Category Archives: Middle East

Religious Freedom in 'Liberated' Afghanistan

Democracy, Middle East, Politics, Religion, The State

Lawrence Auster is BAB’s Guest Blogger today. First up, he comments on the case of the Muslim convert to Christianity, now awaiting death in “liberated” Afghanistan.–ILANA

“How Democratization has put us in Bed with the Muslims” By Lawrence Auster at View from the Right

Here’s something to make your teeth hurt. The U.S. State Department refuses to call on the Afghanis to stop seeking the death penalty for a former Muslim who became a Christian. Instead, the State Department spokesmen are saying things like, “We believe it is important that the Afghan authorities handle the case in a transparent manner,” as though all they care about were proper legal procedure. But wait—that is all our government cares about, isn’t? For example, if a mass-murdering terrorist organization comes to power in the Palestinian Authority by legal popular vote, that’s fine with us, right?
Meanwhile Italy told the Afghanis it would withdraw its troops from Afghanistan if the Christian man is not spared.

“Wafa Wows the West” (But not Muslims and Media)

Islam, Media, Middle East

It’s … of special significance that members of the American news media—not Al-Jazeera—have distorted what [Wafa] Sultan has said, introducing their bias into her unambiguous words. Equally intriguing is the fact that Al-Jazeera—not the American Fourth Estate—introduced Sultan to the world…
For my money, if Al-Jazeera continues to provoke viewers with the likes of Sultan, I’ll be signing on when they start to transmit here. It’s a whole lot better than enduring Chris Matthews’ incestuous love-ins with “The ‘Hardball’ hotshots.” That’s when MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough, and Rita Cosby aka “Throaty McHuskington,” who each torture us independently during their respective programs, combine to amplify the unedifying effects.
As for the girls at CNN—Paula Zahn, Kyra Phillips and Anderson Cooper appear indifferent to professional competition. Edgy reporting elsewhere never rubs off on this crew. They prefer to kvetch interminably about colorectal, breast and lung cancer; anorexia nervosa, and Katrina. In this stream of soporific, soft-news stories, Wafa Sultan is indeed a rarity.

Wafa Sultan is the reason I praise Al-Jazeera in my new column, “Wafa Wows the West (But not Muslims and Media).”

"Wafa Wows the West" (But not Muslims and Media)

Islam, Media, Middle East

It’s … of special significance that members of the American news media—not Al-Jazeera—have distorted what [Wafa] Sultan has said, introducing their bias into her unambiguous words. Equally intriguing is the fact that Al-Jazeera—not the American Fourth Estate—introduced Sultan to the world…
For my money, if Al-Jazeera continues to provoke viewers with the likes of Sultan, I’ll be signing on when they start to transmit here. It’s a whole lot better than enduring Chris Matthews’ incestuous love-ins with “The ‘Hardball’ hotshots.” That’s when MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough, and Rita Cosby aka “Throaty McHuskington,” who each torture us independently during their respective programs, combine to amplify the unedifying effects.
As for the girls at CNN—Paula Zahn, Kyra Phillips and Anderson Cooper appear indifferent to professional competition. Edgy reporting elsewhere never rubs off on this crew. They prefer to kvetch interminably about colorectal, breast and lung cancer; anorexia nervosa, and Katrina. In this stream of soporific, soft-news stories, Wafa Sultan is indeed a rarity.

Wafa Sultan is the reason I praise Al-Jazeera in my new column, “Wafa Wows the West (But not Muslims and Media).”

Democracy à la Dubya

Bush, Democracy, Iraq, Middle East

Democracy ala Dubya has two sections. Here are excerpts from each:

To Democratize Or Not To Democratize

In his State of the Union Address, the president branded the United States as the world’s “partner for a better life.” He also recommitted “our nation” “abroad” “to an historic, long-term goal”: seeking “the end of tyranny in our world.” To discredit those who oppose recreational, unprovoked wars, coups, and other state-sponsored global interventions, Mr. Bush deployed the “isolationist” epithet.
The president’s proselytizing is unconstitutional and has been undertaken with no real authority. If Mr. Bush is so bewitched by the demos—the rule of the many—he should try some Athenian magic on the foot soldiers who’ll be fighting and financing his schemes.
So how about a referendum on this question?

Elect A New People
While throwing money and men to Moloch, the commander in chief ignores that the Arab Street has always been more militant than its leaders… The only way Bush will get the democracy he desires in the Arab world is by dissolving the people and electing another, to paraphrase Bertold Brecht…

Blog away.

About Democracy ala Dubya, Jay Homnick of The Reform Club writes: “Ilana Mercer has summed up her recent critques of George Bush’s Middle East policy in one powerful essay wherein every word sparkles. Agree or not, not to be missed.”
There is an interesting thread at The Reform Club, to be followed here.
Thanks Jay.