Iran issues death sentence for Iranian Rapper
Offline http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/09/213157.html
The Salman Rushdie of Music ? Iran calls for killing of "Apostate" rap artist
by Al Arabiya
Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, a Shi’ite cleric based in the holy Iranian city of Qom, has issued a death sentence against rap artist Shahin Najafi for apostasy, the Persian-language Al Arabiya website reported on Wednesday.
The sentence was issued after Najafi released a controversial song called “Naqi.”
The song sparked a furor among protesters who believe it to be offensive to Imam Naqi, the tenth Imam in Shi’ite Islam.
News website Asr Emrous, which is closely tied to the regime in Tehran, launched an online campaign calling for the hanging of Najafi. The website stated that the aim of the campaign was to have Najafi condemned for apostasy, a crime that carries the death penalty in Iran.
The campaign organizers have called on all Shi’ites and Muslims in general to find and kill Najafi and “send him to hell,” according to the website.
Najafi, 31, was an underground artist during his time in Iran, and was banned by the authorities from performing in the country. He moved to Germany in recent years where he joined a group called “Tapesh 2012” which performs politically-motivated songs in Persian.
In 1989 a novel by British author Salman Rushdie created a similar response from Iran, when a fatwa (religious edict) was issued by Iran’s highest authority, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, calling for his killing for what was considered a disrespectful depiction of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
More recently, Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been charged with apostasy by Iranian authorities and sentenced to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, creating uproar across the Christian community worldwide.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
- Login to post comments
While dialing through the radio the other night. I was unfortunate enough to catch a few moments of that asshole talk show host, Dennis Prager, who was prattling on and on about "Why is it that only religious people can see the dangers of Islam and not the Atheists/ Secularists ?,".
I wanted to tell him : " Look in the mirror asshole. It is because of religious fanatical nutcases from the Christian and Islamic world that all of this bullshit is going down to begin with ,".
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
Indeed.
Hey christians! Yeah, islam is a threat. But so are you. We don't want EITHER of your bullshit religions, so quit trying to convince us the moslems are the biggest threat in the universe. You are literally just as bad.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
EXACTLY !
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
that fucker golpayegani is still wheezing? by muhammad's dick-sucking faggot ass, that prick must be a hundred and ten!
now if only he'd send suicide bombers against all rappers worldwide, i'd convert this instant! [rimshot]
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
Conformity is the demand of religion, secularism is the cure.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
http://www.theage.com.au/world/extremists-attack-visiting-voices-in-indonesia-20120514-1ymyo.html
INDONESIA’S national police are considering banning a performance next month by pop diva Lady Gaga in the face of threats of violence by Islamic extremists.
It comes as an attack by religious hardliners against lesbian Muslim author Irshad Manji prompted deep soul-searching in a country regarded as the Islamic world’s most moderate.
The threats and attacks are part of a growing trend in Indonesia for extremists to bully and intimidate anyone who does not subscribe to their hardline Islamic doctrine.
Police rarely act against them.
A book launch by Manji, a Canadian author and Islamic reformist, was stopped by police in Jakarta earlier this month for security reasons, and then, last Wednesday, in the university town of Yogyakarta, thugs violently broke up a discussion and attacked its 150 attendees.
Manji’s associate, Emily Rees, was bashed with an iron bar by men wearing motorcycle helmets and face masks.
Manji was discussing her latest book, Allah, Liberty and Love, which urges reformist Muslims to show ‘‘moral courage’’ in the face of intimidation. She told The Age that she was shielded from the attackers by ‘‘a pyramid of women’’.
Ms Rees suffered a badly bruised arm, and said the men were yelling ‘‘Where is Manji? Where is Manji?’’ as they smashed windows, crockery and computers and tore up copies of the book. The Majelis Mujahidin Council claimed responsibility and now other extremists including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), and the Muslim Defenders Team have turned their attention to Lady Gaga.
The FPI chief called at a recent public rally for the ‘‘secretive assassination’’ of liberal Muslims as part of his followers’ ‘‘freedom of expression’’.
Banning Lady Gaga on the basis of morals ? These religious fanatics are really terrified of anything sexual or the act of sex. Talk about some major suppression issues.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
I usually hate pop music, but if I look at the bubble gum crap I liked of the late 70s and all of the 80s I really cant bitch that much. But knowing that Lady Ga Ga got her name from the Queen song 'Radio Ga Ga" would put her in my thumbs up list. And for anyone in the world to threaten her and for Indonesia's government to be that cowardice is sick. If they ban this concert they are a bunch of cowardice pricks.
Oh and as an aside to Beyond, explain to me how I can support someone getting rich? Are you going to claim Lady Ga Ga is poor? And her namesake Queen? They became street bums too? Or is it that you hate wealth with a conscious which I am sure she and Queen have.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/gaga-rocks-philippines-defies-critics-20120522-1z27s.html
Lady Gaga has rocked the Philippines, defying critics and state censors as thousands of fans, many of them dressed as outrageously as she was, roared their approval.
Despite the protests of conservative Christians and warnings by state censors, Lady Gaga declared "I'm not a creature of your government, Manila".
She then belted out her controversial song Judas, which her Filipino critics have called blasphemous.
The audience tweeted photos of the US pop phenomenon wearing a full-length yellow dress inspired by the Philippine national costume as she and a dance crew gyrated for the song Born This Way - a gay anthem.
The city government had earlier warned that her second show, tonight, could be banned if the censors among the audience monitored any hints of blasphemy, devil worship, nudity or lewd conduct.
In the Philippines, Catholic leader Archbishop Ramon Arguelles urged the public to boycott her two concerts. "Her fans are in danger of falling into the clutches of Satan," he said.
Christian groups have vowed to send their own monitors and warned they could sue Lady Gaga under a law that penalises taking part or sponsoring "indecent shows" with prison terms of up to six years.
Who would have thought that someone like Gaga could cause this much controversy ? I think it's great. Funny how the Catholic Archbishop is so worried about the souls of her fans. Wonder if he has been this outspoken about all the pedophiles that his church has protected over the years.
May not be a total fan of her music, but I am tempted to start buying her cd's. Just to show some support.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
Religious people have condemned Elvis and Metallica and not just Christianity, Iranians condemning a rap artist. It always takes the blasphemer to pull the theocracts out of the dark ages.
Religion has always been hostile to progress. It fights anything that doesn't advertise it's social norms, condemns art unless the art is used to advertise its agenda or sect. It hates science and pluralism. It reacts like an insecure brat when others don't put it at the center of their universe.
If humans never challenged social norms our species never would have left the caves. I am sure Ga Ga supports freedom of religion, and despite what theists may think reading this, so do most atheists I know. But there has to be freedom to challenge and freedom of expression as well.
So to the blasphemers and challengers and to Ga Ga I say thank you.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
I totally agree. One thing these religious institutions fail to understand is, the fans of Gaga are there, because they WANT to be. There is no international conspiracy of Gaga thugs holding guns at people's heads and making them listen to her. Her audience likes her because of her music and she is not afraid to display her own sexuality. I think that is awesome on her part.
Anyone that has the courage to play in a country that threatens fans and death has got my respect.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/27/lady-gaga-indonesia-cancel-muslim
Lady Gaga has cancelled her sold-out show in Indonesia over security concerns after Muslim hardliners threatened violence if the pop star went ahead with her Born This Way ball.
The Islamic Defenders Front said the US singer's clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt youth in the world's most populous Muslim country.
The group said supporters had bought tickets to the concert and planned to enter and force it to be stopped. It also threatened that thousands of protesters would confront the singer on her way from the airport.
Indonesia is often held up by the US and others in the west as example of how Islam and democracy can coexist – 90% of the 240-million population is Muslim.
But a small, extremist fringe, has become more vocal – and violent – in recent years, sometimes attacking Christians and members of other religious minorities with clubs and machetes. They also targeted transvestites, atheists and others considered "blasphemous".
Jakarta was supposed to be the biggest stop on Lady Gaga's Asian tour, with 52,000 tickets sold in just a few days. Fans will be fully refunded, said Michael Rusli, head of Big Daddy.
The Islamic Defenders Front, or the FPI, celebrated news of her cancellation.
"This is a victory for Indonesian Muslims," said Salim Alatas, one of the leaders of the FPI. "Thanks to God for protecting us from a kind of devil."
Music lovers in Jakarta expressed outrage that the threats were able to force the show's cancellation. Lady Gaga fan Johnny Purba, 25, called it an embarrassment to Indonesia. "This only shows to the world how weak security forces are in this country, how police are afraid of a bunch of hardliners," he said.
"Gaga's two-hour show will not hurt Indonesian Muslims. For God's sake, she is not a terrorist!"
you know, for soime reason all this reminds me of how christians often talk about muslims. one minute, they're all alarmist about them, but then let one atheist trash christianity and they say, "oh yeah, sure, you talk all big now, but just try that with islam! you won't last long then!"
it's like deep down, christians secretly admire islam as being the tough big brother they wish they still were.
oh yeah, and islam is a backward desert cult started by an epileptic, the quran is full of shit, the imams ali and husayn were faggots, it's ok to be a faggot, ayatollah khamenei is probably a faggot too, mecca is a flea-ridden shithole nobody wants to enter anyway, and this is the prophet muhammad:
fuck you, muslims. fuck you all.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
I couldn't agree more.
A couple of weeks ago, some asshole named Dennis Prager was on the radio whining about "Secular Atheists go after Christians but NEVER go after Muslims".
What a bunch of bullshit.
This Atheist views Islam/Christianity as two sides of the same coin and dislikes both institutions/cults.
I had a guy in another online debate try that on me one time. "Why don't you ever go after Islam ?," he wanted to whine. I do asshole, was my response, you christians are too busy whining about how persecuted that you are to notice.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
Frankly I have no interest in defending either Iran Shi'ites or rap singers. Both are a bane upon the soul.
That said if Iran's rap singers are anything like US rap singers, there is an actor on L&O, SVU who goes by the name Ice-T whose best known lyrics were Cop Killer. If I recall correctly there were a couple of Congressional Fatwahs against him. Ice-T does not appear to be an idiot. I assume he did it to increase sales. I would not insult the Iranian rapper by saying it was for any purpose other than to increase sales. In fact the fatwah guy might be getting paid by the rapper to issue it. It is hardly an unknown tactic in the US.
Last I heard Iranian courts do not have a "fatwah defense" to the charge of murder. Nor does the US admit a charge from a TV preacher to kill gays as a defense in a murder trial.
Jews stole the land. The owners want it back. That is all anyone needs to know about Israel. That is all there is to know about Israel.
www.ussliberty.org
www.giwersworld.org/made-in-alexandria/index.html
www.giwersworld.org/00_files/zion-hit-points.phtml
Am I the only one who remembers about ten years go Madonna opened her show on a cross and outraged Christians?
Jews stole the land. The owners want it back. That is all anyone needs to know about Israel. That is all there is to know about Israel.
www.ussliberty.org
www.giwersworld.org/made-in-alexandria/index.html
www.giwersworld.org/00_files/zion-hit-points.phtml
With a halfway decent publicist all kinds of box office enhancing controvery can be generated. The more the hierachy of old farts of all kinds complain the more free publicity and the more encouragement for the young to come out and buy tickets.
The people who run religions know when condemnation is counter-productive. They know when speaking out has the opposite effect and how much to charge for speaking out.
This is an old trick which I am confident was imported to ancient Greece from Chaldea.
Read the thread. On one hand a threat of violence against a Gaga performance and on the other she rakes in the money. And the police stay out of it not to add to the free publicity without being paid.
Jews stole the land. The owners want it back. That is all anyone needs to know about Israel. That is all there is to know about Israel.
www.ussliberty.org
www.giwersworld.org/made-in-alexandria/index.html
www.giwersworld.org/00_files/zion-hit-points.phtml
This first came into focus for me with the original Conan The Barbarian. A couple weeks before its release the ASPCA launched a big stink about Conan killing a horse on screen. The producers issued a denial in the form of a half-admission to the charge. The SPCA responded condemning the near admission. It ended after the movie was out with a donation to the ASPCA.
I assume most have seen the movie. The proper response to the SPCA should have been "There is nothing remotely like that in the movie" because there isn't. There is not cut scene remotely like it. No one in his right mind would swing a sword on a horse in a movie scene because it would just make the horse angry and 700 lbs of horse will make short work of expensive actors.
There is no explanation for this other than paid publicity because of the donation after the fact. If it were just a one-sided publicity "leak" there was no reason for the donation.
Jews stole the land. The owners want it back. That is all anyone needs to know about Israel. That is all there is to know about Israel.
www.ussliberty.org
www.giwersworld.org/made-in-alexandria/index.html
www.giwersworld.org/00_files/zion-hit-points.phtml
RIGHT ON! Just forget all of the crazy ARAB middle eastern religions! There is nothing better or superior of that part of the world that makes them any better than any other religion!
Our nation wasn't founded by Arabs or middle easterners! What the hell is a religion from there even doing here??
Click here to find out why Christianity is the biggest fairy tale ever created!! www.nobeliefs.com/exist.htm www.JesusNEVERexisted.com