Google has recently been dropping conservative sites from their indexes. In addition I've been finding their search results less that satisfactory lately- has anyone else noticed a change or is it just me? Seems that every time now i search for a bunch of key words most of the results that come back ignore most of the words I've just searched for.
I'm looking for a new search engine to replace them with. Anyone have any suggestions?
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Firefight in Ramadi
The US Department of Defense provides access to some superb examples of photography. Startling high quality it's a treasure trove of images for anyone with any interest in things military.
This particular image is "U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Juan Morales, with 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, lays down a barrage of gunfire to cover his fellow Marines during a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq, May 20, 2006."
This particular image is "U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Juan Morales, with 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, lays down a barrage of gunfire to cover his fellow Marines during a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq, May 20, 2006."
Monday, May 22, 2006
Coin Censored
I frequently hear comments from American bloggers that Europe is flushing itself away- vanishing amid a plague of self-loathing for its own culture and history. Well, it's not just happening on this side of the Pond.
A Keller school district parent said political correctness has run amok at her daughter’s elementary school, where the principal chose to omit the words “In God We Trust” from an oversize coin depicted on the yearbook cover.
The school probably did this because they knew exactly what would have happened if they had included the dread word "God"- the ACLU would have sued them.
Michael Linz, a Dallas attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the district’s move was appropriate, sensitive and constitutional.
Yeah, can't have an image of a coin in circulation on anything to do with a school, can we? As bad as this is, there is even worse news-
the school could have used a different symbol for liberty, such as the Liberty Bell or the Statue of Liberty, if it was concerned about giving offense. But Gardner [of the school's PTA] said those symbols may not be acceptable to everyone, either.
A Keller school district parent said political correctness has run amok at her daughter’s elementary school, where the principal chose to omit the words “In God We Trust” from an oversize coin depicted on the yearbook cover.
The school probably did this because they knew exactly what would have happened if they had included the dread word "God"- the ACLU would have sued them.
Michael Linz, a Dallas attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said the district’s move was appropriate, sensitive and constitutional.
Yeah, can't have an image of a coin in circulation on anything to do with a school, can we? As bad as this is, there is even worse news-
the school could have used a different symbol for liberty, such as the Liberty Bell or the Statue of Liberty, if it was concerned about giving offense. But Gardner [of the school's PTA] said those symbols may not be acceptable to everyone, either.
I'm quite sure this is not what the writers of the Constitution intended. I wonder what they would have to say about America today?
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Chavez's Pretend War
I'm beginning to think that Chavez's anti-American paranoia is nothing more than ploy that he will eventually use to justify his remaining in power long after his elected term has finished. Not content with simply telling everyone who will listen that the US is about to invade, he's now also conducting military manoeuvres to practice resisting an Iraq-style invasion by America.
Venezuela's government has created community organizations called "Local Defense Councils" that would provide support during a potential invasion by hiding weapons deposits, relaying messages or sabotaging water and power services.
Chavez is expected to easily win a reelection bid this December as massive social spending and the widely popular anti-American discourse have kept his approval ratings high.
Venezuela's government has created community organizations called "Local Defense Councils" that would provide support during a potential invasion by hiding weapons deposits, relaying messages or sabotaging water and power services.
Chavez is expected to easily win a reelection bid this December as massive social spending and the widely popular anti-American discourse have kept his approval ratings high.
Critics in Venezuela say Chavez is squandering record oil wealth on improvised social programs and creating an artificial conflict with the United States.
Credit To The DFLP
LGF links to a report by Michael Totten on his visit to the city of Ramallah- and takes offence as his reference to Saeb Erekat as an honourable politician.
The Totten report makes for interesting reading- Ramallah is most likely not what you think, given the impression of the region from the media. I know the feeling- having grown up in Northern Ireland I'm used to people thinking that Belfast and environs resemble scenes from the Blitz.
Anyway, as I was reading through Totten's piece I came across a reference to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Totten says this of them-
The DFLPers have a crackpot ideology, but to their credit they insist Palestinians should only fight Israeli soldiers, and that Palestinians should only fight Israeli soldiers in Palestine. Israeli civilians are to be left alone.
That would be the same DFLP responsible for the Ma'alot School Massacre in 1974-
The Palestinian gang who took the children hostage had tried to stop a van a few miles from Ma'alot several hours before entering the school.
Three men dressed in army uniforms opened fire when the van pulled away, killing one girl inside.
Just before dawn they broke into flats in Ma'alot and forced their way into one apartment. A woman, her husband and five-year-old child were shot dead.
The gang then walked to the school and woke the caretaker, who was also shot. They took the children hostage and separated them into boys and girls.
They had promised to release half of the teenagers once they received a code word from their organisation in Syria.
Although the Israelis entered into negotiations with the DFLP, and even agreed to release prisoners as per their demands, it all went wrong.
At 5:45 p.m., a unit of the elite Sayeret Matkal special forces group stormed the building. They managed to kill all the hostage takers, but not before they had used guns and explosives to kill some of their hostages. A total of 26 Israelis were killed and more than 60 people were wounded in what became known as the Maalot Massacre.
Twenty one of the dead were children.
Since that time the DFLP has waned, politically and with regards to their ability to conduct their terrorist campaign. In fact, in the groups existence, only 8% of their targets have been military. A student was attacked by axe-weilding members of the DFLP in 1975, a civilian was found murdered in his apartment on March 31st 1994, they carried out a mortar bomb attack with Fatah in August 2005, they fired mortars at the Netzer Hazani settlement in June 2005, injuring a civilian Thai worker, they fired mortars at the settlement of Morag and Netzarim in January 2005, and they fired two rockets at the settlement of Netzarim in December 2004.
The DFLP were also responsible for the June 2002 attack on the settlement of Itamar which left five dead and four wounded. The victims were a forty year old woman and her three sons- aged 16, 12 and 5- and a neighbour who came to their aid.
They also carried out the attack which killed three Israeli soldiers and wounded seven more in 2001.
The same man who was in charge of the DFLP at the time of Ma'alot remains their leader.
The Totten report makes for interesting reading- Ramallah is most likely not what you think, given the impression of the region from the media. I know the feeling- having grown up in Northern Ireland I'm used to people thinking that Belfast and environs resemble scenes from the Blitz.
Anyway, as I was reading through Totten's piece I came across a reference to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Totten says this of them-
The DFLPers have a crackpot ideology, but to their credit they insist Palestinians should only fight Israeli soldiers, and that Palestinians should only fight Israeli soldiers in Palestine. Israeli civilians are to be left alone.
That would be the same DFLP responsible for the Ma'alot School Massacre in 1974-
The Palestinian gang who took the children hostage had tried to stop a van a few miles from Ma'alot several hours before entering the school.
Three men dressed in army uniforms opened fire when the van pulled away, killing one girl inside.
Just before dawn they broke into flats in Ma'alot and forced their way into one apartment. A woman, her husband and five-year-old child were shot dead.
The gang then walked to the school and woke the caretaker, who was also shot. They took the children hostage and separated them into boys and girls.
They had promised to release half of the teenagers once they received a code word from their organisation in Syria.
Although the Israelis entered into negotiations with the DFLP, and even agreed to release prisoners as per their demands, it all went wrong.
At 5:45 p.m., a unit of the elite Sayeret Matkal special forces group stormed the building. They managed to kill all the hostage takers, but not before they had used guns and explosives to kill some of their hostages. A total of 26 Israelis were killed and more than 60 people were wounded in what became known as the Maalot Massacre.
Twenty one of the dead were children.
Since that time the DFLP has waned, politically and with regards to their ability to conduct their terrorist campaign. In fact, in the groups existence, only 8% of their targets have been military. A student was attacked by axe-weilding members of the DFLP in 1975, a civilian was found murdered in his apartment on March 31st 1994, they carried out a mortar bomb attack with Fatah in August 2005, they fired mortars at the Netzer Hazani settlement in June 2005, injuring a civilian Thai worker, they fired mortars at the settlement of Morag and Netzarim in January 2005, and they fired two rockets at the settlement of Netzarim in December 2004.
The DFLP were also responsible for the June 2002 attack on the settlement of Itamar which left five dead and four wounded. The victims were a forty year old woman and her three sons- aged 16, 12 and 5- and a neighbour who came to their aid.
They also carried out the attack which killed three Israeli soldiers and wounded seven more in 2001.
The same man who was in charge of the DFLP at the time of Ma'alot remains their leader.
Friday, May 19, 2006
AHA Update
It seems that the US State Department is doing the right thing in regards to Ayaan Hirsi Ali-
A Somali-born lawmaker who may lose her Dutch citizenship because she lied on her asylum application is welcome to move to the United States, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said on Thursday.
"I am not going to comment on specific security matters but obviously she needs to be taken care of," Zoellick said.
Looks like Verdonk's spitefulness has sabotaged her own career and failed to harm Hirsi Ali in any way. Isn't it great when things work out so well?
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
A Somali-born lawmaker who may lose her Dutch citizenship because she lied on her asylum application is welcome to move to the United States, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said on Thursday.
"I am not going to comment on specific security matters but obviously she needs to be taken care of," Zoellick said.
Looks like Verdonk's spitefulness has sabotaged her own career and failed to harm Hirsi Ali in any way. Isn't it great when things work out so well?
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Yellow Stars Become Strips
A new law has just been passed by the Iranian parliament which would require Jews and Christians and Zoroastrians to wear coloured badges to identify themselves. Upon hearing this story as FARK I immediately checked the BBC website- and there's not a single mention. I suppose I shouldn't be shocked by this but I am- Britain's major news outlet not reporting on a story like this! Not on the news front page or even on the Middle East page. Of course they do have time for the "top story" of Bruce Willis talking about Die Hard 4. They don't stand idle for the really important stories.
Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments."
Jihad Watch frequently prefaces stories about Iran's nuclear aspirations with the phrase "1938 alert". Can the parallels be any clearer than this?
Update- The facts of the story still don't seem to be clear. There are denials coming from Iranian officials, along with further references to the coloured badges being part of some minor amendment to the dress code bill. Hot Air is keeping a close eye on things. Be sure to read Andrew Bostom's feature on the background to the badges and the Islamic concept of najis
Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments."
The law, which must still be approved by Iran's "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims.
Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.
And here's a notable part of the story-
The new law was drafted two years ago, but was stuck in the Iranian parliament until recently when it was revived at the behest of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Jihad Watch frequently prefaces stories about Iran's nuclear aspirations with the phrase "1938 alert". Can the parallels be any clearer than this?
Update- The facts of the story still don't seem to be clear. There are denials coming from Iranian officials, along with further references to the coloured badges being part of some minor amendment to the dress code bill. Hot Air is keeping a close eye on things. Be sure to read Andrew Bostom's feature on the background to the badges and the Islamic concept of najis
The Madness Continues
I thought that Britain's leadership was bad but it seems that the United States is working hard to beat us.
First of all the Senate has killed the Kyl amendment by 58 votes to only 35.
The Senate killed an amendment that would have denied a chance for permanent status and eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants who have been in the country less than five years and to any future immigrants who enter the country under the guest-worker program.
