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Islam & Politics Archives
May 09, 2008
Get your Kicks / On Beirut / Sects' Dissects
An open thread for discussion of Lebanon at the crossroads . . . again. And who'd have guessed Nasrallah would provide the fireworks for Israel's 60th anniversary? Followup full posts from our expert team are welcome and encouraged, with removing the horrid tasteless lyrics allusion-pun above from its lead position as added incentive.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:26 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
April 23, 2008
Another Good Conspiracy Theory Down the Drain
Al Qaeda says an Israeli conspiracy didn't do 9/11. And, it adds, Iran started the Israel conspiracy rumor. Is that itself a conspiracy rumor?
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 02:43 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
December 24, 2007
Holiday Fuzziness, Algeria, Al Qaeda and Iraq
As fuzzily cheery such news as interfaith warm and fuzzy declarations (which have their utility although as I consider them rather normal in my experience, I find them boring), of rather more interest perhaps is an uncharacteristically interesting commentary from NYT via the FT on one of the Algerian suicide bombers from last months bloody nonsense in Algiers which is interesting reading paired with FT's Quent Peel's commentary on the "socialist timewarp" that is Algeria, and the Kremlinesque opacity of its political sphere.
Continue reading "Holiday Fuzziness, Algeria, Al Qaeda and Iraq"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 02, 2007
Prediction: Teddy Bear Thing Started As Spite
This sentence is in one story: "The row erupted after a secretary at the school complained to the Sudanese authorities about the naming of the bear." I cannot find it but somewhere I came across a reference to the Teddy Bear Teacher as having apologized to a faculty member who was offended. Prediction: this will turn out to have started as a spite attack by someone in the school staff who, for whatever reason, did not personally like that teacher and found an issue to attack her on that would get the dopey and the offenderati riled up. Could be wrong here, but the spidey senses are starting to tingle as this kind of information trickles in.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 09:38 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 29, 2007
Flogging a Dead Teddy Bear
I was hoping this would go away and that I therefore would not have to withdraw my head from the sand and confront the farce that is the Mohammed teddy bear story. Almost no aspect of this saga can be taken seriously in that I actually marvel at how newsreaders can keep a straight face when using the words ‘teddy bear’ and ‘flogging’ in the same breath. That said however, it is indeed gravely serious. I have no doubt the teacher in question will not be subjected to the full barbaric punishment (only because Sudan’s version of Sharia law is so cosmetic and floggings, amputations and stonings rarely, if ever take place) but what is worrying is how far the Sudanese local authorities are willing to go to flex some muscle.
Continue reading "Flogging a Dead Teddy Bear"
Posted by Meph at 07:00 AM | Comments (51) | TrackBack
October 21, 2007
Real Fascism Awareness Week: DC-area Holocaust Commemoration
Sunday October 28 from 6 to 8 pm in Sterling, Virginia, near Washington DC, a rather nice event for those interested and local. The All Dulles Area Muslim Society is organizing a presentation featuring a Holocaust survivor, called, perhaps unsurprisingly: Reflections on The Holocaust: A Story of a Holocaust Survivor, and designed for "all of Humanity to Remember and Learn the Lessons of the Holocaust." More info below.
Continue reading "Real Fascism Awareness Week: DC-area Holocaust Commemoration"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:56 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 20, 2007
Souq Heil: What's Up With This Cocked-Arm Gesture?
The sunbats are out doing their Islamofascism Awareness week hate-fest, with the usual bigotries and idiocies, but I do have to agree though on the reaction engendered by this photo (I've seen others like it) of what appears to be the Hizbollah 3rd Bandana battalion. Is it what it appears to be -- a militaristic fascist salute, or has it some other significance? UPDATE: With the aid of commenter M, we learn it is indeed a political-militaristic "Roman salute" but apparently a Fascist-era Lebanese custom that transcends sectarian lines (is that a good or bad thing?). Enjoy (thanks M) this collage of Lebanon's main Christian party, and chief Lebanese allies of Israel, doing the Teutonic taxi hail. (Cache it in, before they get hip and delete.)
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:06 PM | Comments (31) | TrackBack
September 07, 2007
Bin-Laden Versus Bin-Laden, same day
Osama bin-Laden on Sept. 7 2007* -- "19 young men were able, by the grace of [God], the Most High, to change the direction of [America's] compass."
Osama bin-Laden on, um, Sept 7, 2007 -- "burning living beings is forbidden by our religion, even if they be small like the ant, so what of men?"
In addition to terrorist, criminal, fanatic, and other filth-and-foul words, we can now add "what a fatuous dick".
