Friday, September 16, 2011

Something's Missing From This "Report"

We find the JS' religion reporter at a conference, and she relays this:

[A]ccording to Charles Kurzman, professor of sociology at North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of "The Missing Martyrs: Why There are So Few Muslim Terrorists." Kurzman presented data showing the number of Muslim-Americans involved in religious violence or plots since September 11, 2011, at 200, a minute fraction of the estimated 2 million to 3 million Muslims in America. Of the 150,000 U.S. murders since that date, 3033 of them were the result of terrorist violence, including nearly 3,000 on Sept. 11, 2001. Worldwide, Kurzman said, the number of people killed by terrorism is down since 9-11, except in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. "The rest of the world," he said, "is a safer place."

So all those Catholics massacred in sub-Saharan Africa, and all those Coptic churches demolished in Egypt....they don't count, "Professor"?   And all those rockets fired into Israel.....they're "safer" rockets?

Wow.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are there any reports on deaths resulting from Catholic terrorists in Ireland? How about the Inquisition?

Aquinas said...

Answer: No, there aren't any reports on deaths resulting from Catholic terrorists in Ireland or from "the Inquisition" because (in case you missed it) the article is entitled The Missing Martyrs: Why There are so few Muslim Terrorists.
That doesn't matter, though. Instead, you prefer to pick it up as a handy Catholic-bashing stick.
If you're talking about the Spanish Inquisition, started in 1478, it was a state institution used to identify "converses"—Jews and Moors (Muslims) who pretended to convert to Christianity for purposes of political advantage and secretly practiced their former religion. More importantly, its job was also to clear the good names of many people who had been falsely accused of being heretics. That said, there's no question that there were horrible abuses made in the name of religion. Find me an institution run by human beings where this isn't true. Examples of flauting the laws of the U.S. doesn't make the U.S. legal system illegitimate any more than examples of moral lapses by Catholics proves the illegitimacy of the Church. Regarding Ireland, the question could just as easily have been posed, "Are there any reports on deaths resulting from Protestant terrorists in Ireland?"
Your questions are just a little too facile, assume just a little too much ignorance of history. And, sadly, they reveal you as a bigot.

Anonymous said...

Apparently, Dad29 is miffed that the report is inaccurate. Because, after all, Muslims are more likely prone to violence than Christians.

Well, let's provide some background. Regarding the murders of Christians in Burundi and Rwanda in the 1990's and 2000's, both the Hutus and the Tutsis are CHRISTIAN and speak the same language. It's ethnic cleansing and tribal warfare. Muslims aren't involved!

Regarding the murders of Christians in Nigeria in 2010, there has been a long-standing feud in the Plateau State, which lies at the crossroads of Nigeria's Muslim north and Christian south. Fierce competition for control of fertile farmlands and for access to employment opportunties between the two groups have repeatedly triggered unrest over the past decade.

I would say BOTH groups are at fault. Casting blame primarily toward the Muslims is showing ignorance at a complex situation that involves more than just religion.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34950765/ns/world_news-africa/t/uneasy-calm-after-religious-riots-nigeria/

Regarding the murder of Coptic Christians in Egypt, it's a case where a MAJORITY group dominates a MINORITY group. In this case, religion happens to be at the core

NO different than when the Puritans in Massachusetts (in this case, a minority) forcibly removed Native Americans (the majority) because of their "heathen, savage ways" or demanded that non-Puritans join the congregation or be kicked out.

NO different than when Catholics and Protestants (the majorities) have persecuted Jews (the minority) in the United States at times in our history.


So, Dad29, any evidence to counter the professor's contention regarding the rarity of Muslim-American acts of violence toward Catholic-Americans in our country within the past decade?

Anonymous said...

"Answer: No, there aren't any reports on deaths resulting from Catholic terrorists in Ireland or from "the Inquisition" because (in case you missed it) the article is entitled The Missing Martyrs: Why There are so few Muslim Terrorists.
That doesn't matter, though. Instead, you prefer to pick it up as a handy Catholic-bashing stick."

Yes, this report's title is clear. My question was whether dad knew of other religion-bashing reports.

And you Sir Thomas, retreat to the comforts of your Catholic bashing pity party. What? No concerns with the Muslim bashing? Your response sir is a little too facile, and is indicative of the emptiness of your manufactured victimization.

Dad29 said...

Umnnnhhh...Anony 1:02, there IS a big difference on the "US Jews persecution" (which you claim)...no Jews were killed, nor synagogues firebombed. But maybe dead bodies aren't a big deal to you.

