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Recent
Stories
June
2, 2003
Arundhati
Roy
Day of the Jackals
Norman
Madarasz
Behind the Neo-Con Curtain: Plato,
Leo Strauss and Allan Bloom
Alain
Frachon and Daniel Vernet
The Strategist and the Philosopher: Strauss and Wohlstetter
Anthony
Gancarski
Anti-Imperialism, Then & Now
Standard
Schaefer
Wasted at the Pentagon
Jason
Leopold
Rocky's Advice to the Dems
Guthrie
& Albert
HUAC 58 Years Letter
Steve
Perry
The Politics of Terror Alerts
May
31, 2003
Alexander
Cockburn
A Whiner Called Horowitz
Gary Leupp
The Frauds of War
Dave
Lindorff
Clinton, Bush, Lies and Impeachment
Tom Stephens
Does It Matter that the Bush Administration Lied?
Sasan
Fayazmanesh
Who Is Next?
Joanne
Mariner
Trivializing Terrorism
Wayne
Madsen
Ayatollah Rumseld's Busy Week
Larry Magnuson
Is a Television a Radio or a Billboard?
Elaine
Cassel
Wake Up, America!
Gila Svirsky
Waiting for the Lament to End
Susan
Davis
Kitchen Dreams
Chris Clarke
Barbra Streisand: Environmental Hypocrite
Chris
Floyd
Bush Locates Source of World Evil: God
Adam Engel
Gravity's End Zone
Poets'
Basement
Reiss, Guthrie, Orloski, Albert
May
30, 2003
Ben
Tripp
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Agenda
Neve
Gordon
The Bad Fence
Todd
Steiner
Endangered Ocean
Robert
Freeman
Bush's Tax Cuts: a Form of National Insanity
Sean
Carter
Utah Gets Fired Up for Executions
Daniel
Bacher
How Bush's War Violated International Laws
Tariq
Ali
Re-Colonizing Iraq
Steve
Perry
Bush Wars
Web Log
May
29, 2003
CounterPunch
Wire
WMD: Who Said What When
Jason
Leopold
Despite Thin Intelligence Reports,
US Plans Overthrow of Iran Regime
Ron
Jacobs
Popular Uprising, Inc.
Michelle
Ciaccorra
Bush's Nuclear Policy: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Yves Engler
The Economics of Health Care in
America: Pay More to Die Sooner
Kimberly
Blaker
Vouchers for Jesus
Harry
Browne
Stakeknife: Britain's Army Spy at
the Top of the IRA
Stew
Albert
Cops of the World
Steve Perry
Greens 04: In or Out?
May
28, 2003
David
Vest
DubyaCo.: It's Not So Funny Any More
Dave
Lindorff
My Grandfather's Medal
John
Stanton
America's Dying: Arts and Philosophy Hold the Key
Bernard
Weiner
A PNAC Primer
Robert
Jensen
Texas Dems Set a Standard for the Rest of the Party
Ahmad Faruqui
The Oil Business of Regime Change:
the CIA and Iran
Hammond
Guthrie
Disarming Conundrums
Steve Perry
What If There's No Such Thing as Al-Qaeda?
May
27, 2003
Kurt
Nimmo
Condoleezza Rice: Huckstress for Israeli
Myths
Anthony
Gancarski
Hillary: a Dem the NeoCons Could Love?
Patrick
Cockburn
Terror, Bush and Joseph Conrad
John Chuckman
an Interpretation of Bush's Character
Kathleen
Christison
What Sharon Wants, Sharon Gets
Jeffrey
Blankfort
AIPAC Hijacks the Roadmap
Steve
Perry
Trouble in the Hinterlands
May
26, 2003
Franklin
C. Spinney
Test Anxiety: Star Wars, Punctuated
Epistimology and the Triumph of Medievalism
Elaine
Cassel
Supreme Sacrifice
Sam
Hamod
When Trained Killers Return Home
Stew Albert
The Final Conflict
May
24 / 25, 2003
Gary
Leupp
The Philosopher Kings: Leo Strauss
and the Neo-Cons
Uri Avnery
The Hannibal Procedure
Diane
Christian
Who's the Real Enemy?
"Just Cause" or "Kill the Bastards"
Alexander
Cockburn
Derrida's Double Life
William
S. Lind
Is Saddam Really Out of the Game?
