Via Expatica *

PARIS, Sept 29, 2006 (AFP) - French anti-terrorism authorities Friday opened an inquiry into death threats against a philosophy teacher who has been forced into hiding over a newspaper column attacking Islam, legal officials said.

Robert Redeker, 52, is receiving round-the-clock police protection and changing addresses every two days, after publishing an article describing the Koran as a "book of extraordinary violence" and Islam as "a religion which ... exalts violence and hate".

He told i-TV television he had received several e-mail threats targeting himself and his wife and three children, and that his photograph and address were available on several Islamist Internet sites.

"There is a very clear map of how to get to my home, with the words: 'This pig must have his head cut off'," he said.

Speaking on RMC radio, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said such threats were "unacceptable".

"We are in a democracy, everyone has the right to express his views freely — of course while respecting others. That is the only restriction that is acceptable on this freedom.

* Link thanks to Fausta too.

Zelda at the Urban Grind tagged me for a movie survey. I'm in a bit of a rush because I've got to get my daughter to the airport and I've got to bring the car down to North Carolina for my flight-instructor son. These jet-setting kids.

Anyway, here goes..

1. The last movie you saw in a theatre, and current-release movie you still want to see.

I hate to admit it, but the last movie I saw was Crank, about a hit man who has been injected with a deadly drug. The only way he can stay alive is to seek a constant adrenaline rush. The movie I'd like to see is The Departed, about Irish Americans behaving badly.

2. The last movie you rented/purchased for home viewing.

Brick. I love anything mystery or film noir-related, and I missed it when it first came out. The dialogue took a while to get used to, but it was worth the wait.

3. A movie that made you laugh out loud.

Thank You For Smoking, anything with Bill Murray (except Broken Flowers)

4. A movie that made you cry.

Cold Mountain, An Unfinished Life - even with Jennifer Lopez, it was a good movie.

5. A movie that was a darling of the critics, but you didn’t think lived up to the hype.

Two movies with genuinely great actors who were so deadpan, they were, almost literally, dead. Bill Murray in Broken Flowers and Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt.

6. A movie that you thought was better than the critics.

All the critics hated Ace Ventura. It was supposed to be stupid, that doesn't mean it wasn't funny. It did such a good job of capturing that South Florida ambiance.

7. Favorite animated movie.

Cowboy Bebop

8. Favorite Disney Villain

Iago., the evil parrot played by Gilbert Gottfried in Aladdin.

9. Favorite movies of all-time (up to five).

1. Casablanca
2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom* that should have been "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - Temple of Doom is my least favorite IJ. What was I thinking?
3. Breakfast at Tiffanys
4. Anything by Alfred Hitchcock
5. most anything by Wes Anderson

..and I have to add the Big Lebowski. And most anything by Mel Brooks.

The question of 'should we stay or should we go' might be easier to answer if we took a look at the larger picture. What are groups like al Qaeda up to in other parts of the world, and what are we doing to stop them?

What is al Qaeda doing in America? Here's a film of our local Queens-based al Qaeda, legally recruiting mujahideen in New York City.

This group, Al Muhajiroun (or the "Islamic Thinkers Society") has direct connections to al Qaeda, which is why the British government attempted to ban the group and deport its leaders. Unfortunately, the group still exists there under a different name.

Al Muhajiroun is also connected to the "nonviolent" and apparently moderate Islamic Circle of North America which operates out of Jamaica, Queens. According to Daniel Pipes, ICNA's Young Muslim Society is tied to the Islamic Thinkers. The Muslim American Society merged with ICNA in 2002 .

According to the Chicago Times the Muslim American Society is also connected to the "nonviolent" branch of Islamism, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Non-violent Islamists and violent ones, joining hands and singing in harmony. Don't you just want to buy them a Coke?

Our Queens based al Qaeda has many connections, which is one reason why they're able to terrorize neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens.

The Queens chapter of an international jihadist group - founded by the Brooklyn College grad accused of being an al Qaeda sympathizer - is terrorizing people in the extremist's old stomping grounds, residents said yesterday.

"They have a lot of hatred [but] the police said they can't do anything about them," Kana Chauhan, president of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association, said of the radical group Al Muhajiroun.

The organization is tied to suspected terrorist ally Syed "Fahad" Hashmi, a disciple of Syrian cleric Omar Bakri who was banned from speaking on English college campuses.

The Queens-bred Hashmi, who was arrested in London Wednesday on charges he moved funds and military gear to notorious terror camps in Pakistan, founded the local chapter of the extremist group. Each weekend, it sets up its hate-spewing operation on 37th Avenue and 74th Street.

"They're against America, they make trouble," local merchant Amarjit Singh said. "Whatever they say is really nasty."

Islamists have also acheived victories in Somalia and in Thailand. We haven't done much to stop them.

The Islamist-sponsored genocide in the Sudan is continuing without much of an effort from us to stop it.

Most aggressors wage war because they want to get more money and land. If we ignore Islamist prattle about jihad, terrorism, Muslim rights, humilitation, fatwas, moderation, nukes, violence vs. nonviolence, we'll see that Islamists are all united behind one goal - to dominate us.

We can only win the war by showing them that we are capable of dominating them. Which we are.

Do our actions, in and out of Iraq, demonstrate that?

It's for my scuba certificate, taken at Mimosa photo here at Hoboken. For a passport-ish photo, the lighting is surprisingly nice.

If you happen to be in Hoboken and need a photo service, Mimosa's a good place to visit.

..shooting kids, as usual...

Somalia's Islamic militia fire on rally opposed to their takeover of strategic port

KISMAYO, Somalia — Islamic militia opened fire today on several thousand protesters, wounding two children who were demonstrating against the fundamentalists' takeover of a strategic Somali seaport, witnesses said today.

Islamic fighters with white bands on their heads fired toward demonstrators who had set tires ablaze in protest at the takeover of Kismayo, 260 miles southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

"They are ... al-Qaida and we do not want them," said protester Halimo Mohamed. "Theirs is not a religion. They are terrorists." Witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said two children were shot.

When I first read this, I pictured little Mr. Bigglesworths..

