6/21/10

Inspired by Muhammed


Truthiness in advertising is all the rage nowdays: don't stop killing people, hire a PR firm to give you a kinder, gentler, image.  Everybody's doing it.

The latest is the Inspired by Muhammad ad campaign in London.  In a spirit of inter-faith co-operation, here are my contributions to this worthwhile cause.


My hypocrisy meter is busted, so I might not have got it quite right, but it's the thought that counts, no?

(Jesus and Mo are on it too)
P.s. Here's another one.

13 comments:

Robert Madewell said...

I find it interesting that your posters back up the claim with scripture references. Their's do not. They just say it and expect you to take their word for it.

Anonymous said...

Nicely done. I gave you some props over on my blog. http://humanistincanada.blogspot.com/

Joé McKen said...

Oh, nice and snarky. Goodie. (You’ve been linked to over at Hemant Mehta’s Friendly Atheist, BTW. Props for that! And soon, my own blog, too. I know, I’m a leech.)

Wilson MacLeod said...

As an ex-Muslim who spent sixteen years in the fold, I really had to shake my head when I first saw these posters. I mean how stupid do Muslims think people are? Well we--the filthy idolatrous kuffar--are obviously not as gullible and misinformed as they'd hoped, since this latest "dawaganda" campaign is already backfiring.

I just wanted to compliment you on your quality response and thank you for it. My only constructive criticism is that, although two of the Qur'anic references that you used are spot on, I don't think that Qur'an 5:51 really proves racism. It certainly proves religious bigotry and discrimination, but not racism. For that I think you'd have to refer to some hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari which mention explicitly that Arabs are superior to non-Arabs and other such bullshit.

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

Wilson MacLeod said...

Here are some more you might want to use:

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"I look forward to the homoerotic reward of being waited on by immortal boy-servants in Paradise

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 52:24, 56:17, 76:19

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"Greek mythological heroes got to fly around on winged beasts

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 17:1

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"I believe that women are unreliable witnesses

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 2:282

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"I believe in 'Dr. Doolittle' stories in which people and animals talk

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 27:16-19

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"I believe a person can live for 950 years

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 29:14

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"I believe that meteorites were created to be missiles for driving away devils

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 67:5

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"I think asking too many questions will cause a believer to lose their faith

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 5:101

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"I believe in having multiple wives

So did Muhammad."

Qur'an 4:3

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"After eating with my hands, I observe the homoerotic 'etiquette' of asking those sitting next to me to lick my fingers

So did Muhammad."

Sahih Bukhari 7:65:366

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Enjoy...

Grimalkin said...

Very nice!

@AnastasiaSongs said...

This is not "good work" since I do not recognize any work that is insulting or discriminating or anyhow hurting other people an act of good. I know you'll disagree, as probably your acts of good probably include a vague amount of everything and anything really...Thankfully some of us have been blessed with standards and personal understanding of restrictions of what to say/not to say, how to be respecftul towards others, etc.

Your entire post is so offensive, so hurtful and heart breaking, it is one of those things that you see people do and say: "How can people do things like this?" ...you're one of those people I say it about. Congratulations!

uzza said...

Thanks everyone, for your great comments.
Freddy---nice blog

Wilson—I've used some of your suggestions. You're right, 'religious bigotry' is exactly the phrase I was looking for. Kind of too late now to change it though, so I'll have to fall back on the notion that “Jewish” is often considered a “race”, especially amongst Jew-o-phobes (anti-semitic semites?). I think that was more applicable in Mohammed's time anyway.

uzza said...

Anastasia, thank you especially for your criticism. Notice the Jesus poster. If I'm 'discriminating' at all, it's between those who accept statements uncritically and those who think things through.

When BP tells us their drilling is safe, it's in the interest of a better world for us to point out that they're lying. Likewise, these ads tell us Muhammed believed in x,y, and z, when the record, in the Quran and Hadith, indicate otherwise.

The parodies simply point out the truth, in parable form, as favored by Scripture. If you are insulted and 'hurt' by the truth, I'd suggest you re-examine your thinking: most of us think it is more hurtful and insulting to let these misrepresentations stand unchallenged.

Wilson MacLeod said...

