An offer we mustn't refuse...

Have a good weekend you miserable Greeks! Back on Monday.

Allaha ýsmarladýk!

Islam to Females: "Be Silent, B*tch!"

There are times, little Greeks, in my brief moments of optimism, when I think that there is a strong possibility that Islam can, through the brave actions of individual Muslims, reconcile itself with modernity, and take a seat at the table of humanity. There are also times when I feel that Islam is a grotesque ideology fit only for the insane...

These constant clashes over stray hairs are exhausting, but can lead to interesting verbal exchanges. Last year a guard at the Ali shrine told me to cover my hair. I told him to mind his own business. He said it was his duty to "guide" me. But hadn't he sinned simply by looking? No, he explained; I was the sinner, for making him sin.

Once a mullah walking toward me lifted his robe to avoid the mud, so I did the same. Wagging his finger, he yelled: "It's wrong to pull up your abaya!"

So why was it OK for him?

"I am a man of religion, that's different." he replied.

We are all equal before Allah, but some of us are more equal than others. I love the smell of the 7th century in the morning, don't you?

Hoþçakal.

Boots on the ground...

Via Sullivan comes a fascinating report from a U.S. Marine stationed near Fallujah...

As far as Falluja goes, we have not been allowed to get back in there with any real numbers yet. Initially, it was confounding. However, a very interesting dynamic has developed. Since we have stayed out of Falluja and focused elsewhere, the mujahadeen have had their run of the town. As they have had no one to fight, they have turned their criminal instincts on the citizens. The clerics who once were whipping these idiots into a suicidal frenzy are now having to issue Fatwas (holy decrees) admonishing the muj for extortion, rape, murder and kidnapping. It is unfortunate for the "innocent people" of Falluja but the mujahadeen have betrayed themselves as the thugs that they are by brutalizing the civilians. There are, in fact, reports of rape, etc from inside the town.

While the muj are thugging away inside the town, we are about 1/2 mile away paying claims, entering into dialogue and contracting jobs. The citizens come outside the city for work and money and are treated like human beings. They go back inside and enter a lawless hell. In short, the muj have done more to show the people what hypocrites they are in a few short weeks than we could have hoped for in a year. The result is more and more targetable intelligence. If we are given the green light, we can really go to town on these guys (no pun intended). However, as much as we would like to do just that, the optimal solution is to empower the Iraqis to take care of it themselves. That is precisely what we are doing.

Equally astounding is evidence that these "holy warriors" are taking drugs to get high before attacks. It true, as we pushed into the town in April many Marines came across drug paraphernalia (mostly heroin). Recently, we have gotten evidence of them using another drug BZ that makes them high and very aggressive. Cowards and hypocrites. They don't have the nerve to fight without calming their fear with drugs. Between highs, they are robbing people and raping young girls. Some jihad.

I highly recommend that you go and read the whole thing. Like many other, The Vizier was royally pissed off when, seemingly on the verge of victory, the Marines were pulled back from Fallujah and joint U.S.-Iraqi patrols were set up. However complicated or delicate a situation may be in a war, killing large numbers of the enemy just can't be beat for effectiveness. But reports like this one give me pause; essentially giving large sections of one of Iraq's most troublesome areas to the jihadis might just show Iraqis the price of U.S. failure; anarchy, rape, pillage, and murder by those who have allegedly come to save them from the Americans. It is still possible that a nasty street by street fight to clean out this vipers nest may be inevitable. The base, irredeemable criminal nature and brutality of the jihadis might make that a foregone conclusion. But if a slow change of attitudes can occur in a God-forsaken place like Fallujah, it does give me a bit more hope for the ultimate success of the Iraqi campaign.

Allaha ýsmarladýk.

House Cleaning...

In the Israeli cabinet, that is. In a somewhat farcical display of political jockeying, Sharon has sacked two Cabinet ministers from the rightist National Union party, in a bid to create a cabinet majority for his Gaza withdrawal plan:

Before the dismissal of the two ministers, it had become clear to Mr Sharon that only 11 of his cabinet ministers supported the four-stage plan for the withdrawal from Gaza, with 12 opposing it. The dismissals should now guarantee Mr Sharon a one-vote victory.

