From our ally the UAE's official news agency [emphasis mine]:

The Ministry of Education has decided to withdraw the book "World Cultures" from all private foreign schools as it contained references that defamed Arabs and Muslims .

The publisher of book will be blacklisted.

The ministry has prepared a circular in this regard to educational zones, which will be received on Tuesday so that committees can be sent to the schools to ensure that the book is withdrawn.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:31 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
Post contains 119 words, total size 1 kb.

Dubai (one of the member states of the UAE) is known as the 'Switzerland' of the Middle East. Why? It's not because of their long tradition of neutrality and better-than-average cheese making abilities. No, it's Dubai's don't ask, don't tell attitude about people doing business in that country.

American Spectator:

Dawood Ibrahim himself is, by all accounts, living in Pakistan, but his baby brother Anees -- another suspect in the 1993 bombing -- was recently hanging around in Dubai. In 2002, Emirates authorities arrested Anees, and India finally expected to be able to bring him to account. But rather than extradite him to India, the UAE abruptly released him on bail and deported him back to the brier patch -- Pakistan....

Anees Ibrahim wasn't the only narcoterrorist who cashed in a "get out of jail free" card in the Emirates. Another suspect in the Mumbai bombing named Abu Salem was captured in UAE in 2001, and then quickly released before India could even request his extradition. Salem was later picked up in Lisbon, Portugal, after spending some time in Atlanta and attracting the attention of the FBI. Indian journalists and politicians report that Salem, after falling out with D-Company, had taken up with al Qaeda.

I don't doubt that the UAE has provided a great deal of assistance to the United States in the War on Terror, for which we ought to be grateful. And all nations will have organized crime of one variety or another, so the presence of some wiseguys in Dubai doesn't disqualify them from doing business in the USA. My point is that these particular gangsters are also Islamic terrorists with serious links to al Qaeda, and there is precious little evidence that Dubai is serious about stopping them.

Related report from HNN.

Posted by: Rusty at 07:56 AM | Comments (27) | Add Comment
Post contains 315 words, total size 2 kb.

Patriot Guard Riders Still on the Job providing support at the funeral for Cpl. Andrew Kemple, who died in Iraq Feb. 12. Stopping the McAssholes.

New group oppressed in Palestine since the Hamas election victory, Christians!

JPost : "Since Hamas took over, I cover my head in Ramallah," she says. "I don't feel comfortable." In the largely cosmopolitan Ramallah, though they comprise some 10 percent of the population, Christians are becoming less and less visible. The first time that Khoury ran into her local parish priest there with her head covered, he raised his eyebrows and laughed.
"I see more and more women covered up," Khoury says, explaining that for now, it's preferable to play it safe and assimilate on the street, even if she would never choose to cover her head otherwise. "Years ago I even used to go in short sleeves," she says. "You'd have to put a gun to my head to get me to wear short sleeves now."

Nigerian Hostages still Mcheld.

Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Nigerian militants released photographs of nine foreign oil workers they kidnapped on Feb. 18 from a Willbros Group Inc. boat near Royal Dutch Shell Plc's Forcados export platform. The photographs were e-mailed by Jomo Gbomo, a spokesman for the militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND. In a separate e-mailed statement, Gbomo said the hostages won't be released until the government frees a former Bayelsa state governor and a jailed militia leader.

Don't miss Vonski's weekly roundup of important victories in the GWOT. Lot's of good news this week had been overshadowed.

Coalition Forces, with the assistance of the Iraqi Police, conducted a raid in northern Baghdad Feb. 24, which resulted in the death of Abu Asma, the Al Qaeda Military Emir of Northern Baghdad. Intelligence reports indicated Abu Asma was in possession of and expected to use suicide vests against the Iraqi people and security forces.

One of my very best friends is school worked for Ronald. Soon it was all “let’s get some McBeer, get McLoaded and try to get some McNookie”. I swear this will be the McLast time I McBlog.

Update: Dick cheney's got a gun! H/T memphis761.

more...

Posted by: Howie at 12:44 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 691 words, total size 5 kb.

Only one group is so evil to destroy a revered and I must say beautiful mosque this week. Only one little peg legged bastard has any reason to. This mosque I must say was a nice place. If there is one thing that impresses me about Iraq itÂ’s some of the fantastically opulent and beautiful mosques there. It has been a target several times and each time the attacks failed until Wednesday. This heinous act almost resulted in civil war and the danger is not over yet.

Robbins at National Review : The initial retaliatory attacks on Sunni mosques must have pleased Zarqawi; if taking down this site did not start the civil war, nothing would.
So the foreign fighters must have been stunned when Shiite and Sunni leaders rushed out statements saying they knew that the takfiri (i.e., those who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, a code word in this context for the foreign extremists) were behind the attack, and they would not let this act of brutality divide Iraq. In an announcement on his website Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani blamed “takfiris [who] meant to foment sedition among the Iraqi people, thus fulfilling their malicious goals.”… … Shiite radical Muqtada al-Sadr — remember him? — blamed the attack on the takfiri, Saddam loyalists, and “the occupation.” “We should not attack Sunni mosques,” he said on al Jazeera. “I ordered [his militia the] Al-Mahdi Army to protect the Shiite and Sunni shrines and to show a high sense of responsibility, something they actually did.”

