Thursday, November 3, 2016

The Alt-Right's dangerous Pseudo-Rationalism


The following is a guest post by Jason Liggi: 

Those who identify as liberals and rationalists...have traditionally thought of far-right religionists as their primary enemy. Until 9/11, that mostly took the form of Christianity, and now it’s mainly Islamism and all it’s instantiations - particularly the violent Salafi-Jihadist kinds.

More recently, since the infamous Ben Affleck / Real Time with Bill Maher incident, there’s been increasing concern about the so-called “regressive left”.

This grouping of apologists for religion, intellectually dishonest journalists, religious conservatives and overly sensitive college kids has become the focus of a large proportion of the time and effort of a considerable number of people in the atheist community. Their slurring of Muslim reformers and their allies, their apology for theocracy and their propensity to take offence at anything and everything has drawn significant ire.

Recently though, a more invidious enemy has appeared. A slick con-man that has schmoozed and bamboozled it’s way to gaining traction with a significant percentage of the atheist community.


While the general public sees the alt-right, thanks to the media’s coverage, as a collection of backwards, stupid, racist, Trump-supporting hicks who like trolling people and posting cartoon frogs, the truth is actually much worse: the important members of the alt-right, and the most dangerous subscribers to it’s ideology, are usually smart and well-educated people, well versed in philosophy, history and politics.
The alt-right purport to be the 'true rationalists'. The ones who will stand up for what’s true, in spite of 'political correctness', in spite of 'the social justice warriors trying to police our speech', in spite of 'the corrupt elites in Washington who want to defend the status quo'. 
To the untrained ear, they may even seem rational.

They appear to value evidence. They appear to care about truth and justice. But these appearances are a thin smokescreen, a co-opting of the nomenclature of rationalism to give a veneer of trustworthiness - allowing them to stand smugly above others and pretend they are unique in basing their positions on evidence, free of ideological dogma.

But dig even slightly and you’ll find that conspiratorial thinking is at the heart of their ideology.

Everything is a conspiracy.

Hold a conversation with these people and you’ll soon find yourself being offered explanations with little to no evidence. It might sound like they have evidence...just from their sheer confidence, but scratch the surface and you won’t find any.

Anti-trans, anti-diversity, extremely nationalistic, nostalgic for the 'good old days', progress to them is anathema. We already reached the peak of civilisation, and now we’re just in decline. It’s all just corrupt elites and politically correct “cucks” trying to lead us blindly off a cliff (or into WW3 with Russia). Feminism is done, gay rights is over and done with, racism is a thing of the past. Anyone concerned about these issues is a “cuck”.


***
Plenty on the left are dangerous too, no doubt, but they don’t claim to ground their thinking in enlightenment values. They don’t claim to be the rational, measured ones. They care about offence and hurt feelings, they care about creating “safe spaces” and valuing “lived experience” and they openly admit this. 

Of course, “lived experience” is not an empty concept, although it is one that is sometimes misused by the left. Ex-Muslim perspectives are valued partially because of their lived experience, as are people who face racism, sexism and other forms of bigotry. The misuse comes in when it becomes a tool to silence dissent and criticism of a particular view or ideology: ie. hijabis claiming their lived experience of choosing to wear a hijab invalidates critics of forced hijab.


I honestly see the alt-right as some sort of horrifying, mutant offspring of the rationalist liberalism movement. It's taken all of the things that rationalists ostensibly stand for like freedom of speech, the value of evidence, honest discourse, a disdain for overblown political correctness, and basically plopped that all on top of a pre-built ideology. 

So they call everyone irrational, and act like they are the true rational ones, but when you look closely there's just...nothing. There's just bluster and bombast, and people saying "actually this is the case", "the evidence says this”, “this has been debunked” with absolutely nothing to back it up, save for questionable sources and hastily Googled articles that appear to agree (usually only on first glance) with what they believe.

***
Some examples of questionable “evidence-based claims” from Milo Yiannopoulos, poster boy of the alt-right:

Milo on JRE #702: “They all end up killing themselves anyway, by most metrics there’s no improvement in suicide rates.”

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/28110/does-gender-reassignment-surgery-increase-quality-of-life-of-transgender-individ (Great breakdown of studies / evidence)

Milo on Rubin Report: “There’s no hatefulness, and racism and sexism and homophobia left in this country really.” 

Milo on Rubin Report: “No reputable economist takes the wage gap seriously” 

(A quick Google shows this isn’t true, but here’s economist Alan Manning from the London School of Economics talking about it: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/CP200.pdf)

Trump retweeting false statistics on black murders:

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12012107/Donald-Trump-retweets-inaccurate-statistics-about-black-murders.html

***
The alt-right is the John Carpenter’s ”The Thing" of ideas. Currently, it's wearing the skin of rationalism but if you pay a little attention it just bursts out in blood and guts and spews shit everywhere.
If you value evidence, please, actually look for it. If you value rational discourse, don’t let it be silenced with cries of “SJW” and “cuck”. If you value compassion, try your best to understand the arguments of those that you oppose (and yes, that includes those on the alt-right). And don’t think someone convincing because they speak with confidence and charisma, namedrop philosophers and fabricate statistics.

