MuslimByChoice posted a video on YouTube three years ago titled, “Dr. James White called Robert Morey “STUPID”, “DUMB” AND “FOOLISH” on his Radio Show!!” Here is the video:
Now, of course, what I did was call a particular statement stupid, dumb and foolish—and yes, Bob Morey made the statement. In fact, as you listen to the clip (all the video comprises is a 24 minute segment of the DL from sometime, evidently, in early 2012) you will hear me find out that in fact the statement I was talking about was, in fact, from Bob Morey. Until that point, I was not certain that it was, but folks in our chat channel tracked down the original. Anyway, I will not repeat the story here, as that is what the video is about, and it explains things better than I can. But I will summarize:
1) I consider it foolish, and yes, dumb, to say that nuking the kaaba would do anything other than unify Islam in a way that nothing else ever could. It would not destroy Islam, or even materially impact Islam. As it is, the fifth pillar cannot be fulfilled today anyway (there are more Muslims in the world than could ever make Hajj even if they wanted to). So the idea that nuking the kaaba would have anything at all to do with the continuation of Islam is just dizzyingly silly.
2) I likewise addressed the behavior of Robert Morey in his debates with Shabir Ally and Jamal Badawi. I explained that the reason I have never read Dr. Morey’s works on Islam is due to the fact that I was so taken aback by his treatment of Shabir Ally in their debate which I first listened to in 2005. I just didn’t think I would find what he had to say relevant in light of what I heard in that debate. I believe to this day that Dr. Morey owes both Shabir Ally and Jamal Badawi an apology for his behavior in those encounters.
I stand by these positions, and see absolutely no reason whatsoever to apologize for taking the stance that I have.
Now, Dr. Morey claims, in comments sent to me from his FaceBook page, that “I contacted his ministry three times trying to get his side. He never responded.” I have asked Rich to do a thorough study of all received correspondence from our website. The last we had from Dr. Morey was from 2003, as I recall. We have no documentation of any attempt at contact from him on this issue. At all.
Dr. Morey claims to have provided someone with “hard cold evidence that James White misrepresents what people say, attacks the straw man he created, and then uses cheap attacks like “stupid” “dumb”. I thought he was a better man than that. Pray for him.”
In all that came after, Robert Morey provided not a single shred of evidence of any misrepresentation whatsoever. In fact, as you can hear in the clip, I read his words directly, from his own website, and provided the URL. I said that statement about nuking the kaaba having any material influence on Islam was stupid and dumb. That is true. I stand by the statement. That is not an attack, that is a fact, and it is descriptive of the statement, not the man. If Dr. Morey wishes to defend his statement, let him provide his reasons. I find the statement indefensible.
Dr. Morey then claimed that I represented him as saying Christians should bomb the kaaba. Since I read the quote, multiple times, from his own writings, I am at a loss here. Who would do the bombing is irrelevant, whether Christians, atheists, secular governments, or anything else. It is the stupidity of the entire idea that is so shocking. Morey went on to say, “But my book is clear that I am talking about Western Governments using the threat to destroy the Kabah to make terrorists stop more attacks like 9/11. Generals at the Pentagon and congressmen agreed. But he reverts to calling me “stupid”. “Dumb”, etc. This was sinful.”
Please note that Dr. Morey insists on changing the focus of my statement from the idea of nuking the Kaaba to calling him stupid. But beyond this, the idea of any Western government threatening to drop a nuclear weapon on Mecca as a means of stopping terrorists is STILL STUPID. But even more—Dr. Morey is now misleading his correspondent. Check out his direct words from his own website from only a few months ago (11/5/14):
OK, again—this is ABSURD. That kind of brutal aggression would not only kill tens of thousands of innocent civilians, it would NOT cause Islam to collapse. This kind of thinking is so simplistic, so ridiculous, it is not only dangerous, it says much about the depth and accuracy of the knowledge of Islam possessed by the one making it. Morey went on to say that he had allowed his “staff” to view the video (he seemed confused as to who provided the video in the first place). He writes, “White did attack my views.” If his view is expressed above about turning the Kaaba into a hole in the ground, you better believe it. If you mean treating your opponents in a debate as he did Shabir Ally and Jamal Badawi…you got it! He continues, “He confuses EL with IL.” I suppose this is some odd statement about what I said about El, Elyon, Elohim, etc. “He misrepresented my position.” About what? The kaaba? Just documented that. About what else? He doesn’t say. “He attacked my debates, the translation of the Hadith I used, etc.” I said his behavior toward his opponents was reprehensible (it was), and I discussed his error regarding “thigh” vs. “thing.” Sadly, the conversation then degraded even further. When Morey’s correspondent would not buy into his misrepresentations and dodges, he started getting abusive: “It is time for you to man up. Have you read my two books on Islam? I received a PhD on Winning The War against Radical Islam. Before you run, have you read my two books on Islam.” Then, “He fled when I documented what said (sic). I have prayed that he becomes a lover of truth instead of a lover of White.” Such comments speak for themselves. I stand by what I have said, and strongly urge Dr. Robert Morey to publicly rescind his “nuke the Kaaba” statements, and apologize for his behavior to Shabir Ally and Jamal Badawi. |