The Free Speech Protection Act of 2008, as mentioned in an earlier entry, has been introduced in both the House and Senate. Its purpose: to protect U.S. authors from being sued for libel in places like the UK, whose laws strongly favor the plaintiff. There have already been a number of such lawsuits, and they are having a chilling effect, in particular on people seeking to write about Islamist terrorism. The most recent case involved Rachel Ehrenfeld's book, Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed - and How to Stop It.
Momentum is gathering to support this bill, but not fast enough. If you have a moment and would like to help, contact the Senate and House Judiciary Committees and urge them to approve this bill as soon as possible.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Female suicide bombers
Al Qaeda may be on the run, but it is having success in Iraq with female suicide bombers: 27 attacks since the start of the year, according to CBS. Dhimmi Watch describes some of the ways the women are recruited: their husbands or sons may have been killed or detained by coalition or Iraqi forces; Al Qaeda members may have married, then dishonored them (perhaps having them raped by another man), so that their only remaining option is to kill themselves; or they have been told that if they didn't become suicide bombers, their husbands or children would be killed. Another article suggests that women who are illiterate, poor and whose religious fervor can be manipulated are at most risk.
Female bombers have an advantage, in that they can easily conceal the bombs under their clothing and males should not conduct body searches of them. So the Iraqis are hiring female police officers in Kirkuk and elsewhere to perform the necessary searches - apparently many of them widows of men killed by Al Qaeda. The BBC further reports that 150 female police graduates have been hired in Diyala to approach women thought to be vulnerable and attempt to persuade them not to become suicide bombers.
Female bombers have an advantage, in that they can easily conceal the bombs under their clothing and males should not conduct body searches of them. So the Iraqis are hiring female police officers in Kirkuk and elsewhere to perform the necessary searches - apparently many of them widows of men killed by Al Qaeda. The BBC further reports that 150 female police graduates have been hired in Diyala to approach women thought to be vulnerable and attempt to persuade them not to become suicide bombers.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Islamic extremism in UK universities
A new report from the UK's Centre for Social Cohesion (available here) says that just under a third of Muslim students at British universities believe that killing in the name of religion is justified. A similar number support the establishment of a global caliphate. The corresponding percentages for active members of Islamic societies were 60% and 58%, respectively. Those two statistics are highly suggestive of what is discussed in those societies.
A few other stats: 40% of Muslim students support the introduction of sharia law into Britain, and 54% would like to see a Muslim political party stand for Parliament.
As I mentioned a few days ago, the United States has a terrorist threat that is larger than people may think. As in the UK, universities are a key incubator for radical Islam. It's amazing how little this problem is discussed in the mainstream media.
A few other stats: 40% of Muslim students support the introduction of sharia law into Britain, and 54% would like to see a Muslim political party stand for Parliament.
As I mentioned a few days ago, the United States has a terrorist threat that is larger than people may think. As in the UK, universities are a key incubator for radical Islam. It's amazing how little this problem is discussed in the mainstream media.
Eurabia from the horse's mouth
Westerners like Mark Steyn get into hot water for describing the Islamization of Europe. Egyptian Islamist preacher 'Amr Khaled says the same thing but is unlikely to suffer for voicing his predictions. He sees Muslims as taking over Europe, given their higher birthrate and already significant numbers (although his estimate is well above other, established ones). Indeed, Khaled thinks that in another 10 years Muslims will be 'firmly established' in Europe. Read these excerpts from an interview with him (thanks to MEMRI).
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Qualifying for French citizenship
A Moroccan woman was just refused French citizenship because she would not remove her veil and show her face. The French Minister of Urban Affairs, Fadela Amara, herself a practising Muslim, supported the decision. In her view, "The burqa is a prison; it's a straitjacket...It is not a religious insignia but the insignia of a totalitarian political project that advocates inequality between the sexes and which is totally devoid of democracy." Go Fadela! Read more at Islamist Watch.
