Friday, August 13, 2010
Don't Panic Potty-mouthed Ramadan Don't Panic!
Posted by Andisheh Nouraee on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 3:45 PM
I don't often re-read my old Don't Panic columns. It feels like looking at old yearbook pictures. But the beginning of Ramadan on Wednesday prompted a bit of satisfying self-Googling:
So for those of you who want to know what Ramadan is, here's my fatwa-worthy explanation:
Fasting during Ramadan is intended to instill in Muslims self-control and patience. It's training, just in case God ever has a difficult test for you. It's also a great opportunity for Muslims if they ever decide to commercialize Ramadan like the West has done with its holidays. In a country obsessed with weight loss, I can easily imagine the Ramadan Diet taking its rightful place in the pantheon on fad diets, somewhere between Dr. Atkins and Herbalife.In reality though, fasting is just part of the ritual self-denial that makes up Ramadan. Sexual activity also is restricted during Ramadan. Nookie between married people is not allowed during the day. If you and your spouse are unable to control your impulses and, for example, engage in a lunch-hour quickie, you're required to make up for it by either fasting for an additional 60 days or by feeding 60 poor people one meal each.
Comments (29)
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prez clinton should have launched forty thousand more cruise missiles? why is that - because all muslims deserve to die?
hmmm. now that the comment saying clinton should have launched more cruise missiles is gone, my comment makes me look like a complete lunatic.
Please forgive my disgraceful disrespect. My wife won't let me wear the Bomb/Turban t-shirt either.
Clinton did launch the missiles, though, during Operation Forget Monica.
Ramadan mubarak! Coming to a twon square near you soon! Celebrate Diversity!
"The mother of two faces a death sentence for adultery. Last month, Iran's top human rights official said the Islamic regime is reviewing her sentence.
The International Committee against Stoning said Sunday that it and Ashtiani's family are "extremely concerned" about her fate. The group said that Iran has executed 73 people in recent days, including some on Friday."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/15/…
They turned a couple old millhouses across from my parents' place in Doraville into a mosque/community center a few years ago. That place is a freak'n mob during Ramadan, but it's a really easy time to find a cab.
Pete - hell yeah, man! White power! Or something!
I mean, what's the difference? You don't like what "they" stand for, based on the actions of a microscopic segment of the 1.5 billion Muslims on Planet Earth.
Type out a few more catch-phrases designed to shit all over 20% of the world's faith. Keep rampin' up for the religious war, buddy!
Yeah, yeah, I know. You "love America." Methinks you don't have the slightest clue as to what it means to be an American.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, a fraction of the world's Muslims is still millions. Millions of insane, homicidal maniacs. And, no, speaking of this fraction here, these few millions, I do NOT like what THEY stand for. They don't differentiate between Liberal You, Conservative Me or Whatever Pistol Pete is, either. Death to us all. That Un-American enough for you?
Nad - where is the outrage against this small segment of Islam? Where are the so called Moderate Muslims?
I think this was a Moderate Muslim.
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article101…
I am not against Islam, I am anti-Sharia, anti-jihad, anti-oppression, anti-terror, and so should be every free person.
The Koran and the Hadith are full of passages that force Islamic Supremacy requiring killing of non-believers. Yes I have issues with this. It is not Islamaphobia if they really are trying to kill you.
Don't expect the ACLU to stop this religious difference anytime soon because they are not worshipping Christianity in any form or style.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/…
There's the real question, Mr. T.
Dave/Pete, you hate senseless killing, perpetrated by a tiny faction of extremists in the name of the tiny fraction's psychotic interpretation of scripture? Well, super! I think we all agree that murderers are bad humans.
But spewing more across-the-board black-and-white "them" and "us" nonsense and attributing the actions of a few to the entire group is pointless and in fact dangerous for the rest of free society. It does nothing to protect you. It does nothing to mitigate your fearful delusions. It is simply the bigotry du jour.
Peaceful Muslims don't make for interesting news, which is precisely why your "preferred sources" have you foaming at the mouth instead of investigating reality. And no, I won't do it for you.
religious zealotry on all sides will be reason humankind doesn't evolve much further than the man apes we are now.
Nad - Islam needs reform badly - try to find some Moderate Mulsim Outrage at senseless behavior done by Muslims. I am sure there is some but very little
Are you saying I should stop pointing out that Islam kills innocent people in America and abroad and to just be tolerant to their ways? Really? You throw a bigot or race card comment down anytime you want and yet we should just accept Islamic ways?
That seems off to me. If large sects of Christianity were killing unbeleivers, adulters, whatever - I would be outraged and attacking them just as much if not more so that I do with Islam here.
Not disagreeing in the slightest! I'm just confounded by these "real Americans" who seem to advocate forming death squads and rounding 'em all up for even mentioning Allah.
No Nad - no death squads for people would I ever agree to except if we were in a War. If Muslims want to worship a Metorite Mohammad named Allah that is fine with me.
I suggest studying the Koran, it would help some.
And seriously - it isn't Islamaphobia if they really are trying to kill you as mandated in the Koran and Hadith.
And yes Islam does have many awesome peaceful Moderate Muslims, but most of them are very shunned by the majority of their own Religion.
Pete, let's play Mad-Libs for second:
"Are you saying I should stop pointing out that blacks kill innocent people in America and abroad and to just be tolerant to their ways? Really? You throw a bigot or race card comment down anytime you want and yet we should just accept African American ways?"
Sounds terrible, doesn't it? But eh, Islamophobia is the catch of the day, so it might not matter. "Crazy coked-up negroes are coming to rape your daughter" was SO a few decades ago.
Again, explain to me the difference. You're taking the actions of a few and attributing it to the whole.
And again, what to do about extremists? Can we wipe them out by occupying a few more countries? More surveillance of American citizens? Should we deny them mosques? Put them all in their own camp while we're at it? Seriously, what?
We can "stop" isolated incidents of religious extremism every bit as much as we can "cure" all known forms of crime.
Nad - I think what you said is a good point. I mean people do bad things all the time. But Islam is an entire way of life for many Muslims. Political, Social, Legal, and their Koran they study is written with many infrences to killing Jews, Christians and anyone who does not beleive in Islam.
If KKK members had a book they screamed was Holy and we could not draw their Prophet and in the book was full of horrible ideas of killing people and ways to do it - I think we would go after the KKK as if War was on and rightly so.
Pete,
The Bible has all sorts of references that could be used to support genocide and slavery if you want it to. See, for instance, the book of Joshua. Mind you, I think using the Bible in such a manner is wrong, taking certain verses and sections out of context....twisting it to fit a political agenda. I'm a deacon in my local church and I happen to believe Christianity is a religion of peace ("Blessed are the peacemakers", Jesus said) that has often been warped by those in power.
Why do I bring this up? Because I suspect it is the same with the Koran. Portions of the Koran say "there shall be no compulsion in religion" while other parts seem to advocate horrible violence. Which is an honest interpretation of the text? I don't know. I don't have the expertise, the knowledge of the text and the historical context in which it was written, to make an informed judgment. For all the references you make to the Koran, I doubt you're any more of an expert than I am. I suspect you've been pointed to the worst sections of the Koran by people with an anti-Islamic agenda.
As Nad has repeatedly pointed out, there are many, many Muslims who want nothing to do with the horrors perpetuated by the fundamentalists who allegedly share their religion (no more than I want to be associated with Timothy McVeigh or Eric Rudolph).
But you keep talking as if the problem is ALL of Islam rather than the radical few. And that attitude is exactly the WRONG way to go about this.
Mr. T asked oydave what should be done about the murderous, extremist elements in the Muslim world. I'll tell you what should be done. They should be isolated, rendered powerless. They should be the laughingstock of the Muslim world. Actual moderate Muslims should be encouraged to speak out, not lumped together with the extremists.
Certainly terrorists must be stopped. They must be captured and, on occasion, killed. But, unless we Americans win the hearts and minds of most of the Muslim world, there will always be more eager recruits to replace the terrorists we capture and kill. And we won't be winning any hearts and minds by lumping all Muslims together as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers.
This isn't "mushy liberalism." It's realism.
Why does Andisheh articles that are like 10 lines long get comments that are much longer and dumber than his original article. It's like he writes a few words and then pee-hole pete goes on an iggyit tyrade and everyone calls him races. funny. PS- I love Steve Martin's "THE JERK". It reminds me of me...and...something must be done about child-raping christians. They are way too kinky to be in America. They call dudes "father" and then he molests their little boys. THAT IS A FUNKED UP RELIGION!
Hey Beniv - Islam has many issues and needs reformation to coexist. I am hoping and wanting that to happen. More than half of the Koran teaches violence against non-beleivers and the Koran’s has numerous calls to make war on unbelievers which was what Muhammad did.
Look into the Koran yourself - the more I look into it the more difficult I see the road ahead for Islamic Reformation. We have tried democracy solutions, secular solutions, assimilation solutions, and appeasement solutions.
I think we have to keep calling it out - call a spade a spade and not give into their demands like Comedy Central did.
At the moment Islam is dangerous and violent - Moderate Muslims should denounce their violence and I will stand with them and do it.
It's not really Islamaphobia when their Koran teaches to kill all non-beleivers. This is from Indonesia home to the largest population of Muslims in the world.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl…
Looks like violence to me. I know call me crazy and all...
Okay Dave, now that you've said it, what would you propose we DO about it?
Exactly what we're trying to do, kill them first. That is the purpose of war. "Make the other poor dumb son-of-a-bitch die for HIS country." I wish it was as easy as killing Nazis. They at least had the decency to wear uniforms and come from one geographical area. This war is much harder. Muslims are everywhere and you can't predict who will succumb to Sudden Jihad Syndrome. This is the most difficult struggle this country has ever faced, worse than when the Limeys sacked Washington. I don't know what to do except remain vigilant, especially on these shores.
Freedom of Religion about to be tested! Gird your Loins!!! International Burn a Koran Day! HS!!
"http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405…
"The most violent threats stem not from the debate over the Islamic center but more fringe issues, such as a declaration by Terry Jones, pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center, a mega-church in Gainesville, Fla., that Sept. 11 be an "International Burn a Koran Day."
Supporters and opponents of a proposed Muslim cultural center and mosque near the World Trade Center site staged competing rallies in downtown Manhattan. Video courtesy of Fox News.
In an interview Sunday, Mr. Jones said he planned to go ahead with the Koran burning on the evening of Sept. 11, despite the local fire department denying a permit for the event. He said the jihadist threats only confirmed his views of Muslims.
"I can understand that they would be offended. I think their reactions—violence, threats, murders terrorist attacks—that only reveals the true nature of Islam which needs to be revealed," he said.""
"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing — after they've tried everything else." - Winston Churchill.
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