Since Carl Ernst refuses to debate Robert Spencer, instead of a debate, why not a specific question that deserves to be answered? A few years ago, entering freshman at the University of North Carolina were required to read Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations by Michael Sells. This bowdlerized version of the Qur’an, turning it […]
Archives for August 2006
Salman Rushdie discovers the bloomin’ obvious
Some pearls of wisdom from the Poster Boy for Death Fatwas in Spiegel Online, with thanks to all who sent this in: Yes. Terror is glamour — not only, but also. I am firmly convinced that there’s something like a fascination with death among suicide bombers. Many are influenced by the misdirected image of a […]
Malaysia’s secular vision vs. ‘writing on the wall’
More on the Lina Joy case, and other examples of the “creeping Islamicization” of Malaysia. Sharia Alert, and an Islamic Tolerance Alert, from the International Herald Tribune: “Letter from Malaysia: Nation’s secular vision vs. ‘writing on the wall’” KUALA LUMPUR – The idea of a secular state is dead in Malaysia,” says Farish Noor, a […]
Saudi clerics want to restrict women praying at Mecca
From Reuters: RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi clerics want to impose restrictions on women praying at Islam’s holiest shrine in Mecca, one of the few places where male and female worshippers can intermingle. But women activists in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of the religion where a strict version of Islam is state orthodoxy, say the idea […]
Ahmadinejad defiant, challenges Bush to TV debate
I’m not the only one asking for debates and being rebuffed these days. August 1939 Alert from the Hizballah News Agency, aka Reuters, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist: TEHRAN (Reuters) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance on Tuesday as a deadline neared for Iran to halt work the West fears is a step toward […]
Pakistan: Pols accused of blasphemy for tearing up bill containing Qur’an quotes
More evidence of the oppressive nature of Pakistan’s Sharia-based blasphemy law. “Radical Islamic politicians accused of blasphemy,” from Asia News, with thanks to DFS: Islamabad (AsiaNews) — Ashfaq Chaudhry, head of the Islamabad’s chapter of the Pakistan People’s Movement, has accused members of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA, a political alliance of six radical Islamic organisations), […]
Muslim athletes accuse New Mexico State football coach of religious discrimination
An Albuquerque law firm found nothing to the allegations. That, of course, wasn’t good enough for the ACLU. The upshot of this will be politicized “diversity” training at NMSU, spreading CAIR/ACLU propaganda to the unsuspecting dhimmis. From AP, with thanks to Doc Washburn: LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Three former New Mexico State University football players […]
Philippine security forces foil jihad attack
A planned attack in Manila foiled. “Philippines: Security Forces Foiled Terror Attack,” from AKI, with thanks to Cindy: Cotabato City, 28 August (AKI) – Security forces in the Philippines have foiled a major terror attack as three suspected members of the home grown terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf, were arrested while boarding a Super Ferry in […]
A reply from Carl Ernst
My invitation to debate Islamic scholar Carl Ernst can be found here. He now joins Omid Safi, Ahmed Afzaal, Mark LeVine, and other scholars of Islam in declining my invitation to debate, preferring instead to shy bricks from their ivory tower. (Actually, LeVine and I agreed to debate, but he never got back to me […]
Text of Ahmadinejad letter to Merkel
In contrast with his letter to George W. Bush, Ahmadinejad takes a gentler approach this time: See? We’re just like you, victimized by the Allies who won in World War II. And hey, we all want the same thing. Peace, prosperity, the return of the Mahdi — wait, never mind that last one. From Fars […]