Shurley some mistake...

As they say in Private Eye

Speaking at the modern King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman, he (the Pope) struck a note of harmony and shared purpose between the world's two largest faith groups, urging Christians and Muslims to jointly defend religion from political manipulation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL852380020090509

I prefer to turn that phrase around.

It seems to me we need to defend politics from religious manipulation. Political manipulation is the Catholic church's no. 1 job.

As for Islam ... how can anyone, especially the Pope keep a straight face while saying Islam needs to be defended from politcal manipulation?

Bloody savages

Here's a story of mixed messages.

Ameneh Bahrami was terribly scarred and blinded in 2004 when a spurned suiter poured sulphuric acid over her.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/13/AR2008121302147.html

In the weird and barbaric world of Sharia law, the condemned man was originally sentenced to be blinded in one eye, because one man is worth two women, thus two female eyes equal one male.

Bahrami appealled and the sentence was changed so that the attacker will now be blinded in both eyes, under anaesthetic via 5 drops of sulphuric acid in each eye.

Bahrami feels that she has not asked for more than her due, given the suffering, pain, disfigurement and blindness she has endured.

Today, International Womens Day, it is good to know that female eyes have the same worth as mens' in Iran.

Atheist Muslims

More power to them.

It was bound to happen, and I hope it continues.

Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain

They have taken their lead from the Central Council of Ex-Muslims in Germany

I am not sure, but I suspect that the state of athesim in the muslim community might be where atheism in christian societies was 50 years ago.

Please encourage these bright and brave people and help reach other muslim doubters by linking to them.

The manifest is solid:

01 Universal rights and equal citizenship for all. We are opposed to cultural relativism and the tolerance of inhuman beliefs, discrimination and abuse in the name of respecting religion or culture.
02 Freedom to criticise religion. Prohibition of restrictions on unconditional freedom of criticism and expression using so-called religious 'sanctities'.
03 Freedom of religion and atheism.
04 Separation of religion from the state and legal and educational system.
05 Prohibition of religious customs, rules, ceremonies or activities that are incompatible with or infringe people's rights and freedoms.
06 Abolition of all restrictive and repressive cultural and religious customs which hinder and contradict woman's independence, free will and equality. Prohibition of segregation of sexes.
07 Prohibition of interference by any authority, family members or relatives, or official authorities in the private lives of women and men and their personal, emotional and sexual relationships and sexuality.
08 Protection of children from manipulation and abuse by religion and religious institutions.
09 Prohibition of any kind of financial, material or moral support by the state or state institutions to religion and religious activities and institutions.
10 Prohibition of all forms of religious intimidation and threats.

Muslim Atheists

This story doesn't seem to have hit the mainstream media yet.

From Der Speigel in September

A number of Islamic associations have put a quick end to their collaboration with a professor -- and trainer of people who are supposed to teach Islam in German high schools -- who has expressed his doubt that Muhammad ever lived.

But now the shit is really starting to hit the fan. You know the moslem punishment for apostacy?

The university he is at is likely to cave in to the demands of the faithful.

My friend and co-conspitator germanmike has made things a bit clearer with this post at The Raytractors

A test.

Thousands of miles away, someone makes a film that you disagree with and upsets you.

What is your response?
a. Ignore it, it's just a film, these things come and go, it'll all be forgotten by the end of the year.
b. Write a letter your your local newspaper expressing your indignation.
c. Boycott the products and services of that country
or
d. Go trash a local cinema. One that isn't even showing the movie. And probably never will, chances are this kind of film wouldn't ever be aired anywhere in your country. Beat up some of the people in the cinema. Even though they may well agree with you. Vandalise the cars outside the cinema.

Did you pick d? Well done, that is the correct response for any self-respecting muslim to take over the film Fitna.

Religion of Peace

"Islam is a religion of peace in the same way that North Korea is a people's democratic republic."

Wise and witty words from Pat Condell.

"No shortage of politicians lining up to accuse the film (Fitna) with falsely equating Islam with violence, which is a bit like falsley equating Walt Disney with Micky Mouse."

"I'm sure anyone who follows the news would also equate Islam with violence, I know I certainly do, because anytime anybody criticises Islam, they are usually threatened with violence."

"But wer're not allowed to say that, because if we do.... we'll be threatened with violence."

"Well here we are (in the 21st Century). And what have we got? We've got Islam. A violent, 7th Century desert dogma that wants to take over the world, remove our freedom, subjugate women, brainwash children, persecute Jews and homosexuals and drag us all back 1000 years, and all we can do is make excuses for it, for fear of causing offence."

This video embedded below, but I strongly recommend visiting his YouTube Channel. Pat Condell is just as savage on Christianity as he is Islam.

An opportunity missed

Germany named its latest furry superstar "Flocke", or "Snowflake" on Friday, sending the media into a frenzy which echoed "Knut-mania" in Berlin last year.
A naming competition for the nearly six-week-old polar bear cub launched by the city of Nuremberg received 50,000 emails, causing a server meltdown at the zoo as entries flooded in from around the globe.
from Reuters
The Germans don't have the same sense of humopur as the British:
They should have called the damn bear Mohammed

"YET NOT all members of the Great British Public have had their brains dissolved by too much exposure to the Guardian and a diet of low fat tofu. When viewers of local TV news programme London Tonight viewers were asked to name a new-born lamb that featured on the show, 95 per cent all plumped for the same name.
Can you guess what it was? Yep, Mohammed. Predictably, the producers inadvertently muddled up the results and went for the name just five per cent of viewers wanted – Mistletoe."
from Barry Beelzebub

Amongst the many things banned under Islam . . .

This is to be filed with the story of the moslim man who wouldn't let a male obstetrician near his wife when she was giving birth . . .

Male tailors in an Afghan province have been barred from measuring female clients for fittings following a new local ruling that resembles the restrictions the ultra-conservative Taliban imposed on the country when in power.

The decision was made by a council of Islamic clergymen in northeastern Takhar province recently, governor Abdul Latif Ibrahimi said.
Ibrahimi did not say what would happen to anyone failing to comply with the new ruling.


Come on, how hard must it be to run up a burkha on a sewing machine?
Islam - makes Christianity look rational.

Bush calls Islam "Great"

From Reuters


"Turkey sets a fantastic example for nations around the world to see where it's possible to have a democracy that co-exists with a great religion like Islam," Bush said at a White House meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.


What a pile of shite. Firstly, under what context can Islam be described as "great" other than in the sense that it is big, ie: has many followers.
Secondly, Turkey is not a fantastic example of a democracy. see Human Rights Watch. Turkey is the ONLY democratic Muslim country. Why? Because since the founding of its republic in 1923 it has maintained secularism. A separation of religion and state. A democracy cannot co-exist with Islam, it has to keep it apart. Islam certainly has no desire to co-exist with democracy.


And we all thought GW was a fundie christian? He's not, he's just a politician who'll say whatever his speechwriters tell him to.