French Repeatedly Reminded God is Great this Weekend

William Haskins · Dec 21, 2014

PARIS — French police on Saturday shot dead a man shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is the greatest") who stabbed and wounded three officers in a police station, authorities said. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who rushed to the scene, said the man was killed after he attacked the policemen with a knife in a station in Joue-les-Tours, a suburb of the city of Tours in central France. Cazeneuve confirmed the attacker had shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack, which he said was "extremely violent."

not to be outdone:

A driver screaming "Allahu Akbar!" (Arabic for "God is great") appeared to deliberately mow down about a dozen pedestrians in the French city of Dijon before being arrested on Sunday, officials said.

The driver, who was in his forties, hit groups of pedestrians in five parts of the eastern city before being arrested, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior said on French television.

Eleven people in all were injured, two of them seriously, officials said.

According to testimonies on the scene, the driver also invoked "the children of Palestine"' to explain his actions, the ministry's spokesman said.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/d...akbar-runs-down-11-french-pedestrians-n272866

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/french-cops-shoot-dead-knife-wielding-man-police-station-n272366

CassandraW · Dec 21, 2014

After all that carnage, the French might need the reminder. However, it would probably be better coming from someone other than the perpetrators.

Amadan · Dec 21, 2014

I really hate how many insane lone wolves there are doing violence for unfathomable reasons.

Haggis · Dec 21, 2014

I guess that ends Sony's plan to debut The Interview in Paris.

CassandraW · Dec 21, 2014

Haggis said:
I guess that ends Sony's plan to debut The Interview in Paris.

I'd be happy to hold a screening in my apartment. Let me know if you're coming so I can get enough booze.

Haggis · Dec 21, 2014

CassandraW said:
I'd be happy to hold a screening in my apartment. Let me know if you're coming so I can get enough booze.

We could have a party. I'll see if Dennis Rodman has some free time.

CassandraW · Dec 21, 2014

It's not a party without Dennis Rodman.

Fingers · Dec 21, 2014

I guess Im missing the point. How is assaulting and trying to murder people showing how god is great?

Zoombie · Dec 21, 2014

Fingers said:
I guess Im missing the point. How is assaulting and trying to murder people showing how god is great?

I'm pretty sure that in 600 years, Muslims are going to look at this era the same way Christians look back at the 4th Crusade: With their hands over their faces going, "What were they THINKING!?"

(For those who don't know, the 4th crusade is that one where most of the Crusaders didn't show up, those that did were so massively in debt to Venice that they burned down a Christian city to pay off their debts - and ended up getting both excommunicated and EVEN DEEPER in debt. Then they were convinced to attack Constantinople - an EVEN BIGGER Christian city. They sacked it, then kinda slunk off home without even setting foot on the Holy Land.)

Emilander · Dec 21, 2014

Fingers said:
I guess Im missing the point. How is assaulting and trying to murder people showing how god is great?

You shouldn't try to understand this kind of crazy. I've a feeling that if you try and eventually do understand the logic behind it, you'll find yourself mowing people down with your car or stabbing policemen or strapping a suicide vest on.

Bartholomew · Dec 21, 2014

Abrahamic extremism never ceases to disgust me.

Rufus Coppertop · Dec 22, 2014

Fingers said:
I guess Im missing the point. How is assaulting and trying to murder people showing how god is great?

I'm pretty sure Mr Haskins is being sarcastic with his thread title.

William Haskins · Dec 22, 2014

Fingers said:
I guess Im missing the point. How is assaulting and trying to murder people showing how god is great?

the point is that, if you're going to name-drop to lend validity to your actions, go big.

Filigree · Dec 22, 2014

Bartholomew said:
Abrahamic extremism never ceases to disgust me.

Same here. A pox on all their houses. I can't take seriously, much less respect, any branch of a religion that is so sensitive it must answer criticism and satire with death-threats. I'd say it's the hyper-emotional teenage stage of a religion, but that doesn't explain some of the more militant Orthodox Jewish groups or the rampaging Hindu nationalist parties. Both of which come from traditions old enough to know better.

RichardGarfinkle · Dec 22, 2014

Filigree said:
Same here. A pox on all their houses. I can't take seriously, much less respect, any branch of a religion that is so sensitive it must answer criticism and satire with death-threats. I'd say it's the hyper-emotional teenage stage of a religion, but that doesn't explain some of the more militant Orthodox Jewish groups or the rampaging Hindu nationalist parties. Both of which come from traditions old enough to know better.

Mature tradition =/= mature followers.

Bartholomew · Dec 22, 2014

William Haskins said:
the point is that, if you're going to name-drop to lend validity to your actions, go big.

My god, man. Next they might start invoking me.

CassandraW · Dec 22, 2014

I was going to go with Santa Claus.

Roxxsmom · Dec 22, 2014

CassandraW said:
I was going to go with Santa Claus.

As long as it's not that creepy elf on a shelf.

CassandraW · Dec 22, 2014

On the other hand, if my goal is to create terror, the Elf on a Shelf might be the perfect thing to invoke.

benbradley · Dec 22, 2014

This could inspire me to yell out "The FSM is Great!" while force-feeding pasta to homeless and hungry people.

Dennis E. Taylor · Dec 22, 2014

benbradley said:
This could inspire me to yell out "The FSM is Great!" while force-feeding pasta to homeless and hungry people.

ramen!

pernickety · Dec 22, 2014

Another attack in Nantes today. Not (yet) linked to allah or any other deity

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30583390

William Haskins · Dec 22, 2014

pernickety said:
Another attack in Nantes today. Not (yet) linked to allah or any other deity

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30583390

Local newspaper Ouest France had earlier reported, citing a police officer and witnesses, that the driver shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest" in Arabic). But several witnesses denied to Reuters that he pronounced those words.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/.premium-1.633265

he'll be pissed if he doesn't get his name in the paper.

Vince524 · Dec 22, 2014

William Haskins said:
the point is that, if you're going to name-drop to lend validity to your actions, go big.

I object to the idea that anyone should drop my name to lend validity to their violent actions, not matter how big I am.

CassandraW · Dec 22, 2014

pernickety said:
Another attack in Nantes today. Not (yet) linked to allah or any other deity

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30583390

This particular asshole chose to plow into a Christmas market. Whether he was acting under the direction of Elf on a Shelf remains to be seen.

French Repeatedly Reminded God is Great this Weekend

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