Jon MC

As before the sources for all these quotes are on the internet.

On al-wara wal-bara (“love and hate for the sake of Allah”)

2013, Apr.3^rd. Dr. Abdullah Badr Egyptian Muslim scholar, Al Azhar graduate, and professor of Islamic exegesis: “If you ask me to share food with them [Jews and Christians], I say “no”, but I am not claiming piety by this…I don’t eat their meat or cooking or even drink water from their hands if they hold the glass…I get grossed out [by them]… I don’t like them…They gross me out, their smell, their look, everything – I feel disgusted, disgusted…they specially gross me out. [Once] I decided to go in [to a cake shop] and asked the salesman for a dozen slices of cake [for my children]. He started picking them [and] I looked around and saw those pictures you know about – their priests …and so on, all the staff have this the cross sign on their hands. I had already placed the order and he was preparing it. I took the pack and left…I gave the pack of cakes [away] and left. They [Christians] gross me out… you can buy and sell with them. I buy from them, although I cannot stand them, I buy from them. Once, while debating one of them – he was accompanied, unfortunately, by one of those Muslims, who love them and say they will go to paradise (an Imam also), …he asked me “Do you love them?”, I asked him back “Do YOU love them?” He said “Yes”. I told him “I pray to Allah to swarm you with them!” I don’t love [Christians]…Islam told me to not to be unjust or to you or extort money from you although I hate [them]. Comment: This is the “wal-bara” part of the doctrine, hating non-Muslims for daring to be non-Muslim.

On non-Muslims.

2013, Apr.3^rd. Abstracted “FrontPagemag”. Rimsha Masih, the mentally challenged Christian girl who was accused by a local Imam of desecrating the Koran has had her case re-opened by Pakistan’s supreme court, despite the facts that the same court had previously dismissed all charges and that the same local Imam, Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, was later arrested and charged with fabricating the incident as a ploy to evict Christian families from the area, a ploy which largely worked with over 1000 Christians displaced and too fearful of further Muslim mob violence to return. Muslim witnesses to Chisti’s machinations have subsequently withdrawn their statements (thus Chisti no longer faces prosecution) and hence the case against Rimsha has been re-opened at the request of a police investigator. Comment: It seems that the authorities are hell-bent on prosecution of such cases, that innocence is no defence and that a charge of “blasphemy” makes a good lever for religious cleansing, usually to make an area “cleansed of Christians”.

2013, 10^th Apr. Abstracted “Al-Arabiya”, “now” and “Frontpage mag”. Egypt. Issam al-Hadad, the president’s assistant on foreign affairs blamed “the Christians” for the attack on Copts leaving the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo at the end of the funeral for the previous round of Copt-killing Islamist violence. The Cathedral attack killed two more Copts, including one shot through the heart. The attack was incited by mosques’ loudspeakers calling on the Muslims to undertake Jihad against the Copts. Previously M.Mursi had condemned this attack on the cathedral. However, the evidence suggests that (as usual) the Egyptian Police and security services stood by and let the attack happen, or possibly even colluded in it. Comment: Mursi’s statement is for world-wide consumption – he needs Western (esp. American) backing, but al-Hadad’s is closer to the truth as to how non-Muslims are viewed. Any trouble between Muslims and non-Muslims in a Muslim majority state is seen as a breach of the non-Muslims (notional) “Dhimmah” and means the Muslim mob can attack them with impunity – as we see here. I don’t normally make religious points in these articles, but I think it is relevant to point out as Raymond Ibrahim writes that St.Mark’s is the Vatican of Africa. Like the Vatican, it is an apostolic See – St.Mark, the eponymous writer of the Gospel founded the Church and it is his “seat”. Put another way: this attack is the equivalent of a “crusader” attack on the Great Mosque in Mecca, or “The Prophet’s mosque” (Al-Masjid al-Nabawi) in Medina. Imagine the Muslim outrage and violence if that happened! But since it’s an attack on Christendom (not just Copts), the silence is guaranteed to be deafening.

On Islamic Supremacy

2013 Mar.18^th. Abstracted “DEL Advertiser”. (U.K.). Muslim leaders in east London have expressed concern after the discovery of pork DNA in Halal sausages served in a primary school in Westminster. East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre, based in Whitechapel Road, said they were “deeply concerned” by the findings. “As consumption of pork or meat that has not been slaughtered in accordance with their faith is strictly prohibited, there will be serious issues of concern and mistrust between Muslim parents and schools across London.” Halal meat is served in schools across Tower Hamlets. Comment: Okay, I can understand their irritation. Halal food should be free from pork – even in trace amounts. But notice that non-Muslim school-children in Tower Hamlets have no choice as to whether they eat Halal or not.

