Spring Break
Western and Islamic ideologies clash
Abstract:
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- Displaying 1 - 5 of 5
anonymous864
posted 2/19/06 @ 6:53 AM MST
"To Islam, free speech does not include the right to injure what another party holds sacred, [professor of philosophy] Hamid said, citing a passage in the Islamic holy book, the Quran: 'Do not abuse or mock those whom they adore and serve besides god. Otherwise they may abuse or curse god without knowledge.'"
AH! So that explains why most Muslim's love all those depictions of Jews as the sons of monkeys who drink the blood of children! We just understand them: we simply lack the One True Religion to see how we injure them! Then we would be of One Mind - kind of like Star Trek's Borg!
A "Religion of Peace" whose most famous exponents murder apostates, behead the innocent, and terrorize people by the thousands and millions in the name of Islam is really just misunderstood - they're not really hypocrites tolerating evil, who ought to be pitied, shunned, and hounded out of Jihadism!
OK - I'm so sorry for thinking otherwise ; )
Orson, student
Boulder, CO
AH! So that explains why most Muslim's love all those depictions of Jews as the sons of monkeys who drink the blood of children! We just understand them: we simply lack the One True Religion to see how we injure them! Then we would be of One Mind - kind of like Star Trek's Borg!
A "Religion of Peace" whose most famous exponents murder apostates, behead the innocent, and terrorize people by the thousands and millions in the name of Islam is really just misunderstood - they're not really hypocrites tolerating evil, who ought to be pitied, shunned, and hounded out of Jihadism!
OK - I'm so sorry for thinking otherwise ; )
Orson, student
Boulder, CO
anonymous864
posted 2/19/06 @ 6:08 PM MST
Muslims do not understand the Freedom of Speech.
As an immigrant myself (and also as a liberal), I am sick and tired of hearing muslims trying to define Freedom of Speech from the perspective of their own religion.
It's shocking that even some US muslim university professors don't truly understand the concept of Freedom. Freedom of Speech that does not offend is not worth, nor does it need, defending.
I don't care if muslims in Islamic countries are rioting. But I am pissed off, especially as a naturalized US citizen, that muslims in Western Nations demand that citizens of DEMOCRATIC nations follow the Islamic interpretation of Freedom of Speech. As far as I'm concerned, that Freedom DOES NOT exist in Islam. So please just shut up!
Jing, Student
As an immigrant myself (and also as a liberal), I am sick and tired of hearing muslims trying to define Freedom of Speech from the perspective of their own religion.
It's shocking that even some US muslim university professors don't truly understand the concept of Freedom. Freedom of Speech that does not offend is not worth, nor does it need, defending.
I don't care if muslims in Islamic countries are rioting. But I am pissed off, especially as a naturalized US citizen, that muslims in Western Nations demand that citizens of DEMOCRATIC nations follow the Islamic interpretation of Freedom of Speech. As far as I'm concerned, that Freedom DOES NOT exist in Islam. So please just shut up!
Jing, Student
anonymous864
posted 2/20/06 @ 5:30 AM MST
"Khaleel Alyahya, president of the CSU Muslim Student Association, said that the cartoons violate values commonly held by Muslims."
