May 2012 Archives

Imam Rauf should be jetting to Khartoum any minute now, to explain to Sudanese officials how they are misunderstanding Sharia, which is utterly benign and compatible with Western notions of human rights.

"Young woman sentenced to death by stoning in Sudan," by Alexander Dziadosz for Reuters, May 31 (thanks to Wimpy):

(Reuters) - A Sudanese woman, believed to be around 20, has been sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery, and is being held near Khartoum, shackled in prison with her baby son, rights groups and lawyers said on Thursday.

Campaigners condemned the ruling, saying it violated international standards and raised concerns that Sudan might start applying sharia, or Islamic law, more strictly following the secession of mostly non-Muslim South Sudan last year.

The woman, Intisar Sharif Abdalla, was sentenced by the Ombada criminal court on April 22, court documents seen by Reuters showed.

Two lawyers assigned to her case, who declined to be named, said they were launching an appeal adding Abdalla appeared to be under severe psychological strain.

"She's in dire need of a psychiatrist because she appears to be in a state of shock from the social and family pressures she's under," one lawyer said.

Abdalla was illiterate and did not have a lawyer or interpreter in the courtroom, although Arabic is not her native language, the lawyers and activists added.

Arabic is the main language in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation, though a wide range of smaller languages are also spoken, particularly in tribal areas. It was unclear where Abdalla came from.

Officials in Sudan's justice and information ministries said they could not immediately comment on the case when Reuters contacted them by phone.

Abdalla's exact age has not been confirmed, but activists said she was believed to be around 20, although some reports indicated she could be younger....

In 2010, the case of Lubna Hussein, a Sudanese U.N. official, sparked international furor when she was sentenced to flogging for wearing trousers.

Fahima Hashim, a women's rights activist following Abdalla's case, said sentences were often inconsistent in Sudan because the legal system gave authority to judges to decide punishments. Previous stoning sentences had not been carried out, she said.

Hashim called for the reform of articles in Sudan's criminal code which she said harm women's rights, including one used in Abdalla's case.

As long as this articles remained unchanged, execution by stoning would not be out of the question, she said. "It's a threat. It could happen."

This just in from a moderate Muslim who opposes jihad terror but has not quite grasped that "peace" thing:

Name: Humanity

Email: somebody50@hotmail.co.uk

Subject: Listen

Message: Im a muslim but im also a human all these muslims who say it sais to terrise them in the quran are fucking stupid shitheads I would kill them myself if I could. The attack of 9/11 was WRONG and if any muslim who sais they deserved it deserves to die. Osama bin laden is islams worst enemy portrayed as a hero. Now listen you demented fucking basterds dont you fucking promote jihad or you will burn on the da of judgement. You fucking idiots I hope you die from cancer and pain in every single bone in your fucking body. You repeat the 9/11 and we will mass murder all the muslims who follow you we have high links. muslims believe in peace but killing fags like you il be doing a favor to god and il enjoy your throates being cut of and your blood ozzing out before me. You do one attack and we attack you. Dont play the game if you cant take the heat #Humanity

Muhammad said, "If anyone changes his religion, kill him," and the death penalty for apostasy is still part of Islamic law. Those who choose to leave Islam have to live with a death sentence over the heads for the rest of their lives -- even if they live in the U.S. But Muslim "civil rights" organizations whine about "Islamophobia" and never say a word about the human rights of apostates from Islam. Meanwhile, the former Muslim Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is on death row in Iran for exercising his freedom of conscience, and apostates from Islam are brutalized and killed all over the Islamic world, or live a lie, hiding their true beliefs.

If we don't stand up and call upon our leaders to protect the freedom of conscience, it will become a relic of history not just in the Islamic world, but in the West as well, where even now groups of former Muslims only appear in public heavily guarded. Is this the society we want for our children? Stand up for the freedom of conscience now, at our Summer Night for Human Rights in Manhattan Beach, California on June 23. We're countering Hamas-linked CAIR's deceptive "Summer Night for Civil Rights" victimhood fest, which will be held blocks away at the same time.

Stand with us for freedom for all people: register for the conference by writing to AFDISIOA@aol.com. Attendance is free (CAIR's conference will cost you a Franklin).

Over at Gatestone Institute (via RaymondIbrahim.com) I summarize an Arabic report alleging that the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate sees himself as the "second Islamic conqueror" of Egypt, who will enforce jizya on the nation's Christians. As I point out, it's hard to believe he would make these statements, considering he's currently trying to convince everyone -- especially Copts and women -- that he's a "moderate," to get their votes. Still, conquest and subjugation are very much in keeping with the Muslim Brotherhood's worldview, and slips of the tongue, especially now in Egypt, where passions are flying high, are common enough. You decide:

According to the popular Egyptian website, El Bashayer, Muhammad Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate, just declared that he will "achieve the Islamic conquest (fath) of Egypt for the second time, and make all Christians convert to Islam, or else pay the jizya," the traditional Islamic tax, or financial tribute, required of non-Muslim "dhimmis."

In a brief report written by Samuel al-Ashay and published by El Bashayer on May 27, Morsi allegedly made these comments while speaking with a journalist at the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, adding "We will not allow Ahmed Shafiq [his contending presidential candidate] or anyone else to impede our second Islamic conquest of Egypt."

After his interviewer pointed out that the first Muslim conquest of Egypt was "carried out at the hands of Amr bin al-As [in 641]," he asked Morsi, "Who will the second Islamic conqueror be?" The presidential candidate replied, "The second Muslim conqueror will be Muhammad Morsi," referring to himself, "and history will record it."

When asked what he thought about many Christian Copts coming out to vote for his secular opponent, Ahmed Shafiq, Morsi reportedly said, "They need to know that conquest is coming, and Egypt will be Islamic, and that they must pay jizya or emigrate."

If this interview is accurate, certainly Morsi would not be the first political Islamist in Egypt to say he wants to see the nation's Christians subjugated and made to pay jizya (see here for more examples)....

While Fox News and the Daily Mail are irresponsibly publishing utterly baseless speculation about the honor murders of Amina and Sarah Said, Pamela Geller has some actual news: an assessment of the case as it stands now from Gail Gartrell, Amina and Sarah's aunt.

May 30, 2012

Justice? I think not!

It is nearing the five year anniversary of the honor killing of my great nieces, Amina and Sarah Said. Within this time, much has transpired. Many facts have surfaced which has helped me to better understand what kind of hell these two beautiful and intelligent girls lived through, before being murdered for the sake of cleansing the Said name. They were spied upon by their murderous father and brother, Islam. This spying occurred at home, work, tennis practice, school and penetrated every aspect of their lives, including them sleeping. I have seen videos of the girls being harassed by Yasser filming them and telling Islam to pull the covers from them. Remarks from their murderous dad sounded more like something a lover would say to his love! At one point, Amina tells her father that what he is doing is illegal and yet, he kept on filming. I have heard from a near and dear friend of Amina's that she was afraid of her uncle too as he called her after her dad found out that she had a boyfriend and told Amina, " If you do not stop this, I will come to Texas and take care of you myself!" Thus, I learned that Amina and Sarah had many threats to live with and yet, they bravely kept smiles upon their faces as they attempted to succeed in academics, sports and their hopeful futures, as doctors.

Since the murders, I have been told to embrace my niece, " She is a victim and has been brainwashed! You need to support her.", by one of the detectives on the girls' case. I was stunned by his words of scorn towards me. These words came soon after the murders of Amina and Sarah. I wondered how he came to this conclusion so quickly? Did Sarah's 911 call seal the fate of this investigation? After all, she did name her dad as the one who shot her and her sister! They had the murderer and the bodies! Case closed? I suppose so as it seems to me that it is a cold case now and Yasser is living as a free man. This caused me great pain to feel as though they would never get the justice they deserve. My calling this an honor killing and receiving 100's of death threats for doing so...was telling the truth in vain? I am beginning to think so! I do not regret speaking the truth the day of the girls funerals. I had too! However, I do believe my words caused great concern for the Irving Police Department. In as much, I have turned a weary eye towards the ones who are suppose to be seeking a double murderer, but seems more concerned about the political correctness surrounding this case. In fact, if I am not mistaken, I do believe that most, or all of the honor murderers in the United States are in jail for their crimes. Why isn't Yasser?

Let me share what I know as facts about the night the girls were murdered and you decide! Patricia Said, the girls mother was questioned by the Irving Police. While she was being questioned, Islam, the girls brother, was in the lobby of the police department. Islam, was never questioned that night, nor any other night! Why not? After all, he was with Yasser the prior weeks leading up to the murders. He was alone with Yasser the week before the girls were murdered! I would think Islam would be a key person to question, but that's just common sense! To my knowledge, Islam has not been questioned to this day. Now, as the questioning went on with Patricia, the two boys who loved Amina and Sarah arrived at the police department too. They waited and waited only to be shocked by the news that the girls were murdered earlier that evening. These boys ran with my niece and the two girls. Were they questioned? NO! Again, as to this day, they have not been questioned, to my knowledge. Three very important figures were never questioned and yet, they were at the Irving Police Department the night of this double honor killing....

Pamela has much more, as well as rare photos of the girls. Read it all.

KUALA LUMPUR: Two influential American senators have praised [Malaysian Prime Minister] Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for his efforts in introducing reforms and making Malaysia a model Muslim country that practised free enterprise, democracy and progress economically.

Senator John McCain and Senator Joseph Lieberman, who are on a working visit to Malaysia, said they made this observation during their meetings with the Government, opposition members and civil society leaders.

“We are very pleased with our visit to Malaysia. We have been impressed with the economic, political and social development that have taken place,” McCain told a joint press conference with Lieberman here on Thursday.

He also said the US looked forward to fair and free elections in Malaysia.

They'll have to get in line. This man is already in prison in Pakistan and widely hated for turning in Osama in that country that is supposedly our friend and ally. "Taliban vows to cut Pakistan's bin Laden doctor 'into pieces,'" from Newscore, May 31:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The Taliban on Thursday called for the death of the jailed Pakistani doctor who helped the US find Osama bin Laden, vowing to "cut him into pieces when and where we manage to reach him."

Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP that Dr. Shakil Afridi was at the top of the terrorist organization's kill list, vowing, "We will cut him into pieces when and where we manage to reach him."

"This court judgment and punishment is all a drama, staged to hand him over to America," Ehsan added.

Earlier Thursday, a Pakistani militant group accused of having links to Afridi denied associating with him and said they would "chew him alive" if they found him.

A commander from the Lashkar e Islam militant group said on condition of anonymity that, "We have no link to such a shameless man. If we see him we'll chew him alive."

His denial came after details of the May 24 verdict in Afridi's case were revealed Wednesday.

The verdict claimed that Afridi was jailed for 33 years in Pakistan because of his links to Lashkar e Islam, not for his role in helping the CIA track down the former terror leader....

Pull my other leg.

Tables turned: a Muslim journalist who has never stood for freedom, Mona Eltahawy, is learning how to become a racist, bigoted Islamophobe: dare to criticize the human rights abuses inherent in Islamic law. In "Muslim Journalist Challenges Sharia, Gets Accused of ‘Hate’: Mona Eltahawy receives the typical treatment given to defenders of Muslim women" in PJMedia today, I discuss the furious reaction that Eltahawy got from Islamic supremacists Leila Ahmed and Dalia Mogahed when she dared to criticize practices that are rooted in Sharia:

Mona Eltahawy’s piece in the May/June issue of Foreign Policy criticized a series of practices that are justified in Islamic law, including child marriage, wife-beating, and female genital mutilation. Counter-jihadist activists and writers have been calling attention to these human rights abuses for years, but Eltahawy’s piece was singular in that she is a Muslim journalist.

Muslims for the most part (with some notable exceptions) don’t criticize Muslim practices, particularly those that are rooted in Islam, and mainstream media journalists do so even less often. But the reaction to Eltahawy’s article among her fellow Muslim women is even more striking than her article itself.

If the mainstream media narrative about “extremists” making up only a tiny minority of Muslims, the vast majority of which are “moderate,” were true, Eltahawy’s article should have won applause from Muslim spokesmen in the U.S., and particularly Muslim women. But instead, Harvard professor Leila Ahmed confronted Eltahawy on MSNBC:

Mona, I appreciate what you do. I would love it if — I understand if you want to get your message across. It’s an important message. But if possible [you should not] give fuel, fodder to people who simply hate Arabs and Muslims in this climate of our day.

Eltahawy appeared surprised to be accused of fueling hate — the same accusation that jihadists and Islamic supremacists have leveled against counter-jihadists for years. And she answered it in exactly the same way counter-jihadists have innumerable times:

That’s the whole point. It’s not me that makes Muslims look bad. It’s those atrocities that make Muslims look bad. And as a writer, it’s my job to poke the painful places.

But Leila Ahmed was not alone in not wanting Eltahawy to call any attention whatsoever to those “painful places.” Another prominent Muslim woman in America, Dalia Mogahed, took to the pages of the Washington Post to denounce Eltahawy’s article. Mogahed is the executive director and senior analyst at the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, and has served Barack Obama as an adviser in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She is an open advocate of Sharia, so it is perhaps not surprising that she also took a dim view of Eltahawy’s poking of the painful places.

Mogahed invoked unnamed “critics” who, she said, “question not the crimes Eltahawy describes but the causes she assigns, namely Islam and Arab culture’s inherent ‘hate’ for women, alleging that her analysis is not only pedestrian but panders to prejudice. The real danger however is that Eltahawy’s narrative harms the very cause she claims to champion. Conflating women’s rights advocacy with Arab inferiority or Islam-bashing doesn’t empower the champions of change, it aids their enemies.”...

Eltahawy never confronts Islam head-on as a cause of the human rights abuses against women that she is excoriating, but it is abundantly clear that she knows that the religion contributes to them, and that is enough for Mogahed to claim that her approach actually “hurts women.” That’s right: standing up for women’s rights and pointing to a primary root cause of the Muslim mistreatment of women actually harms women. How? Ask George Orwell....

There is more.

Telling the truth about Islam and jihad "provokes" Muslims, and is a capital offense.

Remember: the real problem is "Islamophobia."

Only 43.3 percent of male Somali immigrants and 33 percent of female Somali immigrants in Denmark have a job. It is therefore fair to guess that social benefits from the Danish states finance terror against Denmark. On May 27, two Somali immigrants were arrested for planning terror against Denmark.

Translated from Danish by Nicolai Sennels, Jyllands-Posten, May 30: "Police: Danish millions pay terror":

Every day an average of between 27,000 and 55,000 Danish kroner (4,500 - 9,000 USD) is sent to terrorist organizations abroad, according to the Police Intelligence Service (PET). The donors do not necessarily know that they finance terror.

"It is not easy to find the exact amount of money spent on financing terrorism in Denmark, but it is PET's assessment that 10-20 million Danish kroners are transferred to terrorists annually. PET is working together with other authorities to address the transfer of funds to terrorism," said the head of PET, Jakob Scharf.

Jyllands-Posten recently described how Somali immigrants send large sums out of Denmark every year. ... Danish authorities have determined that 1.4 billion kroner (233 million USD) are sent from Somalis in Denmark to Dubai, from which the money is probably sent to Somalia.

No one will take much note of this. After all, it's Farrakhan. But just imagine if a Christian preacher warned of destruction in Muslim countries unless they submitted to Christ, and praised the Crusades and Inquisition. Then you'd be hearing about it everywhere. But when Muslims preach violence and terror (which is what hand-chopping for theft is), that's not news.

"Allah Will ‘Bring Down’ America’s Skyscrapers: Horrific New Farrakhan Audio Praising Sharia Law and Threatening ‘Death’ Unless ‘America Submits,’" by Billy Hallowell at The Blaze, May 29 (thanks to all who sent this in):

The Minister Louis Farrakhan isn’t one to avoid controversial language. In his Sunday address in San Diego, the Nation of Islam leader slammed Israel, lamented Mexico’s loss of land at the hands of American “trickery” and derided President Barack Obama for his endorsement of same-sex marriage. But that’s only a portion of what was uttered in his nearly three-hour address. During the last 10 minutes, the fiery Farrakhan erupted with fervency, applauding the violence of sharia law and giving some cryptic warnings to America regarding Iranian intervention.

In speaking to his “Arab brothers,” Farrakhan said that they should not kill their children who shame them. But rather than merely lambasting those who participate in honor crimes, he turned the discussion into a referendum on America (in all fairness, while making these comments, he did say that “Islam needs reform,“ and that his Arab brothers need ”mercy from God“ so they can get ”strong enough to live sharia” — but both statements came without proper explanation).

“To my Arab brothers, you should not kill your children in this honor killing after you bring yourself and them into a country that is a modern Babylon and they get sucked up into the culture of decadence,” he said. “They you’re angry with them because they brought shame on the family. Let me tell you, shame on you for looking to America for your health and bringing your children into this and not creating a world for them to revolve in that will keep the decency that you taught them in the old country.”

The Muslim Brotherhood establishment in the U.S. will have to take Farrakhan aside and explain to him that he must never, never speak about Muslims carrying out honor killings in the U.S.

From here, the conversation turned into a rant about what goes on in the Islamic holy city of Mecca. Farrakhan explained that, following Jumu’ah prayer on Fridays, if someone is guilty of stealing something, locals don’t wait for that individual to go to jail where he or she will be fed and cared for. Instead, he says the offender has his or her hand cut off in the middle of the prayer square and in front of everyone.

If the man or woman steals again, the other hand is lopped off, he said. This would essentially serve as an example of the punishment that one would encounter if entering into crime. Farrakhan then moved on to another story in which he discussed a Filipino man who apparently raped a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia. This man, too, faced a harsh retribution for his alleged actions. Here’s his commentary on the matter:

“Oh they couldn’t wait. I mean after they find you guilty ain‘t nobody that’s law-abiding feeding a guilty person. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you people. The taxpayers gotta come out of their pocket to feed murderers, thieves, cutthroats. ‘Ah Farrakhan now that is kind of harsh.’ Yeah, but what you do to people — if you’re innocent that is harsh — but if you’re guilty, brother — see, you expect mercy, but you don’t show it to those whom you rob and kill and rape — see. So, in our world, that man that raped that sister, his head came off. Oh it was quick too. They called it poke chop, that’s right…and when that head goes off, it rolls down the street, you know…”

Farrakhan went on to claim that stealing, fornicating and committing adultery “blinds the eyes, deafens the ears and dumbs the tongue.” Committing such actions, he contends, is as if one’s “head is gone,” as this is indicative of destroying the family — an action that is “worthy of death.”

Then, Farrakhan’s tough message for America was weaved into his closing, as the faith leader warned of potential calamity if the United States decides to take military action against Iran. This danger, he contends, would be thrust upon America by Allah.

“So, America I close. I tell you, you’re on your way to war and if you declare war on Iran at the behest of Israel and you bomb Iran and some of you are saying we should invoke Hiroshima again on Iran, meaning drop an atomic bomb on Muslims — I have even heard that they’re talking about even bombing Mecca…,” he continued....

Who is? What a clown.

What are we waiting for?

This is not a horror film, showing somewhere in the cinema or on TV. In that case, if we were scared, we could just switch to another channel. This is real. It's all in the willows. Even the IAEA acknowledged that Iran is enriching uranium more than is necessary for peaceful purposes.

Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found in the Iranian underground nuclear facility Fordo traces of uranium enrichment higher than previously reported by the Iranian authorities.

This was reported by Reuters news agency reports referring to diplomats who refused to give their names because of the delicacy of the issue.

The diplomat said that there was not a very significant difference in the level of enrichment, and this could be the result of technical problems in the nuclear complex. Yes, it is not a very substantive difference today, but tomorrow it could be a nuclear warhead. Isn't that cynical?

However, the experts will scrutinize the discovered patterns. They will explore them for a very long time. And talks with Tehran will be held in a tense, rarefied atmosphere. It's funny.

As if the state in question is comfortable with this pressure, and this pressure were normal and justified to bring against this state. We all know what state I mean. After almost every Friday prayer, at almost every meeting with the media, President Ahmedinejad, or Iran's spiritual leader, the deputy of the late spiritual leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, mentions this state and its people. They threaten to burn, to destroy Israel and its people. And the United States and the European Union sit at the negotiating table to discuss matters with the leaders of the Islamic Republic, but they do not solve the problem of the Iranian nuclear program, which is vital for Jews, Israel and the world.

Didn't Iran attack the U.S. embassy? But then, Iran had no nuclear weapons. A skeptic would say that Iran doesn't have them now, either. Yes, for now the Iranian regime has no nuclear weapons, but credit cannot be given to those who sit at the negotiating table. And do not credit those who announce sanctions. Iran, like other totalitarian Islamic states, is slowly developing the technology to build a weapon.

Speaking of sanctions...

The Administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, John Baas, asked the Georgian government to join the sanctions against Iran. And it decided not to join the sanctions. If the world community, the strongest country in the world, NATO, and the EU cannot stop Iran, how can they stop Islamic supremacism in the rest of the world?

An MK of the State of Israel, Faina Kirshenbaum, said that there is a large Islamic lobby that controls and manages the process, not only in the Middle East and Africa but elsewhere as well. Jihad Watch and many other advocates for human rights and freedom have spoken and written about this for a long time. It is working not only for political and economic interests; its chief interest is Islamic supremacism: trying to aid the mujahedeen, shahids and their sponsors throughout the world.

A few days ago, the Imam of Caucasus Dokka Abu Usman (Umarov) called upon Caucasian Muslims to join jihad. Ansar Forum, referring to sources within the ranks of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, reported that more than 1500 Muslim volunteers joined the ranks of AQAP in the last two days, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder against the advancing army of puppets under the command of US generals.

It is reported that about 100 volunteers arrived in the Province of Abayan from areas of Sayyun and al-Kattan of the province of Hadramawt. According to sources, the Muslims have joined Al-Qaeda under the influence of the fatwa of Sheikh Awad Banajar, who a few days ago called on Yemenis to go for Jihad.

Sources say that the Yemeni mujahedeen, veterans of the wars in Chechnya and Afghanistan, are fighting alongside AQAP. They are coming in from all over the province of Abyan in Yemen.

Veterans dream of fighting the Americans in Yemen, as this war will bring the United States to its knees.

Meanwhile, sources of the news agency Yemen Post reported that a Spanish aggressor, guarding the Spanish embassy in Yemen and captured by an AQAP special unit last Thursday, was found dead in the capital Sana'a on Tuesday. Last Thursday, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said that the police officer had gone missing.

"The policeman was found dead after noon in Venue 50th in the Hadda district and a firearm was found near him," the sources said.

Previously, the Mujahideen of al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula captured several foreigners and a Saudi consul in Aden. Despite the all efforts of the Americans and Saudis, they have not yet been able to obtain their release.

The mujahedeen are free to move from the Caucasus to Yemen, from Iran to Egypt. In addition, new railways and roads facilitate their movement.

They want to bring us to our knees. It's not my words, and you know what they do with those who are on their knees? They cut off their heads.

When I wrote this article I remembered the Bob Fosse film "Cabaret." I advise you to watch this movie, if you think that we are wrong. Maybe this movie will open eyes and mind of those who cannot see or hear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNMVMNmrqJE

I just received these tweets threatening to kill Pamela Geller and me from what the mainstream media would identify, if they ever took notice of death threats to counter-jihadists at all, as "an Australian man." Actually he is a Muslim in Australia who is so unconcerned about the fallout from posting threats to murder that his address and a map to his home are listed on each of his tweets: [address removed -- apparently he spoofed it].

He followed these up with several more threatening to kill David Wood as well, and promising to hang my severed head in the White House (where I expect it would clash with the decor). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get screenshots of those before he took them down, replacing them with assurances that he obeys Australian law.

Yeah, sure. I do hope the Australian cops will be keeping a careful eye out on the comings and goings at 9 Banksia Place. Then again, that might be "Islamophobic."

UPDATE: The other two were still on my phone:

According to a brief report at Gerasa News, eyewitnesses say that what appeared to be "Salafis" were just seen "raiding" and "destroying" a liquor store in Irbid ("Arbela" in antiquity) which is approximately 75 km north of Amman, Jordan's capital.

This follows news of a restaurant in Lebanon being bombed for serving liquor, and other liquor store related attacks in Iraq, Tunisia, as well as any number of other Muslim nations -- not to mention, according to this story, even in America.

Our Summer Night for Human Rights will feature apostates from around the world. It will be held in Manhattan Beach, California, on June 23 from 6 to 9PM, while Hamas-linked CAIR will be holding its "Summer Night for Civil Rights" pushing its phony victimhood narrative just blocks away. Join us in challenging the Hamas-linked CAIR hypocrites and Islamic supremacists to stand up for the human rights of those who live under Islam's death sentence for those who dare to leave Islam. Register to attend the AFDI/SIOA/FMU Summer Night for Human Rights by writing afdisioa@aol.com.

From Yahoo News:

NEW YORK, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The prominent human rights organization American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and its Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) program, along with Former Muslims United (FMU) will be hosting the first-ever "Summer Night for Human Rights" Town Hall dedicated to defending the freedom of conscience. Dedicated to Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been sentenced to death in Iran for leaving Islam, the Summer Night for Human Rights will feature Muslim apostates from around the world, and call upon Muslims in the U.S. and the world human rights community to defend their right to change their religion or have no religion at all, and to denounce the Sharia that mandates such punishment.

The AFDI/SIOA Summer Night for Human Rights Town Hall will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan Beach, California. AFDI/SIOA Executive Director Pamela Geller chose that location because of its proximity to the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations' "Summer Night for Civil Rights" event being held at the same time down the block in Redondo Beach. The Summer Night for Human Rights will call upon the CAIR spokesmen to renounce Islam's death penalty for apostasy and defend the human rights of those who choose to leave Islam. It will ask CAIR leaders to stop creating roadblocks to Sharia prohibitions in the U.S., pointing up CAIR's hypocrisy in sponsoring a "civil rights" night while supporting a system of governance that denies the freedom of conscience, as well as the freedom of speech and equality of rights of all before the law.

Hamas-linked CAIR is selling tickets for its "Summer Night for Civil Rights" for as much as $100; admission to the AFDI/SIOA Summer Night for Human Rights is free. Register to attend by writing afdisioa@aol.com.

Geller said in a statement: "All the schools of Islamic law, without exception, mandate death for those who leave Islam. We've dedicated the Town Hall to Pastor Youcef because he is in imminent danger of being murdered for his beliefs, and we've invited numerous apostates from Islam to speak about the death sentence they must live under every moment because they have dared to leave Islam. We're calling upon Hamas-tied CAIR to stand up for Pastor Youcef and other victims of Islam's apostasy law at their so-called 'Civil Rights' conference so-called 'Civil Rights' conference and to stand for human rights for all. Under the guise of 'civil rights,' these subversive groups seek to undermine the unalienable rights guaranteed to every individual under the Constitution. Their ruse must be exposed, their Sharia agenda renounced. What Islamic supremacist groups in the U.S. speak for Pastor Youcef?"

Geller added: "Apostates from Islam have rights, too. The freedom of conscience is specifically protected in the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet apostates are completely forgotten in our politically correct culture, in which speech that is offensive to Islam is increasingly forbidden. We're standing for the human rights of people like Youcef Nadarkhani. While CAIR officials Zead Ramadan and Cyrus McGoldrick are appearing on Iranian government TV complaining about resistance to Sharia in America, Youcef is languishing in an Iranian prison for exercising his freedom of conscience. Who speaks for him? They should be on Iranian television calling for the release of the pastor, not denouncing America. Our Human Rights Town Hall calls out Islamic supremacist groups in America to cease and desist their subversive activity under the guise of 'civil rights' or 'Shariaphobia.'"

Hosting the Summer Night for Human Rights Town Hall are Pamela Geller, publisher of the acclaimed AtlasShrugs.com blog, executive director of AFDI and SIOA, and author of Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance (WND Books); and AFDI/SIOA associate director Robert Spencer, the bestselling author and director of Jihad Watch, whose most recent book is Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry Into Islam's Obscure Origins.

The confirmed list of speakers also includes some of the nation's most prominent ex-Muslims: the human rights activist Nonie Darwish of Former Muslims United, author of Now They Call Me Infidel; the psychologist and freedom fighter Wafa Sultan, author of A God Who Hates; and the Islamic scholar Ibn Warraq, author of Why I Am Not A Muslim; former Palestinian terrorist Walid Shoebat; and others.

AFDI/SIOA is one of America's foremost organizations defending human rights, religious liberty, and the freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation and attempts to bring elements of Sharia to the United States.

This much-anticipated debate took place Monday, May 28, at 8PM on ABN. Recently David and I teamed up against Anjem Choudary and Sheikh Omar Bakri to debate the same question, did Muhammad exist? (Watch that one here.) As David explained before our Monday debate, "we showed that two Muslim apologists couldn't defend the existence of their prophet....Choudary and Bakri relied on a backwards, archaic, absurd methodology ('The Qur'an says it, so it must be true!'). Can a more sophisticated argument show that Muhammad existed? Only one way to find out."

Indeed. Watch and see.

And get the book Did Muhammad Exist? here.

This campaign is designed to intimidate Christians into voting for the Brotherhood or not voting at all. And if Morsi loses, the Christians will almost certainly be victimized as a result. "Islamists in Egypt Blame Christians for Voting," by Mary Abdelmassih for AINA, May 29 (thanks to Wimpy):

(AINA) -- The official results of the first round of the Egyptian presidential elections were announced today, the run-off will be between Mohamed Morsy, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, and Air Marshal Ahmad Shafik, Mubarak's last PM, who served for less than one month during the revolution and before Mubarak was ousted.

This results, which were expected since Friday, has enraged many Egyptians who feel that they are left with two options, each worst than the other, namely either going back to the Mubarak regime represented by Shafik or the Islamists who will drag Egypt into being another Afghanistan or Iran. Nasserist candidate Hamdeed Sabahy, favored by a great number of youth -- especially those who participated in the 25 January Revolution, came in third.

Many Islamists, fearing Shafik if he comes to power, especially after vowing to bring back order and security within one month of his election, are blaming Copts for voting for Shafik and bringing him to second place. Copts have been accused of being "traitors" and "anti-revolutionary" for voting to bring back the old regime.

Nearly 6,000,000 Christian Copts were eligible to vote, from a total Coptic population of 18,000,000 Copts (according to the Church's data).

These accusations against the Copts, which started last Friday after the preliminary elections results were released, are seen by many as a real threat to Copts. "These accusations are part of a terror and intimidation campaign to prevent them from voting again for Shafik," said Egyptian writer Saad Namnam, "or even boycotting the elections altogether, which would be the same as voting for Morsy."

Two days ago The Islamic group Gama'a al-Islamiyya issued a statement which said that the advance of Ahmed Shafik in the elections was due to several reasons. Firstly "sectarian voting, where the Copts gave their votes to Shafik at the direction of the church, which is unfortunate."

"We have been bombarded by the media by accusations from the revolutionary youths and prominent Islamist leaders," said Caroline Asaad, of Maspero Coptic Youths Federation. "Our friends at college, work and our neighbors all accuse the Egyptian Church of high treason by directing Copts to vote for Shafik." Caroline said she voted for Sabahi while her parents voted for Shafik.

"What did they want us to do?" said Coptic activist Mark Ebeid. "Whoever says that supporting Shafik is a crime against the '25 January Revolution', we ask him to advise us whom to vote for? The sea is in front of us and the Islamists are behind us."

Dr Emad Gad, MP and deputy director of Al-Ahram Centre for Strategic Studies, said this campaign against the Copts is a prepared strategy by the Muslim Brotherhood to increase the chances of their candidate in the run-off election, by promoting a lie that votes of the Copts helped Shafik to advance. "This is not true at all. The largest block of votes for Shafik was in the four provinces of the Delta, namely Sharkia, Gharbia, Menoufiah and Dakahila, where the Copts make up only 5% of the total population." He added that the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists usually say the total number of the Copts does not exceed 6% of the population. "So does this ratio have the ability to turn the election results upside down?"

Christian politician George Ishaq, of the Dostor Party, said that it is not true that the Coptic vote was behind Shafik getting second place. "To accuse the Christians of all voting for Shafik is not true, as the Christians are not one voting block. Christian youths voted for Hamdeen Sabahi, those who are older voted for Shafik and Amr Moussa." He added that those who voted for Shafik were the "remnants" of the Mubarak regime and members of his dissolved NDP Party, some Christians who fear a religious state as well as all those who fear the Revolution....

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Islamic organization that openly calls for restoration of the caliphate -- that is, the political union of Muslims worldwide in a single Sharia state ruled by the caliph. This means that the group is dedicated to subverting and destroying all governments not ruled by Islamic law, and as such it is banned in many countries. But not in the U.S., which has never shown any awareness on an official level of non-violent efforts to impose Sharia. They're once again coming to the Chicago area to hold their Caliphate Conference: it will be held on June 17 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.

What is especially noteworthy about this is that absolutely none of the self-professed "moderate" Muslim leaders in the U.S. will disavow Hizb ut-Tahrir or its goals.

And note also that these people have no problem getting space in a hotel for their conference advocating a political system that will destroy freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and equality of rights of all people before the law, but freedom fighters trying to resist Sharia and Islamization are hounded out of public spaces with increasing frequency.

Video thanks to Blazing Cat Fur.

Mikhail Jihad is a convert to and misunderstander of Islam who apparently believes that when he converted to Islam he ceased to be an American, and came to regard American troops as his enemy. What steps are Muslim organizations in this country taking to make sure that other Muslims don't misunderstand the Religion of Peace in the same way? Why, absolutely no steps at all. And no one cares. An update on this story. "Felon admits he tried to run Marines off I-5," by Mike Carter for the Seattle Times, May 29 (thanks to Charlie):

An ex-con with possible ties to the alleged Islamist terrorists has pleaded guilty in state court to charges that he tried to run two Marine recruiters off Interstate 5.

Michael Dale McCright, who was known on the Internet as “Mikhail Jihad,” pleaded guilty to charges of felony harrassment [sic] and attempted malicious mischief. A plea agreement reached with the King County Prosecutor’s Office spared him a possible life prison term under the state’s “three-strikes” law. McCright has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for first-degree robbery in 2006, assault in 2005.

When the 28-year-old McCright was arrested, investigators said he had a phone that had been used to call Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif. Abdul-Latif and another man were arrested in an FBI-Seattle police sting in June 2011 after allegedly plotting to kill federal employees and military recruits at the Military Entrance Processing Station on East Marginal Way over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

According to the charges against McCright, two Marine sergeants — one in uniform and the other in civilian clothes — were driving north near Northgate on July 12, 2011, when a small blue car came up behind them.

Marine Staff Sgt. Ryan Picklesimer described the driver as a “bearded white male wearing a tightfitting, white knit hat.” The driver slowed, apparently to look at the government plate on Picklesimer’s car, then came alongside and saw the sergeant in his uniform.

“Picklesimer reported, ‘His eyes widened and he appeared to become angry,’ ” and then swerved at the sergeant’s car, forcing Picklesimer to take evasive action to avoid being hit, the charges allege. The sergeant was able to get the car’s license number, and he gave it to police.

McCright, of Lynnwood, admitted last week in King County Superior Court that he had tried to run the car off the road. The crimes carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Prosecutors say they will seek a 54-month sentence when McCright is sentenced n June 22....

In "Hannity confronts Ground Zero mosqueteer" in WND today, Pamela Geller discusses the Ground Zero Mosque Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's rocky appearance on the Sean Hannity Show, after Bill O'Reilly fawned all over Rauf the week before:

Ground Zero mosqueteer Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is pushing a whole new narrative on his deception book tour. So it was particularly delicious to watch Sean Hannity interview, or interrogate, the sly imam on his show last week. The imam Rauf has almost never been challenged by a fawning, complicit media, and he was visibly taken aback as Hannity courageously pressed him on his dishonesty and anti-Americanism.

Sean pressed Rauf on his most disgusting and outrageous statements, like “United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened” on 9/11, and that “in fact, in the most direct sense, Osama bin Laden is made in the USA.” Hannity also asked Rauf about a story I broke involving statements the sneaky Rauf made in Australia: “We tend to forget, in the West, that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than al-Qaida has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims. You may remember that the U.S.-led sanctions against Iraq led to the death of over half a million Iraqi children.”

The slippery imam apologized to Hannity repeatedly for these statements. That was news in itself, as Rauf had never apologized for his statements before, although he claimed to Hannity that he had done so in order to advance his new narrative. Rauf kept insisting to Hannity that the problem isn’t Islamic jihad. The problem, he said repeatedly, is the extremists on both sides. By this Rauf meant Robert Spencer and me on one side, and Osama bin Laden on the other. Rauf considers my work in defense of freedom “extreme” – as if truth in the extreme were a bad thing, or defense of freedom in the extreme were a bad thing. But Sean was having none of it. He was brilliant, and he was relentless.

Still, Rauf kept on slipping in his lies. He said that the need for women to produce four male witnesses to prove rape was “cultural.” He was lying. In fact it is specified in the Quran (24:4 and 24:13). He also said that no Muslims want to bring Shariah courts to the U.S., contradicting his own words in previous books about how Shariah is one unified whole and cannot be separated into parts, and clearly suggesting that it is something that ought to come to the U.S. He listed six things Shariah is designed to safeguard, including life, liberty and dignity – but these are only safeguarded for Muslim men; Muslim women and non-Muslims are deprived of basic rights under Shariah.

Hannity did what TV pundits and journalists are supposed to do. They’re not supposed to be the PR arm or delivery service for subversives’ press releases. But that’s just what Hannity’s counterpart on Fox, Bill O’Reilly, was for Rauf last week....

Read it all.

Friday I appeared on the Michael Coren Show on Sun TV to discuss Mona Eltahawy's recent criticism of the treatment of women in Islamic culture, and the circle-the-wagons response from Islamic supremacists Leila Ahmed and Dalia Mogahed.

UPDATE: Apparently there is still a bit of sanity in Pakistan: "Pakistan cleric arrested over dancing death decree," from AFP, May 29 (thanks to Kenneth):

Police in Pakistan on Tuesday arrested a Muslim cleric accused of sentencing six people to death for singing and dancing at a wedding in the north of the country.

"Police have arrested a cleric and his companion for issuing the death decree, but they totally denied it," local administration official Aqal Badshah Khattak told AFP.

Guests at a Pakistani wedding dancing and celebrating the occasion.

"The cleric has said he had no role in the decree and his name was misused," Khattak said....

But on Tuesday, district police chief Abdul Majeed Afridi said it appeared to be a case of tribal rivalry and an attempt to defame a family.

He said the video was recorded three years ago and then edited in an attempt to implicate the party goers.

"I am satisfied that there is no danger to the life of the girls," he said.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, at least 943 women and girls were murdered last year after being accused of defaming their family's honor....

---------------------

"Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious." -- Ayatollah Khomeini

"Sentenced to death for singing and dancing at wedding," from AFP, May 29 (thanks to Block Ness):

Four women and two men have been sentenced to death in northern Pakistan for singing and dancing at a wedding, police say.

Clerics issued a decree after a mobile phone video emerged of the six enjoying themselves in a remote village in the mountainous district of Kohistan, 176km north of the capital Islamabad.

Pakistani authorities in the area said local clerics had ordered the punishment over allegations that the men and women danced and sang together in Gada village, in defiance of strict tribal customs that separate men and women at weddings.
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"The local clerics issued a decree to kill all four women and two men shown in the video," district police officer Abdul Majeed Afridi said.

"It was decided that the men will be killed first, but they ran away so the women are safe for the moment. I have sent a team to capture them and am waiting to hear some news," he said, adding that the women had been confined to their homes....

This article contains this appalling statement: "Such statements could not but stir the Muslim community." The West is completely losing the idea that one's reactions are one's own responsibility, and that the only people to blame for violent thuggery are the thugs themselves. This is a massive capitulation to violent Islamic intimidation and a retreat from the principle of freedom of speech, which involves the societal agreement that one will not respond to being offended with violence or attempts to shut the offender down. Freedom of speech is our foremost bulwark against tyranny, and tyranny is coming.

"'Allah's enemy!' Radio host slash-attacked for anti-Islam rant on air," from Russia Today, May 29 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

A radio host has been hospitalized after being cut 15 times by an unidentified criminal. Two weeks ago the journalist ventured to criticize the founder of Islam, the Prophet Mohammed, on air.

RT, like the rest of the mainstream media, assumes that we are all Muslims now and all acknowledge Muhammad as a prophet.

­Sergey Aslanyan, 46, was brought to Moscow’s hospital with numerous non-penetrating knife wounds to the chest, neck and arm.

According to the police report, on late Monday evening an unknown man called to Aslanyan’s flat over the building intercom and called him outside for a talk. When the journalist stepped out of the entranceway he was knocked over the head with a heavy object, after which the assailant brought the knife into play.

Aslanyan claimed that the attacker was shouting “you are Allah's enemy!” while slashing at the victim.

Police say the abuser was a slim man of about 30, while according to some witnesses there were several attackers....

Still, Izvestia newspaper made a guess that the attack could be linked to recent statements made by the journalist in a radio show. While discussing religion in general he made some “from zero to hero” remarks towards the Prophet Mohammed.

“The Prophet Mohammed, as we know, was not a religious figure. He was a businessman, but after getting considerable financial support built plans as to how to get to the top,” Aslanyan disclosed. He also said that the Prophet “rewrote the Bible” so that “now everyone would know the Prophet Mohammed was not a market shopkeeper, but an outstanding political figure.”

According to Aslanyan, the idea of Islam was a “business project from the very beginning,” and turned out to be successful due to “handsome financing.” Besides that, the journalist, who was an external expert at this radio show, speculated that the Prophet had some sort of sexual disorder.

Reportedly, the journalist later apologized on air for the harsh statements he had made, but that did not change public opinion much.

Such statements could not but stir the Muslim community. There was a widespread angry reaction on the Islamic internet forums.

Outrageous capitulation to thuggery.

Muslims from the Republic of Tatarstan, where Islam is the dominant religion, wrote a letter to the Prosecutor General’s office saying Aslanyan’s statements had insulted them.

“These insults wound our religious feelings and come into conflict with Russian legislature, because they unleash ethnic discord and interreligious hatred,” insists Imam Seijarfar Lutfullin.

Despite being disappointed with the journalist’s position, representatives of the Muslim clergy of Tatarstan refused to have anything to do with the assault on the journalist.

“Islam does not recognize the resort to force – for this there are authorities and courts,” the spokesperson of the Clerical Administration of the Republic of Tatarstan told Izvestia....

Funny how so many Muslims misunderstand the idea that "Islam does not recognize the resort to force."

As bad as the RT article is, this one from the Guardian is even worse: "Russian journalist attacked in Moscow," by Miriam Elder in the Guardian, May 29 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A Russian journalist is in hospital after being lured out of his home and stabbed 20 times late on Monday night in the latest attack on a member of the press.

Sergei Aslanyan, 46, works for Radio Mayak and spent 10 years as a presenter on Echo Moskvy, Russia's leading liberal radio station.

Police sources said Aslanyan received a call from an unknown number just before midnight, inviting him outside for a chat. After leaving his home in southern Moscow, he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest, neck and arms by a man, or several men, wielding a knife.

"The victim has been hospitalised, his life is not in danger," a police source told the Itar-Tass news agency.

Police have opened an investigation into the attack.

The Izvestiya newspaper suggested the attack could have been linked to a recent radio appearance during which Aslanyan insulted the prophet Muhammad.

The programme prompted an angry response among some Muslims, with an imam in the eastern city of Kazan asking prosecutors to investigate the journalist.

Others linked the attack to Aslanyan's reporting on Russia's auto industry and corrupt traffic police....

Although the article does acknowledge that the attackers may have been Muslims, it also suggests an alternate explanation, and completely ignores the cry of "You are Allah's enemy."

That's the mainstream media for you.

Over at FrontPage Magazine (via RaymondIbrahim.com), I discuss how ideas that were once deemed overly utopian have become mainstream, embodied in the person of Barack Obama:

American intellectual Will Durant's The Lessons of History—co-written with wife Ariel and published in 1968, when the Soviet Union posed a threat to the United States—still offers insightful lessons, especially concerning American-Muslim relations.

In the chapter titled "History and War," the Durants posit some hypothetical speeches and approaches concerning war. First, an imaginary U.S. president says before the leaders of communist Russia:

If we should follow the usual course of history, we should make war upon you for fear of what you may do a generation hence…. But we are willing to try a new approach. We respect your peoples and your civilizations as among the most creative in history. We shall try to understand your feelings, and your desire to develop your own institutions without fear of attack. We must not allow our mutual fears to lead us into war, for the unparalleled murderousness of our weapons and yours brings into the situation an element unfamiliar in history. We propose to send representatives to join with yours in a persistent conference for the adjustment of our differences, the cessation of hostilities and subversion, and the reduction of our armaments…. Let us open our doors to each other, and organize cultural exchanges that will promote mutual appreciation and understanding…. We pledge our honor before all mankind to enter into this venture in full sincerity and trust. If we lose in the historic gamble, the results could not be worse than those that we may expect from traditional policies. If you and we succeed, we shall merit a place for centuries to come in the grateful memory of mankind.

Once the imaginary president concludes, "the general smiles," write the authors, and retorts:

You have forgotten all the lessons of history and all that nature of man which you described. Some conflicts are too fundamental to be resolved by negotiation; and during the prolonged negotitiations (if history may be our guide) subversion would go on. A world order will come not by a gentlemen's agreement, but through so decisive a victory by one of the great powers that it will be able to dictate and enforce international law, as Rome did from Augustus to Aurelius. Such interludes of widespread peace are unnatural and exceptional; they will soon be ended by changes in the distribution of military power.

Now, consider how well this hypothetical exchange, written in 1968, applies to the current situation between the U.S. and the Muslim world:

First, the "imaginary" president has become all too real, in the person of Barack Obama. Above and beyond his so-called "historic Cairo speech," where he reached out to and cloyingly flattered the Muslim world, everything this man has subsequently said and done—from expunging all references to Islam in U.S. security documents, to ordering NASA to make Muslims "feel good" about themselves—far exceeds the expressed outreach of the imaginary president....

Over at Gatestone Institute (via RaymondIbrahim.com) I discuss the latest toy that is angering Muslims:

Saudi Arabians are angry at a McDonald's toy which they say mocks their prophet Muhammad. According to a report appearing today (5/27/12) on the Arabic news website, Kermalkom.com, the McDonald's fast food restaurant "abused the Prophet Muhammad by placing his name at the base of a toy that is being distributed as part of the Happy Meal, a toy which steps on the name 'Muhammad.'"

The toy consists of a blue superhero figurine (apparently a Power Ranger Samurai). It stands on one leg, and, when the lever is pressed, it pounds on the base with the other leg. According to the Saudis, the designs that appear all around the base, where the figurine stomps its foot, is really the name "Muhammad" written several times in circles (click here for pictures).

The toy had been distributed a few days before Saudi children and their parents began to take note of the name. Soon thereafter, Saudi Muslims launched several campaigns against McDonald's in "response to the savage attacks on the noble Prophet," under banners like "Help your Prophet!" and "Together in support of the Prophet."

Saudis, "demanding the strongest possible punishment for the restaurant" and insisting that "they will not be silent until this is realized," further complained how such an obvious insult could pass the supervision of the management at McDonalds.

In response, "Saudi McDonald's" has withdrawn the toy from all its restaurants, "in order to safeguard against any accusations or misunderstandings."

Emboldened by the weakness of the West, jihadis everywhere are growing more assertive and aggressive. "Somali Islamists fire on foreign warships," from AFP, May 29 (thanks to Twostellas):

Somalia: Somalia's Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents said Tuesday they had fired on two foreign warships that came in close to the key rebel port of Kismayo, in the first such reported incident.

"The mujahedeen fighters opened fire and repulsed two military ships that approached the coast of Kismayo, they were coming close to the coast when they were attacked," said Sheikh Hassan Yaqub, a top Shebab official in Kismayo.

"They have sped away from the coastal areas after the shooting and they are not there anymore," Yaqub added.

The nationality of the reported warships is not known, but several foreign navies operate anti-piracy patrols off the coast of the Horn of Africa nation.

Nine warships in a European Union naval force are currently deployed off Somalia by France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and The Netherlands....

At Atlas Shrugs I discuss the recent cancellation of the Lady Gaga concert in Indonesia and some of its implications:

Muslim threats last week led Lady Gaga to cancel her planned concert in Indonesia. Because of their disapproval of Lady Gaga, some conservatives in the West have applauded this, noting that Christians there opposed her as well, and asserting that any non-Muslim society with a healthy regard for decent values would not allow to her to perform, either. Society, some argued, should hold the good, not freedom, as its highest value.

Left unexplained, however, is how a commonly accepted understanding of "the good" is to be arrived at, and particularly how such an understanding could be restored in 21st-century America without imposing an authoritarian regime of some kind. Also, one wonders if proponents of such ideas would object to the intimidation and particularly to the death threats that ultimately led to the cancellation of Lady Gaga's Indonesian show.

Sharia states are oriented toward the good, not freedom, as their highest value. How would the ideal state of these authoritarian Western "conservatives" be different? A young Saudi imam said it a few years ago: “Your leaders want to bring your freedom to Islamic society. We don’t want freedom. The difference between Muslims and the West is we are controlled by God’s laws, which don’t change for 1,400 years. Your laws change with your leaders.” Jihadists routinely deride Western freedom as libertinism: “In essence,” one explained, “the kufr [unbelief] of Western society can be summed up in one word which is used over and over to justify its presence, growth, and its glorification … Freedom. Yet what such a society fails to comprehend, is that such ‘freedom’ simply represents the worship and enslavement to desires, opinions, and whims, a disregard for what is (truly) right, and a disregard for the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth.”

While many of us might deplore the depravity of today’s pop culture, we should not let Islamic moral critique put us on the defensive. In reality, the freedom at which the jihadists sneer is an essential component of any genuine morality. “Australian law guarantees freedoms up to a crazy level,” remarked the controversial former Australian mufti Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali—but without freedom, even “up to a crazy level,” morality is hollow. The secular West, with all its irreligion and debauchery, provides the only authentic framework for genuine virtue. Without the freedom to choose evil, choosing good is not a virtue. It’s nothing more than submitting to coercion. Islam’s moral critique likewise founders on the divine sanction given to violence in the Qur’an and Islamic tradition....

There is more.

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) on Tuesday raided a publishing house in Petaling Jaya and detained its director over the publication of a controversial book by liberal Muslim activist Irshad Manji.

Twenty Jais enforcement officers also confiscated 180 copies of the book 'Allah, Liberty and Love' from the premises in the 11.30am raid.

Jais acting director Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad confirmed the seizure and arrest when contacted.

The company's director was arrested under Section 16(1)(a) of the Selangor Syariah {Sharia] Criminal Enactment for allegedly publishing contentious material against Syariah law.

He was later released on a RM1,800 [USD 570] bail with one surety by Syariah Magistrate's Court judge Shahrudin Selamat.

Mohd Shahzihan also gave Jais two months to prepare its case against the company and its director.

The Home Ministry has banned the book and its translated version 'Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta' [Allah, Liberty and Love in Malay] as it contradicted the Quran and Hadith.

The ministry decided to ban the book by Ugandan-born Canadian writer Irshad Manji under Section 7 Subsection 1 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, which prohibits materials deemed "offensive or morally prejudicial".

Irshad is also known to openly support the lesbian, gay and bisexual and transsexual lifestyles.

Her previous book The Trouble With Islam Today was banned in Malaysia in 2009.

This will never happen, but it is good to see someone piercing through the Islamic supremacist fog of denial and evasion of responsibility. "Zagib [sic] Zarakolu: Turkey must accept the historic truth," by Karen Ghazaryan for Public Radio of Armenia, May 29 (thanks to Twostellas):

Turkish writer and publisher Ragib Zarakolu again criticized the Turkish policy of denial, as he received the Armenian Presidential Prize today.

“My generation knew what happened and tried to conceal it. However, the younger generation had to believe this lie under certain conditions, which is even worse. Koran says ‘Give up telling lies first and always speak the truth,’” the Turkish publisher said. According to him, Turkey has gone blind and deaf.

“My country has turned into a cemetery of the dumb,” the Turkish intellectual stated. Zarakolu added that as the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide approaches, Turkey must come to understand that recognizing and apologizing fro it has become a precondition for establishment of democratic society in the country.

“Turkey must accept the historic truth. This is the only way for Turkey to restore the trust in itself. Recognition, apology and reimbursement – these will never bring back what has been lost,” he noted.

Acts of war. "U.S. officials among the targets of Iran-linked assassination plots," by Joby Warrick in the Washington Post, May 27 (thanks to Ahmad):

In November, the tide of daily cable traffic to the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan brought a chilling message for Ambassador Matthew Bryza, then the top U.S. diplomat to the small Central Asian country. A plot to kill Americans had been uncovered, the message read, and embassy officials were on the target list.

The details, scant at first, became clearer as intelligence agencies from both countries stepped up their probe. The plot had two strands, U.S. officials learned, one involving snipers with silencer-equipped rifles and the other a car bomb, apparently intended to kill embassy employees or members of their families.

Both strands could be traced back to the same place, the officials were told: Azerbaijan’s southern neighbor, Iran.

The threat, many details of which were never made public, appeared to recede after Azerbaijani authorities rounded up nearly two dozen people in waves of arrests early this year. Precisely who ordered the hits, and why, was never conclusively determined. But U.S. and Middle Eastern officials now see the attempts as part of a broader campaign by Iran-linked operatives to kill foreign diplomats in at least seven countries over a span of 13 months. The targets have included two Saudi officials, a half-dozen Israelis and — in the Azerbaijan case — several Americans, the officials say....

PET's former operative chief Hans Joergen Bonnichsen said: "To me there is no doubt that the latest arrests are rooted in the Muhammad cartoons." Yet still no one in the West denounces the madness and irrationality of killing and plotting to kill over cartoon images. Instead, the calls continue to limit the freedom of speech to appease the irrationally violent.

"PET foil 'concrete terror action,'" by Christian Wenande in the Copenhagen Post, May 29 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Domestic intelligence services have picked up two Danish-Somali brothers suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in Denmark.

The two brothers, who are believed to have connections to the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab, were arrested on Monday evening and are due to appear in court today in Aarhus for preliminary questioning.

One of the brothers was arrested in Aarhus while the other was arrested at Copenhagen Airport. Authorities have ransacked two addresses in connection with the arrests.

Domestic intelligence agency PET suspect the two brothers, aged 18 and 23, of planning a terror attack in Denmark after hearing them discuss potential targets, methods of attack and use of weaponry. Both brothers are Danish citizens of Somali heritage and have lived in the Aarhus area for about 16 years.

One of the brothers is suspected to have received instruction at an al-Shabab training base in Somalia, which is a new phenomenon for a terror arrest in Denmark, according to Hans Jørgen Bonnichsen, the former operative head of PET.

”It makes a difference whether or not they have been trained or are self-active,” Bonnichsen told Politiken newspaper. “It is the first time in Denmark that an arrested individual has been trained, and the odds of success increases greatly the moment that one is operationally capable.”...

“It is the belief of PET that a concrete terror action has been prevented with these arrests," PET wrote on its website. “And the arrests do not change the assessment of the terror threat level in Denmark, which is still viewed as being serious.”

Meanwhile, the umbrella organisation for 13 Somali associations, AarhuSomali, was shocked about the terror plans and have vowed to help the authorities any way they can.

“I am concerned, shocked and sad about the situation concerning two young Somali brothers arrested for terror,” AarhuSomali spokesman Abdirahman M. Lidle told Ekstra Bladet tabloid. “We want the case to be solved and will help any way we can.”

Despite several enquiries in the Somali community, no information has surfaced about the two arrested brothers.

How odd! I thought they wanted to help any way they could!

Careful, now: might have been an Amish extremist. "Kenya: Blast blamed on 'Arabic-looking bearded man'" from PTI, May 29:

Nairobi: An explosion ripped through a building full of small shops in downtown Nairobi on Monday, injuring at least 33 people, including a woman who blamed the blast on a "bearded man" who left behind a bag shortly before the detonation.

Police officials first indicated the explosion could have been caused by some sort of electrical malfunction but the Prime Minister said it was deliberate. Al-Shabab -- an Islamist militant group from Somalia -- has threatened to carry out such an attack....

Speaking to a news agency from a Nairobi hospital bed, Irene Wachira said a bearded man came to a nearby stall three times and acted as if he were interested in buying something. Wachira said the third time he came with a bag that he left behind. The blast occurred shortly afterward, she said.

Wachira, a vendor in the building, described the man as "Arabic-looking" because of his relatively light skin. A doctor told the news agency that another person wounded in the blast said a Somali-looking man left behind the bag. The doctor said he could not be quoted by name.

Police officials who first responded hesitated to blame terrorism, given the lack of shrapnel. Kenya Power ruled out an electrical fault as the cause. The national electricity agency said the building had no ground-mounted transformer that would explode and determined that all electrical connections to the building that would blow in a short circuit remained intact.

The police later released a statement saying that the cause of the explosion had not yet been established. Police are investigating the possibility that an improvised explosive device caused the blast, though the police said it was unlikely a conventional bomb had been used.

Good thing we expended all that American blood and treasure to fight the Afghan jihadists, eh? Meanwhile, note that the problem here is not just the Taliban, but the Afghan government -- both of which are committed to Sharia, which denies women basic rights. "Afghan women leave the country in fear of Taliban return," by Tracy McVeigh for the Guardian, May 26 (thanks to Banafsheh Zand):

A brain drain of bright young women is already taking place in Afghanistan before the 2014 handover that many fear will mean a reversal of advances in women's rights.

The lack of commitment by the Afghan government to equality and to tackling the high rates of ill-treatment of women in the home and in the workplace is raising real fears they will be at the bottom of the political agenda in the push for power after Nato forces leave the country.

Worsening security for civilians – casualties among ordinary Afghans have risen year on year for the last five years with 3,021 killed in 2011, and women are thought to be suffering disproportionately – has led to rising numbers of women and girls leaving education and the workforce and staying indoors, according to Guhramaana Kakar, a gender adviser to President Hamid Karzai.

Speaking to the Observer, Kakar said negotiations between the government and the Taliban and other insurgent groups were ignoring women's rights. A recent survey by charity ActionAid suggested 86% of Afghan women were fearful of a return to Taliban-style rule. One in five worried about the education of their daughters but 72% said their lives were better now than a decade ago....

Do you really think that the Muslim Brotherhood will get this close to power and then be denied? "There will be violence if Shafiq wins." Indeed.

"Egyptian protesters set fire to headquarters of Hosni Mubarak's presidential candidate," by Richard Spencer in the Telegraph, May 28 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

Protesters set fire to the campaign headquarters of Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister after it was confirmed that the former regime figure would face the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood's candidate in the second-round of Egypt's election.

The flames at Ahmed Shafiq's offices are believed to have been started by the same young revolutionaries who overthrew Mr Mubarak and who have warned that they would not accept any of his former henchman as their president.

Mr Shafiq, a former air force general, essentially took day-to-day control of the Egyptian government last year as anti-Mubarak crowds gathered in Tahrir Square.

No one was was reported hurt after the demonstrators vandalised the Cairo offices and set them on fire.

"There will be violence if Shafiq wins," Mohammed al-Daramali, of a group calling itself The Coalition to Rescue the Revolution, said at the weekend.

"Shafiq's place is prison, not the presidential chair."

Mr Shafiq has said he will honour the revolution, but has refused to distance himself from his previous description of Mr Mubarak as his "role model".

The army is braced for protests after the vote on June 16-17 and there is a high likelihood of trouble in the run-up. On Saturday, a verdict is due in Mr Mubarak's trial on charges of murder and corruption, with anger likely to meet anything less than a heavy sentence....

These Tunisians have somehow gotten the crazy idea that Osama was a representative Muslim, and that jihadists are good Muslims, not hijackers of the Religion of Peace. Are they reading the writings of greasy Islamophobes? More on this story. Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: "Thousands of Tunisians [sic] Salafis: 'Obama, We Are All Osama'; MC Calls US President 'The Ape Obama,'" from MEMRI, May 20 (thanks to Ima):

The following are excerpts from a rally which aired on the Internet on May 20, 2012.

Crowd: “Obama, Obama, we are all Osama...” (continuous cheer, the slogan rhymes in Arabic obama, obama, kuluna osama) [...]

Speaker: “Some Tunisians and some Muslims are afraid of the jihadists

We must ask, How come?

Because the enemies have distorted the image of the jihadists, presenting them as the enemies of the Muslims.

We say: no! Every Muslim is a jihadist

Every Muslim is a jihadist [...]

The enemies of Islam want us to be like sheep, to act like women.

They want to deprive us of our will.

They plundered Palestine and other lands and holy places.

They want the jihadists behind bars

Why? So that the holy places will not be liberated?

We are all jihadists, supporting Jerusalem, and elevating the word of Allah. [...]

Let us all cry 'Allah akbar' together, so that Obama the ape can hear us. All together now!

Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "Let America hear us!

Say 'Allah Akbar!'

Crowd: “Allahu Akbar”

Speaker: "Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "We are coming, We are coming"

Crowd: "We are coming, We are coming"

Speaker: "We are coming, We are coming"

Crowd: "We are coming, We are coming"

Speaker: "Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "Say 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: “Allah Akbar”

Speaker: "Hear us Obama!

Say 'Allah Akbar!'”

Crowd: “Allah Akbar” (Men with covered faces do martial arts on stage in front of the crowd)

Crowd: Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammad is returning (Slogan repeats and rhymes: jeisha Muhammad soufa y`aud) (x5) (After several minutes of demonstrating hand to hand combat, the men start demondtrating fighting with wooden swords)...

What? They haven't heard that the Qur'an preaches tolerance and respect for the People of the Book? Imam Rauf, call your office! "Skopje: Moslem Demo 'Death to the Christians,'" from PI News, May 18 (thanks to Lachlan):

Back in March, PI reported about the numerous outbreaks of violence between the Muslim-Albanian minority and the non-Muslim-Slavic majority in Macedonia. Currently, the situation appears to be heightening once again after a series of murders of Christians. As Austrian news magazine “Unzensuriert” (“Uncensored”) reports, in the Macedonian capital city of Skopje, slogans like “Allahu akbar,” “Death to Christians,” and “Jihad” were shouted by several thousand Moslems in a demonstration parade after the traditional Friday prayers. The special thing about this is: Skopje is the home of the German “exemplary” imam Bajrambejamin Idriz. His father has preached lifelong as an imam at the Jaja Pascha mosque from which the current aggressive demonstrations start.

(By Michael Stürzenberger)

“Unzensuriert” describes executions of Christians, with seeming confidence that they were carried out by Moslems:

On April 12th, the eve of the highest Orthodox holiday, Good Friday, the bodies of five ethnic Macedonians were discovered in a pond in a northeastern suburb of Skopje. The bodies of four men aged around 20 years lay very neatly arranged next to each other and showed evidence of shots in the front and behind – an unavoidable indication of an organized execution. The fifth victim, a man around 45 years, who was an apparent witness of the incident lay a little farther away beside them.

Even though the evidence for the offenses by three arrested Moslems is “earth moving” according to the Macedonian interior ministry, masses of Moslems demonstrated against the arrest of their fellow believers.

The real demand of the demonstrators involves the release of 20 Moslems, mostly from the Albanian national group that were arrested May 2nd this year by the Macedonian police after a three-week search in connection with the murder of five ethnic Macedonians. According to statements by the Macedonian interior ministry, the evidence for a direct participation by three of the detainees, all former Afganistan warriors, is earth moving. Several automatic weapons as well as Jihad propaganda material was secured from among the suspects.

In spite of denials on the side of the authorities and foreign representatives, the Macedonian population immediately recognized the writing of Muslim-Albanian extremists. A deep shock and a deep fear came upon the country’s whole Christian population this Easter weekend, however the ethnic-religious debates began back in 2001 with the murder of an elderly couple living in the single-level around Skopje. In a first, but again, quickly stifled reaction, there arose demonstrations by ethnic Macedonians, a storming of the Albanian townships located north of the Vardar River was prevented by massive police involvement.

It is always the same Islam principle that has been observed in Cologne, Berlin and above all in the burning suburbs of Paris: A Moslem commits a crime, but is covered, however, by the “Umma” because the coherence of the Moslem society is more important than the objective question of guilt. Pelagon – news reports from Macedonia – describes these unfathomable conditions in Skopje:

Around 1500 radical islamists protested today in the Macedonian capital Skopje and demanded the release of five incarcerated islamists who are suspected of having murdered four young men aged 18-20 years and a 45-year-old man on April 12th of this year. On May 2nd of this year, the Macedonian police arrested a total of 20 persons after a three-week manhunt, three of which are accused of having direct involvement in the crime. Two other direct suspects in the crime are fugitives, possibly in bordering Kosovo. The gruesome murder of five fishermen at an inland lake near Skopje shocked not only the Macedonian public but also stirred up interest in the other Balkan countries. The time of the murder also allows for the deduction of an extreme islamistic motive. The murder occurred on Good Friday and thus just before the Orthodox festival of Easter (..)

The demonstrators began their march in front of the Jaja Pascha mosque in Skopje and ended it in front of the Macedonian government building. Such shouts as “Allahu akber,” “Kill the Christians,” and “Jihad” could be heard more and more. The strong police presence saw to it that the demonstrators could commit only minor damage to property.

Notice the imprint on the T-shirt of the devout religious demonstrator: “Islam will dominate the world”:

Read it all.

The war on terror is long over. The Taliban are not the enemy of the U.S. Military and intelligence training materials have been scrubbed of any hint that there is any Islamic jihad against the U.S. As far as the U.S. Government is concerned, there isn't. The Obama Administration has applauded and in some cases actively aided the "Arab Spring" that is bringing Sharia rule to Egypt, Libya and elsewhere, and is abetting through the courts efforts to procure special privileges and accommodations for Muslims in American businesses and educational institutions.

We are at peace, except for our hearts-and-minds operation appealing to the Noble People of Afghanistan. All is well. And so in these millennial days of peace, we look back in gratitude upon those who sacrificed all to preserve our nation and our freedom, and marvel at the wondrous times in which we live, when sacrifice is no longer necessary.

In reality, of course, it's Memorial Day, and the jihad is stronger than ever, more confident than ever, and we are everywhere in denial, with our government and law enforcement officials, as well as the mainstream media, more clueless or complicit than ever.

The millennial time of peace in which we live is, of course, illusory, and that will do nothing but become clearer and clearer in the coming days and months.

A huge adjustment in our political and military culture is called for if we are going to prevail. The only way we can truly honor the fallen today is to call things by their right names, see things clearly, and begin to move toward doing what is necessary to defend ourselves and Constitutional liberties.

As dark as the picture appears to be, an increasing number of people are waking up. And we must keep fighting. To do anything less would be to dishonor those we are endeavoring to honor today.

GEORGE TOWN: Umno assemblyman Dr Hilmi Yahaya hit out at Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for propagating politics of hatred over the demolition of a Hindu temple last month.

Teluk Bahang representative Hilmi said Lim has stirred the religious sensitivities of Hindus by blaming Umno and Barisan Nasional for the demolition.

He said Lim could have instead easily resolved the issue by engaging Penang port management, the Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB).

“He attempted to create hatred among Hindus against Umno and BN when we are the innocent parties,” said Hilmi, also the PPSB chairman.

The 40-year-old temple located just outside the Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal (PBCT) was demolished in April.

PBCT general manager, Abdul Halim Abdul Kader apparently ordered the demolition citing the temple posed danger because it was located next to a chemical pipeline.

No points for guessing which is more important to many Muslims--a pipeline or a temple.

Hilmi maintained that PBCT management ordered the demolition with his knowledge.

However, Lim was quick to lay the blame on Umno and BN for the tearing down of the temple.

At the recent assembly sitting, Lim even warned that Hindu temples could be in danger if Umno was returned to power in Penang.

Now where would Minister Lim get such a crazy idea that Muslims are a threat to Hindu temples, or to Buddhist temples or Christian churches for that matter? Perhaps, as he is a non-Muslim living in a majority Muslim state, he must know what he's talking about?

Irked by Lim’s comments, state opposition leader Azhar Ibrahim lodged a police report against the DAP secretary-general over his comments.

Malay [Islamic] supremacist organisation Perkasa also conducted mock Hindu funeral rites for Lim outside his residence, claiming that the chief minister was inciting racial and religious hatred.

This is Sharia, or at least it is until the Imam Rauf jets over to Tehran and explains to the mullahs how they're misunderstanding Islam, and how Sharia is benign and completely compatible with the principles of freedom enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

"Iranian youth publicly whipped for drinking alcohol+ video," from Mohabat News, May 25 (thanks to Lachlan):

A video clip recently uploaded to YouTube shows a young Iranian man being publicly whipped as punishment for drinking alcohol.

Freedom Messenger -- The clip, uploaded by members of the Iranian opposition, shows a young many lying on his stomach in a city square and being whipped at least 20 times by a masked man.

To the side stands another man, a cleric, who appears to be instructing the flogger on how to carry out the punishment. Dozens of locals are seen looking on.

The user who published the clip said that it was filmed last Sunday in the village of Miane in northwest Iran. Witnesses said the young man had been arrested for allegedly drinking alcohol.

Consumption of alcohol is forbidden in the Islamic Republic, as is the import or sale of alcohol, although Jews and Christians are permitted to use wine for ritual purposes. From time to time, the police conduct raids to combat the smuggling of alcohol into Iran, mostly from other Gulf countries.

However, many young people remain undeterred by the ban on alcohol and continue to hold parties where it flows freely, apparently unconcerned that they could find themselves in the same situation as the young man in the video.

Public flogging is a punishment given not only for drinking, but also for other violations of Sharia law. Last year, Iranian student Fayman Aaraf was flogged for insulting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a letter he sent from prison. In Aaraf's case, he was not publicly whipped – although his wife and a number of legal officials from Tehran were present.

No one will take much note of this. It is just one story among the thousands that together tell the tale of France's decline and Islamization. Eurabia Update: Here is my translation of "Carcassonne Des fidèles caillassés pendant la messe à Saint-Joseph," by Yannick Bonnefoy in Midi Libre, May 27 (thanks to David):

Carcassonne: The faithful stoned during Mass at St. Joseph

Yesterday at 6:20PM, as Fr. Roger Barthes began to celebrate mass, four youths, aged 14 to 18, broke into the Church of St. Joseph, before launching handfuls of pebbles at 150 faithful present at the service. Immediately, men began pursuing the young troublemakers, but in vain. They managed to vanish into thin air, heading towards the city La Conte.

Interrupted by regrettable unexpected event, Mass was finally able to proceed as planned. Although no one was injured and nothing was broken in the church, located along the Avenue Jean Moulin, the parishioners, many of whom are elderly, were greatly shocked by the disrespectful act of the youths of North African origin....

Will the Islamophobia never end? "Zanzibar Islamists burn churches, riot - police," by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala for Reuters, May 27 (thanks to Clark):

DAR ES SALAAM, May 27 (Reuters) - Hundreds of supporters of a separatist Islamist group set fire to two churches and clashed with police during protests in Zanzibar over the weekend against the arrest of senior members of the movement, police and witnesses said.

Police accused the Uamsho (Awakening) group of ordering its supporters on to the streets - but the movement's leadership denied having any part in the unrest.

Clashes broke out in the historic commercial and tourism centre of Stone Town on Saturday night and continued until Sunday afternoon, witnesses told Reuters.

The reports of attacks on churches will raise fears of an escalation in religious tensions in the predominantly Muslim island ruled by a semi-autonomous secular government. Several bars were attacked last year.

Shops remained closed and people stayed in their homes on Sunday as riot police patrolled the streets of Stone Town, witnesses said.

"There is a lot of tension, people are hiding in their houses. All the streets are empty, it's the only the police who are out there," resident Mai Zuberi told Reuters by phone.

"There were clashes all night on Saturday and the violence continued until noon today. All the roads were blocked in the Stone Town area," Zuberi added.

Police said they had arrested 30 members of Uamsho - a Swahili acronym of its full name the Association for Islamic Mobilisation and Propagation. Uamsho has called for a referendum on Zanzibar's exit from its union with mainland Tanzania.

"We will continue to search for more leaders of the Uamsho group, which was responsible for inciting these riots," Zanzibar Police Commissioner Mussa Ali Mussa said in a statement on Sunday.

"One church was extensively burnt by the protesters, and the second was partially burnt and the protesters were prevented from completely destroying it," he told Reuters by phone separately....

How? With a strongly-worded letter? "Panetta: U.S. is Ready to Stop Iran from Creating Nuclear Weapons," by Beth Reinhard for the National Journal, May 27 (thanks to Mackie):

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Sunday indirectly confirmed recent remarks by the Ambassador to Israel that the U.S. is “ready from a military perspective’’ to stop Iran from making a nuclear weapon if international pressure fails.

The U.S. and members of the United Nations Security Council recently met in Baghdad for talks about Iran’s suspected nuclear weapon program. Iran denies it has military intentions but has called for the destruction of Israel.

“We have plans to be able to implement any contingency we have to in order to defend ourselves,’’ Panetta said on ABC’s This Week. Earlier, Panetta said, “The fundamental premise is that neither the United States or the international community is going to allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.’’...

Panetta also condemned Pakistan for sentencing a doctor to prison for helping the U.S. hunt down terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

Shakil Afridi was convicted last week of high treason and sentenced to 33 years, sparking outrage in Washington. Some lawmakers suggested cutting U.S. aid to Pakistan.

“It is so difficult to understand and it’s so disturbing that they would sentence this doctor to 33 years for helping in the search for the most notorious terrorist in our times,” Panetta said. "This doctor was not working against Pakistan. He was working against al-Qaida.''

Actually, it isn't difficult to understand at all. But of course Panetta is among the PC authorities who just removed the truth about Islam from all military and intelligence training, so for him it probably is difficult to understand indeed.

At last this much-anticipated debate has been rescheduled for this Monday, May 28, at 8PM on ABN. Recently David and I teamed up against Anjem Choudary and Sheikh Omar Bakri to debate the same question, did Muhammad exist? (Watch that one here.) As David explains, "we showed that two Muslim apologists couldn't defend the existence of their prophet....Choudary and Bakri relied on a backwards, archaic, absurd methodology ('The Qur'an says it, so it must be true!'). Can a more sophisticated argument show that Muhammad existed? Only one way to find out."

And get the book here.

UPDATE: The deal has broken down.

---------------------

The "secular" Tuareg unite with Islamic supremacists to create a Sharia state in the new state of Azawad. "Mali rebel groups unite to create new Islamist state," from AFP, May 27 (thanks to David):

AFP - Tuareg rebels and the Islamist rebel group Ansar Dine announced Saturday they are joining forces and creating a body to rule northern Mali as an independent Islamic state.

"The Ansar Dine movement and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (Tuareg MNLA) proclaim their dissolution in Azawad (northern Mali)," the two groups said in an agreement sent to AFP.

"The two movements have created the transitional council of the Islamic state of Azawad," said the groups, which have been controlling the area for the past two months, in their "protocol agreement".

"We are all in favour of the independence of Azawad," they said, adding that "we all accept Islam as the religion."...

"Allah has triumphed," declared Sanda Ould Bouamama, an Ansar Dine spokesman in the northern Malian desert city of Timbuktu....

Iranian police in pursuit of their vision of the good

Should society be oriented toward freedom, or toward the good, as its highest value? In Iran, the regime has firmly opted for the latter, and beats women who get out of line. Sharia Alert from the Islamic Republic of Iran: "Flowers and beatings for women attending book fair + photo," from Mohabat News, May 23 (thanks to Lachlan):

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, women arriving at Tehran's 25th annual International Book Fair in the obligatory Islamic hejab were presented with flowers by the organisers. Meanwhile outside the entrance women deemed to be defying the regime's Islamic values by not dressing appropriately were beaten and dragged away by religious police.

Shahrzad -- After a photograph published on the internet showing officers dragging a woman towards a police van was quickly taken up by major international news agencies, the fair's organisers condemned such behaviour. Aftab News reported that director Bahman Dari had issued a statement dissociating his office from the beating and public humiliation of women. "We shall not tolerate the physical harassment of women on our territory, and will deal with those responsible."

When I wrote before about Islamic supremacist opposition to Lady Gaga in modern, moderate Indonesia, some people noted that Christians there opposed her as well, and asserted that any non-Muslim society with a healthy regard for decent values would not allow to her to perform, either. Society, some argued, should hold the good, not freedom, as its highest value. Left unexplained, however, is how a commonly accepted understanding of "the good" is to be arrived at, and particularly how such an understanding could be restored in 21st-century America without imposing an authoritarian regime of some kind. Also, one wonders if proponents of such ideas would object to the intimidation and particularly to the death threats that ultimately led to the cancellation of Lady Gaga's Indonesian show.

And finally, Sharia states are oriented toward the good, not freedom, as their highest value. How would the ideal state of these authoritarian Western "conservatives" be different?

"Lady Gaga cancels Indonesian show after threats," by Niniek Karmini for the Associated Press, May 27 (thanks to all who sent this in):

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Lady Gaga has canceled her sold-out show in Indonesia over security concerns after Muslim hard-liners threatened violence if the pop diva went ahead with her "Born This Way Ball," promoters said Sunday.

The Islamic Defenders Front said Lady Gaga's sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt youth in the world's most populous Muslim country.

The group said supporters had bought tickets to the concert and planned to enter and force it to be stopped. It also threatened that thousands of protesters would confront the singer on her way from the airport.

Police had said they would only issue the required permits for the concert if Lady Gaga agreed to tone things down. Instead, she pulled the plug on the show, which had sold out with more than 50,000 tickets.

"With threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga's side is calling off the concert," Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for concert promoter Big Daddy, told reporters Sunday.

"This is not only about Lady Gaga's security, but extends to those who will be watching her."

Indonesia, a secular nation of 240 million people, is often held up by the U.S. and others in the West as example of how Islam and democracy can coexist....

As the great philosopher once said, Well, duh.

"'Shalit Deal Encouraged Terrorists,'" by Elad Benari for Israel National News, May 25 (thanks to Voice of the Copts):

The Deputy head of the Binyamin Regional Council, Moti Yogev, said on Thursday that terrorists have been encouraged to try to carry out attacks against Israelis because of the deal to free Gilad Shalit.

Yogev spoke to Arutz Sheva one day after security officials revealed that the Shin Bet and the IDF broke up three terror cells operating in Hevron.

One of the cells, affiliated with Hamas’ military wing, was led by two 21-year-olds from Hevron, one of whom – Mahmoud Dwek – has been previously jailed for expressing a desire to serve as a suicide bomber in an attack against Israel.

The cell also planted a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the security fence surrounding the community of Kiryat Arba and was planning to kidnap one of the Jewish residents of Hevron. If the kidnapping failed, they planned to murder the target.

Israel and Hamas signed a deal in October which saw Shalit being released after more than five years in captivity in exchange for 1,026 terrorists.

Several of the terrorists who were freed in the deal have since been re-arrested after Israeli security forces gathered evidence that they have resumed terror activity. At least one terrorist sent a memory card to relatives with detailed instructions on how to kidnap more soldiers.

“The security situation has worsened in part because of the terrorists from the Shalit deal who are here on the ground, celebrating the fact that they are senior experienced terrorists,” Yogev charged. “Some of the terrorists who were freed came to Judea and Samaria, though I do not have the exact numbers or locations. Some were not allowed to come to Judea and Samaria but it is not difficult to start and lead by example. They employ others, be it to carry out kidnappings, shooting attacks, rock throwing and general disorder.”...

KOTA BARU: PAS appears to make a small consensus following the controversy on designs of new buildings but insist there be no images of idols.

The Kelantan state government will allow buildings to be constructed without any Islamic features so long they do not have elements that are against the religion, said Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

'Mentri Besar' means senior minister of the Malaysian State government, or the equivalent of a U.S. state governor.

“Islam is a universal religion and is suitable for all races. The Buddhist association can build it (its new building) as long as it does not have elements that go against Islam.

“For instance, they can have any Chinese designs, architecture or colours but they are discouraged from putting images of idols on the buildings,” he told reporters after launching the state Muktamar Dewan Ulama PAS in Machang Saturday.

There you go. As long as it doesn't have 'idols' or other, um, 'unIslamic elements'. That sounds 'moderate', doesn't it? Of course, a typical Buddhist temple is probably chock-full of non-Islamic elements, but never mind.

He was asked to comment on a controversy involving the Kelantan Buddhist Association, which was required to abide by municipal by-laws requiring new buildings within its jurisdiction to have Islamic features.

It had been reported that the Kelantan Buddhist Association had submitted an appeal to the state government for its building to be constructed with Chinese features at Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin here.

In the U.S.A., Leftist judges and smiling imams tell us that Sharia is benign and fully compatible with the U.S. Constitution. In Yemen, the Supporters of Sharia eagerly claim credit for mass murder.

"Ansar al-Sharia claims responsibility for massacre in Yemen," from AGI, May 21:

(AGI)Sanaa - Almost 100 people died in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa when a suicide bomber blew himself up. Militant group Ansar al-Sharia, which is affiliated to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, claimed resposibility [sic] for the massacre stating it was in retaliation against the "crimes" committed by Yemeni security forces. In the past few weeks the military launched an offensive against terrorists. . .

Why did Abet Hasman think he had to keep his conversion secret? Could it be because of Islam's death penalty for apostasy that Muslim spokesmen in the West routinely deny exists? People who grow up in Muslim lands, such as Abet Hasman, know better.

"Abet Hasman: A Crypto-Christian in Greek Politics," from Mystagogy, May 16 (thanks to Clark):

Abet Hasman, the deputy mayor of Patras and head of the municipal social services, left a secret revealed only in his obituary, read at his funeral by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras - that he was secretly baptized an Orthodox Christian. Abet, who was born a Muslim and came to Greece from Jordan to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Thessaloniki and finally settled in Patras in 1985, was baptized secretly by Metropolitan Chrysostomos when he was 57 years old. According to the Metropolitan: "He did not say it anywhere. But one day he approached me and asked me to baptize him. He chose the name Alexander, and we baptized a little while later his son. I baptized him in the Chapel of St. John the Theologian of the Diocese." He goes on to mention that he was married in the Church of Saint Andrew, and his son was also baptized with the name Alexander at the Church of Panagia of Paralias. He loved Greek history and especially Alexander the Great, which is why he chose the name for himself and for his son.

Another setback for the merry pranksters of Hamas-linked CAIR

Despite the best efforts of Hamas-linked CAIR's Honest Ibe Hooper and Nihad Awad, it is still legal for Americans to defend themselves against Islamic jihad. At least so far.

"NYPD Muslim surveillance legal, New Jersey officials say," from the Associated Press, May 26:

TRENTON, N.J. – New York City police did not violate New Jersey laws when they conducted surveillance of Muslim businesses, mosques and student groups, Gov. Chris Christie's administration said Thursday following a three-month review, a finding that angered Muslim leaders who had sought a clampdown on the cross-border police operations.

The conclusion by Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa, a Christie appointee asked by the governor to look into the spying, means New Jersey Muslims have no state recourse to stop the New York Police Department from infiltrating student groups, videotaping mosque-goers or collecting their license plate numbers as they pray.

Such operations were part of a widespread NYPD program to collect intelligence on Muslim communities both inside New York and beyond. Undercover officers and informants eavesdropped in Muslim cafes and monitored sermons, even when there was no evidence of a crime. The result was that many innocent business owners, students and others were cataloged in police files.

The interstate surveillance efforts, revealed by The Associated Press earlier this year, angered many Muslims and New Jersey officials. Some, like Newark Mayor Cory Booker and the state's top FBI official, criticized the tactics. Others, like Christie, focused more on the fact that the NYPD didn't tell New Jersey exactly what it was up to.

In response, Chiesa launched what he described as a fact-finding review. That review concluded that the NYPD's operations violated no state laws, either civil or criminal....

Chiesa, the governor's former chief counsel and a longtime confidante, outlined the state's findings in closed-door meetings Thursday afternoon with Muslim leaders.

"We remain committed to striking the appropriate balance of ensuring the safety of our citizens through vigilance in fighting terrorism, while not undermining the public's confidence in how we approach that mission," Chiesa said in a written statement.

