For now, this whole Lowes Hates Muslims thing is going nuts. Here are two things that basically sum it up, and I couldn't have stated it better myself.
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Lowes Hates Muslims?
There has been wayyy too much going on. I've been updating my blog because in order to write about a political topic I'd want to do more research before posting, and unfortunately I havent' had time for that. I wish I had all the time to just research foreign policy and especially now, the US relations with Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq as Obama's taking his troops out.
For now, this whole Lowes Hates Muslims thing is going nuts. Here are two things that basically sum it up, and I couldn't have stated it better myself.
For now, this whole Lowes Hates Muslims thing is going nuts. Here are two things that basically sum it up, and I couldn't have stated it better myself.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Why "Occupy Wall Street" is not like the Arab Spring
Top 5 differences:
5. Many of the Egyptians and Tunisians have been VERY wronged by their governments, including having their human rights violated and people they know killed and violated of basic fundamental rights. This creates an increased passion in their voice. Literally, just look up any random video if the Egyptian revolution and you will see this, and look up any random video of Occupy Wall Street and you see bored tired people, half of who know what's going on. Here's one of my favorites:
PS random sidenote I got to see them perform this song recently and omg the passion.
4. They are united for THIS cause and THIS cause alone. Americans seem to generally need a lot more to unite them with others. I've noticed we tend to only feel a sense of unity with people who look, dress, act like us. Aka clones. Being "American" doesn't suffice for us. In the Arab Spring, being "Egyptian" or "Tunisian" or "Libyan" sufficed. And it was beautiful.
3. They've wanted this revolution forever. Count how many streets are "dates" in Cairo, Egypt. For example, there's 26th of July street, 6th of October street, and a bunch more that I can't remember off the top of my head. What happened on these dates? Political stuff, revolutions. Ask any Egyptian on the street what the significance of the date is and most likely they'll be able to tell you without having to look it up or ask someone. People have been organizing political revolutions for a long time, and are politically involved. When I visited Egypt one year before the revolution, in Fall 2009, I saw the passion of famous bloggers, students, etc. When this revolution happened, I was not surprised one bit.
2. Fighting to them means "by any means necessary" (quoting Malcolm X here). They're staying up late nights, taking bullet wounds, going out despite what work they have, what classes they have, what the weather's like. Fighting means fighting to them. For us, fighting means, fighting when it's convenient, until we get tired or get hurt.
1. Everyone in the Arab Spring movements knows EXACTLY what they are fighting for and have been knowledgable about it since the beginning. It's not a new "fad."
This being said, I commend Occupy Wall Street for their efforts and think it's great. Just please don't compare yourself to the Arab Spring movements, unless you can really relate to the qualities of the Revolutionaries there. It's just straight up disrespectful to them.
5. Many of the Egyptians and Tunisians have been VERY wronged by their governments, including having their human rights violated and people they know killed and violated of basic fundamental rights. This creates an increased passion in their voice. Literally, just look up any random video if the Egyptian revolution and you will see this, and look up any random video of Occupy Wall Street and you see bored tired people, half of who know what's going on. Here's one of my favorites:
PS random sidenote I got to see them perform this song recently and omg the passion.
4. They are united for THIS cause and THIS cause alone. Americans seem to generally need a lot more to unite them with others. I've noticed we tend to only feel a sense of unity with people who look, dress, act like us. Aka clones. Being "American" doesn't suffice for us. In the Arab Spring, being "Egyptian" or "Tunisian" or "Libyan" sufficed. And it was beautiful.
3. They've wanted this revolution forever. Count how many streets are "dates" in Cairo, Egypt. For example, there's 26th of July street, 6th of October street, and a bunch more that I can't remember off the top of my head. What happened on these dates? Political stuff, revolutions. Ask any Egyptian on the street what the significance of the date is and most likely they'll be able to tell you without having to look it up or ask someone. People have been organizing political revolutions for a long time, and are politically involved. When I visited Egypt one year before the revolution, in Fall 2009, I saw the passion of famous bloggers, students, etc. When this revolution happened, I was not surprised one bit.
2. Fighting to them means "by any means necessary" (quoting Malcolm X here). They're staying up late nights, taking bullet wounds, going out despite what work they have, what classes they have, what the weather's like. Fighting means fighting to them. For us, fighting means, fighting when it's convenient, until we get tired or get hurt.
1. Everyone in the Arab Spring movements knows EXACTLY what they are fighting for and have been knowledgable about it since the beginning. It's not a new "fad."
This being said, I commend Occupy Wall Street for their efforts and think it's great. Just please don't compare yourself to the Arab Spring movements, unless you can really relate to the qualities of the Revolutionaries there. It's just straight up disrespectful to them.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Gaddhafi dead
Gaddhafi, an evil dictator in Libya, died. It was a victory for the Libyan people.
BUT WHY IN GODS NAME WAS IT OKAY TO ACCEPT, WATCH, and GLORIFY the brutal video of his death?!?! watching his bloody face, and people clapping around it?!?!
