Agenda Against Islam?

Wilberforce Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 01:04:37 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

On the day Islam is Peace launched ads across the country with muti-faith seasons greeting, the Tory tabloids focus on a suicide DVD.




I am angry that at this festive season, (Eid, Chanukah, Christmas) when a British Muslim group has launched a series of ads promoting harmony, peace and goodwill on the same day the press have chosen to highlight the sale of a childrens DVD in Bradford which talks about suicide bombing.

This was the front page story of today's Metro, a big story on pg 11 of Daily Mail, big story on Pg 19 of Daily Express and a small piece on pg 11 of Times.

The 'odd' thing about this article(s) is that the originator is the Tory MP for Shipley, Philip Davies, who states he was handed a copy of the DVD by his constituent. He is quoted in the article, as are local police, and Tory Peer Baroness Warsi.  In none of the articles are Govt officials / Labour party quoted nor are community leaders.

Whilst the contents of the DVD cannot be excused (even though this kind of film is a dime a dozen in the terrorist propaganda world), the whole thing smacks to me at least of an agenda against Islam....  as the article is just wholly unbalanced.

Is this bad timing, a real problem, or an agenda?

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Agenda Against Islam? | 7 comments (7 topical)

Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#1)

by JamesM on Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 05:54:05 PM GMT

It is neither a real problem, bad timing nor an agenda.


If these awful DVDs really are being sold then that is shocking and worthy of the attention of the print media, isn't it?


Why would reporting news about actual events be evidence of an 'agenda'?




Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#2)

by jkitleft on Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 06:49:00 PM GMT

I may agree with JamesM briefly, for once.

We spend all this time talking about 'Christain fundamentalism' in the White House, as if Kristallnacht is impending with the 43rd president (and possibly in that position in historical rankings of POTUS's as well), because of his christain belief. Some people have made a disturbing analogy, comparing many Israeli actions, like surrounding Arafat's compound with Auschwitz. This somehow is prescribing 'Jewish fundamentalism'.

Islam is not a race, and it is racist to suggest so. It is an ideology, or a fiction story, and like Christianity and Judaism, I think the plot is a little thin. It is the same thing as attacking a political party, unfortunately, alot of people don't see it that way.


[ Parent ]

Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#3)

by doctordunc on Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 08:57:45 PM GMT

A lot of people don't see it that way because it isn't that way.  When people make systematic attacks on Islam (and not on religion generally) it is part of a racist agenda: the BNP use a caricatured cartoon version of Islam as a straw man in their attacks on British Asians, and we have to be 100% vigilant in our condemnation of that agenda.  I'm not saying the Metro or the Mail are contributing to that by printing this story - I haven't seen the story and it may be one worth printing; but just as the 'disturbing analogy' you referred to above is regularly a cover for a racist, anti-semitic position, so attacks on Islam are regularly a cover for racism.


[ Parent ]

Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#4)

by jkitleft on Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 09:25:36 PM GMT

If you criticise Muslims, then there are racist overtones and undertones. I'm critical of Islam. I'm critical of Christianity, because I think religions are outdated, and bigoted. Religion, is what is wrong with the world. It stifles debate, it stops us thinking. If religion were not on earth, then gay rights, or euthanasia etc. wouldn't even be an issue.

Unfortunately, people need that facade. It was made by men who wanted to create a facade, if it were written by god, there would not be so many loopholes.

It is much better to get worked up about hanging gay people from cranes, then worrying about the word 'faggot' in a song. It is much better to get worked up about a woman getting beaten in public by religious police, then worrying about the word 'slut' in a song.

Crying racist when someone attacks the ideology, is racist in itself. It's like saying ALL Muslims are brown, or ALL Christains and Jews are white.

You say attacks on Islam are reguarly a cover for racism.

Saying your religion is Judaism, or Christianity, or Islam or any of those other disturbing ideologies is often used to espouse, and repugnantly, justify bigotry.


[ Parent ]

Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#5)

by doctordunc on Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 09:32:55 PM GMT

You are right - people often use religion as an excuse for bigotry (and I'm afraid I don't believe all bigotry would go if you didn't have religion - I've taught too many atheistic bigots to believe that!) - religion is used as an excuse at both ends of the bigotry.  When the BNP campaigning in Keighley talked about Muslims, everybody knew who they were talking about.  They used the short-hand of religion to get round the law.  Anybody can convert to Judaism, and plenty of Jewish people aren't religious - but when you hear a fascist denouncing Judaism you know full well they aren't talking about religion.


[ Parent ]

Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#6)

by jkitleft on Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 11:55:43 PM GMT

All bigotry can never completely disappear, but of course you're right in saying that the BNP are talking about the subjects of an ideology, rather than the ideology, used to spread repugnant forms of bigotry like Anti-Semitism.


[ Parent ]

Re: Agenda Against Islam? (#7)

by Wilberforce on Thu Dec 20, 2007 at 11:42:51 AM GMT

Actually, what disturbed me about the story and why I asked whether people saw it as part of an 'agenda' was the fact that the originator was a Tory MP and the only Muslim commentator a Tory Peeress. 

Whilst the DVD sale might be newsworthy in itself, the article lacked any balance whatsoever. A balanced, article for example would have linked up / contrasted the 'DVD sale' with the launch of the Islam is Peace campaign, which was instead carried on a completely seperate pade in Metro.

Whilst religion is regularly misused, its generally done so by Politicians, not people who actually 'practice' rather than 'preach' their religion. I would put the Iranian and Saudi governments, in that same bracket, with religion providing the cloak for their evil dictatorship. 

The same thing goes for right-wing Christianity in the US, providing an excuse for complete support for Israel over palestine and homophobia which has no basis in  Christianity  which actually has at its core 'love thy enemy' and 'do unto others as you would be done unto you'.  

These hate spewing neo-pharisees would likely not even recognise Jesus, who never said a word against homosexuals, who intervened to save the life of an adultress, and had a prostitute as his close friend.


[ Parent ]

Agenda Against Islam? | 7 comments (7 topical)