Schiavo Alert: The Rifqa Bary Case

• Dear all, I want to thank those cool-headed members who can see clearly through the xenophobic propaganda. I just want to make one quick clarification: it is actually not Islamic extremists who do honor killings. It is actually a cultural practice that usually happens in societies that has nothing to do with Islam. It even happens amongst Hindus of India: http://www.hindu.com/2004/01/13/stories/2004011305091200.htm http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSDEL29449420080516?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&sp=true I am a moderate Muslim who reviles Muslim extremists. Yet, I am afraid that this is one charge that I cannot levy against them. It might be convenient to do so, but unfortunately it is not factually correct. -J

• Are you people serious? Do some research from actual authoritative sources before believing such Islamophobic garbage. There is no such thing as honor killing in Islam. As any competent Islamic scholar can easily explain, so called honor killings are a Pre-Islamic custom practiced by local cultures throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. They are carried out by Christians, Hindus, Pagans and yes, even Muslims. The only difference is that they are reported on when Muslims carry them out. There are allegedly 5000 'honor killings' a year. As for killing people for 'apostasy', this is not actually true. There is a provision in the Qur'an for killing people who commit a crime often mistranslated as 'apostasy' but, this does not refer to changing ones religion by itself. It refers to the combination of changing ones religion and treason (desertion and fighting against the Muslims). The Qur'an clearly indicates that the penalty is reserved for those who go over to fight with the enemy at a time of war. While there is some disagreement as to what acts qualify under these terms, there is a general consensus among Islamic religious leaders that both conditions must be met to warrant a sentence of death, and after a trial in a court of law. Only the Islamic State has the authority to bring such a charge and trial (assuming that they can catch the traitor or win the war). I know this won't convince the Islamophobes but, GOD willing it will be useful to those who are honestly curious.

• I'm a Christian and I have no desire to stand behind Blake Lorenz. I think the desire to be a celebrity is going to mess him up in the end.

• Wow nothing like a good Islamic fundie death threat to bring out the anti-Christian bigots and moonbats, none of which have ever even cracked a Quran to find out what's inside. If your intent was impersonating bleating sheep, you certainly succeeded, if however you attempted to be seen as erudite, better try again, you only came off as stupid leftist twits whose thinking takes place at the opposite end of their skulls.

• I can see there are many sowers of untruths here,especially Mr. Assclown up at top. It's hard to imagine people such as Mr Francis being as flippant with a young girl's life potentially in the balance. In case you haven't noticed there is a subterranean war going on for the heart and soul of America, the stealth jihad mounted by people I guess assclown admires is a real phenomenon. Hope you take a few minutes to compose yourself and think a bit.

• Remember Tawana Brawley? I think she was about to be shipped home to grandma's or some uncle's house back in Sri Lanka for breaking curfew too many times and she came up with this idea to stay in the US for a few more years. No way they would let her be a cheerleader if their parents were as orthodox as she claims. They wouldn't even let her walk around without a hijab if this was a possibility.

• Perhaps American liberals would be more supportive of Rifqa Bary if her parents were trying to prevent her from having an abortion.

• I am not taking sides here at all. I just want to point out that Deuteronomy is the Old Testament, not the New. I agree that no devout, conservative Muslim family would allow their daughter to be a cheerleader.

• Hey Fred, Here are your verses: Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (King James Version) 18If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

• Wow, real live crocodile tears, caught on video! this kid is a terrible actress; let's hope she finds a higher calling.

• This is a bad acting job. No devout Muslim parents would allow their daughter to be a cheerleader. That's absolutely, 100% certain. And only extremely devout Muslims practice honor killing. (The same way only extremely devout Christians, Jews, and Muslims think it was cool for the Hebrews to kill the male-children of the Midianites and take the girl-children as concubines.) Jeremy Pike: as one of the skeptics/atheists you mention, I'd like to tell you that I cannot sufficiently express how much I loathe fundamentalist Islam, and I absolutely do not prefer it to Christianity. Moderate religion is always preferable to fundamentalism, and fundamental Islamists are far more profligate than their Christian cousins. But understand what it means to be "moderate": it means to not have too much of something. We are civilized and decent to one another not because of our ancestors' Christianity, but because of the Enlightenment. My civil rights are not derived from the charity of Christians like yourself, but rather owe their existence to the Enlightenment's brave heretics, who used the Bible as post-hoc justification for loosening the a god's grip on the public. If you truly believe there is something inherently nice about Christianity, or any dogma, I invite you to take a look at the doings of these primitive Christians, who took seriously their loving god's injunction that "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live": http://www.evolvedrational.com/2009/03/witch-burning-in-21st-century.html Regards, - TD

• I've been following this story on tangle.com, where they sent out the video a couple of days ago. I'm actually quite amazed at the comments on the video (which can be seen here: http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=96ccab6067d81ee5bbc6 ) I think a lot of the Christians out there think Rifqa is full of it! Why? The pure fact that she was a cheerleader makes it hard to believe that her family is the crazy fanatical islamic people she claims they are. What better way to get away from your parents than to question your safety around them.

• The problem has nothing to do with the pastors, she converted to Christianity four years before she met these pastors. The United Nations report that conservative Muslims (including Sri Lankans, Rifqa Bary's national identity) commit 5,000 honor killings a year. How many apostates have Christians executed? Where are the outstanding statistics for Christian terrorist attacks? The clear and contextualized Scripture? One attack, recently, where a man shot a pastor who aborted fetuses. Oh God, someone call the FBI, we have one case next to thousands upon thousands of daily cases of Islamic violence. And yet Christians are the crazy ones? Tell me, out of all the anti-Christian rants any of these readers have done, how many have actually had their lives or freedom threatened? You all need to put down your hatred for Christianity for three seconds to realize, that though you may not like what we have to say, Islamic law condemns you to death for merely existing as non-religious individuals. While we, Christians, invented the very foundation of civil rights for you atheists and skeptics to enjoy.

• It is not about the pastor she met on facebook and the fact that she fled there. SHE CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY BEFORE SHE MET THIS PASTOR. Because you ask the question: Which side is good? It is clear you have not reflected on the new testament compared to the Koran. I wont even say which is good since it is blatenly obvious to anyone who actually looks into it. I came accross someone who wanted to say that the new testament also contains admonitions to kill apostate children. they even through out a verse and chapter numbers--THEY LIED COMPLETELY looking up the verses it was clear. Why do some people want to believe that all religions are equivolent? morally equal? This is different than saying all religions have good parts. This is true enough. But the underlying principles, the example, sayings and teachings of Mohamed are very bad. Be honest, research, back up your claims. Read the books for yourself.

• If you can't tell the difference between good and evil, I think that's where the problem might be.

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