This protester has a picture of the Mubarak Family with the words "Tyrannical Family" written on it and a piece of paper above it that says "No to Mubarak".
But Consultative Council member Mohammad al-Zulfa's proposal has unleashed a storm in this conservative country where the subject of women drivers remains taboo.
Al-Zulfa's cell phone now constantly rings with furious Saudis accusing him of encouraging women to commit the double sins of discarding their veils and mixing with men. He gets phone text messages calling on Allah to freeze his blood. Chat rooms bristle with insulting accusations that al-Zulfa is ``driven by carnal instincts with 454 horsepower.''
Conservatives, who believe women should be shielded from strange men, say driving will allow a woman to leave home whenever she pleases and go wherever she wishes. Some say it will present her with opportunities to violate Islamic law, such as exposing her eyes while driving or interacting with strange men, like police officers or mechanics.
``Driving by women leads to evil,'' Munir al-Shahrani wrote in a letter to the editor of the Al-Watan daily. ``Can you imagine what it will be like if her car broke down? She would have to seek help from men.''
It is the same argument used to restrict other freedoms. Without written permission from a male guardian, women may not travel, get an education or work. Regardless of permission, they are not allowed to mix with men in public or leave home without wearing black cloaks, called abayas.
The French newspaper dubbed Marseille law teacher Etienne Chouard "Don Quichotte du non".
Mr Chouard did not much care for the EU Constitution, but instead of simply voicing his upset to his neighbours, he wrote an essay and set up a blog to explain why he was voting 'Non'.
Just ahead of the vote, his blog was getting 25,000 hits a day and his anti-constitution broadside had been photocopied, faxed and blogged about across France.
Despite overwhelming support for the constitution by the governments of both France and the Netherlands and a huge media campaign by political leaders in both countries, voters have rejected the constitution.
And just as the media and political establishment in the US found during last year's presidential election, European elites have now felt the sting of these online upstarts, the bloggers.
But it was not just Mr Chouard, Nicolas Vanbremeersch of the blog Publius actually expected more online activism than took place in France after the role of blogs in the US presidential campaign last year.
The Democrats don’t have any ideas.
Not one.
Well, to be fair we might have some but we’re woefully short on ones that are simple enough for the average American to understand while reading the USA Today and slamming down a cup of coffee.
Saudi religious police arrest 8 Christians
Where are the pious anti-anti-jihadists and anti-"Islamophobia" types protesting the lack of tolerance in Saudi Arabia? Why is tolerance a virtue only for Western non-Muslim countries? Of course The Myth of Islamic Tolerance posits that Muslim countries are already tolerant in a way the West has never been, but stories like this one keep showing that to be false. "Men were part of house-church group in Muslim kingdom," from WND, with thanks to EPG:
The Muslim American Society's Goals I wrote about the Muslim American Society in "The Islamic States of America?" and how it seeks to replace the Constitution with the Koran. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross takes this further today in "MAS's Muslim Brotherhood Problem," where he looks closely at the MAS Minnesota website and notes that it calls on members to fulfill their "duties as outlined in the Message of the Teachings by Imam [Hasan] Al-Banna." Gartenstein-Ross then takes a look at The Message of the Teachings and finds that it instructs Muslims that they must work on reforming their government
so that it may become a truly Islamic government. … By Islamic government I mean a government whose officers are Muslims who perform the obligatory duties of Islam, who do not make public their disobedience, and who enforce the rules and teachings of Islam.
I mention this bit of quotidian trivia to underscore a point. To many people--obviously, Haifa's one of them--"fundamentalist Islamic feminism" is not an oxymoron. By the same token, fundamentalist Islam and modern technology are also not mutually exclusive. This is a error people make when they claim that Salafists want to "drag us back to the Medieval age." Not quite. Rather, they want to "medievalize" modernity (or perhaps vice versa), keeping their mobiles and satellite dishes and computers and Internet, while frog-marching social relations (especially those dealing with women) back a millenium or so. One fascinating aspect of Basra is that by virtue of its relative stability, you can see the tug and pull of this process at work--debit cards and feminist unions on one hand, veils and alcohol-banning Islamists on the other.
