The point is isn't to stoop down to others poor habits and bad practices, it's to be above and the best we can is by showing peace, love and tolerance through example.
So if we are supposed to be willing to accept other religions and their freedoms to worship can we build some cathedrals in Mecca?
CONservative governMENt
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
People in Saudia Arabia aren't trying to build a mosque here, a group that lives in the US is building a mosque in the US. Also, why do we want to project the idea of religious intolerance or even the idea that everything is tit for tat or stooping down to the other half?? Aren't we supposed to be better than that and the beacon of all these good mantras we proclaim? Just wondering because the words don't exactly match the actions or at least the one's you're proclaiming here.
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
So if we are supposed to be willing to accept other religions and their freedoms to worship can we build some cathedrals in Mecca?
Is New York City all of a sudden a christian city? or jewish? or is it supposed to be a representation of freedom of religion and worship? this is a horrible analogy. Saudi Arabia and subsequently the city of Mecca have overwhelming Muslim populations and it's an Islamic country and city. building a cathedral there is not useful at all. on the other hand, New York City is home to nearly a million Muslims and tons more going in and out everyday. it's usefulness is very obvious. if NYC was to purport an image of being a Christian city (so if it would prevent the building of a synagogue, hindu temple, etc, in addition to the mosque as Saudi Arabia would do in addition to a cathedral, that is one thing). however, this is clearly just targeting one group of people and thus is just a display of intolerance. nothing less. the people who are against this don't give a shit about those who died on 9/11!! they are just using this to push a political agenda and some of you idiots actually bought it! i know a kid whose dad died on 9/11, this kid is like 13 years old and guess what, he's Muslim. but does anyone give a shit about these people's opinion? no.
and since when do those whose family died on 9/11 claim a moral high ground over anyone else? because when it comes to the ethical stance on this issue, it is completely unethical to prevent the building of a mosque anywhere. islam is not responsible for 9/11, crazy people are. I'm sick of these same people acting like they respect the religion too - just fucking admit that you're an intolerant bigot already.
also the muslims who wrote the article are just idiots, no different than the dumb ass mexican people the neocons found to go to townhall meetings and speak out in favor of the racist arizona law. their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not. and no Muslim should be forced to build a church and a synagogue in addition to a mosque, just like no christian or jew should be forced to build anything other than their own house of worship.
The point is isn't to stoop down to others poor habits and bad practices, it's to be above and the best we can is by showing peace, love and tolerance through example.
The State Department's selection of Feisal Abdul Rauf to represent the American people through this program further calls into question the administration's policy and funding priorities
"Last year we had, you know, 52 trips that were specifically focused on promoting religious tolerance," he said.
Crowley said the imam would not be allowed to raise funds on the trip.
“We the people are the rightful masters of bothCongress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
So if we are supposed to be willing to accept other religions and their freedoms to worship can we build some cathedrals in Mecca?
Is New York City all of a sudden a christian city? or jewish? or is it supposed to be a representation of freedom of religion and worship? this is a horrible analogy. Saudi Arabia and subsequently the city of Mecca have overwhelming Muslim populations and it's an Islamic country and city. building a cathedral there is not useful at all. on the other hand, New York City is home to nearly a million Muslims and tons more going in and out everyday. it's usefulness is very obvious. if NYC was to purport an image of being a Christian city (so if it would prevent the building of a synagogue, hindu temple, etc, in addition to the mosque as Saudi Arabia would do in addition to a cathedral, that is one thing). however, this is clearly just targeting one group of people and thus is just a display of intolerance. nothing less. the people who are against this don't give a shit about those who died on 9/11!! they are just using this to push a political agenda and some of you idiots actually bought it! i know a kid whose dad died on 9/11, this kid is like 13 years old and guess what, he's Muslim. but does anyone give a shit about these people's opinion? no.
and since when do those whose family died on 9/11 claim a moral high ground over anyone else? because when it comes to the ethical stance on this issue, it is completely unethical to prevent the building of a mosque anywhere. islam is not responsible for 9/11, crazy people are. I'm sick of these same people acting like they respect the religion too - just fucking admit that you're an intolerant bigot already.
also the muslims who wrote the article are just idiots, no different than the dumb ass mexican people the neocons found to go to townhall meetings and speak out in favor of the racist arizona law. their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not. and no Muslim should be forced to build a church and a synagogue in addition to a mosque, just like no christian or jew should be forced to build anything other than their own house of worship.
