22
Aug
2007
35 Comments
God Warriors
CNN’s Christiane Amanpour examines the effects of Judaism, Islam and Christianity as a powerful political force around the world in documentary video.
Here is the story highlight:
Study: Majority of American Muslims worried hijabs could lead to discrimination
American Muslim says wearing headscarf is “God’s wish”
Egyptian: “I do believe in modesty and you shouldn’t be showing off yourself”
I leave it you to have sneak peak on series of video clips and think about it. As far as I watched, it supports my article, Religion is the enemy of civilization. Also it shows religious people in different positions with their prejudice and stupidity which comes from religion, can burn everything and everyone.
Join the Conversation
The muslims really dont know what to say! they dont know how should hijab be. Cuz Allah didnt clarified the problem!
You should watch the vidoe clips! Don’t miss them.
They dont really know what to do! I take their side (muslims)! they really suffer from the situation in U.S. and its not their fault! Its just propaganda that one they says Islam is fine and another day Islam means terror!
So I’m prejudiced and stupid. Is that it?
I wonder how far we are going to let this anti-Islam bullshit be taken, where Muslims are constantly referred to as “terrorists” and stupid.
Are we going to sit around and watch ourselves be hatefully insulted in the same website that we worked incredibly hard on, is that it?
Nu-uh. Guidelines are in order here.
I wonder how someone can take a short clip with fatuous morons like Geert Wilders, effect hashing music and an interviewing reporter who doesn’t contradict silly answers, serious…Sorry Fariborz but this is crap!
I’m glad more people are noticing the embarrassment in Fariborz’s posts.
This categorical bashing of Muslims and Islam is really troubling, Fariborz.
I believe that when followers of any religion actually take to heart the teachings and spiritual instructions of their respective faith and cipher out the allegorical stuff, there is a surprising commonality and spiritual awareness that is only attainable by true reflection.
that said, stupidity comes from stupid people who draw their own conclusions without taking into consideration that no one is perfect.
You guys REALLY need to tone down the anti-Muslim bashing, most of us here are living in our countries and it would suck to be targeted for what you publish. Maybe you are residing safely in Canada, but many people here within Iran and Egypt are not, I only ask that you post thoughtfully and responsibly from now on instead of the childish bashing.
You may remember, E. that this is similar to a complaint I had with one particular poster at MEY just before I was invited to become an author here — I felt MEY was being used to create an archive that is anathema to its own mission. It was the guy’s continuous pattern of posts that encouraged a disagreeable and intolerant atmosphere, not the individual posts themselves. If he mixed up his castigations with other issues so he didn’t make MEY become party to his obvious agenda, there would have been no problem. But when it became obvious that his mission was to use MEY as a soapbox merely to broadcast that his adversaries have little room for redemption, that’s where I got upset and felt he was poisoning the atmosphere of this site. It was almost like using a democratic vote to usher in a system of fascism — you can’t let illicit usage of the process delegitimize your overall purpose.
In light of what is now occuring, I still think that the rule should be that we should all feel comfortable talking about hard and unpopular issues that are important to us, including religion, but it should not be anyone’s particular mandate here constantly to pick on anyone’s values, because that crosses the line into bullying and disrespecting the cultural rights of others. And that’s not cool.
Clearly some Muslims feel not just irritated and insulted, but actually harassed by the pattern of these posts and that needs to be taken into consideration by the posters here. We’re family and the purpose is to foster intergroup relations.
However, to be fair, I think we also need to understand that this debate and process itself is special. There is a lot of individual expression, debate, and discussion going on now without any threat of violence, and that probably has never really occured before in this manner. So hang in there. This very discussion itself is creating social change by opening up minds about free speech and its responsibilities, Esra’a. If you look beyond the immediacy of this discussion into what is forming from it … what is happening here is amazing. This has become truly a frontline forum for the cultivation of democratic institutions in the M.E. Major props just for that.
Basically, IMO, it’s absolutely OK to have uncomfortable dialogue, including critiquing whatever ideology, system, or behavior one wants; but it’s not OK for one’s raison d’etre to function specifically as a basher through a pattern of posts. In a nutshell, criticize me, but don’t pick on me. I guess that means we need a “speak your mind freely, but don’t be a gadfly” rule. Hope that makes sense and thanks.
Thanks PV, we are in total agreement, but:
It’s clear that the latter is what’s currently happening.
It’s very normal in this region for a site administrator to be held entirely responsible for all the posts published here, that puts me and my colleagues at great risk. I can’t stress this enough. While Fariborz is currently in Canada and Lord Kavi is posting anonymous, the rest of us are posting under our real identities within this region where moderates continue to be targeted by the roaming extremists.
Please understand where we are coming from. It’s not a question of free speech, it’s a question of security.
Everyone needs to read carefully (not just scanning)this two posts, including the comments:
Gabriel Sawma on “dhimmitude” and “abrogation”
http://myrtus.typepad.com/myrtus/2007/08/gabriel-sawma-o.html
Should Koran be banned in the West
http://myrtus.typepad.com/myrtus/2007/08/should-the-kora.html
Serendip is right, you must read the comments, especially this one which never ceases to amuse me:
Truer words have never been spoken.
Fariborz, without getting myself in the middle of any arguments here, why not write about something other than religion for a change?
Esra,
While our view of free speech may differ, a blog has no obligation to post anything. And if a poster doesn’t like it, he can start his own blog. So it’s not really a question of free speech or security. You can do what you wish with your blog.
gary
(btw, I really like what you’ve done with this blog. I’ve posted to a LOT of blogs in the last year or so and this is one of the very few that I’ve found worthy of following routinely. Thanks for your blog.)
Hi Gary,
True but this is not a personal blog, it’s a community one. This is why we all have to compromise. It’s very hard to do that without one person feeling oppressed. We never shut anyone up in this blog, everyone is free to say what they want, as long as it’s within our very reasonable guidelines (the most important of which is hate speech and racism.)
Im watching the God’s Warrior Series, right now and its on commercial, and I have to say it is kind of a sad watch.
Drima:
Please don’t take it personal.
Esra’a Wrote:
What does it make you think it’s Anti-Islam?
It’s very good documentary about Judaism, Islam and Christianity as a powerful political force!
Please go ahead and run an outrage like old post.
Marten (Syria/Germany):
It’s not a short clip, it’s 6 hours documentary. as I wrote it was a sneak peak in the post.
Esra’a Wrote:
why embarrassment? if there is any embarrassment it’s not for me. does it make you embarrass?
Every opinion could have some agreements and/or disagreements from reads! it’s ok.
It’s the simple process that let us to talk and discuss about everything!
Omid T (Iran/USA):
this post is about Judaism, Islam and Christianity, not just one religion. and it’s not bashing at all.
You missed the context. The context was religion as
a powerful political force around the world.
Let me rephrase your statement. NO idea is prefect! but everybody is free to draw it’s own conclusions but some people open up and talk about their conclusions and discuss about it with others! rather than being prejudice to it’s own.
Agha jon I respect your opinions.
The big three, Judiasm, Christianity and Islam are all grapling with ways to address a shrinking world. Frankly, none of these faiths have clear and unequivocal guidance on how to govern themselves, let alone interact with each others governments. yes of course there are rules on how to tax, and charity and some laws, but for the most part the leaders, Rabbis, Priests, Imams have all drawn up God’s will on how to manage populations.
I firmly believe in the infallibilty of God and His message, in all its forms. But, herein lies the kicker, when you trust some mullah or pope to interpret it and apply it, it gets all jacked up and we have revolution after revolution with some new hot head with an answer.
It makes me sick.
The first part of the documentary was about Islam. Tommorrow it will be American Christianity, and then Israeli Judiasm.
It was probably one of the most divisive and thought provoking program as of yet regarding the topics. I feel ultimately it will probably foster little reconciliation or dialog. CNN sent an Iranian Christian to do all these interviews knowing that because she was a woman she would be treated differently too.
May I ask where is the real journalism and unbiased reporting?
PeacefulVanguard:
I agree with most part of your comments but the parts that you compared my posts with posts that
I don’t know what was the purpose of those articles but my articles are not here to poison anything even anybody’s mind! they are here just for free discussions about them.
Why samething did happen about my posts? it’s not because there’s a hidden agenda, it’s because these posts are about problems that we do have in Middle East. specially this one, it’s a news from CNN!
Just I wrote about idealogy of religion which is not personal. Religion is in the world and it is not dedicated to one person or a race or a region. it’s an idea that is available for everybody.
That’s right and we should keep this family stronger with having debates and discussions about anything which it includes sacred things like religion.
That’s right. If we keep these discussions freely happen, it opens our minds to each other ideas and it extends our imaginations to new horizon of ideas and I am sure at the end it’s gonna be peace instead of irritation.
If we can keep it like this and don’t selfcensor ourselves.
Did you read this article and watch the clips? it’s not about one specific ideology. that makes following phrase inappropriate.
By the way, when I write about religion e.g. Religion is the enemy of civilization which is totally a general discussion, there are many options like:
1. All religious people argue about it.
2. A specific religion fan, take it personally and instead being objective, arguing about anything but the article.
I or any author can clarify what’s it all about but not for anyone who’s ready to pick everything personally.
Esra’a:
It is not true.
I agree with you on that and I respect it. I don’t want any life to be in danger because of my articles. I thought you’re situations are far better than Iranian bloggers.
I was targeted by extremists and I paid the price. So I know what you are talking about.
OK. Totally agree!
I try my best not to write about religion as much as possible, but can you do me favor? Please add to the website: It’s very normal in this region for a site administrator to be held entirely responsible for all the posts published here, that puts me and my colleagues at great risk. So please take into consideration when you want to write about controversial subjects.
I agree that We shouldn’t endanger everybody else’s life.
Just a question, are they (government) spreading fear for self censorship? are we committing self censorship?
Karim:
You’re more than welcome to write about everything that you want.
Very good suggestion actually you posed it in the form of question, I would say these days I am writing a book and I caught up in this subject so even without any intentions when I review news (like this post) just this kind of news, is coming to me
It is funny though but true.
Omid:
Thanks, I respect yours too.
Agree.
It makes me sick too.
That’s right and just because of that I put it in MEY.
Maybe it’s not but here is the thing, if we do have patience to watch what they say and discuss about it then we can find out what was wrong. Right?
* Maybe it’s not but here is the thing, if we do have patience to watch what they would say and discuss about it then we can find out what is wrong and what is not! Right?
OK so the Christian version is on right now…
Dear Fariborz:
People who cant tolerate when someone talk about their fundamental beliefs, seems to be anywhere! they cant tolerate a video or tolerate a article asking why god is the idealogist of Arab-Jew wars!
I think there’s no way when someone is attached to his belief. No one can do something!
What should the others do?
If you give’em the best logical arguments that criticize their belief, still they dont accept even they dont doubt!
Its the problem
Kavi,
That’s the thing about faith, at its essence, it transcends logic and human reasoning. However, that does not mean people should ridicule or make fun of people who have strong convictions. Also, it does not mean that those religious people have a right to tell others they are wrong. There is room for understanding and every single person has an obligation, whether religious or not to consider other opinions with thoughtful reflection and respect.
If you are out to change peoples minds, you will not accomplish it with rhetoric or criticism. How do think the Baha’is in Iran are able to put up with the constant, slander, rhetoric, lies and hate that they are subject to everyday?
Ali Khameini thinks that such pressure will change their minds and make them tired and wear them out. With each case of harassment or criticism, the become stronger. Believe me.
So, if you really want to challenge someone to think, you have to appeal to their virtues. Challenge them on a level that they can relate to. Be human. This behavior that you see in Iran toward the Baha’is is not.
Omid,
Thanx for your answer!
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I don’t think so we are here to change somebody else’s opinion about religion but we are here to challenge any idea, even ourselves. When somebody writes actually he through himself out there to get criticize by others and at the end, we would learn more from each other.