Can they co-exist? That's the next chapter of the Basran saga. Most people I know (none of them fans of fundamentalism) think the religious parties are a passing phase, that Basra's fabled liberal-mindedness and port-city sensuality will reassert itself--in other words, the values implicit in a bar-code reader (not to mention the Internet and sat-TV) will eventually sweep away the shrouds and veils, and reduce the turbanned thugs to Friday rants before dwindling congregations. I'm not sure, but I certainly know where my hopes lie. With their charm and confidence and dedication, may women like Haifa grace the Basra political scene for years to come--make-up, high-heels, fancy dresses and all.
Typical, Republican, right wing proaganda. Anyone who opposes the occupation of Iraq is a 'moonbat' and a 'commie'. How original. Just like the ones who were against the Vietnam war eh?
Even Giap admitted in his memoirs that news media reporting of the war and the anti-war demonstrations that ensued in America surprised him. Instead of negotiating what he called a conditional surrender, Giap said they would now go the limit because America's resolve was weakening and the possibility of complete victory was within Hanoi's grasp.
Bui Tin, who served on the general staff of the North Vietnamese army, received South Vietnam's unconditional surrender on April 30, 1975. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal after his retirement, he made clear the anti-war movement in the United States, which led to the collapse of political will in Washington, was "essential to our strategy."
Visits to Hanoi by Jane Fonda and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and various church ministers "gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses." [It's called aid and comfort to the enemy and it's treason]
America lost the war, concluded Bui Tin, "because of its democracy. Through dissent and protest, it lost the ability to mobilize a will to win."
Most Iraqi people want the US out of their country, many voted for the Shia parties on the understanding of their Imam's that this would lead to a withdrawl of US troops.
As someone who was against the war I don't want to see anymore people killed, for whatever reason - however Id point out that any Iraqi attacking US forces (not Iraqi citizens) is perfectly entitled to do so.
If you dont believe that then you dont believe you have the right to defend the US from an imaginary invasion of foreign troops. Or is it simply a case of one rule for yourselves and one rule for everyone else?
You're wrong, you were wrong over WMD, over links with Al Qaeda and the fact that you were warned you'd be met with a protracted guerrilla war which would kill and maim tens/hundreds thousands of people - yet you have the nerve to turn round and accuse the 'pro-war' people of not wanting the violence to stop.
You started it, deal with it - personal responsibility should be the vanguard of every 'citizen journalist'.
ROJDA is still alive. So, she got off lightly.
She was forced to marry her paedophile rapist at the age of 13, and when she refused efforts by her father-in-law — who also raped her — to force her into prostitution, she had her nose cut off.
If Rodja is still alive, Birgul Isik soon may not be. The Turkish mother of three is in a coma after she was shot by her 14-year-old stepson for talking on television about fleeing from her abusive husband.
Ayse Aydin, 18, is dead. Her family says that she committed suicide. Her husband, who was often away from home for work, says that her family mutilated her sexually and killed her for allegedly consorting with other men.
All these crimes have been committed in the name of honour in Turkey, a country that will begin membership talks with the European Union in October.
The UN estimates that 5,000 women are killed in “honour crimes” every year, worldwide.
Up to half of Turkish women are victims of violence, mostly from their families, according to Amnesty International
Human rights activists welcome the reforms but say that the battle has only just begun. Eren Keskin, the head of the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association, said: “There are some positive developments in these new laws. However, in Turkey the written law and its enforcement can be two very different things. Until the feudal make-up of society, until the very mentality behind these crimes changes, we cannot expect anything very different.”
The 25-nation EU's anti-terror policies have led to breaches of human rights, Amnesty International said Tuesday.
"The European Union has always been clear in asserting that there can be no security without human rights. However, in practice, the EU and its Member States are too often prepared to remain silent on breaches of rights protection within or outside the EU," Amnesty International said.
Anti-war activists upset by the continuing violence in Iraq are planning demonstrations in Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco this fall to urge the administration to bring U.S. troops home.
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) has seen turnout in its demonstrations wane as the war has dragged on. The group hopes a long lead-up to the Sept. 24 protests will generate more interest.
A smuggling ring specializing in bringing Iranians into the U.S. over the Mexico border has been broken up in an FBI sting operation.
A 39-year-old Iranian with permanent legal residency status who is suspected of having smuggled 60 other Iranians into the U.S. was arrested Thursday in Mesa, Ariz., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
FBI officials said they had no reason to believe there were any terrorist connections to the case.