..but no, they're - cute.

The catch? They cost $3,959...and there's a waiting list.

* Link thanks to the Seablogger

The New York Times reports on Mogadishu: "Islamists Calm Somali Capital With Restraint":

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Sept. 23 — As the sun begins to sink over this broken city, work crews swing their axes over their shoulders and head home.

Young couples take to the waterfront, mingling openly in the salty breeze. Thousands of children flock to soccer fields in the city center, with a backdrop of beautifully crumbled ruins from battles now over.

It is hard to imagine that this is Mogadishu, the same Mogadishu of “Black Hawk Down,” and clan against clan and 15 years of anarchy. But over the past three months, the Islamists in control here have defied international expectations — in many ways. Not only have they pacified one of the most dangerous cities in the world, they also seem to have moderated their message...

..."The world was so quick to label us," said Ibrahim Hassan Addou, the foreign minister for the Islamic administration in Mogadishu. "All we are asking is to be judged on our deeds."

The United States continues to assert that the Islamists are sheltering Al Qaeda terrorists. The suicide attack against the United Nations-backed transitional government in Baidoa on Monday only reinforced that suspicion, though the Islamists deny any involvement.

In fact, people were selling bread, biscuits and watermelon right in front of the Islamic forces’ headquarters during the noon prayer earlier this week. The teenage militia members standing guard regressed to the boys that they were, giggling over giant slices of watermelon and spitting seeds at each other, the juice running down their chins and dripping onto their guns.

"Nobody knows where we’re headed," said Ahmed Mohammed Ali, chairman of a Mogadishu human rights organization. But, he added, the Islamists “pacified this place and brought the clans together.”

"Whatever you think about them," he said, "you can’t overlook that."

Islamic Courts officials told hundreds of supporters at a rally in Mogadishu that an office would be opened for would-be fighters to register.

The Islamist officials, who were speaking to supporters at Friday's anti-foreign peacekeepers rally in Mogadishu, said the office would be used to register fighters for a jihad against foreign troops.

Taken with a tripod & a remote, manual controls, on a dark, cloudy night.

All were with a tripod and a remote

done the old-fashioned way, with aperture priority set low

done with manual remote control held down for more than a few seconds and a high ISO.(1000)

manual remote control held down for more than a few seconds and an ISO of 200.

Yes, it's a dull shot but it's nice to take a few shots without traveling too far to compare them. I like the last one best - it's brighter, less grainy than the others.

One thing to remember when taking night shots - bring a flashlight so you can see what you're doing.

Tatyana of Where the grass is greener may be sued for taking pictures of a storefront.

I have been discussing in one of the LJ the prohibition of the missionaries of non-judaic religious confessions in Israel. Then I turned off my computer and went to the BBG (photos are coming, don't you change this channel!), enjoyed the roses, took the train back home - and next door to my building noticed this stand, in front of the "Al-Bukhari Islamic center". I took out my camera and pointed it to the scene - and barely had a time to click when a very angry and not altogether coherent man in a dusty sack covering his heels jumped out the door. He was screaming and waiving his hands in front of my nose, almost touching me, in quite annoying fashion. [yes, it's his fist you see in the upper right corner]. "Piktoores prohebeted! Stooupid wooman! against ze law! my table! miss, you ar stooupid!no piktoores! I say, go out! stoopid biiitch "(into my back).

All my efforts of explaining that taking pictures on a public street is not against the law; that I have to ask permission only if I intend take pictures of people - and he doesn't interest me enough that I'd take his picture, etc etc - fell on deaf ears and more high-pitched insults and intimidating gestures.

And now I'm thinking...should I take my camera again, go out and take more close-ups of this attempt of soliciting religious propaganda in public place? And if he'll try to stop me again, call the police so he will be familiarized with extent of American laws as they are, and not as he wants them to be?

To make the story short: two policemen paged their superviser, (officer Higgins, said his badge), and his partner. The four of them had interviewed the other party at length. And then we had a conversation.

I have to tell you: I was dissappointed in officer Higgins' take on things. He told me:

1) that I can take pictures of storefronts, especially those that belong to muslims, only if I am affiliated with official organization and am doing it for official purpose: for a school project, a newspaper article and such.
2) that taking pictures of the store (let me remind you - on a public street, a public sidewalk) is asking for trouble, because my actions are bothering the owner, and I am lucky that the owner didn't get physical with me. He said it in a tone of voice implying that the owner was justified to "get physical".
3)that he advises me do not return to this place and stop bothering these innocent people. When I asked, am I prohibited to use the sidewalk on my way to the public transportation, which I use at least twice a day, he retracted his advice.
4) that I should read the news (my, if I ever) and learn that it is a sensitive subject (the background whailing of "I'm Ameriken! I lif heer! My wife lif heer! I go to cort! It is a law - no piktures!" in a meanwhile continued). I said - yes, it is a sensitive subject for me, too. I am sensitive to prohibition and to being cursed at. 5)that I instigated this incident.

The shopowner and his assistant, who appeared on the doorstep later, the one I had asked to photograph originally on Sunday, tried to get some distinctly anti-islamic statements out of me; asking me questions why I didn't want to know more about their peaceful religion? why didn't I take their brochure? where did I learn about islam? have I ever read the Quran? I said - this all has no relevance to the incident and that I can care less about their religion or the books they were trying to peddle.

So, the result: I had filed a harrassment complaint and the screaming party did the same; the guy threatened me with a lawsuit. I will have to call tomorrow to get the complaint number.

Does anyone know a good lawyer?

There's a lot of commentary (mostly trying to figure out what the police were thinking) at Tatyana's site and at Karol's post about the incident at Alarming News. A few legal types had some ideas.

It was organized in two weeks,

...we were lucky enough to have spent hours outside on a beautiful day

...and there were lots..

..and lots..

..and lots of people there. More than 35,000

Judith, David, Martha, Loretta and I met in the city. When we got to the rally, we met Amy and Pamela Hall. Pamela of Atlas Shrugged was also there, (and she got some wonderful pictures) but unfortunately we didn't cross paths. Rona got there a few minutes late, but at that point the crowd was so huge, the police were asking people to stand in an alternate space on 2nd Avenue.

