From Middle East Forum:
Is Simple Attention the Islamists' Greatest Enemy?
by Raymond Ibrahim
Pajamas Media
July 8, 2011
http://www.meforum.org/2987/cair-islamists-attention
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In a world paralyzed by political correctness and warped philosophies, attention is proving to be one of the greatest enemies of Islamist encroachment.
Consider the difference between pre- and post-September 11: A decade after the 9/11 jihad got the West's attention, many people — perhaps not unlike yourself — have become aware of Islam and its doctrines, especially the "anti-infidel" ones, certainly many more people than before Sept. 11, 2001.
The result is that today, even nonviolent effronteries like the Ground Zero mosque – called by Newt Gingrich "an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization" — create a stir, though they once would have passed unnoticed.
Here's another, more personal, anecdote of how attention can backfire on Islamists (complete details here). After Seattle's Everett Community College invited me to come and speak on May 5, one Jaffar ("Jeff") Siddiqui, who has a long history of trying to quash free speech on Islam, began pressuring the college to cancel my talk, including by writing a letter — titled "Don't Invite Bigots!" — to its president.
Likewise, the director of the radical Council on American-Islamic Relations Washington chapter, Arsalan Bukhari, asserted that "[i]nviting Raymond Ibrahim to give an alternative viewpoint on being Muslim is like inviting the KKK to speak about African American history."
Then, the day before my talk, this same Bukhari wrote an op-ed in Seattle's Herald arguing that "by inviting a known conspiracy theorist with a history of making unfounded claims about Islam, the college is doing a disservice to the public and risks creating a hostile learning environment for its students." Also the day before the talk CAIR's main headquarters issued a particularly nasty and accusatory press release that culminated as follows:
By issuing Mr. Ibrahim an invitation, giving him an audience, and in any way providing him a platform, Everett Community College is complicit in inflaming a tinder box of hate and violence against Islam and Muslims, and is abusing its public trust as a federally funded educational institution. Therefore, we urge the College to cease its promotion of bigotry and hate speech by rescinding its invitation to Raymond Ibrahim to speak on campus.
To CAIR'S chagrin, the college refused to cave in, pointing out that my appearance was "consistent with the belief that students be exposed to a variety of views."
Now, consider how CAIR caused an otherwise local event to snowball into something detrimental to its cause — simply by complaining about it, that is, drawing attention to it:
For starters, much media attention followed — attention that would never have been if not for CAIR's howling — including a featured story for MSNBC on whether Islam is a "Terror threat or peaceful religion?" The over 3,000 comments on this report alone reveal that, as "leftist" as MSNBC is, many of its readers are aware of the Islamist agenda; others wonder why CAIR is so scared of free speech.
Moreover, that CAIR cried wolf yet again — and was ignored — not only embarrassed but publicly belittled CAIR's influence. A community college defying Islamist threats and intimidation must surely shine as an example for other institutions that may actually be interested in promoting diversity of views —institutions that would never have even known that bullies like CAIR could be so easily ignored, if not for all the attention CAIR itself created.
In short, politically active Islamists must walk a fine line, must choose their fights carefully: if they scream bloody murder to silence free speech — scream "racist," "hater," "Islamophobe" — they risk bringing unwanted attention that backfires on them; yet if they sit back and do nothing, they risk having more and more people speak up and expose them.
Either way — whether CAIR or its un-stifled opponents make the noise — the result is the same: Americans, wondering why Islam is always in the spotlight, begin inquiring; some become acquainted with reality, and go on to discuss it with friends and family.
The cycle of slow but steady awareness that first began when 9/11 got the world's attention continues.
Raymond Ibrahim, a widely published author on Islam, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Australia: Government Fires Advisor For Telling Unpleasant Truths About Islam
From Christians Under Attack:
10 July 2011
Australia: Government fires adviser for telling unpleasant truths about Islam
What did Joseph Adams say that was inaccurate? What did he say that was false? If Muhammad was not "the first terrorist of Islam," did he not say that he was, according to Islamic tradition? "I have been made victorious through terror" (Bukhari 4.52.220).
"Lib adviser sacked after anti-Islam web posts," by Heath Aston for the Sydney Morning Herald, July 10:
THE O'Farrell government has been embarrassed by a Liberal adviser who posted anti-Islamic comments online, including a description of the Prophet Muhammad as ''the first terrorist of Islam''.
Joseph Adams, who worked in the electorate office of the Smithfield Liberal, Andrew Rohan, was sacked on Friday. Mr Adams, pictured, had angered some of his 1000 Facebook friends - which include 15 state government MPs and four ministers - with selected excerpts from the Koran which he said prove Islam promotes killing, not love.
He was labelled a ''bigot'' and the ''biggest f---ing racist ever'' by shocked friends.
What race is Islam again?
A record of his posts between March 24 and June 17, obtained by The Sun-Herald, show the criticism only spurred him on to make more offensive remarks.
''The religious babble you refer to is Islam,'' he commented on June 4. ''There was no war. It was terrorism. Muhammad was the first terrorist in the name of Islam.''
He followed up with: "Why are you getting upset? I'm not the one who is teaching others to kill in the name of Islam. Mohommed is not my hero.''
Do Islamic jihadists not kill in the name of Islam? They consistently and unanimously explain and justify their actions with references to Islamic texts and teachings.
On March 24, he taunted ''friend'' Faten Dabs with the comment: ''If you leave Islam it is HALAL for you to be EXECUTED. Lol. No wonder people are afraid to leave Islam.''
Does Islam not have a death penalty for apostasy? Do not all the sects of Islam and schools of Islamic jurisprudence teach this? Did not Muhammad say, according to Islamic tradition, "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him" (Bukhari 9.84.57)?
After being branded a bigot on Facebook , he responded: ''Your biblical quotes are as ridiculous as your comparisons. I guess you never paid attention at Sunday school. Jesus spoke in parables. Mohommed on the other hand gave orders to kill.
Did not Muhammad say, according to Islamic tradition, "If you gain a victory over the men of Jews, kill them" (Sunan Abu Dawud, 19.2996)?
''You seem to like standing up for killers and murderers. Is Ivan Milat a good person too? Perhaps you think Hitler was a great Prophet too? After all he did put a book together called Mein Kampf. Don't waste our time here Aaron. The only bigot here is someone with an uninformed view.''
Indeed.
Mr Adams, who identifies himself as an Australian of Assyrian Christian descent, told The Sun-Herald on Friday that he was not ''thinking politically'' when he made the remarks.
''Rather than listen to what people say about the Koran I decided I would read it myself,'' he said.
''It was nothing political, it was out of pure emotion. I didn't think it would be used against me and people would accuse me of being racist.
''What I did was a mistake, I did not think it would be used for political purposes. In my mind I was living in a free society where we value free speech. Why should religion be a taboo subject?''
Indeed.
But the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, did not agree. Late on Friday a government spokesman said in a statement: ''The comments were totally inappropriate and the staff member has already been terminated.''
Gutless dhimmi.
http://www.jihadwatch.org
10:04 Posted in
Permalink
10 July 2011
Australia: Government fires adviser for telling unpleasant truths about Islam
What did Joseph Adams say that was inaccurate? What did he say that was false? If Muhammad was not "the first terrorist of Islam," did he not say that he was, according to Islamic tradition? "I have been made victorious through terror" (Bukhari 4.52.220).
"Lib adviser sacked after anti-Islam web posts," by Heath Aston for the Sydney Morning Herald, July 10:
THE O'Farrell government has been embarrassed by a Liberal adviser who posted anti-Islamic comments online, including a description of the Prophet Muhammad as ''the first terrorist of Islam''.
Joseph Adams, who worked in the electorate office of the Smithfield Liberal, Andrew Rohan, was sacked on Friday. Mr Adams, pictured, had angered some of his 1000 Facebook friends - which include 15 state government MPs and four ministers - with selected excerpts from the Koran which he said prove Islam promotes killing, not love.
He was labelled a ''bigot'' and the ''biggest f---ing racist ever'' by shocked friends.
What race is Islam again?
A record of his posts between March 24 and June 17, obtained by The Sun-Herald, show the criticism only spurred him on to make more offensive remarks.
''The religious babble you refer to is Islam,'' he commented on June 4. ''There was no war. It was terrorism. Muhammad was the first terrorist in the name of Islam.''
He followed up with: "Why are you getting upset? I'm not the one who is teaching others to kill in the name of Islam. Mohommed is not my hero.''
Do Islamic jihadists not kill in the name of Islam? They consistently and unanimously explain and justify their actions with references to Islamic texts and teachings.
On March 24, he taunted ''friend'' Faten Dabs with the comment: ''If you leave Islam it is HALAL for you to be EXECUTED. Lol. No wonder people are afraid to leave Islam.''
Does Islam not have a death penalty for apostasy? Do not all the sects of Islam and schools of Islamic jurisprudence teach this? Did not Muhammad say, according to Islamic tradition, "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him" (Bukhari 9.84.57)?
After being branded a bigot on Facebook , he responded: ''Your biblical quotes are as ridiculous as your comparisons. I guess you never paid attention at Sunday school. Jesus spoke in parables. Mohommed on the other hand gave orders to kill.
Did not Muhammad say, according to Islamic tradition, "If you gain a victory over the men of Jews, kill them" (Sunan Abu Dawud, 19.2996)?
''You seem to like standing up for killers and murderers. Is Ivan Milat a good person too? Perhaps you think Hitler was a great Prophet too? After all he did put a book together called Mein Kampf. Don't waste our time here Aaron. The only bigot here is someone with an uninformed view.''
Indeed.
Mr Adams, who identifies himself as an Australian of Assyrian Christian descent, told The Sun-Herald on Friday that he was not ''thinking politically'' when he made the remarks.
''Rather than listen to what people say about the Koran I decided I would read it myself,'' he said.
''It was nothing political, it was out of pure emotion. I didn't think it would be used against me and people would accuse me of being racist.
''What I did was a mistake, I did not think it would be used for political purposes. In my mind I was living in a free society where we value free speech. Why should religion be a taboo subject?''
Indeed.
But the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, did not agree. Late on Friday a government spokesman said in a statement: ''The comments were totally inappropriate and the staff member has already been terminated.''
Gutless dhimmi.
http://www.jihadwatch.org
10:04 Posted in
Permalink
Australia: Ruled By Islam's Laws
From Christians Under Attack:
11 July 2011
Ruled by Islam's laws
Aspects of Sharia law are being practiced across Australia. Sheikh Moussaab Leghe, in Sydney's West, presides over hundreds of Sharia divorces each year, and adjudicates on financial disputes
According to the Sheikh, “This is Islam - Islam is to live your life in a happy way, in justice, in equity. Everybody is taking his share, everybody is happy and satisfied.”
According to the Sheikh, “This is Islam - Islam is to live your life in a happy way, in justice, in equity. Everybody is taking his share, everybody is happy and satisfied.”
Sheikh Moussaab Leghe offers Muslims Sharia law from his base at the Islamic Welfare Centre at Lakemba, in Sydney's West.
"Well when you have women that are having their babies out of the marriage, some people they will say we need something to find a solution. And this is something,” said Sheikh Leghe.
Sheikh Leghe says he believes Australian law rules our land, though, like his predecessor, he does feel there is room for men to have multiple wives.
“Well the problem (is) with this thirteen per cent extra women in Australia.
“I don't go for (polygamy), but I call the Australian law to give the women rights to find a man, when you have (less men than women)."
According to News Limited columnist Miranda Devine, such ideas are "terribly disempowering of women, and very disruptive of our social fabric, for that reason."
"I think it's seditious. It undermines Australian law, and really, if we're going to have separate laws and separate societies, we can only expect to have more division and more lawlessness," said Vicky Janson.
Vicky Janson, and her husband Michael, live in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg West. They have joined a community group named The Q Society - aimed at stopping what they call the ‘Islamification of Australia’.
According to Vicky "it's the way we're meant to be treated. We are truly treated as second-class citizens. Under anything to do with Islamic law, women are not treated equally, non-Muslims are not treated equally."
For some, the issue that’s causing concern and division is whether or not Sharia law can co-exist with Australian law, so that we still have one law for all.
In Britain, Islamic courts have operated for nearly four years under the Arbitration Act, and their rulings are legally binding.
Under Sharia law, a woman's testimony is worth half a man’s; a daughter can only inherent half as much as a son; guardianship of children automatically goes to the father; and men can summarily divorce their wife, while a woman must fight for a divorce, even if her husband is abusive.
"We don't want it. We do not want Sharia law. It's a system that has a completely different idea of what is right and wrong, what is good and evil, and it just undermines our democratic rule of law. We don't want it," said Vicky.
http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/9822791/none/ruled-islam-laws
19:11 Posted in
Permalink
11 July 2011
Ruled by Islam's laws
Aspects of Sharia law are being practiced across Australia. Sheikh Moussaab Leghe, in Sydney's West, presides over hundreds of Sharia divorces each year, and adjudicates on financial disputes
According to the Sheikh, “This is Islam - Islam is to live your life in a happy way, in justice, in equity. Everybody is taking his share, everybody is happy and satisfied.”
According to the Sheikh, “This is Islam - Islam is to live your life in a happy way, in justice, in equity. Everybody is taking his share, everybody is happy and satisfied.”
Sheikh Moussaab Leghe offers Muslims Sharia law from his base at the Islamic Welfare Centre at Lakemba, in Sydney's West.
"Well when you have women that are having their babies out of the marriage, some people they will say we need something to find a solution. And this is something,” said Sheikh Leghe.