20,000 suspected terrorists in US
Leonard Boyle, the head of the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center, said on C-Span that some 200,000 individuals are considered to have 'some relationship with terrorist activities,' a designation strong enough to keep them from boarding airplanes.
Their names are contained in the FBI's watch list, which apparently totals 400,000 names (not the million cited in news stories - the higher number apparently includes variations in spelling). Of those, some 5-6% are U.S. citizens or legal residents. Read more in this editorial in Investor's Business Daily. And, if you want another opinion about the list, there's a GAO report from last October assessing that it has helped U.S. agencies to combat terrorism.
The FBI's assessment is consistent with the findings of a Pew survey of American Muslims released about a year ago. The survey found that 15% of American Muslims under 30 said suicide bombing was often or sometimes justified, You won't find that statistic in the summary, but it's on page 53 of the full report. Incidently, the survey also found that 60% of Muslim Americans did not believe that Arabs carried out the 9/11 attacks. So if you're feeling complacent about America's security relative to that of Europe, you might want to rethink.
Their names are contained in the FBI's watch list, which apparently totals 400,000 names (not the million cited in news stories - the higher number apparently includes variations in spelling). Of those, some 5-6% are U.S. citizens or legal residents. Read more in this editorial in Investor's Business Daily. And, if you want another opinion about the list, there's a GAO report from last October assessing that it has helped U.S. agencies to combat terrorism.
The FBI's assessment is consistent with the findings of a Pew survey of American Muslims released about a year ago. The survey found that 15% of American Muslims under 30 said suicide bombing was often or sometimes justified, You won't find that statistic in the summary, but it's on page 53 of the full report. Incidently, the survey also found that 60% of Muslim Americans did not believe that Arabs carried out the 9/11 attacks. So if you're feeling complacent about America's security relative to that of Europe, you might want to rethink.
The Muslim Brotherhood speaks
MEMRI has just published a translation of an online interview with Muhammad Mahdi 'Akef, the Supreme Guide of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood. Some of the highlights:
-- Copts (Christians who have lived in Egypt for 2,000 years) are entitled to full citizenship, but no Copt may rule Egypt, because Egypt has 'Islamic values and principles that must be respected.' Nor can a woman take that or other leadership positions: 'a woman is under the man's guardianship, and he does not want her to degrade herself.'
-- There is Western democracy, which allows people to act as they please; then there is true democracy that honors sharia. He brushed aside a question asking if the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood was only participating in elections in order to exploit them, later revealing its 'true authoritarian face'.
-- He also dismissed allegations that Brotherhood militias are receiving semi-military training in Egypt, and military training in Iraq and Palestine. He did, however, praise sending fighters to Iraq and Palestine 'if we are allowed'.
-- 'Akef's fulsome praise of Osama Bin Laden's jihad actually got him in hot water with other clerics and politicians, both inside and outside Egypt.
The Muslim Brotherhood, I would remind you, long ago renounced violence. If this seems inconsistent with the above, just try to think it harder.
-- Copts (Christians who have lived in Egypt for 2,000 years) are entitled to full citizenship, but no Copt may rule Egypt, because Egypt has 'Islamic values and principles that must be respected.' Nor can a woman take that or other leadership positions: 'a woman is under the man's guardianship, and he does not want her to degrade herself.'
-- There is Western democracy, which allows people to act as they please; then there is true democracy that honors sharia. He brushed aside a question asking if the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood was only participating in elections in order to exploit them, later revealing its 'true authoritarian face'.
-- He also dismissed allegations that Brotherhood militias are receiving semi-military training in Egypt, and military training in Iraq and Palestine. He did, however, praise sending fighters to Iraq and Palestine 'if we are allowed'.
-- 'Akef's fulsome praise of Osama Bin Laden's jihad actually got him in hot water with other clerics and politicians, both inside and outside Egypt.
The Muslim Brotherhood, I would remind you, long ago renounced violence. If this seems inconsistent with the above, just try to think it harder.
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