Schoolkids were enjoying their very extended lunch break

Lots of Christians were there, carrying signs that said "Christians United for Israel" on one side and "On Women's Rights Israel Is Right".

Great sign. Just wondering - is this the same person who was expressing dissent here?

The Rosh Hashanah tradition of Shofar trumpeting was out in full force. Well, okay, I didn't know that these horns were called Shofars, nor did I know about the Biblical history of it until Martha explained it to me. It's an interesting story.

We tried to move forward to hear speakers like Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, John Bolton, Alan Dershowitz and Curtis Sliwa, but at about this point we couldn't go any further.

The Ivory Coast was also represented. Just another anti-genocide message that the UN will ignore.

The Neturei Karta, a small anti-Zionist orthodox group, held a counter protest a few blocks down. Most people only saw them when they were going home..

...this was the reaction..

...and this was one man's response

It's a guy thing, lasses just don't do it right, but my husband informs me that it's Talk like a Pirate Day.

They're really getting into it at Dean's, suggesting:

Talk like a private day

Walk like a pirate day

Talk like a pilot day

Talk like a lawyer day

Best comment from Drew W. - "I was going to suggest Talk To Your Privates Day, but I figured that sort of thing would only earn me a sternly-worded letter from Eve Ensler's lawyers..."

Dean responds: Oh, 'Tis A Sad Day For Wench Mary Madigan - [she] thinks that Talk Like A Pirate Day is a man's amusement. But she can only think such a thing if she is ignorant of all these amazing women.

One of those women was Anne Bonney an Irish lass who; married a bum - was disowned by her father - (perhaps) flirted with prostitution - fought a duel with a woman to win a man's affections - was pregnant and lost one child - took a pirate lover and went to sea - lived the pirate life- was betrayed by her husband, thrown in jail at the request of her husband (he feared her temper) - was spared the hangman's noose because she was pregnant again....all before she was twenty. Talk about fast times.

I didn't know women got to fight in duels. Cool.

..and the military led a coup and took over the government. That's not the kind of democratic reform we practice in America. Mostly.

Not sure how the Thais feel about this, but in Thailand (and in Thai shops and restaurants here) you can always see a portrait of the King. I've never seen a portrait of Thaksin.

The Rev. John Krenson, a permanent ordained deacon of the Roman Catholic Church and the author of Crossfire, discusses the Pope's Speech *

The question that keeps popping in my mind - after the response to the Danish cartoons and now after Pope Benedict’s recent comments - is: why are we so afraid?

Culturally and religiously we are on the defensive in this War on Terror. And it makes no sense to me. We accept immoral expressions of outrage by Muslims across the world and yet fail to have any of our own justified moral indignation at their actions. Instead we apologize for causing their reactions. Perhaps I should apologize to my four year old for his little temper tantrum this morning and for the time he slugged his sister in the face with a toy.

We hold the high ground - we believe in individual liberty, we believe in religious tolerance, we believe in women’s rights, we believe in a narrow window for the just use of war - and we should not be afraid to stand tall and to express our outrage at the insane reactions we are seeing across the Muslim world. In fact their actions prove the point made previously in Danish cartoons and the quote from Pope Benedict. It is all well and good to be sensitive but it is quite another thing when Muslims actually manifest what we criticize. It is quite another thing when there is lack of reciprocity in Muslim treatment of Jews and Christians. They have yet to practice what they preach - except for the spread of Islam by the sword and the convert or be killed part...

...Pope Benedict has spoken recently of reciprocity in Christian-Muslim relations - which has been refreshing to hear. His speech last week was also refreshing to hear. Muslims seem not to have the slightest concern these days of provoking the West - Christians or Jews. And our perceived fear of them emboldens them. Now is the time for courage, now is the time to stand up for right values, and now is the time for some accountability. Our response to the recent church burnings and the murder of a nun should be "this is exactly what we are talking about when we preach against Muslim violence." We preach "be not afraid." Now is the time to "be not afraid" and to speak strongly with the courage of our convictions.

The Christian Science Monitor writes on "Avoiding Religious Slings and Arrows"

..bridge-building between Christians and Muslims would certainly be easier if both sides in this case took more care. The Pope's talk could have been more sensitive. For instance, in its denunciation of violence as a means of religious conversion - certainly a valid warning - it singled out Islam, never mentioning Christianity's own historic failings. And the talk played down the stature of the Koran's message of no religious compulsion by inaccurately placing it in time.

Meanwhile, Muslim reaction in some quarters reinforces the image of a violent, intolerant religion. Palestinians attacked several churches. Demonstrators in India and Iraq burned an effigy of the pope. A Somali cleric said anyone who offends Muhammad should be "killed on the spot," and shortly after a nun in that country was shot and killed.

Jesus Christ.

Islamist actions aren't meant to provoke an interfaith dialogue. Their goal is to exert political dominance; to show Muslims and all the world that they are more powerful than the law, the government and the Vatican.

They also want to prove that they dominate the press but that's so obvious they hardly have to bother.

If we react with apologies and appeasement, we may, if we grovel enough, temporarily soothe their manufactured outrage. But we're also know that we're encouraging the next batch of manufactured violence and outrage, which is always right around the corner. Because the Danish Cartoons, flushed Korans, Papal quotes, etc. aren't the issue. The Islamists' ability to dominate us is.

We're can't win the war on terrorism until we can win the dominance game - we need demonstrate, in a visible way, that we're more powerful than the Islamists. We don't need guns or even rotten tomatoes to do it. All we have to do is refuse to grovel, soothe and appease in response to their violent actions.

Here's one of the few appeasement-free responses out there, from Australian Prime Minister John Howard:

Muslims protesting over the Pope's comments that offended Islam are overreacting and should move on, Prime Minister John Howard says...

.."My, I suppose, exasperation, would be that of many people in Australia that OK, they may not like what his holiness said - and whether he should have said it or not is in a sense beside the point - but we are meant to believe in free speech and we are meant to not overreact.

"It's very important with these things that people don't overreact."

