Tag Archives: islam

People need alternatives to shitty religions

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali has written a new book out called Nomad, which picks up where Infidel left off and covers Hirshi Ali’s move to the United States from Europe. She’s been on a book tour for the past few weeks, and I recently caught her on Real Time with Bill Maher and the Colbert Report. She didn’t get to say much on Real Time but she did mention something on Colbert about offering up more moderate religions as a cure for Islamic fundamentalism.

Obviously when you’re dealing with Stephen Colbert you don’t get many opportunities to explain ideas past their surface, but the above video goes into her argument again that many people are going to believe in a higher power regardless of what the evidence says, and it’s important to have options for these people that don’t skew heavily towards the psychopathic. She says Christianity is a good alternative because basically most Christians are pretty lax about their religion’s specifics and just believe in a nebulous lovey-dovey God / Jesus entity who just wants us to be good. I don’t know if I agree with that, but I figure after spending half your life getting subjugated and the other half terrorized by Islam, Christianity would indeed seem lightyears more moderate and less problematic.

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 140

We’re back for another episode of The Good Atheist Bonus show, and this week we talk about what Morgan Freeman believes, how being an atheist can get you fired, and why building a mosque on ground zero is the height of tastelessness.

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 140
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Saudi Arabia’s morality police still fighting sin

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There are some signs the morality police in Saudi Arabia (officially known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) are starting to get some pushback from the people they’re charged with keeping holy. Last week a woman reportedly beat on one of their agents after he tried to punish her for hanging out with a male friend, unmarried. And there are current reforms underway which may lead to the founding of a co-ed school, where men and women will be allowed to learn and mingle sans stuffy Islamic asshole cops. Not that crazy of an idea to us, but over in Saudi Arabia it’s causing a huge fuss amongst the conservative fundamentalists.

But even with progress, it’s important to note things are still pretty fucked up over there. The woman who attacked the religious vice cop is liable to end up getting lashed and put in jail and Flying Spaghetti Monster knows what else. And a recent show on MTV has the morality police investigating several youths to see if they were guilty of ‘openly declaring sin.’ Their crimes?

In the program – called Resist the Power! Saudi Arabia – a girl named only as Fatimah told how she disguised herself as a boy to ride a bicycle in the streets of Jeddah.

The 20-year-old also railed against the traditional women’s dress – a black robe known as an abaya.

She said she made her own abayas in bright colours, which she sold to friends.

A young man, Aziz, talked about his attempts to break the strict segregation of the sexes in Saudi life – to meet his girlfriend for a date.

“We are not free to live as we like,” said the 24-year-old.

The four part documentary, which was screened in the US, also followed a Saudi heavy metal band who struggled to find venues that would allow them to play.

Riding a bike, going on a date, playing music … all sins in Saudi Arabia that can lead to serious jailtime. Ain’t religion the best?

The Taliban is scary

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Why do I hate religion? Because it’s the easiest thing in the world to convince poor, uneducated young men that killing yourself for your imaginary friend is a great idea! What other kind of fervent, uncritical ideology allows such obedient faith zombies to flourish?

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 138

This week: why ‘Everyone Draw the Holocaust Day’ makes Muslims look even more insane than usual, and how Dr. Wakefield can’t use the name doctor in Britain anymore.

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 138
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The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 137

This week on the bonus show: Why Draw Mohammed Day was necessary, and how the person responsible has since washed their hands of it, and how the Catholic Church is more interested in excommunicating people for allowing abortions than in hunting down child rapists.

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 137
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Pedophile Nigerian senator justifies himself through Koran

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If you’re a Muslim and you find the idea of child brides offensive, how do you respond to Senator Yerima’s claim since Mohammed married a 9 year old (Aisha), this justifies his recent “marriage” to a 13 year old girl? Muslims believe their prophet led a blameless life, and if the Koran is really supposed to be a guide for how to live one’s life, then he isn’t wrong in his assertion. This is precisely the problem lawmakers in Nigeria are having; there exists a culture of pedophilia because devoted Muslims in the country see nothing wrong with this practice. If it was good enough for Mohammed, they figure it’s good enough for them, no matter how disgusting and despicable the rest of the civilized world feels about it. It’s another example of the evil shit that happens when morons follow the edicts of a 6th century madman.

Lars Vilks attacked by Muslims at free speech lecture

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Dear Islam,

We’re sick and tired of your shit. Your followers can’t seem to get it through their primitive, 7th century minds the freedom to speak our minds (no matter how offensive it may be) is one of our most treasured rights. It permits anyone to denigrate your precious religion and its prophet if they feel the desire to do so. We don’t care if you believe blasphemy is a crime punishable by death: you are not in charge here, and the government and its citizens have no obligation to protect you from having your little feelings hurt.

If you think it’s acceptable to use violence as a way of silencing dissension, then the real possibility exists you simply won’t be allowed to participate in this little experiment we call “freedom” anymore. If you want to live in a world where even the slightest mention of Mohammed in a less than flattering light results in a vicious beating or even execution, you are more than welcome to immigrate to a country where this barbarism is acceptable. I might suggest Saudi Arabia; I hear they love to punish infidels there.

Your religion, like all the others, is a slow cancer on the human race. You pretend you are a religion of peace, but I find no great charity in your incessant need to harm anyone who hurts your fragile ego. Your imams are experts in nonsense, as are all other religious figures. If the best you can muster when someone is being attacked for making a few drawings of Mohammed is “Allah Akbar”, then you seriously have nothing good to contribute to this world. The only thing that saddens me about your pathetic excuse for a religion is you’ll never get the opportunity to realize your ignorant beliefs are all bullshit.

