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Rantings of a Sandmonkey

Be forewarned: The writer of this blog is an extremely cynical, snarky, pro-US, secular, libertarian, disgruntled sandmonkey. If this is your cup of tea, please enjoy your stay here. If not, please sod off

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Koran desecration protests and other forms of Hypocrisy

Posted by Hello

As the ultimate example of a story that refuses to die, there was apparently a number of demonstrations all over the Muslim world against the US alleged mistreatment and desecration of the Koran in Gitmo. Demonstration raged from India to Indonesia to Qatar to Iraq and Egypt was no exception. We ended up having 2 demonstrations of our own in both Alexandria and Cairo. As usual, people burned the American flag, chanted death to America and George Bush, and even stepped on the Israeli Flag ( as the picture shows) just for the hell of it, even though Israel had nothing to do with it. I guess it was just done out of form and tradition. Now before we move any further I would like to make a small note: Until now, despite FBI admissions that some sort of mishandling probably occurred, nothing has been proven conclusively so far. There has been no Smoking Gun so to speak. No actual picture of the Koran being mishandled or desecrated. Just a discredited Newsweek story and a number of accounts that are still under investigation, but no actual conclusive evidence. Ok? With me so far? Good. Now we can move on. Now, please go and look at the picture on top of this post by GM, where he shows a picture of a group of Radical Hindus actually BURNING a copy of the Koran. Not throwing it in a toilet or throwing it around, but actually burning it, in public, in open air, and even taking picture of the event. Like GM in his post I wondered: Where is the Muslim Outrage against that? Why wasn’t that story all over the news? Why didn’t the Indians Muslim demonstrators demonstrate against that? I mean it’s right next door, why not chant for their death? You wanna know why? Because they are not Americans. These demonstrations aren’t really about the Desecration of the Koran, as much as they are about having an excuse to demonstrate and chant against America. This is what it’s really all about: Hypocritical Anti-American hate. Pure and simple. And it’s not the only time it happens, there are soo many examples it’s sickening: Saddam- and his follow Arab leaders, our own included- tortures and kills and rapes and no one says a peep or talks about having respect for the Iraqis human rights, but the moment pictures are shown that the US mistreated prisoners in Abu Gharib and suddenly we are all against the torture and mistreatment of Iraqis and/ or other arabs which the US maybe holding in Gitmo. US army personnel kill Iraqi insurgents in battle, then people run around denouncing them as the Christian Zionist imperialist killers of muslims and arabs. Iraqi Muslims insurgents kill other Iraqi muslims? Ehh, shit happens! The US liberates Kuwait, defends Saudi from the Iraqi Invasion, protects Bosnian and Kosovo from Serbian Genocide and they are still the evil haters of Islam and Muslims. Saddam goes to war with Iran, gasses Kurds, invades Kuwait and attacks Saudi, and he is the hero and the legend and the defender of Arabs and Muslims. Need I go on with examples or did you have enough? Look, whether you like it or not, you know that things like those demonstrations and hate rallies are hypocritical at best, but it’s the one thing we can do and express our anger and frustration at a world that has surpassed us in every way because of our own failures, stupidity and worship of leaders that never had our best intention in mind but made us feel as if we are important and that the world was out to get us. The old Hitler technique so to speak: Give them an enemy, tell them they are the cause of all of their problems, and then tell them you will protect them from them. Back then it was the Jews, and it worked wonders for Mr. Adolf and brought him to power, and our leaders have been following that same blueprint ever since. It is easy to hate Americans: they are rich, they are advanced, they are strong, they got freedoms up the ass, they look different then us and they don’t agree with us on everything. Those Godless bastards. Maybe it’s just me here, but I really doubt that burning up flags, chanting death to America and throwing tomatoes at picture of George Bush will get us anywhere. Here is a crazy thought: Maybe we need to stop blaming the world, take some personal responsibility for our shortcomings and start fixing the problems in our countries that make us so backwards. Maybe we should give up on the idea that if the world stopped plotting against us we would be the best countries in the world, because even if they did- like they really need to- we would still have the same horrible leaders who would’ve still abused us, repressed us and brought our countries down. So, maybe, just maybe, we should focus on ourselves and not America or Israel or whatever, at least for the time being. Maybe we should start fixing our own local problems first, and then worry about the rest of the freaking world after we get our own house in order. And after that, we will find out if it’s really the US that pisses us off, or just the state we were in. But something tells me you guys really know the answer to that, don’t you?

34 Comments:

At 5/29/2005 05:45:00 AM, Blogger Highlander said...

'The old Hitler technique so to speak: Give them an enemy, tell them they are the cause of all of their problems, and then tell them you will protect them from them'

SM you know very well this method works BOTH ways, give them a new enemy after Communism viz. Muslims, and they are roaring to save the world.

On the other hand I agree with your statement here
"we should focus on ourselves and not America or Israel or whatever, at least for the time being. Maybe we should start fixing our own local problems first, and then worry about the rest of the freaking world after we get our own house in order."

On another note ;) I'll take up Twosret's question , please please tell us about something good in your own words .
يبني خليها شوي لي الله وشوي لي عبدالله

 
At 5/29/2005 06:08:00 AM, Blogger The Sandmonkey said...

7ader wallahy. I have been taking my time with it 3alashan i want it to be good. It will be something like 10 things i love about egypt and it's coming soon. Hopefully by the end of this week, provided nothing else comes along and depresses me.

 
At 5/29/2005 08:01:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

The difference is very simple. Those who demonstrated already know that many Hindu's hate them and they don't hide it. But Americans keep claiming that they're tolerant and that its the land of freedom embracing all religions, etc. So when American soldiers do it (representing their government), its a little different than when Hindus do it. It becomes American hypocrisy!

SM, many Muslims say that the way to handle any piece of paper that might have a verse of the Quran on it is to burn it, instead of throwing in the trash or whatever. So to them, burning it is actually fine in comparison to flushing it.

 
At 5/29/2005 08:59:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

Hmmm. Are Arab (Islamist) prisoners in Arab countries given a copy of the Quran to comfort them during their captivity? Just wondering.

 
At 5/29/2005 10:28:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That picture of two little kids learning to hate Israel and the United States reminds me of the power of early indoctrination. My nephew and his wife live in North Carolina and have two young sons. Yhe parents are what I would call rather right wing conservative Christians who want more than anything for their kids to believe in Jesus when they grow up. Something tells me they don't have much to worry about.
We had a short discussion about religion during which I said to my nephew something like "Don't you think that if you'd been born in Egypt instead of Texas you would be praying to the east five times a day instead of believing what you do?"
Well, let's just say he didn't take the suggestion well. Most folks don't.

 
At 5/29/2005 12:30:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

S.M.
The Ironic thing is that when the arab culture finally turns itself around, and I am optomistic it will someday, It will be Americans cheering them on and helping out however we can. We want to see the Arab world succeed and join the rest of civilization.

P.S. does anyone really believe that our feelings are hurt from all of those demonstrations?

 
At 5/29/2005 12:47:00 PM, Blogger Mohamed said...

"P.S. does anyone really believe that our feelings are hurt from all of those demonstrations?"

No, we don't Joef. So stop complaining about it already.

 
At 5/29/2005 03:20:00 PM, Blogger Louise said...

Hmmmmm. Sandmonkey, it seems some of your readers would prefer to continue sitting on the self-pity pot. Oh well.

 
At 5/29/2005 05:59:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

GREAT POST!! I wish everyone could read this!! sis from the USA

 
At 5/29/2005 06:31:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very good blog entry, Sam.

I was also having a bit of fun at Raed's Ba'ath House with the photo put up by GM. Here was my version:

HINDUS BURN KORAN!

Al-Jazeera?

*silence*

Raed Jarrar?

*silence*

Muqtada Al-Sadr?

*silence*

Khalid "Pro-God" Jarrar?

