Pakistan has condemned Britain’s award of a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie as an affront to Muslim sentiments, and a Cabinet minister said the honor provided a justification for suicide attacks.
“This is an occasion for the (world’s) 1.5 billion Muslims to look at the seriousness of this decision,” Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq, religious affairs minister, said in parliament.
Now, here comes a great couple of sentences:
“The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism. If someone exploded a bomb on his body, he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the ‘sir’ title,” ul-Haq said.
In the eastern city of Multan, hard-line Muslim students burned effigies of Queen Elizabeth II and Rushdie. About 100 students carrying banners condemning the author also chanted, “Kill him! Kill him!”
The only thing worse than theocracy – is fundamentalist theocracy.
excuse me for being naive atm, my coffee apparently hasn’t
reached my brain yet..
i read the article. what am i missing? what’s the big deal over knighting this guy?
-anyone, -sell me a clue please?
-s
The greatest evil is the evil of superstition. These folks just haven’t grasped yet, that they are practicing the greatest evil.
Ah the irony.
I am normally no fan of PM Blair or our medieval system of honours but I have to say to well done on Mr Rushdie’s award.
I have the greatest of respect for the advances in science, philosophy and maths which the Islamic world achieved while us Europeans were living in hovels.
However the religion has been hijacked by insane morons who want to turn the clock back to 1550. There is far too much respect being shown by western leaders for their idiotic beliefs. I’m talking about Europe here, clearly in the US you have your own religious fundamentalists to deal with.
What I would like is for one of our leaders to stand up and say what the majority of us are thinking. Your religion is incompatible with life in the 21st century and if you are not wiling to accommodate and respect OUR beliefs then we are not willing to trade with you.
When a cabinet minister in what is nominally an ally of the UK advocates and encourages the murder of a British citizen we have to respond.
Of course our leaders are far too gutless and scared of the Saudi Arabians to actually do anything.
Frankly, I’m tired of walking on eggshells to appease a group that seems unappeasable. If they wish to be treated with any common decency and respect, then they must begin to TRULY pressure the radicals who have no respect for human life.
Don’t agree with me? Sod off. I don’t want to hear bleeding heart liberals pouring on and on. I’m fed up, and that’s that.
#3 – Vehektor,
Don’t trade with them??!!? Sacrilege!! Clearly you are ignoring the great Oil religion of our time. We would have to switch all of our cars to electric cars, our energy to wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal power. In short, we would actually have to do all of the things we must do to survive global warming anyway. How dare you suggest such a thing!! Oil just may smite you for that.
#4 – Mac Guy,
As a bleeding heart liberal myself, I have to say that some of us are also antitheists. So, get fed up with religion all you want. I am totally fed up with it.
And, thanks Eidard for specifying theocracy and fundamentalist theocracy without specifying any particular religion. As far as I’m concerned the Judeo-Christian-Islamic religion is notably singular rather than plural. And, a fundamentalist is still one who thinks with his fundament..
Pedro is a genius.
How long ago was “Satanic Verses”? These Muslims are still carrying THAT grudge? Gimme a break. Poster 2, 3, and 4 are definitely spot on, it’s not just a handful of lunatics, it’s an institutional -wide refusal to tolerate even the slightest criticism. Religion of peace, my ass.
Has Salman Rushdie ever written anything worthy of a knighthood or other recognition by the Queen? I read a couple of passages once in a bookstore and was convinced the critics were right. He can’t right coherently.
But threatening like that is a hell of a way to protest Rushdie’s writing skills. Effen morani.
#8 – Jihad is forever, apparently…
I thought it was a decent read… but its been a while… I may need to pick it up again.
I cain’t right either, thats why I don’t never say nuttin
Unless things have changed, Pakistanis have never been thrilled over anything British. Remember Pakistan was part of British India. Even Gandhi couldn’t deal with this lot. Sod the bastards, God Save the Queen and let’s move on.
Bet you didn’t know:
Islam = Religion of
PeacePiss.I’m sorry but these people need to be wiped off the face of the planet. They will not rest until the entire world is living under a fundamentalist Muslim regime. Anyone who believes Muslims are about peace is either incredibly naive or incredibly stupid.
lets just get rid of religion, its doing more harm than good at this point
This just in –
Bohica-land has condemned the government of Pakistan for being totally irrelevant. Turns out nobody cares what the mullah inspired sycophants think, do, say or dream.
Bohica-land spokesperson made clear that they haven’t considered
the government of Pakistan relevant since they began an intense program of Herbal Laxitives for their population based on the writtings of Mullah Fats-wad. Turns out the constipated population, having been enraged by enlarged large intestines is as has been previously reported totally full of S&%t.
Reported by routers
I say we play “count the nukes”. If the fundies set off one in any western city – we destroy Mecca. They do two, we destroy Iran. Three – well use your imagination.
16,
Always has, always will.
