Memo from Malaysia's top Islamic insurance company warns against holiday greetings to Hindus

There is nothiing surprising about this. It reflects standard Muslim attitudes, the conviction of Islamic supremacy. Non-Muslims may observe or in some cases be forced to observe Muslim holidays, but the reverse should not be the case. Do not wish Hindus well on their holidays, for that would be to dignify them, to endow them with a status they must not possess. So too with Christian and Jewish holidays, unless the greeting is not meant but fake, and meant only as a means to protect or shore up the position of Muslims and of Islam.

Standard Islam, being expressed. What is surprising is that apparently, in Malaysia, possibly as a reflection of the lesser role of Muslims under British rule and in the immediate post-colonial period. Now that they have acquired a slight majority in the population, they can be freer to demonstrate their indifference to Infidel holidays. The mask can be ripped off.

And this might be brought to the attention of the man who, in late 2001, decided it might be a good idea to observe Ramadan by holding an Iftar (break-the-fast dinner at the end of Ramadan), Muslim ambassadors, and now apparently for prominent Muslim leaders at present sojourning in America.

By establishing this custom, the inimitable Bush no doubt thought, nor did the advisers who counselled such a move, of what this might mean -- mean for Muslims, mean for non-Muslims. For non-Muslims it was not taken as a demonstration of Infidel goodwill, but rather of Infidel attempts to appease. To celebrate or observe in any way the religious holidays of others is, in Islam, a sign not of welcome tolerance or pluralism, but of appeasement. It would hardly occur to a Muslim ruler to indicate in any way approval of, for example, the religious observances of Christians and Jews. However, that does not mean that, here and there, in order to win what might be considered necessary favor, someone will offer "Christmas greetings." Such was done in 1951 by Azzam Pasha, great-uncle of Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the first head of the Arab League, the man who a few years before had promised, before the actual attack by five Arab armies, that the Jews of Israel would suffer a horrendous massacre not seen since the days of Hulegu and the Mongols in Baghdad. Such was done in 1979, at Christmas, by the Ayatollah Khomeini, still trying to establish Islamic rule in Iran, and needing Western goodwill for a bit. Of course never again would he offer those Christmas greetings.

What Bush should have done, and did not do, is not to celebrate an official Iftar dinner. No President, as far as I know, has ever chosen to celebrate Passover at the White House, and no one would expect him to unless he were Jewish. He might, however, attend a Passover seder, and Bush might, if he wished, had wangled an invitation, and then attended if he so chose, an Iftar dinner. One can be sure that Prince Bandar would have been happy to oblige, and the food would have been wonderful (I still remember fondly the remarkable mealsthat a Kuwaiti tycoon offered me and another Infidel, and the exquisite wines -- all Pauillac and no plonk -- which he offered us but from which he carefully abstained in our presence. Then he would not have locked all future Presidents into this dinner, for now it becomes that much more difficult for his successor not to follow suit.

And there is one other thing. In the remainder of his Presidency, Bush should make sure that the Muslim attendees at his Iftar dinner are invited to join him at Christmas and Easter. He should take note if they extend Christmas or Easter greetings. He will discover that few will join him, few will so greet him, much less others, on the occasion of any non-Muslim holidays. That is to be expected. For it is improper, it is haram unless required to further an important Muslim aim (as with Azzam Pasha in 1951, and Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979), to recognize non-Muslim religious holidays, or indeed any non-Muslim holidays, such as Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July. This is the doctrine. This has been written about. Bush did not know about this in the fall of 2001. One wonders if he does now, and if he understands what it all means. He appears to understand very little of what matters.

