The Muslim Image Needs a BIG Makeover

Photo by: Perth HD Production (Flickr)

Non-Muslims Deemed Unworthy of God

In Malaysia, the courts have ruled that non-Muslims cannot say the word “Allah” even in their own faiths. This level of insanity is rarely exhibited, but when it does rear its ridiculous head, I can only gasp and laugh. This is such a ridiculously bald-faced act of oppression—it’s clearly intended to eradicate all criticism of Islam whilst restricting other faiths’ movements. In Malay the word for God is Allah, so Christians living there now have to legally leave out saying “God” in their prayers, which might be difficult...

“Please...uh...Big Creator Guy Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless, please let me win the lottery this weekend.”

With all the gods there are (Hades, Allah, Odin etc) how are they supposed to know who you are talking to if you don’t call out their name? It must be very confusing up there when Vishnu gets God’s pray-mail by mistake.

Is your faith that weak that you need to halt all criticism? Any rational intelligent Muslim would see this as a bad thing, and only weak-minded fools completely incapable of intelligently defending their religion through verbal debate would see this as a good thing.

Oppression, Thy Name is Sharia

This is my problem with Islam – it is going back in time. Sharia law, two words that send shivers up my spine, are a set of guidelines that would seem stiff even back in the 7th century. It prohibits freedom and democracy, and represents the worst of Islam. Let me start by saying anybody who wants Sharia law imposed is not someone I want as a neighbour, or indeed in my country at all. A lot of people do not know that Sharia courts actually operate in Britain; mostly in Birmingham, Bradford and London and are legal under the 1996 arbitration act. Many British Muslims are pressured by their communities or families to settle their differences in the Sharia courts, but in Sharia law women have half the rights of a man, and many do not even know that they have the alternative to seek real law outside the Sharia court. Those Muslims who do seek Sharia law are not compatible with European way of life, and it is these Muslims that bring fear of Islam—and rightfully so. Sharia law and those who want it should be feared. Moderate Muslims are the happiest, and integrate very well into European living, but these fundamentalists keep giving the rational Muslim a bad name.

Muslims often talk of prejudice in the UK. With these kinds of courts appearing, however, surely they must accept part of the blame for their segregation, as Sharia law is something we non-radical Muslims simply do not agree with. Sharia law in itself is something I hope will never be tolerated in Europe, as it is a violent uncivilised piece of work printed on befouled toilet paper (even though it is more of a moral code than a written law). If crazy people want to live by it, then that is their right, but it should not be forced on sane people who wish to live freely, which sadly is the case in a number of countries including Britain. Early this year there was a small group of idiots in London called the Muslim Patrol who prowled the streets at night tackling behaviour that they call un-Islamic with threatening posture. Most of the Muslims in the area have condemned this group and correctly labelled them as a bunch of lowlifes who do not represent British Muslims, however these “patrol parties” have started popping up all over Europe. They have caused alarm for not just non-Muslims, but for Muslims as well, because that type of act is sure to drive a razor wedge between honest decent Muslims and those who wish to force Sharia Law on innocent people.

Extremism Sums It Up Nicely

Anjem Choudary (Google him), one of the most hated men in Britain, has often rallied Muslims on protest marches demanding Sharia Law and Islamification of the United Kingdom. Sometimes I don’t even think he is real and that he is playing some character, some over-the-top stereotype of an evil Muslim terrorist. Unfortunately, reality returns and I realise he means what he says. Although most of the Muslim community look at Choudary as the brainless buffoon he is, and sarcastically roll their eyes whenever he makes a fool of himself on television spouting his hate-fuelled bollocks, the man does have his followers. One of them would include Michael Adebolajo, who murdered the soldier Lee Rigby not long ago, and there are more hate-preachers like him springing up all over the place. Anjem Choudary does not want to live in peace, he is a menace to both society and to civilised life itself, and when I think of radical Islam his name comes to mind. There can be no peace with the likes of Choudary because we will never succumb to his sick, twisted visions of a perfect Islamic world. Luckily there are more of us than there are of him, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to take his ilk seriously.

