Funny how Salman Rushdie is honoured but most importantly protected for his blasphemy because the right of FREEDOM of speech/expression must be preserved at any cost. This right includes insulting others with distasteful remarks or even lies.

Point is, its a RIGHT which everyone must feel free to use.

When its directed at Muslims, it MUST be preserved and defended.

When its used by certain muslims i.e. Some of the “hate” from the people in the video documentary - it must be condemnded instantly and thoroughly. Yes the difference is, their (the people on the video) hate may incite violence etc but even the non-violent stuff MUST be shunned and condemnded.

Muslims cannot be a part of the same game, cannot play the same cards as the non-muslims when it comes to abusing Freedom of speech and expression. They will be shunned, condemned and their religion disparaged as usual, regardless of how closely they follow their religion or are to it when it comes to their utterances.

My view? WHY offend people, especially deliberatly and knowingly? Why not live in peace, promote your own views but dont insult others. Ever heard of contructive criticism? Can be done without insulting. Afterall that is how atheists and leading God-believing scholars debate. They dont bash each other by saying “You dont believe in God?! you foolish piece of $%£$”$&! [fill in the gap with as much filth as your heart desires and produces]“

Why is it that some muslims cant as luqman suggested object or condemn evil words and actions. Usama is a racist jerk, who propagates hatred and violence. You had that dear old man saying such vile things and you all worry about the unity of muslims and as usual blame it on the western conspiracy.

the colonialist/imperialist label you place on the west is a mirror image of the spread of islam throughout the world. You must speak arabic, and pray facing mecca. You praise arab customs, and only expect spound muslim education in saudi arabia. By doing these things you dont deny the white culture, you deny the culture of all races and their history.

The headline for these videos should have been Islam takes a hit, and so does the world. but MR and the rest of you obviously dont see the forest for the trees.

Open your eyes and embrace universal values of freedom. Muslims who wish to live in democracys while living a lifestyle that is considered righteous according to the dictates of shariah should look to the amish in north america as an example.

This desire to impose islamic values on the rest of us, is what is getting you in trouble. isnt that obvious!

Abu Usamah (born March 4, 1964) is one of the main Imams at Green Lane Masjid in Birmingham, England.

Abu Usamah, Khalifah At-Thahabi was born in Paterson, New Jersey, the youngest of 5 children. He was raised in the hard-knock projects of Paterson until his family moved out to the better part of Passaic, New Jersey.

He converted to Islam in 1986 and applied to attend the University of Madinah as was the practice of many new, eager converts to Islam at that time.

He successfully completed his Bsc in Usool-Ul-Fiq and mastered the Arabic language. He had changed his non-muslim name to his more well-known Islamic name after his conversion. He was initially known as Khalifah, Abdur Rahman but with the birth of his first son he took on the title of Abu Usamah (Father of Usamah) and attached the last name of At-Thahabi as a reference to the Imam Ad-Dhahabi and on the advice of a Shaytk in Madinah. At -Thahabi means Of Gold.

After his graduation from the University, Abu Usamah traveled with Sh Ibn Uthaymeen and went to teach in the UK before returning to the US in 1996 in order to pursue his first position of Imam in Orlando, Florida. He left there in 1999 to be the Imam of a fast-growing Salafee community in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

He left Philadelphia in 2001. He had a brief stint in Cleveland, Ohio, and ended his time as an Imam in the US with the position of Imam at the Islamic Center of Peoria in Peoria, Illinois.

Abu Usamah found a new home in the UK, and became one of the Imams at Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham, UK.

Ask any scholar, salafi or not, about any of the statements made, and he will tell you that there was nothing wrong with them. The UK is afraid of the “real dawah” going on in their country that is bringing non-muslims to Islam in the hundreds if not thousands. The muslims over there are doing an excellent job, with the exception of a few bad apples (ie.ALM)

Mehdi on January 19, 2007 at 3:31 am said:

Yea this guy is just trying to cover his behind. We should stand up against extremists and terrorists. They are the reason we are in a pitiful state. All they do is teach us to hate and kill. “We hate the kuffar, whether you are from britain.. bla bla bla” . sounds clear to me.

“Bin laden is better than a thousand tony blairs because he is a muslim”.

“If he neglects his prayers he is a kaffir. if he dies like that you must bury him like the kuffar”– this reminds me of the Khawarij. This guy is an extremist. The sahabah waged war against people like him.

So you would rather lick the Kuffars behind and turn your brother in MUNAFEEQ!!!!!

seeker on January 18, 2007 at 4:56 pm said:

Doublespeak all over the place - he DID say to hate the kuffar, more than once. Then he says it’s hating their disbelief, not the people? What an idiot.

excuse me????? seeker? isit me or ppl on this website have such bad ikhlaq!!!!! the words they use against muslim brothers is just shocking this is sign of unislamic manners!!! This is exactly what the media wanted for you to speak out against your brother!!!

Asim on January 23, 2007 at 2:47 pm said:

yea mean..did U watch that “The War Within” documentary on CNN 2 days ago about Islamic extremism in Britain. It was pretty whack..but I think it highlighted what just a few fruitcakes can do to screw it up for the enitire Muslim community

the last time i rememeber the word fruit cake was another word for a homosexual man asim you lack ikhlaq!!!! how can you sue that word against brothers!!! fair enough they said somethings you wulnd agree with but i dont think the deserve to be called fruit cakes!

I will also direct readers toward the Islamic Workplace blog and the post, which features video, of popular right-wing radio talk-show host Michael Savage calling for the death of millions of Muslims. To show you what kind of a farce our criminal-justice system is, and what a joke the counter-terrorism laws are, this man can call for the death of millions of Muslims and preach hate on a nightly basis to millions and will never serve one night in prison, while Sheikh Ali al-Timimi ( please make duah for him and against his oppressors) who never called for the death of one person, and no death ever occurred on his account, is serving life plus seventy years.