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Thursday, March 30, 2006

Islam, I'm staying free





Amir Normandi is the one of the very few Muslim artists I know who speaks out against oppression in the face of the oppressors. Perhaps it is because he lives in America and enjoys the freedoms of that democracy.

But, some days the crevasse between Islam and the West seems so wide, it feels impossible to bridge. How can we, creators and writers from the West, meet our peers in Islam and talk freely, without fear?

From an historical and artistic point of view, the passion and the warmth of the culture in the Arabian Peninsula is part of our collective heritage. Unfortunately today, radical Islam stands between Muslims in Islamic lands and the rest of us. Radical Islam forces silence. Honest feelings expressed against the religious and civilian Islamist authorities are denied. Fear of the physical consequences commands submission.

Effectively, all in the Muslim world live in a world of doublethink: say one thing, but deep inside, is something else. It is not by chance that the word, “Inshallah” functions as the verbal cream that absolves believers of personal responsibility for anything.

All Muslims are separated from Christians and Jews, because radical-Islam hates anyone who does not submit to Islam as determined by the radical vanguard. Witness the apostate in Afghanistan sentenced to death for insulting Allah. The judge has now ruled “insufficient evidence” against this man but how long will it take for local religious fanaticism to kill him?

Walfa Sultan brilliantly says, "I don't hate Islam as much as Islam hates me." So far I feel that Islam hates me more than I am - yet - scared of Islam.

What is the meaning of this sickness that is dividing our world and killing in its name everyday? Muslims in Islamic nations cannot speak out or scream because the radical Islamic authorities do not tolerate confrontation.

So what can we do other than just watch the violence and ignore the threats?

Do we not believe in “We the people…?”, or at least, “Peace, order and good government…?” We certainly believe that all authorities must be confronted when necessary.

After long and bitter experience, we base our civil society and discourse on a secular rule book. Neither religion nor religious beliefs hold any power or authority over or are allowed to dictate to our civil or religious lives or the lives of our friends.

This Islamic sickness is a serious threat that neither our Muslim neighbours nor we can ignore. We need to fix that.


From a spiritual perspective our belief systems treasure humanity and all forms of life: from the beauty and necessity of the nature of stars to insignificant microbes. All from a creator or, who knows, perhaps not from a creator.

After months of observing the cartoon story developing and as an artist, standing with my Danish peers for freedom, it has been extraordinary watching frenzy unfold.

It is now well documented that this "frenzy" was fraudulently created with command and control out of SA and Egypt. This is part of the operational phase of radical Islam: the process of Western intimidation through violent terrorist acts and threats in the West.

The Danish imam who was the leader behind the cartoon operation, Abu Laban has close ties with terrorist groups, and was also a collaborator with Al Zawahari / Gamaa Islamiya. He was working on pamphlets for him in early nineties. Zawahari, al Qaeda # 2 now, was chased out of Egypt when the government cracked down hard on the Muslim Brotherhood radical elements such. They worked together in Denmark.


The spokesperson for the Abu Laban team was terminated from his teaching assignment when he was in training, because he had violently beaten a ten-year-old boy who was playing innocently with a little girl. This is a serious criminal offense. Thanks to the Danish justice system and ‘other factors’, he is today still teaching in Denmark not far from the school where the crime was committed.

The Abu Laban's group and likely all the other activist cells have ties with terrorists, whether with Hamas or the Islamic leadership in Egypt and Saudi Arabia or others.

Is it possible that the blogsphere dialogue between the West and the East, particularly with the Middle Eastern bloggers and writers can so expose those who would intimidate believers and non-believers alike that we can again use our hard-won rules for a democratic civil society to eliminate those 7th C zealots from our midst?

Unfortunately, this dialogue is still limited: religion and fear seem to stand firmly in the way.

We live in a dangerous world when religion trumps the politics and values of our civil life. We need to fix that too.

Diane


“The man behind the controversial French documentary thinks that Abu Laban and Ahmed Akkari are extremists disguised as moderates.”
By Thomas Lauritzen, Paris

He is rather reluctant to say the words because he has the greatest respect for the Danes - but Mohammed Sifaoui feels that it is necessary to tell us that we are “naive”.
“All you good and well-meaning people at Politiken, in the rest of Denmark and Europe, you hurt your and moderate Moslems’ cause when you let extremists call the tune,” he says.
“They’re not bombers - they’re worse”
And for Sifaoui there’s no doubt the Danish Imams such as Ahmed Akkari and Abu Laban are just that, extremists but disguised as moderates.
“Actually, I was sort of seduced by Abu Laban the first day. He seemed both friendly and tolerant. But it was lucky that I stayed with them for some days, because then all of the extremist ideology was revealed,” Sifaoui says about his travels in Denmark this February which, i.a., revealed Ahmed Akkari’s famous ‘bomb threat’ against the Social Liberal politician Naser Khader…”. Read the rest here.

Many Thanks to Agora


Sunday, March 26, 2006

Pushtun woman, Aisha Parveen fights sex slavery

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: The courts in Khanpur are to soon decide the case of Aisha Parveen, 20, and the decision could mean life or death for her, reports the New York Times.

“Ms Parveen ... is steeling herself for a state-administered horror. Just two months after she escaped from the brothel in which she was tortured and imprisoned for six years, the courts are poised to hand her back to the brothel owner,” writes Nicholas D Kristof.
"They're not human, of course. They're just flesh, receptacles for male bodily fluids, kind of like a public toilet with feet." Rantburg.

Harsh words indeed, but it's the harsh truth.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Child Bride

These stories are incredible each time we read them but yet, they are everywhere. So much pain and cruelty endured as a child, how can one begin the road to healing ?

For this young girl, who is aged by her experiences, there may be hope. With the help of people who obviously really care for her, along with a strength of spirit, that must have been a gift from God.

Her words will inspire you. The crimes that were committed against her, will enrage you.

As noted, in the following incredible article, by journalist Kevin Sites, there are many more young women, who have not been saved. Will something be done to save them too?


KABUL, Afghanistan - Eleven-year old Gulsoma lay in a heap on the ground in front of her father-in-law. He told her that if she didn't find a missing watch by the next morning he would kill her. He almost had already.
Enraged about the missing watch, Gulsoma's father-in-law had beaten her repeatedly with a stick. She was bleeding from wounds all over her body and her right arm and right foot had been broken.
She knew at that moment that if she didn't get away, he would make good on his promise to kill her.

Please, read it all.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Heroine Chic ....By Val MacQueen : From TCS Daily: Irshad Manji, Aayan Hirsi Ali and Wafa Sultan all have international recognition.

Irshad Manji: Muslim Refusenik,

"Tolerance of intolerance is a betrayal of our basic shared humanity," she writes. And "Muslim intimidation needs to be faced head on."
She also says on her site, "Civilizational progress happens when individuals transgress, even blaspheme. Galileo offended the Church. So did Darwin. The concept of universal human rights offends most religions. Without offence, there is only silence." In addition to her TV, lecture and radio appearances, Manji also writes articles condemning some of the more outré aspects of Islam.

"Civilizational progress happens when individuals transgress, even blaspheme. Galileo offended the Church. So did Darwin. The concept of universal human rights offends most religions. Without offence, there is only silence."

Aayan Hirsi Ali:
Hirsi Ali is an escapee -- from both her religion and her family. Born in Somalia, she suffered genital mutilation at the hands of her grandmother when she was five. As a young woman, she was sent to Canada by her father to marry someone she had never met. There was to be a connecting flight through Germany. With extraordinary self-possession, she ditched her itinerary at Düsseldorf's airport and caught a train to Amsterdam, where she pled for, and was granted, political asylum.

