“We support the right of our Muslim brothers who wish to build that center there,” said Imam Al Amin Abdul Latif, president of the Majlis Ash-Shura [an Islamic leadership council that represents a broad spectrum of Muslims in NYC]. “However, the bigger issue and the broader issue is the issue of ethnic and religious hatred being spread by groups trying to stop the building of mosques and Islamic institutions across the country.”
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/beliefnet/muslim-groups-protest-hostile-atmosphere-20100901
Don’t fall for it – they’re trying to pull a fast one!
When you hear a Muslim leader say something like this, red lights and buzzers should go off. This is a tactic, a ploy, a device to suppress criticism. See it. Identify it, don’t fall for it.
Why are they using this tactic? Because the building of mosques and Islamic institutions across the country is a key, central strategy of a considered, deliberate plan to erode the American culture and replace it with Islam. In order to achieve that goal, it is important to suppress all resistance and slowly, persistently push forward.
You may not be at war with Islam, but Islam is at war with you. Watch your back.
If you pay attention, you will see this tactic used over and over again by followers of Islam: take a negative attribute of Islam, and then loudly accuse others of that very thing.
For example, the Koran calls Jewish people “Apes and Pigs”. Let me ask you, doesn’t that sound like ethnic hatred to you? So, to draw attention away from its own views, some Muslims accuse other people, non-Muslims, of showing ethnic hatred. It’s brazen, it’s bold and it works, especially on nice people. They quickly get intimidated and decide maybe it’s best to say nothing at all.
Or you will hear Muslims say, “Prayer is better than hate” then they teach their children to hate others in their house of prayer. (but it’s OK in that case, because they are teaching kids to hate NON-Muslims, who are evil and worthy of destruction)
Or, here’s another example of “say one thing, do another”: Muslims talk about tolerance and respect for other religions, but all around the globe different Muslim groups have gotten together and burned down churches and synagogues – often with people in them.
Sure sounds like religious hatred to me. Well, the tactic Islam uses when it is accused of spreading religious hatred is to turn around and point at anyone who objects to their offensive, hate-filled ideology, to accuse them of spreading religious hatred.
Here’s an even better strategy: build mosques all over the country in order to train Muslim children to be “true Muslims”, to hate Jews and infidels. Then, when anyone says, “No, we don’t want that poison in our neighborhood” accuse those concerned citizens of spreading religious hatred.
Works like a charm.
But let’s get this straight:
Things I do NOT hate:
- People who speak a different language
- People who wear clothing that looks strange to me
- People who have customs that are very different from mine
- People who have beliefs about God (or no God) that are different from mine
- People who come to the United States because they love America and want to be a part of it badly enough that they jump through all the hoops it takes to become a citizen
- People who eat different kinds of food than what I like
- People who come from different countries
- People who have 4 wives
- People who have different views on sexuality than mine.
I have no problem with any of these. Now, here are some things that I really do have trouble with:
Things I DO hate:
- When someone mistakenly believes that they are superior and then bullies and intimidates others
- When someone not only thinks their way is the only right way, but they teach that anyone who believes otherwise is committing a crime against God and should be punished or killed.
- When someone treats women like property
- When someone throws acid on girls for going to school
- When someone kills their own child for breaking a religious rule
- When someone lies to people and justifies it by saying God is on their side, that it is OK to deceive anyone who is not in the club
- When someone cuts off another person’s hand for stealing
- When someone publicly whips a person for breaking a rule
- When people are killed by having stones thrown at them until they die because they broke a rule about sex or marriage
- When someone says one thing publicly to make people think they are kind and tolerant, but then says something completely different when they think no outsiders are listening
- When someone chooses to follow the example of a violent man
- When someone treats anyone who disagrees with them as sub-human, or says that person should be killed
- When someone takes advantage of the generosity and openness of others and uses it against them to gain their own advantage
- When someone tries to impose their viewpoint on others
- When someone hides facts about themselves in order to deceive others and get what they want.
Notice the difference? I don’t hate people. I hate certain actions, I hate certain behaviors.
I don’t hate Muslims. I do totally reject Islam, though, because I think it spreads ethnic and religious hatred. I think it is intolerant but intentionally deceives people into thinking it is harmless – until it is too late.
Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Blah, Blah, Blah…
I don’t have a phobia about Islam or about other cultures. I find what Islam teaches to be repugnant – that’s not the same thing as having a phobia. It’s not a phobia if something truly is dangerous. Islam promotes revenge and violence. I prefer forgiveness and redemption (which is not the same as being a doormat. Personal responsibility is key, holding people accountable for bad actions is important.)
Yes, there are many good things about Islam – but they are reserved for Muslims. Unless you buy in to the whole package, you get treated like a second-class citizen, or like cattle to be slaughtered (read up on what life is like for a dhimmi).
I have a problem with that.
It offends me.
Someone call the ACLU, get me a lawyer…
This is not “I must defend Christianity against the Muslim Horde”
A common ploy is for Muslims to play the “Crusader Card”, as if Christianity is the exact same kind of monstrous, toxic system as Islam. This essay is not about defending Christianity – there is a long, long list of things to criticize about Christianity. But Southern Baptists do not cut off the heads of someone who dares insult the Baptists. Lutherans do not wear bomb vests to Potluck dinners.
Yes, I think there are good things about Bible-believing people: the high value that people who follow Jesus place on loving others, on forgiving others, on telling the truth, (even to those who don’t believe in their God) on being kind to everyone, on serving others and treating them as more important than themselves, on taking care of and protecting the weak and defenseless.
(Liberals who get their undies in a bunch over Christian views on abortion and homosexuality conveniently gloss over these positive aspects of conservative Church Folk.)
But this is not about promoting Christianity – there are plenty of other good values in other religions as well. Katagiri Roshi ( a Buddhist) said,
“Our goal is to have a kind consideration for all sentient beings every moment forever.”
I’ll gladly follow that kind of principle, it’s a truly worthy principle, I don’t care what temple it’s taught at or what kind of clothes they wear or what language they speak.
Or Judaism. Yeah, sure, follow the 10 Commandments, but we’re not going to say, “If you don’t follow these we’ll beat you to death and take your house.”
Or set aside the major religions, consider for example what has been presented as the Native American 10 Commandments:
1. The Earth is our Mother, care for her
2. Honor all your relatives
3. Open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit
4. All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect
5. Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more
6. Do what needs to be done for the good of all.
7. Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each new day
8. Speak the truth; but only of the good in others
9. Follow the rhythms of nature; rise and retire with the sun
10. Enjoy life’s journey, but leave no tracks
Or even atheists. I’ll bet atheists could come up with a good list, too, including values like thinking for yourself, not accepting what others say blindly, looking for evidence before making conclusions, being honest with yourself about what you really know and what you don’t know.
The fact is, no matter how persuasively any preacher or priest or priestess teaches “the Truth” we don’t really know. I don’t care which holy book you have on your shelf, you don’t really know.
Or, forget all the holy books for a moment.
Our society needs atheists. Clear-thinking, rational, articulate atheists to point out flaws in religious thinking and organizations. Legitimate criticism makes us stronger.
That is not a value that Islam cherishes. Criticism is to be squelched, punished, stomped out.
I have a problem with that.
Play Nice or Stay Away
The refusal to listen to or allow criticism not only offends me, I think it is foolish and dangerous. Islam needs to learn from others in the world, but it is too proud and unwilling to learn.
So, they should go their room until they can learn to play nice. It’s not that complicated, really.
You see, the crucial thing is not the religious teachings or the scriptures – it’s not the words. It’s the actions. It is the that actions count. I don’t care how lofty your words sound if you beat your wife. I don’t care how poetic your words about tolerance are if call for someone’s head to be cut off because they insulted your religion.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/04/3002511.htm
What if all the Religions are Wrong?
What if all religion falls squarely in the realm of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy? Even if these Jesus followers are completely deluded, and Jesus is completely imaginary, so what? If they walk around the planet loving others, forgiving people who hurt or offend them, give generously and live their lives with honesty and kindness towards everyone, then I’m all for it.
If atheists insist there is no God at all but find their own reasons to treat others with respect and kindness, I’m all for it.
What about the actions of Islam? Islam does not have a good track record. If Islam could remove or ignore or repudiate those parts of its ideology that are violent, vengeful, hateful and abusive, there is plenty there that most societies would have no trouble with.
The problem is, all that bad crud is in the book, and Muslims are very attached to that book. No way they’re going to tear out any pages or disregard any passages as “not true”. They are committed to saying the whole thing is true and living that way.
Because of this, I don’t see much hope of it changing. Any time a Muslim tries to make a reasonable change, they are accused of being a heretic and threatened with death – or actually killed. If Islam could change, if it could fit in with the civilized world, I would have no objections. From all evidence however, it is not going to change – so I do not want it anywhere near me or my family or my country.
I will still be kind to Muslim people. I will treat them with respect purely on the basis of them being a fellow human on this strange, difficult planet.
I’ll criticize the Islamic system, but I’m not going to be rude or unkind to a Muslim. This is what they grew up with. It’s up to the rest of us to show them a better way – if they’re willing to learn.
Even as toxic as it appears to me, I would never think of saying we should stomp Islam out or exterminate it. Just, please, take it back to your home country. We don’t want it here. If you’re willing to fit in, you are welcome to stay. If you are going to be rude and pushy, please leave. We’re not going after you, no one is going to exterminate you, we just don’t care to have you in our society.
We tried being nice and you didn’t take the hint. So, GO. Now.
Not because of us, but because of you and your choices and your toxic values. If that changes, let us know (better yet, show us by building some churches and synagogues in Mecca) and it will be interesting to have you in our great big melting pot of a country.
So, bottom line: don’t give me this crap about Americans who dare to criticize Islam being bigots who are spreading ethnic and religious hatred. If you want to point out those who are spreading ethnic and religious hatred, the biggest culprit on the planet in that regard is Islam – we have seen it over and over in the actions of “true Muslims” – and I find the brazen, arrogant, insulting accusations, the slanderous lies, spoken against concerned Americans (who value religious freedom and mutual respect) to be extremely offensive.
And yet it would never occur to me to stand up in a church and say those people should have their heads cut off.
Guess I wouldn’t make a very good Muslim.