Continue reading "Bin-Laden Versus Bin-Laden, same day"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:11 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
F**kin' Alif, Dude! Arabic School Opens in Brooklyn
The Khalil Gibran International Academy school has opened in New York, part of the public education system. Being a wacko libertarian, I have my reservations even about public schooling as a general concept, but allowing it to be a virtue and necessity, still what advantage is it to have a specialized school devoted to Arabic culture and language for kids in Brooklyn USA? Folks, there does exist a private education option for establishing such things, if felt needed. This has a Euro feel of separateness to it, combined with the related US cult of the Great God Diversity. But I thought we yanks had passed on the "separate but equal" thing in public schools. Naturally, of course, the Daniel Pipes squadrons of haters-of-all-things-even-appearing-Muslimish-and-socially-acceptable made an unbelievably laughably weird xenophobic stink over it (Pipes: "learning Arabic in-and-of-itself promotes an Islamic outlook"). They even got the first chosen principal fired for correctly explaining that intifada in Arabic means a shaking-off, thereby apparently establishing that a school that teaches the Arabic language should most definitely not teach it accurately.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:47 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
August 05, 2007
Honor Off Her: Fadlallah Fatwas Honor-Killing Out of {Shia} Islam
The practice of hyperpatriarchal societies of murdering suspect sexually-impure females, known as honor killing, and prevalent in the MENA region, in the ME far more than the NA parts, has been ruled unIslamic by Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah, Lebanon's leading Shiite Muslim figure. (This has appears to me a bit underreported, though to their semi-credit the story is noted by the creepshow bigots at Jihadwatch who then go on to argue that a fatwa against honor killings isn't really a fatwa against honor killings, because well, you know, it, um, well , it, anyway it makes sense to ignorant hate-spewers who claim to "get it" about Muslims, unlike us poor "dhimmis".) The fatwa, as some coverage notes but others in comments report differently, is not replicated much in Sunni circles to date. An analogy may be to southern American Christians who accomodated race-segregation even when some religious were not in favor, out of fear of public prejudice in favor of the practice. In any event, the fatwa's a cool thing, and it did not require the efforts of Irshad Manji. As far as I can tell, no comment by Ayaan Hirsi Ali on this, possibly because it doesn't compute?
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 09:48 PM | Comments (37) | TrackBack
July 31, 2007
Weapons for Everyone
As you might already have read, the United States has announced a massive arms package covering Israel, Egypt, and the Gulf countries. Guardian columnist Brian Whitaker, a Middle East expert, believes the deal is a bad idea, as it will inflame Sunni-Shia tensions throughout the region. While I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Whitaker, I must respectfully disagree with him and say I consider the deal a good idea overall.
Continue reading "Weapons for Everyone"
Posted by dubaiwalla at 06:36 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack
July 16, 2007
Next, We'll be Pledging Allegiance To Vishnu
They're taking over. Now it's the Hindus. First the Muslims will force my daughter to wear a burka, which I just learned is a Nazi symbol, now if it weren't for the voices of the intrepid zealots of the gospel heard in this video, soon the guy pictured here would take over, and the Senate cafeteria will have to remove hamburgers from next to the freedom fries. Even scarier, he looks like he might be the Pope (oops, wrong century's xeonphobia).
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 07:34 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 12, 2007
Tunisia & Women's Rights: Real Developments?
I turn this issue over to a better-informed readership. A Globalist article argues that Tunisia provides a real regional model for a legislative and public policy system that would protect the rights and hopes of women in home and professional life, and do so consistent with religious sentiment and scholarship. "What really sets Tunisia apart from other Arab countries and most majority-Muslim states," Andrea Barron writes, "are its policies on marriage, divorce, child support, abortion, honor crimes and domestic violence. After all, what does it matter if a woman can attend university, own her own business and run for political office if she cannot choose her own husband and be free from violence perpetrated by her own family members?" So, are the benefits in Tunisian women's legal rights genuinely real; if so, have they been a cause or the effect of social changes? And where does the, ahem, not quite freedom-loving/democratic nature of the Ben Ali government fit in to all this, if at all?
