rico,
The propaganda is that ALL Muslims are as retrograde socially as fundamentalist Christians is false. Anyone who has ever spent any time around garden variety Muslims knows this. I spent a total of about 5 weeks on two different occasions in the West Bank and Gaza about 20 years ago. I lived with these people. Some were Christians too, especially in Ramallah. I have many Jewish friends who have been there too. I have known many Iranian and Palestinian people in the bay area of California. I have been to their social events many times. People from Afghanistan too.NEVER, repeat, NEVER, have I heard any of the religious bigotry that is so common among fundamentalist Christians in this country, to say nothing of the blatant racism of white Christians in the US.

In fact, political forces in the US and Israel have conspired to destroy secular movements and support reactionary Islam. The reactionary Saudi regime, which fuels so much of reaction in the Islamic world, couldn’t exist without the support of the US. Funny how you never hear anything bad about that regime. And how about how the Israelis supported Hamas against the PLO some decades ago. And in Afghanistan in the mid to late 70’s, girls went to school with the boys, women were professionals. All this until Reagan helped the “freedom fighters” bomb schools and throw acid into the faces of women. What about the US hauling Islamic fighters from the middle east to Bosnia to massacre people there?

Now all this support for fundamentalist Islam had strong support from fundamentalist Christian political forces in the US. Nobody complained about stoning women or burkas or anything else. How come, rico?

The answer lies in a deep understanding of the nature of Imperialism, which liberals completely lack. So do social democrats. Conservatives too. Imperialism changes everything. Imperialism confuses a lot of people. When Imperialism wants to subjugate a country, it starts a propaganda campaign highlighting “human rights” violations in that country. Of course, this is never an issue as far as puppet regimes is concerned. If Imperialism didn’t have big geopolitical aims in Sudan or Myanmar, do you think we would have a “save Darfur” campaign? What about the massacres occurring in Africa over the past couple of decades which have killed millions, but you don’t hear about because it does not suit the purposes of Imperialism to let people know, but let a truly progressive government come to power anywhere in Africa and you can bet your bottom dollar you would start hearing about “human rights” there. Incidentally, Aung San Suu Kyi In Myanmar is fortunate that the junta is not a “friendly” regime compete with CIA advisers. She would quickly find herself tortured to death and left by the side of the road like so many tens of thousands of progressive opponents of US sponsored dictatorships in Latin America in the 60s and 70s.

Having said all of this, I should be clear that my attitude on religion is close to that of Richard Dawkins, except that RD does not understand Imperialism.

These are my final words on the subject.

race_to:

When was the last time a Christian or Jew was subject to “breaking at the wheel, burning at the stake, drawing and quartering, beheading and hanging” for not following Christian or Jewish law or for apostasy?

And when was the last time the prescriptions in Deuteronomy or Leviticus were followed by any religion, other than Islam, that is?

“You can find people in the US who believe in death for homosexuals, for instance.” Absolutely true. And “you can find people in the US who believe in death” for Karl Rove and George Bush, too. So what?

“the fundamentalist fringe of of Islam, like in Saudi Arabia and the Taliban, believe in these punishments”. Yes, AND THEY CARRY THEM OUT as a matter of official policy!!!

When was the last time the murder of a homosexual was met by the approval of any government outside of Islam? When was the last time a Christian whack job killed a homosexual with the blessing of the Pope?

Look. Islam’s archaic and retrograde attitude towards women, homosexuals and infidels, as codified in Sharia, is completely anathema to liberal Western secular values. Sharia is completely intolerant of deviation from its precepts and makes no allowance for “coexistence” with non-Muslim values.

Muslim calls to apply Sharia are exactly parallel to fundamentalist Christian or Jewish calls to live the Bible literally. Both are dangerous and should be vigorously opposed.

Soapmom, so much for turning all four cheeks,.... I have been observing the masses of peace loving Christians opposing the wars and promoting peace,... well in my own fantasy world.,,, In the real world I have trouble finding those so well hidden peace loving pious Christians, speaking up and denouncing the wars. Hypocrisy a main diet in the religionists deluded illusions of the world, no religion seems immune to it.

By RICO,

“And didn’t adherents to the Old Testament Bible give up stoning several centuries ago?”

True enough, they “graduated” to breaking at the wheel, burning at the stake, drawing and quartering, beheading and hanging.

The fact is, however,that Sharia has its roots in the Old Testament of the Bible. In fact, those who believe that the Bible is the literal word of God should support the death penalty for homosexuals and those who curse their parents.

