Armed Bikers Plan to Draw Cartoons of Mohammed Outside a Mosque in Arizona

[kilodelta]

I think they're mixing two big news stories in an attempt to top it. It's tomorrow! Git' yer tickets now!

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/05/28/armed-bikers-plan-to-draw-cartoons-of-mohammed-outside-a-mosque-in-arizona/

An armed biker gang. Cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. A mosque in Arizona. What could possibly go wrong?

We’ll find out Friday, when two organizers â€" Jon Ritzheimer and Flash Nelson â€" host what’s being billed as a peaceful demonstration outside the Islamic Community Center in Phoenix. It’s the former site of worship for Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, who were killed after opening fire outside a May 3 contest featuring cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in suburban Dallas. Simpson had no direct link to the Islamic State but was sympathetic to its cause. Many Muslims consider depictions of Mohammed blasphemous.

Just like the cartoon contest outside Dallas, this event, scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Friday, appears to welcome controversy. In a Facebook invite, the planners urge attendees to take full advantage of their Second Amendment right to carry weapons. So far, 163 people have RSVP’d.

Here’s the Facebook post in full, verbatim:

ROUND 2!!!!!!! This will be a PEACEFUL protest in front of the Islamic Community Center in Phoenix AZ. This is in response to the recent attack in Texas where 2 armed terrorist, with ties to ISIS, attempted Jihad. Everyone is encouraged to bring American Flags and any message that you would like to send to the known acquaintances of the 2 gunmen. This Islamic Community Center is a known place that the 2 terrorist frequented. People are also encouraged to utilize there [sic] second amendment right at this event just incase [sic] our first amendment comes under the much anticipated attack.
1.Date will be Friday May 29th @ 6:15pm. This is when they normally host a large prayer.
2.Bikers wil [sic] meet at the Denny’s located at 9030 N Black Canyon Hwy Phoenix, AZ 85051@ 5:00pm. Kick Stands up at 6pm.
3.There will be a Muhammad Cartoon Contest and the winner will be announced at the After Party. Participants must show cartoon at the Rally.
4.We will not have food vendors at this event because we don’t want this to turn into a carnival. People can bring snacks and water but please keep the neighborhood clean.
5.There will be an after party starting at 8:30pm at Wild Bills located at 6840 N. 27th Ave Phx, AZ.

Thank you all for your Support.

The rally is a follow-up to one earlier this month, which drew little attention. Facebook reveals little about Nelson, but Ritzheimer’s posts show him to be virulently anti-Muslim.

On his personal page, Ritzheimer has photos of him waving an American flag while wearing a “Fuck Islam” T-shirt. He identifies himself as a former Marine and states that he works with Dysfunctional Veterans, a group that appears to be a community for former soldiers.

Ritzheimer did not return a request for comment Thursday. He told local media in Arizona, “I’m a Marine, and I am far from politically correct.… I’m outspoken, and I’ve just had it.”

[Munch]

you know.. I'd kinda like to see just how a fella like this would be when living here in the uk, or another European country.
In america, you guys don't have an overwhelming problem with immigration, since you have laws in place preventing illegal immigration there, something thats currently lacking in many countries here.

I see the guys proud of his country, but if he gets this pissed off at islam existing in america at the moment, he'd seriously lose his shit if he lived here.

[Shiranu]

...you guys don't have an overwhelming problem with immigration...

I mean, "Mexicans" (anyone south of the border) are no longer the boogyman... but... really, America doesn't have immigration problems? I'll cut you some slack since Europe might not care about the inner-politics of America... but still, I thought that was one of our stereotypes of hating immigrants.

United States

There were 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2012, a total unchanged from 2009, and currently making up 3.5% of the nation’s population.

United Kingdom

Including their estimate of the number of UK-born children of illegal immigrant couples, they came to a range of between 417,000 and 863,000 'irregular residents', or people without the right to remain in the country. Their best estimate from within this range was 618,000.

That is 1%. We have a full 2.5% higher number of illegal immigrants.

Lets go with just immigrants, legal and not...

United States

Between 2000 and 2012, there was a 31.2 percent increase in the foreign-born population. During this period, the immigrant population grew from 31.1 million to 40.8 million people.

United Kingdom

A 2010 estimate shows that 4.76 million (7.7 per cent) were born outside the EU and 2.24 million (3.6 per cent) were born in another EU member state.

We have a little under double the amount of immigrants you do. And if you don't think conservatives here don't scream and cry and whine about how they are destroying America, much as Europeans complain about immigrants... think again.

[Munch]

perhaps, but I'll argue that in terms of scale, america has a bit more room then say the uk or other European countries.

in terms of the uks own population compared to the US, the percentage of immigrants living in the UK at the moment on the same scale system of moving to or born into, was 11.9% of the population here back in 2011, and its grown even higher since then.

Polish, Indian, Pakistan, Romanian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign-born_population_of_the_United_Kingdom

This is on a country by country population average after all.

And I'm not a nationalist, I don't follow some purist bullshit, I simple dislike seeing this tiny island I call home being overrun by more and more people shipping here when we're taxed enough as it is, and the struggle to find work because of it.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Munch, this is a nation of immigrants. .The native population here could probably fit in one corner of London

Be that as it may,  these clowns are intentionally antagonizing Muslims hoping to set off armed conflict in this country,  perhaps even to get laws passed to make Muslim hunting legal. Who knows?  It's a stupid fucking idea and I hope nobody gets hurt or killed, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turns to shit real goddamned fast and they'll have nobody to blame but themselves.

[Sargon The Grape]

Many of these idiots are undoubtedly Christians who would be destroying that Mosque if Muslims dared to depict Jesus or the Bible in an unkind manner. Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

[Canadian Atheist]

I hope they broad cast this in HD

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I think the decision making process here involved alcoholic beverages and recreational substances of other character.

[Munch]

Munch, this is a nation of immigrants. .The native population here could probably fit in one corner of London

I.. dunno why I didn't think about that..

thats the funny thing about history, trace back far enough, and we're all immigrants in one way or another.

[SGOS]

I'm not sure what to say here.  The most gifted among us have failed to reason with the fanatics.  Maybe the bikers can.  Well, probably not.

[Sal1981]

Nothing good can come out of it, but I'm ambivalent if it's reasonable or not; free speech and all that.

In a related video, Let Hitchens have a nice chat about free speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z2uzEM0ugY

[drunkenshoe]

Yeah...this is about free speech! All those armed bikers are dying to provide free speech, democracy and equality to the world! Hooooray!

I don't think anyone would be interested even the gang would open fire in some verbal conflict and kill muslims. It will be written off as 'attack on freedom of speech' and 'defense'. That's not the point here.

However, it will become more interesting when armed biker gangs start to throw the similar kind of 'peaceful' parties for the lgbt or other 'unwanted' groups in the red states. It gets easier and eaiser, once it becomes a 'legitimate' way to 'defend' themselves and their values. Now in Arizona, later in another state. Little by little. In ten years you look and see that it's become the normality. This is how this shit works. Muslims are the easiest target; officially approved enemy. Kind of a safe rehearsal. But they are not the only lot destroying 'America's Christian values'. A bigger threat is secular, sensible people who wants equality, social justice; supports gay marriage, abortion, secular education...etc.

Also, these things could spread. If one gang does that in one red state, others won't sit down in another when there is an opportunity. (It's even possible that the recent shooting with the biker gangs virtually contributed to this.)

These people's problem is not some muhammed cartoon. It's about asserting themselves in a circle that is getting smaller and smaller as they see it. If republicans were at power, I don't think there would be any cartoon shows in Texas or armed biker gangs going around for cartoon competitions in Arizona 'to defend freedom of speech'.

So yes, this is actually good news. Not just for you. Democrats MUST win the coming elections and 'attack' harder. When the true colour of Christian extremism gets out, a lot of things will look very different than before and it is very important that this happens in the United States of America. There won't be start of any real change unless American people get to live the rest of the world's reality.  This is theirs.

So it came to this, eh? How the 'mighty' have fallen! (I mean, the white christians extremists.)

[stromboli]

I think the decision making process here involved alcoholic beverages and recreational substances of other character.

By their standard, probably enhanced critical thinking.

[drunkenshoe]

I didn't mean that post to sound like an 'evil laugh'. It's never what I am feeling or thinking, you should know that by now. However, I think these events will be defined as a turning point in your country, when people look back years later. And if it doesn't happen in the US in an undenial way, it won't get out. And the state is not powerful enough anywhere else to deal with it.

[aitm]

Who knows, this could turn out to be a win-win, if we get a couple dozen xians nut jobs and muslim nut jobs to off themselves in a blazing gun battle...aww...I am getting teary eyed just thinking of the karma involved.