-----------------------------

Thanks to Jason Liggi for this excellent guest post! 

Thanks to my wonderful Patrons for their generosity and kindness. Hunter, Rollin, Jason, Ellie, Charlie, Aaron, Chris, Brent, San, Lucas, Andy, Heena, Rayoz, Ellie, Larissa, Zeeshan, Martin, Robert, Pierre, Melvyn, Fred, Charlie, Zachary, Peter, Sean, Ruthless, Kristine, Joel, Danielle, Charles, David, Kyle, Yasmien, Steve, Alberto, Chris, Chris, Anthony, Hector, Tobias, Matthew, Avraham, Jesus and Mo, I love dogs, Steven, Allan, Dave, iamcuriousblue, Stephen, Eyal, John, Matthew, Devin, Nourhan, Jakob, Dude, Richard, George, Joel, Derek, Ben, Cory, Pier, Pastafarian woman, Dan, Dugald, Matt, Ravindranath, Thomas, Alisa, Jason, Tero, Leila

- Eiynah xx
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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Open Letter to Sam Harris


So a couple of weeks ago, I sent an email to Sam Harris, hoping to get some clarification on his views and recent support of Douglas Murray. It was a long shot, it's a complex issue and an uncomfortable one, but it was worth a try. I tried to approach him directly, but by now I assume I won't be hearing back (I get it, he's a very busy guy!) -- so I'm releasing my email as an open letter. These are important questions that need to be raised in an environment of increasing hostility in the online atheist scene. The 'heads' of the scene can do a lot more to build bridges than they do, imo. 

In this fight against radicalization the world will need all the liberal, progressive, ex-muslims they can get. Between the apologia/denial of the illiberal left and anti (im)migration sentiment of the right there needs to be a reasonable middle ground. Alienating secular immigrants is not helpful or productive at all. 


I know, I know, taking a stand against Douglas Murray's awful views on immigration is not going to go down easy with many of you. Since he's so excellent at taking on the regressive left/islamists.

 I get plenty of hate from all sides any way, i'll manage if you send a little more my way. But know that it's pretty ridiculous to expect a person of Muslim immigrant background to accept generalizations and anti immigration views. It's just not going to happen. My bar isn't so low that anyone good at critiquing islam is automatically on my list of favourite people. And yours shouldn't be either.

 (Screenshots, links, videos added later for the purpose of this blogpost)

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Dear Sam,

I’m an ex-Muslim (atheist) Pakistani-Canadian blogger and illustrator who receives much hate mail, death and rape threats from Islamists for my work. As a woman, of Muslim background who took on the task of writing about sexuality, politics and religion I am subject to a lot of internet abuse. The islamist abuse - I have sadly accepted as part of the territory, but what shocks me every time is the abuse I receive from a certain strain of fellow atheists. I have been meaning to write to you for a while, but have been putting it off since it seems a mammoth task to explain my difficult position. After seeing parts of your exchange on Twitter with Maryam Namazie, regarding ‘collective blame’, I thought to finally sit down and do it.

I’m saddened to see an increasing rift, especially since the refugee crisis, between 'Western atheists' and ex-Muslim atheists, and I wish for it to go no further. So here I am. Maryam and you both are voices I admire greatly — I see a growing tension and I wish to offer my perspective on why this may be occurring.

You may remember me from my ‘Letter to Ben Affleck’. I understand and relate to your positions on religion especially the unique problems that Islam is posing today. In a world where the left has completely abandoned liberals such as myself who stand firmly against the religious right, no matter what religion (and especially the one I was born into), I am glad to see you as an ally…as someone who stands in my corner and starts conversations which many like myself from muslim backgrounds have sacrificed their lives for. You start these conversations on a larger scale than I thought was possible, and you bring awareness to many people. For that I thank you, sincerely. I have interviewed and heard from several ex-extremists in Pakistan who say they were changed by watching your debates on YouTube.





I have personally seen the value of your voice and I will always have your back when people accuse you of being an anti-Muslim bigot. I believe your criticism of Islam is coming from a good place, a compassionate place and from a desire for betterment of the situation for all affected by it. It’s a rarer perspective to come by, as more and more people are attracted to this discussion.

There are charges of bigotry and racism being thrown around at almost anyone who dares to criticize Islam. I myself (as a Pakistani woman) have been accused countless times...of 'white supremacy', racism and other ridiculous things for opposing my own oppression. For writing a, what I thought was, polite and gentle letter to Ben Affleck and other defenders of the faith, I was even accused of ‘assisting genocide’. For writing a letter!

It’s a world gone mad.

I can personally relate to the frustration you and many others experience at this false charge. Not only are these accusers of bigotry at every instance of legitimate criticism adding to the confusion...but they are effectively diminishing it’s meaning and watering down instances of actual bigotry…till they are almost unrecognizable to those who aren’t immersed in the topic. Crying wolf too many times never did anyone any good.