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:21 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
July 03, 2007
UK Muslims & Reaction: A voice of reason and not whinging victimhood
Very briefly given limited time, I draw attention to a very good arty by Asim Siddiqui in The Guardian that very properly takes on the mealy mouthed response and whinging victimhood whining of rather too much of the UK Muslim community (and professional Muslim activists - of course I am generally contemptuous of activists as a general matter). [Added: I would also recommend this: My plea to fellow Muslims: you must renounce terror]
Some particular highlights that I think key:
The events of the last few days have been sobering for us all. The response from some UK Muslim groups (influenced by Islamist thinking) is still largely to blame foreign policy (undoubtedly an exacerbating influence but not the cause), rather than marching "not in my name" in revulsion against terrorist acts committed in Islam's name. By blaming foreign policy they try to divert pressure off themselves from the real need to tackle extremism being peddled within. Diverting attention away from the problems within Muslim communities and blaming others - especially the west - is always more popular than the difficult task of self-scrutiny. ... so long as the world is presented as one where the west is forever at war with Islam and Muslims there is nothing we can do to appease the terrorists and those who share their world view. Instead it is this extremist world view that must change.
Continue reading "UK Muslims & Reaction: A voice of reason and not whinging victimhood"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:34 PM | Comments (88) | TrackBack
June 24, 2007
Foregoing their Commission? Saudi Virtue/Vice Cops on Trial
D'apres this Washington Post story, it seems that the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the morality cops, are on trial. Some of Saudi's finest face charges for brutality, including killing, of suspects detained for, I don't know, flirting, willful shimmying, being within six meters of unbearded non-familial genitals, or whatever it is they arrest folks for. But whatever may be the foibles and popularity of enforcement of extremely conservative mores, there does seem to be a popular line in the sand (MENA stereotype imagery, sorry) being drawn against arbitrariness and in favor of due process. Procedural due process is a good thing in itself. {Note to the over-self-righteous: Of course, (adopting superior cultural tone here), we never have such things here as "vice squads", general alcohol bans, or police killing old ladies in places where consenting informed adults are merely alleged to be consuming or distributing a vice-inducing product.}
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 02:20 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
June 18, 2007
Ayaan Anti-Hirsute Ali: Son of Deuteronomy of Gath
Monty Python's Life of Brian meets real life as this woman gets to speak in public as if she knows what she is talking about. Saracen-slayer Ayaan Hirsi Ali was speaking at the National Press Club and I accidentally heard it on the radio. At first I didn't know who it was until a stream of simple-minded inanities about Islam versus the West narrowed it down fast. No transcript available, only memory, but I had to belly-laugh and nearly spew as she explained Islam's rigidly came from the fact that it takes its Scriptures as literal and divinely authored unlike, um, Christianity. In the Christian Scriptures, she explained, the books are not fixed as being written by God, but are said to be written "by people . . . like Paul . . . and Deuteronomy." (That's exactly what I heard, folks.) What an expert guide for us on religion and progress! O, why did I have to be a Monty Python fan?
Continue reading "Ayaan Anti-Hirsute Ali: Son of Deuteronomy of Gath"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:30 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
June 16, 2007
Gaza Stripped: Two Demi-Quasi-States, One People
It appears the folks who rather justly complain of having no country, now appear to have two. Well, three, if you count the old Likudnik view of Jordan. Or in the negative numbers, if reality functions as a point of reference.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:59 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack
May 23, 2007
Keep your Sunni side up: Lebanon conspiracy theory #637
Seymour Hersh propounds this conspiracy theory of sorts regarding the rise of Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon. I don't buy it offhand, but there's plausibility in a Saudi role in promoting Sunni anti-Shiite counterweights, with US winks and nods. Any takers?
What I was writing about was sort of a private agreement that was made between the White House, we're talking about Richard -- Dick -- Cheney and Elliott Abrams, one of the key aides in the White House, with Bandar. And the idea was to get support, covert support from the Saudis, to support various hard-line jihadists, Sunni groups, particularly in Lebanon, who would be seen in case of an actual confrontation with Hezbollah -- the Shia group in the southern Lebanon -- would be seen as an asset, as simple as that....There is a supreme overwhelming fear of Hezbollah and we do not want Hezbollah to play an active role in the government in Lebanon and that's been our policy, basically....
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:23 PM | Comments (42) | TrackBack
April 14, 2007
Maghreb Madness: Reflexions on the Return of Al Qaeda
Shamefully late, as I began working on this (as some of the articles will indicate) in February. Pity I got busy, as it would have been useful to be ahead of the curve. But better late than never. (NDLR: this was written before the bombings in Casablanca 14 April, and has been updated and modified) Today and earlier in the week were grim days.
First, some general reflexions.
The developments in the Maghreb, Morocco and Algeria, are of course personally disturbing as my brief is North Africa, but beyond this personal business obsession this is a sign of reconstituted risk, and that the simmering frustration of the slums has not gone away. As our friend Ibn Kafka wrote on his blog several days ago with respect to Casablanca earlier this week, this is not merely electoral propaganda to check the Islamist parties. As he says, "The spectre of 16 May 2003 has returned among us." His post is well worth reading, and I will return to a key point later.
[nb: fixed link issue on WP article below]
Continue reading "Maghreb Madness: Reflexions on the Return of Al Qaeda"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:41 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
January 14, 2007
War with Traditional Islam
An interesting blog post from military specialist and commentator Col. Pat Lang (a real colonel, unlike my old Col appellation, a mere shortening of my name) on War Against the Boogey Men, critiquing the American approach to the Iraq war and the larger engagement with the Middle East.
The item that caught my eye was this:
"Freedom" and "Islamic Fascism" clearly have "special" meanings here. I say that "freedom" as the bushies use the term is code and really means westernization and "globalization" in the sense that we want to see the world "ironed out" flat so the it meets the egregious Friedman's dream of a homogeneous world. "Islamic Fascism" means, I think, simply "Islam." That is, Islam as it has been understood by millennia of Muslims. That is, as an all encompassing view of the world and man's relationship to God. "Ah, but these are not real Muslims," I can hear the outcry now. Rubbish. We non-Muslims can not dictate to any particular group of Muslims what Islam means to them. We want an Islam similar in its role in life to the emasculated role that Christianity plays for most Americans in their lives? Sorry! We do not get to choose for them. There wil be a reaction to what I have written here. It will be similar to the outrage vented on me by a former congressman from the Midwest who went on and and on about the nice ladies who come to his office to tell him that Muslims are a peaceful lot. Peaceful? Yes? Within limits.My analysis leads me to the belief that we are fighting against traditional Islam.
Emphasis added.
Continue reading "War with Traditional Islam"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:06 PM | Comments (77) | TrackBack
January 02, 2007
Eid 'Em & Weep: Was Saddam's Death-Timing Sectarian?
Nir Rosen suggests that the timing of Saddam's death on the Sunni Eid was a sectarian message: as there are no lawful executions on Eid, therefore legally the true Iraqi Eid must be the Shiite one. Is there any merit to this implication, O informed readers? Was it clearly a gottersaddamerung message for the Sunni side of the street? A look and listen at the lynch-mobbish hanging of Saddam (sensitive readers, don't go there) suggests a very sectarian sendoff. Faithful Aqoulite MSK has helpfully made note in comments of one blog and one NY Times account.
Continue reading "Eid 'Em & Weep: Was Saddam's Death-Timing Sectarian?"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:43 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
December 29, 2006
Something is rotten in the state of Islamist politics
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia is one of the two most prominent leaders in Sunni Islam. He might not have the stature of the pope, but when he speaks, people listen. So what does he think is the chief objective of every Muslim?
Could it be:
- Being a good person, and living in harmony with one's neighbors?
- Following the five pillars of Islam?
- Defending Prophet Mohammed against slanderous attacks by enemies of Islam?
If you correctly guessed C, you win nothing - the first two would not have merited a mention here.
Continue reading "Something is rotten in the state of Islamist politics"
Posted by Top Secret Anonymous Guy at 10:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 03, 2006
We interrupt this pogrom: radio test of anti-Muslim hatred
Playing provocateur, radio talk show host Jerry Klein in the Washington DC area decided the time was right to call for Muslims in America to be required to wear crescent tattoos or armbands, which drew a few outraged phone calls. But then the more interesting ones came in: "What good is identifying them?...You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans." And: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country...they are here to kill us." After an hour of tossing out this littlegreen, I mean red, meat, the host annouced that he wasn't serious and then added some comments of his own.
Continue reading "We interrupt this pogrom: radio test of anti-Muslim hatred"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 07:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 14, 2006
Muhajabah and Heretic ponder the Offenderati
Last week, a devout Muslim friend and I had another productive talk about the state of Muslim-West relations over lunch. Actually, it wasn't lunch per se, more a stroll through the local bookstore as she was fasting and I was not.
I really don't know why she likes me. Perhaps she is trying to draw me back into the fold as it were, but I enjoy her company and find her observations astute and refreshing (as an aside, I am always amused when women view me as a "project", someone who needs to become more social, outgoing, faithful, less eccentric, etc).
In any case, the Muhajabah, while strolling through my favorite corner of the bookstore (World History/International Political Science, obviously), made an observation that recalled recent discussion of "Professional Offenderati" here on Aqoul:
"Do you think these wild-eyed types in Pakistan call their bosses to ask for the afternoon off because they need to throw things at the US embassy and burn the Pope in effigy?"
Continue reading "Muhajabah and Heretic ponder the Offenderati"
Posted by eerie at 04:38 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
October 07, 2006
Mr Straw & The Niqab
It appears that Foreign Secretary Straw's comments on the Niqab, the face veil, have set off a bit of a storm. From The Financial Times to The Times coverage of his original comments regarding prefering women not wear the face veil as divisive through to coverage of The Poodle's craven and inconsistent pandering (the sooner he is gone the better, I await with impatience) and The New York Times (but "British Official", come on, how about [former] British Foreign Secretary? [mea culpa, I entirely forgot about Beckett's very existence]).
I am not sure if that is good or bad, but it bears some commenting on. First, when I first saw the comments I wasn't sure if he meant the hijab, which would have been annoyingly tedious, or the niqab, which I agree with. I am pleased to see it is about the covering of the face. There is a vast and important difference between the ninja get-ups that are so very Saudi Wahhabite neo-Islamic rot, and a woman covering her hair with a scarf.
Continue reading "Mr Straw & The Niqab"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:58 AM | Comments (17) | TrackBack
August 23, 2006
Do-It-Yourself Profiling and Islamophobia
Following up on Matthew's barbuphobia entry, I would like to draw attention to some relatively minor yet rather disturbing events. Mere blips, but indicative of a growing acceptance of Islamophobia as an appropriate response to the current situation in MENA and the West.
Via Progressive Islam, the media has reported two separate incidents where passenger hysteria led to the ejection of Muslims from a plane. On a Malaga-Manchester flight, passengers overheard two Asian men speaking "Arabic" and refused to fly until they were removed. Similarly, a Canadian doctor returning home from a conference in Denver was escorted off a plane because one of the passengers found his behaviour suspicious and reported it to the flight crew. He was reciting evening prayers.
Continue reading "Do-It-Yourself Profiling and Islamophobia"
Posted by eerie at 04:46 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
June 27, 2006
Denouncing the 'Islamofascists': Ambivalence & Rhetoric
As any regular reader knows, I rather despise the idiotic term "Islamofascist" as both technically inaccurate (at least for Sunni Islamists) and aesthetically displeasing. A bad, clumsy and frankly dim attempt to dredge up the misty memories of WWII and the 'good fight' against the Nazis. I'd have preferred if its pimps (notably Sullivan, who is often dim in this area) had chosen say a Commie reference, which given Arab Socialist influences on Islamist thinking in areas like economics, would at least have had some relevance to reality.
However, I noted that the controversial Moroccan French language weekly, Tel Quel has in its recent edition adopted the same sort of discourse as illustrated in its cover "The New Fascists".
Continue reading "Denouncing the 'Islamofascists': Ambivalence & Rhetoric"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:47 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack
June 23, 2006
Unity and Division in Islamic Discourse
Abdullah tells Saudis they must accept diversity By Khalid al-Dakhil
Khalid al-Dakhil's excellent article picks up on a speech made by King Abdullah in Buraidah, the main city in the conservative Nejdi province of Qassim.
Continue reading "Unity and Division in Islamic Discourse"
Posted by yinshuisiyuan at 07:32 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
May 29, 2006
Let’s Do the Time Warp, Part II: Russian Homophobia as Mainstream Political Culture
Some months ago, here at Aqoul I debunked Andrew Sullivan’s assertion that the Muslim mainstream is at the forefront of gay-bashing in the Russian Federation.
Well, it seems I was right – on Saturday the Moscow gay community did attempt to carry on with their observance of the 13th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Russia, resulting in beatings and scores of arrests (including those of the demonstration’s organizer and some participants, as well as counterdemonstrators), as the Mayor of Moscow had prohibited the demonstration on the grounds that homosexuality is “unnatural,” and was backed up by a court decision last week. Even some members of the Russian gay community had opposed the demonstration, fearing the violence that would result - Russia just isn't in the same sociopolitical place as the handful of industrialized Western countries that have visible gay activist movements, but then those are largely a development of the past couple of decades in any case.
Posted by evaluna at 12:20 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
May 24, 2006
You Say You Want A Revolution? Chechen Sufism vs. Islamist Terrorism
In a hilariously ironic turn of events, it seems that the Russian Federation central government is now encouraging Chechens to return to observance of their indigenous flavor of Sufism , after 200 years of official anti-Islam policy ranging from denial that observant Muslims even existed to active persecution of believers. Well, I suppose that if you think your alternative is acceptance of a line of thought held by the charming folks who held a theater full of innocent civilians hostage, anything must seem like an improvement.
