A timely piece on myths about mosques in America in today's Washington Post, particularly in light of the arson at the site of the Murfreesboro Islamic Center. Let me highlight one myth, the one I have heard the most around here, that mosques will spread sharia law (emphasis mine).
In Islam, sharia ("the Way" to God) theoretically governs every human act. But Muslims do not agree on what sharia says; there is no one sharia book of laws. Most mosques in America do not teach Islamic law for a simple reason: It's too complicated for the average believer and even for some imams.
Islamic law includes not only the Koran and the Sunna (the traditions of the prophet Muhammad) but also great bodies of arcane legal rulings and pedantic scholarly interpretations. If mosques forced Islamic law upon their congregants, most Muslims would probably leave -- just as most Christians might walk out of the pews if preachers gave sermons exclusively on Saint Augustine, canon law and Greek grammar. Instead, mosques study the Koran and the Sunna and how the principles and stories in those sacred texts apply to their everyday lives.
Anyway, I think this is a good start to countering the extremists in our state that have "drunk the tea" and believe all muslims are evil.
|
|
Discussing:
- Are Chat bots a waste of time? (1 reply)
- Smith & Wesson noise problem (1 reply)
- Musicians dropping out of President's Freedom Concert Series (1 reply)
- It's time for new blood in Congress, Barnett in - Burchett out (1 reply)
- Burning Down The House... (2 replies)
- Behind Lege Lies (1 reply)
- Peace (1 reply)
- Speak your truth, fight and believe. (1 reply)
- Large banks have too much AI data center debt? (1 reply)
- GOP misleading on federal health care funding (1 reply)
- Feds indict civil rights group (3 replies)
- Georgia issues burn ban, first time in state history (2 replies)
TN Progressive
- Smith & Wesson not a good fit for Blount County (BlountViews)
- Pellissippi Parkway extension delayed again (BlountViews)
- Blount County early voting record turnout (BlountViews)
- Louisville, TN, town center coming soon? (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
- July 4, 2024 - aka The Twilight Zone (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- Homeland Security retreats on plan to get data on mail-in voters (TN Lookout)
- Metro sues state again to block airport board takeover (TN Lookout)
- NAACP files for federal court injunction to stop new Tennessee congressional map (TN Lookout)
- John Cole’s Tennessee: Old Faithful, Tennessee style (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee Republican senator wants to change book-ban law (TN Lookout)
- Trump launches new strikes on Iran after US Army helicopter downed (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- Falling Water Branch Falls: A 2020 Visit, Helene’s scars, and three new waterfalls (Knox TN Today)
- Lily in Red (Knox TN Today)
- New Business Spotlight: Riverside Coffee (Knox TN Today)
- ArtBeat: Spotlight on the local arts events and entertainment (Knox TN Today)
- Jessie Tipton receives award (Knox TN Today)
- Knoxville musicians win big at 54th Annual Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention (Knox TN Today)
- World Cup fever? Wallace can help you make a move worth cheering for (Knox TN Today)
- Weekend Scene: Bones in the Museum to Dog Prom and more. (Knox TN Today)
- New release by UT Press (Knox TN Today)
- Everyday Genius: Household items with hidden talents (Knox TN Today)
- Uptick in transfers and mortgages for the week (Knox TN Today)
- 6/11 HEADLINES: News and events from Knox, World, USA, Tennessee & Historic Notes (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- Tri-Cities Airport runway expected to reopen Thursday morning (WATE)
- 'Backbone of the digital world' East TN tech founder explains different types of data centers (WATE)
- Game time announced for Tennessee's SEC home opener against Texas (WATE)
- Challenge in Knox County Sheriff GOP primary denied after corruption case indictments (WATE)
- Creek restoration showcases Knoxville's latest investment to reduce flooding (WATE)
- Morristown man sentenced for mail fraud scheme using dead baseball players’ names (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Demo at Broad and Main in Chattanooga clears way for $45M hotel - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- The American Dream - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Jury finds driver guilty after 2023 Frazier Avenue crash - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Former Mountain City Club leader says he was target of smear campaign - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Oracle Reports Earnings Amid a Rapid Cloud Transformation - Barron's (Business)