On war, terror, violence and jihad.

2013, April 3^rd. Abstracted “Raymond Ibrahim”. Salafi Sheikh Yasir al-Ajlawni is preparing a fatwa declaring all non-Sunni women in Syria to be “war booty” who may, therefore, be captured and used as sex-slaves by the noble Sunni Mujahiddin fighting to topple the Assad regime. He also stated that a particular target for sex-slavery should be the Alawite minority, from which Assad comes. Comment: throughout history Muslim fighters have fought to get their hands on some booty!

2013, Apr. 7^th. Abstracted via translation from “Fursan Al-Balagh” a jihadi magazine. In his article, titled “The Conflict in Syria – A Harbinger of War between the Ummah and Its Enemies.” Cleric Abu Sa’d Al-‘Amili wrties on the nature of the civil war in Syria, and on the role of Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) in this war and in the war that will JN’s al-Qaeda affiliation, describing JN as “an integral part of the global jihad movement that has been fighting the “forces of falsehood” since the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s.” He further makes it plain that the movement is fighting a war between Islam and its enemies that has been on-going for centuries and will only end with the ultimate victory of Islam. Comment: Amili is referring to the perpetual nature of sword-jihad until Islam dominates the world. He sees his “fight” as being with all non-Muslims who do not accept Islamist domination.

2013, Apr. 12^th. Abstracted “Now”. Salafist Sheikh Bilal al-Masri: “I decree that every person who can get to a Buddhist should kill him because they are killing our people and the Muslims cannot be blamed for their reaction.” Comment: Let me fair here. The context is the Rohinga/Buddhist clash in Myanmar (Burma). But note that the sheikh does not limit the killing to Myanmar – his call is that every Muslim who can should kill a Buddhist – wherever situated, thus this is global terrorism.

2013, April 20^th. Abu Suleiman Al-Nasser, “O Muslims, carry out invasion after invasion and do not let them [the Americans] live in peace until we [Muslims] experience living peacefully in our Islamic countries and until all infidel armies leave Muslim lands.” Comment: First we have a call to murder Americans, then the reasons: all infidel armies out of Muslim lands – which is doable, but then the kicker: keep attacking America until Muslims are “living peaceful in our Islamic Countries” which won’t happen, given that the vast majority of the victims of Muslim terror and violence are also Muslims (though the ratio is falling as Muslims attack non-Muslims in ever more Countries).

On Islamic tolerance and equality.

2013, Mar.14^th. Abstracted “SevenDaysinAbuDabi”. A woman accused of attacking Islam by preaching the bible on the streets of Abu Dhabi has been jailed. Abu Dhabi Criminal Court yesterday handed out the three-month sentence to the Indian woman after she was found guilty of proselytising and handing out copies of the text on the streets of the UAE capital. Comment: I’m somewhat conflicted over this one: on the one hand this sentence is very lenient considering what can happen (i.e. death) to those who breach the Pact of Umar by proselytising. On the other it points up yet again how Islam demands freedoms for itself that it denies to non-Muslims.

2013, Apr.29^th. Abstracted “BosNewsLife”. In an incident following a decade of persecution for doing Church work and refusing to convert to Islam, a Christian family is in hiding today because Islamic militants finally tracked them down again and attempted to kidnap and kill one of their daughters. As ever in Pakistan, the Police were not interested in the incident. Comment: Islamic tolerance write large.

On correct Islamic behaviour and attitudes:

2013, April 3^rd. Abstracted “ZeeNews”. Three atheist bloggers in Bangladesh were today arrested in Dhaka on charges of defaming Islam. Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said: “We are amending both the Right to Information Act and the Penal Code toughening punitive measures for hurting the people’s religious sentiments.” He also said that a government committee comprising two Islamic scholars had identified the three men for arrest. Comment: Another Muslim Country moves to crush criticism of Islam and free speech.

2013, Apr. 11^th. Abstracted “Al Arabiya”. Egyptian Sheikh Abdullah Badr said on T.V: “[satirist] Bassem Youssef is a fool and all what he does is foolishness, ignorance and incivility, a respected court or judge, comes and tells you: ‘I will not shut down the channel or the program; this is a purposeful program that presents constructive criticism’… I swear to god, if I were ruling Egypt I would execute them [the judges], I swear I would execute them.” Comment: let’s not forget that satirising Islam etc. is forbidden in Islam and the judges – clearly not “proper” Shariah judges – refuse to silence the satirist. Whatever is the world coming to when a good Islamist like Badr can’t get anyone he does not like silenced – no wonder such deeply offended people resort to the bullet and bomb. (p.s. To Muslim readers: this is satire too.)

