O Vey! Who better to catch a thief than a thief? You would have Mr. Rushdie doing this?
"We cannot say what we believe, even on the Internet, because you will go to jail. No one is in a position to say what they believe. The walls have ears."
A Saudi civil servant explains why he cannot reveal his identity to a reporter, "Saudi King Tests the Winds of Reform", Anthony Shadid and Steve Coll, Washington Post, August 18, 2005
I've read some of the Muslim forums, particularly ummah.com, and it certainly is telling. The outright bigotry against "kafirs" is all over the place. And just as readily spoken are the hasty follow up posts that say "hey, don't say THAT on here, kafirs may be reading" sort of thing.
In the majority of these forums, the impression that you get is that the members have no sense of nationalism whatsoever. They call themselves Muslims first, ethnicity second, place of ancestral origin third, and where ever they happen to inhabit is considered incidental and not worthy of any notions of loyalty.
Who would want to live next to someone who's values and alligiances are alien to your won? People everywhere crave comfort and predictability. That is why they group together with like-minded people. Comfort and predictability. Inviting people in to your country who's values make you uncomfortable and who are unpredictable is a receipe for trouble, and the British are just now waking up to that truth.
- a voice of reason and moderation with a sense of irony and humor, coming from a Muslim - where there is one, there may be others - hope floats, but I wonder how many fatwas have been issued against you already?
Inviting people in to your country who's values make you uncomfortable and who are unpredictable is a receipe for trouble, and the British are just now waking up to that truth.
But is it too late? It's not just inviting people fundamentally opposed to your value system, but also loathing yourself and your culture. I see a lot of that in Britain and Europe in general.
Dear Sir;
I am 16 yrs. old. My Father caught me whistling and threatened to beat me. He said whistling is forbidden because it attracts evil spirits. Is this a parental fatwa? If I do not whistle loudly, will the spirits ignore me?
I read in the paper today that John Howard, the Australian prime minister apparently "infuriated Muslims" by saying that spies should be sent into mosques and Islamic schools to combat terrorism. Also, his education minister said that "any Muslim who did not support Australian values should 'clear off'". Why, oh why, can't the British prime minister, Tony (free holidays) Blair and his assorted pack of idiots (sorry, the Cabinet) have the guts to do the same thing! If people don't like the place they're living in, don't want to change, then get the hell out and leave the rest of us in our infidel peace!
BTW to the 16 year old whose father thinks whistling attracts evil spirits:
1) get a life and tell your father to do the same;
2) leave home and go into the real world where people don't have stupid superstitions; and
3) if you can write English that well, don't you realise that whistling is a happy thing to do, or is this yet another way of Islam ruining peoples' lives?
Grrrrr
I'll be the first to admit that I have been prejudiced against muslims after 9/11 but I can see by reading this blog and some of the others that I was wrong. Maybe because muslims don't oppose terrorism in the way we in the west think they should, we think they are not doing anything. I hope this makes sense because it does to me.
"Of course, this knife is mainly for stabbing and is not suitable or good for beheadings.”...“As far as beheadings are concerned, we ask our brothers to seek Abu Musab’s advice on this issue as he has more experience in this.”
The thing about the War On Terror is that the good guys get their enemies right out of Central Casting as I pointed out last year.
At this point, the Jihadists leave no room for being parodied. What would could a comedian make up to mock the terrorists that is more outrageous than the quote above?
As for villifying them, they kidnap retarded children and force them to be suicide bombers, they send new recruits to their own cause as unwitting suicide bombers, they target Water System employees as collaborators with occupiers, and blow-up power generators as tools of the Infidel. There's nowhere to go after that.
I know this blog is not designed to be a dumping ground on Islam, but I do have to wonder why the rich Saudi royals are not giving more money to the hungry muslims in Africa? If they can build huge, complex oil refineries they should be able to devise a means of getting food and medicine to hungry Africans. Doesn't the Quran say the poor and hungry are supposed to be looked after?
Btw, I'm not a "follower" of Pat Robertson, so I wouldn't do what he said anyway, but....
