A prime example of the uselessness of the term "terrorism." First, it is a method, and not an ideology, and thus lends itself to broad applications without describing the reason for the supposed "terrorism." And allegations of terrorism are quite easy to come by -- one will recall the charges of "religious terrorism" and "moral rape" leveled against Christians accused of proselytizing in Morocco.
Accusations of terrorism in contexts like this are ultimately instruments of moral equivalence, with the aim of painting non-Muslim parties as the aggressors using an emotionally charged term with a conveniently elastic application. Never mind Iran's own track record in the region, of course.
"Iran tells Muslims to fight 'savage' US, British terrorism," from Agence France-Presse, July 21 (thanks to Twostellas):
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Wednesday called on Muslims to fight the "blind and savage terrorism" fueled by U.S. and Britain, whom he blamed for deadly bombings of an Iranian mosque.
"In our region ... the blind and savage terrorism is borne out of the evil policies of the United States, Britain and their state and non-state mercenaries," Khamenei said in a statement marking the seventh day of mourning for victims of the bombings of a Shiite mosque in southeastern Iran.
"All Muslims are required to combat and confront this evil and sinister offspring which is the epitome of corruption on earth and of waging war against God," the all-powerful Khamenei said in the statement read out on state television...
"Corruption on earth and of waging war against God" is a quotation of Qur'an 5:33 (the lesser-known and very nasty followup to apologists' favorite go-to verse in 5:32): "The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom."
"Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Wednesday called on Muslims to fight the "blind and savage terrorism" fueled by U.S. and Britain, whom he blamed for deadly bombings of an Iranian mosque." ...Article
I would hope that our sophomoric leaders are seeing this article. Iran is playing for keeps. The world is watching this performance. If Iran is not stopped they will fast become the center of power in the Middle East.
This is what happens when you give a megaphone to a bully.
If the supreme ayatollah thinks the recent mosque bombing is an example of American terrorism, he's sadly mistaken. He should consult the works of Kurt Vonnegut to see the level of terrorism that Americans practice when they put their minds to it.
I am from Iran, and Iran's supreme leadeer is full of sh.... and trust me the Iranian people would not give him the time of the day.... he is just barking. relax. his and their time is almost finished
Erm ...is that a declaration of war? Seems to me to be pretty close. Does he know what he is really saying or is it only "the daily hate"?
More evidence to prove that Islam is the only religion in the world that turns plowshares into swords.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Wednesday called on Muslims to fight the "blind and savage terrorism" fueled by U.S. and Britain...
Turnspeak at its best. Worse, nobody will make the Ayatollah account for the facts of the matter behind his allegation.
*** 8:58 ***
When it comes to turnspeak, did Adolph learn from Mohammed or did Mohammed's successors learn from Adolph?
"relax"?!!
Well that's easy for you to say, since you are not on the receiving end of his constant threats and/or a nuclear bomb.
Accusations of terrorism in contexts like this are ultimately instruments of moral equivalence, with the aim of painting non-Muslim parties as the aggressors using an emotionally charged term with a conveniently elastic application.
....................
Yes—this is very true.
But in this case, it is more than that—this isn't just, say, comparing the presence of US troops in Afghanistan to the 9/11 attacks, ludicrous as that may be.
This is a false accusation. There have been a rash of attacks by Sunnis against Shi'ite mosques, shrines, and pilgrims—not just in Iran, but in neighboring Pakistan, as well.
These attacks are clearly of a piece—even though Iran is an avowed enemy of the United States, and Pakistan (no matter how nominally) is an ally.
These attacks are sectarian, and just the latest examples of Muslim-on-Muslim savagery. Ultimately, this has *nothing* to do with America, or with Israel.
It is just more politic for Iran—at this moment—to claim "The Great Satan" and "Zionists" are attacking them, rather than their co-religionists.
What would be the problem with good old Isolationism? That's what I'd like to see. No Immigration from , No AID or Trade of any kind with Islamic States. The so called "Great Satan" should just leave them to their fates , and let evolution and civilization pass them by , as has happened to Islam for centuries. .
Should not the Ayatollah's be looking at themselves? If Muslimah's improper attire causes earthquakes, surely obstructing Allah's Will trying to defuse dodgey world press by delaying the stoning of a known adulteress brought down Allah's wrath on the Republican Guard's elite. If Islam loses sight of it's fatalistic outlook, the secular terrorists will have won the day.
"I would hope that our sophomoric leaders are seeing this article."
Don't count on it. They don't care. Our "leaders" don't care, esp. Hussein, our "supreme leader."
Even when it's them...it's us! I really don't care anymore what they use for an excuse to hate us or to commit barbarian acts against us. But I do find it laughable that they would profess to the world that a suicide bombing is A. An act of terrorism (til now this has been a "blessed act of a martyr) B. That such an act is "blind and savage" (til now they've endorsed such acts as fulfillment of Gods will). Do they really believe the rest of the world will buy into their tired victimhood even yet again? LOL
Arab Muslims Didn’t Need the Nazis
to Teach Genocidal Hatred For Jews
http://sheikyermami.com/2010/04/27/arab-muslims-didnt-need-the-nazis-to-teach-hatred-for-jews/
"Alaska Muslim converts plead guilty to Terrorism charges":
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – "An Alaska couple accused in a domestic terrorism plot is expected to plead guilty Wednesday to federal charges of lying about creating a hit list of possible targets.
