Hotscot

Yes I've been following that issue. It's devastating, don't know why it's not on front pages everywhere.

scrubbedexpat099

Or anywhere.

Guardian had it buried.

Seemingly a non story in Africa as well.

RoadWarriorFromLP

Je ne suis pas un musulman. #WhiteLivesMatter

Leslie

Their president was at the Paris demonstration.

scrubbedexpat099

For what it is worth he has said nothing, done nothing according to the Guardian about his own one.

Probably shopping if in Paris.

Steerpike

Most Catholics I know ignore the Pope, especially on matters such as birth control; I don't think you need to make an exception for Catholics in this discussion.

The lack of direct, official, central control in most mainstream religions is not a reason to discount influence from leaders in those religions. People (especially religious people) seek out direction and will generally hear what they want to hear.

But we've done this to death at this point; you want to believe that all bad actions are not related to religion, I believe a significant minority are influenced by the religious hierarchy, and the Muslim religious hierarchy is much worse in this regard than (eg) Christian alternatives at this point in history

I'm heartened to hear that all Muslim leaders, even those in SA and Iran, have condemned these attacks.

RoadWarriorFromLP

I didn't make the exception, the Catholic Church did. Catholicism is a centralized faith, whereas most of the other major faiths are not. I'm not offering an opinion, I'm stating a fact.

The individual imam adopt a common brand (Islam) and do whatever they're going to do with it. Some will have more acceptance than others. There's no head honcho to whom everyone listens.

There is no real hierarchy of this sort in Islam. Pretty much any dude who studies the Koran and gets some followers can be an imam. It's certainly nothing like being a pope, who is selected by top members of the Catholic Church.

Steerpike

Trust me when I tell you it will help you to figure this out.

I posted an actual screenshot showing what the 'quote' button looks like, and where it is on the screen. Did you not see it? Were you not able to open that picture? (If you had quoted my original message we could both simply click on the link provided and it would take us to that original message - one of the many benefits of using the 'quote' tool).

You say you can see the option but it does not let you 'tick the box' - it's not a selection box that can be ticked; it is a button, and clicking it (should) take you to a new page. If you have turned on some very aggressive ad blocking feature, you may be losing functionality on not only this but other websites. If you are using Chrome, then why not try, just as a test, using Firefox or Internet Explorer. If it works in one of those, you will then realize the issue is related to something you have done in Chrome.

scrubbedexpat099

Chrome not the issue. All I use.

Mrs Danvers

Reporting of African deaths is often under reported or ignored. I remember reading something about equivalency in disasters resulting in deaths in US reporting. Something like one American killed was given the same importance as 10 Europeans and with Asian or African deaths the numbers had to be far higher.

Or do you think it's because Boko Haram are Islamic militants?

Steerpike

I am not disagreeing with the 'fact' you are stating - the Catholic church does have a centralized hierarchy - we both understand the basics. What I'm saying, and I am sure you understand, is that - just because a central hierarchy exists does not mean that adherents follow it. The Catholic hierarchy has, at times, banned sex before marriage, abortion, contraception, meat on fridays, homosexuality, and more (My mother was catholic and my g/f is 'culturally' a Catholic, having been raised in the Philippines). I know plenty of Catholics who consider themselves 'practicing' (go to church on Sunday, take the sacrament, etc) but ignore all the above 'rules'. So yes, there IS an official, centralized hierarchy but it is practically ignored by a large number of 'members'. People hear what they want to hear.

So the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran was just another guy who studied the Koran then? He was the "Supreme Leader" of Iran and his pronouncements were listened to by millions. He was extremely influential and effective; more so than any modern-day Pope.

A quick extract from the Wikipedia article on the man: "During Iran–Iraq War, Khomeini organized his "human wave" attacks - mass frontal assaults by thousands of young men, advancing up to certain death.

He was named Man of the Year in 1979 by American newsmagazine TIME for his international influence, and has been described as the "virtual face of Islam in Western popular culture" where he remains a controversial figure. He was known for his support of the hostage takers during the Iran hostage crisis ... "

Edit to add: from this historic link from 1989 ... "The Iranian president, Ali Khamenei, was quickly chosen today as his country's supreme religious leader to replace Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who died Saturday night. ... The swift action by the 83-member assembly of theological experts in naming Ayatollah Khomeini's successor was clearly meant as a signal by the clergy that it was in control and able to arrange an orderly transition. "

I mention this in response to your statement: "It's certainly nothing like being a pope, who is selected by top members of the Catholic Church". My overriding point, which I think you are trying to dilute by focusing on technicalities, is that Islam does have a 'leadership' that is influential to adherents. Just as with the Catholic Pope, adherents can and do choose to follow or not follow this leadership. The 'official' status of the leadership does not factor in to the discussion.

Leslie

Or their victims are mostly black Muslims?


(I have no proof the victims were Muslim tbh --- somebody fact-check me, quick.)

Mrs Danvers

The news reports I have read say the victims were of different faiths. Mainly women, children and the elderly.

dunroving

Stop being so oppressive.

kimilseung

So...Boumeddiene is now in Syria. Good luck to her there.