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Tag: Muslim

  • Bristol Palin Misses the Mark When Blasting President Obama Over Ahmed Mohamed Invite

    Bristol Palin clearly missed the mark when she spouted off last week at President Obama over the invitation he extended to Ahmed Mohamed to the White House.

    Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, a 9th-grader at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, was arrested on Monday after showing a homemade clock he constructed to a teacher. He says he was asked whether he had “tried to make a bomb.” Later in the week, President Obama tweeted to Ahmed and invited him to the White House.

    Bristol Palin argued on her blog, saying President Obama should stay out of the situation with Ahmed Mohamed.

    “This encourages more racial strife that is already going on with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ crowd and encourages victimhood,” she wrote. The police, she acknowledged, “clearly” made a mistake by taking Ahmed to juvenile detention.

    “But why put more people against [the police]?” Bristol Palin asked. “Why egg it on? Childish games like this from our president have divided our country… even more today than when he was elected.”

    What?

    It’s abundantly clear that the president isn’t “egging on” anti-police sentiment. He’s instead addressing a very real problem head on by tying to attack harmful stereotypes.

    President Obama’s invitation is a positive thing, likely aimed at combatting the mindset that assumes all Muslims are terrorists and that all black people are troublemakers.

    Bristol Palin seems to have a problem with this 14-year-old Muslim boy.

    And isn’t that part of the divisiveness in our country?

  • Pamela Geller Says Islam Should Act Like Mormons

    Pamela Geller will never stop her fight, even in the face of beheadings, even when other Conservatives deride her, even if no one else understands why she is doing it.

    Geller has organized competitions that feature artists drawing the Muslim prophet Muhammed, which is a violation of Muslim beliefs. She does so because people have been threatened and killed for doing it. And in The United States of America, she argues, we should not allow threats to keep us from exercising our First Amendment rights.

    “I am not being overly provocative or purposely insulting Muslims,” Geller insists. “Islamic jihadists, not I, made Muhammad cartoons the flash point for the defense of the freedom of speech when they began killing over them. If we don’t stand against them on that point, the only alternative is surrender and submission.”

    Pamela Geller’s motives for what she does are often misunderstood. But she is gaining traction among people on both sides of the political aisle. The difficult thing about understanding and agreeing with Pamela Geller’s motives is that one may also find her methods distasteful.

    MSNBC host Chris Hayes, while calling Pamela Geller’s views “odious and cretinous,” did draw a parallel that might help some understand her mission.

    “If we were going to do a segment [on his show] that was about someone that was advertising on the network and I was kind of on the fence about it, or actually didn’t like the segment, right, I thought it was a little unfair maybe, but then someone came to us and said ‘you can’t do that segment because of an advertiser.’ I’d be like, ‘now we have to do the segment.’ Because I have to — it has to be the case that we can do that segment.”

    Geller sees being understood yet reviled as a dichotomy that many have had to face when insisting on their freedoms. Some may engage in civil disobedience to prove a point about violations of their Constitutional rights. Observers may shy away from aligning with such a person. But history often is kind to them, celebrating their once-derided actions as needed for freedoms regained in their wake.

    Her issue is not just one that finds a typical Left/Right divide in the United States. Fox News hosts like Bill O’Reilly and Laura Ingraham have said Geller “was insulting the entire religion, one held by our moderate allies such as Egypt and Qatar.”

    Pamela Geller sees this as ignorance.

    “They are wrong in assuming that we must submit to Sharia to placate moderates, rather than that moderates need to accept the freedom of speech.

    Geller draws a parallel that illustrates her point.

    “Roman Catholics don’t like their religion mocked or the mockery of other religions,” Geller says, “but Roman Catholics don’t kill when their religion is mocked — and so no one talks about “provoking” them or ‘respecting’ them. In any pluralistic society, we have to put up with being offended and even with our core beliefs being mocked. Roman Catholics have learned that. Mormons and others have learned that — look at The Book of Mormon on Broadway. Why must we condescend to Muslims and think they cannot learn that? It’s the low expectation of soft bigotry.”

    Some say they know they have Freedom of Speech that allows them to draw Muhammed, but they do not wish to insult or provoke Muslims. Geller calls these people out.

