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Question: Where is the Islamic Ghandi?

Gandhi_studio_1931.jpg

So the other day while watching the Richard Attenborough movie 'Ghandi' and I'm thinking to myself;

"Here we see a follower of the tenets of a non-Christian religion who wishes to free his people from Western Imperialism. Ghandis methods were to say the least, unconventional but more importantly they were successful. His methods worked, didn't require an army and what's even more interesting, his former enemies now adore him. If your goal is to succeed in removing and occupying force from your country, then this would seem to be the proven and most successful method to do it. And yet despite Mr. Ghandi providing a clear leadership template for successfully ridding your countrymen from 'foreign influence', it would seem that instead of this, the most "peaceful" of options, that nearly every other method possible has been tried by Islamic populations, and all have fallen into miserable failure. "

So, if Islam is a "religion of peace", then where in its long history is there an example of an Islamic "Ghandi"? So far, the history of Islam is littered with Generals, Commanders, Princes and Kings, but I can't find an example of an Islamic leader who doesnt seem to eventually want to 'go to the sword' himself or advocate its use for others, almost as an article of faith.

My second thought is that there is nothing we in the west would like to see more than the appearance on the world's stage of an "Islamic Ghandi" but nothing that many leaders in that faith would fear more, which I think illuminates a great deal of the situation at hand.

Posted @ May 14, 2007 07:22 AM | Current Affairs

Comments

Ghandi was the Indian Muslims' Ghandi. He was bankrolled by South African Muslims. He paid special attention to Muslim needs in Congress inner debates.

Cute, and very important point you make, but account for the subtleties, please.

Posted by: David M. McClory at May 14, 2007 11:15 AM

I'd go so far as to say that looking for an Islamic Ghandi is about as fruitful as looking for a conscience in a psychopath.

Posted by: negentropy at May 14, 2007 01:38 PM

Don't you see? They are all over the place(literally). They have just accelerated the process, eschewing starvation for the more expedient method of exploding.

Posted by: TBinSTL at May 18, 2007 01:18 AM