OK, let me explain this for those who don’t understand. Rushdie made a book called “Satanic Verses” like 15 years ago which showed Islam to be evil (even though the man could barely write). Now, by giving him knighthood, musllims think that the whole thing has been done for the sole purpose of putting a finger up at Islam. Yes, these people should not react in the way that they do, but they are starting to believe the world is against them. BTW, don’t blame Islam for the way they react, blame the culture. Remember, these people in 2nd world countries (such as Pakistan) don’t have internet access so that they can blog on pointlessly about what they don’t like. BTW, in my personal opinion, the Rushdie guy reminds be of some sort of villain with his eyebrows. Only god know how he got himself such a fine wife!
When, oh, when will the fundy’s ever understand that only atheism is next to Godliness. Stalin, Lenin & Mao proved that point.
8. A Satanic Verses grudge? Try the crusades.
Understand that there are radical Muslims and there are moderate Muslims. I support moderate Muslims 100%. Radical Muslims live to die in the ultimate final battle between Muslims and infidels.
Luckily for the radicals, they have deep financial resources to do this. Just follow the money from their pockets to the radical Islamic organizations to their rich benefactors and princes to the oil fields to the oil companies to the gas stations to – well I’ll be damned – to your wallet.
RBG
That should read “I support moderate Muslims 82.6%.”
RBG
In other words: “I shall kill people until they stop calling me a killer!”. You know it makes sense!
Hmm, lets see, muslims are pissed – again.
Muslims sentiments have been insulted -again.
Muslims have justification for suicide attacks – again.
Muslims are burning effigies – again.
Muslims are chanting “kill him, kill him” – again.
Remind me how this is a ‘religion of peace’ – again.
All this over a ‘title’? Grow up assholes -again.
A glaring absence of Muslims posting to this because they don’t want to tackle the very real possibility that part of the Koran was written by Satan! And if part was what’s to say that other parts were which remained undetected hmmmm?
Here’s a summery of the main points if anyone wants it.
http://tinyurl.com/37ph6g
#15 – Seems the USA wont rest either until the entire world is under its ‘regime’ of *cough* peace and democracy. Ask the Iraqis how well thats going.
Blowing fundies off the face of the planet will only breed more fundies.
Muslims and Christians have been butchering each other for 1000 years. Why stop now.
It just amazes me that the Muslim world has no concept of FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, or even FREEDOM OF (FROM) RELIGION. I’m an atheist, and imagine I would have a tough time living in most Muslim countries if I made my views known. Could I even have a discussion about the existence of God in Saudi Arabia without winding up in prison? What a bunch of Medieval MOPES. No wonder the rest of the world treats you like a bunch of Morons. Every time you go off like this over something stupid, you only dig your pit deeper. Remember the Mohamed cartoons a couple of years ago. They wanted to suicide bomb the entire country of Denmark over a couple of cartoons that no one would have seen if they hadn’t acted like a bunch of goofs.
Don
#15, gq,
I’m sorry but these people need to be wiped off the face of the planet. …
Anyone who believes Muslims are about peace is either incredibly naive or incredibly stupid.
Sure sound like the pot is calling the kettle black. They want to kill you and you want to kill them. I think it makes both you (and those talking out their butts the same) and them the same miserable scum.
Really? Take one more look at that picture. Do you see a single asset to humanity there?
If you are so gullible, so naîve, that you cannot recognize evil, in the form of violent, superstitious, destructive idiots – then you deserve the world of primitive horror that they’re working to impose on you.
I know, I know – they’re, in reality, wonderful, noble, loving people who are only victims of bad upbringing – or better yet, victims of that all-purpose scapegoat for all socially destructive behavior, white racism! Yeah, that’s the ticket!
#29 I would expect that comment from you because you are incredibly stupid. The difference is, I couldn’t care less about their religion as long as they don’t want to kill me for not believing the same as they do. But since they do, I figure lets get them before they get me.
I’m tolerant, they are not.
#26
You should base your conclusions on facts and not “possiblities”. Islam never relies on unconfirmed sources. Check the basic fabric of islam and you will find every bit is based on well scrutinized quran and hadith. Not only that, the quran (orginal not translation of meaning)can has NO errors or logical cavities. And you are more than welcomed to try.
8, 27, 28, 29 – I agree with what all of you have said. I got some word of my own if you don’t mind…
I truly believe Islam can be a religion of peace, if only the fundies didn’t fuck things up. I’ve been a big believer in god, until I realized that “God” was a man on a soapbox. That’s about it right there.
But think of the things that couldn’t have happened without religion. It is a very fundamental element in the human condition and has influenced very big postive events as well. Here, writing at oh, say three in the morn, I can’t think of any true examples ATM.
Back to my main point, people seem to use negatives to support their beliefs that everybody in any religion should be blown off the face of the earth. If that’s so, we’re all bad examples, we should have all died eons ago.
Also, is it me, or are there other people that believe we’re all animals? Hell, we qualify as mammals, what makes us special (aside from the fact we’ve built great inventions that simultaneously makes life easier and us more lazier, or inventions that are great until government starts fumbling with it)?
Bottom line, we’re all fucked up. Some people just decide to take things to extremes. Eventually, the end of history predates our extinction as a species, so why sweat over shit like this? They’re assholes, let ’em be. If people want to do something about this, let there be counter-fundies, counter-counter-fundies and counter-counter-counter fundies that wield the same ammo and kill their own brothers. Otherwise, leave them alone.