Mr Sharon's move follows a breakdown in talks on a possible compromise with the finance minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, his chief political rival. It has deepened a simmering political crisis that raises the prospect of a general election within months.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. I have yet to hear a single persuasive argument for Israel staying in Gaza; those who say that it is merely a 'reward for terrorism' should ask Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi (from their current, well-earned location in the lowest circles of Hell) how well they are enjoying their 'reward.' The far-right in Israeli politics has a depressing habit of making the perfect the enemy of the good. Defenders of the Israeli presence in Gaza have the unenviable position of arguing for something that manifestly endangers Israeli security. It ties up troops that are needed in the more vulnerable West Bank, and puts the 7500-odd Israeli settlers in needless harm.

Görüþürüz.

Consistently Stupid, but Consistent

 

Barn Door. Horse. Too late.

Tebrikler!

All Quiet on the Western Bank?

Not yet, not by a long shot, but there is growing evidence that the Intifada is starting to run out of gas...

But the armed men are not walking around here anymore, certainly not in broad daylight. The few of them left after the army's frequent raids, targeted killings and arrests are said to be feeling hunted and alone. And while predictions of calm times ahead may be premature, many here are already declaring Tul Karm's intifada over.

"Everybody's either dead or in prison," says Nidal Jallad, who is hanging around the store shortly before Aweideh makes his entry. "It's over. We've had enough. All we want now is for the prisoners to come home." One of Nidal's brothers, a Hamas activist, was caught in March 2003 transporting an explosive belt from Nablus in a car with three others, including the would-be suicide bomber. He is now serving a 17-year sentence in Beersheba jail. Another brother, Nidal says, was shot by an Israeli army sniper during a curfew and is just starting to walk again after four operations. Nidal claims his brother was only outside because soldiers had taken him from his house, dropped him off near the hospital, then ordered him to walk home.

There have been relatively few terror attacks against Israelis (although one is far to many). Compare that to a total of 25 'major' attacks with 147 Israeli casualties in 2002. What's the cause of this? The Security Fence is surely having a big impact, and the targeted assassinations of Yassin and Rantissi (as well as a host of lesser known terrorists) have clearly rattled and demoralized Hamas.

For all that, did you notice what hasn't been happening? High-level direct dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Position papers, summits, agreements accords, 'Geneva Plans.' All of these things are conspicuous for their absence over the last few months. Though Sharon was rebuffed by his own Likud party in his recent attempt to finalize plans for a staged withdrawal from all of Gaza and selected settlements in the West Bank, he seems likely to get his way in the Cabinet, and a solid majority of Israeli voters are behind the plan.

Good for Israel. But what about the Palestinians? The Security Fence will undoubtedly displace some people, cut across towns and farms, olive groves and homes. But all this is a small price to pay for the very best thing that has ever happened to the Palestinians; the realization that they cannot, ever uproot the Israelis. There will be no 'river to the sea,' now or ever. The bad consequences (social, economic, & political) of their collective descent into madness must be carried by themselves alone. The realization that you and you alone are responsible for your own actions is a primary condition for maturity and wisdom; both in individuals and in nations.

As I mentioned in a post before my recent hiatus, two doors down from mine there lives a Palestinian family; the wife is from Ramallah, and the husband (a good friend of mine, BTW) is from Abu Dis, just east of Jerusalem. 4 of his brothers and their families, also from Abu Dis, live within the same complex of houses. So a rough total of 30 or so Palestinians live within a 2-3 minute walk of my front door. (This is a very handy thing to have if you're studying Arabic.) The neighbors' kids play with my son every day, and Mrs. Vizier and I sit out late into the evening hours, sipping wickedly strong coffee and chat for hours on end. One simply cannot ask for better neighbors. Any hope I have for Islam dragging itself out of the Dark Ages and reconciling itself with modernity comes from these wonderful people.

Later this month, my neighbor and two of his brothers are returning to the West Bank to visit their mother, who I am told is in poor health. I am worried, Greeks. Worried that a curfew brought about by some splodey-dope atrocity will leave them stranded. My neighbors wife has confided these fears to Mrs. Vizier, and I don't think they're without warrant.

That being said, I think it is fairly well established that I bear no ill-will towards Palestinians as such. I want the same thing for them that I want for everyone; to live in peace and freedom. Simple enough. But Palestinians, as they have proven over and over again, (before Sharon, before 1967, before 1948,) hate, with a volcanic passion that burns hotter than 1000 suns, hate the Jews. The malady is so far advanced that the great mass of them are simply beyond hope of recovery. They are not going to be able to incorporate themselves into a rational state (or statelet) when they have such easy and murderous access to the objects of their hatred.

Just as an alcoholic who works in a liquor store is decidedly less likely to get off the sauce than one who is not, the hardest (but ultimately the most beneficial, and therefore the most compassionate) thing that needs to be done is a total and complete separation. No more work visas. No more open borders. No more speaking engagements for the Edward Said wannabe's of the world. If a Palestinian in the West Bank or Gaza sees an Israeli, better it is over an Iron Wall. It will in the long run be better for the Palestinians, better for the Israelis, and better for us all. Who knows, maybe my neighbors can even visit their relatives without fear of being caught in the crossfire.

Hoþçakal.

Worthy Opponents...

The Vizier is itching to try something new, little Greeks. As you can see from the blogroll to your left, The Vizier frequents staunchly anti-idiotarian and pro-Israel sites. LGF, especially has become my online home, largely because it has everything you could ask for in an online forum; fascinating topics, a moderator (Hi Charles!) who moderates with a light and gracious touch, and a swarming horde of incredibly intelligent, knowledgeable regular posters, and regular drinking threads extra-curricular activities galore.

That being said, I feel the need to step out of those circles for a little while, and engage in some dialogue with some people on the other side (in some cases, way on the other side) of the debate. Rafah Kid Rambles, the blog of an ISM'er, is one of those on the other side of the debate. Well written and reasoned posts, though I strongly disagree with the conclusions he reaches. There will be a new batch of links on the blogroll under the heading "Virtuous Enemies" In this space I will link to those sites who take a position contrary position to my own on Israel, the War on Militant Islam, etc. Wish me luck, Greeks.

Allaha ýsmarladýk.

Farsi/English Dictionary...

The mullahs say this...

The Iranians insist that they are seeking to enrich uranium simply to produce commercial nuclear power, but the atomic energy agency's report cites continuing evidence that Iran misled inspectors with many of its early claims, especially on questions about where it obtained critical components.

Iranian officials have now told the agency that some of those parts were purchased abroad, after initially insisting that Iran had made them itself.

Tranlation: "Please, please pretty please bomb the f*ck out of us. Here is a good place to start."

Tebrikler.

Update!Good news Greeks! The Iranians assure us that...

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Wednesday the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog will soon be able to reassure the world that Tehran has no atomic arms ambitions.

Addressing a news conference the day after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report on Iran's nuclear activities, Supreme National Security Council secretary-general Hassan Rohani said only minor issues remained outstanding.

"This report shows that Iran's nuclear case is approaching the end and there are no more important issues," he said.

Perhaps he's right. Maybe Iran has no 'atomic arms ambitions'

Possibly because they've already built one.

Humility, thy name is France...

Or not. A useful reminder to those (i.e., President Bush) attending the upcoming D-Day anniversary in Normandy, that looking to the French for wisdom and morality in foreign affairs is as ludicrous as looking to them as a military ally...

At a time when the "give-peace-a-chance" mantra is again prevalent in the land, it is worth recording that Adolf Hitler's regime was crushed by military force and that the D-Day landings were led by the Americans and the British. No member of any pacifist society, nor any member of any international organisation, ever troubled Hitler's Reich. What's more, despite Charles de Gaulle's attempt to rewrite history, the French played only a small part in their nation's liberation in 1944 and 1945.

The President (being a gentleman) will sit politely through any preening sermonizing by Jacques Chirac during the ceremonies honoring the (mostly) U.S., British, and Canadian troops that died by the thousands to save the cocktail waiters of the Nazis the French from German occupation. Even at this most solemn occasion, the temptation to use Bush's captive attendance for political axe-grinding and point-scoring will be likely be too difficult to resist. So we (Americans) will listen, and grit our teeth, and those who still regard the French as 'allies' in any meaningful fashion will be fewer.

Steven Den Beste imagines the verbal pimp slap that we would all like the President to give the French. The presence of our servicemen buried in the soil of a nation that spurns their sacrifice ultimately dishonors them and us.

Görüþürüz.

House of Fraud Hit Again...

The jihadis of The Magic Kingdom are getting a little bolder, with their attacks coming more frequently.

The shootout occurred near the city of Taif, near the Muslim holy city of Mecca, after gunmen fired on police manning the checkpoint in the mountainous region, the source said. There were no reports of casualties, he added.

Given the recent collusion/incompetence of the Saudi security forces, any altercation where nobody is hurt, shot, killed or arrested makes me wonder if the forthcoming replay of the 1920's Saudi Civil War is eminent.

Allaha ýsmarladýk.

Would you buy a used car from this man?


 

Let the caption contest begin!

Hoþçakal!

I hope it hurts...


 

Tebrikler!

Stuffed and Mounted...

I don't know why, but reading this made me smile in a way I haven't in a long time.

When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. He is now in detention at an undisclosed location, being questioned by American authorities and awaiting charges for war atrocities and crimes against humanity. But what ever happened to the pistol?

The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the President privately by some of the troops who played a key role in ferreting out the old tyrant.

Fiction isn't this good, little Greeks. Not as satisfying as an actual head mounted on the wall, but as a trophy it's more than adequate.

Görüþürüz!

Daftur Bleeding...

Many thanks to Jane of Armies of Liberation for letting me know of Abolish, a site dedicated to raising awareness lighting a fire under the asses of our politicians over Daftur. If you haven't been following this story, up to one million black Sudanese Muslims have been forced to flee from a killing spree conducted by a Sudanese government-backed Arab militia, the 'Janjawid.' These b*stards compare unfavorably to the Huns. Killing, burning, raping, and torturing their way across western Sudan like a band of uruk-hai, tens of thousands have been killed, and the refugees that have fled to Chad (itself a dirt-poor nation with little ability to help) are facing immanent famine.

So get thee to Abolish, and send a message to President Bush and Sudanese Ambassador to the US Khidir Haroun Ahmed (I would also encourage you to copy the letter and send it to your Congressman/Senator). This atrocity must be stopped.

Abolish is going on my permanent blogroll, under the heading "Freedom Linkage"

Allaha ýsmarladýk.

Unintended Consequences...The Good Kind

Not all effects from the WoT fall directly affect the WoT. The bold assertion of U.S. power in Iraq not only has the oil ticks of Saudi Arabia, Baathists of Syria and the Iranian mullahs worried, the Army of Mordor Chinese People's Liberation Army has stood up to take notice as well.

The Chinese also believe, partly from its assessment of the Bush administration's declared war on terrorism, that the United States is increasingly likely to intervene in a conflict over Taiwan or other Chinese interests, according to the Pentagon analysis.
...
"China's leaders appear to have concluded that the net effect of the U.S.-led campaign [against terrorism] has been further encirclement of China," specifically by placing U.S. military forces in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations, and strengthening relations with Pakistan and India, concluded the Pentagon analysis.

Because China's leaders believe their military forces are not yet strong enough to compete directly with the American military, they are putting more emphasis on preventing U.S. intervention first. This includes development of what the Chinese call "assassin's mace" weapons, the Pentagon said.
The report said U.S. officials are not sure what "assassin's mace" is.
"However, the concept appears to include a range of weapon systems and technologies related to information warfare, ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles, advanced fighters and submarines, counterspace system and air defense," according to the Pentagon.

Strength, used wisely and judiciously, begets further strength, and causes your enemies to mediate their own aggressive behavior. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has been playing a dangerous game with the mainland, and looks set to make a strong push for independence (most likely during the 2008 Olympics, when the eyes of the world will be on China.) A PLA nervous of U.S. (and Indian) power could give Taiwan the wiggle room it needs to officially abandon the strategic ambiguity governing it's relations with the U.S. and the mainland for so long.

Hoþçakal!

Our Friends the Saudis...

Puffed up with satisfaction about the Saudi police/military assault on the terrorists at al-Khobar this weekend? Thinking that perhaps our 'good friends' in the House of Sa'ud have turned a corner in the way they judge the terrorist threat?

You silly Greek, you should really know better by now.

Saudi security forces allowed some kidnappers in the bloody weekend attack on a residential compound to flee because they threatened to blow up the building, according to reports.

At least 22 people died in the attack, including a Briton whose body was dragged through the streets of the port city of al-Khobar.

One employee of the Oasis compound said today that a hostage heard the gunmen shouting that they would release their captives if the security forces let them go.

"The security forces refused at the beginning but then apparently relented," he said.

"There was a kind of a deal reached to let the hostages go free, though some hostages had already been killed." Nine hostages died after their throats were cut.

This employee's account could not be independently confirmed as Saudi authorities have not provided many details on how the stand-off ended when security forces stormed the building yesterday, freeing 41 captives.

A Saudi security official, speaking to the Associated Press, would not directly address whether the militants were allowed to escape. But he said: "Our main priority was the hostages, and those guys who ran away, we know how to find them."[ed. - emphasis mine]

This absolutely reeks of an inside job. As we saw earlier, the jihadis systematically killed Westerners and non-Muslims in the attack, generally leaving Muslims alone. There are also indications (here and here) that the terrorist were wearing Saudi National Guard uniforms. This is certainly not the first time Saudi based terrorists have used such uniforms during an attack, which leads me to believe that there is some amount of collusion between the attack and Saudi security forces. But don't get yourself all worked up about nothing Greeks! Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the long-time Saudi ambassador to the U.S., recently declared "total war" on the terrorists, Arab newspapers are horrified, and Saudi Security Forces are busy as bees hunting the three jihadis that got away.

Görüþürüz!

Blogrolling...

The Vizier would like to welcome The Daily Blitz and Eurabian Times to the Imperial Ottoman blogroll. Both are regular posters at LGF and both blogs are definitely worth checking out.

Tebrikler!

In Memoriam...

A very Happy Memorial Day to all of you. The Vizier likes to take some time on this day for a brief moment of quiet reflection for all the inconceivably brave men and women, from Lexington and Concord to Fallujah and Najaf, who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that this great republic will endure. Freedom's work is never finished. May their memories be blessed, and may God smile on you and yours.

Allaha ýsmarladýk.

The Merciful and Compassionate Returns...

On your knees, you filthy Greeks! The Supreme Deity of the Blogosphere is back from his long hiatus. Life just hasn't been the same without frequent updates on the state of Allah's pants. Welcome back!

Allahu Akbar!

Religious War...

First, read this.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers meticulously avoided harming Arabs and Muslims as they mistakenly had in previous attacks. This time, they questioned the residents they encountered who were not obviously westerners in order to ascertain their identity. This time, Arab nationals and even an American Muslim were spared by the discriminating attackers.

Then tell The Vizier this is not a religious war.

Allaha ýsmarladýk.

Update! But don't worry little Greeks! Inspector Clouseau Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah is on the job.

We will take them and they will not get away. We will wipe them out no matter how long it takes,” he added.

The crown prince said university teachers in particular had a duty to enlighten their students about the dangers of terrorism. Silence was not an option.

“Those who keep silent about terrorists will be regarded belonging to them,” he added.

Feel better already, don't you?

Democracy & Islam: Shotgun Marriage?

Joe Katzman at WoC links to a remarkable debate between Amir Taheri & Orrin Judd about the compatibility of the Islamic world for democracy. I'd like to focus on Taheri's argument, as his is by far the meatier of the two...

Democracy is based on one fundamental principle: equality.

The Greek word isos is used in more than 200 compound nouns, including isoteos (equality), isologia (equal or free speech) and isonomia (equal treatment).

Again we find no equivalent in any of the Muslim languages. The words we have such as barabari in Persian and sawiyah in Arabic mean juxtaposition or separation.

Nor do we have a word for politics. The word siassah, now used as a synonym for politics, initially meant whipping stray camels into line. (Sa'es al-kheil is a person who brings back lost camels to the caravan.) The closest translation may be: regimentation.

One might protest here that Japanese had no such political vocabulary either, in 1945. But that didn't stop them from developing a working democracy of sorts. But if it is not language then, Taheri looks for an incompatibility in Islam itself...

The idea of equality is unacceptable to Islam. For the non-believer cannot be the equal of the believer. Even among the believers only those who subscribe to the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, known as the "people of the book" (Ahl el-Kitab), are regarded as fully human. Here, too, there is a hierarchy, with Muslims at the top.

Non-Muslims can, and have often been, treated with decency, but never as equals. [ed. - emphasis mine]

Unbeliever, infidel, kufr. is not merely a rhetorical flourish of the jihadis, it is rather a distinct moral and ontological category in Islam itself. A Christian or a Jew, might be, in the abstract, "People of the Book" but they are not and can never be equals in a predominantly Islamic society; their second-class status is mandated, not by the writings of (allegedly) divinely inspired humans, but dictated by Allah himself.

It is this distinction that makes any type of Islamic 'Reformation' doubtful; you can argue with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, question their motives and view their writings as human events; one has a much harder time, theologically, socially, politically, arguing with God.

So what to do? Islam is, much more so than any other religion, an emphatically political faith. There is no 'rendering unto Caesar' in Islam; Mohammed was Caesar. Reading the Quran is a quite different experience than reading the Hebrew Scriptures, New Testament, Upanishads, or Tao te Ching; it is chock full of everything from rules governing family life to taxation and military matters. Even the Islamic experience of prayer is a highly ritualized and seemingly sterile affair; not a conversation with the Creator, but an audience before the Creator.

But Taheri contends that Islam must import this distinction between Church and state; public and private, if Islam is to make its peace with modernity...

Muslims should not be duped into believing that they can have their cake and eat it. Muslims can build successful societies provided they treat Islam as a matter of personal, private belief and not as a political ideology that seeks to monopolise the public space shared by the whole of humanity and dictate every aspect of individual and community life. Islam is incompatible with democracy.

So what of Iraq? Isn't democracy the very thing that we are trying to create in the very heart of the Arab/Islamic world? Any of us that supported the war has to bear in mind at all times; the most damning indictment of the war is not moonbat conspiracy theories about Halliburton, or the specter of 'instability' in the region, or Buchananite nonsense about 'Empire-building.' The worst thing you can say about the Iraq war is that it Simply. Will. Not. Work. As Bill Whittle put it; "this was an experiment. The results are data."

And what are those results? An Iraq that is, to be sure, growing tired of the Allied presence, but also one that, by any conceivable standard of measurement, is a vastly, vastly better place than it was under the jackboots of the Baath. On June 30th, this great experiment will be put to its final test: Can a predominantly Islamic nation do democracy? If the results show us that it can, expect much fear and trembling amongst the House of Saud, the Iranian mullahs, and other assorted bandit princelings of the region, for their populations will look with increasing envy at the freedom, sucess and prosperity of a democratic Iraq, and growing anger and hatred against their rulers. If the answer is no, then the War on Militant Islam will be a much longer, grimmer, and bloody affair than it would have been otherwise.

Hoþçakal.