November 2009 Archives

"He was convicted in Egypt in absentia in 1999 for offenses relating to the Vanguards of Conquest's activities and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment." He should be given a sumptuous flat next door to the home of this Canadian federal court judge. "Canadian court frees Egyptian terrorist," from AFP, November 30 (thanks to all who sent this in):

OTTAWA -- A federal court on Monday ordered the release of an Egyptian man convicted of terrorism in his home country and who was later detained in Canada for eight years as a possible national security threat.

"The court is satisfied that the threat Mr. (Mohamed) Mahjoub poses to national security or the safety of any person can be neutralized by the imposition of conditions on his release from detention," said the ruling.

Mahjoub came to Canada in 1995 and was granted refugee status the following year.

He was detained in 2000 under a rarely-used security measure that permits secret court hearings and indefinite jailing of foreigners suspected of terror ties, without charges.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service alleged Mahjoub was a high-ranking member of an Egyptian Islamic terrorist organization, the Vanguards of Conquest -- a radical wing of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad or Al Jihad.

He was convicted in Egypt in absentia in 1999 for offenses relating to the Vanguards of Conquest's activities and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

In 2007, Canada's Supreme Court ordered his release after quashing the anti-terrorism measure used to detain him, as unconstitutional....

The execrable CAIR tool and libelblogger Charles Johnson has posted a self-righteous laundry list purporting to explain why he betrayed all his principles, friends, and associates: "Why I Parted Ways with the Right."

You can find it here -- the adolescent libelblogger has blocked direct links from this site, but you can paste this in to your address bar:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/35243_Why_I_Parted_Ways_With_The_Right

The thuggish libelblogger incites his sycophants and whips them into a frenzy of hate with three lies about me and Pamela Geller:

9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing radical Islam, into support for fascism, violence, and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.)

Of course, he does not, and cannot, produce a shred of evidence to support any of these libelous claims, but that is par for the course at this point for this man, who has long since kissed goodbye to the last shreds of his integrity.

One can only wonder what sickness of soul would lead this man to devote so much time and effort to lying about other people and trying to destroy them.

UPDATE: It is interesting that Johnson's hate list appeared just hours after I spoke at length with a New York Times reporter -- excited by his move leftward, they're doing a big story on Johnson. Coincidence? Of course!

While the world waxes indignant over the Swiss minaret ban, it is useful to put things into perspective. In Egypt, Christians are persecuted. In Pakistan, construction of new churches is severely restricted. In Saudi Arabia, it isn't allowed at all. So why is a ban on minarets -- not on mosques -- so much more terrible than that?

"Will Saudi Arabia allow construction of Cathedrals to challenge Swiss ban on minarets?," by Nazir Bhatti for the Pakistan Christian Post, December 1 (thanks to Andreas) -- reproduced as printed:

Karachi: November 30, 2009. (PCP) Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC expressed surprise on statement of Pakistani representatives in UNHRC expressing concern on Swiss vote ban on construction of minarets on mosques and other Islamic institutions in Switzerland when construction of new Churches in Pakistan has to follow strict government guidelines which prohibits one furlong from existing mosque and use of loudspeakers.

Nazir Bhatti said " Christ The King processions and other open rituals have been banned in public places from decades but not any Muslim human right activists have raised voice against government actions to damage true spirit of religious freedom in Pakistan but their protests in name of human right against Swiss government vote to ban minarets is index of substandard"

In a statement released by PCC Central office here today also urged Saudi Arabia to allow construction of Churches in kingdom to challenge Swiss ban on minarets.

"The Human Right activists around world shall raise voice to press upon Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries in Middle East to permit construction of Cathedrals and ensure religious freedom for Christian minorities" added Nazir S Bhatti...

They know the Muslims will just trash them again. However, true to form, the authorities are on the side of the jihadist thugs. "Egyptian Christians Refuse to Open Stores After Muslim Riot," by Ethan Cole for the Christian Post, November 30 (thanks to Maxwell):

Copts - the Christian community in Egypt - said they will not be coerced into overlooking the mass riot that left reportedly 65 Christian shops damaged, as reported by Assyrian International News Agency on Sunday. Instead, they are uniting to make authorities recognize what happened and punish perpetrators.

Authorities, however, reportedly are putting pressure on the Coptic Church in Nag Hammadi, which is under the same governorate as Farshoot, to tell the victims to accept extrajudicial reconciliation and reopen their businesses without compensation. Police in Farshoot are also reportedly refusing to issue police reports to victims, forcing them to travel 37 miles away to make a report with the Attorney General in Qena, the capital of the governorate. Authorities have also not carried out an estimated loss investigation despite requests the church has made for a week.

"There will be no reconciliation before full financial compensation has been paid to the Coptic victims, and the criminals are brought to justice, so that safety and security can be restored to the district," said Bishop Kirollos of the Nag Hammadi Diocese, according to AINA.

Kirollos told activist Wagih Yacoub of the Middle East Christian Association that the victims have no money to clean up, restock items and reopen their stores.

Reports estimate that 10 pharmacies and 55 shops and businesses in Farshoot and several nearby villages were vandalized, torched or damaged during the few days of riots which began on Nov. 21. In Farshoot alone, about 80 percent of Coptic businesses were destroyed, which translates to about over $1 million in damages.

The riot, which drew hundreds of angry Muslims, was due to a rumor that a Coptic young man kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old Muslim girl. However, an investigating officer told a Farshoot pastor that the girl said she was only sure that her attacker wore a black jacket and nothing else....

More indication of just how thoroughly the Organization of the Islamic Conference has the UN within its power. "UN marks November 29 'day of mourning,'" by Yitzhak Benhorin for Ynet News, November 30 (thanks to James):

WASHINGTON - The UN is currently marking the historic date of November 29 1947, the day in which it approved the partition plan separating Israel into two states - Jewish and Arabic. But while in Israel the date is celebratory, as it marks the end of the British mandate and the beginning of independent rule, the UN headquarters in New York and Geneva are holding ceremonies of mourning and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The General Assembly in New York has embarked on a two-day marathon of anti-Israeli debates and votes, during which it plans to focus on the promotion of the Palestinian issue. Hearings will be held on subjects such as sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

Israel has traditionally boycotted the debates due to their one-sidedness, but in recent years has changed its tune. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, is scheduled to speak before the assembly Tuesday and condemn the UN tradition of memorializing the date on which Israel was given a state as a day of mourning.

The Palestinian Maan news agency reported that the Palestinian observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, is expected to announce a "new diplomatic strategy" and ask the Security Council to define the 1967 borders as the new borders of a Palestinian state.

Last year the former president of the General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto, accused Israel of apartheid during a speech before the UN....

Dhimmi tool.

Classic and typical jihadist evasion and displacement of responsibility. It's more disturbing that Barack Obama seems to agree, at least from the looks of his Cairo speech -- in which the only causes for tension between the West and the Islamic world that he mentioned were the fault of the West.

"Hezbollah blames U.S. for all terrorism," from CNN, November 30 (thanks to Bill):

Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- Hezbollah's chief on Monday announced the group's new "manifesto," which calls on all countries to "liberate Jerusalem" and declares the United States a threat to the world.

"American terrorism is the source of every terrorism in the world," Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech from an undisclosed location.

It was his first address since a unity government formed in Lebanon this month, ending a crisis that had left the country with no government since June's parliamentary elections.

Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel. Nasrallah does not appear in public amid concerns for his safety.

"We invite and call on all Arabs and Muslims and all countries keen on peace and stability in the world to intensify efforts and resources to liberate Jerusalem from Zionist occupation and to maintain its true identity and its Islamic and Christian sanctities," Nasrallah said....

Is Ahmad Ibrahim Fares-Hammad yet another misunderstander of Islam, hoping to strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah (Koran 8:60) or just a jihad prankster trying to make a point in a perverse way about "racism" and "Islamophobia" ("You think because we are Arab we will blow people up. I won't blow you up.")? We will probably never know, because one thing is certain: authorities and the mainstream media will not ask the right questions.

"FBI: UTEP student made false bomb threat, said 'it is fun to blow people up,'" by Joe Villasana for KVIA.com, November 25 (thanks to Joe):

EL PASO -- An electrical engineering student at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge Wednesday on charges he allegedly made a bomb threat to a UTEP employee.

According to the criminal complaint, Ahmad Ibrahim Fares-Hammad "maliciously" made the false bomb threat to an administrative assistant at the Biological Science building on November 18, 2009 and told her "it is fun to blow people up."

The FBI agent investigating the incident said the employee claimed Fares-Hammad walked into the department's office carrying a small device with short metal poles that had yellow, red and blue wires.

The employee told the investigator she had never seen Fares-Hammad inside the building and addressed him in regards to the device. "What's that," the employee asked," it looks scary."

Investigators said Fares-Hammad answered, "It is a remote control used to blow people up." The employee then remarked, "That is mean and not very nice." Fares-Hammad then told her, "It is fun to blow people up," according to the FBI investigator who interviewed the employee.

Fares-Hammad then asked the employee for water and she directed him to a water tank. Fares-Hammad noticed there were no water cups attached to the tank and told the employee he needed a cup. At that point, he told her, "You think because we are Arab we will blow people up. I won't blow you up," according to the FBI investigator. The employee then asked him, "You think I'm flattered by that?" Fares-Hammad replied, "You should be flattered," according to the investigator....

Wednesday, Fares-Hammad appeared in federal court to hear the charges against him. He is charged with "maliciously making false information concerning alleged attempts to injure, kill, or unlawfully damage or destroy a building by means of explosive," according to the criminal complaint....

"Vengeance, boycotts, retaliation ... this clash with Islam could cost dearly." Don't resist Islamic supremacism! It might make the Islamic supremacists angry!

More on this story. "Europe unites to deplore Swiss ban on minarets," by Charles Bremner for Times Online, November 30 (thanks to Kris):

The Swiss and European establishment united today in deploring yesterday's decision by Swiss voters to outlaw the construction of minarets but conservative leaders warned that the referendum showed genuine fear over Islam on the continent.

Swiss officials, media and business leaders voiced shame over a vote that they say will stigmatise the country's 400,000 Muslims and stain Switzerland's name in the Muslim world. In contrast, hard right leaders in France, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands hailed what they depicted as a triumph for the people against the elite.

Le Temps, Geneva's establishment newspaper, said: "The vote was inspired by fear, fantasies and ignorance." Damage to the country's international standing would be spectacular, it said. "Vengeance, boycotts, retaliation ... this clash with Islam could cost dearly."...

In other words, roll over.

Pamela has more on the European, Swiss and Muslim reactions: Intifada Switzerland Begins.

Act of war. "Five British sailors taken hostage in Iran," from the Daily Mail, November 30 (thanks to Kris):

Five British sailors are being held hostage in Iran.

The Foreign Office confirmed that a racing yacht owned by Sail Bahrain and crewed by five British sailors was detained by the Iranian Navy on November 25.

The yacht had been on its way to Dubai and, according to the Foreign Office, may have 'inadvertently', strayed into Iranian waters.

If confirmed, the detention of the British sailors will dramatically increase tensions between Iran and the West....

No kidding, really?

But wait! I thought all the learned analysts had assured us that there is no death penalty for apostasy in Islam! Isn't that right, Dr. Bassiouni? Mr. Kruse? Ms. Heagney?

"Turkey: Iranian Atheist Risks Death Penalty If Repatriated," from ANSAmed, November 30 (thanks to Insubria):

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, NOVEMBER 30 - Turkish authorities will be announcing their decision in the coming days over whether or not to repatriate an Iranian citizen who - having escaped from her country after publicly declaring she was an atheist - could be sentenced to death for apostasy if sent back. Negar Azizmoradi, Iranian leader of the controversial International Raelian Movement, was arrested just over a week ago in Istanbul on her arrival in the city with an "irregular" passport, and since then has been held in a refugee centre in the Turkish metropolis. Raelians are part of a sect founded in 1974 by the former sports journalist Claude Vorilhon, 63, as known as Rael. His followers believe that human beings were created on Earth by extraterrestrials with biogenetical engineering, and therefore consider themselves to be atheist and support human cloning, which they believe to be the key to eternal life. Appeals to help the thirty-something Iranian woman have been launched by both the Raelian movement and Iranian refugee groups abroad. In them, Turkish authorities have been asked to release the woman - who reportedly has caught a lung infection in jail - and allow her to go to a European country.(ANSAmed).

So says Pamela Geller in an interview with Jamie Glazov of FrontPage magazine today on the Rifqa Bary case -- the girl who converted from Islam to Christianity and then fled her home in fear for her life.

Everyone is watching to see what happens to Rifqa. She has become a test case for everyone. The Muslims, the Islamic supremacists, want to prove that a young girl cannot break free, cannot break out of their web, even in America. More importantly, it is a case being watched by every subjugated Muslim dying to break free of the shackles of Islam. If Rifqa can do it and is protected, so can they. This is why it is so critical that she be broken by the Islamic machine.

It's a test case for free people, and for America also. Will American courts knuckle under to Islamic intimidation and implement Sharia provisions for the isolation of female apostates? Will we stand up and defend religious freedom? Do Muslim girls in the same situation as Rifqa have any hope? Rifqa's case will show the answer.

Read it all.

There Is No Fun In Islam* Alert as the glories of Sharia come to Gaza: "Hamas Bans Women Dancers, Scooter Riders in Gaza Push (Update1)," by Daniel Williams for Bloomberg, November 30 (thanks to Donald):

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The Islamic Hamas movement banned girls last month from riding behind men on motor scooters and forbade women from dancing at the opening of a folk museum. Girls in some public schools must wear headscarves and cloaks.

Signs of Hamas's creeping Islamization are everywhere in Gaza, the Mediterranean coastal enclave that Hamas has run by itself since 2007. Gaza is already politically divided from the West Bank, the Palestinian territory administered by the secular Fatah movement.

"Ruling by itself, Hamas can stamp its ideas on everyone," said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor at Gaza's al-Azhar University. "Islamizing society has always been part of Hamas strategy."...

Some of the efforts are meeting resistance. When Supreme Court Justice Abdel Raouf Al-Halabi ordered women lawyers on July 26 to wear headscarves and caftans in court, attorneys contacted satellite television stations including Al-Arabiya to protest. On Sept. 6, Hamas's Justice Ministry rescinded the directive.

Hamas officials say they have no plans to impose Islamic law. "What you are seeing are incidents, not policy," said Younis al-Astal, a Hamas legislator. "We want Islamic law to be the standard, but we believe in persuasion."

In an Oct. 13 speech, Abbas said Hamas was establishing an "emirate of darkness" in Gaza. Abbas's Fatah movement has long viewed itself as a secular nationalist movement open to Muslims and Christians.

At the immigration office at Gaza's border with Israel, a sign warns that alcoholic beverages, forbidden under Islam, will be poured out "in front of the owner."

The government's Islamic Endowment Ministry has deployed Virtue Committee members to preach at public places to warn of the dangers of immodest dress, card playing and dating.

Dancing Ban

The opening of the Palestinian Heritage Museum on Oct.7 was meant to include a rendition of the dabke, a line dance performed by girls and boys. Except that no girls were allowed.

What fun!

Black-shirted men from Hamas carrying AK-47s appeared at the gates of the museum, on Gaza's waterfront, said Jamal Salem, the curator. They said girls shouldn't dance because it wasn't religiously proper. Nor could they share the stage for the inaugural speeches, said Salem.

"They are trying to take Palestinian culture and make it all their own," Salem said. "They say our traditions are against the law. Their law."

In August, headmasters of several schools ordered girls to don white head scarves and black cloaks called jilbabs. They sent several girls in jeans home, according to Gaza press reports. The Education Ministry later said the orders were unauthorized acts of individual school officials.

No Defiance

"The episodes had an effect anyway," said Eyad Sarraj, a psychiatrist and human rights campaigner. "What parent wants to be seen to defy Islamic rules?"

Abusada, the Gaza political science professor, said Hamas only retreats from overt Islamization for fear of "provoking" such secular-ruled Arab countries as Egypt, with which it competes for support with Abbas.

"At the same time, Hamas is under pressure from some of its own members as well as even more radical groups to implant a purist version of Islam," he said.

Hamas is also wary of openly pressing for rule by religious edict because it undermines the group's claim to legitimacy under Palestinian civil law, which set guidelines for the 2006 legislative vote, said Subhia Juma, a lawyer at the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Gaza.

"Hamas backs off when it looks like they are governing under Islamic law and people complain," she said.

Israel, the U.S. and the EU say Hamas is a terrorist organization.

Swimming in Pants

In June, black-clad constables approached journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul, 27, and friends on a north Gaza beach, al-Ghoul said. Her offense: swimming in trousers and a blouse, not robes.

Male companions, including her brother, tried to defend her. Al-Ghoul said she phoned the government spokesman, who called off the police.

Hamas police spokesman Rafik Abu Hani said the crackdowns were abnormalities.

"Even here, we don't make everyone wear Islamic-style beards," he said, pointing to a clean-shaven aide.

Everyone backs alcohol prohibition, Abu Hani said, and the motorcycle restriction is a safety issue.

Al-Astal, the Hamas legislator, said it wasn't a coincidence that youth were the principal targets of the push.

"We are working on young people, the next generation, to be more correctly Islamic," he said. The older generation "is lost."

And as for motorcycles: "A girl has to hold onto a boy's waist to ride in the back. Things can happen. You know what I mean," he said.

You know what I mean? Say no more say no more! Nudge nudge wink wink!

* The Ayatollah Khomeini said that.

They've already told us. My column in Human Events this morning:

With the Obama administration moving the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other masterminds of 9/11 to New York City, many have pointed out that the defendants are likely to use the trial as a platform to spread their views on jihad, the U.S., and the war on terror. That's most likely true -- and we already know what they will say.

They told us last year, when they wrote a six-page document they filed with the military commission at Guantanamo: an "Islamic Response to the Government's Nine Accusations."

"With regards to these nine accusations that you are putting us on trial for," they explain, "to us, they are not accusations. To us they are badges of honor, which we carry with pride." Their pride is explicitly and proudly rooted in Islam: "Many thanks to God, for his kind gesture, and choosing us to perform the act of Jihad for his cause and to defend Islam and Muslims." With unusual forthrightness, they declare that "killing you and fighting you, destroying you and terrorizing you, responding back to your attacks, are all considered to be great legitimate duty in our religion. These actions are our offerings to God."

That said, however, they view the conflict between the West and the Islamic world is all the West's fault. This is a view that Barack Obama apparently shares. In his landmark June 2009 speech in Cairo he explained the conflict solely in terms of what the West had done to Muslim countries: "In addition, it is the imposed reality on Muslims in Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, in the land of the two holy sites [Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia], and in the rest of the world, where Muslims are suffering from your brutality, terrorism, killing of the innocent, and occupying their lands and their holy sites."

Answering charges that they violated the rules of warfare by killing civilians, they frame the question in terms of Islamic law, claiming that it is the U.S. that is the lawbreaker: "Who is breaking the law of war in this world? Is it us, or is it you? You have disobeyed all heaven and earth's laws of war, to include your own laws. You have violated the law of war by supporting the Israeli occupation of Arab land in Palestine and Lebanon, and for displacing five million Palestinians outside their land. You have supported the oppressor over the oppressed and the butcher over the victim."

The remedy for our ills, according to the plotters, is Islam: "So, you are the first class war criminals, and the whole world witnesses this. You have no values and ethics and no principles. You are a nation without a religion. On the other hand, we are a great nation, with a great religion, values, ethics, and principles, which we comply with and follow, and we invite people to following [sic] our ways."

However, the plotters stopped their blame game long enough to acknowledge that Islam mandates offensive jihad warfare against unbelievers, simply because they are unbelievers - a concept that policymakers and law enforcement officials have steadfastly ignored since 9/11: "Nevertheless, it would have been the greatest religious duty to fight you over your infidelity. However, today, we fight you over defending Muslims, their land, their holy sites, and their religion as a whole."

The plotters quote the Koran to justify their jihad war against the American Infidels. "In God's book," asserts the letter, "he ordered us to fight you everywhere we find you, even if you were inside the holiest of all holy cities, The Mosque in Mecca, and the holy city of Mecca, and even during sacred months. In God's book, verse 9 [actually verse 5], Al-Tawbah [the Koran's 9th chapter]: Then fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, and besiege them and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush."

We constantly hear that to speak about the jihad doctrine and Islamic supremacism as rooted in Islamic texts and teachings is to "side with the extremists." All right -- then why doesn't a moderate Muslim go through this court filing and refute this use of the Koran? It would be most interesting to see Ibrahim Hooper of CAIR or some other vaunted moderate Muslim reply to the Islamic beliefs and assumptions manifest here. Now would be a perfect time to delineate in specific terms the differences that moderate Muslims have with this approach to Islam, wouldn't it?

And we're going to see more, because -- as I also said to Dorell -- no one is challenging the Muslim community on their bland evasions of responsibility, or calling upon them to do anything about the roots of this phenomenon in Islam. I sent Dorell the legal justification for honor killing in Islamic law -- the stipulation that there is no penalty for a father who kills a child -- but somehow that didn't make the cut. "'Honor killings' in USA raise concerns," by Oren Dorell in USA TODAY, November 30 (thanks to James):

Muslim immigrant men have been accused of six "honor killings" in the United States in the past two years, prompting concerns that the Muslim community and police need to do more to stop such crimes.

"There is broad support and acceptance of this idea in Islam, and we're going to see it more and more in the United States," says Robert Spencer, who has trained FBI and military authorities on Islam and founded Jihad Watch, which monitors radical Islam.

Honor killings are generally defined as murders of women by relatives who claim the victim brought shame to the family. Thousands of such killings have occurred in Muslim countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Palestinian territories, according to the World Health Organization.

Some clerics and even lawmakers in these countries have said families have the right to commit honor killings as a way of maintaining values, according to an analysis by Yotam Feldner in the journal Middle East Quarterly.

In the USA, police allege the latest "honor killing" was that of Noor Almaleki, 20, who died Nov. 2 after she and her boyfriend's mother were run over in a Peoria, Ariz., parking lot. Prosecutors charged Almaleki's father, Faleh Almaleki, with murder, saying the Iraqi immigrant was upset that his daughter rejected a husband she married in Iraq and moved in with an American.

"By his own admission, this was an intentional act, and the reason was that his daughter had brought shame on him and his family," says Maricopa County prosecutor Stephanie Low, according to The Arizona Republic....

There follows the usual denial and evasion from a Muslim leader, this time Salam al-Marayati of MPAC, but in something we don't usually see in a mainstream media story, he doesn't get the last word.

Ali Gomaa is the statue-hatin', wife-beatin', Hizballah-supportin', Muhammad's-urine-drinkin' Mufti of Egypt, who some time ago denied reports that he had rejected the traditional Islamic death sentence for apostates. The delirious Dinesh D'Souza has praised him as a "traditional Muslim" with whom American conservatives should cultivate an alliance.

And now Ali Gomaa's poor little feelings are hurt. "This proposal...is not considered just an attack on freedom of beliefs, but also an attempt to insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland."

"Egypt mufti says Swiss minaret ban insults Muslims," from AFP, November 29 (thanks to Maxwell):

CAIRO -- Egypt's Mufti Ali Gomaa denounced a vote to ban new minarets in Switzerland on Sunday as an "insult" to Muslims across the world, while calling on Muslims not to be provoked by the move.

A solid majority of Swiss voters chose in a referendum to ban the construction of new minarets, the towers attached to mosques from which the call to prayers is announced.

"This proposal...is not considered just an attack on freedom of beliefs, but also an attempt to insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland," Gomaa, the Egyptian government's official interpreter of Islamic law, told the state-run news agency MENA.

He encouraged Switzerland's 400,000-strong Muslim community to use "dialogue" and legal means to contest the ban, which he described as "provocative behaviour."

The rightist Swiss People's Party (SVP) -- Switzerland's biggest party -- had forced the referendum after collecting a mandatory 100,000 signatures from eligible voters within 18 months.

Gomaa also called on Muslims not to be affected "by this provocation," adding that Islam "considers humanity a single family."

Provocation.

Dominos. "Al-Shabaab rebels seize town close to Kenyan border," from the Daily Nation, November 29 (thanks to Maxwell):

Somalia's al-Shabaab insurgents have captured a key town close to the border with Kenya. The al Qaeda linked rebels are said to have driven out combatants of Hizbu-Islam, another Islamist group opposing the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG), to take control of Dhobley, the border town.

Sheikh Hassan Yakoub Ali, a resident, said that Hizbu-Islam fighters had crossed the border into Kenya, adding that the rebels held talks with Kenyan officials. With this victory, al-Shabaab appears to have consolidated its presence in the strategic Juba region....

So far, Hizbu-Islam has not issued a statement on the issue. Meanwhile, al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Mukhtar Abdurahman Abu Zubayr has rejected any reconciliation offers by the government.

He said that unless foreign forces leave the country and an Islamic state is established, his movement would intensify attacks. Over 5,000 African Union peacekeepers, made up contingents from Uganda and Somalia, are in the country.

Aiding the jihad and being victimized by it almost simultaneously. Iran is believed to be aiding the Chechen jihad. Of course, Russia is not the only country that is doing that. From our bulging Suicidal Short-Sightedness File: "Russia, Iran agree on new gas, oil projects," from the Tehran Times, November 30 (thanks to Maxwell):

TEHRAN - The Russian energy minister and officials from the Iranian Oil Ministry have agreed on a gas swap, the implementation of 15 new oil and gas projects, the construction of a oil refinery near the Caspian Sea, and the establishment a joint oil company.

The agreements were made as Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko arrived in Tehran on Sunday to attend the eighth meeting of Iran-Russian Joint Economic Commission.

The visiting Russian minister also held talks with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on expanding cooperation in various other fields.

At the meeting Iran and Russia expressed satisfaction over the holding of the joint commission meeting, which would help bolster bilateral cooperation in the fields of transportation, telecommunication, energy, commerce, economy and banking.

Foreign Minister Mottaki said this is a very good opportunity for both sides to further exchange views and broaden mutual relations and cooperation.

Iran and Russia play a very significant role in regional and global developments, the Iranian foreign minister added....

Islamic Tolerance Alert. While the article does not elaborate, the fact that he was apparently active in some capacity as an advocate for the Sikh community -- and thus an undesirably uppity dhimmi -- likely singled him out to be targeted as an example to others. "Pak Sikh thrashed for not converting," by Yudhvir Rana for the Times News Network, November 29 (thanks to all who sent this in):

AMRITSAR: A Sikh advocate in Pakistan was reportedly thrashed and threatened with dire consequences recently if he did not convert to Islam, forcing his family to run for safety to a gurdwara in Hassanabdal near Rawalpindi.

While the victim, Anup Singh, was yet to regain consciousness, the incident has left the Sikh community in Pakistan rattled and insecure. Talking to TOI from Islamabad, Anup's brother, Ravinder Singh, recalled horror of November 21. ''A group of at least eight men kidnapped my brother from his office and took him to Mohammad Amin's residence, where he was stripped and photographed with Amin's wife.''

Undergoing treatment for fractures and severe head injuries in Holy Family Hospital, Ralwalpindi, where doctors said it might take a few months before Anup could start leading a normal life, the advocate was reportedly assaulted for fighting a separation case for Amin's wife, Safina Kanwal. ''The goons made my brother sign on a blank paper, after which they cut his hair, beard, moustaches and threatened him to convert to Islam if he wanted to live in Pakistan.''

Asking too many questions would likely be "Islamophobic." And everyone knows it's "Islamophobia" that "radicalizes" people. Hidden threat from al-Qaeda sleeper cells," by Duncan Gardham for the Telegraph, November 27 (thanks to Virgil):

Counter-terrorism police and Whitehall officials believe dozens of extremists could have arrived here by posing as students or legitimate visitors.

They are concerned both by the relatively lax checks that are made on the visitors before they arrive and by the ease with which they can outstay their visas without anyone noticing.

As many as 13,000 visa applicants may have entered the country from Pakistan in a seven month period since October last year without any checks on their supporting documentation.

The security services fear that because most do not mix with home grown terrorists, they are able to operate under the intelligence radar, acting as sleeper cells until ready to launch attacks in Britain.

Every year around 100,000 visitors arrive in Britain from Pakistan alone, which has been described by the Prime Minister as being part of a "crucible of terror" along with Afghanistan.

They are supposed to be checked by Home Office visa staff working in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

But according to an official watchdog, the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance, many visa officers do not have "enough time to go through applications carefully".

The security services are also worried about arrivals from Somalia, Yemen and North Africa.

MI5 have got 2,000 domestic extremists under surveillance across the country but is becoming increasingly concerned about the threat from abroad.

Similar concerns are felt in the police and one senior counter-terrorism officer told the Daily Telegraph: "There is a lack of control and supervision at our borders in the broadest sense.

"The problem is not confined to Pakistan, terrorists could arrive from anywhere, and we simply have no idea how many extremists may be here."

Police have discovered that the leader of an alleged plot to blow up shopping centres in Manchester last Easter ran a visa advice service in Peshawar, Pakistan.

He is thought to have helped other alleged members of his terrorist cell to arrive from Pakistan under the cover of student visas.

At least one arrived to attend a course at a "bogus college" that had already had its accreditation withdrawn.

The discovery of the group based in Manchester and Liverpool earlier this year set off alarm bells among counter-terrorism officials who believed the threat was coming under control....

Read it all.

After all, no one's actually tried to stop them yet. As elementary psychology observes, behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated. "Iran authorizes 10 new nuke plants, state media say," from CNN, November 29:

(CNN) -- Iran's Cabinet has authorized the construction of another 10 uranium enrichment plants, its state news agency announced Sunday, further defying international calls to halt its production of nuclear fuel.

The Iranian Cabinet approved existing plans for five more facilities similar to its current plant at Natanz and ordered planning for five more to begin, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The dispatch quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying that the new plants will be used to produce fuel for civilian nuclear power stations.

The move comes two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution demanding that Iran stop construction on a previously secret nuclear facility at Qom.

The proximity to Qom is significant on more than one level: first, it reflects Ahmadinejad's obsession with the return of the Mahdi according to the Shi'ite tradition. But also, if Western powers were to attack the nuclear site, any collateral damage would be trumpeted as an act of brazen "Islamophobia" and used to drum up outrage and calls for revenge from Iran and the broader Islamic world.

The IAEA also repeated calls for Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program. The agency said it would not comment on Sunday's announcement.

Iran has said its uranium enrichment program is aimed at producing fuel for civilian power plants. But the United States and other countries have accused Tehran of working toward a nuclear bomb, and the IAEA's Friday resolution stated that Iran's refusal to comply with international demands "does not contribute to the building of confidence."

Nor does the IAEA's track record of minimal, largely symbolic action.

The title of this naive and silly New York Times puff piece is "Three Clergymen, Three Faiths, One Friendship," but from the looks of it, these "amigos" have one faith, not three -- "the spirituality of interfaith relations." At least Sheik Jamal Rahman is honest enough to acknowledge that there is a problem with the "Verse of the Sword" -- Koran 9:5 -- although he retails the same old tired glib dismissal that we have heard a thousand times before, that it is "taken out of context."

What context would render it acceptable is seldom explained, although Islamic apologists in the West do often attempt to claim that it doesn't apply to today or to any situation beyond the life of Muhammad, but rather refers narrowly to a time when the early Muslims were threatened with annihilation and had to fight back strongly in order to survive. The problem with this interpretation -- which goes counter to the mainstream understanding of Islamic scholars in any case -- is that instead of closing off the possibility of this verse (and other supporting verses) being used to justify jihad violence today, it plays right into the hands of the jihadists. For if this verse only applies to situations in which Muslims are in grave danger, such that Islam itself may not survive, they would argue -- and do argue -- that that is precisely the situation that prevails today. Accordingly, the interpretation that is supposed to mollify and reassure Westerners actually only opens the door for more jihad.

And of course Islamic jihadists are acting upon the Koran's imperative to violence against unbelievers all over the world, with little resistance from their peaceful coreligionists.

"Three Clergymen, Three Faiths, One Friendship," by Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times, November 23 (thanks to The Blogmocracy):

[...] What distinguishes the "amigos," who live in Seattle but make presentations around the country, is a unique approach to what they call "the spirituality of interfaith relations." At the church in Nashville, the three clergymen, dressed in dark blazers, stood up one by one and declared what they most valued as the core teachings of their tradition The minister said "unconditional love." The sheik said "compassion." And the rabbi said "oneness."

The room then grew quiet as each stood and recited what he regarded as the "untruths" in his own faith. The minister said that one "untruth" for him was that "Christianity is the only way to God." The rabbi said for him it was the notion of Jews as "the chosen people." And the sheik said for him it was the "sword verses" in the Koran, like "kill the unbeliever."

"It is a verse taken out of context," Sheik Rahman said, pointing out that the previous verse says that God has no love for aggressors. "But we have to acknowledge that 'kill the unbelievers' is an awkward verse,' " the sheik said as the crowd laughed. "Some verses are literal, some are metaphorical, but the Koran doesn't say which is which."....

Debra Burlingame, courageous and outspoken cofounder of 9/11 Never Forget US, calls Holder and Obama to account for their irresponsible decision to give the 9/11 masterminds a civilian trial -- and platform for dawah -- in New York.

"We must rise up against the trial: It's time for 9/11 families to fight Holder's dangerous move," by Debra Burlingame for the New York Daily News, November 29:

[...] The attorney general has glibly, and most insensitively, called the perverse spectacle he wants to invite on this city and this nation, the "trial of the century." Well, Mr. Attorney General, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has put you on notice. He's going to give it to you. His trial will be lawyer-assisted jihad in the courtroom.

We understand that to the terrorists, jihad is more than spilling American blood, it is forcing us to change our lives, divert our limited resources. When we spend hundreds of millions of dollars on rooftop snipers, kevlar vests and armored vehicles, that's jihad. When we barricade our buildings, lock down our streets, and close our transportation systems, that's jihad. When we grant a confessed war criminal access to platinum due process, so that he can use it to rally his fellow terrorists to kill more of our citizens and target our military, that's jihad.

Mr. Attorney General, this doesn't have to happen. You have called the military commissions system "lawful, fair, and effective" and "consistent with our highest standards as a nation." We agree. We think that is far more than these sworn enemies of America deserve.

Indeed.

Watch here. The page is in Hebrew but the video is in English. (Thanks to Joshua.)

UPDATE: Jan has kindly sent in the YouTube link above -- it is the same video. It turns out that the video is not new, but from 2007. Apologies for that -- generally I do not post archival material, but it was represented to me as new and I could find no further info. In any case, new or old, it is a great video.

Leftist/Jihadist Alliance Update: the campus Left and the campus jihadists succeeded in getting freedom fighter Nonie Darwish's talks canceled at Columbia and Princeton. And the Socialist Workers couldn't be more pleased.

It would be tempting to write this off as the ravings of the radical fringe, but of course they have a friend in high places.

Because they symbolize a "political-religious claim to power" -- which, of course, they do.

"Exit polls show Swiss will accept minaret ban: TV," from AFP, November 29 (thanks to Inexion):

GENEVA -- Exit polls show that Switzerland will accept a far-right call for a blanket ban on the construction of minarets, Swiss public television reported Sunday, describing the result as a "great surprise."

Partial results from the poll which closed at mid-day (1100 GMT) indicated that the German-speaking canton of Lucerne accepted the ban, while French-speaking cantons Geneva and Vaud voted against.

The Swiss People's Party (SVP) -- Switzerland's biggest party -- had forced a referendum under Swiss regulations on the issue after collecting 100,000 signatures within 18 months from eligible voters.

It claims that the turrets or towers attached to mosques from where followers are called to prayer symbolise a "political-religious claim to power."

But deep down, they really, really want peace! This is nothing that a few chats with Obama won't cure! "Iran MPs allocate millions to probe US, British 'abuses,'" from Agence France-Presse, November 29 (thanks to Alexandre):

TEHRAN-- Iran's parliament approved a 20-million-dollar budget on Sunday to expose alleged US and British human rights abuses, state media reported.

The sum will be spent on "alerting the international community to numerous human rights abuses by these two countries and supporting progressive movements standing against illegal acts of the US and British governments."

It would also target US and British "conspiracies" against the Islamic regime, the parliament said, adding that the intelligence ministry would be in charge of the initiative....

Some of the money will go to groups waging jihad against the West.

Her father tried to assault her after he learned that she had converted to Christianity. One may hope that Ohio authorities handling the Rifqa Bary case are taking careful note of this case. "Judge: Christian's 'arranged' Islamic marriage invalid: Muslim father allegedly assaulted daughter after learning of her conversion," by Bob Unruh for World Net Daily, November 28:

A judge in Ohio ruled a marriage arranged by a Muslim father for his 17-year-old daughter who now has converted to Christianity isn't valid, clearing her of accusations she made false statements in applying for a marriage license with the man who now is her husband.

The little-reported case developed in Ohio, where Larry Crain, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, argued on behalf of his client, identified only as "Nishan."

Nishan was married last month to a man she began dating this year when she converted to Christianity, the ACLJ said.

She didn't reveal her conversion to her "devout Muslim family members" until just before the marriage because she feared what they might do.

When her father discovered her plans, he allegedly tried to assault her and then filed a claim that she had falsified her marriage-license application because of the earlier arranged marriage.

The ACLJ explained, "Nishan's marriage was arranged by her father during a trip to Karachi, Pakistan, in May 2007 following her graduation from high school. Three days after the 'nikah' ceremony, Nishan and her father returned to the United States.

"She remained confused about the ceremony conducted during her trip to Pakistan and later took precautionary steps to annul her vows by preparing an affidavit for the U.S. consulate in Pakistan in August of 2007," the legal team said. "She gave her affidavit to her father who assured her he would send the necessary paperwork to the consulate. Her family never again mentioned her alleged Paksitani husband and Nishan believed that all necessary steps had been taken to annul any alleged marriage vows."

However, her father's anger over her conversion to Christianity and her marriage included the statement she had falsified her marriage-license application in the U.S.

"The fact is that Nishan never knowingly or intentionally misstated her marital status on her application ... the fact is that even if Nishan's own attempts to nullify her Pakistani marriage were insufficient, her conversion to Christianity in 2009 effectively annulled her partial marriage pursuant to Islamic law, which provides that if either spouse leaves Islam ... and the two never consummated their union, the 'nikah' is immediately annulled," the team explained....

Read it all.

At this point these facts are well known, but here is more confirmation. I've received the message from a doctor and former classmate of Nidal Hasan:

He was an outspoken jihadist. He stated publicly that Shariah Law came before the Constitution that he swore an oath to uphold. He did off topic presentations in public health classes on how the War on Terror was a war on Islam. Other courses, he justified suicide bombing.

We complained to faculty, but the PC climate in the military prevented any action that might have been taken against him. Now there are 13 people dead and scores more wounded.

They're actually halting voluntary cooperation with the IAEA. The poor genocidal dears feel as if they're being picked on. "Iran to halt voluntary cooperation with IAEA," from the Tehran Times, November 29:

TEHRAN - Iran officially announced that it will cease its voluntary cooperation with the IAEA after the agency's Board of Governors adopted a resolution against Iran on Friday under pressure by Western countries.

Iran said the drafters of the anti-Iran resolution made a historic mistake and advised the West to discard its policy of confrontation with Tehran.

"To show its goodwill, the Islamic Republic of Iran has so far taken steps beyond its commitments, but this resolution will cause Iran to cooperate with the agency only within the framework of the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty)," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Friday.

"The Board of Governors' resolution will disrupt the current atmosphere of cooperation and will cause Iran to discontinue its voluntary cooperation which went beyond its commitments," Soltanieh told the Mehr News Agency.

Twenty-five members of the 35-nation board, including Russia and China, voted in favor of the resolution. The resolution criticized Iran for beginning construction of a new uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, which is near Qom, and demanded that it immediately halt its construction. It also criticized Iran for defying a UN Security Council call for it to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on Friday saying Iran sees no need to commit itself to voluntary cooperation with the agency since its fundamental rights as an NPT signatory are not being observed.

The Foreign Ministry called the adoption of the resolution a futile attempt to impose pressure on the Islamic Republic.[...]

"The adoption of this resolution is not only unhelpful for improving the current situation, but it will jeopardize the conducive environment vitally needed for success in the process of the Geneva and Vienna negotiations, expected to lead to a common understanding," Soltanieh told the IAEA meeting. [...]

He added, "We are sure that the authors of the anti-Iran resolution made a historic mistake and will soon discover their mistake."

The ambassador said, "The Westerners must have learned (something) from their previous behavior toward Iran, and they must know that they will receive a negative response if they use aggressive language with Iran."

Iranian aggressive, genocidal rhetoric toward Israel is just fine, mind you. Just don't start complaining about it.

The "rebels," of course, are Islamic jihadists -- holding to the same ideology and belief-system as the Iranians whom the Russians have been foolishly and short-sightedly aiding. "Murder on the Nevsky Express," by Matthew Campbell and Anna Voutsen in the Sunday Times, November 29:

The first sign of something wrong as the Nevsky Express raced through the night came when the train began to "tremble". Then the carriage gave a violent lurch to the left and Igor Pechnikov was hurled from his seat.

He was one of the lucky ones. At least 30 other passengers aboard the luxury express from Moscow to St Petersburg were killed and scores more injured when a bomb went off, derailing the last three carriages, including Pechnikov's, at 130mph.

"I flew through half of the carriage," he said yesterday after being led from the twisted wreckage.

Rescue workers searching the mangled debris for 18 people still unaccounted for escaped injury when a second bomb partially detonated nearby yesterday afternoon.

There was no claim of responsibility but suspicion immediately fell on rebels fighting Moscow's rule over the mountainous republic of Chechnya in the northern Caucasus region. They have carried out similar attacks....

In a photo on the steaming pile of holiday cheer that he served up last year over at the Human Rights Tribune, but which just came to my attention tonight, CAIR's Honest Ibe Hooper is looking suspiciously like...I did six years ago.

Lookin' sharp, Ibe!

