December 2007 Archives

More work for poor, heavily burdened Ibrahim Hooper: after he has straightened out all those Turkish misunderstanders of Islam, he will have to trek to Pakistan to introduce this imam to Islam's true, peaceful teachings. And maybe when he gets back he can explain to us how it is that so many Islamic clerics, who have devoted their lives to studying the Qur'an and Hadith, seem to get it so drastically wrong -- and all in the same way.

"Cleric’s chilling warning to UK," by Oliver Harvey for The Sun (thanks to John):

A FANATICAL Pakistani cleric told The Sun yesterday of his chilling dream to turn the world Muslim – by force if necessary.

Qari Hifzur Rehamn, 60, spoke openly of imposing Islamic law’s stoning and beheading on Britain – as Pakistan was rocked by unrest over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

He warned: “We want Islamic law for all Pakistan and then the world.

“We would like to do this by preaching. But if not then we would use force.”

Rehamn, 60, spoke in the Pakistani town of Kahuta as the call to prayer echoed over the dusty streets.

He is Imam of the town’s fundamentalist religious school or madrassa, where classes for kids as young as nine include Jihad or Holy War and barbaric punishments.

His teachings are frightening enough. But his mosque lies in the shadow of the secret bunker where Pakistan produces nuclear weapons.

And when asked if it would be right to nuke British infidels, he laughed and answered: “Probably.”

Rehamn, in a flowing grey beard and turban, explained Islamic, or Sharia Law as we sat surrounded by some of his 250 students.

He said: “Adulterers who are married should be buried in earth to the waist and stoned to death.

“Homosexuals must be killed – it’s the only way to stop them spreading. It should be by beheading or stoning, which the general public can do.

“Thieves should have their hands cut off. Women should remain indoors and films and pop music should be banned.”

So what does he think of Britain? The dad insisted: “The nonbelievers must be converted to Islam. Morals in your society, with women wearing revealing clothes, have gone wrong.”

Read it all.

Another Eurabia Alert. "3 held on Dutch violence fears," from CNN:

(CNN) -- Dutch police raided five homes in Rotterdam early Monday, arresting three men suspected of planning an imminent act of violence, according to a spokeswoman for the Netherlands' Justice Department.

Two of the suspects, aged 31 and 32, are Dutch-Moroccan and the third is a 39-year-old Sudanese man, spokeswoman Desiree Leppens told CNN.

Disgruntled members of the Dutch Reformed Church, no doubt.

She said special police forces conducted the raid after the Justice Department received information from General Intelligence and Security Services on the three men.

"We got the information yesterday evening and around 6 o'clock (Monday morning) we had the first arrest," Leppens said.

Dutch authorities have launched an investigation and must charge the men by the end of the week, she said. She said it is too early in the investigation to elaborate on what charges are being considered.

She had no other details on the raid or what led authorities to the suspects.

Eurabia Alert. "Brussels cancels New Year revelry," from Sky News:

Traditional New Year's Eve celebrations in Brussels have been cancelled over heightened fears of a terror attack.

The Belgian capital is on high alert after police detained 14 people on suspicion of helping to plot a jailbreak for an alleged al Qaeda militant.

Last week the government said it believed the suspects were planning to use explosives to attack the city and free inmate Nizar Trabelsi, who is serving 10 years for plotting to a car bomb at an air force base.

Tunisian Trabelsi was arrested just days after the 9/11 terror attacks.

He has denied his supporters were planning attacks and a judge has said the 14 should be released as there is not enough evidence.

But the heightened security measures at the airport and subway stations will remain in place until at least January 3.

The Belgian capital's Christmas market was supposed to stay open all night on New Year's Eve but it will now shut at 6pm. The ice rink will close two hours later.

"We've reviewed the situation and the conclusion is that there is no reason to scale back the current level of alert," said Jaak Raes, director general of the government's Crisis Centre.

"The aim is not to create panic ... but to avoid unnecessary risks."

If you're surprised by this, call me. I've got a very nice deal I can make you on a lovely suspension bridge. "'Peace partner' ready to make nice with Hamas: Weeks after U.S. announced $555 million to bolster Abbas against terror group," by Aaron Klein for WorldNetDaily.com (thanks to Doug):

JERUSALEM – In a major policy speech today, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged dialogue with rival Hamas, calling for a "new page" to be started with the terror group.

"There is no way for any party here to be an alternative to the other, and there is no room for terms like coup or military takeover, but only for dialogue, dialogue, dialogue," Abbas said, referring to Hamas at a large rally marking the 43rd anniversary of his Fatah organization.

Abbas called for "a new page, writing in its lines a credible agreement based on partnership, on life, on our homeland and our struggle to liberate it."

He said new elections should be held in an effort to reconcile the warring Hamas and Fatah factions in hopes of improving life for Palestinians in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Abbas' calls for dialogue fly in the face of the U.S. and Israeli policy of isolating Hamas and negotiating with Fatah, which the U.S. considers moderate.

For those who have not been keeping up with the Interludes that have been put up, sometimes steadily and sometimes in fits and starts (all are are available for retrieval by clicking on the link under the photograph of Oriana Fallaci at left), here, by way of inveiglement, are #65-#135, a little more than half of those put up between Thanksgiving and Hogmanay, 2007. And here is an explanation of why they're here at all.

Musical Interlude #65:

If I Could Be With You (Hal Swain Orch.)

Musical Interlude #66:

You're The Cream In My Coffee (King Solomon and His Miners, voc. Scrappy Lambert)

Musical Interlude #67:

Girl of My Dreams (Blue Steele Orch.)

Musical Interlude #68:

Say A Little Prayer For Me (Jack Payne Orch. & voc.)

Musical Interlude #69:

You Made Me Love You (Artie Shaw Orch., voc. Helen Forrest)

Cinematic Interlude #70:

Art Criticism (Alberto Sordi)

Musical Interlude #71:

Time On My Hands (Lee Wiley)

Cinematic Musical Interlude #72:

The Jitterbugs (Gracie Fields)

Musical Interlude #73:

Lover Come Back To Me (Lawrence Tibbett, Grace Moore)

Musical Interlude #74:

You Ought To See Sally On Sunday (Bertini and His Tower Blackpool Band)

Musical Interlude #75:

I'm Doin' What I'm Doin' For Love (Libby Holman)

Musical Interlude #76:

The Missed Rendezvous (Aleksandr Tsfasman)

Musical Interludes #77-79: Blossom Seeley and Benny Fields (Vaudeville Songs)

77.

Hello Bluebird!

78.

In A Spanish Town

79.

Why Don't You Practice What You Preach?

Musical Interlude #80:

My Handy Man (Ethel Waters)

Musical Interlude #81:

He's Only A Working Man (Lily Morris)

Musical Interlude #82:

Every Now And Then (Helen Kane, Donald Douglas)

Musical Interlude #83:

Lonely Melody (Bix Beiderbecke)

Musical Interlude #84:

Positively Absolutely (Jan Garber Orch.)

Musical Interlude #85:

Blue Moon (Aleksandr Varlamov Orch. & voc.)

Musical Interlude #86:

Ain't You, Baby (Ray Miller Orch., voc. Dusty Rhoads)

Musical Interlude #87:

She Didn't Say Yes(Ray Noble Orch.)

Musical Interlude #88:

Love Will Forgive You Everything (Hanka Ordonowna)

Musical Interlude #89:

Until Today (Bunny Berigan)

Musical Interlude #90:

Body and Soul (Annette Hanshaw)

Musical Interlude #91:

I'm Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now (Jane Green)

Musical Interlude #92:

When You're Caught In The Web Of Love (The High-Hatters)

Any takers? Anyone? Anywhere? Alevis? Anyone?

"Muslim Minority Marches Against German Crime Show," from Spiegel Online (thanks to all who sent this in):

The popular German TV series "Tatort" has provoked an uproar within a segment of its Turkish community. Alevi Muslims, who practice a tolerant offshoot of Shiism, say the show has revived a centuries-old incest libel and may inflame immigrant tensions in Germany.

Up to 20,000 Alevi Muslims in Germany gathered in front of the Cologne cathedral on Sunday to protest a broadcast of a popular TV series called "Tatort" (Crime Scene). Alevi leaders said the show played on a centuries-old prejudice against Alevis by showing a character involved in incest.

The protest "was absolutely peaceful," said a police spokesman according to Agence France-Presse. An Alevi leader in Germany, Mehmet Ali Toprak, told the Tageszeitung newspaper: "The Alevis respect freedom of press and freedom of opinion and are opposed to any ban on cultural expression. But these values must not be used to harm the dignity of a minority."

In other words, they've got to go, and pronto.

"There Are No Jokes In Islam" Update: "Barclaycard chief forced to quit after making 'joke' about Muslims," from the Daily Mail (thanks to Twostellas):

A Barclaycard executive has been forced to quit after making an insulting remark about Muslims.

Marc Howells, one of the company's leading figures, left his £200,000-a-year job following the tasteless quip during a staff meeting as he discussed quarterly figures.

Colleagues were stunned when he said: "The results were like Muslims - some were good, some were Shi'ite."

Offended members of staff complained to senior bosses about the "wholly inappropriate" comment.

Mr Howells, 42, who worked for Barclaycard's European arm and has a £2million home in St John's Wood, was forced out earlier this month after negotiating an undisclosed pay-off, classed as "redundancy under compromise".

A company source said: "No one could quite believe their ears when he came out with his Shi'ite joke.

"He had a very responsible job in a multinational company. What on earth was he thinking of?

"There were a few embarrassed guffaws but everyone except him knew he was for the high jump the moment he said it."

Such is the way of the world today.

In Morocco, I've been told more than once, they don't have jihadists. Islam is different there. It's a long way from Morocco to Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. Yet Morocco too doesn't seem free of jihadist sentiment. "Jihadists in Jails Win Leverage Over Their Keepers," by Michael Moss and Souad Mekhennet for the New York Times (thanks to all who sent this in):

CASABLANCA, Morocco — Ahmed Rafiki sprawled on the makeshift couch in his cell, a fresh red henna dye in his long hair and beard.

As Muhammad recommended.

Known to other militants as the father of Moroccan jihadists, he was convicted in 2003 of leading young men to fight Americans in Afghanistan. But here in Oukacha Prison, Mr. Rafiki, an Islamist cleric, is serving the final months of his sentence in style.

His kitchen and larder are stocked three times a week by his two wives. His curtained doorway leads to a private garden and bath. He has two radios and a television, a reading stand for his Koran and a wardrobe of crisply ironed Islamic attire.

“In my case,” he said with a smile, “the people treat me well.”

Hardly a scene of harsh interrogation and detention for which Moroccan prisons are known, Mr. Rafiki’s plush prison life is evidence of an awkward balancing act between the crackdown on militants in many countries and the power those militants can hold over the authorities.

Through hunger strikes and protests, Mr. Rafiki and Oukacha’s 65 other militant inmates have won perks — including exclusive use of the conjugal rooms — that make them the envy of the prison’s 7,600 other inmates.

One recent morning, a prisoner advocate handed the warden a long list of inmates not linked to terrorism cases who were demanding equal time with their wives.

“‘Why do they get much more rights than we get here?’” the advocate, Assia El Ouadie, said the other prisoners constantly asked her. “‘Do you want us to become terrorism prisoners, and then we will get those rights?’”

Read it all.

They planted a string of bombs near entertainment venues. Now, what kind of "separatist rebels" would do that? Well, Colonel Prabphan Meemongkon tells us in paragraph 3 that they are "militants." In paragraph 4 we find out that this happened in a "Muslim-majority region," and in paragraph 9 we learn that the Thai South was previously "an ethnic Malay sultanate."

Could this be an Islamic jihad, based on the Islamic principle that "Islam must dominate, and not be dominated," and that Muslims must not, when they have the strength to overturn it, accept rule by the kuffar? Only an attentive and informed reader might come to that understanding from this AFP story, which is typical of coverage of the Thai jihad (except that it doesn't use the word "restive"). It's just a separatist uprising, you see. Why Muslims in Thailand would want to separate from the rest of Thailand is unexplained -- that's irrelevant. It's just a separatist uprising. Move along.

"One killed, dozens injured in bombings in Thai south: police," from AFP (thanks to Anne Crockett):

NARATHIWAT, Thailand (AFP) — A string of bombs planted by suspected separatist rebels rocked Thailand's troubled south Monday, killing one person and injuring dozens near the Malaysian border, police said.

Explosives planted at entertainment venues across Sun Ngai Kolok town in Narathiwat province wounded 27 people in the early hours of Monday, two of them seriously, police said.

"It was likely done by militants who target innocent people during new year," local police chief Colonel Prabphan Meemongkon told AFP.

He said police managed to defuse one bomb at a hotel in the Muslim-majority region, where rebels are waging a bloody battle for a separate state, but five devices struck two other hotels nearby.

The first blasts hit at about 12:40 am Monday (1740 GMT Sunday), sending people fleeing into a hotel car park, where another bomb was hidden.

A police officer in Narathiwat said that explosives had been packed into cigarette packets, which were planted inside a hotel disco.

Another blast hit a hotel karaoke bar, he said.

Later in nearby Yala province, one person was killed and four were injured when a bomb hidden in a motorcycle exploded outside a restaurant, police said.

More than 2,800 people have been killed in four years of separatist unrest in Thailand's south, an ethnic Malay sultanate until Buddhist Thailand annexed it a century ago, provoking decades of tension....

In the event that the jihadists get close to it. From the National Terror Alert Response Center (thanks to Mackie):

US special forces snatch squads are on standby to seize or disable Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal in the event of a collapse of government authority or the outbreak of civil war following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The troops, augmented by volunteer scientists from America’s Nuclear Emergency Search Team organization, are under orders to take control of an estimated 60 warheads dispersed around six to 10 high-security Pakistani military bases.

Military sources say contingency plans have been reviewed over the past three days to prevent any of Pakistan’s atomic weapons falling into the hands of Islamic extremists if the administration of President Pervez Musharraf appears threatened by civil unrest....

Barry Rubin discusses the meaning of the Bhutto assassination.

Much will be said about Benazir Bhutto's assassination; little will be understood about what it truly means. I'm not speaking here about Pakistan, of course, as important as is that country. But rather the lesson--as if we need any more--for that broad Middle East which begins in Pakistan and ends on the Atlantic Ocean coast.

This is a true story. Back in 1946, an American diplomat asked an Iranian editor why his newspaper angrily criticized the United States but never the Soviet Union. The Iranian said that it was obvious. "The Russians," he said, "they kill people."

A dozen years earlier, in 1933, the Iraqi official Sami Shawkat, gave a talk which became one of the most famous texts of Arab nationalism. "There is something more important than money and learning for preserving the honor of a nation and for keeping humiliation at bay," he stated. "That is strength....Strength, as I use the word here, means to excel in the Profession of Death."

What, you might ask, was Shawkat's own profession? He was director-general of Iraq's ministry of education. This was how young people were to be taught and directed; this is where Saddam Hussein came from. Seventy-five years later the subsequent history of Iraq and the rest of the Arab world show just how well Shawkat did his job.

September 11 in the United States; the Bali bombing for Australia; the tube bombing for Britain; the commuter train bombing for Spain, these were all merely byproducts of this pathology. The pathology in question is not Western policy toward the Middle East but rather Middle Eastern policy toward the Middle East.

Ever since I read Shawkat's words as a student, the phrase, "Profession of Death," which gave his article its title, struck me as a pun. On one hand, the word "profession" meant "career."

To be a killer--note well that Shawkat was not talking specifically about soldiers, those who fight, but rather those who murder--was the highest calling of all. It was more important than being a teacher, who forms character; more important than a businessperson, who enriches his country; more important than a doctor who preserves the life of fellow citizens. Destruction was a higher calling than construction. And for sure in the Arabic-speaking world what has been reaped is what has been sowed.

But also the word "profession" here reminds me of "to profess," "to preach." What is of greatest value is for an educator to preach and glorify death. What kind of ideology, what kind of society, what kind of values, does such a priority produce? Look and see.

Like children playing with dynamite, Western intellectuals, journalists, and diplomats fantasize that they are achieving results in the Middle East with their words, promises, apologies, money, and concessions. Yet how can such innocents cope despite--or perhaps because of--all their good intentions with polities and societies whose basic ruling ethos is that of the serial killer?

And what can be achieved when those most forward-looking and most creative, those who want to break with the ideas and methods creating a disastrous mess, the stagnant system which characterizes so much of the Middle East, are systematically murdered? Read the roll: King Abdallah of Jordan, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri of Lebanon, the bold author Farouq Fawda in Egypt, Iraqi Sunnis who dare seek compromise, Palestinian moderates, Algerian modernists, and thousands of women who seek a moderate degree of freedom.

The radicals are right: dying is a disincentive. And for every one killed how many thousands give in; and for every one threatened how many hundreds give in?

Seventy-five years after Shawkat, Hamas television teaches Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip that their highest aspiration should be to become a suicide bomber, with success measured by how many Jews are killed. And, by the way, the Palestinian Authority's television in the West Bank sends a similar message, albeit not quite as often.

Will billions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) change anything when the men with the guns take what they want? Are PA chief Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, respectively a timid bureaucrat and a well-meaning economist, going to take a bullet for lifting one finger to get a compromise peace with Israel?

How are you going to get a government of national conciliation in Iraq when the insurgents have shown they can gun down any Sunni politician or cleric who steps out of line?

The current supporters of the Lebanese government are probably the bravest politicians in the Arabic-speaking world, men willing to defy death. But how can they stand firm when Western governments rush to engage with the Syrian government that murdered them, and Western media proclaim the moderation of a Damascus ruler who systematically kills those who oppose him?

Can anyone really expect a stable society capable of progress in Pakistan when a large majority of the population expresses admiration for bin Ladin? And what about the Saudi system where, as one local writer put it, the big Usama put into practice what the little Usama learned in a Saudi school.

Don't you get it? The radical forces in the region are not expecting to retain or gain power by negotiating, compromising, or being better understood. They believe they are going to shoot their way into power or, just as good, accept the surrender of those they have intimidated.

That is why so much of the Western analysis and strategies for dealing with the region are a bad joke. Usama bin Ladin understands that, as he once said, people are going to back the strongest horse in the race.

According to all too many people in the Western elites, the way to win is to be the nicest horse.

But doesn't this assessment sound terribly depressing and hopeless? Well, yes and no.

Radical Islamists like to proclaim that they will triumph because they love death while their enemies--that is, soon-to-be-victims--love life.

Be careful what you wish for, though, because you probably will get it. For those who love death the reward is...death.

For those who love life, the outcomes include decent educational systems, living standards, individual rights, and strong economic systems.

All these things, and others that go along with them, are what really produce strength. And isn't it interesting that, contrary to Shawkat, the nations that put the priority on these things enjoy far more honor and suffer far less humiliation than happens with his model.

The profession of death has wrecked most Middle Eastern societies. But it has never succeeded in defeating a free society. It is not an effective tactic for destroying others but only for devastating one's own people.

Who killed Benazir Bhutto? The Sami Shawkat philosophy: alike in its Arab nationalist, Islamist, and Pakistani authoritarian versions which dominate Middle East politics.

The Somali jihad resurgent. "Somalia: Hundreds of Islamist militants advance on Baidoa," from AKI (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Jarail, 31 Dec. (AKI) - Several hundred Islamist militants belonging to the al-Qaeda linked 'Young Mujahadeen' group have gathered at a disused miliatary base 40 kilometres from the southern city of Baidoa, where Somalia's transitional government is based, pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat reports, quoting unnamed government sources.

The 'Young Mujahadeen' are being led by the Islamic Courts movement's former miltary commander, Mukhtar Rabow, whose battlename is Abu Mansur.

The group's objective is to launch intermittent attacks against Baidoa. To fend off such attacks, the Somali authorities have deployed an 'extraordinary defence plan' for the city, al-Sharq al-Awsat said.

Islamist militants in recent days have taken the village of Jarail, in the central part of the country, and over the weekend waged fierce firefights with Ethiopian troops in the capital, Mogadishu.

The militants are reported to have launched rocket attacks against government offices and the stadium in Mogadishu, which has become the Ethiopian troops' base.

Ethiopian troops came to the rescue of the embattled Somali government a year ago and swiftly ousted the Islamic Courts, which had briefly controlled large areas of south and central Somalia.

Remnants of the fundamentalist movement have since reverted to guerrilla tactics, waging a deadly insurgency, mainly on the streets of Mogadishu.

Hundreds of people, mainly civilians, have died in clashes between Ethiopian-backed government forces and insurgents over the past six months. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have been forced to flee Mogadishu, sparking what the United Nations has described as Africa's worst humanitarian crisis.

"We condemn the government's silence with regard to this phenomenon." Hey, great! Finally some Muslim moderates are going to get to work against those Islamic jihadists, eh? Well, no. It isn't Islamic jihadists they're upset about. It's Christian missionaries, of course.

"Algeria: Islamic MPs ask for action against Christian missionaries," from AKI (thanks to Insubria):

Algiers, 31 Dec. (AKI) - Lawmakers from the Algerian Islamic political party of al-Nahda have asked the government to intervene to slow down "the activities of Christian missionaries in the country".

Algerian MP Muhammad Hudeibi was quoted as saying this in the local el-Khabar newspaper.

"We want the government to cut down this type of activity because the expansion of evangelisation in Algeria has become an important problem and is not marginal as some think it is," said Hudeibi.

For some years, the local media in Algeria have reported on the activities of a number of missionaries, particularly those from evangelical and Protestant churches, who have succeeded in converting entire Algerian families to Christianity, particularly those who come from the eastern area of Kabilia.

"We condemn the government's silence with regard to this phenomenon," said the Algerian MP.

"We are collecting the signatures of other lawmakers in order to begin a discussion in parliament on this problem," he said.

Some disassembly required. An update on this story. "Aksa Martyrs Brigades calls for Fayad's assassination," by Khaled Abu Toameh for the Jerusalem Post:

Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, on Sunday called for the murder of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad for "collaboration" with Israel and the US.

This was the first time the group has openly called for Fayad's assassination. In the past, the group distributed leaflets strongly condemning Fayad and calling for his dismissal.

Fayad has been under heavy criticism from some Fatah leaders and activists, who accuse him of denying them public funds and plotting to undermine Fatah's grip on power. Other Fatah leaders have also accused Fayad of seeking to consolidate his power with the hope of replacing Mahmoud Abbas as PA president.

The threat was made in a leaflet distributed by the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip. Some Fatah officials in Ramallah sought to distance themselves from the threat, claiming that the leaflet had been forged. They even went as far as accusing Hamas of being behind it.

"The command of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the Gaza Strip calls on all its elements and striking forces in the West Bank to immediately eliminate the so-called Salaam Fayad," the leaflet said. It claimed that Fayad's Ramallah-based government was working for Israel and the US.

Calling on Abbas to fire the Fayad government, the leaflet criticized Fayad for cutting off the salaries of many Fatah supporters in the Gaza Strip. It also attacked him for allowing the PA security forces in Bethlehem to hand over to Israel three Israelis who had entered the city on Saturday.

"We call on all our members and the policemen in the West Bank not to obey orders from the Fayad government, because it's serving an American agenda and helping Israel eliminate the Aksa Martyrs Brigades," the group continued. It also called to fire PA Interior Minister Abdel Razzak al-Yahya for announcing that the Aksa Martyrs Brigades in the West Bank had been dismantled.

Whoops. No virgins. "Two suicide bombers die in botched Pak attack," from Reuters :

KARACHI - Two suspected suicide bombers were killed in Pakistan’s central Punjab province early on Sunday when the devices they were carrying exploded prematurely in an apparent botched attack on a former minister, police said.

The blast in Haroonabad, in southern Punjab, comes just days after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was slain in a suicide attack, triggering widespread violence that has killed at least 44 people.

Police said they believed Mohammad Ejaz-ul-Haq, a former religious affairs minister in President Pervez Musharraf’s government who had earlier been staying at a house 200 metres (yards) away from the site of the blast, was the intended target.

“My guess is that they were there to target Mister Ejaz-ul-Haq who visited the area a day earlier,” Zafar Abbas, district police officer in nearby Bhawalnagar, told Reuters by telephone. Haq had already left the area before the incident.

Police found scattered body parts and the wreckage of a motorcycle at the scene of the blast, and suspect they either met an accident or fell from the bike, detonating the explosives.

“We have retrieved two heads, which are badly mutilated and cannot be identified. One appeared to be in his early 40s while the other is a younger one,” said another police officer....

Police said some religious elements at a nearby mosque had chanted slogans against Ul-Haq and Musharraf’s former government over a military assault on a Taliban-style movement at Red Mosque in Islamabad in July, which triggered a wave of suicide bombings.

The madness continues at Al-Azhar. From Agence France-Presse:

CAIRO - AL-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, on Sunday declared that any woman pregnant by rape must abort the baby immediately in order to maintain 'social stability'.

'A raped woman must terminate the pregnancy immediately upon learning of the pregnancy if a trusted doctor gives her clearance for the abortion,' the Islamic Research Council of the Cairo-based institution said in a statement.

This would ensure 'social stability,' it said.

According to the independent Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights (ECWR), two women are raped every hour in this country of 76 million.

Many factors contribute to the increase in sexual harassment including rising unemployment, the huge cost of marriage and the fact that sex outside marriage is forbidden, experts say.

Egyptian law bans abortion except on the grounds of 'necessity", which includes instances when a woman's life or health is in danger or in cases of fetal abnormality.

Savage's CAIR suit is heating up. "Michael Savage lawsuit links CAIR to 9/11 plot," from WorldNetDaily.com (thanks to Doug):

WASHINGTON – It's no longer just a charge of copyright violation in the case of Michael Savage v. Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Now the radio talk star is going for the legal jugular in his battle with the group that bills itself as a Muslim civil rights organization.

The San Francisco-based talker has amended his lawsuit against CAIR for misusing audio clips of his show as part of a boycott campaign against his three-hour daily program to include charges the group "has consistently sought to silence opponents of violent terror through economic blackmail, frivolous but costly lawsuits, threats of lawsuits and abuses of the legal system."

The amended lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, also charges CAIR with using extortion, threats, abuse of the court system, and obtaining money via interstate commerce under false and fraudulent circumstances – calling it a "political vehicle of international terrorism" and even linking the group with support of al-Qaida.

The federal government recently named CAIR, based in Washington, D.C., as an unindicted co-conspirator in an alleged scheme to funnel $12 million to the terrorist group Hamas.

And as WND has reported, CAIR has been associated with a disturbing number of convicted terrorists or felons in terrorism probes, as well as suspected terrorists and active targets of terrorism investigations.

"Groups like CAIR have a proven record of senior officials being indicted and either imprisoned or deported from the United States," said U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., co-founder of the House Anti-Terrorism/Jihad Caucus.

Savage and celebrity civil rights attorney Daniel Horowitz are attempting to use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to make the case that "CAIR and its co-conspirators have aided, abetted and materially sponsored al-Qaida and international terrorism."

CAIR launched a campaign against "The Savage Nation," as the program is called, using extended audio clips of the show to make the case that advertisers who supported the talker were actually endorsing "hate speech" against Muslims.

Savage turned the tables on the activist group by initially suing for copyright violation of the show's material. This week the suit was expanded with some of the strongest allegations ever made against CAIR publicly.

Among the charges is that CAIR is "part of a deliberately complex and deliberately confusing array of related organizations" and that its "organizational structure is part of a scheme to hide the illegal activities of the group, funding, the transfer of funds and to complicate investigation of the group."

Other highlights of the suit:

* "CAIR is not a civil rights organization and it never has been. … CAIR was and is a political organization that advocates a specific political agenda on behalf of foreign interests."

* "The copyright infringement was done to raise funds for CAIR so that it could perpetuate and continue to perform its role in the RICO conspiracy set forth in Count Two and to disseminate propaganda on behalf of foreign interests that are opposed to the continued existence of the United States of America as a free nation."

* "CAIR would have to register as a foreign agent if their activities were not hidden under the false claim that they are a civil rights organization that enjoys tax-exempt status."

* "CAIR was tied to terror from the day it was formed. The group was incorporated on or about 1994 by Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad. Both men were officers of a terror organization known as the 'Islamic Association of Palestine.'"

* "CAIR's parent group, IAP, was founded in or about 1982 by Musa Abu Marzook. Marzook was IAP's ideological leader and controlling director from the date of its founding until shortly after his deportation from the United States in 1997. At all time relevant, Marzook was an operative of, and/or affiliated with, the 'Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah,' or 'Hamas.' Hamas is an international terrorist organization."

* In 1998, "CAIR demanded the removal of a Los Angeles billboard describing Osama bin Laden as 'the sworn enemy,' asserting that this depiction [was] 'offensive to Muslims.'"

* In 1998, "CAIR denied bin Laden's responsibility for the two al-Qaida bombings of American embassies in Africa. CAIR's leader Ibrahim Hooper claimed the bombings resulted from 'misunderstandings on both sides.'"

* "On October 5, 2001, just weeks after 9/11, CAIR's New York office sent a letter to The New York Times arguing that the paper had misidentified three of the hijackers and suggesting that the attacks may have been committed by people who were impersonating Arab Muslims."

* "CAIR further exploited 9/11 as it put on its website a picture of the World Trade Center in flames and below it a call for donations that was linked to the Holy Land Foundation website." The Holy Land Foundation, the suit charges, is "a terror organization."

* "CAIR receives significant international funding. For example, in 1999 the Islamic Development Bank gave a $250,000 grant to CAIR to purchase land for a national headquarters. In 2002, the World Association for Muslim Youth, a Saudi government-funded organization, financed distributing books on Islam free of charge and an advertising campaign in American publications. This included a quarter page in USA Today each Friday, for a year, estimated to cost $1.04 million. In 2003, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal donated $500,000 to distribute the Koran and other books about Islam in the United States. In 2005, CAIR's Washington branch received a donation of $1,366,466 from a Saudi Arabian named Adnan Bogary. In 2006, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and UAE minister of finance and industry, financed the building of a property in the U.S. to serve as an endowment for the organization. This gift is thought to generate income of approximately $3 million a year."

* "The role of CAIR and CAIR-Canada is to wage PSYOPS (psychological warfare) and disinformation activities on behalf of Wahabbi-based Islamic terrorists throughout North America. They are the intellectual 'shock troops' of Islamic terrorism."

* "The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a Muslim Brotherhood front organization. It works in the United States as a lobby against radio, television and print media journalists who dare to produce anything about Islam that is at variance with their fundamental agenda."

* "CAIR has links to both Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Terrorism expert Steven Emerson has stated before Congress that CAIR is a front for Hamas."

Read it all!

Maybe this book from Waqf Ikhlas Publications made them misunderstand their religion. "Turkey arrests five for al Qaeda links: report," from Reuters:

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has detained five people for links with al Qaeda after police operations in four cities including the capital Ankara, Turkish TV reported on Sunday.

The arrests follow the detention at the weekend of 19 people for suspected links to the Islamist militant group, which had claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks against the British Consulate, two synagogues and an HSBC bank in Istanbul killing more than 60 people in November 2003.

The court ordered five of the suspects to be held for possible trial.

Turkish media said one of the suspects was a Turk who taught English language in the country's central city of Aksaray.

Authorities have stepped up security in main cities ahead of the New Year Holiday, fearing bombings. Istanbul municipality cancelled a traditional New Year's Night party in the city's main square.

Pop quiz! Who said that? Me? Serge Trifkovic? Greg Davis? Must have been one of us "Islamophobes," no?

Whoops! Nope! It comes from a book, Islam and Christianity, printed by a Muslim publishing house, Waqf Ikhlas Publications, and distributed by the modern, moderate, secular Turkish government to non-Muslims who come to work in Turkey. It's on page 316 of the 7th edition.

I expect that Ibrahim Hooper and Salam Al-Marayati will be on the phone to Waqf Ikhlas Publications forthwith, explaining to them that they're misunderstanding Islam and jihad. Oh, those Turkish Islamophobes!

The learned architects of the current policy

Close your eyes and repeat it over and over again: We are not in a war. We are not in a war. We are not in a war. The aimless death cult has nothing to do with Islam. The aimless death cult has nothing to do with Islam. The aimless death cult has nothing to do with Islam. Keep your eyes closed, now! If you keep your eyes closed and believe very, very hard, it will come true!

"Britain Drops 'War on Terror' Label," from the Daily Mail via Military.com (thanks to Sparta):

The words "war on terror" will no longer be used by the British government to describe attacks on the public, the country's chief prosecutor said Dec. 27.

Sir Ken Macdonald said terrorist fanatics were not soldiers fighting a war but simply members of an aimless "death cult."

The Director of Public Prosecutions said: 'We resist the language of warfare, and I think the government has moved on this. It no longer uses this sort of language."

London is not a battlefield, he said.

"The people who were murdered on July 7 were not the victims of war. The men who killed them were not soldiers," Macdonald said. "They were fantasists, narcissists, murderers and criminals and need to be responded to in that way."

His remarks signal a change in emphasis across Whitehall, where the "war on terror" language has officially been ditched.

Officials were concerned it could act as a recruiting tool for Al Qaeda, which is determined to manufacture a battle between Islam and the West.

The term "Islamic terrorist" will also no longer be used. Officials believe it is unhelpful because it appears to directly link the religion to terrorist atrocities....

In "Why the Left Hates Democracy," my longtime sparring partner Dinesh D'Souza expresses his attachment to the democratic principle: an attachment so strong and unyielding that he says, If they want Sharia, let them have it!

So why does the left hate democracy in the Muslim world? The reason is simple. Muslims are socially conservative and generally want a greater role for Islam in their private and public lives. Consequently Muslim democracies are likely to be more conservative socially than they are when secular despots rule them. The left fears Muslim democracy because it is terrified of Muslim values, especially sharia or Muslim holy law. Feminists and gays are not likely to fare very well under Muslim holy law.

When Iraqis rejected secular candidates and voted for a party that pledged to have sharia, at least in some forms of domestic law, the New York TImes howled that democracy could be "consigning Iraqi women to a life of subjugation." Columnist Maureen Dowd warned that "the Iraqi election may actually be making things worse" because "it is going to expand the control of the Shia theocrats." These complaints might have some plausibility if women or Sunnis were not permitted to vote. But women and men both voted for the Dawa party, and so essentially the Times and Dowd were arguing that if Iraqis don't want equal roles for men and women, their democracy is a sham.

All this puts me in mind of that great American statesman, Stephen A. Douglas, the originator of the concept of popular sovereignty. Regarding slavery in Kansas he said, "I care not whether they vote it up or vote it down," as long as the will of the people was expressed and carried out. And now D'Souza casts himself as the great Douglas of Dhimmitude, who cares not whether the people of Iraq vote Sharia up or down, as long as they express their almighty popular will. And look, he says: even women voted for it, so how oppressive can it be?

Well, some slaves fought willingly on the side of the Confederates during the Civil War, too, but I don't think that proves anything about slavery itself. And as for popular sovereignty, we have too many Douglases today, and no Lincolns. "Feminists and gays" are indeed "not likely to fare very well under Muslim holy law," but that's just the beginning. All women, feminist or not, will be subject to restrictions on the value of their testimony (cf. Qur'an 2:282) and their inheritance rights (cf. Qur'an 4:11), and made vulnerable to religiously-sanctioned beating (cf. Qur'an 4:34). Non-Muslims will be subject to restrictions on their freedom of worship and made to pay a special tax -- and you can see from the links that where hardliners gain control, this is already happening. Non-Muslims would not be considered equal to Muslims before the law.

D'Souza has thus placed himself in a paradoxical position: he believes in the rights of man, from which come the concept of popular sovereignty. He believes in the right of self-determination so strongly that he advocates that Iraqis and other Muslims exercise it even to the point of disenfranchising and relegating to inferior status large segments of their societies.

To break this paradox, we need a leader with the courage, the insight, and the will to say that he or she believes in the rights of the individual as delineated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (for all the limitations of that document, it enshrines Judeo-Christian principles of human rights as universal, including the freedom of conscience and the equality of dignity of all people, both of which are denied by Sharia), and thus opposes Sharia.

And finally, D'Souza completely ignores the fact that wherever Sharia is imposed, the jihad ideology and Islamic supremacism have not been far behind, and have set large segments of the Sharia society (if not its leadership, although the House of Saud is a highly questionable case) against the U.S. and the West. So he is advocating, in sum, the adoption of a system that will ultimately make the United States more enemies.

There is no easy solution. I am certainly not advocating that the U.S. topple Sharia regimes around the world. I do think we should adopt a defensive anti-Sharia posture, and oppose its encroachment in the U.S. and Europe. As for Iraq, I don't think there is anything we can ultimately do to keep it from being adopted, but we certainly should not be aiding and abetting that adoption. That would be like selling the Reds the rope they will use to hang us.

For fear of You Know Who. Islamic Tolerance Alert from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

...MATT BROWN: It's a small, tight-knit community in one of the world's most intense hot spots. 3000 Christians live amongst 1.5 million Muslims, and the two groups usually get along well.

FATHER ARCHEMANDRITE ARTEMIOUS, GAZA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH: We don't talk about friendship, we talk about brothership. Both of them are Palestinians but with different religions. Same blood, same nationality.

MATT BROWN: But lately, dark forces have been shadowing the Christians of the Gaza strip. The worshippers have been rocked by a murder.

FATHER ARCHEMANDRITE ARTEMIOUS: Afraid, very sad, they have a lot of questions.

MATT BROWN: Anisa Ayyad's son, Rami, has been killed. He was a prominent and vocal advocate for his faith. Ramzi Ayyad believes his brother was killed by a radical Muslim.

RAMZI AYAD, BROTHER (translated): Rami was well known in the Christian society as a very strong believer. He spent most of his time in the Church praying and teaching others, so he stood out.

MATT BROWN: In the lead up to the murder, Christians were targeted in a string of escalating attacks. And Christians and Muslims alike have been alarmed.

FATHER ARCHEMANDRITE ARTEMIOUS: For Christians, after what happened to Rami, so they are afraid to be here because they see bombing, then they see shooting, then they see hitting and then they see killing. What is the next one?

MATT BROWN: His family are Greek Orthodox Christians, but Rami Ayyad was a member of the Baptist Church, the only Evangelical Church in the Gaza strip.

When Rami Ayyad was confronted by Islamic radicals, he was warned to convert to Islam or face the judgement of God.

PASTOR HANNA MASSAD, GAZA BAPTIST CHURCH: He told us he would never give up his faith, even if it will cost him his life.

MATT BROWN: The tension was mounting. Then, finally, Rami Ayyad was stalked, kidnapped and killed.

PASTOR HANNA MASSAD: We believe it's because of his faith. They, the militant group who didn't like Christian and they tried to put pressure on him and when he continued to hold to his faith, they killed him.

MATT BROWN: The Islamist militant group, Hamas, seized control of Gaza in June and the eyes of the world have been upon them ever since. Hamas is more moderate than groups like al-Qaeda or the Taliban and it promised to safeguard the Christian minority. So it was alarmed at the message the execution of such a well known Christian could send.

AHMAD YUSSUF, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: Killing somebody who is a Christian, this will give the impression that there is a divide between the Muslims and the Christians and Hamas started it in Christian.

MATT BROWN: Some in Gaza believe al-Qaeda inspired radicals have been testing the limits under Hamas. A special team of the Hamas executive force has been ordered to investigate. The trail leads deep into the murky world of Gaza's gunmen, political factions and crime families. And Hamas has promised a sceptical Christian community it will catch the culprit.

AHMAD YUSSUF: He must go to justice and must be punished on his criminal act.

FATHER ARCHEMANDRITE ARTEMIOUS: For now, we're waiting. As they promised, that they'll find (inaudible) that killed Rami. So we're waiting.

MATT BROWN: Many Christians say there's a growing intolerant Islamist sentiment in Gaza, one Hamas has failed to quash. Church leaders complain that Hamas hasn't done enough to counter anti Christian incitement in the prayer rooms of Gaza's mosques....

Failed to quash? Why would they want to quash it? They want it to grow.

Khalid Hasan and I may have our differences, but I wholeheartedly applaud his courage and clear-sightedness in writing this in the Daily Times (thanks to all who sent this in):

The most shameful part of the Aqsa tragedy lies in the online and offline rumours that those who consider themselves “rightly guided” have been circulating. Some suggested that she had a black boyfriend (note the racism), others that she was sexually promiscuous, and some even called her a drug pusher. In other words, her father had every moral right to kill her, is the message. The Canadian imams, many of them in their self-styled attires and operatic headgear came out with other justifications. Sheikh Alaa El-Sayyed, imam of a Toronto mosque, said, “Women who wear hijabs occupy higher positions in Islam, according to religious teachings.” Where did the imam get that because nowhere does Islam lay that out? He also said, “We cannot let culture supersede religion. If we stay away from the teachings of Islam, we will pay for it.” Translated into straight language, it means that since Aqsa stayed away from the teachings of Islam, she had to “pay for it”.

Hot on the heels of Why Can't Muslims Debate? Part 1 and Part 2 comes this: Why Can't Leftists (and Their Islamic Allies) Respect Those Who Disagree With Them? There is a tendency among those on the Left to assume that everyone with a point of view different from theirs is an idiot, as well as a satanic, cynical manipulator. Just think of the caricature of George W. Bush, as simultaneously the half-wit marsupial who can't form a coherent sentence and the evil mastermind behind the 9/11 inside job.

And so we come to a "Dr Marranci," who back in September posted a series of questions to me that I overlooked until today, when a reader kindly pointed them out to me. The questions, although couched in invitations to civil debate, are patronizing in the extreme (see, for example, #7). He cautions me that I should reply civilly, as if I am likely to reply with a string of invective. There's the evil side of the equation. And he accuses me of, among other things, attempting "to link historical facts of the past to the present situation, so that Muslims, all of them, even the ‘moderate’ majority, are trying to reduce us to Dhimmitude, of the same kind experienced in Europe during the Middle Ages." Have I ever said such a thing? Of course not. The idea that I might think that "all" Muslims are trying to do anything in particular puts me firmly in the idiot camp.

Now, I've written seven books, hundreds of articles, and about 19,000 blog posts, and in them I have said a great many things about Islam and Muslims, and jihad and terrorism, and dhimmitude and Islamic supremacism. Before formulating his questions, Marranci seems to have read maybe one or two of those articles and blog posts, and leaps to numerous false assumptions about what I believe and what I argue about these subjects. Now, I am of two minds about this. The questions are leading, condescending, and manipulative, but I think I should answer them anyway. After all, it would be asinine of me to demand that someone read my books before he asks me any questions. But my own question to Dr. Marranci is, On what basis do you assume that I hold the positions you obviously assume I hold from your questions? I'll be glad to have a civil debate, but it has to be civil on both sides, no? Without one side assuming he is dealing with an evil idiot. And finally, before I answer your questions, your contention that I've read some books and am trying to impose the content of those books on an Islamic world that is much larger and more complex than those books is, simply, false. Rather, I report, as you'll see if you read my writings, on how Islamic jihadists today are trying to take the contents of those books and bring it out into the world, and how peaceful Muslims are so far unable to stop them from doing so. You seem, like many others, to assume that it is I who have made the connection between Islam and violence and supremacism, when in fact it has already been made by many, many Muslims, and I simply report on it.

So, to your questions:

1. Do you think that there is only one ‘real’ interpretation of Islam as religion so that only certain Muslims (those whom you labelled Islamo Fascists) are the ‘real’ Muslims?

No.

2. Do you think that Muslims think, behave and act in a certain way because of Islam?

Some of ‘em. Not all of ‘em.

3. Do you believe that Western Civilization is a unitary, unilinear historical process derived from a unique historical reality?

No.

