[jambutty]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I know you appreciate facts Jambutty so lets get this right shall we?
The origin of the word kafir is Arabic and is usually translated as "unbeliever". In the Arabic language it means someone who who does not believe in, or denies the existence of, Allah. It was not intended as a derogatory term any more than a Christian referring to an atheist means it in a derogatory manner, or a Jew referring to a Gentile. It is merely a distinctive description.

The word was used to describe non-Muslim people by Arab traders on the coast of Africa. The word was adopted from there by Portuguese traders who used to describe the non-Muslim African people with whom they traded. It then spread into South Africa and was openly and generally used to describe African tribal peoples collectively but not in a derogatory fashion, in much the same way as they are today referred to as 'black South Africans' Only during the last century did it become a term of insult used by white South Africans or Rhodesians when referring to black people whom they considered inferior.

So you see, for Muslims to use the word it is neither derogatory nor offensive. It is merely the original Arabic word used to refer to someone who is not Muslim. Many Arabic words are used in Islam - it avoids the problems which can arise with translating into different languages. (Words such as 'halal' and 'haraam' for example.)

Please stop looking for insults and offences where none exist.

Yes indeed let’s get this straight and present ALL the facts not just those that suit your argument.

I see you’ve been Wikipediaing and also cherry picking – again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaffir_(ethnic_slur) opens with “Kaffir, kaffer or kafir, which once was a blanket term for black southern Africans (see Kaffir (historical usage in southern Africa)), is now utilized exclusively as an ethnic or racial slur.”

If you watched the programme you would have heard the manner in which the word Kaffir was spat out.

So please recognise in insult when it is spoken and stop trying to excuse the unacceptable actions of some people.