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister notes the Islamic bloc's control of the UN, and the difficulties Israel accordingly faces from the stealth jihad against it there. Video thanks to Perry:

On the eve of the 62nd anniversary of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 (the Partition Plan for Palestine to create a Jewish and an Arab state), Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel said "If there was a vote to admit Israel to the United Nations today, there is no doubt in my mind that we would not get in." Ayalon also said that in 1949, when Israel was admitted, two-thirds of the nations represented at the United Nations were democratic, whereas today the opposite is true. "Many of these nations are dictatorial and human-rights abusers who form an automatic majority against us which is formed by political expediency and group-think," Ayalon said. "If the Arabs or Palestinians wanted to pass a resolution claiming that the earth is flat, this would be assured of a majority." The Deputy Foreign Minister also talked about how Israel has to make creative strategies to counter this situation. He made the comments at a forum sponsored by Hadar: Israel Council for Civic Action, at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.

I'm a bit late with this, but it is still worth noting. The Islamic Feast of Eid al-Adha commemorates the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, and Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son -- Ishmael in the Muslim version.

In thinking of Abraham, most Americans think of the Biblical figure. In Genesis 22:15-18, Abraham is rewarded for his faith and told he will become a blessing to the nations: "by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

But the Muslim audiences that Obama addresses here do not read Genesis. They read the Koran, in which Allah says that Abraham is an "excellent example" for the believers when he tells his pagan family and people that "there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever, unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone" (60:4). The same verse relates that Abraham is not an excellent example when he tells his father, "I will pray for forgiveness for you."

Thus the Koran, in its picture of Abraham, the man Obama invokes as a symbol of the common elements of the three faiths, holds up hatred as exemplary, while belittling the virtue of forgiveness. Obama therefore reinforces a worldview that takes for granted the legitimacy of everlasting enmity between Muslims and non-Muslims -- and does so while attempting to build bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims.

This demonstrates once again how crucial it is for American policymakers to have a detailed understanding of Islam's theological and cultural frame of reference, and of the actual teachings of the Koran. For lack of this understanding, careless statements continue to be made, and policy errors keep multiplying.

"Obama greets Muslim pilgrims," by Foon Rhee for the Boston Globe, November 25 (thanks to all who sent this in):

President Obama continued his outreach to the world's Muslims today, sending greetings to pilgrims to Mecca.

He also noted that his administration is assisting Saudi authorities in preventing the spread of swine flu.

"Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to all those performing Hajj this year, and to Muslims in America and around the world who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha. The rituals of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha both serve as reminders of the shared Abrahamic roots of three of the world's major religions," Obama said in a statement.

"During Hajj, the world's largest and most diverse gathering, three million Muslims from all walks of life - including thousands of American Muslims - will stand in prayer on Mount Arafat. The following day, Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid-ul-Adha and distribute food to the less fortunate to commemorate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son out of obedience to God," the president added in the statement, translated on the White House website into Arabic, Persian, Dari, Urdu, Pashto, Russian, and French.

"This year, I am pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with the Saudi Health Ministry to prevent and limit the spread of H1N1 during Hajj. Cooperating on combating H1N1 is one of the ways we are implementing my administration's commitment to partnership in areas of mutual interest.

"On behalf of the American people, we would like to extend our greetings during this Hajj season - Eid Mubarak."

Eurabia Alert. Missing as usual is any discussion of the ideological basis for this proliferation of "misunderstanders" of Islam. Present as usual is the hope that the tide may be turned, if we could just find some "moderates" to engage the "misunderstanders." "Germany home to 90 combat Islamists: report," from The Local, November 28:

There are about 90 combat-trained Islamists in Germany moving among underground networks, Focus magazine reported Saturday, as intelligence agencies and police prepare to overhaul the country's anti-terrorism approach.

Some 30 of them have actual fighting experience through clashes with US or Pakistani soldiers, the magazine reported, citing German security sources.

In total, 185 Islamists trained in terrorist camps in central Asia had lived or worked in Germany in the past 10 years, the sources said.

New, young radicals were no longer recruited only through mosques, but also in universities, prisons and sports clubs, the report said.

The security sources wanted Germany to take a stronger stance in the future towards deradicalising young Islamists.

According to a separate report in magazine Der Spiegel, the Joint Terrorism Defence Centre (GTAZ) - a co-operation between various German police and intelligence agencies - will hold a forum in December to overhaul the country's anti-terrorism strategy and come up with fresh approaches.

The efforts would be aimed at native German converts to Islam, as much as radicals with immigrant backgrounds.

Until now, anti-radicalisation measures had been piecemeal across Germany's states, ranging from educational comic books to one-on-one conversations with violence-prone Islamists, the Spiegel report said.

The forum, organised by the Interior Ministry, would also study Jihadists who had already been convicted and imprisoned, as they posed their own danger in jail, where they could radicalise other prisoners.

To fight this problem, moderate Imams and Islamic organisations could be brought into counter the influence of radicals in jails, the Spiegel report said.

Just as soon as a meaningful definition of "moderate" is agreed upon.

The proliferation of czars is a Constitutional issue, but aside from that, the jihadis worldwide must be extraordinarily happy over Obama's consistent anti-Israel line. "Anti-Israel lobbyist appointed to anti-Semitism post: J Street pick hints Jewish state to blame for hatred against its people," by Aaron Klein for WorldNetDaily, November 26:

President Obama's new anti-Semitism czar serves on the board of a controversial Israel-lobby group accused of working against the Jewish state, while her writings suggest Israel's policies are to blame for anti-Semitism.

Hannah Rosenthal, a former Health Department regional director under the Clinton administration, started her position earlier this week as the State Department's new special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. She previously headed the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, an umbrella U.S. Jewish organization.

Rosenthal, however, serves on the board of J Street, a lobby group that is mostly led by left-leaning Israelis and that receives funds from Arab and Muslim Americans.

J Street brands itself as pro-Israel. It states on its website it seeks to "promote meaningful American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically."

J Street, however, also supports talks with Hamas, a terrorist group whose charter seeks the destruction of Israel. The group opposes sanctions against Iran and is harshly critical of Israeli offensive anti-terror military actions.

Even the Israeli government has been distancing itself from J Street, with its ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, refusing to attend its annual dinner last month. Israeli Embassy spokesman Yoni Peled told the Jerusalem Post his government has some "concern over certain [J Street] policies that could impair Israel's interests."...

Hamad al-Majed can see it. Is it only Americans who can't perceive the disaster that the post-American President is already? And it is doubtful that he will improve.

"Saudi Columnist: Obama Will Be President of the 'United Collapse of America,'" from MEMRI, November 25 (thanks to all who sent this in):

In a November 16, 2009 op-ed in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Hamad Al-Majed, founder of the Saudi National Human Rights Association and a lecturer in education, mourns the U.S.'s military, political, and economic collapse. He pointed out that the U.S.'s failures are affecting many countries, and that the countries fighting terror should be particularly concerned.

Al-Majed writes that Barack Obama is the first black president of the United States of America, but may also soon be president of the "United Collapse of America."

Following are excerpts from Al-Majed's op-ed:

"The acknowledgement, in a survey [by] the U.S. military, that the morale of its troops fighting on the Afghanistan front is plummeting does not surprise me. It would be surprising if morale were not plummeting. The hardest thing for any army in the world is to convince its soldiers and brigade commanders of the benefit of the war.

"Such a survey is a good indication that these troops are not sufficiently convinced [of the justice] of the war. This is why the Taliban's morale is higher and its fighting is better than those of the alliance led by the U.S. The number of volunteer fighters in the Taliban's ranks has doubled... as has the number of their attacks...

Why should they be convinced of the justice of the war? They're fighting for one Sharia entity against another -- and meanwhile Obama is trying to make concessions to the enemy Sharia entity. It's madness.

"As the morale of the American troops [in Afghanistan] falls, the morale of the American troops in Iraq rises - not because their fighting situation is any better, but because the U.S. government has informed the troops in Iraq of the beginning of a gradual withdrawal from [that country]. [...]

"On the economic level, several American banks collapsed recently and declared bankruptcy. These banks join several more respectable American banks that went bankrupt as Obama began his term in office. Also, the unemployment rate [is evidence of] collapse - so much so that it looks to the observer like a car with no brakes going [down a slope].

"If the U.S. sneezes, the entire world catches a cold. Its political collapse in its war on terror, together with its economic collapse, have made the entire world sink into a political and economic quagmire. No one knows how our star will emerge from the maelstrom.

"The failures of the U.S. in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia will have an impact on the countries that are fighting terrorism and extremism. These countries must prepare for the stage that follows these collapses and retreats - because there is no critical American/Western victory on the horizon in the fight against [extremism and terrorism].

"Obama fought tooth and nail to be the first black president of the U.S., and he was successful at it. But in the future he may also gain the title of 'President of the United Collapse of America.'"

Why wouldn't the Post-American President allow this? After all, he already plans to try the CIA members who interrogated jihadis at Gitmo, and Navy Seals who captured a top jihadist. Why should he have any problem with this?

"Prosecuting American 'War Crimes': The International Criminal Court claims jurisdiction over U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan," by Daniel Schwammenthal in the Wall Street Journal, November 26 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed "great regret" in August that the U.S. is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This has fueled speculation that the Obama administration may reverse another Bush policy and sign up for what could lead to the trial of Americans for war crimes in The Hague.

The ICC's chief prosecutor, though, has no intention of waiting for Washington to submit to the court's authority. Luis Moreno Ocampo says he already has jurisdiction--at least with respect to Afghanistan.

Because Kabul in 2003 ratified the Rome Statute--the ICC's founding treaty--all soldiers on Afghan territory, even those from nontreaty countries, fall under the ICC's oversight, Mr. Ocampo told me. And the chief prosecutor says he is already conducting a "preliminary examination" into whether NATO troops, including American soldiers, fighting the Taliban may have to be put in the dock.

"We have to check if crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide have been committed in Afghanistan," Mr. Ocampo told me. "There are serious allegations against the Taliban and al Qaeda and serious allegations about warlords, even against some who are connected with members of the government." Taking up his inquiry of Allied soldiers, he added, "there are different reports about problems with bombings and there are also allegations about torture."

It was clear who the targets of these particular inquiries are but the chief prosecutor shied away from spelling it out.

Asked repeatedly whether the examination of bombings and torture allegations refers to NATO and U.S. soldiers, Mr. Ocampo finally stated that "we are investigating whoever commits war crimes, including the group you mentioned."

The fact that he avoided a straightforward "I am looking into possible war crimes committed by American soldiers" showed that Mr. Ocampo is aware of the enormity of crossing this legal and political bridge. Appointed in 2003 for a nine-year period, the 57-year-old Argentinian has--so far--established a record of cautious jurisprudence....

The glorious fruit of giving the 9/11 plotters civilian trials is already beginning to appear. Watch for these guys to walk -- after wasting a few taxpayer millions, that is. "Mental State Cited in 9/11 Case," by Jess Bravin in the Wall Street Journal, November 27 (thanks to Elisa):

WASHINGTON -- When five defendants are brought before a New York federal judge to face charges for the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the first question may be whether some of them are competent to stand trial at all.

Military lawyers for Ramzi Binalshibh, an accused organizer of the 9/11 plot, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, the conspiracy's alleged paymaster, say their clients have mental disorders that make them unfit for trial, likely caused or exacerbated by years of harsh confinement in Central Intelligence Agency custody.

The issue already has arisen in military-commission proceedings at the military's detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to an August ruling by a military judge, prosecutors have made an "apparent concession" that Mr. Binalshibh "suffers from a delusional disorder-persecutory type" disorder. Mr. Binalshibh has been prescribed "a variety of psychotropic medications used to treat schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder, including Haldol, Abilify, risperidone and Ativan," according to commission records.

In October 2008, a military medical board reported Mr. Binalshibh may suffer from "severe mental disease" that could "impair his ability to conduct or cooperate intelligently in his defense."...

What efforts will be taken to ensure that the recruits are not jihadi infiltrators? Why, none. "CIA goes hiring in heart of Arab America," by Soyoung Kim for Reuters, November 27 (thanks to all who sent this in):

DEARBORN, Michigan (Reuters) - At Tuhama's Lebanese deli in Dearborn, and at bakeries and barbershops throughout town, it's no secret the CIA is looking for a few good spies.

"There is a lot of talk, and nobody likes it," said Hamze Chehade, a 48-year-old Lebanese-American, taking a bite of his chicken shawarma.

In dire need of agents fluent in Arabic, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has made an unusual public show of its recruiting effort in Dearborn -- a city of 100,000 with the densest Arab population in the United States.

The agency has bought full-page ads in Arabic-language newspapers and it is rolling out TV ads aimed at luring Arab-Americans and Iranian-Americans to spycraft.

But despite a weak economy and high unemployment, the CIA will find it hard to hire here, residents say. Many see U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East as misguided and anger over the perceived mistreatment of Arab-Americans runs deep.

Reuters doesn't mention it, of course, but there is also the idea that it is wrong for Muslims to fight other Muslims (cf. Koran 4:92), and wrong to work for an Infidel polity.

It won't be easy to win hearts and minds here, they say.

"If anyone goes, they would be just going for the money, not following the heart," said Chehade, a cabinet-maker who immigrated from Lebanon 21 years ago.

CIA recruiters said the agency sorely needs speakers of Arabic and other languages due to the intensifying insurgency in Afghanistan and the continuing U.S. occupation of Iraq.

"Obviously, with the wars going on in the Middle East, that's really on America's radar," said Henry Medina, who is in charge of CIA recruiting in the Midwest....

One TV spot showed a dinner party at an Arab-American home, with a narrator intoning, "Your nation, your world. They're worth protecting. Careers in the CIA." The camera zooms out to show the party taking place in a modern high-rise building, then a view of the United States from outer space....

"People have been told, 'Your name is Mohammed; your name is Ahmed; you must be a terrorist," said Osama Siblani, Lebanese-born publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News. "How do you bring people into the government when they have been subjected to a great deal of discrimination?"

He added: "You have to believe that what you are doing is the right thing, otherwise you are just a gun for hire."

The problem here, of course, is that Osama Siblani and his ilk have done nothing to root out jihadis from their ranks. Then they try to claim victim status.

Siblani, whose newspaper runs CIA recruiting ads, met CIA Director Leon Panetta during a September visit to Dearborn. "I said, treat us like Americans," he said. "We love America but does America love us?"

What exactly has Siblani done to show he loves America? Islamic groups have generally opposed every anti-terror effort, and have concentrated on claiming to be victimized rather than done anything to demonstrate their loyalty to Constitutional principles and freedoms.

Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, agreed that many Arab-Americans were torn between feelings of patriotism and resentment of U.S. government policy at home and abroad.

"I think transparency will do a lot more than airing TV commercials. There's a large amount of fear and mistrust with the government," Walid said....

There no doubt is, but there should be even more mistrust for CAIR, an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case that has never seen an anti-terror initiative that it liked.

On Warren Avenue, where signs in Arabic outnumber those in English, other residents said they doubted the CIA would find many willing recruits in Dearborn.

"It's not lack of patriotism. It's questioning of wrong policy," said Mohammed, a 24-year-old graduate student of Libyan descent who asked not to use his last name.

Inside Tuhama's, Chehade said he would warn his adult sons to consider the consequences of signing on with the CIA.

"People are going to hate you," he said.

Now, why exactly is that?

For the second year in a row, I've come out a winner in the Infidel Blogger Awards voting -- this year as "Best Overall North American Infidel Blogger."

Heartfelt thanks to all who voted, especially my friends currently interred in Chicago cemeteries, without whom this would not have been possible. As my second term approaches, I promise a chicken in every pot, a car in every garage, a New Frontier, a Great Society, and more truth about Islamic jihad and Islamic supremacism. And Tyler too.

Imperiled

Islam, of course, forbids representational art. And we all saw what happened to the Buddhas of Bamiyan. More on this story. "Taliban trying to destroy Buddhist art from the Gandhara period," from Asia News, November 27 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Pakistani and foreign archaeologists have set off the alarm bell, warning that the Taliban are destroying Pakistan's ancient Gandhara heritage, which includes some of the oldest representations of the Buddha. Because of violence, tourists shy away from the country's northwest and local works of art are increasingly at risk of going the way of the Bamiyan Buddha statues, which the Taliban destroyed in 2001.

"Militants are the enemies of culture,' said Abdul Nasir Khan, curator of Taxila Museum, home to one of the premier archaeological collections in Pakistan, some 20 kilometres south of Islamabad.

As one of the foremost archaeological sites in Pakistan, Taxila possesses some of the most important artefacts from the Gandhara civilisation, which peaked between the 5th century BC and the 2nd century AD.

Emerging in the wake of the conquests by Alexander the Great, the Gandhara kingdom blended Indian traditions and Hellenistic culture, with representations of the Buddha taking on human forms that resemble Greek divinities, especially the god Apollo.

"'Even in Taxila we don't feel safe. The local administration has warned us about a possible attack on this museum. We have taken some extra security precautions but they aren't sufficient and we lack funds," Khan said.

"For weeks we don't get even a single foreign visitor. If visitors don't come, if sites are not preserved and protected, if research stops, what do you think will be the future of archaeology?'" he noted.

Good question for Europeans to ponder.

The learned analysts have repeatedly assured us that Sharia provisions do not apply to non-Muslims.

Sharia Alert: "Christian girl, 16, gets 50 lashes for wearing 'indecent' knee-length skirt in Sudan," from the Daily Mail, November 27 (thanks to Alexandre):

A 16-year-old Sudanese girl was lashed 50 times after a judge ruled her knee-length skirt was indecent, her family said today.

The mother of Christian teenager Silva Kashif said she is to sue police and the judge who imposed the sentence under Islamic shariah law.

Saying she only learned about her daughter's conviction after she had been lashed, mother Jenty Doro said the family's religion should have been taken into account.

Kashif, whose family comes from the south Sudanese town of Yambio, was arrested while walking to the market near her home in the Khartoum suburb of Kalatla last week, Doro told Reuters.

'She is just a young girl but the policeman pulled her along in the market like she was a criminal. It was wrong,' said Doro....

In many ways.

Not long ago Robert Spencer and another speaker were attempting to elucidate, for an audience in New York, the ideology of Islam, that ideology that explains, without much trouble, the behavior of many Muslims, and the real attitudes of many more. Someone in the audience caused a stir, and while the security guards ran to deal with it, from an unsecured side door out rushed two people bearing pies that they flung at Spencer (who successfully dodged the pie meant for him) and his associate, Mr. Elan Journo, who was not quite so quick, and was hit. These were pies, and pie-throwing may make us think of the late Soupy Sales, and campus shenanigans that are supposed to be hilarious but somehow never are.

But in this case, the pie-throwing was no joke, because what the speakers were speaking about was Islam, and in many countries many death threats have been delivered, and some of those death threats acted upon, in many different places. A Japanese translator of Salman Rushdie was stabbed to death; a Norwegian translator was attacked but survived. Political figures, such as Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands, have been killed. Cultural gadflies, who dared to deal with Islam as they dealt with Christianity or Judaism or the monarchy or anything else, such as Theo van Gogh, were killed. Wafa Sultan must live in hiding. Geert Wilders, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Magdi Allam, in Europe, must all travel with a constant escort of armed guards, and Wilders, at least, must frequently move from house to army base to house.

Nonie Darwish was scheduled to speak at two famous American universities. She was invited not by the universities themselves, but by student groups. And it was by student groups that she was dis-invited, groups that were responding to enormous pressure from Muslims on campus. Is this purely a private matter, in which university administrations have no role to play? Are they simply to observe, with disinterest, the spectacle all over the country of those who wish to speak about Islam in terms other than flattering, being hounded, harassed, having pies thrown at them, enduring campaigns of vilification before, during, and after their few appearances, or even -- as in the just-concluded dismal spectacle involving Nonie Darwish, never having a chance to present their views, no matter how well-informed or well-reasoned.

Is there, then, a positive duty to seek to protect free speech by taking a special interest in speakers who, because of the nature of their subject matter, should be heard most of all? Their subject matter, currently, has caused recent American governments to spend between two and three trillion dollars. And if many more people could achieve the right understanding of Islam, I believe that they would sensibly endorse policies that would not require the expenditure of two-three trillion dollars. Surely the presidents of American universities have a stake in helping our benighted rulers to find more effective, cunning, and less expensive ways to deal with the problem of Islam and those of its adherents who take their Islam straight up, not on the rocks, modified by time, custom, perceived present self-interest. Few in the West are willing, right now, to rock the boat too violently, as they may be willing when their numbers, and power, increase.

"The military has been following attempts to carry out attacks through the 'U-route', where Gazan terrorists travel to Egypt, then turn back upon reaching Sinai and infiltrate Israel via the more penetrable Israel-Egypt border."

"Terror attack foiled as troops chase away man carrying bomb," by Yaakov Katz for the Jerusalem Post, November 26:

An IDF bomb squad detonated a 15-kilogram explosive seized during a search conducted along the Egyptian border on Thursday.

Late Wednesday night, IDF troops on a routine patrol of the border area spotted a suspicious figure carrying a bag containing what was later discovered to be a 15-kilogram bomb.

The soldiers ordered him to stop and fired several shots in the air. However, the man fled the scene back into Egypt, dropping the bag in his haste.

IDF sources said it was possible that the suspected terrorist was from the Gaza Strip and had crossed into the Sinai Peninsula with the intention of then crossing into Israel to carry out an attack.

The military has been following attempts to carry out attacks through the 'U-route', where Gazan terrorists travel to Egypt, then turn back upon reaching Sinai and infiltrate Israel via the more penetrable Israel-Egypt border.

Channel 10 quoted security officials as assessing the device was either meant to be used in Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, or in another major Israeli city to which the suspect would have been driven, in order to perpetrate a multiple-casualty attack.

OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant praised the soldiers' alertness and quick response.

You know Iran's shell game is getting absurd when even El Baradei is starting to sound serious. However, the consequences for Iran will likely be limited to yet another deadline from the bottomless bag of meaningless gestures toward eventually holding Iran accountable... but not right away. And all it does is buy Iran more time. "Iran warned over nuclear 'dead end' by UN's El Baradei," from BBC News, November 26:

Investigations into Iran's nuclear programme will reach a "dead end" unless Tehran starts to co-operate, the UN nuclear chief has warned.

Mohamed El Baradei told governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that there had been no movement on issues that needed to be clarified.

He said he was "disappointed" with Iran's rejection of a deal that would see its uranium processed overseas.

He spoke ahead of an IAEA vote on a resolution critical of Iran.

In September Iran was revealed to have a second uranium enrichment facility, deepening Western fears about the nature of its nuclear ambitions.

Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes, but the US and other nations say its is seeking nuclear weapons.

'Outstanding issues'

Addressing IAEA governors in Vienna, Mr El Baradei said his inspectors had made no progress on areas which needed to be clarified in order to verify the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.

"It is now well over a year since the agency was last able to engage Iran in discussions about these outstanding issues," he said.

"We have effectively reached a dead end, unless Iran engages fully with us."

Tehran's late declaration of a second nuclear fuel enrichment facility had, he said, reduced "confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction in Iran which have not been declared".

And he called Iran's failure to agree to a US-backed plan under which its low-enriched uranium would be shipped overseas for processing into fuel disappointing....

At the holiest time, at the holiest place, this is what springs to their minds. I wonder what Obama's grandmama thought if she heard it. Feel the love: "Iran pilgrims stage hajj protest," by Adel Zaanoun for AFP, November 26 (thanks to dsinc):

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia -- Iranian hajj pilgrims carried out a peaceful protest without incident on Thursday as millions of Muslims amassed for the peak of the world's largest annual pilgrimage.

Ignoring Saudi warnings against political activity, the Iranians chanted for Muslim unity and against the "enemies" of the faith in their camp at Arafat outside of Mecca.

"Death to America, death to Israel," thousands of Iranians chanted inside a huge tent on the Arafat plain.

No Saudi security forces were evident as Ayatollah Muhammed Rishari, the representative of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the Iranian delegation.

"We need to be purified from our wrongdoings in this hajj," he said in a statement.

"We need all Muslims, Sunni and Shiite, to be unified and focus on important issues: Al-Aqsa (mosque in Jerusalem), the occupation of Palestine, the problems in Iraq, the Afghan occupation, and the fighting between brothers in Yemen. We need be purified from all infidels."...

Salah Sultan, formerly of the Noor Mosque in Columbus, Ohio, (before he himself was barred from entering the United States), and Anwar al-Awlaki, Nidal Hasan's jihadist imam, led a Hajj trip together in 2002.

Patrick Poole, who has done superb research work on the Noor Mosque, has the details here (thanks to Pamela).

Yet we are told that Rifqa Bary won't be in any danger, as a convert from Islam to Christianity, if she is returned to her father, who attends this mosque and who she says threatened to kill her.

The willful ignorance of the authorities on the Rifqa Bary case continues, despite mounting evidence that the girl is in grave danger. Do join us for another Rally for Rifqa on December 22 in Columbus. That's the day of her dependency hearing, and she could be sent back to her family. The only thing we can do is continue to shine a light on her situation and the questionable actions of the authorities involved. Join us. And ask your favorite "conservative" blogs why they're saying nothing about this poor girl, who has become a symbol of religious freedom -- and our declining national will to preserve it.

Be thankful that you are breathing.

Jihad attacks and attempted attacks inside the U.S. have sharply increased. In response, the entire government and media establishment hastens to assure the world that the root cause is not the root cause. And the President of the United States rushes to make more concessions to the jihadis and their sponsors and allies. Eight years after 9/11, and fewer people than ever know or care about what we are really up against.

But...you are alive. You are breathing. You can read this. You are not beaten.

Be thankful. Be thankful that you understand freedom and are determined to defend it. Be thankful that you understand Islamic supremacism, and are determined to resist it.

For therein lies your victory, and mine, and that of every free individual. The game is far from over. Be thankful for that.

And act.

Islam In Europe has the story.

Surprised? Surely these Muslim antisemites must have misunderstood their Religion of Tolerance, no?

Well, consider this Koranic exposition from IslamOnline (captured here):

Dear Sheikh! As-Salam `Alaykum. What, according to the Qur'an, are the main characteristics and qualities of Jews?

Answer: [...]

As regards the question you posed, the following is the fatwa issued by Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former Head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, in which he states the following:

"The Qur'an has specified a considerable deal of its verses to talking about Jews, their personal qualities and characteristics. The Qur'anic description of Jews is quite impartial; praising them in some occasions where they deserve praise and condemning them in other occasions where they practice blameworthy acts. Yet, the latter occasions outnumbered the former, due to their bad qualities and the heinous acts they used to commit.

The Qur'an praises them on the verse that reads: " And verily We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture and the Command and the Prophethood, and provided them with good things and favored them above (all) peoples." (Al-Jathiyah:16) i.e. the peoples of their time.

Among the bad qualities they were characterized with are the following:

1. They used to fabricate things and falsely ascribe them to Allah. Allah Almighty says: " That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly." (Al-`Imran:75) Also: "The Jews say: Allah's hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will." (Al-Ma`idah:64)

In another verse Almighty Allah says: "Verily Allah heard the saying of those who said, (when asked for contributions to the war): "Allah, forsooth, is poor, and we are rich! We shall record their saying with their slaying of the Prophets wrongfully and We shall say: Taste ye the punishment of burning!" (Al-`Imran:181)

2. They love to listen to lies. Concerning this Allah says: "and of the Jews: listeners for the sake of falsehood, listeners on behalf of other folk" (Al-Ma'idah: 41)

3. Disobeying Almighty Allah and never observing His commands. Allah says: "And because of their breaking their covenant, We have cursed them and made hard their hearts." (Al-Ma'idah: 13)

4. Disputing and quarreling. This is clear in the verse that reads: "Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth enough?" (Al-Baqarah: 247)

5. Hiding the truth and standing for misleading. This can be understood from the verse that reads: "...distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture." (Al-`Imran: 78)

6. Staging rebellion against the Prophets and rejecting their guidance. This is clear in the verse: "And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Allah plainly." (Al-Baqarah: 55)

7. Hypocrisy. In a verse, we read: "And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock." (Al-Baqarah: 14) In another verse, we read: "Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practice it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?" (Al-Baqarah: 44)

8. Giving preference to their own interests over the rulings of religion and the dictates of truth. Allah says: "...when there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?" (Al-Baqarah: 87)

9. Wishing evil for people and trying to mislead them. This is clear in the verse that reads: "Many of the People of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief, through envy on their own account, after the truth hath become manifest unto them." (Al-Baqarah: 109)

10. They feel pain to see others in happiness and are gleeful when others are afflicted with a calamity. This is clear in the verse that reads: "If a lucky chance befall you, it is evil unto them, and if disaster strike you they rejoice thereat." (Al-`Imran:120)

11. They are known of their arrogance and haughtiness. They claimed to be the sons and of Allah and His beloved ones. Allah tells us about this in the verse that reads: "The Jews and Christians say: We are sons of Allah and His loved ones." (Al-Ma'idah: 18)

12. Utilitarianism and opportunism are among their innate traits. This is clear in the verse that reads: "And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences." (An-Nisa': 161)

13. Their impoliteness and indecent way of speech is beyond description. Referring to this, the Qur'anic verse reads: "Some of those who are Jews change words from their context and say: "We hear and disobey; hear thou as one who heareth not" and "Listen to us!" distorting with their tongues and slandering religion. If they had said: "We hear and we obey; hear thou, and look at us" it had been better for them, and more upright. But Allah hath cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, save a few." (An-Nisa':46)

14. It is easy for them to slay people and kill innocents. Nothing in the world is dear to their hearts than shedding blood and murdering human beings. They never give up this trait even with the Messengers and the Prophets. Allah says: "...and slew the prophets wrongfully." (Al-Baqarah: 61)

15. They are merciless and heartless. In this meaning, the Qur'anic verse explains: "Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness." (Al-Baqarah: 74)

16. They never keep their promises or fulfill their words. Almighty Allah says: "Is it ever so that when ye make a covenant a party of you set it aside? The truth is, most of them believe not." (Al-Baqarah: 100)

17. They rush hurriedly to sins and compete in transgression. Allah says: "They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily evil was that they used to do!" (Al-MA'idah:79)

18. Cowardice and their love for this worldly life are their undisputable traits. To this, the Qur'an refers when saying: "Ye are more awful as a fear in their bosoms than Allah. That is because they are a folk who understand not. They will not fight against you in a body save in fortified villages or from behind walls. Their adversity among themselves is very great. Ye think of them as a whole whereas their hearts are divers." (Al-Hashr:13-14) Allah Almighty also says: "And thou wilt find them greediest of mankind for life and (greedier) than the idolaters." (Al-Baqarah:96)

19. Miserliness runs deep in their hearts. Describing this, the Qur'an states: "Or have they even a share in the Sovereignty? Then in that case, they would not give mankind even the speck on a date stone." (An-Nisa':53)

20. Distorting Divine Revelation and Allah's Sacred Books. Allah says in this regard: "Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands anthem say, "This is from Allah," that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby." (Al-Baqara: 79)

After this clear explanation, we would like to note that these are but some of the most famous traits of the Jews as described in the Qur'an. They have revolted against the Divine ordinances, distorted what has been revealed to them and invented new teachings which, they claimed, were much more better than what has been recorded in the Torah. It was for these traits that they found no warm reception in all countries where they tried to reside. Rather, they would either be driven out or live in isolation. It was Almighty Allah who placed on them His Wrath and made them den of humiliation due to their transgression. Almighty Allah told us that He'd send to them people who'd pour on them rain of severe punishment that would last till the Day of Resurrection. All this gives us glad tidings of the coming victory of Muslims over them once Muslims stick to strong faith and belief in Allah and adopt the modern means of technology."

Jihadis and their allies continue their Alinskyite strategy of marginalizing their opponents -- and their thuggish attempts to silence them. And dhimmi university officials are all too happy to oblige them. Free Speech Death Watch Alert: "Free Speech Silenced at Columbia and Princeton," by Pamela Geller in The American Thinker, November 24:

Nonie Darwish, the executive director of Former Muslims United and author of Cruel And Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law, was scheduled to speak at Columbia and Princeton Universities last week, but both events were canceled under pressure from Muslim groups on campus.

Remember, we are talking about Columbia University, where Ahmadinejad was welcomed like a returning king.

Just hours before Darwish was scheduled to speak at Columbia, the groups that had invited her to both universities, the Whig-Clio Student Debate Society and Tigers for Israel, succumbed to demands from student Muslim groups and canceled her speaking event. Tigers for Israel, my eye. Their name mocks them. The Whig-Clio Society is the oldest debating society in the U.S., founded by James Madison in 1765. These are the students who are supposed to be the leaders of the future. What a joke.

Look how the cancellation went down at Princeton. Look at the systematic bullying. This is the state of freedom of speech in the age of jihad. Arab Society president Sami Yabroudi and former president Sarah Mousa issued a joint statement, claiming: "Nonie Darwish is to Arabs and Muslims what Ku Klux Klan members, skinheads, and neo-Nazis are to other minorities, and we decided that the role of her talk in the logical, intellectual discourse espoused by Princeton University needed to be questioned."

KKK? Neo-Nazi? Nonie Darwish was scheduled to speak about Sharia law and Israel, about standing up for human rights against jihad....

As Weasel Zippers says: "What a disgrace. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Christians in the areas it controls, beheadings, numerous terrorist attacks etc. not that this would bother Obama...."

"Obama sends letter to Philippine Muslim rebel leader," from Deutsche Presse Agentur, November 14 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):

Manila - US President Barack Obama has sent a letter to the leader of the main Muslim rebel group in the Philippines, a guerrilla official said Saturday.

The letter to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ibrahim was delivered to rebel peace negotiators by Deputy Assistant State Secretary Scot Marciel, according to Muhammad Ameen, chairman of the MILF secretariat.

Ameen said Marciel and two other US diplomats met MILF peace negotiators headed by Mohagher Iqbal on November 6.

Ameen did not disclose the contents of the letter but said it was a response to a letter Murad sent to Obama after he won the election last year.

On Friday, US State Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the Philippine government and the MILF to conclude a peace deal before the end of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's term next year....

And it did not do so out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia." More bitter fruit of political correctness: "Threat of jihad infiltration did not factor into U.S. Army's screening process," from the World Tribune, November 23 (thanks to Mackie):

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army, fearing political repercussions, refused to consider the prospect of infiltration by Al Qaida supporters.

A former senior army official told Congress that the military service drafted guidelines on a range of scenarios, including racism. But the army, despite the recruitment of thousands of Muslims, many of them converts, failed to examine prospects of infiltration by Al Qaida and other Islamists.

"Clearly we don't have specific guidelines in dealing with jihadist extremists," [Ret.] Gen. John Keane, former army vice chief of staff, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Of course not. We hardly even admit they exist.

Christian women in Lebanon ought to have advocates to defend them. Muslim women ought to as well, but it is more difficult for them because of the divine sanction given to wife-beating (Koran 4:34).

"Violence Against Women: Lebanon; 90% Victim Of Abuse," from ANSAmed, November 25 (thanks to Insubria):

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, NOVEMBER 25 - At least 90% of women in Lebanon are, or have been in the past, victim of physical or psychological abuse. This statement was made on the occasion of the tenth international day for the elimination of violence against women, by the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women (LCRVAW). "Only very few of these crimes are reported, because in Lebanon it is considered normal that a woman is beaten by her husband or a relative; therefore judges and policemen often underestimate the problem" said to ANSA Raghida Ghamlush, head of the LCRVAW office in Beirut. Despite the election of a woman as finance minister, "the situation in Lebanon" Ghamlush continued "is not good: the crime of domestic violence is not provided for in the penal code". For the Lebanese law, cases of maltreatment and abuse are part of family law, and are therefore handled directly by the confessional communities. "Only if injuries are reported by a doctor" the NGO leader said, "they can take legal action, but the chances of success are slim". Even worse, according to Dalal Chehade, head of the Lebanese NGO Najdeh, is the situation of women in the Lebanese refugee camps. "They are discriminated twice as much because they are refugees and because they are women", he told ANSA. Considered foreigners by the Lebanese Sate, "in case of abuse, before reporting their aggressor they must turn to the peoplés committee that handles these reports with the Lebanese authorities. This obstacle is sufficiently high for most crimes to remain unpunished", he concluded. (ANSAmed).

Why the deception? And who was behind it? AP? The Obama camp? Someone else? What was its purpose?

AP, March 5, 2008:

"In the world of today, children have different religions from their parents," she said. She, too, is a Christian.

Is she really?

"Saudi Arabia: Obama's grandmother in Mecca for 'Hajj' ceremony," from AKI, November 25 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Mecca, 25 Nov. (AKI) - The grandmother of US president Barack Obama has arrived in Saudi Arabia for the 'Hajj' or Islamic pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, a Saudi daily said on Wednesday. Sarah Obama, 87, is being accompanied by a nephew and Obama's cousin, Omran.

On Wednesday Sarah Obama was in the valley of Mina with an African delegation, according to the Saudi daily Okaz.

Obama, the mother of the American president's father, lives in a village in Kenya and is one of the many guests of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud....

It was Islamic jihadists again, oddly enough. Everyone knows that all religions have their fanatics and extremists and they're all equally dangerous, yet those Christian beheaders remain inconveniently quiet. "Russian officials beheaded in N. Caucasus-Ifax," from Reuters, November 24 (thanks to Islam In Europe):

MOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A police investigator and a court bailiff were found beheaded in a car trunk in Russia's mainly Muslim region of Kabardino-Balkaria, Interfax said on Tuesday, underscoring spreading violence on Russia's southern flank.

The killings follow a spate of attacks on power stations and police posts in Kabardino-Balkaria, which is close to the Ingushetia region where rights group say Islamist militants and government forces are effectively at war.

The two beheaded men were discovered in a Mercedes late on Monday in the town of Chegem, about 10 km (six miles) north of the regional capital Nalchik, the news agency reported, citing law enforcement services....

Omar Bin Laden, news reports tell us, would like a job at the U.N. This isn't a case of someone wishing to further terrorism. By all accounts, he does not approve of his famous father.

But that is not the only reason to give Omar Bin Laden a job at the U.N. In fact, it would clarify matters considerably if Omar Bin Laden, who remains a Muslim, if not nearly as fanatical and violent a Muslim as his father, were to be given the post of Secretary General. No Muslim has yet held that post. Isn't it time?

It would be perfect.

Consider the last few Secretaries-General of the U.N.

This is like sentencing to death Carnac the Magnificent. Sharia Alert from the Kingdom of the Two Holy Places: "TV Presenter On Death Row For Witchcraft," from Sky News, November 24 (thanks to Peter):

A man has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for witchcraft because he makes predictions on television.

Ali Sibat is not even a Saudi national. The Lebanese citizen was only visiting Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage when he was arrested in Medina last year.

A court in the city condemned him as a witch on November 9.

The only evidence presented in court was reportedly the claim he appeared regularly on Lebanese satellite issuing general advice on life and making predictions about the future.

The case is causing outrage among human rights campaigners but has made little news elsewhere despite the ludicrous nature of the charges and the extraordinary severity of Sibat's sentence.

"Saudi courts are sanctioning a literal witch hunt by the religious police," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

"The crime of witchcraft is being used against all sorts of behavior, with the cruel threat of state sanctioned executions."...

"Men shall take full care of women with the bounties which God has bestowed more abundantly on the former than on the latter, and with what they may spend out of their possessions. And the righteous women are the truly devout ones, who guard the intimacy which God has guarded. And as for those women whose ill-will you have reason to fear, admonish them; then leave them alone in bed; then beat them..." (Koran 4:34)

Of course, that's taken wildly out of context. Every last Muslim in the world, especially in modern, moderate, secular Turkey, knows that that verse is not to be taken literally.

"Turkey: 42% Pct Of Women Targets Of Violence, Survey," from ANSAmed, November 24 (thanks to Insubria):

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, NOVEMBER 24 - Forty-two percent of women in Turkey become targets of physical or sexual violence, a staggering statistic which along with others will be the focus of events held on the occasion of tomorrow's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As Today's Zaman reports quoting data by the Directorate general on status of women, one of every four married women who are targets of violence is injured to the point of requiring medical attention. One of every three women who face violence from a husband or boyfriend attempts suicide. One in every five women, married and single, face violence from their relatives or peeple [sic] at school or the workplace. In recent years, some changes to the country's human rights laws have been made as Turkey inches along it its bid to join the European Union, but for many women who for various reasons end up in custody or behind bars, the situation is desperate. In the past 12 years, 74 women have been raped while in custody, and with allegations that have not yet been proved, this number climbs to over 300. In the past year only 15 women have complained of sexual abuse while in custody. There have been positive developments in recent years regarding this topic with sexual abuse gaining legal status as a crime, the range of the laws on rape being expanded and the sentencing deductions for "honor" killings and killings as part of tribal feuds abolished. (ANSAmed).

The poor jihadi had a bloody lip!

Yet another Which Side Is Obama On Alert: "Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist," by Rowan Scarborough for FoxNews, November 24 (thanks to Mackie):

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq -- the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment -- called an admiral's mast -- and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors -- and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.

Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.

Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.

The three SEALs will be arraigned separately on Dec. 7. Another three SEALs -- two officers and an enlisted sailor -- have been identified by investigators as witnesses but have not been charged.

FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.

The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.

"I gave the detainee a glance over and then left," the SEAL wrote. "I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health."...

Defiant and victorious

Marcel Efroimski, a 13-year-old Israeli chess prodigy, yesterday became the Girls' Under-14 World Chess Champion when she won the Gold Medal for her age group at the World Youth Chess Championships held in Turkey. This in itself is not of any interest to Jihad Watch -- except that during the awards ceremony, the malignant (if not turban'd) and increasingly Islamic supremacist Turkish authorities refused to play the Israeli National Anthem, as is required at such ceremonies. However, young Marcel would not play the dhimmi. She stood on the podium and raised her trophy with an expression of defiance -- as you can see from the photo, in which she stands in front of an image of the malignant and unturban'd Ataturk.

Kudos, Marcel. With that, you became more than just a winner. You became a hero.

Details here and here.

The following letter was sent to FIDE, President Kirsan Ilumzhinov and Vice President Israel Gelfer.

Dear Mr. President,

I write to you with great concern following what seems as a serious incident that occurred .Today during the closing ceremony of the world junior championships held in Turkey. Happily our girl junior player, Marcel Efroymsky, has won the world title and the gold medal. As customed in such events, the delegations prepared to stand and salute the national anthem of the winner's country. Astonishingly and without any warning, the organizers decided to cancel the playing of the winners anthem. The Turkish organization has offered a ridiculous explanation that they do not have the time to spend on such event.