Rather than be a passenger, she was determined to earn her way. She learned to speak Dutch (she also speaks and writes fluent English), earned a Master's in Political Science in her new language and had the nerve to think she might be of service to her adopted country. Some tip her for the premiership of Holland one day. It was on the publication of her book critiquing Islamic culture, The Son Factory, that she received her first death threat.

Wafa Sultan:
She was invited to go on Al-Jazeera and debate Islam and the so-called 'clash of civilizations'. Jaw, say hello to floor. (Love this video, must have watched it six times already) This clip is so extraordinary, it has been clicked on by more than a million people worldwide so far. The man chairing the discussion made a wise decision to keep his head down, but the Algerian Islamist who was... debating is too strong a word as he hardly got a chance to get a word in -- her opponent, kept coming back in disbelief to take another hit. This debate, which was translated by MEMRI and is run on their site, has made Wafa Sultan a worldwide recognizable, and quoted, name.
Link: TCS Daily

What you will also read in this article is that all three are living under the threat of death and so are their families.

Who claims be a tolerant person, a religious person, yet needs to threaten others, like these good women of this world, for expressing free thought?
Do they not see how obviously stupid they look with this reasoning?

Big Pharaoh stated that he didn't think that Dr. Sultan or Manji can be effective as they are ignored in Islamic countries and Islamic ears, but I would say, they should also understand that there are many others who are listening to them instead of these mad mullahs.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Ignorance or Racism?

I am stunned and dismayed at these pictures of woman displaying slogans of hate.
Are they Ignorant?
Racist?
Submissive?

Woman who hate (page 77)

For a religion that doesn't support worship of religious idols, they sure love their dark symbols of death don't they.

The black Hyjab, or the black clouds, ( as our friends Omar and Mohammed at ITM so elegantly stated ) is like the shroud of death of the woman's spirit.

This goes against the true instinct of our human nature to promote and preserve life and this contrast shows how deeply the brainwashing is ingrained.
If you only have so called 'honor' in death, what's the point of life?
Just can't imagine as a woman, thinking it's ok for a son or daughter to be a murdering suicide bomber, and oh yes, the family gets money.
And yet they accuse us of being capitalistic and evil, ironies abound.

The contradictions of this visual image is astounding.

While some Canadian men happily put down the feminists of this country ( calling them feminazis ), they offer no support for the non-fascist feminists to have a voice. It's like a wall of indifference or anger at women anytime you try to converse with them about it. We need to break through this wall.

Seems to be a common but counter productive thought process though. To bolster their position some men put down women. To bolster the Canadian identity, many put down USA. Muslims, to bolster their position, put down all others...

Has anyone ever stood up and accepted responsibility for the mistakes they've made or crimes done in their name?

Update:
Apologies for my lack of inclusion of our own deluded homegrown female ranters of hate "ta-da" I present another useless fool as an example. Celine Hervieux-Payett

Ms. Hervieux-Payette, how you disgrace us as Canadians and as a woman's voice, in the political arena.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Help save Mohammed Al-Asadi's life

Mohammed Al-Asadi, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer, in jail. YO Photo
An Appeal from Jail from Mohammed al-Asadi, Editor-in-Chief. By Mohammed Al,Asadi
Feb 14, 2006

Report: Press Climate Deteriorating in Yemen
By Observer Staff,
Mar 12, 2006

"SANA'A - In a new report, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warns of a “dangerous escalation” in the government’s suppression of independent and opposition media in Yemen.
In the report, “Attacks, Censorship, and Dirty Tricks,” the CPJ says that at least two dozen journalists have been assaulted, jailed or sued over the past two years. And in the past year, Yemeni authorities shut down at least seven newspapers..."


'Of Course I’m Afraid’, an Interview with Mohammed Al-Asadi
By Rod Nordland - Newsweek magazine
Feb 19, 2006

SANA'A – Mohammed Al-Asadi, the Editor-in-Chief of the Yemen Observer, remains in jail concerning accusations related to the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

In an interview from his jail cell Al-Asadi spoke to reporter Rod Nordland from the US-based Newsweek magazine, discussing press freedom, religion and calls for his execution. The transcript from Newsweek follows below.

