I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Yes, momine - Gucci is definitely made to last.

I am a big fan of Salvatore Ferragamo - the same quality but less recognizable. Superb craftsmanship on top of beauty. I especially love their shoes.

Watching Jon Stewart again last night.  Seriously, I learn more about American politics there than in the mainstream media. 

Last night was about the reports of Hagel and "Friends of Hamas" connection, one of the groups that doesn't even exist even though Hagel has been maligned because of his connection to them.  Really?

Jackie, have you not heard about shariah law in Dearborn Michigan? They even have the public whistles, horns, whatever go off several times a day to call to prayer.



It's happening in our own backyard.



http://www.kate-wells.com/kate_wells/2010/06/sharia-law-in-dearborn-michigan.html



Old hippie

Paula

Alexandria, that's absolutely true, but what happened to freedom of speech, and the right to assemble peaceably? If you get arrested for handing out literature whether christian or otherwise, our rights are being taken away.



We didn't see this happening in the 70's when the hari krishnas were everywhere.



Paula

Whether there is or is not sharia law, the dictatorial nature of many christian leaders in our country is no less pernicious than other religious extremism. Before we worry about Islam, let's not forget all those preachers who routinely blame "liberals" and "homosexuals" for every calamity ranging from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina.

We need a call to prayer for sure - from protestant extremism in our own heartland. People like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell are a danger to this country. They are, to use the words of a one-time republican presidential candidate (before he was a candidate), "agents of intolerance."

Then we have the Catholic church protecting pedophiles.

Really, I don't think Islam has much on us Christians (even us atheist ones :-) ).

All extremists are a problem.  All religions, all politics.  

I think pip puts it best. Extremism does not know national or cultural boundaries.

I like the comparison of the Muslim calls to prayer to the ringing of church bells in steeples. I don't like that some people dislike Muslims purely for who they are. Are they not allowed to practice their religion as well as Christians? I have several Muslim co-workers and I don't feel they are imposing their religion on me, nor do I impose my Christianity on them. It's all about RESPECT. Some have forgotten this-some Christians, some Muslims, and yes, some atheists. 

Mary

Paula, others have already pointed out that the call to prayer is no different than a church bell. As far as Muslims having some evil plan to take over Dearborn, I really doubt it. Dearborn has had an Arab (mostly Christian Arab, by the way) community for a long time. When the US government took in some Iraqis after Gulf War I, they decided to settle them in Dearborn. That is the main reason there is now a sizeable Muslim community in Dearborn.

As far as the poor, hard done to preacher boys, my sympathy is somewhat limited. We are Greek-Orthodox. I am trying to imagine our annual Easter Greek festival at our suburban, Greek-Orthodox church (when we lived in the US) and how people would react if a bunch of bearded Muslim dudes showed up declaring "allahu akbar" and handing out Qurans. I frankly find the preacher boys quite numbskull and rude to boot.

By the way, Shariah means "the way" or "the path." It is like a catechism and law book in one, except there are actually 4 distinctly different Shariah traditions just in Sunni Islam.

Very little of the Shariah is based in the Quran, for the simple reason that the Quran doesn't spell out many rules. Most of the Quran is vague retellings of Bible stories and exhortations to obey God, be righteous etc.

Instead the Shariah is based on "hadiths" - sayings - which purport to be things said either by the Prophet or his companions. There is a VAST mass of these hadiths, and an equally vast literature on which hadiths you can trust and which are bogus. The more out there Salafi crazies often base their various crap on hadiths that mainstream Islam has rejected as bogus. 

About 20% of the Shariah is actual laws, the rest is catechism stuff, when to pray, how to be a good Muslim and so on. Not really very scary. Most of mainstream Islam believes (and it is enshrined in Shariah) that if a non-Muslim state leaves them alone and lets them practice their faith freely and unmolested, then they must be loyal to said state and follow its laws.

Pip, absolutely. This country was supposedly formed on the basis of religious freedom. So, where is that so-called freedom today?

Sadly, when we tolerate each other, that is mocked by some as being "politically correct".

Mary

Hands up if you are about six feet tall AND thin AND of willowly beauty. This lioness's paw is not going up....BUT it's free to look, as they say.

And that's what I do with great admiration for this season's Versace collection. People said it took Donatella a long time to recover from Gianni's untimely death. He was a master, and a hard act to follow, but Donatella was already creative director of parts of the house while he was alive and her enormous talent is simply undeniable. Gianni's overt sexuality was nonetheless soft, if sometimes very racy. Donatella is more hard and practical, but to me the brand is at its best when the two are mixed. Donatella seems to have embraced more of the sexuality with abandon that made Versace so appealing, while maintaining her great sense of architecture (don't know how else to describe it). I would be very surprised if this collection isn't a hit with the critics:

I love this look:

Amazing boots, too.

ETA: