Sunday, April 22, 2007

Mapping Shari'a in America: Why SANE?

From Dave Gaubatz at The Conservative Voice

What makes matters worse, is that one of the most radical and virulently violent sects of Islam, the Salafists or more derogatorily referred to as Wahhabi’ists (named after the sect’s founder as if to suggest his approach was an innovation and that he was not appropriately submissive to Allah, Mohammed and the traditions which developed subsequently), principally situated in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States, are financing and providing the leadership for the vast majority of the mosques and Islamic day schools in the US. As a result, we have a well-developed and highly reticulated network of quite militant religious Muslim leaders directing a reservoir of “moderate” Muslims who can be energized almost at will. This is especially true among the young, restless, Muslim men who scorn their parents’ effort to be accepted by the American establishment and their Christianized ways (i.e., tolerance of pluralism; Sunday off work rather than Friday; socializing with non-Muslims, as just a small sampling of their list of grievances) ... Look for my periodic reports from the field at http://www.mappingsharia.us

Guess who won't be coming to dinner?

From Donna Marie Artuso at the Edmonton Sun

Hosting a State Dinner is one of the highest compliments the President of the United States can pay a leader of another country -- and invitations to these elaborate, white tie events are highly prized in official Washington. Sadly for the socially and politically ambitious, President George and Mrs. Bush have largely eschewed the hosting of state dinners since taking office in 2000 ... It was particularly disappointing therefore, when King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia this month cancelled a state dinner being planned in his honour, citing a "scheduling conflict." The unmistakable insult coincided with a sharp escalation in the king's criticism of the war in Iraq.

Gates Says U.S. Will Sell Advanced Bombs To Saudi Arabia

From Ryan R. Jones at All Headline News

Israel fears Saudi's possession of the weapons will erode its qualitative military edge in the region, and has argued that if the current regime in Riyadh is overthrown - not an uncommon occurrence in the Middle East - the highly-accurate Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs could reach the hands of extremists. Gates sought to allay the Israeli concerns, insisting that Washington remains committed to the Jewish state's military edge over neighbors that have three times tried to destroy it.

Attacks on Vice Cops ‘on the Rise’

From Arab News

[Saudi Arabia] Attacks by the public against officials of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice are on the rise, according to a report published by Al-Watan daily yesterday ... The commission is charged, among other things, with the task of enforcing the segregation of men and women, who are not related by blood or marriage ... The paper said attacks against the religious police included shootings and stabbings. The government has rejected calls to disband the commission, which has been subject to increased public criticism in recent years for overzealous efforts to enforce the rules.

Saudi to probe jail beating caught on mobile phone

From Reuters

Video images captured on mobile telephones and published on Web sites in recent days showed a guard whipping two prisoners, who appeared to be teenagers or in their early 20s, with what looked like plastic tubes. A second guard was involved. "They did it as a form of meting out fatherly discipline, like teachers do in schools, but it was individual behaviour that we cannot accept," Interior Ministry prison chief Ali al-Harthi told Reuters. "They have been suspended pending an investigation."

Saudi’s heart stops after court allows daughters to marry

From AFP

...in the ultra-conservative kingdom need the consent of a male guardian ... In July 2002, a local social study found that the number of unmarried women in Saudi Arabia was expected to jump to four million in 2007, compared to 1.5 million in 2002. Large dowries demanded by fathers are believed to be a major cause for the increasing number of unmarried women in the Gulf state, where Saudi nationals account for some 17 million out of a total population of around 22 million.

Desert Fever

From Strategy Page

Bosnia is experiencing increasing tension between Bosnian Muslims and what the Bosnians call "Wahhabis." Wahhabi Islam is the sect preferred by Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have funded many mosques throughout the world. Bosnia has increasingly been the scene of conflicts between Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) communities and radicals influenced by Wahhab clerics. Bosnia is fighting back, and recently stripped some 367 "foreign born" Bosnians of their citizenship. Most of these guys had fought with Bosnian Muslims in the 1992-95 war. It appears that the individuals involved are suspected of being involved in Islamic terror organizations.

