And why not? Ramadan is the month of jihad, which means not only that Muslims will be devoting themselves anew to the spiritual struggle, but also that there is likely to be more violence. From AP, with thanks to Eric:
CAIRO, Egypt - The Middle East is jittery as it heads into Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual introspection that has become a time of increased attacks by suicide bombers who believe they receive extra blessings.From Iraq to Lebanon to the Sinai, the month of prayer and after-dark feasting is now a month of heightened security.
Egyptian police planned increased watchfulness throughout the month, while insisting no specific threats had been received. But Israel warned its citizens to stay away from Egypt's beach resorts in the Sinai peninsula, calling the threat of attacks substantial.
Militants have not issued specific Ramadan-related threats, but the spike in violence in recent years - especially suicide attacks in Iraq - has been notable.
One possible reason is the belief by some Islamic extremists that those who die in combat for a holy cause during Ramadan are especially blessed.
"This is a month that has a spiritual feel to it, which condones the issue of jihad (holy war)," said Diaa Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on Islamic groups. Tradition holds the Prophet Muhammad led his forces in winning battles against nonbelievers during Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month on the Islamic calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon.
The opinion piece in todays Australian by Mark Steyn should be headlines all over the world and the basis for educating the general public about the enemy:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16801982%255E7583,00.html
What does Ramadan mean for the infidel?
Nightclubs in islamic countries will be attacked and firebombed, foreigners in Islamic countries should stay away from mosques since the 'believers' usually happen to come out of them all fired up with murderous intentions, subways and buses in London, Paris, Rome will be blown up, Melbourne and Los Angeles are high on the list, etc. etc.
Welcome to Allaballawallah's wacky new world order, where the enemy is allowed to proliferate freely among us, with the support of the multiculti PC-brigades, where terror is accepted as 'religion', where any form of critique becomes 'racism & Islamophobia'-
where quislings rule...
Can somebody stop the planet? I want to get off!
This is similar to what we see in the Christian-majority nations around the Christmas holidays, when the Christian extremists go around blowing up and shooting non-Christians. Their holy book says that they will be especially blessed for committing violence during the holy celebration, and their God will be greatly pleased by the spilling of blood.
Oh wait, that's not quite right.
Here is a good news story - an Academic tells PM that his Polically Correct version of the latest Bali Bombings on the weekend is crap:-
Read it all at: http://www.optusnet.com.au/news/story/abc/20051004/08/domestic/1473775.inp
Expert says PM's wrong on Bali motivation
7:02 AM October 4
An expert on Jihadist extremism in Indonesia has disagreed with the Prime Minister's view on the motives of the Bali bombers.
The South-East Asian director of the International Crisis Group, Sidney Jones, has also warned of a new Islamic special forces unit.
Prime Minister John Howard says Saturday night's bombings in Bali were aimed at destabilising the Indonesian Government.
But Dr Jones has told ABC TV's Lateline she does not agree.
"I don't think they think in those political kinds of terms," she said. "Nor do I think that their aim is to undermine a democratic system per se.
"I think they very much see the world in a black and white way, us against them, Muslims against infidels.
"Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual introspection..."
Bwaahahahahahah! What a fraud!
Ramadan is the Muslim Halloween. Full of pranks and gorging on sweets. Drags on for a month while all meaningful business activity grinds to a halt. Their emotions get even more flaky as blood sugar ups and downs kick in. Nicotine fiends are denied hookahs and cigarettes during daylight hours. The alcoholics.. well they are no alkies in Muslim countries, right? Though in some of them drugs use runs rampant. No Koranic dictums on that
The Mark Steyn piece is on target, except that he still uses the outdated "Islamism" (as does Daniel Pipes)--in deference to "moderate" Moslems, I suppose. As no one has yet come up with an answer to the question "What is a 'moderate' Moslem?" the "ism" can be omitted. No point in making half-hearted obeisance to political correctness.
And this is the festival CAIR wants the US Congress to recognize and respect?
3rdtimelucky: It's frustrating that Howard, who I think really does get it, continues to pussyfoot around Indonesia. I don't know, maybe it's diplomacy and all that. I find there are many Australians who think that we need to continue giving Indonesia massive amounts of aid & deference in order to "keep them on our side". I think they're dreaming. They loathe us. They'll gladly take our money, thinking we owe it to them (jizya), thinking we are stupid fools for it, but they will never respect us, or view us with anything other than hostility and contempt.
"Tradition holds the Prophet Muhammad led his forces in winning battles against nonbelievers during Ramadan..." Aw, sh*t.
Jittery are they. What they are going to see happen will be more than that.
It is time for them to receive their just desserts.
What could better illustrate the true nature of Islam than the invariable spike in religiously-motivated violence during its holiest month?
An earthquake already hit near mecca about one month back. The next one could be dot on target, solving many problems afflicting mossies.
Gee, I hope another earthquake doesn't hit Mecca during Ramadan; they will swear George Bush set off land mines in the desert to cause it. Yes, a catastrophic, land-swallowing, mosque-gobbling earthquake in Mecca would be so, so tragic. I would shed a tear.
The festivities have begun - in Bangladesh.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/10/04/d5100401011.htm
More bomb blasts to impose Shariah.
"Police recovered 10-12 handwritten leaflets from the spot after the explosion.
The leaflets bore writings in Bengali --"Establish Islamic rule" and "Introduce Islamic rule" followed by "Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh". The leaflets also had some writings in Arabic."
By coincidence, yesterday night heralded Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish Calendar falls a week from tomorrow (Oct. 12). I wonder how heightened a security situation there will be in Israel and synagogues around the world.
You mean ..on top of all the other benefits..I get extra points for murder during the holiest islamic holiday. WOW! where do I sign up?