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Saturday, April 12, 2014

Don’t lose your Head


Don’t lose your Head

A cranky opinion for
 

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

The following is the opinion of a cranky old man with little knowledge on the subject opined.  Opposing opinions are welcome, they are wrong, but welcome, and please, no name calling, and that means you, you big stupid head.

 

Once again I read in the news where an institution backs off a decision because they want to be inclusive and respectful of all religious ideas and cultures.  Once again the religion they were loath to insult was Islam.

There never seems to be a problem when Christian beliefs are mocked.  Jews always seem to be fair game, what is it about Islam that everyone seems to walk on egg shells. 

First let me be politically correct and acknowledge what is clear to anyone with a brain.   There are many Muslims that are peace loving people of faith.  The vast majority of Muslims are peace loving people of faith. 

There I said it, now what everyone is afraid to say and the real reason why Muslims are given special treatment that is not given to Jews and Christians; some Muslims cut off the heads of people that draw cartoons or say anything that could be perceived as negative to their religion.  THEY CUT OFF HEADS!!  Make a joke about Islam…we cut off your head!  Object to head chopping…we cut off your head! 

A College with ties to Israel, Brandeis, was going to give an honorary degree to an ex-Muslim who has said bad things about Islam.  She has said bad things about Islam simply because she suffered genital mutilation, beatings, and a forced marriage under the guise of that religion.  The administration backed down on the honorary degree due to protests.  They never backed down because of protests before, what is the difference?

Several years ago Brandeis University awarded an honorary degree to Tony Kushner, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama.   Tony Kushner was also known to be hostile toward Israel with comments such as, The biggest supporters of Israel are the most repulsive members of the Jewish community.” Jewish groups protested the awarded degree, the College stood firm.

Now Brandeis University had agreed to bestow an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsa Ali, a well-known defender of women’s rights in the Islamic world.  They reversed this decision under pressure from Islamic groups.

These Islamic groups abhor some of the negative things Ms. Ali has said regarding Islam but they don’t seem to mind genital mutilation, beatings and forced marriages for woman; or, of course, CUTTING OFF HEADS!

Why did Brandeis not back down under Jewish protests against Tony Kushner yet backed down under pressure from Islamic groups?  Their official statement is,

“She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women’s rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world. That said, we cannot overlook certain of her past statements that are inconsistent with Brandeis University’s core values.”

This all sounds wonderfully academic, and perhaps their core values have changed since Tony Kushner’s honorary award.  I only wish they had the guts state the real reason,

“She is a compelling public figure and advocate for women’s rights, and we respect and appreciate her work to protect and defend the rights of women and girls throughout the world. That said, we are scared shitless of radical Islamists who might CUT OFF OUR HEADS!”

I would not blame them, head chopping is scary stuff.  I might even respect their honesty.

The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.

12 comments:

  1. religion of any kind can become 'grounds' for the worst of human acts. catholics killing abortion docs? can't fathom the logic...

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  2. Well, I don't know about any peace loving Muslims. They are too silent when bad things happen in the name of Islam. So, I just don't want anything to do with them. Perhaps if I stay away from them I can keep my head.

    Have a fabulous day. :)

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  3. So much evil is done in the name of religion. Do they really make the world a better place or are they, as Karl Marx said, "An opiate for the masses?"

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  4. There are times when religion frightens me!!

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    1. Especially religions that will CUT OFF YOUR HEAD. But it seems we are afraid to mention that one, so we blame all religions. At least this young mutilated lady is not too PC and afraid to speak out.

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  5. meanwhile grade school children are being sent to the office for daring to pray over their lunch or for writing a Bible verse on a card.

    evil will find a way, masking itself in something that gives it the chance for more power.

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  6. ALL religions have a scary component to them - if you have the wrong kind of people in charge. Whether it's people who want to CUT OFF YOUR HEAD, or people who burned the Salem witches at the stake, or Terry Jones who wanted to burn the Koran in a park near my house, or people who don't get outraged at all the sexual abuse by leaders of a church... Yet all religions basically promote peace and "doing good." Why can't we just do that?

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    1. Yes all religions...Salem was scary and no one today supports that 200+year ago mess. I'll bet if that nut Terry Jones burned a Bible the whole Christian world would not revolt and kill people, and the Catholic Church clearly has mishandled their problems, but at least they do not publicly condone and or advocate that practice. I am just saying that people need to stop walking on egg shells about Islam, there are major problems in this religion that people want to bury their heads in the sand over. There is no fear in condemning the Catholic Church over child abuse, but only excuses or silence over fanatics that blow up buildings, chop the head off of a living person and then broadcast it, and condemn cartoonists to death.

      Yes, there were the crusades, and porbably lots of other stuff, but this is now.

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  7. Does burying your head in the sand make it harder to CUT OFF YOUR HEAD? Because that might explain some of the eggshell-walking.

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  8. I think you're basically spot-on, Joe. What troubles me, in a more general sense, is that any college or university would stifle free speech in any way, even if it was found entirely repugnant by some. An institution of higher learning should be a place where ALL ideas are open to discussion and dissection, and not just those ideas hand-picked as safe or non-threatening or politically correct.

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  9. It isn't a religion I want anything to do with that's for sure. Their attitudes to and treatment of women is absolutely vile, as is their belief that a single word misinterpreted by them is justification for all manner of horrifying punishments.
    It isn't the whole religion, as you said, there are many of that faith who are reasonable, steady people. It's the rabid fanatics that I fear and they recruit far too many young men into their ranks.

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  10. I'd keep an eye on my noggin if I were you! (Is that even physically possible?)*

    *that's what SHE said.

    Sorry.

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