Oklahoma lawmaker shows prejudice against Islam

[Breadburner]

I'm having Brats for breakfest washed down with a nice Tsing Tao.....

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by guido911

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

I think you're seriously underestimating Southerners' ability to carry a grudge for 140-odd years, guido.

There's an awful lot of those "The South Will Rise Again" Confederate flag-wavers around.

That's right RW. Every day you read or hear stories about "Confederate flag-wavers" videotaping the beheading of people while  praising God all the time around here. Oh, and how about those Confederate flag-wavers strapping bombs to themselves or their kids to kill the infidels in praise of God.
Yep. Those slack jawed Southerners are just like them Muslims

quote:Originally posted by MichaelC

Shoot, the ones I know, down in Clayton, OK, they take pride in the fact that persons of color don't live there, and pride in their confederate flag bumper stickers.  With regularity and freedom they speak of minor atrocities toward unsuspecting black folk they might have come in contact with.  And, their nick-name is "Little Dixie".  Seriously.

These are the type of folks this particular politician was pandering to, those and apparently people like guido.

I'm Southern born and (for the first few years of my life and presently) bred in that region, and proud of my heritage in some respects, but as for the Confederacy returning for round two, forget it. Then again, never underestimate the capacity for denial in some people....

[kakie]

Michal C:  Are you going to PM me are where I was wrong in an earlier post about Islam?  I posted a message that I would welcome it.

Can you explain to me why the Islamic Society of Tulsa would put in their August Newsletter that to die while fighting for Allah was a very good end to a Muslim's life?

Can you expalin to me why the Islamic Society of Tulsa gave out a humanatarian award to a group of 9/11 conspiracy theorists who believe it was an inside job?  I believe the reason they gave the award was for their efforts for the truth.

[MichaelC]

Sorry about that, I kind of drifted off there for a bit.  PM is on the way.

[perspicuity85]

There is an eerie similarity between the purveyors of anti-American sentiment in the Middle East and the purveyors of anti-Muslim sentiment in America's Bible-belt.

This issue is all about perspective.  When I was in junior high, I had a friend(who happened to be Muslim) that attended a local Christian church's halloween spook house.  Of course, being an event put on by the church, he expected some degree of religious reference.  What he, and I, did not expect, was adult church leaders cornering us in uncomfortable one-on-one questioning sessions in which they insulted both of our religions(mine being simply another sect of Christianity).  That day, as 14-year old, I, a Christian, refused someone's Bible.  That was offensive, that was aggressive.

Duncan refused the Quran because he is culturally ignorant of non-white, non-Protestant people.  He is afraid of what he does not know or understand, and his pride will likely prevent him from making the effort to know or understand.

[Wingnut]

quote: Duncan refused the Quran because he is culturally ignorant of non-white, non-Protestant people. He is afraid of what he does not know or understand, and his pride will likely prevent him from making the effort to know or understand.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. According to his bio, he has served in the middle east and Africa. He most likely has more exposure to non-white, non-Protestant, people that most people. Not to mention being deployed to the mid-east, he probably has had cultural training (including islamic customs) of the host countries. He may have also personally studied Islam.
I think it would be a reach to say he doesn't understand the culture when he has served time in it.

[kakie]

Within 2-3 hours of Rep. Duncan turning down the Quran that he was contacted by the Tulsa World?  It appears the Governor's Ethnic American Council alerted the media.

[MichaelC]

Now Kakie, here we go again.  Duncan sent out the email to the legislature, making it essentially public info.  By the time the media came out, hundreds if not thousands of people already knew.  In all likelihood, Duncan or one of his cohorts sent for the media.  If not, there's no way to pin it to any one particular individual or group.  And even if they did it, the words coming out of Duncan's mouth are his fault.  And Duncan continued to take interviews, including television, for a week following his announcement.  

The only reason you would even want to pin it to the Ethnic Council, is if Duncan's words look bad.  Which in essence, by targeting the Ethnic Council for "letting it out to the media", you're finally admitting that Duncan's words reflect poorly on him and the State.  Even though Duncan appeared to be perfectly fine with what he was saying.

quote:Originally posted by Wingnut

quote: Duncan refused the Quran because he is culturally ignorant of non-white, non-Protestant people. He is afraid of what he does not know or understand, and his pride will likely prevent him from making the effort to know or understand.

I wouldn't necessarily say that. According to his bio, he has served in the middle east and Africa. He most likely has more exposure to non-white, non-Protestant, people that most people. Not to mention being deployed to the mid-east, he probably has had cultural training (including islamic customs) of the host countries. He may have also personally studied Islam.
I think it would be a reach to say he doesn't understand the culture when he has served time in it.

I wouldn't say that either, necessarily.  What Duncan did was calculated, intended to satisfy some constituents, at the cost of a minority.  For most politicians, their primary job is to keep their jobs, it reflects more on the constituency than him.  He could be a PhD in History and make that statement.  On Duncan, it's just a reflection of lack of character.

[RecycleMichael]

Have you seen the Tulsa World opinion poll on attitudes toward the legislator refusing the gift?

http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/poll/default.aspx

It is very heavily against the legislator's actions.

[guido911]

And the KRMG poll result is different from Tulsa World's poll. What's the point...


http://krmg.com/krmgmorningnews/

Click "see results"

[RecycleMichael]

If you were an elected official, which poll would you take more seriously?

[MichaelC]

Our poll system is probably better than either of theirs.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7954

[Johnboy976]

Where is the conservative minded declarations of Cubs when you need them? Not that I agreed with much of what he said, but it certainly made things interesting.

[Jeff Man]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

Have you seen the Tulsa World opinion poll on attitudes toward the legislator refusing the gift?

http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/poll/default.aspx

It is very heavily against the legislator's actions.

Last night when I looked at the poll, it was 700 or 800 strongly agreeing with Duncan.

The World has reset or done something with those that agreed with Duncan.  I know what I saw.

[spoonbill]

Somthing I find puzzeling.  

When the Catholic church was acused of turning a blind eye on priests molesting children.  Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, and virtually all other christian organizations  not only condemned the actions but demanded inquiry, investigation and prosecution.  They pleaded for members of the faith to come forward and identify their accusers.

For years, news organizations, documentaries and all other forms of media featured programs expressing outrage over the incidents.  This still continues to this day.  

When Rev. Jeffs was accused of rape and became one of America's most wanted, the Church of Latter day Saints was quick to separate itself from his radical sect and make several public statements outlining the fact that he was no affiliation to the Mormon faith and pleaded with his followers to turn him in for prosecution.

But. . .On a daily basis when Islamic terrorists carryout acts against. . .well . . .virtually everyone including themselves there is no voice from the Islamic leadership pleading for people to come forward and identify the terrorists.  Al Jazeera (the Arab CNN) treats the terror community's actions as legitimate.  "Peaceful" leaders, we interview on the news, may show some dismay at attacks but offer no outrage or pleas for peace.  

Instead they offer the suggestion that it is our fault that a 14 year old boy straps on 75lbs of explosive and blows himself up in a crowded bus.  There is no crying mother, outraged at the actions of her son.  No Islamic organizations setting up funds to help the victims of radical terrorists.  No Imam demanding that the people who "brainwashed" this child be brought to justice.  Instead we get silence.  

Gimme something.  Some outrage, some semblance of an attempt to put the genie back in the bottle.  Only you can stop this, but only if your voice is loud enough to be heard.

Just food for thought.