Monday, December 14, 2009

Islamophobia, Christian and Western Hypocrisy

Some music to begin the week:
For the late Jerry Falwell and other Evangelical Fundamentalists who believe America has abandoned traditional Judeo-Christian values and is embracing "Secular Humanism", Socialism, Communism, pluralism and multiculturalism. His God shouldn't be confused with the Nazarene and the Beatitudes.If one has a literal interpretation view of the Bible then Slavery and other forms of injustices are permitted for Jews and Christians to practice .

"Jerry Falwell's God" by Roy Zimmerman

http://www.royzimmerman.com/

"Jerry Falwell's God" is on my CD "Homeland," available through my website and on iTunes. Here, I perform the song at the Skeptics Society conference.





In considering the issue of the treatment of Dhimmi (Jews and Christians) under Islam compared to how non-Christians especially Jews were treated in Christendom Danois in the excellent article found at Loonwatch warns that we should not be too quick to demonize Christians or to idealize creating a false impression of a Utopian picture of Islamic tolerance of the Dhimmi especially in Spain. Neither situation was perfect for the minority groups in either region but it can be argued that Jews and Christians fared better in Islamic countries than did Jews or Muslims in Christian dominated regions.The Islamophobics and bigots such as Pam Geller, Robert Spencer, Geert Wilders, Brigitte Gabriel, Daniel Pipes and their "Fellow Travelers" want to demonize all Muslims and Islam and the Quran in order to justify various forms of discrimination and passing discriminatory legislation against Muslims from the exaggerated fear of the Hijab to preventing the building of Minarets or even Mosques or not allowing the "call to Prayer" or closing down all Muslim run schools and stopping Muslim immigration or eventually expelling all Muslims as the Europeans did during the Middle ages.

The Church’s Doctrine of “Perpetual Servitude” was Worse than “Dhimmitude” 30 November 2009 by Danios at Loonwatch

Ahl al-Dhimma (dhimmi for short) translates to “the protected people” and was the historical word used to refer to non-Muslim peoples (such as Jews and Christians) living under Islamic rule. Arabist ideologues and Muslim apologists perpetuate the myth that the Islamic world was an idyllic “interfaith utopia” which epitomized religious tolerance; some seem to go as far as to claim that dhimmis “had it better” than Muslims under Islamic rule.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, anti-Islam ideologues argue that not only did Muslims historically persecute dhimmis, but that nonbelievers in the Islamic Orient were treated much worse than their counterparts were in the contemporaneous Christian Europe of the Middle Ages. To bolster this claim, one anti-Islam “researcher” by the pseudonym of Bat Ye’or coined the concept of “dhimmitude.” A counter-myth is now propagated on various websites, blogs and forums, namely that Islamic rule over non-Muslims had been characterized by an unparalleled brutality and wickedness. The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies calls out Bat Ye’or by name:

[One must] explain acts of Islamic oppression that did occur, without exaggerating them selectively into a ‘countermyth of Islamic persecution,’ as recent revisionism has done (e.g. Bat Ye’or 1985). [4]

These two sides (proponents of the interfaith utopia theory on the one hand and the Islamic persecution myth on the other hand) peddle their diametrically opposed paradigms, selectively quoting from various sources in order to “prove” their side. Of course, the truth lies in between this myth and counter-myth: dhimmis did not live under an idyllic interfaith utopia under Islamic rule–far from it: discrimination against nonbelievers was a prevalent phenomenon. Dhimmis were clearly treated as second-class citizens.

On the other hand, the counter-myth is equally dishonest and fails to contextualize the situation of dhimmis in the Islamic Orient with that of their counterparts in Christian Europe. We are always reminded by anti-Islam ideologues of the dhimmitude, a catch-all phrase which has caught on very well in recent times; the term is used as a stick to beat Muslims over the head with, as well as one to incite feelings of paranoia and xenophobia. This article will however recount what they–perhaps in their ignorance and zeal–have neglected to mention: there was in fact a direct corollary to the dhimmitude in the Christian West. It too has a catchy name: the Christian belief in the Perpetual Servitude of infidels, a concept which was in fact much more oppressive than the so-called dhimmitude.