Okay. How about Islamic countries that violate values commonly held by civilized people? Saudi Arabia, for instance, is an Islamic monarchy without legal protection for freedom of religion. Islam is the official religion, and the law requires that all citizens be Muslims. The Government prohibits the public practice of non-Muslim religions. Under Shari’a law, conversion by a Muslim to another religion is considered apostasy, a crime punishable by death. The Government prohibits public non-Muslim religious activities. Non-Muslim worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and sometimes torture for engaging in overt religious activity that attracts official attention. Proselytizing by non-Muslims, including the distribution of non-Muslim religious materials such as Bibles, is illegal. Muslims or non-Muslims wearing religious symbols of any kind in public risk confrontation with the Mutawwa'in. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, approximately 50 so-called "Call and Guidance" centers employing approximately 500 persons work to convert foreigners to Islam. Under the provisions of Shari’a law as practiced in the country, judges may discount the testimony of people who are not practicing Muslims or who do not adhere to the official interpretation of Islam. In a Shari’a court, the testimony of one man equals that of two women. In accordance with Shari’a, women are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims. Numerous divorced foreign women continued to be prevented by their former husbands from visiting their children after divorce. Failure of Muslim women to wear an abaya or headscarf can lead to admonishment (and in the past occasionally has led to arrest) by some Mutawwa'in enforcing their own interpretation of religious doctrine. Between June and August 2001 in Jeddah, 14 Christians were arrested and imprisoned for months, reportedly on charges of conducting public worship services and attempting to proselytize. Early in 2002, 11 of the detainees were deported and, in March 2002, the remaining 3 Christians, 2 Ethiopians and 1 Filipino, were deported. Prior to their release, they claimed in a publicly and internationally circulated e-mail letter that some of them had been tortured by the authorities while in prison. In early 2002 in the eastern city of Abqaiq, 2 Filipino Christian residents were arrested and imprisoned in Dammam for conducting a Roman Catholic prayer group in their home. In April 2002, the 2 Filipinos were sentenced to 150 lashes and deportation following a 30-day jail sentence, allegedly for their religious beliefs. They were deported in late May 2002. In April 2002, Saudi police and Mutawwa'in detained a total of 26 Christians in successive raids on 2 private houses where worship services were being held in a residential area of downtown Riyadh. One of those originally arrested later reported that after 2 days, 23 of the Christians were released, but that 3, 1 Sudanese and 2 Sri Lankans, were kept in detention and moved to another Riyadh prison. Their Saudi sponsors believe that the three men probably will be deported following a trial. Following these raids, the authorities returned to one of the private houses and confiscated chairs, Bibles, musical instruments, a microphone, and curtains that they ripped from the walls. In May 2002, Saudi police and Mutawwa'in detained a total of 11 Christians, including foreign nationals from both Ethiopia and Eritrea, then living in the Jeddah. They allegedly had been engaged in activities that violated restrictions against public worship. Of the 11, 3 had been deported and 8 remained in prison.
And these guys are upset because a Danish newspaper published a cartoon they didn't like? By contrast, we welcome Muslims to the United States. We encourage them to worship openly. We stock our public libraries with copies of the Koran. But do not confuse kindness and tolerance with weakness. We will never submit to Muslim rule nor will we live as dhimmi under Shari’a law. If you don't like a cartoon in a particular newspaper. You have every right not to read that newspaper. My hope is that, over time, Islam in America will change and evolve in much that same way that Christianity in America has changed and evolved. Someday the current Muslim outrage over the "cartoon menace" will be equated with the ignorance of 17th Century Christians during the Salem witchcraft trials.
WRC, Engineer
Alaska
Okay. How about Islamic countries that violate values commonly held by civilized people? Saudi Arabia, for instance, is an Islamic monarchy without legal protection for freedom of religion. Islam is the official religion, and the law requires that all citizens be Muslims. The Government prohibits the public practice of non-Muslim religions. Under Shari’a law, conversion by a Muslim to another religion is considered apostasy, a crime punishable by death. The Government prohibits public non-Muslim religious activities. Non-Muslim worshippers risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and sometimes torture for engaging in overt religious activity that attracts official attention. Proselytizing by non-Muslims, including the distribution of non-Muslim religious materials such as Bibles, is illegal. Muslims or non-Muslims wearing religious symbols of any kind in public risk confrontation with the Mutawwa'in. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, approximately 50 so-called "Call and Guidance" centers employing approximately 500 persons work to convert foreigners to Islam. Under the provisions of Shari’a law as practiced in the country, judges may discount the testimony of people who are not practicing Muslims or who do not adhere to the official interpretation of Islam. In a Shari’a court, the testimony of one man equals that of two women. In accordance with Shari’a, women are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims. Numerous divorced foreign women continued to be prevented by their former husbands from visiting their children after divorce. Failure of Muslim women to wear an abaya or headscarf can lead to admonishment (and in the past occasionally has led to arrest) by some Mutawwa'in enforcing their own interpretation of religious doctrine. Between June and August 2001 in Jeddah, 14 Christians were arrested and imprisoned for months, reportedly on charges of conducting public worship services and attempting to proselytize. Early in 2002, 11 of the detainees were deported and, in March 2002, the remaining 3 Christians, 2 Ethiopians and 1 Filipino, were deported. Prior to their release, they claimed in a publicly and internationally circulated e-mail letter that some of them had been tortured by the authorities while in prison. In early 2002 in the eastern city of Abqaiq, 2 Filipino Christian residents were arrested and imprisoned in Dammam for conducting a Roman Catholic prayer group in their home. In April 2002, the 2 Filipinos were sentenced to 150 lashes and deportation following a 30-day jail sentence, allegedly for their religious beliefs. They were deported in late May 2002. In April 2002, Saudi police and Mutawwa'in detained a total of 26 Christians in successive raids on 2 private houses where worship services were being held in a residential area of downtown Riyadh. One of those originally arrested later reported that after 2 days, 23 of the Christians were released, but that 3, 1 Sudanese and 2 Sri Lankans, were kept in detention and moved to another Riyadh prison. Their Saudi sponsors believe that the three men probably will be deported following a trial. Following these raids, the authorities returned to one of the private houses and confiscated chairs, Bibles, musical instruments, a microphone, and curtains that they ripped from the walls. In May 2002, Saudi police and Mutawwa'in detained a total of 11 Christians, including foreign nationals from both Ethiopia and Eritrea, then living in the Jeddah. They allegedly had been engaged in activities that violated restrictions against public worship. Of the 11, 3 had been deported and 8 remained in prison.
And these guys are upset because a Danish newspaper published a cartoon they didn't like? By contrast, we welcome Muslims to the United States. We encourage them to worship openly. We stock our public libraries with copies of the Koran. But do not confuse kindness and tolerance with weakness. We will never submit to Muslim rule nor will we live as dhimmi under Shari’a law. If you don't like a cartoon in a particular newspaper. You have every right not to read that newspaper. My hope is that, over time, Islam in America will change and evolve in much that same way that Christianity in America has changed and evolved. Someday the current Muslim outrage over the "cartoon menace" will be equated with the ignorance of 17th Century Christians during the Salem witchcraft trials.
WRC, Engineer
Alaska
F39F330A-9A4E-418D-82A8-6C1B2784EE81
posted 2/10/06 @ 4:01 PM MST
Way to go Professor Lindsay. Academic freedom and freedom of speech must be preserved--no matter if it offends one segment of the population or how revolting it may be.
The Muslims have a right to protest PEACEFULLY to express their understandable outrage. They are so many better ways to go than violence. However the newspaper and the professor have every right to publish, print, show and do anything they want with the photos. If the young Muslim was offended, he could leave the classroom or avert his eyes.
B. David Ridpath, Ed.D., Asst. Professor
Mississippi State University
dridpath@colled.msstate.edu
The Muslims have a right to protest PEACEFULLY to express their understandable outrage. They are so many better ways to go than violence. However the newspaper and the professor have every right to publish, print, show and do anything they want with the photos. If the young Muslim was offended, he could leave the classroom or avert his eyes.
B. David Ridpath, Ed.D., Asst. Professor
Mississippi State University
dridpath@colled.msstate.edu
- Displaying 1 - 5 of 5
anonymous864
posted 2/11/06 @ 4:05 AM MST
free speech does not include the right to injure what another party holds sacred
freedom of speech should be used responsibly and not give such a powerful voice to the most ignorant in each culture
satire is a tool by which people are pulled apart (and satire could be considered protected under principles of free speech)
your freedom stops where it's going to hurt others (satire really hurts others)
Is it really true that satire hurts others? Does satire tend to touch upon the truth almost so till it hurts? Does the truth hurt? Isn't it healthy to be able to laugh at oneself sometimes?
Of all the events to occur in the last decade that made Islam big news in the US, this is probably the one story to make all the other exaggerations about the Muslim world seem true also. Kind of tragic, kind of eye-opening at the same time.
How can silly drawings bring the Muslim world to a screeching halt?
james, student
fort collins