    “They are afraid of being killed by Islamic jihadists and camouflage their fear and cowardice as ‘respect’ for Islam and Muslims.”

    Montel Williams, known for his disgust with Pamela Geller, posted a tweet recently that stepped into Grammar Police territory, but only succeeded in showing that he does not know the word “blaspheme.”

  • Bowe Bergdahl Claims Taliban Repeatedly Tortured Him

    There has certainly been a lot of controversy surrounding President Barack Obama’s decision to exchange five Taliban leaders from Guantanamo for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. While some people are questioning how smart–and legal–of a move it was on Obama’s behalf to strike such a deal, others are concerned that the U.S. turned over the prisoners for a deserter and Taliban sympathizer. U.S. officials have released new information about Bergdahl’s captivity that may make some more sympathetic to the 28-year-old, as Bergdahl claims he was tortured and kept in a cage at times after trying to escape.

    Bowe Bergdahl is still being treated at a hospital in Germany and is showing signs of improvement. While Bergdahl isn’t yet ready to return to the U.S. and be questioned on some of the details surrounding his leaving base, he has divulged some information about his confinement. Not only does Bergdahl maintain that he was tortured, he also says that he was kept in a shark cage for extended periods of time.

    “He’s said that they kept him in a shark cage in total darkness for weeks, possibly months,” one U.S. official said. Bergdahl was confined in the cage on at least two occasions after attempting to escape.

    While the news of Bowe Bergdahl’s torture and confinement in a shark cage may make some people more sympathetic to the young man, many remain skeptical.

    “I think there are going to be a lot of things that Bergdahl tells the Army and the medical folks that he’s talking to now that is going to be very difficult to validate,” said Senator Saxby Chambliss. “That’s not to say they’re not absolutely true, but we weren’t there. We have nobody who was on the inside. So we don’t know exactly what happened in his life over the last several years, except we do know he was captured and he’s been in the Taliban’s hands.”

    Considering some of the details surrounding Bergdahl’s leaving his post and the fact that he was returned from five years in captivity with relatively minor health issues, it’s easy to see why some people are raising their eyebrows.

    Bowe Bergdahl isn’t the only Bergdahl under attack in the days following his release. His father Robert Bergdahl has also been criticized for some comments he made on Twitter (below) that make some believe he is a Taliban sympathizer as well. Bergdahl’s parents have been receiving threats since their son’s release, which the FBI is investigating.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scorpions Drummer Jailed for a Month in Dubai

    Scorpions Drummer Jailed for a Month in Dubai

    Scorpions drummer James Kottak was arrested at Dubai International Airport for drunk and disorderly conduct on April 3, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the crime of insulting Islam. According to Dubai state-run newspaper The National, Kottak flipped the bird and mooned other travelers while in an airport transit hall.

    Kottak told police he had taken a wrong turn on his way to a Formula One grand prix gig in Bahrain, and subsequently denied flashing his middle finger, dropping his pants or insulting Islam.

    A witness described as ‘Officer AA’ said he heard Kottak saying “what is this disgusting smell?” before insulting Islam. “I didn’t see anything else but I heard him. I then informed my supervisor, who came and took the defendant away,” AA added. A Jordanian passenger services agent called ‘AB’ said that Kottak was shouting “non-educated Muslims” and then gave other passengers the middle finger.

    Kottak has been sitting in a Dubai jail since the incident, and will soon be released, having logged some time served. Kottak did plead guilty to being intoxicated without a license, and paid a fine of roughly $550. The drummer also explained that he was merely showing people his back tattoo, not mooning. During his misdemeanor trial, Kottak’s attorney Hamid Al Khazraji told the judge, “Their testimonies are contradictory, your honor.”

    Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965, and have sold between 75 and 100 million records worldwide. Here is a bit of a Scorpions refresher:

    Awesome.

    James Kottack, 51, of Louisville, Kentucky joined the band in 1996, and was previously married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s sister Althena.

    Here is Kottak doing a drum solo at a Scorpions gig:

    Kottak’s fans took to Twitter, relaying some confusion regarding the missing musician:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 9-month-old Arrested in Pakistan for Attempted Murder

    It appears that in some countries, no matter how old you are, if you do the crime, then you face the possibility of doing the time.

    And strangely enough, a 9-month-old child faced criminal charges on Thursday.