Continue reading "You Say You Want A Revolution? Chechen Sufism vs. Islamist Terrorism"
Posted by evaluna at 09:59 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Iran & The Faux Law, Backtracking
The infamous Jews and Xians have to wear special clothes fiasco has now seen a full retraction, although for those looking for reasons to bash something, our dear Saudi cretins appear to be still in the business of producing hateful rubbish in the service of the Wahhabi hate mongers who so dearly love to dress themselves up in more-Muslim-than-thou clothing.
In other matters, Hirsi Ali - Magan has taken her US media campaign to a new level with a fine NYT piece of puffery about the poor oppressed media darling. Or as the phrase in the arty goes, "her daring approach to Islam, her arranged marriage in Africa, her exotic beauty." Sexy it is, Sexy.
A fair comment, however, from the arty goes:
"She irritates me deeply with her one-sided view of Islam," said Jan Beerenhout, a former Amsterdam municipal official and a convert to Islam. "But I feel ambiguous. She was offensive to the Muslims from rural areas who practice an archaic form of the religion. But if she had not spoken out, many wrongs would have remained taboo."
Certainly it does appear to the causal observer such as myself that Dutch society and social commentary suffers from a bit of constipation in re the Muslim minority - my impression is of little balanced convos, but rather black and white. Could be wrong, of course, relying on second hand knowledge.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:15 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
May 20, 2006
Further to Ignorant Whanking: Agitprop and Iran, False reports on
Of late there has been a spate of fine Islamophobic whanking, about Ms Hirsi Ali and about the supposed perifidy of Islam qua Islam (about which I don't have the energy to devote at the moment, our friend Mr Schuler does a good enough job for all I would write something different). Also see Dean Esmay's note, again I would take exception to a number of things - as anyone following our long running discussion at 'Aqoul about what I call 'The Pious Middle' - but like I said, I lack the energy. Suffice it to say, even those on the right side of this issue - that is the anti-Islamophobes - are very, very poorly informed about in MENA intra-Islamic dynamics: in general mistaking the politics of percevied Western intervention with that of Islamic practice. Another time, however.
Continue reading "Further to Ignorant Whanking: Agitprop and Iran, False reports on"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:56 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
May 13, 2006
Ahmadinejad's 1953 Reference: The Skeleton in the Regime's Closet Reaching Out?
As a followup to discussion of Mr. Ahmadinejad's love letter to George Bush, I want to note a specific reference he made in the letter. That reference is to the 1953 coup by the Iranian military that restored the Shah of Iran. That coup ousted Mohammed Mossadegh, a nationalist figure who had forced the Shah to retreat to exile, and who had led the nationalization of British oil-company operations in Iran. It is no secret that the US CIA played a heavy part in the events of the 1953 coup.
Continue reading "Ahmadinejad's 1953 Reference: The Skeleton in the Regime's Closet Reaching Out?"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:06 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
May 07, 2006
Turkey: Anti-Western Sentiment and "Islam is the Solution"
Earlier this year I saw the Turkish movie Kurtlar Vadisi Irak (Valley of the Wolves - Iraq - Website). It is reportedly the most expensive Turkish movie ever made but that's not why it made a big splash. Being a movie spin-off from one of Turkey's most-watched TV series, addressing a very emotional topic, and playing to popular sentiments resulted in record audience numbers - in Turkey itself and among Turkish communities abroad.
Continue reading "Turkey: Anti-Western Sentiment and "Islam is the Solution""
Posted by raf* at 09:30 AM | Comments (27) | TrackBack
May 05, 2006
Suf's Up in Saudi: Greater Tolerance of Sufism in Kingdom?
This Washington Post piece by Faiza Ambah suggests that practitioners of Sufi Islam are being increasingly tolerated in Saudi Arabia.
The centuries-old mawlid, a mainstay of the more spiritual and often mystic Sufi Islam, was until recently viewed as heretical and banned by Saudi Arabia's official religious establishment, the ultraconservative Wahhabis. But a new atmosphere of increased religious tolerance has spurred a resurgence of Sufism and brought the once-underground Sufis and their rituals out in the open.
Chimera or progress? And for the less initiated, perhaps our wise commenters can explain Sufism and ihsan. A short explanation from the article follows.
