Tag Archives: islam

Hate is Bad for your Health

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Did you know it’s unhealthy to be hateful? I’m not being glib. There is strong medical evidence that the act of holding hatred in your heart can actually lead to long term health problems. Don’t just take my word for it, here’s what medical professionals think about this emotion’s effect on our bodies:

Hatred negatively impacts the nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system. Extreme emotions trigger the release of stress hormones in the brain. Over time, these stress hormones lead to increased inflammation throughout the body, resulting in significant health consequences. The more intense an emotion becomes, the more physically demanding it is to contain it. Holding on to hate can be exhausting.

If only Turkish lawmaker Hasan Bitmez had known of this, perhaps he could have avoided his recent health scare. You see, Bitmez is a politician in his home country, and during one of his recent speeches condemning the actions of Israel in the recent Palestinian conflict, he exclaimed that the “Jews would not escape the wrath of Allah” right before collapsing from a massive heart attack.

A superstitious man might see this as a sign that perhaps their beloved deity did not approve of the message. Traumatic events can often act as a catalyst for change. Personally, I believe that it has far more to do with how much anger and hatred is in this man’s heart. His political career benefits from his near constant animosity towards Judaism, so its doubtful that he will ever be able to let go of his murderous hostility towards the faith. If there is any comfort, it’s that his body is quickly giving up on him as a result of his poor life choices.

I have a suggestion for Mr. Hasan. It would appear that your hatred towards your fellow man has made you unwell. You would do well to take a cozy retirement, and spend time with your loved ones while there is still life in you. I’m sure there are plenty of other Muslim politicians who would gladly take up your abhorrent mantle and openly call for the death of their enemies. You should learn to enjoy the good things in life before it’s all over. Our time on this earth is brief, and despite your belief that another life awaits you, I wouldn’t take the chance that the future affords you much time with the ones you care about. Focus on love. You’ll live longer for it.

French Teachers on Strike over Fears of Muslim Violence

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The “religion of peace” has a problem. Various PR departments of Islam are busy trying to convince naïve idiots that the religion is your average, run-of-the-mill faith that is just trying to live and let live. The truth is far more sinister than that. Islam is only interested in one thing: the complete subjugation of free thinking people into their cult of death. It’s in the name itself: Islam means submission, and what good is it when there’s no one to control?

In France, teachers at a school in Paris are on strike, not because they have financial demands, but because they fear for their lives. When one of the teachers of a school near the city of Paris dared to show a nude painting dating from the 17th century as part of their art appreciation class, and the results were catastrophic: mass demonstrations, and threats of violent retribution for the crime of showing this “forbidden” image (which in these parts, we generally just call art).

In order to act even more outraged, students and parents started to spread rumors that the teacher had singled out Muslim students and had made racist remarks. They did this precisely because they knew that by lying, they would stir up sympathy from the left of the political spectrum, which is now dominated by young people who have no real understanding that they are political tools in a clash of civilization. For over a decade, they have used criticism of their faith to be labelled as racist by coining the term “Islamophobia”. When this word is used, they can count on an army of soft headed do-gooders to fall over themselves coming to the defense of Islam, even when the interests of both sides fundamentally conflict.

Let’s keep a few things in mind to give context to this fight. More than 40% of French Muslims support the idea of replacing our legal system with their own twisted one, called Sharia. The situation in most western countries is exactly the same. This is a worrying trend for democracies, who rely on the people to reach a consensus as to how they wish to be governed. The values of that society must be maintained in order for it to survive. The fact that one religious group so thoroughly despises these values should be of great concern.

There is a special word for the deceit used by Muslims when it comes to pretending to share the same values as your neighbor: taqiyya. This is a religious concept that eases the psychological torment of constantly lying to people that are not part of your “clan”. It is this belief that allows extremists to live covertly and unassumingly in our society.

It should be noted that the only way to truly know who honors our society’s commitment to free speech is to continue to express it, and wait for the overreaction from those that do not share these values. What we shouldn’t do as is follow in the example of Denmark. The country is trying to criminalize or censure any behavior that “offends” the worthless religion of Islam. If anything, we need more insults, not less. Let the religious psychos reveal themselves, so that we can see through their lies of wishing to live together with us in peace.

