Cristiano

U.S. Consulate In Libya, Embassy In Egypt Targeted By Protesters

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"For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream" - Vincent Van Gogh

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Eris

And that's how everyone in the world heard about this stupid film.

Dumbfucks.

Cristiano

I don't understand what it is that leads some members of a group to react that way because of criticism of their religion. There are all kinds of things critical of all major religions, why do they freak out when someone dares to question the tenets of theirs?

Jahar Aabye

Nah, it's an excuse for violence, not the cause. Look at it this way: a friend's sister used to be married to an abusive asshole who would hit her when his favorite sports team lost. Was the problem that his favorite teams sucked, or was the problem the fact that he was an abusive waste of oxygen?

Same concept here. The film had been out for a while, the protests were organized and planned to coincide with September 11th, the film itself was just the excuse to attack an American consulate and an American embassy on September 11th.

Honestly, my two questions would be why the Egyptian security forces sat by and failed to intervene, and how we've managed to be so fucking cautious and afraid of offending people that we won't use force to protect our diplomats.

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He pulled a Captain Ahab and Jaharpwn'ed her. - Trout

Cristiano

Are you sure the timing itself was specifically about 9/11 on the protesters' part?

U.S. Embassy Protested Over Anti-Islam Film Promoted by Terry Jones - The Daily Beast

You will probably remember Terry Jones as the dumb fuck who burned copies of the Koran in Florida.

Ishina

They love Mohammed so much that they follow his example.

"They say our beloved Prophet is a madman that called for massacres. Let's go batshit mental and murder people to prove how wrong they are."

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Circle Widdershins

The State Department has confirmed the death of a diplomat in the Libyan attack. Sky News Arabia have stated that the US ambassador and 3 others were killed; the identities haven't been confirmed.

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Cristiano We need to make 'endless celestial sex' into a thing.

Chandra Masala

Because it has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with ego. These people internalize their identities to such an extreme that any criticism, however slight, is taken as a personal affront to their dignity as human beings.

So of course, these (typically) ill educated, and violence prone halfwits take to the streets and mobilize against a perceived "common enemy," because being able to see oneself as a victim helps to strengthen their self image as the righteous underdog.

Unfortunately though, just as the rioters are wrong in their actions, instigators are still enabled to continue fueling the flames and playing the victim themselves, even when they get the response that they wanted in the first place.

The real tragedy is that people who have nothing to do with either side are caught in the middle, and suffer the most, simply because they try to keep the peace.

Ellie

This tragedy has everything to do with blind hatred on both sides.

Anti-Islam Filmmaker In Hiding After Attacks : NPR

[QUOTE]A consultant on the film, Steve Klein, said the filmmaker is concerned for family members who live in Egypt. Bacile declined to confirm.
Klein said he vowed to help Bacile make the movie but warned him that "you're going to be the next Theo van Gogh." Van Gogh was a Dutch filmmaker killed by a Muslim extremist in 2004 after making a film that was perceived as insulting to Islam.
"We went into this knowing this was probably going to happen," Klein said.
[/QUOTE

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"Thread flamewars are a marathon, not a sprint, young one." Joshua Nightshade

Cindy Claveau

Warning: generalizations follow

Some religions - in particular Islam - aren't very old compared to others like Christianity or Hinduism. Plus, for the most part (again, generalization) Islam has developed in some of the most backward and superstitious regions of the world.

They haven't been exposed to free and open inquiry, including satire, which is what works to refine and perfect thought. In their world, criticism of their prophet is blasphemy. Criticizing prophets is blasphemy in the West too, but most Westerners don't get so bent out of shape we kill people.

Questioning things is one of the underpinnings of Western thought, even if that questioning is construed as insulting or blasphemous. Squelching it only ossifies a civilization's forward progress.

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Nika Talaj

Yes and no. There will always be extremist propaganda, on every issue that can be imagined. The only way to avoid it is to abolish free speech. The deaths here are a result of certain Muslim leaders using any excuse to whip up their supporters.

