“It treats issues differently from one instance to another. This huge inconsistency can make Muslims confused. Based on this confusion, many Muslims have for centuries excluded non-Muslims from their orbit. In addition, the traditional script of the Qur’an exhorts repulsion of ‘others’ much more than acceptance. Many Muslims are unwilling to realise that the Qur’an was written and compiled by the pioneers of Islam through different political stages. Instead, many take the book as the final verdict of God. These Qur’anic teachings have been enforced by Sharia even more strictly than the Qur’an itself over the centuries. Now, for many, the whole essence of Islam is repulsion of others.”
“Today the spokespersons of Islam are ignoring fundamental realities in a fake attempt to show global harmony. They are trying to show Islam as a religion of peace. They blame the foreign policies of Britain and the USA for every misery in the Muslim world. Left-leaning groups across the world are allying themselves with Muslim fundamentalists because of a common hatred of the USA. So many leftwing academics are facilitating the denial and conspiracy theories of Muslims. Interestingly, we, as Muslims, have been accusing others of denying the ultimate ‘truth’ of Islam, hence calling them infidels. Actually, many of us are now in denial as to the religious roots of terrorism. According to our own definition of infidel, we can be viewed as being infidels. Without acknowledging the sin of denial, we can’t rectify our misdeeds. That’s the reason I have proposed the New Islam project, to encourage that realisation.”
An Interview with Tahir Aslam Gora..
Related: “The Term ‘Moderate Islam’ Is Ugly And Offensive; There Is No Moderate Islam”
Closer to home, an update on the Toronto letter bomber: “Bunch of guys named Mohammed say guy whose middle name is Mohammed seemed unstable.”
“In addition, the traditional script of the Qur’an exhorts repulsion of ‘others’ much more than acceptance.”
That sentence describes a lot of hard core Christians as well. Most of the piece does.
What’s this alliance between “left leaning groups” and fundamentalist Islam? If you’re not with you then we’re allied with Osama Bin Laden is that the logic?
“What’s this alliance between “left leaning groups” and fundamentalist Islam”
I read that too and rolled my eyes.
A moderate voice for democracy and equality in Islam? It’s needed before an entire population becomes legitimately shut out of the rest of the global community (and within our own borders).
‘Moderate Islam’ – heh, that’s funny.
And this is different from the Bible how? All religious texts suffer this, not just the Qur’an.
If Islam was ‘moderate’ the moderates would force out the ‘extremists’ everywhere and turn them in. Take control of their own destiny. Not happening.
Leaves big, (and fair) questions.
“That sentence describes a lot of hard core Christians as well. Most of the piece does.”
The moonbat flitters out of his cave to proclaim cultural relativity – again. Prove it for once, idiot.
“What’s this alliance between “left leaning groups” and fundamentalist Islam”
What’s it based on? Hmmm. Shared IQ deficiency. Hatred for democracy and freedom. A proven lust for genocide against unbelievers.
Those referred to as ‘moderates’ are actually apostates to those who mimic Mo’s life and follow the Quran to the letter, as they are commanded to.
jose – no, Christianity is a religion that developed out of an economic mode that was encouraging people to settle, and engage in stable agriculturalism rather than function within the traditional mode of nomadic wandering. Settlements require collaboration, getting along with others – even those who are different – and the basis of Christianity is this ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ – and a rejection of hostility to Others.
Islam as a religion or ideology developed out of an economic mode that was seeing its traditional migratory lands lost to these expanding settlements. It developed to fight the settlements and saw anyone else as Other – and was hostile to Others.
So- your attempt to correlate Christianity and Islam – is wrong.
DThomas – what’s your point? There is obviously an alliance between the left and fundamentalist or fascist Islam. The ideology of both is similar – a utopian ideal, to be attained when all the people are homogeneous in belief and behaviour, a top-down governance run by Wise Men, the rejection of individualism, rejection of reason, rejection of dissent, rejection of entrepreneurship, rejection of private ownership and ideas. Islamic fascism and the left walk hand in hand on all of that.
