This Week On The Gathering Storm

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, hosted by WC and Always On Watch. The show broadcasts live every Friday beginning at noon, Pacific Time, for 30 minutes.

The call-in number is 646-915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Our scheduled guest this week is IQ al Rassooli.

Listen to the July 8, 2011 edition of The Gathering Storm Radio Show, live or later, by CLICKING HERE.

UPCOMING SHOWS
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Londonistan Calling

 

From Eeyore at the Vlad Tepes Blog:

British police — sarcastically described as the enforcement arm of the left-wing Guardian because of their zeal in prosecuting political incorrectness — have been accused of suppressing information about a wave of threats, abuse and violence in Islamicising areas of London, in particular the borough of Tower Hamlets.

Victims say police in the borough, fearing racism allegations, have ignored or downplayed cases where people — Muslim and non-Muslim alike — have been threatened or beaten for breaching “Islamic norms.” One such victim, Mohammed Monzur Rahman, was left partially blind after being beaten by a mob for smoking during Ramadan. According to a local anti-extremism campaigner, Rahman reported the incident to police, but was told they could not take action because there were no witnesses — absurd, considering that the street was lined with closed-circuit TV cameras and filled with people.

Already Muslim immigration, concentrated in “Londonistan” and other big-city areas, has reached a point where it is unsafe for Englishwomen to walk in many streets uncovered or for Jews to venture out wearing such identifying symbols as skull-caps. A video is being shown on the Internet of police apparently running in terror through the London streets from a mob bearing placards proclaiming BEHEAD THOSE WHO INSULT ISLAM and similar slogans. Even politically-liberal comedian John Cleese recently declared: “London is no longer an English city.”

The take-over of large inner-city areas by Islamic extremists, with the concomitant terrorisation of law-abiding Muslims as well as others, has come about as a result of the previous Labour Government’s “Open Door” policy. Like some other Labour policies, Open Door appears to have been predicated on the deliberate altering of voting demographics. It has succeeded perhaps beyond its architects’ wishes.

Since Labour enacted the policy in 1997, more than 5.2 million immigrants have arrived in the United Kingdom. When the departures of those moving abroad are taken into account, Open Door has left the foreign-born population in the UK 3.2?million higher, in a country with a total population of only about 60 million. If even one in a hundred of those 3.2 million is an Islamic extremist, that would yield a total of 320,000 new radicals — several times the headcount of the entire British Army.

Britain has not seen an invasion like this since ancient times.

Iran threateIran threatens 'serious action' over BBC plans to screen documentary series on Muslim prophet Muhammad

From the Daily Mail:

The BBC is courting controversy with its plans to broadcast a documentary series about Muslim prophet Muhammad.

Three-part series The Life of Muhammad has already been blasted by officials in Iran, who claim the country will take 'serious action' if it is screened.

The Iranian minister of cultural and Islamic guidance, Mohammad Hosseini, who has yet to watch any of the series, has branded the film an attempt by the 'enemy' to 'ruin Muslims' sanctity'.

'The BBC's decision to make a documentary on the life of [the] prophet Muhammad seems dubious and if our suspicions are proved to be correct, we will certainly take serious action,' he told Iran's Fars news agency.

The documentary, to be broadcast in mid-July, just ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in August, will see journalist and TV presenter Rageh Omaar travel to the place of Muhammad's birth, Mecca, to re-trace the footsteps of the prophet.

However, the series will feature no visual images of Muhammad in a bid not to offend Muslims, whose religion forbids depiction of the prophet.

Instead, a spoken description of Muhammad will be given, making this the first biographical documentary not to feature visual images of the subject.

The documentary will include three episodes, an hour each, on BBC 2.
The film tells the 'extraordinary story of a man who, in little more than 20 years, changed the world forever', according to the blurb.

Part of the filming takes place in holy cities Mecca and Medina where non-Muslims are banned from entering.

Sacred: Part of the documentary is filmed in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina where non-Muslims are banned from entering

The first episode looks at the circumstances and society that Muhammad was born into, according to Riazat Butt from the Guardian.

She said that the film follows Muhammad's childhood and early years when he is orphaned and looked after by his uncle.

'The documentary does not shy away from contention but doesn't immerse itself in the details either,' said Ms Butt, who saw a screening attended by Muslim Mr Omaar in London today.

'The programme also addresses the issue of the satanic verses, not just the apocalyptic fall-out from the Rushdie book but the incident where a supposedly divine revelation - acknowledging pagan gods - was later withdrawn because it was designed as a test.'

She said that as an opening episode it's fairly heavy going if you're new to the finer points of Islamic theology or Islam.

'But it's well filmed, has plenty of access to the relevant sites and has a diverse line-up of talking heads - [authors] Karen Armstrong, Tariq Ramadan, Robert Spencer, Michael Nazir-Ali and Tom Holland,' she added.