It makes me want to airdrop copies of the Qu'ran thoughout the world with a special frontispiece that reads:

MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROPHET, NOT THAT JERK WHO WANTS YOU TO KILL PEOPLE

Zaida Gearbox

And thereby reinforce the stereotype of Muslims as violent terrorists.

Cristiano

Of course, the piece of garbage known as Mitt Romney has politicized it all and attacked Obama before he even made a statement:

Mitt Romney Stands By Criticism Of Obama Administration

Mitt Romney Response To Libya, Egypt Attacks Called 'Irresponsible,' 'Craven,' 'Ham-Handed'

Zaida Gearbox

Dear Mitt Romney:

1) Feel free to pucker up and kiss my ass. Here's some Chapstick to help you out,
2) What the hell kind of name is Mitt anyway? It sounds like something you'd name a Pomeranian.

Cindy Claveau

Or something you'd catch balls with.

Cristiano

Also, the brain trust of the GOP has weighed in on this:

https://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin/...51169787338588

Cindy Claveau

Odious bitch.

Cristiano

Just reading her words, I can hear that shrill harpy voice with the fake folksy affectations. It is like a rake across a chalkboard while being circumcised.

Cristiano

There's Nothing Left That the Romney Campaign Respects | Mother Jones

Ishina

Islam is quite combustible in UK, too. Only a few days ago, Channel 4 had to cancel the screening of a historical documentary exploring the roots of Islam due to credible threats to security. There was a huge backlash of Muslim outrage as well as formal complaints from "moderate" mainstream Muslim organizations when it was shown on TV about a week ago.

This is not just a subset of fringe extremists. Muslims from all walks of life, utterly convinced that any hint of rational inquiry or objective exposé is an affront to their favourite mythical superhero. Stifling free expression. In UK. In 2012. About a completely unbiased history program that was in no way offensive to any rational person.

Cristiano

Here they just go on Fox News and cry about persecution, then stop at Chick-Fil-A for dinner.

Chandra Masala

And here I'd think the issue is moreso because of poverty and political instability. When people feel disenfranchised they are more likely to seek out a scapegoat to project their frustrations on. And the age of a religion isn't really a factor in this regard, Christianity only has 600 years on Islam, and both have over a 1000 years of history. Commentary or questioning of religion isn't necessarily either, as Islam has a rich history of ijtihad.

You must also consider the age of these countries in the Middle East and South Asia, and the long history of colonialism. Most of these countries are still trying to shake the bonds of European tyranny. Collectively, most of them haven't had the advantages of being able to strip away the resources of the occident/orient and benefit from them without any regard for the sanctity and rights of human life as so many European nations historically have been able to do. So instead of simply trying to build from the default bottom, they have to restore much more than resources, but a sense of identity and dignity in the people, among a multitude of other things.

As for the age issue (again), Hinduism, being older than both, does not hold age as a factor on which it can rely because Hindu nationalists have committed a multitude of horrendous crimes even within the past decade. In fact, my people are under constant attack by those very militants and thousands have died at their hands in the past decade alone (and by my people, I don't just mean Muslims, because I am Kashmiri Pandit- but you can always go look at the genocide in Gujarat, the church burnings in Orissa, etc all at the hands of Hindus).

I don't know what "world," you're referencing when it comes to Muslims, but I know of no one in my immediate or extended family who would resort to violence against me for questioning any aspect of religion (and although my family is mixed, I have very, very devout relations, so I think the example is a just one). Of course there are always minorities who resort to violence, but I judge their importance on par with the Westboro Baptist Church

Chandra Masala

Man, really? I have got to get my house back on that mailing list. We never know when we're supposed to be pissed off. I guess we aren't mainstream enough.

Lucifer Baphomet

Yes, Ishina is telling the truth about the documentary, and the backlash.

Thankfully it remains on their 4 on Demand website

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Ishina

You throw a tantrum at casual humour. Don't worry too much about not being pissed off enough.