perfect, our readers will provide…...

You have way too much time on your hands.

If I might say something positive and in favor of this progressiveislam.org website:

I feel that the humor here, and the ability to laugh at oneself, can have a very positive effect on Islam in particular, and world peace and tolerance in general.

Those who are extremist fundamentalists have lost precisely this ability to take themselves with a grain of salt, and to laugh about differences, or perceived slights and insults.

To give you one serious example, I remember several years back when a Purdue chicken add poked fun an a Hare Krishna devotee at an airport. The advertisement portrayed the devotee, who is a vegetarian, being horrified and Mr. Purdue for promoting the killing of animals.

I asked the opinion of a very high ranking person in the Hare Krishna movement what he thought of the advertisement. He laughed and said that it did not bother him at all.

Now, supposed they were so fanatical and humorless that they put out a contract on Mr. Purdue, to have him killed. Does this sound far fetched? No of course it does not. We have seen many instances of people who were killed or imprisoned for insulting a religion, or even a political regime.

On myspace.com one sees animated GIF cartoons of President Bush doing silly things like competing with Gov. Schwartznegger, lifting weights. We see the President mocked on television in skits like Saturday Night Live, and nighttime talk shows.

No one is imprisoned or assassinated for such mockery.

That is because we have a sense of humor. We can take roasts and gests in our stride. And what is it that enables us to do this? It is our confidence in ourselves and our principles and beliefs and values which gives us the courage to laugh at ourselves.

I say hooray for Laury Silvers, and all those progressive minded people who seek to humanize their beliefs, and work towards tolerance , equanimity and forebearance, whatever their personal convictions or ideologies might be.

Laughter, not Slaughter

Upon further thought, I coined an amusing title for my post, and reposted at myspace.

You see me chewing my miswak
I know they’re all thinkin’ I’m so
Total Sunna

Think I’m just too Total Sunna
Think I’m just too Total Sunna
Can’t you see I’m Total Sunna
Look at me I’m Total Sunna

I wanna roll with the Salaf
But so far they all think I’m too
Total Sunna

Think I’m just too Total Sunna
Think I’m just too Total Sunna
I’m just too Total Sunna
Really, really Total Sunna

First in my class here at Medina
Got skills, I’m a champion at qira’a
Ha Mim Keller, that’s my favorite M’ Qat
Keep your short thobe, I’ll wear my long abaya
My usul never change, to the contrary
You’ll find that they’re quite stationary
My din is totally taqlidi
Imam Bukhari’s in my library

(I tried for Sitaram’s sake)

ROTFOL!

LMAO, very nice. I am impressed with your flow skills LS.