Islam is "The Truth"

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:50 pm

Kasey Chang wrote:Remember, religion, at its very heart, is a mind-control mechanism.

Who's controlling your mind because I can't believe you willingly wrote something that stupid.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:31 pm

Scientology.

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 11:15 pm

In other news, our very own Dear Leader decided to watch football instead of go to the Paris anti terror rally with 40 other world leaders. He gave the VP the day off to. Oh.. And Kerry wasn't there either. Oh, and Holder skipped out of town before the rally too.

Maybe they had football and funding of Muslim Brotherhood to do instead?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 11:47 pm

I expect a Senate hearing on the Dez Bryant incompletion.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:17 am

Is it customary for American Presidents to participate in a rally? Summits, sure. International Conferences? Absolutely. But a rally? Is there some type of precedent I'm missing here? I can only imagine what the running commentary would have been if he did attend.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:33 am

Smoove_B wrote:Is it customary for American Presidents to participate in a rally? Summits, sure. International Conferences? Absolutely. But a rally? Is there some type of precedent I'm missing here? I can only imagine what the running commentary would have been if he did attend.

I don't think people expected Obama to be there as much as they expected top level American representation. When that many countries have top leaders attend to show solidarity for a cause that we are supposed to be a leading force in and we don't it is a huge missed opportunity.

Perhaps it is a tell that freedom of speech really isn't all that important to us? We did after all call on people to self moderate themselves and avoid insulting Islam.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:14 am

Did you just call msduncan a non-human? If so, bravo.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:40 am

New MO emerging for Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria: young girl "suicide" bombers.

Telegraph wrote:Two suspected child suicide bombers blew themselves up in a market in north-east Nigeria on Sunday, witnesses said, killing three people in the second apparent attack in two days using young girls strapped with explosives.

The blasts struck around mid-afternoon at an open market selling mobile phones in the town of Potiskum in Yobe state, which has frequently been attacked by the jihadist group Boko Haram.

A trader at the market, Sani Abdu Potiskum, said the bombers were about 10 years old. "I saw their dead bodies. They are two young girls of about 10 years of age ... you only see the plaited hair and part of the upper torso," the trader said.

IIRC, Boko Haram are the same ones who kidnapped 300 girls from a school.

And from December:

A 13-year-old says her father gave her to Boko Haram extremists and that she was arrested after refusing to explode a suicide bomb in Kano, Nigeria's second largest city in the north.

Nigeria has suffered numerous suicide bombings in recent months carried out by girls and young women. That has raised fears that the insurgents are using kidnapped girls.

The girl told a news conference on Wednesday night that she saw many people being buried alive at the Boko Haram camp where her father took her in Bauchi state, east of Kano.

She said her captors asked if she wanted to go to paradise and, when she said yes, explained she would have to be a suicide bomber.

"When I was told I would have to die to enter paradise, that I would have to explode a bomb and die, I said I cannot do it," she said.

When they threatened to kill her, she allowed them to strap her into a vest primed with explosives, saying: "I was afraid to be buried alive."

I can somewhat understand binders that allow someone to commit desperate acts in the name of "freedom fighting" but forcing kids to blow themselves up is far, far beyond the pale.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 12:26 pm

US had a presence at the rally:

"This is sort of quibbling a little bit in the sense that our assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was there and marched, our ambassador was there and marched, many people from the embassy were there and marched."

Kerry made his comments from India, where he was attending an entrepreneurship summit with new Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- with whom the United States is hoping to develop much closer trade ties.

"I've been here in India for a prior planned event, would've personally very much wanted to have been there (in France) but couldn't do so because of the commitment that I had here," Kerry said. "But that is why I am going there on the way home, to make it crystal clear how passionately we feel about the events that have taken place there."

Kerry expects to leave on Thursday and arrive in France on Friday.

French President François Hollande's office also defended Obama. A senior official told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the U.S. president has been "very present" since the attacks, noting that he was one of the first leaders to call Hollande last Wednesday.

Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris attending a security summit on combating terrorism. He recorded interviews that appeared on several U.S. news outlets Sunday, but was not spotted at the unity march.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:11 pm

Clearly the US is no longer the beacon of free speech that Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority - all of whom did send representatives to the rally - are.