4. Do you believe that there is an attempt to reduce to the state of Dhimmitude the West, so that we have to assume that there exists a unitary plan and project aimed to achieve such a goal? If so, who is behind the plan?

Yes, but I do not think that means that we must assume that there exists a unitary plan and project aimed at achieving such a goal.

5. Do you believe that Muslims are a lobby trying to take hegemonic control of universities, mass media, and other key elements in order to implement the Shari’a at a global level?

Some of ‘em. Not all of ‘em.

6. Is the Shari’a one? If so, could you provide a clear example of the applied version? If this is not the case, where can we find what you define as the Shari’a?

No. From the Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali, and Ja’fari schools of jurisprudence.

7. Which is, according to you, the difference between Islam and Muslims? Are they the same?

Um, I think...um...maybe...Islam is the belief and Muslims are the believers? Um, is that it? And no, they’re not the same.

8. How do you define Fascism, radicalism, fundamentalism in general, and what kind of elements can make it ‘Islamic’?

Fascism: everything in society is oriented toward the supreme goal. Radicalism: taking something really, really seriously. Fundamentalism: technically this has to do with the acceptance of five doctrinal points among 19th century American Protestants, but people like you also often apply it to Muslims who stress the traditional faith and literal understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Fascism is Islamic when Muslims push forward a societal program in which everything is oriented toward Islamic purity.

9. Does your definition of the West and Westerners include also the Muslim generations which are born in Europe or the US?

Some of ‘em. Not all of ‘em.

10. What is your definition of Civilization?

A type of culture or society, of a specific time and place.

11. What makes the West a Civilization?

Lots of things. Above all today I’d say a commitment to the equality of dignity of all people, which the schools of Islamic law deny, a commitment to the equality of rights of all people before the law, which the schools of Islamic law deny, a commitment to freedom of conscience, with the schools of Islamic law deny, and a certain attachment to art as ennobling the human spirit, such as is not possible in a strictly iconoclastic culture.

12. Why do you refer to the flirtation of Muslim leaders with Fascists but omit any reference to the parallel relationship of Zion-Revisionists with the same Fascist leaders? What is the difference at a historical level?

The “Zion-Revisionists” didn’t have a program for world domination, and the subjugation of unbelievers. Historically, they never did. The jihadists always have had one, and still do.

That's it. I'll admit my answers are a bit laconic and tongue-in-cheek. I'll admit that I tend to react that way when I'm being condescended to. If Dr. Marranci really wants to debate, I'm game. If he wants to lecture me about the difference between belief and practice, which I have written about ad infinitum, and about the meaning of words, like an errant schoolboy, then he is going to have to find another mark.

UPDATE: I just posted this and then found this post over at Marranci's. Here is another manifestation of the tendencies I described above, along with a strange example of projection: Marranci says that he hopes I will "find the time to debate, correctly and academically" with him, and then sneers that my "worshipers" and I are "extremely good in sophistic polemic, but they seem in difficulties when the discussion is open and civilised." I would suggest in turn to Dr. Marranci that when he refers to my "worshipers" and compares me to Mussolini (and note also his illustration to this post), he is proving his proficiency at "sophistic polemic" and his disdain for "open and civilised" debate, despite his protestations.

SECOND UPDATE: Dr. Marranci again demonstrates his attachment to "open and civilised" debate by, instead of focusing on anything substantive that I have said above or elsewhere, tries to portray me as some kind of cult leader. And while criticizing me for being a humorless SOB and a kicker of kittens, he takes the fact that I posted a link to an "I love Robert Spencer" t-shirt below as evidence that I really am trying to form a cult of personality.

Since I began this post by discussing the intellectual bankruptcy of many of my opponents and their tendency to do nothing but demonize me rather than deal with what I actually say, I can't help but be amused by Dr. Marranci's readiness to prove my points. For the record, this humorless SOB (me, not Marranci) posted the "I love Robert Spencer t-shirt" as a joke. A j-o-k-e. After all his condescending word-definition questions, I suppose I should ask Marranci if he knows what a joke is. For the record, I have nothing to do with this t-shirt. I did not design it, I do not sell it, I do not receive any money from its sale, I do not know who did design it, and for that matter, I don't even think it refers to me. There is a Broadway actor who has the misfortune of sharing a name with me, and I suspect the shirt is referring to him. But I found it by chance on Amazon, and thought it was funny.

However, I am thinking of buying one and sending it to Dr. Marranci, gratis.

Osama bin Laden emerges from his hideout in this undated file photo

Even a dog can walk around in the daylight. But not Osama bin Laden. "Blood for blood, destruction for destruction." Blah for blah. Talk about a tired act.

"Bin Laden issues warning on Iraq, Israel," by Salah Nasrawi for Associated Press (thanks to Sr. Soph):

CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden warned Iraq's Sunni Arabs against fighting al-Qaida and vowed to expand the terror group's holy war to Israel in a new audiotape Saturday, threatening "blood for blood, destruction for destruction."

Most of the 56-minute tape dealt with Iraq, apparently al-Qaida's latest attempt to keep supporters in Iraq unified at a time when the U.S. military claims to have al-Qaida's Iraq branch on the run.

The tape did not mention Pakistan or the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, though Pakistan's government has blamed al-Qaida and the Taliban for her death on Thursday. That suggested the tape was made before the assassination.

Bin Laden's comments offered an unusually direct attack on Israel, stepping up al-Qaida's attempts to use the Israeli-Arab conflict to rally supporters. Israel has warned of growing al-Qaida activity in Palestinian territory, though terror network is not believed to have taken a strong role there so far.

Islamic Tolerance Alert:

"We intend to liberate Palestine, the whole of Palestine from the (Jordan) river to the sea," he said, threatening "blood for blood, destruction for destruction."

"We will not recognize even one inch for Jews in the land of Palestine as other Muslim leaders have," bin Laden said.

In Iraq, a number of Sunni Arab tribes in western Anbar province have formed a coalition fighting al-Qaida-linked insurgents that U.S. officials credit for deeply reducing violence in the province. The U.S. military has been working to form similar "Awakening Councils" in other areas of Iraq.

Bin Laden said Sunni Arabs who have joined the Awakening Councils "have betrayed the nation and brought disgrace and shame to their people. They will suffer in life and in the afterlife."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said bin Laden's tape shows that al-Qaida's aim is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis.

"It also reminds us that the mission to defeat al-Qaida in Iraq is critically important and must succeed," Fratto said. "The Iraqi people — every day, and in increasing numbers — are choosing freedom and standing against the murderous, hateful ideology of AQI. And we stand with them."

Several hours before the tape was issued, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, said al-Qaida was becoming increasingly fearful of losing the support of Sunni Arabs and had begun targeting the leaders of the Awakening Councils.

Petraeus said al-Qaida attaches "enormous importance" to "these tribes that have turned against them, and to the general sense that Sunni Arab communities have rejected them more and more around Iraq."

"They are trying to counter this and they have done so by attacking them," which is increasingly turning Sunnis against al-Qaida, he said.

In the audiotape, bin Laden denounced Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, the former leader of the Anbar Awakening Council, who was killed in a September bombing claimed by al-Qaida.

"The most evil of the traitors are those who trade away their religion for the sake of their mortal life," bin Laden said.

Note, yet again, the exclusively religious nature of his appeal to Muslims.

"This is another example of how the terror organizations exploit the humanitarian aid that is delivered to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with Israel's approval"

"War Is Deceit" Update "IDF: Chemicals were disguised as EU aid," by Talia Dekel for the Jerusalem Post:

The IDF and Shin Bet uncovered 6.5 tons of potassium nitrate hidden in sacks that were disguised as aid from the European Union, the army announced on Saturday.

Security forces discovered the stash in the cargo of a Palestinian truck at a West Bank checkpoint earlier in December. According to the IDF, the material, hidden in sugar sacks, was planned to be used by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

"Potassium Nitrate is a banned substance in the Gaza Strip and the Judea and Samaria region due to its use by terrorists for the manufacturing of explosives and Kassam rockets," the IDF spokesperson wrote in a statement.

"This is another example of how the terror organizations exploit the humanitarian aid that is delivered to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with Israel's approval," the statement read.

Some Sunnis might beg to differ. But it is abundantly clear, particularly given Iran's aid to Hamas and the Taliban, that this is how the mullahcracy has been trying to position itself.

"Islamic unity is the lesson of Ghadir: Leader," from the Tehran Times (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

TEHRAN -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said here on Saturday that the important lesson from the Ghadir event is to avoid division in the Islamic world.

“Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) was the Prophet’s appointee, but when he noticed that realizing this right might harm Islam and cause discord, he not only did not make any claims but cooperated with those who ruled the Islamic society… because Islam needed unity,” the Supreme Leader told thousands of well-wishers in remarks made on the occasion of the Eid al-Qadir holiday.

By following Imam Ali (AS), today the Iranian nation is the standard-bearer of Islamic unity in the world, the Leader noted.

Stressing the need for vigilance in the face of enemy plots to spread the “virus of discord” between followers of various Islamic schools of thought, the Leader added, “The great lesson of Ghadir is to fight against discord and to put this important lesson into practice, the followers of Islam should avoid insulting each other’s sanctities and stop bringing up provocative and sensitive issues.”

“And, as it was expressed in the hajj message, through their vigilance and unity, they should disappoint the plan by the (global) arrogance (imperialist forces) to create religious divisions and a Shia-Sunni clash.”

Eid al-Ghadir is the anniversary commemorating the last sermon of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household) at Ghadir Khumm on Dhul Hijjah 18, in the year 10 AH. It is celebrated mainly by Shias, who regard it as confirmation that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) was to succeed Prophet Muhammad (S).

Some, alas for Khamenei, beg to differ indeed.

Sunni/Shi'ite Jihad Update. "Bomb in Baghdad Kills at Least 7 In Crowd of Mostly Shiite Shoppers," by Joshua Partlow and Zaid Sabah for the Washington Post (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

...Friday's blast occurred in Tayaran Square, east of the Tigris River, near a barricaded bazaar of vegetable carts and used-clothing dealers. The U.S. military said seven people were killed and 29 wounded. Iraqi police officials cited higher tolls: 14 killed and more than 60 wounded.

Camouflaged Interior Ministry commandos took up positions around the square throughout the afternoon, ordering at gunpoint any car that slowed down to keep moving.

Many of the victims were taken to Kindi Hospital in eastern Baghdad, where angry young men roved the parking lot while the wounded wailed inside. Policemen and hospital staff members said the government had ordered them to deny journalists access to the hospital, openly identifying themselves as members of the Mahdi Army, the Shiite militia that dominates the Health Ministry.

"Are you crazy? We are the Mahdi Army, and you know how it works," one policeman said outside the hospital.

A couple of housekeeping notes:

1. People say false things about me rather frequently -- attributing to me statements I have never made, and positions I have never held. I suspect that this is because it is easier to dismiss a straw man than to deal with what I actually say. Usually these are better off ignored, but when they start spreading and people start asking me about them, then I think it is better to clarify them. And so it has been brought to my attention that a man who has published a deeply flawed work about Muhammad and Islam, in a consideration of how many active jihadists there are, says this: "Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch is on another planet with his estimate of as many as 650 million jihadists - one in every two Muslims."

Have I ever actually made such an estimate? No, I have not. If I had done so, I really would be on "another planet." What I have done, and what this individual has apparently misunderstood, is state that jihadists enjoy the support of, in some areas, up to half of the Muslims. This is borne out by the recent poll in which 46% of Muslims in Pakistan expressed a favorable view of Osama bin Laden, and by the Al-Jazeera poll that put that support among Muslims worldwide at just under 50%. Does this mean that 50% of Muslims are or ever will be active jihadists? No, of course not, and I have never said it did, anywhere, at any time, in any forum.

2. A person who has used the names "Idontlikemuslims" and "osgood bombay" has posted genocidal comments here, and ones asserting that every single Muslim is the enemy. We do not hold either position here, but are working in the defense of human rights. This person has been banned by IP and by user name, but neither method is foolproof. Such comments, of course, only play into the hands of those who oppose our resistance to the global jihad and Islamic supremacism. And the only people talking about genocide, concentration camps and the like are those who oppose the anti-jihad resistance, and who use such charges to try to discredit us.

All that leads me to believe that "Osgood Bombay" is a provocateur, who is trying to discredit the site by leaving such comments here so that they can be used by our enemies. It has happened before.

So I ask everyone who reads this site regularly: if you see comments that use abusive language for Muslims or anyone, and which advocate genocide or incarceration, or which say that each and every Muslim is the enemy, or something similar, please write to me using the Contact Us box at left (scroll down) and let me know where it is -- I will remove it. Comments are unmoderated; I don't have time to read them all myself, and don't have the money to hire someone to do so. So any help you all can give is much appreciated.

The OIC pushed it through. "Defamation of religions," of course, means "speaking the truth about the elements of Islamic teaching that jihadists use to incite to violence."

"Islamic Bloc Scores 'Defamation of Religions' Resolution at UN," by Patrick Goodenough for CNSNews.com (thanks to Jamie Glazov):

(CNSNews.com) - Alongside a resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly this week calling for a moratorium on the death penalty, the world body passed a raft of other human rights-related motions. One of them, introduced by Islamic nations, focuses on combating the "defamation of religions."

Resolutions on the human rights situation in North Korea and Iran also passed, although dozens of countries -- including human rights violators Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe -- voted against the motions.

An annual resolution on "the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination" also passed by an overwhelming margin, with only the United States, Israel, and three small Pacific island nations voting "no." There were four abstentions.

The motion on defamation of religions has been a priority for the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) since 9/11. It took on new impetus following a Danish newspaper's publication in 2005 of cartoons satirizing Mohammed.

Introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC, it passed on Tuesday by a 108-51 margin, with 25 abstentions. As with many of the other votes, the U.S. lined up with democracies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere against developing nations, including repressive regimes.

Although the resolution refers to defamation of "religions," Islam is the only religion named in the text, which also takes a swipe at counter-terrorism security measures.

It expresses alarm about "discrimination" and "laws that stigmatize groups of people belonging to certain religions and faiths under a variety of pretexts relating to security and illegal immigration."

In other words, as far as the UN is concerned, it is now wrong to resist the jihad.

Muslim minorities are subjected to "ethnic and religious profiling ... in the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September 2001," it says.

The resolution decries "the negative projection of Islam in the media" and voices "deep concern that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism."

You see, this association is all the fault of non-Muslims. The fact that Muslims themselves routinely commit violent acts and justify them with reference to Islamic teachings is a fact we are not supposed to, indeed not allowed to, notice.

OIC secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu earlier this month addressed an international conference on "Islamophobia," held in Turkey, and told the gathering that freedom of expression was being used as a cover in the West to promote anti-Islam sentiment.

The OIC soon will release its first-ever annual report on "Islamophobia."

'Flawed and divisive'

On a number of the General Assembly resolutions passed Tuesday, the U.S. stood in the minority, including one dealing with practices that contribute to "fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance," and another on a report on preparations by the U.N.'s Human Rights Council for a major conference on racism, scheduled for 2009.

The international conference is intended to review progress achieved on a program of action adopted at an earlier racism conference, held in Durban, South Africa in 2001.

The Durban event was marred by controversy, with attempts spearheaded by Arab and Muslim states to equate Zionism with racism. The U.S. government sent a low-level delegation and then recalled it midway in protest against the attacks on Israel.

On Tuesday, only the U.S., Israel and the Marshall Islands voted against the resolution on preparations for the Durban review conference.

In an earlier explanation of vote, American envoy Grover Joseph Rees told member-states that although the U.S. supported the stated objectives of Durban gathering, "the outcomes of the conference were deeply flawed and divisive."

"The resolution now before us endorses that flawed outcome and is therefore itself seriously problematic," he said.

Indeed.

Outrage.

This reminds me of a story from about 1990 or 1991. There was a big Gay Pride march in a major American city. Afterward, I was talking to a couple of Catholic seminarians whose seminary was along the road the marchers used, and they said that marchers had slipped condoms through the mail slot in the seminary's front door. The seminarians threw them away, and that was the end of the incident. The marchers had meant to taunt the seminarians, and the seminarians shrugged off the taunt. There were no marches. Security was not beefed up. The incident got no publicity whatsoever.

Compare and contrast.

"Pork in mosque creates tension ahead of MK visit," from Express News Service (thanks to Twostellas):

ERODE: Tension prevailed in Dharapuram after a slice of pork was found inside a mosque at Kannan Nagar near the by-pass road in Dharapuram on Friday.

Sources said that the slice of meat was thrown into the mosque through the iron gates. A mosque worker Ibrahim spotted it when he opened the door of the mosque this morning.

Later in the day, over 5000 Muslims assembled near the Big Mosque, Jinna Maidan and took out a march to the RDO Nagarajan’s office and sought action against the miscreants behind the incident.

Superintendent of Police Sonal V Mishra, Town Inspector of Police Sivakumar and SI Shunmugam went to the mosque and held an enquiries. The local Muslims numbering more than 500 visit the mosque, wherein a Madarassa too functions, on a daily basis.

Since the incident occured on the eve of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s visit to Erode on Saturday, security has been beefed up in the town.

Peace In Our Time! "Abbas's Government Dismantling Militant Groups: Minister," from Reuters (thanks to Sr. Soph):

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The top Palestinian security official said on Saturday his government was dismantling militant groups, including those connected to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction.

The pledge by Interior Minister Abdel-Razak al-Yahya came one day after Palestinian militants killed two off-duty Israeli soldiers who were hiking near the West Bank city of Hebron. Two of the militants were also killed in an ensuing gun battle.

Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed at a U.S.-sponsored peace conference last month in Annapolis, Maryland to launch negotiations with the goal of reaching a statehood agreement by the end of 2008.

But Israel has said it will not implement any agreement until the Palestinians meet their obligations under the long-stalled "road map" peace plan to rein in militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Hamas Islamists seized control of Gaza in June after routing Abbas's secular Fatah forces there, but Fatah still holds sway in the West Bank.

The Palestinians assert that they are meeting their security obligations in the West Bank by launching a security clampdown in some of the largest cities.

"There is no al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades any more," Yahya told Voice of Palestine radio, referring to Fatah's largest armed group.

He said Abbas's Western-backed government has started "working to dismantle" other militant groups, though he did not spell out how that would be accomplished.

"We wish they (other groups) will respond positively and follow al-Aqsa's example," Yahya said.

Sorry, Yahya: "Islamic Jihad vows not to disarm," from Xinhua (thanks to Twostellas):

GAZA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior leader of Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement in Gaza said on Saturday that his movement would not disarm since resistance against Israel was a way to achieve the Palestinian people's goals.

"For us, the resistance was not our aim but a way to reach the goals of the Palestinian people who are suffering from the occupation and have no other choices to face the Israeli aggression," said Naffez Azzam, a senior Jihad leader in Gaza City.

Azzam's remarks came in response to earlier statements by Interior Minister of the Western-backed Palestinian government in West Bank saying al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, armed wing of Fatah movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, was dismantled.

He wasn't involved, he says, but he thinks it was great. From Edinburgh Evening News (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

A MILITANT warlord in Pakistan today rejected government claims that he was behind the assassination of former prime minister and popular leader Benazir Bhutto.

A spokesman for Baitullah Mehsud, described as the country's leading al-Qaida general, dismissed the allegations as "government propaganda".

"We strongly deny it. Baitullah Mehsud is not involved in the killing of Benazir Bhutto," the spokesman said.

"The government is levelling a baseless allegation and we think it is doing so to divert the attention of the people of Pakistan from the real killers."

Mehsud is the leader of the newly formed Tehrik-i-Taliban, a coalition of Islamic militants committed to waging holy war against the government.

The interior ministry yesterday released a transcript of a conversation between Mehsud and another militant in which he offered congratulations for the suicide attack.

"It was a spectacular job. They were very brave boys who killed her," Mehsud said, according to the transcript....

A potpourri of charges. "Morocco jails 15 people convicted of terror links," from Agence France-Presse:

RABAT: Morocco's anti-terrorist tribunal has jailed 15 Islamists for between one and four years in three separate cases on conviction of terrorist activity or connections, the MAP news agency reported Friday. The special court in Sale near Rabat sentenced seven people late on Thursday to between one and two years in prison after the prosecution accused them of links to May 2003 attacks in Casablanca which killed 45 people, including 12 suicide bombers. Another group of seven were jailed for four years each after being found guilty of receiving paramilitary training with Algeria's extremist Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which was in January renamed the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Those seven, who included a former resident in Belgium and two ex-students in Syria, allegedly wanted to go to Iraq to fight a "holy war." The 15th case concerned Jawad Tarmil, a Moroccan expelled from Algeria, who was accused of GSPC membership and jailed for two years for forming a criminal group, terrorist activity and serious breaches of public order, MAP reported.

Somalia Jihad Update. "Somali town captured by Islamist fighters," from Agence France-Presse:

Mogadishu - Islamist militia on Friday took control of a town in south-central Somalia after Ethiopian soldiers withdrew overnight, witnesses said.

No word on the reason for their withdrawal, either in this story, or one from the BBC. The AFP article continues:

The Islamists, who briefly controlled much of south and central Somalia before they were ousted by Ethiopia-backed Somali government troops early this year, have since been waging near daily attacks against the joint forces.

"The Ethiopian forces withdrew from the town overnight and now I can see the former Islamic courts fighters," said Mohamed Haji Elmi, a local elder.

The Islamists took over Guriel, 300km north of the capital Mogadishu, which they had previously controlled.

Infiltration. "Muslim pressure," by Bill Gertz in the Washington Times (scroll down):

Pro-Muslim officials at the Pentagon are putting political pressure on one of the U.S. military's most important specialists on Islamist extremism, according to defense officials.

Stephen Coughlin, a specialist on Islamic law on the Joint Staff, met recently with Hasham Islam, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England's close aide. The officials said Mr. Islam, a Muslim who is leading efforts for the Defense Department's outreach to Muslim groups, sought to convince Mr. Coughlin to take a softer line on Islam and Islamic law elements that promote extremism.

There is also evidence that a whispering campaign is under way to try and discredit Mr. Coughlin as a "Christian extremist with a pen" and force him out of the building, according to the officials.

Mr. Coughlin came under fire from pro-Muslim officials after a memorandum he wrote identified several groups that are being courted by Mr. Islam's community outreach program as front organizations for the pro-extremist Muslim Brotherhood.

Mr. Coughlin based the memorandum on documents released as evidence in a federal terrorism trial that he stated "are beginning to define the structure and outline of domestic jihad threat entities, associated nongovernmental organizations and potential terrorist or insurgent support systems."

Mr. Coughlin noted that the documents identified one of the Muslim Brotherhood front groups as the Islamic Society of North America, whose leaders were hosted by Mr. England in April at the Pentagon, raising concerns that the deputy defense secretary does not understand clearly the nature of the Islamist threat he is working against as the No. 2 official.

Mr. England has been a leading advocate of what critics in the Pentagon say is a misguided attempt to reach out to the wrong Muslims, regardless of their views, in an effort to counter Muslim extremism.

That approach has kept military and civilian officials from conducting much-needed assessments of how Muslim extremists are waging war because doing so would involving analysis of Muslim religious tenets, a politically taboo subject area.

Aye, there's the rub.

Ali Eteraz at Pajamas Media suggests that if the U.S. would drop Musharraf and support an independent panel investigating the killing of Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistanis would wake up to the evils of political Islam and vote pro-American:

An independent panel will likely conclude that it was the terrorists that killed Ms. Bhutto and not any elements associated with Musharraf himself. By doing so, Musharraf will be able to clear the cloud of suspicion hanging over his head, and might, in the process, be able to use the international community to identify how much the pro-Taliban elements have infiltrated Pakistan’s government. By severing itself from Musharraf and calling for an objective international panel, the US might also be able to see the extent of Musharraf’s complicity with the Islamists, if any.

If the U.S. can create the conditions for such a public demonstration of the history and extent of jihadist killing and infiltration, it would arm the people of Pakistan with unerring proof about who is their real enemy. It would be a boost to their sense of survival. It would demonstrate that the US is looking out for them. They would be able to take these feelings to the polls.

Historically, Pakistanis have never voted for religious fanatics. Today the U.S. must use an international panel to remind them that the reason they have never voted Islamist is because Islamists do not care for Pakistani lives. This kind of gesture will give resolve to the people of Pakistan. When facing the kind of terrorism Pakistanis do every day, resolve is the most important thing.

So that's all it will take: if the U.S. abandons Musharraf and sponsors an independent investigation into Bhutto's death, the Pakistani jihad will melt away. The 46% who registered approval for bin Laden as recently as September will vanish, and the the 9% who said they had a favorable view of George W. Bush will skyrocket. The 74% who said they opposed "U.S. military action against al Qaeda and the Taliban inside Pakistan" will begin, presumably, to change their minds.

I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately, Andrew McCarthy was far closer to the mark when he wrote yesterday:

The real Pakistan is a breeding ground of Islamic holy war where, for about half the population, the only thing more intolerable than Western democracy is the prospect of a faux democracy led by a woman — indeed, a product of feudal Pakistani privilege and secular Western breeding whose father, President Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto, had been branded as an enemy of Islam by influential Muslim clerics in the early 1970s.

The real Pakistan is a place where the intelligence services are salted with Islamic fundamentalists: jihadist sympathizers who, during the 1980s, steered hundreds of millions in U.S. aid for the anti-Soviet mujahideen to the most anti-Western Afghan fighters — warlords like Gilbuddin Hekmatyar whose Arab allies included bin Laden and Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the stalwarts of today’s global jihad against America.

The real Pakistan is a place where the military, ineffective and half-hearted though it is in combating Islamic terror, is the thin line between today’s boiling pot and what tomorrow is more likely to be a jihadist nuclear power than a Western-style democracy.

Search the archives here and you will find abundant confirmation of all these points. And the most obvious reason why the Pakistani jihad will not evanesce if Musharraf goes away is that it existed before him, and has been gaining in strength and influence ever since the founding of Pakistan -- and particularly around the time Benazir Bhutto's father was murdered by the Zia al-Haq regime, which introduced numerous Sharia provisions into Pakistani law.

In a piece entitled "Who's Afraid of Benazir Bhutto?" (thanks to James), which seems to be about whether the jihadists or Musharraf killed Bhutto, my old debating partner Dinesh D'Souza revisits the disastrous thesis of his last book: that America's immoral society has created the global jihad, as a reaction by beleaguered proponents of traditional morality against the depravity and debauchery swamping the earth courtesy American pop culture.

What does this have to do with who killed Benazir Bhutto? Absolutely nothing, but it enables D'Souza to give the impression that Bhutto and Bernard Lewis would line up in agreement with the idea that everything would be just fine between the West and the Islamic world if we just went back to the days of Ozzie and Harriett and Doris Day.

Meanwhile, although it has been many months since he released his book, D'Souza has still not managed to come up with a second name of a "traditional Muslim" with whom he thinks American conservatives should ally. The first he mentioned was Egyptian Mufti Ali Gomaa, whom the New York Times identified as a supporter of the jihad terror group Hizballah. Whoops. Maybe the second attempt will be more successful, but I know he has another book out since then, and maybe he just hasn't had time to get to it. Since he has revisited his older book today, however, maybe he will take a moment to answer a few of the questions I asked in my review of his book here -- notably, if the jihad is a reaction to American pop culture, are Buddhist schoolteachers who are being murdered in Thailand exponents of American pop culture? Are Christian schoolgirls beheaded in Indonesia on their way to school the vanguard of an invasion by Eve Ensler? Are churches torched in Nigeria because they are showing blue movies during off hours?

But I don't expect any answer, of course. D'Souza, after all, has never bothered to retract or correct his ridiculous claim that I want Muslim countries to replace the Qur'an with the Torah. Some people will say anything, I guess. And others, more fool they, will believe them.

But the January 8 elections are still on. "Bhutto Killing Blamed On Terror Groups," from SkyNews (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

The assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, whose funeral was held today, has been blamed on al Qaeda and the Taliban.

They were accused of the killing by Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz who said he had evidence which solved the "whole mystery".

He was speaking after Ms Bhutto was laid to rest in a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of grief-stricken mourners.

[...]

Ms Bhutto's murder has sparked violence across Pakistan and thrown next month's elections into doubt.

At least 32 people have died in the riots. Police have been told to shoot if necessary to maintain law and order.

Troops are patrolling the streets of Hyderabad and Karachi, where an earlier attempt was made on Ms Bhutto's life.

Despite the turmoil Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro has said elections will still go ahead on January 8.

"Right now the elections stand where they were," he told a news conference. "We will consult all the political parties to take any decision about it."...

Much better to leave it to a Tiny Minority of Extremists to wield all legislative, executive, and judicial power, eh? This story appears to precede Bhutto's assassination yesterday, but is nonetheless highly relevant to yesterday's events.

"Taliban leader warns against using religion for electoral gains," by Iqbal Khattak for the Daily Times:

BANNU: A senior Taliban leader warned parties on Thursday against “using religion for electoral gains”, saying they would join parties urging boycott of January 8 polls.

“In Shariah, democracy is un-Islamic. Our movement is completely against what you call democracy in which a small majority can decide irrespective of the fact whether what they have done was good or bad,” the Taliban leader, asking not to be named, told Daily Times in an interview here.

He said the Taliban were “against elements who are using Islam for electoral gains”.

This un-named Taliban leader doesn't appear to take into account the fact that democracy might be used to bring about more Sharia law; after all, the success or failure of a democracy depends on the values that inform its participants-- both candidates and voters. But perhaps Sharia-by-democracy isn't fast enough, and those gains won't guarantee the abolition of the present system. And at any rate, this election won't hand the Taliban the absolute power to which they believe they are divinely entitled.

The warning comes at a time when Maulana Fazlur Rehman, contesting the National Assembly seat NA-26 in Bannu besides NA-24 (Dera Ismail Khan), is rallying for party candidates to win as many National and provincial assembly seats amidst stiff challenges from rival candidates in southern districts of the Frontier province, the JUI-F heartland.

Severe punishment: “Our members in Bannu district are strictly barred from taking part in the elections and anyone found guilty of violating the directive will be severely punished,” said the senior Taliban leader who did not wish to be identified.

He said there were around 500 Taliban members in Bannu city. “We will join forces trying to convince the people that people’s solution of problems does not rest with democracy,” he said.

A surprisingly good editorial for a mainstream media source -- this one is in the Union Leader, "Murder in Pakistan: Hatred all over the world":

SO, THEY don't hate us for our freedoms, eh?

The horrific murder of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's best hope for democratic reform, is almost certainly the work of al-Qaida or al-Qaida-linked extremists. You know, the guys who would stop hating us if only we quit pursuing our interests in the Middle East.

Al-Qaida, the Taliban and Islamic extremists in general have long hated Bhutto for her pro-Western sympathies, for opposing their primitive utopianism, and for simply being a woman who dared do a man's job. They have threatened to kill her before, and now a shooter/suicide bomber has done it.

[...]

Anwar Sadat. Benazir Bhutto. Theo Van Gogh. Daniel Pearl. Three thousand Americans on 9/11. The editors of Jyllands-Posten -- almost. Salman Rushdie -- almost. Pervez Musharraf -- almost. We could go on, but maybe you get the point. The message is perfectly clear: Challenge the jihad, pay with your life.

A radical Islamic army seething with rage and delusion grows stronger, slaughtering more and more of our potential allies, as we spend years debating whether, to save our civilization, our warriors should ever be allowed to pretend to drown a captured enemy combatant.

If we don't see this threat with greater clarity, we will lose our chance to thwart its ambitions before it reaches its full strength. What we are seeing is only a taste of what is to come if the jihad is allowed to grow unchecked.

Here is a terrific piece by Cliff May of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies on the Wall Street Journal's recent hatchet piece on Israel and the Christians of Bethlehem:

In this holiday season, there are journalistic conventions one comes to expect: stories lamenting the commercialism of Christmas; stories summing up the 12 months gone by and predicting the direction of the New Year; and stories blaming Israelis for the problems afflicting the Holy Land.

Reuters, the BBC, McClatchy, ABC News -- in recent days, all have run pieces in the last category. But the one that troubled me most appeared in the Wall Street Journal -- my favorite national daily newspaper -- on Dec. 24. It was written by Ken Woodward, a religion writer whose work I've long respected. But in this instance his subject was not religion but foreign affairs, and what he produced was the usual anti-Israeli dogma.

His op-ed was headlined: "The Plight of Bethlehem: Why Christians can't visit the holy shrines in Jerusalem." The first thing to note is that, according to Palestinian tourism officials, 450,000 foreigners will have visited Bethlehem by the end of this year -- a 50 percent increase over the 295,000 who came last year. Every hotel room was filled. Among the tourists on Christmas Day were 7,000 Israeli Christian Arabs. Fadel Badarin, the chief of the Palestinian tourism police, declared that in 2007 "the tourism situation in Bethlehem was great."

The low point for tourism to Bethlehem came in 2002. Then-Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat had turned down the peace offers forged by President Clinton during his last days in office. Arafat went on to launch a wave of suicide bombings against Israel, a terrorist assault known as the al-Aqsa Intifadah. At one point in that conflict, Palestinian terrorists took over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and used the Christians inside -- including nuns and priests -- as human shields.

Yet Woodward argues that Israel "cannot blame the Christians' dire circumstances" on the Intifadah because "Muslims are suffering just as much as the tiny Christian minority." Does Woodward actually believe militant Islamists spare ordinary Muslims from suffering? Does he not know that the majority of victims of Islamist terrorism -- in Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and elsewhere -- have been moderate Muslims?

Woodward also seems unaware of the extent to which Bethlehem's Christian population has declined since 1995 -- the year Arafat's Palestinian Authority took over the West Bank and Gaza as part of the Oslo Accords. Arafat quickly fired the city's Christian politicians and replaced them with his cronies.

Conceding that "Israel, of course, must protect its security," Woodward nevertheless slams Israel for doing so. He singles out the security barrier separating the Christian village of Beit Jala from the Jerusalem neighbor of Gilo. Woodward fails to mention that Palestinian snipers had used locations in Beit Jala to shoot at Israeli men, women and children in Gilo. On my first trip to Israel, in 2002, I visited Gilo. The residents had indeed erected a concrete barrier to stop the bullets. On it, they had painted a mural of Beit Jala -- to remind them of the neighbor it had become too dangerous to look upon.

Read it all.

On Christmas Eve, the Guardian published an odd commentary piece by Ajmal Masroor, the director of Communities in Action. It was odd because Masroor was openly proselytizing for Islam, wondering why former British Prime Minister Tony Blair didn't convert to Islam rather than to Catholicism. One doesn't usually see such open proselytizing in a major newspaper. In any case, in the course of his piece Masroor said this:

According to Blair, Islam "extols science and knowledge and abhors superstition". I agree, but why has he embraced Catholicism with its history of hostility towards science and is embedded with superstition?

Why indeed? I can't and won't speak for Blair, but the idea that Islam extols science while Christianity is hostile to it is historically and conceptually false. And it's an important question, not only for science, but also for the defense of the West in general against the civilizational challenge posed by the Islamic jihadists. In my book Religion of Peace?, therefore, I discuss it in detail, beginning with an explanation of the importance of the question from none other than Friedrich Nietzche, who once noted that “there is no such thing as science ‘without any presuppositions.’…a philosophy, a ‘faith,’ must always be there first, so that science can acquire from it a direction, a meaning, a limit, a method, a right to exist.”

It may be jarring to those who are accustomed to believing that faith and reason are perpetually at odds with each other, and that religion is an eternal enemy to science, but it is nevertheless a matter of historical fact that modern science has derived a great deal of its direction, meaning, limit, method, and right to exist from Christianity. It is likewise true, and probably just as jarring to those who assume that all religions are essentially identical in character, that Islam has not provided, either historically or in the present day, the same kind of impetus to its development.

At Regensburg, Pope Benedict XVI observed that “for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent. His will is not bound up with any of our categories, even that of rationality.” The one hundred Muslim authorities who wrote an Open Letter to the Pope replied that “To say that for Muslims ‘God’s Will is not bound up in any of our categories’ is also a simplification which may lead to a misunderstanding. God has many Names in Islam, including the Merciful, the Just, the Seeing, the Hearing, the Knowing, the Loving, and the Gentle….As this concerns His Will, to conclude that Muslims believe in a capricious God who might or might not command us to evil is to forget that God says in the Qur’an, Lo! God enjoins justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbids lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorts you in order that ye may take heed (al-Nahl, 16:90). Equally, it is to forget that God says in the Qur’an that He has prescribed for Himself mercy (al-An’am, 6:12; see also 6:54), and that God says in the Qur’an, My Mercy encompasses everything (al-A‘raf 7:156). The word for mercy, rahmah, can also be translated as love, kindness, and compassion. From this word rahmah comes the sacred formula Muslims use daily, In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Is it not self-evident that spilling innocent blood goes against mercy and compassion?”

Fair enough, although we have often seen the limitations within an Islamic context of condemning the spilling of “innocent blood”: who is innocent? Under what circumstances? But aside from that, the authors of the Open Letter seem to be contradicting the Pope’s point about the Islamic view of God, but they do not actually do so. In attempting to refute the idea that Islam envisions “a capricious God who might or might not command us to evil,” the writers offer a number of Qur’an quotes that assert that “God enjoins justice and kindness,” and is merciful and compassionate. Yet in noting that in Islam, Allah’s “will is not bound up with any of our categories” and quoting Ibn Hazm saying “Were it God’s will, we would even have to practise idolatry,” the Pope was not so much saying that in the Islamic view Allah would command his people to do evil, but that he might change the content of the concepts of good and evil. In other words, Allah would always enjoin “justice and kindness,” but what constitutes “justice and kindness,” just as what constitutes “innocent blood,” might change.

This idea has extraordinarily important implications for the development of science. There is an odd passage in the Qur’an that sums up this perspective, and how it differs from the Judeo-Christian view of God: “The Jews say: Allah’s hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered and they are accursed for saying so.” (5:64).

The Jews, in their wickedness, claimed that “Allah’s hand is fettered,” but in fact Allah’s hand is not fettered. It is unclear what Jewish concept the Qur’an is referring to in this case, but the indignant response to it is clear: Allah’s hand being unfettered is a vivid image of divine freedom. Such a God can be bound by no laws. Muslim theologians argued during the long controversy with the Mu‘tazilite sect, which exalted human reason beyond the point that the eventual victors were willing to tolerate, that Allah was free to act as he pleased. He was thus not bound to govern the universe according to consistent and observable laws. “He cannot be questioned concerning what He does” (Qur’an 21:23).

This could be as big as when Sinatra broke with Capitol and formed the Reprise label: a jihadist website has denounced Al-Jazeera as "the channel of the infidels" and announced that the Elvis of jihad, Osama himself, would be posting his latest on the Net, and presumably bypassing the dinosaur media. Who would have imagined that the jihadists have trouble with their own mainstream media also?

"Web site to carry new bin Laden tape on Iraq," from Reuters (thanks to Sr. Soph):

DUBAI (Reuters) - An Islamist Web site said on Friday it would carry a new recording from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden about "foiling plots" in Iraq.

The Web site said the 56-minute recording would also be about the Islamic State in Iraq, an al Qaeda-linked group in the country.

It did not say when the video or audio recording, produced by al Qaeda's media arm As-Sahab and entitled "The Path to Foiling Plots in Iraq," would be posted.

Al Qaeda messages have been often released within three days of their announcement on Web sites.

"May God expose the cover-up by Al Jazeera, the channel of the infidels," said the Web site, which is often used to issue messages from al Qaeda.

It was not clear whether this meant bin Laden would speak about a controversy in which his supporters have accused the popular news channel of misrepresenting his comments on Iraq.

Some Islamists have said Al Jazeera misrepresented bin Laden's views by airing excerpts of comments he made in October that insurgents had made mistakes in Iraq because of fanaticism.

Here, from today's FrontPage, is my take on the murder of Benazir Bhutto and its chief beneficiaries (news links in the original):

Al-Qaeda has claimed credit for the murder on Thursday of Benazir Bhutto: “We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen.” According to an Italian jihadist website, the hit was ordered by none other than Ayman Al-Zawahri, Al-Qaeda’s Number Two man. However, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel was cautious about such reports: “I’m aware that al-Qaida may have claimed responsibility. I’m aware of news reports of that. But,” he told reporters, “I don’t have any specifics for you on that. Whoever perpetrated this attack is an enemy of democracy and has used a tactic that al-Qaida is very familiar with, and that is suicide bombing and the taking of innocent life to try to disrupt the democratic process.”

And disrupted it is. The remaining democratic opponent of the Musharraf regime, Nawaz Sharif, announced that his party would boycott national elections set for January: “We have decided to boycott elections in honor of Ms. Bhutto,” he said. “Under the present circumstances and under Musharraf, neither is campaigning possible nor is a free election.”

"The suspects were allegedly members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (MIO)," an organization whose founders "aimed to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state under Sharia law."

"Three Tajiks sentenced for preparing attacks: court," from Agence France-Presse:

Dushanbe. Three Tajiks accused of being members of a militant Islamic group were sentenced on Wednesday to between 10 and 17 years in prison for allegedly preparing attacks, a court official said.

The three had "prepared themselves to carry out attacks but were arrested by the police," the official from the Sogd court in northern Tajikistan said.

Police seized bomb-making materials and arms during a search of their home, he said.

The suspects were allegedly members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (MIO). They were also found guilty of organising an army and calling for the overthrow of the government by force.

The MIO was formed in 1988 by former Soviet paratrooper Juma Namangani and the Islamic ideologue Tohir Yuldashev -- both ethnic Uzbeks who aimed to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state under Sharia law.

Rumor has it that a female Muslim journalist and a male Sikh politician might be romantically involved, though they maintain they're just friends. Either way, they're spending time alone together. Would she marry a non-Muslim? Would she leave Islam for him? None of the clerics' business? Oh, but it is. In fact, it's time for a fatwa.

"Shahi Imam issues fatwa against Aroosa," by Kanchan Vasdev for The Tribune:

Ludhiana, December 26 - Compounding problems for Aroosa Alam, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Ludhiana, today pronounced the "fatwa" against her for her proximity with the former Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

He called upon the Sik clergy in the state to ask Capt Amarinder Singh about his relationship with Aroosa. “He should tell us whether he has turned a Muslim or she has changed her religion”. He even claimed that during the Captain's visits to England and Dubai, he was seen with Aroosa instead of his wife and MP Perneet Kaur.

While pronouncing the edict, Habib-ur-Rehman Saani, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, religious centre of the Muslims in the state, said Aroosa had violated the Sheriat law by visiting a man without being accompanied by any male relative.

Terming her stay with an “unrelated man” as an “unforgivable sin,” the Imam called for her social boycott. The fatwa, a copy of which is with The Tribune, reads: “It is a mortal sin for any woman to stay with an unrelated man. If a Muslim woman cannot even go to haj without her husband, brother or son, how can she stay with an unrelated man?”

The Islam does not permit man-woman friendship. If a Muslim woman has illicit relations with a man, she should be lynched. “Had she been in Saudi Arabia, she would have been stoned by now,” said the Imam.

[...]

The Shahi Imam claimed that she did not belong to a very respectable family in Pakistan. “Aroosa's mother was better known as ‘General Queen’ due to her relations with Gen Yahya Khan. She has spoiled at least 10 homes in her country and now she is trying to do so in Punjab”. He said he would call upon the Muslim clergy in Pakistan to excommunicate her.

The Shahi Imam urged the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab to initiate a high-level probe into Aroosa's visits to the state. He suspected that she might be an ISI agent, who was purposely targeting Capt Amarinder Singh, who was well versed with the security and defence installations in the country.

