Haha

See Jesus and Mo for some wildly un-PC comics. I have only read a couple, so if there are some truly offensive ones, then sorry about that. And I guess by truly offensive, I mean "not funny."

Sarah Palin is a True American

because she understands the need to be a hateful bitch about everything, but most recently about that mosque. Wonkette expresses my feelings well. Here is an excerpt:

Somebody is not getting it! Somebody is being insensitive! Perhaps with some education, Sarah Palin could understand that “those Muslims” are Americans. And perhaps she might understand that the mosque that is ALREADY THERE gets pretty crowded! That is one reason why it would be good to put another one in this location! And perhaps she can understand that cities are places where people are not just white and Christian! And perhaps, for a fucking second, she can try to understand how it feels when somebody hates you and associates you with terrorists because of your religion or your name or the color of your skin, even though you love your country. And then perhaps she can understand that she does not live in this fucking neighborhood and has no idea what should or should not be built there. There is probably a crazy homeless man who masturbates at the World Trade Center site every day, but she has no idea.

*Apologies about the language for the easily offended.

Stoning

Two young lovers are stoned to death by relatives and villagers in a Taliban-controlled area of Afghanistan. There are no words for this.

Abandon All Logic, Ye Who Enter Here

Some really awesome Americans, who are probably more "real American" than I am, have decided that it would be cool to burn Qurans on 9/11 this year. I know Jesus would be all over that. He loved getting his hate on.

Nutter Bars

Some clerics are suggesting that adult men drink a woman's breast milk (either in a glass, or directly from her breast) to circumvent the laws against mixing between the sexes. Now, you might be wondering a grown man suckling a woman's breast "circumvents" anything related to propriety between men & women. Lemme 'splain.

A man is considered a relative of any woman from whom he breastfeeds. Sons can be alone with their mothers without punishment. Apparently, it is not uncommon for sisters to breastfeed their nephews for this reason. So if a lady comes in contact with a man frequently, then she should share her milk. Then the relationship is maternal and will, if I understand correctly, prevent any untoward behavior between them. Religious logic is bizarre.

And just FYI, according the article, it sounds like most people in the countries from which these fatwas have arisen (Saudi Arabia & Egypt) think they're nuts.

Muslim Soldiers

I have mixed reactions to this piece about Spec. Zachari Klawonn, a Muslim soldier at Ft. Hood who has filed numerous complaints about harassment from his fellow soldiers. On the one hand, he seems to have some legitimate gripes and concerns about his safety. His Koran has been ripped up and threatening messages have been scrawled on his door. His commanders recommended that he be moved off base. According to Klawonn, though, he hasn't been paid his stipend. He's taking out loans to cover his expenses.

As I was reading, though, my reaction kept coming back to, "What is it with this guy? Maybe he's really annoying, and his religion is just a convenient way to attack him." Two other Muslim soldiers at Ft. Hood report that they have not had problems, even though they expected them after the Ft. Hood shootings. Klawonn broke down crying to his superiors and his mother and sister called and yelled at various people at Ft. Hood.

His mom called the base and, in broken English, berated anyone she could reach by phone. His older sister was more methodical, yelling her way up the chain of command. She could see what all the stress had done to him.

That sounds like an unpleasant person and not much of a tough-man soldier. The army seems to be trying to address the issues.

On the other hand, his roommates have been baffled by the negative treatment, and he is a model soldier--no reprimands in his file, tops in weapons qualifications, an invitation to try out for Special Forces.

As I've sat here writing this and reading the two articles, I think I've convinced myself that my initial response--looking for a non-religious explanation for his treatment--was not only incorrect, but also is a common and unpleasant reaction to civil rights issues.

Underlying my reaction was the thought, "If he'd stop being such a rabble-rouser, if he'd just put his head down and do his thing, if he'd stop complaining, then maybe people would leave him alone." That's a horrible and unfair reaction (and probably one shared by some of his commanders), particularly since I'm certain that the evangelical-type soldiers are loud and proud about their religion. Why should Klawonn be any different?

Now, having said that, there are always two sides to every story, and there may be non-religious aspects to this conflict. However, demanding equal rights and protection from fellow soldiers shouldn't be classified as out of bounds.

A Good Fatwa

Reuters reports that Mauritanian imams have issued a fatwa against female genital mutilation. Cheikh Ould Zein, secretary general of the Forum of Islamic Thought in Mauritania said the following:

“Are there texts in the Koran that clearly require that thing? They do not exist. On the contrary, Islam is clearly against any action that has negative effects on health. Now that doctors in Mauritania unanimously say that this practice threatens health, it is therefore clear that Islam is against it.”

Oh, the French

Nicolas Sarkozy knows what's best for you, ladies! Women will no longer be able to wear the veil on public property or public transportation, because Sarkozy is a tireless fighter for women's dignity.

Interview with a would-be suicide bomber

An interview with an arrested suicide bomber. The interviewer asks logical questions & the bomber responds with propaganda. Kind of like talking to Sarah Palin, except she doesn't kill people.

Nigerian Religion Clash

The Atlantic has a good piece on the clash of Muslims & Christians in Nigeria, and the attempts to rise above it.