+1
i also think it is really funny that people that have not lost anyone they know on that terrible day seem to be the most vocal about being against the mosque....
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
The right is so against government telling people what to do, and interfering with people's lives, but for stuff like this they want the government to step in and decide what can be built where.
exactly. I hate republicans who pose as libertarians when it is convenient for them. They don't understand that you cannot have it both ways. Either you want the government to intervene or you don't...you cannot have it do so only when it is convenient. Republicans seemingly have lost their way,
So what is a building permit?
See we already have the government deciding what can be built...even when you are trying to build a deck on the back of your house.
The right is so against government telling people what to do, and interfering with people's lives, but for stuff like this they want the government to step in and decide what can be built where.
exactly. I hate republicans who pose as libertarians when it is convenient for them. They don't understand that you cannot have it both ways. Either you want the government to intervene or you don't...you cannot have it do so only when it is convenient. Republicans seemingly have lost their way,
So what is a building permit?
See we already have the government deciding what can be built...even when you are trying to build a deck on the back of your house.
that's not a political decision though. i believe they are strictly speaking about political decisions, not getting a building permit to simply build a deck on the back of your house...
Islam did not attack us on September 11, 2001... that was the work of a covert set of individuals, working under the command of a group that uses the religion to justify its actions. To blame Islam would be the same as blaming all Christians for the action of Rev. Fred Phelps and his ' God Hates ...' minions.
There is a difference between Al Qaeda building a mosque near the footprint of the former World Trade Centers and a group of Muslims building a mosque... just as there is a difference between Fred Phelps building a church in your community and a group of Christians building a church.
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
funny...a lot of the people that keep proclaiming our country needs to get back to the constitution (which i'm all in favor of btw) are enraged about this...last time i checked, that same constitution gives the untied states freedom of religion...i'm pretty sure it doesn't say freedom of religion unless it is farther than 4 blocks from ground zero
here's a big word for y'all
pluralism
Main Entry: plu·ral·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈplu̇r-ə-ˌli-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1818
1 : the holding of two or more offices or positions (as benefices) at the same time
2 : the quality or state of being plural
3 a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality b : a theory that reality is composed of a plurality of entities
4 a : a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilization b : a concept, doctrine, or policy advocating this state
Thousands of innocent lives were lost on September 11, 2001, and our hearts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones. For several hundred of the victims of 9/11, grief and sorrow has been compounded by constant suspicion, bias, hatred, and attacks on the faith they hold dear.
Imagine being the family of Salman Hamdani. The 23-year-old New York City police cadet was a part-time ambulance driver, incoming medical student, and devout Muslim. When he disappeared on September 11, law enforcement officials came to his family, seeking him for questioning in relation to the terrorist attacks. They allegedly believed he was somehow involved. His whereabouts were undetermined for over six months, until his remains were finally identified. He was found near the North Tower, with his EMT medical bag beside him, presumably doing everything he could to help those in need. His family could finally rest, knowing that he died the hero they always knew him to be.
Or imagine being Baraheen Ashrafi, nine months pregnant with her second child. Her husband, Mohammad Chowdhury, was a waiter at Windows of the World restaurant, on the top floors of Tower One. The morning of September 11, they prayed salaat-l-fajr (the pre-dawn prayer) together, and he went off to work. She never saw him again. Their son, Farqad, was born 48 hours after the attacks -- one of the first 9/11 orphans to be born. In an interview with CTV Canada, she relates that in the months to follow, she mourned for her husband and endured the hostility of some ignorant people around her. "When they saw me ... I'm wearing a scarf. There is a hate look."
Or consider Rahma Salie, a passenger on American Airlines #11 that crashed into the North Tower. Rahma, a Muslim of Sri Lankan origin, was traveling with her husband Michael (a convert to Islam) to attend a friend's wedding in California. Rahma was 7 months pregnant with their first child. According to the Independent UK (October 11, 2001), Rahma's name was initially put on an FBI watch list, because her "Muslim-sounding" name was on the passenger manifest, and her travel patterns were similar to those of the hijackers (she was a computer consultant living in Boston). Although her name was eventually removed from the list, several of her family members were barred from taking flights to her memorial service. Her mother, Haleema, said, "I would like everyone to know that she was a Muslim, she is a Muslim and we are victims too, of this tragic incident.”
This mosque issue has really spiraled out of control. What seems to have started as nothing but a minor detail has been elevated to something more meaningful by many but not in a good way. The people who are putting the mosque there seemed to have go over the top in doing so, and taken offense to the hypocritical nature of those who don't want it there. Religious tolerance should be a good thing, but people have vilified this mosque because of what some fundamentalist nuts did in the name of religion.. clearly not the same thing. On the other hand, the people who don't want the mosque there come off as intolerant and ignorant people by making assumptions the two are one in the same. Like most things of this sort, everyone loses in the end... and the hate just keeps on piling up. And in my opinion, having a mosque there now would be such a good sign to muslims all over the world that we are tolerant and do respect all peoples and religions and don't fill all those characterizations the terrorists say of us.. but unfortunately, we just keep fulfilling their generalizations.
good post five.
people fear what they don't understand. and they are often too ignorant to even try to understand.
i posted this a good while ago and for the most it was ignored,
All terrorists are Muslims except the 94% that aren't.
CNN recently published an article entitled Study: Threat of Muslim-American terrorism in U.S. exaggerated; according to a study released by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “the terrorist threat posed by radicalized Muslim-Americans has been exaggerated.”
Yet, Americans continue to live in mortal fear of radical Islam, a fear propagated and inflamed by right wing Islamophobes. If one follows the cable news networks, it seems as if all terrorists are Muslims. It has even become axiomatic in some circles to chant: “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but nearly all terrorists are Muslims.” Muslims and their “leftist dhimmi allies” respond feebly, mentioning Waco as the one counter example, unwittingly affirming the belief that “nearly all terrorists are Muslims.”
But perception is not reality. The data simply does not support such a hasty conclusion. On the FBI’s official website, there exists a chronological list of all terrorist attacks committed on U.S. soil from the year 1980 all the way to 2005. That list can be accessed here (scroll down all the way to the bottom). http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/ ... 2_2005.htm
According to this data, there were more Jewish acts of terrorism within the United States than Islamic (7% vs 6%). These radical Jews committed acts of terrorism in the name of their religion. These were not terrorists who happened to be Jews; rather, they were extremist Jews who committed acts of terrorism based on their religious passions, just like Al-Qaeda and company.
Yet notice the disparity in media coverage between the two. It would indeed be very interesting to construct a corresponding pie chart that depicted the level of media coverage of each group. The reason that Muslim apologists and their “leftist dhimmi allies” cannot recall another non-Islamic act of terrorism other than Waco is due to the fact that the media gives menial (if any) coverage to such events. If a terrorist attack does not fit the “Islam is the perennial and existential threat of our times” narrative, it is simply not paid much attention to, which in a circuitous manner reinforces and “proves” the preconceived narrative. It is to such an extent that the average American cannot remember any Jewish or Latino terrorist; why should he when he has never even heard of the Jewish Defense League or the Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros? Surely what he does not know does not exist!
The Islamophobes claim that Islam is intrinsically a terrorist religion. The proof? Well, just about every terrorist attack is Islamic, they retort. Unfortunately for them, that’s not quite true. More like six percent. Using their defunct logic, these right wingers ought now to conclude that nearly all acts of terrorism are committed by Latinos (or Jews). Let them dare say it…they couldn’t; it would be political and social suicide to say such a thing. Most Americans would shut down such talk as bigoted; yet, similar statements continue to be said of Islam, without any repercussions.