Mr Howard said Cardinal Pell had acted appropriately in defending the head of his church and would not have intended to insult anyone.

"I think we should all take a deep breath in these things and all have a sense of proportion," he said.

"We seem to be living in a world where people have no sense of proportion.

"OK, they don't like what was said.

"I'm sure the Pope was not intending to attack Islam, he's expressed his regrets and I think we should really move on."

His comments echo those of leading Australian Muslim leader, Dr Ameer Ali, who said on Tuesday that Australian Muslims must accept the Pope's apology and move on..

According to the Daily Mail, A London lawyer said that the Pope must die.

A notorious Muslim extremist told a demonstration in London yesterday that the Pope should face execution.

Anjem Choudary said those who insulted Islam would be "subject to capital punishment".

His remarks came during a protest outside Westminster Cathedral on a day that worldwide anger among Muslim hardliners towards Pope Benedict XVI appeared to deepen...

...Choudary's appeal for the death of Pope Benedict was the second time he has been linked with apparent incitement to murder within a year.

The 39-year-old lawyer organised demonstrations against the publication of cartoons of Mohammed in February in Denmark. Protesters carried placards declaring "Behead Those Who Insult Islam".

Yesterday he said: "The Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate that and that must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the prophet.

"Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said of his comments: "We have had no complaints about this. There were around 100 people at the demonstration. It passed off peacefully and there were no arrests."

The blogger Catholic Londoner took photos of protesters holding signs that said May Allah Curse the Pope, Trinity of Evil: Pope go to hell as he walked out of the Cathedral. Most of the protesters were masked.

Gee, do you think they're trying to scare us?

Simon Jenkins in the Guardian wrote that "Terrorism is 10% bang and 90% an echo effect. Martin Amis calls it horrorism. It's not clear who has inspired the tactic of modern terrorism more - Sayyid Qutb or Creepshow. It's nearly all special effects, and cheap ones at that. Osama and his ilk have been waging bargain basement terrorism lately, threats via videotape. A blank cassette goes for what, 19 cents?

As Ron pointed out here, our enemies manufacture fear and outrage with the same skill that McDonald's uses to churn out hamburgers. Kill a few people, burn a few effigies, get on CNN and terrify the world. Over 5 billion served.

The only question is, why are we buying it? Martin Amis says:

Suicide-mass murder is astonishingly alien, so alien, in fact, that Western opinion has been unable to formulate a rational response to it. A rational response would be something like an unvarying factory siren of unanimous disgust. But we haven't managed that. What we have managed, on the whole, is a murmur of dissonant evasion...

...Osama bin Laden's table talk, at Tarnak Farms in Afghanistan, where he trained his operatives before September 2001, must have included many rolling paragraphs on Western vitiation, corruption, perversion, prostitution, and all the rest. And in 1998, as season after season unfolded around the president's weakness for fellatio, he seemed to have good grounds for his most serious miscalculation: the belief that America was a softer antagonist than the USSR (in whose defeat, incidentally, the 'Arab Afghans' played a negligible part). Still, a sympathiser like the famously obtuse 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh, if he'd been there, and if he'd been a little brighter, might have framed the following argument.

Now would be a good time to strike, John would tell Osama, because the West is enfeebled, not just by sex and alcohol, but also by 30 years of multicultural relativism. They'll think suicide bombing is just an exotic foible, like shame-and-honour killings or female circumcision. Besides, it's religious, and they're always slow to question anything that calls itself that. Within days of our opening outrage, the British royals will go on the road for Islam, and stay on it. And you'll be amazed by how long the word Islamophobia, as an unanswerable indictment, will cover Islamism too. It'll take them years to come up with the word they want - and Islamismophobia clearly isn't any good. Even if the Planes Operation succeeds, and thousands die, the Left will yawn and wonder why we waited so long. Strike now. Their ideology will make them reluctant to see what it is they confront. And it will make them slow learners.

This isn't an ideological war, it's a war between militarily weak lebensraum seekers vs. Westerners who'd rather ignore the whole bother while they can, settle down with a good glass of wine and watch a rerun of the Evil Dead.

It's pointless to decry the 'radicals' for their actions. They know that they're at war with us and most of the world. They're just doing their job.

We're not doing ours. We refuse to acknowledge that men like Anjem Choudary are at war with us. We refuse to acknowledge an enemy combatant, even when he's shouting in our face.

Of the police reaction to the 'protest' in front of Westminster, a Catholic Londoner says:

There were about 100 police around and about keeping an eye on things and video recording the protestors. I asked if they'd be prosecuted, and the policeman sounded edgey. He said they'd been warned about their behaviour already but arresting any of them might just fuel them up ever more.

..from Treacher..

In a speech requesting tolerance and understanding of religious beliefs, Pope Benedict quoted from a book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam.

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war," the pope said. "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"

al Jazeera reports:

The pope provoked anger after criticising Islam and its concept of jihad on Tuesday during a six-day visit to his native Germany, citing a 14th-century Christian emperor who said that Prophet Mohammed had brought the world "evil and inhuman" things.

A statement issued by the Vatican on Thursday, saying the pope had never meant to offend Islam, failed to resolve the furore.

"The Pope of the Vatican joins in the Zionist-American alliance against Islam,"

Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about the Muslim faith. A Turkish lawmaker said the pontiff would go down in history "in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini" for his words.

Muslim leaders elsewhere in the world also expressed dismay, with Pakistan's parliament unanimously condemning the pope.

Our hands are outstretched and our religion calls for peace, not for war, for love not for hatred, for tolerance, not for fanaticism, for knowing each other and not for disavowing each other.

We condemn this and we want to know the explanation of this and what is intended by this. We call on the pope, the pontiff, to apologise to the Islamic nation because he has insulted its religion and Prophet, its faith and Sharia without any justification."

When Jihad becomes an Individual Duty, as when the enemy seizes the Muslim territory, a woman becomes entitled to take part in it alongside men. Jurists maintained that: When the enemy assaults a given Muslim territory, it becomes incumbent upon all its residents to fight against them to the extent that a woman should go out even without the consent of her husband, a son can go too without the permission of his parent, a slave without the approval of his master, and the employee without the leave of his employer...

...To conclude, I think the committed Muslim women in Palestine have the right to participate and have their own role in Jihad and to attain martyrdom.”

The full text of the Pope's speech is here, including this part of the conclusion:

In the Western world it is widely held that only positivistic reason and the forms of philosophy based on it are universally valid. Yet the world’s profoundly religious cultures see this exclusion of the divine from the universality of reason as an attack on their most profound convictions. A reason which is deaf to the divine and which relegates religion into the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures. At the same time, as I have attempted to show, modern scientific reason with its intrinsically Platonic element bears within itself a question which points beyond itself and beyond the possibilities of its methodology.

I started this Flickr account a while ago then forgot about it.

Last week I posted some of my travel photos on it, and ordered prints for my two relatives who are not online (they have a good excuse, they're both over 85). I found out that the prints can be picked up within an hour of ordering at the nearest Target. How cool is that?

Anyway, I'll be in a non-blogging state for the next day or so as I finally put up a photo-portfolio on my homepage (Yes, I'm a dot-com).

I'm also putting up a photoblog there. I've been trying to decide which is best for a photo-intensive weblog; MT, WordPress, TypePad, etc. and the consensus is MT. Which is fine, except..

I HATE MT

It just drove me nuts the last time I used it. PowerBlogs is a great tool for a normal blog, but it's just not going to work for a photoblog.

So, I'm going to go ahead and go with MT. Unless someone has another alternative....?

Chewable Centrum tablets for grownups.

They taste great with Captain Crunch (with Berries and without) but with Cocoa Krispies, flavors clash.

Truthers are conspiracy theorists who believe that a "sinister cabal of neocon politicians" arranged for a missile to hit the Pentagon and for a controlled demolition to bring down the Twin Towers. According to their theories, this neocon cabal killed almost 3,000 Americans in an attempt to increase both the power of the Bush administration and the willingness of American citizens to support military action in the Middle East. The "official story" of bin Laden and 19 hijackers was a coverup according to members of the "9/11 Truth Movement."

These crazies were all over the WTC site yesterday*, delivering their obnoxious and poorly-timed tirades to an unwilling audience.

These tinfoil hatters appear to be gaining members. Many media organizations publicized the results of this poll, which stated that a third of Americans (36%) suspect that 9-11 was a government conspiracy.

However, a closer reading of this poll reveals that more Americans (38%) believe that the government is covering up evidence of extraterrestrial life.

One third of Americans believe that it was "likely" or "somewhat likely" that "people in the federal government either assisted in the 9/11 attacks or took no action to stop the attacks because they wanted to United States to go to war in the Middle East". However, only 12% believe that "the Pentagon was not struck by an airliner captured by terrorists but, instead was hit by a cruise missle fired by the U.S. military."

16% believe that "the collapse if the twin towers in New York was aided by explosives secretly planted in the two buildings" - way fewer than the number of people who believe the government is hiding little green men.

Mary Katherine Ham believes that it's important to take on these 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Karol at Alarming News isn't so sure.

Karol also notes that anti-Bush activists like Oliver Stone are taking these conspiracy theories seriously. No surprises there.

Given that 'peace and justice' activists have jumped on this conspiracy bandwagon, I'd have to guess that this is a symptom of the reverse-evolution of the anti-Bush left. They're really knuckle-dragging now.

This is a good thing. These nuts had genuine legitimacy when they were concealing their hate behind the 'anti-war' 'peace and justice' banners. They were harder to confront then. Who wants to be anti-peace?

Now, they're not concealing their hate or their craziness. This seems to be similar to the degradation of the anti-war movement in the late '60's and early '70's, when members of the "peace" crowd joined the Weathermen and the SLA. Former 'peace' extremists probably helped get Nixon elected.

As always, the majority of Americans are pragmatic people. If the Democrats embrace these nuts, or if they're associated with them, Republicans might see some real gains, despite dissatisfaction with the Iraq war. "General nutter" Mike Malloy of Air America and Democratic candidate Dr. Bob Bowman are truthers.

If the Democrats are wise, they'll take on the nasty job of contradicting the Truthers.

If they're wise...

* photos by El Marco

Dean's World, Kesher Talk, Winds of Change, Alarming News, /PJ Media and many other sites on my blogroll discuss 9/11.

Here, Dean says his pain is gone but his resolve is still there. Others, including Steven Den Beste, describe a combination of rage, resolve and a need to defend loved ones. Pain and resolve often seem to be tied up with rage.

My first reaction to 9/11 was shock. The second, to call everyone I knew who could have been near the towers to see if they were ok. They were. Then, there was the need to help the many people who (I assumed) would be injured. I was hundreds of miles away from New York City then, living in Cape May. Like many people, I called the Red Cross offering to give blood. I couldn't donate the blood because I'd spent years in Europe - they were afraid I could be one of those mad cow virus sufferers - but so much blood was donated, there was an oversupply.

In those days I thought New York and probably all of America would be vulnerable to more terrorist attacks, so I went to the library and took out books about the London Blitz. Rudy Giuliani's speeches, the press described the heroism and comradarie of the NYFD, the police, and the New Yorkers who volunteered to help at the WTC site. Like the brave Brits of WWII, I decided we needed to join hands, unite and have a stiff upper lip. We needed to be generous, to join together, to keep rage from dividing us in this time of need.

I suppressed any rage I felt the usual way, by being busy. I turned housecleaning into a near-obsession, which my kids will note, is very unusual. I dusted the ceiling fans and cleaned under the refrigerator. Despite agnosticism, I started going to church, bringing batches of cookies and food for after service meals and potlucks. I donated to every 9/11 fund that came my way, and made a special point of eating at Muslim-run restaurants, fearing that the community would shun them. In fact, those restaurants were more crowded than ever.

I had been working on a novel about the rise and fall of a mobster-funded dot-com, with one last chapter to go. After 9/11, it seemed very dated. Between fan-cleaning and baking to much, I tried to revise it, to make some changes to the characters. They were self-centered, sex-obsessed and not very caring or generous. In my new helpful mode, I decided to rewrite it.

