10/15/2005: Monk protection
 

http://cellar.org/2005/monkmobile.jpg

Sad, is how I'd tag this one.

Buddhist monks in southern Thailand are, by their very definition, anti-violence. But they are increasingly the subject of violence from Islamic terrorists -- in motorcycle drive-bys, grenade attacks and even IEDs. Muslims are the minority there and are in an increasing state of unrest.

So the monks have had to take defensive measures... developing the monkmobile, above, a prototype in which a monk can still go around and collect alms. In another approach, the traditional saffron robes of the monk are upgraded with a traditional saffron bulletproof vest.

http://cellar.org/2005/monkjacket.jpg

(From Eyeteeth and thai-blogs.com via we make money not art)

Very sad. Usually the assholes that are eager to administer violence at these levels are spineless cowards, so they tend to target the non-violent people or organisations. I guess the reason for that would be so maybe they won't have to run after they put on a plastic badass display.
When I see monks now all I can think of is "Anger Management".

Thanks for the unexpected Saturday image, UT.... Very nice.

Yes. Once they've killed all the monks and pacificists, women and children, grandma's and grandpa's the only people they will have to battle will be the soliders. The mother-less, wife-less, child-less, religion-less soldiers. They'll have to face them sooner or later.

What cowards! Utter shit beneath the shoe! :mad2:

Motheres everywhere care about their children. How do we teach them such different things? People and stars are made of the same stuff. Sometimes I find stars more inspiring. What glory in hurting someone who would never fight back?

ME
http://lettingmebe.blogspot.com

Is that a machine gun mounted on that bike?

I think it's just a riot shield.

Just below the little window in the bike's riot shield there is a moveable gun!

The monk is non-violent... good for him. I wonder how he feels about the guard being violent on his behalf.

If trouble starts the guard will be shooting on his own behalf. :lol:

Can that thing fly too?
Look like someones WWII airforce ID-decal on the left "wing". :)

unbelievable
 

While I thoroughly disagree with islamic terrorists inciting violence based on 'american foreign policy' (I have no problem with American foreign policy) --- at least I can fathom it. At least it is conceiveable.

Needing to kill the monks? Holy f'n crap.

We all know that not all who follow Islam are terrorists. However, it's time they got their SHIT UNDER CONTROL. As of right now, I completely associate Islam with suicide bombings, and terrorism.

http://prodtn.cafepress.com/5/22365595_F_tn.jpg

What???? it's not THEIR "shit"! How could they stop some crazy people just because they have the same ideas about God??? Like saying isn't it time the aetheists got their "SHIT UNDER CONTROL" and stopped things like the colombine high massacre and for that matter all shootings, violence and crime done IN THEIR NAME ?!?!?!?! whats that sorry, you can't? because you had nothing to do with those crazy people who did that? please stop being stupid!!!

grr.

Did the columbine massacre occur "in the name of atheism"? NO. Perhaps you can grasp the freakin point now.

So, YES, perhaps all the religious scholars who represent Islam SHOULD be concerned that people are starting to associate Islam with terror. I am. And yes, while I acknowledge (AND DID IN MY PREVIOUS POST) that not all for follow Islam believe in terror, almost ALL terrorists are muslim, acting in the name of islam.

Some interesting viewpoints can be read here. I do not subscribe to all of them, but they raise some very interesting points.

My point was that the ASSOCIATION exists and exists because of their actions. They should be concerned. I know if I owned a 1,000,000 employee business and 5% of my employees were acting radically and killing people in the name OF MY COMPANY, THEN AS MANAGEMENT OF MY COMPANY I WOULD TAKE SOME HARSH STEPS TO PREVENT THE SOILING OF MY COMPANIES' NAME. This was my point.

*edit -- to clarify my point: I didn't mean 'the individual non terrorist followers' of islam bear this responsibility of 'CLEANING THIS SHIT UP'. I meant Islam as a religion needs to seriously take action here. There is not enough 'outrage'. Example: the Catholic church finally had to take new policy into consideration re: the sexual abuse. In other words, they needed to GET THEIR SHIT in order (their effectiveness in doing so is questionable, but that's not my point) Perhaps Islam needs to take the opportunity to GET THEIR SHIT in order. THAT's my point. Still think it's a stupid stupid point?

The Muslim radical Right is trying to co-opt governments and societies everywhere, but their numbers are relatively small, so they are doing it through force and terror. The Christian radical Right is doing the same thing here in the US, but there's enough of them that they don't have to resort to blowing people up in their own country. Overseas, however, is another matter.

hmm
 

re: radical Christian right: I assume your point is that US policy overseas re: the war in Iraq and 'blowing stuff up' is based on the radical Christian right, who wants to eliminate Islam in the name of Christianity, somehow indirectly has controlled our armed forces --- but I don't see it.

I do realize that I committed a faux-pas --- I took an IOTD and commented mostly on the political nature behind the image, as opposed to the image itself. I'm happy to move the political discussion off the IOTD thread.

I will take the time to make an observation re: the image.... anyone else notice the BULLSEYE painted on the armor on the bike? Is this a symbol with an alternate meaning..... or is this "if you're gonna shoot, please (subliminally?) shoot here at the plated armor instead of my body". :biggrin:

Yeah.

Your legitimate concerns that terrorists need to be stopped, controlled, have new policies considered are shared by me and by all reasonable people. We differ, however, when you say "Islam is responsible". I disagree.

There is no central control mechanism in Islam, there is no discrete "THEY" responsible, or able to get something in order. For every Catholic priest whose actions tar the image of the Catholic church, there are many more who are equally appalled at the situation, just as non priests, even non Catholics are. When terrorists commit their crimes, every reasonable person is scandalized and outraged. Including muslims. Including Imams.

Even your example of a million employee company, which you headed, that had 50,000 criminals is flawed. Obviously, "your" company would be "your" responsibility, and you would have both the authority and the responsibility to take action. I've already pointed out that there's no Pope of Islam, in charge, that can lay down the law. Furthermore, your numbers are ridiculously off. There are well over a Billion muslims in the world, and that would put your 5% of bad apples at 50 million plus. The entire population of Iraq is about 25 million. I don't think your figure is close. Even say, 1%, 10 million terrorists, is ridiculously high. I'm just blue skying here, but an easy number, an extremely generously high number would be perhaps, ONE million "Islamic" terrorists. How many is that? How many more muslims are NOT terrorists? 99.9% percent are not terrorists. Yeah, these are back of the envelope numbers, but I don't think I'm underestimating the number of "Islamic" terrorists. I'm probably overestimating the number of terrorists that take action in the way you're talking about.

So, yeah. I DO think it's stupid to let the tiniest fraction of people define the group. It's not a very homogenous group to begin with, and every muslim I've ever talked to says that the actions done "in the name of Islam" say that it is a lie.

Yes, we do know that. And in the next breath you contradict yourself.

You make that association because that's how it's portrayed in the media. You could be a more discerning consumer of the media and you would come to a different conclusion.

***Set apart for emphasis***
There is a LOT missing from your association here. Islam is not about terrorism. Talk to people, read for yourself. Use your judgement Compare and contrast what you hear and read. Consider the source and their possible motivations. It is remotely possible that you could find your conclusions unchanged. Fine. You did the work to understand the issues. But I think it is far far more likely that you'll learn that there's more to Islam than suicide bombings and terrorism. Don't believe the hype.