Because so many false accusations are hurled at critics of Islam, we tend to take them less seriously, as we should. However, this has turned into a new problem where actual instances and bigoted stances are better camouflaged….and anyone speaking out against actual anti-Muslim bigotry is regarded as a 'social justice warrior', or 'regressive leftist’ - which was not the original intent of the terms, I’m sure.

I am a harsh critic of Islam - anyone that knows me or my work or follows me on twitter can see this, yet when I oppose blatant-anti Muslim bigotry I am accused of being an apologist for the religion I risk my life to oppose, by a certain type of atheist. On the flip side of the Islamophobia-shriekers there are those who think that people who make clear distinctions between people and ideas are apologists. These are the people who seek to demonize Muslims as a whole, who actually think its ok to generalize a large, diverse group as savages and rapists. I know these are charges hurled at you, and me, and Maryam….and they are false when directed at us but they are completely true for a growing number of far-right sympathizing atheists.





In between these two extremes you will find liberal Muslims and ex-Muslims battling both Islamists who wish to silence our critique and anti-Muslim bigots who wish to demonize us and our families. There is constant abuse from both sides, and it gets harder and harder to walk the tightrope of productive discussion and rational critique.

I am explaining this, because I know you may not deal with both sides of this abuse on as great a scale as many who are personally discriminated against for having a muslim background do. I just wish to show a bigger picture…with people’s paranoia and anti-refugee sentiment coming out, this is enhanced. The gap between immigrant ex-Muslim atheists and ‘western' atheists grows. And we should be natural allies.

While there are obviously fair concerns about large numbers of people migrating to any country who may not share values or who may hold extreme beliefs, we see those who are minorities within this group further marginalized. Just as they are by the left’s refusal to address the problems posed by Islam. The blanket hate and lack of compassion towards people who want a better life, or are fleeing, drowning to get away from the same extremists we also loathe, detracts from any legitimate points being brought up in regards to immigration/migration.

At a time when we should be discussing values and things like behaviour towards women, we have people either trying to disassociate or hide the backgrounds of actual criminals and rapists (as seen in the recent incident in Cologne), or we have people trying to use such news to demonize immigrants as a whole. Its a vicious cycle pushed further to the extreme from all angles, where the reasonable middle ground is drowned out.

We should be discussing better screening processes, how to change bad ideas that may be carried over when migrating, into good ideas…we should be discussing the values we should not compromise on simply because people arriving are members of minority groups, we should discuss the physical limits of absorbing people, so we don’t cause towns to be overtaxed, we should discuss problems and methods around integration, especially the problematic attitudes towards women - but instead too many are busy denying negative effects all together *or* discussing the fact that we shouldn’t bring 'these people' in at all, or that we should prioritize Christian refugees over Muslim ones. Yes there will be no jihadis among Christians, but by simply making this statement we are refusing to acknowledge that many Muslims who don’t practice the hardline version ISIS demands are also at great risk. As an immigrant who was given the chance to leave a religious country and enter a non religious one, I can’t in good conscience support denying that chance to others (with reasonable precautions and vetting of course). It is not an easy issue to navigate through, as there are valid points to be made for and against, but its one we must tread on carefully and sensitively to ensure that important points are not being silenced by blind support or blind hate on either side.

While you may criticize Islam from a place that is in support of those who seek to change it, better it, leave it…there are many, many who would rather close their borders and have nothing to do with people of Muslim background at all. (In fact many of us are under constant accusations of being secret islamists, myself, Maryam, Maajid - “once a Muslim, always a Muslim" rhetoric is used to silence our opposition of anti-Muslim bigotry). Sure they will cheer liberal/ex Muslims as they criticize Islam, but will turn their backs on us or go silent the second we oppose the demonization of people who look like us, our families. This is not about brown skin, but bigotry against perceived adherents of a faith. Ex muslims, even Sikhs face anti-Muslim bigotry. This is simply not opposed enough in the so called ’new' atheist scene. And by the descriptions I hear of it, I am apparently a ‘new’ atheist myself…because I refuse to sit silent in the face of religious injustice.

When you partner up with someone like Douglas Murray to do a podcast specifically on migration and the refugee crisis, there are some mixed messages being sent. While he is not an open bigot like Trump or Carson, and he is eloquent, makes many excellent points in his criticism of Islam & the failures of the left, he does reside somewhere on the spectrum of people who otherize and generalize Muslims. As his story about Jews in Malmo being 'chased out' (1:39:05 on your podcast) by increasing numbers of ‘Muslim' populations indicates, as his saying things like “why would you allow an increasing number of Muslims into your society” (1:40:15 on the podcast)  indicates…this is not to deny that there aren’t clear problems with Muslim populations, this is to say that he makes no effort to make a distinction between marginalized liberal muslims who oppose this hate and intolerance, and the majorities who support it. The label ‘Muslims’ tars all kinds of Muslims…not just Islamists. He is not entirely wrong, because Muslims are causing these issues certainly, but we must not forget about the Muslims that are also victims of such intolerance, misogyny, homophobia. We are the ones who suffer the anti-Muslim backlash from Murray’s generalizations…where people less intelligent and less nuanced than him spit on us and tell us we are scum.