Greeting with the Salam is a Sign of Islam

Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ikrimah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "A man from Bani Sulaym, who was tending a flock of sheep, passed by some of the Companions of the Prophet and said Salam to them. They said (to each other), `He only said Salam to protect himself from us.' Then they attacked him and killed him. They brought his sheep to the Prophet , and this Ayah was revealed,

﴿يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ﴾

(O you who believe!), until the end of the Ayah.'' At-Tirmidhi recorded this in his (chapter on) Tafsir, and said, "This Hadith is Hasan, and it is also reported from Usamah bin Zayd.'' Al-Hakim also recorded it and said, "Its chain is Sahih, but they did not collect it.'' Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas commented;

﴿وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَـمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِناً﴾

(and say not to anyone who greets you: "You are not a believer;''), "A man was tending his sheep and the Muslims caught up with him. He said, `As-Salamu `Alaykum.' However, they killed him and took his sheep. Allah revealed the Ayah;

﴿وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَـمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِناً تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾

(And say not to anyone who greets you: "You are not a believer; seeking the perishable goods of the worldly life).'' Ibn `Abbas said; "The goods of this world were those sheep.'' And he recited,

﴿السَّلَـمُ﴾

(Peace) Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Qa`qa` bin Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad narrated that his father `Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad said, "The Messenger of Allah sent us to (the area of) Idam. I rode out with a group of Muslims that included Abu Qatadah, Al-Harith bin Rab`i and Muhallam bin Juthamah bin Qays. We continued on until we reached the area of Idam, where `Amr bin Al-Adbat Al-Ashja`i passed by us on his camel. When he passed by us he said Salam to us, and we did not attack him. Because of some previous problems with him, Muhallam bin Juthamah killed him and took his camel. When we went back to the Messenger of Allah and told him what had happened, a part of the Qur'an was revealed about us,

﴿يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ﴾

(O you who believe! When you go (to fight) in the cause of Allah), until,

﴿خَبِيراً﴾

(Well-Aware).'' Only Ahmad recorded this Hadith. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said to Al-Miqdad,

«إِذَا كَانَ رَجُلٌ مُؤْمِنٌ يُخْفِي إِيمَانَهُ مَعَ قَوْمٍ كُفَّارٍ فَأَظْهَرَ إيمَانَهُ فَقَتَلْتَهُ، فَكَذلِكَ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ تُخْفِي إِيمَانَكَ بِمَكَّةَ مِنْ قَبْل»

(You killed a believing man who hid his faith with disbelieving people, after he had announced his faith to you. Remember that you used to hide your faith in Makkah before.) Al-Bukhari recorded this shorter version without a complete chain of narrators. However a longer version with a connected chain of narrators has also been recorded. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah sent a military expedition under the authority of Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad and when they reached the designated area, they found the people had dispersed. However, a man with a lot of wealth did not leave and said, `I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.' Yet, Al-Miqdad killed him, and a man said to him, `You killed a man after he proclaimed: "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. By Allah I will mention what you did to the Prophet .' When they went back to the Messenger of Allah, they said, `O Messenger of Allah! Al-Miqdad killed a man who testified that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.' He said,

«ادْعُوا لِيَ الْمِقْدَادَ، يَا مِقْدَادُ أَقَتَلْتَ رَجُلًا يَقُولُ: لَا إِلهَ إلَّا اللهُ، فَكَيْفَ لَكَ بِلَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ غَدًا؟»

(Summon Al-Miqdad before me. O Miqdad! Did you kill a man who proclaimed, "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah" What would you do when you face, "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah tomorrow") Allah then revealed;

﴿يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُواْ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَنْ أَلْقَى إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَـمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِناً تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا فَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌ كَذلِكَ كُنتُمْ مِّن قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُواْ﴾

(O you who believe! When you go (to fight) in the cause of Allah, verify (the truth), and say not to anyone who greets you: "You are not a believer;'' seeking the perishable goods of the worldly life. There are much more profits and booties with Allah. Even as he is now, so were you yourselves before till Allah conferred on you His Favors, therefore, be cautious in discrimination). The Messenger of Allah said to Al-Miqdad,

«كَانَ رَجُلٌ مُؤْمِنٌ يُخْفِي إِيمَانَهُ مَعَ قَوْمٍ كُفَّارٍ فَأَظْهَرَ إيمَانَهُ فَقَتَلْتَهُ، فَكَذَلِكَ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ تُخْفِي إِيمَانَكَ بِمَكَّةَ مِنْ قَبْل»

