A U.S. postage stamp commemorates the Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha

[BuddyLee]

and the Muslims are trying to kill us.

Not all Muslims, mostly fundies. I wouldn't buy a stamp which portrayed fudamentalist Muslims or Christians.

 

[jazz lady]

smart ass...don't make me pull out another requote on your ass

Please, anything but that, Missy Nomo.

 

[Pete]

I am in negotiations for the Petezaa stamp.

 

[PrchJrkr]

I am in negotiations for the Petezaa stamp.

Now THAT we'd all buy.

 

[Pete]

Now THAT we'd all buy.

I should have a design contest eh?

you are on the "good" list now

 

[jazz lady]

I should have a design contest eh?

Can we use ArtPad?

 

[PrchJrkr]

I should have a design contest eh?

you are on the "good" list now

How did I get on the "bad" list?:shrug:

 

[SilentLucidity]

I don't think I understand the issue here. We are a country based on religious freedom, aren't we? I'm not saying you should go out and buy the stamps, I wouldn't buy a stamp that didn't represent me for who I am, in some manner, unless it was a generic American Flag stamp, but that does describe a part of who I am. Not all Muslims hate Americans. There are fundamentalist factions in all religious groups, and just because some of those groups may share your religion, do you agree with all of their methods? I know "good christians" that hide behind their religious beliefs to persecute and harm people. Does that mean we shouldn't have stamps that have a crucifix on it? Just my two cents...

 

[kwillia]

Pete! They already have a Petezaa stamp ready for release...

 

[punjabigyrl]

First of all, I think that categorizing all muslims in the world with all the uneducated extreme islamic views is unjust, unfair and ignorant. These stamps have been around for 2 or 3 years. After all its a stamp by the USPS.

 

[MMDad]

I would like to know... If Kwanzaa is an African holiday, why do so many Americans celebrate it...

It's not an African holiday. Wiki:

Ron Karenga created Kwanzaa in California in 1966, ...... in order to give African Americans an alternative holiday to Christmas

 

[LordStanley]

I send all my mail by carrier pigeon, so I could careless whats on stamps.

 

[Pete]

Pete! They already have a Petezaa stamp ready for release...

AlGore did not invent Petezaa. If he did it would be Gorzaa and that would just be stupid.

 

[czygvtwkr]

First of all, I think that categorizing all muslims in the world with all the uneducated extreme islamic views is unjust, unfair and ignorant. These stamps have been around for 2 or 3 years. After all its a stamp by the USPS.

I think it has to do with the fact that their religion teaches when you run into a non-muslim you have three choices 1) convert them 2) Kill them 3) Conquer them. There is no middle ground if you are to be a good muslim.

Look up the word fundamentalist it doesnt mean someone who takes something and distorts it, it means someone who believes in the basics.

If you were to call a football coach a fundamentalist it would be a coach who makes his team practice the basics and execute them perfectly.

 

[Bruzilla]

I think it has to do with the fact that their religion teaches when you run into a non-muslim you have three choices 1) convert them 2) Kill them 3) Conquer them. There is no middle ground if you are to be a good muslim.

That's really odd... I spent a lot of time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia... heart of the fundamentalist Muslim world, and met a whole LOT of Muslims, and no one tried to convert, kill, or conquer me even once! I must have missed out on a lot of serious partying while I was there! I've met a lot of Mormans and fundamentalist Christians who have tried to convert/conquer me though. Also, Christians teach that you shouldn't eat meat on Friday, a goal far easier achieved than conquering the West, yet most Christians don't follow that simple request very well. What makes you think that every Muslim household has a Jihad room for planning the downfall of the West?

I did, however, meet a universally nice bunch of people. Even when I transgressed against them (like when I accidentally broke their religious law by walking into the "Family" door at a Wendy's instead of the "Males" door, all I got was a very polite "Sir, you must use the Males door if you are by yourself." No swords, guns, or suicide burger boys tried to kill me. Or when I was sweating my balls off outside a restaurant waiting for prayers to end and the owner interupted his prayers to come and open the door for me so I could wait in the AC for prayer time to end. When I mentioned to my class that one of the folks I worked with at Pax asked me to bring her back a camel, one of my students said he would have a camel for me the next morning... a live six-month old camel! When I complemented them on the English/Farsi nametags the officers wore, they sent one of their guys running to the uniform shop to get a nametag made for me as a gift.

The only difference between Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Americans in the US is we pay a LOT more in taxes! Anyone who thinks they "know" what Muslims are like, based on the actions of a very few crazies, don't know squat. I wouldn't want to be judged as an American based on the actions of Tim McVeigh, Jeffery Dahlmer, or Charles Manson.

 

[czygvtwkr]

That's really odd... I spent a lot of time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia... heart of the fundamentalist Muslim world, and met a whole LOT of Muslims, and no one tried to convert, kill, or conquer me even once!