It was not without your prompt in the podcast that topic of future Ayaans and Maajids being amongst these refugees was brought up. It was you who said these people deserve to be given citizenship…these are not the points Murray is concerned with. His simplistic view is that "Europe doesn’t owe anyone anything"…as if he wouldn’t do the same if him and his family were in such a desperate position. His position seems to be not one of compassion. And this takes away from some very valid, important questions he does ask, "would Europe be able to take in millions of Syrian refugees? What will we do once they are here? Do we have any jobs for them or places for them to live?"

Murray is not the bigot that Trump is or that Tommy Robinson is, but he is certainly an apologist for such bigotry (such as that of far right nationalist group EDL’s), and downplays its harmfulness. He is someone who thinks Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch is a brilliant writer and scholar. This is where it gets muddy (around the 4:50 mark).



Yes, absolutely the left fails and I call it out time and time again, you’ve even shared work of mine that calls out the left for it’s failings on your twitter.




But just as the far right is emboldened by the failures of the regressive left, the regressive left is emboldened by the bigotry of the far right….it is people like me, Maajid and Maryam who are stuck in the middle of this, between a rock and a hard place.

Murray’s apologia for Christianity is frankly off-putting, that he assumes no religion other than Islam is really worth discussing. It is a small picture he sees, if he can’t see the harm caused by other religions and the necessity to discredit them all. Just because Christianity is largely disempowered in Europe, doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful elsewhere, or that faith schools are ok. It is that insistence that we must *only* discuss Islam and excuse away the rest that indicates to me some form of residual attachment, some form of toxic tribalism. I understand that there are harmful beliefs to varying degrees and Islam is undeniably at the forefront of it today, but I make no mistake of excusing the rest. Certainly we can prioritize and emphasize, but we can’t devolve into apologists for other harmful beliefs simply because of our dislike for one that is currently more harmful.

Murray on Religion's place in the world, granted this piece is from 2013,
but I heard this sentiment on Sam's recent podcast with him too.  *cringe*
Let's not forget what the world was like when Xtianity held power. It's only because it's defanged
that it is less harmful now. I do not wish to empower it again in any way.


I consider myself a reasonable person and always willing to change my opinions based on evidence, I listened to your podcast with Murray a couple of times to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding him. I listened to more of his talks and appearances, and found him to be excellent when taking down opponents like Asghar Bukhari, but its his tribalism, apologia for Christianity, compassionless stance on immigration, refugees that I can’t reconcile with. To hear you being ‘honoured’ to speak with someone who time and time again demonizes immigrants like me, was disappointing. Also your point regarding Ben Carson...I know it was twisted and misused against you by all the usual suspects. I get what you were doing with that comparison, you were trying to highlight the extent of regressive left’s failings. But still, I found that way of framing the issue very odd…to put it so that you have to pick Ben Carson in this pairing, a known anti Muslim bigot - when you yourself are charged with this by so many confused people. So I must respectfully disagree. I’m no fan of Chomsky, let me add. But having the US run by a creationist would be harmful in all sorts of ways…and I’m not sure I can accurately measure the harm both of those hypothetical candidates would do to make this comparison. In an environment that is highly confused and emotionally charged, this message was unclear for those who may not be so knowledgable about the topic or about your views.

Criticism of Islam is bound to attract those who wish to hear it taken apart for tribal reasons, not secular, rational reasons. It happens to my work all the time, my ex-muslim voice is hijacked by far right lunatics to further their own xenophobic agendas…and it happens to your voice too, through no fault of your own. But with such bigots who hitch their wagons to fair, rational criticism of Islam, there needs to be encouragement to unhitch. There isn’t much currently.

There needs to be an effort to distinguish your position and that of Murray’s, rather than the conflation I see (or at least I’m hoping to hear there is a clear distinction) …which is why i think criticism of islam has to be done along with criticism of anti muslim bigotry, in detail and often…to create a less hostile environment for ex Muslims…and for liberal Muslims, so that productive critique can happen. So that we can be true allies without feeling there is little room for us. When I hear from toxic atheists every day, I despair - and i am not comparing them to islamists…there are no atheist death threats…but there r people who call me arab scum, tell me our food is dirty, that we are savage for dipping our hands in our ‘hummus', that everyone of muslim background should be sterilized because they can’t be trusted….that the pew polls should be enough evidence to convince me that it is ok for people to discriminate against my family, because they are likely to be intolerant and savage… after hearing those things all day (along with the usual Islam apologia) - I am emotionally drained, and incredibly disappointed when I hear people like Douglas saying it’s a terrible idea to allow more muslims in. If there was ever a time to separate your stance from Murray's…this would be it….this era of Trumpian nonsense.

