Muslims Are The New Pit Bulls

AWOL soldier defiantly shouts '09 suspect's name

Parlor game: for every mention of radicalized Muslims, substitute the phrases "dangerous dogs" or "vicious pit bulls." That way you can condemn brown people and promote breed specific legislation at the same time. Way to multitask!

He Hasn't Learned Quite Enough Since 9/11

Museum offers tales of young Arabs since 9/11

The only thing worse than a bigot is a bigot armed with misinformed, poorly reasoned rationalizations for bigotry.

Nobody tell Johnny, but Osama bin Laden was Wahhabi, which is a branch of Sunni Islam.

Sadly, milcon is not making an Obi-Wan Kenobi joke.

We Don't Need You Freeloaders Anyway

Does West Michigan need more visible minority and gay faces to attract a creative class?

goatluvin2 has an ironic name, and a muddled message, favoring a diverse local economy but a homogenous local population. Those old Rust Belt cities may have greater ethnic and cultural diversity than West Michigan, but continue to struggle economically because the gays and coloreds have no work ethic. Only white Christians free-marketeers have the gumption to make this "capitalism" thing work. And no, I have no idea how Muslim-bashing relates to anything.

I don't know, maybe people get the impression that conservatives aren't creative after encountering situations where conservative voices condemn difference, attempt to stifle dissent, and treat qualities of interpretation and empathy as morally suspect. You know, the foundations on which creative people build their art.

I will pause only to point out the irony of complaining about "shakedown organizations" while posting an anonymous comment on a free online newspaper. The gays or the Press or Miss PowerDiva or whatever could not take your money if they wanted to.

Conspiracy Theories For The Win

New York man accused of striking Detroit officer with vehicle in Greektown charged with murder

Not many people know this, but in Buffalo it is illegal to have a foreign-sounding name.* Mohsin might claim to be from Buffalo, but he's actually from a suburb in neighboring Niagara County. Anyone can see that this is the first strike of Al-Qaeda of Upstate New York's secret plan to decimate the Detroit police force, one hit-and-run at a time. Fortunately, Michigan has an extradition treaty with New York.**

* Not intended to be a factual statement.

** This either.

So Wrong It Goes Right, Then Back To Wrong Again [UPDATED]

Is cracking down on illegal immigration in Metro Detroit a waste of time, money?

This level of ignorance is almost delightful. Almost.

Apparently Dearborn has an invasive species problem: eagles! They're swooping down, pecking out children's eyes, eating kittens and chihuahuas, nesting on utility poles and bringing down power lines. They must be captured and released in their country of origin.

[Updated with the Islamophobe's perennial favorite, terror babies.

Maybe you thought it was going to be all about the Mexicans, but we're versatile. We can turn on a dime and hate anybody!]

So That's Where Gyro Meat Comes From

Court order allows Christian leaflets at Arab International Festival in Dearborn

Believe it or not, many Arabs are also Christian. It's true!

This vision of the festival is terribly grim. Not only are the savage Moors tearing the infidels to pieces, they're turning on their own. The picture accompanying the article appears to show a line of people waiting to ride on a carousel, but now we understand that they're actually queuing up to get their scimitars sharpened, or perhaps to watch the hideous spectacle of evangelical missionaries and Chaldeans alike being eviscerated like kebabs.

But Ma, He Started It! [UPDATED]

Detroit Reps. Conyers, Clark call upon federal government to counter anti-Muslim sentiment

The existence of criminal or criminally unhinged Muslims absolves us of the responsibility to treat the remainder of the world's Muslims with common decency. How convenient!

[Updated with passive-aggressive bigotry and questionable syntax.

We are offended that you find our racism offensive!

From which we can conclude that a) there are no English-speaking Muslims, b) ickym is probably not a birther, and c) tolerance is kind of like pachysandra. As it spreads over the land, it slowly chokes out ideologies ickym doesn't approve of.]

Stop Repeating Yourself, Dammit! [UPDATED]

Man beaten and carjacked by three males in Flint

If nobody can figure out what you're talking about, are you still a bigot?

Going forward, I plan to use "lives in Dearborn" as an all-purpose insult, roughly equivalent to "you suck."

Robber pushes man into car and drives around Flint while assaulting victim

"Schvartzer" is a Yiddish term for a black person that's become more derogatory as society has become less racist. I imagine Fpd is disappointed that he can't use the word "nigger" and is forced to substitute a slur less widely understood. Also, if his second comment looks familiar, that's because he posted it yesterday. Twice.

