How very, very disrespectful. What will probably follow in the coming days are stories of how Pimentel was “radicalized,” claims that he was a “decent fellow,” and possible claims of mental illness. Those are popular in jihadist cases. “New York bomb suspect monitored for two years, officials say,” by Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister for […]
That’ll fix it: U.S., U.K., and Canada announce more sanctions against Iran
The never-ending cycle of incrementally more restrictive sanctions against Iran will not end in Iranian cooperation, transparency, or the halting of its nuclear program. It will end in an Iranian nuclear test, followed by a war of endless finger-pointing in the West over how it could ever have happened and why firmer action was not […]
Thailand: Jihad against Buddhist monks collecting alms
Nothing — nothing — shows the gallantry and fortitude of the intrepid mujahedin and the nobility of their cause like… beating up on a bunch of Buddhist monks. “Nine injured in Pattani violence, another killed in Yala,” from The Nation, November 21 (thanks to Kenneth): Three monks, three policemen and three local residents were slightly […]
Report: Contacts between al-Qaeda and Nigeria’s Boko Haram are increasing
An update on this evolving story. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb grew out of the Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat. Here again, one finds “regional” jihadist conflicts finding common cause with one another and cooperating. All share the aim of imposing Sharia law, the purpose of jihad in all its forms. The conflict […]
Al-Shabaab vows to defeat “black colonialist” Ethiopians
Ethiopian and Kenyan self-defense are colonialism, but al-Shabaab’s religious and cultural imperialism are A-OK, of course. In addition to its intention of imposing Sharia, the group has shown impulses like those of Sudan’s Bashir toward the Arabization of Somalia. Those measures have included banning the teaching of English in schools in favor of Arabic, and […]
U.K.: Local government attempts to pander to Muslims, winds up offending everybody
“You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.” – James Thurber The city of Bradford has designed an anti-littering campaign aimed at the Muslim community that invoked Allah, saying “the whole of the Earth has been declared by Allah as a place of prayer for the Muslim.” It […]
Indonesia: Ahmadi mosque that operated for 21 years suddenly closed over permit violation
In this case, the violation does not concern the usual permit system that stacks the deck against non-Muslim houses of worship. This incident seems to involve a convenient technicality, as Indonesia tightens the screws against the Ahmadi sect across the country: in several provinces, they are banned outright. Also noteworthy is the matter-of-fact statement that […]
Saudi journalist: It’s not the Arab Spring, but the Muslim Brotherhood Spring
This editorial was published some time ago, and recently highlighted by CBN (thanks to Kenneth). When we say the sorts of things said below, we’re accused of all manner of ill intentions. So, is Mshari al-Zaydi a racist, or an Islamophobe? “The Muslim Brotherhood Spring,” by Mshari al-Zaydi for Al-Arabiya, November 6: Shock is acceptable […]
Israel: Iran less than a year from being “unstoppable” in pursuit of nuclear weapons
The recent flurry of diplomatic activity, press reports that give an awful lot of detail about weapons and tactics, and the curiously timed announcement of a new “bunker buster” bomb suggest a new sense of urgency across the board regarding Iran’s nuclear program, well beyond just Israel. Whether it is a year that makes the […]
Ethiopian troops reportedly enter Somalia
More bad news for al-Shabaab: more resistance it can’t starve into submission. “Ethiopian troops move into Somalia: witnesses,” by Abdi Sheikh for the Associated Press, November 19: MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Scores of Ethiopian military vehicles pushed at least 80 km (50 miles) into neighbouring Somalia on Saturday, residents said, five weeks after Kenya entered Somalia […]