In his most recent column, Michael Coren debunks some of the myths about Islam. Well done.
Some of the messages really hit home. My favourite:

Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, al-Qaida, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Harakat ul-Mujahedin in Kashmir. Muslim terror gangs in the Philippines, India and the Balkans. Muslim teenagers bombing synagogues in France, Britain and Belgium. A novelist threatened with death for having an opinion, embassies invaded and trashed, journalists having their throats cut and their bodies dumped like garbage.

It's certainly true that parts of the Muslim world have been badly treated, colonized and economically deprived. But truth cries out to be heard.

There is now more money and wealth in large parts of the Muslim world than in many other places, and it doesn't seem to stop the violence and the anger.

Hear hear...well said. Read the article, there is more great stuff.

Apparently, Bush is about to make an important announcement about the middle East this coming week

Let's try and predict what his plan might be and its potential outcome.

1. If Powell has his way, Arafat will be recognized as the leader of the Palestinians (after all, he was "elected" after nominating his opponent, an unknown woman!!!), and part of the West Bank and Gaza will be recognized as the basis of a future Palestinian state. Chance of success for this plan? 0%. The Palestinians will turn it down as this is less than what they walked away from at Camp David. he Israelis will turn it down because Arafat never has been and never will be a real partner for peace.

2. If Bush has his way, then he will not recognized Arafat as the leader of the Palestinians, but will not call him a terrorist. He will somehow suggest that Arafat is irrelevant. Then he will send another unknown pseudo-diplomat (Who knew Zinni before he was sent to be diplomatically slaughtered?) and another massive homicide bomber will send everyone back to the drawing board.

3. If Bush follows the UN resolutions and asks Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders except for Jerusalem, then the Israelis will reject it because it will make Israel indefensible (given that Syria, Iraq and Iran have missile capabilities which could be used from the Golan to hit any part of Israel). The Palestinians will reject it because Arafat will never concede Jerusalem, even though Palestinian have no historical or legal claim to it.

So where does this leave the situation? It is very simple. There is only one solution. Palestinians get rid of Arafat and his criminal and corrupt cronies, elect a new leadership which is willing to talk about peace and willing to compromise, they collectively stop the homicide bombings and their encouragement, and vow to seek peace through peace, not through slaughter. And guess what? Neither the Americans nor the Europeans nor any outside party will play any role in solving this situation. As long as one of the parties has not renounced terrorism, there is no solution.

We're seeing some action!
If you all check this posting, you'll see that comments made by one "Iain" are inspiring much debate. This is an official invitation for everyone to go back and let us know what you think.

Indeed

Remember, Arab journalists (aka. Arab government)....ARE NOT inciting hatred!




PS. This is the creep who drew the photo. I knew it'd be some disgusting crusty old man. Eeeewwww!

So this is what it has come to....

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Police are probing an Israeli gambling ring suspected of putting its money on a grim game of chance -- predicting the target of the next Palestinian suicide bombing.

You mean Israelis didn't believe that Arafat's latest cabinet shuffle would put an end to Palestinian terrorism?!?!

There's a new kid on the block...
Actually, it's a new magazine ("new" in the sense that I just discovered it). Foreign Policy Magazine features some wonderful articles like "Think Again: Yasir Arafat" by Dennis B. Ross

In this article, Ross lists some of the common myths about the MidEast crisis, and then dispels them quite eloquently. Take a look:

“Arafat’s Goal Is a Lasting Peace With the State of Israel”
I doubt it.

“Arafat Missed a Historic Opportunity When He Turned Down the Clinton Proposal”
Yes.

“Arab Leaders Stand Behind Arafat”
Reluctantly.

“The World Must Deal With Arafat Since He Is the Palestinians’ Elected Leader”
Not necessarily.

...and the list goes on. Of course, Ross actually writes stuff in between these comments, but the article was too long to post. Go read it. It's worth your while.

