[R] Trolling in Multiculturalism thread

[Thermodolia]

I'm pretty sure that this user has been warned if not banned for his use of Kaifir and kufr
viewtopic.php?p=33063432&sid=6ac6de14ea5a6d1db7bddfd66124aa2a#p33063432
viewtopic.php?p=33063352&sid=8772089b4bef3836d81fa6e6fd8b7fdd#p33063352
viewtopic.php?p=33063455#p33063455
viewtopic.php?p=33063533&sid=0835be9f8d530009ce3d00e396d22140#p33063533

[Ransium]

viewtopic.php?p=33063662#p33063662

[United Islamic Commonwealth]

Just some linguistic background to provide more information (I really hope this isn't spamming): kufr is different from kuffar or khafir. Kufr is not a person or group. Kufr is the word for things that run contrary to Islam. Like, a political ideology can be kufr, but a person can't.

[Ransium]

Okay, I've already made my ruling but I'll launch a second opinion flair so someone more experienced with the topic post can weigh in on my ruling, thanks.

[Kubumba Tribe]

I apologize for any behavior that might be taken as trolling, as in "lol Imma get banned for speaking Arabic", etc. I still disagree with the ruling (maye still might try to fight it), but I apologize for any wrongs against the game. If I have stained the honor and reputation of other Muslims of NSG, I deeply regret this and it was never my intention to do so.

[Kubumba Tribe]

You have complained about this, appealed it, and Final Appealed it. Wikipedia and other online sources disagree with your interpretation. Our ruling isn't going to change. You need to stop using the word in this context, and you definitely need to stop bringing it up like there's some sort of vendetta against you. You lost the ruling. The End.

Wikipedia does not disagree with me

kafir is used especially among political Islam movements to denote someone who does not believe in Islam and therefore also used as a derogatory term.

It says that 'kafir' is used in a pejorative way by those who politicize Al-Islam, and even then, that's not a majority nor is it all.

'Kafir' is not a slur in and of itself. If someone says "You are a kafir because you don't believe in Allah (SWT) and the Last Day" or something similar, that is not actionable. Yet if someone says "You dirty, stupid kafir" or something similar, that is actionable. 'Kafir' being offensive depends on how it's used, not the very fact that it is used.

And also - and this goes mainly to Thermodolia, but it can also be directed at the mods because they ruled in his favor - 'kufr' is not a slur, nor is it a noun. 'Kufr' means 'disbelief', which is referring to a state of mind or a system, it is not and cannot be directed at someone ex: "Atheists and mushrikeen (polytheists [you gonna ban that Arabic word too? Y'all know how scary Arabic can be]) are kufr" is not grammatically correct, but "Atheists and mushrikeen are upon kufr" is grammatically correct. So I was banned for describing a state of mind, not 'insulting' somebody. How does that work?

Also, this makes me think of something, which is hypocritical on the mods' part: Y'all will ban a Arabic word (kufr/kafir), but you won't ban it's English/translated equivalent? Well, actually, y'all technically did, because 'kafir/kufr' and 'disbeliever/disbelief' are the same words, so the mods just banned 'kufr/kafir' and all their equivalents when translated.

I repeat: A kafir is a disbeliever is a kafir, both are the same word, same meaning, different langauge. Kufr is disbelief is kufr, and 'kufr' is a noun, not an adjective.

[NERVUN]

This has been seen and we are currently getting more information.

[The Archregimancy]

Mod who used to live in Dubai and has some familiarity with both Arabic and Islam pops in...

Languages with triconsonant clusters do often present difficulties to those unfamiliar with the different forms of the root; here we're having problems with the k-f-r root (literally 'to cover', or more loosely 'to hide')

United Islamic Commonwealth is correct that kufr/كفر is simply 'disbelief' or religious denial; there is no pejorative sense here, and the word is not actionable. Because of this, I'm going to recommend to the rest of the team that we revisit this ban. I can't do this unilaterally, but please stay tuned.



However, I refer everyone to these earlier moderation rulings on the use of kafir/كافر‎ and the plural form kuffar/كفّار:

viewtopic.php?p=28445584#p28445584
viewtopic.php?p=32557723#p32557723

We do not ban the use of 'kafir'; it isn't inherently actionable. But you must make it clear that you're using it in the strict Koranic sense rather than in the modern colloquial Arabic sense. You can't expect non-Arabic speakers to be able to distinguish between the two without clear context being offered.

شكرا

[USS Monitor]

After discussion, based on the reasoning that Arch explained above, this ruling is being reversed: viewtopic.php?p=33063662#p33063662

Using "kufr" is not actionable.

We still ask that you steer clear of calling people "kafir" or "kafireen."