I believe this shows that there is still some juice left in mainstream British media, at least The Times and The Telegraph. They are definitely ahead of the New York Times, the Washington Post and some of the others.

Posted by: Ali Dashti at February 5, 2005 8:42 AM

Perhaps one key to the lopsided reporting on the directions of conversions is that Cat Stevens was a celebrity, while Nissar Hussein is an ordinary working stiff. Another key is that a lot of people in the MSM and "cultural" world have it in for Christianity anyway, and in their hearts of hearts feel that Nissar Hussein deserves a brick through his window or worse.

Posted by: Kepha1 at February 5, 2005 11:10 AM

It appears that emigrating from the cult-lands into the free thinking West has removed the blinders of the more intelligent of the former inhabitants of Islamania. Some estimates at 15 percent, eh?

Unfortunately, the ignorant, with their increased zeal derived from an innate paranoia (courtesy of their beloved prophet), have concluded that their mission supercedes the true enlightement of apostasy and with relish attempt to make the "wayward's" life that more difficult.

It is a wonder how the fanatic maintains such ardor considering the need to work, the time to maintain the home and the requirement to take care of family. Or is it a wonder?

Does the ummah provide assistance for the more enterprising so that they may terrorize at will? Or is it the remaking of the communal society by the British government that allows for the obsessed to burn the candle at both ends?

In any event, that candle, that government and that ummah will burn in lieu of the majority. A majority that is commonly beaten down by the exiguous, but almost always rises back up with an inextinguishable fury.

Posted by: eschwapp at February 5, 2005 1:22 PM

Such faith makes me feel very humble. I pray I will have that much courage if I am ever tested.

There is still a stereotype in some circles that Christians are smug comfortable people, safely part of the establishment. Yet I read, I think it was on the Barnabas Fund website, that there was more persecution of Christians during the 20th century than any other since the 1st. Apparently were a Martian to pluck an Anglican at random from the planet then statistically he or she would probably be a young, impoverished, black African.

And as I posted on Jihad Watch earlier, I am heartened that the mainstream press is starting to report such items of news.

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at February 5, 2005 3:35 PM

Terrorism takes many forms.

Bombing of public munuments, gets full media treatment, but this silent murder of individuals who have excercised their freedom of choice is, I believe, by far the most debilitating for a free society. If this form of terror is not stamped on in the most aggressive way, it has the potential of destroying the essence of a free society. Then all we will have left, is the shell of liberty but not its spirit.

Posted by: DP111 at February 5, 2005 6:20 PM

CAIR proves their connection to the violent oppressive Islam that demands Shariah-Law for Muslim females.
I was surprised to read CAIR's objection to the shooting of women-abusing Taliban suporters,just the fact that CAIR became defensive and responded to the comment from the General that pointed out he cared enough for females that their abusers in Afghanistan forfeited their status of "Human" when they beat and murdered women for not following the Talibans version of the Quran and Sharia-law for females.
If ever there was a reason for denying Shariah-Law in Canada it's the statement from CAIR and CAIR-Canada that seems to defend misogeny in general and wife abuse through beatings or honour-killings.
The General only said he saw it as fun to kill those gutless thugs beating up females,it was CAIR that assumed the abusers were Muslims and this proves that their mindset is based on pre-supposing Muslims are prone to violence.CAIR and others of that ilk never officially declared the taliban and Sharia as un-Islamic and not the practise of "True" Islamic teachings that the "Good" Muslims follow.

Lets not forget how quickly CAIR denied Muslims had anything to do with the New Jersey
family that was murdered in the Islamic style,if that was true that it was a failed robbery then why the overwhelming guilt by CAIR that forced a public denouncing of Islam being the reason for the death.

Remember,it's usually a thief that's the first one to accuse somebody else of stealing since they assume everyones like them and therefor
there all thieves.
The sudden denial from CAIR makes me wonder if they knew it was Muslims that did it and had to defuse the public outrage by their usual tripe about how killing is un-Islamic.

Don't let your guard down,they're waiting until we're lulled into a false sense of security and then BANG,they strike. I wouldn't be surprised if CAIR already has a script ready to deny any connection by Muslims to the future attack which I believe they know about and are helping through their Psy-Ops campaign by screaming racism and Islamophobia while launching a law suit to silence critics.

Posted by: ala-sux at February 5, 2005 7:04 PM

I am waiting for DW to write the biggest Dhimmi story of the decade:

GLOBAL SUPERPOWER CREATES SHI’TE RELIGIOUS REGIME IN MAJOR MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY

ABC:

“Professor Fawaz Gerges, Chair of Middle Eastern and International Studies at the Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He regularly visits the Middle East, and he is warning that Iraq is heading for an Iranian-style theocracy.

FAWAZ GERGES: There's a great deal of concern and anxiety in Iraq among Iraq's neighbours and also among American policy makers, that the United Iraqi Alliance is dominated by religious Shi'ite groups, clerics who basically spent a great deal of time in Iran.

They spent about 10 years in Iran. They were in exile in Iran. And in fact, there were a great deal of accusations that those clerics basically have pro-Iranian inclinations and orientation.”

...........

I urge American conservatives reading this to take a non-partisan, unemotional, cold and calculating look at what your government is doing in the Republic of Iraq.

Friends -

You are too busy putting the boot in on "Lefties" and "Europeans" and yet the Republicans are (by sheer stupidity) turning into the biggest dhimmis on the planet.

Personally, I don’t give a damn about Iraqi casualties, aside from the Christians that might have got hit in the crossfire. The Muslims love war (although they are completely inept in its arts) and nothing makes them happier than the sound of explosions. However I am concerned that America has foolishly applied Western democratic principles to a primitive society and this has now spectacularly backfired. The tyrannic yet internationally harmless Sadam Hussein ran a secular regime that was hostile to Iran. Look at what you’ve done now with your crass social experiments! How bad do things have to get before you admit you’ve got it wrong over there.

JW/DW - Why do you ignore this catastrophe? (I can guess)

Pride comes before a fall.

Posted by: Timbo at February 5, 2005 9:48 PM

Mr. Timbo
You lefties still can't come to terms that the butcher of Baghdad was an evil man. To say he was "internationally harmless" makes you look like some kind of moron unless you consider an Iranian invasion here, a Kuwaiti invasion there, and payments to terrorists' families abroad mere childs play by a misunderstood statesman. Make no mistake, this man would have destroyed the enitre region if the Israleis(air strike on the frog built nuke plant) and the US didn't stop him.
While I agree with your concerns re the possibility of a theocracy emerging, I think you are premature in saying our policies have spectacularly backfired. A constitution and a permenant government haven't even been formed yet and your running around like that little chicken that was yelling the sky is falling, the sky is falling. If you don't know the story let me help you out.

http://www.edsanders.com/chickenlittle

This noble experiement may indeed fail, but we must give the Iraqi people a lifeline to lift themselves out of the hellhole they live in. If they choose not to do this then and only then can we say we tried and failed.

Posted by: William The Crusader at February 6, 2005 12:25 AM

Timbo:

I agree with William the Crusader (love the nic) with one caveat:

Iran is next. If Iraq, despite seeing what happens to Iran, goes that way, then we'll go back in and "fix" (like male dogs are "fixed") them, too.

See how easy it is when you think like the world's only superpower? ; - )

Posted by: CGW at February 6, 2005 7:04 AM

Yes, Bravo to the Times, for exposing one of the nasty realities of Islam. Hard to swallow the "Islam is Peace" rubbish we keep hearing when you hear of this average family, wanting to just go about their business, express their freedom to believe in what they want, get abused like this. And this is not happening in Pakistan, but in a Western country, where people allow you to worship whatever you please, or not. Oh, I feel so sorry for the Hussein family of Bradford. This is totally unfair and uncalled for.

"Secret underground networks" - unbelievable! In this day and age. Well, of course, Islam drags us all into a day and age we'd all rather forget or consign to the scrap heap of history. And of course, the Husseins must feel abandoned by politicians and authorities, who are too afraid to tell these Islamic gestapo to leave these people alone. Might offend them, you know. Or you could lose a lot of votes, eh pollies? That's probably way more important than one dead family, isn't it? Disgusting.

I thought life was tough enough for our Robert Spencer, but having to participate in a radio exchange with ... ewwww, Bakri! Yech! How on earth did you keep from bringing up your breakfast with all that taqiyya flying all over the place?

Posted by: feralee at February 6, 2005 7:46 AM

Dear Willam,

Yes you're right Sadam was an Evil man. So was the Shah of Iran, Pinochet, the regime of South Vietnam and a hundred other dictators the US has propped up in the past. Don't give me these crocodile tears about Sadam being "evil" please!
He was only "evil" when it suited the United States for him to be so. What is all this: "unless you consider an Iranian invasion...." blah blah? He was your blue eyed boy when he was trying to knock the crap out of the Iranians! "Make no mistake, this man would have destroyed the enitre [sic] region if the Israleis [sic] (air strike on the frog built nuke plant) and [and?] the US didn't stop him."

What is all this bullshit you are trying to spoon feed me with? In his war with Iran, he couldn't even defeat their revolution-weakened, friendless, badly equipped army. Then in both Gulf wars his forces buckled like an aluminium beer can.

Have you any more fairy stories to tell us before we fall asleep?

"A constitution and a permenant [sic] government haven't even been formed yet" ... listen, William the Bastard,* you can’t spell, but I will give this, you are an extremely optimistic man who obviously has a glowing faith in Islam and Muslims. However, Timbo the Moron, seems to be under the illusion that these black-clad fascist clerics with their minions of autistic bearded Neanderthals are going to give you the same "thankyou present" as the Afghan Jihadists gave America after your disingenuous assistance against the secular Soviet-backed Afghan regime. What have these clerics got in store for you in 15 years time? A mushroom cloud over Washington DC perhaps? They won't even have to build a nuclear bomb; they will just order one on credit from their new buddies, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Your country went into Afghanistan with a clear objective and handed the government over to a popular local rebel movement. It worked (especially for drug traffickers). I think you could have avoided 9/11 in a dozen different ways, but however, I concede that once it happened you had to go in there. With Iraq, your objective was completely illusory. After victory you squandered any local goodwill by first setting up a protracted government of occupation, followed by a protracted period of puppet government. The USA allowed two years of aimless war and occupation to radicalise the populace and then it called a general election - fools! You should have quickly created an independent Kurdistan, arrested all members of Sadam's clan, then quickly handed over the reigns of power to a more moderate member of the Socialist Ba'athist regime, keeping in place their effective internal security apparatus and secular ethics. Or, better still, your country should have not invaded in the first place.

You've messed up big time. It's too late to annul these crass elections, but it’s not too late to save more moderate Kurdistan from their evil clutches.

...............

*No CGW, I prefer, "William the Bastard" (William I of England 1027-87) so called, not just because he was illegitimate, but also because he had betrayed Anglo Saxon civilization in 1066, plus he had a habit of massacring civilians. Hmmmm... a bastard shedder of Anglo Saxon blood? Sounds more apt.
Or how about "William the Silent" (King of Holland, 1533 - 84) that would be even better - if only it were so.
William the Crusader? Nah, Crusaders didn’t hand over their conquests to Islamists.

Posted by: Timbo at February 6, 2005 11:13 PM

I (and I'm sure others) have mentioned this before, but it would be wonderful if we, in the civilized world, could develop a pledge, basically following the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance." Everyone who wanted to live in the West should be required to understand this, explain it, and sign it.

Posted by: Seymour Paine at February 7, 2005 4:27 PM