Although the area is still “red” — meaning hostile — as is all of the predominantly Sunni Anbar province, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force is extending power lines and laying water and sewage pipes at a steady pace. Rubble and explosives — some left over from the fighting and some freshly laid by the insurgents — is being removed. Schoolhouses and hospitals are being fixed and erected. As a bonus, military-age males (known by the abbreviation “MAM”) are receiving good wages to build things instead of blowing up people.
As I traveled through the slowly repopulating city — about half of the original 250,000 are believed to have returned — I saw awesome scenes of destruction. But I also saw thriving markets, stores selling candy and ice cream, and scores of children delighted to see Americans. I did more waving than the beauty queen in the 4th of July parade and the kids squealed with delight when I took their picture.
The top leadership of Amnesty International USA, which unleashed a blistering attack last week on the Bush administration's handling of war detainees, contributed the maximum $2,000 to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign.
Federal Election Commission records show that William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty USA, contributed $2,000 to Mr. Kerry's campaign last year. Mr. Schulz also has contributed $1,000 to the 2006 campaign of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat.
Also, Joe W. ?Chip? Pitts III, board chairman of Amnesty International USA, gave the maximum $2,000 allowed by federal law to John Kerry for President. Mr. Pitts is a lawyer and entrepreneur who advises the American Civil Liberties Union.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Iraq's foreign minister said he's concerned the United States may pull out of the country before the army and police are ready to take responsibility for the nation's security
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari meets with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley on Thursday, and his wide-ranging agenda includes ``the continued engagement'' of the United States in Iraq.
The Iraqi minister came to New York to urge the U.N. Security Council to extend the mandate of the U.S.-led multinational force, saying Iraqi troops and police cannot yet defend the country against an armed insurgency by remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime and some foreigners.
The council responded positively, issuing a statement Tuesday extending the mandate and saying it looks forward to Iraqi security forces playing a greater role and ultimately assuming responsibility for the country's national security.
May 31 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. and its allies in a program to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction prevented Iran from obtaining material for its nuclear weapons program within the past nine months, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
``The trans-shipment of material and equipment bound for ballistic missile programs in countries of concern, including Iran'' was blocked as was the transfer of ``equipment used to produce propellant'' to a ``ballistic missile program in another region'' of the world, Rice said.
Rice gave no details but said that the U.S. and 10 of its partners in the initiative have cooperated on 11 successful interdiction efforts over the past nine months. Iran was the only nation interdicted that she cited by name.
``Our policy is to prevent them from having the capacity to develop enriched uranium to the point where they're able to make a nuclear weapon,'' Bush said at a news conference. ``Therefore we're working with the EU-3 to hopefully convince the Iranians to abandon their pursuits of such a program,'' Bush added referring to France, Germany and the U.K.
Setback
Efforts to curb nuclear proliferation worldwide suffered a setback last week when a United Nations review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ended in failure, with no new agreement on how to block nuclear programs in either Iran or North Korea.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte said the Proliferation Security Initiative ``makes intelligence actionable.''
``Through PSI, intelligence can be coupled to government actions in whatever way is judged to be maximally effective by the responsible authorities,'' Negroponte said in remarks at the anniversary ceremony. Ambassadors from Singapore, Denmark and Japan, all participants in the initiative, also described PSI as an important part of the global effort to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
May 31, 2005--Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Americans have a favorable opinion of the U.S. military. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 16% have an unfavorable opinion.
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of those who have suffered such a loss have a favorable opinion of our nation's armed forces.
Favorable opinions are held by 79% of Republicans, 60% of Democrats and 58% of those not affiliated with either major party.
Americans support the global war on terror because they believe the United States has “important stakes” in the conflict, and will support other military actions overseas as well if they believe important stakes are involved, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.
RAND researchers conclude that “national leaders should expect a relatively permissive public opinion environment for taking military action” in operations that are viewed as directly related to the war on terror, even when U.S. casualties are expected.
The study examines key predictors of national support for U.S. military operations from Somalia to Iraq. It was compiled by the RAND Arroyo Center's Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Army.