I think Douglas Murray's final sentence in his commentary on the Inspired by Muhammad posters is a fitting response to Anastasia's naïve drivel:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/douglasmurray/100042500/mohammed-believed-in-womens-rights-says-poster-campaign-oh-really/

"As far as I’m concerned, people can believe what they want. But once they try to make other people believe it too by advertising in public places, then they will have to get used to having their platitudes critiqued and ridiculed."

Wilson MacLeod said...

Uzza,

Regarding your point about how Jews are sometimes considered a "race," since they are indeed an ethno-religious group, well this is paralleled by the way that (some) Muslims characterize themselves. Even though I consider labels like "Christian," "Muslim," and "Buddhist" to be purely religious and not linked to any one race or ethnic group, plenty of Muslims clearly see it otherwise.

Quite often, they will call criticism of Islam and Muslims "racist"--even though it's a set of beliefs, or the violent actions of a group of people, that are being criticized and not the skin colour of the people involved. They obviously play this card in order to distract attention away from the true teachings of Islam.

Not only that, but if you've spent any time amongst Muslims, you'll know that there's tons of ethnic and racists bigotry being harboured amongst them. It's not only amongst the "superior" Arabs, but amongst all types of Muslims. They consider Islam to be a birthright and that converts aren't "true" Muslims. For example, if a white woman who converts to Islam suddenly decides to stop wearing the hijab and praying five times a day, most Muslims wouldn't consider her a Muslim anymore. However, an Arab woman who was born into Islam, but doesn't practice it at all, will automatically be considered a Muslim no matter what she does.

@AnastasiaSongs said...

@ naive Wilson: the posters are misinterpreted by you as Muslims trying to make you Muslim. The purpose of the campaign is to educate the masses and resolve the misconceptions held by the general public, like yourself.

"The Inspired by Muhammad campaign is designed to improve the public understanding of Islam and Muslims. It showcases Britons demonstrating how Muhammad inspires them to contribute to society, with a focus on women’s rights, social justice and the environment. The campaign coincides with a national poll conducted by YouGov which shows that 69% of people believe that Islam encourages the oppression of women, that just 6% of people associate Islam with justice and that a mere 6% believe that Islam promotes active measures to protect the environment. Overall, nearly half of all people in the UK believe that Islam does not have a positive impact on British society."

You can understand slightly more beyond that here:
http://inspiredbymuhammad.com/campaign.php

@AnastasiaSongs said...

@ Wilson (yet again)

"Not only that, but if you've spent any time amongst Muslims, you'll know that there's tons of ethnic and racists bigotry being harboured amongst them."

Also if you spend any time amongst non Muslims, you'll find the same thing! What an interesting find.


"It's not only amongst the "superior" Arabs, but amongst all types of Muslims. They consider Islam to be a birthright and that converts aren't "true" Muslims."

That is the most untrue statement I've ever witnessed!!! Muslims LOVE LOVE LOVE converts to Islam. It's Judaism you're talking about (the chosen ones...who must be born into the religion...look it up). Muslims hold parties for converts, give them gifts on a regular basis, invite them over to their house, have tea, go out, ETC ETC ETC!!! They have websites, books, gatherings, lectures, parties and events for converts alone. Muslim absolutely adore converts! I'm a convert and I received nothing but warm welcomes and love from everyone who finds out I'm a convert. I've never heard such a view from any Muslims ever that convert Muslims aren't "true" Muslims...it's actually prohibited in Islam to even consider/discuss such matters as to who is a true and who is not a good enough Muslim. It's up to God to recognize and identify that and non others.


"For example, if a white woman who converts to Islam suddenly decides to stop wearing the hijab and praying five times a day, most Muslims wouldn't consider her a Muslim anymore. "

Again, untrue. I don't wear hijab, nor do I complete all 5 of my prayers. First of all, noone even asks you and has no way of finding whether you pray none, 3, 15 or 7 times a day. Prayers are mandatory and it is noone's business unless it is a friend who cares to ask or bother knowing such matters of another person!!! So noone does.

Of course, there are people who will criticize and judge, just like believers of any religions...but that is not the standard in the Muslim community like you're painting it to be.