Oh. My. GOD!!!

[FourScore]

Due to lthe 4 paragraph rule, I have had to cut too much of this article for it to have the same effect. I encourage the reader to go to the source and read the whole thing.

Wed Jul 20, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT
Oh. My. GOD!!!
by VyanFollow

SNIP

...On September 21, 2001, a 41-year old white supremacist from Dallas walked into a gas station and opened fire on people he believed to be Arabs. Enraged by the 9/11 attacks, the shooter, Mark Anthony Stroman, killed an Indian man who was Hindu and a Pakistani man who was Muslim.

Rais Bhuiyan, a 37-year old Muslim Air Force pilot from Bangladesh, was Stroman’s third victim. Shot in the face at close range with a double-barrel gun, Bhuiyan survived the attack, suffering now from partial blindness. After admitting to the attacks, Stroman is scheduled to be executed tomorrow in Texas...

SNIP

... Bhuiyan, the lone survivor of Stroman’s attack, is now trying to save his life. After the attack, Bhuiyan told the New York Times that he spent his time “simply struggling to survive in this country.” But pulling on his profound capacity for forgiveness, he has spent the last several months petitioning Texas to spare Stroman’s life. When asked why, Bhuiyan said his Islamic faith taught him not to seek vengeance and that what Stroman “did was out of ignorance” about Islam...:

SNIP

Mr. Stroman: “Yes, Mr Rais Bhuiyan, what an inspiring soul…for him to come forward after what ive done speaks Volume’s…and has really Touched My heart and the heart of Many others World Wide…Especially since for the last 10 years all we have heard about is How Evil the Islamic faith Can be…its proof that all are Not bad nor Evil...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/20/996483/-Oh-My-GOD!!!?via=siderec

[chill_wind]

1. K & R. n/t

[secondwind]

2. We could learn frm Mr. Bhulyan......we're still trying to eradicate anything that moves

in Iraq and Afghanistan,all in the name of REVENGE FOR 9/11.

[Kaleko]

26. I'd put that differently.

The people responsible for the false flag attacks on 9/11 were counting on Americans being vengeful Christians who could easily be whipped into a pro-war frenzy.

[OwnedByFerrets]

31. They didnt have to try hard to achieve that goal for the majority

of Americans

[lonestarnot]

3. K & R!

[gratuitous]

4. Reminds me of SueZann Bosler

Google it!

[nosmokes]

5. Would that we can evolve past petty us v them differences...

[uppityperson]

6. k&r, thanks for posting this

[McCamy Taylor]

7. K&R

[sabrina 1]

8. What a wonderful human being. I remember when that happened

and the fear that many Muslim Americans felt at the time, and still do.

If only our leaders had half the heart and soul of this one man, there would be no terrorists to worry about.

I hope he is successful in his efforts. I like him, oppose killing, especially by the state.

[Chorophyll]

9. Incredible story. K&R.

:cry:

[WinkyDink]

10. I don't think the thread title, suggesting shock and horror, fits this story.

[flamingdem]

11. so incredibly poignant nt

[givemebackmycountry]

12. A HUGE kick.

And a bigger REC.

[rug]

13. Appeal rejected. He's being killed right now.

A federal district judge in Austin rejected the suit and Bhuiyan's request for an injunction on Wednesday afternoon. His lawyers appealed the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and said they would take the matter to the Supreme Court if needed.

Stroman's lawyer, in the prisoner's own appeals to the Supreme Court, pointed to Bhuiyan's "significant surprise" and argued attorneys during Stroman's trial and in earlier stages of his appeals were deficient for not illustrating "the path that led him to this violent frenzy."

The high court, in brief orders late Wednesday afternoon, rejected those appeals.

Stroman's lethal injection would be the eighth this year in Texas. At least eight other inmates in the nation's busiest death penalty state have execution dates in the coming weeks. The death warrants in Texas specify lethal injections are carried out after 6 p.m., but the warrants remain in effect until midnight

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-20-texas-inmate-execution_n.htm

[FourScore]

14. An opportunity missed.

:cry:

[FourScore]

17. It's over.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4928963

[Selatius]

15. He acts more like a Christian than most people who claim to be Christian. nt

[Angry Dragon]

18. All the same god

Jews, Christians, Muslims ........

[eomer]

20. All the same values

Atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims who share those values.

But not Atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims who don't share those values.