    A Pakistani baby boy was arrested alongside his family for attempted murder, threatening a police, and interfering in state affairs.

    As Muhammad Mosa Khan sat on his father’s lap in a Pakistani Court Thursday, he and his family faced charges in a crime that involved police raiding a group of 25 protestors in the city of Lahore.

    The police department claim that the group was suspected gas thieves. Officers at the scene also accused the group for stoning them at the time of their arrest.

    However, Khan’s father, Ahmed, said that the group was falsely charged for a crime they didn’t commit.

    “Our crime is that we had protested against non-availability of electricity in our locality,” Ahmed said.

    Ahmed told authorities that they were only protesting in reference to an electrical shortage.

    Whether they were protesting peacefully is unclear.

    Judge Rafaqat Ali authorized police officials to obtain a statement from baby Muhammad, but realized he was quite too young and granted him bail. 

    The case has been postponed until April 12.

    Attorney Irfan Tarar said that the baby boy would be presented before a judge during next week’s trial.

    According to Senior Superintendent of Police Rana Jabbar, there was a disagreement among the officers whether to book the minor. The sub-inspector was later suspended for filing charges against Muhammad.

    Since the case is not under Judge Ali’s jurisdiction, he was unable to dismiss the case against the child.

    Image via YouTube

     

  • Anti-Muslim Film: YouTube Ordered to Remove Offensive Film

    The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order today demanding YouTube to remove an anti-Muslim film from its site. The film, called Innocence of Muslims, has been the source of much controversy around the world, including a riot in Libya that killed for Americans in 2012.

    Cindy Lee Garcia, an actress who took part in the Innocence of Muslims film, says that she and the other actors were told they were starring in a short film called Desert Warriors, but that the producer dubbed over most of the speaking parts to create the anti-Islamic work Innocence of Muslims. Not only did the film openly mock Muslims, some scenes depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a pedophile and homosexual, which caused Garcia and her family to receive many threats of violence.

    Garcia asked YouTube to remove the anti-Muslim film in 2012, but the request was denied, so she brought forth a lawsuit. While Garcia was initially told that the video wouldn’t be removed because it was a First Amendment issue, Garcia’s lawsuit was based on the video being a copyright infringement issue. The lawsuit eventually made it to federal court where a three-judge panel decided in favor of Garcia in a 2-1 ruling.

    Chief Judge Alex Kozinski wrote the majority opinion for the decision. Read an excerpt from the opinion below:

    Garcia’s performance was used in a way that she found abhorrent and her appearance in the film subjected her to threats of physical harm and even death. Despite these harms, and despite Garcia’s viable copyright claim, Google refused to remove the film from YouTube. It’s hard to see how Google can defend its refusal on equitable grounds and, indeed, it doesn’t really try. Instead, it argues that an injunction would be inequitable because of the overwhelming public interest in the continued hosting of Innocence of Muslims on YouTube.

    Read the rest of the decision here.

    Image via LiveLeak

  • Underwear Bomber Appeal Denied; Court Says Claims Have No Merit

    On Monday a federal appeals court upheld the life sentence of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (aka “underwear bomber”) for trying to blow up a plane headed for Detroit with a bomb hidden in his underwear on Christmas Day, 2009. He had filed an appeal asking for review of the sentence.

    Just one day after his trial began, in October 2011 Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to eight counts. Abdulmutallab, who is Nigerian, seemingly took great pride in his suicide mission, calling it a “religious duty” aimed at avenging American attacks against his faith. Yet, he argued in his appeal application that the life sentence was cruel and unusual punishment. He challenged a number of decisions by U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds such as failing to order for medical examinations and allowing him to defend himself despite doubts about his competence.

    The appeals court rejected all the defendant’s arguments and challenges against the sentence, saying “none of these claims have merit.” The court said, contrary to Abdulmutallab’s claims, the trial judge had warned him of the consequences of not being represented by an attorney but the now 27-year-old terrorist insisted on representing himself at the time.

    Abdulmutallab, whom the court described as an “educated and adept individual” was trained in Yemen by a radical cleric called Anwar al-Awlaki. Abdulmutallab hid a bomb in his underwear aboard a plane headed to Detroit from Amsterdam. The plane had 281 passengers and a crew of 11 aboard.