Where they differ – and the Left ignores this difference, is that the Left promotes specific minorities – who are viewed as somehow, closer to Truth than others (homosexuality in particular).
Actually – I see this more frequent voicing of diversity in Islam a tremendous ‘step forward’ towards the reform of Islam. It has to reform. It can’t operate as it is – a political and social mode that is only functional in a nomadic economy, and, in an industrial economy, can only operate when ‘kept’ by the mainstream – ie, as a welfare economy or – funded by The King and oil.
That is, it’s a dependent population who are not able to move into a self-organized economy.
“And this is different from the Bible how? All religious texts suffer this, not just the Qur’an.”
Posted by: Lore_Weaver at September 4, 2007 5:15 PM
Islamists act on their instructions from Allah, written in the Koran, literally, and daily, all over the world.
Seen any reports of ‘self explosive syndrome’ or ‘head lobbing’ or ‘kidnapping’ of infidels lately, at all?
Jose — “In addition, the traditional script of the Qur’an exhorts repulsion of ‘others’ much more than acceptance.”
That sentence describes a lot of hard core Christians as well. Most of the piece does.”
You are mixing apples and oranges. The discussion is about the text of the Koran, not the followers of Islam. The only valid comparision would be with the text of the New Testament.
How well do you know it? Can you provide us with a single instance where the New Testament urges “the expulsion of others”?
The New Testament does say that there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ. The last time I read it, everyone is invited to respond to the One who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me”.
Including you.
Posted by: Sounder at September 4, 2007 5:21 PM
“And this is different from the Bible how? All religious texts suffer this, not just the Qur’an.”
Posted by: Lore_Weaver at September 4, 2007 5:15 PM
Islamists act on their instructions from Allah, written in the Koran, literally, and daily, all over the world.
Seen any reports of ‘self explosive syndrome’ or ‘head lobbing’ or ‘kidnapping’ of infidels lately, at all?
Ya, because other religions don’t do this at all? I’m not giving a pass to Islam, I’m saying all religions are equally flawed.
“There is no moderate or immoderate Islam.”
Spencer said it best: the Turkish PM dismissed the entire framework upon which the West has staked its survival.
Trouble is, few are listening and nobody — NOBODY — is reporting.
And so the people continue to be deceived because the truth about Islam challenges the fundamentals of multiculturalism and political correctness.
The Islamists think that the world will change to suit them.
Something is going to change alright ….. but it won’t be what these losers think it’s going to be.
I agree with Sounder, If the ‘moderate’ Moslems deplore the terrorist ‘Extremist’ Moslems, why don’t they expose them and or get rid of them?
I can’t understand why they let them destroy the Moslem religion by perverting the Koran, and using it to explain their disgusting acts.
ET”and the basis of Christianity is this ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ – and a rejection of hostility to Others.”
I’m with Ghandi on this one, I like your Christ. I don’t like your christians they are so unlike your Christ. Most Christians don’t act anything like the Bible says they should in my opinion. They cherry pick what they want out of that book and ignore the rest.
This comment section is literally oozing with hostility for every kind of foriegner including “others” within the borders of Canada. Everyone just a little bit different is the enemy to be hated and feared, even Europeans are enemies nowadays. They’re all secretly out to get you somehow and colluding with Al Qaeda.
None of this is new of course but the bullshit is getting laid on even thicker than normal when you start bemoaning intolerance and xenophobia in others.
“There is obviously an alliance between the left and fundamentalist or fascist Islam. The ideology of both is similar – a utopian ideal, to be attained when all the people are homogeneous in belief and behaviour, a top-down governance run by Wise Men, the rejection of individualism, rejection of reason, rejection of dissent, rejection of entrepreneurship, rejection of private ownership and ideas. Islamic fascism and the left walk hand in hand on all of that.”
