Sam, I think you need a remedial English class. His problem seems to be with Islam specifically and religion in general.
Which is something I can agree with. On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 2:20 PM, Sam <[email protected]> wrote: > > So his only problem with terrorism is to complain about how Muslims > are being treated because of it? Maybe they/he should speak against it > so we know where they all stand. It's very quiet on that front. > > . > > On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 11:22 AM, Michael Dinowitz > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I found this to be a very thought provoking post and one I had to agree > > with. As an American, I don't want any religion injected into my daily > life > > other than what I choose and I don't want to inject my religion into > anyone > > else's life. I wish everyone felt the same way. > > > > Aral Balkan â Islam is Privilege > > https://aralbalkan.com/notes/islam-is-privilege/ > > > > Islam is Privilege > > > > You cannot both purport to support social justice and attempt to protect > > privilege from criticism. > > > > This Wednesday, Charlie Hebdo, a satirical French newspaper was attacked > by > > two jihadists. Shouting âAllahu Akbarâ, they proceeded to murder 12 > people, > > including nine journalists and two police officers, for offending their > > religion. > > > > Itâs important that we understand this tragedy for what it is: the latest > > chapter in the clash of two incompatible ideologies; liberalism and > Islam. > > > > It is ironic, sad, and quite possibly catastrophic for the future of our > > freedoms and human rights that those who should be most outraged by this, > > my fellow liberals, are often the very same ones who do not understand > it. > > Islam is an ideology, Muslims are people. > > > > The first mistake many liberals make is to confuse Islam (an ideology) > with > > Muslims (people). > > > > Islam is a set of ideas. It is an ideology. It inherently deserves no > more > > or less respect than any other ideology. That is to say, it inherently > > deserves no respect whatsoever. > > > > Just like any other idea or ideology, Islam also deserves no special > > protection from criticism or critique. Affording it any such privilege > just > > because it has a supernatural origin story is not compatible with reason. > > > > Muslims, on the other hand, are people who have adopted Islam as dogma. > > > > It should really go without saying (but, unfortunately, needs to be said > > repeatedly because idiotic right-wing fascistic nutjobs exist) that just > > like any other person, Muslims inherently deserve to be respected as > > people, treated with dignity, and have their rights protected. > > > > Those rights, however, do not include special privileges that render > their > > adopted dogma or any actions stemming from the exercise of that dogma > free > > from criticism. > > Islamophobia is a homeopathic phobia > > > > Criticising Islam is no more Islamophobia than criticising capitalism is > > Capitalophobia or criticising the patriarchy is Patriarchyophobia. > > > > When you equate Islamophobia with homophobia, you are doing the cause of > > gender equality the greatest harm. I can choose to adopt a certain dogma > or > > other, I cannot choose to adopt my sexuality. Homophobia is fear of a > group > > of people because of who they are. Islamophobia is a made up, meaningless > > word invented by those with religious privilege who want to stifle > > criticism of said privilege. > > > > If you want a label to use for the right-wing fascistic nutjobs who > target > > Muslims in hate crimes, call it what it is: Muslimophobia. > > > > We cannot hope to have a meaningful conversation about an ideology that > is > > diametrically opposed to human rights, equality, and democracy if we > > constantly conflate the criticism of ideas with the discrimination of > > people. > > Criticising Islam is not racism > > > > Islam is not a race. Islam is an ideology that can be (and is) adopted as > > dogma by anyone regardless of age, sex, or race. > > > > Take me, for example. Both my parents are Turkish. I was raised Muslim. I > > am no longer Muslim (I no longer believe in any form of supernaturalism). > > > > As an apostate, although I might lose my right to life or liberty in some > > Islamic countries, I am quite sure Iâm not at risk of losing my race. In > > fact, Iâm rather confident that Iâm still the same race I was while I > > was > > Muslim. > > > > In the future, while I can easily adopt the dogma of Christianity, > Judaism, > > or Buddhism, I canât quite as easily become Hispanic or Black. Thatâs > > because religion is ideology and dogma, not race. > > > > Calling Islam a race only helps to elevate its privilege. > > > > Islam is an ideology that is adopted as dogma by over 1.6 billion people, > > roughly a quarter of the worldâs population. It is the second most > popular > > religion in the world. It enjoys a huge amount of privilege; privilege > that > > it uses daily to stifle basic human rights and freedoms especially in > those > > countries in which it has the power of law. > > > > Criticising Islam is not punching down. It is punching up against an > > ideology that enjoys the dogmatic devotion of a quarter of the worldâs > > population and whose endgame is to attain ultimate, unquestioned > privilege > > in a world where men are in charge of women, homosexuality is persecuted, > > and anyone who doesnât believe in your dogma is your enemy. > > > > Iâve lived under the judgement, xenophobia, and sexism of this toxic, > > repressive, ideology. Iâve felt the suffocating grip of its privilege. So > > check your privilege before calling a Middle-Eastern Ex-Muslim > > âIslamophobicâ or âracistâ. Stop trying to Whitesplain to me what > > Islam > is > > based on a Ben Affleck video you watched on YouTube from the comfort of > > your ivory tower. > > > > If you still want to call me âIslamophobicâ and âracistâ for > > unapologetically criticising the ideology of Islam, that is your right. > But > > what you absolutely cannot do is to also call yourself a champion of > social > > justice. > > > > At the heart of social justice lies equality and human rights, including > > the right to freedom of expression. Privilege is the natural enemy of > > social justice. > > > > And Islam is Privilege. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:373083 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
