Vote for the international figure who doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus, standing up in the most splendidly courageous manner to Islamic supremacist bullying and intimidation, peaceful or violent:
Vote for the international figure who doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus, standing up in the most splendidly courageous manner to Islamic supremacist bullying and intimidation, peaceful or violent:
Tough choice between Geert Wilders and Father Botros, one focused on defending Europe against Islam and cultural relativism, one in Dar al-Islam working to save Muslims from an ideolgy of hate.
This one was a no brainer, but if I didn't vote Geert I would have voted Father Botros
Definitely Geert Wilders :)
Geert Wilders, the blond Elvis.
Tough call here for me. Wilders is established, but his release of Fitna and the Muslim fury before and after its release, as well as the outrage by the global club of dhimmis leaves little doubt to validate him as a deserving candidate.
Father Botros is also warranted, especially this year, but I feel that he pales against what Benedict has uttered so far, and he has not won an award here.
I actually voted for Levant for his staunch anti-dhimmi stance and unapologetic tone against the free-speech crushing gestapo star chamber that tried to silence him.
As Robert has exhaustively documented in the last year, the "free speech issue" going forward is paramount in my humble opinion as well.
Why is McCartney on this list?
Oh, ok, McCartney's on the list because he insists on going to Israel to perform for their 60th anniversary, despite death threats against him from Muslims.
One of McCartney's great virtues, when he was still part of the Beatles, was that he could sing at a scream and despite screaming, his voice was gorgeous. And he could sing in so many different ways. He had like five or seven different voices, all of them beautiful. What a voice. Of course he was famous as a Beatle for his gorgeous ballad singing, but he could scream-sing more beautifully than just about anyone...Listen to "Helter Skelter," or "Oh Darling," all the way through. And of course that voice wouldn't have been nearly so interesting if it hadn't been belting out those brilliant Lennon/McCartney tunes.
Father Botros it is. Actually, I'd have preferred someone who in the Infidel world was either shaking up world opinion against islam, or rattling Mohammedans themselves, which only China had been doing this year, before the Olympics. However, given that no such trend exists, I'd have to go for Father Botros.
McCartney, much as I loved him when I was a kid, doesn't belong on this list. While he did insist in performing in Israel, he was also one of many who criticized the Iraq war, and not for the reasons it's done here. Also, when Sir Paul performed in Israel or anywhere else, is he supportive or opposed to Pali claims in Judea or Samaria? That too should determine whether he deserves it or not.
Again, Wilders, like Carter and Olmert - shouldn't have been re-nominated: we need fresh winners. Nothing against Wilders, but please, please, swing it for Father Botros!
I voted for Botros, but Geert Wilders iis also an excellent choice. If you like an underdog you should vote for Botros. Wilders has long since been viral. Botros is struggling to stay on the air. He didn't produce a ten-minute film. He debunks every aspect of Islam at length and in conversation with Muslims. That's brilliant to me. If he wins then maybe he would get enough attention that somebody would dub his show. On that note, I must thank staringattheview.blogspot.com for her translations. She's awesome for doing that, and straight from the Lion's den no less.
Botros on 2008!
6th - scratch McCartney... does not qualify
5th - David Littman, the Angel Gabriel battled the Prince of Persia relentlessly ... that's Mr. Littman and almost totally behind the scenes.
4rd - Bat Ye'or ... she is the very bedrock, the very foundation upon which our understanding of dhimmitude has been formulated. She's a saint... not a mere prize winner.
3nd - Levant is my personal favourite (they all are actually) because he's got kahunas the size of Saskatchewan and at great personal cost he is holding up a whole nation of anti-dhimmis and refuses in any way to back down. The guy's a hero.
2nd - Geert Wilders... I would be honoured to tie his sandal strap. This man is anti-dhimmi in his very DNA, and having lived in the Netherlands I understand just how risky this is.
But Zakaria Botros should receive the award. His cheerful honesty and intellectual integrity is shaping multiple generations in the lands most affected by the religion of peace... where hope is incapable of even raising its head... where despair pervades and where chronic dysfunction governs the benighted wasteland called the Middle East.
This has got to be the toughest vote of all the categories this year. I'm disappointed they can't all win -- which is a wonderful sort of disappointment. So many deserving Anti-Dhimmis this year!
I hope JW will provide the runners-up with lovely parting gifts.
Many worthy candidates on that list but in the end Ezra Levant was my choice. As a publisher in the so-called free world he chose to do what many others feared to do: Publish potentially unpopular cartoons, ensuring that his readership would be able to understand the issue upsetting the Moslem world and perhaps ensuring that his readership would also become better informed thereby.
His defense in his own behalf was articulate, sustained and spot-on; eloquently using his freedom of speech to defend freedom of speech itself. Mr. Levant's battle bore the distinction of managing, at least for the time being, both the complaint per se as lodged by Syed Sowarhardy as well as the nanny-state Alberta Human Rights Commission actions on that complaint.
We need all of the people on that list, but in my view Mr. Levant's actions were the story of the year as both an inspiration and a warning.