[vimto]

Thank you for this post - the Belmont club was especially interesting coming (as I do) from a UK perspective.

As I keep saying this isn't about Islamic sensibilities it is about POWER and if we give in on this the limits of our freedom will be decided by Islam. We must not apologize or appease.

Virtually all the news in the UK at the present time has Islamic connections - virtually none of it good - though there was a brave Muslim woman on the radio this morning who told a senior Male Muslim to get over it and that freedom of speech is not to be removed over a few cartoons. I just don't understand why they don't leave Islam - it is clearly not remedial in the time frames that matter (if ever).

kind regards

[backhoe]

Thanks for looking- just as the Chinese curse says, we live in "interesting times..."

[starbase]

I just don't understand why they don't leave Islam

Honor killings, of course. You know it is illegal to leave Islam (anyone who does that is an "apostate") and apostates can and must (in Islam that is) be murdered. Best if one's own family does it, that wipes the vile "shame" of having an apostate in the family away and returns the family's honor. Honor killings can also be for "sluts" who don't marry who they're told to, or just disobey in any general way.

I've read several articles about women in European countries who reported their fears to authorities but ended up being killed anyway. Another one of those "cultural" traits of Islam that's difficult to square with Western culture. You can't do much just from the threat of the murder, but if you wait, well then the person gets killed.