Aroosa rejected the fatwa. According to the Times of India, she said, "I think Islam does not prohibit friendship and brotherhood. Religious interpretation of Islam is so wrong. Islam is a very liberal religion."

Time for an effigy burning: "Muslims to burn Aroosa’s effigy for her remarks on Islam," from Express India:

Ludhiana, December 27 The Muslims in north India have decided to burn the effigy of Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam tomorrow, on her response to the statement regarding the fatwa issued on her.

The fatwa was issued by the Shahi Imam of Ludhiana.

In a statement issued here, Mustkin Ahrari, the spokesman of Jama Masjid said, “Her statements are not tolerable, and hence our organisations in the entire north India will burn her effigies.”

While a number of political parties are opposing Aroosa’s visit to India on one ground or the other, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, state president of Lok Bhalai Party said that the political parties should stop issuing loose comments about Aroosa. Ramoowalia added that calling her an ISI agent is ridiculous.

He said, “I am not in good terms with Captain Amarinder Singh, but useless statements about Aroosa are not justified.” SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has already stated that their body has nothing to do with this issue.

And of course, it might.

By Dharmendra Ashwal for AHN:

Islamabad, Pakistan (AHN) - Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, opposition groups have warned of a civil war in Pakistan. Riaz Malik, of the opposition Pakistan Movement for Justice party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), warned, "The impact will be that Pakistan is in more turmoil - it will be the start of civil war in Pakistan."

"There will be a lot of fingers pointed at the government. There is a very real danger of civil war in Pakistan," Malik said.

Meanwhile, the entire nation is under a security alert following the suicide bombing and attack that killed Bhutto late Thursday evening in Rawalpindi. Bhutto's supporters took to the streets in cities like Karachi and Lahore, and more unrest is expected on Friday.

In Peshawar police had to use tear gas and batons after angry demonstrators blocked the main highway and torched billboards and posters of the former ruling party, according to reports.

Geo News, a local TV channel, quoted Punjab Home Secretary Khusro Pervaiz Khan as saying that the provincial government has called in the army and contingents of the Rangers to help the police maintain the law and order in these districts.

While the jihadists say that Al-Zawahri himself ordered the killing. "U.S. Checking al Qaeda Claim of Killing Bhutto," by Brian Ross, Richard Esposito & R. Schwartz for ABC's The Blotter (thanks to James):

While al Qaeda is considered by the U.S. to be a likely suspect in the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Banazir Bhutto, U.S. intelligence officials say they cannot confirm an initial claim of responsibility for the attack, supposedly from an al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan.

An obscure Italian Web site said Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, al Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan, told its reporter in a phone call, "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahedeen."

It said the decision to assassinate Bhutto was made by al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, Ayman al Zawahri in October. Before joining Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, Zawahri was imprisoned in Egypt for his role in the assassination of then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

Bhutto had been outspoken in her opposition to al Qaeda and had criticized the government of President Pervez Musharraf for failing to take strong action against the Islamic terrorists.

"She openly threatened al Qaeda, and she had American support," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism adviser. "If al Qaeda could try to kill Musharraf twice, it could easily do this," he said.

Al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for the bomb attack Oct. 18 during Bhutto's homecoming rally that killed 140 people but left the former prime minister uninjured.

Senior U.S. officials say it will take several days to sort out who was responsible and that it will be "a test of credibility for the Pakistani government."

An update from the Canadian Press, "Pakistan in turmoil over Bhutto's assassination, Musharraf blames terrorists":

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's opposition leader and one of the country's best known politicians, was assassinated Thursday in a stunning suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at a rally.

The death of the charismatic former prime minister threw the campaign for the Jan. 8 parliamentary election into chaos and stirred fears of mass protests across Pakistan, a key ally for the West in the war against terrorism.

A wave of violence had already begun by Thursday night. In anger and grief, protesters rioted in the southern port city of Karachi, firing shots at police, setting tires and cars on fire and burning a gas station. One person was killed north of Karachi in the violent aftermath of the assassination.

Violence also erupted in other cities in Pakistan.

President Pervez Musharraf blamed terrorists for Bhutto's death and urged the nation to remain calm.

[...]

"This is the work of those terrorists with whom we are engaged in war," Musharraf said in a nationally televised speech.

"I want to express my resolve and seek the co-operation from the entire nation and we will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out," the president said.

[...]

No one claimed responsibility for the assassination.

Really? What about this?

Bhutto's supporters blamed the president for complicity, but suspicion was likely to fall on Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida and the Taliban, who hated Bhutto for her close ties to the Americans and support for the war on terrorism. A local Taliban leader reportedly threatened to greet Bhutto's return to the country from exile in October with suicide bombings.

[...]

In Karachi, shop owners quickly closed their businesses as riots broke out. Fayyaz Leghri, a local police official, said gunmen shot and wounded two police officers.

One man was killed in a shootout between police and protesters in Tando Allahyar, a town 190 kilometres north of Karachi, said Mayor Kanwar Naveed. In the town of Tando Jam, protesters forced passengers to get out of a train and then set it on fire.

Violence also broke out in Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and many other parts of Pakistan, where Bhutto's supporters burned banks, state-run grocery stores and private shops. Some set fire to election offices for the ruling party, according to Pakistani media....

The Press Trust of India calls Benazir Bhutto "an uncompromising champion of democracy and a moderate face of Islam."

Al-Guardian, meanwhile, in "Moderniser, moderate, martyr," seems to assume that everyone will know what Benazir Bhutto was moderate about:

In doing so, she presented herself as a moderate, willing to stand up to the Islamist militants in the madrassas and to take on the pro-Taliban fighters in the lawless Afghan border areas instead of making truces.

And to be sure, it does seem clear that someone who was moderate as opposed to "Islamist militants" and the Taliban was a moderate Muslim, not a moderate Christian or moderate vegetarian, even if the Guardian doesn't spell it out.

Calling Benazir Bhutto a moderate Muslim is one manifestation of what's wrong with the term, and how confusing and misleading it can be. Benazir Bhutto was indeed a Muslim, at least nominally, but when she was in power in Pakistan what she championed was a Western secularist, socialist vision, not an Islamic one by any stretch of the imagination. She did not, in other words, offer an alternative vision of Islam itself, shorn of its draconian and supremacist elements. She didn't offer or stand for an alternative understanding of the Qur'an and Sunnah that taught that Muslims should not wage war for Islam, subjugate unbelievers, or institute stoning and amputation and the rest. Rather, she essentially advocated that in some areas Islamic law should be set aside. That, along with her gender, is what aroused the ire of the Islamic leaders in Pakistan against her, as it has against Musharraf.

So is a moderate Muslim, or someone who presents a moderate face of Islam, simply one who stands for less Islam, particularly in the political sphere? Maybe. But most of the people in the West who use the term "moderate Muslim" imagine that it refers to those who advocate not less Islam but a different Islam -- and indeed, one that is more authentic than the jihadists' version. Many of those who refer to the need to support moderate Muslims imagine that there is a version of Islam that is simultaneously traditional and peaceful, that deserves our support against the radicals.

That Islam, unfortunately, does not exist, and assuming that it does exist has led policymakers and law enforcement officials to numerous errors in many fields. And Benazir Bhutto did not represent such an Islam. She certainly supported the Taliban in Afghanistan, but that was a matter of calculation, not conviction -- and in any case would hardly be evidence of moderation in anything. She was, in the precise and encompassing words of Andrew McCarthy, "an attractive, American-educated socialist whose prominent family made common cause with Soviets and whose tenures were rife with corruption."

In the coming tumultuous days and weeks, it would be wiser for analysts and government officials to remember her that way than as a champion of a chimerical and elusive moderate Islam.

Andrew C. McCarthy tells the truth about Pakistan, a truth that eludes the government and the learned analysts, in National Review:

A recent CNN poll showed that 46 percent of Pakistanis approve of Osama bin Laden.

Aspirants to the American presidency should hope to score so highly in the United States. In Pakistan, though, the al-Qaeda emir easily beat out that country’s current president, Pervez Musharraf, who polled at 38 percent.

President George Bush, the face of a campaign to bring democracy — or, at least, some form of sharia-lite that might pass for democracy — to the Islamic world, registered nine percent. Nine!

If you want to know what to make of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s murder today in Pakistan, ponder that.

There is the Pakistan of our fantasy. The burgeoning democracy in whose vanguard are judges and lawyers and human rights activists using the “rule of law” as a cudgel to bring down a military junta. In the fantasy, Bhutto, an attractive, American-educated socialist whose prominent family made common cause with Soviets and whose tenures were rife with corruption, was somehow the second coming of James Madison.

Then there is the real Pakistan: an enemy of the United States and the West.

The real Pakistan is a breeding ground of Islamic holy war where, for about half the population, the only thing more intolerable than Western democracy is the prospect of a faux democracy led by a woman — indeed, a product of feudal Pakistani privilege and secular Western breeding whose father, President Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto, had been branded as an enemy of Islam by influential Muslim clerics in the early 1970s.

The real Pakistan is a place where the intelligence services are salted with Islamic fundamentalists: jihadist sympathizers who, during the 1980s, steered hundreds of millions in U.S. aid for the anti-Soviet mujahideen to the most anti-Western Afghan fighters — warlords like Gilbuddin Hekmatyar whose Arab allies included bin Laden and Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the stalwarts of today’s global jihad against America.

[...]

But we should at least stop fooling ourselves. Jihadists are not going to be wished away, rule-of-lawed into submission, or democratized out of existence. If you really want democracy and the rule of law in places like Pakistan, you need to kill the jihadists first. Or they’ll kill you, just like, today, they killed Benazir Bhutto.

Read it all.

"Peace is impossible under Musharraf," says Nawaz Sharif.

"Assassination Poses Dilemma for US," by Matthew Lee for AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration scrambled Thursday with the implications of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination after investing significant diplomatic capital in promoting reconciliation between her and President Pervez Musharraf.

President Bush, speaking briefly to reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, demanded that those responsible for the killing be brought to justice and the White House said there needs to be a thorough investigation.

``The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy,'' said Bush, who looked tense and took no questions. He expressed his deepest condolences to Bhutto's family and to the families of others slain in the attack and to all the people of Pakistan.

His appearance came as U.S. officials here struggled to cope with the immense policy implications of the assassination on relations with a nuclear-armed country that has received billions of dollars in American financial assistance and is an ally in the war on terrorism. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Bush planned to speak with Musharraf as soon as it could be arranged Thursday.

[...]

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said it was too soon to say who was responsible.

``I'm aware that al-Qaida may have claimed responsibility,'' Stanzel said. ``I'm aware of news reports of that. But I don't have any specifics for you on that.'' He did say, ``Whoever perpetrated this attack is an enemy of democracy and has used a tactic that al-Qaida is very familiar with, and that is suicide bombing and the taking of innocent life to try to disrupt the democratic process.''

[...]

In his comments in Crawford, Bush said, ``Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as prime minister and she knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk, yet she refused to allow assassins to dictate the course of her country.''

``We stand with the people of Pakistan in their struggle against the forces of terror and extremism. We urge them to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life,'' he said....

That democratic process is on the ropes: "Pakistan's Sharif Says His Party Will Boycott Ballot," by Khalid Qayum for Bloomberg:

Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said his party will boycott national elections next month after Benazir Bhutto was killed today, and he called on President Pervez Musharraf to quit as the nation's leader.

``We have decided to boycott elections in honor of Ms. Bhutto,'' Sharif told reporters in Islamabad this evening. ``Under the present circumstances and under Musharraf, neither is campaigning possible nor is a free election.''

[...]

Sharif called for a nationwide strike tomorrow to protest against Bhutto's killing.

``Peace is impossible under Musharraf,'' he said. ``Pakistan's unity is impossible under Musharraf. He is the root cause of all problems.''

The latest casualty on Al-Qaeda's central battlefield

This is even more likely after the murder of Benazir Bhutto. But the military is still talking about educational and employment initiatives, as if they will make the jihad go away. This despite the fact that study after study has shown that jihadists are generally better educated and wealthier than their peers. "US military beefs up Pakistan force," by Bruce Loudon for The Australian (thanks to JE):

US Special Forces are to increase their presence in Pakistan amid assessments that the country is to become the central battlefield for al-Qaida as it is driven from Iraq.

"Pakistan should be carefully watched because it could prove to be a significant flashpoint in the coming year," US think tank Strategic Forecasting said in an evaluation of al-Qaida's tactics as the Islamist group comes under mounting pressure in Iraq.

With the "rapid spread of Talibanisation" in Pakistan's insurgent northwest, the country would become "especially important if the trend in Iraq continues to go against the jihadis and they are driven from Iraq", the assessment said.

"As the global headquarters for the al-Qaida leadership, Pakistan has long been a significant stronghold on the ideological battlefield. If the trend towards radicalisation continues, the country could become the new centre of gravity for the jihadi movement on the physical battlefield."

The Stratfor assessment coincided with reports from Washington suggesting US Special Forces would expand their presence in Pakistan in the new year.

[...]

According to reports in Pakistan, areas in the North West Frontier Province, the federally administered tribal areas, Baluchistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir were earmarked for investment that would boost education and employment in an effort to wean local tribesmen away from their support for the jihadi movement.

The area, seen as crucial in the battle against al-Qaida and the Taliban, was the subject of a summit meeting in Islamabad involving President Pervez Musharraf and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai.

The two leaders held what sources described as "unusually cordial and friendly" meetings on how to boost co-operation in the war against the jihadis. They agreed to intensify their exchanges of intelligence, something Mr Musharraf described as "the key to fighting and enhancing our capability against terrorists and extremists".

Mr Karzai said: "Afghanistan and Pakistan are twins. More than that, they are joined at the body."

The jihad continues. “We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen.”

"Pakistan: Al-Qaeda claims Bhutto's death," from AKI (thanks to all who sent this in):

Karachi, 27 Dec. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - A spokesperson for the al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the death on Thursday of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

“We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen,” Al-Qaeda’s commander and main spokesperson Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone call from an unknown location, speaking in faltering English. Al-Yazid is the main al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan.

It is believed that the decision to kill Bhutto, who is the leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was made by al-Qaeda No. 2, the Egyptian doctor, Ayman al-Zawahiri in October.

Death squads were allegedly constituted for the mission and ultimately one cell comprising a defunct Lashkar-i-Jhangvi’s Punjabi volunteer succeeded in killing Bhutto.

More details to come later:
From Khaleej Times

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack after a rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday, her party said.

“She has been martyred,” said party official Rehman Malik. Bhutto, 54, died in hospital in Rawalpindi. Ary-One Television said she had been shot in the head.

Police said a suicide bomber fired shots at Bhutto as she was leaving the rally venue in a park before blowing himself up.
“The man first fired at Bhutto’s vehicle. She ducked and then he blew himself up,” said police officer Mohammad Shahid.

And from AP:

"The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred," Bhutto's lawyer Babar Awan said.

A party security adviser said Bhutto was shot in neck and chest as she got into her vehicle to leave the rally in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad. A gunman then blew himself up.

"At 6:16 p.m. she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack.

Her supporters at the hospital began chanting "Dog, Musharraf, dog," referring to Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf. Some smashed the glass door at the main entrance of the emergency unit, others burst into tears.

"At least two of the suspects had been accused by prosecutors this year of being members of the al-Qaida-linked terror group and of having undergone military training with it in Algeria."

"Mauritania: Sleeper cell killed French," by Ahmed Mohamed for the Associated Press:

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Mauritania's interior minister blamed a terrorist sleeper cell Wednesday for the Christmas Eve killing of four French family members visiting the African country.

Mauritania, on the edges of the Sahara desert, has been relatively free of terrorism by comparison with neighbors such as Algeria, where earlier this month a suicide bomber killed 37 people.

"The cowardly act of violence toward the French tourists was an act of terrorism," said Mauritania's Minister of the Interior Yall Zakaria Alassane in an address to lawmakers on Wednesday. "There are sleeper cells in Mauritania and one of them committed this act," he said.

The manhunt for the three suspects that gunned down the four French tourists on Monday has been expanded to neighboring Senegal. Helicopters patrolled the border.

Sidi Mouloud Ould Brahim, governor of the region where the attack occurred, said the three suspects crossed the border into Senegal late Tuesday. Senegalese officials could not confirm whether the suspects were in their territory.

Initially police had said the gunmen were attempting to rob the French family as they picnicked on the side of a road near Aleg, a small town 150 miles east of Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott. But a day later, Mauritanian prosecutors called the slaying an act of terror and said the suspects are believed to be members of a regional al-Qaida-linked network.

A statement issued by the public prosecutor's office in Mauritania's capital on Tuesday said the attack was carried out by three men who it said were known members of the Algeria-based terror network al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa.

At least two of the suspects had been accused by prosecutors this year of being members of the al-Qaida-linked terror group and of having undergone military training with it in Algeria.

Deutsche Welle reports five arrests have been made:

Mauritania's public prosecutor says five Mauritanian Islamists have been arrested, in connection with the murder of four French tourists. Police on Wednesday were searching for three Islamists said to have defected to neighbouring Senegal. On Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry had countered speculation that the murderers might have terrorist motives. However, the Mauritanian authorities say they believe the shooting may have been the work of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb - a Sunni Islamist militia which aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state. The attackers shot the five French tourists on Monday when they stopped their car on the roadside on the way to Mali.

More tough talk from the mullahcracy.

From Al-Bawaba (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki warned US officials on Wednesday against starting new games with Iran, advising them to learn from their past failures. The minister made the remark while commenting on a recent statement by the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani during a joint press conference with his Bahraini counterpart, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa.

"The US officials experienced a game with Iran 27 years ago. Now we warn them not to enter the same game again," Mottaki said referring to the issue of the 1975 agreement between Iran and Iraq. The 1975 treaty known as the 'Algiers Accord,' was signed in 1975 by the then Iranian and Iraqi officials to settle disputes over borders between the two countries including the Arvand Rud (Arvand River) and the Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran.

As immigrants pour in, native Swedes pour out. How long before Sweden becomes a Sharia state?

"Sweden's population boom continues," from The Local (thanks to Dan):

Sweden's population is continuing to grow at a rapid clip, according to preliminary figures from Statistics Sweden....

The increase can be largely attributed to immigration figures, which are the highest since records began.

Some 100,000 new immigrants will have begun calling Sweden home by the time the fireworks are let off to mark the beginning of the New Year.

Birth rates were also higher than average in 2007, with the number of births (107,000) outnumbering deaths by 16,000. This can be compared to 2002, when the birth surplus was just 806.

Emigration figures, though practically unchanged since last year, remain relatively high. Some 45,000 people are expected to have left Sweden by the end of the year. As with immigration, Swedish nationals make up the largest group.

Others leaving the country in large numbers include, Nordic citizens, Germans, Brits, Chinese and Americans.

1938 Alert. "Iran Negotiating Purchase of Tur-M1 Missile System from Russia," from Fars News Agency (thanks to Davsmi):

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that Tehran has entered negotiations with Moscow for the purchase of Russia's Tur-M1 Missile system. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, the General noted the fourth meeting of Iran-Russia defense commission, and said, "During the meeting, the Iranian side entered negotiations with the high-ranking Russian delegation in different areas, and the two sides reached agreements on a number of issues, including a discussion about Tur-M1 missile system."

Earlier today, the defense minister also said that Tehran had signed a contract with Russia Tuesday night on the purchase and deployment in Iran of another advanced missile system called S-300.

Najjar dismissed any link between the said contract and the recent report by 16 US intelligence bodies which confirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities, adding that the date of S-300 delivery would be revealed to public later in future.

S-300 is considered as among the most advanced anti-missile systems in the world capable of targeting various types of missiles and warplanes at different altitudes. Despite Tour-M which can identify and trace targets merely at low altitudes, S-300 enjoys the required capabilities to trace and destroy targets at low and high altitudes, granting Iran air superiority over enemy missiles and aircrafts.

Daniel Pipes explains in "The Palestinian Economy in Shambles":

Western financial aid to the Palestinians has, I showed last week, the perverse and counterintuitive effect of increasing their rate of homicides, including terrorist ones. This week, I offer two pieces of perhaps even stranger news about the many billions of dollars and record-shattering per-capita donations from the West: First, these have rendered the Palestinians poorer. Second, Palestinian impoverishment is a long-term positive development.

[...]

Unsurprisingly, Hellman characterizes the Palestinian economy as "in shambles."

Such shambles should come as no surprise, for as the late Lord Bauer and others have noted, foreign aid does not work. It corrupts and distorts an economy; and the greater the amounts involved, the greater the damage. One telling detail: at times during Yasir Arafat's reign, a third of the Palestinian Authority's budget went for "expenses of the President's office," without further explanation, auditing, or accounting. The World Bank objected, but the Israeli government and the European Union endorsed this corrupt arrangement, so it remained in place.

Indeed, the Palestinian Authority offers a textbook example of how to ruin an economy by smothering it under well-intentioned but misguided donations. The $7.4 billion recently pledged to it for the 2008-10 period will further exacerbate the damage.

Paradoxically, this error might help resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. To see why, consider the two models, hardship v. exhilaration, that explain Palestinian extremism and violence.

The hardship model, subscribed to by all Western states, attributes Palestinian actions to poverty, isolation, Israeli roadblocks, the lack of a state, etc. Mahmoud Abbas, the PA leader, summed up this viewpoint at the Annapolis conference in November: "the absence of hope and overwhelming despair … feed extremism." Eliminate those hardships and Palestinians, supposedly, would turn their attention to such constructive concerns as economic development and democracy. Trouble is, that change never comes.

The exhilaration model turns the Abbas logic on its head: the absence of despair and overwhelming hope, in fact, feed extremism. For Palestinians, hope derives from a perception of Israeli weakness, implying an optimism and excitement that the Jewish state can be eliminated. Conversely, when Palestinians cannot see a way forward against Israel, they devote themselves to the more mundane tasks of earning a living and educating their children. Note that the Palestinian economy peaked in 1992, just as, post-Soviet Union and post-Kuwait war, hopes bottomed out to eliminate Israel.

Exhilaration, not hardship, accounts for bellicose Palestinian behavior. Accordingly, whatever reduces Palestinian confidence is a good thing. A failed economy depresses the Palestinians' mood, not to speak of their military and other capabilities, and so brings resolution closer.

Palestinians must experience the bitter crucible of defeat before they will drop their foul goal of eliminating their Israeli neighbor and begin to build their own economy, polity, society, and culture. No short-cut to this happy outcome exists. Who truly cares for Palestinians must want their despair to come quickly, so that a skilled and dignified people can move beyond its current barbarism and built something decent.

The huge and wasted outpouring of Western financial aid, ironically, brings on that despair in two ways: by encouraging terrorism and by distorting the economy, both of which imply economic decline. Rarely has the law of unintended consequences worked so imaginatively.

Read it all.

Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Malaysia. "Malaysian Hindu loses bid to ban Muslim conversion," by Jalil Hamid for Reuters (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysia's highest court threw out on Thursday a bid by a Hindu woman to stop her estranged husband from converting their youngest son to Islam.

Her case is another sign of strain in the social fabric of the multi-racial nation, where many non-Muslims believe their rights are being trampled by the Muslim majority.

R. Subashini took legal action after her husband converted himself and their elder son, now four, to Islam in 2006. She says she now fears the husband wants to take their two-year-old, who still lives with her, and convert him to Islam as well.

The Federal Court rejected her request for an injunction on technical grounds, leaving her free to try again, but one judge noted the court's jurisdiction was limited, given the husband was now a Muslim and therefore governed by Islamic or sharia law.

"The civil and sharia courts cannot interfere with each other's jurisdiction," said Nik Hashim Nik Abdul Rahman, one of two judges who dismissed the case. One judge dissented.

Family law has become an emotional battleground between Malaysia's religious communities, with non-Muslims complaining civil courts are too willing to surrender jurisdiction to their Islamic counterparts in cases involving a Muslim conversion.

Marriages between Muslims and non-Muslims are forbidden in Malaysia, so once a non-Muslim spouse converts to Islam, the union is broken, lawyers say. While it can still exist under civil law, in reality the Islamic court does not recognise it.

A lawyer for R. Subashini said that although his client's case failed on a technicality, the judges' comments made it clear they recognised the husband's right, as a newly converted Muslim, to have recourse to the Islamic courts....

Just when you think things can't possibly get more absurd: "Terrorists' new mission: Protect President Bush," by Aaron Klein for WorldNetDaily.com (thanks to Ruth King):

JERUSALEM – Members of the most active West Bank terror organization are set to participate in security forces being deployed to protect President Bush during his visit to the Palestinian territories next month, WND has learned.

Bush is due in the region Jan. 9 as part of a follow-up to last month's U.S.-led Israeli-Palestinian Annapolis summit.

During his trip, the American president is scheduled to hold talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, and meet quickly with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

According to Israeli security officials coordinating deployments of forces with the PA for Bush's Ramallah visit, members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared military wing, have been called upon by the PA to participate in the protection of Bush's convoy and in securing the parameter during the meeting with Abbas.

The Brigades is listed as a terror organization by the U.S. State Department. The group took credit along with the Islamic Jihad terror organization for every suicide bombing in Israel between 2005 and 2006, and is responsible for thousands of shootings and rocket firings. Statistically, the Al Aqsa Brigades perpetuated more terrorism from the West Bank than Hamas, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.

Many Brigades members, including the group's chiefs, serve openly in Fatah's Force 17 presidential guard units and the Palestinian Preventative Security Services; thousands of Force 17 and Preventative officers are slated to secure Ramallah during Bush's visit there.

Read it all.

...while Reuters once again shows its true colors by referring to the "occupied West Bank."

"Israel captures Islamic Jihad members in West Bank," from Reuters (thanks to all who sent this in):

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli troops captured two top members of the Islamic Jihad militant group in raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.

Israeli troops arrested an Islamic Jihad leader, identified as Mohammad Assayda, near the West Bank city of Nablus, the militant group said.

Assayda, who was released from Israeli jail in September, is a lecturer at al-Najah University.

Islamic Jihad militant Samer al-Saadi was captured in a separate raid in a refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, a Palestinian security officer told Reuters.

While a Palestinian priest utters sweet dhimmi nothings -- saying, as dhimmis have always said, that the Muslims are wonderful, and the Christians identify with them -- the reality suggests otherwise. "Christmas under Hamas rule," by Katya Adler for BBC News (thanks to Mark Durie):

Earlier this year, the Islamist Hamas party took control of Gaza, home to a thriving Christian community now preparing to celebrate their first Christmas under Hamas rule.

Manawel Musallam - priest, headmaster and Gazan - is a rotund, avuncular man, fond of wearing berets.

I have come to his office to ask how Christians in Gaza were faring on this, their first Christmas under the full internal control of Hamas.

"You media people!" Father Musallam boomed at me when I first poked my head around his door.

"Hamas this, Hamas that. You think we Christians are shaking in our ghettos in Gaza? That we're going to beg you British or the Americans or the Vatican to rescue us?" he asked.

"Rescue us from what? From where? This is our home."

[...]

"You see," Fr Musallam told me, as he gazed indulgently at the goings-on on stage. "Our identity is a multi-layered one."

"Of course, I am a Christian believer, but politically I am a Palestinian Muslim. I resist Israel's military occupation, obviously not with weapons.

"The Jihad can never be mine but with my words, my sermons, I am a Palestinian priest."

[...]

"We have lived alongside Muslims here since Islam was born," said Fr Musallam, waving his arm at the stage.

"They have a special word for us, the Christians of Palestine. They call us Nasserine - the people of Nazareth. They recognise that we have always been here.

"Even the more extreme Muslims see a difference between us and other Christians they regard as enemies and call Crusaders."

There is no evidence to suggest the Hamas government here officially discriminates against Christians but its takeover in Gaza - its military wing's leading role in armed resistance against Israel, along with the Islamic Jihad faction - have all led to the increasing Islamisation of Gazan society.

And that has encouraged some extremist Muslims to take action.

A Christian bookshop owner was killed here a couple of months ago.

There was a kidnap attempt on another Christian recently.

And a number of Christian families we spoke to say they had received death threats.

They question Hamas' willingness to take action to protect them.

However, it was under Hamas armed escort that we met the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, on a special pre-Christmas visit to Gaza.

It was quite a spectacle.

The Patriarch, dressed in a purple cassock, stepped out of a black, shiny Mercedes at the Latin Church in Gaza City.

'God's creatures'

A crowd of police cars screeched to a halt all around him, lights flashing and sirens screaming. Bearded gunmen dressed in black jumped out to guard him.

In previous years, the Patriarch's Christmas sermon has concentrated on the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli military occupation but this year he preached steadfastness in the face of intimidation by Islamist fanatics.

"They forget we are all God's creatures," he told a concerned-looking congregation.

"But nobody can tell us Christians how to dress, how to live or how to pray".

The patriarch called on the Hamas government to take responsibility and to protect the Christian citizens of Gaza, along with everyone else.

As the crowded church was belting out hallelujahs, I stepped into the church courtyard for some fresh air.

The Muslim call to prayer was beginning to echo from the myriad of mosques all around.

I thought how this reflected the situation in Gaza in Christmas 2007 - that while the muezzin were on loudspeaker, the church bells here are played from a cassette tape.

A nervous young nun adjusted the volume - loud enough to peel through the church but not to penetrate its walls - it might risk offending Muslim Gazans passing by.

Mark Durie sums it up:

I was reminded by this story of the text of the 7th century "Pact of Umar", in which Chrisitans, when surrendering to Islam, agreed to silence their bells: "We shall use only [wooden] clappers in our churches very softly."

The prohibition on ringing bells was one of the universal restrictions imposed by Islamic law upon 'dhimmis' - non-Muslims living under Islam after conquest. The bells of Middle Eastern Christians fell silent for more than a thousand years, until the European Powers dismantled the dhimmi system during the 19th and 20th centuries. Now the age-old discriminatory laws are being enforced again, and Hamas is proving as good as its word, for when it took power in Gaza the local Christians were told that as they were now in a full Islamic system they 'must accept Islamic law'. The silence of the bells bears witness that Hamas has told the truth about its intentions.

The silence is bad enough, but what distressed me most about Adler's report was her claim - paradoxically in the very same article - that "There is no evidence to suggest the Hamas government here officially discriminates against Christians…"

This Christmas season Gazan Christians are being resubjected to the odious, humiliating discriminations of the dhimmi system. This makes Christmas a very good time for the rest of the world to wake up and pay attention to the stark historical reality of dhimmi Christians' lives under Islamic rule, and to the intolerable reimposition of these conditions in many Muslim societies in the present day.

A lame soccer chant brings a charge of racism. "Soccer: Betar J'lem punished for fans' racist chants," by Allon Sinai in the Jerusalem Post (thanks to Carl in Jerusalem):

Betar Jerusalem will play its next home match at Teddy Stadium in front of empty stands after an Israeli Football Association tribunal found the club's fans guilty of racist abuse during the Toto Cup semifinals at National Stadium in Ramat Gan two weeks ago.

Jerusalem supporters chanted insults against the prophet Mohammed during Sakhnin's semifinal match against Bnei Yehuda while they were waiting for the start of their team's game against Maccabi Haifa.

Ironically, Betar's next home game is against Sakhnin on January 12 .

"We don't accept this punishment and we plan to appeal," Betar spokesperson Oded Zargari told Betar's official Web site on Wednesday.

"We think that there's no reason that our fans, who behave well at Teddy, should be punished. The abuse was shouted at a stadium at which we as a management had no control."

"If the IFA feels that 'Mohammed is dead' is a racist chant than we think that they should also take action against the Sakhnin fans shouting 'Allah Akbar'. We hope the IFA's Supreme Court will overturn this decision."

But...but...the Shi'ites would never aid the Sunnis, right? Right? Isn't that what the learned analysts always tell us?

Wake-up call for the learned analysts, were it possible to wake them up: "Iran behind flood of weapons to Taliban, MacKay charges," from the Ottawa Citizen :

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Canada has challenged the Iranian government over concerns that weapons and bomb-making equipment are slipping across the border to Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said yesterday.

"We're very concerned that weapons are coming in from Iran," Mr. MacKay told reporters, while visiting Canadian troops with Gen. Rick Hillier in Kandahar province.

"We're very concerned that these weapons are going to the insurgents and are keeping this issue alive. We've certainly made our views to the Iranian government about this known."

I'm sure the Thug-In-Chief will be quaking.

Still more short-sighted realpolitik. There seems to be an endless supply, and no amount of evidence will shake the false assumptions on which this sort of thing is based.

By Thomas Harding and Tom Coghlan for the Telegraph (thanks to all who sent this in):

Agents from MI6 entered secret talks with Taliban leaders despite Gordon Brown's pledge that Britain would not negotiate with terrorists, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Officers from the Secret Intelligence Service staged discussions, known as "jirgas", with senior insurgents on several occasions over the summer.

An intelligence source said: "The SIS officers were understood to have sought peace directly with the Taliban with them coming across as some sort of armed militia. The British would also provide 'mentoring' for the Taliban."

The disclosure comes only a fortnight after the Prime Minister told the House of Commons: "We will not enter into any negotiations with these people."

Opposition leaders said that Mr Brown had "some explaining to do".

Indeed.

Because "making women look pretty can get a person killed in her Sunni-dominated Baghdad neighborhood."

By Diaa Hadid for Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 46 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Umm Doha cuts hair and waxes eyebrows in secret from her living room because making women look pretty can get a person killed in her Sunni-dominated Baghdad neighborhood.

Hardline Muslim extremists who believe it is sinful for women to appear beautiful in public have forced many beauticians to move their trade underground.

Sunni and Shiite militants began blowing up salons roughly two years ago. They killed several stylists and bullied others into putting down their scissors and makeup brushes for good, all in an effort to stamp out what they view as the corrupting spread of Western culture.

Besides beauty salons, militants have also targeted liquor stores, barber shops and Christian churches.

In the past year, most beauty salons in the Shiite-dominated southern city of Basra went underground, as they did in the Sunni-controlled neighborhood of Dora in west Baghdad.

Feel the love.

From News.com.au (thanks to all who sent this in):

POLICE in Pakistan have stopped a 15-year-old boy they say was carrying a bomb made of dynamite and nails from gettnig into a rally by opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

The boy got past the first of four security checkpoints set up outside the rally in the northwestern city of Peshawar but was caught at the second, said police officer Rahim Shah, according to the Associated Press.

In October, suicide bombers struck a parade celebrating Ms Bhutto's return from exile, killing more than 140 people in the southern city of Karachi.

Imagine the conversation among the Israeli authorities: Who cares if we get blown up? At least we won't be discriminating!

"Mofaz: No More Anti-Arab Discrimination at Airport," from Israel National News (thanks to Romy):

(IsraelNN.com) Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz will eliminate the criterion of nationality from airport security checks, thus making these checks "less racist" and more Arab-friendly, IDF Radio reported.

In a reply to a High Court petition against supposed anti-Arab discrimination at Ben Gurion Airport, the Transportation Ministry will present a new set of criteria for security checks, which will include age, occupation and military service. It will soon be brought before the Attorney General for review.

A law abiding Arab should not be treated differently from a Jew, Mofaz said. "Why should the Director of the Nahariya Hospital, an Arab Israeli, who saves lives every day, be delayed at the security check more than anyone else?", Mofaz told IDF Radio.

Certainly. Good point, Mofaz. But if you are planning to pretend that Muslims and Jews are equally likely to commit acts of terror against Israelis, you will be wasting time and resources.

Al-Qaeda fails to recognize one of its greatest allies. By Colum Lynch for the Washington Post (thanks to all who sent this in):

UNITED NATIONS -- The suicide bombings that ripped apart the U.N. headquarters building in Algiers on Dec. 11 and killed at least 37 people, including 17 U.N. employees, provided a bloody demonstration of the United Nations' emergence as a key target in al-Qaeda's global war against the West.

This year, al-Qaeda and its affiliates have threatened or targeted U.N. officials and peacekeepers in conflict zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and southern Lebanon, where six U.N. peacekeepers were killed in a bombing in June. Even before the Algiers attack, the United Nations was already investing millions of dollars in fortifying its facilities and convoys in response to threats in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But the Algiers attack -- the deadliest for the United Nations since insurgents bombed its Baghdad headquarters in August 2003 -- provided a blunt reminder of how vulnerable the international organization is, even in relatively peaceful locales. It also raised concerns that more than a decade of efforts by the U.N. Security Council to check the influence of al-Qaeda and other radical Islamic movements has exposed U.N. humanitarian agencies to new dangers.

"Al-Qaeda certainly regards the United Nations as inimical to its own interests," said Richard Barrett, head of a U.N. team that monitors the effectiveness of U.N. sanctions against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. "The more the United States and other countries protect themselves, the more the battle goes to the softest target, and the U.N. is always going to be a softer target."

While the United Nations is often accused in Washington of being anti-American and anti-Israeli, its image in the Middle East -- where it serves as the chief caregiver for Palestinian refugees -- has also been tattered. U.N. sanctions against Islamic countries, including Iraq and Iran, and the agency's refusal to engage in talks with elected Hamas officials have played into the hands of those who say the global body is an agent of U.S. and Israeli interests.

No, the Israelis gave it away -- didn't they? Sure. But they did so after relentless jihad terror attacks against civilians, combined with a fascination with the oft-discredited notion that land concessions would bring peace, convinced them that it was better to give it up than to try to keep up. And now Saraa Barhoum, a Palestinian child, crows that terrorism pays.

"TV Host on Hamas TV, Child Saraa Barhoum, Sings: 'We Liberated Gaza by Force,'" from MEMRITV (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Following are excerpts from a song performed by child TV host Saraa Barhoum, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on December 20, 2007:

Saraa Barhoum: We liberated Gaza by force, not by Oslo or by Taba -

but with my steadfast people, and with its blazing fire.

We liberated Gaza by force, not by Oslo or by Taba -

but with my steadfast people, and with its blazing fire.

Rafah sings, and the Kalashnikov replies.

Rafah sings, and the Kalashnikov replies.

We, who know no fear, are the lions of the jungle.

Look how beautiful our Gaza is. We crowned it with a laurel wreath.

Sharia Alert from IndianExpress (thanks to all who sent this in):

Little girls in the militancy-hit Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan hate a diktat issued by pro-Taliban rebels to attend school in burqas.

Burqas are the only option some girls' schools in northwestern Pakistan have against being shut down or worse, being bombed.

"I want to study, but not in a burqa," said Shah Rukh, a 12-year-old girl enrolled at a primary school at Saidu Sharif in Swat.

Shah Rukh is just one of many girls who have learnt to speak out against the burqa diktat in the picturesque Valley.

"My 11-year-old daughter cries every morning when she has to wear the burqa," Mohammad Roshan, who teaches history at Jahanzeb College in Saidu Sharif, one of the main towns of Swat, told Newsline magazine.

In a private school in Mingora, the headquarters of Swat district, students were enraged when their principal received a letter from militants saying they would shut down the school.

"It is our right to get education," one of the girls in the school said.

A parent said his daughter "is constantly told by her teachers to attend school in a head-to-toe veil ever since the principal of the school received a letter of threat".

In "Never Mind the Bomb, Beware of Islamofascism," Amil Imani discusses the belief-system that sets many Muslims against the rest of the world today:

The National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iran’s bomb project has stirred a great deal of controversy. Some say that there is now reason to abandon the war posturing and start negotiating a live-and-let-live deal with the Mullahs, since they have “abandoned” their quest for the bomb. At least that is what the not-so-reliable report seems to imply. Others, with good reason, remain skeptical of both the validity of the report and the ever-cheating, conniving Mullahs.

This controversy aside, the irrefutable fact is that the Jihadist belief of Islam itself poses existential danger to the world. Beliefs energize and direct actions. Beliefs are as indispensable as the air we breathe. Even an atheist is a believer, with his own system of disbelief. Not believing in anything is mental breakdown. There is something about humans that demands a belief. A belief can be anything or a combination of many things; it can be well-defined and even rigid, or a loosely put together hodge-podge with considerable latitude. It can be magnificent or the most abhorrent. But, it has to be there. Beliefs steer our vehicles in the journey of life.

[...]

Islamofascism is a pandemic fiercely-promoted belief system that enjoys a huge advantage over the competition. Some of the reasons for Islamofascism longevity and success are listed below.

* It is a crusading belief. Early on, it forced itself by the sword and as time went on it employed any and all schemes to promote itself while destroying the competition.

* It mandates prolific procreation on the faithful. It allows a man to have as many as four wives concurrently, in part to cater to the lust of the men and in part to produce more children who would, in turn, swell its ranks.

* It gets the first crack at imprinting its dogma on the blank slate of the child’s mind from the very first day of birth. The imprinting is usually deeply engrained and makes it difficult for the person to fully erase it, or replace it altogether. Even when successful, an ex-Muslim, or a “cultural” Muslim retains on his slate some traces of the early imprints. It may take more than one generation to fully erase the Islamic imprints.

* It does not allow anyone the choice of leaving its fold at the penalty of death for apostasy.

* It holds that the earth is Allah’s and no non-Muslim is entitled to the same rights and privileges reserved for its own members. Even the “people of the book,” Jews and Christians, must pay the religious tax of jazyyeh to be allowed a subservient place under the Islamic rule.

* It campaigns ceaselessly at propagating itself by any and all means, while banning other religions from so doing. Islamic proselytizers invade the lands of the unbelievers and work relentlessly to convert others while non-Muslim faiths are even barred from having a place of worship in lands such as the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia.

* It is anathema to many of civilized humanity’s values, such as those enshrined in the first amendment of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights.

* It is a caste system where the male believer enjoys valued privileges denied to all minorities, women and slaves. This discriminatory provision guarantees generation after generation of avowed in-power adherents who would shirk at nothing to maintain their privileged status granted to them by Allah.

* It is a powerful carrot-and-stick system of belief. It maintains its stranglehold on its obedient followers by promising them unimaginable compensations, if not in this world, then assuredly in the next, while anyone who strays from the mandated path is threatened with a raft of unending horrid torture from a vengeful Allah.

* The extortion-high oil prices that oil-rich Muslims extract from the addicted and oblivious non-Muslim world fuel the Islamic jihad throughout the world. Muslim kings, emirs and sheiks enjoy opulent life and aim to have it the same in Allah’s next world by funneling a portion of their huge parasitic income to madresehs (religious indoctrinating schools), mosques, storefront recruiting centers and charitable outlets that would enlist and hold masses of choiceless and fanatical believers. By funding these activities in the service of the jihadist Islam, these in-power Muslims believe that they can have it both ways: a material existence of great enjoyment here and an eternal life of hedonism in Allah’s promised paradise. In the bargain, these ringleader menaces of the world, aim to assuage their guilt feeling resulting from oppressing the impoverished exploited masses of Muslims with the delusion they are furthering Allah’s cause.

The danger of the bomb in the hands of the Mullahs has not disappeared, in spite of what the mainstream media and the Useful Idiots claim by misrepresenting the NIE report. The NIE guesses that the Mullahs seem to have ceased the construction of the warhead in 2003. How can the CIA be sure that this is the case and that the Mullahs are not secretly constructing it? Yet, the IRI, by its own admission, is on a crash program to develop long range missiles and operates cascades of centrifuges to make enriched weapon-grade uranium needed for the bomb.

The handwriting is on the wall. Huge numbers of Muslims, overwhelmingly poor, under-educated, and deeply indoctrinated in the jihadist belief are invading the world. It is this human bomb that must be diffused as well as keeping a vigilant eye on the other one that Iran’s Mullahs are relentlessly pursuing.

In short, never mind the nuclear bomb, if you like. But, we must do all we can to erase the suicide-homicide belief-vest that Islamofascists straps on their masses of the poor, the undereducated, and their deluded followers.

“Think globally, act locally,” is the rallying cry of the environmentalist movement. The same exhortation even more urgently applies to the fight against the deadly spread and menace of Islamofascism.

