The unheard voices of Islam and a response to Fitna.

Over the past year since I have been at Vox, I have had some fantastic dialogue with people of the Islamic faith and whenever I have been unsure about something, or I have had a query I have contacted some of the Muslims who post to Vox. In each interaction I have come away feeling that I have learnt so much and I feel less threatened by the religion of Islam.

That is not to say I am not concerned about the levels of violence we are seeing throughout the world, as I am and I am not alone in my concern, as many Muslims share my concerns.

The thought of any type of extremism taking over the world is not something I feel comfortable with and Islam is not alone as far as extremism is concerned. Religion is just one institution prone to extremism. The thought of any religion or extreme political ideology being forced upon anyone is not something I agree with. I also know that many of the actions of some western governments have actually helped the spread of Islamic extremism.

As someone who is not a Muslim, it is difficult not to fall into the trap of putting all Muslims into one basket, when we continually hear and see reports of Islamic clerics calling for violence against the likes of me. However, I know there are good and bad people in all religions, so I know better than to make sweeping generalisations based on the actions of some.

Anyway enough I my rambles, the people we need to hear from are the everyday Muslims in our communities.

2007 in response to the War on Terror and also in regards to speaking out.

Female Muslim UK:

Hi Chezza, just read your post and comments and thought i would contribute to your discussion. I am a Muslim living in the UK and like the majority of people watched the war on terror unfold right before my eyes via the world media; first it was Afghanistan then Iraq. Not a day goes by without Iraqi suicide bombings taking place and civilians and soldiers being killed. Approx 2 Million people marched the streets and i remember helping with the “Not in my name” banners for the demonstrations but it didnt do much good and the war is still going ahead despite the protests. Muslims unfortunately mistrust the government due to this and in the UK you are quite likely to be arrested under the Terrorism Act if you speak out, so the majority of Muslims would rather keep quiet than protest in fear of being labelled a terrorist which is a shame.

There is a constant barrage of Islamophobic articles which appear daily in the media which of course makes the problem of any dialogue worse. The government have Muslims spying on each other at mosques, Islamic gatherings etc and the moderate Muslim doesn’t have a platform in the media, only the extremists command centre stage!

What is the average Muslim supposed to do? I recently started to write to a female Muslim in prison accused of aiding terrorism but in the end i got so paranoid that the police would start investigating me i stopped communication.

The word Islam as u may know comes from the root word salam meaning peace. This is starting to become a cliche in itself, we are telling non-Muslims are religion means peace and all u see in the media is Muslims associated with killing people in terrorist acts! Islam does not condone killing another human being and is against all forms of killing (including abortion) and like another Muslim mentioned Jihad can only take place if certain conditions are met, even at war Muslims are not allowed to harm women and children, the elderly and surrounding wildlife (animals and even chop down trees), In islam you are allowed to defend yourself and your property.

I don t think as Muslims we can blame the West entirely for the problems Muslims face today, i personally think its down to their lack of understanding of Islam. We have Muslims who practice their religion once a week (during Jumuah) once a year (during Ramadan) or maybe once in their lifetime. They don’t fully understand what Islam is, they were born into a Muslim family but have mixed the teachings of Islam with their culture resulting in a distorted idea on what Islam is, leading to confusion. Parents are bringing their children up in different cultures and the children are getting confused and these people have nowhere to go, some of them abandon their religion, others turn to these extremist groups who take them in and teach them their own twisted view of Islam.

I would say never criticise the religion of Islam based on the actions of those who practise it, the teachings and religion itself is perfect but those (including myself) are prone to making mistakes and becoming forgetful and do not practise the religion properly leading to many of the problems we face today. Everything is down to knowledge, which the Qur’an encourages us to seek knowledge so did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

As for the Power of Nightmares i managed to watch that on tv when it came on and i agree with you that it is a good programme. Also i do recommend you speak to muslims from all back grounds rather than relying on google for your islamic info as for every good muslim site there are at least 10,000 rubbish dodgy ones, the ones that come up first on your google search are not necessarily the good ones, ask Muslims what they recommend

Male Muslim – Asia

Islam basically preaches moderation in all aspects of daily life, which is why most of us are socialists. As for war, we are not to wage it fool hardily, for a Jihad, a war where all Muslims must stand united can only be called when we are being treated in inhumane conditions for no reason.

From what I’ve seen so far, the reason why we are being labelled terrorists and have people become hostile towards us is simple. There are people who use our religion as an excuse to justify their hate and prejudice.

The following responses from Muslims are in response to the following comment (2007):

This sounds very reasonable, yet, I have not heard from the Islamic people in protest to this war or denouncing the killing of civilian population. Point me to where they have spoken out in the name of humanity, as I would like to see it. President Reagan said, “Trust, but Verify.”

I wrote:

Here link are some Muslims condemning 9/11, terrorism and war and therefore the killing of civilians

Muslims Condemn Terrorist Acts
.

Muslims against Terrorism
.

Muslims against the war

.

Male Muslim – US:

I would just like to say that it’s not my duty as a Muslim to condemn the actions of extremists who claim to be Muslim. I condemn their actions not because I feel compelled to do so; I condemn them out of my own free will. I didn’t hear a Christian condemnation or apology for the Virginia Tech shootings in which the murderer was citing verses from the Bible. The point is that we are responsible for ourselves. We all should try to promote peace & understanding, not because of our respective faiths, but because we are human beings.

My official condemnation: “I condemn the acts done in the name of Islam by impostors who have attempted to warp the faith. I condemn them for the fact that they have no concept of the real Islam and that they get rich of foreign governments from outside of the Middle East supplying them with a paycheck and weapons, making it appear that they represent the faith. I condemn them for serving the interests of these foreign governments to divide Muslims to make them more easily conquerable.” Thanks : )

Female Muslim - UK:

Thanks for adding my comments onto your responses, when i heard of this latest attempted terrorist attack it made me feel frustrated, sad and angry. We are trying to build bridges of peace love and understanding, and these select few in the name of Islam are trying to kill innocent civilians. The definitions on jihad were spot on, there is nowhere in the Qur’an that mentions “holy” and “war” in the same sentence and the greater jihad is the striving against ones self and one’s desires (jihad an nafs).

Hi CHezza

Hope you are safe and well, i just read your comment thanks. Muslims are criticised whatever they do, with the new terrorists threats in the UK, some Muslims have taken full page ads in newspapers condemning the acts and some people have said that not enough is done in the Muslim community to denounce the terrorists so either way we are officially doomed!! One think i would like to say is that not enough thanks and appreciation is shown to non-Muslims like yourself who generally don’t believe the hype and actually take time out to work with Muslims to strive for peace. Since the war in Iraq i have made quite a few friends and associates from groups like “stop the war”, who frequently bring up the issue of Islamophobia, the war in Iraq, palestine and campaign for the freeing of prisoners unlawfully detained in places like guantanamo bay.

Female Muslim – US

Actually, these accusations drive me insane. The truth is, Muslims condemn violence, all kinds, all the time, but like the title of your post says, our voices go unheard. All one has to do to find us speaking out is google phrases like “muslims for peace,” “muslims against terror,” “muslims march for peace,” etc. The thing about these accusations is that they put us on the defense. Instead of working together, we end up having to prove, over and over again, that the Ummah is speaking out against violence, war, terror, and injustice. The fact is that if one doesn’t see Muslims speaking out against violence and actively pursuing peace, it’s because one isn’t looking. The popular media won’t present it because it’s “boring” and doesn’t match the stereotypes they already portray.

Those who want to know about about what news stories in the Middle East look like might be interested in watching Mosaic. I think Link TV is only available on satellite TV programming, but there is also a podcast of the show.

Finally, one last comment about accusations like this– every time somebody says Muslims aren’t speaking out against violence, all Muslims are lumped together, and Muslims find themselves in a strange place, in which they have to defend Islam, their beliefs, themselves, while still condemning the acts which others commit in the name of Islam. The fact is that, when a white man rapes a woman of color, no one asks white men to prove they are not all vicious, sex-crazed control freaks. And when a Christian man blows up a government building, no one asks all Christians to apologize and speak out against violence. When Christian Serbs carried out genocide against Muslim Bosniak males, nobody asked the entire Christian world to speak out against the violence. No white person will ever be in a position in which he or she will have to defend all white people. No Christian will ever have to defend all Christians. That’s because these questions “why don’t you speak up against violence/genocide/terror etc.” are really just games. They serve no real purpose, because it is very easy to find Muslims all over the world speaking out against violence. Some people who ask these questions don’t realize they are playing, perpetuating this game. They haven’t thought enough about it to google the phrases I listed. But some people use it as a divisive tool to prove how “backwards” Islam is. To be honest, I’m tired of it, and I don’t want to waste my time playing these games.

Some responses to the following questions that I asked:

There is always talk whenever there is a suicide bombing of Shahid and the promise of paradise. Also people throw around some statements of receiving X number of virgins in paradise when they become a martyr for Islam.

Is there somewhere in the Qur’an that the mention of virgins is promised to these martyrs? Also is the concept of Shahid used by extremists to encourage people to become martyrs? Is Shahid a real Islamic concept as written in the Qur’an and is it a case of people using it in situations where it should not be used i.e. just as Jihad is used when it should not be used?

I am concerned as I have seen YouTube footage encouraging young children to practice Shahid. Please note I know that most Muslims do not condone this behaviour but I am wondering why the extremists are able to convince these people to become suicide bombers, so that is why I was wondering is there something in the Qur’an that is being used to indoctrinate these children and adults?

Female Muslim – US

I’ll try to answer them to the best of my knowledge as briefly as possible; since I’m sure others will have something to say as well. Plus, I’m at work

In my very humble opinion, the idea of receiving 72 virgins is a myth. For one, the number 72 is not stated in the Qur’an. The Qur’an does promise those who enter paradise “splendid companions well-matched” (78:33, Muhammad Asad translation), and “companions pure, most beautiful of eye” (52:20), “mates of modest gaze, whom neither man nor invisible being will have touched ere then” (55:56) and finally: “And We shall pair them with companions pure, most beautiful of eye.” (44:54). However, there is no number here. In fact everything is pluralized, so there is really little information regarding how many companions one person will receive. There is also evidence that the spouses of those who enter paradise will be renewed (56:34-36). My point here is that, in reality, we have very little idea of what is in store for those who enter paradise from the Qur’an, which is of course our first resource for all matters regarding faith. Also, there are some interpretations of these verses which regard the promise of “Houris” as promises of rare fruits and, specially, white raisins. I don’t know much about these interpretations, but I can see how such would apply to people who lived in the desert.

Now, the number 72 comes from a Hadith, and while I believe the Hadith are critical to our knowledge of Islam and how to practice it properly, I am also very critical and skeptical of Hadith in general. There are tens of thousands of Hadith, most of which were not collected until 200 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. There is a strict Islamic science which was used to evaluate the chain of transmission to ascertain whether or not a Hadith was authentic, and as it is, the Hadith which promises 72 virgins is not considered authentic.

So, in summary, I believe the promise of of 72 virgins is crap.

My response to your question — why do fanatics get away with this stuff? The fact is, most Muslim have never read the Qur’an in its entirety, just like most Christians have never read the Bible. The Qur’an is taught in schools, and people are told what is said, and in general, they believe it. There is also an issue of translation, for those who do read the Qur’an. There are several translations of the Qur’an which insert parentheses into the text which are actually interpretations and seriously mislead readers. The other issue we have to deal with is basically a large group of disenfranchised people, who feel very wounded by colonialism. So, when you combine these factors, you get an explosive reaction, excuse the pun, which the radicals use to try to accomplish their political goals. These political goals are mostly a result of colonialism and imperialism

Anyway, I’m no Islamic scholar, and only God knows best, but I hope I answered your questions.

Male Muslim – US

Peace be Unto all of you,

I would like to try to shed some light on your questions if I may. The word “Shahid” in Arabic literally means “to witness or testify.” There are various meanings depending on the context in which it is used. One of the meanings of Shahid is martyr. To bare some comparison, Martin Luther King Jr. is probably the best example of a Shahid in the U.S. In this context, it means someone who has stood for a righteous cause and was killed for his faith. Not to oversimplify the issue, but this is basically the meaning of martyrdom, which by the way is not an Islamic innovation. In fact, this was prevalent throughout the history of prophets and their followers.

To my understanding, the ‘virgins’ accusation comes from the arabic word “Hour al Ayn” or pure companions which is found in the Qur’an. Some people with ill intent towards Islam translate this as virgins, which is incorrect. Our friend was correct that this number 72 is based on hadith and is not found in Qur’an. However, no Muslim scholar will claim that all hadith are valid. In fact, they have developed a system called “Eilm al Rijaal” or the study of the narrators of hadith to classify hadith as accepted, strong, weak, etc.

However, the system of Shahadeh and Jihad are valid concepts in Islam based on the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad (sas), but not in the way they are all to often portrayed. The bigger “jihad” or struggle according to the Prophet is the struggle against the evil tendencies of the self. The other Jihad or physical struggle is only valid in cases of defense. An unbiased historical analysis of all of the wars of Islam during the life of the Prophet will show that they were all defensive wars. Yes, I will admit that Muslims abused this concept after the departure of the Prophet (sas).

It is clear to all people, not only Muslims, that if someone is oppressed unjustly, he has the right to resist that oppression and take up arms in defense of his family, his land, or his life. I also believe that yes, extremists do foment the wave of Jihad among their people and terrorize others. We should ask ourselves: why are they so successful? For example, many Palestinians teach their kids that the Israelis/Zionism (not the religion of Judaism) is oppressive and it is their duty to fight them. The kids grow up and they see first hand the iron fist of occupation and aggression by the Israelis and they tell themselves, “Yes. My parents were right. “ So the demographics, economics, and social make-up of certain countries make some young Muslims easy recruits.

Also, I should say one more thing. Most of the terrorists acts done around the world are from a small group of marginalized Muslims called Salafis (i.e. Bin Laden, Zarqawi, Zwahiri, etc). They have a warped version of the faith and have killed countless Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites. Fate brought this group unfortunately to vast amounts of wealth and today we have outsiders who purposely promote them to distort the image of Islam and to create sectarian division among Muslms. In my view, they represent Islam just as much as David Quresh and Charles Manson represent Christianity.

I would also advise you to ask a local Muslim scholar these questions, and not to take my word for it. Thanks for reading. May peace be upon you.

I also asked for an opinion on a comment that I had directed at me elsewhere on Vox. In reality it doesn’t really matter who made this comment, as it is not an isolated comment and unfortunately it is a very common perception held by many Westerners

“…… the Bible tells us to preach the truth in love. Unlike Islam, wherein the actual writings of Muhammad are violent. His “surahs” (scriptures) in the Qu’ran encourage “jihad” (holy war) against others who believe differently. The religious writings of Mohammad teach his followers that men should beat others into submission of their will: unbelievers, women, children, and if that is ineffective, then kill them. The MSM wants Americans to believe that Islam is a “peaceful” religion, but their actions and their own religious writings preach differently. Don’t believe me? See here: Fitna I’m no mind reader, so you tell me what is in the hearts of these men? Actions always speak louder than words.“

From: Muslims Against Sharia:

Factually, the comment (as is Fitna) is correct. There are some teachings in the Koran that incite violence against non-Muslims. This is exactly what we are trying to remove: http://www.reformislam.org/verses.php. What the commenter (just as Fitna) fails to realize (or mention) is that there are hundreds of millions of Muslims that are suffering from radical Islamic teachings. In act, there are more Muslims murdered by Islamists than everybody else combined. The Muslims would be primary beneficiaries if radical Islam ceased to exist. As for “true Muslim”, unfortunately it seems that majority of today’s Muslims espouse radical Islamic ideology rather than believe in peaceful Islam. We think that we (moderates) are true Muslims. They (radicals) think that they are. Only time will tell who is right.

Male Muslim US:

May Peace be Upon You,

The film “Fitna” is a gross misrepresentation of Islamic teachings. It was incited as a direct attack on Islam in my view. Those defending it claim that Islam should be subject to criticism like anything else. We as Muslims agree with this, however, we are against abuse. If people have questions or even disagree with Islamic teachings, they can open a dialogue with Muslim leaders instead of taking Qur’anic verses out of context to promote hatred. That’s what it’s all about… promoting hatred.

Also, the claim that Prophet Muhammad (sas) promoted violence shows the poor level of education of the person that sent you that. Such a claim would be like accusing Jesus of rebellion, inciting social chaos, promoting hatred, being against democracy, promoting racism (being sent only to the house of the lost sheep of Israel), etc. If the maker of this film really wanted to open a dialogue and voice his/her concerns about Islam, the movie would be entitled, “Controversial teachings of Islam explained by Muslim clerics.” Instead, it’s entitled “Fitna” which means separation or strife. Also, the Bible is filled with passages promoting violence, sexual deviation, unjust punishments, and even execution as a punishment for blasphemy. However, conveniently, those things are never talked about.

Also, this movie in my opinion was created, funded, and promoted by certain groups & state-sponsors to anger Muslims worldwide and to get them to commit violent acts as an excuse for some countries to take up military arms against majority Muslim countries. I believe the Prophet Muhammad cartoons were created for the same purpose.

One more thing if I may… these supposed Muslim clerics who call for violence, how many are they in number? Where did you hear about them? Do you know their credentials? The problem with the media is that they pluck out a few wacko Imams and show them promoting violent rhetoric and action. What about the other 99% of Muslim clerics who call for dialogue? You never hear about them because that does not fit with the Islamophobic media propaganda. That’s like me starting a news network featuring the rhetoric of David Quresh, Jerry Falwell, etc. and showing no moderate Christian leaders.

My point is this: If we have absolute freedom of speech and nothing is too sacred, then I’m sure no one will have a problem if the Iranian government were to make a movie with evidence showing that the Holocaust was grossly exaggerated and that 9/11 was an inside job. Nothing is too holy when it comes to freedom of speech according to the producer of this film. What a double-standard! Unbelievable. The truth is that freedom of speech is monopolized and only granted to those select nations who support a particular agenda. That is since Islam cannot be academically defeated; they must resort to distortions, taking things out of context, and plain promotion of hatred.

