How can the major of Ames and assorted mid-West academics, I would image, advocate 'correcting misconceptions' from misconceptions? Has the major of Ames or any other 'Infidel' at this gathering read the Qu'ran? What does the major think of passage after passage that demonizes nonbelievers? What about the fourth Sura on women? Read it. If the major thinks that Islam is so innocuous, perhaps he might proposing changing local and state laws on marriage, employment, and spousal abuse to better fit the rules and recommendations of the fourth Sura? What about Suras eight and nine? What about the hadiths, Aisha, the brutality, the bloodlust?

Good citizens, academics, students of Ames. Read the damn book and follow the instructions: take it seriously. And then you have an existential choice: believe or be damned. That is what the book says. And remember, if you choose to be a nonbelievers, someone who rejects submission to the teachings of the prophet. Read about these folks, the ones who find themselves mistrusted, stripped of human qualities, and utimately brutalized and dominated, those ever present people-demons in the text destined for hell: well, so no to the Qu'ran and that means you.

Posted by: JTF at March 21, 2005 3:36 PM

Jeez...my typing skills have gone to hell.

Posted by: JTF at March 21, 2005 3:38 PM

(I can't stand it. I must correct the garbage above.)

How can the mayor of Ames and assorted mid-West academics, I would image, advocate 'correcting misconceptions' from misconceptions? Has the mayor of Ames or any other 'Infidel' at this gathering read the Qu'ran? What does the mayor think of passage after passage that demonizes nonbelievers? What about the fourth Sura on women? Read it. If the mayor thinks that Islam is so innocuous, perhaps he might proposing changing local and state laws on marriage, employment, inheritance and spousal abuse to better fit the rules and recommendations of the fourth Sura? What about Suras eight and nine? What about the hadiths, Aisha, the brutality, the bloodlust?

Good citizens, academics, students of Ames, read the damn book and follow the instructions: take it seriously. And then you have a choice: believe or be damned. That is what the book says. And remember, if you choose to be a nonbeliever, one of those who rejects submission to the teachings of the prophet, then you are among the ones who find themselves mistrusted, stripped of human qualities, and utimately brutalized and dominated in the Qu'ran; these are the ever-present people-demons in the text destined for hell, the Infidels. Read about them. One can hardly turn a page without finding a reference, a threat, a dehumanizing characterization: that means you.

Posted by: JTF at March 21, 2005 3:58 PM

Gawrsh, no, the Quran never calls Christians infidels. Sure, Jews and polytheists - which would include in their eyes Hindus, Bhuddists, Confucians, Sufis, native Americans, ancient Greeks and Ba'hais.

Oh, and Christians.

Geoff

Posted by: Geoff at March 21, 2005 5:18 PM

As the poor little girl in Florida found out, sometimes there are 'monsters in the closet

In fact, that is a perfectly Lovecraftian name for the Koran: 'THE CLOSET OF MONSTERS'.

Having read it (and it ain't that long a book, or that interesting, being chock full of tedious repetitions, Biblical plagiarisms, and laughably lame insults), I would have to disagree with the Muslim scholars mentioned.

It is brimming with monstrous vileness and naked hatred for anyone who will not accept their pedophile "prophet"'s hallucinatory proclamations.

And the "compassionate" Allah is always going off into a schizoid fugue state of threats and condemnations, forgetting his "peaceful" nature.
Almost as if his conduit Mohammad were having an epileptic black-out, and was unable to string any coherent thoughts together when he revived.

The journalist writing this fatuous flapdoodle must have graduated from a Ward Churchill wannabe's classroom- where everything your mortal enemy says is true, and your own land (despite having written the first functioning Bill of Rights on Earth) is an evil, genocidal Great Satan, worthy-only-of-destruction. A carnal cesspool of villainy, immorality and uncleaness. With its loose Western women tempting valiant Muslim men via their "veiled, but still enticing buttocks".