In "Blair, the Muslim?" in The Guardian (thanks to LGF), Ajmal Masroor wonders why former British Prime Minister Tony Blair converted to Catholicism when he could have backed a much stronger horse: Islam. In the course of making his case, Masroor sounds all the usual Islamic apologetic notes: the Crusades, Christianity's alleged incompatibility with science, Christianity's alleged intolerance, etc. And he throws Blair's pro-Islam statements back at him:

Tony Blair's conversion to Catholicism does not come as a surprise to anyone but I would have liked him to turn to Islam instead. Blair has claimed on many occasions that he has read the Quran and has said he found its teachings "progressive". He is right that the Quran is progressive and as a revealed book of God, it is the latest testament. Why would Blair turn to the older versions of God's testament when there is the Quran? His conversion sounds rather regressive to me.

[...]

In an article published by Foreign Affairs early this year, Blair spoke of the Quran as being inclusive. His new Church has been the most exclusive and in the name of its own version of Christianity has murdered and destroyed the lives and properties of many fellow Christians over the years. In his role as a Middle East envoy he would have won the hearts and minds of the Muslim world if he had come to Islam. He might have found redemption for his crimes against Iraq and its innocent people. His conversion to Catholicism would no doubt remind the Muslim world, especially the Arab world of the history of the Crusades. The blood of millions of people still stain the cobblestones of the Holy Land from the cold-blooded murders committed in the name of Christianity and was blessed by the then Papacy in Rome.

According to Blair, Islam "extols science and knowledge and abhors superstition". I agree, but why has he embraced Catholicism with its history of hostility towards science and is embedded with superstition? If Jesus (may peace be on him) was to descend today and walk into a church he would not recognise anything that Christians are practising in his name. So why then convert to Catholicism?

Blair was very clear in his words when he said Islam "is practical and far ahead of its time in attitudes toward marriage, women, and governance". If Islam is a religion that values family and respects women why has he converted to a church that prohibits its priests from getting married, whose holy man are dogged by accusations of homosexuality and paedophilia?

Blair certainly admires Islam. He said "under its guidance, the spread of Islam and its dominance over previously Christian or pagan lands were breathtaking. Over centuries, Islam founded an empire and led the world in discovery, art, and culture." If I admired a faith so much I would convert to it. So I am baffled to know why he has converted to Catholicism and not embraced Islam.

Islam certainly stands for tolerance and demonstrates this by giving a special status to the Christians and Jews calling them people of the Book - Ahl al-Kitab. Christianity does not do the same. Blair reminded us that "the standard-bearers of tolerance in the early Middle Ages were far more likely to be found in Muslim lands than in Christian ones". Yes, but why has Mr Blair converted to Catholicism? Surely he stands for tolerance, progress and good governance.

And finally I have one last question for Blair. Did you not say "the faith of Islam is very peaceful and a very beautiful faith"? Why have you not tried Islam? I do not want to dismiss your journey to spirituality, but it is not too late to try Islam - you may like it.

Of course, this magnificent vision of a peaceful and tolerant Islam is completely at odds with the actual historical record of jihad warfare against non-Muslims and the oppression of the dhimmis, but the really noteworthy thing is that this bit of Islamic apologetic propaganda appears in The Guardian.

It's no surprise, really: after all, The Guardian publishes Ali Eteraz, Karen Armstrong, Ed Husain, Inayat Bunglawala, and others. But do you think that The Guardian would publish a piece touting Christianity and criticizing Islam? Do you think that if I wrote a detailed rebuttal to this piece by Ajmal Masroor, that The Guardian would print it?

I think you know the answer to both of those questions. And so here's another question: why has The Guardian allowed itself to become a mouthpiece for Islamic proselytizing?

Here is my piece on Christmas plots and threats, in today's Human Events:

Last Friday Belgian police arrested fourteen Islamic jihadists, and the U.S. Embassy warned of “a heightened risk of terrorist attack in Brussels,” while the Belgian Interior Ministry, according to Associated Press, “called on citizens to be vigilant through Christmas.”

Also last week, police in the Philippines arrested an Egyptian Muslim, Mohamad Sayed, who was allegedly planning to explode a bomb in a southern Philippine city on Christmas Day.

And Abu Dujana, who identifies himself as the “military commander” of the jihadist group responsible for the 2002 bombings in Bali, warned last week that “there are other cadres out there” and that “it is their obligation” to attack non-Muslims.

"Even as the police stopped people from converging, many thousands joined the funeral prayers of the militants who were buried in the local grave yard."

Tiny Minority of Extremists Alert, and an update on this story. "Thousands stage protest against mosque siege," by Shujaat Bukhari for The Hindu:

SRINAGAR: A day after five civilians were rescued and three militants killed in a 35-hour stand-off in Palnoo village of Kulgam district, thousands of people on Tuesday staged protest demonstrations in the area against the damage caused to the mosque and alleged atrocities by the security forces.

As the midnight offensive launched by 62 Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group ended with the killing of three top Hizbul Mujahideen and the safe return of five civilians taken hostage by them, the people went on the rampage on learning that the mosque in which the militants were hiding had been damaged in the fight. They locals alleged that the security forces had “let loose a reign of terror against the population.”

A complete shutdown was observed in the area. The authorities, fearing a strong reaction, had sealed all the roads leading to Palnoo. The entry points from Bijbehara, Yaripora and Balsoo were sealed and the people were not even allowed to walk on the road.

As the crowd demanding a “honourable burial” for the militants surged and sought to reach Palnoo, it led to a clash with the police. The security forces then resorted to lathi-charge and later used tear smoke shells to disperse the crowd. Pitched battles continued and at least 15 civilians were injured.

A group of photo-journalists complained that they were prevented by the police from discharging their duties and were attacked by the SOG personnel. The injured were identified as Tassaduq Rashid, Zahoor Sodagar, Fida Hussain, Javed Shah and Basharat Ahmad. A local, Murtaza Ahmad, said the SOG personnel looted their houses and beat up people ruthlessly. Even as the police stopped people from converging, many thousands joined the funeral prayers of the militants who were buried in the local grave yard.

DIG South Kashmir H.K. Lohia refuted the locals’ allegations and said some vested interests, including Hurriyat leaders, were trying instigating the people. No major damage was caused to the mosque, he said and added that that the people should also realise that the militants had kept the civilians hostage for two days and made them human shields.

A Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman, in a statement, paid tributes to the slain militants and said “they preferred martyrdom to surrender and that speaks about the devotion of the Mujahideen to the cause.”

"The laws mandate three years' imprisonment for Ahmadis who dare to call themselves Muslims, call their places of worship mosques, recite the Koran or announce the azan, the call to prayer."

Such is the degree of offense these clerics take at the Ahmadiyya community's belief in the existence of valid revelations after Muhammad. If only they were half so repulsed instead by the idea of open-ended jihad warfare, the draconian punishments of Sharia law, and the persecution of non-believers. Of course, since those come from the Qur'an and the example of Muhammad himself, attempts at reform would leave them vulnerable to charges of bid'a, or innovation, something for which they now persecute the Ahmadis.

"Pakistan clerics persecute 'non Muslims'," by Isambard Wilkinson for The Telegraph:

Hardline clerics are using Pakistan's blasphemy laws to persecute members of a small Islamic splinter group they say are not proper Muslims.

The two million-strong Ahmadiyya community, based in Rabwah in the Punjab, risks charges of "impersonating Muslims" under the country's controversial religious laws.

Shameen Ahmad Khalid, a community leader, said: "We have people serving long jail sentences for blasphemy or for 'posing as Muslims'."

The laws mandate three years' imprisonment for Ahmadis who dare to call themselves Muslims, call their places of worship mosques, recite the Koran or announce the azan, the call to prayer.

Twenty years ago, the people of Rabwah were charged with impersonating Muslims.

Since the charges are still outstanding, the town's 50,000 inhabitants have to hide their Islamic habits, keep their beards trimmed and avoid using Muslim invocations.

The word "Muslim" has been erased, on the orders of a magistrate, from an epitaph engraved on the tomb of Pakistan's most distinguished scientist, Dr Abdus Salam.

It used to read "the First Muslim Nobel Laureate".

The religious laws are used by hardline clerics to persecute minority groups.

Despite recent improvements in voting rights for Christians and Hindus, Ahmadis are effectively still disenfranchised as they are permitted to vote only as "non-Muslims".

Pakistani popular rhymes defame Ahmadis in lurid terms and militants have stamped thousands of rupee notes imploring believers to "put them to death".

[...]

Several months ago, a police officer killed Mohammed Ashraf, an Ahmadi, as he ate his breakfast in a hotel. As he opened fire the officer shouted: "You are an infidel and preaching the infidel creed."

The Ahmadis' reverence for a prophet who lived in the 19th century offends the principle orthodox Muslim tenet that the Prophet Mohammed was the final prophet.

...and a belated Happy Hanukkah.

Christmas greetings are on-topic, for Christmas is on the jihadists' to-do list of manifestations of jahiliyya -- un-Islamic ignorance -- to be eliminated once they get the chance. So, if you are so inclined, you can strike a blow for Western civilization by openly celebrating Christmas today.

Happy New Year, also. May we all continue to strive in 2008 to defend the civilization built by those who throughout history have celebrated these holy days, and to convince those who have forgotten or who have never recognized its value that this civilization indeed worth defending.

And now for a little more haram festivity. Jihad Watcher Isabella the Crusader sends along these Christmas gems:

Karen Carpenter’s Little Altar Boy

The Holly and the Ivy

AcaBella – Coventry Carol

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella – Instrumental by Gregg Miner

Oh Holy Night –Swedish version

Ave Maria

Adeste Fideles – Il Divo

Mary did you know?

Hugh, meanwhile, has a few of his own:

Cantique De Noel (Georges Thill)

Holy Night (Jussi Bjorling)

Holy Night (Luciano Pavarotti)

Adeste Fideles (Jan Peerce)

Adeste Fideles (Luciano Pavarotti)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Giorgio Tozzi)

Angels We Have Heard On High (Westminster Cathedral Chorus)

Silent Night (Mahalia Jackson)

White Christmas (Bing Crosby)

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Gene Autry)

And here, finally, from me:

Blue Christmas (Elvis Presley)

The Christmas Waltz (Frank Sinatra)

And finally, if you're more inclined to think it all humbug:

So What (Miles Davis and John Coltrane)

"According to a 2005 federal indictment, [Kevin Lamar] James directed the plotters from his cell."

More on this story, and the consequences of prison dawa in southern California. "Turning to US jails to recruit for the jihad," by Peter Huck for the New Zealand Herald:

It all started with a mobile phone, dropped at a petrol station robbery in Torrance, California, in July 2005.

"Through the phone we came up with a name, a residence and the location of the suspects," says Torrance police officer Dave Crespin.

"We arrested the suspects and conducted a search warrant on an apartment in South Los Angeles."

There had been a string of robberies in the area, mostly with the same MO; a getaway driver and another with a shotgun. But once on the premises detectives realised this was far bigger than a robbery and contacted the FBI.

The apartment, rented by suspects Levar Hanley Washington, a prison parolee, and Gregory Patterson, who had no criminal record, contained a trove of incriminating material that allegedly suggested the hapless robbers aspired to become terrorists.

Among material used to charge the men and two accomplices was a handwritten document called "Blueprint 2005", which cited eight tasks, such as obtaining silencers for pistols and bombs that can be activated from a distance. Another document, "Modes of Attack", listed local targets.

The investigation led to California's New Folsom Prison and the cell of Kevin Lamar James, where investigators found the draft of a sinister press release.

Titled "Notoriety Moves", it outlined violent jihad in Southern California, and was allegedly due to be disseminated after the attacks began.

"This incident is the first in a series of incidents to come in a plight to defend and propagate traditional Islam in its purity," it read. "Sincere Muslims" were advised to avoid targets, including Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of an Israeli state.

Possible targets included a military recruitment office and National Guard facilities, synagogues, the Israeli consulate, the El Al desk at Los Angeles International Airport, and a mysterious "Campsite of Zion".

"Their plans were to enter either a recruiting facility or a synagogue and shoot as many people as possible before fleeing," says US attorney Gregory Staples, who helped to prosecute the case.

Last week James, 30, and Washington, 29, pleaded guilty in a Californian court to conspiring "to wage war against the Government of the United States through terrorism".

[...]

The plot allegedly started with the creation of JIS.

In 103 pages of handwritten text, some of it in Arabic, James set out the JIS protocols for followers. They are advised to demonstrate "obedience to established authority" and to be "esoteric or clandestine" in their activities. They also had a duty to attack infidels, including Israel and the US.

Washington, serving time in Folsom for assault and robbery, was recruited to JIS by James, his cellmate, in 2004.

Patterson was also a convert. According to a 2005 federal indictment, James directed the plotters from his cell. Their plans began to heat up in 2004 after Washington was paroled.

He subsequently recruited Patterson, with whom he attended a LA mosque, and Samana, making them swear allegiance to JIS. Authorities say Washington planned to finance the plot by robbing gas stations. Ten were hit. Samana allegedly researched the Modes of Attack targets.

[...]

"At the time of their arrest, it appeared they were on the verge of staging an attack here in Los Angeles," said Thomas O'Brien, the US Attorney in Los Angeles. "An untold number of lives may have been saved when this terrorist cell was dismantled."

An update on this story. "Mosque besieged in Kashmir," from CNN:

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- A standoff at a mosque in the disputed territory of Kashmir is continuing with three militants holding a pair of hostages, police told CNN.

Indian security forces are outside the mosque in the southern Kashmir village of Palnu, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Srinagar, the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Kashmir has long been an object of dispute between nuclear rivals and neighbors India and Pakistan, and militants fighting for Kashmir's separation from India have been carrying out attacks against the Indian security forces in Kashmir for 18 years.

This siege began Sunday, when Indian army and police surrounded the mosque after receiving a tip that militants from a Kashmiri militant group were hiding inside.

Security forces were fired upon as they worked to cordon the area, and a trooper and a civilian were injured.

Five civilians who took shelter inside the mosque to escape the crossfire were seized by the holed-up militants. Three of the five eventually managed to leave the mosque.

"Two of the civilians held hostage by the holed-up militants were allowed by them to leave the mosque to hold talks with officials and carry back some food into the mosque for the hostages," a senior police officer told CNN.

"The third hostage managed to escape by running away from the mosque. The three holed-up militants belonging to Hizbul Mujaheedin group are still holding two hostages inside the mosque with them."

Military operations have been suspended until Tuesday and police say the first priority is to secure the freedom of the remaining two hostages.

Militants have been taking shelter inside mosques and shrines in Kashmir throughout the past 18 years of armed violence.

An update on this story. "Lady MP under fire in headscarf row," from Gulf Daily News:

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti Islamist MP presented a request yesterday to question the Gulf state's only woman minister, a liberal who has been under hardline fire for refusing to wear a head scarf.

Nouriya Al Subeeh had stirred the anger of Islamist MPs when she took the oath in parliament in April without wearing a head cover in line with strict Muslim laws. Since then she has been under scrutiny by Islamist MPs and could be dismissed if the grilling leads to a parliamentary no-confidence motion against her.

Saad Al Sharie said in the request that financial and administrative irregularities at the education ministry had raised questions about Subeeh's ability to head the ministry. He also accused Education Minister breaching the law in connection with several high profile appointments and dismissals.

He said she was responsible for 'serious deterioration' in education standards and blamed her over an incident in which four Asian workers stand accused of molesting three Kuwaiti boys at a primary school.

A decade ago Kuwait's elected parliament passed a law enforcing total segregation of male and female students.

Liberal MPs have dismissed the attacks against her as politically-motivated. "She is a strong woman with clear plans to reform the educational system. Islamists don't like this," said Nabila Al Anjeri, women rights activist.

When Nouriya Al Subeeh first took office, sans headscarf, an article noted that "When MPs passed a law granting women full political rights in May 2005, they attached a precondition requiring women to abide by Islamic Sharia regulations, which have never been detailed." Legislators like Al Sharie may now be looking to exploit this vague provision, concerning either gender segregation in schools, the issue of the hijab, or both.

Political analyst Ali Al Baghli, agreed, "The grilling is personal because she wears no veil. But she's one of the most capable ministers and if she resigns it would be a setback for the reform plans."

As the West continues to acquiesce to Islamic mores, we will see this kind of thing closer to home.

"Woman caught with bomb under burqa: official," from AFP (thanks to Sr. Soph):

ASADABAD, Afghanistan - Afghan intelligence agents said Monday they had detained a woman hiding a bomb-filled waistcoat of the type used in Taleban suicide attacks under her all-covering burqa.

The 55-year-old woman was followed from the eastern province of Kunar after a tip-off and arrested in the town of Jalalabad, an official in Kunar’s intelligence department told AFP.

“She was carrying the suicide waistcoat for the Taleban. We had intelligence reports that she was working for the Taleban,” said the official, who asked not to be identified by name.

The woman was being questioned “to find out more about her network,” he said.

Most Afghan women still wear the burqa, which was mandatory under the 1996-2001 Taleban government, and cannot be searched by men at security checkposts.

Big surprise! "Media's two-faced Christmas coverage," by Aaron Klein for YnetNews (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Ah, Christmas in Bethlehem. Manger Square is ablaze with colorful lights. The weather is usually a bit chilly. Aggressive merchants bombard passersby with “special sales” on all kinds of cedar wood statues and religious carvings.

And like clockwork, the mainstream media descend upon this city every year to ignore rampant Muslim intimidation of Christians and instead blast Israel - often with completely inaccurate information - for ruining Christmas and for the drastic decline of Christianity in one of the holiest cities for that religion.

Take a widely circulated piece by McClatchy Newspapers writers Dion Nissenbaum and Cliff Churgin.

The piece, published last week, cites Bethlehem's dwindling Christian population and paints a picture that squarely blames Israel.

"For generations, the Holy Land Arts Museum (in Bethlehem) has been selling olivewood manger scenes to thousands of pilgrims wanting souvenirs from the biblical birthplace of Jesus," starts the piece.

"Gone is the olivewood stable shielding the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In its place, looming over the angelic family, are an Israeli watchtower and three towering sections of an adjoining wall."

Outright lying, the McClatchy Newspapers piece stated Bethlehem "remains largely isolated from the outside world by Israel’s 25-foot-tall concrete walls, part of Israel’s separation barrier."

The piece implied the wall caused the crash of Bethlehem's economy and prompted Christians to flee. Similar articles were churned out by Reuters, the BBC online and scores of local newspapers.

ABC News, for example, chimes in: "The (Israeli) wall has cast a shadow over this famous West Bank town."

Now let's get our facts straight. Bethlehem is not surrounded by any wall.

Israel in 2002 built a fence in the area where northern Bethlehem interfaces with Jerusalem. A tiny segment of that barrier, facing a major Israeli roadway, is a concrete wall, which Israel says is meant to prevent gunmen from shooting at Israeli motorists.

The fence was constructed after the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada, or terror war, launched in 2000 after late PLO Leader Yasser Arafat turned down an Israeli offer of a Palestinian state, returning to the Middle East to liberate Palestine with violence.

Read it all.

But no strings can be attached to it. Oh, no. How dare you even suggest such a thing, you insolent infidel!

"U.S. Officials See Waste in Pakistan Aid," by David Rohde, Carlotta Gall, Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger for Associated Press (thanks to all who sent this in):

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over the money. The strategy to improve the Pakistani military, they said, needs to be completely revamped.

In interviews in Islamabad and Washington, Bush administration and military officials said they believed that much of the American money was not making its way to frontline Pakistani units. Money has been diverted to help finance weapons systems designed to counter India, not Al Qaeda or the Taliban, the officials said, adding that the United States has paid tens of millions of dollars in inflated Pakistani reimbursement claims for fuel, ammunition and other costs.

“I personally believe there is exaggeration and inflation,” said a senior American military official who has reviewed the program, referring to Pakistani requests for reimbursement. “Then, I point back to the United States and say we didn’t have to give them money this way.”

Indeed not. But it is we who are ungrateful, doncha know:

Pakistani officials say they are incensed at what they see as American ingratitude for Pakistani counterterrorism efforts that have left about 1,000 Pakistani soldiers and police officers dead. They deny that any overcharging has occurred.

The $5 billion was provided through a program known as Coalition Support Funds, which reimburses Pakistan for conducting military operations to fight terrorism. Under a separate program, Pakistan receives $300 million per year in traditional American military financing that pays for equipment and training.

Civilian opponents of President Pervez Musharraf say he used the reimbursements to prop up his government. One European diplomat in Islamabad said the United States should have been more cautious with its aid.

“I wonder if the Americans have not been taken for a ride,” said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

They of course have been.

Here, courtesy Ron Paul and John Stossel, is a Christmas Eve repast of common but false assumptions about the global jihad and what we can do about it: "Ron Paul on War," by John Stossel.

Stossel starts us off by asking Paul:

Some people say that if we don't attack the enemy there, they'll attack us here.

This is, of course, the Bush Administration's famous and oft-repeated rationale for the Iraqi democracy project. The primary problem with it is that they're already over here, as the JFK Airport plot, the Fort Dix plot, and numerous other plots indicate, and our being over there is doing nothing to prevent their being here.

But while law enforcement officials have so far done a terrific job heading off these plots, little or nothing is being done to deal with the national security aspect of the immigration question, or to challenge the spread of the jihad ideology among Muslims in the U.S. Instead, we are all fiercely exhorted to assume, on pain of being read out of polite society, that Islam is a religion of peace and all U.S. Muslims abhor Osama bin Laden and today's global jihad.

Anyway, here is how Ron Paul answers the question:

Ron Paul: I think the opposite is true. The radicals were able to use our bases in Saudi Arabia and the bombing of Iraq (from 1991 to 2001) as a reason to come over here. If China were to do the same thing to us, and they had troops in our land, We would resent it. We'd probably do some shooting.

In other words, they're just fighting back against an unjustified invasion. They're fighting us over here because we're fighting them over there. And certainly, from the standpoint of Islamic theology, there is something to this. Jihad in Islam is usually fard kifaya, a general obligation upon the community as a whole but not upon each individual in particular; it becomes fard ayn, or obligatory on each individual, if a Muslim land is attacked. So much jihadist recruitment today calls peaceful Muslims to wage jihad by loudly proclaiming that Islamic lands have been attacked, and thus all Muslims are obligated to rush to their defense.

However, it is a false assumption that if we just leave them alone, by leaving Iraq and Afghanistan and presumably also by abandoning Israel, then there will be peace. Muhammad's expansionist imperative is open-ended: "I have been commanded," he said, "to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah."

Do any Muslims take this seriously today? Well, just the other day a jihadist leader in Uzbekistan declared: "The goal of this campaign is not only Kabul, Kandahar, or Baghdad. The eyes of the nation of Muhammad are set on Washington, London, Moscow, Paris, Delhi, Beijing, and other countries. This is our goal and, Allah willing, we will get there." Will people who think that way drop this goal if American troops leave their countries? Considering the fact that Muslims were conquering nations on the basis of the jihad ideology long before there even was a United States of America, that seems unlikely in the extremely.

After that, Stossel asks Paul:

Is this case not different? Religious fanatics hate us and want to kill us because of our culture.

This question shows the damaging influence of Dinesh D'Souza's silly and stupid book, The Enemy At Home, in which D'Souza contends that jihadists hate us because of popular culture. It also demonstrates ignorance of the fact that jihadists are killing plenty of people who have nothing to do with Western culture. As I asked in my review of D'Souza's book here, are Buddhist schoolteachers in Thailand the exponents of American pop culture? Are Christian schoolgirls beheaded in Indonesia on their way to school the vanguard of an invasion by Eve Ensler? Are churches torched in Nigeria because they are showing blue movies during off hours?

Paul answers:

I don't think that's true. It is not Muslim fanaticism that is the culprit. The litmus test is whether we are actually occupying a territory. In the case of Saudi Arabia, that was holy land.

Yes, indeed it was. But here Paul is just making a blanket assertion, again without taking into account the expansionist and supremacist imperative within Islam.

Stossel and Paul go on to joust about the Iraqi democracy project and the idea of America as the world's policeman. I agree that it is impractical, naive, and foolish to think that the United States can plant in Iraq a political system that Iraqis don't appreciate or want, and that the idea that American military force should be used against any and all tyranny, if followed through, would ultimately bleed this nation dry in service of an unattainable goal.

However, all that is really beside the point in this global conflict. As Paul himself says, "If you're attacked, you have a right and an obligation to defend (your) country." Indeed. And more than just our country is being threatened today by the global jihadists, and virtually no one in power understands the nature and the magnitude of the threat any more than do John Stossel or Ron Paul.

Expect American Muslim spokesmen such as Ibrahim Hooper and Salam Al-Marayati to condemn forthwith this abuse of a holy place. Gentlemen? "Pakistani militant among 3 killed in J&K," from Rediff (thanks to Twostellas):

A Pakistani militant belonging to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit was among three killed in two separate encounters on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir, where three militants remain holed up in a mosque.

The militants were holed up inside a mosque at Palnoo village in Kulgam district after army troops launched a search operation in the village following specific information about the presence of miltants, a defence spokesman said.

He said two persons, including a jawan, were injured in the initial firing by militants from inside the mosque.

However, the troops exercised restraint and did not return fire keeping in mind the sanctity of the place of worship and safety of the people.

Omar Bakri is at it again, fighting against pernicious jahiliyya. Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Hate cleric Omar Bakri calls for 'ban' on Christmas," from the Daily Mail (thanks to WriterMom):

Hate preacher Omar Bakri, who is barred from Britain, is calling on Brits to boycott Christmas.

Using the internet to post a rant against the festive season, Bakri claims Christmas should be "completely forbidden".

In another chilling post the radical cleric said Christmas Day would be the perfect day to launch a terror attack on the UK.

He said: "To have Christmas tree, visit so-called Christmas Father - that is completely forbidden.

"Make sure you do not watch TV. Do not let them hear jingle bells. Do not send your children on Christmas trip."

Un-neighborly, yes. In The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon wrote that if the Muslims had won the Battle of Poitiers, "the Arabian fleet might have sailed without a naval combat into the mouth of the Thames. Perhaps the interpretation of the Koran would now be taught in the schools of Oxford, and her pulpits might demonstrate to a circumcised people the sanctity and truth of the revelation of Mahomet." Well, this may come to pass after all, before too long.

From the Daily Mail (thanks to all who sent this in):

Muslim plans to broadcast a loudspeaker call to prayer from a city centre mosque have been attacked by local residents who say it would turn the area into a "Muslim ghetto".

Dozens of people packed out a council meeting to express their concerns over the plans for a two-minute long call to prayer to be issued three times a day, saying that it could drown out the traditional sound of church bells.

But a spokesman for the Central Mosque said that Muslim's also have the right to summon worshippers.

Dr Mark Huckster, who lives in Stanton Road and works at East Oxford hospice Helen House, told the Oxford Mail: "The proposal to issue a prayer call is very un-neighbourly, especially in a crowded urban space such as Oxford.

"I have lived in the Middle East and a prayer call has a very different feel to church bells and I personally found the noise extremely unpleasant, rather disturbing and very alien to the western mindset."

He added: "If an evangelical Christian preacher proposed issuing sermons three times a day at full volume there would be an outcry.

"There could be a sense of ghettoisation of East Oxford. Cowley Road would have a Muslim flavour and could become a Muslim ghetto which is contrary to what we want in a multicultural society."

The remaining Christians in Turkey celebrate Christmas while suffering from increasing persecution. From AKI (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Istanbul, 24 Dec. (AKI) - Turkey's 100,000-strong Christian community was on Monday hoping that Christmas this year would pass uneventfully without further sectarian attacks such as that earlier this month against an Italian Catholic priest - the latest of several in little over a year.

As schools and offices in the overwhelmingly Muslim majority country will be open on Tuesday, 25 December will simply be a day that comes between Eid al-Adha (the Islamic festival of sacrifice) and the New Year celebrations.

Christmas trees decked in glass baubles and Christmas lights have been put up in some streets and shop windows. "These are signs of a blending of Christian and Muslim cultures that have nothing to do with the substance of Christmas," Monsignor Luigi Padovese, apostolic vicar in Turkey, told Adnkronos International (AKI)

The knife attack by a Muslim youth last Sunday against an Italian Catholic priest, Adriano Franchini, in the Turkish port city of Izmir, has undoubtedly marred the festivities for Christians and left many in a sombre mood.

Undoubtedly.

British Jihad Update. "British man appears in court charged with preparing terrorist attack," from the Associated Press:

A 38-year-old man appeared in court Monday charged with preparing a terrorist attack.

Hassan Muhammed Sabri al Tabbakh, of Birmingham in central England, is accused of compiling a document with instructions on how to make a bomb and stockpiling chemicals for the device.

He was arrested Tuesday near his home and charged Saturday under Britain's Terrorism Act.

Al Tabbakh spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during a hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates Court in London. He was ordered detained until his next court appearance on January 4.

Barry Rubin takes a look back at a year in the seeds were sown for a great deal of future trouble:

While 2007 didn't greatly change the Middle East compared to some of its predecessors, here are some of its significant trends which will continue to dominate the year to come.

1. Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip. This is the most important single Middle East event of 2007 because it is a clear, probably irreversible, shift in the balance of power. Four decades of a movement dominated by nationalists has come to an end. Given Fatah's continuing weaknesses it is conceivable that Hamas will take over the West Bank within a few years and marginalize its rival. To Islamists, this is a great victory. In fact, it is a disaster for Palestinians and Arabs. It deepens divisions and destroys any real (as opposed to the silly superficial events that take up governments' time and media space) diplomatic option for them. A negotiated resolution of the Arab-Israeli or Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and with it prospects for a Palestinian state, has been set back for decades. Much Western sympathy has been lost. In years to come, struggles between Arab nationalists and Islamists, as well as between Sunnis and Shias, will dwarf the Arab-Israeli conflict. During 2008 we will have to assess whether the Palestinian Authority still ruling the West Bank can meet the Hamas challenge. (We already know it won't meet the diplomatic challenge but it will take all year for most Western politicians and much of the media to discover that.)

2. The military success of the U.S. surge in Iraq. U.S. forces showed that pessimistic assessments were wrong and they were able to reduce the power of anti-government insurgents and lower the death toll in Iraq. However, this is a long way from winning the war. During 2008 the two key questions will be whether U.S. troop withdrawals start in earnest and whether there is any political progress in bringing together Sunni and Shia communities in that country. It is hard to imagine what might change to bring about such an agreement. And even if the insurgents can kill fewer people they are likely to do enough damage to intimidate Sunnis from making peace. Still, the Iraqi government and society could grow strong enough to dispense with U.S. combat troops.

3. The Western failure to tighten sanctions substantially against Iran. It was clear in 2007 that negotiations with Tehran would fail to deter Iran from its campaign to obtain nuclear weapons. Certainly, France, Britain and Germany were more willing to take--or at least to talk about taking--action but due to their own hesitations, plus resistance from Russia and China, very little happened. The reaction to these events in Iran was mixed. On one hand, there was more worry about the pressures facing that country plus its own economic woes. On the other hand, the regime expressed more confidence that the West was chicken and that time and tide was on Iran's side. In 2008 we will be able to see if Tehran's drive for nuclear weapons continues without serious hindrance. Equally, it will be possible to assess whether President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is being weakened by his factional opponents--especially in the March parliamentary elections--or tightening his hold on power and holding to his reckless course.

4. U.S. policy returns to traditional stance. Whatever innovations, for better or worse, President George Bush introduced into American regional policy have vanished in 2007. He is largely back to the traditional approach as carried out by both his father and predecessor. The administration has given up on reform or backing democracy. In 2008, a new president will be chosen but real policy shifts will take until the following year of course.

5. Israel prospers. Despite outdated talk of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's weakness, he used 2007 to rebuild his authority. Especially interesting, Israel's economic growth has been impressive; unemployment fallen to all-time lows. Revolutionary enthusiasm and paper victories still thrill the Arab world and Iran but material gains continue to be what is important.

6. The demoralization of Lebanon. Worried that it is being abandoned by the West, forces supporting the moderate Lebanese government began to wonder if in fact Iran, Syria, and Hizballah would be able to reestablish their control over the country. A key element is the identity of the country's next president. In 2008, it will be important to watch how power shifts in Beirut and whether the investigation of Syrian involvement in terrorism against Lebanese opposition figures leads to an international tribunal.

7. France changes course. President Francois Sarkozy has moved France away from the nationalistic effort to undercut the United States and appease radical regimes. Sarkozy, however, has played footsie with Syria and Libya. The question for 2008: Will he implement pledges to get tougher and will French institutions follow him in changing course?

Verses 50-80 of Sura 9, “Repentance,” excoriate the Hypocrites — those who claim to be Muslims but aren’t really believers. In fact, they grieve at the Muslims’ good fortune and rejoice when they suffer (v. 50). But Allah tells the Muslims to ask them, “Can you expect for us (any fate) other than one of two glorious things?” (v. 52). The two things are martyrdom or victory, according to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, and others. In other words, the Muslims will either defeat the Hypocrites or be killed by them, in which case they will enter Paradise – a win/win situation.

The Hypocrites, meanwhile, may “spend (for the cause) willingly or unwillingly” (v. 53); in either case, Allah will not accept it from them, “for ye are indeed a people rebellious and wicked.” According to the Ruhul Ma’ani, this verse was revealed in reference to one of the Hypocrites, Jadd bin Qais, who was willing to donate money to Muhammad’s expedition to Tabuk, but not to join the caravan and fight himself. His hypocrisy, and that of others like him, renders their contributions unacceptable (v. 54). But Muhammad should not be impressed with their wealth or the number of their sons, for “Allah’s plan is to punish them with these things in this life, and that their souls may perish in their (very) denial of Allah” (v. 55). According to Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Allah will accomplish this plan “by taking the Zakah due on their money from them and spending it in Allah’s cause.” For these are not true Muslims, and they even dare to question Muhammad’s integrity over how he distributes alms (vv. 56-60). It was at this point that the incident to which I referred here took place: one of the Hypocrites said to Muhammad, “Be fair, Muhammad! You have not been fair.” Muhammad replied: “Bother you! If I am not fair, who will be fair?”

"An explosive device fashioned from a 60-millimetre mortar round and ball bearings attached to a timing device were recovered from his room."

Of course, Al-Azhar's Sheikh Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi insists this is all a mistake. (Getting caught usually is.) An update on this story. "Philippines 'bomb plotter' Islamic envoy: Egypt cleric," from Agence France-Presse:

CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian man held in the Philippines for allegedly plotting a Christmas bomb attack is an envoy of Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning who was arrested by mistake, the insitution's grand imam said on Sunday.

Al-Azhar's Sheikh Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi told Egypt's official MENA news agency that he was personally following up the case of Sheikh Mohammed al-Sayyid Ahmed Mussa who was arrested by police in the Philippines on Tuesday.

Tantawi aide Sheikh Abdel Fattah Allam said he expected Sheikh Mussa to be released on bail "in the next few hours".

"The envoys of Al-Azhar abroad are chosen according to strict criteria to encourage moderation in Islam and the renunciation of violence and terrorism," he added.

The religious affairs ministry issued a statement saying that Sheikh Mussa was being well treated but that there were contacts at the highest level between the two governments to try to secure his release.

"Sheikh Mussa is a man of faith who represents a prestigious religious institution," the ministry said.

"There are 29 Al-Azhar envoys in the Philippines teaching Arabic language and Islamic religion in accordance with an agreement between Cairo and Manila," he added.

Mussa, identified by Philippine police as Mohamad Sayed, was arrested during a raid on a flat in the Majad Islamic School in the southern city of Cotabato.

An explosive device fashioned from a 60-millimetre mortar round and ball bearings attached to a timing device were recovered from his room.

Philippine police said the Egyptian was captured after surveillance and that intelligence reports suggested he planned to detonate the bomb at an undisclosed location in the city on Christmas Day.

Among the items they said were recovered from his room was a booklet on the organisation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel group that has been fighting to set up an Islamic state in the southern Philippines.

Tantawi said he hoped Mussa would be released "within the coming couple of days" and that the arrest was a mistake.

"U.S. counterterrorism officials say [Jamaat ud-Dawa's] status as a legal organization in Pakistan makes it difficult to oppose. It has thousands of loyal supporters and close ties to a government that has done little to rein it in."

Tiny Minority of Extremists Alert. "Extremist group's offshoot seen as threat in Pakistan," by Josh Meyer for the Los Angeles Times:

LAHORE, Pakistan - While the war against Islamic militancy has focused on shadowy underground organizations such as al-Qaeda, counterterrorism officials say there is a growing worldwide threat from an extremist group operating in plain sight in Pakistan.

The group, formerly named Lashkar-e-Taiba, or Army of the Righteous, was formed in the late 1980s. With the support of the Pakistan government, it has launched attacksagainst India in the dispute over the Kashmir region.

In recent years, the camps that Lashkar once used primarily to train Pakistanis to fight for Kashmir have increasingly become a training ground for other extremists who come from around the world to learn guerrilla warfare, according to current and former U.S. and allied counterterrorism officials.

Another problem for those who would attempt to explain away the global jihad as a series of unrelated local disputes is the fact that local groups widen the scope of their involvement so easily. This is because the rationale for fighting those supposedly local battles comes from an imperative for global domination: Think globally, wage jihad locally.

As growing anti-U.S. sentiment has swelled its ranks, there is evidence the group is working more closely with al-Qaeda and other extremist groups and may be getting directly involved in jihadist activities against the West, the officials say.

They cite evidence in recent years of fund-raising or recruiting efforts in Canada, Britain, Australia and the United States, including current probes in Massachusetts and Lodi, Calif.

Lashkar-e-Taiba was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in December 2001 and was soon outlawed by Pakistan. It disbanded, and its founders created another group, named Jamaat ud-Dawa, which functions openly in Pakistan as an officially recognized humanitarian organization.

U.S. authorities consider it the same as Lashkar-e-Taiba and say it has continued to operate camps that train militants. The Treasury Department put the terrorist label on Jamaat ud-Dawa in April 2006, saying, "LET renamed itself JUD in order to evade sanctions. The same leaders that form the core of LET remain in charge of JUD."

U.S. counterterrorism officials say the group's status as a legal organization in Pakistan makes it difficult to oppose. It has thousands of loyal supporters and close ties to a government that has done little to rein it in.

"The U.S. government . . . has voiced its concerns" about Jamaat ud-Dawa to the Pakistan government, said Daniel Markey, who oversaw South Asia policy at the State Department until February.

Pakistani officials said that Jamaat ud-Dawa is "under watch," but that the group was legal and separate from Lashkar-e-Taiba, which they insisted they have shut down.

Representatives of Jamaat ud-Dawa say they are running a legitimate charity, citing the group's campaign to help Pakistanis recover from a massive earthquake in 2005 and its efforts to provide social services, food, water, medical care and education.

Of course, Hizballah and Hamas also provide similar services along with waging jihad. We have seen many times before that one activity does not exclude the other.

Jamaat ud-Dawa spokesman Abdullah Muntazir said it did not participate in jihadist activities or run military training camps.

"No political party in Pakistan has as many offices as Jamaat ud-Dawa," he said. "So how can the government of Pakistan ban a group that has such deep roots throughout Pakistani society?"

U.S. officials say that Pakistan has closed down some of the training camps, but that the camps pop up again in secret locations along the borders with India and Afghanistan.

A major concern for U.S. officials now is that the Pakistani government of President Pervez Musharraf, contending with its own crises, does not have the ability to control the group.

Arrests like this demonstrate how Muslims do themselves a disservice when they ignore or refuse to discuss the issue of jihad in Islamic texts and teachings: Even they are not immune to becoming targets of it. And insisting only the proper authorities can call for jihad affords no protection when there is violent disagreement over whose authority is legitimate in the first place. "Saudi says arrests 28 al Qaeda militants," from Reuters:

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi security forces have arrested 28 al Qaeda militants suspected of planning "criminal acts" in the kingdom, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.

The suspects were arrested in Mecca, Madina, Riyadh and in an area near the country's northern borders, said SPA quoting an official source at the Ministry of Interior.

One of those arrested is a foreign resident while the rest are Saudi nationals, it said without giving further details. "The (public) interest requires that further details be withheld for the time being," it said.

The synchronized operations leading to the arrests began in mid-December, SPA said.

Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Friday security forces had arrested an unspecified number of al Qaeda militants suspected of planning attacks in the country during the Muslim haj pilgrimage.

It was not immediately clear if the latest report referred to the same arrests.

"Several local Christians, speaking on condition of anonymity, charged the Muslim vendors set up their stations without required permits after paying what were described as 'special commissions' to the Palestinian Authority security forces."

"Muslims hijack Jesus' birthplace," by Aaron Klein for World Net Daily:

BETHLEHEM – Muslim street peddlers here bombarded tourists with discounted souvenirs in Manger Square – the hub of Bethlehem's holiday activity – setting up shop in front of Christian stores some of whose owners complained their businesses were being hijacked.

"Tourism is up this year. Christians are visiting from all over. They come out of the Church of the Nativity and before they arrive at my store they've already been approached by a half-dozen Muslim vendors selling the same stuff but cheaper," said the manager of one shop situated across from the Church of the Nativity alongside Manger Square.

The church is the believed birthplace of Jesus. It has seen an increase in the number of visitors since last year, according to locals. Directly outside the church begins the Manger Square thoroughfare, site of religious activity, Christmas decorations and mostly Christian-owned stores.

But the thoroughfare has been packed with Muslim vendors selling souvenirs and religious items such as crosses and cedarwood carvings – much the same objects found in the surrounding Christian stores.

Church visitors cannot exit the large structure without passing through the swarms of vendors.

Several local Christians, speaking on condition of anonymity, charged the Muslim vendors set up their stations without required permits after paying what were described as "special commissions" to the Palestinian Authority security forces that control the city.

WND asked three vendors if they had obtained permits, but they refused to respond.

Upon observing the scene for an afternoon, it was clear during that time the Muslim vendors were raking in the majority of business. According to local shopworkers, this has been the situation for the past two weeks.

The scene was the latest episode of Bethlehem's dwindling Christian population, which has reportedly been the target of rampant Islamic intimidation and persecution.

Bethlehem consisted of up to 80 percent Christians when Israel was founded in 1948, but immediately after the Palestinian Authority took over in 1995 in line with the U.S.-backed Oslo Accords, the Christian population quickly declined to about 23 percent, with a large majority of Muslims. The 23 percent Christian statistic is considered generous since it includes the satellite towns of Beit Sahour and Beit Jala. Some estimates place Bethlehem's actual Christian population as low as 12 percent, with hundreds of Christians emigrating every year.

Christian leaders and residents, most of whom spoke to WND on condition of anonymity during recent interviews, said they face an atmosphere of regular hostility. They said Palestinian armed groups stir tension by holding militant demonstrations and marches in the streets. They spoke of instances in which Christian shopkeepers' stores were ransacked and Christian homes attacked.

They said in the past, Palestinian gunmen fired at Israelis from Christian hilltop communities, drawing Israeli anti-terror raids to their towns.

Read it all.

Christopher Hitchens likes to think of himself as a brave iconoclast, speaking-truth-to-power and all that I'm-George-Orwell-of-this-age-and-I-take-no-prisoners sort of thing. I've mocked him before at this site, many times, quand il fait son petit Orwell. But the longest whack at him, with Hitchens providing the evidence against himself, is the piece "Hitchens and Said." It appeared on February 21, 2007, and is here re-presented, lightly edited for clarity:

There are many examples that one can find on-line of the work of this "good egg" who "writes like a dream." [These were phrases used about Hitchens by someone who objected to some previous mocking of Hitchens by me].