Male non-Muslim AU:

I have always held the view that the violence we are seeing in the Muslim world is a manifestation of the bitter struggle for ideological supremacy between the moderate and radical schools of Islam. Caught in the middle of the proverbial crossfire is wide swathe of the non-Muslim world. Some people can see this, others can’t, and yet there are some who see it as their misguided right to step in and try to force a certain peace come hell or high water. It is the latter group that continues to muddy the waters and creates more confusion than anything.

Male Muslim US reply:

Good points and well-said.

The current socio-political climate in the Middle East fosters radical ideologies such as Wahhabism which dominates the Saudi government. Maybe the Bush administration should speak out or boycott the Saudi government instead of holding hands with their leaders and turning a blind eye to the terrorist bombings they are committing in Iraq everyday. Amazing… 10 years ago, there were no organized Muslim militias or terror groups in Iraq, now thanks to the invasion, they have multiplied. If I didn’t know better, I would swear this war was simply made to promote violence and get the Muslims to kill each other so others don’t have to do it.

Female Muslim UK:

Peace to you Chezza.

I have refrained from watching the film Fitna as there is enough Islamaphobic programmes on the television where I live. China has taken the heat off us for a while but I am sure we will be number one headlines again soon.

Islam is about peace. When people start labelling themselves as this or that kind of Muslim that is when division begins, about ten years ago the terms “jihadist, moderate/radical muslim extremist etc” did not exist, they have been created by the media.

The Qur’an can never be changed or reformed, if you choose to call yourself a Muslim and believe that the Qur’an is the Word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) you cannot call for the text of it to be changed, or want verses of it removed. Those that do wish to change it for whatever reason should know that Allah has promised to preserve the Qur’an so good luck in trying, your wasting your time!

The Qur’an does have text that refer to violence but it does not promote hatred or tolerance. Those that comment on the verses have neither read or understood the original Arabic, nor have they bothered to research the verses in detail to attempt to understand why the verses were revealed and to which situation or incident these verses refer to.

Islam like any other religion is open to mis-interpretation based on the person’s intellect, their personal circumstances, their peers etc. When someone is new to Islam or may have been Muslim all their life but re-connected to their faith, they are vulnerable to these extremist and radical groups who will recruit these individuals and prey on their vulnerability. They will use this lack of knowledge to convince them that their version and only their version of Islam is the correct one and everyone elses is false or wrong. It’s a shame that many Muslims are falling into this trap, May Allah guide them to the straight path. Ameen.

It is however difficult to keep a billion Muslims in line, you are gonna get a small percentage who have through lack of knowledge, misunderstood the teachings of Islam and use the favours God has given them to create havoc on earth. I don’t believe that it is such a wide spread epidemic that we should fear that Islamic extremists will take over the world. That’s just the media doing a very good job of portraying ALL MUSLIMS as potential suicide bombers. This type of media scare mongering can be seen in the number of new laws created by Tony Blair with the aim of “combatting terrorism”, these so called laws that say that a person can be arrested detained and questioned without charge if suspected of terrorist acts for 28 days. Not to mention the human right injustices going on all over the globe in the name of fighting terrorism.

The word jihad means to strive, it is mentioned in the Qur’an in many different places, but the concept of jihad meaning Holy War has been created by the media as the word Holy and War do not appear in the Qur’an together as part of a sentence but the average person has come to believe that defintion through the media.

The problems that Muslim face are that they are not practising their religion, they do so without knowledge which is why the Muslim populations of the world are suffering at the hand’s of their governments, other countries etc because of their lack of fear and trust in God. They are like lost sheep waiting to return to their shepherd who get eaten by wolves on the way back to the farm (sorry just needed to add a bit of humour in here)

I would suggest to anyone who feared Islam taking over their neighbourhood or county to go and talk to a Muslim person, it will help to dispel any myths and breakdown some barriers.

Why is Islam one of the fastest growing religions in the world despite such negative Islamaphobic reports, are we all being brainwashed like zombies to believe in this religion?

So there were a number of voices many never hear. Thank you to my Muslim brothers and sisters of the world who were prepared to speak out.

I think the best piece of advice we can all learn from this is that open dialogue can break down barriers and build some bridges.

Peace to you all.

Muslims - A Walk in Your Shoes

From IslamicVideos.net

This video is a lovely story of two teenage girls breaking down the religious barriers between Islam and Christianity. As one of the girls said at the end,

“If people got to know other people from different backgrounds and different religions the world would be a much better place.”

Some interesting links which include links various Muslim individuals and organisations:

A Secular Muslim Manifesto

.

Zeyno Baran

.

British Muslims for Secular Democracy

.

Center for Islamic Pluralism

.

Muslim Canadian Congress

.

Tawfik Hamid

.

American Islamic Forum for Democracy

.

Islamic Supreme Council of America

.

Nibras Kazimi

.

Irshad Manji

.

Italian Muslim Assembly

.

Secular Islam Summit

.

Mohamed Sifaoui

.

Amir Taheri

Bear convicted of stealing honey - A true news story!

Don’t you just love a true news story that seems so bizarre that it couldn’t possibly be true, well this is just one of those stories.  This is taken from our reliable news source, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, so it should be a ridgy didge story.

 

Bear convicted of stealing honey

A Macedonian court convicted a bear of theft and damage for stealing honey from a beekeeper who fought off the attacks with thumping “turbo-folk” music.

“I tried to distract the bear with lights and music because I heard bears are afraid of that,” Zoran Kiseloski told top-selling daily Dnevnik after the year-long case of the bear vs the beekeeper ended in the beekeeper’s favour.

“So I bought a generator, lit up the area and put on songs of (Serbian ‘turbo-folk’ star) Ceca.”

The bear stayed away for a few weeks, but came back when the generator ran out of power and the music fell silent, Mr Kiseloski said, adding, “it attacked the beehives again.”

A court in the city of Bitola found the bear guilty, and since it had no owner and belonged to a protected species, ordered the state to pay the 140,000 denars ($3,550) damage it caused to the hives.

There was no information on the whereabouts of the bear.

 

Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan. The testimony begins today.

Information taken from the Iraq Veterans Against the War website:

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan will feature testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.

 

The four-day event will bring together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, there will be panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels will cover everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans’ health benefits and support.

 

When: Thursday March 13 to Sunday March 16

 

Attendance at Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan is not open to the general public because of limited space at the event site. Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and Gold Star Families Speak Out will attend the panels at Winter Soldier.

 

To bring the testimonies to the general public and GIs all over the world we have made it possible to watch the live broadcasts online and on television, and to listen online and the radio. You can find out more about how to watch or listen here. To find a local Winter Soldier screening event or to submit a screening event go to our events map.

 

Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan (Part 1)

 

.

.

 

Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan (Part 2)

The name Winter Soldier comes from a quote from Thomas Paine, the revolutionary who rallied George Washington’s troops at Valley Forge, saying:

 

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

 

Paine was trying to keep Washington’s army from deserting in the face of a bitter winter and mounting defeats at the hands of the British. Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War say the same type of courage is needed to confront the evils unleashed by the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.  (Source)

–

I wish all involved the very best.  I know that what they have to say will not be welcomed by some.  There will be many who reject their credentials and call them ‘fake soldiers’.  These men and women have a right to be heard and they are due the same support as all who have served their country in a time of war.   Are these men and women not brave for speaking out against what they believe is wrong - of course they are. It is far braver to stand up for what you believe is right than to follow the majority who maybe wrong.

 

“Support the Troops”

Means supporting all of the troops, even if what they say is not want you want to hear.

Lawrence “Larry” King a teen was shot to death for being gay. Why the hate?

Why the mainstream media
doesn’t care about the murder of gay teens

 

 

 

 

By Tanene Allison

February 27, 2008

Lawrence “Larry” King was shot to death and the media thought that you didn’t need to know about it.

Larry, as you might have now learned, was fifteen and in his junior high school computer lab when Brandon McInerney, 14, followed through on a previously declared threat and shot King.

The mainstream media apparently didn’t think that you needed to know that King had recently come out as gay and had started to wear lipstick, mascara, earrings, and a pair of particularly fierce high heeled boots.

The first LA Times article on the shooting made no reference to Larry’s sexual orientation, or his manner of dress. When the mainstream media first reported the murder, it was stated that the violence stemmed from a “personal dispute” between the two boys. In contrast, ten years ago, the first AP story on Matthew Sheppard’s assault included information about his sexual orientation, a fact that had played a role in his victim status. continued

 

 

 

Ellen DeGeneres Discusses The Recent Tragic Death

 

 

 

I know Ellen got it right when she said the following:

“A boy has been killed and a number of lives have been ruined. And, somewhere along the line the killer, Brandon, got the message that it’s so threatening, so awful, and so horrific that Larry would want to be his Valentine — that killing Larry seemed to be the right thing to do. And when the message out there is so horrible that to be gay, you can get killed for it, we need to change the message. Larry was not a second-class citizen. I am not a second-class citizen. It’s ok if you’re gay.”

 

 

 

We really do have to wonder where a teenage boy gets the message from that a person should be killed just for being gay.

 

 

 

Sadly one of the places a person learns such a thing is from various religions. I have seen far too many hateful comments left on blogsites, YouTube and various other websites to ignore the message of hate that is all too often being delivered by people who proclaim to belong to religions of love.

 

 

 

It is time people started thinking for themselves and stop hiding either their bigotry or ignorance behind their so called religious dogma. If you really do believe you belong to a religion of love then your task is easy, if you really do have love in your heart then there is no way that you can continue to use your religion to persecute people - it is impossible to persecute anyone if you have love in your heart.

 

 

 

Religion was used to justify slavery, justify segregation, justify the oppression of women (still doing so in some religions/doctrines) and it is still being used to justify the oppression of gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgender people and it is wrong.

 

 

 

I am actually past debating this issue, because as far as I am concerned it is insulting and dehumanising to any LGBT person to even have to have this debate. As Ellen said: “Larry was not a second-class citizen. I am not a second-class citizen. It’s ok if you’re gay.”

 

 

 

If you proclaim that you are a Christian and you can’t see that oppressing and persecuting LGBT people is wrong, then please take the time to look around on the internet as there is plenty of information around to help you read scripture in a new light when it comes to LGBT people and Christianity.

 

 

I approached this subject initially with love. I couldn’t reconcile what I had been taught in a Christian church about Jesus/love and the persecution of LGBT people by far too many in the Christian church and also that many others in these churches weren’t speaking out against this persecution.

What was happening to LGBT was against everything that I thought the Christian church stood for, so I did a lot of reading of the ‘clobber’ scriptures and their historical context and it was so blatantly obvious to me that these scriptures do not relate to any gay person in a loving committed relationship.

Yes scripture states that promiscuity is a ’sin’ but it is just as much a sin if you are heterosexual or gay, there is no distinction. Being gay doesn’t automatically make a person promiscuous, that assumption is a false stereotype that seems to once again be portrayed far too often to clobber LGBT people.

 

If you are not sure where to start looking for alternative information regarding Christianity and homosexuality here are some links to get you started:

 

 

NO LONGER SILENT – Clergy for Justice

 

 

Metropolitan Community Churches

The Bible and Homosexuality

Homosexuality: Not a Sin, Not a Sickness

What the Bible Says - And Doesn’t Say - About Homosexuality pdf

A Letter to Louise - A Biblical Affirmation of Homosexuality

 

 

If you don’t believe there is a message of hate coming from Christianity then just take a look for yourselves. It is time for people to really speak out about this issue ………….

 

 

 

For The Bible Tells Me So – Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Ex-Gay Leaders Apologize

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Of Exodus’ Founders Come Out As ‘Ex-Ex-Gay’

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Exgay” Organizations Oppose Hate Crime Protections

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Shepard, Hatred and the Need to Change

 

 

 

 

 

 

WARNING to Christian Parents of Gay Kids!!

 

 

 

And still the message goes out to young people that who they are is not who they should be, creating self hatred, depression, guilt, shame, isolation and some times leading them to suicide. The cycle continues because we in the Christian community allow it to continue by making LGBT people feel that they have to change to be accepted as a whole person in the eyes of the church and the wider community …………

 

 

 

2008 Exodus Freedom Conference Promo

 

 

 

At least I now don’t feel quite so alone as a Christian speaking out, there are others who are speaking out and regrettably they are experiencing the penalty from other Christians for doing so ………….

 

 

Gay Excommunication – for a Straight Ally

 

 

 

Now I would like to say this to finish off. Yes once again I am putting forward my liberal/leftist and some would say heretical views, but I am afraid that I can’t help it, as you see I was indoctrinated at a very early age to have these types of views. I was taught to love one another, to stand up for those who are persecuted, to help the needy and the disadvantaged, to welcome the outsider. Yes I was taught about some special man who used to talk to crowds on hillsides and on beaches and any where else people would gather to hear him. I believed that what I was being taught was the truth and this man was an example of how we should conduct ourselves throughout our lives. The indoctrination process was very effective, as I still believe it is the right way to live. So if you have a problem with my views, then blame my mother for taking me to church every Sunday from the age of four, because that is where I learnt about some guy called Jesus who told people that the greatest commandment is love and every other commandment hinges on that commandment. I guess I must have missed the Sundays when the congregation was taught to condemn and hate those who are different to ourselves - I am glad I missed those Sundays, I am better for it.

Like I said I am not going to debate this issue because for me there is nothing to debate.

Oppression and persecution of LGBT people is wrong and that is all there is to it.

—

Just some extra informative videos if any one is interested.

These two videos are worth watching. There are a number of excellent speakers and one of the speakers actually mentions the ‘research’ project that was done to see if ex-gay therapy worked and how the ex-gay movement has high jacked and falsified the results.

 

Arizona Human Rights Fund Press Conf. Opposing “Love Won - PART 1

 

Arizona Human Rights Fund Press Conf. Opposing “Love Won - PART 2

 

The otherside of the ex-gay movement; the broken families. Ex-gay movements quite often tell gay people to marry a heterosexual partner as a part of the changing process from being gay to being ‘ex-gay’. Then eventually the ‘ex-gay’ person can no longer keep up the pretence of being an ex-gay and feels compelled to be true to themselves and their family and leave their ‘heterosexual’ marriage.

 

“Ex-Gay = Ex-Wife” — The Survivors Speak Out

If You Are a spouse dealing with this issue, and need support please visit: www.straightspouse.org

In the spirit of reconciliation a tribute to Aussie band, The Warumpi Band.

Warning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers that these film clips may contain images of people who are deceased.

 

 

It has now been nearly two weeks since Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered his “Apology” on behalf of the Australian Parliament to the stolen generations of our indigenous peoples and made a pledge to improve the standard of living conditions for indigenous Australians.

 

As a tribute to that special occasion I would like to pay a tribute to an Australian band called the The Warumpi Band.

 

Given the events two weeks ago I think the following song; Blackfella Whitefella is a very appropriate symbol for our current times as we as a nation move towards reconciliation.

 

Blackfella Whitefella Doesn’t matter What ya’ colour As long as you A true fella

As long as you A real fella All the people Of different races Around the world

In different places Doesn’t matter What your name is We’ve got to have lots of

changes We need more brothers If we’re to make it We need more sisters If we’re

to save it Are you the one who’s gonna stand up and be counted? Are you the one

who’s gonna be there when we shout it? Are you the one who’s always ready with

a helping hand? Are you the one who understands this family plan? Blackfella Whitefella

Yellowfella Any fella Doesn’t matter What your colour As long as you A true fella

All the people of different races Around the world in different places Doesn’t

matter Which religion It’s all the same when the ship is sinking We need more

brothers If we’re to make it We need more sisters If we’re to change it Are you

the one who’s gonna stand up and be counted? Are you the one who’s gonna be there

when we shout it? Are you the one who’s always there with a helping hand? Are

you the one who understands this family plan? Stand up Stand up and be counted

Stand up Stand up and be counted Stand up Stand up and be counted Stand up Stand

up and be counted Stand up Stand up and be counted (etc) Are you the one who’s

always there with a helping hand? Are you the one who understands this family

plan? Are you the one who’s always there with a helping hand? Are you the one

who understands this family plan?

 

 

Sadly the former frontman of the Warumpi Band died in June of last year.  Due to cultural reasons he is now referred to as George Burrarrawanga.  He died on his island home of Elcho Island.  The island in east Arnhem Land is the subject of the classic song called My Island Home, which was written by the Warumpi Band’s Neil Murray.  George Burrarrawanga was 50 years old.

The leeches who deserve to be driven over!

I despise these people.

They are the lowest of the low.

How can they look at themselves in the mirror each day?

What a shameful ‘career’.

They put people’s lives at risk, both the people they hunt and the innocent who get caught in their way.

Shame also goes to the people who buy their trash.

Yes I am talking about the paparazzi! 

They are not professional photographers, as you don’t need any skills in photography to point a camera in someone’s face and take a snap shot or sit on a hill with a huge telescopic lens and invade someone’s privacy.  The only ’skill’ you need is not to have a conscience of any kind.

Remember Princess Diana?  Do we need another death at the hands of the paparazzi before something is ACTUALLY done about these leeches?  I hope not!

Stop buying the trash they snap, because you are just as guilty as the paparazzi when people get either physically or emotionally hurt through their actions.  Imagine if that was you getting hounded everyday, unable to walk outside your door in peace.

The only reason I heard about this latest incident was because my husband saw it on the news and it made me so angry, I decided to have a rant.

This is the footage from the latest chase of Britney Spears and it is just disgusting.  Seriously these people deserve to be run over, they are an endangerment to all who are travelling on the road.  There are two videos one from ground level and the other from a helicopter.

 

Britney swarmed by paparazzi

Apparently once she arrived at the Beverley Hills Hotel she had to wait for police to arrive to break up the paparazzi frenzy and escort her safely inside.  As if police haven’t got better things to do with their time!

I was also not very happy to see the footage of Heath Ledger’s body being removed from his residence and once again there were photographers everywhere, obviously including the photographer who took the footage I was watching.

We don’t need to see it!

Let’s start worrying and trying to do something about the important things which are happening around us.

 

Bishop calls for gay Christians to come out of the spiritual closet. Plus great Gay Christian links.

Bishop calls for gay Christians to come out of the spiritual closet

The most visible and powerful voice for LGBT equality in the Christian community will address thousands of activists on Feb. 9 during the National Creating Change Conference in Detroit.

In 2003 Rev. Gene Robinson’s consecration as the U.S. Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop sent shockwaves across the globe that threatened to divide the Anglican Church. Despite death threats, relentless media attention and political fallout, Robinson has become a beacon of hope and reason for those focused on working for change within faith based communities.

“Because religion has treated LGBT people so horribly it is the last place we will look for support,” said Robinson during an interview with BTLlast week. “There is no civil rights issue so closely tied to religious issues as homosexuality.”

His plenary address at Creating Change will outline the connections between the fight for LGBT rights and religion.

“We cannot ignore the religious piece of the argument, since it is the greatest stumbling block to us making progress. I think it will take religious voices to counter the religious right.”

Coming out as people of faith

The very nature of the “religious right” and the pervasive use of the Bible to justify denial of LGBT rights, said Robinson, has made tackling faith based roadblocks the last priority for many activists, leading many into a spiritual closet.

“LGBT people need to come out as being religious. I think it sometimes easier to come out as gay than it is to come out as religious.”

During a recent visit at the D.C. offices of the Human Rights Campaign, he asked a group of 100 staffers to raise their hands if they were active in a church.

“About two-thirds of them raised their hands,” recalled Robinson. “But only 3 people said they had told other people in the building that they were religious.”

To create change, Robinson believes that LGBT people of faith need to view themselves as missionaries - building bridges between churches and the greater lesbian and gay community.

Reclaiming Religion

“Religion is not monolithically our enemy.”

But, homophobia justified by Biblical interpretation leads many LGBT people to stereotype all churches as the right arm in the religious right.

Robinson points to his consecration as proof that change is possible in faith based communities.

“In the Episcopal church, with me being elected, there have been lawsuits and people leaving the church. This is the church risking its life for gay and lesbian people. The church has put itself on the line to protect us.”

Calling the notion of “church or a belief in God” far from a stagnate thing, Robinson encourages LGBT people to seek out communities of faith that accept them for who they are.

“The church that you left when they were feeling so discriminated against may not be the church that it is there now. There is a church or synagogue that can, with an open heart, help you put back together your spirituality.” Article continues

——

One of the best discussions in terms of Christianity and being gay I have heard was in the following discussion which included Bishop Gene Robinson.

Gays and God

Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop
Steven Greenberg, rabbi
Zina Jacque, Baptist minister
Cheryl Giles, moderator
Diane Moore, moderator

Most LGBT feel alienated from the religions of their childhood. Either having abandoned their birthright traditions, or feeling the need to challenge those traditions, they are in a peculiar position among people of faith.

Will America’s churches, synagogues, and other traditional religious institutions ever accept homosexuality?

Religious writings have been used as the word of God and a political tool. What role will they play in this election year? The panelists here explore these and other issues relating to what it means to be moral, sexual humans in our society.

This panel discussion is presented by the Harvard Institute of Politics.

What really impressed me above all else was their sense of humanity and humility which seems to be lacking when I listen to many Christians.  For me these three gay religious teachers gave a real sense of what Christianity and Judaism should be about, and that is love, acceptance and compassion.  In my opinion if there were more religious people such as these either gay or straight, the world would be a much better place.

—-

On another note I have mentioned this organisation before but I think it is worth mentioning again.

 

Fortunate Families

Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families ministers primarily with Catholic parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender daughters and sons—but welcomes families of all faiths. When parents explore and value their personal stories, they are empowered to share that story with their family circle, their faith community and the larger society. 

Parents just learning that a son is gay or a daughter is lesbian will find resources—including the Fortunate Families Newsletter—and support to help them understand, accept, and affirm their child who is a child of God. Catholic parents will find information regarding Church teaching and pastoral responses to the gay or lesbian child. Parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender daughters and gay sons who yearn for a more welcoming church and society will find strategies for making their faith communities and their world safer and more just for their children.

Grounded in Catholic tradition, Fortunate Families welcomes families of all faiths.

 

At the moment this group is releasing some fantastic information leaflets on a weekly basis titled:

Let’s Talk About Homosexuality I have currently read the first 4 weeks and I was impressed with the series so far, hopefully the remaining modules will be just as interesting and impressive.

Let’s Talk About Homosexuality

 

A Catholic conversation for:

• Parents of gay and lesbian children: parents still in the closet, alone with their secret; parents out of the closet, struggling with their questions, their fears, their faith.

• Parents of young children: moms and dads seeking information and insight for their own parenting role as teacher and counselor.

• Family members who may be struggling to deal with the hurtful stereotypes that exist within both society and their Church.

• Gay and lesbian people who may be searching for some sign of understanding from their Church.

• Anyone who is curious about homosexuality and wanting to learn more.

The series, originally created as an adult education program and carried for 14 weeks on the website of a Midwest Catholic parish, is intended for anyone interested in learning more about homosexuality and the pastoral challenges it raises for Catholics.  Click to read how and why Jerry Furlong, parent of a gay child, came to develop the series.

A new segment in the series will be posted on seven consecutive Mondays following the January 7th introduction. After the complete series has been posted, it will be archived for future access. 

