Hate speech and religious intolerance on the Religion forum

I’m genuinely curious—how many days and moderator meetings does it actually take to decide someone’s crossed the line into hate speech or religious intolerance?

Is a week enough? Or do you think we should wait a bit longer to see if everyone just "forgets" the topic ever existed?

To be honest, I don't buy the idea that the thread was closed for any other reason.

It’s hardly a coincidence that every single thread involving sensitive topics—you know, the ones that touch on Muslims and Islam—gets shut down via some fast-track process using a totally transparent, vague excuse.

Do they really think people are that gullible?

And how convenient that yet another one got axed today—that thread about the acid attacks.

The mod basically tossed the thread out and served up this ridiculous excuse about there being no links to prove anything... meanwhile, they conveniently ignored about 15 different links already posted on the subject.

People, enough with this hypocritical, dishonest, biased moderation. It’s blindingly obvious what's going on here and what kind of logic is used to hand out bans and kill discussions about religion.

If you want to veto certain topics, just put it in the rules. Just say "freedom of speech is limited on this subforum" and stop being so damn sneaky and two-faced.

Satori... look, please, just take a deep breath—count to ten if you have to—and then give it another shot. I know for a fact you’re capable of doing much better than this...

Steven Clark2 said:Fair enough—maybe you've got a point regarding Tamia. But personally, I'm not looking to go full demon mode on him—speaking just for myself here—because I honestly think he'll apologize. He seems like a decent guy, even if he got swept up in all that negative energy that's been brewing for so long, leading him to post what he did. What he said wasn't okay—that's a fact—but I feel like we should give him a chance to clear the air, especially since he kind of hinted, or maybe even directly signaled, that he might have overstepped.

Tamia, if you're reading this, it would be a class act to apologize to the people you offended. And maybe try to keep it from happening again? It just isn't worth the headache, right. Sure, some Christians out there might be worse than you, but that doesn't really give you a free pass to dish it right back.

He can apologize a thousand times... but the bottom line is the guy is a racist who thinks an entire group of people is technologically redundant.

An apology doesn't just wipe the slate clean.

The only thing he can apologize for is posting it on a public forum and breaking the rules, but that doesn't change the fact that it's his actual opinion and who he is as a person.

Gregory Turner71 said:Angela Newman33... seriously, just take a deep breath, count to ten, and try again. I know you can do better than this...

ego—this isn't even directed at you

you’re actually the only one here who doesn't follow that logic, and honestly, most people on this sub aren't even half as decent as you are when it comes to actual human qualities

and I'm not "breathing deep" because I'm angry or whatever... I'm just saying what's been on my mind for ages—it's exactly why I stopped posting and reading about religion altogether

I just can't stomach all this fake, slimy behavior anymore

plus, I feel personally betrayed. I really put my faith in Shady—we were close, and being as naive as I am, I believed everything he fed me... turns out he was just playing a part and lying... to me and to himself

I just can't get behind people like that, or the way moderation decisions are made based on the biased, hypocritical, and dishonest motives of a few individuals

Seriously, someone needs to draw a line in the sand here. What exactly is considered acceptable behavior just because someone happens to hold a moderator title?

I mean, a forum shouldn't revolve around one single mod running their own little personal online crusade.

Don't worry about it, dear. If that individual isn't held accountable properly, all the active Christians on the Religion subforum will be stepping away indefinitely. The admins have already been notified of our intentions.

Well, in that case, they can just take their whole PDF and shove it... right? We'll just enjoy our missionary work—except there won't be anyone left to preach to. Wow.🙄☕

Steven Clark2 said:Fair enough—you might have a point regarding Tammy. However, I don't want to unfairly demonize him (speaking strictly for myself), because I believe he'll apologize; I think he's a decent person, even if he got swept up in the negative vibes that have been building here for so long, leading to what he wrote. What he said wasn't right—that much is true—but I feel we should give him the chance to explain himself, especially since he sort of hinted, or at least implied, that he went a bit too far.

Tammy, if you're reading this, it would be a nice gesture to apologize to those you offended, and try to make sure it doesn't happen again, because there's really no point in it, is there? Some people in your religion might act worse than you, but that doesn't give you a pass to fight fire with fire.

