It seems as though al-Azhar hadn’t gotten enough ridicule when the Grand Shaykh of the well-respected and renowned Islamic University al-Azhar, located in Egypt, admonished a young girl for wearing the niqab and subsequently stating that the body covering, which only reveals the eyes, must be purged from Egypt. Now it seems that the scholars of Islam over at al-Azhar are trying to one-up themselves.
Just yesterday a fatwa, or non-binding legal opinion, was delivered by the university regarding Egypt’s construction of a barrier wall along the border of Gaza. According to the AFP article linked above:
The Islamic Research Council of Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, said that the tunnels were used to smuggle drugs and threatened Egypt’s security, the Al-Masri Al-Yawm newspaper reported.
“It is one of Egypt’s legitimate rights to place a barrier that prevents the harm from the tunnels under Rafah, which are used to smuggle drugs and other (contraband) that threaten Egypt’s stability,” the paper quoted the clerics as saying.
“Those who oppose building this wall are violating the commands of Islamic law,” they added, after a meeting attended by Egypt’s top cleric Sheikh Mohammed Said Tantawi, who is a government appointee.
So, let’s over that again: Egypt has the right to place a barrier that prevents the smuggling of illegal items such as drugs in order to preserve its security. And if you oppose this then you are outside the bounds of shar’iah thus acting outside your rights and being as a Muslim.
Alright, cool. Now, using that same justification, could we also then say that Israel has the inalienable right to have constructed and continue expanding the wall that it has built in the West Bank for purposes of ‘security’ ? If Egypt has this right based on its nature as a sovereign state, then Israel should as well, right? I mean, the scholars of al-Azhar certainly would never say that the Israeli Apartheid wall, commonly referred to by its defenders as a ‘security fence’, is unjust because it is “internationally illegal” and because it is a clear “attack” upon and “oppression” of the Palestinian people, right? Or is the Israeli Apartheid wall a different scenario for our learned scholars because the real oppressors of the Palestinians can only ever be the Jews and certainly never fellow Arabs and Muslims?
Alright, enough with the sarcasm.
Plain and simple this is disgusting and repulsive. I understand that Shaykh Tantawi and co. are state-appointed and thus spew nonsensical support for the state as per their unwritten contracts, but this is revolting to me, primarily as a Muslim. First of all, it is certainly telling of the sad state of affairs the Muslim religious educational establishment currently finds itself in when the oldest and most respected Islamic university is supporting the deafening oppression of not only fellow Muslims but 1.5 million innocent human beings, currently imprisoned within 139 square miles of land; 1.5 million human beings without access to clean water, foods, electricity, and other basic necessities for everyday sustenance. A siege, a blockade, a form of collective punishment; a genocide – call what you may – as a result of a ‘security policy’ enforced illegally by an occupying force. 
And then to have the nerve to collectively admonish Muslims who stand against the Egyptian Apartheid wall (because that’s what it is as well – a barrier continuing Israeli policies in the OPT) as being outside the bounds of Islamic Law? Are you for real, The Islamic Research Council of Al-Azhar University?
As a Muslim, one of the foundational teachings that has been emphasized to me throughout my life has been assisting the poor, the weak and the oppressed. Social justice is part of every pillar upon which the faith has been built – it is, as it must be, a part of the daily practice for any Muslim. A good society is one which is aware of the injustices and oppressions around and within it. A good society is one which does not remain silent in the face of the pain and desolation of others. A good society is a just society and a just society can only be achieved by initial awareness and subsequent condemnation of injustice and oppression. And, of course, this is something which obviously goes beyond just the issue of the oppression facing the Palestinian people. This oppression is the oppression found at all levels of society and the world – it is the oppression that may be, and is, present in your own homes, your governments, your countries, your regions.
O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for God can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily God is well-acquainted with all that ye do… Quran 4:135
The above-quoted verses from the Qur’an, chapter an-Nisa, consist of just one example of the emphasis placed on justice in Islam; its importance overrides your own blood. And these ‘respected’ scholars are telling the rest of the Muslim world that they are outside the bounds of Islamic law (thus Islam in a sense) by fighting against what they see as a grave injustice towards their brethren?
Rather, I feel that, as a Muslim, by acting in accordance with this declaration I will be acting outside the bounds of my faith; I will be, through my silence which is equivalent to consent in Islam, assisting an oppression, an injustice. And i cannot bear such an immoral weight upon my shoulders. I cannot imagine any who can or anyone who can truly deceive themselves into doing so.
By issuing this fatwa, which again is really just a non-binding legal opinion with primarily moral and social weight, the al-Azhar establishment has made itself all the more irrelevant to the worldwide Muslim community.
Every Friday, we are attending sermons in which the plight of the Palestinians is consistently and repeatedly emphasized; our mosques and religious charities collect millions of dollars in aid to help the Palestinians; our conferences are filled with lectures making reference to the degenerating state of affairs in the OPT. But I guess when it is Muslims and Arabs who are assisting the oppression, when it is Muslims and Arabs who appointed you to your position, who seem to have more power over your conscience than God, then its just a security issue.
Nothing more.
[tarboush tip: ali abunimah, yaman]
Related posts:
- Apartheid South Africa and Israel Today
- Israeli Apartheid Week
- Israeli Activist: Between Israeli Apartheid and Palestinian Steadfastness
- Back to Basics: Confronting Israeli Apartheid
- Sketching Israeli Apartheid
What else can you expect from state sponsered clerics?
During the 1990's any Egyptian Imam who was even slightly critical of the Mubarak Regime found himself either kicked out of Al Azhar or in one of the many US funded Egyptian torture camps.
Most Egyptians do not buy the nonsense being spouted by these false Imams.
Posted by Concerned Egyptian | January 3, 2010, 5:21 amSana, this is an excellent article.
You bring up an excellent point about the social justice aspect of Islam, it seems that even Muslims themselves have lost sight of that integral part of their religion. Thank you for saying what definitely needs to be said more often when it comes to the palestinian case: Israel is not the only oppressor.
We cheapen and devalue Islam and its teachings when we legitimize national ideologies and interests above justice, and justice cannot be understood if oppression itself is not fully understood. Islam recognizes that oppression can exist and persist in a myriad of ways that may not be so overt and direct. Silence is oppression, complacency is oppression, and lack of reflection on the consequences of an action on another is oppression.
God consciousness at the individual and collective level IS what defines the shari'ah. Its saddening to see that this is being completely compromised by an Islamic scholar for the sake of national interest. Not only is this a testament to the Arab/Muslim contribution to the indignity of the Palestinians but it is also an attestation to the belittling and subordination of a whole faith to political agendas.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” [Sahih Bukhari,Volume 3, Book 43, Number 624]
Posted by Rasha | January 3, 2010, 6:05 amStraight up Yazidis. May they reap what they sow.
Posted by Faeza | January 3, 2010, 12:14 amGreat write up, thanks Sana.
Posted by yaman | January 3, 2010, 6:14 amGiven Arab anger at the Egyptian government, do any of you Kabobers wonder how it's possible that there are a dozen Starbucks in Cairo and no mass murder of Egyptian police, while in Iraq there have been 1,700 suicide bombings, many of them targeting Iraqi-owned cafes? I guess that would require some compassion for Iraqis, probably, or keen analytical skills.
I don't remember the Arabs being as pissed about the Saudi fatwa that called on Sunnis to fight Shia ("apostates") in Iraq and certainly contributed to the stupidity of Arabs who participated in the mass murder of Iraqi Shia. In fact none of you Kabobers even mentioned that fatwa. But that's not surprising.
I searched for "fatwa" on Kabobfest and found 20 posts. One of them, "The Year of Fatwas in Review" was published by Will in Jan 06. He said: "Shia clerics issuing fatwas about who to vote for in Iraqi elections, and determining which parties can run for office in Lebanon." Shia clerics in Iraq did not issue a fatwa telling people whom to vote for. Sistani issued a fatwa telling people they must VOTE. But watching Arabs misunderstanding (or lying) about Iraq is not surprising either.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 3, 2010, 6:46 amDude, you need to calm down before you fall into a cardiac arrest, MJ style.
My concern isn't with Arab unity or whatever. I'm not Arab, I just have appropriated the culture to make up for what I voluntarily lack.
I can only speak for myself – no other Kabober or on behalf of all Arabs and Muslims. I grew up respecting the al-Azhar institution given its role and position throughout Islamic history. The older I grew, the more I learned how completely state-run and useless the institution has become. Disheartening since it still hold authority and legitimacy primarily because of its great past (and mind you they do still do some great work in terms of theology, fiqh, hadtih, memorization, etc – you cannot discredit them 100%) but they have become now, unfortunately, rather irrelevant to the global Muslim community. I wrote this piece as a Muslim concerned about the double standards that are being espoused by the leading Islamic education institution in regards to oppression and injustice: they essentially have approved Egypt's role in the Israeli Apartheid (as well as the Apartheid itself given the policies of security that the Israeli establishment so wonderfully boasts about) and thus have also set a "religious" precedent for any other Muslim countries who hope to barrier off populations in the present or future for "security" reasons. By saying "ayo, you're out of shar'iah by going against the Egyptian government's decision to trap the Gazans" you're admonishing millions of Muslims around the world for taking a stance on this issue based on something greater than themselves and this life. It disturbs me greatly that al-Azhar inches towards takfir (for lack of a better word in Arabic) in their fatwa with the whole "outside shari'ah" bit. Not obviously takfir but its in that direction
That is where my concern lies in this article, Allahu 'Alim.
Also, sorry about not covering the Saudi fatwa. In between our tafsir classes and tahajud, we kinda forgot. Mujtahids in training, you know how it is.
Posted by SanaKF | January 3, 2010, 7:44 amSana, I wasn't singling you out for ignoring the Saudi fatwa. I was speaking to all the Kabobers. Really the Arabs in general ignored it. But maybe they ignored it because they knew it's crap.
