Pakistani protesters shout slogans to condemn Pope Benedict XVI for his remarks about Islam which hurt the sentiments of Muslims, Friday, Sept. 22, 2006 in Lahore, Pakistan. Protests continued to demand that Pope apologize fully for his remarks on Islam and violence. Placard on right reads 'Enemy of Islam, down with the illiterate Pope.' – the caption to this photo
Would Americans marching in Washington hold up signs in Arabic? Would French people in Paris hold up signs in Chinese? Would Chinese in Tienanmen Square hold up signs in Spanish?
Of course not. But all over the Muslim world, there have been signs, often badly spelled, but often as well carefully printed in many copies, and all too often in English.
Why?
Just as the "Palestinians" always hold up signs in English when they wish to denounce Israel or the United States, the Muslim protestors want to be on the world-wide television news programs, want to make sure that their slogans are seen by the Western -- i.e., English-speaking -- public.
These are not spontaneous demonstrations. They are carefully planned. They are orchestrated. They are intended not to convince the Infidels, but to scare them. They are part of the propaganda of the Jihad -- the part that says "strike terror" in the hearts of all those who would dare to oppose the spread of Islam. And the Pope, and anyone at all who dares to suggest that Islam is not quite so wonderful as Muslims are taught to think it is, is daring to oppose the spread of Islam.
And to threaten him, to promise to crucify him, to call for the destruction of churches and murder of Christians in Gaza and elsewhere that Muslims rule, to scream that the Vatican will be ours, no all of Rome will be ours, no all of Italy, all of Europe, and eventually the whole Infidel world will be ours -- morgen die ganze Welt -- is part of the emotional terrorism that, alas, in many places, including the editorial boards of some well-known newspapers, appears to be working.
But really -- for how long? How long will this continue, before a sufficient number of people in the West, or in the rest of the non-Muslim world, finally realize that whatever the differences within their own ranks, they are as nothing compared to the abyss that separates Islam from all the rest?
Gazans -- would that be the same as "Palestinians"? -- are also warning the Pope to become a Muslim. Buonanotte.
Meanwhile, other "Palestinians" are seeing if they can pretend to pretend to utter pretend words, whatever magic formula it takes, to turn on the spigot of Western aid. Not aid from fellow Muslims, fellow members of the umma al-Islamiyya. Not aid from Saudi Arabia, which takes in a half-billion dollars every day from the sale of oil that happens to have been found by American geologists deep under the sands of what is now called "Saudi" Arabia. Not aid from Kuwait, or Qatar, or the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, or the U.A.E., all of which receive all kinds of oil money and could so easily provide what they take in in a single hour of lassitude, waiting for the checks to come in.
No, we are all to behave as if, for some unstated and quite inexplicable reason, and despite all these demonstrations of murderous rage against the Pope, it is we the Infidels who must "stop the embargo." What an odd word that is to use in this context; one "embargoes" goods, but it is more than passing strange to speak of an "embargo" on aid which the Muslim recipients have never done a thing to deserve -- aid which comes from those whom the recipients would, if they had half a chance, subjugate to Islam. Yet the Bush Administration and previous American administrations, as well as the Europeans who even more unseemly in their desire to get back to supplying that Jizyah, are happy to keep paying it as long as some verbal flimflam or fig-leaf or formula can be found to hide the obscene reality of Muslim refusal to accept Israel, no matter what the sly Abbas --- really so unslily, so transparently -- manages to come up with.
Even if every single "Palestinian" swears up and down that he and she forever forswears violence, forever accepts the State of Israel, it is nonsense. It is nonsense because of what is written in the Qur'an. It is nonsense because of what is written in the Hadith. It is nonsense because of the figure of that Perfect Man, Muhammad, uswa hasana, al-insan al-kamil, the man who said that "war is deception," and in that model for all treaties between Muslims and Infidels, the Treaty of Al-Hudaibiyyah, practiced -- way back in 628 A.D. -- what he preached. As long as these things remain, some Muslims, if not most, will believe them, and act accordingly.
If Western governments can do nothing else this year, at least they can stop the Jizyah. Any candidate who makes "Stop the Jizyah" part of his program will soar to the top of the political charts. Just try it -- someone, anyone. Writers are standing by, right here, to help craft the speeches.
With their threatening placards and waving fists and cries of “Allahu akbar,” they are trying to scare us already into doing their bidding. Why should we pay for their placards?
So if "someone" hold up a sign at a protest that says "Mohammed F*cks Pigs" In Arabic, they will show it on tv because they don't know what it says but the muslims will? Cool!
Notice that one of the sign says that Mohammed is "holly". Shouldn't the sign holder be executed for "defaming" old Mo by calling him a plant?