This just in...
The world is a smidge boring these days! Can't find much of interest to post....but then again, this site usually deals with the suffering of innocent people, so the ultimate goal is to never have posts to write. No news is good news.

DAILY FEATURE!
MYTH:
"The governments of Arab states grant basic human rights to their citizens."

FACT:
While much attention has been focused on alleged Israeli human rights violations in the volatile West Bank and Gaza, the popular press has chosen to virtually ignore violations of fundamental human rights that take place daily in almost every Arab country. According to annual reports compiled by the State Department, most of the Arab states are ruled by oppressive, dictatorial regimes, which deny their citizens basic freedoms of political expression, speech, press and due process.

Those crazy liberals sure do have a funny way of protecting and upholding freedom of speech...



Country star Toby Keith has reportedly been nixed from an interview with Peter Jennings, after the anchor deemed his song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" a tad controversial. Keith wrote the song after 9/11 as a tribute to his father whom he says was a "flag waving patriot". What were the offending lyrics?

This big dog will fight

When you rattle his cage

And you'll be sorry that you messed with

The U.S. of A

'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass

It's the American way

I should probably note that I totally agree with Mr. Jennings here. These vile lyrics are totally unacceptable in a gentleman's war like the one we're having right now. We should stick to the rules of the game and send our angered messages via video-tapes of beheaded Arab journalists with pregnant wives. It's a much more much more civil, acceptable and effective way of getting the message of "freedom" across.

Europeans have started boycotting Israeli products because of the "Jenin massacre". As many papers and organizations (including the leading pro-Palestinian human rights organizations) have reported it, there never was a massacre in Jenin.

Hirsch Goodman puts forward a compelling and devastating article about Europe's hypocrisy. It took only slightly more than 50 years for Europe to shake its guilt about the Holocaust and go back to its Jew-hating tradition. Nice. As Goodman suggests it, maybe we should tell the Dames and Norwegians where they can shove their lox, the Belgians what they can do with their chocolate and the French what they can do with their wine. It's about time we stand up and be counted.

The frightening truth....
In this week's edition of The Weekly Standard, David Dell explores the horrific world of Arab media, in all of its forms. I urge you to read the article and shutter at the obscenity of it all.....the "professor" who explains how Americans simply don't understand the "thrill" of blowing yourself up, the toddler who expresses her hatred for the Zionist "apes and swine", etc. etc.

The Baby Face of Hate: MEMRI releases an astonishing example of the "true Muslim" faith.
by David Tell

...Iqraa is one of the global satellite channels packaged by the Arab Radio and Television Network (ART), a Saudi-based company with transmission facilities in Italy which describes itself as "the leading producer of premium Arabic family programming and entertainment worldwide." Iqraa is ART's effort to provide "a focused insight into the teachings of the Quran" to "intellectual, elite, and conservative Islamic markets." It is widely watched.

Ok....here we go. This should be good. I can just imagine the Quranic "intellectual elite".

And it is hair-raisingly insane. The April 25, 2002 interview with Prof. 'Adel Sadeq, head of the psychiatry faculty at 'Ein Shams University in Cairo, for example. Professor Sadeq beams with glee as he explains how Western civilization "has no concepts such as self-sacrifice and honor," which is why Americans fail to understand that the suicide bomber experiences "the height of ecstasy and happiness" just at the moment when, "ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and then he presses the button to blow himself up." Big smile.

Right. Of course Americans have no sense of "self-sacrifice". They know nothing of fighting wars, working hard and honor...they only have the greatest army in the world.

Then there's the May 9, 2002, program on "discipline in the family," featuring one Jasem Al-Mutawah, an "expert on family matters," who patiently describes to his viewers where on her body, how severely, with what weapon, and under what circumstances a man should beat his wife.

Why don't Westerners get programming like that? It's crucial for men to know how to properly discipline and beat their wives.

And, most harrowing of all, perhaps, especially if you have kids of your own, there is the May 7, 2002 edition of "Muslim Woman Magazine," hosted by Doaa 'Amer, a soft spoken, highly polished anchorlady who might just as well be Joan Lunden or Katie Couric--except that she's wearing a body-length robe. And also that she's a monster.