Eugene Jarecki’s Juvenility

From Nicholas M. Guariglia at Global Politician

Bogeymen like Paul Wolfowitz are vilified for their support of democratic dissidents in authoritarian states, whereas the seemingly sober Eisenhower administration and women like Kwiatkowski are given an ethical pass –– as if geopolitics has anything to do the military-industrial complex at all. Promoting ideas like secular constitutionalism and women’s rights in the face of Wahhabi fundamentalists or Iranian fatwas is “destabilizing” –– as if the stability of an autocracy and genital mutilation is a worthwhile goal. Ms. Kwiatkowski went on, reprimanding me in a paternalistic manner, suggesting I, like her, concentrate on international relations issues “more relevant to (her) own concerns, values, more important for (her) own life and prosperity.” For some odd reason, she didn’t seem this cavalier on film.

John McCain’s Finest Hour

From Nicholas M. Guariglia at Global Politician

We have yet to seriously deal with this war as a regional manner –– weaning off the Saudis and openly calling for the internal downfall of the Islamic Republic of Iran would be a nice start –– but by most accounts, despite continued violence, the surge of additional forces and the tweaking to the rules of engagement in Iraq is bringing about early favorable results. This new strategy places less emphasis on the seek-and-destroy policy of the past and focuses primarily on protecting the civilian population (to defang Iran and al Qaida-provoked sectarianism). Neighborhood by neighborhood in Baghdad this is working quite unlike previous attempts (Operation Forward Together, etc.). Where violence is up –– across the city outskirts –– it is because we are directing the narrative of the killing by taking the fight to Shi’ite militiamen and nihilist criminal Wahhabi hooligans.

How a British jihadi saw the light

From The Sunday Times

The students to whom I described life in modern multi-ethnic Britain could not comprehend that such a world of freedom, away from “normal” Saudi racism, could exist. Racism was an integral part of Saudi society. My students often used the word “nigger” to describe black people. Even dark-skinned Arabs were considered inferior to their lighter-skinned cousins. I was living in the world’s most avowedly Muslim country, yet I found it anything but. I was appalled by the imposition of Wahhabism in the public realm, something I had implicitly sought as an Islamist.

Friday, April 20, 2007

'What war on terror?'

From Ted Belman at The American Daily

After Arabs had terrorized America on behalf of Arab causes, the Bush team refused to fight or even to indict any Arab entity at all ... [The Bush team] hasn’t even financed democratic movements in Iran to bring about regime change. Saudi Arabia continues to spread the Wahabbi doctrine of active Jihad throughout madrassas and mosques all over the world including in the US with nary a word from the US. Surely this puts the lie to the war on terror. Saudi Arabia and Iran are the engines of terror through out the world.

Arabs have 'nothing left to concede' if Israel spurns initiative

From UPI

A roundup of commentary from Arab newspapers April 19: An editorial in Saudi Arabia's Okaz said the "train" of the initiative had started to rumble forward after the Arabs had proved they are real "peace-seekers," desiring to end the Arab-Israeli conflict once and for all. "But the question is: Are the others serious in seeking peace? The others are not just Israel, which should be ready ... but all the other concerned parties, especially those who are addicted to" a biased stance, said the semi-official daily, in reference to the United States. The paper added that if Israel was neither interested, nor serious, nor ready now for a fair peace, the rest of the world should realize the Arabs "have nothing left to concede."

Gates Visit to Israel Viewed as Anti-Climax

From Barbara Opall-Rome at DefenseNews.com

Despite Gates’ positive public remarks regarding the importance of bilateral defense ties, Israeli officials here characterized the visit — the first by a U.S. defense secretary in nearly eight years — as disappointing. The Pentagon chief defended the U.S. administration’s intent to push through Congress an advanced arms package to Saudi Arabia that Israel opposes. He also was skeptical about the Israeli proposals for U.S. military assistance in halting arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza and also from Syria into Lebanon, sources here said.