Educated Arabs know these fatwas are BS. The same Saudi cleric who issued a fatwa calling Shia "apostates" also issued the fatwa that permitted American troops to enter the House of Islam in 1990:
"During the Gulf War Ibn Baaz issued fatwa allowing the deployment of non-Muslim troops on Saudi Arabia soil to defend the Kingdom from the Iraqi army. Some noted that this was in contrast to his opinion in the 1940s, when he contradicted the government policy of Islamically allowing non-Muslims to be employed on Saudi soil.[12]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Aziz_ibn_Abd_…
I do need to take a break from observing the incredible hypocrisy of the Arabs. It is painful and probably unhealthy.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 3, 2010, 8:00 amApparently the Kabobers do not wonder how it's possible there are two dozen Starbucks in Egypt, no terrorism, no attacks on security forces, nothing like Iraq and the "resistance" that has been mass murdering Iraqis for years now.
http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2009/12/starbucks-i…
Are the Arabs simply stupid? That certainly seems to be the case from my viewpoint.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 3, 2010, 4:57 pmMaybe because there's nothing like the US or Israeli occupation there?
Naaah.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 4, 2010, 4:19 amThere were no US soldiers occupying the stadium that was incinerated by the Mujahideen in Pakistan the other day. Most of the spectators were children. But maybe you think it serves them right for trying to learn more about a western sport…the hardliners in Waziristan certainly do.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeq…
Posted by C.H. | January 4, 2010, 6:36 am//There were no US soldiers occupying the stadium//
Maybe! But there is no doubt that it was them and their lackeys in the Pak govt who were responsible for the explosion, so that clueless Muslims and CNN/BBC-addicts will blame the resistance; and crucial civilian support would switch to the Imperialists, in this bloody guerrilla war.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 4, 2010, 8:11 amAre you crazy or just stupid? Both?
…so that clueless Muslims and CNN/BBC-addicts will blame the Taliban…
Are you trying to claim that Muslim who aren't "clueless" currently support the Taliban? Because I've yet to encounter a Muslim who doesn't go out of their way to point out they don't support the Taliban. Except for you.
Posted by programmer craig | January 5, 2010, 5:27 pmWill appears to <a href = "http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/12/occupation-is-the-mother-of-invention.html">support the Taliban. Take a look at <a href = "http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/12/occupation-is-the-mother-of-invention.html#IDComment45553812">this comment
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 5, 2010, 9:21 pmTsk Tsk…Hate mongering is not a civilized practice anymore. The last time you Americans used it as a national policy was during McCarthy regime. I hope this habit doesn't still linger on in hearts-and-minds of burger-loving-Americans.
Pull your pants up, boy. Its the twenty first century. You got yourself a black president now. Something to be proud of in Racist America.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 5:31 amRacist America? Aren't you from the middle-east? Again, I'm forced to ask if you're crazy or just stupid. You are seriously from the most bigoted culture on the planet and you accuse the US of being racist? How many of your braincells burst while you were typing that comment?
Posted by programmer craig | January 6, 2010, 3:04 pmHahaha…XD XD Your cracking me up…
Your grasp on history and Muslim culture just just goes to show your obvious ignorance in matters of intellect.
You had better study a lot more if you want to involve yourself in constructive intellectual discourse on this forum….
Stop chewing on your burger and go to the nearest library in your neighborhood. Or better still, get a degree in something.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 12, 2010, 11:42 amActually, when people in the streets of Kabul were asked who they want; An overwhelming percentage was shown to support a Taliban govt again. They are just sick of American trigger happy policies, where the people's lives and dignity is trampled all over. Afghanistan could have been a prosperous country if not for American policies during Taliban rule and American Invasion after Taliban rule.
Only death and destruction follows America in its path to 'freedom' (at the cost of our slavery).
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 5:17 amKhalid, most of the "lackeys" in the Pak gov't don't even believe that extremist Muslims are responsible for the carnage that has been brought Pakistani cities in the last few months. There's always some MP, intel officer, or police chief who points the finger at a "foreign hand" aka India. Many of them are as clueless as you are about who's conducting the violence.
Posted by C.H. | January 5, 2010, 6:49 pmThe resistance mass murders Iraqis because of the US occupation? That's true. Many Iraqis understand quite well that Saddamists (and ordinary 3arab jarab from Salt, Zarqa, Riyadh, etc.) have been effectively holding Iraqis hostage and murdering a few hundred every month so that clueless Arabs and leftists blame the occupation for the murders. For this reason many Iraqis have wanted the US to withdraw for many years. But most Iraqis have nothing to do with the US or Israeli occupations, and for some reason the mass murder of Iraqis continues even though US forces withdrew from Iraqi cities several months ago.
I worry that the mass murder of Iraqis will continue after the US withdraws completely in 2011. I worry that the brave and noble Arab resistance is more interested in gaining power and overthrowing the democratically elected govt in Baghdad than fighting occupation. Any of you Kabobers know that in Dec. 09, zero US soldiers died as a result of combat in Iraq? Any Kabobers know how many Iraqis were killed in December? Any Kabobers care?
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 6:49 amWe all know the US rushed to liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein just as soon as they realized their little puppet wasn't the nice guy they'd hoped he'd be. We sent tons of fluffy bunny soldiers to entertain the children of Iraq with fireworks displays and lots of lead and depleted uranium trinkets to play catch with. They welcomed us with open arms. The British SAS loaded up a whole car for a fireworks display at a local mosque, but unfortunately the child-hating Iraqi police intervened to stop them. But the British Army quickly sent its representatives to discuss the matter with the Iraqi police and after that, the fireworks displays continued unabated. This is how "democracy" works, kiddies.
Everything was going fine until that mean Zarqawi showed up with fireworks displays of his own! But he was very careless in his attempts to win the support of Iraq's children and many of them were killed! This wouldn't do, so our wonderful British friends sent some gamers to teach Iraqi children how to play Grand Theft Auto instead! Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z0NMKcVHHM
Isn't it nice that Iraqi children have such wonderful British and American friends to play with?
Posted by Sean2009 | January 4, 2010, 9:20 pmWe all know the US rushed to liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein just as soon as they realized their little puppet wasn't the nice guy they'd hoped he'd be. We sent tons of fluffy bunny soldiers to entertain the children of Iraq with fireworks displays and lots of lead and depleted uranium trinkets to play catch with. They welcomed us with open arms. The British SAS loaded up a whole car for a fireworks display at a local mosque, but unfortunately the child-hating Iraqi police intervened to stop them. But the British Army quickly sent its representatives to discuss the matter with the Iraqi police and after that, the fireworks displays continued unabated. This is how "democracy" works, kiddies.
Everything was going fine until that mean Zarqawi showed up with fireworks displays of his own! But he was very careless in his attempts to win the support of Iraq's children and many of them were killed! This wouldn't do, so our wonderful British friends sent some gamers to teach Iraqi children how to play Grand Theft Auto instead! Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z0NMKcVHHM
Isn't it nice that Iraqi children have such wonderful British and American friends to play with?
Posted by Sean2009 | January 4, 2010, 9:20 pmWoah, calm down Mojo.
Do you really think that hypocrisy is confined to the Arab world? (I'm speaking in my capacity as a non-Arab here). Why only point out apparent Arab hypocrisy, which by the way, I don't think is anywhere near the levels you imply. I'm pretty sure there were Arabs out there who did denounce the Saudi Fatwa – it does take quite a big leap of logic to deduce that Kabobers implicitly support the Fatwa because they haven't denounced it.
As for your Starbucks in Egypt example, could it be because there's a state with functioning and stable institutions in Egypt, whereas Iraq isn't that fortunate? If you get rid of a government without an effective replacement plan, then its obvious the country is going to fall to bits. Just look at New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Katrina.
Posted by Shafiq | January 5, 2010, 10:14 pmAlso, Shafiq, the chaos that resulted after Katrina was caused by a hurricane, combined of a delayed govt reaction. In Iraq, the chaos is caused by groups of people who blow up markets and government ministries in order to prove that the government cannot provide security for Iraqis. This is the sick part of it all – the "resistance" is willing to mass murder Iraqis in order to bring the government down. The resistance is the hurricane (a human one) in Iraq, and it is unrelenting, DELIBERATELY killing hundreds of Iraqis every month in the most horrific ways. The Arab reaction to the bombing of Gaza has been much sharper, much angrier than the Arab reaction to continued Arab terrorism in Iraq.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 1:33 amAny Kabobers read about the deaths of three Iraqi policemen, no doubt killed by the brave and noble Arab resistance today? Anybody care? The honorable non-sectarian Arab resistance has killed thousands of Iraqi security forces since the hero of the Arab world, the great Lion of al Rafidain, was illegally and immorally removed from power.
Why don't these brave and non-sectarian and honorable resistance fighters kill a few Egyptian police? Are the Arabs unable to confront dictators and only able to attack the democratically elected govt of Iraq?
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 4:23 pmIraqi police most probably killed by either the US Army or American mercenaries (Blackwater or the Sunni Awakening).
Posted by OooKhalid | January 5, 2010, 6:38 amThere was a time when the Arabs were united. The last time was 1973.
'Another example of unity was a fatwa issued by Al-Azhar's rector, Shaykh Mahmud Shaltut, recognizing Shia Islamic law as the fifth school of Islamic law. In 1959, al-Azhar University in Cairo, the most influential center of Sunni learning, "authorized the teaching of courses of Shia jurisprudence as part of its curriculum."[32]'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi'a–Sun…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 3, 2010, 6:57 amYes Israel has the right to build any wall it wants, WITHIN ITS OWN BORDERS. I am sure failing to recognize this critical difference was an innocent oversight. I am afraid your outrage at El-Azhaar and the Egyptian government is completely misplaced. You see it was Hamas who laid the first stone in this wall(or inserted the first steel rod) when they shot an Egyptian officer from point-blank range for refusing to surrender his post. It is Hamas who necessitated the construction of this barrier when they felt it was justified to use their tunnels to blow up Egyptian tourist resorts and kill innocent tourists (infront of El-Azhar mosque) to put pressure on the Egyptian government. The simple fact of the matter is, if Egypt feels like extending their international borders 30 meters below ground , then only Egyptians have the right to ask questions. And thats a Fatwa that can not be disputed.
Posted by A F | January 3, 2010, 8:41 amunlike just about everything you just wrote-those all can definitely be factually disputed. moron.
Posted by MohammadKF | January 3, 2010, 8:53 amYes I am the moron, but you have definitely not disputed anything I wrote. Factually.
Posted by A F | January 4, 2010, 6:01 amwhen did hamas build a tunnel all the way into the middle of cairo to blow up tourists? moron.
when did hamas demand egyptian soldiers give up their posts? moron.
how will an underground wall designed specifically to stop the entry of goods to a besieged people NOT increase pressure on the egyptian government? moron.
Posted by MohammadKF | January 4, 2010, 9:46 am"So called security fence". It IS a security fence, period. There have been practically no suicide bombs after the fence was built.
"Apartheid wall?" There are 1,5 million Arabs inside the wall, the Israeli Arabs. Don't play with the racism card when it is not the case. Israel as much as Egypt have the right to do whatever they want to protect themselves.
"1,5 million innocent humans?" Tell me what is the logic in building a wall costing 500 million to isolate innocent people? Egyptians are sick and tired of the antics of Hamas and the threat what this Iranian run outfit poses. When you are dealing with people who do not care about the well being of their own citizens but mindlessly repeat their death cult ideology and wet dream of "all of Palestine from river to sea", you lock them up and minimize damage.
Posted by ArnoP | January 3, 2010, 11:17 amI pray to Allah, that He gives the Egyptians some balls. And plenty of gray-matter.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 3, 2010, 1:38 pmEgyptians do not need any more balls or gray-matter. They have already used their current endowments to liberate their occupied land, a long time ago.
Posted by A F | January 4, 2010, 6:14 amSo now they are licking America's ass so deep, that even Canada is getting tickled.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 4, 2010, 8:13 amemmm, no. But good for you.
Posted by A F | January 4, 2010, 9:59 amOccupiers have no right to build anything. Especially violent racist occupiers like Israel!
Boycott Israel, and to hell with any excuses for the occupiers.
Posted by Boycott on campus | January 3, 2010, 2:55 pmI hope an Iranian missile falls on Mubarak.
Posted by Ana Min Falastin | January 3, 2010, 5:52 pmKhamenei probably has those missiles pointed at Iranians right now
Posted by C.H. | January 3, 2010, 7:20 pmaren't you witty
Posted by MohammadKF | January 4, 2010, 9:47 amAren't you angry about the assassinations, torture, and rape happening in Iran right now, Mohammad? Why would Khamenei and his hideous puppet, Mahmoud, fire a missile at Mubarak when they can't even control their own population?
Posted by C.H. | January 5, 2010, 8:30 pmSometimes i think that Israel has a greater right to existence then some of the Arab countries in the Middle East.
While Israel allows their citizens to the basic human rights of protest..
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeq…
Egypt on the other hand uses brute force to prevent their citizens to protest Israeli war crimes..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7205403.st…
From now on, while protesting against Israel we must have similar number of placards shouting: ":DOWn WITH EGYPT".
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=115120&s…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 4, 2010, 8:40 amFunny how Iranian hate television is attacking Egypt for crushing protests.
Posted by C.H. | January 5, 2010, 8:20 pmfunny also how American propaganda machine is attacking Iran day in and day out for crushing protest but gives just a cursory glance to Egypt's 'democratic values '.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 5:03 amEgypt prevents crucial humanitarian supplies to cross Rafah gates today.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 6:32 amGreat post, Sana. I've been writing about my own disgust with the Egyptian conspiracy theory/siege mentality BS on my own blog (brownfolks.blogspot.com), and I'm glad you've approached it from this angle. When the oppressors are white men, we have no problem calling them out, and rightfully so…
but when the oppressors are our leaders with the same religion and skin color as us, we back away from denouncing them. We acknowledge crime and corruption in every political and religious institution but our own, for we assume to be immaculate. I think a lot of it is attributable to the post-9/11 knee-jerk, defensive reaction we Arabs and Muslims have whenever we are up against Islamophobia and anti-Arab or -Middle Eastern sentiment… but let's get real here. Apologizing for Mubarak as some sort of bulwark against imperialism is pretty ludicrous when there's no bigger tool of imperialism in the region than he.
The fatwas coming out of al-Azhar just get more and more idiotic by the day. And to think some commentators believe this regime is a "secular" one? While it's not directly related to this matter, I also should mention that Mubarak's monopoly on Egypt's religious institutions extends beyond the Islamic ones. Baba Shenouda, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, is also very loudly pro-Mubarak, father and son (no puns intended).
Posted by hoda | January 4, 2010, 9:14 amEver googled "brave arab resistance"? http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rl…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 4:44 pmHey, how are you? Quit spamming. You've got a blog for this.
Love,
Sana
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Posted by SanaKF | January 4, 2010, 6:34 pmLOL. At least you're a nice Kabober:) Is it really spamming though if I'm commenting on the differences between how the Arabs & Muslims have treated Egypt and they way they have treated Iraq? This post of yours is great, and Tony of Palestinian Pundit also wrote a strong condemnation of the Egyptian govt, but is it wrong to observe here the Arab hypocrisy vis-a-vis Iraq?
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 6:41 pmBTW, Tony has been condemning the Egyptian govt for a while now, and he posted a pic of Mubarak with a Star of David on his head! But today he went a step further and criticized the Arab nation and Arab nationalists in general:
'Scanning the names and nationalities of the 131 who signed the Cairo Declaration to end Israeli Apartheid, I could not help but notice that not one of those came from an Arab country; not one!
So, all this talk about "one Arab nation" and Arab nationalism notwithstanding, 300 million Arabs and a billion Muslims who pretend to be one "Umma" could not care less about 1.5 million Palestinians besieged and starved.'
http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/2010/01/net…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 7:43 pmIt's obvious that Arab nationalism is a joke and has always been that way. Apart from brief flickers of Arab 'unity', you're constantly at each others' throats. But I don't see how the constant accusations of hypocrisy (most of which are true) are relevant. You've made your point, it's either been addressed by the people you are accusing, or ignored.
Posted by Shafiq | January 5, 2010, 10:20 pmWell, you're continuously posting comments not only irrelevant to the post but also in response to really no one and initiating really no discussion..
You've got a blog, you can express all your dislike for Arab hypocrisy there.
So, yes, spam. Stop. Please.
shukrun.
Posted by SanaKF | January 5, 2010, 2:46 amSo we're not supposed to talk about the difference between way the Arabs have treated Egypt and the way they've treated Iraq? We supposed to ignore the hypocrisy like the Kabobers do?
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 5:25 amDespite the fact we don't see eye to eye, I say keep up the good work. Sana wouldn't be calling it "spam" if you were complaining about the US and Israel the way everyone else on this blog does.
Posted by programmer craig | January 5, 2010, 5:21 pmI mean damn, haven't you ever wondered how it is that tens of thousands of Muslim fighters travelled hundreds of miles to Iraq to kill Americans and Iraqi security forces and "apostates", and many of these Muslims came all the way from Afghanistan and Pakistan, often going to Mecca first to perform the Hajj and then going to Iraq to do "jihad"? Many of those Muslims, in their efforts to be as pious as possible, were convinced by clerics who issued fatwas that killing Shia, or Iraqi "traitors" would be rewarded in heaven. And have you wondered why it is that these clerics do not encourage their "mujahideen" to cross into Egypt, which is closer to Mecca than Baghdad, and put some pressure on the Egyptian govt in the form of an attack or two on Egyptian police or the security personnel guarding the Gaza border? Would that be off-topic? I guess one would have to be Iraqi in order to wonder such things.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 5:47 amActually, modern Jihadism took root in attempts to overthrow the various Egyptian dictatorships throughout the 20th century. The thing is, that they're not very good in areas with law and order – they thrive on lawlessness, which is why they're in Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, North Waziristan and Afghanistan.
Posted by Shafiq | January 5, 2010, 10:22 pmI thought that video was removed by YouTube. Looks like it's gone viral, which is good. I had linked to another YouTube clip of Aegis "security" guys shooting at Iraqi cars, but I realized a few days ago it was removed due to "copyright claims" by Aegis! So I found a clip on Google video and reposted it: http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2009/01/blackwater-…
Luckily the British are no longer in Iraq. I'm not sure about the South African guy who did the shooting in that video. And unfortunately, the brave Arab resistance continues to mass murder Iraqis, several months after US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 9:28 pmUnfortunately, we have no evidence, other than the say-so of the Pentagon and the media, which are hardly credible sources, for your belief that all the bombings and attacks in Iraq have been carried out by the resistance.
When people are killed by US forces through airtstrikes or using weapons the resistance simply doesn't have, we know for certain who is responsible, But how do you know who planted an anonymous bomb? It could be the resistance as you claim, but that is unlikely as no resistance in history has attacked its own people like this. Iraqi blogger Riverbend has reported that many "suicide bombings" claimed in the Western media were just ordinary car bombs. The media reports these as "suicide bombers" because suicide bomber = Muslim in the eyes of Western readers.
But even if Western claims are true, how do we know who hired the bombers? Whenever there is a bombing in Iraq, the authorities consistently post claims about the perpetrators and their alleged countries of origin literally with days if not hours of the attacks. How can they do this, when the best police investigators in the US often take years to solve even high profile cases like the Son of Sam or the Jeffrey Dahmer cases? The fact is that there is no way they can know this for sure that quickly, even if some organization or another lays claim to the attacks, without a thorough investigation. So government claims as to the nature of the perpetrators can only be taken as mere assertion–if not outright lies–and not facts.
The "Real IRA" allegedly claimed responsibility for a bombing in Omagh, Northern Ireland that nearly derailed peace talks there. It later turned out that the guy who planted the bomb was a British SAS mole from the exact same unit caught with a car bomb in Iraq. Imagine that.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/dec/20/northern…
You keep repeating media an d government claims as though they are proven facts, when they ares not. Yet what is a proven fact is that we KNOW what the motivation of the neocons was in attacking Iraq because we have it in their own words. We KNOW their purpose was to divide and destroy Iraq so it wouldn't be a threat to Israeli or US hegemony. This is what the Iraq war was really all about. And now the neocons intend to do the same to Iran, no doubt with media-addled Arabs and American wingnuts cheering them on.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va…
When we ask the question "who benefits" it is obvious whose interests these bombings and killings serve. Yet you continue to take the media's fictions as gospel truth of what is happening, despite the fact the media has repeatedly been proven to have peddled multiple lies to drag us into a war with Iraq. Why are they suddenly credible now?
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/01/03/the…
Posted by Sean2009 | January 4, 2010, 10:23 pm'When we ask the question "who benefits" it is obvious whose interests these bombings and killings serve. '
It is obvious to me the bombings serve the interests of those who want to destroy democracy in Iraq. It serves the interests of those who want to overthrow the democratically elected govt in Iraq. It serve the interests of those who want to restore Sunni hegemony over Iraq.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 4, 2010, 10:30 pmIf Sean's theory is true, its amazing that the US can invent Zarqawi, carry out false flag ops, and trick the entire western world…yet they can't manage to get anything out of it. Most of Iraq's oil that has gone on the market has been bought by Russian and Chinese companies, while Israel is arguably in greater danger because of Iran's increased activities in Iraq.
Not to mention, only an idiot and/or someone who knows absolutely nothing about American politics could believe that Bush or anyone in his administration actually benefited from the bombings and terrorist attacks. The violence turned the public against the war and against the former president, and the reason he left office with such low approval ratings was because of the Mujahideen's war against Iraqi civilians.
Posted by C.H. | January 5, 2010, 3:20 am"only an idiot and/or someone who knows absolutely nothing about American politics could believe that Bush or anyone in his administration actually benefited from the bombings and terrorist attacks. The violence turned the public against the war and against the former president"
That's why it's hard for me to believe that Sean is actually American. But I guess Americans can be clueless too.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 5:35 amWhat did Bush and Israel get out of this? What, are you ten years old? Does someone actually need to explain to you how the elites in society benefit financially from war? We have spent trillions on this war, and that money did not get taken out into a field and burned, but got shoved into the pockets of people like Bush and his supporters. Cheney's stock in Halliburton was said to be worth over $400 million, and the Bush family probably got millions from their holdings in General Dynamics and other armaments companies. Bush served two terms, and gets $250,000 a pop for giving speeches. Do you actually believe he gives a fuck about his approval ratings? He is laughing his way to the bank with his approval ratings and everything he and his cronies have robbed off the American people and continue to rob while idiots like you wank yourself to death over Muslims.
The worldwide price of oil skyrocketed leading to historic profits for the industry. Israel got rid of one of its most powerful regional competitors and potential enemies, at the cost of marginally increasing Iran's influence in the burned out shell of a country that used to be Iraq. So on balance they came out ahead and they are now poised to do the same to Iran .
You must have missed the part where Colin Powell went before the UN and blatantly, shamelessly lied about Iraq's WMDs, yet here we are with the necons recycling the same fictions and lies in an attempt to foment a war with Iran. Fool Western leaders? Give me a break. That is hardly necessary as they are as in on the game as America is. But few ordinary people In Europe or elsewhere are fooled by this nonsense. It's media-conditioned baboons in this country like you that are dumb enough to swallow the same bullshit twice.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 5, 2010, 11:28 pmPentagon's war related corruption amounts to $2.3 trillion. And that was the figure in 2003!!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/evening…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 5:52 amPentagon's war related corruption amounts to $2.3 trillion. And that was the figure in 2003!!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/evening…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 5:52 amPage cannot be found!
2.3 trillion dollars in 2003? lol
Not real big on math, are you?
Posted by programmer craig | January 6, 2010, 11:20 pmhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/evening…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 9, 2010, 6:02 amhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/evening…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 9, 2010, 6:02 amDude, two and a half TRILLION dollars was more than the entire budget for department of defense in 2003. And you claim that's the amount that was wasted due to corruption?
Like I said: Not real big on math, are you?
Posted by programmer craig | January 11, 2010, 4:30 pm//"According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," Rumsfeld admitted.//
did you even read from the link i provided, or you just can't help yourself from proselytizing the utopian world you created in your head.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 12, 2010, 12:14 pmOf course I didn't bother reading it. Unlike you, I actually understand elementary arithmetic. This is what you said:
Pentagon's war related corruption amounts to $2.3 TRILLION. And that was in 2003!!
This is what Rumsfeld said (according to your quote):
"According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," Rumsfeld admitted.
So you read it, but failed to comprehend it. Instead you chose to claim that the entire budget for DoD in 2003 and a whopping 1/5 of the US GDP for that year:
http://www.theodora.com/wfb2003/rankings/gdp_2003…
Was lost due to pentagon corruption. You aren't the sharpest tool in the shed are you, Khalid?
Posted by programmer craig | January 12, 2010, 3:31 pmPentagon's war related corruption amounts to $2.3 TRILLION. And that was stated by Rumsfeld in 2003!!
Now sit and think on that figure. If you really have the rudimentary arithmetic skills which you are so proud of, you will understand the motive your masters have in undertaking wars.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 13, 2010, 5:15 amIraq is not a democracy. It is a puppet police state run by thugs, thieves and death squads aligned with the occupiers. No revolt can possibly succeed without the support of the people, and triggering a civil war that leads to the break-up of the country cannot possibly benefit the Sunnis, since the Shia and Kurds will get the oil while they get nothing.
This is common sense yet you insist on your CNN/Fox News fictions.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 5, 2010, 11:12 pmjust a note, there's a typo here, where you said: "but 1.5 innocent human beings" instead of 1.5 million. thought i'd point it out.
Posted by parkbench | January 5, 2010, 7:58 pmWhoops. Thanks! Fixed.
Posted by SanaKF | January 7, 2010, 6:34 amWhat is "Israeli Apartheid"? Their policy of keeping out terrorists and militants? You really should reconsider your habit of constantly criticizing Israel for keeping out those who want to kill them. It's nothing like South Africa, point blank.
"Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi, dean of al-Azhar university, called full-face veiling a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith." –Wasn't it you, Sana, who went to great lengths to point out that niqabs and hijabs and veils were not "Islamic" but cultural, historical, Arab dress that predated Islam? Remember when that position was convenient for you?
You sound like you don't approve of Egypt's decision to try to curb the illegal activity of the Palestinians (who are problematic to everyone around them). Not only are drugs involved, but so are illegal weapons.
It is "disgusting and repulsive" (as a Muslim) to try to uphold the law, and prevent criminals from breaking the law? Well of course we all know the Palestinian propensity for violence and crime, but still, supporting Palestinians means supporting violence and crime? Huh?
"Egyptian Apartheid wall " ? Oh yes, the child-like Palestinians must be permitted to break laws, kill people, and de-stabilize their neighbors… otherwise they are being restricted in such an unfair way!
The Palestinian culture is full of racism, hatred, and incitement to violence – their media is rife with this stuff- and you want to talk about a "good society"? If Muslims are not accessories to Palestinian crimes, they are not helping them? And daring to try to stop their crimes, well this is "disgusting and repulsive"? What kind of God are you worshiping? A god who delights in chaos and human suffering, crimes, lies, violence, and murder of innocents? The same god the Nigerian underwear bomber was serving when he blew his dick off trying to murder people?
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 5, 2010, 9:04 pmGood point, Shafiq. Egypt and other Arab countries have functioning security forces, and they don't have a sectarian civil war tearing their countries apart. But Arab hypocrisy and the bias are clear and infuriating, maybe only to Iraqis. The Kabobers complain much more about occupation and "puppet" governments than they do about how the Arabs have (not) reacted to Arab terrorism in Iraq. I guess I should not expect non-Iraqi Arabs to share my outrage, my anger. I should not expect Sunni Arabs to condemn Sunni Arab extremists.
'Over the years, thousands upon thousands of Sunni jihadists have streamed into Iraq from places such as Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Egypt. Making up a small minority of the Sunni insurgency, these foreign jihadists are nevertheless responsible for some of the most gruesome acts of violence, mass-casualty events aimed at stoking a chain reaction of sectarianism.
Joseph Felter and Brian Fishman, authors of a West Point study on al-Qaeda in Iraq, explain foreign involvement this way: "As long as the Saudi government views foreign Sunni militants in Iraq as a bulwark against the dominance of Iranian-influenced Iraqi leaders, it is unlikely to invest heavily in stemming the flow of Saudis traveling to fight in Iraq."*'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-gonzalez/the…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 10:40 pm"Iraq is not a democracy. It is a puppet police state run by thugs, thieves and death squads aligned with the occupiers."
Is that why the 3arab jarab bomb Iraqi markets, universities, cafes, restaurants, etc.? Because Iraq is not a democracy? Because it is a police state? LOL!
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 11:21 pmIf the Arab "resistance" is able to smuggle weapons and explosives into Gaza, they should be able to use these same weapons and explosives to kill Egyptian security forces anonymously, just like the "resistance" does in Iraq.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 11:26 pmThese guys want to have it both ways…Iraq is a "police state" and at the same time it doesn't have capable security forces. Things have a strange way of operating in this parallel universe.
Posted by C.H. | January 5, 2010, 11:31 pmI'm just angry, Shafiq. Just angry with our Arab "brothers". I was always a defender of Palestine, ever since I read "The Pen and the Sword" as a freshman in college. Watching Palestinians praising Saddam, or watching Arabs telling Iraqis they shoulda stuck with Saddam as Arab terrorists mass murder Iraqis, pains me. I'm just expressing my disappointment.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 5, 2010, 11:33 pmWow Sean, you unraveled A LOT of information that has been kept away from the public. You better hunker down and tighten your foil helmet, because Bush has got to be monitoring your brainwaves right now…come to think of it, Cheney might be reading them from a death star hovering 100 miles above the earth. He might even be scratching his chin and petting a an evil cat…
This is where it gets REALLY scary…Cheney doesn't even NEED to lie to the public anymore, he can just take out Tehran with the massive ray-gun swiveling under the belly of his ship. BTW, the money he got from Iraq is what built the death star…
Posted by C.H. | January 5, 2010, 11:38 pmSean, you're propaganda is from 2005. It's 2010. At least come up with some new material. I feel kinda sorry for the way you don't even seem to know your talking points aren't even relevant anymore. Do you even own a television? Or is news one of the things you are boycotting?
Posted by programmer craig | January 6, 2010, 12:32 amYou need to learn to think for yourself instead of watching television. Maybe then you won't seem like you're channeling Fox News every time you hit the keyboard.
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/0/c/bush_…
Watch more tv indeed.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 6, 2010, 6:46 pmI wonder why Iraqi markets and police stations were not bombed before 2003, when the police state was run by Tikriti thugs and thieves.
http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2009/12/shia-dont-b…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 1:57 amHas any Sunni cleric issued a fatwa banning honor killings?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middl…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 4:48 amIf you include non-Arab, Sunni clerics, then yes, many have. As for Arab clerics, I don't know.