2013, Apr.12^th. Abstracted “NCRI”. Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi – a member of powerful Assembly of Experts in Iran said: “If anyone rejects the verdict of the Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei] who has been chosen by Imams, he is actually rejecting the words of those who have been chosen by Allah… Those who have studied in our religious schools believe that …punishment verdicts cannot be carried out in the modern era. This kind of belief is blasphemy and the beliefs of these people is evil.” Comment: In a democratic Islamist state, you can’t disagree with the “supreme leader” nor suggest that Shariah barbarities are, well, barbarous, and ought to be set aside in the modern era.

2013, 1pr. 19^th. Sudanese Sheikh Abd Al-Jalil Al-Karouri: “The most important political events of the week were … the bombings in Boston [and] the Iran earthquake. In short, the peculiar thing is that no one knows who is behind these events. Even President Obama said: “We do not know who did this or why.” Iran, too, does not know who caused the earthquake. People know who is responsible for earthquakes. It is Allah. But now there are allegations that this earthquake was artificial. The so-called “earthquake-war” has begun. The industrialized countries have the capacity to make bombs that impact the Earth’s crust and core, causing earthquakes. It is even said that the tsunami that raised the waves, causing thousands of deaths, was, in fact, an experiment in that weapon. This earthquake had two goals: first, to [prevent] the Russians from officially handing over the Bushehr nuclear plant to Iran within a month’s time. The West does not want this to happen. They wanted to destroy the new gas pipeline [from Iran to Pakistan], along with the [Bushehr] nuclear plant. There is also the issue of promoting the sale of gas masks. These expired gas masks, meant to protect people from nuclear gases, have recently been sold in the Gulf. The fourth goal is to sow fear in the Gulf region, where the earthquakes were heard. They want to make these people scared of the Iranian nuclear plant, and to ignite a regional Sunni-Shiite war, a war between Iran and its neighbours… Comment: So now the US is “responsible” for natural disasters striking Muslim Countries? Yet again a Muslim externalises the reasons for a problem.

On anti-Semitism.

2013, Apr.3^rd Dr. Abdullah Badr Egyptian Muslim scholar, Al Azhar graduate, and professor of Islamic exegesis: “You cannot do business with a Jew, you cannot… Allah loathed the Jews and cast upon them an installed rage – ‘So they deserved rage upon rage’” Comment: oy vay, nothing new here.

2013, Mar 14^th. Egyptian Minister of Religious Endowments Ali Afifi: “This is premature [visiting Israel with a Palestinian visa]. Let’s wait until it happens. However, we hope that the words of the Prophet Muhammad will be fulfilled: “Judgment Day will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Jews will hide behind the rocks and the trees, but the rocks and the trees will say: Oh Muslim , oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him …We fully believe that the future of this land lies with Islam and the Muslims.” Comment: Another barely-veiled call for Israel to be wiped off the map.

2013, 1pr. 19^th. Sudanese Sheikh Abd Al-Jalil Al-Karouri: “Now they are saying that the [Boston] bombs were placed in “primitive” pots. Why would anyone in the U.S. need to resort to nails and pressure cookers to make a bomb? You can find any type of weapon there and simply buy it. Why did they say “primitive”? I don’t have time to read you the quotation. They said that the bomb was “primitive,” in order to direct the blame at one of us in the Third World… Israel wants the war to be between America and the “primitive” Arabs, and that is why the bombs were “primitive.” I have said that the [9/11] Manhattan bombings were meant to transform America from a country to an empire, and that it is, indeed, what happened. Now, they [the Jews] do not want this empire to expand, [they want] to revive the Cold War – this time with North Korea and the Asian countries. No, they want America to continue to defend Israel. Comment: Thus the Boston bombings have “all the hallmarks of an Israeli conspiracy” one presumes, one designed to ensure American backing for Israel. Paranoia and Jew-hatred collude yet again within the Dar ul-Islam.

On homophobia.

2013 Mar.21^st. Abstracted “LezGetReal”. An allegedly gay man Mohamed Ali Baashi was buried in the ground up to his chest and stoned to death on 15 March in Barawe some fifty miles form the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab ordered the stoning after finding Baashi guilty of sodomy. Members of Al Shabaab stood behind the Islamic judges who passed sentence “We investigated, and this man did what Muslims shouldn’t do and as a result, he will be stoned to death.” Reports also suggest that the “investigation” was to torture Baashi into confessing to sodomy. Comment: We all know that Islam murders LGBT people – now it seems you only have to be allegedly gay and/or tortured into confession to be murdered.

On Islamic Politics.

2013, Apr.9^th. Abstracted “First Post world”. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mehsud has described democracy, which he does not favour, as a system of the “kafirs” (non-believers) and vowed to wage violent jihad to implement Islamic law which he termed “Allah’s system” in the country. Comment: Once again a Muslim leader states that democracy isn’t compatible with Islamic laws. Only non-Muslim western leaders would disagree with him.

2013, Apr. 15^th. Abstracted “Egypt Independent”. Mufti Sayed Imam said that the Afghanistan Taliban’s and al-Shabaab Somali Islamic rule are the best systems. He called the Egyptian state an “infidel state” since the Muslim Brotherhood [i.e. Pres. Mursi] introduced “man-made laws…imported from abroad. [The] infidel state does not mean that its people are infidels, but they should perform jihad as long as they have the ability… Jihad [is] fighting infidels, not to seek livelihood and or education… The Muslim Brotherhood does not have a basis in Sharia, Hassan al-Banna believed the Egyptian state was a home for Islam, and its ruler was Muslim, which is incompatible with the idea of founding the group. The Brotherhood [has] spent 80 years between infidelity and negligence until we ended up with it as infidel ruler, and those who want the permanence of infidelity are infidels… Armed jihad is the duty of everyone, whatever their sins, depending on their abilities.” Comment: Here is a man truly making the MB look like “moderates”. His views point up one major problem with “Islamic” states: no matter how “Islamic” they are, there are always people more extreme – sorry, “Islamic” – to declare them “infidels” – non-Muslim, or at least “not Muslim enough”.

2013, Apr. 18^th. Egyptian Cleric Abu Islam: “We have four large Islamic groups: The Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and Al-Gama’a Islamiyya. These are the four significant powers. Is there anyone more qualified to lead the country than the Muslim Brotherhood? Then let the Muslim Brotherhood assume this responsibility. Who should be in charge of religious affairs in Egypt? The Salafis. Is any group more qualified than the Salafis to regulate ideology? I choose the Salafis to run Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Religious Endowments.We are left with the army and the police. Which is the best to run the police? The Muslim Brotherhood? No. The Salafis? No. Al-Gama’a Islamiyya is the best for the job [Police]. This leaves the army for the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. This is how disagreements can turn into pluralism, and I pray to Allah that this will be accepted by all, and the various powers of the Islamic nation will come together…Let’s give Islam a chance for once. Trust me, very soon we will see the flag of “There is no god but Allah” flying over the White House. They are already holding [Muslim] prayers in the White House. Comment: Ah, the ideal Islamic state: “moderate” Islamists as the government, “extremist” Islamists for religious education and affairs (heaven help the non-Muslims, the Salafists won’t!), a bunch of terrorists to run the Police (no change there for non-Muslims since the Arab spring) – amusingly Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, aka El Gama’a El Islamiyya, Gamaat Islamiya and al Jamaat al Islamiya, killed hundreds of Egyptian Police and army personnel – and another bunch of terrorists (linked to “Palestinian” organisations) to run the army! Yup, that’s the Islamist ideal.

2013, Apr. 29^th. Abstracted “CNN”. The Pakistani Taliban issued a statement in which they said “A man cannot be secular and Muslim at a time. These are two different doctrines in nature.”. Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud has told Pakistanis to stay away from the elections. “We are not in favour of democracy, democracy is for Jews and Christians, [elections] are intended to divide Muslims; we want the implementation of Sharia (law) and for that jihad is necessary.” Comment: This is quite clear: No Muslim can be secular – it’s “un-Islamic”, no Muslim can be a democrat. Jihad is to be undertaken until Shariah Law is implemented.

On the status and treatment of Muslim women.

2013, Mar. 16th. Abstracted Reuters. Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood said the declaration [on women’s rights] would give “wives full rights to file legal complaints against husbands accusing them of rape or sexual harassment, obliging competent authorities to deal [out to] husbands punishments similar to those prescribed for raping or sexually harassing a stranger.” Comment: Islam does not acknowledge marital rape, thus this declaration is against Shariah, ergo it is “haram”.

2013 Mar. 15/23. Abstracted “Huffington Post” and “PolicyMic”. Tunisian preacher Almi Adel: “The young lady Femen topless protestor [Amina Tyler] should be punished according to sharia, with 80 to 100 lashes, but [because of] the severity of the act she has committed, she deserves be stoned to death. Her act could bring about an epidemic. It could be contagious and give ideas to other women. It is therefore necessary to isolate her. I wish her to be healed.” As of Sunday [Mar 10^th?] Amina Tyler has been placed in a psychiatric facility by her parents, who have disowned her. Comment: There are several ways to view this in fact. Typical Islamic misogyny and a fear reaction to the murder-threat is one: on the other hand under Islamic law “mad” people are not held responsible for their actions, thus committing her to an asylum could be viewed as a means to prevent the barbaric threat being carried out. Either way this says a lot about attitudes to women in Islam.

2013, Apr. 13^th. Abstracted “Jakarta Globe”. Thirty-five women in Aceh’s city of Lhokseumawe have been let off with a warning after the Shariah police caught them straddling a motorcycle and not wearing appropriate Islamic dress. Irsyadi, the acting chief of the Lhokseumawe Shariah police said: “The aim of the raid today [Friday] is to uphold and inform people the regulation on straddling motorcycle issued by the mayor, … We also warned people who were not dressed in an Islamic way. With what we did today, people will be more aware [of the regulation].” Lhokseumawe mayor Suadi Yahya said: “We want to save women from things that will cause them to violate Shariah law.” Comment: Oh the HORROR!! Muslimas not burkha’d and straddling motorcycles! Next thing you know they’ll be leaving their houses WITHOUT permission.

2013, Apr.25^th. Abstracted “ABNA.co”. Saudi Wahhabi cleric and the faculty member at the Islamic University of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, Dr. Saad al-Durihim, called on Iraqi Mujahideen (al Qaeda terrorist groups) to kill Shiite women and children in order to cause more terror and fear among Iraqi people. Dr. Saad al-Durihim, in his Twitter-feed called on the Mujahideen to “increase cruelty” and murder or even take captive women and children to scare more people. Comment: “take captive” means to enslave (including sex-slavery). And Muslims tell us that “Islam abolished slavery”! Not. Even. Close. Also another instalment of the Sunni-Shia love-fest.

2013 Apr. 27^th. Abstracted “Al-Arabiya”. Yemen is an ultra-conservative [Muslim] society where women and young girls are the ones who endure the strict reality of [Islamic] social constraints. One of the results is child marriage, which has both physical and emotional consequences and can be life shattering, even fatal. Girls under the age of eight can be seen in wedlock with children of their own by the time they hit puberty. Early marriage has a harmful effect on “the child, the family and society at large,” a political sociology professor at Sana’a University, Abdulmaki Shamson, recently said. “The girls are affected physically and psychologically. The developing body of the young girl is not ready to get married and deliver babies. Many young wives die while giving birth,” he said. Life-long damage is being caused to young women and girls who are undergoing an existence they are not ready for; health problems, suffering domestic abuse and marital rape. [Young] girls are now severely suffering from health problems caused by pregnancies due to their undeveloped bodies.Yemen is one country with the highest rates of maternal mortality in the Middle Eastern region. These early marriages have cost many girls their lives. There have been copious calls by the international community and human rights organizations urging the Yemeni government to set the minimum age for child marriage at 18. But, both Yemeni religious authorities and some officials have profusely rejected that. Comment: Child marriage alive and well (unlike its’ victims) in “religiously conservative” Yemen. Note also that these marriages occur prior to puberty – just like Aisha’s. Ol’Mo’s legacy lives on.

Ordinary Muslims don’t support these views! … Do they?

2013, Mar. 10^th. Abstracted El Watan: three Christian brothers were shot dead at their home following an earlier accusation of trying to build a church. The rumours about the building of a church spread during the Friday sermon at the local mosque. Following the sermon, two thousand Muslims stormed the land and murdered of the three Christian brothers. Comment: Church building is banned by the Pact of Umar.

2013, Mar.21^st. Abstracted “GulfNews”. Police said the four brothers chased the couple to Aden and killed them to erase shame brought to their family when she ran away from home and married the man she loved. The police did not say whether the perpetrators were arrested or still at large. Comment: honour killing alive and well (unlike the young couple). The big question is: do you think the brothers will be arrested and prosecuted for murder or whether honour killing “doesn’t count” as a crime – whatever the law may say. Answers via email to HonourKillings-R-Islam.crime

2013, 3^rd April. Abstracted “BosNewsLife”. Muslims in Pakistan’s Punjab province have threatened to kill a young woman as well as her husband, child and in-laws who are also Christian because she abandoned Islam and converted to Christianity. The death-threats started after her Muslim family found out about her Christian conversion and that she visits a local church. Comment: Once again Muslims seek to act on the “kill the apostate!” command in Islam.

2013, April 9^th. Abstracted “Arab Times”. “Leave me alone, she is my wife I can do what I want with her!” KUWAIT CITY: A Kuwaiti man who recently was beating his wife in broad daylight on the Street shouted at the passers-by and said “Leave me alone, she is my wife I can do what I want with her.” He then rushed to his vehicle, pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot anyone who tried to intervene. He then fled the scene. After the wife filed a complaint with the area police the man was arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution. The woman has submitted a medical report to the Police which details injuries to her body as a result of the assault. When the police questioned the man, he said he beat his wife because she had left the house without his knowledge and that he suspected her behaviour. Comment: On the plus side, this violent abuser has been arrested and interrogated. On the minus side, his excuse for his vile violence is justified under many systems of Sharia law. The questions now are: “will he be charged?” And, if so, “will he be convicted by an Islamic court?”

2013, Apr. 15^th. Abstracted “Pakistan Christian Post”. A bunch of Muslim lads were making abusive comments about a disabled Christian girl when her brother objected. The Muslim lads replied: “he is a Christian and he should not dare to abuse or stop us. We are supreme Muslims and all other Human beings are our slaves. Sadam pulled out his gun and shot the Christian boy in his head whilst another of the Muslims was holding him. The Police called the murder “an accident”. Comment: another non-Muslim pays the ultimate price for “daring” to stand up to Muslim supremacists. What do they teach them in their schools? – see here (addendum 1) for the answer.

Mostly for laughs.

Its not all doom and gloom in the Dar-ul-Islam. Some things are just too funny for me to ignore …

2013 Mar. 20^th. Abstracted “AhramOnline”. Salafist preacher Abdullah Abdel Hamid, a professor at Al-Azhar University described Egyptian government officials as “enemies of God,” following their late statements about eradicating millions of locusts. “Locusts embody a gift from God to humans living on Earth; how dare they say such things?” Abdel Hamid argued that no “police or military troops” could stop the locusts, as “God’s will” cannot be challenged. Comment: Thus mass starvation is okay, killing locusts not? The word “barking” leaps right to the fore-front of my brain…

2013, Apr. 13^th. Abstracted “Times of India”. In its April 9 episode, DD Urdu’s series ‘Taste Ki Baat Hai’ (Talk of Taste) presented a recipe with pork and went on to speak of its deliciousness. [Muslim] community leaders and scholars said since the majority of DD Urdu’s viewers were Muslims, the channel had displayed a lack of “sensitivity” by showing a pork-dish, which is “haram” (forbidden) in Islam. Islamic scholars said articles in television shows should not be seen through a religious prism, but the media should “exercise self-censorship when it comes to religious sensibilities“. Islamic Studies Professor Akhtarul Wasey said: “An Urdu channel does not cater to Muslims alone, but it should be careful not to air a show that hurts the religious sentiments of a section of its viewers. This could have been avoided.” Islamic scholar Zeenat Shaukat Ali said: “There is no ban on people’s tastes. But if DD Urdu is viewed by a large number of Muslims, it should not have featured a cooking show on pork since the Quran forbids its consumption, and no Muslim will appreciate any session detailing the preparation of a pork dish.” Urdu columnist and activist Firoz Bakht Ahmed. “I’m surprised nobody pointed out the potential hurt it would cause to Muslim viewers before the show got aired.” Comment: I had to laugh. Despite the fact that the program does not cater (pun intended) to Muslims alone and that programs “should not be seen through a religious prism” – so say the Muslims, nevertheless they still expect everybody else to fall over themselves catering (pun intended) to Islamic/Islamist sensibilities. I wish that some of these “scholars” had pointed out that TVs come equipped with an OFF button and many channels, so Muslims bothered by pork could watch something else or even turn the T.V. Off and amass some extra “Allah’s brownie points” by saying a few extra rakats, or reciting a Sura or two. The sense of entitlement is quite breath-taking – but only to a non-Muslim.

– – – – – (All links correct at stated date.)