Francois-Marie Arouet (1694-1778) – "Voltaire" – was one of the greatest French writers and philosophers of the 18th century. Still respected today as "a courageous crusader against tyranny, bigotry and cruelty," he vigorously promoted the ideal of progressivism. As such, he found himself at odds with an ideology totally anathema to everything in which he believed: Islam.
Voltaire did not hesitate to mince words describing his disdain for the religion. Ironically, however, what Voltaire freely wrote more than two centuries ago while France was under monarchial rule, if said now, could well result in criminal charges, despite living in democratically ruled France.
Voltaire wrote about Islam: "The Quran teaches fear, hatred, contempt for others, murder as a legitimate means for the dissemination and preservation of this satanic doctrine; it talks ill of women, classifies people into classes, calls for blood and ever more blood. Yet, that a camel trader sparks uproar in his tribe, that he wants to make his fellow citizens believe that he talked to the archangel Gabriel; that he boasted about being taken up into heaven and receiving a part of that indigestible book there, which can shake common sense on every page, that to gain respect for this work, he covers his country with fire and iron, that he strangles fathers, drags away daughters, that he leaves the beaten a free choice between death and his faith: now this is certainly something that no one can excuse, unless he came as a Turk into the world, unless superstition has stifled any natural light of reason in him."
Voltaire's lifespan touched all three eras of the Enlightenment – collectively known as "the long 18th century." It was the "Age of Reason" in which European thinkers "questioned traditional authority and embraced the notion that humanity could be improved through rational change." It was an era leading to revolutions, including our own.
The 18th long century eventually gave way to 19th century "Romanticism," followed by "Modernism," which lasted just past the mid-20th century. While the latter half of that century is known as the "Post-Modern" era, the 21st century remains to be characterized. However, with the West's returning to a time of freedoms lost, largely the result of its own doing, a fitting moniker is "Dark Ages II" – fitting because the initial "Dark Ages" – also known as the "Migration Period" (476-800) –was a time when barbarian peoples moved into what had been the Western Roman Empire.
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An international conference was held in Marrakech, Morocco, Dec. 10 and 11 to sign an agreement known as the "U.N. Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration." While sounding innocent enough, its impact is anything but. As one critic points out, while "the pact is said to be non-binding, it is meant to establish the groundwork for an Orwellian campaign to cement mass migration as a human right legally above any and all criticism."
The pact effectively extends the definition of hate speech to criminalize anything written or said contrary to the good order of mass migration. Even media outlets "that give room to criticism of migration can be shut down" – with truth no defense.
In November, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights gave a speech entitled: "Words Matter: Role and Responsibility of the media in shaping public perceptions about migrants and refugees and promoting inclusive societies." He called "hate crimes against migrants" an "especially unpleasant manifestation of what I see as an almost global backlash against human rights," explaining that his office will help states "to distinguish free speech from hate speech." It is clear from his warning, however, insufficiently pro-migration media reporting will not be tolerated even when erring on the side of truth.
This pact promotes the universal and unchallenged human right of migration, even if what caused migrants to flee their country was of their own ideological doing and likely to foster a similar environment within the host state, which then has no freedom of speech to criticize the ideology's inherent dangers. Effectively, this outrageous U.N. pact seeks to deny anyone a right to shout out a warning to the driver of a car preparing to cross railroad tracks about a fast approaching train.
Anyone doubting the above could become reality should know it already is. In Sweden and the U.K., crimes committed by Muslims are not being identified as such so as not to taint domestic support for migrants.
Sweden has become the rape capital of the West – unbelievably while it boasts having its first feminist government. But since Muslim perpetrators are not identified as such, one would think it is just a matter of male Swedes being male Swedes.
Meanwhile, in the U.K., counter-Islamism activist Tommy Robinson was arrested, tried, convicted (without a lawyer) and sentenced to 13 months in prison – all in less than an hour – earlier this year for simply reporting on a rape-grooming trial involving Muslim defendants.
Unsurprisingly, the Obama administration supported the migration compact; the Trump administration did not.
Islam's successful undermining of the West turns on political correctness silencing truthful debate about it. The West will learn all too late that Islam is the guest invited into its home, given the freedom of exercise, only to discover the host is the target of Islam's ritualistic sacrifice.
What made the "Age of Reason" productive was a thirst for knowledge and independent thought in applying it. Another long 18th century philosopher, Germany's Immanuel Kant, put it best, writing, "Dare to Know! Have courage to use your own reason!"
Both Voltaire and Kant would be appalled that 21st century democracies have, by their own actions, slipped back into the Dark Ages, banning knowledge and free thought.
There is an 18th-century quote, most often attributed to Voltaire, that could pass muster today were he a 21st-century philosopher seeking to warn us about a religion political correctness sensitivities disallow identifying by name: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize."
The answer, of course, is the only world religion posing a danger to all others: Islam.