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This was the taxpayer-funded seminar I told you about some time ago. From Preston Today, with thanks to Susan:
More than 100 people turned out to listen to a series of speakers trying to dispel myths about Islam....The seminar was the culmination of a week-long series of events to forge greater community understanding of Islam and to drive down racism caused by misconceptions and intolerance.
During the week, mosques in Preston opened up their doors so people could visit to find out more about the Islamic religion and culture.
Visitors and participants to the seminar event were asked to observe a one minute's silence for the victims of the September 11, Madrid and Beslan tragedies.A number of Muslim speakers then covered topics ranging from women in Islam, Jihad - holy war - and converts to Islam.
Members of the public were encouraged to ask questions after each talk and had the chance to listen to the call to prayer as well as being invited to witness Muslims offering their prayers to Allah.
A free buffet lunch was served giving people the opportunity to try out Asian delicacies.
The event was rounded off with a question time when non Muslims could bring up any queries or issues relating to Islam which were answered by a panel.
Marilyn Casson, 50, of Fulwood, Preston, said: "I have been an atheist for more than 30 years and do not believe in God.
"I have attended this event purely to have a greater understanding of Islam.
"A few months ago, I attended an open evening at a Hindu temple and I feel it is important to learn about different cultures and communities.
"I do feel Britain is prejudiced in a many ways and racism is one of them.
"The more people can be exposed to events like these, the better for the whole community."
Robert Parkinson, from Knott End, said: "I am here as my daughter is doing one of the talks.
"Her name is Susan - now Aysha Bana. She married a Muslim man and converted to Islam. I am very interested in it all and am here to learn more about the religion."
John Bolton, who attended the event with wife Margaret, said: "I am a retired Methodist minister and I used to be the chaplain at the Royal Preston Hospital.
"I developed the prayer room at the hospital and took an interest in inter racial relationships.
"My wife and I decided to attend this seminar as we wish to extend our understanding of Islam.
"Unless we can find ways of integrating and mixing and working much closer together to understand and respect each other's faiths, there are difficult times ahead.
"It is important that events like this are supported, particularly by non-Muslims."
The organisers said that the week-long event had gone well.
Linda Guise from the Racial Equality Council, one of the event's partner organisations, said: "We feel that there is a lot of misconception out there about Islam and this event aims to dispel the myths."There are no questions that will not be answered and the organisers are as honest and informative as they can.
"The idea is that if people become more understanding of different religions and cultures, they will become more tolerant and this will lead to a better society."
The article doesn't detail what the seminar speakers said about Islam and violence, but I can imagine that they didn't quote Sura 9:29, Sayyid Qutb, or even Britain's own Omar Bakri. I would lay odds that the words "Sharia" and "caliphate" went unspoken the whole week. What I would like to see would be this Muslim group holding a seminar for Al-Muhajiroun, seeking to dispel that radical Muslim group's "misconceptions" of Islam. Then we might be getting somewhere.
Posted by Robert at September 18, 2004 8:37 AM
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Yes of course a day of falafels really clears up all the myths about Islam.
Posted by: Joe Bananas![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 18, 2004 9:20 AM
Depends on what was In the falafels. Did anyone take a sample for testing?
Posted by: Gary at September 18, 2004 9:32 AM
I'm sure the presentation to non-Muslims included the "sanitized version" as to publically discuss the "true version" would violate Britain's hate-speech law. Of course, in another forum, Muslims are free to voice any opinion they choose as the hate-speech law doesn't seem to apply to them....
Posted by: epg at September 18, 2004 10:30 AM
It would be nothing to imagaine exactly the nonsense that is given. First, "we are all monotheims -- the three great monotheisms." Second, "we are the Abrahamic faiths and share so much." Third, "we respect Jesus, and Moses, and so many others, as great prophets." Fourth, "here are the Five Pillars of Islam." Long, complicated, tedious explanation of Shahada, salat, zakat, Ramadan, hajj. Lots of references -- just to make people comfortable -- to the fact that "we don't eat pork, just like Jewish people (very respectful, here)" or "Ramadan is just like your Lent." Always and everywhere, appeals to false analogies.
Nothing about the Manichean divison of the world between Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb. Nothing about Jihad, or the nearly 100 verses in which it is mentioned. Nothing about the Shari'a, and the contents of the Shari'a. Nothing about the legal status of non-Muslims under Islam -- those of you expecting to hear all about Jizya, Kharaj, the blue belt (zunnar) for Christians and the yellow star for Jews, or about the inability of either to sue Muslims in court, or the requirement that they could only ride donkeys, and those only side-saddle, and had to dismount whenever they came near a Muslim, and could not protest if beaten or otherwise mistreated by a Muslim, the ban on building noew churches or synagogues, or repairing old ones, and so on, all of it adding up to a status of permanent humiliation, degradation, and insecurity -- well, how could this possibly be mentioned at one of these interfaith outreach sessions?
