shewhohashope

- It's more than a little ironic that citizens of the United States of America feel comfortable in accusing Muslims of oppressing them through the threat of violence. Just in terms of scale, it's laughable.

- It's frankly obscene that after a century of placing Algerians in what Fanon called "a state of absolute depersonalisation", France claims that a few hundred Muslim women wearing niqabs and abayas, or burqas constitutes "an attack" on the fundamental values of the French nation. Unless he is, in fact, arguing that intolerance, thinly-disguised xenophobia, and lack of regard for women's agency is a fundamental value of the French republic. In which case, bravo!

- Christopher Hitchens thinks that a woman in a niqab can legitimately be likened to a member of the KKK in a white hood. Yes, that KKK. Oh, Christopher Hitchens.

[...] Not all Muslims are equally offended by drawings of people, although representations of the Prophet (pbuh) are more widely regarded as impermissible, largely because of fear of idol worship, when - as I hope you already know - Muslims do not worship the Prophet (pbuh). I don't really care for my own sake, although I admit to wincing on behalf of those taking part. I don't understand how anyone could feel at ease with either aiming to offend people by disrespecting closely held beliefs, or not caring that what is a thoughtless act of protest will have inevitably have this result. Of course I also don't understand how anyone can threaten to kill someone over a poor quality, generally unfunny (yes, I said it!) cartoon, and claim to be doing it for the love of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala).