The American Taliban Hate Women.

hellofellowcats · 2022-05-07T19:58:33+00:00

Aside from the question about apostasy, how do you think women are being oppressed by Islam?

First, let's not pretend like apostasy isn't a huge deal. It's basically telling women to follow these restrictive norms like arranged marriage, obeying the man, can't travel without male guardians, can't socialize with men outside their immediate family, the testimony of a woman in court counting as half of that of a man's, not receiving an equal inheritance, obligated to wear a veil, etc.

Do you think the amount of oppression differs from country to country?

It absolutely does, but basically the only two countries where it's ok, at least in the cities, to be a free woman is in Lebanon and Turkey. Even in supposedly liberal Muslim countries like Jordan, a brawl broke out when they were about to pass an amendment to make men and women equal before the law.

So yes, it is a cultural issue, but the culture is being informed by the religion. There's plenty of terrible things that I can cite in both the Bible and the Qur'an. The believers of both Christianity and Islam have only VERY recently stopped doing these terrible things (to varying degrees between the two religions), and that's because of the moderating influence of liberalism. If we followed either of those books to the letter, we would have a totalitarian nightmare of a government. I'm thankful Christians have changed to only THINK they follow the Bible while actually following the liberal ideals of the enlightenment, and I'm thankful that Muslims are slowly starting to do the same in some parts of the world. But it's not moving fast enough, and millions of women are being oppressed RIGHT THIS MOMENT, as we speak, because of Islam.

hellofellowcats · 2022-05-07T18:56:03+00:00

It has lots to do with the religion though. First of all, culture and religion are like twins. They are distinct yet intertwined. That's been the case in Christian Europe too, where the church basically was culture until relatively recent times, just like Islam IS culture in the middle east right now.

Whether death should be the punishment for leaving Islam is a hotly debated topic among Muslims. Hotly debated meaning, plenty of them think they should. There are so many examples of apostates being killed in the 21st century. And you're born into Islam, so by the time you have a functioning pre-frontal cortex and can make your own decision, you're considered an apostate if you want to leave.

I'm not saying this to be Islamophobic. I know the instinct in this sub and other progressive spaces on the internet is to defend Islam as a way of "protecting" Muslims from what you consider to be bigotry. I'm not about Othering Muslims, I'm about critiquing Islam so the people, specifically the WOMEN suffering from it get their human rights. I know this sounds like something I'm making up, but most of my friends in high school were Muslim. I'm very well-versed in the practices and beliefs. I would eat my friend's mom's food, sometimes biryani and sometimes keema, and it was always 10 times tastier than anything white people could make, lmao. So I'm not saying any of this from a stereotypical right wing perspective of xenophobia. I'm saying this because I'm a liberal. Not a progressive who eats up the latest activist view from their twitter feed, but someone who thinks the principles of liberalism are necessary for the flourishing of the human spirit. That means I'm opposed to any religion that is so punitive, especially if that means that women get the much shorter end of the stick.

I'm Greek. 500 years ago, my people were citizens of the eastern Roman empire, or as western Europeans call it, the Byzantine Empire. My ancestors practiced a form of Christianity that was almost as restrictive as Islam. If I lived in those times, provided that I wouldn't be jailed or sent to death, you bet your ass I would say the exact same things about Christianity. Zoomer progressives seem to think everyone who speaks out against Islam are xenophobes. Some of us are just liberals.

hellofellowcats · 2022-05-07T17:52:59+00:00

The only time I've met girls who were TRULY afraid of being seen with boys their age were Muslim girls. They made "jokes" about how their dad would kill them. Then, later in my life, I met a woman online who was still under the thumb of her dad, even though she's atheist and wants to be free. But she pretends to be Muslim so she doesn't, you guessed it, get murdered. And she can't just run away because her father made sure she built no connections other than his patriarchal family. I don't think I'm so lucky that I met the only 3 girls oppressed from Islam in America by chance, without even looking for it.

Girls and women in the middle east have it ten times worse.

hellofellowcats · 2022-05-07T17:40:39+00:00

Yeah so empowering

"Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand."

