Kuwait's parliament OKs death penalty for insulting Prophet Muhammad

[Payboy]

The above posters should not be planning a trip now to Kuwait

Won't be missing much anyway.

[Zatoichi]

The OP, if you re-read it, doesn't talk about what Mohammad did or didn't do. It talks about a political decision. It mentions that some people voted for it, others against it.

This thread will not be allowed to descend into an Islam bashing, rehash of events which are not even factually known to exist.

You know how it is, Haters gonna hate. Can't even have a rational talk about Islam, Muslims, Arabs or their Countries, without a bunch of bigots jumping out like monkeys to beat on their chest and throw crap around.

So do you think the death penalty for insulting someone who may or may not have ever existed is 'rational'?

Don't really matter what I think, or what you think for that matter. What matters is a Democracy having the right to govern and enact laws as they see fit. With our without faith centric legislation. I just think it's nice to have topics like this so you can see who all the hateful bigots are. I told everyone form the beginning that this law is not about cracking down on the non Muslim residents it's a political tool for Sunnis to fight against the Iranian back Shiites vying for control over their govt.

But no one comments on that. It's all about how bad Arabs are and how cruel and oppressive Islam is, and about how F'ed up Kuwait is. Wow you guys really need a Boogie Man don't ya. At least they arn't blowing each other up in Kuwait like the Christian fundamentalists did in Ireland for decades.

[Neurath]

The OP, if you re-read it, doesn't talk about what Mohammad did or didn't do. It talks about a political decision. It mentions that some people voted for it, others against it.

This thread will not be allowed to descend into an Islam bashing, rehash of events which are not even factually known to exist.

You know how it is, Haters gonna hate. Can't even have a rational talk about Islam, Muslims, Arabs or their Countries, without a bunch of bigots jumping out like monkeys to beat on their chest and throw crap around.

So do you think the death penalty for insulting someone who may or may not have ever existed is 'rational'?

Mohammed is incontrovertibly an actual historical figure - he existed. There's no "may or may not" about it. As for 'rational', well, the Death penalty for insult is certainly a whole lot worse than 15 years in prison with trial "in camera".

Edited April 16, 2012 by Neurath

[Thaddeus]

The OP, if you re-read it, doesn't talk about what Mohammad did or didn't do. It talks about a political decision. It mentions that some people voted for it, others against it.

This thread will not be allowed to descend into an Islam bashing, rehash of events which are not even factually known to exist.

You know how it is, Haters gonna hate. Can't even have a rational talk about Islam, Muslims, Arabs or their Countries, without a bunch of bigots jumping out like monkeys to beat on their chest and throw crap around.

So do you think the death penalty for insulting someone who may or may not have ever existed is 'rational'?

Don't really matter what I think

Correct.

It doesn't really matter what any of us think, the actions are important though, and the actions of a vindictive minority should not be allowed to continue.

And by that I mean the handful of fundamentalists who ride roughshod not only over the 'non believers' but also their own people who are too scared to take a stance against them.

Ban all religions, it is the only path to peace.

[Zatoichi]

Really Thaddeus?

Nice, cut out the rest of my quote and the context it refers too. Typical arrogant Atheist attitude. But hey at least without religions we'll have peace right, mean just ask Pol Pot & Stalin, I'm sure they'd agree with you if they were around. So many accountability shy folks in the "Anti-Religion" camp. There are jerk-offs with & without faith in equal numbers. Banning Religion (ignoring the fact that it could never happen on a global scale) would do nothing to prevent violence against our fellow man. Why, because some people wanna kill for power and control and trust me, if they want it bad enough they don't need a religious doctrine to get it.

[canuckamuck]

Don't really matter what I think, or what you think for that matter. What matters is a Democracy having the right to govern and enact laws as they see fit. With our without faith centric legislation

.

Being forced to uphold the tenants of a worldview which may be different from your own is not a sign of a free society. Neither is the inability to allow criticism. Democracy does not function without freedom of speech. What you get is an alteration on fascism.

I just think it's nice to have topics like this so you can see who all the hateful bigots are. I told everyone form the beginning that this law is not about cracking down on the non Muslim residents it's a political tool for Sunnis to fight against the Iranian back Shiites vying for control over their govt.

Do you think that enacting laws to curb the speech of the minority is a proper course of action for a government? It seems rather underhanded to me.

But no one comments on that. It's all about how bad Arabs are and how cruel and oppressive Islam is, and about how F'ed up Kuwait is. Wow you guys really need a Boogie Man don't ya. At least they arn't blowing each other up in Kuwait like the Christian fundamentalists did in Ireland for decades.

