The Economist has made the excellent decision to post a letter documenting the truth about honour killings: Honour killings
* SIR – The title to your article on honour killings in Syria asks: “The law changes. Will attitudes?” (July 18th). The answer is that it is easier to change laws than people’s hearts. The primary reason honour killings still continue in the Muslim world is not that lawmakers have been unwilling to pass legislation imposing punishments for such acts, but because imams, muftis and ayatollahs not only have never condemned the practice but have actually sanctioned it.
For instance, the “Umdat al-Salik”, a manual on sharia law, states that “retaliation is obligatory” against anyone who kills, except when “a father or mother (or their fathers or mothers)” kill “their offspring, or their offspring’s offspring”. Therefore, someone who kills his or her child for the sake of “honour” incurs no penalty under Islamic law.
A similar situation arises with female circumcision. It is still widespread in Egypt despite an outright ban because Muslim clerics condone the practice as in accordance with mainstream Islamic tradition.
So it is not enough simply for human-rights advocates to call for a “more fundamental change in the attitudes of those who write the law and implement it”. There must also be an open discussion about the Islamic roots of practices like honour killings and a call for authorities on sharia to renounce the sanctioning of honour killings and to teach why such killings are wrong in the context of a reformed interpretation of Islamic texts. Otherwise attitudes simply will not change, and honour killings will continue in the Muslim world and among Muslim communities in the West.
Aymenn Jawad Cardiff.
 As the anti-Israeli atmosphere in Britain intensifies by the day, Britain’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee has now called on the British government to end its policy of not talking to the extreme anti-Semitic terror group Hamas while simultaneously urging the European Union to make its relationship with Israel conditional on good behaviour, the BBC is reporting today. The report was also carried in French and English by France’s top news agency, Agence France Presse. The cross party group headed by Labour MP Michael Gapes — a self-declared friend of Israel — said that the policy of non-engagement with Hamas was ineffective. While criticising Hamas rocket attacks, it condemned Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza as “disproportionate”, criticised the blockade of Gaza, condemned settlement growth and urged the British Foreign Office to declare openly whether it believed Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza. The committee had recommended reaching out to “moderates” in Hamas in 2007 but said such calls now had new impetus since Britain had begun engaging with the political wing of Hezbollah earlier this year.
Moves in this direction have been widely predicted and it may only be a matter of time before recognition of Hamas by the British government becomes a reality. The ground was laid in May when British Foreign Secretary David Miliband gave a speech in Oxford in which he sought to downplay the distinction between “moderates” and “extremists”. At the time, the Foreign Office denied that this was directed at Hamas. But, in the context of last week’s announcement of a partial arms embargo by Britain against Israel and this latest parliamentary report, it seems clear that a paradigm shift is taking place in Britain’s attitudes to the Middle East. Though famously unenthusiastic about European integration, Britain is perhaps the heaviest hitter in the EU in terms of foreign policy. Moves in Britain to recognise Hamas would undoubtedly strengthen the hand of constituencies across Europe which advocate a harder line on Israel and a softer line on groups such as Hamas. For a broader explanation of why things have taken such a turn in Great Britain see my op-ed in the Jerusalem Post last week which is reproduced in an entry below. To read the full BBC article referred to above, click here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8169105.stm H/T Gig British Government
Latest recipient of The Dhimmi Award
 A demonstrator kicking a tear gas canister during a protest in front of the Tehran UniversityIranian police beat mourners at a memorial service for the 'Angel of Freedom' and turned the country's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi away from the cemetery.By Damien McElroy Tear gas and baton charges were used against hundreds of people who had gathered at the grave of a protester, Neda Agha-Soltan, killed during last month's post-election demonstrations. Two challengers for the position of president were forced to abandon visits to the grave and a mass gathering at a mourning hall in central Tehran was also broken up. The two events were the first major violence between security forces and demonstrators in three weeks in Iran, after the authorities crushed demonstrations against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. Rival candidates Mr Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have waged a defiant protest campaign since losing to Ahmadinejad. Mourners clung to Mr Mousavi's car and chanted: "Mousavi we support you." Read more ... Source: TelegraphH/T: Weasel Zippers
Hamas and the House of (No) Commons(ense)
July 27, 2009 The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee has just issued a 100-page report on the Middle East. Here is the main conclusion as expressed by Mike Gapes, the committee chair: “We see few signs that the current policy of non-engagement with Hamas is achieving the Quartet’s stated objectives....We therefore reiterate our recommendation from 2007, that the government should urgently consider engaging with moderate elements within Hamas.” In those few words are expressed five of the main and most harmful Western myths about the Middle East. First, make the problem go away. Anything other than that is failure. Containing Hamas, weakening it over time, showing that radicalism doesn’t pay, or other such goals are not worth pursuing. Only if there is no more problem can the objective be considered achieved. This assumes that peace, quiet, and the existence of no problems is the normal state of politics and international relations. It isn’t. Thus, follows the conclusion that policy has failed, but it can succeed, and something must be done. Second, problems can and should be made to go away fast. Patience is a failure, not a virtue. So something must be done immediately. Naturally, this is not the rule the Middle Eastern factors play by. They believe in attrition, wearing the other side down, in the belief that God and history is on their side, while the West is cowardly and weak. They are half-right. Third, that something which has to be done must be Western and Israeli concessions. If the other side is intransigent, that means its intended victims cannot be. Why is this so? Because things have to move, issues must be resolved, so defeat is preferable to steadfastness. Fourth, the nature of your opponent is irrelevant. Ideology is unimportant. We all believe in the same things, don't we? So just because a group, Hamas in this case, says that Jews are sub-humans, that Israel must be wiped off the map, that Western power must be broken, that Islam must triumph over everything, doesn't really mean anything, does it? We all "want the same things" supposedly. So you deal with Hamas or Hizballah or Iran or Syria the same way you manage, for example, an environmental group from Surrey or a local housing authority in Kent. Fourth, there’s got to be a moderate in there somewhere. President Ronald Reagan once joked that an optimist is someone who sees a room full of manure and concludes that there must be a pony in there somewhere. A modern European (and often American nowadays) statesman is someone who sees a terrorist movement or aggressive radical regime and is certain there's a moderate in there somewhere. And naturally if the West gives enough concessions to these "moderates" the "naturally" moderate character of the movement's members will take over and lead to a compromise settlement that will make the problem go away quickly. Fifth, if anyone stands in the way of this grand design--like Czechoslovakia in 1938 or Israel in 2009--that foolish little country which actually thinks its own survival, much less interests, are of any importance becomes the villain. Why if only it sacrificed itself the problem could be solved and peace in our time established! There's an appropriate Yiddish proverb here: When a man is dead his problems cease. One can only gape at the wisdom of Gapes. In the hands of such ignoramuses--not only ignorant of facts (which could be forgiven) but also on the most fundamental principles of politics and diplomacy--does the Western world's fate lie. Why not Israel's fate? Because it won't heed such counsels. But of course they can also do a great deal of damage to it as well. This reminds me of something. In 1969, according to declassified British documents, the British government decided to open a dialogue with Fatah, which was daily carrying out terrorist operitions against Israel, portraying the PFLP as the radicals and Fatah as the moderates. Basically, in the meetings the British government is begging Fatah not to attack the UK and to discourage the PFLP from attacking.The next year, in the war between King Hussein of Jordan--one of the closest British clients--and Fatah/PLO, the British government threw King Hussein under the bus and was ready to accept Arafat as Jordan's ruler. Fortunately, the US and Israel saved the king. If UK policy had had its way then, the results would have been horrifying. Oh, and so the House of Lords doesn't feel left out here's something about UK policy toward Hizballah, which has been along similar lines. * Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. His latest books are Lebanon: Liberation, Conflict, and Crisis (Palgrave Macmillan), Conflict and Insurgency in the Contemporary Middle East (Routledge), The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition) (Viking-Penguin), the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan), A Chronological History of Terrorism (Sharpe), and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley). His Blog: http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/ Source: http://www.gloria-center.org/blog/2009/07/hamas-and-the-house.html
July 31
Islamic identity Keysar Trad's defamation case against a Sydney radio station has collapsed, with a Supreme Court justice saying Trad did in fact make remarks that were ‘‘offensive", "racist" and ‘‘condoned violence". Today's judgment comes in opposition to a jury's decision in 2007 that found Mr Trad was defamed by broadcaster Jason Morrison, who implied that he was a disgraceful, dangerous individual who incited people to commit violent acts. The case stems from comments made by Morrison about Mr Trad on talkback radio in December 2005, shortly after the Cronulla riots. The legal team for Harbour Radio, the owners of 2GB, argued that the information claimed to be defamatory was in fact true. After hearing evidence about Mr Trad's reputation and the effect of the broadcast, Justice Peter McClellan ruled today that Mr Trad's claim should be dismissed. ‘‘There is little doubt that many of the plaintiff's remarks are offensive to Jewish persons and homosexuals," Justice McClellan said in his judgment. Neither Mr Trad nor Morrison were at Sydney's Supreme Court to hear the judgment. ‘‘Many of his remarks are distasteful and appear to condone violence," the judgment continued. ‘‘I'm satisfied that the plaintiff does hold views which can properly be described as racist. ‘‘I'm also satisfied that he encourages others to hold those views. In particular he holds views derogatory of Jewish people. ‘‘The views which he holds would not be acceptable to most right-thinking Australians," Justice McClelland's judgment said. Outside court, a representative of Mr Trad said he planned to appeal. The parties are due to meet again next Thursday to discuss costs in the matter. Source: Sydney Morning Herald
For the past decade, the sight of Western liberals gathering in defense of terrorists seeking to impose a medieval patriarchal cult on the rest of the world by force seems incongruously odd. What is there about Islam that is so appealing to the erstwhile defenders of minorities, women and gays-- all of whom have next to no rights under Islam?
 Looking over tomes by liberal authors that argue that Islam is truly feminist, progressive and shares all their basic values, the rational observer is forced to wonder, "Who exactly are they kidding?" The answer is a complicated one, but the problem is not as new as it seems. The far left and the far left have a longstanding affinity for playing, "The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend", with America designated as the primary enemy, and everyone from the headmasters of the guillotine to Al Queda has emerged as their friends. Before 9/11, the Taliban had a spokesman named Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, today studying in Yale on a student visa, making the rounds of Berkeley to explain that the detonation of the Buddhist statues, then the worst thing that the jolly gang of headchopping boys in black were known for at the time, was actually a protest against the world ignoring Afghanistan's poverty. His audience cheered and laughed along with him, able now to relate to the Taliban, not as murderous butchers who throw acid in the faces of little girls-- but as activists against Third World poverty. But long before Sayed slimed his way across California, a Japanese consulate employee named Hikida Yasuichi would strike up close ties with Black Harlem intellectuals in the 1930's, in pursuit of General Sato Kojiro's then bizarre fantasy of destroying America's Pacific Fleet, occupying Hawaii and then invading the mainland with an African-American army. While no such army ever materialized, Hikida Yasuichi succeeded in stirring up sympathy for Imperial Japan among black writers like W.E. Du Bois, who were otherwise fervent Communists, by convincing them that Japan was fighting for all the non-white races. Read more here..
 Les crimes d'honneur sont différents des autres types de violence domestique - et le dire n’est pas discriminatoire envers les minorités, disent deux experts de ce phénomène. « L'analyse de plus de 50 crimes d'honneur montre qu'ils diffèrent sensiblement des formes plus communes de violence domestique», écrit Phyllis Chesler, professeur émérite de psychologie à la City University de New York, dans l'édition du printemps du Middle East Quarterly. Dans son analyse, Chesler reconnaît que sa position contredit celle de nombreuses organisations musulmanes qui disent que les crimes d'honneur n'ont rien à voir avec l'islam et qu'il est discriminatoire de les distinguer des autres formes de violence domestique. La principale différence entre les deux types de crimes est que les crimes d'honneur sont enracinés dans des valeurs patriarcales, alors que ce n’est généralement pas le cas pour la violence domestique, a déclaré Amin Muhammad, professeur de psychiatrie à l'Université Memorial de Terre-Neuve. Muhammad, auteur d'une étude de 2008 sur les crimes d'honneur dans les zones rurales et les zones tribales du Sindh au Pakistan, décrit le crime d'honneur comme l'assassinat d'une personne, généralement une femme, perçue comme ayant couvert sa famille de honte, souvent en ayant eu des relations illicites avec un homme. Lire la suite... Source: Vancouver Sun (Traduction d'extraits par Poste de veille)
 We have a new label to add to the Iranian political lexicon: "pragmatic." That's right... as if it weren't enough that we have annoying terminology like "reformist" and "moderate," we now also have "pragmatic."
Who's the "pragmatist," you ask? Well, we already know that Mousavi and Khatami are the "reformists" and Rafsanjani is the "moderate." That "pragmatist," as it turns out, is Khamenei. But what do these labels mean? I'll tell you. A "reformist" is somebody who wants to give Iranians more civil liberties at the expense of the Islamic system. For example, some "reform-" minded Iranians believe that Iranian women should have the right to dress how ever they want, even though Islam requires that a woman cover herself. A Muslim woman is only allowed to reveal her face and her hands (and her feet according to some Muslim scholars).
A "moderate" is somebody who is willing to sit down at the negotiating table with the United States and compromise over issues that are of vital interest to the Iranian nation. For example, some "moderate-" minded Iranians believe that perhaps Iran should (at least temporarily) halt uranium enrichment if it brings an end to US sanctions. A "pragmatist" is someone who is too afraid to attack Israel even though it is an Islamic duty to defend the Palestinians and Lebanese when they are being harmed. For example, some "pragmatic" Iranians feel that the liberation of Jerusalem (home to Islam's third holiest site) is not important enough to risk Israel's wrath.
Here is why I like Ahmadinejad: he is none of these things. Ahmadinejad is not a "reformist". Instead he believes passionately that the spread of Islamic values throughout the world can bring peace, harmony, justice, and brotherhood. Ahmadinejad is not a "moderate." Instead he is willing to defend Iran's rights and aspirations when the rest of the Iranian population appears willing to sell Iran's rights away. Ahmadinejad is not a "pragmatist." And this is what this post is all about. While it is true that so far Ahmadinejad has only offered words to the Palestinians, this is not his fault. He is not the Supreme Leader. So he does not control Iran's foreign policy nor its defense policy. Khamenei controls both as well as the Revolutionary Guards.
There are signs that the Revolutionary Guards sympathize with Ahmadinejad more than Khamenei. This may be because Khamenei's "pragmatism" leads him to take a less confrontational approach towards Israel. If given the order, the Revolutionary Guards would gladly bomb Israel's nuclear facility in Dimona. These are Islamic warriors we're talking about. They are not afraid of Israel. But Khamenei, ever the "pragmatist," does fear Israeli retaliation against Iran. And this is why Khamenei forbade Hezbollah from firing any rockets at Tel Aviv during the 2006 war. Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets went as far as Haifa (an Arab city, unfortunately) and they could even have gone as far as Tel Aviv. This would have paralyzed life in Israel's capital.
These rockets have tremendous psychological impact even though they don't cause many deaths. But it was the "pragmatic" Khamenei who was worried that Israel might attack Tehran if a Hezbollah rocket fell on Tel Aviv. It is this "pragmatism" that leads me to believe that Ahmadinejad would make a better Supreme Leader than Khamenei. Obviously the Iranian Constitution would have to be amended, but this has been done before. Before the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini passed way, he was dissatisfied with the choice of clerics that were to succeed him. At that time, it was necessary for the Supreme Leader of Iran to be a Grand Ayatollah (which is the highest spiritual authority for Shi'a Muslims). Khomeini liked Khamenei but Khamenei was not an Ayatollah. So Khomeini amended the Constitution so that a lower ranked cleric like Khamenei could be Supreme Leader.
In order for Ahmadinejad to become Supreme Leader, the part that mandates that the Supreme Leader have religious qualifications would have to be removed from the Constitution. Ahmadinejad would take a far more confrontational stance vis-a-vis Israel. And he would have the full support of the Revolutionary Guards. Khamenei's "pragmatism" led him to remove Yahya Rahim Safavi from his position as Chief Commander of the Revolutionary Guards. The reason for this was that Safavi shared Ahmadinejad's belief that Jerusalem must be liberated by military force. This was something that Khamenei would not allow so he removed Safavi. It is this sort of "pragmatism" that allows Jerusalem to remain under Jewish occupation when it should be under Islamic administration.
