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Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Zayn Malik of the band One Direction performs at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on May 26 during a U.S. concert tour.
As the British-Irish boy band One Direction soared in the pop charts, making teen and tween girls around the world swoon and scream, band member Zayn Malik tweeted a message that would perplex a large segment of his fans, while being immediately recognizable to millions of others.
"La ila ha ill lalla ho muhammed door rasoolalah." The 47-character tweet is a common declaration of faith among Muslims: "There is no god but God and Mohammad is the prophet of God."
It was one signal from Malik that as part of his public persona he would embrace a religion that is often feared and reviled in the West, while otherwise acting the traditional teen idol alongside his four floppy-haired band mates in One Direction.
The phenomenon of Malik as global pop star and Muslim — the religion of his Pakistan-born father — is likely to alienate some conservative Muslims and has already sparked the wrath of at least one well known anti-Muslim conservative in the U.S., where the band is currently touring.
But to Wajahat Ali, a San Francisco-based screen writer who is a practicing Muslim, Malik represents progress.
"It is empowering for Muslims worldwide to see the success of a pop star who also happens to be Muslim. It sends that message that a person can be respected for their talent, and their "Musliminess" will not exclude them from the public arena and culture," said Ali. "It’s also good business. You have a Muslim in a five-person boy band… and you have captured an audience of Muslim girls worldwide."
$50 million business
One Direction is a creation of Simon Cowell, TV producer and famously blunt judge on "X-Factor" and "American Idol." to In 2010 Cowell pulled together the five boys — then 16 to 18 years old — to compete as a band on "X-Factor" after each had auditioned as soloists on the show. He later signed them on his Syco Records label.
In a blinding rise to global stardom, One Direction’s first album, "Up All Night,” became wildly popular in the UK in 2011, and debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 in 2012, launching the top 10 singles "What Makes You Beautiful," "Gotta Be You," and "One Thing."
As of June, the album had sold 2.3 million copies worldwide, and the band has become a $50 million business, CEO of Sony Music UK Nick Gatfield told MusicWeek.com, a British record industry publication.
TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager talks with heartthrob boy band One Direction, who reveal what it's like being a pop sensation and how they deal with fame and giggling girls.
One Direction is the latest in a well-established tradition of boy bands that goes back to Ricky Nelson, and the Everly Brothers in the 1950s, and continued through the Osmond Brothers, the Jackson Five, through the Backstreet boys, Spice Girls (same idea, different gender) and N’Sync.
"The whole movement… was created and geared to selling records to teenagers," said John Covach, a music historian and professor of music theory at the University of Rochester in New York. He said even the Beatles started out as a boy band. "They were good looking and funny. And they were marketed at first as teen idols."
Covach compares the One Direction video of "What makes you Beautiful" — depicting a zany seaside frolick — to the 1964 film based on the Beatle's "A Hard Day's Night."
Zealous fans — who call themselves "Directioners" — home in on their favorite band members who in turn cultivate their fan base minute by minute via social media, especially Twitter.
Valuable toast and glorious eyelashes
Louis Tomlinson is the funny one.
Liam Payne is seen the father figure on the band, and sometimes referred to as "Daddy Directioner."
Harry Styles, 18, with a head of curly brown hair and dimples is generally regarded as "cutest" — and known for allegedly dating a couple of much older women.
Niall Horan, a blond 19-year-old from Ireland, got worldwide coverage when, after tasting vegemite spread during an appearance on Australian TV, the uneaten portion of the toast was auctioned on eBay to raise money for charity — reportedly fetching $100,000. He tweeted to his 2.5 million followers that vegemite was not to his liking.
For Malik, being Muslim is not his only distinction. In chat rooms he is adored for his long dark eyelashes, and his rhythm-and-blues style.
But his occasional references to Islam is something new for a teen idol in the West and fans have taken note — though the band has barely hit the radar of most of their elders.
"You are amazing, and you act so normal, you don't fake anything and you speak what's on your mind. You are a guy that most girls want,” swooned fan Hana Fifaii, posting to Twitlonger on March 30. "I loved your tweet ‘Translation la ila ha ill lalla ho muhammed door rasoolalah’ ... It shows you're connected to your religion. You are a wonderful person and you are so God damn hot! My friend made fun of you & i practically killed her :$."
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Fans watch One Direction perform live on stage at St James Theatre on April 22 in Wellington, New Zealand.
In chat rooms, Muslim and non-Muslims engaged in spirited debates about Malik’s beliefs.
Karina Alifa: Can somebody tell me, is that true that Zayn Malik is Muslim?
xavellene : Yeah he's Muslim.
Angel x: Why everyone wants to know what his religion is? This is just so weird. Whatever he believes in, just let him be. Knowing his religion does not make any difference. The same goes with the question if he is gay. Please stop asking stupid questions.