Muslim leaders said they were told that every instance of NYPD activity in New Jersey had been justified by a lead, but that the attorney general would not provide any details on the nature of any of those leads, saying the fact-finding was ongoing.

They said that they did not find the assertion credible and that their efforts to maintain communication between the community and law enforcement would be hurt by the findings that the NYPD had done nothing wrong — and could keep doing what they have been doing.

"It was basically an, 'FYI, good Thursday afternoon, let it die in the media before the Memorial Day weekend,'" said Mohamed El-Filali, executive director of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, across the Hudson River from New York. If the surveillance of every mosque, burger joint and barbershop targeted was justified, he asked, why were no arrests made?

Aref Assaf of the American Arab Forum said the attorney general made them feel like second-class citizens.

"I said to him it's not only insulting, it's offensive to our sense of justice, that you bring us to Trenton to tell us that you accept as legal and valid the actions of the NYPD, and I will not be surprised if you're issuing an order informing your law enforcement officials that they too can spy on American Muslisms [sic] because if it's legal for NYPD, than it must be legal for NJ to do the same."

The Muslim leaders said they would consider all legal options, including renewed appeals for action by the U.S. Justice Department. A federal civil rights lawsuit has also been considered....

The NYPD has long maintained that its operations were lawful and necessary to keep the city safe. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the NYPD can gather intelligence anywhere in the country it wants and is not required to tell local authorities. NYPD lawyers say they are not bound by jurisdictional lines because they are just collecting intelligence, not making arrests or otherwise acting as police.

Told of New Jersey's findings, Bloomberg's spokesman, Marc La Vorgna, said in a statement: "We've said it time and again, NYPD has kept the city safe and they conduct their work legally."

The attorney general said a directive he issued requires all New Jersey law enforcement agencies to notify the New Jersey State Police Counter-Terrorism Bureau and the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness if they hear of outside departments working in New Jersey. The state agencies will then coordinate with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, of which the NYPD is a member.

Chiesa said he is also establishing a Muslim outreach committee....

Oh, good. That will solve everything.

The Brotherhood is selling a bridge, and America's foremost dhimmi dim bulb is eagerly buying. "Egypt's Brotherhood would keep Israel treaty: Carter," by Tom Pfeiffer for Reuters, May 2 (thanks to Choi):

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood may seek to modify, but will not destroy, Egypt's 33-year-old peace treaty with Israel, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Saturday.

Carter, 87, was speaking after initial vote tallies put the Brotherhood's candidate ahead in the first round of Egypt's presidential election, which his Carter Center helped monitor.

The U.S. statesman, who brought together Israeli leader Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat in 1978 to agree the Camp David accords which led to a 1979 treaty, said he had held long discussions with senior Brotherhood figures in Egypt this week.

"My opinion is that the treaty will not be modified in any unilateral way," Carter said at a news conference in Cairo to present the preliminary findings of his election monitors.

Official results in Egypt's first free leadership election are due on Tuesday, but informal tallies put the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi and Mubarak's last Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in the lead. If confirmed, they would fight a run-off in June.

Hamdeen Sabahy, a leftist who has championed Palestinian resistance against Israel, was running a close third.

The peace treaty remains a lynchpin of U.S./Middle East policy and, despite its unpopularity with many Egyptians, was staunchly upheld by President Hosni Mubarak until his overthrow last year in a popular uprising.

The Brotherhood, long suppressed under Mubarak, is vehemently critical of Israel, and its Palestinian offshoot Hamas rules the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have watched political turmoil since Mubarak's overthrow with growing wariness.

TIES

Mubarak's fall opened up a freer form of Egyptian politics in which the popular mood looms far larger.

Mursi criticizes Israel but says he would respect the treaty. One of his aides said Mursi would not meet Israeli officials as president, though he might delegate that task.

Cairo needs good ties with Israel's closest ally the United States, which provides billions of dollars in military and civilian aid and is pressing other major foreign donors to support Egypt's struggling economy.

But some of the election contenders said the peace treaty should be reviewed, partly because of perceptions the deal Carter brokered was biased in Israel's favor.

Carter said the treaty had not been violated by either side since its inception and that any problems had been resolved peacefully, including a flare-up of tension last year over the killing of some Egyptian border guards.

"The Israelis apologized for that. They see great value in preserving the treaty," said Carter....

The Egyptians have made a mockery of it -- while not going to war with Israel, they've encouraged a level of Islamic antisemitism that has put the Muslim Brotherhood at the forefront of Egyptian politics and cast the future of the peace treaty with Israel into doubt.

Larissa Scott of SIOA-Florida has written an important article in the American Thinker about Islamic supremacist propaganda broadcast into U.S. schools via Channel One. Please contact Larissa directly at lazycanoe@gmail.com if you have children who remember watching these two videos in school last week, on 5/16 and 5/17.

"Stealth Islamic Propaganda Shown to Six Million American Students," by Larissa Scott in the American Thinker, May 25:

On May 16 and 17 of 2012, Channel One Network, a national distributor of educational videos and newscasts viewed daily by over 8,000 middle and high schools, aired a two-part video series, titled "Young and Muslim in America" and "Islam in America."

In "Young and Muslim in America: How being a part of Islam changed ten years ago, Part 1," students watch as Muhtasham Sifaat, 18, kneels on a prayer rug inside an empty classroom.

His voiceover explains how he moved around a lot when he was younger, but Islam has given him stability.  What is not revealed is that Mr. Sifaat is a political activist serving as a chapter president of the Muslim Students Association (MSA), one of the most radical Muslim Brotherhood front groups in America.

The MSA pledge states: "Allah is my lord.  Islam is my life.  The Koran is my guide.  The Sunna is my practice.  Jihad is my spirit.  Righteousness is my character.  Paradise is my goal.  I enjoin what is right.  I forbid what is wrong.  I will fight against oppression.  And I will die to establish Islam."

Kyle Smith, 22, gives an overview of the five pillars of Islam before the narrator explains:

Kyle, who's president of his university's Muslim Students Association, grew up in a Roman Catholic family, but converted to Islam three years ago after searching for meaning in his life (italics mine)...two of his friends led him to the religion.

Doesn't searching for meaning in life describe almost every American adolescent?   Presenting an idealized, whitewashed image of Islam and its followers, and showing how converting to Islam helps those who are lost and confused, this programming is nothing short of a disguised recruitment video pushing a religion in a public school setting....

Read it all.

Sam Harris here enunciates common-sense truths that seem to elude most of the learned analysts these days, whether out of cowardice and fear or a keen eye for the profit margins. "To Profile or Not to Profile? A Debate between Sam Harris and Bruce Schneier" at Sam Harris's site, May 25 (thanks to Hugo):

And I am not proposing a mere correlation between extremist Islam and suicidal terrorism. I am claiming that the relationship is causal. There are many ways to see this, and not too many ways to credibly deny it (though Robert Pape keeps at it by skewing his data with the Tamil Tigers).

The first sign of a religious cause comes from what the terrorists say of themselves: al Qaeda and its sympathizers have not been shy about discussing their motives in public. The second indication is what they say when they think no one is listening. As you know, we now have a trove of private communications among jihadists. The fine points of theology are never far from their thoughts and regularly constrain their actions. The 19 hijackers were under surveillance by German police for months before September 11, 2001 (read Perfect Soldiers). Islam was all that these men appeared to care about.

And we should recall how other people behave when subjected to military occupation or political abuse. Where are the Tibetan Buddhist suicide bombers? They have the suicide part down, because they are now practicing a campaign of self-immolation—which, being the incendiary equivalent of a hunger strike, is about as far from suicide bombing as can be conceived. And where is that long list of Palestinian Christian suicide bombers you’ve been keeping in your desk? Now would be a good time to produce it. As you know, Palestinian Christians suffer the same Israeli occupation. How many have blown themselves up on a bus in Tel Aviv? One? Two? Where, for that matter, are the Pakistani, Iraqi, or Egyptian suicide bombers killing for the glory of Christ? These Christian communities are regularly attacked by suicidal jihadists—why don’t they respond with the same sort of violence? This is practically a science experiment: We’ve got the same people, speaking the same language, living in the same places, eating the same food—and one group forms a death cult of aspiring martyrs and the other does not.

As I’ve written elsewhere, it isn’t impossible to conceive of Tibetan Buddhists practicing suicide bombing or of Middle Eastern Christians practicing terrorism at the same rate as their Muslim neighbors, but Islam offers a doctrine of jihad and martyrdom that makes such behavior perfectly understandable. And, again, it is the reason that jihadists themselves give for their actions.

Like everyone who speaks about "Islamophobia" as if it were a real thing, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Alam Alhoda ignores the reality of Islamic jihad and Islamic supremacism -- the only things that make anyone suspicious of Muslims in the first place.

"Mashhad Friday Prayer: Islamophobia, west's only tool to fight Islam," from the Ahlul Bayt News Agency, May 26:

“Islamophobia is one of the arrogant powers’ policies against this religion (Islam) ,” Friday Prayer Leader of Mashhad, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Alam Alhoda said.

“The enemies of Islam and the arrogant powers are weak against Islam and find themselves unable to blunt the wave of spreading Islamic Awakening in the world, “said Ayatollah Seyyed Alam Alhoda, stating that for this reason they try different policies and strategies against this divine religion to reach what they are after.

“Arrogant powers do their best to destroy the holiness of this religion or anything and anyone related to it,” the Muslim scholar mentioned.

The cleric pointed to the Iranian singer, Shahin Najafi who insulted Imam Hadi (PBUH) and said,” the enemies should know that through such heinous acts, they cannot make Muslims pessimistic and skeptic toward Islam.

“The arrogant power are intimidated by the spread of Islam around the world, in other word, they are afraid that may be in the future this divine religion get globalized,” said Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Alam Alhoda....

It isn't globalized already?

No one expected this! Why, the Pakistani authorities are as honest and interested in equal justice for the nation's Christians as the day is long! "Bhatti Murder Case in Pakistan Increasingly Murky," from CDN, May 25 (thanks to Kenneth):

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 25 (CDN) — The investigation into the murder of Pakistan’s only cabinet-level Christian, Shahbaz Bhatti, has become mired amid suspicions of a possible cover-up, sources said.

Lax investigations, a series of freed suspects and lack of coordination across law enforcement organizations have stalled the case following the March 2, 2011 slaying of the federal minister for Minority Affairs, they said. A trial court in the garrison town of Rawalpindi this month exonerated yet another suspect arrested for his alleged role in the murder.

Rana Masood Akhtar, special judge in Anti-terrorism Court II, freed Ziaur Rehman after an investigating officer told the court that he was no longer wanted in the case due to lack of evidence. Bhatti’s family cited business disputes between Rehman and Bhatti as their reason for suspecting Rehman.

In February police had dropped investigations into another suspect, Abid Malik for lack of evidence. At first, Rehman had fled, managing to escape when police arrested Malik from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Bhatti’s brother, Paul Bhatti, said the family is not satisfied with the police investigation and authorities’ low level of interest in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

“We thought Ziaur Rehman’s arrest would lead us to the killers of my brother, because the police had obtained an international arrest warrant based on evidence,” he said. “I don’t understand why they issued the request [for an Interpol warrant] if they did not have sufficient evidence.”

Bhatti’s All Pakistan Minorities Alliance has also condemned inaction and lack of seriousness of government authorities.

In June 2011, a trial court released Hafiz Nazar Muhammad for lack of evidence after arresting him for having made threatening calls to Bhatti from Sargodha.

Bhatti was an outspoken critic of the country’s widely condemned “blasphemy” laws. At the scene of Bhatti’s murder, police recovered a leaflet, presumably left by the attackers, asserting that they had killed him for raising his voice against the blasphemy laws....

The American Spectator has a detailed summary and review of my book Did Muhammad Exist?. The summation:

As for the question of Muhammad's existence, Spencer gives a concise answer to round off his book: "the full truth of whether a prophet named Muhammad lived in seventh-century Arabia, and if he did, what sort of a man he was, may never be known" (p. 216), but for too long, the topic of Islamic historiography has been confined to highly specialized academia, with the growing problem of Islamist intimidation.

Thus, an accessible primer on the subject as we have here is most welcome. In addition, the project of translating this book into Arabic is to be commended.

In the years to come, it would be good to see Spencer's book prescribed as introductory reading for courses on Islam in schools and universities. I myself have taken the step of donating his book to Brasenose College's library, and hope that others will similarly distribute the work upon reading it.

At last this much-anticipated debate has been rescheduled for this Monday, May 28, at 8PM on ABN. Recently David and I teamed up against Anjem Choudary and Sheikh Omar Bakri to debate the same question, did Muhammad exist? (Watch that one here.) As David explains, "we showed that two Muslim apologists couldn't defend the existence of their prophet....Choudary and Bakri relied on a backwards, archaic, absurd methodology ('The Qur'an says it, so it must be true!'). Can a more sophisticated argument show that Muhammad existed? Only one way to find out."

And get the book here.

It's a great day for freedom. Thank you to all Jihad Watch readers who heeded my call to email and tweet Governor Brownback urging him to sign Kansas's anti-Sharia law. Brownback's office was flooded with messages from defenders of freedom, and he heeded us. Pamela Geller has more details here. "Governor Signs Bill Blocking Use Of Islamic Law," from Associated Press, May 25:

Gov. Sam Brownback has signed into law a bill aimed at keeping Kansas courts or government agencies from basing decisions on Islamic or other foreign legal codes.

Brownback's office notified the Senate of his action Friday, but he actually signed the measure Monday. The new law will take effect in July.

Muslim groups had urged him to veto the measure, arguing it promotes discrimination. Supporters say it simply restates American values.

Supporters have worried about Shariah law being applied in Kansas courts. However, they also point out that the bill doesn't specifically mention codes within the Islamic legal system.

Instead, it says courts or other tribunals can't base rulings on any foreign law or legal system that would not grant rights guaranteed by state and U.S. constitutions.

Will the Islamophobia never end? "Indian Kashmir, Muslims set fire to a Catholic church," by Nirmala Carvalho for Asia News, May 25 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Srinagar (AsiaNews) - An [sic] "planned" attack, with the clear goal of "scaring to death the Christian community. The chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir must act to ensure security for the faithful and places of worship", says Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), reacting to AsiaNews to the arson attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Srinagar, two days ago. The main entrance was completely destroyed, but the timely intervention of a security guard prevented the fire from degenerating. Cameras captured two attacker who targeted the Church in the evening (20.30 hours the local, ed) their names are still unknown. All Christian communities in the valley of Kashmir have expressed solidarity with the Catholic Church.

The films show two men taking advantage of the temporary absence of the security guard. In those moments, the attackers threw petrol and other flammable material at the front door, then set it on fire. Fortunately, the guard came back in time to stop the fire to spreading: the entire building structure is made of wood.

Fr. Mathew Thomas, pastor of Holy Family, told AsiaNews: "What happened to us is very worrying. Watching the video, you understand that it is a premeditated attack, and that the two attackers were well aware of what happens in church. At the end of January, my bike was burnt, we have not found out why, nor who the culprits were. It was clear that even then, the goal was the church. On two other occasions, the Virgin has interceded for us. May She protect us and save us forever. "

"What happened - said the president of the GCIC - is not an isolated case. I think the persecution suffered by Rev. CM Khanna over baptising young Muslims, or the couple arrested while at the market. With these gestures, the Muslim community is trying to intimidate the Christian minority. But there are not even 400 Christians in Srinagar: I appeal to Omar Abdullah, chief minister, a Muslim who studied in Christian institutions. He must protect the entire population of Srinagar, including minorities. "

The chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir (the only Indian state with a Muslim majority, ed) attended Burn Hall School, a prestigious Catholic institution directed by Fr. Jim Borst, Dutch missionary, for years accused of proselytizing.

I tried to tell you. "Brotherhood man promises Islamic law in Egypt," by Tom Perry for Reuters, May 25:

(Reuters) - When he joined the race for Egypt's presidency just five weeks ago, Mohamed Mursi was mocked as the Muslim Brotherhood's uncharismatic "spare tyre" after its first-choice candidate was disqualified.

But the 60-year-old engineer came first in the opening round, according to a Brotherhood tally after most votes were counted, thanks to a campaign that showed off the unequalled political muscle of Egypt's oldest Islamist movement....

A Brotherhood official said that with votes counted from about 12,800 of the roughly 13,100 polling stations, Mursi had 25 percent, Shafiq 23 percent, a rival Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh 20 percent and leftist Hamdeen Sabahy 19 percent.

Calling himself the only authentic Islamist in the race, Mursi has targeted devout voters whose support helped the Brotherhood and the ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamist movement to secure 70 percent of parliament seats earlier this year.

He has promised to implement Islamic sharia during rallies peppered with references to the Koran, God and the Prophet Mohammad and occasionally interrupted by pauses for mass prayer....

Mursi has called for a review of Cairo's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, saying Egypt's neighbor has not respected the agreement, a line mirroring that of most of the other candidates in the race. The group has said it will not tear up the deal....

A stocky, bespectacled man with a grey-white beard, Mursi has traveled across Egypt promoting the Brotherhood's "renaissance project" - an 80-page manifesto based on what it terms its "centrist understanding" of Islam.

His success has dismayed non-Islamists, not least Christians who make up about a tenth of the population, unconvinced by promises that freedoms will be safe in a Brotherhood-led Egypt.

"It was for the sake of the Islamic sharia that men were ... thrown into prison. Their blood and existence rests on our shoulders now," Mursi said during one campaign rally.

"We will work together to realize their dream of implementing sharia," said the Brotherhood contender, who himself spent time in jail under Mubarak.

Mursi, who obtained his doctorate from the United States, is a long-serving, influential figure in the Brotherhood, a movement outlawed under Mubarak but which won close to half of the seats in parliamentary elections held after his overthrow.

Mursi ran only after the electoral commission barred Khairat al-Shater, the Brotherhood's preferred candidate, in April.

Like other Islamist contenders, Mursi has courted the ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamist movement, which has emerged in the past year to challenge the Brotherhood's dominance.

The Nour Party, a Salafi group that won more than a fifth of the seats in the parliamentary vote, endorsed Mursi's main Islamist rival, Abol Fotouh, who parted ways with the Brotherhood last year and cast himself as a moderate.

In a gesture to Gama'a al-Islamiya, another Salafi group, Mursi has pledged to work for the release of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, a militant preacher imprisoned in the United States in the 1990s for plotting attacks in New York.

Abdel-Rahman is the spiritual leader of Gama'a al-Islamiya, which was involved in the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat but renounced violence in 1997. The group has entered mainstream politics since Mubarak was toppled.

Another cleric, the independent Safwat el-Hegazi, added a radical flavor to Mursi's campaign, taking to the stage at his events to call for a Muslim super-state with Jerusalem as its capital and drawing enthusiastic chants from the crowds.

RURAL CHILDHOOD

Mursi's own speech-making style is stiff and formal. Critics say he lacks the charisma of some of his rivals. Other Brotherhood leaders, Shater among them, have appeared alongside Mursi at campaign events, reinforcing the impression this is a presidential bid by a movement, not an individual.

The son of a peasant, Mursi has spoken of a simple childhood in a village in the Nile Delta province of Sharqia, recalling how his mother taught him prayer and the Koran.

He studied engineering at Cairo University and in 1978 went to California to complete his studies. He returned to Egypt in 1985. Two of his five children hold U.S. citizenship.

Helmi el-Gazzar, a Brotherhood MP who has known Mursi for years, describes him as a scientific character with an analytical mind. "He was an indefatigable man, tangibly eager to perform the tasks for which he was responsible," Gazzar told Reuters, recalling his days working with Mursi in Cairo.

Mursi's critics portray him as a Brotherhood apparatchik and part of a conservative clique within the group who has long been dismissive of other political forces in Egypt.

"He feels they do not have roots in the Egyptian street," said Mohamed Habib, a former deputy Brotherhood leader, who left the group last year in protest at its post-Mubarak policies.

Head of the Freedom and Justice Party that the Brotherhood established last year, Mursi comes across as deeply committed to the 84-year-old movement. His daughter is married to the son of another Brotherhood leader and he has described his wife, who wears a long, cape-like headscarf, as a Brotherhood activist.

GOD AND NATION

Like other members, Mursi has sworn allegiance to the Brotherhood, raising questions over whether that would outweigh his loyalty to Egypt. Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie has said Mursi would be relieved of the oath if elected president.

Mursi has described his challenge for the presidency in terms of duty. "I am walking this path to satisfy God and out of concern for our nation and people," he said.

Despite his campaign trail emphasis on Islamic law, when it comes to television interviews, he has typically tried to ease concerns about what Islamist rule would mean.

For example, he has said Egypt will not become a theocracy, adding that there is little difference between the phrase "the principles of the sharia" - the term found in the current Egyptian constitution - and the sharia itself.

Pushed by one TV interviewer to clarify what Islamist rule might mean for bikini-wearing on Egypt's beaches - one element of a vital tourist industry - Mursi did not give a clear answer.

He described such issues as "very marginal, very superficial and affecting a very limited number of places", adding that sector specialists must be consulted on all draft laws.

The Brotherhood's "renaissance" programme sketches out the group's vision on everything from fighting inflation to forging ties with the United States on a more equal footing. It envisions deeper ties with Turkey - a Muslim state that Brotherhood leaders often cite as a model of success.

Mursi has cited fear of judgment day as one reason for seeking the Egypt's top office. "We are worried that God will ask us, on the day of reckoning: 'What did you do when you saw that the nation was in need of sacrifice and effort?'" he said.

Destroyed free speech, the freedom of conscience, and equality of rights for women and non-Muslims, of course.

He should have said "just a few of them blow up places." But anyway, it is an indication of how much the freedom of speech is under threat today that just because one guy said a boneheaded thing, the entire corps of city inspectors has to go to reeducation camp. "Taxi inspector's comment about Muslims leads to diversity training recommendation," by Brian Wilson for The Tennessean, May 24 (thanks to Twostellas):

City officials on Thursday recommended sensitivity training for all city inspectors of taxis, limousines and wrecker services after one of them said in an interview that most of the city’s drivers are Muslim and “a lot of them blow up places.”...

The recommendation for sensitivity training for all commission employees, including McQuistion, stemmed from comments one of the inspectors made when he was interviewed.

“One inspector explained that they had 98 or 99 percent of foreign drivers and most were Muslim. He said they did not mind ‘taking you with them,’” the report said.

The same inspector told investigators that “a lot of them blew up places,” an unfounded allegation for which no evidence was offered....

Long overdue and not enough, since it was "largely symbolic." "Washington US cuts Pakistan aid over conviction of 'Bin Laden doctor,'" from Asia News, May 25 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) - In a 30-0 vote, a US Senate panel cut US$ 33 million from its aid package to Pakistan in response to the conviction of a Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden. The cut by the Senate Appropriations Committee to its US$ 52 billion US foreign aid budget was largely symbolic, one million dollar for every year of Shakil Afridi's sentence.

On Wednesday, Dr Afridi was convicted for treason under a tribal justice system in Khyber district and fined US$ 3,500 for helping the United States find al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad near the capital Islamabad. Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in May 2011.

Dr Afridi, who is now in jail in Peshawar, was not present in court and so was unable to give his side of the story. He ran a fake vaccination programme to collect DNA samples that allowed US intelligence to find al Qaeda's founder.

"The United States does not believe there is any basis for holding Dr Afridi. We regret the fact that he was convicted and the severity of his sentence," Clinton said, calling his treatment "unjust and unwarranted."

Analysts say the Pakistani establishment opted for such harsh treatment not only to defy the Americans but also to send a message to all Pakistani contacts of American diplomatic missions to desist from repeating Dr Afridi's "mistake"....

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry has banned Irshad Manji's book titled Allah, Liberty and Love as it contravenes teachings of the Al-Quran [sic] and Hadith.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman said the ministry had decided to ban the book under Section 7 (Subsection 1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Irshad's book, which was translated into the Malay language, had been forwarded to the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to be studied.

"This is because the book, which is believed to have elements that can deviate Muslims from their faith and which insulted Islam, has received numerous complaints," he said in a statement here Thursday.

"The ministry received a report from Jakim, and based on its findings, the contents have elements that can confuse the public and contain words that insult Islam," he said.

Irshad is a liberal Muslim activist who openly supports Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) lifestyles.

On July 30, 2009, her previous book, entitled The Trouble With Islam Today, was also banned in Malaysia. - Bernama

He joins the Yemeni "sorceress" who was beheaded last month. "Yemeni Jew stabbed to death in Sanaa," from the Jerusalem Post, May 22:

A member of the Jewish community in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa was stabbed to death by a Muslim man accusing him of witchcraft on Tuesday, AFP quoted the man’s son as saying.

Aharon Zindani succumbed to his wounds at an area hospital after being critically injured in the attack, the community’s rabbi told AFP.

Zindani, 50, “was stabbed at Saawan market near the US Embassy in northeast Sanaa,” his son Yehya was quoted as saying. “He received stab wounds to his neck and stomach.”

Yehya described the attacker as a “wellknown person who says my father has ruined and bewitched him.”

According to Israeli media reports, the attacker stabbed Zindani 12 times before being stopped by a group of men and detained.

A friend of Zindani, Shlomo Grafi, told Army Radio that he had been killed by a “member of al-Qaida.”

Zindani had returned to Yemen after he had made aliya and lived in Israel in the 1990s, he said.

Grafi claimed that the Jewish community in Sanaa, numbering some 80 members, did not feel in danger despite Yemen’s volatile political climate.

According to El Badil, Sheikh Ahmed al-Mahlawi recently gave a sermon in his popular Alexandrian mosque, where he warned the ulema (Islam’s scholars and theologians), from “appearing on TV programs with women who do not wear the hijab.” He pointed out that some make the excuse that, because they see non-veiled women all the time in the streets of Egypt, sitting with one at a TV studio should be fine as well. For Sheikh Mahlawi, however, the ulema have no choice about seeing non-veiled women in the streets, “since that is imposed on them,” but, where they have a say—such as whether to appear on TV with an unveiled woman—they must say no. He then proceeded to brag about how a female official from the U.S. Consulate wanted to meet with him, but he made her wear the hijab first. Finally, he culminated his sermon by warning against “those who do not wish to apply Allah’s Sharia, who love the West, and wish to implement homosexual marriage.”

Over at FrontPage Magazine (via RaymondIbrahim.com), I place Egypt's presidential elections in context:

Egypt's long awaited and much anticipated presidential elections—the first of their kind to take place in the nation's 7,000 year history—are here. As we await the final results—and as the Western mainstream media fixate on images of purple-stained fingers—it is well to remember that there is much more at stake in Egypt's elections than the mere "right" to vote.

While some Egyptians are certainly voting according to their convictions, the fundamental divide revolves around religion—how much or how little the candidates in question are in favor of Islamic Sharia law. In other words, Islamists are voting for Islamists—Abdel Mon'im Abul Futuh and Muhammad Mursi—whereas non-Islamists (secularists, liberals, and non-Muslims) are voting for non-Islamists, such as Amr Musa and Ahmed Shafiq.

Bear in mind that this is not the same thing as American voters being divided between "liberal" Democrats and "conservative" Republicans; rather, this election is much more existential in nature—possibly cataclysmic for Egyptian society. For, whereas both American Republicans and Democrats operate under the selfsame U.S. Constitution, in Egypt, an Islamist president will usher in Sharia law, which will fundamentally transform the nation...

And "the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohammed Mursi said voters would not accept anyone from 'Mubarak's corrupt regime.'" Sharia Or Blood in Egypt: "Queues Build As Voting Continues In Egypt," from Sky News, May 24:

Egyptians are voting for the second day in the country's historic presidential election, 15 months after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak....

The vote began on Wednesday, amid huge excitement and some anger over one of the leading candidates in the race.

Ahmed Shafiq, the former prime minister under Mubarak, was pelted with stones and shoes as he voted in Cairo. "The coward is here," one man shouted as the 70-year-old was forced to retreat to his car.

Shafiq, a former Air Force commander, is expected to win significant support in the election, although his ties to the old regime make him a deeply divisive figure.

On Twitter, some young Egyptians who joined the revolution bemoaned their parents' support for the controversial candidate.

"My dad is actually trying to convince me with Shafiq," one tweeter complained....

The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohammed Mursi said voters would not accept anyone from "Mubarak's corrupt regime"....

"The official said the house was reportedly used by suspected foreign and Punjabi Taliban militants." Maybe the mosque was as well. But that won't stop a fresh outpouring of victimhood posturing from our pro-jihad Pakistani "ally." "Pakistan official: US drone strike hits mosque; 10 killed," from MSNBC, May 24 (thanks to Twostellas):

A U.S. drone strike hit a village mosque in northwest Pakistan Thursday morning, killing at least 10 people, a Pakistani official and witnesses told NBC News.

Local tribesmen said ten bodies were pulled from the debris and that efforts were underway to retrieve others, NBC News reported.

"The drone fired two missiles and hit the village mosque where a number of people were offering Fajr (morning) prayer," local tribal elder Roashan Din told NBC News.

A Pakistani security official based in the area said the drone hit the mosque in the Hasukhel area of Mir Ali in North Waziristan.

"The drone fired two missiles and pounded a house," a local administration official in Mir Ali told NBC News. "Four U.S. spy planes are flying over the area."

The official said the house was reportedly used by suspected foreign and Punjabi Taliban militants. Officials told Reuters that a pilotless aircraft fired the two missiles, although the news agency described the targeted structure as a "compound."...

Egypt's Christians on the brink. Don't they know that Sharia is entirely benign and compatible with the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution? Or have they been listening to greasy Islamophobes? "Egypt's Christians Vote to Keep Out Islamists," by Ines Bel Aiba for AFP, May 24:

CAIRO (AFP) -- Many Egyptian Christians felt marginalised under former president Hosni Mubarak and are voting to keep an Islamist from replacing him out of fear that their community will be further sidelined.

In Shubra, a working-class Cairo neighbourhood home to many Copts, voting lines were long, and the worry and tension felt by many Christians was palpable.

"I don't want the Islamists. If they come to power and I oppose them, they will say I am criticising their religion and who knows what they'll do to me? We can't talk to them," said 57-year-old Sanaa Rateb after casting her ballot. Dressed in a floral jacket topped with a pearl necklace, Rateb railed against those, including the Muslim Brotherhood, who object to a Christian or a woman standing as president.

"It's a mistake. Where is the principle of citizenship in all this? I have the right, as a woman or as a Copt, to stand for the presidency if I want," she said.

Nassim Ghaly, a young man with a cross tattooed on his wrist in the distinctive manner of Egyptian Christians, interjected: "God protect us if the Islamists come to power and they control the parliament and the presidency at the same time."

Like all the Copts questioned on Wednesday, Rateb and Ghaly voted for Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister to serve under Mubarak, whose campaign posters were the most visible in Shubra.

"Shafiq is a respectable man who can restore the country," said Mary, who declined to give her family name.

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox church, whose patriarch, Pope Shenouda, died in March, has refrained from endorsing a candidate, but Mary insisted that within the community "everyone is voting for Shafiq."

But she says the community is not looking to Shafiq to protect their rights as Christians.

"We don't want anyone to defend us. We just don't want any problems and to be left alone," she said....

The Coptic community, which makes up between six and 10 percent of Egypt's 82 million-strong population, is traditionally low-key and fairly absent from the country's circles of power.

"What we want is a non-religious state," which would guarantee the rights of all religious groups, Sanaa Halim, in her sixties, said.

"The Islamists trends are worrying," one of her friends added, declining to give her name. "And what have they done in parliament? Nothing, except talk about women and female circumcision."...

Asked about her position on Egypt's Islamists, a young Christian woman responded dryly: "I'm sorry, I don't wish to say anything on that subject."

Hmmm. Maybe there are ways around Barack Obama's supine and obsequious reaction to the jihad threat from Iran. "Top Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guards Dropping Like Flies," by David Lev for Israel National News, May 24 (thanks to Voice of the Copts):

At least ten top members of the Iran's Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Pasdaran) group have died under suspicious circumstances in recent months, the Defense Online website reported Thursday. Those killed include generals and other top-ranked officials, and many of them have died in “apparently violent circumstances,” the report said.

The Guardians act as a combination border patrol, modesty police, and internal security apparatus in Iran. Their mission is to ensure that the Islamic Revolution does not fall by the wayside, and that Iranians continue to submit to the wills of the mullahs running the country. The Guardians are considered one of the most powerful organizations in Iran today, controls its own paramilitary group, employs 90,000 people, and is said to have tens of billions of holdings in businesses.

It is tension over those holdings that have gotten the officers killed, the report says....

Iran has publicized only two of the deaths, with information on the other eight coming from democracy and rights groups operating outside of Iran.

Among the dead was General Ahmed Mansouri, a top Guardians officer who is a close relative of Supreme Leader Ayatalloh Ali Khameini. Sources in Iran say that he died of a heart attack. Two other officers died in a traffic accident. Two were found dead by apparently violent means, and no information was available from the Iranian rebel groups on the other five.

Close your eyes and let Reza Aslan and Hussein Ibish tell you that it is all Israel's fault. "PA daily op-ed expresses hope for Israel's destruction," by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik for Palestinian Media Watch, May 24:

An op-ed in the official PA daily published on May 15, the anniversary of the founding of the modern state of Israel, reiterated the Palestinian Authority's consistent denial of Israel's right to exist and its hope and expectation for Israel's destruction.

In the op-ed, Israel's establishment is demonized:
"The greatest theft in history... the most criminal act that humanity has ever seen... [the establishment of a] fascist state upon the ruins of the Palestinian people, which has suffered the greatest and ugliest ethnic cleansing known to modern history."

The op-ed continues with the anticipation of Israel's destruction:
"We remember you, all of Palestine. You are present within us... until we return to you, oh Haifa, Acre, and Jaffa, all of historical Palestine... and all the temporary ones [Israelis] will go away... May their [Israeli] independence collapse, and may Palestine come back to life."

Significantly, the writer of this op-ed is not a regular staff writer of the official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, which may indicate that the editors accepted this op-ed for publication because of its content....

The "Arab Spring" once again shows itself to be a "blessed Islamic revival." "Tunisia: Salafist Congress In Kairouan Draws Thousands," by Houda Trabelsi for Magharebia, May 24:

housands [sic] of salafists converged on Kairouan Sunday (May 20th) outside the Uqba Ibn Nafi Mosque for the second annual congress of the Ansar al-Sharia movement.

As many as 5,000 people from across the country attended the event led by salafist Sheikh Abou Iyadh (aka Seif Allah Ben Hassine) and Sheikh Al-Khatib El-Idrissi.

Abou Iyadh once fought in Afghanistan and was jailed by the Ben Ali regime before being freed from prison after the revolution. His speech to attendees focused on the economy, simultaneously reassuring investors while advancing the salafist agenda.

“You who impede the wheels of the economy in our country, fear God in our people and let investors invest in Tunisia, and enough of the random protests which harm average citizens and the economy,” Abou Iyadh said.

He also called on followers to establish an Islamic syndicate to “give the employee his due”, calling on supporters to “break away from the secular unions”.

Regarding Tunisian tourism, which many citizens see as threatened by the spread of the salafism, Abou Iyadh sought to calm anxiety. “Travel agencies, Why the fear of us? We ask God for guidance for you so that tourism is correct with Sharia, and for my brothers, we will not change evil with the hand but will change it with the call,” he said.

Organisers of the Ansar al-Sharia congress asked attendees to boycott all media on allegations that the Tunisian press had slandered salafism.

At the opening of the congress, there was a display of combat sports with hands, sticks and swords as a symbolic act signifying jihad, amid cheering and celebration.

Ridha Bel Haj, head of the banned Hizb Ettahrir, was among those present and gave a speech in which he stressed “the existence of a blessed Islamic revival”.

Meanwhile, Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party distanced itself from the salafist event. Amer Al-Arayedh, member of the Executive Office of Ennahda, told Magharebia that there was “no correlation between the salafist movement and the Ennahda movement. Each political party has its orientation and goals.”

“It is the right of the salafists in Tunisia to organise meetings and forums like any other movement, whether leftist or right-wing,” al-Arayedh said. “The important thing is maintaining public safety and not sparking riots and civil strife.”

On Monday, Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri warned salafists over their attempt to forcibly ban the sale of alcohol in the town of Sidi Bouzid.

Addressing the attacks on bars, al-Arayedh said Ennahda was “against any form of violence and against the imposition of any behaviour, because the state is the only one responsible for public order and for giving licenses to bars or closing them, and individuals or parties must not impose what they want by force”.

Mohamed Zied Abid, a young salafist, said the event was “the beginning of the end for the children of secularism and the advocates of division and tearing apart the Islamic ranks”.

“It seems clear that this event is a starting point to break the link between this current and the Ennahda movement,” Tunisian Mohsen Achouri told Magharebia, adding, “especially as salafism in Tunisia, as happened in Egypt, began organising ‘politically’ after licensing the salafi Reform Front party, and are awaiting licenses for other salafist parties, such as Hizb Ettahrir.”

Aiding her hook-handed jihad terrorist father-in-law to communicate with his fellow jihadists outside prison. "Abu Hamza's daughter-in-law caught smuggling SIM card into prison beneath burkha," from the Telegraph, May 23 (thanks to David):

The daughter-in-law of radical cleric Abu Hamza tried to smuggle a mobile phone SIM card into his high security prison while pregnant and clad in full muslim dress, it was disclosed today.

When Chaymae Smak visited her father-in-law at Belmarsh Prison in December 2010, she had the SIM card stashed in the coin pocket of her jeans beneath her flowing robes where security guards discovered it, London's Appeal Court heard.

She had previously visited her hook-handed father-in-law behind bars, said Mr Justice Openshaw, and was "well aware" that SIM cards were banned in prison.

Smak, 28, of Gap Road, Wandsworth, was jailed for 12 months at Blackfriars Crown Court on May 4 after she was convicted of conveying a prohibited article into prison.

She appealed her sentence in the Appeal Court today - where the facts of her case emerged for the first time - claiming she should be released for the sake of her 10-month old son, with whom she was pregnant at the time of the prison visit.

The SIM card was destined for Abu Hamza, said Mr Justice Openshaw, who was held as a high risk "Category A" inmate following his conviction for inciting murder and pending extradition on terror charges to the United States.

Smak at first claimed she had put the SIM card in her pocket several days earlier and "forgotten about it", said the judge, who added: "The jury clearly didn't accept that claim".

Mr Justice Openshaw, sitting with the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and Mr Justice Irwin, said Smak, a single mother, had given birth to a baby boy in July last year, and that the boy's grandmother is now struggling to raise him.

But, although the courts had to consider the "impact of custody on the child", a deterrent sentence was justified, ruled the judge.

Smak's lawyers claimed too much account was taken of the fact that the SIM card was destined for Abu Hamza.

But Mr Justice Openshaw held: "It seems highly relevant to the seriousness of the offence that the prisoner she was visiting was Abu Hamza, who was detained as a Category A prisoner following his conviction for inciting murder".

He added: "The particular danger of conveying a telephone SIM card to someone such as Abu Hamza is immediately obvious.

"He could use it to convey messages of support to his followers outside, or use it to encourage or incite the commission of further offences.

"The risk that this may come to pass is a seriously aggravating factor in the commission of this particular offence."...

Polygamy is sanctioned by the Qur'an (4:3) and adoption is forbidden -- see Qur'an 33:4 and 33:37-40, which refers obliquely to Muhammad's marriage to the ex-wife of his adopted son Zayd. The canonical Islamic story of this episode has Allah commanding Muhammad to marry Zayd's ex-wife in order to show that adoption is illegitimate. Critics of Muhammad throughout history have held this to be a contrived excuse that allowed Muhammad to avoid the laws of consanguinity in order to satisfy his lust -- but in any case, adoption has been ever after forbidden in Islamic law. In my new book Did Muhammad Exist? I argue that the whole story was invented in order to demonstrate that Muhammad has no son, either adopted or natural, and (given the Qur'an's assumption that all the prophets are blood relatives of one another) that therefore he is the final prophet. Either way, adoption is a goner in Islam, and these moves by the "Salvation Front" in Tunisia are yet another sign of that country's slide toward Sharia. Yes, I tried to tell you: "Tunisia: Salafite party calls for polygamy and halt to adoptions," from Adnkronos, May 23 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

Tunis, 23 May (AKI) - The recently legalised Tunisian Salafite party 'Jabhet al-Islah' has called for polygamy to be allowed and adoption to be outlawed.

"It is no longer the time for armed jihad (holy war). We don't intend to use force to stop the sale of alcohol or the wearing of bikinis on the beaches. But we will not tolerate any atatck [sic] on the symbols of Islam," the party's president Khouja Mohamed told Tunisian daily Le Temps daily Wednesay in an interview.

Protests erupted in Tunisia last October after official election results showed that the country's Islamist party Ennahda had won the first democratic elections since the Arab Spring uprisings, taking 41.47 percent of the vote and 90 seats in the new 217-member assembly.

The assembly has been tasked with rewriting the constitution, appointing a president and forming a caretaker government. Its nearest rival, the secularist Congress for the Republic, won 30 seats.

Jabhet al-Islah (The Salvation Front) admits it is the successor of the Tunisian Salvation Front party, which was founded in the 1980s and put on a US list of terrorist organisations.

But the party says it does not reject pluralism, while claiming that religion and politics cannot be separated.

"We believe Islam is a religion of democracy and freedom," Mohamed said.

Unless you're a woman or a non-Muslim.

"The main suspect, Mevlid Jasarevic, wore a traditional Wahhabi outfit and refused to stand when he entered his plea Wednesday" -- because he doesn't respect the Infidel court. Now why would three devout Muslims from Bosnia, where the U.S. has done so much to aid Muslims, shoot up the U.S. embassy? Could it be that nothing the U.S. could do would win their hearts or minds, because the U.S. is an Infidel polity, and they believe that Muslims must wage war against such polities? Naaah, that couldn't be it. Must be poverty, or a reaction to "Islamophobia."

"3 plead innocent to terror in US embassy case," from the Associated Press, May 23 (thanks to Kenneth):

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina – Three people charged by a Bosnian court with involvement in a shooting attack on the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo last October have pleaded not guilty to terrorism.