Russian Muslims target Jews at Dagestan Airport

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As the situation worsens in Israel, the rest of the world has responded in a variety of ways. In many countries, Pro-Palestinian protestors have been making their voices heard, and often, these voices have been echoing some familiar sentiments that many of us thought were long gone. Russia, who claims to be fighting a “special military operation” in Ukraine to “rid Kiev of Nazis”, has been named as one of the possible instigators and planners of the attacks that happened (alongside Iran), specifically in an attempt to get attention diverted away from their disastrous war.

The Republic of Dagestan is largely Muslim, which naturally means that the animosity they feel towards Jews has always been high, and is now at a fever pitch. A few days ago, when word reached the populous that a plane from Israel had been diverted to their local airport, they came in force to “greet” any potential Israelite with the familiar phrase “Allahu Akbar”, or God is Great. This phrase has always struck me by how it reeks of insecurity, even as it is used in violent incidents.

The terrified passengers were harassed, and some appeared to have been injured in the process.  the mob was tearing passports from the hands of innocent travelers, telling people that they were “only looking for Jews today”. Around 60 people were arrested by police, but it didn’t just stop at the airport:

On Saturday, a crowd in the city of Khasavyurt in Dagestan gathered outside a hotel where they believed some Israelis were staying.

The protesters threw stones at the windows and a sign was put on the door reading: “Entrance strictly forbidden to citizens of Israel”

There are roughly 300-400 Jewish families that live in the Russian republic. How long before something more serious happens?

Madrassa teacher Arrested for Mollesting Students

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Over the years, we’ve covered a lot of child abuse by pastors and priests. It’s an almost daily occurrence, so much so that the phrase “youth pastor arrested for molestation” has become a bit of a meme these days. Because Christianity is so dominant in our society, we forget that other religions have the same tradition of molesting their flock, and protecting their abusers.  Take for instance a recent story out of India. A 25 year old madrassa teacher was arrested after he was accused of “sodomizing” almost a dozen students (that we know about). They also arrested the trustee, who had not only failed to take any action to report the abuse, but he also helped the teacher to flee when word came that police were going to arrest him. Both had tried to flee when the accusations were made, but they were eventually apprehended.

The whole affair came to light after one of the students was brave enough to do something about the abuse.

The offence came to light after one of the students of the residential school called his mother using the mobile phone of another maulana a few days back and complained about the teacher’s sexual gestures and acts with students, the police statement said.

It’s a reminder that only the courage of victims will finally stop these religious organizations from providing shelter, aid, and a fertile ground for their depravity. As the stigma of abuse sheds, I have no doubt that there will be more stories of this kind. Here’s hoping that the victims get some form of justice in all of this.

Kazakhstan bans hijabs in schools

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The topic of the hijab is a tricky issue for secular countries. On the one hand, it’s an obvious form of religiously mandated modesty, forced upon women. On the other, it can be (in limited cases) a free expression of one’s religious devotion, though unsurprisingly this freedom is rarely granted outside of Western countries.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, young women who dare to defy the practice are routinely harassed and sometimes beaten to death, as was the case a year ago, with 22 year old Mahsa Amini. Since her death, more women have defied the mandate to wear it, even as thousands are arrested and killed. The ones living in exile of this theocratic country are not fans of the headscarf, as it has become a symbol of both social and political revolution.

Paradoxically, in England, a recent statue was erected celebrating this vicious denial of female agency. This is the same country where honor killings have gone up by 81%. Many of these killings go unsolved, as the family is unwilling to cooperate with police investigations. How many other faiths can boast of this kind of this devotion?

Kazakhstan is facing the growing threat of religious upheaval. The country is 70% Islamic, although the government tries its best to stay secular. Their recent solution to the danger of sectarianism is inelegant, to say the least. They recently banned the wearing of the hijab in schools, arguing that wearing it represents a kind of religious  propaganda. Officials stressed that the ban does not apply outside of school, but already, the familiar cries of oppressions abound. In protest, hundreds of girls refused to show up to their schools, and one official was beaten by two religious thugs when she refused to allow a student wearing one to enter.