“The main implication for the Army,” concludes the report, “is that Americans have proved themselves far more willing to use ground troops — to put boots on the ground — and to accept casualties in operations conducted under the global war on terror than in any of the military operations” during the 1990s.
Erik Saar, who served as an army sergeant at Gitmo for six months and co-authored a negative, tell-all book about his experience titled "Inside the Wire," inadvertently provides us more firsthand details showing just how restrained, and sensitive to Islam -- to a fault, I believe -- the officials at the detention facility have been.
Each detainee's cell has a sink installed low to the ground, "to make it easier for the detainees to wash their feet" before Muslim prayer, Saar reports. Detainees get "two hot halal, or religiously correct, meals" a day in addition to an MRE (meal ready to eat). Loudspeakers broadcast the Muslims' call to prayer five times a day.
Every detainee gets a prayer mat, cap and Koran. Every cell has a stenciled arrow pointing toward Mecca. Moreover, Gitmo's library -- yes, library -- is stocked with Jihadi books. "I was surprised that we'd be making that concession to the religious zealotry of the terrorists," Saar admits. "[I]t seemed to me that the camp command was helping to facilitate the terrorists' religious devotion." Saar notes that one FBI special agent involved in interrogations even grew a beard like the detainees "as a sort of show of respect for their faith."
The same unreality-based liberals whine about the Bush administration's failure to gather intelligence and prevent terrorism. Yet, these hysterical critics have no viable alternative to detention and interrogation -- and there is no doubt they would be the first to lambaste the White House and Pentagon if a released detainee went on to commit an act of mass terrorism on American soil.
Guantanamo Bay will not be the death of this country. The unseriousness and hypocrisy of the terrorist-abetting Left is a far greater threat.
They are Muslims, anarchists and peace activists. They may not have much in common, but two dozen groups and individuals in the St. Louis area united this month to denounce the FBI, claiming the agency is carrying out unwarranted investigations for religious or political reasons.
Mohammad Basirul Haq Sinha: "You often call for uniting Muslim and progressive forces globally. How far is it possible under current situation?"
Galloway: "Not only do I think it's possible but I think it is vitally necessary and I think it is happening already. It is possible because the progressive movement around the world and the Muslims have the same enemies. Their enemies are the Zionist occupation, American occupation, British occupation of poor countries mainly Muslim countries.
It's become increasingly clear in recent weeks that a second front has opened in the War on Terror. Now, not only is the United States battling Islamic terrorism and its state supporters, it's facing another enemy. That enemy is the mainstream news media that is aided by its allies among so-called international human rights organizations, the anti-American left, and detractors within our own military, government and intelligence services who are leaking as much dirt as they can muster. The mainstream news media is doing all it can to defeat the United States abroad.
In short, as the presidentÂ’s critics are rightly reminding him, more time has passed since 9/11 than transpired between Pearl Harbor and the surrender of the Japanese empire, and our most lethal enemies are still in power and still killing our people and our friends. It is good that the desire for freedom is now manifest among the oppressed peoples of the Middle East and Central Asia, and it is very good that dramatic strides toward self-government have been taken by the Georgians, Kyrgistanis, Ukrainians, Iraqis, and Lebanese. But it is not good enough. Indeed, it is shameful that we have yet to seriously challenge the legitimacy of the terror masters in Tehran and Damascus, who represent the keystone of the terrorist edifice.
Our enemies know this, because, to their delight and perhaps their surprise as well, they are still in power throughout the Middle East. Until and unless they are removed, the terror war will continue, our friends in the region will be killed, tortured, and incarcerated, and the president’s vision of regional democratic revolution will go down the memory hole. He is at yet another great turning point, and, as after the fall of Afghanistan and again after the defenestration of Saddam’s Baghdad, he is drifting, perhaps hoping that he has risked enough, that history is firmly on his side, and even — although it is hard to imagine — that the Europeans are helping the spread of freedom.
It is not so. In matters of war, peace, and revolution, winners are characterized by the constancy of their vision and the relentlessness of their pursuit of it. The French, Germans, and British are trying to restrain the revolution, not to encourage it, as their pathetic vaudeville-style negotiations with Iran abundantly demonstrate. One expects to hear one of their foreign ministers on the evening news, pronouncing Groucho’s immortal words: "I got principles. And if you don’t like ‘em, I got other principles..."
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