Gimli Speaks on Islam

A very interesting viewpoint from John Rhys-Davies who plays Gimli in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Salla in the Indiana Jones trilogy. His interview reveals that Rhys-Davies is very much pro-Western civilization. His take on Tolkien's perspectives as expressed in the books:

I think that Tolkien says that some generations will be challenged. And if they do not rise to meet that challenge, they will lose their civilization. That does have a real resonance with me.

In 1955, his father said to him:

"Look, boy. There is not going to be a World War between Russia and the United [States]. The next World War will be between Islam and the West."

This is 1955! I said to him, "Dad, you're nuts! The Crusades have been over for hundreds of years!"

And he said, "Well, I know, but militant Islam is on the rise again. And you will see it in your lifetime."

And, finally, he delivers this:

But if Tolkien's got a message, it's that "Sometimes you've got to stand up and fight for what you believe in." He knew what he was fighting for in WW1.

Interesting reading on one man's perspective on the current times that we live in. If I read him rightly, it is that there is a clash of cultures occurring right now and the battleground of this clash of cultures runs hot in the Middle East. More quietly, the field of conflict is in Europe where the Muslim demographic is rising against a declining European birthrate. What is held in balance of such a conflict? The replacement of Western culture with a different one, with different values.

(hat tip to Sullivan for pointing the article out)

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds has some feedback on the article.