As Hot Air points out this plainly contradicts what Bush said in his speech on Monday-
I support a temporary worker program that would create a legal path for foreign workers to enter our country in an orderly way, for a limited period of time...And temporary workers must return to their home country at the conclusion of their stay.
The Senate also voted on whether or not America should have an official language- a measure supported by 84% of Americans. Well, with their usual trepidation they did vote to accept English as the national language and then promptly changed their minds and made English not the national language but only the "unifying language". In other words, they did nothing at all- but made it seem to voters that they both support having an official language and that they also oppose it. Your tax dollars at work.
While they were at it, the Senate also killed the Ensign Amendment-
To qualify for full Social Security benefits, a worker must register 10 years of work. Under current law, illegal immigrants who obtain legal status can use their previous illegal work history to apply for Social Security benefits.
To remedy the situation, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) has offered an amendment to the pending Senate immigration bill that would reverse this law to ensure that law-breakers are not rewarded for their past work at the expense of immigrants who have waited in line and American citizens.
Now, it seems hard to me to even believe that the United States Senate is even contemplating this measure. I can't say it better than this summation-
Should ILLEGAL immigrants, once made legal by the McCain legislation, be entitled to receive the Social Security benefits they have paid into the system while ILLEGALLY using FRAUDULENT Social Security numbers STOLEN from actual, legal citizens of the United States of America.
Or this-
The plan will siphon off the hard-earned tax dollars of American workers who may never see a dime of their confiscated earnings and fork it over to foreigners guilty of at least four acts of federal law-breaking: crossing the border illegally, working illegally, engaging in tax fraud and using bogus documents.
Who on Earth do the Senate think they are representing, American citizens or illegal aliens? At the moment, it's not quite clear.
First of all the Senate has killed the Kyl amendment by 58 votes to only 35.
The Senate killed an amendment that would have denied a chance for permanent status and eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants who have been in the country less than five years and to any future immigrants who enter the country under the guest-worker program.
As Hot Air points out this plainly contradicts what Bush said in his speech on Monday-
I support a temporary worker program that would create a legal path for foreign workers to enter our country in an orderly way, for a limited period of time...And temporary workers must return to their home country at the conclusion of their stay.
The Senate also voted on whether or not America should have an official language- a measure supported by 84% of Americans. Well, with their usual trepidation they did vote to accept English as the national language and then promptly changed their minds and made English not the national language but only the "unifying language". In other words, they did nothing at all- but made it seem to voters that they both support having an official language and that they also oppose it. Your tax dollars at work.
While they were at it, the Senate also killed the Ensign Amendment-
To qualify for full Social Security benefits, a worker must register 10 years of work. Under current law, illegal immigrants who obtain legal status can use their previous illegal work history to apply for Social Security benefits.
To remedy the situation, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) has offered an amendment to the pending Senate immigration bill that would reverse this law to ensure that law-breakers are not rewarded for their past work at the expense of immigrants who have waited in line and American citizens.
Now, it seems hard to me to even believe that the United States Senate is even contemplating this measure. I can't say it better than this summation-
Should ILLEGAL immigrants, once made legal by the McCain legislation, be entitled to receive the Social Security benefits they have paid into the system while ILLEGALLY using FRAUDULENT Social Security numbers STOLEN from actual, legal citizens of the United States of America.
Or this-
The plan will siphon off the hard-earned tax dollars of American workers who may never see a dime of their confiscated earnings and fork it over to foreigners guilty of at least four acts of federal law-breaking: crossing the border illegally, working illegally, engaging in tax fraud and using bogus documents.
Who on Earth do the Senate think they are representing, American citizens or illegal aliens? At the moment, it's not quite clear.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Firefox 2
I'm a huge fan of Firefox, although it took me a little while to switch away from Mozilla. While we're currently working with version 1.5.0.3 , word is that version 2 will be released sometime this summer. Dubbed Bon Echo, the first review is out now.
I'm looking forward to the "restore session" option! I tend to work with more than a dozen pages open and with my old, slow machine I occasionally find Firefox crashing. Having those open tabs restored without having to search through my history will be a big help. And the close buttons on each tab look like they might be quite handy- though I'm sure I'll be clicking them by accident for a long time after version 2 is released.
I'm looking forward to the "restore session" option! I tend to work with more than a dozen pages open and with my old, slow machine I occasionally find Firefox crashing. Having those open tabs restored without having to search through my history will be a big help. And the close buttons on each tab look like they might be quite handy- though I'm sure I'll be clicking them by accident for a long time after version 2 is released.
The Choice of Hamas
A new Hamas-led "security force" is active in the Gaza Strip, its aim to "ensure the safety of citizens and protect property amid a wave of instability and violence." LGF has a picture of a member of the force.
The 3,000 strong unit is headed up by Jamal Abu Samhadana, who is, according to the BBC, a militant wanted by Israel. Actually, he's a little more than a militant- he's also the founder of the Popular Resistance Committees, responsible for multiple Qassam rocket attacks on Israel.
He said- “We have only one enemy. They are Jews. We have no other enemy. I will continue to carry the rifle and pull the trigger whenever required to defend my people.”
The group that this Hamas-appointed terrorist founded is responsible for a number of notable atrocities. On November 20, 2000 they bombed a bus filled with children- two adults were killed and nine children wounded. This brother and two sisters were just one group of children on the bus-
Israel lost a leg, Orit part of a foot, and Tehila was badly hurt in both legs.
Along with Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees was responsible for the brutal murder of eight months pregnant Tali Hatuel and her children, Meirav, 2, Roni, 7, Hadar, 9, and Hila, 11.
They claimed responsibility for the ambush of an American diplomatic convoy in 2003 that killed three American citizens and left another wounded. The diplomats were on their way to interview Palestinian students for scholarships at American universities.
After his appointment, Samhadana said that the PRC would continue to attack Israel, seeing no conflict between his role as leader of the PRC and his role overseeing the police and security forces. Lest there be any doubt that the PRC or its armed wing the Salah al-Din Brigades (though the two are so closely linked as to be virtually indistinguishable) are in fact Islamist terrorists, there is an analysis of one of their posters here. As you can see, they are under the impression that verses of the Koran justify their actions.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
The 3,000 strong unit is headed up by Jamal Abu Samhadana, who is, according to the BBC, a militant wanted by Israel. Actually, he's a little more than a militant- he's also the founder of the Popular Resistance Committees, responsible for multiple Qassam rocket attacks on Israel.
He said- “We have only one enemy. They are Jews. We have no other enemy. I will continue to carry the rifle and pull the trigger whenever required to defend my people.”
The group that this Hamas-appointed terrorist founded is responsible for a number of notable atrocities. On November 20, 2000 they bombed a bus filled with children- two adults were killed and nine children wounded. This brother and two sisters were just one group of children on the bus-
Israel lost a leg, Orit part of a foot, and Tehila was badly hurt in both legs.
Along with Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees was responsible for the brutal murder of eight months pregnant Tali Hatuel and her children, Meirav, 2, Roni, 7, Hadar, 9, and Hila, 11.
They claimed responsibility for the ambush of an American diplomatic convoy in 2003 that killed three American citizens and left another wounded. The diplomats were on their way to interview Palestinian students for scholarships at American universities.
After his appointment, Samhadana said that the PRC would continue to attack Israel, seeing no conflict between his role as leader of the PRC and his role overseeing the police and security forces. Lest there be any doubt that the PRC or its armed wing the Salah al-Din Brigades (though the two are so closely linked as to be virtually indistinguishable) are in fact Islamist terrorists, there is an analysis of one of their posters here. As you can see, they are under the impression that verses of the Koran justify their actions.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Border Games
I have no idea what's happening in America right now- has Howard Dean been hired to lay out the Republican's election strategy?
While the simple task of enforcing existing laws against illegal aliens and identity fraud seems to be beyond all levels of government, Bush is singularly failing to take charge of the situation and do what Americans actually want him to do. He's doing a bang up job from the point of view of any potential illegal immigrants or would be terrorist infiltrators though. For a stark reminder of just why this is completely unacceptable, make sure to watch Michelle Malkin's Vent, Connect the Dots. We're fast approaching the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and yet nothing has been done about such huge security holes.
His proposal to send National Guard troops to the border- not to actually patrol, something the military just mind know something about- has not gone down well with Vincente Fox; and Mexico is threatening to sue the United States if the troops actually apprehend anyone breaking the law on American soil.
General Blum of the National Guard stated that, although troops being sent to the border area will have "the right of self-protection to preserve their life and to save the lives of others" they will not all be issued weapons.
He says- "There will be a lot of jobs that we'll be performing that will not require people to carry sidearms. However, if they're in a mission profile where they could be subject to threat or injury, or their life is threatened, they will, in fact, carry weapons, just as they do in other missions around the world."
It remains to be seen if all units deployed along the border, actually watching for aliens, will be considered to be subject to such a profile. Somehow, given the nature of the attitude towards the "rights" of the illegals, I'm not entirely convinced that they will be. I hope I'm wrong though-
U.S. Border Patrol agents were backed down this week by armed men, dressed in what appeared to be Mexican military uniforms and carrying military weapons, who seized a captured dump truck filled with marijuana from the U.S. agents and dragged it across the border into Mexico with a bulldozer.
While the simple task of enforcing existing laws against illegal aliens and identity fraud seems to be beyond all levels of government, Bush is singularly failing to take charge of the situation and do what Americans actually want him to do. He's doing a bang up job from the point of view of any potential illegal immigrants or would be terrorist infiltrators though. For a stark reminder of just why this is completely unacceptable, make sure to watch Michelle Malkin's Vent, Connect the Dots. We're fast approaching the fifth anniversary of 9/11 and yet nothing has been done about such huge security holes.
His proposal to send National Guard troops to the border- not to actually patrol, something the military just mind know something about- has not gone down well with Vincente Fox; and Mexico is threatening to sue the United States if the troops actually apprehend anyone breaking the law on American soil.
General Blum of the National Guard stated that, although troops being sent to the border area will have "the right of self-protection to preserve their life and to save the lives of others" they will not all be issued weapons.
He says- "There will be a lot of jobs that we'll be performing that will not require people to carry sidearms. However, if they're in a mission profile where they could be subject to threat or injury, or their life is threatened, they will, in fact, carry weapons, just as they do in other missions around the world."
It remains to be seen if all units deployed along the border, actually watching for aliens, will be considered to be subject to such a profile. Somehow, given the nature of the attitude towards the "rights" of the illegals, I'm not entirely convinced that they will be. I hope I'm wrong though-
U.S. Border Patrol agents were backed down this week by armed men, dressed in what appeared to be Mexican military uniforms and carrying military weapons, who seized a captured dump truck filled with marijuana from the U.S. agents and dragged it across the border into Mexico with a bulldozer.
Close Call
Talk about a lucky escape!
Robin Key, 44, of Riverview, Fla., was shot through the windshield of the car she was riding in Sunday. She said she felt a searing pain in her shoulder.
Robin Key, 44, of Riverview, Fla., was shot through the windshield of the car she was riding in Sunday. She said she felt a searing pain in her shoulder.
Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies said a .38-caliber bullet smashed through the windshield then bounced off Key's shoulder - thanks to a seat belt and a thick bra strap.