NEWSWEEK: Is this your first time in jail?
Mohammed al-Asadi: It's the first time ever I've been a prisoner, or even in front of a judge.

How are the accommodations?
I'm in a temporary prison, awaiting a hearing, so it's not so bad. It's a basement, and we have to buy everything we need, even bottled water. There are 15 of us sharing one big room and one toilet, but the others aren't common criminals. A couple are journalists, because it's the prison of the prosecutor for press and publications...


Yemen Exploits Cartoon Controversy to Close the Yemen Observer
JAWA
February 09, 2006
Fighting the Wrong War: Not in the Prophet’s Name
By YemenObserver Staff
March 11, 2006
Lawyers Wrangle and Yemen Observer Demanded to Compensate for Insults
By Sanaa, NewsYemen
March 8, 2006

"SANA’A – Yemen is focusing on the wrong people in targeting Mohammed Al-Asadi and the Yemen Observer in the accusations of insulting the Prophet (PBUH), according to a leading academic.
Dr Abdullah Al-Faqih, Professor of Politics at Sana’a University and head of the Change Forum, an independent NGO working to promote political dialogue, appealed to they Yemeni people arguing that they are “fighting the wrong war” in targeting the newspaper.

"Yemen’s battle is not with Al-Asadi but with poverty, illiteracy, underdevelopment, and diseases," he said.
Dr Al-Faqih, in an interview with the Observer, wrote an appeal for real justice to be made, calling the trial a ‘witch hunt.’
His statement follows below.
“It is inconceivable to think that a newspaper like the Yemen Observer would intentionally seek to insult Muslims or their Prophet (PBUH) in any manner..."


FREE MUHAMMAD AL-ASADI
By Michelle Malkin ·
March 10, 2006

Yemeni Lawyrers demands death penalty
By Sandmonkey,
March 10, 2006

Campain to save a life
By Blueslord - Infidel Bloggers Alliance
March 09, 2006

Help Save A Man's Life: Yemen editor faces capital punishment for printing cartoons. (Updated)
Freedom Zone
March 09, 2006

Yemen editor 'faces death calls' The trial adjourned until 22 March.
BBC -March 8, 2006


Knowing the Defender from the Offender
By Shaker Lashuel*, YemenObserver
March 6, 2006
* Shaker Lashuel is a freelance Yemeni writer based in the U.S. He has written on the Yemeni-American community and Yemen related issues. He is a teacher working for the New York City Department of Education.


Danish Cartoons International
Hjörtur Gudmundsson - The Brussels Journal
March 2, 2006

"According to the Danish online newspaper eJour, 143 newspapers in 56 countries around the globe, including Christian and Muslim ones, have so far republished one or more of the Muhammad cartoons, first published by the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September. (See the twelve cartoons here, halfway the page) A list of the countries can be found here. 13 newspapers in 9 countries, including Egypt, had published one or more of the cartoons before the Norwegian Christian newspaper Magazinet republished them on January 10.
Editors have either been sacked or jailed for publishing the cartoons. In Algeria two editors have been jailed and in Indonesia a number of them were fired...


Journalists in Yemen and Algeria arrested over prophet cartoons
CPJ - Committee to Protect Journalists -New York
February 13, 2006

Thursday, March 9, 2006

For the Record: Women’s Rights Activists Were Beaten on 2006 International Women’s Day in Iran

From the: Brooding Persian blogspot

A group of about 130 women’s rights activists who gathered in Deneshjoo Park in central Tehran to celebrate International Women’s Day were brutally beaten by the police. As soon as the program started with distributing some brochures and chanting Iran’s women’s movement song, the police informed the attendants that their gathering is illegal and they should leave the premises. Then the police started beating men and women present in Daneshjoo Park and the program was ended. Simin Behbahani, the Iranian elderly famous poet was among the people who have been beaten.

According to Atricle 27 of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Constitution, public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.


