Religious Minorities Archives

February 03, 2012

American politics, non-existence of Arab Xians

Worth a read, came across by accident

Speaking with Palestinian-American Republican Who Confronted GOP at Debate | Politics | Religion Dispatches

Extract

They also demonstrated their ignorance of a crucial part of the world. The Middle East isn’t exclusively Muslim; Hassan, for example, points out that he and his “massive family” are part of “a vast Palestinian community… in North Florida, nearly all of them Greek Orthodox or Catholic.”

But Hassan gets the anti-Muslim bigotry, especially because it comes back to haunt him (he, an Arab Christian American, is tarred with Islamist Hamas). For those in the GOP who might be reading this, allow me to tell you: The percentage of Christians among the Palestinian population is about the same as the percentage of African Americans in the U.S.A.

For a party so concerned with America’s Christian identity, Romney and Gingrich’s dismissal of the Palestinians is part of their broader disinterest in the Muslim world, and its diversities and differences. Namely, most Muslims aren’t Arabs, and most Arab Americans are Christians. You read that correctly.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

March 04, 2011

Egypt & Sectarian Violence: The Deep Security State

First, Kudos to Reason for picking this up, since it is otherwise being ignored. The Muslim extremist narrative is a fun and simple one. It gets nastier, however. Knowing Egypt, I give much credence to the accusations that - vaguely similar to apparently well-founded accusations in Algeria that a portion [not all, a portion, 25%? More? Less No one will ever know] of 'religious' violence is linked to manipulation of the security state:

Was the Mubarak Regime Complicit in Egypt's Sectarian Violence? - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine

The last year of the Hosni Mubarak regime was, according to The New York Times, "the bloodiest year in four decades of sectarian tensions in Egypt." Bookended by two attacks on Coptic churches in a country with a sizeable Christian minority, the year of bloodshed reinforced the idea that only a strongman could prevent Islamic fundamentalism from overrunning the Arab world's largest country.

But shortly before the Egyptian military moved against the Mubarak regime, Al Arabiya television reported allegations that the Egyptian government, not content with fighting actual Islamists, may have invented some of its own enemies. An official government probe is looking into reports that the New Year's Eve church bombing in Alexandria, initially blamed on Al-Qaeda, might actually have been perpetrated by the Egyptian government, with the intention of gaining sympathy and support from the West. The Saudi-backed TV station—founded as a moderate alternative to Al Jazeera, and host to Barack Obama's first formal interview as president in January 2009—also reported that British diplomats believe Egyptian Interior Minister Habib el-Adly had a whole department dedicated to these sorts of operations:

Emphasis added.

First, on the Italics emphasis: Founded as a moderate alternative!!?!? Reason write lapped up propaganda here. Rather founded out of Saudi annoyance at Jazeera criticism of themselves.

Second, the Interior Ministry accusation I can credit - of course that does not mean that all religious violence, discrimination against Copts and the like is due to Interior. Rather it suggests Interior probably exploited a real problem for its own agenda. I have long viewed, however, such violence and tension in Egypt as a symptom rather than a fundamental. Diminishing space, economic opportunity and a critical sense of desperation and fighitng over crumbs are the fundamental drivers.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:08 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 30, 2011

Rached Ghannouchi Returns to Tunisia (with rant on Anti-Islamist Panic)

Exiled Ennahda party leader Rached Ghannouchi was received by enthusiastic crowd when his plane landed. Given that he is somewhat of an Islamist, apparenlty his presence doesn't count as a step towards True Democracy, in the proposals of Robert Satloff, who wants the US to sponsor a new wave of Arab democratic government which would, apparently, not allow any non-secular or at least Islamist party to participate. In other words, the same thing all over again, a Ben Ali, only with multiple parties. Rant below, on anti-Islamist Panic.

Continue reading "Rached Ghannouchi Returns to Tunisia (with rant on Anti-Islamist Panic)"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:06 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

July 14, 2010

France & Niqabs: Show your face

Having mixed feelings about this, as I have no love for Saudi ninjette wear nor other things called 'burqa' (contra the head scarf, which is harmless, the Saudi inspired all-ninjette wear is a sign of problems). At the same time this takes a small minority and makes them martyrs to their mistaken (or misbegotten) cause. That is a mistake.

FT.com - French lawmakers approve ban on full veil

French lawmakers approve ban on full veil


France’s National Assembly on Tuesday backed by a crushing majority a bill banning the wearing of the full face veil in public spaces, a garment which politicians across the political spectrum regard as a symbol of religious extremism.

The vote – by 335 to 1 – takes France a step closer to becoming the first democracy to ban women in the street from wearing the niqab or burka. The Belgian parliament is planning a similar clampdown while Spain is proposing to curb the full veil’s use in public buildings.


The bill will now pass to the Senate in September where it is likely to meet little resistance. However, even once enshrined in law it is almost certain to face an eventual legal challenge on the grounds that there is no constitutional basis for an outright ban in public spaces.

....
The vote is testament to the political consensus in France against the full veil even though it is a marginal phenomenon – only 2,000 women out of a Muslim population of some 5m are thought to wear it.

....

However, some Muslim community leaders suspect a ban may simply stigmatise all Muslims.

.... the differences between government and opposition on the issue of a “burka ban” are small: the socialists want a ban only in public buildings and services, rather than an outright ban, which they fear could prove unlawful.

France’s Conseil d’Etat, a body that advises on the constitutionality of laws, warned the government earlier this year that “no uncontestable legal basis can be found for an outright and generalised ban on the wearing of the full veil”.

The bill does not specifically ban the face veil but prohibits anyone from wearing an item of clothing to hide his or her face in open spaces, including streets, shops, parks or cafés as well as in public services such as town halls, schools and hospitals. Offenders face a fine of €150 ($191).

Emphasis added.

A number of items here. Last one first, this evidently is a law that can (and if it can, will) be used for purposes well beyond its original aim. Fines on say street anarchists (hmmm, well I'm almost in favour of that, but liberty is liberty), pretext for legal action against persons with legitimate desires to remain anonymous, etc.

Otherwise, why a law what amounts to a handful of persons? Prejudice in the end. French lawmakers spending time on this is sheer idiocy relative to France's more pressing problems. The only explanation is hysteria and bigotry (2k of say 2.5m women is a minute, infinitesimal percentage, it is literally absurd to be concerned about this to pass a national law).

 

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:40 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 06, 2010

Class Demographics Explain Better MENA/Muslim Integration in USA?

The Washington Times, not normally a spurting fountain of Muslim-friendly coverage, praises the relatively successful integration of Muslim immigrants in America when compared to that of Europe. (The newsstory mostly concentrates on inter-faith dialogue, but the broader implication of better relative integration (e.g. “melting pot”) in America comes through loud and clear.) While I do enjoy a nice dose of American exceptionalism, and I do think it may apply here in some ways, let me nevertheless throw out a less nationalistic hypothesis on relative integration levels. I am too lazy and busy to find and crunch the appropriate numbers and surveys to confirm or refute it, but here it is: Could some of the relatively better Muslim/MENA integration in America be simply due to the fact that Muslim immigrants there have tended towards the educated professional and middle class, rather than being a large class of laborers as may be the case in lots of Europe?

Continue reading "Class Demographics Explain Better MENA/Muslim Integration in USA?"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:20 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

March 27, 2010

Ongoing Social Vents: Yemen Child Marriage, Saudi Poetess Scolds Muftis, etc.

Molestation Contestation: Yemen Battles Over Child Marriage Laws.

Muftis Get Rapped: Poetess Socks It to the Jeddah Valley PTA. "I have seen evil in the eyes of fatwas. . . barbaric, angry and blind, wearing death as a robe cinched with a belt".

Non-Mideast Non-Muslims Riot Over Non-Danish Video Images. But, but, but,only Muslims get violent when imagery of their sacred founder gets offensive, right? Others never do that, at least these days, right? Occasionally elsewhere too though, theatrical performances can also unite a few Muslims and Christians (see last paragraph) in shared death-threat issuance. This must be what is meant by the unifying power of art. . . .

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 23, 2010

Explaining the Day to Day Mechanism of Popular Anti-Coptic Bigotry in Egypt

Blogger Nadia Elawady relates the ordinary day to day practices of shunning and mythologizing that nurture anti-Coptic prejudice among Egypt's Muslims. " I remember befriending Mariam . . . Quickly my [fellow] Muslim friends explained I could not befriend her. She’s Christian, I was told. So what, I asked. In Egypt, it’s not all right, was the answer. By the end of that same year I had heard my Muslim friends say it was yucky to drink out of a cup a Copt had drank from; they explained that the way to identify a Copt was by their odd smell and their oily hair. . . " One can infer from her post that such things are increasing and are pervasive among the more educated classes.

Continue reading "Explaining the Day to Day Mechanism of Popular Anti-Coptic Bigotry in Egypt"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 05:34 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 21, 2010

Religious Misunderstanding Causes Flight Diversion, With a Twist (or several)

But for once, a Muslim wasn't the cause; this time, a paranoid and/or ignorant passenger mistook an Orthodox Jewish ritual object for a bomb, with hilariously idiotic results.

(My grandfather was right, darnit - he always avoided tefillin like the plague, to the extent that he would ditch Hebrew school, but wrap a rope tightly around his forearm in proper tefilln style, so his parents would see the welts on his arm and wouldn't figure out that he hadn't gone.)

Seriously, where will the stupidity and/or madness end?

Posted by evaluna at 07:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 05, 2009

Swiss ban on minarets, comment worth reading

The Moor Next Door has a typically long comment worth reading on this subject, although perhaps this opening is slightly unfair.

One should register no surprise that the continent which produced the Inquisition, anti-Semitism, the Crusades and the Holocaust would give rise to a sentiment that would lead 57% of Swiss voters to ban the construction of minarets.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 03, 2009

Charming Bigotry around Islamic finance

The level of paranoia from this American Likoudnik over 'Islamic' finance is ... amusing if also rather sad. As regular Aqoul readers know, I am not great fan of Islamic finance, considering it at best to be an awkward fiction (at worst, a grave error financially speaking). At the same time the writing here is absurd: The Threat of Shariah-Compliant Finance - David Yerushalmi - The Corner on National Review Online

Now it is The National Review, which as far as I can tell is a cesspool of far right lunacy in the US, but this mixture of financial illiteracy and grotesque abuse of language for what is in the end blind religious bigotry:

The Threat of Shariah-Compliant Finance [David Yerushalmi]

....

What makes this story more than simply one of a massive real-estate-investment company gone bad is the double-edged sword so prevalent in the chase for oil-based Middle East wealth: sovereign wealth funds and Shariah-compliant finance.

...

Another phenomenon that followed the great Oil Rush of the post-9/11 era was the promotion and aggressive exportation of a Muslim Brotherhood doctrine called Shariah-compliant finance (SCF). SCF or “Islamic finance” was first articulated in the mid-20th century by men like Sayyid Qutb of Egypt and Abul Ala Maududi of Pakistan, both of whom argued for a jihad against Westernization and for the creation of Islamic polities that would ultimately join in a hegemonic global Caliphate, with the goal of establishing Shariah not merely as the supreme law of the land, but as the supreme law of the world.

Continue reading "Charming Bigotry around Islamic finance"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:29 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 29, 2009

Sad note for Europe, Swiss Minarets banned

Remarkably petty and bigoted measure, Swiss Vote to Ban New Minarets (NYTimes):

Of 150 mosques or prayer rooms in Switzerland, only 4 have minarets and only 2 more minarets are planned. None conduct the call to prayer.

Close to 90 percent of Muslims in Switzerland are from Kosovo and Turkey and do not adhere to the codes of dress and conduct associated with conservative Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, said Manon Schick, a spokeswoman for Amnesty International in Switzerland.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:54 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

November 13, 2009

East & West Side Story: Is Beirut Really Back?

Hype, snipe, or just type, o informed ones, about this Levanity fare. What say you to the Beirut toot in Guardian , UK?

It's beautiful, Beirut, beautiful and ugly and pock-marked and damaged and glamorous and unstable and exciting and just a bit mentally unhinged. It's the Elizabeth Taylor of the Mediterranean. Or it would be if you replaced the words "alcohol" with "Israel" and "a string of unsuitable marriages" with "15 years of civil war". . . . Beirut is back.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 02:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 12, 2009

Onion on Ft Hood

Nice little entry on Ft. Hood massacre reaction by the indefatigable (whatever that means) Onion.

FORT HOOD, TX—Following Army psychologist Nidal Malik Hasan's shooting rampage on the Fort Hood military base . . . fellow Muslims across the nation sent him a message today, saying "thanks a fucking bunch, asshole," to the 39-year-old killer. "Hey, great, eight years of progress right down the shitter" . . . .

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 20, 2009

Lewistful Thinking Reconsidered: A Conversion Narrative

However valuable Bernard Lewis may have been as a historian, his influence on recent academia/military/political thinking vis a vis MENA, has always been horribly worse than useless, but nevertheless quite significant. This account of a former academic disciple's ditching Lewis when encountering reality is worth reading if only to hear that when he encountered reality on the ground "with Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington as my guides, I ha[d] no way to make sense of such an encounter."

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:29 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

August 17, 2009

The Cretinous French Calls for Burka Ban

 France, the land of illiberal democracy is inching towards 'banning' clothes to fight ideas. I find it stupid. Fadela Amara, Minister of Urban 'Regeneration' gave an interview to the FT.com calling for full ban on burka. I rather doubt her logic follows, that banning the burqa - in particular in the context of the cretinous ban on headscarves in schools, will stem radical salafism. 

Continue reading "The Cretinous French Calls for Burka Ban"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:59 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

August 09, 2009

The Real Itchin' in Religion: Not the Text, Stupid

Some insightful, as in "I wish I'd said it" commentary, some days back by blogger "Thoreau" at Unqualified Offerings. Adapted below from a lead post and then some later comment by him, he notes in passing some things of direct relevance to those who look at issues of religion and violence and traditionalism, etc. specifically as regards the largely Muslim Middle East and the alleged Muslim requirement to go forth and jihadify. In sum, the idea that people are driven, or even set their norms, by some robotic response to purported permanent religious injunctions in the sacred writ is non-real world, i.e. not religion as actually practiced by real people anywhere. (And to add to his commentary, I would note that most sincere religious observance/piety/consciousness in people tends to proceed from the poetic part of the individual human character as well as the social and cultural.) His discussion started with the tension alleged between religion and science; see below the break here for fuller quote.

Continue reading "The Real Itchin' in Religion: Not the Text, Stupid"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:56 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

May 01, 2009

Happy May Day! New Month Post

Happy Real Labor Day, everyone!

Well, I suppose Site News is the most appropriate category for this little announcement...Tom and I are getting hitched, most probably at the beginning of September. I blame Aqoul - it's all about increasing contact and improving communication between people of various faith backgrounds, right?

So what have you all been up to?