I thin the issue was, IIUC, that Holder was sent to Paris to go to the Rally (as well as a conference on terrorism), but he didn't end up attending the rally (don't know why, though)

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:47 pm

Defiant wrote:Clearly the US is no longer the beacon of free speech that Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority - all of whom did send representatives to the rally - are.

I thin the issue was, IIUC, that Holder was sent to Paris to go to the Rally (as well as a conference on terrorism), but he didn't end up attending the rally (don't know why, though)

They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.

Leading from behind is what we do these days....well unless....

We only do that to mourn the death of a crook that tried to kill a cop.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:50 pm

Rip wrote:
Defiant wrote:Clearly the US is no longer the beacon of free speech that Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian Authority - all of whom did send representatives to the rally - are.

I thin the issue was, IIUC, that Holder was sent to Paris to go to the Rally (as well as a conference on terrorism), but he didn't end up attending the rally (don't know why, though)
They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.

Leading from behind is what we do these days....well unless....

We only do that to mourn the death of a crook that tried to kill a cop.

How is that more impressive, and how is he risking his life? The whole point of being a King is that you can do what you want, even if it's hypocritical or what have you. Kim Jong Un could've showed up too, but he wouldn't have been putting anything at risk either.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:00 pm

Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more hypocritical that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings.

Fixed that for you.

It is true that the King of Jordan has and does risk his life in being a moderate, but to the extent that his life is at risk, going to an international rally of support for a massacre is a very, very small part of it.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:01 pm

msduncan wrote: Maybe they had football and funding of Muslim Brotherhood to do instead?

Was that what the 2016 hopefuls were up to?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:03 pm

[W]e should have sent someone with a higher profile.

In a rare admission, the White House today said it made a mistake in not sending a higher-level official to represent the U.S. at the unity rally in Paris on Sunday, in the wake of last week’s terror attacks.

“I think it’s fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:06 pm

Defiant wrote:
Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more hypocritical that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings.
Fixed that for you.

It is true that the King of Jordan has and does risk his life in being a moderate, but to the extent that his life is at risk, going to an international rally of support for a massacre is a very, very small part of it.

He isn't so much at risk AT the event but for someone who maintains power by not much more than a thread to come up forcefully supporting a concept that many.....many of his subjects do not is an action that could very possibly lead to his overthrow.

But he was just an example. Numerous public figures took a lot of risk not just to march but to come out strongly in support of free speech even when that speech might be offensive, even offensive to ones own religion. That isn't a stand the world is familiar with seeing from many of them.

They seized the moment........we did not.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:09 pm

Rip wrote: But he was just an example. Numerous public figures took a lot of risk not just to march but to come out strongly in support of free speech even when that speech might be offensive, even offensive to ones own religion. That isn't a stand the world is familiar with seeing from many of them.

Thats OK, they can just prevent their state newspapers from reporting on it. Who'll know or say differently?

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:10 pm

Rip wrote:
Defiant wrote:
Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more hypocritical that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings.
Fixed that for you.

It is true that the King of Jordan has and does risk his life in being a moderate, but to the extent that his life is at risk, going to an international rally of support for a massacre is a very, very small part of it.

He isn't so much at risk AT the event but for someone who maintains power by not much more than a thread to come up forcefully supporting a concept that many.....many of his subjects do not is an action that could very possibly lead to his overthrow.

Not really. Essentially every dictator has to maintain some pretense of democratic norms, which means you can dig up quotes from any dictator supporting free speech, open elections, etc. It's not like Putin says "oh yeah, if you criticize me I'll totally throw your ass in jail." But the citizens know the deal, so it's very easy for the dictator to say whatever he wants while the police, army, and secret police keep the citizens in line.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:15 pm

El Guapo wrote: The whole point of being a King is that you can do what you want, even if it's hypocritical or what have you.

Apart from, you know, coups and assassinations - like his great grandfather fell victim to.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:21 pm

Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.