Cut & paste taking verses out of context to prove or distort the message of the Quran.By this method one can make the Quran say whatever you want. Making it more negative or more positive.

Note this is also done by some to the Old Testament & the Christian New Testament to make some point or other to justify denying women or minorities equal rights-to promote a Manichean view that is that there is a cosmic battle being waged between Angels and Demons /God & Satan(Angel of light)or to prove that War, the Death penalty, social injustice,damning the poor and afflicted while rewarding the strong and the wealthy-God favors winners not losers are justified.

If we in the West/in Christendom are engaged in a Cosmic War of Good versus Evil then those who appose Christianity or Judaism can then be slaughtered without mercy because they are mere agents of Satan. This is of course how some Muslims also see this struggle and so killing innocent civilians is justified and of those killed if some are favored by God or Allah they will go to paradise and so there suffering is merely momentary and those who are not favored are on the side of Satan and deserve to suffer and die and go to Hell.

Pastor Hagee and other Christians go so far as to say that the Shoah/Holocaust was part of God's Will as were the Crusades, the pogroms against the Jews, killing heretics,pagans, enslaving millions who are not Christian or the wrong color-as the English used to say "God is an Englishman" a white guy or these days we are told God is an American who supports unfettered Capitalism and hates all those who do not follow him so killing unbelievers "infidels" is not a sin.

Islamophobia: Misquoting the Holy Qur'an


Website - http://www.MeccaCentric.com

MeccaCentric - Producing videos about Islam and Muslims on DVD. Islamic lectures, speeches, talks and sermons are also available on audio CD.

"Islam, World Peace and September 11th" by Jamal Badawi
Purchase the full-length lecture at http://www.MeccaCentric.com




Craig Murray points out the hypocrisy, insincerity, Western Leaders in promoting the Global War on Terror and fueling Islamophobia to encourage hatred and bigotry against Muslims like PM Tony Blair, George Bush & PM Stephen Harper. He notes how the least crime committed by a Muslim gets more coverage than much worse crimes committed by non-Muslims.

As he says and I agree that this isn't a matter of defending Islam or attacking Christianity but rather a matter of defending religious freedom for all citizens.
Note the point he makes about comparing wearing a kilt in Britain 250 years ago and today the fuss made about a Muslim woman wearing a scarf or Men wearing Turbans whether Muslim, Hindu, Sikh etc. Would these people also condemn the clothes and hair styles of the Amish or Menonites, or Hasidic Jews. or Greek Orthodox Christians - would they outlaw the attire Christian Nuns and Monks or Buddhists Nuns and Monks or the Hari Krishna or Rastafarians etc.


Craig Murray - Against Islamophobia




As i have said before there is a vast difference from allowing people of various religions to wear certain tradition head gear and something as barbaric as honor killings. But it seems odd how so many Westerners forget that not long ago women for instance who cried rape were often and even today are treated not as victims but of being guilty in some way -that is bringing it upon themselves by drinking alcohol, or taking drugs, or wearing short skirts or what have you.They also forget that not long ago and in some places it is still the case that women and various minorities were denied equal rights. For some reason many people including the government and the media suffer from a form of amnesia or selective and deliberate amnesia because they don't want to admit that our civilization has been dragged kicking and screaming into an age of equal rights for all by at times a small dedicated group of reformers over the past two centuries and the work is still not completed. Those who hold to these now outdated indefensible views on the rights of non-whites or women or those who are not Christian or those who are Gay etc. see themselves as being besieged by those who believe in equal rights and fairness and justice for all and not just for the ruling white Patriarchy. If they had their way we would still be practicing slavery and women and children would be treated as chattel.

Here's an example of how the Bible was used to justify the immoral practice of slavery. Even the New testament also in general had little criticism of slavery.

Slavery In The Bible

A revealing look at the immorality of the Bible & how it's teachings have been the psychological basis for the justification of inhumane acts ever since its inception.

Sources:
The Bible
- New English Bible
- Revised English Bible
- Today's English Version
- New American Bible
- American Standard Version
- Revised Standard Version
- New Revised Standard Version
- King James Version

Michael Marlowe, 'Make Good Use of Your Servitude: Some Observations on Biblical Interpretation and Slavery', October 2003.




and so it goes,
GORD.

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