Hardline Muslims Damage Stork Statue

[Calanen]

8 Muslims arrested for damaging Dhaka sculpture

By JULHAS ALAM – 18 hours ago

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Police in Bangladesh's capital arrested eight members of a hard-line Islamic group for damaging a large outdoor sculpture of a group of white storks, an official said Sunday.

Alam Badshah, a Dhaka Metropolitan Police official, said the men were arrested late Saturday during the attack in Dhaka's Motijheel commercial district. All eight are members of the little-known Muslim group Ulama Anjumane Al Baiyeniat, he said.

Members of the group, which considers sculptures to be a form of idol worship, clashed with security officials who stopped their attack on the statue, he said.

The men, armed with shovels and hammers, damaged the stone base of the 41-foot (12.5-meter) sculpture of six storks after they were unable to pull it down with ropes, Badshah said.

About 100 members of the group gathered nearby and distributed leaflets encouraging action against anti-Islamic activities, he said.

The melee left several people, including some group members, injured. Two of the detainees were being treated at a hospital, Badshah said.

He said the eight faced charges of creating chaos and attacking security officials.

It was unclear why they chose now to attack the statue, which has stood at a road intersection since 1989.

Mrinal Haque, the sculptor, said the statue had nothing to do with Islam.

"It's a shame, it's an attack on our secular culture ... this is a very innocent artwork," he told The Associated Press by phone. "It's like my child."

Some hard-line Islamic groups in Muslim-majority Bangladesh publicly condemn such sculptures. In October, another group damaged a large statue of mystic poet Lalon Shah outside Dhaka's Zia International Airport.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hqJNuYtRLwWt3ZcUcj3ReKwAIZVwD94P9MP80

[Ariha]

Not the first time the muslum feel threatened by statues and decide to act violently against them.

Is there anything or anybody they don´t feel threatened by?

[Piggy]

Such enthusiasm should be used in usefull way. Instead of inprisonment, one year of digging channels for watersupply hoses, cables, etc... would be quite in accordance with their wishes.:grin:

[The Mighty Quinn]

God help us if we insult Islam. Religion of peace my @$$.

[TheBelgian]

Hardline retards

[Stainless Steel Rat]

God help us if we insult Islam. Religion of peace my @$$.


Not the first time the muslum feel threatened by statues and decide to act violently against them.

Is there anything or anybody they don´t feel threatened by?

*italics and underline mine.*

Far be it from me to defend Calanen (who is a bit of a wingnut IMHO), but he at least had the common sense to title his piece "Hardline Muslims", which is accurate with the quote article, i.e.
All eight are members of the little-known Muslim group Ulama Anjumane Al Baiyeniat, he said. *bolding mine*

There are approximately 125 Million Muslims in Bangladesh. According to the article, the statue has been there "since 1989" with no problems. Twenty years in a 85% Muslim country with no issues....hmmm. And for the record, I lived 4 years in a Gulf-area Muslim country, which lots of statues and never an issue with them.

Look, there are congent arguments against Radical Islam and they should be made. But when "little-known" groups become "the Muslum" and "Islam", you dilute your argument.

Not asking you to change--just take an extra second or two to type. Didn't hurt Calanen a bit to type out "Hardline" in his title now, did it?

That is all. Press on.

[Calanen]

*italics and underline mine.*

Far be it from me to defend Calanen (who is a bit of a wingnut IMHO), but he at least had the common sense to title his piece "Hardline Muslims", which is accurate with the quote article, i.e. *bolding mine*

I prefer the term, eccentric. Which I readily cop to. In terms of what I have to say, I think yours is a common mistake made by many. Try to keep on my arguments instead of on me.


There are approximately 125 Million Muslims in Bangladesh. According to the article, the statue has been there "since 1989" with no problems. Twenty years in a 85% Muslim country with no issues....hmmm. And for the record, I lived 4 years in a Gulf-area Muslim country, which lots of statues and never an issue with them.

Statues and the destruction of them is truly the least of our worries on the Islam front, and it is true that the schools of Islam disagree on the extent to which you tolerate or destroy photos, sculptures etc.

So it really was just an example. And yes, I will say only hard line muslims destroy statues. Usually. This becomes more problematic if those same hardline muslims form a government, as then it doesnt really matter what the populace thinks, does it? Dissent is not really tolerated in the Theocratic Islamic regime.


Look, there are congent arguments against Radical Islam and they should be made. But when "little-known" groups become "the Muslum" and "Islam", you dilute your argument.

See that's the difference. I bet you could not define the difference between Radical Islam and Islam. And 99% of Westerners could not.
Most Westerners have a very poor understanding of Islam, and would not know it if they were beaten over the head with a Koran and an authentic hadith.

You make the fallacious assumption that because the bulk of Muslims do not act in accordance with the teachings of what you call Radical Islam, and I call Islam (forget the stork and sculptures) that what 'Islam' teaches is benign. You would be wrong.

People in any religion do or do not do things because of personal reasons, whether they agree, disagree, or do not know. The ideology is what I am interested in.

You think you know what is 'hardline' Islam and what is 'moderate Islam' and I would bet that you have, like nearly everyone else in the West, absolutely no frigging idea.


Not asking you to change--just take an extra second or two to type. Didn't hurt Calanen a bit to type out "Hardline" in his title now, did it?

As I say, destroying statues is hardline. Jihad and warfare against unbelievers, is not.

[iLikeFlickerstick]

Calanen. I wonder what you're like in real life. Probably a very interesting fellow.

[Skutatos]

Stork statues= BAD
Considering BUILDINGs important enough to a religion to kill for= GOOD

Anyone see the hypocrisy here?

[Bia]

Two statues, a young man and young woman in love, about to embrace, stood for almost a thousand years... one day the gods, on a whim decided to give them one hour of life.
Thunder struck...lightning popped and the young lovers became living warm flesh... excited they disappeared into the bushes... for quite a while a lot of rustling and activity came from the bushes. "A voice boomed down, You have ten minutes left!!"

The boy looked at the girl and said, "you wanna do it one more time?"
The girl replied, "Yes, please.... this time you hold the pigeon down and I'll poop on him"

[Calanen]

Calanen. I wonder what you're like in real life. Probably a very interesting fellow.

Only one person on here has met me. He may wish to volunteer something or not, but Ill preserve his anonymity.

Minardiau and T3ngu have received very generous invitations, but have piked thus far.

[kahn267]

Calanen. I wonder what you're like in real life. Probably a very interesting fellow.

Forget that,
Calanen is just a bloke who speaks his mind and has the intelligence to make a point out of it