The Australian News : Fearing even that would not compensate for their loss of influence, Sunni extremists, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qa'ida in Iraq, have sought to ignite a broader conflict than has been waged in the past 18 months.
Analysts in Jordan believe Iraq is now on the precipice.
"A lot of Sunni Arab politicians have been working hard towards a government of national unity, but there are a number of spoilers in the Sunni community," said the Middle East project director for the International Crisis Group Joost Hiltermann.

Posted by: Howie at 12:17 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
Post contains 604 words, total size 4 kb.

1 Mohammed at Iraq the Model reported yesterday that Sadr's Shia militias attacked Salafist and Wahabi Sunni mosques, but not "ordinary Sunni" ones. I haven't seen that distinction mentioned in the MSM. This suggests that even a murderous jackass like Sadr realizes that al Qaeda is the true enemy.

Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at February 24, 2006 12:39 PM (RHG+K)

2 Does anyone here believes it could of been orchestrated by Iran via the IRG, in order to tie up the allied forces?

Posted by: dave at February 24, 2006 01:26 PM (CcXvt)

3 I read that Dave. Nope did not buy it. It reminded my of the 911/ truth movement (we blew ourselves up). It's fun to think about but not very likely to actually be true. I suppose the Spanish and French and English blew themselves up too and then called UBL Hey cover our ass by claiming this would ya?

Posted by: Howie at February 24, 2006 01:29 PM (D3+20)

4 I'm not sure it could be considered blowing themselves up though? Despite the fact that they fought each other in the Iran-Iraq war, I have not read that Iranian people believe this to be one of the most important Shia Mosque (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong?) For two cultures that continually attempt to make their own country the pinnacle of the Shia faith I would imagine the Mosque is not as much consequence to the Iranian Government as we're lead to believe, not to mention the fact their Government came out blaming the Jews/American alliance for it's destruction (not unexpected)

Posted by: dave at February 24, 2006 02:10 PM (CcXvt)

5 Sorry I can't correct an opinion. Good points no one has had the balls to stand up and claim this one so we are left speculating(as far as I am aware). I lean toward AL-qaeda as I think it's safe to say they have been wanting this target for a long time. Also it fits their goals just oh so right. That being said I'm all for hearing other angles becauase it's possible I'm wrong.

Posted by: Howie at February 24, 2006 02:22 PM (D3+20)

6 Someplace between 120 and 200 mosques in the capitol were attacked. That is a large number.

Posted by: john ryan at February 24, 2006 03:25 PM (TcoRJ)

7 Yeah, it was most likely Zarqoward who was behind the attack on the Shiite mosque.

Posted by: tommy at February 24, 2006 04:03 PM (6nMOD)

8 Then again, maybe it was the New Black Panther Party that attacked the mosque http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004618.htm They are awfully fearsome!

Posted by: tommy at February 24, 2006 04:07 PM (6nMOD)

9 I found a very intersting post this morning over at 24 steps to liberty. He is an Iraqi blogger that says the news being reported in Iraq is very different from what we are hearing here in the US. I have an excerpt and a link to his post here

Posted by: The Ugly American at February 24, 2006 09:23 PM (hS6ZA)

10 It was da JOOOoooooOOOOOoooozzzz what did it, greg sez so!!!

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 25, 2006 07:55 AM (0yYS2)

11 three things are key in this bombing which suggest that it was not AMZ: 1. the timing, 6:45am, after morning prayers; AMZ would have made sure to kill people praying 2. whoever did this let the guards live. AMZ would have no problim killing guards and would have liked to get more victims 3. this bombing hurts the sunni and helps the shia. i know AMZ is on the ropes (praise allah) but he would not do anything which would create such obvious blowback. i was sure it was AQITLOTR, but now, looking at the facts and circumstances, i say it was iran and the rev guard - trying shift power from the govt to the religious leaders and militias

Posted by: dale at February 25, 2006 09:21 AM (z9YTo)

12 Good points dale. For those who think Iran wouldn't desecrate a shia holy site, I would love to hear why.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 25, 2006 10:48 AM (0yYS2)

13 I think it is also noteworthy that this attack was in the north, not the shia-rich south. It would appear that Iran was trying to throw people of their trail. Additionally, this was the fourth most important mosque from my understanding, not one of the top three. Lastly, the overall timing is weird. Iran is having setbacks with the government in Iraq, the nuclear issue seems to moving backward for them. It would make perfect sense for them to do this as a warning to the US of the trouble they can cause, at will, for the plans of the US to exit. Lastly, there have been NO CALLS for the US to leave despite the repeated threats of civil war. It is weird to me that all this occurring and NO ONE is calling for a US withdrawal. As to why Iran would NOT bomb a mosque, you pose a difficult side to argue for. I think those 5000 religious leaders calling the shots over there would do anything at anytime to try and retain their slipping power.