This excuse is absurd in light of the same venue hosting this event two years ago where all winner anthems were played! In there actions, the organizers demonstrated disrespect to the junior winners, their federation and their countries. As chairman of the Israeli Chess Federation, I herby urge you to investigate this incident. I must say that this kind of boycott (if such occurred) strikes as a another example of how politics interferes with chess. I call you as president of the FIDE, for which the tournament carried your flag, to investigate this issue and if the information appeared to be accurate, then to denounce this disrespectful conduct if the information.

My feeling is, that such events hurt chess in general and send the wrong message the children who dream to become chess champions taking pride in representing their countries.

Yours truly,

Aviv Bushinsky
Chairman of the Israeli Chess Federation

In response the president of the Turkish Chess Federation merely repeats the time excuse.

"Young Americans" who doubtless despise America and pray for its downfall. "Charges Detail Road to Terror for 20 in U.S.," by Andrea Elliott for the New York Times, November 24 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Federal officials on Monday unsealed terrorism-related charges against men they say were key actors in a recruitment effort that led roughly 20 young Americans to join a violent insurgent group in Somalia with ties to Al Qaeda.

With eight new suspects charged Monday, the authorities have implicated 14 people in the case, one of the most extensive domestic terrorism investigations since the Sept. 11 attacks. Some of them have been arrested; others are at large, including several believed to be still fighting with the Somali group, Al Shabaab.

The case represents the largest group of American citizens suspected of joining an extremist movement affiliated with Al Qaeda, senior officials said. Many of the recruits had come to America as young refugees fleeing a brutal civil war, only to settle in a gang-ridden enclave of Minneapolis.

The men named on Monday face federal charges including perjury, providing material support to a terrorist organization and conspiring to kill, maim, kidnap or injure people outside the United States.

Law enforcement officials are concerned that the recruits, who hold American passports, could be commissioned to return to the United States to carry out attacks here, though so far there is no evidence of such plots....

The disclosures are the government's first public account of a recruitment operation that it says has largely focused on Somali-American men from the Minneapolis area. Those young men included Shirwa Ahmed, 26, who carried out a suicide attack in northern Somalia in October 2008, becoming the first known American suicide bomber. Since then, at least five other recruits have been killed in Somalia, relatives and friends say, and four defendants have entered guilty pleas.

The court documents, which included unsealed indictments and criminal complaints, provide chilling details about the experience of the recruits, who began to enlist in Al Shabaab in September 2007. They attended training camps in Somalia run by Somali, Arab and Western instructors, who taught them to use machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades and indoctrinated them with anti-American and anti-Israeli beliefs, according to one complaint. Two of the Minneapolis recruits took part in an ambush against Ethiopian troops, and many others were involved in combat, according to the documents.

One of the fighters, Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, later returned to Minneapolis and emerged as a recruiter, officials said. A 32-year-old cab driver and divorced father of two, Mr. Faarax had sustained a leg injury while fighting with Al Shabaab, a senior law enforcement official said.

A cab driver named "Cabdulaahi"? Come on.

In the fall of 2007, he attended a meeting at an unnamed Minneapolis mosque in which participants spoke by telephone with co-conspirators in Somalia about the need for fighters, according to the complaint.

Mr. Faarax told potential recruits he had experienced "true brotherhood" while fighting in Somalia, that to "fight jihad will be fun" and "not to be afraid," according to the complaint.

He is estranged from his family, a close relative said in an interview, and "seemed to have developed another family at his place of worship."

Another man accused of recruiting, Abdiweli Yassin Isse, encouraged others to join the fight in Somalia, raising money for their travel through a fake charity, according to the complaint.

A third man, Mahamud Said Omar, is accused of helping to finance the recruitment. Officials said Mr. Omar, who was arrested in the Netherlands on Nov. 8, conspired with nine of the recruits, paying for trips to Somalia and providing some of the Minneapolis men with hundreds of dollars to buy AK-47 rifles.

Most of the young Somali-American men suspected of joining Al Shabaab had come to the United States as small boys or teenagers, after the 1991 collapse of Somalia's last fully functioning government....

Friends of the men who left described them as having been driven by a mix of nationalist and religious fervor. Some wanted to defend their country against foreign invaders; other [sic] saw this "defensive jihad" as their religious duty, the friends said....

Since then, four of the other Minneapolis recruits have also died, including a 27-year-old convert to Islam, said friends of the recruits who received phone calls informing them of the deaths....

The friend, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the F.B.I.'s investigation had made an underdog out of Al Shabaab, which is aiding recruitment.

"They are reinforcing it," the friend said.

Sure. Resist jihad, and you get more jihad. But if you don't resist jihad, you get more jihad also. The "friend," like many others before him, says this hoping that it will cause the resistance to cease. And it just might. But not here.

"If you are here, I could not leave you alive."

"Don't dismiss honour killing claim: judge," by Kenyon Wallace for the National Post, November 24 (thanks to Kim):

A Federal Court judge has ordered the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration to consider the credibility of a woman's claim that she will be the victim of an "honour killing" if deported to her home country of Pakistan.

Justice Michael Kelen found that an immigration officer reviewing evidence in the case of Roohi Tabassum, a 44-year-old Mississauga hair stylist who has been fighting to stay in Canada since 2001, made a mistake by characterizing as "not threatening" letters purportedly from Ms. Tabassum's husband in which he promised to "finish" Ms. Tabassum if she returned to Pakistan.

According to documents submitted to Citizenship and Immigration obtained by the National Post, Ms. Tabassum claims her husband, Faisal Javed, thought to be living in Dubai, began sending her letters and emails in 2006 in which he threatens to kill her for "dishonouring" his family by touching other men's hair while working at a Mississauga salon.

She also claims her husband and his family have become erroneously convinced that she is living with another man in Canada, after a friend's husband answered the phone at her apartment one night.

"What you are doing there, does it look better to you and does your religion allow you to touch other men? It is better to die hungry," says one 2006 letter translated from Urdu and allegedly written by Mr. Javed.

"Tell me everything true otherwise you know that I can do anything for my honour. Do you know how much I believed in you? Other than this you are also aware that your life is seriously in danger in Pakistan.... Everybody is against you. I am also very combative to you. If you are here, I could not leave you alive."

After asking her husband for a divorce, Ms. Tabassum received another letter dated February 2007 in which Mr. Javed alledgedly writes: "My doubts about you are real and right but keep this in mind that now I will finish you myself."...

The judge referred the case to another officer and suggested a hearing to "determine if these documents containing the threats are credible, or self-serving documents created by persons close to the applicant to buttress her case to be allowed to remain in Canada."

If the letters are found not to be credible, Ms. Tabassum will be deported.

What? Happy Eid al-Adha? Not "Happy Holidays"? Suddenly Best Buy has found a holiday it can actually mention by name without fear of censure from the Politically Correct Police? (Thanks to Joe.)

But they sincerely, deep down, want peace! "Mideast: Hamas Offers Award For Captured Israeli Troops," from ANSAmed, November 24 (thanks to Insubria):

(ANSAmed) - GAZA, NOVEMBER 24 - While the exchange of prisoners with Israel and the release from Gaza of Corporal Ghilad Shalit seem to be on the way to a solution - after three and a half years of indirect negotiations -, Hamas is already thinking ahead and is planning to kidnap more Israeli troops. "Our strategy is simple," a member of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, told ANSA. "We offer money to anyone who manages to capture an enemy soldier". The movement offers one million Jordanian dinars per prisoner, the equivalent of USD 400 thousand, enough for an entire family to live a very comfortable life. (ANSAmed).

Where are they getting this money? Maybe from American aid packages?

"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." -- Koran 9:29

"Scholar: Christians Fighting More Than Iraqi State: Archbishop Says Social System Is Root of Persecution," by Jesús Colina for Zenit, November 17 (thanks to John):

ROME, NOV. 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The problems faced by Christians in Iraq are not caused by the state, but the very social system, says one representative of the Catholic community there.

Archbishop Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, procurator of the Syrian Catholic Patriarchate in Rome, presented this analysis at a press meeting organized at the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

The prelate, 71, said that in Iraq's social system, Christians have no supports to defend themselves, thus becoming easy victims of common criminals or terrorist groups.

He said their situation can be called a "religious persecution" caused by a social system that is inspired by a view of the Quran, according to which Islam and its followers must dominate and regard believers of other religions as citizens with fewer rights.

The archbishop, expert in Arab culture and literature, explained that according to the Quran, Islam is a religion that is above all others.

In the past in Iraq (and some still hold this view), "Christians who were under a Muslim regime or doctrine were free to believe in Islam, to leave their land, or to pay a tax to live in peace," he said.

Nevertheless, Archbishop Al-Jamil noted, Christians used to be a quite influential minority. They made a decisive contribution to the country's culture in, for example, the creation and development of the first University of Baghdad. These contributions, the prelate explained, allowed them to "enjoy respect."

"But this doesn't mean that they enjoy the same rights" according to certain interpretations of the Quran, he continued. "A Christian cannot rule over a Muslim" in a Muslim regime. "A general of the army cannot be a Christian."

Now that Christians have lost their political weight and social influence, and many have abandoned their land, they suffer the persecution of a dominant social system that keeps them defenseless, Archbishop Al-Jamil said....

"What about the many Muslims who have served and now the 20,000 who currently serve in the armed forces, those that fought and died in Afghanistan and Iraq? Are they influenced by their religion in their willingness to serve, fight and die for their country? Courageous Muslims like Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, praised by Colin Powell in his endorsement speech of Barack Obama, gave his life for his country, and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the honor of being buried in Arlington cemetery." -- from a piece by John Esposito in The Huffington Post

John Esposito would have you believe that one of a handful of examples, the example of Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, is merely one of many. I think perhaps he is the only example of a Muslim (not Nation-of-Islam, but honest-to-goodness real Muslim) soldier who died fighting in the American army, not in the ranks of Muslims being fought. It is the very same example that was used by Colin Powell when he wanted to make his silly, because ignorant-of-Islam remarks, in defense of Muslims.

Remember?

Well, you will find those remarks, and comments by me on them, as well as on other aspects of the ability of Muslims to exhibit loyalty to an Infidel nation-state and to take part, as all others are expected to take part, in the military efforts of that Infidel nation-state, in the following excerpt from an article I posted at Jihad Watch last year:

Maybe Obama is hoping that those chimerical "moderate Taliban" of whom he is so fond will end up running these provinces, and give up their desire to win the rest. "Afghan Source: The U.S. Has Offered the Taliban Control in Return for Quiet," from MEMRI, November 22 (thanks to all who sent this in):

An Afghan source in Kabul reports that U.S. Ambassador in Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry is holding secret talks with Taliban elements headed by the movement's foreign minister, Ahmad Mutawakil, at a secret location in Kabul. According to the source, the U.S. has offered the Taliban control of the Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan, Kunar and Nuristan provinces in return for a halt to the Taliban missile attacks on U.S. bases.

Source: Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia), November 22, 2009

Anything to make a buck. "Belgian in US court admits Iran arms dealing," from AFP, November 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

AFP - A alleged Belgian arms dealer on Monday pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to export fighter jet engines and parts to Iran, US justice officials said.

The US Justice Department said in a statement Jacques Monsieur now faced a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a 250,000-dollar fine following the guilty plea at a court in Mobile Alabama.

Monsieur was arrested in August after he arrived in New York. He faced six counts of smuggling, conspiracy, money laundering, and violating weapons trafficking laws and export controls in relation to a US trade embargo on Iran.

An Iranian national named in Monsieur's indictment, Dara Fotouhi, remains at large. According to statements from Monsieur and documents filed in the case, the two men are experienced arms dealers who have worked closely with the Iranian government to procure military items....

Jihad or copycat -- in any case, an enemy of diversity. "Suspicious Note and Package at Fort Benning," by Ashley Ball for WRBL.com, November 23 (thanks to Matt):

Fort Benning investigators are launching an investigation into a suspicious note and package found last week on post.

News 3 spoke to a post representative Sunday night, they say the note and box were found Thursday morning outside a motor pool belonging to the 197th.

Officials could not release any more information, but the Army Times is reporting the box was full of twenty hollow point shells and the note threatened a re-enactment of the massacre at Fort Hood....

We've covered the dawah buses that appeared in various cities a few months ago, but has anyone seen anything like this white truck? In "A Different Kind of Ice Cream," November 23, the estimable Baldilocks recalls a strange visitor to her Los Angeles neighborhood:

[...] At midday, I was in the back of the house in my office--blogging, of course. At some point, a noise entered my consciousness. It was a voice, a tinned one and, as I listened I became aware of three things: that the voice was male, that it was coming out of a bullhorn and that it was repeating the same phrase over and over again. However, I could not make out the words at first. [...]

The voice was coming from speakers attached to the type of truck that is sometimes used by ice cream vendors. The truck was spotlessly clean and gleaming white except for the design on the side: the huge blood-red star-and-crescent symbol of Islam.

The occupant had been exhorting the residents of this neighborhood using a two-sentence phrase, most of which I have blocked out of my memory. But I do remember one part and, really, it's the only relevant part. The occupant was advising us to...

"Embrace Islam."

By the time I gained the presence of mind to grab a camera, the gleaming white truck had moved on. I haven't seen it since.

From the time that it came to light the Major Nidal Malik Hasan basically warned the FBI and the Army of what he was--if not of what he was about to do--I've been thinking of that "ice cream" truck and what that particular vendor was selling. Aren't Jihadis required to warn their infidel foes and invite them to convert before any attack?

"Embrace Islam," he said. Left unspoken was the alternative.

Read it all.

Mamoun Fandy doesn't discuss the Koranic roots of taqiyya (3:28; 16:106), which make this something that is sometimes used by Sunnis as well as Shi'ites, and he seems to continue to be a bit naive about trusting Iran, but this is nevertheless an unusually full discussion of a concept that the mainstream media usually ignores or denies outright.

"The real reason Iran can't be trusted: As they confront Iran's nuclear aims, negotiators must mind the Shiite doctrine of deceit called 'taqiyya,'" by Mamoun Fandy for the Christian Science Monitor, November 20 (thanks to Joseph):

Can Iran be trusted?

In Iran, the teachings of Shiite Islam govern all aspects of society. And taqiyya - dissimulation and concealment - is one of the key elements of the Shiite faith. While many outsiders are surprised by Iran's concealment of its nuclear installations, those who study the Shiite faith and recognize the signs of taqiyya are not.

Many governments lie about strategic secrets, especially secrets about nuclear weapons. Witness Israel's concealment of its nuclear capabilities. And former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping counseled his country to "hide its brightness" - for strategic reasons.

Iran's approach to its nuclear ambitions, however, is a different form of deception and denial. Certainly states do not need a religious edict to lie or obfuscate. But it helps if a state has one already in place.

What can the West do?

Western negotiators must be mindful, not only of the technical side of Iran's nuclear program, but the historical evolution of taqiyya. Such context sheds critical light on the insecurities of the Iranian regime and that of the Shiite community at large.

Taqiyya doesn't mean the West should give up all negotiations with Iran, or that Iran can never be trusted. Tehran's concealment is a means to an end: It wants nuclear weapons to provide security for the clerical regime and the Shiite community. So long as Iran feels threatened, it will deceive. But if the West can ease Tehran's anxiety with strong assurances, then negotiations will be more truthful.

How a doctrine of deceit developed

Taqiyya requires the faithful to be deceitful at times of weakness. The history of Shiites in their conflict with Sunnis is a history of the downtrodden. They have been the underdogs in Islamic history, and have had to protect both their communities and their faith from being overrun by the more numerous Sunnis. Taqiyya emerged as a response.

Taqiyya offers a license to violate the strict rules of the faith in cases of extreme pressure or threat of extinction - something not unusual in Sunni-Shiite history. The doctrine allows dissimulation in the service of self-preservation, practiced by the faithful.

Our old friend Raymond Ibrahim explains the Islamic doctrines in play in Nidal Hasan's jihad at Fort Hood, and the cost of ignoring them. "Nidal Hasan and Fort Hood: A Study in Muslim Doctrine," by Raymond Ibrahim for Pajamas Media via Middle East Forum, November 18:

One of the difficulties in discussing Islam's more troubling doctrines is that they have an anachronistic, even otherworldly, feel to them; that is, unless actively and openly upheld by Muslims, non-Muslims, particularly of the Western variety, tend to see them as abstract theory, not standard practice for today. In fact, some Westerners have difficulties acknowledging even those problematic doctrines that are openly upheld by Muslims -- such as jihad. How much more when the doctrines in question are subtle, or stealthy, in nature?

Enter Nidal Malik Hasan, the psychiatrist, U.S. Army major, and "observant Muslim who prayed daily," who recently went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, killing thirteen Americans (including a pregnant woman). While the media wonders in exasperation why he did it, offering the same old tired and trite reasons -- he was "picked on," he was "mentally unbalanced" -- the fact is his behavior comports well with certain Islamic doctrines. As such, it behooves Americans to take a moment and familiarize themselves with the esotericisms of Islam.

Note: Any number of ulema (Muslim scholars) have expounded the following doctrines. However, since jihadi icon and theoretician Ayman Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's number two, has also addressed many of these doctrines in his treatises, including by quoting several authoritative ulema, I will primarily rely on excerpts from The Al Qaeda Reader (AQR), for those readers who wish to source, and read in context, the following quotes in one volume.

Wala' wa Bara'

Perhaps best translated as "loyalty and enmity," this doctrine requires Muslims to maintain absolute loyalty to Islam and one another, while disavowing, even hating (e.g., Koran 60:4), all things un-Islamic -- including persons (a.k.a. "infidels"). This theme has ample support in the Koran, hadith, and rulings of the ulema, that is, usul al-fiqh (roots of Muslim jurisprudence). In fact, Zawahiri has written a fifty-page treatise entitled "Loyalty and Enmity" (AQR, p. 63-115).

One of the many Koranic verses on which he relies warns Muslims against "taking the Jews and Christians as friends and allies ... whoever among you takes them for friends and allies, he is surely one of them" (Koran 5:51), i.e., he becomes an infidel. The plain meaning of this verse alone -- other verses, such as 3:28, 4:144, and 6:40 follow this theme -- and its implications for today can hardly be clearer. According to one of the most authoritative Muslim exegetes, al-Tabari (838-923), Koran 5:51 means that the Muslim who "allies with them [non-Muslims] and enables them against the believers, that same one is a member of their faith and community" (AQR, p. 71).

Sheikh al-Islam, Ibn Taymiyya (1263-1328), takes the concept of loyalty one step further when he tells Muslims that they are "obligated to befriend a believer -- even if he is oppressive and violent towards you and must be hostile to the infidel, even if he is liberal and kind to you" (AQR, p. 84).

In ways, Hasan's life was a testimony to loyalty and enmity. According to his colleague, Dr. Finnell, Hasan "was very vocal about the war, very upfront about being a Muslim first and an American second." If his being "vocal about the war" is not enough to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to Islam, his insistence that he is first and foremost a Muslim is. Other evidence indicates that the primary factor that threw him "over the edge" was that he was being deployed to a Muslim country (Afghanistan) -- his "worst nightmare."

According to a fellow Muslim convenience store owner who often spoke with Hasan, the thought that he might injure or kill Muslims "weighed heavily on him." Hasan also counseled a fellow Muslim not to join the U.S. Army, since "Muslims shouldn't kill Muslims," again, showing where his loyalty lies. Tabari's exegesis comes to mind: the Muslim who "allies with them [non-Muslims] and enables them against the believers, that same one is a member of their faith and community," i.e., he too becomes an infidel (AQR, p. 71).

Another source who spoke with Hasan notes that "in the Koran, you're not supposed to have alliances with Jews or Christian or others, and if you are killed in the military fighting against Muslims, you will go to hell."

At any rate, surely none of this should come as a surprise. In April 2005, another Muslim serving in the U.S. Army, Hasan Akbar, was convicted of murder for killing two American soldiers and wounding fourteen in a grenade attack in Kuwait. According to the AP, "he launched the attack because he was concerned U.S. troops would kill fellow Muslims in Iraq."...

There is much, much more. Read it all.

But in the article's eleventh paragraph we learn that there is an "Islamic insurgency" in the area. Fit to print -- but just barely! "21 Filipinos Are Reported Dead in Election Violence," by Carlos H. Conde for the New York Times, November 23 (thanks to Bill):

MANILA -- In one of the worst incidents of election- related violence in the Philippines in recent memory, a group of more than 40 people -- including lawyers, journalists and relatives of a local politician -- were kidnapped by armed men Monday, and military officials said 21 of them had been killed.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, a military spokesman in Manila, said 21 bodies had been recovered in Maguindanao, a province on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines that has often been wracked by election violence. Thirteen of the dead were women, according to the military.

Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, a security official in the province, said in a radio interview that the victims had been shot. But relatives of most of the victims said at least 30 abductees had been killed and many of them beheaded by a group of about 100 men.

The victims were reportedly stopped on their way to an election office to file candidacy papers for Esmael Mangudadatu, the vice mayor of the town of Buluan, who plans to run for governor of Maguindanao. Mr. Mangudadatu said on ABS-CBN television that his wife, his sister and several other female relatives had been in the group and that he had received confirmation that they had been killed.

He said they had been filing his candidacy documents in the hope that women would not be attacked. Lawyers and reporters accompanied the group, although the military did not identify the bodies they had recovered.

"We believe more bodies are buried," Colonel Brawner said, according to Reuters. "Unfortunately, the killing happened before our troops got there."...

Attacks on candidates and supporters during campaign periods are common throughout the Philippines. In 2007 local elections, nearly 100 people were killed in such attacks.

Election violence is more extreme in Maguindanao, where an Islamic insurgency and decades-old clan wars complicate the security situation. Loose firearms, many of them in the hands of criminal groups and political warlords, have worsened the situation in this and other areas....

Giving out the wrong message. Absurd Britannia Alert: "Spared jail, the forced marriage case father who told wife: 'I'll cut out your tongue,'" by James Tozer in the Daily Mail, November 19 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A muslim who threatened to kill his wife and cut out her tongue after she blocked an arranged marriage for their daughter has been banned from seeing his family.

In the first prosecution of its kind, Aurang Zeb has been convicted of breaching a Forced Marriage Protection Order taken out to stop him taking Rozina Akhtar out of Britain to marry.

But despite his chilling threats he escaped imprisonment and was given community service. Last night campaigners condemned the sentence, saying it sent out the wrong message.

'There's clear evidence that this man threatened to kill his wife, so how can he be given community service?' said Shazia Qayum of Karma Nirvana, a group which helps victims of forced marriage.

'He should have been locked up. The law just isn't strong enough at the moment, and it's time the Government made forced marriage a criminal offence.'...

Yes, and there is much more to be done as well.

With Obama in the White House and Holder at the Justice Department, the Danes are on their own, and they know it. "Danish Politicians Want Stricter Checks on American Travelers," from Politiken via Spiegel, November 20 (thanks to Joel):

Although Danish police are currently able to require airlines to provide passenger lists, the Danish People's Party wants a more intensive cooperation with American authorities.

Two parties in Denmark's parliament are calling for stricter checks on American travelers to the country out of terrorism concerns. Danish Justice Minister Brian Mikkelsen agrees that restrictions may be necessary.

The conservative Danish People's Party and leftist Social Liberals in Denmark are calling for increased checks on Americans wishing to travel to Denmark, including the introduction of visa requirements and pre-travel disclosures.

"We have had to admit that the Americans have not been as effective in their anti-terrorism efforts as we thought and that the threat against Denmark has grown," says Danish People's Party Justice Spokesman Peter Skaarup.

According to Visit Denmark almost 500,000 Americans visit the country each year. One of those who twice this year availed himself of easy entry into the country was a man recently arrested in Chicago on charges of conspiracy to carry out an attack on the Jyllands-Posten newspaper....

Obama is on the run. He has spent the past year in many separate, long trips all over the place. In Great Britain, he gave Gordon Brown some DVDs and Michele Obama in chummy fashion -- nobody here but us queens -- put her arm on the Queen's shoulder. In Russia, Obama decided to hold a Town Meeting to which both dissidents and members of the government, that is, of the K.G.B., were invited. He thus effectively shut up the dissidents and appalled all Russian liberals, who were distinctly unimpressed with his understanding of their situation.

In China, he received nothing for all his attempts at "dialogue" with others far more worldly and ruthless than he -- not once did he suggest, for example, that the American government, or American consumers, could stop buying Chinese goods in an organized fashion, if China did not cooperate on Iran and North Korea, though that conceivable threat should have been an obvious one to slyly make.

Then of course he went to Cairo, where he delivered a speech on Islam. Though that speech contained more grotesque misinformation about Islam -- its texts, its tenets, its attitudes, its atmospherics -- than any speech by any non-Muslim leader in history, it did not even have the intended effect. The intended effect was to win over Muslims. Yet they are -- our "allies" that is, never mind our declared enemies -- just as intransigent, just as corrupt, just as determined to use us and inveigle as much aid as they can, just as unwavering in their desire to create the conditions that will inexorably lead to the disappearance of the tiny non-Muslim nation-state of Israel.

International pressure sometimes works. Some unexpected good news in an update on this story: "Freedom for imprisoned Christian 'apostates,'" by Chelsea Schilling for WorldNetDaily, November 19 (thanks to all who sent this in):

After millions of prayers and numerous petitions from around the world, two Iranian women jailed for no other reason than being Christian were released from a Tehran prison today.

Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were imprisoned for 259 days - since March 5. They were repeatedly told to recant their faith and that they would be executed as "apostates," solely because they are Christians.

But now Open Doors USA has confirmed the women have been released from the notorious Evin prison with no bail, a rarity for Christians released from prison in Iran. [...]

Compass Direct News noted that the women may still face charges of proselytizing and "apostasy," or leaving Islam.

An Iranian source told Compass the Iranian government faced intense public pressure for imprisoning the women.

"It was from the international pressure, and also the government couldn't handle it anymore," said the source. "Already their detention was illegal. At the same time, the government wasn't ready to prosecute them for apostasy. They already have many headaches. They cannot handle everything."

According to Facebook groups that support the women, Rustampoor and Amirizadeh had been participating in religious gatherings and handing out Bibles prior to their detention. Iranian security officials searched their apartments in March, confiscated their Bibles and arrested them.

As WND reported, Rustampoor and Amirizadeh appeared before a court in Iran and were charged with "crimes of apostasy, and propagation of the Christian faith." In a display of raw courage, they told a government prosecutor that not only are they Christian, it is up to God, not a bureaucrat, to whom He talks.

According to Elam, a dramatic part of the hearing came when they refused to deny their Christian faith.

They explained that God had convicted them through the Holy Spirit.

"It is impossible for God to speak with humans," Haddad, a deputy prosecutor identified only by his surname, stated.

"Are you questioning whether God is Almighty?" Amirizadeh asked him.

To which Haddad then replied. "You are not worthy for God to speak to you."

"It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy," she said.

Haddad earlier had asked if the women were Christian.

"We love Jesus," they replied.

"You were Muslims and now you have become Christians," Haddad stated.

"We were born in Muslim families, but we were not Muslims," the women said.

The deputy prosecutor asked about their regrets, and they said, "We have no regrets."

"You should renounce your faith verbally and in written form," he warned.

They refused....

Free speech panel at Restoration: McCarthy, Emerson, Spencer

Andrew McCarthy, with whom I had the pleasure and honor of participating in a panel discussion on free speech along with Steve Emerson yesterday at Restoration Weekend, explains why moving the trial of the 9/11 masterminds to New York is so wrongheaded. "How Obama is courting danger: Civilian trials set back the war on terror," by Andrew C. McCarthy in the New York Daily News, November 22:

The prosecution team I led in 1995 convicted the notorious Blind Sheikh and 11 others for conspiring to wage a terrorist war that included the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and attempting (unsuccessfully) to attack New York City landmarks.

Consequently, some observers seem puzzled that I'm a vocal critic of civilian trials for our terrorist enemies. But they are confusing litigation success with national-security success. So is the Obama administration in deciding to transfer Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 plotters to federal court in Manhattan.

We certainly can convict terrorists in civilian court. We've done it too many times for that to be a serious issue. It's also indisputable that the U.S attorney's office in Manhattan, where I was privileged to work for 18 years, is without peer in the expertise needed for such complex prosecutions. I have every confidence the Justice Department could convict KSM & Co.

The problem on this ride is not the destination; it's the journey.

We are in a hot war, overwhelmingly authorized by Congress, against vicious enemies still plotting attacks that could dwarf the carnage of 9/11. To deal with war crimes, Congress in 2006 endorsed military commission trials, which have a rich pedigree in our history, are fully consistent with our Constitution, and better enable us to withhold intelligence methods and sources.

Indeed, the Obama administration concedes that military commissions are sound: Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that the bombers of the warship Cole will face one.

From a legal standpoint, it makes no sense to try the Al Qaeda quintet in civilian court. Eleven months ago, these men were prepared to plead guilty in their military commission and proceed to execution. Yet the Obama administration pulled the plug on that commission. This was a transparent sop to the left, which wants to judicialize war-fighting and is repulsed by the intelligence-centric, prevention-first counterterrorism strategy that has protected us for eight years from a reprise of the 9/11 atrocities.

Now, our enemies will be given a full-blown civilian trial with all the rights of the American citizens they are sworn to kill. They will get a year or more to sift through our national defense secrets. They will have wide latitude to turn the case into a trial of the Bush administration - publicizing information about anti-terrorism tactics that leftist lawyers will exploit in their quest for war crimes prosecutions in foreign courts against current and former U.S. officials.

In the military system, we could have denied them access to classified information, forcing them to accept military lawyers with security clearances who could see such intelligence but not share it with our enemies. In civilian court, the Supreme Court has held an accused has an absolute right to conduct his own defense. If KSM asserts that right - as he tried to do in the military commission - he will have a strong argument that we must surrender relevant, top-secret information directly to him. And we know that indicted terrorists share what they learn with their confederates on the outside....

Read it all.

Here is video of the main presentation and the question-and-answer session of Saturday's panel at Restoration Weekend on the Rifqa Bary case, featuring Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs and me. (Video thanks to Pamela.)

Rifqa's inexcusable isolation continues. Show her you care: send her a Christmas card. Details here.

Of course they do. An update on this story. "Sept. 11 Defendant Seeks a Trial, and a Platform," by Scott Shane for the New York Times, November 21:

The five men the Justice Department has said will be charged in the attacks of Sept. 11 intend to plead not guilty so they can express their political and religious views during a trial, the lawyer for one of the men said on Saturday.

The lawyer, Scott L. Fenstermaker, said that during a meeting at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, prison on Tuesday, his client, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, expressed the desire for a trial despite his intention to admit his role in the attacks and seek "martyrdom" through execution.

"He acknowledges that he helped plan the 9/11 attacks, and he says he's looking forward to dying," Mr. Fenstermaker said of Mr. Ali. But he said he expected Mr. Ali and his co-defendants to plead not guilty "so they can have a trial and try to get their message out."

Mr. Ali, also known as Ammar al-Baluchi, is a nephew of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the chief organizer of the 2001 plot. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced on Nov. 13 that Mr. Mohammed, Mr. Ali and three other alleged 9/11 plotters would be tried in federal criminal court. Mr. Fenstermaker said Mr. Ali told him all five men would seek a trial.

The report of Mr. Ali's comments may add to complaints from critics of Mr. Holder's decision who favored military trials in Cuba and have said a criminal trial will provide terrorists with a propaganda platform. Defenders of the move say military commissions, too, would have given the defendants a public showcase for their views.

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Fenstermaker, who represents Mr. Ali in a civil case challenging his detention and visited him for three days last week, gave The New York Times a translation from Arabic of a two-page letter written by Mr. Mohammed, Mr. Ali, and a third 9/11 defendant, Walid Muhammad Salih bin Attash to the military court at Guantánamo in September.

The letter was written to say that the men had no objection to a 60-day continuance in military commission proceedings. But the three men used it to condemn the United States' military presence in Muslim countries and its support for Israel, a preview of the kind of thing they might be expected to say in court.

"We were arrested in 2003 and we spent three years moving around between the black sites in the 'Dark Ages' of Bush, then we were transferred to the island of oppression, torture and terror, Guantánamo, in 2006," the letter said. The phrase 'Dark Ages' was in English in the original, the translator noted.

The letter goes on to excoriate President Obama, describing the current era as "the black ages of Barack" and calling him "a liar." The three men offer greetings to Osama bin Laden; his deputy in Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri; and the head of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar.

Since their first appearances in military court at Guantánamo, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the other 9/11 defendants have indicated that they would admit their role in the terrorist plot and seek to be executed. But when they are indicted and brought to New York City for arraignment, as expected sometime in the next two months, they will have the option afforded any criminal defendant of pleading not guilty and standing trial....

An update on this story. "Four charged with terror offences," from BBC News, November 22:

Four men have been charged with terror-related offences after raids last week, Greater Manchester Police have said.

Four men have been charged with terror-related offences after raids last week, Greater Manchester Police have said.

Israr Malik, 21, of Fallowfield, Manchester, has been charged with intending to commit acts of terrorism, namely violent jihad.

Huh. The semantics police let one slip by.

Three others face charges of intending to assist others to commit terrorism.

They are Munir Farooqi, 52, of Longsight, Haris Farooqi, 26, of Levenshulme, both in Manchester, and Matthew Newton, 27, of Stalybridge.

Munir Farooqi, the father of Haris Farooqi, was also charged with three counts of soliciting or encouraging another to murder on 6 July, 15 October and 16 October this year.

'Low-key'

All four are due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Monday.

A fifth man, aged 62, from Deane, Bolton, was released without charge. He is understood to be a Muslim cleric.

Unarmed officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit detained the men in what was described as a "low-key operation", following a 15-month investigation into alleged terrorist activity overseas.

About 120 people took part in a protest over the raids outside Greater Manchester Police's headquarters on Sunday.

A force spokesman said it recognised the community had some concerns regarding the investigation.

The track record of the two appointees, taken together with the administration's own ability to distinguish "moderates" from "extremists" inspires anything but confidence. After all, the Fort Hood jihadist was himself a member of a panel advising the incoming Obama administration.

At the heart of this issue are the politically correct articles of faith that few dare blaspheme, which insist that there is nothing problematic about Islam's core texts and teachings regarding warfare and the rights of women and unbelievers, and that there exists a well-defined "moderate" Islam that the West can work with. The problem is, no one ever stops to define "moderate," for fear that articulating actual standards may cause offense.

"Devout Muslims In Key Homeland Security Posts," by Judicialwatch via Right Side News, November 22:

Days after a devout Muslim terrorized a U.S. Army base in Texas several news reports remind that two key Homeland Security posts are occupied by equally devout Muslims, one of them a former Los Angeles deputy mayor who eliminated a crucial program that tracked terrorist activities in the city.

Earlier this year President Obama appointed Arif Alikhan to be the nation's Assistant Secretary for Policy Development at the Department of Homeland Security and Kareem Shora to the agency's influential advisory council, which provides recommendations and advice directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Alikhan, who leads a Homeland Security team responsible for developing policy issues to secure the country against terrorism, has referred to the renowned terrorist organization Hezbollah as a "liberation movement" and was responsible for killing a Los Angeles Police project that monitored terrorist activities in the city's notoriously radical mosques. The defunct Muslim terror tracking plan was designed to identify hotbeds of extremism in an area where several locals offered the September 11 hijackers support.

Shora was the head of a well-known Arab organization whose officials refer to anti-U.S. jihadists as heroes. As executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Shora had close ties to radical Ivy League professor Rashid Khalidi, a Palestinian terror supporter who has reportedly worked on behalf of the extremist Palestine Liberation Organization....

Cultural genocide is a consequence of jihadist warfare, as the supremacist impulse to impose Islamic law cannot tolerate any competition, especially from the non-Islamic past, or time of jahiliyyah. Ensuring submission requires extinguishing a populace's attachment to -- or curiosity about -- its prior existence, unless it can be subsumed in a narrative leading inevitably to Islam.

Hence the Orwellian drive here, and in the destruction of shrines in Saudi Arabia and Somalia, and among those eager to rewrite the history of the Temple Mount, to erase the past when it so rudely contradicts the party line.

"Taliban suffocate Pakistan Buddhist heritage," by Sajjad Tarakzai for Agence France-Presse, November 22:

TAXILA, Pakistan -- Archaeologists warn that the Taliban are destroying Pakistan's ancient Gandhara heritage and rich Buddhist legacy as pilgrimage and foreign research dries up in the country's northwest.

"Militants are the enemies of culture," said Abdul Nasir Khan, curator of Taxila Museum, one of the premier archaeological collections in Pakistan.

"It is very clear that if the situation carries on like this, it will destroy our culture and will destroy our cultural heritage," he told AFP.

Taxila, a small town around 20 kilometres (13 miles) south of Islamabad, is one of Pakistan's foremost archaeological attractions given its history as a centre of Buddhist learning from the 5th century BC to the 2nd century.

Violence is on the rise in Pakistan as Taliban bombers and gunmen strike with increasing frequency and intensity in the cities of North West Frontier Province and around the capital Islamabad.

"Even in Taxila we don't feel safe. The local administration has warned us about a possible attack on this museum. We have taken some extra security precautions but they aren't sufficient and we lack funds," said Khan.

"For weeks we don't get even a single foreign visitor. If visitors don't come, if sites are not preserved and protected, if research stops, what do you think will be the future of archaeology?" he said.

In March 2001, Taliban militants in neighbouring Afghanistan blew up two 1,500-year-old Bamiyan Buddha statues in defiance of international appeals.

The Islamist militia has since spread into Pakistan. Their opposition to music, art, dance, girls' education and idolatry makes archaeologists fear that Pakistani Buddhist relics are in the eye of the storm.

Italian archaeologists were active in Pakistan's northwest Swat valley from 1956 until they reluctantly discontinued work in 2007 after Taliban fighters led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah rose up demanding sharia law.

"It is not planned to carry on any research activity," Luca Olivieri, co-director the Italian archaeological mission in Pakistan, told AFP by email.

After 17 years as curator in Swat, Khan took no risks. With the Taliban killing and bombing their way through the valley, the museum closed in 2008 and he evacuated the most priceless antiquities.

That September, the Taliban twice tried to blow up 7th century Buddhist relics -- damaging a rock engraved with images of Buddha that for centuries had been a pilgrimage site....

Read it all.

Maybe these are the sort of dolls Muhammad's pre-pubescent wife was playing with:

"Narrated 'Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.)" -- Bukhari 8.73.151

"It's Barbie in a burkha: World-famous doll gets a makeover to go under the hammer for 50th anniversary," from the Daily Mail, November 21 (thanks to all who sent this in):

One of the world's most famous children's toys, Barbie, has been given a makeover - wearing a burkha.

Wearing the traditional Islamic dress, the iconic doll is going undercover for a charity auction in connection with Sotheby's for Save The Children.

More than 500 Barbies went on show yesterday at the Salone dei Cinquecento, in Florence, Italy.

Makers Mattel are backing the exhibition which is the work of Italian designer Eliana Lorena.

The auction is part of Barbie celebrations for her 50th anniversary this year. The UK's biggest Barbie fan Angela Ellis, 35, has a collection of more than 250 dolls....

Acting upon a rumor. "Egypt Muslims burn Christian shops: police," from AFP, November 21 (thanks to Mackie):

CAIRO -- Hundreds of Muslim protesters on Saturday burnt Christian-owned shops in southern Egypt and attacked a police station where they believed a Christian accused of raping a Muslim girl was being held, a police official said.

Police repelled the demonstrators in the town of Farshut using tear gas and also arrested 60 people during the clashes in which seven Coptic Christian-owned shops were destroyed, the official said.

The protesters hurled stones at the police station after they heard that a Coptic Christian man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old Muslim was being held there, he said....

One would have thought that the Vast Majority of Peaceful Muslims would rise up and not allow Saeed to preach. But once again, no such luck. Tiny Minority of Extremists Alert: "'Mastermind' of Mumbai attack preaches at mosque in Lahore," by Zahid Hussain in The Times, November 21 (thanks to Kris):

Come Friday prayers in Lahore, it is not hard to find the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.

Hafiz Mohammed Saeed is neither in hiding nor in jail. The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba is instead delivering a sermon to thousands of devoteees at the Jamia al-Qadsia mosque -- one of the biggest in the city.

"God has promised to make Muslims a superpower if we follow the right path," Mr Saeed told his followers, who listened in rapt silence.

Outside, policemen with machineguns stood guard and bearded security men frisked all those entering. "Our rulers are the slave of America and have sold their conscience for a few dollars," continued the diminutive former university teacher, his long beard dyed red with henna.

In imitation of Muhammad.

Timothy Roemer, the US Ambassador in Delhi, backed Indian calls this week for Pakistan to bring Mr Saeed and six other Mumbai suspects to justice. "We need to see actions and results from Pakistan," he said after India handed Pakistan a seventh dossier of evidence on the Mumbai attacks.

Analysts say that the problem lies with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, which backed Mr Saeed when he founded Lashkar-e-Taiba in 1990 to fight Indian rule in the disputed region of Kashmir. Under pressure from the US, Pakistan banned the group in 2002, but it continued to operate under the banner of Jamaat-ud Dawa, which Mr Saeed also founded and calls a charity organisation....

Pakistan's #1 export takes root in Italy. "Mumbai attack suspects arrested by Italian police," from BBC News, November 21:

Italian police have arrested two Pakistanis suspected of providing logistical support for last year's attacks in Mumbai.

The father and son were detained in an early morning raid in the northern city of Brescia, police said.

They are accused of supplying cash from their money transfer agency to pay for an internet phone account used by people in contact with the attackers.

More than 170 people, nine of them gunmen, died in the November attacks.

Mohammad Yaqub Janjua, 60, and Aamer Yaqub Janjua, 31, are accused of aiding and abetting international terrorism as well as illegal financial activity.

They were identified after leads from India and the FBI, police said....

Last Tuesday, while I was speaking at NYU, Leftist students created a diversion and threw pies at me and the other speaker, Elan Journo (they missed me, but got Journo on the shoulder).

In brief:

1. This is assault.
2. This shows the utter intellectual bankruptcy of the Left. They can't answer arguments, so they try to shut down the speakers instead.
3. This shows the Left's thuggery and lack of commitment to free speech and free inquiry.
4. The choice of pies as weapons is intended to ridicule the victims, even if the pies were filled with noxious and/or poisonous substances, thus accomplishing not only the disruption of the event but the portrayal of the victim as a clown, not worth taking seriously (which of course is one of the Alinsky rules).

