Kamangir (Archer)

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1. serendip | September 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 am

   Muslims Against Sharia condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the decision of Columbia University to provide a speaking venue for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

   Apparently letting Akbar Rafsanjani speak at the National Cathedral was not the height of American Dhimmitude, because providing a venue for the world’s foremost anti-Semite, whose proclaimed goal is the destruction of the USA and Israel, definitely takes the cake. What is surprising is that we don’t hear any complaints from Columbia alumni who should be ashamed of their silence.
   This is from the group’s website:

   http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2007/09/muslims-against-sharia-...

   Brothers and Sisters!
   Do not make the next generation of Muslims clean up your mess!
   Fight Islamic Fascism now, so your children won’t have to!
   Meanwhile… The Columbia Dean says that the university would invite Hitler as well!
   Actually, Columbia did invite Hitler.

   ** Sign the petition HERE against Columbia’s disgraceful invitation to Ahmadinejad.

   http://tool.donation-net.net/entrance/enter.cfm?dn=1089&source=2003&id=6...

2. serendip | September 23rd, 2007 at 11:43 am

   Political Islam is this era’s totalitarianism aimed at bringing and maintaining Islamic laws, schools and states where possible.

   To the extent and degree it has power - that is the extent and degree to which it controls every single aspect of people lives and society.

   And since its rules and system are divinely ordained, they are deemed to be unquestionable.

   Which is why apostasy is the highest crime punishable by death in all countries ruled by Islam and why there is absolutely no tolerance for criticism.

   While the political Islamic movement sentences apostates to death where it is in power, here is Europe, its tactics are more subtle but just as inhuman and brutal.

   You only need to look at threats surrounding the Danish Mohammad caricatures, the assassination of Theo Van Gogh for his and Ayaan Hirsci Ali’s film on Islam’s treatment of women, and the death threats against heads of the Councils of Ex-Muslims have received to see how seriously this movement deals with criticism and particularly apostasy.

   From their perspective, apostasy is the unravelling of the entire system from within.

   If you question one law, one hadith, one sura in the Koran, you question it all.

   If you are allowed to leave, you undermine it all.

   Which is why I have received emails saying ‘once a Muslim, always a Muslim - you cannot leave.’

   To which, of course, I have said, well watch me, watch us. We have left and we are leaving….

   Therein lies the most significant aspect of the Councils of Ex-Muslims that have been established in Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Britain and Holland and its challenge and danger to political Islam.

   In a sense, this move in Europe is part of the trend that is bringing Islam in power to its knees in Iran.

   People have always left Islam before but an organised movement of this nature paves the way for others to be able to renounce religion and Islam and breaks the most important taboo.

   The council movement shows that there are many who want to leave, or at the very least who are opposed to the political Islamic movement and who are challenging it head on especially in light of the fact that Islamists often feign to represent all ‘Muslims’ here and all the people of the Middle East and North Africa.

   The council movement also shows that Islamic rule and its savagery are not people’s ‘choice’, their culture and religion as the Islamists often claim but actually the culture and religion of a political movement that imposes it very much by brute force.

   The Council movement reiterates that people everywhere want and demand universal rights and values, which as I have said on many occasions, are not western but belong to all humanity.

   The council movement unequivocally defends universalism vis-à-vis a climate of cultural relativism. Contrary to its image, cultural relativism does not lead to a more tolerant society but a more intolerant one.

   It aids and abets the political Islamic movement by justifying Islamic rule and deflecting criticism of its inhumane nature.

   It justifies this era’s holocaust by lowering standards and redefining values to the lowest and most regressive depths and holding all values and beliefs not only equal but equally valid.

   Rather than being anti-racist; it is racism pure and simple by implying that people choose to live the way they are forced to.

   Within this climate, Islamists have succeeded in blurring the distinction between individuals and beliefs. As a result, concepts such as rights, equality, respect and tolerance, which were initially raised vis-à-vis the individual, are now more and more applicable to culture and religion and often take precedence over real live human beings.

   Which is why any criticism and ridiculing of or opposition to beliefs, cultures, religions, gods and prophets are being deemed racism, disrespecting, inciting hatred and even violence against those deemed believers.

   Clearly you cannot be racist against an idea or belief or ideology.

   Blurring the distinctions between the two and the use of rights and anti-racist language here in the west to do so are devious ways of silencing criticism and opposition – criticism which is particularly crucial given the havoc that political Islam has inflicted in the Middle East and North Africa and more recently here in the west.

   Of course the human being is sacred, worthy of the highest respect, equality and rights and so on and so forth but not beliefs, not religions, not cultures.

   Another tactic of the political Islamic movement is to limit free expression by deeming expressions against religion as a no go area - again in order to prevent criticism. Its tactics from threats and intimidations to equating criticism against Islam and political Islam as racism has meant that the movement is not being addressed and challenged as it must.

   In light of the assault on free expression, the Councils are in fact defending free expression unconditionally and unequivocally as the very act of renouncing religion and Islam is the greatest act of free expression possible.

   Such expression and criticism is necessary since this is how throughout history backwardness and reaction have been pushed back.

   This is how throughout history society has managed to advance and progress with the aim of improving the lot of humanity.

   In the face of political Islam’s onslaught often aided and abetted by government policies of cultural relativism and minoritism and the apologies of so-called European progressives and liberals, it is the councils of ex-Muslims along with other secularists and humanists that are raising the banner of secularism, universalism and values worthy of 21st century humanity here in Europe and across the world.

   This movement and its declaration must be supported and defended unequivocally.

   http://www.ex-muslim.org.uk/indexManifesto.html

3. Roman Kalik | September 23rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm

   Moral and cultural relativism are the bane of Western society, that much is true. Same with political correctness. Your reply was a very intelligent one, Serendip.

   I never approved much of military rallies, by the way. They’re a sign of fascism, of making the State the ideal, rather than the reason for which the state exists.

4. Al-Kindi | September 23rd, 2007 at 4:47 pm

   lol - I’m wondering why those Iranian Army people all have fancy Generals’ hats, while Ahmadinejad’s right-hand-man has a flippin’ IRI baseball cap. Does the Islamic Republic have a Pro-shop?

5. ella | September 24th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

   Al Kindi

   Why don’t you go to the first Pasdaran man you meet and tell him that he has “flippin’ IRI baseball cap” on his head.
   It would be very informative to see what that guy with “baseball cap” will do with you :-)

6. Kamangir (Archer) - کمانگیر » Blog Archive » “Pilot Killed While Flying Experimental Plane” | November 19th, 2007 at 9:56 pm

   [...] were the scene of military shows, to acknowledge the ignition of the eight-year war with Iraq (see:Big Military Show in Iran and pictures from the show in Tehran and its vicinity). Reportedly, during the show, two Tazarv [...]

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