1) he didn't call for his followers to assassinate Chavez, he said his government *should* do it. That's not a fatwa, that's punditry.
2) I *think* he qualifies as a "preacher" far less than Rev. Jesse Jackson who has also never been a minister of a congregation, since AFAIK doesn't even use the title "Rev." He's just a broadcaster.
Millions of Muslims have moved west. Only someone with a death wish would move the other way. So,that leaves the guy who hasn't seen his wifes face in 30 years feeling perfectly normal. People see nothing wrong about enforcing their neighbors piety. Conformity to Islam is all that matters. No room for change. No room for different views. In a world moving at the speed of light,Arab countries are stuck in the mud. Stuck in Islam....
I do have to wonder why the rich Saudi royals are not giving more money to the hungry muslims in Africa?
Forget Africa... The Saudis could have built a decent Palestinian country decades ago. They choose to allow fellow muslims to live in squalor.
Thank you for a great piece of comment on Bunglawala. Why oh why can't the government see the MCB for the hotbed of radicalism it has become?
The principle of the MCB is great; its implementation has been deeply flawed.
http://mcbwatch.blogspot.com/
Jack,
You swing too far in one way to another. Alhamedi is not the norm, neither the Islamic fanatics but I think the fanatics outnumber people like Alhamedi. The bulk of the Muslim population is passive and is straightjacketed by their religious practice and/or violence against them by their own people. This is also a war between peole like Alhamedi and the fanatics. One is to cure the cancer within its body and the other spreads the cancer.
I think it is the other way around Lanny. The majority of Muslims are like Al Hamedi, but you are write in the statement that they are passive. This is a war of moderates against extremists, and as of yet most of the moderates havent even started off for the battlefield yet.
MCB Watch, how many Muslims do you have in your organisation?
He may be in the minority but not the extreme minority. Most humans only really want peace and quiet, a bit of Justice, to make a half ways decent living and give their children a better life than they had. I don't know the true impact of the imams that preach peace and not violence. How many are affected by that? Muslims with moderate and reasonable leanings, even though they may not be able to speak out, would have to be somewhat skeptical of America where the laws of God are not allowed to be posted in government offices. I can see how moderate muslims would have a bit of concern about America maybe wanting to extinguish all religion and not just Christianity.
Jack,
In this age of globalism,we're finding out Islam simply isn't compatable with a secular world. It's a Muslim's duty to admonish family and associates who aren't pious enough. If you don't like people drinking,just burn down the liquor stores. That doesn't sit well with most folks in the west.
1/3 of British Muslims seek to destroy western society according to a poll done after 7/7. So,does western society defend itself,or just keep playing politics until it's too late? If the west is to avoid destruction,many Muslims will have to be imprisoned or deported. Up to 1/3 in fact. Fat chance....
Forget Africa, forget Palestine - the Sauds could have built a proper Arabia.
I've just learned, through another blog, that you are 'back in business' and that that you are now UK-based.
Frankly your common-sense has been much missed these past months.
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Britain - I hope that your stay here, however long it is, will be happy, peaceful and prosperous.
As they say:
baytee baytak.
Kind regards, and welcome back to blogging 
My own ethnicity (romanian) has very poor representation in the US. I do not trust anybody making claims to represent romanian-americans to do an even adequate job of the task. As a consequence, perhaps 0.5% of my "off" time (when I'm not caring for my family or working) goes toward the problem and coming up with solutions so that my children will not be as embarrassed as I am today when they become adults a couple of decades from now.
If the Muslim Council of Britain provides such poor representation, I would suggest that muslims have an identical obligation to replace them with somebody better.
A side note about Pat Robertson. After seeing a really awful, distorted picture of him on Drudge, I wondered about his age. A little bit of googling turns up the fact that the man's 75. Robertson founded his own broadcast network (CBN), on which the 700 club airs (and has been airing since 1966 when it was broadcast in black and white).
I don't believe that there is anybody there to pull the plug and tell him, "sorry Pat, it's time to go before you ruin what you've built". It's a very sad when you see somebody go downhill like that and nobody is willing to pull them aside and save their reputation as the mind goes.
