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Russell Crowe: Al-Qaeda target. "Crowe the target," from AAP, with thanks to Romy:
The Oscar winner was first contacted by the FBI in 2001 and warned of the threat..."That was the first [time] I'd ever heard the phrase al-Qaeda," Crowe said.
"It was about - and here's another little touch of irony - taking iconographic Americans out of the picture as sort of a cultural destabilisation plot."
Crowe was protected by the FBI on subsequent film shoots and industry engagements such as the Golden Globe awards.
Crowe told the magazine he never really understood the situation.
"I never fully understood what the f--- was going on," he said.
Like most Americans.
Posted by Robert at March 7, 2005 10:15 AM
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Robert, Hugh, Ibn:
Here is an interview with Gijs de Vries, the European Council's Counter-terrorism Co-ordinator. In the interview, he discusses terrorism, Islam and democracy. I will let his views speak for themselves:
http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-136245-16&type=Interview
Excerpt:
Interviewer: Unlike the US, we have a huge Muslim population within the EU and also in neighbouring countries, such as northern Africa. Does this lead to a difference in European and US approaches?
Gijs de Vries: It should not. Within the past few years there has been a huge conflict within the world of Islam about the interpretation of Islam, with a number of radicals trying to hijack Islam for terrorist purposes, trying to give themselves the right to decide who is a true believer and who is an apostate. The majority of the world’s Muslims reject that: they do not believe that terrorism is a legitimate strategy or that Islam is incompatible with democracy.
Posted by: Mentat![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 7, 2005 10:24 AM
I didn't sign up to read the article, but I would assume that Russell Crowe is a target because of his role in the movie "Romper Stomper".
Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 7, 2005 10:29 AM
One would hope a coupla high profile hollywood targets taken out would pit hollywood firmly in the anti-jihadi camp.
But sadly, the pathetic treatment meted to filmmaker and jihad-victim Van Gogh belies such hopes.
Hollywood may just be great and heroic and courageous in the movies, in real life as opposed to reel life, they're all quite the opposite.
Posted by: voletti at March 7, 2005 10:46 AM
Since we're talking about Hollywood . . .how's this -
Hollywood does international relations. The venerable Council on Foreign Relations' list of new members, in addition to the usual diplomats, academics, Hill folk and media suspects, includes Michael Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, Warren Beatty and Mike Medavoy.
Posted by: miira at March 7, 2005 11:12 AM
Born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, ya he's your typical American infidel/actor all right. Sounds to me that Russell is just trying to drum up some PR to be bringing this up now.
Posted by: William The Crusader at March 7, 2005 12:13 PM
Hollywood Goes Global
Hollywood does international relations. The venerable Council on Foreign Relations' list of new members, in addition to the usual diplomats, academics, Hill folk and media suspects, includes Michael Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, Warren Beatty and Mike Medavoy.
Posted by: miira at March 7, 2005 11:12 AM
I didn't want to bother going through opening a Washington Post account, so I didn't review the article, but you'd think, so close on the heels of their stunning, backfiring efforts to elect John Kerry and the aftershocks being felt in the Middle East in the wake of the Iraqi elections, that the Hollywood types would keep a lower profile and wait to see what develops.
Posted by: waterdragon52 at March 7, 2005 12:25 PM
Hey waterdragon52,
I hate registering at places just to read an article or two so check out the site:
www.bugmenot.com
I will let the site speak for itself. It is excellent. I use it every time some site tries to get me to register. It is fast and effiecient.
Posted by: Truth at March 7, 2005 12:48 PM
It is worth noting that although Crowe is from New Zealand & Australia, to al Qaeda he is "American". I recall reading about the trial of the Bali bombing terrorists in Indonesia, the suspects said they planned the bombing in order to kill as many Americans as possible. When told the bar was full of Australians, not Americans, the bomber replied, "But they are all white Americans".
It is clear they do not distinguish between various nationalities of Westerners, we are all "Americans" to them.
Posted by: Kenneth at March 7, 2005 12:59 PM
There's Truth!
Truth~ please check out the Blog at co-jeter, if you get the chance. We were, uhhh, sort of talking about you just this past 24 hours :P In regards to people who hijack names, like yours was at one time.
Posted by: Gary at March 7, 2005 1:00 PM
``But they are all white Americans``
Wow. Now THAT`s racism for you. Got a link for that Kenneth? Useful commentary in the question about islam and racism.
Geoff
Posted by: Geoff at March 7, 2005 1:17 PM
Its Interesting to note that when Russell Crowe arrived at the Academy Awards 2 years ago in Hollywood, it was in a black Chevy Suburban SUV that is commonly used by secret service, and FBI security personal, while almost all the other celebrites arrived in limousines, Crows vehicle came in from a completely different and separate direction from the limousines that where lined up . ---Also at the intersection of Highland Ave. and Hollywood Blvd. several sharp shooters where perched on buildings over looking the Academy Awards show as well. Crowe left the vehicle in the company of several men dressed in tuxedos.
Posted by: Mackie at March 7, 2005 1:38 PM
Interesting to hear, Mackie. Was this for 'The Gladiator'? Because there was a Christian element to the film.
Posted by: Gary at March 7, 2005 1:47 PM
OT -
NIGERIA : MUSLIM MILITANTS KILL 36 IN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
March 4 (Compass) -- Muslim militants attacked the Christian community in Demsa village, Adamawa state, northern Nigeria, on Friday, February 4, killing 36 people, destroying property and displacing about 3,000 others. The surviving Christians have taken refuge in Mayolope village in the neighboring state of Taraba.
Alhaji Saleh Jatau, a Muslim who spoke to Compass in Mayolope, confirmed the attack on Demsa. However, he said the militants do not have the support of the Muslim community when they attack Christians.
“I am appealing that the government should act quickly to end this conflict. We have lived in peace with Christians, but now some of us [Muslims] have decided to cause problems between us,” Jatau told Compass.
“I have lived with Christians in our village for 51 years, and I have never witnessed any crisis where people are being killed without caution as it happened that day. Most of the people here [in the camp] have vowed never to return to the village until the government finds a lasting solution to the problems.”
While visiting the displaced Christians on February 7, Rev. Jolly Nyame, governor of the state of Taraba, expressed sadness over the attacks and said the country could progress only through peaceful coexistence.
“No community can move forward while crisis takes the center stage. It is only peace that can usher in development in the country,” he told the refugees. “Only tolerance and forgiveness can bring about peaceful co-existence among people of different religious backgrounds.”
He further said the Nigerian government needs to check the activities of Muslim militants which have provoked crises in different parts of the country.
The attack on Demsa village by Muslim militants is the second in Adamawa state. Numan, also in Adamawa, has been under siege since a religious crisis that erupted there two years ago over the killing of Pastor Esther Ethan Jinkai. The situation worsened in January when another Christian woman was killed by soldiers deployed to keep peace (see Compass Direct, “Nigerian Peace-keeping Soldiers Kill Christian Woman,” February 2).
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/lead.php
Posted by: Leveller at March 7, 2005 1:47 PM
'I have lived with Christians in our village for 51 years'~Alhaji Saleh Jatau
Here is a man who knew what was possible.
Posted by: Gary at March 7, 2005 1:51 PM
Gary:
Don't hold me to it, but I do believe that the Gladiator was up for nominations that year.
Posted by: Mackie at March 7, 2005 2:02 PM
Re the posting above about Nigeria:
Had those whose duty, as members of the governments of the non-Muslim world,is to both instruct us as to perils, and to protect us from them, bothered to learn about Islam -- and not from hirelings of the Arabs (including a good many former State Depatment and, to a lesser extent, C.I.A. personnel) -- a great deal of unnecessary effort, and a great many unnecessary victims -- might have been avoided.
And in the long history of error in the recent past, special attention should be given to how the Western powers refused to recognize Biafra, to give Biafra support or weaponry, to allow Biafran villages to be strafed by Egyptian pilots, and Muslim financial and diplomatic support used to crush Biafra (google the "Ahiara Declaration" of Colonel Ojukwu, from 1969). Only two countries in the world recognized, and attempted to help, the Christians of southern Nigeria, who in the main were Ibo -- Ghana and Israel. The rest did not realize that supporting the persecuted and bullied Christians of Nigeria, under whose territory lay the oil, the money from which was used, and still is used, to support the largely Muslim military establishment, and hence to prolong the dominance of the Muslim northerners over the much more enterprising and industrious Christians of the south.
Had a Free Biafra come into existence it could have signalled a willingness to stop the spread of Islam, starting with Black Africa. But that, and the indifference to the mass murder of animist and Christian black Africans in the southern Sudan, as well as the recent, and cruel, effort by the French government to take the side of the Muslim immigrants in the north and not to protect the indigenous Christians of the Cote d'Ivoire, show that Western efforts range from indifference, to pusillanimity, to outright appeasement of Muslim demands and a minimizing of the Muslim menace -- that black Christians understand far better than do those cretinized Christians at the World Council of Churches, so busy passing anti-Israel resolutions that they cannot be bothered with the Muslim massacres of black Christians, or other Christians, wherever Muslims have had the capacity, and enjoyed the impunity, to do so.
One hopes that, should Christians in the south and west (there are many Christian Hausa), choose again to fight for their independence (and remember, with the oil, and free from the Muslim north's mismanaging military, a Free Biafra could pay for itself) again try to obtain independence, this time at least the United States will be on the right side.
Posted by: Hugh at March 7, 2005 2:15 PM
About Nigeria, Let us hear from you Dase. Are you OK?
Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 7, 2005 3:05 PM
A few years ago, Russel Crowe donated money to rebuild a synagogue in Canada that had been destroyed by you-know-who.
That may have been why he was targeted.
Posted by: Suzan at March 7, 2005 3:40 PM
Hugh:
I certainly hope that the Ibos take up the fight for independence, but they will be up against the rest of the world, and the US in particular. In almost all conflicts between non-muslims and muslims, it is a sad fact that the US has sided with muslims. Only in the case of East Timore did it stay out, and let the Australians take care of it.
It is to be hoped that 9/11 will have taught the US something, but given the ignorance of Crowe (has he been on a mission to Mars?), I'm not betting.
Posted by: DP111 at March 7, 2005 4:23 PM
DP111~ given that a person can be totally focused on the next big project, I can see why at least a few Hollywood actors have no clue beyond what they are doing next. Which means people like Streisand must have Lots of time on their hands.
Posted by: Gary at March 7, 2005 4:42 PM
Gary:
I understand your take. But really - not knowing about al-Qaeda is akin to not having heard about 9/11. Something else is the matter here, like complete ignorance of the world we love in.
at March 7, 2005 5:09 PM
The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage." Alexander Tyler, 1750
I think we are in the apathy stage. Getting ever more closer to dependency...
Posted by: Bar at March 7, 2005 6:21 PM
Robert:
I finally received my copy of The Myth of Islamic Tolerance. Thank you for your continued hard work. I also received, at the same time, my copy of Bat Ye'or's Eurabia. As the Chinese say, I have a double happiness.
If you haven't bought these two books, fellow Jihadwatchers, you are missing out.
Cheers - back to my intensive reading.
Posted by: Mentat at March 7, 2005 7:11 PM
Just a reminder??
http://www.robesus.com/usanthem.html
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
YES THIS IS WHAT AMERICA IS MADE OF!!
March 7, 2005
Just go to Italy and have the Carbinairi lollypop you and don’t stop! They will shoot you!!
Just a reminder??
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and ALL who Fight with her give them Strength, Wisdom, Sight, and Courage to stay the Course to Victory [FREEDOM] to Destroy ALL Islamic Terrorist and ALL who Support them Open the Worlds Eyes to their Threat give the World Courage to Stand Up and Fight this Evil Amen
at March 7, 2005 7:48 PM
Hey Ummagumma, this is for you. Inshallah, you will be my first Muslim convert to secularism?