The main suspect, Mevlid Jasarevic, wore a traditional Wahhabi outfit and refused to stand when he entered his plea Wednesday.

The 23-year-old opened fire on the embassy with an automatic rifle, injuring a local policeman before authorities shot him in the leg and arrested him.

Alleged accomplices Emrah Fojnica and Munib Ahmetspahic — accused of obtaining his weapon and hiding it — also pleaded not guilty....

The Taliban believe that educating girls is un-Islamic, but that poisoning them pleases Allah. And remember: if you dare call attention to this horror, you're a greasy Islamophobe.

"Afghan girls poisoned in second anti-school attack," from Reuters, May 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

TALIQAN, Afghanistan (Reuters) - More than 120 schoolgirls and three teachers have been poisoned in the second attack in as many months blamed on conservative radicals in the country's north, Afghan police and education officials said on Wednesday.

Reuters, like all of the mainstream media, believes that you're a "conservative" if you enforce Islamic law by poisoning schoolgirls, and also that you're a "conservative" if you oppose Islamic law and the poisoning of schoolgirls.

The attack occurred in Takhar province where police said that radicals opposed to education of women and girls had used an unidentified toxic powder to contaminate the air in classrooms. Scores of students were left unconscious.

Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), says the Taliban appear intent on closing schools ahead of a 2014 withdrawal by foreign combat troops.

"A part of their Al Farooq spring offensive operation is ... to close schools. By poisoning girls they want to create fear. They try to make families not send their children to school," NDS spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Education said last week that 550 schools in 11 provinces where the Taliban have strong support had been closed down by insurgents.

Last month, 150 schoolgirls were poisoned in Takhar province after they drank contaminated water....

Uh oh. How dreadfully inconvenient for the "Islamophobia" spin machine that claims that only greasy Islamophobes link Islam to terror and mass murder. But they will ignore this, and the mainstream media and law enforcement will happily play along instead of doing what they should be doing: asking "moderate" Muslim leaders in the U.S. what they're doing about this, and what programs they've instituted in mosques and madrassas in this country to teach against the Islamic beliefs that give rise to the idea that Islam calls for murder of unbelievers. If government and law enforcement officials were worth their salt, they'd be acting upon this information in a proper manner, no matter what dissembling and denial the Muslim community in the U.S. engages in. But they aren't.

These days in America, reality is losing out to the Big Lie spread by the likes of Nihad Awad, Ibrahim Hooper, Reza Aslan, Hussein Ibish, et al. But reality has a way of continuing to break through. The blades of grass will always poke through the concrete. And one day the concrete will give way altogether.

"GI says Muslim faith motive for Ft Hood bomb plot," from the Associated Press, May 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):

WACO, Texas (AP) — A Muslim U.S. soldier accused of planning to bomb Fort Hood troops says he wasn't seeking vengeance but justice for people in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a recording played at his federal trial Wednesday.

Army Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo is heard telling his mother during a recorded jail visit that "their suffering is my suffering."

Abdo, 22, is accused of planning to detonate a bomb inside a Killeen restaurant frequented by troops from the nearby Texas Army post and then shoot any survivors.

He faces up to life in federal prison if convicted of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and five other charges. He was AWOL from Fort Campbell, Ky., when he was arrested last July at a motel in Killeen, a city about 150 miles southwest of Dallas.

Abdo is heard telling his mother that "it's all true" and "the reason is religion. There is no other reason." He says what he did was selfless because he was trying to avenge the United States' wrongful treatment of people he considers his family, and that he used every resource he had "to make things as right as possible."...

Remember: when in Muslim countries, you must abide by Muslim practices. And when in non-Muslim countries, you must abide by Muslim practices. Obama has said that he will defend the right of Muslim women in the U.S. to wear the hijab, as if anyone is denying it -- but he will say nothing about this. Islamic supremacism from modern, moderate Jordan: "Jordan Bank Fires Christian Woman Who Eschewed Hijab," by Gabe Kahn for Israel National News, May 23 (thanks to Voice of the Copts):

The Jordan Dubai Islamic Bank on Wednesday fired a Christian employee who refused to wear a scarf to cover her hair as part of uniform for female staff.

“The bank warned Vivian Salameh to cover her hair as part of the women’s uniform approved earlier this year, but she refused,” Iman Afaneh told AFP.

“Five other Christian women are working at the bank, and they are committed to wearing full uniform, including the headscarf.”

But Salameh said she “refused to wear the partial head cover because it is against my principles,” and is religious coercion.

“The bank uniform registered at the trade and industry ministry does not include wearing anything to cover my hair,” she added....

Imagine the outcry if a Christian TV station said this about Muslims. But no one will take notice of this from the "moderate" Palestinian Authority. "PA TV teaches kids: Christians and Jews are inferior, cowardly and despised," by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik for Palestinian Media Watch, May 23:

A young Palestinian girl was asked to recite a poem during a PA TV children's program. This poem, according to the host of the show, teaches children "responsibility and belonging."...

PA TV host: "You are going to recite a poem, which also teaches us responsibility and belonging."

Girl: "... The occupier stole my land and my grandfathers' land...
Where is your sword, Khaled (Arab warrior)?
Where is your courage, Saladin (Muslim conqueror)?
But no one answered me.
Where is my weapon? I found it - a stone. I took it and threw it at the enemies of destiny. I taught the world that the Muslim in the name of Allah cannot be defeated...
They challenge us with the White House, and we challenge them with the [Islamic] awakening and the Kaaba [in Mecca]. They aren't stronger than Khosrau and Caesar (rulers of Persian and Byzantine Empires).
They [Christians and Jews] are inferior and smaller, more cowardly and despised. They are remnants of the [Christian] crusaders and Khaibar (i.e., Jewish village destroyed by Muslims in 629)...
Oh Muslims of the world: Awaken, you have slept too long.
Your fathers and your sons are being massacred, your Al-Aqsa [Mosque] is defiled and destroyed."

Host: "Bravo! Applause for our friend Lara."
[PA TV (Fatah), May 11, 2012]

In WND today, Pamela Geller discusses our upcoming event competing with Hamas-linked CAIR's manipulative, cynical and deceptive "civil rights" confab. Email AFDISIOA@aol.com to register to attend our "Summer Night for Human Rights" in Manhattan Beach, California, on June 23.

One of the foremost weapons in the arsenal of subversive Muslim Brotherhood front groups in the U.S., such as the Hamas-tied Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), is to claim victimhood for Muslims in America. To hear Hamas-CAIR tell it, Muslims in the freest country in the world are being routinely attacked, brutalized and subjected to unjust suspicion by law enforcement. Meanwhile, they ignore and deny the real human-rights abuse non-Muslims suffer in Muslim countries because of Islamic law.

CAIR is bringing its victimhood show to Southern California on June 23, when the Los Angeles chapter of this repulsive Hamas-linked group is hosting a “Summer Night for Civil Rights,” which is shaping up to be a three-hour orgy of Muslim victimhood. The headliner is the supremely unfunny “comedian” Dean Obeidallah, who has just completed a “documentary” supposedly chronicling Americans’ “Islamophobia” – a concept coined by the Muslim Brotherhood to shut up Americans and scare them into thinking it is “racist” to oppose the jihad and Islamic supremacism. The others on the bill include Amir Suleiman, a “spoken word poet,” and a rapper who calls himself “Omar Offendum” (“as featured on al-Jazeera,” Hamas-tied CAIR’s poster says, touting terror TV).

One name you can be sure won’t get mentioned while these Islamic supremacists weep and moan about the supposed mistreatment of Muslims in America is that of Youcef Nadarkhani. That’s because Nadarkhani is not a Muslim victim; instead, he is one of millions of victims of Islam. Nadarkhani is a Christian pastor who is on death row in Iran for converting from Islam to Christianity – Islamic law commands that anyone who leaves Islam be put to death. All the schools of Islamic law, without exception, mandate death for those who leave Islam.

This is an international human-rights issue. What about civil rights for Pastor Youcef and other Muslim apostates in danger of death? You won’t hear a word about them from Hamas-tied CAIR. Ever. Why? Because this is the very law Muslim supremacist groups seek to impose on the U.S.: the Shariah. But we will fight these subversive groups and fight for the victims of Islam. We will fiercely give voice to the voiceless.

My organization, the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and its Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) program, along with Former Muslims United (FMU), will be hosting the first-ever “Summer Night for Human Rights” town hall on June 23 also, at the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan Beach, Calif., just minutes away from the CAIR event.

We’ve dedicated our Summer Night for Human Rights to Pastor Youcef, and we’ve invited numerous apostates from Islam to speak about the death sentence they must live under every moment because they have dared to leave Islam.

We’re calling upon Hamas-tied CAIR to stand up for Pastor Youcef and other victims of Islam’s apostasy law at their so-called “civil rights” conference and to stand for human rights for all. Under the guise of “civil rights,” these subversive groups seek to undermine the unalienable rights guaranteed to every individual under the Constitution. Their ruse must be exposed, their Shariah agenda renounced....

Read it all.

No surprise here. Just another revelation about what side the mainstream media is on. "HuffPo’s House Jihadi," by Adam Kredo for the Washington Free Beacon, May 22 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A devout Muslim who has praised Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and publicly branded all non-believers as mentally ill “animals” was recently hired to serve as the Huffington Post’s political director in the U.K.

Mehdi Hasan, a controversial British media figure whom insiders have billed as a mouthpiece for the Iranian regime, recently left his job at the left-wing New Statesman magazine to join the Huffington Post as a senior staffer, according to reports in the British press.

The Huffington Post merged with Internet giant AOL in February 2011 to form the Huffington Post media group.

Hasan formerly served as political editor of the New Statesman, which is affiliated with a socialist political party and has faced criticism for publishing articles that many observers have deemed anti-Semitic. In one instance, the New Statesman published an article titled “A Kosher Conspiracy” that purported to expose the great power of Britain’s “pro-Israel lobby.” The cover of that issue featured a Star of David piercing a Union Jack.

Hasan can be seen on tape delivering multiple religious screeds in which he accuses non-Muslims of being animals and mentally inferior.

“We do not bend our law, or morality for short term aims,” Hasan is seen saying in one video recording of his lecture. “Never. And we never lose the moral high ground.”

“Once we lose the moral high ground we are no different from the rest, of the non-Muslims, from the rest of those human beings who live their lives as animals, bending any rule to fulfill any desire,” Hassan said.

He goes on in the recording to praise Iran’s Khamenei for issuing a religious ban or “fatwa” against nuclear weapons, despite that country’s continuing pursuit of nuclear arms....

In PJMedia today I discuss my new book Did Muhammad Exist? in light of contemporary politically correct limitations on the freedom of speech.

Is it “Islamophobic” to question whether or not the standard picture of Muhammad as depicted in Muslim texts is historically accurate?

Certainly many people think so, notably the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The OIC is a fifty-six nation body (plus the Palestinian Authority) that, since the demise of the Soviet Union, comprises the largest voting bloc at the United Nations. It has been working for years to compel the UN to criminalize “Islamophobia.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a closed-door meeting with the OIC in December 2011, apparently to facilitate just that and figure out ways to circumvent the First Amendment’s protection of the freedom of speech.

Journalist Claire Berlinski notes that “the neologism ‘Islamophobia’ did not simply emerge ex nihilo”:

It was invented, deliberately, by a Muslim Brotherhood front organization, the International Institute for Islamic Thought, which is based in Northern Virginia. … Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, a former member of the IIIT who has renounced the group in disgust, was an eyewitness to the creation of the word. “This loathsome term,” he writes, “is nothing more than a thought-terminating cliche conceived in the bowels of Muslim think tanks for the purpose of beating down critics.”

Yet the mainstream media has for the most part bought into this perspective, treating all investigation of how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and supremacism as “Islamophobic,” however useful it might be to understand the motives and goals of those who have vowed to destroy the U.S. and Western civilization. Into this atmosphere comes my book Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry Into Islam’s Obscure Origins, which doesn’t touch directly on terror issues at all, but does demonstrate that Islam was political, supremacist, and violent before it was religious — a fact with considerable implications for today’s political scene.

In broad outline, the accepted story of Islam’s origins is well known. It begins with an Arabian merchant of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, known to the world as Muhammad, a name that means the “praised one.” He rejected the polytheism of his tribe and was given to frequent prayer in the hills and caves outside Mecca. In the year 610, when he was forty, he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira, about two miles from Mecca, when he was suddenly confronted by the angel Gabriel, who commanded him to recite.

For the next twenty-three years, until his death in 632, Muhammad did just that: He recited the messages he received from Gabriel, presenting them to his followers as the pure and unadulterated word of the supreme and only God. Many of his followers memorized portions. The Arabia in which Islam was born was an oral culture that respected poetic achievement, and thus the prodigious feats of memory required to memorize lengthy suras were not so unusual. After Muhammad’s death, the revelations he had received were collected together into the Qur’an, or “Recitation,” from the accounts of those who had memorized them or written them down.

There is more.

In response, Eltahawy was right on point: "It’s not me that makes Muslims look bad. It’s those atrocities that make Muslims look bad." I have made this point hundreds of times -- but the Islamic supremacists' "Islamophobia" fog machine is intent on obscuring it, with eager help from the Leftist mainstream media.

"MSNBC: Don't expose Muslim atrocities: Harvard professor doesn't want 'fuel' against Islam revealed," by Colin Flaherty for WND, May 22:

MSNBC’s new golden girl was in a pickle: If someone sees a black person committing rape or domestic violence, should he report it if it makes black people look bad?

Or if Muslims see wife-beating, genital mutilation and childhood sexual abuse, should they just keep it to themselves, because saying something gives ammunition to the “Islamophobes”?

The questions appear to be simple. But they posed a challenge for the host of the new “Melissa Harris-Perry” show when guest Mona Eltahawy talked about her Foreign Policy magazine cover story about abuse of women by men in the Muslim world.

Eltahawy speaks from experience: She had her arms broken in a demonstration in Egypt and was tortured and raped in an Egyptian jail cell.

So she seemed surprised to find Harris-Perry questioning her right to draw attention to “traditions” such as involuntary female circumcision, wife-beating and childhood sexual abuse.

“I start with a little bit of trepidation in this conversation,” the host said, “in part because I know some of the critiques of this. The very idea that Western press, those that are not from these nations, who are not Muslim ourselves, who are not part of these traditions can look at your article and say ‘ahhh, look at how horrible those men, or those societies, or that religion is.’

“And that is part of the reason why, for example, we have an under-reporting of rape and domestic violence in African American communities,” Harris-Perry continued. “Because we know the violence enacted on black men by police, so we often don’t call. Right?”

Then the MSNBC host brought in Harvard professor Leila Ahmed, who questioned whether Eltahawy should have written the article at all. Not because it was false, but because it made Muslims look bad.

“You began, Melissa, by noting that some things in the African-American community are not publicized precisely because of the racism,” said Ahmed as Harris-Perry nodded in agreement on a split screen.

“Mona, I appreciate what you do,” continued Ahmed. “I would love it if – I understand if you want to get your message across. It’s an important message. But if possible [you should not] give fuel, fodder to people who simply hate Arabs and Muslims in this climate of our day.”

Eltahawy seemed taken aback.

“That’s the whole point,” she said. “It’s not me that makes Muslims look bad. It’s those atrocities that make Muslims look bad. And as a writer, it’s my job to poke the painful places.”

Harris-Perry declined to respond to a subsequent email asking if she ever refused to report a violent crime because it would make someone look bad...

More from the U.S.'s valuable and trusted ally. How much more of this must go on before anyone in Washington notices that Pakistan is actually not on our side?

"Pakistani who helped US sentenced to prison," by Riaz Khan for the Associated Press, May 23 (thanks to Twostellas):

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani doctor who helped the U.S. track down Osama bin Laden was convicted of high treason Wednesday and sentenced to 33 years in prison, officials said, a verdict that is likely to further strain the country's relationship with Washington.

Shakil Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify bin Laden's presence at the compound in the town of Abbottabad where U.S. commandos killed the al-Qaida chief last May. The operation outraged Pakistani officials because they were not told about it beforehand.....

Ahmadinejad: Fooling the kuffar is so much fun -- and so easy!

Pull my other leg. Israeli Knesset member Faina Kirshenbaum explained in her interview with Jihad Watch's Joseph Zaalishvili: "It's very simple. At first, we know that for peaceful nuclear energy Iran needs 5 percent enriched uranium. And the Iranian regime continues to enrich uranium at a rate higher than is needed for peaceful purposes. At this point it is absolutely clear that this is all for nuclear weapons."

War Is Deceit Update: "‘Atomic weapons against Islam,’ says Ahmadinejad as Israel warns world powers not to waver in Iran talks," from al-Arabiya, May 23 (thanks to Voice of the Copts):

Islam forbids atomic weapons and other arms of mass destruction, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted on Wednesday ahead of his country’s nuclear talks with world powers in Baghdad, as Israel urged world powers not to waver in key talks with Iran.

“Based on Islamic teachings and the clear fatwa (edict) of the supreme leader, the production and use of weapons of mass destruction is haram (forbidden) and have no place in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defense doctrine,” he said.

Ahmadinejad’s message was read out at a conference in the western city of Borujerd to commemorate Iranian victims of chemical weapons during a 1980-1988 war against Iraq, the official news agency IRNA reported....

Though no published fatwa exists, Iranian scholars point out that declarations by prominent ayatollahs can later take on the weight of a fatwa.

Khamenei has spoken out against nuclear weapons on several occasions, most recently on Feb. 22 when he said that possessing an atomic bomb “constitutes a major sin.”

“The Iranian nation has never been seeking an atomic weapon and never will be,” while developing nuclear energy was in Iran's interest, he said....

"Once Gabriel promised the Prophet (that he would visit him, but Gabriel did not come) and later on he said, 'We, angels, do not enter a house which contains a picture or a dog.'" -- Sahih Bukhari 4.54.50

"Abdullah (b. Umar) (Allah be pleased with them) reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) ordered the killing of dogs and we would send (men) in Medina and its corners and we did not spare any dog that we did not kill, so much so that we killed the dog that accompanied the wet she-camel belonging to the people of the desert." -- Sahih Muslim 10.3811

"Narrated 'Aisha: The things which annul the prayers were mentioned before me. They said, "Prayer is annulled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people)." I said, 'You have made us (i.e. women) dogs.' I saw the Prophet praying while I used to lie in my bed between him and the Qibla. Whenever I was in need of something, I would slip away. for I disliked to face him." -- Sahih Bukhari 1.9.490

"Tehran police's new target: Pet dogs," by Dudi Cohen for Ynet News, May 21 (thanks to David):

...Tehran police are beefing up enforcement of Islamic law against women improperly dressed ahead of the summer, and adding a new target: pet dogs.

Police in Tehran are conducting a new crackdown on women wearing mandatory headscarves improperly or in "vulgar" dress.

Typically, such women are fined or detained in police stations until relatives collect them hours later with more modest clothing.

As part of police operations in Tehran, officers also issue warnings to dog owners walking their pets outside. In Sharia-ruled Iran, dogs are considered "impure." Dozens of dogs in Tehran were round up last month and placed in quarantine.

Iran's Islamist rulers consider ownership of pet animals "un-Islamic." Authorities distinguish between pet dogs and "work dogs" used for guarding and helping in rescue missions.

Iran's parliament even introduced a bill according to which dogs cannot be taken out in public, with offenders facing fines of up to $1,000.

Michael Coren interviews Danish psychologist Nicolai Sennels on the four main psychological differences between Westerners and Muslims. Sennels explains that while most Westerners think that anger is a sign of weakness, Muslims are brought up to think that anger is a sign of strength. Among Westerners it is seen as a sign of strength if people are able to meet criticism calmly and with logical arguments and knowledge, while Muslims see it as honourable if they meet criticism with aggression and dramatic behaviour. Thirdly, Western culture teaches people that our lives are mainly guided by ourselves - the way we think, feel, our choices, way of relating to others etc. (so called 'inner locus of control'). Muslim culture on the other hand - with all its outer religious and cultural regulations and powerful male authorities and everything happening 'inshallah' - makes people feel that their lives are governed by outer factors and leaves very little freedom for individual choices and feeling of self-responsibility, resulting in the world-famous Muslim victim mentality. Finally, Westerners are brought up to think that it is 'good' to be open and tolerant and believe in the unconditional equality of all men and women regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc., while Muslims are taught that they are better, should have more rights, to follow the brutal and intolerant traditions in sharia, and are even destined to rule over non-Muslims.

Sennels also explains why Muslim integration in the West will never happen to the necessary extent: Either they see no reason to integrate, since the Muslim parallel societies and the Western welfare systems will take care of them anyway; or they are not allowed to by their Muslim family and surroundings; or they are not able to live up to the social and professional challenges of our civilized and high-tech knowledge societies.

The "assailant" was dressed in an army uniform. Maybe he was in the army. Can the Yemenis be sure there are no "Islamic extremists" in their army? They cannot. "Suicide bomber kills up to 112 in Sana, Yemen," by Zaid al-Alayaa and Jeffrey Fleishman for the Los Angeles Times, May 22:

SANA, Yemen — A suicide bomber targeted soldiers rehearsing Monday for a military parade here, killing as many as 112 people and signaling that Islamic extremists may be shifting their focus to Yemen's capital after weeks of intense battles in outlying provinces with U.S.-backed government forces.

Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar al Sharia claimed responsibility for the bombing in retaliation for American-assisted government offensives against its strongholds in southern Yemen. Unnerved by increasedU.S. military and drone strikes, the militants struck directly at the heart of the new and fragile government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.

The attack, in which at least 300 people were injured, was the bloodiest in the capital in years and came a day after gunmen fired on a car carrying three U.S. civilian contractors training the Yemeni coast guard in the Red Sea port of Hudaydah. The Pentagon said the trio suffered minor injuries....

The attack on Sana revealed how easily militants can maneuver and exploit the nation's turmoil. Officials said an assailant dressed in an army uniform detonated a concealed bomb while troops drilled for a national holiday parade scheduled for Tuesday. Bodies and rifles were scattered across Sabin Square and four city hospitals were overwhelmed with the dead and wounded....

A statement posted on an Al Qaeda website said Yemeni officials had been "turned into mercenaries" carrying out U.S. and Western policies. It added: "We will get revenge.... What happened in Sana is only the beginning."...

The bombing came days after Yemeni forces launched major operations against militants linked to Ansar al Sharia and the group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Authorities said 19 soldiers and 33 militants were killed in weekend clashes in the south. Earlier this month, a U.S. drone strike killed Fahd Mohammed Ahmed Quso, an Al Qaeda operative believed to have plotted the bombing of the U.S. destroyer Cole in 2000 that killed 17 American sailors.

The militants had promised on their website to retaliate, calling their strategy a "flowing river" that will sweep across the impoverished country. Much of the Al Qaeda affiliate's focus has been in the south, including Abyan province, where police stations have been overrun, officials assassinated and towns seized. The tactics have frustrated Yemen's underpaid, ill-equipped army, which has been manipulated by political forces.

Islamic militants have rattled the government since Hadi's inauguration day in February, when a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people, mostly soldiers, at a presidential palace. Washington fears increased efforts by Yemeni extremists to attack U.S. targets similar to the failed plots in 2009 and this month to blow up airliners over Western skies....

Over at FrontPage, Paul Schnee has a handy report on my Wednesday Morning Club talk last week (video above). Get the book here.

If Islamists keep a list of people they never wish to see or hear from again, then Robert Spencer’s name must be high up on it. In his talk about his new book, “Did Muhammad Exist?” given at David Horowitz’s Wednesday Morning Club on May 16th, Spencer said that he was interested in the health of honest discourse in America, for nobody is ever accused of being a racist, a bigot or a hate-monger about inquiries into the existence of Jesus or the truth of Judaism. Spencer already knows the answer to his question about the health of honest discourse. Since the publication of two of his other books, “The Truth About Muhammad” and “The Politically Incorrect Guide To Islam,” the so-called ”religion of peace” has been so peaceful in its intentions towards him that he now finds it necessary to live in a secure and undisclosed location.

The more one looks for Muhammad the less of him one finds, asserted Spencer. Although Muhammad is alleged to have lived from 570 A.D. to 632 A.D., and his thirty or so conversations with the archangel Gabriel started around 610 A.D., no mention is made of him for more than another seventy years. By 690 A.D. the Muslim conquerors of the Middle East, North Africa, Persia, and India never referred to him in any way when they might well have been expected to do so, since Islam today claims he had already become their sole object of veneration by that time. Surely the vanquished would have noted how a new religion had come to conquer in the name of Muhammad and the teachings of the Quran. Again, there is only silence.

There is also doubt about the exact meaning of inscriptions inside the Dome of the Rock completed in 691 A.D. It is unclear whether the inscription predated the Quran or vice-versa or whether the inscriptions are actually referring to Jesus. But one thing is certain, noted Spencer: by that time the specifics of Islam had nowhere been elaborated, although there was the beginning of an effort to question the divinity of Jesus.

By the early 700s the Persian and Byzantine empires had exhausted themselves fighting each other and, as each was subsequently defeated by a united Arab army, a political structure was required as a unifying and stabilizing force to fill the vacuum. This was the genesis of the theo-political supremacist ideology with an unrelenting hostility towards non-believers known as Islam, which would help the Muslim empire expand and grow ever stronger. The religious aspect of it all, which appealed to the superstitious, the illiterate and those who pinned their hopes on paradise beyond the grave, was grafted on much later and to great effect.

Read it all.

The aspiring two-bit gunsel

Nathan Lean, Editor-In-Chief of Aslan Media, Islamic supremacist Boy Reza Aslan's house organ, reacted to my posting about his wali Aslan earlier today by emailing me a raft of specific information that he thinks is about my family, including what he thinks is my home address. He has done this before also, on Twitter. This is a veiled but unmistakeable threat.

Lean knows that -- because of thugs like him -- I only appear in public with guards and do not make my location generally known. By emailing me this information, he thinks he can frighten me into silence and convey the clear implication that he will send this information, which he thinks reveals my whereabouts, to people who wish to do me (and my family members) physical harm.

A Left that is bereft of both conscience and the ability to use reason to defend its views turns increasingly to thuggery and violence in order to silence its opponents -- see, for example, here and here. So we see in the case of Nathan Chapman Lean.

Lean is a dimestore thug from way back. Consider this item from the Goldsboro News-Argus, February 24, 2005:

Two young men who spoke obscenities after what they thought was an unfavorable decision at a Goldsboro City Council meeting were disciplined Wednesday in Wayne County District Court. Aaron Kornegay, 27, of Beston Road, LaGrange and Nathan Chapman Lean, 20...

Now Lean has graduated from shouting obscenities at City Council meetings to threatening counter-jihadists.

I have passed Lean's emails and tweets on to the FBI, and an agent has told me that they're examining what Lean sent me. But what is interesting is that a lauded and supposedly respectable mainstream outfit such as Aslan Media would employ a gutter fascist brownshirt like Lean. It is an indication of just how far and how fast the American public square has degenerated, and yet another indication of how hopelessly outgunned Aslan and his sycophants like Lean are in intellectual exchanges with me -- thuggery is the only option they have left.

And he is being allowed to begin his prison term on August 28, after his observance of Ramadan.

Can you imagine postponing a jail sentence for a Christian until Lent was over, and reducing his sentence because of his efforts to defuse cultural ignorance toward Christians and educate local residents about the practice of Christianity?

"Business owner sentenced for sending funds to Iraq," by Brennan David for the Columbia Daily Tribune, May 17 (thanks to Janet):

JEFFERSON CITY — A well-known Columbia businessman and cultural leader was sentenced yesterday to three years in federal prison for illegally siphoning more than $200,000 to family, friends and charities in Iraq during sanctions between 1991 and 2003.

A large group gathered to witness the sentencing issued by District Judge Nanette Laughrey in the Western District Court of Missouri in light of Shakir Hamoodi’s December 2009 guilty plea to violating federal sanctions against Iraq.

“I made a mistake, and I am deeply sorry,” Hamoodi told Laughrey before he was sentenced yesterday. “All money sent was used by friends and family.”

Hamoodi, an Iraqi-American former nuclear scientist with the University of Missouri and World Harvest store owner, could have faced up to 71 months in prison. Laughrey said Hamoodi’s efforts to diffuse [sic] cultural ignorance toward Muslims and educate local residents about the practice of Islam over the past 20 years weighed heavily in her decision. Hamoodi, through attorney J.R. Hobbs of Kansas City, had requested probation.

Although others have received lesser penalties, Laughrey noted that those defendants sent less money and committed fewer transactions. Hamoodi’s efforts evolved into a nine-year conspiracy, she said.

Garrett Heenan, a trial attorney with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, recommended a 48-month sentence. Hamoodi is scheduled to report to federal prison Aug. 28 after his observance of Ramadan.

“While we are disappointed in the degree of the penalty, we are pleased the judge departed downward on many factors,” Hobbs said....

Predictably, Hamoodi is claiming victim status:

Since his home was searched, Hamoodi said, other students have called his children terrorists, his neighbors keep a distance from him and his business has suffered. More than 20 supporters gathered after the sentencing to express their support for the Hamoodi family as their children continue their education and expenses pile up during his absence....

Sharia justice in Arab Spring Egypt. Islamo-Christian violence in Minya: life imprisonment for 12 Copts, eight Muslims acquitted," from Asia News, May 22 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Cairo (AsiaNews/Agencies) - An Egyptian court has sentenced 12 Coptic Christians to life imprisonment and acquitted eight Muslims, in a trial heavily criticized by human rights activists and legal experts. The ruling came yesterday, at the end of a trial called to shed light on the sectarian violence last year in the province of Minya, in the southern part of the country, about 220 km from Cairo. Ishak Ibrahim, a researcher and expert on Egyptian law, emphasizes that "the acquittal of the eight Muslim defendants" shows that "the investigations started from the beginning by the attorney general are unfair and wrong" because there was "clear evidence of guilt against them, for having set fire to Christian properties."

The accused Christians were sentenced for inciting public disorder, possession of illegal weapons and the murder of two Muslims. The incident happened in April 2011 and has helped to exacerbate a situation of deep inter-religious tension in the area of ​​Upper Egypt, which then continued in the following weeks (see AsiaNews 06/27/2011 Upper Egypt, violence against Christians on the rise. Eight houses burned).

The violence erupted when a Muslim minibus driver, angered by the presence of a speed bump outside a house owned by a wealthy Christian, got into a fight with the house's security guards. Upon returning to his home village, the Muslim driver assembled a group of people to get revenge for the alleged wrong and the violence suffered.

The retaliation squad was joined by groups of Islamic extremists, who surrounded the homes of Coptic Christians, intending to launch an attack. In fear of being overwhelmed, the inhabitants opened fire from the roofs of buildings, killing two people in the crowd and wounding two others. In the days following, Muslim groups torched dozens of Christian houses and shops to avenge the dead.

The eight Muslims on trial were accused of illegal possession of weapons and having burned the Christians' buildings. However, the court ruled for aquittal of the charges.

The judgment delivered by the judges of the State Security Court is not appealable and the 12 Christians risk spending the rest of their lives in prison. Only the military council could - in what is a very remote hypothesis, moreover - request a retrial.

News continues to emerge days before Egypt’s presidential elections indicating that the Islamists are relying on any and every strategy to gain votes for their pro-Sharia candidates.

As we just saw, any number of Islamic authorities—from Yusuf al-Qaradawi to the Sharia Body for Rights and Reform—said that it is an “obligation” to vote only for those Muslims who plan on implementing Sharia law, while it is “forbidden” to vote for any of the secular candidates. In other words, the threats of hell fire are being used to influence Muslims at the voting booths.

But beyond threats and commands are sheer bribes—in this case, a form of Islamic “bread and circuses.” As they were accused earlier, the Muslim Brotherhood was just caught bribing Egypt’s poor with packets of food. Yesterday an Egyptian activist posted a video on YouTube about “the Brotherhood’s scandal: they buy the votes of the poor through food and drink.” The video shows several poor women sitting with bags of food from the Muslim Brotherhood’s “Freedom and Justice” party. The Egyptian activist keeps asking them, “Really, is that how they bought your vote?” even as the women hide their faces and leave.

Bribery is a form of deceit, and these presidential elections are something of a war for Egypt’s future, so, considering that Islam’s prophet Muhammad famously declared that “war is deceit,” all of the aforementioned approaches become legitimate.

Raymond Ibrahim is an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center

As I explain in my book The Truth About Muhammad, Muhammad led a Muslim force against the Khaybar oasis, which was inhabited by Jews -- many of whom he had previously exiled from Medina. When he did so, he was not responding to any provocation. One of the Muslims later remembered: "When the apostle raided a people he waited until the morning. If he heard a call to prayer he held back; if he did not hear it he attacked. We came to Khaybar by night, and the apostle passed the night there; and when morning came he did not hear the call to prayer, so he rode and we rode with him....We met the workers of Khaybar coming out in the morning with their spades and baskets. When they saw the apostle and the army they cried, 'Muhammad with his force,' and turned tail and fled. The apostle said, 'Allah Akbar! Khaybar is destroyed. When we arrive in a people's square it is a bad morning for those who have been warned.'"

The Muslim advance was inexorable. "The apostle," according to Muhammad's earliest biographer, Ibn Ishaq, "seized the property piece by piece and conquered the forts one by one as he came to them." Another biographer of Muhammad, Ibn Sa'd, reports that the battle was fierce: the "polytheists...killed a large number of [Muhammad's] Companions and he also put to death a very large number of them....He killed ninety-three men of the Jews..." Muhammad and his men offered the fajr prayer, the Islamic dawn prayer, before it was light, and then entered Khaybar itself. The Muslims immediately set out to locate the inhabitants' wealth. A Jewish leader of Khaybar, Kinana bin al-Rabi, was brought before Muhammad; Kinana was supposed to have been entrusted with the treasure of on of the Jewish tribes of Arabia, the Banu Nadir. Kinana denied knowing where this treasure was, but Muhammad pressed him: "Do you know that if we find you have it I shall kill you?" Kinana said yes, that he did know that.

Some of the treasure was found. To find the rest, Muhammad gave orders concerning Kinana: "Torture him until you extract what he has." One of the Muslims built a fire on Kinana's chest, but Kinana would not give up his secret. When he was at the point of death, one of the Muslims beheaded him. Kinana's wife was taken as a war prize; Muhammad claimed her for himself and hastily arranged a wedding ceremony that night. He halted the Muslims' caravan out of Khaybar later that night in order to consummate the marriage.

Muhammad agreed to let the people of Khaybar to go into exile, allowing them to keep as much of their property as they could carry. The Prophet of Islam, however, commanded them to leave behind all their gold and silver. He had intended to expel all of them, but some, who were farmers, begged him to allow them to let them stay if they gave him half their yield annually. Muhammad agreed: "I will allow you to continue here, so long as we would desire." He warned them: "If we wish to expel you we will expel you." They no longer had any rights that did not depend upon the good will and sufferance of Muhammad and the Muslims. And indeed, when the Muslims discovered some treasure that some of the Khaybar Jews had hidden, he ordered the women of the tribe enslaved and seized the perpetrators' land. A hadith notes that "the Prophet had their warriors killed, their offspring and woman taken as captives."

Thus when modern-day jihadists invoke Khaybar, they are recalling an aggressive, surprise raid by Muhammad which resulted in the final eradication of the once considerable Jewish presence in Arabia. To the jihadists, Khaybar means the destruction of the Jews and the seizure of their property by the Muslims.

“The revolution was made so that sharia could be applied”." I tried to tell you.

"Radical Islamic rally marches in Central Tunisia amid anti-Semitic chants," from AFP, May 21 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

KAIROUAN (AFP/EJP)---Thousands of Salafist Muslims marched on Kairouan in Central Tunisia, as part of the extremist Islamic movement’s annual assembly. The exclusively male attendees, many of whom were dressed in Afghan military uniform or waving Salafist black flags, marched through the city and raised a banner over the minaret of its mosque, the oldest in Africa.

The demonstration comes in the wake of the rejuvenated Jewish annual pilgrimage to the Tunisian island of Djerba, the continuation of which was in doubt after Israel’s National Security Council expressed fears the country’s activists were planning attacks on Israeli or Jewish targets.

Chief organiser of the pilgrimage, Rene Trabelski, refuted such security fears and claimed a successful 2012 pilgrimage would “show the world that Tunisians accept difference and that the new Tunisia is not as Islamist and radical as some think”.

“It’s a country that respects religious minorities as always”, he added.

The event went ahead with some 1,500 Jews from across, France, Tunisia and Italy.

Organisers of the Salafist assembly had instructed marchers to remain “calm” and not to talk to reporters. Many participants however defied their request not to chant slogans, reciting “We are all the children of Osama (bin Laden) and “Jews, Jews, the army of Mohammed is back”.

The Salafist movement has risen to prominence since its launch in April 2011, following the popular protests that forced former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee Tunisia after 23 years in power, and which constituted the start of the Arab Spring across the Muslim world.

The revolution brought moderate Islamists to power to replace the former secular administration, but also led to the rise of extremist groups advocating the adoption of fundamentalist shariah law.

The leader of the outlawed Hizb Ettahrir party, Ridha Bel Haj told the crowd he was hopeful because of the number of participants in the country’s second annual assembly:

“The revolution was made so that sharia could be applied”, he said.

According to “The Promise” magazine distributed at the rally:

“The second congress...reunites all brothers whose objective it is to apply sharia and God’s law in our country”....

Aslan (left) with Ibish (right): Did Aslan tell all his best fat and gay jokes?

Aslan is so immature, psychologically stunted and intellectually bereft that he responds to criticism of his position only by regaling his opponents with geeky abuse about being fat and gay -- did he shower the mountainous Ibish with this kind of "analysis"?

Two Islamic supremacists debate the jihad against Israel while never bothering to mention the jihad against Israel. "UCLA’s ‘one state or two’ debate," by Jonah Lowenfeld in the Jewish Journal, May 15:

For anyone who missed the debate on May 15 at UCLA between Reza Aslan and Hussein Ibish over whether the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved by creating a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish one or by creating a single bi-national state, here’s the basic report of what went down.

As expected, Aslan argued that the two-state solution is “dead and buried,” and that everyone (the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Americans and other international bodies) should instead start investing resources and energy to create a single bi-national state with “soft borders.”

Ibish, meanwhile, rejected the idea that the window to create two states for two peoples has closed, and instead held out hope for the possibility that such a conflict-ending resolution could be reached in the region.

While they disagreed about what final resolution to aim for, a careful listener would have realized that Aslan and Ibish agreed on almost everything else about the conflict.

"Final solution" would be more apt than "final resolution" to describe what these two are aiming for.

Both scholars assigned blame for the failure of the peace process to many parties, but set the lion’s share of the blame at Israel’s feet. Both Ibish and Aslan saw the Israeli policy of settlement expansion as the primary reason for the failure of the peace process to progress in the nearly 20 years since the Oslo Accords were signed. Both acknowledged that, while most Israelis and most Palestinians (and most Americans, for that matter) want to see a two-state solution achieved, the likelihood of it being achieved anytime soon is very slim.

As one student in the audience put it afterward, “They’re on the same page, but they have different views.”

Of course. The idea of Ibish and Aslan debating anything is like holding an election in a one-party state: there may be plenty of choices, but in the end they're all the same choice anyway. In blaming Israel for the persistence and insolubility of the conflict, they ignore the jihadist intransigence of the "Palestinians," and the repeated aspiration, frequently enunciated on official PA TV, to destroy Israel utterly. Ibish and Aslan must know that Israel has made concession after concession (notably the withdrawal from Gaza) in hope of bringing about peace, but these concessions have never been reciprocated or even met with good will. And of course they do know this. That they ignore and try to obscure it, and ignore the role of jihad in the conflict altogether, reveals their true agenda, which is in service of that jihad.

But confronted with the question of how the parties should proceed in resolving this seemingly intractable conflict, the two Muslim scholars [sic] parted ways.

“I’m advocating the one-state solution for one simple reason: there is no other solution,” said Aslan, calling the prospect of two states for two peoples “a sham” and “a charade.”

Pointing to the 600,000 Israelis who are currently living beyond the so-called green line that divides pre-1967 Israel from the territories it conquered during the war that year, Aslan argued, in no uncertain terms, that the infrastructure of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank had simply crowded out any possible space for a second state.

“There will never be a Palestinian state,” he said. “Ever. That is the truth.”

Ibish disagreed. “The majority of Israelis are, rather strongly, in favor of two state solution; the majority of Palestinians are in favor of a two-state solution,” he said. “So it’s a question of political will.”

With that political will, Ibish said he believed that the Israelis would dismantle West Bank settlements in order to achieve peace, and cited the examples of Gaza and the Northern West Bank as evidence of their willingness to do so.

“Walls go up and walls come down,” Ibish said.

Throughout the debate, Ibish sounded both hopeful and pragmatic when compared with Aslan, and never more so than when Aslan described the bloody process by which he believed a single, bi-national state could actually come about.

“If you want me to be honest with you,” Aslan said,

That would be a first.

“I think that what we are going to see is a process through which the demographic balance [between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea] tips into apartheid, ethnic cleansing, until finally you have international mediation that leads to confederacy.”

If there is one state in the way Aslan imagines there will be, it will be a Palestinian Sharia state that will massacre Jews wholesale and press the survivors into dhimmitude. And Aslan must know this, also.

“If,” Ibish responded, “I wanted to exercise a radical dystopian imaginative leap of that kind, if I wanted to be Hieronymus Bosch of Israel and the Palestinians, sure, I can arrive at your conclusion after all this horror. Well I’m not willing to go there.”

“Even if it turns out you were right,” he continued, “I would be proud to stand here and tell you that I am not going to acquiesce to making that happen.”...

Aslan repeats jihadist propaganda about Israel practicing apartheid and ethnic cleansing, but ignores the Palestinians' repeatedly stated genocidal aspirations. Ibish, for his part, supports the establishment of a Palestinian state that would, like Gaza, immediately become another base for jihad attacks against Israel.

Neither discussed Israel's right to exist or acknowledged the jihad doctrine that makes the conflict endless.

And this is what passes for reasoned analyses on campuses across the U.S. these days.

