Yeah, if you’re a PAGAN.

Jebus. Now I’ve heard everything. Good grief. What a moron.

Comment by Leftside Annie — October 3, 2007 @ 4:59 pm

You know there are pagans in the united states and around the world right?

Also, it is the evening before catholic all saints day.

Unfortunately the pagans have trouble agreeing when to celebrate samhain (halloween), being that it doesnt always fall on the 31st by thier calculations.

Im sorry if you were kidding, just making sure

“Google Appreciation Day is an event that officially occurs on the 14th of September. This date is significant because “Google.com” was registered on September 14th.”

http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/Scripture/google_appreciation_day.html

It reports somewhere upward of 22% of federal programs are not performing and that is not better than most businesses. And most businesses need to turn a profit to stay afloat so they would not last that long even at your reported 5%.

Thanks for your comments. I went and googled “Muslims Against Terrorism”, and found out a great deal. It amazes me (and enrages me) that this group has gotten no media exposure at all. I had never even heard of it until I read your post.

I agree with you that all the terror attacks in your list were terrible events. But not one item on that list had anything to do with Iraq. And if invading Iraq for its oil was such a good reason, why wasn’t Bush honest about that? Why did he fill us up with a bunch of phony reasons for the invasion?

Yes, Al Qaeda is dangerous and must be stopped. But by invading Iraq, three things have happened:

1) Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan (Osama bin Laden’s stomping grounds) has regrown in strength since our initial invasion of Pakistan until it’s regained its pre-9/11 strength.

2) By destabilizing Iraq, we have created a fertile breeding ground for Al Qaeda there — where none existed before.

3) We have squandered every bit of goodwill capital we got from the rest of the world in the days following 9/11 — and then some.

If this is the result of “Bush going after terrorists” — thanks, but no thanks. It’s not making me feel any safer.

Comment by Johnny Swank — October 3, 2007 @ 5:59 pm

I lived in NY until recently, and after 9/11 I went out with a lot of other Muslims to speak out against the attacks and violence in general. I participated in a group called Muslims Against Terrorism. We had big signs and banners denouncing terrorism and marched in parades and made many other appearances in the NYC area. I spoke at countless seminars, meetings, interfaith dialogue groups, churches, and where ever I could about how Islam, — the true Islam and not that twisted version practiced by a few crackpots — does not in any way condone terrorism. HOW MANY TIMES DID THE MEDIA SHOW UP AND REPORT WHAT I AND OTHERS WERE DOING? None!!!!! They didn’t show us on tv, they didn’t write articles about us. In fact, the media doesn’t even want you to know how many Muslims did and still do speak out against terrorism and promote peace. No, the media just wants to sell tickets to their whatever fear-promoting crap they are pushing. You want to know what real Muslims in this country are doing, you will have to get up off your fat, lazy butt and go down and meet some Muslims and talk to them and find out what sort of activities they have been involved in. You are not going to hear about it on the news blurbs between Simpsons reruns.

Personally, I am tired of defending myself and it is 6 years later. I am tired of having to get scrutinized by security every time I go on an airplane (I am a early-30s female of slight build). Do you have to constantly apologize for the KKK or Timothy McVeigh or even Hitler? But, still, I do what I can. I went to a church last year on Christmas Eve (and I live in the Bible belt now) to let them know that they are my brothers and sisters too, and that the similarities between our faiths are greater than our differences. If it will make you feel better, tell me where you live and go to church, and I will show up there and denounce terrorism from the rooftop. But see, you would never know this watching tv. Maybe you should stop living such a sheltered life and go out and find these things out for yourself.

p.s. I was in the Army ROTC in college but was disqualified from service because I developed a major chronic illness. I would have been out there right now defending you and your family otherwise. So don’t tell me I don’t do enough for my country and that I don’t try to do my part as a Muslim. You offend me deeply.

Comment by Johnny Swank — October 3, 2007 @ 5:59 pm

How often do you actually speak to Muslims? How many do you know? I know several, and have discussed this issue with them a number of times. Guess what? My friends consider themselves Americans. Americans who happen to be Muslim by faith. They relate to the fanatics who were responsible for 9/11 about as well as I relate to Timothy McVeigh.

Of course they condemn terrorism. Of course they condemn acts of violence against America — THEIR country as well as mine. And they are getting a little weary of being asked to somehow apologize for 9/11 all the time — as if they are somehow responsible, or as if they don’t feel the hurt from that awful day as much as any of the rest of us (yes — Muslims died at the WTC, too).

The Muslim community where I live has pretty much gone out of their way to foster good relations with their non-Muslim neighbors. They have held open houses at the mosque, held seminars and Q&A sessions for any non-Muslim who wants to know about their faith, and have gone to speak everywhere they are invited to do so. EVERY time they have a chance to speak to non-Muslims, they condemn terrorism and in particular those who attacked our nation on 9/11. How much more do you want them to do?

If you are waiting for some great Muslim spokesman (like a Pope or something) to make a public condemnation, you’ll be waiting a long time because in Islam, no such person exists. There is no “chief Muslim”. Furthermore, those who do speak out aren’t being listened to. Instead, we continually hear from people like you that Muslims condone terrorism through silence. It’s not that. It’s that people like you just don’t listen.

Go meet some Muslims. Talk to them. I guarantee you’ll learn something.

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

-Thomas Jefferson

Comment by koko the talking gorilla

The U.S. Constitution (you know ..that thing we have been throwing in the face of the NeoCons over and over) ..doesnt say anything about any banks controling our money supply…

Alright, I apologize, I may have hit my burn out point at work for the day. I’ll catch everyone tomorrow.

Comment by Squegeeboo — October 3, 2007 @ 5:52 pm

You’re absolutely right — and the country with the most Muslims is Indonesia, much of which lies below the Equator. June doesn’t have such long days for them.

Yes — go home and get some rest. See you here tomorrow.

Only if your in the Northern Hemisphere. Why are you so north-hemi-centric? What did penguins ever do to you?

Alright, I apologize, I may have hit my burn out point at work for the day. I’ll catch everyone tomorrow.

Comment by Michael — October 3, 2007 @ 5:40 pm

I guess you need to explain it then, because I don’t see Muslims to be the great boogeymen you do. Except, of course, for a few religious zealots who like to blow up our buildings — THAT organization must be dealt with. However, they don’t represent the majority of Muslims.

You also should explain how our occupation of Iraq eliminates this threat. You will probably just use the Republican talking point (”we’re fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here”), which is meaningless, but I am always hopeful you’ll come up with something new.

Comment by Squegeeboo — October 3, 2007 @ 5:39 pm

I can understand the temptation. It WOULD create some rather unpleasant situations, though — downing martinis without any food (no olive — that counts as food).

My Muslim friends rise about 45 minutes to half an hour before dawn so they can eat breakfast and drink enough liquid to get through the day. They break their fasts a couple of minutes after sunset — traditionally with dates or olives. Followed by a normal dinner.

Because the Muslim calendar is about 10 days shorter than a solar year, Ramadan starts 10 days earlier in our calendar than it did the year before. Therefore, it appears at different times of the year, and as you can imagine, fasting in December is a lot easier than fasting in June!

We’d all have to wear that long flowing dress thingy? Cause I have a kilt, and I’d have to say, it’s much more comfortable than pants, so I would welcome it.

One could even say they have a blast.

Wow, at least they can still drink(alcoholic beverages) though.

Comment by Squegeeboo — October 3, 2007 @ 5:36 pm

Um…no they can’t. Alcohol is strictly forbidden in Islam — anytime. They manage to have a good time without it, though.

Wow, at least they can still drink(alcoholic beverages) though.