(He was a believing man who hid his faith among disbelieving people, and he announced his faith to you, but you killed him, although you used to hide your faith before, in Makkah.)'' Allah's statement,

﴿فَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌ﴾

(There is much more benefit with Allah.) means, better than what you desired of worldly possessions which made you kill the one who greeted you with the Salam and pronounced his faith to you. Yet, you ignored all this and accused him of hypocrisy, to acquire the gains of this life. However, the pure wealth with Allah is far better than what you acquired. Allah's statement,

﴿كَذلِكَ كُنتُمْ مِّن قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ﴾

(so were you yourselves before, till Allah conferred on you His Favors.) means, beforehand, you used to be in the same situation like this person who hid his faith from his people. We mentioned the relevant Hadiths above. Allah said,

﴿وَاذْكُرُواْ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ﴾

(And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land). `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr commented about Allah's statement,

﴿كَذلِكَ كُنتُمْ مِّن قَبْلُ﴾

(so were you yourselves before), "You used to hide your faith, just as this shepherd hid his faith.'' Allah said,

﴿فَتَبَيَّنُواْ﴾

(therefore, be cautious in discrimination), then said,

﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً﴾

(Allah is Ever Well-Aware of what you do.) and this part of the Ayah contains a threat and a warning, as Sa`id bin Jubayr stated.

﴿لاَّ يَسْتَوِى الْقَـعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُوْلِى الضَّرَرِ وَالْمُجَـهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَـهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَـعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُـلاًّ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَى وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَـهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَـعِدِينَ أَجْراً عَظِيماً - دَرَجَـتٍ مِّنْهُ وَمَغْفِرَةً وَرَحْمَةً وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً ﴾

(95. Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled, and those who strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home).
Unto each, Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home), by a huge reward.) (96. Degrees of (higher) grades from Him, and forgiveness and mercy. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)

To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson:

"I don't care if a man has one God or twenty Gods if it doesn't break my leg or pick my pocket."

Well, the Hindus (who are denigrated by Muslims as idol worshippers) are the most religiously enlightened people on the planet!

If you don't subscribe to my thinking, read the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. The Gita is the most inspiring piece of religious writing you will ever read. (Find the Easwaren translation)

Still not convinced. Read Sri Aurobindo's "Essays on the Gita" or ANYTHING ELSE HE WROTE. The enlightened Hindu sage Sri Aurobindo was the Einstein of religious philosophers. President Wilson's daughter Margaret read it and moved to his ashram in Pondicherry.

The spiritually retarded followers of mohammad pride themselves on their monotheism. But in fact allah is a pagan deity and there is nothing monotheistic about Islam. It's a "henotheistic"(1) cult. "Allah akbar" means Allah is greater...

The self-righteousness of a muzlim is equaled only by his savagery.
==========================================
(1) HENOTHEISTIC: the worship of a particular god, as by a family or tribe, without disbelieving in the existence of others.

Some 150 demonstrators rejected an apology issued by Takaful Malaysia in a bid to defuse the furore, and demanded it punish the official and educate employees on the different religions practised in multicultural Malaysia.

This illustrates why any sort of interfaith get togethers of this sort is doomed if one of those faiths is Islam. This cult has absolutely no intention of doing ANYTHING peacefully with a real religion.

Now let's have some "Takaful Rage" from the Hindus. Let them drone on for weeks about having the Muslims apologize for this grave insult. Oh wait-Hindus have better things to do than act like three year olds having a tantrum. It's a nice thought anyway.

KAOSKTRL

Man, you just prove how stupid and retarded izlam is. The only reason Mohammer gave not to kill someone was "they could be muzlim too!" (which means it's okay to kill infidels)

Muzlims are told to do allah's will so THEY CAN GET A REWARD. BOOTY OR SEX!

guess what? when you do something for a reward---IT AIN'T RELIGIOUS!!!!!

WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING TO GET SOMETHING---IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GOD, NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION.