Over at Gatestone Institute (via RaymondIbrahim.com), I shed light on the recent fatwas, including from Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the authoritative Sharia Body for Rights and Reforms, which assert that it is "impermissible to vote for anyone not intending to apply Islamic Sharia, and it is obligatory to vote for those who do seek to implement it." Yusuf even finds a Koranic verse to threaten Muslims into voting for Sharia-pushing candidates:

[...] Most recently, according to Al Wafd, last Friday, May 18, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of if not the most authoritative clerics in the Islamic world, "called on all Egyptians to vote for one of the Islamist candidates," specifically naming the three Islamists, Muhammad Mursi (candidate of the Salafist party), Abd al-Mun'im Abu al-Futuh (candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing), and Muhammad al-Salim al-Awwa. Qaradawi described them as "best for Egypt" because they will "apply the Islamic Sharia and achieve justice." Moreover, during his Friday sermon, Qaradawi said that it is "mandatory for every Egyptian to go and vote at the presidential elections," calling it a form of "obligatory testimony" on behalf of Islam, and quoting Koran 2:283 as proof: "And do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful; and Allah knows what you do."

Qaradawi's position was restated yesterday, Monday May 21, when, according to Al Ahram, the Sharia Body for Rights and Reforms—one of the most powerful Islamic organizations, with members from the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salfis, and Al Azhar—issued a fatwa asserting that it is "impermissible to vote for anyone not intending to apply Islamic Sharia, and it is obligatory to vote for those who do seek to implement it," adding that the "presidential election is a modern way of directing the state, and therefore it behooves Muslims to use it as a way to enforce Sharia."...

The Kansas Senate voted for freedom recently, and now Hamas-linked CAIR and other enemies of freedom are pulling out all the stops to try to block an anti-Sharia law there.

Don't let them win. Make your voice heard. Tweet this now:

@govsambrownback Support SB 79,freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and Constitutional rights, good for #Kansas #brownback #supportsb79

Flood Brownback's email and twitter.

Do it! And email it to all of your friends, associates and acquaintances.

Pamela Geller has more details here.

Over at Atlas Shrugs, I discuss the treatment of women that is mandated by Islamic law:

The treatment of women in Islamic countries is consistently shocking to modern Westerners, although the fog of political correctness that blankets the Western world today prevents most observers of the mistreatment of Muslim women from saying anything about it publicly. Only a few (notably Pamela Geller) have the courage to prove the hollowness of that political correctness by pointing out that the institutionalized oppression of women in majority-Muslim countries is not the result of non-Islamic cultural factors (as Islamic apologists in the West often claim), but of Islam itself.

Movements in the Islamic world to restore Islamic purity virtually always tend to be bad for women. Take, for example, domestic violence: the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has determined that over nine out of ten Pakistani wives have been struck, beaten, or abused sexually. The reason why is rooted in the Qur’an. The perpetrators of such crimes can and do support their behavior by quoting chapter and verse of the holy book of Islam: “Men have authority over women, because Allah has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because Allah has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them” (4:34).

When the infallible, perfect and eternal word of Allah sanctions wife-beating, why should anyone wonder why ninety percent of wives in Pakistan have been struck by their husbands?

Western multiculturalist apologists can adduce any argument they wish to establish that this verse should not be taken literally, but the problem they face is not convincing the secular West. Modern Americans, raised with the dogma of tolerance, are only too glad to believe the best about non-Western culture. The apologists’ most formidable challenge will be to convince the average Muslim that they should not beat their wives even though the Qur’an says they can.

Another verse asserts that “women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them, although men have a status above women” (2:228). The idea that “men have a status above women” is deeply rooted in Islamic tradition. Numerous Islamic commentators on the Qur’an have taken this statement as self-evident. Only in modern times have even sporadic and half-hearted attempts begun to explain it away. Women as well as men took the superiority of men over women for granted: Aisha, Muhammad’s notorious child bride, admonished women in no uncertain terms: “O womenfolk, if you knew the rights that your husbands have over you, every one of you would wipe the dust from her husband’s feet with her face.”

Women in Islam are essentially commodities that can be acquired and discarded at will. If a polygamous Muslim man is unhappy with any of his wives, he is free to divorce them by saying the triple talaq -- “I divorce you” or “you are divorced.” Recent fatwas from Islamic authorities have allowed for this pronouncement of divorce to be made via cellphone or Skype. Since men can obtain divorces so easily, they often divorce capriciously. In Islamic law, if a man says talaq to his wife three times, even jokingly or in a fit of temper, they must separate, and cannot reconcile until she marries another man, consummates that marriage, and is divorced by him. This bizarre law is also based on the Qur’an: “A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the parties should either hold together on equitable terms, or separate with kindness....So if a husband divorces his wife (irrevocably), he cannot, after that, re-marry her until after she has married another husband and he has divorced her” (2:229-230).

This has given rise to the phenomenon of “temporary husbands.” After a husband has divorced his wife in a fit of pique, these men who will “marry” the hapless divorcee for one night in order to allow her to return to her husband and family.

There is more.

Firouzabadi: The sneer of cold command

Genocidal aspirations in Tehran, and not a word of condemnation from the "moderate" Iran lobby in the U.S. "Iran committed to ‘full annihilation of Israel,’ says top Iranian military commander," by Reza Kahlili for The Daily Caller, May 20:

Iran is dedicated to annihilating Israel, the Islamic regime’s military chief of staff declared Sunday.

“The Iranian nation is standing for its cause and that is the full annihilation of Israel,” Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi said in a speech to a defense gathering Sunday in Tehran.

His remarks came on the day International Atomic Energy Agency director Yukiya Amano flew to Tehran to negotiate for inspections of Iran’s nuclear program. They were reported by the Fars News Agency, the media outlet of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.

While many within the Islamic regime, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have often stated that Israel should be annihilated, until Sunday no one in the nation’s leadership has announced Iran’s determined intention to carry it out....

Meir Dagan, the former head of Israel’s Mossad, and U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, have both said recently that Iran is a rational actor in the international arena and that the Iranians will consider the implications of their actions.

Block also told TheDC that “the radicals and pseudo-experts at places like Plowshares, Media Matters, NIAC [the National Iranian American Council], writers for ThinkProgress, the New America Foundation and on and on” are “useful idiots and regime apologists” for Iran who continue to believe irrationally that Iran does not have the capacity to build a nuclear weapon. (RELATED: TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein: More proof Israel cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran)

They “are the same cranks,” he said, “who claim Iran has been ‘misquoted’ or ‘mistranslated’ and never called for the ‘annihilation’ of Israel. Well, I am sure they will find some way to continue their charade, but only to their further discredit.”

Indeed they will. Over to you, Boy Reza!

And he has done so very much that is worthy of respect. My favorite was his threat to join the Taliban. But like Islamic supremacists the world over, Karzai demands a respect that is entirely unearned. "Karzai bans congressman from Afghanistan until he 'shows respect,'" by Carlo Munoz for The Hill, May 21 (thanks to Wimpy):

A House Republican who has been an outspoken critic of Afghanistan's central government has been banned from entering the country, Afghan president Hamid Karzai said Monday.

Appearing on CNN's The Situation Room, Karzai was asked if he would allow Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, into Afghanistan if the lawmaker requested.

"Definitely not . . . until he changes his stand, shows respect to the Afghan people, to our way of life and to our constitution," Karzai replied. "It's is a matter of principle."

Rohrabacher was denied entry into the country in April when he attempted to visit the country as part of a congressional delegation headed by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas).

Rohrabacher has been severely critical of the Afghanistan government, accusing Karzai of corruption and suggesting significant structural reforms are needed to his government....

"A democratically-elected congressman of the United States of America should not be talking of an ethnic divide in Afghanistan, should not be interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs . . . should not be speaking disrespectfully about the Afghan people or the various ethnic groups in Afghanistan," Karzai said. "If an Afghan did that [about America] how would you react?"...

Why, we'd just cut him a check for a few billion, as we have so often in your case, Karzai.

But what did we buy with all that money? A failed state in which the most powerful political and social force is the one we went in to eradicate. "Afghan President Karzai Thanks US for 'Your Taxpayers' Money,'" by Mary Bruce for ABC OTUS News, May 20 (thanks to Ima):

CHICAGO - Afghan President Hamid Karzai thanked the United States today for shouldering much of the cost for the decade-old war in Afghanistan, as the NATO alliance readies to hand over primary responsibility to Afghan security forces.

"I'm bringing to you and to the people of the United States the gratitude of the Afghan people for the support that your taxpayers' money has provided us over the past decade, and for the difference that it has made to the well-being of the Afghan people," Karzai said after his meeting with President Obama ahead of the start of the NATO Summit....

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier today that the allied countries remain committed to Afghanistan.

"There will be no rush for the exits," he said.

Why not?



(Left to right:) KM Orit Zuaretz, Joseph Zaalishvili, KM Faina Kirshenbaum

On May 16, two members of the Knesset of the State of Israel came to Tbilisi, Georgia. They met with the Jewish Diaspora and representatives of the Georgian establishment. They also kindly agreed to give us an interview.

Joseph Zaalishvili: The Government of the State of Israel accuses Iran of wanting to build a nuclear weapon. Can you explain why the Israeli administration thinks so? And why this is dangerous not only for Israel, but for the whole world?

Israeli Knesset member Faina Kirshenbaum, Yisrael Beiteinu: It's very simple. At first, we know that for peaceful nuclear energy Iran needs 5 percent enriched uranium. And the Iranian regime continues to enrich uranium at a rate higher than is needed for peaceful purposes. At this point it is absolutely clear that this is all for nuclear weapons.

It should be clear that the Iranian nuclear program threatens not only Israel. In order to bomb Israel, Iran needs to find a transporter of these nuclear weapons, and yet our data shows that Iran has no such power launcher. They are much more threatened by countries that are in the neighborhood. I believe that Iran's nuclear program may in the future lead to a new, third World War. This third World War's result is something that people cannot even imagine. Iran might want to fire nuclear bombs at Israel, but the wave of a nuclear holocaust will come to other countries. And the nuclear horror will cover the whole Middle East and the world. If anyone thinks that this is a regional problem and the problem of Israel, they are very mistaken. Iran's nuclear program is the problem of the global community. And only united can we can solve this problem.

Israeli Knesset member Orit Zuaretz, Kadima Party: I think that Iran's nuclear program is not just a problem of the state of Israel. Iran can become a bad example for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other Islamic countries in the region. And this can start a nuclear arms race in the Islamic world. Their final goal will be a Middle East with nuclear weapons and without Israel. Iran could sell or share nuclear weapons and technologies to other countries, too. And Israel is well aware of this.

Kirshenbaum: Iran belongs to the Eastern mentality. And many in Europe and America do not understand this. The value of life is completely different in Iran. The Western world does not understand that it needs to understand the mentality of Iran, and not to judge it by their own mentality, so as to understand the threat posed by Iran and its nuclear program to the whole world.

Some time ago, Turkey, a NATO member, opposed the participation of the State of Israel at the NATO summit. Don't you think that Islamic factors have affected the decision of the Turkish authorities, as well as the disagreement among NATO countries about whether or not Iran should be given the opportunity to develop nuclear capabilities?

Kirshenbaum: Everything is connected by a red thread. First, let's talk about what is happening in Turkey. First, in Turkey radical Islam has increased. Everything that Ataturk did is being destroyed now. Turkey in Ataturk's day turned its face toward Europe. He changed the Turkish alphabet from Arabic to Latin characters. But the main thing was that he reined in Islam.

Now all this is changing. Turkey is becoming a religious Islamic country. Strengthening the Islamic party, of course, affects the state. Turkey aims to become a leader in the Eastern world. And for this it is becoming an Islamic state. There is competition between Turkey and Iran over who will lead the Islamic world. Who will be more radical will be the victor. Who can develop nuclear weapons faster. Muslim countries are working toward being united in an Islamic union, and we can follow this chain of evil from Iran to Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and to Turkey. There is a large Islamic lobby, which has become a political movement and threatens those countries and the values ​​that the Western world and Western civilization represent.

Zuaretz: I think the changes in Turkey and regional changes reflect on Israel very strongly. Because we do feel that this region is becoming Green and Islamic.

This is not related to national identity and cultural values. W​e are speaking about Islam: military Islam, radical Islam, and political Islam. We have seen what happened in Egypt. In one day the regime changed. Parties which had been outlawed now have a majority in parliament. The Egyptian Parliament is occupied by Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood has a direct relationship with Hamas in Gaza. And it is against the interests of Israel. Hamas controls Gaza.

We see the long hand of Iranian money, which sponsors terrorism around the world. For us, the important thing is that the country must unite in the fight against terrorism. Israel has great experience in this case.

We know that a few months ago you had the same problem in Georgia, and we are ready to cooperate in our efforts against terrorism. In your country there may be terrorist cells which have not yet manifested themselves, but in a moment they can express themselves. Israel is ready to assist you in finding and destroying these terrorist groups. We can share with our knowledge with Georgia, Azerbaijan, European countries and even the United States.

At the expense of Iran, I might add that this is not only an Israeli task, to clean up the Middle East. I heard officials at the White House telling us, "You should go and bomb Iran." They're expecting us to do this. Israeli can defend itself, but it isn't the task solely of Israel to clean up the Middle East.

Do you think the financial and oil embargo will stop Iran's nuclear program, when according to the Turkish media, Turkey has increased its purchase of Iranian oil? How effective are these sanctions?

Kirshenbaum: Turkey will not support the U.S. and EU sanctions against Iran. Sanctions may not bring any result if all of the country is impoverished. Americans are told that the Iranian banking system has shut down, and Iran will not be able to transfer money through the U.S. financial system, and Iran has admitted the inspectors to its nuclear objects. Still, Americans think with their Western mentality. Americans think that they have threatened Iran and Ahmadinejad understands everything and all is well. Yet Iran has fooled the observers again, and continues its nuclear program. Every delay in the negotiations helps Iran develop nuclear weapons. If we want to stop this regime, we all need to unite, Europe and the U.S. If we do not stop Iran now, it will soon be too late.

And what then?

Kirshenbaum: Then it will be necessary to take very tough measures.

Zuaretz: We are the only democracy in the Middle East. We not are facing any other democracy in our region. Now we are facing a wave of Islam on Middle East. And the majority of this wave is not peaceful; it is radical Islam. As I said before about the situation in Egypt, It was not an Arab Spring; it is an Islamic Wind or Storm. We cannot see the prosperity of democracy in the region now, and we will not see it for at least another 10 years.

We see a double standard in the politics of the US and the EU. They sponsored those regimes in Middle East and Africa. And the only democracy in the region is now Israel. On the one hand, there are the sanctions against Iran, and on the other hand, Iran has economic relations at the private level with the U.S. and its European allies. My colleagues in Europe said that business with Iran is not on the state level, it is only in the private sector. But is that important? It is important that Iran has received money in different ways, and continues to fund terrorists and it nuclear weapons program.

If we want to gain something, we must join forces. Israel doesn't want to be the scapegoat in this affair. Together, we must deal with the Iranian nuclear program.

Kirshenbaum: The Arab Spring cannot lead to democracy. Nowhere in the world after a revolution came an era of democracy. Democracy is a product of a free people. Only a free people can build a democratic state. In the Arab world the revolutions are supported by Iran with money and weapons. And we'll get a Middle East that is completely controlled by the Iranian regime and Islamic Sharia law.

Hamas-linked CAIR and other Islamic supremacists will no doubt claim entrapment, but here again, there is simply no way I could be entrapped into funding a jihad terror group. How about you?

"Ohio Man Gets Over 6 Years in Terror Funds Case," by John Seewer for the Associated Press, May 21:

A man who pleaded guilty last year with his wife in a plot to ship money to a Mideast terrorist group was sentenced to just over six years in prison on Monday.

Hor Akl and his wife, Amera Akl, planned for a year how to send up to $1 million overseas to Hezbollah, a Lebanese group the U.S. government lists as a terrorist organization, federal prosecutors say. The couple embarked on the plan after they first met with an FBI informant nearly three years ago, prosecutors say.

The Akls, dual citizens of the United States and Lebanon, both pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Hor Akl also pleaded guilty to money laundering, bankruptcy fraud and perjury charges.

U.S. District Judge James Carr in Toledo sentenced Hor Akl to 6 years and 3 months in prison. Amera Akl was sentenced last year to just over three years in prison....

In the early days of Nazi Germany, the Nazi Storm Troopers (SA) beat and often killed the Nazis' political opponents. They were especially active on college campuses, in an eerie foretaste of Leftist activity on campuses today, violently attacking anyone who dared oppose Nazism. Now we are seeing this political thuggery come to America, courtesy the increasingly strident and violent Left, emboldened by an Administration and mainstream media that lets them get away with...this. In Chicago, Leftist thugs beat restaurant patrons, some of whom were members of a white supremacist group -- the brownshirts didn't hesitate to beat up bystanders as well.

Now, however vile white supremacism may be, this kind of violence has no place in a country that is supposed to be ruled by law. And now the brownshirts are vowing to target "Islamophobic" gatherings -- a threat that doubtless warms the black hearts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Anti-Racist Action Group Beats Local Restaurant Patrons," by Richard Davis for ChicagoNow, May 20:

While President Obama schmoozes and ooozes with the NATO delegates, and police and security works overtime to protect the VIPs who wander in to decide the fate of nations and the "little" people within, an attack in Tinley Park by a bunch of hoodie-clad thugs is going mostly under-reported by the Chicago media.

The Chicago media, [sic] long ago became transcribers for local politicians, have had a possible terrorist attack happen right in their own backyard, but...they do not care. He [sic] is a report from New York media. The Chicago Tribune is at least reporting on the allegation, but with no apparent curiosity about the ARA.

Saturday, May 19, 2012, at Winston's Restaurant, in Tinley Park, some fifteen miles south of McCormick Place and the important people, an attack was carried out by 12 to 18 thugs, who rushed into the restaurant with baseball bats and starting beating some of the patron silly.

At first, the group that claims responsibility, the Anti-Racist Action Group, focused on just one table, then decided that it wasn't enough to beat whom they consider their sworn enemies, but also other placid suburbanites who just happened to be enjoying the Irish fare served at Winston's. When the owner of the restaurant took on one of the hoodie thugs physically, tackling him, he was beaten by five of the thugs.

Something didn't smell right, so a little research shows that the Anti-Racist Action Group is claiming credit of sorts on their web site.

And who were the alleged victims of the ARA? Looks like it was a meeting of the White Nationalists, who were having their 5th annual White Nationalist Economic Summit and White Nationalist, yes, Meet and Greet.

Okay, suppose it is all true. Suppose a bunch of nuts got whomped on. Just who did the beating and why? And does the ARA's views keep the story from being reported, as folks with these "enlightened" views are, supposedly, the "good" people?

The Anti-Racist Action Group is committed to stopping anybody who does not agree with them, anybody who, in their determination, is racist, homophobic, etc..

Here, in their own words: ARA intends to do the hard work necessary to build a broad, strong movement against racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, discrimination against the disabled, the oldest, the youngest, and the most oppressed people. We want a classless, free society. We intend to win!

This hard work apparently involves beating people they disagree with, along with innocent bystanders. All in the name of silencing them.

They stand for the oppressed it seems, from the oldest to youngest -- except for the very youngest, as they are "Pro-Choice".

Pro-Choice is what the ARA stands for, unless it is against what they choose as a correct view and action.

The Chicago media has a big terrorist story right in the burbs, and what happens: they want to know about Michelle Obama's toned arms and hosting an arts reception.

Will the Chicago reporter aces get around to doing some digging on this? Doubtful. My guess is because most of the media agrees with the ARA's stance on things.

Which means people can get beat up and eventually killed in the name of "social justice", and nobody in the business of reporting about it, cares. In fact, you get the feeling they kind of digg it.

Pathetic.

Abdo: Feel the love

This thoroughly loathsome jihadist Abdo said in 2010 that he wanted to combat “Islamophobia” and “to try and put a good positive spin out there that Islam is a good, peaceful religion. We’re not all terrorists, you know?”

"Fort Hood Bomb Plot Suspect Wears Mask In Court," from AP, May 21 (thanks to Kenneth):

WACO, Texas (AP) -- A soldier accused of plotting to bomb Fort Hood troops is being made to wear a mask during jury selection at his federal trial.

Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo is accused of biting through his lip and spitting blood on two authorities escorting him after a court hearing last month. He's also accused of spitting blood on a jailer.

In court Monday, several U.S. marshals standing near Abdo wore protective glasses. Abdo wore an oval mask covering his nose and mouth....

Why? because they confessed to not offering regular prayers during vacation, and she wanted to give them a foretaste of the hell fires they are destined to receive -- an even more creative bit of child abuse than last week's beating of a 5-year-old boy by his Saudi teacher for failing to memorize the Koran.

"Bangladesh teacher 'burns' legs of girl pupils," by Anbarasan Ethirajan for the BBC, May 3:

Police in Bangladesh are looking for a teacher from a Muslim religious school who allegedly placed burning hot iron rods on the legs of her students for failing to offer prayers regularly.

They say 14 girls, aged between eight and 12, received burn injuries.

The school has been temporarily closed following the incident, while the "hellish experience" of the girls has been widely reported in newspapers.

Their injuries are not thought to be serious.

The Bangladeshi government banned all corporal punishment in all educational institutions, including religious schools - or madrassas - in 2010.

"I was shocked to see the burn injury of my daughter," Jumur Akhter, mother of one of the affected students, told the BBC.

The girls were learning Arabic and Bengali at the Talimul Koran Mahila madrassa at Namashyampur in Dhaka. The incident is said to have happened on Tuesday.

"It was the first day of the madrassa after our holidays. Our teacher got angry when she heard that we were not offering regular prayers during our vacation," said Ferdousi Akther, aged eight.

"Then she asked her servant to heat up the rod and then she pressed it on our legs. The pain was unbearable."

Pupils say that the teacher asked the students whether they knew the severity of the fire in hell.

They were allegedly told that if they did not offer prayers regularly, they would experience a similar punishment...

Frankly, My Dear, I Don't Give A Damn
by Sergio Redegalli

My sculpture, "Aisha from behind the veil," has been sold to a private buyer who very quickly bought the artwork even after it was removed from the Glass Artist Gallery because of potential negative ramifications.

After 32 years of being involved in various ways with the Glass Artist Gallery in Sydney, Maureen Cahill, the gallery director and one of my dearest friends and mentors since I was a student at Sydney College of the Arts, has notified me that I can no longer sell my personal work, my exploration of the Islamic ideology, via the Glass Artist Gallery because of realistic fears about the dangers that their sale would place the Gallery in.

The Gallery is not situated in a suitable location or building that would enable it to withstand any form of protest or attack on any level, either by verbal intimidation or violent act by the extreme Left or Muslims of the extreme type.

This comes after 21 months of negative campaigning and physical attacks on my mural and building in Newtown, Sydney, Australia by the crazy Left -- consisting of the Socialist Alliance, anarchists, the Greens, a twisted group called the Anti-Bogans that are in fact the biggest “Neo Bogans” in Australia, and people of the Islamic ideology.

The personal attacks on me via the Internet are also now increasing. You Tube is one of the Leftists' and Islamic supremacists' favourite platforms for creative lying and make-believe. This gives me no choice other than to distance myself from the Glass Artist Gallery, in order to protect it and all the other artists who are part of it.

The outpouring of support from individuals who believe in free speech has not been lost on me. They have been open and generous in their kind words and eagerness to see the next body of work in my ongoing discussion of the Islamic ideology.

In just 21 months, I have come to understand the dangers of the concept of submission on a totally new level. I will be very busy in the next six months creating and constructing multiple bodies of work, including:

- “Homage to Theo”: Submission revisited.
- Symbolism/motifs of the crimes against humanity of Nazism, Communism, and the totalitarianism of Islam.
- The Koran, 114 suras cast in truth.

This may be seen by some members of the human race as a declaration of something "Islamophobic," but luckily they don’t control the Free World.

"Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

I have always wanted to use that line.

Sergio Redegalli is an artist and sculptor in Sydney, Australia. He is the creator of the famous and much-defaced "Ban the Burqa" mural.

May 16 at the Wednesday Morning Club in Los Angeles.

Get the book here.

What do Muslims and Socialists have in common? Well, first of all, they both define themselves by having pity toward Muslims. And, of course, the Jeeews -- not inbreeding (here, here), constant Palestinian aggression and violence, Palestinian schools teaching kids to be suicide bombers or the Quran -- must be blamed.

We are still waiting for the Left to demand that goods from occupied Tibet should be labelled. But then again, China is too big to fight, and they are socialists, too... We are also still waiting for the Left to demand labelling of halal goods. But then again, Muslims vote for the Left and will lose income if we infidel consumers are able to see the difference...

Translated from Danish by Nicolai Sennels, Politiken May 18: "Goods from Israeli settlements will be labelled". One more reason for Muslims to vote for the Left:

It must be crystal clear to Danish consumers if they are standing with a product from an Israeli settlement in their hands. This is the message from Secretary of State Villy Søvndal (Socialist Peoples' Party), who will introduce a labeling system for all goods imported from the settlements, 'which are illegal according to international law'. Denmark thereby tightens this new EU law (more than other countries).

"This is a step that clearly demonstrates to consumers that these products are produced under conditions that not only the Danish government, but also European governments, are against. And so it is up to the consumers whether they want to purchase the goods or not," said Søvndal.

Labelling is not mandatory to Danish supermarkets. But the Secretary of State firmly believes that Danish supermarkets will show their goodwill, and Søvndal refers to Britain, which for years has had a similar arrangement "with great success." Søvndal is also confident that the Israeli settlements arouse a lot of anger among the consumers and that the consumers will change their behavior.

"I am certain that the labelling will have a very significant and direct impact on imports."

Muslims commit 91 percent of honor killings worldwide. A manual of Islamic law certified as a reliable guide to Sunni orthodoxy by Al-Azhar University, the most respected authority in Sunni Islam, says that "retaliation is obligatory against anyone who kills a human being purely intentionally and without right." However, "not subject to retaliation" is "a father or mother (or their fathers or mothers) for killing their offspring, or offspring's offspring." ('Umdat al-Salik o1.1-2). In other words, someone who kills his child incurs no legal penalty under Islamic law.

The Palestinian Authority gives pardons or suspended sentences for honor murders. Iraqi women have asked for tougher sentences for Islamic honor murderers, who get off lightly now. Syria in 2009 scrapped a law limiting the length of sentences for honor killings, but "the new law says a man can still benefit from extenuating circumstances in crimes of passion or honour 'provided he serves a prison term of no less than two years in the case of killing.'" And in 2003 the Jordanian Parliament voted down on Islamic grounds a provision designed to stiffen penalties for honor killings. Al-Jazeera reported that "Islamists and conservatives said the laws violated religious traditions and would destroy families and values."

"Parents 'murdered their Westernised teenage daughter in front of her sister because they thought she was bringing shame on the family,'" by James White for the Daily Mail, May 21 (thanks to Mick):

A teenage girl was murdered by her parents because she had become 'Westernised' and no longer obeyed their strict rules, a jury heard today.

The parents of Shafilea Ahmed are accused of attacking her in a killing allegedly witnessed by their other daughter, before dumping her body by a river.

The decomposed remains 17-year-old Shafilea were discovered in Cumbria in February 2004.

Today, as her parents Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed went on trial for murder, prosecutor Andrew Edis QC told Chester Crown Court they had killed her because she refused to obey them.

Opening the case against the Ahmeds, Mr Edis told the jury of seven men and five women: 'The defendants, having spent the best part of 12 months trying to really crush her, realised they were never going to be able to succeed and finally killed her because her conduct dishonoured the family, bringing shame on them.'...

Is Interpol under Sharia? Maybe -- it has helped enforce it in the recent past. "Pakistan turns to Interpol after Twitter declines to help manage 'anti-Islamic material,'" by Jon Russell for The Next Web, May 21 (thanks to Twostellas):

Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Senator Rehman Malik, has taken to Twitter to explain that, following the Twitter blockage over the weekend, the government has contacted Interpol to take up the issue of screening sensitive content, after Twitter’s management reportedly offered no assistance with the matter.

Twitter was blocked and subsequently unblocked in Pakistan over the weekend, and the minister revealed that ”un Islamic” content was the reason behind the saga. He also explained that the block was initiated by the IT ministry without warning or consultation with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who was not in favour of it.

When made aware of the block, the minister and Prime Minister demanded that access was restored, however Malik has admitted that the issue is “highly sensitive” and will need to be addressed in the long run.

Malik explained that certain “anti Islamic material” on the service is causing tension and “hurting the feelings” of many Muslims, forcing the government to take action to help manage the service and keep it open in Pakistan....

Doesn't he know that honor killing is a cultural practice that has nothing to do with Islam? No, he doesn't, because it isn't. The problem with the "Islamophobia" narrative that Islamic supremacists retail in the West is that it keeps running up against the reality of Islamic teachings and how Muslims act upon them. "Former Pakistani Lawmaker Denounces Secular Education for Women, Justifies Honor Killings: 'Killing of Women In the Name of Honor Is a "Local Custom and Religious Practice,"' Warns Female Western NGO Staff that They will Be Captured and Given Away as Brides," from MEMRI, May 8:

...On the Modesty Code for Women and Secular Education: "It's Beghairti (Immodesty) to Equip Girls With A Secular Education"; "If A Woman Gets Education, She Would Also Seek A Job, Which Islam Doesn't Allow"

"It's beghairti (immodesty) to equip girls with a secular education…. The Kohistani parents who are sending their girls to schools are acting against 'Islamic Shariah' and the local customs…. The Kohistani culture does not allow parents to send their pardadar (modest) girls to schools."[5]

"The 'secular' education of women is against Islamic injunctions…  If a woman gets education, she would also seek a job, which Islam doesn't allow in any way…."[6]

"Getting education for degrees by women is repugnant to Islamic injunctions, because if a woman gets a degree, she may use it for job, an act which Islam doesn't allow in absence of mehram (close relatives)…."[7]

"Several Hadith books [i.e. those containing reports of deeds and sayings of Prophet Muhammad] prohibit girls from receiving degrees and certificates in 'secular education'…. Formal education paves the way for girls to enter the job market."[8]

On Men's Role Vis-à-vis Women: "The Only Responsibility Men Owe to Women is Sustenance, Not Education…. In Return, the Women should Stay at Home and Look After Their Children"

"When they [i.e. male members of a family] permit their women to work, they give them a free hand to mix with na-mehrum (men to whom they are not related blood) – by doing so, the girl's father, brother or husband become dayoos [someone who accepts the wrongdoings of female family members] in the eye of the shari'a…."[9]

"Such people will never enter Paradise….[10]

"The only responsibility men owe to women is sustenance, not education…. In return, the women should stay at home and look after their children and relatives…."[11]

"Killing of women in the name of honor is a 'local custom and religious practice' in Kohistan…. If someone witnesses female relatives roaming with ghair mehram (other than close relatives), he can kill her without producing four witnesses [as required under Islamic law for such a punishment]."[12]...

Will the Islamophobia never end? "Religious intolerance: Hindu temple vandalised in Peshawar," by Riaz Ahmad for the Express Tribune, May 21:

PESHAWAR: In a brazen act of vandalism, unidentified men sneaked into a Hindu temple in the capital city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, smashed a holy figurine and burnt down scriptures and images of deities.

“We opened the temple around 6pm and found all holy scriptures and images burnt down. A statuette of Lord Shiva was also smashed to pieces,” Ramesh Lal, a priest at Guru Gorakhnath temple, told The Express Tribune.

The temple is situated in the Gorgathri neighbourhood inside the walled city.

Peshawar, which is believed to be one of the oldest living cities of South Asia, houses dozens of monuments and structures from the Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and British eras.

The priest said that the community had reported the incident to the local police who gave them the customary cold-shoulder.

“Vandals smashed a statuette of Lord Shiva to pieces and burnt down the holy Gita as well as several images of our deities,” Lal said. The temple, according to him, did not have armed guards because the government pays scant attention to the security needs of a Hindu place of worship....

No group has claimed responsibility for the vandalism – but past attacks on the shrines of Muslim Sufi saints and spiritual figures have been blamed on Taliban insurgents.

You don't say.

The niqab won't help

Acid attacks are increasingly popular among Islamic supremacists bent on controlling women and punishing them for getting out of line. "Pakistani Women Writers Denounce Islamic Clerics' Fatwas Against Women's Use Of Cell Phones And Access To Secular Education," from MEMRI, May 20 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

Former Pakistani lawmaker and cleric Maulana Abdul Haleem recently issued a fatwa (Islamic degree) against secular education and justifying honor killings of women.[1]The fatwa was issued in a sermon during a weekly Friday prayer in Kohistan district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Haleem also threatened that women from secular NGOs who visit Kohistan district may be married off forcibly to local men. In a similar incident, a cleric announced a fatwa in a mosque in Noshki town of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, justifying acid attacks on women who use cell phones.

Both fatwas elicited no condemnation from the main Pakistani media. However, two Pakistani women – an author and a blogger –slammed the clerics' fatwas, arguing that there is an urgent need to stop such fatwas against women. In an article titled "Fatwas Against Women: From The One Who Wears Bangles," Fouzia Saeed – an author and a social scientist – stated: "I think it is time for our society to forcefully stop such people who not only violate the dignity and safety of women citizens, but also give a bad name to Islam…"

In another article "Our Stunted Society," blogger and communications consultant Tazeen Javed argued that such fatwas are breeding narrow-mindedness. She wrote: "A country like ours can ill-afford adventurism of any kind, but most dangerous is the practice of resorting to a fatwa to get a point across. Not only does this breed a narrow and rigid view of issues, it also leaves no room for dialogue, debate, and consultation, making us an increasingly 'stunted' and intolerant society."

Fouzia Saeed: "A Fatwa Was Announced In A Mosque On May 11, Stating That Any Woman Using A Cell Phone Will Have Acid Thrown In Her Face"

Following are excerpts from Fouzia Saeed's article:[2]

"Fatwas against women are becoming common again. In Noshki, Baluchistan, a fatwa was announced in a mosque on May 11, stating that any woman using a cell phone will have acid thrown in her face. Another fatwa was issued in Kohistan about two weeks ago, warning 'NGO women' that they would be forcefully married to their local men if they dared to enter the area. There was a time when such fatwas were more common, resulting in serious punishments inflicted on women who dared to venture beyond the four walls of their homes.

"However, over the last four years there has been a steady improvement in creating space for women to be more visible in public. After decades of repression, women have turned the cycle in a different direction by building a high level of solidarity among women from many backgrounds. The awareness that one woman's advancement is linked to breaking the shackles of others has gained ground. Not just women; many men are fully in support of this process of change.

"Who will tell the 'fatwa guys' that they are nearly an extinct species? Who will tell these men that they need to wake up to 2012. Who will tell them that our interest in them is limited to a single news item? Perhaps they should be kept in a museum with the caption 'we used to have people like this who thought work for women was 'un-Islamic' but marrying them by force was 'Islamic.' Idiots who thought talking on a cell phone was 'un-Islamic' but throwing acid in women's faces was 'Islamic'!'

"I think it is time for our society to forcefully stop such people who not only violate the dignity and safety of women citizens, but also give a bad name to Islam, a religion which places a priority on the dignity of women."...

Uh huh.

Irshad Manji's expansive and broad-minded Islam is her own creation, with no basis in Islamic tradition. Hugh Fitzgerald said it back in 2008: "Irshad Manji has certainly created her own private Islam. She is the child of Asian refugees from Uganda. She has never lived in a Muslim society. She has always enjoyed the freedoms of the West. But she feels, out of filial piety, and perhaps for other reasons, that she will do best if she continues to identify as a Muslim and if, furthermore, she keeps claiming that Islam itself is or can be made into something perfectly acceptable to people such as herself. She's wrong. And any apostate, who had been born into and grown up in a society suffused with Islam, would be able to set her right."

But why don't we see more Muslims calling for any kind of reform in Islam? Here's why: even half-hearted and deceptive attempts at "reform" like Manji's are labeled un-Islamic. "Ban book if it's against Islam, say muftis," by Atiqa Hazellah for New Straits Times, May 21:

KUALA LUMPUR - Two state muftis have called on the government to ban the Malay translation of Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta, a book by Ugandan-born Canadian author Irshad Manji, if it is found to deviate from Islam.

The call was made by Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria and Selangor mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abdul Wahid.

On Saturday, a scheduled launch of the Malay translation of her book at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and several of her speaking engagements had to be cancelled due to security concerns.

According to her website, the seven-chapter book "shows all of us how to reconcile faith and freedom in a world seething with repressive dogmas. This book is the ultimate guide to becoming a gutsy global citizen".

Irshad had also openly admitted to being a lesbian and also has supported Lesbian, Gay, Bisexsual and Transexual (LGBT) lifestyles.

Harussani said her beliefs as outlined in the book were clearly against Malaysia's position as an Islamic country and the norms of Malaysian society.

"All state religious departments had been informed not to allow her deviant agenda to spread in this country."

Harussani added that he had not read the book but felt the government should ban it if it was found insulting to Islam.

"If the book is found misleading and deviated from the Islamic law and teachings, then the government should ban the book."...

Which of them will win a place of honor in the Islamic world? The Prime Minister of Turkey Erdogan as caliph, or Iranian President Ahmedinejad as the leader of all Muslims, Sunni and Shi'ite? Or someone else altogether? I do not know.

Maybe they are going to put together a great Islamic state. Or will they first sort out all the enemies of Islam and then start to try to understand each other? The latter option is more likely when one examines all the facts.

Some time ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly condemned, and even threatened India, if the leadership of that country would not reduce its purchase of crude oil to Iran. But is India a member of NATO? Is India a strategic partner of the United States? Would it not be better for the U.S. to deal first with its partners, and then with other countries? Or is the authorization for the purchase of oil simply a farcical move in an election year, as the Obama administration attempts to enlist the support of Jews in the United States?

Turkey has significantly increased its oil imports from Iran, despite the oil embargo that the United States and Europe are maintaining against the Islamic Republic.

Oil imports from Iran to Turkey in March exceeded 270,000 barrels per day, which is 100,000 barrels per day more (401 thousand 349 tons per month) than Turkey imported in February.

The data on the website of the Turkish Statistical Committee shows that the country imported 1.174 million tons of Iranian crude oil in March, which is the highest monthly purchase since July 2011, according to the Hurriyet Daily News.

In the first quarter, Iran exported to Turkey an average 193,000 barrels of oil per day (2.44 million tons).

Here you have the embargo.

What do you say about that?

In Turkey, the latest development in the technology of the future is an "electromagnetic bomb." Research in this area is being done in the "Laboratory for the Study of Plasma."

According to TRT, thanks to new technologies of the future being developed in Turkey, it can shoot down airplanes, blow up nuclear power plants and destroy or detonate mines. At Suleyman Demirel University is Turkey's first and only "Laboratory for the Study of Plasma." Turkey is the fifth country that has such a laboratory.

The laboratory, established with the participation of Canadian and U.S. partners, is equipped with high-voltage, high frequency, electromagnetic and radio frequency systems.
As a result of this work, Turkish scientists were able to carry high voltage and high frequency energy from one point to another without using a cable.

In the event that the project will be supported, in Turkey there can be put into place a national defense system that uses electromagnetic energy. This is after the Turks did not allow Israel to the NATO summit in Chicago and arrested the senior military leadership that was constraining Islam.

And this continues...

Now the Turks are changing their constitution.

In announcing the beginning of work on a new draft constitution, Prime Minister Erdogan proposed discussing the possibility of presidential rule. In accordance with the fundamental law, the president has the powers of representation, and the government has absolute power.

Erdogan's statement was interpreted as confirmation of his plans to become a powerful president of the country, in which scenario it was necessary to exchange the parliamentary system for a presidential one. The third and final term of office of the Erdogan government will expire in 2015.

Given the popularity of the prime minister in an Islamic Turkey, his victory in the presidential elections to be held in 2014 can be considered practically predetermined. This will allow the ruling party to continue the process of Islamization. And the president in this Islamic country could well be transformed into the Sultan.

The race continues in the Islamic world, the race to establish who is more harm to Israel. But in this who can rival Turkey, a NATO member country and a strategic partner of the United States?

Maybe it is time to apologize to the Turks and Iran for the fact that we have not accepted Islam and Muhammad.

Maybe our ancestors have died in vain -- those who died fighting against the Turks, and then against the Iranians and Arabs who were allied with North Caucasian tribes.

Maybe the time has come, which I was told about by one of the leaders and financiers of jihad in the Caucasus -- the time when all the people in the world would be Muslim, except for the Jews, and then the Muslims would "liberate" Jerusalem and destroy Israel.

Nahro Farid wrote this to me this morning: "They do this because they know they can get away with it. They know very well that their victims are Christians, thus they won't
be punished. They would never do this to a Muslim shop owner."

"Gunmen attack Assyrian-owned cafe in Bartella," by Nahro Farid for Ishtar TV, May 21:

Bartella, Nineveh Plains - A small argument led to an all-out assault against a Christian cafe owner in the Assyrian town of Bartella on Saturday night.

Eyewitness described the terror that lasted almost an hour in the small town of 20,000, which began after an argument by a group of Muslim outsiders.

The group of people, who were believed to have come from a nearby village, were at the cafe to watch the European club football final match between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

The group left the cafe but to only return with guns and began to fire at all directions in Bartella. After entering the cafe, the gunmen began to destroy everything in the cafe.

No arrests have been made so far, and the police is [sic] not intending on opening a case.

We have lost a lion

It is with great sadness that I must report that my friend David Littman, one of the foremost warriors for human rights of our age, has died today in Switzerland.

Longtime Jihad Watch readers will recall his many reports at this site (see here -- scroll down), recording his numerous valiant efforts to call the attention of the UN's Human Rights Council to the human rights abuses arising from Islamic law.

This was just one small part of his long, vigorous and multifaceted lifelong fight for justice. His heroic efforts to save Jewish children from Islamic supremacist persecution in Morocco in the early 1960s became the subject of a documentary, Operation Mural. He assisted his wife, the great historian Bat Ye'or, in her pioneering work to uncover the forgotten history of dhimmitude, the institutionalized mistreatment of non-Muslims under Islamic law. He wrote a great deal about that and related matters himself. And he did so much more besides to defend the oppressed and downtrodden, such that this would go on forever if I enumerated it all.

