a joke, but it brings up an interesting thought

[retro]

I consider this topic to be a very straight forward conversation that has been manipulated to be something else.

Let me explain. The first problem is that the facts always seem to be ignored or forgotten.
Islam does not equal terrorism, the religion as practiced by most do not condone such actions. It has been hijacked by the crazies to read into their own agenda and to fault the religion is ignorant at best. Over and over we here that Muslims are trying to convert the world to Islam, a take over if you will, but isn't that every religion? Just look at the Christians and their goal of spreading their religion, missionaries all over the world and churches being built in every corner of the globe. The whole goal of religion is to spread the word and to convert others to their religion.

I agree, and I don't believe that I said anything to the contrary.

As far as the Mosque in NYC... Again it's media manipulation to evoke an emotional response. It's not a mosque, it's a community center that will have a place for prayer. Yet it get's a bigger media foot print when you call it a mosque, so that's what you hear. And the fact that they have been using this building for the last year seems to be conveniently over looked. They aren't asking to establish this community center, they are requesting to refurbish the building with updated facilities. So even if the protesters win, they will still be in the building doing what they are doing, they just won't be able to update the building...

Actually, the website for Park51 only recently removed the word Mosque from their website, it was then changed to prayer center. Imam Rauf's wife was quoted as saying

We insist on calling it a prayer space and not a mosque, because you can use a prayer space for activities apart from prayer. You can't stop anyone who is a Muslim despite his religious ideology from entering the mosque and staying there. With a prayer space, we can control who gets to use it

My view on using the term "Islamic radicalism" I think the government was correct to drop the term from it's vocabulary. It does absolutely nothing to help the problem of terrorism, but it does create fear, hatred and resentment. Call these people what they are, killers, terrorists, radicals (ie people with extreme views outside the mainstream of their kind) but don't equate terrorism with those who are Islamic, it does nothing divide.

The fact that the majority of the terrorists in the world are Islamic radacalists is a fact though.

Maybe I just have an issue with things being ridiculously politically correct all the time. I take issue with a deference to a particular religion over another... and that's what the PC world of post-9/11 Muslim relations has turned into.

 

[retro]

I sat next to a Muslim guy on the plane from Phoenix to Los Angeles on Monday night... at least I'm assuming he was Muslim as he was reading the Qur'an (granted, he could just be reading it... but I digress). My only issue with him is that he was wearing too fucking much cologne and kept elbowing me -.-

 

[porterjack]

I sat next to a Muslim guy on the plane from Phoenix to Los Angeles on Monday night... at least I'm assuming he was Muslim as he was reading the Qur'an (granted, he could just be reading it... but I digress). My only issue with him is that he was wearing too fucking much cologne and kept elbowing me -.-

did he refuse to answer questions and occassionaly start telling cheap jokes?

 

[retro]

did he refuse to answer questions and occassionaly start telling cheap jokes?

:24: :24: :24: :24: :24:

nah, I just do what I always do when I sit next to somebody on a plane... ignore them and read my book.

 

[hart]

I vary. I rarely have traveled alone but I've done everything from ignoring someone to hearing someone's life story and telling them mine. I was seated next to a stinky person once, but thank God it was only a flight to Seattle so was over in about 45 minutes. I was afraid I'd have to use the airsick bag!

 

[retro]

I vary. I rarely have traveled alone but I've done everything from ignoring someone to hearing someone's life story and telling them mine. I was seated next to a stinky person once, but thank God it was only a flight to Seattle so was over in about 45 minutes. I was afraid I'd have to use the airsick bag!

When I flew to Phoenix last December, this lady sat down in the seat next to me and just started talking and talking about why she was flying there, wanted to tell me her life story, wanted to know my life story, and I'm just sitting there trying to read my damn book. She was wearing a ton of perfume and making it hard for me to breathe. So then she asked me if I would switch seats with her friend that was a few rows up from the back of the plane... and I'm like, uhm... how about no. I chose my seat at the front of the plane because I want to get off fast because I tend to get claustrophobic at the end of flights. She got all annoyed with me for it, and then stormed off to the back of the plane. :24:

 

[Peter Parka]

Every time I've flown it's been with a Muslim countries airlines, safest way, the're not going to bomb their own. My sister cracked me up when we flew with Brunei airlines. They have a prayer to Allah or whoever at the start to wish for a safe journey. She noted -
"They dont fucking thank him at the end for a safe trip!" :24:

 

[hart]

I think I'd like your sister

 

[retro]

Every time I've flown it's been with a Muslim countries airlines, safest way, the're not going to bomb their own. My sister cracked me up when we flew with Brunei airlines. They have a prayer to Allah or whoever at the start to wish for a safe journey. She noted -
"They dont fucking thank him at the end for a safe trip!" :24:

:24:

that's awesome

 

[BornReady]

I actually defend the rights of those who wish to build the mosque at that location... they're within their legal rights to do so. I think it would be an idiotic thing to do, as it would serve to inflame sentiments against Islam

It's not idiotic to want to improve your facility to make it nicer for the people who use it. Nor is it idiotic to refuse to back down to those who wish to discriminate against Islam and deny Muslims their constitutional rights. If Imam Rauf is complicit with terrorists then arrest him! Don't tell him to move his Islamic center.

I think it is beneficial to draw bigots out of their closets to be judged by public opinion. So thank you Imam Rauf.

 

[mhtal3at]

I think Islam is guilty of a lot of things, it preys on the uneducated and weak, just like all religions do.

Are you sure that Islam preys on the uneducated and weak?

 

[mhtal3at]

In the Muslim religion they build a mosque at the site of a victory.

There's no such thing in Islam btw, I guess it's a political thing though