[Updated to add two baffling comments. First, a warning that America has been too kind to derelicts, paired with a plea for everyone to just get along. Second, a Hitler quote. I can't tell if the quote is intended as direct reply or mocking commentary. Note the timestamps at 2:30 and 3:01 AM, respectively.]

Totally Radical Speech, Dude

President Obama urges Israel to go back to 1967 borders

FairVoice is determined to cram in as many ominous buzzwords as possible. In a mere three sentences, we find birtherism, Obama as secret Muslim, and a nod towards Rev. Wright. It's like an hour of Fox News in handy capsule form.

You Are Not a Credit to Your Race

Three Lapeer County people charged in Columbiaville food stamps scam; seven Genesee County people also to be charged

White people of Flint, cease your lawbreaking immediately! You are confusing Fpd407.

Let's Do the Sharia Creep!

Terry Jones plans return trip to Dearborn June 17

Ah, yes, brave enough to hide behind a barricade while under guaranteed police protection.

There ought to be a dance step called the Sharia Creep, preferably the kind of move forbidden at middle school dances.

So dashing in his leather jacket, Jones might well be America's greatest hero in civvies. He could take out that pesky Flint terror house just by flopping his comb-over at it. You know, if he felt like it.

It's A Twofer!

Semester over, but critics inside Hope College say debate over homosexuality is unresolved

Or: "Hope College deigns to formally acknowledge the existence of The Gays, sets off three MLive shitstorms (and counting)."

It's this kind of grudging gesture towards "tolerance" that I find most galling. Expecting gratitude from a persecuted group on the grounds that their persecution is less violent than previously is the worst sort of passive-aggressive manipulation. But wait, there's more!

I believe he is referring to the hardline Islamists who declared a gay-free zone in East London earlier this year, meeting substantial pushback from Muslim and non-Muslims alike. It's not clear whether Sage approves of this development. He must be experiencing classic ambivalence, where he simultaneously loathes Muslims and applauds their actions. I expect he's going through a difficult time right now. He could use your support, and perhaps an oil massage from a really hot Muslim dude, just to amp up his ambivalence to the furthest possible degree.

You're A Long Way From Home, Pardner

Activist blames Detroit for murder after SMART rejects her 'Leaving Islam?' bus ad

I'll defer to the reporter on this one:

Geller's argument, a link to which we've seen retweeted several times today, contains so many half-truths that we don't know where to begin...
1. The City of Detroit has nothing to do with SMART, which as its name implies, is run by a suburban authority with representatives from Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Monroe Counties. She's suing SMART, so she should probably know that. Those people she just called "evil clowns" have nothing to do with the case.
2. Geller's proposed ad reads: "Fatwa on your head? Is your family or community threatening you? Leaving Islam? Got questions? Get Answers!" and directs people to a website warning about religiously-motivated honor killings. Mokdad allegedly was murdered in Warren, where the ads might have ran. However, she had only moved to Michigan recently, was living in Grand Ledge (far outside of SMART's service area) and only visited Warren to help her grandmother move some belongings.

 I was surprised to discover that vanzorge, despite the name, hails from North Bergen, New Jersey and is active on NJ.com. Perhaps this is his summer home. Just as monarch butterflies unerringly flock each winter to the same fir groves of northern Mexico, so this troll has, with the change in seasons, sought a different bridge beneath which to lurk.

Here we find him in his native habitat:

I'm sure he and closetheborders will become fast friends.

You Better Watch Out. He Means Business.

Flint Islamic Center on Osama Bin Laden's death: 'We hope that this will usher in a new chapter for our nation'

I'm a little worried about Fpd407. His blood pressure must be through the roof today.

He seems not entirely aware that Muhammad is dead. 

See!...the famous Muslim house! Feel!...the horror of CREEPING SHARIA!

Oh, there's so much more: Some believe 17-day lull in violence due to door-to-door reviveFlint religious effort

In related news, death to America!

Breaking: You Are Still A Bigot [UPDATED]

Dearborn residents rejoice at news of Osama bin Laden's death

I understand last night might be a little hazy for you, what with your medication, and the pint of Canadian Mist, and all, but this news first broke around 11 PM. Most Dearborn residents were probably at home asleep. I'm rather surprised that even 20 people traipsed out to City Hall in the middle of the night to wave flags at passing cars. Of course, southbeagle prefers to believe that the remaining citizens performed their ritual evening chants of "Death to America!" before settling down to a sound sleep, dreaming of global jihad.