Lying for Islam is well-recognized and religiously-sanctioned. One expects this of the smiling imam, the plausible fellow in the mosque and his plausible associates, who do not want you to really "find out about Islam" but just to find out about what they want you to know, and in the precise way that they want you to find out about it. What is the British government doing with taxpayers' money, engaging in brainwashing of those same taxpayers about a belief-system that is inimical to everything that has made the civilization of England? There must be a protest, a taxpayers' suit. People are, judging by these comments, extremely stupid. Let them be stupid, but do not pay for those who take advantage of that stupidity -- and because the stupid also vote, help endanger us all.
Posted by: Hugh at September 18, 2004 4:58 PM
I went to a course about Islam once. It was more than 20 years ago. The woman who taught it SAID that she wasn't a muslim, but she got curiously upset when I criticised Islam in any way.
Posted by: Voltaire at September 18, 2004 5:27 PM
Islam is not only a Myth, its a collection of wicked lies and incitement to kill others. Why should Taxpayers have to fund this crap??
Posted by: Morgane at September 18, 2004 5:58 PM
I watch a weekly TV version of this same type
of tripe,the Imam drags up the crusades and uses Islamophobia as if that words been around for centuries.
The usual rant is how Islam forebids violence and beheadings,all those terrorists saying "Allah'a Akbar" aren't true Muslims.
There is one common thread through all of this,the Imam never condemns the actual terrorist that claims to be a Muslim,he condemns the killing of the innocent and denounces terrorist acts.
Now if only he'd make it clear who the innocents are,the Quran sees non-Muslims as the enemies of Allah.
Posted by: ala-sux at September 18, 2004 7:02 PM
Western governments and churches won't stand for Jesus Christ, so they fall for anything.
New verse for the Vicar of Bray:
In good Queen Liz's golden days
When liberalism flourished,
To sappy seminars I want
With kebab and pita nourished.
My former faith I soon forgot
Including Christ's Incarnation
And very easily ent besot-
ted with multicultie indignation.
And this is law, I will maintain
Unto my dying day, sir,
That whatsoever king--oops, queen--shall reign,
I will be Vicar of Bray, sir.
at September 18, 2004 8:23 PM
Can't these people bypass the clerics and islamists and anlyse Islam for themselves so as to be sure they know the truth.
Don't they know that just going to a seminar and blindly accepting a clerics words as automatic truth is what kept the west in the dark and middle ages for a thousand years!!! Can't they read the readily available texts themselves to come to the truth. The west has learnt through centuries of horrible wars and suffering that this is the only way to beat profound ignorance and stupidity.
I have never expected any religious person knocking on my door to tell me the truth about any religion. After reading the texts myself I have always found the religious beleiver was talking illogical garbage and was out to brainwash me. These people are like blind sheep led to the slaughter...they are easy prey for fundamenatlist clerics if they don't (or can't) make the effort to read the texts for themsleves.
Posted by: obl r us at September 18, 2004 11:22 PM
Oil rich Muslims bribe Western politicians. Even if these politicians realize the danger of Islam in the long term, they take the $ money $, & act as if Islam is only another religion.
Any Westerner buying gas for their car, oil for their home, & other uses of this resource, is supporting global Jihad.
As Arabs become major employers & educators in the West, they will influence politicians.
The Koran is only a war book & must be declared illegal in the West. The Koran is not a holy book.
Islamic Overlords are influencing the politics in Europe.
Posted by: SFOD at September 19, 2004 4:16 AM
Mosque's are also not Holy Shrines,their buildings and it's idolatry for Muslims
to put God in the stones and cement.
In Canada Muslim leaders are upset at that fact that charity status for Mosques don't allow for
engaging in Political fights. Muslim claim a Mosque is a community centre as well as a place of worship,by their own admission Clerics argue that Islam is the political body from the Quran
for Muslims to live by.
The story about Islamic democracies is a big lie,a member from a Canadian Islamic group said that Canada would not stay as a democracy if Muslims become the majority,the Quran dictates
the Political structure within an Islamic Nation.
The first step will be an Islamic State in Canada and then the Chechnean style terrorism to steal the rest of the Country,Islamist will flock to canada to have access to the USA and with an Islamic Government running Canada the Jews and Christians will be exterminated just like what's
happening in Iraq and saudi Arabia.
NO ISLAM - KNOW PEACE
Posted by: ala-sux at September 19, 2004 6:02 PM
Such an event is for me a sick joke! Liberalism is 2 way. This event and all others are only one-way. Such an even for me is laughable. It is a sales pitch…no more no less. The fact that a convert to Islam is speaking, what else can it be? Where is the section about “how to leave islam”? About peace and wish to live side by side with other religions, to allow freedom of expression, to allow changing from one religion toanother? They are only selling their product.
Time and time again we have to have islam rammed down our throats…..with the "white liberal handwringers " excuse that it takes away prejudice and bigotry. Why is it that only non-muslins are bigots and racists? Which “community explicitly forbids its members to marry those of other religions.....even Blind Freddie can see the answer to taht question!
I have yet to hear even a suggestion that perhaps Muslims should learn about Christianity, Judaesims and Buddism and Hinduism AND atheism...to dispel their myths and prejudices.
Tell me when it is being arranged, tell me how
many muslims attend and then I will believe progress is being made!
at September 20, 2004 2:48 AM
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