Ghost of a flea: Words matter

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March 11, 2010

Words matter

Here is how Nico Hines, writing for The Times, describes the would be death of Rajib Karim.

A British Airways computer expert charged with terror offences planned to take advantage of a strike by BA staff to become a temporary member of the cabin crew, a court heard today.

Rajib Karim, 30, from Newcastle upon Tyne, faces three charges under counter terrorism legislation. He is accused of two counts of planning suicide bombings and his own martyrdom.

I am certain Karim thought of himself as a shaheed, or "witness", a jihadi concept frequently mis-translated as "martyr." But a real martyr? He is no such thing, of course. The shaheed does not sacrifice himself for others, he sacrifices himself as an offering to a demon who delights in direct proportion to the unwilling sacrifices the bomber would drag with him to the underworld. A witness to nothing but his own shabby grievances, Karim is no martyr.

The Times should know better. This may be the first time in history a civilization will stand or fall on the issue of misplaced courtesies.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at March 11, 2010 09:27 AM

Comments

They are accepting and presenting Muslim religious beliefs as fact. Words such as martyrdom should be in quotation marks. Mohammed should not be the Prophet Mohammed but Mohammed, the Islamic prophet.

This demonstrates a lack of objectivity which leads to the question, Why? Why present Muslim religious beliefs as fact when they don't do it for any other religion?

They could be doing it for financial reasons or to curry favour with rich and powerful people or they could be doing it out of fear.

Whatever the reason, each time a member of the media or a politician or a person in power chooses to do this, they are actively working to undermine and destroy our civilization, whether intentionally or not.

Posted by: Josephine at March 11, 2010 10:30 AM