Don't link Islam to terror, Islamic chief urges

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 12/19/08 | Robert Evans

[NormsRevenge]

GENEVA (Reuters) – The world's top diplomat for Islam called on Friday for an end to what he termed efforts to equate the religion with terrorism and said the 'demonization' of Muslims around the world must be fought.

But speaking soon after the U.N. General Assembly passed an Islamic-sponsored resolution condemning "defamation of religion" for the fourth year in a row, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said his group was committed to respecting freedom of expression.

There was a "rising tide of incitement to religious hatred and discrimination and intolerance targeting Muslims," he told a meeting called by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) at the United Nations in Geneva. The 57-nation OIC, based in Saudi Arabia, represents 1.5 billion Muslims.

"Attempts to equate Islam with terrorism should be stopped. Stereotyping and demonization of Muslims should be combated," said Ihsanoglu, a Turkish history professor who became OIC Secretary-General in 2005.

In a statement on Ihsanoglu's remarks, Geneva spokesman for the International Humanist and Ethical Union Roy Brown argued that Islam was often linked to terror because perpetrators of many terrorist acts identify themselves as Muslims.

Critics of the OIC -- including countries who voted against the "defamation" motion at U.N. headquarters in New York on Thursday -- say many Islamic states use defamation or "blasphemy" laws against minorities and free-thinkers.

Referring to the U.N. vote, in which for the first time since the OIC introduced a "defamation" motion in 2005 more countries voted against or abstained than voted for, Ihsanoglu said the motives of the Islamic grouping were misunderstood.

[Danae]

Okay... so what do we link it to? Hot dogs?

Puppies?

The Easter Bunny?

Oh I know I KNOW! We will link it to - People who MURDER for their f%@^%D up belief system! That’s it!

/sarc

[TonyStark]

Yeah, Muslims are victims of Crusader oppression. And Hitler was a victim of Jewish persecution.

A slow, miserable death to you, your fake prophet, and your fascism disguised as a false religion, you satanic cretin.

[monday]

“However, not all Muslims, nor would I even say the majority, are terrorists or terrorism sympathizers.”

Obviously the majority are not terrorists, however the majority ARE terrorist sympathizers. If they were not, Islamic terrorism would be rare or even non existent.

[TonyStark]

Please submit one iota of proof for such an unrealistic statement. Example A: My best friend from high school, a practicing Muslim . . . and United States Marine!

This isn't him, is it?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_/ai_n14605852

[xp38]

a mugshot of one of them

[JaneNC]

LOL

Yeh, right.. it is linked...

[Jabba the Nutt]

This guy is talking to the wrong people. He needs to talk to Bin Laden, the Mullahs, Hezballah, Islamic Courts and the hundreds of other self-identified terrorist groups. They link Islam to terror and no one else can undo that link.

I'm really tired of the Muslim whining about being victims. It reminds me of the old legal joke about a kid, who murdered his parents, throwing himself on the mercy of the court, because he was an orphan.