Friday, November 25, 2005
"Uncomfortable Truths"
"Very often those who raise uncomfortable truths are denounced." - Ken Livingstone on Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
As a reminder, here's a photo of Ken embracing the Good Doctor, who recommends the torture of children by FGM*; that gay people should be murdered by the state; and that women who are raped should be punished. (Tragically, these principles are not news to gay men and female victims of violence in Iran, where child prostitution is sanctioned by the law of temporary marriage, singhe, and the age of sexual maturity (not consent!) of 9.)
YaQ (through IslamOnline, which he controls) has been introducing more uncomfortable truths, this time regarding Dutch MP Hirsi Ayaan. She is once again threatening to speak publicly about Islam. You'll remember what happened to her co-writer last time she did this: Theo van Gogh was gunned down in the street, and a letter was pinned to his chest with a knife.
YaQ summarises thus:
"Van Gogh was shot and stabbed by a Muslim radical, Mohammed Bouyeri, as he cycled through Amsterdam in 2004, sparking a series of reprisal attacks mainly directed at the Muslim minority."
He also mentions that Hirsi Ayaan shocked Muslims "by branding Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with some abhorrent, repugnant descriptions, stirring up feelings of anger and antagonism towards her."
You'll notice that the main message, for YaQ, of the unprovoked savage murder is the negative consequences for 'the Muslim minority'. The consequences for Ayaan for stating her views about the historical Muhammed are quite openly expressed. An uncomfortable truth indeed.
*YaQ's view on FGM has of course been a matter of public controversy. YaQ has slightly changed his tone in response (his tone only). His 'fatwa bank' still says as follows:
"However, the most moderate opinion and the most likely one to be correct is in favor of practicing circumcision in the moderate Islamic way indicated in some of the Prophet's hadiths – even though such hadiths are not confirmed to be authentic."
"Anyhow, it is not obligatory, whoever finds it serving the interest of his daughters should do it, and I personally support this under the current circumstances in the modern world."
(Note that in an 'non-controversial' context, YaQ's colleague Idrees quite happy to list the perpetration of FGM as an acceptable job for women, with good authority: "women’s going out to work is not forbidden in Islam, for some women used to go out to work in the Prophet’s lifetime and he did not disapprove of them. Among those women was Umm `Attiyah, who used to perform circumcision for females, wash and enshroud the deceased females of Madinah, and nurse and treat the injured Muslim warriors in battlefields, in addition to preparing food for the other warriors.")
As a reminder, here's a photo of Ken embracing the Good Doctor, who recommends the torture of children by FGM*; that gay people should be murdered by the state; and that women who are raped should be punished. (Tragically, these principles are not news to gay men and female victims of violence in Iran, where child prostitution is sanctioned by the law of temporary marriage, singhe, and the age of sexual maturity (not consent!) of 9.)
YaQ (through IslamOnline, which he controls) has been introducing more uncomfortable truths, this time regarding Dutch MP Hirsi Ayaan. She is once again threatening to speak publicly about Islam. You'll remember what happened to her co-writer last time she did this: Theo van Gogh was gunned down in the street, and a letter was pinned to his chest with a knife.
YaQ summarises thus:
"Van Gogh was shot and stabbed by a Muslim radical, Mohammed Bouyeri, as he cycled through Amsterdam in 2004, sparking a series of reprisal attacks mainly directed at the Muslim minority."
He also mentions that Hirsi Ayaan shocked Muslims "by branding Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with some abhorrent, repugnant descriptions, stirring up feelings of anger and antagonism towards her."
You'll notice that the main message, for YaQ, of the unprovoked savage murder is the negative consequences for 'the Muslim minority'. The consequences for Ayaan for stating her views about the historical Muhammed are quite openly expressed. An uncomfortable truth indeed.
*YaQ's view on FGM has of course been a matter of public controversy. YaQ has slightly changed his tone in response (his tone only). His 'fatwa bank' still says as follows:
"However, the most moderate opinion and the most likely one to be correct is in favor of practicing circumcision in the moderate Islamic way indicated in some of the Prophet's hadiths – even though such hadiths are not confirmed to be authentic."
"Anyhow, it is not obligatory, whoever finds it serving the interest of his daughters should do it, and I personally support this under the current circumstances in the modern world."
(Note that in an 'non-controversial' context, YaQ's colleague Idrees quite happy to list the perpetration of FGM as an acceptable job for women, with good authority: "women’s going out to work is not forbidden in Islam, for some women used to go out to work in the Prophet’s lifetime and he did not disapprove of them. Among those women was Umm `Attiyah, who used to perform circumcision for females, wash and enshroud the deceased females of Madinah, and nurse and treat the injured Muslim warriors in battlefields, in addition to preparing food for the other warriors.")