This kind of restriction only serves to feed the grievances of the religious, who always feel oppressed, even when their boot is on your neck. Free societies are always at danger of losing their commitment to liberty, since this can often be used as a tool to spread religious repression. This is what the hijab represents; the cross-section of freedom and oppression. The irony of course is that were Islam in power, the choice to wear it would disappear for everyone. The dilemma of freedom is a one sided affair, but it is our responsibility to preserve it.   Still, we cannot win this fight by compromising the values we hold dear. Instead, if schools really believe that religious symbols represent propaganda, the only inoculant against dogma is a good education. If there’s one place everyone can improve, it would be this.

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 343

With the relaunch of the podcast into an audio blog, we begin by discussing Polish people leaving religion, a Korean cult that defrauded and kill their victim, and women in Gambia face the reality of FGM. Don’t miss out!

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 343
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Taliban refuses to let women be rescued from Earthquake

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A few days ago, a terrible earthquake rocked Afghanistan. It measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, which did a tremendous amount of damage in a country already devastated by war.

Since the country is now run by the Taliban, rescue efforts were almost non existent, with the fundamentalist organization showing up to the effected areas hours after the quake.

“For two to three hours after the earthquake, there was no information or accurate news,” said Rashid Azimi, a local aid coordinator not connected to the Taliban government, adding that it was the local residents themselves who cried for help when no one else was available to support rescue efforts.

The quake happened during the afternoon, when the men were off tending to their daily chores. This meant that the majority of victims were almost exclusively women and children, who are forced to stay inside the home and away from the prying eyes of others. To make matters worse, when people attempted to help those trapped under the rubble, they were greeted by armed Taliban soldiers that forbade them from helping, since strange men are not allowed to touch any women:

According to Maryam, it was not difficult for the local people to save the women, but some armed Taliban were there who were not allowing them to go near the women…the Taliban did not allow women to visit these areas for the first two or three days of the earthquake so that men and women could not gather there.

So to recap, the corrupt and pathetic Afghani theocratic government was not only terribly slow to react to a disaster, they also actively prevented women and children from being saved, and they hurriedly buried the bodies without ceremony so that the whole incident could be quickly forgotten.

The reaction from Western governments has been mixed. While there are attempts to help the victims, it’s believed that any aid sent to the country would most likely be appropriated by the Taliban, and its doubtful that any would make their way to those in need. The country is already under heavy sanctions, which has aggravated the situation. The truth is that very little can be done, so long as religious tyrants continue to exert their theocratic control. I don’t foresee this changing anytime soon.

Bangladeshi atheist blogger on the run

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Islam has to be the most insecure faith in the world. Ever since it’s invention, a strange mixture of religious plagiarism and local superstition, believers have had a murderous hatred of anyone that choose to abandon it. Christianity has long since abandoned the physical component of crusades, but Islam simply cannot transition away from this tradition. Any threat made against someone must be taken seriously. Salman Rushdie learned recently that one must always remain vigilant, as the murderous intent of the faithful never fades.

Rushdie is not the only target of Islamic ire. The perpetual and disturbing harassment of atheist blogger Asad Noor has forced the Bangladeshi man to flee to India after a number of threats to his life were made. He was being harassed not only by locals, but also by his own religious government, who appears to want to put him behind bars for blasphemy:

The local police raided the blogger’s house in Amtali village in the southern Barguna district in the dead of night on 14-15 July 2020, hounding his parents when they couldn’t find him. Police raided their house again on 16 July. On 18 July in the early morning, the police raided the house again and detained Asad’s father, Tofazzal Hossain, his mother, Rabeya Begum, two younger sisters (one was minor), and two other relatives, without any formal charge or warrant. The local police kept the family members in detention for 40 hours before releasing them in the night of 19 July.