Continue reading "Suf's Up in Saudi: Greater Tolerance of Sufism in Kingdom?"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:36 PM | Comments (29) | TrackBack
May 01, 2006
The Pious Middle & Socio-Political Reform in MENA, or Real Roots Change in Islam versus Empty Alienated Posturing
Our dear Editor in Chief, etc, linked on the sidebar an arty from The New York Times that deserves to be highlighted and discussed further, above all in the context of our own Eva Luna's short note on Irshaad Manji's talk in Chicago, and my (our perhaps?) Pious Middle thesis: Ministering to the Upwardly Mobile Muslim, a story on the famous TV 'preacher' Amr Khaled.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:49 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 02, 2006
From Cartoon Activism to Real-Life Activism
Back when the Danish cartoon controvery menaced the Earth, your humble narrator suggested that beneath the dopey-issue maelstrom, there was yet hope. It appears from this recent Washington Post story by the able and underrappreciated journalist in Saudi Arabia, Faiza Saleh Ambah, that I may not have been far off. I see, as I anticipated to be probable, that permanent activist networks may have been set off by the sincere, if silly, popular anger, as ordinary MENA citizens (the larger "pious middle" that did not smash things) may have become more accustomed to act and organize as never before. Such is the necessary vitamin for serious political development, even if the initial cause for organization was stupid or malevolent, as was the case with the anti-African riots that preceded Tiananmen Square demonstrations in China, for example .
Continue reading "From Cartoon Activism to Real-Life Activism"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:03 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
March 23, 2006
Wafa Sultan: Bigger, Longer, Uncut - The Full Sultan Jazeera Transcript
Due to the tempest created by Wafa Sultan, 'Aqoul has decided to translate the Arabic transcript of the Al-Jazeera show on which Wafa Sultan for most intents and purposes made her debut. Hosted by Faisal al-Qasim, The Opposite Direction is held in debate format and usually deals with controversial issues touching upon taboo subjects like the Saudi royal family.
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Posted by Meph at 04:04 PM | Comments (166) | TrackBack
March 19, 2006
Financial Times Bitten By the Wafa Bug
And our co-founder tells us to subscribe to FT! Not for this.
[Via Arabist]
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:14 PM | Comments (27) | TrackBack
March 13, 2006
Amr Khaled, Yousuf al-Qaradawi and Danish Muslims: Fragmentation and Lost Opportunities
As the cartoon controversy dies down another rises in its place as a struggle over the representation of the Muslim world gathers momentum. Muslim cleric al-Qaradawi and the younger preacher Amr Khaled have been sparring over the past three weeks over the latter's endeavour to start a 'dialogue' with Denmark and the West in general.Posted by Meph at 11:10 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
March 11, 2006
Danish Cartoon Protests: Roundup
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Posted by eerie at 06:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 03, 2006
The "moderate Muslims" strike back ... yeah, right.
Remember when everyone asked "When do the non-extremist Muslims finally say something?" Well, look no further, THEY HAVE!!! And in ENGLISH, TOO!!! Yippieh!!! (Dammit, where IS the "sarcasm key" on my laptop's keyboard???) Over the last week, two pamphlets have been published that will be presented allover the Western media as examples for "enlightened", "moderate", or even "good" Muslim attempts to counter the religious zealots burning down embassies and calling for the beheading of everyone who doesn't want to live under shari'a law.
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Posted by raf* at 09:26 PM | Comments (31) | TrackBack
February 22, 2006
Cartoons, Muslim Minorities in Europe and Holocaust Revisionsim
Recent shows and interviews on Arab media outlets have made much of the rather ironically timed conviction of David Irving. Many jumped on the most obvious contrast between the sanctity of the Jewish holocaust and that of the apparently much holier subject of the Prophet Mohammed. They took this case as the perfect example of the inherent contradiction and hypocrisy of so-called freedom of speech laws in Europe.
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Posted by Meph at 04:59 PM | Comments (26) | TrackBack
February 20, 2006
Let’s Do the Time Warp: Gay Pride vs. Islamic/Official Intolerance in Russia
It seems Andrew Sullivan’s rant of the week is that Chief Russian Mufti Talgat Tajuddin has called for the prohibition of a planned gay pride parade in Moscow, recommending that marchers be beaten – and in a rare show of solidarity with the Russian Orthodox Christian community, recommending that they join together in beating gays. Tajuddin was joined in his opposition to the parade shortly thereafter by Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, though the Rabbi stopped short of recommending violence.
Before Andrew Sullivan leaps to the conclusion that Russian Muslims are at the forefront of homophobia and gay-bashing in the Russian Federation, he may want to bear in mind that the occasion for the parade was to be the 13th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexual behavior in the Russian Federation.
