Yep, pretty funny when those conservatives do it too. It also makes for a great opportunity for people to painlessly espouse their own moral superiority.
Now that Falwell has retracted and apologized we can all either:[ul]
[li]Congratulate him for having the nobility and decency to back away from his odious remarks.[/li][li]Call him a coward for backing down in the face of threats. [/li][li]Suggest that his apology was nothing but the insincere weaseling of an evil man.[/li][li]Complain about how unforgiving those muslims must be for not calling off their little vendetta[/li][li]etc. etc.[/li][/ul]Even if we take Falwell’s apology at face value, he hasn’t made amends to the relatives of the nine who died in the Indian riots. There’s no likelyhood that he will. No matter what he does now, his words will still be felt in increased antipathy towards the US. He hasn’t apologized for that, and I’ve no problem with seeing the asshole pay a price for inflaming more of the world against us. If Jerry’s payment involves being hunted by religious fanatics, so much the better. Let the punishment fit the crime.
Guin, the difference is that Falwell’s words are just that: words. Stupid, evil, hate-filled words, but just words.
The Imam’s actually put out a contract on Falwell’s head. He is actually telling people to try to kill Falwell.
It’s not just a death ‘threat’, it’s the Imam calling for a hit on Falwell.
If they were just shrieking back and forth “You’re going to hell”/“No YOU are!”/“No, YOU are!”, I’d be equally amused.
But this ain’t that. I don’t like the idea that some barbarian thug can call for the actual murder of someone for something they said, however stupid and hateful (and yes, also barbaric) the statement was. Falwell didn’t put someone’s life in danger, the Imam did.
Those of you who think this is funny, read some of what Salman Rushide went through while the Fatwa was on his him (it’s been removed, I believe). NO mere words, however racist deserve the death penalty.
Fenris
Well at least their insane fundamentalists can differenciate between an individual’s behavior and those of his co-religionists.
Kind of conflicts with Falwell and Ann Coulter’s lies that no Muslim leader has ever disavowed violence.
“If you strike me down, I will become more annoying than you can possibly imagine.”
I’d really rather he not become a martyr.
Well I note by the newslink that Falwell didn’t actually retract his statement, only said:
"I sincerely apologize that certain statements of mine made during an interview for (the Oct. 6 edition of) CBS’s ‘60 Minutes’ were hurtful to the feelings of many Muslims.
“I intended no disrespect to any sincere, law abiding Muslim,”
Not quite a retraction.
Christianity is a violent religion founded by terrorists. Of course, I intend no disrespect to any sincere, law abiding Christians.
If the Imam and the Reverend were Dopers, the Imam would be banned. In theory, that is.
The only one who can lift a fatwa is the one who issued it, and he’s dead. Rushdie still isn’t safe. A hardcore Muslim fundie will still be required to try and wack him.
On a lighter note, I’d be happy if Jerry and his ilk simply lost their voices for a couple of years. Wouldn’t it be fun to watch him try to preach in charades?
"First word… Two syllables… Could it be… SATAN!! 
**Doghouse Reilly wrote:
Sorry, I don’t buy into this kind of cultural relativism, any more than I agree that there’s any excuse for widows being burned alive in traditional India, young girls having their feet bound in imperial China, or infant girls having their genitals mutilated in some parts of today’s Africa and the Middle East.**
And what you’re preaching is cultural imperialism; saying you have the right to impose your values on another culture because, somehow, yours are superior.
Who decides who’s values are “superior” and for what reason?
BTW, Freyr, what should we do if we happen to see a Muslim mob chasing you? Should we just accept their values and mores?
First of all, I wouldn’t go out of my way to directly and intentionally insult a Muslim country’s faith. If I should ever travel in a country or region where Islam is the dominant faith, I’d be respectful of their laws, rules and values.
Secondly, given what Falwell has said about the GLBT community, I would be hard pressed for a reason to rescue him from his own foolishness.
Huh. Me too.
Hey, if Joe Cool, gobear, Freyr, and I are all in agreement on a quasi-religious issue, is that a sign of the immanence of the End Times? 
freyr: You mean Ragnarok, don’t you?
me: Shut up, Freyr!
