No shit. The wording "is reporting that" hardly constitutes a truth claim on my part.

Link fixed.

 

Like I said, enough oil money and control of two of the holiest centers of Islam, and you've got enough media-control to spread your bullshit.

Sufi, huh? I think that's the only sect of Islam in the Middle East I haven't met. Shias, Druze, Ahmadi, Sunni and Wahabi, but not that. Also, advice from now, never befriend an Ahmadi. They have issues.

Salafis are pretty shitty, but Wahhabism actually has the good-intentions to hell sort of thing because they initially started out as a reformist movement before becoming the most conservative hicks in town.

 

The Wahhabbi's were never 'good' guys. They were always insane puritan hicks who hated everyone who wasn't one of them (this was what they based their original arguments on if I've read Wahhab's extant writings correctly.) I mean, hell, their major theological claim in the beginning was that Sufi's were too tolerant! It seems like we've run across pretty much the same (generally speaking) cross-section of Muslims (although I have yet to meet any Druze or Ahmadi's.)

Sufi's are an interesting group. The ones I have met over here are laid back enough about their faith to fit in well in the West, but serious enough about it so that you can't mistake them for anything but pious (which is a difficult line to walk in any religion, let alone Islam.)

Back on topic, I am not all that surprised that this sort of thing happened (I am surprised it happened to someone who played a Hindu in an HP movie though.) Hindu-Muslim tensions have been a major issue on the Indian subcontinent for the past 80-90 years, and Britain has done nothing to staunch the flow of extremists entering it (Islamist/Jihadist networks and a large chunk of the social science literature have even taken to referring to London as 'Londonistan.') My guess is this had less to do with Islam qua Islam and more to do with general bigotry though. A sort of "guess whose coming to dinner" gone horribly wrong, if you will.

 

Actually yeah, according to my denomination, muslim women are not allowed to marry non-muslims (muslim men can marry non-muslims who are either christians or jews) so there is reason for their disapproval HOWEVER this in no way justifies them hurting their child which would be a far bigger sin.

 

Righteo. I've got my shotgun cartridges from the nearest superstore. Back in 3-5 years.

 

What sect are you? I'm non-sect myself, though I do lean closest to the Sunni, with liberal dashes of Shia thrown in.

 

I've never completely understood the need for people to have a religion. I mean I have heard and agree with some theories and my personal belief is that religion is something for people who can't deal with something: death, an illness, something they can't explain, a great fear of something. Or for people who look for a reason to do something questionable such as murder. I think it was Karl Marx that once said Religion is the opium of the masses which is a powerful and truthful(in my point of view) statement. I think the world would be much better off without all this religion nonsense. 80% Of the time I turn on the news there will be something shitty going on that has it's roots in religion.

A modern'ish scary & funny movie that for me, shows how far the insanity can go is Religulous: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815241/
Good movie to watch

On topic though:
I'm, as previously stated, also a bit surprised upon hearing there was a shitstorm for her dating a Hindu, but not for playing a Hindu & witch (or someone who could be Hindu).

 

sunni

and sammanus, I've heard arguments like that before but yeah I'd rather not start that debate here. Although you could PM me if you wish to hear my side of the argument.

 

IIRC, Parvati and Padma are of hindu mythology. So it is highly likely that the Patil's are hindu or of indian descent, knowing how Rowling formulates her character names.

wiki:

Padma Purana (Devanagari: पद्म पुराण), one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text, is divided into five parts.
In the first part of the text, sage Pulastya explains to Bhishma about religion and the essence of the religion. The second part describes in detail Prithvi (earth). In the third part, a description of the cosmos is given, including creation, and description of India (Bharata Varsha). The fourth part describes the life and deeds of Rama. The fifth part is in the style of a dialogue between Shiva and his consort, Parvati, and deals with the essential knowledge about religion.

edit: Sree beat me to it. That's what I get for not reading the whole thread.

 

Slightly off-topic: I doubt JKR got the name Padma from the Padma Purana...it's just a common Hindu/Sanskrit name that means lotus.

Anyways, yeah, both names (as well as the last name Patil) are of Hindu origin; it wouldn't make sense if the characters weren't Hindu.

 

And we know how much she likes flower/plant names.

Lily
Pansy
Lavender
Poppy
Narcissa
Rose
Myrtle
Olive
Petunia

And, of course, Fleur.

 

It's completely irrelevent but shiver me timbers...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/10/bonnie-wright-jamie-campb_n_569873.html

 

For some reason that had me laughing. I really don't know why.

You're forgetting Arabella Figg, Magnolia Crescent, Privet Drive, Remus Lupin, Violet, (lady in a portrait who hangs out with the Fat Lady) and Wisteria Walk. :awesome

 

Well, I wasn't about to list all of them (pfft, portraits), and I never intended to list place names, just people.

I didn't even really think about Figg because of the way her name is spelled, but that's just me.

By that same token, when the shots of JKR's hand-written, updated family tree started circulating after DH, some thought that Astoria Greengrass might have been Asteria, due to the handwriting.

That actually makes a lot of sense, considering JKR's naming proclivities. Greengrass married Draco who, as part of the Black family, is named after a celestial body. An Aster is a flower whose name means star. So, as Asteria, she would not only be named after a flower, but also a celestial body, satisfying two of JKR's most prominent naming habits.

Only having an alliterative name would make it any better, as far as she would be concerned.

Lupines are flowers, certainly, but I think in Remus's case it's more a nod to his condition than to a plant, so I wouldn't normally include him in such a list. Still, I wouldn't put it past JKR to double dip a flower reference and a name that's either a terrible pun or a ham-fisted attempt at foreshadowing.

/off-topic.