A great friend and unctuous admirer of Edward Said, and though his tribute to Said does not reach the bathetic depths, or yawning heights, of Hamid Dabashi's tribute (google "Hamid Dabashi" and "Edward Said" -- you won't regret it), Hitchens own tribute to Said is memorable, for the same reasons, on a slightly different scale:

"The Israelis now living in the territories of the future Palestinian state should return to living within the borders of the state of Israel. No Jew in the world, now or in the future, as a result of this document, will have the right to return, to live, or to demand to live in Hebron, in East Jerusalem, or anywhere in the Palestinian state." --Sari Nusseibeh

What makes this outrageous but perfectly believable remark, by a so-called "Palestinian," of such note is that the utterer is one Sari Nusseibeh. Nusseibeh is supposedly the most "moderate" and "reasonable" of “Palestinians” -- because he is "Oxford-educated" (the epithet is Homeric, in Nusseibeh's case) and scion of one of those Arab families of Jerusalem. Left-wing Israelis, Peace-Nowists, and so on, have always loved Sari Nusseibeh.

His declaration that part of the original territory specifically allocated to Mandatory Palestine, which was specifically set up for the creation of the Jewish National Home, will someday soon be off-limits to Jews, is unacceptable. But will those Israelis and American Jews who fell all over themselves singing the praises of Sari Nusseibeh now see that all such hopes were false, that in the end (just as in Iraq) whenever Infidels put their hopes on this or that individual those hopes will be dashed? It is Islam that matters. Nusseibeh is simply being a good and dutiful Muslim. And thank god he has fully revealed himself right now, and not after the idiotic Israelis (surely there is a limit, even for Olmert, Livni, and the unbelievable Haim Ramon) give away more and more of what they have no right to give away.

After not showing it for a year, Palestinian Authority TV has resumed regular broadcasts of the video above, showing a young woman being cruelly shot down by wicked Zionist soldiers, being transformed into a heavenly maiden in the company of other equally beautiful young women, and ultimately greeting a new shahid after he, too, is shot down by the vicious Israelis. Now, why would they be showing this so often these days?

"Virgins of Paradise - music video returns to PA TV," by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook for Palestinian Media Watch (thanks to Yitzhak):

A music video depicting a Shahid (Martyr for Allah) being greeted in Paradise by the Dark Eyed Maidens (Virgins) has returned to Palestinian Authority (PA) television. The return of this of Shahada (Death for Allah) promotion comes at a time the PA leadership may be interested in increasing the motivation of its fighters. The PA fears an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to the continuous firing of rockets at Israeli cities.

The clip portrays a woman being shot in the back by Israeli soldiers. She is immediately transported to Paradise, where she joins other Maidens wearing identical long white gowns, all joyously dancing, waiting to marry their Shahid. The next scenes depict her male friend visiting her grave, after which he is also shot by Israeli soldiers. His Shahada- Death for Allah is immediately rewarded, and he is transported to heaven, where all the "Maidens" -- including his lover -- turn to greet him.

Click to view Martyr with Maidens of Paradise video on YouTube or PMW website

This is one of the longest-running music videos on PA TV. It was broadcast incessantly for years, often several times a day during the PA terror war (2000-2005) and returned for a month in September 2006. This recurring image of the Martyr being rewarded by receiving the Maidens was part of the multifaceted PA campaign glorifying and encouraging terror, and promoting suicide terror as idyllic Shahada (Martyrdom for Allah).

After an absence of more than a year, PA TV has been broadcasting this video clip regularly for the past month. It is possible that PA TV is attempting to increase the motivation for battle, and especially death in battle, among its men should a ground war develop in the Gaza Strip.

The belief that man is rewarded with beautiful women in Paradise is based on Islamic traditions in the Quran [Suras 42, 44, 52, 56, and others] and the Hadith (traditions attributed to Muhammad), and is expressed regularly in many parts of PA society..

Read it all.

My article, "Somalia: The Rise and Fall of an Islamist Regime" in the September 2007 edition of the Journal of International Security Affairs, is now online here.

And soon, from the looks of things, it may be time for a sequel: "Somalia: The Rise and Fall and Second Coming of an Islamist Regime."

Defend Canadian freedom of speech.

Background: my article "Stand By Steyn," from Human Events.

We have posted several stories here over the years of Christians in Pakistan being victimized by that country's blasphemy laws. Here is some general background on the situation of Christians there. "Pakistan: Minority Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas," by Syed Saleem Shahzad for AKI (thanks to Insubria):

Karachi, 21 Dec. (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - The minority Christian community in Pakistan has begun preparations for Christmas.

Although there are reports of Christians facing threats and discrimination in the overwhelmingly Muslim country, members of the community in the southern port city of Karachi are out in force to celebrate the festival.

"We do celebrate Christmas like the Muslims in Pakistan celebrate their Eids," said Herbert Fernandas, president of the Catholic Association of Pakistan in an interview with AKI.

[...]

"The Christians are very happy and have no problem living in Pakistan," a member of the Goan Roman Catholic Community in Karachi, Ralph D'Cruz, told AKI.

"The problems related to militancy and some laws concerning minorities are of some concern but this is for all Pakistanis and nothing specific to Christians or other minorities," said D' Cruz who works as a crime reporter with a government-owned news agency.

"These extremist jihadis are Pakistani establishment's ploy and nothing to do with Pakistani society," said D'Cruz.

"I never faced any problem being a Christian while covering criminal cases or the police department," he added.

D'Cruz's wife, even referred to the positive discrimination her community sometimes faces.

"We are sometimes given preference for jobs as English is our lingua franca," she said.

Despite being a long established community, Christians in other parts of Pakistan have faced problems. There have been reports of Christians in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) facing death threats if they did not convert to Islam.

Christians, like other religious minorities in Pakistan also have to deal with the country's blasphemy laws, which give the death penalty for defiling the Koran or insulting the Prophet, a sweeping definition that can be widely interpreted.

Muslim extremists have been known to use Pakistan's blasphemy laws as an excuse to attack Christians.

Although no Christian in Pakistan has ever been executed under the blasphemy laws, members of the minority community say that they have been victimised under the legislation.

Aftab Alexander Mughal, a Christian and a publisher of a magazine on minority communities, told AKI of a Christian woman named Martha Bibi, who this year was accused and convicted of making derogatory remarks against the Koran and of defiling the Prophet Mohammad.

Bibi has been in jail since January and the High Court in Lahore recently turned down her appeal to have the charges quashed.

It is estimated that it takes about seven to ten years for those convicted in such cases to be freed once the case reaches the Supreme Court.

Mughal said that although, no one found guilty of blasphemy has been hanged so far, some of those charged under the legislation have been killed while in police custody.

Many of those convicted of blasphemy are believed to be Christian.

The other "roadmap"

"The poster, which has been endorsed by the Fatah leadership, has already been posted on a number of Fatah-affiliated Web sites."

A rare moment of truth in advertising in the "land for peace" scheme. "In Fatah map all of Israel is Palestine," by Khaled Abu Toameh for the Jerusalem Post:

Fatah is planning to mark its 43rd anniversary this year with a new poster that presents all of Israel as Palestine.

Designed specifically for the occasion by Abdel Mun'em Ibrahim, the poster features a map of Israel that is entirely draped with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.

It also carries a drawing of a rifle as a symbol of the "armed struggle" against Israel.

The poster, which has been endorsed by the Fatah leadership, has already been posted on a number of Fatah-affiliated Web sites.

The underlying message of the poster is that Fatah, like Hamas, does not recognize Israel's existence.

The emblem is in violation of Fatah's declared policy, which envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside, and not instead of, Israel.

But Fatah must be made to answer whether it envisions that state as a final goal, or a means to an end. That should happen before the next jizya check is signed, but it won't.

By including a rifle in the poster, Fatah is sending a message to the Palestinian public that it has not abandoned the option of "armed resistance," despite current peace talks with Israel.

Founded in 1965, Fatah has celebrated its anniversary over the past 14 years with major rallies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But it's not clear at this stage if Hamas would allow Fatah to hold a big rally in the Gaza Strip.

Last week, Fatah banned Hamas from holding rallies in the West Bank to mark the 20th anniversary of the Islamist movement. Hamas officials have threatened to retaliate by barring Fatah rallies in the Gaza Strip.

Hizballah did this in Lebanon against Israel. Here is one reason why they may feel free to do this.

"Philippines: Muslim rebels use villagers as shields, say officials," from AFP (thanks to Twostellas):

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP) - Muslim insurgents used villagers as shields to evade pursuing Philippine soldiers on Saturday, leaving one dead and five wounded, military officials said.

The gunmen, consisting of members of Abu Sayyaf and rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) also suffered a number of casualties as they were seen dragging away their dead and wounded from the site, the officials added.

The fighting in the southern island of Jolo broke out after residents of Kalingalang Caluang town reported the presence of the rebels to the military, regional commander Major General Nelson Allaga said.

When the troops arrived "the rogue rebels and the Abu Sayyaf used the civilians as shields in their retreat", Allaga added.

One soldier was killed and one soldier and four civilians were wounded in the fighting. The wounded civilians were immediately airlifted to a hospital, said Major General Reuben Rafael, head of a special anti-terror task force.

The gunmen later released their hostages, allowing the military to pursue them with helicopter gunships, said Allaga.

This post could be entitled Why Can't Muslims Debate? Part II -- perhaps this should be an ongoing series. In Why Can't Muslims Debate? Part I I noted the tendency of self-proclaimed moderate Muslim spokesmen to engage in ad hominem attacks, not just as a secondary feature of their presentation, but as the entirety of their argument. And I suggested: "I am beginning to suspect that all the abuse they delight in is not just a manifestation of their abysmal intellectual bankruptcy, although it is that also; it is at the same time a demonstration of their Islamic supremacist assumptions. The filthy kaffir is not to be respected, much less his arguments answered; rather, he is to be rebuked for his insolence and put in his place."

There is as a companion to this also a tendency toward projection, as manifested by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here; this is also found among those of his coreligionists who profess to reject his Islamic supremacism and hatred.

And so it is that an associate of the raving spitblogger Dean Esmay, Ali Eteraz, with whom I have had several exchanges in the past, attacks this site today in a comment at his own site (thanks to James). After a commenter named Susan recommends Jihad Watch, Eteraz writes:

Let the record reflect that while many pro-Steyn people do not uphold such xenophobic views, a great many of those defending him are quite happily, under the guise of being defenders of pluralism, people of acute bigotry and supremacist tendencies themselves, as evidenced by the website Susan references.

"Acute bigotry and supremacist tendencies"? Really? Is resisting Islamic supremacism in the name of the equality of dignity of women and men, the equality of rights of all people before the law, and the freedom of conscience really "acute bigotry"? It is, of course, in the eyes of American Muslim advocacy groups that seem determined to stamp out all anti-jihad resistance, and which have numerous questionable ties and activities themselves (here is the most notorious example). But shouldn't someone like Ali Eteraz, who claims to abjure Islamic supremacism, see us as an ally?

Maybe so, but instead, he accuses us in turn of "supremacist tendencies" -- and that's where the projection comes in. It isn't that he himself is necessarily an Islamic supremacist, but that he would see in us exactly what we are fighting is an extremely odd charge that I think is illuminated by something Eteraz wrote a few months ago (thanks to Admiral Adama). After a commenter on one of his articles referred back to this piece under the heading, "Ali Eteraz torn up by Robert Spencer," Eteraz responded:

Projection Alert. And which American Muslim group met with the Thug-In-Chief? Do they subscribe to his view that "accomplishment of a world without America and Israel is both possible and feasible"?

"Ahmadinejad backs from Saudi Arabia," (yes, that's the real headline), from the Iranian Students News Agency (thanks to Morgaan Sinclair):

TEHRAN, Dec. 22 (ISNA)-Iran's president stepped into Tehran after a five-day trip to Saudi Arabia where he performed Hajj pilgrimage....

In a meeting with the United States Muslims' community board emphasizing on the necessity of introducing Islam's truth and logic he noted that "the arrogant" have always projected their problems on the world of Islam.

Before Iraq was occupied all religions and groups were living next to each other in peace but now there are great attempts to divide them into parts, he added "the disparity between Shiites and Sunnis is an imported issue because Islam has only one simple truth."

Wherever the arrogant occupied within the territory of Islam's world they have formed a constitution based on making disparities and divisions between different religions and groups, he said.

While saying that the entity of Islam's foes is mingled with Zionists he illustrated Zionism is the common point of all Islam's enemies but "we must distinguish between Zionists and Jews."

Meanwhile the U.S. Muslims' community board presenting a report on the condition of Muslims in that country underlined Islam's role in global peace, security and justice.

Apparently he wanted to make sure that he would kill, and thereby increase his chances to gaining the place in Paradise that Allah guarantees to those who "kill and are killed" (Qur'an 9:111).

From AFP :

PESHAWAR - The suicide bomber who killed 54 people in a Pakistan mosque had packed his explosives vest with ball bearings to inflict maximum casualties, a hospital official said on Saturday.

With security agencies hunting for clues to Friday’s attack, which targeted but missed a close ally of President Pervez Musharraf, a doctor said many of the victims suffered severe shrapnel wounds.

“Many were hit by ball bearings packed into the bomber’s suicide jacket,” said Manzoor Khan of the main state-run hospital in the northwest town of Charshadda, where the attack occurred.

“It seems most of the victims died from excessive bleeding,” he told AFP.

I wrote my book Religion of Peace? to try to make a case for Western civilization as worth defending. The fundamentally most misunderstood and overlooked aspect of the defense against the global jihad is the challenge that the jihadists make to Western values, which are in large part Judeo-Christian. This is combined with a historical critique which relentlessly portrays the West as the aggressors against the rest of the world, and as uniquely responsible for its evils -- thus sapping our will to defend something as rotten as Western civilization. This myopia about slavery is just part of this problem.

From "Bad Faith Bestseller," Jeremy Lott's review of Christopher Hitchens' book god is Not Great in The American Spectator:

It's not a rhetorical question. Some assumption of good faith by the author is an important part of how critics operate, but Hitchens simply cannot be this stupid.

Exhibit A: In his discussion of slavery, Hitchens focuses entirely on the American experience so that he can damn Christianity for the peculiar institution. He overlooks the role of the Catholic Church in abolishing slavery in Europe and gives scant attention to the role of the Muslim slave trade in starting it up again in the new world, and he manages to gloss over the fact that slavery predates organized religion.

One of the most common criticisms of Christianity centers on its posture toward slavery. Taken at face value, the Bible condones the practice. The Apostle Paul says flatly: “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ” (Ephesians 6:5). In his time, he wasn’t saying anything remotely controversial (and of course has been criticized for apparently accepting the cultural status quo instead of challenging it). No culture on earth, Christian or otherwise, ever questioned the morality of slavery until relatively recent times.

But Hitchens reflects the popular view, which is that the onus for slavery is squarely on the West. When Britain commemorated the two hundredth anniversary of its abolition of the slave trade in March 2007, Prime Minister Tony Blair called it “an opportunity for the United Kingdom to express our deep sorrow and regret for our nation’s role in the slave trade and for the unbearable suffering, individually and collectively, it caused.”

Britain’s role in the slave trade? Some Americans might be surprised to learn that the British, or anyone besides American southerners, ever owned slaves, since after coming through American schools as they stand today many people no doubt have the impression that slavery was invented in Charleston and Mobile. “The American education system,” observes Mark Steyn, “teaches it as such -- as a kind of wicked perversion the Atlantic settlers had conjured out of their own ambition.”

However, as Steyn details, it was a cross-cultural fact of life for centuries: “In reality, it was more like the common cold -- a fact of life. The institution predates the word’s etymology, from the Slavs brought from eastern Europe to the glittering metropolis of Rome. It predates by some millennia the earliest laws, such as the Code of Hammurabi in Mesopotamia. The first legally recognized slave in the American colonies was owned by a black man who had himself arrived as an indentured servant. The first slave owners on the North American continent were hunter-gatherers. As Metaxas puts it, ‘Slavery was as accepted as birth and marriage and death, was so woven into the tapestry of human history that you could barely see its threads, much less pull them out. Everywhere on the globe, for 5,000 years, the idea of human civilization without slavery was unimaginable.’”

Likewise unacknowledged has been the role that Christian principles played in the abolition of slavery in the West, which was an enterprise unprecedented in the annals of human history. The roots of abolitionism can be traced to the Church’s practice of baptizing slaves and treating them as human beings equal in dignity to all others. St. Isidore of Seville (560-636) declared that “God has made no difference between the soul of the slave and that of the freedman.” His statement was rooted in what St. Paul told the slaveowner Onesimus about his runaway slave Philemon: “Perhaps this was why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, as a beloved brother” (Philemon 15-16).

That is, martyrdom in the Islamic sense: gaining Paradise by killing and being killed, per Qur'an 9:111. And this is in service of a supremacist and expansionist vision: "A seventh-grade textbook encourages students to "not cease until the redeeming message of 'there is no god but Allah' is realized throughout the whole world."

"Iran Educates Children to 'Seek Martyrdom,'" by Erick Stakelbeck for CBN News (thanks to all who sent this in):

CBNNews.com - During Iran's war with Iraq in the 1980s, Ayatollah Khomeini sent thousands of Iranian children directly into minefields.

He promised that they'd see heaven as their reward.

Today's Iranian leadership is quite unpopular with its growing younger generation -- the Mullahs are attempting to reclaim this group one textbook at at a time.

This is becoming a common scene in Iran. Pro-democracy Protests against the ruling regime. Just last weekend Tehran University students waved signs that said "live free or die."

In some ways, this is the new face of Iran-- 70 percent of the population is under the age of 30. Many of these Iranians are hungry for the kind of freedoms Americans enjoy. But the Iranian government has other ideas.

"Imagine 225,000, 250,000 even 100,000 kids who have been taught to hate America, hate the West, get ready for martyrdom," Shayan Arya said.

Shayan Arya's family left Iran when he was a teenager. He says the government's educational curriculum teaches children as young as first grade to prepare for war and seek martyrdom.

"You are responsible for learning it--you get tested on it, you have to study it, you have to write papers on it, you have to answer to your teachers, he said.

The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance recently gave CBN News an exclusive look at some Iranian textbooks. All non-Muslims are portrayed as evil -- especially the U.S. and Israel.

A seventh-grade textbook encourages students to "not cease.until the redeeming message of 'there is no god but Allah' is realized throughout the whole world."

"Unlike some other European nations, Belgium does not have anti-terrorist laws which allow suspects to be held for longer than 24 hours without charge," but Belgian authorities are still investigating and gathering evidence. The article makes no mention of what sort of limitations, if any, have been placed on the suspects' movement and activity in the meantime.

An update on this story. " Belgium releases 14 terror suspects," by Paul Ames for the Associated Press:

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Belgian authorities on Saturday released 14 suspects detained over an alleged plot to free an al-Qaida prisoner after a court decided there was insufficient evidence to hold them for more than 24 hours, the Federal Prosecutor's office said.

The government's Crisis Center said the investigation was not over. And Lieve Pellens, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, said tightened anti-terrorism measures triggered by the arrest of the suspected Islamic militants on Friday would remain in place over the holidays.

"We think there is still a threat," Pellens said in a telephone interview.

Police picked up the 14 suspects in a series of early morning raids Friday. Earlier reports indicated that explosives and arms were also seized, but Pellens said Saturday that searches of the suspects' homes had found no explosives, weapons or other evidence to persuade the court to charge them with any offense or keep them in jail.

Unlike some other European nations, Belgium does not have anti-terrorist laws which allow suspects to be held for longer than 24 hours without charge, Pellens said.

The 14 were expected to remain under police surveillance and could be detained again if more evidence is uncovered. The authorities did not release the suspects' identities.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and the prosecutor's office alleged the suspects planned to use explosives and weapons to free Nizar Trabelsi. The 37-year-old Tunisian was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2003 for planning to a drive a car bomb into the cafeteria of a Belgian air base where about 100 American military personnel are stationed.

The U.S. Embassy had warned Americans "there is currently a heightened risk of terrorist attack in Brussels," although it said it had no indication of specific targets.

The government's Crisis Center said the investigation was continuing into other material found in the searches.

"The release of the 14 does not mean the investigation is finished, all the material that was found is being examined," said Alain Lefevre, a director of the center. "Depending on the results, our measures will be adapted."

Authorities tightened security, warning of a heightened threat of attacks despite the arrests. Police stepped up patrols at Brussels airport, subway stations and the downtown Christmas market, which draws large crowds of holiday shoppers.

"Other acts of violence are not to be excluded," warned Verhofstadt.

Lefevre said army bomb disposal units were called in overnight to investigate a car parked near the U.S. Embassy and a rucksack left at a Brussels pizzeria, but both were false alarms.

Pellens said intelligence that an attack could be imminent meant the security forces had to act without waiting to gather the evidence.

"We could not treat this as we would a normal criminal case," Pellens said.

"According to our investigation there were sufficient indications pointing to a terrorist threat; that is why we did not wait to detain the suspects," she said. "But the suspects have not been formally charged and, unfortunately, their release does not come as a surprise to us."

Jihad chic.

By Philip Johnston for the Telegraph (thanks to all who sent this in):

Two suspected al-Qa'eda operatives released from Guantanamo Bay have walked free from court although they are still wanted in Spain on terrorism-related offences.

One of the men, who is accused of distributing extremist propaganda produced by Osama bin Laden, had half of his £50,000 bail surety met by the actress Vanessa Redgrave.

Jamil el-Banna, 45, who was said during a brief court hearing to have helped run a cell called the Islamic Alliance, recruiting people to fight jihad in Afghanistan and Indonesia, returned to his London home tonight.

The other man, Omar Deghayes, 38, a Libyan national freed from Guantanamo and allowed into the UK because he once lived here, is said to have had links to the same al-Qa'eda cell. He was also released on bail.

Spain issued European arrest warrants for both men within hours of their arrival in Britain last night from the Cuban detention centre. Miss Redgrave said: "It is a profound honour and I am glad to be alive to be able to do this.''

She added: "Guantanamo Bay is a concentration camp. It is a disgrace that these men have been kept there all these years."

But the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court heard of their alleged links to al-Qa'eda, which raised fresh questions over why the British government interceded on their behalf to allow their return here from Guantanamo....

Arabic-speaking Christians generally use the word "Allah" for God -- with the notable exception of the Copts. But they are not referring, of course, to the God of the Qur'an, but to the God of the Bible. And one notable dhimmi bishop in the West has called for Christians to use the word "Allah" for God in order to show good will toward Muslims.

If both groups were in Malaysia, however, it would be a different story. Muslim spokesmen in the West endlessly tell us that Muslims, Jews, and Christians all worship the same God -- in accord with Qur'an 29:46. And when I and others point out that the Muslim view of God is quite different from the view of God of Jews and Christians, and that it is therefore hard to sustain a case that all worship the same God, we're vilified and dismissed. But this decision in Malaysia indicates that it is not we who have originated such ideas; they're held by many Muslims as well.

From The Associated Press (thanks to all who sent this in):

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A Catholic weekly newspaper in Malaysia has been told to drop the use of the word "Allah" in its Malay language section if it wants to renew its publishing permit, a senior government official said Friday.

The Herald, the organ of Malaysia's Catholic Church, has translated the word God as "Allah" but it is erroneous because Allah refers to the Muslim God, said Che Din Yusoff, a senior official at the Internal Security Ministry's publications control unit.

"Christians cannot use the word Allah. It is only applicable to Muslims. Allah is only for the Muslim god. This is a design to confuse the Muslim people," Che Din told The Associated Press.

The weekly should instead, use the word "Tuhan" which is the general term for God, he said.

Website postings like the ones quoted in this article are obnoxious and wrong. When I see the like here, I take them down. But Ezra Levant is right: "...when someone hurts your feelings, you can respond, write a letter to the editor, call a talk radio show, start a political campaign. But you don't go running to the government."

Or at least he was right. Now that the magazine has apologized, Kathy Shaidle explains exactly what is wrong with such a gesture: "Here we see the difference between shame-based and honor-based cultures at work -- the imam and other Muslims will view this magnanimous gesture as a sign of weakness and more complaints will follow, each one even stupider than the last."

"Anti-Muslim web postings spark rights complaint," by Sean Myers in the Calgary Herald (thanks to Five Feet of Fury):

A local Muslim leader has launched a human rights complaint against the website of a defunct magazine, claiming a recent string of user comments on its blog promote hatred against followers of Islam.

Calgary police are also investigating allegations levelled by Syed Soharwardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, that comments on the Shotgun Blog of the Western Standard website advocating violence against Muslims could constitute a hate crime.

The entry, dated Dec. 5 and written by a user named Templar, said, "there is no such thing as innocent Muslims." Templar goes on to write "They must all be killed. All of them."

Syed Soharwardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada says comments on the Western Standard website constitute hate-mongering and are "against Canadian values."

Another user, OBC, responds by saying Muslims should be deported from western countries, adding that he'd be "in favour of their eradication" if they "don't behave back there."

"This is absolutely pure hate- mongering," said Soharwardy. "It's an abuse of freedom of speech. It's against Canadian (hate) laws."

Nagah Hage, chairman of the Muslim Council of Calgary which represents the majority of Muslims in the city, said the website should be forced to take down the offensive comments.

"The police have to do something about this," said Hage. "This is racism. This is filling the minds of people with hatred. Who knows what it might lead to down the road."

The original Dec. 2 posting that sparked the user comments was written by former Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant. He was discussing complaints by the Canadian Islamic Congress against Maclean's magazine.

It's the anonymous responses to Levant's posting that have angered Muslim leaders.

Levant, who no longer owns the website or the Western Standard name, said he doesn't personally agree with the comments, but argued they should be protected as free speech.

"In Canada, when someone hurts your feelings, you can respond, write a letter to the editor, call a talk radio show, start a political campaign. But you don't go running to the government," said Levant. "Mr. Soharwardy has to realize he is in a free country now."

But maybe he isn't.

"Magazine apologizes for 'hateful' blog comments," from CBC News (thanks again to Five Feet of Fury):

The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada cancelled a protest planned for Friday in Calgary over anti-Muslim comments made on a Western Standard blog site, after receiving an apology from the magazine's owner.

"Mr. Matthew Johnston, who is the new owner of the Western Standard, he called me last night and he apologized on the phone," Imam Syed Soharwardy, president of the Islamic council, said Friday.

[...]

The imam said Johnston told him the statements were hateful and offended not only Muslims but also the management and readers of the Western Standard, and that the magazine would try to better monitor what's posted on its site.

"They will have responsible journalism and editing and monitoring of their blog," Soharwardy said. "I thank him for his recognition of the problem and doing exactly what we wanted him to do, is to apologize and make sure it does not happen again."

The human rights complaints have now been withdrawn, he said.

America's Truth Forum
in association with Basics Project
present

Exposing the Threat of Islamist Terrorism

America's Original Symposium Series on the Threat of Islamist Terrorism

Click here to read the Terms & Conditions

Saturday February 2, 2008
Ranch of the Lonesome Dove in Southlake, Texas
9am Start (7:45am arrival time to satisfy security check-in)
(Texas Bar-B-Que lunch included)
Website Directions

VIP Dinner & Cocktail Pre-Symposium Reception
Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, Grapevine, TX
Friday, February 1, 2008
7pm Start (6pm arrival time to satisfy security check-in)

Symposium Tickets: $149.00 per person
VIP Dinner Reception Tickets: $119.00 per person

Ticket purchase and reservation deadline: January 4, 2008
Click here to purchase tickets and to reserve your seat
Click here for information on hotels in the immediate area

Confirmed Speakers:

Frank Gaffney
Founder and President Center for Security Policy
Subject: The Infiltration of Middle Eastern Influence into Washington DC Institutions. Mr. Gaffney will examine the increasing Middle Eastern within some of our countries most important institutions including our government.

Caroline Glick
Deputy Managing Editor, Jerusalem Post & Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy
Subject: Assessing the Iranian Threat to Global Security

David Harris
President of Democracy House &
Former Chief of Strategic Planning of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Subject: Threat of terrorist infiltration.

Roger Hedgecock
From his days as a San Diego elected official to his 14 years as host of "The Roger Hedgecock Show," Mr. Hedgecock has reached out to influence millions of Americans with his message of citizen empowerment. Mr. Hedgecock has guest hosted the number one ranked Rush Limbaugh radio program. He can be heard on his own nationally syndicated radio program on his flagship station AM600 KOGO, in San Diego, CA .
Subject: Emcee

Dr. Harvey Kushner
Chairman of Criminal Justice Dept. of Long Island University, best-selling author, advisor to the FBI and FAA
Subject: Radical Islam's Infiltration of America. The original introduction to his book Holy War in 2004 included this warning: “In my thirty years in counterterrorism, I have never been more worried about my country.” What’s changed? Make it thirty-eight. Kushner will show how the United States continues to be infiltration by terrorist meaning to pull triggers, plant bombs, and blast holes in the New York City skyline.

Laura Mansfield
Middle Eastern linguistic expert and investigative reporter specializing in jihadi activity both domestic and foreign
Subject: To Be Announced

Atty. David Schippers
Former Chief Investigative Counsel for the US House Judiciary Committee, author, counter-terrorism expert
Subject: Domestic Terrorism and Associated Threat. Mr. Schippers will discuss past terrorist attacks no our nation and the probabilities of additional attacks on our homeland.

Robert Spencer
Director of Jihad Watch, best-selling author and expert on radical Islam
Subject: Sharia Law and The West. Mr. Spencer will discuss the nature of the Sharia imperative and the elements of Western civilization that it challenges. His talk will examine why the United States - and the West - ignore this at our own peril.

Dr. Wafa Sultan
Syrian-American Psychologist and internationally known critic of militant Islam
Subject: The Necessity of Educating the American Public About Islam. Dr. Sultan will explain why tough questions should be posed to Muslims about Islamic teachings as well as defining the concept of Al Taqqiya, the need to monitor the Saudi money trail into American Universities, Mosques and Maddrassas and the need to effectively infiltrate Muslim communities to monitor and investigate radicalization.

Dr. Bruce Tefft
Founding member of CIA’s Counterterrorism Task Force
Subject: The Islamist Ideological Conflict - Loyalty to Country vs. Loyalty to Religion. Dr. Tefft will examine the issues surrounding the complex dilemma facing Islamist ideology with regard to the religions ability to assimilate into their host nation societies. He will examine the tenets of the Koran regarding national assimilation, the ideology surrounding jihad today and throughout history and Islamophobia.

Dr. Paul Williams
Former FBI consultant, best-selling author and investigative journalist
Subject: The American Hiroshima & Domestic Jihadi Training Camps. Dr. Williams will discuss the vulnerability of the United States to "The American Hiroshima," Osama bin Laden's quest to deploy and detonate nuclear weapons within US borders. He will also discuss his recent examination of jihadi training facilities located within the United States.

'Tis the season: Tariq Ramadan... Tariq Ramadan... Tariq Ramadan, prospero año y felicidad

An update on this story. "Islamic Scholar’s Suit for a Visa Is Rejected," by Alan Feuer for the New York Times:

Saying the government had acted properly and for “bona fide” reasons, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit on Thursday that was brought last year by an Islamic scholar who claimed that a portion of the Patriot Act had been used to deny him a work visa to enter the United States.

The judge, Paul A. Crotty of Federal District Court in Manhattan, said the Patriot Act had not, in fact, been used to deny the visa to the scholar, Tariq Ramadan, who was trying to enter the United States from his home in Switzerland in 2004 after being hired to teach an Islamic ethics course at the University of Notre Dame.

Judge Crotty said the government’s decision was made because, in a four-year period, Mr. Ramadan had given $1,336 to a Swiss charity later designated as a terrorist group.

Mr. Ramadan, a respected academic and a grandson of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, a once-militant group, sought to portray himself in the suit as a victim of the Patriot Act and as a standard-bearer for academic freedom. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit on his behalf as well as on behalf of the American Academy of Religion, the American Association of University Professors and the PEN American Center.

"Once-militant." Bridge for sale!

The suit claimed that a portion of the Patriot Act denying visas to people who “endorse or espouse terrorist activity” was unconstitutional and that the free speech rights of the academic groups had been violated because they could not meet with Mr. Ramadan in the United States.

The government originally said Mr. Ramadan was denied the visa under the Patriot Act but later said it was because of his contributions. Mr. Ramadan maintained that from 1998 to 2002, when he made the donations to the charity, Association de Secours Palestinien, he did not know that it supported terrorism — specifically the Palestinian group Hamas. He also argued that the charity was not officially designated a terrorist group by the United States until 2003, after his donations had stopped.

Judge Crotty nonetheless ruled that he had not provided “clear and convincing” evidence that he was unaware of the charity’s links to terrorism.

In his 32-page ruling, Judge Crotty said American consular officials could bar foreigners from entering the country, without judicial review, if they could prove that there were legitimate and bona fide reasons for doing so. The judge did not address the Patriot Act issue because his ruling was based on the contributions.

Jameel Jaffer, Mr. Ramadan’s lawyer, said the decision was “legally wrong” and “deeply unfair.” He said he anticipated an appeal.

Violence during the Hajj? Unthinkable!

"Saudis bust ring planning hajj attack: Arabiya," from AFP (thanks to all who sent this in):

DUBAI (AFP) - Saudi authorities have arrested an Al-Qaeda linked group planning to carry out terrorist attacks during the annual hajj pilgrimage, Al-Arabiya television quoted security officials as saying Friday.

The Saudi sources said the arrests were carried out in several different cities of the kingdom.

"The group aimed to trouble the security of the pilgrimage" which has this week attracted some 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims from around the world at Islam's holiest sites in western Saudi Arabia, the television report said.

Members of the group, whose number was unknown, were arrested "three days before the start of the hajj season", or at the end of last week, the sources told the Dubai-based Arab satellite station.

In this Dr. Sari Nusseibeh goes farther even than Hamas. Hamas spokesmen have discussed restoring the dhimma and charging the jizya to Jews and Christians in a Palestinian state. But Nusseibeh wouldn't even allow Jews in.

"Palestinian Researcher Dr. Sari Nusseibeh on the Return of Palestinian Refugees," from MEMRI (thanks to Cinnamon Stillwell):

Following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, Dean of Al-Quds University, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on November 30, 2007:

[...]

The Israelis now living in the territories of the future Palestinian state should return to living within the borders of the state of Israel. No Jew in the world, now or in the future, as a result of this document, will have the right to return, to live, or to demand to live in Hebron, in East Jerusalem, or anywhere in the Palestinian state.

Two NGOs appealed today to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louis Arbour on the possible conflict between the 1948 Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the 1990 Cairo Declaration for Human Rights in Islam -- with shari’a law as “the only source of reference” (articles 24 and 25). Their Appeal for a legal ruling was prompted by the message of the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, posted on the OIC website on Human Rights Day (December 10). It stated that the OIC was “considering the establishment of [an] independent permanent body to promote Human Rights in the [56] Member States in accordance with the provisions of the OIC Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam and to elaborate an OIC Islamic Charter on Human Rights.” Will an Islamic Charter soon prevail over Universal Human Rights?

Report by David G. Littman, in his capacity as representative of the World Union of Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) to the United Nations Office in Geneva: "This letter from two NGOs representing over 6 million members -- the World Union for Progressive Judaism and the International Humanist and Ethical Union -- was faxed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on Friday December 21."

December 21, 2007

Your Excellency,

Primacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The message of OIC Secretary-General, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, on the occasion of Human Rights Day has just come to our attention, and his statement is noteworthy. It reads, in part:

Respect of Human Rights through effective protection and promotion of equality, civil liberties and social justice is a milestone in the OIC Ten Year Plan of Action. In this regard the OIC General Secretariat is considering the establishment of [an] independent permanent body to promote Human Rights in the Member States in accordance with the provisions of the OIC Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and to elaborate an OIC Charter on Human Rights. The OIC is also committed to encourage its member States to reinforce their national laws and regulations in order to guaranty strict respect for Human Right[s].” [italics and bold type added] (http://www.oic-oci.org/oicnew/topic_print.asp?t_id=708).

On Friday, 14 December, I handed to you the two statements we addressed to the Council on 11 December, one concerning Darfur, the other the primacy of the UDHR. We were, however, unable to complete the latter statement because of a procedural ruling by the President, Ambassador Toru Romulus da Costea, but it was officially circulated at the plenum with the Secretariat’s approval. In this statement, we noted:

We were surprised that Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khan, speaking yesterday morning on behalf of the OIC, claimed that the Cairo Declaration was “not an alternative competing worldview on human rights”, but failed to mention the shari’a law as “the only source of reference” (articles 24 and 25) in that same Declaration – the shari’a law where there is no equality between Muslim men and women, and between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The Final Communiqué of the Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit held in Mecca on 7-8 December 2005 (…) provides a clear message regarding the UN system of human rights:

The Conference called for considering the possibility of establishing an independent permanent body to promote human rights in Member States as well as the possibility in preparing an Islamic Charter on Human Rights in accordance with the provisions of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and interact with the United Nations and other relevant international bodies.

We seriously question whether such a body would be “complementary” to the Human Rights Council or whether, given the wording of the Cairo Declaration, it will have shari’a law as its “only source of reference” and be seen as an alternative.

On 14 September 2000, in reply to a communication from the Association for World Education as to the “universality” of the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam published in Volume II: Regional Instruments, OHCHR, 1997, pp. 477-84 of, A Compilation of International Instruments), the legal advisor to the then HCHR replied:

The Member States which have acceded to and ratified United Nations Human Rights Conventions remain bound, under all circumstances, by the provisions of those texts as well as the erge omnes obligations under customary international law.

We are writing to you today to request an official ruling from your legal advisor as to whether the above official statement on Human Rights Day by the OIC Secretary General -- in regard to the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam and a future “Islamic Charter” based on shari’a law -- would clash with the UDHR and the Universal Instruments (in A Compilation... Volume I, 1993).

Please accept our season’s greetings, and our sincere appreciation for your multifarious effort in holding to the highest standards of human rights and in guiding the international community along that straight and narrow path toward an appreciation of the universality of the UDHR.

Respectfully,
David G. Littman
WUPJ Representative, UN-Geneva
Beith-GIL, 12 Quai du Seujet, 1201 Geneva

Roy W. Brown
IHEU Main Representative. UN-Geneva
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD, UK

Eurabia Alert. So says the MEMRI Blog (thanks to Barry): "Swedish Judge Proposes Approving Bill Permitting Polygamy":

A leading Swedish judge, Prof. Stefan Lindskog, has submitted a draft bill permitting polygamy in Sweden, explaining that "the law should not interfere in religious matters or in matters pertaining to each individual."

The draft bill which expresses an essential change in the outlook of Sweden's religious establishment, is expected to spark extensive debate.

Source: Alarabiya.net, December 16, 2007

He asserts that "the Islamisation of Europe is one of the consequences of the Islamic revolution in Iran." It would be interesting to hear him explain that statement in greater detail than he does below.

"Iran: Europe will become a Muslim continent, says Khamenei's spokesman," from AKI:

Tehran, 21 Dec. (AKI) - Europe will eventually become a Muslim continent, according to a representative of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

"In a dozen years, Europe will be an Islamic continent," said Rasul Jalilzadeh on Friday as he was speaking to the basiji, a voluntary organisation in the capital Tehran.

"The Islamisation of the European continent is imminent and this step favours the arrival of the Mahdi," he said, referring to the 12th imam of Shiite Islam.

Shiites believe that the Imam Mahdi, who disppeared as an adolescent, will return to bring an end to chaos and bring universal justice.

Rasul Jalilzadeh believes that "the Islamisation of Europe is one of the consequences of the Islamic revolution in Iran" in that "the messages and values that this revolution has transmitted to the Europeans, to convince them "to abandon their current faiths and convert to Shiite Islam."

Hop to it, Eurodhimmis.

Islamic Tolerance Alert from CWNews.com (thanks to Twostellas):

Jakarta, Dec. 20, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Indonesian Catholic bishops have called public attention to rising Islamic pressure against Christian churches, Vatican Radio reports.

Bishop Martinus Situmorang of Padang, the president of the country's episcopal conference, is the co-author of a new report on the campaign by Muslim activists to close down Christian churches. The report shows that from 2004 through 2007, 108 churches have been closed because of Islamic pressure.

The report notes that Indonesia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and challenged the government to honor that promise, protecting the Christian minority from Muslim extremists.

Don't hold your breath.

Note the references to the necessity to imitate Muhammad's example. Will CAIR issue a response to this? Will other Muslims who claim that Islam has no expansionist agenda? What do you think? "Leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan: 'Allah Willing, America Will Soon Be Annihilated… We Will Reach America… The Eyes of the Nation of Muhammad are set on Washington, London, Moscow, Paris, Delhi, Beijing,'" from MEMRI:

Following are excerpts from a speech by Muhammad Taher Al-Farouq, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which was posted on December 3, 2007 at http://ek-is.org, a website hosted in Tampa, FL, and owned by NOC4 Hosts Inc.

To view the clip, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1636.htm.

Muhammad Taher Al-Farouq: "I would like to congratulate the nation of Muhammad, and especially the mujahideen. In this holy month of Ramadhan, we ask them that, as part of their resistance to the enemies of God, His Prophet, the enemies of the Koran, Islam, and the Muslims, they increase their martyrdom and jihad operations, and fight the sworn enemies of Islam - the Jews, the Christians, and the hypocrites - and carry out the best jihad operations.

[...]

"The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is part of the nation of Muhammad, and it is known by this name to friends and foes alike. The enemies of Islam know this movement by this name. This movement is connected to the Islamic Emirate we had in Afghanistan, under the leadership of the Emir of the Believers, Mullah Muhammad Omar.

[...]

"Our goal is to implement Islamic law, the law of the Koran, in God's kingdom. In other words, this kingdom, which belongs to God, should be ruled by the laws of God alone.

[...]

"Today, the enemies of Islam object to this goal, just like they did during the time of Muhammad, but let me announce to the believers, to the nation of Muhammad, that in the very near future, thanks to the sacrifices made by the nation of Muhammad, we will regain our glory of past times.

[...]

"As long as there are infidels and enemies of God in His kingdom, this movement will continue its jihad. Today, the nation of Muhammad has everything but an Islamic caliphate. We have clerics, mujahideen, and fedayeen, but not a caliphate. One of the most important goals of the Islamic movement of Uzbekistan is to establish an Islamic caliphate at any price.

[...]

"We take pride in the brothers in all the countries of Islam - in Iraq, Somalia, Lebanon, Palestine, Chechnya, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Africa, and Asia, and in all the countries of the world. We take pride in their jihad to elevate the word of Allah. We have good relations with them. As I've said, their joy is our joy, and their sorrow is our sorrow. We all constitute one body. We all have a common goal against the infidels. When mujahideen are taken by the enemy - whether the Americans or other infidels - to Guantanamo or other prisons, it does not ask them to which nation or community they belong. It treats them all the same way, and tortures all of them the same way."

[...]

Interviewer: "Which countries help you?"

[...]

Al-Farouq: "The countries that supported and helped God's Messenger help us.

[...]

"The money in the infidel banks is the daily bread of the mujahideen. The convoys come from Pakistan, through Torkhan or Karachi, are the daily bread of the mujahideen. The money in the banks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere is the daily bread of the mujahideen. The governments that use this money against the Muslims and Islam acquire bombs and airplanes with it, in order to bomb the Muslims. Therefore, this money is the [legitimate] booty of the Muslims.

[...]

"I always tell the mujahideen that if they want to get money, they should beat the infidels and take their money. You must hit them on the head and take their money. You should rob their banks and take the money. You should take their people prisoner, just like the Prophet did. Don't think this is a sin, because the Prophet Muhammad himself exchanged prisoners for ransom. There's nothing wrong with collecting money in exchange for prisoners.