I get the feeling that you're hostile to Sunni Arab terrorism, which is justified, but I also noticed that you're quiet on the actions of Shia Arabs (and non-Arabs) in the country. I'm pretty sure the atrocities flowed both ways.
Posted by Shafiq | January 6, 2010, 11:44 amA non-Arab Sunni cleric issued a fatwa banning honor killings? What's his name? I want to post it on my blog.
The atrocities flowed both ways in 2006 and 2007. In 2003-2005, Sunni Arab terrorists were mass murdering Iraqi women and kids while you guys were enjoying your KABOBfest. Even at the height of the sectarian violence in 2006, Shia militias did not bomb markets in Sunni neighborhoods – they did not randomly maim and murder Sunni women and children. It's been a long time since Sunni Arabs have been attacked like they were in 2006. But Sunni Arab terrorists continue to mass murder Iraqis, and the Sunni Arabs continue their KABOBfest.
In Nov 2006, three weeks after I started my blog I wrote: "The escalation of random sectarian violence by Shia militias has obviously aggravated the already tense situation in Iraq and has tainted the image of the Iraqi government. I hope to see Prime Minister Maliki fire Minister of the Interior Bayan Jabr**, who spent many years in Iran and has undoubtedly been influenced by the Iranian regime, like so many prominent members of the Iraqi government have. Maliki must crack down on all militias that target innocent Sunni civilians for the sake of Iraq, for the sake of justice. Maliki and his government should not be influenced by the Iranian regime, who may only want revenge against Sunni Arabs who worked for and supported Saddam’s regime. Most Sunni Arabs in Iraq are good people after all, and they do not deserve to be jailed or killed just because they are Sunni. Even among the Baathists there were many decent people who did not necessarily support the unjust policies of Saddam, and those decent ex-Baathists who spent many years working diligently for Saddam while silently denouncing his mayhem are still capable of participating in governing Iraq. The Prime Minister must pull those good Iraqis into the current government, and he must rid the government of people whose only interest is revenge."
http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2006/11/great-hypoc…
Nov 25, 2006: "There are so many good Sunni Arabs like Zeyad in Iraq. My father's best friend was a Sunni from Samarra – he was murdered by the former regime in 85. The ordinary Sunni Arabs of Iraq should not be blamed for the actions of a few Wahabi wackos and their Baathi mafia encouragers."
http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2006/11/retaliation…
Dec. 07: The Dogs of the Shia: http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2007/12/dogs-of-shi…
Dec. 07: The Shia Taliban: http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2007/12/shia-taliba…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 4:00 pmA non-Arab Sunni cleric issued a fatwa banning honor killings? What's his name? I want to post it on my blog.
The atrocities flowed both ways in 2006 and 2007. In 2003-2005, Sunni Arab terrorists were mass murdering Iraqi women and kids while you guys were enjoying your KABOBfest. Even at the height of the sectarian violence in 2006, Shia militias did not bomb markets in Sunni neighborhoods – they did not randomly maim and murder Sunni women and children. It's been a long time since Sunni Arabs have been attacked like they were in 2006. But Sunni Arab terrorists continue to mass murder Iraqis, and the Sunni Arabs continue their KABOBfest.
In Nov 2006, three weeks after I started my blog I wrote: "The escalation of random sectarian violence by Shia militias has obviously aggravated the already tense situation in Iraq and has tainted the image of the Iraqi government. I hope to see Prime Minister Maliki fire Minister of the Interior Bayan Jabr**, who spent many years in Iran and has undoubtedly been influenced by the Iranian regime, like so many prominent members of the Iraqi government have. Maliki must crack down on all militias that target innocent Sunni civilians for the sake of Iraq, for the sake of justice. Maliki and his government should not be influenced by the Iranian regime, who may only want revenge against Sunni Arabs who worked for and supported Saddam’s regime. Most Sunni Arabs in Iraq are good people after all, and they do not deserve to be jailed or killed just because they are Sunni. Even among the Baathists there were many decent people who did not necessarily support the unjust policies of Saddam, and those decent ex-Baathists who spent many years working diligently for Saddam while silently denouncing his mayhem are still capable of participating in governing Iraq. The Prime Minister must pull those good Iraqis into the current government, and he must rid the government of people whose only interest is revenge."
http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2006/11/great-hypoc…
Nov 25, 2006: "There are so many good Sunni Arabs like Zeyad in Iraq. My father's best friend was a Sunni from Samarra – he was murdered by the former regime in 85. The ordinary Sunni Arabs of Iraq should not be blamed for the actions of a few Wahabi wackos and their Baathi mafia encouragers."
http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2006/11/retaliation…
Dec. 07: The Dogs of the Shia: http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2007/12/dogs-of-shi…
Dec. 07: The Shia Taliban: http://iraqimojo.blogspot.com/2007/12/shia-taliba…
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 4:00 pmObama, Kerry, and many other American politicians have tried to befriend Khamenei and have failed miserably.
Posted by C.H. | January 6, 2010, 5:36 am"Actually, when people in the streets of Kabul were asked who they want; An overwhelming percentage was shown to support a Taliban govt again."
This gem from Khalid, I should point out, is a blatant lie. Afghan support for the Taliban is in the single digits…and an overwhelming majority of Afghans consider it to be the most dangerous threat facing their country.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7872353.stm
Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's president, still has a high approval rating. Most people questioned rated his work as good or excellent.
But satisfaction with his performance has fallen steadily in the last few years and the number of people who rate his work as poor is increasing.
When people were asked what poses the biggest danger to the country, most said the Taleban.
That has not changed in recent years – although the focus on the Taleban is slowly increasing and fewer people now see drug traffickers as the biggest threat.
There are some positives. Many people said everyday life had improved. Sixty-five per cent said the availability of clean water was somewhat good or very good, compared with 58% in 2005. Access to a supply of electricity has also increased slightly.
Posted by C.H. | January 6, 2010, 5:45 amJust a little example to the hate people in Kabul feel towards the Americans..
//Still, an estimated 5,000 protesters demonstrated the deaths Thursday along a road between Kabul and Jalalabad in Nangarhar. They waved a banner condemning the attack, set fire to an effigy of President Barack Obama and chanted "Long live Islam!" and "Death to Obama!"//
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/07/ap/asia…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 9, 2010, 5:57 amHaHa…LOL!
You should send this comment to Comedy Central.
This dialogue could make it to South Park.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 6, 2010, 6:17 amI agree with you on that, Shafiq. I've had it out with Mojo on his blog many times for his defense of Hezbollah.
Posted by programmer craig | January 6, 2010, 3:00 pmHizballah did not bomb markets and they did not kill our friends and relatives either. Why should I condemn Hizballah? I've said before that I condemn any attacks on civilians, and that includes Hizballah's rocket fire that may have killed Israeli civilians. How many Israeli civilians were killed by Hizballah?
Programmer Cracker was a Marine when Hizballah bombed the Marine barracks in Beirut, so I understand his anger. I sympathize with you, PC, and I did not agree with HA's attack on the Marines, who were in Lebanon only to keep the peace! But PC, that happened a long time ago, and since then, a bunch of Sunni Arab terrorists hijacked four planes and flew two of them into New York's tallest buildings in 2001, in total killing almost 3,000 people, mostly civilians. Remember that? That's what the current American war is about. Sunni Arab terrorists continue to mass murder Iraqis. Just a few days ago a Jordanian doctor, a triple agent, blew himself up among 7 American CIA. On Christmas day, an AQ-inspired Nigerian tried to blow up an airliner over Detroit. Hizballah has not killed Americans in three decades, PC.
Did any of you guys know that there were zero (0) combat-related US deaths in Iraq in December? Anybody know how many Iraqis were killed in the most horrific ways by the scum of the earth? Anybody? Bueller?
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 4:21 pmMojo, I have always sympathized with what you have suffered from under Saddam and the Sunni "resistance". But you must also understand that my best friend, among others, lives in Iran and has been threatened by Hezbollah thugs who have been roaming around with the Basiji…I don't give them any more credence than I do the terrorists in Iraq. Its hard to argue that the world wouldn't be a better place without Hezbollah. I hope you will join me in saying its a better place without Imad Mughniyeh, the man responsible for all those bombings 20-30 years ago you mentioned. He got what had been coming to him when a car bomb blew him to bits a couple years ago.
Posted by C.H. | January 6, 2010, 11:15 pmSpeaking of Universities…
University heads tackle extremism http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8443…
University leaders are to examine how to tackle violent extremism on campus without damaging academic freedom.
How dare they confront radical Islamism, right Sana?
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 6, 2010, 4:23 pmWrong! As long as this isn't an attempt to undermine academic freedom (which I doubt is the case), then there is no problem.
You just don't see the difference between setting up a task-force to ensure people don't get radicalised and building a wall to imprison people, do you? Do you think ordinary Gazans would risk smuggling goods through tunnels if they didn't desperately need them?
Posted by Shafiq | January 6, 2010, 4:35 pmlol @ Bueller
Just a few days ago a Jordanian doctor, a triple agent, blew himself up among 7 American CIA
Afghanistan CIA suicide bomber 'fooled family
…Balawi had fooled them all about his intentions and his beliefs, telling his family he was travelling to Turkey to join his Turkish wife and children and continue his medical studies.
Instead, he went to Forward Operating Base Chapman, in Afghanistan, where he carried out the worst attack against US intelligence officials since the US embassy in Beirut was bombed in 1983.
On Christmas day, an AQ-inspired Nigerian tried to blow up an airliner over Detroit.
Even if the bomb worked, there was going to be 72 very disappointed virgins.
The boys father tried to warn… but I guess I also have a tendency to ignore messages from Nigerian bankers who wish to help me. I get those emails all the time.
The U.S. has known for at least two years that the suspect in the attack could have terrorist ties. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab has been on a list that includes people with known or suspected contact or ties to a terrorist or terrorist organization. People on that list are not necessarily on the no-fly list. No federal air marshals were on the flights from Nigeria to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam to Detroit. Mutallab did not go through full-body image screening at either airport. He bought a one-way ticket costing nearly 3K (paid in cash) and checked no bags.