Posted by evaluna at 12:01 AM | Comments (21) | TrackBack

March 30, 2009

A Chechen in Every Potshot? Dubai Assassination

Stretching out our Dubai trilogy to 4, Chechen on-again off-again military leader, Sulim Yamadayev, who was apparently against the Russians before he was recently for them, was just shot to death while staying in the UAE. (There appears to be a pattern of exiled adversaries of current pro-Russian Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov dying in a veritable Fodor's list of the world's more glamorous cities.) It appears Dubai's gendarmes have made an arrest. In all the unhappy news about Dubai, let's not hope for "free fire zone" to replace a currently economically bumpy "free trade zone." Importing Russian affairs has typically hitherto had only a recreationally carnal implication.
In the end, though, this is probably more a Chechnya-Russia story here than a Gulf one.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:58 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

March 23, 2009

Sullivan & Overheated Blithering on about Dubai (Dhimmitude to ban nakedness.... really)

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan (March 23, 2009) - Dhimmitude In Dubai

Dhimmitude In Dubai

The joys of theocracy, even in an international city-state whose population is 80 percent foreign:

Reading Andrew Sullivan's blog in between tracking financial sector meltdown and scheming to keep my little empire going, I ran across this absurdly overheated characterisation of the new rules for Dubai's vast commercial waste lands.

As I wrote in an email to him, this is absurd bollocks as an over-reaction.

Continue reading "Sullivan & Overheated Blithering on about Dubai (Dhimmitude to ban nakedness.... really)"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:12 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Dubai, Bye Bye?: Guardian Lumps Gulf City's Fate with Detroit

Simon Jenkins at The Guardian declares prognosis negative on the ultimate fate of Dubai, which he has slated to be the Detroit of the Middle East, only worse, and largely on an architectural basis. My gut and a brief impression there in real time tend to disagree. But folks with real data and experience are out there. (UPDATE: One of our Aqoul circle opines differently from Jenkins here (disclaimer, author didn't write the overenthusiastic tite). And now, for the Dubai-curious. a bit of Jenkins below the break.

Continue reading "Dubai, Bye Bye?: Guardian Lumps Gulf City's Fate with Detroit"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:56 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

February 21, 2009

Baha'i Anxiety: Sects and Vile Hints in Iran

Several leaders in the Baha'i faith -- that other other other other Abrahamic monotheism -- have been charged in Iran with espionage and other crimes, with possible death penalty exposure. These were generally seen as pretext charges for a broad official chronic program of persecution. The charges are regarded as probable pretext most especially because Baha'i have little access to secrets, being denied official employment, and also because the alleged country of espionagery, Israel, is naturally going to have relatively extensive ties with the Baha'i leaders because the city of Haifa, Israel is the site of the Baha'i Vatican. The Baha'i world headquarters have been situated there because that religion's founding family settled there in early 20th century Palestine around the time of the British Mandate's start, and after exile from Iran/Persia where they and the faith had originated.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:57 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

November 09, 2008

Now Hear the Nerds of the Lord: Monks Battle in J'lem

Not since the pocket-protectors flew maniacally in my high-school Chess Team intramural conflict between Star Trek and Star Wars clubs have I seen such a significant Battle of the Nerds (I was Trek). In Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre, alleged tomb of Christ, Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks have been busted after exchanging hard blows (no relation to child sex scandals, btw).

The monk, who gave his name as Serafim, said he sustained the wound when an Armenian punched him from behind and broke his glasses.

No word on his Rubik's cube, but the monastic mayhem is all part of the long-runnning turf wars of Christian sects over a site that even the big JC walked out of after only three days (theologians debate still what happened to the 30-day deposit). This conflict is dwarfed by the larger mostly Muslim Arab versus mostly Jewish Israeli contentions over the whole city, but could conceivably outsize it in being even stupider. On the other hand, such intra-Xtian things did give us the Crimean War which produced Tennyson's great Charge of the LIght Brigade.

Continue reading "Now Hear the Nerds of the Lord: Monks Battle in J'lem"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 03:02 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

October 10, 2008

He's an Arab

You certainly have all heard about that retard old woman making her “he’s an Arab” comment to McCain. For those of you living under a rock:

“I don't trust Obama, I have read [sic] about him. He’s not… He’s not… Errr… He's an Arab.”

McCain interrupts her and replies: “No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with…”

What is interesting is the little comment there is about how screwed up McCain's reply is.

Ditto about Obama being accused of being a Muslim.

Posted by Shaheen at 10:31 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack

September 08, 2008

Ban Ramadan, and.... Chinese policy & its Muslim Minority.

Banning observance of Ramadan, hardly strikes me as intelligent reaction on part of CP China to Uigher seperatism, indeed it strikes me as precisely the sort of thing that will backfire.

But I am not a China hand, so must treat carefully. However, the most basic Muslim feelings on Ramadan are fairly intense. However lax observance among Turkic folks I have seen has been, the importance theoretically has always been affirmed.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:36 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

August 01, 2008

His Hair Was Perfect: Werewolves of Gaza

(Apologies to the late Mr Zevon.) Turkey's so deeply meaningful war over hatwear nearly overthrew the government, and apparently its recent being sent to its room without supper is causing the AKP to temporarily write off the struggle, um, whole cloth. But those profound Turkish wars of meaning over hatwear give way to Gaza, where the struggle over the true hair of steadfastness has reached crisis proportions. It appears that Hamas is now shaving the moustaches off Fatah activists, in retaliation for the jackbooted debearding of Hamas loyalists by Fatah. An ominous development for a society already beset by settlers wielding sidecurls in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention on Treatment of Follicles. Is history so soon forgotten, or are they just returning to their roots? Is it not time to get more bangs for the buck, and yes, rogaine one's freedom? And didn't Munich teach that even a small moustache needs to be stopped early? Turkey has stopped hair-covering, but hair itself remains appeased. Can anyone not see the civilization at stake in all this? What coiffure-textile combination do you feel best reflects optimal social values? Or is this person the secret key to global harmony?

Continue reading "His Hair Was Perfect: Werewolves of Gaza"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 09:47 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

July 12, 2008

France, Islam & Integration

As brought up in the open thread, a strange court case coming out Fransa: France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam, worthy of a moment of reflexion.

The headliner is

France has denied citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wears a burqa on the grounds that her "radical" practice of Islam is incompatible with basic French values such as equality of the sexes.

although deeper in the article one may be able to pull out something more fundamental (or perhaps better put, reasonable, than her choice of clothing as the basis of the citizenship denial, notably lack of integration and mastery of French society.

Of no great surprise, the woman did not wear the Saudi style ninja costume in her native Morocco; apparently imposed by her husband in France. Without having further information, one would suspect a family arranged marriage of a country girl to a cousin or contact in France who's gone reactionary in France.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:21 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

June 11, 2008

Al-Sharq, babe, has such teeth, dear: Lebanese Big Shots Interviewed

(Apologies to Bobby Darrin and the Three-Penny Opera.) On what seems like the ultimate Summer Vacation for MENA nerds, a student provides extremely useful and interesting account of meetings with the pezzonovantes of the Lebanon. Via Col. Pat Lang, via commenter duaneg. Below, some choice excerpts....

Continue reading " Al-Sharq, babe, has such teeth, dear: Lebanese Big Shots Interviewed"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:30 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack

June 02, 2008

French Court Screws Up Non Virgin Muslim

A case currently making some noise in France is about a court annuling a marriage between a recent Muslim convert and his Muslim born wife, on the basis that she lied about not having had a previous boyfriend.

Most politicians, and many in the media make it sound like it was annuled because the girl was not a virgin and the decision was based on religious considerations (why, Islam of course):

The Conservative UMP party - which is calling on the Justice Minister to overturn the ruling - said the decision was totally unacceptable and was incompatible with France's secular principles.

This is obviously yet another opportunity to capitalize on the Muslim minority's poor image (part of which is self-inflicted like in this case).

