Islamic "Knights in Support of the Invasion" Group on Facebook Shut Down: Censorship, or Common Sense?

In a recent post I said that I'm against censorship.

So, why am I glad that Facebook shut down a group of Muslims, Fursan Ghazawat Alnusra?

The New York Times and the BBC don't encourage their readers to kill people that their respective editorial boards don't approve of.

Fursan Ghazawat Alnusra, or "Knights in Support of the Invasion" does - either that, or they've been working very hard to give the wrong impression.

Some samples of the Facebook group's statements (translated, I'm pretty sure):

• Purpose of the group:
  • "to support Jihad and Mujihadeen"
  • "to invade this Web site"
  • To ask "Allah to grant us Jihad and martyrdom"
• "Today we invade your sites, tomorrow your lands and homes, o you cross worshippers[!]."

And, this beaut:

• "Maybe the day will come when one of the martyrs is asked [by Allah] who urged you to Jihad, so he answers saying: a message came to me from Facebook asking me to support the Mujihadeen. The message impacted me therefore I went to Jihad to destroy the places of the cross worshippers[!]."

(From FOXNews)

Photos of group members included Al Qaeda leaders and prominent Saudi clerics.

An American president has said that "Islam is a peaceful religion." A number of people who say they follow Islam have told me essentially the same thing. I have no reason to doubt the word of any of them. I've also been told that "jihad" isn't violent: an idea that might be awkward to explain to the family of an "Egyptian "traitor" whose beheading was shown by Fursan Ghazawat Alnusra. I suppose killing him was okay, by some Muslim standards: somebody felt that he had helped Americans in Iraq.

So, Islam is a peaceful religion, and jihad isn't violent. Those ideas are easy enough to understand.

On the other hand, as a "cross worshiper," I'm a bit unsettled at how many members of this "peaceful religion" have expressed an interesting in waging jihad and invading the homes of Christians.

Related posts:

• "The New York Times Banned in China"
  (December 20, 2008)
• "Saudi Cleric Wants Women to Use One Eye - I'm Not Making This Up"
  (October 4, 2008)
• "United Nations Treats Islam More Equally Than Other Religions"
  (October 3, 2008)
• "Saudi Arabia's National Day, Islam, and Tribalism: This is Big"
  (September 27, 2008)
• "Chief Saudi Judge: Death to Network Owners!"
  (September 19, 2008)
• "Honor Killing is Against Islam, Islamic Party Members Say"
  (September 7, 2008)
• "Muslims, Terrorism, Islam, PBS, and 'Inside Islam: Faith vs. Fanatics' "
  (October 20, 2007)

Related discussion thread:

• "Help! Insight on Muslim/Islamic Beliefs and Culture Lost"
  BlogCatalog discussion thread, started (December 3, 2008)

In the news:

• "Jihadist Group Trying to 'Invade' Facebook Gets Shut Down"
  FOXNews (December 19, 2008)

Related posts, on censorship, propaganda, and freedom of speech.

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Updated (sort of):

• "Why I Call "Knights in Support of the Invasion" Islamic"
  
December 20, 2008)