia might be of interest.)
We all should know far more than we do about this vitally important topic of Muslim fanaticism. We should understand the historical context in which it occurs, and its various "drivers." (There surely are economic and ?psycho-social? influences, for example.) It seems the world?s been waiting for outspoken condemnation of terrorism by what?s assumed to be an overwhelming majority of Muslims of goodwill, and it seems no terrorist groups could possibly resist the ?tectonic? force of such opprobrium, but it also seems conditions in the Muslim world, at least in the states of the Middle East, don?t facilitate such open expressions of public opinion. That?s why Dr. Cornell?s emphasis about the increasing weight of the Far East in the Muslim world was also interesting and important. Public outcries against terrorism might be more
likely in those states than in the more repressed states of the Middle East, although I guess the differences among all the Muslim states might not be great, with respect to political conditions, ?free speech,? etc.
Overall, I valued this broadcast because it offered important historical and theological perspective, which I think encourage a more hopeful assessment of the awful terrorism of the moment. Krista, I see you as working assiduously and earnestly to offer us excellent, substantive presentations of real worth. Thanks for this contribution to our understanding of this most important of topics!
Jeff Hook
East Orange, NJ (WNYC, 820 AM)
Many Other Perpetrators Involved (October 2, 2004)
I sometimes listen to your programs on WNYC. Although I generally like the approach, I don't think your guests talking about Islam really understand the issues. Like today's guest, you seem to be inviting outsiders, either Americans who became Muslim or those who don't live outside the Islamic world. You should invite an imam from Iran to really understand their side, and understand the root cause of the Islamic violence of today.
Your guest totally ignores Turkey, which is an Islamic country with some decent democracy, well managed theological schools, and a secular legal system. Turkey itself has been fighting Islamic fundamentalism, and the public was on the side of the US public, right after September 11. Your guest today also ignores the fact that Christianity and Judaism has been at least as violent as Islam, in particular in the Middle East right now. Jews disproportionately kill Palestinians. Americans have been killing civilians in Iraq during bombings or indirectly by their house searches, invasions, and provocations. It is Christian Americans who don't take a tally of civilian deaths in Iraq, torture Muslims, and then talk as if only Islam condones civilian deaths in the course of a war. (American terminology is collateral damage!). I think you should make follow-up programs called "Violent Christianity" and "Violent Judaism" to face it head on. (Please see editor's note in the gray box above.)
I think religious conflicts are created by fanatics on all sides. There are Jews who claim all Palestinian land belongs to them, there are Christians which literally believe in resurrection therefore protect Israel and perpetrate the Iraq war, and of course there are fanatic Muslims. I am fortunately an atheist!
Robert Iverson
West Haven, CT (WNYC, 820 AM)
Applause! (September 30, 2004)
Many thanks for the program. It helps to balance some of the concerns I have had about Islam with evidence confirming the problem is not the core of the faith, but rather, as in other religions, the interpretations people are making that may distort the core theology to their purposes.
Mike Kirkwood
Minnetrista, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
A Balanced Conversation (September 29, 2004)
I just finished listening to your discussion with Vincent Cornell and wish to thank you for presenting a balanced view of Islam. It's refreshing to find some middle-ground between the hard-core Islamic apologetics and the often near histrionic arguments of the anti-Islamic groups. Thank you and keep up the Excellent work!
Garold Casler
Rochester, MN (KZSE, 90.7 FM)
Question About Religious Hypocrisy (September 29, 2004)
Thank you the wonderful discussion and insight offered on this topic today. I appreciated Mr. Cornell's comments and found his comments regarding fundamental Islamic faith enlightening. An underlying theme that wasn't addressed concerned the potential reasons for religious hypocrisy amongst certain "Islamic" based groups or societies. Are such hypocritical actions explainable? Is there a precedence in human history that can help us understand this situation today?
Charles Miller
Minneapolis, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
