Daval

Mickey Mouse is a corrupting influence and must die, a Muslim cleric has declared.

Sheikh Muhammad Munajid claimed the mouse is "one of Satan's soldiers" and makes everything it touches impure.

But he warned that depictions of the creature in cartoons such as Tom and Jerry, and Disney's Mickey Mouse, had taught children that it was in fact loveable.

The cleric, a former diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Washington DC, said that under Sharia, both household mice and their cartoon counterparts must be killed.

Mr Munajid was asked to give Islam's teaching on mice during a religious affairs programme broadcast on al-Majd TV, an Arab television network.

According to a translation prepared by the Middle East Media Research Institute, an American press monitoring service, he said: "The mouse is one of Satan's soldiers and is steered by him.

"If a mouse falls into a pot of food – if the food is solid, you should chuck out the mouse and the food touching it, and if it is liquid – you should chuck out the whole thing, because the mouse is impure.

"According to Islamic law, the mouse is a repulsive, corrupting creature. How do you think children view mice today – after Tom and Jerry?

"Even creatures that are repulsive by nature, by logic, and according to Islamic law have become wonderful and are loved by children. Even mice.

"Mickey Mouse has become an awesome character, even though according to Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed in all cases."

Last month Mr Munajid condemned the Beijing Olympics as the "bikini Olympics", claiming that nothing made Satan happier than seeing females athletes dressed in skimpy outfits.

Source


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So who wants to join me on a jihad against Disneyland?

Seriously though, this type of mentality really, really scares me. This is 2008 and people still think like this? I really thought this was going to be a parody article when I first found it, but it appears to be legitimate.

How do you reason with this type of thinking?

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Baraka_Guru

Yes, but not because of this...but because the damned mouse has messed up copyright law in the U.S. It's ridiculous. /threadjack

It's yet another indication that Islam is being used for political purposes. The Mouse represents American culture, right?

You can't. Even if Muslim law dictates that mice are impure and shouldn't contaminate your food, what in hell does this have to do with a cartoon character, an anthropomorphic animation of a mouse? It's a logical fallacy. A caveat, however: I might not fully understand the symbolism of mice. Is this a practical thing (ie, food related)? Or does the mouse represent something more sinister? Well, it still doesn't really matter because all this would indicate is that Muslims who are offended were done so incidentally, not on purpose.... unless Walt Disney was Islamophobic.

I think this is just silly, and it may be yet another indicator that Islam is in dire need of a reformation. I'm not sure what the general sentiment is amongst others, but this guy needs to really sit down and think about what he's doing.

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Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
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Poppinjay

The mouse has been a symbol of jews for anti-semites.

I used to work for Mickey, until the rat bastard sold us to Citadel.

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dlish

i thought i'd jump in and clear a few things up before it gets messy in here.

firstly, Muhammad Al Munajjid is a prominent muslim scholar in Saudi Arabia, and comes from the well known sunni strain of islam known today as wahabism. their strict interpretations are well known across the islamic world. their most popular adherant being none other than Osama Bin laden himself.

so when it comes to interpretation, if you want the strictest interpetation on anything islamic to do with islamic law, then you head over to the wahabi interpretation. they do have their good things, and i know many people who follow their brand of islam. some im fond of, others i am not.

theres a few issues to think about here:

1) mice/rats in islamic law - they are referred to in arabic as "fuwaysiqa" which translated means deviant or evil. why does it refer to rats as evil? the popular belief is that no good from it. its unclean, it may carry diseases (black plague), it eats stored food. the reference to kill them is in regards to them being in your house. The islamic injunction to kill mice or rats refers to when they are in your house. now which person wouldnt kill a mouse or rodent in their house with bait or traps? (except for maybe Master Splinter)

2) the 2nd issue here is the cartoon mice - are they going to eat your rations? spread disease? unclean? cause havoc? none of the above - so there is no islamic injunction that refers to cartoon mice. NONE! cartoons didnt even exist at the time of the prophet Muhammad, so theres no way he made a reference to cartoons. Therefore this is an interpretation of the sheikh going on a few sayings of the prophet Muhammad that has been extended to cartoons. its merely someone interpretation of islamic law, and a wahabi interpratation at that!

so i say, dont taint the majority because of a few erring individuals.

i agree with baraka, this IS quite silly and uncalled for. theres no conspiracy here! i dont think that its a political issue with mice or cartoons or the influence of cartoons in the islamic world at all. its a non issue as far as im concerned.

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mrklixx

Soooo, I guess this mouse should kill himself then?!?

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dlish

let me do it mrklixx

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little_tippler

I don't think there's any reasoning to be made here, it's an over-exaggeration of the islamic faith I imagine.

Personally, I am tolerant of others and their beliefs, so long as they are tolerant of me also. Respect and be respected.

For me, to even waste time on considering whether Mickey Mouse is evil and must die is ridiculous and a very big misuse of my limited time, and I would dare say, most peoples'.

