I did a quick internet survey by country of the global state
of some basic western values. This was not a scientific study, so I don’t claim
precision in the results. But anybody can replicate my Google search for “the
ten worst countries for freedom of speech,” for example, and find multiple
lists from a wide range of sources that all show very similar outcomes. I arbitrarily
chose 8 categories: basic human rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech,
freedom of the press, civil rights for women, political corruption, illiteracy,
and infant mortality. That’s 8 categories with 10 results for each. 33 nations
provided the 80 possible results, with 19 countries appearing on more than one
listing. In fact, 6 countries were listed 4 or more times for a total of 30. These
included: Somalia (6), Syria (6), Afghanistan (5), Sudan (5), Iran (4), and
North Korea (4).
Out of the 33 nations, 19 (58%) have a Muslim majority. In
nearly every one of these cases that majority accounts for over 90% of the population.
4 of the countries have Muslim populations of 25-50%. 3 of the countries are
totalitarian communist states. And of the six countries that showed up the most
often, all but one are Muslim states in which the practice of Islam is almost
universal. The sole exception was North Korea. And these five Muslim countries
are all well-documented centers of activity by radical jihadist terror groups.
OF THE TEN WORST COUNTRIES FOR…
Ø
Basic human rights, 8 have a Muslim majority.
Ø
Freedom of religion, 8 have a Muslim majority, a
9th (Eritrea) is 50% Muslim.
Ø
Freedom of speech, 5 have a Muslim majority.
Ø
Freedom of the press, 5 have a Muslim majority, plus
Eritrea.
Ø
Civil rights for women, 9 have a Muslim
majority.
Ø
Corruption, 8 have a Muslim majority.
Ø
Illiteracy, 7 have a Muslim majority.
Ø
Infant mortality, 8 have a Muslim majority.
I could have used other categories with comparable results.
For example, there are only 7 nations on earth where a conviction for
homosexual acts can bring a death penalty. All are Muslim states. Likewise the
nations where anti-Semitism is widespread are almost all Muslim states.
So I ask myself why many North Americans and Western
Europeans on the political Left are so quick to accommodate or defend or
apologize for Muslims in the face of repeat attacks on our society by Islamist
radicals? The values I researched are hallmark values of liberal western
democracies. They are widely regarded as the fundamental rights of all people
everywhere. They are all values long cherished in post-Enlightenment societies.
I am most amazed when I hear apologists for jihadists among the Hollywood
establishment. Don’t these people realize that if Sharia law were in place in
California they would all be condemned as whores, adulterers, and blasphemers
and quickly put to death? Have they learned nothing at all from the beheading
of Western journalists? Where is their sense of self-preservation? The
jihadists hate us. And a big reason
is the perception of our society that they have gotten from our movies and TV
shows! A staggering percentage of Muslims in these most repressive countries really
do believe that Hollywood accurately portrays the values and lifestyles of
average everyday Americans. We only talk
about culture wars among ourselves, relying on such weapons as pontificating
politicians and talk radio hosts. The jihadists are waging a real culture war—with real bullets.
Certainly it is true that only a small minority in the
Muslim community actively supports the jihadists and an even smaller minority
is personally engaged in violence. But it is also true that when it comes to
the basic values cherished by Western democracies, no Muslim society measures
up to our standards. There has never been a democracy in the majority Muslim
world. Not one. Not in Africa, not in the Middle East, not in Asia. Not in
poor countries like Yemen. Not in rich countries like the United Arab Emirates.
What’s more, those Muslim countries where the values listed above are most in
evidence are the ones that have become the most secularized. Here is the stark
contrast between Muslim and Christian societies. In places where Christians
become serious about following the teachings of Jesus we see these liberal
social values increase. Precisely the opposite occurs when Muslims become
zealous about following the teachings of Mohammed.
Islam is simply not a religion that supports some of the
most fundamental values cherished by western democracies. Nowhere is that more
evident than the typical Muslim attitude toward our First Amendment rights. It
is not possible to live your life faithfully guided by the teachings of the
Quran and at the same time embrace freedom of religion and freedom of speech. For
Muslims are compelled by the Quran to defend the honor of their founder, if
necessary by the sword. Christians are under no such command. We believe Jesus
Christ is more than able to defend his own honor. He called us to carry not a
sword but a cross. We are his witnesses, not his Pretorian Guard. Charlie Hebdo didn’t just lampoon Islam.
They have published stuff similarly blasphemous in the eyes of Jews and
Christians. But it was only Muslims that responded with lethal violence. We
have equally satirical publications in the U.S. The Onion can be hysterically funny. But some of what they write is
deeply offensive to any Christian… but we don’t firebomb their offices. The difference is vividly symbolized in two flags.
The Christian flag...
And the flag of a terrorist group, the Caucasian Mujahideen, one of many Muslim flags prominently featuring a sword...