And Muslim terrorism does exist in the US. The Army shrink....9/11...both with dead bodies, as you may recall.

If you wish to compare "hate crimes" like yelling threats as equal to or greater than 9/11's 3,000 dead, that's up to you.

And it tells us all we need to know about you, too.

Anonymous said...

1:55 your a truther and anti-catholic? Why not shoot for antisemitic and go for the trifecta?

David

Anonymous said...

Dad29--"But maybe dead bodies aren't a big deal for you".

Kudos for employing Alinsky Tactic #1239--Claim that your opponent revels in human misery without any evidence to back up the assertion.


Dad29--there IS a big difference on the "US Jews persecution" (which you claim)...no Jews were killed, nor synagogues firebombed.

Awesome job of changing the subject. Note I didn't say U.S. Jews persecution, I said Catholics and Protestants...have persecuted Jews...in the United States...at times in our history. Read for meaning. Religion has been used as tool to forment hatred. Why? The silly notion "my faith is better than you faith".

Furthermore, anti-semitism is NOT exclusively Muslim driven. Are you trying to say otherwise?


Dad29--"And Muslim terrorism does exist in the US."

Exist, yes. Pervasive? I'm still waiting for the statistics showing that the majority of Muslim-Americans are ever so vigilant in causing havoc on such a widespread basis in the United States. A few extremists, and you are ready to throw an entire religious group under the bus.

Dad29--"If you wish to compare "hate crimes" like yelling threats..."

Um, I never made that point nor inferred it in my post.

Projecting again? (And I thought you didn't believe in "hate crimes")

No, you're just stirring up the pot, like this fellow...

www.tikkun.org/article.php/Lerner-RacistAttackonMuslims


Money Quote--Imagine what the Jewish reaction would be if the person we believed to be the most prominent Islamic figure in the United States were to issue a statement warning about the growth of the Jewish community in the United States. Imagine if he pointed to Jewish schools as a part of the danger and decried the naiveté of Americans in not recognizing the degree of threat these Jews posed. The outcry would be overwhelming.

Anonymous said...

How did I know the truther would resort to bringing Jews into the equation.

David

Aquinas said...

"And you Sir Thomas..."

That would be Saint Thomas to you. Your muddled history must've confused me with More, a Sir and a saint. (And a martyr, come to think of it, but you probably believe he would have just been taking advantage of that annoying Catholic "victim" status...)

Dad29 said...

And there's this:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/pakistan-passes-obamas-religious-freedom-test-after-sentencing-christian-death

But hey. Dead bodies....

Anonymous said...

Anony 4:22 p.m. here.

Dad29--If you haven't learned by now that the foreign affairs policy of the United States is rife with hypocrisy, then you will never learn.

From America assisting to forcibly remove a democratically elected government in Iran in the 1950's and supporting an autocratic regime...

(But hey, dead bodies)

to its long-standing policy of ignoring human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia (including the venerable Reagan)...

(But hey, dead bodies)

and now this action taken by the Obama Administration...

it's not shocking news.


The truth is that our American ideals have been compromised repeatedly by (D) and (R) presidential administrations in the game of international diplomacy. I don't like it anymore than you do, but I suggest to be the adult and deal with it, because it's not going to change.


Still waiting for the statistics showing that the majority of Muslim-Americans are ever so vigilant in causing havoc on such a widespread basis in the United States...

Dad29 said...

Still trying desperately for mis-direction, eh?

1) the Paki/Muslim Gummint is a serious violator of religious rights, as is Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and other Muslim countries. THAT is the focus of the post--not US "diplomacy."

2) the post does not discuss "domestic" Muslim terrorism.

Try again someday.

Anonymous said...

Dad29, flinging stuff to the wall and hoping it sticks.

The report cited in the link was created by the State Department, which handles foreign affairs. I learned that in government class, did you?

The Obama Administration chose to refuse to designate Pakistan with a shoddy track record for religious freedom as a "cause of particular concern".

When countries are on that list, then the federal government crafts specific policies to address the problem. In the link, sanctions were applied to a number of the violators. Ergo, it IS a matter of diplomacy, contrary to your claim. The implication is that the Obama Administration is solely responsible for not dealing with this issue, when in fact, other administrations have also been complicit.

One could also argue that a number on the extreme right are also serious violators of religious freedom with their assertions that citizens of our country who just happen to be Muslims ought to be "closely monitored", or as some of your pals at Weasel Zippers so eloquently put it, be "shot, drawn and quartered".

Once again, I await the statistics showing that the majority of Muslim-Americans are ever so vigilant in causing havoc on such a widespread basis in the United States...