The Islamophobes live in a fantasy world where everyone is supposedly too “politically correct” to criticize Islam and Muslims. Yet, the reality is the exact opposite: you can get away with saying anything against the crescent. Can you imagine the reaction if I said that Latinos should be profiled because after all they are the ones who commit the most terrorism in the country? (For the record: I don’t believe in such profiling, because I am–unlike the right wing nutters–a believer in American ideals.)
Nobody is saying that Islamic terrorism is not a matter of concern, but it’s grossly exaggerated.
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil by Group, From 1980 to 2005, According to FBI Database
article ? does the fact that both of the authors are MUSLIMS even open your eyes.
you really do make the poorest arguments.
on that logic, i assume you are a fan of Norman Finklestein. he is a truly remarkable man. his father was a survivor of both the Warsaw Ghetto and the Auschwitz concentration camp. he fights tirelessly for Palestinian Human rights, freedom of speech and a just peace between Palestine and Israel.
or you can visit Anna's Baltzer's website. Anna is a Jewish-American activist for Palestinian human rights who has experienced the desperate situation of the Palestinians first hand.
article ? does the fact that both of the authors are MUSLIMS even open your eyes.
you really do make the poorest arguments.
on that logic, i assume you are a fan of Norman Finklestein. he is a truly remarkable man. his father was a survivor of both the Warsaw Ghetto and the Auschwitz concentration camp. he fights tirelessly for Palestinian Human rights, freedom of speech and a just peace between Palestine and Israel.
or you can visit Anna's Baltzer's website. Anna is a Jewish-American activist for Palestinian human rights who has experienced the desperate situation of the Palestinians first hand.
...
The thing is... sometimes, people's eyes ARE OPEN. But, all that doesn't matter as long as they are wearing blinders or red, white and blue colored glasses and see only the things they want to see.
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
no ones denying them the right to religious freedom. they just dont want them doing it in that neighbourhood.
i as you know dont care cause all religions are the same.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
no ones denying them the right to religious freedom. they just dont want them doing it in that neighbourhood.
nor in the rest of the country apprently
this is muslim bashing, very simple, and they think it excused because its close to ground 0. its not even at ground 0. doesn't matter because its the same across the country
no ones denying them the right to religious freedom. they just dont want them doing it in that neighbourhood.
i as you know dont care cause all religions are the same.
so if a white neighborhood protested a black family moving in, "they're not denying racial freedom, they just don't want the racial freedom in their neighborhood" would be a fine argument? do you people even understand some of the shit you spout out sometimes?
catefrances you always like to act like governments shouldn't play a role in people's choices whether it comes to gay marriage or abortion but whenever it comes to religion, which is a choice that people make to follow a certain religion whether that entails having the right to build a mosque wherever the fuck you want or having the choice to wear a burqa, for some reason you're willing to overlook it because of your personal vendetta against all religions which is just as intolerant as anything else. how hypocritical.
no ones denying them the right to religious freedom. they just dont want them doing it in that neighbourhood.
nor in the rest of the country apprently
this is muslim bashing, very simple, and they think it excused because its close to ground 0. its not even at ground 0. doesn't matter because its the same across the country
yeah i know.. i see it here too every time the muslims want to build a school. the oppositional excuse is usually something about how the roads couldnt handle the increased traffic therefore the school shouldnt be built. they never bring up something so simple as the possibility of upgrading the access road.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
no ones denying them the right to religious freedom. they just dont want them doing it in that neighbourhood.
nor in the rest of the country apprently
this is muslim bashing, very simple, and they think it excused because its close to ground 0. its not even at ground 0. doesn't matter because its the same across the country
...
If it was 4 blocks away... the arguement would be, ''It's only 4 blocks away"... if it were a mile away, it would be, "Only a mile away from 'Ground Zero'".
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
...
If it was 4 blocks away... the arguement would be, ''It's only 4 blocks away"... if it were a mile away, it would be, "Only a mile away from 'Ground Zero'".
exactly
its not even a mosque they are planning to build, its a cultural center.
yeah i know.. i see it here too every time the muslims want to build a school. the oppositional excuse is usually something about how the roads couldnt handle the increased traffic therefore the school shouldnt be built. they never bring up something so simple as the possibility of upgrading the access road.
...
