The 'Jihad' Rant: Prove Me Wrong (warning: might be offenisve)
POSTED BY: HiroStone
UPDATED: Sunday, December 28, 2025 08:00
VIEWED: 22653
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This rant is going to be a very volatile one, I might step on a lot of toes, so be forewarned.
At work, we are allowed to listen to our radios as long as they don’t affect our work and preferably if we wear headphones. I listen to the Lex & Terry Morning Show, which is a lifesaver since I don’t have to listen to the office loudmouths. Today, they received a call from “Mike” who was offended at a T-shirt that their show is selling. The shirt has on front in broad bold letters, “Jihad is for p*ssies”. Now, I can see his point of view, thinking that this might be offensive to Muslims, of which “Mike” claimed to be. However, I was more offended of how this guy tried, and I stress tried, to argue his point.
Now, I don’t want to get into a rant here… but who the hell is “Mike” to be offended at this T-shirt? From the information that was disclosed on the air, this 25 year-old guy converted to Islam 2 years ago at a low point of his life. He gave up his wife, his family to follow his faith, which I find admirable. He found a calling and it practically saved him. However, as he defamed Lex & Terry for this tastelessness in making the t-shirt, he could not justify himself in making his point.
First of all, he converted to the religion 2 years ago. Now, I don’t know practically anything about the Islamic faith, but does 2 years, even of intense study of the Corran make you a theological expert at the ripe old age of 25? I don’t mean a student who has studied through grad school with a Master’s, I mean a Muslim by birth. Hell, I’m a 28 lapsed-Catholic and I just learned that you can eat skinless chicken during Lent! Second, he claimed that Lex & Terry didn’t know about the struggles of a Muslim. What kind of struggles does he know about? Two years as a Muslim and he knows about struggling? He lives in America, not the Middle East. He enjoys freedoms and liberties that those in the Middle East struggle to have. I don’t think he’s ever been there and really truly understood what it’s like, because he’s been sheltered in the US, taking that for granted. Does he think that if he goes to the Middle East, he could really understand all the oppression and autocracies the people there have been through since they were born? Third, he started to argue about Catholic priests who have molested children, which is a very unforgivable crime, but then again Osama and others who have claimed that they are leaders and holy men have bombed not only America, but all over the world, and have killed hundreds of people for their faith.
Now, I’m not slandering all Muslims. I have a couple of friends who are of that faith and have great respect for them and their beliefs. I don’t blame them for 9/11, I don’t blame the Islamic faith for 9/11, I blame the extremists that take their religion too far. The same can be said with the Catholics who kill abortion doctors, or the Buddhists who set themselves on fire. Everyone’s got their problems, but berating Lex & Terry of a t-shirt, W.T.F.!!! These guys are professional comedians who fill five hours a day, six days a week with politically incorrect bits of humor, satire and observances. Sure, it might be offensive to some more than others; even can shake my head and say to myself, “I don’t believe they did that”. But the t-shirt isn’t blaming the entire Muslim faith; it didn’t say, “Islam is for…”; it’s ridiculing the words of a terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, a pervert of an ancient religion who uses it find blind followers for his own agenda.
How does this relate to sci-fi? Well, I’ll explain. The Shadows of Babylon 5, the Jem’Hadar of DS9, the Jaffa of Stargate SG-1 are all examples of religion or semi-religions sects, fanatical about service to their ‘Gods’. In so many terms, they are blind to the fact that the ones that they serve are not what they appear to be. They are willing to die for their ‘Gods’. On the other side of the spectrum, there are the Bajorians of DS9, the Jedi of Star Wars, and the Fremen of Dune, who volunteered to die not only for their beliefs, but as well for their familie
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I really, really wish I could find a point in that rant, but I couldn't. A guy was offended by a T-Shirt, and you get from there to him insulting America...how? You're saying America is a great place to live, but how does that relate to Jihad in the slightest? I have no idea what you're talking about, and it's awful hard to prove you wrong when you aren't saying anything in the first place.
Also, it's not spelled "Corran", and anyone ranting about Islam should know that. "Quran", "Qur'an", and "Qur'aan" are the more generally accepted spellings.
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So, what do *you* think jihad means? You seem to use it to mean a type of people. Not quite sure about that... It should be a thing - " a holy war to spread Islam to non-muslim places " Sort of an expansionist thing.