The documentary-makers claims the film will raise questions about Islam's role in the world today and explore 'where Islam's attitudes towards money, charity, women, social equality, religious tolerance, war and conflict originate'.

Mr Omaar, the Middle Eastern correspondent for Al Jazeera English, said: 'I am extremely pleased to be presenting this exciting and groundbreaking series.

'The details of Muhammad's life really are little known, and I hope that my series will – for many – shine a light on the very beginning of Islam, taking viewers to the heart of this faith, illustrating just how Muhammad's life and legacy is as important today as it was a over a thousand years ago.'

The show was commissioned by the BBC's first Muslim head of Religion & Ethics, Aaqil Ahmed.

The BBC said: 'In line with Islamic tradition, it does not depict any images of the face of Muhammad, or feature any dramatic reconstructions of Muhammad's life.'

US Aid to Palestinians: The more money they recieve, the lower their GDP

From the Jerusalem Post:
Fayyad says only $331m. of $970m. promised to gov't was received; Abed Rabbo accuses Arab countries of not meeting their pledges.Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Wednesday that the severe financial crisis his government is facing does not mean the Palestinians are ill-prepared for statehood.

His announcement came as the PA civil servants received only half of their salaries due to the financial crisis.Fayyad said he would continue his efforts to solve the crisis.

“This decision was taken because of the growing financial crisis in the PA over the past year,” Fayyad said. He attributed the crisis to the failure of donor countries to meet their financial commitments to the PA. 

Fayyad said the PA had received only $331 million of the $970m. promised by donors, including some Arab countries.

He said it was ironic that the current crisis had come at a time when the PA government had succeeded in reducing its reliance on foreign aid by almost half – from $1.8 billion in 2008 to $970m. this year.“The crisis does not undermine or cast doubt on our preparedness for the establishment of the state,” Fayyad stressed.

“There are many countries that face difficulties and deficits that oblige them to take measures to overcome their financial crises. Palestine is not an exception. On the contrary, we are a people living under occupation and suffering from division and its repercussions.”

Fayyad voiced hope that the Arab countries would help the Palestinians overcome the crisis.PLO Secretary-General Yasser Abed Rabbo said the financial crisis in the PA was “unprecedented” and accused the Arab countries of failing to meet their pledges to help the Palestinians.Abed Rabbo told the PA’s Voice of Palestine radio station that the Palestinians were surprised by the Arab countries’ failure to assist them.

“The situation has become very complicated for the Palestinian Authority because of the failure of the Arab countries to fulfill their financial promises,” he said. “This is regretful.”Abed Rabbo said the crisis would not prevent the PA from proceeding with its plan to ask the United Nations in September to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines.

He said the PA was convinced it couldn’t rely on negotiations “to end the occupation because Israel does not want negotiations.” 

From 2 days ago on MFS: "Donors had pledged $971 million to the Palestinian Authority this year, but the year is half over and only $330 million has been delivered. It turns out that only the UAE, Algeria, and Oman have met the pledges they made years ago via the Arab League. The rest, including the vastly wealthy Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, are delinquent"

Note in this overview of donated US Aid to Palestine that the more money they recieve the lower their GDP becomes!

Now guess according to the numbers when Obama became president.

Read the full story here.

Gay Muslims In The UK

Hezbollah in Mexico

Hezbollah in Mexico

From Public Intelligence, via Jawa:

In July of this year, Mexican authorities arrested Jameel Nasr in Tijuana, Baja California. Nasr was alleged to be tasked with establishing the Hezbollah network in Mexico and throughout South America.

In April of last year, the arrest of Jamal Yousef – in New York City – exposed a weapons cache of 100 M- 16 assault rifles, 100 AR-15 rifles, 2,500 hand grenades, C4 explosives and antitank munitions. According to Yousef, the weapons, which were being stored in Mexico, had been stolen from Iraq with the help of his cousin who was a member of Hezbollah.

With the arrest of Jameel Nasr and Jamal Yousef, obvious concerns have arisen concerning Hezbollah’s presence in Mexico and possible ties to Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO’s) operating along the U.S. – Mexico border.

The potential partnership bares alarming implications due to Hezbollah’s long established capabilities, specifically their expertise in the making of vehicle borne improvised explosive devises (VBIED’s).

 Click on the title to read the whole thing.

Obama Regime Violates Geneva Convention, Secretly Interrogates Man On Ship For Two Months

 HE LIED!!!

From Gabriel at Ace of Spades:

Yes, There's Still a War On

And, yes, Obama's been clobbered with reality, and, yes, the Left will mostly pretend it isn't an issue because, yes, they're all big fat phonies. Oh, and, yes, being clobbered with reality doesn't mean Obama's giving up all his retarded ideas, just the most inconvenient ones.
The story.

A Somali militant linked to Al Qaeda was held and interrogated for two months on a U.S. Navy ship — the first publicly known example of the Obama administration secretly detaining a new terrorism suspect outside the criminal justice system. Senior administration officials revealed the case Tuesday after an indictment against the man, Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, was unsealed in federal court in New York. The indictment, which does not mention Warsame's military detention, charges that he worked to broker a weapons deal between Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen and the Somali militant group Shabab. It alleges that he fought on Shabab's behalf in Somalia in 2009, then went to Yemen in 2010 for explosives training and took part in terrorist activities there.

Secret detentions? Prison ship? Cue the outrage, I'll wait.
...
...
What do you mean there are no calls for impeachment, no cries of "ILLEGAL!", no Sense-of-the-Senate proposals condemning violations of treaty conventions? Because I'm pretty sure that Obama said detained terrorists are to be treated in accord with the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States is a signatory, and detaining and interrogating an alien on a naval vessel would be in violation of Article 22 of Geneva Convention (III). Didn't the President make a big to-do about complying with international law?

What a joke. If all our lives weren't at stake, it would be comical to see Obama stumble his way through each terrorism-related event, each time getting knocked further and further from anything like coherent, effective leadership.

Lemme see if I've got this right. The President acknowledges that we have to interrogate these guys. He's admitted that, finally. But he cannot send terrorists to U.S. detention sites on our allies' territory because he railed against that when Bush 43 did it. He cannot send terrorists to the major detention facility created for that purpose on territory we control because he similarly railed against that at a time when he had no real responsibilities and despite the fact that he has now conceded that it will remain in operation indefinitely. He cannot send them straight to the United States because then we couldn't interrogate them and he has surrendered to the fact that we need to interrogate them.

Solution: avoid this entire mess of his own creation by secretly detaining terrorists on naval vessels and as far as international (or domestic law) goes just fugedaboudit. Too. Much. Trouble. Presidentin'. Is. Hard.
Oh, here's another Obama snowball-into-avalanche mess:

Warsame was turned over to the FBI after extensive "humane" interrogation aboard ship by a unit known as a High-Value Interrogation Group, made up of FBI, CIA and Defense Department personnel, the officials said. But a U.S. official said CIA officers did not directly question Warsame. After the controversy surrounding George W. Bush-era interrogations of detainees, the CIA has consistently said it has kept its agents away from direct questioning.

I originally went through there bolding the important bits, but when I got to the end, practically the whole thing was bolded. Read it again, Sam. The CIA literally won't touch terrorist interrogations with a ten foot pole. Not even "humane" interrogations. And that's a direct result of Obama's and AG Holder's witchhunt.

Islam means peace = "Niiiiice doggy."

From Bosch Fawstin's book, "ProPiganda"

CBS:

Federal Warning: Al Qaeda Wants To Surgically Implant Bombs In Terrorists
TSA Promises More 'Interaction With Passengers,' In Addition To New Technology
July 6, 2011 11:40 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A new and insidious twist on terrorist suicide bombs has federal officials issuing new warnings to international and domestic airlines and stepping up security measures here and abroad.

In 2004 al Qaeda tried a shoe bomb to take down an airplane. Five years later their so-called “Christmas surprise” was an underwear bomb on a plane.

In both cases, they failed.

However, new intelligence indicates al Qaeda now wants to surgically implant bombs directly into a suicide bomber’s body, reports CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer.

“It’s definitely a change. It makes al Qaeda more lethal,” said Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

The Transportation Safety Administration is now warning international and domestic airlines traveling to the United States to be on the lookout for these new suicide bombers and to ramp up security.

“The U.S. government has received information, intelligence about terrorist intent to use this type of concealment and this technique to try to carry out plots to blow up planes,” TSA Director John Pistole said.

The agency said new measures will be taken including:

“Interaction with passengers, in addition to the use of other screening methods such as the pat-down and the use of enhanced tools and technologies,” said TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

Noted New York plastic surgeon Howard Bellin said a bomb could easily be sewed into the body surgically.

“If it’s a woman, breast implants. Put it in a breast implant like this,” Bellin said, demonstrating, “and if it’s a man put it in his buttocks, same kind of thing. Or, put it in his abdomen. Just open him up and it looks like he’s just had his appendix out or his colon resected or something.”

Sources told Kramer al Qaeda puts the explosive PETN into the surgical implant. When the suicide bomber wants to set it off all he or she has to do is use a syringe to inject the chemical TATP and it explodes.

“We’re up against a harsh enemy. This is an enemy that crashed jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We’re talking about suicide bombers,” Rep. King said.

“It’s a wake-up call to some of the American people who don’t realize what a deadly, ongoing threat this is and how evil and diabolical al Qaeda is.”