Sheikh Leghe says he believes Australian law rules our land, though, like his predecessor, he does feel there is room for men to have multiple wives.
“Well the problem (is) with this thirteen per cent extra women in Australia.
“I don't go for (polygamy), but I call the Australian law to give the women rights to find a man, when you have (less men than women)."
According to News Limited columnist Miranda Devine, such ideas are "terribly disempowering of women, and very disruptive of our social fabric, for that reason."
"I think it's seditious. It undermines Australian law, and really, if we're going to have separate laws and separate societies, we can only expect to have more division and more lawlessness," said Vicky Janson.
Vicky Janson, and her husband Michael, live in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg West. They have joined a community group named The Q Society - aimed at stopping what they call the ‘Islamification of Australia’.
According to Vicky "it's the way we're meant to be treated. We are truly treated as second-class citizens. Under anything to do with Islamic law, women are not treated equally, non-Muslims are not treated equally."
For some, the issue that’s causing concern and division is whether or not Sharia law can co-exist with Australian law, so that we still have one law for all.
In Britain, Islamic courts have operated for nearly four years under the Arbitration Act, and their rulings are legally binding.
Under Sharia law, a woman's testimony is worth half a man’s; a daughter can only inherent half as much as a son; guardianship of children automatically goes to the father; and men can summarily divorce their wife, while a woman must fight for a divorce, even if her husband is abusive.
"We don't want it. We do not want Sharia law. It's a system that has a completely different idea of what is right and wrong, what is good and evil, and it just undermines our democratic rule of law. We don't want it," said Vicky.
http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/9822791/none/ruled-islam-laws
19:11 Posted in
Permalink
L.A. Sherriff's Department Has A Muslim Pubic Affairs Unit
From Christians Under Attack:
11 July 2011
LA Sheriff’s Department Has A Muslim Public Affairs Unit
LA Sheriff's Department Has A Muslim Public Affairs Unit
It's paid for with public funds.
Separation of mosque and state, anyone?
More about the LASD's Muslim Community Affairs Unit from TheUnitedWest.com, via a somewhat sloppily written piece on their site:
Steve Whitmore, LASD Senior Media Advisor, confirmed the Muslim Community Affairs Unit receives taxpayer funds approximating $128,400 per year for two full time Deputies. When this reporter asked Mr. Whitmore if any other , religions, had a LASD Community Affairs Unit and received equal taxpayer funds, Whitmore replied, "There are no other religious Community Affairs Units in the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department."
For the LASD to meet the Establishment Clause threshold for "government neutrality toward religion" Sheriff Baca would have two options. First, Sheriff Baca would have to establish and manage Community Affairs Units with two Deputies and a $128,400 budget, for each recognized religion under his jurisdiction. The second option would be to dismantle the Muslim Community Affairs Unit in accordance with the Establishment Clause.
...The MCAU has another function, "The unit also trains department members about Islam and Muslims, touching on issues such as religious beliefs and customs. Academy recruits also receive a two-hour class on Muslim cultures and background as part of the cultural awareness training program." A program tasked with teaching Shariah Compliant Islamic values to incoming police recruits, while excluding the values of every other religion in Los Angeles County.
...A 2008 Pew Research Center survey reveals the citizens of California are 42% various Christian denominations, 31% Roman Catholic Christians, 2% Jewish, 2% Latter Day Saints, and 1% Muslim. The rest of the citizens are either non religious or of other minority faiths.
"According to the latest hate crime report from the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, 88 percent of all religiously based hate crimes in 2009 were against Jews. Hate crimes that targeted Muslims (3 percent) ranked slightly above those directed at Scientologists (1 percent). In fact, the commission found that attacks against Christians (8 percent) outnumbered attacks against Muslims." It could be argued statistically, that if any religion needs a LA Sheriff's special religious Community Affairs Unit, it's the Jews and Christians not the Muslims.
Terry Sanderson states, "if there is one public service that absolutely must be secular it is the police force. There should be not one whisper of sectarianism in the force and all this talk of Muslim police officers must stop. They are police officers who are Muslim, but when they are at work they must be simply police officers full stop. They must serve the whole community without fear or favor. This goes also for police officers who are Christian, Hindu, Atheist or indifferent."
http://amyalkon.mensnewsdaily.com/2011/07/11/la-sheriffs-department-has-a-muslim-public-affairs-unit/
21:23 Posted in
Permalink
11 July 2011
LA Sheriff’s Department Has A Muslim Public Affairs Unit
LA Sheriff's Department Has A Muslim Public Affairs Unit
It's paid for with public funds.
Separation of mosque and state, anyone?
More about the LASD's Muslim Community Affairs Unit from TheUnitedWest.com, via a somewhat sloppily written piece on their site:
Steve Whitmore, LASD Senior Media Advisor, confirmed the Muslim Community Affairs Unit receives taxpayer funds approximating $128,400 per year for two full time Deputies. When this reporter asked Mr. Whitmore if any other , religions, had a LASD Community Affairs Unit and received equal taxpayer funds, Whitmore replied, "There are no other religious Community Affairs Units in the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department."
For the LASD to meet the Establishment Clause threshold for "government neutrality toward religion" Sheriff Baca would have two options. First, Sheriff Baca would have to establish and manage Community Affairs Units with two Deputies and a $128,400 budget, for each recognized religion under his jurisdiction. The second option would be to dismantle the Muslim Community Affairs Unit in accordance with the Establishment Clause.
...The MCAU has another function, "The unit also trains department members about Islam and Muslims, touching on issues such as religious beliefs and customs. Academy recruits also receive a two-hour class on Muslim cultures and background as part of the cultural awareness training program." A program tasked with teaching Shariah Compliant Islamic values to incoming police recruits, while excluding the values of every other religion in Los Angeles County.
...A 2008 Pew Research Center survey reveals the citizens of California are 42% various Christian denominations, 31% Roman Catholic Christians, 2% Jewish, 2% Latter Day Saints, and 1% Muslim. The rest of the citizens are either non religious or of other minority faiths.
"According to the latest hate crime report from the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, 88 percent of all religiously based hate crimes in 2009 were against Jews. Hate crimes that targeted Muslims (3 percent) ranked slightly above those directed at Scientologists (1 percent). In fact, the commission found that attacks against Christians (8 percent) outnumbered attacks against Muslims." It could be argued statistically, that if any religion needs a LA Sheriff's special religious Community Affairs Unit, it's the Jews and Christians not the Muslims.
Terry Sanderson states, "if there is one public service that absolutely must be secular it is the police force. There should be not one whisper of sectarianism in the force and all this talk of Muslim police officers must stop. They are police officers who are Muslim, but when they are at work they must be simply police officers full stop. They must serve the whole community without fear or favor. This goes also for police officers who are Christian, Hindu, Atheist or indifferent."
http://amyalkon.mensnewsdaily.com/2011/07/11/la-sheriffs-department-has-a-muslim-public-affairs-unit/
21:23 Posted in
Permalink
Muslim Threats Against Yasmin Church In West Java Continue
From Christians Under Attack:
12 July 2011
Muslim threats against Yasmin Church in West Java continue
The faithful still have to pray by the roadside after their church was shut down. Radical Muslim groups continue to disrupt their activities and issue threats against them. The
mayor of Bogor still refuses to accept a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court upholding the Church’s right to build its own places of worship.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Diani Budiarto, mayor of Bogor (West Java), does not give up. He still wants to force the members of the Yasmin Protestant Church (GKI) to leave their church building, even though it was built in accordance with the rules. The mayor has refused to uphold a direct order by the Supreme Court of Indonesia, which authorises the Yasmin Church, to build a place of worship on land it owns. Local sources have told AsiaNews that Mayor Budiarto has also tried to stir anti-Christian sentiments among extremist Muslim groups.
On Saturday, the mayor again sent a letter to the Church demanding it stop holding Sunday prayers outside the church building. He also suggested other places where they church congregation could meet, for instance the Harmoni Function Hall.
However, Yasmin Church officials are steadfast in refusing the mayor’s proposal to go elsewhere. They note that the mayor has never said where they could build their new church, and that his latest letter is worthless since it does not provide “any date or useful information”.
On Sunday, hundreds of faithful met again on the road next the church site to celebrate a religious service. However, dozens of radical Muslims swarmed the place, disrupting the function. The same had occurred a week earlier; on that occasion, the protesters tried to interrupt the service by singing.
Rev Ujang Tanusaputra and his secretary, Rev Diah Renata Anggraeni, denied claims by the mayor in his letter that they had accepted to stop praying in the street. Contrary to what the letter said, their Church did not hold any meetings on the indicated dates, namely 6, 7 and 8 July. Instead, they urged the mayor to respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
Mr Bona Sigalingging Sh, a spokesperson for the Church, told AsiaNews “the idea of moving the road service to Harmoni Function Hall is not part of the solution.” Instead, “the mayor created a new problem by ignoring the supremacy of the law. The Church will not be chase away from the road where it meets,” he added.
“Two protesters tried to reach our leader, Jayadi Damanik,” Bona Sigalingging explained. “They told him to persuade the faithful to stop praying by the road, but he rejected their request. Even a Bogor city official intervened, asking me to persuade the community to stop its activities because Muslim groups view them negatively. I rejected the request. The real problem is the fact that the mayor has ignored the Supreme Court decision.”
Minor incidents followed the service. “At least, eight demonstrators got close to Jayadi Damanik and Tomas Wadu Dara to force them to stop and take them away,” Bona Sigalingging said.
The two clergymen said they were taken away and locked up in a room in a nearby building in order to convince them to stop praying in the street. The Yasmin Church will not however give up.
21:57 Posted in
Permalink
12 July 2011
Muslim threats against Yasmin Church in West Java continue
The faithful still have to pray by the roadside after their church was shut down. Radical Muslim groups continue to disrupt their activities and issue threats against them. The
mayor of Bogor still refuses to accept a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court upholding the Church’s right to build its own places of worship.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Diani Budiarto, mayor of Bogor (West Java), does not give up. He still wants to force the members of the Yasmin Protestant Church (GKI) to leave their church building, even though it was built in accordance with the rules. The mayor has refused to uphold a direct order by the Supreme Court of Indonesia, which authorises the Yasmin Church, to build a place of worship on land it owns. Local sources have told AsiaNews that Mayor Budiarto has also tried to stir anti-Christian sentiments among extremist Muslim groups.
On Saturday, the mayor again sent a letter to the Church demanding it stop holding Sunday prayers outside the church building. He also suggested other places where they church congregation could meet, for instance the Harmoni Function Hall.
However, Yasmin Church officials are steadfast in refusing the mayor’s proposal to go elsewhere. They note that the mayor has never said where they could build their new church, and that his latest letter is worthless since it does not provide “any date or useful information”.
On Sunday, hundreds of faithful met again on the road next the church site to celebrate a religious service. However, dozens of radical Muslims swarmed the place, disrupting the function. The same had occurred a week earlier; on that occasion, the protesters tried to interrupt the service by singing.
Rev Ujang Tanusaputra and his secretary, Rev Diah Renata Anggraeni, denied claims by the mayor in his letter that they had accepted to stop praying in the street. Contrary to what the letter said, their Church did not hold any meetings on the indicated dates, namely 6, 7 and 8 July. Instead, they urged the mayor to respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
Mr Bona Sigalingging Sh, a spokesperson for the Church, told AsiaNews “the idea of moving the road service to Harmoni Function Hall is not part of the solution.” Instead, “the mayor created a new problem by ignoring the supremacy of the law. The Church will not be chase away from the road where it meets,” he added.
“Two protesters tried to reach our leader, Jayadi Damanik,” Bona Sigalingging explained. “They told him to persuade the faithful to stop praying by the road, but he rejected their request. Even a Bogor city official intervened, asking me to persuade the community to stop its activities because Muslim groups view them negatively. I rejected the request. The real problem is the fact that the mayor has ignored the Supreme Court decision.”
Minor incidents followed the service. “At least, eight demonstrators got close to Jayadi Damanik and Tomas Wadu Dara to force them to stop and take them away,” Bona Sigalingging said.
The two clergymen said they were taken away and locked up in a room in a nearby building in order to convince them to stop praying in the street. The Yasmin Church will not however give up.
21:57 Posted in
Permalink
Radical Islam In Germany: The Convert As Missionary
From Christians Under Attack:
12 July 2011
Radical Islam in Germany: The Convert as Missionary
Abu Hamza, born a German named Pierre Vogel in 1978, is a very popular Islamist preacher in Germany. The former professional boxer became Muslim in 2001 and is now among the most influential German
representatives of Saudi-originated Wahhabi fundamentalism, which masquerades as "Salafism."
His "kunya" or "Islamic nickname," Abu Hamza, means "father of the strong." He should not be confused with the notorious radical Muslim agitator currently locked up in Britain, Abu Hamza al-Masri, known for his missing eye and a prosthetic hook that substitutes for his right hand, or for the two late al-Qaida terrorists active in Pakistan and Iraq, who also used the same name. Vogel's impact among German Muslims is no less ominous, however, even if his extremism appears more restrained.
Adherents of Wahhabism like Pierre Vogel, alias Abu Hamza, call themselves "Salafi" in claiming they emulate the prominent adherents of early Islam. "Salaf" is an Arabic noun meaning "predecessor" or "forefather," and the first three Muslim generations are collectively referred to as "al-Salaf as-Saleh," or the "Pious Predecessors."