The King of Jodan isn't risking his life any more than any other world leader travelling abroad does. You make it seem like these are reclusive despots who never venture outside their small circles of influence. Abdullah II went to middle and high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was on Star Trek Voyager, for fucks sake. But yeah, he's flying on his exotic magic carpet to risk life and limb in the world of the infidels.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:27 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:
Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.
The King of Jodan isn't risking his life any more than any other world leader travelling abroad does. You make it seem like these are reclusive despots who never venture outside their small circles of influence. Abdullah II went to middle and high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was on Star Trek Voyager, for fucks sake. But yeah, he's flying on his exotic magic carpet to risk life and limb in the world of the infidels.

Again, I am not talking about danger AT the event. I am speaking of a brave position that may not be supported by a majority of his people.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:29 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:
Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.
The King of Jodan isn't risking his life any more than any other world leader travelling abroad does. You make it seem like these are reclusive despots who never venture outside their small circles of influence. Abdullah II went to middle and high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was on Star Trek Voyager, for fucks sake. But yeah, he's flying on his exotic magic carpet to risk life and limb in the world of the infidels.

I would think he's probably more at risk than most because he's a relatively moderate leader in that part of the world (I know there were a number of attempts on his father's life, though I don't know if there have been attempts on his son, though I know there were big protests and the beginning of fears he would be overthrown during the height of the arab spring).

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 5:34 pm

Rip wrote:
LawBeefaroni wrote:
Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.
The King of Jodan isn't risking his life any more than any other world leader travelling abroad does. You make it seem like these are reclusive despots who never venture outside their small circles of influence. Abdullah II went to middle and high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was on Star Trek Voyager, for fucks sake. But yeah, he's flying on his exotic magic carpet to risk life and limb in the world of the infidels.
Again, I am not talking about danger AT the event. I am speaking of a brave position that may not be supported by a majority of his people.

Again, a guy who was educated in the US, loves Western culture, has had meetings with Popes, who was on the worst Star Trek series ever and yet still enjoys support at home. I don't think Jordanians are quite who you think they are.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:58 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote:
Rip wrote:
LawBeefaroni wrote:
Rip wrote: They may not be beacons of free speech but that just makes it even more impressive that they and places like Jordan made high profile showings. It takes balls for the likes of the King of Jordan to be there and march against these acts. He risks his life and we won't even make a small political risk.
The King of Jodan isn't risking his life any more than any other world leader travelling abroad does. You make it seem like these are reclusive despots who never venture outside their small circles of influence. Abdullah II went to middle and high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was on Star Trek Voyager, for fucks sake. But yeah, he's flying on his exotic magic carpet to risk life and limb in the world of the infidels.
Again, I am not talking about danger AT the event. I am speaking of a brave position that may not be supported by a majority of his people.
Again, a guy who was educated in the US, loves Western culture, has had meetings with Popes, who was on the worst Star Trek series ever and yet still enjoys support at home. I don't think Jordanians are quite who you think they are.

This is an interesting profile of the man. He seems to have a very clear grasp of the threats to his power -- on the one hand, the Muslim Brotherhood, and on the other hand, conservatives who oppose his political reforms.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:12 pm

Moliere wrote:The first 50 of 1000 lashes are to be administered today against a blogger for insulting Islam.

A Saudi blogger who was sentenced last May to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes will be publicly flogged for the first time after Friday prayers outside a mosque in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, according to a person close to his case.

Raif Badawi was sentenced on charges related to accusations that he insulted Islam on a liberal online forum he had created. He was also ordered by the Jeddah criminal court to pay a fine of 1m Saudi riyals, or about $266,000.

50 down, 950 to go. The flogging seems to be about 75% ritual/public humiliation and 25% meant to inflict actual pain. But let's not forget this is a state sanctioned punishment for expressing an opinion.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:49 pm

Weird, the article I just read said the flogging had been postponed because his wounds hadn't healed from the previous round of flogging, but your article says they just started

So with absolutely no link to back me up, his flogging has been postponed due to medical reasons.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Jan 16, 2015 4:31 pm

GreenGoo wrote:So with absolutely no link to back me up, his flogging has been postponed due to medical reasons.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi’s case referred to supreme court, says his wife

The wife of the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for criticising leading clerics, says King Abdullah has referred his case to the supreme court amid an international clamour over his flogging.