Muslim man argues that Koran “proves” Earth is flat

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Behold, the amazement that is religious dogma: here we have a man who is trying to argue that the Earth is flat, and it rotates around the moon. He believes in these things unquestioningly because his religious tome proclaims it. Any evidence to the contrary must be denied, since according to him, “Anything not indicated in the Koran is false”.

To be this ignorant, you really have to be a believer. How else could you entertain such astonishingly stupid and wrong ideas with such conviction?

Thunderf00t gets a death threat

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After all the very critical things he’s had to say about Islam with the recent South Park debacle, YouTube superstar Thunderf00t was recently “threatened” by a bearded yahoo who likes to feel big by uttering meaningless threats. He also seems to think non-Muslims support his call to action, despite the fact no other religious denomination seems bent on murdering anyone practicing their right to express themselves freely. It’s just you, guys, and the rest of the world is seriously not impressed.

Iran wants to jail women who tan themselves

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It’s not enough to have women dressed in suffocating black shower curtains, or to have them be submissive, silent and obedient towards men. Now, the Iranian government wants to enforce a stricter dress code, and has threatened to arrest any women who tan their bodies or try and make themselves look more attractive. The government has been trying to scare its population into thinking the very fabric of their society is falling apart due to the evil influence of the West. No doubt this tactic is designed to make everyone in the country forget they are living in a corrupt, tyrannical theocracy.

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 131

Another week, and another TGA podcast! With Ryan still in Tennessee visiting his folks, I’ve asked friend of the show Jeff Jones to help host the show. We discuss more allegations of pedophilia in the Catholic church and their pathetic response to it, how the South Park creators are being threatened by a radical Muslim group, and why earthquakes are caused by women in revealing clothes.

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 131
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South Park creators threatened over depiction of Mohammed

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There are few certainties in life, but you can always count on: 1) death is inevitable, 2) you will always have to pay taxes, and 3) Muslims will always flip the fuck out if you depict their prophet, no matter how innocent it is. Case in point: Matt Stone and Trey Parker are again the subject of controversy for their 200th episode, which featured Mohammed in a Bear suit to hide his identity. As you might have guessed, Muslim groups are up in arms over the depiction, and have issued (as is customary) threats of violence against the animators.

We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.

Actually, that sounds like a pretty serious threat, especially when the site entices people to actually show up at their house to “voice” their displeasure (or featuring audio clips of a mullah advocating the killing of blasphemers). How about you chill the fuck out instead, assholes? So sorry you can’t stand the idea of people making fun of your religion, but unfortunately for you, no one has the right to not be offended. If you don’t like it, might I suggest moving back to a country where blasphemy is punished as barbarically as it was 300 years ago (perhaps Saudi Arabia is more to your liking)?

Religion of peace my ass.

Islamic cleric says women are to blame for earthquakes

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Don’t you just love it when religious morons try and explain geological events under the umbrella of their religious beliefs? As far as men like Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi are concerned, women in tight, revealing “coats” (I’m getting all hot just talking about it) are causing all kinds of natural disasters with their “sinning”. By tempting men with their shape, which apparently no normal Muslim is able to resist, the world has become more unstable as God tries to lay down his displeasure.

Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes

Really, how is this different than thinking the Earth quakes because ancient Titans are trapped deep underground, or believing lightning is produced when Zeus is angry? Are these idiots not aware we know why earthquakes occur, and it has nothing to do with the displeasure of an anthropomorphic bearded deity? I feel embarrassed for the human race every time one of these religious douchebags has the audacity to blame disasters on their cause celebre’ (in this case, a masochistic mullah wants women to remain enslaved by social decorum).

Here’s a surprising fact; no, women revealing their shape doesn’t cause earthquakes, and rain isn’t God crying either. Stop trying to blame women for every little problem you have, Islam, and stop treating them like property or cattle.

Girl mutilated and left for dead for “shaming” family

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I sometimes get depressed writing about all of the horrible atrocities committed in the name of religion. Once in a while I’m tempted not to post anything entirely, simply to avoid having to languish in the anger and resentment I feel towards superstitious belief.

If you feel like having a good day, then avoid this story altogether; a young woman named Bibi Aisha in Afghanistan had her ears and nose chopped off for the “crime” of embarrassing her husband’s family.

The story is simple enough; when Aisha was 8, she was already promised to a much older man, and when she turned 16 she was handed off to the man’s father in law, the husband being away fighting for the Taliban in Pakistan. She was essentially treated as a slave, and soon tried to escape. The women who offered to help her turned out to be untrustworthy, as they tried selling Aisha to another man. She escaped this fate only to be arrested for being a runaway.

To punish her for her “crime” of trying to be free, she was sentenced to three years in jail, although that sentence was reduced to five months when Hamid Karzai became president. When she finally left the prison, her new husband was there to “greet” her, and she was brought to a special Taliban court, which ruled that her nose and ears were to be cut off  as punishment (since evidently a few months in jail was not enough for these religious zealots). The ordeal described in the article is too much for me to repeat, but though she was left in the mountains to die, she survived, and her tale has inspired others to help.

Afghanistan is a nightmare for any woman living there, and this is entirely because of a culture that finds refuge in ancient traditions and piety. The population is afraid of the fundamentalist Taliban, who either coerce or encourage Afghans to follow their brutal religious law. Aisha lost her nose, ears, and almost her life for trying to escape her horrible new family. Women like her aren’t free; they are treated as property, suffering physical, mental and sexual abuse. So long as the religious hand of the Taliban is at work in the country, they will never be safe.