Archives for 2006

Some of the worst, most misleading, departments of Middle Eastern studies are at schools deemed — in the U.S. News & World Report pecking order — the most “prestigious.” Columbia, for example. Practically from soup to nuts. Who would wish to hire someone coming out of the Columbia program, someone that is who was taught […]

Bad news for the Iranian authorities, who tried to dodge the issues Borujerdi addressed by accusing him of claiming to represent the Mahdi: This cleric seems to have a fairly significant following, and his arrest won’t end the discussion about the separation of clerical and civil authority. “Iran arrests controversial cleric and followers,” from AFP: […]

Got to keep that outrage fresh. Only the freshest outrage keeps those jihad recruiters busy. Cartoon Rage II Update: “Danish Video Sparks Fresh Outrage,” by Saeed Al-Abyad in Arab News, with thanks to LD: JEDDAH, 8 October 2006 “” The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) yesterday said it will demand an explanation from the […]

He praised Hizballah, certainly, but even worse, his “reformist” regime was oppressive and brutal. “Fury as St Andrews honours Hezbollah backer,” from the TimesOnline, with thanks to Sr. Soph: STUDENT leaders are organising a mass protest over St Andrews University”s decision to award an honorary degree to a former Iranian president who praised Hezbollah. Muhammad […]

Reza Aslan’s book No God But God continues to reassure and obfuscate. Some editor at Random House obviously thought this book would be just the ticket — the thrusting young academic, a “good Muslim” eager for Reform, and fitting right in with the dreamy belief of some that 1) “democracy is on the march” in […]

Tariq Ramadan has never rejected, and will never reject, a single passage in the Qur’an, or a single one of the most “authentic” Hadith. He accepts Muhammad’s words and deeds as those of a man who was the Perfect Man, uswa hasana, al-insan al-kamil. He rejects nothing of Islam at its most permanently menacing. He […]

In “Islam and domestic affairs,” Abdul Rahman bin Hammad al-Omar says that “Holy war (Jihad) is only a means to propagate truth and mercy among people.” He explains that that truth and mercy is to be spread by war, offering three choices to non-Muslims: conversion, subjugation, or warfare. I have outlined these three choices many, […]

Question for the ISI: Which fronts of the jihad haven’t you helped? From Rediff: “Pak admits having helped insurgency in J&K” Pakistan has admitted that it might have helped insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir at “some time” but claimed it is now “trying our best” to prevent infiltration of militants into India. “Jihad, insurgency or […]

Cartoon Rage II heating up. From AFP, with thanks to Sr. Soph: JAKARTA – A video lampooning the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) broadcast in Denmark has angered groups in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. Denmark’s national TV2 channel on Friday broadcast excerpts from the video showing Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a beer-drinking camel and as […]

After the new Muslim leader announced he would hold talks with the jihadists. Why would the jihadists kill fellow Muslims? Because of the phenomenon of takfir, or the declaring of other Muslims to be apostates or heretics or hypocrites, and thus lawfully killed. “Four killed in Thailand by suspected Islamic militants,” from AFP, with thanks […]