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Posted by evaluna at 11:10 PM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
February 19, 2006
On Morocco, Investment & Islamist Promotion
Without further comment In Morocco, a Gray Area for Growth, by Hoagland, a not bad op-ed (if superficial factually) that at least poses challenges to some of the more simple minded phobia with respect to Islamism.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 16, 2006
Democracy as a Weapon
Recently there has been a fair bit of handwringing over both the Hamas victory in the Palestinian territories and the Muslim Brotherhood’s strong showing in Egypt’s parliamentary elections. US policymakers are likely not pleased by the fact that Islamist MPs outnumber secular ones by nearly two to one in Iraq, and that early hopefuls such as Ahmad Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress bloc failed to secure a single seat in recent elections.
In this context, it is mildly disturbing to see Farhat Asaad, a Hamas spokesman, point out this uncomfortable truth:
"First, I thank the United States that they have given us this weapon of democracy. But there is no way to retreat now. It's not possible for the U.S. and the world to turn its back on an elected democracy."
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Posted by eerie at 09:02 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Contrarian Cartoon Commentary: Mechanics in Politics and Boycotts
Reluctant as I may be to go against my own disdain for the silliness and misdirection of the cartoon protests, I must in good Aqoul tradition be a contrarian even to some trends here.
Well-expressed (though I have many fundamental reservations) is an older Tim Cavanaugh article at Reason on the subject, saying the controversy is on the whole a good thing. But haste and time-constraints make me wish to concentrate on one aspect – one where I feel I can make more of a contribution than my mere better-informed-on-MENA-than-average-Yank-whiteguy status allows.
The silver lining I see has to do with the centrality to political development of the “mechanical” process of politics, with ideology or substantive focus only secondary. In the cartoon reactions, there are real signs of change, potentially for the positive. (I should come back and add links but time constraints are really bad at the moment personally, please be patient.)
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Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:55 PM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
February 15, 2006
Bungled Mideast Policy or Wrongheaded Criticism
I am not the biggest fan of the US Administration and its Middle East policy, that is certain. Indeed, I rather consider them a bunch of congenital and serial incompetent bunglers whose policies may be described with Talleyrand's "Worse than a crime, a blunder."
One might expect, then, I might be in agreement with the opinions voiced by the Democratic party opposition in this article from Reuters:
US bungles Middle East policy, lawmakers tell Rice
By Sue Pleming
Well, I am not. Sadly the criticism, rather than being well-founded, is largely based on the same kind of simple-minded magical thinking and wishful-thinking-as-analysis that has led the Bush Administration astray so very badly so many times. Criticism about Hamas rather than Fatah winning the elections in Palestine, for example. As if the US has a magic wand to wave to make the 'good guys' of the moment win (or forgetting that using such wands that do exist to achieve 'victory' for one's favoured side can be rather Pyrrhic, ending up with damaged goods).
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Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:39 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
February 14, 2006
Cartoons & Protest: Context, Hariri's Commemoration as a Benchmark
A brief comment if I may, on the cartoon controversy and benchmarking - in the context of the over-heated characterisations of the Islamic world and the protests against the Danish cartoons.
Among the items that have most annoyed me has been the lazy characterisations that had protests of mere hundreds or a handful of thousands as reflecting 'mass Muslim anger.' Mere hundreds is not mass anger.
I'd like to take Lebanon and the Rafiq Hariri Memorial demo as a benchmark for real mass movement: as one can gather from The Washington Post and better from the image with al Hayat's coverage, even allowing for large Xian and Druze participation, more than a few hundred Lebanese turned out.
I would hazard the opinion that one has a benchmark for what really is bringing people out, and what is not.
It strikes me that again and again, the largest demos one sees are not the ones supporting the radicals in the region. However, the radicals are good at turning out their troops more often, smashing things to get attention and generally bleating rather loudly claiming to speak on behalf of all. The squeeky wheel, as it were.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:44 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
February 12, 2006
Cartoons: Reasonable Protest
An item needing little added commentary, but something that deserves to be highlighted here in connexion with our prior comments: Muslim Crowds Decry Cartoons, Violent Retort.
Men and women, some pushing babies in strollers, crowded into Trafalgar Square as speakers not only denounced the cartoons as an unacceptable insult to the holiest figure in Islam, but also condemned the burning of embassies in Syria and Lebanon, deaths in Afghanistan and other violence that has come in response. "We want to move on to positive dialogue," said Anas Altikriti, a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, which helped organize the rally. Police estimated the crowd at 5,000.
Now, which