The Obama Administration is in a pre-911 state of mind. Napolitano originally said the system worked, while Obama took 3 days to say anything. wtf??? Obama is more concerned with healthcare and climate change (which the people don't want) than keeping people safe! Things are going to change, in the coming elections the people of the U.S.. are going to purge many of the liberals who are ruining the country. 3 Democrats — 2 senators, 1 governor — to retire WASHINGTON — With the 2010 election year barely under way, two senators and one governor — all Democrats — ditched plans to run for re-election in the latest signs of trouble for President Barack Obama's party.
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 6, 2010, 5:01 pmThe comparison is between the dean of al-Azhar university's decision against the growing trend for niqabs… widely associated with more conservative trends of Islam, in other words a symbol of Islamic oppression and backwardness – and the London university's decision to tackle violent extremism on campus.
When discussing France's decision to do with away with the niqab or burqa, Sana suggested these outfits had nothing at all to do with Islamism and that it was just historic Arab cultural dress. Now suddenly, when Sheikh Mohamed Tantawi says that it is a custom that has nothing to do with the Islamic faith and merely a tradition, with no connection to religion or the Koran…. Sana acts as if that is ridiculous. So which is it?
Smuggling through the tunnels is ILLEGAL. Gazans risk smuggling through the tunnels because there is a lot of money to be made at it: risk and reward, its basically like free market entrepreneurship except its illegal – its illegal capitalism – like the cocaine industry. The Gazans will bring whatever will sell for profits through the tunnels, and food and fuel do come through the tunnels – but the main purpose is for weapons and illegal contraband. It is Hamas supply line. Why do you think that Hanitizer wrote that: "According to Yusuf, if you die working in a tunnel, and the Hamas government investigates, the victim family gets upward of thirty thousand dollars for their loss."
Hamas militants need the tunnels more than anyone.
Do you think ordinary Gazans would risk smuggling goods through tunnels if they didn't desperately need them? Yes. Everyone knows this.
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 6, 2010, 5:51 pmYou didn't make that comparison and even if you did, it wouldn't hold. One publicly admonished one of its students for wearing something (remember the uproar in Brazil about the girl who wore a low-cut dress?) Telling her it's un-Islamic is perfectly fine – ordering her to take it off isn't.
Smuggling through the tunnels is ILLEGAL. Gazans risk smuggling through the tunnels because there is a lot of money to be made at it: risk and reward, its basically like free market entrepreneurship except its illegal – its illegal capitalism – like the cocaine industry.
Do you think ordinary Gazans would risk smuggling goods through tunnels if they didn't desperately need them? Yes. Everyone knows this.
So you know that Gazans are desperate and smuggle out of necessity, but you think its fine that they have to resort to this behaviour? (btw, I've never come across smuggling being called illegal – do you have any sources?)
Posted by Shafiq | January 6, 2010, 6:29 pmYou just don't see the difference between setting up a task-force to ensure people don't get radicalised and building a wall to imprison people, do you?
I see the similarity between fighting radical Islamic influence in university in Egypt or university in London. That is the comparison I made.
The Gazans smuggle for one reason: they can make money at it. I do not think its fine that they resort to this behavior. Smuggling means: to import or export (goods) secretly, in violation of the law, esp. without payment of legal duty.. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth. It is illegal. Why do you think people go to jail for it in Egypt?
Have you ever stopped to wonder why the The Islamic Research Council of Al-Azhar University said what it did?
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 7, 2010, 2:01 amAnd that's where the similarity ends. One is an well-intentioned taskforce whereas the other attempts to limit personal freedoms (regardless of any connotations it may have).
When you have a blockade and there are no exports, then the line between legal and illegal is blurred. The Gazans smuggle because they need to – the only other option for them would be to live horrid lives on basic food rations and none of the amenities demanded by life in a 21st century world,
Posted by Shafiq | January 7, 2010, 7:32 amThe line between legal and illegal is blurred for the dealers who sell crack too. Their "personal freedoms" are limited in such a heinous way! They sell crack because they need to, to afford all the luxuries demanded by life in a 21st century world.
Illegal is Illegal. The Gazans smuggle because there are huge profits to be made, and Hamas needs their illegal weapons and fuel supplies along with a means of support.
Sure there are non-military items which come through the tunnels, that's because of the profits.
The political situation that the Gazans have gotten themselves into is truly bad. But there is a way to improve things politically.
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 7, 2010, 6:49 pmI don't like any brand of Islamic fundamentalism and I hope the Iranian people get true freedom and democracy soon. But the fact is that Al Qaeda has killed thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis, decades after Hizballah bombed the Marine barracks in Beirut.
Posted by Iraqi_Mojo | January 6, 2010, 11:27 pmYes, that's true, but Khamenei has exported his share of death to Iraq.There's a reason Al-Sadr is cowering under the Khomeinist house of cards in Qom right now. Think of how great it would be if Iraq could have another democracy by its side, instead of an abusive neighbor in its death throws that has pretended to offer support.
And as I've said before, the collapse of Khamenei would be a huge morale boost for oppressed groups of people in other countries, like KSA (Women, Shia, Christians), Egypt, and other places. It will show them that a determination for freedom CAN overpower a bloody dictatorship.
Posted by C.H. | January 6, 2010, 11:39 pm//And as I've said before, the collapse of Khamenei would be a huge morale boost for oppressed groups of people in other countries, like KSA (Women, Shia, Christians), Egypt, and other places. It will show them that a determination for freedom CAN overpower a bloody dictatorship.//
Unless these puppet dictators are propped up by the largest exporter of democracy : Amreeeka.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 7, 2010, 6:12 amI've noticed a lot of Khalid's links say "Page cannot be found". lol
Posted by C.H. | January 6, 2010, 11:42 pmYeah your govt doesn't trust you with the facts.
Censorship…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 9, 2010, 6:00 amYes, I'm sure smuggling because you desperately need food and medicine that's not allowed to be imported, is exactly like crack dealing.
The situation the Gazans are in is not in any way their fault. To try and blame them is despicable.
Posted by Shafiq | January 7, 2010, 9:28 pmThe situation the Gazans are in is not in any way their fault.
Yes, they do bear responsibility for their violence, terrorism, and incitement.
That's part of the problem: people like you who say that everything is Israel's fault and the Palestinians are completely innocent.
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 8, 2010, 3:41 amDealing crack is illegal, moron. Importing food to feed the people is not illegal. Israel's siege amounts to collective punishment of the people of Gaza and constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Convention. In addition, a blockade not sanctioned by international law constitutes an act of war.
The propensity of Zionazis like you to blame the victim would make a serial rapist whince, yet you parade your barbarism with pride. Disgusting.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 7, 2010, 10:03 pmSmuggling weapons, bullets, rockets, and rocket parts/fuel is illegal, moron.
Amnesty International says rocket attacks by Palestinian militants are war crimes and accuses Hamas of endangering civilians on both sides.
Amnesty says Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups had endangered Palestinian civilians by firing rockets from residential neighbourhoods and storing weapons in them. It says local residents had in one case told researchers that Hamas fighters had fired a rocket from the yard of a government school.
It also says Palestinian militants rocket fire from the Gaza Strip was "indiscriminate and hence unlawful under international law."
Aren't you tired of the theocratic insanity of Hamas and the inability of the Palestinian leadership to prepare for actual governance – as opposed to the victimized preening and theatrics and violence they prefer to the difficult compromises required if they are to move forward.
Maybe there should be a direct American military imposition of a two-state solution, with NATO troops on the borders of the new states of Palestine and Israel?
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 8, 2010, 3:38 amWestern community will be most efficient in monitoring export/import if they lift the inhuman and barbarian siege on the Gaza civilians who are prevented from eating even pasta, which is on the list of products banned by Israel for the Gaza strip.
And when the populace can eat, feed their babied milk and rebuild their home destroyed by Zionazis; Then no one will complain whether Egypt builds an iron wall down to the core.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 9, 2010, 5:20 amZionazis? The combination of Zionist and Nazi… Why would you combine Jews with Nazis, their worst enemy, when it was actually the Arabs who joined the Nazis?
That is very hypocritical and ignorant.
Posted by eagle007blogger | January 21, 2010, 6:54 amNionazis Zionazi Zionazis…..
Even Jews are join the nazi party in Israel……handle that fool.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6989776.st…
Posted by OooKhalid | January 21, 2010, 6:36 pmSmuggling weapons, bullets, rockets, and rocket parts/fuel is illegal, moron.
Under the Geneva Convention, a native resistance has the right to arm itself to resist an illegal occupation, a war of aggression or attempts to starve and brutalize the populace by a foreign power. Show me where in international law Hamas arming itself is illegal. Israel has no legal right to cut the people of Gaza off from food, fuel, medicine and building supplies, particularly if their supposed goal is to prevent weapons smuggling. This amounts to collective punishment and is a war crime.
Amnesty International says rocket attacks by Palestinian militants are war crimes and accuses Hamas of endangering civilians on both sides.
Amnesty says Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups had endangered Palestinian civilians by firing rockets from residential neighbourhoods and storing weapons in them. It says local residents had in one case told researchers that Hamas fighters had fired a rocket from the yard of a government school.
It also says Palestinian militants rocket fire from the Gaza Strip was "indiscriminate and hence unlawful under international law."
As always, you fail to cite your sources, which in this case is the BBC. Of course, the reason you fail to cite the Amnesty report is it also condemns Israel for its war crimes.
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID…
HRW and Amnesty International are notorious for their equivocation between Israel's war crimes and Hamas's, but let's keep the two in perspective. Hamas's rockets have resulted in the deaths of just 11 civilians, and were fired in retaliation for Israeli attacks against Gaza and also to break the siege. Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians during the same time, as well as destroyed the economy of Gaza and subjected 1.5 million innocent people to starvation and privation because they didn't like who the people of Gaza voted for, which according to the Goldstone Report constitutes an act of state terrorism. The latest attack against Gaza came after Israel unilaterally violated two ceasefires which Hamas observed. They have continued to launch attacks against civilians since the Gaza massacre last year, but of course, nothing Israel does is ever wrong in the minds of stooges like you.
Subsequently, numerous independent investigations of Israel’s conduct during the ‘Cast Lead’ attack – most notably the UN inquiry [.pdf] chaired by Richard Goldstone, the Arab League inquiry [.pdf] chaired by Prof. John Dugard, and the detailed investigations by Amnesty International [.pdf] and Human Rights Watch – have accused Israel of perpetrating war crimes, possibly amounting to “crimes against humanity”. The Goldstone report also explicitly and repeatedly accused Israel of practicing terrorism:
“the treatment of these civilians constitutes the infliction of a collective penalty on those persons and amounts to measures of intimidation and terror. Such acts are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and constitute a war crime”
“the rounding-up of large groups of civilians and their prolonged detention under the circumstances described in this Report constitute a collective penalty on those persons … [and] amounts to measures of intimidation or terrorism prohibited by article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention”
“[Israel] viewed disproportionate destruction and creating the maximum disruption in the lives of many people as a legitimate means to achieve not only military but also political goals [i.e. terrorism]“
http://heathlander.wordpress.com/
Aren't you tired of the theocratic insanity of Hamas and the inability of the Palestinian leadership to prepare for actual governance – as opposed to the victimized preening and theatrics and violence they prefer to the difficult compromises required if they are to move forward.
Maybe there should be a direct American military imposition of a two-state solution, with NATO troops on the borders of the new states of Palestine and Israel?
I'm tired of the insanity of Israel and it supporters and their belief they have a right to muder, abuse and oppress anyone they deem a threat to their racist and expansionist policies. Zionism as an ideology is remarkably similar to Nazism in its racist rhetoric, ideals and goals, and the American people need to work to eliminate the Zionist influence over our government and stop aiding and supporting Israel with weapons and money. We should go further, and impose sanctions against israel until it complies with international law by withdrawing from the West Bank and ending its siege on Gaza.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 8, 2010, 5:35 am."Zionism as an ideology is remarkably similar to Nazism in its racist rhetoric, ideals and goals, and the American people need to work to eliminate the Zionist influence over our government and stop aiding and supporting Israel with weapons and money."
This sounds like the introduction at a Klan meeting in Idaho.
Posted by C.H. | January 8, 2010, 5:51 amIf there is any "Zionist influence" in our government its because Americans by and large are pro-Israel…they sympathize with the Israelis, so political candidates support Israeli because its what their people want. Its democracy, Sean…I know you don't seem to like that word, but it is what it is.
Posted by C.H. | January 8, 2010, 5:56 am//Its democracy, Sean…I know you don't seem to like that word, but it is what it is. //
YOU don't seem to like the word!!
Especially if its Palestinians who use their DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS and vote for HAMAS.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 9, 2010, 5:28 amOh yeah, typical Zionut multi-purpose comeback to all criticism. Anybody who questions the bullshit we are force-fed must be an anti-Semite, or a conspiracy nut, or a white supremacist. Get back to us when you have an original response.
That Israel enjoys an enormous amount of influence over our government isn't going to come as a newsflash to anyone but the willfully ignorant or pathological liars. Which are you?
Posted by Sean2009 | January 8, 2010, 6:39 am"I only hope we wake up and change course before Americans find out the hard way what it's like to be a Palestinian."
This is a demented mindset…there are other tragedies in the world and everything does not compare to Gaza.
Israel has influence over our government because American politicans SUPPORT Israel and voters ELECT said politicians. America has the largest population of Jews in the world…and it has a majority of Evangelical Christians who, like their Jewish countrymen, are inclined to support Israel. Its not even political though…plenty of liberals and Americans on the left support Israel because they see it as the most democratized (although far from perfect) nation in the Middle East. Support for Israel is almost universal on the American political scale. Pledging to stand by Israel usually boosts a candidates support in a debate.
There are politicians who agree with your mindset, Sean…like Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan. Yet for some reason, they lack support. More often than not, their bases of support tend to attract the very worst of American society–9/11 truthers, viruelent anti-semites, isolationists, and other kooks. And don't tell me that the "Israel lobby destroys their credibility". If people can get away with waving Hamas flags in San Francisco and telling Jews to "go back to the oven", the anti-Israel crowd can get its message out without a problem. America is a society that gives you more rights than anywhere else on earth…and you are better at exposing your own hypocrisy on this blog better than anyone else.
You claim America is NOT a democracy, yet sadistic documentaries about the assassination of President Bush can be made. You claim America is racist towards minorities, yet Americans elected a black president with Muslim relatives. You claim America is in a war against Islam, yet Americans have come to the defense of Muslims time and time again. Its all nonsense, Sean, and no rational person believes what you say. You come to this blog because a parallel universe is the only place you can get away with it.
Posted by C.H. | January 9, 2010, 12:31 amThis is a demented mindset…there are other tragedies in the world and everything does not compare to Gaza.
I'd like to disagree. The reason why the Palestinians' situation is so vehemently publicised by its supporters is because of the tendency by major Western nations to disregard their suffering and blame it on the Palestinians themselves. You'd never see congress passing a resolution espousing the Sri Lankans' right to self-defence, while making no mention of its treatment of ordinary Tamils.
It's also well known now that many politicians are pressured into supporting Israel for fear of a financial and political backlash by pro-Israel American Jews for the Democrats and Evangelical Christians for the Republicans. But these two groups together make up less than half of the American voting population. The rest of the country either doesn't care (and would like the US to stay out of it altogether) or would like a more balanced approach.
It's also ridiculous to say that Ron Paul enjoys little support. He enjoys support not only from Republicans but from Democrat leaning voters too, and his views have become mainstream.
Your last paragraph, I agree with – the US is a democracy that gives its citizens more rights than even the most enlightened European nations. And this is coming from a European.
Posted by Shafiq | January 9, 2010, 9:25 am"The reason why the Palestinians' situation is so vehemently publicised by its supporters is because of the tendency by major Western nations to disregard their suffering and blame it on the Palestinians themselves. You'd never see congress passing a resolution espousing the Sri Lankans' right to self-defence, while making no mention of its treatment of ordinary Tamils."
I've heard this many times…but I don't think its true. Obama's greivances towards Israel has been about the same as with Sri Lanka, which is also seen as an American ally. Last year, the 22-day Gaza war received FAR more media coverage than the war in Sri Lanka, which took a much higher death toll and resulted in the Lankan Army taking control of the last few square miles of land still controlled by Tamils. In fact, I was in Sri Lanka back in November and I saw just how extreme the profiling can be in the country…there were dozens of men, who I presumed to be Tamils, waiting in line to be wanded by security forces outside of the Colombo Twin Towers. Amidst everything that has happened in Sri Lanka, I haven't heard leftists label Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, as a "Nazi". Just the same, I haven't heard any outrage (at least very little) over the candidacy of Saroth Fonseka, the general who oversaw the government offensive that resulted in the dismantlement of Tamil Eelam and the killing of Vellupillai Prabakharan, the LTTE leader.
Posted by C.H. | January 9, 2010, 9:23 pmThis is a demented mindset…there are other tragedies in the world and everything does not compare to Gaza.
Yes, there are other tragedies in this world but the ruling elite responsible for the targedies in America is the same elite that supports Israeli atrocities in Gaza wholeheartedly. Americans have more in common with the people in Gaza than they realize.
Israel has influence over our government because the Israeli lobby bribes and blackmails our politicans. The idea that Americans support pro Israel politicans because they support Israel is deranged. Most Americans have very little confidence in their politians. Support for congress is running at less than 25 percent nowadays. Walt and Mearsheimer have written extensively about the power of the Israeli lobby, and have been predictably denounced as anti-semites. Organizations such as FAIR have documented the extreme bias of the American media towards israel.The only country on the planet where Israel enjoys widespread support is the US, because Americans have been subjected to a biased, racist and distorted picture of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and of the Muslim world by the media and by their government. Even an ex-US president such as Jimmy Carter is not immune to bogus charges of anti-Semtism.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the…
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/bias.html
I would urge anyone curious about the facts to examine these two sites for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
I see as always you have nothing to offer but slander and guilt-by-association games. I could just as easily point out that there are politicans who support your agenda as well, CH, such as Dick Armey and Mike Huckabee, who have called for the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians— a view supported by the majority of Israelis, as well. I could also point out Christian Zionist leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson who are notorious anti-Semites who blamed the 9-11 attacks on the American people, and believe the Jewish people must either die or convert to Christianity when the messiah returns, a view which is wholy anti-Semitic and inconsistent with the Jewish religion. But that doesn't stop the Zionists from entering into a cynical marriage of convenience with Jew-haters like this for the power it affords both sides. If Mr Robertson wants his telescams to be broadcast over Jewish-owned airwaves, he has to support Israel even if he hates Jews.
Meanwhilte, the evil Ron Paul wants to end all our wars, bring our troops home, end torture, the Patriot Act, warrantless surveillance, arrest and detention without trial and other barbaric, unconstitutional attacks on our civil liberties and status as a civilized nation, and he want to stop giving trillions of dollars to bankster thieves. He wants to restore the Constitution and the rule of law. So of course Ziofascists like you are going to denounce him as an "anti-Semite" and "kook." But if Paul's opposition to this blatantly anti-American agenda is somehow "anti-Semitic," what does that say about the agenda of the Israel lobby? Or yours?
And don't tell me that the "Israel lobby destroys their credibility". If people can get away with waving Hamas flags in San Francisco and telling Jews to "go back to the oven", the anti-Israel crowd can get its message out without a problem. America is a society that gives you more rights than anywhere else on earth…and you are better at exposing your own hypocrisy on this blog better than anyone else.
Yes, we have free speech in America…up to a point. Some whacko or agent provacateur can indeed carry a "Jews to the Oven" sign at a peace protest because allowing him to carry that sign serves the elite's agenda of demonizing the peace movement. But if anyone in government or academia questions Israel, they are very likely to see their careers destroyed over it. Even cabinet level appointments to Obama's adminsitration have been shot down because the Israeli lobby deemed Obama's choices to be lacking in sufficient support for Israel.
Meanwhile. a Jewish American politicans is free to attend a street party and racist hatefest in celibration of Israel dropping white phosphorous on schoolkids, and where racist banners proclaim "Islam = Cult of Hate" without any repurcussions to his career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQJOX4sUq30
But the lobby has no power.
I suppose the widespread election of Jewish politicians and the prominent role of Jews in the media, business, finance and the professions proves anti-Semtism doesn't exist, either. Glad we got that cleared up. Your logic is simply stunning. Americans have never come to the defence of Muslims except where it was in America's interest to do so. Your CNN version of history is lacking in both fact and depth. And yes, you can criticize the president, but if you publicly criticize Israel you can kiss your career goodbye, and everyone knows it.
