February 17, 2005

Religion of Peace Update: 'Democracy is No Tea Party' edition

The man I am most jealous of in this world*, Salmon Rushdie, gives us today's theme:

The idea that any kind of free society can be constructed in which people will never be offended or insulted is absurd. So too is the notion that people should have the right to call on the law to defend them against being offended or insulted. A fundamental decision needs to be made: do we want to live in a free society or not? Democracy is not a tea party where people sit around making polite conversation.
ht: Simon who's Asian blog roundup is up.

CIA finally admitting that border security is part of national security, and not a moment too late after Mexico decides not to require visas from Middle Easterners.

Joseph Braude reminds us in his New Republic Online post that the goal of American foreign policy ought not to be simply 'democracy', but liberal democracy. He notes that a leading member of those agitating for more democracy has written "Yes, we have the right to celebrate [the September 11 attacks]. This was the first step in a thousand-mile journey toward defeating America in a knockout blow." Read the rest.

Is the back-stabbing sick-man of Europe, Turkey, the best we can hope for in the Middle East? New Sisyphus says yes. (via Bill's Comments)

From Dhimmi Watch:
The 'Secular' Palestinian Authority forbids Christians and Jews from praying on Temple Mount. Also, Germany is finally deporting a radical Imam that calls (like Noam Chomsky and Edward Said) the US the real terrorist in the world.

And via Jihad Watch: Palestinian Authority to integrate wanted terrorists into ranks.

Like the terrorists in Iraq who behead known 'collaboraters', Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas gives the thumbs up to collaborater execution. (via LGF)

Shiite crowd in Iraq kill suspected suicide bomber. (via Emperor Misha and Elliot)

France proves once again that they are the dhimmi bitches we all knew they were by failing to condemn Hezbollah because, you know, we wouldn't want to offend Syria. I got news for you France: The Nazis were a political party too. (via Cranky Neocon)

Shocker: Anti-war activist and former US weapons inspector Scott Ritter now working for al Jazeera. And guess what? His writing fits right in! (ht: Michelle Malkin who still hasn't blogrolled me)

Pantano beheading video hoax uncovered. (via Chad at ITB)

John at Crossroads of Arabia notes the 'Riyadh Declaration' on Terrorism. Is it just me, or when I hear about the right of 'resistance' am I supposed to be reading 'the right to resist, you know, Jews and Americans--but, no one else.' It's kind of like the 'right of return' means 'the right of Palestinians to return' but not, say, the right of Prussians to return to the Baltic states.

*For the record, I'm not a fan of his fiction, which I find boring, but I am jealous of his being the recipient of a death fatwa. For the love of all that is holy, what does one have to do to get a fatwa issued against him around here!!

Posted by: Rusty at 04:56 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Fine. You want a fatwa? I'll give you a fatwa: By decree of the Ayatolla Teebee Khomeini, let it be known: The foundation of the Islaamic faith is belief in the Unity of God. The Infidel known as Rusty Shackleford has demonstrated his believe in an unidentifiable pantheon known as the force, which is contrary to the core of the faith. Furthermore, he denies Allah and his servants and mocks the holy jihad. For this, as well as for failure to revere the Prophet Muhammad and the Q'uran, we issue this fatwa against Rusty Shackleford: May all the faithful consider it their sacred duty of jihad to seek out this infidel wherever they may find him and extract from him his life force, that is, his blog. May jihadi hackers reduce his blog's coding to a useless muddle; may his pages fail to load for browsers throughout the universe in the name of Allah, and may the faithful rejoice at the silence of the archive of the Jawas. So let it be spoken, so let it be done. Allah akbar! there. ya happy? I figure we're pretty much both screwed now.

Posted by: tee bee at February 17, 2005 05:55 PM (q1JHF)

2 Some of Rushdie is very, very good; some of it is horrid. Satanic Verses is good if you know what he's talking about before you pick up the book, otherwise it's pretty inpenetrable. The Ground Beneath Her Feet, on the other hand, is absolutely splendid! It combines Indo-Pakistani history, contemporary US & London, and a great history of Rock & Roll. Midnight's Children is haunting and wonderful, IMO. Grimus is simply impossible.

Posted by: John at February 17, 2005 06:36 PM (IuAUA)

3 I don't care, I'm going to call you Salman Rusty from now on anyway

Posted by: Eric at February 17, 2005 08:19 PM (lK7Sh)

4 Stop playing beehive baseball and the bees will leave you alone.

Posted by: Collin Baber at February 17, 2005 10:47 PM (FV4oJ)

5 That's the thing, Salmon Rusty has been stirring up the hive for awhile--but not bee stings!!!

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at February 18, 2005 08:10 AM (JQjhA)

6 I can't help you in the fatwa department, but since I'm an ancient Egyptian crocodile-headed god I can threaten to swallow your soul and devour your children. Good enough?

Posted by: Sobek at February 18, 2005 05:53 PM (i+rdT)

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