Sabby: it matters to muslim girls cuz we r muslim.. n we cant marry a non-muslim guy.. so am so proud he is muslim n he is keeping it up even thoh he grew up in UK! so am so proud and excited! … i guess u wont understand cuz ur not muslim.. so its like big thing for us!
Out in the twittersphere, kids in countries with large Muslim populations, including Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, repeatedly urge Malik to visit during the Muslim celebration of Ramadan.
Boy band jihad
Not all the responses were as positive.
As One Direction tours the United States, packing concert halls from San Francisco to Atlanta, one well-known American anti-Islam commentator warned readers to “keep your daughters away from Zayn Malik’s enticing jihad."
"He’s no dummy," wrote Debbie Schlussel in her blog on June 7. "(Malik) knows the power he has over these mindless girls and is using that influence to preach the Islamic faith to them and try to convert them. It’s dangerous."
Schlussel did not respond to the reporter’s request to discuss these comments further.
But Zudhi Jasser, an American Muslim who frequently warns of Islamic radicalization, didn’t agree that Malik was proselytizing or dangerous.
"I would say all the power to him to be respectful to his faith and be proud of it," said Jasser. He said the American Muslim culture needs more cultural icons who are American and Muslim, but not Islamist – like athletes Karim Abdul Jabbar and Mohammad Ali.
But he also notes that conservative Islamists would likely frown on many aspects of Malik’s behavior—his smoking, his tattoos (albeit written in Arabic), ear piercing, and song lyrics that — while saccharine — probably would not be seen to glorify God.
There are conservative Islamic countries where One Direction would not be allowed to perform -- and Malik might be the target of conservative clerics for his style of faith.
Ali, the screenwriter, said that even if more conservative Muslims don’t agree with Malik’s behavior, he could help expand the artistic boundaries for young Muslims.
"What we have seen in the last 10 years is that you can be an artist who is Muslim and can be practicing and doing art that is inspired by your beliefs, but does not have to be overtly Islamic or using religious language," he said. "A guy like Zayn Malik can really help open those minds and convey that as a generation we are moving ahead."
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
LMAO
Of course he is....he isnt a female...
Should that be LMAFO part Deux.
Imagine the access he will have to virgins
Yeah, he won't even have to go to 'heaven' for that.
lol...
Can't we all just get along... oops! wrong article, sorry... allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll allllllah lllllalll
This is rich. Maybe he should take his tweet to Pakistan or Afghanistan. His head would make a nice centerpiece.
Simon is a genius....took the Motown model and made it a monster...LMAO!!!!
The reality is if Malik were a girl...you can forget that noise ever happening...
The major religions are kind of male oriented...does NOTHING for betterment of women and society as a whole.
What is the big deal? So the kid's Muslim. He doesn't seem to be proselytizing or spreading hate like some Muslims AND Christians do. There are times I'm quite sickened by the "reborn Christian" crowd that will not let a moment go by to "impress" others with their brand of Christianity, while saying one thing and doing the opposite. We can all co-exist peacefully if we would just live and let live.
This little twit is too young to know what he wants or what he truly believes. He is merely trying to say something sensational to keep his fans interested and his name in the headlines.
and look at all the bigots posting here who continually claim they arent bigots.
thanks dan, guydownsouth, oilman, svenolafson and greg et al. for showing your true colors once again.
Chuck, you forgot Susi-Oh.
Nice try Chuck, but hating on a religion isnt bigotry since its an idealism, not a people. And Ill hate all day on something that says im going to hell or can be killed for not believing it. So eff off.
Then you can add Christianity to your list, because it's been saying that for 650 years before there even was an Islam.
In a Muslim country, he'd be publicly whipped for showing disrespect to his body, Allah, and western lifestyle.
Old Gator, I never said I was a Christian. And this article isnt about Christianity, its about Islam.
Excellent post guydownsouth ... I feel the same way about all religion. They are all a useless thought process, warping the mind of the blind-faith believers. Saw an interesting blog a few days ago ... went something like this: The world will always have good people doing good things, and the world will always have evil people doing evil things ... but, to have good people do evil things, requires religion.
It's what you do that matters, not whose name you do it in.
So true George. The idea that something like religion is sacred and cannot be touched by free speech is ludicrous considering how religion uses its freedom of speech to spread absolute hate and tyranny. Christians have no problem with religion controlling politics because they are the dominant religion...for now...then it will be the Muslim’s turn. And of course at that time Christians will have a problem with it. All the while those of us who don't believe in any little old books will continue to be the ultimate persecuted.
Read Jihad Watch to see the sick religion of peace !
Yesterday a Pakistani 20 year old daughter had head cut off by dear old Dad for her life style !