- Stock futures rise as U.S. completes strikes against Iran: Live updates - CNBC (Business)
- Iran War Live Updates: U.S. and Iran Trade Fresh Attacks - The New York Times (US News)
- ‘South Korea’s Amazon’ hit with record fine over data breach - Financial Times (Business)
- Democrats reluctantly accept Platner as GOP wields his candidacy against them - The Washington Post (US News)
- The man accused of killing a top Minnesota Democratic lawmaker and her husband is due to change plea - AP News (US News)
- Anthropic’s Dario Amodei has just one direct report - TechCrunch (Business)
- ActBlue CEO repeatedly invokes Fifth Amendment during House panel hearing - The Washington Post (US News)
- Anthropic Walks Back Policy That Could Have ‘Sabotaged’ AI Researchers Using Claude - WIRED (Business)
- Shares retreat as techs extend losses, US strikes on Iran lift oil - Reuters (Business)
- Judge rejects watchdog's bid to block Trump administration's $1.8B 'anti-weaponization' fund - AP News (US News)
- Karmelo Anthony lawyers file notice of appeal day after he was sentenced to 35 years - Dallas News (US News)
- America’s doctors just voted for war with RFK Jr. - Politico (US News)
- University of Florida Chooses Stuart Bell for President Over Some Conservative Criticism - The New York Times (US News)
- SpaceX IPO Whips Musk Fans Into Frenzy: ‘The More, the Better’ - Bloomberg.com (Business)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

More good news...
More good news...
A local cretin blog is
A local cretin blog is claiming the fire was set intentionally by Muslims to stir the pot.
Daily show's Asif Mandvi on TN Mosque
(link...)
This was one of the best Dailyshow interviews of all time.
Shows the teaparty for exactly what they are.
Even more good news: Shots
Even more good news: Shots fired.
Time for Bredesen, Ramsey, Corker, Alexander, and the House delegation to make a joint statement to condemn this bullshit, don't you think?
Yeah, they all seem to be MIA
Yeah, they all seem to be MIA on this. The new third rail, I guess.
sigh
The Murfreesboro paper commenters claim the shots were just squirrel hunters. Or fireworks.
Are you free to be a Muslim in TN?
Exactly. This is terrorism and those fanning the fire should be held accountable.
So pissed that this is happening.
Feels like the UU shooting all over again.
Time for everyone whose ever enjoyed that Lee Greenwood tune "Proud to be an American" to stand up and be counted. Are you free to be a Muslim in TN?
Finally
Bredesen urges religious tolerance in mosque dispute
It's about time. I wonder if
It's about time.
I wonder if he's had any conversations with Mike McWherter about tamping down the negative rhetoric.
....only after being prompted
....only after being prompted by reporters to comment.
Full Q&A here.
It would be nice to see a little more gumption here, but as Woods intimates, it's at least something.
Timothy McVeigh made me hate
Timothy McVeigh made me hate and fear Catholics. Surely to God and Katie Couric we've made sure that none of "those people" are practicing mass terrorist acts anywhere near a federal building these days.
Candidates weigh in
Chattanooga Times Free Press:
Haslam's statement is an
Haslam's statement is an outrage. The "others" of which he speaks are Muslims in Murfreesboro who were assaulted, and he's reminding THEM to be respectful of the law?
Indeed. Shamefully weak
Indeed. Shamefully weak statement from Haslam. Bodes poorly for TN's future.
Do we want to be the Mississippi of the 21st C?
All your interest & concern
All your interest & concern for religious freedom is admirable.
Hi
How are you doing metulj? I was praying for you today.
What's you context?
My questions to the folks that...
are so against the mosque being built in Murfreesboro is this:
What are you so afraid of?
Is your religion so weak that you think it will be overcome by a small minority of the residents of your town?
Is your faith so shallow that you must fear people who have lived among you for decades without doing a bit of harm simply because they wish to build a nicer place of worship for themselves?
Would you object as strenuously to another "fringe" religion like the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Mormon Church if they wished to build a house of worship in your town?
Do you fear the Hare Krishnas as much?
Would a Buddhist temple offend your sensibilities so?
What about a Shinto shrine?
What if the Spanish Inquisition showed up in town and wanted to open shop...would you protest them?
Remember...no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.