France is 'enemy No 1' (target of jihad!)

[MSBS]

how christian of you...

or should I say how american of you.

So some loudmouth sounds off and all Americans must hold this viewpoint? Strange how people will gripe about the bigotry of others while being equally bigoted towards what ever group they feel those people represent.

 

[Letalis]

For many devout muslims, the name of God in arabic is sacred. We don't throw away pieces of papers that have the arabic name of God written on it. That is what the man was complaining about, because the swirl looked a lot like the arabic name of God and he is concerned that it will be thrown away, stepped on and disrespected.

...it was a picture of a swirling ice cream...

 

[NinjaTurtles]

France is proof that not all countries are being attacked because of involvement with what the mideast considers enemies.

from the article:
"The GSPC was created from a split in the Armed Islamic Group, the main force in Algeria's long insurgency, which was also responsible for a series of bombings in France in 1995."

So, the attacks in France by the group began in 1995. Gosh, and no one bothered to focus on it in the USA or even try to blame the USA government?

If you go to north Africa, you'll see that many people in those countries speak French. The French are by no means a peaceful nation and groups from north Africa (i.e., Morocco, Algeria, etc.) will more likely attack France as opposed to groups in the Middle East, which will have more issues with the U.S. considering their oil ties.

So I don't think France is proof of anything. My sister had an exchange student back in the early 1990's from France and she was rather racist. She basically said, I would not have liked you if your family was Moroccan.

 

[SuzQ]

I'm trying to understand what would be so surprising to people about France being targeted? There was clear evidence the Eiffel Tower was a target by Al Quaeda after 9/11. I think one of their "beefs" was the fact that France wasn't allowing Muslim girls to cover their heads in public school (which I think has now changed).

They will find some reason to hate any country not "predominantly" Muslim. Countries who think they're safe from Islamic Extremists because they aren't "friends" with America, better think again. Look at Beslan in Russia. We all though it was Chechnyan rebels again & found out the sickos had ties to Al Quaeda.

 

[OhhJim]

Wasn't France the only country left to be targetted for jihad? And don't extremist terrorist groups need the media, in order to stay relevant? And since when do terrorist groups care who they kill? Islamic terrorists are killing hundreds of fellow Muslims in Iraq, for example.

 

[NinjaTurtles]

I'm trying to understand what would be so surprising to people about France being targeted? There was clear evidence the Eiffel Tower was a target by Al Quaeda after 9/11. I think one of their "beefs" was the fact that France wasn't allowing Muslim girls to cover their heads in public school (which I think has now changed).

Actually I don't think their beef has anything to do with the headscarf policy. The real beef is what the French did in Algeria, hence the group making the threats being from Algeria.

They will find some reason to hate any country not "predominantly" Muslim. Countries who think they're safe from Islamic Extremists because they aren't "friends" with America, better think again. Look at Beslan in Russia. We all though it was Chechnyan rebels again & found out the sickos had ties to Al Quaeda.

I'm not so sure of that, the articles I've read have stated that Putin hasn't been able to make the connection of the Beslan siege to Al Qaeda. However, Russia being targeted has nothing to do with them being less Muslim, but has more to do with their hard-line approach to Chechnya. Many of these extremist groups are not basing their threats on religion alone or the fact that a country is not Muslim, it is based on conflicts that are usually political and economic in nature. There's a reason why Argentina is not targeted.

 

[rahma]

...it was a picture of a swirling ice cream...

A picture of swirled ice cream that looks a heck of a lot like the name of God in arabic, and as such, something that shouldn't be thrown away and treated as trash. I wish there was a more in depth interview with this man. The only quote I can find from him is where he says "this is my jihad." Then everyone flips out because, gasp, he said jihad. *faints* He is in fact using a very common phrase for muslims. I use that phrase quite often in my every day life.

 

[MadeInOz]

So some loudmouth sounds off and all Americans must hold this viewpoint? Strange how people will gripe about the bigotry of others while being equally bigoted towards what ever group they feel those people represent.

I was being more than a little facetious for a starters, but secondly, I know that a lot of americans don't hold an anti-french viewpoint, but I've met a heck of a lot who do.

 

[Letalis]

A picture of swirled ice cream that looks a heck of a lot like the name of God in arabic, and as such, something that shouldn't be thrown away and treated as trash.

It's grasping at straws in the first place to say they look alike. You would only be able to notice the similiarity if you are looking for it.

Even if it was very similiar, what does that matter? It doesn't say God, nor was intended to say God or make any mention of Him. So what does it matter if it looks somewhat similiar? It's an ice cream swirl.

I wish there was a more in depth interview with this man. The only quote I can find from him is where he says "this is my jihad." Then everyone flips out because, gasp, he said jihad. *faints* He is in fact using a very common phrase for muslims. I use that phrase quite often in my every day life.

"He was not satisfied by the decision to withdraw the cones and has called on Muslims to boycott Burger King. He said: "This is my jihad. How can you say it is a spinning swirl? If you spin it one way to the right you are offending Muslims." "

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1951292005

"How can you say it is a spinning swirl?"

Um, maybe because it is one?

 

[rahma]

It's grasping at straws in the first place to say they look alike. You would only be able to notice the similiarity if you are looking for it.

Even if it was very similiar, what does that matter? It doesn't say God, nor was intended to say God or make any mention of Him. So what does it matter if it looks somewhat similiar? It's an ice cream swirl.

The swirl forms the arabic name of God. As such, it is kind of BK to redo this. They can add a single line or another swirl, and it won't spell out Allah anymore. It matters to ME and it matters to this man. It's perfectly within his right to boycott BK and/or ask them to change it. I thought we lived in a free society?

"He was not satisfied by the decision to withdraw the cones and has called on Muslims to boycott Burger King. He said: "This is my jihad. How can you say it is a spinning swirl? If you spin it one way to the right you are offending Muslims." "

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1951292005

"How can you say it is a spinning swirl?"

Um, maybe because it is one?

I've read the quote. That's the only quote out there that I can find. It doesn't say he's going to go kill people. It doesn't say he's declared a jihad on people. It doesn't say he's going to jihad BK, or any of the other interpretations I've seen the news media spin. He says "this is my jihad." A muslim says the word jihad and everyone flips out. That's the issue that bothers me the most, especially since jihad is part of my everyday vocabularly. The fact that some people on this board (in other fora) advocate deporting people who use the word jihad is what is scaring me. This man is boycotting BK, says the word jihad and it's international news, when there is tons of real violence, poverty, death and destruction elsewhere.

 

[burrow_owl]

It's perfectly within his right to boycott BK and/or ask them to change it. I thought we lived in a free society?

I don't think anyone is questioning his right to act like a conspiracy theory spaz. But, maybe BK is part of the Free Mason plot to bring Islam down. Could be.

 

[jsn112]

It matters to ME and it matters to this man. It's perfectly within his right to boycott BK and/or ask them to change it. I thought we lived in a free society?

Free society for whom? In your or everyone's world? If BK refuses to change it on the basis of free society and a jihad is declared by you or this man, then it is not free is it?

 

[rahma]

Free society for whom? In your or everyone's world? If BK refuses to change it on the basis of free society and a jihad is declared by you or this man, then it is not free is it?

Um, I do believe I belong to the same world BK does (although my "world" is the american paradigm, while this incident took place in the british "world").

If BK doesn't change it, it's within their peragotive, they'll just face a boycott.

And again, please note, the man DID NOT DECLARE A JIHAD against BK. He said "this is my jihad," aka this is my struggle, my issue, my cause. From the very few actual quote we have from this man, the ONLY action he appears to be taking in relation to his jihad is boycott, NOT VIOLENCE.


Let's examine this usage in other circumstances. My jihad is illiteracy. Am I going to strap on a bomb belt and suicide bomb myself, taking illiteracy with me? No, it means that my cause is illiteracy, and I will struggle to do my best to see that people learn to read.

 

[JPPT1974]

The French can't seem to get a break these days. They seem to be prejudice against. As the USA also are getting rid of stuff like French wine or French bread. Anything to do with France they get rid of.

 

[jsn112]

Um, I do believe I belong to the same world BK does (although my "world" is the american paradigm, while this incident took place in the british "world").

If BK doesn't change it, it's within their peragotive, they'll just face a boycott.

And again, please note, the man DID NOT DECLARE A JIHAD against BK. He said "this is my jihad," aka this is my struggle, my issue, my cause. From the very few actual quote we have from this man, the ONLY action he appears to be taking in relation to his jihad is boycott, NOT VIOLENCE.


Let's examine this usage in other circumstances. My jihad is illiteracy. Am I going to strap on a bomb belt and suicide bomb myself, taking illiteracy with me? No, it means that my cause is illiteracy, and I will struggle to do my best to see that people learn to read.

But the "jihad" is synonymous to blowing things and people up. Bin Laden uses it. al-Zarqawi uses it. So either you or that man should use a different word or else people will misunderstand you. The word, jihad, is now tainted. If you or that man insist on using it, then expect a harsh reaction. Boycotting is fine in the free society. But blowing up things is not fine in free society.

 

[rahma]

But the "jihad" is synonymous to blowing things and people up.

It's not synonymous in my mind, or in the minds of people who know the history and meaning of the word. I'm not going to stop using it just because some people use it to mean something else. I'll continue my person jihads against overindulgence, caffine, watching too much television and spending too much of my day on the internet, regardless of how bin Laden uses the term.

If you or that man insist on using it, then expect a harsh reaction. Boycotting is fine in the free society. But blowing up things is not fine in free society.

Even if the harsh reaction is flipping out and blowing this way our of proportion? I use it in a perfectly acceptable way, and I shall continue as such. Just because you only know one meaning for the word doesn't mean the word only have one meaning (although I strenously object to the equation of jihad with suicide bombings, a very modern meaning completely unsupported by the historical use of the word).

 

[rahma]

But the "jihad" is synonymous to blowing things and people up.

It's not synonymous in my mind, or in the minds of people who know the history and meaning of the word. I'm not going to stop using it just because some people use it to mean something else. I'll continue my person jihads against overindulgence, caffine, watching too much television and spending too much of my day on the internet, regardless of how bin Laden uses the term.

If you or that man insist on using it, then expect a harsh reaction. Boycotting is fine in the free society. But blowing up things is not fine in free society.

Even if the harsh reaction is flipping out and blowing this way our of proportion? I use it in a perfectly acceptable way, and I shall continue as such.

 

[BibleMadeMeDoIt]

My sister had an exchange student back in the early 1990's from France and she was rather racist.

I think it was Frontline that did a program a few years ago on the foul treatment of Algerians and other Middle Easterners in France and it was ironic that their complaints mirrored the complaints of African-Americans in the US. Even the housing and employment discrimination problems were the same.

 

[BibleMadeMeDoIt]

But the "jihad" is synonymous to blowing things and people up.

Maybe this is true for non-muslim, non-arabic speaking people. My first understanding of that word was a personal religious/spiritual struggle similar to the one Christians teach about when they speak of the spirit is strong but the flesh is weak. That is just my view of it, Im not sure about others.