    The court ruled that the life sentence was adequate considering the gravity of the crime and the fact that Abdulmutallab deliberately knew what he was doing.

    “These actions show the deliberate, conscious, and complicated path Abdulmutallab chose to pursue in the name of martyrdom.”  The three-judge bench argued that these actions clearly indicated the exact opposite of “incompetence.”

    The 281 passengers on Northwest Airlines flight 253 were lucky. They are alive today because Abdulmutallab’s bomb failed to explode.

    Image via Wikipedia

  • Gap Ad Takes Stand Against Anti-Muslim Vandalism

    Gap has been rolling out new campaigns that typically create a lot of buzz, but this year’s seems to have drawn a different kind of attention. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Make Love” and Gap created an image of two people: jewelry designer, Waris Ahluwalia, a Sikh and model/ filmmaker  Quentin Jones. The image for the ad was posted outdoors and in store windows.

    However, New York photographer, Robert Gerhardt observed that one of the posters that had been posted outside a New York City passageway had been defaced.  The phrase “Make Love” was replaced with “Make Bombs”. Also, the phrase “Please stop driving taxis” was added to the poster.

    Gerhardt took a photo of the defaced poster and forwarded it to Arsalan Iftikhar, Islamic Monthly senior editor and founder of the TheMuslimGuy.com who then posted the photo to his Twitter and Facebook wall. “When I first saw my Facebook friend’s photo of this Gap subway advertisement defaced by vandals with racist messages, I wanted the world to see how millions of brown people are viewed in America today.” Gerhardt told the Huffington Post.

    Gap responded the next day and tweeted back at Iftikhar to find out the original location the ad. “Hi there. Thanks for informing us. Can you please follow & DM us. We’d like to know the location of this,” read the tweet. The company went further to change the background of the picture to show solidarity. Though Sikhs are a different religious sect than Muslims, the two groups are often mistaken for each other. Gap has since received praise from Muslims and Sikhs communities.

    “The Muslim Guy” Responds

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Ms. Marvel Revamp Features a Muslim Lead Character

    In a move which proves the relevancy and usefulness of the comic book world, Marvel has revealed that they will be running a new series in which Ms. Marvel will be a teenage Muslim girl growing up in New Jersey.

    The new character, named Kamala Khan, is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. The idea for the new series was originally conceived by Sana Amanat and Steve Wacker, two Marvel editors. Amanat and Wacker were discussing the issues that Amanat faced growing up as a Muslim-American, and the two then thought about the real lack of female superheros with their own series and also the absence of cultural lenses for comic book characters.

    Typically, people have a tendency to try to be “politically correct” and avoid discussing religion or other cultural factors. However, Amanat wants readers to empathize and sympathize with the struggles that Kamala faces on a day to day basis: “Her brother is extremely conservative. Her mom is paranoid that she’s going to touch a boy and get pregnant. Her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor.” Kamala’s Muslim heritage will play a large part in her personal development, and as such is a perfect opportunity to explore the plights that minorities in the United States currently face.

    Amanat and Wacker have brought G. Willow Wilson on board to write the series. Wilson was the 2013 World Fantasy Awards winner for best novel for her Alif the Unseen and has worked extensively on comic books. Wilson is also a converted Muslim and has spent much time in the Middle East as a journalist.

    With two Muslim, female members executing this project, it is hard to imagine something going wrong. Amanat is not naive, though: “I do expect some negativity, not only from people who are anti-Muslim, but people who are Muslim and might want the character portrayed in a particular light.”

    As Wilson sees it, this is her chance to attract unconventional readers, especially younger females, to the comic book world: “I wanted Ms. Marvel to be true-to-life, something real people could relate to, particularly young women. High school was a very vivid time in my life, so I drew heavily on those experiences — impending adulthood, dealing with school, emotionally charged friendships that are such a huge part of being a teenager.” She adds that “It’s for all the geek girls out there and everybody else who’s ever looked at life from the fringe.”

    (image)

    Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story for avid comic book readers will be how Wilson decides to incorporate the original Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers. After Kamala realizes that she has obtained special powers, she adopts the name of her childhood hero, Ms. Marvel: “Captain Marvel represents an ideal that Kamala pines for. She’s strong, beautiful and doesn’t have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and ‘different’.”

