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If a Christian fundamentalist here in Canada said that homosexuals should be locked up or killed, and that women were inferior to men, that they had to cover their hair at all times so as to not incite lust in men, that it should be legal for husbands to use physical discipline on their wives, and that, and a rape case should never be prosecuted against a man unless there were male witnesses you would call him a wack job. Yet this is mainstream Muslim law, accepted by the majority of Muslims around the world, and certainly by anyone wearing a hijab or burqa.

Omni is right, and my "experience, knowledge and judgement" of you here on mlw is that you have made the leap from personal dislike to xenophobia toward all people of entire cultures/races/religions. I am curious how many people of different ethnicities you personally disliked before you made the leap to xenophobia against them all. ??

It's when you take that dislike of a particular person and try to apply it to the whole culture the person you don't like belongs to that it becomes racism/xenophobia.

Your leaving out a ridiculous amount of details in your rantings. Vietnam was a stumbled on mistake you are very much correct because of France. They were there first and pretty much left the US. Holding the bag. In to deep to get out and embarrassed to be there. Think Breexit was part of a capitalist plot? Every banker and investor were shaking their heads on that one. That was a choice by democracy. Venezuela is a combination of socialism and what happens when the talented leave. CIA doesn't have to do anything there. Just sit back and watch. Oil refinery plants are running at 50% while employing 3 times the workers before being nationalized but that is America's fault to I guess. Nationalized grocery stores for trying to sell bread at cost and not the state controlled prices while the military steals the food and sells it to the black market. Yup all the fault of the US.

Poor scribblet. It must be difficult living in such a state of anxiety that you are constantly panicking about imaginary catastrophies. There is treatment for that disorder.

Islam's Eid Festival involves the ritual slaughter of animals to appease Allah as per the ancient Blood Libel of Abraham. This only happens in your particular preferred death cult of Islam. I admit, it probably seems quite normal to yourself to torture animals to death to appease a Bronze Age deity. However, in Canada before the recent introduction of Islam, this would have been considered abhorrent. A criminal offence as opposed to beloved religious practice. Now, however....thanks to the rise of Islam in Canada...animal rights again come into question. Muslims already slaughter their animal sacrifices to their violent blood god in the streets of Paris. Ottawa won't be too many years behind modern Paris...re blood in the streets. They'll demand it and get it...

Are you claiming this doesn't happen? Okay...well, you believe in 9-11 Troother theories...so no doubt you support Islam. Allahu Akbar!!

What if their faith calls for brutally slaughtering animals to appease their god?

Jehovah's Witness arrested for ramming into and crushing 6 French soldiers in Paris with his car. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-attacks-france-idUSKBN1AP0OS JK...it was a peaceful Muslim enriching the locals with the usual Islamic diversity. Meanwhile, model and hottie, Chloe Ayling, claims that she was kidnapped and held ransom to be auctioned-off to Muslim men in the Middle East. What an Islamophobe! She should be arrested! How dare she sully the great faith of Islam!!! Rant...froth...carry-on. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/model-was-kidnapped-to-order-by-gang-for-middle-eastern-men-a3605461.html

I defend people's right to choose and to practice their religion without discrimination. I defend women's right to wear what they choose without discrimination. I choose to neither practice a religion, nor wear a burka.

The conversation seems to go like this: An actual Muslim woman or Muslim 'apologist': Muslim women often choose to wear the hijab as a symbol of their faith, although it is also true that some women are coerced. Coercion is a problem not limited to hijab wearing or even Islam. Domestic abuse needs to be addressed in Muslim communities along with all other communities. Anti-Muslim response: As far as I am concerned, the hijab is a symbol of female oppression, and if a woman chooses to wear it, she is at the very least promoting female oppression. As a matter of fact she is probably a fanatic who wants to kill gays/apostates/impose Sharia law (per Argus). It doesn't really matter what Muslim women themselves say, it is clear that the hijab is a huge problem for women (and Canadian culture, per Argus again) and so I am going to object to it. And if you think letting women wear the hijab is ok, you are also supporting misogyny and female oppression.

When are canadians going to realize that everything trudeau says is a lie. He could have stopped that sale the minute he became PM.

They are now talking billions over the next 3 yrs to process and a 11 back log on the horizon. What trudeau is doing is treasonous to the welfare of this country. He should resign.

How much are you willing to sacrifice so that we do not do deals like this? Are you willing to surrender your job? Your house? What are you personally willing to pay? You're asking that all the hundreds of men and women whose jobs depend on this sort of sale to give up their jobs because it makes YOU uncomfortable. Don't you think that is more than a little arrogant? Note that I have written many times that I detest the Saudi regime. Nonetheless, I'm not naive enough to believe that our refusal to sell them armored vehicles would have the slightest impact on their behaviour or on their military abilities. They would simply shrug and buy them from the US or UK or France or Russians or whomever. Furthermore, everything we buy from China helps profit the Chinese regime, which uses those moneys to build up its military to help it control its citizens and threaten its neighbours. How is that any different from selling armored vehicles to the Saudis?