😬 irony suits you pretty well lol 😁

I suggest we launch a dedicated sub-forum within the Religion section governed strictly by Sharia law. I propose that Shady be appointed as both the moderator and the enforcer for this specific area. This would allow him to step away from moderating the non-Sharia portions of the Religion forum, which he clearly struggles to grasp and, consequently, cannot effectively manage.

My proposal is sincere and made with the best intentions. I believe it would increase the overall professionalism of the Religion forum while preserving Shady's mental well-being.

I have submitted this suggestion before, but a moderator locked the thread. 🙏

Proposal for a Sharia sub-forum within Religion

Thanks

boldsailor32

Susan Price30 said:Listen girls, don't even stress about it. Because if that idiot isn't properly disciplined, every Christian active in the religion subforum is going on an indefinite hiatus. The admins have been notified of our intentions.

Grace, I don't think it's very nice to call someone an idiot. I really don't like that kind of labeling, regardless of
who we're talking about or how hurt someone might be. 🤦
Personally, I'm not worried one bit, and as for myself, I'll decide my own path—actually, I've already decided. I've significantly cut back my posts in the religion section.
Regarding that bolded part, what specific intentions and whose intentions are the admins being told about? 🤷
No one asked me anything to find out my intentions, so no one can speak for me or
inform the admins on my behalf, especially since "all Christians active in the religion subforum" were mentioned. The same goes for any talk of "withdrawing or not withdrawing indefinitely." 😕 And even if someone had asked me, I always make my own decisions. 🙂

Well then they can just shove that whole PDF up their... you know; and enjoy their missionary work—except there won't be anyone left to preach to. Wow.🙄☕

I trust the admins will take the opinions in this thread into account and make a fair decision. 🙂

Alright, here’s my two cents on the moderation crew...!!
Basically, everyone’s fine. I don't take Veronika-N seriously though—she just clings to Shady and doesn't have a backbone, so her takes and those bans don't really bother me...!!!
She’s obsessed with making sure nobody else tries to preach on this forum...!!! (Just like our "righteous" Shady does.)
(And yeah, I actually voted for her when the new mods were being picked because I thought she had some actual substance. Man, you can be wrong sometimes...!!)
They kicked Urania out simply because she wouldn't bow down to Shady's tyranny, so she was the easiest target to get rid of......!!!
Then last night, Shady was out there showing his hypocrisy again during the appeals for banned users, specifically when Nonick complained about that 100-point penalty and the ban...!!
Zgs. cleaned that right up because, obviously, that punishment Shady handed out wasn't deserved...!!
But then Shady starts using those childish tactics to attack ZgS., acting like he's calling out public critiques of the mod team...!!
Get this: he even refers to the "moderators" in the plural (the nerve!) even though all the complaints are strictly about his own actions...!!!🙂Pretty sneaky, right?!
Then Shady keeps defending himself publicly, even after ZgS. insisted they move it to private messages...
But in the end, he finally admits he messed up, claiming he was at the doctor's office waiting forever and getting some injections...!!
Just so everyone knows—believers and atheists alike—if Shady has to wait too long at the clinic, or if God forbid he gets an injection, every user who isn't Muslim is getting banned...!!
And he’s saying this right out in the open!! Just like how he claimed everyone wearing a cross is just what they are (won't quote him, that's beneath me)...!!
But hey, he says it's just "his opinion"...!!
Yet, if I give my opinion on Muhammad, boom—instant ban!! (Even though I express my views just like he does). But NO, the BAN IS FINAL.!! Because apparently, nobody else is allowed to have an opinion here except him...!! You need ironclad proof for everything. Even if you provide proof by posting a link, he just calls it an anti-Islamic site...!! Meanwhile, all his arguments against Christians, the Holy Trinity, etc., are just quotes from the Quran, which are "totally reliable," of course...!!
The ban itself isn't the point, though; it's about how he uses "moderation" as a cover for proselytizing while acting like he's some saint...!!
The guy is just full of hate for anything he can't control or anything that goes against his beliefs...!!
But through his own posts, he's breaking US laws and spreading hate... (and somehow he can't be held accountable)
What does he expect? Does he think Christians are going to write nice things about Muhammad after all those posts he wrote against crosses and the Holy Trinity??

P.S. If he were actually as righteous as he pretends to be, after all the complaints from the community, he would've stepped down from moderation by now...!!

There's no way all the users are wrong and he's the only one who's right....!!

Honestly, this is starting to get exhausting. It feels like nobody actually understands what went wrong, where the breakdown happened, or even the underlying reason for it. Look, the complaint has been acknowledged—we hear you—and we’re going to handle the situation based on our own best judgment. There’s really no need for further protests or trying to stir up a massive outcry at this point.

Gregory Turner71 said:Man, this is getting exhausting. You guys don't even get what went wrong, where it went sideways, or why it happened. Complaint received, whatever. We'll handle things however we see fit. No need to keep complaining or starting a riot.

Why is calling out Ego for being out of line considered "exhausting"??
Look, this isn't a riot. It's just facts. Anyone reading the moderator posts can see exactly what's happening..!!
Nobody's trying to start a rebellion, people are just sharing their views, and you shouldn't have to put up with it..!!
Shouldn't it be the moral thing for him to step down if he sees almost every user is unhappy with how he's running things..!!
I mean, isn't this site for the users and not the moderators? (makes sense, right?)
And Shady is a perfect example of biased moderation and preaching, totally breaking the rules of this American forum and the laws of the country too..!!
Inciting hate and intolerance..!!
All the toxicity and the attacks against Muslims and Muhammad are thanks to his preaching and punishing anyone who doesn't agree with him..!!

Crystal clear..!!
Why try to play peacemaker and call it a "riot" when what he's doing is obvious? Just hiding behind that moderator shield..!!🤷
From what I can tell, the other mods on this sub rarely get called out..!!
But him? Every single day..!!
It's not like all the users are idiots for noticing such biased moderation..!!

Angela Newman33 said:Come on, someone needs to draw a line in the sand eventually... how much can we actually tolerate from one moderator just because they hold the title?

A community shouldn't depend on a single moderator running their own personal online jihad.

XX

Thank God you guys are here...
I came to this sub with the intention of filing a complaint regarding the way my post was flagged by the Orahov ISP on a controversial thread.

swiftorca57 is spot on when they say—and I mean this—that the other mods on the Religion sub are basically being manipulated by Shady, who seems to view that PDF as his personal mission statement and a tool to act far beyond the scope of enthusiastic moderation for this social space.

My plan was to start a thread titled "Islamism on the Religion sub" (treating Islamism as a term for political action).

Instead, I got slapped with a red flag for trolling and sexism. How?! EEK!
And all for a post in a thread asking "Why are people afraid of Islam? What's the harm?" which was actually the perfect antithesis to princessxx's argument in that specific discussion.
I backed up my points with real-life examples, keeping in mind the discourse of the topic where men and women are viewed and treated separately (purdah).

Not only did our arguments fail to reach any kind of synthesis—mostly because the topic was hijacked by a heavy-handed hand—but I ended up getting 35 penalty points after the thread was locked post-factum. In a fit of pure frustration (and having already been traumatized by the notification "You have received an infraction on Reddit"), I went to check if I’d been banned for being a complete idiot or some kind of vulgar person!

All this just because I want to exchange ideas with others and learn something through the fun, digital interaction of opposing views—engaging in dialectical, rational, and logical debate through cyber dialogue!

For instance: if I were to say right now that Islam doesn't recognize dialogue or any kind of debate, I'd be insulted first and then immediately banned on the Religion sub.

Rather than being talked down through a factual, dialectical conversation!

IMHO
Moderators are incredibly important—actually essential—for constructive, open dialogue within a subreddit.
They should be encouraging discussion, not stifling it or cutting it short.

Isn't the goal of any forum to have as many hits as possible, rather than a user base where half the active members are banned, or those who just lurk because they don't dare engage for fear of trauma, while a small circle of moderator favorites just roam along?

It’s getting painfully obvious at this point—no matter what tone the debate takes, if it touches on Islam or the specific issues popping up in Muslim communities, it gets shut down fast every single time.

Whatever arguments you bring or how the conversation flows, they just kill the thread under the excuse of "cleaning up off-topic posts"... of course, those same threads magically never get reopened.

You can sell people that nonsense for a little while, but pretty soon you start seeing the pattern and you begin to wonder who the real crazy ones are here.

The real question is: do Muslims have some special privilege where they don't have to be discussed, or are they just terrified of actually looking at their own problems because they aren't sure where that leads?

