This is the informal version. Then comes our court system:

http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/09/european-court-of-human-rights-kneels.html

The European Court of Human Rights Kneels to Islam

The European Court of Human Rights has just ruled in favor of the Turkish state, which sentenced a man for publishing a book that "insulted the Prophet and religion". I'm not entirely sure, but I believe this ruling is binding for all EU nations. This is part of a wider pattern. At the insistence of Turkey, in May 2005 the Council of Europe included Anti-Islamism as a “dangerous inclination” that has to be fought. Recently, Turkish PM Erdogan stressed that anti-Islamism must be treated as a crime against humanity. This happens at the same time as Turkish society is brimming with Antisemitism, and Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" is a bestseller. In April 2005, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) pushed the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) to pass a resolution calling for combating defamation campaigns against Islam and Muslims in the West. Freedom of speech is being abolished by a succession of recommendations and court rulings, and the mainstream media couldn't care less:

http://press.coe.int/cp/2005/464a%282005%29.htm

The applicant, İ.A., is a Turkish national who was born in 1960 and lives in France. In November 1993 he published a novel by Abdullah Rıza Ergüven called Yasak Tümceler (“The Forbidden Phrases”) in which the author addressed philosophical and theological issues in a novelistic style. The applicant was prosecuted under Article 175 §§ 33 and 4 of the Criminal Code for publishing insults against “God, the Religion, the Prophet and the Holy Book”. On 28 May 1996 Istanbul Court of First Instance sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment, which was later commuted to a fine equivalent at the time to 16 United States dollars.

The applicant alleged that his conviction and sentence had infringed his right to freedom of expression. The issue for the Court to determine was whether the interference had been “necessary in a democratic society”. However, the present case concerned not only comments that were disturbing or shocking or a “provocative” opinion but an abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam. Believers could legitimately feel that certain passages of the book in question constituted an unwarranted and offensive attack on them. In those circumstances, the Court considered that the measure in question had been intended to provide protection against offensive attacks on matters regarded as sacred by Muslims and had therefore met a “pressing social need”.

Posted by: Fjordman at September 18, 2005 7:56 PM

The Statens Museum for Kunst (Danish national museum of art) is burning.

Posted by: Hulegu Khan at September 18, 2005 10:16 PM

Aren't there any JW's who can paint or draw?

I can't draw to save my life, but there must be some of us who can.

If you can, help this guy out, and illustrate his book.

Posted by: Voltaire at September 18, 2005 10:27 PM

"Turkish PM Erdogan stressed that anti-Islamism must be treated as a crime against humanity."
-- from a posting above

But, says Jack Straw, Turkey must be allowed into the E.U., to demonstrate that there is no clash of civilizations, no natural and inculated hostility within Islam not only for the West, but for all the rest of the world, and that cannot be, for such a thing would, as Jack Straw said, simply be "too terrible to contemplate" and therefore we simply won't contemplate it.

Posted by: Hugh at September 18, 2005 11:29 PM

Hassan-i-Sabbah
Lyrics,Robert Calvert

Hashish-hashin Hashish-hashin
Hashish-hashin Hashish-hashin
Hashish-hashin Hashish-hashin
Hashishin

Black-September Black-September
Black-September Black-September
Black-September Black-September
Black-September

Death unto all infidels in oil
Guide us o thou genie of the smoke
Lead us to a thousand and one nights
In the perfumed garden of delights

Petro-dollar Petro-dollar
Petrol-D'allah Petrol-D'allah
Petro-dollar Petro-dollar
Petro-dollar

It is written in the song of the desert
It is written in the signs in the stars
It is written in the sands of the hour-glass
It is written
It is written in the eye of the falcon
It is written in the shade of the scorpion
It is written in the wealth of the sun
It is written
It is written that man's truth is a mirage
It is written that death's an oasis
It is written for all unbelievers
It is written

Death unto all infidels in oil
Guide us o thou genie of the smoke
Lead us to a thousand and one nights
In the perfumed garden of delights

Hawkwind

The lyric,s to the above song where written more than 20yrs ago by one of the best bands on the english rock scene.
Just read the text again and see how Robert Calvert,tells how it is,plus the fact,it is a great track.

Hassan-i-Sabbah (in Persian / Arabic حسن بن صباح or حسن صباح ) (circa 1034 - 1124), or "The Old Man of the Mountain", was an Iranian Ismaili missionary who converted a community in the late 11th century in the heart of the Elburz Mountains of northern Iran. The place was called Alamut and was attributed to an ancient king of Daylam. When Hassan discovered Alamut in the late 11th Century, it was in the hands of a Seljuk subject. Hassan prepared the takeover of the castle by secretly converting its staff. With the household on his side, he was smuggled into the castle and began to establish his rule at Alamut. When the castle's residents realized they were no longer in control it was too late. Hassan graciously allowed the former tenant leave of his castle in addition to a draft of 3,000 silver dinars in payment for the castle. From this point on his community and its branches spread throughout Iran and Syria and came to be called Hashshashin or Hashshishin or Assassins, an Islamic mystery cult.