The Hindus (in the Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita) explain that in order for an action to be "consecrated" to God, it must be COMPLETELY disconnected from the result. In other words, when a person performs a devotional act, the act is performed whether there is a reward or not. WE MUST BE DISCONNECTED from the outcome of our actions. That's the basis of Karma Yoga.

Islam is completely non-religious. A muzlim is always PROMISED BOOTY OR SEX! HOW IS DOING SOMETHING FOR BOOTY OR SEX RELIGIOUS?

IT AIN'T.

IZLAM IS STONE-COLD HEAP OF CRAP!

Islam is the religious system that appeals directly to the reptilian brain.

The best thing any non-Muslim left in Malaysia can do for himself or herself is EVACUATE the place ASAP.

The western democracies should boycott Malaysia as well as Indonesia.

KAOSKTRL/

Precisely, I couldn't agree more. Out of their own mouths and from their own writings and teachings are moslems, rightly, condemned.

How disgusting, how vile and un-Godly are the things which you have quoted - but I'm sure that you know that and I thank you for showing these sick-making quotations to us. You are quite right to have drawn our attention to such blasphemous writings - to such un-Godly and inhuman beliefs. You have done us a great service by using your erudition and knowledge about moslem ways and beliefs and posting the results here. Now, thanks to you, everyone can see what a vile and disgusting mind inhabits the brain of the moslem believer.

Thank-you. I know that you will be rewarded in Heaven by the one true and merciful God for the great service that you have performed. Please keep on doing so. It is extremely valuable to all of us that you should continue to use your obviously great knowledge of the devil-worshipping cult called islam in this way. Please, please, expose more of this appalling monstrosity of a belief, which attempts to pass itself off as a valid religion, to us. Never be discouraged - always explain and explicate the dirty little cult of islam to us in the same lucid way which you did in your post (above). Your explanations and your selective quoting from the filthy moslem writings and teachings will do far more to further the cause of liberal western freedoms than anything which any of us could manage.

Keep up the good work.

Dominic.

Personally, I think KAOSKTRL needs to work in Washington. Nobody explains this stuff better. But I doubt those idiots would listen or even get it.

Hugh, the Clintons started the Iftar abomination at the White House. Too bad Bush saw fit to continue their vile tradition.

All ethnic Malays (who comprise 60% of the demographic) are automatically designated as Muslims, and as everyone is issued with identity cards in childhood, which state one's religion, which is registered, it is virtually impossible to convert out of Islam. The only ethnic Malay ever allowed to change her faith was a woman aged 89, called Nyonya Tahir. She had become a Buddhist when she married her Chinese husband in the 1930s. She made history when she became the only person ever allowed to officially apostasise. The shariah courts only granted her this privilege after she had died. So in effect, the Islamic courts, which wield massive power in the nation, have NEVER allowed anyone to legally leave Islam.

Article 3 of Malaysia's constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the state, but Article 3 (1) of the constitution states that 'other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation'.

However, Article 121 (1A) of the constitution rules that the Islamic courts are not to be affected by decisions in a civil court.This clause states that civil courts have no jurisdiction on "any matter" which already falls within the scope of the Syariah or Islamic courts.

Tuesday April 18. a century old Hindu temple, the Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliam-man Temple in Kuala Lumpur, was bulldozed, without previous warning, A prayer session was in progress, and police cleared the building and set the bulldozers to demolish the temple, which was dedicated to the deity Devi.

The above incident was reported in India, but as I have realised while researching the background to this story, Malaysia's mainstream media are disgracefully oblivious to such activities going on right under their noses.

The case of the demolition of the Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliam-man Temple became known in the international media because of the extreme age of the temple. But there have been several temples destroyed just this year.

22 February, Sri Ayyanar Sathiswary Alayam Temple Jalan Davies was demolished, with its statues buried on the site.

18 April, Malaimel Sri Selva Kaliam-man Temple was bulldozed.

26 April, Sri Mariaman Temple Seksyen 11, served with demolition order by Shah Alam City Council.

9 May, Sri Kaliamman temple (pictured) in Shah Alam, was demolished by the City Council.

11 May, Aum Sri Siva Balakrishnan Muniswarar temple, in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, was partially demolished. This temple was 60 years old.