I softened the attitude of one character, turning him from a randy, knife-wielding mobster to a well-meaning fireman-in-training who got caught up with a bad crowd of knife-weilding mobsters. In the middle of making a potluck salad one morning after the kids left for school, I thought about a scene from the book, where a thug had to throw a knife. I wondered - how do you throw a knife?

I took the paring knife I was using and flipped it at our 'Things to do' bulletin board. It bounced back and cut my arm.

Reality proved that I wasn't visualizing the scene very accyrately. I picked the knife up again, wrapped my arm with a dish towel and sort of aimed it at the bulletin board, the way you'd throw a dart. It didn't bounce back this time, but it barely stuck. Weak throw.

I tried again, and again, using more strength until the knife cut through the bulletin board. I pulled the board away from the wall, so as not to damage it, and got a bigger knife. I practiced for strength and accuracy for a long time, reveled in the loud 'thunks' that resulted from a good hit, and didn't stop until I couldn't raise my arm anymore.

The bulletin board was shot and there was still blood on the floor. I had to clean that up and get a new board before the kids came home.

I also had to admit that I was angry, and the usual methods weren't going to make it go away. In some situations, grief and the urge to help are caught up inexorably with rage and the urge to defend. We tried to separate them for a while, but we couldn't. Maybe that's just the way we're wired.

..and I'm a better dart player now.

St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 2002
Each fireman carries one flag to represent the three hundred and forty-three who died on Sept. 11

The Euology of Capt. Francis J. Callahan of Engine Company 40 and Ladder Company 35, FDNY, who perished Sept. 11. [Thanks to Philip Toshio Sudo]*

Eulogy delivered by Capt. James Gormley, Dec. 10, 2001: Captains and lieutenants of the New York City Fire Department share a special relationship with other officers of similar rank. When we meet for the first time we introduce ourselves to each other, we shake hands, we measure each other's resolve and fortitude. At Operations our aggressiveness is based on the trust we share in each other.

Firefighters and their officers share a different, but also special relationship. Officers very literally lead firefighters into harm's way. We go first. If things go badly we are required by our oath and tradition to be the last of our command to leave. Accountability for our men is carved into our heart. Responsibility for our men, their wives and children are in the depth of our soul.

This is why we are here today. Capt. Frank Callahan is the ranking officer killed at the World Trade Center from our firehouse. He leaves last. I cannot say he will be the last to ever leave. We live in a dangerous world, and we put our boots and helmets on every day.

Captains, especially commanding officers of companies in the same quarters, have a unique relationship. We know each other as no else ever will. We are commanding officers of complementary companies. We cannot work successfully without each other. There are not many of us, you could fit us in one fair-sized room. We are not always friends. There is too much at stake, but our respect, and trust in each other, is unquestioned.

Frank Callahan was more than my friend, to simply call him brother would not do our relationship justice. Frank was my comrade. It's harder to be a comrade than a friend. It's different than being a brother.

Friends and brothers forgive your mistakes. They are happy to be with you. You can relax and joke with them. You can take your ease with them--tell them tall tales.

Comrades are different. Comrades forgive nothing. They can't. They need you to be better. They keep you sharp. They take your words literally.

When a friend dies we miss them, we regret words unspoken, we remember the love. When a brother dies we grieve for the future without him. His endless possibilities. If your brother doesn't die of old age you might never accept the parting. When a comrade dies we miss them, we regret words unspoken, we remember the love, we grieve the future without them. We are also proud. Proud to have known a good man, a better man than ourselves. We respect the need for him to leave, to rest.

Some people equate camaraderie with being jovial. It is anything but. Camaraderie is sharing hardship. It is shouts and commands, bruises and cuts. It's a sore back and lungs that burn from exertion. It's heat on your neck and a pit in your stomach. It's a grimy handshake and a hug on wet shoulders when we're safe. It's not being asleep when it's your turn on watch. It is trust, it is respect, it is acting honorably.

You hold your comrade up when he can't stand on his own. You breathe for him when his body's forgotten how. It's lifting a man up who loves his wife and children as much as you love your own. Looking them in the eye for the rest of your life and trying to explain, and not being able to. You kiss them for him. It's laying him down gently when his name appears on God's roll call. It's remembering his name. I'll never forget his name. He was just what he was called: Frank. You never had to chase your answer. He said it to your face.

It's at the same time being both amazed and proud that you've known men like him. Looking for your reflection in their image. Seeing it. Knowing you're one of them.

There's a song out of Ireland. A line of it says, "Comrade tread lightly, you're near to a hero's grave." If you ever said that to Frank he would have given you the "look" and pushed past you in the hallway.

Frank was light on his feet but he never tread anywhere lightly. When Frank did something it was like a sharp axe biting into soft fresh pine, with a strong sure stroke. It was done. It was right. It meant something. It was refreshing. It smelled good.

Quite often we discussed history. The successes and failures of political, military and social leadership. The depth and broadness of Frank's historical knowledge was astounding.

I've been told Frank enjoyed a practical joke. We never joked together. Rarely laughed. We never sought out each other's company on days off. We never went golfing or fishing. We never went for a hike in the Shawangunk Mountains together. We were often happier apart than we ever were together because we shared the nightmares of command.

We shared problems. We shared stress. We shared dark thoughts that are now front-page news. Incredulous at the failures of leadership that have borne fruit. We shared the proposition of a time and place where few would dare to go. He went there because it was his turn. He called his wife, Angie, before he received his orders to respond. He told her what was going on. He told her things didn't look good; he told her he loved her.

Historically it is said, "They rode to the sound of the guns":

Capt. Frank Callahan

Lt. John Ginley

Firefighter 1 Gr. Bruce Gary

Firefighter 1 Gr. James Giberson

Firefighter 1 Gr. Michael Otten

Firefighter 1 Gr. Kevin Bracken

Firefighter 1 Gr. Steve Mercado

Firefighter 1 Gr. Michael Roberts

Firefighter 1 Gr. John Marshall

Firefighter 3 Gr. Vincent Morello

Firefighter 3 Gr. Michael Lynch

Firefighter 6 Gr. Michael D'Auria

and Firefighter 2 Gr. Kevin Shea

Kevin, we are joyful that we got you back. Have no guilt. The same goes for the rest of us. I know what you all did, you got your gear on, found a tool, wrote your name or Social Security number in felt tip pen on your arm or a leg, a crisis tattoo in case you got found.

