Comments on: A Muslim’s Take on ‘Traitor’

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:06:57 +0000

I thought Traitor was the best movie of the year. Too bad it didn’t get more attention. Don Cheadle is a wonderful actor.

By: Randy Miller

Randy Miller — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:16:47 +0000

I don’t know if liberal muslims are a large enough group to make a difference in the war against muslim terror (a greater threat to them than infidels, ironically) or not, but I wish you the best either way.

If you want to have more conservative friends, make some noise in opposing groups like CAIR, who claim to represent you. I suspect and hope many many muslims are opposed to CAIR, but it’s hard to tell, probably largely because our media never met a victims group it didn’t love and grant instant moral authority to.

A shame that this movie copped out to multi-cultural cowardice in the end, though, it sounds like a good premise.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:59:14 +0000

Madelyn – if you can refute the argument, do so otherwise why bother? Personal insults are a poor cover for ignorance. Dennis, “not terribly well stated”? As if! Perfectly well stated. Muhammed “Was regarded as having had the most holy life”? How could he not since he was the creator of the religion, not just a practitioner. His understanding of the faith he invented therefore was not subject to misinterpretation or misunderstanding. Muhammed practiced true evangelism of his religion for about 10 years and gathered a dozen or so converts, then took up the sword with unprovoked attacks that were convert or die. Trying to hide his ownership of slaves behind “tradition” or suggesting that he was merely a man of his times does injustice to the hard truths of the man, the religion and the movement he unleashed on the world

By: opus

opus — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:56:42 +0000

There are people from all over the world from many different cultures who have converted to islam and from them there is silence.

There are muslims all over the world, in countless countries, under the influence of a myriad of different cultures, who’ve lived away from the middle east for generations, from them we get silence.

I don’t understand a pride that would make someone protest the portrayal of muslims as terrorists in movies or on tv, but not protest the muslims who are terrorists in real life.

The wide negative view many have of islam, especially in the U.S., wouldn’t exsist if moderate, peaceful muslims would visably,vocally stand up against the fanatics.

By: whiskey

whiskey — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:56:02 +0000

I don’t honestly think Muslims can be Americans, much less good Americans.

It’s simple: Islam demands Sharia, including polygamy, which is incompatible with EVERYTHING America stands for. You can no more be a FLDS member, a Klan member, a Nazi, or a Muslim and be an American. They are mutually exclusive and incompatible.

Like it or not, Osama IS a true Muslim, and accurately reflects the attitudes, mores, beliefs, and behaviors of Muslims. [An attitude shared by the way by former 1993 WTC bombing Prosecutor and NRO contributor Andrew McCarthy, who only came to that belief gradually as he prosecuted the Blind Sheik's people.]

Muslims believe in all sorts of things that Americans find incompatible with their core beliefs. I would urge all Muslims in the US to simply LEAVE for places like Saudi Arabia where they can live with Sharia and other Muslim institutions (such as polygamy, beheading, killing adulterers and apostates, gays, female genital mutilation, etc) to their spiritual satisfaction.

As an American I am frankly sick of the calls to implement Sharia in the US by Muslims, constantly, and find these things repulsive. A better solution would be for Muslims to simply return to Muslim lands, and stop trying to use terror/force/intimidation to impose a repulsive and alien belief on Americans.

The movie does not work because both Osama and Samir believe in the same thing: Sharia, and merely differ over trifles. Sharia is still Sharia no matter how much weeping is done.

By: Tom Paine

Tom Paine — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:23:32 +0000

Excellent review. I’ve seen Traitor, which was also excellent.

However…

THIS is a base calumny:

“…embodiment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney’s approach to the war on terror Hollywood-style…”

Neither Bush nor Cheney feel that way at all — except in the eyes of their detractors.

As one example, Bush could have set up a pro-American dictatorship in Iraq in 2003, and to hell with the Muslims who would have had to live under it. He was highly encouraged to do so by lots of “respectable” people.

Instead, he spent many American lives, 100s of Billions of American dollars, and most of his own political capital setting up an Iraqi democracy.

No good deed goes unpunished.

By: Rich

Rich — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:07 +0000

Why the censorship, guys???

By: Rich

Rich — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:54:17 +0000

So where’s the rest of you? You describe yourself as “As a devout and convinced Muslim, who hates Islamic extremism for the twisted and sick ideology it is”. Great…it’s the first I’ve heard of you and your brethren other than Hirsan Ali. Where are the blogs, protest marches, associations and political action committees where you can express your views? I don’t see them. Also, you label terrorists as extremist. I have heard that they have ‘hijacked’ the religion. From whom? Muhammed? What are they doing that he didn’t do. Isn’t your prophet, as the author and perfecter of your faith, also the ultimate expression of pure Islam? What are the terrorists doing that he didn’t? Do you even know how your religion started and was spread?

By: Tanya

Tanya — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:48:52 +0000

excellent review and commentary! however, I do disagree w/your statement that “In short, the devout Muslim fighting extremists ends up a broken man.” I didn’t see Samir as being broken or even as weak; I saw him as highly conflicted and following the strength of his conscience, moral compass, faith, whatever you may call it – I could tell instantly from his expression (Cheadle really is a top-drawer actor) when the announcement was made that 8 had been killed in the consulate bombing that Samir was NOT disappointed that “so few” had died, but heartsick that there had been ANY casualties (he had expected the 6 bodies based on their plan, but not the 2 innocent people who died). it had NEVER been his intention to kill, especially innocent people. when Samir refused Clayton’s “invitation” at the end to participate in other operations, I saw that refusal as a mark of remarkable moral strength and courage, to walk away from a cause he obviously believed passionately in, in order to salvage his own humanity, as he’d not yet become desensitized to killing and still held sacred all human life; Samir was simply not willing to enter into a position where he’d be repeatedly required to “sacrifice a few pawns to win the game,” choosing instead to focus on jihad in the context of self-purification. in the end, I admired the character of Samir, I admire the justice which Cheadle did to the role, and I admire you for such an articulate and well thought-out post…

kind rgds,
Tanya

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:25:39 +0000

Here’s another thumbs up for the comment from OPUS. The silence of moderate American Muslims is deafening. Or is the media just not reporting it?

Michael, your words are refreshing. Please tell us that you have a community of friends who are as willing as you are to be vocal.