Jihad Watch
True colors? Chuck1968 I'm an Atheist so you can stick the myths were the sun doesn't shine.
45charleston
Big deal. He who has NOT sinned cast the first stone.
If there were 50 or even 100 incidents reported around the world daily it would still be an extremely small minority of the followers of Islam. There are ignorants and extremists in every faith or group.
You sound like a extremist yourself, one of those supposed faithful Christians. I say supposed because you ignore the teachings. Love thy neighbor, judge not lest ye be judged, etc......
hated by right wing christians for being "too muslim"
hated by right wing muslims for being "too western"
I like this guy - he's ticking off all the right people!
Wow cgtrav I guess you're showing the mindset of your religion? Cast the first stone? Who here cuts off their daughters heads?? Cast the first stone may make you feel guilty about lying or stealing...but cutting off your daughters head? Fail attempt sir....fail attempt. And these aren't the mindless acts of a few followers. These are people following the INSTRUCTION of their religion. Big difference.
Being "proud" to be any type of religion is nonsense. It's like saying you're proud to be white ... or proud to be 5'11" with brown eyes.
Religions are a cultural inheritance. They are accidents of birth much more than anything else. If this guy was born into a Hindu family in a predominately Hindu culture ... he'd more than likely be "proud" to be Hindu.
Moving on.
thatguydownsouth
Give me a break you are the one failing here. I'm a Christian but I don't conveniently forget things done in the name of God. The Crusades, Jim Jones, Salem witch hunts. There are ignorant, extreme and corrupt in every faith. Statisically the number of muslims that perform these extreme acts are very very very small. Unless you think the Salem witches should have been burned, I mean after all they were just following thier faith.
why in the world is this on the front page of MSNBC unbelievable, who cares about mooslims and who cares about boys bands , MSNBC is starting to look like comedy central
Ok cgtraw, if you honestly believe what you are saying...I will happily buy you a plane ticket to Egypt where you can stand out in the street and tell the Muslim brotherhood how much you approve of their religion as a fellow Abrahamic Believer. I hear there's an awesome sale on body bags in Cairo too...buy one get 50 free.
guydownsouth - are you kidding? The bible also says you can be killed for believing the wrong thing, or not believing properly, or whatever. Hell awaits those who don't sing the Jesus song. Islam is no more violent than Christianity. Both religions are useless and are used by their followers to justify their hate and intolerance.
Sigh, goparefools please read my comment above. Im not a Christian and this forum is about Islam. Would you like to discuss some of the other hundreds of religions too or would you like to stay on topic?
ya ur right thats what we should do. we should go and speak to people in egypt about christianity. so they dont fall for that STUPID religion.
i dont care if i die i knnow im going to heaven. ANYHTING FOR MY GOD.
I see the religious nuts have joined in. Mention a religion and they feel they could call one of them crazy while claiming another is not.
The main social difference between Islam and Christianity is that the latter had the advantage of being directly impacted by The Principles of the Enlightenment, and were in direct influence under a growing movement of science and humanistic values.
Islam on the other hand, was largely segregated from this movement (sadly).
However, to argue that one is more violent than the other is to simply argue from a perspective of historical ignorance. That, or people simply aren't reading their Bibles/Qurans ... which is more likely the case.
Atheists can be bigots too , as you have demonstrated. you can stick your bigotry up your ass, right next to your head.
Oh and this..
is targeting the person you pos. Nice try indeed.
Perhaps my Arabic is rusty, but I could have swore that La ila ha ill lalla ho muhammed door rasoolalah was translated as:
"There is no god at all, but Muhammad Ali is close enough."
Perhaps I should spend more time in the Middle East with my kevlar armor and listen to "One Direction"... or, as an considerably less painful option, pull my teeth out with rusty pliers while listening to Sarah Palin gargling holy water while simultaneously attempting to read and provide commentary on Dostoevsky's Crime And Punishment.
Totally clueless to assume I'm a bigot. Do you not understand what I said? .... No.
Bet all the girls will line up now!
WHOOP-DE-FRICKIN-DOOOOOOOO.... so he's a Muslim. What's worse, is he's a twit, and will be a has-been before he learns to count to 10... I honestly don't see the appeal... nice hair ya twit .... he's an ugly kid who will end up murdered by one of his own. Too bad we won't be able to ask him how that violent cult of his is working out for him.
Hey, someone needs to tell Jihad Habieber that Islam doesnt allow tattoos. On the other hand, this dude has a chance to become a sex symbol in Afghanistan - all the older men would love him.
A welcome change for Islam and a better way to get 72 virgins without blowing yourself up. Good luck to the kid!
@ Susi-Oh,
I agree but find it hard to understand how so many Christians can be killed while attending church services in the Middle East. Who is causing all this unrest? Do Christians need to hide their faith from the rest of the world or can they celebrate religious holidays a long side Muslims?