The copper-jacketed slug landed in her lap.
Sesame Street
Thanks to website Folded Space for this incredible list of Sesame Street videos. Brings back a lot of memories for me and my kids love it too.
This post is for my girls who keep asking me for the "noisy one" - Fat, Cat, Sat, Hat.
This post is for my girls who keep asking me for the "noisy one" - Fat, Cat, Sat, Hat.
Lightning
With thanks to the US Department of Defence Image Gallery email- Lightning strikes Balad Air Base in Iraq as a C-130 aircraft taxis on the flight line May 16, 2006. DoD photo by Senior Airman James Croxon, U.S. Air Force.
What an awesome image.
What an awesome image.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Dean Esmay
Robert Spencer and Dean Esmay are having a bit of a debate. I only just found out about Esmay's site recently from Murdoc Online, but I've been a long time reader of Jihad Watch. There- that's my bias exposed up front.
Spencer fisked an article Esmay wrote- Esmay got a bit peeved and called Spencer a traitor (although his reasoning for such seems to be a little thin shall we say). Spencer then contacted Esmay and invited him to a public debate. One of the points he made is this-
"Please provide an Islamic refutation of them sufficient to convince violent jihadists today to lay down their arms."
This is, of course, perfectly reasonable- if there is no way to refute the jihadis then surely that means that they are right, and Islam does justify what they are doing? If there is no Islamic refutation of what the jiadis are doing then the reformers can never win- the jihadis will continue to use their Islamic justification for acts of terror and they will have the writings of the Koran, etc to back up their worldview. If, on the other hand, they really are "misunderstanders" of the religion of peace, then surely such a refutation will be easily provided? Sounds reasonable to me, or am I being unreasonable?
Esmay went to to snidely add- "I don't think you believe that anyone can provide this, any more than you can provide sufficient Christian or biblical scriptural references to persuade the Lord's Resistance Army or the Christian Identity movement to give up their hatreds or their radicalism."
Well, actually that's very simple to do. It's Exodus, Chapter 20, verse 13- Thou shalt not kill.
That refutes pretty much everything that the Lord's Resistance Army stands for. Not that the LRA is a Christian group- they are a cult based around a self-professed spirit medium who fasts during Ramadan and who won't eat pork. Oh, and he creates new commandments- number 11 is thou shalt not ride bicycles. I'm not quite clear what Joseph Kony has against bicycles but his punishment for riding one is to cut off your feet. If he quotes Bible verse to justify his horrendous activities, I'd sure like to hear it. The same quote by the way also applies to the Christian Identity Movement (of whom I was completely unaware until today). They believe that their violence is justified if it is aimed against sinners (abortionists, prostitutes, etc). Once more- Thou shalt not kill. There are no ifs or buts there. It's a simple and straightforward commandment.
Esmay goes on to prove that his knowledge of some areas is certainly limited-
"The Lord's Resistance Army, the IRA, the KKK, the Christian Identity movement, and so on and so forth all can quote scripture to their purposes, Robert. What of it?"
The IRA quote Bible verse to justify their actions? I'm astonished by the colossal, staggering ignorance of that statement. The IRA may come from the Roman Catholic community but they are not a religious terrorist group- they are a political one, with a very clear political aim; a united Ireland. Trust me, most of these people wouldn't know a Bible if you threw one in their face. For Esmay to claim that thay are some sort of Christian terrorist group is the most ridiculous thing that I've heard in a very long time indeed. He obviously has no clue whatsoever about this part of what he says.
I'll leave the rest of it up to Mr. Spencer- I'm certainly interested to see just what he has to say on the matter.
Spencer fisked an article Esmay wrote- Esmay got a bit peeved and called Spencer a traitor (although his reasoning for such seems to be a little thin shall we say). Spencer then contacted Esmay and invited him to a public debate. One of the points he made is this-
"Please provide an Islamic refutation of them sufficient to convince violent jihadists today to lay down their arms."
This is, of course, perfectly reasonable- if there is no way to refute the jihadis then surely that means that they are right, and Islam does justify what they are doing? If there is no Islamic refutation of what the jiadis are doing then the reformers can never win- the jihadis will continue to use their Islamic justification for acts of terror and they will have the writings of the Koran, etc to back up their worldview. If, on the other hand, they really are "misunderstanders" of the religion of peace, then surely such a refutation will be easily provided? Sounds reasonable to me, or am I being unreasonable?
Esmay went to to snidely add- "I don't think you believe that anyone can provide this, any more than you can provide sufficient Christian or biblical scriptural references to persuade the Lord's Resistance Army or the Christian Identity movement to give up their hatreds or their radicalism."
Well, actually that's very simple to do. It's Exodus, Chapter 20, verse 13- Thou shalt not kill.
That refutes pretty much everything that the Lord's Resistance Army stands for. Not that the LRA is a Christian group- they are a cult based around a self-professed spirit medium who fasts during Ramadan and who won't eat pork. Oh, and he creates new commandments- number 11 is thou shalt not ride bicycles. I'm not quite clear what Joseph Kony has against bicycles but his punishment for riding one is to cut off your feet. If he quotes Bible verse to justify his horrendous activities, I'd sure like to hear it. The same quote by the way also applies to the Christian Identity Movement (of whom I was completely unaware until today). They believe that their violence is justified if it is aimed against sinners (abortionists, prostitutes, etc). Once more- Thou shalt not kill. There are no ifs or buts there. It's a simple and straightforward commandment.
Esmay goes on to prove that his knowledge of some areas is certainly limited-
"The Lord's Resistance Army, the IRA, the KKK, the Christian Identity movement, and so on and so forth all can quote scripture to their purposes, Robert. What of it?"
The IRA quote Bible verse to justify their actions? I'm astonished by the colossal, staggering ignorance of that statement. The IRA may come from the Roman Catholic community but they are not a religious terrorist group- they are a political one, with a very clear political aim; a united Ireland. Trust me, most of these people wouldn't know a Bible if you threw one in their face. For Esmay to claim that thay are some sort of Christian terrorist group is the most ridiculous thing that I've heard in a very long time indeed. He obviously has no clue whatsoever about this part of what he says.
I'll leave the rest of it up to Mr. Spencer- I'm certainly interested to see just what he has to say on the matter.
Transformers
There's a live action Transformers movie on the way next year but in the meantime there's this small video of Optimus Prime to whet your appetite. It apparently has nothing to do with the film-makers themselves but is just an example of the sterling work that fans can come up with.
If the movie effects are as good as this I'll be happy.
If the movie effects are as good as this I'll be happy.
Beslan Terrorist Guilty
It's important that the barbarity of what happened at School No. 1 in Beslan is not forgotten. While 9/11, with its staggering death toll and mind-numbing imagery, stands for some as the most shocking terrorist attack, I actually believe that what happened at Beslan is much more horrifying. Over thirty Islamist terrorists deliberately targeted a school filled with young children and after spending some days with them, brutally murdered nearly two hundred of them. I cannot fathom what sort of person could murder children, let alone children they had been surrounded by for days. What kind of monsters are they?
They took well over a thousand people hostage and almost immediately murdered twenty adult male hostages. The siege lasted for three days, with the hostages forced into the gymnasium which was rigged with explosives. Though the hostages had a little food and water on the first day, they had nothing to drink after that as the temperature soared.
AFTER more than 24 hours in the sweltering heat of the school gymnasium in Beslan, one of the boys trapped inside could not take it any longer.
Summoning up his courage, he approached a hostage taker with a bayonet fixed to his assault rifle and asked him for a drink. It was probably the worst error that he could have made.
“Instead of giving him water, he drove his bayonet through the boy’s body,” said Stanislav Tsarakhov, 10, another captive standing nearby. “I don’t know if he died.”
And then there's this-
Malik Kalchakeyev, 14, speaking slowly and in great detail, told of how the schoolchildren and their parents were herded into the school's gym, how the attackers stopped providing water and how they taunted the exhausted hostages, often forcing them to stand and sit quickly in the hot, crowded gym.
"On the second day, we were all very thirsty. Women told us, the boys, to pee into plastic bottles so that the children could then drink our pee," the boy said, bursting into tears. "I peed into a bottle, and small children -- even babies -- drank it."
And this-
There, on the floor, was Aza Tsakhilova, aged 60, using her shoe as a cup to give her granddaughter Lisa sips of urine to quench her thirst, just before the explosions that killed Aza's pregnant daughter, Anna, and Anna's husband, Yuri, and rendered Lisa an orphan. The first day of the siege had been Lisa's first day at school.
Indira Dzetskelova, the mother of one of the child hostages in Beslan, Russia, reports that “several 15-year-old girls were raped by terrorists.” Her daughter “heard their terrible cries and screams when those monsters took them away.”
And-
Other survivors told how screaming teenage girls were dragged into rooms adjoining the gymnasium where they were being held and raped by their Chechen captors who chillingly made a video film of their appalling exploits
As we all know, the siege ended in violence. Over three hundred and thirty people were killed- 186 of them children. And the violence was vicious and gruesome.
While despairing soldiers and rescue workers moved among the growing pile of body bags, it was revealed that an 18-month-old baby had been repeatedly stabbed by a black-clad terrorist who had run out of ammunition.
Like this-
"There was a sixth-grade girl who had diabetes. She died there. Her mother was screaming."
Like this-
"One of the gunmen was reading the Koran constantly, and I counted exactly 23 gunmen altogether. The leader was on the roof the whole time with a sniper's rifle. We realised that, because the others went to him for advice.
"The older pupils were forced to carry desks to barricade the windows. When the assault started one of the bandits shouted 'I'll save you'. Everybody ran towards him and then he blew himself up, killing many people."
In addition the gymnasium was rigged with explosives- and the terrorists set off these charges when the assault began.
The Interfax news agency quoted a defense official as saying that "the terrorists planted a lot of mines and booby-traps filled with metal bolts in the gym."
They also began to shoot at the women and children hostages as they tried to flee-
Of those who died from gunshot wounds, most were shot in the back as they fled the gymnasium.
Here's one account-
"They were running," she said tearfully after talking to her family by phone last week. "His father yelled, 'Vova, run, run!' Then, 10 bullets were put in his back. His father held his body and cried, 'Vova, why didn't you run faster!?'"
When the surviving terrorists fled, they were all killed; all but one. That man, found cowering under a truck, is Nurpashi Kulayev. His trial is finally complete and he was found guilty of terrorism, hostage-taking and murder.
"The court has established that Kulayev took part in an armed attack and a hostage-taking..., that he committed murder against defenceless people," said Tamerlan Aguzarov, chief justice of the high court in the province of North Ossetia Tuesday.
Prosecutors have asked for the death penalty. Though there is currently a moratorium on capital punishment, there is some belief that an exception will be made for Kulayev.