Ms. 'Amer begins as follows:

"Our report today will be a little different, because our guest is a girl, a Muslim girl, but a true Muslim. Allah willing, may our God give us the strength to educate our children the same way, so that the next generation will turn out to be true Muslims who understand that they are Muslims and know who their enemies are. This girl will introduce herself immediately. She is the daughter of my sister in faith and of the artist, Wagdi Al-Arabi. Her name is Basmallah and we will ask her as well."

The camera then begins a low pan downward and to the right as Ms. 'Amer offers a "peace be unto you" welcome to her guest. Who turns out to be . . . a toddler.

Toddler: Allah's mercy and blessing upon you.

'Amer: What's your name?

Toddler: Basmallah.

'Amer: Basmallah, how old are you?

Toddler: Three and a half.

'Amer: Are you a Muslim?

Toddler: Yes.

'Amer: Basmallah, are you familiar with the Jews?

Toddler: Yes.

'Amer: Do you like them?

Toddler: No.

'Amer: Why don't you like them?

Toddler: Because . . .

'Amer: Because they are what?

Toddler: They're apes and pigs.

'Amer: Because they are apes and pigs. Who said they are so?

Toddler: Our God.

'Amer: Where did he say this?

Toddler: In the Koran.

'Amer: Right, he said that about them in the Koran. Okay, Basmallah, what are the Jews doing?

Toddler: The Pepsi company.

'Amer: [Approving laughter.] You also know about the boycott, Basmallah? Did they love our master, Muhammad?

Toddler: No.

'Amer: No. What did the Jews do to him?

Toddler: [Pauses, struggling for the right answer.] The Prophet Muhammad killed someone . . .

'Amer: Obviously, our master Muhammad was strong and could have killed them. All right, you know the traditions about the Jews and what they did to the Prophet Muhammad?

Toddler: [Mumbled assent.]

'Amer: Is there a story you know?

Toddler: Yes, the story about the Jewish woman.

'Amer: The Jewish woman? What did she do to our master, the Prophet Muhammad?

Toddler: The Jewish woman?

'Amer: Yes.

Toddler: There was a Jewish woman who invited the Prophet and his friends. When he asked her, "Did you put poison (in my food)?" she said to him, "Yes." he asked her, "Why did you do this?" and she replied, "If you are a liar you will die and Allah will not protect you; if you speak the truth Allah will protect you."

'Amer: And our God protected the Prophet Muhammad, of course.

Toddler: And he said to his friends, "I will kill this lady."

'Amer: Of course, because she put poison in his food, this Jewess.

Toddler: Oh.

'Amer: [Speaking directly into the camera.] Basmallah, Allah be praised, Basmallah, Allah be praised. May our God bless her. No one could wish Allah could give him a more believing girl than she. May Allah bless her and her father and mother. The next generation of children must be true Muslims. We must educate them now while they are still children so that they will be true Muslims.

How proud her parents must be.

My first visit to Ground Zero

Last night, I went to Ground Zero for the first time and came out with a renewed conviction. A renewed conviction that nothing can ever justify committing such a crime. And a question which I cannot answer: how can there be anyone trying to excuse such a thing? People like Susan Sonntag, Robert Fisk, Chris Patten, hundreds of Mullahs and clerics, and so on. What moral fibre are they made of which allows them to have the slightest bit of compassion for men or a cause which inflicts pain, suffering and torture on such a scale? Would they have the guts to face one of the children who wrote "I miss you so much Dad" on one of the walls built around the site? Would they have the slightest bit of compassion for the people I saw who have nothing left of their relative and go to the site to simply place a kiss on the name of their loved one? Could they face one of the families of the victims and tell them that their loved ones had to die because someone, somewhere has been brainwashed into thinking that this person is an enemy which needs to be destroyed? No way. Absolutely no way. These people are cowards. They are part of the problem. They are the ones who are trying to muddle the issue by bringing in a relativism and equivalency which simply do not exist.

I came away from my visit with a renewed sense of clarity and determination. Terrorism in all its forms must be crushed and eliminated. Period. Whether it is Al Qai'da or Arafat, whether it is in America, in Afghanistan or Israel, there cannot be any attempt to find excuses, moral equivalence or justification because there simply are none. Equivocating on this issue would be like saying "it is OK to destroy your life because my cause is more just than yours and so I am entitled to destroy you with impunity". I don't think so. Anyone who thinks this way forfeits its right to be part of the civilized world and must be put away for good and forever. That is why those who encourage suicide-bombers, those who teach kids to hate Jews and Israelis, those who finance this ongoing harvest of death and destruction, those who glorify this scourge of humanity must be destroyed. I just pray that Bush and Sharon keep their focus. I also pray that Powell and Beilin eventually see the light or take a hike because they willingness to appease evil instead of fighting it makes us all weaker at a time when renewed determination is more necessary than ever.

In today's editorial (unsigned of course), the Globe and Mail finally reveals its stripes. It is squarely in the camp of the Palestinian apologists. Here's just a few quotes from this masterpiece:

It has taken six trips to the White House and some formidable pressure from his Washington lobbyists, but finally Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seems to have managed to get President George W. Bush to see things his way. Gone, with a slap to the face of all moderate Arabs, is any semblance of evenhandedness by Mr. Bush in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Sharon and many Israelis are undoubtedly delighted. Note the not-so-subtle reference to the "Jewish Lobby"...darn I just remembered I missed the World Domination meeting today.

Unmentioned during the Bush-Sharon talks was Israel's refusal to withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, which Mr. Sharon has vowed will never happen. Who said that territory legitimately conquered had to be returned?

But now, mindful perhaps of the midterm U.S. elections in November, Mr. Bush seems to harbour no doubts about Israel's tactics. Its continuing raids in the West Bank constitute self-defense, he explained on Monday. Time is not "ripe" for a peace conference, because "no one has any confidence in the emerging Palestinian government." When Mr. Sharon reiterated his long-standing position that no dialogue with the Palestinians is possible until all violence ceases -- a near-impossible condition -- Mr. Bush did not disagree. As for a timetable for a Palestinian state, as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak urged a couple of days earlier, forget it. Israel has never demanded that Arafat stop all terrorists. It has only asked that Arafat work with Isreal to combat and eventually destroy terrorism, as opposed to funding it, supporting it and brain-wash kids into doing it.

OK...you can read the rest. Then, please cancel your subscription and let them know why.

Damian Penny wrote a brilliant piece called "Essential Reading" about the EU's indirect (direct?) responsibility for suicide bombings and for supporting Arafat's regime of crimes and terror. It is a must read.

I wonder when someone will have the chutzpah to take the EU to some international court of law for knowingly bankrolling suicide bombings, printing anti-semitic text books for Palestinian children and subsidizing Arafat's enterprises of crime, deception and corruption. It would be fun to watch. And the man behind all of this is a Brit names Chris Patten. He has to be one of the most despicable and dishonest characters around these days. Where do they find these winners. He is about as bad a Mary Robinson, the lady who is supposed to monitor human rights worldwide and honestly believes that killing Israeli civilians with bombs packed with nails is a legitimate right while eating pizza or ice cream are crimes punishable by death. Way to go Chris and Mary.

Well, we have been warned. How charmingly multicultural! 'Why We Fight America': Al-Qa'ida Spokesman Explains September 11 and Declares Intentions to Kill 4 Million Americans with Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Any doubters out there that...
1. Al-Qa'ida was behind the September 11 horrors?
2. Islamism is a curse which must be eradicated?
3. If we don't defend ourselves by all means, our society will be destroyed?
4. It is high time for Muslims (the supposedly "moderate" ones) to once and for all deal with Islamism and participate in its destruction?
5. We must aggressively go after the countries (Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan) who openly support this cause and ask them to chose between joining civilized nations voluntarily or be forced to do so militarily?

If you are one of these doubters out there (I am thinking Robert Fisk, Sven Robinson, Kofi Annan, half the population of the EU, etc...), now would be a good time to have your head examined. Here's a guy from Al-Qa'ida, who tells us what they plan on doing, including killing millions of Americans. Hey, Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf what he was going to do, and he proceeded to do it. Why shouldn't we believe this guy?

You've probably already seen it but....
I promised myself that one day I'd have this beauty of a picture on our website. Priceless!
This is Arafat surveying the damage done to his house by the IDF, which wanted to send out a clear message about his fate should the current crisis persist.

Jihad at Harvard: Daniel Pipes really nails it on the head. Whichever way you look at it, this commencement charade on "American Jihad" was a brilliant deception on a grand scale.

And to the pinko-apologist-underdog-supporters-even-if-the-underdog-is-a-terrorist-academics, it is time you get out of your irrelevant cocoon and open your eyes. Islamism has one goal and one goal only: to further the spread of Islam by any mean, including the destruction of "infidel" societies such as ours. And I would bet that Harvard would be the first institution they would destroy as Islamism does not believe in any dissonance or dissent. Academics, other than those studying Islam, would be cannon fodder. Might not be such a bad thing in some cases mind you!

PA official: Israel plans to assassinate Arafat

During a weekend visit to the Persian Gulf state of Oman, Mamduh Nofal, Yasser Arafat's advisor on internal affairs, alleged that Israel is planning to assassinate Arafat using a car bomb.

According to the report, Nofal said that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was targeting Arafat to "create anarchy and internal strife among the Palestinians" as a means of preventing the Palestinian leader "from playing his expected role in the peace process."

Yeah. We all expect him to keep sabotaging the peace process.....so why the heck shouldn't they finish him off before he has a chance to do so?

The sometimes DAILY FEATURE!

MYTH:
Israel's invasion resulted in 10,000 deaths and 600,000 homeless in south Lebanon.

FACT:
"It is clear to anyone who has traveled in southern Lebanon, as have many journalists and relief workers, that the original figures of 10,000 dead and 600,000 homeless...were extreme exaggerations," wrote the New York Times' David Shipler, a sharp critic of the Israeli war effort.

The 600,000 homeless figure originated in mid-June 1982 with the Palestine Red Crescent, headed by Yasir Arafat's brother Fathi. Francesco Noseda of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who had originally used the bogus number, later repudiated it. The Washington Post subsequently reported that Noseda had put the actual homeless figure at about 200,000. Noseda added, however, that the number had dropped far below that since the fighting in that area had ended. In an interview, Noseda denied his office was responsible for the figure of 10,000 dead.

Of course, there would have been zero dead or homeless if the PLO hadn't used south Lebanon as a base from which to menace Israel.

Repost!
Back by popular demand, I'm reminding everyone that the poll I created last week is still gaining interest and going strong. The question was (after reading the linked article), do you agree that a mosque should be built at Ground Zero (along with other religious chapels) ? Here's the post. Please let us know what you think. So far 100% of the votes have been "no", so have your opinion heard. Vote!

We don't negotiate with savages like these. We neutralize them for good. Whatever it takes.

In this recent piece, correspondent 'Ali Nouri Zadeh, of the the Saudi London-based Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reports from London on recent developments regarding Iranian support of Palestinian organizations and notably the fact that Iran has decided to increase funding for the recruiting of young Palestinian suicide bombers by 70%. Also noteworthy, the fact that Arafat's PA was officially represented at the conference. So much for reforms. Makes you wonder why the Israelis didn't wipe out the conference centre where this little friendly gathering took place. That might have made a dent in the world's most insane Islamists. Too bad.

Following is an excerpt from one of the enlightened speeches that we, infidels, unfortunately missed. Damn I hate it when this happens.

"America, the West, or any country in the world, has no moral right to decide whether a Palestinian has the right to blow himself up... or not. Why isn't America objecting when someone American or European contributes millions of dollars for dogs and cats? No one tells him - why are you giving up your wealth for the sake of dogs and cats? We are the owners of our souls... no one has the right to object to us giving away our souls and turning them into human bombs for a cause we consider more important and more sacred than our lives."

A report slamming the BBC, sorry, the BBBC, the Biased British Broadcasting Corporation. Scientifically done and brilliant. A must read.
Anyone who still believes any of the "rubbish" put out by the BBC about the Middle East must have their head examined. This report, which was written after recording and analyzing virtually every word uttered on the BBC proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the BBC is deliberately biased against Israel. This is not about journalistic freedom. This is about the systematic fabrications, the omissions of certain "inconvenient" facts and the pronouncement of opinions as accepted, objective facts. It is absolutely disgusting and I hope the British people will, some day, wake up and stop subsidizing this refuge of left-leaning hags who don't give a hoot about integrity or honesty. The BBC has become a sore in the British landscape. The sooner it is scrapped, the better.

Thanks to Honest Reporting for this great piece.

A historical perspective on why Muslims hate the West so much. And why 9/11 may have sewn the seeds of the end for Islamism.

In this fascinating analysis, Daniel Pipes presents a thorough historical perspective on the rise and fall of Islam and its implication on 9/11. He also clearly shows how 9/11 precipitated the shift of fighting terrorism through the courts to a military fight where new rules apply. These are the rules which will allow America to win the war on terrorism. Let's hope Daniel is right.

I wonder what he means by this....

Arafat threatens 'disastrous explosion'

In a speech broadcast today, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat threatened that if Israel does not retreat from PA-ruled areas that there will be a "disastrous explosion that will impact stability of the whole world."

According to the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA, in an address broadcast in Spain to an awards ceremony honoring EU Middle East envoy Miguel Moratinos, Arafat claimed that "the situation in Palestine is at the edge of explosion."

Arafat warned that if Israel does not withdraw from Palestinian held territory immediately, "enabling our people to practice their legitimate rights of establishing the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, the whole region will witness a disastrous explosion that will impact not only the region but the stability of the whole world."

Why hasn't the media talked about this? It sure as hell sounds to me like he's threatening to bomb Israel into submission....or perhaps another 9/11 style attack on the US.

The power of suggestion...

CBC: Bush vague about timetable for Palestinian state

I'm sorry.....did I miss something? When did we decide that there would be a Palestinian state. I was under the impression that some conditions had to be met by Palestinians in order for the Peace Process to go forward and for talks about a new state to even begin! Now, I don't really remember the exact conditions that had to be met, but I think it was something along the lines of.....um......er.....stop killing Israelis! Yeah, that's it. Oh, and proving to the world why they actually should get their own state wouldn't hurt either. We've already determined that the Palestinians are just another type of Arab, not and entirely different people, so I'm not sure what grounds they have to stand on when they make these silly demands.

In any case, I'm just amazed at the power of suggestion. As soon as "Hose me" Mubarak of Egypt (one of those wonderful "moderate" Muslim nations) gets in touch with Bush, he says something like "So buddy, did you finally decide when we'd make a Palestinian state?"....and then Bush is the described as giving "vague" and "unclear" answers to the question, as if he'd ever promised to start thinking about it. The saddest part is that in most of the coverage of this story, Bush is made to look as if he didn't do his homework. "Um....I'm sorry Hosni.....er...I really wanted to start thinking about creating a new enemy for America, but you know....with Afghanistan and everything, things have gotten a little hectic.....and I wrote down some ideas for a Palestinian state, but my dog...um....he kinda ate them....and you know....um...I promise you that it IS one of my top priorities 'cause those Palestinians sure are deserving of their own land...um...so as soon as I get a minute or two, I'll jot down tentative "creation of Palestinian state" dates and then I'll call you back".