Continue reading "French Court Screws Up Non Virgin Muslim"

Posted by Shaheen at 07:57 AM | Comments (41) | TrackBack

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 (17) | TrackBack

May 02, 2008

Funny, She Doesn't Look Bahraini

Bahrain's possible new ambassador to the US has interesting demographics. Not all that amazing if one is familiar with the region outside of stereotypes and post-1948 tensions. Still the background of the former legislator(-tress?), if legislating is what the Shura Council does, might cause some to be unduly surprised.

MANAMA, Bahrain - The only Jewish woman lawmaker in Bahrain is a candidate to become this Persian Gulf kingdom's ambassador to Washington. . . . Huda Nono, a legislator in the Shura Council, said she was among people being considered for the post and referred further queries to the foreign ministry. . . .If Nono was appointed, Bahrain would be the first Arab country to send a high-level Jewish diplomat to Washington. . . . Nono is the first Jewish woman in the Shura Council, a 40-seat body appointed by the king that also has a Christian among its 11 female legislators. . . . Nono replaced her cousin Ibrahim Nono, who held the Shura Council seat for four years.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 05:33 AM | Comments (2) | 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

April 02, 2008

A Brief Note on Zionism, Israel and the Nub of It

It being a little quiet around here what with all of us busy and/or lazy, I thought I'd spice it up by going against the usual, and quite healthy, distaste of most Aqoul principals towards wading into the Israel-Palestine morass. Especially as there are anniversaries and such coming up. Anyway, today's lesson comes from a column of Michael Gerson (not a fan, myself, usually) in the Washington Post. It tells of a speech at the Holocaust Museum by an old gentleman, a Mr. Traum, who was once a very young gentleman in Nazified Austria. He recalls various events especially around Kristallnacht in 1938-39. Below the break is a revealing nugget.

Continue reading "A Brief Note on Zionism, Israel and the Nub of It"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:37 AM | Comments (74) | TrackBack

March 09, 2008

Favouring Religous Minorities in Emigration - MENA, US, EU & Iran

An issue without an easy answer, with respect to "what is right" as such, raised by a Washington Post arty on US favouring religious minorities in emigration from Iran which to follow the article, has drained the communities.

The essential message from the article, in grosso modo, most Xian and Zoroastrians, etc seeking to leave have largely economic motivations. Hardly news, saw everywhere really. However, the community leaders see their people being drained away (and of semi-amusing note, to a land of immorality... US of A where gays can marry [ahem, well no, but...], horrors to the priest quoted). One wonders what would happen to Iranian Sunni communities given the same chances. What is right here? Rather like the priest, one has to say, well, given a chance...

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 28, 2007

Sheikhs' Sure Booty: Your Empire At Work

Finally figuring out what anyone here could have told them years ago, US forces in Iraq have earned at least a B-plus in Empire-Building 101 -- not that that's a good thing, but it can salve a sore wound for an indefinite period. The principle is to use local power structures as your surrogates, basically by bribing them. This USA Today story details it well. (Thanks to a Klaus call, we have a link for the original stick-figure anti-insurgent plan offered by a later-killed US soldier here.)

Tribal sheiks . . . have seats on most of the city councils and the provincial council. . . . Many tribes run construction and trucking businesses and benefit from U.S. and Iraqi government reconstruction projects. The contracts with U.S. forces allow sheiks to hand out jobs, and thus maintain power.

Continue reading "Sheikhs' Sure Booty: Your Empire At Work"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 04:39 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

December 25, 2007

Fishmonger Attitude and French Arab Illiteracy in Public Relations

I’ve just had this exchange on Ibn Kafka’s blog with a French Muslim blogger who nicknames herself La Voilée (The Veiled). Disillusioned by the French Republic’s liberticidal radical secularism and discrimination, she decided to start a blog communicating about her life as a veiled woman there. Though my distaste for the veil is not a secret for anyone here, it's important to remind that it remains a matter of individual choice. The whole French debate about it was completely displaced and misrepresented as proponents versus detractors of the veil, when it should have been about, God forbid, liberties and minority issues.

I applauded La Voilée’s initiative as it has the potential to provide a much needed alternative view about those issues. But when I read some of her comments in an entry comparing 19th century bearded women to today’s veiled women, I had this perception that their tone was the all too common knee-jerk aggressive-defensive “tough guy” one prevailing among French Arabs when they’re feeling judged.

Continue reading "Fishmonger Attitude and French Arab Illiteracy in Public Relations"

Posted by Shaheen at 06:11 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 16, 2007

Competent Adults in Charge? The Iraq Surge's Non-Failure

Not often do I get to be more right than Jim Henley, but here I claim it though I can't document my earlier growing sense that The Surge would turn out better than we cynics first expected. (The last time he was wrong, which goes back years, so was I, as when he predicted that Ariel Sharon would not go through with the Gaza withdrawal.) But now he is surprised that violence has not rebounded in Iraq since The Surge in a way he has predicted. I am far less surprised however and, although I started as a Surge Cynic as shown here, I have come to feel after more information that there has been a good chance of some sustained suppression of the violence. More on why, below.

Continue reading "Competent Adults in Charge? The Iraq Surge's Non-Failure"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:58 AM | Comments (28) | 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 10, 2007

Infidel Review: Packaged Phobias

Yes, in in breaking news, the long-awaited mysterious review of Hirsi Magan/Ali has been sighted.

It is perhaps not off to share as well, The Financial Times very able critical review of a related genre of Islamophobic literature, that of the statistically illiterate "Eurabia" genre to which in many ways Hirsi Magan/Ali belongs.

Continue reading "Infidel Review: Packaged Phobias"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:45 PM | Comments (11) | 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

October 07, 2007

In Defence of Liberal Society & Hijabs, Fashionable or Not

A long delayed note, as I meant to write on this during the summer, but business intervened. Nevertheless, a moment of reflexion and a strange title perhaps, given my self-confessed dislike of the hijab (as all too often ostentatious worn on the sleeve religiosity - but not always, thus one reason for the note). However our dear site mistress's note on perhaps the need for showcasing fashionable (that is to say, not self-negating nunnish habits) hijabs and the like, and a coincidental bit of to do in blogosphere about hijabs provoked some reflexion (however tardy).

I should note that it was this rather stereotypical 'oh isn't liberating the girl took off her hijab' and 'oh isn't it oppressive she put it back on' comment from an English teacher formerly in Rabat. Stereotypical of course as its the typical Western (and very secularized MENAite elite) reaction. It is also near pure bollocks as such, mistaking something between religious choice - mistaken or not - and perhaps fashion, as indicative of "liberation" or not. Sadly, fairly typical imagery. Taking off the hijab, liberation. Putting it on, Male Oppression. [fixed the bloody link as well]

[Added Reference 8 Oct:: Worthy of some reflexion, Women of Birminghamabad find identity in FT relatively recently, from its ongoing and refreshingly non-hysterical Muslims in Europe series]

Continue reading "In Defence of Liberal Society & Hijabs, Fashionable or Not"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:13 AM | Comments (32) | TrackBack

September 26, 2007

Abu Aardvark on The Surge & The Sunni Leadership

A personal favorite political magazine's blog presents a personal favorite political institute's video of an Aqoul favorite blogger Marc Lynch, aka Abu Aardvark, speaking at a conference at the CATO Institute on THE SURGE. The professorial Father of Aardvarks opines about the recent Iraq Sunni insurgent-US military cooperation, but bases his insights on Arabic language media and internet communications of Sunni community leaders. The conclusions he arrives at are basically that the Sunni leaders are stating to their very anti-US constituency that cooperation with the USA is merely tactical and the result of insurgent victories which forced the US to assist them in certain common aims of fighting al-Qaeda and fighting some Shiite militias. They view the government and al-Sadr as "Iranian" and they eventually want the entire US occupation out. In addition, the conditions are such that further sectarian fragmentation is underway and no matter how long the US stays, it appears the conditions will remain ripe for sectarian war. Informed readers, have at it.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:48 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 09, 2007

Quick Roundup of News on Roundups

{Sarcasm} Here's a headline you'd never expect to see. I'm shocked, shocked. . . . {/sarcasm} (Iraq)

Now here's a headline you'd really never expect to see. (Israel)

Here's an interesting roundup about al-Qaeda leader roundups. For a variety of reasons, this Abu al-Yazid guy seems the most interesting and dangerous , specifically as he reminds me in terms of his alleged internal likeability, technical profession (accountancy/fundraising), energy, and tactical sense of a rather successful violent insurgent of the past. Insurgencies can use good accountants and fundraisers.

And, just for yucks, bad news for anyone planning to have online virtual sex with Osama bin-Laden.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:04 PM | Comments (0) | 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 10, 2007

Influence, the Market for: MENA & Delusions - Lebanese Examples

The recent elections in Lebanon (or Leb Land as I like to style it) produced an interesting result although not one of such great surprise, except to perhaps the Tottens and Friedmans of the world, that is, the blow-back of incompetence and utterly delusional policy based on wishful thinking and unresolved contradiction on the part of the Great Power.

The NY Times article is a solid enough and illustrative of some issues long discussed here at Aqoul, notably the severe contradiction between American (but not only American, Western in general) "promotion" of democracy, and inattention to tied-in policies; never mind inability to take an appropriately rational "who's the best long-term bet for our fundamental interests" analytical view of potential allies in region - including the Islamists.

[It has been pointed out in comments that my comments on the article are undermined by the dodginess of the article premise - in particular the reality of the American connexion impact. As I am not watching Leb Land politics with great caution or interest, I'll simply issue this mea culpa for being suckered into ranting on too little basis. This being noted there is much other commentary remaining]

Continue reading "Influence, the Market for: MENA & Delusions - Lebanese Examples"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:37 PM | Comments (10) | 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

Eavesdropping on London Buses and Other Political Pastimes

In keeping with my uncanny ability always to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, I ventured to London town just as various NHS doctors were ramming cars packed with explosives into airport terminals and parading about in the shape of human fireballs.

The queues in the airport were interminable, the interrogation at customs was agonising and in the time it took me to reach central London, I could have flown back to Saudi Arabia, picked up the Ipod that I had forgotten and flown back. However, since it was London, armed with a stiff upper lip and a spirit of the blitz mindset, I deposited my baggage, found a quiet cafe in the West of the city, and proceeded to catch up on missed nicotine time in Saudi by chain smoking myself into a coma.

Continue reading "Eavesdropping on London Buses and Other Political Pastimes"

Posted by bint ash-shaitan at 12:32 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack

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 14, 2007

Muslim Integration in American Political Life

I'd just like to draw attention to a recent report on the subject, which draws some conclusions I'd hope would be common sense to anyone paying attention. A few that particularly struck me:

Continue reading "Muslim Integration in American Political Life"

Posted by evaluna at 05:16 PM | Comments (15) | 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

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 28, 2007

France reflections: elections, Beurs, MENA, economy

As per The Lounsbury's suggestion, and following Ibn Kafka's extensive coverage of French elections, here are my two cents about them, Beurs, France and the MENA region and related economic bits.

Sunday's [May 6th] second round will most probably bring Sarkozy to French presidency. I have to say I'm very mixed up about this election. This round's vote is a matter of either gambling on Sarkozy, and risking what happened with Arab Americans, who happen to have voted George Bush in 2000, or choosing an economically destructive but marginally more risk averse community-wise choice with Segolene.

Continue reading "France reflections: elections, Beurs, MENA, economy"

Posted by Shaheen at 04:21 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

March 29, 2007

Next Year, Get Baked in Jerusalem?

One Israeli political party has announced that according to its interpretation of a rabbinical ruling, marijuana is not kosher for Passover, and so followers should abstain from its consumption during the upcoming holiday.

Continue reading "Next Year, Get Baked in Jerusalem?"

Posted by evaluna at 10:28 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack

March 20, 2007

Egalité in time of elections

Another damning study in France, which shows that discrimination isn't improving in the Terre d'Asile, Land of Equality. If you're an Arab or African French, your chances of receiving equal treatment are statistically an 11% of employers. The president will be elected next month and France is well into its electoral campaign. Segolene and Sarkozy have done pathetic attempts at fishing Arab votes by visiting Arab countries, but so far, this internal issue that hinders the development of at least 10% of the French population isn't on any candidate's radar. Even Sarkozy's affirmative action, a fuzzy social - not ethnic - based concept, is unlikely to ever concretize given how controversial the idea is in Jacobin France.

Not that affirmative action is a good idea anyway, since it would only serve in reinforcing stereotypes, devaluate real merit and maintain the nanny government tradition that reduces incentives to perform.

Continue reading "Egalité in time of elections"

Posted by Shaheen at 01:19 PM | Comments (18) | TrackBack

February 23, 2007

Tarek Fatah on Little Mosque

For some more provincial comments from the Big North, Tarek Fatah's take on Little Mosque on the Prairie has some good points. While I disagree with his idea that there might be an agenda behind the lack of portrayal of liberal Muslims in the show, he definitely put his finger on something when stating that "the liberal, secular or progressive segments of the community – are conspicuous by their complete absence from the Little Mosque narrative."

Continue reading "Tarek Fatah on Little Mosque"

Posted by Shaheen at 01:57 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

February 10, 2007

Independent Jewish Voices

As many have heard and read, on 5 February a number of UK newspapers carried a declaration by a newly founded Jewish group that seeks to challenge the current Jewish establishment in Great Britain.

Continue reading "Independent Jewish Voices"

Posted by MSK at 11:04 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

February 07, 2007

Little Town Hall on the Tundra

In this dull Aqoul moment, I thought this piece of very provincial news would be worth a small entry. Canada, by any standard, is a very tolerant society, welcoming to its immigrants and respectful of its minorities.

But it also has its stupid hicks, like any other society. Separatist French Catholics from the godforsaken Quebec backwoods don't lack such examples. The last pearl comes from the mayor of the remote village of Herouxville, 1300 inhabitants. Trying to educate those international bumpkins of Muslim background who'd chose to settle as his next door neighbor instead of heading to metropolitan areas, he emitted a tailor made code of conduct for them. Among the rules, women should not be lapidated or burnt, and they should have the right to drive or write checks...

Continue reading "Little Town Hall on the Tundra"

Posted by Shaheen at 05:36 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack

January 18, 2007

Allah v. God v. G-d v. YHWH v. The LORD

On Lounsbury's journal, a debate I will now hijack has been going on. That debate suggests a more basic underlying religious vocabulary dilemma that goes back decades at least: the selection by many Muslims to use "Allah " instead of "God" when discoursing religion in English. I personally oppose it but as I am not Muslim I have no direct stake in the underlying religious taboos, if any. But I do find it linguistically annoying and highly misleading, for reasons addressed further on.

Update: Courtesy of commenter Dawud is this Islamic scholarly explanation of why the term "God" is a halal one for "Allah".

Continue reading "Allah v. God v. G-d v. YHWH v. The LORD"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:22 PM | Comments (75) | TrackBack

January 05, 2007

Cheap Outrage and Pretend Concern

Reading over the liberal (libertarian) blog, Hit & Run at Reason.com I was disappointed, although not particularly surprised to find a rather badly distorted reaction to Brian Whitaker's generally excellent work on gayness/homosexuality in MENA, Unspeakable Love, which Aqoul had the pleasure and privilege to review before publication.