Beslan was one of the most terrible, horrific, brutal and simply despicable terrorist acts ever committed. And yet today it seems to be barely remembered; unlike the images of planes slamming into the Twin Towers, those of Beslan, naked children- some of them horribly burned or covered in blood- running and being carried from the school are rarely repeated today. In the immediate aftermath there were pundits claiming that terrorism would have to change after such incredible depravity. And yet nothing has changed. Where are the outcries of horror over the killing, and gloating over it, of the sixteen year old American boy by Palestinian terrorists? And Beslan wasn't a first either. Despite it's savagery it was not entirely a new low for Islamic terrorists- Hamas had already deliberately murdered children on an Israeli bus in 2002-
Nael Azmi Abu Hilail had more than enough time to see those he was about to kill after he boarded the number 20 bus at the bottom of Mexico Street.
Eight months pregnant Tali Hatuel and her four daughters were murdered. Their car was forced off the road and they were all shot at close range by terrorists belonging to Islamic Jihad or the Popular Resistance Committee (both groups claimed responsibility). Tali was 34- her daughter Hila was 11, Hadar was 9, Roni was 7, and Meirav was only 2. Two years old. One of the terrorists even made sure to shoot into Tali's pregnant belly. PA Radio dubbed these murderers as "heroic martyrs".
Since Beslan, more children have been deliberate victims of Islamic terrorism- A Hamas suicide bomber detonated his bomb on a packed bus on August 19th 2003. Twenty three people were killed. Among the dead were three month old and eleven month babies, a three year old, a 9 year old, a12 year old and a 15 year old. The suicide bomber obviously saw these children on board and yet he still went ahead with the attack.
We should never forget Beslan- but we should also bear in mind that Islamic terrorism has, before and since then, deliberately targeted children as part of its campaign of murder and terror. Never forget that.
They took well over a thousand people hostage and almost immediately murdered twenty adult male hostages. The siege lasted for three days, with the hostages forced into the gymnasium which was rigged with explosives. Though the hostages had a little food and water on the first day, they had nothing to drink after that as the temperature soared.
AFTER more than 24 hours in the sweltering heat of the school gymnasium in Beslan, one of the boys trapped inside could not take it any longer.
Summoning up his courage, he approached a hostage taker with a bayonet fixed to his assault rifle and asked him for a drink. It was probably the worst error that he could have made.
“Instead of giving him water, he drove his bayonet through the boy’s body,” said Stanislav Tsarakhov, 10, another captive standing nearby. “I don’t know if he died.”
And then there's this-
Malik Kalchakeyev, 14, speaking slowly and in great detail, told of how the schoolchildren and their parents were herded into the school's gym, how the attackers stopped providing water and how they taunted the exhausted hostages, often forcing them to stand and sit quickly in the hot, crowded gym.
"On the second day, we were all very thirsty. Women told us, the boys, to pee into plastic bottles so that the children could then drink our pee," the boy said, bursting into tears. "I peed into a bottle, and small children -- even babies -- drank it."
And this-
There, on the floor, was Aza Tsakhilova, aged 60, using her shoe as a cup to give her granddaughter Lisa sips of urine to quench her thirst, just before the explosions that killed Aza's pregnant daughter, Anna, and Anna's husband, Yuri, and rendered Lisa an orphan. The first day of the siege had been Lisa's first day at school.
Here was eight-year-old Mairbek Varziev, pleading with a terrorist to save his mother, Angela, offering the terrorist a five-rouble coin from his pocket (the equivalent of 10p), the terrorist saying: "I have plenty of money, I don't need yours." Mairbek's mother died there at the siege, while Mairbek was rescued by a soldier and is now receiving daily therapy.
Elsewhere in the sports hall was Larissa Sedakova, soothing her daughter Aida, watching another young girl, no more than 10, approach a terrorist and ask a question — perhaps she wanted a drink or to go to the loo, Larissa couldn't hear — and seeing the terrorist draw back and kick the girl so that she flew through the air across the room. When she closed her eyes afterwards, that was what Larissa saw, the girl in flight.
Those few days spent as captives produced worse horrors than that-Indira Dzetskelova, the mother of one of the child hostages in Beslan, Russia, reports that “several 15-year-old girls were raped by terrorists.” Her daughter “heard their terrible cries and screams when those monsters took them away.”
And-
Other survivors told how screaming teenage girls were dragged into rooms adjoining the gymnasium where they were being held and raped by their Chechen captors who chillingly made a video film of their appalling exploits
As we all know, the siege ended in violence. Over three hundred and thirty people were killed- 186 of them children. And the violence was vicious and gruesome.
While despairing soldiers and rescue workers moved among the growing pile of body bags, it was revealed that an 18-month-old baby had been repeatedly stabbed by a black-clad terrorist who had run out of ammunition.
Like this-
"There was a sixth-grade girl who had diabetes. She died there. Her mother was screaming."
Like this-
"One of the gunmen was reading the Koran constantly, and I counted exactly 23 gunmen altogether. The leader was on the roof the whole time with a sniper's rifle. We realised that, because the others went to him for advice.
"The older pupils were forced to carry desks to barricade the windows. When the assault started one of the bandits shouted 'I'll save you'. Everybody ran towards him and then he blew himself up, killing many people."
In addition the gymnasium was rigged with explosives- and the terrorists set off these charges when the assault began.
The Interfax news agency quoted a defense official as saying that "the terrorists planted a lot of mines and booby-traps filled with metal bolts in the gym."
They also began to shoot at the women and children hostages as they tried to flee-
Of those who died from gunshot wounds, most were shot in the back as they fled the gymnasium.
Here's one account-
"They were running," she said tearfully after talking to her family by phone last week. "His father yelled, 'Vova, run, run!' Then, 10 bullets were put in his back. His father held his body and cried, 'Vova, why didn't you run faster!?'"
When the surviving terrorists fled, they were all killed; all but one. That man, found cowering under a truck, is Nurpashi Kulayev. His trial is finally complete and he was found guilty of terrorism, hostage-taking and murder.
"The court has established that Kulayev took part in an armed attack and a hostage-taking..., that he committed murder against defenceless people," said Tamerlan Aguzarov, chief justice of the high court in the province of North Ossetia Tuesday.
Prosecutors have asked for the death penalty. Though there is currently a moratorium on capital punishment, there is some belief that an exception will be made for Kulayev.
Beslan was one of the most terrible, horrific, brutal and simply despicable terrorist acts ever committed. And yet today it seems to be barely remembered; unlike the images of planes slamming into the Twin Towers, those of Beslan, naked children- some of them horribly burned or covered in blood- running and being carried from the school are rarely repeated today. In the immediate aftermath there were pundits claiming that terrorism would have to change after such incredible depravity. And yet nothing has changed. Where are the outcries of horror over the killing, and gloating over it, of the sixteen year old American boy by Palestinian terrorists? And Beslan wasn't a first either. Despite it's savagery it was not entirely a new low for Islamic terrorists- Hamas had already deliberately murdered children on an Israeli bus in 2002-
Nael Azmi Abu Hilail had more than enough time to see those he was about to kill after he boarded the number 20 bus at the bottom of Mexico Street.
The young Palestinian man cannot have failed to notice the two dozen or more children clutching their school books as he squeezed his way to the centre of the packed bus winding through the rush-hour traffic to the centre of Jerusalem yesterday morning.
But that did not discourage him.
Two stops later he detonated the explosive packed around his body, the first suicide bombing in Jerusalem in more than three months and a stunning blow to the peace camp in Israel's general election campaign.
Eight passengers were killed instantly. By the end of the day the death toll had risen to 11. About half were children.
And in May 2004, months before Beslan, Islamic terrorists committed an atrocity so depraved that it chills my blood to imagine what twisted and sick people carried it out-Eight months pregnant Tali Hatuel and her four daughters were murdered. Their car was forced off the road and they were all shot at close range by terrorists belonging to Islamic Jihad or the Popular Resistance Committee (both groups claimed responsibility). Tali was 34- her daughter Hila was 11, Hadar was 9, Roni was 7, and Meirav was only 2. Two years old. One of the terrorists even made sure to shoot into Tali's pregnant belly. PA Radio dubbed these murderers as "heroic martyrs".
Since Beslan, more children have been deliberate victims of Islamic terrorism- A Hamas suicide bomber detonated his bomb on a packed bus on August 19th 2003. Twenty three people were killed. Among the dead were three month old and eleven month babies, a three year old, a 9 year old, a12 year old and a 15 year old. The suicide bomber obviously saw these children on board and yet he still went ahead with the attack.
We should never forget Beslan- but we should also bear in mind that Islamic terrorism has, before and since then, deliberately targeted children as part of its campaign of murder and terror. Never forget that.
Hope For AHA
The threat of Dutch Minister Rita Verdonk to revoke Ayaan Ali Hirsi's citizenship and passport isn't quite over yet. Dutch MPs are staging something of a revolt against her rapid decision. Zacht Ei has an interesting live blog of how the situation ran overnight-
Lousewies van der Laan, who leads the centrist D66 (Democrat 66) party, has announced she will file a motion which will, if it gets a majority, effectively force secretary Rita Verdonk to use her so-called 'discretionary powers' (i.e. a sort of executive privilege) to grant AHA a new Dutch passport, before the end of this week.
VVD chief whip Willibrord van Beek spoke some ambigous but subtly ominous words to a PBS journalist about Verdonk's political future. The Second Chamber is not pleased, to say the least. And although Verdonk may still survive this debate, she's dead in the water politically. Her main competitor in the VVD leadership tussle, Mark Rutte, is sitting back while he now soars in the polls.
Van Beek (VVD) files a motion asking Verdonk to reconsider her decision. It is supported by four other parties: CDA (right-centrist), PvdA (labour), D66 (centrist liberal) and GroenLinks (way too left).
Verdonk accepts the motion, meaning she will have to either revoke her earlier revocation of AHA's citizenship, or give her a new one pronto.
It looks like Verdonk may finally be realising what a huge mistake she made- one that a majority of Dutch MPs have forced her to back down from-
A majority of the political parties in parliament backed two motions on the issue. One calls on Verdonk to reconsider within six weeks whether Hirsi Ali is a Dutch citizen. The second instructs the Minister to grant Hirsi Ali accelerated naturalisation if she finds she is not a citizen of the Netherlands.
It looks like the only despicable, black-hearted dhimmi is the opportunistic Verdonk. My gratitude goes out to the Dutch MPs who have stood up to defend the heroic Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And it just may be that Verdonk is getting her just desserts-
"But it has done her more harm than good. Opinion polls conducted among VVD members shows support for former front-runner Verdonk has nosedived. And VVD MPs have made it clear they no longer see Verdonk as their future leader."
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Lousewies van der Laan, who leads the centrist D66 (Democrat 66) party, has announced she will file a motion which will, if it gets a majority, effectively force secretary Rita Verdonk to use her so-called 'discretionary powers' (i.e. a sort of executive privilege) to grant AHA a new Dutch passport, before the end of this week.
VVD chief whip Willibrord van Beek spoke some ambigous but subtly ominous words to a PBS journalist about Verdonk's political future. The Second Chamber is not pleased, to say the least. And although Verdonk may still survive this debate, she's dead in the water politically. Her main competitor in the VVD leadership tussle, Mark Rutte, is sitting back while he now soars in the polls.
Van Beek (VVD) files a motion asking Verdonk to reconsider her decision. It is supported by four other parties: CDA (right-centrist), PvdA (labour), D66 (centrist liberal) and GroenLinks (way too left).