Though Choudary is a lone nutter, it got me wondering: where are all of the Hindu protests demanding the cow becomes a sacred animal of Britain? Where are the Buddhist marches? There are lots of faiths in Britain sizeable in number. Why is it the only one causing a ruckus is Islam? Why are there no Hindu courts dealing with Hindu problems? A recent poll taken in Britain shows that the vast majority of people born in Britain see multiculturalism as a good thing (I am one of them) so it seems to me that the only people who see Muslims as different are Muslims themselves. I don’t sweep all Muslims into this category, but the category definitely exists.

Islam Must Accept Some Responsibility For Its Image

If your religion tells you that men are in charge of women, or the penalty for apostasy is death, and the punishment for adultery is stoning, and you actually believe it to be right, then you have to expect criticism from non-Muslims, because that is not how we think. In the civilised world, a woman is equal to a man. A man has no power over what she wants to do or wear, and we do not stone people for being unfaithful. Simply killing or silencing everyone who disagrees with you is only going to cause more problems between Muslims and non-Muslims and greater separation between the two.

A good example of Islamic extremism is with the South Park episode where they depict Muhammad. When the writers of the show had a bash at Jesus, no one battered an eyelid, but when they threw a joke at Muhammad, they received very real death threats and violent protests. Comedy Central refused to show the clip. Why could the Christians handle the joke, but the Muslims couldn’t? If you cannot face criticism, then I strongly suggest you do not move to countries with free speech as you will get offended by what you hear there. I am not placing all the blame on Islam, as there are a lot of right-wing nutjobs who hate anything that isn’t ice white and Bible-humping, but Islam does have a public image issue it needs to fix. Perhaps if you bettered your image, then maybe you would face less persecution. Again I realise and have to state repeatedly (even though most Muslims will still yell at me) that the vast majority of moderate Muslims want to integrate and live in peace, but this small percentage of violent Islam also happens to be the loudest part of Islam. If Muslims truly want to live in peace, they need to openly condemn the actions of terrorists and Sharia Law seekers.

Sadly there will always be racists who will find any excuse to hate someone who is a different skin colour from them, often finding problems with culture to justify their irrational hatred of a race they deem inferior. Having said that, I think there must be a reason why Islamophobia exists in the west and Hinduphobia does not.

If The Shoe Was On The Other Foot

Just to put it into perspective about the Malaysian court ruling thing: this is the equivalent of a Swedish court banning all theists from saying the word “science” in Sweden. Funnily enough, I don’t see that happening anytime soon, but I do see more crazy behaviour from Islam (and religion in general) on the horizon. You know, if we applied the same rules as Sharia does but changed them around slightly:

  • Men would not be allowed to get jobs without the permission of a female guardian
  • The punishment for video piracy would be amputation of a hand
  • And anyone who denounced evolution would be executed

Imagine if we actually carried out these laws and punishments. We’d be called a radical hate-cult and be investigated by Interpol, but all I’ve done is swapped men around with women, theft with video piracy and Allah with evolution.

Some people would say I have something against Islam; well, I actually am against all religion, it’s all the same bollocks after all, but you’re right in thinking Islam worries me the most. Why? Perform an experiment for yourself. Go on the internet and look up violence in Hinduism, then search for violence in Buddhism, violence in Paganism and violence in Sikhism; then, look for violence in Islam and you’ll see why Islam worries me the most. All religions can be fairly violent, but Islam is by far the worst. Muslims are going to say it is a global conspiracy, and that we need to “get to know Islam,” but I think people are concerned about Islam because they have educated themselves on it. Hindus migrate on massive levels, yet they don’t face the problems Muslims face, and yet still the majority of Muslims still don’t take any blame and simply point the finger at someone else. Yes I am sure that all those thousands upon thousands of examples of Islamic violence are just Western propaganda, and Islam is not to blame for anything.

A commonly used phrase of Muslims on the Internet is, “There will always be Muslims.” While that may be true, a truer statement is that there will always be non-Muslims as well as Muslims, and if we are to coexist, then you need to chill out and get with the modern world.

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