If it were to hapen here... my guess... the arguement would be the school would teach hatred for America and would offer classes in Bombmaking and Anthrax Dispersal.
There are already people here that actually think Al Qaeda are having babies born here to become citizen sleeper cells... seriously... they are serious.
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
no ones denying them the right to religious freedom. they just dont want them doing it in that neighbourhood.
i as you know dont care cause all religions are the same.
so if a white neighborhood protested a black family moving in, "they're not denying racial freedom, they just don't want the racial freedom in their neighborhood" would be a fine argument? do you people even understand some of the shit you spout out sometimes?
catefrances you always like to act like governments shouldn't play a role in people's choices whether it comes to gay marriage or abortion but whenever it comes to religion, which is a choice that people make to follow a certain religion whether that entails having the right to build a mosque wherever the fuck you want or having the choice to wear a burqa, for some reason you're willing to overlook it because of your personal vendetta against all religions which is just as intolerant as anything else. how hypocritical.
amazing how commy understood my tone, and replied accordingly, but it slipped past you. perhaps i should use appropriate emoticons next time.
what is racial freedom? tis not like you can choose not to be black, or white for that matter, if you are?
youre right, i dont believe governments should play a part in peoples choices. but where have i said the government should interfere in religion? as for where to build a mosque or any place of worship, or any other building, there are zoning laws in place, which is the government, no?? im certainly not advocating the government stop a place of worship being built. im merely sharing how it doesnt matter which religion builds what, its all the same to me...cause religion, irrespective of the denomination is nothing to me. i dont support it. and i dont have to. and i def dont have to respect religion. i certainly dont need to be reverential to something i have no tolerance of. and i can share that opinion. vendettas a bit of a harsh word dont you think? please point out the hypocrisy you speak of.
Post edited by catefrances on
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
yeah i know.. i see it here too every time the muslims want to build a school. the oppositional excuse is usually something about how the roads couldnt handle the increased traffic therefore the school shouldnt be built. they never bring up something so simple as the possibility of upgrading the access road.
...
If it were to hapen here... my guess... the arguement would be the school would teach hatred for America and would offer classes in Bombmaking and Anthrax Dispersal.
There are already people here that actually think Al Qaeda are having babies born here to become citizen sleeper cells... seriously... they are serious.
sounds like you all are in deep deep trouble.
hear my name
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Comments
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
false equivalence....
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
and since when do those whose family died on 9/11 claim a moral high ground over anyone else? because when it comes to the ethical stance on this issue, it is completely unethical to prevent the building of a mosque anywhere. islam is not responsible for 9/11, crazy people are. I'm sick of these same people acting like they respect the religion too - just fucking admit that you're an intolerant bigot already.
also the muslims who wrote the article are just idiots, no different than the dumb ass mexican people the neocons found to go to townhall meetings and speak out in favor of the racist arizona law. their whole argument is flawed because it's based on a stupid assumption that the mosque was built to provoke people, when it was clearly not. and no Muslim should be forced to build a church and a synagogue in addition to a mosque, just like no christian or jew should be forced to build anything other than their own house of worship.
Who ARE you and what have you done with 5B
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
"Last year we had, you know, 52 trips that were specifically focused on promoting religious tolerance," he said.
Crowley said the imam would not be allowed to raise funds on the trip.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/11/us.ground.zero.mosque.imam/?hpt=T2
This is beyond believable!
i also think it is really funny that people that have not lost anyone they know on that terrible day seem to be the most vocal about being against the mosque....
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
So what is a building permit?
See we already have the government deciding what can be built...even when you are trying to build a deck on the back of your house.
There is a difference between Al Qaeda building a mosque near the footprint of the former World Trade Centers and a group of Muslims building a mosque... just as there is a difference between Fred Phelps building a church in your community and a group of Christians building a church.