Week 1: Common Questions about Homosexuality  Now available.
The Basic Stuff
Scientific Perspectives

 

Week 2: Common Questions about Homosexuality  Now available.
Social Perspectives
Family Perspectives

 

Week 3: Putting a Human Face on Homosexuality  Now available.
Parents Talk of Their Experience

 

Week 4: Putting a Human Face on Homosexuality  Now Available.
Gay and Lesbian Persons Talk of Their Experience

 

Week 5: Moral and Pastoral Considerations  Now available.
What the Church Teaches

 

Week 6: Moral and Pastoral Considerations  To be posted February 11
Other Catholic Voices: So What Are We To Do?
The Role of Conscience

 

Week 7: Moral and Pastoral Considerations  To be posted February 18
Other Catholic Voices: Shared Thoughts on Vatican Documents

 

Week 8: Moral and Pastoral Considerations  To be posted February 25
Other Catholic Voices:
The Question of “Finality”
“A Biblical Understanding”
Can Teaching Change?
One Last Question

—-

I would also recommend this book if you are a gay Christian.  I know that many mainstream Christians will not agree with its interpretations, but scripture is supposed to be living and interpretation is not fixed despite what we are continually told and interpretation is influenced by certain prejudices.

 

Gay Christian 101

 

Read what others have said about this book.

 

Please show your support for a sincere & unifying apology from the entire Australian Parliament

As an Australian who lives in a town with a relatively large indigenous community, I understand the importance of this forth coming apology to the Stolen Generation. I also recognise that there will need to be further actions of reconciliation to help heal our past so that we can all move forward as one united nation.  I live in a town where there is resentment between the indigenous and the non-indigenous communities.  I see and understand the disadvantages that our indigenous community faces every day.  I do not wish for these problems to continue to fester and be a continual embarrassment to our country.

Many Australian towns do not have indigenous communities living in their towns and so many Australians may not fully understand the problems faced by indigenous communities and how their problems affect both the indigenous and the non-indigenous people in these towns.  It is very important to communities such as my own that this apology is a meaningful apology, so I am hoping that you will take the time to read the following statement, and use the link below to contact your local member of parliament to express your support for this apology.  My own local member of parliament is a member of the Liberal party and she has expressed her full support for the apology and understands how important the apology is to our community. If you are unsure what the apology means there are links below with further information about the apology.

Thanks for your time,

Chezz.

A message  from GetUp!

 

Last year, tens of thousands Australians across the nation demanded that the next parliament and PM say ’sorry’ to the Stolen Generations as their very first act on the very first sitting day.

Yesterday the PM agreed! Yet as we speak the shape of this historical moment is still being determined in meetings between Labor and Indigenous representatives, in the Liberal party room and in the minds of the millions of Australians who aren’t sure how they feel about an apology.

It is important for Australians to demonstrate to all our politicians the broad groundswell of support for a sincere and unifying apology from the whole Parliament. You can email your MP a quick note right now - and urge all your friends and family to do the same? This online tool makes it easy - just enter your postcode.

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaySorry

Australia’s parliament holds a key to a new way forward - symbolically and practically: ‘An apology is not about guilt or shame or individual responsibility - it is the embodiment of the spirit of reconciliation, and the springboard for a nation committed to stamp out the systemic ills that still flow from a nation unable to address its past wrongs’.

Our Indigenous colleagues have stressed two factors in the success of this new way forward. First, the supreme importance of cross party support when the PM takes to the Parliament floor. So, if your MP is Liberal, please urge him or her to push the party leadership to support the apology.

Second, the apology was always only meant to be the first step and must be acknowledged as such. So, if your MP is Labor, please support, commend, and thank them - but also remind them that this a starting point and that what is required now is the full and comprehensive response to the Bringing Them Home Report.

Reconciliation Australia have produced an excellent fact sheet about the apology. If you are unsure about its meaning or want to explain to others about the importance of the apology, please click here and forward it on. The Bringing Them Home Report can also be found here.

Help make this moment the kind of new beginning it deserves to be.

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaySorry

Thanks for being part of this,

The GetUp team

 

Australia Day Vs Invasion Day.

I had hoped to post this post on Australia Day however my internet obviously had other ideas and so I was unable to post anything for a few days.  Then I thought I would let it pass because I had felt that my window of opportunity had passed.  However it seems that the subject has literally been ignited after a group of 100 indigenous Australians protested against Australia Day and burnt the national Australian Flag.

I am not a fan of burning national flags however I wonder if their point would have been taken seriously had they not burnt an Australian flag.

The point which was being made was as follows:

About 100 Aborigines from across Tasmania rallied in Launceston’s City Park against what they call “Invasion Day”.

After the speeches, Adam Thompson stepped from the crowd and burnt the Australian flag with a cigarette lighter, to cheers from the crowd.

Mr Thompson says he would not have been deterred by the threat of prosecution.

“I would have done it anyway because it signifies something, and that’s for a bigger cause,” he said.

“Australians know what it means to Aboriginal people for them to celebrate Invasion Day and they do it anyway, so there’s a blatant disregard there for Aboriginal people. And that made us angry enough to do that.  (Source)

 

 

For those who are not aware, Australia Day is Australia’s national day of celebration of our great country.  The date coincides with the date that the British fleet first landed on the shores of Australia in order to establish the British penal colony in Australia. This occurred on the 26th January 1788.  The British felt justified in occupying this land because according to the British the land was void of inhabitants.  This was a common practice and was not just applicable to the colonisation of Australia by the British.

 

The occupation of the land was occupied under what is termed “terra nullius”. 

 

Sovereignty of a territory could be acquired under the enlarged notion of terra nullius , for the purposes of the municipal law that territory (though inhabited) could be treated as a ‘desert uninhabited’ country.’ At the time of the establishment of the Colony in Australia, it “consisted of a tract of territory practically unoccupied, without settled inhabitants or settled law”. Their statement to that effect was thereafter seen as au­thoritatively establishing that the territory of New South Wales had, in 1788, been terra nullius not in the sense of unclaimed by any other European power, but in the sense of unoccupied or uninhabited for the purposes of the law.

 

However as we are aware there were people occupying the land now called Australia and as is the case in the majority of colonised countries throughout the world, the original inhabitants were not treated well.  In my opinion the date we as a nation have picked to celebrate our national day of pride, is not inclusive of our indigenous brothers and sisters and I believe they are justified in seeing the 26th January as a day of invasion and not a day of celebration given the treatment of their people over the past two centuries by ‘white’ Australia.

In my opinion if we as a nation are truly working toward tr