Will Saudis Ban the Letter ‘X'?

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Will Saudis Ban the Letter ‘X'?

by Youssef Ibrahim

The New York Sun

January 15, 2007

I am trying to understand Islam and be open, I swear I am. I know good people—really good people—who are Muslims. Over a billion people on earth are Muslims and most are just average good people doing the best they can in life. So they deserve the best shot at understanding we can give them.

But come on. Some news items try the patience of Job.

Banning the letter "X" because it looks like a tilted cross is bad enough as the learned distinct ones on Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice try to outdo themselves in blatant irrationality.

But the following quote from the article about the behavior of the Mutawaeen (the religious police in Saudi Arabia) just turned my stomach:

One of the most criminal travesties committed by the commission's foot soldiers, the Mutawaeen, or religious police, was dramatically reported by the muzzled Saudi press itself on Friday, March 15, 2002, when the Mutawaeen forcibly prevented girls fleeing a burning school from leaving the building because they were "improperly dressed."

The day after, the Saudi Gazette newspaper quoted witnesses as saying the police stopped men who tried to help the girls, warning the men: "It is sinful to approach them."

Of the 800 teenage pupils in Mecca, 15 burned to death and more than 50 were injured.

This kind of stuff makes it hard... real hard...

Since it was reported by a muzzled press, at least some people over there were outraged.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Michael; The story about the school is one the most outrageous things to come out the Saudi brand of Islam. I would saythat multi-culturists might consider this as one of the results of what they advocate. It's the flip side to us all holding hands and singing Kumbyee.

[Rich Engle]

Sometimes I think multiculturalism is little more than a pinata. I don't even GET multiculturalism, at least as far as it being an evil ideology to fight, like fascism. If you need a whipping boy, just build one.

Yeah, the weird orthodox muslim stuff. Welcome to the third world. They do everything to everybody all the time. You can be a young girl, get raped by your uncle, and then hanged for it. Fabulous.

[John Dailey]

~ Stupid, idiotic, sick beliefs, or even mere 'interpretations' of them, are bad enough, re how one conducts one's own self regarding them.

~ But when such get enforced by 'police' (what is their function supposed to be, btw? keep kids inside burning buildings?)...the community/culture has some real, not-going-away-too-soon, problems...while they choose to continue living there, that is.

LLAP

J:D

[Chris Grieb]

Rich; I believe the former Miss Canada has gotten the young woman released. I saw something that this same group always declared the earth was flat. Next week 2 x 2 = 5.

[Danneskjold]

If it wasn't true this would be laughable.

[Rich Engle]

Well, I know they hung one teenage girl from a crane a few months ago for something along the same line...

Now they are having to be theatrical, on top of it.

[Chris Grieb]

Rich; I have no doubt of the evils of Iranian government. Fox had some film from that country showing a mass hanging. It look like more people than were hanged in Hang Em High.

[studiodekadent]

Well, we cant really expect much better out of the backward mystics produced by Wahabism (the Saudi branch of Islam). This is abominable and obviously these actions and those that sanction them are to be condemned.

[Chris Grieb]

Studio; Is the Iranian brand of Islam associated with Wahabism? Wahabism is associated with the Saudis who are enemies of Iran. One point that should be made is we don't want an Islamic reformation. An Islamic reformation is called Wahabism.