I need a stiff shot of Amaretto in my tea (unclean drunken pig-dog that I am) to wash the taste of this Islamist stupidity from my palate.

But let's have an example from the 'holy' ["Closet of Monsters"] Koran before parting:

SURA 18 "The Cave"-

"We have prepared for the unbelievers a Fire, whose canopies will encompass them, and should they shall ask for moisture, they will be moistened with water like molten metal, which shall scald their faces. How terrible a drink, and how evil a place in which to dwell!"

Sounds more like the Marquis de Sade than a compassionate God.

Posted by: BigSleep at March 21, 2005 6:00 PM

It is a simple matter to find out what is in the blasted book. Go to the nearest book store and buy a qur'an or go online and read it for free. You know if someone is making such a big deal out of not being misunderstood, maybe we had better find out for ourselves.

Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 21, 2005 6:18 PM

And one more thing- you all know how I ask muslims why we are ALWAYS IGNORANT? There must be a class that instructs them how to talk down to kafirs, they always claim we are ignorant.

Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 21, 2005 6:20 PM

I do not own a qur'an, but I hear that there are a couple of translations. One by J.M. Rodwell is supposedly dead on, another by Abdullah Yusef Ali is a softer, CAIR approved version. But in the end I figure the message is the same in all of them.

Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 21, 2005 6:32 PM

HOLY @#$% !!!!

I opened up the Qur'an Closet and Sura 9:29 lept out at me!

Monster in the Closet!!

Posted by: Mike at March 21, 2005 6:36 PM

Here's why there is so much "Misconception"
about Islam and terorism.

This article below is based on surveying 1000 people and the question was loaded because it asks
"Do you FEEL you've been a VICTIM of Racism".

Please note that near the bottom of the story
we hear the usual rant about "Muslims" being the
most affected by "Racism".
While NorthAmerican Arabs and Muslims make assumption that all "White-People" are non-Muslims,they abhore the stereotyping yet refer
to themselves as a "Race" of people under the religion of Islam.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2005/03/21/967867-sun.html

And the myth continue...........

Posted by: ala-sux at March 21, 2005 8:43 PM

Maybe we should forward Sammy that lovely little list of Sistani's. The one where he makes it very clear what Muslims think of non-Muslims.

"Fear and ignorance are behind the negative stereotypes of Muslims in the media.

I'm not sure what "negative stereotypes" he's talking about since the media & everyone else seems to go out of its way to not portray Muslims and Islam in a negative light. All this "it's not really Islamic", "he's not a true Muslim" "Islam is a religion of peace" B.S. Or where they refuse to use "Muslim terrorist", instead substituting words like insurgent, freedom fighter, etc. Then we've got that ridiculous grovel message that Fox was forced to broadcast after an episode of 24 that dared to show Muslims getting up to terrorism, oops, I mean freedom fighting.

Fear of Muslims is due to what Muslims are doing. They are their own bad publicity. People look at your actions to get what you're all about, not a bunch of blah blah blah. And the only ignorance here is Sammy's.

Posted by: feralee at March 21, 2005 9:58 PM

Kind of on the topic, check out my latest article on the Islam Project:

http://www.6thcolumnagainstjihad.com/Rublev_P3.htm

Posted by: Rublev at March 21, 2005 10:00 PM

they abhore the stereotyping yet refer
to themselves as a "Race" of people under the religion of Islam.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2005/03/21/967867-sun.html

And the myth continue...........

Posted by: ala-sux at March 21, 2005 08:43 PM

Muslims are cult members, not a "race of people." I love the way they make these broad declarations in their endless spate of taqiyya and bullshit. They might as well batten down the hatches because the "stereotyping" that they so abhor is only exacerbated by their incessant cries of victimization. I hope they continue their campaigns of lies and propaganda, keep the subject of Islam in the news, rub it in, keep it alive; whine, bitch, complain and lament. The more Islam is advertised and brought to the attention of the public, the more the public will learn about it. I abhor Islam, but what recourse do I have? I have no one to fight for me, sue for me, or publicize my complaints about Islam. All I can do is encourage others to learn about Islam and share their knowledge. That's all any of us can do. Eventually the truth will be widespread and undeniable, and nothing the muslims and their mouthpieces say will mean a thing. It doesn't mean much now, except to the ACLU and the apologists.