Hail, Hail!!!
here's a big word for y'all
pluralism
Main Entry: plu·ral·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈplu̇r-ə-ˌli-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1818
1 : the holding of two or more offices or positions (as benefices) at the same time
2 : the quality or state of being plural
3 a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality b : a theory that reality is composed of a plurality of entities
4 a : a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilization b : a concept, doctrine, or policy advocating this state
Imagine being the family of Salman Hamdani. The 23-year-old New York City police cadet was a part-time ambulance driver, incoming medical student, and devout Muslim. When he disappeared on September 11, law enforcement officials came to his family, seeking him for questioning in relation to the terrorist attacks. They allegedly believed he was somehow involved. His whereabouts were undetermined for over six months, until his remains were finally identified. He was found near the North Tower, with his EMT medical bag beside him, presumably doing everything he could to help those in need. His family could finally rest, knowing that he died the hero they always knew him to be.
Or imagine being Baraheen Ashrafi, nine months pregnant with her second child. Her husband, Mohammad Chowdhury, was a waiter at Windows of the World restaurant, on the top floors of Tower One. The morning of September 11, they prayed salaat-l-fajr (the pre-dawn prayer) together, and he went off to work. She never saw him again. Their son, Farqad, was born 48 hours after the attacks -- one of the first 9/11 orphans to be born. In an interview with CTV Canada, she relates that in the months to follow, she mourned for her husband and endured the hostility of some ignorant people around her. "When they saw me ... I'm wearing a scarf. There is a hate look."
Or consider Rahma Salie, a passenger on American Airlines #11 that crashed into the North Tower. Rahma, a Muslim of Sri Lankan origin, was traveling with her husband Michael (a convert to Islam) to attend a friend's wedding in California. Rahma was 7 months pregnant with their first child. According to the Independent UK (October 11, 2001), Rahma's name was initially put on an FBI watch list, because her "Muslim-sounding" name was on the passenger manifest, and her travel patterns were similar to those of the hijackers (she was a computer consultant living in Boston). Although her name was eventually removed from the list, several of her family members were barred from taking flights to her memorial service. Her mother, Haleema, said, "I would like everyone to know that she was a Muslim, she is a Muslim and we are victims too, of this tragic incident.”
people fear what they don't understand. and they are often too ignorant to even try to understand.
All terrorists are Muslims except the 94% that aren't.
CNN recently published an article entitled Study: Threat of Muslim-American terrorism in U.S. exaggerated; according to a study released by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “the terrorist threat posed by radicalized Muslim-Americans has been exaggerated.”
Yet, Americans continue to live in mortal fear of radical Islam, a fear propagated and inflamed by right wing Islamophobes. If one follows the cable news networks, it seems as if all terrorists are Muslims. It has even become axiomatic in some circles to chant: “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but nearly all terrorists are Muslims.” Muslims and their “leftist dhimmi allies” respond feebly, mentioning Waco as the one counter example, unwittingly affirming the belief that “nearly all terrorists are Muslims.”
But perception is not reality. The data simply does not support such a hasty conclusion. On the FBI’s official website, there exists a chronological list of all terrorist attacks committed on U.S. soil from the year 1980 all the way to 2005. That list can be accessed here (scroll down all the way to the bottom).
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/ ... 2_2005.htm
According to this data, there were more Jewish acts of terrorism within the United States than Islamic (7% vs 6%). These radical Jews committed acts of terrorism in the name of their religion. These were not terrorists who happened to be Jews; rather, they were extremist Jews who committed acts of terrorism based on their religious passions, just like Al-Qaeda and company.
Yet notice the disparity in media coverage between the two. It would indeed be very interesting to construct a corresponding pie chart that depicted the level of media coverage of each group. The reason that Muslim apologists and their “leftist dhimmi allies” cannot recall another non-Islamic act of terrorism other than Waco is due to the fact that the media gives menial (if any) coverage to such events. If a terrorist attack does not fit the “Islam is the perennial and existential threat of our times” narrative, it is simply not paid much attention to, which in a circuitous manner reinforces and “proves” the preconceived narrative. It is to such an extent that the average American cannot remember any Jewish or Latino terrorist; why should he when he has never even heard of the Jewish Defense League or the Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros? Surely what he does not know does not exist!
The Islamophobes claim that Islam is intrinsically a terrorist religion. The proof? Well, just about every terrorist attack is Islamic, they retort. Unfortunately for them, that’s not quite true. More like six percent. Using their defunct logic, these right wingers ought now to conclude that nearly all acts of terrorism are committed by Latinos (or Jews). Let them dare say it…they couldn’t; it would be political and social suicide to say such a thing. Most Americans would shut down such talk as bigoted; yet, similar statements continue to be said of Islam, without any repercussions.
The Islamophobes live in a fantasy world where everyone is supposedly too “politically correct” to criticize Islam and Muslims. Yet, the reality is the exact opposite: you can get away with saying anything against the crescent. Can you imagine the reaction if I said that Latinos should be profiled because after all they are the ones who commit the most terrorism in the country? (For the record: I don’t believe in such profiling, because I am–unlike the right wing nutters–a believer in American ideals.)
Nobody is saying that Islamic terrorism is not a matter of concern, but it’s grossly exaggerated.
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil by Group, From 1980 to 2005, According to FBI Database
you really do make the poorest arguments.
on that logic, i assume you are a fan of Norman Finklestein. he is a truly remarkable man. his father was a survivor of both the Warsaw Ghetto and the Auschwitz concentration camp. he fights tirelessly for Palestinian Human rights, freedom of speech and a just peace between Palestine and Israel.
or you can visit Anna's Baltzer's website. Anna is a Jewish-American activist for Palestinian human rights who has experienced the desperate situation of the Palestinians first hand.
http://www.annainthemiddleeast.com/index.html
are YOUR eyes open?
The thing is... sometimes, people's eyes ARE OPEN. But, all that doesn't matter as long as they are wearing blinders or red, white and blue colored glasses and see only the things they want to see.
Hail, Hail!!!
anyway the mosque isn't even being built at at ground zero, its 2 blocks removed.
i as you know dont care cause all religions are the same.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
this is muslim bashing, very simple, and they think it excused because its close to ground 0. its not even at ground 0. doesn't matter because its the same across the country
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010 ... w-mosques/
catefrances you always like to act like governments shouldn't play a role in people's choices whether it comes to gay marriage or abortion but whenever it comes to religion, which is a choice that people make to follow a certain religion whether that entails having the right to build a mosque wherever the fuck you want or having the choice to wear a burqa, for some reason you're willing to overlook it because of your personal vendetta against all religions which is just as intolerant as anything else. how hypocritical.
yeah i know.. i see it here too every time the muslims want to build a school. the oppositional excuse is usually something about how the roads couldnt handle the increased traffic therefore the school shouldnt be built. they never bring up something so simple as the possibility of upgrading the access road.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
If it was 4 blocks away... the arguement would be, ''It's only 4 blocks away"... if it were a mile away, it would be, "Only a mile away from 'Ground Zero'".
Hail, Hail!!!
its not even a mosque they are planning to build, its a cultural center.
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010 ... w-mosques/
If it were to hapen here... my guess... the arguement would be the school would teach hatred for America and would offer classes in Bombmaking and Anthrax Dispersal.
There are already people here that actually think Al Qaeda are having babies born here to become citizen sleeper cells... seriously... they are serious.
Hail, Hail!!!
amazing how commy understood my tone, and replied accordingly, but it slipped past you. perhaps i should use appropriate emoticons next time.
what is racial freedom? tis not like you can choose not to be black, or white for that matter, if you are?
youre right, i dont believe governments should play a part in peoples choices. but where have i said the government should interfere in religion? as for where to build a mosque or any place of worship, or any other building, there are zoning laws in place, which is the government, no?? im certainly not advocating the government stop a place of worship being built. im merely sharing how it doesnt matter which religion builds what, its all the same to me...cause religion, irrespective of the denomination is nothing to me. i dont support it. and i dont have to. and i def dont have to respect religion. i certainly dont need to be reverential to something i have no tolerance of. and i can share that opinion. vendettas a bit of a harsh word dont you think? please point out the hypocrisy you speak of.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
sounds like you all are in deep deep trouble.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
"With our thoughts we make the world"
My guess... Jesus would forgive.
...
But... what the hell do I know... I'm not a Christian.
Hail, Hail!!!