printOver the weekend, Fox News ventured into the “Is Islam Peaceful? Sure it is” carefully crafted conversation (or shall I say consensus). They invited Dennis Ross and Steven Emerson to comment. The last was better than the first, but neither, as far as I know, is a scholar of Islam.
That’s when Robert Spencer ought to have been brought in, but wasn’t—seldom is. Spencer is the author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades), which is still a bestseller a year since its publication. His latest literary hole-in-one is The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World’s Most Intolerant Religion. It’s 63rd on Amazon. Both are courageous, path-breaking works.
As to why Fox has not consulted a genuine expert on Islam about its teachings, well, maybe their part-owner, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, has “counseled” against it.
Just an anecdote; when I was teaching English in Saudi Arabia we had a lesson on comparatives and superlatives. Just as an example, I asked, “Is Prince Waleed richer than the king?”
Dead silence (very unusual in these classes), broken only when one of the brighter students said, “Uh, dangerous question Teacher.”
For examples of what a hot button issue this topic is, see the comments section of my blog post “Observations on Arabs” http://rantsand.blogspot.com/2006/09/observations-on-arabs.html