14 May, Sri Balakrishan Muniswarer temple in Setapak was partly demolished, and then given a demolition notice by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

15 May, Ganggai Muthu Karumariaman temple in Keddah, was subjected to an arson attack.

This latter case was the only incident which got a mention in the mainstream Malaysian media, in the Star. And it was one of three temples to be attacked on that night of Sunday 15 to Monday 16 May. The other arson attacks happened in Batu Putih, Kulim, in the state of Kedah. Kedah state adjoins the border with the province of Yala in Thailand, scene of the Muslim insurgency.

The Sri Muthu Mariamman Temple was seen with flames inside around 9.30 pm. Statues, which had been covered in fabric raiment, had been burned. Only the cloth was damaged, and the statues survived.

About half a mile away, the Sivasakthi Muneeswarar Temple was set alight, and residents managed to save some statues and other religious items. A can of diesel fuel was found nearby. A man had been witnessed acting suspiciously when the fires had begun, and he fled when seen.

What the Malaysian media patently failed to mention was that earlier that day, there had been a protest by Hindus about destruction of temples, which had been disrupted by violent assaults made upon them by Muslim activists.

19-7-2006

WORLD FIRST

HINDU TEMPLE IN MALAYSIA / ANY PLACE OF WORSHIP IN THE WORLD FORCED BY THE STATE AUTHORITIES TO RELOCATE NEXT TO A SEWERAGE POND.

On 14.7.2006 the Government of Malaysia unlawfully, unconstitutionally and without a valid Court Order forced a Hindu Temple in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia to relocate next to a sewerage pond.

This is in violation of Article 11 (Freedom of Religion) and Article 8 (Equality before the law) of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. This has never happened to a Muslim place of worship in Malaysia or to any other place of worship in any other part of the world and perhaps qualifies a citation albeit negative in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In the rather “innovative” modus operandi, Indian gangsters (wearing identification white cloth on their wrists) who were “used” in this state operation came along accompanied by one hundred (100) police personnell, police Light Strike Force, Petaling Jaya City Council enforcement officers, fire brigade and a Malay Muslim mob.

Despite the Indian gangsters attacking the devotees who were on a 24 hour vigil guarding the temple, the police stood by and watched silently. Instead of arresting the intruders the police took the side of the intruders / criminals moved in, took control of the main gates to the temple, forcibly pushed the Hindu devotees away and allowed the intruders to break open the main gates to the temple and commit crimes under
section 295 (defiling a place of worship), section 298 (A) (causing racial hatred) and section 441 (criminal trespass) of the Penal Code.

The next day this temple was completely demolished by the Petaling Jaya City Council enforcement officers also committing offence under
Section 295 of the Penal Code.

(Note:
(a) In every three weeks on average one Hindu temple is being demolished in Malaysia.

(b) 95% of the estimated 20,000 Hindu temples in Malaysia (most of which are 100 over years old) risk imminent demolishment as the Malaysian Government upon attaining independence on 31.8.1957 has refused to recognise and declare them Hindu temple reserves and gazette the land they are situated on as Hindu temple reserves as was rightly done for all Muslim places of worship in Malaysia.(again in violation of Article 8 (Equality before the law) of the Federal Constitution.

These Hindu temples after all have been serving the legitimate spiritual interests / needs of the 1.8 million ethnic minority Hindu community in Malaysia for over a decade.

Despite one hundred over police reports being lodged, the Attorney General of Malaysia would not institute criminal charges against this state sponsored crime for obvious reasons. This is the height of lawlessness, constitutional violations, oppression and injustices to the ethnic minority Hindu community in Malaysia.

The (Law) Minister Dato’ Seri Nazri Aziz at a meeting organised by the Ipoh Barat Member of Parliment with 50 Hindu NGOs’ at Parliament House on 11.5.2006 explained that the top leadership in the government was not aware of this actually happenings and expressed surprise and regret that this happens in Malaysia. He promised to procure an urgent cabinet intervention / solution at the following weeks cabinet meeting.

