Author: Ghostdog

Just came across this website entitled Project Syndicate. It is an international association of quality newspapers devoted to: 1. Bringing distinguished voices from across the world to local audiences everywhere; 2. Strengthening the independence of printed media in transition; and, 3. Developing countries as well as upgrading their journalistic, editorial, and business capacities. As part of their coverage, Project Syndicate has a section on Islam, which is really quite good and may be of interest to islamicate readership. Here is the introduction by the featured contributor, Mai Yamani. “Whether because of the perceived defeats inflicted upon Muslims by the outside…

Al Gore was on fire last night. Speaking at the function arranged by MoveOn PAC, Gore blasted the Bush administration for various crimes. It was a compelling speech that showed Gore’s conviction and passion. It came four years too late for Gore, but I hope that Kerry was taking notice. Gore claimed that America had lost its moral compass, that its ideals and foundations were being systematically undermined, and that the current administration were incompetent at best and criminally negligent at worst. It was a rousing performance that will probably be re-shown on CSPAN. Ghostdog says “four stars and two…

I have nothing against military dictatorships if they happen to be installed in one of the most unstable and fragile flashpoint countries in the world such as Pakistan. During his tenure as President of Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf has done and said the right things. He has been very critical of the extremist elements in Pakistani society and seems intent on seeing a modern and tolerant Pakistan take root. He is fighting an uphill battle against the MMA, while he tackles education reform, closes madrassas, and tries to reign in boombastic imams. He has had to deal with secretarian violence and…

I was watching CNN last night and came across a Lou Dobbs interview with Fouad Ajami, Director, Middle East Studies Program, John Hopkins University. Dr. Ajami made a lot of sense to me. To get a sense of where he is coming from, here is a list of articles by or about Dr. Ajami: Iraq and the Arabs Future Rude Arab Awakening What the Arab World Is Watching [critique of Al-Jezeera] Lebanon Star [critique of Ajami’s attack on Al-Jezerra] During the interview, in which he was speaking about the Abu Ghuraib scandal and the brutal beheading of Nick Berg, Ajami…

Good for the Iraqis. Newsday.com is reporting that an estimated 1000 people have marched through the streets of Najaf urging Sadr and his army to leave town. A story on King Abdullah of Jordan on Slate reports other good news. “…On April 29 in Amman, Jordan’s capital, Abdullah’s wife Queen Rania led a march against terrorism. The Pan-Arab daily Al Hayat reported that close to 150,000 people turned out, some of them burning photographs of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaida associate Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian national who had allegedly plotted a chemical attack against several targets in Amman. Jordanians…

It was only a matter of time that this would occur. This story was not picked up by the major newspapers or media sources, but it is a story that needs to be told. Seven illegal immigrants [six Pakistani and one Indian] were murdered by the Macedonian police in order for the Macedonian government to show that it was fighting with the West on the war on terror. In order to win some points, the Macedonian police fabricated evidence and executed 7 people whose only crime was to seek a better livlihood. This is not the first time that the…

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…