The latest ignorant tripe going around the Christian Right blogs, is from a Stars & Stripes article speaking to the start of Ramadan and it's effect on sercive-members stained in Bahrain.
U.S. personnel accustomed to drinking their coffee on the drive to work will have to put that habit on hold for about a month. It’s one of a few lifestyle changes Americans will have to make during the holy month of Ramadan.
For the 8,200 U.S. personnel living here, and those serving throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility — including servicemembers, civilian personnel, contractors and family members — the month may require changing some daily routines.
Businesses and government offices will reduce hours and most restaurants will be closed during daylight hours.
While not required to fast during Ramadan, in Bahrain, Americans can be fined or detained by local authorities for eating, drinking or smoking in public when off-base during daylight hours.S&S
The headline and comments at these blogs illustrate a cognitive dissonance between the hyperbolic charges being leveled by the Islamophobia industry and their enablers....and the primary source being used for the charge. Statements such "US military begin forced to submit to Shari'a", and "our troops being forced to pray to the Muslim god" are rampant. It's really saddening that otherwise seemingly intelligent people show such obtuse ignorance. Further, is it their own lack of education on this subject that prevents them from knowing that this has been the case in Islamic nations where we are stationed, for years....or is it merely convenient feigned outrage, and another chance to use POTUS's middle name...because you know...wink, wink...he's one of them.
The Ramadan rules being enforced in Bahrain [as referenced in the primary source], are part of Bahraini Penal Code 309. This means that businesses will be closed during the daylight hours, so service members used to stopping by one of the few Starbucks in Manama on their way to base [if they live off base], won't be able to do so between dawn and sunset....one of the *gasp* charges made in the source.
Apparently, we're so haughty that we should expect a sovereign nations laws to bend to our convenience...and when they do not, we cry 'forcible submission to another religion!'
Ironically, the mouth breathers have shot themselves in the proverbial foot. Because if adhering to a host nations laws [fully comporting with the SOFA] equates to submission to a religion, then anytime I'm forced to listen to an invocation or benediction at a ceremony or government function....or am prohibited from buying alcohol or other shopping on Sundays.....I'm now being forced to submit to another religion.
But wait! I'm always hearing that simply being exposed to and inconvenienced by religious pomp and ceremony, doesn't mean I'm being forced to abide by said faith. So are these who are seeking to be offended merely hypocrites...or is the Abrahamic god of Christians inferior to the Abrahamic god of Muslims?
I'm going with hypocrites.
I see a different angle: probably the same folks moaning about this are also the same ones moaning about Christmas and Thanksgiving not being respected.
ReplyDeleteAside from this, "Bahraini Penal Code 309." is quite unreasonable. Bahrain deserves better: business hours should be entirely up to the businesses. Faith should not be forced by the State.
"then anytime I'm forced to listen to an invocation or benediction at a ceremony or government function....or am prohibited from buying alcohol or other shopping on Sundays."
Your point is weak on the first: you don't have a right to force people not to say stuff. If you don't like the invocation, ignore it. But the alcohol hours and Sunday shopping laws are as bad as the Ramadan closing laws.
There seems to be little doubt that the offended are the same...though I'm not sure how it's a different angle. I addressed the hypocrisy.
ReplyDelete"Faith should not be forced by the State."
Absolutely! But that's not the issue with the argument of the offended.
"...you don't have a right to force people not to say stuff."
I don't disagree...but I think we have every right not to allow government platforms used as a pulpit for a faith.
"I don't disagree...but I think we have every right not to allow government platforms used as a pulpit for a faith."
ReplyDeleteThe individuals making such invocations have First Amendment speech rights like anyone else. I have no problem at all, and am a tolerant person who respects the Bill of Rights, and do not want the government censoring at all.
However, I also don't believe money should be wasted on government chaplains, etc. But if someone mouths off on their beliefs, that is right.
"The individuals making such invocations have First Amendment speech rights like anyone else."
DeleteThey do indeed. But much like one's 1st Amendment rights are protected from the government [as opposed to private parties, libel notwithstanding]....when these platforms are used as pulpits, they're being used as such as part of the official performance of a government function. There's nothing stopping, for example....City Council members holding a voluntary prayer prior to the recording the minutes, and without using the gavel and rostrum of the office.
I probably agree on government Chaplains...but if I'm not mistaken, the Constitution stipulates the funding of such...at least for the Armed Forces.
DeleteTempest in a teapot. The Constitution doesn't apply to other countries. I've been through Ramadan three times when 'embedded' (for want of a better word) with foreign units (Turks, Saudis before kicking off Desert Storm, and the Polisario in the Western Sahara) and I partook of the custom as a matter of courtesy, though each were polite in offering me an excuse. I regarded it as more of a cultural rather than religious experience. Once you get used to the altered schedule, you become aware that it really does provide some clarity of thought.
ReplyDeleteAn Australian with whom I worked in the Sahara explained it well: "We do the same thing, except in Australia we sleep at night and party during the day."
The Righties are pushing this story as part of their overall Victimhood narrative - that somehow Christianity is being put upon by the un-Christian world. The entire Christian faith is based on martyrdom, and victimhood is an essential metaphorical tool for riling up the rabble.
ReplyDeleteJMJ
The Righties are pushing this story as part of their overall Victimhood narrative - that somehow Christianity is being put upon by the un-Christian world. The entire Christian faith is based on martyrdom, and victimhood is an essential metaphorical tool for riling up the rabble.
ReplyDeleteJMJ
There are indeed real and numerous instances of Christians being slaughtered en masse by those who want to force worship of the Muslim god on them. This can't be denied, though it is inconvenient to those who claim such incidents are made up in order to rile the masses.
ReplyDeleteFace it, any time any nation is "officially" of one religion or another, it is a declaration of war against those who do not share this faith, And at this time in history, there are a large number of officially Muslim nations, and few of other faiths.
Nothing against Islam per se. But it is one of those ideas, like any other religion, and socialism also, that is only a disaster when it is forced with government policy.
"This can't be denied, though it is inconvenient to those who claim such incidents are made up in order to rile the masses."
DeleteWho is claiming such? I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but that I haven't seen it.
Jersey was making such claims. It happens in places like Sudan (where 1.5 million Christians were killed by the current government for not worshipping the Muslim god) and Nigeria (check the hashtags) , to name famous examples. A far cry from Bahrain.
DeleteFair enough....I was thinking of the media and punditsphere.
Deleteyeah.... and Jersey is way off base to claim that this sort of thing is trumped up, when it is real, and has massive casualties.
DeleteIn the 20th century though, most of the religious-related killings were by Atheist faithful. Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists slaughtered in the many hundreds of thousands.
ReplyDelete