Posted by: dale at February 25, 2006 11:05 AM (+WIFW)

14 >>>>JOOOoooooOOOOOoooozzzz what did it bwahaha! I love when you do that.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at February 25, 2006 06:26 PM (8e/V4)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

The Muslim riots in Nigeria earlier in the week have now produced a backlash from Christians in the south after Muslims rioted against Christians to protest the publication of satirical cartoons depicting Muhammad. Of course these were not spontaneous riots and never mind that Nigerians had nothing to do with it. They were incited by Muslim clerics in a misguided effort to get respect for Islam by use of fear. Rather than protesting peacefully against those actually responsible they took out their frustrations on those who had nothing to do with the issue. Burning Churches and murdering Christians in the street. In Nigeria where this kind of Muslim/Christian is fairly common the result has been that the Christians there are violently turning against Islam, burning Mosques and killing in revenge. Giving right back to the Muslims what they had been dishing out just a few days before. Now the Muslims are fleeing and finding themselves in the same position they put others in just a few days before. I cannot condone Christian riots and Killing. However the bible does say ye shall reap what ye sow. Looks like the Muslims in Nigeria are harvesting a bumper crop!

Washington Post : ONITSHA, Nigeria -- Muslims fled this southeast Nigerian city and corpses still smoldered in its streets Thursday as two days of sectarian violence that killed more than 50 people subsided.
Saturday in the northern city of Maiduguri, Muslim protests against cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad turned violent, razing 30 churches and claiming the lives of 18 people, mostly Christians.
Similar violence followed Monday and Tuesday in the northern city of Bauchi, where witnesses and Red Cross officials say 25 people were killed when Muslim mobs attacked Christians there.
The violence came to Onitsha Tuesday, apparently in reaction to the killings in Maiduguri and Bauchi, which like most of northern Nigeria, are dominated by Muslims. Onitsha, like most of the south, is dominated by Christians.

Christian mobs, seeking revenge for the killings of Christians in the north, attacked Muslims with cutlasses, destroyed their houses and torched mosques in two days of violence in Onitsha, where at least 85 people have died.
"We are very happy that this thing is happening so that the north will learn their lesson," said Anthony Umai, a motorcycle taxi rider, standing close to where Christian youths had piled up the corpses of 10 Muslims and were burning them.

Posted by: Howie at 12:25 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
Post contains 476 words, total size 3 kb.

1 An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Islamic Clerics unite. Please help stop the violence abroad. Even against your own. The world is getting fed up with the BS and it shows. No one is afraid anymore and this is only to worsen. Be the hero not the doomsayer of your own people.

Posted by: Joe at February 23, 2006 12:56 PM (Z2ndo)

2 The same thing happens in India when muslims riot there. Hindus just murder them right back. When will the moooslims learn. And no, their violence has not caused anybody to "respect" them, only abhor them.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at February 23, 2006 01:07 PM (8e/V4)

3 The Islamist's only weapon is our own tolerance of their violence, trying to pass it off as "righteous anger" or some legitimate form of demonstration. Burning an embassy, or destroying someone else's property, is not free speech. It is an attempt to put into place a thugocracy. Any government that does not harshly punish those involved has absolutely no legitimacy. Violence against these thugs and their supporters in light of a government which refuses to take action is not only called for, but absolutely just and a requirement if the Christians of Niger wish to remain a free people. And I say this as a rabid atheist. Mercy to the guilty is treason to the innocent.

Posted by: MiB at February 23, 2006 01:26 PM (tFcEO)

4 Death to Islam

Posted by: Andy at February 23, 2006 03:09 PM (tMU4W)

5 Way to go Christians in Nigeria! It is about time someone defended themselves. While we hold hands , and sing songs. Could any Muslims in America please burn an American flag close to me? Ft. Worth, Texas would be nice. Support Denmark, buy Danish.

Posted by: Leatherneck at February 23, 2006 03:12 PM (D2g/j)

6 well spoken MiB, you're my kind of an athiest :-)

Posted by: Javapuke at February 23, 2006 03:27 PM (zTtEv)

7 These Muslims in Nigeria have hopefully learned a hard lesson, and I sincerely hope that Muslims around the world will stop this silliness before they cause the entire world to hate them. And more people are getting fed up daily. I'm at my breaking point, myself.