Robertson has been saying stupid crap for a long time. He should have been on the Jerry Springer show more than once. Sadly, his followers are a voting block of conspicuous power.
A great post. But you write in such an English way, I find it very difficult to believe that you are from Saudi Arabia.
Thanks, Indcoup, suggest you look back at my FAQ.
Can sound like many Arab speaking English easy, no problem, just miss out articles, no tenses, but what point?
Fisal: many thanks for giving us the www.ummah.com site - I spent a very interesting hour going through it yesterday afternoon, and my head's still reeling from it - I can't believe we all live on the same planet! One thread that is very telling is where a guy is walking in a park (sounds like Hyde Park close to where I live, actually!) and he was averting his eyes from a couple roller-blading in "scanty" dress, promptly headbutted a lampost, was helped up by a bare-chested male jogger, and fled home to get away from the "filthy" environment! Another thread is about a Pakistani husband being shocked by the sight of little old ladies showing their ankles!
At what point does modesty turn into paranoia?
Yes, it does seem like some of those posters are from another planet. The sad things is there are also moderate Muslims on there who have a real understanding of the prevailing attitudes of our time and adjust their beliefs & values accordingly. Unfortunately they are derided and beaten down by the majority of other posters who have the backing of Koranic verses, hadiths & scholarly evidence to justify their bigotry and hatred, and accuse them of shirk (prohibited diviation). How can they win?
For a brief time, Muslims did indeed have an elightend culture. Then some Muslim mother in the middle ages had an unfortunate bowel movement and accidentally spawned satan's kid, Ibn Taymiyya. Millions have paid with their lives for that one.
Thanks to that first little psycho we got his little demon spawn, Ibn Wahhab and Sayed Qutb, and Islam has been a danger to itself and others ever since.
Indcoup, my wife is from Saudi Arabia, but has most of her education here in the USA. You would NEVER know she was from Saudi Arabia as she has no accent in her English. She gives it away from time to time and lets us know that English wasnt her first language when she will absent mindedly put together words as if she is directly translating from Arabic to English, like when she says "Close the lights" or asks me to "higher the volume" which are exactly how those phrases would be put together in Arabic. But this is only spoken, she would never make such a mistake in writing.
Oh, and I guess when the kids get her really upset she "scolds" them in Arabic. lol
Jeeze Mr. Springer didn't you claim on another blog you wife was from Pakistan, or was that Yemen. Or some combo of the two? Wasn't she born in Pakistan, from Saudi Parents of Yemeni decent? Didn't you also say you wife only spent about 5 years of her whole life in Saudi? Just curious as to what story your spinning out this week Mr.Marc Springer. We wouldn't want anyone to get an unfair and biased view of you now would we? The truth is what you hold dear right? Or have you been dipping into the Qat leaves again?
"Haha", get the sponge from between your ears. Following me as you do I would think that you would take better notes. My wife's father worked for the Saudi government. Her parents were stationed in Karachi at the time of her birth. I have three other sister in laws all born in different countries. Isnt that on your database of "Information about Malik"?
Like many Saudis her father's family originally came from Yemen. If you had half a brain or any real interest or knowledge about the Middle East I wouldn't have to explain this stuff to you and you wouldn't find it so incredible, it is actually very common. Why bin Laden's family is originally from Yemen. Your real interest is following me around the net. You never contribute anything to any post other than to attack me. I dont mind, you are the one that looks the coward for never identifying yourself.
I suggest you take better notes or spend more time trolling for information about me on the internet. You have YET to reveal ONE thing that is not already on the internet, put there by myself.
Keep trying looser.
ADC Inmate Number: 085652
Shall I post your DOB and SS#?
Paranoia from Marc - not a surprise.
Ahh yes, Ali H you are Sooooo right. Well said. If you are living the UK please stand for parliment. I'd ceertainly vote for you.
Man,
Good to see you back - waited a long time.
Now I check - wow, like you never went away..... :c)
Fud.
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