Verdonk accepts the motion, meaning she will have to either revoke her earlier revocation of AHA's citizenship, or give her a new one pronto.
It looks like Verdonk may finally be realising what a huge mistake she made- one that a majority of Dutch MPs have forced her to back down from-
A majority of the political parties in parliament backed two motions on the issue. One calls on Verdonk to reconsider within six weeks whether Hirsi Ali is a Dutch citizen. The second instructs the Minister to grant Hirsi Ali accelerated naturalisation if she finds she is not a citizen of the Netherlands.
It looks like the only despicable, black-hearted dhimmi is the opportunistic Verdonk. My gratitude goes out to the Dutch MPs who have stood up to defend the heroic Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And it just may be that Verdonk is getting her just desserts-
"But it has done her more harm than good. Opinion polls conducted among VVD members shows support for former front-runner Verdonk has nosedived. And VVD MPs have made it clear they no longer see Verdonk as their future leader."
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Who'd have guessed it?
I think this belongs to the "I told you so" files.
In response to the EU's "incentives" to stop Iran enriching uranium, Ahmadinejad responded with this-
"Do you think you are dealing with a 4-year-old child to whom you can give walnuts and chocolates and get gold from him?"
Remember John Kerry's solution to this- to recognise Iran's right to nuclear power and to give them uranium? As bad as Bush is proving to be on border control, immigration amnesty, etc, at least we can count ourselves thankful that Kerry isn't at the helm right now.
In response to the EU's "incentives" to stop Iran enriching uranium, Ahmadinejad responded with this-
"Do you think you are dealing with a 4-year-old child to whom you can give walnuts and chocolates and get gold from him?"
Remember John Kerry's solution to this- to recognise Iran's right to nuclear power and to give them uranium? As bad as Bush is proving to be on border control, immigration amnesty, etc, at least we can count ourselves thankful that Kerry isn't at the helm right now.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Unrepentant
Sixteen year old Florida resident, Daniel Wultz, murdered in Israel in a suicide bomb attack has already been mentioned on my blog. After the attack the American boy was badly injured and Islamic Jihad leader Abu Ayman expressed his regret that he was still alive. Daniel Wultz later died of his injuries.
Abu Nasser, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, one of the groups involved in the bombing, said this about the teenager's death- "This is a gift from Allah. We wish this young dog will go directly with no transit to hell."
Islamic Jihad leader Abu Amin (presumably the same person mentioned above, different spelling) said the boy's death was a -
"message from Allah to the unbelievers that he will always be at the side of those who believe and fight for him."
Comparing Wultz to the suicide bomber who killed the Florida teenager, Abu Amin said, "Our hero believed in Allah and died while fighting for Allah but your pig was killed in a restaurant in an area full of prostitution."
He said Wultz's death should demonstrate to Americans "that even if you live in the U.S. the hand of Allah and the sword of the Jihad fighters will reach you and you will find the same end [as Wultz]."
I don't even know how to respond- these monsters utterly disgust me.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Abu Nasser, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, one of the groups involved in the bombing, said this about the teenager's death- "This is a gift from Allah. We wish this young dog will go directly with no transit to hell."
Islamic Jihad leader Abu Amin (presumably the same person mentioned above, different spelling) said the boy's death was a -
"message from Allah to the unbelievers that he will always be at the side of those who believe and fight for him."
Comparing Wultz to the suicide bomber who killed the Florida teenager, Abu Amin said, "Our hero believed in Allah and died while fighting for Allah but your pig was killed in a restaurant in an area full of prostitution."
He said Wultz's death should demonstrate to Americans "that even if you live in the U.S. the hand of Allah and the sword of the Jihad fighters will reach you and you will find the same end [as Wultz]."
I don't even know how to respond- these monsters utterly disgust me.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Islam Taught Incorrectly
I can hardly claim to be surprised by this- Tony Blair thinks that Islam is a progressive religion which is "way ahead of its time in attitudes to marriage, women and governance." Surely he and the establishment he represents are going to be stunned when they learn that "students at some British universities are being exposed to radical teaching that explicitly condones terrorism".
Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell ordered an urgent review of university Islamic courses after claiming there was evidence that "narrow and unhelpful" interpretations of Islam were available to "many" young people.
He admitted there was worry at the highest levels of Government about the effect such teaching could have in the wake of last year's suicide bombings in London.
Perhaps British Muslims didn't realise that they were only supposed to teach government approved Islam, interpretations which would have be be very wide and helpful to get around verse in the Koran like this-
9:5 Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
This is, incidentally, one of the verses which Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar used to explain his SUV attack at the University of North Carolina. Perhaps he didn't have a helpful enough teacher to explain Islam to him? Perhaps Iraqi Ayatollah Ahmad Al-Baghdadi also needs one of these helpful British teachers to explain Islam to him. He appears to have gotten the Religion of Peace all mixed up too-
But as for defensive Jihad - it is not conditional upon turning to a Sunni or Shiite jurisprudent, to a source of authority, any Islamic school of thought, or Islamic party, because this type of Jihad is an individual duty. Everyone must fight - children, women, the elderly, the youth in order to liberate man, to liberate mankind, in order to liberate Palestine in its entirety, in order to liberate Iraq from the American-Zionist-British presence.
Rammell goes on to complain
"There are weaknesses in the way young Muslims are educated about what their faith really requires. There is a concern that the teachings which the great majority of Muslims would want to stress about living in peace, protecting the vulnerable, avoiding harm to others, are sometimes sidelined."
You know, I may have missed them amongst all the verses explaining that a great doom will befall the unbelievers, but I can't actually seem to find any reference in the Koran to living in peace or avoiding harm to others. Yeah, ti does say that one should pay the poor due, and that's great, but perhaps Mr. Rammell can explain where exactly in the Koran he finds these messages. And maybe while he's at it, he can explain to us how these passages should be taught by helpful teachers-
2:191 And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
2:216 Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not.
4:76 Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is ever weak.
4:89 They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them,
4:91 Ye will find others who desire that they should have security from you, and security from their own folk. So often as they are returned to hostility they are plunged therein. If they keep not aloof from you nor offer you peace nor hold their hands, then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant.
5:33 The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom;
Not much living in peace or avoiding harm to others- perhaps I'm just taking too narrow an interpretation?
"There is reason to think that in some cases students are being exposed, more than any of us would like, to wrong-headed influences, under the name of religion. In particular, exposed to teachings that either explicitly condone terrorism, or foster a climate of opinion which is at least sympathetic to terrorists' motivation."
Really? You mean that there might be something in the teachings of Islam which might condone terrorism? Like this you mean?
9:123 O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you,, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).
9:111 Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah ? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.
9:41 Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew.
9:29 Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.
9:5 Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
8:39 And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do.
4:101 And when ye go forth in the land, it is no sin for you to curtail (your) worship if ye fear that those who disbelieve may attack you. In truth the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.
4:74 Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.
3:151 We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they ascribe unto Allah partners, for which no warrant hath been revealed. Their habitation is the Fire, and hapless the abode of the wrong-doers.
2:193 And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell ordered an urgent review of university Islamic courses after claiming there was evidence that "narrow and unhelpful" interpretations of Islam were available to "many" young people.
He admitted there was worry at the highest levels of Government about the effect such teaching could have in the wake of last year's suicide bombings in London.
Perhaps British Muslims didn't realise that they were only supposed to teach government approved Islam, interpretations which would have be be very wide and helpful to get around verse in the Koran like this-
9:5 Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
This is, incidentally, one of the verses which Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar used to explain his SUV attack at the University of North Carolina. Perhaps he didn't have a helpful enough teacher to explain Islam to him? Perhaps Iraqi Ayatollah Ahmad Al-Baghdadi also needs one of these helpful British teachers to explain Islam to him. He appears to have gotten the Religion of Peace all mixed up too-
But as for defensive Jihad - it is not conditional upon turning to a Sunni or Shiite jurisprudent, to a source of authority, any Islamic school of thought, or Islamic party, because this type of Jihad is an individual duty. Everyone must fight - children, women, the elderly, the youth in order to liberate man, to liberate mankind, in order to liberate Palestine in its entirety, in order to liberate Iraq from the American-Zionist-British presence.
Rammell goes on to complain
"There are weaknesses in the way young Muslims are educated about what their faith really requires. There is a concern that the teachings which the great majority of Muslims would want to stress about living in peace, protecting the vulnerable, avoiding harm to others, are sometimes sidelined."
You know, I may have missed them amongst all the verses explaining that a great doom will befall the unbelievers, but I can't actually seem to find any reference in the Koran to living in peace or avoiding harm to others. Yeah, ti does say that one should pay the poor due, and that's great, but perhaps Mr. Rammell can explain where exactly in the Koran he finds these messages. And maybe while he's at it, he can explain to us how these passages should be taught by helpful teachers-
2:191 And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
2:216 Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not.
4:76 Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is ever weak.
4:89 They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them,
4:91 Ye will find others who desire that they should have security from you, and security from their own folk. So often as they are returned to hostility they are plunged therein. If they keep not aloof from you nor offer you peace nor hold their hands, then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant.
5:33 The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom;
Not much living in peace or avoiding harm to others- perhaps I'm just taking too narrow an interpretation?
"There is reason to think that in some cases students are being exposed, more than any of us would like, to wrong-headed influences, under the name of religion. In particular, exposed to teachings that either explicitly condone terrorism, or foster a climate of opinion which is at least sympathetic to terrorists' motivation."
Really? You mean that there might be something in the teachings of Islam which might condone terrorism? Like this you mean?
9:123 O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you,, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).
9:111 Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah ? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.
9:41 Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew.
9:29 Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.
9:5 Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
8:39 And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do.
4:101 And when ye go forth in the land, it is no sin for you to curtail (your) worship if ye fear that those who disbelieve may attack you. In truth the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.
4:74 Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.
3:151 We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they ascribe unto Allah partners, for which no warrant hath been revealed. Their habitation is the Fire, and hapless the abode of the wrong-doers.
2:193 And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Citizenship Revoked
According to Jihad Watch Ayaan Hirsi Ali's move from the Netherlands to the United States may not go quite so smoothly as we had hoped. Not content with driving this courageous woman, who lives under 24 hour armed guard, from her home, Integration Minister Rita Verdonk is now claiming that Hirsi Ali's Dutch citizenship never existed. Which means that she doesn't have a Dutch passport, and her entry into the United States is now probalby on shaky ground to say the least.
As Robert Spencer says "These despicable, black-hearted Dutch dhimmis."
Hirsi Ali has a number of weeks to appeal the descision. Why Verdonk can't just let her go quietly to the US is beyond me- the facts of her untruths on her immigration have been known for some years now. Why now? Why this sudden attack on this incredibly courageous women when she is preparing to leave Holland anyway? It seems like sucha petty and vindictive course to take
I hope- though I'm not in any way confident- that the United States will still welcome her to their shores. She is, after all, living with death threats- a return to Somalia, now in the grip of Islamist violence, is surely not on the cards. Will liberal Hollywood champion her? Will they use their public voice to call for her entry into the US; the woman who wrote the film Submission, the woman who speaks out against the oppression of women the world over? Will they offer to bring her to LA to make the follow up to Submission? Can we expect Code Pink, or any of the other feminist groups out there, to rally to her side? Frankly, I'm not holding my breath for any of that to happen.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
As Robert Spencer says "These despicable, black-hearted Dutch dhimmis."