Comments in particular showed much cheap outrage (one rather doubts any commentator had even read an accurate summary of Whitaker, given the content of comments) and faux concern for gays in the Islamic/Arab world.

Continue reading "Cheap Outrage and Pretend Concern"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:22 PM | Comments (5) | 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 30, 2006

In Iraq, how can one tell Sunnis from Shi'ites by their names?

A few days ago, our colleague Jim Henley wrote the following post:

Iraqi Onomastics Bleg

You know what would be great? A handy internet reference that identifies common Iraqi given names as “Sunni,” “Shiite” or “Ambiguous.” We know that death squads shoot people for having the wrong name. And we know that anyone quoted in a media story is going to be situated in Iraq’s ethnic/sectarian conflict, whether he or she wants to be or not. It would be useful to be able to see a name and know the speaker’s religious identity.

Indeed, it would be neat for many in the West to have lists of Sunni and Shi'ite names handy. Alas, reality isn't so kind.

Continue reading "In Iraq, how can one tell Sunnis from Shi'ites by their names?"

Posted by MSK at 05:25 PM | Comments (24) | 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:

1. Being a good person, and living in harmony with one's neighbors?


2. Following the five pillars of Islam?


3. 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 22, 2006

The Last Umayyad

On December 24th 1568, Don Fernando de Válor was crowned King of Cordoba and Granada. A little-known event in the history of European Islam, the revolt of the Moriscos - or the Alpujarra War - was one of the darkest episodes in a series of events leading to the destruction and disappearance of native Muslims from Western Europe up to the 20th century.

The revolt was set amongst a rare confluence of motives and interests: those of the Inquisition and part of the Castilian nobility eager to take over the Moriscos' lands, and those of a Spanish crown fearing the presence of a potential fifth column while fighting the Ottoman Empire for dominance in the Mediterranean.

Continue reading "The Last Umayyad"

Posted by Shaheen at 02:52 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

December 19, 2006

Another Woman Put In Her Place in Saudi Arabia?

Oh, wait, sorry. It's not Saudi Arabia. Culture shock for an American female visitor:

A woman...reported a vicious attack by an ad-hoc "modesty patrol" on a...bus last month...[She says] she was slapped, kicked, punched and pushed by a group of men who demanded that she sit in the back of the bus with the other women...She rode the bus daily to...pray at sunrise...Women usually sit in the back, while men sit in the front, as a matter of custom.

Where's Rosa Parks when you need her?

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 09:11 PM | Comments (21) | TrackBack

December 14, 2006

Attending Holocaust Denial Conference Might Be Career-Limiting

The Tehran conference has drawn widespread condemnation for its roster of infamous attendees and controversial position on the Holocaust. Certainly any academic with half a brain wouldn't be caught dead at one of Ahmedinejad's little soirees, as demonstrated by the brewing intellectual slapfight between Alan Dershowitz and Norman Finkelstein. Using evidence from a neo-nazi website, Dershowitz insinuated that his academic nemesis not only attended, but would fit right in because he "has allied himself closely with the Holocaust denial movement by trivializing the suffering of its victims and denying that many of them were victims at all." Our man Richard Silverstein summarizes the story and casts doubt on Dershowitz's conclusion by noting that a) Finkelstein's own parents narrowly escaped the Holocaust, making denial a bit difficult and b) he was testifying at a federal trial in Chicago during the conference.

The motive behind this accusation is clear: legitimate academics who attend Holocaust conferences with David Duke and his ilk may experience slight credibility loss among peers. Rather like evolutionary biologists presenting papers at a conference of Creationists, I suppose.

Continue reading "Attending Holocaust Denial Conference Might Be Career-Limiting"

Posted by eerie at 11:46 PM | Comments (19) | 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 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

October 02, 2006

The reality of Islam and the Republic

I almost missed this fairly important note in the Financial Times on European Islam and the wild-eyed whinging that seems to be becoming the rage in certain circles in North America regarding the Muslim minority in Europe: The reality of Islam and the Republic.

First, the author of the opinion piece, FT’s European Editor, has an excellent summary of the mythology, playing off of a recent publication, Integrating Islam: Political And Religious Challenges in Contemporary France.

Continue reading "The reality of Islam and the Republic"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 01, 2006

Violence, Christians, Muslims - More Fallacious Framing

I caught an interesting article in the Washington Post on Somali shopkeepers and violence which I think is a decent point of illustration of the easy, fallacious framing that often occurs.

Now, in this instance, the article focuses on the xenophobic reaction of Xhosa to Somali shopkeepers, telling known by a name derived from Islamic and Somali vocabulary - baraka, which as many readers know is simply the Arabic for "blessing(s)," although not as the journo incorrectly puts it "God's blessings" as a phrase, merely understood, as in English low church usage that it's God that does blessing. Somalis are known as barakas. Now, the article, aside from some ethnic superficialities, is quite good. However, in reading it and reflecting on how such stories get framed I rather thought it typical of, in particular, Western journo reporting in Africa and elsewhere on violence where an ethno-religious cleavage exists.

[Crossposted from The Lounsbury]

Continue reading "Violence, Christians, Muslims - More Fallacious Framing"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:34 AM | Comments (8) | 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

August 17, 2006

"Macaque" Ado: North African Linguists Needed

Here in the USA, George Allen Jr., candidate for governor of the Commonwealth (that's "State" if one is less pedantic) of Virginia, is in hot water for referring to a dark-skinned Indian-descended opposition activist as a "macaca". Allen's people sort of claim it was improvised gibberish, but now it is recalled that macaque is a kind of monkey, and furthermore, that Allen is a good French speaker and Allen's mom was a Tunisian-raised Francophone of European heritage. Tell us, o Aqoul sages of North African and francophonic wisdom, is there a "there" there, to that accusation? Has French-style bigotry really made Allen deaf to what he himself is saying, proving indeed that Le Pen is mightier than Le Sourd?

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:31 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBack

August 06, 2006

Sarkozy, Lebanon & French Arabs

[Editor's Note: Our occasional contributor Shaheen sent us this interesting note on Euro-Arab developments re Lebanon and French policy]

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's recent remarks about Lebanon (for those who don't understand French, he's basically siding with Israel) infuriated quite a few French Arabs (once more). Yet, the ascending interior minister and probable next president is the story of a big failure from French Arabs' part, first and foremost.

Continue reading "Sarkozy, Lebanon & French Arabs"

Posted by Shaheen at 12:04 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

August 05, 2006

Another death fatwa for the war?

I don't know if MEMRI has translated this one yet.

Continue reading "Another death fatwa for the war?"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

July 11, 2006

French Immigration Policy: Proactive vs. Endured

Editor's Intro: While the subject matter of our commentator, Shaheen, may seem far afield from our Middle East-North Africa concerns, in fact the problems of French immigration laws, French labour laws and the like are really 'domestic' to North Africa. French models are slavishly copied by the North African states, and the environment in France especially has large echoes back in the Maghreb where hundreds of thousands of French residents return like lemmings every year. Both directly then, and indirectly, this has a large social, political and legal echo in the Maghreb, and especially in connexion with the lack of economic opportunity and cancerous growth of ghettos - in France, in Europe and yes, in the Maghreb itself. Certainly this editor deeply believes that 'social exclusion' tied to ethnicity is a key driver of extremism. Eerie, our benevolent Editor in Chief and myself are grateful to Shaheen for taking the time to comment with an insider's view of the situ. - The Lounsbury

Continue reading "French Immigration Policy: Proactive vs. Endured"

Posted by Shaheen at 07:17 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

June 21, 2006

Anger as Analysis: Part III

[Editor's Note: A warm welcome to Shaheen, our newest contributor]

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I thought it would be interesting to have a French/Maghrebi take on our series of articles about media-savvy Muslim women hailed as reformers by Western media. France's Muslim reformist hero is Fadela Amara, a French feminist of North African descent.