I’m not aware that Osama bin Laden has advocated any particular form of government structure. Demanding Sharia law is fine, but how it would be implemented is another question.
The term Islamic Fascism is, itself, not a useful term for describing this particular phenomena. Fascism is a Hegelen philosophy, which sees the state as an organic, living institution, whose survival must come before any individual needs. It calls for an explicitly bureacratic, top-down management of society, with no democracy and no individual rights, beyond the right to serve the state.
The Islamic terrorists operate on a completely different level. They are decentralized, and have little in the way of formal command-and-control, the way we understand them. They have no opinion, that I am aware of, on economic policies that are key to understanding fascism. Bin Laden pays lip service to the imperialism of the west, but this seems to me to be rhetorical fluff.
One of the many things I find amusing about the right, is their dialog on Islam. They call for Islam to modernize and reform, while simultaneously claiming that it cannot happen. Once again, this is because the right secretly admire Islamic terrorists for their brutality, particularly towards gays, and their intolerance of “cultural decandence.” I’ve often wondered why Mark Steyn doesn’t simply convert to Islam and move his family to Iran. He’d probably be quite happy they, from the sound of his writing.
Behead all those who question the infallibility of the lying, thieving, raping, murdering, enslaving pedophile Mohammed and his invisible, cloud-dwelling imaginary friend Allah!
The left and the Islam followers have a lot in common. They both let their government or in the Islam’s case their Islam/government rule and dictate their every action and belief. This keeps them from thinking for themselves and makes them irresponsible for their every action.
The left worship the state, it is their God who will take care of their every need, from cradle to the grave, it will set out laws to dictate what we do and how we act.This keeps them like children relying on the State for their every need.
The Muslems worship Mohamed. who wrote a book that sets out how they eat, worship, have sex, do war, go to the bathroom. This keeps them like children relying on the Quran for their every need.
Maybe it is just me but I see a lot of differences between Christians and Muslims.
For instance, when a terrorist attacks Muslims you do not see Christians parading in the street cheering.
When someone insults Christians through a speech or cartoons then the insulter may get a strongly worded letter or a product boycott. Muslims riot and kill people in response.
Muslims immigrate out to western countries but few westerners immigrate into Muslim ones. In fact when Muslims immigrate to a historically Christian country like Canada their religious beliefs are accommodated. Do Islamic countries do the same?
Debatably, Christians have improved the societies they have settled in term of government, medicine, equality, and tolerance. Seems to me that in every country that Muslims settle soon terrorism, crime and violence inevitably follows.
Perhaps this indicates that western Christianity based countries are superior.
“The left and the Islam followers have a lot in common. They both let their government or in the Islam’s case their Islam/government rule and dictate their every action and belief. This keeps them from thinking for themselves and makes them irresponsible for their every action.
The left worship the state, it is their God who will take care of their every need, from cradle to the grave, it will set out laws to dictate what we do and how we act.This keeps them like children relying on the State for their every need.
The Muslems worship Mohamed. who wrote a book that sets out how they eat, worship, have sex, do war, go to the bathroom. This keeps them like children relying on the Quran for their every need.”
That’s funny. I’m a leftist, and I have a nice job, my own home, I pay my taxes. I actually don’t worship the state, though all available evidence indicates that public, single-payer healthcare is actually more efficient than private healthcare.
And even if the Left did “worship the state”, how does that make them allies of Islam? If Muslims worship one thing, but the Left another, won’t the Muslims cut off our heads? Why would we be allies?
p(imaginary(Allah)) = p(imaginary(Zeus)) = p(imaginary(Flying Spaghetti Monster)) = p(imaginary(God))
Most of us are atheists with respect to most Gods man has dreamed of. Some of us just take it one God further.
“Debatably, Christians have improved the societies they have settled in term of government, medicine, equality, and tolerance. Seems to me that in every country that Muslims settle soon terrorism, crime and violence inevitably follows.”