    The new “Ms. Marvel” series is part of an ongoing effort of Marvel to rebrand many of their series, a project called Marvel NOW! After the finale of the “Avengers vs. X-Men” storyline, Marvel decided it was time to change the game and make an attempt to appeal to an ever-expanding and diverse audience. While Kamala may be the first ever Muslim character with her own series, she will not be the only female lead in Marvel NOW! – Both Elektra and She-Hulk are receiving new runs.

    Comic books have often been criticized by the community writ-large as championing violence, delusional fantasies, and social ineptitude. However, the relatability and pertinent nature of comic books make them a fantastic medium to get children interested in reading and to comfortably explore topics generally deemed “off-limits”. Children experience a multitude of pressures and stresses on a daily basis. Comic books provide children with an opportunity to read about characters experiencing the same issues and allows them to see said characters rising above their difficulties in order to achieve greatness. Ms. Marvel will be an excellent opportunity for young female and Muslim readers to find that role-model all children need, and could also serve as a great vehicle for young males to understand the challenges of living in a patriarchal society.

    [Images via Marvel and Twitter]

  • Miss World Muslimah Pageant Gives Miss World Pageant A Run For Its Money

    The Miss World pageant, like other beauty pageants, had drawn its fair share of criticisms from those that come from nearly all walks of life. Backlash against the immodesty, sexism, and other troubles likewise associated with the display. Some of the most vocal opponents have been those from the Muslim community, particularly the more conservative sects, who have labeled the show “smut” and “an affront to Islamic morals.” Enter the solution; the Miss World Muslimah Pageant.

    The World Muslimah Foundation holds this pageant annually, and this is its third year running. The pageant is only open to Muslim women, and while the glitz, glamour, and general fabulousity that comes with the Miss World pageant was present at this event, as well, there was also a strong emphasis on piety, modesty, and religious knowledge. Clontestents were clothed in beautiful, long, loose-fitting gowns and head scarves, with smiling faces, dolled up hands, and fabulous stilettos the only visible sources of skin.

    This is the first year that the pageant has directly competed for visibility and air time with Miss World, and it has competed pretty well. According to pageant founder Eka Shanti, “Muslimah World is a beauty pageant, but the requirements are very different from Miss World. You have to be pious, be a positive role model and show how you balance a life of spirituality in today’s modernized world.” She went on to clear up any misunderstandings that might be present in concern to animosity towards the Miss World pageant, saying, “People think we are against Miss World. What we’re against is nudity. For the sake of education, I want to give another example.”

    In the face of the disgusting, racist backlash against Miss America winner Nina Davuluri, seeing a pageant devoted entirely to women of both cultural and religious minority is an awesome and refreshing thing. Despite religious differences, and putting extremes aside, it is undeniably a good thing that there is at least some kind of alternative to Miss World and Miss America-esque pageants that aims to peddle good will and generosity as valuable assets, rather than just how good one looks in a bikini.

    Image courtesy of the official Miss World Muslimah Organization Facebook page.

  • Fraternity Muslims: First Muslim Frat House

    America now has its first all-Muslim frat house. Alif Laam Meem (also goes by Alpha Lambda Mu), which was founded in February, is located at the University of Texas in Dallas. Before you start getting images of wild parties such as those seen in “Animal House,” getting drunk isn’t a pastime at this Muslim fraternity.

    According to Alif Laam Meem’s mission statement, the purpose of the Muslim fraternity is to “empower and unite men towards success in this life and the next in accordance to God and his final Messenger, Prophet Muhammed, Peace Be Upon Him.”

    Instead of hosting parties where students see how many beers they can funnel at once, founder Ali Mahmoud says “the primary purpose of a fraternity is to unite these men as brothers under a specific cause.” This means Saturday nights are spent in prayer and discussing ways the young men can help their communities. “Muslims are supposed to bring benefit and prevent harm to everyone and anything, not just Muslims,” Mahmoud said.

    Alif Laam Meem is trying to grow awareness of the new Muslim fraternity with social media websites Twitter and Facebook. The fraternity is accepting applications for membership, and non-Muslims can also apply. The membership fee is $100, which is donated to charity.

