Anonymous says:

You know an aggressor is going to lose when they wrap themselves in the victim blanket because it is a sign of weakness.

For all the fear-mongering about the radical muslim threat, the fact of the matter is that they don’t hold the power.

But John is way wrong — religious hatred laws will not make the matters worse. Muslims need to be a “cared for” and valued minority in Europe and the United States; not a sub-citizen class the way they were ignored pre-9/11.

Religious hatred laws will be helpful; the Muslims who feel unfairly treated will have recourse via debate, the legal system and the media. Populations who do not have this type of recourse resort to recourse via non-legal means.

The protection of minorities is a “prime directive” of the concept of democracy. So you play good cop / bad cop; reward with increased rights, punish with decreased tolerance for horseshit.

Dave Pearson says:

Religious hatred laws will be helpful; the Muslims who feel unfairly treated will have recourse via debate, the legal system and the media. Populations who do not have this type of recourse resort to recourse via non-legal means.

You seem to be conflating two different issues here. Muslims, just like any other group living in the UK (religious or otherwise, pick a method, any method, of dividing people and being divisive) already have recourse via debate, the legal system and the media. There’s hardly a week goes by when the MCB aren’t on the BBC or some other media outlet putting forward “their” point of view — same for other religious groups. There’s a real danger that the proposed religious hatred laws will make matters worse and cause even more divisive behaviour because religions are naturally divisive and the “truths” of one can often appear to be an incitement to hatred of another (or those without religion).

Milo says:

Once again I see an article that shows that in the west very few people understand a very important doctrine of Islam called Taqiyya and also called Kitman and untill “we” do understand Taqiyya (Taqeya, Taqiya) “we” will never be able to deal with the Muslim world properly. Anyone can Google for these words and learn for themselves but briefly:

Taqiyya roughly translates as lying for the faith. A Muslim may tell any lie when they are threatened. Of course a threat is in the eye of the beholder . Consider the 911 bombers who drank liquor and went to strip bars and the complete lack of outrage in the Muslim world when this became public as well as the recent publicity around Mosques having pamphlets in English saying things that are quite a bit different from the ones they distribute in Arabic.

Shia Muslims are credited with inventing Taqiyya but several Sunni groups are on the record as saying they do it.

This is vital knowledge for anyone trying to understand the Muslim world because it means that many Muslims are not lying from a mind set like a non Muslim has. They are lying as a holy duty to deceive and gain an advantage over the unbeliever. Even people who have studied Islam at the university level are generally unaware of Taqiyya because Islam is taught in a politically correct way at most western universities, what one academic described (strictly off the record) as “sugary nonsense”.

Mohammed said “he who keeps secrets shall soon attain his objectives.”

Can we imagine Jesus, Moses or Buddha saying “Hey lying is good!”?

Goldcoastin says:

Well this is what i know about islam.. and it scares me..

Violence is commanded:
“Fight and slay the pagans (infidels) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war.” Quran, Sura 9:5
If Islam is resisted?
“Their punishment is…execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from the opposite sides, or exile from the land.” Sura 5:33
Al Tawbah The Repentance): “Prophet, make war on unbelievers and hypocrites, and deal rigorously with them.” Sura 9:73
Al Anfal (The Spoils): “Let not the unbelievers think they will ever get away… strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy… rouse the faithful to arms! If they (the non-Muslims) incline to peace (accept Islam) make peace with them.”
Sura 8:59
oh there are many more!

Anonymous says:

All of you are forgetting that all “Holy” books are more or less a collection of fairy tales. The Muslims will grow out of it.

But it is nice to see an angry hornet’s nest, that means you are prepared for the challenges before you. Violence and hate has to be suppressed and it is nice to see so many people offended by some of the more extreme passages in the Quran.

In order for bad behavior to be defeated, people must be offended. I think the Muslim radicals are screwed.

As for the Bruce Hammer comments … Bruce, a group that has had it’s needs and concerns neglected for so long needs extra attention in society to communicate the message that they are cared for. Muslims need to know they are valued part of the world community. When the wound heals, and it will, “special rights” always fade.