3 points to make:
1) 45charleston - The guy who cut off his Daughter's head recently was in INDIA, not Pakistan. So that makes him HINDU, not Muslim. Learn to read a story before you comment on it!!!!!
2) How many times have you seen a celebrity tweet about God, thank God for something or quote a part of the Bible? What this kid did is no different. It is the stigma about his religion that ya'll have a problem with..... get over yourselves
3) Sorry to break it to you Sabby, but you probably won't be marrying this boy band member or any other famous guy for that matter. But the good news is you can feel free to swoon over as many Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Wiccan, Pastafarian and Hindu men from afar as you want to!
Amazing how the word "Islam" can get people so fired up. I'm Muslim. I still didn't get the sudden urge to blow up and neither did the other 1.8 billion Muslims on this world. I have Jewish friends and I do not feel compelled to kill them. The reason there are terrorists is because uneducated and unemployed people see the West as frowning upon ordinary Muslims and they see themselves as a people who have been pushed around ever since the fall of the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad. These people are unjustly portrayed by extremists and bigots while the majority of Muslims just want to be left alone. Ever since the fall of Islam motivated science, the people have turned to education at mosques and sometimes are manipulated for another person's agenda. What this kid did is post his religious identity on the internet to see if his fans accept him for who he is, or are just one dimensional, instead of one directional. I have to admit though, these guys are horrible singers!
@Algerien et fier d'etre
This is quite a gross-oversimplification, don't you think?
There are far more Muslims killed, tortured and persecuted by their fellow Muslims than any other group in the world .... and it's not even close.
The best way to turn the tide of Islamic extremism is to remind your generation of fellow Muslims about their ancestors. Islamic thinkers were once the cradle of civilization. You accelerated in the sciences and created (through The Golden Age of Islam) one of the great intellectual movements in history. I wonder if many of your fellow Muslims realize the only word mentioned in the Koran on par with the frequency of Allah, is "knowledge"?
Islam has lost its way.
It's a copout to simply blame it on persecution (especially when the vast majority of the persecutors are Muslim).
There was a time when your ancestors cared a great deal more about the Greater jihad (the inner struggle), than they did the Lesser jihad (the physical struggle).
Lolly... you're very uneducated! There are MANY religions in India including Muslims. Don't assume it was a Hindu family, because you're probably wrong.
Mohammad was a disgusting piece of human trash. Anybody who believes he was a prophet of God needs to have their head examined. If the Islamists have their way, this kid will have his head removed in short order.
and you are what?
seems you are a disgusting piece of garbage to make such comments.... and probably a white trash racist to boot.
You called him a racist and white trash in the same sentence. Nice Hypocrisy, Dope!
Islam is the closest religion to what our founding fathers had! For starters, please read John Perkins book: Confessions of an Economic Hitman to understand why the west is at war with Islam.
Banking cartel, corporatocracy and the bank owned media is at war with Islam because Islam prohibits interest and exploitation of slave labor. Islam says we are all equal. How does that fly in the face of the owners of this world that runs the place like a big plantation where majority works for food to sustain the lifestyle of the top elite?
Many of you are slaves but you are not even aware of it!
matrixisreal.wordpress.com/
The matrix is real, you are a battery to them. And Islam is the last hope of mankind against the corporate elite.
Refuse to borrow at interest and live the free life. It may not have be glamourous at first, but if we all refuse it and act together, life will be better at the end. We can save everyone, this world is enough for all of us. We don't need to treat other humans as slaves.
Wow, what did u have for breakfast. Mohammed was a warlord pedophile and is DEFIANTLY not a prophet of God. We can see how Muslim sharia law is applied where they are in control. Only thru Jesus can you be saved.
God Bless you.
Is there any religion out there that doesn't believe that their god is the only true god.
Jackson, Islam prohibits slave labor??? Tell that lie to the Christian and animist blacks enslaved in Africa, the Thai sex-slave maids in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates who have had their passports taken to keep them hostage or ANY woman in Afghanistan and Waziristan and Yemen and...
You're just another Muslim practicing takkiya, lying to infidels.
Skup, Islam says there are believers in every religion. Calling yourself Moslem or Christian does not mean a thing according to the Koran unless you live a rightous life, believe in life after death and believe in one God. If you believe these, you are already a Moslem aka believer.
Right, george. Which is obviously why Muslims kill religious Christians and Jews and Buddhists and animists all over the world.
Your religion is obviously bull@!$%#ism.
There is no one true way, and the way you find is only good for you, and no one else, because what you perceive as the truth is never going to be the same as anyone else.
Everyone believes something different, so in the end, it's what you do that matters, not whose name you do it in.