William
Cook
Road to Nowhere
David Krieger
Bush's War on the Poor: Economic Justice
Ilan
Pappe
Academic Freedom Under Assault in Israel
Wayne Madsen
American Idle
Noah
Leavitt
Slowing Sowing Justice in the Killing Fields
Walt Brasch
Americans are Liars
Lenni
Brenner
John Brown and Dutch Bill
Mickey
Z.
Hope, Crosby & Al Qaeda
Michael
Ortiz Hill
Grievous Harm Here and Abroad
Adam Engel
Towers of Babel
Poets'
Basement
Albert, Guthrie, Alam, Orloski
May
23, 2003
Standard
Schaefer
Lifting the Sanctions: Who Benefits?
Ron
Jacobs
Long Live People's Park!
Michael
Greger, MD
Return of Mad Cow: US Beef Supply
at Risk
Elaine
Cassel
Tigar to Ashcroft: "Secrecy is the Enemy of Democratic Govt."
Sam
Hamod
The Shi'a of Iraq
Christopher
Greeder
After the Layoffs (poem)
Steve
Perry
Bush's Wars Weblog 5/23
Hot Stories
CounterPunch
Wire
WMD: Who Said What When
Cindy
Corrie
A Mother's Day Talk: the Daughter
I Can't Hear From
Elaine
Cassel
Civil Liberties
Watch
Michel
Guerrin
Embedded Photographer Says: "I
Saw Marines Kill Civilians"
Uzma
Aslam Khan
The Unbearably Grim Aftermath of War:
What America Says Does Not Go
Paul de Rooij
Arrogant
Propaganda
Gore Vidal
The
Erosion of the American Dream
Francis Boyle
Impeach
Bush: A Draft Resolution
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June
5, 2003
Ann Coulter's
Foul Mouth
The Blond Hate
Machine
By IMRAAN SIDDIQI
History often tends to repeat itself. Many would
argue that the cyclical nature, in which world events unfold,
is just merely coincidental. But for proof that this trend really
does exist, we have to look no further than the Quran. In the
last section of Islam's Holy Book, there is a surah or chapter
devoted to two devious and evil characters that dedicated their
lives to destroying Islam. It is called Surah Lahab, in honor
of the cruel, vicious and tormenting uncle of the Prophet Muhammad
(Peace Be Upon Him), known as Abu Lahab. This individual focused
his life solely toward propagating against Muhammad (pbuh) and
the followers of Islam. However bad Abu Lahab may have been,
his wife "Umm Jamil" was equally or quite possibly
even more sinister an individual. Together, these two enemies
of Islam inflicted great physical, emotional, and mental anguish
upon Muhammad and the Muslim community.
Fourteen hundred years have passed since
the birth of Islam, and many neo-Abu Lahabs have emerged. The
most notable of this group is Middle East faux-scholar Daniel
Pipes. The Muslim community is well aware of the damage that
Pipes has tried to inflict upon it. What they may not have been
aware of is the fact that a 21st century Umm Jamil has emerged
from the shadows. This villain just like her predecessors enjoys
the spotlight as proven by her numerous novels and appearances
on the political talk show circuit. It is here that she unleashes
her barrage of verbal attacks upon Islam, making no secret that
she loves to mock the religion and its adherents. What is her
name, you ask? It is none other than Ms. Ann Coulter.
At first glance, this young blonde political
puppet would be considered attractive by "western standards".
Her confidence, and fearlessness in a male-dominated industry
has won her a great deal of praise and admirers. However, in
this case looks are most certainly deceiving. Coulter has been
around for a while, but just like Pipes has greatly emerged after
September 11, 2001. Both have impressive credentials, flashing
degrees from some of America's most reputable higher learning
institutions. Although they have also been labeled as experts
in the field of world affairs, it becomes clear soon after seeing
both, that they are mere masters of political spin-doctoring.
As the public gravitated toward an ultra-conservative mindset
triggered by President Bush and his right-hand man Attorney General
Ashcroft, these two began to capitalize off the vulnerable public.
Pipes (labeled by CAIR as America's leading Islamaphobe) has
garnered success with his syndicated columns across the U.S,
and is now trying to parlay his success into one of most short-sighted,
and highly protested Federal Government appointments in history.
Coulter has followed suit, with her columns in various news outlets
such as World Net Daily and is now a frequent panelist on the
HBO talk show "Real Time with Bill Maher." In one of
her error-laden columns titled "Build Them Back ",
Coulter goes off on an unfounded, libelous tirade in an attempt
to explain the nature of Islam to her readers.