Going to work on the Sabbath (Saturday)? Death! (Exodus 31:12-15)  The preacher’s daughter caught in flagrante delicto in the back of a car? Burn her!(Leviticus 21:9)

I especially like this one. Guys, imagine you get married and you discover on your wedding night, horror of horrors, that your bride has already been deflowered. What to do? Well, you just get a bunch of your buddies together and get a couple of sacks of stones, take here to her father’s house and stone her to death in the driveway! Yessir, the Bible says so. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

So what does all this mean? Does it mean that people who describe themselves as Jews or Christians engage in these atrocities described in ancient texts? No, of course not and neither do Muslims.

Of course, the fundamentalist fringe of of Islam, like in Saudi Arabia and the Taliban, believe in these punishments, but so do fundamentalist Christians. You can find people in the US who believe in death for homosexuals, for instance.

Also, Most of Sharia law addresses all the other issues that any body of law includes; contracts, property, family law, commercial law, etc.

So what is this all about. It is nothing more than an integral part of the propaganda machine geared to supporting wars of aggression in the Middle East and Central Asia.

race_to:

“I wonder which part of Sharia law the good citizens of Oklahoma object to.”

Probably the same ones you do.

“They probably think it has something about stoning adulterers and others who transgress. I wonder if they know all that came from the Bible.”

Well, isn’t there in fact something in Sharia about stoning? And didn’t adherents to the Old Testament Bible give up stoning several centuries ago?

It seems to me,..... Oklahoma needs a major High Colonic, they should impose a law requiring all citizens to purge their heads temporally from their colons….. It could be named Purging Law of the Arts!.....Think of it, a religious experience with rosewater and music and Oklahoma would come out smelling like a rose and be heads above the Yellow Rose of Texas in collective stupidity at the same time!

I wonder which part of Sharia law the good citizens of Oklahoma object to. I wonder if you could find ten non-Muslims in the state who had any idea at all what such law is. They probably think it has something about stoning adulterers and others who transgress. I wonder if they know all that came from the Bible.

It would appear from this wiki article that it is possible to argue that Sharia law was up until recent times a far more progressive body of law than law as practiced in the Christian countries of Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia#Freedom_of_speech

PatHenry:

That’s Kentucky and West Virginia.

Actually Sharon is wrong, comes as no surprise, but Dearborn, Michigan is the city with the highest Muslim population in America. Just south of where I have lived since 1953 and I have never heard of Shariah law being the law down there. Wonder what these GOPers and T.P.er’s have put in their beverages.

How much time, effort and money have these kooks cost the taxpayers in Oklahoma to have this on the ballot let alone then the hatred, ignorance and misunderstanding they have stirred up in doing so?

Perhaps it is time to ban all rabid religions, including Christianity, as I have seen very little in my lifetime to see why it should be upheld at all. More harm has come out of it than anything good.

When America was stolen from the First Peoples, Christianity was forced upon the indigenous populations and if you didn’t accept “their brand of beliefs”, it was death. Sounds like Shariah Law was in effect in America long before 2010.

And whatever happened to those fleeing religious persecution from their homelands who came here to worship as they wanted to with freedom and not being forced into a religion they didn’t believe in or death? They now demand the right to deny others from practicing their beliefs if it does not fall into their narrow view of Christianity.

And for all of those who claim the biggest lie as truth, that America was founded on Christian values, step back and take a good look at what and when that actually happened. The first invaders fleeing religious persecution were not Christians(Spanish Inquisitors)they were actually Puritans(actually not so pure after all), so people need to stop claiming that we were founded on Christian values. We weren’t. The Native Peoples had a belief system already established until it was denied them the right to continue to practice their beliefs without being killed for it until in 1978 Jimmy Carter made it into law that Native Americans could again practice their religion without the threat of death if found doing so(sometimes).

And for those Christian values we hear about, which one are they? Because almost all of the commandments supposedly set down by their God, were broken in the theft of this country.

I grow weary of these Chicken Little’s crying that the sky if falling.

I thought those in Oklahoma lived by the feud.

Gmonst:

I know! A major downer.

What 2 cities are under Shariah law? Salt Lake City, Ut and Lynchburg, Va?

Actually, since Sharron Angle stated that two cities in America are run under shariah law (one of which cities has not even been in existence for over 25 years…), I guess this makes sense…NOT!

I don’t know if your prediction will hold true Rico. Might not fit with the progressive agenda.

I was, like a good progressive, going to be for Sharia law, especially when I read about getting stoned as a punishment, I was all hell yes dude!  And then some explained it wasn’t that kind of stoned.  Turns to fellow progressives, “major bummer dudes, its not that kind of stoned.”  Crowd leaves.

You know, not EVERYTHING needs to be on a ballot, especially if it’s not a problem.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

“A measure on the ballot…will ask voters whether they want to pass, no joke, a constitutional amendment outlawing Sharia, or Islamic law.”

Which will elicit the predictable loony progressive calls in favor of instituting Sharia Law, just to show how “we are the world” and non-bigoted they are.

Circus world all around.