    Mahmoud, a 19-year-old junior, hopes that the fraternity will help educate people about the Muslim religion. “Muslims in America are in a similar position, and our fraternity is fulfilling those needs as well as many more,” he said. “We’re paving a new path for Muslims on campus to have an organic, wholesome college experience without having to compromise the values of their religion.”

    The Muslim fraternity has received a lot of supportive comments on Twitter. Even though Muslim-Americans are often the target of stereotypes, many people seem happy to hear about a fraternity whose existence doesn’t revolve around excessive alcohol consumption.

    What do you think about the new Muslim fraternity? Add your comments below.

    Image via Facebook

  • 2 Million Bikers to D.C. for 9/11 Anniversary

    Thousands of motorcyclists plan to ride to Washington D.C. for the twelfth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, despite the city’s refusal to grant the bikers permits allowing them to coast through the city without stopping at red lights. Co-creator of the event Belinda Bee claims the group is being “discriminated against because we’re Americans” after being denied the permit.

    The 2 Million Bikers to D.C. group was planned on Facebook in response to a Muslim rally that is scheduled for September 11th and 12th. The rally, held by the American Muslim Political Action Committee, was originally called “Million Muslim March,” which sparked outrage, many believing the event dishonored those who lost their lives because of the attacks. The Muslim rally’s name was later changed to “Million American March Against Fear.” While the AMPAC says their rally is being held to protest the “anti-Islamic bigotry in the years that ensued the al-Qaida terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on American soil,” many are skeptical because of the timing.

    Even though the bikers participating in the 2 Million Bikers to D.C. rally won’t have a quick passage through the city, thousands plan to attend from all over the country. Nearly every state, including Alaska, has at least a few bikers who plan to make the ride.

    Other groups planning September 11 rallies at the Capitol have extended invitations to the bikers, such as the Justice for Benghazi Rally. The backers of the rally want to hold the Obama administration accountable for the Benghazi attack, an issue many from the 2 Million Bikers group support.

    While both of the events planned for tomorrow are supposed to be peaceful, there is certainly potential for the situation to get out of hand.

    What do you think of the 2 Million Bikers to D.C. event? Discuss below.

    Image via YouTube

  • Women-Only City Proposed For Saudi Arabia

    For the economic powerhouse that is Saudi Arabia, women are a conundrum. On one hand, the country’s conservative religion precludes women from showing their skin or even driving a car. On the other hand, the country’s leaders realize that women are a large portion of the population, and one that could help sustain its economy.

    To that end, Saudi Arabia is planning an entire city that will be inhabited exclusively by women. It is part of an effort to appease ambitious females in the country while still adhering to Sharia law, which prohibits women from interacting with men in certain ways.

    The Daily Mail is reporting that the Saudi Industrial property Authority (Modon) is designing the city, which will be built in the city of Hafuf. Construction on the project is set to begin next year, and officials estimate that 5,000 women will find jobs in the city working in the textiles, pharmaceuticals, and food processing industries.

    The plans for the city are, not surprisingly, controversial in the west. Though some marginal women’s rights progress is being made in the country, such as women being allowed to vote in Saudi Arabia’s 2015 elections, they are still looked upon in that country as lesser than men. From the Daily Mail article:

    “I’m sure that women can demonstrate their efficiency in many aspects and clarify the industries that best suits their interests, their nature and their ability,” Modon’s deputy director-general, Saleh Al-Rasheed, told Saudi daily newspaper al-Eqtisadiah.

    This year’s Olympic Games were the first in which Saudi female athletes were allowed by their country to participate. They won no medals, and there was controversy about what clothing the athletes would be allowed to wear while competing.

    (Photo by Ali Mansuri via Wikimedia Commons)

  • Coke And Pepsi Contain Small Amounts Of Alcohol

    Paris-based National Institute of Consumption (INC) has released a study saying that more than half of leading colas contain the minute traces of alcohol. The study found that even the big brands, like Coke and Pepsi, contain .0001 percent or 10mg in every liter. The amount is minuscule, but the figures will still be enough to upset the thousands of Muslims who regularly drink Cola because their religion forbids them from drinking alcohol.

    Of 19 colas tested, the nine which did not contain alcohol were made by brands including Auchan, Cora, Casino, Leader Price and Man U-Cola. Ten which had traces of alcohol in them included Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola Classic Light and Coke Zero.

    Michel Pepin, scientific director for Coca-Cola France, said: ‘It is possible that traces of alcohol come from the process’ of making Coca Cola according to its secret recipe. He insisted, however, that Coca-Cola drinks were provably ‘soft’ and recognized as such ‘by the government authorities in which they are sold’. Mr Peppin went on to add that “the Paris Mosque has provided us with a certificate stating that our products can be consumed by the Muslim community in line with the religious opinions of the Committee of the Mosque of Paris.”

    Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by the American John Pemberton and was originally patented as a medicine which could cure everything from headache to impotence. It has since gone on to dominate the international soft drinks market and is now a US icon sold in more than 200 countries.

    Art courtesy of coca-cola-art.com

  • Islamic Rights Group Blasts Apple Over iPad Incident

    Last week in Alpharetta, Georgia, a young woman of Iranian descent was denied the purchase of an iPad by an Apple employee due to the fact that she was from Iran. A US citizen, Sahar Sabet felt humiliated and betrayed when the Apple employee came back and told her that it is company policy to not sell to people from Iran, due to bad relations between the United States and Iran.

    She was at the store with her uncle who was there visiting from Iran when the purchase was denied. This was made clear to the Apple employee before he came back and said they couldn’t buy the iPad. Common sense tells me that the employee thought that while the girl was buying it, the iPad was for her uncle who would then try to take it back to Iran.

    When the channel 2 action news team in Atlanta found out about the story, they sent a reporter to the Apple store in question to talk to the manager. The manager showed the reporter Apple’s policy. It said “the exportation, sale or supply from the U.S. to Iran of any Apple goods is strictly prohibited without authorization by the U.S. government.” The manager also told the reporter they have to rely on customers to be honest. He reiterated (the policy) always will be to not sell to anyone from Iran.

    This is a touchy situation because while it is against the law to discriminate based on country of origin. It is also illegal to travel to Iran with laptops or satellite cellphones without U.S. authorization said a representative for the U.S. State Department.

    Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), claimed there were other incidents in California and Virginia but he did not give any details about the incidents. “These are legal residents, on American soil,” he told FoxNews.com. “As Americans we are outraged, and every American would be outraged.”

    While the Council on American-Islamic Relations is appalled at this, there is an Islamic group that is ok with what happened. The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans supports Apple’s take on the Alpharetta incident, concluding that Apple’s refusal to sell the product was not based on discrimination. The company is legal obliged to prevent sales if a product’s ultimate destination is Iran.

    CAIR disagrees, saying in a statement: “We understand that Apple’s official company policy … is almost verbatim taken from the Iranian Transaction Regulations (ITR), specifically 31 C.F.R. § 560.204, and is in line with U.S. economic sanctions targeting Iran. However, at issue here is the correct application of that policy by Apple’s employees.”

    Apple is in a tough place. They are trying to follow the Iranian Transaction Regulations laws, but the only way they can actually do that is to break the discrimination laws. Almost a no win situation for them.

  • Nearly Half of Southern Republicans Think Obama is a Muslim: Twitter Reacts

    Honestly, I thought we’d had this discussion already, but America is again talking about the religious background of our elected Big Cheese. The discussion has taken itself over to Twitter, where the phrase Obama is a Muslim is trending. The reaction comes on the heels of a recent survey by Public Policy Polling (PPP), a North Carolina-based polling firm affiliated with the Democratic Party. The firm surveyed more than 1200 likely Republican voters in Alabama and Mississippi, over your standard-issue range of topics (age, gender, political identity, opinion of Republican primary candidates, religious beliefs, etc.). Oh, and also, they asked poll-takers to identify the President’s religious affiliation.

    In Alabama, 45% of those polled believed Obama was Muslim, with 14% correctly identifying him as Christian and 34% unsure. To the west in Mississippi, 52% believed the President as Muslim, 12% identified him as Christian, and 36% were unsure.

    The poll also asked subjects whether they believed in education (Alabama: 60% No, 26% Yes, 13% Not Sure; Mississippi: 66% No, 22% Yes, 11% Not Sure), and whether they believe interracial marriage should be legal (Alabama: 67% Legal, 21% Illegal, 12% Not Sure; Mississippi: 54% Legal, 29% Illegal, 17% Not sure). The margin of error for the study was about +/-4% in each state.