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Testimonials/MohammedIslam50303.htm
A Sudanese Apostate
2005/03/03
Dr Ali Sina
I am a 35 year old Ex-Muslim from Sudan . I have been brought up in a very strict way. My family was really religious, full of hatred against Americans and the Western world and anyone else who is a Kafir. I knew the Quran by heart by age of 15. My father is a Hazrat in our own town. I don’t want to expose him, as this would be very embarrassing for him. My mother is a pious religious lady who lives according to the will of God, but she is not so fanatic or full of hatred. I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. We all went overseas for better education and all 9 of us are professionals in foreign lands: Europe, USA , Canada , Japan , Australia and Saudi Arabia . All siblings are married with children and all were Islamically religious.
It is so hard to believe that we are so fluent and knowledgeable in Islam and that we are so BLIND, that we can not pick out the faults until they are said to us.
My belief changed about 3 years ago, when I was asked about contradictions in the Quran by a non-Muslim. I answered one question then he threw me another, after that another and another and another and so on. Because I was never taught about the negative points, I was blind to them all.
After that day, I decided to learn about my religion, ALL of it, not what people said about Islam, but what is authenticated in the Quran and Hadiths. Wow, was I in tears or what. My whole life was torn apart, twisted around, all my life I was thinking that I was a good man and done exactly what Allah has demanded from me and it had just turned out to be a big pack of lies. I studied Islam, inside out; as much as you, I would like to say and for what I found out - I left in a hurry.
Over the last 3 years, I exposed the truth about Islam to firstly my brothers and sisters and they exposed it to their wives and husbands and children. I am proud to say that all 57 of us are now apostates - but we still have firm belief about the existence of Allah (swt).
Islam is a sick cult that instills terror into people, murder, pedophiliac relationships, insect, rape, slander, etc, etc. Islam is not a religion - it is a cult, It is a political army out to destroy the world. Mohammed was a sick man who suffers from a mental disease and all his followers are the same. The Quran, (so called Word of God) is full of contradictions, mathematical errors, scientific errors, moral errors and so on.
I was lucky to get out of this evil cult and God has showed me the right path. Any path except Islam is righter. Unfortunately 99% of Muslims do not even know the truth about Islam and they are in blind faith. If only, everybody knew how mad Mohammed was none would remain Muslim. There are so many Mosques all over the world but there will NEVER EVER be a Church or a Synagogue in Saudi Arabia , as long as that country remains Islamic- This is all due to Mohammed the sick freak.
Regards
Mohammed Islam
Posted by: Mentat at March 7, 2005 8:06 PM
Mentat, congratulations on your marriage. That's what the Chinese "double happiness" is all about.
恭賀您德喜事!
Posted by: Kepha at March 8, 2005 2:00 AM
Mentat, congratulations on your marriage. That's what the Chinese "double happiness" is all about.
恭賀您的喜事!
Posted by: Kepha at March 8, 2005 2:01 AM
Carolyn2: I didn't sign up to read the article, but I would assume that Russell Crowe is a target because of his role in the movie "Romper Stomper".
Good God. I didn't think his acting was THAT bad.
If we're nominating people, then, can I suggest Peter Weller? That bugger still owes me $12.50 for "Deep Rising" or whatever that "Aliens" ripoff was called.
Geoff
PS: This is a joke. Please do not harm Peter Weller in any way.
...Or see any of his movies ever again.
Bastard.
Posted by: Geoff at March 8, 2005 4:09 AM
Russell Crowe is well known in Australia and NZ for his obstinacy and quick temper. He lives a short distance from my house, so we often hear gossip about him. Its difficult to imagine him begging for his life.
I'm glad it didnt happen - but it would have been an interesting scenario.
What would the anti-western lefties have done? Would Hollywood have continued with its current support of murdering terrorists? Would they have advocated paying a ransom?
Would they blame America? (I know I'm naive for even asking that question).
Posted by: DianaC at March 8, 2005 4:33 AM
Mentat---
I liked that post from the Sudanese Muslim who snapped out of the Muhammad worshiping trance and went apostate/ Then got his brothers and sisters to do the same. Which seems an exaggeration but great if only just half true.
As Gurdjieff said - Wake up!
