Soldier beheaded in Woolwich, UK. Sickening.

[cheepo]

I would be very surprised if a practising muslim left a muslim state because he did not want to be subjected to Sharia law. That makes no sense. Sharia law, in my understanding, is synonymous with being a good muslim. .

Rubbish.

Sharia law (following the Koran to the letter) is incompatible with life in the 21st century, in the same way as practicing the Bible to the letter is incompatible with life in the 21st century.

For example, under Sharia law a girl is eligible for marriage as soon as a girl begins her first period.

More info: http://www.secularism.org.uk/blog/20...n-or-elsewhere

[Trebor]

My advice: stay off facebook unless you want to be stumped by painfully simplistic arguments

The 'difficult to explain' part of the post was also part of the facebook status fwiw.

Botched copy and past job.

[iliketurtles]

It's these that want to impose sharia law (im no expert but apprently there are sharia courts being operated in some UK mosques) and/or blow up innocent civilians or indeed serving soldiers on home soil that I and pretty much every other sane citizen has a problem with. Adapt or get out.

I'm not sure if you have seen the speech by the Australian prime minister but it would be refreshing if the UK Govt could issue something similar.

I think "sharia courts" are non-legally binding "courts" within a community that community members agree to sign up to. Maybe like Judge Judy! I guess it is a crude version of Hasidic Judaism you see in NYC (although Muslims don't have their own police officers etc).

Also, I don't see the connection between a person subscribing freely to Sharia law and that person being a suicide bomber. Am I missing something?

I don't really understand this "home soil" business. I'm sorry, I just don't.

I haven't seen the vid - link please?

[iliketurtles]

Rubbish.

Sharia law (following the Koran to the letter) is incompatible with life in the 21st century, in the same way as practicing the Bible to the letter is incompatible with life in the 21st century.

For example, under Sharia law a girl is eligible for marriage as soon as a girl begins her first period.

More info: http://www.secularism.org.uk/blog/20...n-or-elsewhere

What is rubbish? I haven't discussed the merits of the Sharia judicial system, its individual laws and whether or not they apply to the 21st century. I don't know enough about a muslim culture to feel clever enough to pass judgment.

I simply stated that to be a "good muslim" (by their own standards, the only standards that are pertinent if you are indeed a muslim), you need to follow sharia law. Am I incorrect?

[Trebor]

Actually the speech may not be real, i never really looked into it once i had read it.

Scrap that

[Trebor]

I think "sharia courts" are non-legally binding "courts" within a community that community members agree to sign up to. Maybe like Judge Judy! I guess it is a crude version of Hasidic Judaism you see in NYC (although Muslims don't have their own police officers etc).

Also, I don't see the connection between a person subscribing freely to Sharia law and that person being a suicide bomber. Am I missing something?

I don't really understand this "home soil" business. I'm sorry, I just don't.

I haven't seen the vid - link please?

If they want to do that behind closed doors that's fine by me. The moment they want an entire country to change to Sharia Law is when i will have a problem. Who knows when that day may come.

[iliketurtles]

If they want to do that behind closed doors that's fine by me. The moment they want an entire country to change to Sharia Law is when i will have a problem. Who knows when that day may come.

Yeah, I'd have a big problem with that, too. I don't know whether that day will ever happen but Jews seem to have struck the right balance with their own communities. Maybe Muslims should take a leaf out of Jewish immigrant communities' books!

[INXS]

Sure. My view though (and it's only my view) is that an extremist atheist is as gratingly ignorant as an extremist Muslim or Christian.

I'm an atheist and I've been appalled at the things you've said on this thread. I can't believe you're one of my kind.

Which bits appall you?

[INXS]

Yeah, I'd have a big problem with that, too. I don't know whether that day will ever happen but Jews seem to have struck the right balance with their own communities. Maybe Muslims should take a leaf out of Jewish immigrant communities' books!

If they'd only stop mutilating boys penises eh?

No, I don't even like this concession....behind closed doors clitorises are being cut off, women are forced into marriage, children are taught about the man who walked on water, that people walked with dinosaurs, etc.....it's monstrous and offensive child abuse, and affront to civilisation.

STOP.

[Football16]

I think most of us really see these issues through our own lenses only. We don't see how our nations fighting in Afghanistan, etc and in the process end up killing innocents is helping fuel incidents like this in the UK, France, etc.

Watching the quite interesting shows on the US killing of Bin Laden this past few days.

I wonder what the reaction would be if Pakistan knowing some enemy of theirs was holed up in some place in the Catskills and they came onto US soil with a team of crack commandos - did the dirty deed and escaped without being apprehended. Improbable given the geography of the USA and North America but there would be outrage.

Now how does Pakistan really feel about the US incursion by the US in their country and these guys have nukes. How much of an impact does that have on radicalizing more of these idiots.

As the say one man's terrorist is another guy's freedom fighter.

The sooner the west ends the war on terror the sooner they get to fight and create new enemies. Obama's trying as he wants to shift to Asia and of course they are broke now fighting in that region.

This stuff in the UK hinders the US pivot to Asia Pacific.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42448.pdf

Then there was the contribution that the Afghan War made to the collapse of the USSR that weakened the main pillars of the USSR - the Communist, Party, KGB and the military. When the annexed countries saw the Afghans kicking their butts they got bolder and bolder.

http://faculty.washington.edu/aseem/afganwar.pdf

I think the lessons here are that more war on terror is going to bring these issues of beheadings, etc back home as these self radicalizing morons take dumb actions like this.