Vogel received his religious training in an Islamic school in Saudi Arabia. Through nationwide lecture tours and the creation of several websites, he has reached out to very religious young German Muslims, as well as to young non-Muslim Germans with identity problems.
Those who flock to him are impressed by Vogel's apparent knowledge of Islam and his mastery of Arabic, the language of the Koran. Central to his teaching is the belief that Islam is the only true religion, while all Christians and Jews are "kuffar," or "unbelievers." In addition, Vogel sees "da'wa," or calling others to Islam, as an obligation incumbent on every Muslim. He has fashioned himself as a missionary and argues explicitly that he possesses theological evidence for the superiority of Islam.
Vogel's worldview embodies a rigid distinction between Islamic and "un-Islamic" behavior. The strict division between "the bad" and "the good" appeals to some young Muslims, because they are promised a clear orientation in their everyday lives and identification with a like-minded community. Although Vogel rejects the use of violence in the cause of Islam, the German authorities see his Manichean outlook – the harsh separation of "bad" and "good" – as dangerous, because of its radicalizing effects on the very religious and the confused.
The preaching of Pierre Vogel and his limiting Islam to a formal set of "Salafi" rules is opposed increasingly by other German Muslim personalities and organizations. They also criticize Vogel for exploiting complaints of discrimination against Muslims in Germany. On his websites, Vogel asserts that Muslims in Europe are faced with an impending Holocaust.
The internet is his main stage. His sites have gained five million hits in one and a half years, a matter of which he is proud.
What is the basis of his attraction? Born Muslims consider him "cool," as a broad-shouldered German with a reddish-blond beard, who can chant Koranic chapters in Arabic without mispronouncing a syllable. Vogel knows what life is like as a teenager in Germany. "I know everything," he says. "Casinos, discos, women. And I also know why it is better to live another kind of life in which one abstains from sex before marriage," he explains. For every convert who comes to him, 10 to 20 people who were born Muslim claim that he has helped them find their way back to Islam.
For non-Muslims, and particularly the young who encounter him, Pierre Vogel provides answers to anxieties about the meaning of existence. If, according to simplistic Wahhabi doctrines, the only need is to serve God, then life immediately seems easier to face. By unquestioning adherence to the Koran and the prohibitions and recommendations of the Wahhabi interpretation, believers are promised standing in the afterlife and probable entry into paradise. Vogel's outward piety, like his German origin, adds to his image as someone who refuses to conform to the society in which he lives. That is also deemed "cool."
Radical Islam, in the style of a musical remix, with anti-globalization propaganda added to religious sermonizing, arrived in the German universities long ago. The media also play an important role in the prestige of the extremists, as a steady diet of news about aggressive Islam makes many young Muslims and non-Muslims defensive. "One-sided news brings thousands of converts," says Pierre Vogel. There are always those whose curiosity is stimulated by a threat. According to Vogel, they want to know the truth about Islam; "they come to listen, and discover that Islam is the truth."
Critics of Vogel describe his method as brainwashing. A young Pakistani studying in Germany comments, "There is currently no alternative for young people who want to learn about moderate Islam in Germany." The Wahhabi "Salafis" have the best web sites and publish the most translations of Islamic literature. Unfortunately, Muslim university students are typically afraid to say anything about the situation. Whoever speaks against Pierre Vogel will be abused by his supporters, in online chat forums. "The success of this movement makes me very angry, because it has nothing to do with Islam as I understand it," says the same Pakistani student in Germany. "I do not want to live in a society defined by Pierre Vogel. It would be a nightmare for all people."
Pierre Vogel, or Abu Hamza, uses all the weaknesses of our society and sets us against one another. People like him do not appear randomly. With the help of financing from the Gulf states, they fill an existing void in knowledge about Islam. As they are daily more active in German universities, they are a serious problem.
A space should be opened up in German public life, where intelligent people may get together to repudiate the hatred Vogel uses to manipulate Muslims. This view of the condition of young German Muslims may seem pessimistic, but Vogel and others like him pose a real danger. It is necessary to admit it, face it, and combat it.
http://www.hudson-ny.org
22:01 Posted in
Permalink
12 July 2011
Radical Islam in Germany: The Convert as Missionary
Abu Hamza, born a German named Pierre Vogel in 1978, is a very popular Islamist preacher in Germany. The former professional boxer became Muslim in 2001 and is now among the most influential German
representatives of Saudi-originated Wahhabi fundamentalism, which masquerades as "Salafism."
His "kunya" or "Islamic nickname," Abu Hamza, means "father of the strong." He should not be confused with the notorious radical Muslim agitator currently locked up in Britain, Abu Hamza al-Masri, known for his missing eye and a prosthetic hook that substitutes for his right hand, or for the two late al-Qaida terrorists active in Pakistan and Iraq, who also used the same name. Vogel's impact among German Muslims is no less ominous, however, even if his extremism appears more restrained.
Adherents of Wahhabism like Pierre Vogel, alias Abu Hamza, call themselves "Salafi" in claiming they emulate the prominent adherents of early Islam. "Salaf" is an Arabic noun meaning "predecessor" or "forefather," and the first three Muslim generations are collectively referred to as "al-Salaf as-Saleh," or the "Pious Predecessors."
Vogel received his religious training in an Islamic school in Saudi Arabia. Through nationwide lecture tours and the creation of several websites, he has reached out to very religious young German Muslims, as well as to young non-Muslim Germans with identity problems.
Those who flock to him are impressed by Vogel's apparent knowledge of Islam and his mastery of Arabic, the language of the Koran. Central to his teaching is the belief that Islam is the only true religion, while all Christians and Jews are "kuffar," or "unbelievers." In addition, Vogel sees "da'wa," or calling others to Islam, as an obligation incumbent on every Muslim. He has fashioned himself as a missionary and argues explicitly that he possesses theological evidence for the superiority of Islam.
Vogel's worldview embodies a rigid distinction between Islamic and "un-Islamic" behavior. The strict division between "the bad" and "the good" appeals to some young Muslims, because they are promised a clear orientation in their everyday lives and identification with a like-minded community. Although Vogel rejects the use of violence in the cause of Islam, the German authorities see his Manichean outlook – the harsh separation of "bad" and "good" – as dangerous, because of its radicalizing effects on the very religious and the confused.
The preaching of Pierre Vogel and his limiting Islam to a formal set of "Salafi" rules is opposed increasingly by other German Muslim personalities and organizations. They also criticize Vogel for exploiting complaints of discrimination against Muslims in Germany. On his websites, Vogel asserts that Muslims in Europe are faced with an impending Holocaust.
The internet is his main stage. His sites have gained five million hits in one and a half years, a matter of which he is proud.
What is the basis of his attraction? Born Muslims consider him "cool," as a broad-shouldered German with a reddish-blond beard, who can chant Koranic chapters in Arabic without mispronouncing a syllable. Vogel knows what life is like as a teenager in Germany. "I know everything," he says. "Casinos, discos, women. And I also know why it is better to live another kind of life in which one abstains from sex before marriage," he explains. For every convert who comes to him, 10 to 20 people who were born Muslim claim that he has helped them find their way back to Islam.
For non-Muslims, and particularly the young who encounter him, Pierre Vogel provides answers to anxieties about the meaning of existence. If, according to simplistic Wahhabi doctrines, the only need is to serve God, then life immediately seems easier to face. By unquestioning adherence to the Koran and the prohibitions and recommendations of the Wahhabi interpretation, believers are promised standing in the afterlife and probable entry into paradise. Vogel's outward piety, like his German origin, adds to his image as someone who refuses to conform to the society in which he lives. That is also deemed "cool."
Radical Islam, in the style of a musical remix, with anti-globalization propaganda added to religious sermonizing, arrived in the German universities long ago. The media also play an important role in the prestige of the extremists, as a steady diet of news about aggressive Islam makes many young Muslims and non-Muslims defensive. "One-sided news brings thousands of converts," says Pierre Vogel. There are always those whose curiosity is stimulated by a threat. According to Vogel, they want to know the truth about Islam; "they come to listen, and discover that Islam is the truth."
Critics of Vogel describe his method as brainwashing. A young Pakistani studying in Germany comments, "There is currently no alternative for young people who want to learn about moderate Islam in Germany." The Wahhabi "Salafis" have the best web sites and publish the most translations of Islamic literature. Unfortunately, Muslim university students are typically afraid to say anything about the situation. Whoever speaks against Pierre Vogel will be abused by his supporters, in online chat forums. "The success of this movement makes me very angry, because it has nothing to do with Islam as I understand it," says the same Pakistani student in Germany. "I do not want to live in a society defined by Pierre Vogel. It would be a nightmare for all people."
Pierre Vogel, or Abu Hamza, uses all the weaknesses of our society and sets us against one another. People like him do not appear randomly. With the help of financing from the Gulf states, they fill an existing void in knowledge about Islam. As they are daily more active in German universities, they are a serious problem.
A space should be opened up in German public life, where intelligent people may get together to repudiate the hatred Vogel uses to manipulate Muslims. This view of the condition of young German Muslims may seem pessimistic, but Vogel and others like him pose a real danger. It is necessary to admit it, face it, and combat it.
http://www.hudson-ny.org
22:01 Posted in
Permalink
Nigeria: Muslim Post-Election Violence Against Christians Was Pre-Meditated And Aided By Authorities
From Jihad Watch:
Nigeria: Muslim post-election violence against Christians was premeditated and aided by authorities
As we have seen in so many other cases, police stood by idly while Muslims committed murder and mayhem. Authorities are intimidated, or compromised, or both. "Post presidential election violence premeditated -Ndigbo chieftain," by Sylvester Okoruwa in the Nigerian Tribune, July 11:
THE post-presidential election violence which took place in most part of the North and which resulted in the death of many innocent Nigerians, including 10 youth corps members has been said to be premeditated.
This was disclosed to journalists by the Ndigbo community leader in Kano, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, during the conferment [sic] of distinguished leadership merit award on him by the Christian Democratic Journalists, in Lagos, on Saturday.
In his address on the occasion, Chief Idika, who had lived in Kano for the past 30 years, said “I stand here to affirm that the violence which trailed President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory was premeditated and a calculated attempt to debase and smear the southerners living in the North.
“I stood my ground at th [sic] Sheikh Ahmed Lemu’s presidential panel sitting at Sani Abacha Stadium indoor sport hall on Monday, July 4, to defend this fact.”
According to Chief Idika, in March, inside the office of the Kano State commissioner of police, the Director-General of Hisbah Board in Kano State, Seidu Dukaka, in my presence and that of the commissioner and others, threatened that in one month time, there was going to be an unprecendented [sic] violence in Kano.
He said on April 18, hundreds of southerners were killed without the police or Hisbah Sharia’ah Police protecting the non- Muslims living in the state....
Chief Tobias Idika went on to say that this Hisbah board operates like mafian group harassing, confiscating and destroying over 150 trailers and the alcohol drinks loaded on it worth over 5 billion naira even aftr [sic] collecting taxes from the owners. The Hisbah Board has usurp power from the Police to unleash terror and mathem [sic] on Southerne [sic] living in Kanos [sic] State . They even invade Police stations to arrest Police Officer [sic] who are non Muslims with the excuse that they ae [sic] dealing on alcohl. [sic]
If you go to court, the Kano Hisbah would use terrorist tactics to harass, abuse and intimidate Judges and Magistrate [sic]. The situation in Kano at present is so brutal and worrisome that after illegally arresting an innocent non native or non Muslim they would insist the suspect is taken and trialed in a Sharia’ah Court even when a court of competent Jurisdiction intervene and grant bail to the suspect. The Kano Hisbah Sharia’ah Police will re- arrest and detain the person in their make shift cells....
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 5:46 AM
Nigeria: Muslim post-election violence against Christians was premeditated and aided by authorities
As we have seen in so many other cases, police stood by idly while Muslims committed murder and mayhem. Authorities are intimidated, or compromised, or both. "Post presidential election violence premeditated -Ndigbo chieftain," by Sylvester Okoruwa in the Nigerian Tribune, July 11:
THE post-presidential election violence which took place in most part of the North and which resulted in the death of many innocent Nigerians, including 10 youth corps members has been said to be premeditated.
This was disclosed to journalists by the Ndigbo community leader in Kano, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, during the conferment [sic] of distinguished leadership merit award on him by the Christian Democratic Journalists, in Lagos, on Saturday.
In his address on the occasion, Chief Idika, who had lived in Kano for the past 30 years, said “I stand here to affirm that the violence which trailed President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory was premeditated and a calculated attempt to debase and smear the southerners living in the North.
“I stood my ground at th [sic] Sheikh Ahmed Lemu’s presidential panel sitting at Sani Abacha Stadium indoor sport hall on Monday, July 4, to defend this fact.”
According to Chief Idika, in March, inside the office of the Kano State commissioner of police, the Director-General of Hisbah Board in Kano State, Seidu Dukaka, in my presence and that of the commissioner and others, threatened that in one month time, there was going to be an unprecendented [sic] violence in Kano.
He said on April 18, hundreds of southerners were killed without the police or Hisbah Sharia’ah Police protecting the non- Muslims living in the state....
Chief Tobias Idika went on to say that this Hisbah board operates like mafian group harassing, confiscating and destroying over 150 trailers and the alcohol drinks loaded on it worth over 5 billion naira even aftr [sic] collecting taxes from the owners. The Hisbah Board has usurp power from the Police to unleash terror and mathem [sic] on Southerne [sic] living in Kanos [sic] State . They even invade Police stations to arrest Police Officer [sic] who are non Muslims with the excuse that they ae [sic] dealing on alcohl. [sic]
If you go to court, the Kano Hisbah would use terrorist tactics to harass, abuse and intimidate Judges and Magistrate [sic]. The situation in Kano at present is so brutal and worrisome that after illegally arresting an innocent non native or non Muslim they would insist the suspect is taken and trialed in a Sharia’ah Court even when a court of competent Jurisdiction intervene and grant bail to the suspect. The Kano Hisbah Sharia’ah Police will re- arrest and detain the person in their make shift cells....
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 5:46 AM
Stoning Is Not Just Stoning, It's Allah's Revenge
From Jihad Watch:
Stoning is not just stoning, it's Allah's revenge
Asul Kasimov (left) with Ukrainian nationalist Anatoli Lupinos
Sharia, jihad, and an Islamic nation are inseparable concepts.
Islamization advances all three of these components, and consequently results in incredible violence and inhumane treatment.
It involves the legalization of ritual murders committed in the name of Allah.
Creating a society of obedient fear of death is their goal. In this environment, there is always one who cast the first stone.
"Stoning is not just stoning, it's Allah's revenge." Thus spoke a mullah...his name was Asul Kasimov. After a few hajj pilgrimages, he believed that Allah controlled his actions. In a "Sharia short course" that Asul gave me, he and other spiritual leaders of the Caucasus jihadists argued that Sharia courts offered the only fair trial on earth. Even the smallest doubt and objection was not accepted by them as evidence, and discussion was not part of the arsenal of the jihadists.
Imam Asul Kasimov, as well as other leaders of the Caucasus jihadists, dreamed about setting up Sharia courts in the Caucasus and around the world.
"Sharia is the sword of Islam," he said. "Allah will destroy all unbelievers and sinners," boasted a young imam to me.
"Only the Sharia can establish order on earth," asserted the others. "Jews invented democracy to enslave Muslims. We do not need their courts. We have the court of Almighty -- the Sharia."
In the Caucasus, stoning was not very much in vogue. Most jihadists liked to kill people publicly with a machine-gun or a knife. Many heads were cut off during the jihad and after. But the jihadists did stone the so-called agents of the Zionists. If Jamaat (the guard of the jihadists) noticed a betrayal of the jihad, the death penalty could not be avoided.
The only controversy over public execution was over whether it was permissible to say during the execution, "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." Everyone also agreed that Sharia punishment the most humane in the world.
The introduction of Sharia in the North Caucasus remained unnoticed as long as those laws were not applied to foreigners.
Once in 1998 in Grozny, I turned on the TV and I was very surprised. On one jihadist channel, "Marsho" (which means freedom in Chechen language), I saw Franco Zeffirelli’s movie Jesus of Nazareth. This was while Sharia was being implemented in Chechnya. I was pleased to watch film, but the next day the same channel showed a man being beheaded. He was a Christian missionary who had bought time on the television channel.
Over several years in the North Caucasus the adherents of Sharia kidnapped around 6000 people, demanding ransom for their release. This resulted in over 100 people being sentenced to death and executed. Several murders and demonstrations shown on television. The death sentence was handed down most often to women who had been charged with adultery. A feature of Sharia is that you first condemn and then look for evidence of guilt, so that escape from punishment is not possible.
One jihadist told me that he had personally executed several Zionist agents by tying them to railroad tracks. They were Muslims, but they were not saved; when the train passed, they were decapitated.
And imams such as Mullah Asul Kasimov (the number one terrorist in Azerbaijan) will always find a justification from the Koran for such activity.
Posted by Joseph Zaalishvili on July 11, 2011 7:07 AM
Stoning is not just stoning, it's Allah's revenge
Asul Kasimov (left) with Ukrainian nationalist Anatoli Lupinos
Sharia, jihad, and an Islamic nation are inseparable concepts.
Islamization advances all three of these components, and consequently results in incredible violence and inhumane treatment.
It involves the legalization of ritual murders committed in the name of Allah.
Creating a society of obedient fear of death is their goal. In this environment, there is always one who cast the first stone.
"Stoning is not just stoning, it's Allah's revenge." Thus spoke a mullah...his name was Asul Kasimov. After a few hajj pilgrimages, he believed that Allah controlled his actions. In a "Sharia short course" that Asul gave me, he and other spiritual leaders of the Caucasus jihadists argued that Sharia courts offered the only fair trial on earth. Even the smallest doubt and objection was not accepted by them as evidence, and discussion was not part of the arsenal of the jihadists.
Imam Asul Kasimov, as well as other leaders of the Caucasus jihadists, dreamed about setting up Sharia courts in the Caucasus and around the world.
"Sharia is the sword of Islam," he said. "Allah will destroy all unbelievers and sinners," boasted a young imam to me.
"Only the Sharia can establish order on earth," asserted the others. "Jews invented democracy to enslave Muslims. We do not need their courts. We have the court of Almighty -- the Sharia."
In the Caucasus, stoning was not very much in vogue. Most jihadists liked to kill people publicly with a machine-gun or a knife. Many heads were cut off during the jihad and after. But the jihadists did stone the so-called agents of the Zionists. If Jamaat (the guard of the jihadists) noticed a betrayal of the jihad, the death penalty could not be avoided.
The only controversy over public execution was over whether it was permissible to say during the execution, "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." Everyone also agreed that Sharia punishment the most humane in the world.
The introduction of Sharia in the North Caucasus remained unnoticed as long as those laws were not applied to foreigners.
Once in 1998 in Grozny, I turned on the TV and I was very surprised. On one jihadist channel, "Marsho" (which means freedom in Chechen language), I saw Franco Zeffirelli’s movie Jesus of Nazareth. This was while Sharia was being implemented in Chechnya. I was pleased to watch film, but the next day the same channel showed a man being beheaded. He was a Christian missionary who had bought time on the television channel.
Over several years in the North Caucasus the adherents of Sharia kidnapped around 6000 people, demanding ransom for their release. This resulted in over 100 people being sentenced to death and executed. Several murders and demonstrations shown on television. The death sentence was handed down most often to women who had been charged with adultery. A feature of Sharia is that you first condemn and then look for evidence of guilt, so that escape from punishment is not possible.
One jihadist told me that he had personally executed several Zionist agents by tying them to railroad tracks. They were Muslims, but they were not saved; when the train passed, they were decapitated.
And imams such as Mullah Asul Kasimov (the number one terrorist in Azerbaijan) will always find a justification from the Koran for such activity.
Posted by Joseph Zaalishvili on July 11, 2011 7:07 AM
Russia: Muslim Murders Imam As "Adversary Of Islam" For Opposing Hijabs
From Jihad Watch:
Russia: Muslim murders imam as "adversary of Islam" for opposing hijabs
Why we don't see more genuine Muslim reformers, part 213928: "Imam, school principal shot dead in Russia's Dagestan," from AFP, July 10 (thanks to Mackie):
Russia:Village imam was shot dead during evening prayer in Russia's restive Dagestan region late Saturday, the region's interior ministry said.
Imam Magomed Makhdiyev was shot in the back and head by an unidentified gunman in Karamakhi village mosque during evening prayer, Dagestan's interior ministry said on its website on Sunday.
Makhdiyev died at the scene, the ministry said.
It was the second known murder of an imam in less than a month in Dagestan, where religious and educational leaders appear to be increasingly targeted as Russia fights an Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus.
A school principal was targeted early Saturday in a different region of Dagestan. Sidikullah Akhmedov, who worked in the Sovetskoye village school, died on the spot near his home from wounds to the stomach, the ministry said.
Islamist website JamaatShariat.com, affiliated to the Caucasus Emirate group, called Akhmedov an "adversary of Islam" who opposed the wearing of the hijab in school.
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 7:12 AM
Russia: Muslim murders imam as "adversary of Islam" for opposing hijabs
Why we don't see more genuine Muslim reformers, part 213928: "Imam, school principal shot dead in Russia's Dagestan," from AFP, July 10 (thanks to Mackie):
Russia:Village imam was shot dead during evening prayer in Russia's restive Dagestan region late Saturday, the region's interior ministry said.
Imam Magomed Makhdiyev was shot in the back and head by an unidentified gunman in Karamakhi village mosque during evening prayer, Dagestan's interior ministry said on its website on Sunday.
Makhdiyev died at the scene, the ministry said.
It was the second known murder of an imam in less than a month in Dagestan, where religious and educational leaders appear to be increasingly targeted as Russia fights an Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus.
A school principal was targeted early Saturday in a different region of Dagestan. Sidikullah Akhmedov, who worked in the Sovetskoye village school, died on the spot near his home from wounds to the stomach, the ministry said.
Islamist website JamaatShariat.com, affiliated to the Caucasus Emirate group, called Akhmedov an "adversary of Islam" who opposed the wearing of the hijab in school.
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 7:12 AM
The Judeo-Christian Origins Of Islam, Part One
From Jihad Watch:
Ibn Warraq: The Judeo-Christian Origins of Islam (Part 1)
The Judeo-Christian Origins of Islam
by Ibn Warraq
Part 1
As Patricia Crone once put it, “new religions do not spring fully fledged from the heads of prophets, old civilizations are not conjured away.” Islam did not somehow emerge fully developed, as the Islamic traditional accounts would have us believe, but slowly, over a long period of time, as the Arab conquerors came into contact with the far older cultures and civilizations, which pushed the Arabs to question and forge their own religious and cultural identity. Ever since the Nineteenth Century, when Western scholars, especially German, but also Italian, French, Hungarian, and British, began to examine Islam and the Koran in the same manner that they had begun examining the Old and New Testament, the debate has been as to determine whether it was Judaism or Christianity that contributed most to the creation of Islam. As Richard Bell, in his The Origin of Islam in Its Christian Environment [Edinburgh, 1925], expressed it, “That both Judaism and Christianity played a part in forming the doctrine of Islam and in preparing the spiritual soil of Arabia for its reception has long been recognised. How much influence is to be attributed to the one, and how much to the other, is difficult to decide. For much is common to both, and we have to remember that there were many forms of Christianity intermediate between the orthodox Church of the seventh century and the Judaism out of which it sprang, and it was in the East, on the confines of Arabia, that we know these Judaistic forms of Christianity to have longest maintained themselves. Some things in the Qur'an and in Islam which appear specially Jewish, may really have come through nominally Christian channels. But even with that allowance there is no doubt about the large influence exercised by Judaism.”
A. CHRISTIANITY: APOCRYPHA
Adolf von Harnack [1851-1930], in his Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten [The Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries] (1902, revised 1906, 1915, and finally 1924), wrote, “The large regions south of Palestine, Damascus, and Mesopotamia which bear the name of 'Arabia' were never civilized -- they were not even subdued -- by the Romans, with the exception of the country lying east of the Jordan and several positions south of the Dead Sea. Consequently we can look for Christians during our epoch only in the districts just mentioned, where Arabian, Greek, and Roman cities were inhabited by people of superior civilization. Immediately after his conversion Paul betook himself to 'Arabia' (Gal. 1.17), i.e., hardly to the desert, but rather to the province south of Damascus. Arabians are also mentioned in Acts 2.11…. There are no Arabic versions of the Bible previous to Islam, a fact which proves irrefragably that in its primitive period Christianity had secured no footing at all among the Arabs. Indeed it never secured such a footing, for the Arabic versions were not made for Arabs at all, but for Copts and Syrians who had become Arabians.”
Nonetheless, the Christian churches on the confines of Arabia exercised a certain amount of influence, and this influence came primarily from Syria in the north-west, Mesopotamia in the north-east, and Abyssinia in the west. The latter center may have exercised its influence across the Red Sea, but more probably by way of Yemen in the south, which was under Abyssinian rule for a while. However, as ever, scholars are divided as to the extent of the Christian presence in the Hijaz, that is, that part of Saudi Arabia that accommodates the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. For example, J.S. Trimingham, in his Christianity among the Arabs in pre-Islamic Times [London, 1979], remarks that: “Christianity was non-existent among the Arabs of western Arabia south of the Judham tribes.” In a chapter headed “Christians in the Hijaz,” after describing the history of Mecca according to the Muslim sources, plus its geographical location, he concludes that “these factors are sufficient to explain why Christianity in any of its available forms could have no influence upon its inhabitants.” Whereas another scholar, Irfan Shahid, in his Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, observes that “Places with distinctly Christian association, such as Maqbarat al Nasara, the cemetery of the Christians, are attested in Mecca in later Islamic sources and these could not possibly have been fabricated.”
I believe that it is inadvisable, fruitless and unnecessary to rely upon late sources to establish the presence of Jews or Christians in Arabia, since, if the arguments of the revisionists inspired by the work of John Wansbrough are correct, Islam developed not in Arabia but much further north in the “the Sectarian Milieu” of Palestine and Syria. Thus we need only to examine the Koran itself to see that it is full of stories and motifs derived from the Old and New Testament. But such a scrutiny also yields further surprising results: many of the stories in the Koran, especially of Mary, mother of Jesus, have been taken from the apocryphal Gospels, which in turn derived them from older Buddhist texts.
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 11:46 AM
Ibn Warraq: The Judeo-Christian Origins of Islam (Part 1)
The Judeo-Christian Origins of Islam
by Ibn Warraq
Part 1
As Patricia Crone once put it, “new religions do not spring fully fledged from the heads of prophets, old civilizations are not conjured away.” Islam did not somehow emerge fully developed, as the Islamic traditional accounts would have us believe, but slowly, over a long period of time, as the Arab conquerors came into contact with the far older cultures and civilizations, which pushed the Arabs to question and forge their own religious and cultural identity. Ever since the Nineteenth Century, when Western scholars, especially German, but also Italian, French, Hungarian, and British, began to examine Islam and the Koran in the same manner that they had begun examining the Old and New Testament, the debate has been as to determine whether it was Judaism or Christianity that contributed most to the creation of Islam. As Richard Bell, in his The Origin of Islam in Its Christian Environment [Edinburgh, 1925], expressed it, “That both Judaism and Christianity played a part in forming the doctrine of Islam and in preparing the spiritual soil of Arabia for its reception has long been recognised. How much influence is to be attributed to the one, and how much to the other, is difficult to decide. For much is common to both, and we have to remember that there were many forms of Christianity intermediate between the orthodox Church of the seventh century and the Judaism out of which it sprang, and it was in the East, on the confines of Arabia, that we know these Judaistic forms of Christianity to have longest maintained themselves. Some things in the Qur'an and in Islam which appear specially Jewish, may really have come through nominally Christian channels. But even with that allowance there is no doubt about the large influence exercised by Judaism.”
A. CHRISTIANITY: APOCRYPHA
Adolf von Harnack [1851-1930], in his Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten [The Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries] (1902, revised 1906, 1915, and finally 1924), wrote, “The large regions south of Palestine, Damascus, and Mesopotamia which bear the name of 'Arabia' were never civilized -- they were not even subdued -- by the Romans, with the exception of the country lying east of the Jordan and several positions south of the Dead Sea. Consequently we can look for Christians during our epoch only in the districts just mentioned, where Arabian, Greek, and Roman cities were inhabited by people of superior civilization. Immediately after his conversion Paul betook himself to 'Arabia' (Gal. 1.17), i.e., hardly to the desert, but rather to the province south of Damascus. Arabians are also mentioned in Acts 2.11…. There are no Arabic versions of the Bible previous to Islam, a fact which proves irrefragably that in its primitive period Christianity had secured no footing at all among the Arabs. Indeed it never secured such a footing, for the Arabic versions were not made for Arabs at all, but for Copts and Syrians who had become Arabians.”
Nonetheless, the Christian churches on the confines of Arabia exercised a certain amount of influence, and this influence came primarily from Syria in the north-west, Mesopotamia in the north-east, and Abyssinia in the west. The latter center may have exercised its influence across the Red Sea, but more probably by way of Yemen in the south, which was under Abyssinian rule for a while. However, as ever, scholars are divided as to the extent of the Christian presence in the Hijaz, that is, that part of Saudi Arabia that accommodates the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. For example, J.S. Trimingham, in his Christianity among the Arabs in pre-Islamic Times [London, 1979], remarks that: “Christianity was non-existent among the Arabs of western Arabia south of the Judham tribes.” In a chapter headed “Christians in the Hijaz,” after describing the history of Mecca according to the Muslim sources, plus its geographical location, he concludes that “these factors are sufficient to explain why Christianity in any of its available forms could have no influence upon its inhabitants.” Whereas another scholar, Irfan Shahid, in his Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fifth Century, observes that “Places with distinctly Christian association, such as Maqbarat al Nasara, the cemetery of the Christians, are attested in Mecca in later Islamic sources and these could not possibly have been fabricated.”
I believe that it is inadvisable, fruitless and unnecessary to rely upon late sources to establish the presence of Jews or Christians in Arabia, since, if the arguments of the revisionists inspired by the work of John Wansbrough are correct, Islam developed not in Arabia but much further north in the “the Sectarian Milieu” of Palestine and Syria. Thus we need only to examine the Koran itself to see that it is full of stories and motifs derived from the Old and New Testament. But such a scrutiny also yields further surprising results: many of the stories in the Koran, especially of Mary, mother of Jesus, have been taken from the apocryphal Gospels, which in turn derived them from older Buddhist texts.
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 11:46 AM
Egypt: Popular Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh Misunderstands Islam [The Religion Of Peace], Says: Jerusalem Belongs To Us, And The Whole World Belongs To Us
From Jihad Watch:
Egypt: Popular Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh misunderstands Islam, says: "Jerusalem belongs to us, and the whole world belongs to us"
He said it. Safwat Hegazy must be some kind of Islamophobe. "Shaykh Safwat Hegazy: 'Jerusalem Belongs to Us, and the Whole World Belongs to Us,'" from Translating Jihad, July 8 (thanks to all who sent this in):
In this video, popular Egyptian Shaykh Safwat Hegazy threatens Jews and Christians, and ultimately the whole world, saying, "Jerusalem belongs to us, and the whole world belongs to us." He states the Islamic caliphate will return, and that "every land upon which Islam has set foot will return to us." He makes poignant references to Qurayza and Khaybar, which are clear threats against the Jews, and also states, "we will kill anyone who has polluted the al-Aqsa Mosque."
It is important to note that Hegazy is not some kooky, fringe shaykh with no following. He is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and has been involved with several satellite television shows, including his show "Age of Glory" on the al-Nas television network. He addressed crowds at Tahrir Square in Cairo during the revolution against Mubarak, and could be seen standing directly behind Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi when the latter led between 1-2 million Muslims in Tahrir Square in prayer after Mubarak stepped down.
This was translated from a video clip posted on YouTube 2 Oct 2009. Subtitled video is above, transcript is below:
[...] I say unto you Gouraud, we will return and we will kill anyone who has polluted the al-Aqsa Mosque. I say unto you that we will return, as the day of Qurayza from long ago. I say unto you that we will return, as the day of Khaybar from long ago. I say unto you that we will return. Jerusalem belongs to us. Al-Aqsa belongs to us. Jerusalem belongs to us, and the whole world belongs to us. Every land upon which Islam has set foot will return to us. The caliphate will return to us, on the platform of prophecy. The greatness and glory of Islam will return. Its justice will cover this land. I say unto you Gouraud, you Frenchman, that the land of Islam will return, and we will pray in Jerusalem.
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 12:31 PM
Egypt: Popular Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh misunderstands Islam, says: "Jerusalem belongs to us, and the whole world belongs to us"
He said it. Safwat Hegazy must be some kind of Islamophobe. "Shaykh Safwat Hegazy: 'Jerusalem Belongs to Us, and the Whole World Belongs to Us,'" from Translating Jihad, July 8 (thanks to all who sent this in):
In this video, popular Egyptian Shaykh Safwat Hegazy threatens Jews and Christians, and ultimately the whole world, saying, "Jerusalem belongs to us, and the whole world belongs to us." He states the Islamic caliphate will return, and that "every land upon which Islam has set foot will return to us." He makes poignant references to Qurayza and Khaybar, which are clear threats against the Jews, and also states, "we will kill anyone who has polluted the al-Aqsa Mosque."
It is important to note that Hegazy is not some kooky, fringe shaykh with no following. He is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and has been involved with several satellite television shows, including his show "Age of Glory" on the al-Nas television network. He addressed crowds at Tahrir Square in Cairo during the revolution against Mubarak, and could be seen standing directly behind Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi when the latter led between 1-2 million Muslims in Tahrir Square in prayer after Mubarak stepped down.
This was translated from a video clip posted on YouTube 2 Oct 2009. Subtitled video is above, transcript is below:
[...] I say unto you Gouraud, we will return and we will kill anyone who has polluted the al-Aqsa Mosque. I say unto you that we will return, as the day of Qurayza from long ago. I say unto you that we will return, as the day of Khaybar from long ago. I say unto you that we will return. Jerusalem belongs to us. Al-Aqsa belongs to us. Jerusalem belongs to us, and the whole world belongs to us. Every land upon which Islam has set foot will return to us. The caliphate will return to us, on the platform of prophecy. The greatness and glory of Islam will return. Its justice will cover this land. I say unto you Gouraud, you Frenchman, that the land of Islam will return, and we will pray in Jerusalem.
Posted by Robert on July 11, 2011 12:31 PM
Indonesia: Christians Forced Out Of Church Building, Hounded Even As They Tried To Worship At The Side Of The Road
From Jihad Watch:
Indonesia: Christians forced out of church building, hounded even as they tried to worship at the side of the road
This situation in Bogor is reminiscent of the one faced by another West Java congregation last year, in the adjacent city of Bekasi. They were denied the use of a building as a church, and faced brutal harassment even as they tried to worship instead in an open field.
Lightning strikes twice in Modern, Moderate Indonesia. More than twice, actually, as Bogor itself has seen its own share of Islamic supremacist persecution of Christians before. At the heart of the matter is Sharia's prohibition of new non-Muslim houses of worship, or the repair of existing ones. "Muslim threats against Yasmin Church in West Java continue," by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, July 11:
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Diani Budiarto, mayor of Bogor (West Java), does not give up. He still wants to force the members of the Yasmin Protestant Church (GKI) to leave their church building, even though it was built in accordance with the rules. The mayor has refused to uphold a direct order by the Supreme Court of Indonesia, which authorises the Yasmin Church, to build a place of worship on land it owns. Local sources have told AsiaNews that Mayor Budiarto has also tried to stir anti-Christian sentiments among extremist Muslim groups.
On Saturday, the mayor again sent a letter to the Church demanding it stop holding Sunday prayers outside the church building. He also suggested other places where they church congregation could meet, for instance the Harmoni Function Hall.
However, Yasmin Church officials are steadfast in refusing the mayor’s proposal to go elsewhere. They note that the mayor has never said where they could build their new church, and that his latest letter is worthless since it does not provide “any date or useful information”.
On Sunday, hundreds of faithful met again on the road next the church site to celebrate a religious service. However, dozens of radical Muslims swarmed the place, disrupting the function. The same had occurred a week earlier; on that occasion, the protesters tried to interrupt the service by singing.
Rev Ujang Tanusaputra and his secretary, Rev Diah Renata Anggraeni, denied claims by the mayor in his letter that they had accepted to stop praying in the street. Contrary to what the letter said, their Church did not hold any meetings on the indicated dates, namely 6, 7 and 8 July. Instead, they urged the mayor to respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
Mr Bona Sigalingging Sh, a spokesperson for the Church, told AsiaNews “the idea of moving the road service to Harmoni Function Hall is not part of the solution.” Instead, “the mayor created a new problem by ignoring the supremacy of the law. The Church will not be chase [sic] away from the road where it meets,” he added.
“Two protesters tried to reach our leader, Jayadi Damanik,” Bona Sigalingging explained. “They told him to persuade the faithful to stop praying by the road, but he rejected their request. Even a Bogor city official intervened, asking me to persuade the community to stop its activities because Muslim groups view them negatively. I rejected the request. The real problem is the fact that the mayor has ignored the Supreme Court decision.”
Minor incidents followed the service. “At least, eight demonstrators got close to Jayadi Damanik and Tomas Wadu Dara to force them to stop and take them away,” Bona Sigalingging said.
The two clergymen said they were taken away and locked up in a room in a nearby building in order to convince them to stop praying in the street. The Yasmin Church will not however give up.
Posted by Marisol on July 12, 2011 12:19 AM
Indonesia: Christians forced out of church building, hounded even as they tried to worship at the side of the road
This situation in Bogor is reminiscent of the one faced by another West Java congregation last year, in the adjacent city of Bekasi. They were denied the use of a building as a church, and faced brutal harassment even as they tried to worship instead in an open field.
Lightning strikes twice in Modern, Moderate Indonesia. More than twice, actually, as Bogor itself has seen its own share of Islamic supremacist persecution of Christians before. At the heart of the matter is Sharia's prohibition of new non-Muslim houses of worship, or the repair of existing ones. "Muslim threats against Yasmin Church in West Java continue," by Mathias Hariyadi for Asia News, July 11:
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Diani Budiarto, mayor of Bogor (West Java), does not give up. He still wants to force the members of the Yasmin Protestant Church (GKI) to leave their church building, even though it was built in accordance with the rules. The mayor has refused to uphold a direct order by the Supreme Court of Indonesia, which authorises the Yasmin Church, to build a place of worship on land it owns. Local sources have told AsiaNews that Mayor Budiarto has also tried to stir anti-Christian sentiments among extremist Muslim groups.
On Saturday, the mayor again sent a letter to the Church demanding it stop holding Sunday prayers outside the church building. He also suggested other places where they church congregation could meet, for instance the Harmoni Function Hall.
However, Yasmin Church officials are steadfast in refusing the mayor’s proposal to go elsewhere. They note that the mayor has never said where they could build their new church, and that his latest letter is worthless since it does not provide “any date or useful information”.
On Sunday, hundreds of faithful met again on the road next the church site to celebrate a religious service. However, dozens of radical Muslims swarmed the place, disrupting the function. The same had occurred a week earlier; on that occasion, the protesters tried to interrupt the service by singing.
Rev Ujang Tanusaputra and his secretary, Rev Diah Renata Anggraeni, denied claims by the mayor in his letter that they had accepted to stop praying in the street. Contrary to what the letter said, their Church did not hold any meetings on the indicated dates, namely 6, 7 and 8 July. Instead, they urged the mayor to respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
Mr Bona Sigalingging Sh, a spokesperson for the Church, told AsiaNews “the idea of moving the road service to Harmoni Function Hall is not part of the solution.” Instead, “the mayor created a new problem by ignoring the supremacy of the law. The Church will not be chase [sic] away from the road where it meets,” he added.
“Two protesters tried to reach our leader, Jayadi Damanik,” Bona Sigalingging explained. “They told him to persuade the faithful to stop praying by the road, but he rejected their request. Even a Bogor city official intervened, asking me to persuade the community to stop its activities because Muslim groups view them negatively. I rejected the request. The real problem is the fact that the mayor has ignored the Supreme Court decision.”
Minor incidents followed the service. “At least, eight demonstrators got close to Jayadi Damanik and Tomas Wadu Dara to force them to stop and take them away,” Bona Sigalingging said.
The two clergymen said they were taken away and locked up in a room in a nearby building in order to convince them to stop praying in the street. The Yasmin Church will not however give up.
Posted by Marisol on July 12, 2011 12:19 AM
Only Suspect Arrested In Taliban-Ordered Mutilation Of Afghani Woman Is Set Free
From Jihad Watch:
Only suspect arrested in Taliban-ordered mutilation of Afghan woman is set free
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan sends the message loud and clear that women's rights don't matter. It has been a common practice in Afghanistan before to imprison and punish women who fled violent husbands, as Bibi Aisha did, with authorities regarding their escapes as "tantamount to adultery." "Suspect in Mutilation of an Afghan Woman Is Freed," by Alissa J. Rubin for the New York Times, July 11:
KABUL, Afghanistan — The only suspect arrested in the case of a woman mutilated for leaving her husband has been released, local Afghan officials and the woman’s father said Monday, in a move that has angered human rights advocates and the woman’s family.
The suspect, Sulaiman, who like many Afghans has one name, was released with the knowledge of the governor in south-central Oruzgan Province, said the provincial attorney, Ghulam Farouq. Police officials had said that Mr. Sulaiman, the woman’s father-in-law, had confessed to taking part in the mutilation in 2009, though Mr. Farouq said he had recently insisted he was innocent.
On Monday, Mr. Farouq gave two different reasons for the release of Mr. Suleiman: that there was no one in Afghanistan to press the case against him — because the victim is now in the United States — and that he did not cut off the girl’s nose himself.
“If someone commits a crime, then nobody else should be punished or arrested,” Mr. Farouq said. “The crime was committed by his son, Quadratullah, and this innocent guy was imprisoned for 11 months.”.
Never mind that he helped hold her down, as described a few paragraphs below:
The governor of Oruzgan Province could not be reached for comment on Monday. [...].
The woman, Bibi Aisha, came to national attention when Time magazine used a photo of her on its cover in August 2010, with the suggestion that this was what would happen to women if the West left Afghanistan. A child bride, Aisha (Bibi is an honorific; Aisha asked that her family name be withheld) had fled her arranged marriage to a Taliban fighter, but was captured and returned to the village where her husband, father-in-law and two brothers-in-law cut her nose and ears off after getting approval from the local Taliban mullah, said Aisha’s father, Mohammedzai, who was interviewed by telephone on Monday.
He added that Mr. Sulaiman was one of the people who held down his daughter while her husband cut her. The mutilation took place in Chora, a remote area of Oruzgan Province. Left for dead, Aisha fled to the safety of a women’s shelter in Kabul run by the advocacy group Women for Afghan Women, which publicized her plight a year later.
“The man they let out, he was Aisha’s father-in-law,” said Mr. Mohammedzai, his voice cracking as he spoke. “He was there at the time when they chopped off her nose and did the cruelty to her. He was one of the culprits and should have been punished, but the government released him.”.
“We don’t know who released him,” he said. “We don’t know at all. It’s either government weakness or our weakness. We don’t have money to pay the government and we don’t have someone in the government to support us.”.
The other perpetrators have not been apprehended because the area is controlled by the Taliban and the police cannot enter it, the police have said. Aisha’s husband, Quadratullah, who is a Taliban commander, fled to Pakistan or goes back and forth, according to women’s rights advocates who have tracked the case....
Posted by Marisol on July 12, 2011 12:24 AM
Only suspect arrested in Taliban-ordered mutilation of Afghan woman is set free
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan sends the message loud and clear that women's rights don't matter. It has been a common practice in Afghanistan before to imprison and punish women who fled violent husbands, as Bibi Aisha did, with authorities regarding their escapes as "tantamount to adultery." "Suspect in Mutilation of an Afghan Woman Is Freed," by Alissa J. Rubin for the New York Times, July 11:
KABUL, Afghanistan — The only suspect arrested in the case of a woman mutilated for leaving her husband has been released, local Afghan officials and the woman’s father said Monday, in a move that has angered human rights advocates and the woman’s family.
The suspect, Sulaiman, who like many Afghans has one name, was released with the knowledge of the governor in south-central Oruzgan Province, said the provincial attorney, Ghulam Farouq. Police officials had said that Mr. Sulaiman, the woman’s father-in-law, had confessed to taking part in the mutilation in 2009, though Mr. Farouq said he had recently insisted he was innocent.
On Monday, Mr. Farouq gave two different reasons for the release of Mr. Suleiman: that there was no one in Afghanistan to press the case against him — because the victim is now in the United States — and that he did not cut off the girl’s nose himself.
“If someone commits a crime, then nobody else should be punished or arrested,” Mr. Farouq said. “The crime was committed by his son, Quadratullah, and this innocent guy was imprisoned for 11 months.”.
Never mind that he helped hold her down, as described a few paragraphs below:
The governor of Oruzgan Province could not be reached for comment on Monday. [...].
The woman, Bibi Aisha, came to national attention when Time magazine used a photo of her on its cover in August 2010, with the suggestion that this was what would happen to women if the West left Afghanistan. A child bride, Aisha (Bibi is an honorific; Aisha asked that her family name be withheld) had fled her arranged marriage to a Taliban fighter, but was captured and returned to the village where her husband, father-in-law and two brothers-in-law cut her nose and ears off after getting approval from the local Taliban mullah, said Aisha’s father, Mohammedzai, who was interviewed by telephone on Monday.
He added that Mr. Sulaiman was one of the people who held down his daughter while her husband cut her. The mutilation took place in Chora, a remote area of Oruzgan Province. Left for dead, Aisha fled to the safety of a women’s shelter in Kabul run by the advocacy group Women for Afghan Women, which publicized her plight a year later.
“The man they let out, he was Aisha’s father-in-law,” said Mr. Mohammedzai, his voice cracking as he spoke. “He was there at the time when they chopped off her nose and did the cruelty to her. He was one of the culprits and should have been punished, but the government released him.”.
“We don’t know who released him,” he said. “We don’t know at all. It’s either government weakness or our weakness. We don’t have money to pay the government and we don’t have someone in the government to support us.”.
The other perpetrators have not been apprehended because the area is controlled by the Taliban and the police cannot enter it, the police have said. Aisha’s husband, Quadratullah, who is a Taliban commander, fled to Pakistan or goes back and forth, according to women’s rights advocates who have tracked the case....
Posted by Marisol on July 12, 2011 12:24 AM
Former Czech Prime Minister Faces Criminal Complaint For Criticizing Islam
From Jihad Watch:
Former Czech prime minister faces "criminal complaint" for criticizing Islam
Milos Zeman "has been known for his strong statements." The ones he made about Islam got him hauled into court. "Former Czech PM sued over statements on Islam," from the Prague Monitor, July 7 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):
Prague, July 7 (CTK) - Retired politician Milos Zeman, Czech prime minister in 1998-2002, faces a criminal complaint over the statements on Islam he made in June at an international conference on Europe.
"The enemy is the anti-civilisation spreading from North Africa to Indonesia. Two billion people live in it and it is financed partly from oil sales and partly from drug sales," Czech news servers quoted Zeman as saying about Islam at the recent conference.
Zeman said Thursday Muslims believe in the Koran like Nazis believed in racial supremacy and anti-semitism and communists in class struggle and dictatorship of the proletariat.
He said Islam is far more aggressive and intolerant than present Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and other world religions.
He added that the Koran includes passages calling for the subjugation, enslavement and even elimination of non-believers.
Qur'an 9:29: "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."
Qur'an 9:5: "So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush..."
Zeman has been known for his strong statements.
So has the Qur'an.
Posted by Marisol on July 12, 2011 12:54 AM
Former Czech prime minister faces "criminal complaint" for criticizing Islam
Milos Zeman "has been known for his strong statements." The ones he made about Islam got him hauled into court. "Former Czech PM sued over statements on Islam," from the Prague Monitor, July 7 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):
Prague, July 7 (CTK) - Retired politician Milos Zeman, Czech prime minister in 1998-2002, faces a criminal complaint over the statements on Islam he made in June at an international conference on Europe.
"The enemy is the anti-civilisation spreading from North Africa to Indonesia. Two billion people live in it and it is financed partly from oil sales and partly from drug sales," Czech news servers quoted Zeman as saying about Islam at the recent conference.
Zeman said Thursday Muslims believe in the Koran like Nazis believed in racial supremacy and anti-semitism and communists in class struggle and dictatorship of the proletariat.
He said Islam is far more aggressive and intolerant than present Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and other world religions.
He added that the Koran includes passages calling for the subjugation, enslavement and even elimination of non-believers.
Qur'an 9:29: "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."
Qur'an 9:5: "So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush..."
Zeman has been known for his strong statements.
So has the Qur'an.
Posted by Marisol on July 12, 2011 12:54 AM
Radical Islam In Germany: The Convert As Missionary
From Middle East and Terrorism Blog:
Monday, July 11, 2011
Radical Islam in Germany: The Convert as Missionary
by Veli Sirin
Abu Hamza, born a German named Pierre Vogel in 1978, is a very popular Islamist preacher in Germany. The former professional boxer became Muslim in 2001 and is now among the most influential German representatives of Saudi-originated Wahhabi fundamentalism, which masquerades as "Salafism."
His "kunya" or "Islamic nickname," Abu Hamza, means "father of the strong." He should not be confused with the notorious radical Muslim agitator currently locked up in Britain, Abu Hamza al-Masri, known for his missing eye and a prosthetic hook that substitutes for his right hand, or for the two late al-Qaida terrorists active in Pakistan and Iraq, who also used the same name. Vogel's impact among German Muslims is no less ominous, however, even if his extremism appears more restrained.
Adherents of Wahhabism like Pierre Vogel, alias Abu Hamza, call themselves "Salafi" in claiming they emulate the prominent adherents of early Islam. "Salaf" is an Arabic noun meaning "predecessor" or "forefather," and the first three Muslim generations are collectively referred to as "al-Salaf as-Saleh," or the "Pious Predecessors."
Vogel received his religious training in an Islamic school in Saudi Arabia. Through nationwide lecture tours and the creation of several websites, he has reached out to very religious young German Muslims, as well as to young non-Muslim Germans with identity problems.
Those who flock to him are impressed by Vogel's apparent knowledge of Islam and his mastery of Arabic, the language of the Koran. Central to his teaching is the belief that Islam is the only true religion, while all Christians and Jews are "kuffar," or "unbelievers." In addition, Vogel sees "da'wa," or calling others to Islam, as an obligation incumbent on every Muslim. He has fashioned himself as a missionary and argues explicitly that he possesses theological evidence for the superiority of Islam.
Vogel's worldview embodies a rigid distinction between Islamic and "un-Islamic" behavior. The strict division between "the bad" and "the good" appeals to some young Muslims, because they are promised a clear orientation in their everyday lives and identification with a like-minded community. Although Vogel rejects the use of violence in the cause of Islam, the German authorities see his Manichean outlook – the harsh separation of "bad" and "good" – as dangerous, because of its radicalizing effects on the very religious and the confused.
The preaching of Pierre Vogel and his limiting Islam to a formal set of "Salafi" rules is opposed increasingly by other German Muslim personalities and organizations. They also criticize Vogel for exploiting complaints of discrimination against Muslims in Germany. On his websites, Vogel asserts that Muslims in Europe are faced with an impending Holocaust.
The internet is his main stage. His sites have gained five million hits in one and a half years, a matter of which he is proud.
What is the basis of his attraction? Born Muslims consider him "cool," as a broad-shouldered German with a reddish-blond beard, who can chant Koranic chapters in Arabic without mispronouncing a syllable. Vogel knows what life is like as a teenager in Germany. "I know everything," he says. "Casinos, discos, women. And I also know why it is better to live another kind of life in which one abstains from sex before marriage," he explains. For every convert who comes to him, 10 to 20 people who were born Muslim claim that he has helped them find their way back to Islam.
For non-Muslims, and particularly the young who encounter him, Pierre Vogel provides answers to anxieties about the meaning of existence. If, according to simplistic Wahhabi doctrines, the only need is to serve God, then life immediately seems easier to face. By unquestioning adherence to the Koran and the prohibitions and recommendations of the Wahhabi interpretation, believers are promised standing in the afterlife and probable entry into paradise. Vogel's outward piety, like his German origin, adds to his image as someone who refuses to conform to the society in which he lives. That is also deemed "cool."
Radical Islam, in the style of a musical remix, with anti-globalization propaganda added to religious sermonizing, arrived in the German universities long ago. The media also play an important role in the prestige of the extremists, as a steady diet of news about aggressive Islam makes many young Muslims and non-Muslims defensive. "One-sided news brings thousands of converts," says Pierre Vogel. There are always those whose curiosity is stimulated by a threat. According to Vogel, they want to know the truth about Islam; "they come to listen, and discover that Islam is the truth."
Critics of Vogel describe his method as brainwashing. A young Pakistani studying in Germany comments, "There is currently no alternative for young people who want to learn about moderate Islam in Germany." The Wahhabi "Salafis" have the best web sites and publish the most translations of Islamic literature. Unfortunately, Muslim university students are typically afraid to say anything about the situation. Whoever speaks against Pierre Vogel will be abused by his supporters, in online chat forums. "The success of this movement makes me very angry, because it has nothing to do with Islam as I understand it," says the same Pakistani student in Germany. "I do not want to live in a society defined by Pierre Vogel. It would be a nightmare for all people."