That is the funniest thing I have ever read. Thank you, that made my day. Iraq is a disaster area because of Christian leader. The Europeans who slaughtered each other for hundreds of years were Christians. All the while, the Islamic world was actually quite peaceful and, in some ways, culturally more advanced than the west.
Obviously you are not familiar with the history of Canada and the United States. The reason why white people are here, and not the aboriginals, is that the original white inhabitants killed them all.
Keep trying, right-wingers. The SLM awaits your verbiage. Yeehaw!!!! Let’s go git that thar Moonbat!!!!
‘Moderate Islam’ – heh, that’s funny.
The vast majority of Muslims are moderate and peaceful. Radical Islam makes up only a small, but important, fraction of Islam.
As to why moderate Muslim doesn’t reign in the radicals, one may as well ask why George Bush doesn’t do the same. If terrorist groups were easy to get rid of then there wouldn’t be any.
Mr. Loathsome and Jose still missing that whole “link to terrorism” thing.
Personally I’m a mind my own business type of guy. People do what they want, have what religion they want, I’m good with it. Its when they come to MY house and start in making me do what they want that I have a problem.
The problem I have with Islam is the same problem I have with the Left: they both seem incapable of minding their own damn business and leaving me to mine.
“As to why moderate Muslim doesn’t reign in the radicals, one may as well ask why George Bush doesn’t do the same. If terrorist groups were easy to get rid of then there wouldn’t be any.”
A valid question, considering that Bush is only religious fundamentalist with access to a nuclear weapon.
Of course, only moonbats would consider such questions. Manly right-wingers go on blogs and talk about Islamic hordes outbreading whites and cutting off the heads of left-wingers.
“The problem I have with Islam is the same problem I have with the Left: they both seem incapable of minding their own damn business and leaving me to mine.”
Have Muslims been to your house trying to convert you? Have they defiled the white-women in your neighbourhood, or engaged in acts of terrorism? Are they converting your children to Islam?
What about the leftists? If there were no more leftists in the world, how would your life be better?
The answer is, of course, it wouldn’t. You’d find some one else to pick on. Again, all right-wing behaviour stems from a combination of homophobia, racism and a fear/fascination with the sexual prowess of non-whites. That is why right-wingers claim to detest Islamic terrorism, while simultaneously, agreeing with much of what Muslims say about the west.
Once again, this is because the right secretly admire Islamic terrorists for their brutality, particularly towards gays, and their intolerance of “cultural decandence.”
TSLM, I hope you’re having a bad day. That would help explain such a ridiculous pulled-out-of-your-ass statement. OTOH, if you’re having a good day, and the above is an example of your usual thinking, you, sir/madam, are a moron.
Wow, the troll are out in full force! Not only are they throwing out inflammatory statements without any shred of evidence, they are also tossing red herring after red herring.
Keep it going, folks! Sooner or later, you’ll get people off track and into a flame war you started! (And then proclaim how you totally predicted how insensitive the right is, even though you continue to slander the major religion in the free, civilised world.)
My, the trolls are out in force today.
So, we have an article by “Muslim novelist and exile Tahir Aslam Gora” who knows something of which he speaks, learned through painful experience. But our usual parade of dimwit lefties and apologists, safe in the cushy armchair of Canada, claim to know more about the nature of Islam than he does.
These people are not susceptible to education or embarassment.
Most of us what are atheists – ignorants? Morons? Hermits?
Sorry, but like most of the left you can’t play that card. You actually need to back it with facts.
Even if many are not actually Christians, how many claim to be on a given country’s census?
Same goes for other religions and cults around the world. You can be an atheist if you like and believe that the rest of us are complete morons or weak-minded, or whatever the term du jour, but you cannot pretend that your 5% of the world’s population is somehow a majority. It just doesn’t work that way, but it’s some kinda belief…
“I’m with Ghandi on this one, I like your Christ……”
You aren’t getting Ghandi, Jose, like most moonbats, and, Christians, of which there are 2.1 billion, you are just as ignorant about. That’s 2.1 BILLION(twice the size of Muslims), again, idiot. Care to extrapolate from those numbers, when it comes to organized murder and mayhem, who is the problem? Better yet, don’t bother.