Even were that true (it isn't) you would despise them for it, yet you don't have an issue with Muslims who feel this way.

God Save the Queen

Churchill was a vampire??!!??

It's not confusing at all, betsy: We defend freedom of choice.

I know of one who speaks about it: Tareq Fatah It must be hard to hear those Muslims speaking about it....... ...........when many Muslims drown them out, with cries of Islamophobia!

People use the excuse that they are engaging in valid criticsm of Islam in order to say things like: Muslims are violent, backward, misogynistic people who force women to wear blankets over their heads, who want to kill infidels and gays, impose Sharia law on everyome and who engage in rape for fun. Any kind of counter to such sweeping and often incorrect statements is met with "you are defending barbaric practices and refuse to admit that Islam needs reforming". In the meantime, I have criticized Islam for its paternalistic beliefs, and Muslim majority countries for their human rights abuses. But because I don't also repeat hyperbolic statements or use insulting language this is not accepted. Its not that I am confusing, its that you can't inderstand how I can both disaprive of Islam without having to insult.or be afraid of all Muslims

You haven't cottoned on to these folks' tricks yet, WCR?

People who fall into the trap of being reigned by religion curtail themselves regardless of the brand or which dusty old man made book they wave around saying it came from on "high"

True, so clearly there are parents who are teaching their kids not to be racist. That's a good thing, no?

Nowhere in my post did I put forth the idea that a burka is good for humanity or is an empowering choice for women; I did note that given it's relative rarity even in the Muslim world, it would seem to be a more extreme practice. I also expressed my belief that some men do require women to wear the burka, while some women choose to wear it. This would be an acknowledgement that there are two sides to the issue - one of choice, one of coercion. How very kind of you not to insult people to their faces, only when they are out of earshot. What I said was "When I was there, I only saw about a dozen" and "maybe there are more now, but nowhere close to being a majority". Yes, I am beginning to understand that Fort Mac is representative, in your mind at least, of every single Muslim on the planet: rude, extreme and violent. I do wonder how many Muslims you knew in Fort Mac who you didn't recognize as Muslim because they failed to dress or act the way you expected them to. Yes, indeed - perhaps you should. You are fine accepting *some* practices that hearken back to an historical time when women were second class citizens, but not those labeled "Islamic". This would be called "double standard". Would you agree with bullying women who want to wear it? And do you disagree with Sikh women who wear a scarf or turban over their head, given that their religion and culture also keeps women in a subordinate position? Or is your offense limited to Muslims? Women in hijabs are also a minority in Canada and women in burkas are a minority within a minority. We disagree on the degree of influence Muslims have or are likely to have in Canada when it comes to women's rights or the law. I believe they have about the same influence that fundamental Christians have when it comes to preventing women from having abortions or gays from marrying.

Seems to me that you've described extreme Christian fundamentalism pretty well.

It is an issue. I don't even care to really make threads anymore because I know there are certain people on here that will trash a thread up in a couple pages making the effort pointless. IN comparison, I got crapped on from Rue in the 'Israel has fun with terrorism?' thread I created. It was seen as Jew bating. Really it's just Rue having no control and thinking there is bait to bite. That's more of a problem for Rue than me, but well we all have to see it. Rue is not debating, or having a conversation, well not with me anyways. Most of my posts are met with complete vitriol from him. But is totally nice to others who never questions anything Israel. Rue does not want to debate, just wants to throw out the 'never be a victim again', but ends up getting in the way to bash and then when pushed back, claims to be a victim of 'anti-semetism'. I also made the post about Rethinking Canadian sales to the Saudis. And Rue got in there and started shitting it up right away. I mean I cannot fucking win at all here. There are some good conversations, but nothing near like it used to be some years ago. I've been a member of this board for over 10 years now, and well, it's a shadow of it's former self. Often I've had my words twisted so out of the original meaning and in many cases out of context, that the replying member attributes things to my post that were never mentioned. Why would that take place for any other purpose than to troll?? Ignoring it does not make it go away. Greg seemed upset that he even thinks I am trolling him and the moderation now. But it's not trolling, it's asking them, begging them, to deal with the absolute asshatery that has taken place here with certain members. The problem is not me.

Bang-on! Venezuela is the latest casualty of socialism.

I don't think you are in any position to say who is a christian or isn't since you know nothing about it.

No one is questioning anyone's work ethic, simply suggesting the genders have different wants out of a job.