Unfortunately, travelers told CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez, the latest terror warning is a sign of the times. Most don’t mind any added security to prevent an attack, but they worry about what terrorists could try next.

“Those things, I bet they’re not going to be detectable. They’re going to need more machines to detect them. It’s kind of scary,” Rodrigo Ortiz said.

“I’ll come in two or three hours early, just to be on the safe side,” said Sanka Phagu of Levittown, N.Y.

“Who knows? Could be a baby next time,” another traveler added.

Neither the TSA nor Congressman King would say exactly what the ramped up security measures are. They said they don’t want to tip off the bad guys.

Humpday Blues

Keb' Mo'
It Hurts Me Too

Dangerous Mood

MORE PROOF THAT PEAK OIL IS BS: HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF BARRELS OF SHALE OIL BEING FOUND ALL OVER THE GLOBE

MORE PROOF THAT PEAK OIL IS BS: HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF BARRELS OF SHALE OIL BEING FOUND ALL OVER THE GLOBE

From the Astute Blogger himself; Reliapundit:

In May, the Argentine oil company YPF announced that it had found 150 million barrels of oil in the Patagonian field, and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner rushed onto national television to praise the discovery as something that could give new impetus to the country’s long-stagnant economy.

“The importance of this discovery goes well beyond the volume,” said Sebastián Eskenazi, YPF’s chief executive, as he announced the find. “The important thing is it is something new: new energy, a new future, new expectations.”

Although there are significant hurdles, geologists say that the Vaca Muerta is a harbinger of a possible major expansion of global petroleum supplies over the next two decades as the industry uses advanced techniques to extract oil from shale and other tightly packed rocks. 

Go read the whole thing.

Malik Nidal Hasan will face the death penalty for the murders he committed

According to the latest news, the Fort Hood jihadist murderer will be sentenced to death if convicted:

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly Fort Hood rampage will be tried in a military court and face the death penalty if convicted, the commanding general for the Texas military post announced Wednesday.

Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 shooting spree. [...]

Two Army colonels who reviewed the case previously recommended that Hasan, 40, should be court-martialed and face the death penalty. [...]

Witnesses testified that a gunman wearing an Army combat uniform shouted “Allahu Akbar!” — which is Arabic for “God is great!” — and started shooting in a small but crowded medical building where deploying soldiers are vaccinated and undergo other tests. The gunman fired rapidly, pausing only to reload, even shooting some people as they hid under tables or fled the building, witnesses said. He fatally shot two people who tried to stop him by throwing chairs, and killed three soldiers who were protecting civilian nurses, according to testimony.

The gunman was identified as Hasan, an American-born Muslim who was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan the following month. Before the attack, Hasan bought a laser-equipped semiautomatic handgun and repeatedly visited a firing range, where he honed his skills by shooting at the heads on silhouette targets, witnesses testified during the hearing.

Hasan must receive the death penalty for his savage crimes, and the military tribunal in charge of the case must hand it to him if they're to be taken seriously.

Up at Jihad Watch: Malaysia's dhimmis fund Islamic da'wah

Consider the notion that Islam in Malaysia is paid for from the proceeds of non-muslim owned and operated businesses that trade in (among other things) alcohol, pork, rock music and sex. And why?  Because Islam would be bankrupt unless the dhimmis were compelled to bankroll the very entity that oppresses them.

So it should little surprise that the Muslim government in Malaysia has decided to step up its state-sponsored da'wah-related indoctrination and brainwashing efforts, as long as the infidels are around to foot the bill. Even if this eventually reduces the very source of all this money in the first place, by creating more Believers and reducing the number of dhimmis that can be excessively taxed.

Read it all.

Egypt likely responsible for Europe’s E. coli outbreak

From Bikyamasr:

CAIRO: European investigators on Tuesday said that one shipment of fenugreek seeds from Egypt is the likely culprit for the E. coli outbreak in Germany that has already killed 49 people and led to a smaller outbreak in neighboring France.


According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), additional European Union countries may have imported tainted seeds and called on the European Commission to make “all efforts” to prevent any further consumer exposure.

Consumers should not eat sprouts or sprouted seeds unless they are thoroughly cooked, a statement from the EFSA said.

Some 4,000 people in Europe and North America have been infected in two outbreaks of E. coli infection – one centered in northern Germany and one focused around the French city of Bordeaux.

Almost all of those affected in the first outbreak – the deadliest on record – lived in Germany or had recently traveled there. The infection has killed 48 people in Germany and one person in Sweden.

“The analysis of information from the French and German outbreaks leads to the conclusion that an imported lot of fenugreek seeds which was used to grow sprouts imported from Egypt by a German importer is the most common likely link,” the EFSA said in a statement.