Then again, don't holly berries cause vomiting and diarrhea? Maybe he's saying that Mohammed causes sickness. What a clever anti-Islam protest, right in the middle of a bunch of jihadists! (end sarcasm)
I notice one muslim protestor in this recent anti-Pope chicanery had a poster that said "Death to Paleologos". I thought he died several hundred years ago already.
Unless he maybe has a grudge against Greek shipping sea ferries or something. Perhaps he lost a booking with them during a vain attempt to escape the madness that is the Middle East.
Skillful camera work can create a false impression.
Most of these demonstrations probably are orchestrated, and it really doesn't take many participants to create the desired photographic image. The goal is not to impress the local population, but rather, the rest of us.
And for many, it's an effective technique.
The only prerequisite is the candidate having done his or her homework on Islam. And that's where you (Robert, Pipes, Warraq, Bostom, etc.) come in. Best of all, you have a crash course prepared in publicly-available archives.
The only risk is in not taking the risk. Opinion polls consistently show the public is far more aware of the real facts on the ground than the politicians are willing to admit. But don't use populist rhetoric in an effort to simplify things for the myth of the average man. People are starting to get it in large numbers. Don't insult us, again, as usual.
I am reminded of something shown on TV during the First Gulf War. Iraqi television released footage of an "American war crime". Apparently the US had bombed a plant making formula for babies. US news services dutifully broadcasted this horrible tradgedy. It was a hoax. How do I know that? Stenciled on the back of each worker's coveralls in this bombed factory were the words, in English, "Baby Milk Factory".
How many baby formula factories in England, France, the US, or Germany stencil "Baby Milk Factory" on their coveralls in Arabic, Urdu, or whatever?
"Skillful camera work can create a false impression.
Most of these demonstrations probably are orchestrated, and it really doesn't take many participants to create the desired photographic image. The goal is not to impress the local population, but rather, the rest of us.
And for many, it's an effective technique."
Indeed, it should be noted the angle of the camera with photographs taken pointing upward so that it is difficult to see if the masses protesters are 100 deep or 1 or 2 deep. Journalists even use photoshopping to fake numbers in demonstrations and probably do t heir best to hide placards which may not be helpful to world viewers, for example unmasking the true feelings of Muslims to the west.
The Muslim protesters probably chose to write their signs in English, because they know there is an international audience; English can be translated into every other language. Arabic, on the other hand, cannot be translated into any other language. That's what the Muslims claim. It just cannot be done. That is why we infidels don't know how peaceful the Qur'an really is, because we cannot read it. We only have these inaccurate translations that have somehow mangled the peaceful, tranquil musings of Allah into "Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them".
Can't we keep our money and spend it on Christmas presents? Or bigger Christmas trees?
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Notice that one of the sign says that Mohammed is "holly". Shouldn't the sign holder be executed for "defaming" old Mo by calling him a plant?
-posted by: non-redneck at September 23, 2006 12:23 PM
I recently a protester holding a sign that was saying something about "Mohammad". He must have realized the truth about the prophet of benevolent beheadings. He should also be executed for his defamation of ol' Mahound.
I knew a fellow who believes nearly anything, no matter how ridiculous, he sees or reads in the news. He was highly opinionated—he could afford to be, he had such pristine and trustworthy sources to cite for his views.
It was fun to watch TV news with him and then hang around him the following day. Some TV reporter would state some silly blather and the next day he would repeat the silly nonsense to anyone who would listen....
Photo-op ME mobs are for people such as he.
I have definitely noticed what you're pointing out. Many of the placards aren't hand-printed. They're mass-produced. This was the most obvious recent example:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=22605#comments
Other recent examples:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=22671_Islamic_Scholars-_Fire_the_Pope#comments
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=22634#comments
This is war. that means it is also a propaganda war, as Rusty Humphries has pointed out on his radio show. They are playing to our sentimentality and emotions. Assume that if a muslims lips are moving they are lying.
http://www.talktorusty.com/
Yes but the propaganda is for your consumption. The insatiable appetite of Western media for images to demean and deride their audiences are the mainstay of Western TV and Print Media.
Nowhere else does the level of introspection and self-doubt permeate - true Arabs hate each other - but told to send a message to doubting Westerners they will.
There are enough Hanoi Janes and Noam Chomskys to keep US audiences happy and the BBC desperate to be seen as a global news network independent of the island apes seeks any chance it can to denigrate British values and condition the public to its replacement value system
If the public just swithed off - said couldn't care less - and we don't read mis-spelled placards or care what people fed on our charity have to say - then the Media would find the salary cuts as the ratings drop make that Upper East side condo unaffordable.
I have long realised I can learn nothing from TV, little from print media - just as at University I stopped going to lectures since it was very time-inefficient means of gaining insight...........
I will never buy another TV - if I want one I shall build a Myth TV with Linux - I don't need the pre-packaged, condensed version of News - I can go to the source. It is an Open Source World