You and your friend, jeff, repeatedly put your droppings are out there for the world to evaluate. Do you really think in front of all of Kate’s viewers, casual and posters, that you come across as very smart? I mean, thread after thread, you are the village idiot. You bring no careful analysis based on data to any discussion, just vapid narcissism, snark and avoidance of any direct rebuttal before you scurry to your next one liner.
You’ve alluded in past posts to being a druggie, I’m sure it’s the closet thing you’ve found to a spiritual life. It’s so obvious.
It’s really time to cut off your oxygen. You need to be ignored permanently.
jose – I think it’s impossible to accurately say that ‘most X do such and such’ – ie, ‘most Christians’ – without extensive substantiation. So, this may be your opinion about what ‘most Christians’ do – but, that’s all it is.
Equally, I don’t see the factual evidence for your comment that this blog is ‘oozing hostility’ for every kind of foreigner including others’ (Hmm – what is an ‘other’ in this sentence if not a foreigner?)
And what’s your point about ‘bemoaning intolerance and xenophobia in others’? Who are you talking about? Certainly, Islamic fascists exhibit intolerance and xenophobia. Are you saying that we mustn’t discuss this??
Self-loathing – the Islamic ideology is pretty clear in the Koran. It is, as I outlined it.
I disagree with you – Islamic fascism is, in my view, a very good terminology for Islamic fundamentalism. It is hardly a product of Hegelianism and is a political mode that existed long before the utopian nonsense of Hegel. And fascism does indeed call for a top-down governance of society – and, like Islam, is against democracy, against the individual; and the duty of the individual – is to serve the ‘state’ as an Islamic regime. I suggest that you read the Koran.
Your outline of decentralized groups of terrorists is invalid; you are ignoring the ideology that bonds them – Islamic fascism.
I am glad you find our discussion amusing; that’s a very typical reaction of a leftist – they frequently inform us, smugly, of their superiority by telling us that they are ‘amused’ at our seemingly childish and irrelevant chatter.
I’d also appreciate some substantive evidence for you informing us that ‘the right’ ‘secretly admire Islamic terrorists for their brutality’. Could you provide us, please, with the evidence?
Thanks.
Oh- and your conclusion about Mark Steyn – that he’d be happy as a convert to Islam – is similar in tone and substance (ie, no substance) and is the same specious nonsense as your other opinions. You see, Steyn values individual responsibility and reason – and both are rejected by Islam. I suggest you read Steyn a bit more. And also, read the Koran.
Furthermore – your rebuttal to the argument explaining the similarities between the left and Islamism – is empty. So what if you have a job, a home and pay taxes? That’s not a perspective.
..The point is – the left’s rejection of indivdual responsibility (and your comment about health care is an example)..the left’s rejection of private services in favour of State or Public services – which are notoriously inefficient. And, the left’s rejection of dissent by others – it removes dissent by instituting cultural relativism – which refuses to evaluate any viewpoint. Then, there’s its utopianism – a perspective that views that ‘everything will be perfect’ if only the state controlled everything and all was evenly distributed to all – a situation akin to a bowl of jello…etc.
Could someone in the “they’re all the same” crowd please give us the Christian/Jewish/Buddhist version of the tree telling a Muslim that there’s a Jew hiding behind it, and that the Muslim should kill the Jew?
Could someone please explain George Galloway and Robert Fisk? Could someone please explain the subject of Robert Fulford’s weekend piece, the one about female U of T academic who fully supports female genital mutilation, and naturally blames imperialism on its demonization?
(As Fulord notes, “she’s embraced one of the great lies of modern liberalism: Any culture is as good as any other culture and its tradition-endorsed practices (no matter how misguided, harmful and dangerous) deserve respect.”