It added that the contamination of the seeds with a highly toxic strain of E. coli had taken place “at some point prior to leaving the importer.”

Remember, here at IBA, we have shown you that:

HAMBURG IS THE EPICENTER OF THE DEADLIEST E. COLI OUTBREAK IN MODERN HISTORY"

“It’s quite possible that there’s a crazy person out there who thinks 'I’ll kill a few people or give 10,000 people diarrhoea’. It’s a negligent mistake not to investigate in that direction.” 

For anyone who does not remember, Hamburg is the city of Mohammed Atta. And, after 9/11, it was reported that Hamburg was a home to over 1,000 "Islamic Radicals". 

German E Coli Contains Bubonic Plague DNA?

German authorities are investigating ‘a possible deliberate act’ as search for source of E. coli outbreak continues

An outbreak of killer E. coli that has spread to 12 countries and killed 19 people may be linked to a Hamburg festival in May and could have claimed a 20th victim, reports said on Saturday.

German weekly newspaper Focus said authorities were looking closely at a harbour festival that took place in Hamburg on May 6-8 and that drew 1.5 million visitors from Germany and abroad.

The newspaper noted that the first reported case of E. coli infection followed just a week later in the city’s university hospital.

Germany’s national disease institute The Robert-Koch Institute, however, said there did not appear to be a connection. “Press information regarding a link between the E. coli infections and large gatherings does not correspond with the institute’s knowledge,” German news agency DPA quoted it as saying.

Local media also said Saturday a man in his 50s who died in Brandenberg may be the 20th victim in Europe but the cause of death was uncertain because he had several other infections as well as E. coli.

The latest confirmed death was of an 80-year-old woman in the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Friday.

The European Commission on Saturday said it was preparing to send a team of experts to Germany to help speed up efforts to locate the source of the outbreak, a statement said.

So far, scientific tests have failed to support a link to the epidemic, the European Union’s Reference Laboratory for E. coli in Rome has said.

Faced with the mystery, German reports said police were investigating a possible deliberate act and were also checking two restaurants in the northern town of Lubeck, one in which 17 diners fell ill and another in which eight women were affected, one of whom died.

MORE FROM WILL AT THE OTHER NEWS, VIA THE TELEGRAPH:

The warning from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure [CPNI], which operates as part of the Security Service, comes as experts warned the deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany has highlighted the vulnerability of the food chain and how quickly bacteria can spread.

The highly virulent strain has claimed 18 lives and left more than 1,800 seriously ill, with the true number of cases expected to be far higher.

A senior German doctor last night called for an investigation into the possibility that the bacteria had been spread deliberately.

Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, chief doctor for hygiene at Berlin’s Vivantes hospital, said:

“It’s quite possible that there’s a crazy person out there who thinks 'I’ll kill a few people or give 10,000 people diarrhoea’. It’s a negligent mistake not to investigate in that direction.”

Unpleasantness

From Kleinverzet:

I am reluctant to post this. It will not make me many friends and possibly antagonize a couple of people I hold in esteem. But I do want to state my views. That's why I became a blogger in the first place: To bother all of you with my (questionable) wisdom. That, for better or for worse, is the kind of person I am.

Veterans of the counter-jihadist part of the blogosphere are undoubtedly familiar with the storm cause by Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs (LGF). Back then LGF was a leading blog in the counter-jihad, until Johnson, for reasons best known to himself, started throwing all and sundry under the bus, accusing them of Nazi sympathies and other forms of human depravity. The end result, fortunately, resulted in a complete marginalization of LGF and left the counter-jihad (mostly) in tact.

Three years on, and yet again the counter-jihad blogosphere is wracked by a storm of in-fighting. Pamela Geller, of Atlas Shrugs, initially withdrew her support for the English Defence League (EDL) after some vague and unsubstantiated claims the top of the EDL had been infiltrated by 'neo-fascists', turning the EDL into an anti-semitic Nazi party.

The EDL has a Jewish Division, led by a Roberta Moore, who sought active co-operation with the Jewish Task Force. The latter is described as a far-right American group, whose leader Victor Vancier has been imprisoned for terrorism offences. Not wanting to be associated with terrorism, the leadership of the EDL openly distanced itself from the Jewish Division, stating "If they [the Jewish EDL] continue with their plans to forge links with the terrorist JTF, the EDL will have no option but to sever its links with the Jewish division as we cannot support terrorist sympathisers". Mrs. Moore refused to sever links with the JFT, which eventually let to her leaving the EDL (or was she thrown out, after all?). This seems to be the proximate cause of the current rift.

Ms. Geller (and in her wake: Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch) initially denounced the EDL for distancing themselves from Roberta Moore, seeing in it a sign of increasing anti-semitism and fascism within the inner circles of the EDL. In turn, this forced Tony Robinson, leader of the EDL, to publish a statement affirming the EDL's support of Israel as the only free and democratic nation in the Middle East. Moreover, the statement emphasized that extremist ideas, whatever their origin, will not be tolerated.

Gates of Vienna and others published an open letter, challenging Ms. Geller to put up concrete evidence of anti-semitism in the EDL's leadership, or, failing to come up with such evidence, apologize and (re)state her support for the EDL. Ms. Geller, evidently realizing she jumped the gun dramatically, has done the latter, but refuses to do the former, insisting that she didn't really withdraw her support for the EDL, called them anti-semitic fascists or called upon 'genuine anti-jihadists' (1) to leave the EDL. And to put insult to injury, she referred to those taking her to task over her hysterical overreaction as "bottomfeeders [who] just bang keyboards and jockey for position on the bottom of the food chain". By which she evidently referred to the camp led by GoV.

In the mean time the 'recent unpleasantness' (the slightly coy term used by Baron and Dymphna of GoV) has descended into some pretty petty squabbling. As happens so often, the original cause is all but forgotten. What is left is a rather tedious 'he said - she said' back and forth, completely divorced from the issue that started all this. Neither side seems to be willing to give the other the benefit of the doubt, increasing the acromony on both sides. Which is why I initially didn't want to get involved. My dad taught me early on not to step into a dogfight, unless you want to get mauled. Additionally, there are aspects to the whole situation that make picking a side and sticking with it a bit of an iffy proposition.

The fact is: Ms. Geller did initially, and completely prematurely, withdraw her support for the EDL. In subsequent posts she conveniently forgot about that little outburst, making us believe her withdrawal of support was meant as a conditional. This is not what her initial post said. In her initial post, Ms Geller stated: "Now that the person whom I most trusted in the EDL, Roberta Moore, has resigned, as she was increasingly uncomfortable with the neo-fascists that had infiltrated the administration of the group, I too am withdrawing my support from the EDL". And with that she caused the EDL substantial and, as it turns out, unwarranted harm.

To err is human, and this would seem to be a case where personal preferences got in the way of an objective appraisal of the situation. Ms. Geller could have said so, telling the EDL she had it wrong. But that is apparently asking a tad too much of Ms. Geller.

However, her weariness of GoV and affiliates is, if slightly hysterical, not completely unfounded. There exists an unfortunate tendency over at GoV (and elsewhere) to cast the counter-jihad, or the merits of Western civilizations, in racial terms. As just one example I give you a Fjordman essay published on GoV. In an otherwise excellent recent essay, 'When Treason Becomes The Norm: Why The Proposition Nation, Not Islam, Is Our Primary Enemy', Fjordman concludes: "The only way to restore sanity to our countries is to restore the concept that a country is the homeland of a nation of closely related people with a shared heritage" (2).

As far as I'm concerned that is the wrong conclusion (correlation is not equal to causation, I believe. But I'll leave that for another post). It defines a country in terms of blood-ties, of ethnicity, of race. It is a rather exclusive definition that denies or ignores the groups of immigrants that have settled in European countries throughout history and have become an integral part of many societies. In the case of Holland I will only have to point to the relatively large numbers of Portuguese Jews or French Huguenots that settled in the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th century. Over the last century Holland has seen influxes of Chinese, Malukkan, Syrian Orthodox Turks and Vietnamese refugees (in roughly chronological order) who have all nestled in Dutch society and have become valued parts of it.

If determining whether anyone belongs anywhere is based exclusively on pedigree, as Fjordman seems to suggest, these groups are not Dutch and, more importantly, will not be allowed ever to be viewed as Dutch, no matter how much they integrate and/or assimilate. I know I am going to sound like a left-wing liberal here, but: That is unjustified, unjust, narrow-minded and downright xenophobic. And completely counter-productive: it will breed a lot of (understandable) resentment in groups that do try to fit in, while doing exactly nothing to remedy the problems with groups that reject Dutch/Western society to begin with.

I tend to agree with Pamela and Robert Spencer on this subject. I certainly do not agree with the folks at Gates of Vienna.

However, I must say, my overall despair (and resulting ennui), at the direction of the counter-Jihad, precludes me from writing on the subject at all.

It's simply too depressing.

I'm glad Kleinverzet decided to post on this, as I think it is a good general summation of the controversy. Go read the whole thing.

But, let me be clear that I simply do not agree with the following sentence:

... this suggests that Atlas Shrugged is no longer devoted to the anti-jihad per se, but is now entirely devoted to the inflated sense of self of Ms. Geller.

That is completely unfair to Pamela, who does great, sincere, and impassioned work, whatever my disagreements with her have been.

Let us be clear about one thing. The EDL's problems do not merely lie in the region of anti-Semitism. It has been clear, for years now, that the EDL is rife with people who are outright racist. The EDL is filled with members who are also members of the BNP. Many of the EDL's leaders, over the years, have been members of the BNP. The BNP, for those who do not know, is a separatist party which would admit no non-white members, until in recent years, they were forced to do by law.

It is true that the EDL has attempted to establish itself as a more inclusive organization. To the extent that they have succeeded in doing so, they are to be commended. However, as Pamela has pointed out, much of their racist behavior is endemic, as it is supported by people in leadership positions within the EDL.

Mohammad Salim Al-Awa is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain

Egyptian Presidential Candidate Muhammad Salim Al-Awa Calls For ‘Affirmation of the Enmity’ with Israel – And For Normal Relations with All Resistance Forces and Iran

“We Want a Relationship Of Equals With the West, And Especially With the U.S…. We Don’t Want That [U.S.] Aid”

Muhammad Salim Al-Awa: “We want a relationship of equals with the West, and especially with the U.S. We do not want the American ambassador to tour Egypt from east to west, and meet governors, heads of boroughs, and elementary-school principles, in order to monitor what is done with the American aid. We do not want that aid. This wealthy people is capable of being self-sufficient.

“Ambassadors are not allowed to leave their residence, unless they inform the Foreign Ministry which sends someone to accompany them. The American ambassador travels all over Egypt without supervision, without informing anyone, and nobody knows what she is saying. Enough said. We don’t want this to continue. This must stop.”

“Israel Is An Enemy… The Normal Relations We Want With Israel Will [Be] Through the Affirmation of the Enmity”

”We want normal relations with Israel. This probably sounds very strange to you, coming from me, so let me reiterate: We want normal relations with Israel. Israel is an enemy, with which we have a truce. It is an enemy!

[Applause in the crowd]

“Israel is an enemy, with which we have a truce – it is not a friend, it is not an ally, and we do not have a peace treaty with it. This is a truce, and it is as temporary as all truces. Throughout history, there hasn’t been a single treaty that was not torn up by one of the parties to it. Oh Egyptians, make sure that the Zionists do not tear up this treaty before you do.

[…]

“The normal relations we want with Israel will not be achieved by normalization, but through the affirmation of the enmity, not with hugs or secret phone calls, but by placing Israel in its normal status: the enemy of all the Arab and Muslim countries, and Egypt first and foremost.”

We Want “Normal Relations With All the Forces Of the Resistance… We Want Normal Relations With Iran”

“We want to have normal relations with all the forces of the resistance – Hizbullah, Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and the PFLP. We are the home from which the resistance must set out. We are the cave in which the resistance finds shelter in difficult times. We are the source that supplies the resistance with money, men, and weapons.

[…]

“Brothers and sisters, we want normal relations with Iran. Iran is not our enemy. It is not a Jewish or populist country. Iran is a country with a culture, with civilization, and with Islam, and it wants to spread them.” […]

What is there to say?

It’s 1979, Barry.

And as Marco from Tropoja would say, “GOOD LUCK”

It’s horrible to right ALL THE TIME about all this stuff.

HORRIBLE.

Related articles

• As Islamists Flex Muscle, Egypt's Christians Despair (online.wsj.com)
• Islamists poised to prosper in new Egypt (guardian.co.uk)
• Reuters: Obama to Establish Formal Contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood (atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com)

"There Is No Hope for Reform Without a Return to Divine Rule, Implement Shari’a in Phases”

From the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, LEADING IN EGYTPIAN ELECTION POLLS site this past month.

MEMRI:

Article on Muslim Brotherhood Website: Implement Shari’a in Phases

In a June 11, 2011 article on the website of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, veteran movement member Sheikh Ahmad Gad argued that the implementation of shari’a in Egypt must be achieved gradually, by preparing the peoples’ hearts and minds for it and introducing it in stages. He proposed learning from the methods of the early Muslim Brotherhood, which worked in a step-by-step fashion, and called on Al-Azhar to focus on promoting the implementation of shari’a.

The following are excerpts from the article:[1]

“There Is No Hope for Reform Without a Return to Divine Rule”

“Following the blessed popular revolution on January 25, 2011, there was a debate between the majority, which hopes and yearns for the implementation of Allah’s shari’a, and the minority, which uses Islam as a tool of intimidation and fears the Islamists and a return to the Middle Ages.

“This minority, which denies the results of the referendum while calling for democracy,[2]is made up of those who oppose a religious state or a caliphate state, and advocate a return to the tyrannical secular regime that corrupted the land and the people – a minority [that receives] prominent media coverage…

“Islamic shari’a ruled for centuries, but became distant and absent for centuries more. The various forms of imperialism were a burden on the [Muslim] nation in various ways, and caused people to change… In that dark period, the state alternately mimicked Eastern and Western regimes. Corruption developed, grew, and accumulated… [Nowadays], there is no hope for reform without a return to divine rule, which the Creator chose for man. This nation will have no chance of success, [except] by that which caused it to succeed in its beginning.

“[However,] we must not impose Islamic shari’a, forcing the people to adopt something about which they are ignorant and with which they are unfamiliar… If we do this, [various] ploys will be used to circumvent it, and there will be hypocrisy. [People] will exhibit Islamic [behavior] only outwardly…

“Noah, peace be upon him, received a clear sign, a stark vision, a prophecy, and mercy that his people did not understand… Noah could not force or impose [his faith upon the people]. He determined the principle of choosing [one’s] faith [as a result of] persuasion and reflection, [instead of] oppression, authority, condescension, and coercion. [The Koran] says: ‘O my people! Tell me, if I have with me clear proof from my Lord, and He has granted me mercy from Himself, and it has been made obscure to you; shall we force you to (accept) it while you are averse to it?’ [Koran 11:28]

“Gradual Action Does Not Impose Islam at Once – But Rather Step by Step”

“There is no other way but gradual action, preparing the [people’s] souls and setting an example, so that faith will enter their hearts… Gradual action does not impose Islam at once, but rather step by step, in order to facilitate understanding, studying, acceptance, and submission.

“[Allah] the Exalted said: ‘And those who disbelieve say, Why was the Koran not revealed to him [i.e., to the Prophet] all at once? [So] that We may strengthen thereby your heart’ [Koran 25:32]. The Koran was sent down in parts over 23 years, according to the events, the circumstances, and the laws that these [circumstances] entailed, and in order to strengthen [people’s] hearts and make it easier [for them] to memorize and understand [the Koran]. And this [verse] is the ultimate proof: ‘And it is a Koran which We have revealed in portions so that you may read it to the people by slow degrees…’ [Koran 17:106].

“The Prophet, peace be upon him, acted in a gradual manner, by first preparing the people, and then [preparing] family, society, state, and finally the caliphate… This gradual method is also employed in the Koran [itself] with respect to the prohibition on [drinking] wine…[3] It was also employed in presenting the duties of Islam… First, there were two prayers – at noon and in the evening – and after people grew accustomed to them, Allah ordered five prayers during the day and night…

“At the [Muslim Brotherhood’s] fifth conference, [the movement’s founder,] Imam [Hassan] Al-Banna, spoke about gradual action and reliance on education, and clarified the stages [of implementing the shari’a]. They [i.e., the movement’s founding members] believed that da’wa must come in phases: The phase of reading, learning the idea, and delivering it to the public; the phase of forming [the idea]; and the phase of implementation, work and results. At that same conference, Al-Banna said, addressing the hasty: ‘Listen to what I say in a loud, resounding voice: This way of yours, whose phases are written and whose boundaries are defined, is long, but there is no alternative [way]. I am not with those who want to pick the fruit before it has ripened. Those who wait patiently for the seed to sprout, the tree to grow, the fruit to ripen, and the harvest to arrive – their reward will be with Allah… May that be the payment of those who do good.’”

The Islamic Streams Should Unite to “Restore the Caliphate”

“I ask the honorable Al-Azhar to rally the Islamic streams in order to unite the Muslim word and effort, restore the caliphate, and prepare a practical plan to implement the law of Allah the Exalted. This is the goal of the honorable Al-Azhar and of all Islamic streams. And Allah will help.

“O Allah, guide us, open our hearts to faith, and restore this [Muslim] nation to its previous self – one united nation worshipping You and You alone.”

Endnotes:
[1] http://www.ikhwanonline.com, June 11, 2011.

[2] This refers to the March 30, 2011 referendum on a series of constitutional amendments which limited the president to two terms in office, enabled independent candidates to run for president, removed restrictions on the establishment of political parties, and set the parliamentary elections to September 2011. Though the referendum did not deal with the country’s religious identity, Muslim Brotherhood propaganda created the impression that those who supported the amendments supported the religion, while those who opposed them, opposed the religion. The amendments passed, and on March 23, a temporary “constitutional declaration” was published, valid until the elections of a new parliament, which is to draft a new constitution. Recently, a debate has started regarding the election date, and whether the new constitution should be drafted before the elections take place. Those who support postponing the elections argue that it will allow the new political parties to prepare for them, thus giving these parties a fairer chance to compete with the established powers – the Muslim Brotherhood and the National Democratic Party.

[3] The Koran initially forbade the drinking of wine only during prayer; later a sweeping prohibition was introduced.

Related articles

• Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Dismantling Mubarak’s State for a Sharia State (ibloga.blogspot.com)
• Shari’a law to blame for stoning of young Muslim beauty contest competitor? (hotair.com)
• Egypt’s military considering postponing September elections by three months(onecatholicnews.wordpress.com)