This thread is in need of an apposite Karen Armstrong quote about fundamentalists at odds with one another. However, I don’t have any of her works on hand to post it.
One thing, however, I think is worth saying:
Huh?
I think I need to clarify something.
**Doghouse Reilly wrote:
Sorry, I don’t buy into this kind of cultural relativism, any more than I agree that there’s any excuse for widows being burned alive in traditional India, young girls having their feet bound in imperial China, or infant girls having their genitals mutilated in some parts of today’s Africa and the Middle East.**
Doghouse Reilly, you’re right, those are all horrific things happening and I do wish they’d stop. However, by stepping in and forcing those people to stop following those cultural practices is as big a “sin” as the practices themselves. I hope that those people realize those traditions do more harm than good and give them up voluntarily.
BTW, Freyr, what should we do if we happen to see a Muslim mob chasing you? Should we just accept their values and mores?
You analogy is inaccurate. My simply being homosexual is not the same thing as making deliberate, inflammatory comments about another religion and its founder. If I were to do something as stupid as what Falwell did, then yes, I deserve to be chased by a mob intending to do me harm.
Again, I don’t think this fetwa against Falwell is right but neither were his foolish comments. I do value human life. I don’t value stupidity.
**Polycarp wrote:
Hey, if Joe Cool, gobear, Freyr, and I are all in agreement on a quasi-religious issue, is that a sign of the immanence of the End Times?**
Speak a little louder, okay, Polycarp? There’s this pig stuck at the top of this tree outside my apt. and he’s squealing loudly.
Huh what? The title of this thread is “Good news:…”
I don’t think it’s good news. I used sarcasm to convey a point.
What is your point?
**Joe_Cool wrote:
On this one, I’m right behind gobear.**
If you have a nice, furry, muscular, chest, I’m sure he’d like you there, too.
Wow, now I’ll get death threats from TWO people!
Non-Muslims. No adjectives, no need for the childish confusion of Iranian political lang. with the old rule about Mecca and Medina.
In re
Rot. Depends on one’s theology - Islam and even Shi’a Islam is very bit as chaotic as Protestant Xianity.
“Rank” is really an issue of getting an audience, in the end.
Uh… no. I don’t agree.
If this is so, I’ll wear the title of “cultural imperialist” proudly. These practices are WRONG. Period. The fact that my culture shuns them and another culture embraces them makes my culture, in this area, RIGHT. And I am perfectly willing to step in and force them to stop, because the lives of the women that are lost or damaged outweigh any duty I owe to respecting cultural differences.
I can’t prove this assertion, of course, since there is no universally accepted yardstick for what is right. Nonetheless, I’m very confident of the rightness of stopping barbaric practices such as you describe.
- Rick, Cultural Imperialist And Damned Proud Of It
So a fatwa is like a hit? I thought it was more, like, “We’re gonna kick your ass” type of thing, or just something like that? I thought it was more generalized. I didn’t think it was a serious actual intention-I thought it was more passive.
I don’t want to see him murdered, and I can’t say I feel sorry for him.
Would it be weaseling to say I don’t think it’s so funny anymore?
I mean, it would be if they were both threatening each other with hell fire…
Although I have to say, I can see the interesting thing is that Falwell has finally stepped over the line. Or at least hope this teaches him to watch his mouth.
Guess you didn’t check out the link that I provided in my earlier post, when I asked “Freyr, what should we do if we happen to see a Muslim mob chasing you?” So here’s a few excerpts:
So Freyr, you don’t have to “go out of your way” to offend Muslims–you do so simply by being what you are. And I ask you again, if you found yourself facing death at the hands of a Muslim mob for the crime of being gay, should we do anything to intervene? Or would saving your life be “cultural imperialism”?
Errrrr… can you really threaten a christian with death? Since he’s going to heaven when he dies, why would Falwell mind having someone murder him?
No. They’re supposed to hunt him down and actually kill him. They’re trying to whack him.
**
I agree. “You’re goin’ to H-E-Double Hockey-Sticks you heathen, you!”
“No! You’re going to burn, infidel dog!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
Fenris