I never said everyone over there is trying to do that, I said that is what their religion teaches.

 

[Bruzilla]

I never said everyone over there is trying to do that, I said that is what their religion teaches.

That's not really what their religion teaches, only what some who teach it interpret it as. The bible teaches a lot of similar things as well, which doesn't mean that they are taken literally or turned into mandatory acts of all Christians.

 

[czygvtwkr]

That's not really what their religion teaches, only what some who teach it interpret it as. The bible teaches a lot of similar things as well, which doesn't mean that they are taken literally or turned into mandatory acts of all Christians.

That "some" is a significant enough portion to have muslims fighting with just about every other religious group out there.

Until "the majority of peaceful" muslims speak out it doesn't matter what is "really" taught.

 

[Ken King]

Even when I transgressed against them (like when I accidentally broke their religious law by walking into the "Family" door at a Wendy's instead of the "Males" door, all I got was a very polite "Sir, you must use the Males door if you are by yourself." No swords, guns, or suicide burger boys tried to kill me. Or when I was sweating my balls off outside a restaurant waiting for prayers to end and the owner interupted his prayers to come and open the door for me so I could wait in the AC for prayer time to end. When I mentioned to my class that one of the folks I worked with at Pax asked me to bring her back a camel, one of my students said he would have a camel for me the next morning... a live six-month old camel! When I complemented them on the English/Farsi nametags the officers wore, they sent one of their guys running to the uniform shop to get a nametag made for me as a gift.

My experiences with persons of the Muslim faith and those of Arab ethnicity are very much similar. Never had an issue with any of them except one jewelry merchant I totally p!ssed off while haggling over a ring. If you don't haggle it p!sses them off more. Long story short he kicked me out of his shop I came back the next day, apologized, and offered him his asking price, he knocked it down a little and then we went and had a soda together.

Of the 300 million plus Arabs in the world most are great people, it's a shame to cluster them all with the few that create the hate.

But seriously I must ask, when did they put a Wendy's in Riyadh?

 

[ylexot]

I don't think I understand the issue here. We are a country based on religious freedom, aren't we? I'm not saying you should go out and buy the stamps, I wouldn't buy a stamp that didn't represent me for who I am, in some manner, unless it was a generic American Flag stamp, but that does describe a part of who I am. Not all Muslims hate Americans. There are fundamentalist factions in all religious groups, and just because some of those groups may share your religion, do you agree with all of their methods? I know "good christians" that hide behind their religious beliefs to persecute and harm people. Does that mean we shouldn't have stamps that have a crucifix on it? Just my two cents...

I don't see the problem here. Do these holidays promote terrorism? Let's see...(from Wiki)

Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر), often abbreviated as simply Eid, sometimes spelled Eid al-Fitr in the Roman alphabet, is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fitr means "to break" and therefore symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all evil habits. On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers held only for the occasion in big mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas. The prayer is generally short, and is followed by a khutba. The festivities and merriment start after the prayers with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings. Eid is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. This is a time for peace for all Muslims in the world to devote to prayers and mutual well-being.

It is a joyous occasion with important religious significance. Happiness is observed at attaining spiritual uplift after a month of fasting. Muslims dress in holiday attire. After attending the special congregational prayer in the morning, worshippers greet and embrace each other in a spirit of peace, love, and brotherhood. Visiting friends and relatives is common.

For Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is a joyful celebration of the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control.

Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) occurs on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja. It is one of two Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. Eid ul-Adha is celebrated by Muslims worldwide as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son(Ishmael) for (Allah)God. Others celebrate Eid-ul Adha as it marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj for the millions of Muslims who make the trip to Mecca each year. Like Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha also begins with a short prayer followed by a khutba. In Mecca, the Khutba is delivered from Mount Arafat.

Muslims believe that God(Arabic:Allah) revealed in a dream to Ibrahim (Prophet Abraham) to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Ibrahim and Isma’il set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey Allah and not to sacrifice his beloved son. But Ibrahim stayed true to Allah, and drove the devil away. As Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his son, Allah stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead. The story is also a part of the other Abrahamic religions (see the Binding of Isaac). Muslims also celebrate Eid-ul Adha as it marks the end of the Pilgrimage or Hajj for the millions of Muslims who make the trip to Mecca each year.

While Eid ul-Fitr is considered to be three days, Eid ul-Adha is supposed to be four days. The first day is the primary holiday, on which men, women, and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing and perform prayer (Salah) in a large congregation. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice; this sacrifice is called "Qurban." The meat is distributed amongst their neighbors, relatives, and the poor and hungry. The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid ul-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during this day. Coming immediately after the Day of Arafat (when Muhammad pronounced the final seal on the religion of Islam), Eid ul-Adha gives concrete realization to what the Muslim community ethic means in practice.