Here are two accounts of the event (thanks to James):

"NYC: Racist Warmonger Gets Pied," from Infoshop News, November 21:

NYU students disrupted a university event this evening featuring Robert Spencer from "Jihad Watch" and Elan Journo from the "Ayn Rand Institute for Individual Freedom." Students called out the panelists for their Islamophobic, warmongering hate-rhetoric, shouting and launching pies at the speakers. One student was detained, and several were escorted out of the building.

Ironically enough, the "Islamophobic, warmongering hate-rhetoric" that prompted the little Stalinist to stand up and start shouting was my quoting Maulana Maududi, the internationally influential Pakistani jihad theorist.

The event, entitled "The Jihad Still Threatens America," encouraged viscous Islamophobia and promoted aggressive military intervention in majority Muslim nations.

"Viscous" Islamophobia, as opposed to the usual clear and thin Islamophobia.

Speaker Elan Journo actively promotes devastating attacks on Iran, claiming that "victory in World War II required flattening cities, firebombing factories, shops and homes, devastating vast tracts of Germany and Japan.... Victory today requires the same: smashing Iran's totalitarian regime and thus demoralizing the Islamist movement and its many supporters, so that they, too, abandon their cause as futile." Fear-mongering comments such as these promote the expansion of US imperialism, and contribute to the wave of anti-Muslim hate that is sweeping our nation....

Where? What anti-Muslim hate? And note that Muslim hate and terror appears to be just fine with these guys.

While it is disturbing to see hate being expressed on such institutional levels on our campuses, the students' refusal to be silent is an inspiration to us all.

Yes, violence in the name of suppressing free speech sure is an inspiration.

Here is the other, apparently mocking the self-contradictory stance of the "tolerancemongers":

"NYU Tolerancemongers Attack Intolerance With Pie," by Hamilton Nolan for Gawker, November 19:

Last week, Forbes columnist and NYU professor Tunku Varadarajan won our Outrage-off for his column about crazy Muslim murderers lurking amongst us. NYU radicals have struck back with a revolutionary pie-ing of Varadarajan's Islamaphobic allies!

A member of the NYU revolutionary vanguard alerted us to the pie-ing, and her note is reprinted in full below. The victims were Elan Journo of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, and Robert Spencer from "Jihad Watch," both of whom were there to talk about how there is apparently a Jihad, threatening America? Did you know about this?

Anyhow the kids were not about to let this intolerance of opposing viewpoints stand, so they interrupted the guys with a pie assault. Spencer himself writes about his close brush with whipped cream here. One eyewitness account says the two speakers "ended up largely unscathed." Our tipster tells us that the revolutionary cameraperson assigned to film the pie-ing for propaganda purposes "was tackled by security at the very beginning and didn't get any footage."

How are we supposed to repel the Jihadists if our military-age youth can't even stage a proper pie attack? Very troubling indeed....

The bill is full of tolerance, however: it allows non-Muslims to worship in private homes.

This is one of those stories where it becomes bitterly ironic -- those who report on this will be called "Islamophobic," but no one will particularly mind that the Maldives is systematically stamping out the freedom of religion in the name of Islam.

Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Islamic President requests ruling on non-Muslim worship," by Ahmed Naish for Minivan News, November 21:

President Mohamed Nasheed said yesterday he would seek advice from religious scholars on Islam's position on allowing non-Muslims to worship in an Islamic community.

In his radio weekly address, the president said the constitution was "very clear" that laws contrary to Islam could not be made or enacted.

"It has become very important for me to find out what Islamic sharia says about not allowing foreigners who want to worship other religions in the Maldives," he said.

"When this bill comes from the People's Majlis for the president to ratify, the question before me will be what is the ruling in Islamic sharia on people of other religions living in an Islamic community to worship?"

The president said he needed an answer to the question before ratifying the bill. "When I know, it will be easier for me to make a decision on ratify the bill before it becomes law," he said.

Banned

Last week, a bill proposed by independent MP Ibrahim Muttalib Fares-Maathoda on outlawing places of worship for non-Muslims was sent to committee for further review with unanimous consent of all MPs who participated in the vote.

At the sitting, Muttalib said he learned that inquiries had been made with the government on establishing places of worship for expatriates and there was no law to forbid it.

"The other thing we have to think about today is that the government is considering establishing wedding tourism in the country and this will indirectly set up churches in the country," he said.

Horror of horrors!

While the bill states that foreigners or expatriates will be allowed to worship in the privacy of their homes, involving Maldivians or encouraging them to participate will be an offence.

The bill specifies a jail term of three to five years or a fine of between Rf36,000 (US$2,800) and Rf60,000 (US$4,669) for those in violation of the law.

Several MPs called for longer jail terms and higher fines, while others said foreigners in violation of the law should be deported.

But, some MPs argued the law was unnecessary as the constitution states that Islam shall be the basis of all laws and non-Muslims cannot be citizens.

Most MPs said laws were needed to seal off all avenues to freedom of religion being established in the Maldives.

Rights for Muslims

Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, state minister for Islamic affairs, told Minivan News today the president's office had not officially asked for the ministry's advice.

"But the matter has been sent to the Fiqh academy and they will issue a decree on it," he said. Shaheem said he believed laws should be made to protect Islam and strengthen Maldivians' faith.

"Right now, Muslims aren't getting their rights," he said. "For example, there's no way for students to pray at schools, you can't get some jobs if you wear the burqa and there are some jobs where you can't grow beards."

He added the ministry had drafted regulations under the Religious Unity Act of 1994 together with the police and sent it to the president's office.

The regulations will be published in the government gazette next week, he continued, and would provide a legal framework to protect Islam.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Abdullah bin Mohamed Ibrahim, president of religious NGO Salaf Jamiyya, said he believed the bill was necessary to safeguard Islam.

"What the president said doesn't match what was in the bill," he said. "The bill is about making it illegal to build places of worship for non-Muslims. It doesn't make it illegal for foreigners to pray in their rooms or houses."

Abdullah said the association had information that Christian missionaries were trying to infiltrate the country and proselytize in the Maldives.

"I believe the bill is essential because the constitution does not forbid building places of worship," he said.

Another update on this story. "Sears Tower bomb plot leader Narseal Batiste jailed," from BBC News, November 20:

The leader of a group which plotted to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago has been sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison.

Narseal Batiste, 35, also planned to bomb FBI offices, along with four other men who have already been jailed.

Prosecutors said the men conspired to provide material support to al-Qaeda but defence lawyers said the plot was never serious.

Prosecutors in Miami had sought the maximum 70-year sentence for Batiste.

But he maintained he only went along with the plot to seize the $50,000 (£30,000) offered by an undercover FBI agent posing as an al-Qaeda operative.

The men, most of whom have Haitian backgrounds, were arrested in Miami in 2006.

They had been caught on tape by the FBI informant discussing plans to cause an anti-government insurrection.

Batiste was heard on audio and video tape saying they should start a "full ground war" that would "kill all the devils".

'No threat'

Sentencing Batiste, US District Judge Joan Lenard said: "You've done great harm to yourself, your family, the young men who were your followers, and you've violated the trust of your country."

Batiste apologised for the plot in court, saying he had "wanted respect"....

Fiend, er, Friend and Ally Update. "EXCLUSIVE: Taliban chief hides in Pakistan," by Eli Lake, Sara A. Carter, and Barbara Slavin for the Washington Times, November 20 (thanks to Alan):

Mullah Mohammed Omar, the one-eyed leader of the Afghan Taliban, has fled a Pakistani city on the border with Afghanistan and found refuge from potential U.S. attacks in the teeming Pakistani port city of Karachi with the assistance of Pakistan's intelligence service, three current and former U.S. intelligence officials said.

Mullah Omar, who hosted Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders when they plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, had been residing in Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban shura -- or council -- had moved from Kandahar after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Two senior U.S. intelligence officials and one former senior CIA officer told The Washington Times that Mullah Omar traveled to Karachi last month after the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He inaugurated a new senior leadership council in Karachi, a city that so far has escaped U.S. and Pakistani counterterrorism campaigns, the officials said.

The officials, two of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic, said Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, the ISI, helped the Taliban leaders move from Quetta, where they were exposed to attacks by unmanned U.S. drones.

The development reinforces suspicions that the ISI, which helped create the Taliban in the 1990s to expand Pakistani influence in Afghanistan, is working against U.S. interests in Afghanistan as the Obama administration prepares to send more U.S. troops to fight there.

Bruce Riedel, a CIA veteran and analyst on al Qaeda and the Taliban, confirmed that Mullah Omar had been spotted in Karachi recently.

"Some sources claim the ISI decided to move him further from the battlefield to keep him safe" from U.S. drone attacks, said Mr. Riedel, who headed the Obama administration's review of policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan last spring. "There are huge madrassas in Karachi where Mullah Omar could easily be kept."

Mr. Riedel also noted that there had been few suicide bombings in Karachi, which he attributed to the Taliban and al Qaeda not wanting to "foul their own nest."

A U.S. counterterrorism official said, "There are indications of some kind of bleed-out of Taliban types from Quetta to Karachi, but no one should assume at this point that the entire Afghan Taliban leadership has packed up its bags and headed for another Pakistani city."

A second senior intelligence officer who specializes in monitoring al Qaeda said U.S. intelligence had confirmed Mullah Omar's move through both electronic and human sources as well as intelligence from an unnamed allied service....

After this post, I decided to write to Umar Lee (with whom I've had some interaction in the past) and ask for an interview. Here is our exchange, in which he endorses the death penalty for apostasy in principle, just not at the moment in America. At very least, his honesty about Islamic teaching is a refreshing departure from the deceptions and diversions of Honest Ibe Hooper, Brave Ahmed Rehab, and their ilk:

1. Spencer to Umar Lee:

Umar

How you doing? It's been a long time. I hope you're well.

I've read your post on Muslims in the military with great interest, and am posting about it now at Jihad Watch.

Would you be up for an interview with me on this and related issues?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Your friend as ever,
Robert Spencer

2. Umar Lee to Spencer:

Mr. Spencer, i do not have time to grant interviews at this time. Regarding my position on muslims in the military i stand by the fatawa posted on my blog and that is why i encorage all muslims in america to not join. My feelings on the ft hood shooting and brother nidal hassan will be in the next edition of muslim quarterly magazine in an article titled why the fort got hood.

3. Spencer to Umar Lee:

Thanks for your kind and informative note. I respect the fact that you base your position on Sharia norms as delineated by the Qur'an and Sunnah. In line with that, I was wondering about what you thought on a tangential but related matter: in light of all the publicity that the Rifqa Bary case has gotten, and the many statements by Muslim leaders in the U.S. denying that Islam mandates death for apostates, do you uphold the traditional death penalty for apostasy as taught by Muhammad and by all the madhahib?

Thanks and regards
Robert

4. Umar Lee to Spencer:

Im not that up on that case. What i do know is we live in a very imoral society and teens are bombarded with negative messages. Any teen girl who is not a serial fornicator is seen as square and if she has good muslim parents making sure she is not acting like a ho she may rebel. I am not a scholar but the ruling on apostacy is clear. In an ideal world the apostate would face death but there is no authority to implement the shariah in america so no she shouldnt be killed and besides this girl may very well be making the whole thing up.

Ace videographer Dave Miles kindly sent along these superb videos from the Rifqa Rally for human rights and religious freedom, Columbus, Ohio, November 16.

The identity of the masked gunman is not yet known, but the number of threats against Fr. Sysoyev that already existed because of his work among Muslims is itself noteworthy. And Russian prosecutors are also proceeding with the theory that "religious motives" are behind the murder.

"Russian Priest Gunned Down in Church," by Alexander Marquardt for ABC News, November 20 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A Russian Orthodox priest known for his missionary work among Muslims was gunned down in his Moscow church, Russian officials said Friday.

Thirty-four-year-old Daniil Sysoyev was shot at least four times at in the head and chest in the Church of St. Thomas by a masked gunman Thursday night, according to the Prosecutor General's Investigative Committee. The assailant also wounded the church's choirmaster, Vladimir Strelbitsky.

Sysoyev died on the way to the hospital. Strelbitsky is in critical condition.

"The main theory is that religious motives are behind the crime," a prosecutor's office spokesman told reporters.

Sysoyev routinely denounced Islam and actively reached out to Muslims and various religious sects to convert them. In a recent interview with a Russian newspaper, Sysoyev boasted that he had baptized 80 Muslims.

But with his ambitious missionary work came death threats.

"They've threatened to cut my head off 14 times," Sysoyev told Komsomolskaya Pravda in the interview. "The FSB [Federal Security Service] got in touch with me a year ago to say they had uncovered a murder plot against me."

He told a television interviewer in February 2008 that he considered it a sin not to preach to Muslims, according to the Interfax news agency.

Sysoyev was originally from the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, where a large majority of the population is Muslim. He published books titled "An Orthodox Response to Islam" and "Marrying a Muslim," which criticized the faith and drew fierce responses from Muslim organizations.

'No Reason to Kill'

Russia's Council of Muftis strongly denounced the murder Friday, saying differences should be worked out in a civilized way....

Still another "misunderstander" of Islam. Funny how that keep happening. "Sixth area Somali man is indicted in probe," by James Walsh, Richard Meryhew and Allie Shah for the Star Tribune, November 20:

A 24-year-old local Somali man has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on charges of conspiring to provide support to terrorists.

Omer Abdi Mohamed, an unemployed employment counselor and father of a 2-month-old boy, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to "kill, kidnap, maim or injure" people in foreign countries, according to an indictment filed Tuesday but made public Thursday.

Mohamed, of Minneapolis, is the sixth Somali man with local ties to be charged in connection with a two-year-old federal counterterrorism investigation aimed at finding out who recruited as many as 20 area men of Somali descent to return to their homeland and train and fight with the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab. The probe is considered to be one of the most sweeping international counterterrorism investigations since Sept. 11, 2001.

When asked if investigators allege that Mohamed was a recruiter, Peter Wold, his attorney, said: "In the end, I think you'll see that certainly wasn't the case."

The indictment released Thursday provides few details, but it links Mohamed to a broad conspiracy involving other men who returned to Somalia to fight or train with terrorists, including Shirwa Ahmed, a 26-year-old Minneapolis man believed to be the first U.S. suicide bomber.

According to the indictment, others connected to the conspiracy include: Salah Osman Ahmed, Kamal Said Hassan, Ahmed Ali Omar, Abdifatah Isse and Khalid Mohamud Abshir -- all of whom left the United States in December 2007 with a final destination of Somalia. Ahmed, Hassan and Isse all have pleaded guilty to the same charges Mohamed faces.

Wold said after the hearing Thursday that his client knew the other men through the mosque where they prayed. Isse Hussein, Mohamed's cousin, said Mohamed prayed "a lot" at Abubakar as-Saddique Islamic Center in south Minneapolis. [...]

A Minneapolis woman who described herself as an acquaintance of Mohamed said he was known by the nickname "Galeyr" and was good friends with Salah Ahmed. She said Mohamed also was related to Adarus Abdullah Ali, 25, who admitted in federal court this month to lying to a grand jury about knowing men who went to Somalia to fight.

The woman, who was close friends with Mohamoud Hassan, a local Somali who was killed in Mogadishu in September, said Mohamed and Ahmed and some of the other men who left Minnesota for Somalia often spent time at Abubakar, the largest Somali mosque in the state. [...]

The woman said she doesn't know for certain why all the men left for Somalia, but said she believes it's rooted in a combination of patriotic feelings toward the Somali homeland and religious fervor. [...]

Minneapolis has been at the center of the international counterterrorism investigation since the first of up to 20 young Somali men from Minnesota began quietly leaving to return to their homeland. In most cases, the men left without telling their families or friends of their plans.

The focus of the investigation has been uncovering the identities of those who recruited the men and financed their return to Somalia to train and fight.

The men are believed to have been recruited by Al-Shabaab, which has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organization with links to Al-Qaida.

Since October 2008, five of the Minnesotans who left have died. A sixth man, a Muslim convert from Minneapolis, also is thought to have been killed.

It's not the whole truth. It's not "Fort Hood massacre was jihad," although even that word comes up. It's not an acknowledgment that the attack was motivated by the same murderous ideology that took down the Twin Towers and that threatens Israel and other free nations around the world every day, but it's a step.

"Senators say Fort Hood shooting was terrorism: Several lawmakers and terror experts at Senate hearings on the Fort Hood shooting Thursday called the incident a terrorist attack, and warned of the danger of homegrown jihad," by Patrik Jonsson for The Christian Science Monitor, November 19:

The Senate Homeland Security Committee Thursday began its probe into the Nov. 5 Fort Hood shooting with few details about what everyone really wants to know: the true motives of alleged shooter Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

Nevertheless, several lawmakers at the hearing called the rampage a terrorist attack.

That label was supported by most of the terror experts who testified at the Senate hearing. Addressing questions about how red flags were missed in the lead-up to the rampage, experts pinpointed a rise in homegrown terrorism and expressed the need for the government to establish, in the words of retired Army Gen. John Keane, "clear specific guidelines as to what is jihadist extremist behavior, how do you identify this behavior, and how does it manifest itself?"

Uh, yeah. One would think that such a thing would have been in place for years now -- long enough for clear-eyed and clear-minded people, i.e., those more interested in truth than in political correctness, to realize that there was nothing "extremist" about Hasan's actions from the standpoint of the Koran and Sunnah. But of course nothing like this is in place at all. CAIR and its allies, with their campaign of intimidation and obfuscation, have made sure of that.

The Fort Hood shooting, like no other incident, has "fueled discussion about the spectre of violent extremist ideology in our midst," said Juan Zarate, the former Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism.

"There is no smoking gun that reveals Hasan's true motivations and signaled intent, so the patchwork of data points and behavioral clues in light of the incident ... appear to point to a path of violence," he added. "The question then is whether the data points were seen and evaluated properly."...

No smoking gun. He passed out Korans on the day of the shooting and shouted "Allahu akbar" as he shot, but really, it all could have been about the poor quality of the food available at Fort Hood.

News reports have detailed the failure of the military to report up the chain of command the disturbing and delusionary behavior Hasan exhibited. Some have suggested this was partly because of the fear of appearing to be targeting a Muslim.

"Political correctness played a role," according to Keane. "It shouldn't have to be an act of moral courage on behalf of a soldier to report behavior that we should not be tolerating within the military; it should be an obligation."

Yep.

If you have been paying attention - and even if you have not - by now you know that something is going on in Yemen. You have heard about the "Houthis" - that is, a group of Shi'a, who have named themselves after a leader of one of their tribes, and who live in the northern part of Yemen, where they constitute a majority of the population. They also perhaps constitute as much as 40% of the total Yemeni population. And you know that these Shi'a are not quite like the Shi'a of iran, but nonetheless, they are Shi'a, and so, to the Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia, they are considered to be nearly Infidels.

That didn't keep the Saudis, more than forty years ago, from supporting tribes, including "Zaidi" or Shi'a tribes, in the north of Yemen, against the dangerously "Marxist" southerners of Yemen. But that word "marxist" is treacherous. As J. B. Kelly has written, the casual application of the word "Marxist" in the context of an Arab Muslim country is misleading, for beneath that "Marxism" is Islam. The dictatorship of the proletariat, and the collective ownership of the means of production, is not exactly on the minds of Muslim tribesmen; "Marxism" has been a phrase used by one set of would-be seizers of the national wealth against whatever prior seizers of the national wealth are currently in power.

Yes, in the mid-1960s Yemen, a country that contains a larger population than its immediate northern neighbor, Saudi Arabia, was the site of what so many are content to call a "proxy war" between Nasserist Egypt (representing not so much the "Marxists" - as the American State Department appeared to think, as those who were less fanatical, and slightly more secular, in their reception of Islam) and Saudi Arabia, said to be backing people called "the Royalists." That proxy war in Yemen has no significance whatsoever save that it helped to occupy and preoccupy Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and to weaken the forces of both - an outcome that should be remembered as we try to think about Yemen today.

Secretary Gates, I can save you a lot of time and trouble: no one reported Nidal Hasan because they were afraid of the repercussions that would come to them in this politically correct age. They were afraid of being accused of being racists, bigots, hatemongers, etc. They were afraid of showing up in the next Council on American-Islamic Relations Action Alert.

But it will be interesting to see what creative fiction your investigators come up with in lieu of admitting that.

"Gates orders Army inquiry after Fort Hood killings," from the BBC, November 19 (thanks to Hildegard):

A review of US Army and Pentagon policies has been ordered by the defence secretary in the wake of a shooting at a military base.

The review will include Pentagon medical and personnel programmes, and US military base security.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates appointed a former Army secretary and an ex-Navy chief to report in 45 days.

The review is in addition to others into the Fort Hood shooting in which 13 people were killed.

Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was shot by police during the incident on 5 November, and remains in hospital. He has been charged with 13 counts of murder.

"The shootings at Fort Hood raise a number of troubling questions that demand complete but prompt answers," Mr Gates said at the Pentagon....

Former US Army secretary Togo West and former chief of naval operations, Admiral Vernon Clark will oversee the review.

US President Barack Obama has already ordered a review of the way intelligence agencies handled information about the major.

US intelligence authorities revealed they knew Maj Hasan had been in contact with a cleric sympathetic to al-Qaeda.

An FBI-led task force monitoring the e-mail of Yemen-based US cleric Anwar al-Awlaki said he had communicated with Maj Hasan - a US-born Muslim and army psychiatrist - on 10 to 20 occasions.

However, it was decided that further investigation was not needed, as the content of the messages did not advocate or threaten violence.

They're doing it, of course, under the cover of criminalizing "blasphemy," but the real agenda here is to compel the West to adopt Sharia norms forbidding criticism of Islam, including analysis of the jihad terrorists' motives and goals. This, of course, would leave us mute and defenseless before them.

AP thinks that the free nations of the West will oppose this. But with Barack Obama in the White House, that isn't actually certain. After all, he made sure that the U.S. not only supported, but cosponsored (with Egypt) a similar initiative at the United Nations not too long ago.

Wait a minute. I thought only greasy Islamophobes believed that there was any problem with Muslims in the military. Will Honest Ibe Hooper of CAIR denounce Umar Lee as an "Islamophobe"?

Glossary: Kaafir, kufr = Infidel. Deen = religion. Ummah = global Islamic community. Ulamaa = Islamic scholars. Al wala wal bara = "Love and hate," i.e., love for Muslims and hatred for non-Muslims.

"Is It Permissible To Join A Kaafir Army?," by Umar Lee, November 19:

In the years since 9/11, we have seen a serious re-defining and whitewashing of what our deen is and is not. Since the Ft Hood shootings, and even before that, we have seen many Muslim organizations refer to US troops which are occupying Muslim lands, as "our troops". They have celebrated Muslims that have gone over to fight and kill other Muslims. We see Muslim spokesmen saying that the Muslims must abandon the concept of "Ummah". We are seeing Muslims and Muslim Organizations calling for American citizenship to be put above their loyalty to other Muslims around the world. This is a very strange thing as prior to 9/11 the ulamaa of Islam had many fatwas that said just the opposite, especially with regards to a Muslim joining a kufr army and going to fight other Muslims.

We find the people nowadays saying that it is perfectly permissible and even praiseworthy to join the kufr army. This is in contrast to what we saw in the past from the scholars. I would like to know what our friends at Muslim Matters have to say about the following fatwas from such scholars as Sh Ibn Uthaymeen and Sh. Al Munajid. What do they think the scholars would say about al wala wal bara (something completely forgotten about and not taught these days)?

This first fatwa is from Sh Al-Munajjid:

I work in the army of a non-Muslim state, and there are wars between them and the Muslims. What is the ruling if they send me with a division of this army to wage war against the Muslims? As a Muslim, my feelings are that I never want to fight against Muslims in any war. What should I do? What is the ruling if I go...?

Praise be to Allaah.

If you are sent to wage war against the Muslims, then it is not permissible for you to take part at all. Helping the kaafirs against the Muslims is a form of major kufr which puts one beyond the pale of Islam. Allaah says concerning one who supports the mushrikeen (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa', i.e., friends), then surely, he is one of them"[al-Maa'idah 5:51]

With regard to how you may get out of this situation, and what excuse you can give to get out of this dilemma if it happens, we ask Allaah to help you, and we suggest that you consult some Muslims who have relevant knowledge or experience.

We want to emphasize to you the necessity of finding other employment and of leaving service in the army of the kaafirs, because that implies helping them, strengthening them and increasing the numbers of their fighters and supporters - unless your work can bring some benefits to the Muslims, such as giving information and secrets of the kaafirs to the Muslims so as to help the Muslims, or if your work is purely da'wah, such as giving khutbahs and leading prayers for the Muslims in the kaafir army whilst also advising them to avoid any work that will strengthen the kaafirs. We ask Allaah to keep you safe from temptation and to give you a good end in this world and in the Hereafter.

This one is from Sh Ibn Muhammad Saalih al-Uthaymeen, May Allah have mercy upon him:

What is the ruling on Muslims serving in the military of non muslim country ? What is the evidence for its permissibility or prohibition? And lastly, what is the status of a Muslim working to help those in the military to fulfill their obligations to Allaah while serving in the Army, Navy, or whatever?

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:

"Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. Military matters are problematic, because they involve helping these kuffaar to wage war against the Muslims or those who have entered into a treaty with the Muslims. If no such thing is involved, it may be advantageous for Muslims to work in these armies so as to learn their secrets and be aware of their potential evil. In other words, if working in these armies could be of benefit, it may be permissible, otherwise it is not allowed."

On this basis, if a person works as a preacher or daa'iyah or imaam or muezzin, serving the Muslims and calling non-Muslims to Islam, then there is nothing wrong with this.

And for good measure, here is one more fatwa

So can the brothers find me a fatwa from a repudible scholar of the sunnah (not one that quotes from his desires) that says that it is permissible to put citizenship above our Islam and join the kafir army and to fight against Islam and the Muslims? It is permissible to join an army that calls for the men to shave their beards, salute the kufr flag and judge by other than what Allah revealed?

The evidence is clearly against those who are saying that these things are permissible.

Here is a question:

If a group of Muslims in Mecca attacked the United States and the US Army wanted to retaliate by taking the haram, would it still be permissible to join the kufr army?

Since the UN, with its OIC-driven agenda, is simply the other side of bin Laden's coin, this would be a perfect fit. "Britain: Bin-Laden's son wants to work for the UN," from AKI, November 19 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

New York, 19 Nov. (AKI) - The son of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, Omar, has told a British magazine that he would like to promote peace and work for the United Nations. His comments were published on Thursday in New Statesman magazine.

"I do not believe that I would be a good politician - I have a habit of speaking the truth, even when it does not serve me well. But I would like to be in a position to promote peace. I believe that the United Nations would be ideal for me," said Omar Bin-Laden.

So do I, Omar!

Last year in November, Omar requested asylum in Spain, but his application was refused.

He was travelling on a Saudi Arabian passport and was detained at Madrid's Barajas Airport after arriving on a flight from Egypt.

In the interview, Omar told New Statesman that he would seek God's advice in whether to report his father if he knew where he was hiding.

"If such a time comes, God will guide me to the correct path. But any child on earth would have difficulty with such a situation."...

Interviewed by ex-Muslim Nabil Qureshi at the Rifqa Rally, November 16, Columbus, Ohio. (Thanks to David.)

Interview from November 6 (thanks to James).

If someone in America points out that such punishments are part of Sharia, he is derided as an ignorant "Islamophobe." But the Koran is clear: "As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise." -- Koran 5:38

And it is also clear that this verse is taken literally and seriously by all the schools of Islamic jurisprudence. And so this imam is saying something that is only controversial to those who are ignorant (whether willfully so or not).

"What's wrong with chopping off thieves' hands, Imam asks," by Christian Peregin for the Times of Malta, November 19 (thanks to Twostellas):

Imam Mohamed El Sadi, the Muslim leader in Malta, believes chopping off the hands of thieves is a "deserving punishment".

Mr El Sadi made the statement during Monday's television programme Bondiplus, where he defended Sharia law, a judicial system used in some Islamic states and which can involve severe corporal punishments.

Contacted yesterday, Mr El Sadi stood by his comments and added the world was incurring the "wrath of God" through its permissiveness and destruction of spiritual and moral values, namely through the acceptance of "same-sex marriages, homosexuality, adultery and abortion".

Under Sharia law, such things are considered crimes that may even be punishable by death. When asked if he agreed with such punishments he said: "Yes, of course. I agree with everything Islamic."...

Mr Bondì then asked whether religion should dictate the laws of the country, through, say, Sharia law.

"What is wrong with Sharia law? If someone steals, he is taking from the country or the poor, so why is it wrong to cut off his hand?" the Imam replied.

Mr El Sadi said the punishment should terrify thieves and criminals, "not the good people".

When speaking to The Times about his remarks, the Imam said: "Why don't you concentrate on what is common rather than pick on what is controversial?"

He said he was not proposing this system for Europe because it would be undemocratic. But it was also undemocratic for Muslim countries not to use it because most Muslims wanted it....

He conceded there were different kinds of Muslims who thought of Sharia differently. "But whoever denies this is not a Muslim," he said, adding the law of God was perfect.

He said there were many safeguards to ensure Sharia law was applied justly, through a court system that depended on having several witnesses. "This does not apply to thieves who are poor or hungry. This is for people who have everything and want more; people who are greedy... The point is to frighten criminals."

Fr Renè Camilleri, who was also a guest on the programme, said he was "shocked" by the Imam's comments.

"I tried to insist violence is unacceptable. The concept is horrific to me. It is equivalent to the death penalty. I know it is what Sharia law dictates but, coming from him, such a moderate and tolerant person, I was shocked," he said, adding he never considered the Imam to be a fundamentalist....

Free Speech Death Watch Alert from Pamela at Atlas Shrugs:

Apostate Nonie Darwish, author of "Cruel And Usual Punishment; The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law". and executive director, Former Muslims United, was scheduled to speak at Columbia University today and Princeton University tomorrow, and both events were canceled.

Columbia, where Ahmadinejad was welcomed like a returning king.

Just hours before she was scheduled to speak, the groups (the Debate Society and Tigers of Israel) succumbed to student Muslim groups and canceled her speaking event. Nonie called me from her NY taxi, shocked that just weeks after an Islamic attack on a military base on US soil, the largest in US history, that activists who speak the truth about Islam are being shut down and marginalized.

There is much more. Read it all.

Pat Robertson said: "If we don't stop covering up what Islam is. Islam is a violent...I was going to say religion but it's not a religion...it's political system; it's a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world and world domination."

I disagree. I don't think Islam is not a religion. A religion purports to relate human beings to a deity, and Islam does purport to do that. But is Islam a political system that teaches world domination?

Don't take Pat Robertson's word for it, or mine. Let's go to Majid Khadduri, an Iraqi scholar of Islamic law of international renown. In his book War and Peace in the Law of Islam, which was published in 1955 and remains one of the most lucid and illuminating works on the subject, Khadduri says this about jihad:

The state which is regarded as the instrument for universalizing a certain religion must perforce be an ever expanding state. The Islamic state, whose principal function was to put God's law into practice, sought to establish Islam as the dominant reigning ideology over the entire world....The jihad was therefore employed as an instrument for both the universalization of religion and the establishment of an imperial world state. (P. 51)

Don't believe Khadduri? Very well. How about Imran Ahsan Khan Nyazee, Assistant Professor on the Faculty of Shari'ah and Law of the International Islamic University in Islamabad. In his 1994 book The Methodology of Ijtihad, he quotes the twelfth century Maliki jurist Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd: "Muslim jurists agreed that the purpose of fighting with the People of the Book...is one of two things: it is either their conversion to Islam or the payment of jizyah." Nyazee concludes: "This leaves no doubt that the primary goal of the Muslim community, in the eyes of its jurists, is to spread the word of Allah through jihad, and the option of poll-tax [jizya] is to be exercised only after subjugation" of non-Muslims.

Don't believe Nyazee, either? How about Iran's Thug-In-Chief Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Of course, he is no Islamic scholar, but he is a devout Muslim, and he learned Islam not from greasy Islamophobes but from...Islamic scholars. And he has said: "Have no doubt... Allah willing, Islam will conquer what? It will conquer all the mountain tops of the world."

Don't believe Ahmadinejad? How about a Shafi'i manual of Islamic law endorsed by the most prestigious institution in Sunni Islam, Al-Azhar University in Cairo? It says that the leader of the Muslims "makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians...until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax," and cites Koran 9:29 in support of this idea: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and who forbid not what Allah and His messenger have forbidden-who do not practice the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the Book-until they pay the poll tax out of hand and are humbled." ('Umdat al-Salik o9.8)

Evidently all these people are misunderstanders of Islam. Will CAIR denounce them? How about it, Honest Ibe? Or do you believe, Mr. Hooper, that it is just fine for Muslims to say this sort of thing anytime and anywhere, and it only becomes "hate speech" when Robertson says it?

CAIR Deception and Hypocrisy Alert: "CAIR asks McDonnell for more on Robertson, as Connolly weighs in," by Rosalind Helderman in the Washington Post, November 18 (thanks to herr Oyal):

Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell continues to face calls for him to publicly repudiate donor and ally Pat Robertson today, even after a statement issued Tuesday evening in which his spokesman commented generally about the importance of the Muslim community to Virginia.

A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Wednesday that McDonnell's comment "a good statement as far as it went," but said he did not believe it went far enough in directly disavowing Robertson's remarks.

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for CAIR, said the national group is working with Muslims in Virginia to decide how to proceed on the issue. But he said he continues to believe McDonnell needs to make a clear statement indicating he does not agree with Robertson's stand on Islam. Robertson said last week that Islam is "not a religion" but a "violent political system" and called for Muslims to be treated like communists or members of a fascist party.

"[McDonnell's] sending the message that he wants it both ways--he wants the support of a Muslim-basher. And he wants to work with Virginia Muslims. I think those two things are incompatible," Hooper said.

Meanwhile, the political implications of the Robertson remarks are growing. U.S. Rep Gerry Connolly (D) has put out a statement Wednesday calling on Robertson to apologize for his comments. Connolly said he has heard from hundreds of constituents, both Muslims and others, offended by Robertson's comments, which came in response to the Fort Hood shootings on an episode of the 700 Club last week.

"My feeling is that if public officials don't speak out about this, our silence might be misconstrued," Connolly said. "I, for one, am not going to be silent in the face of that kind of unbridled intolerance."...

What courage!

Quoth the intrepid Obama in response: "... as a consequence we have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences."

Yeah. Take that! "U.S. warns Iran of consequences over standoff," by Patricia Zengerle and Manny Mogato for Reuters, November 19:

SEOUL/MANILA (Reuters) - World powers could have a package of measures against Iran "within weeks", U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday, warning Tehran of consequences for its failure to respond to an offer of a nuclear deal.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki dismissed talk of further punitive sanctions, saying the West had learnt from past failures.

Not much of a plan in the first place:

Iran on Wednesday rejected a deal to send enriched uranium abroad for rendering into fuel for medical purposes in Tehran, defying world powers which regarded the offer as a way to delay Iran's potential ability to make atomic bombs by at least a year by divesting the country of most of its refined uranium stock.

Under the plan brokered by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Iran would ship some 75 percent of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France, where it would be converted into fuel plates for a Tehran reactor that makes isotopes for cancer treatment.

"Iran has taken weeks now and has not shown its willingness to say yes to this proposal ... and so as a consequence we have begun discussions with our international partners about the importance of having consequences," Obama said at a joint news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul.

He said Iran would not be given an unlimited amount of time, likening the Iranian nuclear issue to years of stop-and-start negotiations with North Korea about its nuclear ambitions.

"We weren't going to duplicate what has happened with North Korea, in which talks just continue forever without any actual resolution to the issue," said Obama.

He has advocated a policy of increased engagement, rather than confrontation, on thorny international issues.

In apparent response to Obama's comments, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated in a speech in Tabriz that Iran would respond positively to a change in big powers' policy.

"I am speaking to the world powers: Those who say they want to have a constructive interaction should know that if the Iranian nation sees a practical change in their behaviour and that they have given up their aggressive attitude and honestly raised a hand to Iran, then we would accept it," he said.

"But if we find they are still continuing their past domineering and hostile policies ... then the response of the Iranian national would be as firm as in the past." [...]

During a visit to the Philippines, Mottaki shrugged off the possibility of further sanctions. "Sanction was the literature of the 60s and 70s," he told a news conference in Manila.

"I think they are wise enough not to repeat failed experiences," he said, speaking through an interpreter. "Of course, it's totally up to them."

Mottaki said the Islamic Republic was willing to discuss the reactor fuel deal but only if the swap of enriched uranium for the fuel took place within Iran.

Buying time:

"Iran raises its readiness in order to have further talks within the framework which is presented," he said. "It's not our proposal to have a swap. They raised such a proposal and we described and talked about how it could be operationalised."

Hope. For change:

Obama said he still hoped Iran would change its mind and that Washington and its allies would consider a package of potential steps to indicate to Iran how serious they were.

"Our expectation is that, over the next several weeks, we will be developing a package of potential steps that we could take, that would indicate our seriousness to Iran," he said.

He said he had confidence in the approach to Iran, which rejects suspicions that its declared programme to enrich uranium for electricity generation is a trojan horse for efforts to produce atomic bomb fuel.

"I continue to hold out the prospect that they may decide to walk through this door. I hope they do," he said....

In Human Events this morning I discuss a few things Nidal Hasan's PowerPoint has in common with other presentations of Islam we've seen in the past:

Before he killed or wounded 54 Americans at Fort Hood on November 5, army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan had raised eyebrows with his Islamic proselytizing, which he carried on even when he was supposed to be conducting medical briefings. One such presentation has come to light: the June 2007 briefing which Hasan gave to other doctors at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Hasan's PowerPoint slides say many of the same things found in jihadist literature and propaganda throughout the Middle East and among its apologists here in America.

Hasan's Islam is rooted in traditional understandings of the faith as taught by the authoritative schools of Sunni Muslim jurisprudence. It also is the same Islam that is taught by groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Al-Qaeda.

In arguing that the Koran mandates defensive jihad against unbelievers, Hasan invokes the same Koranic verse that Osama bin Laden used as an epigraph on his "Letter to the American People" of October 2002: "Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is able to give them victory."

Hasan also explains that Muslims are obligated to wage offensive jihad against unbelievers, with ominous taglines in his PowerPoint such as "we love death more than you love life." He quotes the Koranic verse calling for war against the "People of the Book" (that is, mainly Jews and Christians) until they "pay the tax in acknowledgment of [Islamic] superiority and they are in a state of subjection" (9:29). Hasan apparently told the assembled (and no doubt stunned) physicians that Muslims had a religious obligation to make war against and subjugate non-Muslims as inferiors under their rule.

Hasan's Islam coincides with that of the jihad terror group Hamas, which has announced its intention, once fully and firmly ensconced in power, to collect that Koran-mandated tax -- jizyah -- from the non-Muslims luckless enough to live within its domains. Most importantly of all, however, he makes the case that Muslims must not fight against other Muslims (as is mandated by Koran 4:92). Ominously, he recommends that because of this injunction, "Department of Defense should allow Muslims [sic] Soldiers the option of being released as 'Conscientious objectors' to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events."

Adverse events, perhaps, like his own jihad at Fort Hood. For he warned in his PowerPoint that "Muslims may be seen as moderate (compromising) but God is not." And further, "if Muslim groups can convince Muslims that they are fighting for God against injustices of the 'infidels'; ie: enemies of Islam, then Muslims can become a potent adversary ie: suicide bombing, etc."

It is this desire to correct the "injustices of the 'infidels' that has led the Muslim Brotherhood, the international Islamic organization (which operates under a variety of names in the United States), to engage in what it calls a "grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions." Hasan couldn't disagree -- not with his talk of offensive jihad and quoting of Muhammad the Islamic prophet saying, "I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah..."

And Allah, Nidal Hasan reminded his audience in his PowerPoint, "expects full loyalty. Promises heaven and threatens with hell." The clear trajectory of his argument is that Muslims may lay hold of that promise of heaven by waging war against Infidels, but that hell awaited those Muslims who might be foolish and traitorous enough to side with the Infidels and fight alongside them against Muslims.

No one in government or law enforcement has ever made any attempt to determine how prevalent such understandings of Islam are among Muslims in the United States. Yet it is of cardinal importance for those sworn to protect us to begin making such an attempt now. As we saw at Fort Hood, the lives of innocent people depend on it.

Spying and willful blindness don't mix. This story would be comical if the stakes weren't so high: the analysts realize there has to be "some kind of guide," some "missing" link in the "radicalization" of Muslims, but what? This is because their work proceeds according to the politically correct dogma that there is nothing problematic about Islam's core texts and teachings. And until they take their blinders off and have a good look around, what follows below will have to pass for "analysis."

You may want to read this one sitting down. "Spy Agencies' Quest: What Makes A Terrorist?" by Kevin Whitelaw for NPR (go figure), November 18:

Investigators are still trying to determine whether Maj. Nidal Hasan's alleged deadly rampage at Fort Hood was a calculated act of radical Islamist ideology or the deranged act of an alienated loner.

But even as military and law enforcement officials continue their probe, the incident has sparked a renewed focus on how Islamic extremists and al-Qaida sympathizers become radicalized in the first place.

The U.S. government has focused significant intelligence resources on the question of radicalization in recent years, but they admit the dynamics are still not well understood.

"We haven't completely figured out why some people are susceptible to that and some aren't," says a senior U.S. intelligence official. "There are people who argue it's cultural or economic or political or psychological, but it depends."

The al-Qaida terrorist network has worked hard to build and maintain an active media arm, which pumps out propaganda videos, training materials and other exhortations across the Internet. Much of it is aimed at inspiring extremists across the globe to join the cause, but it remains unclear how effective the messages are.

'Some Kind Of Guide'

"Generally speaking, there needs to be an intermediary -- someone who helps you along the path to radicalization," says the senior intelligence official. "For the actual embrace of the global jihad, you can be launched on that path by your own research on the Internet, but in most cases, you do need some kind of a guide." [...]

"My ability to understand the people I'm dealing with today is far different and far more difficult," Philip Mudd, the assistant director for national security at the FBI and a veteran CIA analyst, said at a conference last month. "The revolution has meant the people we're facing are al-Qaida central, they're affiliates, they're like-mindeds, [and] they're a kid in a garage, each of whom poses a unique threat."

