The All Cultures are Equal Files
"When I take the Metro, wearing tight jeans... I get really aroused. What should I do?"
By streiff Posted in Culture — Comments (22) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
If you answered "remove your clitoris" to this question, then you should probably move to Egypt.
Once one gets past the Monty-Pythonesque quality of this discussion it is frankly terrifying on a couple of levels.
First and foremost, the practice of female genital mutilation is nothing short of an atrocity and any society or religion that countenances its practice is not worthy of survival.
Secondly, the way in which the balding toad casually lies about the ability of a girl to refuse the procedure is nothing short of mindbending. In a society where a woman is one step removed from chattel (whether above or below will be strictly in the eye of the beholder) the idea that she can refuse this rank butchery when she can’t leave the house without her father’s permission is just ludicrous.
When I take the Metro, wearing tight jeans... I get really aroused. What should I do?
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Interviewer: Is the girl asked whether she wants to be circumcised or not?
Dr. Muhammad Wahdan: No. We ask the doctor, who makes the decision.
Dr. Malika Zarrar: God help us.
Interviewer: So what about the girl's opinion?
Dr. Muhammad Wahdan: What do you mean?
Indeed.
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[F]or by the fundamental law of Nature, man being to be preserved as much as possible, when all cannot be preserved, the safety of the innocent is to be preferred...
-John Locke
Now remember, we're supposed to be tolerant of other people's cultures. In fact, we are to *ebrace* their cultures and celibrate our diversity (you bigot).
P.S. Breaking News: N.O.W. spokesperson to condemn atrocities against women in the Middle East... uh... nevermind....
malcontents with the true religion of Islam.
And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is radical Islam; the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology of terror and death.
Whatever it's called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam. This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent political vision: the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom.
These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Jews and Hindus and also against Muslims from other traditions that they regard as heretics.
The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.
The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war.
When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race -- out of every race.
America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.
hank you very much, sir. It's good to be with you again. And it is my honor to visit the Islamic Center of Washington once again.
For half a century, this beautiful mosque has served as a place of worship for Muslims and has helped to advance understanding between people of different faiths. Millions of our fellow Americans practice the Muslim faith. They lead lives of honesty and justice and compassion.
I am pleased to join you today in the celebration of Eid, the culmination of the Holy Month of Ramadan. I appreciate so very much Dr. Khouj, and I want to thank the other distinguished imam from the Washington, D.C. area. Thank you all for being here. And I enjoyed our visit. I also appreciate the Muslim schoolchildren who are here, telling me stories and reading poems and showing the art work. Please tell them thanks again for their hospitality.
Islam traces its origins back to God's call on Abraham. And Ramadan commemorates the revelation of God's word in the Holy Koran to the prophet Mohammad -- a word that is read and recited with special attention and reverence by Muslims during this season.
Over the past month, Muslims have fasted, taking no food or water during daylight hours, in order to refocus their minds on faith and redirect their hearts to charity. Muslims worldwide have stretched out a hand of mercy to those in need. Charity tables at which the poor can break their fast line the streets of cities and towns. And gifts of food and clothing and money are distributed to ensure that all share in God's abundance. Muslims often invite members of other families to their evening iftar meals, demonstrating a spirit of tolerance.
Clearly Streiff, you are over reacting. You know where all the quotes are from. Isn't he the expert on all this?
Islam is a religion of peace, love and tolerance which is fully compatible with Western Democratic values. Obviously those nasty little brutes who force their daughters to be mutilated simply don't understand their own religion.
Perhaps we should fund Islamic education to improve the situation?
Obviously those nasty little brutes who force their daughters to be mutilated simply don't understand their own religion.
If you watch the video that is a point the rather homely Eleanor-Holmes-Norton-looking woman makes: FMG is an African practice that has insinuated its way into Islam and it is not practiced in Saudi Arabia, Morrocco, Algeria, etc.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
which is fully compatible with Western Democratic values.
Yeah, right. Sorry, but that's a no sale. Where are peace-loving and tolerant folk condemning Hamas, Hezbollah and terrorism fueled by Isalmists? Where are the Muslims condemning CAIR, a group that passes itself off as a "civil rights" group that was started by men with direct ties to terrorist organizations? Where are the peace-loving folk condemning the riots about cartoons?
Action speaks much louder than words. There are virtually no actions anywhere in the world that would validate the idea that Islam is a religion of peace. I'm completely unwilling to accept the idea that just because "most" don't partake in direct actions of violence is any evidence of that concept. When Islam steps up and takes care of it's own house I'll be willing to listen. Until then, I'm just not interested in the fairy tale.
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
to take a whack at me on this subject.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
I'm just over-caffeinated and irritable today. Fortunately, I'm not POTUS and don't have access to the "football". I'd probably declare war on Canada or something.
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
Good idea, but it would take too long. When I'm over caffeinated I want IMMEDIATE action. Now.