Since then many more temples were demolished / threatened with demolishment etc and Seri Nazri Aziz was kept informed from time to time via formal letters. This Seri Nazri Aziz has since avoided / refused to meet with Ipoh Barat or any of the 50 Hindu NGOs’and there has been pin drop silence from the government of Malaysia and the atrocities continues unabated and with impunity with 26 temples being demolished, threatened with demolishment set on fire or deities going missing recorded within a period of the last 4 ½ months with effect from 22.2.2006.

Welcome to Malaysia, a tropical paradise endowed with breathtaking natural beauty, exotic cultures rhat are being destoyed by some very nasty people.

"Hugh, the Clintons started the Iftar abomination at the White House..."
-- from a posting above

I do not recall this, and would be interested in the evidence of such an official Iftar Dinner under Clinton (not that he would not have been capable of it, and his casual, criminally negligent remarks about Islam rival those of Bush in their idiocy). George Bush Senior used to have groups of Saudis over from time to time and may have had them at break-the-fast dinners during Ramadan. But that is not the same thing as establishing the custom of an official Ramadan Dinner.

And that is what, on November 19, 2001, George Bush saw fit to do, scarcely two months after the attacks of 9/11/2001. He and his Administration did not know what Islam was all about. They did not know the meanning of such words as "hadith" and "sira," of "Sunni" and "Shi'a," of "Jihad" and "dhimmi." They made policy flying blind. Some of those in his Administration have been too busy to learn what they should have learned earlier, and continue, obstinately, to refuse to learn. Others, outside the Administration, in Congress, with slightly more time on their hands but also with fewer responsibilities, have been just as derelict. How many people in public life do you know who, more than five years after the 0/11/2001 attacks, have learned what you consider to be the barest minimum necessary about Islam so as to be capable of constructing a policy based not on wishful thinking or cliches, but rather on grim reality, and a grasp of a belief-system that menaces so many?

No. The official Ramadan Dinner business was instituted by the present President, and the circumstances were tellling. General Boykin had made a remark about "my [Christian] God" is "stronger than their [Islamic] God" and in the predictable idiotic furore afterwards. Bush may have felt that he had to do something dramatic to win over Muslims. But people who take the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the figure of Muhammad as their guide are not people who can be won over, people who can conceivably offer unfeigned friendship, loyalty, and support, to Infidels or Infidel nation-states anywhere, unless they essentially renounce central tenets of Islam (in which case, can we Infidels take seriously their self-description as "Muslims"? Can they?).

How do I know? The Qu'ran tells me so.

"Malaysia's top Islamic insurance company"

moslems don't like insurance so how come they have an insurance company, I call on all moslems to gather there, kill the employees and burn the building. That should solve the problem.

Okay, this deepavali/deeparaya, substitute the effigies of Ravana with those of Mohammed, before they are burnt.

Just make sure those celebrating are there in huge numbers, so that any thugs/officials would be intimidates and just let that continue.

By looking through the comments; one can find how fiercely non-muslims attack Muslims. Muslims never portrays Jesus, Rama or Moses as bad men; instead revere them. Here in this instance as well, some clerics wanted to express their opinion - not to attack other religion. Since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) time, idolators, jews and crusaders were attacking Islam; Islam defended with it's own identity; I agree there were couple of fanaitc incidents happended recently - but that was not orchestered by Islam as a religion. Islam is not a religion invented by Muhammed; it is the 'submission' of creatures to the will of Creator. Reading few peoples' comments clearly specify how false is people's knowledge about islam. Request all go through the link (http://www.irf.net/irf/faqonislam/index.htm ).

It answers many questions such as:

Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?
Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists?
Why do Muslims abuse non-Muslims by calling them ‘Kafirs’?
Are the VEDAs revelation of God?
PROPHET’S RELIGIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
etc. etc.

Visit: http://www.irf.net/irf/faqonislam/index.htm

This will take away many of your misconception about Islam that followed by more than 1 billion people.