Ensaf Haidar, who lives in Canada with the couple’s three children, told the BBC the decision had raised hopes that the authorities wanted to end her husband’s punishment. But there has been no official statement from the Saudi government.

The authorities had already postponed Badawi’s flogging on medical grounds after a doctor said wounds from a previous lashing had not healed. Campaigners said the move exposed the “outrageous inhumanity” of his punishment.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 4:55 pm

Would you offer to take 100 lashes in place of the blogger?

We were pleased to see officials representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participating in the recent March in Paris to
protest the brutal murders committed in the name of Islam at the Hyper Cacher market and the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
...
And yet, we note with sorrow that in the Kingdom itself Raif Badawi stands condemned under rules that flagrantly violate
these human rights and civil liberties and is being subjected to an unspeakably cruel punishment of 1000 lashes.
...
We therefore make the following request. If your government will not remit the
punishment of Raif Badawi, we respectfully ask that you permit each of us to take 100 of the lashes that would be given to
him. We would rather share in his victimization than stand by and watch him being cruelly tortured. If your government does
not see fit to stop this from happening, we are prepared to present ourselves to receive our share of Mr. Badawi’s unjust
punishment.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 2:56 pm

Sam Harris On Charlie Hebdo (and Islam)

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:56 am

US-Bangladesh blogger Avijit Roy hacked to death

Avijit Roy, an atheist who advocated secularism, was attacked in Dhaka as he walked back from a book fair with his wife, who was hurt in the attack.

No-one has been arrested but police say they are investigating a local Islamist group that praised the killing.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:01 pm

Egyptian judge rules Hamas to be a "Terrorist Group":

Saturday's ruling comes just days after Egypt adopted a new anti-terrorism law allowing the authorities to close the premises of any declared "terrorist" organisation, and to freeze its assets as well as those of its members.

The relationship between Egypt's authorities and Hamas has soured since the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Hamas is an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt also banned after the military coup in 2013.

Since then, Egyptian authorities have accused Hamas of aiding armed groups, who have waged a string of deadly attacks on security forces in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

In January, an Egyptian court also declared Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades a "terrorist" group.

Good.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:19 pm

Moliere wrote:US-Bangladesh blogger Avijit Roy hacked to death

Avijit Roy, an atheist who advocated secularism, was attacked in Dhaka as he walked back from a book fair with his wife, who was hurt in the attack.

No-one has been arrested but police say they are investigating a local Islamist group that praised the killing.

Terrible.

My wife works with someone who knew Roy and his family well.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:17 pm

Dakota Johnson had a SNL skit where they parody the Toyota ad... where she goes off to join ISIS

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:36 pm

Kasey Chang wrote:Dakota Johnson had a SNL skit where they parody the Toyota ad... where she goes off to join ISIS

I heard the skit on the radio this morning. I couldn't even imagine the person who finds the funny there. I wasn't offended but I saw no point and no punch line. I'm old. I also have no idea who Dakota Johnson is so I'm old times two.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:38 pm

It was rather unfunny. But the outrage is a bit ridiculous considering that those who are expressing it are most likely doing so while wearing a Je Suis Charlie t-shirt.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:39 pm

LordMortis wrote:I also have no idea who Dakota Johnson is so I'm old times two.

She was born in the year that my sister graduated high school. And she's the female lead in 50 Shades of Grey.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:40 pm

So in short, there's no sane reason LM should know who she is.

I read thesuperficial.com because the writer is actually pretty damn funny, so I unfortunately am aware of these people most of the time.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 5:16 pm

Islam is full of bad apples:

Muslims can be divided into three categories, she argues in “Heretic”: The militant extremists, the reformers and those who make up what she believes is the largest group — those who practice their religion in their own way without challenging its more brutal aspects.

She refuses to label this last group, “moderates,” although that’s what we’ve generally come to refer to them as.

“I’ve never believed in the word,” Ali says. “It’s totally useless. I think we’re in a time now where we demand answers from Muslims and say, ‘Whose side are you on?’ ”

I was having a discussion with Mrs Kub and her mom about Martin Luther (well, Lutherans, but we went back to the beginning), and this strikes me as probably true of all Hierarchical Religions which use Political power at some point.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:29 pm