Hassan was extremely strict and disciplined. The abrogation of Islamic law (sharia) occurred under a later Grand Master, Hassan II, in 1174. If hashish was used by the community (and this is uncertain) it probably also occurred later. There is dispute as to whether the term 'Assassin' means 'user of hashish' or 'follower of Hassan'.

Not much is known about Hassan, but legends abound as to the tactics used to induct members into his quasi-religious political organization. A future assassin was subjected to rites very similar to those of other mystery cults in which the subject was made to believe that he was in imminent danger of death. But the twist of the assassins was that they drugged the person to simulate a "dying" to later have them awaken in a garden flowing with wine and served a sumptuous feast by virgins. The supplicant was then convinced he was in Heaven and that Sabbah was a representative of the divinity and that all of his orders should be followed, even to death.
The serpent king in the film Conan The Barbarian bears many similarities to the legendary Hassan, notably in the scene where acolytes commit suicide as a demonstration that 'flesh is stronger than steel'. Hassan reportedly demanded (and got) the same sacrifice as a demonstration of his power, when one follower slit his own throat and another leapt from the battlements of Alamut.
Although apparently known as early as the 8th century, the foundation of the Assassins is usually marked as 1090 when Hasan-i Sabbah established his stronghold in the mountains south of the Caspian Sea at Alamut. A Yemeni emigrant and an Ismaili Shiite, Hasan set the aim of the Assassins to destroy the power of the Abbasid Caliphate by murdering its most powerful members. Hasan ibn Sabbah was also known as "The Old Man of the Mountain", however, this is likely to have been a mistake in translation, since "Old Man" is the literal translation of "Sheikh". Much of the current western lore surrounding the Assassins stems from Marco Polo's supposed visit to Alamut in 1273, which is widely considered mythical (especially as the stronghold had reportedly been destroyed by the Mongols in 1256).

Benjamin of Tudela who traveled one hundred years before Marco Polo mentions the Al-Hashshashin and their leader as "the Old Man." He notes their principal city to be Kadmus.

The group inspired terror out of all proportion to their scant numbers and territory. The members were organized into rigid classes, based upon their initiation into the secrets of the order. The devotees constituted a class that sought martyrdom and followed orders with unquestioned devotion, orders which included assassination. Because of the secretive nature of the order, it has often been invoked in conspiracy theories.

Most of the victims of the Assassins were Sunni Muslims. There were some extremely highly placed victims including Nizam-ul-Mulk. It is known that Saladin, incensed by several almost successful attempts on his life, besieged their chief Syrian stronghold of Masyaf during his reconquest of Outremer in 1176 but quickly lifted the siege after parley, and thereafter attempted to maintain good relations with the sect. The sect's own extant (and doubtless embellished) accounts tell of the Old Man himself stealing into Saladin's tent in the heart of his camp, and leaving a poisoned cake and a note saying "You are in our power" on Saladin's chest as he slept. Another account tells of a letter sent to Saladin's maternal uncle, vowing death to the entire royal line, perhaps no idle threat; whatever the truth of these accounts (and likely it will remain a mystery) he clearly heeded their warning, and desisted. Alone amongst the Islamic heretics Saladin so despised, the batinis would be granted leeway.
Some commentators make comparisons between the historical Assassin movement and Al Qaeda, noting the similar tactics of terror, political assassination, the promise of reaching paradise, as well as the cult-like mysticism around Osama Bin Laden. Al Qaeda is also a secret society, with its leaders purportedly hiding in mountain hideouts. Martyrdom is also a key aspect of Al Qaeda's tactics. Moreover, confirmed culprits so far for 9-11 and the Madrid Bombs were all drug-users. Given the pejorative nature of the term, sympathizers of Al Qaeda would be expected to dispute the similarities.

Posted by: shiva at September 19, 2005 1:26 AM

shiva,

I have a question about Indonesian history and Islam which you may be able to answer (I seem to recall that you have lived in Indonesia and know a lot about their culture).

Does the Indonesian practice of "puputan" have sources in Islamic culture, or did it pre-date Islam in Indonesia?

A "puputan" was a suicide charge by Balinese nobility to defend their honor when all else was lost. The families of the court would put on ceremonial clothes, arm themselves with false weapons and walk directly into enemy gunfire.

http://www.gimonca.com/sejarah/sejarah05.shtml

Posted by: Dr. Pepper at September 19, 2005 2:27 AM

There not recorded about puputan "Fighting to the death",and there is not much about suicide attacks either,though the cannot be ruled out.
But here is a little incident that occured,
A bit O.T.but:-

