Althouse: "God has honored us in the Islamic State to remove all of these idols and statues worshiped instead of Allah in the past days."

June 23, 2020

"God has honored us in the Islamic State to remove all of these idols and statues worshiped instead of Allah in the past days."

"Whenever we seize a piece of land, we will remove signs of idolatry and spread monotheism."

Statements from a video I blogged in 2015.

This was horrifyingly brutish to me at the time, but it feels lofty compared to what is happening in the United States in 2020.

55 comments:

Temujin said...: Agreed. It is the same philosophical base. There is no difference.; 6/23/20, 6:54 AM
Inga said...: There is nothing lofty about extremist islamists, promoting monotheism is far more destructive to a democratic society than angry young protestors toppling historic statues and defacing buildings. Those things can be fixed. Forcing a society to worship in one religion affects society far more negatively than American protestors protesting the wrongs of the past and the unwillingness to change the future. I think people need to step back and see where this anger is coming from and do what they can to solve the underlying cause of the anger.

Now is not the time to panic and wring one’s hands.; 6/23/20, 6:54 AM
rhhardin said...: You'd think it would be dehead, not behead. Behead would be putting one back.; 6/23/20, 6:56 AM
whitney said...: It's terrible but I got to admit I'm kind of enjoying it's happening now instead of later because I know a lot of people are alive that called Enoch Powell a racist, called Lawrence Auster a racist, called a bunch of people a racist for saying exactly this was going to happen and now those people that delighted in slinging the racist label have to realize that their entire philosophy of life was wrong. lemonade out of lemons right; 6/23/20, 7:01 AM
Howard said...: Althouse troll tacks back right comparing the BLM statuiciders to radical islamofascist sharia terrorists to the delight and glee of her Amazon Porthole shoppers. The greeneyed devil wednesday will be satiated with a rich heaping pile of confirmation bias. Yeah!; 6/23/20, 7:10 AM
n.n said...: They're after Christ in this country. Apparently, individual dignity, intrinsic value, and inordinate worth are an affront to the protestors and backers' sensibilities.

So Tell Me Again About 'BLM'

The sacking of General Grant's statute by "BLM". May I note that in addition to being a Union General during the Civil War Grant also, after the war, went into the South and under force of arms made damn sure all the former slaves were freed.

Not worshiped, but rather honored. The motive of the protestors remains the unknown.

Oh, and Aunt Jemima...

You want to remove Aunt Jemima from syrup bottles and rename the brand? Really? Do you have any idea who that woman is on the label? A literal former slave, she parleyed her love of tasty food into a fortune. A real fortune... She was given exactly none of her money or fame through anything other than her own hard work, effort and intelligence -- no "set-asides", "quotas" or "affirmative action."

Not worshiped, but rather a role model. The motive of some, select, Black Lives Matter (and their backers) remains an unknown.; 6/23/20, 7:10 AM
wendybar said...: Wow????!!! Lofty??? Are you serious??? No wonder why we are such a mess in this country. Sad.; 6/23/20, 7:11 AM
rehajm said...: but it feels lofty compared to what is happening in the United States in 2020

It's happening in leftie controlled enclaves in the United States, places where the elected officials and, most importantly, the prosecutors were funded and elected to look the other way, to go easy on felons. Old school Democrat elitists, the kind paying lip to that neat and tidy black President but secretly longing for a return Clinton Renaissance weekends on Hilton Head- those people didn't see it comin'. You enabled this and now you own it...; 6/23/20, 7:12 AM
wild chicken said...: Well they used to say we had a Civic religion here. Now the naive and nihilistic are defiling it all, and have nothing to put in its place.

I see nothing wrong with an ideology that helped hold a country together. It's like they read only one book and it was by Howard Zinn.

Never destroy because of one book.; 6/23/20, 7:13 AM
Kevin said...: The Dems also seem attracted to monotheism.

If you don’t worship their god, they’re on a crusade to remove you.; 6/23/20, 7:18 AM
wendybar said...: Sorry Ann, I read the last line wrong, and took it the opposite of what you wrote. I apologize for getting snippy....just angry at what they are doing to our country. All they are doing in fomenting more hate.; 6/23/20, 7:21 AM
JAORE said...: Cruel neutrality prevents me from saying that THESE are YOUR children.

Ooops,sorry, I said the quiet part out loud.; 6/23/20, 7:22 AM
Milo Minderbinder said...: This is civil war, pure and simple. Choose your side. And vote. Personally, I'm going to find a statute of George Patton or Ulysses Grant, tie myself to it and wait. This place is worth fighting for.; 6/23/20, 7:29 AM
rehajm said...: There's an element of knowing you're being duped...yet again. Didn't want to believe the Russian thing was a hoax or the Kavanaugh lady was a hoax or the impeachment thing was a hoax (what was that one for again?)...but this one, this one is definitely not a theater production. So siree, not this time. Spontaneous uprising of the people! Yup. That's what this one is alright. Nothing more than a coincidence it's an election year and the theatre targets urban blacks and appeals most to suburban whites. Just so happens to be the two groups currently in a long term political reversal, but just a coinkie dink, that is...; 6/23/20, 7:36 AM
Fernandinande said...: If the Islamic State likes its monotheism they can keep their monotheism.

The civilized world has moved on to stereotheism, if not 5.1 theism.; 6/23/20, 7:38 AM
Sebastian said...: "it feels lofty compared to what is happening in the United States in 2020"

Right. They had faith. Antifa & BLM got next to nothing. In practical terms, not a huge difference.

Glad to see you seeing what you are observing.

Now, draw conclusions.; 6/23/20, 7:46 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: We must replace all religion and spirituality with the religion of the leftwing liar.; 6/23/20, 7:53 AM
Michael K said...: Militant Islam is involved with BLM.; 6/23/20, 8:01 AM
Rory said...: I always thought it was a lost point that the Taliban would have blown up a Muhammad statue as eagerly as they did the Buddhas.; 6/23/20, 8:02 AM
jnseward said...: Of course God enjoined the Israelites to do the same when taking over a territory and killing all of its idolatrous inhabitants. Fortunately Jesus came and took God's message to the next level.; 6/23/20, 8:06 AM
narciso said...: Well the wahhabis did tear down the original shrines when they invaded mecca.; 6/23/20, 8:08 AM
Ann Althouse said...: We've lost the ground we stood on to criticize them. How do you think they look at us now?; 6/23/20, 8:24 AM
rehajm said...: How do you think they look at us now?

Their perception of us hasn't changed. They gained some video confirmation of us for their propaganda, but that's about it...; 6/23/20, 8:27 AM
narciso said...: No you just have different idols or iconograohy to prove conformity.; 6/23/20, 8:31 AM
Sebastian said...: "We've lost the ground we stood on to criticize them."

That ground meant nothing to them in the first place.

"How do you think they look at us now?"

Same as they always did, except they now see how Allah punishes the evildoers by tearing them apart.; 6/23/20, 8:39 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: We've lost the ground we stood on to criticize them. How do you think they look at us now?

This is a solid point, but we have bigger problems now.; 6/23/20, 8:49 AM
Howard said...: You've got to be kidding Althouse. We lost enormous swaths of ground with Muslims and the rest of the world when we invaded and murdered innocent poor people in mass in an attempt to eliminate a few random isolated fanatics while creating more fanatics and more murder and destruction in the Middle East. and your belief is they are more disappointed in our statuary hypocracy.; 6/23/20, 8:49 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Righteous anger can only be quelled after the corruptocratics regain their righteous throne of power. Leftwing supremacism must win the day, or else.; 6/23/20, 8:52 AM
Fritz said...: Ann Althouse said...

We've lost the ground we stood on to criticize them. How do you think they look at us now?

What you mean "we," white woman?; 6/23/20, 8:53 AM
robother said...: Imagine that the Christians entering the Dark Ages had had the foresight to destroy all classical statuary and burn all classical literature: no renaissance to contend with. End of History indeed.; 6/23/20, 8:54 AM
Jim Gust said...: "How do you think they look at us now?"

They still hate us.

They never paid the slightest attention to our criticism.; 6/23/20, 9:00 AM
Kirk Parker said...: "How do you think they look at us now"

Exactly the same as I looked at us before: infidels.

Sometimes the naivete really burns...; 6/23/20, 9:00 AM
Unknown said...: There was an orgy of statue removal between 1989 and 1992 mainly in Europe but widely reported here. This is what they remember. It's revenge. The Bolsheviks want their revenge. They don't forget.; 6/23/20, 9:09 AM
Dude1394 said...: It is difficult to understand how you can continue to support your political party. Not a single democrat condemnation of these actions. Obviously they condone it, I know Inga does.; 6/23/20, 9:31 AM
Dude1394 said...: "Blogger Ann Althouse said...

We've lost the ground we stood on to criticize them. How do you think they look at us now?

6/23/20, 8:24 AM"

Who is this "we" you speak of.; 6/23/20, 9:34 AM
Dude1394 said...: " Blogger rehajm said...

There's an element of knowing you're being duped...yet again. Didn't want to believe the Russian thing was a hoax or the Kavanaugh lady was a hoax or the impeachment thing was a hoax (what was that one for again?)...but this one, this one is definitely not a theater production. So siree, not this time. Spontaneous uprising of the people! Yup. That's what this one is alright. Nothing more than a coincidence it's an election year and the theatre targets urban blacks and appeals most to suburban whites. Just so happens to be the two groups currently in a long term political reversal, but just a coinkie dink, that is...

6/23/20, 7:36 AM"

Yes, why would BLM be preventing a Trump rally in Tulsa oklahoma if it wasn't all in alignment with the democrat/antifa/blm party.; 6/23/20, 9:35 AM
hombre said...: Inga: “There is nothing lofty about extremist islamists, promoting monotheism is far more destructive to a democratic society than angry young protestors toppling historic statues and defacing buildings.”

As always, Inga accepts criminal behavior by her ideological brothers and sisters. She also claims secular progressivism, aka Cultural Marxism, is not a form of religion. But look! “Religion 4 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.”

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a match!; 6/23/20, 9:58 AM
hombre said...: Howard @7:10 takes projection and denial to new heights.; 6/23/20, 10:00 AM
Dude1394 said...: "Hanson defined the upcoming presidential election as no longer being about “Donald Trump’s tweeting. It’s not about Joe Biden’s cognitive impairment. It has nothing to do anymore with a lockdown, the virus, the economy, foreign policy. It’s an existential question, a … choice between whether you want civilization and you believe that America doesn’t have to be perfect to be good … and we’re not going to destroy all that people died for … ”

“And that’s the choice we are looking at. And I’m going to vote for civilization.”"; 6/23/20, 10:10 AM
h said...: Listen to this stirring part of Mendelssohn's Elijah:

Take all the prophets of Baal and let not one of them escape us: bring all and slay them!

Click here for a nice version featuring Australian baritone Harold Williams, recorded in about 1930.; 6/23/20, 10:24 AM
PM said...: Every dog has its day.
They come home for the free food.; 6/23/20, 10:28 AM
bagoh20 said...: A friend of mine ask me today what Antifa was. I started to explain it, but soon realized I could not explain what their goals were. As soon as you try, you realize they are completely mindless, impossible, and really stupid. He knew as much as anybody from the news, but thought maybe he was missing something. We agreed that we both understood it pretty well, and it was just people in need of some kind of meaning in life. It was a new religion. Something to get fervent about, to join up with, and to feel special and righteous, and maybe superior. I think it comes from having nothing to be proud of in your own life. Nothing is asked of you, all basic needs are supplied, and it seems like all the big battles came before your time.

