Should we fear Islam?

[Irreligious]

Is there some expectation that we all should be offended by or lack offense at exactly the same things? Why, when we don't all share the exact same perspectives?

We can't help but to offend somebody in this life. Sometimes, you don't even have to say anything for someone else to be offended merely by your existence.

[Kate]

[Ellanoor]

ILOVEJESUS wrote

I take your point on board. A lot of Evangelicals act the same way though. Look at the Catholic church as well. We have seperated church from state in the UK, but I think Islam is more of a controlling tool for the population as opposed to being adhered to by the ruling classes of Islamic countries. As it is make believe it can be twisted to serve whatever need the ruling class wishes. In that respect it is identical to any religion.

I'm not sure that Islam can be twisted to serve the needs of the ruling class? Religious figure heads are not so centralized that a new ruling goes out and the masses fall in line? I just had an image of an oily Mullah sitting in some dingy bazaar swatting at flies and drinking his tea denouncing the ruling classes as heretics and non-believers. The Iron Emir, something Rahman Khan, King of Afghanistan in the late 1800s, ruled that all Shia were heretics and deserved to forced conversion or death and enslavement, went on a rampage into Central Afghanistan, killed or gathered up whatever Shia's his armies came across for conversion or enslavement. The following rulers overturned this ruling, one tried modernizing the state in the early 1900s with reforms within the constitution, allowing women to get higher education, etc - some of the same reforms that the Soviets tried to bring about decades later - he, like the Soviets, found great opposition and deposed. or did I just prove your point?

[Smellyoldgit]

Is their a glimmer of hope after all?

A respected Islamic scholar will publish a seminal fatwa tomorrow that unequivocally condemns terrorism and warns suicide bombers that they will “go to hell” for their attacks.

Pakistani-born Shaikh Dr Tahir ul-Qadri is launching his fatwa in London as part of a drive to combat the power of jihadist rhetoric on the web and provide English-speaking Muslims with an authoritative theological explanation detailing why terrorism is not permitted.

I've never heard of this dood, but let's see what happens. My optimism remains at truss level.

[nkb]

Smellyoldgit wrote

Is their a glimmer of hope after all?

I've never heard of this dood, but let's see what happens. My optimism remains at truss level.

At what level does your spelling currently reside?

[Smellyoldgit]

Of course, you won't believe that I'm in training for my daily deliberate error for The Grammar Thread.

[Sternwallow]

One of my many murky minions mailed this message today.

As a snarky response to Muslim bloggers who "warned" Comedy Central about an episode of South Park showing the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bear suit, one Seattle cartoonist, who calls laughter her form of "prayer," is asking artists all over the world to create depictions of Mohammed on May 20, then submit the images to a Facebook page she set up.
Speaking on a Seattle radio show on Friday, cartoonist Molly Norris said she announced her idea as a way of countering the fear exhibited by Comedy Central in censoring episode 201 of South Park.
At the South Park Studios website, a message was posted that notes, "After we delivered the show, and prior to broadcast, Comedy Central placed numerous additional audio bleeps throughout the episode. We do not have network approval to stream our original version of the show."
The New York-based Revolution Muslim group's Web site was largely unavailable Wednesday but a CNN report said the statement was posted alongside a graphic photo of slain Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who was murdered by a Muslim extremist in Amsterdam in 2004.
"In the 14 years we've been doing South Park we have never done a show that we couldn't stand behind," outh Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote on their Web site. "We delivered our version of the show to Comedy Central and they made a determination to alter the episode. It wasn't some meta-joke on our part. Comedy Central added the bleeps. In fact, Kyle's customary final speech was about intimidation and fear. It didn't mention Muhammad at all but it got bleeped too. We'll be back next week with a whole new show about something completely different and we'll see what happens to it."

"We have to warn [South Park creators] Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo van Gogh for airing this show," the group said. "This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality that will likely happen to them."
A spokesman for the group denied the statement was an incitement to violence.
The New York Police Department has since stepped up security at Comedy Central headquarters.
"I wanna water down the targets," Norris said. "I haven't really organized it yet. I posted it on Facebook and I have gotten a couple drawings of Mohammed. I guess I gotta follow through and put them on a deck of cards or something."
"As a cartoonist, I felt so much passion about what's happened and I wanted to kind of counter Comedy Central's message that they sent about being afraid," Norris continued. "That's a cartoonist's job, is to be non-PC."
On her blog, Midnight Corndog, she further explains her motivations:

I really hope this sort of creative expression brings ALL people of our country together in dialogue. I am personally afraid of Muslims because the peaceful folks of that religion do not often come forward to differentiate themselves from any radical elements! I mean, if I do not hear from moderate Muslims then how am I supposed to KNOW that they, too, are not harboring ill intent toward non-Muslims?! Please if you are a non-radical Muslim tell people about yourselves. Write to newspapers. Have community round tables. When Americans don’t know what you really think or feel, we might stay mired in stereotypes. Offer us knowledge!

