They are cowardly in the sense that they are not able to reconcile their religion/faith with the reality of the modern world. They are frightened and confused by science and liberalism which is so different from the teachings that they hold so dear. Instead of questioning their faith they prefer to destroy themselves – and as many of the people who seem to thrive in a modern secular world as they can.So yes, they are cowards.
@Richard S Russell: Please repost your comment under rasdoud’s separately. It deserves comment and praise on its own.
However, a couple of quibbles (and they are just quibbles). Not all martyrs died alone. Early Christians died en masse in Roman arenas.
Also, many did have a choice. They could have renounced a belief and skipped the consequences. They chose not to. So they may be considered either brave or foolish, depending on one’s world view, but there sometimes was an opt out. For holding to their belief, they have been accounted as martyrs by the winners (the Christians).
But then (going slightly off-topic), there was the Inquisition, which sometimes would accept a change of heart, but then burn people anyway, “so they could be accepted by Christ, without further sin.” Yeah, right. Were they martyrs or victims?
The person who did this lacked the courage to endure the unpleasant society he was born into. He was excessively afraid of the pain caused by living as a Muslim.
BASLIM THE BEGGAR “@Richard S Russell: Please repost your comment under rasdoud’s separately. It deserves comment and praise on its own.”
I agree and leave your quibble above:
RICHARD S RUSSELL
As a completely certifiable coward myself — I much favor King Arthur’s advice upon encountering the killer rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail — I find it disheartening that people will employ the term “coward” as an insult. Avoiding confrontation and violence is, to me, the essence of civilized behavior. Indeed, as Sigmund Freud put it, “The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.”
Therefore, I endorse Rasdaoud’s comment that, whatever you want to call Salman Abedi, “coward” is not appropriate. He did not shy away from danger and violence, he perpetrated it.
Also, I don’t want to hear his cheering section refer to him as a “martyr”. A true martyr is a victim, not a perpetrator. A true martyr wants to live, not to die. A true martyr is helpless to prevent his fate, not someone who could walk away at any time. A true martyr is on the receiving end of an unjust, repressive, intolerant regime, not someone who’s trying to create one. Most true martyrs suffer long, agonizing deaths, not the quick, painless ones favored by suicide bombers.
Most salient of all, a true martyr dies alone; he doesn’t take scores of helpless, unthreatening men, women, and children with him.
Journalists and cartoonists have a clear-cut alternative available. The Arabic word mistranslated as martyr is shahid. It’s the word that these butchers use to refer to themselves. Simply use the actual word shahid, rather than perpetrating the mistranslation of it to sully the memory of real martyrs (for whom we should feel sorrow, sympathy, and respect) by lumping them together with these deranged criminals (for whom we should feel nothing but contempt and loathing).
Benson, projecting your “outrage” through a little girl is appropriate. And yet, you have no idea who these “cowards” are. The “leaders” of Europe obviously have no idea either, because they keep welcoming them into their countries, to rape, terrorize, and slaughter at will. And, if anyone even TRIES to identify them, THEY get arrested for “Islamophobia.” Your “concern” for the problem is PATHETIC.
Kip W almost 7 years ago
Also, if your roof leaks, try killing somebody and see if it gets better.
KILLING™! Because everything else is just too complicated.
shakeswilly almost 7 years ago
They are cowardly in the sense that they are not able to reconcile their religion/faith with the reality of the modern world. They are frightened and confused by science and liberalism which is so different from the teachings that they hold so dear. Instead of questioning their faith they prefer to destroy themselves – and as many of the people who seem to thrive in a modern secular world as they can.So yes, they are cowards.
Radish the wordsmith almost 7 years ago
USA prefers the cowardice of drone missiles and 500 pound bombs dropped from planes when they kill children.
Baslim the Beggar Premium Member almost 7 years ago
@Richard S Russell: Please repost your comment under rasdoud’s separately. It deserves comment and praise on its own.
However, a couple of quibbles (and they are just quibbles). Not all martyrs died alone. Early Christians died en masse in Roman arenas.
Also, many did have a choice. They could have renounced a belief and skipped the consequences. They chose not to. So they may be considered either brave or foolish, depending on one’s world view, but there sometimes was an opt out. For holding to their belief, they have been accounted as martyrs by the winners (the Christians).
But then (going slightly off-topic), there was the Inquisition, which sometimes would accept a change of heart, but then burn people anyway, “so they could be accepted by Christ, without further sin.” Yeah, right. Were they martyrs or victims?
Mr. Blawt almost 7 years ago
The person who did this lacked the courage to endure the unpleasant society he was born into. He was excessively afraid of the pain caused by living as a Muslim.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault almost 7 years ago
BASLIM THE BEGGAR “@Richard S Russell: Please repost your comment under rasdoud’s separately. It deserves comment and praise on its own.”
I agree and leave your quibble above:
RICHARD S RUSSELL
As a completely certifiable coward myself — I much favor King Arthur’s advice upon encountering the killer rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail — I find it disheartening that people will employ the term “coward” as an insult. Avoiding confrontation and violence is, to me, the essence of civilized behavior. Indeed, as Sigmund Freud put it, “The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.”
Therefore, I endorse Rasdaoud’s comment that, whatever you want to call Salman Abedi, “coward” is not appropriate. He did not shy away from danger and violence, he perpetrated it.
Also, I don’t want to hear his cheering section refer to him as a “martyr”. A true martyr is a victim, not a perpetrator. A true martyr wants to live, not to die. A true martyr is helpless to prevent his fate, not someone who could walk away at any time. A true martyr is on the receiving end of an unjust, repressive, intolerant regime, not someone who’s trying to create one. Most true martyrs suffer long, agonizing deaths, not the quick, painless ones favored by suicide bombers.
Most salient of all, a true martyr dies alone; he doesn’t take scores of helpless, unthreatening men, women, and children with him.
Journalists and cartoonists have a clear-cut alternative available. The Arabic word mistranslated as martyr is shahid. It’s the word that these butchers use to refer to themselves. Simply use the actual word shahid, rather than perpetrating the mistranslation of it to sully the memory of real martyrs (for whom we should feel sorrow, sympathy, and respect) by lumping them together with these deranged criminals (for whom we should feel nothing but contempt and loathing).
yohannbiimu almost 7 years ago
Benson, projecting your “outrage” through a little girl is appropriate. And yet, you have no idea who these “cowards” are. The “leaders” of Europe obviously have no idea either, because they keep welcoming them into their countries, to rape, terrorize, and slaughter at will. And, if anyone even TRIES to identify them, THEY get arrested for “Islamophobia.” Your “concern” for the problem is PATHETIC.