What does this billboard mean (see details)?

This is most likely a pro-Islamic billboard. Many Moslems talk about the Quran not allowing racism.

Well, that would be the intent I would hope for but it was very unclear to me.

@janbb By not allowing racism do they deal with it the same way they deal with gays?

@si3tech I have no idea; I know very little about Islam and have no need to argue for or against their precepts.

@si3tech That may have sounded snarkier than I intended. What I was trying to say was that I was just trying to figure out what the posters of the billboard meant and it is was intended as an overtly racist statement. It just didn’t make sense to me.

They are trying to attract people who are feeling oppressed due to their race by suggesting that they will be treated equal if they convert into Islam.

It’s a lame attempt to be punny/clever, but it sounds like it’s promoting Islam by claiming that it forbids racism.

I read it as entirely ambiguous. It turns on the meaning of “ends”: it could mean “terminates,” implying that Islam somehow defeats racism, or it could mean “has as its purpose or outcome,” indicating that racism leads to Islamic belief.

Neither interpretation makes much sense.

My guess would be, first, that it alludes to, and is meant to be a reminder of, something that has been or is being conveyed in another medium. I recognize that many billboards that seem cryptic to me are going to have meaning to people who watch television, whereas I sometimes can’t even guess what they’re advertising. Maybe it refers to print or broadcast messages that you haven’t seen or heard, or even to a line of scripture.

Second, I would speculate that the line is translated from another language that doesn’t have the same nearly opposite meanings of “ends”—or, if it has, the intent is clear, whereas in English it is not.

Do you know anyone in the Islamic community who could explain?

@imrainmaker I think you’re interpretation makes a lot of sense as it was posted near a largely black city. Smart thinking.

But @Jeruba I totally agree that it is ambiguous which is why I did a double take. I don’t know any Muslims to ask and I’m not sure I would broach as it may not be representing them at all.

“We aren’t concerned about the color of the heads we sever.”

Read more in my book The Rainbow Infidel.

Edit: “your”. My head isn’t on straight today!

In Islam there’s no concept of race as far as I know but there are different sects Sunnis, Shiyas and Suffis and Wahabi etc. Some of them are thirsty of each other’s blood even though same religion. Must be aware of long running war between Iraq and Iran who represent Sunnis and Shiyas resp. Sufism is peaceful sect while Wahabi are considered most hostile of them.

Wahhabis are Sunnis. While it is true that the support for the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party in Iraq was largely among Sunni practitioners, it was a secular party, and had no affiliation with any type of Islamic practice. The majority of the population of Iraq was and remains Shi’ite. In the days of the Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein al Tikriti, the ostensibly secular Ba’ath party fought a war with Iran in the hope of dominating their region, but also in fear of the Shi’ite majority in Iraq who might be encouraged to rebellion by the successful revolution in Iran. Iran is the largest Shi’ite nation.

Wahhabism calls for a return to the values of the earliest Muslims, although, of course, what those values are is a subject of a good deal of interpretation. Wahhabism dates to the early 18th century, and is certainly fundamentalist, but there is no reason to label them dangerous. Sufism can be described as mystical Islam (and often is) and originally derived from Sunni Islam, although it eventually spread to Persia (Iran) and farther east, often being embraced by Shi’ites. In the 12th century, Persian ulama began to persecute Sufis, attempting to drive them out of Persia (Iran).

Islam cannot be casually dismissed by reference to a few sects or practices. It is every bit as complex and varied as is christianity. It helps to carefully inform oneself before holding forth on Islam. By and large, Islam is not racialist, although individual members may hold racist views.

@janbb – one’s loss is gain for other. They are trying to gain out of current circumstances.

It means when Islam takes over the world there will be no more racism. There will be one race and one religion.