Maybe what really matters is something that spans across or transcends religion or perhaps is orthogonal to religion.

In other words, the part of religion that consists of beliefs about God and the origins of the universe and humankind seems to be mostly a source of trouble, not very helpful (as seen by this Atheist). If all those contradictory beliefs are allowed to fall away then we can see more plainly the part that matters and that we (many of us) agree on - the values that we share.

Some would say that a Christian who doesn't share those values is not a real Christian (and I assume similarly for the other religions). But almost all the Christians I know don't seem to share those values. They are focused on the abstract concept of God and the worship of God while being the meanest people I know. So I have trouble accepting that most Christians aren't real Christians. Of course, there are Christians (including one very close to me) who do share those values. So being a Christian is neither required nor sufficient for having these values, but it doesn't necessarily preclude them even if it seems (in my experience) to have a negative correlation.

Not meaning to argue, Angry Dragon (don't turn your Angry fire breath on me). You just made me think (which is a good thing).

[Angry Dragon]

21. Arguments are good, it forces one to fight for their views

I did not take your response as an argument.

One would have to figure there is more than one path to God, because none of us are the same as anyone else.
Actions are more important than the views just voiced. Judge by actions.

Some believe that dragons were the first gods.
Bringers of love.
Protectors of the less...........

[Maru Kitteh]

16. K & R with great enthusiasm.

[seabeyond]

19. bookmarking this. thank you for the read. nt

[AverageJoe90]

22. Rais Bhuiyan....is truly someone we can look at and say,

"Now there's a truly decent human being". ;-)

[DianaForRussFeingold]

23. Awww...He is an angel!! This story truly touched me! K&R

:cry: :hug: Thank you for posting this wonderful bittersweet story! :hug:


IMO,He is a hero of unsurpassed humanity--truly inspirational! :loveya:

[Control-Z]

24. Wow

That moved me more than anything I've read or heard about in a long time. I'm close to crying. I wish we could all exercise such selfless ideals and, yes, every now and then, receive such a positive response in return.

I know we're supposed to give without the expectation of getting anything in return but knowing that the gesture actually did something positive would be icing on the cake.

[badgerpup]

25. Now THERE is an evolved soul.

O8)
Wish I had that kind of spiritual fortitude...
I've finally gotten past 'eye for an eye', but sometimes it's hard to remember that vengeance accomplishes nothing in the long run.:shrug:

[FloridaJudy]

27. Several years ago I heard of a tragic incident

Some Israeli troops had fired over the heads of a crowd of Palestinians to break up a demonstration. One of the bullets ricocheted, and struck a nine-year-old Palestinian boy in the head. He was rushed to the hospital, but it soon became apparent the boy was too gravely injured to survive. The Israeli doctors asked permission of the child's father to turn off life support. The father agreed, but asked to make a public statement first.

The father got up in front of a crowd of reporters and announced that his son was brain-dead. "This is the worst thing that could happen to a parent. But maybe some other parents can be spared suffering". He then offered to donate his son's organs to any child regardless of religion who needed a transplant. I remember pulling my car over and crying when I heard the translation of his remarks. Rather than seeking vengeance, he chose to celebrate his son's life by giving a chance at life to others.

Anytime I hear people describing Muslims as callous thugs, I remember that man. Greatness of soul is not confined to any one religion: neither is it lacking in any. Rais Bhuiyan is yet another evolved soul. Their stories need to be told.

[FourScore]

28. Thank you, FloridaJudy.

My brother (who I love very much) is misguided by the tea partiers. He, too, buys into the whole "Muslims are evil" crap. I will share this story with him. It is just beautiful. And sad. Thank you.

[defendandprotect]

29. Rightwing is modeling a world in its own violent image --

Patriarchy and violence are mirror images of one another --

White militia groups financed the GOP's "pro-life" groups --

Everything on the right is fake and financed -- by rw wealthy -- or hate groups.

[MissDeeds]

30. K&R

[rasputin1952]

32. I am in awe...

while I am adamantly opposed to the DP, I have no problem w/Stroman spending the rest of his life in prison, I am particularly touched by the compassion that Mr. Bhuiyan has shown.

It takes a man or woman of great inspiration to take on what he has taken on, and is a man that should be emulated. Some people just "get it". I wish him a long and prosperous life, he is indeed a rarity.

Sad this even happened to him...he got over the tragedy...I wish others could as well.