“A fool and his money are soon partying” – Steven Wright Hizballah is reportedly going broke, but Nasrallah is said to be livin’ large. “Hezbollah’s Nasrallah worth $250M?” by Doron Peskin for YNet News, December 29: American intelligence officials estimate fortune of Shiite organization’s leader, senior members totals some $2 billion, which are scattered in […]
Egypt: Coptic bishop warns of more church bombing threats; New Year’s festivities canceled, kidnappings on the rise
The military is on alert for New Year’s attacks, but the security forces cannot be trusted to prevent them. They mysteriously withdrew one hour before the Alexandria church bombing on last New Year’s Eve. “Egyptian Bishop Warns of Another Massacre in Nag Hammadi,” by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency, December 29: (AINA) […]
Egypt: “Dozens of Muslims” burn Christian houses over rumor of “cartoons mocking Islam” on Facebook
What is your first thought when you see something offensive? It’s probably not to get together with a few dozen of your closest friends and burn stuff. As has been the case in similar incidents, the ease of the transition to violence here all but suggests a rampage waiting for an excuse. Then comes the […]
Shocker: San Fran-area Muslim Community Association’s “authentic” books on Islam preach brutality, intolerance, and jihad warfare
You might think Islam in the Silicon Valley would be extra progressive and tolerant. In this prominent case of “one of the largest Muslim communities in the US,” you’d think wrong. Remember how often our comment-box apologists tell us they’ve never heard of the books discussed below, or that we’re cherry-picking one or two titles […]
Report: Al-Qaeda’s former second banana sends veteran jihadists to establish presence in Libya
They already have quite a few friends there. Along with the havoc they can wreak within Libya, it would be a handy forward operating base for striking in Europe, noting that one of the major figures named below has already spent time in the United Kingdom. This development may also be a chance to bolster […]
Gaza premier Haniyeh visits Sudanese president Bashir, wanted for genocide
Haniyeh is trying to look more statesman-like with this regional tour. There is, curiously, not a peep in this report about Bashir’s status as a war criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide in Darfur. Then again, Bashir is consistently protected by the OIC and the Arab League. In this regard, Haniyeh is […]
Bosnia’s Muslims urged not to celebrate New Year’s, lest they “violate Allah’s boundaries, and do something their master hates and despises”
The language is notably forceful here as it all but orders people to exercise their “choice” not to celebrate. How long will it be a choice? The Islamic Community tells people not just to avoid celebrating, but to “turn off the lights early and let everyone see you’re boycotting everything happening on that night.” It […]
Egypt: Organization headed by sheikh of al-Azhar demands shutdown of Christian TV station, says it offends Muslims
This case demonstrates one of the many problems with curtailing “offensive” free speech and criminalizing hurt feelings. Simply expressing a belief at variance with Islam can be seized upon as “blasphemy,” or as “offending religious sentiments,” and simply being visible in daily life as an adherent of a non-Islamic faith can be seized upon as […]
Abu Dhabi man misunderstands Islam, says he’s entitled to kill non-Muslims
Funny how that keeps happening. “I’m allowed to kill infidels, man tells judge,” by Haneen Dajani for The National, December 29: ABU DHABI // A mentally disturbed man who stabbed a witness to death in court told an appeals court judge yesterday that as a Muslim he was entitled to kill “infidels”. Insanity defenses sure […]
Disaster: Israeli pencils make it to market in Saudi Arabia!
Priorities: this is “under investigation.” If you do your Sharia amputation homework with one of these, can you still get credit? “How did Israeli pencils reach Saudi chain?” by Ofer Petersburg for YNet News, December 29: Saudi authorities are investigating how Israeli pencils reached one of the kingdom’s biggest retail chains. The Kravitz chain, which […]