Paul Rockwood Jr. and his wife, Nadia Rockwood, of King Salmon, Alaska, are charged with lying about the list and making false statements about domestic terrorism during interviews with FBI agents in May.
Under a plea deal, Rockwood is expected to get eight years in prison and his wife five years probation in the United Kingdom, her country of origin.
Prosecutors alleged that Paul Rockwood, also known as "Bilal," converted to Islam about a decade ago and began studying the teachings of American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who has professed hatred for the United States and supports acts of terrorism.
According to the charging documents, Paul Rockwood converted to Islam in late 2001 or 2002 when the couple lived in Virginia.
"After his conversion, and while residing in Virginia, Rockwood became a strict adherent to the violent Jihad-promoting ideology of cleric Anwar al-Awlaki," the documents said. "This included a personal conviction that it was his religious responsibility to exact revenge by death on anyone who desecrated Islam."
Federal authorities claimed Rockwood began researching and selecting possible targets for future execution by visiting websites, and later, after moving to Alaska, began researching explosive components, construction of remote triggering devices, such as cell phones, and construction of bombs to be delivered by common mail carriers.
Officials said that in late 2009, he began discussing using mail bombs and possibly killing targets by gunshot to the head.
By early this year, the hit list had been formalized, with about 15 targets. It was not made public.
Authorities claim he gave the list to his wife in April, and she carried it with her on a trip to Anchorage, where the FBI obtained it."
Just look at those "Misunderstanders" of Islam!" LOL!
I wonder, does this Supreme Wing-nut even bother with offering some sort of motive for why the Evil Americans would perform a suicide bombing of a mosque? Anything? Is he so used to making incontestable statements that it doesn't occur to him that Iranians might not be buying the implicit "they are Evil" reason?
I can understand how being indoctrinated from birth the obey and "submit" can lead you to take some statements on faith, but isn't there a limit? If he had said that Americans were sneaking into their baby hospitals and smothering infants under the guise of "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome", wouldn't a large percentage wrinkle their brows and say, "Uhh, is there some evidence for that? And why exactly would they want to do that?"
I guess I can only hope he's starting to preach to an increasingly disinterested audience.
OT:
Zachary Chesser, of South Park Mohammad threatening fame, arrested on federal charges.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0721101southpark1.html
champ: i too live here!! so do you think some how when they fire a nuclear weapon, that weapons knows not to kill muslims but onlt infidels?!!!!! let's get real!
the ayatoaala is full of sh... he had no following and no stautr...so yes relax.. he is just spewing bull sh... for domestic consumption and no one is buying it
I don't see where the problem was. I'm pretty sure that nowhere in the quran or hadith does it say you can't depict the Profit of Islam in a bear suit.
I can see where Islamic scholars might make a ruling against his wearing a Porky Pig or King Kong outfit, sure. But a bear is halal. After all, didn't the Profit ride a winged "bear" on his Night Journey to the Farthest Mosque in San Fransisco?
As long as the US can afford to bribe the leaders of governments in the Islamic World there will be peace. The imams are humble slaves and say whatever those in power command. Harsh word uttered in the mosques are a call for Clinton to return with a few billion more.
Recycled "morris wise" is back ...
As long as the US can afford to bribe the leaders of governments in the Islamic World there will be peace...
Yeah...the US has been bribing them for years, and look how peaceful Islam is...
Whoever has the tongue of the imam in their pocket has the support of the people. A billion backward Muslims cannot understand the Koran and must depend on their Imam to make sense out of it. Mohammad can sound sweeter than Jesus with a bribed Imam decoding an impossible to understand Koran.
miriam rove wrote:
champ: i too live here!! so do you think some how when they fire a nuclear weapon, that weapons knows not to kill muslims but onlt infidels?!!!!!
................
Well, yes—but there are a couple of problems with this. Firstly, Jihadists frequently kill other Muslims during the commission of Jihad violence, and there is already a rationale for dealing with this—that if any pious Muslims are accidentally killed during an act of Jihad that they go directly to paradise.
Secondly, it is likely that the Ayatollah considers any Muslims who have decamped to the more salubrious climes of Dar-al-Harb—unless it is for the express purpose of waging Jihad—to be suspect at best.
It is quite likely that he considers such "Muslims" to be little more than apostates, and hence Islamically legitimate targets, along with any other Americans.
morristhewise sez:
"A billion backward Muslims cannot understand the Koran and must depend on their Imam to make sense out of it."
Muslim Imams and Muslim leaders intend to keep the rest in full backward mode....Islam has never been about improving the lives of anyone....
To Morris Wise:
Behave yourself. I have had your comments wiped before, and I assure you, if you try that "sympathetic" "genocide against all Muslims" proclamation again, it will indeed occur again, that is, until you are eventually wiped...at least under that current moniker here at JW.
You have been officially warned.