The other thing that bugs me about Khamenei is that he has always refused to allow a Sunni mosque to be built in Tehran. Sunni mosques can be built anywhere else in Iran, just not in Tehran. There is not one single Sunni mosque in Tehran. I find this to be unacceptable. Muslims are obligated to pray the Friday prayer in congregation at a mosque. So a Sunni in Tehran would have no other option but to pray in a Shi'a mosque. Sunni religious tradition differs from Shi'a religious tradition. A Sunni should not be forced to pray like a Shi'a, and a Shi'a should not be forced to pray like a Sunni. Khamenei is a violating the Islamic principle of religious freedom. In a real Islamic state, Jews should be allowed to worship freely at their synagogues, Christians at their churches, and Muslims at their mosques.
Ali Khamenei rightly criticizes the anti-Shi'a bigotry prevalent among some in the Wahhabi clergy in Saudi Arabia; but how can Khamenei have the credibility to stand up for Shi'a religious freedom in majority-Sunni lands when he is restricting Sunni religious freedom in a majority-Shi'a land? Former President Khatami (when he was running) had made a campaign promise that he would erect a Sunni mosque in Tehran, but Khamenei did not allow him to fulfill this promise. I respect Khatami for this even though I don't agree with him on all the issues. I think it's time for Khamenei to go. He has outlived his usefulness. Mahmoud Ahmadinjad ought to be the Supreme Leader of Iran.
I've been reading about allegations of fraud in the Iranian election. Iranian protesters in Dubai did silent protests out in front of the Iranian consulate. Their placards had things like, "Where is my vote?" written on them. While I sympathize with these disgruntled anti-Ahmadinejad fanatics, I believe they are breaking the law. The Dubai police should arrest them for belligerence. You cannot have a political protest in the UAE without getting permission first. These Iranian protesters are disrespecting the UAE even though the UAE has given them refuge and a comfortable after they (probably) fled Iran (for their un-Islamic sinful activities). These sinful Iranian extremists are really enemies of Iran, and they should be deported. President Ahmadinejad will know how to deal with these so-called "reformists."
There were "pro-reform" protests in Toronto as well. The Iranian-Canadian community seems to have overwhelmingly voted for Mir Hossein Mousavi. Sorry, haters. Your guy lost. Deal with it. Ayatollah Khamenei, in a disappointing move, allowed an investigation into the allegations of a fraudulent election. Although it's a smart move, I still disapprove of it. First, let me tell you why it was smart. The public anger over this "stolen" election is so great that people will not accept anything less than an independent investigation... except it won't really be independent. Ahmadinejad's guys are still in power so they're the ones who conducted the investigation. And what conclusion did they come to? President Ahmadinejad was declared the winner... again! So again, I say to the Mousavi-supporting, reformist, extremist, law-breaking, criminal, radical enemies of Iran, "Sorry haters. Your guys lost. Deal with it."
Now I'll tell you why I disapproved of Khamenei's decision to allow the investigation. I think he was caving in to the enemies of Iran. I'm willing to concede that Mousavi was supported by about 54% of the Iranian electorate (so I kinda have mixed feelings about referring to them as enemies of Iran) but they really are enemies of Iran because they oppose Islam and they disrespect by the Islamic Revolution by voting for a "reformist" candidate. Anti-Ahmadinejad protesters have been yelling, "Ahmadinejad is not my President." Well, legally he is. He won. I don't for a second believe that he won 60% of the vote like it's been claimed. He probably won around 39% of the vote. But 39% is nothing to scoff at. That's 39 % of the Iranian public. Do they not matter? Do their votes mean nothing? 39% of 68 million Iranians is a lot of people... it's millions of people.
And do we really need one more pro-US government in the Middle East. Puh-leaze! By the way, was the election in Lebanon really "free and fair?" Wasn't it fraudulent of Joe Biden to threaten the Lebanese people? Doesn't that threat qualify as voter fraud? Why isn't anybody raising a ruckus about that, eh? The double standards, man! And didn't Saudi Arabia, France, and the US support their man Hariri by giving him millions of dollars? Isn't that unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation? Politicians like Hariri have no shame. They will do anything for money. Some would probably even sell their own mothers for some sweet dough. Hariri is only after money and political power. He does not care about Lebanon. He is a puppet of the US, France,... and since he's also a puppet of Saudi Arabia (which in turn is a puppet of the US), this makes Hariri the puppet of a puppet. Seriously, why would anyone be the puppet of 3 goddamn countries??? Isn't one enough??? Hariri, dude, where is your self-respect???
Here's a point of view I do agree with: there has been a coup in Iran. It's too early to tell whether it's just a coup or whether it's a revolution. If it's a revolution, then it's the second Islamic Revolution Iran has had in about 30 years. In 1979, the Shah of Iran was ousted by the clerical estblishment led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In 2009, the clerical establishment may have been ousted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards who favour Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. See, here's what's happened: after 30 years, the clerics who carried the revolution forward have become rich, fat, and corrupt. Nobody represents the FatCat clerical elite more than Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the richest men in Iran. They have enriched themselves at the expense of Iran's poor for decades. And people have finally had enough.
During the election, Ahmadinejad supporters were shouting "Death to Hashemi!" Ahmadinejad is a populist. He wants to redistrubute Iran's wealth in such a manner that the poor will benefit rather than the rich. The clerics want to hoard all of Iran's wealth like they have for 30 years. This is why the "moderate" Rafsanjani was supporting the "reformist" Mousavi. These people want the status quo... they want everything to remain the same. The rich get richer, and the poor gets screwed. And hey, Mousavi is not really a "reformist." He was prime minister when Ayatollah Khomeini was the Supreme Leader of Iran. Would Khomeini have allowed a "reformist" prime minister? I don't think so. This election was more about hating Ahmadinejad than about loving Mousavi. It reminds me of the US election in '04... which was more about hating Bush than about loving Kerry.
Mousavi gets a lot of credit for his handling of the economy during the 8-year Iran-Iraq war. Does he really deserve this credit? Don't people know that wars create jobs? The Iran-Iraq war benefited the Iranian economy just like World War 2 benefited the US economy. The US was a superpower by the end of that war, for cryin' out loud! And Ahmadinejad does not deserve all the blame for messing up the economy. We're in the midst of a global economic crisis. Every economy in the world performing badly... if not badly, then at least worse than before. So it's unfair to blame Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad's most important constituency is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They are the most zealous Islamic revolutionaries in the world. God love 'em! They want Iran to go in a different direction than the clerics. See, the clerics are enjoying the high life... they're rich. They don't want no war or confrontation with the US. They don't really care all that much about the Palestinians either. But the Islamic Revolutionary Guards care a lot about the Palestinian cause... a whole lot! That is why they have thrown their support behind Ahmadinejad (who is also a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (gosh, I'm getting tired of writing the whole thing... I'll just use the abbreviation IRGC henceforth) are the most powerful institution in Iran... because they got the guns and the bombs and the tanks. So if this is a coup by them, they really won't face much resistance... unless the losers from the "reformist" crowd want their balls blown off!
So now what we have is a less democratic Iran. But hey, I'm not complaining. Democracy ain't right for a nation like Iran where the majority of the population defies Islam and defies God by voting for a candidate who could not care less about liberating Jerusalem, the third holiest city in Islam. If you believe (like I do) that the liberation of Jerusalem is the most important goal for Muslims, then Ahmadinejad is your guy! He has my full support. With him at the helm, Iran will probably be more confrontational with the US, and will probably try harder at shaping a Middle East that is more just. Justice is what it's all about. How refreshing is it when a Middle Eastern leader does not hobnob with the President of the United States!
If Iran were to go "moderate" or "reformist," who would support the Palestinians in the face of the Israeli onslaught? Who would support the Lebanese as Israeli missiles rape Lebanese toddlers? Nobody, that's who. Iran may not be a democracy, but is the only country in the whole entire world that has a government that gives a voice to the countless voiceless people in the Middle East who have had enough of US hegemony but either live in states that aren't democratic or live in states that are democratic in which the majority is so clueless that they vote for the puppet of a puppet. Ahmadinejad may not be a saint, but he's a thousand times better than any of his fellow Middle Eastern leaders. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad totally totally totally rocks! Source: Young Turks - http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2009/7/28/105350/032/Diary/Ahmadinejad-Should-Be-Supreme-Leader H/T: Weasel ZippersYoung Turks
Latest recipients of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award
 By Joseph Abrams The extremist group al-Shabaab raided three U.N. offices in Somalia last week in a campaign to rid the volatile African nation of all "enemies of Islam," and the world body can't do a thing about it - yet. Though the U.S. State Department designated al-Shabaab a foreign terrorist organization in March 2008, the U.N. has yet to add the Islamic militia to its list of terrorist groups whose members face international sanctions and travel bans. While the U.S. has been cracking down on the Al Qaeda-linked group's recruitment efforts at home, the lack of an international standard has allowed al-Shabaab to channel its funds - much of which come from piracy along Somalia's lengthy coast - through banks in the Arabian Gulf. "There are millions and millions and millions of dollars coming into this organization. It's being funneled in banks in Qatar and other places - that's pretty well documented - yet nobody's really doing anything about it," said Jeffrey Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. Read more ...Source: Fox NewsH/T: Weasel Zippers
 July 28 | By BlogSpot Reema Abulaziz from Riyadh made her move: She went to Riyadh airport with her two boys, and asked for the guardianship system to be removed. Reema works in a bank in Riyadh. She is not only the mother of these two boys; she is the wife of a drug- addicted husband. Although Reema’s husband is now in Riyadh Amal Hospital receiving medical treatment for his long addiction problem, he still has total control of Reema’s life and her sons’ lives. In Riyadh airport, Reema and her sons are denied the right to leave the country; the addicted guardian did not give them the permission to leave. The Saudi guardianship system considers men guardians and responsible for their families’ affairs even if the men have addiction problems or a criminal history. Reema’s story conveys how oppressive this system is. The campaign to defend women’s rights in Saudi Arabia will continue recording these experiences of Saudi women who are trying to get rid of their control by male guardians. Please, wherever you are, support Saudi women who are trying to gain their lives back. Source: Hudson New York
 By Khaled Abu Toameh Tens of thousands of Palestinians living in Jordan have been stripped of their Jordanian citizenship over the past few months. The Arab governments want the Palestinian issue to be Israel's problem alone. But Israel will never be able to handle this matter alone. Defending the measure, the Jordanians authorities claim that it is actually intended to help the Palestinians as it will thwart any attempt to settle them permanently in the kingdom. "Jordan is not Palestine and Palestine is not Jordan," the Jordanian Minister of the Interior, Nayef al-Kadi, explained. "The Palestinians should be allowed to return to their homes in Palestine." The US and its Western allies must press the Arab dictatorships to end their anti-Palestinian policies and start treating Palestinians in a better way.
One can imagine the response of the United Nations and European countries if the Knesset tomorrow approved a law that bans Palestinians from working in any profession or if Israel started stripping the 1.4 million Arabs of their citizenship. The next time the terms apartheid or oppression are used with reference to the Middle East, one must remember the intolerable conditions of Palestinians in most of the Arab countries. With a 70% Palestinian population, Jordan is clearly seeking to solve its own "demographic problem." In other words, the Jordanians would like to see fewer Palestinians in their kingdom. Like most of the Arab countries, the Jordanians have never felt completely comfortable playing host to large numbers of Palestinians. Read more here....Source: Hudson New York
The posting claims the attacks, in which two suicide bombers killed seven people at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, were specifically directed at US business interests and at the Manchester United football team, which was to have played an exhibition match in Jakarta. It promises to release video footage of the bombers' statements. The posting's origin has not been verified, but police say they are investigating. Identifying itself for the first time as "al-Qa'ida Indonesia", under the auspices of Top, the group claims to have engaged in extensive research before the blasts to identify its targets. Top has previously called his group, which is an offshoot of the radical Jemaah Islamiah movement founded by preacher Abu Bakar Bashir and the late Abdullah Sungkar, "al-Qa'ida for the Malay archipelago". Read More,,,, Source: The Australian
 EastEnders characters Christian Clarke and Syed MasoorEastEnders' current romantic storyline featuring a gay Muslim character has caused a stir. But what is it really like to be gay within Britain's Muslim communities?By Homa Khaleeli Pav Akhtar is not usually a fan of soaps. But the 30-year-old local councillor and Unison worker has been paying special attention since EastEnders introduced its first gay Muslim character. Akhtar, the chair of Imaan, an organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Muslims, advised the BBC on the storyline in the hope that the character of Syed Masood would help tackle the double discrimination of homophobia and Islamophobia that many gay Muslims face. The Muslim theologian Amanullah De Sondy said recently that the vast majority of Muslims were "deeply homophobic", and a survey carried out this summer among British Muslims reported that 0% of those questioned thought homosexuality was "morally acceptable". Yet, so far, the taboo-busting EastEnders storyline has not sparked the expected deluge of complaints – in fact, the soap's first gay Muslim kiss attracted a healthy 7.9 million viewers. But what is it like being gay and Muslim in the UK today? Read more ... Source: The Guardian
The Basque Autonomous Police (Ertzaintza) detained on Sunday night in Portugalete (Vizcaya) a 43-year-old man of Maghrebi origin, accused of stabbing his 20-year-old daughter 20 times and of hurting another two sons, according to the Basque Interior Department. The attack began inside the family’s home, in Ruperto Medina’s st, when the man stabbed his older daughter. Her teenage brothers, another girl and a boy, tried to end the quarrel and got hurt. She has a cut in one hand. He fell off the stairs.. Both of them suceeded in fleeing the house asking for help, while the stabbed girl got in one neighbour’s house. But the father followed the first ones and had a hard discussion with his son in the street. According to another neighbour, who was woken up by the “shouts”, everything happened very quickly. Several minutes afterwards, the Police arrived at the scene and arrested the man. “He was shouting like a mad man and was very difficult to handle”, the witness say. (…). Read more ...Source: Publico.es H/T: Tea and Politics
 On Thursday, 23 July 2009, Fadia Jawdat al-Najjar, 27, from Jabalya refugee camp was killed allegedly "to maintain family honor."
According to police sources in Jabalya, at approximately 09:30 on Friday mourning, 24 July 2009, Jawdat al-Najar, from Jabalya, gave himself up to the police station in Jabalya. He confessed that he killed his daughter, Fadia, inside his home in a late hour on Thursday. He claimed that he found a mobile phone with his daughter and she was talking with someone, which he suspected as an illegitimate relation. As soon as the police have received this confession, the police moved towards the scene of the crime and examined the victim's body. They found signs of torture on her body. The police transferred her the victim's body to Kamal 'Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, and from there to the forensic medicine department at Shifa Hospital in Gaza city.
Sources of the forensic medicine department at Shifa Hospital reported that there were signs of torture throughout the victim's body, as well as a fracture in her skull due to her was hit by an iron chain.
According to PCHR's documentation, the number of people killed allegedly "to maintain family honor" since the beginning of 2009 has amounted to 9 (6 women, two men and a child) in 7 crimes. One of these crimes was committed in the West Bank, whereas the rest of the crimes were committed in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR strongly condemns this latest crime, and:
1) Expresses concern over the recurrence of murders against women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory allegedly "to maintain family honor." Such recurrence may be attributed to the relative impunity granted to murderers, who are often sentenced to less than 3 civil years of imprisonment, equivalent to 24 months of effective imprisonment.