David Littman was a man of breadth and vision and humor, a man of astounding vigor such that even in his last years he was much more active and accomplished than many people half his age. He was a man of genuine compassion and true kindness, such that one encounters only very rarely these days. He was a delightful raconteur, an amiable dinner companion, a dear friend, a great soul.

The world will not see the like of David Littman again for a long, long time. May his memory be eternal.

"Far right" in this story and other mainstream media stories means opposition to Islamization and Sharia. "Islamist calls for murder of German far-right party: media," from Expatica, May 20 (thanks to David):

A German Islamist is calling for the murder of members of a far-right party that regularly provokes ultra-conservative Muslims using cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, a newspaper reported.

According to an article due to appear Monday in the Tageszeitung daily, an Islamist from Bonn in western Germany has appeared in a video on an Islamic forum in which he encouraged "the killing of all activists from the Pro NRW party".

Members of the small extreme-right political party held a campaign event using anti-Islamic caricatures ahead of an election in Germany's most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia on May 13.

In his appeal, the Islamist urged the collection of personal information on Pro NRW members, including their home addresses and work schedules, with the goal of attacking them.

"We take this message seriously," an Interior Minister spokesman told the newspaper, which said the man had broadcast messages for the "Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan".

Several police were injured during recent clashes between Islamists and Pro NRW members.

The right-wing activists have for several years campaigned against the construction of mosques and have in some protests marched with cartoons of Mohammed that were initially published by a Danish newspaper in 2005, leading to a wave of violence and anger across the Muslim world....

Still more Arab Spring democracy on the march. "Israel To Remain an Enemy, Says Syrian Rebel Leader," by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu for Israel National News, May 20 (thanks to all who sent this in):

As Syria creeps into total anarchy, rebels also insist that Israel will remain an enemy after the anticipated fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad. President Barack Obama told the G-8 Summit Saturday that Assad must leave.

Regardless of whether he continues in power or is replaced, Israel is destined to remain an enemy state. Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun told a Saudi Arabian newspaper Saturday that Israel is "the main enemy of the Syrian revolution,” and he accused Jerusalem of being Assad’s “strongest ally.”

Rebels claimed on Sunday that they killed senior Assad aides, but the regime denied the report and also accused “terrorists” of suicide bombings.

The report of the assassinations was published by Al Jazeera, which quoted rebel leaders as saying they assassinated Assad's senior military leader, the Interior Minister and one of his top aides. The regime immediately called the reports “lies” and released an interview with one of the supposed assassination victims.

Anarchy, if not civil war, is overcoming the country. A suicide bomb hit near the government’s intelligence complex Saturday night, with the regime and the opposition accusing each other of carrying out the deadly attack. The target area was the same place that once was a transit station for terrorists fighting American forces in Iraq, indicating that the attack may have been carried out by Al Qaeda-linked groups.

Assad until recently had been gaining the upper hand in the brutal suppression of the 14-month-old rebellion, but Gulf States and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood have begun arming the opposition.

The Obama administration has denied it is arming the rebels but has said it is coordinating with other countries that are sending them arms. The administration has totally reversed itself, having called Assad a “reformer” a year ago and now saying that he must leave power....

What are we fighting for? "Obama to urge Afghan president Karzai to push for Taliban settlement," by Ewen MacAskill in the Guardian, May 20 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

Barack Obama is to use the Nato summit to press the Afghan leader Hamid Karzai to engage with greater urgency with the Taliban about a political settlement in Afghanistan.

The US president flew to Chicago on Saturday night after 24 hours of negotiations with the leaders of the G8, dominated by the eurozone crisis but which also included talks on issues including Afghanistan.

With US allies pressing for a speedy exit from a war their countries have become weary of, Obama is to discuss with Karzai and Nato allies a timetable that will see Afghan forces taking over combat duties from the US and its allies by the middle of next year.

Almost all international forces are scheduled to be out by the end of 2014 after completion of the Afghanistan elections. Karzai will not be standing in that election.

The Obama administration had hoped Chicago would be the venue for a major announcement of a political settlement with the Taliban. But these hopes crumbled when the Taliban walked away from reconciliation talks in March.

Instead, Obama is having to focus on trying to keep the international force together until the end of 2014, with some countries already preparing to leave early, in particular France, which has said it will remove combat troops by the end of this year.

After the pullout in two years time, a Nato force will be left behind, in part to help with training....

And to serve as target practice for Afghan troops.

The leaders listed below are urging other clerics to condemn this fatwa. We shall see if they will. "Fatwa against female NGO workers condemned," from the Daily Times, May 15 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

LAHORE: Chanan Development Association (CDA) has condemned a fatwa issued by Maulvi Abdul Haleem, a former Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal MNA, on Saturday, threatening women workers of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Kohistan. CDA Executive Director Muhammad Shahzad Khan said that the fatwa against female NGO workers and girls’ education was not only against human rights, but also against the teachings of Islam. He added that it was a shame that people like Abdul Haleem, misinterpreted Islamic values just to gain fake popularity. Sana Sohail, national coordinator of Y-PEER Pakistan, emphasised that this kind of act would provoked negative impression about the women who work in NGOs. She added that all religions supported girls’ education. Other youth leaders Bashir Ahmed from South Waziristan, Najamus Sahar from Gilgit-Baltistan, Mariam Ishaq from Lahore, Faizan Hassan from Quetta, Fatima Zafar from Multan, Qaiser Roonjha from Lasbella, Raza Ravjani from Karachi, Wiqas Ahmed from Peshawar and Shaheen Kausar from Muzaffarabad urged other religious leaders to speak against this fatwa and correct Abdul Haleem on true teachings of Islam. They also urged the government to take action against mullahs who themselves did not understand Islam....

About time! There are so very many of those!

Arab Spring democracy on the march! "Islamists Threaten Insurgency Should Secularists Win Egypt Election," by Michael Rubin for the generally reliably dhimmi Commentary, May 20 (thanks to David):

...On May 19, Islamic Jihad Organization member Shaykh Usamah Qasim took to the pages of Al-Misri al-Yawm to warn that Islamists would not tolerate a victory by any of the non-Islamist candidates. According to a translation provided by the Open Source Center:

…The victory of former prime minister Ahmad Shafiq or former Arab League chief Amr Musa in the coming presidential elections would lead some Islamic and non-Islamic groups to respond with “armed action.” “Thus, the fate of any of them who reaches the presidency will be like that of former President Anwar al-Sadat, who was assassinated,” Qasim said....

Another salvo in the ongoing Islamic supremacist war against the freedom of speech. Twitter must adhere to Sharia, or else. "Pakistan blocks Twitter because of material considered offensive to Islam," by Zarar Khan for The Associated Press, May 20 (thanks to all who sent this in):

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan blocked the social networking website Twitter on Sunday because it refused to remove material considered offensive to Islam, said one of the country's top telecommunications officials.

The material was promoting a competition on Facebook to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, said Mohammad Yaseen, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication's Authority. Many Muslims regard depictions of the prophet, even favourable ones, as blasphemous.

Yaseen said Facebook agreed to address Pakistan's concerns about the competition, but officials have failed to get Twitter to do the same.

"We have been negotiating with them until last night, but they did not agree to remove the stuff, so we had to block it," said Yaseen....

"The subject peoples ... are forbidden to build new churches." ('Umdat al-Salik, o11.5). Islamic law also forbids Christians to repair old churches.

Sharia Alert from Egypt: "Controversial Church-Building Law a Focal Point for Egypt's Coptic Voters," by Luiza Oleszczuk for the Christian Post, May 17:

Egypt's Coptic Christians fear they could face further persecution should an Islamist candidate win next week's presidential elections, as frontrunners vying for leadership stem from the Sharia-leaning Muslim Brotherhood. One of the major issues on their agenda is a controversial law that puts heavy restrictions on building and maintaining Christian houses of worship.

The emerging top Islamist candidates in the race include Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood; Salafist candidate Hazem Abu Ismail; and the Muslim Brotherhood's own Khairat Al-Shater, who said in April that Sharia should become the ultimate law of the land.

Meanwhile, some Copts are hoping that candidate Ahmed Shafiq, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's prime minister and a former military commander, would be the one to help end the discriminatory rules concerning building churches, Reuters reported this week.

The church-building policy in Egypt has been the subject of a heated Muslim-Christian debate for years. Controversial legislation makes it easy to build a mosque but hard to raise or even repair a church. A new mosque only needs a permit from the local district, while a church needs additional paper work signed by the president himself.

The law goes back to the 19th century, Kurt J. Werthmuller, Research Fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, told The Christian Post via email.

Actually, it is part of Islam's laws for dhimmis, which go back to the beginnings of Islamic jurisprudence.

However, as far as the law may have been seen as progressive then, "in the context of contemporary Egypt, it has meant that Coptic Christians have been required to submit presidential petition to not just build new churches, but to expand, renovate, or even make simple repairs in existing ones," Werthmuller said.

In 2005, Mubarak altered the policy by issuing a presidential decree that delegated the authority for such permissions to the nation's governors.

"This meant," Werthmuller explained, "that if a village priest had to repair a broken toilet or cracked wall in his church, he would still have to go a high regional executive for permission. Even then, it's worth noting, he would have to navigate a labyrinth of paperwork and corrupt bureaucracy, and often face clerical workers that could easily 'lose' the petition in the process."...

Here is the first video in David Wood's "Qur'an in Context" series. Muslim spokesmen and apologists routinely claim that non-Muslims are quoting the Qur'an "out of context"; however, this claim is total nonsense according to their own sources. So the nonpareil Wood is planning a series of videos discussing the historical, immediate, and extended literary contexts of several key passages, based on Islam's most trusted sources.

See also my Blogging the Qur'an series on 9:29 here and here.

Democracy on the march! "UN says al Qaeda behind Syria suicide bombs death toll from civil war reaches 10,000," from AFP, May 18 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

UN leader Ban Ki-moon has said he believes al-Qaeda committed a major bomb attack in Damascus that left dozens dead, and that up to 10,000 people have now been killed in Syria.

Ban said President Bashar al-Assad has still not implemented a peace plan agreed with UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

"Very alarmingly and surprisingly, a few days ago, there was a huge serious massive terrorist attack. I believe that there must be al-Qaeda behind it. This has created again very serious problems," Ban said at a youth event at the UN headquarters.

Suicide attackers detonated huge bombs in Damascus on May 10, killing at least 55 people and wounding nearly 400.

Syria has accused al-Qaeda of orchestrating attacks in the country in recent weeks, adding to the strife caused by the uprising against Assad.

"More than 9,000, at least, maybe 10,000 people have been killed during the last 15 months. It has reached an intolerable situation now," Ban said....

So as to be able to watch and arrest them more easily, in further crackdowns on converts to Christianity. "Iran – Ministry of Intelligence further restricts Farsi-Speaking churches," from Mohaba News, May 17 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

In addition to the increased restrictions against Iranian Christian converts, the Ministry of Intelligence has now ordered the leaders of the central AOG church in Tehran to compile a list of the names and National ID numbers of its members and submit it to the security authorities.

According to Iranian Christian news agency, Mohabat News, reports from Tehran indicate that leaders of the central AOG church of Tehran asked their congregation in Sunday May 6 service to voluntarily present them with a list of their names and National ID numbers so that they submit the list to the officials. This reveals the identity of Christian converts and enables security authorities to record detailed information about the Christians.

It is clear that such a decision by the leaders of the AOG church, is a result of pressures the security authorities have been imposing on them. This seems to be a precautionary move by the security organizations to identify Christians and possibly use the information later to arrest Christian converts and watch the activities of the church even more closely, especially to prevent them from receiving new people. Such orders by security authorities make Christians' relationship with their church riskier than ever.

This security move by Iranian authorities reveals that even after cancelling the Farsi services in some churches, they have not been successful in reducing the number of Christian converts and the trend by other people to attend the church. In recent months, organizers and operational groups of the Ministry of Intelligence ordered the last two churches in Tehran still holding Farsi services, to cancel these services. However, this has not stopped Christians from attending church services and illustrates the failure of all these repressive plans and threats which were designed to deal with spread of Christianity in Iran....

KUALA LUMPUR: Liberal activist Irshad Manji has found herself in a spot following strong protests against her presence here to promote the Malay version of her controversial book, Allah, Liberty and Love.

Political parties and non-governmental organisations have opposed her visit to Malaysia, claiming that the writer reported to have openly admitted to being a lesbian has insulted Islam with her writings and attitude.

They have demanded that the authorities ban her work and not allow her to set foot in the country again.

Her views on Islam such as her opinion that a non-Muslim need not convert to be married to a Muslim have gained the Ugandan-born Canadian author infamy.

The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha will review her book, Allah. Kebebasan dan Cinta, saying that although there were complaints that Irshad's work was insulting to Islam, the department needed to go through the book first.

"We will be getting copies of the book soon. Once we have gone through and discover reasons that it should be banned, we will propose it to the Home Ministry," he said.

The title alone is probably enough of a reason to ban it, as far as the Muslims of the religious police (Jakim) are most likely concerned. The review process is merely a formality.

Despite protests, the Malay version of Irshad's book was launched before a small group at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall yesterday.

Apart from the book launch, the 44-year-old activist's visit to Malaysia also included several speaking engagements but her programmes have been cancelled.

Irshad had earlier tweeted that the Borders bookstore had scrapped her event, citing security concerns while Monash University claimed it was pressured by the Selangor Islamic Affairs department. Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta is published by ZI Publications.

The writer's first book, The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslims Call for Reform in Her Faith has been banned in Malaysia.

PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hassan has urged the Government to act fast, adding that while the [Islamic] movement supported freedom of expression, creative or literary works should not be used to promote ideas that were against religion and human nature.

"We cannot support something that goes against normal human values, let alone religious teachings," he said.

Umno Youth exco member Hishamudin Yahya said the movement also called on the book to be banned, adding that Irshad should not be allowed to come to Malaysia again.

Doesn't he know that all Muslims abhor and despise his hijacking of the Religion of Peace? How then could be possibly think he could or should serve as an example to Muslims? Unless, of course, the situation is different from what the learned analysts, government, law enforcement, and the mainstream media tell us. Naaah, that couldn't be.

"US jihadi in Somalia craves fast food, misses family," from AFP, May 17 (thanks to all who sent this in):

Top in Bible school, missing his family, and craving Chinese takeaways: an American extremist in Somalia's Al-Qaeda affiliated rebels recounts his life in an autobiography.

Titled "The Story of An American Jihadi" and posted on Islamist websites, the book claims to be written by Alabama-born Omar Hammami -- better known as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki (the American).

If confirmed, the book -- signed by Amriki "still alive and well" on May 16 -- would be the first confirmation he is alive after a furious dispute with Shebab leaders. In March, he issued a video warning he feared he would be killed.

"I guess I hope that Muslims around the world also take my life as an example," he wrote in the book, detailing his time alongside Somali fighters as well as insurgents from the US, Britain, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Jordan.

"Not that I'm extremely special, but then again I haven't seen too many middle class 'white guys' from Alabama in jihad these days. Hopefully others will say to themselves: I can do that too!"

Amriki, who has reportedly been based in anarchic Somalia since late 2006 and is wanted by the US on terrorism charges, has issued previous videos calling for foreign recruits, including singing rap songs praising jihad.

"I am not simply a disenfranchised foreigner who is jealous of America," the 28-year old said, writing thousands of miles (kilometres) from the small town of Daphne, Alamaba where he grew up.

"The real fear that Americans feel when they see an American in Somalia talking about jihad, is not how skillful he is at sneaking back across the borders with nuclear weapons," he added.

"The Americans fear that their cultural barrier has been broken, and now jihad has become a normal career choice of any youthful American Muslim."...

Amriki, whose closing remarks in the book are "viva la revolucion", adds that he can now "only pray that Allah grants me a righteous ending"....

And soon.

Kuwaitis are going to have Islamic law whether they like it or not. "Islamist MPs to go ahead with constitutional amendments," from the Kuwait Times, May 19:

KUWAIT: Islamist lawmakers still plan to amend Article 79 of the Constitution with the aim of enforcing religious-oriented laws in Kuwait despite the country’s ruler’s recent announcement rejecting a proposed amendment to Article 79.

“The process of making laws comply with Islamic Sharia is ongoing through efforts made to discuss regulations that contradict with Sharia,” said Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Sultan in statements published by Al-Rai yesterday. The statements come a day after front pages of local dailies carried headlines of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s disagreement to add a clause to Article 79, requiring that draft laws comply with the Sharia law after being passed by the Parliament and sanctioned by the Amir.

“HH the Amir’s observed that regulations in Kuwait already comply with Islamic regulations and are derived from the Constitution supporting Islamic laws,” said MP Badr Al-Dahoom of the Justice Bloc which proposed the aforementioned amendment. He added that the opposition will not thwart the bloc’s plans to proceed with a project to amend Article 2 of the Constitution, making Islamic Sharia the only source of legislation.

“The Justice Bloc is currently studying all laws in Kuwait to see if any article contradicts with Islamic Sharia so that we can propose an amendment,” Al-Dahoom said. “Islamization of laws will continue until it is time to propose Article 2 amendment.”- Al-Rai

In the name of human rights, stop the Islamization of Kuwait!

Oh, the rampant Islamophobia! "Maluku, Christian neighborhood attacked," by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, May 16 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - For the third straight day there have been attacks in Ambon (Moluccas), where last night a group of unidentified persons set fire to houses and motorbikes in a predominantly Christian neighborhood. AsiaNews sources say that dozens of families have fled their homes for fear of attacks. Many fear the involvement of Islamic extremist groups.....

Will the Islamophobia never end? No Compulsion In Religion Update from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: "Pakistan, appeal for Christian girl kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam," by Shafique Khokhar for Asia News, May 19 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - The family of Mary Salik (fictional name for security reasons) asks for justice for the 14 year old Christian girl, kidnapped last May 4 in Ali (Faisalabad, Punjab) and forced to convert to Islam. The author of the kidnapping is the uncle of the girl, who embraced Islam about a year ago and since then ended all contact with the family of origin. He kidnapped the young girl to marry her off with his son Kashif. The wedding was celebrated on 7 May.

The girl's father, told AsiaNews that "my daughter is only 14 years old and suffers from the birth from heart problems and can not do heavy work. After converting my brother is conspiring against our family and kidnapped Mary with deception ".

Immediately after the seizure, the father of the young Christian girl turned to local police and demanded the immediate release of his daughter, but the agents refused to return Mary to her family. According to police, the girl converted of her own free will and submitted as evidence a written statement in which the girl says to "be mature and have embraced Islam without coercion or threats."...

Yet another imam gets the religion of peace, tolerance, and respect for women all wrong, wrong, wrong. Why, oh why, does this happen so often?

Video thanks to Blazing Cat Fur.

Congratulations to the indefatigable Blazing Cat Fur, who discovered these website postings and made them into an issue for Canada's multiculti establishment. "Toronto school board pulls permit for madrassah after anti-Semitic postings on website," by Kristin Rushowy for the Toronto Star, May 16 (thanks to all who sent this in):

East End Madrassah cannot use a Scarborough school for weekend classes until police have wrapped up their investigation into anti-Jewish teachings, the Toronto public board has decided.

“We’ve had a long relationship with this organization and there have been no problems to date, but of course when the situation came to our attention, it was something that we needed to investigate,” said board spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz.

When the online materials were discovered last week — which called ancient Jews “treacherous” and “crafty” — the madrassah immediately pulled them and issued an apology....

Right-wing extremists, no doubt. "Iraq anti-terror officer, family shot dead," from AFP, May 19 (thanks to all who sent this in):

An Iraqi anti-terror officer, his wife and three children have been shot dead by gunmen in north Baghdad, security and medical officials said on Saturday.

The family was murdered on Friday evening, the officials said, taking to 10 the overall death toll from violence in the Iraqi capital a day ago, and 15 in the past two days, a notable increase from what had been a relative calm.

"Gunmen used silenced pistols to kill Captain Mahmud Abid, his wife and his three children yesterday (Friday) evening in their home in Kadhimiyah," a predominantly Shiite Muslim neighbourhood in north Baghdad, an interior ministry official said....

Getting the true believers in line. "Pro-Brotherhood preacher: Electing liberal or secular president against religion," from Al-Masry Al-Youm, May 18 (thanks to Wimpy):

Muslim preacher Safwat Hegazy, who has been campaigning for the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate, Mohamed Morsy, said it is against religion to elect a presidential candidate who wants to establish a state based on liberalism, secularism, communism or socialism.

During Friday prayers in Nagda Mosque in Nagaa Hammadi, Qena, Hegazy called on people not to elect a candidate who participated in the injustice and the corruption of the former regime or who even remained silent watching the injustice and corruption of Hosni Mubarak and his entourage.

Hegazy said voters should choose the candidate who would apply Sharia and “who would be living in Cairo, but would tremble in fear [of God] if asked about a hungry person in Nag Hammadi.”

He described the elections as a testimony before God and a great responsibility, and said: “If you choose a man who corrupted the country, you will be responsible with him for his corruption and will be held accountable with him [before God]. But if you choose a man who abides by the law of God and establishes justice, you will be rewarded with him. Everyone will be held accountable [by God] if the next president is ill-chosen, and we should not blame but ourselves.”

Hegazy stressed that participating in the elections is a religious duty and that not voting or invalidating one's vote is against religion. He added that buying votes is a “great sin.”

“We want a president who we can tell, ‘Fear God and His law and judge according to His Book.’ We want a president who will free Palestine and Jerusalem to tell the world that the law of God has returned in Egypt,” he said....

What is the result of the Obama Administration's purge of the truth about Islam and jihad from all military and intelligence training materials? I received this email this morning from an Army officer:

Special Operations Language Training Module (book) 1, Arabic, p. 133:

"The Shari'ah (Islamic law) prescribes rules to regulate the functioning of the family so that both spouses can live together in love, security, and tranquility."

This is what the U.S. Army is teaching its future Green Berets, Psyops, and Civil Affairs soldiers.

The Ikhwan at work no doubt...

No doubt. The statement is true as far as it goes, albeit with drastically different understandings of the meanings of love, security, and tranquility, but it ignores the political and supremacist aspects of Sharia (which, of course, Islamic supremacists in the U.S. are working hard to cover up in the face of anti-Sharia legal initiatives), as well as the many ways in which Sharia contradicts otherwise universally held notions of human rights.

Our future Army personnel will be woefully ill-equipped to meet the jihad threat.

Eli Clifton, Ali Gharib, and Spencer Ackerman remove "Islamophobic" materials from military counterterrorism training

But not anymore, of course -- at least not officially. The hard Left's war on the truth continues, with a thorough purge of all truthful material about the jihad threat. In this the Obama Administration and the Leftist journalists who have been the catalyst for all this are following a most interesting precedent, as per the photo above, as well as pushing the Muslim Brotherhood invention "Islamophobia."

"EXCLUSIVE: Class Materials From Military’s Anti-Islam Class Repeatedly Cite Islamophobic Authors," by Eli Clifton and Ali Gharib for Think Progress, May 14 (thanks to all who sent this in):

A class taught by the military to officers at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, came under fire when a report on Wired’s Danger Room blog last week exposed it for teaching soldiers to engage in a “total war” on Islam and taking a war on Islam “to the civilian population wherever necessary.” The full set of course materials, hundreds of documents and slide shows obtained by ThinkProgress, reveal just how deep Islamophobia ran through the military instruction. The material contained dozens of citations to the work of some of America’s best known anti-Muslim bigots.

Not all of the material in the course, however, was anti-Muslim. Materials from reputable sources such as the Brookings Institution and RAND corporation also appeared among the readings, and only some of the presenters to the class used blatantly Islamophobic material. (The public affairs officer of the Joint Forces Staff College didn’t respond to repeated inquiries by press time.)

But the “Islamophobia network,” discussed in the Center for American Progress’ “Fear, Inc.” report, played a prominent role in many of the 266 documents acquired by ThinkProgress. Islamophobic “misinformation experts” — as they’re defined in “Fear, Inc.” — cited in Army teaching materials included:

Robert Spencer – 34 mentions across 8 documents (his blog, JihadWatch.org, was cited 11 times across 7 documents)

Spencer is the co-founder of Stop Islamization of America and the director of JihadWatch.org. He has argued that “traditional Islam itself is not moderate or peaceful. Spencer is prominent pseudo-intellectual in the “counter jihad” blogging community who argues that Islam is inherently violent. He says “It is the only major world religion with a developed doctrine and tradition of warfare against unbelievers.”

Steven Emerson – 16 mentions across 4 documents

Emerson is the founder of the Investigative Project on Terrorism and a former journalist at U.S. News & World Report and CNN. His greatest notoriety came from prematurely declaring that Oklahoma City bombing was committed by Muslims. The actual culprit was right-wing anti-government militant Timothy McVeigh. Emerson tells his followers that “Nearly all of the Islamic organizations in the United States that define themselves as religiously or culturally Muslim in character have, today, been totally captured or dominated by radical fundamentalist elements.”

Center for Security Policy (CSP) – 60 mentions across 3 documents

CSP is led by notorious Islamophobe Frank Gaffney and produced the report, “Shariah: The Threat to America” which has served as the blueprint for “anti-Shariah” legislation across the country.

David Yerushalmi – 9 mentions across 3 documents

Yerushalmi is general counsel for CSP, a co-author of “Shariah: The Threat to America” and the founder of Society of Americans for National Existence. The Anti-Defamation League concluded that he has a “record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black bigotry.”

Daniel Pipes – 50 mentions across 10 documents (his organization, Middle East Forum, was cited 39 times across 10 documents)

Pipes, the director of Middle East Forum, is increasingly strident about the supposed threat posed by Islam and Muslims in America. He argues, “All immigrants bring exotic customs and attitudes, but Muslim customs are more troublesome than most.” ...

Over at Gatestone Institute (via RaymondIbrahim.com), I chronicle the many abuses Christians suffered under Islam in the month of April -- several occurring on Easter Sunday. Some "highlights" follow:

India: Muslims stormed and terrorized a home where a Christian prayer meeting was being held, beating the Christians, including a 65-year-old widow. The Muslims "called them pagans as they kicked, slapped and pushed the Christians…. The Christians were running in all directions for their lives, including the children who were crying in fear," even as one Muslim, "brandishing a sickle, chased many of them, hurling all kinds of insults and attempting to murder them all…. 500 Muslims had gathered and were watching in amusement as the extremists chased and harassed the Christians for about 90 minutes."

Philippines: Two pastors were slaughtered by Muslim assailants: 1) A former Muslim who became a Christian pastor was murdered in front of his wife in his home: "My husband staggered into our bedroom and I was shocked because he was full of blood," she recalled. "I brought him to the hospital right away. He was operated on for eight bullet wounds, but did not survive." The Philippines is a mostly Christian nation, but in the south, "Muslim fundamentalists are trying to build an Islamic state. Christians there face persecution and even death…. This year, at least four house churches closed down after their pastors and lay leaders were killed by Muslim extremists." 2) Another pastor was shot in the head five times and killed by two "unknown gunmen" in front of his teenage daughter.

Sudan: A Christian compound in Khartoum was stormed by a throng of Muslims "armed with clubs, iron rods, a bulldozer and fire," the day after a Muslim leader called on Muslims to destroy "the infidels' church." Shouting "Allahu Akbar [God is greater]" and "No more Christianity from today on—no more church from today on," the jihadis stormed the Bible school bookstore, burning Bibles and threatening to kill anyone resisting them. "What happened could not be imagined—it was terrible," said an eyewitness. "They burned all furniture of the school and the church as well." As usual, "Police at the compound stood back and did nothing to prevent the mob from vandalizing the compound."

But some are concerned that such slogans reveal too much to the stupid Infidels in the West who are so eager to believe their pipe dreams about "Arab Spring" democracy. "Syria - Islamist slogans under criticism," by Khaled Soubeihi for Sapa-AFP, May 18 (thanks to Twostellas):

The use of Islamist slogans by protesters during weekly on Friday demonstrations against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has triggered criticism among an already-fractured opposition.

Activists have been organising online polls on “The Syrian Revolution 2011” Facebook page since the beginning of the uprisings in March last year to pick slogans for demonstrations that usually take place after Friday prayers.

But slogans like “victory from God,” “God's Victory is near” and “armies of Islam, set us free,” have provoked criticism from many in the fragmented opposition, which includes the Muslim Brotherhood, nationalists, liberals and independents.

Syrian activist and journalist Kinan Ali said the use of religious slogans “shows that the opposition is bankrupt of political ideas.”

Abdul Karim Karman, a Hama-based activist, agreed.

“I am a committed Muslim but Islamist slogans do not benefit (the revolt) and do not represent everyone,” Abdul Karim Karman, a Hama-based activist, told AFP though Skype.

“We need slogans that have political content for the Syrian public and for the international community.”...

Yes, we especially need to tone down the Islamic supremacism for the silly West.

Here is an interesting anecdote of taqiyya—the Islamic doctrine that permits lies and hypocrisy whenever Muslims fear their stronger adversaries, including fellow Muslims: Soon after the clash between Egypt’s military and Islamists at al-Abbassia, Sheikh Hassan Abu al-Ashbal, one of the leaders of the Salafi party, declared a full-blown jihad against the military—only to retract it, once the Egyptian media exposed it. Backing down, al-Ashbal said that he was “angry at the spilling of innocent blood by the military,” and so he “spoke words he did not mean,” including his “declaration of war and the raising of the banner of jihad in Egypt.”

Instead, the sheikh redirected his rage at those who exposed him—the “rabid media,” which he proceeded to blame for the chaos in Egypt. This, of course, is reminiscent of the recent threats Egypt’s On TV received from the “Jihad Group to Cleanse the Country,” which blamed the media station of "seeking to destroy the nation and create chaos to implement the American and Zionist agenda.” Apparently, some Egyptian media are not as sympathetic or apathetic to the Islamist agenda as are their media counterparts in the West, no doubt because the threat is much closer to home.

Over at FrontPage Mag (via RaymondIbrahim.com), I discuss Muslim reactions to Coptic Pope Shenouda's recent death, and show how they, once again, expose Islam's hate for all things non-Muslim. Snippets follow:

...While Ghoneim engaged in the usual lies and projections—saying the Pope wanted to create a Coptic state and "set Egypt ablaze"—there is no denying that Ghoneim's position on condemning dead infidels is grounded in Islam: the remainder of the cleric's "eulogy" is riddled with quotes from Islam's core texts, the Koran, Hadith, and scholarly [ulema] consensus.

For instance, he quoted Caliph Omar's famous ejaculation upon learning that a Muslim had hired a Christian scribe: "What is wrong with you—may Allah curse you?! Have you not heard Allah's words: 'O you who believe: do not take the Jews and the Christians as friends and allies; they are friends and allies of each other' [Koran 5:51]? Why did you not employ a hanif [a Muslim]? The man replied, "I profit from his [the Christian's] writing, and his religion is his own affair," to which the pious Omar rebounded, "I will not honor them, when Allah has humiliated them, nor will I be close to them, when Allah has cast them away."

Incidentally, Omar is the same "righteous caliph" who gave the contradictory commandment to "Humiliate them [Christians] but do not wrong them"—as if humiliating people does not amount to "wronging" them. (For more Islamic quotes, see this fatwa.)

[...]

Which leads to the great irony of Islam: while it boasts that it is the religion of fitra, the religion of "nature," which is why all humans are supposedly born Muslims, its teachings—from "adult breastfeeding" to "death-sex"—often contradict the most natural human impulses. Worse, while many religions try to ennoble humanity, by making them strive to a higher level, here is yet another example of Islam forcing people downwards, to tribalism and egoism, to rancor and hatred.

He dared to insult Muhammad, and you know, that's illegal. What's that? The First Amendment? Pah! Eisenstein has violated multiculturalist sensibilities (and Islam's blasphemy laws, which coincide neatly with those sensibilities). Sharia Alert from Purdue University: "Prof sues over Muslim tiff," by Charles Wilson for the Associated Press, May 18 (thanks to Twostellas):

INDIANAPOLIS – A Purdue University political science professor has sued officials and other professors at the school’s campus in northwest Indiana for the treatment he received after he posted criticism of Muslims on Facebook.

Maurice Eisenstein claims in the suit that Purdue-Calumet officials violated his rights of freedom of speech and religion by subjecting him to a disciplinary investigation which eventually yielded mixed results.

The lawsuit filed May 10 in a Lake County court says Eisenstein was cleared of the initial allegation that he had violated the school’s policy against discrimination and harassment, but officials reprimanded him for what they considered retaliation against the two professors who filed the complaints.

“This is not the first time and it won’t be the last time we will see a university punish a student or professor for constitutionally protected speech on Facebook. Professors at public universities should not have to go to court to defend their free speech rights,” Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said in a statement Wednesday.

FIRE, a non-profit educational foundation devoted to free speech, has sent letters to Chancellor Thomas Keon advocating Eisenstein’s position and tried to raise public awareness, but is not involved in the suit, said Adam Kissel, the group’s vice president.

The complaints were filed last fall amid student protests on the Hammond campus, citing comments Eisenstein, a 64-year-old Orthodox Jew, made inside and outside his classroom.

The complaints followed posts on his personal Facebook page questioning the response of moderate Muslims to other Muslims killing Christians in Nigeria, and insulting the prophet Muhammed....

The suit alleges that officials and professors conspired to smear Eisenstein’s reputation. It says officials violated Eisenstein’s rights of free speech and religion under the Indiana Constitution....

Swedish State TV (SVT) has made its own Undercover Mosque as part of the investigative series call Uppdrag. Translated from Swedish by Nicolai Sennels, Sydsvenskan, May 16: "Women advised not to report to the police":

With hidden cameras and secret telephone recording equipment, two women went to the country's ten largest mosques to ask for advice regarding polygamy, abuse and sex without consent. Tonight's Uppdrag, broadcast on SVT, documents that the advice of the mosque's representatives are often contradictory to Swedish law. ... Six out of ten mosques advised the woman not to report the beatings to the police. At one mosque different answers were given, and another mosque gave an unclear answer. Only at two mosques were the woman advised to contact the police. Nine out of ten said that under certain conditions men are allowed to marry several women. Only one said that man cannot do so and that he must comply with Swedish law. The illegal advice to the women was given by imams or Muslim family counselors.

When Uppdrag's journalist Janne Josefsson asked two of the largest mosques about their official position, the answers were different from what they had given the undercover journalist. In front of Josefsson, the Chairman of the Islamic Uppsala Association said that people should act in accordance with Swedish law. Confronted with what the imam at the mosque said to the women, the chairman said that the imam's personal opinion was that the woman should forgive the man rather than report the abuse. But what the imam actually said to the woman was to defend polygamy, and he advised the woman not to report the abuse to the police and instead give her husband more love. "Do not refuse to give love to him, maybe he will change," said the imam.

After the confrontation with Josefsson, the Islamic Association of Stockholm has suspended the imam and started an investigation.

"This is a case of clear violation of Swedish law and misconduct by the imams and the organisations," says Mohammad Fazlhashemi, professor and author of books on Muslim history of philosophy. Fazlhashemi involved himself in the program and has received a written presentation of the advice given to women. "What these men say to the women violates their human rights. These men humiliate and violate women when they say 'you have to put up with this man's beatings,'" says Mohammad Fazlhashemi. He is highly critical of the fact that the imams do not comply with Swedish law.

"Since the mosques receive government grants, they must agree to follow Swedish law and fundamental democratic principles." ... Mohammad Fazlhashemi, himself a Muslim, believe that the outdated mosque representatives benefit Muslim-haters and the Sweden Democrats (Sweden's only Islam-critical party).

"The imams confirm the caricature of Muslims. It is deeply regrettable that they live up to all the prejudices of the Islamophobes."

JihadWatch on the Swedish Democrats: "Nicolai Sennels interviews politician Kent Ekeroth, Swedish Democrats: no more mosques, no more Muslim schools"

Since the Muhammad cartoons, one of Denmark's best-known export products is criticism of Islam. This drawing was recently printed in one of the biggest national newspapers, Ekstrabladet:

Dane: Remember, that free speech allows us to criticise our press, our leaders and even our religion...

Muslim: It is the same in Islam... We too have the right to criticise your press, your leaders and your religion...

Sweden's population grew from 9 million to 9.5 million in the years 2004-2012, mainly due to immigration from "countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia". 16 percent of all newborns have mothers born in non-Western countries. Employment rate among immigrants: 54 percent. Price per young unaccompanied asylum seeker: up to 2,300 USD per day. 175,000 new asylum seekers and family reunifications are expected in 2012-2013, which is an extremely high number when compared to the size of the country's population. Magazines and newspapers remove the ability to comment on internet articles related to immigration.

This groundbreaking article was published in the national Danish newspaper Weekendavisen. Read it in order to see why Sweden is of utmost importance in understanding the present and increasing ethnic conflicts in Europe. Due to EU laws on open borders, Sweden - "Europe's sick man" - is a significant security risk to the rest of the union.

Translated by Nicolai Sennels from Danish: "Sweden is Changing", Weekendavisen May 5th 2012 (not online). The perfect storm:

Immigration. Sweden's population now numbers 9.5 million people. It was only eight years ago that the figure reached 9 million. Much of the population growth is due to family reunification for refugees who have obtained asylum. The population in Sweden has skyrocketed in recent years. Last week the Swedish population topped 9.5 million. Since August 2004, the population increased by 500,000. At the same time there has been a drastic demographic change in the composition of the population. The birth surplus for the period 2004-11 was, according National Swedish bureau of Statistics, Statistika Centralbyrån, approx. 137,000, of which mothers born in non-Western countries accounted for about 22,000 births. The rest of the increase in population is mainly due to immigration from non-Western countries, asylum seekers and family reunification from countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Labour migration represents only a small part of the increase in this period. Working immigrants from around the world apart from the north were about 50,000 from 2004-2011. The number of permits to one of three forms of refugee status from 2004-11 amounted to almost 50,000, while the number of family reunifications was around 250,000. And the growth continues, especially from Somalia. This is because of a ruling in January from the Swedish Migration Court. The ruling means that it has become much easier for family members who find it difficult to prove their identity to be reunited with someone who is already in Sweden and has been granted asylum.

The decision affects not only Somalis, but in Somalia thousands of family members are already waiting to travel to Sweden, an article published by the Parliament states. The ruling thus annulled a decision a few years ago that put an end to family reunification for people whose identity could not be documented.

A passport can be difficult to obtain in the collapsed state of Somalia, and therefore the Migration Court reversed its decision in January. (Incidentally, according to the immigration authorities, Migrationsverket, in 2009 only 16 percent of asylum seekers carried any identity papers, and in only five percent of the cases was it a passport).

The expected large number of family reunifications has made the Swedish Migration Board apply for additional funding for administration, etc. This year it is applying for an additional 170 million Swedish kroner (24 million USD). It has applied for 341 million dollars for 2013-2014 (49 million USD). Migrationsverket total costs in 2012, including accommodation and food in the pre-asylum phase, is approx. 9 billion Swedish kroner (1.4 billion USD). In its latest Migrationsverket estimates, due to the new ruling of the Migration Court the number of family reunions in 2012 will increase by 18,500 and by 12,000 in 2013.

The total estimate for 2012 is 59,500 family reunions and 53,000 in 2013, which amounts to 112,500 family reunions 2012-2013.

Migrationsverket also expects, moreover, that the number of asylum seekers will increase as a consequence of the new rules. Migrationsverket expects that the milder requirements for identity papers will motivate more asylum seekers to go to Sweden because they know that it is possible for the rest of the family to follow if they are granted permanent residency.

Migrationsverket has increased its estimate of expected asylum seekers by 2,000. It now forecasts that 31,000 people will seek asylum in Sweden, both in 2012 and 2013, which amounts to 62,000 in two years. In 2011 29,600 people applied for asylum in Sweden, which makes Sweden (with its relatively small population) the fifth most popular country in the world among asylum seekers.

Altogether Migrationsverket expects approx. 175,000 new asylum seekers and family reunifications in the years 2012-2013. It is only a small proportion who are granted asylum.

A special phenomenon is the large number of unaccompanied refugee children travelling to Sweden. In 2010 and 2011 Sweden received a total of 5,050 young people who came to Europe. The largest group came from Afghanistan, followed by Somalia and Iraq. Britain, which receives the second largest number of unaccompanied refugee children, had 2,641 applicants, while Belgium had 1,941.

The figure last year was 2,657 in Sweden, of whom most were granted asylum. Subsequently they will be able to get family members to Sweden by using the family reunification rules.

In Denmark, approx. 160 unaccompanied children and adolescents under 18 years old were granted residence in 2011. In Finland, 150 unaccompanied children applied for asylum, which was half as many as in 2010.

Migrationsverket's expectation is that in 2012, 3,200 unaccompanied children and adolescents will arrive in Sweden, compared to, as mentioned, 2,657 in 2011.

The many unaccompanied children, mostly boys aged 15 to - allegedly - 17 years old, are causing problems for the Minister of Migration Tobias Billström (Conservative), because some municipalities have begun to refuse to receive more, although they are quite well paid from the state for each child they receive. The Minister of Migration therefore threatens to force municipalities to accept the young asylum seekers.

If they are under 18 years old, they have the right to live in a special home for young people, and they are entitled to a guardian. Many, however, seem to be over 18 years old, but Migrationverket's employees more or less have to take at face value what the unaccompanied children and young people themselves are saying.

Tobias Billström is now investigating how Denmark, Norway and Finland handle the problems with determining asylum seekers' age. He is quoted as saying that he would like to have joint Nordic procedures to determine the age of young asylum seekers. Denmark uses X-ray photos of the wrist and control of dental status. In 2009, 120 such studies were conducted in Denmark, and in 73 percent of the cases, the conclusion was that the person were older than 17 years. About the same figure is found in Norway and Finland in the cases where there has been age-studies.

According to a recent report by National Audit Office, Migrationsverket pays up to 16,000 Swedish kroner (2,300 USD) per person for each day an unaccompanied child asylum seeker lives in Sweden, including food and staffing, to municipalities that accept children.

