Comments on: Blame others for your own faults

By: Han

Han — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 05:35:14 +0000

Anon:

Thank you for that link. It was an interesting and thought-provoking read.

Coincidentally, have you read this on Today?

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/145003.asp

I found it to be a very interesting and compelling opinion piece.

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:20:32 +0000

You ask, did the Pope say anything ‘factually incorrect or logically invalid’? No, he did not…

.. but the fact remains that the Pope chose to quote someone who linked Islam and violence in a context that is hardly relevant today. Note that the Pope’s comments were not an off-the-cuff remark. It was a pre-prepared speech and one can argue that the Pope deliberately used this quotation. To what purpose, I dont know but I think it is pointless to discuss a Byzantine emperor in today’s environment.

I leave you with an edtorial from IHT, think it will give you some insight into why Pope’s use of the quote was unwarranted… http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/24/opinion/edlag.php

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:12:52 +0000

Han:

The issue or democracy and dictatorial are not pure dichotomies. And there is indeed a case to be made that Iran is much more democratic and open than Saudi Arabia.

I agree with you that we should not be stopped from saying certain things just because it offends Muslims. But along the same lines, we should allow for Muslims to have their say - whether it is about Israel’s brutal offensive against Lebanon or its repressive policies in Palestine or the blatant support that the U.S. gives Israel…

By: sieteocho

sieteocho — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:45:41 +0000

Oh, what if somebody said to you, “you know this auntie from next door, not me, she called your mother a (insert perjorative noun here).” It’s alright, isn’t it? Because he’s reporting a fact. Never mind that he’s reporting it in front of a rolling camera there’s a worldwide audience…

By: sieteocho

sieteocho — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 07:14:42 +0000

I’m trying to think of instances where Muslims insulted Christians about their religion, and what the Christians thought…

By: Han

Han — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:43:29 +0000

Anon:

Hmm, so you consider an election in which candidates have to be approved and vetted by a Grand Ayatollah to be democratic and not dictatorial? hmmm…

With great respect to the Muslim community, I disagree on the issue of speech. I find it offensive that some Muslims think that people should not be allowed to say certain things if it offends them. Does that mean I should go rampaging in the streets because of that?

And I have never thought that the US should be excused in any way for their cosiness with House of Saud. When I mentioned corruption and repression of the common people, I was specifically thinking of Saudi Arabia.

By: Anon

Anon — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:28:21 +0000

If you subscribe to the view (and rightly so) that “Islamist regimes in the Middle East trying their damn best to rile up the Muslim community so as to distract the common people from their glaring ineptitude and corruption”…. then deriling Muslims in general (the common people) in Western media is unhelpful to say the least.

The Western media does need to make a distinction between the Muslim people and dictators in the Middle East. But what you miss in your diatribe is that the Iranian President is not a dictator unlike the Saudi regime. The latter, by the way, continues to fool the common Muslim people thanks to the regime’s good friend - the one ,the only, the United States!

Sure looks like your bias is misplaced dude!