Friday, October 29, 2010

'Mohammed' Tops UK Baby Name List


October 29, 2010 on CNN

36 comments:

  1. I see, it's like when Mexicans name their kids Hey Zeus.

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  2. Sadly I am not shocked to find CNN (that so called liberal news channel) reporting this story out of all proportion.

    The report speaks to someone who talks of an 'indigenous' British population - as a Brit, even I have to ask, "What the f**k does that mean?"

    Just look at immigration to Britain over the last five hundred years, idigenous makes almost as little sense here as if a white caucasian American was to talk of white caucasians as being the indigenous people of America

    It is usually BNP type people who use the term indigenous in relation to white people in Britian, as if being white makes you 'indigenous' British. Irish, French, Polish immigrants, etc, are all white British - but not 'indigenous' as far as BNP are concerned. Indigenous means nothing in the context of the waves of Europeans who have migrated to Britain.

    Also, don't you love the way CNN then shows shots of English Defence League thugs as if these loons represent British resentment and fear. These - usually drunk, fowl-mouthed and tattoed covered prats - represent no one but themselves, and definately not any sizeable minority in Britain.

    Secondly, Mohammed is a popular name for Muslims to call their child - most muslim family's will call their son mohammed, and if they have more than one some Muslim family's will call their other son's variations of the name.

    A Muslim friend of mine has eight mohammed's amongst his 10 nephews.  Now I have 11 nephews, none of them share the same name.

    My friend and his family are not practising Muslims. Since it is common for Muslims to call their sons Mohammed, this is no more a sign of strong religious practice as it is for people who call their son Christian. There is a growing secular muslim presence in Britain, just look at the number of journalists with Islamic names - but these people often avow british values, even if they refer to God as 'Allah' rather than simply 'God.'

    So to try and make this out as some alarming fact is little more than scaremongering.

    What they did not mention. The number of children called Mohammed actually fell in 2009.  In 2008 it was 3,423 and in 2009 3,300, a small drop, but considering the CNN is trying to create the impression that the Muslim population is growing at an 'alarming' rate, it was interesting that they choose not to mention that fact.

    Finally, you only get Mohammed as the top name if you add up all the varitions. However, what CNN did not mention was that if you add up all the variations of Oliver such as Ollies, Oliviers, Ollys, Ollis and Olis - you have more chidlren called Oliver (and its variations) then you do Mohammed.

    Why take all of the many variations of the name Mohammed and group them together and claim it is the most popular boys name in the UK in 2010, but then not add up all the variations of the name Oliver. Only one - it spoils a good scaremongering story.

    "What's in a name? That which we call a child
    By any other name would smell as sweet."

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  3. The fact that the last three names are all part of the royal family really shows how dumb the Brits are.

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  4. I am an in-the-closet Muslim Atheist. This is misleading. "Mohammed" is like a prefix. The boy will be called by his second (middle) name by family and friends. Hence the inflated stat. Mohammad Omar. Muhammad Amir and so forth will all be "Mohammeds" in school but actually Omar or Amir at home.

    There are very real reasons to be concerned about growing Muslim thuggery and clout in the world but this is not one of them.

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  5. R€LIGION Stinks of moneyOctober 29, 2010 at 3:24 PM

    Charles, Harry, William... not Tom, Dick and Harry?

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  6. It's strange because official statistics says something different.
    http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/names1010.pdf
    Yes, Mohammed is number one but only in West Midlands. Overall in England and Wales Mohammed doesn't get into top 10. <span></span>

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  7. Zack, you think casual racism marks you out as something other than dumb?

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  8. Racism? British isn't a race, neither is Islam. What are you talking about?

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  9. S,

    As a British republican I thought your original comment was quite funny, and sadly all too true.

    I was going to put a like tag because of your comment British isn't a race.
    But you also say, "Neither is Islam." while perfectly true, it makes me wonder what things you may have been saying about Muslims.

    I hope I am wrong, and that you are not bigoted towards muslims. Sadly experience tells me it is only anti-muslim bigots who wish to say "I am not a racist - Islam is not a race."

    Please tell me I have you completely wrong?

