False moral equivalence in the Twitter post by Emily Hauser:
Boko Haram justify their actions with explicit reference to Islam -- and there is plenty of Islamic doctrine to support them (see recent posts on this blog).
Stalin did not justify his actions with reference to atheism. He did them in the name of communism.
Sent from my iPhone.
Added later: Hauser's tweet was in answer to this tweet by Bill Maher.
Most seem to agree with Maher, though there some brickbats. These fall into a few categories, none of which bears even casual scrutiny:
You're an idiot know nothing and assorted other ad hominem vitriolic rudeness by the likes of Tariq Saddique. "Educate yourself in the Koran". This always makes me wonder. I've read the Koran in several translations. There's nothing in it to make me think other than that it's a religion of violence. It is chock full of hatred of infidels and calls to kill them. It also allows for taking female sex slaves. So why ask people to read the Koran. What, you haven't read it yourself, Tariq?
Boko Haram "misunderstand" Islam. Quite how they "misunderstand" Islam is never explained. In fact the reverse is the case: the Islamic doctrinal support for what Boko Haram say and do is clear, as shown here and here.
They are just a "tiny minority". Doesn't it occur to such apologists just how MANY "misunderstanders" there are? It's not just Boko Haram, it's the whole panoply of Islamist organisations. And of terrorist organisations in the world, fully 94% are Islamic. That's an awful lot of a "tiny minority". Moreover, even amongst Muslims that don't want to kidnap schoolgirls and sell them off as sex slaves, there's a disturbing number that support the introduction of Sharia. In the UK and US, the numbers are over 50% in many surveys. In Muslim majority countries the percentages are upwards of 90%. So the Muslim desire for Sharia, whether achieved by violence or other means, is a majority of the 1.2 billion umma. That's no "tiny majority", that's a "clear majority".
Christianity is just as violent: well, no it isn't. The above stats prove it. I rest my case.
Related: Bill Maher vid: he takes on a liberal group re Boko Haram. I think Maher wins the debate.
Boko Haram justify their actions with explicit reference to Islam -- and there is plenty of Islamic doctrine to support them (see recent posts on this blog).
Stalin did not justify his actions with reference to atheism. He did them in the name of communism.
Sent from my iPhone.
Added later: Hauser's tweet was in answer to this tweet by Bill Maher.
Most seem to agree with Maher, though there some brickbats. These fall into a few categories, none of which bears even casual scrutiny:
You're an idiot know nothing and assorted other ad hominem vitriolic rudeness by the likes of Tariq Saddique. "Educate yourself in the Koran". This always makes me wonder. I've read the Koran in several translations. There's nothing in it to make me think other than that it's a religion of violence. It is chock full of hatred of infidels and calls to kill them. It also allows for taking female sex slaves. So why ask people to read the Koran. What, you haven't read it yourself, Tariq?
Boko Haram "misunderstand" Islam. Quite how they "misunderstand" Islam is never explained. In fact the reverse is the case: the Islamic doctrinal support for what Boko Haram say and do is clear, as shown here and here.
They are just a "tiny minority". Doesn't it occur to such apologists just how MANY "misunderstanders" there are? It's not just Boko Haram, it's the whole panoply of Islamist organisations. And of terrorist organisations in the world, fully 94% are Islamic. That's an awful lot of a "tiny minority". Moreover, even amongst Muslims that don't want to kidnap schoolgirls and sell them off as sex slaves, there's a disturbing number that support the introduction of Sharia. In the UK and US, the numbers are over 50% in many surveys. In Muslim majority countries the percentages are upwards of 90%. So the Muslim desire for Sharia, whether achieved by violence or other means, is a majority of the 1.2 billion umma. That's no "tiny majority", that's a "clear majority".
Christianity is just as violent: well, no it isn't. The above stats prove it. I rest my case.
Related: Bill Maher vid: he takes on a liberal group re Boko Haram. I think Maher wins the debate.
