Islam

One should not forget that Cardinal Ratzinger (before becoming pope) said: Turkey should find its identity in the Islamic world and not in Christian Europe.

I had the privilege to visit Istanbul recently, and I would advise anyone to please go visit Turkey, and particular Istanbul, to understand this critical issue at this point in history:

1. Istanbul sits in Europe (on the old Greek province of Thrace).  The Ottoman Sultans' seat of government was here.

2. The Ottoman sultan was also 'sultan-i-room' - King of Rome - the Byzantine Empire (the Russian Orthodox became independent due to the conquest of Byzantium by Muslims).

While travelling the other day, I observed the lady next to me reading an American evangelical magazine with page after page of anti-Islam stuff stated in the most childishly hateful manner. More than offended, I was amused and wondered what was the desired goal of this synergy between Zionists, evangelical Christians and some militant governments of the West. Governments that keep warning, almost subliminally, 'they want to change our way of life, let history judge us'.

I don't know how the media missed the angle that the current Pope, Benedict XVI, made comments that Turkey did not belong in the European Union and it should look for its identity in the Islamic world. These remarks were made just before he became Pope. It has also been widely known that the Pope wants to take on Islamic fundamentalists on an intellectual level.

So-called freedom for Iraqis has been death, poverty and insecurity. The following accounts are not a result of 'insurgent' activity, but rather the work of US/UK allies:

Terri Judd in the Independent UK takes a deeper look at their plight in the aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom:

The women of Basra have disappeared. Three years after the US-led invasion of Iraq, women's secular freedoms - once the envy of women across the Middle East - have been snatched away because militant Islam is rising across the country.

Pope Benedict said the following today:

In a clear reference to Iran, he said: "Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honourable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations."

The Emir of Kuwait met with the Ruler of Dubai and the next day, the Gulf News editorialized:

Be Wary of Such Friends

US view of the UAE is a lie based on a falsehood wrapped in a misconception

One must reserve a certain amount of admiration for former US Senator Gary Hart. As a guest speaker of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies he expounds the view that there should be a global force to police the Gulf – a sort of UN2.

It takes considerable gall to make such suggestions to your host nation, thereby implying a level of incompetence in the ability of the UAE and other Gulf countries to protect their own. But then, that sort of talk has been permeating the corridors of power in Washington in recent weeks, ever since the DP World bid for P&O. It would seem the UAE, all of a sudden, is no longer fit to handle its affairs competently and securely. And this, after more than 30 years of collaboration between the US and the UAE.

Cartoon equating star of david with Nazism -- oops -- anti-Semitism.
Cartoon showing a black man -- oops -- racism.
Cartoon insulting Muhammad -- ahaa -- freedom of speech.

These cartoons don't defend free speech, they threaten it
(Simon Jenkins, The Sunday Times February 05, 2006)

I think, therefore I am, said the philosopher. Fine. But I think, therefore I speak? No way.

Nobody has an absolute right to freedom. Civilisation is the story of humans sacrificing freedom so as to live together in harmony. We do not need Hobbes to tell us that absolute freedom is for newborn savages. All else is compromise.

Should a right-wing Danish newspaper have carried the derisive images of Muhammad? No. Should other newspapers have repeated them and the BBC teasingly “flashed” them to prove its free-speech virility? No. Should governments apologise for them or ban them from repeating the offence? No, but that is not the issue.

Freedom of Speech vs. Respect for Others

What prevents the mainstream press from breaking taboos? Freedom of speech is tempered by the desire to not offend other people. The oft-repeated example is the reverence for the Holocaust.

I know my literature: there was nothing of literary value in those cartoons, and there was no principle involved, as there was no pre-existing condition. It was a provocation and the manufacturing of an issue.

Some Q&A:
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Was it a minor issue: maybe, but it brought together many years of Islamophobia in Europe and thus was a watershed point.

Do Arab media caricature? Yes, the Zionists, not the Jews or any other religion. Moses, David and Jesus are prophets revered by Muslims.

The earthquake was centered in Ramallah, Palestine and the aftershocks are still being felt all over the world. The political tsunami is unprecedented since 1945.

The usage of the word "terrorist" with respect to Islamic resistance movements lost all rational meaning in the space of 24 hours with the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections.

The stakes are high now: Bush was mumbling sheepishly -- ok, a bit more than usual! Rice was at a loss for words. The Israelis are locked in meetings as I write this and Amre Moussa was on CNN somewhere in between the lines. Even Daniel Pipes, the inplacable foe of Islam and Palestine, said, "Now that Hamas has apparently won the Palestinian elections, the West is hoist with its own petard." We hope that Daniel Pipes' vitriol has now turned against the West and rational people will see him for who he really is -- another casualty of democracy!

BUSH: Thank you for the warm welcome.

I'm honored once again to be with the supporters of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Since the day President Ronald Reagan set out the vision for this endowment, the world has seen the swiftest advance of democratic institutions in history. And Americans are proud to have played our role in this great story.
Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia - our best friends are all democratic now!

Our nation stood guard on tense borders. We spoke for the rights of dissidents and the hopes of exiles. We aided the rise of new democracies on the ruins of tyranny.