[...]

"Allah willing, America will soon be annihilated, just like the USSR was annihilated. We are convinced of this.

[...]

"Allah willing, we will reach America. The men of this nation will reach America. The goal of this campaign is not only Kabul, Kandahar, or Baghdad. The eyes of the nation of Muhammad are set on Washington, London, Moscow, Paris, Delhi, Beijing, and other countries. This is our goal and, Allah willing, we will get there."

As if more evidence were needed of the abysmal state of higher education at Columbia University. In "When Fair Isn't Balanced," Rosalind Morris in the Columbia Spectator demonstrates a tin ear for sarcasm and a blithe disregard for accuracy at the expense of Jihad Watch's own Hugh Fitzgerald:

Campus Watch even has a special initiative, “The Columbia Project,” that aims to publish hyperbolically critical articles on each of Columbia’s Middle East faculty members. It’s written by “independent scholar” Hugh Fitzgerald, who also runs a blog on which, among other things, he advises the spiritual leader of a Muslim political party in Malaysia to watch soft-porn videos on YouTube, and then dares him to sue for the offense. This is the direction in which Campus Watch wants to “improve” Middle East Studies at Columbia? Such is their stated aim.

Zowie! Did Hugh really advise "the spiritual leader of a Muslim political party in Malaysia to watch soft-porn videos on YouTube," and then dare him "to sue for the offense"? Oh Hugh, you scoundrel!

In reality, this is the post to which Rosalind Morris refers. In it, Hugh pokes fun at the Malaysian jihadist Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's declaration that Muslim men cannot pray or sleep because women wear skimpy clothes. (Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, by the way, is a "spiritual leader" who has damned those who don't vote for Islamic parties to hell, and called for Taliban-style rule there, including the stoning of adulterers.) Hugh links to a YouTube video of a song from 1938 accompanied by still photos of 1920s actress Louis Brooks, ending up with a single 1930's-vintage nude photo, and says: "So go ahead, leader of the Pan-Islamic Malaysian Party in northeastern Kelantan. Sue me."

In Rosalind Morris's tight-lipped, humorless, febrile imagination, this becomes "soft-porn" and a legal taunt. And this passes for intelligent analysis in the Columbia Spectator.

"The Interior Ministry called on citizens to be vigilant through Christmas."

"Belgium arrests 14 in terrorist plot," by Raf Casert for the Associated Press:

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Belgian police Friday arrested 14 Muslim extremists suspected of planning to free an al-Qaida sympathizer imprisoned for planning a terrorist attack on U.S. air base personnel, officials said.

Security was heightened at airports, subway stations and other public places across the capital, and the U.S. Embassy warned Americans of "a heightened risk of terrorist attack in Brussels" although it had no indication of any American targets.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said the government had information suggesting "preparation of an attack."

"Other acts of violence are not to be excluded," he said.

The prisoner, Nizar Trabelsi, a 37-year-old Tunisian who played soccer for several German teams, was sentenced to the maximum 10 years in prison four years ago. He had admitted planning to drive a car bomb into the canteen at Kleine Brogel, a Belgian air base where about 100 American military personnel are stationed.

The base is home to Belgian F-16 warplanes equipped with nuclear weapons that are under U.S. control, according GlobalSecurity.org, a U.S.-based military affairs think tank.

Trabelsi, who testified that he intended kill U.S. soldiers, says he met Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and asked to become a suicide bomber. He was arrested in Brussels on Sept. 13, 2001. Police later discovered the raw materials for a huge bomb in the back of a Brussels restaurant.

The federal prosecutor's office said the 14 were planning to free the terrorist by force. "Trabelsi would be helped by a group of people, driven by an extremist vision of Islam," the prosecutor's office said.

The Interior Ministry called on citizens to be vigilant through Christmas. "You can point out possible suspect objects and actions to the local police," it said.

The U.S. Embassy urged U.S. citizens living or traveling in Belgium to maintain a high level of vigilance, especially in crowded places. But it had "no information to indicate that U.S. citizens or facilities are an intended target."

Yes, long live the blood-spattered Islamic state, ruling by terror and intimidation. In reality, such states and such groups will live only as long as the human spirit is cowed into submission, and not a second longer.

"Torture chamber found in Iraq," by Bradley Brooks for Associated Press (thanks to LGF):

BAGHDAD - Blood-splotches on walls, chains hanging from a ceiling and swords on the killing floor — the artifacts left a disturbing tale of brutalities inside a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq torture chamber. But there was yet another chilling fact outside the dirt-floor dungeon. Villagers say they knew about the torment but were too intimidated by extremists to tell authorities until now.

What kind of extremists? Christian fundamentalists? Ron Paulians? Raw food faddists?

Stories such as these — claims of insurgent abuses and the silence of frightened Iraqis — have emerged with increasing frequency and clarity recently as U.S.-led forces push deeper into former extremist fiefdoms and forge alliances with tribes seeking to reclaim their regions.

The reports and tips now pouring in build a harrowing portrait of rule under al-Qaida and its backers: mass graves, ruthless punishments, self-styled Islamic courts ordering summary executions.

Such a lead brought soldiers earlier this month to the hidden room in Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Thursday. Graffiti on the building proclaimed "Long Live the Islamic State" — a reference to the Islamic governance, or caliphate, sought in Iraq by Sunni extremist groups that include al-Qaida.

Scrawled in white paint above a bed in the torture area was a Quranic phrase in Arabic normally used to welcome a guest. But the context suggested only sadistic mockery: "Come in, you are safe."

The floor was littered with food wrappers, plastic soda bottles and electric cables that snaked to a metal bed frame, presumably where detainees were shocked, according to the U.S. account of the discovery during a Dec. 8-11 mission.

The rooms "had chains, a bed — an iron bed that was still connected to a battery — knives and swords that were still covered in blood," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, the top U.S. commander in northern Iraq.

Nearby were nine mass graves containing the remains of 26 people, he said.

Villagers knew about the torture site, but did not tell authorities as they were afraid of reprisals from the militants, a local policeman told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was still afraid of being targeted by extremists.

Unrepentant czarists? LaRouchies? John Birchers?

As Ayatollah Khomeini said: "There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious." And the jihadists intend to ensure that's the case.

"Suicide attack kills 50 in Pakistan," by Riaz Khan for the Associated Press:

SHERPAO, Pakistan - A suicide attacker detonated a bomb packed with ball bearings and nails amid hundreds of holiday worshippers Friday at the residential compound of Pakistan's former interior minister, killing at least 50 people, authorities said.

It was the second suicide attack in eight months apparently targeting Aftab Khan Sherpao, who escaped injury. One of his sons was wounded.

Suspicion will likely focus on the pro-Taliban or al-Qaida militants active in the northwestern region of the country where the attack occurred. The attack also deepened the sense of uncertainty in Pakistan as it heads into Jan. 8 parliamentary elections. Sherpao is a candidate for parliament.

Hours after the bombing, security officers raided an Islamic school in the nearby village of Turangzai and arrested seven students, some of them Afghans, two police officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The officials declined to say whether the raid was connected to the attack.

The bombing, which came during the Islamic holy day of Eid al-Adha, left a scene of carnage at the mosque at the politician's residential compound in Sherpao, a village 25 miles northeast of the city of Peshawar.

Bloodied clothes, hats, shoes and pieces of flesh were strewn about the building. Witnesses said the dead included police officers guarding Sherpao, who was praying in the mosque's front row at the time of the attack but not injured.

"We were saying prayers when this huge explosion occurred," said Shaukat Ali, a 26-year-old survivor of the blast whose white cloak and pants were torn and spattered with blood.

The bomber was praying in a row of worshippers when he detonated the explosive, provincial police chief Sharif Virk said. Hundreds of people were in or around the mosque, about 40 yards from Sherpao's house, witnesses said.

Springtime for Jihad in Germany, autumn for freedom and peace. Tiny Minority of Extremists™ Update: "Interior Ministry Warns of Radicalization of Muslims," from Spiegel (thanks to Sugiero):

A new study released by Germany's Interior Ministry has added new fuel to the debate about integration of Muslims in Germany, with the report warning about the danger of radicalization of Muslims.

According to the study, which was published Tuesday, around 40 percent of Muslims surveyed had a "fundamentalist orientation," which the authors defined as a strongly religious worldview and moral values.

However, the authors concluded that the vast majority of Muslims in Germany reject religiously motivated terrorism and violence: Some 92 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that terrorist acts in the name of Islam were a serious sin and an insult to Allah.

But the authors saw a potential threat in a small minority with Islamist leanings: Around 6 percent of those surveyed were classified as having "violent tendencies," while 14 percent of respondents had "anti-democratic" tendencies.

Around 12 percent of the Muslims in Germany identified with a religious-moral critique of the West and supported corporal punishment and the death penalty. The report also concluded that religious beliefs are becoming increasingly important for young people.

[...]

In concluding that 6 percent of Muslims in Germany have violent tendencies, the study appears to contradict to some extent the findings of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which monitors Islamist activity in the country. According to its 2006 report, there are currently around 32,000 Islamists in Germany who pose a potential security threat. That figure represents slightly more than 1 percent of the around 3 million Muslims who live in the country.

Sugiero does the math:

So instead of "only" 32.000 radical muslims, 180.000 is more accurate.

Tiny minority?

Judicial Stupidity Alert. This kind of ruling could ultimately preclude all counterjihad writing. An update on this story. By Joseph Goldstein in the New York Sun (thanks to all who sent this in):

New York's highest court has passed up an opportunity to protect American authors from the libel judgments of foreign courts. In a decision handed down yesterday, the Court of Appeals in Albany told a New York-based researcher that she could not use the courts here to challenge a British judgment ordering her to pay 30,000 British pounds — more than $60,000 — for defaming a Saudi billionaire.

The case was a test of how New York's courts will respond to concerns that the First Amendment rights of American authors are undermined by libel judgments imposed abroad, especially in Britain.

Libel law in Britain is far more plaintiff-friendly than libel law in America. This discrepancy has given rise to a practice that critics call "libel tourism." In recent years, American authors and journalists have found themselves sued by non-British nationals in British courts over articles and books published in America.

The researcher, Rachel Ehrenfeld, had asked a court in New York to declare the British judgment against her unenforceable under the First Amendment.

But the Court of Appeals said a New York court first needed jurisdiction over the Saudi financier who brought the case, Khalid bin Mahfouz, before it could take up Ms. Ehrenfeld's countersuit. The court found that Mr. Mahfouz had so few dealings involving New York that no local court had jurisdiction over a suit against him.

The decision does not preclude Ms. Ehrenfeld from challenging the judgment if Mr. Mahfouz goes to court in New York to try to collect. But Ms. Ehrenfeld's attorney, Daniel Kornstein, has said having the judgment hanging over Ms. Ehrenfeld has affected her research and writing, regardless of whether Mr. Mahfouz tries to collect in a New York court.

Read it all.

The wicked book

The book in question is my Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades). The only problem is that it's not a fundamentalist Christian book: I am not a fundamentalist Christian, and the book does not proselytize. Also, those who dismiss and denigrate it have yet to establish even one falsehood within it. Those who wish to try are welcome to write to me at director@jihadwatch.org: if your message makes a substantive claim of inaccuracy in the book I will post it and answer it publicly.

Moreover, the idea that a book being offered for sale indicates pressure to adopt a certain point of view ought to be absurd on its face. If the book were taught, endorsed, pushed by military brass, that might be -- might be -- evidence of such pressure. But the sale of a popular book that spent four months on the New York Times Bestseller List? That doesn't seem to me to be anything more than evidence that the bookseller wants to stock books that people want to read.

"Group claims evidence of religion bias by Army," by John Milburn for The Associated Press (thanks to Lee):

TOPEKA, Kan. — A foundation that has sued the military alleging widespread violations of religious freedom said Tuesday that it has evidence showing that soldiers are pressured to adopt fundamentalist Christian beliefs.

The photos and videos of religious materials and activities are part of a lawsuit filed by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and Army Spc. Jeremy Hall, an atheist, against Maj. Freddy J. Welborn and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The material was gathered from Fort Riley, Kan., the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Fort Jackson, S.C.

Examples at Fort Riley, where Hall is stationed, included a display outside his military police battalion’s office with a quote from conservative writer Ann Coulter saying, “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.”

Another photo from Fort Riley shows the book “A Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam” for sale at the post exchange.

“This astonishing and saddening evidence which our foundation is making public today only further buttress our lawsuit,” said Mikey Weinstein, an attorney in Albuquerque, N.M., and president of the foundation, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1977.

Fort Riley spokesman Maj. Nathan Bond said the matter was being referred to post commanders for investigation. He said it is the Army’s policy to accommodate all religious beliefs to the extent that they don’t conflict with military missions.

“We do take this seriously,” he said. If they are true, he added, they “do not seem in line with the Army values of respect.”

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., in September alleges that Welborn threatened to file military charges against Hall and to block his re-enlistment for trying to hold a meeting of atheists and non-Christians in Iraq.

PARIS (EJP)---The French National Bureau of Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism has denounced a reported violent anti-Semitic aggression last Saturday in the 10th district of Paris….

One of the aggressors, Raymond reported, was a raid-haired man who did not cease swearing on the Koran while beating his victim. -- from this news article

The police will have to step up patrols in neighborhoods known to be Jewish, and to guard Jewish sites. They will more and more have to guard Christian churches from those intent on vandalizing the statuary (as happened to a statue of the Virgin and Christ in a church in northern France) and paintings -- not only because of their Christian imagery, but because they are paintings.

How much money does the French state spend now in protecting non-Muslim sites? How much will it have to spend in the future? How much money does the French state spend now on the free education, free health care (and obstetrical care), and free or subsidized housing for the millions of Muslim immigrants who fiddle the system for everything it is worth, and more, and whose male children spend their days vandalizing the property of non-Muslims (the usual thousand cars a day, or in moments of heightened tension, the figure goes up to many thousands)?

"That the tape was not shown to Congress reflects a desire by Israel's political and diplomatic echelon not to escalate tension with Cairo by becoming directly involved in lobbying against Egypt in Congress."

While diplomats dither over protocol, the weapons keep going over the border. And Egypt is certainly counting on that pattern to continue so that it can avoid being held accountable. "Why the US hasn't seen smuggling tapes," by Herb Keinon and Yaakov Katz for the Jerusalem Post:

Despite efforts by the country's top security echelon to share with Congress videotapes of Egypt assisting Hamas in arms smuggling, the footage has been shown only to some administration officials and never made it to Congress, to avoid infuriating the Egyptians, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The videotapes included footage of Egyptian border policemen allegedly assisting a group of close to 80 Hamas terrorists crossing illegally into Gaza through a hole they had cut in the border fence.

Defense officials said there was also evidence that the Egyptians were assisting Hamas with smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip under the Philadelphi Corridor.

The decision to send the tapes to the Israeli Embassy in Washington was made by Israel's top defense echelon to influence the appropriations process in Congress ahead of a decision to withhold part of the foreign aid granted to Egypt.

That the tape was not shown to Congress reflects a desire by Israel's political and diplomatic echelon not to escalate tension with Cairo by becoming directly involved in lobbying against Egypt in Congress.

For months there has been a debate inside the government over how directly Israel should get involved in the issue inside Washington.

The perception that won the day this time was that over-involvement would be seen by Cairo as an infringement of certain diplomatic "rules" between the two countries and could lead to a major crisis.

The Bush administration is also opposed to pushing too far on the issue at the present time.

The defense establishment believes that showing the tapes can be an effective way of pressuring Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak into clamping down on Hamas's smuggling activities.

"If key congressmen and senators see this, then it will provide a clear picture of the situation and ensure that the money is withheld," a senior official said. "When this happens, Mubarak will feel that he has no choice but to stop the smuggling."

Congress on Wednesday sent a foreign aid bill to US President George W. Bush that for the first time conditions some Egyptian military aid on its efforts to crack down on smuggling into Gaza and improving its human rights record.

According to the legislation, $100 million of the $1.3 billion in Egyptian military aid has been set aside until the secretary of state certifies that Egypt has met these obligations, though the secretary can waive the requirements if she feels holding back the $100m. would harm American national security interests.

An earlier version of the bill would have held back $200m. and not have given the secretary of state a waiver, but it was watered down throughout the process.

Still, critics of Egypt's activities feel that the move sends a strong message that Congress is watching the country and is willing to take some moves that might anger what the administration feels is a key US ally.

Also, according to Washington sources, part of the rationale of continuing with the military aid - begun as part of the Camp David Accords - is that some of it will be used to combat smuggling.

The five are accused of "providing logistical support to al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa."

An update on this story. "France Holds 5 Terror Suspects," by Jean-Pierre Verges for the Associated Press:

PARIS (AP) — French authorities held five men suspected of links to the al-Qaida branch behind a deadly bombing at U.N. offices in Algeria last week, a police official said Thursday.

The men, who are suspected of providing logistical support to al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, were rounded up for questioning Tuesday in the Paris area and near the Normandy city of Rouen.

Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa claimed responsibility for twin truck bombings of the U.N. offices and an Algerian government building Dec. 11 that killed at least 37 people, including 17 U.N. staff members.

Three other men who were also detained Tuesday have been released, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The five men still in custody were being held at the headquarters of the DST counterintelligence service, the official said. The DST's operation was based on a request from an anti-terrorism judge who suspected the men of providing computers and telecommunications material to the Algerian terror group.

Police seized computers as they searched the men's homes, the official said. The suspects were North African and French. Le Figaro newspaper reported that the men, all in their 30s, had police records and had been under surveillance for months.

There was nothing to suggest the men had any direct involvement in the suicide bombings in Algiers, the police official said, adding that they were not suspected of planning attacks in France.

An update on this story. "Germany Charges Moroccan Man with Terror Links to al Qaeda," from Deutsche Welle:

German prosecutors in Karlsruhe announced charges on Thursday, Dec 20, against a Moroccan man for allegedly assisting terror groups and planning to open a terrorist training camp in Sudan.

The suspect has been identified as Abdel Ali M. He was extradited from Sweden in May and officially charged on Nov. 18 but details of the case were not released until Dec. 20.

"The accused is believed to have been involved in the recruitment of fighters from Morocco, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and smuggled them into Iraq to aid Al-Qaeda of Mesopotamia," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

He is also believed to have helped five Muslim radicals start a "terrorist organisation" in Sudan with the aim of waging an Al-Qaeda-inspired guerrilla war, the federal prosecutor's office here said in a statement.

The 25-year-old is the third man to be arrested in the plot. He is allegedly an accomplice of another man in German custody known as Redouane E.H., a 37-year-old German of Moroccan descent who has been on trial since July.

Evidence uncovered in his case indicates that the men chatted with other Islamists online while police listened in.

Another man, a 33-year-old Jordanian, was also extradited to Germany from Sweden in May. He was charged in October and is set to go on trial in the coming months.

No trial date has been set for Abdel Ali M.

Previously, "the same two police escorts had illegally let Rauf visit his uncle’s home."

An update on this story. "Pakistan police helped British suspect escape," from Agence France-Presse:

ISLAMABAD - A government inquiry into the escape of a British terror plot suspect who escaped in Pakistan has determined his police escorts helped him flee, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Dawn newspaper said the probe had found “criminal collusion” in the escape of Rashid Rauf, who disappeared last Saturday while in police custody after an appearance in an Islamabad court.

It said the report into the incident, due to be formally handed to the government later in the day, also blamed Islamabad police officials for not taking extra measures to secure a man known to be a “dangerous person.”

According to the Times Online, the officers have now been charged with criminal conspiracy. More details from the AFP article:

The two police officers who escorted him, who have since been formally charged, went with Rauf and his uncle to a fast-food restaurant and a mosque while they were taking him back to jail. At some point, he disappeared.

The paper said that on previous court hearings, the same two police escorts had illegally let Rauf visit his uncle’s home.

Rauf was arrested in 2006 and is suspected in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic airliners with liquid explosives. Reports of the plot led airlines to limit the amount of liquids passengers may carry on board.

Britain has been seeking the extradition of Rauf in a 2002 murder case unrelated to the alleged plane plot.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is a key ally in the US-led ”war on terror” but critics say the country could do more to cooperate in tracking and detaining militant suspects.

Yep.

Yet another imam misunderstands the peaceful teachings of Islam, while the most prominent peaceful Muslims direct their efforts not at making sure that Muslims do not misunderstand Islam in this way, but at making sure that non-Muslims don't notice that so many Muslims are misunderstanding it. "Milan imam convicted for promoting jihad," from Reuters (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

MILAN, Dec 20 (Reuters) - A Muslim cleric who preaches at a Milan mosque and 10 other people were convicted on Thursday of being part of a group that promotes jihad.

The Milan court sentenced Abu Imad to three years and eight months in prison under anti-terrorism statutes drafted before Sept. 11 that are weaker than those currently in place.

The group was accused of promoting jihad and recruiting potential suicide bombers.

A source at the Milan's prosecutors' office said however investigators did not believe Imad was still a threat and was allowed to remain free pending an appeal.

Sentences for the other accused ranged from two to 10 years in prison.

Abu Imad preaches at the Viale Jenner mosque in Milan, which the United States once accused of being a European logistics base for al Qaeda.

Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Pakistan Couple And Children Threatened With Death For Embracing Christ," by Jawad Mazhar for BosNewsLife (thanks to Religion of Peace):

SARGODHA, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- A Pakistani Christian couple said Tuesday, December 18, they have gone into hiding in Pakistan's northeastern city of Sargodha because Muslim relatives threaten to kill them and their children for embracing Christianity.

Salhey Luca, a former Muslim, and his wife Tasneem John told BosNewsLife they have been "receiving death threats by Luca’s Muslim siblings" in this predominantly Muslim country "after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."

The couple said they also fear for the lives of their four daughters Sabahat Iqra, 14, Sanobar Maria, 11, Sarcilla Iffat, 10, and Sabeqa Ulffat, 7, and their only son, five-year-old Zephaniah Anjum.

Speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location, Tasneem John, who was raised in a Christian family, said the troubles began when her husband embraced Christianity five years into their marriage "in March 1997," after abandoning Islam. John said her his conversion was a dangerous step as her husband belonged to "a very conservative Islamic religious family."

DANGEROUS CONVERSION

Luca said soon after his conversion to Christianity family members, including his two sisters and only brother, now deceased, "turned against" him and his family. “My sisters even tried to force me to divorce my Christian wife and recant Christianity, otherwise they threaten to kill us” he added, his voice trembling. They are also trying to illegally occupy the couple’s inherited part of cultivated land, Luca said.

This year the situation worsened when Muslim in-laws allegedly stepped up the pressure and twice tried to kidnap the couple’s daughters from the girls’ hostel in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad where they live and study.

John said that on September 11 this year Muslim in-laws and a Muslim security guard of the girls hostel "kidnapped" her eldest daughter Sabahat Iqra from the hostel. “Luckily Sabahat Iqra managed to escape from the vehicle of the kidnappers, as they stopped at a traffic signal and reached home," she said. Soon after in-laws allegedly tried to kidnap her second daughter as well, but this time they failed by “the grace of Lord Jesus Christ," she claimed.

North African Methodists, no doubt. Ecumenical-minded Methodists, on their way home from a Comparative Religion class.

"French Jewish group denounces anti-Semitic aggression in Paris," from EJP (thanks to WriterMom):

PARIS (EJP)---The French National Bureau of Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism has denounced a reported violent anti-Semitic aggression last Saturday in the 10th district of Paris.

Raymond. A, a 17-year-old Jewish man, who wears a skullcap, was waiting on Shabbat for someone to open the door of the building where he lives, on the rue Albert Camus, when around twenty young people described as being of North African and Black origin attacked him violently at the face and the body after pronouncing his name.

One of the aggressors, Raymond reported, was a raid-haired man who did not cease swearing on the Koran while beating his victim.

"Raid-haired" is good.

Yes, the Council on American Islamic Relations does this. And not just CAIR.

Greetings, future dhimmis

"If we would delete the ultimate objective of establishing a global system from the Haj rituals, the remainder would be deeds devoid of a soul." He said it. From IRNA (thanks to Sr. Soph):

IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Wednesday on Al-Adha Eid Day in Saudi Arabia philosophy of Haj can be defined merely through considering Islam's aim at establishment of a global government.

President Ahmadinejad who had attended the gathering of Iranian Haj pilgrims at the Supreme Leader's Mecca Headquarter focused in his address over the significance of major Haj rituals, the philosophy behind them, and their ultimate objectives.

He said, "If we would delete the ultimate objective of establishing a global system from the Haj rituals, the remainder would be deeds devoid of a soul."

So as not to offend those who celebrate neither Christmas nor Hanukkah. Hmmm. Whom might that be?

Western Cultural Self-Abnegation Update: "Choir drops 'Christmas' from carol," by Tony Lofaro for CanWest News Service (thanks to PRCS):

OTTAWA -- One of the more popular Christmas songs is getting a slight retooling by an Ottawa elementary school choir so as not to offend any students.

The teachers leading the Elmdale Public School choir -- made up of Grade 2 and 3 students -- have dropped the word Christmas from Silver Bells and replaced it with the word "festive."

So, when the choir performs the song tomorrow at a singalong assembly, instead of singing the line "soon it will be Christmas day" they will say "soon it will be a festive day."

[...]

The other songs in the musical program are Candles of Hanukkah, Candles of Christmas; Pere Noel and It's Christmas generally reflect the feelings about the holiday season, as well as the themes of Hanukkah and Christmas, she said.

"The choir teachers are trying to be as inclusive as they can be because not everybody is celebrating either Christmas or Hanukkah," Ms. Marinigh said.

The initiative for the lyric change came from the teachers and was not something imposed by the school board, she said.

"They [teachers] wanted to have a song that emphasized the holiday spirit, so they just changed the Silver Bells song to reflect a more generic flavour."

She said she supports the teachers' decision to alter the song, saying their intent in this case was not a problem.

"The idea in public schools is that everybody feels welcome and has a sense of comfort with the celebrations. I think it's being sensitive to not only the students in the choir, but also to the general population," she said.

Especially those pesky segments of the general population who might fly into a murderous rage at the drop of a hat, or a teddy bear, or a cartoon, or a Christmas carol.

Your Answer Man

Another sign al-Zawahiri is much too comfortable wherever he is hiding. "Qaeda invites people to quiz Zawahiri: website," from Agence France-Presse:

DUBAI (AFP) - Al-Qaeda has launched an open offer to people to quiz terror network chief Osama bin Laden's number two Ayman al-Zawahiri, according to a statement published on an Islamist website.

"Anyone who would like to ask him a question must be concise and precise," according to the statement published on December 16 by Al-Qaeda's media outlets As-Sahab and Al-Fajr.

People are invited to pose questions to Zawahiri in writing via the two websites before January 16 and both media organisations and individuals are welcome to take part, it said.

The statement, whose authenticity could not be verified, asks media groups to identify themselves and said queries will be sent without any changes to Zawahiri, who is known as Al-Qaeda's ideological thinker.

In his last message issued earlier this month, Zawahiri criticised the US-sponsored Middle East peace conference aimed at kickstarting negotiations to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Egyptian-born eye specialist, who has appeared in a number of video and audio messages, has a 25-million-dollar US bounty on his head.

War Is Deceit Update from the Evening Standard via GulfTimes (thanks to Twostellas):

LONDON: An organisation campaigning on behalf of Muslim prisoners in British jails is a front for extremists run by a banned cleric, the Evening Standard can reveal.

Captive Support claims to be a human rights group, monitoring inmates’ welfare and calling for their release.

On Saturday it held its first big conference at Friends House, a meeting venue run by the Quakers in Euston Road.

But the Standard has discovered Captive Support is headed by Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohamed, a preacher in exile in Lebanon. He was banned from returning to Britain after the 7 July attacks on London in 2005. Known as the Tottenham Ayatollah, he once called the 9/11 hijackers “magnificent” and declared the 7/7 bombers had gone to paradise.

Bakri sent a message to the conference via a video link from his home in Tripoli. The group consists mainly of former members of Al-Muhajiroun, al-Ghurabaa and the Saved Sect, now all banned.

Bakri has previously headed these groups and several of their members are in jail for terror-related offences.

In his message, posted on YouTube, Bakri declares: “Today to support Islam is a crime, to support jihad in Iraq is a crime and it is easy to accuse you of being a terrorist and to be members of Al Qaeda. This gathering will be the first step forward ... to ensure you can help to release them all from captivity.”

He said Abu Qatada, often called Osama bin Laden’s “spiritual ambassador in Europe”, and Abu Hamza, the preacher of hate once at Finsbury Park mosque, should be freed from jail. He called for the release of Omar Abdel-Rahman, currently in a US jail for plotting to blow up the World Trade Center.

Haram?

Deobandi authorities have declared television sinful. But other Muslim authorities are unhappy with the ruling.

From the Telegraph (Calcutta), with thanks to Twostellas:

Lucknow, Dec. 19: Television is “haram (sinful)” and even watching religious programmes is not acceptable, an Islamic seminary said in a fatwa that has been trashed by scholars and community leaders.

The fatwa was issued by the Dar-ul Uloom in Deoband, near Muzaffarnagar, in response to a madarsa teacher’s plea to clarify whether watching Islamic channels and televised debates on religious issues was right.

The edict is being seen as regressive. “If watching TV is anti-Islamic, why do we watch Haj on TV?” asked Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

Khalid questioned how the clerics at Deoband, who are no strangers to television and often come on camera during debates, could take such a stand.

“These matters (watching Islamic channels) are related to religion, so you should see from whom you are taking your religion. You should learn from authentic and pious people,” the fatwa, issued on December 8, said.

The Deoband clerics argued that while television “is a tool of entertainment and enjoyment”, it was mostly used for “unlawful and prohibited things”.

A Dar-ul Uloom spokesperson tried to fend off the criticism, saying its muftis had always said fatwas were only an “interpretation” of Islamic law and not something that was being “pushed down the throats of people”.

“It is not compulsory for Muslims to follow it,” he said.

Rest easy, Uncle Miltie.

The lovely one

Muhammad Dawood, aka David Hicks, is an Australian convert to and misunderstander of Islam. "Osama bin Laden a 'lovely' man, Hicks says in letter," from the Herald Sun (thanks to all who sent this in):

DAVID Hicks praised Osama bin Laden as "lovely" in letters read to a court as a magistrate considered the conditions of a control order to be placed on the former Guantanamo Bay detainee.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) today used the six-year-old letters to argue the 32-year-old terrorism supporter remained a perceived threat to Australia.

But although they say the letters are out of date and he poses no threat, Hicks's lawyers today did not oppose the AFP's application to the Federal Magistrates Court for Australia's second control order.

Hicks will be released from Adelaide's Yatala prison on December 29 after serving out his US-imposed sentence for providing material support for terrorism.

AFP lawyer Andrew Berger today asked that as part of a control order Hicks be forced to attend a police station three times a week and stick to a midnight to 6am curfew, among other conditions.[...}

Oh, well, then, nothing to be concerned about!

Arguing for the control order, Mr Berger said Hicks had admitted taking part in four al-Qaida training camps between January 2001 and August 2001, a month before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York.

Hicks undertook "substantial training" in basic arms and combat training, guerilla warfare and advanced marksmanship, he told the court.

Mr Berger said there was a "plethora of evidence" against Hicks, including letters he sent to his family in Adelaide while training with al-Qaida.

In one, Hicks wrote: "By the way, I have met Osama bin Laden 20 times now, lovely brother, everything for the cause of Islam. The only reason the west calls him the most wanted Muslim is because he's got the money to take action."

Hicks also described himself as a "fit, young Muslim, ready to defend Islam", and in another letter wrote of the "poison" of the west, which he said was trying to crush Islam.

"Jihad is still valid to this day," he wrote.

What exactly do the "Palestinians" produce, besides jihad propaganda kitsch? And isn't the multibillion dollar aid package enough? Or if they are engaging in trade, is the multibillion dollar aid package ultimately needed?

"PNA: EU To Help Palestinian Trade With Arab Countries," from ANSAmed (thanks to Insubria):

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 19 - The European Commission has signed an agreement with the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade) and the Palestinian Shippers' Council (PSC), to help promote Palestinian trade with neighbouring Arab countries and improve market access for Palestinian products. The project, which is worth 432.614 euro, will last for 17 months. The first phase of the project will involve comprehensive research and identification of the improvements for existing trade corridors into Egypt and Jordan. The private sector will be heavily involved in this research phase, providing in-depth analysis of the current situation, and recommendations for the future. The second component of the project will focus on engaging the Palestinian and Israeli public sectors, as well as officials in third countries (Jordan, Egypt), to promote policies and measures that will help to facilitate trade. The project will also produce an Export Information Guide on trade logistics for the use of Palestinian exporters. In addition, it will provide logistical cost analysis on importing from Egypt and Jordan.(ANSAmed).

Jahiliyya Alert. By Ezra HaLevi in Israel National News (thanks to Neil):

(IsraelNN.com) Jewish worshippers Tuesday were stunned to find Arabs had desecrated the graves of the Biblical Joshua, Caleb and Nun (Joshua’s father).

Joshua served as the Jewish Nation's Prime Minister from the year 2488 until 2516 on the Hebrew calendar (1272 BCE - 1300 BCE).

Members of the One Shechem organization that organizes visits to the graves arrived in the village of Timnat (Kifl) Haress, near Ariel in Samaria, to prepare for a special prayer gathering, discovered that Arab vandals had desecrated the village’s Jewish tombs. The tombs of Yehoshua (Joshua) ben Nun, Nun, and Calev (Caleb) ben Yefuneh were covered with garbage and feces – both human and animal, and anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans and symbols had been painted in the area.

It has nothing to do with Islam, we're endlessly told. Yet those who object to its banning so often turn out to be...Islamic scholars.

By Marwa Al-A'Sar for DPA (thanks to all who sent this in):

In an act that has sparked outrage among Egyptian women's rights activists, a controversial Islamic scholar filed a lawsuit against the minister of health protesting against a recent ban on female circumcision, a practice referred to by rights groups as female genital mutilation (FGM).

Egyptian Sheikh Youssif al-Badri claims the ministerial decree violates the Egyptian Constitution as well as Islamic principles.

Conservative Muslim and Christian Egyptian families have their daughters circumcised as a means to preserve their chastity. Recent studies revealed that about 90% of Egyptian women have been subjected to the practice.

In June, the Health Ministry banned doctors and nurses from carrying out the procedure. The announcement followed the death of an 11-year-old girl in Upper Egypt as a result of the procedure. Medics who carry out circumcisions may face imprisonment and being stripped of their medical licences.

While al-Badri argues that the practice is necessary in curbing women's sexual inclinations, women's rights activists and physicians disapprove of his view.

"Many of the circumcised women who seek our help were traumatised, having no ability to lead a normal sex life, which affects their relationships with their husbands," said Nihad Abul-Qomsan, head of the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights.

She accused Muslim sheikhs in the Arab world of being distracted from the vital issues. "No one of the sheikhs coming up with such arguments has ever considered in his agenda the deteriorating socio-economic conditions we are undergoing," she noted. "Instead they try to play the role of the Islam advocates."

Egypt's top Islamic and Christian authorities were quick to voice support for the ban, saying the practice had no basis either in the Qur'an or in the Bible.

"The Constitution is based on the Islamic sharia law, which does not stipulate FGM, giving a wife the right to enjoy sex with her husband," Khalil Mustafa Khalil, who holds a master's degree in FGM legislation, told the independent al-Badeel newspaper.

Putin is Time Magazine's Man of Year, like his illustrious predecessor

Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, says Putin. Now if he could only convince the jihadists of that.

John VI Cantacuzenes Alert: Putin enunciates policies of appeasement. From KUNA (thanks to all who sent this in):

MOSCOW, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed a link between Islam and terrorism, saying terror had no national or religious identity.

Putin made the remarks in an interview carried by the Kremlin website, adding that terrorism existed everywhere and that ideology of hatred should be combated. On Iran, he cautioned against any military attack on this country as a serious mistake.

He added that the recent US intelligence report on the Iranian nuclear dossier showed an objective image of the issue, echoing Russia's position on Iranian nuclear capabilities, which was based on objecting findings.

Putin urged the US anew to set a timetable for troop pullout of Iraq, but he agreed with US President George W. Bush's vision that Iraqi forces should be prepared first to take security charge in Iraq.

A timetable for US troop withdrawal could spur Iraqi leaders to act to speed up the setting-up of military and security institutions, he said.

Putin commended the Annapolis meeting on the Middle East peace process as a positive step towards a settlement to one of the thorniest regional crises.

He finally reiterated his country's willingness to play more active role to find a solution to the regional conflict.

No change in status

Faheem Khalid Lodhi Update.

"'Jihad' bomb plotter's appeal dismissed by Australian court," from AFP (thanks to Louis):

SYDNEY (AFP) - A Pakistan-born architect convicted of plotting a "jihad" or holy war bombing campaign in Australia had his appeal dismissed in a Sydney court Thursday.

Faheem Khalid Lodhi was sentenced to 20 years jail in August 2006 after a jury found him guilty of planning to blow up the electrical grid in Australia's biggest city.

Lodhi, who immigrated in the mid-1990s and holds Australian citizenship, was convicted of preparing for a terrorist act by seeking information about chemicals capable of making explosives.

He was also found guilty of possessing a "terrorism manual" and of buying two maps of the Sydney electricity grid in preparation for a terrorist act.

Lodhi denied the charges.

Prosecutors linked Lodhi to Frenchman Willie Brigitte, who was deported from Australia in late 2003 and subsequently convicted in France of plotting a major attack in Sydney.

This report from the Centre for Social Cohesion (thanks to Robert) indicates that there is much more to the Islam Is Peace campaign in Britain than meets the eye.

The public face of Islam-is-Peace is campaign coordinator Yusra Khreegi and spokesman Ihtisham Hibatullah - both also high-profile figures in the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB). Islam-is-Peace's website does not name the group's directors, and the group has refused to name any of its 15-member leadership committee.

[...]

Press releases on Islam-is-Peace issued by the Muslim Council of Britain and the British Muslim Initiative (a MAB offshoot run by Anas Altikriti) name Ihtisham Hibatullah as the group's media contact. Hibatullah is long-time Media Director for the MAB and has also acted as spokesman for the BMI, using the same mobile phone number in all three capacities.

When contacted by The Centre for Social Cohesion, Hibatullah said that the MAB supported but did not direct Islam-is-Peace, and that his own involvement was personally motivated. He refused to name the group's leaders.

[...]

The MAB is dominated by four men: founder Kamal Helbawy, former president Anas Altikriti, spokesman Azzam Tamimi and former president Mohammed Sawalha - all allegedly involved with the Muslim Brotherhood, including its Palestinian branch, Hamas.

Egyptian-born Kamal Helbawy joined the Muslim Brotherhood at age twelve, and later served as its spokesman in Europe. He founded the MAB in 1997.

Anas Altikriti is the son of Osama Altikriti, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq.

Azzam Tamimi, a Palestinian, worked as spokesman for the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood from 1989 to 1992. Ihtisham Hibatullah, the Islam-is-Peace spokesman, has described Tamimi as "one of our leading political thinkers and a leading member of the Association".

Mohammed Sawalha fled the Palestinian territories for Britain in 1990, wanted by Israeli authorities for Hamas activism. From London, he allegedly raised and channelled funds for Hamas until 1993, when Israeli authorities arrested one of his key operatives.

Read it all.

Here are links to my video series about the Islam Is Peace campaign:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI

Is Clive Stafford-Smith correct? We have seen Gitmo jihad recidivists before. Should we just take it on his word?

"Guantánamo detainees arrested in Britain," from The Guardian:

Three British residents held at the US Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba without charge for more than four years have been detained after arriving back in the UK tonight.

Libyan-born Omar Deghayes and Algerian Abdennour Samuer were arrested under the Terrorism Act shortly before landing at Luton airport around 7pm and taken to a central London police station for questioning.

The third man, Jordanian Jamil el-Banna, was detained but not arrested and taken to a police station in Bedfordshire.

[...]

Earlier, the three men's lawyer, Clive Stafford-Smith, described their arrival in the UK after being released from the detention facility as "a wonderful day".

"We fully expect that the British government, after they have questioned them, will let them go home to be with their families for the Muslim festival of Eid, which is today and tomorrow," said Stafford-Smith.

He revealed that the three men had agreed to "voluntary security arrangements", which they are not allowed to disclose, required by the UK authorities. But they fall well short of the control orders imposed on some terror suspects in the UK, he added.

Stafford-Smith rejected concerns about any potential "national security risk" the men might pose.

"We have had 10 of our clients come back to Britain and the Americans said on each occasion they were dangerous people and on each occasion our clients have caused no trouble," he said.

"Guantanamo man held under Spanish warrant," by Christopher Hope in the Telegraph:

One of the British residents released from Guantanamo Bay yesterday could face extradition from the UK to Spain after being detained under a European Arrest Warrant.

Jamil el-Banna, 45, is being questioned at a Bedfordshire police station after landing back in Britain last night.

His arrest warrant, which alleges offences related to terrorism, was issued by the Spanish authorities.

[...]

Last night, the former detainees’ lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, said that the three men had agreed to unspecified "voluntary security arrangements", requested by the Government.

He denied that these restrictions were the same as the controversial control orders, which have been used to place terrorist suspects under virtual house arrest.

Mr Stafford Smith insisted that the men posed no threat to the public in Britain.

"You have nothing to worry about from our clients," he said. "We have had 10 of our clients come back to Britain and the Americans said on each occasion they were dangerous people and on each occasion our clients have caused no trouble."

"French Court Convicts Ex-Guantanamo Inmates," from Associated Press:

PARIS — A court convicted five former inmates of Guantanamo on terrorism-related charges yesterday but did not send any of them back to prison in France.

A sixth man was acquitted, and his lawyer said he would try to win reparations from Washington for his time at the American prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Also yesterday, three longtime British residents were released from Guantanamo and flown to Britain. London police arrested two on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, while the third was detained for questioning.

[...]

Seven French citizens were captured in or near Afghanistan by American forces in late 2001. All were held for at least two years at Guantanamo and then handed over to French authorities in 2004 and 2005. One of them was found to have no ties to terrorism and was freed immediately after his return to France.

The others spent up to 17 months in prison in France. But by the time the verdict was announced yesterday, all of them were out of prison pending rulings in their cases. The five men were convicted of "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise," a broad charge frequently used in France. All the men insisted during the trial that they were innocent.

The court followed the recommendations of Prosecutor Sonya Djemni-Wagner, who said December 11 that she could not condone the men's "abnormal detention" at Guantanamo.

"None of them should have been held on that base, in defiance of international law, and have had to go through what they went through," she said.

However, she said they should be convicted because they used phony identity papers and visas to knowingly "integrate into terrorist structures" in Afghanistan.

Five of the men — Brahim Yadel, Khaled ben Mustafa, Nizar Sassi, Mourad Benchellali, and Ridouane Khalid — said during the trial that they had spent time in military training camps in Afghanistan but claimed they had never put their combat skills to use.

The sixth man, Imad Kanouni, said he went to Afghanistan for spiritual reasons. He was acquitted, as the prosecutor had recommended. Lawyer Felix de Belloy said he would try to seek reparations from the American government on behalf of Mr. Kanouni.

Spiritual reasons.

No strings attached. No conditions about fighting against the jihad. The Bush Administration made sure of that. From ANI (thanks to PRCS):

Washington, Dec 19 (ANI): The US House of Representatives has passed a 785 million dollar aid package for Pakistan for the fiscal year 2008 despite its reservations over the state of emergency imposed on November 3.

The US Senate is also expected to approve the package, which includes 300 million dollar of military assistance. The other major item on the approved list is that of 350 million dollar for economic support fund.