By the way, nice picture over at thereligionofpeace.com: British Muslims holding signs that read “Jesus is the slave of Allah” and “Islam will conquer Rome.”
Actually, funny thing: I was watching this old video about Gordon Ramsay going to 10 Downing to cook for Tony Blair and Vlad Putin some years ago. There across the street were the same Muslim types holding the same signs and shouting “Tony Blair go to hell!” Amongst them were a bunch a idiot left-wing (redundant, yes) Brits aiding them in their cause.
But no, there’s no Left/Islamofacist axis.
Of course Christians have in the past been guilty of many things. To ignore Christian history would be a silly as ignoring Islam’s present guilt. Modern Christian countries (and many Asian) rank far better than Modern Muslim countries in all measures of advancement. Islamic, totalitarian and Communist countries are predominantly at the bottom.
Ah Mr. Loathing, if there were no more Leftists in the world I would be able to go shooting without fear of ending the day in jail. My taxes would be maybe a 10th of what they are now. Best of all, I’d be able to go BUY an x-ray if I needed one instead of having to stand in line for the one functioning x-ray machine in town.
That’s what the Left has been doing to me these last 50 years. It irritates me.
“Have Muslims been to your house trying to convert you? Have they defiled the white-women in your neighbourhood, or engaged in acts of terrorism? Are they converting your children to Islam?”
No, but there was this one time friends of mine watched these two airplanes fly into the World Trade Center from their kitchen window. I take that personally, know what I mean?
“Again, all right-wing behaviour stems from a combination of homophobia, racism and a fear/fascination with the sexual prowess of non-whites.”
This is even funnier than the comment about health care.
While it is true that there are contradictions between the holy texts and behaviour of Muslims and Christians, right now, it is a violent Muslim sect (Shiite-Wahabi-Islamic fascism) that is undermining governments, attacking the West, and murdering their own people. Say what you want about Christianity, that is not happening.
It seems fairly simple to me. Some criminal types are “interpreting” the Koran for their own nefarious means. My problem with the Muslim people is they don’t seem willing to go after these nutbars – because they feel intimidated and/or they have bought the fringe left viewpoint that anything against Bush must be a good thing.
Maybe if these fascists weren’t oppressing and killing their own people in large swaths I would be willing to enterain some route cause argument. For now the root cause of Islamic terrorism is Islamis fascism. Nothing will satisfy or molify them, their mode is war.
Hey, was that the same Gandhi who was Hitler’s pen pal, advised the Jews to let the Nazis kill them, tried to regulate his wife’s bowel movements and slept with teenaged girls?
Just askin’
Yep, that’d be the same guy Kathy. Drank his own pee too, as I recall.
Say, do you happen to know how many Indians Ghandi managed to kill in the Great Partition? I used to know but can’t remember just now.
“A valid question, considering that Bush is only religious fundamentalist with access to a nuclear weapon.”
Oh, just stop it before you break something. Bush is a United Methodist, for Chrissakes.
ET,
I always enjoy your posts. As they are from an atheist and a scientist, commenting in hindsight, scrubbed clean of any spiritual meaning – they make sense.
Reminds me a bit of Frank J. Tipler’s book – ‘The Physics of Christianity,’ where he attempts to justify Catholicism through the sterilizing lens of so-called scientific observation.
Preposterous, but disarming.
Lore Weaver,
“Ya, because other religions don’t do this at all? I’m not giving a pass to Islam, I’m saying all religions are equally flawed.”
You are, however, giving a pass to moral and cultural relativism.
Teddi,
“I can’t understand why they let them destroy the Moslem religion by perverting the Koran, and using it to explain their disgusting acts.”
Have you ever read the Quran? The Sura’s? The Hadith?
Obviously not. All of these, as you call them, disgusting acts, are commanded and rewarded by allah. Violence is foundational to Islam. Remove the the hate and the violence and Islam loses it’s difference. It becomes redundant to Christianity and/or Judaism.
