# Is criticizing Islam allowed in The BBQ Pit? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 21, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536 "2015-05-21T18:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/21 "2015-05-22T20:10:34Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > This is inaccurate. You were not issued a warning in that thread, nor were you moderated for “discussing the issue of Islam-linked violence,” nor were you moderated for, “illustrating another poster’s problem with using words accurately.” You were moderated for prefacing every reply to a Muslim poster with, “Don’t shoot,” implying that they were a violent terrorist on no other grounds than the fact that she belongs to a religion you dislike. > > \*\* > > T > > The thread in question remains open, with over eight hundred and fifty posts. And while your position was, mercifully, in the minority, you were far from the only person pushing hard-line anti-Islamism in that thread. You were, however, the only person who drew any moderator attention. Now, I think everyone here know i am generally in favor of less Warnings, more Notes. Time after time in ATMB, I have said something along the lines of “well, yes, that was inappropriate but considering… maybe a Note would have been better”. Here I am asking the opposite- _why the fuck wasnt_ that behavior issued a Warning? or even a immediate suspension? “Dont Shoot”?!?:dubious::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/22 "2015-05-22T20:37:49Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Now, I think everyone here know i am generally in favor of less Warnings, more Notes. Time after time in ATMB, I have said something along the lines of “well, yes, that was inappropriate but considering… maybe a Note would have been better”. > > Here I am asking the opposite- _why the fuck wasnt_ that behavior issued a Warning? or even a immediate suspension? “Dont Shoot”?!?:dubious::rolleyes: Not to speak for **Miller** or the SDMB, but he was just carrying on in the tradition of **Giraffe** and **Gfactor**. That’s the way the Pit has been moderated the last five years or so. At least IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Haberdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Haberdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haberdash)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/23 "2015-05-22T20:46:28Z")
I realized that this summary probably was confusing because of the dual meaning of the word “poster” (“person posting on this board” and “printed advertisement posted in a public place”): > [@Haberdash](#): > > I was in the midst of calling out the poster for using “free speech” to include “destroying posters that I don’t like.” Because the poster then began discussing the Garland, Texas attempted murder, I then used murder as an example of another word that she also may not be using in the same way as the other posters in the thread. The SDMB member A’isha was contending that a Muslim columnist destroying a printed advertisement posted in a public place that the columnist found offensive was a form of “free speech” on the part of the columnist. I took umbrage at the stretching of the term “free speech” and attempted to make the point that we don’t know what A’isha does or does not support if she’s going to redefine words in this way. The murder example came into play because she was discussing the attempted murder of several people in Garland, Texas. I said that I didn’t know if she opposed murder because she might be defining “murder” in the same way she does “free speech”; i.e., idiosyncratically. I hope that is a more clear recap of what happened, and why I think that Miller is targeting disfavored opinions – he knew exactly what the context of my remark was because he was participating in the thread, but chose to quote it out of context in order to enforce a rule about “insinuating that someone else is threatening you” which I’m guessing exists somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/24 "2015-05-22T21:30:42Z")
Miller has the patience of a saint. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/25 "2015-05-22T21:32:07Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Miller has the patience of a saint. Muslim or Christian saint? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/26 "2015-05-22T21:45:01Z")
I thought Miller was Satan? [http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/11601.html](http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/11601.html) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/27 "2015-05-23T03:09:22Z")
> [@Haberdash](#): > > I hope that is a more clear recap of what happened, and why I think that Miller is targeting disfavored opinions – he knew exactly what the context of my remark was because he was participating in the thread, but chose to quote it out of context in order to enforce a rule about “insinuating that someone else is threatening you” which I’m guessing exists somewhere. You rather glibly ignore the issue of your blatant trolling in the thread with the multiple reiterations of “Don’t shoot!” Like I said, I think you got off very easily with just a mod note. Trolling is a bannable offense, even in the Pit. You would be very well advised not to repeat any such nonsense again. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/28 "2015-05-23T03:25:45Z")
> [@Haberdash](#): > > The SDMB member A’isha was contending that a Muslim columnist destroying a printed advertisement posted in a public place that the columnist found offensive was a form of “free speech” on the part of the columnist. I took umbrage at the stretching of the term “free speech” and attempted to make the point that we don’t know what A’isha does or does not support if she’s going to redefine words in this way. The murder example came into play because she was discussing the attempted murder of several people in Garland, Texas. I said that I didn’t know if she opposed murder because she might be defining “murder” in the same way she does “free speech”; i.e., idiosyncratically. > > I hope that is a more clear recap of what happened, and why I think that Miller is targeting disfavored opinions – he knew exactly what the context of my remark was because he was participating in the thread, but chose to quote it out of context in order to enforce a rule about “insinuating that someone else is threatening you” which I’m guessing exists somewhere. I appreciate the more detailed recap, which is at least coherent this time. Given your description of Miller as “targeting disfavored opinions,” however, I see no reason to believe that you’re accurately representing Aisha either. The lack of links to specific posts is telling. Even if you’re accurately representing her, your approach to pointing out any incompetence or dishonesty in her use of the phrase “free speech” is an odious approach. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/29 "2015-05-23T20:04:22Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > As for the links, you posted a rather excessive number of links in that thread with very little (if any) comment of your own for most of them. Even though you weren’t benefiting financially from the links, that is basically a form of spamming. If you have a point to make, then you should make the point, not just make post after post containing nothing but a link and a quote. That’s not spamming. That’s called spamming here for some reason, but that’s not what spamming is. google up spamming definition > [@](#): > > spam > spam/Submit > verb > gerund or present participle: spamming > send the same message indiscriminately to (large numbers of recipients) on the Internet. Posting links without commentary may not be appreciated here, but it’s not spam. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/30 "2015-05-23T20:24:04Z")