Because so many gods, regencies, and old Bali clans are represented here, there's always something going on. About 70 rituals are held regularly at Besakih's different shrines, with banners representing each god hung on or near the temple and long lines of women walking up the terraces, their heads piled high with offerings.
A visit to the sanctuaries of Besakih is a special pilgrimage each Balinese must undertake periodically. They return with holy water for use in ceremonies back home. A visit to Besakih is also required to properly consecrate the soul of a dead relative as a family god in the house temple.
Each of Besakih's temples has its own odalan, and on the full moon of the 10th lunar month, vast crowds pack the entire compound to celebrate the visit of the gods. This rite also commemorates Besakih's founding. During Galungan, enormous throngs of pilgrims turn Besakih into a hive of activity. An important island-wide Water Opening ceremony also occurs here, long-nailed priests dramatically gesticulating, sprinkling holy water, ringing tinkling bells.
The most majestic event is held only once every 100 years, the spectacular Eka Desa Rudra, a purification ceremony in which harmony and balance in people and nature are restored in all 11 directions. All the Balinese people attend this ceremony which is held over 1 month. The rite last occurred in March 1963, some 16 years before the proper date, apparently because Sukarno wished to impress a convention of travel agents. Midway through the opulent ceremony, Gunung Agung began to shower the whole area with ash and smoke, finally exploding in its most violent eruption in 600 years. Earthquakes toppled temples, hot ash ignited thatched roofs, volcanic debris rained upon the earth. As the molten lava moved toward them, Hindu priests prayed frantically, hoping to appease the angry gods, assuring worshippers they had nothing to fear. In the end, 1.600 Balinese were killed and 86.000 left homeless. The Balinese don't take such extraordinary coincidences lightly; the catastrophe was attributed to the wrath of the god Shiva in his most evil aspect as Rudra. It ultimately became a damning judgment on the entire Sukarno era. Miraculously, the flaming lava flowed around Besakih, sparing most of the temple, though shrouding it with black ash for months.
The ceremony was held again in 1979, this time on a Saka year and with all the proper sacrifices such as of an elephant, a tiger, an eagle and 77 other animals. Eka Desa Rudra was completed without incident, and Besakih reestablished its place as the principal Hindu sanctuary in Indonesia.

Posted by: shiva at September 19, 2005 4:29 AM

I have just come across this page.

I would be interested in doing illustrations for his book. I can paint and draw and have done animation for Disney. Tell the guy to email me

haden15@hotmail.com

Posted by: haden at September 19, 2005 4:52 AM

Apparently it pervades the Finnish publishing community as well. The Otava publishing company has just published Ayaan Hirsi Ali's "The Caged Virgin", and a passage where she calls Mohammed a pervert was missing. Of course somebody noticed it and Otava apologized and published the missing passage in Helsingin Sanomat, Finland's biggest daily newspaper.

Otava of course said that it was a technical mistake and not an attempt of censorship.

They also said that they are keeping the name of the translator secret for security reasons.

Here is the link to the article but it is in Finnish:

http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/tuoreet/artikkeli/1101980984838

Posted by: Vera at September 19, 2005 6:10 AM

You won't believe this, but I've just spoken to Kare Bluitgen by phone just now.

He's just found an illustrator, but I've given him your email address Haden, in case the illustrator that he has found drops out.

He wanted to know how I knew about all this, and I told him about Jihadwatch and Dhimmiwatch and Robert Spencer.

Posted by: Voltaire at September 19, 2005 6:57 AM

Voltaire...dont you just love a plan that comes together? A fine example of 'net' working.
Allah must want that book illustrated because he predestined this whole event. How else do you explain the posting by Robert, the discovery of this by Haden, your phone call to Bluitgen and subsequent posting of this info in your last post, all firing off in rapid sequence, like dominos falling over. Dont you think this is just a little too coincidental? It's just too obvious, Allah wanted that book written and he wants it illustrated. Muslims should be helping with this, not hindering, after all, it is they who constantly remind us that Allah knows best...

Posted by: duh_swami at September 19, 2005 7:32 AM

There is something rotten in the state of Denmark......

..as there is in all Democracies where the Fifth Column of Jihad is pushing the envelope of tolerance & using our fine, longstanding ideals to silence the truth & keep thier progress hidden.

Posted by: albion at September 19, 2005 7:48 AM

The European Court of Human Rights has just ruled in favor of the Turkish state, which sentenced a man for publishing a book that "insulted the Prophet and religion".

Posted by: Fjordman at September 18, 2005 07:56 PM

So, where the hell is PEN and other HR NGOs with regard to this case?

Posted by: waterdragon52 at September 19, 2005 12:25 PM

Terminator is also looking for an illustrator/album-designer for the forthcoming album "Winds of Jihad" with songs like "My Allah" and "Shoe-bomber"...

Any support out there?

Posted by: sheik yer'mami at September 19, 2005 6:49 PM

sheik yer'mami:

Post the request on a newer thread, toward the beginning. Also, try contacting the illustrator whose email is listed above.

I'll be one of those buying that CD, BTW!

Posted by: CGW at September 20, 2005 6:31 AM

Thanks, CGW!

Posted by: sheik yer'mami at September 20, 2005 6:59 AM