    Here’s a video several people have linked to. It examines how closely the President follows the Five Pillars of Islam:

    Most people tweeting about the study wonder why this is trending (we just told you), remind us of the correct answer (he’s not), or wonder why the president’s religious affiliation is even an issue:

    @sarahollenbeck
    Sarah Hollenbeck     Obama is a muslim is trending why? 2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @MF7_22
    Mozoon F AlHarthi    What if obama is a muslim!(He’s not) Isn’t USA a free country! Plus i dont think he did any harm against anything the US doesn’t believe in! 1 minute ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @waffleamar
    Amar Azad    I hate these trends like “Obama is a Muslim”..what difference does it make? to anyone? who cares? IT’S IRRELEVANT TO WHAT HE DOES! 2 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @ArtaElezaj
    Arta Elezaj    Obama is a Muslim is trending. And what if he is Muslim? Muslims are humans too, if you’re trying to insult someone, just stop 4 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @iSaraKhan
    Snab ƸӜƷ     People would’nt care if Obama was a Jew, Christian or something else. When they say ‘Obama is a Muslim’ it becomes a TT. #Shame 6 minutes ago via Mobile Web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Others found it a ripe topic for satire or playfulness:

    @TheFakeCNN
    The Fake CNN    45% of Alabama GOP thinks Obama is a Muslim but have no idea what 45% is. 16 minutes ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @cloydalison
    Cloyd Bautista    Obama is a Muslim? Then I’m a Jedi 🙂 8 minutes ago via UberSocial for BlackBerry ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @gurdeepsv
    gurdeep singh virdi    Obama is a muslim? Bart Simpson is yellow, day follows night, I ate nodles for dinner – other things that don’t matter, at all. 3 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    And others point to the President’s stance on Israel, or suggest that the his religious affiliation could have an affect on geopolitics:

    @juicekan
    David Kanyinda    Ok so Obama is a Muslim but he supports Israel? Im now convinced that people are just ignorant 10 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @martinjones22
    Martin Jones    People say “Obama is a Muslim” shouldnt trend and it doesnt matter, but it could effect his handling and opinion of the Iran/Israel issue! 5 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    This last guy could have a point, except that Obama himself has publicly identified himself as Christian. Even then, though, while I never actually looked at the job application for President of the United States (thought about filling it out, once, but it seemed daunting), I know that there’s no line on the form asking about your religious beliefs. To do so would be unconstitutional.

    Unconstitutional to ask or no, the fact that the President’s religion is such a hot conversation topic suggests it will come into play in the coming election.

    And how about you? What do you think about the President’s religious beliefs, or its validity as an item of public discourse. You could tell your friends via facebook, but they’ll probably ignore you. Still, you can let us know what you think in the comments. Please keep it civil and germane.

  • Muslims Urged To Move To New Facebook

    Muslims Urged To Move To New Facebook

    What do you do when Facebook spreads blasphemy? You make your own Facebook.

    The Times of India is reporting that people in Pakistan of the Muslim faith are urging their fellow Muslims to use Millat Facebook. The reason being that Facebook is allegedly involved in blasphemy of the Holy Prophet (i.e. Muhammad).

    Muslim leaders held a round table conference titled, “Blasphemy of Facebook and the Role of Muslim Youth on Social Media,” hosted by Millat Facebook. They slammed those in Pakistan who were advocating the abolishment or amendment to the current blasphemy laws.

    The owners of Millat Facebook said that their site had seen a large amount of success since launching in May 2010. The site has suffered some setbacks, however, with U.S. and Pakistani authorities taking down its hosting. They said that U.S. officials had attacked them by threatening their hosts in the U.S. and Europe within a few months of opening.

    What hurt them more, however, was that Pakistan’s national ISP refused to host the site. They also refused to explain their denial in writing.

    He ended the talk by saying that Jewish and Christian groups had organized attacks on the Web site. The attackers invited people from all over the world to attack the “Muslim’s alternative to Facebook.” The team, however, stopped the attacks from ever happening.

    It’s great to create social networking sites around particular religions so as not to offend people, but I don’t think the problem is with the site itself. If you look at the Web site, it’s an obvious theft of Facebook’s UI and design. They may want to change that to avoid any further legal troubles.