Q6: New York Times Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof Answers Viewers' Questions

In our Sixth installment, Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof responds to inquiries on his perceptions of Islam vis-à-vis the role of women?

About: Last month, Nicholas D. Kristof, the Pulitzer prize-winning Op-Ed columnist, offered viewers a chance to ask questions about his experiences and travels around the globe.

Now, Nick will be responding to six of your questions with a new video post everyday from July 7 - July 12. The first answer will appear in TimesCast, a daily news video from NYTimes.com.

- Follow Nick's columns on http://www.nytimes.com/kristof
- Watch Nick's videos on http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/opinion/nicholas-...
- Watch TimesCast: http://www.nytimes.com/timescast
- Watch video from The New York Times on http://www.nytimes.com/video

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[jontwest]

Your claim "you can't win people for your...anti-ideology" is false. In fact, several Muslims have told me they've decided to LEAVE Islam after debating it - despite death-threats they face because of Islam's current teaching on apostasy. (Not that you or Kristof care about death-threats Muslims face for leaving Islam, or that this teaching drives the bombings & abuse of Shi'as by Sunnis, and vice-versa.)

"Let others be" - if you really believe that, you will help stop Islam victimizing people.

[jontwest]

@denullifier are you claiming the Christians *don't* see their Jesus as opposed to stoning women? Or are you just blathering your ignorance again to signify that you count yourself with Kristof, in viewing Muhammad's enthusiastic stoning of women (still followed today) as a "liberated" view of women?

Is there no abuse of Muslims Islam could preach which you would condemn? My guess is you would give Islam a pass to kill and abuse any Muslim, or anyone else.

[jontwest]

I specifically asked your reaction to Islam’s explicit teaching of beating disobedient women. No response. When Islam is finally exposed on national TV, you will see how people who aren't psychopaths react, as the vast majority will be instantly disgusted. (Btw, you didn't ask me my feelings about normal "moderate" people indoctrinated into Islam.)

Re "cherry-picking" Youtube clips, I can't find your *non* cherry-picked clip 'Khalid Latif: Real men don't hit women' on Youtube. More info please.

[jontwest]

Now, one of the most important of the Christians' beliefs about their "Jesus" is he disapproved of an adulterous woman being stoned to death, & stopped the stoning with words made famous "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her."

This event is believed to have occurred 6 CENTURIES *before* Muhammad's killings, & was written of - approvingly - approx. 500 YEARS *before* Muhammad. So, on the issue of stoning women to death, Muhammad was significantly unreconstructed.

[jontwest]

I want to examine Kristof’s claim Muhammad had "quite LIBERATED views" about women. To begin, Muhammad on stoning women.

Hadith of Sunan Abu-Dawud, 38 #4429

...THE PROPHET (pbuh) HAD A WOMAN STONED and a pit was dug up to her breasts.

Bukhari 60 #79

the Prophet ordered the two adulterers to be stoned to death, and they were stoned to death near the place where biers used to be placed near the Mosque. I saw her companion (i.e. the adulterer) bowing over her so as to protect her from the stones.

[jontwest]

A psychopath is "characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy". Your response to Islamic clerics calling for the beating of women is... nil. It clearly doesn't affect you, because you don't care about Muslims. You DO care about your pro-Islam ideology, & anyone who gets hurt simply doesn't matter.

As to your claim about "cherry-picking", please direct me to Islamic clerics preaching that women should NOT be beaten by men. If I had to "cherry-pick", then such clerics should be easy to find.

[jontwest]

So, you tacitly admit you have no problem with dozens of Islamic clerics appearing on public TV to teach millions of Muslims how to BEAT WOMEN, in accordance with the Qur'an. No surprise there - it fits my earlier claim: you psychopaths care about Islam, not Muslims.

There are those who are ignorant, and then there are the profoundly ignorant who are determined to remain so for ideological reasons, while they continue trying to protect those who viciously abuse human rights.

[jontwest]

Calm down & *check the facts*. You claim I "present an imbecile demonisation" of Islam's teachings on beating women. But I've only given you ISLAM'S texts. Please now view a variety of Islamic clerics appearing on public TV programs to influence millions of Muslims with regard to HOW TO BEAT WOMEN. See the playlist ‘Islam violence to women’ by scrolling down the r/h side of my channel. View the 9 clips, & tell me if you *really* care about women's rights - enough to demand Islam STOP THE ABUSE.

[jontwest]

While Islamic clerics appear on TV to convince millions of viewers that beating women is ok, and to convince Muslims that killing all Jews is an ultimate requirement of Islam, & to convince Muslim CHILDREN to "martyr" themselves, to teach the execution of gays, to teach that Muslim apostates should be killed etc, the best you have to offer is to accuse me of trying to "demonise another group's ideology".

I simply present Islam's CURRENT teachings, so the demonizing must come from Islam, & you.

[jontwest]

The question I asked "I'm opposed to the physical abuse of women Islam CURRENTLY preaches..how about you?" [For its currency, see playlist 'Islam violence to women' down the r/h side of my channel.]

You wrote 4 posts, yet couldn't bring yourself to agree. Instead you wrote "Islamic scholars should put emphasis on the non-violent interpretation." I've never heard of the non-violent interpretation of "scourge" or "beat", but I'm sure you've written to the ulema to suggest an *urgent* reform. Not.