Posted by: dennisw at March 8, 2005 4:37 AM
Voletti: If the Islamofascists beheaded a couple of Hollywood types in broad daylight on Sunset Blvd., the rest of tinseltown, like all good Western liberals (KJ and a few others excepted--olive branch, KJ) would probably become even more craven and aubservient, and would probably release an inspirational film about the perps.
Posted by: Kepha at March 8, 2005 4:49 AM
Thank you for posting the words to the US national anthem, Catherine.
I wish Australia had a decent one -
'Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free ..."
I wont continue, the rest of it is similarly cliched and uninspiring.
'Waltzing Matilda' is ok, if you dont know that it was written 'in honour of' a sheep thief.
Do other Aussies agree?
The US has other songs, like the one Peter Paul and Mary used to sing (have forgotten the title).
Re the 'white skinned Americans' - No point in hoping to escape the rage of the terrorists by virtue of not being an American - they really see only our religion (not Islam = The Enemy) and our skin colour. The Bali bombers are too uneducated and indoctrinated to perceive nationalities, so they class us all the same.
Posted by: DianaC at March 8, 2005 4:52 AM
Mentat:
Ummagumma is no muslim, but rather a dedicated anti-jihadist. The name comes from the world of music.
Posted by: CGW at March 8, 2005 6:30 AM
What spooked me is to find out that the Arabs blame the Joooos for NOT 'even looking like Middle Easterners'- they are 'colonialists' and they 'don't belong' in the ME!
If anybody is fckutguggybuggered in this world it is the Paleys and the Arabs!
Posted by: Terminator at March 8, 2005 7:06 AM
Terminator:
You are certainly right about who in this world is screwed in the head. Yesterday's FrontPageMag.com posted an article entitled: Who is Yasser Arafat, which contained some minor errors (about the origins of Baathism), but made it absolutely clear that Arafat's objectives were never to establish a Palestinian state, but rather to keep "Arab" lands free of Jews.
As to whether Jews can ever look as native to the eastern Mediterranean as "Arabs", depends on where their families sojourned during the Diaspora. We range in colour from fair haired, blue eyed Ashkenazim to black Falashas from Ethiopia and just about everything else in between, including the ancient Jewish community in India. Charging Israel with being a racist, apartheidist state is beyond hypocritical, given the primacy Arab Muslims claim over non-Arab Muslims, the dhimmi status accorded indigenous Christian and Jewish "Arabs" of the region and worse for the black African animists.
Posted by: waterdragon52 at March 8, 2005 8:54 AM
Hollywood may just be great and heroic and courageous in the movies, in real life as opposed to reel life, they're all quite the opposite.
You must mean Reagan, Aaaahnold, John Wayne, and Mel Gibson?
***********************************************
One hopes that, should Christians in the south and west (there are many Christian Hausa), choose again to fight for their independence (and remember, with the oil, and free from the Muslim north's mismanaging military, a Free Biafra could pay for itself) again try to obtain independence, this time at least the United States will be on the right side.
You're kidding, right? We can hope all we want, (hell, we can even have faith) but I think that you know that this is very, very unlikely to occur.
Posted by: kj at March 8, 2005 9:10 AM
LOL Geoff, I should have elaborated about my theory. Russell Crowe played a skinhead that took great joy in beating the snot out of immigrants in the movie "Romper Stomper".
Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 8, 2005 10:49 AM
Geoff,
I don't have a link but I think it was a PBS Frontline documentary on the Bali bombing I saw in which the bomber said that. This is a not uncommon racialy shaped view in 3rd world countries: every rich, white foreigner is an "American".
Posted by: Kenneth at March 8, 2005 11:27 AM
If Crowe had been taken out by Al-Q, Hollywood would have inundated us with nauseatingly pro-Islam movies and tv shows by now. They wouldn't go anti-jihad at all. For to do that, would be to acknowledge that Bush was right & that Islam hates us & wants to destroy us just because of who we are.
Yes, DianaC, I agree our anthem is pretty lame. The Star Spangled Banner is a beautiful anthem. It so moves me, and I'm not even American.
Posted by: feralee at March 8, 2005 8:12 PM
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