Political Mavens » The Question about “Fitna” Is…

Political Mavens » The Question about “Fitna” Is…

Criticism and Islam - WSJ.com

Criticism and Islam - WSJ.com: "The message of 'Fitna' is that the Quran is the living inspiration for jihadists. Without the Quran's violent passages, the film suggests, Islamic terrorism would not exist. Mr. Wilders shows verses from the Quran alongside hate speeches by imams and graphic images of Islamic terrorism -- from 9/11 to the Madrid train bombings in 2004 and the London attack a year later. He uses footage from the video-taped beheading of a hostage by Islamic terrorists. He also shows the most famous of the Danish cartoons (the one with a bomb on Muhammad's head) that triggered demonstrations across the Muslim world two years ago.

The Western world long ago learned to criticize, even mock, religion. Think of such movies as 'The Life of Brian' and 'The Da Vinci Code' or more serious texts on Christianity by Nietzsche, whose famous phrase 'God is Dead' is part of popular culture. Competition of ideas is fundamental to the Western way of life. The Islamic world isn't accustomed to such discussions.

As in other countries, the terrible attacks of 9/11 raised existential questions in the Netherlands that remain the subject of heated debate to this day. They paved the way for the political rise of Pim Fortuyn, a flamboyant, openly gay former university professor and writer. Fortuyn fulminated against the dark sides of political Islam -- terrorism, the subjugation of women and homo"

The Baton Passes to Asia - New York Times

The Baton Passes to Asia - New York Times: "It’s the end of the era of the white man."

"Fitna" Film on Islamo-Fascism

Much has been made recently about the "racist" film by Geert Wilders, an MP in the Dutch Parliament. This film, "Fitna", describes the brutal dangers of Islamo-fascism, particularly to Europe, and its roots in the Koran. It is sobering, brutal, and totally politically incorrect, for, among other things attacking/portraying the Koran to be a violent roadmap to destruction of non-Muslims. The film has been censored -- and censured -- by Western governments and press, seeking, hope beyond hope, to hang onto the hope that these radicals disappear on their own accord if we refrain from insulting them, and not through making their heinousness open and apparent to everyone (especially to "moderate" Muslims who are the only ones truly capable of eradicating these Islamist monsters by cutting off their oxygen flow -- disaffected Muslim youth). Wilders has described the film as "a call to shake off the creeping tyranny of Islamization".

The 15 minute film itself can be seen here "Fitna", and should be seen soon -- every time this film shows up somewhere, it is quickly removed by scared politicians or lawyers.
See the Wikidia summary of the film at "Wikidia Link".

Holland is being over run by Muslim immigrants and their children (now over 15% of the population), and the Dutch Right has made films like this before, further polarizing Dutch society. Van Gogh was murdered over his film, "Submission" , about Islamic abuse of women.

Also see the 48 minute British BBC documentary, "Undercover Mosques", on the preaching in Mosques in Britain (not as successfully repressed on the Web as some of the Dutch content), and of course, the 11 minute abridged version of HonestReporting's "Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West".

How to Best Support McCain

If you are a McCain supporter, is it more productive to contribute money to McCain today, or to Hillary so that she can bleed Obama some more?

Tested Over Time - New York Times

On McCain's Foreign Policy Speeches -- Twenty Five Years Worth, not six months' worth, like with Obama
Tested Over Time - New York Times

Why McCain? He gets it! | Jerusalem Post

Why McCain? He gets it! | Jerusalem Post: "McCain gets it - he does not suffer from the disease of moral relativism in the current chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict."

CAIR Exposed: Part 1: As IAP Offshoot, CAIR Followed Pro-Hamas Agenda From the Start :: Articles by IPT :: The Investigative Project on Terrorism

CAIR Exposed: Part 1: As IAP Offshoot, CAIR Followed Pro-Hamas Agenda From the Start :: Articles by IPT :: The Investigative Project on Terrorism

Let’s Not, and Say We Did - New York Times

Let’s Not, and Say We Did - New York Times: "And I didn’t shudder when Obama said he could no more disown Reverend Wright than he could disown the black community. I did think this statement was unfair to many in the black community, and especially to all those pastors who have resisted the temptation to appeal to their parishioners in the irresponsible and demagogic manner of Reverend Wright."