We went down there knowing things could go badly. We stayed until we were exhausted, got three hours sleep and went back again, and again. That's what comrades do. Only luck and circumstance separate us from them.

It is significant that we are in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The first performance here was "West Side Story," the story of this neighborhood. This Act is part of that story. It is more than we can absorb in one lifetime, so the story must be told until it makes sense.

It is poignant because the arts have helped mankind deal with reality since stories were told round the fire and we drew on cave walls. The arts help us exercise our emotions. We are surrounded by art and overwhelmed by our emotions. From the pictures children have drawn for us, the poetry, songs, and banners, to the concerts, plays and operas that we have been invited to attend--use the arts to heal your heart. Exercise your emotions. Feel anger, feel hate, feel love and pride. Run the gamut of your emotions until you settle where you belong, as good honorable men, every inch the equal of our comrades, friends and brothers. That's what they want. That's what your families need. That's what you deserve.

Frank was a trusted leader, a captain. The best commander I've encountered here, or in the military. It was important to him. We both believed captain to be the most important rank in the department. He was forged by his family, his comrades, every officer and firefighter that he ever worked with. He was tempered by his experience.

History, the record of successes and failures of leadership, has caused us to be here. Capt. Frank Callahan did not fail in his leadership. He led his command where they were needed, and he's the last of them to leave. If more of the world's leaders were forged as he was, our world would not be in its current state.

Frank Callahan is a star, a reference point. A defined spot on the map of humanity. Guide on him to navigate the darkness. You will not wander, you will not become lost.

We went to see Crank today (no, not with the kids, they can't tolerate that kind of dopiness).

Yes, it was dopey. Jason Statham plays a hit man injected with some nasty, experimental poison - the only way he can stay alive and keep his heart from exploding is to get his adrenaline pumping. That means that he has to do all sorts of extreme things, or he will literally die from boredom.

I thought the movie was a perfect metaphor for adolescence (well, my adolescence, anyway), when boredom really did feel as if it could kill. At 17, I would have loved it.

Now that I'm older and wiser, I enjoyed most of it but the glitches bugged me. Yes, Amy Smart was supposed to play a ditzy girlfriend, but did she have to be that ditzy? How did the helicopter manage to climb to such a height? And if it wasn't part of his hallucinations, why were the naked prostitutes at the big boss's house sitting in acrylic balls? When the hit man was shot from behind, why did the blood spurt out of the back of his head? Why so much finger and hand chopping?

Still, it's a good time for former and current adolescents.

A good review.

Given the Dean's World responses to my post, "This is how they say "Thank You", about the 9/11 terrorists giving 'Bosnia' as a reason for the attacks, it needs some clarifications:

1. I was asked to define "they, them". At the beginning of the post, I defined "them" as Saudi-funded Islamists. However, UAE-funded Islamists, Kuwait-funded Islamists, terrorists and their supporters, would also fit the definition. Sorry for the grammar, but they are the them we should stop helping now. "They" (as defined above) could also refer to Iran-funded Islamists, although we aren't helping them quite as much.

2. etaraz asked "If they really hated America for our HELP in Bosnia, then why the hell are they referring to CHECHNYA where we did NOT help?"

We have helped Saudi funded and staffed Chechen terrorism in the past and we are continuing to help them, even after the horrific Beslan attacks, through the American Committee for Peace in the Caucacus (ACPC).

The ACPC supports the Chechen militants/separatists/rebels/whatever in their war against Russia. Members include Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Perle, former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and former Congressman Stephen J. Solarz.

I didn't originally point this out, and I've never posted much about ACPC here (although I have mentioned it in comments) because I'm disgusted and ashamed by the activities of this organization, supporting extremism in an effort to fight a destructive, Ahab-like war against a regime that we already defeated.

But the organization exists, and it needs to be acknowledged.

3. eteraz also points out that:

In fact, had you even read the section YOU quoted, you could have inferred that it wasn't because we HELPED the Bosnians that we were attached but because the terrorist does not make a distinction between an American and a Serb.

4. Some commenters assumed that I meant 'all Muslims' or 'traditional Muslims', despite further reference to "combatants." Why did you make that assumption?

5. Lastly, the point of this post was not to say that we should never be nice to Muslims. The point of the post was that we should stop allying with and aiding terrorists and their supporters (as defined above), and we should stop expecting potential recruits to be touched by our good nature.

Can anyone out there tell me, with absolute certainty, why Bosnia should be cited as a primary reason for 9/11? Are they angry because they confused us with Serbs, are they angry because we didn't respond fast enough, are they just messing with our heads? I'm not certain what the answer is and I'll bet you're not either.

Our greatest weakness in this war is our delusion that we can read their minds, and somehow use our amazing marketing skills and overwhelming good will to convince combatants and potential combatants not to wage war against us. Not only does this cause an unnecessary division between people who basically agree that we should be fighting this war, it's a tremendous waste of time and effort. Brzezinski original hearts-and-minds plan was created to increase the strength of militant Islamist groups, so we could use them as a weapon against communism. It still appears to be having that effect.

We're doing the enemy's work for them, increasing their power while dividing and conquering our own selves. Hardly a good strategy.

If you've ever wondered why Saudi-funded Islamists attacked us on 9/11, if you've ever wondered why they hate us, Al Jazeera provides the answer.

They hate America because of our actions in Bosnia.

No kidding.

The video said the preparation for the attacks included not only flight training but also lessons in street-fighting and how to forge official documents.

The video also showed two of the 19 Islamists who took part in the attacks, Saudi nationals Hamza al-Ramdi and Wael el-Shemari.

The men said that their actions were inspired by an urge to avenge the suffering of Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya.

It's been five years since the 'why do they hate us' routine started, and it's as pointless as it ever was. Did the French ask 'why do they hate us' when the Nazis attacked? The the Chinese respond to the Rape of Nanking by asking why the Japanese hated them? Did the Romans ask that when the Visigoths sacked their cities?

