A glimpse into the future of the U.S. This can’t happen here, you say? We respect the freedom of speech, you say? Maybe that was true at one time, but it is no longer. Cowardice is pandemic. Newspapers all over the country refused to republish the notorious Muhammad cartoons out of a newfound “respect” for Islam that they never showed for negative portrayals of Christianity, which they hailed as “courageous.” Those who call attention to the ideological roots of jihad violence are excoriated as racist, bigoted “Islamophobes,” and most organizations on both the Left and the Right would never dare feature such people as speakers. Any organization that does is immediately denounced and called upon to apologize, and it usually does. So given that this is the climate today, what do you think the situation will be like in ten or twenty years?
“Saudi man, 2 Yemeni women arrested for mocking Islamic rites,” Gulf News, March 21, 2020:
Cairo: Saudi police arrested a man for mocking religious rites after he had appeared in pictures prostrating to a woman, a police official said.
The images went viral online showing the man in worship positions in front of the girl next to a mosque in emulation of the Islamic prayer.
A spokesman for police in the holy region of Mecca, Brig Mohammad Al Ghamdi, said authorities had identified those involved in “this criminal act”.
The suspects are a Saudi man in his 30s and a Yemeni female resident in her 20s as well as another Yemeni woman who took the photos and uploaded them on social media, the official said, according to Saudi news portal Sabq….
Brig Al Ghamdi added. The incident reportedly took place next to a mosque in Jeddah, triggering public outrage.
Lightship Chaplain says
That why we have freedom of speech in this country, and it’s not popular speech which needs protection, skin thickness has allot more to do with this than skin color!
Hugh Fitzgerald says
C’mon, these kids were just playing a game. Life in Saudi Arabia must be so boring.
“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but games will never hurt you.”
OTTER says
I think that with the increase in the number of Muslims and mosques in the US, such satire will already not be tolerated in the US. It will be called a ‘hate crime’. These days facts are ‘hate’, truth is ‘hate’ and saying the most obvious things is Islamophobia. As Douglas Murray said, if we say what we see, then we are all guilty of reading the newspapers. I regret to inform you, Mr. Spencer, that despite your yeoman service for so many years, the situation has gone from bad to worse. We are effectively now under Sharia rule.
James Lincoln says
OTTER says,
“I regret to inform you, Mr. Spencer, that despite your yeoman service for so many years, the situation has gone from bad to worse. We are effectively now under Sharia rule.”
Yes, the situation in the United States has gone from bad to worse, however it would be much worse without the efforts of educators like Robert Spencer.
No, the United States is not currently under sharia law – but there are some “chinks in the armor.”
Still time for major push back, but the window of opportunity will eventually close…
RonaldB says
A Saudi citizen posting a picture of himself mocking Islam while still living in Saudi Arabia is a contender for the Darwin award.
RichardL says
It is an astonishing act of defiance or idiocy. The girl isn’t covering her hair. If they get out of this alive, they should count themselves lucky.
I hope JW follows the fate of the three.
Zé Manel Tonto says
Of course it will happen.
People in the West don’t value freedom anymore. The measures that are being implemented to fight the corona virus “emergency” can only be classified as dictatorial, and most people accept them with a smile.
The next time you see images of a military coup in Africa or South America and think “I am glad I live in the West. This would not happen here”, remember it already did.
Rarely says
So you don’t think COVID-19 qualifies as an ’emergency” qualifying for serious action? Interesting viewpoint.
Can you name something that would qualify as an “emergency” requiring suspending some “rights”?
andra says
I do not know about other countries. But in Germany some “ermergency” steps are taken, like a prohibition of contact. But at the same time the asylum business does not get stopped so that more and more potencial corona-bearer enter the country without any control.
The German Government gave 14.000 tons of masks and desinfection to China for free, just some days before the first corona case was proved in Germany. The Germans got a ban of going out in some regions, the churches are closed and you cannot even bury your family with friends coming to the funeral or having a mass. At the same time there landed several thousands of Iranians by plane to celebrate persion newyear with their relatives in Germany. They were not checked on the Airports at all.
Taking all this in account I cannot see serious steps taken for health business, I only see serious steps taken for islamising Germany and leading it into dictatorship.
OTTER says
Dear Mr. James Lincoln,
Here is what I meant in terms of Sharia rule which is in effect:
Can any newspaper in print publish even a respectful illustration of Mo the Pro?
Can we label halal food as cruel meat?
Can we ask a possible Muslim immigrant if he supports FGM?
Can we show a Muslim gang of terrorists in a Hollywood film?
You may wish to answer these questions.
About your point about the situation would have been far worse had it not been for Mr. Spencer, Of course I AGREE.
The will to fight Islam is gone, except in a minority here in JW. The lights are dimming on freedom and the glorious West.
James Lincoln says
OTTER,
Thank you for the reply.
You gave four interesting examples of what you consider to be sharia rule in the United States.
All of the actions are still LEGAL in the United States, however there would be industrial-strength PUSHBACK from groups like CAIR, etc. This pushback could be nonviolent or violent.
Nonviolent pushback could be attempts at de-platforming, boycotts, etc.
jihad pushback could get very ugly. I mean look what almost happened to Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller when they tried to sponsor a draw the Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Garland, Texas back in 2015. And what they were doing was perfectly legal to do in the United States.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. All the things that you have mentioned are still legal United States, but there would be a price to be paid if infidels engage in these activities.
Maybe it’s a form of “informal” creeping sharia law.
Were not that far apart on this…
OTTER says
That is my point Mr. Lincoln,
The law is irrelevant. If it cannot be exercised, it is effectively not law and is, in reality, Sharia. Hence, in a very real and inescapable sense, we are under Sharia rule. Logically, the conclusion seems inescapable to me when one might have to pay with one’s life if one attempts an innocuous cartoon doodle of Mo the Pro.
James Lincoln says
OTTER,
Thank you for the reply.
Your point regarding the law being irrelevant is an important one.
I will rethink this…
jayell says
UK readers (not sure about US) would be familiar with this nice little party dance-song:-
“You put your left arm in
Your left arm out
In, out, in, out
You shake it all about
You do the Hokey Cokey and you turn around
That’s what it’s all about…
[Chorus]
Woah, the hokey cokey
Woah, the hokey cokey
Woah, the hokey cokey
Knees bent, arms stretched, ra ra ra!
You put your right arm in
Your right arm out
In, out, in, out
You shake it all about
You do the Hokey Cokey and you turn around
That’s what it’s all about…
[Chorus]
You put your left leg in
Your left leg out
In, out, in, out
You shake it all about
You do the Hokey Cokey and you turn around
That’s what it’s all about…
[Chorus]
You put your right leg in
Your right leg out
In, out, in, out
You shake it all about
You do the Hokey Cokey and you turn around
That’s what it’s all about…
All together now
[Chorus]
You put your whole self in
Your whole self out
In, out, in, ooh, out, ooh
You shake it all about
You do the Hokey Cokey and you turn around
That’s what it’s all about…
Wait for it
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
And that’s that….”
Apparently, that’s lampooning the ‘choreography’ of priests during the Roman Catholic Mass.
Now imagine if the police turned up and arrested everyone every time people performed that at parties.
Goofy says
It just has to be like that. Islam only survives on extreme self righteousness, violent hatred of everybody else, even other Muslims who are not devout enough or have different perceptions of what Islam is, death threats against apostasy and lying about the substance (?) of Islam and keeping the devout Muslims in utter ignorance. If you as Islamic leader compromise on any of these points by accepting “Reform Islam” there is bound to be an exodus from this fairy tale cult. Anyway, it is bound to happen sooner or later.
OLD GUY says
Saudi Arabia not exactly the finest example of freedom and human rights. But they are useful for allowing oil to be pumped and sold to keep the royals living in style. Without the rest of the world buying that oil they would be just another backward starving country. They don’t allow visitors for a reason.