This is perhaps the third version of this email I’ve written. It’s been difficult to write to someone I admire like yourself, and say I disagree. I do so with the utmost respect, but I felt this was a point that needed to be discussed. I have just started a podcast, which was banned and taken down from youtube by people (islamists) who constantly target my social media presence. My first guest was Maryam Namazie, I am not someone important or famous, and this is a long shot, but I would be incredibly honoured if you would at some point consider coming on for a chat about immigration/migration with an ex-muslim immigrant.



I will never misrepresent your positions, but since it’s happened to you so many times, I can understand if there is hesitation. Please know that I am an ally and a fan…who wishes to bridge gaps rather than see them increase. My sincerest apologies for such a long email!

Best,

Eiynah

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Monday, December 21, 2015

Eid Ul-Christmas Mubarak! (A Step by Step Guide to Culturally Appropriating Christmas)





Between the religious Muslim fundies that say Christmas is haraam (forbidden), and the lunatic conspiratorial anti-muslim bigots who think Islam is coming to destroy them all and take over the world, like NOW.... there is only a tiny slice of rationality...


So brave...standing up in the face of such persecution.



Below is a work of satire, not an actual event or suggestion...but in my mind, it is kind of funny...a place where the anti-christmas muslim bigots cross paths with the anti-muslim, fox-news-lovin', christmas-is-all-about-JESUS type bigots. A place where the islamophobia-shriekers and cultural appropriation accusers meet those who similarly, are terrified of Western civilization being destroyed (appropriated) by creeping Shariah and evil Mozlem immigrants. ZOMG... outraged that Christmas is being removed from their coffee cups :O , persecuted by others who dare to say "Happy Holidays"...

 Two sides of the same coin...how best can I piss them both off?

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FOX News Reporter: A disturbing plan unfolds as a secret document is found inside a mosque. A Mozlem plan to take over Christmas.

******

Announcement in the name of Allah: We are sick and tired of Westerners with loose morals influencing our children, and imposing their drunken orgy holidays upon us. We are sick and tired of 'Christmas cheer', and we've simply had enough of them culturally appropriating things that belong to *US*. They eat our food, and wear our clothes, our jewellery - and they have the audacity to enjoy it!

Hands off our Shawarmas! (pic from www.chabadofbinghamton.com)

They have claimed the beautiful tradition of Henna. Well, we've had enough, and it's time to fight back.



A call to Muslims to take over Christmas.

Let's culturally appropriate that shit. Lets take it and celebrate the crap out of it. Let's make it *our* holiday.

*****

Fox News Reporter: As you can see they are planning a sinister takeover, destroying traditional American values, taking Christ out of Christ-mas. We always knew this day would come, Fox news has declared a red alert. We'll be watching this situation around the clock. It's important to remain calm in the face of this attack on traditional Christian Values. The key now is to strategize how to take Christmas back from the Mozlems. Follow us as we take you behind the veil of Islam's war on Christmas. [Cue Arabic music, prayer call] 

 Our on-the-scene reporter is joining us to read this document in full:


"Here are some simple steps you brothers and sisters can take to insure victory is ours, Inshallah.

pic from: comingoffaith.com


1) Re-name Christmas: From this day forth we will be referring to it as Eid Ul-Christmas. It will now be the third Eid. We will take every opportunity to mention this in the face of prostitute-loving westerners, that WE celebrate it now....and we call it Eid. That should terrify them....how's that for muslim immigrant assimilation?

from pinterest.com

2) Make sure you get a huge Eid-Ul-Christmas tree, to get into the spirit...if you can acquire a date palm instead of an immoral Western tree...more points for you. But if your location doesn't allow for date palms, Western trees are acceptable. And do remember to put a crescent and star on top.

If you have a fake tree - no need to worry about this, but if a real tree is being cut down, be sure to make it a halal tree by reciting the proper 'secret Muslim chants' beforehand.

from www.wnd.com

3) Decorate your tree with only islamic ornaments.

Soon we will flood the market with halal ornaments, we just have to show there is demand for them. Fun craft idea...you can make little hijabis and niqabis out of ordinary round ornaments...just drape a piece of cloth around it and paint on a face...or cut two eye holes and drape the entire thing in black cloth. Set a good example for your daughters...by at least crafting a few 'modest' ornaments with them. It will be a great way of showing them we cover our most prized possessions...that way they'll ask less questions when eventually u tell give them the choice of covering their heads/faces.

from zazzle.com

from zazzle.com



4) Make sure you get one of our first edition "Hadeeth Wreaths" (forgive the shoddy design, i did these in a hurry) for your front door. Where upon entering and departing your home, you will always be reminded of the exemplary life/words of our beloved you-know-who.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge


6) Snowglobes? Heck no, we've got mosque globes, some even with gold glitter instead of snow... because WE get sandstorms on our blessed parts of Allah's earth.

from: theislamicestablishment.com (what a name)

from pinterest.com


from: burkalapak.com


7) Holly? Mistletoe? Fuck that.....we use dates and we gots plenty of cameltoe. We are appropriating the fuck out of this holiday.

from Zeinafoods.com


8) Nativity scenes: we may have to concede this one to the Christians, because fuck, we aren't allowed to depict our prophet...or any living thing really.