Six Questions for Nicholas Shaxson on African Oil and American Foreign Policy

From Ken Silverstein at Harper's Magazine

What's driving the newfound American interest in African oil? Angola and Nigeria alone will account for nearly 1/2 of all the growth in OPEC output this year, and America is currently importing as much oil from [Angola and Nigeria] as it is from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Within five years or so, West Africa will probably account for a quarter of U.S. oil imports. Around the world, oil companies have been locked out of the best oil and gas provinces, from Venezuela to Russia to Iran. As Dick Cheney put it: “The good Lord didn't see fit to put oil and gas only where there are democratic regimes friendly to the United States.” West Africa is mostly friendlier than Iran or Venezuela; its oil is mostly light and sweet—ideal for making motor fuels—and production is surging. It's hardly surprising the region is attracting a lot of American interest now.

Pakistani Taliban ready to shelter bin Laden

From IANS

A Pakistani Taliban leader, who recently joined government forces to crush foreign militants near the border with Afghanistan, said on Friday he would shelter al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, if he requested help. Mullah Mohammed Nazir told reporters that he viewed bin Laden as an oppressed Muslim and was therefore obliged to provide refuge, despite his apparent support for the Islamabad government's efforts to expel foreign fighters from the area. The Saudi-born bin Laden is accused of sponsoring the hijacked airliner attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States, which killed more than 3,000 people. US intelligence suspects he may be sheltering in Pakistan's remote tribal areas together with other al-Qaeda leaders.

Virginia Tech and Islam

From Sheila Musaji at The American Muslim

The father of the Virginia Tech shooter worked in Saudi Arabia before he married and earned enough money to buy a business back in Korea. The supposed ‘similarity’ between Cho’s video and statements to some statements made by al Qaeda people ignores the fact that Cho also referred to Christian beliefs - “I die like Jesus Christ to inspire generations of defenseless people…” “Do you know what it feels like to be impaled upon a cross”. Muslims don’t believe that Jesus died on the cross. All of the supposed ‘connections’ with Islam or Muslims are nothing more than the ridiculous ramblings of bigots. This need to connect any violent act in some way with Islam or Muslims is becoming a mental sickness in some quarters.

Remarks by President Bush on the Global War on Terror

From the Office of the Press Secretary at the White House

THE PRESIDENT: Let me just talk about a couple of countries. One, Saudi Arabia. My friend, His Majesty, the King, kindly forgave 80% of the debt in the run-up to this conference; 80% of Saudi debt to Iraq was forgiven. That's a strong gesture. It's a gesture that I'm confident will spread goodwill in Iraq. And so the conference can be a success on that alone.

Growing Violence in Schools a Cause for Concern, Says Study

From Fatima Muhammad and Galal Fakar at Arab News

Teachers in the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] are horrified by what is happening and call on the authorities to provide them with protection. “This is something that seems to be increasing day by day. Some teachers suffered serious injuries and were left unconscious. Firm action needs to be taken and an example must be made of these pupils,” said Izuddeen Hafiz, a teacher at a secondary school in Jeddah ... A recent study conducted by two students under the supervision of Khadija Kaj Itani, an assistant professor at Effat College, showed that aggressive behavior is present at both intermediate and secondary schools, regardless of whether the schools are government-run, private or international ... Another high school pupil, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The problem of violence in our schools will remain as long as teachers continue to beat kids. To save face and to prove that they are stronger, pupils naturally react aggressively. What goes around comes around.”

Shi’ite vs. Sunni?

From Conn Hallinan at Foreign Policy In Focus

In its campaign to divide and conquer, according to journalist Seymour Hersh, the Bush administration has ended up bolstering “Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda.” Hersh quotes Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, as saying, “The Middle East is heading into a serious Sunni-Shiite cold war. The White House is not just doubling the bet in Iraq; it’s doubling the bet across the region. This could get very complicated.” “Blowback” has already happened. As Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations wrote in The New York Times, “Who cannot remember that to contain the so-called ‘Shiite Crescent’ after the 1979 revolution, the extremism of the fundamentalist Salafi movement was nourished by the West—only to transform into Al-Qaeda and the Taliban? Why should the same policy in the same region procure any different results now?”

Yemen plan to check further rebellion

From Nasser Arrabyee at Gulf News

Salafi schools which are scattered throughout Yemen, are among the schools which the government wants to get rid of to check extremism. Al Houthi followers recently attacked a Salafi school in Sa'ada after accusing them of fighting with the government troops. Though the Salafis do not recognise the constitution or democracy, they call for obedience to President Ali Abdullah Saleh who was elected according to the constitution ...The rebels in Sa'ada in the north of Yemen are deceiving people and their leader Al Houthi is adopting the style of Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaida, said an official in Sanaa yesterday.

The Virginia Tech Shootings: “Do not grieve over the disbelievers”

From Abu Irsaad at The Ignored Puzzle Pieces of Knowledge

As I was watching the reports of the shootings at the University of Virginia Tech, I noticed that the Kaafir reporter kept using the word, “Tragic.” So that got me to think a lot about the various “Tragedies” in recent American history. As wild as it may sound, I started laughing at this site. I laughed because America in itself is a tragedy to humanity ... No matter what anyone wishes to believe, these leaders in America represent the whole nation even if millions hate the leaders. If these millions really hate their leaders, then they must remove them immediately or simply leave the Country. We say to those Americans that hate their leaders: “If you truly hate your leader(s), and don’t do anything to remove them immediately, then know that the Lord of everything has said whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned…” This is the essence of the pathetic “melting pot;” people do so much evil that they forget that they are not in a dream world.

British Minister Fails the War of Ideas

From Walid Phares at Counterterrorism Blog

When Jihadi cells grow and operate in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, blow up undergrounds, conspire to destroy airliners over the Atlantic; when British authorities are now monitoring more than 1,200 potential future Terrorists across the isles; that is not a local police issue. When the Salafi Jihadists operate in Morocco, Algeria, India, Russia, Indonesia, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Holland, France, Canada and the United States, with one ideology, a focused identity, a global strategy and a set of coordinated moves ... These "groups" are not a collection of individuals engaged in personal quest for glory or banditry. The Jihadists who massacred British citizens on July 7, 2005 in London and those who are developing Terror cells throughout England and the rest of the World are members of an international army formed by Salafi ideologues who began their campaign in the 1920s, while the Khomeinist Jihadists joined the fray in the 1980s. They are not just seeking to "impose" values by personal acts, including violence; they are waging a war, a full fledged, carefully planned series of campaigns over the decades to crumble their foes and establish totalitarian regimes.

One dead, two wounded in Serb anti-terrorist raid

From Reuters

Police shot dead the leader of a suspected terrorist group in a dawn raid on a disused house in the mainly Muslim area of Sandzak in which two others were wounded, Serbian police said on Friday. A United Nations official in Kosovo, where Prentic was wanted for firearms offences, said Serb police 'believed that he, along with another person, was planning possible suicide bomb attacks on mosques in Novi Pazar'. Local media said the three suspects were Muslims belonging to what the media said was a fundamentalist Wahhabi sect.

Gaza: Christian Bookshop Bombed

From Elizabeth Kendal at ASSIST News Service

Two Internet cafes also were bombed on the night of 15 April. Around 40 Internet cafes and video stores have been targeted in the past few months. A self-appointed anti-vice squad calling itself 'The Swords of Islam' has claimed responsibility for most of these attacks. This is the same group believed to have kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston and in September 2006 threatened to bomb all churches and Christian institutions in Gaza in response to Pope Benedict's comments linking Islam with violence. Several possibly al Qaeda-linked, Taliban-type vigilante militias are now operating in Gaza, demanding and enforcing Islamisation along strict, purist Wahhabi lines. Ali Waked of Ynet news (Israel) comments that the signs of widespread radicalisation in Gaza are clear to see in strict dress codes and in virulent opposition to anything 'un-Islamic'.

Plain Tales from British India

From William Dalrymple at the NY Review of Books

Niall Ferguson's deeply controversial—if impressively eloquent—celebration of the British Empire and what he sees as its central role in the spread of capitalism, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power, was first published in 2003, the same year that the US went into Iraq ... Partly as a result of Ferguson's work ... Academic discussions on Lawrence of Arabia's views on Iraq, the revolt of the Mahdi in Khartoum, the British Mandate in Palestine, and the Wahhabi Uprisings of the North-West Frontier have all taken on an entirely new importance as perspectives changed in the light of recent horrors in Baghdad, Falluja, Darfur, Gaza, and Kabul. Postcolonial studies were always a heavily politicized and angrily polemical academic field, but after September 11 they became a central focus of protest against American foreign policy ... The study of imperialism, in short, was suddenly about the present as much as the past.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Islamic authorities remove wives, children of Hindus

From Middle East Times

Two Malaysian Hindu men Thursday said that they were battling Islamic authorities after being forcibly separated from their Muslim wives in cases highlighting growing religious tensions here. Suresh Veerapan issued a plea for help after his wife Revathi Masoosai and their baby were forcibly removed from their home and she was put in an Islamic rehabilitation camp in western Malacca state. Her detention was extended Wednesday by a Sharia court by 80 days, Suresh said, adding that Islamic authorities in March had also taken the 16-month-old baby from him and given the child to his Muslim in-laws ... Revathi's detention is the latest in a string of religious conflicts involving Muslims and non-Muslims that have sparked outrage in multi-ethnic Malaysia.

Bakhtiar not worried about fatwa

From The Times of India

Under attack from fundamentalists back home for hugging her male French paratrooping trainer, Pakistan Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar on Thursday said she was "not at all worried" about the fatwa issued against her ... While speaking at the standing committee of Pakistan Parliament on issues relating to tourism ministry last week, Bakhtiar had said extremist elements had already killed Zille Huma, a provincial minister of Punjab, for her activism and she feared the same could happen to her.

The Exportation of Hate

From Peter Karamitsos at The Wall Street Journal

Bret Stephens's April 17 Global View The Arab Invasion on the Arab influences on Indonesian Muslims was rather disturbing. How many more examples do we need of the pernicious effects of the Saudi brand of Islam, Wahhabism, before we crack down on that regime to get them to stop exporting this hate? We can argue about the effect our invasion of Iraq or other efforts in our war on Islamo-fascists has on terrorist recruitment, but I think we can all agree that this brand of Islam that indoctrinates hatred in small children and preaches violence as a means to advance their faith needs to be stopped before we can have any long-term success.

Saudi based CPC inks a milestone deal with Bin Ladin Group

From MENAFN Press

Saudi based Construction Products Holding Company (CPC) today signed a 3-year contract worth EUR50 million with Saudi Binladin Group, the main contractor of Dakar International Airport in Senegal, to supply steel, aluminum, marble, granite and decoration wood ... Consolidating its presence in the region, CPC has complemented a manufacturing hub to its industrial network in Abu Dhabi in partnership with Arkan Company in UAE. CPC-Arkan synergy will initially establish six specialized factories worth SR750 million (US$200 million), and will meet a substantial demand of construction products in the GCC markets.

Pirates out in full force for Gitex

From Alex Malouf at IT-Arabia.com

The ugly specter of piracy has again reared its head in Saudi Arabia. For the first two days and nights of Gitex Riyadh, software pirates have been out in force selling their wares to the general public only 100 yards away from the entrance to the largest technology exhibition in the Kingdom ... With the Kingdom suffering from the highest piracy levels in the GCC, software vendors, the business software alliance, and other anti-piracy groups have been pushing for the country’s governmental bodies to take more action on the issue following its accession to the WTO. Despite repeated requests to bodies including the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, software firms are still suffering from a lack of legal enforcement on the ground.

Saudis Arrest Suspects Linked to French Killings

From The Media Line

Saudi authorities have announced the arrest of eight people in connection with the killing of three French nationals on February 26 ... Three French people were killed and one was wounded in the February drive-by shooting in northwest Saudi Arabia. The French group included nine people, some of whom were Muslims who were planning to head to Mecca for a pilgrimage. Other suspects remain at large.

Arms trading is Britain's new slave trade

From Symon Hill at Ekklesia

The UK is the world's second biggest arms exporter, yet public opposition to the arms trade is growing rapidly. BAE Systems, the UK's largest arms company, is facing a stream of scandals and more and more people are insisting that BAE should not get away with calling the shots ... The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had been investigating allegations that BAE was engaged in mulitmillion pound corruption, bribing Saudi princes with luxury cars, hotels and prostitutes. Last autumn, the SFO sought access to Swiss bank accounts and the media reported that they were close to a breakthrough. BAE's bosses flew into alarm, seeing their privileges and profits under threat. It all changed when Attorney General Peter Goldsmith announced that the investigation had been dropped. The next day Tony Blair defended the decision, saying the inquiry was harming UK-Saudi relations.

HSBC’s Saudi investor to raise $5bn

From Simeon Kerr and Roula Khalaf at Financial Times

Maan Abdulwahed al-Sanea, the Saudi tycoon who has just amassed a 3.1% stake in HSBC, is seeking to raise $5bn in bonds, including sukuk trust certificates that comply with Islamic law, Saad Group, his conglomerate, said on Wednesday. The company has a vast investment portfolio and interests in real estate ... The Saad Group’s issuance forms part of a surge in regional firms tapping Islamic debt markets to fund expansion. Gulf investors, awash with petrodollars, are chasing these offerings, but international investors are increasingly interested in the regional sukuk offerings.

Malaysia sees first Sharia funds transfer system

From Middle East Times

A Malaysian firm and Saudi Arabia's Rajhi Bank have created the world's first electronic funds transfer system to comply with Islamic financial principles, company officials said Thursday. Rajhi and Kencana, a Malaysian electronic service provider, said that they had collaborated on the system, known as the Islamic Payment Switch (IPS), which will be ready by July. Rajhi said that its first application would see the issuing of a prepaid or debit card to enable customers to transfer funds between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia ... Islamic finance fuses principles of Sharia, or Islamic law, and modern banking.

Gates allays Israeli fears over US arms to Saudis

From Andrew Gray at Reuters

Israeli officials have raised objection to the planned transfer by the Bush administration of a major arms package to Riyadh. The New York Times reported that the sale would include precision-guided bombs of the kind already in Israel's arsenal ... "I thought they needed to look at the circumstances in terms of the overall strategic environment and in terms of the concerns of their neighbours, more with Iran perhaps, than with Israel," Gates told reporters after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

'Is There Arab Acceptance of Israel?'

From Aaron Goldstein at The American Daily

But if Arab acceptance of Israel is contingent on it giving up Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights what is the Arab idea of normalization? Somehow I suspect it will be much like it is now. While reading National Review Online, Mark Steyn provided a link to this article. Evidently Saudis are panic stricken after receiving a text message allegedly from the Saudi Interior Ministry that claims Israeli melons are contaminated with the AIDS virus. For its part, a Saudi government spokesman said the Ministry “did not issue any such announcement. This is just a rumor.” Putting aside the fact the AIDS virus cannot be spread through plant life notice that the spokesman did not deny the veracity of the story. Rather the spokesman said only that the story did not come from them. Simply put, any reports of Israeli wrongdoing won’t be confirmed but neither will they be denied.

Raise the gas tax

From Mike Thomas at Orlando Sentinel

We use about 25% of the world's oil. This tremendous demand keeps prices up, which means billions of dollars flowing into the Middle East. Some of that money finds its way to the extremist groups trying to destroy us. The Iraq Study Group noted that insurgents get money from Saudi individuals and others in the region. These "individuals'' certainly don't get their money from bake sales. We actually are funding both sides in the War on Terror. We are helping pay for the car bombs and missiles being used against our troops.

The Salafi-Jihadist Context of the Iraq Bombings

From Assaf Moghadam at Counterterrorism Blog

While the war in Iraq has done much to intensify Salafi-Jihadism in Iraq, Salafi-Jihadist networks in Iraq had existed prior to the 2003 invasion of the country. In the course of the 1990s, these networks came to existence partially in response to the military and economic crisis brought by the first Gulf War. In the aftermath of 9/11 and Operation Enduring Freedom, when Salafi-Jihadists lost Afghanistan as a safe haven, additional Salafi-Jihadists entered Iraq, where they were joined by members of Salafi-Jihadist networks from places like Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, and Europe.

Not One Piece of Israel in Exchange for Any Promise of Peace

From Lawrence Uniglicht at Israel Hasbara Committee

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seems impressed by the Arab League’s apparent willingness to negotiate with, hence recognize, the State of Israel as a viable legitimate entity. Indeed, he and many others are chomping at the bit to break pita with House of Saud King Abdullah, extending invitations to his entourage as well as other Arab League members to meet in Israel, hug and hold hands, sing Kumbaya and live happily ever after in peace and harmony. Fairy tales can come true, they can happen to you, if you are naive at heart! Abdullah, for one, is the planet’s most generous underwriter of Wahhabi madrassas, Koran-inspired educational institutions offering graduate degree courses in bomb making and homicide/suicide martyrdom. Will Olmert insist he cease and desist from such practices as a gesture of good faith, prior to negotiations?

Slovenian Intelligence Confirms Kosovo Link to Sandzak Arrests

From Balkanalysis.com

New information received by Balkanalysis.com from a Slovenian intelligence source confirms Serbian media allegations that at least some of the weaponry found in the Wahhabi training camp had arrived from Kosovo - and for a reason: according to our information, extremist Albanians in Kosovo opposed to negotiation with Serbs are collaborating with the Wahhabis [in Sandzak]… in the case of new violence, the goal would be a show of force against Serbs from both sides.”

True Islam has been Distorted

From John L. Esposito at Newsweek and The Washington Post

Religious leaders and intellectuals can play an important role in the ideological war. Wahhabi Islam like the militant (as distinguished from mainstream) Christian Right of a Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell must be distinguished from violent forms of the Christian Right and of Wahhabi Islam with their theologies of hate. The former, follow exclusivist, non-pluralistic theologies vis a vis other faiths as well as alternative theological interpretations or orientations within their own faith tradition, but do not advocate violence and terror. However, their theological worldviews can be appropriated by militants to justify blowing up abortion clinics or government buildings, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, assassinating “the enemies of God,” and Muslim extremists in Israel/Palestine and Iraq.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Wahhabism: "Mistaken with jihad"

From The Phoenix, the official student newspaper of Loyola U., Chicago

The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia as well as its control over Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina has allowed Wahhabism to become a major force in the world today. However, Natana DeLong-Bas, Ph.D., maintains that the movement was intended to be nonviolent, working as "an ongoing educational process not to be mistaken with jihad." ... Extremism is considered a national problem in Saudi Arabia. DeLong-Bas said that even teachers who speak out against terrorism receive death threats. She stated that one of the most important changes that needs to be emphasized is that the attitude of Muslims toward non-Muslims "must not be one of hate."

Suicide & Islam: Connection to slaying

From Dave Gaubatz at The Conservative Voice

In Islam it is a very grave sin to commit suicide. But it is an honor to murder infidels in an act of Jihad. And, mainstream Islamic law justifies giving up one’s life (i.e., it is not suicide) if such is done in a “righteous” act of Jihad. My experience in Iraq and while visiting Islamic centers here in America has revealed this ideology (of murder-as-righteous-killing and of suicide-as-martyrdom) is being taught throughout the US. Many locations are in Virginia. I have recently visited a “Wahhabi Islamic Center” in Virginia. Several Muslims informed me that Al Qaeda members from this mosque had attempted to recruit vulnerable Muslims to become suicide bombers.

Bolstering Moderate Muslims

From Daniel Pipes at FrontPageMagazine.com

A just-published study from the RAND Corporation, Building Moderate Muslim Networks, ... starts with the argument that "structural reasons play a large part" in the rise of radical and dogmatic interpretations of Islam in recent years – one of those reasons being the Saudi government's generous funding over the last three decades for the export of the Wahhabi version of Islam. Saudi efforts have promoted "the growth of religious extremism throughout the Muslim world," permitting the Islamists to develop powerful intellectual, political, and other networks. "This asymmetry in organization and resources explains why radicals, a small minority in almost all Muslim countries, have influence disproportionate to their numbers."

Serbia and Islamized Europe

From Rod Derher (Crunchy Con) at Beliefnet.com

It is now plain that there are no simple good guy/bad guy scenarios in the Balkans. Criminal elements among the Albanians have looted and destroyed and practiced atrocities against the Serbian Orthodox, and are setting up a narco-terrorist state there. Recently, Wahhabi-trained terrorists have been found there. It in no way excuses past Serb atrocities to recognize that granting Kosovo independence under the NATO plan would appear to be the West's signing off on a jihad state at its borders.

The Google Notebook: Wahaudi beta

Before creating this blog, I tracked relevant stories in a Google Notebook. With dozens of linked summaries from the months of January to April 2007, it's something like a beta version of Wahaudi.