When Morality Overrides Reality

Many say that ISIS is not Islamic. Dalia Mogahed, for example, tries to “prove” that by suggesting a thought experiment:
“If Islam did not exist … would a group like ISIS, with all the other realities as they are, exist today and do the same things?”
She feels the answer to that hypothetical question is a “resounding yes”. In essence, she says:
“We start at the violence we want to conduct, and we convince ourselves that this is the correct way to interpret the texts.”
I am sure there are many out there who would agree with Mogahed’s reasoning.

Next, consider why ISIS seems to have very few Indians. The reason cited in a report created by MI6, CIA and a few Arab countries is that ISIS considers Indians (and those from neighbouring countries) “inferior to Arab fighters” and less motivated; pays them less and uses them mostly as cannon fodder who are “forced to fight in the frontline”.

Most people who agree with Mogahed’s line of thought are unlikely to believe the reason cited in the previous paragraph. Even though the first is pure conjecture and the second is far more fact based.

Sadly, we live in a world where the notion of morality has been hijacked by the people who prefer conjecture over facts, whose version of how the world should be trumps how the world really is. And so they will praise Germany for taking in refugees and curse the US for closing its doors. Even though the former is irrational to the point of being suicidal and the latter is so much more pragmatic.

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