"It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Those who make images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them: ‘Bring to life that which you have created.’”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5607) and Muslim (2108). "

9) Make sure Eid-ul-Christmas gifts are acceptable by Islamic standards. No dolls with faces, because  remember, only allah is allowed to depict the living. Try "Aisha Dolls" for faceless dolls named after the prophet's child bride. Or the the aptly named, hijab-wearing Muslim Deeni Dolls!


As Pakistani paper Dawn News reports:

 The ‘Deeni Doll’ is adorned with a traditional hijab headdress and does not have eyes, a nose, mouth or other facial features, complying with Islamic law regarding representation of the human form.
The doll, created by Ridhwana B, a Lancashire school teacher, is manufactured in China and is being sold for £25.
Ridhwana told the Lancashire Telegraph: ‘I came up with the idea from scratch after speaking to some parents who were a little concerned about dolls with facial features.’
She continued: ‘Some parents won’t leave the doll with their children at night because you are not allowed to have any eyes in the room.’
Relax, your kid's eyes are created by Allah, and therefore acceptable..

Naturally, any good Muslim parents would be concerned about dolls who have 'faces'...it's borderline idolatry. I mean, what if your children start worshipping their dolls?! It is a very real concern.

Also remember - No immodest clothing for girls/women. In fact giving headscarves and bags burqas is recommended. If you're a good muslim mother, you will naturally know your way around sewing (cooking, cleaning), etc - this provides you with the opportunity to add a personal touch to your daughter's Eid-ul-Christmas hijab, you can embroider empowering captions such as "My hijab/niqab is a feminist statement" or "My hijab, My choice".

Restrictions on men's clothing gifts are much fewer of course.

10) Apostate crackers are going to be a huge hit this holiday season. Depictions of apostates who have turned their back on allah...the crackers split at their necks and the apostates lose their heads, as is commanded, of course. No harm in putting a little fun twist on shariah punishments.



Now we're really getting into the holiday spirit!

11) Acceptable ways of greeting each other include "Eid-ul-Christmas Mubarak"/ "Halal Holidays" not this "Merry Christmas" shit. I feel like a dirty infidel, just thinking about that phrase.

Card image from Zazzle.com, type mine


12) Tell your kids that the reindeer thing is utter bull. There are camels guiding Santa Bin Claus' magic carpet/camel train. We're going to take this myth and Islamize it for our children. #CreepingShariah #FuckYeah

"Rashid the red-nosed Camel, had a very shiny nose!"

From buzzfeed.com


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We're taking your holiday Robert Spencer! Eid-Ul-Christmas Mubarak. May you have Halal Holidays!"

****

FOX News Reporter: Well there it is, in black and white....a detailed attack on the very heart of Western civilization. Don't say we didn't warn you. Stay with us ...as an expert on 'Muslim holiday traditions' joins us next to give us some insight on the situation....

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Friday, June 12, 2015

International Relations

I decided to do a fun little art project. ;) Hope you enjoy! Do leave comments, reactions, responses below...without feedback drawing is kind of meaningless. 

For those of you unaware of why I am no longer on Facebook, you can read details here. Hint: It's because they are assholes.  

Depending on how many people ask, I just might be taking requests for the next drawing in this series. So if you feel like you want your country 'represented', do let me know so I can gauge the response. 

Please share, esp on Facebook ;) (click pictures to enlarge)

Pak VS Ind

Bilateral Relationship

Close Allies

Please support my work here


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Friday, April 24, 2015

Sabeen...

I was told today, that a fellow Pakistani was gunned down.

I was told she didn't make it, and that her mother is in critical condition as well.

Before I even knew who, my knees buckled at the thought of another life lost...and I clutched my phone, knuckles white - waiting in line for something, I shrieked and quickly forgot where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.

Image from: new-pakistan.com

As the victim's name was revealed to me, my heart sank...my mind couldn't process that this was someone I knew online. An activist, a thinker, a person who cared about the country she lived in - the country in which we are increasingly herded towards apathy.

Pak-is-tan. The land of the 'pure'.

Never was there a sicker joke...than the meaning of Pakistan itself.

We are pushed towards not caring, so we can leave it to the vultures...to do with it as they will. It'll be easier when we no longer put up a fight...

They already outnumber those left with a human heart.

There is a dwindling group of people who dare to ask questions, who dare to want discussions, conversations...these people are killed off one by one, quite systematically. The rest are broken down by fear.

Sabeen Mahmud and I did not know each other well, except for a few emails and maybe some tweets exchanged. She expressed to me that she liked my children's book, we talked about the fun design of her website...it was a breath of fresh air, as was her organization I hear. T2F (the second floor) was a space for learning and discussion, for art, books, music and creativity. Truly one of it's kind in a country where so much of this is taboo.

Our conversations were light and pleasant. She was always kind to me, never treated me like the untouchable that many Pakistanis do...she was open-minded and a gentle soul. Never confrontational to anyone, just happy to provide a space for discussion and a platform for social change.