Thanks to: Kosoof - Arash Ashoorinia's photographs

Update: Hat Tip to Chirstine who received this link via email.

The following four videos are of the assault and attack that Iranian woman received for having a Woman's Day rally. Sometimes, words escape me.
Price of the Freedom

And from Human Rights News:
Among those present at the gathering was Simin Behbahani, a renowned Iranian poet. According to an eyewitness, “Behbahani was beaten with a baton, and when people protested that she is in her 70s and she can barely see, the security officer kicked her several times and continued to hit her with his baton.”
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/03/09/iran12832.htm

Sunday, March 5, 2006

Friday, March 3, 2006

Tribute to the Beautiful Zahra Kazemi

Zahra Kazemi (1948 - 2003)

Born as Zahra Kazemi in Shiraz, Iran, on the first day of Autumn, 1948
Two years later her parents renamed her Ziba...






How Kazemi was Murdered
The Ottawa Citizen , Michael Petrou
"The murder of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi in Iran has been shrouded in denial and speculation -- until now. In exclusive interviews, other dissidents reveal what happened inside Tehran's notorious Evin prison last June.

TEHRAN - Heshmatollah Tabarzadi will never forget Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi screaming in a nearby cell...



I am overwhelmed with sadness over the state of the Muslim world. I am looking at the photograph of an Iranian woman about to be stoned to death in Iran, buried to her waste in dirt to keep her from running away.
A few weeks ago, I read about a 14 year-old Iranian boy who died after receiving 85 lashes for the `sin' of eating in public in the month of Ramadan. Salah Uddin Choudhury has been in prison for one year in Bangladesh for the `crime' of urging his nation to recognize Israel and advocating interfaith dialogue among equals as well as warning against the growing power of Islamists in Bangladesh.

What are Muslim community activists in America doing about their homegrown brutal human rights violations? They are silent.

The picture of the stoned woman has been seen by some Muslims I know in the Middle East and also fellow Americans, Christians and Jews. The first reaction by the Muslims was "what did she do?" while the first reaction by Americans was "How could this happen?"...
"...They are silent in the face of Muslim poverty, corruption, neglect of human rights, oppression of women, honor killings and the brutal and unusual punishments such as cutting off limbs, flogging and stoning. They are not using American freedoms as an opportunity to change their countries of origin, but as an opportunity to influence and change America to be like the countries they came from. Their goal is also to keep Muslim-Americans under their control and the control of Muslim world mullahs, sheiks and dictators they should have left behind...."


What Will It Be by Deeyah

Irshad Manji, best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today, October 24, 2005 "Friends and Foes: I’m devoting this special edition of Muslim-Refusenik.com to Deeyah, a young Muslim singer and musician who has a maverick message for us all. Months ago, Deeyah emailed me out of the blue....

Lyrics of What Will It Be by Deeyah:
Verse 1):
Does the truth only come from the top of a holy man’s spire?
From three paces back, covered head to toe?
Are the rules just for the masses and written just for show?
Pre chorus):
Where the beat goes -- nobody knows
Where the street goes -- nobody knows
(Chorus):
Do you stand up, lay down or follow?...

See and hear it all, beautiful photography, lyrics, video at MUSLIM REFUSNICK








Photo Sources:

Globle & Mail Frontpage
: Kazemi, Sephrem.blogspot.com - CAN

Veiled women : Iran va Jahan
Context: "Tehran - Iranian women can now demand divorces from husbands who are alcoholics or drug addicts, one of ... "

Human Cruelty: The photograph with The Iranian Woman about to be stoned to death has been everywhere aroundthe Net, unfortunately I was unable to trace the origin. Perhaps one of the readers could would know.

Deeyah / Irshad & Friends :
Irshad, Deeyah and Donya at Muslim Refusnik

Lectrice du Nord de l'Iraq by Zahra Kazami : Lexane.info


Silence Off : Yvon Goulet / Montage: D.C.

Diane