i do hope that the sysops here can understand and get behind the purpose of this thread; if they have any real issues with it, i ask that you let me know first before...?

What is the purpose of this thread?

for people to voluntarily in a non-theoretical & relatively-safe way examine & discuss just what is involved in being offended, which I believe is very topical

& to tell WC aboot the plight of the young couple in Malay

Respect where you live.

In Malaysia, jibes of that sort are equivalent to sectarian jibes in Glasgow or "hate crimes" in Canada. In Canada you can too often get away with it. In Glasgow and Malaysia disturb the peace and risk getting people hurt gets you banged up. Poke sticks in a beehive and you can expect to get stung. 

I give much more of my concern to the condition of First Nations peoples here and the racist attitides of so many Canadians towards them, without acknowledgement of their being beneficiaries of appropriated indigenous assets.

Respect where you live. 

Maybe this should bother you more:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=629406500411270&set=a.2785683821...

Canada claims sovereignty… where's the responsibility that needs to go with it? 

Respect where you live, and don't judge what you are incapable of understanding.

I get a sort of "dogshit on the sidewalk" feeling. Nothing much you can do about it except hold your breath and walk around it. You would rather not see it but there it is!  You just know you'll encounter it again  on another occasion in some other place because some things never change. Some things remain constant.  Dog shit ... and human folly and intolerance.

 I hear Malaysia's sidewalks are very clean. They have a way to go on those other things though. Luckily Malaysia is on the other side of the world and I don't need to go there.

This is not a Malaysian issue - it's an Islamism issue.  And because Islam is growing at a rapid pace in North America, it's just a matter of time before our government will take a similar stance in similar situations described in this article. Christianity has been largely rejected in Canada and Islam is gaining a greater influence day by day.

So you're right, no need to go there, it's coming here.  Actually, it's already here - it just has not come into full power yet.

This has more to do with race and economics, with religion being used as an excuse by indigenous Malays to undermine the power of ethic Chinese. The Malays make up a bear   Much as George Bush claimed God to be on his side when he invaded Iraq

According to wikipedia politics on Malaysia is largely race based, not religious based. However the ethnic Chinese are wealthier and  Indigenous Malays are largely poorer. Ethic Chinese, and Indians make up 1/2 of the population while Malays make up the other half. Indigenous Malays have certain privileges in the constitution.

 A former colony of the UK, Malaysia is a constitutional democracy, with a federal system much like Canada's. Islam is the official state religion, just as Anglicanism is the official state religion. Freedom of religion is guaranteed. 

Muslim  parties have had some success in rural provinces of Malaysia, but any attemtps to adapt Muslims laws in these rural areas have been overturned by the federal government and the federal courts.

The court case against  these ethinically Chinese bloggers is intertwined with Malayasia history of racial conflict,.

However I would suggest that due to a strong Chinese and Indian presence since the 1st century, it is wrong to conclude that the issues are the same ase those facing European migrants in Canadian and First nations.  For one Malayas are still a bare majority of the voters.

The couple are being twits, but any law that would jail them for being twits is stupid. People can be offended all they want, but offense against an idea alone should not result in serious jail time. These two took a crack at a religion.  You want to get back at them? Explain to them why it's wrong. Jailing them just makes it look like you have to defend your deity and his prophet yourselves, because your deity and his prophet are incapable of defending themselves. You're basically admitting that Allah is impotent.

We're allowing these images for discussion now? When did that change?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not flagging them, and if you do, I think you're being a twit as well. I still just don't understand what images pass around here, and why. Two years ago, my stick figure image labelled "Not Mohammad" was removed. Discussion of Islam makes Aaron so jumpy, Rob Ford staffers look stable by comparison.

Lookin Up (to the top, of a delux apartment in the sky), MikePaterson, qwerty, Alex, chansen,

thank you for your words and thoughts.  good show :3