Oklahoma lawmaker shows prejudice against Islam

[MichaelBates]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

It was a gift from a local Muslim-American group.

It was a gift from a state government body, the Governor's Ethnic-American Advisory Council, which despite the strangely euphemistic name appears to exist specifically to promote the interests of the Muslim religion in Oklahoma. Gov. Henry created the body by executive order in 2004.

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelBates

It was a gift from a state government body, the Governor's Ethnic-American Advisory Council, which despite the strangely euphemistic name appears to exist specifically to promote the interests of the Muslim religion in Oklahoma. Gov. Henry created the body by executive order in 2004.

Oh, that helps his defense.  We should all be thoroughly ticked off.  Or shall I say, infuriated?

Here's the straight dope.

http://www.ok.gov/opm/HR_and_Employee_Services/Ethnic_American_Advisory_Council.html

[Conan71]

When did it become PC to refer to Muslims as "Ethnic-Americans"?  I don't think I'd heard the term until five minutes ago.

[MichaelC]

It is a different term.  

BUT, the Council though perhaps a majority Muslim, is not likely all Muslim.  You're likely to have a few who are completely secular.  It's about Ethnic Minorities, Near East and Far East, not necessarily followers of Islam.

Though, more specifically, Near East and Middle East, those countries are for the most part, majority Muslim.  Except Israel, Lebanon has a large Christian population, there are large pockets of other Ethnic groups who are non-Muslim in those regions.  Other than to fan religious tensions, I don't see a reason it was brought up.

[kakie]

Most of you are showing great ignorance here.  

Islam is a troubling religion. It is the only religion in the world that allows its followers to lie in order to gain advantage over their enemy.  This fact is in the words and deeds of their prophet.  

Do you disagree that there are several Islamic movements trying to instill a caliphate worldwide?  Have you not paid attention to the fact that where there is fighting in the world - it is usually because of Islamists?

Muslims like to tell you that their religion  is about peace but the fact is their history does not back this up, at all.  

Seirafi-Pour had the nerve to preach in an e-mail to legislators, "The Holy Quran is the record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad."

Do you not see that preaching the Quran to Christians is very insulting because the Quran states throughout the book that Christians and Jews are on the wrong side.

The worst case scenerio here is that there are Islamic enemies who have infiltrated our country and are trying to convince you that they are just like us.  Once they gain your trust and can affect elections watch out.

You simply have not done your homework!

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by kakie

Most of you are showing great ignorance here.

It's called proper perspective.  As opposed to,  automatically losing bowel control every time you hear a word associated with "Islam."  It's called understanding, as opposed to Ignorance, as in ignoring all other aspects and focusing on the most minute details to paint a picture of everything.

quote:Originally posted by kakie

Do you not see that preaching the Quran to Christians is very insulting because the Quran states throughout the book that Christians and Jews are on the wrong side.

So?  Everything is offensive to everybody.  You're offended, and somehow I should care?  Isn't Islam about the only thing Jews and Christians agree on?  Otherwise, everybody is going to hell right?  If you're suggesting we start burning offensive books, we might as well start with the Bible.  There's plenty of them around, with a proper boiler, we could provide energy to this town for a year.

[carltonplace]

quote:Originally posted by kakie

Most of you are showing great ignorance here.  

quote:Originally posted by kakie

Muslims like to tell you that their religion  is about peace but the fact is their history does not back this up, at all.  

quote:Originally posted by kakie

You simply have not done your homework!

Neither have you. The history of Christian religion certainly does not back up "Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Man".

Christianity is a club, you are either with us or against us. I'll take Cartlon Pearson's inclusionist vision over "we're right, you're going to hell" dogma any day.

The day humans begin to accept each other and embrace our differences is the day we'll have peace on earth.

[RecycleMichael]

I know I am one of the village idiots...but wasn't it just a gift of a book?

They weren't required to read it, or swear on it, or take a test on it or anything...it was just a gift. Why would you say no to a gift?

Do you have to totally understand a support a religion to accept a book? I have a lot of books on my shelf and I bet many of these legislators do to. Are they either close-minded or afraid to take another?

Why is this any different than someone accepting a native-American made "dream-catcher"? I am not a member of a tribe and don't believe all the symbolism of native-American art, but I still think many of their things are beautiful.

This was pure public relations by a bunch of legislators wanting to be seen as against the Muslim religion. That is so sad.

[Hometown]

I guess they only represent their Christian constituents.  There is something clearly un-American going on here.  With a handful of legislators like this and a mind set that put them where they are, I would say that Oklahoma is up a creek without a paddle.  

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by MichaelC

There's plenty of them around, with a proper boiler, we could provide energy to this town for a year.

Let me run the Btu calcs into megawatts on that.  I'll get back to you later... []

[MichaelC]

The only thing I see that could be "un-American" about the incident, is that some of these folks apparently were using this for PR.  That's pretty bad.  If they really felt strongly about it, that some how accepting the book would have made them less of a person, fine.  Reject it, talk to no one, and go about your business.

That's not what happened.  They had to jump up on stage, and tap dance around it a while.  Spew a few racial stereotypes that are already becoming outdated, and milk it for what it's worth.  It's like Looney Tunes, plenty of characters, non of which really have character.

The good news is, apparently most of the legislature didn't have a problem with it at all.

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by MichaelC

There's plenty of them around, with a proper boiler, we could provide energy to this town for a year.

Let me run the Btu calcs into megawatts on that.  I'll get back to you later... []

Ha.  I probably need to trim that back a little bit.  Maybe not the entire town, how long could we power an acorn light?  

Maybe we could put it in Patric's front yard.

[]

[kakie]

Let's not forget that the book was presented to these legislators as the exact word of GOD.

[guido911]

Michael C: "You're offended, and somehow I should care?"

Damn right! Because you expect us to give a damn how you feel about some state legislator's decision on accepting a book or not.

Michael C: "[T]he Council though perhaps a majority Muslim, is not likely all Muslim. You're likely to have a few who are completely secular."

Do you have any facts to back this up? If you don't know, then why presume that to be the case? Indeed, the book they were distributing, and which was rejected by now 16 state politicians, was the Koran. If this group were secular, you would think they would be passing out copies of the Talmud or Rig Ved, religious texts of millions of people living in "Ethnic American" lands.

Interestingly, in reading the final agenda posted on this website, this Ethnic-American Counsel was going to take up the issue of the Counsel for American-Islamic Relations. I guess you are okay with that organization and those who oppose its philosophy must be rednecks too.
 http://www.anti-cair-net.org/

[MichaelC]

quote:Originally posted by guido911

Michael C: "You're offended, and somehow I should care?"

Damn right! Because you expect us to give a damn how you feel about some state legislator's decision on accepting a book or not.

No, not really.  I don't care how you feel, I don't care if it changes, I don't care who you think you are, or who you might grow up to be.  I don't care.

And as I've already said, the legislators had the right to reject it.  I'm perfectly content with your opinion, you and that kakie character;  you guys are making it too easy on me.