Now, I happen to like our brand of freedom too: Red, White, & Blue and all that. But I don't like much about the other messages that some people think that we are spreading the US brand of freedom to other countries or that we are spreading our word of Gospel there. Look, it's fine that we help to free other folks from Saddam or other's brand of tyranny; but we ought to let people choose their brand of freedom instead of forcing our "Haliburton" brand down their throats. And especially not where we are trying to spread the word of "our God" (knowing that, of course, how silly that sounds. Since it's the same "God" off of the same myths)
Quote:
Originally posted by HiroStone:
This rant is going to be a very volatile one, I might step on a lot of toes, so be forewarned.
... ... ...
Red is for Courage,
White is for Purity,
Blue is for Justice,
What's that add up to:
These colors don't run...
-Hiro
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Quran, darlin.
As for the word "Jihad" it has been twisted into a word meaning violent holy war - but it's basis is the same as the Christian "witness".
It is the spreading of Islam through testimony, action and conversion.
Using the logic of your publicity-seeking radio pair, mission work of any religion is for pu**ies. Ain't that sad?
The young man on the phone was reacting to what he is seeing as an attack on his religion.
I would do the same if I weren't an agnostic leaning toward athiesm. Of course, it was King George Bush the 1st who questioned whether athiests could be considered patriots and/or citizens because this is 'one nation under God'."
"Just keep walkin, preacher man."
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Quote:
Originally posted by Jasonzzz:
So, what do *you* think jihad means? You seem to use it to mean a type of people. Not quite sure about that... It should be a thing - " a holy war to spread Islam to non-muslim places " Sort of an expansionist thing.
Now, I happen to like our brand of freedom too: Red, White, & Blue and all that. But I don't like much about the other messages that some people think that we are spreading the US brand of freedom to other countries or that we are spreading our word of Gospel there. Look, it's fine that we help to free other folks from Saddam or other's brand of tyranny; but we ought to let people choose their brand of freedom instead of forcing our "Haliburton" brand down their throats. And especially not where we are trying to spread the word of "our God" (knowing that, of course, how silly that sounds. Since it's the same "God" off of the same myths)Quote:
Originally posted by Hirostone:
Red is for Courage,
White is for Purity,
Blue is for Justice,
What's that add up to:
These colors don't run...
Thanks Jason! I think you've summed up my feelings on this. We're probably doing a good thing by removing the tyrannical dictator-types from their places of power (or, y'know, the GENE POOL); however, bringing freedom to a place, and forcing our brand of freedom down their throats is another matter entirely. And I don't think the whole "My God has a bigger dick than Your God" (to quote George Carlin) mentality helps our case, or is even something we should be involved with.
Remove the tyrants, bring freedom, yes - but ASK what kind of freedom those who are being freed WANT, for crying out loud! And then help them set it up, the way THEY want it (y'know, since we're bombing the crap outta their country and destroying their current way of life to help them get it).
My $0.02
~A~
...I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.
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Quote:
And especially not where we are trying to spread the word of "our God" (knowing that, of course, how silly that sounds. Since it's the same "God" off of the same myths)
"That's God with a G. Or as I like to call Him, the 'good guy God.'"
-- Jim Walcott
_________
Sliders: Gate Haven - http://slidersweb.net/blinker
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Quote:
Originally posted by Jasonzzz:
Look, it's fine that we help to free other folks from Saddam or other's brand of tyranny; but we ought to let people choose their brand of freedom instead of forcing our "Haliburton" brand down their throats. And especially not where we are trying to spread the word of "our God" (knowing that, of course, how silly that sounds. Since it's the same "God" off of the same myths)
First off, there is not a fine line between assisting them in setting up a functioning government, one that will ensure freedom and liberty for their people, and "shoving it down their throats" I don't think there are different "brands of freedom" Either you are the one who makes your choices or someone else does. Recent problems have had to do with the role of sharia in Iraq's post Saddam government, and this is a very big issue.
Sharia, at least many interpretations of it, can be quite brutal. It can demand dhimmitude of non-muslims, extra taxes and fewer rights. The rights of women, well they go out the window if sharia has too large a role in the governing laws. Something Iraqi women have been protesting against of late.
