Soccer Dad

The dissident? or putterer?

Prince Charles recently visited the Middle East. (via Instapundit) Commentary is Free hailed him as a "dissident" on account of a speech he gave him Saudi Arabia

The point here may not be immediately obvious but in terms of the Imam Muhammad university it was sensational and revolutionary stuff. In the heartland of religious conservatism, Prince Charles was aligning himself publicly with the dissidents who call for a fresh approach to scripture - to interpret it flexibly, in ways that are more applicable to modern life.

This, without doubt, is the nub of the problem within Islam today. Whether the issue is ill-treatment of women, the persecution of minorities, barbaric punishments or just general intolerance, it all stems from a belief that there are fixed rules, laid down centuries ago, which must never be questioned or adapted to changing circumstances.

On the other hand, The Weekly Standard reported on a speech he gave in Egypt and declared him a "putterer".

Last week, Charles started a new leg of his World Aggravation Tour, this time in Cairo, where he delivered his "Unity in Faith" speech at Al-Azhar University, while picking up an honorary doctorate. Now, it seems, the man who complained to 60 Minutes about the difficulty of staying relevant, the man who has brought joy to tens as patron of everything from the Border Stick Dressers Association to the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition to the National Hedgelaying Society, has met his highest calling: that of diversity trainer.

While Charles's speech lightly swatted his audience on the knuckles for religious extremism, he mainly stayed safe, couching everything in the Nerf-bat phraseology that middle managers in office parks the world over inflict on their charges in order to satisfy Human Resources requirements. He talked of the need for "unity through diversity," of what we can "learn from Islam that will help us reintegrate with nature," and "the danger that comes of our failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others." A little more sensitivity on the part of the West, and there apparently wouldn't have been those deaths in the cartoon riots, not to mention all that burnt Danish cheese.

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