The Ongoing "America v. Muslims" Thing

So there's this. And Peter King's hearings against "Radical Islam".

And this.

Speaking as an African-American, thanks for taking the "Most Reviled Minority" spotlight off us for a while there American Muslims.*

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You stay classy, Orange County. This is why I moved to LA County.

Out of the 3+ million in the county, half are rich, lilly-white motherf*ckers who hire the third who are Hispanic to cut their grass and do day labor leaving about 20% who are Asians and a couple of token blacks. Just so you know the extreme danger Muslims represent in Orange County, they number about 120,000.

It's a good thing none of those protesters will ever drive north beyond the Orange Curtain and realize there there's 700,000+ Iranians in LA County who are just waiting for the secret signal from Tehran when they'll flow south and force Sharia Law on all those born agains.

So, full disclosure, I made Shawarma for dinner tonight(though it was not with pita or Hummus-I need a new food processor bad). I am speaking from a place of bias.

But speaking of someone who lives in the area of the US most populated with Muslims, in particular Arab Muslims. I feel safe. Point of fact, I am much more concerned with gang bangers on Mound or the crazy ass white folks preparing for Armageddon in the woods than I am about the lovely Mexican and Arab people who have taken up residence in the Detroit area. And as far as I can tell, crimes against the Jews in Southfield, Farmington Hills, Oak Park(among the richest cities in the US) had not spiked. And I am pretty sure the state Jewish Community Center stands unbombed. As far as I can tell, Ford is doing OK being surrounded by Muslim neighborhoods.

I couldn't even make it through the entire video. The incredible amount of ignorance and hatred on display is beyond words.

Oceania needs an enemy to provide a focus for the people and distract them from their problems. Since the Eurasians had the temerity to collapse their economy and Eastasia seems determined to trade with us instead of fighting us, these brown people with strange clothing and a strange language will do until we can trade-war our way into Eastasia getting their act together.

What's really amazing is how effective it is, even with the techniques and methods laid right out in front of people.

Rallick wrote:

I couldn't even make it through the entire video. The incredible amount of ignorance and hatred on display is beyond words.

I couldn't either. When I saw children being yelled at I couldn't watch anymore.

Sometimes I'm just embarrassed that I live in the same country with people like this.

I really struggle to understand how some people think the way they do........

And to the guy who yelled "YOU DON'T BELONG HERE"... the native Americans would like a word with you.

They terk are jerbs!

In what ACT! is calling “Open a Koran” day this September, the group plans to put up 750 tables in front of post offices, libraries, churches and synagogues and hand out leaflets selectively highlighting verses that appear to advocate violence, slavery and subjugation of women.

Apparently she hasn't read the bible.

And people like this will go home at night and wonder why the people of the world who don't openly hate the US laugh at it. There are many awesome Americans but these are the ones who make the news.

Aetius wrote:

Oceania needs an enemy to provide a focus for the people and distract them from their problems. Since the Eurasians had the temerity to collapse their economy and Eastasia seems determined to trade with us instead of fighting us, these brown people with strange clothing and a strange language will do until we can trade-war our way into Eastasia getting their act together.

What's really amazing is how effective it is, even with the techniques and methods laid right out in front of people.

Nice.

The religious right zealots (basically the evangeli-fascists) are the only group in the US who actually scare me.

Farscry wrote:

The religious right zealots (basically the evangeli-fascists) are the only group in the US who actually scare me.

Well, I am scared of extremists on both sides. It's not surprising to me that extremist Christians and extremist Muslims hate each other everyone. Ms. Gabriel is not much different than Anwar al-Awlaki, and Peter King, Joe McCarthy, and those responsible for putting the Pakistani blasphemy law in place are all cut from the same cloth.

They will never admit that, of course, but it's as obvious as eating Pączki yesterday was to the Polish.

Seth wrote:
Farscry wrote:

The religious right zealots (basically the evangeli-fascists) are the only group in the US who actually scare me.

Well, I am scared of extremists on both sides. It's not surprising to me that extremist Christians and extremist Muslims hate each other everyone. Ms. Gabriel is not much different than Anwar al-Awlaki, and Peter King, Joe McCarthy, and those responsible for putting the Pakistani blasphemy law in place are all cut from the same cloth.

They will never admit that, of course, but it's as obvious as eating Pączki yesterday was to the Polish. :)

I'm frightened of anyone who honestly thinks that the philosophy of genocidal Bronze Age primitives, unmodified or amended for modern society, has anything constructive to bear regarding how we ought to treat one another in the 21st century.

This is basically why I'm agnostic. I find hatred that stems from belief in a higher power revolting and I think if anything works against faith, it's faith in violence and brutality.

If you're up there, save me from your followers.

Good point, gents, and I agree with you, but whereas the evangelifascists have entrenched interests throughout the American government and military, that isn't true of the islamofascists. That's why the former group legitimately scares me, and the latter doesn't really.

However, yes, in general I'm completely opposed to anyone who will allow religious or philosophical extremism get in the way of tolerance and understanding of one another and working towards the common good.

I am speechless and sad.

Orange County has one of the larger Arabic and Persian populations in Southern California. In fact, when Iraq had its first election, they also allowed Iraqi expats in Southern California to vote and where did they have the polls? Orange County. How evil*.

Edit: Though I have no doubt that this was done to help sway the vote to be more pro-American. But that just makes the Bush Administration evil.

I watched Ms Gabriel being interviewed on CNN last night while I was running in the gym. Didn't have any sound, so I just watched her mouth soundlessly at me while ludicrous inflammatory phrases were shown at the bottom of the screen.

I didn't need the sound - I got the gist that it was uneducated, broad-brushed bullsh*t.

A few weeks ago I was trying to come to grips with an anti-Halal movement-not going to McDonalds, protesting Halal certified lunch programs. At least twice a month I thank whatever deity I do not believe in for the Halal butcher near me. Always fresh pita, the absolute freshest beef and chicken around. Steaks cut to order(gaze in awe at me 2 inch thick strip steaks). Grass fed beef in season. Fresh Hummus, garlic butter, spices. Half of my spice cupboard is from there. Also, the only place around for lamb.

What I have been unable to discern what people think is wrong with Halal beef. Bearing in mind, I am a lover of Lebanese, Pakistani, and "persian" food, so I am not objective.

KingGorilla wrote:

What I have been unable to discern what people think is wrong with Halal beef. Bearing in mind, I am a lover of Lebanese, Pakistani, and "persian" food, so I am not objective.

I think people are just unfamiliar with it. Halal and Kosher are practically identical. All it means is the animal was killed a certain way (throat cut/blood letting) and under supervision of a respective cleric. Even what is considered "forbidden" food between the two is almost identical, and strongly appears to be related to preventing food borne illness in the early days. Things like Pigs, Blood, and Carrion are all forbidden, and these things can (or used to) make people sick. It shouldn't taste any different when prepared than any other meat.

There's a movement in neo-Nazi groups to overthrow the vicious hold that rabbis have over food producers. It seems they are extorting money for kosher approval. Really? It costs less than a hundred dollars and a rabbi walks through the place about once a year to make sure no one is dumping pig's blood into the cookie dough, certainly less taxing than a health inspection. The war on halal amounts to the same thing. A hate group trying to claim that this is some sort of special treatment and it is damaging our American way of life by making a religious group control our culinary destiny.

Oops. Little slow on the draw.

It's so weird seeing stuff like this and being reminded that it exists. I've lived in New England my entire life and haven't seen a lot of it. I'm sure there's a bit more to the north though.

That video was one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen.

As a non-rich white guy in Orange County, I am horrified by these people. I live down the street from a Middle Eastern grocery store, know many Persian/Pakistani/Iranian/Iraqi/etc. folks, and they don't differ greatly from any other group in their makeup. I just wish these privileged fops would pull their heads out of their asses and get to know their neighbors. They'd be surprised.