Pierre Vogel, or Abu Hamza, uses all the weaknesses of our society and sets us against one another. People like him do not appear randomly. With the help of financing from the Gulf states, they fill an existing void in knowledge about Islam. As they are daily more active in German universities, they are a serious problem.
A space should be opened up in German public life, where intelligent people may get together to repudiate the hatred Vogel uses to manipulate Muslims. This view of the condition of young German Muslims may seem pessimistic, but Vogel and others like him pose a real danger. It is necessary to admit it, face it, and combat it.
Veli Sirin
Source: http://www.hudson-ny.org/2253/radical-islam-germany
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
Posted by sally at 8:23 PM
Monday, July 11, 2011
Radical Islam in Germany: The Convert as Missionary
by Veli Sirin
Abu Hamza, born a German named Pierre Vogel in 1978, is a very popular Islamist preacher in Germany. The former professional boxer became Muslim in 2001 and is now among the most influential German representatives of Saudi-originated Wahhabi fundamentalism, which masquerades as "Salafism."
His "kunya" or "Islamic nickname," Abu Hamza, means "father of the strong." He should not be confused with the notorious radical Muslim agitator currently locked up in Britain, Abu Hamza al-Masri, known for his missing eye and a prosthetic hook that substitutes for his right hand, or for the two late al-Qaida terrorists active in Pakistan and Iraq, who also used the same name. Vogel's impact among German Muslims is no less ominous, however, even if his extremism appears more restrained.
Adherents of Wahhabism like Pierre Vogel, alias Abu Hamza, call themselves "Salafi" in claiming they emulate the prominent adherents of early Islam. "Salaf" is an Arabic noun meaning "predecessor" or "forefather," and the first three Muslim generations are collectively referred to as "al-Salaf as-Saleh," or the "Pious Predecessors."
Vogel received his religious training in an Islamic school in Saudi Arabia. Through nationwide lecture tours and the creation of several websites, he has reached out to very religious young German Muslims, as well as to young non-Muslim Germans with identity problems.
Those who flock to him are impressed by Vogel's apparent knowledge of Islam and his mastery of Arabic, the language of the Koran. Central to his teaching is the belief that Islam is the only true religion, while all Christians and Jews are "kuffar," or "unbelievers." In addition, Vogel sees "da'wa," or calling others to Islam, as an obligation incumbent on every Muslim. He has fashioned himself as a missionary and argues explicitly that he possesses theological evidence for the superiority of Islam.
Vogel's worldview embodies a rigid distinction between Islamic and "un-Islamic" behavior. The strict division between "the bad" and "the good" appeals to some young Muslims, because they are promised a clear orientation in their everyday lives and identification with a like-minded community. Although Vogel rejects the use of violence in the cause of Islam, the German authorities see his Manichean outlook – the harsh separation of "bad" and "good" – as dangerous, because of its radicalizing effects on the very religious and the confused.
The preaching of Pierre Vogel and his limiting Islam to a formal set of "Salafi" rules is opposed increasingly by other German Muslim personalities and organizations. They also criticize Vogel for exploiting complaints of discrimination against Muslims in Germany. On his websites, Vogel asserts that Muslims in Europe are faced with an impending Holocaust.
The internet is his main stage. His sites have gained five million hits in one and a half years, a matter of which he is proud.
What is the basis of his attraction? Born Muslims consider him "cool," as a broad-shouldered German with a reddish-blond beard, who can chant Koranic chapters in Arabic without mispronouncing a syllable. Vogel knows what life is like as a teenager in Germany. "I know everything," he says. "Casinos, discos, women. And I also know why it is better to live another kind of life in which one abstains from sex before marriage," he explains. For every convert who comes to him, 10 to 20 people who were born Muslim claim that he has helped them find their way back to Islam.
For non-Muslims, and particularly the young who encounter him, Pierre Vogel provides answers to anxieties about the meaning of existence. If, according to simplistic Wahhabi doctrines, the only need is to serve God, then life immediately seems easier to face. By unquestioning adherence to the Koran and the prohibitions and recommendations of the Wahhabi interpretation, believers are promised standing in the afterlife and probable entry into paradise. Vogel's outward piety, like his German origin, adds to his image as someone who refuses to conform to the society in which he lives. That is also deemed "cool."
Radical Islam, in the style of a musical remix, with anti-globalization propaganda added to religious sermonizing, arrived in the German universities long ago. The media also play an important role in the prestige of the extremists, as a steady diet of news about aggressive Islam makes many young Muslims and non-Muslims defensive. "One-sided news brings thousands of converts," says Pierre Vogel. There are always those whose curiosity is stimulated by a threat. According to Vogel, they want to know the truth about Islam; "they come to listen, and discover that Islam is the truth."
Critics of Vogel describe his method as brainwashing. A young Pakistani studying in Germany comments, "There is currently no alternative for young people who want to learn about moderate Islam in Germany." The Wahhabi "Salafis" have the best web sites and publish the most translations of Islamic literature. Unfortunately, Muslim university students are typically afraid to say anything about the situation. Whoever speaks against Pierre Vogel will be abused by his supporters, in online chat forums. "The success of this movement makes me very angry, because it has nothing to do with Islam as I understand it," says the same Pakistani student in Germany. "I do not want to live in a society defined by Pierre Vogel. It would be a nightmare for all people."
Pierre Vogel, or Abu Hamza, uses all the weaknesses of our society and sets us against one another. People like him do not appear randomly. With the help of financing from the Gulf states, they fill an existing void in knowledge about Islam. As they are daily more active in German universities, they are a serious problem.
A space should be opened up in German public life, where intelligent people may get together to repudiate the hatred Vogel uses to manipulate Muslims. This view of the condition of young German Muslims may seem pessimistic, but Vogel and others like him pose a real danger. It is necessary to admit it, face it, and combat it.
Veli Sirin
Source: http://www.hudson-ny.org/2253/radical-islam-germany
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
Posted by sally at 8:23 PM
Five Reasons To Ban The Burqa
From Middle East and Terrorism:
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Five Reasons To Ban the Burqa
by Daniel Greenfield
Belgium and France have banned the Burqa and the new Dutch government is considering doing the same. Critics have charged that the ban is religiously intolerant, some even claim that it’s intolerant of women, but the truth is that the Burqa is dangerous to women. Both those who wear it—and those who don’t.
1. The Burqa Covers Up Abuse
Countries where the Burqa is commonly worn also have higher rates of domestic violence. In Afghanistan 87 percent of women reported experiencing domestic violence. In Pakistan that number goes as high as 90 percent. Domestic violence is also a major problem in Saudi Arabia.
In cases of domestic abuse, the Burqa doesn’t just isolate the woman, it also covers up evidence of the abuse. It gives the abuser the freedom to brutalize his partner without worrying that anyone will even notice.
This is an especially vital issue in Europe, where spousal abuse is a serious crime, and the abuser has more motivation than ever to cover it up. The Burqa successfully isolates abuse victims, cuts them off from any prospective support networks and prevents anyone on the outside from even realizing what is being done to them.
The Muslim community has been in denial about its rates of domestic abuse. The Burqa is one reason why. It’s easier not to see abused women, when they are segregated and the marks of their abuse are kept out sight.
2. The Burqa Justifies Sexual Assault on Women Who Don’t Wear It
In response to a gang rape, the Chief Mufti of Australia said, “If she was in her room, in her home, in her Hijab, no problem would have occurred.” By wearing the Burqa or Hijab, women participate in a narrative that gives rapists a pass for sexual assaults on women who don’t dress the way the Mufti or Imam says they should.
The Koran gives a similar justification for a head to toe covering for women, “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies that they may thus be distinguished and not molested.” (Koran 33:59)
This distinction between women who can be ‘molested’ and those who cannot is what makes the Burqa such an explosive addition to Europe—which is already suffering from a high rate of Muslim sexual assaults on non-Muslim women.
The Burqa divides women into “good girls” and “whores” and gives potential rapists, religious ammunition for their crimes.
Banning the Burqa protects women who choose not to wear it from being assaulted because of their perceived immodesty.
3. Civic Participation
The essence of a modern society is that it extends civic participation to everyone. Deliberately preventing an entire gender from participating in society as identifiable individuals is an assault on the democratic character of the state.
Individuals are recognizable through personal attributes. Remove those attributes and you remove the individuality as well. The Sahih Bukhari relates that one inspiration for the Burqa was that one of Mohammed’s followers was able to recognize one of his wives at night. The implication is that the Burqa is meant to prevent such recognition from taking place. Women are not meant to be recognized as individuals. Or to be empowered to make their own decisions.
The Burqa is designed to impede interaction outside the home. The failure to be recognized as an individual is dehumanizing and deprives women of their role in civic life.
Countries where the Burqa is in wide use, have low rates of female civic participation. In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to vote. In parts of Pakistan, women are not allowed to vote as well. In Afghanistan women were shunted into female only polling stations, or forced to vote by proxy through a male family member.
The rise of such segregation in Europe would threaten the democratic character of the society. But should the Burqa become widespread, the status of some European women living in national capitals would begin to resemble those of Saudi and Pakistani women.
4. Segregation is Discrimination
Purdah segregates women at homes and the Burqa segregates them in public. While the authorities cannot interfere with what people choose to do in their own homes—the public wearing of the Burqa is a statement that women are unequal and must be segregated.
Such an attitude is an assault on the legal place of women in society. It imposes the norms of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the streets of Paris and London. Like a Klan march, it a dehumanizing and intimidating statement of bigotry against a segment of society. While in the United States, such marches are legal, in much of Europe they are not.
If radicals are prevented from making public statements about the inferiority of races, why should they be permitted to assert the inferiority of a gender.
“Men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other,” the Koran asserts. Replace ‘women’ with any race or religion, and a public assertion of such a thing would be cause for criminal proceedings.
Imposing the segregation of the Burqa on women in an assertion of a bigoted creed that dehumanizes an entire gender. While Muslims are free to believe what they do, a public display that dehumanizes women as a gender by treating their faces as obscene, is an intolerant violation of the norms of civil society.
5. The Wearing of the Burqa is Enforced Through Violence
“More often the girls were under orders from their fathers and uncles and brothers, and even their male classmates. For the boys, transforming a bluejeaned teen-age sister into a docile and observant “Muslim” virgin was a rite de passage into authority, the fast track to becoming a man, and more important, a Muslim man…. it was also a license for violence.” (Jane Kramer, Taking the Veil, New Yorker)
In 2003 a French survey found that 77 percent of girls who wore the Hijab did so because of threats. Women in the Muslim world have been punished by having acid thrown in their faces for not complying with similar demands. There is no way to break through this climate of coercion except by giving women and girls immunity from such demands by banning the source of it. The Burqa.
The Burqa also exposes women to blackmail and intimidation when they deviate from the standard of full body covering. There is a rising number of cases in which women and girls who posted Facebook pictures of themselves in normal clothes have been blackmailed and threatened for it.
As long as the Burqa remains a threat hanging over the heads of Muslim and non-Muslim women alike, no woman in Europe can truly be free from its implied threat to her person and her political freedoms.
Daniel Greenfield
Source: http://frontpagemag.com/2011/07/11/five-reasons-to-ban-the-burqa/
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
Posted by sally at 1:47 PM
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Five Reasons To Ban the Burqa
by Daniel Greenfield
Belgium and France have banned the Burqa and the new Dutch government is considering doing the same. Critics have charged that the ban is religiously intolerant, some even claim that it’s intolerant of women, but the truth is that the Burqa is dangerous to women. Both those who wear it—and those who don’t.
1. The Burqa Covers Up Abuse
Countries where the Burqa is commonly worn also have higher rates of domestic violence. In Afghanistan 87 percent of women reported experiencing domestic violence. In Pakistan that number goes as high as 90 percent. Domestic violence is also a major problem in Saudi Arabia.
In cases of domestic abuse, the Burqa doesn’t just isolate the woman, it also covers up evidence of the abuse. It gives the abuser the freedom to brutalize his partner without worrying that anyone will even notice.
This is an especially vital issue in Europe, where spousal abuse is a serious crime, and the abuser has more motivation than ever to cover it up. The Burqa successfully isolates abuse victims, cuts them off from any prospective support networks and prevents anyone on the outside from even realizing what is being done to them.
The Muslim community has been in denial about its rates of domestic abuse. The Burqa is one reason why. It’s easier not to see abused women, when they are segregated and the marks of their abuse are kept out sight.
2. The Burqa Justifies Sexual Assault on Women Who Don’t Wear It
In response to a gang rape, the Chief Mufti of Australia said, “If she was in her room, in her home, in her Hijab, no problem would have occurred.” By wearing the Burqa or Hijab, women participate in a narrative that gives rapists a pass for sexual assaults on women who don’t dress the way the Mufti or Imam says they should.
The Koran gives a similar justification for a head to toe covering for women, “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies that they may thus be distinguished and not molested.” (Koran 33:59)
This distinction between women who can be ‘molested’ and those who cannot is what makes the Burqa such an explosive addition to Europe—which is already suffering from a high rate of Muslim sexual assaults on non-Muslim women.
The Burqa divides women into “good girls” and “whores” and gives potential rapists, religious ammunition for their crimes.