Yet here I am responding to this lol

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We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

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genuinegirly

What's not to like?






dlish- thanks for the insight. I was really confused about why someone would have a reason to call mice satan's pawn.

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jorgelito

If you are saying the cleric is silly for saying this then I agree although I feel it is far more sinister than just silly. It is downright dangerous. But if you are saying this thread is silly for mentioning it, then I vehemently disagree.

There may not be a conspiracy but it is certainly an issue as it is one more channel of reinforcing anti-American/anti-Western sentiment. In the same manner I would find misleading and harmful images/statements of Islam/Muslims in America to be an issue and counterproductive.

As for the influence of cartoons in the Islamic world? There is a certain Danish cartoonist who would probably disagree with you along with many others. Do not underestimate the power of cartoons.

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Charlatan

I'd join in the hunt to kill Mickey too... but not for the reasons stated by the cleric.

I hate Mickey.

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Poppinjay

Don't confuse Mickey with the failed policies of Michael Eisner and Walt Disney.

Mickey himself is pretty respectable, except for dating his cousin. They seem pretty chaste. He took in his three nephews after his brother died in a tragic trap incident. Mickey has always been the voice of reason when Donald boils over, or Goofy comes up with some wacky scheme.

Plus, he had his own club which gave us Britney Spears. Hasn't that been a fun train wreck to watch?

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I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

Baraka_Guru

But what about the Mickey Mouse Protection Act?

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

dlish

i mentioned the word silly in agreeance with baraka - post 2 or 3. it had nothing to do with me saying that this thread was silly.

and yes, its not just silly, its quite stupid to even think that its ok to kill mickey. Mickey is NOT alive..mickey has NEVER been alive! heck, mickey is about as non existant as santa (sorry to spoil it guys). you cant kill a figment of your imagination. so for Al Munajjid to claim thats it ok to kill mickey, must mean that he's not in connection with reality.

with regards to the danish cartoons - this is in no way has any connection with the danish cartoons. the danish cartoons were political. this is more 'theological' or maybe even 'psychological'!

i still think that the MICKEY cartoon is a non issue. political cartoons are a different story.

baraka - i'd defend mickey to the death. you in?

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Daval

You lying bastard! When I went to Disneyland when I was 6 I saw him with my very own eyes. He lives!!!
-----Added 17/9/2008 at 02 : 00 : 26-----

I agree totally, the danish cartoons are a completely different ball game.

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World's King

FEAR ME!!!

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jorgelito

Both cases are a condemnation of a cartoon. And this guy definitely politicized the Mickey cartoon. Of course it is an issue, he made it one.

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to the one that endures to the end."

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dlish

no he didnt politicise the killing of mickey. he was using islamic jurispudence and hadith to justify a demented thought.

it had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the fact that hadith state that rodents are to be killed. it all depends on how far you really want to stretch these thoughts on killing rodents.

for goodness sake he was talking about how popular/awesome mickey has become. surely this man is not a man living in the 21st century. michey was barely popular even when i was a kid!

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
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World's King

No one wants to comment on my picture... ?

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MexicanOnABike

WK: well since we're all going to hell, I didn't think it was important to comment on it.

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curiousbear

Another best example of how religions writings can be interpreted by backward people. The prohpet wrote in simple sentences so that any one could understand it. Or may be some one translated it literally. This happens in all religions. People can understand only based on thier wisdom.

Mr. Munajid is unwell and needs some pschological help. The people in bikini and watching the bikini may not be muslims. Allah is not thier god. So it doesnt matter. What is wrong here is a muslim seeing that and paying so much attention to it.

Why do you want to reason it?
Why not just ignore it?

mrklixx

Hard to ignore when crap starts blowing up.

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spindles

yep, somebody better get Mickey presidential style secret service protection

/sarcasm

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jorgelito

Dlish, I think we may just have to agree to disagree on this one. At least for now. Maybe we're not getting each other at the moment but that's ok, we can always revisit it in the future.

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to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

dlish

oh dammit jorge!

and why is everyone ignoring WK's picture??

maybe its because you look like a total dick whos going to hell.

im sure you've posted this one before though..right?

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

SSJTWIZTA

-sigh-

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Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me.
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jorgelito

Er...? What? I'm confused...

I don't even know what WK's picture is.You mean the avatar right?

__________________
"The race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, but
to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

dlish

this one jorge

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

jorgelito

Oh, I didn't realize that was WK. I thought it was some Mormon.

__________________
"The race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, but
to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

dlish

take away the ears and it becomes a scull cap. easily converted!

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

Baraka_Guru

Sure. But does our sphere of protection include World's King...when he wears that hat....in public?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

dlish

no - id burn him at the stake- imposter!

mmuuwwaahahahahaha!

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

echo5delta

Well, I don't know about Satan, but speaking for myself...

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Reese

The Hindu rat goddess is totally going to kick Mr. Whoever's ass for threatening Mickey like that! Wait.. I think she's a pacifist...

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