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February 6, 2006
Islam Watch - Another Day Another Crisis
Topics: Understanding IslamIf there is a human being living on our planet that has not heard of Islam by now, he or she has been residing somewhere outside our solar system. While most of us tend to go on about our daily lives content with matters relating to food, shelter, clothing, the rearing of children, enjoying time off from work and relaxing, visiting with family and friends, planning for the future, and practicing our faith in relative peace and quiet within our individual faith communities, there are those on this planet that prefer to plot and carry out acts to force the rest of us to believe as they do, or die. I'm speaking of a subpopulation of a large group of people who follow a religion founded by a man whose followers consider to be a prophet - I am of course referring to Muhammad, Islam, and militant Muslims (although it is becoming more and more difficult to distinquish between the militants and moderates).
Owing to the fact that there is so damned much Islam-related news going on today, I thought that instead of trying to keep up with it on individual posts, I'd simply give readers a small sampling of the various events and commentary that I haven't already addressed today:
Clash of Civilizations: Europe caught in new war of religion - Usually when protesters burn an embassy as happenned to the British Embassy in Dublin's Merrion Square in 1972, the host government has given its blessing. When it happens in a brutal police state, there can be no room for doubt.
Rabble in the name of Islam - The hysterical riots by Arab and Muslim thugs around the world following the publication of cartoons portraying the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper are only the latest symptom of a serious disease. They reflect the cultural failure of a society that prefers to base itself on the complete failure to stand up to the challenges of modernity, and to direct its anger towards objects of its extremism and hatred - to those elements of the developed, free, Western world that have created the image of modern reality and successfully acquired for themselves quality of life, social welfare and freedom.
DEBKAfile - Muslim protests in Britain are exceptionally virulent although no British newspaper ran the Muhammad cartoons.
Muslim Anti-Cartoon Clashes Turn Deadly - Afghan security forces opened fire on demonstrators Monday, leaving at least four dead, as increasingly violent protests erupted around the world over published caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. European and Muslim politicians pleaded for calm.
Protesters 'unacceptable' - Protesters gathered outside the Danish Embassy on Friday and Saturday over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad published in a Danish newspaper. One appeared to be dressed as a suicide bomber and others held placards with slogans such as: "Behead those who insult Islam."
Muslim rage: Spontaneous, or political calculation? - It took four months before Muslims around the world began protesting against 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that first appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. These were four months in which Islamic preachers and diplomats spread the word from Copenhagen to the villages of Upper Egypt and Afghanistan that 'the Prophet has been insulted.'
The evil of Islamist intolerance - The recent violent acts by Islamic fundamentalists against Danish embassies and citizens demonstrate the naked evil of religious intolerance. The demands of the fundamentalists to suppress all images, cartoons, and caricatures of Mohammed are not demands to respect religion. Rather, the fundamentalists seek to coercively suppress all opinions that do not endorse their religion. The activities of Islamic fundamentalists are among the greatest threats to liberty of speech and conscience today.
(Islamic Regime of) Iran cuts trade with Denmark - IRAN has cut all trade ties with Denmark because of the publication of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, Iranian Commerce Minister Massoud Mirkazemi was quoted as saying.
Oil prices rise on supply fears; Iran to restart full-scale uranium enrichment - Oil prices continued higher as supply concerns were stoked by escalating tensions with Iran, which today formally notified UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA of its decision to restart full-scale uranium enrichment, stoked supply fears.
Nordics find generosity no shield from Muslim wrath - For years, Scandinavian countries have been among the most generous with aid to the Muslim world, but that generosity has stood for little in the scandal over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
Danish consulate in Beirut set ablaze in Islam row - Demonstrators set the Danish consulate in Beirut ablaze yesterday as a violent outburst of protests over the publication of cartoons of Islam's revered Prophet Mohammad drew condemnation from European capitals and moderate Muslims.
Muslim sorry for protest outfit - A Muslim protester who dressed as a suicide bomber has apologised "wholeheartedly" to the families of the July 7 bombings and said it was not his aim to cause offence.
Muslim cartoon controversy reaps its first victims - Despite calls by world leaders for calm, violent protests have led to the first deaths in the Muslim cartoon controversy. Outside EU offices in Gaza, Palestinian demonstrators threw stones and chanted "Down with Denmark. Down with Norway. With our blood we will redeem our Prophet," while Palestinian riot police fought to prevent them from entering the building.
Although I'd like to think that I've provided readers a fair-sized sampling of today's events relating to Islam and it's followers, the truth is I've barely even scratched the surface. Remember the good ole days back before 9/11 when we were just going about our daily lives in peace, planning our next vacation, making a living, and practicing our faiths (or not at all)? Wow, what a change! Sort of makes one wish we never even heard of the words Islam and Muslim.
More articles will be added after I catch my breath.
Posted by Richard at February 6, 2006 2:36 PM
Articles Related to Understanding Islam:
- Robert Spencer Addresses ISNA's Attack On McCain For Calling Islamic Terrorism - Islamic Terrorism - May 01, 2008
- Muslim Woman Suing Over Niqab is Lying To Federal Judge - Apr 30, 2008
- Pakistani Senate condemns Motoons, Fitna, urges UN to take 'all necessary legal, political and administrative steps to curb this trend' - Apr 26, 2008
- More Than 'A Little Unhinged' - Apr 26, 2008
- Muslim Groups Complain About McCain Referring To "Islamic terrorists" As "Islamic Terrorists - Apr 21, 2008
- Book ''Why We Left Islam' may face Muslim wrath - Apr 21, 2008
- Arab And Muslim Countries, With Help From The UN, Are Out To Destroy Our Right Of Free Speech - Apr 18, 2008
- Robert Spencer On Freedom Of Speech In The Age Of Jihad - Apr 13, 2008
- Behold the wisdom (despotic logic) of the Saudi cleric, Muhammad al-Munajid - Apr 12, 2008
- Here's The 'New' Fitna (Updated) - Apr 09, 2008