I am guessing the words "blanket over her head" refers to a burka, which covers a woman from head to foot and sometimes includes a screen for her eyes. To answer your question, the burka seems to be extreme in any part of the world, including Muslim majority countries. I couldn't even find a country that 'required' that women wear a burka and only two that required a hijab. There are even Muslim-majority countries that have forbidden the wearing of the niqab. No doubt some men require their wives to wear a burka. Just as clearly, some women choose to wear a burka. When I was in Egypt, I saw maybe a dozen women in burkas; perhaps there are more now, but they are certainly not even close to being a majority. Hijab seems to be a choice many Muslim women make, so perhaps that's a moderate Muslim. Do you object to the hijab? Other than participants, I don't know anyone who considers a burka moderate or charming. Some of us are more willing to accept it, the same way we're willing to accept nuns in their habits - dating from the Middle Ages when entering a nunnery was often not a choice, but punishment or one of the few places an unmarried girl could go. Or Mennonite women in their dresses and bonnets, a style reminiscent of the 1700 and 1800s and symbols for their cultural requirement for modesty and submission to men. All religions get passes on what most of us consider extreme. There are fundamental Jews who are indistinguishable from Muslim women in black abayas and hijabs, Christian sects that claim polygamy as part of their religion, Roman Catholics who believe in and practice exorcism, the Mormon's 'baptism of the dead', Jehovah's Witnesses refusal of blood transfusions. They all 'get a pass' despite their weirdness of their beliefs and the sometimes harm they cause. I object to the rudeness of your "blanket over their heads". Why would you think such insulting language contributes to a 'reasoned' discussion of Islam or Muslims?

We really are going to have to establish some base that holds a measure of reality from which these discussions can flow. The USA DOES NOT create democracies. The US establishes brutal, right wing dictatorships which are then instructed to murder those who want to see democracy put in place, people who want to see the colonial thieves' systems dismantled. In Vietnam, as an example, Eisenhower knew as did all his war criminal henchmen and all the elected representatives that the people of Vietnam wanted Ho Chi Minh as their leader because he was totally dedicated to giving his people their independence. So the US scuttled planned UN elections. Killing people at will and/or locking them up is what the USA does, mostly the former. The tens of millions slaughtered by the US stand as testament to the fact that the US doesn't do democracy.

And you know this because studies prove that men are more naturally suited to cabinet posts than women? Do you have a cite?

And you think Christianity as practiced by some is so much better. Give your xenophobic head a shake. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/mark-taliano/canadas-hidden-fundamenta_b_3596156.html

Nice blog from your comrade on the left. Hardly evidence boyo

You're very welcome, jacee. Lest anyone think that these US economic hit men are a new phenomena, think again. The US has been doing this in earnest since its beginnings.

Oh yes we are. We're worse actually because we should and do know better.

Are you suggesting we're not responsible for our government's actions? If so, who is? All I know is that when I suggest that voting is a waste of time I'm invariably informed that I'm being irresponsible. Last week Capricorn also implied we have no control over our government. That said, I'm quite confident in suggesting she would be singing a completely different tune if we were talking about something else other than our complicity. Whenever the discussion turns to that of our country's complicity in the fortunes of the dictators we're allied with however it seems all I hear is but but but... We definitely deserve the government's we get and as far as I'm concerned we also deserve the actions that the victims of our allies direct against us in retaliation for refusing to do anything about our government's. If we truly believe we don't have any say over our government's then we should be overthrowing them until we do.

Oh yes, because letting people starve is the 'moral' thing to do. At least ... according to the US economic sharks that destroy countries.

Snowflakes whining that nobody imposed the family life of "Leave it to Beaver" via martial law, is all.

Oh shut up and tell us a travel story.

Prove that you whined about it.

Uh, Angus, you missed the far more serious point of my second post. ===== Maybe we should organize life/society for Haitians in Haiti - rather than have Haitians flee Haiti and come here. The European Left/sophisticated American Left will accuse me of "imperialism/colonialism"; the American Right will say that "America cannot solve foreign problems." But maybe, if we organised Haiti - and imposed/taught our laws/customs - Haitians would not flee their country.

I love all forms of music but especially jazz. This track is ok-

Tell you what, go ahead and charge them. How do you explain why Canada refuses to do so? Even Harper wouldn't touch his mother or this issue with a ten foot pole. You really don't have a goddamn clue why that is do you? I'd love to see Canada charge his mother with indoctrinating a child soldier. I really would. Go for it, you know you wanna...and so do I.

You don't have to dive very deep to know it means nothing. I mean of we were talking about aliens from another little pale dot malevolently crowding us out you'd have a point. But we don't and it's 2017 and we have far more important relevant things that need discussing. And don't tell me we should start discussing them if that's the case because we have and it's not getting anyone anywhere far or fast. Going backwards is more like it.

He rides a mean horse.

Of course not. The point of the information was to demonstrate that such hacking is common in every election,in every country and that previous US democrat governments have carried out in similar activities. Many people are not aware of how common it is, and how far back in history the techniques of election manipulation go. The fact that Russians even tried to hack the election? Absolutely nothing new here. Therefore it should be guarded against, and it is... constantly, part of an ongoing battle.

See, the left doesn't actually need proof. They just repeat it enough times in their echo chamber until, as Dan Rather famously said, it has the ring of truth!. Of course, Rather lost his job after that fiasco, but the point is, the facts don't matter.