The 'why do they hate us' question (and this 'why they hate us' site, commented on by Karol of Alarming News) are signs of an unprecedented nadir in the intellectual development of man, a basic inability to understand the basic principles of survival and war that were common knowledge when we were worshipping trees and painting ourselves blue. They're at war with us. That's that. All we need to know about them is their location, their strengths and their weaknesses. We need to know how to kill combatants quickly and efficiently, because that's what you do when you're at war.

We also need to understand our own strengths and weaknesses. Our biggest weakness right now is our delusional belief that we can win their hearts and minds. We can't sell ourselves to a market we don't understand.

Now it's finally time to put the "Why do they hate us" question to rest. They hate us because we helped them.

Can we please stop helping them now?

I haven't said anything about Steve Irwin's death because, well, so much has been said - but I just found out that a friend had been working with Steve on a new program for kids. His death hit her pretty hard.

I don't watch much TV, but I have no doubt that if my kids were still little, I'd have all of Steve Irwin's shows memorized by now. They were the ultimate Discovery Channel addicts. Now, they've graduated to the point where they can actually go out there by themselves. Conservationists like Irwin have shown them how to cope with the beauty and the nastiness of the great outdoors.

For all of its cruelty, nature's nastiness usually has a purpose. The nastiness of someone like Germaine Greer is - unnatural.

Steve Irwin will be remembered for his ability to bring the mystery and danger of nature into our living rooms. He also will be remembered for his ability to communicate with kids. And, according to family wishes, any donations made in Steve's name should be sent to the Wildlife Warriors Worldwide Fund.

The Muslim insurgency in Thailand is responsible for 1,730 deaths:

BANGKOK, Thailand - Nearly two dozen bombs exploded almost simultaneously Thursday inside commercial banks in southern Thailand, killing one person in a region bloodied by a Muslim insurgency, police said.

The homemade bombs, which were triggered by mobile phone signals, were placed in garbage bins, at newspaper stands and near seats where customers wait for service in the banks in Yala province, said Maj. Gen. Paithoon Choochaiya who heads the provincial police.

One person was killed and 27 people were injured in the bombings, said Maj. Gen. Woraphong Siewpricha, deputy police chief in the south. Fours suspects were detained.

A review of close-circuit video showed that some of the explosives were planted by women, police said.

Some of the apparently small devices were hidden in women's handbags or inside books carried by teenagers in school uniforms, said Lt. Gen. Ongkorn Thongprasom, the army chief in the south.

"We received some intelligence reports, but we did not anticipate it would happen inside banks, especially on the last day of the month. We don't believe they are that cruel," he said.

According to the Guardian (one of the few news outlets covering this story)

The prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has taken a hard line with the insurgents but that has failed to stop the conflict. The country's army commander, General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, said last week that the government should rethink its strategy and engage the insurgents in dialogue rather than just arresting or killing them.

"Currently we are hitting the snakes at their tails, and that never makes snakes die," he said. "The strategy must be to talk with the snakes. It is necessary to talk to make lasting peace."

Priests on a rock

Thanks to Steven Taylor:

"But now that Pluto is no longer a planet, does it really make sense to speak of "plutocracy"?

Many thanks to Judith Weiss for organizing last night's Labor Day dinner at the Good Restaurant.

Truth in advertising - the food really was Good.

Michael Totten was in town for about 24 hours, returning from Tel Aviv, on his way back to Portland. Many thanks to MJT for taking time out from a rushed schedule, braving jet lag and culture shock to meet with us.

Some of his info about traveling in the Middle East:

In the summer sun, follow the advice of the natives and never go out without something to cover your head. As one turbaned rural Tunisian once chided a hatless MJT (in perfect English) "Do you think we wear these things to make a fashion statement?"

Camel spiders do exist, they really are unfathomably ugly and they're all over sandy places. However, they're not really spiders, they're scorpions.

Unlike McDonald's, which changes names and sauces to fit local tastes, Starbucks are the same everywhere. If you're in Tel Aviv, Dublin, or Beirut, and if you're feeling homesick for yuppies with laptops, oversized rice crispies squares and coffee, head to the nearest Starbucks.

Most people want to talk to Americans (although they don't necessarily agree with us). If these discussions take place in bars or cafes, (without guns), they're usually polite and often enlightening.

The majority of reporters in the Middle East are doing their best, given the constraints of editorial policy and Hezbollah's men with guns, to report an honest story.

I met Fausta for the first time (in person), and she's just as nice in person as she is on her blog. Tony Badran of Across the Bay was there, but unfortunately he was on the other end of the long table. I spoke to an erudite reader of Judith's blog who introduced himself as Adam Bellow.

We were one of two large groups in the Good restaurant. One woman from the other group was curious about who we were. Her first guess was - we were part of a dot com. Her second guess - we were with Wikipedia. I guess something about us screamed 'internet'.

The curious lady (oops, woman) turned out to be Susan Brownmiller. Judging from her site, we all could have had an interesting political discussion.

Like we do at most blog gatherings, we indulged our addiction to talk. We pretty much closed the Good Restaurant. Once again I did the night-owl thing, following Judith and MJT to a a nearby bar, which we closed. They literally folded the chairs out from under us. Then we wandered onto a fenced-off walkway by the river until a ranger chased us away. Sometime about 2 am, we caught a taxi home. This time I didn't fall asleep in the taxi.

Hope there will be more good gatherings like this.

See: Michael Totten Blogger Bash and Dinner at the Good Restaurant

Most people tolerate bad art in public spaces because they think they have to. But Dubliners strike back at bad art whenever they can.

The Spire of Dublin, which was built to replace the Nelson Pillar, which IRA art critics bombed in 1966, is nicknamed the "Stiletto in the Ghetto". It's also the "the Rod to God", the "Erection at the Intersection," and the "Stiffy by the Liffey."

This buxom statue of Molly Malone, which Dubliners criticize for nearly bursting loose from her dress, is called the "Tart with the Cart."

Speaking of unattractive things in public places, as I was