April 2004 – Page 2

Australian Soccer and the Hijab

this is meApril 27, 2004

I saw this article on the BBC website and figured this would make a good first posting. Now really what the hell was the referee thinking by stopping a women playing soccer because she was wearing a headscarf! Was the referee scared she might not see the ball! Thank goodness that her team mates and the team she was playing realised how ridiculous the referee was and supported the player. I’d love her to take the case to court and see how the referee tries to make an arguement that his/her actions were not discriminatory. I also have a problem…

Current Affairs Religion

Where’s the outrage?

islamoyankeeApril 27, 2004

I know quite a few Muslims and Muslim organizations are upset about the loss of Muslim lives in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, etc.. However, none of them seem to be upset by the fact that the largest slaughters of Muslims (this is opinion, I don’t have the numbers to back it up yet) in the last ten years has been committed by other self-styled Muslims, namely Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In the last 48 hours I’ve seen three headlines (1, 2, 3), which are what have gotten me thinking about this issue. Why aren’t more Muslims decrying this loss of life…

Current Affairs Television

What’s wrong with CNN? [updated]

islamoyankeeApril 26, 2004

I have problems with CNN’s news coverage, but occasionally they do some things that really bother me. On American Morning, there was a story (between 9:50 AM and 10:00 AM) about the US Postal Service pulling it’s sponsorship of Lance Armstrong because an audit revealed they weren’t getting enough of a return on the investment. Jack Cafferty (sp?) says it’s because USPS is going to spend more time on “those Islamic stamp.” What stamps? What a non-sequitur! Was he making a cheap and acceptable shot at Muslims? Then he’s doing a segment where he solicits feedback on a topic, in…

Current Affairs Weblogs

What’s the story behind this?

islamoyankeeApril 26, 2004

Look at this picture. I know the bloggers say “enough said,” and at first blush I agree. But what’s the source? When was this taken? Have there been an repercussions? We need more information. Can anyone help out?

Current Affairs

Did we miss something else?

islamoyankeeApril 25, 2004

So I’m reading Jeff Jacoby’s op-ed in the Boston Globe today and he’s talking about anti-American sentiment in the Arab world, (I’m ignoring the fact for a second that the idea of an Arab world, like Arab street, is Orientalist, and that using Egypt as an example for over two dozen countries is just bad writing.) when I run across this paragraph: It was Al-Akhbar, another regime-sponsored daily, that declared in August: “The Statue of Liberty . . . must be destroyed because of the idiotic American policy that goes from disgrace to disgrace in the swamp of bias and…

Current Affairs

OK, clearly we must have know it was possible

islamoyankeeApril 24, 2004

So one of the arguments against being able to prevent 9/11 is that no one could have imagined such a scenario. I remember at the time there was much made of the fact that an author (Tom Clancy? Sorry, I just don’t remember enough of the details.) had written a book describing a similar situation, and that the idea had also been mooted for a Hollywood movie script. Granted these are not official sources of government information, so I’m willing to cut them some slack. However, I’ve linked previously to another article that would be considered an official government source.…

Current Affairs

Double or nothing

GhostdogApril 23, 2004

Crown Prince (of Darkness?) Abdullah of Saudi Arabia speaking after a car bomb destroyed a building in Riyadh on 21 April 2004 said "God is on our side and will help us punish the perpetrators." I am sure that the planners of the bombing said exactly the same thing before they unleashed their destruction. Bush has said that God wanted him to be in the White House. Following that logic, God wants Bush and America to wage war in Iraq and recent battles in Fallujah suggest that America is fighting a real war not skirmishes. While those in Fallujah and…

Religion Weblogs

I am a [insert liberal label here] because I am Muslim

islamoyankeeApril 22, 2004

Amy Sullivan over at The Gadflyer has a good post on why liberals shouldn’t bash religious people. Campaign Desk reports on a counter-point. I have to say, I really do agree with Amy. I am a liberal because I am religious. The Qur’an has a strong moral and social justice message; I couldn’t be a liberal, and occasional progressive, without my faith. Along those same lines, I am an environmentalist because of my faith. Clearly I am not the only one who considers this world a trust from God, to return to Him, or to give to the next generation,…

Current Affairs Weblogs

4 more

islamoyankeeApril 22, 2004

Robert Reich has an interesting column in the American Prospect about four more years of a Bush presidency. I think he’s being a bit alarmist, but at the same time I don’t think he’s exaggerating. I wonder if this is one of those articles that will be read by Bush supporters as a promise of what Bush will deliver, so they go out and vote for him.

Current Affairs Religion Weblogs

Iraq and the return of the Hidden Imam

islamoyankeeApril 21, 2004

The Revealer has been doing a section on religion in Iraq. It’s a necessary thing because I think many of the mistakes we are making there relate to the fact that we don’t understand the religious issues at play. Even better news is that I think they are doing a great job, particular on the Muqtada as-Sadr mayhem as witnessed by this recent post.