2) Calls for suitable deterrent penalties to be applied to "family honor" murders. These murders must be dealt with in the same manner as other crimes of willful killing, taking into consideration international human rights standards. Many murderers use the claim of maintaining family honor as a justification for the crimes they commit in order to benefit from more lenient sentences. Source: PCHR H/T: AtlasJawdat al-Najar
Latest recipients of The Face of Evil Award
 By Clare M. Lopez It’s a new era, alright: an era in which America’s moral compass is spinning aimlessly. While on an official visit to Baghdad Tuesday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, hailed a new era in Iraq and touted an improved security situation at the one-month mark since U.S. troops pulled back from Iraqi cities and towns at the end of June. But even as the two crowed (along with their Iraqi counterparts), Iraqi police forces were assaulting the civilian population of Ashraf City north of Baghdad, home to some 3900 unarmed members of the Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK). At day’s end, the MEK death count stood at four, while the injured numbered in the hundreds, and dozens more had been snatched and carried off by the Iraqi forces. The Iraqi assault, captured in graphic videos posted to YouTube, advanced with armored vehicles, front-loaders, fire engines, police vehicles, and other equipment and unleashed boiling water, pepper gas, barrages from water cannons, clubs, and eventually live fire against the unarmed inhabitants. YouTube footage shows MEK members massed passively at an entrance gate to the camp as Iraqi police beat those in front furiously with clubs and then sprayed pepper gas and water cannon directly into the crowd. Other films show police opening fire with assault weapons while the group began to chant “Allahu Akbar,” echoing the recent calls of their demonstrating compatriots on the streets of Tehran and elsewhere. Read more ...Source: Human Events
A Fairfax, Va. man who plotted to assassinate President George W. Bush, provided material support to Al Qaeda and conspired to recreate the 9/11 attacks in a new hijacking scheme was sentenced to life in prison Monday. Ahmed Omar Abu Ali originally was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2006. The 4 th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, but rejected the sentence as too lenient. The appellate court determined that the trial judge improperly tried to keep Abu Ali's sentence in line with others who did not cause the death of any Americans. The judge's reliance on John Walker Lindh, who plotted fought with the Taliban but didn't execute attacks against Americans, was misguided, the 4th Circuit found. Read more ...Source: IPT Blog
By Steven Emerson | July 28
Seven House Democrats have written Attorney General Eric Holder invoking a list of grievances from radical Islamist groups and asking that Holder meet with representatives from those groups to hear their concerns, the Investigative Project on Terrorism has learned.The grievances include the use of convicted felons as informants in mosques, alleged religious profiling of Somali Muslims in Minnesota and elsewhere and allegations that the FBI is working with foreign governments to question American citizens who are terror suspects. In the letter, the representatives said: "These concerns raise legitimate questions about due process, justice, and equal treatment under the law. We hope you will meet with American Muslim leaders to ensure that core American values are respected for all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, or faith. For your convenience, we have attached a contact list of American Muslim leaders." These issues have been pushed by radical Islamist groups for months. The letter's close tracking of the interest groups' positions indicates that their officials dictated its terms for the members of Congress to sign. In fact, the nine entities all are listed in exactly the same sequence in this release from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). The April 2009 release also cites two of the same issues as in the letter to Holder. The letter was signed by California representatives Loretta Sanchez, Adam Schiff, Mike Honda and Lois Capps, along with Ohio representatives Mary Jo Kilroy and Dennis Kucinich. Northern Virginia Congressman James Moran joined the group. Moran serves on the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on defense. Schiff and Honda serve on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. Kilroy sits on the House Homeland Security Committee. Schiff also serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Many of the groups listed for Holder to meet have radical histories and agendas. For example, the Islamic Circle of North America adheres to similar ideology as the Jamaat-i-Islami, which calls for Islamic revolution and creating an Islamist state in Pakistan. In the U.S., ICNA aggressively proselytizes among non-Muslims. The Muslim Public Affairs Council argues that Hizballah should not be a designated terrorist organization. Three other groups listed for contact have direct roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, an international movement based in Egypt which seeks the creation of a global Islamic state, or Caliphate. Those groups include the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim Students Association, the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation, which is run by a convicted felon and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). Prosecutors included CAIR on a list of unindicted co-conspirators in the prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and development, considered the nation's largest terrorism-finance case. FBI case Agent Lara Burns labeled CAIR a front group for Hamas during sworn testimony last fall. Read More here,,,Source: Steven Emerson Loretta Sanchez
Adam Schiff
Mike Honda
Lois Capps
Mary Jo Kilroy
Dennis Kucinich
James Moran
Latest recipients of The Dhimmi Award
 By Robert F. Worth DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Some prisoners say they watched fellow detainees being beaten to death by guards in overcrowded, stinking holding pens. Others say they had their fingernails ripped off or were forced to lick filthy toilet bowls. The accounts of prison abuse in Iran’s postelection crackdown — relayed by relatives and on opposition Web sites — have set off growing outrage among Iranians, including some prominent conservatives. More bruised corpses have been returned to families in recent days, and some hospital officials have told human rights workers that they have seen evidence that well over 100 protesters have died since the vote. On Tuesday, the government released 140 prisoners in one of several conciliatory gestures aimed at deflecting further criticism. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a letter urging the head of the judiciary to show “Islamic mercy” to the detainees, and on Monday Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, personally intervened and closed an especially notorious detention center. But there are signs that widespread public anger persists, and that it is not confined to those who took to the streets crying fraud after Mr. Ahmadinejad’s landslide victory last month. Several conservatives have said the abuse suggests a troubling lack of accountability, and they have hinted at a link with Mr. Ahmadinejad’s recent willingness to defy even the venerated Ayatollah Khamenei. Read more ...Source: NYT
 By Jamie Glazov Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Dave Gaubatz, the first U.S. civilian (1811) Federal Agent deployed to Iraq in 2003. He is the owner of DG Counter-terrorism Publishing. He is currently conducting a 50 State Counter-terrorism Research Tour (CTRT). He can be contacted at davegaubatz@gmail.com. FP: Dave Gaubatz, welcome to Frontpage Interview. CAIR supporters recently targeted you again, this time during a lecture you provided to ACT members of Dallas, TX, on July 23, 2009. What happened? Gaubatz: Yes, Jamie. First it is important for readers to know that approximately 1.5 years ago members of my research team conducted first-hand research in Texas, to include Arlington, VA. The results were provided directly to the FBI National HQ office. Our team provided the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Islamic terror supporters operating inside Texas and who travel throughout America. One of my Muslim researchers (who worked and lived in Iraq over 30 years) was directly involved in several meetings with leading Texas Imams, specifically Arlington. Readers can contact FBI National to determine what actions were taken. Read more ...Source: FPMDave Gaubatz
Latest recipients of The MASH Award
 By Robert Spencer Seven American citizens and one U.S. permanent resident were charged in North Carolina with, according to the Justice Department, “conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad.” The indictment centers around the activities of an American convert to Islam, 39-year-old Daniel “Saifullah” Boyd (a drywall contractor who was apparently the ringleader of this group). It reveals yet again the international scope of jihadist activity – giving the lie to the common Leftist assertion that various jihads around the globe are isolated nationalist insurgencies with no connection to one another. Above all, in the words of U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding, “these charges hammer home the point that terrorists and their supporters are not confined to the remote regions of some far away land but can grow and fester right here at home.” How did seven American citizens, with their leader a convert to Islam, get the idea that supporting terrorists and participating in terrorist training was consonant with their religion – and was, indeed, a religious obligation? Holding didn’t say. But that is the question that must ultimately be answered, and policy formulated accordingly, if homegrown jihad activity of this type is to be prevented in the future. It all started in 1989, when, according to the indictment, Boyd went to Pakistan and Afghanistan, attended jihad training camps, and fought alongside jihadists in Afghanistan. He didn’t leave Central Asia until 1992. His wife Sabrina Boyd has pointed out indignantly that in Afghanistan in the late Eighties, Boyd was battling the Soviet invaders “with the full backing of the United States government.” Indeed. But at that time the U.S. was aiding the Afghan mujahedin against the Soviets – and once they drove the Soviets out of Afghanistan, those same mujahedin quickly dashed hopes that the U.S. had won over their hearts and minds, hewing closely to the jihadist perspective that both the Soviet Union and the United States represented Satanic superpowers at war with Islam. If Boyd was fighting alongside the Afghan mujahedin in the late Eighties and early Nineties, that hardly constitutes evidence that his commitment to America was strong, or that his commitment to jihad was weak. Read more ...Source: FPMDaniel "Saifullah" Boyd
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award
 Rebiya Kadeer has campaigned for the rights
of China's Uighur community ALMOST 10,000 people "disappeared in one night" during ethnic unrest in the Chinese city of Urumqi early this month, exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer claimed today on the eve of her Australia visit. “Where did those people go?” she said in Japan, speaking in her native language through a translator. “If they died, where did they go?”
Ms Kadeer, 62, the US-based head of the World Uighur Congress, charged that “the Chinese government is trying to destroy the Uighur people. I want to tell the international community about our situation”.
She will fly to Australia chiefly to participate in the launch at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 8 of a documentary, 10 Conditions of Love, in which she is the heroine.
She will also meet members of Australia's 2000-strong Uighur community.
Her participation in the festival has already caused a furore.
Five films - from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan - have been withdrawn as a result.
Beijing accuses the mother-of-11 of being a “criminal” who instigated the unrest pitting Uighurs against Han Chinese in China's Xinjiang region. Beijing claims 197 people died in the clashes.
Ms Kadeer charged that “the responsibility lies with the authorities who changed what was a peaceful demonstration into a violent riot”.
“For Uighurs, taking part in demonstrations is like committing suicide,” she added, speaking at a Tokyo press conference. Source: The Australian
 After denying for 4 years that the Crescent of Embrace memorial to Flight 93 will contain 44 inscribed memorial panels (equaling the number of passengers, crew, AND terrorists) the Memorial Project has announced a new design that appears to collapse three of the panels into one:  Artist's depiction of the slightly altered design for the Sacred Ground Plaza. [If you are a newcomer, the Plaza sits in the position of the star on architect Paul Murdoch's giant Islamic crescent and star flag. They call the giant crescent a broken circle now, but the unbroken part of the circle--what symbolically remains standing in the wake of 9/11--is completely unchanged. It is still a giant Islamic-shaped crescent, still pointing to Mecca.] The focus of the Plaza is the two part Memorial Wall that follows the path of Flight 93 down to the crash site. As before, the lower section of wall contains 40 memorial panels, inscribed with the names of the 40 heroes. Instead of being small translucent panels set into the wall, they will now be 8 foot tall slabs. Nice. The symbolically significant change is in the separate upper section of Memorial Wall that will be inscribed with the 9/11 date. In the original design, this separate upper section of wall contained three additional inscribed memorial panels:  Elevation view from original Sacred Ground Plaza design PDF. The wall on the left is designated: “WALL WITH INSCRIBED NAMES ON FOLDED BAND OF TRANSLUCENT MARBLE.” The opening between the two sections of wall is marked “TRAIL,” and the wall on the right is designated: “WALL WITH INSCRIBED DATE.” The three translucent panels inscribed with the 9/11 date were a problem because further up the flight path, at the upper crescent tip (where Flight 93 symbolically breaks the circle, turning it into the giant Islamic shaped crescent), sits one more inscribed translucent memorial panel:  At the end of the Entry Portal Walkway sits a huge glass panel that dedicates the entire site. In the original design, this brought the total number of inscribed translucent memorial panels on the flight path to 44, with the number of "extra" blocks matching the number of Islamic hijackers on Flight 93. The enabling legislation for the Flight 93 Memorial specifically bars the Park Service from memorializing the enemy, but architect Paul Murdoch has other ideas. He doesn't just include them in some kind of can't-we-all-just-get-along multiculturalist fantasy. He depicts them as triumphant warriors, placing the capstone of his terrorist memorializing block count at the exact point where, in Murdoch's description, the terrorists' circle-breaking, crescent-creating feat is achieved. They explode through our peaceful circle, then die along with their victims. The capstone block commemorating this glorious martyrdom will be inscribed: “A field of honor forever.” The Memorial Project is okay with all of this, but thanks to our blogbursts, too many people OUTSIDE of the Project also know about the terrorist memorializing block count, so they decided to fix up architect Paul Murdoch’s disguise, telling a caller two years ago that they were going to turn the three panels with the 9/11 date into one large panel. That would change the memorial block count from 44 to 42. Here is Mountain Goat's report on that 2007 phone call: The gentleman did add, that the translucent blocks are actually white marble, and that the one with Sept. 11 inscribed on it will be one block, although it will be roughly the length three of the other blocks would have been. This seems to be the change that is depicted in the new design image, though we will have to see the construction drawings to be sure. (An FOIA request for the recently completed construction drawings was submitted to the Park Service earlier this month.) Primping Murdoch’s disguise does not stop his terrorist-memorializing plot, but only helps him to get away with itThe Park Service assumes that the 44 blocks were a coincidence and that by eliminating the coincidence it has eliminated the problem, but the 44 blocks were not a coincidence and changing the number of blocks to 42 does nothing alter the terrorist memorializing intent. Also, because the Park Service has been trying NOT to see Murdoch is up to, they left other terrorist memorializing features of the inscribed panels completely intact. Notice, for instance, that the separate upper section of memorial wall, inscribed with the 9/11 date, is centered on the centerline of the giant crescent:  The trail that divides the Memorial Wall into two parts is marked in purple. The section of wall with the 9/11 date is marked in aqua. You can see just by looking that the upper section of wall is centered on the center line of the crescent. That is the exact position of the star on an Islamic crescent and star flag. Thus the 9/11 date goes to the star on the Islamic flag. The date goes to the terrorists. Changing the number of panels used to inscribe the 9/11 date does nothing to alter this terrorist memorializing feature. Not that Murdoch really cares whether the Park Service executes his design with proper Islamic precision. To Murdoch, it is the plan that mattersMurdoch made clear from the beginning that it is the plan that matters, not whether the memorial is actually built exactly to his specifications. We can tell that he fully expected at least one of his terrorist memorializing features to be caught and stopped because he left provision for his “mistake” to be easily corrected. This was the so called “40 Memorial Groves." There were supposed to be one for each of the 40 infidel heroes, but Murdoch's site-plan only shows 38 groves:  Why 38? Try to figure it out for yourself, then look here. As usual, Murdoch provides multiply redundant proof of intent, once you figure out what he is up to. Notice that Murdoch left room for two more Memorial Groves, one at each end. But just as the 38 Groves “mistake” is easy to fix, it will also be easy to un-fix it later. Indeed, failure to follow Murdoch's exact design is not a bug. It is a feature. Islamic fundamentalists have been citing control of the al-Aqsa mosque as a grounds for waging war against Israel since the founding of the modern Jewish state. If we fail to be true to the glorious design of Murdoch's terrorist memorial mosque, that will just be one more reason for Murdoch's co-religionists to conquer The Great Satan, so that this death-penalty insult can first be avenged ("It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land" 8.67), then corrected. Murdoch has not admitted to being Muslim (never mind a fundamentalist Muslim), but he HAS demonstrably designed an al Qaeda sympathizing memorial to Flight 93, all according to the established principles of proper mosque design ( chapter 5), so there is no doubt of his ambition. Anyone who tries to sneak an al Qaeda memorial onto the Flight 93 crash site IS al Qaeda. In 2005, the Park Service helped Murdoch hide his giant crescent by calling it a broken circle instead (as Murdoch had described it all along). Now the Park Service is helping to disguise yet another of Murdoch's terrorist memorializing design features, but without even acknowledging this time that the changes are in response to anything troublesome about the original design. So tell us Park Service: if there never were 44 memorial panels on the flight path, as you have been telling the press for almost four years, why did you change the number of panels? And do you really think it is wise to help a hijacker improve his disguise? To join our blogbursts, just send your blog's url. Source: Error Theory
 Pope Benedict XVI believes the stunt would not
have been contemplated with a copy of the KoranJuly 28
The Pope made an excellent point this week about vandalism and whether it would be tolerated if Islam was on the receiving end of it.
From the Daily Mail The Pope has condemned a ' disgusting' taxpayer-funded exhibition in which visitors are urged to deface the Bible.
Visitors were offered pens by gallery bosses so they could scrawl comments on the text - leading to a host of puerile and obscene remarks.
Pope Benedict XVI believes the stunt would not have been contemplated with a copy of the Koran.
His anger over the show, organised by council-funded arts body Culture
and Sport Glasgow, was expressed by a senior Vatican priest.
