David Russell has kindly translated for us this commentary from a French website on Turkey and the implications of admitting it into the EU. The name of the website is “The Four Truths“; the author is Christian Lambert. Many people are writing about Turkey these days. I would like to write about some things regarding […]
Archives for 2005
Gingrich: “This war is not primarily about terrorism, it is about an Islamist insurgency against the modern world”
I don’t believe the “modern” world is their target. These men have never hesitated to use the most sophisticated technologies they could get hold of. We are not dealing with a band of crazed Amish here. Rather, their target is the non-Muslim world. Still, Gingrich’s words, despite these and other flaws, are among the most […]
Turkey sits on “Islamic timebomb”
Secular Turkey has been attempting to “garner support from Islamic fundamentalists” since at least the 1950s. Eventually those attempts will reach the foundations of the state itself. From Middle East Newsline, with thanks to Ali Dashti: WASHINGTON [MENL] — Turkey, said to have enabled at least 1,000 of its nationals to fight Russian troops in […]
Let Bin Laden stay free, says CIA man
From The Times Online, with thanks to Ali Dashti: THE world may be better off if Osama Bin Laden remains at large, according to the Central Intelligence Agency”s recently departed executive director. If the world’s most wanted terrorist is captured or killed, a power struggle among his Al-Qaeda subordinates may trigger a wave of terror […]
Saudi women face male intrusion in computer repair shops
From the Life Under Sharia Department. From AFP, with thanks to Ali Dashti: RIYADH (AFP) – Saudi female users of personal computers are facing the danger of privacy intrusion by men due to the lack of maintenance shops run by women in the conservative kingdom. Amina, who had desposited her computer for repairs in a […]
Debate in Germany: “Are Sharia Laws and Human Rights Compatible?”
A Muslim woman, Heba Raouf Ezzat, defends Sharia at the German site Qantara.de, with thanks to Ali Dashti, who notes: “The Arabic word ‘qantara’ means ‘bridge.’ The Internet portal Qantara.de represents the concerted effort of the Federal Center for Political Education, Deutsche Welle, the Goethe Institut and the Institute for Foreign Relations to promote dialogue […]
France’s jihadists forced underground
But not so far that AP couldn’t find them. (Thanks to Ali Dashti for the link.) And of course, if they actually cooperated with authorities in anti-terror efforts, most of their worries about civil liberties would evaporate. PARIS “” The Omar Mosque was packed with several hundred worshippers, forcing the overflow into a cold alley […]
Jihadists spook aid workers
“Militant Islamists spook aid workers,” from AP, with thanks to Doc Washburn: UN and Indonesian officials yesterday said they would not scale back cooperation with the US military on tsunami-stricken Sumatra island, despite terror fears raised by the presence of an extremist Islamic group with alleged al-Qaeda links, and reports that one major aid agency […]
India: Police role in inter-faith marriage questioned
From NDTV.com, with thanks to Anthony: The role of the Bhopal police is in question after the police violated an order given by a court asking for the Hindu wife to be returned to her Muslim husband. The woman — 30-year-old Anima Srivastav was forced to return home, leaving her husband Shariq Siddiqi, after immense […]
Islam, democracy and compatibility
I have expressed skepticism about the compatibility of Islam and democracy on many occasions. Now Azzam Tamimi, a collaborator with John Esposito whom Martin Kramer has identified as a “Hamas extremist,” expresses the same misgivings from the opposite side. From The New Nation of Bangladesh, with thanks to Anthony: Islam is not being challenged by […]