The government of Oppenao (Verona), Italy, refused to build a mosque and is about to build instead a plaza in honor of author Oriana Fallaci, Italy's La Republicca reports.

On May 17, bulldozers destroyed the little building that was used as a preach room and which was thought by Oppenao's muslims to become a mosque.

The Oppenao mayor told journalists his citizens didn't want the mosque and they supported the idea of honoring Fallaci instead.

Oriana Fallaci is known for her fight against islam. She died of cancer in 2006.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2018782/posts

Posted by: drzz at May 20, 2008 3:30 PM

Dr. Fehmida Mirza said Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance that abhors terrorism and extremism in all it forms and manifestations...
From the story.

Talking the talk, and talking, and talking, and talking.... When they understand that they need to start walking the walk, then maybe we will start listening to them.

Posted by: Eastview at May 20, 2008 3:31 PM

With all respect, Islam without a large, busy, violent segment will never happen. That is the draw for many, its in the text, and the imams require it to keep the moderate ummah segment hostage. Without violence against non-Muslims, "there is no there, there" as Gertrude Stein might say if she were a knowledgeable anti-jihadist. Removing the imam equals freeing the people.

http://www.bravenewsworld.blogspot.com

Posted by: Max Publius at May 20, 2008 3:43 PM

Thanks for the great news from Italy!!

Posted by: Exposing Islam at May 20, 2008 3:55 PM

Thanks for the great news from Italy!!

Posted by: Exposing Islam at May 20, 2008 3:55 PM

You're welcome. I posted it first, early this morning.

Posted by: darcy at May 20, 2008 4:30 PM

>>Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza said Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance that abhors terrorism and extremism in all it forms and manifestations..."

What a bunch of obvious al-Taqiyya.

Posted by: darcy at May 20, 2008 4:32 PM

People!

In Verona, Italy, mosque razed, area re-named "Oriana Fallaci Square!"

http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2008/05/oriana-fallaci-square.html

Posted by: darcy at May 20, 2008 7:57 AM

See, Exposing Islam?

BRAVA!

Posted by: darcy at May 20, 2008 4:37 PM

The Speaker said Pakistan and Iran are bonded in the eternal ties of religion, culture and history and there was commonality of views and perceptions of both the countries on all regional global issues....
...............................

Great. Partnering with Iran, which refers to the only democracy in the Middle East as a "stinking corpse". This goes nicely with the recent deal with the Taliban, which turns several districts of Pakistan into full Shari'ah states, complete with amputations for theft and the stoning of rape victims.

In the past few years Pakistan has gone from a chaotic mess to something even more hellish. This process has gone hand in hand with the more fervent embrace of Islam by large parts of the population.

I'm sure future events in this nation will do more to dispel Westerners misperceptions about Islam, although perhaps not entirely in the way that Dr. Mirza might wish.

Posted by: gravenimage at May 20, 2008 4:53 PM

"In the past few years Pakistan has gone from a chaotic mess to something even more hellish." --gravenimage

But, gravenimage, it's the "Land of the Pure People"! (meaning of "Pakistan").

Posted by: darcy at May 20, 2008 5:09 PM

The Speaker said Pakistan and Iran are bonded in the eternal ties of religion, culture and history and there was commonality of views and perceptions of both the countries

This tells me that the ummah is trying to come together as one. Next thing you know, they will be selecting a caliph and the battle between islam and the rest of us will be fully engaged.

I just hope we don't have Obama at the helm when it comes together.

On the other hand, if the Arab muslims get wind of this, we could have a full out war between the islamic factions. Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

Posted by: walterc at May 20, 2008 5:11 PM

Another 'misconception' is those Friday incite/prayer services that end in a riot and a few killed.

Those services take place in mosques and not in terror cells meeting places.

Posted by: alaskan1000 at May 20, 2008 5:14 PM

Perhaps we should listen to more what one of our speaker was saying ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0UWdYWLry8&feature=user

Posted by: MusHuntCowboy at May 20, 2008 5:17 PM

Islam is a religion of tolerance, all right. It tolerates: firing rockets at random in Israel, terrorist attacks, suicide bombers, "honor-killing", killing non-believers, depriving non-believers of human rights, killing apostates, wife-beating, imprisoning rape victims, etc, etc. Very tolerant, indeed.

Posted by: ebonystone at May 20, 2008 6:39 PM

Newt gets it..

Posted by: pulsar182 at May 20, 2008 6:42 PM

The load of BS we know that it is not. What steps have they taken none. It is still just another form of taqqiya. All the talk about Muslims from the article but non about the violent acts committed against non Muslims. I did not hear condemnation of the recent bombings in Jaipur. I do not buy anything coming out of Muslim mouths. It as simple as that. They talk one thing and do another. Unfortunately some of our western leaders are doing the same thing and denying the democratic countries the truth and protection that people in free nations are entitled to. The same thing in India or Hindustan as the Islamic name and Bharat the Vedic name. In the name of communal harmony some aspects of Indian history is denied and not taught in schools. This would show the real ugliness that is Islam. No matter how much whitewashing and makeup you put the ugliness just shows it is inherent. That is the nature of Islam--EVIL

Posted by: savsiv at May 20, 2008 7:09 PM

Now just why does this classify as "culture". It is really a cult, fed by those on top of this pile of manure. How does civilization deal with this? It is time to scrap and build.

Posted by: lonewolf at May 20, 2008 7:22 PM

I'm a "Radical Ani-Jihadist" (can I say that?)

That said..... I think Robert should be elevated to IMAM status. Based on his knowlege of Islam.

An imam (Arabic: إمام‎, Persian: امام) is an Islamic leader, often the leader of a mosque and/or community.

Imam is an Islamic term, imam is the person who leads the prayer at the mosque. More often the community turn to the mosque imam, if they have an Islamic question. In smaller communities an imam could be the community leader based on the community setting.

Maybe you could create a thread along with Dhimmi side.

Posted by: Abrog8 at May 20, 2008 7:26 PM

I'm a "Radical Anti-Jihadist" (can I say that?)

That said..... I think Robert should be elevated to IMAM status. Based on his knowlege of Islam.

An imam (Arabic: إمام‎, Persian: امام) is an Islamic leader, often the leader of a mosque and/or community.

Imam is an Islamic term, imam is the person who leads the prayer at the mosque. More often the community turn to the mosque imam, if they have an Islamic question. In smaller communities an imam could be the community leader based on the community setting.

Maybe you could create a thread along with Dhimmi side.

Posted by: Abrog8 at May 20, 2008 7:27 PM

Anti-Jihadist Extremist?

Posted by: Abrog8 at May 20, 2008 7:35 PM

Anti-Jihadist Extremist???

Posted by: Abrog8 at May 20, 2008 7:36 PM

Dr. Fehmida Mirza;that train left the station long ago, either you are trying to practice your taquiya skills for the unsuspecting, and naieve dhimmis' or you haven't read the Quran yourself which is quite possible since some statistics have pointed out that barely 15Pct. of the entire umma has a working knowledge of the Quran, and the hadiths.

Yes and of course religious scholars and media should play their role to dispel the misperception of the west. And a find job they have been doing,only there going in the opposite direction.

Any more good ideas on how to sell a bridge to the West?

Posted by: Mackie at May 20, 2008 7:42 PM

From article: it was the responsibility of religious scholars to play their role to remove the misperceptions of the West about Islam.

Gee, I wonder where we got those 'misperceptions' in the first place?

Posted by: duh_swami at May 20, 2008 8:43 PM

How can ol' Mriza say such things and then pony up to Iran like that?

Need a warhead, no problem, what do you want to trade for?

"eternal ties", "views and perceptions", "All regional and global issues".

There seems to be some foundation to the opinion that he hates Jews and has no problem seeing them die, Loves the Talliban. No doubt has a big dislike for US. Iran wants to destroy the World as we know it and he is all for it.

Just the kind of fellow one could sit down with for a cozy dinner and chat.

Posted by: flowerknife_us at May 20, 2008 9:28 PM

"... it was the responsibility of religious scholars to play their role to remove the misperceptions of the West about Islam."

Couldn't agree more! Why not set up a series of debates throught the Islamic world with known Islamophobes, and misinterpreters of the true Islam? That should set a lot of people straight?

How else can religious scholars live up to their their responsibility to remove the misperceptions of the West about Islam?