The adviser to the Pope said: 'It is disgusting and offensive. They would not think of doing it to the Koran.'
 Morocco's "First Servant," King Mohammed VI and
Princess Lalla Salma at the royal theater in MarrakechFrom the western edge of the Muslim world, the King of Morocco has dared to tackle one of the most inflammatory issues in the Middle East conflict - the Holocaust. At a time when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dismissal of the Holocaust has made the biggest headlines, King Mohammed VI has called the Nazi destruction of the Jews "one of the most tragic chapters of modern history," and has endorsed a Paris-based program aimed at spreading the word among fellow Muslims. Many in the Islamic world still ignore or know little about the Holocaust. Some disbelieve it outright. Others argue that it was a European crime and imagine it to be the reason Israel exists and the Palestinians are stateless. The sentiment was starkly illustrated in March after a Palestinian youth orchestra performed for Israeli Holocaust survivors, only to be shut down by angry leaders of the West Bank refugee camp where they live. "The Holocaust happened, but we are facing a similar massacre by the Jews themselves," a community leader named Adnan Hindi said at the time. "We lost our land and we were forced to flee." Like other moderate Arab leaders, King Mohammed VI must tread carefully. Islamic fervor is rising in his kingdom, highlighted in 2003 by alQaida-inspired attacks in Casablanca on targets that included Jewish sites. Forty-five people were killed. The king's acknowledgment of the Holocaust, in a speech read out in his name at a ceremony in Paris in March, appears to further illustrate the radically different paths that countries like Morocco and Iran are taking. Morocco has long been a quiet pioneer in Arab-Israeli peace efforts, most notably when it served as a secret meeting place for the Israeli and Egyptian officials who set up President Anwar Sadat's groundbreaking journey to Jerusalem in 1977. Read more here,,,, Source: JP
 | | At least 500 people are believed to have been arrested during the mass protests in Iran [File: EPA] | | Iranian authorities have released 140 people detained during a crackdown on protesters following last month's disputed presidential election. The detainees were freed on Tuesday during a visit to the Evin prison in the capital, Tehran, by a parliamentary committee investigating prisoners' conditions. The protesters were among at least 500 people believed to have been arrested during demonstrations that erupted after the June 12 vote, which resulted in the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country's president. Kazem Jalili, a spokesman for the committee, said another 150 people remain in detention across Iran and could be released soon, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Also detained are 50 "political figures and members of counter-revolutionary or foreign groups who meddled in the riots", Jalili said. Reports of abuse The move on Tuesday followed an order from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, to close a second detention centre where opposition protesters were detained. Iranian state media said the Kahrizak centre was closing because authorities there were unable to preserve detainees' rights. Alireza Ronaghi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran, said the parliamentary committee was initially motivated to launch its investigation after reports of mistreatment and abuse of the prisoners. "But what appears to have been the main reason for the investigation was the death of the son of a highly respected conservative politician," he said. "Mohsen Rouhalamini, who was arrested on July 9, was said to be killed in prison. Authorities said he had died from meningitis, but there were reports that his teeth were smashed. "The news was taken very seriously by the conservatives as it revealed that the violence was spiraling out of control." Although the protests have largely been quelled, political tensions continue to run high in Iran with the defeated candidates refusing to accept the result. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two defeated presidential candidates, say the vote was rigged. Source: Al Jazeera (English)
 Source: Hizb ut-Tahrir rally in Gaza - http://www.paltoday.com/arabic/News-52929.html H/T: Gramfan
Murad was studying in class five in Mingora, the main city in northwest Pakistan's Swat Valley, when the Islamists abducted him and took him to their remote mountain base in Chuprial. Looking drained in his smudged clothes and dirty sandals, he gave a glimpse into the short life that awaits boys taken by the Taliban. The next stage of his training included 16 hours a day of physical exercise and psychological indoctrination. "My instructor told me that martyrdom is the biggest reward of Allah," Murad said quietly. Another boy, Abdul Wahab, 15, said the Taliban had lured him to the camp from his studies at a madrassa -- Islamic school -- in Mingora. "I was told that it was a religious duty of every Muslim to get training to fight the enemies of Islam," he said. "I panicked when a few days later I was told that I would be getting training for suicide bombing." The army believes between 1200 and 1500 boys as young as 11 who were trained in Swat to become suicide bombers were recruited after the Pakistani government signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February, handing the militants control of the valley. The agreement broke down after the Taliban started advancing on Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, which led to a military offensive that has all but driven the militants from the region. The boys were rescued after the Taliban were forced to abandon their camps. Many are still missing, however, having been sold to militants in other areas. "We are trying to track them down," said Brigadier Tahir, the commanding officer in Mingora. "We are not sure how many of them are still alive." The Taliban turned to children as potential suicide bombers because they were impressionable, less likely to be detected and better able to reach their targets. "They are told that the Pakistani army has become an enemy of Islam as it is fighting for Christians and Jews," said a senior official involved in interrogation of potential suicide bombers who have surrendered or been captured. On the day of a planned attack, the designated suicide bomber is taken to a mosque to be congratulated for being chosen by God. "Sometimes he is also heavily drugged before the attack," the official said. The children were told that they should not allow anyone, even their parents, to get in the way of jihad. "You must not hesitate even to kill your parents if they are on the wrong side," said Kurshid Khan, 14, who was selected for training that could have taken him to South Waziristan -- the lawless region bordering Afghanistan controlled by Baitullah Mehsud, the head of Pakistan's Taliban. Pakistani intelligence officials said 70 per cent of suicide bombers were trained at camps run by Qari Hussain, Mehsud's most trusted lieutenant. Hussain often boasted that he could convince anyone in 10 minutes to become a suicide bomber. They believe many of the children trained at Hussain's camps have carried out attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. A recent UN report said 80 per cent of bombers involved in attacks in Afghanistan came from camps in Pakistan. The army has set up a rehabilitation centre for the children. Murad is back in Mingora. "We did not have any clue where he went," said Mohammad Salman, his father. "I was horrified when I was told that my son could be a suicide bomber." Source:The Australian
Children at a Hamas-run summer camp re-enact the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit in a photograph from a graduation ceremony. July 27 Idyllic days at summer camp usually involve kickball, arts and crafts and some smooth sailing on a placid mountain lake. But when the camp is run by Hamas, kids also have to make time to learn the finer points of kidnapping. Palestinian children in Gaza are being indoctrinated at Hamas summer camps, where they have re-enacted the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit — all while top Hamas officials look happily on, according to The Jerusalem Post. Young campers put on a show acting out the taking of Schalit in the presence of the senior Hamas official who is leading negotiations with Israel over the soldier's release, according to the paper. Schalit was snatched in a cross-border raid in June 2006 and is still being held hostage by Hamas. "This is Hamas's way of showing Palestinian children that kidnapping soldiers is the correct way of life," an Israeli defense official told the Post. Pictures obtained by the paper show children undergoing semi-military training with toy guns. Israeli officials say that more than 120,000 Palestinian children are spending the summer in Hamas-run camps, training-grounds for the militant group recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU. Source: FoxNews
July 28 By Boualam Ghimrassa
Algiers, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Algerian authorities have been trying to propagate Sufism in Algeria to contain a strong Salafi movement in the country, espoused by most members of the armed Islamist groups. An event was officially launched last Saturday, organized by the Zaouia [religious confraternity] Alaouia, with the participation of 5,000 people from 34 countries.
The event featured lectures and seminars calling for moderation and shunning hardline behavior, and Sufi chants. As part of a fierce war that has been going on with the extremist Islamist groups since the early nineties of last century, the authorities have found a different way of stemming the influence of the Salafi jihadist ideology which is espoused by the armed hardliners.
This new approach consists of propagating the Sufi thought through bodies that have thousands of followers inside and outside Algeria. In this respect, the Mostaganem Governorate, 250 km to the west of Algiers, has been the scene of festivals commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Allaoui religious confraternity, under the slogan: "Let us sow the seeds of hope in the minds of people." The organizers of this week-long event say that it is aimed at "encouraging people to return to traditional Islam, the Islam of tolerance and open-mindedness." Its aim is also to "revive the spiritual and cultural heritage."
The event's launching ceremony was marked by a parade of folklore troupes, with the participation of scout groups from several countries. The Algerian news agency said that 5,000 people would be watching the planned spiritual activities, including 2,200 coming from 34 countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, some European countries, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Japan and Indonesia. According to the event's program, the week-long lectures and seminars will go beyond broaching the spiritual aspects of Islam to include discussions on current world issues such as the environment and communication technology. This will be in parallel with lectures on "revelation," "Sufi spiritualism," and "awareness-raising education." For their part, the organizers of the event say that the Alaouia-Dargaria-Chadhilia religious confraternity dates back to the time of the descendants of Prophet Muhammad, God's prayers and peace be upon him, and is strongly inspired by the ideas of the man who revived it early in the 20th century, namely Cheikh Allaoui. The latter succeeded his master, Cheikh El Bouzidi, in 1909. The Cheikh Allaoui confraternity is known for associating traditions to modernity in Islam, and its current Cheikh is called Adlan Khaled Ben Tounis. He is a writer and lecturer on Sufism and Islam. These celebrations are sponsored by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika personally, and call for brotherhood, tolerance, fighting hatred and spreading the values of tolerance. They are keenly used by the Algerian authorities to confront the activity of the propagators of Salafia jihadi ideology, which is infiltrating society through mosques, books and compact discs distributed to the young in various places, including schools.
The Salafia jihadist ideology is also propagated through films inciting combat, which are shown on the Internet. Investigations indicate that a large number of armed groups' members have espoused this ideology as a result of the propagation of a discourse calling for war against the state. Moreover, the Algerian gendarmerie announced over the weekend that border gendarmes had seized four tons of drugs, two weapons, ammunition, and a mobile telephone in the small town of Oued Ritma, Bechar Governorate, 965 km to the south west of the Algerian capital Algiers. In this respect, an Algerian source stated that border guards in Oued Ritma ambushed and opened fire on a convoy composed of four vehicles belonging to drug smugglers; the gendarmes arrested four and seized 4,060 kg of treated drugs and an automatic weapon. Source: Asharq Alawsat
By Phyllis Chesler An Ongoing Cultural AutopsyThe information is so overwhelming and so awful that even the mainstream media has increasingly been forced to describe the plight of women in Muslim lands. Over the weekend, Nicholas D. Kristof (who has always been good on this) tells the story of a new Pakistani hero: Sixteen-year-old, Assiya Rafiq, who was kidnapped, sold, beaten and raped for a solid year—and then raped again when she went to the police to press charges. She, her supportive parents and siblings now live in hiding as she prepares to prosecute both the gang-members and the police. Today, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal both have articles about the return of the Taliban to the Swat Valley in Pakistan and about what that means: The increased kidnapping and indoctrination of children into becoming jihadic warriors and the parallel brutalization of women, infidels, and civilians through beheadings, acid attacks, forced, harsh veiling, and bans on women shopping. Read more ...Source: PJM
 The head scarves are designed to match the force's uniform | Avon and Somerset Police is issuing head coverings to its female officers so they can enter mosques. The force says the move will help its officers respect Muslim religious customs while carrying out their job. The garments, designed to match the force's uniform, were designed in consultation with Muslim groups. Imam Rashad Azami, of Bath, said: "This will go a long way in encouraging a trustful relationship between the police and the Muslim community." Mr Azami, director of Bath Islamic Society, said: "The police have been working closely with the Muslim community in the area on many levels for the last few years." There are two versions of the head coverings, to match the black of a police officer's uniform and the blue of the Police Community Support Officer uniforms. Both carry the force's crest. Source: BBC H/T: Jihad Watch
 Guilty plea ... Shane Kent outside a Melbourne courtMELBOURNE man Shane Kent has pleaded guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court to being a member of a terrorist organisation and being involved in preparing a terrorist act.Kent, 32, made the admission on Tuesday just before a jury was to be empanelled for what was to be his retrial after a jury was unable to reach a verdict in his original trial last September. He faced a trial last year along with 11 other men accused of being members of a Melbourne terror group that had discussed plans to bomb various landmarks in the city, including the MCG on AFL grand final day. Kent, from Campbellfield, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of intentionally being a member of a terrorist organisation between July 2004 and November 2005. The father of three also pleaded guilty to one count of making a document connected with the preparation of a terrorist act. Read more ... Source: The Courier-Mail
'This insolence will bring about the downfall of the American leadership' July 27,
By Aaron Klein
Rally at U.S. consulate in Jerusalem last night (WND photo) | JERUSALEM – President Obama's policies against Jewish construction in eastern Jerusalem and the strategic West Bank were slammed as "racist" today by participants in a rally drawing about 2,000 Israelis in front of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. "George Mitchell go home!" yelled protestors in front of the U.S. government building. Mitchell, Obama's envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is here discussing the American administration's call for a halt to all Jewish settlement activity, including natural growth or accommodating the needs of existing Jewish populations in the areas in question. "Obama should not be pressing Israel to compromise and freeze building in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem," protest organizer Yaacov Steinberg told WND. "All these steps in the past just brought more Palestinian terror and showed Israeli weakness," said Steinberg, director of a coalition of West Bank Jewish organizations. Speaking at the rally, Rabbi Eliezer Waldman, who heads the prestigious "Nir" Torah seminary in the West Bank city of Kiryat Arba, called Obama a "racist." "How dare he tell the Jews where they can or can't live! The era when Jews were banned from living in different places has ended," Waldman exclaimed. "Obama beware. This insolence will bring about the downfall of the American leadership. Anyone who dares give an order to prevent Israeli life in Jerusalem or anywhere else in the land of Israel is destined to fall," he said. Read more here,,,, Source: WND
Two minute silence WORLDWIDE, Thursday July 30 11am/6:30pm for 40th day anniversary. Source and Updates: Atlas
A father, his two sons and four other men living in North Carolina are accused of military-style training at home and plotting "violent jihad" abroad, including against targets in Israel, federal authorities said Monday. Officials said the men were led by Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, who resided in a small lakeside home in a rural area south of Raleigh, where he and his family walked their dog and operated a drywall business. Court records, however, indicate Boyd was a veteran of terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan who fought against the Soviet Union. "These charges hammer home the point that terrorists and their supporters are not confined to the remote regions of some far away land but can grow and fester right here at home," US Attorney George E.B. Holding said. The seven men made their first court appearances in Raleigh on Monday, charged with providing material support to terrorism. If convicted, they could face life in prison. The indictment said Boyd, a US citizen, trained in Afghanistan and fought there between 1989 and 1992 before returning to the United States. Court documents charged that Boyd, also known as 'Saifullah,' encouraged others to engage in jihad. Boyd's faith was so brash that, this year, he stopped attending worship services in the Raleigh area and instead began meeting for Friday prayers in his home. "This is not an indictment of the entire Muslim community," Holding said. "These people had broken away because their local mosque did not follow their vision of being a good Muslim." In 1991, Boyd and his brother were convicted of bank robbery in Pakistan - accused of carrying identification showing they belonged to the radical Afghan guerrilla group, Hezb-e-Islami, or Party of Islam. They were each sentenced to have a foot and a hand cut off for the robbery, but the sentenced was later overturned. The wives of the men told The Associated Press in an interview at the time they were glad the truth about their husbands had finally become known. The wives said the couples had US roots but the United States was a country of "kafirs" - Arabic for heathens. Jim Stephenson, a neighbor of Patrick Boyd in Willow Spring, said he saw the Boyd family walking their dog in the neighborhood. He said the indictment shocked the residents. "We never saw anything to give any clues that something like that could be going on in their family," Stephenson said. Two of the suspects are Boyd's sons: Zakariya Boyd, 20 and Dylan Boyd, 22. The others are Anes Subasic, 33; Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 22; and Ziyad Yaghi, 21. Hysen Sherifi, 24, a native of Kosovo and a US legal permanent was also charged in the case. He was the only person arrested who was not a US citizen. All were residents of North Carolina. No attorneys for the men were listed in court records. Reached at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland, Boyd's mother said she had not heard of their arrests and knew nothing about the current case. "It certainly sounds weird to me," Pat Saddler said. "That's news to me." Hassan's father declined to comment Monday night while others did not have listed numbers or did not return calls. It's unclear how authorities learned of the activities, although court documents indicate that prosecutors will introduce evidence gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The indictment claims Boyd traveled to Israel in 2007 with several of the defendants, hoping to engage in "violent jihad." The attempt was unsuccessful, though, and the men returned home, officials said. Boyd was also accused of trying to raise money last year to fund others' travel overseas to fight. One of the men, Hysen Sharifi, allegedly went to Kosovo to engage in violent jihad, according to the indictment, but it's unclear if he did any actual fighting. Several of the defendants, including Boyd, were also charged with practicing military tactics on a private property in Caswell County in June and July of this year. Source: JP
 British actor Sacha Baron Cohen dressed as the character Bruno arrives for the British premiere of ' Bruno', in London.
Photo: AP A self-proclaimed reformed Aksa Martyrs Brigades operative is claiming damages from Sacha Baron Cohen for portraying him as a terrorist in his new movie 'Bruno.' In the movie, Cohen interviews the man, Ayman Abu Ayta, poking fun at terrorists and Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden. "Your king, Osama looks either like a dirty wizard or a homeless Santa," says 'Bruno.' "I want to be famous and I want the best guys in the business to kidnap me," he continues. "Al Qaida is so 2001." Abu Ayta, an east Jerusalem resident, says that since his release from an Israel jail seven years ago, he has not engaged in any terror activity. He told Channel 10 that he had received an offer to help make a movie "to promote peace." "You lied about me and you said you want to do something for the Palestinian people," he told Channel 10, addressing the comedian. "I saw the film. It is very bad for me." His lawyer, Hatem Abu Ahmad, who is in negotiations with the movie makers over compensation, said "a dirty trick" was played on his client. He also said that part of the damages claim is the fact that Ayman himself was portrayed as a homosexual, due to Bruno's character as a gay Austrian supermodel. "If someone here calls you a homo, it's a very serious insult," said Ahmad. Source: JP
By Harmeet Shah Singh July 27th
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) — An Indian court on Monday convicted a couple and another man for explosions that left 54 people dead in Mumbai in 2003.
Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam described the verdict as a “big blow” to the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the attack. The court reserved sentencing till at least August 4. On that day, the prosecution will recommend what Nikam called the toughest punishment for the convicts, which is expected to be execution. Monday’s conviction came under what is now a repealed Prevention of Terror Act, which was in force in India when the bombings occurred at Mumbai’s Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar gold market. The court examined 103 witnesses, Nikam earlier told CNN. India blames the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba for last year’s terror strikes in Mumbai, in which more than 160 people were killed. Source: CNN Wire
 | | Dozens of people were killed when Boko Haram fighters attacked a police post in Bauchi state | | At least 60 people have been killed in two days of violent clashes between police and Islamist fighters across four states in northern Nigeria, police have said. Fighting broke out in Yobe, Borno and Kano states on Monday, a day after at least 50 people were killed in Bauchi state. The fighters belonged to a group known as Boko Haram - which means "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa dialect - and have called for a nationwide enforcement of sharia (Islamic law). Members of the group set a police station ablaze in Potiskum, Yobe state, early on Monday and attacked a police station in Maiduguri in Borno state. Heavily armed members of the group stormed the town of Gamboru-Ngala in Borno, burning a police headquarters, a church and a customs post in the early hours of Monday, residents said. Police targeted Shafiu Mohammed, a local resident, told the AFP news agency that the group had overpowered police and customs officers in the town. "The operation took them two hours. They left around 2:00am (01:00 GMT) without facing any resistance," he said. Police said a police station was also attacked in Wudil town on the outskirts of Kano. Baba Mohammed, a Kano police spokesman, said three members of the group were killed in the attack and another 33 arrested. "An unspecified number of these extremists attacked the police station at around 4:00am (03:00 GMT) and injured two officers, but our men repelled them, killed three and apprehended 33 of them," he said. Boko Haram was founded in 2004, setting up a base dubbed "Afghanistan" in the village of Kanamma in Yobe, close to the border with Niger. The local Daily Trust newspaper quoted Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, who is purportedly the leader of the group, as saying his followers were ready to die to ensure the institution of a strict Islamic society. "Democracy and [the] current system of education must be changed, otherwise this war that is yet to start would continue for long," he said.
'Fanatical organisation'
Ogbonnaya Onovo, the national police chief, on Monday vowed to arrest Boko Haram's leaders. "This is a fanatical organisation that is anti-government, anti-people. We don't know what their aims are yet; we are out to identify and arrest their leaders and also destroy their enclaves, wherever they are," he said.
Felix Onuah, a freelance journalist in the capital, Abuja, told Al Jazeera that the group was largely unknown until now. "Suddenly they emerged and it was realised that their influence had extended to all of the states in the north,"
he said. Sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians in Bauchi state in February left at least five people dead. Muslims attacked Christians and set fire to churches in retaliation for the burning of two mosques, which had been blamed on Christians. Last November, more than 700 people were killed in Jos, the capital of Plateau state, when a political feud over a local election degenerated into bloody confrontation between the two religions. Source: Al Jazeera (English)
Authorities say four militants were found dead after an explosion in the violence-plagued Ingushetia province in southern Russia.
The regional interior ministry said a makeshift bomb exploded early Sunday in a car in the Nazran district, killing the four passengers, including a member of a militant group previously convicted for illegal arms possession.
Ingushetia, which borders Chechnya to the west, has been roiled by shootings, bombings and other attacks targeting police and government officials.
The province's Kremlin-appointed president, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, was critically wounded in a bombing last month. Source: APH/T: Weasel ZippersExploding Ingushi Gihadis
Latest recipients of the Evil Dumbass Award
 Muslims Against Sharia congratulate Ingushi Gihadis with the latest "work accident" and wish for many more happy occurrences in the immediate future.
 By Bill Roggio A senior Qods Force officer who led one of the three commands in Iraq assigned to attack US and Iraqi forces was one of five Iranians released by the US military on July 9. Mahmud Farhadi, the leader of the Zafr Command, one of three units subordinate to the Qods Force's Ramazan Corps, was among five Iranians turned over to the Iraqi government and then subsequently turned over to the Iranians. A spokesman from the Iranian foreign ministry identified Farhadi as one of the five men released on July 9, according to a report on Iranian state-run television. Reports initially indicated that five Iranians who were captured by the US in Irbil in northern Iraq in January 2007 were released from custody. But US military intelligence officials told The Long War Journal that Farhadi was disguised as one of the Irbil Five to soften the blow of the release. The US had previously released two members of the Irbil Five in November 2007, according to The Associated Press, but the report received little attention. This "left room for Farhadi to be pawned off as one of the Irbil Five and snuck out the back door," one official told The Long War Journal. Read more ...Source: The Long War JournalH/T: Weasel Zippers
By Pamela Geller
“The struggle for women’s equality continues in many aspects of American life,” said Barack Obama in Cairo in June, “and in countries around the world.” Too bad Obama wasn’t speaking about Islam.
There have been three separate incidents of honor killing in the past week: seven women are dead in Canada, and one in Germany. All were Muslims. The world in the West is changing for women. This war being waged in our society by Islam is about women -- it’s about power, it’s about control.
Four other Muslim women died recently in a “car accident” near Kingston, Ontario, and Kingston police are investigating: the teenage girls Zainab Shafia, Sahar Shafia and Geeti Shafia, along with their “aunt” Rona Amir Mohammed. Investigators are now saying that the girls’ parents and their brother conspired to dump the car into the Kingston Mills Locks on the Rideau Canal on June 30, and then lied to police in saying that the incident was an “accident.” The girls’ father, Mohammed Shafia, originally claimed that the four had gone on a joyride with the eldest, Zainab Shafia, driving. Yet Zainab Shafia had no driver’s license. What father or mother would throw a daughter the keys to a car when the girl had no license, and allow the teen to take her younger sisters with her? Does that not sound totally out of character for a parent? Source: Human Events
 Plus tard ce mois-ci, les membres du Hizb ut-Tahrir au Canada accueilleront une conférence à Mississauga où ils débattront de l’instauration d'un califat. L'annonce de la conférence est la première reconnaissance publique de la présence du Hizb ut-Tahrir au Canada. C’est un signe que ce groupe pourrait être récemment passé à la deuxième phase de sa stratégie en trois étapes, comme pour le Hizb ut-Tahrir Amérique (HTA). (Pour en savoir davantage sur les méthodes du Hizb ut-Tahrir, lire mon article précédent). Les filiales du Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) dans le monde entier accueillent des conférences sur le califat ce mois-ci dans le cadre de leur «Campagne du Rajab ». Dans le calendrier islamique, Rajab est le mois de la chute de l'Empire ottoman, ou, dans l’esprit du HT, celui de l’anniversaire de la destruction du califat. L'annonce de la conférence de Mississauga se réfère à ses hôtes comme « les membres du Hizb ut-Tahrir au Canada» plutôt que «Hizb ut-Tahrir Canada », une appellation conforme à celle des autres filiales du HT dans le monde. En outre, la conférence aura lieu dans un endroit moins spacieux que celui où s'est tenue la conférence du HTA à Chicago. Les participants à la conférence du HTA ont rempli la grande salle de bal de l'hôtel Hilton Oak Lawn pendant toute une journée. La conférence canadienne aura lieu le 31 juillet en soirée au Centre communautaire de Mississauga et durera seulement deux heures. Selon le site Internet du Centre communautaire, le Salon Frank Bean (la salle qui est réservée pour la réunion) n'accueille que 40 personnes. Les organisateurs de la conférence du HT ont décrit la réunion comme « une session questions/réponses ouverte portant sur des sujets qui sont d'importance pour la Oumma, notamment le rétablissement de l'islam comme un mode de vie, le rôle du Califat Rashida, et le rôle de la communauté musulmane au Canada. » Lire la suite...
Source: Counterterrorism Blog (Traduction française par Poste de veille)
 If America should not impose “its own” democratic system, can it stay neutral when oppressive regimes and forces impose their “own repressive” systems?By Dr. Walid Phares Another issue raised by President Barack Obama during his July 11th speech at Accra is the “relative” notion of democracy. In contrast with the previous administration’s call for a U.S.-backing for the “spread of democracy,” Obama underlined that “America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny.” In fact, the difference between the previous and the current U.S. approach is not about the “role,” as no one in Washington’s government has had any project to “impose” democracy, or specific institutions. The George W. Bush approach tried to say that all nations yearn for democracy and freedom with the same intensity, if given the opportunity. The Obama approach says the same about the ultimate quest but recommends stirring away from fermenting, inciting, or pushing for it. He said: “Each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions.” Read more ... Source: FSM
Arab health officials have agreed to restrict certain groups from performing the annual Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year amid growing concerns about the H1N1 flu pandemic. Those considered high-risk such as the elderly, young children and the chronically ill have been advised to avoid making the hajj or the lesser umrah pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. But Abdullah al-Rabeeah, the Saudi health minister, said on Wednesday the kingdom has no plans to restrict the number of visas it issues for pilgrims, though numbers are expected to be lower. "We did not change the percentage of any country, we changed certain rules," he said after a meeting of Arab health ministers and representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO). "It's up to the country to replace [applicants who fall under the restrictions] with" other pilgrims. The move to keep the vulnerable groups away from the pilgrimage is expected to be ratified by the respective Arab governments. Hussein Gezairi, the WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, said he expected Riyadh to ratify the recommendations, adding there was a "consensus" among the health ministers at the meeting. "The Saudi government will make [these conditions] a requirement... No one will get their visa unless these requirements are fulfilled." Gezairi said the Saudi government was well equipped to deal with communicable diseases among the large number of annual pilgrims. "[Our] government has a very long experience now... because Saudi Arabia every year receives between 25 and 30 cases of cholera and no epidemics are happening." Around three million Muslim pilgrims from over 160 countries head for the holy city of Mecca in western Saudi Arabia each year in one of the world's biggest religious gatherings. Travel warnings In June, Saudi Arabia called on elderly, ill and other unfit Muslims - including pregnant women - to postpone their pilgrimages to Mecca because of the threat of H1N1. Oman issued a similar warning on July 6. This year the hajj will take place in November, while the umrah can be performed at any time but is popular during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts in August. On Monday Egypt became the latest country to warn vulnerable Muslims against the pilgrimage to Mecca, after an Egyptian woman returning from Saudi Arabia succumbed to H1N1 - the first death in the Middle East and Africa. Egyptian health officials have said all returning pilgrims will be quarantined. "We are separating patients who are positive for avian flu in hospitals," said Hatem el-Gabali, the health minister in the most populous Arab country. In Iran, a health ministry official repeated calls on Tuesday for elderly Iranians and children to avoid travelling to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage as the number of confirmed H1N1 cases in the Islamic republic rose to 16. Tunisia earlier this month suspended umrah pilgrimages because of the virus, while reserving judgement on whether the main hajj pilgrimage should be undertaken in November. The airborne H1N1 virus has now been diagnosed in tens of thousands of people worldwide, and has killed more than 430 people, according to the WHO. Source: Al Jazeera (English)
By Sue Pleming
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and reiterated Washington's commitment to protect close ally Israel from any threat posed by Tehran. "We are going to do everything we can to prevent you (Iran) from getting a nuclear weapon. Your pursuit is futile," she told NBC's "Meet the Press" program, adding that Iran did not have the right to develop a nuclear weapon. Clinton annoyed ally Israel last week by saying the United States would cope with a nuclear Iran by arming its allies in the Gulf and extending a "defense umbrella" over the region. A senior Israeli official said the United States should focus on preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon rather than talking as if this may be a fait accompli. Asked whether she had been referring to a nuclear umbrella, Clinton told NBC: "We are not talking in specifics, because that would come later if at all. My view is you hope for the best, but plan for the worst," said Clinton. "Clearly, we have a long, durable relationship with Israel. We believe strongly that Israel's security must be protected," she added. Major powers suspect Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran maintains its nuclear work is a civilian program to generate much-needed electrical power. Several senior U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and national security advisor James Jones, will be in Israel this week, seeking to reassure the Jewish state amid concerns it could strike first against Iran if it believes there is no global resolve to curb Tehran's nuclear plans. "Our message (to Israel) is as it has been. The United States stands with you and the United States believes that Israel has a right to security. We believe, however, that this (diplomatic) approach we are taking, holds out the promise of realizing our common objective," said Clinton. The Obama administration fears an Israeli strike against Iran would further destabilize the region and have dramatic consequences. DIPLOMATIC PUSH Asked for her views on a preemptive Israeli strike against Iran, Clinton reiterated Israel's right to defend itself and said it would not listen to other nations if it believed its survival were threatened. But she stressed that pursuing intensive diplomacy with Iran was the best approach, a shift from the Bush administration which avoided engagement with Tehran and insisted that Tehran give up sensitive nuclear work first. "We will continue to work with all of our allies, and most particularly Israel, to determine the best way forward to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state," she said. The Obama administration and several European allies such as France have threatened a new round of financial sanctions against Iran by the end of the year if it does not agree to give up uranium enrichment. Read more here,,, Source: Reuters
 ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities last night arrested pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Mohammad, who brokered a now-failed peace deal between the government and militants in the Swat Valley. Mian Iftikhar, the Information Minister for the North West Frontier Province, said police arrested Mohammad in Peshawar for speaking against the government and encouraging violence and terrorism. "Instead of keeping his promises by taking steps for the sake of peace, and speaking out against terrorism, he did not utter a single word against terrorists," Mr Iftikhar said. He said that the cleric's stance "encouraged terrorism, it encouraged violence". The cleric negotiated a deal with the government in February that imposed shariah, or Islamic, law in Swat in exchange for an end to two years of fighting. But it was widely seen as an acquiescence to Taliban control of the valley. The deal collapsed in April when the Taliban advanced into neighbouring districts, triggering a military offensive that prompted a spree of retaliatory attacks by militants. The military offensive in the Swat Valley and surrounding areas forced two million people to flee their homes and take refuge in camps or with relatives across the country. In the past two weeks hundreds of thousands have been returning home as the offensive winds down, although sporadic fighting persists. The cleric's arrest followed that of a former MP and a suspected Taliban militant in connection with the beheading of Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak, kidnapped near the Afghan border last September. Investigator Malik Tariq Awan said the two were taken into custody a month ago. He named one as Shah Abdul Aziz, a member of a pro-Taliban party who was elected to parliament's lower house in 2002. Mr Awan said Aziz was believed to have plotted the abduction of Stanczak, who was taken while surveying oil and gas fields. A video emerged in February of Stanczak's beheading. His remains were recovered and flown back to Poland in April. Source: The Australian
By Avi Issacharoff Senior Hamas officials had claimed, in the wake of Hamas' June 2007 Gaza takeover, that the organization did not have any intention to turn the Sharia, Islamic religious law into official state regulations. Two years later, however, it seems that the Hamas government is slowly introducing more and more regulations in the spirit of the Islamic decrees. The London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi reported that the organization's Gaza government had recently approved a series of laws, a Muslim code of conduct of sorts, meant to guard Muslim religion and morals. These guidelines join an increasing amount of reports from Gaza residents saying that modesty patrols were forcing women to wear head coverings, especially at Gaza's beaches, and that they were inspecting isolated cars in order to prevent unmarried couples being alone together. Read more ...Source: HaaretzH/T: Weasel Zippers
By Robert Spencer "While the practice is not confined to a specific cultural group and has no links to Islam, there is 'no question,' Mr. Oppal said, the numbers of honour killings are higher in certain communities." No links to Islam? Really? Consider these: A manual of Islamic law certified by Al-Azhar as a reliable guide to Sunni orthodoxy says that "retaliation is obligatory against anyone who kills a human being purely intentionally and without right." However, "not subject to retaliation" is "a father or mother (or their fathers or mothers) for killing their offspring, or offspring's offspring." ( 'Umdat al-Salik o1.1-2). Read more ...Source: Jihad Watch
 Protection: Some Muslims have refused
to use alcohol-based hand gelsSome Muslims have refused to use alcohol-based hand gels to combat the spread of swine flu because they claim it is against their religion.
Some of those employed by St Albans Council in Hertfordshire have complained about the antibacterial lotion, which is considered a key strategy in containing the virus.
Officials were concerned because the Koran bans Muslims from consuming alcohol, so council chiefs issued them with non-alcohol hand gels, which studies have shown to be less effective in killing bugs.
But Muslim leaders criticised the council’s decision to change the gel, pointing out that Islamic teachings allow Muslims to use alcohol for medicinal purposes.
The Muslim Council of Britain said: ‘We would advise people to follow the medical advice so we would, of course, encourage people to use hand gel. ‘People need to find ways to accommodate their beliefs.’
Councils, schools and businesses across the country have ordered supplies of alcohol-based hand gels to reduce the spread of swine flu.
A spokesman for St Albans Council said it had issued hand gel to all employees in May. Source: Daily MailH/T: Jihad Watch
 Quand la nouvelle s’est répandue que le meurtre de trois adolescentes canadiennes d’origine afghane et de la première femme de leur père à Kingston en Ontario pourrait être un «crime d’honneur», certains membres de la communauté musulmane ont réagi presque immédiatement de la façon la plus prévisible qui soit : par une attitude défensive et de déni. Au lieu d'exprimer leur indignation face à ces meurtres, deux musulmans qui ont appelé à mon émission de radio CFRB à Toronto m’ont fustigé pour avoir soulevé le sujet et ont suggéré que j’avais un agenda caché. «Cela n'a rien à voir avec l'islam», a dit un interlocuteur, bien que jusque-là, personne n’avait même prononcé le mot «islam» à l’émission, et encore moins accusé cette religion d’autoriser les crimes d’honneur. Ces interlocuteurs ne sont pas les seuls. Le directeur de la succursale canadienne de la Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) a dit à la CBC plus ou moins la même chose – que cette histoire n’avait rien à voir avec l'islam, qui apparemment ne permet pas les crimes d'honneur. Ils sont à la fois raison et tort. Il est vrai que le livre saint de l'islam, le coran, n’autorise pas les crimes d'honneur. Mais c’est faire preuve de malhonnêteté intellectuelle que de nier le fait que de nombreux crimes d'honneur sont perpétrés par des pères, des fils et des frères musulmans, et que de nombreuses victimes sont des musulmanes. Au pire, c'est une tentative d’empêcher tout débat. Lire la suite...
Source: National Post (Traduction française par Poste de veille)
GAZA, July 24 (KUNA) -- Two Hamas militants were Friday killed apparently while preparing for an attack against the Israelis but died when the explosive device they were handling exploded, the Palestinian movement's military wing said.
Izzuddin Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement 23-year-old Osma Kamal Nabahin and 22-year-old Bakr Jamal Nabahin were killed while they were performing a "special jihadist" mission. It did not elaborate.
Palestinian security sources said the two were killed in a big explosion that occured east of Buraij camp.
Medical sources said the remains of the killed were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza Strip. Source: KUNAH/T: Weasel ZippersOsma Kamal Nabahin
Bakr Jamal Nabahin
Latest recipients of the Evil Dumbass Award
Muslims Against Sharia congratulate Hamas with the latest "work accident" and wish for many more happy occurrences in the immediate future.
 (Washington, DC) – Leaders from eight moderate Muslim organizations met on Monday with US Agency heads, Members of Congress and congressional staff at the US Capitol. These meeting were part of an historic Moderate Muslim Summit organized by US Representative Sue Myrick (NC-09). The summit was a first of its kind because it assembled the largest group of diverse Muslims in the US Capitol to discuss issues and policy impacting Muslim communities and societies.
At the summit, Muslim leaders were able to meet with representatives from the State Department, USAID, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense in order to emphasize the importance of having a diverse Muslim voice when addressing Muslim communities and societies. They shared their thoughts and opinions on US foreign policy and aid, and how the US government can do a better job at reaching out and hearing from a more diverse group of Muslims rather than just the largest Muslim organizations who represent a minority opinion in the Muslim community.
“I’ve been working with many of these leaders for several years now,” said Rep. Myrick. “They give us valuable input on policy and provide us with new ideas on how to stamp out extremism in their communities and societies around the word. We set up this summit so we could introduce them to other Members of Congress and US agencies in hopes they will use them as a resource as well. It was very successful and I believe this summit was the first step to empower these leaders so that they will be a strong force in helping our government in combating radical Islamists and extremism”.
Leaders from the following organizations were present at the Summit:
Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi- President World Organization for Resource Development and Education (WORDE)
Dr Zeyno Baran- Director for the Center for Eurasian Policy at the Hudson Institute
Farid Ghadry- President of the Reform Party of Syria
Manda Zand Ervin the founder and director of the Alliance of Iranian Women
Dr. Ali H. Alyami- Executive Director, The Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
Omran Salman- Arab Reformists Project, 'Aafaq (Arabic for “horizons”).
Dr. Zudi Jasser, American Islamic Forum for Democracy
Karim Bromund, Director of Inter-Religious Affairs for the Islamic Supreme Council of America
Dr Walid Phares, Senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and academic advisor to the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus, moderated the summit. "This first summit of ideologically moderate Muslim American NGOs and leaders held in the US Congress is only a first step in a new direction so that an alternative voice would be added to the debate within the community and about the issues related to foreign policy, defense, national security, and radicalization," said Phares. "This meeting is a sample of the forthcoming initiatives and projects that the NGOs have in mind. Future summits will include a wider circle of leaders and groups. But note that even at this early stage, the Myrick sponsored summit included representatives from various backgrounds: Sunni and Shia, Arab and Iranian, American and foreign born, religious and secular, etc."
Phares added: "the issues discussed with representatives from the State Department, the Defense Department, and US Aid covered a wide range of concerns from terrorism, counter radicalization, humanitarian assistance to community participation in national perception of Muslim public affairs." Phares said that the initial idea, as raised by Representative Myrick who serves as co-chair of the Anti-Terrorism Caucus in the US House, "is to help diversity grow in the debate among Muslim Americans and within the national community on issues important to all citizens." He said that the voices of democracy and pluralism seeking Muslim Americans should be heard by legislators, the Administration and the public." Source: Walid PharesNote: American Media could not be bothered to comment on the Moderate Muslim Summit. Hon. Sue Myrick
Latest recipient of The MASH Award
 In the last few years we Muslims have seen a lot of attacks directed at the Prophets of Allah (swt) including Jesus (as) and Muhammad (saw) by the Kufaar. Historically and contemporary the Ulemah of Haq have cleared up what needs to be done to those who fall into this cesspit. However astonishingly some Muslims remain confused about what needs to be done and this is where this very small piece of work in the English language will do a small piece of justice to this very sensitive topic. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) said No slave says three time in the evening and morning I am pleased with Allah as a Lord, I am pleased with Islam as a religion and I am pleased with Muhammad (saw) as a prophet except that it becomes his right upon Allah that He pleases him. [Musnad Imam Ahmad] Allah (swt) honoured our beloved Prophet (saw) by defending him from amongst the barrage of abuse thrown at him by the pagans by revealing many verses of the Quran from the seven heavens إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الأبْتَرُThe one who makes you angry (or hates you) by saying you have no children, or mocks you, insults you, or ridicules you he will be destroyed and ruined (in this life and the hereafter) [EMQ 108:3] A man was brought in front of Umar ibn Khataab (ra) who had insulted Muhammad (saw) and Umar (ra) killed him and said anyone who insults Allah (swt) or Muhammad (saw) or any Prophet he should be killed. Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said Any Muslim who insults Allah or any Prophet he therefore disbelieves in Allah and the Messengers which is equated to apostasy and he must be punished for it. And anyone from the citizens (Dhimmi) of the Islamic State (Khilafah) insults Allah or any of the Prophets or he declares that (publicly) then he violates his contract, violates his treaty, violates his covenant therefore he must be punished and killed. Unfortunately we have many deviant Muslims who are resorting to changing the Hukm (ruling) of Allah by asking those who have insulted the Prophets to apologise for what they have done. They are asking Murtad (apostate) governments to boycott them internationally. They ask the Muslims to boycott for instance the Danish goods (albeit selectively) and the irony is that our biggest enemy which is the satanic USA is being let off the hook because it has only killed millions of Muslims and tortured, imprisoned thousands more! Or is it because it would create hardship on the people to give up computer software like Microsoft, Windows, CNN etc or even more difficult to give up working for American businesses and corporations. Some misguided Muslims have disgracefully asked for the copyright of these pictures and caricatures so they can never be published again. These same people are asking the Tagooth (manmade) regimes (nationally and internationally) to legislate new laws that will protect the Muslims from being insulted in this manner (i.e. commit Shirk by participating in the political process). They even go as far as to applaud some other western or eastern press for being responsible for not publishing these pictures; yet they quite conveniently forget that these media outlets publish pornography, propagate killing Muslim Mujahid all over the world. Whilst others have called for all faiths to be united against religious discrimination. All these so called solutions are false appetizers to pacify the Ummah (One Islamic brotherhood) from its true methodology in dealing with those who belittle the Prophets and Messengers of Allah (swt). Extracts from the momentous book Raising the Sharp Sword Against Those who Insult the Messengers [Al-Saarim Al-Maslool Ala-Shaatim Al-Rasool] written by Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [d.728 AH] have been used to clarify the position of those who insult any of the Prophets of Allah (swt). The reader is also directed to The Healing by the Rights of the Recognition of the Chosen One written by Qadi Iyad [d.544 AH] also known as Ash Shifa. Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says There is no right for anyone to pardon, or forgive, or leave the charge of death penalty because of benefit and interest, or change/replace the penalty from capital punishment to something lesser (e.g. Ta’zir being lashed or sentenced to prison) because this is someone who has harmed Muhammad (saw) and the entire Muslim Ummah [written in the chapter called Can we drop the charge against someone who insults Muhammad (saw)]. The offence is so great that in some cases an apostate can repent and return to the fold of Islam whereas anyone who insults any of the Messengers may repent but will never affect the ruling on him. As Imam Malik [d.179 AH] (rh) said He could become the most pious person in the entire world but that will not detract the penalty of being executed. Here the espousers of Al-Taaifah Al-Mansoorah (The Divinely Protected and Victoriously Aided Sect) will use the sword of truth to differentiate the Haq (Quran and Sunnah upon the understanding of the Sahabah (ra)) from the Batil (false satanic manmade laws) Inshallah. The Sword Of The Angels It is authentically recorded in Tabarani on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (ra) who said Muhammad (saw) passed by a group of people from amongst the Meccans and they blinked their eyes in a mocking way to Muhammad (saw). They spoke behind his back, teased him and pointed to him saying he is the one that claims he is a Prophet of Allah and he is accompanied by Gibrael (as). Upon this Gibrael (as) (descended) touched the mockers by flicking his nail and they all contracted illnesses and diseases that spread into their bodies inducing a stench. This smell forced people to stay away from them until these scoffers died in that state and the following Quranic verse was revealed I promise to deal with any one who mocks you [EMQ 15:95] An important and famous Islamic principle from amongst the hundreds of juristic principles is one that states “One of the most ugly and heinous crimes is to attack the honour and character of any of the Prophets of Allah”. Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) writes every single person must know that Allah’s Deen cannot be established upon the earth except by a particular means and that means is to send Messengers to guide the people. Via the noble Messengers people were able to worship Allah (swt) and submit to Allah (swt) (i.e. stay away from Shirk). And whoever insults any of the Prophets (that have been mentioned in the Quran or described as Prophets (via authentic texts)) then he is insulting our Prophets; which means the capital punishment must be carried out on them. For Allah (swt) says … make no distinction between any of the Messengers of Allah…[EMQ 2:285] and having Imaan (conviction in the heart, testifying by the tongue which is manifested by the limbs in total unison) on them is Wajib (compulsory) and this Wajib has certain duties and one of those duties is to defend the Prophets and prevent any insults on them. The Sword Of Allah Anas ibn Malik (ra) reported that There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Imran and he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he became an apostate and he used to say: Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him (i.e. mock and ridicule Muhammad (saw)). Then Allah (swt) caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, this is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them (apostatised). They again dug the grave more deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, this is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them (apostatised). They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground). [Bukhari] Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) said The grave spat him out (via Allah (swt) command) because he was cursed and his body was exposed due to the fact he ridiculed and scoffed Muhammad (saw) until no grave (no soil on earth) would accept him and his own companions had to leave his body for the dogs to eat. The Sword Of The Jinn The rest of Allah (swt) creation does not tolerate any abuse thrown at our noble Prophet Muhammad (saw). Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said A man came to Muhammad (saw) in the shape of a man but he was a Jinn (Muslim Jinn). Muhammad (saw) said His name was Samhajj Muhammad (saw) said he was one of the Jinn who believed in me and I named him Abdullah. He told me that he had chased one man who had insulted you for the last three days continuously, so I could kill him (strangle him to death). Imam Ali (ra) said May Allah reward him a great reward because he defended the honour of Muhammad (saw). The Sword Of The Booty Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said A mushrik (idolater) insulted Muhammad (saw) and Muhammad (saw) said Who can deal with my enemy. The youthful Zubair ibn Al- Awaam fought him killed him and Muhammad (saw) said Take all his wealth for yourself. The Sword Of Your Life The Sahabah (ra) were willing to sacrifice their lives, their parents lives and ready to kill just to defend the honour of Muhammad (saw). Hassan ibn Atiyyah (ra) said Jabir ibn Abdullah (ra) and Abdul Rawahah (ra) were amongst some companions sent to an expedition by Muhammad (saw). One pagan from amongst the enemies insulted Muhammad (saw) publicly, as a result one Muslim came forward and said I am the son of so and so insult me, my father, my mother but not Muhammad (saw). The pagan became angrier and continued his abuse. The same Muslim replied by saying listen to me this is my fathers name, my grandfathers name etc do not insult Muhammad (saw). If you do this I will kill you with my sword. The pagan did not take heed and continued to insult Muhammad (saw). The Muslim chased the pagan all the way back to the heart of the enemies ranks. He struck the pagan down and as a consequence he was surrounded by the enemies who killed him. Muhammad (saw) said Are you surprised from a man that supports Allah and his Messenger. The abusive pagan did not die from the wound that was inflicted on him, rather when he regained strength he became free and embraced Islam. The Sword Of Having A Covenant of Security Ka’b ibn Ashraf insulted Muhammad (saw) a lot. Muhammad (saw) requested Who can deal with Ka’b he has harmed Allah and his Messenger in another Riwayah (narration) Who can deal with my enemy. Muhammad ibn Maslamah (ra) arose and said I will deal with him Oh Messenger of Allah, would you like me to kill him. Muhammad (saw) said Indeed yes. [Bukhari] Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) discussed the targeted execution of Ka'b and how Muhammad ibn Maslamah (ra) the Amir (leader) of his small team of assassins (Abaad ibn Bishr (ra) and Abu Naailah (ra)) gave Ka’b security and then killed him. He mentions that the one who insults Messengers has no security or sanctity for his life because he vilified Muhammad (saw). Before Muhammad ibn Maslamah (ra) went to conduct this noble operation he asked Muhammad (saw) if he would grant him permission to say things in this operation so as to deceive the people in order to reach Ka’b. Muhammad (saw) said Say whatever you wish. The Sword Of The Sunnah Strikes Even Women Ibn Ishaaq (rh) reported that Abu Ubaida ibn Muhammad Ammar ibn Yasir said four men and two women were ordered by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) to be executed on the day of conquering Mecca. The women (Qaynaqa and Sarah (servant of Abu Lahab)) used to sing gross insulting poetry against Muhammad (saw). Muhammad (saw) said Their lives have no sanctity. Imam Ali (ra) said A woman insulted Muhammad (saw) and a man strangled her until she suffocated to death and Muhammad (saw) said Be my witness I declare her blood has no sanctity. [Abu Dawood] The Sword Of A Smile Abi Barza (ra) said I was with Abu Bakr (ra) he was so angry about a particular man. I asked Abu Bakr (ra) what did he do to make you so angry? Abu Bakr (ra) said He insulted Muhammad (saw). Abi Barza (ra) said Oh successor of the Messenger of Allah give me permission I will strike his neck (to kill him). Abu Bakr (ra) anger went away and he smiled and he said you got the permission so he went and killed him. [Abu Dawood] In another Riwayah Abi Barza (ra) said Give me permission to strike his neck. Abu Bakr (ra) said If I order you will you do it Abi Barza said Yes. Abi Barza said What if he insults you (i.e. I am ready to kill him if he insults a Sahabi (companion)) Abu Bakr (ra) said This Hukm (ruling) is only for those who insult the Prophets. The Sword Of Mutilation Abdul Rahman ibn Awf (ra) said I was on the front line on the day of Badr. I looked on my left and right and I saw two young men from the Ansar [Ibn Amru Ibn Jarooh (ra) and Ma’oodh ibn Afra (ra)] I wished I was between them. One of them winked and said Oh Uncle do you know where Abu Jahal is. I asked why? He said because he insulted Muhammad (saw) and by the one in whose hand is my soul if I see him I will not rest until I kill this cow or I be killed. Abdul Rahman ibn Awf (ra) said It was so uniquely strange to hear this from such a young person and all he wants to do is kill the one who insulted Muhammad (saw). The other youth said the same thing to Abdul Rahman ibn Awf. After that I saw Abu Jahal in the battlefield going around and I said to them You don’t see him, there is the one you were asking about. By Allah the moment I pointed him out they both raised their swords very high, they ran towards him and kept hacking at him with their swords. The Sword Of Your House Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) said A blind mans wife insulted Muhammad (saw) badly by singing songs against Muhammad (saw), he could not tolerate this anymore so he killed her by stabbing her to death and Muhammad (saw) approved of this action. [Abu Dawood] The Salaf were so keen to defend the honour of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) that they severed all family ties just to implement the death penalty on the one who insults any of the Prophets of Allah (swt). Sufyaan Thawri (ra) and Malik ibn Umayr (ra) reported that a man came to Muhammad (saw) and said I met my father from amongst the pagans I heard very bad things from him about you. I could not take it anymore so I threw my spear at him and I killed my own father Oh Messenger of Allah. Muhammad (saw) replied He had no sanctity. The Sword Of Ikhlaas Some deviants say we cannot apply the Hukm of killing unless we have an Islamic State (Khilafah) how ignorant is the one that talks like this. Umayr ibnu Adi (ra) (who was a blind man) said he heard that Asma the daughter of Marwan insulted Muhammad (saw) in the battle of Badr. He said Oh Allah I have a vow on my neck if I return I will go to Medina to kill her. He went to Medina without the permission of Muhammad (saw) and killed her whilst she was suckling her child. He came back and told Muhammad (saw). Muhammad (saw) said to his companions If you wish to see someone who supports Allah and the Messengers by the Ghaib (without informing or asking or telling anyone) look at Umayr ibn Adi. [Ibn Hishaam and Ibn Saads Kitaab Al-Tabaqaat Al-Kabeer]. In other words you need Allah (swt) permission which has already been established and that is all you need. Conclusion The gravity and magnitude of this severe crime can never be accepted in any shape or form, in any era or reality. On the authority of Hassan ibn Ali (ra) The Prophet of Malhama (Slaughter), The Prophet of Maahi (Destruction) said Whoever insults a Prophet kill him. [Recorded in Al-Haakim in his Al-Mustadrak] Source: Islam for the UK http://islam4uk.com/current-affairs/world-news/45-world/323-do-not-insult-the-prophets-and-messengers-of-allah Islam for the UK
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award
 By Daniel Pipes The Italian newspaper Il Foglio asked for a reaction to a 1,500-word analysis by William Underhill, "Why Fears Of A Muslim Takeover Are All Wrong," in the Newsweek dated today. My response: Three schools of thought compete to predict the future of Europe, those of "Eurabia," "expulsion," and "symbiosis." The first two make grimly plausible arguments about an ancient civilization either disappearing or standing up for itself, but these pessimistic expectations remain minority viewpoints. In elite European circles, especially, a wide consensus holds that symbiosis, assimilation, good feeling, compromise, and muddling through will prevail. Underhill, a hitherto little-known reporter, has got the fur flying with a provocatively titled article that argues for a happy outcome on the basis of two points: Muslim birthrates in Europe are declining and many Muslims "appear strangely content with the established [European] order." Even granting his arguments, however, Underhill ignores so many other factors as to render his analysis useless. He says not a word about Muslim immigration, legal or illegal, nor about European emigration; nothing about the development of Muslim no-go zones, enclaves, street muscle, Shar'i courts, madrassahs, and slaveholding; not a peep about hijabs, jilbabs, niqabs, burqas, nor honor killings and harems; and he stays silent about Islamist intimidation in schools and hospitals, about the curtailment of freedom of speech, and government patronage of Islam. In brief, while we may not know where Europe will end up, Underhill's implied symbiosis is a fantasy. Source: Daniel Pipes' BlogH/T: IPT BlogWilliam Underhill
Newsweek
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 While Hizb ut-Tahrir, a pro-jihadist group which met openly near Chicago last weekend, is surprisingly candid about its desire to re-establish an Islamic Caliphate, literature available at its conference shows the group also views Christians and Jews as untrustworthy enemies of God. More than a dozen issues of a Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) newsletter called The Shield were obtained from the conference by the Investigative Project on Terrorism. The publication repeatedly condemns interfaith "outreach initiatives" and shows HT believes in the death penalty for Muslims who leave the faith. HT pushes a radical ideology that is similar to Al Qaeda, although the organization claims it does not carry out terrorist attacks. It has glorified jihadism and excoriated the terrorist organization Hamas as being too soft on Israel. In a leaflet posted on its website July 1, HT argued that if the Caliphate were in existence, all of "Palestine" would be rid of "the usurpation of the Jewish occupiers" and brought "to the fold of the Islamic state." Turkish authorities meanwhile, arrested more than 200 HT members Friday, although it is unclear what prompted it. The group is banned in Turkey. Read more ...Source: IPT News
By Dr. Walid Phares Over the past months, the narrative of Washington’s “new direction” in world affairs blurred the clarity of the confrontation with the terror forces worldwide. Are we at conflict with a global threat? The administration, insisting on treating the issue locally, claimed otherwise. But during President Barack Obama’s July 11th speech in Accra, he said that “when there’s a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems — they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.” This zigzag between local and global risk is confusing not only to the public but to strategists as well. If terrorism in Somalia is a global security challenge, then it is a global threat. And thus it is a global confrontation, call it war or call it anything else. Therefore, the response has to be global, security, military, political, economic, and ideological. Responding to the Jihadi threat throughout Africa must be continental and integrated with international efforts. The president should have drawn the attention of his audience to the trans-African Jihadi threat commencing in Somalia with the al-Shabab, and thrusting through the immensity of the Sahel via Chad, Niger, Mali, and Mauritania. The menace is even wider as the Salafists (al Qaeda-like Jihadists) threaten northern Africa via Algeria, Morocco, and even Egypt. Unfortunately, neither the Cairo nor the Accra speeches described the terror threat in full. In the next few years, 50 percent of the continent will be involved in a full-fledged war with terror. That is not a little detail obstructing development; that is the main threat against social, economic, and democratic progress across Africa. The Jihadists aren’t just some extremists with local demand: they have an all-out agenda diametrically opposed to the modern democratic agenda and to U.S. efforts in international development. In his speech Obama raised another point of confusion created by the administration: The ideology of the global threat. Since early 2009, (but also under the last two years of the George W. Bush administration), all reference to the existence of “an” ideology, doctrine, or school of thought of the foe, let alone its name, was scrapped out of the lexicon. The “J” word (Jihad) was banned along with all “I” words (Islamism, etc). Until the Accra address, the Obama speech writers wanted the public to digest the idea that there is no ideological battle. But in front of an all-African legislative audience in Ghana, Obama resuscitated the unavoidable conclusion: “That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justified, never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology.” So is it or is it not an ideology, regardless of what one wishes to call it? In Africa, we cannot convince the people subjected to Wahhabi, Salafi, or Khomeinist propaganda that ideology has nothing to do with the massacre of black men, women, and children. But in Cairo, we didn’t raise the issue. In Washington, we act as if we want it to go away by changing our lexicon. In the end, Africa knows all too well the nature of the ideological menace. It knows its name, its goals, and it has seen its work. The U.S. must catch up with the continent’s deep and dramatic knowledge of the roots of “evil.” Twice in his speech, Obama asserted that “we must start from the simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans.” Indeed, after the receding of Western colonialism during the last decades of the 20th century, who is obstructing Africa’s global independence? What regional and international organizations are controlling the African vote at the United Nations, paralyzing the African Union when it decides to intervene against ethnic cleansing in Darfur, southern Sudan, and Biafra, or to solve civil wars in Cote d’Ivoire and Somalia? The Arab League controls 10 of Africa’s countries and the Organization of the Islamic Conference covers half of the continent. Both organizations are essentially commanded by oil-producing regimes and jointly “colonize” the African Union. NATO, the EU, the CIS, and the OAS have no membership in Africa. But OPEC’s big boys determine at what price Nigerians, Ghanaians, and others must sell their oil. What I have coined as “oil imperialism” in my last book has been devastating third world independence since 1973, when petrodollars pushed back against the West and intimidated weaker nations. If oil regimes can exert influence in the world’s most powerful capitals, how can poor African nations resist their domination? FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Dr Walid Phares is the author of The Confrontation: Winning the War against Future Jihad. He is the Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a visiting scholar at the European Foundation for Democracy. Source: Faith Freedom
 July 25 | 6:35 pm Eastern Official correspondence, released under the United Kingdom's Freedom of Information law, reveals that U.S. radio talk-show host Michael Savage's name was placed on a list of people banned from Britain in order to provide "balance" to a "least wanted" list dominated by Muslim extremists, and the decision was made "at the highest level of government," the London Daily Mail reported today. "We will want to ensure that the names disclosed reflect the broad range of cases and are not all Islamic extremists," reads a draft recommendation, marked "Restricted," that was obtained as part of Savage's libel lawsuit against the government and former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith Refering to Savage by his birth name, one of the newly released e-mail messages, dated Nov. 27, 2008, from an unnamed Home Office official, says, "with Weiner, I can understand that disclosure of the decision would help provide a balance of types of exclusion cases." Savage had earlier accused Smith of having plucked his name out of a hat because he was "controversial and white." These latest revelations add weight to Savage's charge. Savage told WND today the Home Office chose him to balance the list of Muslim extremists because he is Jewish. "The name Dreyfus comes to mind. They have attempted to destroy my reputation to avoid offending those Muslims who want to destroy them! The Warsaw ghetto comes to mind, where some Jews threw other Jews into gestapo hands to live another day," he said. Make no mistake about this – they 'chose' me because I am the only talker in the top five who is Jewish! The old anti-Semitic strain has resurfaced in England, not among the right wing, but on the socialist left. This should galvanize every member of the U.S. media, but will it?" Another e-mail, released under FOI, points to complicity by other agencies and even Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Read more here... Source: WND
By Daniel Pipes July 24 Back in 2004, I noted the disbelief that greets me "when I explain that the Islamist goal is to take over the United States and replace the Constitution with the Koran." Five years later, it's still the case, with most Americans incredulous at such an intention. So, I thank (1) the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization (on which, see Zeyno Baran, Hizb ut-Tahrir: Islam's Political Insurgency) for holding a forthright conference yesterday and (2) Steven Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism for attending the event and reporting on it. IPT begins by setting the scene: Nearly 300 people packed the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel [in Oak Lawn, Illinois, near Chicago] for its Khalifah Conference on "The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam" to listen to listen to HT ideologues blame capitalism for World War I and World War II; the U.S. subprime mortgage meltdown; the current violence in Iraq and Afghanistan; world poverty and malnutrition and inner-city drug use. … Security at the conference was very tight. Oak Lawn police maintained a checkpoint outside the Hilton, and local police and HT's own security people had a substantial presence inside the hotel. In the ballroom where the conference took place, men and women were largely segregated, with men in the front and women in the back. One speaker, identified as Imam Jaleel Abdul Razek, engaged in the following dialogue with an unidentified member of the audience on the subject of which law should rule in the United States (click here for the video clip): Audience member: "Would you get rid of the Constitution for Shariah, yes or no?" Abdul Razek: "Over the Muslim world? Yes, it [the Constitution] would be gone." Audience Member: And so, if the United States was a Muslim world, the Constitution would be gone?" Abdul Razek: "If the United States was in the Muslim world, the Muslims who are here would be calling and happy to see the Shariah applied, yes we would." Audience Member: "And the Constitution gone. That's all." Abdul Razek: "Yes, as Muslims they would be long gone." Source: Daniel Pipes
Eight years after the Taliban were toppled, Janine di Giovanni returns to Afghanistan and sees how a proposed law is instilling fear in its women  Afghan women protest at the proposed new family law Photograph: Robert Nickelsberg A few days after the Taliban were toppled in 2001 I was in Kabul. The city was jubilant and full of hope for the future, and I remember talking to some laughing teenage girls in the street. One was excited because she could now go back to school. Another sang terrible disco songs and showed me dance steps she had been practising for five years in secret. A third debated whether to take off her burka. "Is it safe enough yet?" she asked me. "For five years, I lived inside this prison." Eight years later I returned, but the Afghanistan I found was far from jubilant. Despite the money poured into reconstruction and development, it is one of the five poorest countries in the world. There is 40% unemployment – nearly 80% in some parts of the country. A third of children under five are malnourished. Life expectancy is 43 – and it is one of only three countries in the world where women die earlier than men. I arrived to meet women before the presidential elections next month and to talk about a new law, which if brought in, could have drastic repercussions for women. The Shia Family Planning law was signed last March by President Hamid Karzai in an attempt, many believe, to appease powerful mullahs. The Afghan constitution allows Shias to have a separate family law from the Sunni majority based on traditional Shia jurisprudence, and some think the law is linked to the August elections and the Shia electorate who would have to abide by it (they could form up to 20% of the electorate). The proposed law led to furious protests from women's groups. It sanctioned marital rape and brought back Taliban-era restrictions on women by outlining when a woman could leave her house and the circumstances in which she has to have sex with her husband; Shia woman would be allowed to leave home alone "for a legitimate purpose" only which the law does not define, and could refuse sex with their husbands only when ill or menstruating. Following international outrage, Karzai backtracked and said the law would be reviewed. This month it was amended and re-signed by the president, but has not yet been ratified by parliament. Human rights groups say it is unclear how much the amendments have done to improve the law. And the law has already achieved its aim – instilling fear and insecurity among an already traumatised female population. Soraya Sobhrang, a human rights activist I meet in her Kabul office, says, "The law will affect all women if it goes through. It opens the door for other repressive laws to be passed, for Sunni Muslims as well as Shia." A young doctor friend, Najeeb Shawal, says he is seeing more female patients who were depressed since news of the law emerged. "They have the kind of hopelessness that comes with knowing your life is incredibly repressed.
And might become more so." Read more here... Source: The Guardian
ESFANDIAR Rahim Mashaie, the controversial aide of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has abandoned his post as Iran's first vice-president, the Fars news agency reported today “Following the order of the supreme leader, I do not consider myself as the first vice-president, but ... will serve our dear people in any capacity,” Mr Rahim Mashaie said.
Mr Rahim Mashaie withdrew from his post after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all national issues, reportedly ordered his dismissal following strong opposition from the country's hardliners.
Mr Khamenei said that the appointment of Mr Rahim Mashaie, who caused a stir last year by saying Iran was a “friend of the Israeli people,” was against the nation's interests and a blow to the president's own supporters.
“The appointment of Mr Rahim Mashaie as a deputy to the president is against your best interest and the government's interest, and it will cause division and frustration among your supporters,” state television yesterday quoted Mr Khamenei as saying in a letter about the controversial appointment.
“It is necessary that the appointment be cancelled,” he added, according to the channel.
Mr Ahmadinejad's appointment of Mr Rahim Mashaie as his first deputy last week had sparked a chorus of opposition in Iran, even among the incumbent's own hardline supporters.
 Fatah. The Good Terrorists.The United States has transferred $200 million in aid for the Palestinian people, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday.
The money was part of the assistance package announced at an international donors conference in March.
Clinton, who spoke after returning from a visit to India and Thailand, said the money had been transferred directly to the Palestinian Authority.
She said that she had been assured that President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad "have put in place the foundations of a responsible, transparent, accountable government."
This had been verified, she said, by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and internal reviews.
Speaking to reporters via video conference from the Palestinian territories, Fayyad said the transfer was a "huge vote of confidence" which his government appreciates.
"In this case, our sense of gratitude is matched, if not even surpassed, by immense pride in what we have accomplished worthy of the confidence of our people," he said.
Clinton said the United States would continue to engage Israel and the Palestinians in peace talks and press for a two-state solution, and called on the rest of the world to help boost the Palestinian economy.
"Human progress depends on the human spirit. ... These fiscal reforms serve a larger purpose. We are seeing the positive impact that responsible government is having on the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank -- daily improvements in security, law and order, and economic opportunity," she said. Source: Fox NewsH/T: Jihad Watch
 Should the Islamic Circle of North America's promotion and financial support of jihad count as free speech?By Joe Kaufman Recently the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) produced a video complaining about how Muslim charitable groups have been negatively affected by the Bush administration’s crackdown on terrorist charities. The ACLU chose leaders and patrons of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) to make its point. It was a poor choice, as ICNA itself has been tied to terrorist financing. The latest ACLU video has found its way onto the homepage of ICNA. It begins with then President George W. Bush speaking at a 2001 press conference concerning the “financial aspects of terrorism.” He is shown stating the following: “Al-Qaeda has international supporters. And some of those supporters hide themselves in the disguise of charity.” The press conference took place shortly after the government shut down and froze the bank accounts of the three largest Muslim charities in the United States: the al-Qaeda-linked Benevolence International Foundation (BIF) and Global Relief Foundation (GRF), and the Hamas-linked Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF). Read more ... Source: PJMICNA
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award
 Last week, a leading Muslim Brotherhood front group in the U.S. met with a Palestinian television crew consisting of representatives from Al Quds Educational TV and the Jerusalem Center for Studies and Islamic media. The television crew, according to a State Department cable, is working on several documentaries on the life of Muslims in America and will travel to Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Salt Lake City between July 13-30 to conduct interviews with local Muslim leaders, visit Muslim organizations, and meet with U.S. government officials. The purported aim of the documentaries is to improve attitudes of Palestinians toward U.S. policies and Americans. The visit, sponsored by the State Department under its International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), is yet another glaring instance of a government agency partnering with Islamist groups that are tied to terrorism or have links to the global Muslim Brotherhood and espouse its radical ideology. The Muslim Brotherhood group in question is the Muslim American Society (MAS). MAS hosted the Palestinian television crew at its Washington, D.C. office. MAS was founded as the US chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, the international Islamist, anti-Western organization whose ultimate aim is to establish a worldwide caliphate dominated by Muslims, Islam, and Islamic Shariah law. A MAS press release following the event claimed the delegation met with Mahdi Bray, who represents the public face of MAS through his position as the executive director of its "activist wing," the Freedom Foundation. An African-American convert to Islam, Bray has a long history of defending individuals and groups having alleged and in some cases proven ties to terrorism. He has been overtly critical of American foreign and security policies, alleging the government is engaged in a war with Islam. Read more ...Source: IPT BlogState Department
Latest recipient of The Dhimmi Award
 Rona Amir Mohammed & Mohammed Shafi's WeddingFamily Charged with Four Counts of First Degree Murder and Four Counts of Conspiracy to Commit MurderBy Phyllis Chesler At 2pm est today, on a CFRA radio press conference, it was announced that the police have finally described the deaths of four Afghan-Canadian girls and women, as a “Muslim honor killing.” If the police are right, this is the fifth known honor killing in Canada since 1999 and it brings the death toll to nine victims. I am no statistician but I have friends who are and they tell me that this is a very high number given that the Muslim and Sikh population in Canada is no more than one million. Let’s hear it for the Canadian police! They have just charged the Shafi family with counts of first-degree murder and four counts of conspiracy to commit murder in this case. In other words, they understand that both classic and often unique honor murders are planned and performed by families, not only by individuals. Kingston police chief, Stephen Tanner said “It was a needless and senseless loss of human life…They had their lives cut short by members of their own family.” Only once, in 2008, did our own FBI describe an honor killing as an honor killing. They did so in the case of the Said Dallas case but within ten days, they retracted that description. One can only imagine why. (And one does not know what the Canadian police or prosecutor will ultimately say). Read more ... Source: PJM
We just received an email from "AL MU'MINAAT (A project of Tayyibun Institute)" inviting everyone to an event titled 'THE HONOURABLE STATUS OF WOMAN IN ISLAAM' Yes, nothing command more respect than excluding from speaking and being segregated from males. Source: Tayyibun Institute
 By Richard L Benkin Reports began trickling out of Bangladesh this spring about an anti-Hindu violence in the heart of its capital carried out in three stages: March 30, April 17, and April 29. A community of approximately 400 Hindus was reportedly going about its business when “hundreds of Muslims” suddenly descended on them and demanded they quit the homes where they and their families had lived for the past 150 years. Witnesses also report that police watched passively while attackers beat residents and destroyed a Hindu temple. And although every Hindu, as well as the international community, should have reacted with horror and outrage, neither did. The Bangladeshi Government denied that any such thing happened, and local police captain Tofazzal Hossain declared, “No demolition of temple occurred. There was no temple there, only a few idols.” Yet, sources for the charge — Global Human Rights Defence at The Hague and the Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council, as well as several local human rights groups and newspapers — are highly credible, prompting our two-month investigation that confirms something terrible did occur, even if not exactly as described by initial reports. For while not all 400 Hindus were made homeless, a significant number were, which is tragic enough, especially since many remain so months later. Nor has the Bangladeshi Government even bothered to deny that Hindus were beaten, some religious desecration occurred, or that police were present during the attacks. We also confirmed that the area attacked was located directly behind the Sutrapur Police Station in Dhaka and the Shiv Mandir only about 18 m from it; yet, the police did nothing to stop its destruction. Read more ...Source: The Pioneer
 By Andrew Bolt It’s curious that the sacred text of only one of the two faiths behind the exhibition was available for defacing: A publicly funded exhibition is encouraging people to deface the Bible in the name of art — and visitors have responded with abuse and obscenity. The show includes a video of a woman ripping pages from the Bible and stuffing them into her bra, knickers and mouth. The open Bible is a central part of Made in God’s Image, an exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) in Glasgow. By the book is a container of pens and a notice saying: “If you feel you have been excluded from the Bible, please write your way back into it.” ... The exhibition has been created by the artists Anthony Schrag and David Malone, in association with organisations representing gay Christians and Muslims. So why did these brave gays not also offer a Koran for scribbling critiques? It’s not as if gays couldn’t have a bone to pick with the faith that inspires some regimes to do this to young men just like them. So why no Koran? Source: Herald Sun BlogsH/T: Gramfan Note: Muslims Against Sharia do not advocate desecration of the religious texts. The article is merely posted to illustrate hypocrisy and warped sense of political correctness of the organizers as well as gross misuse of the public funds.
 The nose section of the Pan Am Boeing 747 in a field at Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988
after it was blown apart while flying from London to New York.
Two hundred and seventy lives were lostFamilies of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have expressed shock and outrage that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, is to visit New York, the destination of the doomed Pan Am Flight 103. The UN has disclosed that Colonel Gaddafi, who is blamed for the bombing of the aircraft in 1988 and loss of 270 lives, will address the 192-nation General Assembly in New York. The newly released UN schedule calls for Colonel Gaddafi to speak directly after President Obama on the opening day of the annual session on September 23, raising the prospect of a second encounter between the two. The trip will be Colonel Gaddafi’s first visit to the US after decades of conflict between Washington and Tripoli and 11 years of UN sanctions on Libya. It follows his recent rehabilitation on the international scene, which culminated in a 40-minute meeting with Gordon Brown and a handshake with Mr Obama at the G8 summit in Italy this month. Read more here... Source: Times Online
 Lorsque le Printemps de Prague a échoué en 1968, peu de gens croyaient que les graines de dissidence qui avaient été écrasées sous le poids des chars soviétiques fleuriraient 20 ans plus tard et entraîneraient la disparition de l'URSS elle-même. Un semblable été de mécontentement et de rébellion s'est épanoui à Téhéran en 2009, et je me risquerais à dire que cette fois ça ne prendra pas vingt ans avant que la structure fossilisée de l’État ne s’écroule. La raison ? Cette fois ce sont les mères et les filles de l'Iran qui se sont rebellées contre la République islamique d'Iran et qui sont descendues dans les rues pour mener les hommes. Pendant 30 ans, une nation entière a connu l'emprisonnement, la torture, le meurtre et, à l’insu du monde, le viol institutionnalisé de ses filles - et ce, au nom de l'islam. Aucune autre dictature, pas même les Saoudiens, n’a utilisé le viol comme instrument de domination comme l’ont fait les ayatollahs iraniens. Paradoxalement, le tout a été maquillé en acte de piété et de religiosité. Cette vérité commence à émerger au grand jour. Un membre de la milice iranienne des Basiji aurait parlé à Sabina Amidi, une journaliste indépendante pour le Jerusalem Post, de sa participation forcée au viol de jeunes iraniennes avant leur exécution. Le Basiji a révélé que ses supérieurs justifiaient cette pratique par l’argument douteux qu’en vertu de la charia, « il est illégal d’exécuter une jeune femme, quel que soit son crime, si elle est vierge. » Pour contourner cet obstacle, rapporte la source d’Amidi, les mollahs arrangeaient des mariages forcés entre les jeunes filles et des gardiens de prison la nuit précédant l’exécution. « La jeune fille est forcée d’avoir des rapports sexuels avec un gardien de prison – autrement dit, elle est violée par son «mari». » Lire la suite...
Source: National Post (Traduction française par Poste de veille)
By YAAKOV KATZ AND HERB KEINON Increasingly concerned that Hamas will steal money donated for Gaza's rehabilitation, the Defense Ministry distributed a document this week revealing that unions affiliated with the terrorist group have set up joint committees with UN agencies that dispense humanitarian aid.  The aftermath of an IAF strike in Gaza.
The document was distributed to the Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Israeli intelligence community, and was also sent to the United States to warn it that the $900 million it has pledged to help rebuild the Gaza Strip could fall into Hamas hands.
"All humanitarian aid sent into the Gaza Strip today needs to receive Hamas clearance," a senior defense official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. "Hamas uses violence against international organizations, including UNRWA, if they do not cooperate." Hamas recently published an ad in a Palestinian newspaper warning that "whoever does not follow its orders will be forced to leave Gaza." The internal Defense Ministry document revealed that on July 12, a meeting was held between UNRWA, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Hamas officials who are in charge of the contractors and engineer unions in the Gaza Strip. The objective was to establish a mechanism which will be responsible for distributing the billions of dollars pledged for the rehabilitation of the Strip by the US and European and Arab countries. So far, Hamas has taken control of millions of dollars transferred monthly by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad to the UNDP and designated for Gazans whose homes were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead last winter. At the meeting, Hamas officials told the UN representatives they wanted to be able to draw up the list of people who would receive the money, according to the Defense Ministry document. The sides decided to set up joint committees and to continue to meet in the future. "This is an indication to us that there is no effective mechanism that can be established that will bypass Hamas and ensure the money goes straight to the Palestinian people," the senior defense official said. Israeli government sources said it was "no secret" that UN officials in Gaza were having talks on a technical level with Hamas regarding the distribution of humanitarian aid there. According to the officials, UNRWA and UNDP had "no choice" but to have some contact with Hamas officials in order for the assistance to be transferred. They added that Israel could live with that situation as long as the talks remained only at the technical level and did not become political in nature. One official said efforts to develop a mechanism through which money for the rehabilitation of Gaza could be channeled into the region, without in any way strengthening or helping Hamas, is continuing. This effort has been going on since the end of Operation Cast Lead in January, and hundreds of millions of dollars of international aid that has been contributed for rebuilding the Gaza Strip is not being allowed in until such a mechanism is created. In response to the report, UNRWA Spokesman Chris Gunness released a statement saying: "UNRWA distributes its aid on basis of need. Humanitarian need dictates the way we distribute aid and nothing else." JP
 ISRAEL'S colourful Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has sparked another controversy with an order to all Israel's overseas missions that they draw attention to a picture taken in Nazi Germany in 1941 showing Adolf Hitler with a Palestinian religious leader of the time. The order has been greeted inside the Israeli Foreign Ministry with derision, with one source telling The Australian it was met with "laughter, scepticism and a sense of misplaced communication that this doesn't help one bit the real argument". It was intended to counter the US argument that Israel should not allow a 20-apartment development on the site of a former hotel in the predominantly Arab East Jerusalem previously owned by the family of the mufti photographed with Hitler, the late Haj Amin al-Husseini. The controversy came as Israel's new ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, insisted there was no breakdown in the relationship between Israel and the US, and that any differences would be resolved "with camaraderie". In his first interview since presenting his credential to President Barack Obama this week, Mr Oren told Israel Radio: "We do not feel tension. There is no breakdown in the relationship. "We are dealing with this on all levels and we will reach an agreement with camaraderie and co-operation. We have no ally like the US. It is a strong bond and I'm sure it will be resolved." Mr Oren's comments came as US and Israeli officials prepared for talks next week in Jerusalem which are promising to be among the most important held between the two countries for many years. The US officials are hoping to extract guarantees from Israel to freeze building activity in Jewish settlements, while Israel will try to focus the talks on what they see as a looming threat from Iran if it develops a nuclear program. But Mr Oren's comments were overshadowed by Mr Lieberman who sparked his second controversy in two weeks. Last week he attacked the credentials of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Yesterday he instructed Israel's diplomats to distribute a 68-year-old photograph of Husseini sitting next to Hitler in Berlin during the war. A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed to The Australian that the order had been given by Mr Lieberman "without any argumentation because it was deemed to be self-explanatory". Source: The Australian
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