> [@Haberdash](#): > > I was in the midst of calling out the poster for using “free speech” to include “destroying posters that I don’t like.” Because the poster then began discussing the Garland, Texas attempted murder, I then used murder as an example of another word that she also may not be using in the same way as the other posters in the thread. > > You didn’t care about my “don’t shoot” joke until that happened so you could quote it out of context, and you were moderating a thread in which you were engaged as a poster. > > If “insinuating that Muslims are violent” is out of bounds and any discussion of whether a Muslim poster is using words correctly constitutes “insinuating that another poster is threatening me” then I guess I have my answer as to whether criticism of Islam is allowed. I don’t think the issue is “insinuating that Muslims are violent” is the problem. I think it’s “insinuating that [ALL] Muslims are violent.” **Note** : the word [ALL] - and the brackets surrounding it - was added by me. I am not trying to say that **Haberdash** actually included the word in his post. To the contrary, using **Haberdash** ’s own words from post [257](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18289353&postcount=257), > [@Haberdash](#): > > the meaning of the remarks is clear . ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/31 "2015-05-23T20:50:22Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That’s not spamming. That’s called spamming here for some reason, but that’s not what spamming is. > > google up spamming definition > > Posting links without commentary may not be appreciated here, but it’s not spam. And given a few posters who’ve racked up more than 10,000 posts doing almost nothing _but_ link dumping, it’s kind of silly to go after this guy for it. Unless the mods intend to apply it to other, far, far worse posters. (And I would applaud it if the mods _did_) ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/32 "2015-05-23T21:43:15Z")
This **Fenris** guy, he speaks in a manner which soothes my querulous spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/33 "2015-05-25T20:45:31Z")
[Moderator Note] I have moved a [highly political post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18389893&postcount=897) on the Mid-East conflict to the thread linked to in the OP, since it is obviously not suited to ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/34 "2015-05-25T21:07:42Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > And given a few posters who’ve racked up more than 10,000 posts doing almost nothing _but_ link dumping, it’s kind of silly to go after this guy for it. Unless the mods intend to apply it to other, far, far worse posters. (And I would applaud it if the mods _did_) Why do you not just say brainglutton Fenris, we all know your obsession with him. He has been moderated in the past on this, so I think you are being very boring here. not to defend that poster, but this allusion is silly. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/35 "2015-05-25T21:56:37Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That’s not spamming. That’s called spamming here for some reason, but that’s not what spamming is. Posting one link is not necessarily spam. Posting link after link is spam spam spam spam spam eggs and spam. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/36 "2015-05-25T22:02:39Z")
[Moderator Instructions] **toooldtocare** , stop posting political comments in this thread. I’ve already had to move one of your posts to the Pit. Further posts of this kind in ATMB may receive a warning. [Note. I have moved a second post to the Pit.] ---
**Author:** ![tooldtocare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@tooldtocare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tooldtocare)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/37 "2015-05-25T22:17:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Moderator Note] > > I have moved a [highly political post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18389893&postcount=897) on the Mid-East conflict to the thread linked to in the OP, since it is obviously not suited to ATMB. Thank you for moving it. I agree it did not belong here. I just want to thank you for not deleting it all together. Now where did that link go-? (:- ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/38 "2015-05-26T02:08:13Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > And given a few posters who’ve racked up more than 10,000 posts doing almost nothing _but_ link dumping, it’s kind of silly to go after this guy for it. Unless the mods intend to apply it to other, far, far worse posters. (And I would applaud it if the mods _did_) **Haberdash** posted thirty five times to that thread, in a row, without posting anything other than a comment-free link to a news story. _Thirty-five times._ If you have an example of someone else doing that and not being moderated for it, I’d like to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/39 "2015-05-26T02:16:50Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That’s not spamming. That’s called spamming here for some reason, but that’s not what spamming is. > > google up spamming definition > > > [@](#): > > > > spam > > spam/Submit > > verb > > gerund or present participle: spamming > > **send the same message indiscriminately to (large numbers of recipients) on the Internet.** > > Posting links without commentary may not be appreciated here, but it’s not spam. I’m not seeing the problem, here. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536/40 "2015-05-26T02:57:46Z")
Spamming the board with ads is the typical spam experience, but one could also spam the board with links. The use of “spam” in this sense derives precisely from that Monty Python skit about spam. The “spam” ends up drowning out all other content. Posting 35 links in a row (or whatever) without any explanation or commentary is not participating in a discussion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-criticizing-islam-allowed-in-the-bbq-pit/720536.md?page=3)