Beyond the core members of al-Qaida, the U.S. intelligence community is trying to track affiliated groups, including offshoots like al-Qaida in Iraq; sympathetic groups, such as al-Shabaab, a Somali extremist group; and all kinds of homegrown radicals....

Read it all.

An update on this story. "Florida Man Convicted in Chicago Sears Tower Terror Plot Gets 6 Years," from Fox News, November 18:

MIAMI -- A Miami man convicted of plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard imposed the sentence Wednesday on 24-year-old Burson Augustin. Four other men are scheduled to be sentenced over the next three days.

Prosecutors sought the maximum 30-year sentence for Augustin. Lenard ruled that sentencing terrorism enhancements should not apply to Augustin, who was not the leader.

The men were convicted in May of supporting Al Qaeda, conspiring to wage war on the U.S. and other charges.

There were two mistrials, and two other men were acquitted. All denied plotting terror attacks....

Sharia Alert. This woman was killed after giving birth, following Muhammad's example:

There came to him (the Holy Prophet) a woman from Ghamid and said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed adultery, so purify me. He (the Holy Prophet) turned her away. On the following day she said: Allah's Messenger, Why do you turn me away? Perhaps, you turn me away as you turned away Ma'iz. By Allah, I have become pregnant. He said: Well, if you insist upon it, then go away until you give birth to (the child). When she was delivered she came with the child (wrapped) in a rag and said: Here is the child whom I have given birth to. He said: Go away and suckle him until you wean him. When she had weaned him, she came to him (the Holy Prophet) with the child who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. She said: Allah's Apostle, here is he as I have weaned him and he eats food. He (the Holy Prophet) entrusted the child to one of the Muslims and then pronounced punishment. And she was put in a ditch up to her chest and he commanded people and they stoned her. - Sahih Muslim 17.4206.

In this case, the child was stillborn, so they were able to skip right to killing the mother. "Somali woman stoned for adultery," from BBC News, November 18:

A 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of committing adultery in Somalia has been stoned to death by Islamists in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

A judge working for the militant group al-Shabab said she had had an affair with an unmarried 29-year-old man.

He said she gave birth to a still-born baby and was found guilty of adultery. Her boyfriend was given 100 lashes.

It is thought to be the second time a woman has been stoned to death for adultery by al-Shabab.

The group controls large swathes of southern Somalia where they have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law which has been unpopular with many Somalis.

'Lenient'

According to reports from a small village near the town of Wajid, 250 miles (400km) north-west of the capital, Mogadishu, the woman was taken to the public grounds where she was buried up to her waist.

She was then stoned to death in front of the crowds on Tuesday afternoon.

The judge, Sheikh Ibrahim Abdirahman, said her unmarried boyfriend was given 100 lashes at the same venue. [...]

Meanwhile, another woman waits:

Earlier this month, a man was stoned to death for adultery in the port town of Merka, south of Mogadishu.

His pregnant girlfriend was spared, until she gives birth....

Earlier this evening I spoke at NYU on a panel with Elan Journo. I had just started explaining the jihad doctrine and Islamic supremacism when a young man in the middle of the audience stood up and started yelling and refused to be quiet. When the security guards went over to start moving him out of the room, they left a side door by the stage unsecured -- and sure enough, the yelling guy turned out to be a diversion. Two other young men rushed in that side door and threw pies at Elan Journo and me. They hit Dr. Journo on the shoulder but missed me altogether, as I had jumped aside when I saw them coming.

Of course a pie in the face is a staple of American comedy going back to the Marx Brothers (by far my favorite Marxists), but this was no joke. In the first place, it is yet another manifestation of Leftist thuggery, antipathy to the freedom of speech, and alliance with the global jihad; it also shows yet again the degeneration of our nation's universities into propaganda mills in which those with opposing views are hounded out or intimidated into silence. (And then there is this.)

As we continued the event with pie splattered all over the curtain behind us, it was a vivid object lesson in how much free inquiry threatens the Left, and created a nice backdrop for our discussion of the Organization of the Islamic Conference's war on free speech, which is, of course, intended to enable the global jihad to advance without challenge.

Here is an eyewitness account of what happened from the audience's perspective (thanks to Pamela).

That's one way of putting it, with Hamas as intent as ever on destroying Israel, and Fatah's remaining committed to armed "resistance" despite its attempts at putting on a friendlier face to the Western public. Not to mention the rampant corruption and misappropriation of aid for weapons. No, we're "not there yet."

An update on this story. "Mideast: EU rejects calls for a Palestinian state," from AdnKronos International, November 17:

Brussels, 17 Nov. (AKI) - The European Union on Tuesday rejected calls by the Palestinian Authority to declare a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, whose country currently holds the presidency of the EU, said conditions in the Palestinian territories "were not there yet" for such a move.

Bildt was speaking before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

He said in regard to the establishment of a Palestinian state that "...there has to be one first. We would be ready to recognise a Palestinian state, but conditions are not there as of yet."

Bildt's came after US state department spokesman Ian Kelly echoed similar concerns, saying "We support the creation of a Palestinian state that is contiguous...the best way to achieve that is negotiation between two parties."

So, the policy in the coming years is to force Israel to make more land concessions, even as disastrous as past ones have proven (see also: Gaza).

Earlier this week, Palestinian officials, led by chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, announced that they would seek recognition of a state from the United Nations Security Council, without a solution to the conflict with Israel.

The US - Israel's biggest ally - however, has veto power in the Security Council, and could in theory exercise it to prevent the unilateral declaration.....

Canada welcomes in immigrants and ends up becoming a center for jihad recruitment, eh? "Officials worried group in Canada went to join Islamic radicals in Somalia," by Stewart Bell for the National Post, November 16 (thanks to Kim):

TORONTO -- Counterterrorism officials are investigating a group of youths who allegedly left Canada for East Africa two weeks ago, amid concerns they may have gone to join the Somali militant group Al-Shabab.

Two sources familiar with the case said investigators had been canvassing Toronto's large Somali-Canadian community for information about as many as five men who departed Canada together in early November.

They are believed to have flown to Kenya, the sources said. Kenya borders the region of southern Somalia controlled by Al-Shabab, an Islamist militia aligned with al-Qaeda and sometimes likened to the Taliban.

The investigation comes as the Somali conflict has become a key focus of North American counterterrorism officials. Several Somali-American youths have left the Midwestern United States to join the Shabab, and the commissioner of the RCMP said in a speech last month he is concerned about a similar trend in Canada.

"Radicalization within the U.S. Somali community may be an indicator of similar processes at work in Canada," Commissioner William Elliott said in his Oct. 30 address to the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies in Ottawa.

"As you know, we have one of the largest Somali diaspora communities in the Western world. The potential follow-on threat, from a Canadian and RCMP perspective, is Somali-Canadians who travel to Somalia to fight and then return, imbued with both extremist ideology and the skills necessary to translate it into direct action."

Al-Shabab, which means "youth," is an armed extremist group that has emerged from the lawlessness and chaos of Somalia and aims to establish an Islamic state....

The Jihad Still Threatens America

Even as many Americans grow complacent, the enemy that struck us on 9/11 grows stronger. Eight years since that fateful Tuesday, the enemy--the Islamic totalitarian movement--stands undefeated and continues to threaten our lives and our freedom, from overseas and from within.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the resurgent Taliban and their Islamist allies are waging a fierce comeback. They are actively fomenting plots against America and the West. The Islamist regime in Iran--which began the anti-American holy war decades prior to 9/11--appears poised to acquire its own nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, within America and the West, there is an overlooked drive by pro-Islamist activist groups to impose Islamic law--without guns or bombs--in the West. Their incremental advances would subvert our freedom of speech and the very foundations of our political system.

What is the Islamic totalitarian movement? What are its goals and means? Why, despite America's military response to 9/11, does it remain a threat to us? What can be done to counter this menace--at home and overseas? These are some of the urgent questions that panelists Robert Spencer and Elan Journo will address.

Bio: Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, is author of nine books on Islam, including two bestsellers. He has led seminars for the U.S. Central Command, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group, the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the U.S. intelligence community.
Bio: Elan Journo Elan Journo is a fellow with the Ayn Rand Institute focusing on foreign policy. He is the editor of and chief contributor to Winning the Unwinnable War: America's Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism. His writings have appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times, and the Globe and Mail of Canada.

Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 PM
New York University Cantor Film Center
36 East Eighth Street; New York, NY 10003 (between Greene and Washington Square East)
(Map available at http://www.nyu.edu/v40extras/nyumap.pdf)

RSVP's: http://jihadonamerica.eventbrite.com/
More information: aynrand.nyu@gmail.com

Here is video of the rally for human rights and religious freedom in defense of Rifqa Bary, yesterday in Columbus, Ohio. Speakers included Simon Deng, the courageous ex-slave from the Sudan; the knowledgeable and indefatigable ex-Muslim Nonie Darwish; Jim Lafferty of the anti-Sharia coalition that fought against the Islamic Saudi Academy expansion in Virginia; Rifqa's dear friend Jamal Jivanjee; Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs; and me.

(Video thanks to Pamela.)

Late in October in Washington, DC, Pamela Geller invited me to participate in a panel on the Rifqa Bary case and its implications. Watch and enjoy!

(Video thanks to Pamela.)

This story is distastefully wobbly about whether there were real "war crimes" and whether there was something substantive that could push Hasan over the edge, ignoring as always the obvious jihadist element to the massacre.

At issue here is the fact that, under Islamic law, the life of a Muslim is worth more than a non-Muslim in terms of the required diyya, or compensation by blood money, and a non-Muslim who kills a Muslim is to be put to death. And that raises a question that applies to perceived Muslim grievances around the world: Would Hasan care half as much if the casualties inflicted by American soldiers during combat operations were non-Muslims? Would the Muslim world be in such an uproar over Kashmir and "Palestine" if all of the disputing parties were non-Muslim? No. Inherent in these issues is a sense of superiority and divinely ordered entitlement.

"Officials: Major Hasan Sought 'War Crimes' Prosecution of U.S. Soldiers," by Joseph Rhee, Mary-Rose Abraham, Anna Schecter and Brian Ross for ABC News, November 16:

Major Nidal Malik Hasan's military superiors repeatedly ignored or rebuffed his efforts to open criminal prosecutions of soldiers he claimed had confessed to "war crimes" during psychiatric counseling, according to investigative reports circulated among federal law enforcement officials

On Nov. 4, the day after his last attempt to raise the issue, he took extra target practice at Stan's shooting range in nearby Florence, Texas and then closed a safe deposit box he had at a Bank of America branch in Killeen, according to the reports. A bank employee told investigators Hasan appeared nervous and said, "You'll never see me again."

Diane Wagner, Bank of America's senior vice president of media relations, said that her company does not "comment or discuss customer relationships" but is "cooperating fully with law enforcement officials."

Investigators believe Hasan's frustration over the failure of the Army to pursue what he regarded as criminal acts by U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan may have helped to trigger the shootings.

"The Army may not want to admit it, and you may not hear much about it, but it was very big for him," said one of the federal investigators on the task force collecting evidence of the crime.

His last effort to get the attention of military investigators came on Nov. 2, three days before his alleged shooting spree, according to the reports....

Read it all.

But not before "the Home Office said he would be able to practise his faith if he found like-minded Christians in Kabul and 'kept his head down'." You know, like a good dhimmi. At least, in this case, the Home Office was overruled, and the plight of non-Muslims and apostates from Islam in Islamic societies gained a modicum of official recognition.

"Afghan asylum seeker wins right to stay in Britain after converting to Christianity," from the Daily Mail, November 17 (thanks to Rob):

An Afghan asylum seeker who converted to Christianity after arriving in Britain has won the right to stay in the country because of fears he could be executed if returned home.

In a landmark case, the man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, used human rights rules to overturn a previous Home Office decision to refuse him asylum.

Lawyers said there were fears that, as an apostate - one who rejects the Muslim religion - the man, originally from Mazar-i-Sharif, but now living in Hounslow, west London, would face persecution, or even death, on his return.

The former Kabul hotel worker had arrived in the UK as a Muslim, but converted to Christianity, was baptised and now regularly attends a west London church and bible class.

But his conversion had met with hostility from other Afghans and Muslims, who spat at him in the street when rumours spread, the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Tribunal was told.

He was even threatened with death by two Afghans with whom he had shared a house in London and warned by others that he would be killed if he went back to Afghanistan.

Although the Afghan Constitution allows non-Muslims to practise their faith, the small Christian community practises exclusively underground and it is forbidden for Afghans to abandon Islam.

To avoid detection if sent back to war-torn Afghanistan, he would have to find an underground network of other Christians to worship with and keep his beliefs from everyone else.

The man who arrived on a hijacked jet would spend his life 'looking over his shoulder' in case he was recognised and could expect no protection from the Afghan government, his lawyers told immigration judges.

Contesting the man's appeal, the Home Office said he would be able to practise his faith if he found like-minded Christians in Kabul and 'kept his head down'.

But, giving the tribunal decision, Senior Immigration Judge Nichols said it was not reasonable to expect someone to live and worship in such circumstances.

Although the Afghan Constitution made no mention of what should happen to apostates, Sharia Law demanded the death penalty, he said [...]

'He faces a real risk of, at the very least, detention because of his religion and, at worst, trial before a Sharia Court and harsh punishment unless the appellant recanted his conversion.

The next step would be to recognize that this aspect of Sharia comes from Muhammad's own orders: "if anyone changes his religion, kill him (Bukhari 9.84.57) -- hence its persistence.

The symbolism of Abu Hamza's sermons going through the plumbing system is just too good. More on this story. "Hate preacher Abu Hamza secretly gives lectures on Islam... through the water pipes of his prison cell," by Rebecca Camber in the Daily Mail, November 17 (thanks to Kris):

Hate preacher Abu Hamza is delivering extremist sermons to prisoners through the water pipes of his cell, it has been claimed.

The Muslim cleric is defying a preaching ban imposed by prison bosses to radicalise inmates.

He is able to give his lectures through the plumbing that connects to neighbouring cells in Belmarsh Prison....

The Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think-tank, has called for the 51-year-old to be removed from the mainstream prison population.

Its report on growing prison radicalisation says the authorities have tried to stop him giving sermons openly.

But a source told the thinktank that Egyptian-born Hamza has found a way to talk to his fellow inmates - through the pipes....

"Neighbours said a 62-year-old man arrested at his home on Willows Lane, Deane, Bolton, taught the Koran at a number of mosques across the region."

So much "misunderstanding" of Islam's purportedly peaceful and tolerant message: Funny how that keeps happening. "Raids on suspected terrorist recruitment network," by Duncan Gardham for the Telegraph, November 16 (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Raids in Manchester and Bolton coincided with the arrest of a 26-year-old man at a hotel near Heathrow airport.

Sources were unable to confirm suggestions that he was planning to travel to Pakistan or Afghanistan.

It is thought the men had been under surveillance for some time and Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson of Greater Manchester Police said: "This is a complex and ongoing investigation, which has now reached the point where it was necessary to make arrests and speak to a number of people."

Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit began the operation at 4am raiding houses across Greater Manchester.

Neighbours said a 62-year-old man arrested at his home on Willows Lane, Deane, Bolton, taught the Koran at a number of mosques across the region.

"I'm surprised. He carries out spiritual sessions twice-a-week. He is very spiritual," said one source within the Muslim community.

The other suspects included a 52-year-old from Longsight in Manchester, a 21-year-old arrested in Fallowfield, Manchester and a 27-year-old held in Stalybridge, Cheshire...

The moral of the story: Don't accept invitations from Gaddafi. "Food Summit: Gaddafi asks women to convert to Islam," from AdnKronos International, November 16 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Rome, 16 Nov. (AKI) - Libya's controversial leader Muammar Gaddafi has created headlines in Italy after inviting 200 women to a party and inviting them to convert to Islam. Gaddafi who is in Rome for the United Nations-sponsored global food summit, held the party at the house of the Libyan ambassador, Hafed Gaddur, on Sunday.

"Convert to Islam. Jesus was sent to the Jews, not for you. Mohammed, on the other hand, was sent for all human beings," he reportedly said.

Never mind that bit about "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

"Whoever goes in a different direction than Mohammed is wrong. God's religion is Islam and whomever follows a different one, in the end, will lose," said Gaddafi quoted by Italian daily La Stampa.

After arriving an hour late, Gaddafi began distributing gifts to the women, who were reportedly all Italian.

They were also each given a copy of the Islamic holy book the Koran as well as the Libyan leader's Green Book, which outlines the Libyan leader's view on political philosophy and democracy.

He then sat next to Libya's ambassador to Italy Hafed Gaddur and an interpreter with two of his renowned female guards, known as 'Amazon Guards'.

Gaddafi then began a speech in which he invited the women to convert to Islam, emphasising his support for equal rights but not equal duties.

According to the Libyan leader, women must do only "what their physical condition allows them" and spoke about the role that women played during World War II.

"What their physical condition allows them": Sojourner Truth would beg to differ: "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman?..."

And for that matter, then, what's the point of his female bodyguards?

Gaddafi criticised the West, saying that women there "have often been used as pieces of furniture, changed whenever it pleases men. And this is an injustice."

After all, the correct Qur'anic term is "tilth" (2:223).

Gaddafi also invited the women attending the party to travel to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.....

.... which requires converting to Islam.

Is anyone in D.C. listening, or are they too busy playing politics and putting the supposed symbolism of the trial over the array of obvious security concerns? Louis Pepe Update, and an update on this story. "Blinded Prison Guard: Don't House Terror Suspects in NYC," by Joseph Abrams for Fox News, November 16 (thanks to Sam):

The high-security prison in New York City where 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is expected to be sent to await his trial has a supermax wing to keep even the most notorious criminals quiet -- but it isn't perfect. Just ask Louis Pepe.

Ten months before Al Qaeda in 2001 struck a deathblow in the heart lower Manhattan, one of the terrorist group's founding members plunged a sharpened comb through Pepe's left eye and into his brain, blinding the 42-year-old prison guard and causing severe brain injuries that plague him to this day.

Pepe told FoxNews.com he worries that sending Mohammed and four of his alleged fellow 9/11 conspirators to New York could compromise the safety of the guards at the MCC prison. Keeping the prisoners in one location, he said, was especially dangerous.

"Could you imagine over there what they're gonna do, God forbid?" asked Pepe, now 52, who lost feeling in the right side of his body and most of his ability to speak. "After all these years, you'd think they should know."

On Nov. 1, 2000, Pepe was ambushed in the cell of Mamdouh Mahmud Salim -- an alleged top aide to Usama bin Laden. Salim's cellmate, another Al Qaeda suspect, joined in the attack, which prosecutors say was an attempt to steal Pepe's keys to the cell block to free other prisoners and take hostages.

The two had been granted permission by a federal judge to purchase hot sauce, says Pepe's sister, which they then stored in a honey jar and used to create a blinding mace. Teaming up against Pepe, they beat and blinded him, covering the floor in his spattered blood. They then tried to rape him as he waited an entire hour for fellow guards to come to his aid, his sister said.

"They wanted to discredit the badge and what he stood for," Eileen Trotta told FoxNews.com. "After they plunged him in the eye with that makeshift knife, they did the sign of the cross on his chest."

Trotta said it would be like "deja vu" to see more Al Qaeda detainees shipped into New York for trial, where their court hearings will be just blocks from Ground Zero

"There's no reason why everything has to be in New York, especially after 9/11 and what happened to Louis," she said. "It doesn't make sense -- why bring them into the hotbed of the city?"...

Politics.

This string of attacks has focused significantly on law enforcement in various forms, targeting the government's ability to protect its citizens, and striking at symbols of insufficiently Islamic law. "Four killed, 31 injured in Peshawar suicide bombing," from the Press Trust of India, November 16:

Islamabad/ Peshawar: A suicide bomber today rammed his explosives-laden truck into a police station in this northwest Pakistani city, killing at least four persons and injuring 31 in the seventh terror attack here in 10 days. The attacker targeted a police station at Badabher on the outskirts of the provincial capital at 7.45 am, police said.

Hospital officials said four persons were killed and two women, nine children and two paramilitary personnel were among the injured. Earlier, state-run PTV had reported that five persons were killed in the attack. Hospital officials said the death toll was revised after they learnt that a body they received was that of a man killed in an accident.

A mosque and a house near the police station were reduced to rubble while 10 shops, a college and several cars were badly damaged by the powerful blast. Footage on television showed the facade of several buildings was devastated by the blast.

"The bomber came in a car from the direction of the Khyber Agency. The bomber struck the wall between the police station and the mosque. The mosque collapsed due to the blast and the police station was damaged. A nearby market was also damaged," said Shahibzada Anees, the district administration chief. Police said the bomber's truck was packed with about 250 kg of explosives.

A paramilitary trooper who was injured in the attack said the bomber detonated his explosives when security personnel fired at the truck. Policemen cordoned off the area as local residents and rescue workers removed the rubble by hand to pull out the dead and injured. Ambulances ferried bodies and the injured to hospitals, where an emergency was declared.

This was the seventh terrorist attack in Peshawar and its surrounding areas in the past 10 days. An anti-Taliban mayor in Badabher area escaped an attempt on his life by burqa-clad militants yesterday while 12 people were killed in a suicide car bomb attack on a police check post on the city's outskirts on Saturday....

No, this time, it's the Muslim "counter-extremism" Quilliam Foundation confirming what others have been warning about for years. What remains to be seen is whether their report -- unsullied by any distasteful "otherness" on the part of its authors -- will create any apparent sense of urgency to deal with this ongoing disaster waiting to happen in British prisons.

"Islamists 'promote jihad in jail'," from BBC News, November 15 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Radical Muslims are spreading extremist propaganda and promoting jihad from inside UK jails, a report has claimed.

Counter-extremism think tank the Quilliam Foundation said radicals were also being allowed to lead prayers.

And its report said extremist cleric Abu Qatada had issued fatwas from Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire where he is awaiting deportation.

The Ministry of Justice said it had a dedicated unit to tackle the risk of extremism and radicalisation in prison.

But are they tackling it? And how does tackling "the risk" differ from tackling the actual, ongoing situation of "radicalization" in prisons? Seems like it's a bit late for the former. It's striking to note how often such statements are weaselly worded to blur the distinction between potential and genuine action, with phrases like "taking steps to ensure," or "working closely with our partners," or perhaps "actively partnering with..."

Messages released

The Quilliam Foundation said the study, to be published on Monday, was based largely on accounts sneaked out of prisons by high-profile extremists.

The report said: "Prominent pro al-Qaeda ideologues such as Abu Qatada have been able to smuggle messages out of prison to their supporters.

"Other convicted extremists have issued pro-jihadist statements from prison while others have appeared on Islamic TV stations from within prison.

"In 2008 and 2009, two of the most prominent Arab jihadists imprisoned in the UK released pro-jihadist propaganda and fatwas from within Long Lartin prison.

"Adel Abdel Bary, a leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, produced written pro-jihadist tracts from within prison aiming to refute criticism of al-Qaeda, while Abu Qatada issued fatwas from within prison which legitimised jihadist attacks worldwide."

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff, whose constituency includes Long Lartin, plans to raise the report's findings with Home Secretary Alan Johnson and Justice Secretary Jack Straw.

'Deeply dangerous'

Mr Luff said: "In my view the courts have, in the past, failed to protect us by allowing the release of dangerous individuals from Long Lartin and other prisons, and by delaying the deportation of many others.

"While these deeply dangerous men remain in British custody, we must be absolutely confident that they can do no harm - and these revelations suggest we cannot be confident of that.

"The government must move quickly to address the exceptionally serious issues this report raises."

Barry Rubin brilliantly explains how Nidal Hasan's slide show explicates his motives in the Fort Hood jihad massacre:

How do we know that the attack at Fort Hood was an act of Islamist terrorism? Simple, Major Nidal Hassan told us so. You've seen reports of a long list of things he did and said along these lines. But what's most amazing of all is this:

Hassan is the first terrorist in history to give an academic lecture explaining why he was about to attack. Yet that still isn't enough for too many people--including the president of the United States--to understand that the murderous assault at Fort Hood was a Jihad attack.

It was reported that the audience was shocked and frightened by his lecture. He was supposed to speak on some medical topic yet instead talked on the topic: "The Koranic World View as it Relates to Muslims in the U.S. Military." All you have to do is look at the 50 Power Point slides and they tell you everything you need to know.

It is quite a good talk. He's logical and presents his evidence. This is clearly not the work of a mad man or a fool, though there's still a note of ambiguity in it. He's still working out what to do in his own mind and is trying to figure out if he has a way out other than in effect deserting the U.S. army and becoming a Jihad warrior. Ultimately, he concluded that he could not be a proper Muslim without killing American soldiers. Obviously, other Muslims could reach different conclusions but Hassan strongly grounds himself in Islamic texts.

In a sense, Hassan's lecture was a cry for help: Can anyone show me another way out? Can anyone refute my interpretation of Islam? One Muslim in the audience reportedly tried to do so. But unless these issues are openly discussed and debated--rather than swept under the rug--more people will die.

In fact, I'd recommend that teachers use this lecture in teaching classes on both Islam and Islamist politics. .

Follow along with me and you'll understand everything.

Hassan deals with three topics: What Islam teaches Muslims, how Muslims view the wars in Afghanistan and Iran, how this might affect Muslims in the U.S. military. [Slide 2] Hassan defines Jihad, showing how silly are the claims that it only means a personal struggle to behave better. It also signifies holy war, of course. [Slide 5].

Now here's Hassan's central theme. Muslims cannot fight in an infidel army against other Muslims. And Hassan himself says that it's getting hard for Muslims in the U.S. military to justify doing so. [Slide 11] Obviously, Hassan was deciding that he couldn't do so.

He then quotes the Koran extensively to prove the point. Allah will punish anyone who kills a Muslim [Slide 12]. Hassan then gives four examples of Muslim soldiers who broke under the strain. One who killed fellow American soldiers (which Hassan would himself do), one accused of espionage (but was acquitted), one who deserted, and one who refused deployment to Iraq. [Slide 13]

Quoting the Koran, Hassan next provides a number of quotations to show that the believer must obey Allah. If they do, they will enjoy great delights (though he left out the 72 virgins, there's one quote hinting at pederasty), and if they don't they will suffer torments of Hell.

Finally, he gets into the heavy stuff. Hassan introduces the concept of "defensive Jihad" which is a core element in radical Islamist thinking and has especially been promoted by Usama bin Ladin and al-Qaida. [Slides 37-39]. If others attack and oppress Muslims, then it is the duty of all Muslims to fight them. September 11 was justified by its perpetrators by saying that the United States had attacked Muslims and therefore it was mandatory to kill Americans in return.

And here is the crux of the matter: Verse 60:08, "Allah forbids you...from dealing kindly and justly" with those who fight Muslims." [Slide 40]

If Nidal Hassan believed this and would follow it, he must--to be a proper Muslim in his eyes--pick up a gun and join the Jihad, Muslim side. He was not shooting Americans because he caught battle fatigue from American soldiers he treated. Think about it. To have done so, Hassan would have had to sympathize with them, thinking about what it would be like for him if he'd been fighting...Muslims in Iraq or Afghanistan. But that was precisely his problem. He sympathized with the other side....

There is much more. Read it all.

The objective here is not so much to get a state, although certainly a Palestinian state would serve as a useful base for their continuing jihad against Israel. (It would also be an international welfare state existing off jizya from the West.) The objective is to gain another resolution from the OIC-dominated UN that would portray Israel as an outlaw state, in violation of international law and consensus.

"Palestinians to ask UN to recognise state," by Nasser Abu Bakr for AFP, November 16 (thanks to Sr. Soph):

The Palestinians said Sunday they plan to ask for UN recognition of their independence, amid mounting frustration over the stalled peace process as Israel warned against any unilateral moves.

"We have reached a decision... to go to the UN Security Council to ask for recognition of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and with June 1967 borders," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.

He was referring to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and mostly Arab east Jerusalem that Israel captured during the 1967 Six Day War.

"We're going to seek support from EU countries and Russia and other countries" for the measure, he said.

Erakat's comments came amid growing frustration among the Palestinians with so-far ineffective US efforts to relaunch peace negotiations with Israel that were suspended during the Gaza Strip war at the turn of the year....

Rifqa Bary's case is a test case in numerous ways. It involves the question of whether American courts can successfully be compelled to follow Sharia provisions regarding the imprisonment of female apostates. It will show whether the American legal system and American society are up to the challenge of defending the freedom of religion and freedom of conscience from stealth jihadists and Islamic supremacists. It will show whether Muslim girls facing a domestic situation analogous to Rifqa's have any hope, even in the Land of the Free.

Details of the rally here.

"War is Deceit."

"Headley mapped all '26/11 targets' - US suspect posed as Jew: Police," by Samyabrata Ray Goswami for the Telegraph (Calcutta), November 15 (thanks to Esther):

Mumbai, Nov. 14: David Coleman Headley personally visited every target site of the 26/11 terror strikes last year, carrying out a recce on behalf of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, a police source said today.

Posing as a Jew, he even visited Nariman House, the Jewish Chabad centre, in July 2008.

The Mumbai police today carried out raids in Bandra, its adjoining suburb Khar and BPO hub Goregaon in search of Headley's local acquaintances and contacts.

"He (Headley) mapped the Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus, Taj and Trident hotels and Nariman House. We are interrogating (filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son) Rahul to find out when he went to Leopold Café. That he did is certain -- when he did that is what we need to know," a top officer said.

Headley had visited the Mumbai home of Rahul, who contacted police after learning of the terror suspect's arrest by America's Federal Burau of Investigation (FBI) last month.

The source said Headley, a Pakistani-born US national, and his associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana stayed in Hotel Outram, a seedy motel in Mumbai's Fort area, for about a fortnight in July 2008.

Born Daood Gilani, Headley, who changed his name and passport in 2006, posed as a Jewish American during his Mumbai stay. A source close to Rahul too confirmed that Headley had claimed to be a Jew.

"It is a mystery how he got into that building (Nariman House) just posing as a Jew. We are probing if he had anybody helping him locally. The FBI seized a book called How to Pray Like a Jew from him at the time of his arrest in Chicago. He had prepared himself thoroughly to pose as a Jew," the officer said.

This morning, the police detained two tourist guides near the Gateway of India for questioning. It is suspected they may have aided Headley or other 26/11 plotters....

Wait a minute. I thought opposition to the jihad was "racism," right? So that means that the anti-jihadists should have no problem with Khalid Kelly, right?

And yet, for some crazy reason I want to protect the freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, legal equality, and all the other freedoms that Islamic supremacism and Sharia deny, from Khalid Kelly as much as from Abu Izzadeen. "Irishman wants to kill for Islam," by Nicola Smith in The Sunday Times, November 15 (thanks to Cindy):

An Irish jihadist living in Pakistan's Swat valley says he is preparing to wage war against British and allied troops in Afghanistan.

Khalid Kelly, a former altar boy from the Liberties area of Dublin who used to be known as Terry, told The Sunday Times he is undergoing weapons training in Pakistan's mountainous tribal region in order to fight jihad against the enemies of Islam. His dream is to face a British soldier in combat, although he would "settle" for an American, he said.

"I'm already on the path to jihad. I've already picked up a gun and done target practice to make myself familiar with weapons. The other day I learnt how to use an M-16 [rifle] in five hours," he said. "Next week, inshallah, I could be in Afghanistan fighting a British soldier."

Asked how he would feel about his own three-year-old son becoming a suicide bomber he replied: "I hope he goes to jannah [heaven] before marriageable age." His son, named Osama after Kelly's role model, lives in Britain with his Pakistani mother and two younger brothers. His father reckons Osama will be efficient with weapons by the age of ten.

Kelly says he learnt map-reading in the Scottish mountains, terrain similar to Afghanistan, although he admits he is currently out of shape. He justifies his intentions because of the West's actions against Muslims.

"Why is it such a big deal that I want to do this? Have I not got the right to do the same thing as a guy going into an army recruitment centre?" he said. "As long as we have no security, you will have no security. We'll kill and bomb you as you have killed and bombed our lands."

Ireland is also a legitimate target, according to Kelly. "Ireland has a US embassy so it is open to attack," he stated.

Kelly, 42, is an unconventional jihadist. Having grown up a staunch Catholic and trained as a nurse, he moved to Saudi Arabia in 1996 to work at the King Faisal hospital on a tax-free salary. In 2000 he was introduced to radical Islam by an Afghan when he was serving time in the Al-Ha'ir prison in Riyadh for bootlegging....

He is also unapologetic about his desire to fund, encourage and take part in terrorism. "I always believe Islam is terrorism. We are told to terrorise the enemies of Islam," he said. "The world will become a dangerous place. Everybody had better start embracing Islam or people will start flying planes into buildings again."

"Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies..." -- Koran 8:60

Read it all.

After Friday's bombing at the local ISI headquarters. "Suicide car bomb in Pakistan kills 11," from CNN, November 14 (thanks to Alan):

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A suicide car bomber who blew himself up at a police checkpoint Saturday in Peshawar killed 11 people and wounded 26 -- marking the second straight day of major violence in the area, authorities said.

Shafi Ullah, deputy superintendent of police, said authorities had stopped the bomber at the post when the explosion occurred, killing three women, three children, a policeman and four other men.

The blast occurred near a police checkpoint in the neighborhood of Pushtakhara, said Peshawar police officer Idrees Khan. He said 50-60 kilograms of explosives (110-132 pounds) were used in the bomb.

Peshawar -- the capital of the North West Frontier Province -- has repeatedly come under attack in recent days. Intelligence officials say the attacks are retaliation against an army offensive to rout militants from their havens along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Peshawar is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

No one claimed responsibility for Saturday's blast.

However, Taliban senior commander Qari Hussein said Saturday that the Taliban claimed responsibility for Friday's dual bombings, which killed at least 17 people, including security officials, in Peshawar and nearby Bannu. Dozens of people were wounded.

Hussein told CNN there will be more such attacks in the future, and that their intensity will be much greater....

Not that any Muslims are responsible for that linkage. Oh, no. "Iran: Extremists aid West's plots against Islam," from Press TV, November 14:

Larijani, who was speaking to a group of Sunni clerics on Friday, said that the US was seeking to 'propagate' a distorted image of Islam in the Middle East.

"Over the past few years, the US and a number of its allies in the Middle East have been seeking to propagate a fake [interpretation] of Islam and to tarnish its image by linking it with terrorist moves."

"All Islamic sects should make every effort not to fall into US-Zionist trap," Larijani said, adding that any division among different Islamic sects has been brought to the region by the intelligence services of foreign forces who seek to gain a foothold in the region.

Larijani's plea for unity among Muslims comes as on Wednesday the al-Qaeda leader in Saudi Arabia urged Sunnis to confront Shias.

In an audio recording posted on the internet, Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Rashid, accused Shias and Iran of trying 'to take over Muslim countries' and 'to annihilate Sunnis'.

The al-Qaeda leader said "their(Shias) threat to Islam and its people is much bigger than that from Jews and Christians....

And they add that both Muslims and non-Muslims can misunderstand Islam, usually by taking verses of the Koran that mandate violence against unbelievers "out of context." This excuse is very, very tired at this point, but the obvious rejoinder from reporter Baylie Evans should have been this: Then what are you doing in your mosque here to make sure that all the local Muslims understand the Koran in context and hence do not misunderstand it in the same way that Nidal Hasan (and so many others worldwide) did?

If Baylie Evans had asked that question, the honest answer would have been, Why, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And that in itself is revealing.

"Local Muslims condemn acts of violence in name of their religion," by Baylie Evans for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, November 14:

CHEYENNE - One local Muslim, Mohamed Salih, is clear in his feelings toward the Muslim man who allegedly went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood last week. He deserves to be at the "bottom of the biggest hell," Salih said.

There is a misconception among many non-Muslims that Islam, the religion that Muslims follow, encourages hate and violence. Really, it teaches the opposite, he said.

How could anyone have ever gotten such a crazy idea?

"(Violence) has no place in this religion," he said. "There is no god out there that would accept killing innocent people."

Yes, but who is an innocent person? Jihadists consider no non-Muslim to be innocent. Consequently, it would have been refreshing if Salih had defined his terms, but as usual, no such luck.

And while non-Muslims can misunderstand Islam, so too can Muslims themselves.

Indeed, as we see here every day, Muslim Misunderstanders of Islam abound. And the funny thing is that they all seem to misunderstand it in the same way.

Any person who commits an act of violence in name of Islam gravely misunderstands the religion, Salih said. Terrorists have misunderstood the Islamic duty of jihad, which means struggle.

The "greater jihad" is within one's self, Salih said, against egos and evil within. The "lesser jihad" means actions to defend one's self and family.

Let's get that from an authoritative source. 'Umdat al-Salik is endorsed by the most prestigious authority in Sunni Islam, Al-Azhar University, as a reliable guide to Sunni orthodoxy. It says this:

Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada signifying warfare to establish the religion. And it is the lesser jihad. As for the greater jihad, it is spiritual warfare against the lower self (nafs), which is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said as he was returning from jihad.

``We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.''

The scriptural basis for jihad, prior to scholarly consensus (def: b7) is such Koranic verses as:

-1- ``Fighting is prescribed for you'' (Koran 2:216);

-2- ``Slay them wherever you find them'' (Koran 4:89);

-3- ``Fight the idolators utterly'' (Koran 9:36);

and such hadiths as the one related by Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

``I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and perform the prayer, and pay zakat. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the rights of Islam over them. And their final reckoning is with Allah'';

and the hadith reported by Muslim,

``To go forth in the morning or evening to fight in the path of Allah is better than the whole world and everything in it.''Details concerning jihad are found in the accounts of the military expeditions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), including his own martial forays and those on which he dispatched others. The former consist of the ones he personally attended, some twenty-seven (others say twenty-nine) of them. He fought in eight of them, and killed only one person with his noble hand, Ubayy ibn Khalaf, at the battle of Uhud. On the latter expeditions he sent others to fight, himself remaining at Medina, and these were forty-seven in number.) [...]

The caliph (o25) makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians (N: provided he has first invited them to enter Islam in faith and practice, and if they will not, then invited them to enter the social order of Islam by paying the non-Muslim poll tax (jizya, def: o11.4) -which is the significance of their paying it, not the money itself-while remaining in their ancestral religions) (O: and the war continues) until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax (O: in accordance with the word of Allah Most High,

"Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and who forbid not what Allah and His messenger have forbidden-who do not practice the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the Book-until they pay the poll tax out of hand and are humbled" (Koran 9.29)

Do the Muslims in Wyoming know these doctrines? Probably. But they go on in the same vein anyway:

Even nations can blur the line between religion and politics, Arshi Nisley, another local Muslim, added.

In some Islamic countries, women are not allowed to own property, divorce or have the same rights as men. But the religion allows women equal treatment and rights.

"I don't think that's religion at all," Nisley said. "I think that's politics."

Uh huh. Rather than regarding women as human beings equal to men, the Koran likens a woman to a field (tilth), to be used by a man as he wills: "Your women are a tilth for you (to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will" (2:223).

The Koran also 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 Koran 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).

It allows for marriage to pre-pubescent girls, stipulating that Islamic divorce procedures "shall apply to those who have not yet menstruated" (65:4).

People who have cited passages from the Quran, the religious text of Islam, that seem to encourage violence have taken them out of context, she added.

Even some Bible passages can seem to incite violence when taken out of context.

Uh huh. Actually, while the Bible contains descriptions of violent acts committed in the name of God, nowhere does it teach believers to imitate that violence. Where people are commanded to commit acts of violence, these are commands directed to specific individuals or groups in particular situations; they are not universal commands. The Koran, on the other hand, quite clearly does teach believers to commit acts of violence against unbelievers -- see 2:190-193, 9:5, 9:29, 47:4, etc. There are no equivalents to such open-ended and universal commands, addressed to all believers to fight unbelievers, in the Bible.

And how are those teachings interpreted? In fact there is not a single traditional school of Islamic jurisprudence that does not teach, as the obligation of the Muslim community, warfare against and the subjugation of unbelievers. See here for details.

Both Salih and Nisley said they haven't encountered hostility from the local community. In fact, they've felt welcomed. Salih has worked hard to try to educate people about Islam. Violent acts by Muslims set his efforts back, he said.

The religion is already misunderstood by many, and every time a Muslim kills in the name of Islam, it undoes the work that many have done to dispel myths and misinformation. The Fort Hood shooter hurt Muslims twice, Salih said: their country and their religion.

"He is lucky he doesn't have to face Muslims for justice," Salih said.

Interesting statement on many levels.

Nothing to see here. Move along. "Syrian carrying $880,000, Hezbollah ring, 9/11 videos, stopped at Canadian border," by Frank Luba for the Canwest News Service, November 12 (thanks to Cindy):

VANCOUVER -- Don't cross the Canadian border with almost a million dollars that you fail to declare -- especially when you also have a Hezbollah ring and a Palestinian scarf in your possession.

Khaled Nawaya found that out the hard way when he was arrested Oct. 6 at the Douglas border crossing in Surrey, B.C., and had to spend a month in detention while being investigated as a security threat.

He was released on Thursday with a long list of conditions after a hearing before the federal government's Immigration Division member Lynda Mackie. He remains to have no status in Canada.

Mr. Nawaya, 34, had a visa to get into the country and, according to his lawyer, Phil Rankin, has spent 18 months going through all that's required to move to Canada from the U.S. as a landed immigrant.

"It's not like this started 30 days ago," said Mr. Rankin.

But the Saudi Arabian-born Syrian citizen, who is qualified as a flight instructor and had hoped to work in B.C., complicated his situation by not declaring the money.

That's against the law, although charges have not yet been laid as his case is still being investigated.

Mr. Nawaya was reluctant to speak to the media but finally declared: "I feel great. It's an experience for life. It's one of these things."

About $800,000 of Mr. Nawaya's stash, which is still in the Canadian government's possession, was in Canadian gold coins purchased by Mr. Nawaya's brother, who lives in Texas. There was another $70,000 in cash and about $10,000 in his pockets,

Further compounding the situation was his possession of a ring with the Hezbollah emblem. Mr. Rankin said the ring was one of two specially made by Mr. Nawaya's brother....

His goods also included a Palestinian scarf and DVDs related to the 9/11 tragedy.

Mr. Rankin said the combination of possessions led to the notion Mr. Nawaya was a security threat.

Islamophobia!