No, all religions boast that their god is the one true God. However, only one has been historically documented and witnessed to accurately predict His death and resurrection after 3 days in the ground. And here's a hint, it wasn't Muhammad. All of them died, only one was resurrected.
Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
"historically documented and witnessed"
You mean the Bible? That is as much a historical text as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is. All the resurrection, miracle whip stuff is all lies made to manipulate you into believing. Jesus may have been a healer but he was not magical.
We have no clue what was considered "blind" back then. Maybe the guy was not blind but had very bad eye sight and Jesus found a way to make some like glasses that allowed him to see. Moses certainly did not part the sea, but unusually low tides due to a super moon may have revealed a land bridge for them to cross. No one has ever seen the real tables that had the ten commandments written on them.
The plagues of Egypt can easily be explained if they did not happen all at once but where actual events that happened at some point throughout history. Meteor showers, algae infestation, locust swarms, and solar eclipses. The great flood did actually happen but it did not cover the entire world, only portions of the Middle East. It could have been caused by a massive earthquake of some other oceanic event.
There is no proof that Jesus rose from the grave other then that no one knows where is body is. More likely then self-resurrection is that grave robbers stole the body. There is nothing in the Bible that cannot be logically explained and there is no offer of proof given within the Bible either. It is as factual as an un-cited Wikipedia page, the only reason people think it is true is that they put blind faith in it, holding it true with out actually requiring proof that is supposed to earn that trust.
Blind faith, or faith at all really, is the act of believing something to be true without having any actual evidence or proof that it is true. You have faith that your favorite baseball team is going to win the series would be an example. Same thing with all religions where they tell you they are the only true religion (only three that I know of).
Just what we need....another boy band...lol! Well...as long as he doesn't start funneling his money to fundamentalist fanatics, I really don't are if he worships Allah or goats for all that matters.
Should he be funneling his money to the banking cartel to borrow at interest and pay his dues to the rich to fulfil the meaning of his life which is to be born into slavery, borrow at interest and work for the financial elite until he dies? Is that the right way?
unlike your skull which is filled with cow excrement and memories of your dad diddling you.
Bush and Cheney are not responsible for the hate and violence in American culture. It's been there for a long time, and isn't going away any time soon.
Did he just say diddling??
Americans vs Teabaggers -- check you history. Hatred & racism are not new in this country and are still alive and well, but in some areas it has been fueled by the Bush/Cheney regime in my opinion and continues to be encouraged by the current crop of ultra-conservative politicians. Wait till presidential elections really heat up and you "ain't seen nothing yet."
Yep it was the Iraq war and the refusal of the right wing to admit we were lied to by the Bush admin. and MSM (especially their propaganda channel fox) that was the beginning of this huge rift in our country.
The right wing stands behind criminals, liars and terrorists and was complicit in getting our troops killed in the war over their f'ing foolish pride. Their support for the troops ended when they refused to call the War profiteers out.
Could it possibly be that Islams has many different ways of practicing just like Christianity???
Oilman: The last one is getting a bit ... 'old', if you haven't noticed. I still listen to Take That, though - still have their CDs as well. I don't see anything wrong with this boy; if he does something uber-sensational then perhaps people can be judgemental. As far as Debbie Schlussel - she is 'just mental'.
Seems the only accepted hatred these days is hatred of Christians. Hatred is hatred. Bigots are bigots. You think you are so intelligent and enlightened that you are the only ones with ALL the answers? You get on these post sites and urge each other on like a pack of cur dogs. You mock and name-call enmasse and it makes you feel powerful. What a bunch of losers. Jesus said the world would hate us because it hated Him. You venom only confirms that what I believe is real. In the end, I win.
Hope his next single isn't a bomb! -rimshot-
Hitler's people were proud of him too.
stupidest comment this year... another with their head up their buthole.
Whatever.
you mean butt....
WOW! That really is offensive.
This kid is too young be involved in religion period. The worlds worst form of child abuse, religious indoctrination.
Political indoctrination isn't far behind...
...and listening to boy bands in general right behind that.
Watch "Jesus Camp" sometime. SCARY!
NOTE TO PARENTS: PLEASE TEACH YOUR TEENAGE GIRLS (AND UPCOMERS) SOME CLASS. Isn't it bad enough Justin Beeber is out there corrupting our youth, now we have this little turd?
Isn't it a BIT hypocritical he's whoring himself out to all the little girls he has been brought up to detest? To all young girls out there, for the love of God, learn some taste in boys.
Not a prophet of the Bible. Perhaps a prophet of their God. The God of the Bible doesn't have a prophet
Mohammad plus the foremost prophet is Jesus.
Their god is your god. Their holy book is not your holy book though. I believe the Koran was around long before what we know of today as the Bible.
Do you also believe Joseph Smith found golden plates?
Dontcha love it when people pretend they know about history? And, then use their pretend history to back up their silly comments?
"I believe the Koran was around long before what we know of today as the Bible."
Nope. The Koran is a rip off of the bible - it came much later. Its the supposed last and final word from god and that is suppose to make it the only one to follow.
Bible, Koran - all bronze age myths. Delusion.
Aren't tattoos against his religion then?
That's what I wondered too.....
It's telling that the tatoo is of fingers being crossed, a symbol of lying or concealment of the truth; Two things permitted in Islam.
Tattoo's are against the Muslim religion, and he has eight.
Tattoo's are against the Muslim religion, and he has eight.
That was my first thought. Maybe it's just drawn on with marker or something?
Ever read Leviticus--Tattoos are against Christianity and Judaism too.
Right up there with gay relations, eating shrimp, cutting your beard, having sex with your wife during her period...seriously.
It gets messy, thats all
The crossed fingers is making me wonder...does it mean his whole "act" is an "act"? As prejean303 states above, they DO have a principle in Islam called "Takkiya" which basically gives a green light to anyone for deceiving their enemies (that's all of us infidels) if it furthers the cause of Islam. And that's for real for real!
He can be proud to be a muslim..but they're not proud of him.
Guess it works...if you ignore the daily car bombing at the food market, or school, or where ever....and the two or three dozen innocent victims. Has this guy made any public comment about that behavior?....something with a little more substance than "God is great" 47 character tweets are pretty lame, all things considered.
Christianity works too , if you ignore the killing, the bombing of clinics and the molesting and the lying
Christianity works if you ignore the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, the Olympic Park bombing, bombing of health clinics, having sex with children...
TNRebel--I think I just saw a lightbulb go off over Chuck's and Bart's heads. And, maybe they'd like to take a guess what they do with the little boys they sodomize after they become big boys? Oh, now I think I see them squirming in their seats. Yup, that's right.
yes. lets be , America ( where a vast majority claim to be Christians) killed hundreds of thousands., Christians tried genocide in Rwanda. and the bombing of clinics has gone on since the eighties. also killing hundreds.
According to NAF, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, property crimes committed against abortion providers have included 41 bombings, 173 arsons, 91 attempted bombings or arsons, 619 bomb threats, 1630 incidents of trespassing, 1264 incidents of vandalism, and 100 attacks with butyric acid ("stink bombs").[12] The New York Times also cites over one hundred clinic bombings and incidents of arson, over three hundred invasions, and over four hundred incidents of vandalism between 1978 and 1993.[16] The first clinic arson occurred in Oregon in March 1976 and the first bombing occurred in February 1978 in Ohio
Rwandan Genocide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence
Serbs 'enslaved Muslim women at rape camps'
The establishment of Christianity as state-religion took place around 869 AD
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/mar/21/warcrimes.balkans
Estimates of the death toll have ranged between 500,000 and 1,000,000,[2] or as much as 20% of the country's total population. I
I, for one, am happy this kid is bringing attention to his religion. It is not a hateful terrorist organization. There are 2 billion Muslims in world and unfortunately the whole group gets a bad wrap because of a few.
I could judge Christians by just a few people and also have a negative opinion which would not be fair, as it is not with Muslims either.
His religion, like all religions, is terribly stupid and has no place in the modern world.
Angie, it wasn't a few celebrating in the streets after 911; I remember the thousands celebrating and cheering as the twin towers fell...I will NEVER forget what evil this faith has done to so many innocent people throughout the world. If there were so many that didn't agree, why didn't they stand up after 911 and denounce the atrocities?
Thousands out of a billion = a few.
gforce, regular Muslims did denounce the behavior and attacks. Should I judge all Christians based on the actions and behavior of Fred Phelps the Kansas pastor that says and does reprehensible things? (protesting US soldiers funerals??) He promotes hate all the time. Maybe I do not hear enough outcry over his behavior either.
As for all religions being "terribly stupid" and having "no place in the modern world" I am not religious, but to each his own.
and do you say the same of evil Christiantiy? chritians are the most intolerant faith ever and the followers have done even more harm to people than Muslims. genocide in Rwanda , PAYING Nazis to take Jews from Hungary, the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi people for money .
GForce77:
It' not the religion's fault, but a specific practitioner's interpretation of it.
The Qu'ran is just a book; the Bible is just a book. By itself it has the power to do nothing. Those who read it are not instantly inspired to go out and kill someone;it takes a very specific mindset, a very specific set of circumstances, to create someone with the desire to go out and kill others.
And it happens no matter which book you read, the Bible, the Qu'ran, or the Necronomicon, it's what you do that matters, not whose name you do it in!
Excellent point Amanda; many have read so many things and acted upon them...usually to the demise of others unfortunately.
