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Donald Ian Rankin

(13,598 posts)

88. Using the word "they" like that is dangerous

Thu Mar 24, 2016, 07:03 PM

Mar 2016

I'm far from the last to criticise Islam.

But if you want to do so - and especially if you want to be as violently critical as you're being - I think it's important make it explicit who you're referring to, and not to use language that could be taken to mean "all Muslims" unless you actually mean that.

Attaching this kind of open-ended "they" to an attack that applies at most to a minority of Muslims is at best extremely sloppy and potentially dangerous, and at worst broad-brushing that it would not be unreasonable to term Islamophobia - an overused word, yes, but not one without its fair applications.

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Post removed [View all] Post removed Mar 2016 OP

Thanks for posting Rebkeh Mar 2016 #1

A great resource. I recommend it. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #4

Too bad they overlooked the fact the author is a homophobe. n/m ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #124

You have repeated two paragraphs here. Demit Mar 2016 #2

The result of DU issues and an incomplete re-edit. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #3

See, this is why I no longer really participate in such discussions here. closeupready Mar 2016 #5

Islam means both peace and submission. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #6

Submission to God is creepy and incompatible with modern liberal values... TipTok Mar 2016 #48

How about killing for country? guillaumeb Mar 2016 #51

There are actual legitimate reasons for that... TipTok Mar 2016 #68

Please tell me the legitimate reason for the US invasion of Iraq? guillaumeb Mar 2016 #72

I was just addressing your question... TipTok Mar 2016 #74

You actually made a declarative statement. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #76

Repelling an Invasion, of course maxsolomon Mar 2016 #80

The goal posts are moved with each question or assertion. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #96

Does Islam accept Gays and Lesbians as full participants in their King_David Mar 2016 #154

If 30 Planned Parenthood doctors had been massacred last Tuesday, Nye Bevan Mar 2016 #7

Exactly, and rightly so Ex Lurker Mar 2016 #8

No, it shouldn't. Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2016 #12

If the left continues to ignore the problem Ex Lurker Mar 2016 #25

The problem is that historical background in the Middle East guillaumeb Mar 2016 #56

They hate us because we exist Ex Lurker Mar 2016 #64

The US tried to depose Castro, guillaumeb Mar 2016 #70

I must have missed the invasion of Thailand 1939 Mar 2016 #149

+1 Marr Mar 2016 #82

Using the word "they" like that is dangerous Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2016 #88

What is "truth" asked Pilate? guillaumeb Mar 2016 #53

But that rarely happens. Christianity is given a pass by the US media. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #9

silly 6chars Mar 2016 #65

.^that x100 840high Mar 2016 #26

The sect maybe Scootaloo Mar 2016 #116

America loves its lone wolf theory because ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #139

But that's not really the point, is it? cheapdate Mar 2016 #131

Spare me the whining leftynyc Mar 2016 #10

Are you in that 49% referenced in the article? eom guillaumeb Mar 2016 #11

Religions aren't bad leftynyc Mar 2016 #13

I dunno, a religion that has in its sacred texts... trotsky Mar 2016 #15

Are you referencing Judaism? guillaumeb Mar 2016 #17

You can't be sure, can you? trotsky Mar 2016 #30

And which Jewish state leftynyc Mar 2016 #138

Depends on if the followers leftynyc Mar 2016 #27

But yet those horrid verses are still there. trotsky Mar 2016 #31

Are there still Christians leftynyc Mar 2016 #36

Answers trotsky Mar 2016 #63

You have a story about a roommate murder vs 10 Nations which execute LGBT and 'heretics'. Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #125

Well of course but when someone is claiming that nothing like those things happens... trotsky Mar 2016 #146

Uh - no leftynyc Mar 2016 #137

I've got news for you: that polygamous group (and others like it) are still doing it. trotsky Mar 2016 #145