These people are the richest humans in history, every one of them has more than any king in history, more safety, security, health, technology, convenience, art, culture and choices. They live in a society that has more opportunity for more people than has ever existed in the world. The things they rail about: racism and fascism have never been less oppressive than today, except as imposed by themselves. Their real issue is things are too good, and what can you do about that if you don't feel you had anything to do with it? You destroy it. First thing is look for and exaggerate any shortcoming of the current system. You must be careful to ignore any context that might mitigate its badness. Those are the tools of the enemy: reason, logic, history and context. They are used to try and ruin your righteous indignation, and they could be used to pull away support from the people on the sidelines who just want to know which way the wind is blowing.; 6/23/20, 10:35 AM
bagoh20 said...: "We've lost the ground we stood on to criticize them. How do you think they look at us now?"

That's just laziness. The facts do not support that at all. Which is why now and next year most of them would love to live here and none of us want to live there. Pull yourself back to reality. Use your mind, not your emotions.; 6/23/20, 10:39 AM
Craig said...: Forcing a society to worship in one religion...

Inga fails to recognize that Diversity is the unofficial state religion of the modern USA. Try getting a job if you speak out against this belief system. Even remaining silent and failing to praise Diversity now makes you a suspected infidel.; 6/23/20, 10:53 AM
Birkel said...: Your left-leaning preferences do not allow you a cafeteria style plan.

This is what you get and were warned you were getting.
Do you dislike the results?

Never change.; 6/23/20, 10:58 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Ignas are trying to force their shithole veneration on everyone else. I’d side with Islam over that.; 6/23/20, 11:15 AM
Ken B said...: Interesting to see people misread this. Althouse does not see what ISIS did as lofty, she only sees the rabid way iconoclasm is running loose here as even worse.

I agree with Althouse.; 6/23/20, 11:16 AM
Kirk Parker said...: Oops, that's "they", not "I".

Sometimes the combination of voice dictate and the tiny little porthole that blogger allows you for editing on a phone-sized screen is very deadly.; 6/23/20, 11:23 AM
Narr said...: Child-fucking primitives are entitled to their opinions and beliefs; civilized people laugh at and ridicule them, of course.

Narr
Prof is very naive sometimes.; 6/23/20, 11:38 AM
Rory said...: "I started to explain it, but soon realized I could not explain what their goals were. As soon as you try, you realize they are completely mindless, impossible, and really stupid."

The ideology is rooted in Soviet disinformation starting almost a century ago. Adherents don't know where it comes from, because the origins were purposely obscured.; 6/23/20, 12:29 PM
Wikitorix said...: Inga said...

There is nothing lofty about extremist islamists, promoting monotheism is far more destructive to a democratic society than angry young protestors toppling historic statues and defacing buildings. Those things can be fixed. Forcing a society to worship in one religion affects society far more negatively than American protestors protesting the wrongs of the past and the unwillingness to change the future.

That's not what monotheism means. Monotheism means that a religion believes in only one god. Monotheistic religions tend to to be better for society than polytheistic ones. Polytheistic religions tend to be fatalistic - things happen because of the whims of some capricious god or other.

What you're describing is better called establishmentarianism.; 6/23/20, 1:11 PM
Bilwick said...: I thought Inga had disappeared for good, I thought she might have been elected to the presidency of Mensa while Howard had gone resumed on his meds. Good luck, they'll both be back for us better educated, more rational people to mock and correct.; 6/23/20, 1:54 PM
Drago said...: Wikitorix (to Inga The Hopeless): "That's not what monotheism means. Monotheism means that a religion believes in only one god."

The best part?

Inga has spent the better part of 4 years lecturing Christians on what "true Christianity" really is....and she doesn't even understand the difference between monotheism and religion.; 6/23/20, 3:09 PM
Inga said...: "Whenever we seize a piece of land, we will remove signs of idolatry and spread monotheism."

Surprising how many people here embrace the Islamist’s style of monotheism. Spreading monotheism in other religions other than Islam was not what the Islamists were referring to, I guess some dummies here missed that part. If you think their style of monotheism isn’t destructive to a democratic society, well, free free to go live among them in their Islamic country.; 6/23/20, 6:01 PM
Drago said...: Inga The Ignorant: "Surprising how many people here embrace the Islamist’s style of monotheism."

Just read that and marvel at the stupidity.; 6/23/20, 9:32 PM