GForce77,
Let's not forget the Crusades, Salem witch trials, Jim Jones, etc.. All in the name of our Lord God.
There are always people twisting religion to do things that are bad.
The worst thing we can do is forget our own abuses.
Um, Amanda--if you think Muslims believe that the Qu'ran is "Just a Book", can you explain to me why they riot by the thousands and even kill each other when a few copies are accidentally burned by people doing a job who do not speak or read Arabic?
Some people on this board are so intent on appearing "progressive" and "supportive of the Muslim extremists" that what they spout aren't observations, but pure, undiluted cowpies!
Angie in KY, you think Muslims get a bad rap because of a few bad ones? A FEW? Tell me you're not that naive or uninformed.
And you bring up the Phelps family, which I will absolutely agree with you, are a bunch of lunatics, but the entire family consists of 50 or so people, unlike the countless millions of murdering in the name of religion Muslims. There is a huge group of bikers who denounce those loons, in fact, they create barriers so these funerals can proceed peacefully. Know your facts before you spout off, it makes you look like you aren't the brightest bulb on the lamp. Muslims denounced their jihadist friends actions on 9/11... please... anything they said was done so they could avoid retaliation, PERIOD. They said what they said to cover their behinds, and that's it.
You should try travelling outside the state limits of Kentucky sometime.
The outrage over the burning of the Qu'rans was about the burning of their book, true--but the sentiment behind it had less to do witht he actual act than it was by the series of aggressions that led up to it. Urinating on dead soldiers was only the tip of the iceberg, and the most egregious example, of the lack of respect the US has shown the Middle east. Remember, we were there because of a mistaken belief that there were weapons of mass destruction there. If we were only there to hunt down Al-Quaeda and the taliban, the hostile sentiment might not have been as prevalent. it was the direspect that they were mostly protesting to.
I am not, in any way, 'supportive' of Muslim extremists. I'm supporting the moderates of a marginalized religion--as a practicing witch, those who practice Craft like myself know, perhaps better than anyone, what marginalization, hatred, bigotry, and having someone else's beliefs forced on us, is like. The polytheistic Greco-Roman belief system tried their best to wipe out practice of the worship of the Goddess when the Romans first swept through Europe; followed closely by the Jews, who have preached agains witchcraft; the Christians, most particularly the Roman Catholic Church, who initiated the inquisition in an attempt to wipe us out and simply managed to kill the village misfits and the simpleminded. Even today, in a supposedly enlightened age, us witches are still marginalized, hated, and I've lost count of the number of times a Christian has told me I'm going to hell. So have the Jews. The Hindus. Have never heard it from a Buddhist and I have never heard it from a Muslim.
I'm supporting all the moderate American Muslims who were just as horrified as the rest of America on 9-11; I'm particularly supporting the American Muslims who are serving in our military, fighting the other members of their own religion because they believe what those people are doing is wrong. For them, most especally, because there is no stronger way to say we American Muslims don't agree with this than to take up arms against your fellow religious practitioners. If one of our American Muslim soldiers is captured overseas, you think they don't know what their fate is likely to be? And you think they don't face this same prejudice you're exhibiting from other soldiers? And yet they continue to serve, because of honor and justice and pride in their country even when people in their own country hate them. My support is for them, most of all.
As I have been saying repeatedly, over and over on this thread, it is what you do that matters, not whose name you do it in!
Truth, Ignorance will not set you free either.
Angie, I am not in need of being "set free". I am simply stating how ridiculous your post was, and this is the best you can come up with?
Again, you will not find anyone but Phelps family members and Muslims who would be against the funerals of our military heros. You said not enough people denounced these protests, yet you must not be watching the news showing the Patriot Guard Riders enforcing the 150 foot protest zones and putting up barrier flags so these funerals can proceed peacefully. This debunks your "no one denounces the Phelps family" theory.
I would like to know what a "regular Muslim" is. Does that mean there's an extra large version? Tall? Extra violent? Kinda violent? Please humor the group.
Regular Muslim's are a few of the doctors I work with that are good decent human beings. They see 20% of their patients for free and treat everyone the same. One of them adopted 2 kids from Ethiopia and they volunteer in this community. Just like people of other religions.
You cannot put everyone from a religion in one category based on your biased and bigoted opinion.
I'm proud to be a superstitious fool.
He can believe anything he wants as long as he doesn't support the fanatics of his faith that think all non-Muslims should die or uses his celebrity as a bully pulpit to try and make everyone feel as if there's no reason to hold the Muslim faith in contempt for what they've allowed to continue in the name of their faith. If I was a Muslim I wouldn't be holding my head up high, I would be ashamed for what my faith has done to innocent people around this world. Keep your religion to yourself and be happy people are willing to pay for your brand of music.
If it walks like a duck and talks like duck, hmm? Newsflash...You don't get to bame all ducks for the two who crapped on your car!
There's no reason to hold the Christian faith in contempt for the Inquisition which they allowed to continue in the name of their faith...
...or the Salem Witch trials...
...or the German Christians under Hitler marginalizing and killing Jews during the Holocaust...
...or the polytheistic Romans for persecuting early Christians....
...or the Jews persecuting early Christians...
...or blaming all Christians for the actions of the Westboro Baptist folks...
...or blaming all Christians for the actions of Anders Breivik, the Norway killer...
...or blaming all Catholics for the actions of their pedophile priests and the cover-ups by their leaders in the Vatican...
...or blaming all Christians because Joseph Kony down in the African jungle is killing people and enslaving child soldiers because he wants to start his own county based on the laws of the Ten commandments...
It's what you do that matters, not whose name you do it in!
The only reason the little twit announced it to the world was to let the other jihadist know "Hey, I'm in! Send me orders!".
Wouldn't surprise me if he's placed on the no-fly list soon.
As he should be. Didn't you read the part where it said he's part of a boy band?
One Direction is the latest in a well-established tradition of boy bands that goes back ... the Jackson Five, through the Backstreet boys, Spice Girls and N’Sync."
Since when were the Spice Girls a boy band?? #fail
Um, the Spice Girls were - I think - GIRLS
"One Direction is the latest in a well-established tradition of boy bands that goes back to Ricky Nelson, and the Everly Brothers in the 1950s, and continued through the Osmond Brothers, the Jackson Five, through the Backstreet boys, Spice Girls and N’Sync."
OMG, isn't there medication these people can take?
You want to medicate the girls so they won't convert? Good idea!
Are you proud to be a gay Muslim? Because when they find out they're gonna kill your a**. Then we'll see how proud of your religion you really are.
Because Christians have been so tolerant of gays. /s
They even passed laws to allow people to get away with assaulting and beating them in the name of faith in a few states.
Citations please.
Chuck, Tim McGraw called and wants his hat back.
ummm.... when did spice girls become a "boy band"... and who edited this? Geez
Real Muslims don't sing in boy-bands.
Homosexual pedophilia is celebrated in many Muslim countries. Women are for breeding only, otherwise, shut up and let the boys cavort with the men.
@rachel--Very true, however, I don't think many people in the West are aware of that fact, for the reason (this is my opinion) that the very successful message in the public relations/marketing of Islam has been focused on pointing out how "pure" their religion is, and a lot of people have fallen for that nonsense. Eradicating poppy fields, my eye! How do folks think the Taliban can afford to keep replenishing their cache of bombs and military weapons? They're not ALL left over from the ones the US sold to the Mujahadeen "freedom fighters" while they were at war with Russia.
Boy Bands are all about finding new ways to re-package shallow pop tunes and physically attractive but mediocre performers in a way that makes everything appear fresh and new to their audience. The lifespan of the average Boy Band has got to be shorter than the average journey through puberty. Marketing is crucial. The idea of Marketing a member of the band as Muslim is a bold move that may well be worth the risk; it might be just the sort of newish twist that this otherwise vapid band needs to help them stay off the discount rack for year or so. And if it stirs up some anti-Muslim sentiment, the band could benefit from the added bonus of appearing to defend the American values of "multiculturalism" against an onslaught of intolerance. Heck, their fans might even become convinced that these middle-of-the-road, wholly inoffensive adolescents are actually some sort of rebels operating outside of the mainstream.
Debbie Schlussel - you're whacked.
How many Muslim girls, even in England and the US, will have their heads severed for dancing along to his music?
which would be a welcome relief if you had to listen to their music for more than 5 mintues
Ha, James! But you were never a teen-aged girl, I bet.
For those who don't seem to know, but maybe would like to, here are a few facts: Muslims worship the same God as Jews and Christians - the God of Abraham. They worship the God of Abraham through Mohammed, as Jews do through Moses and as Christians do through Jesus. "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for the English word "God".
no one really cars.
sorry the Jewish god or Jesus dont call for mass murder and a bunch of other EVIL @!$%# in the Bible. I will never accept or respect Islam
Debbie Schlussel? Is that you?
Yes, Jews have never killed anyone else for their beliefs. Christians have never killed anyone for their beliefs. Only Muslims kill people for their beliefs. (/sarcasm)
Duh.... obviously SOMEONE has never taken a history class. EVERY religion has followers that are guilty of acts of violence against "non-believers" to their cause, at one point or another in the recorded history of religion. We make a big deal out of 9/11, but the sad fact is that it was just one more act of violence from one group of religious zealots railing against a people, or a society, that doesn't conform with its radical views. The fact that they were Islamic should make ZERO difference.