Hirsi Ali has a number of weeks to appeal the descision. Why Verdonk can't just let her go quietly to the US is beyond me- the facts of her untruths on her immigration have been known for some years now. Why now? Why this sudden attack on this incredibly courageous women when she is preparing to leave Holland anyway? It seems like sucha petty and vindictive course to take
I hope- though I'm not in any way confident- that the United States will still welcome her to their shores. She is, after all, living with death threats- a return to Somalia, now in the grip of Islamist violence, is surely not on the cards. Will liberal Hollywood champion her? Will they use their public voice to call for her entry into the US; the woman who wrote the film Submission, the woman who speaks out against the oppression of women the world over? Will they offer to bring her to LA to make the follow up to Submission? Can we expect Code Pink, or any of the other feminist groups out there, to rally to her side? Frankly, I'm not holding my breath for any of that to happen.
Cross posted at Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Arguing Online
I haven't had much time to post this evening- and what internet time I did have I dedicated to a discussion going on over at a blog called Terrorism News, which I came across while reading Infidel Bloggers Alliance. It all started with a post about Israel's response to Iran's threat to wipe them off the map. The vice-premier responded "Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map." Perhaps it's just me but I find it quite reasonable that a country respond to the unprovoked threat of nuclear annihilation with a threat of "right back at you". Didn't they used to call that nuclear deterrence?
The IBA post was in reference to a comment made by Terrorism News' "_H_". Here is a sample-
"Hamas do not wish to push Israel into the sea. they just want the israelis out of their country who's borders are defined by the United Nations and Israel refuses to abide by."
And
"There is no democracy in Iraq of Afghanistan. people have tribal loyalties and simply wait to be told how to vote by the local leaders."
Well, I felt that I couldn't let that pass so I went on over. Jonz of IBA was already arguing, pointing out that the Hamas Charter contains a reference to the destruction of Israel. _H_ disputed this, claiming that that particular claim had been left off the Hamas election manifesto. _H_ also made references to two quotes-
"According to Hamas choice for Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh:
We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody.
and also
according to the chief of Hamas' political bureau, Khalid Meshaal:
Our message to the Israelis is this: We do not fight you because you belong to a certain faith or culture. Jews have lived in the Muslim world for 13 centuries in peace and harmony; they are in our religion "the people of the book" who have a covenant from God and his messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be respected and protected.Our conflict with you is not religious but political. We have no problem with Jews who have not attacked us — our problem is with those who came to our land, imposed themselves on us by force, destroyed our society and banished our people ."
_H_ also stated "please dont call Hamas islamofascists that is just ignorance. They believe in democracy they have tolerance of other faiths. they Hate Al-Qaeda (in fact if Al-Qaeda went to Palastine they would find Hamas shooting at them. They are happy for the Jews to stay in their country. just under the rule of palastine."
I pointed out that groups claiming allegiance to Al Qaeda were in fact operating in Gaza- _H_ dismissed that by referring to a "fake Al Qaeda" story. I replied linking to the two Al Qaeda groups- Palestinian Jundallah and Al Quds Islamic Army- and also with a number of quotes which counter his claim that Hamas aren't quite the bad guys we make them out to be.
_H_ responded with the same two quotes he had previously presented and then a number of questions which didn't have any bearing on the discussion at hand, namely Hamas. Here they are-
"why do you not condemn Israel for refusing to abide by International law and retreating to the boundaries as defined by the United Nations ?
Why do you not condemn Israel for building Nuclear weapons and refusing to sign the NPT ?
why do you not condemn Israel for attacks that kill Palestinian children ?
why do you not condem Israel for destroying homes and lives and building a wall on land the entire world has stated is not theirs ?"
I replied again, and I like to think that I engage in debates online in a very reasonable manner. However, my reply was deleted. Here's why-
"Jaymac you asked me some questions and i showed curtesy and replied , I asked you some questions and you have choosen to ingnore them , feel free to come back and answer the questions asked of you before you ask any more of me ."
As I said, I didn't make any mention of the activities of Israel because they weren't pertinent to the thread. Here's my deleted reply (I saved a copy just in case it was deleted, like several earlier comments had been)-
_H_
First quote - "We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody."
Hamas says it doesn't want to harm anyone? Then why did it murder so many Israeli civilians? Why does it still refuse to commit to peaceful means? If Hamas wants international aid to start flowing all they have to do is proclaim their commitment to peaceful means and to recognise Israel's right to exist- despite their financial problems they continue to do neither. What he's saying is that he wants the land back- he doesn't say what land; perhaps he means ALL of what is now modern day Israel. There's nothing here to suggest that he recognises the right of Israel to exist at all.
In fact, in the story you linked to at the Guardian it notes that the Hamas manifesto says "Our nation is at a stage of national liberation, and it has the right to act to regain its rights and end the occupation by using all means, including armed resistance."
A Hamas candidate said that the 1967 border reflected "an interim state". In other words, they want more land than that but that's their immediate goal.
Second quote - "Our message to the Israelis is this: We do not fight you because you belong to a certain faith or culture. Jews have lived in the Muslim world for 13 centuries in peace and harmony; they are in our religion "the people of the book" who have a covenant from God and his messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be respected and protected.Our conflict with you is not religious but political. We have no problem with Jews who have not attacked us — our problem is with those who came to our land, imposed themselves on us by force, destroyed our society and banished our people."
Again, this says nothing about recognising Israel's right to exist or any commitment not to destroy the state of Israel.
They say they have no problem with Jews who have not attacked them- why then did they carry out a bombing campaign which deliberately targeted Israeli civilians?
What about the Hamas suicide bomber who killed nearly thirty Israeli civilians sitting down to Passover dinner on March 27 2002? Which of the seventy, eighty or ninety year olds were responsible for attacking Hamas? Or the Hamas suicide bomber who murdered 11 civilians in a coffee shop on March 10 2002? What about the eleven women and six men killed by a Hamas suicide bomber on a bus on June 11 2003? Which of the children on a bus blown up by a Hamas suicide bomber on November 21 2002 had previously attacked them?
Hamas have yet to say that they are abandoning their terrorist program or that they do not want to destroy Israel. When they say that they do not want to harm anyone, why should we believe them? Why don't they give up their weapons and commit to the peaceful process?
Perhaps if I can get a little time tomorrow I'll answer his questions- and see if this post can survive their censorious attitude again.
The IBA post was in reference to a comment made by Terrorism News' "_H_". Here is a sample-
"Hamas do not wish to push Israel into the sea. they just want the israelis out of their country who's borders are defined by the United Nations and Israel refuses to abide by."
And
"There is no democracy in Iraq of Afghanistan. people have tribal loyalties and simply wait to be told how to vote by the local leaders."
Well, I felt that I couldn't let that pass so I went on over. Jonz of IBA was already arguing, pointing out that the Hamas Charter contains a reference to the destruction of Israel. _H_ disputed this, claiming that that particular claim had been left off the Hamas election manifesto. _H_ also made references to two quotes-
"According to Hamas choice for Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh:
We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody.
and also
according to the chief of Hamas' political bureau, Khalid Meshaal:
Our message to the Israelis is this: We do not fight you because you belong to a certain faith or culture. Jews have lived in the Muslim world for 13 centuries in peace and harmony; they are in our religion "the people of the book" who have a covenant from God and his messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be respected and protected.Our conflict with you is not religious but political. We have no problem with Jews who have not attacked us — our problem is with those who came to our land, imposed themselves on us by force, destroyed our society and banished our people ."
_H_ also stated "please dont call Hamas islamofascists that is just ignorance. They believe in democracy they have tolerance of other faiths. they Hate Al-Qaeda (in fact if Al-Qaeda went to Palastine they would find Hamas shooting at them. They are happy for the Jews to stay in their country. just under the rule of palastine."
I pointed out that groups claiming allegiance to Al Qaeda were in fact operating in Gaza- _H_ dismissed that by referring to a "fake Al Qaeda" story. I replied linking to the two Al Qaeda groups- Palestinian Jundallah and Al Quds Islamic Army- and also with a number of quotes which counter his claim that Hamas aren't quite the bad guys we make them out to be.
_H_ responded with the same two quotes he had previously presented and then a number of questions which didn't have any bearing on the discussion at hand, namely Hamas. Here they are-
"why do you not condemn Israel for refusing to abide by International law and retreating to the boundaries as defined by the United Nations ?
Why do you not condemn Israel for building Nuclear weapons and refusing to sign the NPT ?
why do you not condemn Israel for attacks that kill Palestinian children ?
why do you not condem Israel for destroying homes and lives and building a wall on land the entire world has stated is not theirs ?"
I replied again, and I like to think that I engage in debates online in a very reasonable manner. However, my reply was deleted. Here's why-
"Jaymac you asked me some questions and i showed curtesy and replied , I asked you some questions and you have choosen to ingnore them , feel free to come back and answer the questions asked of you before you ask any more of me ."
As I said, I didn't make any mention of the activities of Israel because they weren't pertinent to the thread. Here's my deleted reply (I saved a copy just in case it was deleted, like several earlier comments had been)-
_H_
First quote - "We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody."
Hamas says it doesn't want to harm anyone? Then why did it murder so many Israeli civilians? Why does it still refuse to commit to peaceful means? If Hamas wants international aid to start flowing all they have to do is proclaim their commitment to peaceful means and to recognise Israel's right to exist- despite their financial problems they continue to do neither. What he's saying is that he wants the land back- he doesn't say what land; perhaps he means ALL of what is now modern day Israel. There's nothing here to suggest that he recognises the right of Israel to exist at all.
In fact, in the story you linked to at the Guardian it notes that the Hamas manifesto says "Our nation is at a stage of national liberation, and it has the right to act to regain its rights and end the occupation by using all means, including armed resistance."
A Hamas candidate said that the 1967 border reflected "an interim state". In other words, they want more land than that but that's their immediate goal.
Second quote - "Our message to the Israelis is this: We do not fight you because you belong to a certain faith or culture. Jews have lived in the Muslim world for 13 centuries in peace and harmony; they are in our religion "the people of the book" who have a covenant from God and his messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be respected and protected.Our conflict with you is not religious but political. We have no problem with Jews who have not attacked us — our problem is with those who came to our land, imposed themselves on us by force, destroyed our society and banished our people."
Again, this says nothing about recognising Israel's right to exist or any commitment not to destroy the state of Israel.
They say they have no problem with Jews who have not attacked them- why then did they carry out a bombing campaign which deliberately targeted Israeli civilians?
What about the Hamas suicide bomber who killed nearly thirty Israeli civilians sitting down to Passover dinner on March 27 2002? Which of the seventy, eighty or ninety year olds were responsible for attacking Hamas? Or the Hamas suicide bomber who murdered 11 civilians in a coffee shop on March 10 2002? What about the eleven women and six men killed by a Hamas suicide bomber on a bus on June 11 2003? Which of the children on a bus blown up by a Hamas suicide bomber on November 21 2002 had previously attacked them?
Hamas have yet to say that they are abandoning their terrorist program or that they do not want to destroy Israel. When they say that they do not want to harm anyone, why should we believe them? Why don't they give up their weapons and commit to the peaceful process?
Perhaps if I can get a little time tomorrow I'll answer his questions- and see if this post can survive their censorious attitude again.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Daniel Wultz
Daniel Wultz, the Florida teen injured by an Islamic Jihad suicide bomb attack on a restaurant in Israel has died. He was only sixteen years old. A total of eleven people have now died as a result of the attack.
I mentioned this young man before on this blog-
Daniel Wultz, a Florida teenager lying in a coma after being critically injured last week in a suicide bombing at an Israeli restaurant, is the "best target combination we can dream of – American and Zionist," Abu Nasser, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, one of the groups responsible for the deadly blast, told WorldNetDaily.
Abu Ayman, a leader of the Islamic Jihad, which also took responsibility for the April 17 bombing in which Wultz was injured, threatened all Americans and Jews worldwide and expressed regret Wultz is still alive.
Remember him next time you hear someone express sympathy for the Palestinian "cause" and the tactics they use.
I mentioned this young man before on this blog-
Daniel Wultz, a Florida teenager lying in a coma after being critically injured last week in a suicide bombing at an Israeli restaurant, is the "best target combination we can dream of – American and Zionist," Abu Nasser, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, one of the groups responsible for the deadly blast, told WorldNetDaily.
Abu Ayman, a leader of the Islamic Jihad, which also took responsibility for the April 17 bombing in which Wultz was injured, threatened all Americans and Jews worldwide and expressed regret Wultz is still alive.
Remember him next time you hear someone express sympathy for the Palestinian "cause" and the tactics they use.
Bush Drops The Ball
Michelle Malkin is p*ssed- and I can't blame her. While the UK permits hijackers and "enemy combatants" (traitors I think they used to be called) to come to the UK or gain citizenship, the Bush administration is making possibly the biggest mistake of his presidency- failing to secure the borders.
Some Bush supporters are admonishing immigration enforcement activists to "tone it down" because the criticism will hurt Bush.
Some Bush supporters are admonishing immigration enforcement activists to "tone it down" because the criticism will hurt Bush.
Maybe he should of thought of that all the years when he could have been raiding worksites and strengthening border protection for their own sake. Instead, he has chosen to offer a too little, too late, and all-too-expedient gesture of immigration enforcement as a phony bargaining chip to bribe his base into supporting a historically doomed, dangerous, and utterly unmanageable amnesty proposal.
Tone it down? No, crank it up.
I continue to be astonished that the Republican leadership is so deaf to the desires of the majority of Americans- let alone Republican voters- on this issue. Don't they like to win elections any more?
9/11 Movie
The website for Oliver Stone's 9/11 movie World Trade Center is up. So far it only contains some stills from the film and a few short clips from the two survivors themselves. I have deep reservations about what Stone is going to do with this feature. Here's hoping that he leaves his politics out of it and simply tells the story.
Faith Communities
I just caught this on the BBC news website. A recent study has found that Muslims in England face some of the worst hardship in the country; they are more likely than any other religious group to have no job and to live in poor conditions. A staggering half of Muslims over the age of twenty five are said to be unemployed and one in three live in the most deprived areas in the country.
The study apparently did not examine any of the causes for this predicament. What percentage are first generation immigrants? What percentage speak English fluently? Are they living in deprived areas because the housing is cheaper or more available in those areas which were deprived to begin with? Or are they deprived because they are living in areas which are generally economically depressed- and the figures are so dramatic because their populations are in geographically confined areas?
A government spokeswoman has said that they "will use the study in its work to encourage equal opportunities for members of all religious communities". Does this mean that the study found that Muslims were not being treated equally? Or that efforts will be made to reverse discriminate towards them now, in order to improve their situation? The article is maddingly vague on some points.
Anyway, the thing that really caught my attention is that the study was generated "to review the prospects of faith communities in England".
Faith communities- again another oddly vague phrase. Does that simply mean they are examining a the prospects of members of a particular faith, or are they examining the prospects for establishing communities based around certain faiths. It has been said that some Muslim leaders in the West are intent on focusing the Muslim population in certain areas in order to call for Islam-centric rules for them. Steps towards Sharia law?
The study apparently did not examine any of the causes for this predicament. What percentage are first generation immigrants? What percentage speak English fluently? Are they living in deprived areas because the housing is cheaper or more available in those areas which were deprived to begin with? Or are they deprived because they are living in areas which are generally economically depressed- and the figures are so dramatic because their populations are in geographically confined areas?
A government spokeswoman has said that they "will use the study in its work to encourage equal opportunities for members of all religious communities". Does this mean that the study found that Muslims were not being treated equally? Or that efforts will be made to reverse discriminate towards them now, in order to improve their situation? The article is maddingly vague on some points.
Anyway, the thing that really caught my attention is that the study was generated "to review the prospects of faith communities in England".
Faith communities- again another oddly vague phrase. Does that simply mean they are examining a the prospects of members of a particular faith, or are they examining the prospects for establishing communities based around certain faiths. It has been said that some Muslim leaders in the West are intent on focusing the Muslim population in certain areas in order to call for Islam-centric rules for them. Steps towards Sharia law?
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Non-Story
I saw this on the ITV news last night- a quick search didn't turn up any hits for the story anywhere but their website. Here's the gist of it- a phone video has surfaced of Army recruits in a CS gas chamber. The instructors can be heard laughing at the discomfort of a recruit as he struggles to breathe and then throws up. ITV is crying "abuse".
I can't believe it- this is a standard part of of training. Recruits get their NBC gear on and enter the gas chamber to make sure that their equipment is functioning properly. The drill then involves taking off your respirator and being asked your number and/or a question or two. As you're in a room filled with CS gas, it's an uncomfortable few moments. My instructors had a good laugh as us too, as we struggled to talk and answer questions (some of them pretty amusing from what I recall) keeping us in the room long enough to get a good dose of the stuff. One by one we staggered out of the building coughing and spluttering with our eyes and noses running uncontrollably (all but one of us- a single guy in my troop was immune to the stuff, he walked out singing "Macho Man" at the top of his voice). None of us thought we'd just been "abused"- if fact, we all thought it was a great experience.
I am staggered that the Army is going to waste time and resources on such a trivial, non-incident.
I can't believe it- this is a standard part of of training. Recruits get their NBC gear on and enter the gas chamber to make sure that their equipment is functioning properly. The drill then involves taking off your respirator and being asked your number and/or a question or two. As you're in a room filled with CS gas, it's an uncomfortable few moments. My instructors had a good laugh as us too, as we struggled to talk and answer questions (some of them pretty amusing from what I recall) keeping us in the room long enough to get a good dose of the stuff. One by one we staggered out of the building coughing and spluttering with our eyes and noses running uncontrollably (all but one of us- a single guy in my troop was immune to the stuff, he walked out singing "Macho Man" at the top of his voice). None of us thought we'd just been "abused"- if fact, we all thought it was a great experience.
I am staggered that the Army is going to waste time and resources on such a trivial, non-incident.
Compare and Contrast
With Friends Like This
Isn't Pakistan supposed to be the ally of the United States?
Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities. He in effect advised them to take a hostage - Israel.
Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities. He in effect advised them to take a hostage - Israel.
Retired Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg said he suggested their government "make it clear that if anything happens to Iran, if anyone attacks it - it doesn't matter who it is or how it is attacked - that Iran's answer will be to hit Israel; the only target will be Israel."
Mohammad Ebrahim Dehghani, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, was quoted last week as saying that if "America does make any mischief, the first place we target will be Israel."
Time for a rethink on that policy?Saturday, May 13, 2006
Hijacking Planes A-OK
A group of nine Afghan asylum seekers who hijacked a plane at gunpoint to get into the UK back in 2000 are to be allowed to remain here. Despite the fact that the government wanted to boot them out of the country, the courts disagreed- as this would infringe on the poor hijackers' human rights. Even though the Taliban regime they were fleeing has since been overthrown. The one upshot of this sorry tale is that David Cameron, the Tory leader, is now saying he intends to "scrap, reform or replace" the Human Rights Act.
He said that it's wrong to allow "the human rights of dangerous criminals to fly in the face of common sense".
"Being able to balance the danger they pose to the UK if they stay, with the danger to them if they are returned to their country of origin, is no longer possible."
Perhaps a little bit of common sense is returning to British politics at long last? Afterall, Britain has now indicated to the world that hijacking an airplane is now a legitimate way to enter the country.
UPDATE- Just thought I'd point this out - not only does Britain permit hijackers to stay in the UK, the courts are also okay with an enemy combatant from Gitmo getting his citizenship.
He said that it's wrong to allow "the human rights of dangerous criminals to fly in the face of common sense".
"Being able to balance the danger they pose to the UK if they stay, with the danger to them if they are returned to their country of origin, is no longer possible."
Perhaps a little bit of common sense is returning to British politics at long last? Afterall, Britain has now indicated to the world that hijacking an airplane is now a legitimate way to enter the country.
UPDATE- Just thought I'd point this out - not only does Britain permit hijackers to stay in the UK, the courts are also okay with an enemy combatant from Gitmo getting his citizenship.
UN Says Iran Has Enriched Uranium
I thought that this would be all over the news- it looks like Iran has been caught with weapons grade uranium by the UN no less- tonight on TV though it didn't get a mention and the BBC news website doesn't even list it anywhere on their front page; the top Middle East story is the Palestinian PM calling for more aid. In fact, the BBC doesn't even have the story on their Middle East page.
What's going on? Isn't this the sort of news that reporters are supposed to jump all over? I guess if it had been unconfirmed reports that George Bush personally tortured illegally detained foreign nationals, this would be shouted from the rooftops.
Isn't the news that we might have taken a big step forward towards war even noteworthy?
What's going on? Isn't this the sort of news that reporters are supposed to jump all over? I guess if it had been unconfirmed reports that George Bush personally tortured illegally detained foreign nationals, this would be shouted from the rooftops.
Isn't the news that we might have taken a big step forward towards war even noteworthy?
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Laetitia Casta
Corsican born supermodel Laetitia Casta gets some range time with what I assume is a French Manurhin MR-73 revolver. Miss Casta is the "godmother" of the 2eme REP (Regiment Etranger De Parachutistes) of the Foreign Legion- a unit which is based in Calvi on Corsica.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Al Qaeda In Britain
MI5 and police in the UK have identified at least "700 people suspected of being involved in al-Qa'ida terrorist plots".
Since the 2001 attacks in the United States, the number of identified al-Qa'ida supporters living in Britain who are considered a threat to national security has risen by 300 per cent, according to security sources.
So far there has been no mention of any arrests. I wonder if there's another terrorist attack in the UK will we eventually hear that some of those involved were known to MI5 but considered "no threat".
ONE of the four suicide terrorists behind the London bomb attacks was scrutinised by MI5 last year, but was judged not to be a threat to national security, a senior government official said yesterday.
Since the 2001 attacks in the United States, the number of identified al-Qa'ida supporters living in Britain who are considered a threat to national security has risen by 300 per cent, according to security sources.
So far there has been no mention of any arrests. I wonder if there's another terrorist attack in the UK will we eventually hear that some of those involved were known to MI5 but considered "no threat".
ONE of the four suicide terrorists behind the London bomb attacks was scrutinised by MI5 last year, but was judged not to be a threat to national security, a senior government official said yesterday.
As a result, MI5 failed to put him under surveillance and his plans to become a suicide bomber remained undetected.
Al Qaeda in Gaza Again
A group calling itself the al-Quds Islamic Army is claiming to be an off-shoot of Al Qaeda, and they're operating in Gaza. They state that they will attack
"the crusaders and every enemy of Islam and Muslims and their collaborators.'
Al Qaeda linked terrorists are moving into Gaza ahead of the Israeli pullout. This group- Jundallah- beleives that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are "too moderate".
"the crusaders and every enemy of Islam and Muslims and their collaborators.'
'We will blow up our bodies in their positions' and 'strike with an iron fist at all the crusader, American and Zionist campaigns,' said the statement, adding the group adhered to the principles of al-Qaeda leaders Sheikh Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahri and Musab al-Zarqawi."
This is not the first time that a group has claimed allegiance to Al Qaeda in that area-Al Qaeda linked terrorists are moving into Gaza ahead of the Israeli pullout. This group- Jundallah- beleives that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are "too moderate".
Business As Usual
I'm sure that no one will be at all surprised by this, the UN is the place afterall where Iran gets to sit on the UN Disarmament Commission.
Five nations seen by rights groups as among the world’s worst abusers were elected along with 39 other countries to the United Nations’ new Human Rights Council in a first round of voting on Tuesday.
Amazingly enough, Human Rights Watch sees this "a step in the right direction."
Five nations seen by rights groups as among the world’s worst abusers were elected along with 39 other countries to the United Nations’ new Human Rights Council in a first round of voting on Tuesday.
Amazingly enough, Human Rights Watch sees this "a step in the right direction."
Jizya Keeps Flowing
The dastardly plan to ruin Hamas' street cred has been put into action. Rather than forcing the elected leaders of the PA to change their attitude towards Israel in order to continue receiving money from the taxpayers of the European Union, Russia, United States and UN, the quartet of "peace brokers" has agreed to keep sending the jizya to the PA.
The quartet of Middle East peace brokers agreed on Tuesday on a way to channel aid to the Palestinians for a trial period to ease a financial squeeze on the new government following the election of Hamas.
I guess that with employess still getting their cash, Hamas will be under incredible pressure to alter their position now. They're certainly getting a strong message that they can continue to advocate the destruction of Israel and the West will keep the cash flowing. How can this plan possibly fail?
The quartet of Middle East peace brokers agreed on Tuesday on a way to channel aid to the Palestinians for a trial period to ease a financial squeeze on the new government following the election of Hamas.
I guess that with employess still getting their cash, Hamas will be under incredible pressure to alter their position now. They're certainly getting a strong message that they can continue to advocate the destruction of Israel and the West will keep the cash flowing. How can this plan possibly fail?
Another Lib-Dem on Israel
I blogged some time ago about the Liberal Democrat MP Jenny Tonge being forced to resign her position after saying that she would become a suicide bomber if she were Palestinian. Despite the public criticise that then leader Charles Kennedy made about her statements, Tonge went on to be honoured with a peerage- she is now Baroness Tonge. I wrote to Kennedy a few times about this and his argument was that her peerage was entirely deserved because of her long service. Despite his own assertion that "There can be no formal role for someone who has given voice to such a view".
Anyway, Tonge's anti-Israel comments are apparently not unique in the Liberal Democrat Party-
The leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European parliament resigned last night after telling a supporter of Israel to "enjoy wallowing in your own filth".
Chris Davies has stepped down from his position in the European Parliament but he will continue to serve as the Lib Dem environment spokesman in the parliament. The new Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, had only this to say on the matter-
"Chris Davies has rightly made a full apology for his remarks. What he said was unacceptable and he recognises that unreservedly."
And there the matter will no doubt come to an end.
Anyway, Tonge's anti-Israel comments are apparently not unique in the Liberal Democrat Party-
The leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European parliament resigned last night after telling a supporter of Israel to "enjoy wallowing in your own filth".
Chris Davies has stepped down from his position in the European Parliament but he will continue to serve as the Lib Dem environment spokesman in the parliament. The new Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, had only this to say on the matter-
"Chris Davies has rightly made a full apology for his remarks. What he said was unacceptable and he recognises that unreservedly."
And there the matter will no doubt come to an end.
Foxes In The Garden
It's been an absolute age since I've been to JonnyB's Private Secret Dairy. He's on holiday right now but his blog is continuing under the stewardship of Betty and she has an absolutely hilarious post up.
Definitely worth reading.
Definitely worth reading.
Conspiring to break the law
Michelle Malkin reports on a story that the US Border Patrol is informing the Mexican government of the whereabouts of the civilian Minutemen Project. There are even a couple more updates on this remarkable story- one on reports that information about the Minutemen as far removed from the Mexican border as Illinois is being passed on to the Mex Gov and another on the denial issued by the Customs and Border Protection Agency.
Is it time to question the patriotism of these people yet? Aren't they essentially conspiring with a foreign power to break the standing laws of the United States?
Is it time to question the patriotism of these people yet? Aren't they essentially conspiring with a foreign power to break the standing laws of the United States?
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Not Deaf Enough?
I keep coming across strange stories like this about the deaf community.
The newly chosen president of Gallaudet University, the nation's only liberal arts college for the deaf, faced student protests and a possible faculty no-confidence vote Monday in a dispute that she said comes down to whether she is "deaf enough" for the job.
This president replaces the University's first deaf president- and he rose to power after demonstrations demanding "Deaf President Now".
Fernandes, 49, said she is caught in a cultural debate.
Deaf education has been roiled in recent years by the development of cochlear implants and other technology. Some say such developments threaten sign language and other aspects of what they call deaf culture; others welcome such advances.
Am I the only one who thinks it strange that some people would rather have a "deaf culture" than the ability to hear?
The newly chosen president of Gallaudet University, the nation's only liberal arts college for the deaf, faced student protests and a possible faculty no-confidence vote Monday in a dispute that she said comes down to whether she is "deaf enough" for the job.
This president replaces the University's first deaf president- and he rose to power after demonstrations demanding "Deaf President Now".
Fernandes, 49, said she is caught in a cultural debate.
"There's a kind of perfect deaf person," said Fernandes, who described that as someone who is born deaf to deaf parents, learns ASL at home, attends deaf schools, marries a deaf person and has deaf children. "People like that will remain the core of the university."
And right at the end of the article there's a little reference to the type of stories I've been hearing.Deaf education has been roiled in recent years by the development of cochlear implants and other technology. Some say such developments threaten sign language and other aspects of what they call deaf culture; others welcome such advances.
Am I the only one who thinks it strange that some people would rather have a "deaf culture" than the ability to hear?
Let The Appeals Begin
Zacarias Moussaoui is now claiming that he lied under oath and wants to withdraw his guilty plea. He's basing ths on the statements made by the jurors, some of whom apparently bought that "poor upbringing" BS.
"I had thought I would be sentenced to death based on the emotions and anger toward me for the deaths on Sept. 11," he explained in an affidavit. "But after reviewing the jury verdict and reading how the jurors set aside their emotions and disgust for me and focused on the law and the evidence ... I now see that it is possible that I can receive a fair trial even with Americans as jurors."
Although the judge presiding has rejected the claim, Moussaoui is now claiming that he didn't trust his lawyers and that he didn't understand the legal system, etc, etc, etc.
I wonder how many millions this is going to cost the American taxpayer over the next few years?
"I had thought I would be sentenced to death based on the emotions and anger toward me for the deaths on Sept. 11," he explained in an affidavit. "But after reviewing the jury verdict and reading how the jurors set aside their emotions and disgust for me and focused on the law and the evidence ... I now see that it is possible that I can receive a fair trial even with Americans as jurors."
Although the judge presiding has rejected the claim, Moussaoui is now claiming that he didn't trust his lawyers and that he didn't understand the legal system, etc, etc, etc.
I wonder how many millions this is going to cost the American taxpayer over the next few years?
Bruce Willis
I've always liked Bruce Willis: Moonlighting, the Die Hard movies, Twelve Monkeys, Last Man Standing, The Fifth Element and Sin City to name but a few, then there was his support for Michael Yon's Dispatches and his attending the Punisher's Ball, and now there's this-
Movie star Bruce Willis supports Americans in their constitutional right to carry a gun, insisting everyone should be able to defend themselves with a weapon if need be.
Movie star Bruce Willis supports Americans in their constitutional right to carry a gun, insisting everyone should be able to defend themselves with a weapon if need be.
The Die Hard actor is keen to point out gun owners are not automatically violent.
He says, "If you take guns away from legal gun owners then the only people who would have guns would be the bad guys.
"Even a pacifist would get violent if someone were trying to kill him or her.
"You would fight for your life, whatever your beliefs. You'd use a rock or tear one of these chairs out of the floor.
Hat tip to War on Guns.Republicans vs Democrats
Kim du Toit sums up the situation with his usual straight-to-the-point succinctness-
"Remember, the difference between the Stupid Party and the Evil Party is simple: the Stupid Party screws things up because, well, they’re the Stupid Party. The Evil Party screws things up as a matter of policy."
"Remember, the difference between the Stupid Party and the Evil Party is simple: the Stupid Party screws things up because, well, they’re the Stupid Party. The Evil Party screws things up as a matter of policy."
Monday, May 08, 2006
Nazis and the Palestinians
This will come as no surprise to those who know of the numerous links between Islam and Nazism; the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was a strong supporter of the Nazis and he even wanted to form a National Socialist Arab party, and there were several Muslim units of the German war machine.
A British Foreign Office report from 1939 reports of “news of a consignment of arms from Germany, sent via Turkey and addressed to Ibn Saud (king of Saudi Arabia), but really intended for the Palestine insurgents.” Britain’s chief military officer in Mandatory Palestine also noted reports “regarding import of German arms at intervals for some years now.”
A British Foreign Office report from 1939 reports of “news of a consignment of arms from Germany, sent via Turkey and addressed to Ibn Saud (king of Saudi Arabia), but really intended for the Palestine insurgents.” Britain’s chief military officer in Mandatory Palestine also noted reports “regarding import of German arms at intervals for some years now.”
British documents from the same period, and German records photographed by an American spy and sent to the British government, said that a number of Nazi agents were sent to Mandatory Palestine, in order to forge alliances with Palestinian leaders, and urge them to reject a partition of the land between the Jewish and Arab populations.
The reasoning behind this is that the Nazis knew that in the Palestinians they had strong support-
“Most important for the sympathies which Arabs now feel towards Germany is their admiration for our Fuhrer, especially during the unrests, I often had an opportunity to see how far these sympathies extend. When faced with a dangerous behaviour of an Arab mass, when one said that one was German, this was already generally a free pass.”
As we can see today, the link between Nazis and Islamists still exists.
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