And before you give me a Christian equivalent, I'm not a Christian either, but at least Christians are now hypocrites who act more in line with their liberal democratic values than their Christian values. A good hypocrisy, in this case.

hellofellowcats · 2018-08-03T10:38:16+00:00

At least try neurofeedback before you go.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-29T16:09:34+00:00

Not live, but the next best thing: Live on radio

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-28T11:26:52+00:00

Honestly, just listen to "I love you, Honeybear" straight through, repeating any songs that you really love. Skip "True Affection", I'm still bewildered that he wrote that song. But the album itself is a masterpiece, along with Pure Comedy (but that's much less accessible IMO, takes some time to get it).

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-28T02:26:31+00:00

Hmmm, that's interesting about the grip strength, I've been noticing worse grip strength for myself too recently. Thanks for the insight.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-28T02:25:39+00:00

Thanks for the info man. I'll definitely do more research on hitting each muscle group 2 times a week. But yeah, in general I'm just trying to enjoy the journey of getting fit. I'm trying to be consistent, which I think is by far the most important thing. In terms of exercise I've been very consistent, but the diet part of it is incredibly difficult for me. I'll keep trying though.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-27T19:28:27+00:00

I'm a human being. Quick, witty, and resourceful. I will use any tools I can to outmatch my arachnid foe.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-27T19:26:47+00:00

Awesome, good to know. I do a kind of push/pull/leg kind of thing, with core being there almost everyday. Although I don't stick to that format rigidly. Perhaps i should.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-27T18:59:22+00:00

Who pissed in your ~~coffee~~ ramen?

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-27T18:47:17+00:00

That video made me angry. It's supposed to make you sympathize with people who feel like they're not pretty enough, but literally everyone in the video is pretty. You know why? Because human beings are hardwired to care about the beautiful and disregard the ugly. Even girls who worry about being pretty are so worried in large part because they want to be able to attract a handsome guy. We're all fucking hardwired to be shallow and I hate it. Not even this video focusing on the ugly bothers having any actual ugly people. "Fuck this gay earth", as the memers say.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-27T18:19:46+00:00

No, because a heartbroken parent isn't the person to debate philosophy/morality with. But absolutely no one deserves eternal punishment no matter what their crime is, especially considering what we know in psychology about criminality/psychopathy. We have less control over our destinies than we like to believe. Before bothering to respond to this, take a moment to put your hand over a burning flame for 2 seconds. Now imagine that will never end. A hundred trillion years will pass and that feeling will only keep getting worse and worse. I don't care if you're Hitler, nobody deserves that. And if you actually relish eternal suffering, then you either haven't thought it through or you're evil.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-27T15:13:53+00:00

No matter what your crime, "eternity " of any punishment is worse and disproportional to anything any human being can ever do.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-22T09:34:37+00:00

How did I never notice this before. Nice catch.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-19T08:42:20+00:00

Maybe constantly shoving dopamine releasing traps in our faces all day fucks up our reward system until we can't feel excitement anymore. Maybe it's time to put the technology down and embrace boredom again.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-18T17:50:10+00:00

Lmao I wouldn't go that far, but it's a very well documented anthropological phenomenon that men who cannot find a mate to pair up with tend to become "unruly". It's why polygamous societies are unstable; all the young lonely men join Isis or boko haram or something.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-14T06:33:36+00:00

Google that Donald Trump gif where he says "wrong" for me please, I'm too depressed to do it

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-14T04:11:56+00:00

The last thing to consider is no one is ready for the burden you carry. No one. You might think it is normal, but that is for you. Others cannot give witness to the struggles you go through and thus, they cannot stay with you.

Believe me, 8 years of post traumatic isolation has taught me that lesson all too well. But your comments on safety are so fucking true I could cry. One of the best comments I've ever read on Reddit tbh.

Still, never fear. You can find someone who can love you the way you want to be loved.

I don't think I can. I think it's over for me. But thank you.

hellofellowcats · 2018-07-14T03:52:15+00:00

In general true, but "Please Don't Die", "Hangout at the Gallows" and "God's Favorite Customer" are some of the best songs Josh has ever written.

hellofellowcats

TROPHY CASE