When will someone sue the pants off of al-Qaeda for “Islamophobia?” “Al Qaeda flag hoisted after 25 police killed in Iraq shooting spree,” from the Associated Press, March 6: A gang of gunmen disguised in military-style uniforms and carrying forged arrest warrants killed 25 police Monday, then hoisted the battle flag of Al Qaeda in […]
Egypt: Salafist MP resigns after cover story for nose job blown
“War is deceit,” but there are still some scruples about nose jobs. Nose jobs are deceit as well, but in that case, it’s a bad thing. There are some serious points to take away from this story, however. One is that those who are legislating Sharia will still act above it, because power corrupts. Those […]
Report: Iran and North Korea collaborated on nuclear tests in 2010
The great irony here continues to be that their mutually exclusive ideologies would be duty-bound to attempt to annihilate one another if they came into competition. But for now, North Korea needs cash, and Iran wants the bomb. They have collaborated both on computer technology that could help design nuclear weapons, and on missile technology, […]
Afghanistan: Suicide attack on Bagram airfield kills two civilians, Taliban claims “revenge” for Qur’an burnings
Still more indiscriminate and irrational violence. For their trouble, the Taliban killed two civilians, and FTD doesn’t make a “Sorry, We Were Aiming for the Infidels” bouquet. “Suicide attack on Afghan NATO base where Korans burned,” from Reuters, March 5: Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed at least two civilians Monday after detonating explosives at […]
U.K. says Libya “sorry” for desecration of graves
Somehow, almost 10 days after the fact, the second-hand report of regret is about as convincing an apology as one from Saturday Night Live’s “Gilly.” The British should issue a statement explaining: “Here’s what we’re not going to do in response: 1. Riot 2. Kill 3. Wantonly destroy our own property and that of others […]
Egyptians offer “anti-Christianization” course
This effort is an attempt to keep proselytizing a one-way street in accordance with Sharia. “Anti-Christianization” course in Egypt aims to combat conversion,” from Bikya Masr, March 3: CAIRO: A recent course in Egypt’s southern city of Aswan has raised a few eyebrows after it was announced that the course would be an “anti-Christianization course” […]
Indonesia: Two jailed in failed Easter jihad attack on church
The mastermind’s sentence of 18 years in jail is actually one of the longer terms we have seen out of Indonesia in recent cases. “Two jailed over church plot, book bombs,” from the South African Press Agency and Agence France-Presse, March 5: An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced the Islamist mastermind behind a foiled Easter […]
Yemen: Al-Qaeda kills 78 soldiers in massive “surprise” attack
In 2008, a Yemeni official explained: “Yemen is like a bus station “” we stop some terrorists, and we send others on to fight elsewhere … We appease our partners in the West, but we are not really helping.” It looks like some of them decided to stay a while rather than just passing through […]
Australia: Women in face veils will have to remove them to have their signatures officially witnessed in gov’t offices
In an age where identity theft is a global industry, this is purely a practical matter of identification. The only thing it is intolerant of is fraud. But the ruling is likely to be spun as many other things. “Australian state toughens law for Muslim veils,” by Rod McGuirk for the Associated Press, March 4: […]
Indonesia: Jailed cleric blames U.S. for reinstatement of his prison term, says America must be destroyed
The handy thing about conspiracy paranoia is that it doesn’t have to make sense. An update on this story. “Jailed Indonesia cleric says US must be destroyed,” from Agence France-Presse, February 29 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): Islamist militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir blamed the United States for increasing his jail term, two days […]