Noor now lives anonymously in India, no doubt looking over his shoulder in fear every day, wondering when some brainwashed maniac will strike either him or one of his family members. Muslim believers are upset that he has not only abandoned the faith, but dares to encourage others to do so. Two of his fellow countrymen, Bijoy Hossain Tanil and Farhan Choudhury, living in comfort in both Paris and the UK, have gained notoriety after they released (and subsequently deleted) social media videos calling on his execution. Since both live in countries which allow freedom of expression, they have not been jailed, though I would not be surprised if authorities now have them in their sites.

Personally, I believe that religiously motivated threats should be taken as seriously as school shootings. In fact, I would not be opposed to the deportation of anyone who encourage the murder of others, especially if these threats are religiously motivated. Keep in mind that religions are often also political organizations, and a call to action is akin to a declaration of war. People take religion as seriously as they take their patriotic duty, and so, despite being a free speech purist, I believe an exception must be made in the case of religion, where words carry with them the power to activate the zealotry of their flock.

The West cannot afford to remain complacent on the threat to civilization that Islam poses. So long as Muslim fundamentalists continue to threaten people, or openly attack them at peaceful venues, they will continue to be a threat to the values and ideals of a free and open society.

 

Sweden rocked by terrorist attack

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It began with a football match. Belgium had come to challenge their Swedish rivals, and the stadium was packed with fans eager to cheer on their teams, and by all accounts it was turning out to be a beautiful day. Arriving a little late to the game, a few stragglers were making their way inside the building when a bearded man approached and opened fire on them, killing two and seriously injuring a third. He then sped away on his moped.

Unsure if there were more and if this was part of a larger attack, the match was suspended, with the players going back to their locker rooms, and the terrified audience told to wait, rather than flee chaotically and add to the confusion. For agonizing hours these spectators were held captive, until finally near the stoke of midnight, they were allowed to leave.

A video had made its way to social media, with the suspect releasing a statement claiming to have killed others, and crediting his murderous act on his beloved religion of Islam. The Tunisian man had been living in the country illegally, his request for asylum having been denied back in 2020. Keep in mind that the country is not a troubled spot, and has accepted almost 10,000 asylum seekers themselves from other African countries.

While the country still reels from the shock, fears in the country are at an all time high. There are concern that others may try and mimic the act, especially with pro Palenstinian demonstrations happening throughout the country. It’s a tense time, and not doubt that the political repercussions of this act will be felt, not only in Sweden, but other European countries that realize that there are real dangers of violent spillover as the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to escalate.

Gambian Women face renewed threat of FGM

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In 2015, Gambia did something that few African countries dared: they banned Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM. The penalty for mutilating young women is up to 3 years in jail, and a fine of no less than 700 USD (which is a substantial sum there). Recently, politicians, along with religious leaders, are demanding it be “decriminalized”.

Muslim Imams have been fighting to reinstate the barbaric practice, claiming that the law is “anti-Islamic”. One imam, named Abdoulie Fatty, recently paid the fines of three women that had been found guilty, effectively telling others in the community that anyone caught destroying the reproductive organs of young women would be helped.

“We want to tell them that anybody who blew the whistle on these women and those who arrested them and the magistrate who sentenced them and any other person who support them, we will curse them until we leave this world to ensure that Allah destroys them. That will deter others. We don’t want violence but enough is enough. Let us stop provoking and offending each other. We should follow the command of Prophet Muhammad. Instead, they are fighting Islam, but Allah will be the judge.”

To be clear, FGM, which is mainly practiced in African countries, is never mentioned in any Islamic doctrine. It’s origins date back thousands of years, when it was forced upon Egyptian slaves to ensure their fidelity. It has since evolved into a ritual designed to forever destroy the ability for women to enjoy sex. Instead, procreation is to be forever be painful and associated with shame (just the way religion likes it).

Islam’s perpetual fear of the opposite sex is evident in how every restrictive and sexist practice is enthusiastically adopted by the faith. The abuse of women and Islam go together like peanut butter and jelly; it’s a match made in heaven. How women can not only tolerate, but actively participate in this murderous cult is beyond me, and will forever remain one of the great tragedies of existence.

 

Mosque Bombing in Pakistan kills 50

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Religion is a poison. It is a cancer that eats away a person’s empathy and love. Instead of trying to learn to live with your fellow man, religions like Islam demands that those who believe differently be destroyed. Devoid of mercy or compassion, these murderous fools are willing to destroy their lives, and the lives of others, in the mistaken belief that a bronze age god cares about the mundane details of existence. The so-called “religion of peace” should rather be given the moniker of “religion of pieces”, for it seems some of their members have a hard time holding themselves together.

If you want a bunch of examples from one country just this month, look no further than Pakistan. The country has been rocked by multiple incidents over the past few days. It began in the early days of October, when 11 people were killed in a mosque in Kyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A few days later, another 5 lives were taken in a separate attack. Now, more recently in the city of Mastung, 50 people have been slain during a celebration in a mosque, victims of an unidentified group that no doubt had some petty theocratic dispute.

It’s a confusing act for those of us outside the faith. We forget that there are far more internal conflicts within Islam than with the secular world. Religion is not monotheistic, and the various interpretations are not confined to mere intellectual disagreements. To these deluded fools, the stakes could not be higher in their deadly game of pretend. I promise you that until humans have the foresight to reject these violent and dangerously insecure faiths, these tragedies will continue to happen with frightening regularity.

Study finds Muslim women have Vitamin-D deficiency

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As I’ve spoken many times before, criticizing Islam is a tricky business. Accusations of racism abound, despite the fact that an idea, and not an ethnic group, is being attacked. There are few things as contentious as the Hijab, that restrictive piece of clothing forced upon women that suggests that the desire that men feel for them is their fault, and more importantly, their responsibility.

It should come as no surprise that constantly wearing a piece of fabric on your head, or all over your body, is not natural, and that there are consequences for doing so. A study in 2012  found that women who wear concealing clothing were likely to have serious vitamin deficiency, which would lead to a number of health problems later in life, including bone density issues, as well as muscle weakness. So, not only is the restrictive dress code of Islam bad for women psychologically, it turns out that it’s also causing a lack of vitamin-D, but it can also lead to serious hair loss, bad odors, and infections galore.

I’m sure there are still soft-headed idiots that will claim that restricting the choices of women is an important part of Islamic culture. This sort of excuse is ridiculous. The health and wellbeing of people is far more important than outdated, sexists traditions that seek to put limitations and control on the opposite sex. So, the next time someone wants to celebrate women wearing the Hijab (like making statutes celebrating it)*, you at least have something to show them.

*On a side note, the statue looks like someone trapped in an iron mask. Fitting, wouldn’t you say?

 

 

Canadian Muslims organize anti-gay rally

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Islam is the world’s most insecure religion. Every other day, they are jailing, or even stoning, apostates and non-believers. Of course, if you start to point out how violent and insecure they are, you get instantly accused of “Islamophobia”, their magic word that’s used to silence any critic. The mere mention of racism is enough to stifle most soft headed liberals who retreat at the idea of hurting anyone’s feeling, or challenging their identity. It’s what has allowed this barbaric religion to continue to abuse and even kill those who oppose their homogony.

Their obvious bigotry has become so open now that Canadian Muslims have decided that it would be acceptable to hold a march AGAISNT gay and trans people. They are billing it as a “Million Man for Kids”. The Alberta Muslim Social Association’s facebook page claims that the organization “…was built to bring families together in a safe and fun atmosphere.” Well, it’s all fun and games until someone in your family isn’t controlled by their Abrahamic faith, or likes someone of the same sex. Then it’s time to destroy them. Just listen to their bullshit mission statement:

As someone once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”, over the past few months, thousands of parents, community leaders and activists from the Abrahamic tradition and others have justly voiced their concern regarding gender ideology and the protection of kids demanding more control and transparency over school curriculums. These concerns haven’t stemmed from a place of hate but rather from the obligation of protecting and preserving our children and future generations.

The good news is that these clowns have had zero success in spreading the word of their hate-march. In fact, if you look at the comments on their page, it’s almost universally negative. If I had to guess, it’s doubtful more than a handful of these hate-mongers are going to show up. If you want to tell these assholes how you feel, don’t be shy! They deserve to know what we think of them.

Lawrence Krauss walks out of UCL debate over segregation of sexes

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During a scheduled debate between Lawrence Krauss and Muslim apologist Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (he’s the clown I spanked a few days ago over his supposed arguments for God), a fundamentalist group called the “Islamic Education and Research Academy” forced the students to segregate themselves according to their sex. A few students, who had decided not to observe this ridiculous custom, were being ejected for failing to comply with the misogynistic seating arrangements. Single women were being forced to sit in the back (so as not to tempt men who apparently lack any form of self control), despite previous assurances from the organizers that this would not occur.

After his courageous walkout, students were again allowed to sit wherever they wanted, and apart from this disruption, it seems as though the debate went smoothly (despite some objections from culturally backward assholes, that is). Thanks Dr. Krauss for standing up for what you believe in!

Is this what getting owned by a Muslim looks like?

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This video, hilariously titled “Dan Barker gets OWNED by Muslim Hamza Tzortzis”, showcases perfectly the kind of pathetic, nonsense arguments you get into when talking to these apologists. Tellingly, the video does not offer a chance for Barker to reply, so I thought I might do him that solid. Let’s take a look at his argument, shall we?

Asinine Assumption #1: We know God exists, so arguments for God isn’t “God in the Gaps”

Buying into a belief system doesn’t make it true. For something to be “proven”, it needs to pass a number of rigorous tests. The first, and most important, is falsifiability: the ability for an idea to be disproved. This is perhaps the most difficult concept for god-pimps like Hamza to understand. In their limited world view, they simply accept, with no real evidence, that their all powerful creator simply exists and his very nature defies all attempts to categorize him. Such a conceit must be rejected immediately without effort: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and a book inspired by an illiterate child rapist fails to impress.

Asinine Assumption #2: The specific wording of your God matters

When this guy starts blabbing on about how the word ‘the’ in ‘the merciful’ must inherently mean that God is superior to human beings, I just have to shake my head in profound disbelief at the childish nature of this kind of thinking. What the fuck does that prove?

Asinine Assumption #3: Islam invites differences of opinions, considers these a ‘mercy’

Either he’s deliberately being deceitful, or he’s decided to ignore the fact that Islam is still fighting its own theology with other variations of the faith. There has been very little ‘mercy’ in the way Sunni treat Shia, or Shia treat Sunni. And let’s not forget the efforts of the Taliban to destroy the cultural heritages of other faiths. Clearly, he’s in the minority opinion that his religion invites diversity.

Asinine Assumption #4: The Qur’an is a scientific book

This is a common trope of all religions: they claim their obscurist, vague book describes in detail real scientific phenomenon that would have been impossible for desert people to know. For instance, did you know that

1. Humans were created out of a clot of blood.
2. The Sun revolves around the Earth.
3. The Moon is further away than the stars.
4. Your sperm is produced in your spine.
5. Bees eat fruit, not pollen!
6. Birds fly because god wills it.
7. Mohammad flew into the heavens on a winged horse called Buraq.
8. Fresh water and salt water cannot mix.

Need I go on?

Asinine Assumption #5: We believe things based on testimony

If there’s one thing you can rely on, it’s the fact that human beings are the worst, least trustworthy witnesses around. Not only is memory a total wash: it’s notorious for fabricating things. In science, we actually plan for the human element, doing our best to take ourselves as much out of the equation as possible. The idea that knowledge is based on testimony is a religious idea, not a modern one.

Asinine Assumption #6: Islam has no problem with non-believers or apostates

The classic mistake most of these religious apologists make is that they assume their liberal interpretation of their religion is shared by others. That’s simply untrue. The fact remains the vast majority of Muslims do believe non-believers are doomed to hell, and apostasy is a crime punishable by death. Several Muslim countries have these laws in the books, and only international pressure has allowed the stay of executions for unlucky individuals who dare question the ‘truth’ of Islam.

Sorry, I’m a little confused now…who exactly got OWNED here?