I doubt any rational person needs the opinion of a fascist thug like you employing cheap hasbara tactics to determine the validity of anything I have to say. I trust in the reader's ability to discern the truth for his or her self, and also to go out on the Internet and examine alternative viewpoints to see what is real and what is not.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 9, 2010, 2:59 pmThis is a demented mindset…there are other tragedies in the world and everything does not compare to Gaza.
Yes, there are other tragedies in this world but the ruling elite responsible for the targedies in America is the same elite that supports Israeli atrocities in Gaza wholeheartedly. Americans have more in common with the people in Gaza than they realize.
Israel has influence over our government because the Israeli lobby bribes and blackmails our politicans. The idea that Americans support pro Israel politicans because they support Israel is deranged. Most Americans have very little confidence in their politians. Support for congress is running at less than 25 percent nowadays. Walt and Mearsheimer have written extensively about the power of the Israeli lobby, and have been predictably denounced as anti-semites. Organizations such as FAIR have documented the extreme bias of the American media towards israel.The only country on the planet where Israel enjoys widespread support is the US, because Americans have been subjected to a biased, racist and distorted picture of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and of the Muslim world by the media and by their government. Even an ex-US president such as Jimmy Carter is not immune to bogus charges of anti-Semtism.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the…
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/bias.html
I would urge anyone curious about the facts to examine these two sites for themselves and draw their own conclusions.
I see as always you have nothing to offer but slander and guilt-by-association games. I could just as easily point out that there are politicans who support your agenda as well, CH, such as Dick Armey and Mike Huckabee, who have called for the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians— a view supported by the majority of Israelis, as well. I could also point out Christian Zionist leaders like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson who are notorious anti-Semites who blamed the 9-11 attacks on the American people, and believe the Jewish people must either die or convert to Christianity when the messiah returns, a view which is wholy anti-Semitic and inconsistent with the Jewish religion. But that doesn't stop the Zionists from entering into a cynical marriage of convenience with Jew-haters like this for the power it affords both sides. If Mr Robertson wants his telescams to be broadcast over Jewish-owned airwaves, he has to support Israel even if he hates Jews.
Meanwhilte, the evil Ron Paul wants to end all our wars, bring our troops home, end torture, the Patriot Act, warrantless surveillance, arrest and detention without trial and other barbaric, unconstitutional attacks on our civil liberties and status as a civilized nation, and he want to stop giving trillions of dollars to bankster thieves. He wants to restore the Constitution and the rule of law. So of course Ziofascists like you are going to denounce him as an "anti-Semite" and "kook." But if Paul's opposition to this blatantly anti-American agenda is somehow "anti-Semitic," what does that say about the agenda of the Israel lobby? Or yours?
And don't tell me that the "Israel lobby destroys their credibility". If people can get away with waving Hamas flags in San Francisco and telling Jews to "go back to the oven", the anti-Israel crowd can get its message out without a problem. America is a society that gives you more rights than anywhere else on earth…and you are better at exposing your own hypocrisy on this blog better than anyone else.
Yes, we have free speech in America…up to a point. Some whacko or agent provacateur can indeed carry a "Jews to the Oven" sign at a peace protest because allowing him to carry that sign serves the elite's agenda of demonizing the peace movement. But if anyone in government or academia questions Israel, they are very likely to see their careers destroyed over it. Even cabinet level appointments to Obama's adminsitration have been shot down because the Israeli lobby deemed Obama's choices to be lacking in sufficient support for Israel.
Meanwhile. a Jewish American politicans is free to attend a street party and racist hatefest in celibration of Israel dropping white phosphorous on schoolkids, and where racist banners proclaim "Islam = Cult of Hate" without any repurcussions to his career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQJOX4sUq30
But the lobby has no power.
I suppose the widespread election of Jewish politicians and the prominent role of Jews in the media, business, finance and the professions proves anti-Semtism doesn't exist, either. Glad we got that cleared up. Your logic is simply stunning. Americans have never come to the defence of Muslims except where it was in America's interest to do so. Your CNN version of history is lacking in both fact and depth. And yes, you can criticize the president, but if you publicly criticize Israel you can kiss your career goodbye, and everyone knows it.
I doubt any rational person needs the opinion of a fascist thug like you employing cheap hasbara tactics to determine the validity of anything I have to say. I trust in the reader's ability to discern the truth for his or her self, and also to go out on the Internet and examine alternative viewpoints to see what is real and what is not.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 9, 2010, 2:59 pm"But the lobby has no power."
I never said it has no power…it has power because voters give it the power and want America to stand by Israel. You've made claims that many Americans don't care about the conflict in the ME, so you should go out and use your rights to convince them to care…but don't blame the pro-Israel voters, who are very active in voting, for using their right to democracy. The "Israel lobby" wouldn't have a prayer in DC if Americans were all like you, Sean.
"if you publicly criticize Israel you can kiss your career goodbye, and everyone knows it. "
As'ad Abu Khalil has a prominent career as a professor and writer, and he is as anti-Israel has it gets. Many professors are like this…just pay a visit to UC Berkeley or SF State. Ron Paul has an 11-term career because voters in his Texas district agree with his views…unfortunately for him, the rest of the country does not and its why he got low single-digits in the delegate count in 2008.
"Some whacko or agent provacateur can indeed carry a "Jews to the Oven" sign at a peace protest because allowing him to carry that sign serves the elite's agenda of demonizing the peace movement."
When you launch a campaign to call for the destruction/dismantlement of the only Jewish state in the world, you are going to attract these kinds of people, which should not be surprising. Hamas' charter naturally finds sympathy with the neo-Nazis in America, even if they do have differences on other subjects.
"Support for congress is running at less than 25 percent nowadays."
I challenge you to find any national poll that suggests Americans view "Support for Israel" as one of the main reasons they are unhappy with Congress.
Posted by C.H. | January 9, 2010, 9:57 pmWhen you launch a campaign to call for the destruction/dismantlement of the only Jewish state in the world, you are going to attract these kinds of people, which should not be surprising. Hamas' charter naturally finds sympathy with the neo-Nazis in America, even if they do have differences on other subjects.
Show me where any anti-war organization has an agenda calling for the destruction of Israel. Do you really imagine people will fall for these kind of nutbar anti-Semitic conspiracy theories?
Posted by Sean2009 | January 11, 2010, 2:01 am"Do you really imagine people will fall for these kind of nutbar anti-Semitic conspiracy theories?"
Do you REALLY want to get into the subject of conspiracy theories Sean?
Posted by C.H. | January 11, 2010, 2:11 amSure, let's get into your conspiracy theory that the anti-war movement wants to destroy Israel.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 11, 2010, 2:35 amI never said the "antiwar" movement wants to destroy Israel…the anti-Israel movement, at least aspects of it, does. See it for yourself, Sean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUZ5-E5fhEc&fe…
This has happened in SF before too. About a year ago there were masked men waving Hamas flags and marching through the streets of SF, not far from where I live. What does that tell you? Are people like that "antiwar"?
Now, enlighten me with how the crazies in the video up above are really agents of Israel trying to sway American foreign policy…
Posted by C.H. | January 11, 2010, 3:57 amHere's some footage from last year's rally here in SF…notice the men in Hamas garb attacking people holding Israeli flags. This is in America, believe it or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwDZspw5zpM&fe…
Posted by C.H. | January 11, 2010, 4:03 amRead the comment thread below in the link, too…
Posted by C.H. | January 11, 2010, 4:05 amBullshit. I highly doubt the American people want their government to fight another war for Israel, particularly in the middle of a depression. I'm pretty sure they don't approve of shoveling trillions of dollars at bankster thieves, but that doesn't stop our "representatives" from doing so.
I happen to like democracy very much, which is why I oppose fascist neocons and Zionists like you who use the neocon and Straussian "noble lie" of support for democracy to get Americans to rally behind your agenda of unbridled warfare against Israel's enemies. The people are slowly but surely waking up to the lies of the elites who have robbed the country blind, driven millions into poverty and yet plot more wars and destruction we cannot afford. I only hope we wake up and change course before Americans find out the hard way what it's like to be a Palestinian.
Strauss's disciples have inherited a superiority complex as well as a persecution complex. They are convinced that they are the superior few who know the truth and are entitled to rule. But they are afraid to speak the truth openly, lest they are persecuted by the vulgar many who do not wish to be ruled by them. This explains why they are eager to misrepresent the nature of Strauss's thought. They are afraid to reveal that Strauss was a critic of liberalism and democracy, lest he be regarded as an enemy of America. So, they wrap him in the American flag and pretend that he is a champion of liberal democracy for political reasons – their own quest for power. The result is that they run roughshod over truth as well as democracy…The Straussians are the most powerful, the most organised, and the best-funded scholars in Canada and the United States. They are the unequalled masters of right-wing think tanks, foundations, and corporate funding. And now they have the ear of the powerful in the White House. Nothing could have pleased Strauss more; for he believed that intellectuals have an important role to play in politics…In his book On Tyranny, Strauss referred to the right of the superior to rule as "the tyrannical teaching" of the ancients which must be kept secret. But what is the reason for secrecy? Strauss tells us that the tyrannical teaching must be kept secret for two reasons – to spare the people's feelings and to protect the elite from possible reprisals. After all, the people are not likely to be favourably disposed to the fact that they are intended for subordination.
http://evatt.labor.net.au/publications/papers/112…
This is what the neocons really think about democracy and the American people, so spare me your hasbara and horseshit about democracy.
Posted by Sean2009 | January 8, 2010, 7:09 amYou were wrong Khalid…your statement about Afghans overwhelmingly supporting the Taliban is BS and you know it–the disturbing part is that you seem to WISH it was true. The Taliban is despised in Afghanistan, and with good reason–what with the stadium massacres, Ashoura attacks, and mosque bombings.
Posted by C.H. | January 9, 2010, 7:14 amActually what i know for sure is that the Afgan people hate the American imperialists and their puppet government.
But if you want live and make decisions based on the fantasy world you create in your mind, it's up to you.
Posted by OooKhalid | January 12, 2010, 11:46 amIf you're interested: http://riyada.hadithuna.com/tantawis-trick/ >> gives some more evidence on how the decision was pre-planned, with zero scholarly consensus.
Posted by hoda | January 10, 2010, 4:29 am