Banning the Burqa protects women who choose not to wear it from being assaulted because of their perceived immodesty.
3. Civic Participation
The essence of a modern society is that it extends civic participation to everyone. Deliberately preventing an entire gender from participating in society as identifiable individuals is an assault on the democratic character of the state.
Individuals are recognizable through personal attributes. Remove those attributes and you remove the individuality as well. The Sahih Bukhari relates that one inspiration for the Burqa was that one of Mohammed’s followers was able to recognize one of his wives at night. The implication is that the Burqa is meant to prevent such recognition from taking place. Women are not meant to be recognized as individuals. Or to be empowered to make their own decisions.
The Burqa is designed to impede interaction outside the home. The failure to be recognized as an individual is dehumanizing and deprives women of their role in civic life.
Countries where the Burqa is in wide use, have low rates of female civic participation. In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to vote. In parts of Pakistan, women are not allowed to vote as well. In Afghanistan women were shunted into female only polling stations, or forced to vote by proxy through a male family member.
The rise of such segregation in Europe would threaten the democratic character of the society. But should the Burqa become widespread, the status of some European women living in national capitals would begin to resemble those of Saudi and Pakistani women.
4. Segregation is Discrimination
Purdah segregates women at homes and the Burqa segregates them in public. While the authorities cannot interfere with what people choose to do in their own homes—the public wearing of the Burqa is a statement that women are unequal and must be segregated.
Such an attitude is an assault on the legal place of women in society. It imposes the norms of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the streets of Paris and London. Like a Klan march, it a dehumanizing and intimidating statement of bigotry against a segment of society. While in the United States, such marches are legal, in much of Europe they are not.
If radicals are prevented from making public statements about the inferiority of races, why should they be permitted to assert the inferiority of a gender.
“Men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other,” the Koran asserts. Replace ‘women’ with any race or religion, and a public assertion of such a thing would be cause for criminal proceedings.
Imposing the segregation of the Burqa on women in an assertion of a bigoted creed that dehumanizes an entire gender. While Muslims are free to believe what they do, a public display that dehumanizes women as a gender by treating their faces as obscene, is an intolerant violation of the norms of civil society.
5. The Wearing of the Burqa is Enforced Through Violence
“More often the girls were under orders from their fathers and uncles and brothers, and even their male classmates. For the boys, transforming a bluejeaned teen-age sister into a docile and observant “Muslim” virgin was a rite de passage into authority, the fast track to becoming a man, and more important, a Muslim man…. it was also a license for violence.” (Jane Kramer, Taking the Veil, New Yorker)
In 2003 a French survey found that 77 percent of girls who wore the Hijab did so because of threats. Women in the Muslim world have been punished by having acid thrown in their faces for not complying with similar demands. There is no way to break through this climate of coercion except by giving women and girls immunity from such demands by banning the source of it. The Burqa.
The Burqa also exposes women to blackmail and intimidation when they deviate from the standard of full body covering. There is a rising number of cases in which women and girls who posted Facebook pictures of themselves in normal clothes have been blackmailed and threatened for it.
As long as the Burqa remains a threat hanging over the heads of Muslim and non-Muslim women alike, no woman in Europe can truly be free from its implied threat to her person and her political freedoms.
Daniel Greenfield
Source: http://frontpagemag.com/2011/07/11/five-reasons-to-ban-the-burqa/
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
Posted by sally at 1:47 PM
Friday, July 1, 2011
Churches In Northern Nigeria Start Security Checks
From Christians Under Attack:
01 July 2011
Churches in northern Nigeria start security checks
Nairobi/Kaduna - Churches in predominantly-Muslim northern Nigeria have begun to install metal detectors amid the threat of bomb attacks, reports said Thursday.
The newspaper Next said worshippers in the Christian churches were also having their handbags searched for fear of explosives being smuggled in.
The measures come after a series of bombing attacks against churches in the region attributed to the radical Islamic group Boko Haram. Last Christmas Eve, more than 80 people were killed in various attacks.
The group, which killed 25 people last weekend in attacks on several beer gardens in the city of Maiduguri, is threatening further attacks.
'Everybody is now scared of the Boko Haram because of their system of operation,' a security agent carrying out checks at a Catholic church in Kaduna said.
'And nobody can say when they will attack. Therefore, what we can only do is to put some security mesures in place to ensure that nobody comes into the church with dangerous weapons.'
The churches in the north are not the only places were heightened security is being put in place. In the capital Abuja, a 10 pm curfew was imposed on Wednesday for cinemas, restaurants, night clubs and taverns.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
10:02
01 July 2011
Churches in northern Nigeria start security checks
Nairobi/Kaduna - Churches in predominantly-Muslim northern Nigeria have begun to install metal detectors amid the threat of bomb attacks, reports said Thursday.
The newspaper Next said worshippers in the Christian churches were also having their handbags searched for fear of explosives being smuggled in.
The measures come after a series of bombing attacks against churches in the region attributed to the radical Islamic group Boko Haram. Last Christmas Eve, more than 80 people were killed in various attacks.
The group, which killed 25 people last weekend in attacks on several beer gardens in the city of Maiduguri, is threatening further attacks.
'Everybody is now scared of the Boko Haram because of their system of operation,' a security agent carrying out checks at a Catholic church in Kaduna said.
'And nobody can say when they will attack. Therefore, what we can only do is to put some security mesures in place to ensure that nobody comes into the church with dangerous weapons.'
The churches in the north are not the only places were heightened security is being put in place. In the capital Abuja, a 10 pm curfew was imposed on Wednesday for cinemas, restaurants, night clubs and taverns.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
10:02
Brothers Crucified By Muslim Ouattara Forces In Ivory Coast
From Christians Under Attack:
01 July 2011
Brothers crucified by Ouattara forces in Ivory Coast
Raphael Aka Kouame died of his injuries; incredibly his younger brother, Kouassi Privat Kacou, survived the ordeal. The pair were badly beaten and tortured before being crudely nailed to cross-shaped planks by their hands and feet with steel spikes on 29 May
The brothers were falsely accused of hiding weapons in their home village of Binkro, which has been targeted by Ouattara supporters as the birthplace of a key enemy. They are looking for Prefect Koko Djei, President of the General Council of Oumé and an official in Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front party, who is accused of distributing weapons to young Oumé men. The brothers repeatedly denied any involvement in a weapons cache, but their pleas were ignored.
After crucifying the brothers, Ouattara’s men took them on an extensive search of Binkro, but they found only a store of medical equipment and supplies, which they looted. The seriously wounded pair were then taken to prison in Oumé, where Raphael died in the night.
http://barnabasfund.org
10:05
01 July 2011
Brothers crucified by Ouattara forces in Ivory Coast
Raphael Aka Kouame died of his injuries; incredibly his younger brother, Kouassi Privat Kacou, survived the ordeal. The pair were badly beaten and tortured before being crudely nailed to cross-shaped planks by their hands and feet with steel spikes on 29 May
The brothers were falsely accused of hiding weapons in their home village of Binkro, which has been targeted by Ouattara supporters as the birthplace of a key enemy. They are looking for Prefect Koko Djei, President of the General Council of Oumé and an official in Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front party, who is accused of distributing weapons to young Oumé men. The brothers repeatedly denied any involvement in a weapons cache, but their pleas were ignored.
After crucifying the brothers, Ouattara’s men took them on an extensive search of Binkro, but they found only a store of medical equipment and supplies, which they looted. The seriously wounded pair were then taken to prison in Oumé, where Raphael died in the night.
http://barnabasfund.org
10:05
U.K.: Practising Christians "Will No Longer Get Priority" At Church Of England Schools In Admissions Shake-Up
From The Daily Mail and ADF:
Practising Christians 'will no longer get priority' at Church of England schools in admissions shake-up
By Mail On Sunday Reporter
Last updated at 4:21 PM on 27th June 2011
Comments (217)
Add to My Stories
Share
The Church of England is to attack the middle-class dominance of its popular schools under a shake-up of admissions rules.
CofE board of education chairman, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, will today issue guidelines ordering schools to be biased in favour of the 'disadvantaged'.
His controversial measures will signal the end of the current points system under which places are offered to children whose families are most involved in the Church.
Admissions shake-up: The move might affect the Camerons who sent their daughter, Nancy, to a Church of England school and had their youngest daughter Florence baptised
Critics claim middle-class families take up religion to gain places, giving them a stranglehold over the best schools.
The Church will not have the power to enforce the guidelines as they are merely recommendations.
But if they are followed, they could mean buying a house near a good church school will not be enough to secure a place.
More...
Pupil forced to have lessons in isolation for wearing the ‘wrong’ trousers to school
Young scientist who became drug dealer is shown leniency as he 'could be useful to society'
At present property values can soar by around £50,000 in London if close to a top school.
In addition, the guidelines will encourage schools to give priority to 'inclusiveness' if they serve communities not 'reflective of the wider area'.
This opens the door for schools to give places to ethnic minorities and immigrants who are not Christian.
Inclusiveness: Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams recently criticised the coalition but the Church of England's announcement is expected to cause fury among churchgoers
Mr Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford, will say the guidelines are 'a reminder of what Church schools are for in this sea of change' and will help demonstrate the Church is 'committed to distinctiveness and inclusivity'.
There are 4,831 Church of England schools, many of which perform well in league tables and are heavily oversubscribed.
Most currently select children using points awarded for everything from how regularly parents worship to how long they have been in the Church.
The move follows the criticism of Dr Ian King, the Government admissions watchdog, who last year said faith schools were discriminating against immigrants with complex admissions procedures favouring middle-class children.
Mr Pritchard is also to launch an attack on the Coalition's education policy, saying: 'What's going on in education today is probably the biggest programme of reform since 1944.
'The changes are tumbling out at a bewildering pace and schools are scrambling to keep up.'
The new guidance says the Church would like to see schools that currently only admit children from Christian families 'provide some open places available to the local community'.
It stresses that children who are disadvantaged because they come from an ethnic minority background should be given preferential treatment, and supports Church schools that are more inclusive of pupils from other faiths, such as Islam.
The document says Church schools are underpinned by a belief in the value of all human beings being entitled to 'the highest possible standards of education and care'.
And it says schools which not 'diverse' should consider changing rules which usually give priority to local families over those from further away.
The report, as well as affecting hundreds of thousands of families in England, could increase political tensions between the Coalition and the Church after the Archbishop of Canterbury's attack this month on it having policies 'for which people did not vote'.
David Cameron has sent his daughter, Nancy, to the popular St Mary Abbots primary school in Kensington, and recently had his youngest daughter, Florence, christened at the nearby church.
Practising Christians 'will no longer get priority' at Church of England schools in admissions shake-up
By Mail On Sunday Reporter
Last updated at 4:21 PM on 27th June 2011
Comments (217)
Add to My Stories
Share
The Church of England is to attack the middle-class dominance of its popular schools under a shake-up of admissions rules.
CofE board of education chairman, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, will today issue guidelines ordering schools to be biased in favour of the 'disadvantaged'.
His controversial measures will signal the end of the current points system under which places are offered to children whose families are most involved in the Church.
Admissions shake-up: The move might affect the Camerons who sent their daughter, Nancy, to a Church of England school and had their youngest daughter Florence baptised
Critics claim middle-class families take up religion to gain places, giving them a stranglehold over the best schools.
The Church will not have the power to enforce the guidelines as they are merely recommendations.
But if they are followed, they could mean buying a house near a good church school will not be enough to secure a place.
More...
Pupil forced to have lessons in isolation for wearing the ‘wrong’ trousers to school
Young scientist who became drug dealer is shown leniency as he 'could be useful to society'
At present property values can soar by around £50,000 in London if close to a top school.
In addition, the guidelines will encourage schools to give priority to 'inclusiveness' if they serve communities not 'reflective of the wider area'.
This opens the door for schools to give places to ethnic minorities and immigrants who are not Christian.
Inclusiveness: Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams recently criticised the coalition but the Church of England's announcement is expected to cause fury among churchgoers
Mr Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford, will say the guidelines are 'a reminder of what Church schools are for in this sea of change' and will help demonstrate the Church is 'committed to distinctiveness and inclusivity'.
There are 4,831 Church of England schools, many of which perform well in league tables and are heavily oversubscribed.
Most currently select children using points awarded for everything from how regularly parents worship to how long they have been in the Church.
The move follows the criticism of Dr Ian King, the Government admissions watchdog, who last year said faith schools were discriminating against immigrants with complex admissions procedures favouring middle-class children.
Mr Pritchard is also to launch an attack on the Coalition's education policy, saying: 'What's going on in education today is probably the biggest programme of reform since 1944.
'The changes are tumbling out at a bewildering pace and schools are scrambling to keep up.'
The new guidance says the Church would like to see schools that currently only admit children from Christian families 'provide some open places available to the local community'.
It stresses that children who are disadvantaged because they come from an ethnic minority background should be given preferential treatment, and supports Church schools that are more inclusive of pupils from other faiths, such as Islam.
The document says Church schools are underpinned by a belief in the value of all human beings being entitled to 'the highest possible standards of education and care'.
And it says schools which not 'diverse' should consider changing rules which usually give priority to local families over those from further away.
The report, as well as affecting hundreds of thousands of families in England, could increase political tensions between the Coalition and the Church after the Archbishop of Canterbury's attack this month on it having policies 'for which people did not vote'.
David Cameron has sent his daughter, Nancy, to the popular St Mary Abbots primary school in Kensington, and recently had his youngest daughter, Florence, christened at the nearby church.
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