Sean Stone: Iran's latest propaganda asset

If ever evidence were required to demonstrate that wealth and celebrity (in this case inherited celebrity) do not equate to intelligence or commonsense, Sean Stone’s conversion to Islam earlier this week should surely attest to the veracity of this observation. Despite having gained a degree in history from top Ivy League University Princeton, the 27-year-old son of Oliver Stone decided to announce his conversion in the Iranian city of Isfahan last Tuesday, presumably choosing this location because of its anti-American credentials. He has, as is expected upon such a move, assumed the name of ‘Ali’, thereby letting us know that in future we should think of him as a Shiite. Reuters reports:

He travelled to Iran to produce a film about Rumi, the 13th century mystic Persian poet, and has plans to work with Iranian film producers.

"It's a mistake to believe that Islam is antagonistic towards Judaism and Christianity,' he told the ISNA news agency. "What we need is to understand each other's beliefs and to establish dialogue."

Asked how his conversion would be reported in America, Stone said he was not famous and it would have little effect on his life back home.

"The most important thing is I hope I can help Americans to understand the true nature of Islam," he said.

"I feel good when I enter a mosque. I believe there is only one God and with this view it is not important whether you are Muslim, Christian or Jewish."

Iranian media has widely covered Sean Stone's conversion and his well-documented Iran-friendly comments.

So, there you have it: Sean Stone has freely chosen to embrace Islam, like cricketer Wayne Parnell last summer. Why? He could after all have become something rather less offensive such as a Buddhist or a pagan. One must therefore assume that Sean Stone is likely to possess a misogynist mindset that finds Islam an agreeable match to his predisposition. It is also rather likely that, as with most Americans, he is unable to conceptualise a Universe in which there is not a guiding intelligence named ‘God’, and having fallen out of love with his own country and its series of disastrous foreign policy interventions, has decided to embrace the antithetical religious views of his country’s nemesis. His move will also, I am sure, provide plenty of publicity for his latest documentary endeavour. Looking at his photograph below, do you not agree that Stone has already managed to perfect the disdainful scowl of piety characteristic of so many of his co-religionists?

Sean "put a bag over your head love" Stone

 

Wayne Parnell: Fast Bowler loses Grip on Reality

It is always sad to witness someone slip into mental illness, and I am sure that you will join me today in commiserating with the family of Wayne Parnell the South African cricketer and current Sussex fast bowler. It would appear that Parnell’s seeming mental collapse, that is, his conversion to Islam, has been precipitated by his moving in an environment where constant media and political propaganda portraying this vicious backward ideology as a ‘religion of peace’ gulled him into its unforgiving embrace. Now that he's in, he'll not find it easy to leave should he realise his error.

We can but extend our sympathies to the Parnell family, for they have at least for the time being lost a son, whom it would appear is contemplating assuming the moniker of Waleed which means ‘new born’ (one born every minute more like). Such a decision must smart painfully. What a disappointment and a sorrow it must be for any parent to see one of their children choose such a course. As one wag remarked in the comment stream to one of the articles on this story, his bowling prowess should stand him in good stead when it comes to attending stonings. It’d be a pretty frightening sight to witness him deploying “Two points, ah, two flats, and a packet of gravel” at such an event!

Let us hope that this represents but the folly of a confused youth, and that Parnell will quickly rethink this rash and painful (ouch! Must they cut there?) decision.

Wayne Parnell: currently lost to Mohammedanism

Fort Hood Shootings: Major Nidal Malik Hasan

What a surprise. It transpires that the main perpetrator of today's atrocity at Fort Hood - Major Nidal Malik Hasan - turns out to have been a Muslim convert. Now, I wonder why a man such as Major Malik who  converted to such a 'peace-loving' religion as Islam should have gone on to murder so many of his comrades? Any ideas? For further details see http://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-major-malik-nidal-hasan-identified-as-primary-shooter-at-fort-hood-2009-11

It would seem that he may have been 'inspired' by Tuesday's shooting spree by an Afghan policeman in which five British soldiers were murdered and a number of others injured. Will these two incidents prove to be the precursors to a wave of such attacks?