Shoal07 wrote:
KingGorilla wrote:

What I have been unable to discern what people think is wrong with Halal beef. Bearing in mind, I am a lover of Lebanese, Pakistani, and "persian" food, so I am not objective.

I think people are just unfamiliar with it. Halal and Kosher are practically identical. All it means is the animal was killed a certain way (throat cut/blood letting) and under supervision of a respective cleric. Even what is considered "forbidden" food between the two is almost identical, and strongly appears to be related to preventing food borne illness in the early days. Things like Pigs, Blood, and Carrion are all forbidden, and these things can (or used to) make people sick. It shouldn't taste any different when prepared than any other meat.

As I recall one of the requirements of Halal (and Kosher as well) is the well being of the animal before the slaughter as well. So much of the Halal beef is grass-fed rather than corn-fed, for example, which makes a huge difference in the flavor profile. Also, having an animal bled changes the flavor as well. You might not notice if it's covered in sauce ala Indian food but it certainly can taste different.

That said, the idea that because Halal is part of Sharia law (i.e. the Koran commands it) it's therefore evil is absurd.

bnpederson wrote:
Shoal07 wrote:
KingGorilla wrote:

What I have been unable to discern what people think is wrong with Halal beef. Bearing in mind, I am a lover of Lebanese, Pakistani, and "persian" food, so I am not objective.

I think people are just unfamiliar with it. Halal and Kosher are practically identical. All it means is the animal was killed a certain way (throat cut/blood letting) and under supervision of a respective cleric. Even what is considered "forbidden" food between the two is almost identical, and strongly appears to be related to preventing food borne illness in the early days. Things like Pigs, Blood, and Carrion are all forbidden, and these things can (or used to) make people sick. It shouldn't taste any different when prepared than any other meat.

As I recall one of the requirements of Halal (and Kosher as well) is the well being of the animal before the slaughter as well. So much of the Halal beef is grass-fed rather than corn-fed, for example, which makes a huge difference in the flavor profile. Also, having an animal bled changes the flavor as well. You might not notice if it's covered in sauce ala Indian food but it certainly can taste different.

That said, the idea that because Halal is part of Sharia law (i.e. the Koran commands it) it's therefore evil is absurd.

The animal has to be free of disease, and is checked after slaughter. As far as feeding, I haven't seen anything that says they must be fed a certain diet, except they probably can't eat animal products/bi-products as eating animals that eat other animals is forbidden.

You know what bugs me. Biased liberals who claim that the tea party has Islamaphobic tendencies.

Look at that video. They're so cuddly!

Maybe that's why Han Chinese are such a successful ethnicity. They eat anything and everything. 800+ million and counting! Woot!

Prederick wrote:

Speaking as an African-American, thanks for taking the "Most Reviled Minority" spotlight off us for a while there American Muslims.*

Don't get too comfortable. There are many African-American muslims, you know. Besides, white American muslims blow peoples minds here in the US. African-American muslims fits the profile better for average Americans. It's only a matter of time before both groups are just conflated.

It will take one prominent African-American muslim before people start to worry that every African-American could be a muslim. Remember the controversy when Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf wouldn't stand for the national anthem before NBA games?

DSGamer wrote:
Prederick wrote:

Speaking as an African-American, thanks for taking the "Most Reviled Minority" spotlight off us for a while there American Muslims.*

Don't get too comfortable. There are many African-American muslims, you know. Besides, white muslims blow peoples minds. African-American muslims fits the profile better for average Americans. It's only a matter of time before both groups are just conflated.

Exactly. Turns out that the post 9-11 program to move "terrorist risk" prisoners into special detention has basically just been a war on Muslim prison converts.

DSGamer wrote:

It will take one prominent African-American muslim before people start to worry that every African-American could be a muslim.

Like... OBAMA!?

(;))