Eventually most people will realize, as we do, that muslims are inveterate liars. What will muslims do then?
The idiots running their P.R. campaigns don't seem to know a thing about Americans. Yeah, we're naive but we catch on fast. We're tolerant, but we hate crybabies. As more religious Americans learn about the medieval death cult, muslims will really be despised and resented. After crying wolf for so long, they will be out there in America all alone, with only the beloved ummah to provide support, succor, and encouragement.

They're just playing a defensive game right now, trying to deflect the inevitable backlash that will come when Islam is fully exposed. They're cutting their own throats; let's help them as much as we can.

Posted by: Susanp at March 21, 2005 10:06 PM

MONSTER IN THE CLOSET update:

Ever wonder why beheading is so popular with the Muslim faithful?

The "compassionate" Allah's messenger of peace decreed it.

SURA 8:12-

"I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, Smite ye them above their necks..."

Why don't they put that on the next U.S. Postal stamp honoring this glorious faith of Mohammad?

Posted by: BigSleep at March 21, 2005 10:10 PM

Why don't they put that on the next U.S. Postal stamp honoring this glorious faith of Mohammad?

Posted by: BigSleep at March 21, 2005 10:10 PM

Shall we design the new islamic postage stamp and submit it for review? I think a long, bloody scimitar and a robed hand holding a severed head would be quite fitting, don't you? Could we get it all on a stamp?

In all seriousness, I cannot think of one single positive image of Islam! Islam is synonomous with death; suffering; bloody, dying people; crazed, sword-weilding jihadists on camels; decapitated bodies; suffering women; caterwauling fanatics; poverty; sorrow and desolation.

There are so many choices, I just can't decide.

Posted by: Susanp at March 21, 2005 10:26 PM

"Let [truth] and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter?"
- Milton, Aeropagitica

Interesting. I never thought I'd get national coverage.

Ladies and gentlemen, I do not believe that my reporting over these events was biased or shoddy. Before you hit the reply button, I merely wish to state some brief points:

I am not an ignorant foreigner or some sort of un-christian, liberal pansy.

I find the wide variety of comments insinuating this to be mildly offensive. I am an honors student, the son of an Iowa State Phi Beta Kappa key recipient who was a finalist for the Iowa Voice of Democracy contest (and a registered Republican to boot), the grandson of a retired Methodist minister, and a proud descendant of Filipinos who died defending their land during World War II, which was then a possession of the United States.

I will register for Selective Service when I turn 18 in six months, and while (as a contemporary, Tiff Hokel, said in a Knight Ridder article) "I physically probably couldn't do a whole lot in Iraq," I will serve if called.

Ladies and gentlemen, be good journalists if I am not, and check your facts before diving off the platform of personal attack.

I covered this conference because I was in town over Spring Break. I've been on general assignment since Fall '04 when I came to Iowa State. I reported on the victory of Pres. Bush last fall; didn't seem to remember getting any critical feedback about that.

All the same, I believe my coverage of the conference was justified. It was what the papers call event coverage, and I reported on the event: what was done and what people said. Much as my personal beliefs clashed with whatever was said at the conference, it is unethical for me to inject my opinion into the article. It is also somewhat unseemly in my own eyes to go too far of my way (outside of the conference which I was reporting on) to find the opposing viewpoint.

You, Professor Spencer, didn't come from Chapel Hill to protest the conference or present your viewpoint. If you, or anyone else with such a viewpoint, would have done so, I would have reported on what was said - without evaluation of truth or falsity, just as I feel I have done through my journalistic career at the Iowa State Daily, which includes the story now in question.

Though I be only a humble college student, I shall not stoop to using an insulting ("The journalist writing this fatuous flapdoodle"), mocking ("Sammy"), patronizing ("clearly immense journalistic credentials") tone whilst evaluating arguments.

I do not believe that you are misinformed. I informed you of what the people at the conference said. What greater source gives you the clairvoyance into the events of last Saturday? Where are your recordings of what was said? I made no inferences or statements of opinion through the article. I quoted all sources accurately, and attributed every quote, direct or indirect, to its source, as responsible journalists ought.

After the event, it is possible to approach it from other angles. That's where you - any of you, all of you - come in.

If you, professor, or anyone of this group wishes to put on a press conference or somehow present these views to the Daily, or fax the Daily a press release promoting your books about Islam, or offer us a time to interview you, I believe the Daily would be happy to cover that; I would be happy to cover that. Kindly grant me the opportunity to illuminate the areas of Islam which you believe I have left dark.

If you believe that your ideas have merit but turn down my offer, I hope you confront the Daily. The fact remains that the people at the conference said what they said - and that's what I reported on. If you believe there are inaccuracies in fact, then all of you are more than welcome to present these views.

I look foward to any forthcoming letters about the Daily in this vein. Try letters@iowastatedaily.com or the form on the Daily's website.

Lastly, if you believe that you are right, then you ought to consider these words from our Lord before dealing professorial pronouncements upon either your humble correspondent or on other people - even your enemies.

Matthew 5:44-46 (KJV)
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Samuel S. Berbano
Iowa State Daily

Posted by: berbano at March 24, 2005 2:13 AM

Dear Mr. Berbano:

Thanks for your note. A few comments:

You say: "Much as my personal beliefs clashed with whatever was said at the conference, it is unethical for me to inject my opinion into the article. It is also somewhat unseemly in my own eyes to go too far of my way (outside of the conference which I was reporting on) to find the opposing viewpoint."

I think this is unfortunate. It is the all-too-common practice of reporters when covering events like this one in which Islamic apologists give misleading information, and it in turn misleads the public. These times call for more incisive reporting, as I explained here: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17153

You say: "You, Professor Spencer, didn't come from Chapel Hill to protest the conference or present your viewpoint."

Wherever I might have had to come from, I wasn't invited.

You say: "If you, or anyone else with such a viewpoint, would have done so, I would have reported on what was said - without evaluation of truth or falsity, just as I feel I have done through my journalistic career at the Iowa State Daily, which includes the story now in question."

If I had done so and you had reported on what I said as you say you would have here, you would be in the minority of reporters -- who have saved for me and others like me the adversarial posture they refuse to adopt toward those who are spreading these deceptions in the first place.

You say: "Though I be only a humble college student, I shall not stoop to using an insulting ('The journalist writing this fatuous flapdoodle'), mocking ('Sammy'), patronizing ('clearly immense journalistic credentials') tone whilst evaluating arguments."

I apologize for the latter two, which I wrote. It is easy to get frustrated when story after story comes to us just like this one.

You say: "I do not believe that you are misinformed. I informed you of what the people at the conference said. What greater source gives you the clairvoyance into the events of last Saturday?"

In no way did I question above your version of events.

"If you, professor, or anyone of this group wishes to put on a press conference or somehow present these views to the Daily, or fax the Daily a press release promoting your books about Islam, or offer us a time to interview you, I believe the Daily would be happy to cover that; I would be happy to cover that. Kindly grant me the opportunity to illuminate the areas of Islam which you believe I have left dark."

Thank you. I'd be happy to be interviewed. Send your questions to director@jihadwatch.org and I will answer them asap.

Cordially,
Robert Spencer

Posted by: jihadwatch at March 24, 2005 10:10 AM