HUMAN RIGHTS APPLIES TO CRIMINALS TOO. and he was deprived of his human right to trial, and once he was dead he should have been left alone. That should be enough for everyone. What kind of SICK level of humanity have we come to that this is okay?
Also, please tell me why it was okay to watch this but it was not okay for the media/press/government to release more information about Osama Bin Laden's death? That's called shady.
This is a great article by Tariq Ramadan about this issue. I was really glad to see what my thoughts were immediately following the Gaddhafi thing to be well articulated in this article.
http://www.tariqramadan.com/Dead-Without-Trial-Again.html
BUT WHY IN GODS NAME WAS IT OKAY TO ACCEPT, WATCH, and GLORIFY the brutal video of his death?!?! watching his bloody face, and people clapping around it?!?!
HUMAN RIGHTS APPLIES TO CRIMINALS TOO. and he was deprived of his human right to trial, and once he was dead he should have been left alone. That should be enough for everyone. What kind of SICK level of humanity have we come to that this is okay?
Also, please tell me why it was okay to watch this but it was not okay for the media/press/government to release more information about Osama Bin Laden's death? That's called shady.
This is a great article by Tariq Ramadan about this issue. I was really glad to see what my thoughts were immediately following the Gaddhafi thing to be well articulated in this article.
http://www.tariqramadan.com/Dead-Without-Trial-Again.html
Friday, October 14, 2011
Occupy America?
So Americans are occupying Wall Street, Chicago, and lots of other major cities.
I'm sort of excited. Occupy Wall Street, not Palestine. WOOHOO.
Like any political activities, they only make sense after they're over. So I'll talk about them later.
I'm sort of excited. Occupy Wall Street, not Palestine. WOOHOO.
Like any political activities, they only make sense after they're over. So I'll talk about them later.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The execution of Troy Davis
Oops, did I say execution? I meant murder. By the US Justice system.
I am personally against the death penalty. The mere risk of a human not being 100% sure if another human deserves to live or die, (and I believe we can never be certain), is enough "reasonable doubt" to abolish the death penalty.
Until his last breath, Troy Davis said he was innocent. The US Justice System decided he wasn't, and so they continued with the execution, disappointing hundreds of thousands of Americans who were against it.
But like every story, this story probably has another side that's worth finding out about. We have to know the specifics about the justice system.
I do think this has something to do with him being black though. And I mean, he did live in Georgia. As proud as I was to be an American on the day Obama was elected as president is how ashamed I was to be an American yesterday when the Supreme Court ruled.
I am personally against the death penalty. The mere risk of a human not being 100% sure if another human deserves to live or die, (and I believe we can never be certain), is enough "reasonable doubt" to abolish the death penalty.
Until his last breath, Troy Davis said he was innocent. The US Justice System decided he wasn't, and so they continued with the execution, disappointing hundreds of thousands of Americans who were against it.
But like every story, this story probably has another side that's worth finding out about. We have to know the specifics about the justice system.
I do think this has something to do with him being black though. And I mean, he did live in Georgia. As proud as I was to be an American on the day Obama was elected as president is how ashamed I was to be an American yesterday when the Supreme Court ruled.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
New Jersey man plots the murder of his wife
So a young Muslim Pakistani couple in New Jersey were shot at after an Iftar dinner one day while taking a walk. In a safe neighborhood, people were confused when the husband said that this was hate crime and that the 3 men shouted "terrorists!" while they were shooting at the couple. They were walking with their 3 year old son in his stroller.
Turns out, the man had an affair with another woman, and he and this other woman plotted the murder of this lovely young woman who died, leaving her 2 young sons behind. The man was sick on so many levels. The blood of the dying woman got on the 3 year old son who was unharmed during the attack. These two boys have to grow up with no mother, and worse, because of the father's selfishness, sickness, and major issues.
This is the arrest affidavit http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/238014-arrest-affidavit-for-antoinette-stephen.html
It's all over the news too. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Fnew_jersey&id=8315517
There are no more words for this. Hopefully this serves as a wakeup call to the rising problem of domestic violence and abuse in Pakistani marriages.
Turns out, the man had an affair with another woman, and he and this other woman plotted the murder of this lovely young woman who died, leaving her 2 young sons behind. The man was sick on so many levels. The blood of the dying woman got on the 3 year old son who was unharmed during the attack. These two boys have to grow up with no mother, and worse, because of the father's selfishness, sickness, and major issues.
This is the arrest affidavit http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/238014-arrest-affidavit-for-antoinette-stephen.html
It's all over the news too. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Fnew_jersey&id=8315517
There are no more words for this. Hopefully this serves as a wakeup call to the rising problem of domestic violence and abuse in Pakistani marriages.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Norway Attacks: Now What?
Norway Attacks: What does this mean?
What happens when you respond to hatred with hatred? Anders Breivik killed many in an act of terrorism comparable to terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists. What was the cause and motivation behind this horrific event? His 1,500-page manifesto reveals that it was his hatred towards Islam and fear of the “Islamization” of Europe. Much of the fear and hatred towards Muslims in the West comes from, or is at least reinforced by, the 9/11 and other recent terrorist attacks. So we can logically see that in response to Breivik’s hatred towards Muslims, he ironically committed an act of terrorism that was very similar to these “Muslim” terrorism acts that ignited his hatred in the first place. What’s scary is that more people in the West share this notion of “Islamophobia” than do Muslims share the views of Muslim terrorists.
We must question whether Breivik’s act will help wipe out Muslim extremists and acts of terrorism, or create a response, which may be violent. In one act, many different groups of people are directly affected. His manifesto indicated that he acted as a “Christian extremist,” which would capture the attention and responses of Christians. He also acted as a “right-wing political extremist” which may spark the political left or other political right-wing members who don’t share his views to respond. But mostly, his actions directly affected Europe’s large Muslim and immigrant populations. There are over 100,000 Muslim residents in Norway, many of them immigrants from Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iran. If I was a Muslim living in Norway, I would probably be extremely afraid that people disapprove of my presence to this level. Even mere supporters of multiculturalism in Norway have reason to be scared. Breivik’s manifesto stated, “We, the free indigenous peoples of Europe, hereby declare a pre-emptive war on all cultural Marxist/multiculturalist elites of Western Europe. ... We know who you are, where you live and we are coming for you…We are in the process of flagging every single multculturalist traitor in Western Europe. You will be punished for your treasonous acts against Europe and Europeans."
In addition to creating room for reactions, this act also could pave the pathway for more who share the same opinions as Breivik. He is not alone, or even a minority, in his beliefs. He was inspired by Robert Spencer among many others who have a large network of followers. Baroness Warsi, the chairman of the main party in Britain’s governing coalition, has said that anti-Muslim prejudice has “passed the dinner table test” and become socially acceptable in the UK. Is it becoming socially acceptable in the US and in the rest of Europe too? It seems like it, as Glenn Beck publicly stated that he thinks the Norway shooter is “right,” and many others share his attitude.
Why does this matter to the US? We’re not that far off from Europe in terms of how socially acceptable it is becoming to express feelings of Islamophobia. In a report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations which surveyed Americans on their perceived level of Islamophobia in the US, the average rating was 6.4 out of 10 with 10 being the highest, for how severe the Islamophobia is in the US. So what happens when you respond to hatred with hatred? It can only breed more hatred and violence, and this terrorist attack was an excellent example of a scary potential domino effect.
What happens when you respond to hatred with hatred? Anders Breivik killed many in an act of terrorism comparable to terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists. What was the cause and motivation behind this horrific event? His 1,500-page manifesto reveals that it was his hatred towards Islam and fear of the “Islamization” of Europe. Much of the fear and hatred towards Muslims in the West comes from, or is at least reinforced by, the 9/11 and other recent terrorist attacks. So we can logically see that in response to Breivik’s hatred towards Muslims, he ironically committed an act of terrorism that was very similar to these “Muslim” terrorism acts that ignited his hatred in the first place. What’s scary is that more people in the West share this notion of “Islamophobia” than do Muslims share the views of Muslim terrorists.
We must question whether Breivik’s act will help wipe out Muslim extremists and acts of terrorism, or create a response, which may be violent. In one act, many different groups of people are directly affected. His manifesto indicated that he acted as a “Christian extremist,” which would capture the attention and responses of Christians. He also acted as a “right-wing political extremist” which may spark the political left or other political right-wing members who don’t share his views to respond. But mostly, his actions directly affected Europe’s large Muslim and immigrant populations. There are over 100,000 Muslim residents in Norway, many of them immigrants from Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iran. If I was a Muslim living in Norway, I would probably be extremely afraid that people disapprove of my presence to this level. Even mere supporters of multiculturalism in Norway have reason to be scared. Breivik’s manifesto stated, “We, the free indigenous peoples of Europe, hereby declare a pre-emptive war on all cultural Marxist/multiculturalist elites of Western Europe. ... We know who you are, where you live and we are coming for you…We are in the process of flagging every single multculturalist traitor in Western Europe. You will be punished for your treasonous acts against Europe and Europeans."
In addition to creating room for reactions, this act also could pave the pathway for more who share the same opinions as Breivik. He is not alone, or even a minority, in his beliefs. He was inspired by Robert Spencer among many others who have a large network of followers. Baroness Warsi, the chairman of the main party in Britain’s governing coalition, has said that anti-Muslim prejudice has “passed the dinner table test” and become socially acceptable in the UK. Is it becoming socially acceptable in the US and in the rest of Europe too? It seems like it, as Glenn Beck publicly stated that he thinks the Norway shooter is “right,” and many others share his attitude.
Why does this matter to the US? We’re not that far off from Europe in terms of how socially acceptable it is becoming to express feelings of Islamophobia. In a report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations which surveyed Americans on their perceived level of Islamophobia in the US, the average rating was 6.4 out of 10 with 10 being the highest, for how severe the Islamophobia is in the US. So what happens when you respond to hatred with hatred? It can only breed more hatred and violence, and this terrorist attack was an excellent example of a scary potential domino effect.
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