The post URL ends with, "please-send-drawings-of-any-religious-figure-by-may-20," though her other mentions of the idea solely focus on the Prophet Mohammed.
In a July, 2009 special to The Seattle Times, writer Rachel Shimp described Norris's work as carrying "[a] distinctly 'Seattle' identity-complex," that "imagines what's really going on behind the computer screens in coffee shops, or in the crowds at art galleries."
"Norris seems fascinated, as any restaurant server or cabdriver might, by the subtexts beneath cordiality," she wrote. "Consumerism is another favorite topic."
"I make people laugh and I think laughter is prayer," she told the Seattle city council's news service. Norris's regular strip, “Everyone is a Critic,” is published by City Arts magazine.
Her cartoon announcing "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" is below. More of Norris's work can be viewed on her Web sites, here and here.

I sent her an autographed portrait of Allah (MNQB) for her collection.

[psychodiva]

joined the facebook event lol- sent it out to all my cartoon and artist friends- Whisper is an artists - as you know- so no doubt it will go out to some in the comic world too

Yes, fear Islam, major parts of that religion is false and is not representative of the truth and based on a lie to subdue man in his natural propensity and destiny. They are under bondage of ritual that all emanated out of false hood that drove Dilmun/False Atlantis and Sumeria, all built upon a lie and distortion of the truth and is universal and also reflects in the system which is built upon the early foundation of Dilmun post rebellion from Dalamatia City, the beginnings is where the end of ignorance comes from.

The rebellion was all about the denial of God creator of all essentially! and that happens today en masse as most are taught these things but cannot demonstrate.

Where the truth will be demonstrated before all mankind.

It is wayward leaning towards death and destruction ain falsehood and Iran is the nation to watch out for. As that obtains Nuclear Bombs, the other Islamic terrorists will get more bold and will attack or provoke destruction.

Its happening already.

They are going to hold the world to ransom all because they are desperate to fulfil prophecy in the absolute wrong way and will met there destruction in that ill motive of provoking war, death and destruction.

The only saviour from Islam is the Kingdom of Heaven under the Sovereignty of Jesus and I tell you the end will come upon all very suddenly, it just will.

When the cup is full, it will come and there will be few in the last stand of the truth that can be demonstrated.

Sevens

[Mog]

Eh, who let sevens out of his cage? When are you going to go off in your little submarine to prove Atlantis exists?

Islam is racked with more evil than you realise and its under the domination of the Last Rebel and you can see the witness of this religion in its own self bondage in its austere drabness and mind dulling rituals. No colour no life, all imposition of the spirit, full of judgment and who will be judged and destroyed if it does not review and that will be the destiny of Islam who has a poor standing in the Kingdom of Heaven and does not demonstrate itself as worthy relgion for the future of mankind in his true path in the truth.

Sevens

MOG you really know Fuck all about anything mate you just dumb cunt. OK

Wake up dickhead.

Sevens

[Sternwallow]

sevens wrote

Yes, fear Islam, major parts of that religion is false and is not representative of the truth and based on a lie to subdue man in his natural propensity and destiny. They are under bondage of ritual that all emanated out of false hood that drove Dilmun/False Atlantis and Sumeria, all built upon a lie and distortion of the truth and is universal and also reflects in the system which is built upon the early foundation of Dilmun post rebellion from Dalamatia City, the beginnings is where the end of ignorance comes from.

He almost got it right about major parts of Islam being false. His mistake there is that Islam is almost entirely false in the many ways that ancient, backward, ignorant and savage people generally are.

He then destroys his own argument about Islam by stating that Christianity is the true way. In fact, Christianity is just as wrong (to within a percent or two) as Islam and it is no wonder; they both plagiarized the same cultures that preceded them (except that about two thirds of Islam was plagiarized from Christianity).

Burdens upon you, Sevens.

[psychodiva]

Have we ever seen Svenseeesessss in the same room with Cal? think about it

[Kate]