*silence*

Muslim Brotherhood?

*silence*

Hezbollah?

*silence*

Arafat?

*silence*

Okay, I know. That wasn't fair, right? Arafat is DEAD.

Bin Laden?

*silence*

Well, everyone, I guess it's OKAY then to BURN KORANS!

This MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND I'm going to use a STACK OF KORANS instead of CHARCOAL to roast our holiday hot dogs and hamburgers!

*

Later I created a series of posts where I invited everyone over to my KORAN-FLAVORED brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers. We actually had a pretty good time, but for some reason all the Arabs wouldn't eat any of the hot dogs. (Heh heh).

--your favorite psycho sicko American, Jeffrey -- New York

*

 
At 5/29/2005 09:28:00 PM, Blogger Mohamed said...

Louise, how did you come up with such a smart remark?! The only time I feel self-pity (but not about myself) is when I have to read such comments.

Chichimi, don't take the demonstrations so hard on yourself. Like JoeFromMass said, your feelings aren't even hurt, and they shouldn't. What is a stupid symbolic protest burning some flag?! If it hurts you that they take your aid, then just stop giving it to them (go to your congressman and ask him to stop the aid). They'd probably be much better without it. And those who get the aid, are the ones are autocratic regimes that are supported by that aid.

 
At 5/29/2005 11:02:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jeff the psycho sicko,

Your name says it all don't worry we won't pay attention to your hallucinations.

 
At 5/29/2005 11:04:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Louise,
What is sad that a woman your age (grandmother) still wears diapers. You will never grow up. The same old fart.

 
At 5/30/2005 01:55:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

India prides itself on being a secular country in which people of all faiths can freely practise their religion. It has over 100 million muslim citizens and the president of the country is a muslim. The burning of the Koran by some Hindus is no more a reflection of Indian society than the alleged incidents at Gitmo are are reflection of US society.

The US has a special place in the eyes of muslim fanatics because it is an infidel superpower. If Islam is the true faith, destined to rule the world, infidel superpowers simply should not exist. To them, the US is a blasphemy by its very existence.

 
At 5/30/2005 02:06:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

Anonymous, thanks for your remark about India. I think you're actually correct.

However, by the same standards, the burning of the American flag, and the death chants by some Muslims are not a reflection of Muslim societies.

 
At 5/30/2005 04:53:00 AM, Blogger Louise said...

Tehehehehe

Some folks have these big buttons that are begging to be pushed --- and it's soooooo easy to get them to do what I want. All I gotta do is push the button.

 
At 5/30/2005 07:11:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

You're getting smarter and smarter with each comment Louise. I'm excited. Press those buttons, will ya.

 
At 5/30/2005 02:50:00 PM, Blogger yochanan said...

for respect you have to give respect.

When the Tomb of Josph (which is the third holiest site in the jewish religion) and it torah's were burned by radical Islamist and when the Church of the Nativity was descorated by the same radical Islamists christians and jews did not riot even though the pain of seeing the burned holy site caused great pain.

As I said if you want respect you have to give it as well.

 
At 5/30/2005 09:43:00 PM, Blogger Mohamed said...

Yochanan, more important than all those holy sites and of the Quran the book, is respect of people.

If those people rioting were respected and treated like equal human beings, not having their homes destroyed and their families bombarded, then they might've shown some respect to such symbols as a flag, and they might've been less offended by disrespecting something like the Quran the book.

 
At 5/30/2005 10:23:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I read your blog for the first time today and really got a good giggle out of it. I can ask you to pass along the simple idea of this to your anti-western counterparts. We send 2 billion US dollars a year to Egypt and would'nt it be accepting a deal with the devil to accept foreign aid from The infidels. Perhaps they can refund us and stop taking bribes from satan and rely on the inspired holy men for a living.

 
At 5/30/2005 11:38:00 PM, Blogger Mohamed said...

Anonymous, glad you had a good giggle at my blog. That's the whole point of it.

