Man, I feel like I am totally wasting the money I spend on this blog. I ain't even gonna apologize anymore.
Is anyone watching "Tin Man?" It is on the Sci-Fi channel and is a three day Mini-series event that started Sunday night. It is an updated, re-imagination of "The Wizard of Oz" and is REALLY good! If you look at it and think it is a re-MAKE of TWOO, you'll be disappointed, but if you look at it as a story BASED on TWOO, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Let me know if you tune in and like it.
Second, I am a political guy, but this is not a political blog. I am also very tolerant of other cultures, lifestyles and beliefs and am not prone to latching on to the latest buzzwords but I also believe you have to call a spade a spade sometimes. The word I'm talking about is "Islamo-fascism." Maybe you haven't heard, but there is a teacher in the Sudan who was just pardoned, released from prison and deported because of hate crimes. The teacher is a British subject in the Sudan in the employ of a Christian outreach school dedicated to bringing education to places where education is lacking. The goal of the school is not to indoctrinate the children into the Christian faith, but rather, is staffed by a group of Christians trying to make the world a better place for impoverished peoples through education. Oh, and did I mention? The Sudan is a majority Muslim country.
So what what was this teachers "hate crime?" She asked a student to bring a teddy bear into the school to teach the kids about animals and their habitats. She had the seven year-olds submit names for the bear. There were several names submitted and the teacher had the students vote on the name. The majority of elementary school students voted to name the bear "Mohammed."
For those who don't know, Mohammed or Muhammed (depending on who is spelling it) is the main prophet of Islam. Mohammed (the names will be spelled interchangeably for the rest of the post) is also one of the most popular names these days for male children of Islamic families in England and Wales. In fact, the student who submitted the name Muhammed carries that same name.
Long story short, the bear was named Mohammed, the "crime" was blasphemy and insulting Islam by giving an inanimate object the name of Islam's prophet. Her possible punishment was 40 lashes. You may think "So what? Forty lashes? That's not a big deal!" But 40 lashes the way Sharia law lashes people could have been a capital sentence. The teacher is 54 years old, by the way, and not a bodybuilder. The sentence would probably have resulted in her death, which is exactly what many people (this is where I don't feel bad about using the "Islamo-fascist" label) wanted. This is from CNN:
Hundreds of protesters brandishing swords and sticks gathered outside Khartoum's presidential palace Friday to vent their anger against a British teacher jailed for allowing children to name a teddy bear "Mohammed."
About 600 Islamic demonstrators piled out of mosques, chanting: "By soul, by blood, I will fight for the Prophet Mohammed." Some of the protesters demanded the teacher's execution, according to The Associated Press.
The agency reports that some chanted: "No tolerance: Execution," and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad."
"No tolerance: Execution."? Kiss my motherfucking ass! What an oxymoron! Can you imagine a group of Catholics or Episcopalians storming out of church demanding death because some teacher named a teddy bear "Pope Benedict XVI?" Or a bunch of Baptists calling for the execution of Barney Frank (Democratic senator from Massachusetts) who is openly gay? Yeah ... me neither.
But an Islamist court sentenced a gang-rape victim to 90 lashes because, when she was raped, she was meeting a man who was not a relative of hers. (Sharia law does not allow a woman to go out without a male relative present.) When her lawyer appealed the ruling (the men were initially sentenced to between 10 months and five years in prison), the judge added prison time and more lashes on to her "punishment." Read the CNN report here.
Like I said, sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. In this case, and in many others, extremist Islamists have crossed the line between belief and extremism. I'm not implying that all Muslims are fascists. I personally don't know any Muslims, but I'm sure there are good ones that practice their religions peaceably, just trying to do what Christians, Mormons, Catholics, Hindis, Buhddists and other people of faith do ... live a good life, worship their God and enter heaven when they die.
Unfortunately, there are a growing number of Islamists around the world that are demanding death for those that "insult" their religion or prophets simply because they don't fall in lock-step with the questionable interpretation of their dogma. All spiritual people ... no, fuck that ... all people need to band together to fight this growing threat to civilization before it's too late and we all end up living under the radical rules and laws of these assholes.
Now, this is my opinion, and mine alone, but there is something wrong when we have to install foot baths in universities and airports to accomidate a certain religion on one hand yet take the nativity scene out of the city square because some non-protestants might be offended. I belive in equality and tolerance for all religions and beliefs but when a viewpoint or belief tells me that I must submit or die? I thank the founding fathers for my second amendment rights and say (in the words of our current President) "Bring it on!"