Posted on 05/13/2004 9:25:48 PM PDT by veronica
KISS bass player Gene Simmons has caused an uproar among Australia's Muslim community by launching an attack on Islamic culture while in Melbourne.
The lizard-tongued rock god who is touring Australia with the world's most enduring glam rock band launched an attack on Muslim extremists during an interview on Melbourne's 3AW radio - including comments which were labelled inaccurate.
"Extremism believes that it's okay to strap bombs on to your children and send them to paradise and whatever else and to behead people," he said yesterday.
The Israeli-born US musician went on to say Islam was a "vile culture" that treated women worse than dogs.
Muslim women had to walk behind their men and were not allowed to be educated or own houses, he said.
"Your dog, however, can walk side by side, your dog is allowed to have its own dog house... you can send your dog to school to learn tricks, sit, beg, do all that stuff - none of the women have that advantage."
He went on to say the west was under threat.
"This is a vile culture and if you think for a second that it's going to just live in the sands of God's armpit you've got another thing coming," he said.
"They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil."
Simmons said the United Nations approach did not work and the west had to "speak softly and carry a big stick".
The radio station today fielded calls from Muslims upset at the comments, including Australian Muslim of the year Susan Carland, who said Australian Muslims rejected extremism and did not fit Simmons' stereotype.
Ms Carland said she had two degrees, was doing her honours and "certainly do not walk behind my husband".
Chairman of the Islamic Council of Victoria Yasser Soliman said Simmons' comments were "very unfortunate".
"He's very famous obviously and popular and, as a result, influential," he said.
"Mixing the entertainment world with the political and religious world is a minefield."
He said Simmons had begun by talking about extremists but had gone on to vilify the entire Muslim culture.
"A number of his claims regarding women and what they are allowed to do and not do are wrong - Islam teaches the opposite," he said.
Simmons had a right to free speech, but this had to be balanced against the damage done to innocent people, he said.
"I think it would be good for overseas speakers and commentators to be given some sort of advice in regards to our vilification laws here," he said.
"They leave and go back to where they arrived from, but they leave behind a big mess that we have to live with."
Deep Purple or Black Sabbath
The band sucked...his interview rocks!!!!
bump
Could be. Someone once asked the late actor Werner Klemperer why he had agreed to play Colonel Klink on "Hogan's Heroes" (his father was a famous orchestra conductor in Germany who was Jewish and the family barely got out of Europe with their lives).
He replied that he'd agreed on condition that the part would always be written to be as comically buffoonish as possible. He figured that making people laugh at them was a way to take his revenge on the Nazis even though most were already dead.
Tongue lap bump!
No, no, no. You are thinking of Richard Simmons.
I just spit beer on my screen :)
More online funsies, for fellow FReepers and KISS Army Regulars alike: DUmmies Get Their Panties All Knotted Up Over Simmon's Remarks .
Great catch, veronica!
Wish he would start speaking up here in the US... what a great rave... excellent.
Only at KISS concerts.
"If it appears as "black and white" to you"..
I got ripped off by my acid connection?
"I'd go on but I doubt you are even here."
Where is "here" and if you're there why don't you know if I'm there? Can I have your push?
I really did enjoy watching you surround and out-number your friends on that other thread...it was masterful.
Maybe it was the part about the dogs.
Their "singing" always sounded like whining to me.
Those good old boys are the salt of the earth, and I support their cause, but they have to be swatted with a rolled up newspaper when they start that crap about not voting for Bush.
dude you cant forget the RAMONES they completely changed the face of rock and roll worldwide forever during the 70's 80's and 90's
I believe that Simmons personally owns the rights to the KISS name and makeup/costume trade marks, as well as the copyright to the KISS song catalog. He shrewdly bought them up for a pittance when they were out of fashion in the 80's and 90's. The rest of the guys pissed their earnings away on drugs and women.
Now that they are a popular concert act again, the other guys are mere employees of Simmons, who keeps the lion's share of their earnings and replaces them at will. I suppose the original guys regret the day they chose to put on makup and thereby became anonymous, interchangeable bit players in Simmons' private money-spinning machine.
-ccm
Of course you are right. But you should try to understand and relate to my love/hate relationship with KISS.
It's a long story and I won't bore you with all the details, but it started with a little hottie I met at a Halloween party costumed as Gene Simmons and her midget girlfriend named "Little bit". Well, I think you can fill in the blanks and appreciate the bi-polarization influences of black/white symbolism. Thanks for your emotional support.
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