DEBKAfile - Israel Air Force may buy vertical-takeoff planes to dodge Hizballah-Hamas rockets

DEBKAfile - Israel Air Force may buy vertical-takeoff planes to dodge Hizballah-Hamas rockets

DEBKAfile - Abbas Goes on the Warpath, Tries to Steal the Show from Hamas

DEBKAfile - Abbas Goes on the Warpath, Tries to Steal the Show from Hamas

'Ma'aleh Adumim, Palestine' | Jerusalem Post

'Ma'aleh Adumim, Palestine' | Jerusalem Post:
By ABE SELIG

Ma'aleh Adumim resident Julian Czarny woke up recently to discover that he lived in 'Palestine' - at least according to the popular Internet social networking site Facebook. Facebook no longer allows members from Ma'aleh Adumim, Ariel, Betar Illit and other settlements over the Green Line to list their hometowns as situated in Israel, but instead provides only a preset location, with their country listed as 'Palestine.'

'Someone at Facebook is simply prejudging whatever may or may not come about in future negotiations,' said Czarny. 'Who exactly decided on this computerized transfer of over a quarter-million Jews from Israel to Palestine?'"

Islamic states seek world freedom curbs: humanists | International | Reuters

Islamic states seek world freedom curbs: humanists | International | Reuters: "GENEVA (Reuters) - Islamic states are bidding to use the United Nations to limit freedom of expression and belief around the world, the global humanist body IHEU told the U.N.'s Human Rights Council on Wednesday.

In a statement submitted to the 48-nation Council, the IHEU said the 57 members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) were also aiming to undermine the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

'The Islamic states see human rights exclusively in Islamic terms, and by sheer weight of numbers this view is becoming dominant within the U.N. system. The implications for the universality of human rights are ominous,' it said."

A Simple Blog Posting on the Jpost website

To American: What planet are you on? | T A L K B A C K: "To American: What planet are you on?
Had their land stolen?!!! After giving 78% of the British mandated land to Arabs to create TransJordan, Israel was offered only about 12% of the total. Despite this, Israel accepted it but all the Arab nations around it rejected it and chose genocide instead. 3 times the Arabs have been offered another state but have chosen to try and destroy Israel instead. The misery the Arabs suffer they have brought on themselves because the whole conflict to them is not about creating a Palestinian state but about destroying the Jewish one. Stop listening to Arab propaganda and read the historic facts.
Englishman - England (03/10/2008 12:30)"

Palestinian Authority Daily: Yeshiva Killer is Holy Martyr

PMW Bulletins Feb. 2008: "Mahmoud Abbas's official Palestinian Authority daily newspaper has honored the killer of the eight high school students gunned down this week with the status of Shahid - Holy Islamic Martyr. In so doing, the PA is sending its people a straightforward message of support for the terror murders and the murderer. According to the PA interpretation of Islam, there is no higher status that a human being can achieve today than that of Shahid."

So does Abbas deserve the time of day? Should he get $150 Million of US aid? Does he really seek peace with Israel? Read the rest of tharticle at this link -- as we showed yesterday, the Palestinian profess much different things in Enlish tan they do in Arabic -- as any political sociologist who is a student of the Arab world will tell you, it is an acceptable part of Arab tribal culture to behave in a way that we would characterize as dishonest and two-faced, and over-stressing their demented concept of "honor" above all else.

Palestinian funding - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Palestinian funding - - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

With peace partners like this....

Urge your congressmen to withhold funding of the Palestinians Authority. There will be a real peace to be done when the Palestinian tribes come up with a leader who is brave enough to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish nation in English and Arabic, and can live with a situation where Arabs don't have total victory. When it comes to dealing with non-Muslims on the issue of territory, the Arab people simply have never shown that they can internalize the meaning of the word "compromise".

Mideast: On Target - Closing in on Hamas ?

Read this article for how it might be done. A nation cannot permit its people to be rocketted every day and still preserve its nationhood. Excerpts below, or click on the link.

Mideast: On Target - Closing in on Hamas ?:

"The government is preparing for a full-scale invasion of Gaza, or so it seems. To capture the entire Strip will cause quite a few casualties, mostly on the Palestinian side. Furthermore, Israel can be expected to lose the media war (as usual). Hamas will use human shields more than ever. This past week the Israeli public was made aware of the TV broadcasts by Hamas during the weekend conflict when a call was put out for civilians to go to the homes of Hamas activists to act as potential civilian casualties (reported on Channel 1) in an effort to deter Israeli attacks (they know Israel monitors their broadcasts)... Knocking out the source of enemy fire was easy in yesteryear, today it is a legal entanglement where the terrorists who hold their own civilians hostage hope to gain immunity from return fire, while the anti-terrorists are condemned for defending themselves. Orwell would be pleased as we have now gone one step behind “double-speak” and “double-think”...
Despite diplomatic initiatives, eventually Israel will need to fully crush Hamas. But is it possible? Several steps must be taken:

