One of the major differences between contending with the nuclear-armed USSR and a potentially nuclear-armed Iran is that the latter nation’s ideology includes an inordinate enthusiasm for hastening the apocalypse, and the coming of the Mahdi, whom Iran’s religious establishment recognizes as the Twelfth Imam, and successor to Muhammad and Ali. As if that were […]
Nigeria: Jihad against schools
The intrepid mujahedin, still going after those really hard targets. On the other hand, though, “Boko Haram” does translate as “Western education is sacrilege,” so they really are just living up to their name. Jihad causes poverty. “Gunmen burn schools in restive Nigerian city: official,” from the Daily Star, February 24 (thanks to Twostellas): KANO, […]
Still more deaths in Qur’an Rage protests
Jihad causes poverty. The underlying mentality that leads to a sense of entitlement to explode in rage preceded the excuse du jour for doing so. There can be no prosperity in society without stability, and no stability where such entitlement and obsession with honor and shame tie the matter of “respect” to what could be […]
Tunisia: Security forces clash with “radical Islamists”
Remember when the “radical Islamists” were supposed to be a marginal, Tiny Minority of Extremists? We do. That’s when we tried to tell you. Sharia is a package deal, as even Imam Rauf knows. As a total (and totalitarian) system of governance for every aspect of life, there can always be more of it to […]
Nigeria: Jihad against 79-year-old Christian women
The intrepid, manly mujahedin, really going for those difficult targets there. As for the AP headline, we frequently see similar attempts to spin jihadist violence as religious “tensions” in which there is mutual participation. What is the solution to “religious tensions?” If you’re religiously tense, do you need a religious spa day? “‘We will get […]
Pakistan: Two Christians injured over rumor of proselytizing; one may lose arm
From this report, police seem more eager to probe the allegations of proselytizing than to track down the attackers. “Faisalabad: Islamic extremists attack Christian community, two faithful injured,” from Asia News February 23: Faisalabad (AsiaNews / Agencies) – A dozen armed Muslims stormed the Grace Ministry Church in Faisalabad, seriously wounding two Christians. Sajid Masih […]
Sharia in Pennsylvania: Muslim admits to attacking atheist over “Zombie Muhammad”; Muslim judge dismisses case, tells atheist he’d be killed in Muslim lands
This is enforcement of Sharia in a Pennsylvania court. The attacker supposedly got off because he “is an immigrant and claims he did not know his actions were illegal, or that it was legal in this country to represent Muhammad in any form. To add insult to injury, he also testified that his 9 year […]
Iran: UN inspectors throw up….
… their hands. In exasperation. Shockingly, they were denied access to one of Iran’s most top-secret nuclear facilities. The one that makes, uh, space-age teddy bears and not weapons. That one. “UN Inspectors in Iran Throw Up Their Hands,” from the Atlantic Wire, February 22: It’s official: The United Nations nuclear inspections many thought Iran […]
Shocker: Islamic parties in Tunisia and Egypt signal bigger role for Sharia
We tried to tell you: “first signs show they want more religion than previously admitted.” “Tunisia, Egypt Islamists signal bigger religion role,” from Reuters, February 22: After months of reassuring secularist critics, Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Egypt have begun to lay down markers about how Muslim their states should be — and first signs […]
Afghanistan: 2 U.S. troops killed, 4 wounded by Afghan soldier, reportedly over latest round of Qur’an Rage
A murderer found his excuse. As with the rampages reported earlier, such incidents would not happen without pre-existing dysfunction within the society: the inclination and the understanding that it would be ok to kill, or to destroy property, or generally to wallow in collective rage in the event of certain insults or offenses. This is […]