Sage is all, "Pics or it didn't happen!" I sense a nascent bin Laden Truther movement. Everyone knows The Coloreds lie when it suits them, anyway.

Incidentally, he considers this story to have greater geopolitical importance. Last week a middle-aged Afghan military officer with no clear ties to any group and no coherent motive opened fire on a group of American soldiers at Kabul International Airport. It goes without saying that these were not "top Air-Force officers."

[Updated to add this gem, apparently referring to Terry Jones' shenanigans.

Yes, all good Muslims attend their witches' sabbaths by night and plot the murder of Christian children by day. And if snaptrout knows where there are camels in Wayne County, he should contact the authorities. I'm sure the Detroit Zoo has been looking all over for them.]

He Will Not Be Denied His Riot!

Hundreds protest in Dearborn Friday against Pastor Terry Jones' anti-Islam gospel

I guess I shouldn't surprised to find commenters who still wholeheartedly defend not just Jones' right to free speech, but his message.

Jones' planned three-hour hate rally amounted to a largely inaudible 90-minute tirade delivered to 700 counter-protesters, which he was only able to deliver thanks to police protection from the city of Dearborn. Give the man a medal! He incurred a sore throat and stubbed toes in the battle against Islamofascism or whatever!

Lack of antecedents allows for fun with hermeneutics. I for one support returning Terry Jones to his no doubt impoverished hellhole of a hometown. The millions of interracial couples in long-term relationships would likely disagree with some of karatkake's conclusions, though.

We Grudgingly Permit Your Religious Expression. What More Do You Want?

SMART files appeal in fight against 'Leaving Islam?' ad for Metro Detroit buses

Interfaith dialogue has truly reached a nadir when refraining from baseless allegations that Islam is a violent religion that launches fatwas as readily as dollar bills at a strip club qualifies as "kissing their behinds."

The Perils of Crowdsourced Art Criticism

Blasphemous or misunderstood? Headless Jesus statue at Meijer Gardens sparks boycott effort

I began to argue that this thread demonstrated the need for arts education, but then realized it demonstrated the need for jes' plain ol' education.

Meijer Gardens, incidentally, is privately funded by grants, foundations, and individual and corporate gifts. It's not clear if Barking Bear doesn't consider Jim Dine's work to be art, or doesn't consider contemporary art to be true art, or if he actually denies the existence of "art" as a viable concept.

Other commenters made lame cracks about headless statues of Muhammad, but greco7 went the extra mile. Not many people these days are willing to go on record with anti-Catholic bile. I particularly like his use of scare quotes.

In related news, Gary Wohlscheid's website is like a Wayback Machine to 1998. Garish colors, liberal use of animated gifs, garbled display in browsers that are not Netscape 4. I'm particularly taken by Aborted Fetal Cells for Food Flavor Enhancement. Perhaps Wohlscheid should have checked the dateline before reprinting the story.

[Updated to allow Barking Bear to double down. 

From the comments: Boycott sparked by headless Jesus statue generates art debate

I'm taken by the blithe assumption that there is no private market for art. Also, where is all of this government money, and how do I get some? I'm an artist too, dammit.]

It's Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel. With a Kalashnikov.

Panelists: Get to know your Muslim neighbors, learn about Islam

The word "Muslim" is like a bat-signal; within moments the racists are on the scene, locked and loaded.

“There are two sides to the issue. On the one, Muslims are not as open after 9/11,” said Ali Metwalli, founding board member of the Islamic Mosque and Religious Institute in Grand Rapids. “On the other side, there’s no attempt to know more about Islam, to really understand. The biggest barrier is the closed mind.”

Preemptively shutting down the possibility of interfaith dialogue is the only natural response to a panel discussion that encourages cultural engagement and mutual respect.

It's nice to see closetheborders branching out. He's hating all kinds of brown people now!

Seriously, We Understand You Are a Christian. Now Put Away the Baby Jesus.

Judge: Creche ban on busy Warren road is a safety issue (Macomb Daily)

The creche, incidentally, is nine feet tall and eight feet wide by eight deep. It's currently on a median, which is public property. The plaintiff hasn't got a leg to stand on.

From this we can conclude: a) Arabic names are dirty words; b) the president knows all and sees all; c) DrDevil hates Muslims; d) all of the above.

stosh prefers to kick it old-school and blame the international Jewish conspiracy against ugly outdoor statuary.