You thought Rush Limbaugh was unpleasant – check out Rubina Nasir, a presenter on Leeds based Radio Asian Fever.
She said that homosexuals should be ‘beaten up’ and that a Muslim marrying a non-Mulslim was on ‘the straight path to hellfire’.
The presenter, known as ‘Sister Ruby’, said: “What should be done if they do it? [practise homosexuality].
“If there are two such persons among you, that do this evil, the shameful act, what do you have to do? Torture them; punish them; beat them and give them mental torture.”
“Allah states, ‘If they do such a deed [i.e. homosexuality], punish them, both physically and mentally.
“Mental punishment means rebuke them, beat them, humiliate them, admonish and curse them, and beat them up. This command was sent in the beginning because capital punishment had not yet been sent down.”
Compassion is at the heart of every great religion.
In a broadcast the following day she focused her attention on another Qur’anic verse and said it was critical of mixed-faith marriages.
She said: “What happens when a Muslim man or woman get married to a Mushrak [a follower of another religion).
“Listeners! Marriage of a Muslim man or woman with a Mushrak is the straight path to hellfire.
“Have my sisters and brothers, who live with people of bad religions or alien religions, ever thought about what would become of the children they have had with them – and the coming generation?
“Where the filth of shirk (the sin of following another religion) is present, where the dirt of shirk is present, where the heart is impure, how can you remove apparent filth. How many arrangements will you make to remove the apparent filth?
“We are saying that Mushraks have no concept of cleanliness and uncleanliness.”
This is on a station called Asian Fever. What, one wonders, do for instance Hindu listeners think of Sister Ruby? Atheists? Buddhists? Jains? Do they all listen happily while she calls them filth? Do they consider it all part of their interfaith work?
Wouldn’t this be a potential offence under the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006? (an act I personally loathe)
I think the real question is, shouldn’t a shameless woman broadcasting her sexy voice to strange men on public radio without a male guardian be subject to torture and humiliation as well?
Incitement.
Her and that Mushrak Limbaugh would make a god couple
This is absolutely appalling, and it is good to see that Ofcom has responded to it by fining the radio station for spreading such hateful propaganda around. However, it is well known that Islam is virulently anti-homosexual, and it is not at all clear that there is any way to bring this to an end. It is also intolerant towards other religions, far more intolerant towards other religions than those religions are in general towards Islam. These things are very worrying, especially in relation to the Islamic school in Ontario that was teaching pupils to hate the society in which they are being brought up, and in particular Jewish members of that society. It leads me to wonder how widespread this tendency is, for it is by no means clear that these are minority views in the Muslim community. I think we need and have the right to know, because if this is a generally shared view, we need to know about now, instead of waiting until the situation has become such that it can no longer be dealt with, because too deeply entrenched and widespread in the Muslim community, which is, it needs to be acknowledge also growing; and it is very likely that new immigrants will take an even more conservative view of such things than those who have been here (in Canada, Britain or the US, and elsewhere) for a generation or two. The fact that these views are expressed in such bold and unapologetic ways is cause for serious concern, and should be raised as a concern with the Muslim communities in liberal democracies, for this kind of Islam is simply incompatible with democracy, and should be seen to be so.
Fixed that for ya, ya fucking racist. You don’t speak for Canadians, let’s get that straight.
Not sure how beating someone up counts as ‘mental’ torture. That’s plain incitement to assault.
mikmik,
You are going to have to join the dots for me if you consider Eric to be a racist. I’ve disagreed with him before on his interpration of Islam in the world, but a fucking racist? That’s a cheap and worthless shot.
That’s not “fixing” what Eric said, mikmik, it’s reversing it. He said Jewish and he meant Jewish. What is your point? That anti-Semitism is not a concern?
Well, I shouldn’t frame that as a question, because I don’t really want to hear from you again.
@mikmik Misrepresenting the truth ≠ Fixing
This is the situation Eric was referring to:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/07/toronto-islamic-school-removes-parts-of-curriculum-casting-jews-as-treacherous-akin-to-nazis/
Eric MacDonald, I totally apologize, I misread what you put, and even then it’s bullshit calling you racist, or making any judgement. I am very, very sorry.
I interpreted your post to be anti-immigration to muslims, and using that ‘fixed that for you’ was wrong to begin with, because denouncing someone’s words as if I have the slightest right to speak for anybody is wrong.
I just ask your forgiveness, but I acted wrongly, in any event, and you certainly don’t deserve that kind of treatment to begin with.
Ophelia, that was a bad way to try to express that we need pay attention to christians that do the same thing, that it isn’t just muslims.
I do agree completely that fundamental Islamisticists(?) are much more dangerous as their MO is extreme violence compounded by a childish sensitivity and intolerance. I just don’t know what the answer is, because I detest the idea of racial profiling – not that anyone is suggesting it – and I think anti-terrorism measures are in place to try to circumvent this.
I agree that it is completely unacceptable to allow that kind of shite in the public media, but I have a problem lumping all muslims together, or assuming that corruption is spreading to a larger percentage of those in the muslim community.
That’s why, Eric, I didn’t like part of your post, because it seems to me that you use an unfounded assumption, and it also seems to me that you are verging towards restricting or limiting the rights of muslims as a whole, or subject them to special conditions that assume guilt over innocence.
Christians do it also, and anyways, this happened in England, and it is not a commonplace occurrence. Sure, this kind of thing must be watched, however perpetrates it, but I think it is premature to start overreacting and circling the wagons.
Thanks Ibis, you are right about that ‘fixed that for ya’ crap.
Ophelia, your opinion and judgement is final and not immutable to logic or understanding, and perhaps when I ever see you apologize for anything I will bother to take you seriously. I still think you have lot’s of important things to say, but in certain situations, your judgement is suspect.
mikmik – well I was about to thank you energetically for that generous apology, but then I saw your final paragraph and now I’m a bit stumped. I just apologized for something (and admitted being a brat) a few minutes ago, actually. Oh well.
Eric Macdonald:
There are people with progressive values trying to reform Islam just as with other religions, with varying degrees of success. E.g.
Muslims for Progressive Values:
“British Muslims for Secular Democracy”
Canadian Muslim Union
Note the following from the Canadian Muslim Union’s consitution:
Clearly they recognise that lack of female representation is a problem, a refreshing attitude that some atheists I know could learn from.
I hate religious justifications for homophobia, but a lot of the anti-gay attitudes I’ve encountered came from people who weren’t particularly religious. The kids who bullied me in school for being gay didn’t give a shit about religion. In fact they probably would have described religion as gay. Of course, no one gave them a radio station to spread their ignorant, bigoted views. Religion definitely helps with that.
Hm. I have to wonder about one thing.
In what sense is freedom from compulsion in matters of faith an Islamic ideal?
If it really is an ideal – and clearly, unmistakably so, as opposed to being one sentence from the Koran along with many others that say the opposite – then why is it pretty universally ignored in countries where Islam has an influence on the laws and government?
Good question. I have no idea how religious people go through the mental gymnastics they do to salvage the good parts of their religion while ignoring the ugly parts. If it stops them from becoming fundamentalists, more power to them I say.
“the filth of shirk”
That gyre and gimble in the wabe?