The normal price is between 3,000 and 6,000 kroner (440 - 880 USD) per day, but last year Sigtuna municipality sent a bill for an average of 15,800 dollars per person per day. The high figure is partly because the municipality had committed to rental housing that was not used.

As mentioned, Billström has announced that he will force municipalities that refuse to take any more unaccompanied children and adolescents. Even if they are unaccompanied, a significant proportion also have friends or families in Sweden.

General Sören Häggroth from the Government Offices in Stockholm wrote last year in Dagens Nyheter that 55 percent of unaccompanied children who came sought residence in Malmö, and that the total cost is around two billion kroner per year (291 million USD).

In the previously mentioned report by the National Audit Office, it was also alleged that two thirds of all cases of citizenship administered by Migrationsverket department in Norrköping are decided by a single caseworker. The National Audit Office believes that this practice creates a risk of "undue influence and criminal act", meaning that the decisions can be influenced by threats to the individual employee or bribes. This must be taken into account, since it is not possible to revoke a granted citizenship.

The report therefore recommends that there be quality control of the cases.

Immigration puts a lot of financial pressure on the Swedish welfare model. It takes several years before the immigrants who are granted asylum or family reunification to become employed and self-supporting. The employment rate for persons born in Sweden is 68%, while it is 54% for people born outside Europe.

Employment rates are lowest for women, and Minister of Integration Erik Ullenhaug from the liberal People's Party announced last month that he plans to change the rules for maternity leave, the so-called parental insurance entitling to a total of 480 days leave during the child's first eight years of life.

These rules are enforced in a way that allows families coming to Sweden bringing children to be entitled to 480 days leave per child under eight years. Since the families often have several children, it may take several years before these women go to a language school, let alone take a job. Erik Ullenhaug believe that this is part of the cause of women's poor integration. Yet he has not made any specific proposal, but he's already been accused of discrimination for introducing special rules for immigrants.

It is remarkable that the great migration - more than any other Western country, measured in relation to its population - does not provoke a debate in Sweden about how much the country can accept and support, while ensuring a proper integration. Overall, Migrationsverket expects approx. 175,000 new asylum seekers and family reunifications in the two years 2012-13. Although not all are granted asylum, it will not take many years before Sweden has a population of more than 10 million people.

But even weak attempts to discuss these developments could easily cause the author to be called 'xenophobic' or 'racist '. Even though the immigration critical party, The Sweden Democrats, came into parliament in 2010, this tendency has not changed, although they try to raise the issue. Quite the contrary. Recently, the party was not allowed to have a debate in parliament about the large influx of unaccompanied asylum seekers.

In April 2012, a member of parliament from the Center Party, Staffan Danielsson, spoke out in Svenska Dagbladet:

'This issue is seldom discussed by the established parties. Of course I am for an open and generous immigration and refugee policy in Sweden, but I think it is legitimate to discuss why unaccompanied refugees into Europe so often choose to come to Sweden. We know that our resources for receiving them are constrained, and if developments in Afghanistan or Somalia go in the wrong direction, the influx could rise significantly.

I am convinced that it is important to have a calm and objective dialogue on the questions that I ask, and it will ultimately benefit the continued commitment to a high acceptance of refugee reception, rather than the opposite,' said Staffan Danielsson.

Last week also, the newspaper Dagens Nyheter gave space for a debate article by Danielsson.

The result was that Danielson was heavily criticized, including by his own party's spokesman in migration issues, Fredrik Federley. Federley said that if you had to discuss unaccompanied children, it should not include a discussion why there are so many who come to Sweden, but why there are not even more coming to other countries in Europe.

The Swedish media treats the issue very discreetly. The media are eager to avoid negative publicity on refugee / immigrant issues, according to the latest issue of the Swedish Journalists Federation magazine.

In this particular issue, several articles discuss how to avoid so-called net-hatred on media websites. If there is a possibility to comment on articles, there is a widespread tendency for people to discuss immigration issues. Therefore, many magazines and newspapers remove the ability to comment on stories related to the topic.

They say that Iran is under financial and economic sanctions, but is that true?

The longer these imaginary sanctions continue, along with talks and political games revolving around Iran's Islamic nuclear capability, the more muffled the voice of freedom and free speech and human rights are by the cries of the muezzin, and by every Friday's reading of the verses of the Koran over loudspeakers in the minarets. Every day it gets harder to deal with the regime of the ayatollahs. And the alien laws of Sharia are steadily imposed upon free societies.

I remember one day in Grozny, Chechnya, after she learned that I was a journalist from Georgia, a woman dressed in traditional Islamic clothing for the Caucasus approached me. A long dress covered her arms and legs, and she wore the required head scarf. She looked at me and asked, "Why haven't you Georgians embraced Islam, since the word of Allah and the prophet have come to you? If you were Muslims, the Caucasus would be free."

She meant that if the Georgians embraced Islam, then Russia could not occupy the North Caucasus and Georgia. And she was right. Imam Shamil in the 18th century was arrested by a Georgian general who served in the Russian army. A 25-year-old Russian could not defeat Shamil, and only the Georgian generals Orbeliani and Chavchavadze were able to defeat him.

Yes, it's an interesting idea. Exchange physical slavery for the oppression of spiritual slavery. The Georgians did not agree to this.

Yet this question has always stayed with me.

During the four years that I worked on the North Caucasus, I saw that the local Muslims who had lived an ordinary life, did not pray, did not read the Koran, and were drinking alcohol and eating pork, after a few years of Islamic propaganda began to become very different people.

I remember the number one terrorist in Russia, Shamil Basayev, made fun of the Arabs: "They come to us in the Caucasus, sit in the snow a couple of weeks, eat cold eggs. Then they go back to the desert to receive pensions from the rich old Sheikhs. And they want to buy a ticket to Allah for having supported the jihad." But after a while Shamil spoke very respectfully of them. It happened after Amir ibn al-Khattab put him on the Arab payroll.

The transformation of an ordinary man into a jihadist can take place so rapidly that it is hard to imagine.

First, there is the construction of mosques and madrasas. Then the students are trained, reading the Koran and studying it, receiving combat training, and making provision for their family finances and war for 6 months or preparing to become a Mujahid Shaheed. The latter becomes a killing machine who has no doubt he is right, because the acts of God control him (so he believers). Now imagine a Mujahid with a nuclear bomb. Do we worry unnecessarily?

If we need economic prosperity in order to develop freedom, the Islamic nation seeks to prove its superiority, to buy space in the Garden by means of someone else's grief. You can get closer to Allah if you pay the murderers of infidels.

To enhance their economic strength, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey have launched several new transportation projects. The Islamic Republic of Iran has begun a railway line to the Chinese city of Kashgar, through Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

The Minister for Roads and Urban Development, Ali Nikzad said that the railway line length of 392 km., linking Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China, and will serve the development and growth of trade between these countries and reduce transportation costs.

This railway line may also be the main route for drug trafficking, particularly opium, in Asia, given the fact that Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China are among the major producers and handlers of opium.

The second project is the railway linking Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is in accordance with an Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. Azerbaijan has loaned Georgia $775 million for the construction of its section of this line. Funding for this project comes from the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a meeting with Chinese businessmen, proposed the creation of the "Silk Road" rail line which would connect Turkey and China, according to the newspaper Hurriyet reported Thursday. "It is necessary to transform the historic Silk Road into the railway 'Silk Road ,' which will unite the peoples who live from Turkey to China," Erdogan said.

According to the Prime Minister, the necessary funding for this project is available. The "Silk Road" rail line will promote trade between the countries, which will be included in this project. "It will be an important regional project that will revitalize the economy," said Erdogan.

Erdogan's proposal is aimed at creating a developed and extensive network of trade and transit relations between South and Central Asia and Europe. In sum, the project will include 28 countries. The total length of the new transportation arteries, often called the "Silk Road by rail," should reach 81,000 kilometers.

And also meanwhile: "Azerbaijan will not ask anyone's permission for relations with Iran," said Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi at a meeting with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.

During the meeting, the Iranian minister said that Iran is "a true friend of Azerbaijan," and expressed hope that relations between the two neighboring countries would develop.

But the most important thing was that nobody talked about the prospect of the unification of the Iranian and Turkish railway projects. In 2005 there was talk about it openly. Back tTen "The Time" published an article about the railway project linking China to Turkey via Iran ("From camel train to freight train," by Jeremy Page, published on December 5, 2005).

It is also important because it shows who the partner of Iran is. And Iran could and would share nuclear technology with its partners.

And for those who still do not believe in Islamic supremacism and how badly it affects a person, remember the sheikhs who spoke on television asserting that Islam will conquer the world. God forbid that any free person will have to see and experience what my brother and I experienced before and during our captivity by Islamic supremacists. Do not believe the TV sheikhs, because in fact they are liars. They have a goal - Jerusalem, and then the whole world: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/3431.htm

Will the Islamophobia never end? Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Indonesia: "Hardliners in Bekasi Throw Stones at Ascension Day Service," by Camelia Pasandaran for the Jakarta Globe, May 17 (thanks to Twostellas):

A mob of Islamic hard-liners threw stones and bags of urine at the HKBP Filadelphia congreagation of the Batak Christian Protestant Church in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, at an Ascension Day service on Thursday. Police tried to stop the mob of some 300 people, but were also attacked, according to reports.

“They assaulted the congregation members,” Rev. Palti Panjaitan told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday. “Police tried to talk to them, but the mob passed through police and showered us with urine and dirty water. Others threw stones at us.”

The mob reportedly attacked the congregation as the service started, and also shouted profanity and threats.

“Even after the service, which lasted one-and-a-half hours, the mob chased after us,” Rev. Palti said. “Thank God the police escorted us to a safe area.

HKBP Filadelphia submitted an application for a building permit in 2007, but church leaders say that despite meeting all the requirements, including the agreement of their neighbors, a permit was never issued.

On Dec. 31, 2009, the Bekasi district head issued a letter banning the members of the congregation from worshiping on the land, forcing the 560 members to hold services along the side of the road fronting the property.

In July 2011, the Supreme Court overruled the Bekasi administration’s decision, saying the church was eligible for a building permit. The court ordered Bekasi to issue one — but the district government ignored the ruling.

Members of the congregation say that Islamic hard-liners have been intimidating and threatening them at their services since January.

But of course he doesn't mean it -- we all know that. We know the Israel/Palestinian conflict has nothing to do with Islam. It has to do with land, and a negotiated settlement will soon save the day. Everyone in Washington tells us so, so it must be true, right?

"Iranian Calls for 'Islamic Awakening' to Destroy Israel," by Elad Benari for Israel National News, May 17 (thanks to Voice of the Copts):

An Iranian official called this week for an ‘Islamic Awakening’ movement to help Palestinian Authority Arabs “demolish the Zionist regime”, the IRNA news agency reported.

The comments were made at a conference in Tehran in honor of Nakba Day – the day of catastrophe – which is what the Arabs call the English date of May 15, when the State of Israel was re-established with a declaration of independence in 1948.

In a brief address at the end of the conference, the official, Hossein Shiekholeslam said, “In success of a revolution three major factors need to play effective roles, and they are the people, the leadership, and the school of thought, or ideology.”

He added, “If we wish success for the Palestinians, the existence of these three factors is necessary, as they did exist in the case of the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.”

Sheikholeslam said that “In near future the Islamic Awakening movement would also swallow the Zionist regime.”...

These crimes are not race-based, as Hindu and Sikh girls were victimized along with "white" girls. They were religion-based: preying on non-Muslim girls as sex slaves is in accord with Islamic law. But the British press, like the American press completely unwilling to examine the root causes of this kind of behavior within Islam and to challenge the Muslim community about it, fastidiously and inaccurately terms the perpetrators "Asian" rather than "Muslim." And now, finally, non-Muslim Asians have had enough of this defamation.

"Complaints over use of 'Asian' label in grooming cases," from the BBC, May 16 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

Groups representing Sikh and Hindu communities have complained about the term "Asian" being used to describe the men involved in grooming trials.

Earlier this month, nine men were jailed for being part of a sex ring in Rochdale which groomed girls for sex.

The groups said the men involved were "almost always of Pakistani origin" and the term "Asian" was inaccurate.

The Ramadan Foundation has said grooming is "a significant problem for the British Pakistani community".

The joint statement was released by the Network of Sikh Organisations UK, The Hindu Forum of Britain, and The Sikh Media Monitoring Group UK.

It says the reluctance of the media and the government to discuss the "disproportionate representation of Muslims in such cases" and the fact victims are "almost always non-Muslim girls" is adding to the cause of far-right groups such as the BNP.

Yes, let's all agree not to tell the truth so that the wrong people don't capitalize upon it.

It said blanket use of the word "Asian" was "unfair to other communities of Asian origin".

"We believe that in this case the government itself is sanctioning the use of term Asian as a way of clouding responsibility," the groups say.

The groups say sex gangs have targeted Hindu and Sikh girls but the cases are rarely reported as they seldom reach the courts.

The statement says: "We believe that political correctness stifles debate and will not facilitate a frank and mature discussion or solutions to get to the root of why the above pattern is emerging in these crimes and how to help find a solution to the problem.

"We will not be able to do that if we mask the identity of those involved based on misguided views of 'protecting a vulnerable community' of the perpetrators and not looking at the vulnerable community of victims."

I tried to tell you. More Arab Spring Democracy On the March in Egypt:

"Israel becomes a target in Egypt's presidential vote," by Edmund Blair for Reuters, May 17 (thanks to Voice of the Copts):

(Reuters) - Israel has become a punchbag for politicians vying for votes in Egypt's presidential race, playing on popular antipathy in Egypt towards its neighbor, but the realities of office are likely to ensure a 33-year-old peace treaty is not jeopardized.

We'll see.

An ex-air force commander in the race boasts of bringing down Israeli aircraft in 1973, the last of Egypt's four wars with Israel. One Islamist often refers to Israel as the "Zionist entity", rather than by name, and describes it as an "enemy".

A leftist candidate pledges to support the Palestinian resistance against Israel, where officials have watched Egypt's political turmoil with increasing wariness after the downfall of Mubarak who oversaw a cold yet stable peace.

None of the candidates want to tear up the document signed in 1979 but they repeatedly warn in rallies and debates it should be reviewed. Many of them grumble at provisions in the U.S.-brokered deal they say are biased in Israel's favor....

The Melkite Greek Patriarch Gregory III denounces the silence of the Western press on the escalating persecution of Christians in Syria. "Christians are under pressure in Syria, the patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Gregorios III denounces the silence of the Western Press," from MFS - The Other News, May 16 (thanks to Willy):

Christians are under pressure in Syria, the patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Gregorios III denounces the silence of the Western Press.(Agoravox)."There is no more Revolution, there are no more demonstrations.There are only banditry and the world refuses to acknowledge. "These words are not those of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, nor those of his ministers, or those of a member of any Arab government support the plan, but those of the Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, whose home is in Damascus. The prelate did not use vague terms to describe the current state of crisis which is immersed in Syria, "foreign elements have entered the country and have even started beating the Christians, who had to leave Homs given the dangerousness of the situation, "said the patriarch who did not hide some dissatisfaction vis-à-vis the situation considered too soft Vatican towards him.Gregory III then lashed to the European press with which he dealt during recent visits to the Old World to tell precisely what was happening in Syria. "I do not condone the regime as i have been heard in France, but I support a reality. The newspapers are stereotyped, have unique sources and are not ready to listen to anyone, not even me, "the prelate suggested that currently we do not hesitate to speak of a true" dictatorship of the press service of the United States. " The patriarch has even told a story came to the nephew of a bishop working in Dubai (UAE), who, on his way to work one day, heard a man behind him announce on the phone that he was in Homs, while government troops were an assault on the city, killing women and children."We talked about the plot, but it is far worse than that: there is an international will to harm Syria," said Gregory III yet but wondered how some states could change in a few months' regime who did so much for its people. Finally, responding to a question from journalists on the actions of the Syrian army vis-à-vis the population, the patriarch did not hesitate to assert that military intervention was "too late and light" for hoped to end the violence of rebel bands.Important evidence on the actual situation of Syria which contrasts sharply with what we find in the mainstream media, which does not concern decidedly clear and objective information.Read the full story here.(GoogleTranslate).

A turbulent ascension

Wishing all the Christians around the world who are celebrating the Ascension today a moment of peace in these times of strife and persecution.

First there was a push to legalize “death-sex,” now there is a push to ban offensive children's toys, including a toy gun that reportedly “when you shoot, it says ‘shoot Sayyida Aisha,' wife of Islam’s prophet Muhammad.” Egypt’s new Islamist-dominated parliament continues exposing its priorities for the world to see.

"Egypt parliament to discuss Chinese toys that 'humiliate Islam,'" by Eslam Omar for Al Ahram, May 7:

Saad El-Katatni speaker of the People's Assembly referred to the economics committee the issue of Chinese-made children's toys that "humiliate Islam and its figures."

Parliament member Mustafa Morsy made a speech during Monday’s session about how imported games and toys can be harmful to Egyptian and Muslim culture.

“Our kids play with computer games in which you shoot the holy Quran and Islamic symbols,” Morsy said in his speech.

“This toy gun for example costs only five pounds and when you shoot, it says ‘shoot Sayyida Aisha,' wife of Islam’s prophet Muhammad,” Morsy claimed while showing a colourful toy gun during the session.

“Kuwaiti law punishes anyone who humiliates Muslim figures like prophets and their families,” he added.

There was a recent debate in Saudi Arabia about a similar toy gun that, when the trigger is pulled, says “Go go go, pull over and save the hostages". Some claimed that it says “shoot Sayyida Aisha.”

In Saudi Arabia, it was recently revealed that a 5-year-old boy was "severely beaten" and whipped by his teacher, with "wounds appearing on various parts of his body." According to Garaa News, it is unknown why the teacher scourged the child, and the teacher's identity has been withheld to protect him from the boy's father who is attempting to press charges.

What is known, however, is that the man was a teacher of Koran studies and memorization, and the location of the school is Mecca, the holiest city of Islam—two facts that speak for themselves, and Islam, much more honestly than the ongoing depictions of Islam as the "religion of peace" championed by Muslim apologists in the West.

From Yahoo News:

NEW YORK, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The prominent human rights organization American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and its Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) program, along with Former Muslims United (FMU) will be hosting the first-ever "Summer Night for Human Rights" Town Hall dedicated to defending the freedom of conscience. Dedicated to Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who has been sentenced to death in Iran for leaving Islam, the Summer Night for Human Rights will feature Muslim apostates from around the world, and call upon Muslims in the U.S. and the world human rights community to defend their right to change their religion or have no religion at all, and to denounce the Sharia that mandates such punishment.

The AFDI/SIOA Summer Night for Human Rights Town Hall will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan Beach, California. AFDI/SIOA Executive Director Pamela Geller chose that location because of its proximity to the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations' "Summer Night for Civil Rights" event being held at the same time down the block in Redondo Beach. The Summer Night for Human Rights will call upon the CAIR spokesmen to renounce Islam's death penalty for apostasy and defend the human rights of those who choose to leave Islam. It will ask CAIR leaders to stop creating roadblocks to Sharia prohibitions in the U.S., pointing up CAIR's hypocrisy in sponsoring a "civil rights" night while supporting a system of governance that denies the freedom of conscience, as well as the freedom of speech and equality of rights of all before the law.

Hamas-linked CAIR is selling tickets for its "Summer Night for Civil Rights" for as much as $100; admission to the AFDI/SIOA Summer Night for Human Rights is free. Register to attend by writing afdisioa@aol.com.

Geller said in a statement: "All the schools of Islamic law, without exception, mandate death for those who leave Islam. We've dedicated the Town Hall to Pastor Youcef because he is in imminent danger of being murdered for his beliefs, and we've invited numerous apostates from Islam to speak about the death sentence they must live under every moment because they have dared to leave Islam. We're calling upon Hamas-tied CAIR to stand up for Pastor Youcef and other victims of Islam's apostasy law at their so-called 'Civil Rights' conference so-called 'Civil Rights' conference and to stand for human rights for all. Under the guise of 'civil rights,' these subversive groups seek to undermine the unalienable rights guaranteed to every individual under the Constitution. Their ruse must be exposed, their Sharia agenda renounced. What Islamic supremacist groups in the U.S. speak for Pastor Youcef?"

Geller added: "Apostates from Islam have rights, too. The freedom of conscience is specifically protected in the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet apostates are completely forgotten in our politically correct culture, in which speech that is offensive to Islam is increasingly forbidden. We're standing for the human rights of people like Youcef Nadarkhani. While CAIR officials Zead Ramadan and Cyrus McGoldrick are appearing on Iranian government TV complaining about resistance to Sharia in America, Youcef is languishing in an Iranian prison for exercising his freedom of conscience. Who speaks for him? They should be on Iranian television calling for the release of the pastor, not denouncing America. Our Human Rights Town Hall calls out Islamic supremacist groups in America to cease and desist their subversive activity under the guise of 'civil rights' or 'Shariaphobia.'"

Hosting the Summer Night for Human Rights Town Hall are Pamela Geller, publisher of the acclaimed AtlasShrugs.com blog, executive director of AFDI and SIOA, and author of Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance (WND Books); and AFDI/SIOA associate director Robert Spencer, the bestselling author and director of Jihad Watch, whose most recent book is Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry Into Islam's Obscure Origins.

The confirmed list of speakers also includes some of the nation's most prominent ex-Muslims: the human rights activist Nonie Darwish of Former Muslims United, author of Now They Call Me Infidel; the psychologist and freedom fighter Wafa Sultan, author of A God Who Hates; and the Islamic scholar Ibn Warraq, author of Why I Am Not A Muslim; former Palestinian terrorist Walid Shoebat; and others.

AFDI/SIOA is one of America's foremost organizations defending human rights, religious liberty, and the freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation and attempts to bring elements of Sharia to the United States.

Dr. Hatem Elhagaly, aka Dr. Hatem al-Haj, is a Muslim jurist who has stated this:

The ruling on circumcision: Scholars have differed on the ruling on circumcision. They have agreed on its legitimacy for both sexes, but beyond that they have differed. Some--most famously the Shafi’ites--believe that it is obligatory for both sexes. Some believe it is obligatory for men only, and some believe it is recommended for both. At the very least it can be said that for women it is an honor, and for men it is sunnah [i.e. it is in accord with the tradition of Muhammad].

Longtime Jihad Watch reader CGW saw that report on Jihad Watch and sprang into action, contacting the Mayo Clinic, where Elhagaly was employed, and starting a petition. The Mayo Clinic sent this email out yesterday:

From: Public Affairs
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 2:16 PM
Subject: RE: Dr. Hatem Elhagaly

Dr. Elhagaly is no longer employed or caring for patients at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. We are working with his patients to transition their care to another physician. Because this is a personnel issue, we cannot comment further on Dr. Elhagaly's employment status.

Female circumcision in children, referred to as female genital mutilation in U.S. legal statutes, is a felony-level child abuse crime. Mayo Clinic strongly opposes the procedure and it has never been performed at any Mayo Clinic facility.

This is a huge victory for human rights and women's rights. Huge kudos and thanks to CGW, who spearheaded this effort single-handedly and is not stopping with this: see the latest petition here.

What? Don't they know that Sharia is benign and completely compatible with humane values such as those enshrined in the U.S. Constitution? Have they been listening to greasy Islamophobes? Imam Rauf, you're needed in Mali! These benighted folks need to learn to love Sharia -- or else!

"Malians riot as rebels impose Sharia law," from the Mail & Guardian, May 16 (thanks to Twostellas):

Amnesty International says Islamist groups and insurgents are 'running riot' after a military coup deposed the Bamako government in March.

Attempts by Malian insurgents to impose Sharia law in the north of the country have sparked protests against rebel control.

Witnesses say Ansar Dine – the Islamic sect that controls much of northern Mali, together with Tuareg separatists the MNLA and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – fired into the air injuring five people during protests in the northern city of Gao, including one by a stray bullet.

“We received five wounded, including one by a bullet. They are all civilians,” a source at the hospital in Gao told the South African Press Association.

The protests come amid reports that rebels were intensifying attempts to impose sharia law in northern Mali, smashing TV sets claiming they were being used to play video games or watch content considered un-Islamic.

Ansar Dine blocked an aid convoy with tonnes of food and medical supplies for the northern city of Timbuktu on Tuesday, objecting to the presence of women in a reception committee set up for the aid....

Ah, the glories of Sharia.

These Infidels are great. Shoot a few of their soldiers, and they'll give you money. "Australia pledges $300 million to Afghan forces," by Rod McGuirk for the Associated Press, May 16 (thanks to Maxwell):

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia will contribute $100 million annually for three years beginning in 2015 toward the $4 billion a year cost of running the Afghan National Security Forces after they take responsibility for their country's security.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement Wednesday they will take this commitment to the NATO and U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force summit in Chicago on Sunday and Monday.

This follows Australia's commitment to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund of $200 million over five years beginning in 2009-10.

Afghanistan will have responsibility for its own security by the end of 2014.

Gillard said she spoke by telephone to President Barack Obama late Tuesday about the size of the Australian financial contribution to the costs of the Afghan forces.

"That's going to cost some money to sustain those forces, just over $4 billion," Gillard told reporters. "Australia is prepared to play its part in meeting those costs for Afghan forces."

"As a nation, we have invested a lot in Afghanistan. We have been there to make sure that it is never again a safe haven for terrorists," she added.

Yes, your millions will certainly accomplish that.

This just in: FDR, Churchill invite Hitler to the Atlantic Conference. "NATO invites Pakistan to summit in Chicago," by Chris Brummitt and Slobodan Lekic for the Associated Press, May 16 (thanks to Maxwell):

ISLAMABAD (AP) — NATO has invited Pakistan's president to the upcoming Chicago summit on Afghanistan, the strongest sign yet that Islamabad is ready to reopen its western border to U.S. and NATO military supplies heading to the war in the neighboring country.

President Asif Ali Zardari was expected to accept the invitation, a Pakistani official in Washington said Tuesday.

Pakistan blocked the routes in November after American airstrikes killed 24 of its troops on the Afghan border. The attack sent ties between Washington and Islamabad to new lows, threatening regional cooperation needed for negotiating an end to the Afghan war.

The developments signal something of a rapprochement between the two countries, but tensions are likely to bedevil what has long been a brittle relationship, scarred by mistrust on both sides. Many in Washington believe Pakistan is supporting the Taliban, making the Afghanistan war unwinnable....

Many are right. But of course the Afghan war is unwinnable anyway, because Washington doesn't want to win, and doesn't know what winning would look like.

In "Uncovering Early Islam" in National Review today, Daniel Pipes discusses my new book Did Muhammad Exist?:

...In a well-written, sober, and clear account, [Spencer] begins by demonstrating the inconsistencies and mysteries in the conventional account concerning Mohammed’s life, the Koran, and early Islam. For example, whereas the Koran insists that Mohammed did not perform miracles, the hadith ascribes him thaumaturgic powers — multiplying food, healing the injured, drawing water from the ground and sky, and even sending lightning from his pickax. Which is it? Hadith claim Mecca was a great trading city but, strangely, the historical record reveals it as no such thing.

The Christian quality of early Islam is no less strange, specifically “traces of a Christian text underlying the [Koran].” Properly understood, these traces elucidate otherwise incomprehensible passages. Conventionally read, verse 19:24 has Mary nonsensically hearing, as she gives birth to Jesus, “Do not be sad, your Lord has placed a rivulet beneath you.” Revisionists transform this into the sensible (and piously Christian) “Do not be sad, your Lord has made your delivery legitimate.” Puzzling verses about the “Night of Power” commemorating Mohammed’s first revelation make sense when understood as describing Christmas. Chapter 96 of the Koran, astonishingly, invites readers to a Eucharist.

Building on this Christian base, revisionists postulate a radically new account of early Islam. Noting that coins and inscriptions from the seventh century mention neither Mohammed, the Koran, nor Islam, they conclude that the new religion did not appear until about 70 years after Mohammed’s supposed death. Spencer finds that “the first decades of the Arab conquest show the conquerors holding not to Islam as we know it but to a vague creed [Hagarism, focused on Abraham and Ishmael] with ties to some form of Christianity and Judaism.” In very brief: “The Muhammad of Islamic tradition did not exist, or if he did, he was substantially different from how that tradition portrays him” — namely, as an anti-Trinitarian Christian rebel leader in Arabia.

It was only around 700, when the rulers of a now-vast Arabian empire felt the need for a unifying political theology, that they cobbled together the Islamic religion. The key figure in this enterprise appears to have been the brutal governor of Iraq, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. No wonder, writes Spencer, that Islam is “such a profoundly political religion” with uniquely prominent martial and imperial qualities. No wonder it conflicts with modern mores.

The revisionist account is no idle academic exercise but, as when Judaism and Christianity encountered the Higher Criticism 150 years ago, a deep, unsettling challenge to faith. It will likely leave Islam a less literal and doctrinaire religion with particularly beneficial implications in the case of doctrines of supremacism and misogyny. Applause, then, for plans to translate Did Muhammad Exist? into major Muslim languages and to make it available gratis on the Internet. May the revolution begin.

Read it all.

Zead Ramadan is thoroughly trained in Hamas-linked CAIR's manipulative victimhood posturing and smearing of freedom fighters, as you can see here. He is by no stretch of the imagination an original thinker. As I have noted many times here, Leftists and Islamic supremacists tend to parrot the same talking points, as if they were all reading from the same script. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a database somewhere of themes to sound and stock answers to questions, since they repeat themselves with such dreary regularity. Ramadan is repeating talking points that we have heard before from the likes of dhimmi Jeffrey Goldberg, Islamic supremacist pseudo-moderate Reza Aslan, Muslim Brotherhood-linked Congressman Keith Ellison, Canadian Muslim leader Syed Soharwardy, and Nicholas Kristof, among many others. "CAIR-NY President Zead Ramadan: Anti-Muslim Rhetoric in the US Echoes Nazi Rhetoric against the Jews," from MEMRI, May 13 (thanks to David):

Following are excerpts from an interview with Zead Ramadan, President of CAIR-NY, which aired on Press TV on May 13, 2012.

Zead Ramadan: I think that the United States and Americans need to realize that we have extremist elements in America, who are not Muslim, and who believe that America should only be one color, one way of living, and that is not what America is all about. America has invited immigrants from around the world to build its country, over its history.

[…]

Whenever you think that America, the “land of the free,” is going to grow up and go beyond it [bigotry], more intolerant, extremist voices come out. It seems that they come out in times of elections, because some groups think that they can get large groups of religious followers to side with them if they say negative things about other people. The easiest target… the minority… The easiest target has been the Muslim people.

In Nazi Germany, they targeted the minority, the Jewish minority, and unfortunately, it went from only philosophy, to rhetoric, to action. That is not where we want to go in America.

I don’t think we will ever get there, but I don’t think we should allow the road to continue to be built towards that direction, because the comments that are being made against Muslims are very eerily echoing the comments that were made against Jews by Nazis. A lot of people say they want Muslims to be taken out of the country, that they should have different citizenship status, and all of this stuff is an insult to the Constitution of the US....

Actually no one of any significance in this debate is saying that Muslims should be " taken out of the country" or "that they should have different citizenship status." In mischaracterizing the positions of anti-Sharia forces, Ramadan is trying to demonize resistance to jihad and Islamic supremacism, and deflect attention away from the real agenda of the counter-jihad movement, which is to defend freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and equality of rights for all people before the law.

Ramadan is doing the same thing with his comparison of counter-jihad rhetoric to Nazi rhetoric about the Jews. The late Christopher Hitchens ably took apart the central claim being made here when writing about the Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground Zero: "'Some of what people are saying in this mosque controversy is very similar to what German media was saying about Jews in the 1920s and 1930s,' Imam Abdullah Antepli, Muslim chaplain at Duke University, told the New York Times. Yes, we all recall the Jewish suicide bombers of that period, as we recall the Jewish yells for holy war, the Jewish demands for the veiling of women and the stoning of homosexuals, and the Jewish burning of newspapers that published cartoons they did not like."

Ramadan's aim (and the aim of all the others who have repeated this) is to intimidate his hearers into thinking that criticism of Islamic supremacism leads to the gas chambers, and thus there must be no criticism of Islamic supremacism. The unstated assumption is that if one group was unjustly accused of plotting subversion and violence, and was viciously persecuted and massacred on the basis of those false accusations, then any group accused of plotting subversion and violence must be innocent, and any such accusation must be in service of preparing for their internment and massacre.

The key difference is not only that Muslim leaders worldwide have made their intention to conquer and subjugate non-Muslims very clear, in a way that Jews never did in the run-up to the Holocaust; it is also that anti-jihadists nowhere advocate a "final solution" for Muslims, and never will -- we are merely calling upon them to drop the authoritarian and repressive aspects of Sharia and obey the laws of the Western societies in which they live. This is a movement in defense of freedom and equality of rights before the law. Ramadan is lying about the alleged similarity of counter-jihad rhetoric to Nazi rhetoric about the Jews, which in reality was frankly and openly exterminationist from the beginning, while counter-jihadists have never advocated anything but the ideals enshrined in the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and have explicitly denounced violence and vigilantism.

But Zead Ramadan wants to advance his repressive and authoritarian model for society, and in order to do so he has to smear those who are resisting the imposition of that societal model. And on a TV network controlled by the Iranian mullahs, no less.

From CBN:

Stakelbeck on Terror Show: Islamization in America

On this week's edition of the Stakelbeck on Terror show, Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller--two leading voices in the fight against the Islamization of the West--join me to discuss Islamic honor killings in America, sharia law in your backyard, and the latest on the Ground Zero mega-mosque. Plus, we go inside Spencer's eye-opening new book, "Did Muhammed Exist?"

Why not? We've already seen Zionist squirrels, and Zionist pigeons, and Zionist rats, and Zionist sharks, Zionist vultures, and even sexually predatory Zionist cats.

A clear sign that Islamic supremacist paranoia is taking hold in Turkey: "Turkey suspects bird of being Israeli spy," by Amir Ben-David for Ynet News, May 15 (thanks to Joshua):

Turkish authorities believe that they have found a bird used for espionage purposes by Israel, the country's media reported.

According to a Tuesday report in Yedioth Ahronoth, an investigation to that effect was launched in Ankara several days ago, after a farmer discovered a dead Merops Apiaster, commonly known as the European Bee-Eater, in his field. The bird had a ring reading "Israel" on one of its legs.

Bird-banding is a common practice in ornithology, meant to help scientists track bird migration routes.

The band, however, was not the most damning piece of evidence against the bee-eater: Its nostrils were.

The bird-beak in question reportedly sported "unusually large nostrils," which – combined with the identification ring – raised suspicions that the bird was "implanted with a surveillance device" and that it arrived in Turkey as part of an espionage mission.

The bird's remains were originally handed over to the Turkish Agriculture Ministry, which then turned in over to Ankara's security services.....

Nightclubs: haram. Murdering people who go to nightclubs: halal. Sharia Alert from Kenya: "Gunmen attack night club Mombasa," from the Telegraph, May 15 (thanks to David):

Gunmen detonated grenades outside a night club in the Kenyan city of Mombasa on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding several others in the latest attack since Kenya sent troops into Somalia to crush Islamist militants.

Nairobi has said al-Shabaab militants, who merged with al-Qaeda earlier this year, are behind a surge in violence and kidnappings threatening tourism in east Africa's biggest economy.

Police said the target of the attack was Bella Vista sports bar in a street known for its nightlife in Mombasa, a popular holiday destination for Kenyans and foreigners.

A pool of blood marked the entrance to the club, and spent cartridges and grenade shells were strewn near its gate. Some cars nearby were riddled with shrapnel marks.

Police said the attackers tried to force their way into the club, but were barred at the gate by guards. They then shot at random and hurled the explosive devices....

"Sometimes you gotta do like Elvis did and shoot the damn thing out." -- Bob Dylan

But there is nothing to be concerned about here. Sharia is completely benign and compatible with the U.S. Constitution. How could it not be? Imam Rauf said so!

"Islamists in northern Mali smash TVs," by Martin Vogl for the Associated Press, May 14 (thanks to David):

BAMAKO, Mali -- A resident in the northern Malian city of Gao says Islamists smashed TV sets that were being used to play video games or watch programs considered un-Islamic, in a further attempt to impose Shariah law there.

The resident who asked for anonymity because he feared reprisal said that residents took to the street in protest after the incident Sunday. The witness said the Islamist fighters fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd....

Clearly he was a true believer writing for true believers -- believers in the Qur'an's promise of virgins in Paradise. Yet that is the one aspect of the jihadis' motives and goals that our Government and military are now forbidden to explore, on pain of charges of "Islamophobia."

"English language al-Qaeda training manual revealed," by Duncan Gardham for the Telegraph, May 14 (thanks to all who sent this in):

An English language guide for Westerners seeking to join al-Qaeda has been published, with recommendations on how to cope with the hardships and dangers of life as a jihadist.

The first section is titled "cleanliness" and says; "As for yourself, a daily shower is ideal but not possible in many cases."

The guide includes rules such as keeping clean, not using mobile phones and thinking of virgins in paradise when bomber-drones are overhead.

Described as a “must-read” source, it has emerged on the internet shortly after it was leaked that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular had been penetrated by a British spy who managed to smuggle out the latest version of their “underpants bomb”.

The guide was written by Samir Khan, an American who served as the top propagandist for the Yemen-based branch of the terrorist movement, which is considered the most dangerous to the West. He was killed by a drone attack in September, alongside AQAP’s chief ideologue, Anwar al-Awlaki,

Khan writes that he had been under the impression that he would be fighting most of the time after joining. “The reality is not quite like that,” he said.

The first section is titled “cleanliness” and says: “In some cases, you will be staying with a few brothers in a tight room or house”. “In order to avoid unnecessary problems, encourage yourself and your brothers to clean the room(s) on a regular basis. As for yourself, a daily shower is ideal but not possible in many cases.”

He describes the “bee-like sound” of the unmanned aerial vehicles in a section headed: “aerial bombardment.”

“If you feel terrified,” he says. “Close your eyes and imagine yourself inside paradise. Think of your hoor [virgins] that are awaiting you as well as meeting the prophets.”...

The al-Qaeda fighters seem to believe in black magic, with Khan writing that the “apostate” government of Saudi Arabia has individuals that “work alongside evil jinns [spirits] that spy on the mujahidin and give away their position.”

This is not black magic. This is straight Islam -- cf. this page from Islam Awareness: "Maybe there is a Jinn sitting in the corner of your room right now, or even one behind you."

This House report is good to see, but there is no chance that the DoJ will heed it. Obama's Justice Department is racing in the other direction, abetting the Government-wide purging of all training materials of any truth about Islam and jihad, and kowtowing energetically to Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamic supremacist groups. As Pamela Geller says here, she received in response to a FOIA request "hundreds and hundreds of pages of emails, documenting nearly daily and friendly contact, consultation, cooperation and collaboration between the DOJ and Hamas-linked Muslim Brotherhood groups. One thing is clear, the Muslim Brotherhood has fully infiltrated command and control at the Department of Justice civil rights division."

"House report urges Justice Dept. to cut ties with CAIR," by Caroline May for the Daily Caller, May 14 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

The Department of Justice is being encouraged to follow in the footsteps of the FBI in cutting off all non-investigative ties to the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The Fiscal Year 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill, which passed the House on Wednesday, contains in its Committee Report (a separate public document that spells out how agencies are expected to spend the money allocated to them) a recommendation that Attorney General Eric Holder follow in the FBI’s footsteps and sever ties with CAIR:

Liaison partnerships.—The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a case in which the Holy Land Foundation was found guilty of material support of a terrorist organization. The committee acknowledges the attorney general’s refusal to attend certain meetings knowing that CAIR officials would be present, as indicated in testimony before the committee on February 28, 2012. The committee understands that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has an existing policy prohibiting its employees from engaging in any formal non-investigative cooperation with CAIR. The committee encourages the attorney general to adopt a similar policy for all department officials.

In January 2009, the FBI ended its relationship with CAIR and its affiliates across the country due to the conviction of those involved in the Holy Land Foundation terrorist funding trial, in which CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator.

Virginia Republican Rep. Frank Wolf, the bill’s sponsor, explained to The Daily Caller that with the FBI’s policy already in place it makes sense for DOJ to follow suit.

“The FBI has that policy now, and I think it’s a good policy — they were an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case. We also commend the attorney general for not meeting with them,” Wolf said. “We think it ought to be a policy. If the FBI has that policy, I think the entire Justice Department should have it.”

The DOJ declined to comment about the recommendation, though Wolf explained that they will likely apply the policy....

“I expect they will comply [with the recommendation],” Wolf said. “I’d be surprised if they didn’t comply.”...

Good luck with that.

Order now

Pamela Geller's book Stop the Islamization of America is growing more prophetic and needed by the day, as Islamic supremacist thuggery becomes ever more common in America, and authorities remain clueless or complicit. Geller has the shocking story of the threats made against DuPage County residents here:

After this week's huge victory in DuPage County, where the town rejected a Mosque/Islamic center in a house on quiet residential street, some of the ongoing stories of abuse and intimidation are finally being told. I am not publishing the names of the victims -- they have to live there, and the Muslims make their lives miserable.

The Islamic Center of Western Suburbia (ICWS) wants special accommodation and special permission to put a mosque and Islamic Center on a small, quiet residential street in pastoral DuPage. Their request for a conditional use permit for this rabat was rightly denied this week.

CWS vs DuPage Cnty:
Early on one of the neighbors reported she was out in her yard and one of the Muslims asked her "Do you have insurance on your house? She asked why he wanted to know that and he said "You never know what might happen." She had been complaining to the County about all the cars parked all over and in her driveway so they tried to intimidate this elderly woman.

Read it all.

I tried to tell you. Arab Spring Democracy On the March in Egypt: "Leading Egypt candidate calls 'racist' Israel a threat," from AFP, May 13 (thanks to Kenneth):

A leading Islamist candidate in Egypt's presidential election has branded Israel a "racist state" and said a shared 1979 peace treaty was "a national security threat" that should be revised.

Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh also denounced Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's assassination by US special forces as an act of "state terrorism," in a late Saturday Egyptian television interview.

Abul Fotouh, a front runner in the May 23-24 election according to polls, had earlier described Israel as an "enemy" in a televised debate with his main contender, former foreign minister and Arab League chief Amr Mussa.