Second, while it is great that the Iraqi people got liberated, it should be remembered that we did it for our own purely selfish reasons. To 'drain the swamp' as it were and prevent future terrorist attacks here in the US. The "root cause" is the lack of freedom, coupled with a culture that has had a long history of perfecting the means of misdirecting anger and frustration away from its own governments and institutions, and blaming it on the outside. If the new Iraqi constitution does not ensure the rights and freedoms of the Iraqi people, then we are right back where we started in 10 years time. Not something that either of us want.
So, we do have a system that has worked for 200 years. It may not be perfect, it may have a few bugs, but it has worked better and longer than almost any other government on the planet.
Another writer one time wrote that what we were telling the Iraqi peopel amounted to "you can have any color car, as long as it is black". I disagreed. Its more like "You can have any color car, as long as it has round wheels."
"Wash, where is my damn spaceship?"
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Canuck, Blinker? Where from?
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Quote:
Originally posted by HiroStone:
He gave up his wife, his family to follow his faith, which I find admirable.
How is ending a marriage and abandoning a family 'admirable'?
-Steve
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Alright, clarification:
1. I stated that I don’t know anything about Islam, so if I misspelled something, or was very roundabout to my point, it was because I was in a rush. I was P.O.’ed writing from a passionate and personal point of view. I don’t claim to be an expert on theology. I admit I am ignorant because I don’t know enough.
2. My parents came to the US with absolutely nothing. My dad joined the U.S. Navy for citizenship for himself, my mom, myself and for my sister to be born here. I am proud that he served the Navy with pride. I am proud to call the US my home. Sure, things are perfect here, but compared to a lot of other places, I’m glad everyday of what I have here. America is advanced citizenship; you just can’t get it anywhere. People come to this country for new, better and life changing opportunities; where else can an immigrant go from having nothing to having a better life.
3. I wasn’t talking about imposing Christianity or our way of life in the Middle East. I believe that would be wrong replacing one tyrant for another kind. What the provisional government should be dictated by what the people there want, not what we force on upon them. This country was founded for religious and individual freedoms as well as having our own say in government. I believe those principles are still being held today. It’s just that our soldiers are dying there now, trying to keep the peace and I’m mad as hell that they are.
4. And the radio guys, Lex & Terry, gave ‘Mike’ every opportunity to justify his argument, but all he did was runaround the issue, making very sloppy, half-assed points, and skated through his argument making himself sound like a fool. They could’ve hung up on him and that would’ve been it. Case closed. But they didn’t. They wanted to hear his arguments. ‘Mike’ wasn’t making his point at all. All he was doing was embarrassing himself. Lex & Terry aren't like Howard Stern or Bubba the Love Sponge, who do cheap, controverisal things on purpose. Sure, they make "dick and fart" joke, because they are professional comedians on the radio. They are entertainers; this is what they are paid to do.
5. The issue itself was about a t-shirt. And the ‘jihad’ term used was not pointed toward the Muslim people. It was meant to imply the fanatics who caused 9/11. The general American public only gets their information through sound-bites on the TV news or in the newspapers. Americans were looking for scapegoats and it was the word ‘jihad’ of which Osama Bin Laden is quoted in saying himself.
6. I have nothing against anyone’s any kind of faith, creed, patriotism, or belief. I am disgusted and would act strongly if anyone was deprived of any freedom. I just hate stupid people arguing without any kind of justification of what they want to say. I’m upset that men and women are dying; that my friends and family are in danger constantly. And ‘Mike’ is making a big stink about a damn t-shirt. And if he’s so upset about the public’s misconceptions about Islam, he ought to teach us what we should know, not preach about how stupid we are for not understanding. I admitted myself that I don’t know anything about his faith, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not willing to learn about it.
That is what America is all about: listening, learning, and speaking. It’s all that drives us to learn new things and achieve better things. I speak my mind about a lot of things. And I know something that everybody should know: that I don’t know everything. I can be wrong. I am fallible. I can take responsibility. I’m only human. I do make mistakes. But I listen, and then learn, and then speak my mind.
I’m an advocate; I like a good, well versed, logical argument. I can argue and justify ad nauseum, just as ‘Mike’ could’ve, if he ever made one, and I wished that he made one. That is my point: ‘Mike’ never made a point; he just pointed fingers, assigned blame, and said, “this is wrong,” without saying why.
The various religions are like different roads converging on the same point. What difference does it make if we
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