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  10. I am bigotted against muslims - because being a muslim = following islam, and islam is, no matter how I think about it, utterly evil and the atagonist of all I hold dear and stand for. That being said all faith is deep vice.

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  11. <span>I am bigotted against muslims - because being a muslim = following/submitting to islam, and islam is, no matter how I think about it, utterly evil and the antagonist of all I hold dear and stand for - as well as being full of lies. That being said all faith is deep vice. Not all ideas/values/people are equal it is just a fact.</span>

    <span>What the world needs most urgently are people who can tell fact from fiction. A lie told a billion times does not make it true. Faith is a retrovirus of the mind the people that follow it are as good as zombies, the living dead.
    </span>

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  12. I don't see what the big deal is. All this might show is that Muslims have less diversity in their names than we have in the Western world, or are just less creative when it comes to naming their kids.

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  13. According to the BBC, Mohammed has made it into the top 20, but as noted in a comment above, doesn't make it to the top 10.  Way to go CNN - keep fear alive! (I assume the point is that we should fear those named Mohammed)

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  14. According to the BBC, Mohammed has made it into the top 20, but as noted in a comment above, doesn't make it to the top 10.  Way to go CNN - keep fear alive! (I assume the point is that we should fear those named Mohammed)

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  15. According to the BBC, Mohammed has made it into the top 20, but as noted in a comment above, doesn't make it to the top 10.  Way to go CNN - keep fear alive! (I assume the point is that we should fear those named Mohammed)

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  16. Johanna,

    No one claims all ideas/values are equal. Though I would hope most would strongly disagree with you when you also say 'people' are not equal.

    Do not assume that because one opposes bigotry that therefore one is blind. Of course Islam is full of shit, just as Christianity is full of shit.  But to jump from that and go on to say - "All Muslims are full of shit." or "All Christians are full of shit." is simply bigotry.  I think it is a shameful thing to admit to being a bigot!

    I have a few muslim friends - and they are kind, generous and decent people!
    Yes, I disagree with them on some of their values - as well I should, and they know I disagree.

    I am amazed that you call Islam utterly evil, I find such a statement appallingly ignorant.  Muslim societies differ so much you cannot make a universal statement about values and apply it to Muslims as a whole.

    The third of the five pillars of religion is Zakat (alms giving) which says all Muslims should use at least 2.5 % of one's income to help the poor. Are you saying that is utterly evil?

    Note, I am not saying you need religion as a reason to help the poor - far from it! But how can one seriously say that such a committment is "utterly evil"?

    Bigotry is blind prejudice that does not see individuals but instead falsely caricatures a whole group of people.

    There are not over 1 billion identical muslims in the world. There are over a billion individuals who are Muslim - to say you are bigoted towards each and everyone of them is simply ignorance based on fear and hatred!

    To say you oppose some of the values many large groups hold within the Muslim community is one thing - but to say you are therefore bigoted towards all Muslims makes you sound rather stupid and unpleasent.

    And please meet some religious people. They are  not zombies, but a wide diverse group of people. Many of which would not express the appalling bigotry that you do here.

    Was Martin Luther King a zombie? Is Bishop Tutu a zombie? Yes none of these people are 'saints' (who is) and yes none of their behaviour justifies their superstitious beliefs - but to call them zombies???????????? Such language is full of hate! And hate is not an emotion that leads to rational thought!

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  17. <span>S,  
     
    As a British republican I thought Zack's original comment was quite funny, and sadly all too true.  
     
    I was going to put a like tag because of your comment 'British isn't a race.'  
    But you also say, "Neither is Islam." While perfectly true, it makes me wonder what things you may have been saying about Muslims.  
     
    I hope I am wrong, and that you are not bigoted towards muslims. Sadly experience tells me it is only anti-muslim bigots who wish to say "I am not a racist - Islam is not a race."  
     
    Please tell me I have you completely wrong?</span>

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  18. This right here shows how utterly ignorant you are.  False accusations of racism is despicable.  Way to make real racism less important you douche.

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  19. Zack, you have, in one single statement, denigrated the entire population of one country as being 'dumb' yet you deny this isn't racist. What is it then? Does racism only apply when colour is involved?
    I agree with your sentiment that naming children after Royals (or, indeed, after any 'celebrity') is dumb but for you to then make crass generalisations is a bit daft.
    S says 'British isn't a race'. Judging by your shocking grammar I doubt you could articulate what you define race as. Racism is a broad brush of bigotry which covers far more than supposedly anthropological divisions of peoples laid down in the days of empire.
    Next time someone is murdered on the streets by cretins because of their country of origin maybe you could cheer them up by informing them it wasn't racist?

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  20. <span>Zack, you have, in one single statement, denigrated the entire population of one country as being 'dumb' yet you deny this is racist. What is it then? Does racism only apply when colour is involved?  
    I agree with your sentiment that naming children after Royals (or, indeed, after any 'celebrity') is dumb but for you to then make crass generalisations is a bit daft.  
    S says 'British isn't a race'. Judging by your shocking grammar I doubt you could articulate what you define race as. Racism is a broad brush of bigotry which covers far more than supposedly anthropological divisions of peoples laid down in the days of empire.  
    Next time someone is murdered on the streets by cretins because of their country of origin maybe you could cheer them up by informing them it wasn't racist?</span>

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  21. I am insulted by your lack of understanding of what an exaggerated joke is.  Why should I have to tell anyone that I know that not all British people are dumb (especially since I am a giant fan of Hitchens and Dawkins)?  How stupid do you have to be to not get humor?  Look to your right at the Tag Cloud, Humor is one of the larger and most popular tags.  So i'll make another "racist" generalization, and I am guessing that your outrage by my comment comes from the fact that you are British.  British people are not funny and have a fundamental lack of humor.

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  22. One other thing, if you compare my silly little comment to someone being murdered in the streets by a real bigot than you do not deserve to visit this site.  This is a site for rational and intelligent people and that does not include hyper sensitive social retards such as yourself.

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  23. Hi Zack,

    This humourless British republican thought your comment was amusing!
    And my kids would be called Elizabeth, Philip, Charles, William, Harry, Diana etc.,

    Actually that is not true, if I had children, I would give them names such as Thomas, after true heroes - such as Thomas Paine.

    Here is a very British joke.
    Patient: "Doctor, I cannot get the song 'Green Green Grass of Home,' out of my head."
    Doctor: "Your suffering from Tom Jones Syndrome."
    Patient: "Is that common?"
    Doctor: "It's not unusual."

    Now you have to be British and of a certain age to find that joke funny!

    BTW. Have you noticed how all Americans are loud and abnoxious. I hear there is a new computer keyboard coming on the market especially designed for them. It will not have lower face font - every key stroke will automatically be in capital letters. They say it will help Americans be heard in cyber space.

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  24. Thanks for getting it Alan.  I wish more people could learn to laugh at their own stereotypes.

    Unfortunately, I didn't get your joke, but I am not British and I'm only 24!

    Yes, us Americans are loud and obnoxious, and I'm damn proud of it ;)

    Americans are just as guilty as being little sheep in their naming.  Take my name for example, my full name is Zackery which obviously comes from the biblical name Zachariah, I'm not tremendously proud of that, haha.

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  25. Zack, you throw insults around and then attempt to claim the moral high ground. Brilliant. How do you think racism gains a foothold if not from 'silly little comments' and low-level idiocy?
    As far as humour goes, you are grossly misinformed if you imagine you have displayed any here.
    Why do you presume I'm British? Because I detest small-minded, petty nationalists? I assure you that that's a trait of all sensible people the world over.

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  26. WDI,

    I do think you are over re-acting to Zach's initial comment about the trend amongst some of us Brits to call our children after the Royals.

    Was it a sterotype? yep! Zach even acknowledges that. Was it a racist slur likely to bring down civiliasation as we know it. No!

    I see nothing petty and small minded in what Zach wrote? And if you mean Zach's comment,

    "I am guessing that your outrage by my comment comes from the fact that you are British.  British people are not funny and have a fundamental lack of humor."