In Saturday's interview with the private Egyptian CBC satellite station, he said he had opposed the treaty since its implementation. "I still view the peace treaty as a national security threat to Egypt, and it must be revised."

"It is a treaty that forbids Egypt from exercising full sovereignty in the Sinai and allows Israelis to enter Sinai without visas, while they need visas for Cairo," he said.

The treaty, in which Israel withdrew from the Sinai after capturing it in a 1967 war, does not allow Egypt a military presence in parts of the peninsula.

Abul Fotouh said Israel was "a racist state with 200 nuclear warheads" that continued to pose a threat to Egypt.

A moderate Islamist with support from both hardline fundamentalists and liberals, Abul Fotouh refused to describe Bin Laden as a terrorist, saying the term was used by the United States to "hit Muslim interests."...

Abul Fotouh's rival Amr Mussa has also argued for the revision of the treaty with Israel and described its policies towards Palestinians as an Egyptian "national security issue."...

Khan is right. There is no alliance anyway. The ties should be cut and the pretense ended. But whether it is or not, it will soon be clear what side Pakistan was on all along. "Pakistani officer accused of terrorism calls for ties to US to be cut," from AP, May 14 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

From his prison cell, a senior Pakistani officer accused of plotting an Islamist takeover of the military high command has issued a call for the army to break its anti-terror alliance with the United States, which he contends is forcing Pakistan to fight its own people.

"This may help us redeem some of our lost dignity and we badly need that," Brig Ali Khan writes in the six-page document obtained by The Associated Press. The US might retaliate by cutting military and economic aid, but "do they not always do this at will? [When? -- ed.] ... Our fears that the heavens will fall must be laid to rest."...

Modern, moderate Indonesia is not moderate enough to tolerate this "envoy of the devil's child." "Lady Gaga gagged in Indonesia after Islamic opposition," from Reuters, May 15:

(Reuters) - Pop star Lady Gaga has been refused a permit to perform in the Indonesian capital next month over security concerns, police said on Tuesday, after Islamic groups voiced strong objections to her "vulgar" style.

Three Islamic groups have expressed their opposition to the concert on June 3, demanding it be stopped, national police spokesman Saud Usman Nasution said by telephone.

Indonesia, a secular state, has the world's largest population of Muslims as well as significant minorities of Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.

"She's a vulgar singer who wears only panties and a bra when she sings and she stated she is the envoy of the devil's child and that she will spread satanic teaching," said Salim Alatas, the Jakarta head of hardline Islamic Defender Front (FPI). "This is dangerous."

More than 30,000 concert tickets from a total of 40,000 tickets had been sold, said the Jakarta Post newspaper. Tickets ranged in price from 465,000 rupiah ($50.35) to 2.25 million rupiah ($240). ($1 = 9235 rupiah)

Over at Gatestone Institute (via RaymondIbrahim.com) I discuss the jihad potential south of the border:

As the United States considers the Islamic jihadi threats confronting it from all sides, it would do well to focus on its southern neighbor, Mexico, which has been targeted by Islamists and jihadists, who, through a number of tactics—from engaging in da'wa, converting Mexicans to Islam, to smuggling and the drug cartel, simple extortion, kidnappings and enslavement—have been subverting Mexico in order to empower Islam and sabotage the U.S.

According to a 2010 report, "Close to home: Hezbollah terrorists are plotting right on the U.S. border," which appeared in the NY Daily News:

Mexican authorities have rolled up a Hezbollah network being built in Tijuana ... closer to American homes than the terrorist hideouts in the Bekaa Valley are to Israel. Its goal, according to a Kuwaiti newspaper that reported on the investigation: to strike targets in Israel and the West. Over the years, Hezbollah—rich with Iranian oil money and narcocash—has generated revenue by cozying up with Mexican cartels to smuggle drugs and people into the U.S. In this, it has shadowed the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Tehran, which has been forging close ties with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who in turn supports the narcoterrorist organization FARC, which wreaks all kinds of havoc throughout the region...

Yet Obama and the Western intelligentsia in general keep on insisting that these "moderates" will agree to a negotiated settlement with Israel. "PA narrative: All of Israel is 'occupied' land," by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik for Palestinian Media Watch, May 15:

One of the most important impediments to long term peace between Israel and the Palestinians is the Palestinian Authority's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist - and its teaching, especially children, that all of Israel is "occupied" land. As Palestinian Media Watch has reported, part of Israel is said to have been "occupied" since 1948 during the "Nakba" or "catastrophe," the term Palestinians use to delegitimize Israel's establishment. The rest, the PA says, was occupied in 1967 during the Six-Day War. All of Israel's existence is said to be an "occupation" and illegitimate.

A recent PA TV children's program cited Israeli expropriation of land in the Galilee in 1976 as the source for Palestinian protests on what Palestinians call "Land Day." The PA TV host referred to the Galilee, part of Israel since its establishment in 1948, as “occupied lands” and “land occupied after 1948”:

PA TV host: "On March 30, dear friends, in 1976, Israeli occupation forces confiscated a region - in other words, thousands of dunams of land in the Galilee (northern Israel), the occupied lands, that is, land occupied after 1948."
[PA TV (Fatah), March 30, 2012]

PA schoolbooks teach the same message that Israel since 1948 is an "occupation":

"Colonialism: Palestine faced the British occupation after the First World War in 1917, and the Israeli occupation in 1948."
[National Education, sixth grade, p. 16, PA schoolbook currently in use. http://www.pcdc.edu.ps/textbooks/watanyeh_G6.pdf - accessed March 11, 2012]

Official PA TV children's educational programs consistently present all of Israel as "occupied":

PA TV host: "We're on a trip in the 1948 lands. On our right is Baqa Al-Gharbiya (village in Israel) , the land [home] of many friends of our program. We're on our way [to see] many beautiful areas so that you can get to know them and see how beautiful our land is, and how many beautiful places it has -- beautiful villages and cities. We're in the north of the occupied lands, the 1948 lands (Israel), on the Lebanese border."
Israeli-Arab tour guide: "We're now at the Golan Heights border (inside Israel). We are at the exact border between Palestine and Syria."
[PA TV (Fatah), Sept. 17, 2011]...

Tomorrow and Thursday I will be doing a couple of talks close to home about my new book Did Muhammad Exist?.

Tomorrow I'll be at the Four Seasons, 300 S. Doheny Dr. in Los Angeles, for the Wednesday Morning Club. The reception starts at 11:30AM, followed by lunch at noon and a book signing at 1:30. Details and reservation info here.

Then Thursday evening at 7:30 I'll be speaking on the book again in Bel Air for the American Freedom Alliance's Literary Cafe. Details here.

"Circumcision is obligatory (O: for both men and women. For men it consists of removing the prepuce from the penis, and for women, removing the prepuce (Ar. bazr) of the clitoris (n: not the clitoris itself, as some mistakenly assert). (A: Hanbalis hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but sunna, while Hanafis consider it a mere courtesy to the husband.)" -- 'Umdat al-Salik e4.3

We're constantly told that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that has nothing to do with Islam, and are warned that only greasy Islamophobes think otherwise. Yet here is an Egyptian Parliamentarian saying that Islamic scholars say it is part of the prophetic Sunnah -- that is, practices sanctioned and validated by Muhammad himself.

"Salafi MP advocates female circumcision, says Suzanne Mubarak banned it," from Egypt Independent, May 14 (thanks to Wimpy):

Female circumcision is part of the prophetic Sunnah, said MP Nasser al-Shaker of the Salafi-led Nour Party, who previously proposed a bill that would allow the practice.

On a morning show on Mehwar satellite TV station, Shaker said notable Egyptian scholars have said the practice is part of the Sunnah.

Imam Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, Abdel Halim Mahmoud, former Islamic Research Academy member Sheikh Attiya Saqr and former Egyptian Mufti Nasr Farid Wasel — all prominent Egyptian religious figures, the first three of whom have died — had all authorized the practice, also known as female genital mutilation, Shaker said.

Shaker said former first lady Suzanne Mubarak was the driving force behind banning it.

Randa Fakhr Eddin of the Cairo Coalition Against Female Genital Mutilation replied to Shaker’s statements, saying there is no consensus on the law by senior scholars or Islamists, and that Sayed Tantawi rejected the law in the 1990s, saying it was considered a cultural habit rather than a religious practice.

The issue surfaced after some people accused the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party of launching a charity medical campaign last month in Minya, during which they had performed the practice on some girls.

FJP has denied the reports, and Hussein Ibrahim, head of the party’s parliamentary bloc, told the People’s Assembly Sunday that the party didn’t sponsor any such campaigns.

Female genital mutilation is widely practiced in Egypt and Sudan, along with some other African countries. Most Arab and Islamic countries view it as a crime, but some people believe it was approved by the Prophet Mohamed.

Al-Azhar Supreme Council of Islamic Research, the highest religious authority in Egypt, has condemned the practice, calling it harmful and saying it’s not based in Islamic law. Dar al-Ifta, the authority for issuing legal opinions, also condemned it.

The prevalence of the practice among women aged 15 to 49, who are or have ever been married, is 91 percent, according to the 2008 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey....

An incisive new review of my book Did Muhammad Exist? at the superb Faith Freedom site. "A valuable read: Did Muhammad Exist, by Robert Spencer," by Farhan Qureshi at Faith Freedom, May 12:

In 2008 Professor Muhammad Sven Kalisch, a convert to Islam since the age of 15 and practicing Muslim who taught Islamic Theology at Munster University in Germany announced that he no longer believes that Muhammad existed. According to his own testimony in German, Kalisch made the following statement:

“My position with regard to the historical existence of Muhammad is that I believe neither his existence nor his non-existence can be proven. I, however, lean towards the non-existence but I don’t think it can be proven either. It is my impression that, unless there are some sensational archeological discoveries – i.e. an Islamic “Qumran” or “Nag Hammadi” — the question of Muhammad’s existence will probably never be finally clarified.”

Kalisch began his essay as follows:

“Up to some time ago I was convinced that Muhammad was a historical figure. Although I always based my thinking on the assumption that the Islamic historical narrative regarding Muhammad was very unreliable, I had no doubts that at least the basic lines of his biography were historically correct.

I have now moved away from this position and will soon publish a book in which I will, among other things, comment on this question and explain my arguments in more detail. This essay is only a short summary of my most important arguments.”

The book was never written probably due to outrage in the Muslim community, declarations of apostasy from radical Clerics and a genuine fear for his life. While Kalisch never published his thesis, now in 2012, famed critic and bestselling author Robert Spencer has published his own investigative work on the question at hand. Spencer is a Christian who is more interested in exposing Islam then preaching Christianity, has rightfully entitled his publication “Did Muhammad Exist, An Inquiry into Islam’s Obscure Origins”.

Muslims will immediately jump on the bandwagon of Spencer simply being an opportunist and hatemonger hoping to make some money through a proactive title. Quite to the contrary this book promotes legitimate investigation to the question it posits....

There is more.

Get my pamphlet, "Muslim Brotherhood in America" by Robert Spencer, here.

"There can be no doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood will have a significant role to play in post-Mubarak Egypt. And that is good thing." -- Reza Aslan

Oh, sure, it's a good thing. Except for Copts. And women. And apostates from Islam. And anyone who wants to live free.

"Copts to shun Islamists in Egypt's presidential vote," by Yasmine Saleh for Reuters, May 15:

(Reuters) - Egypt's Coptic Christians complained of discrimination under Hosni Mubarak but fear it may get worse if an Islamist takes his place in next week's presidential election.

Long-suppressed Islamists already dominate parliament. Islamist contenders for the presidency say Christians, who form about a tenth of Egypt's 82 million mostly Muslim people, will not be sidelined, but mistrustful Copts will not vote for them.

The single biggest Coptic grievance and the source of most sectarian violence in Egypt is legislation that makes it easy to build a mosque but hard to construct or even repair a church.

That's Sharia. Islamic law forbids the building of new churches and the repair of old ones.

A new mosque needs only a permit from the local district. A church needs extra paper work and the president himself must sign off, a task Mubarak eventually delegated to city governors.

Coptic voter Medhat Malak hopes those discriminatory rules will be changed if his choice for president wins - Mubarak's last prime minister and former military commander Ahmed Shafiq.

He worries that an Islamist head of state would make life more uncomfortable for Copts, who blame ultra-orthodox Salafi Muslims for a surge of attacks on churches since Mubarak's overthrow in a popular uprising 15 months ago.

"Islamist policies on Christians are vague. It is possible they would restrict our freedoms to gain popularity among strict Muslims at our expense," said Malak, 33, whose Cairo church has been the centre of a row over whether it has a proper license....

During a televised campaign debate, Moussa asked Abol Fotouh whether Muslims had a right to convert to Christianity. Abol Fotouh said a Muslim who did so would face efforts to make him return to his old faith all his life - a stance comparable to a Catholic priest trying to save a lost member of his flock.

The main Islamic schools of thought consider converting a forbidden act, but differ over how to deal with it, with some strict Muslims saying such apostasy is punishable by death....

Actually, all the Muslim schools of jurisprudence prescribe death for apostasy, in accord with Muhammad's dictum, "If anyone changes his religion, kill him."

"I want to feel relaxed in my country," said Ayman, a 36-year-old Coptic taxi driver, giving only his first name.

He had earlier tried to cover the traditional cross tattooed on his hand when he saw a veiled Muslim woman request a ride, but made his feelings clear when asked about the election.

"I want a fair, liberal person to balance the spread of Islamists. Only God knows what they would do to us and to moderate Muslims if they won."

Yes, but we have a pretty fair idea.

Here is my rough translation from the Arabic of the UPI story: "Breaking: Gunmen expel families from Christian village in Hama, Syria," from UPI Arabic, May 10:

Damascus, Syria, May 10 (UPI) - Gunmen Thursday expelled all Christian families from the village of Qustul al-Burg in the rural province of Hama in central Syria.

A local source from among the villagers told United Press International that "armed takfiris from the region came to the village and threatened us, demanding that we leave our homes and evacuate the village empty-handed."

"Takfiris" are those who practice takfir, or the pronouncing of rival Muslim groups as infidels so that they can be killed legally under Islamic law. It is a common term for Islamic jihadists.

The source, who preferred not to be named, said the militants "took control of all the houses in the village houses, and occupied the church and made it into their headquarters."

The village of Qustul al-Burg is in the province of Hama, in the northern part of the jungle plain, 42 km from Alsagalbeh and 48 km northwest of Hama. It contains around 10 Christian families.

Over at AtlasShrugs I discuss the Kansas Senate's recent anti-Sharia vote:

The Kansas Senate just passed legislation restricting the use of foreign law in state courtrooms, and many other states are considering similar laws. These laws are designed to halt the use of Islamic law, Sharia, by American judges – a measure that many see as necessary, since Sharia has already been involved in cases in twenty-three states. Yet many such initiatives have already been stopped by activist judges who see them as encroachments upon First Amendment protection of religion; however, anti-Sharia laws do not actually infringe upon religious freedom at all, and become more urgently needed by the day.

The Associated Press summed up the prevailing mainstream media view when it recently noted that critics of anti-Sharia laws view the movement to pass them as an “unwarranted campaign driven by fear of Muslims.” In criticizing an anti-Sharia amendment to the Oklahoma state constitution that gained seventy percent of the vote in a state referendum but was later struck down, Daniel Mach, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said: “This amendment did nothing more than target one faith for official condemnation. Even the state admits that there has never been any problem with Oklahoma courts wrongly applying religious law. The so-called ‘Save Our State Amendment’ was a solution in search of a problem, and a blatantly discriminatory solution at that.” Ryan Kiesel of the ACLU’s Oklahoma branch declared: “No one in Oklahoma deserves to be treated like a second-class citizen. This proposed amendment was an affront to the Constitution and everything it stands for.” The Muslim writer Reza Aslan hysterically and inaccurately charged that “two-thirds of Americans don’t think Muslims should have the same rights or civil liberties as non-Muslims.”

In reality, the properly formulated anti-Sharia laws neither infringe upon Muslims’ civil liberties or religious freedom nor address a non-existent problem. Recently in a critique of anti-Sharia initiatives published in First Things, law professor Robert K. Vischer articulated some reasons why Americans are concerned about Sharia: “Proponents of this legislation tend to focus on manifestations of Sharia overseas: the stoning of adulterers, cutting off of the hands of thieves, and the denial of basic freedoms for women in some Islamic countries,” and that “there are many schools of interpretation among Islamic legal scholars, and some interpretations stand in tension with the rights that we have come to take for granted in liberal democracies, including the rights of women, homosexual persons, religious minorities, and religious converts.”...

There is more.

Fall guy. "Iran hangs 'Mossad agent' for scientist killing," from Reuters, May 15 (thanks to Ima):

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has hanged a man it said was an agent for Israeli intelligence agency Mossad whom it convicted of killing one of its nuclear scientists in 2010, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday.

Tehran has accused Israel and the United States of assassinating four Iranian scientists since 2010 in order to sabotage its nuclear program which the West suspects is hiding Iran's attempt to develop a nuclear weapons capability.

While Israel has declined to comment on the killings, it regards Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat and has threatened military action against Tehran. Washington has denied any U.S. role.

Twenty-four year old Majid Jamali Fashi was hanged at Tehran's Evin Prison after being sentenced to death in August last year for the murder of Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, Iran's state news agency quoted the central prosecutor's office as saying. It said he had confessed to the crime.

Ali-Mohammadi was killed in January 2010 when a remote-controlled bomb attached to a motorcycle outside his home in Tehran went off.

Tuesday's report said Fashi had confessed to travelling to Tel Aviv to receive training from Mossad before returning to Iran to plot the assassination.

A spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said at the time that Ali-Mohammadi, a 50-year-old Tehran University professor, was not involved in its activities.

The most recent attack on an Iranian scientist occurred in January. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan - a deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility - was killed when a magnetic bomb planted on his vehicle detonated.

Israel has a policy of not commenting on the allegations but an unnamed Israeli source previously said the daylight killings provoked panic in surviving colleagues and generate a phenomenon Mossad veterans dub "virtual defection" which hinders Iran's nuclear progress.

Last month, Iranian intelligence officials said they had arrested 15 people they called a "major terror and sabotage network with links to the Zionist regime". The group had plotted to assassinate an Iranian scientist in February, the authorities said....

Will the Islamophobia never end? "Failed bombing plot at temple: Siddiqui shows spot, says ATS," from Indian Express, May 12 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

The state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has claimed that alleged Indian Mujahideen operative Mohammed Qateel Mohammed Jafar Siddiqui has ‘willingly’ confessed that he conducted a recce of the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple and showed the places he visited, and the spot where he unsuccessfully tried to place a bomb. They said he also showed them the place he had stayed in Pune.

Judicial Magistrate (first class) S S Bose granted police custody to Siddiqui till May 21.

Meanwhile, the ATS also claimed that Siddiqui has told them about the routes he took from his residence to reach Dagdusheth Ganpati Temple. He also reportedly showed the ATS the spot at a flower vendor’s stall near the temple where he had allegedly placed the explosives.

Siddiqui was arrested by Delhi police for his alleged involvement in terror activities. The Pune unit of ATS arrested him on May 2 for allegedly conducting a recce of the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple and attempting to blow it up on February 13, 2010....

"Circumcision is obligatory (O: for both men and women. For men it consists of removing the prepuce from the penis, and for women, removing the prepuce (Ar. bazr) of the clitoris (n: not the clitoris itself, as some mistakenly assert). (A: Hanbalis hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but sunna, while Hanafis consider it a mere courtesy to the husband.)" -- 'Umdat al-Salik e4.3

We're constantly told that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that has nothing to do with Islam, and are warned that only greasy Islamophobes think otherwise. Yet here a party dedicated to upholding Islamic law, the Muslim Brotherhood, is making it easily available in Egypt; and it is clear even from the whitewashed translation from 'Umdat al-Salik above that it is justified in Islamic law. That's why the practice persists, even though it is technically illegal in Egypt.

"Egypt’s Brotherhood mobile FGM convoys condemned by women’s group," by Mohamed Abdel Salam for Bikya Masr, May 14 (thanks to Wimpy):

CAIRO: A number of Egyptian human rights groups have submitted a communication to the Attorney General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud against the Muslim Brotherhood`s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) to investigate the complaints of people in the village of Abu Aziz in the Minya governorate, south of Cairo, over the existence of a large medical convoy organized by the party that wanders streets and does medical examination on people, including female circumcision, or female genital mutilation, in violation of Egyptian law, conventions and treaties signed by Egypt.

In Egypt’s legal code, Female Genital Mutilation is criminalized, as well as the inciting by doctors to convince families of the young girls of the need to agree to circumcise their daughters, “as a matter of preserving chastity.”

The communication demanded Mervat Tallawy, the head of the National Council for Women (NCW) and Major General Seraj EL Din El Rouby, the Governor of Minya, and Nasr El Sayed , Assistant Minister for primary health care, and preventive medicine, and family planning, to intervene to stop what it called “a farce propaganda for free circumcision, which was organized by one of the political parties, in Minya governorate to promote circumcision.”

The communication came after reports were circulated on news websites and social networking websites, including Facebook and Twitter about a convoy organized by the FJP to promote circumcision among girls in Minya.

Tallawy, on Sunday, held a meeting with the governor of Minya to discuss the mechanisms of organizing awareness campaigns and seminars for women in the governorate, on how to address and fight against female genital mutilation, “which is being carried out by the FJP in the governorate.”

Tallawy called on the Governor of Minya to combat such operations, and to spread awareness in the governorate, and to “coordinate with the Council in any issue related to women.”...

Western Muslim spokesmen who claim that Islam is a tolerant faith should be speaking out against this. Why aren't they? "NEWS ALERT: Iran House Church Pastor Still Beaten In Prison," by BosNewsLife, May 14 (thanks to David):

TEHRAN, IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Prominent Iranian house church pastor Behnam Irani is still beaten in his prison but less frequently, an official assisting him with advocacy said Monday, just weeks after his family expressed concerns he may die.

"We have learned that the beatings are still happening, however they no longer happen on a daily basis, but periodically," Jason DeMars, director of the Present Truth Ministries rights group told BosNewsLife.

He said however that Behnam has had intestinal bleeding, or bloody stool, for roughly six months among other ailments. "He has requested to visit the hospital or a doctor and they have denied his requests," DeMars said, adding that his group has urged supporters to "Please pray for his healing and deliverance from the bleeding."

Yet, "Despite his difficult circumstances, his faith remains strong and he is joyful," added DeMars.

Irani, who is in his 40s and married with two children, has been behind bars in a prison of Karaj city where he led a congregation of the Church of Iran house church movement.

"CRIMES AGAINST STATE"

He has been held on charges of "crimes against the Islamic state" apparently linked to his involvement in the unauthorized house church.

Christians said he was detained in April 2010 when security forces raided Irani’s house in Karaj during a worship service.

Iranian Christians explained at the time that security forces beat Irani and confiscated Bibles and other Christian literature and DVDs, BosNewsLife news agency reported earlier.

His colleague, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, is facing the death penalty on charges of "apostasy" or abandoning Islam....

Iranian officials have denied wrongdoing and say those prosecuted are either criminals or otherwise violated the laws of this Islamic nation.

DeMars said he also remains concerned about two other devoted Christians identified as Alireza Seyyedian or Petros Fouroton. "They remain imprisoned in [the cities of] Tehran and Shiraz, respectively. He said his group urged Christians to "Pray for their endurance and comfort in Christ as they stand this trial in prison."

The incidents are part of a wider crackdown on churches, Christian leaders say.

Leaders of the Assemblies of God’s (AOG) Central Church of Iran's capital Tehran, for instance, told their congregation last week Sunday, May 6, that Iranian authorities demand a list of names and identification numbers of church members, viewed as a major risk to converts from Islam.

Church leaders have reportedly members to volunteer their information, though Christians say doing so "almost feels suicidal" in a nation where Christians such as Pastor Nadarkhani face execution....

Pandering to Islamic supremacism kills. Pamela Geller has much more on this appalling story here. "Youngest victim says her complaints against Miah were ignored by police," from ITV News, May 14 (thanks to David):

One of Azad Miah's under-age victims complained to the police about him three years before his eventual arrest, his trial heard.

His youngest victim, aged 12, said she gave up talking to the police about the takeaway owner pestering her for sex in exchange for cash because nothing was being done.

In the wake of Miah's arrest in 2011 she was asked at the start of her police interview if she knew why she was being questioned. Tellingly, she replied:

"Because of something that happened three years ago and now youse have finally decided to do summat about it. The police never done anything about it so I just stopped complaining in the end.

Under cross-examination at Carlisle Crown Court, she was told there was no record of any of her supposed complaints. Barrister Stephan Meadowcroft QC said "The police keep careful records."

Behind a screen in court, she replied: "So they should but they didn't."

I tried to tell you -- back in January 2011. "Egyptians Want to Ditch Peace Treaty With Israel, Poll Shows," by Patrick Goodenough for CNS News, May 14 (thanks to Wimpy):

(CNSNews.com) – As Egyptians prepare to vote for their first post-Mubarak president next week, the antipathy towards Israel espoused by the frontrunners aligns with the findings of a new survey, in which 61 percent of Egyptian respondents favor abandoning the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, up from 54 percent a year ago.

The poll, by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, also finds a small decline among Egyptians in favorable views of the United States – now just 19 percent – while 61 percent of respondents said the billions of dollars the U.S. gives their country in military and economic aid has a “mostly negative” impact.

Asked their views on Egyptian-U.S. ties, 38 percent indicated the relationship should be more distant, 35 percent said it should remain as it is now, and 20 percent said it should be closer.

Among other findings:

--On the role of religion in government, 61 percent chose Saudi Arabia as the preferred model. (Turkey came in at 17 percent).

--Asked whether Egypt’s laws should strictly adhere to the Qur’an, 60 percent said yes while 32 percent said it should follow the values and principles of Islam and only six percent said laws should not be influenced by the teachings of the Qur’an.

-- Seventy percent of respondents viewed the Muslim Brotherhood favorably, down from 75 percent in 2011. The Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, also received the highest support rating among political parties, 56 percent.

--Priority issues in the election are the economy and a fair judiciary (81 percent each), with others including free speech (60 percent), equal rights for women (41 percent) and religious freedom (38 percent.)

The foreign policy issue with arguably the biggest implication for regional stability related to the peace treaty with neighboring Israel. The agreement, hammered out at Camp David in 1978 and signed at the White House the following year, remains the centerpiece of decades of U.S. mediation between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

The survey found that 61 percent of Egyptians want to abandon it, while only 32 percent think it should be maintained.

Support for annulling it has grown in particular among younger Egyptians (up by 14 points since 2011) as well as among those with higher education levels (up 18 percent since last year.)...

Mainstream media vagueness and passive voice: "At least seven people were killed and several others wounded when gunmen set fire to a home as they attacked a Christian village..." Gunmen. Now what kind of gunmen would want to attack a Christian village? "7 killed in central Nigeria violence," from PTI, May 10 (thanks to Wimpy):

Abuja, May 10 (PTI) At least seven people were killed and several others wounded when gunmen set fire to a home as they attacked a Christian village today near Nigeria''s volatile city of Jos, officials said.

The attackers shot at anybody who tried to escape the inferno, killing seven. They also wounded several others in the village of Tahoss, inhabited by Christians.

Police spokesman, Samuel Dabai confirmed the incident adding that the police have started investigating.

Jos city which is the capital of Nigeria''s central state of Plateau has been a flashpoint of conflict between Christians and Muslims and the neighbouring villages are just starting to feel the heat of the conflict which started with the question of who is an indigene and who constitutes a settler.

Hundreds of people have died in internecine crisis involving ethnic Fulanis and Beroms in Jos and its environs.

Majority of the Fulanis are Muslims while the Beroms are mostly Christians.

Last November, violence in the city left 15 people dead including a police officer identified as Dalyop Pinda.

Eyewitnesses said two churches, an Islamic school and twenty other buildings were burnt in clashes that erupted after the killing of three youths of ethnic Berom by ethnic Fulani herdsmen.

The Beroms in reprisal went after the herdsmen resulting in the death of four others believed to be Fulanis and this sparked an internecine hostility between the two ethnic groups.

On August 14, an overnight attack by unidentified assailants led to the death of ten persons and an outbreak of violence in Jos as irate youths took to the streets to protest the killings.

Sometimes the clashes take religious colouration as Christians attack Muslims or vice versa.

Media moral equivalence. The Christians of Nigeria are victims of a jihad. Sometimes they fight back.

Your tax dollars at work. "Focus on Faith: Combating Islamophobia," by Melissa Riopka for WAAYTV.com, May 13 (thanks to David Pietrusza):

Huntsville, AL -- On Thursday, May 17th, people representing a cross-culture of Madison County will come together to learn more about Islam. "Combating Islamophobia: Truths and Myths About Islam" is a community engagement workshop sponsored by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Department of Justice, UA-Huntsville, and the Huntsville Islamic Center, among others. Aladin Beshir, director of community outreach for the Huntsville Islamic Center, hopes the event will help build bridges in the community. "This is a very, very small step and a very focused and great grand scheme of cooperation among law enforcement and the Muslim community, sending the message that we are all united to protect America."

Beshir says there are many misconceptions about Islam that have arisen, in part, by people taking portions of the Quran out of context. He says, "Islam does not teach violence. People love to pick and choose," adding, "the Holy Quran states, one destroys one soul as if he killed the whole humanity, and one saves one soul as if he saves the whole humanity." When it comes to addressing myths about Muslims, Beshir says the media represents one of the biggest challenges because, "if you listen to the media, you will think they're under the bed and coming to get you!"...

This is the passage Beshir is referring to: "Therefore We prescribed for the Children of Israel that whoso slays a soul not to retaliate for a soul slain, nor for corruption done in the land, shall be as if he had slain mankind altogether; and whoso gives life to a soul, shall be as if he has given life to mankind altogether. Our Messengers have already come to them with the clear signs; then many of them thereafter commit excesses in the earth." That's Qur'an 5:32. Note the except about "corruption done in the land." What happens to those who commit this ill-defined sin? "This is the recompense of those who fight against God and His Messenger, and hasten about the earth, to do corruption there: they shall be slaughtered, or crucified, or their hands and feet shall alternately be struck off; or they shall be banished from the land. That is a degradation for them in this world; and in the world to come awaits them a mighty chastisement." That's Qur'an 5:33. What do you bet Beshir doesn't mention that during this taxpayer-funded lovefest? And what does that omission indicate?

Germany encourages jihad terror and kidnapping of non-Muslims by jihadists. "Kano kidnap: Germany frees jailed Muslim woman," by Misbahu Bashir for the Daily Trust, May 14 (thanks to Twostellas):

Germany has freed a Muslim woman jailed for aiding terrorists, in fulfillment of a condition set by kidnappers of a German construction worker in Kano for his release, Daily Trust learnt.

The woman, Filiz Gelowicz, who had converted to Islam and now bears the name Uma Saifullah Al-Ansariya, was released two weeks ago, according to an unsigned advertisement in the Daily Trust on Friday.

A source said the publication was authorised by the German embassy in Abuja.

German engineer Edgar Fritz Raupach was kidnapped January in Kano while working for Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb released a video in March saying it was holding Raupach and that it wanted to swap him for Filiz Gelowicz. AQIM’s video was posted by Mauritanian news agency ANI.

The publication announcing the release of the jailed German woman said, “100 days missing. Your sister Uma Saifullah Al-Ansariya (Filiz Gelowicz) is free since two weeks. When do you release our brother Edgar?? His friends are waiting for him…”...

Imagine the international outcry that would ensue if someone threw a grenade at anyone or anything from inside a church. But this will get no attention. "Muslim man arrested for alleged bomb attack in Narathiwat," from The Nation, May 14 (thanks to Twostellas):

A Muslim man was arrested Monday for allegedly lobbing a grenade at a police road checkpoint Sunday night, injuring five civilians, a policeman and a paramilitary ranger.

Police said Hanafi Sedmahamad was arrested after witnesses identified him at the bomb attacker.

Feeds from a security camera showed that a grenade was hurled from inside a mosque to the security checkpoint at the Clock Tower in Muang district.

Ivan Babanovski, a former security studies professor, is quoted below saying that these ralliers "misuse Islam." Yet those who use it properly, in his view, and abhor jihad terror, never seem to rally. Now, why is that?

"Macedonia protests signal surge of radical Islam," from EurActiv, May 14 (thanks to Twostellas):

Ethnic Albanians rallied in several Macedonian towns on Friday (11 May) to protest against a police operation that saw suspects arrested in the deaths of five people. The regional press saw the protests as a sign of rising radical Islam in the country.

Thousands of ethnic Albanians demonstrated against the arrest of three men charged over the killing of five Macedonians last month.

Photos from the scenes showed that many of the protestors waved Saudi flags and that some wore T-shirts with inscriptions such as “Islam will dominate the world”.

On 13 April five slain Macedonian fishermen were discovered beside a lake in the village of Smiljkovci north of Skopje. Four of the victims were in their late teens or early 20s. The fifth was a man in his 40s. On 1 May, police arrested 20 people, including radical Islamists who reportedly fought with the Taliban in Afghanistan, as suspects in the murders.

Demonstrators shouting slogans such as "UCK" (the now-defunct liberation movement in Kosovo in the late 1990s), "See you in the mountains" and "Greater Albania", threw rocks at police, the SETimes reported. The news site also reported that protestors attacked the offices of Skopje's Chair municipality whose mayor, Izet Medziti, belongs to the ruling Albanian party Democratic Union for Integration (DUI). "Clearly they do not want co-existence - their slogans betray the goal to misuse Islam to create an ethnically pure state, which means conflict in the region. Slogans in support of the Democratic Party of Albanians also betray the involvement of some political parties to benefit from such an abuse of religion," Ivan Babanovski, a former security studies professor, told SETimes....

They know what Islamic rule would mean, unlike the besotted and willfully ignorant shapers of public opinion in the West.

"Syrian Christians Afraid of Possible Islamist Rule," from RIA Novosti, May 14 (thanks to Twostellas):

Christians living in conflict-torn Syria are afraid that their community would fall victim of religious extremism if President Bashar al-Assad regime collapses and Islamists come to power.

“I am afraid that we will suffer bad times,” a member of Damascus’s Christian community, who identified himself as Jorge, told RIA Novosti.

A full-fledged civil war will break out in Syria if Assad’s enemies and their western supporters continue efforts to topple the president, he continued.

“If the regime falls…, Islamists will come to power,” Jorge said, adding that Islamists “wrongly believe that we support the current regime,” and for that reason they will complicate the life of Christians.

“Sunni Muslims who predominate Syria think that if President Assad’s regime representing the interests of the Alawi minority falls, they will live better. But I personally think that they are wrong. Syria is a secular state and its people, including Muslims, will not like it if the new power starts thrusting orthodox Islamic norms of moral and behavior on them,” he added.

According to Jorge's opinion, extremist forces rather than liberals would come to power in Syria.

Another Syrian, an engineer from Homs, said on conditions of anonymity that he is sure that if Assad’s regime falls, Christians will be “expelled from the country in one day.”

Presently, the situation in Homs is quite complicated, almost all of the local Christians have moved away. Their homes have been occupied by militants and their families, and the shops have been looted. Refugees are temporarily living in other regions of the country....

The report "Islamic anti-democratic and violence-promoting environments in Denmark. What do we know?" is groundbreaking. Even our Social Democrats seem to notice the imminent danger and that the basis of our society and whole way of life - democracy - is under attack. According to the report, Islamic movements also reject multiculturalism...

Translated from Danish by Nicolai Sennels, Politiken, May 8: "Report: Copenhagen has for years had Islamic movements that promote violence":

There are several different types of anti-democratic movements that adhere to Islamist ideologies in Denmark. This is the conclusion in a new report on the extremist currents in parts of the Muslim community in Denmark. The report is published by the Ministry of Social Services and Integration.

According to Minister Karen Haekkerup (Social Democrats), the report show that extremist environments pose a threat to democracy. The report also states that several of the extremist environments have played a role for people who were caught in terrorist cases.

"Research indicates that for several years there has been an environment in the Copenhagen area that supports violence, environments that are connected to several terrorism cases," it states.

"In Denmark, there are different types of anti-democratic movements which profess Islamist ideologies."

Islamism is defined in the report as a political interpretation of Islam, where society is to be regulated and guided by principles found in Islam.

According to the report, Islamism gets its nourishment from a victim mentality among its followers. "The perception of injustice and oppression of Muslims in a Danish and global context is a recurring theme," it explains.

"Not only the present rulers of the world are perceived as enemies, but also non-Muslims as Muslims who do not reject the Western lifestyle, multiculturalism, integration and participation in democratic elections are perceived as enemies in these environments," it states. "Wars and violent conflicts around the world, and conflicts and problems in Denmark are also linked to give a coherent picture of a general conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims, where Muslims are superior, but at the moment are 'victims'".

However, there are differences in how far the communities want to go. Some believe that the caliphate - an Islamic state - should be introduced everywhere in Denmark. Others consider this goal unrealistic.

There are four types of groups who adhere to political Islamic ideologies.

There are groups that follow a single leader and are mainly oriented towards situations outside Denmark. Then there are some that are oriented both towards abroad and Denmark.

And there are the activist movements that "in an aggressive way interact with Danish society", and finally, the established organisations that are mainly concerned about situations abroad. All types of groups have contacts to Islamic extremists abroad - also through the Internet, including social media.

Hence, groups gathered around individuals such as Sheik Abu Ahmad and the network Called that has distinguished itself in Copenhagen by warning Muslims against participation in democratic elections and by introducing Sharia zones in the troubled ghetto Tingbjerg.

According to the report, the introduction of sharia zones suggests that Called has had contact with the controversial imam Anjem Choudary in Britain, who has had several of his groups prohibited.

"It seems likely that Called to some extent cooperates with, or is at least inspired by Choudary," the report states.

The most extreme movements reject Muslim participation in democratic action.

"Such persons can be branded as infidels, so-called kufr," says the report on Islamist extremism.

Among other extreme movements are organizations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, which also participates in the public debate and is part of an international organization with origins in the Middle East. It is believed to have up to 200 active members and can gather around 1000-1200 people to its public events.

The degree of contact with society divides the Islamist groups. It even happens that outright hostility erupts between the groups if one group chooses to cooperate with authorities in cases of reporting crimes.

Several of the movements have been involved in the terrorism cases that the police has been able to unravel in recent years. In the Glasvejen case (Denmark), one of the convicted had contact with Hizb-ut-Tahrir and with persons connected to other cases in Glostrup (Denmark) and Sarajevo (Bosnia). It also had connections to the imam Said Mansour, who is convicted of encouraging terrorism. Also the Vollsmose case (Denmark) and the case of a Somali who attacked Muhammad cartoonist Kurt Westergaard in his own home are associated with environments suspected of terrorism.

According to the report, the former Guantanamo prisoner Slimane Hadj Abderrahmane has explained how he started looking in the Aarhus area (Denmark) for contacts that could help him to participate in combat.

The Danish Islamic communities have existed since the early 1990s, when Denmark allowed suspected terrorists or convicted terrorists to settle in the country. One of them was the Egyptian Talat Fuad Qassim, who was convicted in Egypt for involvement in the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and who was granted asylum in Denmark. According to the report, Qassim propagated at Friday prayers in a mosque in Nørrebro. Another was a terrorist case from Aarhus in which fingerprints of the accused were found in the investigation of an attack against the World Trade Center in 1993.

The report states that it is extremely difficult to get a precise picture of Islamist extremism. "It is exceedingly difficult to do research on this worrisome topic, since it is extremely difficult to access existing data and to generate new ones," it states.

JihadWatch on the sharia zones in Tingbjerg: "Denmark: Islamic group seeks to introduce 'Sharia zones' in Copenhagen"

JihadWatch articles on the attack in the former capital of West Germany, Bonn:

• Bonn, Germany: Club-wielding army of 600 Muslims attack as Muhammad cartoons are shown publicly. 29 policemen hurt, 109 arrests.
• Muhammad cartoon demonstration in Bonn, Germany: Muslims shooting at the police. Police to free speech activists: "Shut up!" Peaceful demonstrators asked to leave.
• Bonn, Germany: Muslim "lone wolf" tries to make his brothers and sisters stop using violence (to avoid losing the politicians' sympathy)
• Bonn, Germany: Police: "We no longer accepted the provocations from Pro NRW by ending the event sooner than planned." Hundreds of Muslims organised armed attack via Facebook.

I was present in Bonn yesterday (May 5th 2012) and I knew a lot about stone-throwing from the Left-wing demonstration against Pro-Köln in 2008. But what was thrown yesterday was incredible. That was not the problem, though: shields were handed out early. But the way the media reports completely ignore the new level of violence and only focus on the police officers injured by bottles and stones makes me sick.

I do not care how or why the pro-NRW demonstration was allowed. What we repeatedly heard from our colleagues yesterday was that the cartoons are completely legitimate and that they are also not prohibited. What happened was exactly what the drawing portrays. It shows a bomb and only a small spark is required to ignite it. Colleagues who were close to the Salafis saw their glowing hatred, they could see murder in their eyes.

Would anybody accept similar attacks and aggressiveness from the Right or Left wing protesters? These groups are also constantly provoked. Soccer fans, too. There are plenty of football fans who have an almost religious respect for their club. But Muslims are always forgiven for their violence, because violence is their mentality, it will always be understated, and the focus centers on the troublemakers. My goodness, I would have a lot of people on my conscience (mostly Muslims, by the way) if I went berserk every time someone insulted my mother. But no, we must always control our emotions, we're different, we have a different mentality. They, however, are allowed to run amok.

When it was announced over the radio that while being attacked by stones, a colleague had been wounded by gunfire, one does have his thoughts. You look at the number of opponents, and your hand touches your gun. You consider many times to draw it before your opponent does.

A few minutes later it was announced that we were attacked with knives, and I thought a colleague would shoot the perpetrators to prevent more crimes, which is what the law prescribes. In that case, things would have run off-track and maybe have had a kind of purifying effect, and the public would have noticed how serious the situation were. But now people will soon forget it and belittle the whole thing.

Jihad