A very intelligent newly famous writer in London, Hari Kunzru, of mixed parentage there – Pakistani/British – was recently talking in the Guardian about how Muslims in the world are feeling these days, post-911. He said:
“I am increasingly perturbed” by the reflexive racism, even of the left. “This cultural Benetton that we’re living in here in the UK: David Blunkett eating chicken tikka masala while he sends everyone to prison. Muslims in particular are being pushed out. They’re being asked again and again to prove their allegiance as if, all the time, they’re in doubt.”
THE MONEY QUOTE HERE: “I can understand why young Muslims are putting posters of Osama Bin Laden in their bedrooms. He’s a fucking rock star. He’s the only person who appears to be standing up to a ruthless, homogenising identity.”
It says a lot when words like this get thrown around. If in fact OBL (I like that initialsim much better than his name) is a fucking rock star to legions of young Muslims around the world, we be in very big troubles.
And we are.
The most intellegent post of yours I’ve read! 
[quote=“lane119”][quote=“A very intelligent newly famous writer in London, Hari Kunzru, of mixed parentage there – Pakistani/British”]
I can understand why young Muslims are putting posters of Osama Bin Laden in their bedrooms. He’s a fucking rock star. He’s the only person who appears to be standing up to a ruthless, homogenising identity.[/quote][/quote]
But, he has no problem with the ruthless endeavors of the OBLs of the Islamic world to homogenize an Islamic identity? 
And I suppose he would support efforts to diversify culture and religion in Islamic fundamentalist areas where the likes of OBL hold sway?
Exactly Tigerman:
We can all be at peace with Muslims as long as we do not offend their sensibilities and give them what they want, when they want it and all of the time. Hell, Hitler might never have started WWII if we had kept giving him what he wanted but by that time…
So we can solve this problem once and for all by giving the Philippines to Allah, East Timor back to Indonesia, Thailand to the Muslims, all of India to the Muslims, Spain and Portugal and Southern France as well as the Balkans back to the Muslims and let’s not forget Greece, Cyprus and most important of all Israel. Then, I think we may have peace for say a year or so?
Let’s hope he can join this distinguished (no pun intended, or indeed existing) group of rockstars:
Sam Cooke
King Curtis
John Lennon
Marvin Gaye
Al Jackson
Peter Tosh
Ian Curtin, Kurt Kobain, Michael Hutchence would be a good list to put him on too.
[quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]Let’s hope he can join this distinguished (no pun intended) group of rockstars:
Sam Cooke
King Curtis
John Lennon
Marvin Gaye
Al Jackson
Peter Tosh
Ian Curtin, Kurt Kobain, Michael Hutchence would be a good list to put him on too.[/quote]
If only!
BFM:
How is distinguished a pun?
[quote=“fred smith”]BFM:
How is distinguished a pun?[/quote]Hmm… I think I was thinking of extinguished. 
Hey, if it good enough the the Taipei Times, it’s good enough for me.
[quote=“fred smith”]BFM:
How is distinguished a pun?[/quote]
It would be a pun if instead of distinguised as in 1. Characterized by excellence or distinction; eminent., you took it to mean 2. Dignified in conduct or appearance.
That would be a pun, but it would not be a funny pun.