    You attacking what was an obvious tongue in cheek statement. I have spent most of my life opposing racism and fascism in Britian - whether that be NF, C18, BNP, ENL, British Movement, Third Position, and Blood & Honour - and I have scars to show that the opposition was physical - not merely 'moral outrage.'

    If you think what Zach has said is racist, then you have not met many racists.

    Language always has a context. I sometimes call my partner of 17 years, a 'dizzy queen,' does that mean that I am suffering from interalised homophobia - of course not. Racism and bigotry are not primarily about language . It is possible to be a racist, and not use any offensive language whats so ever.

    When casting slurs of racism etc, you need to have proof. If your proof is the words used, then you need to look at the contaxt in which those words were expressed.

    To say Zach was being racist seems abit cookie to me.

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  27. WDI,

    You wrote

    "Why do you presume I'm British? Because I detest small-minded, petty nationalists?"

    That would be rgood eason to presume your not British -  an all to common British trait is small-minded, petty nationalism. Sadly it comes with the territory - iterally. Britain is a small Island.

    Why do you think Brits refer to the toilet as 'The loo' - it is not because of our love of the French.

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  28. Sorry, Zack, I did not mean to mispell your name thoughout the above posting.

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  29. That's alright, I just appreciate the defense!

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  30. For a bunch of people who I would expect to be proud of their skeptical nature I would have expected a little less dogmatic faith in CNN. Check the facts. A quick search reveals this news item to be total bullshit. I have no love for Islamic religion but this kind of story just feeds into the ignorance spread by the right wing "they are all outbreeding us!" mentality. It dosent make us all here look to good when we criticise religious acceptance of holy texts without question while at the same time post links to dodgy news articles without first taking the 3 or 4 minutes it would require to check their validity.

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  31. For a bunch of people who I would expect to be proud of their skeptical nature I would have expected a little less dogmatic faith in CNN. Check the facts. A quick search reveals this news item to be total bullshit. I have no love for Islamic religion but this kind of story just feeds into the ignorance spread by the right wing "they are all outbreeding us!" mentality. It dosent make us all here look to good when we criticise religious acceptance of holy texts without question while at the same time post links to dodgy news articles without first taking the 3 or 4 minutes it would require to check their validity.

    ReplyDelete
  32. For a bunch of people who I would expect to be proud of their skeptical nature I would have expected a little less dogmatic faith in CNN. Check the facts. A quick search reveals this news item to be total bullshit. I have no love for Islamic religion but this kind of story just feeds into the ignorance spread by the right wing "they are all outbreeding us!" mentality. It dosent make us all here look to good when we criticise religious acceptance of holy texts without question while at the same time post links to dodgy news articles without first taking the 3 or 4 minutes it would require to check their validity.

    ReplyDelete
  33. For a bunch of people who I would expect to be proud of their skeptical nature I would have expected a little less dogmatic faith in CNN. Check the facts. A quick search reveals this news item to be total bullshit. I have no love for Islamic religion but this kind of story just feeds into the ignorance spread by the right wing "they are all outbreeding us!" mentality. It dosent make us all here look to good when we criticise religious acceptance of holy texts without question while at the same time post links to dodgy news articles without first taking the 3 or 4 minutes it would require to check their validity.

    ReplyDelete
  34. For a bunch of people who I would expect to be proud of their skeptical nature I would have expected a little less dogmatic faith in CNN. Check the facts. A quick search reveals this news item to be total bullshit. I have no love for Islamic religion but this kind of story just feeds into the ignorance spread by the right wing "they are all outbreeding us!" mentality. It dosent make us all here look to good when we criticise religious acceptance of holy texts without question while at the same time post links to dodgy news articles without first taking the 3 or 4 minutes it would require to check their validity.

    ReplyDelete
  35. For a bunch of people who I would expect to be proud of their skeptical nature I would have expected a little less dogmatic faith in CNN. Check the facts. A quick search reveals this news item to be total bullshit. I have no love for Islamic religion but this kind of story just feeds into the ignorance spread by the right wing "they are all outbreeding us!" mentality. It dosent make us all here look to good when we criticise religious acceptance of holy texts without question while at the same time post links to dodgy news articles without first taking the 3 or 4 minutes it would require to check their validity.

    ReplyDelete