The package for Pakistan includes 50.9 million dollar of development assistance, 39.8 million dollar for child survival and health, 10.3 million dollar for anti-terrorism activities, 32 million dollar for anti-narcotics efforts, and two million for training and education of military officers in the United States.

This is part of a five-year 3.5 billion dollar package signed in June 2003, when President Pervez Musharraf visited the Camp David presidential resort for a meeting with President George W. Bush.

The bill approved by the House also includes a provision authorising the Bush Administration to provide assistance to build the capacity of Pakistan's other security forces critical to the success of counter-terrorist operations....

One resolution calls for conditioning US military assistance to "demonstrable progress by the government of Pakistan in achieving certain objectives" towards the restoration of full democracy.

But the Bush Administration warned the lawmakers not to attach conditions to US assistance to Pakistan.

"Canada's human rights tribunals, once tools for fighting racism and discrimination, have been transformed into a politically correct shakedown racket." Indeed.

By Ezra Levant in the National Post (thanks to all who sent this in):

The Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) is taking Maclean's magazine to a human rights commission. Its crime? Refusing the CIC's absurd demand that Maclean's print a five-page letter to the editor in response to an article the CIC didn't like.

It may shock those who do not follow human rights law in Canada, but Maclean's will probably lose.

Forcing editors to publish rambling letters is not a human right in Canada. But that's not how the CIC worded their complaint, filed with the B.C., Ontario and federal human rights commissions. Maclean's is "flagrantly Islamophobic" and "subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt" according to a CIC statement. "I felt personally victimized," said Khurrum Awan at the CIC's recent press conference. All this because Maclean's dared to run a column discussing the demographic rise of Islam in the West.

It's a new strategy for the CIC, which in the past has tried unsuccessfully to sue news media it disagreed with -- including the National Post -- using Canada's defamation laws. But Canada's civil courts aren't the best tool for that sort of bullying. In a defamation lawsuit, the CIC would have to hire its own lawyers, follow the rules of court and prove that it suffered real damages -- and the newspapers would have truth and fair comment as defences. Launching a nuisance suit against Maclean's would result in an embarrassing loss for the CIC, a court order to pay the magazine's legal fees and it would deepen the CIC's reputation as a group of radicals who don't understand Canadian values. (Three years ago, Mohamed Elmasry, the CIC's Egyptian-born president, declared that every adult Jew in Israel is a legitimate target for terrorists).

So civil lawsuits won't work. Criminal charges are a non-starter, too: Canada's hate-speech laws are reserved for extreme acts of incitement, and charges can only be laid with the approval of the justice minister. And in criminal court, the accused must be proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. No chance there.

That's why human rights commissions are the perfect instrument for the CIC. The CIC doesn't even have to hire a lawyer: Once the complaint has been accepted by the commissions, taxpayers' dollars and government lawyers are used to pursue the matter. Maclean's, on the other hand, will have to hire its own lawyers with its own money. Rules of court don't apply. Normal rules of evidence don't apply. The commissions are not neutral; they're filled with activists, many of whom aren't even lawyers and do not understand the free-speech safeguards contained in our constitution.

And the punishments that these commissions can order are bizarre. Besides fines to the government and payments to complainants, defendants can be forced to "apologize" for having unacceptable political or religious opinions.

Read it all.

A jihadist boasts about baby names in the UK. "In Europe there is no need for war because if people keep on joining Islam in these countries then Islam will become the majority."

By Aaron Klein for WorldNetDaily.com (thanks to Morgaan Sinclair):

JERUSALEM – Statistical information released yesterday showing Muhammad is the second most popular boys name in Britain "proves Islam is becoming the majority in the UK and will one day enter every house in Europe," a senior terror leader told WND in an interview.

"We see from this study of Muhammad's name that Islam is on the rise and cannot be stopped no matter what your crusader governments do," said Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror group.

The Committees is a coalition of Palestinian terror organizations, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It has taken responsibility for thousands of shootings and deadly rocket attacks and is suspected of carrying out a 2003 bombing against a U.S. convoy in Gaza that killed three American government contractors.

According to statistics released yesterday by Britain's Office of National Statistics, Muhammad was the most popular boys name in the UK when all of its spellings are accounted for. Jack, cited as the most popular boy's name, fell from last year by 156 babies, while Muhammad showed a regular spike. If trends continue, Muhammad could be the most popular boys name in Britain next year.

Abdel-Al is known for his fiery threats against Western targets, but he said statistical trends indicating Muslims are gaining a major foothold in the UK show there is no need for violence to spread Islam.

"In Europe there is no need for war because if people keep on joining Islam in these countries then Islam will become the majority, which I think is the process that is taking place now, so there will not be any necessity to have war with [non-Muslims]," he said.

"Severe punishment will be meted out to those who do not follow Islamic rules during sporting competitions." From AKI (thanks to all who sent this in):

Tehran, 19 Dec. (AKI) - The vice president of the Iranian Olympic Committee, Abdolreza Savar, has announced new rules to fight what he defines as the sport's "subjugation to western customs and practices."

In a memorandum sent to all sporting federations, Savar, who is in-charge of the "proper behaviour of male and female athletes" said that "severe punishment will be meted out to those who do not follow Islamic rules during sporting competitions" both local and abroad.

The memorandum also said that "no male coach can train or accompany the athletes when they travel abroad."

"If female trainers are not found, our female teams will not participate in international competitions," said Savar.

Iran's athletes are considered among the best in the Middle East, but due to severe restrictions imposed by the government, women are sometimes excluded from competition and prevented from fully exploiting their potential.

An example of this is the Iranian volleyball team, which has not been able to qualify to any international competition, as it does not have a trainer.

"In volleyball there aren't any female trainers capable, and the Olympic committee does not allow us to employ males to train the female team," said Saiid Derakhshandeh, president of the Iranian Voleyball Federation.

Iran's voleyball team was once considered to be among the best in Asia.

Oh, what fun they'll have in Europe.

A report on the jihad against the Buddha of Jehanabad, by Caroline Watson in Asia Times (thanks to Twostellas):

"Impermanence or decay is the inherent nature of everything that exists in the universe - whether animate or inanimate." - Buddhist teaching

PESHAWAR- On December 15, President Pervez Musharraf addressed the nation. Pakistan's state of emergency is over, he said, and the country can look ahead to free and fair elections in January. Although Musharraf may have had power-clutching motives for declaring the emergency last month, one key reason he has repeatedly given for the move was the emergence of Pakistan's new pro-Taliban frontline in the Swat Valley.

Following the imposition of the emergency, military operations in the Swat Valley began. Swathes of Pakistan's troubled North-West Frontier Province were placed under strict curfew. As pro-Taliban militants fought the military, families in the areas which saw the worst clashes, like Shangla, were forced to leave their homes. Swat found itself amid a war of ideas and beliefs, a war for the imposition of hardline sharia (Islamic) law.

This is where the Swat Valley finds itself now. But, long ago, this area was a capital of the Gandhara civilization. A mighty empire, under a dynasty of Buddhist Kushun kings. At that time these lush alpine valleys must have been filled with thousands of statues and examples of Buddhist art, furnished by the rich civilization that reigned.

Now there is only one such statue left - the Buddha of Jehanabad. A beacon of Gandhara heritage, the Buddha of Jehanabad is the only remaining Buddha of its size and quality carved into the rock in the area. Standing at 23 feet, the 7th-century statue is considered the most important carving of its kind. It is unique, the most complete and priceless remains of Gandhara.

Recently, the Buddha of Jehanabad come into conflict with another famous personality of the region: the cleric-turned-militant who has led the campaign in the Swat Valley, Maulana Fazlullah - the "Radio Mullah".

The Buddha of Jehanabad lost. The statue suffered two attacks by militants led by Maulana Fazlullah. The second attack succeeded in seriously defacing it after explosives were detonated on the Buddha's face.

Quiet outrage has been expressed by a few. Others have grown numb to such acts, for they have happened before: this was a copycat attack, mimicking the destruction in 2001of Afghanistan's Bamyian Buddhas.

In March 2001, the world recoiled as the Taliban began dynamiting the giant statues and continued for several weeks until the Buddhas were destroyed. As the Taliban ascended to power, they banned all forms of imagery, music and sports, including television. In March 2001 they declared that "all the statues should be destroyed because these statues have been used as idols and deities by the non-believers before". The Swat Valley's Buddha of Jehanabad was considered second in importance after the Buddhas of Bamyian.

The defacement of the Buddha has come to symbolize the changing face of Swat. Swat was once a favorite tourist spot - the "Switzerland of South Asia". Domestic and foreign visitors flocked to the green, peaceful valleys, in the foothills of the Hindu Kush. In winter, they sped down its ski slopes. The region's cultural heritage, fronted by the Buddha of Jehanabad, was a major attraction and a testament to its long and diverse history.

The Swat Valley was famed for its peace, serenity and beauty. But, today, its public image is dominated by another imposing figure. With a taste for the theatric and an eye on his own supremacy, Maulana Fazlullah is holding Swat in an ever-increasing grip.

The old Afghan jihadist has fallen on hard times since he was proclaimed Emir al-Momineen (Leader of the Believers -- Caliph) in Kandahar in 1996, but he hasn't given up. "Mullah Omar vows to keep fighting," from AFP (thanks to Twostellas):

KANDAHAR: Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar vowed yesterday to keep fighting throughout the winter and attack Afghan and international troops who drove his forces from a southern town last week.

In a message to mark Eid al-Adha, the militant chief said there would be no rest for troops in Musa Qala, which the Taliban held for 10 months before its recapture.

“We’ll not allow rest for invading forces in Musa Qala. Our mujahedin (holy warriors) are still around the villages,” Omar said in a statement which was read to AFP over the phone by one of his spokesmen.

[...]

“The enemy has been defeated,” Omar said in his statement.

“But to totally defeat them and force them out of our country, we all need to give sacrifice,” he said.

“Eid al-Adha means (festival of the) sacrifice, and this is the time to sacrifice for our country.”

Watch for the howls from the rights groups. From AP (thanks to all who sent this in):

SMITHFIELD, N.C. -- Hundreds of Muslim families don't have a place to perform a religious ceremony to start the three-day Islamic holiday, Eid al-Adha.

A Johnston County judge refused Tuesday to lift a ban on a farmer hosting a mass slaughter of lambs on Wednesday, the first day of a holiday also known as the Festival of Sacrifice.

Judge Tom Lock barred the slaughter at a farm owned by Eddie Rowe at the request of state agriculture officials, who said the farm does not have proper sanitary facilities.
sponsor

Several Muslim families from Wake and Johnston counties asked the judge use the U.S. Constitution to eliminate a ban they said hinders religious practices.

Lock said the ban doesn't prevent the free exercise of religion because the families are allowed to slaughter their own lambs at a state-licensed facility.

"Jihad and the Presidential Candidates: An Assessment" is a report by Winfield Myers of Campus Watch for the Philadelphia Bulletin on a talk I gave last week at the Middle East Forum in Philadelphia. Audio of the speech is available at the Middle East Forum site.

Robert Spencer is the author of two New York Times bestsellers on Islamic topics and director of Jihad Watch, a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center. An expert on Islamic theology, law, history, jihad, and terrorism, he has appeared on virtually all the major television and radio news networks and has given seminars for the U.S. military, the State Department, and the German government. Mr. Spencer addressed the Middle East Forum on November 13, 2007 in New York City and on December 11, 2007 in Philadelphia. The following is a report on his briefing in Philadelphia that appeared in The Bulletin.

Presidential Candidates and the "Forbidden Word"
by Winfield Myers
The Bulletin
December 17, 2007

Whether from a desire to avoid being labeled as racist, from cowardice when confronted with the PR machine that is the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), or from slanted coverage in the mainstream media, presidential candidates of both parties take great pains to avoid commenting on jihad (Islamic holy war), even as they blame the West for terrorist acts committed against it, according to noted expert on Islam Robert Spencer.

Mr. Spencer, who runs the web site Jihad Watch and is author of seven books, most recently Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't, called jihad "the forbidden word" in the ongoing presidential campaign.

Speaking on Tuesday at a Center City luncheon sponsored by the Middle East Forum, a Philadelphia-based think tank headed by Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes, Mr. Spencer lamented that the majority of candidates in both parties go to great lengths to avoid naming America's enemies, lest by stating that a link exists between terrorism and Islam they find themselves pummeled for their frankness.

The dilemma, said Mr. Spencer, is that while any candidate would want to avoid being called a racist, anyone speaking the truth on this matter will most certainly find himself tarred with that term. When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used the word "jihad" in a television campaign commercial, Saturday Night Live parodied it simply by inserting a laugh track into the otherwise unaltered tape, as if using the term "jihad" was self-evidently absurd. The Wall Street Journal attacked Romney in a news article for speaking the unspeakable.

The Council on American Islamic Relations says that its mission is "to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue," and "build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding." The UK "Islam Is Peace" campaign says it wants "to create dialogue."

And over the years I have participated in many discussions and debates with Muslim spokesmen, including, among others, Salam Al-Marayati of MPAC, Hussam Ayloush of CAIR, Hussein Ibish, then of the ADC, As'ad AbuKhalil, who calls himself the "Angry Arab," Muqtedar Khan of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, and, years ago on MSNBC, CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper. I was once even on a BBC panel with the jihadist Sheikh Omar Bakri. Bakri differed markedly from those and others "moderate" Muslim spokesmen in that he actually made arguments for his positions, and did not content himself simply with making personal attacks and heaping abuse upon his opponent. Insults are not arguments, but all too many Muslim spokesmen in America today seem not to be able to distinguish the two. You can see Ayloush and AbuKhalil slinging mud lustily and avoiding substantive issues in earnest here.

Meanwhile, others whom one might expect would debate in a more civil and rational fashion refuse to debate at all. Akbar Ahmed of American University was allowed to comment on my interview with C-Span's Brian Lamb in 2006 before that interview even aired. In the course of doing so, he said: "I know the work of Dr. Spencer and I know a lot of these arguments because I’ve been a scholar of Islam for the last several decades. So, I’m very aware with all my friends and colleagues. And we interact with them. We debate. We discuss." But he ignored my invitations to debate or dialogue (with the exception of one noncommittal email saying he was looking forward to "talking soon"), and responded to my statements on C-Span with evasions and irrelevancies. Others who have attacked my work but declined to discuss it or debate me include Ahmed Afzaal, Omid Safi, Jamal Badawi, and non-Muslim academic propagandist Carl Ernst.

This is not to say no one has been willing to discuss these matters with me. Ali Eteraz was willing, but he proved not a little disingenuous. And so it remains true that Islamic spokesmen, while denigrating and dismissing my work, have never actually refuted it.

I know, I know: ربما كان السكوت جواباً -- rubbama kana as-sukootu jawaaban. That is, "silence is sometimes an answer." Indeed it is, and it speaks loud and clear, and it says that they cannot refute what I say about jihad and Islamic supremacism. So all they can do is cry "Islamophobe!" and try to turn people of good will away from the realities I am reporting about. And this is a much larger issue than simply who will or will not debate me, because it highlights the fact that peaceful Muslims have never formulated an Islamic response to the jihadists' claim to represent pure and true Islam -- and as long as they do not and apparently cannot do so, the jihadists will continue to hold the intellectual initiative within Islamic communities worldwide. "Moderate" Muslim spokesmen such as those above have not just not answered me; they've done nothing to seize that intellectual initiative and blunt the force of jihadist recruitment among Muslims.

And their husbands and fathers, too. Iranian Depopulation Alert from AKI (thanks to Twostellas):

Tehran, 19 Dec. (AKI) - A top Muslim cleric in Iran, Hojatolislam Gholam Reza Hassani said on Wednesday that women in Iran who do not wear the hijab or Muslim headscarf, should die.

"Women who do not respect the hijab and their husbands deserve to die," said Hassani, who leads Friday prayers in the city of Urumieh, in Iranian Azerbaijan.

"I do not understand how these women who do not respect the hijab, 28 years after the birth of the Islamic Republic, are still alive," he said.

"These women and their husbands and their fathers must die," said Hassani, who is the representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in eastern Azerbaijan.

Ho ho ho

Holiday Jihad Update. "Man arrested with 'Christmas Day' bomb," from Agence France-Presse (thanks to Twostellas):

POLICE in the southern Philippine city of Cotabato have arrested an Egyptian man allegedly plotting a bomb attack on Christmas day.

The suspect, identified as Egyptian national Mohamad Sayed, was arrested during a raid on an apartment inside the Majad Islamic School in Cotabato.

Recovered from his room was an explosive device fashioned from a 60mm mortar shell and ball bearings attached to a timing device, which was later safely detonated.

Sayed, who also goes by the alias Abu Husein, was undergoing interrogation at police headquarters in Cotabato, said local police chief Superintendent Willie Dangane.

Mr Dangane said the Egyptian was captured after surveillance by the police and military.

He said intelligence reports indicated Mr Sayed planned to detonate the bomb at an undisclosed location in the city on Christmas Day.

It was not clear whether he was acting alone or was affiliated with any groups.

Among the items recovered from his room was a booklet on the organisation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel group that has been fighting to set up an Islamic state in the southern Philippines.

Shi'ite pilgrims in Mecca commit the Islamic sin of bid'a -- innovation -- by calling for the destruction of Israel and America at Islam's holiest site. After all, Muhammad couldn't have called for the destruction of Israel and America when he made the hajj, could he?

"Disavowal of Pagans ceremony in Arafat Desert," from IRNA (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Disavowal of Pagans ritual started in this sacred desert on Tuesday attended by a huge group of Iranian pilgrims.

The pilgrims chanted anti-US and anti-Zionist slogans during the ceremony also attended by the Supreme Leader's representative for Hajj affairs, Hojatoleslam Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri.

"God is Great," "There is no Deity but Allah," "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" were among the slogans chanted by the masses in unison as they gathered in the Desert of Arafat, 20 km (12 miles) from Mecca, for a day of prayer and meditation.

The faithful -- men clad in two-piece seamless white shrouds and women all covered except for their hands and faces to symbolize equality -- converged on Arafat by bus and on foot from the tent city of Mina, where they spent the night.

"...men clad in two-piece seamless white shrouds and women all covered except for their hands and faces to symbolize equality..." To "symbolize equality." That's rich.

Jihad Watch is a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center. When David Horowitz was interviewed recently on the leftist Campus Progress site, the interviewer tried to hang him for his association with a wretched fellow like me (as well as sometime Jihad Watch contributor Greg Davis, producer of the film Islam: What the West Needs to Know, in which I appear):

I’m sorry, your website has this description of a film you are promoting: “‘Islam: What the West Needs to Know’ reveals the violent, expansionary ideology of the so called ‘religion…’”

—Yeah that’s Greg Davis’s film. Look—

So you disagree?

I haven’t actually seen this film. I’ve read parts of his book—

Right, but that is on your site, to be fair.

Well, I think that it’s a point of view. I’m not excluding from my site points of view that think that Islam is the problem. And the reason—I mean, I’ve discussed some of the reasons with you. I would not have somebody on my site who took this out on individual Muslims and I have a lot of Muslims who write for my site. And it’s not—again, we always have to keep in mind that Islam is a political religion, or where it’s a political religion it’s problematic. And I think that that’s what that book is about and the film. And I haven’t seen the actual film.

Right, but I mean, if the focus of the question is whether the problem is on Islam qua Islam or on fundamentalism— you know, Robert Spencer has a book is called “Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity is and Islam isn’t” and he is one of the Front Page, major contributors [on FrontPage.org, Horowitz’s site] [Note: actually, the site is frontpagemagazine.com.]

— Well I’ve read the book, it’s a good book. Read the book.

Do you disagree with the assertion in the title?

Well, I don’t disagree with any of the particulars. I have had my disputes with Spencer over this issue. It’s a huge and very complicated issue. It’s one that I intended, with [Islamo-fascism Awareness Week], to raise. But we haven’t been able to really raise it, because of the hate storm it was greeted by. If you can’t discuss it—“Is Islam a peaceful religion?”—it ’s a good question. You know, when a Danish paper published some cartoons, they killed people, burned embassies. They killed some nuns in the Middle East. I didn’t see a lot of outrage coming from the Muslim community against that.

So this is a much bigger problem than people who want to just dismiss Spencer say. I don’t… I have not in my web site or in anything I said, said that the United States shouldn’t be engaged, supporting Muslim countries, which we do. We support Pakistan. I think Saudi Arabia is really problematic but I haven’t said we should break off relations with Saudi Arabia. So I, you know, you have to—I think there’s an intellectual issue and, you know, Spencer is an expert in Islam and Greg Davis knows a hell of a lot more about it than I do. I’m not going to rule out their points of view and I’m certainly not going to consider them bigoted because I’ve read Spencer’s book, and if you see the way it’s argued, this is not the ravings of a religious bigot, this is a scholar of Islam who’s saying things, trying to tell you something. So, it needs to be discussed, not just attacked.

Indeed. But civil discussion and mutually respectful disputes about these issues, such as I have had with David Horowitz, are extremely hard to come by. Mostly the opposition just heaps abuse on those who speak honestly about the elements of Islam that jihadists use to recruit terrorists and justify their actions, or ignores them altogether. And meanwhile, of course, the jihad proceeds apace.

And Merry Christmas to you, kafir

An attempt at generous outreach that, unfortunately, backfires. "Islam: Bush sends Muslims Eid al-Adha greetings," from AKI :

Washington, 19 Dec. (AKI) - United States president George W. Bush on Wednesday sent a message of goodwill to Muslims worldwide at the start of the major Muslim Eid al-Adha festival of sacrifice.

"During Eid al-Adha, Muslims around the world reflect on Abraham's unwavering faith and his trust in God when asked to sacrifice his son," Bush said in the message.

"These four days are a time for Muslims to honour Abraham's obedience by celebrating with family and friends and showing gratitude for the many blessings bestowed by God.

"This holiday also helps ensure the important values of compassion and devotion are passed on to future generations," the message continued.

Bush also paid tribute to the role played by Muslims in America, saying they "enriched" multicultural US society.

"The kindness, generosity, and goodwill displayed by American Muslims during this special occasion and throughout the year have contributed to the strength and vitality of our Nation," the message stated.

"May all those observing Eid al-Adha find love and warmth during this joyous holiday. Laura and I send our best wishes for a memorable celebration," the message ended.

Eid al-Adha, which lasts through Saturday, is one of the most important Muslim holidays. It commemorates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah.

"These four days are a time for Muslims to honour Abraham's obedience by celebrating with family and friends and showing gratitude for the many blessings bestowed by God."

"Honor Abraham's obedience." What is said is not always heard the way it is meant. In speaking of Abraham, even when doing so in the context of Eid al-Adha, Bush probably thinks of Genesis 22:15-18, in which Abraham is rewarded for his faith and told he will become a blessing to the nations:

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

But when Bush congratulates Muslims on Eid al-Adha and exhorts them to honor Abraham, what does his audience hear? Most Muslims don't read Genesis. When they think of Abraham, they think of Qur'an passages such as 60:4:

There is for you an excellent example (to follow) in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people: "We are clear of you and of whatever ye worship besides Allah: we have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever, unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone." But not when Abraham said to his father: "I will pray for forgiveness for thee, though I have no power (to get) aught on thy behalf from Allah." (They prayed): "Our Lord! in Thee do we trust, and to Thee do we turn in repentance: to Thee is (our) Final Goal.

Did you catch that? This verse is saying that Abraham is an "excellent example" (uswa hasana, أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ, a term applied also to Muhammad in 33:21). Abraham is an excellent example to follow when he says to the polytheists that there is "enmity and hatred forever" between him and them, unless they "believe in Allah and Him alone." However, the Qur'an also tells us that he is not an excellent example to follow when he says to his pagan father, "I will pray for forgiveness for thee." Hatred is held up as exemplary; forgiveness is explicitly ruled out.

When Bush tells Muslims to "honor Abraham's obedience," he is thus inadvertently reinforcing a worldview that takes for granted the legitimacy of everlasting enmity and hatred between Muslims and non-Muslims -- and doing so precisely in the context of trying to build bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims. Honor Abraham's obedience, says the President: hate the kuffar.

This demonstrates once again how vitally important it is for Bush, and for the rest of us, to have a detailed understanding of the theological and cultural frame of reference of jihadists and Muslims in general. But for lack of this, not only are statements issued that could have and should have been much more carefully worded, but policy errors keep multiplying.

In today's feature article at Human Events, I discuss the Canadian Human Rights Commission's action against Mark Steyn, and its implications:

The Canadian Human Rights Commission and the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal have begun proceedings against Mark Steyn, author of America Alone. They are responding to complaints from the Canadian Islamic Congress about an excerpt from the book that was published in the Canadian journal Maclean’s. “The article,” the CIC claims, “subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt,” and was “flagrantly Islamophobic.”

To be sure, the article was pretty strong stuff. Here’s a bit of it: “There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe -- without swords, without guns, without conquests. The fifty million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades.” Even worse, it goes on to say: “Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes. Every Western woman in the EU is producing an average of 1.4 children. Every Muslim woman in the same countries is producing 3.5 children.”

In today's feature article at FrontPage, I discuss the murder of Aqsa Parvez and the attendant denial from Islamic leaders (news links in the original):

Aqsa Parvez is dead, and the main thing that many analysts want you to know about her death is that it had nothing to do with Islam.

Aqsa Parvez was sixteen years old; her father has been charged with strangling her to death because she refused to wear the hijab. Shahina Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Social Services Association, declared: "The strangulation death of Ms. Parvez was the result of domestic violence, a problem that cuts across Canadian society and is blind to colour or creed." Sheikh Alaa El-Sayyed, imam of the Islamic Society of North America in Mississauga, Ontario, agreed: "The bottom line is, it's a domestic violence issue." Nor was this denial limited only to Muslims. Lorne Gunter said in the Edmonton Journal: "I see nothing uniquely Muslim in her death. If, indeed, her father killed her, her death is his doing, not Islam's."

Gunter explains: "Of course, other cultures are also prone to intergenerational clashes and Muslim fathers have so far shown no more predilection for murder than fathers of other cultures." Quite so. Is, then, any linkage of Islam with the murder of Aqsa Parvez simply a manifestation of bigotry? Or is an examination of some elements of Islamic theology and culture necessary in order to try to prevent more young Muslim girls from being similarly victimized in the future?

Toronto radio host John Oakley has declared: "No one is on a witch hunt here trying to demonize an entire faith, but rather to get to the bottom of what seems to be a nasty little secret within a certain segment of the community; women are treated as second-class citizens. If that is, in fact, at the root of violence and abuse meted out by some Muslim men, it's high time to take ownership and confront the elephant in the room... . Denial is not an option."

Are women indeed treated as second class within Islamic culture? Certainly there is plenty of divine sanction for their being thus treated. The Qur'an declares that a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man: "Get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her" (2:282). It allows men to marry up to four wives, and have sex with slave girls also: "If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice" (4:3). It rules that a son's inheritance should be twice the size of that of a daughter: "Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females" (4:11).

Worst of all, the Qur'an tells husbands to beat their disobedient wives: "Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them" (4:34)....

Caption to this AP photo (via Snapped Shot, with thanks to Pamela):

U.S. freelance photographer Stephanie Sinclair poses with her winning photo of the 'UNICEF Photo of the Year 2007' competition in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. The photograph shot by U.S. freelance photographer Stephanie Sinclair shows a wedding couple in Afghanistan who could not be more opposite. The groom, Mohammed, looks much older than his 40 years. The bride, Ghulam, is still a child; she just turned 11. Stephanie Sinclair works as a freelance photographer based in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

And from the UNICEF site (thanks to Anne Crockett):

The UNICEF Photo of the Year 2007 is one of a series of photos about child marriages taken by Stephanie Sinclair between 2005 and 2007 in Afghanistan, Nepal and Ethiopia. During a stay in Afghanistan, it consistently struck the 34-year old freelance photographer, how many young girls are married to much older men. She decided to raise awareness about this topic with her pictures. According to UNICEF estimates, about 50% of Afghan women are married before they turn 18. In Afghanistan, in most parts of South Asia and in Southern Africa, marriage is often seen as a business transaction that has nothing to do with personal desires. In this process, the bride is the article of trade - the younger she is, the higher the bride price. “What are you feeling today?” Stephanie Sinclair asked Ghulam on her engagement. “Nothing,” the bewildered girl answered. “I do not know this man. What am I supposed to feel?”

Gratitude, probably, at having the chance to emulate Aisha, the "Mother of the Believers":

The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with 'Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death). (Bukhari 7.62.88)

Khat Jihad. "Somali drug may fund terrorism: 14 Tonnes Seized," by Stewart Bell in the National Post (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

Terrorist groups may be funding their activities through khat, an illegal stimulant smuggled daily into Canada, says a newly released intelligence report.

The report by the Canadian government's Integrated Threat Assessment Centre says "some part of the proceeds involved in the global khat trade possibly finances terrorism."

Khat is an illicit drug that is wildly popular among Somali-Canadians. It originates in East Africa and the Middle East, regions that "are 'of concern' from a terrorism viewpoint," the report says.

"Given that a number of terrorist organizations around the world finance their activities through the drug trade, and that much of the khat trade occurs in and emanates from a region of the world closely identified with terrorism, it is possible that some parts of the proceeds involved may end up in the hands of terrorists or their sympathizers."

A declassified version of the Dec. 8, 2006, intelligence assessment, titled Khat: Connections to Terrorism? was obtained by the National Post under the Access to Information Act.

Formally called Catha edulis, khat is a leafy shrub that grows only in the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Chewing khat is a daily ritual among men in Somalia.

As home to one of the world's largest Somali communities, Canada has experienced a steady rise in the use of khat. Although illegal, khat is still widely available on the black market in places like Etobicoke, home to Toronto's Little Mogadishu neighbourhood, where it is sold out of backrooms in restaurants and shops.

The RCMP's annual drug report, released yesterday, said 14 tonnes of khat were seized in Canada last year, two-thirds of it at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The drugs were destined for the Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa regions, "where larger concentrations of Somali communities are found," the RCMP report said.

The seizures were valued at $7-million.

I trust that the British Islam Is Peace campaigners will dispatch agents to Kenya immediately to help Ahmed Khalid Ibrahim understand the complexities of his peaceful religion -- complexities that seem to have eluded him along with its peacefulness. How odd that there should be an epidemic of these misunderstanders all over the globe when every schoolchild in the West knows, and hears over and over again, that Islam is a Religion of Peace.

"Briton who converted to Islam arrested by Kenyan anti-terror police after arms seized," by Rob Crilly in the Daily Mail (thanks to Twostellas):

A British convert to Islam is being held by Kenyan police as part of an anti-terrorism operation.

Graham Adams, 31, who also uses the name Ahmed Khalid Ibrahim since becoming a Muslim as a teenager, was arrested in the port city of Mombasa last Tuesday.

More than 30 people, mostly of Somali origin, were arrested in the capital Nairobi later in the week.

"He was arrested at the same time as people in possession of illegal hand grenades and guns," said a police spokesman.

"Our investigators are still working on collecting evidence to see if we can charge him."

While Abbas' not being involved with Hamas apparently absolves him of all responsibility for Palestinian jihad terrorism. "U.S. joins rebuke of Israel," by Nicholas Kralev for the Washington Times (thanks to Ruth King):

PARIS — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined her counterparts in the international "Quartet for Middle East peace" yesterday in a rare formal rebuke of Israel for its plans to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Meeting at a donors conference in Paris that won $7.4 billion in pledges for the Palestinians, the Quartet also warned that the money will help improve the Palestinian economy only if Israel lifts some of the physical and administrative obstacles to Palestinian travel and trade.

The Quartet expressed "concern" over the recent announcement of 300 new housing tenders for an East Jerusalem neighborhood known to Israelis as Har Homa and to Palestinians as Jabal Abu Ghneim.

"The Quartet called on both parties to make progress on their Phase One road-map obligations, including an Israeli freeze on settlements, removal of unauthorized outposts and opening of East Jerusalem institutions," the group said in a joint statement.

On the Palestinian side, it also urged "steps to end violence, terrorism and incitement," for which the West blames the militant group Hamas, and not the government of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who was in Paris.

Convenient.

Topping the donors' list [to the "Palestinians"] were the European Union, which pledged $630 million, the United States, with a $555 million pledge, and Saudi Arabia, which will donate $500 million. -- from this news article

$555 million from the United States? And only $500 million from Saudi Arabia?

That's a half-day's revenues for Saudi Arabia. That's it?

And what about Kuwait, the U.A.E., Qatar, Libya, and all the other Muslim oil states that have done nothing to deserve their fabulous wealth?

It is a great error for any Infidel state or people to supply what is seen, by Muslim recipients, and soon after comes to be treated by the Infidel donors themselves, as the due of the Muslims, owed to them by the Infidels -- in other words, a classic payment of the Jizyah.

Season's Greetings, but actually, from the looks of this article, only one greeting. "Muslim group places 'Seasons Greetings' ad in press," from KUNA (thanks to Twostellas):

LONDON, Dec 18 (KUNA) -- British Muslims were placing a special multi-faith "Season's Greetings'' advertisement in the UK national press as part of a campaign to promote peaceful Islam, it was announced here Tuesday.

Children from Christian, Jewish and Muslim backgrounds were being pictured opening presents in the advertisement designed to coincide with Christmas, the Jewish festival Hanukkah and Eid-ul-Adha, marking the end of the Hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

"On the occasion of the completion of the Hajj, Muslims across Britain would like to wish everyone a Happy Eid", the advertisement said.

Thank you. But not a Happy Hanukkah or a Merry Christmas?

"During this time of peaceful festivities and goodwill, with Christmas, Hanukkah and Eid celebrations all in the same month, this is a time to reflect on all of our shared values", it added.

The advertisement has been placed by the "Islam is Peace" movement, aimed at highlighting the positive contribution of Muslims to Britain and has the backing of Muslim community organisations across the UK.

Islam is Peace project co-ordinator Ifhat Shaheen Smith said "This is an opportunity that could not be missed".

"It isn't often that the festivals of the three Abrahamic faiths coincide so closely to each other and British Muslims across the country felt that we should celebrate and share that goodwill with people of all faiths and no faith".

How wonderful. Here's an invitation to Ifhat Shaheen Smith not to miss another opportunity: you could increase confidence immensely in the Islam Is Peace campaign by addressing the concerns about that campaign that I've raised in this video series:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI

Not out of the whole country. Just out of Waziristan and Swat. Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: "Fugitive cleric says militants joining forces, would welcome bin Laden," from The Associated Press (thanks to Twostellas):

KHAR, Pakistan: Pakistani militant groups are joining forces to fight the government, a fugitive cleric said Tuesday, and offered sanctuary to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Faqir Mohammed, a pro-Taliban cleric in the Bajur region, said militant leaders based near the Afghan border had formed an umbrella organization called Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

He said they had given the government 10 days to halt army operations in Waziristan and Swat, two militant strongholds in the northwest.

"If the government continues war against us then we have chalked out our strategy and we will avenge for the blood of each of our people," said Mohammed.

He said militants would mount suicide attacks and target government officials....

Now, go kill some dirty kuffar for your mother

A Hamas TV show we posted about in March has made it way on DVD to Britain. From the Daily Mail (thanks to Jerusalem Posts):

A children's sing-along DVD for would-be suicide bombers is being investigated by police after being found on sale in one of Britain's terrorist hotbeds.

The disturbing disc of music videos - part of an Egyptian-made series - shows a young girl singing about following in the footsteps of her suicide bomber mother.

A group of self-proclaimed orphans also turn against the West over the plight of the Palestinian people.

The shocking DVD was purchased in Bradford, West Yorks, and full details of the Leeds-based UK distributors are contained on the back of the cover.

The West Yorkshire Police specialist counter terrorism unit are investigating the contents - which contain three tracks sung by children in Arabic with English subtitles.

The first song is about two children who lose their mother when she becomes a suicide bomber.

The song is believed to be a reference to Reem al-Reyashi, a 22-year-old Palestinian mother-of-two who blew herself up on January 14, 2004, at a crossing, in the Gaza Strip, killing four Israelis.

The video begins with an Arab woman playing with her two children, then leaving her home with dynamite tucked in her dress, blowing herself up after being challenged by uniformed soldiers, and her children and husband finding out about her death on TV.

After finding out about the suicide on television, her small daughter finds a stick of dynamite in her mother's wardrobe and turns to the camera with the subtitles: "My love will not be by words. I will follow my mother's steps."

[...]

The MP contacted police after being passed the DVD by a concerned resident. He was told that the disc had been sold at a mosque in the city....

Why are they doing this? Would those wicked Islamophobes roaming all over Iraq target Baghdad mosques? Or might it be because...Muslims themselves might target them? What are you, some kind of Islamophobe?

"Baghdad bolsters security before holiday," from AP :

BAGHDAD - Security will be increased at Baghdad's mosques and other holy sites ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday that begins Wednesday, an Iraqi official said.

Extra bomb-detecting equipment will be deployed throughout the capital's places of worship, along with other sites, such as amusement parks, that are likely to attract crowds during the four-day holiday, chief military spokesman for Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Mousawi, said at a news conference on Tuesday....

And an Iranian foothold gives rise to numerous concerns, including weapons smuggling, the presence of more Hizballah fronts, as in Venezuela, and Iran's other possible plans, recalling the 1994 bombing in Argentina in which high-level Iranian officials have been implicated. Not to mention the possibility of Iran's using Nicaragua as a base from which to attack the U.S. and other targets in the Western Hemisphere in the event of military intervention against its nuclear program.

"Iran making push into Nicaragua," by Todd Bensman for the San Antonio Express-News:

MONKEY POINT, Nicaragua — The second military helicopter in as many days hovered over the jungle and then landed to a most unwelcome reception from several dozen angry Rama Indian and Creole villagers.

Rupert Allen Clear Duncan, a leader of some 400 Creole who live along the shoreline, confronted the foreigners dressed in suits and military uniforms that day in March and demanded to know the purpose of their aerial trespasses.

"This is our land; we have always lived here, and you don't have our permission to be here," Duncan spat, when refused the courtesy of an explanation.

Not until Duncan threatened to have his machete-waving followers damage the aircraft did they learn that some of the men were from the Islamic Republic of Iran and had come promising to establish a Central American foothold in the middle of their territory.

As part of a new partnership with Nicaragua's Sandinista President Daniel Ortega, Iran and its Venezuelan allies plan to help finance a $350 million deep-water port at Monkey Point on the wild Caribbean shore, and then plow a connecting "dry canal" corridor of pipelines, rails and highways across the country to the populous Pacific Ocean. Iran recently established an embassy in Nicaragua's capital.

[...]

What worries state department officials, former national security officials and counterterrorism researchers is that, if attacked, Iran could stage strikes on American or allied interests from Nicaragua, deploying the Iranian terrorist group Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guard operatives already in Latin America. Bellicose threats by Iran's clerical leadership to hit American interests worldwide if attacked, by design or not, heighten the anxiety.

"The bottom line is if there is a confrontation with Iran, and Iran gets bombed, I have absolutely no doubt that Iran is going to lash out globally," said John R. Schindler, a veteran former counterintelligence officer and analyst for the National Security Agency.

"The Iranians have that ability, particularly from South America. Hezbollah has fronts all over Latin America. That is not new. But it's certainly something we're starting to care about now."

Gee, that's nice.

[...]

Few Nicaragua observers believe Iran seriously plans to follow through on any of its $500 million promises or has any obvious need for trade ties with one of Latin America's poorest countries.

Opposition politicians say they understand why Iran might want relations with oil-rich Venezuela and Bolivia but wonder aloud if Iran really is so interested in Nicaraguan bananas as their return on investment.

Those who view Iranian intentions with suspicion point to the new Iranian diplomatic mission in Managua as one reason for all the promises.

"They use their embassies to smuggle in weapons. They used them to develop and execute plans," said Oliver "Buck" Revell, who served as associate deputy director over FBI intelligence and international affairs. "Diplomats have immunity coming and going. It is a protected center for both espionage and, on occasion, for specific operations. So an embassy in Managua is definitely an area that will be of concern to our national security apparatus."

[...]

Also in recent months, the U.S. military repeatedly has accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard of using diplomatic cover in Iraq to help insurgents kill American soldiers. Iran denies that charge too. In October, the Bush administration and Congress designated the Revolutionary Guard and its elite arm, the Quds force, as global terror organizations.

Israel is worried about Nicaragua, too, noting the Israeli business community in next-door Costa Rica, Jewish populations throughout Latin America and Iran's repeated vows to militarily destroy the Jewish state. Israel has promised to take action alone if diplomacy fails to halt Iran's nuclear programs.

Said one Israeli envoy in the region who requested anonymity, "It's just that they could use their diplomatic infrastructure to repeat Argentina. They'll promise millions, they won't send a penny. But they will send a delegation."

Read it all.

A British former intelligence official is telling us that we're paying too much attention to Al-Qaeda, and ought to be focusing on global warming instead. And Mahdi 'Akef of the Ikhwan, coming from the other side of this great conflict, is telling us that Al-Qaeda doesn't even exist.

I think both these guys have a point, but it's not the point they were trying to make. The Al-Qaeda threat has been exaggerated, and the global jihad threat of which Al-Qaeda is only a part, and of which the Muslim Brotherhood itself is also a part, has been virtually ignored. Few realize that Israel faces a mortal threat from people who hold the same ideology as that held by those who attacked us on 9/11 (note, also, 'Akef's remarks about "Palestine"). Almost no one realizes what those same ideologues are doing right now in Europe, and in America as well, without setting off a single bomb.

"Muslim Brotherhood Leader Sheikh Mahdi 'Akef: We Are Ready to Send 10,000 Men to Palestine, But Egyptian Government Should Arm Them; There's No Such Thing as Al-Qaeda – The Americans Made It Up," from MEMRI (thanks to Twostellas):

The following are excerpts from an interview with Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt leader Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi 'Akef, which aired on Al-Hiwar TV on November 30, 2007.

· To view the clip of this interview, visit: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1627.htm.

· To view MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis No. 409 "Public Debate on the Political Platform of the Planned Muslim Brotherhood Party in Egypt,"visit:

http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=egypt&ID=IA40907.

· To view the Muslim Brotherhood MEMRI TV page, visit: www.memritv.org/subject/en/345.htm.

The following is the Al-Hiwar interview:

Interviewer: "During the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, you said that the Muslim Brotherhood was prepared to arm 10,000 young men, and to send them to Lebanon in order to support the resistance. Does this apply to Palestine too?"

'Akef: "This applies to any country under occupation. One of the principles of the Muslim Brotherhood is to rid the Arab and Islamic nation of any foreign rule. The Muslim Brotherhood must support all the forces of resistance in the Arab and Islamic world."

Interviewer: "From where will they get the weapons?"

'Akef: "I don't know. I was talking about men, not weapons. I said we would recruit 10,000 men..."

Interviewer: "Armed men..."

'Akef: "No, you added the word 'armed.' The government must arm these people. When I fought in Palestine, the government knew about it. The government trained and armed us. As you well know, the military commanders worked with the Muslim Brotherhood. When we fought the English in 1951 in the [Suez] Canal, the government knew about it. We would undergo weapons training within [Al-Azhar] University."

[...]

Interviewer: "There are Sunnis, members of Al-Qaeda, who kill civilians in the name of Islam. There are Shi'ites who kill Sunnis in the name of Islam..."

'Akef: "All these things are American Zionist tricks. The Shi'ites attack one another, the Sunnis attack one another, and the Sh'iites attack the Sunnis. But the Muslim Brotherhood has a principle, which I declared from day one: The Shi'ites and Sunnis are brothers."

[...]