"The urge to destroy may not come
from Islam, but creation is not Islam's strong suit either. In
his immense book "The Creators," historian Daniel Boorstin
explains the Islamic approach to innovation. While Judaism and
Christianity begin with the Creation, Islam reveres a God who
creates nothing. It is a central tenet of Islam that God did
not even create the Koran. According to Boorstin, mullahs explain
that since "the speech of God is uncreate, the words must
be eternal uncreate." The world comes into being not by
God's energy and initiative, but by fiat. As Boorstin says: "For
a believing Muslim, to create is a rash and dangerous act.""
>From reading this excerpt, I'm not
sure to reprimand first: Coulter, or Boorstin? I have not read
Boorstin's "immense" novel, therefore I cannot accurately
say whether or not he is misleading his readers. But from the
sound of his quote it seems quite clear that he has not grasped
the concept of Islam's teachings, therefore he should have held
off on writing the book until he went back to school. Our religious
scholar seems to have juxtaposed two separate facts about Islam
and made them into one. Innovation to the religion or bida is
truly unacceptable for the adherents to Islam. This is one topic
Muslims will agree on worldwide. But Boorstin makes a categorical
mistake in claiming, "Islam reveres a God who creates nothing".
As Muslims are well aware, Creation is mentioned countless times
in the Quran. Two of Allah's names are: Al-Khaliq and Al-Bari,
both meaning The Creator. Coulter's usage of this piece of literature
is truly symptomatic of the religious problems that America is
currently facing.
As the Evangelical or what is now known
as the Zionist Christian movement continues to encompass our
political spectrum and media outlets, a conscious effort is being
made to try and polarize Islam and its values away from the classical
Judeo-Christian beliefs. As illustrated by her usage of the quote
from Boorstin's novel, Coulter (also an Evangelical) attempts
to differentiate to her readers the God of the Jews and Christians
from the God (Allah in Arabic) of the Muslims. As the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict goes on, Coulter and her fellow right wing hawks make
it clear whose side not only the U.S. Government is on, but also
who God is rooting for.
One would think that a self-proclaimed
"Christian" would make a concerted effort in trying
to emulate the teachings of Jesus Christ (Peace Be Upon Him).
However, looking back throughout his life, you would be hard
pressed to find Jesus mocking another religion on a daily basis,
and/or attacking an entire race of human beings. Ann on the other
hand, apparently missed this Sunday school lesson, and continues
to ridicule Islam sarcastically as the "religion of peace"
whenever a negative story arises within the Muslim world. Quoting
another column titled "Would Mohamed Atta Object to Armed
Pilots?" Coulter offers a solution to the airport restrictions
that Americans are now facing:
" I don't know, how about ... NO
ARABS? (Religion-of-Peace Update: As they prepare to stone a
rape victim to death in Pakistan, the latest suicide bombing
in Israel claimed the lives of a grandmother and her 18-month
old granddaughter.)"
Although Mr. Pipes is still the nation's
leading Islamaphobe, there is little doubt on who is the chief
Islamaphobess. Coulter will probably continue to rise in popularity
until the public realizes that she is merely a product of the
heated political climate, and how little knowledge she truly
possesses. One thing she will never lack is an aptitude for the
offensive. When asked recently how Arabs should be allowed to
get around, Coulter replied, "They should use flying carpets."
Rumor has it that she should be receiving her appointment as
Middle East Public Relations Specialist from our President at
any time.
Imraan Siddiqi
lives in Irving, TX and attends the University of Texas at Arlington.
He writes in his spare time on a variety of issues concerning
Islam and Muslims. He can be reached via e-mail at: UPBhavan@aol.com
Today's
Features
Arundhati
Roy
Day of the Jackals
Norman
Madarasz
Behind the Neo-Con Curtain: Plato,
Leo Strauss and Allan Bloom
Alain
Frachon and Daniel Vernet
The Strategist and the Philosopher: Strauss and Wohlstetter
Anthony
Gancarski
Anti-Imperialism, Then & Now
Standard
Schaefer
Wasted at the Pentagon
Jason
Leopold
Rocky's Advice to the Dems
Guthrie
& Albert
HUAC 58 Years Letter
Steve
Perry
The Politics of Terror Alerts
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