Tag Archives: Islam

On “The Top 10 ways Islam forbids terrorism”

Rarely have I seen a dumber article on Alternet. Juan Cole informs us of the Top Ten Ways Islamic Law Forbids Terrorism.

Here’s just 2 ideas that come to my mind when I read this pileup:

1. If you need 10 ways to forbid something, then your methods 1-9 are not working.

2. If your justification for approving or disapproving of action X involves reference to something some guy may or may not have said in 650 CE, then your moral software needs an urgent update.

And then there is this: Continue reading

For shame, Qantas

Australian airline Qantas now flies to Europe via Dubai rather than Singapore, and has entered into a partnership with Emirates. As part of that deal Qantas has announced to remove all pork and pork products such as ham, and meals prepared with alcohol from their menu:

No food containing pork or pork products will be served on those flights – which now has a stopover in Dubai – because it is strictly forbidden in Islam and is considered “unholy”.

All meals offered on the route in first, business and economy classes will also be prepared without alcohol in keeping with the Islamic religion. A note on the Qantas menus on flights in and out of Dubai states that the meals do not contain pork products or alcohol. The airline has also introduced a mezze plate offering traditional Middle Eastern fare in its upper classes and has Arabic translations after in-flight announcements. Continue reading

Enough with the special treatment for Prophets already

In the religion of Islam, there are two major factions or sects today. Those who barracked for 60-year old Abu Bakr to succeed a guy called Mohammed after his death in 632 CE to lead the aspiring religion of Islam into the future as the first Caliph are called Sunni, while the ones who are the 50 times removed grandkids of those who voted for a much younger guy called Ali at the time, are the Shi’a. Talk about enduring allegiances.(To be fair, noone told Ali that a meeting was already taking place to make this decision for the future, the poor chap was busy washing Mohammed’s dead body at the time, or so we are told)

Anyhow, Mohammed is one of the prophets of Islam. He started receiving revelations after 610 CE, after having initially to be convinced by the Archangel Gabriel that yes, he Mohammed the illiterate innumerate tribesman was indeed the best vessel to receive god’s plan for world domination for the Arabian peninsula. But he is not the only prophet by far, actually. Rather, the list of prophets in Islam reads like a casting list for former greats of other religions, in particular Christianity and Judaism. Moses, Abraham, Jesus, all prophets of Islam. Compared to that list, you’d think Brent Spiner and Wil Wheaton appearing in Big Bang Theory is small change.

Never mind. Even the different factions of Islam seem to agree on one thing today: Do not mock or insult the prophet. Continue reading