Just to be clear I don't like to refer to Americans as infidels, or to America as Satan. I would refer to American foreign policy as unjust, self-serving, and hypocritical though.

Regarding the aid money. Please please please stop giving Egypt aid money, you are strengthening the autocratic regime in Egypt by this money.

Aah, but that's exactly what you want. Aah, and if you stop the aid money, you'd be violating the Camp David accords, and Egypt would be free to end the cold peace with Israel.

 
At 5/31/2005 02:29:00 AM, Blogger The Sandmonkey said...

Mohamed, I think he means MY BLOG, u know, THIS ONE!

And what do you think will happen if the cold peace ends? War?You really think we could go to War again? Over what? Da7nah 70 million ya mo, 7ayro7oh menna fein?

 
At 5/31/2005 03:17:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

SM, I thought mine was the funny blog! Yours is too serious :)

I don't know what could happen if the cold peace ends.. but I know that its something the US doesn't want.

 
At 5/31/2005 10:08:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

As an American who really enjoys SM's blog, let me just say to the others that you most of you guys are so obnoxious. Liberals and conservatives "reach out" to the Arab world by simply reading blogs that more or less match their ideology. It's just one big circle jerk when you guys comment.

 
At 6/01/2005 06:57:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

SM you know very well this method works BOTH ways, give them a new enemy after Communism viz. Muslims, and they are roaring to save the world.

Sorry highlander - they didn't have to 'give' us muslims to replace communists. Militant muslims gave themselves up for offering.

Hmmm. Are Arab (Islamist) prisoners in Arab countries given a copy of the Quran to comfort them during their captivity? Just wondering.

Yes.


If those people rioting were respected and treated like equal human beings, not having their homes destroyed and their families bombarded, then they might've shown some respect to such symbols as a flag, and they might've been less offended by disrespecting something like the Quran the book.

If the people rioting were respected and treated like equal human beings?????? You are a joke.

I don't know what could happen if the cold peace ends.. but I know that its something the US doesn't want.

Nor does Egypt. Bet your ass on that one.

 
At 6/01/2005 08:02:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

Anonymous,

Read my question again joker, I said "in Arab countries".

Nor does your friendly autocratic regime in Egypt. Get my ass out of your bettings. Wanna stick your ass in the middle of that shit, its up to you.

 
At 6/01/2005 08:39:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Get my ass out of your bettings."

That's hilarious.

 
At 6/01/2005 09:58:00 AM, Blogger The Sandmonkey said...

Mo, eih elfadah elly enta feih dah? LoL

 
At 6/01/2005 10:30:00 AM, Blogger Mohamed said...

3ayez a'aollo teezo 7amra belengeleezee.. tet'al ezzay dee?

 
At 6/01/2005 11:53:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

fayn ilamakin illi illuwati yoon biyruHuha?

 
At 6/01/2005 12:21:00 PM, Blogger Mohamed said...

'asdak elmosa7ekat ya Jeff.

 
At 11/05/2005 03:05:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I dont quite get you sandmonkey
What kind of name is this anyway
plus wat r u who are you to think you know about everything

SA

 
At 2/15/2006 02:13:00 PM, Blogger marine_explorer said...

The difference is very simple. Those who demonstrated already know that many Hindu's hate them and they don't hide it. But Americans keep claiming that they're tolerant and that its the land of freedom embracing all religions, etc. So when American soldiers do it (representing their government), its a little different than when Hindus do it. It becomes American hypocrisy!

I think it's important to make a clear distinction between what is done as national policy, what is done by misguided individuals, and what are the real feelings of a nation's citizens. Granted, in many cases this can be hard to determine, but taking the uninformed, reactionary route hardly leads to good results.

Lest other misguided individuals make enemies from people who would prefer to be their friends. Anyone who paints with a broad brush will never help their cause.

 
At 2/19/2007 01:12:00 AM, Blogger Shuv said...

Good man, spread the word! As an australian I guess i'm in the clear to add the koran to the growing list of things i intend to burn

 

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