What's Next for Egypt?

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Steps Down

Published February 11, 2011

| FoxNews.com

CAIRO – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and handed control of the country to the military, Vice President Omar Suleiman said Friday in an address on state television.

The announcement touched off a wave of jubilation throughout Cairo's Tehrir Square, where tens of thousands of anti-government protesters had gathered demanding Mubarak's ouster hours after he failed to announce his resignation in an address on Thursday.

"In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency," Suleiman said. He has commissioned the armed forces council to direct the issues of the state."

Hours later, President Obama said "Egypt will never be the same."

Yes, what shape WILL Egypt take in the future? In the days of Bush's "With us or against us," approach to foreign affairs, the very fear of an angry and well-armed America would say Egypt's new face will be an open hand and a peaceful eye looking Westward.

But we live in the days post-Obama World Apologia Tour. The Muslim Brotherhood has already destroyed any vestiges of a secular Muslim-majority Turkey under his watch and are clearly working the scenes in Cairo as well.

Just as the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania and the USS Cole pre-saged the 9/11 massacre, the repeated attacks on Syriac Catholics in Iraq and the absence of Coptic Christians in the Egyptian uprising should pre-sage a potentially seismic shift in the Islamic and Arabic world if we're not careful!

I don't hold out much hope,....

"I am sitting here as a suspect because I have spoken... nothing but the truth"

Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders goes on trial

Geert Wilders: "I am sitting here as a suspect because I have spoken... nothing but the truth"

The Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has gone on trial in Amsterdam accused of inciting hatred against Muslims.

Mr Wilders, whose statements have included comparing the Koran with Hitler's Mein Kampf, told the court freedom of expression was on trial.

If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of a year in jail.

Mr Wilders' Freedom Party is the third biggest in the Netherlands after June elections, and is expected to play a key role in the next parliament.

Prosecutors have brought five charges of inciting hatred and discrimination, and the trial will scrutinise statements he made between 2006 and 2008.

In one such statement, in an editorial for the De Volkskrant newspaper, he wrote: "I've had enough of Islam in the Netherlands; let not one more Muslim immigrate.

"I've had enough of the Koran in the Netherlands: Forbid that fascist book."

Opines BBC Ananlyst Geraldine Coughlin:

Geert Wilders is defending his right to freedom of speech, which lies at the heart of the Dutch constitution. He believes he's said nothing offensive. He says his trial is a political process.


And he says it will not deter him from his mission, which is to stop the "Islamisation" of the Netherlands.


This trial is setting a precedent - judges said that in a democratic system, it is in the general interest to draw a clear line on the limits of hate speech.


And it comes at a time when Geert Wilders occupies a more crucial role, and enjoys a higher-profile, than ever. He is set to become a shadow partner in the next coalition government - giving tacit support to a minority cabinet.

And It's Just NOT Right!

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warned Tuesday a Florida church's threat to burn copies of the Muslim holy book could endanger U.S. troops in the country and Americans worldwide.


"Images of the burning of a Koran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan -- and around the world -- to inflame public opinion and incite violence ," Gen. David Petraeus said. "Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult."


His comments followed a protest Monday by hundreds of Afghans over the plans by Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center -- a small, evangelical Christian church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy -- to burn copies of the Koran on church grounds to mark the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.


First and foremost, we are a country founded on religious tolerance and a separation of the secular from the sacred. Too often in recent years, we've failed to lead by example and allowing ths Dove World Outreach Center to get away with this makes us no better than the Islamofascists who paint the West with a broad brush!

Second, regardless of your view of Islam, the Koran is a book of holy verse and I will defend its destruction with just as much force as I would a Baltimore Catechism, a King James Bible and a Torah! 

** THAT'S MY OPINION AND YOU'RE ENTITLED TO IT!**

It Must Be Dumbass Day!

Pie in the Face Leads to Disabled List
Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan injured while celebrating

It's always funny till somebody gets hurt—and that goes for professional baseball players hitting teammates in the face with shaving cream pies while they're giving postgame interviews. Chris Coghlan of the Florida Marlins is on the 15-day disabled list and may need knee surgery thanks to a pie-ing that went awry after Sunday's game, USA Today reports.

Wes Helms' game-winning RBI in the bottom of the 11th set off the celebration. "It happened as I was going to pie Wes in the face and when I jumped I landed on my knee wrong," Coghlan, last season's NL rookie of the year, told the Palm Beach Post. Manager Edwin Rodriguez has belatedly banned the pie ritual.

Pastor Plans 'Burn a Koran Day'—September 11
Anti-Islam Florida church also vehemently anti-gay

A Florida pastor whose Bible is apparently missing the page that explains the Golden Rule has big plans for the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks—his church will play host to "International Burn a Koran Day." The Dove World Outreach Center, which is known for the "Islam Is of the Devil" sign on its lawn in Gainesville, says Islam is "a violent and oppressive religion," Kyle Munzenrieder blogs for Miami New Times.

The pastor, Terry Jones, tells Religion News Service supporters have been mailing copies of the Koran to the church. Jones and his congregation have vehemently protested the election of a gay man as mayor of Gainesville, notes Edge Boston. They plan another event, for next month, cleverly named "No Homo Mayor." Asks Munzenrieder: "The Westboro Baptist Church currently holds the title of most insane thing purporting to be a Christian church in America, but could a small congregation of horribly misguided Christians in central Florida soon be taking their place?" For more on Westboro Baptist's recent escapades, click here.

Gentle readers: before you comment, know this: I'm no fan of Islamofascism, but it isn't the book that creates the hate, it's the hateful interpreter that twists the words to to justify the means.

From the WTF? Files,....

Saudi man chains his son in the basement for six years because he is 'possessed by an evil female genie'

By Michael Theodoulou
Last updated at 4:22 PM on 23rd July 2010


A Saudi man has been chained in a basement apartment for more than six years because his father believes he is possessed by an evil female genie.

'When he has fits he has convulsions and his entire body twists and his eyes become completely white,' said the father of the 29-year-old man who has been identified only as Turki. (In Western medicine, we call this "epilepsy!")


'Then the voice of a woman can be heard coming from him.'

When Turki first began behaving bizarrely, his father took him to local Muslim clerics to recite the Koran over him.

'But most of them became scared when they heard the female voice telling them that she was a royal jinn (genie) and that no-one can exorcise her unless Turki dies,' his father said.
One cleric advised him to shackle his son’s arms and legs in chains and read the Koran to him.
'We did this. My son became quiet but is totally unaware of what is happening around him. He does not talk and is now unable to harm anyone,' Turki’s father told Arab News, an English language Saudi daily.

But genies, or jinn, in Islamic theology can be much more sinister. Some are good, others bad.

Ft Hood: Is This Obama's 9/11?

Troubling Portrait Emerges of Fort Hood Shooting Rampage Suspect

WASHINGTON — His name appears on radical Internet postings. A fellow officer says he fought his deployment to Iraq and argued with soldiers who supported U.S. wars. He required counseling as a medical student because of problems with patients.

There are many unknowns about Nidal Malik Hasan, the man authorities say is responsible for the worst mass killing on a U.S. military base. Most of all, his motive.

For six years before reporting for duty at Fort Hood, Texas, in July, the 39-year-old Army major worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center pursuing his career in psychiatry, as an intern, a resident and, last year, a fellow in disaster and preventive psychiatry. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001.


And the Obama administration's response?

Obama: 'Dont' Jump to Conclusions' on Fort Hood Shooting

President Obama said Friday he met with FBI chief Robert Mueller and other federal agencies to discuss what may have caused Nidal Malik Hasan to turn on his comrades in Thursday's shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead and 28 wounded.

In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting at a U.S. base, President Obama on Friday cautioned against jumping to conclusions on the motive of the suspect.

"We don't know all the answers yet and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts," Obama said on the White House lawn.

"What we do know is that there are families, friends and an entire nation grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday," the president said.

Obama said he met with FBI chief Robert Mueller and other federal agencies to discuss what may have caused Nidal Malik Hasan to turn on his comrades in Thursday's shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead and 30 wounded.

Untied Nations Showing Their Anti-Semetic Roots Again!

From the BBC:

UN backs Gaza 'war crimes' report

The UN Human Rights Council has backed a report into the Israeli offensive in Gaza that accuses both Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes.

The report by Richard Goldstone calls for credible investigations by Israel and Hamas, and suggests international war crimes prosecutions if they do not.

Twenty-five countries voted for the resolution, while six were against.

Both Israel and the US opposed official endorsement of the report, saying it would set back Middle East peace hopes.

GOLDSTONE REPORT VOTE
For: Argentina, Brazil, China, Russia and 21 others

Against: US, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Ukraine
Abstentions: Belgium, Bosnia, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Japan, Mexico, Norway, South Korea, Slovenia and Uruguay

No vote: UK, France and 3 others

The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, meanwhile insisted that now was the time to end the "culture of impunity" which continues to prevail in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

In contrast, the Israeli government had lobbied intensively against the resolution, saying the Goldstone report was biased against Israel and removed the right of nations to defend themselves against terrorists.


FOLLOW UP:

Atlas Shrugs has a superb report on how the Obamessiah is "disgusted" with Israel!

Funny, but Stupid,...

Saudi Family Sues Genie for Harassment
CNN
posted: 3 HOURS 18 MINUTES AGO

(July 15) -- A family in Saudi Arabia has taken a genie to court, alleging theft and harassment, according to local media.
The lawsuit filed in Shariah court accuses the genie of leaving them threatening voicemails, stealing their cell phones and hurling rocks at them when they leave their house at night, said Al-Watan newspaper.

An investigation was under way, local court officials said.
"We have to verify the truthfulness of this case despite the difficulty of doing so," Sheikh Amr Al Salmi, the head of the court, told Al-Watan. "What makes this case and complaint more interesting is that it wasn't filed by just one person. Every member of the family is part of this case."
The family, which has lived in the same house near the holy city of Medina for 15 years, said it became aware of the spirit in the past two years.

"We began hearing strange noises," the head of the family, who requested anonymity, told Al-Watan. "In the beginning, we didn't take it seriously, but after that, stranger things started happening and the children got really scared when the genie began throwing stones."
A local charity has moved the family to a temporary residence while a court investigates, the newspaper said.
In Islamic cultures, a belief in genies, or jinns, is common.
Genies not only appear in pre-Islamic fiction such as "Arabian Nights," but are also mentioned in the Quran.
Many Saudis believe invisible genies live among them and are capable of demonic possession and revenge.

Sarkozy: It's French for "GW Bush"

Ah,..burka-burka-burka!

Sarkozy: France 'Cannot Accept' Burqas

Monday, June 22, 2009

PARIS — President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Muslim burqa would not be welcome in France, calling the full-body religious gown a sign of the "debasement" of women.

In the first presidential address to parliament in 136 years, Sarkozy faced critics who fear the burqa issue could stigmatize France's Muslims and said he supported banning the garment from being worn in public.

"In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity," Sarkozy said to extended applause at the Chateau of Versailles, southwest of Paris.

"The burqa is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement — I want to say it solemnly," he said. "It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic."

Dozens of legislators have called for creating a commission to study a possible ban in France, where there is a small but growing trend of wearing the full-body garment despite a 2004 law forbidding it from being worn in public schools.

France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, an estimated 5 million people, and the 2004 law sparked fierce debate both at home and abroad.

Even the French government has been divided over the issue, with Immigration Minister Eric Besson saying a full ban would only "create tensions," while junior minister for human rights Rama Yade said she was open to a ban if it was aimed at protecting women forced to wear the burqa.

The terms "burqa" and "niqab" often are used interchangeably in France. The former refers to a full-body covering worn largely in Afghanistan with only a mesh screen over the eyes, whereas the latter is a full-body veil, often in black, with slits for the eyes.

A leading French Muslim group, the French Council for the Muslim Religion, has warned against studying the burqa, saying it would "stigmatize" Muslims.

Sarkozy was due to host a state dinner Monday with Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani of Qatar, where women wear Islamic head coverings in public — whether while shopping or driving cars.

What is The Face of Islam?

The Wordsmith from Nantucket has an excellent piece on this subject.

The Wordsmith helps redefine some of the players in the Global War on Terror here:

Language has the power to define and to shape perception. It is a weapon in itself. While visiting Amy Proctor's blog, she wrote about the value in distinguishing the difference between "jihad" and "hirabah", and to help make that distinction mainstream.

• we do a disservice [to] the war on terrorism when we refer to acts of terrorism as Jihad. It is not and in order to isolate the terrorists, we need to refer to what it is: Hirabah.

Amy defines the two terms this way:

• Jihad means to make an effort to overcome difficulty or to struggle. It includes an internal or personal, social and institutional struggle for justice and against oppression and sin. Jihad can not be used to force people to convert or kill non-Muslims. This is contrary to Islamic law.

• Hirabah on the other hand is rebellion and terrorism, considered heresy within Islam. Acts of hirabah are capital crimes in Islam. It contains the principle of Jihad but carries out acts of “persuasion” to meet its objective.

The American Interest has several takes on this same question:

Amir Taheri asks "What do Muslims Think?:

What do Muslims think? Do most Muslims reject the radical fundamentalist interpretation of their faith peddled by Osama bin Laden and his associates, or do they increasingly embrace it? As simple and even empirical as the question is, Western observers do not agree on the answer. Several efforts by Western polling organizations to answer this and related questions have clarified little and raised serious arguments over the reliability of their methodologies.

Most do agree, however, that the question is important, for the answer ought to tell us how to fashion the political aspects of the global War on Terror—the struggle for “hearts and minds”, as it is commonly and more softly called. If most of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims oppose radical views, then U.S. (and Western) policy could usefully help organize, mobilize and in other ways support majority moderate Muslim views against minority radical ones. There would be a robust future for public diplomacy and little worry about a clash of civilizations. The short-term risks of destabilizing authoritarian Arab allies in an effort to open up political spaces within their borders, too, could be borne confidently. On the other hand, to the extent that Muslim societies have become radicalized in recent years and if still further radicalization is to be expected, then public diplomacy will not be able to accomplish much, a civilizational clash looms, and cooperation with less-than-democratic regional allies becomes a more attractive tactic.

Just a dozen years ago, virtually no one debated this question. Despite the radicalizing influence of the Iranian Revolution and the Wahhabi proselytizing of an inexhaustibly wealthy Saudi Arabia, virtually all knowledgeable observers would have dismissed the possibility that radicals would ever make up a majority, or anything near it, within the Muslim world. Now there is a plausible argument otherwise. Radicalization has advanced rapidly, runs the argument, through a combination of factors: the frustrations of living under corrupt and dysfunctional governments that have failed to congeal a focus of loyalty other than that of tribe and sect; greater literacy and urbanization, which privilege higher, formalized standards of piety over the traditional folk Islam of the countryside; reaction against the alien indignities of Western materialism, accelerated by the growing scope of post-Cold War globalization; the integration of Muslim political consciousness (and grievances) worldwide thanks to the information revolution; and an aggressive post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy that has fueled nativist reactions against Westernization on a massive scale.

Meanwhile, Philip E. Auerswald believes the Middle East is becoming obsolete:

The Middle East, as virtually everyone knows, is the repository of half of the world’s proven oil reserves, the locus of vital shipping lanes and the heartland of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. Events there directly affect the U.S. economy and its national security, which is why we almost universally view this region as one of paramount importance. That the U.S. military presence has declined since the end of the Cold War in every part of the world except this one is a natural reflection of the region’s strategic centrality. This line of argument is so familiar that it is almost impossible to conceive of its being mistaken. Yet it is.

As the 21st century unfolds, the Middle East (leaving Israel aside for the moment) will matter less and less to the United States and to most of the rest of the world. Only when we recognize this fact will we be able to forge a coherent and effective foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. As a consequence, we have much more to fear from a U.S. posture that strives to accomplish too much in the region than we do from one that strives to accomplish too little.


So, gentle readers, in the end we, as Westerners and predominantly Christian, are faced with several questions as we proceed in the GWOT:

• Is Islam an inherently-violent religion that seeks global domination at all costs?
• Is Islam a naturally peaceful religion being held hostage by a minority of zealots, using Western ideologies to foment anger against non-Muslims?
• Can democracy trump thousands of years of subjugation in the name of one religion?

The phone lines are open,...the Trekmedic is listening,....