Such pictures as this one in Newsweek are akin to the performances of the Muslim women, usually Pakistanis, who come to elementary schools to "talk about Islam." They bring pretty postcards of mosques and a prayer rug that can be turned Meccawards, and are eager to share information about "family-centered" Islam. Everything concentrates on the trivial (for Infidels) rituals of worship: Shehada, zakat, salat, hajj, and especially Ramadan, which allows for all kinds of wide-eyed wonder at the depth of feeling which Muslims must have to stick to a daytime fast for a whole month.
And then of course the discussion can be all about not only what good things there are to eat at the break-fast Iftar dinner, but how various are those things -- because, you see, "Islam is not monolithic."
Add to this a few phrases about how Islam is one of the "three great abrahamic faiths," that Jesus and Moses are "revered in Islam" (well, not quite, but respected, as long as they are understood to be the Muslim Jesus, and the Muslim Moses, part of a long line of prophets who were not quite the real thing, until the real thing, Muhammad, came along). There may also be a quoting of 5.32 without 5.33 (Bush has done it, Blair has done it, every Muslim apologist and non-Muslim apologist for Islam has done it), and of course, the usual citing of "there is no compulsion in religion" (2.256) without any discussion of what that phrase must mean. Such discussion could venture into uncomfortable realms, given that under Muslim rule the treatment of non-Muslims is one of official humiliation, degradation, and physical insecurity, such that over time many, to escape this fate, converted to Islam. In other words, they were forcibly converted not by the sword, but by the need for more secure, less unpleasant and imperilled lives.
The only people who can testify with confidence as to how Muslims, in this setting or that, believe the phrase "there shall be no compulsion in religion" is to be interpreted, are ex-Muslims. Such people, who grew up in Islam, who are familiar with the -- to non-Muslims -- absolutely flabbergasting ability of Muslims to present a constant stream of amiable apologetics based on the arts of obfuscation, distraction, misstatement, and seemingly innocent incomprehension, whenever such is deemed necessary to protect the faith from non-Muslim inquiry or investigation. And they do this even as, within the umma, they take quite a different position. Ex-Muslims know exactly how to pinpoint the taqiyya/kitman. It is an element in which, having been made to swim in it all their lives, they are most successful at identifying. One trusts Ibn Warraq, Ali Sina, Azam Kamguian, and a thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand other ex-Muslims. One also trusts those, such as Habib Malik, who have grown up in societies that are half-Muslim and have, all their lives, been on the receiving end of Muslim "tolerance" and Muslim apologetics.
The very word "tolerance" should always be silently replaced by the word "dhimmitude." Western-style "tolerance" does not exist for non-Muslims in Muslim societies. Nowhere.
The picture in Newsweek does not tell us what is in the mind of the hijabbed girl, nor in the minds of her family members. How does she think of her non-Muslim classmates? What does she think when she studies -- does she study? -- the American Constitution, or the history of the United States, and finds out the principles of the legal and political institutions that Americans have formed, and that for several hundred years have been formed by them?
This is what those pictures, or that Show-and-Tell about Ramadan (a heartwarming subject for all those "Islam in America" stories in the press and radio and television) do not tell: what is in the mental baggage, what is being transmitted, what is deeply believed in.
And if that were known -- and it could be known, simply by reading and re-reading those texts, and studying, and re-studying, the history of the treatment of non-Muslims, which has remained remarkably consistent whatever variants in food and dress (that's what "Islam is not monolithic" mainly comes down to) may exist among Believers.
That is what is wrong with the press coverage -- that in Newsweek, and that in The Bandar Beacon, and everywhere.
Attention is paid to the outward show and the smooth, transparently (to those who know something) misleading apologetics.
A permanent problem.
Everything is wrong with the press coverage of Islam.
Mostly because much of the media has been bought or is heavily infiltrated by Muhammedan agents. We should make a list, it would be quite rewarding.
Meanwhile, WaPo (which you call the Bandar Beacon) and Newsweep bring out the big Islamo-fascist guns to pile on the taqiyya by the truckloads. Tariq Ramadan to Queen Rania, Peanut Khadr and your special friend John Esposito (the narzistic whore) are desperately trying to tell us that Islam is not what it does, but what they would like you believe it should be.
Judging by the incoming letters (much of it never printed because nobody buys that schlock) they might have to take comments off shortly, people have had enough.
But you might wanna write a bit about it, Hugh?
http://sheikyermami.com/2007/07/29/newsweek-steaming-piles-of-taqiyya-by-the-truckload/
Splendid post. How great a service does Jihad Watch provide. To think that a few years ago we were - in our desire for real information - virtually at the mercy of the snivelling wretches at the Newsweeks of the world.
Thank God for the blogs and men like Robert Spencer, Hugh, Charles Johnson etc. Lets not forget the courageous women like Oriana Fallaci and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. If not for them, we would be at the mercy of the dhimmi runned media outlets.
That is what is wrong with the press coverage -- that in Newsweek, and that in The Bandar Beacon, and everywhere.
At least in those journals, and the rest of the world's liberal press, the censorship appears to be voluntarily imposed. Now consider the EU, which is actually setting up protocols to administer and regulate the censorship of the press in both the EU and what it terms the "South Mediterranean" countries (i.e those countries of the Mahgreb and near Middle East slated for inclusion in a future Eurabia).
http://eumc.europa.eu/eumc/material/pub/general/euromed_conference_report_220506_en.pdf
When a de facto Government starts talking about working to change editorial practices, then you are well on the way to totalitarianism.
Matamoros, its amazing that other countries are DOING what they accuse Bush of doing.
They look at it as a legitimate religion and not as the bunch of amoral perverts they truely are.
Elric66
Matamoros, its amazing that other countries are DOING what they accuse Bush of doing.
Not sure - what they are accusing Bush of doing?
If it's the same as what the EU is planning, then it's a disgrace. EU countries already have laws against inciting hatred, which fortunately limits the publication of the really hateful crap to the neo-Nazi organisations and their ilk.
No, what this programme aims for is the eventual eradication of material like the Danish cartoons, Robert Redeker's article in Le Figaro, the Sunday Telegraph's interview with Patrick Sookhdeo etc. Hell, who knows? Maybe even mention of sites like Jihad Watch. All criticism and portrayal of the negative aspects of what it terms the "third great Abrahamic faith", smothered under the auspices of combatting "Islamophobia".
I mean that Bush is a dictator, trampling on our freedoms. Meanwhile their idols in the EU, Venezuela ARE doing that. Not that I am a fan of Bush. I tried my best to defend him but no more. I
In other words, they were forcibly converted not by the sword, but by the need for more secure, less unpleasant and imperilled lives.
Not to mention being put at economic disadvantage. When you're a family living at or near poverty, or in poverty, and are forced to pay the Jizya extortion "tax" or to make disadvantageous trades, it doesn't take long to accept Allah.
I remember reading a couple of yrs ago that in Malaysia, if a 3 chickens are worth one lamb, then a non-Moslem must pay 4 chickens for a lamb.
That's enough to make ya wanna convert to Islam.
The "Press" doesn't know anything about Islam.
Plus, they're dedicated to Political Correctness over Truth.
I was flipping through the tv channels the other day -- caught a glimpse of a CBC program...I suspect CBC is back to its old tricks -- the Brian Stewart whine -- I imagine the program producers must have gotten a word from their Saudi handlers -- "You must present a program to demonize Israel!! It's been two weeks now and not enough has been said!!". So it was back to harping on the evil Israel and the "plight" of the pampered Palestinians...the Palis who receive more aid per capita than any other group on planet earth. But to the hate-filled, bigoted CBC KKKers and their sympathetic pro-Jihadist friends, it's all the fault of Israel. You'd think that after 20 years of this the CBC would grow up or (maybe) grow tired of the same old, same old. But, no. The antisemites never, ever tire. They just repeat the same crap to the next generation.
When is CBC going to be privatized? When will Vision TV be taken off the "basic cable" package?
Another great slogan for a t-shirt or bumper sticker:
dhimmitude isn't tolerance
The very word "tolerance" should always be silently replaced by the word "dhimmitude." Western-style "tolerance" does not exist for non-Muslims in Muslim societies. Nowhere.
This one tells it all, Hugh, and media won't touch it with a 10 foot pole, too disturbing.
The media is trying to be tolerant of the intolerant out of ignorance of the evidence.
Studiously avoiding understand Islam because it scares them to think that it might actually be a 'faith' based on sanctified terrorism, misogyny, cruelty, superstition, endless warfare and slavery.
Better to loathe themselves than learn the truth.
?Islam is not monolithic."
1930's-era fascism wasn't monolithic either.
profitsbeard,
"Better to loathe themselves than learn the truth."
I'll never understand people like that-not in a million years.
What is rarely discussed is that there is a huge problem with cheating among Muslim-Americans. If accused of cheating, they bring in CAIR, which intimidates the school into dropping the cheating case.
One of CAIR's main functions at schools and universities is to challenge any and all cases of cheating brought against Muslim students. In so doing, they coerce school administrations to drop the cases and let the cheating students get on with their cheating ways without penalty. No other group, not even other "protected" groups, get this kind of protection.
It's interesting that this is not widely known, but the liberalism of school teachers and university faculty probably contributes to the lack of reporting on this.
Womble, Islam teaches their flunkies they are entitled to special treatments by the infidels. So this is not surprising news, if cheating at school is cause to coerce academic staff into humble submission. However, cheating in the long run offers no good results, and their diplomas aren't worth the paper. Any wonder so many true to heart Muslim are such failures all around? Take away their unearned petrodollars, and they're back to tending goats and camels, or caravan raiding, or wife beaters, killers. Cheaters are unproductive, so the leaches live off what they steal from the infidels, wives on the dole, coercing infidel governments for more and more, but their societies remain shaby and poor. That's why they remain flunkies, even within the largess of the infidel lands. They fail, can't compete except at the lowest levels, but man can they put together a good riot, even die in them, right quick. The western media keeps treating them kindly with Christian like, liberal leftist pity. It's all sicko, what a double standard for the poor bastards. And they think they're the 'best people'? Ha ha! Where's 'rage boy', media's Islamic poster boy?
profitsbeard: "Better to loathe themselves than learn the truth."
That's one way to look at the blindness. Another way to look at it is in terms of their incredible arrogance. Their arrogance in imagining that everyone has the same values as they do. Their arrogance in refusing to hear what jihadists themselves are actually telling them, again and again - which is that they utterly reject what they consider to be the arrogance of western, man-made-law.
The plus side of focusing on liberal arrogance as the source of their blindness, rather than on trying to point out the stupidity of their guilt - is that by emphasizing their arrogance - we can actually hit on something they can genuinely feel guilty about!
See the twist there? We still emphasize guilt, which is without a doubt the western liberal's achilles heel, but we go at it it indirectly - by making them feel guilty for their arrogance!
What press coverage of Islam?
Caroline-
Well said.
It's a hydra of multi-culti stupidity, cupidity and venality.
And, beneath their hubris, is our Civilization's assisted suicide at their smug little hands.
They dared not show the Mo-toons "out of sensitivity" to the dangerous 'religion' (Islam), but they trumpet any insult to the safe religion, (Christianity) as "art", et al.
Hypocrites, cowards, Ivory Toweristas, and self-abasing fools.
A mixed-nuts assortment of critical failings.
All dangerous to our future.
The word "Islam" means submission. It's derived from the root s-l-m, which connotes "peace." That's what peace means in Islam--peace through submission. Submission of Muslims to Allah, submission of non-Muslims to Muslims. Third Abrahamic religion, my ass. It is the greatest fraud ever perpetrated upon mankind, and people are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker. Truly sickening.
Right now Ontario is facing the prospect of having taxpayers funding Madrassas. that is, Islamic "education" could come under the auspices of "public education." I am totally opposed to taxpayers being required to fund ANY religious group -- but ESPECIALLY funding the RELIGION OF HATE. If it happens in Ontario, Alberta could be next. Church and state must be kept separate. (I also wonder if the pro-Islam media blitz is due to the desire to see public funds going to Islamic "preachers," and propping up the stinking fetid corpse of islam.)
"What press coverage of Islam?"
Read the Washington Post (LGF has articles), read Newsweek, read Time, read the Detroit "editorials" (written by Hezbollah leaders and paid Saudi "journalists") -- it's all over the place -- so like your namesake -- Wake up.
The MSM coverage of Islam can be summed up as follows:-
No no no you dont understand its BECAUSE you put them in GITMO that they are terrorists, its BECAUSE you invaded Afghanistan and Iraq that they are terrorists, its BECAUSE Israel occupies Palestine they are terrorists, its BECAUSE Israel exists they are terrorists, its BECAUSE of the Crusades they are terrorists, its BECAUSE you stole all the Oil they are terrorists, its BECAUSE you dont have Sharia Law in the USA and UK that they are terrorists and on and on and on ad infinitum and ad nauseum. Add to that in the UK the PC Leftwing Moonbat insistance that the word Muslim and Islam is NOT used in ANY terror related story same goes for Black too. It is however OK to talk about the terrorists being Indian,British National,Chinese etc, the hypocrisy is mind boggling. However when you realise that in the UK the MSM especially the BBC is staffed by PC,Leftwing,'Yuman Rites' spouting, Guardianista, Moonbats, Anti Semitics and Gays it is perfectly understandable. What is not so understandable is the huge number Gay employee's in the BBC who do not realise what Islam has in store for them all part of the unthinking leftist attitude I suppose. Its like the Turkeys who cant wait for Christmas.
I am continuing to add the years of sites, onto a blog that is concentrated on women and Islam,
but there will be enough exposure that the more one reads--any media manipulation of Islam can most definately be seen for what it is...
and I am not even partially done adding yet. Just wait till I add the case by case by case links and it would take me a year to add all the cases of horrid abuses to women and children in Islam,
but it would take a literally nutcase to read all these cases and accounts and NOT SEE THERE IS SOMETHING
REALLY WRONG WITH ISLAM.
you're welcome to read it at
http://womenrightswatchislam.blogspot.com/
Natasha
Matamoros, do you have a copy of this ?
http://eumc.europa.eu/eumc/material/pub/general/euromed_conference_report_220506_en.pdf
It does not open.
Hi Finn
That link should open OK, but it is very slow to download if, like me, you're on dial-up. Also, it's in .pdf format, so you'll need an Acrobat Reader to view it. It won't open if you don't have one. You can get a copy free from:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
"However when you realise that in the UK the MSM especially the BBC is staffed by PC,Leftwing,'Yuman Rites' spouting, Guardianista, Moonbats, Anti Semitics and Gays it is perfectly understandable."
You seem to be implying that there's something wrong with being gay. That's exactly what a jihadist would say, too.
"You seem to be implying that there's something wrong with being gay."
If I may comment on behalf of the poster who was flabbergasted by gays supporting Islam. I don't believe the poster was "implying" that there is something wrong with being gay -- rather there is something WRONG with GAYS supporting ISLAM. As the poster pointed out -- it's like "Turkeys [that's the bird variety] who can't wait for Christmas." Precisely. The first to have their heads separated from their necks would be the homosexuals (in any Sharia controlled state). Yet any number of Gays "just love Islam." (Bruce Bawer mentions this phenomenon also).
J.S., if that's what he meant, then certainly I read him all wrong. But the fact that he lists gays in the same group as "Anti-Semitics" (It's spelled "Anti-Semites," I think) and various other groups he obviously finds distasteful, it certainly reads like he's saying he dislikes gays--which would be a nonsensical stance on his part, given that Bruce Bawer is gay.
The Gays in the BBC form a huge part of the PC culture it starts with them supporting Gay liberation then we get 'wimen' and spokesPERSONS
, chairPERSONS etc,etc it a short step from that sort of blinkered thinking to the 'misbehaving youths', 'Thai Insurgency', 'Hamas resistance movement' much as you might not like it Gay activists are almost exclusively loony leftwingers too it goes with the territory look at Red Ken Livingstone the loony Mayor of London and rabid Gay rights supporter.
Supporting gay rights doesn't make Ken Livingstone a loony. Supporting jihad does.
I support gay rights (but not jihad). Does that make me a loony?
There is no question in my mind that powerful Arab and other Muslim-ethnicity zillionaires have been purchasing large amounts of shares of controlling stock in the US media. That would explain the suicidal "Leave It to Beaver" mentality the media in America and other western democracies have been idiotically conferring on Islam in America (a pseudo-religious, political movement based on violence that has murdered over 300 million people over 13 centuries and brazenly plots to destroy America now warrants a free pass here?? come again???what's wrong with this picture??). With the mainstream US media reduced to playing a fawning role in Islam's attempt to conquer America, the Islamization of America can accelerate without interference or letup. All anyone really need do is make a couple of well-placed phone calls to verify how much stock in the US media Arab and other Islamic zillionaires actually own (probably plenty).
By the way, I am personally glad someone has brought up that recent and dreadful, "Leave It to Beaver" type Newsweek article on 'Islam in America'! It personally turned my stomach to see the article's writer determinedly portray Islam as a proverbial "wouldn't hurt a fly" type import in the same vein as, say, tacos or sudoku (and, no, I don't) while ignoring Islamic history, kuranic doctrines, Islamic institutions such as jihad, taqiyya, revenge and honor killings which by this lady's account don't exist (scary that anyone could be so naive in this age of mass islamic terror).
It would help if more Americans and citizens of western democracies would investigate what the Kuran teaches (particularly if they plan to write articles in the media with the alleged intention of enlightening the public on Islam). All media articles that cover Islam without specific references to specific Kuranic teachings should be considered suspect.
What Americans most need to fathom (some day somewhere) is that their paradigm of what constitutes good and evil is not universal. This is especially important concerning immigration issues as until such a day arrives Americans will continue to be letting terrorists into their country and endangering their own people.
People who don't know the Kuran and its teachings don't know Muslims and should NOT be writing about them. When they do, the result is a mess like this recent Newsweek article "Islam in America".
Deliver us all from Islam and its homicidal horrors!!
Get Born Again,
there are two camps among the GLBT, one that is the multi-culturalist/or I prefer to use cultural relativist,
and the ones who aren't. One of the best sites, there are two actually but one, he's not blogging anymore, but on my blog,
there is Muslim Refusenik,
a lesbian woman, EXTREMELY OUTSPOKEN AGAINST ISLAM,
on the death fatwa list with Rushdie--so there are several in the GLBT community that are very, VERY OUTSPOKEN AND TOTALLY AGAINST ISLAM,
there is also an organization but like the minority rights group [which they handle many cases of the non-Muslims living in Muslim countries] but
they are the international human rights for GLBT and now--this is like sad--blaring hypocrisy but numerous cases for asylum every day [and not just from Islamic countries but many of them are] seeking poltiical asylum in the west--and are turned back,
ESPECIALLY WOMEN BECAUSE YOU KNOW GOD FORBID IF YOU SAY NO TO WELL--I WON'T GO THERE--BLOOD WILL START TO SEETHE,
but yea there are many--just like there are many in the GLBT who support the right to bear arms,
I will find this one man's site though--its HILARIOUS--he does paradies and he's a riot but he is extremely outspoken and he talks about the irony of some of the GLBT who are supporting the Islamists [big group who support Palestine]
and its like with feminists--that 'myth' that its not Islam--"only the minority fundamentalists",
and lets say--Even if that was the case--if it was a few fundies and the rest moderates--well obviously the moderates are impotent and its suicidal to 'wait for the moderates' to change the Islamization when freedom is at stake,
its like this one man says, Falwell may have pitched a hissy fit over gays, but he didn't issue DEATH FATWAS FROM THE PULPIT [though we have some of those fundie nutcases here in the west [I hate them as much as I hate Islam--]
but not on a state-sanctioned and systematic level. Its ironic as hell to see GLBT marching along side Muslims who one day if they get to that place--will be hanging the GLBT from cranes or throwing them from high walls....
and enslaving women--and i am willing to put money on it--that nine out of ten its either the neo-liberal "post colonial" influence or the academia--Especially with the whole Palestinian rights--
the issue with Palestine has, this much I do know--has been the 'tool' of mass Muslim propaganda and indoctrination on our campuses--and alot of the liberals and the GLBT and feminists groups have been influenced by a big percentage of that.
But they are very silent about the recent--fundies in Gaza threating to cut women from ear to ear if they don't wear the full face sheets,
and threatening women journalists and dare any lesbians or gays speak out--they are right now in HIDING since the Hamas took over--the rights organizations for women and GLBT over there are in the 'closing down zone' right
as we speak.
Natasha
"Muslims Refusenik"--is that Irshad Manji's website?