Continue reading "Anger as Analysis: Part III"

Posted by Shaheen at 08:59 PM | Comments (22) | 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 16, 2006

Odd - Ayaan Hirsi Ali

A very queer bit of reporting on Somali-Dutch MP and possible immigration services deceiver Ayaan Hirsi Ali aka Ayaan Hirsi Magan, who appears to have not been quite in the situ she claimed re forced marriage when she won Dutch citizenship. The article is perhaps a lesson in the madness that is immigration laws and debates at present across the Developed-Developing world divide. It may, if the facts are right, also be a somewhat sad lesson in media hype as well.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:53 AM | Comments (55) | TrackBack

April 16, 2006

Egypt: Fear and Anger for Copts in Alexandria

The Arabist links to a remarkable first-hand account by an Alexandrian blogger, Jar al Qamar of a knife attack on an Alexandria church, and what happened after. As tempers rise, the National Democratic Party rides to the rescue:

Continue reading "Egypt: Fear and Anger for Copts in Alexandria"

Posted by tomscud at 07:43 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

February 28, 2006

Sullivan & Islamophobia: Petty Gangster becomes "brownshirt" (Updated 5 Mar)

Our dear Andrew Sullivan is at it again. Rational facts be damned, he makes a vile but pedestian crime into some wierd "fascist" fantasy as part of his most unenlightening Islamophobia.

The case is a murder in France of a young Jewish lad, as this Telegraph article describes reasonably well. The case involves a youth gang - as Muslim as the riots of the Fall, meaning some members are, some weren't, per French reports all black African though - with the brilliant sadism of kidnapping and torturing a young Jewish lad, "because Jews have money."

See also: En détention à Abidjan, Youssouf Fofana nargue les objectifs and Ilan a été enlevé "à des fins financières" dit Youssef Fofana.

A gruesome crime, impregnated with easy street anti-semitism, but Sullivan is being an utter idiot (as he was during the "intefada") deluding himself into finding this to be a "brown shirt" Muslim plot.

Rather it is a disturbing evidence of the cancer of anti-social behaviour and general criminality that is sinking ever deeper into the ghettos where the non-White and non-Christian minorities (as well as Xian non-White, etc, etc) fester.

Brownshirts. Can't even get the bloody basic facts right.

(Update Fistful of Euros has a decent summary:http://fistfulofeuros.net/archives/002401.php

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:29 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 12, 2006

French Sensibilités musulmanes

A brief object lesson on the ostentatious and willful blindness of the French elite
Combien Le Monde compte-t-il de lecteurs musulmans ? Je l'ignore, et, Dieu merci, la croyance religieuse — ou l'incroyance — ne figure dans aucune enquête statistique. "How many Muslim readers does Le Mond have. I have no idea, Thank God religious belief, or unbelief, isn't subject to any statistical inquiry." Yes, ignorance, willfull ignorance is a virtue in and of itself. Why then you can congratulate yourself on "repulican values" while simultaneously engaging in hypocritical discrimination.

Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 09, 2006

Open Discussion: MENA, Muslim Minorities & Moderation [Updated II]

Where Moderation? Which Moderation? What kind?

A short post, less of The Lounsbury banging on, and more some initial reflexions on the challenge of buillding moderation. Something I touched on in my little missive: Cartoon Outrage: Salafist Entrepreneurial Behaviour, Manufacturing Incidents & the Problem of Moderation, as have my colleagues.

The core problem is building moderate consensus, in the West - with or within a Muslim minority - and in the MENA region and Islamic world at large. There is much hand-waving out there (in the West especially) about "Moderate Islam" and the like by persons who seem to define moderation as being "just like us" - that is, being up to date the latest (newly acquired) socio-political fads in secular West with respect to religion, society and perhaps even economics (i.e. the cutting-edge values of the highly secularised commentariat of the West).

[Update: The New York Times features an interesting article of some relevance to reflecting on the subject of moderation and the cartoon controversy: At Mecca Meeting, Cartoon Outrage Crystallized. Have added to comment below]

[Further interesting commentary at our friend The Father of Aardvarks (I am inclined to agree with the Father of Aardvarks in re the media's poor performance as well as my lack of enthusiasm for the 'clash of civilisations' talk) pointing to this Egyptian blog post reproducing images from al Fagr that managed not to provoke great protest when first published in October 2005.]

[Further linking:our second favourite Frenchman, Olivier Roy, has a fine article very much in line with the 'Aqoul analysis, in grosso modo this again via Abu Aardvark, who also links to a somewhat boring Mona Eltahawy editorial that for me illustrates why liberal Muslims don't get a hearing. Moderation is boring. Lounsbury, 10 Feb 2006]

Continue reading "Open Discussion: MENA, Muslim Minorities & Moderation [Updated II]"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:53 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack

February 06, 2006

Cartoon Outrage: Salafist Entrepreneurial Behaviour, Manufacturing Incidents & the Problem of Moderation [Updated]

There seems hardly any reason to provide links to this ever-escalating cycle of utter contemptible idiocy, so let me make this more or less purely opinion and my own personal analysis. I would be remiss, however, if I did not pimp our very own summary page on the Danish – Mohammed Cartoon Controversy.

I also would like to point to a fine round up of online commentary as well as highlight our dear Raf Bey’s contribution: “Why do the Syrians burn embassies but the Iranians don't?” In addition, to return a citational favour well-deserved, I point to Clive Davis’ blog commentary, and in particularly this most recent summary of rational commentary on the riots. One has to agree with his observation that the commentary he cites is “more helpful than one of Christopher Hitchens' thunderbolts on "the case for mocking religion".” Juvenile exercise of expression, but then we should be used to Hitchens being a cretin with regards to the MENA region.

Onward, then.

The Lounsbury Discussion on the Issue

[Update: reading Wikipedia I found an online link - no longer working - to the/an Arabic dossier on the cartoons written by the Denmark group of Imams. Having given it a speed read, it appeared to me that while the dossier was written post-facto to their official meetings, its Arabic text did clearly indicate the incendiary 'extra cartoons' were not published, but were ones received by certain unidentified protest leaders, post their public protests in Denmark. That makes the provence of the cartoons less doubtful to me. The dossier was not inherently unreasonable in tone, although certainly disputable, and clearly reflected an agenda, one which I continue to think reflects the Salafist extremist fringe]

[Update II: A very interesting note thanks to Clive's comment, Danish paper rejected Jesus cartoons; they were apparently offensive and unfunny. Ahem. Well. In other notes re the same article, someone desperately needs to give Muslim activists a lesson in marketing: the European Committee for Prophet Honouring just sounds... silly.]

Continue reading "Cartoon Outrage: Salafist Entrepreneurial Behaviour, Manufacturing Incidents & the Problem of Moderation [Updated]"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:04 AM | Comments (17) | TrackBack

January 29, 2006

France, Islam & Discrimination: Further to the idiocy of the "European Intifada"

Further to my ongoing comments of the situation in France, the riots that some ill-informed, bigotted or just plain stupid commentators blew up into a "Muslim intifada" in Europe, an interesting article on current French efforts on addressing rampant discrimination in France.

(A side set of reading by the way from 2003, note the prescient commentary, intifada my ass, I note there is a clear connexion with MENA directly, besides the issue of Muslim minorities in Europe and the potential echoes within the Islamic word, the parallels in terms of illiberal economies with severe labour rigidities leading to high unemployment and difficulties in findings jobs)

A few comments, then.