One has to wonder why this wasn't done a long time ago. Much suffering and death could have been avoided if it were -- or is it possible that fear that the misrepresentors of Islam might just wipe up the floor with them, and put and end, once and for all, to the silly idea that there's no theological basis for terror in Islam.

I'll put my money on the misrepresentors.

Posted by: rational at May 20, 2008 9:43 PM

Jonathan Power is another writer/apologist for Islam: see a recent article at http://www.transnational.org/Columns_Index_Power.htm

"Few if any, in the western leadership make the point that al-Qaeda is a deviant phenomenon within the Islamic world...". Really? One would have thought that that's exactly what they continue to do, from their PC-perspective. G.W. Bush, just months after 9/11 stating that Islam is a religion of peace, just one example.

"Nor has it [Islam] settled in other parts of the world and systematically obliterated other civilisations...". Really? What about Persia?

"Unlike many Christian churches, the mosque has never separated people by race.". No, just by gender.

"The western debate about Islam is, frankly, infantile.... I have not read a single speech by a western politician which seriously attempts to educate public opinion." Indeed! But from which "(mis)perpective"?

Posted by: Meeker at May 20, 2008 10:09 PM

Whom we are kidding? Are our leaders and we brave enough to ask our allies in Muslim world and Muslims living among us (even the most moderate ones) what they expect from us and what we can do to make them happy? The answer would definitely be that we should all submit to Allah and Sharia, only difference might be that some might not be willing to employ the extreme means others are advocating. This difference is not ideological but is due to difference of 'realistic feasibility' of success of those measures. It is just like many of us would be happy if they would adopt secular democracy, but we think it is not wise for us to force it on them.

Posted by: pagan at May 20, 2008 10:33 PM

Most people here are very nice and polite when they talk about muslims...not me! I hate muslims. I hate them so much that I won't ever capitalize islam, koran, muslim, or any country that is an islamic country. Why do I hate muslims? Because they're the biggest liars on planet earth. They can look you straight in the eye and plead with you to believe them that theirs is the religion of peace! I've had them do it to me!

The muslims know who the pedophile husbands with eight year old "wives" are in their midst. They know who the murdering terrorists are, they're their SONS! They know which muslim charities funnel contributions to fund terrorism. They celebrate the fathers who kill their daughters for liking Western boys. They all danced and whooped and cheered in the steets and in their living rooms when the World Trade Center Towers fell to the ground with 2819 innocent human beings inside, who were just trying to earn a living. They know who the thousands of rapists are that perpetrate gang rapes on young white girls throughout Europe and Scandanavia, not to mention muslim and Christian girls in the middle east!

But will one member of the "religion of peace" turn in any of the terrorists, murderers, rapists, and terrorist fundraisers in their midst? Oh, and let's not forget the muslim restauranteurs who sprinkle their excrement on the food they serve to non-muslims...that's a laugh...a muslim with a sense of civic duty! A muslim who wants to help defend the Western culture where he has relocated to live and raise his family?

Islamophobe? Not me, I FEAR NO muslim...they should fear me. I'll never fall for their
bull#@$% I'll keep telling people about the things that only we who read these blogs ever hear about...I will point out the conspiracy of the mainsteam media to keep muslim atrocities out of the news. They will never stop me! And I hope they will never stop YOU!

Posted by: PatrickHenry at May 21, 2008 1:41 AM

Well Patrick, you made yourself perfectly clear. Lots of people share those sentiments.

Islam keeps doing the things the west complains of and then claims we have a 'misconception'. I don't think I have any of those 'misconceptions'. If I run across any, I will ask an Imam to clear them up for me.

Posted by: duh_swami at May 21, 2008 2:12 AM

Meeker:

You are absolutely right that the West's discussion of Islam is infantile. Then again, what do you expect of a decadent culture in which apostasy from one's received religion is an almost necessary rite-of-passage for those aspiring to elite status? The modern West's understanding of Christianity is also pretty infantile.

Posted by: Kepha at May 21, 2008 8:06 AM

Actually the good news from Italy was posted first by Jewel Atkins, several articles back, under "Fitzgerald: McCain, Obama, Jihad".

Posted by: ImNoDhimmi at May 21, 2008 8:53 AM