I suggest reading Aayan Hirsi Ali’s book – ‘Infidel,’ to start.
Jose,
“I’m with Ghandi on this one, I like your Christ. I don’t like your christians they are so unlike your Christ. Most Christians don’t act anything like the Bible says they should in my opinion. They cherry pick what they want out of that book and ignore the rest.”
Well, why didn’t you say so all along – instead of clinging to the roof, upside down? Indeed, to live a life like Christ; to be a true Christian is impossible without the constant help of the Holy Spirit. Now try applying the same measure against the life of Mohammad and the commands and rewards in the Quran. There’s where you will see the difference and stop calling them equal.
You were getting somewhere. But alas, soon hanging upside down again.
“This comment section is literally oozing with hostility for every kind of foriegner including “others” within the borders of Canada. Everyone just a little bit different is the enemy to be hated and feared, even Europeans are enemies nowadays. They’re all secretly out to get you somehow and colluding with Al Qaeda.”
How is it that a discussion on ideology always reverts to racism in the small, perverted, upside down mind?
And even if the Left did “worship the state”, how does that make them allies of Islam? If Muslims worship one thing, but the Left another, won’t the Muslims cut off our heads? Why would we be allies?
They will cut off your heads when you and Talaban Jack stop being their useful idiots.
re moderate islam –
Lawyers for the Saudi Binladin Group engineering and construction company, responding to lawsuits filed over the 9/11 attacks, say the company is not liable for the terrorist plot because it forced Osama bin Laden to surrender his stake in the company 14 years ago…. Lawyers for the plaintiffs claimed that the Saudi Binladin Group, along with numerous banks, charities and individuals worldwide, provided material support and assistance to Al Qaeda before the attacks. The lawsuits seek billions of dollars in damages.
The court documents identified Bakr bin Laden – Osama bin Laden’s brother, the senior member of the bin Laden family and chair of Saudi Binladin Group – as one of Al Qaeda’s principal financiers.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/252830
Self Loathing: “…the right secretly admire Islamic terrorists for their brutality…”
Yeah, headless Thai school girls are a real scream. Murdering Korean foreign aid workers fits the CBC soundbite. You’re a sick puppy that obviously has a problem telling left from right. Isn’t it Taliban Jack that wants to shake the bloody hands of those animals? I hope you’re not saying that ‘Ol Jack the Knave is a righty after all?
I’m an observant Christian. I take, “Love thy neighbour as thyself” seriously. I’m far from perfect–in fact, a sinner–but I do my best to give of my substance to validate and support others. (Note the multitude, in the thousands, of Christian charities–e.g., Mother Teresa’s over 100 houses throughout the world–which validate and help all comers, whether they’re Christian or not. NB, Lore Weaver, which Muslim groups do that? Please answer.)
By reason, not faith, I also understand that the basis of the freedoms in the West, as well as of its culture–political, health and welfare, and educational systems–is the Judeo-Christian ethic, which values both justice and the individual, for him or herself. Human life is highly valued. Its wanton destruction–well, not abortion (which, good for them, the Muslims generally abhor)–receives both condemnation and retribution.
To see what a pagan civilization looks like–not at all a pretty picture–watch the excellent HBO series, ROME. The historical consultant for the series readily admits the vast difference between the utterly cruel excesses of pagan Rome before Christianity.
In this context, people like Lore Weaver try my patience. ” . . . all religions are equally flawed” is utter poppycock because it’s demonstrably false.
All religions were the foundation of democracy and its fruits? The followers of all religions have a reputation for terrorism and mass murder around the world?
As I type, not all Muslims are terrorists. However, the vast majority of terrorist acts are carried out by Muslims, as a direct result of their religious beliefs.
And LW has the audacity to equate all religions. I’d say, ignorance, stupidity, and magic thinking, writ large. Offensive, to boot.
If I were a Muslim extremist, had been as roundly insulted as Christians and other religionists have been by LW, and knew who this insensitive ignoramus was, (s)he might really regret what (s)he has said. As it is, even if I did know who this person is, probably the worst I’d do–after pointing out his/her errors in fact–would be to pray for such a misguided soul.
The psalmist says, “All my bones are out of joint”. People, like LW, who spout specious lies in the guise of having something worthwhile to say are all too common these days. Moral relativism saps such people of the guts and grey matter to face their own ignorance. (In my day, it was clear to kids that spouting garbage would be forcefully challenged: many of us learned to THINK before we spoke.)
Perhaps LW could try that.
Hey – loathing – again, you need to THINK. Just a bit.
Your list of ‘things Muslims might do but don’t’ is irrelevant. Your ‘far to near scale’ is bogus. Because something isn’t done in front of me but IS done to others – well, that matters. A great deal.
Has a Muslim been to my house to convert me? No. But neither has anyone else.
However, lots of Muslims have preached in public that we infidels in the West had better convert – or die.
They have preached this – as they beheaded ‘infidels’ on video; they have preached this to their followers; they have preached this to our schools – when they demand special meals, when they insist that the chocolate swirls on an ice cream cone look like ‘allah’ and are thus an insult. They have preached this when they rioted over political cartoons. They have preached this as they set up suicide bombs, flew planes into buildings, bombed restaurants, buses, trains, hotels..and so on.
You ask ‘have they defiled white-women in my neighbourhood’? Again – the invalid focus on ‘neighbourhood’. And what’s your point about ‘white’? Don’t other skin colours matter to you?
No- but they have murdered hundreds of women, and men, and children – everywhere. That matters.
Have they engaged in terrorism – in my neighbourhood? No. Are you seriously saying that if something doesn’t happen in my neighbourhood that I should be indifferent to the suffering of those in whose neighbourhood it does happen? What kind of psychological pathology do you suffer from?
Converting children to Islam? I have no idea. But it sure happens elsewhere- and to radical fascist Islam. That matters. Not to you. But it certainly does to others who live in that neighbourhood. And here.
As shamrock points out – these fascists are murdering not only infidels, but their own people – It’s all about Power. Power over others.
now – that’s something that a leftist understands – for the left likes Power Over Everyone.
If I’d read SLM’s inane comments–which only display this person’s gigantic sense of self-importance and ignorance–before I posted, I’d have included him/her in my comments.
Whoever you are, you need to smarten up: big time.
re moderate islam –
Lawyers for the Saudi Binladin Group engineering and construction company, responding to lawsuits filed over the 9/11 attacks, say the company is not liable for the terrorist plot because it forced Osama bin Laden to surrender his stake in the company 14 years ago…. Lawyers for the plaintiffs claimed that the Saudi Binladin Group, along with numerous banks, charities and individuals worldwide, provided material support and assistance to Al Qaeda before the attacks. The lawsuits seek billions of dollars in damages.
The court documents identified Bakr bin Laden – Osama bin Laden’s brother, the senior member of the bin Laden family and chair of Saudi Binladin Group – as one of Al Qaeda’s principal financiers.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/252830
Oh by the way, Mr. Loathing. One other problem I have with Muslims, I don’t like the way they treat their wimmen.
“and murdering their own people. Say what you want about Christianity, that is not happening.”
That’s mostly true in the west (if you gloss over the Balkans) although you don’t have to thumb too far back in the history books to read about Christians slaughtering each other over religion. My flatmate grew up hearing bombs going off planted by Catholic terrorists.
But what about the jesus freaks in Rwanda? They’ve just banged out a newly minted genocide and they’re as rabidly Christian as they come. Perhaps that’s the last genocide Christians will ever inflict on their fellow man I hope so, but that feeling isn’t much more than a hope.
The Christians in the West are pretty well behaved nowadays but they’re also not very devout anymore either.