Current Affairs

Prophetic

islamoyankeeMay 18, 2005

Sourced here and here. Via here. To his brother Milton, 1954: “Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower, former POTUS and President of Columbia…

The world was created by magic

islamoyankeeMay 17, 2005

I was intrigued by this article in CNN on the Kansas Board of Education. It seems that the faulty logic that ID people are trying to put forward actually puts them at a disadvantage in terms of curriculum design. If their wording goes through, it should be fine to suggest that a grand wizard (not the KKK kind, but the Gandalf kind) brought the world into existence. We are, in fact, nothing more than a magic school exercise. Or, how about that life on Earth is not unique, but we were seeded here by aliens to see how we would…

Current Affairs Intra-faith

(Un)Created(?) – Quran Desecration, part 2

islamoyankeeMay 16, 2005

A question for the Muslim community: why we are offended when the Qur’an is desecrated? (See previous post for details.) Echoing the grand debate most associated with the Mutazilah, the Qur’an is either created, or uncreated. If it is uncreated, then that means the Qur’an is co-eternal with God, meaning that something else exists with God. So, as a second “eternal,” I can understand why Muslims would be upset; of course, it also means that they are only superficially believers in tawhid. To be offended, is to deny what it means to be Muslim. If you argue that the Qur’an…

Current Affairs Inter-faith

Imperium – Qur’an Desecration, part 1 [updated]

islamoyankeeMay 15, 2005

[update]: I didn’t realize the stories of the Qur’an being flushed are at least a year old. It strikes me that this lends much more credence to the claim, considering within 48 hours government concluded its initial investigation and began to blame Newsweek for poor reporting. Transferance. The recent report that the Qur’an may have been flushed down a toilet in Guantanamo Bay has created two trains of thought in my mind. One external, and the purpose of this post, and one internal, the subject of a second post, hence the title. Although it is looking like the original report…

Current Affairs

British Elections and Muslims [update][4x]

islamoyankeeMay 6, 2005

I just saw this piece over at TPM. I don’t know enough about “Gorgeous George” to make a detailed comment yet. However, at least superficially, the argument makes sense. There is a potential for anti-Muslim backlash. [update]: More from the Exiled Afrikan. [update 2]: ThaBit weighs in, as does Crooked Timber. Follow the trackback as well. [update 3]: Apparently the stupidity regarding Muslims has begun. [update 4]: Galloway is now officially included in the oil-for-food debacle. Muslims as a fifth-column rhetoric should begin soon. Technorati Tags: George Galloway

Current Affairs

Pakistan

GhostdogApril 21, 2005

I am not sure if readers are aware of the on-going flap in Pakistan regarding the role of Education Review Boards. If not, let me fill you in briefly. The MMA, a coalition of really ugly mullahs, clerics, and outlaws are protesting the goverments recognition of the Aga Khan University Examination Board as one of the Boards that administer tests for graduating students. The protest have gotten serious and the calls for violence escalating. In the midst of Pakistans increasing intolerance, I came across articles by Irfan Husain, a Pakistani commentary who writes in The Dawn. Mr. Husain is a…

Current Affairs

Who are these people?

islamoyankeeApril 20, 2005

Anybody heard of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council? I haven’t. Most Muslim Ugandans I know haven’t. Thankfully, The Revealer caught them out as a being truly stupid. This is good news because now I know why my friends think their smart – they know stupider people :). (BTW, what they are being stupid about is what they claim has to do with “Islam.”)

Current Affairs

You say Salafi, I say Wahhabi…

GhostdogApril 19, 2005

Its been a long hard winter. I realised that unless you take a winter break, this place is bleak. A Red Sox title only warms you up so far. Some interesting things are taking place in the Middle East which have me reading the papers more carefully. I am not convinced that the assasination of Hariri was planned by Assad. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Syrians are knee deep in mire on this one. I think this was a Syrian security operation designed to put pressure on Assad. This is a Syrian internal conflict being played out in…

Current Affairs Inter-faith

Yet more reasons not to like Bernard Lewis

islamoyankeeApril 18, 2005

Read from my referrer here. This man is an Ottomanist who has become the most vocal interpreter of modern, Arab Islam in the US right now. It boggles the mind that he is considered an expert on the topics for which he is consulted – topics that affect whether or not we go to war. Even his medieval Arab history has been attacked as being slip shod and polemical.

Current Affairs

Kristof, MTV, and Darfur

islamoyankeeApril 17, 2005

Nick Kristof is in fine form today. I have to admit, I stopped watching MTV when they stopped showing music. It’s good to know that it is giving coverage to the region. I skimmed A Problem from Hell and it’s really good. Highly recommend it.