British Muslims picket Downing Street in protest of Charlie Hebdo cartoons

[MrsTawdry]

So the Daily Mail report it as "thousands" whilst the Telegraph say "at least a thousand"

Can't find ANY other sources for it. How is this ok? Free speech yes...but...

thanks talking

'IS have nothing to do with Islam as interpreted and practised by the vast majority of Muslims.'

the problem is that there is a large number of muslims (not a majority as you say) but a large number that support a lot crazy things. See the various disturbing polls on british muslims. These aren't people who went to IS training schools as kids.

I don't believe we 'must' criticise the tenets of Islam as a matter of course – or of Christianity or whatever other faith, for that matter. I DO believe we must criticise and speak out when an aspect of a faith is used to foul ends.

the cloak of religion is used to protect so many crazy ideas. If a non-religious institution had a charter containing the stuff that's in the koran or bible, we wouldn't be having this discussion. it would get universal condemnation. The bible and koran are both misogynist and homophobic, and that's actually not the worst stuff in them. The problem is that these books contain this troubling material AND are claimed to be the best moral guides.

and you think they shouldn't be criticized? I think we all have a duty to call out bad ideas, whether or not they are religious.

CaffeLatt I don't have to justify anything! An objective discussion with someone with a 'with me or with the terrorists' view like yours, isn't really possible anyway.

keepitsimple0 Of course they do, but then again fundamentalist religion is not the preserve of some radical Islamists. For example 50 percent of the American population thinks the world was created 6,000 years ago exactly the way it is now. The U.S - U.K have always supported the most extreme fundamentalist Islamic states and still does. Especially Saudi Arabia, which is the most radical of Islamist tyrannies on the planet. They make Iran look like a progressive society – but Saudi Arabia does its job for us. That's why we saw recently, the BBC and other corporate media journalists fawning over the passing of it's king. Do you suppose they'll do that when Iran's current Ayatollah pops his clogs?

I heard an interesting point that the recently deceased King Abdullah had said the state of Israel was in his view a political problem (so with a potential solution) not an existential one.

Perhaps that is the difference to the USA between Iran's government and Abdullah's Saudi?

Of course they do, but then again fundamentalist religion is not the preserve of some radical Islamists. For example 50 percent of the American population thinks the world was created 6,000 years ago exactly the way it is now. The U.S - U.K have always supported the most extreme fundamentalist Islamic states and still does. Especially Saudi Arabia, which is the most radical of Islamist tyrannies on the planet.

Who here claims that islam has a monopoly on religious insanity? i also criticise christianity for it's crazyness all the time, for example it's cosy relationship with the UK government and catholics' anti condom stance (which is incredibly damaging). The nice thing is that no one says that we shouldn't do that because catholics' feelings get hurt. In particular, most catholics don't say that (at least, no one i have ever met). I have never been told that we can't talk about condoms because it is offensive. And while I have no love for the catholic religion, I will happily say that people don't get killed for talking about how catholic doctrine is terrible.

One of the most disgusting political ties is the west's to saudi arabia. I don't think anyone here disagrees.

And in this thread people are criticising islam for its anti-speech stance re: drawings and those muslims (who aren't the majority, but still in disturbingly large numbers) who use this stance to justify violence. the reason we aren't talking about all those other crazy religious people is that that is not the topic of this thread. there are other threads about them.

So who has the blinders on?

I'm not saying you have blinders on, neither did I accuse you of being ignorant about Christian fundamentalism either - calm down! I mentioned Saudi Arabia to illustrate the nature of Britain and The West's hypocritical stance towards the Middle East. The Saudi Arabian ambassador to France showed up at a march in support of those murdered at C. Hebdo office, yet two days earlier, his government flogged the blogger Raif Badawi. He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for speaking about democracy.

funnyossity I think that's because Israel performed a service for the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.When it smashed Nasser’s Egypt, which was considered a threat and more or less at war with Saudi Arabia at the time. It was threatening to use the huge resources of the region for the benefit of the population of the countries of the region, and not to fill the pockets of some rich tyrant and Western corporations. Publicly the Saudis are careful not to upset the U.S.

The current president of Iran,Hassan Rouhani, is a graduate of Glasgow Caledonian I believe. Perhaps Nicola Sturgeon could use a bit of soft power to keep well in!

sourdrawers

Not once have I said, hinted or implied that you either agree with me or are "with the terrorists". Not once.

You are so desperate to see racism and prejudice everywhere you look that sensible discussion is impossible with you.

I said that I think your use of the word "but" following your comments about Paris and Copenhagen is inexcusable.

How about if I said...."Well, yes, what happened to the Jewish people during WW2 was appalling, but lots of other people died too"???

There is no BUT. And there should have been no BUT in what you said. That you included one indicates a desire to minimise and justify what happened. And that is a disgrace.

I am not surprised at all that you either can't or won't see that. Perhaps, in the interests of the sensible discussion you claim to want you will acknowledge that you were wrong to insist that Muslims are singled out in this country when it comes to prosecuting blasphemy.

I shan't hold my breath.