'Akef: "I'd like to go back to the issue of Al-Qaeda. There is no such thing as Al-Qaeda. This is an American invention, so that they will have something to fight for..."

Interviewer: "What about Osama bin Laden, Al-Zawahiri, and the Islamic State of Iraq?"

'Akef: "When one man, or two or three, fight this tyrannical global superpower - is it worth anything?"

Interviewer: "Thousands have carried out attacks in the Iraq in the name of Al-Qaeda..."

'Akef: "That is a lie. Who says so?"

Interviewer: "They do."

'Akef: "No, the Americans and their collaborators say this."

Interviewer: "But they claim responsibility for these attacks..."

'Akef: "Al-Qaeda has an ideology, which makes them..."

Interviewer: "You described it once as a perverted ideology."

'Akef: "Of course it is. It is a perverted ideology, which employs methods that do not please Allah. How can I kill a Muslim when this is forbidden?"

A non-Muslim? Sure. Fire away.

“This is not a stand-alone incident; rather, it is part of strategy to Islamize Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, through the introduction of Sharia law.” Islamic Tolerance Alert. By Daniel Blake for Christian Today (thanks to Twostellas):

Raila Odinga, the current frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election in Kenya has promised that he will implement strict Islamic Sharia law if he receives the Muslim vote in the country and is elected president.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on 29 August 2007 by Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi, chairman of the National Leaders Forum (Namlef), and Raila Odinga, presidential candidate from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Despite being signed in late August, the MOU was not made public until 27 November 2007.

However, according to International Christian Concern (ICC) there are in fact two versions of the MOU. Persecution watchdog International Christian Concern claims that a private MOU was signed between Sheikh Abdi and Odinga which is very different from the one presented to the public.

ICC says that in the secret version of the MOU, Odinga, if elected, would “within six months, rewrite the Constitution of Kenya to recognise Sharia as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared regions”.

Odinga is currently seen as the favourite for the election which takes place on 27 December 2007.

In response to the revelations the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya released a statement in which church leaders said, “In both MOUs, honourable Raila comes across as a presumptive Muslim president bent on forcing Islamic law, religion and culture down the throats of the Kenyan people in total disregard of the Constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of worship and equal protection of the law for all Kenyans.”

The chairman of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, Rev Dr Wellington Mutiso told ICC, “Kenya should continue to be a secular state. Christians want a level playing ground where [Christians and Muslims] are treated equally.

“We [Kenyan Christians] are opposed to any move at favouring a particular religious group by political parties.”

In addition, the ICC regional manager for Africa, Darara Gubo said, “This agreement made with Muslim leaders undermines the secular nature of Kenya and opens a Pandora’s box of chaos and conflict similar to what happened in Nigeria and Sudan.

“This is not a stand-alone incident; rather, it is part of strategy to Islamize Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, through the introduction of Sharia law.”

"What we shouldn't do is play into al Qaeda's hands by exaggerating the extent and nature of the threat they present globally." Fine. There are many other jihad groups. Shouldn't the jihad and Islamic supremacism, rather than a narrow focus on Al-Qaeda, take its place beside global warming and the flu pandemic? If we turn away from the jihadists, will they stop fighting us, while we tend to flu vaccines?

"U.K. Official: Don’t Exaggerate Terror," from CBS News (thanks to all who sent this in):

(CBS/AP) Britain is in danger of exaggerating the threat from al Qaeda, the former top adviser on terrorism to Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quoted Sunday as saying.

Richard Mottram, who retired last month from his post as an adviser on intelligence and security, said focusing too tightly on the terrorist movement risked underplaying other important threats such as climate change or a possible flu pandemic, a British newspaper reported.

"What we shouldn't do is play into al Qaeda's hands by exaggerating the extent and nature of the threat they present globally," Mottram was quoted by The Observer newspaper as saying.

"This focus is not smart when it comes to dealing with people who are trying to make us think that they are the greatest threat," he told the paper.

Among the significant problems Mottram identified deserving of equally serious attention: global warming; flu pandemics; the emergence of rogue states; globalization and its impact on power balances; global poverty and its impact on population movement; energy security; the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and organized crime.

Over the years we have posted many studies that show that not only does poverty not lead to terrorist activity, but that jihad terrorists are generally better educated and wealthier than their peers. Here's another: "Evidence about the Link Between Education, Poverty and Terrorism among Palestinians," by Claude Berrebi of the RAND Corporation (thanks to Warren). The abstract:

This paper investigates the ways in which terrorism is linked to education and poverty using data newly culled from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) documentary sources. The paper presents a statistical analysis of the determinants of participation in terrorist activities by members of the Hamas and PIJ between the late 1980s and May 2002. The resulting evidence suggests that both higher education and standard of living are positively associated with participation in Hamas or PIJ and with becoming a suicide bomber, while being married significantly reduces the probability of participation in terrorist activities.

Wedding bells are breaking up that old jihad gang of mine...

"If the Russians are willing to do that, which I support, then the Iranians do not need to learn how to enrich. If the Iranians accept that uranium for a civilian nuclear power plant, then there's no need for them to learn how to enrich."

Once they have the uranium, however, how easy is it to weaponize it?

"Bush backs nuclear fuel supply to Iran," from the Jerusalem Post (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

US President George W. Bush said on Monday he supported Russian shipments of nuclear fuel to Iran for civilian power, saying they proved that Teheran has no need to enrich uranium.

"If the Russians are willing to do that, which I support, then the Iranians do not need to learn how to enrich. If the Iranians accept that uranium for a civilian nuclear power plant, then there's no need for them to learn how to enrich," Bush said

Iran received the first shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia on Monday for its Bushehr reactor, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

Russia has been assisting the Iranians in the construction of the nuclear power plant.

Charles Johnson over at LGF has posted a death threat he has received from Oman that, for sheer unhinged eye-popping lunacy, bloodlust and hatred, combined with righteous indignation and piety in a way only an Islamic supremacist can manage, far surpasses any death threat I have received myself:

Allah Willing, thetime will come when flashes of fire will burn your belly to ash, your wife(your yahoodi whore) shall be a slave for the pleasure of the Al-Muslimoon. Inshallah, I will find yuo and killed you SOMEDAY YOU KUFFAR PIG, YOU SON OF THE APES AND THE SWINE ALLAH TA’ALLA SHALL ROAST YOUR ORGANS FOR THE PLEASURE OF THE MUSLIMS YOU SCUM FILTHEIR THNA THE COCKROACH, YOU K A F I R

Feel the love.

Brief comments on the last day of the Sixth Session of the Human Rights Council by David G. Littman, NGO Representative of Association for World Education (AWE) and World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) to the UN Office in Geneva.

In the last hour of the 6th session of the Human Rights Council (December 14), a nine-page resolution was passed – L.15/Rev.1: Elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief. Sponsored by 57 States, of which 16 were Members of the Council and 41 were non-Member States, only two members of the 56 countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) co-sponsored it: Albania and Turkey, both non-Members.

The vote of the 47 Member State Council was, Yes: 29; No: 0; Abstention: 18. All the 15 OIC Member States of the Council, abstained – as did China, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Of those who provided an “explanation” of their vote, the delegate of Saudi Arabia insisted that shari’a law should not be criticized and declared that Islam was a religion of fraternity, tolerance and equality, without discrimination whatsoever. (UN interpretation from the Arabic)

Sheikh Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan Al-Buti is the author of Jihad: How to Understand and Practice It, which I discuss at some length in my book Islam Unveiled. Here he manifests the jihad/loony convergence by naming fringe cultish pol Lyndon LaRouche, whose programmed minions serenaded me about being in league with Dick Cheney after my talk at the Heritage Foundation in 2006, and by dredging up a fictional antisemitic Ben Franklin speech. Here again: jihadists and their allies just can't defend their views in light of reality, so they constantly retreat into fantasy.

"Syrian Cleric Muhammad Sa'id Ramadhan Al-Bouti: Benjamin Franklin Called upon Americans to Deport Jews from the U.S.," from MEMRITV:

Following is an excerpt from a public address delivered by Syrian cleric Muhammad Sa'id Ramadhan Al-Bouti, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on December 10, 2007:

Muhammad Sa'id Ramadhan Al-Bouti: We have no interest in war. We all dream about peace. But it is Israel that fans the flames of war, like Lyndon LaRouche said yesterday. I would like to conclude my speech by quoting the will that Benjamin Franklin read out loud to his American "sons" – but the sons and grandsons have torn this will to shreds. In a speech that Benjamin Franklin delivered at the committee for the drafting of the U.S. constitution in 1789, he warned the committee, and the Americans in general, of the Jewish danger for America and the world. Let me read his speech to you, translated into Arabic.

There is a great danger threatening the United States of America. That danger is the Jewish danger. Gentlemen, in whichever land the Jews have settled, they have corrupted the morals, and lowered the level of commercial honesty. They always isolate themselves and never mix with others. Because of their feelings of persecution, they always attempt to choke the nations economically, like they did to Portugal and Spain. Since 1700 [sic.], they have been lamenting their fate. But gentlemen, if the world were to give them Palestine, which they claim along with other property, they would soon find a reason to start lamenting their fate once again. How come? Because they are vermin – he was referring to grave-dwellers who leave their tombs to suck the blood of others. They cannot live among their own kind. They live at the expense of Christians and others who do not belong to their race. If they are not deported from the United States by the Constitution, within a century they will be streaming into our country in such large numbers that will enable them to rule the country, destroy us, and change the form of government for which we Americans shed our blood, and for which we have sacrificed our lives, our property, and our personal freedom. If we do not deport the Jews, our children will become, within 200 years, field laborers working to feed the Jews, while the Jews will stay in the banks, gleefully rubbing their hands. I warn you, gentlemen, that if you do not deport the Jews once and for all, your children and grandchildren will curse you in your graves. The values of the Jews are not the same as those of the Americans, and they will not be the same even if they live among us for ten generations. A leopard cannot change its spots. The Jews will pose a danger to this country, if they are allowed in. They will destroy our institutions.

I think I can declare this truth openly. I do not live in Germany or Europe, and so I do not need to whisper these things. We are in a country from which we want to declare who is the number one enemy lying in wait for world peace. Thank you, and may God be with you.

There's a Projection Alert above, when he starts talking about threats to world peace.

Now this will make them moderate. Uh, won't it?

More on this story. "French FM: World donors pledge $7.4 billion to boost PA economy," by Avi Issacharoff and Assaf Uni for Haaretz (thanks to WriterMom):

International donors pledged $7.4 billion for the Palestinians at a conference in Paris on Monday, a massive sum that beat the Palestinians' own expectations, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

"The real winner today is the Palestinian state," Kouchner told a news conference after the gathering of nearly 90 countries and international organizations. "We wanted $5.6 billion, we have $7.4 billion, not bad."

According to Kouchner, $2.9 billion will be transferred to the Palestinian government in 2008, and the remainder of the sum will be transferred over the next three years.

The Palestinian government had asked for $5.6 billion over the course of three years to shore up its economy amid a renewed push for a Palestinian state.

Topping the donors' list were the European Union, which pledged $630 million, the United States, with a $555 million pledge, and Saudi Arabia, which will donate $500 million.

The Saudis could have and should have been the lead, and indeed the sole, donors.

More on the Canadian bullying of Mark Steyn: how dare he tell the truth! "Canada's Thought Police," from the New York Post (thanks to all who sent this in):

December 16, 2007 -- Celebrated author Mark Steyn has been summoned to appear before two Canadian judicial panels on charges linked to his book “America Alone."

The book, a No. 1 bestseller in Canada, argues that Western nations are succumbing to an Islamist imperialist threat. The fact that charges based on it are proceeding apace proves his point.

Steyn, who won the 2006 Eric Breindel Journalism Award (co-sponsored by The Post and its parent, News Corp), writes for dozens of publications on several continents. After the Canadian general-interest magazine Maclean's reprinted a chapter from the book, five Muslim law-school students, acting through the auspices of the Canadian Islamic Congress, demanded that the magazine be punished for spreading “hatred and contempt" for Muslims.

The plaintiffs allege that Maclean's advocated, among other things, the notion that Islamic culture is incompatible with Canada's liberalized, Western civilization. They insist such a notion is untrue and, in effect, want opinions like that banned from publication.

Two separate panels, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, have agreed to hear the case. These bodies are empowered to hear and rule on cases of purported “hate speech."

Of course, a ban on opinions - even disagreeable ones - is the very antithesis of the Western tradition of free speech and freedom of the press.

Of course.

The high physical and financial cost of maintaining proper Sharia appearances. "Why one Muslim girl became a born-again virgin for her wedding night," by Diana Appleyard for the Daily Mail (thanks to all who sent this in):

When Aisha Salim marries her fiance in Pakistan next March, it will be the wedding of her dreams.

Wearing a veil and gown, she will be every inch the fairytale virgin bride and as befits her strict Muslim religion, after the ceremony, she will hand her blooded wedding-night sheets to her in-laws as proof of her virginity.

But far from being the traditional untouched bride that many Muslim families demand, she is a modern-day university graduate who has smoked, drunk, made love to - and even lived with - a previous English boyfriend.

To disguise the fact that she has had sex, she has paid for painful surgery to "restore" her virginity.

It is a drastic and costly measure but as she takes her husband's hand in marriage, she knows it is one which may - quite literally - save her life.

The horror and outrage that would ensue if it was discovered she had already slept with a man would be so damning that her own strictly religious relatives might kill her rather than face public shame.

"My virginity was restored in a delicate operation just last week, and I honestly view it as life-saving surgery," says Aisha.

"If my husband cannot prove to his family that I am a virgin, I would be hounded, ostracised and sent home in disgrace. My father, who is a devout Muslim, would regard it as the ultimate shame.

"The entire family could be cast out from the friends and society they hold dear, and I honestly believe that one of my fanatically religious cousins or uncles might kill me in revenge, to purge them of my sins. Incredible as it may seem, honour killings are still accepted within our religion.

"Ever since my family arranged this marriage for me, I've been terrified that, on my wedding night, my secret would come out. It has only been since my surgery last week that I've actually been able to sleep properly. Now, I can look forward to my marriage."

Aisha is far from alone in seeking such drastic - and almost barbaric - surgery.

[...]

"I feel very sad that women like me feel so torn between our two cultures. Our religion is so rigid - yet I was brought up among Western friends who thought nothing of sleeping with their boyfriends.

"It makes life so confusing and I feel so deeply for all the many Muslim girls in Britain who are caught in the same dilemma.

"I was lucky, I suppose, in that I could afford to repair my 'mistake' so no one would know.

"But it scares me to think what will happen to Muslim girls who do not have this option and are seen to be 'shaming' their families. They are the ones whose lives will be at risk."

Indeed.

Bernard Lewis constantly contradicts himself. At Harvard's Kennedy School, a few years ago, he noted that "reform" in the Islamic world -- not to be confused with "reform" of Islam -- took place because of what enlightened despots had achieved. And then, once the Iraq venture was underway, he co-signed (but claims he did not write) with James Woolsey an article in The Wall Street Journal about the usefulness of having such an enlightened despot in Iraq, and their suggestion was for an (unnamed) Hashemite Sunni monarch. This was merely a transparent piece of special pleading for plummy-voiced Prince Hassan of Jordan, a host and possibly friend of Lewis.

Later, he began to write about how those who denied a democratic strain in Islam were being unfair. This was not as vulgar as Bush's charge that it was "racist" to argue that Islam and democracy, as we understand that term in the advanced West, are incompatible, but unacceptable nonetheless. When Lewis confuses "democracy" with mere "consultation," and when he further ignores the question of how much "consultation" was done by the Ottoman Sultan with the heads of non-Muslim communities, or rayas -- just how much was there? -- he misuses his prestige, a prestige that in any case he, more than anyone else, has been chipping away at. Posterity will not be as kind to him as it might once have been.

And it's a mosque full of Islamic supremacist literature -- which in itself may explain why other religious groups don't use the room anymore. "Normandale's 'meditation room' is home to a single faith," by Katherine Kersten in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune (thanks to Looney Tunes):

Last week, I visited a Muslim place of worship. A schedule for Islam's five daily prayers was posted at the entrance, near a sign requesting that shoes be removed. Inside, a barrier divided men's and women's prayer space, an arrow informed worshippers of the direction of Mecca, and literature urged women to cover their faces.

Sound like a mosque?

The place I'm describing is the "meditation room" at Normandale Community College, a 9,200-student public institution in Bloomington.

Until recently, the room was the school's only usable racquetball court. College administrators converted the court into a meditation room when construction forced closure of the previous meditation room.

A row of chest-high barriers splits the room into sex-segregated sections. In the smaller, enclosed area for women sits a pile of shawls and head-coverings. Literature titled "Hijaab [covering] and Modesty" was prominently placed there, instructing women on proper Islamic behavior.

They should cover their faces and stay at home, it said, and their speech should not "be such that it is heard."

"Enter into Islaam completely and accept all the rulings of Islaam," the tract read in part. "It should not be that you accept what entertains your desires and leave what opposes your desires; this is from the manners of the Jews."

"[T]he Jews and the Christians" are described as "the enemies of Allaah's religion." The document adds: "Remember that you will never succeed while you follow these people."

A poster on the room's door advertised a local lecture on "marriage from an Islamic perspective," with "useful tips for marital harmony from the Prophet's ... life." Other fliers invited students to join the Normandale Islamic Forum, or participate in Ramadan celebrations.

One thing was missing from the meditation room: evidence of any faith but Islam. No Bible, no crucifix, no Torah.

Normandale's administration is facilitating the room's Islamization. The college's building crew erected the barrier separating men's and women's sections, according to Ralph Anderson, dean of student affairs. College officials also posted signs at the room's entrance asking students to remove shoes -- a Muslim custom before prayers. This was "basically a courtesy to Muslim students," Anderson said.

Despite the room's Islamic atmosphere, Anderson says it "is open to everyone."

Why is the meditation room segregated by sex? "Muslim students prefer that areas be divided into male and female," he said. "Other students don't care."

Doesn't sex-segregation present a constitutional problem in a public educational institution? "I don't want to comment on that," he said.

And the literature regarding Jews and Christians? "I would probably take it out if I knew it was in there," said Anderson.

Normandale's zealous effort to accommodate Muslim students is not new. Chad Lunaas, a former student who works at the college part time, cites examples.

Last year on Fridays, he says, he often entered the bathroom to find that "every sink and toilet stall had someone washing his feet." Other students couldn't use the bathroom at these times, and those who tried felt awkward.

Lunaas finally expressed his concerns to a Muslim student who "seemed to be in charge."

"His attitude was, 'We don't have to listen to you, we can do whatever we want,' " he said.

Confrontations also erupted in the sex-segregated meditation room, according to Lunaas. "Muslim students just took it over. They made people who were not of the Muslim religion feel very uncomfortable, especially if they were female."

One female student tried to use the room when Muslim students were in it, said Lunaas. "She believed she should be treated equally. They were telling her to leave, to take off her shoes, to go to the other side of the divider."

Anderson says he met several times with concerned students. But "the whole thing was just basically swept aside," according to Lunaas.

Anderson said that in the incident involving the young woman, "both sides were probably out of line."

Howard Odor, who advises the college's Somali Student Association, said he has not been aware of "any issues" since the meditation room has been in the racquetball court. "I can guarantee that college policy is that anyone who wants to go in there and pray or meditate can do so."

But many at the college see a bigger issue.

"For all practical purposes, this meditation room is essentially a Muslim prayer room," said Chuck Chalberg of Normandale's history faculty. "Something this unprecedented goes beyond religious toleration."

Why, yes. Yes, it does. Now, why is that?

Crowing over the NIE in Tehran.

From Reuters (thanks to Kemaste):

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's president said on Sunday the publication of a U.S. intelligence report saying Iran had halted a nuclear weapons program in 2003 amounted to a "declaration of surrender" by Washington in its row with Tehran.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also dismissed in an interview with state television the prospect of new U.N. sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive atomic work.

"It is too far-fetched," he said when asked whether he expected the U.N. Security Council to impose fresh sanctions on Iran following two such resolutions since last December.

Ahmadinejad, who often rails against the West, told a rally earlier this month that the December 3 publication of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate was a "victory" for Iran.

He said on Sunday: "It was in fact a declaration of surrender ... It was a positive action by the U.S. administration to change their attitude and it was a correct move."

Washington is still pushing for more sanctions on Iran despite the U.S. intelligence report, which also said Tehran was continuing to master skills needed to make nuclear weapons. U.S. President George W. Bush said Iran was still a danger.

Keystone Kops, or jihadist cops? An update on this story. "Terror suspect flees in prayer stop at mosque," from IOL.co.za (thanks to Twostellas):

Islamabad - A British terrorist suspect in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic commercial jetliners managed to escape from a mosque when his police escorts allowed him to say prayers on their way back to the prison, police said on Monday.

Rashid Rauf, a British citizen of Pakistani origin, escaped from guards on Saturday afternoon after appearing before a district court judge in Islamabad for an extradition hearing relating to a separate murder investigation in Britain.

His two escorts were immediately detained and were being investigated for possibly aiding the escape.

"The detained policemen told us that they were going back to the jail with the suspect in a private cab instead of a police van, when Rauf requested that they allow him to say noon prayers at a roadside mosque," one of the investigators said.

The investigator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rauf entered the mosque with handcuffs on while the policemen waited for him in the cab. Twenty minutes later they discovered Rauf had slipped out a rear door while still wearing the handcuffs.

Voting is still open for the Jihad Watch Dhimmi and Anti-Dhimmi Awards for 2007, but it ends tonight. Vote early and often! 54/40 or fight! A choice, not an echo! Now more than ever, and Tyler too!

Vote for American Dhimmi of the Year 2007

Vote for Dhimmi Internationale 2007

Vote for American Anti-Dhimmi of the Year 2007

Vote for Anti-Dhimmi Internationale 2007

"Something went wrong in the American blueprint for analyzing the severity of the Iranian nuclear threat." Yes, and it's called partisan politics.

"Israel: US report on Iran may spark war," by Laurie Copans for Associated Press:

JERUSALEM - Israel's public security minister warned Saturday that a U.S. intelligence report that said Iran is no longer developing nuclear arms could lead to a regional war that would threaten the Jewish state.

In his remarks — Israel's harshest criticism yet of the U.S. report — Avi Dichter said the assessment also cast doubt on American intelligence in general, including information about Palestinian security forces' crackdown on militant groups. The Palestinian action is required as part of a U.S.-backed renewal of peace talks with Israel this month.

Dichter cautioned that a refusal to recognize Iran's intentions to build weapons of mass destruction could lead to armed conflict in the Middle East.

He compared the possibility of such fighting to a surprise attack on Israel in 1973 by its Arab neighbors, which came to be known in Israel for the Yom Kippur Jewish holy day on which it began.

"The American misconception concerning Iran's nuclear weapons is liable to lead to a regional Yom Kippur where Israel will be among the countries that are threatened," Dichter said in a speech in a suburb south of Tel Aviv, according to his spokesman, Mati Gil. "Something went wrong in the American blueprint for analyzing the severity of the Iranian nuclear threat."

Amil Imani discusses our Christmas present from the NIE:

It is the holiday season and we all have received this most welcome present: the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate about Iran’s nuclear problem. Since 2003 the mullahs running Iran have, on their own and through their own goodwill, have ceased all activities aimed at acquiring the bomb, so says the report.

Therefore, there is nothing to worry about folks, nothing to spoil the holiday season, and there is good reason to be upbeat about a safe and secure world.

[...]

My advice to the President and the people of my adopted country is: go ahead and make merry, enjoy the gift of life, but don’t let down your guard and make sure that no one lulls you into the deadly trap of complacency. Yes, if the mullahs get the bomb, they will make use of it in numerous ways. They will use it for blackmail, they will use it in small packages through untraceable proxies, and they might even launch it by their missiles in a homicide-suicide fashion which is their trademark. After all it is the mullahs’ deeply-held belief that their cataclysmic act will expedite the coming of the Saheb-ul-Zaman (the Lord of the Age), whence he would set the world on the righteous course while those who have hastened his coming will be immersed eternally in the joys of pleasure in Allah’s promised paradise.

Read it all.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard explores some recent economic moves by our friend and ally Saudi Arabia in the Telegraph (thanks to JD):

To all intents and purposes, the Wahabi religious establishment of Saudi Arabia has just issued a fatwa against the US dollar. This bears watching.

A message issued by 26 leading clerics warns that inflation has reached intolerable levels in the Gulf kingdom.

While it does not vilify the dollar explicitly, the apparent political aim is to undermine the country’s dollar peg.

“The rulers should seek to try to remedy this crisis in a way that would ease people’s suffering.”

“We direct this message to the rulers and officials: we remind you of Prophet Mohammad’s words that you are shepherds who are responsible for your flock,” it said.

The statement was posted across the Islamic world. The background to this has been a raging debate in Gulf religious and economic circles about the destructive effects of the sliding dollar.

Among the lead-authors is Sheikh Nasser al-Omar, known for his fatwa against US-led forces in Iraq.

He has long preached the collapse of American-led capitalism, and now sees a perfect moment to plunge the knife. We can guess that al-Qaeda Inc is thinking along the same lines.

My own hunch is that the next al-Qaeda strike will not be a symbolic blow to a great building or city, but rather a carefully-timed economic blow: either by cutting – or trying to cut - the oil jugular, or by trying to precipitate a run on the dollar.

Read it all.

Savage is no cringing dhimmi.

By Jacques Steinberg for the New York Times (thanks to Sr. Soph):

SAN FRANCISCO — The humbling of Don Imus last spring over his remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team has done nothing to quiet Michael Savage, a radio host with a far bigger following and far more checkered track record.

Mr. Savage, whose program reaches an estimated eight million listeners a week on nearly 400 stations, suggested over the summer that a group of college students on a hunger strike in support of easing immigration restrictions should “fast until they starve to death.” In October the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, the city from which Mr. Savage often broadcasts, took the unusual step of passing a resolution condemning him for the remarks.

Then, a few weeks ago, Mr. Savage uncorked a cascade of invective about Islam. Among his on-air comments: the Koran is “a book of hate”; some Muslims, at least, “need deportation”; and adherents of Islam would do well to “take your religion and shove it up your behind” because “I’m sick of you.”

In response the Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose stated mission includes correcting mischaracterizations of Islam, tore a page from the playbook of Mr. Imus’s critics. It made Mr. Savage’s comments widely available on the Internet and called on advertisers to boycott his program, which is behind only Rush Limbaugh’s and Sean Hannity’s in number of listeners, according to Talkers magazine, an industry publication.

At least two of his major sponsors — Citrix, which sells remote access to computers, and Trusted ID, which provides protection against identity theft — have pulled their spots. Thus far, Mr. Savage said in an interview last week, the boycott had cost his program more than a million dollars in advertising revenue committed for next year.

On Dec. 3 Mr. Savage fired back at his critics in a way Mr. Imus never did: He filed a lawsuit in United States District Court against the council, not only for taking his comments out of context — he says they were made within a broader discussion of the president of Iran — but for then making audio of them available on its Web site, cair.com.

With his suit, Mr. Savage has put himself in an odd position for someone who makes his living talking and is a fierce advocate for free speech: He is complaining about others quoting him.

But in the interview Mr. Savage contended that the council had violated the copyright protections on his broadcast by using his words, in effect, to raise money. He cited the bright orange button labeled “Donate” that appears on the council Web site just to the right of the “Action Alert” it put out against him.

“If they are trying to hang me by my own petard, they have no right to use my petard,” Mr. Savage said after Monday’s show. “It’s my petard, not theirs.”

A spokesman for the council, Ahmed Rehab, said, “We think the suit is a P.R. ploy.” (A spokeswoman for Citrix would not discuss the reasons for the company’s decision; the chief executive of Trusted ID, Scott Mitic, said it had abandoned Savage’s program because his audience wasn’t buying the company’s product.)

Yes, and CAIR never engages in P.R. ploys.

That was posted about me a month ago in the comments to this YouTube video of a television appearance I made in 2006. (Thanks to Michael for the heads-up.)

Will YouTube keep this comment there, and the commenter's account, thus earning yet again its nickname JihadTube?

Assurance that Fatah will not make war on Israel? None. Assurance that Fatah can rein in Hamas? None. Assurance that all these millions and billions will not fall into Hamas hands and be used for the jihad against Israel? None. But that doesn't stop them for a millisecond. "Donors pledge $650M for Palestinian aid," by Karin Laub for Associated Press (thanks to all who sent this in):

PARIS - Donors began committing funds from around the world Monday for the moribund Palestinian economy amid a renewed international push for a Palestinian state, with the European Union promising $650 million in 2008.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is asking for $5.6 billion over three years. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community to fulfill the Palestinian needs and more.

"What we must do now is work together before the end of 2008 for the creation of an independent, democratic, viable Palestinian state," French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the meeting's host, said in a speech to representatives from nearly 90 donor countries and international organizations.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that he has ruled out dialogue with rival Islamic militant Hamas, and that without international support Gaza is "heading into disaster."

Gaza has been virtually cut off from the world since Hamas seized control of the territory by force in June. Israel and Egypt sharply restricted border access in response, and the blockade has further deepened poverty there.

Abbas, speaking at the conference in Paris, said Gaza is already "close to catastrophe," and would head into disaster without continued international aid.

No Jews have ever been found who match the Qur’an’s description of them, in v. 30 of sura 9, as proclaiming that Ezra is the Son of God. Ibn Juzayy explains that only a small group of Jews actually said this, but “it is ascribed to all of them because they followed those who said it.” The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs attributes this belief to the Jews of Medina. In any case, this belief, asserted by the Qur’an and thereby confirmed as true in the minds of many Muslims, makes the Jews as well as the Christians guilty of shirk, the association of partners with Allah, which is the worst sin of all. Ibn Juzayy quotes another Islamic authority saying that the Christian belief is “atrocious disbelief.” Adds Ibn Kathir, “This is why Allah declared both groups to be liars,” for “they have no proof that supports their claim, other than lies and fabrications.”

Consequently, they are accursed of Allah. V. 30 goes on to say, “Allah fight them!,” which Ibn Juzayy explains as “May Allah curse them!” Their idolatry doesn’t stop there, either. They even go so far as to take “as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One Allah” (v. 31). Do the Jews, then, worship rabbis and Christians worship monks? Not directly: Muhammad explained that the rabbis and monks prohibited what Allah had allowed for the Jews and Christians, and allowed what he had prohibited, “and they obeyed them. This is how they worshipped them.”

But when the Qur'an tells them not to do so, how do they understand such friendships? This latest Jihad Watch video concludes my ongoing series on the Islam Is Peace campaign.

Earlier installments of my video series on the Islam Is Peace campaign:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V

This is happening with increasing frequency. This one took place in Smyrna. Let them into the EU!

From Reuters (thanks to all who sent this in):

ANKARA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - An Italian Roman Catholic priest was stabbed on Sunday at his church in the city of Izmir in western Turkey, police said, in an incident that recalled the fatal shooting of another Italian priest in Turkey in 2006.

The priest, identified as Adriano Franchini, was taken to hospital. His life was not in danger, a police spokesman told Reuters. He had been stabbed in the stomach.

Police have detained three people, the spokesman said, adding it was too soon to say what the motive of the attack was.

Gee, what a mystery!

International pressure works.

From the BBC (thanks to all who sent this in):

The Saudi king has pardoned a female rape victim sentenced to jail and 200 lashes for being alone with a man raped in the same attack, reports say.

The "Qatif girl" case caused an international outcry with widespread criticism of the Saudi justice system.

The male and female victims were in a car together when they were abducted and raped by seven attackers, who were given jail sentences up to nine years.

Press reports say King Abdullah's move did not mean the sentence was wrong.

Quoted by the Jazirah newspaper, Justice Minister Abdullah al-Sheikh said the king had the right to issue pardons if it served the public interest.

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to mix with men who are not close family members.

The custodial sentence plus 200 lashes was imposed after the woman, who has not been named, appealed against an earlier sentence of 90 lashes.

Yet another Islamic Tolerance Alert from Egypt.

From AP (thanks to Twostellas):

CAIRO (AP) — Angry Muslims attacked and destroyed shops owned by Coptic Christians on Sunday in a town in southern Egypt that been witnessing sectarian tensions, a police official said.

The attackers set hurled stones and set fire to several shops, smashed windows of a church and damaged two cars in the early morning hours before the shops in Isna were opened for business, said the police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Police detained 15 people suspected of taking part in the attacks in Isna, located about 350 miles south of Cairo, he said.

The riots followed reports that two Coptic Christians pulled down the veil of a Muslim woman in a car park on Saturday evening. Dozens of Muslims started to gather in protest very early Sunday, but police managed to disperse them.

Police blocked all main streets leading to the town, but witnesses said some people managed to attack the shops in two of the town's streets. Peace returned to the town after several hours of rioting, they said.

Earlier this week, dozens of Muslims went on a rampage following rumors of an attempt of abduction and sexually assault a teenage Muslim girl by some Coptic Christians. The rioters hurled stones and smashed windows of a pharmacy were they suspected the Copts forced the girl to have sex with them.

On Thursday, police arrested two Coptic Christians suspected of taking part in the abduction of the girl. They were ordered detained for 15 days on charges related to sectarian tensions, police said.

Yeah, that's the ticket

Uh huh. And then when they went to find Bigfoot, they inadvertently left some explosives in the trunk of their car...

"Terror Accused: We Were Hunting Loch Ness Monster," by Paul O'Hare for the Daily Record (thanks to Twostellas):

AN ELECTRICIAN accused of being a Muslim holy warrior claimed he was hunting Nessie during an alleged jihad training course.

Somali-born Kader Ahmed, 20, told a court he went on a trip arranged by preacher Mohammed Hamid, 50, to Scotland at Christmas 2004.

He said they visited Inverness and Loch Ness and added: "I'd never been to Scotland before. It was very cold when we went up. It was snowing.

"It was very beautiful as well. I had never seen reindeer before."

He said they stopped near Loch Ness for a few days, sleeping in their minibus as it was too cold to camp, and tried to spot the elusive monster.

Ahmed, from east London, admits going on camping trips and paintballing sessions with Hamid's group, who included four of the men later convicted of the plot to bomb London on July 21, 2005.

But the trainee electrician, who was 17 when he met Hamid, told Woolwich Crown Court he assumed it was harmless fun "like Scouts or Cadets".

"…what seems to be a nasty little secret within a certain segment of the community; women are treated as second-class citizens." -- from this news article

The phrase "second class citizens" -- a phrase also used about non-Muslims in Muslim-dominated countries -- does not convey the full scope of the mistreatment of such people. This mistreatment, in the cases of both women and non-Muslims, does not change or steadily diminish over time (as it did in the case of blacks in the American South after segregation in schools was ended "with all deliberate speed" and other forms of legalized discrimination declared unconstitutional, from lunch-counters to municipal swimming pools). The word "citizens," too, misleadingly implies a Muslim polity of the kind we have in the West, of which those women and non-Muslims can be "citizens." But the very word "citizen" implies people with political autonomy in advanced democracies, their rights enshrined in the law, their governments dependent on the expression of the will of those "citizens" in regular elections, in opinion polls, in all the activities that "citizens" of advanced democracies engage in.

Can one use the word "citizen" about Saudi Arabia? Are the people in the Sudan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or Pakistan in any sense "citizens" of their respective states? Or are they more akin to subjects, pushed about, and above all, self-subjugated to the dictates of Islam, "slaves of Allah" ideally? If they begin to act up, if they begin to act as if they wish to considered akin to Western "citizens," they are overwhelmed by the vast primitive masses of Muslims, led by clerics, who have on their side the texts of Islam. And those "citizens" cannot confront, deny, or wish away those texts. Therefore, the small groups of the enlightened, in Pakistan or elsewhere, will continue to fail, until one or more of three things happens.

This Reuters story contains a few details about Hamas' genocidal bloodlust that somehow didn't make it into the New York Times story on the same event. Now, why is that?

"Celebrating anniversary, Hamas warns of Intifada," by Nidal al-Mughrabi for Reuters (thanks to Pamela):

GAZA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Hamas threatened to launch a new uprising against Israel on Saturday when hundreds of thousands of Islamist supporters rallied in Gaza City to mark the group's 20th anniversary.

"Our people are capable of launching a third and a fourth intifada until the dawn of victory rises up," said Khaled Meshaal, the group's exiled leader, in a speech recorded on Friday at his base in Damascus.

The Tiny Minority of Extremists™ is larger than the Times' estimate in this story also:

The central square in Gaza City was awash with green flags and dozens of armed, masked men from the group's military wing patrolled in a crowd estimated at between 300,000 and 500,000.

Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said the movement was growing more popular because of its stance against the United States and Israel.

"Today is the day of Jihad, resistance and uprising," Haniyeh said.

But don't be concerned. Remember, jihad has many meanings, and is primarily an interior spiritual struggle. (Memo to Ibrahim Hooper: See, Ibrahim, I could do your job for you, my good man!)

"Those who remain committed to the constant rights of their people, those who make an enemy of America and the Zionist occupation (Israel) gain popularity. This is Hamas." [...]

Meshaal said Abbas, whose administration is backed by the West, lacked the support of the Palestinian people.

"Whoever thinks his legitimacy comes from the international backing is under an illusion, the legitimacy is the people," Meshaal said.

Alluding to last month's Israeli-Palestinian talks in Annapolis, Maryland, Haniyeh said conferences "will achieve nothing".

"We will never cede our land ... The choice of resistance and Jihad is the shortest way to liberate Palestine and return Jerusalem," Haniyeh said.

GRAVES ALREADY PREPARED

In another speech to the rally, senior Hamas official Mushir al-Masri warned Israel to expect many casualties if troops invade the coastal territory in an attempt to stop almost daily rocket firing by militants into Israel.

"Jews, go back, because we have already dug graves for you," Masri said. Israel carries out regular raids on Gaza and has killed dozens of militants in the past month.

Voting is still open for the Jihad Watch Dhimmi and Anti-Dhimmi Awards for 2007. We are still examining returns from Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Oregon, trying to determine which set of results is authentic. (And if you get that one, go to the head of the class.)

Vote for American Dhimmi of the Year 2007

Vote for Dhimmi Internationale 2007

Vote for American Anti-Dhimmi of the Year 2007

Vote for Anti-Dhimmi Internationale 2007

NYT: "Article tools sponsored by The Savages"

Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: "Despite Isolation, Gazans Show Allegiance for Hamas," by Steven Erlanger and Taghreed El-Khodary for the New York Times (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):

GAZA — About 200,000 Gazans rallied in support of Hamas on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of its founding.

About 200,000 Gazans rallied in a show of force from Hamas on the 20th anniversary of its founding.

It was a significant show of force from Hamas, which took over Gaza six months ago in a rapid rout of Fatah forces. The rally was intended to display popular “samoud,” or steadfastness, in the face of the diplomatic and economic isolation of Gaza, which Israel has declared a “hostile entity.” It was easily as large as one a month ago for its rival, the Fatah faction, on the anniversary of the death of Yasir Arafat, and estimates ranged up to 250,000 people.

Central Gaza City was filled with green flags and political slogans, and a large banner reading, “We will not recognize Israel,” adorned the back of the stage.

Yes, but the overwhelming majority of Palestinians sincerely desire peace, don't they? After all, Ms. Rice tells us so.

More realpolitik genius from the U.S. government.

By Aaron Klein for WorldNetDaily.com (thanks to Amillenialist):

JERUSALEM – An audit has revealed the U.S. government authorized nearly $1 million in aid to a Hamas-controlled university senior terror leaders told WND is openly utilized by Hamas to recruit fighters, manufacture explosives and train on campus grounds for attacks.

The audit concluded the American tax dollars were provided to Gaza's Islamic University between 2002 and 2006. It stated officials from both the U.S. Agency for International Development in Tel Aviv, which initiated the fund request, and the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, which conducted an investigation, found no "derogatory information" on the university.

Also in March 2007 State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told WND U.S. officials concluded after a review Islamic University does not supports terrorist activities.

But Israeli and Palestinian security officials and Palestinian terrorist leaders themselves scoffed at the State Department claims.

An Israeli security official took offense with McCormack's statement.

"It's the height of absurdity to hear Hamas' Islamic University is not involved in terrorism," the official said.

Islamic University was founded by Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel in 2004. Hamas leader in Gaza Ismail Haniya sits on the college board, which was raided in January by Palestinian security forces who seized rocket-propelled grenades and rockets.

Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' so-called military wing, told WND Islamic University is regularly used by Hamas to support "resistance activities."

"It is no secret that we utilize all tools at our disposal, including our fighters at Islamic University in preparations to fight the Zionists," said Abu Abdullah of Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, Hamas' declared "resistance" department.

Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees, a Hamas-affiliated terror group, told WND Islamic University is "extremely important" for recruitment of militants. He said several members of his group study chemistry at the university to aid in the manufacture of explosives and suicide belts. The Committees is responsible for hundreds of rocket attacks from Gaza aimed at nearby Jewish cities.

According to Israeli and Palestinian intelligence officials Islamic University's main campus in Gaza City has been used by Hamas' so-called military wing to recruit terrorists and suicide bombers. The officials told WND chemistry labs were used to manufacture and improve explosives for Hamas-affiliated militias.

Reuven Erlich, director of the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center and Israel's Center for Special Studies, told WND his organization analyzed material captured in previous Israeli raids of Islamic University, which yielded mass quantities of weaponry and Hamas incitement material supporting terrorist attacks.

Officials from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party last February claimed they captured seven Iranian military trainers – including a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards – inside Gaza City's Islamic University, which they said was being utilized as a Hamas military training ground.

The Fatah officials said they also found some 1,000 Qassam rockets, rocket-propelled grenades and equipment to manufacture the rockets inside the university. They previously suspected kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was being held for a time on the university grounds.[...]

USAID the past two years has reportedly provided $4 million to Arkan, a Palestinian program that funds law schools at several universities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including Al-Najah University. The Arkan program is entirely funded by USAID.

Israeli security officials say Al-Najah University is one of the most important recruitment grounds for West Bank terror organizations. The Israeli Defense Forces a number of times has raided the college and arrested terror suspects. At least 15 Palestinians who carried out suicide bombings the past six years attended the school.

Senior members of the Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror groups are openly enrolled at Al-Najah, WND has learned.

One senior leader of the Brigades, the declared military wing of Abbas' Fatah party, told WND many Brigades leaders study at the university, which he described as a "recruitment center for jihad."

The senior leader said he is studying sports education.

A leader of the Islamic Jihad terror organization said he is studying chemistry to enhance his terror group's bomb-making capabilities. He said others in the chemistry department manufacture explosives for Palestinian groups.

Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has taken joint 2006 bombing in Tel Aviv last April that killed eight Israelis and American teenager Daniel Wultz.

According to the U.S. Foreign Operations Bill of 2006, it is illegal to fund universities which the Secretary of State "knows or has reason to believe advocates, plans, sponsors, engages in, or has engaged in, terrorist activity."

USAID has a history of funding anti-American Palestinian projects.

WND first reported a northern West Bank street funded by USAID was renamed for Saddam after his execution.

Zacharias Zubeidi, leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Yaabid, told WND the city changed the name on the U.S.-funded street to show "Saddam Hussein is still alive."

"We will honor his memory until the American and Zionist occupation is driven from our land," Zubeidi said.

WND reported USAID also reconstructed roads and municipalities in areas in the Gaza Strip controlled by Hamas.

In a WND interview, Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar thanked USAID for its efforts.

According to Palestinian Media Watch translations, after USAID funded road projects in the West Bank city of Jenin in 2004, a central street there was named after the first Iraqi suicide bomber, who killed four American soldiers in Fallujah. The mayor of Jenin reportedly participated in an anti-American dedication ceremony in which speakers blessed the "resistance of the residents of Fallujah"