Sunday, June 29, 2008
Jizya, Jihad, and the Murder of the Assyrian Bishop
The New York Times (June 26, 2008) has published a somber account of the recent murder of Iraqi Archbishop Rahho, and how the Iraqi Christian population has been subjected to the full recrudescence of dhimmitude, punctuated by the re-application of the jizya-the Koranic (Koran 9:29) poll tax on non-Muslims, whose etymology, as per the seminal Arabic lexicographer, E.W. Lane, belies its origins: "the tax paid in lieu of being slain." More...
Converting the West to Islam Through … Sex?
For the past few weeks Yahoo group MahdiUniteMuslims (MUM) — which is dedicated to uniting the Islamic world through belief in the Mahdi, the “rightly-guided one” of Islamic traditions who will create a global caliphate — has hosted a discussion about mut`ah, Shi`i temporary marriage, the “secret weapon that will convert the West to Islam in the later days before the advent of Imam al Mahdi”.
His starting point is the Islamic tradition that in the last days before the Mahdi returns, women will greatly outnumber men worldwide. This Muslim Hugh Hefner opines that “the West will not consider mut`ah as marriage but more at par [sic] with mistress or girlfriend though we consider it a valid form of marriage.”
He continues: “The West can never jail a Shi`ah for doing mut`ah. It is almost impossible to go to jail for doing mut`ah in the West” (except perhaps in Texas). “Even U.S. presidents galore had mistresses” (Bill Clinton, crypto-Shi`i?). And since “the craze about sex today is through the roof” (hard to argue there), mut`ah is not just man-made but “a divine plan,” for “when non-Muslim men learn that they can honorably have more women.” More...
His starting point is the Islamic tradition that in the last days before the Mahdi returns, women will greatly outnumber men worldwide. This Muslim Hugh Hefner opines that “the West will not consider mut`ah as marriage but more at par [sic] with mistress or girlfriend though we consider it a valid form of marriage.”
He continues: “The West can never jail a Shi`ah for doing mut`ah. It is almost impossible to go to jail for doing mut`ah in the West” (except perhaps in Texas). “Even U.S. presidents galore had mistresses” (Bill Clinton, crypto-Shi`i?). And since “the craze about sex today is through the roof” (hard to argue there), mut`ah is not just man-made but “a divine plan,” for “when non-Muslim men learn that they can honorably have more women.” More...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Rare Iraqi Jewish books 'surface in Israel'
Breitbart - Some 300 rare and valuable books confiscated from Iraq's Jewish community by Saddam Hussein's regime have been secretly spirited into Israel, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday.
The books include a 1487 commentary on the biblical Book of Job and another volume of biblical prophets printed in Venice in 1617, the Haaretz daily said.
The volumes are part of a massive collection of books confiscated by the secret police of the executed Iraqi dictator and stored in security installations in the Iraqi capital until the US-led invasion of 2003.
The books include a 1487 commentary on the biblical Book of Job and another volume of biblical prophets printed in Venice in 1617, the Haaretz daily said.
The volumes are part of a massive collection of books confiscated by the secret police of the executed Iraqi dictator and stored in security installations in the Iraqi capital until the US-led invasion of 2003.
Woman gets 11 years for running Kabul brothel
Reuters - A Chinese woman was sentenced to eleven years in jail for operating brothels in Kabul, the China Daily and Chinese language media reported on Saturday.
Wang Min, from Shanghai, was charged with operating prostitution joints that fronted as bars in the Afghan capital, and with bringing unemployed women, all over 40, from the industrial city of Chongqing on the Yangtze River to work with her.
An accomplice was sentenced to six years in a Chongqing court on Friday, after the women were sent back to China in February.
They had run a Turkish restaurant, followed by the Berlin Restaurant and the Feifei bar in Kabul, before being arrested by Kabul police in October.
Chinese prostitutes in Kabul told Reuters reporters last month that they earned more than they could in China, even though the security situation made them reluctant to leave brothels hidden in one of Kabul's wealthier neighborhoods.
Wang Min, from Shanghai, was charged with operating prostitution joints that fronted as bars in the Afghan capital, and with bringing unemployed women, all over 40, from the industrial city of Chongqing on the Yangtze River to work with her.
An accomplice was sentenced to six years in a Chongqing court on Friday, after the women were sent back to China in February.
They had run a Turkish restaurant, followed by the Berlin Restaurant and the Feifei bar in Kabul, before being arrested by Kabul police in October.
Chinese prostitutes in Kabul told Reuters reporters last month that they earned more than they could in China, even though the security situation made them reluctant to leave brothels hidden in one of Kabul's wealthier neighborhoods.
Euro 2008 Finals Venue Hides a Sinister Past
Spielgel Inline - The dark chapter in the stadium's history began in 1934, three years after it was completed and christened the Prater Stadium. That May, Austria's fascist Chancellor Engelbert Dolfuss stood in the stadium and announced the country's new constitution, which abolished democracy in Austria and made it an authoritarian state.
In September 1939, the stadium would be put to darker uses. After having housed German soldiers, the stadium was requisitioned by the Gestapo to be used as a temporary prison for over 1,000 Jewish men.
While held there, the Austrian Jews were examined by Josef Wastl, who was then the head of the anthropology department of Vienna's Natural History Museum. The museum still holds hair samples, finger prints, photos and haunting plaster masks of the 440 detainees Wastl examined for his "Anthropology of Jews" report.
Within three weeks, the Jews would be transported by rail to the Buchenwald concentration camp. Of the 1,038 deported, 44 were released and only 26 survived.
Before World War II, Vienna's Jewish community numbered as many as 200,000 people and was at the time the second largest in Europe after Warsaw's. Today, a mere 7,500 Jews live there.
In September 1939, the stadium would be put to darker uses. After having housed German soldiers, the stadium was requisitioned by the Gestapo to be used as a temporary prison for over 1,000 Jewish men.
While held there, the Austrian Jews were examined by Josef Wastl, who was then the head of the anthropology department of Vienna's Natural History Museum. The museum still holds hair samples, finger prints, photos and haunting plaster masks of the 440 detainees Wastl examined for his "Anthropology of Jews" report.
Within three weeks, the Jews would be transported by rail to the Buchenwald concentration camp. Of the 1,038 deported, 44 were released and only 26 survived.
Before World War II, Vienna's Jewish community numbered as many as 200,000 people and was at the time the second largest in Europe after Warsaw's. Today, a mere 7,500 Jews live there.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Virginia’s Islamic Academy on Shaky Legal Ground
Pajamas Media first reported on the academy, a school sponsored by the Saudi Embassy, two weeks ago when law enforcement authorities raided it, looking for evidence that the school’s director, Abdullah Al-Shabnan, had covered up sex abuse allegations by a 5-year old student. The raid occurred just three days after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors had renewed the school’s lease despite evidence that the school continued to use textbooks promoting violence and religious hatred. More...
Hizballahburger
At the "Buns and Guns," the chefs wear military helmets, the food is wrapped in camouflage paper and the advertising slogan is "a sandwich can kill you."
The fast food eatery with a tongue-in-cheek military theme opened three weeks ago in Beirut's Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs and is drawing in residents proud of the Shiite militant group's battlefield successes. More...
Iraq: Police say al-Qaeda has infiltrated force
"Now we have the proof that al-Qaeda terrorists have managed to infiltrate the Iraqi security forces," said the head of police in Falluja, Faysal al-Zubei in an interview with the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper. Al-Zubei was speaking about Thursday's suicide attack in which at least 20 people were killed at a local council meeting in the town of Karma, east of Falluja, in Anbar province.The suicide bomber detonated the explosives during a meeting between the town's administrator and the local Awakening Council in Karma. Awakening Councils are US-allied Sunni militia movements fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq.Among those killed were 11 members of the local Awakening Council and the mayor of the town. The suicide bomber managed to enter the municipal government building where the meeting was being held because he was wearing a police uniform. More...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Somalis, Iranians Helping Rebels In Yemen
The memri blog - According to the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Yemen authorities have arrested Somali nationals fighting with the Houthi rebels.
Yemen security sources said that each fighter had received $100 for his services.
The paper also stated that four Iranians who were engaging in intelligence activity in Yemen were also arrested, and that the four were found with documents attesting that they supported the Houthi rebels in the Sa'ada district and thus were preparing the ground for rebellion in other districts of the country.
Yemen security sources said that each fighter had received $100 for his services.
The paper also stated that four Iranians who were engaging in intelligence activity in Yemen were also arrested, and that the four were found with documents attesting that they supported the Houthi rebels in the Sa'ada district and thus were preparing the ground for rebellion in other districts of the country.
Afghanistan: Death penalty call for man who spread Koran translation
An Afghan journalist accused of distributing an unacceptable translation of the Koran should be put to death, says former Prime Minister Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai.
Ahmadzai, who ran in the 2004 presidential election against current President Hamid Karzai, told Adnkronos International (AKI) he supported the death penalty for Zalmay. "Today Afghanistan is full of vices. Several Afghan restaurants serve liquor, despite it being illegal and on top of it, such material is distributed," Ahmadzai told AKI. "I am in favour of his death."Muslim scholars in Afghanistan reportedly said that the new version of the Koran misinterpreted verses about alcohol, begging, homosexuality and adultery. They also complained that this version was not accompanied by the original version of the Koran in Arabic.Ghows, 50, is reportedy in jail after being accused of blasphemy and his lawyers say he risks the death penalty. He is expected to face charges in an Afghan court within the next week.
Ahmadzai, who ran in the 2004 presidential election against current President Hamid Karzai, told Adnkronos International (AKI) he supported the death penalty for Zalmay. "Today Afghanistan is full of vices. Several Afghan restaurants serve liquor, despite it being illegal and on top of it, such material is distributed," Ahmadzai told AKI. "I am in favour of his death."Muslim scholars in Afghanistan reportedly said that the new version of the Koran misinterpreted verses about alcohol, begging, homosexuality and adultery. They also complained that this version was not accompanied by the original version of the Koran in Arabic.Ghows, 50, is reportedy in jail after being accused of blasphemy and his lawyers say he risks the death penalty. He is expected to face charges in an Afghan court within the next week.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Intelligence Officials: Dozens of Europeans Have Trained in Terror Camps in Pakistan
Dozens of white Europeans have trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan's tribal regions in recent months, U.S. intelligence sources tell ABC News, in what officials fear may be the beginnings of a new breed of al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorism.
"Al-Qa'ida is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the U.S.: the identification, training and positioning of operatives for an attack in the Homeland," according to a February Threat Assessment report from the Director of National Intelligence.
"[W]e have seen an influx of new Western recruits into the tribal area since mid-2006," the report said.
They're recruiting operatives from Europe. Why? If you're from Europe, it doesn't require a visa to fly to the United States," Mike McConnell, the director of National Intelligence, said in a speech in March. More...
Captive soldier's parents ask court to stop truce
The parents of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas-allied militants petitioned Israel's supreme court Saturday to block a truce deal with the militant group so long as their son remains in captivity.
Noam and Aviva Schalit petitioned the court on behalf of their son Gilad, claiming that part of the deal included opening the Gaza Strip's crossings. They said this would allow their son's captors to smuggle him out and harm efforts to free him.
As part of their petition, the Schalits published a handwritten letter, penned by their son, which was delivered to the family two weeks ago by representatives of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Gilad Schalit was abducted near the Gaza border two years ago. He has not been seen since, but a recording of his voice and two previous letters he wrote have been released.
In the latest letter, dated "June 2008," Schalit wrote his parents that he is suffering from medical and psychological difficulties, as well as depression.
"I still think and dream about the day I will be released and see you again. I still have a hope that that day is near, but I know it does not depend on me or on you," he wrote. "I ask the government not to neglect the negotiations for my release." More...
Noam and Aviva Schalit petitioned the court on behalf of their son Gilad, claiming that part of the deal included opening the Gaza Strip's crossings. They said this would allow their son's captors to smuggle him out and harm efforts to free him.
As part of their petition, the Schalits published a handwritten letter, penned by their son, which was delivered to the family two weeks ago by representatives of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Gilad Schalit was abducted near the Gaza border two years ago. He has not been seen since, but a recording of his voice and two previous letters he wrote have been released.
In the latest letter, dated "June 2008," Schalit wrote his parents that he is suffering from medical and psychological difficulties, as well as depression.
"I still think and dream about the day I will be released and see you again. I still have a hope that that day is near, but I know it does not depend on me or on you," he wrote. "I ask the government not to neglect the negotiations for my release." More...
IAEA Inspectors Begin Mission to Syria Amid Allegations of Hidden Nuke Program
The International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors face a daunting task. Syrian officials are expected to place strict limits on where they go and what they see during their three-day visit.
Still, IAEA Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen spoke optimistically of the mission's chances before boarding the flight to Damascus on Sunday.
"I am sure I will be able to return" again to Syria, he told reporters, saying he and his two-man trip hoped to start to "establish the facts this evening."
Despite the low-key nature of the visit, the stakes are immense.
Damascus denies working on a secret nuclear program. But Washington hopes the U.N agency team will find evidence backing U.S. intelligence that a structure destroyed by Israeli war planes in September was a nearly completed plutonium-producing reactor.
If so, the trip could mark the start of massive atomic agency investigation similar to the five-year inquiry into Iran's activities. What's more, the investigation could draw in countries such as North Korea, which Washington says helped Damascus and Iran. Media reports also have linked Iran with Syria's nuclear efforts. More...
Still, IAEA Deputy Director General Olli Heinonen spoke optimistically of the mission's chances before boarding the flight to Damascus on Sunday.
"I am sure I will be able to return" again to Syria, he told reporters, saying he and his two-man trip hoped to start to "establish the facts this evening."
Despite the low-key nature of the visit, the stakes are immense.
Damascus denies working on a secret nuclear program. But Washington hopes the U.N agency team will find evidence backing U.S. intelligence that a structure destroyed by Israeli war planes in September was a nearly completed plutonium-producing reactor.
If so, the trip could mark the start of massive atomic agency investigation similar to the five-year inquiry into Iran's activities. What's more, the investigation could draw in countries such as North Korea, which Washington says helped Damascus and Iran. Media reports also have linked Iran with Syria's nuclear efforts. More...
Heavy clashes force Lebanese army away
The clashes in the Bab al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen areas located on the northern edge of the city began around 4:15 am (0115 GMT) pitting supporters of the country's Western-backed majority and the Hezbollah-led opposition against each other, the official said.He said at least 10 people were injured.
Troops could be seen deploying in other parts of Tripoli Sunday for fear of the fighting spreading. More...
Islamic militants briefly abduct 16 Christians in northwest Pakistan
The Jerusalem Post - Police say Islamic militants freed 16 Christians hours after kidnapping them in northwestern Pakistan.
Police official Mohammed Khan says the minority Christians were kidnapped late Saturday as they prayed at a home in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
He says the men were freed early Sunday after officers contacted the captors.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has told parliament he ordered a probe into the incident.
Police official Mohammed Khan says the minority Christians were kidnapped late Saturday as they prayed at a home in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
He says the men were freed early Sunday after officers contacted the captors.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has told parliament he ordered a probe into the incident.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Another Damascus Declaration Activist Arrested In Syria
The Syrian security agencies arrested, on June 16, Damascus Declaration national council member Muhammad Al-Najar. At the time of his arrest, his home was searched, and printed materials and political posters were confiscated. Al-Najar's arrest brings the number of arrested Damascus Declaration members to 15.
Via The memri blog
Via The memri blog
The Economics of Democracy in Muslim Countries
The Middle East Forum - As the Status of Democracy Index shows, democracy in the Middle East and North Africa is the exception rather than the rule. Lebanon and Turkey, each with a 61 percent score, rank the highest. Only Algeria (52.7 percent) and Egypt (50 percent) score in the upper two quadrants. In descending order, the rest of the Middle East and North African countries are: Jordan (47.2 percent), Tunisia (47.2 percent), Yemen (47.2 percent), Kuwait (44.4 percent), Morocco (44.4 percent), Syria (36 percent), Qatar (33.3 percent), Bahrain (30.5 percent), Libya (27.7 percent), Oman (27.7 percent), Sudan (27.7 percent), United Arab Emirates (27.7 percent), Iran (25 percent), and Saudi Arabia (13.8 percent).
Correlation analysis indicates:
The greater percentage of Muslims a country had relative to its overall population, the lower its SDI score tended to be.
The higher a country's GDP per capita, the lower its SDI score.
The greater percentage of a country's GDP that is devoted to military expenditures, the lower its SDI score.
The greater the percentage of Muslims within a country, the higher the percentage of the GDP that is devoted to its military expenditures.
More...
Correlation analysis indicates:
The greater percentage of Muslims a country had relative to its overall population, the lower its SDI score tended to be.
The higher a country's GDP per capita, the lower its SDI score.
The greater percentage of a country's GDP that is devoted to military expenditures, the lower its SDI score.
The greater the percentage of Muslims within a country, the higher the percentage of the GDP that is devoted to its military expenditures.
More...
Thursday, June 19, 2008
THE two brothers at the centre of the bungled Forest Gate anti-terror raid are to receive more than £60,000 in compensation from Scotland Yard
Iran Sanctions: The Cecil Fielder Strategy
With President Bush by his side, Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced new sanctions against Iran this morning, finally looking to freeze the assets of the mullahs’ Bank Melli. Good news, except there’s a very real problem in implementation: It comes two days and $75 billion short. You see, once again the West — ever reluctant to act decisively, even on sanctions — has missed the boat which the Iranians captain masterfully, less concerned about public perceptions and much more interested in effective operations. More...
Iran police start wider crackdown on un-Islamic dress
Iranian police have launched a more extensive crackdown on "social corruption" such as women flouting Islamic dress codes, the Farhang-e Ashti newspaper reported.
The authorities usually launch crackdowns before the hot summer months when women like to wear lighter clothing such as calf-length pants and brightly colored scarves pushed back to expose plenty of hair.
"Police will seize women with tight coats and cropped trousers and also men with Western-style hair cut will be arrested," the newspaper said.
"Men with Western-style haircuts were confronted by police and also barber shops that gave them such haircuts were sealed off on Sunday," said the daily. More...
The authorities usually launch crackdowns before the hot summer months when women like to wear lighter clothing such as calf-length pants and brightly colored scarves pushed back to expose plenty of hair.
"Police will seize women with tight coats and cropped trousers and also men with Western-style hair cut will be arrested," the newspaper said.
"Men with Western-style haircuts were confronted by police and also barber shops that gave them such haircuts were sealed off on Sunday," said the daily. More...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Al Qaeda activist reported killed in Israeli air strike in Gaza
DEBKA - Palestinians claim that Momtaz Dughmush was among the eight Palestinian gunmen killed in three Israeli air force strikes in Gaza Tuesday, June 17, following Hamas bombardments on Monday, which averted a planned terrorist operation.
DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that the Air Force targeted a vehicle carrying five al Qaeda-Palestine members in Khan Younes, in S. Gaza. They were all killed. Another three gunmen were killed in a second car at Deir al Balakh. Dughmush, who died in the first attack attack, was chief of the Qaeda cell attached to the Palestinian hard-line Popular Resistance Committees. Our sources name him as complicit with Hamas in the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit two years ago in a cross-border raid and the kidnap of the BBC correspondent Alan Johnson last year.
DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that the Air Force targeted a vehicle carrying five al Qaeda-Palestine members in Khan Younes, in S. Gaza. They were all killed. Another three gunmen were killed in a second car at Deir al Balakh. Dughmush, who died in the first attack attack, was chief of the Qaeda cell attached to the Palestinian hard-line Popular Resistance Committees. Our sources name him as complicit with Hamas in the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit two years ago in a cross-border raid and the kidnap of the BBC correspondent Alan Johnson last year.
Al-Qaeda's Vietnam
Lately, the Iraq war has looked more and more like another Vietnam -- not for us, but for al-Qaeda.
CIA Director Michael Hayden says the terror group has suffered "near-strategic defeat" in Iraq. It has been routed from Anbar, Diyala, and Baghdad provinces, and now is getting a beating in its last stronghold of Mosul, in the north. It is reviled by the Iraqi populace, and its downward trajectory began with indigenous uprisings at its expense.
When the United States lost Vietnam, it lost credibility and saw an emboldened Marxist-Leninist offensive around the third world. Al-Qaeda is a global insurgency and not a nation-state -- and thus its circumstances are radically different from ours 40 years ago -- but it has suffered a similar reputational loss.
The Iraq war had been a powerful recruiting tool for al-Qaeda when it was winning. No more. Osama bin Laden rendered what is called the "bandwagon effect" in international relations -- the tendency of states to go along with the dominant power -- in his homespun Arabic analogy of people liking the strong horse over the weak horse. In Iraq, al-Qaeda's proverbial horse is a broken-down nag.
More...
CIA Director Michael Hayden says the terror group has suffered "near-strategic defeat" in Iraq. It has been routed from Anbar, Diyala, and Baghdad provinces, and now is getting a beating in its last stronghold of Mosul, in the north. It is reviled by the Iraqi populace, and its downward trajectory began with indigenous uprisings at its expense.
When the United States lost Vietnam, it lost credibility and saw an emboldened Marxist-Leninist offensive around the third world. Al-Qaeda is a global insurgency and not a nation-state -- and thus its circumstances are radically different from ours 40 years ago -- but it has suffered a similar reputational loss.
The Iraq war had been a powerful recruiting tool for al-Qaeda when it was winning. No more. Osama bin Laden rendered what is called the "bandwagon effect" in international relations -- the tendency of states to go along with the dominant power -- in his homespun Arabic analogy of people liking the strong horse over the weak horse. In Iraq, al-Qaeda's proverbial horse is a broken-down nag.
More...
Karzai's Retaliation Threat Inflames Relations With Pakistan
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pleaded for years with Islamabad to stop Taliban fighters based in Pakistan's tribal regions from launching attacks in Afghanistan.
In the past, Karzai has complained that Pakistani security forces have turned a blind eye to the Taliban's cross-border attacks, allowing them to strike and then flee back to safe havens in Pakistani territory.
But on June 15, Karzai raised his criticism to a new level. He accused Pakistani forces of supporting Taliban leaders in the tribal regions, and threatened to send Afghan troops across the border to kill extremist leaders. More...
Monday, June 16, 2008
James Bond creator Ian Fleming argued case for appeasing Hitler
Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, favoured appeasing Nazi Germany and dismissed those urging war with Hitler as “the slaughterhouse brigade” in a letter to The Times a year before the Second World War.
Historians and biographers have hitherto overlooked the letter, published on September 28, 1938, as Britain waited to hear the outcome of Neville Chamberlain’s fateful meeting with Hitler in Munich. The letter was uncovered through the Times electronic archive, which has now been made accessible to the public.
During the war Fleming became an officer in Naval Intelligence and a dedicated enemy of fascism, but in the immediate prewar period, like many Britons, he appears to have believed that a deal could still be done with Hitler to avert war.
In the letter, Fleming argued that if Hitler’s territorial ambitions were limited to the aims he outlined in 1920 – uniting a greater Germany of German peoples, repealing the Versailles treaty and obtaining further territory for the German population – then Britain should step back from war.
“There will be no peace, no return of prosperity, and no happiness in Europe until England and France agree to the fulfilment of Herr Hitler’s stated programme in exchange for a binding disarmament pact,” he wrote. More...
Historians and biographers have hitherto overlooked the letter, published on September 28, 1938, as Britain waited to hear the outcome of Neville Chamberlain’s fateful meeting with Hitler in Munich. The letter was uncovered through the Times electronic archive, which has now been made accessible to the public.
During the war Fleming became an officer in Naval Intelligence and a dedicated enemy of fascism, but in the immediate prewar period, like many Britons, he appears to have believed that a deal could still be done with Hitler to avert war.
In the letter, Fleming argued that if Hitler’s territorial ambitions were limited to the aims he outlined in 1920 – uniting a greater Germany of German peoples, repealing the Versailles treaty and obtaining further territory for the German population – then Britain should step back from war.
“There will be no peace, no return of prosperity, and no happiness in Europe until England and France agree to the fulfilment of Herr Hitler’s stated programme in exchange for a binding disarmament pact,” he wrote. More...
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Female Genital Mutilation
The Gambian-born Norwegian parents of six daughters, ages three to 14, face prosecution under a brand new law which made female genital mutilation illegal. Five of the six girls have been mutilated. The father is in custody. The mother is sick and pregnant at home. More...
Via The Jawa Report
Via The Jawa Report
BBC defends Muslim beheading by a Christian
Exclusive by Derek Robins - BBC bosses have defended the grisly beheading of a Muslim by a Christian zealot in new drama Bonekickers.In the bloody scene, ex-EastEnder Paul Nicholls plays a fundamentalist who decapitates a Muslim with a sword.Producer Rhonda Smith said: "It's not meant to be shocking or to cause offence and it comes very much from the storyline."
If this were a Muslim beheading a Christian the BBC would not show, or even think about showing such a thing because it would portray the Religion of Peace in a negative way. More...
If this were a Muslim beheading a Christian the BBC would not show, or even think about showing such a thing because it would portray the Religion of Peace in a negative way. More...
Italy Sends Soldiers to Its Cities to Fight Crime
Italy's defense chief says 2,500 soldiers will be deployed to some Italian cities to help fight crime.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Friday the soldiers will back up police. After six months, the deployment will be evaluated.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government is waging a security crackdown to improve safety.
Via Newsmax
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Friday the soldiers will back up police. After six months, the deployment will be evaluated.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government is waging a security crackdown to improve safety.
Via Newsmax
Saturday, June 14, 2008
More than 600 prisoners escape in Taliban assault on Afghanistan prison
The Jerusalem Post - More than 600 prisoners escaped during a brazen Taliban bomb and rocket attack on the main prison in southern Afghanistan that knocked down the front gate and destroyed a two-story police checkpoint, a police official said Saturday. At least nine police were killed.
The complex attack late Friday included a truck bombing at the main gate, a suicide bomber who struck a back wall and rockets fired from outside, setting off a series of explosions that rattled Kandahar, the country's second biggest city.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said 30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers attacked Sarposa Prison and freed about 400 Taliban members.
Police official Mohammad Jamal Khan said more than 600 prisoners escaped. He said nine police were killed and 12 were wounded. Eight prisoners also died in the assault, he said.
The complex attack late Friday included a truck bombing at the main gate, a suicide bomber who struck a back wall and rockets fired from outside, setting off a series of explosions that rattled Kandahar, the country's second biggest city.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said 30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers attacked Sarposa Prison and freed about 400 Taliban members.
Police official Mohammad Jamal Khan said more than 600 prisoners escaped. He said nine police were killed and 12 were wounded. Eight prisoners also died in the assault, he said.
Pakistan's Sharif stirs call for Musharraf to be hanged
Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif stepped up his attack on President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday, suggesting he could be hanged while addressing thousands of protesters outside the presidency.
"We asked you to quit with honor after the election but you didn't," Sharif told the crowd, referring to U.S. ally Musharraf, who overthrew him in a 1999 coup.
"Now people have given a new judgment for you ... they want you to be held accountable," he said in the early hours of Saturday.
The crowd, officially estimated at up to 20,000, chanted "hang Musharraf" as it listened to the two time former prime minister's fiery speech.
"Is hanging only for politicians?" asked Sharif, referring to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, hanged by a military dictator in 1979. More...
"We asked you to quit with honor after the election but you didn't," Sharif told the crowd, referring to U.S. ally Musharraf, who overthrew him in a 1999 coup.
"Now people have given a new judgment for you ... they want you to be held accountable," he said in the early hours of Saturday.
The crowd, officially estimated at up to 20,000, chanted "hang Musharraf" as it listened to the two time former prime minister's fiery speech.
"Is hanging only for politicians?" asked Sharif, referring to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, hanged by a military dictator in 1979. More...
Plan Would Lift Saudi Oil Output to Highest Ever
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is planning to increase its output next month by about a half-million barrels a day, according to analysts and oil traders who have been briefed by Saudi officials.
The increase could bring Saudi output to a production level of 10 million barrels a day, which, if sustained, would be the kingdom’s highest ever. The move was seen as a sign that the Saudis are becoming increasingly nervous about both the political and economic effect of high oil prices. In recent weeks, soaring fuel costs have incited demonstrations and protests from Italy to Indonesia.
Saudi Arabia is currently pumping 9.45 million barrels a day, which is an increase of about 300,000 barrels from last month.
While they are reaping record profits, the Saudis are concerned that today’s record prices might eventually damp economic growth and lead to lower oil demand, as is already happening in the United States and other developed countries. More...
The increase could bring Saudi output to a production level of 10 million barrels a day, which, if sustained, would be the kingdom’s highest ever. The move was seen as a sign that the Saudis are becoming increasingly nervous about both the political and economic effect of high oil prices. In recent weeks, soaring fuel costs have incited demonstrations and protests from Italy to Indonesia.
Saudi Arabia is currently pumping 9.45 million barrels a day, which is an increase of about 300,000 barrels from last month.
While they are reaping record profits, the Saudis are concerned that today’s record prices might eventually damp economic growth and lead to lower oil demand, as is already happening in the United States and other developed countries. More...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Secret al-Qaida, Iraq files found on British train
The documents belonged to a senior intelligence official in the Cabinet office and were found by a passenger on a London commuter train Tuesday. The envelope was then passed to the British Broadcasting Corp.
Seven pages stamped "UK Top Secret" included the latest government intelligence assessment on al-Qaida and Iraq's security forces, the BBC said. The documents were also stamped "for UK/US/Canadian and Australian eyes only." The first page was dated June 5, the BBC reported.
Two of the assessments were made by the British government's Joint Intelligence Committee. The report on Iraq was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence. The al-Qaida report was commissioned by the Foreign and the Home Offices.
The assessments often include intelligence material gathered from agents on the ground.
"Two documents which are marked as secret were left on a train and have subsequently been handed to the BBC," according to a Cabinet office spokesman. More...
Seven pages stamped "UK Top Secret" included the latest government intelligence assessment on al-Qaida and Iraq's security forces, the BBC said. The documents were also stamped "for UK/US/Canadian and Australian eyes only." The first page was dated June 5, the BBC reported.
Two of the assessments were made by the British government's Joint Intelligence Committee. The report on Iraq was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence. The al-Qaida report was commissioned by the Foreign and the Home Offices.
The assessments often include intelligence material gathered from agents on the ground.
"Two documents which are marked as secret were left on a train and have subsequently been handed to the BBC," according to a Cabinet office spokesman. More...
The latest Big Apple trophy being coveted by oil-rich sovereign wealth funds is the landmark Chrysler Building. The super-rich Abu Dhabi Investment Council is negotiating an $800 million deal for a 75 percent stake in the Art Deco treasure that has defined the Midtown skyline since 1930. More...
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Saudis to ease up on the jizya?
Saudi Arabia will call for a summit between oil producing countries and consumer states to discuss soaring energy prices, Information and Culture Minister Iyad Madani said Monday.
The kingdom will work to ensure there will be no "unwarranted and unnatural oil price hikes that could affect international economies, especially those of developing countries," said Madani. More...
The kingdom will work to ensure there will be no "unwarranted and unnatural oil price hikes that could affect international economies, especially those of developing countries," said Madani. More...
In Southeast Asia, a Counterterrorism Strategy That's Working
According to today's New York Times , a number of counterterrorism experts and governments have concluded that JI and other major terrorist networks in Southeast Asia have suffered significant setbacks in the past three years.
The Times article found that the major elements in combatting the terrorist groups were effective law enforcement, heightened intelligence, ongoing military operations and "an erosion of public support." The implication is that an actual strategy, implemented over an extended period in a sustained fashion, has had actual success. More...
The Times article found that the major elements in combatting the terrorist groups were effective law enforcement, heightened intelligence, ongoing military operations and "an erosion of public support." The implication is that an actual strategy, implemented over an extended period in a sustained fashion, has had actual success. More...
Yemen: Over half of married women under 15, says report
According to the study which was cited in the Yemen Times newspaper, the rate of child marriage among females in Yemen reached 52 percent, compared to less than seven percent among males.On top of that, in rural parts of Yemen, girls usually get married at an average age of 12 to 13 years old. The parliament in Yemen is reportedly working to raise the minimum marriageable age, which currently stands at 15 years old and so far there is no punishment for those families who allow their daughters to marry under this age. More...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Obama May Not Be Legally Qualified to Be President
Barack Obama is not legally a U.S. Natural-born citizen according to the law on the books at the time of his birth, which falls between "December 24, 1952 to November 13, 1986? .
Presidential office requires a natural-born citizen if the child was not born to two U.S. Citizen parents, which of course is what exempts John McCain though he was born in the Panama Canal.
US Law very clearly stipulates: "… If only one parent was a U.S. Citizen at the time of your birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for at least ten years, at least five of which had to be after the age of 16."
Barack Obama’s father was not a U.S. Citizen and Obama’s mother was only 18 when Obama was born, which means though she had been a U.S. Citizen for 10 years, (or citizen perhaps because of Hawai’i being a territory) the mother fails the test for being so for at least 5 years **prior to** Barack Obama’s birth, but *after* age 16.
Is this Hillary´s october surprise?
Captive IDF soldier Shalit's family receive third letter from son
The Israeli media has reported that the family of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas, has received a letter from him.
The father of the kidnapped soldier, Naoum Shalit confirmed that he received the letter and assured that the handwriting is that of his son and that the letter is a newly written one.
The letter according to BBC also contained a plea by the soldier to the Israeli government and leaders to work harder to free him as soon as possible. More...
The father of the kidnapped soldier, Naoum Shalit confirmed that he received the letter and assured that the handwriting is that of his son and that the letter is a newly written one.
The letter according to BBC also contained a plea by the soldier to the Israeli government and leaders to work harder to free him as soon as possible. More...
Robert Mugabe's thugs turn to burning people alive
For a wad of worthless Zimbabwean banknotes President Mugabe’s militias burnt six-year-old Nyasha Mashoko to death.
The target of the Zanu (PF) thugs had been the boy’s father, Brian Mamhova. They came for him on Friday night — three truckloads of them, plus a Mercedes Benz from which alighted three armed men in suits, Mr Mamhova said. The militiamen had been promised Z$25 trillion (£12,500) to kill him, which seems a high price on the head of a district councillor but which is no problem for a Government that sees printing money as the best way out of a crisis. More...
The target of the Zanu (PF) thugs had been the boy’s father, Brian Mamhova. They came for him on Friday night — three truckloads of them, plus a Mercedes Benz from which alighted three armed men in suits, Mr Mamhova said. The militiamen had been promised Z$25 trillion (£12,500) to kill him, which seems a high price on the head of a district councillor but which is no problem for a Government that sees printing money as the best way out of a crisis. More...
Monday, June 9, 2008
US captures top Hezbollah commander in Iraq
the unidentified Hizbullah commander was responsible for training the Iranian-backed Mahdi Army in the Baghdad area. “The arrest is a major achievement and could provide an intelligence bonanza,” an Iraqi source said.The U.S.-led coalition has reported the capture of a senior Iranian operative south of Baghdad. In a coalition statement, the operative was described as a “primary weapons smuggler and financier for Iranian-backed enemy fighters.”
Via Infidels are cool
Via Infidels are cool
Indicted Saudi gets $80 million US contract
ABC News reports on the humorous story of Gaith Pharaon, a Saudi financier who is wanted by the FBI for alleged bank fraud that cost US taxpayer $1.7 billion. The funny part is that the US military just awarded him an $80 million contract to supply jet fuel to US military bases in Afghanistan. More...
Female Genital Mutilation
The Gambian-born Norwegian parents of six daughters, ages three to 14, face prosecution under a brand new law which made female genital mutilation illegal. Five of the six girls have been mutilated. The father is in custody. The mother is sick and pregnant at home.
In summary, Norwegian religious tolerance and cultural diversity will soon go before a court. More...
Via The Jawa Report
In summary, Norwegian religious tolerance and cultural diversity will soon go before a court. More...
Via The Jawa Report
Friday, June 6, 2008
Australians for murdering ex-Muslims
An Australian group of Muslims, Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia, has published its draft constitution:
Article 1
The Islamic creed (’aqeedah) constitutes the foundation of the State. Nothing is permitted to exist in the government’s structure, accountability, or any other aspect connected with the government, that does not take the creed as its source.
Article 7
The State implements the divine law on all citizens who hold citizenship of the Islamic State, whether Muslims or not, in the following manner:…
c. Those who are guilty of apostasy (murtad) from Islam are to be executed according to the rule of apostasy, provided they have themselves renounced Islam.
These death-preaching totalitarians are excused as merely “alleged extremists” by the SBS’s tenured radical, George Negus, and given a pulpit on his show. Their material is freely distributed on university campuses.
Via Christians Under Attack
Article 1
The Islamic creed (’aqeedah) constitutes the foundation of the State. Nothing is permitted to exist in the government’s structure, accountability, or any other aspect connected with the government, that does not take the creed as its source.
Article 7
The State implements the divine law on all citizens who hold citizenship of the Islamic State, whether Muslims or not, in the following manner:…
c. Those who are guilty of apostasy (murtad) from Islam are to be executed according to the rule of apostasy, provided they have themselves renounced Islam.
These death-preaching totalitarians are excused as merely “alleged extremists” by the SBS’s tenured radical, George Negus, and given a pulpit on his show. Their material is freely distributed on university campuses.
Via Christians Under Attack
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft moves into position to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft during a mission over Afghanistan on May 29, 2008. The F-15E is deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, and the KC-135 is assigned to the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, and is deployed from the 141st Air Refueling Wing Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. DoD photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway, U.S. Air Force.
Via Solomonia
Iraqi Army interdicting Iranian operations in the South
Abu Al Khasib is on Highway 6 at the border crossing with Iran at Shalamcheh. The Iranian city of Shalamcheh is the main forward operating base for the Ramazan Corps's southernmost command. The Ramazan Corps is the Qods Force command assigned to direct operations inside Iraq. Weapons, fighters, and cash smuggled across the border into Basrah would pass through Abu Al Khasib. More...
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Turkish Writer Ponders if Prince Charles is a Dhimmi or Muslim Convert
Rumours have been circulating, for nearly two decades, about Prince Charles' overt affinity for Islam. This Turkish writer tells us what she, and many in others, believe to be true. Of more importance - is what the British people think. More...
Christian preachers face arrest in Birmingham
A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham.
The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a "hate crime" and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned. The incident will fuel fears that "no-go areas" for Christians are emerging in British towns and cities, as the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed in The Sunday Telegraph this year.
Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, both full-time evangelical ministers, have launched legal action against West Midlands Police, claiming the officer infringed their right to profess their religion. More...
The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a "hate crime" and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned. The incident will fuel fears that "no-go areas" for Christians are emerging in British towns and cities, as the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, claimed in The Sunday Telegraph this year.
Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, both full-time evangelical ministers, have launched legal action against West Midlands Police, claiming the officer infringed their right to profess their religion. More...
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
"On the night that Barack Obama clinched his party's nomination, one-third of Hillary Clinton's supporters in Montana and South Dakota said they would not vote for the presumptive Democratic nominee."
Via Instapundit
BREAKING: Devastating Video Discovery-- Obama Associate Talks About His Pro-Palestinian Background
Pakistan: Blind seven-year-old beaten to death for failing to learn the Koran
The parents of a blind seven-year-old who was sent to a religious school in Pakistan have told how he was hung by his feet from a ceiling and beaten to death after failing to memorise the Koran.
The parents of Mohammed Atif admitted that they had ignored their son Mohammed's repeated complaints about abuse at the madrassah.
Police in the Punjab province said that Mohammed's religious teacher, Qari Ziauddin, was now in custody charged with torturing and murdering the boy on Thursday.
Police said Ziauddin, whose title "Qari" signifies he is a mullah, had suspended the boy from a ceiling fan for an hour before he beat him. When he realised how badly Mohammed was hurt, he apparently fled instead of taking him to hospital. More...
The parents of Mohammed Atif admitted that they had ignored their son Mohammed's repeated complaints about abuse at the madrassah.
Police in the Punjab province said that Mohammed's religious teacher, Qari Ziauddin, was now in custody charged with torturing and murdering the boy on Thursday.
Police said Ziauddin, whose title "Qari" signifies he is a mullah, had suspended the boy from a ceiling fan for an hour before he beat him. When he realised how badly Mohammed was hurt, he apparently fled instead of taking him to hospital. More...
Cartoon In Saudi Paper: "Al-Qaeda in Iraq Forms Suicide-Bombing 'Paradise Youths'"
See Al-Qaeda Suicide Kids Expand Activity In Baghdad
Regime Campaign Against "Perverts" In Dubai Streets
Dubai police have launched a campaign against "sexual perverts" and against men dressing as women (and vice versa) in public places.
Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan said that the campaign was expected to last a few weeks, and that the police were acting in the capacity of UAE punitive law to protect society's values and customs.
From The Memri Blog
Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan said that the campaign was expected to last a few weeks, and that the police were acting in the capacity of UAE punitive law to protect society's values and customs.
From The Memri Blog
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
UK Muslim Public Affairs Council Making Lists
If you ever find yourself spending valuable time to compile lists of your Zionist enemies and their secret motivations, it’s a sign that you may need a shrink: Categorizing American Islamophobes - MPACUK :: Muslim Discussion Forum.
Category 1: The Seed PlantersExamples:
Steve Emerson, Daniel Pipes, Bernard Lewis
Usual Profession: Academics
Main Motivation: Zionism
Category 2: The Theological Warriors
Examples: Robert Spencer, Craig Winn, Pat Robertson
Usual Profession: Christian preachers
Main Motivation: Religious bigotry
More...
Category 1: The Seed PlantersExamples:
Steve Emerson, Daniel Pipes, Bernard Lewis
Usual Profession: Academics
Main Motivation: Zionism
Category 2: The Theological Warriors
Examples: Robert Spencer, Craig Winn, Pat Robertson
Usual Profession: Christian preachers
Main Motivation: Religious bigotry
More...
Kuwait to probe women ministers over headscarf
Kuwait's new conservative-controlled parliament voted on Sunday to refer the case of two women ministers not wearing the hijab headscarf to its legal committee to establish if they broke the law.The vote followed a token walkout by nine Islamist and tribal MPs in protest at the two women's failure to wear the hijab. More...
Monday, June 2, 2008
Islamic Court opens near Mogadishu
The development is a blow to Somalia's interim government, which is backed by thousands of Ethiopian troops and African Union peacekeepers.
Since arriving in Mogadishu 17 months ago, the government has faced a bloody insurgency in the capital and other parts of the country, including ambushes, assassinations and roadside bombings.
In recent months, gunmen loyal to the Islamic Courts have seized control of several towns in the central and southern regions of Somalia.
The government, which spends massive resources defending the fortress in Mogadishu, has taken no action as Islamists continue to seize power in the countryside. More...
Since arriving in Mogadishu 17 months ago, the government has faced a bloody insurgency in the capital and other parts of the country, including ambushes, assassinations and roadside bombings.
In recent months, gunmen loyal to the Islamic Courts have seized control of several towns in the central and southern regions of Somalia.
The government, which spends massive resources defending the fortress in Mogadishu, has taken no action as Islamists continue to seize power in the countryside. More...
New Documents from Emerging Palestinian Al-Qaida Faction in Gaza Strip
Counterterrorism Blog - The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a communiqué and audio recording from an emerging branch of the Al-Qaida-aligned Fatah al-Islam movement based in the Gaza Strip. On January 12, 2008, the group issued a statement naming its local commander in the Palestinian territories as “Abu Abdelrahman al-Ghazzawi”, who it simply described as “a very kind brother, with much previous experience in jihad and deep-seeded roots in theology.” On February 12, 2008, Fatah al-Islam released the first known audio recording of Abu Abdelrahman al-Ghazzawi, in which he announced, “we shall commence our war from Palestine along with the Ansar and Muhajireen [emigrants and supporters] in order to unite our lines and to [honor] our slogans about battling the Jews who live near us—a jihad, in which there is no regard for clay and dirt…
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