Sweeping things under the rug, sticking your fingers in your ears, and just screaming "la la la la" is great strategy if you're five years old... if you're older, it’s pretty clear something is broken.

Why is it that every topic involving logical questions gets axed the second actual evidence and arguments come out? It’s like they're trying to stop the dust from settling or prevent "passions" and "spirits" from being stirred up.
I’m just wondering whose passions and whose spirits we're talking about? If Islam is such a peaceful religion and Muslims aren't terrorists, then what exactly are you all so afraid of?

Logic points to two possible answers here: either the moderators are scared of a backlash from Muslims... or Muslims are so heavily protected from any kind of scrutiny that any topic they don't like gets automatically silenced.

Shady actually admitted recently that his whole moderation thing and constant posting style ends up taking a toll on his family and kids—but hey, he calls it his "mission."

And then, get this—his excuse for all those random outbursts? He blames stuff like waiting at the doctor's office or whatever... wtf????

Are we really just going to tolerate a moderator checking out whenever someone manages to get under his skin? This isn't some private clinic where he can come to vent his frustrations. It’s not like he should be using the site to hand out bans and red cards just because his blood pressure spiked over something.

No matter how you slice it, the issue is obvious: the guy doesn't approach moderation with any sense of objectivity or professionalism. Instead, he pours all his personal biases and frustrations into it, basically turning the platform into a playground for his own little mission and personal jihad.

Angela Newman33 said:The real question is whether Muslims feel they have some special privilege that exempts them from scrutiny, or if they’re just afraid to confront their own issues because they aren't sure where that line of thinking might lead them.

Well, fine, let "them" stay on the sidelines then; let them opt out of the conversation.
But why shouldn't you, me, and everyone else who actually values open debate sit down right here on Reddit and hash it out?

Angela Newman33 said:Why does every topic involving logical questions seem to get shut down the moment actual evidence or arguments are brought to the table? It's as if people try to suppress the discussion immediately to settle any perceived unrest or "spirits."
I honestly wonder whose passions and spirits we're supposed to be soothing. If Islam is a peaceful religion and Muslims aren't terrorists, then what exactly is there to be afraid of?

Exactly—they end every dialogue by making sure "their" way is the final word.

I would find myself pushing back against that kind of behavior whether I were in the Middle East or not,
let alone on an American forum
in a digital space that should, ideally, be governed by the principles of Western discourse and parliamentary debate.

Susan Brooks83 said:.
.
.

I trust the admins will review the perspectives shared in this thread and reach a fair conclusion. 🙂

Personally, I think the admins are just playing it safe. They don't want people looking over their shoulders while walking down the street, so they won't decide anything at all. 😁

Gregory Turner71 said:Man, this is getting exhausting. You don't understand what went wrong, where the breakdown happened, or why it happened. Your complaint has been noted, and we will handle things the way we see fit. There's really no need for further complaints or trying to start a revolt.

Right. An American citizen on an American forum isn't allowed to stage a coup against a moderator who isn't even an American citizen and doesn't live in the States.

Will the rebels be denied food until they snap out of it and embrace Allah?

😁

Back in 2001, on an American online discussion board in the religion and philosophy section, I started a thread. This was following Shady's missionary post about the unseen beauties of Islam (which also featured a Christian professor who had converted to Islam). I decided to ask him directly: after all these supposed beauties of Islam, does he feel a religious obligation to follow a fatwa and kill Rushdie?

Shady responded in his post:

"If I were certain I wouldn't be caught and if the opportunity presented itself, I would kill him."

(Shady, I recorded that statement of yours right then, and there are still users here who remember it.)

Very soon after, he was forced to take a break from the forum because the members of the Religion and Philosophy sub-forum simply couldn't stomach him anymore...

He eventually returned, but someone brought up that old comment, and Shady vanished from the forum once again.

He only resurfaced when the veteran users who remembered his statement became a minority, and when the old forum began to decline and lost all its posts in 2002, making it impossible to link back to the original thread.

This time, he disguised his proselytizing under a cloak of quasi-tolerance, using the guiding idea: "Every man is born into his natural religion—Islam; his parents just raised him wrong by making him a Christian..."

I have nothing against Shady as a fellow user. People should be free to fight for their ideas, no matter what they are. However, it is unacceptable to use moderator authority solely for missionary work and to attack anyone who disagrees with those views.

boldsailor32