Or like Muslims are doing indiscriminately in many parts of the world, currently.

[Ulysses G.]

Ban all religions, it is the only path to peace.

Many people are full of hate and envy. Banning religion will not change that and will probably make it worse.

[geriatrickid]

Oh and on that note of Kuwait, it's a hell of a nice place to live, especially if your a Citizen.

And therein lies part of the problem that you allude to. Arabs who use a "Palestinian" document no matter how long resident, no matter if 2nd or 3rd generation are denied citizenship. They were sympathetic to Sadaam and welcomed his invasion. They are also typically aligned with the groups that you postulate are targeted by this law.

[maidu]

Religion or no religion, people are still going to think and act at the level they're at. That level, is generally primitive. We and our thinking patterns are not far removed from the wild ways of our not-too-distant ancestors: cannibalism, killing someone to get their scrap of food, killing babies for any one of a host of reasons, the list goes on and on. In many ways, humans are even more outlandish than their 'wild' ancestors. Certainly more outlandish than any other animals. I could write a list as long as my arm, of despicable things humans do, which no other animals do.

You can call me a 'bigot' or 'racist' for disdaining Muslim edicts, and I'll accept the label. To me, the defining border between decency and barbarism, is whether the action causes harm. Much of Sharia law causes harm (in my view), and much of it is unnecessary and cruel or just plain stupid (defining what part of a penis penetrates a vagina and/or whether the girl is a local or from another village - to determine rape, for example). So I see it, including the edict mentioned in the OP, as cruel barbaric and a reflection of the extreme insecurity of Muslims in their beliefs and icons.

If you want to get a good hit on how utterly ridiculous fundamentalist Muslim beliefs are, go and read anything written by one of their most revered icons: Iran's Ayotollah Kohemeini (sp.) - particularly galling is his edicts on how child rape can be justified according to bodily fluids, social status of raper, depth of penetration, and which social cast or village a raped child hails from, and whether that child has a donkey.

Edited April 17, 2012 by maidu

[Steely Dan]

Don't really matter what I think, or what you think for that matter. What matters is a Democracy having the right to govern and enact laws as they see fit. With our without faith centric legislation. I just think it's nice to have topics like this so you can see who all the hateful bigots are. I told everyone form the beginning that this law is not about cracking down on the non Muslim residents it's a political tool for Sunnis to fight against the Iranian back Shiites vying for control over their govt.

But no one comments on that. It's all about how bad Arabs are and how cruel and oppressive Islam is, and about how F'ed up Kuwait is. Wow you guys really need a Boogie Man don't ya. At least they arn't blowing each other up in Kuwait like the Christian fundamentalists did in Ireland for decades.

Actually, these threads are indeed useful as they show who subscribes to the values of their home Countries and who obtusely persist with indulging in daft moral relativism. It shows just how much the rot has set in. During the cold war there was little argument against condemning communist regimes for locking up people for thought crimes - we called these prisoners of conscience. This self same situation you find in the Arab world, Kuwait seemingly joining Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in enforcing archaic blasphemy laws, except they go a step further than Russia pursuing the death penalty as oppose to imprisonment.

Your observation that the law is designed to suppress Shia Muslims is not without merit, however this does not in some way make it any better and whenever Christians are to be found such laws are used against them as a Pakistani Christian woman facing the death penalty proves; indeed these laws are used in Pakistan to settle grudges and in Kuwait I see the same danger.

P.S Since the overthrow of secular Saddam the Christian population in Iraq has declined by two thirds and Muslim persecution of Christians is now rampant throughout the middle east. So instead of resorting to attacks on certain posters why not address the issues that it is the behavior and ideology of some Muslims which is rightly being criticized, and it does not make anyone a bigot for so doing.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Steely Dan

[Thaddeus]

Ban all religions, it is the only path to peace.

Many people are full of hate and envy. Banning religion will not change that and will probably make it worse.

Yep, sorry, I forgot that we still have those other issues of race, colour, political leaning etc that a select handful use as a hate tool.

[geriatrickid]

Ban all religions, it is the only path to peace.

Many people are full of hate and envy. Banning religion will not change that and will probably make it worse.

Yep, sorry, I forgot that we still have those other issues of race, colour, political leaning etc that a select handful use as a hate tool.

I believe that you demonstrate that in some of your responses in various threads. I for one am a believer in the healing power of love.

Perhaps I shall build a church or maybe even a temple in Kuwait and invite all the muslims to come and share the love.

Edited April 17, 2012 by geriatrickid

[Thaddeus]

Ban all religions, it is the only path to peace.

Many people are full of hate and envy. Banning religion will not change that and will probably make it worse.

Yep, sorry, I forgot that we still have those other issues of race, colour, political leaning etc that a select handful use as a hate tool.

I believe that you demonstrate that in some of your responses in various threads.

and you are Snow White in that aspect of course.

[geriatrickid]

and you are Snow White in that aspect of course.

Last time i looked I had guy parts, so no chance of me being snow white.

I love you all the same and shall forgive your transgressions. And this is an illustration of the differences between cultures, some of which are more advanced than others. Some would want to put to death anyone that disagrees, However, my culture says that peaceful discourse and understanding of those that express doubts is a better option.

[Colin Yai]

and you are Snow White in that aspect of course.

Last time i looked I had guy parts, so no chance of me being snow white.

I love you all the same and shall forgive your transgressions. And this is an illustration of the differences between cultures, some of which are more advanced than others. Some would want to put to death anyone that disagrees, However, my culture says that peaceful discourse and understanding of those that express doubts is a better option.

Well put GK, unfortunately the radical Islamic Culture which is undoubtedly on the Increase especially in EUROPE want no part of your much appreciated (by this poster) outlook on life Edited April 17, 2012 by Colin Yai

[oldsailor35]

The above posters should not be planning a trip now to Kuwait

Won't be missing much anyway.

During my time at sea, we always regarded anywhere from Aden right up into the Persian Gulf as the asshol_e of the world....................nothing has changed !

[Steely Dan]

and you are Snow White in that aspect of course.

Last time i looked I had guy parts, so no chance of me being snow white.

I love you all the same and shall forgive your transgressions. And this is an illustration of the differences between cultures, some of which are more advanced than others. Some would want to put to death anyone that disagrees, However, my culture says that peaceful discourse and understanding of those that express doubts is a better option.

Well put GK, unfortunately the radical Islamic Culture which is undoubtedly on the Increase especially in EUROPE want no part of your much appreciated (by this poster) outlook on life

Indeed, the goings on in some Godforsaken part of the Earth should have little interest or relevance to anyone in the U.S or Europe except for the fact that European governments seem intent on importing culture enrichers by the boatload. Said influx then want to live under Sharia law, as per our Kuwaiti friends and the icing on the cake is our governments in their infinite wisdom seem intent on obliging them by applying foreign law for things such as blasphemy, so sadly this sort of item does have a bearing on us.

[Pakboong]

and you are Snow White in that aspect of course.

Last time i looked I had guy parts, so no chance of me being snow white.

I love you all the same and shall forgive your transgressions. And this is an illustration of the differences between cultures, some of which are more advanced than others. Some would want to put to death anyone that disagrees, However, my culture says that peaceful discourse and understanding of those that express doubts is a better option.

I am curious as to whether that position would be extended to those who question established history such as that history which pertains to the facts and circumstances of World War 2?

[geriatrickid]

I am curious as to whether that position would be extended to those who question established history such as that history which pertains to the facts and circumstances of World War 2?

I like scott and I anticipate when he see this, he's going to get heartburn and go, dammit this is worse than when I got stuck having to watch the troublemakers in detention. As such, I shall stay on topic and not cause more consternation over ramblings. Suffice to say that we can find extreme views everywhere we look, including with my own best friend here in Thailand. A discussion of my objections to Buddhism causes him real pain. Not to the point of wanting to kill me (I hope), but something that I do not wish to do as I love the little varmint. It's all about respect and the manner in which an issue is discussed.

[Scott]

Let's please stay on topic. I do have a problem with heartburn, by the way.

[maidu]

Ban all religions, it is the only path to peace.

Many people are full of hate and envy. Banning religion will not change that and will probably make it worse.

Yep, sorry, I forgot that we still have those other issues of race, colour, political leaning etc that a select handful use as a hate tool.

I believe that you demonstrate that in some of your responses in various threads. I for one am a believer in the healing power of love. Perhaps I shall build a church or maybe even a temple in Kuwait and invite all the muslims to come and share the love.

If you need a religion to dovetail into your church or temple, I've got one I invented recently. It's called "Moleculanity" It rhymes with Christianity and insanity. It's all about molecules, science and nature. I've got 14 sermons ready to shout from the pulpit of our church/temple in Kuwait. I'll need a 3 bdrm house with a pool and a pit bull with a rhinestone collar, plus $1,400/week salary. We can get that from donations throughout the neighborhood. We'll announce the 'passing of the hat' by loudspeakers at 5 am each morning, from the minaret I expect you'll be building on the premises. We should also have a nunnery, and I'll do the hiring at 9 pm meetings in my private chambers. Sound like a plan?!?!