That is because these principles are backed up by an army. Let us look at the
whole history of the united states and then see if these principles have
always been held. The united states is NOT and let me say again NOT unique in
the aspect of letting others do whatever it is they feel is right to do.
Maybe as a nation we are so united because it is one made up mostly of
foreigners where a new identity was formed that allowed for these principles,
being called American tradition, and disallowed for the continuance of those
foreing principles. Dividing a land up among 50 different native ethnic
groups that have been there for time immemorial with totally different
traditions and then trying to unite them may not be so easy. Like I mentioned
earlier, look at the WHOLE history of the U.S. Has the freedom always been
the case? I'm Afro-American and I know it hasn't. Ask some native Americans
who have felt the lack of freedom their ancestors have been put through by
the U.S. governement. We do not know the whole of the history of mankind so
we CANNOT say that this is a novel thing. The Qur'an also promotes this,
though Islamic hadeeth later abrogate it. Because the Qur'an promotes this I
am sure during the time when Muhammad, God bless him, was alive and
preached the Qur'an, there was a community that practice these same
principles. You are too nationalistic. I'm not anti-U.S., the U.S. has not
always and in some cases still doesn't stand for the freedoms that it is
supposed to uphold. The Qur'an promotes these and they are logical and fair
and that is why I uphold them. If other nations, even those who may claim to
follow the Quran, don't uphold these it is becuase they don't believe in this
and for those Islamic nations, because they don't truly uphold the Qura'n. I
don't really care for your example. For many if it weren't that the gov.
punishes for murder and obviously oppression of religion in the U.S. these
groups would still be warring. Yet there have been times when all have lived
under the same gov. and lived in good peace. Do not deny this. I support
those excellent, just, logical, intelligent and prudent things and I denounce
those that contradict all of this, whether the U.S. embraces it or whether S.
Africa embraces. I stand for the principles, not the tradition or the so
called 'unity'. There some things that I do agree with and some things that
I don't. I much more would admire the people who came up with these
rules(though many were hypocrites) for their intelligence in coming up with
them. These were learned people and even knew about the Qur'an and other
scriptures for that matter not followers of blind nationlistic propagand and
doctrine. I don't so much disagree with what your saying but more the tone
with which you say it. The united states has certainly not always lived up to
it's principles and it in ways does not today. I look and see and then judge.
I'm not as biased as you may believe. Whether you believe it or not the
Qur'an also promotes individual freedom. It says 'There shall be no forcing,
concering order and ways of life. Right guidance will stand out clearly from
misguidance'. NOt everything "modern" is new. Much is pulled from what is old.
Godbless,
Anwar
Liza May wrote:
>
> Hi Anwar,
>
> > Moreover, this aspect is not UNIQUE in ALL
> > history.
>
> I'm thinking maybe part of the reason that there appears to be so much
> American bashing and blaming among the various left-wing groups, is
> that, like I see here in your post Anwar and the ones from Carol and
> Margali, there is a lack of understanding of America's uniqueness.
>
> I think this is an important problem, actually.
>
> The veneration of individual freedom, and the tolerance that must be
> there in order for individual freedom to exist, is wholly American. I
> see that people don't quite realize this. These are the principles upon
> which this country was founded, and, like I said in my last post, really
> constitue the American "religion." I think this is easier for
> non-Americans to see this than Americans. I think it is hard for us to
> see ourselves clearly. But if anything defines us, it is these
> principles.
>
> When you fully recognize the uniqueness of this very new, very
> outrageous project called the United States, you get a little nervous
> when you think that the world could lose this brash "work in progress."
> Individual freedom is a big, big deal. The United States is the best
> organized attempt so far at actually insuring personal liberty, in the
> whole history of the human race until this point.
>
> Last Sunday, at Yankee Stadium, Muslims and Jews sat next to each other.
> A Hindu, a Sikh, a Buddhist, a rabbi, an African American woman minister
> and a Greek Orthodox Catholic priest stood side-by-side in a crowded
> ballpark, holding hands, with "Adidas" and "Bud-Lite" signs flashing
> overhead! In other places in the world they are killing each other's
> children.
>
> This IS a unique country!
>
> Love Liza
>
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