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
Second of all, all citations are from speeches by President George W. Bush and have not been altered in any way.
Now - if we could convince the Egyptians, et al that the mutilation of women is a pre-Islamic practice that has no business in the modern world then I'd be all for that. I'm just not sure how to do that.
Especially since our own leaders are so full of praise for the Status Quo.
Of course, what would you say if the citations I put in were from, say, John Kerry's speeches? Or Nancy Pelosi's, as opposed to President Bush's?
And, then again, you are so full of dislike for Muslims.
Aren't the Iraqis Muslims? Are they somehow different than others that we can bring the light of Democracy to them and change them in some fundamental way?
When you say suck out their oil and convert them to Christianity - does that too apply to the Iraqis?
Just asking.
The same thing. Idiocy is idiocy. You rate right at the top in that category. I suppose I've seen posts that rate higher on the "Stupid Scale" than your latest, but I can't readily recall when and I'm not up to looking.
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
...the point that the person who posted the article is trying to make is not that EVERY Arab does this or even that a majority of Arabs do this. He is trying to point out that in the culture it is an accepted practice, as shown by the support of the professors. It's great that you think that this practice is abominable, but as long as we have "experts" in the religion telling people that it is, it will continue to be a facet of the culture--unless you can get on TV and voice your opinion to the contrary. This should not applauded for any reason.
who fell for the salesman's line that all the mink there died of natural causes - incapable of making distinctions. Especially when they want the fur.
In light of today's "Islamic" radical fundamentalism, people would be very surprised at how enlightened the historical Mohammed was towards women, especially in the context of his times. He valued their companionship, took their advice and even took them on campaigns.
I've read that Islam started out quite liberal (by the standards of the time), but as it expanded into cultures that were more restrictive, instead of the new population adopting the Islamic traditions, the rest of Islam adopted the more restrictive traditions. I've also heard that Arabic writing has changed over the centuries(those little dots came along after Muhamed's time), and that where there are multiple interpetations possible throughout the Koran, the generally accepted interpretation today is usually the more restrictive, combatative, or severe form of the word.
Anyone know if this is true? Oh, while I'm at it, does anyone know if there's any truth to the statement that one of the Prophet's wives owned her own business?
Yes to most of what you said except for the dot thing and the expansion thing. Islam became reactionary after Muhammad began to be persectuted, after which he advocated conquest as an acceptable way to spread religion*.
*They didn't (for the most part) forcibly convert people, but assigned non-Muslims secondary citizen status.
what I have read in works by historians. The middle sentences are beyond my pay grade.
Where the professor said he 'had no relation with reality.' and that 'reality is a mistake. We must rectify it.'?
I thought the old gal in black was gonna split up the middle...
There's your true colors. Now the defeatocrats just need to admit that too.
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Ah always keep mah feathahs numbahed, foooor just such an emergency!
I was told back in high school that it was wrong to consider the European culture "more advanced" than the mesoamerican cultures just because the Europeans were technologically more advanced. The evil Europeans motivated by racism and greed, unjustly destroyed the tranquil, peace-loving mesoamerican culture.
It wasn't until several years later that I had that "hey, wait..." moment, and realized that the technological differences were a direct result of the Europeans having 2,000 years of exploration and improvement, while the mesoamerican culture had never advanced past the stone age. The idea that "technology is immaterial" could only have come from someone who thinks that steel is harvested from trees and electricity is generated by gnomes (i.e., someone with a master's degree in education or art).
I was also taught that the evil Conquistadores and thier Catholic masters conquered South America by force and slaughter. Basically, a force of about 400 men armed with swords, match-lock guns, and plate-armor, operating without support in an unfamiliar climate, managed to conquer (and subdue!) a civilization of at least a couple million spread over an entire continent, solely by force of arms. This is an absolutely stunning example of military ignorance. The fact of the situation was that by the time the Spanish and the Church showed up, the mesoamerican people were thoroughly ready to rid themselves of a stagnant, opressive, and bloodthirsty culture, killed off thier own rulers, and largely took up Christianity and European culture by choice.
The one thing I could say about my high school education was that they didn't try to dance around the Aztec practice of human sacrifice. It simply wasn't discussed. When my oldest daughter was in 10th grade, I took a look at the introduction to her history book. I wish I'd copied this down, but one paragraph talked about how hypocritical it was of the first Europeans in Cenrral America to be shocked at the practice of human scrifice, while ignoring Europe's long history of war and persecution.
Now, I know it's a Bad Thing to be judgemental, and we're supposed to respect the values and beleifs of other cultures and all that. But don't you think we might be able to go out on a limb just this one time, and maybe take a stand on the practice of human sacrifice? At least in a Catholic high school?
Any society that refuses to make value judgements will eventually end up with neither values nor judgement. "Cultural equivalence" is nothing short of cultural suicide - who in his right mind is going to risk life and limb to defend a culture that doesn't at lest have the moral courage to say "our way is better"?