"The "reporters" are making a laughing stock of themselves"
We are all making "laughing stocks of ourselves one way or another (seem to remember you posted reams of 'information' lifted directly from 'Muslim Watch' and 'White Supremacy' - both extreme racist websites, and expected to be taken seriously)
Instead of shouting at each other, this section of the site should be self-regulatory instead of frustratedly hurling abuse at one another, then shuffling off in a huff.
I don't accept that everybody has a right to make swingeing generalised condemnations about other's gender, race or culture - British laws says they haven't (really don't know about the U.S. - a foreign country as far as I'm concerned).
"How can Mudcat debate when moderation precludes sections of society from engaging?"
I do believet a music-based site such as this one would benefit greatly from an input of information and experience from some of the rich musical traditions to be found in some Muslim countries; Mudcat is the last place I'd expect to encounter such people as things stand at present.
I know how it feels to have Irish roots and have to face some of the garbage being thrown around here recently.
Observers on this site have a pretty shitty job in keeping us in order sometime when we behave like a bunch of unpleasant schoolchildren - me as much as anybody.
It's about time we all took a close look at ourselves and decided whether we were people we would like to take home and meet our families.
Jim Carroll