• Militarily Israel needs to physically divide up Gaza, holding the open areas between the major urban zones of Gaza City/Jabalya, Khan Yunis and Rafiah while surrounding other smaller population centers. This cuts north-south traffic of men and military supplies. Rockets will still be fired at Israel but spotters can help the air force and ground forces pinpoint the launchers for destruction. Leaflets and Arabic radio broadcasts must explain to the civilian population the dangers of being in the vicinity of anyone firing at Israel since return fire is assured. Every night there must be dozens of incursions, forays, arrests and the destruction of Hamas military installations. This same policy was used in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) to break Yasir Arafat’s terror offensive from 2001 – 04 and proved successful.
  
  
• As for the Philadelphi line on the border between Gazan and Egyptian Rafiah it becomes irrelevant since Israel’s military presence between Rafiah and Khan Yunis will halt Palestinian movement northwards from the southern Gaza Strip. Diplomatic pressure must be applied to Egypt by the US and European Union to halt terrorists and munitions from arriving in Egyptian Rafiah. This needs to be done west of Egyptian Rafiah inside of Sinai. Hamas with Iranian support is increasingly becoming a strategic threat to Egypt by stirring hopes in the opposition Islamist Moslem Brotherhood, so maybe now Cairo will actually do something.
  
  
• For the record Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), his government and the Palestinian Legislature must be presented with the legal responsibilities they have taken upon themselves as elected officials. They can then be expected to fail in any initiative they take. This leaves Israel free to continue military actions.
  
  
• Within six months Egypt is to replace the Israeli electricity supply to Gaza. Water must be the next stage along with an arrangement for crossings from Sinai to include civilian supplies only. It has been suggested that the European inspectors be stationed on the Egyptian side of the border.
  
  
• How long should Israel stay in a divided up Gaza Strip? Unfortunately it might be a while, but the army should not sit in stationary positions but rather engage in counter terror activities and remain on the move. Only road blocks in the open areas need to be somewhat stationary (they can be moved from place to place at will). The army can move out and then return, if necessary.
  
  
• Last but certainly not least, Israel must fight the media war with full explanations concerning the Hamas/Iranian/Hezbollah/Syrian alliance. Excerpts from speeches and writings by leaders of all four entities (Khomeini, Ahmedinajad, Nasrallah, Assad, Mashal, Haniya, etc.) must become well known and in particular the West must become familiar with the Hamas Covenant and its explicit demands for Israel’s destruction and its overt anti-Semitism.

All of the above should significantly cut back on Hamas rocket attacks and attempts at infiltration into Israel while solidifying an anti-Hamas diplomatic front. With much less arms and munitions arriving, Hamas will be greatly weakened even though one should not expect their imminent collapse. Any suggestion of a “hudna” is unacceptable.

DEBKAfile - Expel Palestinian terrorists from Jerusalem, says security minister Dichter

Arab Israelis stoning Jewish cars on highways between Tel Aviv and Haifa. Arab-Israeli fans whistling and jeering a moment of silence held at a major soccer match in memory of the Yeshiva students innocently slaughtered in Jerusalem several days ago. You can call it a Fifth Column, but it is worse than that -- a dangerously sizable minority of Arab Israeli youth have been "Palestinianized" over the past generation and have become active enemies of the Jewish State which sustains them (several months ago two thirds of young Israeli Arabs were polled as supporting suicide bombing against Israel "in some instances"). Israeli society is not without blame in this matter, but regardless, these Arabs present an existential threat to Israel that perhaps makes Avigdor Lieberman's "racist" solutions to Israel's problems seem more reasonable -- trading parts of the Galilee, including their overwhelmingly Arab population base, to the Palestinians for parts of the West Bank on which Jews constitute the overwhelming majority of residents.

DEBKAfile - Expel Palestinian terrorists from Jerusalem, says security minister Dichter
Jerusalem Post: Israeli Arabs Nabbed for Throwing Rocks
Jerusalem Online Daily News Video

Between the Lines: Al-Jazeera, Gaza and a message to Qatar | Jerusalem Post

Interesting article on the Arabic satellite TV stations, including the Muslim Brotherhood ties of Al Jazeera, and its competition from other stations.

Between the Lines: Al-Jazeera, Gaza and a message to Qatar | Jerusalem Post

Special Report: Gaza - Israel Responds to Hamas's Escalation

Special Report: Gaza - Israel Responds to Hamas's Escalation

Excellent summation by Honest Reporting of "what and why", clarifying why most criticism of Israel over its reaction in Gaza is unfair or worse.