"1 in 5 Brit Muslims’ sympathy for jihadis" was the irresponsible, dangerous and grossly misleading front-page headline of Monday’s edition of the Sun – a tabloid whose circulation is the highest among the national press in the UK. This front page was published on the day we heard that hate crime against Muslims has soared by 300% since the horrific attacks in Paris, according to figures from a report to the government’s working group on anti-Muslim hatred.
Many Muslims across the country are not only sick and tired of scaremongering from our newspapers, but are also worried that such outrageous reporting will further inflame tensions across the country. Either the Sun is being dangerously irresponsible in order to sell papers, or it is intentionally playing dumb. Because any expert will warn of the fallacy of making such misleading inferences from this type of poll.
.... We do need a free press, able to report stories without fear, but can such a wilfully negligent and irresponsible front page, in the face of a record rise in hate crime against Muslims, really be acceptable in our society? The answer may not be regulation, but my hope is that it is improved religious literacy and basic decency. [Miqdaad Versi, Muslim Council of Britain, 762 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 281 votes] Im sure this is going to be heavily moderated so I will say this.
1989, Salman Rushdie.
That is all.
[2ND 239] Something about a third supporting the fatwa and the open incitement to murder him in the streets.
[8TH 175] In other words a third of young British Muslims feel that religious sponsored murder is OK
And of course they didn't all independently reach that view. It's spelled out in the religious texts that every Muslim, to some degree, is required to accept as the ultimate truth.
[3RD 237] I hope most people would understand that being Muslim doesn't automatically equate to being a terrorist. And The Sun are grossly offensive to everyone, not just Muslims.
All that said, there plainly is a connection between the beliefs that all Muslims hold (for one, that the Hadith is a template for how to live) and the beliefs that ISIS have taken to their murderous (but logically consistent) conclusion.
There's also many polls that suggest a huge number of Muslims are (quietly) offended by a picture of the Prophet. It's not hard to see the connection between that sentiment, and the actions of the Hebdo killers.
[4TH 207] "Regulation may not be the answer, but my hope is that improved religious literacy and basic decency is."
What the flying fuck is "improved religious literacy?" I would prefer if the parables of ancient desert peoples were finally put in the bin quite frankly.
[5TH 206] "thus I consider it unislamic."
So perhaps you should get together with the peaceful majority and start a campaign to change the verses and the Hadith to remove the problem passages?
Thats if not your not murdered for 'blasphemy' of course.
[6TH= 190] This poll is far less dubious that the Guardian wants the herd to think. It is however an important that we ask these question and find the truth, even if it hurts some very delicate sensibilities i.e. the Guardian.
However lets be honest the reason anyone is decrying this poll is because the want to stifle debate.
[6TH= 190] You can't help but wonder if The Sun wrote the headline first then looked round for some evidence. However there are some worrying issues. A report Living Apart Together by Munira Mirza, Abi Senthilkumaran and Zein Ja'far found that 36% of 16 to 24-year-old British Muslims believe if a Muslim converts to another religion they should be punished by death, compared with 19% of over-55s. In other words a third of young British Muslims feel that religious sponsored murder is OK. I find that shocking and totally unacceptable.
[9TH 164] Only the other day in the Guardian was a statistic in an article pointing out that 28% of muslims want sharia law in this country. That alone sort of supports this poll. While sympathy isn't active physical support, it does provide more support.
[10TH 135] Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"
What does this instruction mean?
The fact that anyone allows themselves to be dictated to by this nonsense is worrying in itself.
'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
[11TH 125] The polls are not technically incorrect though are they.
If 20% have 'sympathy' for the terrorists motives and feelings, then they should be fucking ashamed of that.
[12TH 115] Interestingly the more I read of the Koran (I assume this is what is meant by improved religious literacy) the more worrying I find it. Religious education, if carried out properly and not just used as a tool for indoctrination more often than not leads to condemnation of religion.
I'm not sure what profound revelations the author is hoping we'll find in this endeavor.
[13TH 104] Guardian readers shell shocked, reeling and in total disarray after Paris.... multicultural model failing before their eyes ... none of the old, trusted liberal paradigms make sense. What to do?
.....Obvious, really! Attack the Sun! [Guardian Cif] Read more