Posted by: jesusland joe at February 23, 2006 03:35 PM (rUyw4)

8 JP, all those "atheists" who are constantly attacking Christians and Christianity, are really just communists parading in the guise of atheists. A real atheist is usually also a non-ideologue. That said, I hope the Nigerians kill lots of muslims.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 23, 2006 03:55 PM (0yYS2)

9 Christianity is as illogical as any religion; I'm not going to give them a pass on that. But they aren't trying to blow me up, either. So they can go on with their faith stuff and I won't bother them if they don't bother me. I like that arrangement; Islamists, obviously, do not give me this option. While I don't care for their faith at all, I do defend, and rabidly so, their right to it. And I will urge them to take action - violent action, in this case - to protect that right. Because, while I do not like Christians or Christianity very much, they are tolerable and tend to not cut the heads off of nonbelievers. I know which side I'm on in this war.

Posted by: MiB at February 23, 2006 04:52 PM (tFcEO)

10 Max I understand where you're coming from. It is not common an athiest has the convictions to bring him/herself to regard fundamental rights for Christians. This is almost humerous. MiB you're the exception but I have known others like you, usually more libertarian consistant in their values. Whatever your politics you'd be welcome in my home.

Posted by: Javapuke at February 23, 2006 06:29 PM (rzVXG)

11 Gezzzzz MIB, I quess your welcome at my table too. Now, who's turn is it to say the blessing?

Posted by: Leatherneck at February 23, 2006 08:01 PM (D2g/j)

12 JP, speaking as an atheist myself, it takes a lot of moral fibre to be a true atheist and a good citizen, because we have abandoned ideology-based morality in exchange for principle-based morality, and thus stand alone as an independant human being, knowing that we must answer to none but our fellow man and our own conscience for the things we do. As for me, my own conscience is a far more stern judge than any invisible man in the sky, so I tend to be well-behaved and will not wrong my fellow man without justification. This is why atheists don't go around killing people for no good reason, but religious people often do; we can't rationalize violence so easily, because we must answer to ourselves for our own sins.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 23, 2006 08:14 PM (0yYS2)

13 IM, just because atheists don't have religion doesn't mean they don't have ideology. And that ideology will cause them to kill in even greater numbers sometimes. See, you are still human, and that's what humans do. They kill, unless their particular ideology/religion tells them not to.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at February 23, 2006 09:08 PM (8e/V4)

14 Max I'd say you're an atheit's ideologue. A ton of lefties are atheists and commies, their problem is being honest enough to admit it. But I have no problem giving them the benifit of doubt. Nothing personal So you really think you're more stern than Allah?

Posted by: Javapuke at February 23, 2006 09:12 PM (2+rWy)

15 It appears that while 'turning the other cheek' may well work in many cases, it does not work with Islamofacists. The Nigerian Islamo's merely take it as an opportunity to 'Bitch slap' the Christians'. Maybe the Islamo's should read a few other Biblical references prior to butchering the innocent, in the name of their 7th century religion. References such as: He who lives by the sword... The Islamists keep harping on about the Crusades, it would appear that in Nigeria they've started another localized one; maybe the Islamo's should emigrate to the Arabian desert, where they can joyfully kill each other in the name of their particular Islamic sect; because it sure looks as though the Nigerian Christians' won't take any more of their shit.

Posted by: Ken at February 23, 2006 09:24 PM (CYeOT)

16 You guys are confusing atheism with communism, which is just a state religion. Carlos, there is no incident in history where atheists killed anyone stricly on behalf of atheism. There are however many examples of so-called atheists killing Christians in the name of - you guessed it! - Communism! Communism is nothing but a competing religion, and has been trying to wipe out Christianity for a long time, because Communism cannot exist alongside Christianity, although it does seem to overlay nicely with islam, which would go far in explaining how the global leftist movement is hand in glove with islamic terroristm, although the two appear on the surface to be ideologically different. Scratch a militant Atheist, (notice the capitalization), and you'll find a leftard every time, but there are plenty of us just like me, who cherish our culture, history, and civilization, and respect the rights of our fellow man, and ask, nothing more in return.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 24, 2006 05:06 AM (0yYS2)

17 Oh, I almost forgot to post on the original topic. I wonder how long it will take for the muslims to start crying about how the Christians in Nigeria are oppressing them, and calling for a jihad against them? I wish I could afford to take off for six months and go there on a little safari.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 24, 2006 05:10 AM (0yYS2)

18 IM, but you said that a true atheist cannot be an ideologue, and I beg to differ. Man needs to believe in something, so remove religion from the mix and an atheist will fill the void with an ideology. Your best hope is only that the ideology you choose is a good one.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at February 24, 2006 03:00 PM (8e/V4)

19 I guess you could consider a love of liberty and the Constitution to be an ideology, because that's all I've got. I'm not really into "isms", and neither are any of the true atheists that I know, we just like being free people in a free country, even if many of our fellow citizens act like ignorant assholes toward us sometimes.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 25, 2006 08:00 AM (0yYS2)

20 IM, your ideology is called patriotISM. It's a fine ideology.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at February 25, 2006 10:42 AM (8e/V4)

21 i think it's time for all the christians of the world to have a re-awakening to the true nature of christ.regardless of what the leftist , hippy infiltraters of the church of england would lead us to believe ; christ was not some pioneer woodstock wannabe in a white nighty. lets remember the over looked qoutes ; ' i did not come to bring peace to the world , but a sword.'. ' if you do not have a sword ; sell your cloak and buy one' and he also tells use that if anyone causes others to sin , it would be better to tie a large millstone around the persons neck and drown them in the sea. i think the christian brothers of nigeria are not ashamed of these more uncomfortable and challanging aspects of christs earthly ministry. armed self defence and the execution of thoughs that act as an impediment to the greater peace and as emermies of gods people, is totally justified. god bless the christians of nigeria.

Posted by: josiah at March 04, 2006 10:35 AM (0FZ2t)

22 i think it's time for all the christians of the world to have a re-awakening to the true nature of christ.regardless of what the leftist , hippy infiltraters of the church of england would lead us to believe ; christ was not some pioneer woodstock wannabe in a white nighty. lets remember the over looked qoutes ; ' i did not come to bring peace to the world , but a sword.'. ' if you do not have a sword ; sell your cloak and buy one' and he also tells use that if anyone causes others to sin , it would be better to tie a large millstone around the persons neck and drown them in the sea. i think the christian brothers of nigeria are not ashamed of these more uncomfortable and challanging aspects of christs earthly ministry. armed self defence and the execution of thoughs that act as an impediment to the greater peace and as emermies of gods people, is totally justified. god bless the christians of nigeria.

Posted by: josiah at March 04, 2006 10:35 AM (0FZ2t)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Terrorists in Iraq have introduced their latest IED innovation: the sheep bomb. Yes, the terrorists are using unwilling and unsuspecting sheep to try and kill the infidels. Will PETA now condemn the Iraqi insurgency?

Here are a few of images from a video from the Jaish al-Fatiheen, a terrorist group in Iraq, as grabbed by Doubletap. The first two show the IED being placed in the sheep. The third allegedly shows the explosion. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 03:44 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
Post contains 95 words, total size 1 kb.

Muslims love to tell you how tolerant they are. What they don't love to tell you is the story of how the entire Muslim world has become nearly Jew free. In 1948 there were approximately 1,000,000 Jews living in the Arab countries. By 2001 there were less than 19,000. Contrast that the 'little Satan', Israel, which is nearly 20% Arab.

The sad thing about this story of the last Jewish Synagogue in Tajikistan is that there are probably so few Jews left that it really isn't needed. Registan:

The last remaining synagogue in Tajikistan is being torn down. The Jewish center and surrounding neighborhood have been threatened with demolition for years, but interventions by the US and Israeli embassies and Jewish religious authorities in Tashkent brought previous assurances that the synagogue would either be saved or fairly compensated. The demolition is scheduled as part of a huge presidential palace complex being built in the center of town. Without written warning or any legal notification, the water and phones were cut on 7 February, and the bulldozers came in this week. The building is still standing but half of the property, including the mikveh (ritual bath), classroom space, and the kosher butchery, are demolished. The road to the synagogue is gone and people must now walk over mud and demolition waste to get to the entrance, the courtyard has been turned into storage space for the demolition work, all by order (or with the blessing of) city authorities.

Rabbi Abdurakhmonov, the communityÂ’s leader, says he has been threatened by government officials for raising his voice.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:26 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
Post contains 286 words, total size 2 kb.

1 All for a presidential palace complex, huh? Sounds like the ultimate in eminent domain abuse. Were they late on their dhimmi-dues or something?

Posted by: Oyster at February 21, 2006 12:43 PM (7YTVr)

2 Oh nice. I just looked up how much land they're offering to the Jews outside of town. 0.15 hectares. Which is equal to about one third acre. Plus! They want to rent them a building to use with the money they don't have while they build a new synagogue on the 1/3 acre with the other money they don't have. Nice people.

Posted by: Oyster at February 21, 2006 12:53 PM (7YTVr)

3 When I first heard about this a few years ago, the Tajik government made clear that they were tearing down a mosque too. What wasn't clear was whether or not they were going to give them money to build a new one. The author who sent me the short report I published said that he's shopping around a longer version that will hopefully appear in the next few days. Sadly, it looks like Uzbekistan's Jewish community, and the US and Israeli embassies will not be able to save Dushanbe's synagogue this time around.

Posted by: Nathan at February 21, 2006 01:10 PM (gq44d)

4 Nathan, let us know what you find.

Posted by: Oyster at February 21, 2006 02:03 PM (7YTVr)

5 I have to play Devil's Advocate here for a second; if Jews can establish an ethnic homeland, then they can't really claim absolute right to reside anywhere else. I believe in one set of rules for everyone, not one set for Jews, and another for everyone else.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 21, 2006 04:27 PM (0yYS2)

6 Very funny, IM.

Posted by: Don Miguel at February 21, 2006 05:51 PM (+KixN)

7 IM, what? Jews have lived all over the world for ever. Because they have a homeland now they all have to go there and leave the homes they've likely been in for their whole lives? Homes that may have been in their families for centuries? Not to mention that in their "ethnic homeland" other ethnic people of other religions live peacefully. Or are you just pullin' my leg?

Posted by: Oyster at February 21, 2006 06:22 PM (YudAC)

8 So, the fact that Israel is a Jewish nation doesn't mean anything? What if every other nation followed their policies? They'd be called racist, that's what. They don't even allow non-Jews to join their military, with the exception of those with Israeli citizenship, which is damned difficult for non-Jews to get. Cut the BS people, just because they're Jews doesn't mean they deserve to be treated any differently than anyone else.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 21, 2006 06:37 PM (0yYS2)

9 IM, few people had any problem with Islamic nations until information got out to all us peons in the world that harsh punsihments are regularly meted out to all who openly practice any religion but Islam, to women who are unfortunate enough to be raped, to anyone who expresses even slight displeasure with the Islamic rulers, Imams and Mullahs. Nobody minded and STILL wouldn't mind if only basic human rights were recognized. Israel isn't perfect, no, but they are leaps and bounds beyond the barbaric practices of Islamic nations. It should be hard to get Israeli citizenship. Look at their location. Try getting Iranian citizenship without professing to be Muslim. Ain't gonna happen. You simply can't compare the two.

Posted by: Oyster at February 22, 2006 06:44 AM (YudAC)

10 You miss the point that the main reason the jews arent in Muslim lands is they emigrate to israel - to steal land from Muslim (and Christian )Palestinians

Posted by: You wont post this at February 22, 2006 05:27 PM (ZbQhT)

11 excuse me folks. as far as know it was israeli goevrnments eager to increase jewishness of israel that has transported most of the jews out of their bloved "motherlands"... do you remember the operation in ethopia... do you know about the covert operations in iraq to force the jews to migrate to safety of israel... P.S. Go IM go...

Posted by: bloody_turk at February 23, 2006 09:27 AM (SnJGw)

12 Don't think for one second that I'm siding with muslims, I did say modern countries after all, not recidivistic, primitive states. I'm just making the point that any group which wants to have an ethnically pure state shouldn't bitch when they get kicked out of someplace else. And on that note, we should kick all muslims out of the civilized countries.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at February 23, 2006 04:21 PM (0yYS2)

13 IM: Anglicans have a homeland in the UK. Muslims have Saudi Arabia. Germans have Germany. Chinese have China. Have they no rights elsewhere? OF COURSE THEY DO. Jews have a homeland in Israel. But we have rights elsewhere. You are NOT asking that we be treated equally; you are singling us out for expulsion or abuse. Re your assertions about Israel & non-Jews. Israel's population is 20% non-Jewish. Israel is not perfect, but it does a MUCH better job than many countries. Out of 120 members of parliament, 11 are Arabs (Muslim, Druze, Christian). Some have served as deputy cabinet ministers. There is currently a Christian Arab on the Israeli supreme court. Israeli Druze soldiers have risen to high rank (colonel and above) in the IDF, serving with distinction and commanding Jews and non-Jews alike. Israeli Arabs play on the national soccer team, have become Miss Israel and hold professorships at Israeli universities. Israel's non-Jewish citizens have full voting rights. Israeli Muslim women go to school, drive and open businesses, become lawyers, doctors -- and imams. I have enjoyed my visits to Germany, but how many Turks are in the Reichstag? In the cabinet? How many Turks are citizens? What does it take for a Turk to become a German citizen? He can't do it, can he? And yet Germany is a progressive, modern country. I love Turkey, but is the parliament even 10% Kurdish? Turkey, too, is a modern nation-state. It has a 20% Kurdish population. How "well" does Turkey do? I won't even consider Saudi, where not a single church or synagogue is allowed, and every other religion but Islam has been forcibly stamped out. Why is Israel so "bad"? It's doing better by its minorities than a vast array of other countries that are only too glad to point accusing fingers at Israel. bloody_turk Imagine that Turks are being victimized in countries surrounding Turkey, and the rest of the world does nothing. Do you just sit by and watch this happen, or do you try to at least bring your fellow Turks to safety? Israel has also given shelter to tens of thousands of Baha'i refugees from Iran. Baha'is are definitely NOT Jews; they are a offshoot of Islam (many Muslims call them heretics). Israel took them in. IM again: Let's also not slam all Muslim states or all Muslims. Be specific. Saudi Arabia and Iran have become really nasty, backward places in many regards. But not only are there more prosperous & modern examples to draw from, but there are many Muslims who are more forward thinking and "western" in their outlook. Even in Saudi and Iran, there are dissidents and others who are trying to reform their societies for the better. I hope this post (though long) made for interesting reading. Thanks for listening.

Posted by: howard at February 24, 2006 03:39 AM (6Nd3u)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

A Pakistani Muslim cleric, Mohammed Yousef Qureshi, has issued a fatwa and offered up to $1 million to any one of the few misunderstanders of jihad who will kill Danish cartoonists involved in drawing images of Muhammed. Filthy Allah ups the ante and offers $2 million for the first guy to kill Qureshi. I guess two can play at that game? Unfortunately, only one of them is kidding.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:15 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 86 words, total size 1 kb.

Taliban and al Qaeda supporters shown parading beheading victims in Pakistan on video. Disgusting. Via Chad at In the Bullpen this from the Times:

Disturbing video footage of beheaded bodies being paraded through the streets of southern Pakistan, in front of powerless police, has been broadcast today in Afghanistan.

Tolo TV, a private Afghan network, said that the men were killed a month ago in the tribal district of South Waziristan as a punishment for their opposition to the Taleban and al-Qaeda militias.

It would not reveal the source of the footage, whose authenticity has not been verified.

In one segment of the film, three decapitated heads are held up to cheers from a gathered crowd. Later, a number of bodies are seen being dragged behind a pick-up truck.

Crowds are heard chanting "long live Osama bin Laden" and "long live Mullah Omar", respectively the leaders of al-Qaeda and the Taleban.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:13 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
Post contains 187 words, total size 1 kb.

A Pakistani Muslim cleric has issued a fatwa and offered up to $1 million to any one of the few misunderstanders of jihad who will kill Danish cartoonists involved in drawing images of Muhammed. The cleric has visited upstate New York to give inspirational talks to American Muslims and may have some relationship to radicals that use Islamic schools in rural areas as fronts for terrorist training mentioned in this earlier post.

Read the rest of the story here. ROPMA.

Posted by: Rusty at 10:57 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 98 words, total size 1 kb.

.....cast the first stone.

Female journalist stoned in Turkey for not wearing head scarf. (via Michelle)

Posted by: Rusty at 03:40 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 26 words, total size 1 kb.

Very scary. Read the whole thing. TCS:

Regarding the December rocket attacks against Israel from the south of the country that Zarqawi (Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq) claimed responsibility for, Fatfat [Lebanese Interior Minister] confirmed it was indeed the work of Al Qaeda. He added that it was an attack carried out by the Palestinian terror group FPLP-GC based out of Damascus, but financed directly by Al Qaeda. Finally Fatfat affirmed that FPLP-GC answers directly to Damascus and that a branch of Al Qaeda could be manipulated by Syrian security services....

"It seems that the Iraqi Al-Qaïda branch has been thinking for a long time to transform Lebanon into a strengthened base, and to make in particular the area of Tripoli (in the north of Lebanon) a new Afghanistan since several of its bases are in this city", specified the source. He added that the interrogations carried out by the Lebanese police force of 13 Al-Qaïda members brought precise details on the infiltration operation, carried out under the direct supervision of Zarkawi [Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]. "Some 700 experienced militants of the terrorist network would have left Iraq for Lebanon", adds this anonymous witness....

Lastly, when questioned by Al Hayat about Al Qaeda's presence in Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese Shia terror group Hezbollah which controls much of the south of the country, did not deny it. He pointed to the possible implication in the December attack of elements in the Ain Al Hilweh Palestinian camp "who have pledged their loyalty to al-Zarqawi". He acknowledged that it was a "dangerous and unacceptable" situation but thought it was "unlikely" that Hezbollah would clash with Al Qaeda in the future.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:48 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 283 words, total size 2 kb.

Could it possibly be true that somehow an idea rooted in moral and religious correctness does not always make good public policy? Hmm,could be. Who knows, it may even result in this! Posted by: Howie at 12:48 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 38 words, total size 1 kb.

Buy it, Subscribe, Email support to editor@weeklystandard.com.

Weekly Standard : Robert Frost said of liberals that they're incapable of taking their own side in a fight. We will see how deeply a degenerate form of liberalism has penetrated our souls. Will we anguish? Or will we fight?

Posted by: Howie at 11:58 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 79 words, total size 1 kb.

Jaber (Gaber) Al-banna (Elbaneh), one of the Lackawanna, New York al-Qaeda cell is in the wind with the (now twice escaped) Cole bombers and the Lindburgh tanker bombers. Elbaneh had a 5 million dollar pricetag on his head before he turned himself in in Yemen in January 2003.

Other interesting facts about the escape:
The mosque they tunneled to is one where Judge Hamoud al-Hittar regularly preaches. al-Hittar is the judge in charge of Yemen's Dialog program which aims to rehabilitate AQ through dialog, and over 200 have been released from jail under this program. Only a few have shown up in Iraq with Zarchawi after that.

The prisoners were in the custody of the Political Security Organization (which answers directly to President Saleh) at a high security prison in the middle of the capital city, Sanaa.

News Yemen "there were previous reports received by the prisonÂ’s outside guards pointing out to hearing sounds of digging at unknown places and intermittent times."

The tunnel was one and a half times the size of a football field, took two months to build and required nearly two tons of earth to be removed.

The Yemen Times reports today that some of the terrorists may have been recaptured in Yemen.

Why I'm not surprised: lots of preliminary indications of al-Qaeda support at the upper levels of the Yemeni government, either from sympathy or corruption.

Posted by: JaneNovak at 08:52 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 243 words, total size 2 kb.

Before you take away my right to blaspheme, I suggest that you had better take away my right to own a gun first. Because if you come to confiscate my computer to stop me from mocking your Prophet, you had better be armed. Heavily.

The head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research and president of the International Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh al-Qaradhawi responds to allegedly blasphemous cartoons printed in Danish newspapers. MEMRI:

The governments must be pressured to demand that the U.N. adopt a clear resolution or law that categorically prohibits affronts to prophets - to the prophets of the Lord and His messengers, to His holy books, and to the religious holy places. This is so that nobody can cause them harm.

As I have been trying to argue for some time, the problem is that Islam offers a competing vision of society which is distinct from the Western Liberal tradition. As such, it is an ideology which we are fighting. Al-Qaradhawi is not necessarily advocating that individual Muslims engage in violence against those who blaspheme the Prophet, rather, he is advocating that governments ought to punish those that blaspheme the Prophet. He is also advocating that Muslim governments ought to punish those governments which insist that freedom of speech includes the right to call Muhammed a butcher on par with Ivan the Terrible and Genghis Khan. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 04:26 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
Post contains 513 words, total size 3 kb.

Howie will be missing until Feb 14th. In the mean time, click here and give Mr. Allah and ThirdEE a bit F*ck Yeah!!!!

Posted by: Howie at 10:41 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 31 words, total size 1 kb.

When is overstating your population by 1.5 million people a big deal? When your actual population is only 2.41 million. That's an overstatement of 62%! That would be kind of like the U.S. claiming it had 453 million people instead of 280.

Worse, the numbers built of phony assumptions grow the error rate over time. Thus, the PA actually overstates its future population far more than it is already overstating it today. They overstate the number of Arabs expected to be living in Israel and the West Bank by over double!

So, what incentive could the Palestinian Authority have in lying about their population? The Officer's Club:

The report has the ability to bust a legion of myths perpetuated by pro-Palestinian factions. It disproves notions that Arabs outnumber Jews in Israel and the occupied territories, it reveals a Jewish majority in Arab East Jerusalem, and cements the dominant Jewish majority (4-1) within Israel's pre-1967 borders.

This affects the Israeli-Arab conflict on every level. The PA has long used these bogus head counts to generate sympathy for their cause on the international stage. It impacts Arab claims to the entirity of the West Bank, and blows the whistle on millions -perhaps billions- of dollars worth of international aid donated to help people that never actually existed (and in reality was probably directed into the coffers of Islamic Jihad or the now reigning Hamas).

Click the image below for larger view.

Posted by: Rusty at 03:24 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 268 words, total size 2 kb.

See Vonski's weekly roundup of positive news from Iraq.

According to the above article, the statistics indicate that the number of attacks in Iraq are declining. To those who say things are getting worse, not better, I would like to respectfully disagree.

This outrage is developing into (surprise!) threats of kidnapping and violence against those responsible for the blasphemies. In Islam, it is forbidden to produce or view any sort of depiction of Muhammad to discourage idolatry.

A commenter left the following message twice on my blog now tonight, one of which timed in at February 2, 2006, 20:25 my time.

Commenter's name:
MUHAMMAD AWAIS

Email address:
MOEK007@YAHOO.COM

to all the non muslims.... u think by publishing these kind of things u can win or dreaming of conquering islam. let me tell you.. this is an attempt of the satanic followers who have no belif n faith... they are the misguided n rejected people of this world. if u dare to do this again a wor! ld wide holy war will be declared on you bastards. i believe that you the europeans are afraid of losing their ground against islam. and that is evident .. the world is turning to believe in islam... so such miscreants try to diverge their attention... a lost hope. i must say. did you (satans ) ever saw any muslim saying anything about ur religion..never...dont try our nerves .. you will have more to see in future.....if you would have been infront of me... i would have cut your throat right tere n then.... the ill-legitimate sons n daughters of the americans,,,and jews.....clinton himself a gay...who gives a shit to him... a bad character ex-president. you are the biggest hypocrate of the time.. God gives you true direction(hidayat). ask forgiveness from ALLAH THE ALMIGHTY....AND APOLOGISE TO THE MUSLIM UMMAH... OR YOU WILL BE PAST.

Hat tip Michelle Malkin for posting the Secular Blasphemy link.

Possibly related to cartoons "day of outrage"?

Investigators are trying to determine if a string of fires at churches in central Alabama were started by an arsonist, a state official said on Friday...One of the churches has a predominantly black congregation and the other four are predominantly white, officials said.

Update: That's six churches Burned in three hours. All on 02/03 the "day of outrage".

Posted by: Howie at 01:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 415 words, total size 3 kb.