It was that space for conversation that proved intolerable. Right after hosting a discussion on "unsilencing" Balochistan, she was silenced. 

An image from the discussion hosted by her...posted on her instagram a few hours before her death




"A pair of sandals lies amid broken glass in a car after the murder of Sabeen" from Dawn.com


I won't go into the the complex conflicts within our country that I do not fully understand myself, I won't go into the conspiracy theories that are emerging... but I will say this;

Everything points to the fact that she was killed because she was hosting the wrong kind of discussion.

But who are we kidding, pretty much any honest discussion is wrong there.

Pakistan is a country where terrorists can find safety and protection, but regular, honest, decent people cannot.

What do we do if it's not just the terrorists terrorizing us?

***

Who did this? I don't know...but whoever it was, managed to knock down yet another pillar of 'progressive Pakistan', not long till it's entirely demolished...

Ask yourselves this, dear fellow-Pakistanis, do we value the askers-of-questions, the starters-of-discussions in life...or do we only care to mourn them once they are gone?

Sabeen's emails in my inbox are a treasure that leave a void in my heart. The plans for a Skype conversation that never happened are a lost opportunity I regret very much. If only I had tried harder to find the time.

With every person killed for doing something that pushes boundaries...it hits home. When it's a person in Pakistan, a person I knew...it hits harder. I will not be silenced by this, but I cannot help being terrified. And I cannot help being terrified even more for Pakistanis who still reside there, who have no way out of there...I am scared for the journalists, the bloggers, the apostates, the dissenters of any sort. All of you, please be safe...

My thoughts are with you Sabeen, I never met you...but feel your loss immensely. You were a force that dared to make change, and you touched so many people's lives. You will not be forgotten. The sheer number of online tributes prove that.


RIP

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Chacha’s aunt: When will you get married to Faheem?

Below is our first ever #ChachaFanFic :D - honoured to have received an ‘interview with Chacha’ from journalist Ahmed Yusuf (@ASYusuf), who works with Pakistan’s leading English daily, Dawn.

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Check out full Urdu translation here


Ahmed and his Chacha share many secrets.


Like the time when Ahmed ate all the chocolate that Uncle Faheem had gotten from Dubai. Ammi was livid, but Chacha came to the rescue. Then there was the time when Ahmed cut his elbow playing cricket and Chacha quickly put a plaster and let him play some more. Then there was the extra tub of chocolate ice-cream that Chacha smuggled into Ahmed's room after he had a tooth removed. There is a chamber of secrets between Ahmed and Chacha, but there is one thing there is no lying about: Chacha is gay.


“It is a strange world we live in; people ask questions about who you love and why you love them. Love is love yaar, that's what I want to teach Ahmed,” says Chacha.


Taken from Pakistani Children's book 'My Chacha is Gay' - see original post here


Like all young paternal uncles, Chacha is part Ahmed's best friend and part his guardian. I met him at their Karachi residence over tea one evening. Chacha, Ahmed and Uncle Faheem are global celebrities now. They are the stars of the children's book, My Chacha is Gay, and their story is being 
told in many languages by people all over the world. Except in Pakistan, where publishers are reluctant to place the book on the pretext of the country “not being ready” for such a book. Not that Chacha or Ahmed care about such things; they believe that the real bravado is in living an honest life. 

“Who are Ahmed's role models? His father, mother, and then family around him. Why should we lie to him or make excuses about who we are? Doing that will teach him to lie to those he loves and makes friends with,” says Chacha.

Ahmed's parents complain that Chacha spoils him too much. “You only get to be a kid once,” Chacha says in his defence. “I want to ensure that Ahmed and my niece Saima, who is too young to even speak yet, have an incredible childhood.”


Taken from Pakistani Children's book 'My Chacha is Gay' - see original post here

Chacha's desire to help his nephew and niece cherish their childhood stems from his own experiences while growing up. Much of Chacha’s childhood was spent in turmoil, trying to fit various moulds, and trying to hide who he was. He wants Ahmed and Saima to know that they will be loved no matter what, and that they should be proud of who they are and to stand up for themselves.

“I was bullied a lot in school. Over time, I learnt the most valuable lesson of my life: being any kind of different is okay.”

Today, life for Chacha is the same as it is for everyone else. He wakes up in the morning, occasionally drops Ahmed to school, goes to work, and returns home every evening. He enjoyed the serial Mera Sultan, but also loved the Masterchef Pakistan's debut season. Ahmed wants Chacha to compete in Masterchef Pakistan one day; Chacha’s Chicken Makhni (Butter Chicken) is divine, apparently. 

Photo from riotandfrolic.typepad.com

And it was on one of the Chicken Makhni feasts that Chacha’s maternal aunt first popped the question, “Faheem is such a nice boy, when are you two getting married?”

Taken from Pakistani Children's book 'My Chacha is Gay' - see original post here


Chacha was immediately taken aback, he recalls, while Faheem started laughing. “I tried explaining it to Khala that we can’t get married in Pakistan, that it's just not allowed, sadly. She still insists on a private ceremony.”