Continue reading "France, Islam & Discrimination: Further to the idiocy of the "European Intifada""

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:38 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

January 01, 2006

Eyewitness Account of Cairo Police Raid on Sudanese Sit-In

An eyewitness account by Nora Younis of the Egyptian police raid on the Sudanese refugee sit-in in Cairo, complete with onsite photos and interesting commentary, including from other Egyptians, at bottom. So much for inter-African solidarity, I guess.

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:34 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

December 09, 2005

A Cross-Religion Project of Possible Interest

This may be of interest to readers and their associates.

The Children of Abraham project (their website has yet to be updated to reflect this project) is currently recruiting 16-18-year old Jews and Muslims to work together on a Muslim-Jewish Relations Guidebook to Mutual Discovery.

The group is searching for 18 exceptional young people (nine Muslims and nine Jews) from eighteen different countries to participate in an historic project. Together, they will create an unprecedented Muslim-Jewish Relations Guidebook to Mutual Discovery. [The Guidebook] will be distributed to Jewish and Muslim communities all over the world atthe end of 2006.

Applications are due no later than January 20th. To suggest a candidate, e-mail houda@children-of-abraham.org and copy office@shalomctr.org.

More detail below.

Continue reading "A Cross-Religion Project of Possible Interest"

Posted by Matthew Hogan at 05:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A "piquant" problem

Overlooking the ever-painful prose of the Khaleej Times, this article highlights the problems faced by Druze people in the Gulf:

ABU DHABI — The Ministry of Education was placed in a piquant situation when a family belonging to an Islamic sect sought exemption for their son from being taught Islamic Studies in a private school, claiming to be followers of an independent faith.

The ministry, which had not faced such a situation earlier, however, turned down the Lebanese Druz family's request, after it was proved legally that the sect belonged to Islamic faith.

So much for freedom of religion. Islam shouldn't even be coerced among muslims, let alone those that don't identify as muslims. Fortunately the situation is better in Levantine countries, the key homeland of the Druze:

"In Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, the Druze have official recognition as a separate religious community with its own religious court system."

There are several small and often obscure religious sects around the Middle East, from Mandaeans to the Yezidi. Many of these groups are found primarily in rural areas, and continue to suffer terrible prejudice and persecution today.

Posted by secretdubai at 02:19 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

November 11, 2005

Last item on France, Muslims & the Maghreb

Sadly I have little time to devout to what is clearly an important topic at present, which is indeed the riots in France, their meaning and the storm of ill-informed English language commentary on the same. Unfortunately such trivial issues as valuing illiquid assets pledged as capital contributions, fund structures and other fine things require my time.

Continue reading "Last item on France, Muslims & the Maghreb"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

France and the Riots - The (Partial) Myth of the 'Arab' 'intefada'

I briefly, in lieu of more extended commentary, draw attention to this article from the conservative Le Figaro regarding the makeup, per the police, of rioters at present: Davantage de Noirs chez les émeutiers:

Au-delà des rivalités entre ces différentes vagues d'immigration qui se rejettent la responsabilité de la dégradation de leurs quartiers, policiers et travailleurs sociaux ont maintes fois signalé, sans jamais pouvoir la chiffrer, l'augmentation de la délinquance des jeunes issus de l'immigration africaine.Au cours des dernières nuits d'émeutes, «il y avait plus de Noirs que de Maghrébins», confirment les policiers de la Seine-Saint-Denis.

For those who do not read French, the quote indicates that leaving aside rivalries between different waves of immigration, each of which reject responsibility for the degradation of their neighborhoods, police and social workers have frequenly noted that, without being able to give figures, the augmentation of deliquency among youth from the African immigrant community. In recent nights of rioting, 'There were more Blacks than Maghrebines' confirmed police from Seine-Saint-Denis.

I have noted consistently the mirage and delusional quality of the bigotted assertions in the Anglo blog world about the Arab-Muslim character of the riots (assertions that continue even now), when anyone with a decent familiarity with the 'immigrant' (albeit native born 'immigrants' but this being France, native born darkies are, well 'immigrants.') districts knows the

Continue reading "France and the Riots - The (Partial) Myth of the 'Arab' 'intefada'"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:54 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

November 08, 2005

France, Riots and Online Commentary: Islamophobia Demasked

This will be a brief post, as unfortunately (or fortunately) I have mountains of work that must be addressed.

However, in the guise of a comment I thought I would, after reading Andrew Sullivan's ludicrously ignorant banging on about France and the riots as an Islamic intefada (and via Fist Full of Euros, Pipes' equally ludicrous assertion of the same, whanking bigotted fool that he is) as well as other comments, make an assertion.

The Anglophone commentary, essentially American on this subject I think is demasking a deep reservoir of fear and loathing directed at Muslims and Islam in general. Polite bigotry, if you will, dressed up in terms like "extremist Muslims" and Islamists versus "moderate Muslims" when the real meaning is "niggers/scum we fear and despise for their difference" versus "good niggers who know their place."

Continue reading "France, Riots and Online Commentary: Islamophobia Demasked"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:12 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

October 13, 2005

Two Jews, Three Opinions, Part II: Day of Atonement Thoughts on Jewish Culture, Subculture, and Prejudice

[warning: much anecdotal musing ahead]

So here I am on this fine Yom Kippur, engaging in a bit of anthropological fieldwork among my extended family, a bunch of relatively liberal, politically aware Reform-ish American Jews in South Florida. In some ways we are very typical of our subculture(s), and in some ways we are not, but to be sure, there is a wide spectrum of opinion around here, and most of it is expressed passionately and frequently. My family is warm, loud, always interrupting each other, generous, and all-around decent people, and make frequent attempts to be openminded. Mom is even loving the biracial grandchild, in spite of her various complaints over the years that my sister (who basically hasn't dated a white guy since high school) is a reverse racist.

However, if I have to have one more discussion about how all Muslims are not out to exterminate the Jews, I might do something very un-Yom-Kippur-like, and really have something to atone for. I try to cut my aunt some slack - after all, she has worked for the past 20+ years at a grade school affiliated with a Conservative synagogue, and she gets the pro-Israel, anti-Muslim propaganda during most of her waking hours. But sheesh, she was just mentioning that she'd been thinking of donating to Pakistan earthquake relief, until her good friend and co-worker (a rabidly Zionist Israeli; one wonders, indeed, why she lives in the U.S.) mentioned maybe she shouldn't do that, because, you know, we wouldn't want to support people who want to wipe out the Jews.

Continue reading "Two Jews, Three Opinions, Part II: Day of Atonement Thoughts on Jewish Culture, Subculture, and Prejudice"

Posted by evaluna at 10:46 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 01, 2005

Irshad Manji Left Guilt and Likoudnik Agitprop

Although this is an immensely tardy comment, I must thank eerie for the reference to The Globe & Mail letter from Tarek Fateh, which drew my attention to Irshad Manj's odd statement or claim regarding Muslim guilt in regards to the Holocaust. I confess I know Irshad (a fine name I may add) only by the few articles on her book & her articles and interviews. Rather simply, her book isn't available to me in this non-anglo environment.

Continue reading "Irshad Manji Left Guilt and Likoudnik Agitprop"

Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:07 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

September 13, 2005

Two Jews, Three Opinions: Marriage Law in Israel

Sometimes with all the infighting between Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Middle East, not to mention among various flavors of Muslims and/or Christians, many people forget that the Jews aren't exactly one big, happy family. In fact, the Israeli Jewish community can be one big, unhappy, dysfunctional family in one very basic regard...the legal right to get married in a ceremony that reflects one's chosen level of religious observance, not to mention one's beliefs regarding gender equality: Unorthodox Weddings Dividing Israelis

Continue reading "Two Jews, Three Opinions: Marriage Law in Israel"

Posted by evaluna at 09:56 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack