Posted by
Katie Favazza on Monday, August 20, 2007 5:36:38 PM
Robert Spencer's latest ("Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't") was released one week ago today. On Friday, I had the pleasure of listening in on a conference call with the author and a few other bloggers. Spencer said that he's been trying to raise awareness for years now, and that his newest in-depth discussion examines whether or not Christianity and Islam are equivalent and whether there is a capacity for violence in all religions, among many other topics.
Rob Bluey, also on the call, asked Spencer what the reaction has been so far and what keeps him motivated in the face of such dangerous criticism. Spencer responded, "If certain facts were widely acknowledged, I could cut off doing this." He said the overall response has been "disappointing, but not surprising." Many blog critics have accused him of commenting on "cherry-picked verses" to make his point instead of focusing on entire passages, but this is a clear indication that they haven't read his book, according to Spencer, because he addresses this very concern within his text.
Fausta Wertz mentioned the madrassa in New York on the call, and Spencer said: "Why should an American school funded by taxpayer dollars immerse children in any other culture?" He went on to explain that Judeo-Christian influences permeate the entire history of Western civilization, and that you have to recognize that, even if you're neither Jewish nor Christian. He called the NY madrassa "multi-culturalism gone awry," brought on by the Muslim "anti-Western imperative."
Of a bishop's suggestion that the Dutch refer to God as "Allah," Spencer commented, "This is the manifestation of the cultural suicide of the West."
Ragnar Danneskjold asked if Spencer was looking ahead to 2008 yet, and the author replied that Romney, Giuliani, and Tancredo had demonstrated some genuine awareness of the jihad problem, but he is still undecided as to who he will support.
Spencer will be speaking in Vegas next week and in LA next month. I plan to read his book, so stay tuned for my review. Read what Michelle Malkin, Elizabeth Kantor, Deroy Murdock and Doug Giles have all said in the meantime. (Thanks for those links, Rob.)