I ask Chacha what's stopped them from getting married abroad, where local imams perform nikah ceremonies for gay and queer Muslims?

“What's the point of getting married anywhere other than Pakistan? This is our home, this is where our friends and family are.” retorts an exasperated Chacha. “Can you have a Karachi Mehndi in London? No. Can you invite friends? No, not as many as we would like. Yes, we might be signing nikah papers in a mosque, with an imam saheb, but why do it without loved ones, who mostly live in Pakistan?”

For a gay man in Pakistan, Chacha is unusually confident - homosexuality is legally punishable in Pakistan, although social evidence point to other realities. He attributes this confidence to his belief in always speaking the truth.

“Look, if there was a creator and he had to hate me, he wouldn't have created me,” he asserts. 

The mood threatens to turn sombre, before Chacha blurts: “Yes I am gay, I am Pakistani, and I am a Muslim. Nobody can take that away from me. And yes, I love my nephew and niece, and I'd give my life for them in a flash.”

Point noted. I steer the conversation to how he met Faheem.

“We used to play cricket every weekend near the Mister Burger outlet on Tariq Road. One time, Faheem was there too. Long story short: we bonded on Pakola (ice cream soda), and the rest is history.”

What makes their relationship tick?

“Honesty, I think... Faheem, as you know, is a pilot and really isn't in Pakistan most of the year. Whenever he is, I tell him he has arrived on a 'trip' to Pakistan,” cheers Chacha.

“We decided to treat our relationship as a long-distance one. I think that has allowed us to manage our expectations with each other. But when Faheem is back, we go to a bunch of places together. Lots of restaurants and cafes around Karachi to experiment with. Faheem loves karahi from Super Highway; he won't go to Do Darya but to the original outlets to eat that. We end up at movies together. Basically everything that a regular, healthy couple does.”

Since Chacha lives as part of Ahmed's family, I ask whether it was ever awkward to talk about homosexuality with his nephew.

Taken from Pakistani Children's book 'My Chacha is Gay' - see original post here


“Oho yaar, it’s all about honesty and respect,” Chacha says. “Treat the child as a young adult and talk to them. I could lie to Ahmed about Faheem, but I have to teach him about my reality. I want to be honest with him.”

But how do you expect a child to accept something when most of society seems to be against you, simply because of your sexual orientation? Isn't that too great a burden?

“Pyaar is pyaar, yaar - that's what you teach a child. Else they can become beasts,” asserts Chacha.“We are a cruel people, sometimes. At work, one of my senior colleagues is gay but he hides it. People make fun of him, they bully him. He retreats into a shell. Then I think of some of my uncles and aunts. They had boyfriends and girlfriends, but never wanted to get married. I feel for them, maybe if they lived in better times, they could have been with or married those who they loved. But they couldn't. They suffered in silence. I want Ahmed to learn to be humane to all people, not be an insensitive and uninformed brat.”

Is he ever scared of being openly and unapologetically gay in Pakistan?

“Sometimes. I’m afraid of the persecution you know,” Chacha says, with a knowing nod directed at me. I nod back.

And what does his mother say? Does she approve of Faheem?

“My mom loves Faheem. She didn't always, but now that she has warmed up to the idea, she is thrilled that he brings such happiness to me. Before Faheem, she would complain that I was becoming a little distant from her. But finding love has brought me out of my shell. Her acceptance, whenever it came, meant a lot too,” he says pensively.

Chacha's mother now admires Faheem to the extent that she laments their dining out whenever Faheem is in town. “She says to us, ghar ka khana (home cooking) is also good for health. But sometimes, couples need their space. I would always want to go crabbing with Faheem and eat the aloo crab cutlets they make on the boat.”

The one thing that Chacha loves most about Karachi is that he can walk around holding hands with Faheem in public and no one bats an eyelid. As he puts it, two men holding hands is not an uncommon sight, but two men asking for the right to be in love is what upsets people.

“Even today, many of my colleagues who have known me for long are okay with homosexuality, but many are not comfortable talking about it. Things always get a bit awkward when I mention Faheem in a large group setting. I really wish that could change... I want to be able to speak about the people in my life just as anyone would,” Chacha says matter-of-factly.

“Till then, I am just happy that Faheem and I can take a walk down Seaview or even to our local street food vendor and hold hands without drawing attention to ourselves. It’s pyaar (love), yaar.”

Taken from Chacha & Faheem's Valentine's Day Post
***This is a piece of creative writing. All characters have been developed in consultation with the writer of the book, My Chacha is Gay***
Feel free to submit your own #ChachaFanFic, photo or fan art to me at nicemangosDOTblogATgmailDOTcom - just remember that Chacha is a children's book character so it can't be sexual, political, religious. Meet those requirements, make it kick ass, and I'll share it on the blog! :D 

If you wish to support the project, you can do so by ordering your own copy of My Chacha is Gay at www.mychachaisgay.com

-E xx 
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