No one should be surprised by this. But all the learned analysts who know how much we need Pakistan will be. Double Game Update: "Pakistani Army ran Muslim extremist training camps, says anti-terrorist expert," by Charles Bremner in the Times Online, November 14 (thanks to Kris):

The Pakistani Army ran training camps for a Muslim extremist group, at least until recently, with the acceptance of the US Central Intelligence Agency, according to France's foremost anti-terrorist expert.

Jean-Louis Bruguière, who retired in 2007 after 15 years as chief investigating judge for counter-terrorism, reached this conclusion after interrogating a French militant who had been trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba and arrested in Australia in 2003.

In a book in his counter-terrorism years, Mr Bruguière says that Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was set up to fight India over disputed Kashmir territory, had become part of the international Islamic network of al-Qaeda.

Willy Brigitte, the suspect, told Mr Bruguière, that the Pakistani military were running the Lashkar-e-Taiba training camp where he spent 2½ months in 2001-02. Along with two Britons and two Americans, Brigitte was driven in a 4x4 through army roadblocks to the high-altitude camp where more than 2,000 men were being trained by Pakistani regular army officers, he said.

"The links between the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Pakistani Army are more than close. Brigitte observed this twice," Mr Bruguière said. "When the camp was resupplied, all the materiel was dropped off by Pakistani army helicopters. And there were regular inspections by the Pakistani Army and the CIA."...

In the West saying this will get you called an "Islamophobe." The Ayatollah Moezi must be an "Islamophobe." "Muslims must quit British Forces, says Iranian envoy Abdolhossein Moezi," by Richard Kerbaj in the Times, November 14:

The Iranian Supreme Leader's representative in Britain has told Muslim servicemen and women to quit the Armed Forces, saying that their involvement in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars is forbidden by Islam.

The cleric, personally appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to be his special envoy to the UK, also urged Muslims to defeat the opposition to the Iranian regime and keep the 30-year-old Islamic Republic alive.

In his first interview with an English language newspaper, Ayatollah Abdolhossein Moezi, director of the Islamic Centre of England, said he regretted that protesters were killed by the Iranian security forces after the presidential election in June but that their deaths were "unavoidable".

Of course!

Ayatollah Moezi, the most senior Iranian spiritual leader in Britain with thousands of followers from the Shia sect, said that it was wrong for followers of Islam to serve in the Armed Forces, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq where Muslims were being killed.

"Not only do I not accept it for Muslims to go there, I don't accept non-Muslims to go there as well," Ayatollah Moezi told The Times through an interpreter provided by him. "We say that Muslims are not allowed to go and kill Muslims. Do you think that Christians are allowed to go and kill Muslims?"

The cleric, 65, condemned the massacre in Texas last week of 13 American soldiers at the Fort Hood base by a Muslim military psychiatrist and insisted that it should not be used to tarnish the image of the world's 1.5 billion Muslim population.

He said the September 11 attacks and the London bombings were wrong but accused the forces of "Zionist imperialism" of using the atrocities to smear Islam and its followers....

Of course!

Perhaps by getting in cars and running down all the non-Muslims. An update on this story. "Rochester man pleads not guilty after Thursday police chase," from WHEC.com, November 13 (thanks to Scott):

A Rochester man is in custody after a police chase down several Rochester streets.

Around 2 p.m., a Rochester Police officer was flagged down in front of a store on South Plymouth Avenue for the report of a man, identified as 27-year-old Munir Muthana, driving erratically.

Police tried to stop Muthana but he did not stop and then struck the officer's vehicle. A slow-speed pursuit ensued down various streets in southwest Rochester. Muthana's Nissan Maxima hit a car at Jefferson Avenue and West Main Street.

He continued driving down Jefferson Avenue, hitting a second police vehicle driven by a K-9 sergeant at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Clifton Street....

Muthana is facing five counts of second-degree assault, DWI and reckless driving. He is accused of injuring six people. They are 21-year-old Dominick Nicholson, 20-year-old Tyrese Beard, 40-year-old James Pross, 50-year-old Debra Hollis, 25-year-old Luis Cruz and 49-year-old Diane Neil. All are Rochester residents.

In his statement to police, he said he drank six cans of Budweiser in an hour. Then he started using swear words, cussing police and government. He said, "Ben Franklin was stupid. He should have made it so you *expletives* can't swerve the law. The Muslims will fix this country."

When bail was being set at $20,000, the prosecutor said that Muthana has ties to Yemen....

The Budweiser may indicate that this had nothing to do with jihad -- or that he needed to steel himself.

"Islam opposes such actions as committed by Maj. (Nidal Malik) Hasan. The Qur'an considers human life sacred."

Well, evidently one man's sacred is not another man's sacred:

"And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. " -- Qur'an 2:191

"They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks." -- Qur'an 4:89

"Others you will find that wish to gain your confidence as well as that of their people: Every time they are sent back to temptation, they succumb thereto: if they withdraw not from you nor give you (guarantees) of peace besides restraining their hands, seize them and slay them wherever ye get them: In their case We have provided you with a clear argument against them." -- Qur'an 4:91

"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter." -- Qur'an 5:33

"But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." -- Qur'an 9:5

"Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain..." -- Qur'an 9:111

"Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks..." -- Qur'an 47:4

"Fort Hood attack unrelated to Islam, local Muslim leaders say," by Jennifer Chambers for The Detroit News, November 13:

Southfield -- Leaders of Metro Detroit's Muslim community gathered this morning to urge all Americans to view the Fort Hood shooting as a criminal act and unrelated to the faith of Islam.

"Islam opposes such actions as committed by Maj. (Nidal Malik) Hasan. The Qur'an considers human life sacred," Imam Steve Elturk of the Islamic Association of North America said Friday morning at a press conference called by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan....

Post-Traumatic Wire Transfer Disorder? Maybe that's what made him "snap," because, as you know, the mainstream media insists it can't be Islam. "Fort Hood shooting suspect sent money to Pakistan, Texas congressman says," by Dave Michaels and Lee Hancock for the Dallas Morning News, November 13:

An Austin congressman said Thursday that he has confirmed that Fort Hood massacre suspect Nidal Malik Hasan wired money to Pakistan, which Muslim extremist groups use as a base to raise funds and carry out terrorist attacks.

Rep. Michael McCaul's statement followed a Dallas Morning News report that authorities were looking into whether such wire transfers had occurred. It also came as Army officials announced charges of premeditated murder against Hasan, who could face the death penalty.

"I have confirmed through independent sources that there were communications and wire transfers made to Pakistan," McCaul said in a prepared statement provided by his spokesman. "This Pakistan connection just raises more red flags about this case and demonstrates why it's important for Congress to exercise its oversight authority."

The spokesman, Mike Rosen, said McCaul wouldn't name his sources. The congressman's statement didn't address who Hasan's contacts in Pakistan were, when he communicated with them or how much money he sent.

McCaul is the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee's intelligence subcommittee. He typically is briefed on classified material but had yet to be formally briefed on the Fort Hood killings.

He "has been actively seeking information from as many credible sources as possible," Rosen said. "It has been more difficult than usual to obtain information from our intelligence community."

Asked about McCaul's comments, an FBI spokesman in Washington said he couldn't comment on any aspect of the investigation.

Evan Kohlmann, a terrorism expert who has consulted with the FBI and the Defense Department, noted that Hasan is a U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent, with no known family ties to Pakistan. Kohlmann said that leaves only two reasons for the psychiatrist to wire money to the South Asian country: to support charity or to support jihad.

Westerners who want to give to a legitimate Pakistani charity typically would do so by putting money in a U.S. or British bank account, he added.

"It raises huge alarm bells," Kohlmann said of Hasan's reported wire transfers.

That doesn't do his victims a lot of good at this point.

Pakistan borders Afghanistan, the country to which Hasan was supposed to deploy soon. Pakistan is battling a radical Islamic insurgency and is widely believed to be the hiding place of Osama bin Laden.

Following the money

Dennis Lormel, a former FBI special agent who directed the agency's efforts to identify sources of terrorist financing, said investigators would take note of the large amount of disposable income Hasan apparently had. He made more than $90,000 a year, had no wife or dependents, and paid about $300 a month for a tiny apartment.

"It seems like there is a lifestyle that was beneath his means," said Lormel, now a managing director for IPSA International, a consultant to banks on combating money laundering. "Where is the money going?"

Lormel said Hasan could have used several channels to wire money abroad, including remittance services that cater to immigrant workers who send money to their native countries. If that were the case, there may be documentation of the transaction, Lormel and others said.

Banks and other money transmitters must tell the Treasury Department if an individual sends more than $10,000 outside the country.

Kohlmann said only a "breakdown" could explain the FBI's failure to dig deeper when it discovered late last year that Hasan was communicating by e-mail with Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical cleric in Yemen....

A breakdown in priorities: Believing the dogma of political correctness over one's "lying eyes."

With a card that said, "In God's eye, and those who submit, you are a hero!"

Now how could he have gotten such a profound misunderstanding of Islam?

Details here.

As the "Best Infidel Blogger" of 2008, I am happy to announce that nominations are open for the Infidel Blogger Awards for 2009. Place your nominations here.

Vote early and often!

Would liverwurst have been okay? Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Parents say son was tormented for eating salami sandwich during Ramadan," from The Daily Telegraph, November 13 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A SYDNEY couple has withdrawn their two children from a public primary school, claiming their 11-year-old son was bullied by Muslim students because he ate a salami sandwich during Ramadan.

Andrew Grigoriou said yesterday he complained to the school and to police after his son Antonios was chased and later assaulted by Muslim students after a confrontation over the contents of his lunch, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Antonios, a Year 5 student of Greek-Australian background at Punchbowl Public School in Sydney's southwest, said he and a friend had to be locked inside the library for an hour after being chased by a group of Muslim boys offended by his choice of food while they were fasting.

The Grigoriou family said the following exchange took place:

Muslim student to Antonios: "Why are you eating ham, it's Ramadan?"

Antonios: "My mum packed this for lunch today."

Muslim student: "Don't eat that. How can you eat pig, it's disgusting."

During the confrontation a Muslim boy allegedly accused Antonios of saying: "F--- the Muslims" but Antonios denied swearing.

Always with the attempt to claim provocation and victim status.

Mr Grigoriou said he removed his son and a younger child from the school on Tuesday after the boy was punched in the eye and kicked in the legs by a Muslim student....

After the salami sandwich incident a student described as "the ringleader of the group" was suspended from the school. The department said that the school had "ongoing cultural and interfaith awareness programs to improve understanding among students of events like Ramadan and Christmas".

Yeah, that'll work.

Other parents also complained to The Daily Telegraph about bullying at the school and claimed victims received too little protection.

One said her 12-year-old son was scared to open his lunch box at school because he was harassed about what is in it. "He has been bullied from day one ... about being a Christian and about the hot salami in his lunch," she said.

"My boy has a Greek background ... the bullying is extreme.

"He has been called a fat pig and hit on the back with a stick."

Another mother said her young son refused to go on school excursions for fear he would be bashed.

Our pal Raymond Ibrahim reviews Al Qaeda in Its Own Words, edited by Gilles Kepel and Jean-Pierre Milelli, over at the Middle East Quarterly:

Al Qaeda in Its Own Words provides the translated writings of four jihadis--Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden, Ayman Zawahiri, and Abu Musab Zarqawi. Edited by five people with Kepel, a French sociologist of Islam, as lead editor, it contains a wealth of data that, unfortunately, is presented in a rather confused manner.

The actual words of Al-Qaeda are rarely analyzed or placed in context. Obvious contradictions--such as Al-Qaeda's constant protestations to Americans that its war on them is a response to and derives from U.S. foreign policy while telling Muslims that the jihad must persevere until the globe is governed according to Islamic law--are ignored.

Where objective analysis is wanting, apologetics and hackneyed psychoanalyses predominate: Thus, the "neocons" are akin to Al-Qaeda since "the dual undertakings of 9/11 and the American attack on Iraq ... mirrored each other"; bin Laden--that "nervous, flaccid, eternal adolescent"--opted for a life of jihad due to his "devouring" need for "recognition"; whereas Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb and Ayman al-Zawahiri chose jihad due to the "trauma" and "humiliation" they underwent in Egyptian prisons....

Read it all.

No word yet on when Honest Ibe Hooper and Brave Ahmed Rehab will be jetting to Kampala to explain to these Muslims how they are misunderstanding Islam, the Religion of Peace™.

Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Muslim Extremists Attack Worship Service in Uganda," from Compass Direct News, November 11 (thanks to all who sent this in):

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 11 (CDN) -- About 40 Muslim extremists with machetes and clubs tried to break into a Sunday worship service outside Uganda's capital city of Kampala on Nov. 1, leaving a member of the congregation with several injuries and damaging the church building.

Eyewitnesses said the extremist mob tried to storm into World Possessor's Church International in Namasuba at 11 a.m. as the church worshipped.

"The church members were taken by a big surprise, as this happened during worship time," said Pastor Henry Zaake. "It began with an unusual noise coming from outside, and soon I saw the bricks falling away one by one. Immediately I knew that it was an attack from the Muslims who had earlier sent signals of an imminent attack."

The pastor said the disturbance brought the worship service to a standstill.

"There was a tug-of-war at the entrance to the church as members tried to thwart the Muslim aggression from making headway inside the church," he told Compass.

A member of the congregation who was taking photos of the worship service - and then the attack - was beaten, sustaining several injuries, church leaders said. He was later taken to a nearby clinic for treatment. During the pandemonium, some church members were able to escape through a rear door.

Pastor Umar Mulinde added that nearby residents helped repel the attack.

"At the scene of the incident were rowdy Muslims with machetes and clubs ready to destroy the church," Pastor Mulinde said. "The good neighbors of the church also came in, and we were able to overpower [the assailants]."

Police arrived and put a stop to the assault, but officers did not arrest anyone, church leaders said....

Why not?

Police are scratching their heads and wondering what Munir Muthana's motive could possibly be. And of course, maybe it had nothing to do with jihad at all. Whether it did or not, I'm sure we will hear from authorities and the media that it didn't. But this is -- as far as I know -- the fourth incident in the U.S. in recent years in which a Muslim intentionally tried to run down people with his car.

Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar explicitly grounded his action in the teachings of the Koran. If he had not done this, however, I'm sure the mainstream media would have constructed a non-Islamic explanation for what he did. Omeed Aziz Popal, we were told, was suffering from stress from an arranged marriage. And Ismail Yassin Mohamed, we were informed, was mentally ill, suffered from depression, and hadn't being taking his medication.

And now we have Munir Muthana. What will the explanation be? Look, maybe the explanations offered for Omeed Popal and Ismail Mohamed are perfectly accurate, but it is a mounting series of curious coincidences that these Muslims seem to have become unhinged in exactly the same way and expressed their madness in exactly the same way.

Can someone please send me stories about non-Muslims intentionally trying to run people down with their cars? Perhaps they will help put all this into perspective. Please send links to director[at]jihadwatch.org.

"Several Injuries After Driver Goes After Pedestrians," from WHAM News, November 12 (thanks to Mike G.):

A Rochester man is facing numerous charges, accused of trying to run down people with his car on Thursday afternoon.

Police say they were flagged down by people in southwest Rochester, at a parking lot in front of 700 S. Plymouth Avenue.Tthey [sic] say the driver of a Nissan Maxima had struck another car as well as several pedestrians.

The officer tried to pull the vehicle over, but the suspect's car then hit the police cruiser and kept going. Eventually, the Maxima struck a resident's car at Jefferson Avenue and W. Main and then hit a second police car at Jefferson and Clifton. The chase eventually ended on South Plymouth near Genesee where the suspect hit another resident's car.

Altogether, seven people, including the suspect were taken to the hospital for minor injuries, but police spokesman LaRon Singletary says it could have been a lot worse...

The suspect is identified as 27 year old Munir Muthana of Rochester. He faces numerous charges including assault and vehicular assault. there's no other word right now on a possible motive.

Yes, it takes awhile to think those things up!

Many, many people have sent me this, some as a response to my request here: "If anyone does come across an attempt, or the appearance of an attempt, to refute Nidal Hasan's Koranic exegesis, please send it to me at director[at]jihadwatch.org, and I will happily feature and discuss it here." But I haven't had time to look at it closely until now, and when I did, I was surprised -- and yet in a deeper sense not surprised at all -- to find that there was nothing here, just another example of the much ado about nothing that generally characterizes Western media coverage of any slight shadow of a hint of disagreement with the jihad doctrine and Islamic supremacism.

"New jihad code threatens al Qaeda," by Nic Robertson and Paul Cruickshank for CNN, November 10 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- From within Libya's most secure jail a new challenge to al Qaeda is emerging.

Leaders of one of the world's most effective jihadist organizations, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), have written a new "code" for jihad. The LIFG says it now views the armed struggle it waged against Col. Moammar Gadhafi's regime for two decades as illegal under Islamic law.

The new code, a 417-page religious document entitled "Corrective Studies" is the result of more than two years of intense and secret talks between the leaders of the LIFG and Libyan security officials.

The code's most direct challenge to al Qaeda is this: "Jihad has ethics and morals because it is for God. That means it is forbidden to kill women, children, elderly people, priests, messengers, traders and the like. Betrayal is prohibited and it is vital to keep promises and treat prisoners of war in a good way. Standing by those ethics is what distinguishes Muslims' jihad from the wars of other nations." [...]

But this is not some new discovery or new doctrine. Nor is it something of which Al-Qaeda is unaware. All these principles come from statements of Muhammad in ahadith that Muslims regard as authentic, and they are part of Islamic law regarding jihad. Is Al-Qaeda unaware of these stipulations? No. In fact, this controversy has been raging within the Islamic world for several years (at least). The late Zarqawi argued in a closely argued theological treatise in 2005 that "the goal must be pursued even if the means to accomplish it affect both the intended active fighters and unintended passive ones such as women, children and any other passive category specified by our jurisprudence." He cites several Islamic scholars to justify jihad attacks against unbelievers even when those unbelievers are using Muslims as a shield, if "there is no other way of reaching, separating, and killing the Kuffar."

Zarqawi was responding to arguments identical to the one put forth here. I am not saying Zarqawi was right and the Libyans are wrong -- but it cannot truthfully be maintained that this is some kind of new idea or new rebuke to the jihad doctrine.

While the code states that jihad is permissible if Muslim lands are invaded -- citing the cases of Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine -- the guidelines it sets down for when and how jihad should be fought, and its insistence that civilians should not be targeted are a clear rebuke to the goals and tactics of bin Laden's terrorist network....

The idea that jihad is permissible if Muslim lands are invaded is likewise a bit of classic Islamic theology -- that jihad becomes fard ayn, incumbent upon every believer to aid in any way possible -- if Infidels invade a Muslim land.

When Saif al Islam al Gadhafi, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, decided he wanted to open a dialogue with the LIFG he needed to convince them he was genuine so he sought out a former LIFG commander Noman Benotman, who was living in London.

The younger Gadhafi convinced Benotman he would free LIFG members from jail if they renounced their long war with the regime. He promised Benotman immunity from prosecution and in January 2007 flew him back to Libya to meet with the LIFG leaders in the high-security Abu Salim jail.

Benotman and the other leaders in the LIFG had fought together in Afghanistan in the early 1990s helping the Afghan Mujahedeen overthrow the Soviet-backed government in Kabul. During those years they'd come to know bin Laden and many other of al Qaeda leaders.

Although they'd been brothers in arms with bin Laden, the LIFG never merged its operations with al Qaeda due to differences in approach. In particular the Libyan group never endorsed bin Laden's global jihad, preferring to concentrate their attention on overthrowing the Gadhafi regime and replacing it with an Islamic state. From the mid-1990s the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group's Afghan-trained fighters waged a fierce insurgency against the Libyan regime. [...]

In late 2007 as Benotman, the LIFG leadership and Libya's security officials debated the way forward al Qaeda tried to derail the peace process. Bin Laden's deputy Ayman al Zawahiri issued a statement declaring the LIFG had joined al Qaeda.

Benotman fired back an open letter to Zawahiri questioning his credibility. "I questioned their idea of jihad ... directly you know. This is crazy, it is not Islamic and it's against the Sunni understanding of Islam," Benotman told CNN. Zawahiri chose not to respond. As late as this August Zawahiri's video statements included praise of LIFG leaders, in what may have been a desperate attempt to head off the condemnation he could see coming....

Jannati equates opposing the Islamic regime in Iran with "waging war against God." It would be refreshing if some aggressive self-proclaimed moderate U.S. Muslim group, say, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, would explain publicly just how the Iranian mullahs are misunderstanding Islam, so as to dispel the impression that this bloody and repressive regime has anything to do with the true teachings of the Religion of Peace™.

But that won't happen.

"Iran's struggle with America should continue: cleric," from Reuters, November 13 (thanks to James):

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran must continue its struggle against the United States, a hardline cleric said on Friday a day after Washington renewed long-standing U.S. financial sanctions against Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama offered a new approach toward Iran when he took office in January, but Iran remains locked in dispute with Washington and other world powers over its nuclear energy program.

The West suspects Iran's nuclear work aims in part to allow it to acquire atomic weapons. Tehran denies the charge.

Iran has also accused Washington and other Western countries of fomenting protests that erupted after a presidential election in June which opposition candidates say was fraudulent.

"If we are to assure that the Islamic establishment, the revolution and Islam are to stay and the people are to live comfortably, the flag of the struggle against America should always stay hoisted," Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said.

"What does it mean when the U.S. Congress comes and allocates $55 million for the weakening of the Islamic Republic? It means they are waging war against God and against the people of this country. They are constantly engaging in enmity," he said in a Friday prayer sermon broadcast on state radio.

It was not clear what allocation Jannati was referring to, but Congress has in the past provided money for promoting democracy and civil society groups in Iran....

Actually, Obama has cut off that money.

If he can make it there, he'll make it anywhere

It could jeopardize counterterror programs and thereby endanger Americans, but who cares? "9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to go on trial in New York," from the Telegraph, November 13 (thanks to Anne Crockett):

President Barack Obama said the September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees will be put on trial in New York City.

Speaking in Tokyo, Mr Obama said Mohammed, the self-proclaimed organiser of the al-Qaeda terrorist plot that killed almost 3,000 people in 2001, would face "exacting" US justice.

Bringing such notorious suspects to US soil to face trial would be a key step in Mr Obama's plan to close the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

Mr Obama initially planned to close the centre at the US naval base on Cuba by Jan 22 next year, but his administration is no longer expected to meet that deadline.

It is also a major legal and political test of Mr Obama's overall approach to terrorism. If the case suffers legal setbacks, the administration will face second-guessing from those who never wanted it in a civilian courtroom.

Indeed.

The New York case may force the court system to confront a host of difficult legal issues surrounding counter-terrorism programmes begun after the 2001 attacks, including the harsh interrogation techniques once used on some of the suspects while in CIA custody. The most severe method - waterboarding, or simulated drowning - was used on Mohammed 183 times in 2003, before the practice was banned....

It's up to you, New York, New York!

Here, jihadist warfare imitates Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando: "I like you. That's why I'm going to kill you last." In other words, collaborating with the jihadists has not spared the ISI, but only somewhat delayed their becoming a target.

"Blast 'hits Peshawar security HQ'," from BBC News, November 13:

A bomb has hit Pakistan's intelligence agency in the north-western city of Peshawar, killing at least seven people and injuring 35, officials said.

The blast destroyed much of the three-story building belonging to the Inter-Services Intelligence agency and many cars on the street outside.

Peshawar has been frequently targeted by militants in recent weeks.

Attacks have increased as the army continues its offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan region.

More than 100 people were killed in a blast at a city market more than two weeks ago.

Friday's blast occurred at around 0630 (0130 GMT), Pakistani media said.

Reuters news agency said the attack was carried out by a suicide car-bomber.

Many of the wounded were rushed to local hospitals, while security sources said several more could be trapped under the rubble.

Sahib Zada Anis, the head of Peshawar's local government, said most of the victims were civilians.

Analysts have said that ordinary citizens are increasingly being targeted because the militants are cornered and under great pressure from the military in South Waziristan.

Despite the attacks, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday that the government was "fully committed" to completing the Waziristan offensive and "eliminating terrorism completely".

Jihad, on the other hand, they'd just like to move over to Kashmir.

The nonprofit organization, the Alavi Foundation, may be owned by the Iranian government. Details here.

Now can we get an apology from the Muslim community for aiding and abetting jihadists? "Windsor police chief Gary Smith apologizes to Islamic community for 'offending' their beliefs during FBI arrests," from The Windsor Star, November 12 (thanks to Simeon):

WINDSOR, Ont. -- Windsor police chief Gary Smith has apologized to members of Windsor's Islamic community for offending their beliefs after officers arresting two FBI suspects at gunpoint patted down one of their wives.

"It was never the intention for Windsor police officers to offend or embarrass the families of our Islamic community," writes Smith in a press release issued by police this morning. "The actions taken did cause embarrassment and did offend their religious beliefs. I sincerely apologize to the families and the Islamic community."...

A review of the incident highlighted the need for additional "cultural sensitivity training," said the release, and Dr. Murad Aktas has been tapped to provide it. Details have yet to be worked out.

Windsor police officers assisted RCMP officers Oct. 30 in arresting Yassir Ali Khan and Mohammad Al-Sahli, who were wanted by the FBI in connection with a raid on an allegedly radical Islamic group in Michigan. They were released on bail last Friday in Windsor as their lawyer, Patrick Ducharme, cited their lack of a criminal record and their "long-standing ties to the community."

The Windsor police news release stresses the two suspects and their families were "cooperative" during the arrest and that the suspects walked out of their homes and turned themselves into police.

"In the course of the arrest, officers on the scene had interaction with the families of both men. It is this interaction that raised concerns among family members and the Islamic community about the cultural sensitivity of Windsor police officers," said police. "The review of this incident revealed that the officers needed to balance their operational requirements with the expectations of the Islamic community. Based on training provided in 2007 the officers believed they had struck an appropriate balance; the community did not."...

Thirteen counts. "Fort Hood suspect to be charged with premeditated murder," from Fox News via the New York Post, November 12:

Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan will be charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in last week's Fort Hood mass shootings, a military source told Fox News Thursday.

Hasan, 39, is suspected of killing 13 of his comrades Nov. 5 when he opened fire at a soldier processing center at the Army base in Killeen, Texas....

Hasan is accused of firing about 100 rounds at unsuspecting fellow soldiers filling out deployment paperwork before civilian police officers shot him and stopped the attack....

After all, everyone knows that Islam is a Religion of Peace™. They just figured he hadn't gotten the memo. The only problem is -- no one wants to talk about it, but there is abundant support for his views within Islamic theology. "Army sought ways to channel Hasan's absorption with Islam: Walter Reed psychiatrists ordered him to attend university lectures on religion," by Ann Scott Tyson and Dana Priest for the Washington Post, November 12 (thanks to Christopher):

Army psychiatrists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who supervised Maj. Nidal M. Hasan's work as a psychiatric fellow tried to turn his growing preoccupation with religion and war into something productive by ordering him to attend a university lecture series on Islam, the Middle East and terrorism, according to a Walter Reed staff member familiar with Hasan's medical training.

The psychiatric staff at Walter Reed did not discuss kicking him out of the service, according to the staff member. In fact, Hasan was initially considered a good medical school candidate because he had spent time as an enlisted soldier and had cared for his siblings after his parents died, both attributes that supervisors believed indicated he had a healthy work ethic.

An Army official also said that Hasan, who is believed to have killed 13 people last week at Fort Hood, Tex., did not formally seek to leave the military as a conscientious objector or for any other reason. It is unclear whether Hasan, whose aunt has said he sought to leave the military, made informal efforts to leave through contacts with his immediate superiors, and if so how his chain of command at lower levels might have responded to such efforts....

The idea that Hasan attend the lectures, which he did late last year or early this year, came up during discussions among the psychiatric staffs of the hospital and the Army's medical university about what was perceived as Hasan's lack of productivity and his constant interest in Muslims whose religious beliefs conflicted with their military duties.

"You're at an institution of higher learning. He seems to want to do work in an area no one knows anything about," the staff member, who also requested anonymity because he had not been authorized to speak publicly, said of the order. "You don't want to close him down just because it's different."

During those discussions, psychiatrists commented in passing about whether Hasan could be delusional or hurt fellow soldiers, but did not think he was dangerous and never took steps to have him evaluated either for mental fitness or as a security threat. On the contrary, his demeanor was regarded as gentle and polite, and he often responded to inquiries about his well-being by saying, "I'm doing well, thank God."

"He had his struggles, and he embraced his religion with such intensity that one wondered whether he" could have suffered from a form of "delusion," the staffer said. He cited as an example -- without speaking of Hasan in particular -- the belief that the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are against Muslims rather than against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein's government and then insurgents in Iraq.

Hasan came to the attention of two joint terrorism task forces in December 2008, as he corresponded by e-mail with Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S. citizen and Islamic spiritual leader residing in Yemen who has exhorted followers to pursue violent jihad, or holy war. A Defense Department analyst on one of the task forces concluded that the chatter was innocent and in keeping with Hasan's research interests, two government officials said this week....

Brothel Jihad. "Egyptian Christian Man Attacked By Mob for Frequenting A Muslim Brothel," by Mary Abdelmassih for AINA, November 12:

(AINA) -- A state of fear has gripped the Christian inhabitants in the Upper Egyptian town of Mallawi after a Muslim mob tried to kill a Christian man for frequenting a Muslim-run brothel. Christian inhabitants are staying indoors, have closed their businesses, and are keeping their children -- especially girls -- away from schools. They fear wide-scale Muslim violence against them, similar to the violence which took place against Christians in Dairout on October 24,2009. (AINA 10-27-2009).

The latest incident in Mallawi was prompted when a Muslim mob learned of the presence of a Coptic man inside a Muslim-run brothel. A group of Muslims broke into the brothel, dragged him to the streets where he was stabbed 16 times. "Acid was thrown on him, before being stabbed. He was taken to Minya General Hospital where his condition is still very critical," said Wagih Yacoub of Middle East Christian Association.

The 23-year-old Copt Mina Emad Shoyeb was taken by the Muslim driver Mohamad to a brothel run by the Muslim widow, Ragaa Mosaad Ismail, together with two Muslim prostitutes, 23-years-old Eyman Ismail Abdelmalik, and 25-years-old Maha Kamel Aly. According to Copts United Mohamed had agreed on a fee of 200 Egyptian Pounds for the services of one of the prostitutes, Maha, but decided later that he wanted to pay only half of that amount, an offer Maha refused. The Copt Mina decided to pay the full fee. Mohamad left the brothel, and enticed the neighborhood Muslims to revenge for their honor for harboring a brothel in their midst, which is frequented by Christians. This prompted Muslims to congregate, break into the brothel and carry out their attack.

Reports coming out of Mallawi said that since yesterday evening, November 10th, several Muslim mobs have been wandering around the town streets, vandalizing and looting property belonging to Christian Copts; State Security forces were called in to contain the situation.

Yacoub also said that business life in Mallawi has come to a stand still and Bishop Dimitrious of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Mallawi, Ansena and Ashmonein, advised students in Deir Abu Heness, Deir Barsha and all the areas East of the Nile Delta, to avoid going to school for fear of Muslim repercussions against them....

In The American Thinker today, Pamela Geller says of the rush to exonerate Islam and jihad after the Fort Hood massacre: "Shariah law forbids criticism of Islam. And here we are....This is well beyond political correctness. We are enforcing Shariah law."

Sharia does indeed forbid criticism of Islam, but this is nevertheless hyperbole, no? Well, no. There is an avalanche of articles appearing like this unsigned editorial from the Seattle Times: "Do not slander Islam after Fort Hood," November 10. Would the Seattle Times have published such an editorial after any conceivable atrocity committed by a Christian believer? What do you think?

Do not compound the atrocity at Fort Hood with loose, slanderous talk about religion, conspiracy and political motives.

ALL of the horror and heartache of the Fort Hood shootings should not be compounded by labels and assumptions seeking motives to explain a heinous, irrational act.

The same restraint is also appropriate with a suspect in custody for the murderous assault that claimed the life of one Seattle police officer and wounded another.

The Fort Hood attack took 13 lives and wounded 41. There is a rush to link Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, with Islamic extremists and generally defame his faith by association.

Of course, Hasan himself made the link. He is the one who passed out Korans and then started shooting people. But the Times, of course, sweeps that under the rug.

Religious and political affiliations make for easy, slanderous links that can be pointedly selective. Little time was spent exploring Timothy McVeigh's Catholic and Republican connections after he slaughtered 168 men, women and children and wounded hundreds more with a truck bomb.

Never mind that he was an avowed atheist at the time of the attack and only became a Catholic later. Never mind that even if he had been a Catholic, there is nothing in Catholic teaching that exhorts believers to warfare against unbelievers, while there is plenty in Islam that does so exhort believers. Why should the Seattle Times worry about all that? Anything is good for a smear.

There is no more justification for Hasan's crimes in Islam than there was in the religious teachings of McVeigh's Christian faith....

Unsupported assertion. Here is some evidence to the contrary. There is plenty more, also. Here is some of it.

Care with words is essential because they have enormous power. If Hasan was an observant Muslim, then he violated his faith. The Seattle police are investigating what amounts to a murky personal grudge.

He violated his faith in what way? Again, an unexplained, unsupported assertion.

This idea was floated by the Sarkozy government in France some months ago, but I don't think anything came of it. In any case, it's nice work if you can get it. I expect that it will create a revolving-door growth industry, with unassimilable immigrants getting paid, going home, coming back, getting paid again, going home again, etc. Still, this is positive -- it is among the first official recognition that there is any problem at all with immigrants who won't assimilate.

"Denmark to pay immigrants £12,000 to go home if they 'can't or won't' assimilate," by Allan Hall for the Daily Mail, November 10 (thanks to all who sent this in):'

Denmark is boosting cash incentives to entice immigrants to return to their homelands if they 'can't or won't' assimilate into society.

The offer now on the table is close to £12,000 for every person who takes up the offer to leave.

Critics of the measure say it sends the wrong message to foreigners but the centre-right government in Copenhagen is forging ahead with the plan.

The financial carrot is ten times more than that previously offered under a scheme which as been law since 1997.

'We thought it was important to substantially increase this aid so that immigrants who want to return home because they are not able to adapt to Danish society have a strong financial basis to start a new life,' said foreign affairs spokesman Soeren Espersen of the far-right Danish People's Party....

In the wake of the Fort Hood jihad massacre, Muslim leaders in this country are preparing a fatwa on the permissibility of serving in the U.S. military. It is likely to differ from this one, but the answers from this site are on the whole more respected than anything that comes from Muslims in the West. Islam-QA is a very popular site for Muslims to get answers to questions they have, and the late Muhammad Uthaymeen is very respected as well -- even in the West.

"Military service in kaafir armies and working as a "chaplain" in those armies," from Islam QA (thanks to Axel):

What is the ruling on Muslims serving in the military of non muslim country ? What is the evidence for its permissibility or prohibition?

And lastly, what is the status of a Muslim working to help those in the military to fulfill their obligations to Allaah while serving in the Army, Navy, or whatever?

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:

"Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. Military matters are problematic, because they involve helping these kuffaar to wage war against the Muslims or those who have entered into a treaty with the Muslims. If no such thing is involved, it may be advantageous for Muslims to work in these armies so as to learn their secrets and be aware of their potential evil. In other words, if working in these armies could be of benefit, it may be permissible, otherwise it is not allowed."

On this basis, if a person works as a preacher or daa'iyah or imaam or muezzin, serving the Muslims and calling non-Muslims to Islam, then there is nothing wrong with this.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Then there's this:

It is not permissible for a Muslim to fight with kaafirs against the Muslims at all

I work in the army of a non-Muslim state, and there are wars between them and the Muslims. What is the ruling if they send me with a division of this army to wage war against the Muslims? As a Muslim, my feelings are that I never want to fight against Muslims in any war.
What should I do?
What is the ruling if I go...?

Praise be to Allaah.

If you are sent to wage war against the Muslims, then it is not permissible for you to take part at all. Helping the kaafirs against the Muslims is a form of major kufr which puts one beyond the pale of Islam. Allaah says concerning one who supports the mushrikeen (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa', i.e., friends), then surely, he is one of them"[al-Maa'idah 5:51] [Koran 5:51]

With regard to how you may get out of this situation, and what excuse you can give to get out of this dilemma if it happens, we ask Allaah to help you, and we suggest that you consult some Muslims who have relevant knowledge or experience.

We want to emphasize to you the necessity of finding other employment and of leaving service in the army of the kaafirs, because that implies helping them, strengthening them and increasing the numbers of their fighters and supporters - unless your work can bring some benefits to the Muslims, such as giving information and secrets of the kaafirs to the Muslims so as to help the Muslims, or if your work is purely da'wah, such as giving khutbahs and leading prayers for the Muslims in the kaafir army whilst also advising them to avoid any work that will strengthen the kaafirs. We ask Allaah to keep you safe from temptation and to give you a good end in this world and in the Hereafter.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

And this:

Working in the army of a country in which there are munkaraat (haraam deeds)

Please tell me about the ruling on one who works for the army, which is the source of his provision, but the military system and laws oblige him to shave his beard and some of them have to respect others, as the foreigners do. We have to greet others in a manner different from that enjoined upon us by Allaah and His Messenger, we have to salute the flag and we are governed by and have to refer differences amongst ourselves to laws other than those of Allaah (military law). If I fight to defend my country, but it is not under the banner of Laa ilaah ill-Allaah Muhammad Rasool Allaah [There is no god but Allaah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah], and by the will of Allaah I am killed, what is the ruling on me according to the Qur'aan and Sunnah?
Can I fight with an intention that is different to that of the army in whose ranks I am fighting? If I do the things mentioned above so as to avoid any negative consequences, am I sinning by doing that? Can a Muslim work in the army with the intention of learning fighting skills which he cannot learn anywhere else under current circumstances?
Please tell me about obedience to parents in this matter, when points of view differ in a case where the parents do not follow the Qur'aan and Sunnah, but they follow the traditions of society and whatever people are agreed upon. They think that religion is just prayer and fasting, and that anything beyond that is extremism. May Allaah help you to do that which pleases Him, correct your mistakes and protect you.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: it is haraam to shave the beard; it is obligatory (waajib) to leave it to grow.

Secondly: it is not permissible to salute the flag.

Thirdly: it is obligatory (waajib) to govern by the sharee'ah of Islam, and to refer to it for judgement. It is not permissible for a Muslim to greet colleagues or superiors with the greeting of the foreigners, because of the reports which state that it is forbidden to imitate them and because this represents exaggerated respect for them.

Fourthly: Whoever fights to make the word of Allaah supreme and to protect the Muslims and their lands from the enemy, is fighting for the sake of Allaah, and if he is killed he is a shaheed (martyr). What counts is the aim and intention. You can have an intention which is different from the intention of the army, such as intending to make the word of Allaah supreme in your jihaad (so long as it is permissible, according to sharee'ah, to fight the group against whom you are fighting), even if others have different intentions, such as fighting for their country.

Fifthly: it is obligatory (waajib) to obey your parents so long as this does not entail disobeying Allaah, because there should be no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience of the Creator.

And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/22

The three men in this clip fall over themselves to make sure that nobody thinks the Fort Hood massacre has anything to Islam. So Nidal Hasan passed out Korans on the morning of his mass murders! So what? Tim McVeigh!

Here is a good summary of how this attack had nothing to do with Islam.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also says: "Let's don't accuse people of basically giving him a pass cause he's a Muslim, cause I don't think there's any evidence of that."

"But Finnell said no one filed a formal, written complaint about Hasan's comments out of fear of appearing discriminatory."

Senator Jack Reed (D-RI): Muslims have served selflessly in the U.S. Military, and therefore, "this is not about theology, this is about doing your duty as a soldier."

Yet theology keeps coming up. The problem, of course, is that so many Muslims point to Islamic texts and teachings to justify violence and supremacism. But that, of course, is never mentioned here.

In March 2009, five Muslims accused of helping plot the September 11 attacks, including the notorious Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, wrote an "Islamic Response to the Government's Nine Accusations." In it they quote the Koran to justify their jihad war against the American Infidels. "In God's book," asserts the letter, "he ordered us to fight you everywhere we find you, even if you were inside the holiest of all holy cities, The Mosque in Mecca, and the holy city of Mecca, and even during sacred months. In God's book, verse 9 [actually verse 5], Al-Tawbah [the Koran's 9th chapter]: Then fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, and besiege them and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush."

Osama bin Laden's communiqués have also quoted the Koran copiously. In his 1996 "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places," he quotes seven Koran verses: 3:145; 47:4-6; 2:154; 9:14; 47:19; 8:72; and the notorious "Verse of the Sword," 9:5. Bin Laden began his October 6, 2002, letter to the American people with two Koran quotations, both of a martial bent: "Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged and surely, Allah is Able to give them (believers) victory" (22:39) and "Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taghut (anything worshipped other than Allah e.g. Satan). So fight you against the friends of Satan; ever feeble is indeed the plot of Satan" (4:76)."

In a sermon broadcast in 2003, bin Laden rejoiced in a Koranic exhortation to violence as being a means to establish the truth: "Praise be to Allah who revealed the verse of the Sword to his servant and messenger [the Islamic Prophet Muhammad], in order to establish truth and abolish falsehood." The "Verse of the Sword" is Koran 9:5: "Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

The idea that the Koran commands them to do violence to unbelievers runs from the very top of the international jihadist movement - Osama bin Laden - down to the rank and file. Overall, it is extremely rare - if not impossible - to find a jihadist who does not cite the Koran to justify his actions. Britain-based jihadist preacher, Abu Yahya, asserts simply, "It says in the Koran that we must try as much as we can to terrorise the enemy." And Pakistani jihad leader Beitullah Mehsud claims that "Allah on 480 occasions in the Holy Koran extols Muslims to wage jihad. We only fulfill God's orders. Only jihad can bring peace to the world." He specified that his jihad - struggle in Arabic - was an offensive military operation: "We will continue our struggle until foreign troops are thrown out. Then we will attack them in the US and Britain until they either accept Islam or agree to pay jazia." The "jazia," or jizya, is a tax that the Koran (9:29) specifies must be levied on Jews, Christians, and some other non-Muslim faiths as a sign of their subjugation under the Islamic social order.

One pro-Osama website put it this way: "The truth is that a Muslim who reads the Koran with devotion is determined to reach the battlefield in order to attain the reality of Jihad. It is solely for this reason that the Kufaar [unbelievers] conspire to keep the Muslims far away from understanding the Koran, knowing that Muslims who understand the Koran will not distance themselves from Jihad."

(Video thanks to Christopher.)

Here is a first round-up on events at last week's meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a partner organization of the UN. Pax Europa, the group for which I spoke in Berlin recently, was there, and was able to achieve great things. See the video above, in which the intrepid E.S.W. quotes Koran 4:34, the infamous wife-beating verse -- much irking the Turks, who immediately denounced her intervention as "hate speech." (You see, when a non-Muslim quotes the Koran, it's "hate speech.")

This was a very important meeting: for the first time Islam was discussed in a critical manner. This was not just another UN conference -- and the OSCE concerns the US as well, since the US is a participating state.

True Islam, as we all know, is peaceful and tolerant, and Nidal Hasan's Islam is heretical, rejected by the Vast Majority of Peaceful Muslims.

Unfortunately, however, al-Ansari is Misunderstanding Islam in accord with a hadith of Muhammad that appears in Sahih Muslim, a hadith collection Muslims consider authoritative:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews. (Muslim 6985)

Isn't it odd how all the Misunderstanders of Islam seem to misunderstand it in all the same ways?

"Egyptian Cleric Amin Al-Ansari - Hatred of Jews is Prevalent in Sports and in the Animal Kingdom: 'Judgment Day Will Not Come Before the Muslims Fight the Jews and Kill Them'; The Muslims Will Kill the Jews - Be Patient,'" from MEMRI, November 6 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Following are excerpts from an address by Egyptian cleric Amin Al-Ansari, which aired on Al-Rahma TV on October 12, 2009.Earlier this year, Amin Al-Ansari appeared on Al-Rahma TV to show footage of torture and killing of Jews in Nazi concentration camps, stating, "This is what we hope will happen, but, Allah willing, at the hand of the Muslims. [1] "

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2261.htm.

"God Has Filled People's Hearts With Loathing For These [Jews]"

Amin Al-Ansari: "God has filled people's hearts with loathing for these [Jews]. Let's take a look at the field of sports. Forget about politics, military issues, and so on. Let's look at sports on the international level. How come there are no successful Israeli athletes like in any other people? They are abhorred. God does not let people be friendly with them.

[...]

"Jews think that anybody can... No, animals can sense things. The proof is that the Prophet Muhammad said that when Judgment Day draws near, the final war between the Muslims and the Jews will take place. The Prophet said that the Muslims would kill the Jews.

"'Judgment Day will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them.' The Muslims will kill the Jews. Be patient. All the trees and all the stones will say: 'Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him - except for the Gharqad tree.' Only one kind of tree will not call [the Muslims]. It is the Gharqad tree."

"We are at war...with Islamic heretics" -- from an article in the Los Angeles Times by Judith Miller and David Samuels

Now we all know what a Christian heresy is. It is a belief that is held by some who call themselves Christians that has been characterized or defined as a "heresy" by other Christians in positions of higher authority. We can even name some of them -- Antinomianism, arianism, marcionism, millennialism, montanism, mandaeism, manichaenism, and so on. And if you go to an encyclopedia, you will find, because if you are like me you will not know, exactly in what this or that heresy was said to consist -- that is, the precise belief deemed to be heretical.

But here, with the easy use by Judith Miller and David Samuels in the Los Angeles Times of the phrase "Islamic heretics," we have not a single indication of the "heresy" of which Nidal Malik Hasan, or Osama bin Laden, or Sheikh Fadlallah, or Al-Zarqawi, or a hundred thousand or ten million or a hundred million others, are guilty.

They may think, as journalists, that they can get away with using such words as "heretics" because, you see, the very idea is so comforting. They may think that everyone or most everyone will simply accept the assertion that all these people are heretics, and will therefore drop any pretense of demanding an explanation of precisely what defines, in this case, the so-called Islamic heresy.

But there are two reasons they cannot do so. One is that there is no supreme authority, in quite the same way, in Islam, as there is in Catholicism. It is true that the closest thing to it might be Al-Azhar University, and the head of it, the Sheikh Al-Azhar, at least for Sunni Islam. For Shi'a Islam, those who have reached the rank of Ayatollah or Grand Ayatolloh might, collectively, play the same role. But it is nevertheless not quite so easy to call some Islamic belief a "heresy."

More importantly, however, the texts -- and the commentators on those texts -- of Islam are on the side of Nidal Malik Hasan, and all the others who believe in Jihad. There may be prudential considerations, wherever Muslims are perceived as still too weak, for the avoidance of violence as the chosen instrument of Jihad. Besides, other means - deployment of the Money Weapon, campaigns of Da'wa, and demographic conquest (discussed openly by Muslims as the surest way to take over the historic enemy, "Christian" Europe) -- to conduct Jihad that are far more effective, because they are not recognized as such, and are therefore not alarming to the great heedless complacent and too-busy-to-focus masses of non-Muslims.

Judith Miller and David Samuels of the Los Angeles Times now have to tell us the following: why, in what exact way, relying on what unorthodox texts (let's be generous, let's even let them call "unorthodox" those Hadith which were not assigned to the highest rank of "authenticity" by those learned and tireless muhaddithin Al-Bukhari and Muslim), are those with whom we are "at war" properly defined as "Islamic heretics"?

Go ahead, Judith Miller. Go ahead, David Samuels. Consult, right away, with all the authorities on Islam -- those living and those dead. Yes, do look up, do wander in the pages of, the hundred greatest Western scholars of Islam who wrote between 1870 and 1970, and find in those pages any evidence, any evidence at all, that suggests that any of these scholars thought heretical the ideas of the centrality of Jihad, the natural violence of Jihad, the division of the world, in the Islamic view, between Muslim and Unbeliever, and the understanding that between the two a state of permanent war (though not always of open warfare), must exist until, at long last, the final triumph of Islam, and Islam dominates, and Muslims rule, everywhere -- go ahead, quote chapter and verse.
Show us you are not cheap journalists of the kind famously denounced by Karl Kraus. Show us you have standards. Publish your findings in the Los Angeles Times, as a follow-up to your glib article there today.

In your new piece, explain more fully, please, exactly what you mean by "Islamic heretics."

We're all ears.

I have heard on the radio, and read, a new theme about Nidal Malik Hasan. Now it is not so much "Islam has nothing to do with it" as - well, yes, come to think of it, Major Nidal Malik Hasan gave that lecture so nicely illustrating, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see and minds to think, part of the essential doctrine of Islam. This was the man who was always and everywhere talking about Islam, trying to convert others to Islam, making sure everyone, everywhere, knew of his deep faith and loyalty to Islam.

At least this is what he appears to have told all the non-Muslim officers and men. But one person, the chaplain Yahya Hendi, assured us, in his quiet and reassuring way, that in all of his private conversations with Nidal Malik Hasan, Hasan kept assuring him - now why would Hasan feel the need to assure a fellow Muslim of this? - of his loyalty to the American government and his desire to serve.

The one that struck me the most was a statement made on NPR by Tom Ricks, the Pentagon correspondent for the Washington Post, who said - in the new and most fashionable formulation -- that Nidal Malik Hasan, we all know, was a "Muslim" and he was also "nuts."

I wonder if Tom Ricks, who is hardly among the most offending, and all of the others now consoling themselves, at least partly, with the notion that Nidal Hasan was "nuts" (as well as being a...oh, let me see now, yes, that's it, a "Muslim"), think that the tens of thousands of Muslims who right now are actively acting in exactly the same way in jihad groups around the world are also "nuts." They are led by such people as Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri. All the hundreds of thousands of members of various groups - Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Ansar al-Islam, Laskar Jihad, and so on - another hundred or two hundred names of groups could be given, and another few thousand of known groupuscules that have acted, or tried to act - are they all "nuts"? And as for the individuals - oh, just take an Ahmed and a Mohammad and an Osama and a Najib and Anwar, and add in the surnames that are similarly so similar, mix-n'-match, keep changing the first name of each of the surnames in Mr-Potato-Head play-fashion, and voila, you will have them all. And these people, too, are impelled to participate directly in violent Jihad, as was Major Nidal Malik Hasan.

More denial and obfuscation. "Our enemy is not Islam -- it's extremists: The U.S. response should be zero tolerance for political cultists who try to achieve their goals through violence, regardless of their religion," by Judith Miller and David Samuels for the Los Angeles Times, November 11:

[...] Underlying both the left- and right-wing narratives of the shootings is the belief -- or fear, on the part of many liberals -- that what happened at Ft. Hood is, in fact, rooted in Islam, rather than in a perverted political ideology that is rejected by an overwhelming majority of Muslims everywhere. The threat posed to America by the jihadist cult recalls the hysteria surrounding the late 19th century mass migrations that brought thousands of anarchists, syndicalists and communists from eastern Europe to America. Preaching their secular gospel of violently overthrowing the U.S government and returning to a mythical agrarian past, the new immigrants, many of whom were Jewish, engaged in bombings, industrial violence and assassinations that killed hundreds of people, including President McKinley.

There was no shortage of voices that blamed these attacks on immigrants, particularly "the Jews," and suggested that immigration from eastern Europe be stopped and that Jews be banned from sensitive government jobs and institutions of higher learning -- efforts that were enshrined in law and unofficial practice by 1924. In retrospect, we see these responses as products of ignorance and rank prejudice.

Question for Judith Miller and David Samuels: When and where did the leaders of these "immigrants" or "Jews" ever teach their followers that they "must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands"? The rest of that passage, of course, is: "...and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God's religion is made victorious over all other religions." That's from "An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Brotherhood in North America," by Mohamed Akram, May 19, 1991.

Did any of these "immigrants" or "Jews" ever teach that their belief-system wasn't "in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant," and that their guiding manifesto "should be the highest authority in America"? CAIR co-founder and longtime Board Chairman Omar Ahmad said that about Islam and the Koran. (He denies saying it, but the original reporter stands by her story)

Did the fundamental law of any of those "immigrants" or "Jews" ever teach anything analogous to this, from a Shafi'i manual of Islamic law endorsed by the most prestigious institution in Sunni Islam, Al-Azhar University in Cairo? It says that the leader of the Muslims "makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians...until they become Muslim or else pay the non-Muslim poll tax," and cites Koran 9:29 in support of this idea: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and who forbid not what Allah and His messenger have forbidden-who do not practice the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the Book-until they pay the poll tax out of hand and are humbled." ('Umdat al-Salik o9.8)

I could go on, but you get the idea. In Islam there is a clear and consistent strain, historical and contemporary, of supremacism and violence, and calls to conquer and subjugate those outside the fold. The "immigrants" and "Jews" who may have been scapegoated in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century had no such teachings, and none of them were preaching such things. Thus the analogy adduced by Miller is not only wrong, but dangerously misleading and offensive: it implies that those who are sounding the alarm about the jihad in the U.S. and worldwide are simply bigots with some irrational hatred of Muslims, rather than people who simply listen to what Muslims say and take it seriously. So those who believe Miller will be more likely to dismiss talk of the jihad threat as bigotry, as an invention of "Islamophobes" -- and of course they will never hear about the supremacist statements I've quoted above and others like them, because Miller won't tell them.

So now we must be clear: The United States is not at war with Muslims or Islam.

Indeed not. But many Muslims believe that they, and Islam, are at war with the United States. Our refusal to engage them on that level does not mean that this fact ceases to exist.

We are at war, whether we like it or not, with Islamic heretics who argue that their own beliefs supersede traditional Islamic law, and that traitors to Islam as they define it should be killed. Our enemies are members of a violent cult that uses the language of religion to achieve political aims. Believers in such heresies have more in common with other violent political extremists -- anarchists, Stalinists, Nazis, Klansmen, Weathermen bombers and terrorists such as Timothy McVeigh -- than they do with mainstream Muslims.

But of course she does not elucidate just how their beliefs render them heretics, and how their understanding of Islam differs from traditional Islamic law. No one ever does. We are constantly told that they're heretics, but explanations of exactly how they're heretics are scarce.

Jihadists are the latest bearers of an ideological virus -- the idea that one can accomplish millenarian political aims by murdering innocents -- that has done terrible damage to human societies. Our response should be zero tolerance for political cultists who try to achieve their goals through violence, be they Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Tamil Tigers, animal-rights activists or self-professed followers of Thoreau. No one should hesitate to call such people what they are -- terrorists.

Perhaps she means that they're heretics because they're murdering innocents, and Islam forbids that. And that's all very well, but the jihadists maintain that no non-Muslim is innocent, and putatively moderate organizations like CAIR, when they condemn terrorism, have been slow to explain just who exactly they do think is innocent.

And so here again we have a typical example of deflection, falsehood, and half-truth, all served up in defense of a totalitarian, expansionist ideology that is going to keep coming at us. Judith Miller should know better, and should know who and what for which she is running interference. What is needed now is a call to the American Muslim community to acknowledge that there is a supremacist, expansionist doctrine within Islam, and a challenge to them to formulate ways to teach against it and promote American Constitutionalism among Muslims here. Instead, we get this.

Lebanon doesn't seem to particularly mind this challenge to and erosion of its sovereignty. Hizballebanon Update. "Hezbollah says new government must keep mum about its weapons," from Agence France-Presse, November 11:

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Wednesday to cooperate with Lebanon's new unity government but warned that it should avoid the "big issues," in allusion to his group's weapons.

"Success for this government, its prime minister and ministers will mean success for Lebanon and Hezbollah," Nasrallah said in a televised address to mark Hezbollah's martyrs' day.

"But I call for patience in dealing with the big issues," he added, alluding to demands by the UN Security Council and his local rivals for the disarmament of his Shiite militant group.

"If we start with this now, we are headed straight for problems."

Nasrallah, whose party fought a devastating war with Israel in the summer of 2006, also said he hoped for a "government of national cooperation and accord."

"We do not want a government divided by barricades," he said.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of murdered ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, announced the formation of his new government on Monday, more than four months after his US- and Saudi-backed alliance defeated a Hezbollah-led bloc backed by Syria and Iran in a general election.

The government met for the first time on Tuesday at the president palace, making it clear that it would steer clear of the thorny issue of Hezbollah's weapons.

Hariri's government includes 15 ministers from Hariri's bloc and 10 from the opposition. The remaining five were appointed by President Michel Sleiman.

The major point of contention between the two major camps has been Hezbollah's weapons, which were starkly brought to the forefront in May 2008 when the militant group staged a spectacular takeover of mainly Sunni Muslim west Beirut.

The crisis, sparked by a government crackdown against Hezbollah, left more than 100 people dead and brought the country to the brink of renewed civil war.

The distribution of portfolios in the new government means that neither side will have veto power and that Sleiman will play the role of arbiter.

Nasrallah, whose party has two ministers in the new government, played down the prospects of a new conflict with Israel, dismissing recent Israeli warnings as "psychological warfare."

But he added that Hezbollah remained ready for any eventuality.

"Send all the troops you want," he said. "We will kill all your officers and soldiers."

Hezbollah is the only Lebanese party that refused to surrender its weapons after the country's 1975-1990 civil war. It argues they are necessary to defend Lebanon against Israeli aggression.

Then there's U.N. Resolution 1701, which Hizballah was also allowed to opt out of for all practical purposes (like re-arming).

Nasrallah called on the rival Lebanese blocs' foreign sponsors Iran and Saudi Arabia to work hand in hand on regional issues.

"We call for Saudi-Iranian rapprochement, initiated by either country or any other party," he said.

"These two large, important countries should cooperate," Nasrallah said. "The region is in need of a loyal firefighter."

A what, now?

Apparently Hasan turned more than one medical lecture into a Koran presentation. "'I'm Muslim First, American Second' - Former Classmate of Suspected Ft. Hood Shooter Recalls Red Flags," from FoxNews, November 10 (thanks to Maxwell):

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," November 9, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.[...]

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, we already (INAUDIBLE) Sir, tell me, how did you -- how did you know the suspect? When did you first meet him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (FORMER CLASSMATE): Well, I met him as part of a master's of public health program at the Uniformed Services University (INAUDIBLE) health sciences at Bethesda, Maryland, in 2007 and 2008.

VAN SUSTEREN: How much contact did you have with him in 2007 and 2008?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (FORMER CLASSMATE): Just about every day for several classes that we had together for about four or five months.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did he ever say anything peculiar, red flag-ish, that drew your attention?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (FORMER CLASSMATE): Lots. Lots. The first thing that raised a red flag was one of our first courses together was an environmental health class. We had to do a project or actually a presentation at the end of that class, and we were supposed to do some kind of environmental health project. Now, people were talking about mold. People were talking about water quality.

Well, Hasan gave a presentation on whether the war on terror was a war on Islam. I raised my hand immediately. I questioned why that type of topic was being presented at because it was so off-base, and it was allowed to continue. His radicalism grow throughout the year. He would make frequent comments that he was a Muslim first and an American or an officer second, and also that, you know, Islamic law, Sharia law took precedence over the Constitution. And we all became concerned because he's a sworn officer of the United States and he's supposed to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Yet his loyalties lied elsewhere.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did you make any complaints or any -- note it to anybody else, or did anyone -- did anyone else do that, or did the professor or teacher do anything, if you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (FORMER CLASSMATE): Well, I made that particular complaint at that point in time. I have a very close colleague who engaged senior leadership at the university, a number of people, regarding this matter, regarding his concerns over these statements that he made.

Here is a terrific new piece at Pajamas Media by my friend and former Jihad Watch writer, Raymond Ibrahim:

In a blog entry for Islamist Watch, David J. Rusin shows how the word "jihad" continues to be euphemized in the West. Despite Islamic law's unequivocal portrayal of it as a military endeavor to empower Islam, jihad is still being peddled as "nothing more than a student laboring to pass algebra, a mom driving her kids to soccer practice, or, in the words of the Cambridge study, a civic-minded person engaged in 'lobbying, activism, and writing' -- a community organizer of sorts." Rusin concludes by observing: "Why Islamists peddle such specious definitions should be clear. More baffling and disturbing is why they gain traction among so many Westerners."

Indeed, therein lies the irony: Islamist perfidy is only to be expected; Western naivety, on the other hand, which, if anything, should have begun to dissipate in our post-9/11 world, has burgeoned to the point of nearly making the former unnecessary. For while there is no doubt that Islamists (and their misguided Western cronies) distort the meaning of jihad, increasingly, even when the true meaning is in plain sight, America's leaders and media still fail to discern it. In other words, apathy -- or willful blindness -- regarding jihad has become so deep-seated in the West that Islamists need no longer actively dissemble.

Consider: When President Barack Hussein Obama addressed the Islamic world from Cairo on June 4, 2009, he said: "As the Holy Koran tells us, 'Be conscious of God and speak always the truth' [Sura 9:119]. That is what I will try to do -- to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us." Let us for the moment put aside the fact that Sura 9, from whence Obama quotes, contains the most violent and intolerant exhortations in all the Koran (which is saying something). The problem here is that the original Arabic text of Sura 9:119 says absolutely nothing about "speaking the truth." The word "speaking" is nowhere in the text, and "truth," as an abstract, is a wrong translation for sadiqin, which refers to people. The verse most literally translates as "fear Allah and be with the truthful." In other words, Muslims should stand firm with fellow Muslims ("truthful" serving as a Koranic epithet for "Muslims" the same way "believers" often does). It is, as ever, a call for divisiveness -- of Muslims (the "truthful") versus infidels (the "false").

Had Obama or his Mideast advisors and speechwriters simply bothered to read this verse in context -- verse 9:111, a jihadi all-time favorite, looms just above, promising believers paradise in exchange for their killing and being killed -- or if they had bothered consulting mainstream Muslim exegeses, they might have known that this verse is part of a Koranic segment that deals exclusively with fighting infidels: Muhammad and several Muslims were preparing to invade Byzantine territory. Some Muslims wanted to stay behind. It was then that Allah/Muhammad threatened them with this verse to "fear Allah and be with the truthful" (i.e., join ranks with your fellow Muslims on the warpath). Sentences later, this exhortation culminates in one of the most famous calls to violence in all the Koran, regularly evoked by modern-day jihadis: "O you who believe, fight those infidels who dwell around you, and let them find harshness in you!" [9:123]....

Read it all.

Whoops, sorry -- this isn't backlash against the poor, innocent Muslims being terrorized and victimized by the thousands after the Fort Hood Nothing-To-Do-With-Islam attack. This is just the familiar Muslim backlash against non-Muslims, which will increasingly be a feature of American life in the coming years. Nothing to see here. Move along.

"Man arrested for 'anti-Christian' mall disturbance: Kiosk employee allegedly tore a crucifix from someone's neck," by Emily West for the Danville Express, November 10 (thanks to Bob):

Police arrested 22-year-old Abdul Walid Hamid of Hayward on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 4, after he reportedly tore a crucifix from a person's neck and scared others at Stoneridge Shopping Center.

Hamid, an employee at a mall kiosk near Starbucks, has been charged with battery, terrorist threats and grand theft.

According to reports, Hamid was yelling "Allah is power" and "Islam is great" while holding a pen in a fist over his head. Witnesses said he shouted anti-Christian comments, said police.

Lt. Mike Elerick of the Pleasanton Police Department said the man was not provoked and didn't threaten violence, but he committed robbery when he grabbed and broke a crucifix off someone's neck.

Coworkers told police that Hamid's actions were out of the ordinary and that he had worked at the kiosk for years.

You mean, he didn't do this daily? What a relief!

Police also said they weren't aware of a prior criminal history for the man.

"We had multiple people calling 911," Elerick said. "One female was crouching down and hiding from him. He definitely scared quite a few people."...

Through an interpreter, Hamid requested a public defender and was scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Thursday where he is expected to enter a plea.

Through an interpreter? He worked at the mall and didn't speak English?

This year, Armistice Day is marred by the recent jihad attack upon those who had dedicated their lives to protecting us. It was a vivid reminder, as was its hyper-politically correct aftermath, that the jihad against the U.S. is far from over, and we have hardly even begun to fight it.

Will we?

For many in the U.S. today, Constitutional law, including the non-establishment of religion, is as certain as the air we breathe, and we cannot conceive of the possibility that anything could weaken the principles upon which this nation was founded. The freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, and the equality of rights of all people before the law -- all these things are unassailable, aren't they?

No, they are being assailed today by increasingly assertive global forces, both non-violent and violent. The mainstream media, government, and law enforcement, deathly afraid of spurious charges of "bigotry," lie about what led Nidal Hasan to commit mass murder. And hardly anyone today is even aware of, much less interested in, the Muslim Brotherhood's "grand jihad" to eliminate and destroy Western civilization "from within, sabotaging its miserable house."

That unawareness and indifference allow this endeavor to proceed apace.

Today, then, we should remember and be grateful to those who gave their lives to secure and protect these freedoms for us -- as if our gratitude could ever be sufficient or adequate. We should ponder the fact that they had to give their lives in order to secure these freedoms. We should remember that if we are not willing to give our own lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to protect the unalienable rights enumerated at the founding of this Republic, we will most assuredly lose both them and the Republic itself -- lose them for ourselves and for our children.

Let us never shrink from the task before us: the great struggle to defend human rights, human dignity, and freedom from oppression and injustice -- particularly the oppression and injustice, and assaults to human dignity that are enshrined in the Sharia that is coming, step-by-step, steadily and apparently inexorably, to a willfully ignorant and indifferent West.

Happy Veterans' Day.

"Taliban" means, of course, "students." I.e., students of Islam. But somehow they have missed the peaceful teachings of Islam that are so plain and patent to everyone else that only "Islamophobes" have trouble seeing them. How is it that these students of Islam don't know, as Obama put it yesterday, that "no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor"?

"Taliban promises repeat of Fort Hood massacre: report," by Nick Allen in the Telegraph, November 11 (thanks to all who sent this in):

The Taliban claimed there would be more attacks like the Fort Hood shootings unless Washington ends it policies in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a report. It also described the US army psychiatrist who carried out the massacre in Texas as a "hero".

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist websites, said it had picked up a Taliban message praising the attack.

The message said: "The recent attack on the military base in Texas warns that if the occupation policy of the American rulers continues in this way, without them folding the carpets of occupation and transgression in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is natural then that incidents and attacks similar to Texas will spread to the Pentagon and other American military centres.

"According to media reports, the hero of the attack is a Muslim psychiatrist and major in the American army, of Palestinian origin."...

Yesterday I was asked to participate in a Symposium at National Review about the Fort Hood massacre and the role political correctness played in it. Here is my entry:

The Fort Hood massacre wouldn't have happened were it not for political correctness. Nidal Hasan lectured on the Koran's punishments for unbelievers when he should have been discussing medicine; justified suicide bombing; and spouted hatred for America even as he wore its uniform. Yet no one filed a complaint -- for fear of seeming bigoted.

This is the fruit of long-term efforts by groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and others to demonize everyone who speaks honestly about the threat of jihad and Islamic supremacism. People are afraid to speak up about Muslims who behave suspiciously. And if Nidal Hasan had been disciplined or removed from his post because of his pro-jihad, anti-American statements, CAIR and others would likely have been up in arms, calling for an investigation of "Islamophobia" in the military.

Mission accomplished: "Islamophobia" was duly avoided at Fort Hood. All it cost was 13 dead and 38 wounded. Now General Casey says that if the Army loses its "diversity" because of Hasan's jihad, that would be worse than his murders; the political correctness that led to these murders is still very much in place.

The book that inspired this text was The Legend of the Middle Ages: Philosophical Explorations of Medieval Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Rémi Brague, a French professor and specialist of medieval religious philosophy. He is also the author of the fine book Eccentric Culture: A Theory of Western Civilization, which I have written an extensive essay about previously. Thematically this text overlaps to some extent with my essay Why Christians Accepted Greek Natural Philosophy, but Muslims Did Not and my reviews of the books Science and Religion by Edward Grant and Defending the West by Ibn Warraq. It also overlaps with some of the material I have included in my book Defeating Eurabia. I will include page references to the various book quotes so that others can use them and will supplement with some quotes from two good onlineinterviews with Mr. Brague.

Medieval Muslims were reluctant to travel to infidel lands. According to Islamic jurists Muslims should not stay for too long in the lands of non-Muslims if they cannot live a proper Muslim life there. Muslims had little knowledge of or interest in any Western languages. Only Italian had some currency for commercial purposes, but mainly involving Jews and Eastern Christians, especially Greeks and Armenians. Few Muslims knew any non-Muslim languages well, the knowledge of which was considered unnecessary or even suspect.

Consequently, the translators of Greek and other non-Muslim scientific works to Arabic were never Muslims. They were Christians of the three dominant denominations plus a few Jews and Sabians. The language of culture for these Christians was Syriac (Syro-Aramaic or Eastern Aramaic) and their liturgical language was Greek. The translators already knew the languages they were to translate. We do have examples of translators who traveled to Greece to perfect their skills, but they were Christians for whom Greek was already at least a liturgical language. Here is Rémi Brague in The Legend of the Middle Ages, page 164:

"Neither were there any Muslims among the ninth-century translators. Almost all of them were Christians of various Eastern denominations: Jacobites, Melchites, and, above all, Nestorians (though I am not sure why the latter predominated). A few others were Sabians, a somewhat bizarre religious community with an intriguing history, whose elites were perhaps the last heirs of the pagan philosophers of the School of Athens. No Muslim learned Greek or, even less, Syriac. Cultivated Christians were often bilingual, even trilingual: they used Arabic for daily life, Syriac for liturgy, and Greek for cultural purposes. The translators that helped to pass along the Greek heritage to the Arabs were artisans who worked for private patrons, without institutional support. One often hears tell of the 'House of Wisdom' (bayt al-hikmah), a sort of research center subsidized by the caliphs that specialized in producing Arabic translations of Greek works. This is pure legend. The further back in time we go, the less the chroniclers connect the activity of translation with that 'house.' As an institution it was above all a propaganda office working for the Mu`tazilite doctrine supported by the caliphs."

The Baghdad-centered Abbasid Dynasty, which replaced the Damascus-centered Umayyad Dynasty after AD 750, was closer to pre-Islamic Persian culture and influenced by the Sassanid Zoroastrian practice of translating works and creating libraries. Even Dimitri Gutas admits this in his pro-Islamic book Greek Thought, Arab Culture. There was still a large number of Zoroastrians, Christians and Jews and they held a disproportionate amount of expertise in the medical field. According to author Thomas T. Allsen, Middle Eastern medicine in Mongol ruled China was "almost always" in the hands of Nestorian Christians.

Traducido por Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.

La sección próxima de Sura 2 del Corán- los versículos 75-105- continúa criticándoles a los judíos. Cuando lee declaraciones de los líderes de Hamas o de Mahmoud Ahmadineyad sobre Israel, acuérdese de que sus opiniones sobre Israel y los judíos se basan en el Corán. Han aprendido, si han estudiado de cualquier manera el Corán, que los judíos son los enemigos más perversos y culpables- y los más astutos y más persistentes- de Alá, Mohamed y los musulmanes.

En el versículo 75 Alá les pregunta a los musulmanes: ¿cómo pueden esperar que los judíos se hagan musulmanes, ya que 'un grupo de ellos escuchaba las palabras de Alá, pues las cambiaba a propósito, las habiendo entendido? En su 'Táfsir Anwar Al-Bayan', el muftí indio del siglo veinte Mohamed Aashiq Ilahi Bulandshahri nota que algunos comentadores han mencionado que el versículo se refiere a la adulteración de la Tora. Los eruditos judíos aceptaban los sobornos de la gente para que cambiasen mandos ciertos para convenirse. Interpretando este pasaje en relación con versículo 79, Bulandshahri dice que los judíos cometieron dos pecados: modificaron la escritura de Alá y aceptaron los sobornos.' Esta interpretación es la tradicional: el 'Táfsir al-Jalalyan' dice que los judíos modificaron la descripción del Profeta en la Tora, junto con el versículo de lapidar, y otros detalles, y volvieron a escribirlos de manera diferente de la forma en la que se revelaron'.

A causa de su arrogancia creen también que estarán solamente en el Infierno para pocos días (versículo 80). Bukhari cuenta que, después de que Mohamed conquistara a los judíos de Khaibar, un oasis árabe, asaron un cordero para el profeta del Islam- y lo envenenaron. Dándose cuenta de su estrategia, los convocó y preguntó. A lo largo de esto, le dijeron, 'Nos quedaremos en el Infierno para un período breve, y entonces los musulmanes nos sustituirán.' Mohamed respondió con indignación: '¡Seáis malditos y humillados! Por Alá, no os sustituiremos nunca en el Infierno' y afirmó que estaba enterado de su complot para envenenarle.

Los versículos 81-105 recuerdan otra vez a los judíos los favores de Alá que la mayoría de ellos rechazó (versículo 83), y los castiga debido a su terquedad y su desobediencia. El versículo 85 da un resumen de varios actos de desobediencia, culminando con la afirmación que los judíos creen solamente en una parte de sus escrituras sagradas, y rechazan las demás. Ibn Kathir dice que rechazaron algunas partes de la Tora, y afirma también: 'no deben ser creídos cuando describen al profeta de Alá, su venida, su expulsión de la tierra, su emigración, y el resto de la información sobre la que los profetas los informaron. Escondieron lo todo. Los judíos (¡que sufran la maldición de Alá!) escondieron todos los hechos.' Los versículos 88 y 89 destacan que son malditos a causa del hecho de que rechazaron el Islam. (Esto es por qué la mayoría de los musulmanes no aceptan la idea de que los judíos tienen un derecho a la tierra de Israel, a pesar de 5:21 y otros versículos: una gente maldita no recibe los regalos de Alá). El versículo 98 dice que Alá es su enemigo.

Los versículos 94-96 retan a los judíos: si afirman que el Paraíso es reservado para sí, ¿por qué no buscan la muerte, en lugar de ser la gente que tiene más ganas de vivir? Esto es la base del insulto yihadista, como dijo hace unos años un guerrillero de Al-Qaeda en Afganistán: 'Los estadounidenses aman Pepsi, nosotros amamos la muerte.' Los creyentes verdaderos esperan el Paraíso y tienen desprecio por este mundo.

El versículo interrumpe las condenas de los judíos para introducir la doctrina islámica de abrogación en que Alá reemplaza lo que ha revelado antes con algo 'mejor o semejante'. El 'Táfsir Al-Jalalyan' dice que este versículo fue revelado porque los no creyentes empezaron a burlarse de la cuestión de abrogación, diciendo que Mohamed les permite a sus compañeros una cosa y el próximo día se la prohíbe.' El 'Tanwir al-Miqbas min Táfsir Ibn 'Abbas' dice que se refiere a lo que fue abrogado de del Corán y a lo que no fue abrogado.' Sayyid Qutb sostiene que la modificación parcial de las sentencias para responder a las circunstancias cambiantes durante la vida del profeta Mohamed podía convenirle solamente a la humanidad en general. La idea de abrogación (en árabe- naksh) es la base del entendimiento generalizado islámico de que los versículos violentos de sura 9 tienen prioridad respecto a los más pacíficos revelados más temprano, ya que vienen más tarde en la vida de Mohamed- una idea que volveremos a discutir más tarde. (Para un análisis completo de la idea islámica de abrogación, vea el libro de Ahmad Von Denffer que se llama 'Ulum Al-Qur'an').

Los versículos 107-121 les advierten a los musulmanes que continúen cumpliendo con sus obligaciones religiosas y que no se permitan que sean engañados por los judíos y los cristianos que intentarán engañar a los musulmanes (2:109), aunque se luchen entre sí (2:113). 2:111 y 2:120 (junto con 2:135) se burlan de las tentativas judías y cristianas de convertir a los musulmanes, y el versículo 116 es el primero que rechaza la creencia cristiana en Jesús como el Hijo de Dios (esto se repite muchas veces). La idea de que Alá puede tener un hijo se considera como comprometer el monoteísmo: '¡No!, lo todo en el cielo y en la tierra es de Alá: todas las cosas le adoran.'

Los versículos 122-140 vuelven a referirse a los judíos, recordándolos lo que prometió Alá en la Kaaba de La Meca a Abraham e Ismael (2:125). Son recordados los judíos que aun cuando rezó Abraham para que La Meca se convirtiera en la 'Ciudad de Paz', Alá respondió que los que rechazan la fe serán arrastrados al castigo del fuego (2:126). Si está sorprendido que se mencione un patriarca judío, Abraham, en relación con un sitio islámico sagrado, la Kaaba, acuérdese de que los perversos solos dicen que Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob y las tribus fueron judíos o cristianos' (2:140). De hecho, fueron siervos de Alá- musulmanes (2:128). Si no creyeron que Mohamed fue profeta, fueron a menos hanifes: los monoteístas antes del Islam.

Esto destaca el tema del Corán que se repite muchas veces que la gente que conocemos hoy en día como judíos o cristianos son solamente apóstatas de la religión verdadera enseñada en realidad por Abraham, Moisés y Jesús- y que la religión verdadera es el Islam. Como hemos visto, una gran parte de sura 2 se dedica a dirigirse a los judíos apóstatas que han rechazado a Mohamed y a rogar que sigan la religión verdadera, la fe de Abraham, Moisés y Mohamed. Así el Islam desafía el judaísmo y el cristianismo porque afirma que es la forma verdadera y original de las dos religiones. Los portavoces islámicos en el Occidente hoy en día presentan a menudo la categoría de Abraham, Moisés, y Jesús como profetas musulmanes para prestar declaración de la afirmación de que el Islam no tiene prejuicios. Sin embargo, es en realidad solamente una afirmación de la superioridad del Islam y de la falsedad del judaísmo y del cristianismo.

La semana que viene: sura 2 versículos 140-210 con instrucciones de Ramadán, de la romería y de la yihad.

Nidal Malik Hasan offered a course in Islam here, but his real course in Islam came later, at Fort Hood.

KILLEEN, Texas - Leaders of the vibrant Muslim community here expressed outrage on Friday at the shooting rampage being laid to one of their members, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who had become a regular attendee of prayers at the local mosque. But some of the men who had befriended Major Hasan at the mosque said the military should examine the policies that might have caused him to snap.

"When a white guy shoots up a post office, they call that going postal," said Victor Benjamin II, 30, a former member of the Army. "But when a Muslim does it, they call it jihad.

"Ultimately it was Brother Nidal's doing, but the command should be held accountable," Mr. Benjamin said. "G.I.'s are like any equipment in the Army. When it breaks, those who were in charge of keeping it fit should be held responsible for it."... -- from MSNBC NEWS

Why has this word "vibrant" appeared not only in this, but in many other stories? Why has this become the epithet of choice for the "Muslim community"?

And now we see that, as after 9/11, just as soon as Muslims realize that the non-Muslims among whom they have come to live will not act as they feared -- not act as they know that Muslims would act, if a non-Muslim had murdered Muslims in a similar fashion, in a country where Muslims dominated -- they do not merely breath a sigh of relief, but immediately go on the offensive. They immediately start daring to blame others, even in a case as black-and-white as this one, where the murderer in question, Nidal Malik Hasan, was a devout Muslim. He had never hidden his views. He could not possibly have "suffered from PTSD," as some ludicrously claim, because he had never been to Iraq or Afghanistan. He had never endured battle, and far from being upset by the condition of the returning soldiers he saw at Walter Reed, he was probably delighted at their suffering, for they were Infidels, and deserved it.

He did what he did as a Muslim following the texts of Islam. Many Muslims all over the Western world support the goals of Jihad; that is, the "struggle" to remove all obstacles to the spread, and then the dominance, of Islam. They do not wish -- how can they, given what Islam inculcates? -- Infidels well, nor our legal and political institutions. A few, perhaps with secret reservations about Islam, would not wish to undo the legal and political institutions of the societies of those who have so naively and generously allowed them to settle deep within. But a great many are perfectly willing to engage in deception for as long as they can about the doctrine and practice of Islam. They are prepared to attempt, however absurdly, to continue to explain away the behavior of Muslims.

...especially for their reporting about the Fort Hood jihad. And for their focusing on the imaginary backlash instead of on what the Muslims in America are not doing to ensure there will be no more jihad terror attacks. Oh, and for their witless denial of Islamic apostasy law and cheerleading for the destruction of Rifqa Bary in her honor killing/apostasy case. In fact, the mainstream media publishes "news and statements that do not correspond with the truth" regarding pretty much any story that has to do with jihad activity.

"Morocco: Magazine Director Gets 1-Year Prison Sentence," from ANSAmed, November 11 (thanks to Insubria):

RABAT, NOVEMBER 11 - Idriss Chahatane, the director of weekly magazine Al Michal, has been sentenced to a year in prison by the court of appeal of Salé, on charges of having published news and statements that do not correspond with the truth....

Actually, if it comes to this, it is fairly clear which one Obama would choose.

"'Obama must choose - Israel or Iran,'" from the Jerusalem Post, November 11 (thanks to Sr. Soph):

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the US to choose between Israel and Iran on Tuesday night, according to Iranian state media.

Ahmadinejad said that for a real change in relations to take place, a choice must be made.

Speaking in Istanbul at the 25th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Iranian president said that it was up to US President Barack Obmaa to illustrate his motto of "Change."

Remember: Obama wants to explore "areas of cooperation" with the OIC.

"The support of both Israel and Iran can't go hand in hand," he was quoted as saying by IRNA. "No change is made unless great choices are made."

"We would welcome the changes, and wait for big and correct decisions to be made... We will clasp any hand that is extended sincerely toward us, but changes should be made in practice."

Addressing the same conference a day earlier, Ahmadinejad said that capitalist excesses caused the global economic meltdown and are un-Islamic, as leaders at a Muslim forum touted their religion's banking system a way to revive battered economies.

He also slammed investments that pay interest, deemed usury by Muslims, and said they had contributed to financial and social problems such as homelessness.

"Usury, which is entrenched in the capitalist system, is perhaps the main reason why the system has gone bankrupt," Ahmadinejad said. "It is a way of accumulating capital without working. Usury, according to the Koran, is fighting with Allah."...

Will Honest Ibe Hooper and Brave Ahmed Rehab of CAIR please explain to the Thug In Chief how he is Misunderstanding Islam and the Koran?

This article actually identifies the "terrorists" as "Islamic extremists," but only does so in the seventh paragraph.

Now, why does this matter? Why should it be mentioned at all? Because the more we remain in denial about the source and nature of the problem, the harder it will be to solve.

"Alleged Somali recruiter arrested, linked to Minnesota," by James Walsh and Richard Meryhew for the Star Tribune, November 11

A 43-year-old Somali man from Minneapolis was arrested this week in the Netherlands for allegedly financing the recruitment of up to 20 young Somali men from Minnesota to train and fight with terrorists in their homeland....

The identity of the man, who was arrested Sunday at an asylum-seeker's center 45 miles northeast of Amsterdam, was not released. But Special Agent E.K. Wilson of the Minneapolis FBI office confirmed Tuesday that the man was arrested in connection with the ongoing counterterrorism investigation that began here when young men began disappearing in 2007.

"We are aware of this individual and of this arrest. And it is tied to our ongoing Minneapolis investigation," Wilson said. "We are and have been working closely with Dutch authorities through our legal attaché office in Brussels and coordinating with the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs."

Dutch prosecutors said in a statement that the man lived in Minneapolis before leaving the United States in November 2008 and arrived in the Netherlands about one month later.

The statement said American authorities asked for the man's arrest and are seeking to have him extradited. Wilson said he could not confirm or deny that.

According to the Dutch statement, U.S. prosecutors suspect the man of bankrolling the purchase of weapons for Islamic extremists and helping other Somalis travel to Somalia in 2007 and 2008....

In Human Events this morning I discuss the uppermost concern of the law enforcement, government, and media elites in the wake of the jihad attack at Fort Hood: the fear of an anti-Muslim backlash.

Backlash fever is sweeping the nation: thirteen Americans are dead and thirty-eight wounded in a jihad attack at Fort Hood, and our government's primary concern -- from the Chief of Staff of the Army to the Islamic pressure groups such as CAIR -- are focused entirely on ensuring that Muslims in the United States are not being victimized by a "backlash."

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared: "We object to, and do not believe, that anti-Muslim sentiment should emanate from this. This was an individual who does not represent the Muslim faith." She said that DHS was taking steps to "prevent everybody being painted with a broad brush." Not "taking steps to prevent another jihad terror attack." And she promised: "One of the things we'll do is make sure that we're reaching out to the state and local authorities within the US, because they often have better outreach to members of the Muslim community than we do."

The U.S. Army Chief of Staff, George Casey, likewise seemed primarily concerned about the safety of Muslims, not about the safety of the potential victims of the next jihad attack: "I'm concerned that this increased speculation could cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers. And I've asked our Army leaders to be on the lookout for that." Not "I'm concerned that there could be another jihadist among our Muslim soldiers. And I've asked our Army leaders to be on the lookout for that."

Casey added: "Our diversity, not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse."
So not having enough Muslims in the military would be worse than mass murder. And this man is the U.S. Army Chief of Staff.

The media was mining the same territory. AP reported Friday that there had been "immediate" anti-Muslim "backlash." What happened? Did armed bands of furious Islamophobes throw molotov cocktails at mosques? Did ferocious white supremacists maul fragile little girls in hijabs on their way to school? Did angry bigots spit at pious imams quietly going about their business?

No.

Had there been any report -- any report at all -- of any innocent, random Muslim being attacked in a "backlash" after the Fort Hood jihad?

Nope. Not one. Americans are decent people. Americans believe people are innocent until proven guilty. But Ibrahim Hooper and his fellow thugs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) need to be able to claim that hate crimes are being committed so that they can claim victim status for Muslims and deflect attention away from such small matters as the jihad at Fort Hood. And, naturally, the clueless and/or complicit mainstream media in their hip pocket.

And so we witness the strange phenomenon of stories of Muslims fearing a backlash soaring and the numbering of actual incidents of backlash remaining at zero. In the AP story, all that followed the announcement of an "immediate" anti-Muslim backlash were various stories about mosques and Muslims asking for special police protection, and the like. So in reality, the story should have been headlined, "Muslims claim victim status in wake of Fort Hood jihad attack."

The only actual incidents of "backlash" that AP could come up with were incidents of people calling the Fort Hood massacre a jihad attack -- as if it is "Islamophobic" and hateful to note that a man was shouting "Allahu akbar" as he gunned people down, and that he gave out Korans hours before he started shooting people, and that he expressed sympathy for suicide attackers.

Is it unfair -- even racist -- to say then that he may have been motivated by the Islamic jihad doctrine of warfare against unbelievers? To CAIR and the media, yes.

The liberal media is one thing, but the government of our nation is quite another, or at least used to be. Napolitano and Casey should know better. If they do not confront the ideology that leads to such attacks, there will be a steadily-increasing spate of them. But apparently preserving "diversity" is a higher priority than national security.

"Based on what we know now, neither the United States Army nor any other organization within the Department of Defense knew of Maj. Hasan's contacts with any Muslim extremists." Would it have been "Islamophobic" to inform them?

"Army Wasn't Told of Hasan's Emails: Pentagon Says It Only Learned of Shooting Suspect's Contacts With Cleric After the Fort Hood Killings," by Yochi J. Dreazen and Evan Perez in the Wall Street Journal, November 10:

The Pentagon said it was never notified by U.S. intelligence agencies that they had intercepted emails between the alleged Fort Hood shooter and an extremist imam until after last week's bloody assaults, raising new questions about whether the government could have helped prevent the attack.

A top defense official said federal investigators didn't tell the Pentagon they were looking into months of contacts between Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki. The imam knew three of the Sept. 11 hijackers and hailed Maj. Hasan as a "hero" after the shooting last week at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead.

"Based on what we know now, neither the United States Army nor any other organization within the Department of Defense knew of Maj. Hasan's contacts with any Muslim extremists," the official said....

Rifqa Bary will be perfectly safe at home with her father, eh? After all, we know that Islam is a peaceful and tolerant faith that condemns honor killing -- right? "Taxi boss jailed for threats against daughter," by Megan Gillis for the Ottawa Sun, November 10 (thanks to Sounder):

The city's taxi union boss was handed a year in jail Tuesday for what a judge deemed an "honour crime."

Yusef Salam Al Mezel, 44, had pleaded guilty to criminally harassing his 23-year-old daughter, Eman, over three weeks in July 2007.

"Mr. Al Mezel has threatened his daughter with serious violence and has caused her to fear for her safety in the name of honour," Judge Lynn Ratushny wrote. "He has committed the crime of harassment against her in the name of honour."

Al Mezel admitted to pushing his daughter, threatening to break her legs and kill her and smashing her computer. When she fled marriage to a Syrian man for a $9,000 dowry, he stalked her to a shelter and a friend's home.

He sent her e-mails threatening her uncles and cousins would go "crazy" over the family's honour and to come home before someone got hurt.

Police spirited the young woman -- and the family sheltering her -- out of Ottawa.

There's no evidence Al Mezel would have killed her [really? -- ed.] but his threats "invoke a seriously dangerous belief system that can and has led to violence against women," Ratushny wrote.

The judge noted that Al Mezel, who came from Kuwait 20 years ago, is a community leader -- a founder of his mosque, city council candidate and representative of 1,500 taxi drivers...

Eman Al Mezel testified she'd stained the family "sharaf" by running away and shedding the hijab and killing her was the only way to clean it.

Al Mezel's other daughters testified that their father was never violent and is a religious "modernist." His brothers testified the family are "lefties" and believe men and women are equals.

Al Mezel himself said that listening to expert evidence on honour crimes was like hearing about a "different world" -- he'd never, he said, lived in that world or held those beliefs.

Of course not!

Al Mezel's lawyer, Geraldine Castle-Trudel, argued at sentencing that Al Mezel was a desperate father who wanted to bring his daughter home and the victim of anti-Muslim stereotypes....

...which just happened to come out of his own mouth.

The cognitive dissonance here is that Major Hasan and many other Muslims clearly believe that their faith does justify these "murderous and craven acts." By ruling out a priori any investigation of that fact, Obama is foreclosing on any serious analysis of what motivated this attack. That in turn will foreclose any serious analysis of what can be done to prevent there being another like it. "What Pres. Obama told a wounded Fort Hood - text," from the Los Angeles Times, November 10 (thanks to Marisol):

It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know - no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor. And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice - in this world, and the next.

These are trying times for our country. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America, our allies, and innocent Afghans and Pakistanis. In Iraq, we are working to bring a war to a successful end, as there are still those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that Americans and Iraqis have sacrificed so much for.

UPDATE: Andrew McCarthy elucidates my point above:

President Obama at Fort Hood today: "It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know -- no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor."

Really?

Then there is the following passage from "Reliance of the Traveler," a widely distributed manual of Islamic law produced by al-Azhar University in Egypt, the most authoritative interpreters of theology and sharia jurisprudence in Sunni Islam, the dominant tradition among the world's Muslims:

Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and, is etymologically derived from the word, mujahada, signifying warfare to establish the religion [of Islam]...The scriptural basis for jihad is such Koranic verses as "Fighting is prescribed for you" (Koran 2:216); "Slay them wherever you find them" (Koran 4:89); "Fight the idolators utterly" (Koran 9:36); and such hadiths [sayings of the Prophet] as the one related by (Sahih) Bukhari and (Sahih) Muslim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: "I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and perform the prayer, and pay zakat. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the rights of Islam over them. And the final reckoning is with Allah"; and the hadith by (Sahih) Muslim, "To go forth in the morning or evening to fight in the path of Allah is better than the whole world and everything in it."

The first hadith referred to in the passage -- the one in which Mohammed explains that Allah has commanded the Muslims to fight non-Muslims -- was cited by Nidal Hasan in slide 43 of the June 7, 2007 presentation that Jonah discusses in his excellent column today.

Not to beat a dead horse on this, but in 2001, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an al-Azhar graduated doctor of Islamic jurisprudence who is the spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood and the most influential Sunni cleric in the world, issued a fatwa approving suicide bombings against Israel. In 2003, with the male jihadists being caught too often before they could strike, Qaradawi expanded the fatwa to approve suicide bombings by women. In 2004, he issued a fatwa calling for the killing of American troops in Iraq, and later expanded this authorization to include the killing of American civilian support personnel. (As Qaradawi put it: "All of the Americans in Iraq are combatants, there is no difference between civilians and soldiers, and one should fight them, since the American civilians came to Iraq in order to serve the occupation. The abduction and killing of Americans in Iraq is a [religious] obligation so as to cause them to leave Iraq immediately.")...

Speaking of child marriage: "Man charged with statutory rape in 'marriage' to 14-year-old girl," by Christine Vendel for The Kansas City Star, November 8 (thanks to Axel):

Vincent Mosby signed a marriage contract and paid a dowry in a religious ceremony in August, police said.

Mosby, 23, of Kansas City didn't legally wed his 14-year-old bride, however, because Missouri law won't allow it without a judge's order. Police said she was pressured into the union because her mother and stepfather thought she was going to be sexually active with a boy her age.

Although the bride's stepfather arranged the "marriage," according to court records, other relatives frowned upon the union and told police in late August. The relatives also took the girl to protect her from further sexual abuse, according to court records.

A relative told police that Mosby called and threatened violence if family members didn't "give me back my wife in 72 hours," according to court records. Two days later, on Sept. 9, someone fired three shots into the Kansas City home of the girl's aunt. No one was hit.

Police arrested Mosby on Saturday for his alleged sexual relationship with the teenager. Jackson County prosecutors on Sunday filed one count of statutory rape. A judge set a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Police said the girl's stepfather and mother became concerned that she was going to become sexually active, so the stepfather allegedly approached Mosby about marrying the girl. The girl was "strongly encouraged" to wed Mosby, police said.

The stepfather, Mosby and the teen had several "sit downs" before the stepfather arranged for a religious ceremony on Aug. 4 at her home, not far from the stepfather's mosque.

Two members of the mosque attended, but the bride "was not allowed to be present," court records said. She waited in her room upstairs. Her stepfather allegedly came upstairs after the ceremony, which consisted of prayers and a contract signing, to announce that she was married.

Police say they have the "marriage contract" with the signatures of Mosby, the girl and the stepfather....

In Islam, boys and girls are considered adults based on when they hit puberty, and people in some parts of the world do marry young, said Mahnaz Shabbir of Stilwell, a past president of the Heartland Muslim Council.

However, she said, Islam also says followers should live by the laws of the land....

Italian television looks like fun. (Video thanks to Frank.)

"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

This behavior by the man whom hundreds of millions of people regard as the exemplary standard of conduct (Koran 33:21) has brought suffering to untold numbers of women and girls.

One Islamic land where child marriage is common - in fact, more common than anywhere else in the world - is northern Nigeria, where Sharia is in force. The Nigerian government has tried to act against the practice, passing a law in 2003, the Child Rights Act, that set the minimum age for marriage at eighteen. Islamic clerics have been the fiercest opponents of this law: Imam Sani, a Nigerian cleric, explained: "Child marriage in Islam is permissible. In the Koran there is no specific age of marriage." Consequently, "the Muslim clerics have a problem with this Child Rights Act and they decried it, they castigate it, they reject it and they don't want it introduced in Nigeria." If the government imposed the law, Sani said, "There will be violent conflict from the Muslims, saying that 'no, we will not accept this, we'd rather die than accept something which is not a law from Allah.'"

Nigeria is made up of 36 states, of which 18 have passed the Child Rights Act; however, only one majority-Muslim Nigerian state has passed the law, and that with a change that set "puberty," rather than the age of eighteen, as the minimum requirement for lawful marriage. The result? As many as 800,000 Nigerian women are afflicted with fistula, a disease resulting from early intercourse and pregnancy.

Nigeria is not alone, either in the prevalence of child marriage there or in attempts at reform the practice. In September 2008, Moroccan officials closed 60 Koranic schools operated by Sheikh Mohamed Ben Abderrahman Al-Maghraoui - because he issued a decree stating that marriage to girls as young as nine was justified by Muhammad's example. "The sheikh," according to Agence France-Presse, "said his decree was based on the fact that the Prophet Mohammed consummated his marriage to his favourite wife when she was that age."

It should come as no surprise, then, given the words of the Koran about divorcing prepubescent women and Muhammad's example in marrying Aisha, that in some areas of the Islamic world the practice of child marriage enjoys the blessing of the law. Time magazine reported in 2001 that "in Iran the legal age for marriage is nine for girls, fourteen for boys," and notes that "the law has occasionally been exploited by pedophiles, who marry poor young girls from the provinces, use and then abandon them. In 2000 the Iranian Parliament voted to raise the minimum age for girls to fourteen, but this year, a legislative oversight body dominated by traditional clerics vetoed the move." The New York Times reported in 2008 that in Yemen, "despite a rising tide of outrage, the fight against the practice is not easy. Hard-line Islamic conservatives, whose influence has grown enormously in the past two decades, defend it, pointing to the Prophet Muhammad's marriage to a 9-year-old." (The Times doesn't seem fazed by the fact that "conservatives" in the U.S. are not generally advocates of child marriage.)

And so child marriage remains prevalent in many areas of the Islamic world. In 2007, photographer Stephanie Sinclair won the UNICEF Photo of the Year competition for a wedding photograph of an Afghani couple: the groom was said to be 40 years old but looked older; the bride was eleven. UNICEF Patroness Eva Luise Köhler explained: "The UNICEF Photo of the Year 2007 raises awareness about a worldwide problem. Millions of girls are married while they are still under age. Most of theses child brides are forever denied a self-determined life." According to UNICEF, about half of the women in Afghanistan are married before they reach the age of eighteen.

Hasan was just doing his job, you see -- and in the course of doing that job, he contacted jihadist imam Anwar al-Awlaki. So what? What's the big deal? An Army psychiatrist has to do research, doncha know, and who understands psychiatry better than an Islamic supremacist sheikh?

Note that this was a guy who had spooked his coworkers by preaching Koranic hellfire and brimstone -- and Koranic warfare. See for yourself here. Maybe al-Awlaki helped him develop the PowerPoint.

"Hasan e-mails to cleric didn't result in inquiry," by Philip Rucker, Carrie Johnson and Ellen Nakashima for the Washington Post, November 10 (thanks to Benedict):

FORT HOOD, TEX. -- Maj. Nidal M. Hasan corresponded by e-mail late last year and this year with a radical cleric in Yemen who has criticized the United States for waging war against Muslims, but the contact did not lead to an investigation, federal law enforcement officials said Monday.

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 12 soldiers and a civilian here on Thursday, will be tried in military court, the officials said.

U.S. intelligence agencies intercepted 10 to 20 e-mails from Hasan to Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S. citizen who once was a spiritual leader, or imam, at the suburban Virginia mosque where Hasan had worshiped, said a law enforcement official who spoke about the investigation on condition of anonymity.

Aulaqi responded to Hasan at least twice, according to Rep. Peter Hoekstra (Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee.

"For me, the number of times that this guy tried to reach out to the imam was significant," Hoekstra said. "Al-Qaeda and radical jihadists use the Internet to spread radical jihadism. . . . So how much of [Hasan's] lashing out is a result of . . . his access to radical messages on the Internet and the ability to interact?

"I believe that the responses from Aulaqi were maybe pretty innocent," Hoekstra continued. "But the very fact that he's sent e-mail . . . to this guy and got responses would be quite a concern to me."

The FBI determined that the e-mails did not warrant an investigation, according to the law enforcement official. Investigators said Hasan's e-mails were consistent with the topic of his academic research and involved some social chatter and religious discourse....

Which shows yet again that the FBI is totally clueless about the nature and significance of "religious discourse" in this context.

This story is typical in saying nothing about jihad. But drawings made by Muhammad's partner Lee Malvo suggest otherwise. Pamela has many more here.

"Muhammad execution nears, some victims' families move on," by Frank Green for the Times-Dispatch, November 8:

"For three weeks in 2002, John Allen Muhammad led a two-man sniper team that struck on his orders, claimed 10 lives and deliberately terrorized Virginia, Maryland and Washington.

"Call me God," police were told in notes left at the scene of two attacks.

He is set to be executed by injection Tuesday for the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers, 53, shot in the head from long distance at a Manassas-area service station the evening of Oct. 9, 2002.

It was later that same night, in Pennsylvania, that Robert Meyers, 56, one of Dean's three brothers, learned of the snipers' seventh murder like the rest of the country.

"I was watching the news with my wife-to-be," he recalled. "I felt horrible that another person had been shot."

He didn't know that the latest victim was his own brother.

"We saw the picture that showed [Dean's] car and the crime scene tape and all that," but it did not register that it was his brother's car. "Honestly, it wasn't really clear. It was night. . . . It blew right by me."

At 5 a.m. the next day, a nephew knocked on Robert's door and told him that it was Dean, a bachelor and a civil en-gineer, who was slain the night before in Manassas.

Robert Meyers plans to attend Muhammad's execution, set for 9 p.m. at Greensville Correctional Center near Jarratt. An undisclosed number of family members of other sniper victims also hope to witness.

The shootings of October 2002 put millions on edge in Virginia, Maryland and Washington and triggered one of the largest manhunts in U.S. history....

Could the mosque have taught him his understanding of Islam? "FBI Agents Search Trash At Mosque Attended by Hasan," by Mary Rose Abraham and Rehab El-Buri for ABC News, November 10:

FBI agents appeared to be carrying out a search warrant today at the Killeen, Texas mosque attended by Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the Islamic Community Center of Greater Killeen.

Local police were called to cordon off the area and told ABC News they were acting on instructions from the FBI.

Moments later, four agents, wearing blue gloves, began to search through a trash bin outside the mosque. An ABC News reporter saw agents empty the trash bin on the ground, sort through various odds and ends, removed their gloves, and then put everything back into the receptacle. They did not enter the mosque itself.

The agents gave mosque president, Dr. Mansoor Farooqi, a document on a clipboard which he signed.

"The FBI cannot comment," said Eric Vasys, a spokesperson at the FBI San Antonio office.

The FBI agents arrived moments after Farooqi and three other Mosque leaders had been escorted by an Army officer to the scheduled memorial services at Fort Hood for the victims of last week's shooting in which 13 died and more than 50 were injured.

The mosque president then returned to speak with the agents. He appeared to be upset about the presence of the FBI agents and told ABC News, "I humbly ask you to leave or I will have to call the police."...

Just like Atta and Co. And the obvious conclusion is in this article: "Hasan's presence at the club paints a starkly different portrait of the alleged killer from that offered by his imam and family members, who have described him as a devout Muslim, and one who had difficulty finding a wife who would wear a head scarf and would pray five times a day."

He went to a strip club and got lap dances, so he must not have been a devout Muslim, right? In reality, it isn't that simple. "We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment," says the Koran (21:47): if one's good deeds outweigh one's evil deeds, one will go to Paradise, but if one's evil deeds outweigh one's good deeds, one will go to hell.

And what good deed weighs the most??

Allah's Apostle was asked, "What is the best deed?" He replied, "To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad). The questioner then asked, "What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, "To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah's Cause." (Bukhari 1.2.25)

So if a believer goes on jihad, his good deeds will outweigh all his evil deeds. Thus if a jihadist knows he is about to wage a great jihad, he knows its value will outweigh anything evil he has done.

"Alleged Fort Hood Shooter Frequented Local Strip Club," by Jana Winter for FoxNews, November 9 (thanks to Anne Crockett):

KILLEEN, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist authorities say killed 13 people and wounded 29 others at the Fort Hood Army Base Thursday was a recent and frequent customer at a local strip club, employees of the club told FoxNews.com exclusively.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan came into the Starz strip club not far from the base at least three times in the past month, the club's general manager, Matthew Jones, told FoxNews.com. Army investigators building their case against Hasan plan to interview Jones soon.

"The last time he was here, I remember checking his military ID at the door, and he paid his $15 cover and stayed for six or seven hours," Jones, 37, said.

Hasan's presence at the club paints a starkly different portrait of the alleged killer from that offered by his imam and family members, who have described him as a devout Muslim, and one who had difficulty finding a wife who would wear a head scarf and would pray five times a day....

Jennifer Jenner, who works at Starz using the stage name Paige, said Hasan bought a lap dance from her two nights in a row. She said he paid $50 for a dance lasting three songs in one of the club's private rooms on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30.

"I remembered his face because it was the first lap dance I [gave] to a customer while working here," she said. "When I saw his face [Friday] on TV, I jumped out of bed, I knew it was him."

Jenner, 31, said Hasan was dressed casually both nights he came to the club - in jeans and a T-shirt the first night and then wearing a baseball cap the next. She recalled that he arrived at about 6:30 p.m. and stayed until 2 a.m. She said he brought in a six pack of light beer, took only a few sips from one can and gave the rest to the strippers.

"He preferred the blondes," said Jenner, whose hair was dyed blond at the time. "He said he was a medic and that he was being deployed soon, but mostly he wanted to ask us questions."

"He asked us why we were working at the strip club, if we liked the lifestyle, if we had any kids," she said. "It was right before Halloween so he asked what our kids were dressing up as. He just wanted to know a lot about us."...

Here is Nidal Hasan's PowerPoint presentation about Islam, Muslims, and the military. Note the copious quoting of the Koran; the explanation of the doctrine of abrogation (citing Koran 2:106 and 16:101), which usually Islamic apologists in the West dismiss as an invention of "Islamophobes"; and the explanations of defensive and offensive jihad.

Islamic spokesmen in the U.S., if anyone asks them to comment on this at all, will dismiss it as an "extremist" interpretation of Islam and claim that no Muslims in the U.S., not one, believe in this understanding of Islam. But I guarantee you that none of the, not one, will offer a specific alternative explanation of the verses he cites, or of his doctrine of jihad, or of his understanding of Islam.

If anyone does come across an attempt, or the appearance of an attempt, to refute Nidal Hasan's Koranic exegesis, please send it to me at director[at]jihadwatch.org, and I will happily feature and discuss it here.

UPDATE: Here is a pdf of the slides (thanks to Joe).

Some keep telling us that Nidal Malik Hasan's act "had nothing to do with being a Muslim." And there is a variant on this, used by those who, though they may have reservations about Islam, offer us a false alternative. One such Offeror of False Alternatives is that publicity-hound the henna-haired Irshad Manji, Brave Young Reformer Of Islam, who "speaks truth to (Muslim) power etc. etc." and who should never be confused with the real, full-fledged, non-apologist apostates, though she keeps being confused with them, a confusion she encourages.

This is what Irshad Manji has posted at her blog:

You've probably heard about the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas - America's biggest military base. The main suspect has a Muslim name. Does this matter? If he did it in the name of Islam, then religion is a motivation. In that case, his Muslim identity is relevant. But if he did it out of other motives - say, mental illness - then his Muslim ID means nothing. That's my take. Yours?

Notice how she has set this up.

#1. "Major Hasan's motives are still being investigated, though his family and acquaintances cited stress fro his counseling job, his opposition to the wars, his pending deployment and his feeling that he was being harassed as a Muslim."

#2. "But those who work day in and day out treating the psychological wounds of the country's warriors say Thursday's rampage has put a spotlight on the strains of their profession and of the patients they treat."

#3. "Major Hasan was one of a thin line of military therapists trying to hold off a rising tide of need....nightmares, panic attacks...many military professionals, meanwhile, describe crushing schedules with 10 or more patients a day, most struggling with devastating trauma or mutilated bodies that are the product of war and the highly advanced care that kept them alive...some of those hired to heal others end up needing help themselves..."
-- From the New York Sunday Times (Duranty Times), November 8, 2009, p. 23

This is what may be called part of the "fog of war." In this case, it's the deliberate obfuscating fog of the American press, or much of it, trying to hold off, to delay as long as it can, any fulfilling of its responsibility. This is a responsibility it has been carefully avoiding since 9.11.2001: to tell us what the texts of Islam contain, what the tenets of Islam are, what those who take Islam most seriously, and most literally, as Muslims are supposed to, believe. Such believers are willing - even in an Infidel nation-state - to choose violence rather than other means as their instrument of Jihad, and rather than participate indirectly (through financial, or moral, or other forms of non-violent support) in violent Jihad, do so directly, with no need for any participation with others in a plot. They are perfectly capable of acting alone.

The "fog of war" in this case is that emitted from the great fog-emitting factories of the American (and Western) media, determined to avoid looking sensibly at the obvious, and in coming up with the most preposterous kinds of distractions and confusions. In this they really do damage to the collective consciousness by refusing to enlighten. They only make things more difficult for those who have not only retained their sanity, but have also intelligently informed themselves, given the abdication of the responsibility by the media to properly inform us about the texts, tenets, attitudes, and atmospherics of Islam. We're not all dopes. We are not all willing, and forever, to remain in the dark.

Now let's just deal, as a preliminary throat-clearing or anacrusis, with those bits of text from The Times I've quoted just above.

Right after Dawud Walid of CAIR-Michigan was defending the jihadist imam who was killed in a shootout with the FBI. Yet another Which-Side-Is-Obama-On Alert: "Despite ban, Holder to speak to CAIR-linked group," from Politico, November 9 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Attorney General Eric Holder has agreed to give a keynote speech next week to a Michigan group which includes the local branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations even though the FBI has formally severed contacts with the controversial Muslim civil rights organization.

On Nov. 19, Holder is scheduled to speak in Detroit to the first annual awards banquet of Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust, a coalition of several dozen law enforcement and community groups. An online registration form for the event includes the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan on a list of "official & participating organizations."

A spokeswoman for ALPACT confirmed that CAIR is a member of the coalition.

"CAIR has been involved for a while," said Chandra McMillion, community development facilitator for ALPACT. "CAIR is listed as an official member."

The executive director of CAIR's Michigan chapter, Dawud Walid, also confirmed its involvement with ALPACT. "It's really nothing controversial. We've been part of this organization for years," he said. "We meet every month and included with us is the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI." [...]

The FBI claims it cut "formal contacts" with CAIR after federal prosecutors in the 2007 criminal trial of officers of a Texas-based Islamic charity, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, introduced documents the government said showed links between CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood, which gave rise to Hamas.

"Until we can resolve whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and HAMAS, the FBI does not view CAIR as an appropriate liaison partner," FBI Congressional liaison Richard Powers wrote in an April letter to Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). [...]

An FBI spokeswoman confirmed that the FBI's Special Agent-in-Charge in Detroit, Andy Arena, will serve as co-chair for the Nov. 19 dinner.

"We are co-chairing the event. We are not sponsoring the event," spokeswoman Jennifer Burnside said. She said the FBI "didn't have any role" in selling tickets for the event or in issuing invitations....

What a relief! If Burnside felt the need to distance the FBI from the event in these ways, why is Arena acting as the co-chair?

Staring into the face of evil. "Mom of soldier says Fort Hood doctor Nidal Malik Hasan scared her," by Joanna Molloy for the New York Daily News, November 9:

He was supposed to help her hero son - but all she saw in Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's eyes was evil.

The mom of a soldier who received psychiatric treatment from the accused Fort Hood gunman said she was frightened of the psychiatrist from the very beginning of her son's stay at Walter Reed Medical Center.

"I looked into his eyes, and he scared me," Cindy Gagnier told the Daily News. "He made some comments to me that made me feel very uncomfortable, and I don't become uncomfortable very easily."

The New York-born mother of four was at her son Christian's bedside constantly after he suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2005 while fighting in Iraq.

The young veteran, who also is dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder, spent 18 months at Walter Reed, where Hasan spent six years on staff....

Gagnier virtually lived at Walter Reed during a difficult stretch of her oldest son's care.

During that time, she recalls Hasan as "not very empathetic."

"[Hasan] said it was all right for my son to leave the hospital, but it wasn't," Gagnier said....

She doesn't buy reports that Hasan simply woke up one day and snapped.

"I don't think he flipped out," she said. "I think what he did was an act of terrorism."

Uh, yeah.

Media experts search in vain for a common thread binding together the diverse individuals who carried out an Islamic terror attack. A classic from 2007, more relevant than ever amidst all the steaming piles of analysis the mainstream media is giving us on Fort Hood. Video thanks to Anne Crockett.

Imagine Americans openly praising Hitler in New York in 1943. But in today's politically correct age, everyone's free speech is under threat except that of these guys. From Revolution Muslim:

An officer and a gentleman was injured while partaking in a preemptive* attack.

Get Well Soon Major Nidal

We Love You

Video thanks to Pamela.

Note the "SoA (SWT)"

Pamela has the details.

Anti-Muslim sentiment is raging out of control! Will the Islamophobia never end? If it weren't for the raging hated sweeping our land, there would surely have been millions for this program, not a measly $888,000.

"Arabic classes coming to three more Chicago schools," by Fran Spielman for the Chicago Sun-Times, November 9 (thanks to Choi):

The Chicago public schools will expand its Arabic-language program to three more high schools, thanks to a three-year, $888,000 federal grant announced this morning.

Mayor Daley accepted the grant at Durkin Park Elementary School, 8445 S. Kolin, as he rejected suggestions that the Fort Hood, Texas, massacre could lead to an outbreak of anti-Muslim sentiment.

"I don't think so," Daley said. "Every day, in society, someone's being killed . . . . You don't blame a group, you don't blame a society or an immigrant community because of the actions of one group or one individual. You cannot say that."

Already, Arabic is offered at three Chicago high schools -- Lincoln Park, Roosevelt and Lindblom.

It's also offered at seven Chicago elementary schools -- Durkin Park, Agassiz, Belding, LaSalle Language Academy II, Marquette Tech and Volta.

In all, about 2,000 students take Arabic in Chicago's schools.

The new federal grant, on top of $1.6 million in state and federal funds the schools already have gotten, will fund the expansion to three additional high schools that have yet to be identified....

You guessed it: her primary concern, like everyone else's, is guarding against that ever-threatening phantom, an "anti-Muslim backlash."

An Islamic jihadist murders thirteen Americans, and American officials rush to declare that they will do everything in their power to protect...Muslims. What's wrong with this picture?

"Fort Hood killer 'does not represent Muslims': American security chief," by Daniel Bardsley for The National, November 9 (thanks to all who sent this in):

ABU DHABI // The killing of 13 people by a Muslim psychiatrist at an American army base must not lead to the victimisation of Muslim Americans, the US secretary of homeland security has said.

On a visit to the capital, Janet Napolitano said grassroots efforts were vital to preserving relations between Muslim Americans and the wider community after Friday's shootings at Fort Hood in Texas.

"We object to, and do not believe, that anti-Muslim sentiment should emanate from this," she said. "This was an individual who does not represent the Muslim faith."

I wonder how Napolitano would answer Anwar al-Awlaki.

Describing the killings as "a terrible tragedy", Ms Napolitano said a civil rights and civil liberties directorate in her department aimed to "prevent everybody being painted with a broad brush".

She could have said something like this: "Describing the killings as 'a terrible massacre', Ms Napolitano said she aimed to "prevent such jihad attacks from ever happening again on American soil'".

"That work is ongoing and is part and parcel of how we view security," she said. "One of the things we'll do is make sure that we're reaching out to the state and local authorities within the US, because they often have better outreach to members of the Muslim community than we do." Ms Napolitano was speaking to female students at Zayed University, and took part in a private question-and-answer session with them.

She said her visit to the UAE was part of the "outreach" programme to the Muslim community by the US administration, one that included the June speech in Cairo by the US president, Barack Obama....

Hamas-linked unindicted co-conspirator CAIR is shedding crocodile tears and issuing condemnations of the Fort Hood jihad that contradict years of its opposition to all anti-terror measures and all anti-jihadists. Some Muslims, however, are not so clever. (Thanks to Axel.)

I already wrote about this here, but it is illuminating to see the whole statement, with its Koran quotation and Islamic arguments. Those who are claiming that Hasan's actions had nothing to do with Islam need to confront these arguments and explain them. Otherwise, they are only abetting the problem by allowing American Muslim advocacy groups to continue their denial and obfuscation rather than calling upon them to confront, renounce, and work against jihadism, or else face prosecution under existing sedition laws.

Anwar al-Awlaki is the former imam of the Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia, which Hasan frequented -- as did three of the 9/11 hijackers.

"Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing," by Anwar alAwlaki, November 9 (thanks to Axel):

Nidal Hassan is a hero. He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people. This is a contradiction that many Muslims brush aside and just pretend that it doesn't exist. Any decent Muslim cannot live, understanding properly his duties towards his Creator and his fellow Muslims, and yet serve as a US soldier. The US is leading the war against terrorism which in reality is a war against Islam. Its army is directly invading two Muslim countries and indirectly occupying the rest through its stooges.

Nidal opened fire on soldiers who were on their way to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. How can there be any dispute about the virtue of what he has done? In fact the only way a Muslim could Islamically justify serving as a soldier in the US army is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal.

The heroic act of brother Nidal also shows the dilemma of the Muslim American community. Increasingly they are being cornered into taking stances that would either make them betray Islam or betray their nation. Many amongst them are choosing the former. The Muslim organizations in America came out in a pitiful chorus condemning Nidal's operation.

The fact that fighting against the US army is an Islamic duty today cannot be disputed. No scholar with a grain of Islamic knowledge can defy the clear cut proofs that Muslims today have the right -rather the duty- to fight against American tyranny. Nidal has killed soldiers who were about to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to kill Muslims. The American Muslims who condemned his actions have committed treason against the Muslim Ummah and have fallen into hypocrisy.

Allah(swt) says: Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment - Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely. (al-Nisa 136-137) [Koran 4:136-137]

The inconsistency of being a Muslim today and living in America and the West in general reveals the wisdom behind the opinions that call for migration from the West. It is becoming more and more difficult to hold on to Islam in an environment that is becoming more hostile towards Muslims.

May Allah grant our brother Nidal patience, perseverance and steadfastness and we ask Allah to accept from him his great heroic act. Ameen

But apparently reining in this mass murderer before he murdered 13 people would have been "Islamophobic."

"Officials: U.S. Aware of Hasan Efforts to Contact al Qaeda," by Richard Esposito, Matthew Cole and Brian Ross for ABCNews, November 9 (thanks to all who sent this in):

U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.

It is not known whether the intelligence agencies informed the Army that one of its officers was seeking to connect with suspected al Qaeda figures, the officials said.

One senior lawmaker said the CIA had, so far, refused to brief the intelligence committees on what, if any, knowledge they had about Hasan's efforts.

CIA director Leon Panetta and the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, have been asked by Congress "to preserve" all documents and intelligence files that relate to Hasan, according to the lawmaker....

The Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, raised concerns over the weekend that innocent Muslim soldiers could suffer as a result of the shooting at Fort Hood.

"I think the speculation (on Hasan's Islamic roots) could potentially heighten backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers," he said on ABC's "This Week."

General, you're a dhimmi tool.

Saturday, November 7: I have spent much of today listening to programs and reading online as much as I can stand of the American and foreign coverage about Fort Hood, and the mass-murdering Nidal Malik Hasan. I have been subjected today to as much nonsense and demisemihemi quasi-quavering distractions and deceptions, from various quarters, as a sane human being can stand. Everyone and his brother seems determined to say things that are palpably nonsensical about Nidal Hasan, the "Palestinian" Arab - though born and raised in America - and devout Muslim who never hid his faith in Islam.

How then, did the newspapers, did the commentators on the networks - all the networks - how did NPR, handle this subject which for all of them was apparently too hot to handle?

They spouted nonsense and lies. They tried every which way but up to make it seem as though Major Hasan was deeply disturbed, just one more mentally ill person, akin to the Columbine shooters, motivelessly malignant, someone whose behavior could not possibly have been predicted, because there was nothing about him that could lead to think him capable of such an act. Or in the alternative, they tried to make it seem as if anyone who had heard the stories that Major Hasan must have heard from returning soldiers would of course suffer deeply, and come unhinged, and such unhingement would naturally express itself - doesn't it always? - in mass-murdering fellow soldiers, as an expression of his dismay.

But of course the illogicality of it all was apparent to most readers and most listeners, as is indicated by comments online and letters to the newspapers in this country, and by the listener calls in to those who for a living officiously comment on television, or on radio shows where a discussion is held among "experts" led by a know-it-all host (say, Tom Ashbrook on NPR's "On Point"). When listeners are invited to call in and join the "conversation" (as it is fulsomely called), they usually see through the blague, though some callers-in of my acquaintance, the most knowledgeable, are on a list of those who the seemingly welcoming host is determined at all costs to prevent from speaking.

There is every evidence, as has been repeated here in many postings, that he was an unswerving, perfectly orthodox Muslim. He was not a recent convert, like Richard Reid or Jose Padilla, or John Walker LIndh, or David Hicks. He was not a seemingly lapsed or indifferent Muslim, as was the Taheri-Azar killer in Chapel Hill (who used his car as his murder weapon, to attempt to run down as many non-Muslim fellow students as possible). Nor was he like Maher "Mike" Hawash, who was a successful Intel engineer who then became, out of various forms of mental and emotional desarroi, more and more devoutly Muslim, which for him inexorably led to attempting to travel to Afghanistan to kill American soldiers. (His own boss was willing to "bet his life" that "Mike" Hawash was innocent of terrorist charges, right up to the day that "Mike" Hawash pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 27 years in jail.)

There have been many examples, all over the world, of Muslims killing non-Muslims because those Muslims have been inculcated with the idea that Infidels are the enemy. How could anyone think otherwise, believing that the Qur'an is the immutable and uncreated Word of God, and growing up in a state or a society or a family suffused with Islam? One might come to this conclusion even if one had just with the firm understanding that if one was a Muslim, if that was one's identity, then one had of course to accept all that Muslims are taught to accept, and to agree that being a Muslim, and loyalty to the Umma, the Community of Believers, transcended any other conceivable loyalties. Other loyalties, in fact, for the truest Muslims simply do not exist. And even if a Muslim can have some loyalty to a Muslim nation-state, it is impossible to conceive of all but a handful of lapsed Muslims, of Muslims who are not very observant or devout Muslims, thinking that they should be loyal to a nation-state that was founded by, and its legal and political institutions developed by, Infidels, and that, consequently, constitutes an obstacle to the spread and the dominance of Islam.

Major Malik Hasan was upset, was outraged, was angry. But he was upset, was outraged, was angry, in a way prompted by Islam, shaped by Islam, directed by Islam. For the past six months, at least, he has apparently been posting on websites, praising suicide bombers, explaining their mission and justifying their acts by reference to the texts of Islam. For example, he is believed to be the "Nidal Hasan" who posted this on the Web site Scribd, comparing the heroism of a soldier who throws himself on a grenade to protect fellow soldiers to suicide bombers who sacrifice themselves to protect Muslims:

Our government is afraid of "backlash." The Philippine government, evidently, is not afraid of "backlash." An update on this story. "Philippines enraged as Islamists behead hostage," from AFP, November 9 (thanks to Christopher):

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP) - The Philippine government on Monday vowed to take revenge against Al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants after they dumped the severed head of a kidnapped school principal at a petrol station.

The head of Gabriel Canizares was found inside a bag at the petrol station on the restive southern island of Jolo at dawn, 22 days after he was abducted, but the rest of his body remained missing, local police said.

The Abu Sayyaf had demanded a two-million-peso (42,000-dollar) ransom for the release of Canizares, but authorities and his relatives refused to pay.

President Gloria Arroyo's office said the Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the country's worst terrorist attacks and other beheadings of kidnap victims, was behind Canizares' murder, and vowed tough action against the militants.

"We shall make them pay for the enormity of this savagery," Arroyo's spokeswoman, Lorelei Fajardo, said in a statement.

She said authorities were determined to "put an end to the Abu Sayyaf group's heinous and inhumane atrocities".

Arroyo had ordered the military and police units operating on Jolo and other Abu Sayyaf strongholds in the southern Philippines into "full swing" in an effort to crush them, according to Fajardo and the military....

Jamie Glazov interviews me for FrontPage this morning on the Fort Hood jihad attack:

FP: Robert Spencer, welcome to Frontpage Interview.

What do we now know about the Fort Hood shooting and what conclusions can we make?

Spencer: Jamie, we now know from the testimony of various eyewitnesses that this act was carefully planned. Nidal Malik Hasan some time ago told his landlord he would not be renewing the lease on his apartment. He gave away his furniture along with copies of the Qur'an on the morning of the day he committed mass murder. This indicates that he thought he was going to die - in other words, that he was planning a suicide attack. As he began firing, he shouted "Allahu Akbar."

We also know that he was disciplined for proselytizing for Islam during his stint at the Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences. Law enforcement officials flagged Internet postings written by a man named "Nidal Hasan" and he was praising suicide attacks, but they couldn't be sure that he was the man who had written them. Still, it was in character: one of his colleagues recalled that he had said that Muslims must rise up against the U.S. military, and had spoken approvingly of Sgt. Hasan Akbar, a Muslim soldier in the U.S. military who lobbed a grenade at American troops, killing two, several years ago.

And we know that during a lecture he was supposed to be giving on a medical topic, he instead preached Islam, warning the assembled unbelievers of hellfire in such lurid Koranic terms that some left the hall wondering if he might end up shooting someone someday.

FP: Why does the media and liberal-Left so reflexively deny and ignore these conclusions?

Spencer: They reflexively deny and ignore these conclusions because they are completely sold out to the idea that Muslims, as non-white, non-Christian, non-Westerners, cannot possibly be anything but victims. (The facts that there are white Muslims, and that the jihad doctrine and Islamic supremacism are not racial issues, but constitute an ideological and societal challenge, are completely lost on them. Likewise the non-white victims of the jihad matter nothing to them.) We can see from the avalanche of "backlash" stories in the mainstream media - even in the absence of any actual backlash - that it is simply impossible for these people to conceive of a paradigm in which Muslims can perpetrate any kind of evil at all. In the lenses through which they view the world, only white Judeo-Christian Westerners can do anything wrong.

FP: What does this massacre, and the media response, indicate about what is coming down the line for our country?

Spencer: The more we remain in denial about how these things happen, and from what wellsprings they come, the more we will see of attacks like this. Why? Because nothing is being done to prevent them. Instead of the endless stories about backlash that we are seeing, we should be seeing stories about authorities calling the American Muslim community to account. We should be seeing stories about authorities demanding transparent, inspectable programs in American mosques and Islamic schools, teaching against the Islamic doctrines that inspired Nidal Hasan. This is not a religious freedom issue - these are political doctrines with a lethal edge, as Nidal Hasan illustrated. It is an entirely Constitutional matter of self-protection to move to restrict it.

But that won't happen. Political correctness has the media and government in a stranglehold. That will only ensure that nothing will be done to address this problem at its root, and we will see many more Nidal Hasans.

FP: Robert Spencer, thank you for joining us.

*

[To get the whole story on why the liberal media and the Left deny the true nature of Islamic jihad, read Jamie Glazov's new book, United in Hate: The Left's Romance with Tyranny and Terror. [2]]