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My apologies, LeRoyCoyote, for calling you Wiley. A mental slip, but I do
so enjoy that nemesis of the long-necked bird.
posted by
saul_relative
on August 4, 2006 at 6:12 AM
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The conversion was news to me also, WileyCoyote, but, as I commented to
Blanche, the underlying teachings and traditional resentments of Chistianity and Muslims amount to the same thing. Hatred is hatred, no matter what religious flag you fly. As to the spread of militant Islam, you are absolutely correct. It is a form of brainwashing, with emphasis on fear and ultimate victory for an Islamic world.
posted by
saul_relative
on August 4, 2006 at 6:09 AM
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Some things are a little closer to home than we'd like, Blanche. And
political correctness is a modern bane on society. As for Haq's conversion, both religions are based on the Mosaic Code. Both religions provide respect for Jews: the Koran including peoples of the Book, and Christians in reflecting on god's chosen. However, there is an underlying hatred and/or resentment of the followers of Judaism on both sides, generally exposed with extremists, and not so subtly insinuated as well as the traditional enemies of Islam and those who hung the son of god on a cross.
posted by
saul_relative
on August 4, 2006 at 6:04 AM
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Saul, great post
I agree with Ariel, but the truth is in this climate this anti-Jew hatred could spread. The Mosques funded by the Saudis are brain-washing a lot of people and any place Jews congregate should be heavily guarded. I hadn't heard the guy claimed to be a Christian convert and that is disturbing.
posted by
LeRoyCoyote
on August 3, 2006 at 10:37 AM
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Saul, I tend to agree with Ariel, that the term "hate crime" sets apart
identical crimes and treats them differently, also I'm leery of the potential for abuse, what is a hate crime? Questioning or criticizing someone who happens to be of a particular ethnicity? Political correctness has already muddied so many debates already.
I had not read the latest news reports on Haq's sentencing. It is also worth mentioning that he is manic-depressive so his sentencing will also have to determine his mental state of lucidity or delusion at the time. That does enter into it, although it is clear that this was raically motivated. Strange that he converted from Muslim to Christian, yet still focused his delusions on the Jewish community. It's sad and tragic to me that he was able to get a gun, even in his delusional state, and that he did not get the treatment that might have prevented this.
The funeral for the woman who was killed was held yesterday and a prayer vigil will be held tonight at Westlake mall here in downtown Seattle. I was just sick and stunned when it happened, I transfer buses two blocks from the Jewish Federation building, at Macy's. It hit too close to home, literally.
posted by
Blanche.
on August 1, 2006 at 5:44 PM
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Spend an hour watching any news program, from CNN to the
nightly news on one of the major networks to CBN and anyone would agree with you, ariel, that the entire world has gone starking raving bonkers. Consider that every major religion and all benevolent humanist ideologies espuse a version of the golden rule, then watch another hour of murder, mayhem, and general social cacophony. How far from the animal have we really progressed, ariel?
posted by
saul_relative
on July 30, 2006 at 11:42 AM
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Saul
Utter rubbish, isn't it? And pretty evil rubbish at that! What cosmic arrogance to value the life of one human more than another. We've gone stark raving bonkers.
posted by
ariel70
on July 30, 2006 at 10:43 AM
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Right you are, ariel. And you make a very good point about hate crimes
being set apart or compounded onto the committed crime. Hate is ideological and emotional. In this particular case, it is also traditional, ethnic, religious, and generational. There are so many facets to hate, but to hate is only a crime of conscience against oneself, to disseminate and act on it makes it a social issue.
posted by
saul_relative
on July 30, 2006 at 10:38 AM
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Saul
I am vehemently opposed to the very notion of " hate crime" because it introduces and artificial division between crimes that are in fact identical.
What's the difference between killing someone who's gay because you hate gays, and killing the guy next door because you hate his type of music pounding through the walls?
The difference is that you'll be punished more severely for the former than the latter crime. Justice, stupid!
In every situation of inter-racial, inter-religious strife in the world today, the remedy, to a certain extent lies with parents. It is they who perpetuate their own hatreds by instilling them in their children. They encourage them to riot, throw stones, shoot guns at people they know are going to respond with maximum force.
I would make good and damned sure that I kept my kids of the streets of Ulster, Lebanon, Gaza et al.
posted by
ariel70
on July 30, 2006 at 9:03 AM
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