You're STILL not getting the difference leftynyc Mar 2016 #147

That's because you are now moving the goalposts. trotsky Mar 2016 #148

Uh - no leftynyc Mar 2016 #152

Goalposts. trotsky Mar 2016 #153

I would suggest reading, or rereading, the article. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #16

I read it thoroughly the first time leftynyc Mar 2016 #28

I am, and I did. Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2016 #20

Your IRA/UDF comparison applies equally well to the various terror groups guillaumeb Mar 2016 #23

NI was about British occupation, not a religious conflict. riderinthestorm Mar 2016 #69

Ireland was divided and Scottish Protestants were brought in guillaumeb Mar 2016 #95

You compared the ISIS attack in Brussels to the NI conflict riderinthestorm Mar 2016 #97

Violence was employed, and is employed, as a response to state violence. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #100

The Troubles in N, Ireland was a political conflict snagglepuss Mar 2016 #78

Just one question: trotsky Mar 2016 #14

Is there any belief system or philosophy that has not been used guillaumeb Mar 2016 #18

Please note, that has nothing to do with what I asked. trotsky Mar 2016 #29

My answer to your "question" is contained in my answer to you. eom guillaumeb Mar 2016 #47

No, it isn't. trotsky Mar 2016 #57

Check out "Jainism" n/t Herman4747 Mar 2016 #34

Are you going to continue leftynyc Mar 2016 #37

Your earlier response that you rejected everything that you read guillaumeb Mar 2016 #49

No - nothing like that at all leftynyc Mar 2016 #52

More like holding eugenics responsible for Hitler's treatment of the Jews. Marr Mar 2016 #84

Hitler's treatment of the Jews did not represent eugenics. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #112

I'm amazed anyone would argue this point. Marr Mar 2016 #126

I can point to verses and hadiths that condone or command violence. trotsky Mar 2016 #109

Stalin was an atheist. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #114

Yup, Stalin was both. trotsky Mar 2016 #118

Islamophobia is a misleading term, which tries to disqualify criticism of Islam Albertoo Mar 2016 #19

I take exception to your logic: guillaumeb Mar 2016 #21

The proof is in the pudding Albertoo Mar 2016 #32

My dislike of Islam is perfectly rational...as is my dislike of other religions... brooklynite Mar 2016 #22

An excellent reply. Does your dislike apply equally to state religions? guillaumeb Mar 2016 #24

You always try to hide Islam under other faulty systems (Christianity, Nationalism, etc) Albertoo Mar 2016 #35

Too many progressives are genetically incapable of criticizing anything emanating from Ex Lurker Mar 2016 #38

You know Lurker, that was one of the truest things that I've ever read here. Congrats.nt clarice Mar 2016 #43

It's the moment of inertia of anticolonialism Albertoo Mar 2016 #133

My OP talks about Islamophobia and how it is not confined to the GOP. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #41

Some of us refuse to use the term Islamophobia TexasMommaWithAHat Mar 2016 #60

Points for consistency. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #62

But I don't hate the other two as much. :) TexasMommaWithAHat Mar 2016 #66

Go Girl!!! nt clarice Mar 2016 #86

WHAT?? the islamic freedom restrictions are not an accident, they are text mandated Albertoo Mar 2016 #132

If you are not a critic of Islam, you are not a liberal Dems to Win Mar 2016 #33

*APPLAUSE PLEASE" well done Dems. nt clarice Mar 2016 #44

If you are not a critic of the Israeli government, guillaumeb Mar 2016 #50

Most liberals are critical of the Israeli government oberliner Mar 2016 #58

If you wish to talk about Palestinian intolerance and violence I am willing. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #61

blah blah... but what about the issue at hand?. nt clarice Mar 2016 #89

If you are not a critic of Islam or the Israeli government, you are adopting an illiberal position. Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2016 #94

what the fuck does Israel have to do with islamic attacks in europe ? JI7 Mar 2016 #136

not a lame deflection of anything ericson00 Mar 2016 #140

Yes! There's a serious disconnect here TexasMommaWithAHat Mar 2016 #87

Women's rights and gay rights are secondary to not offending anyone Democat Mar 2016 #142

Author of this piece is: Mohamad Elmasry oberliner Mar 2016 #39

Thanks for this info. Very telling. n/t Coventina Mar 2016 #42

Oberliner, if I quoted to you just a few of Benjamin Netanyahu's comments guillaumeb Mar 2016 #45

Everyone knows Netanyahu is a right-wing extremist oberliner Mar 2016 #54

Agreed. Bigotry comes in many forms. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #59

Who on DU has blamed "all Muslims" for anything? trotsky Mar 2016 #71

Calls to close the borders, or profile all Muslims, or talk about a supposed cultural guillaumeb Mar 2016 #75

Yet none of those are the same as blaming all Muslims. trotsky Mar 2016 #105

Presuming that you are a US citizen, guillaumeb Mar 2016 #110

I don't expect peace-loving Muslims to apologize for anything. trotsky Mar 2016 #113

You actually built your straw man in your previous post. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #115

Nope, sorry, all the fallacies are yours. trotsky Mar 2016 #117

But a progressive can and should be critical of un-progressive belief systems oberliner Mar 2016 #73

Ah, good, I can dismiss this even faster than I normally would ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #91

You see no connective thread between the two? nt clarice Mar 2016 #40

Do you see a connective thread between Adolf Hitler and modern German guillaumeb Mar 2016 #46

Nice dodge, but that was not the discussion at hand. nt clarice Mar 2016 #83

The discussion was originally about racism and religious hatred. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #98

Waiting. nt clarice Mar 2016 #90

Except it wasn't irrational. It was ISIS. Nor is it just ISIS. Yo_Mama Mar 2016 #55

I can criticize Islam and still treat Muslims as human beings Prism Mar 2016 #67

Same here. romanic Mar 2016 #77

Excellent example of tolerance. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #99

Some people shore up their self-esteem by sneering at others whom they believe Maedhros Mar 2016 #104

Precisely. trotsky Mar 2016 #120

Excellent post - thank you guillaumeb CrawlingChaos Mar 2016 #79

Care to discuss the "nuance" of this author's previous quote? ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #92

The quote represents one persons opinion. guillaumeb Mar 2016 #103

Do you agree with him? trotsky Mar 2016 #121

DU as a community frequently, no DAILY, expresses disgust at "The American Way" ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #122

You are citing that bigot as an expert on how bigoted everyone elses is. You present him as Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #128

Thank you. We know that this type of crude stereotyping represents guillaumeb Mar 2016 #101

Impossible to discuss religion on DU Marrah_G Mar 2016 #81

If I could have discussed gun ownership in a religious context, guillaumeb Mar 2016 #102

this: ericson00 Mar 2016 #85

Presuming that you are a US citizen, guillaumeb Mar 2016 #106

And also it is worth noting that many of the issues that people have are due to Marrah_G Mar 2016 #107

well said. no, beautifully said ericson00 Mar 2016 #108

A quote from the author on homosexuality ProudToBeBlueInRhody Mar 2016 #93

Yuck. trotsky Mar 2016 #111

He's being cited by the OP as an expert on other people's bigotry. Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #127

Great observation. n/t trotsky Mar 2016 #144

Eww. romanic Mar 2016 #135

My unfavorable opinion of Islam is limited to women's rights and education bhikkhu Mar 2016 #119

The author is one nasty homophobic religious hate speaker named Mohamed Elmasry Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #123

I'd like to point out that the OP does not name that author and attempted to covertly introduce Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #129

the article was written by a Jew-hating homophobe rollin74 Mar 2016 #130

Why am I not surprised by this. grossproffit Mar 2016 #134

As long as he's not a Christian, it's ok Democat Mar 2016 #143

Jew hating homophobes are popular on DU. Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #150

Democrats rate Muslims just slightly above atheists muriel_volestrangler Mar 2016 #141

Why does DU allow anti gay, anti-semitic authors to be cited as experts on bigotry? Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #151