Hello,
I'm the female non face covering web professional by day and IDC volunteer by spare time who designed the site and picked out that niqab STOCK IMAGE, in fact I choose all the niqab photos on the site. Why did I choose such an 'oppressive' image? Simple really, marketing - it attracts attention. Why are there no female profile photographs? Sorry to say that the real reason is quite boring and has nothing to do with diversity or any men but it is because none of the girls actually sent their photos. Almost every web professional will confirm that receiving web content from people is probably the hardest (annoying) thing about building a website. I also spoke to some of the girls after the photo request had been sent and they stated that they did not want their photos on the site. I have to respect that and cannot put their photos online without their permission, everyone has the right to their privacy, thus a temporary stock image was used and the task of finding an alternative solution was never completed.
No bells and whistles, just the truth. I will not commenting any further.
None? Really?
As a group such as yourselves I find that hard to believe.
I can appreciate that, yes, getting pictures to post online from people who know nothing about resolution can be annoying. That, however, is the lamest excuse I've heard in a while to explain why all (I assume all... I have a hard time telling if some of those names are male or female) the men have photos and the ladies do not.
Not even Lucy? You guys don't seem to be trying very hard to put through your... well whatever message it is that you're trying to get across. Something about islam being fun because of all the cake and sweaters?
Hi guys. This is Daniel again from the Islamic Diversity Centre. I'm not in the habit of leaving comments on blogs and I intend to make this my last one. If you guys don't like what we at IDC are about then that's up to you and I can live with that. As for the "taqiyyah" issue, all I can say is feel free to monitor our website, watch our videos on Youtube and follow us on Facebook. If you're ever in the North East, we'd be more than happy to meet up with you. You will see that we promote the same messages (belief in God, respect for our fellow creation, peaceful action to improve the world around us) in public and in private. Lying is permissible in Islam in cases of extreme danger, for example it was permissible for Muslims in the former Yugoslavia to deny being Muslim in order to save themselves from torture and death at the hands of Christian extremists. Otherwise we are commanded to be truthful in the holy Koran - the very word of the living God - and we at IDC try our best to do that.
I suggest all you guys (may Allah bless you) take a break from your computer screens and step outside. Go to the beach or take a walk in the park. Look at the amazing creation of God which surrounds you, and ask yourselves if you really believe the lives you are living are pleasing to the eternal, unique, creator and sustainer of all existence. Ask yourselves if you're ready for your inevitable death, and the eternity beyond. Then go home and read some of the excellent articles about Islam by Brother Daniel Johnson on www.islamicdiversity.org.uk
Daniel Johnson (IDC).
Interesting. I thought the Koran was created by Muhammad and the Bible was the living word of God. Either way, both Xianity and Islam, as well as Judaism and other religion were all created by humans. The idea of a god, heaven, hell, etc are all human creations and only exists in the minds of humans.
Death happens to everyone. It cannot be avoided, despite fairy tales of a human imagined afterlife. So yeah. When my time comes... It won't be any different from the time before my birth. Death is final and I pity the fool who is so scared of death that they fall for a fantasy world.
So even if you aren't lying, what makes you think we want to watch your website or anything else? Esp when most of us on the blog are atheists and don't fall for mythical stories of gods, recreated from previous mythologies and never existed.
IDC does a lot of things, but the work can be broadly categorised into three areas: Working on the front line to ensure that as many people hear about the real message of Islam as possible... That still leaves the question of why we chose that image, rather than a picture of a rather lovely model, wearing a perfectly colour co-ordinated headscarf, with matching lip gloss... meek and oppressed victims, just waiting to be forced into marriage, or have their fingers cut off...
Read IDC Volunteer Tim Humble's response in full...
http://muhammadtim.posterous.com/you-can-tell-a-lot-by-a-womans-avatar
Daniel (IDC).
Daniel,
Are you deliberately missing the point or are you just stupid?
When this site of yours was brought our attention we merely commented on the lack of images of your female contributors.
We DID NOT (and read that slowly) comment on why the contributors should have been replaced with 'a picture of a rather lovely model, wearing a perfectly colour co-ordinated headscarf, with matching lip gloss…'
Our perception of Islam has been confirmed through your site and even more so by your responses.
Another thing - and again, read this slowly - we do not want to hear the ludicrous crap you come up with.
If you respect your female contibutors as you claim. An ordinary snapshot of their faces will suffice. No bells, whistles, lip-gloss or any other paraphernalia required.
But that wouldn't guarantee their safety you argue.
Well, we'll just be thankful they have you big, strong beard wearing reverts to defend them then.
Or maybe not.
The thing is miss Mriana, They are probably not practising any form of lie. Probably just practising *their* truth.
That's the thing with reverts. They are far more 'gung ho' than the real deal.
I would bet cash on muslims - real ones - being rather embarrassed at Daniel Johnsons nonsense.
I really would.
Hello. I'm Daniel Johnson from Islamic Diversity Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne. The reason photos of our female volunteers were not included is purely one of security. Our female volunteers didn't (quite understandably) want to risk being attacked by right wing bigots, who sadly are numerous in the North East of England. I suggest you guys read the articles on our websites (especially the ones by me). They are quite good.
Thanks...
Daniel (the "one with the scraggly beard").
I'm sorry to hear that, Daniel. Do the right-wing bigots only target women, though?
Everyone - Muslim or infidel - has the right to live without the threat of violence.
(That includes the right not to have violence incited against them, including from scripture.)
On the plus side, I imagine the women at your organisation live in greater safety, and have greater religious freedom, in the United Kingdom compared to so-called Muslim countries. And the law treats them equally here. And it is not honourable to murder women here.
I'm really happy you and your colleagues live in a country where you have the freedom to choose a religion, or no religion. And, crucially, to practice your religion how you want. Again, these are freedoms which many of your Muslim "brothers and sisters" in so-called Muslim countries don't have.
I have watched a couple of your videos and I think we will have to agree to disagree on their quality.
Read my articles. I think they're good. I couldn't give a flying Hadith what you think about them but I'm glad we both live in a country where there is freedom of expression.
The Re-Enlightenment
Is the person in black male or female, perhaps something in between. (that would be a point in their favor for diversity) Hard to say how diverse they are without further information. The ones in black also seem to have been an unfortunate victim of a cloning accident, computer glitch, multiple personality disorder, as they, need I say it, all look the same to me.
Ugh! The (unintentional?) irony goes even further: they use the exact same niqab pic on their page entitled "Challenging Stereotypes"!
http://www.islamicdiversity.org.uk/article.asp?txtArticletype=2
Challenge them... and then confirm them. Thank you very much, IDC.
Same wilful misunderstanding of science, different face. Ludicrous logic.
http://www.islamicdiversity.org.uk/what_is_islam.asp
Surely they know 'the cake is a lie'.
Oh ffs!
They sate on their 'who we are' page:
"We are dedicated in presenting the pure teachings of Islam in response to many of the myths and misconceptions that are commonly held".
Then go on to censor the images of their female contributors.
No myths and misconceptions in that area then.
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