Maybe some Liberals are Awakening

[Newt]

Obama is not one of them. Wonder how Obama's support for Sharia will affect his fund raising in Hollywood.

Bill Maher: Liberals too soft on Islam, the ‘elephant in the room’

Political talk show host Bill Maher took to his HBO show to battle liberals, arguing that Islam tends to incite acts of violence and that liberals tend to overlook the larger problem.

On his show “Real Time,” Mr. Maher and his panelists began to discuss the recent kidnappings of hundreds of Nigerian girls by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.

“There’s no mention here of connecting this to the religion, which is always what I am seeking to do because I think that’s the elephant in the room,” Bill Maher said. “And that in the religion at large, women are seen as property, second-class at best, often property.”

Mr. Maher went on to argue that liberals who chalk the incidences up to small groups of radical “bad apples” are not standing up for liberal principles, a major part of which is equality for women.

At one point in the segment, Huffington Post President Arianna Huffington argued that it is “dangerous” for people to stereotype all Muslims as terrorists.

“Where it becomes dangerous is that liberals like yourself do not stand up for liberalism. Liberalism means, one, mostly, equality of women,” Mr. Maher responded.

Matt Welch, editor in Chief of Reason.com, said the Boko Haram kidnappers’ ties to Islam are being highlighted in the media, but also agreed that the religion “is providing a disproportionate share of radical nut bags killing people.”

However, Ms. Huffington and comedian Baratunde Thurston both continued to argue that the religion as a whole should not be condemned because of a few radicals.

Mr. Thurston said Islam does not have a “monopoly” on extremism, but Mr. Maher disagreed.

“Kind of they do,” Mr. Maher said. “Not a monopoly, but perspective is important,” he continued, “It’s like the Titanic hitting the iceberg compared to Whitney Houston dying in her bathtub.”

Mr. Thurston pointed out that radical Christians also commit acts of violence, but Mr. Maher again pointed out that the argument must be put in to perspective.

“It this was the 14th century, I would be coming down on the Christians because that’s when they were too violent,” he said. “Religions and cultures change.”

He said one poll suggested that “something like 80 or 90 percent” of Muslims in Egypt agree that death is the appropriate penalty for leaving Islam.

“If 84 percent of Brazilians thought that death was the proper penalty for leaving Catholicism, wouldn’t that be a bigger story?” the host asked.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... z31QbRqoR0
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Even Hollywood is awakening.

Protests Swell at Beverly Hills Hotel

Quote:
he Beverly Hills Hotel has long been a symbol of Hollywood glamour and affluence, the place where Elizabeth Taylor decamped for six of her eight honeymoons. Now it's become the unlikely epicenter of protest against a new set of harsh laws enacted by the Islamic country of Brunei.

The opulent hotel is part of the Dorchester Collection, a luxury chain owned by the Sultan of Brunei. This week, the tiny, oil-rich southeast Asian country set off a storm of celebrity protests and boycotts by introducing Islamic laws that include death by stoning for homosexuals and adulterers.

Over the past several days, 20 events have been canceled at the Beverly Hills property--a loss of about $2 million in revenue for the hotel, according to Dorchester. Local politicians and celebrities are also boycotting the nearby Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles, the hotel's more subdued sister property.

Big names like Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres are urging boycotts, and the Beverly Hills mayor and council are calling for Dorchester to sell the famed hotel.


quote:
"When we heard what was going on in Brunei, we said that doesn't fit with our philosophy," said Elaine Leader, head of a teen support organization that abruptly moved a fundraising event for 500 people honoring Sony Pictures Co-Chairman Amy Pascal from the Beverly Hills Hotel to the Sony Pictures lot this week.

British billionaire Richard Branson took to Twitter over the weekend to declare that no Virgin employee or Branson family member will stay at Dorchester hotel "until the Sultan abides by basic human rights."

Coming events like a "Women in Entertainment" breakfast thrown by the Hollywood Reporter in December, and a "Night Before the Oscars" fundraiser held by the Motion Picture & Television Fund, have been moved from the hotel. Dorchester's London-based chief executive, Christopher Cowdray--who has been in Los Angeles this week to speak to hotel employees and customers and to try to quell the political backlash--said that Dorchester hotels is a big employer, pays taxes and "abides by the laws of the countries in which we operate." He added that the Brunei Investment Agency, the government investment vehicle that owns Dorchester, is a "long-term investor" and that a sale of the Los Angeles-area properties was "unlikely."

On Tuesday night, the Beverly Hills city council unanimously approved a resolution condemning Brunei for its new laws, and urging Brunei to sell its Beverly Hills property. Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse said she wouldn't patronize the hotel.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-201 ... 14626.html

[MPankratz]

Maher correctly points out that while not all muslims are terrorists, the vast majority of terrorists are muslims. Sure, most aren't blowing anyone up, but he's right, there hasn't been a strong denunciation of terroristic activity by the rest of the population, and when you see majorities of the population supporting death as a penalty for leaving the faith, it's easy to see why terrorism is seen as acceptable by so many. The fanatics aren't that far removed from the conservative majority.

I liked when he asked if 80% of Brazilians supported death for anyone leaving Catholicism if that'd be a bigger story than the fact that in countries like Egypt 80% supports death for leaving Islam.

Has nothing to do with Liberalism, though. He's an Atheist and has a disdain for all religion.

[Newt]

Name some liberals who have condemned "Islamic" Terrorism. Bob Bechel is the only one that comes to mind. The New York Times, CNN, CBS all seem to give them a pass. Even the Huffington Post, as mentioned is still defending them. They have faithfully criticized Christianity, yet are silent when Sharia is mentioned.
With the record of Islam's treatment of women, wouldn't it seem logical that "NOW' would be screaming. Silence!!
There have been several Muslim women who have written books and made documentary films lately exposing Sharia. They have received unbelievable pressure from the MSM to cease distribution. What happened to the film maker accused of starting Benghazi riots? What has there been no outrage from the MSM about his imprisonment?
I don't expect them to criticize a religion, Islam, but they should condemn vicious acts. They sure jump on Mormons when they are caught abusing women, as they should.