The Islamophobia Thread

Well, we don't have a topic for "Westphobia", for lack of a better word.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I men we could discuss Saudi culture in the Middle East Politics thread or Islamic culture in the religion thread, they're both worthwhile discussions to be had.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

Maybe we should have an Islamic Culture thread? I still want to know if Saudi average people have given any thoughts to the Western Decadence problems I mentioned, instead of concerning themselves with gender desegregation, which from where I stand sounds like a strange thing to worry about.

In fact, I wonder what Islamic scholars all over the world have to say about this sort of thing, if they've given it any thought at all. The seemingly easy answer, that I know of, is that dedicating your life to anything other than Worshipping God and obeying His Command is idolatry, that one should not fetishize money, success, status, love, material goods, or anything else, and only behave in a way meant to satisfy The One God, rather than all those "gods". And it is their job to help us figure out what that is.

I think there's a very interesting discussion to be had about whether an ideal/observant Islamic society would look like, whether it's a place people could sustain, and want to live in, and whether it would not get outcompeted into irrelevance or extinction by success-worshipping Richlands.

Another, similar discussion could be had about emotionally-intelligent societies where people love themselves and each other and leave healthy, fulfilling, meaningful lives at a sustainable pace, and how much overlap, if any, would there be with Islamic societies, and whether Richlands would out-compete those as well.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Probably the General Middle East and North Africa thread, then.

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot

Since this extends further than the Middle East into Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, not to mention all those little ghettos in non-Muslim countries where they desperately cling to a specific insular social model, how about an "Islamic Societies" thread?

Hell, how about Religion-Driven Societies in general? I mean, a lot of what's happening in the Middle East nowadays eerily mirrors events and attitudes showing up in the Bible, especially Ancient Israel's tempestuous love/hate relationship with foreign influences, intermarriage, and cultural self-identity.

And if you think ISIS is crazy, you clearly haven't spent much time with the Hebrews. Those people were crazy.

edited 2nd Jul '17 12:21:02 PM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I think the idea of an Islamic culture thread is a good one, although it might be vulnerable to flame wars. Go ahead and start one.

I think there’s a global conspiracy to see who can get the most clicks on the worst lies

Agreed, a Islamic Culture thread would be interesting.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

So basically, poverty is an ingredient in the toxic recipe that leads to people in the Middle East getting radicalized?

I liked it better when Questionable Casting was called WTH Casting Agency

Yeah, generally when Humans are desperate (generally aligned with poverty) they're more susceptible to radicalization.

edited 2nd Jul '17 5:19:44 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

I think poverty radicalizes anyone if you don't give them reason to have faith that the future will be better, and/or make them believe that it is right and proper that their life is how it is. The promise of an afterlife of perfect justice where their suffering will be compensated so long as they behave themselves can be very helpful in that regard, but it can only go so far.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

So when some people say that Muslims deserve to die due to the actions of a sick few and out of fear for Muslims being radicalized, they're basically saying Kill the Poor.

If we judge society based on how the poor and disadvantaged are treated, we fail.

I liked it better when Questionable Casting was called WTH Casting Agency

Well not all Muslims are poor so not really, but that is absolutely a call for genocide. So uh... not good.

edited 2nd Jul '17 6:08:26 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

Sorry, I should have specified that not all Muslims are poor. >.>

I liked it better when Questionable Casting was called WTH Casting Agency

It's fine, I understand what you meant.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn

Poverty alone isn't enough, though. There are always plenty of poor people all over the world, but every era isn't characterized by terrorism, or it's historical equivalent. Other factors have to be added in- the rising expectations of a frustrated indigenous educated middle class is another well documented element.

I think there’s a global conspiracy to see who can get the most clicks on the worst lies

Politics (internal and external) play a fundamental and essential part. Especially if the terrorist cause arose as a (justifiable or unjustifiable, depending on one's point of view) response to the ones who currently hold (and/or held in the past) a considerable amount of power and control (state, money, and so forth).

The intricacies of it all tend to make a good analysis of terrorism often very complex, which most people are not willing to engage in and understand how to tackle the problem. I suspect some people's desires for simplified narratives often feed into (their or others') Islamophobic narratives and fears.

Let's also not forget the racial stereotyping (where 'the Arab' is the major target) that overlaps with Islamophobia in general.

edited 2nd Jul '17 7:33:32 PM by Quag15

"Terrorism as one expression of populism" would be an interesting analysis.

I think there’s a global conspiracy to see who can get the most clicks on the worst lies

Quoted for posterity.

I liked it better when Questionable Casting was called WTH Casting Agency

Makes sense. Populism usually ends up with the "common people" fighting back against the "elite". Terrorism is what happens when they aren't satisfied with ballots and use bullets instead.

Disgusted, but not surprised

PN reports of shooting at a mosque in France. It's not considered to be a terror attack, most likely same from what happened in the UK with that truck attack.

The British van attack was considered an act of terrorism though, so that's a pretty big difference.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

A warning of phone threats made to a Georgia mosque

This probably belongs in the Global Terrorism thread, but I don't know its limits and they're in the middle of a discussion anyway.

edited 19th Jul '17 5:13:25 PM by CenturyEye

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

So, a defaced Quran and a hateful note were sent to a Quebec City mosque. The same mosque that a far-right gunman shot up (killing 8) last winter (the mosque had been vandalized several months before that).

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-city-mosque-hate-package-1.4211778

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

Ontario man arrested for Islamaphobic hate speech.

Bus seats mistaken for burqas by members of anti-immigrant group

I...I can't even...

Disgusted, but not surprised