Mick Hartley

The Promise of God

Caroline Glick on the message from Ahmedinejad that no one wanted to hear:

At Columbia University, Ahmadinejad devoted the majority of his speech to a discussion of the role of science in human affairs. While most coverage surrounded his refusal to renounce his call to annihilate Israel, his central message, that he rejects the right of people to be free to choose their paths in life, was ignored. His remarks on the issue were dismissed as "weird" or "unintelligible." Yet they were neither.

Speaking as "an academic," Ahmadinejad said that from his perspective, the role of science is to serve Islam and that any science that does not serve Islamic goals is corrupt. As he put it, "Science is the light, and scientists must be pure and pious. If humanity achieves the highest level of physical and spiritual knowledge but its scholars and scientists are not pure, then this knowledge cannot serve the interests of humanity." Elaborating on this notion, he argued that Western scientists serve corrupt governments who reject the pure and pious path of Islam and therefore are used as agents for corruption.

Tellingly, Ahmadinejad moved directly from his assault on non-Islamic scientists and regimes to a defense of Iran's nuclear program. The message was clear: Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is done in the name of Islam and therefore it is inherently legitimate. As far as he is concerned, refusing to allow Iran to pursue nuclear weapons is tantamount to an assault on God.

In his address at the UN, Ahmadinejad laid out his case for Islamic supremacy. He claimed that all of the world's problems are the consequence of two things. First, by his reading of history, after the Second World War, "The victors of the war drew the road map for global domination and formulated their policies not on the basis of justice but for ensuring the interests of the victors over the vanquished nations."

The second cause for the world's woes is the world powers' rejection of Islam. As he put it, "The second and more important factor is some big powers' disregard of morals, divine values, the teachings of prophets and instructions by the Almighty God... Unfortunately, they have put themselves in the position of God!"

Thankfully for Ahmadinejad, this "corrupted" world order will soon be swept away. Either the "corrupted" powers will "return from the path of arrogance and obedience to Satan to the path of faith in God," or "the same calamities that befell the people of the distant past will befall them as well."

Concluding his UN remarks Ahmadinejad pledged, "Without any doubt, the Promised One who is the ultimate Savior... will come. In the company of all believers, justice-seekers and benefactors, he will establish a bright future and fill the world with justice and beauty. This is the promise of God; therefore it will be fulfilled."

It could be argued that since Ahmadinejad's central message failed to register on his Western audiences that his visit to America was a failure. The fact that no media organs felt it necessary to analyze what he was talking about could be seen as a clear sign that no one is interested in buying what he is selling. But this is a dangerous argument, for it misses a basic truth.

Ahmadinejad is not interested in convincing the US government or even the majority of Americans to convert to Islam. He is interested in convincing adherents of totalitarian Islam and potential converts to the cause that they are on the winning side. He is interested in demoralizing foes of totalitarian Islam within the Islamic world and so causing them to give up any thoughts of struggle. In this goal he is no different from any of his Sunni counterparts in Saudi Arabia, al-Qaida, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas or their sister organizations throughout the Islamic world and indeed throughout the West.

Throughout the world, Islamic ideologues are aggressively spreading their message of global domination. In mosques, on the Internet, on television, in schools, hospitals and prisons, Islamic preachers can be found propagating the cause of Islamic domination.

The Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

The first 1286 in line of succession to the throne (via). I didn't see my name, but there are plenty of Romanians, Yugoslavs....and Germans.

137: Timotheus Friedrich Prinz von Preussen, son of Philipp Prinz von Preussen.
153: HRH Prince Christian Ludwig of Prussia, son of Prince Christian Sigismund of Prussia.
156: HH Duchess Rixa of Oldenburg, daughter of Princess Marie Cécile of Prussia.
167: HSH Princess Katharina of Waldeck and Pyrmont, daughter of Prince Andreas of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.
173: HH Prince Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, son of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
246: Hubertus Prinz von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, great-grandson of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

And so it goes, on and relentlessly on....

1234: HIllH Count Lukas of Stolberg-Stolberg, cousin of Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss-Köstritz.
1273: HIllH Count Moritz of Castell-Castell, son of Count Heinrich of Castell-Castell.

A sobering thought: 172 unfortunate accidents (in the manner of Kind Hearts and Coronets), and we'll have the son of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg on the throne.

Morality Police

The Saudi example is catching on: first Indonesia, now the West Bank:

A new squad of morality police has begun detaining Palestinians who eat or drink in public during Ramadan in the West Bank, where the Islamic month of daytime fasting was always widely observed but never imposed.

The 12-member squad appears to be an attempt by President Mahmoud Abbas' West Bank government to challenge the monopoly on religious righteousness claimed by the militant group Hamas, the rival ruler of Gaza.

The sudden deployment of Ramadan police was unexpected in Ramallah, the seat of Abbas' government and the most cosmopolitan and well-to-do of the Palestinian cities. Ramadan squads have not been set up in other West Bank towns.

Watching observers arrive at one of the town's main mosques one recent afternoon, vice squad Lt. Murad Qendah got a radio call telling him a suspect has been spotted in the street imbibing "karoub"—a local soft drink made from carob pods. He ordered his six-man squad to seize the man's papers pending investigation. Police say violators are usually held for 24 hours.

Rolling Stones

A fascinating look at the recording of Dylan's Blonde on Blonde: a rather less than fascinating interview with Mick Jagger. What's the connection? Rolling stone, of course (on Dylan's previous album in fact, but no matter). So, um, here are the Temptations.

To Finish Quickly the African People

Here's a helpful contribution from a Roman Catholic archbishop:

The head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has told the BBC he believes some European-made condoms are infected with HIV deliberately.

Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the African people".

The Catholic Church formally opposes any use of condoms, advising fidelity within marriage or sexual abstinence...

The BBC's Jose Tembe in the capital, Maputo, says it is estimated that 16.2% of Mozambique's 19m inhabitants are HIV positive.

About 500 people are infected every day.

Archbishop Chimoio told our reporter that abstention, not condoms, was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.

"Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose," he alleged, refusing to name the countries.

"They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."

Wire Cars

A car being loaded onto a van (click to enlarge).

A Toyota Corolla, actually. By artist Benedict Radcliffe.

More pics here.

An earlier effort, a Subaru, here.

Smoked Leg

From the Scotsman:

A North Carolina man who bought a meat smoker at auction found part of a human leg, wrapped in paper, inside. Police traced it to Peg Steele, whose son had his leg amputated after a plane crash and kept the leg "for religious reasons".

Don't worry, the commenters have already come up with all the jokes.

The Islamic Awakening

Syrian poet Adonis in an interview on Al-Arabiya TV:

If we compare the capabilities of the Arabs with what they actually do – the only conclusion I can draw is that we are a people that is becoming extinct. We are becoming extinct in terms of our civilization, like the Sumerians, the Greeks, the Pharaohs, the Romans, and all those great civilizations that have become extinct. We no longer possess the creative capacity that would allow us to establish a great human society, and at the same time, to take part in the building of the world. [...]

I am not against religion – any religion whatsoever. What I am against is the misinterpretation of religion, and against the political and social exploitation of religion for the sake of other objectives, because this constitutes aggression against others. The prevalent interpretation is that the truth lies in the text, whereas by any intellectual standard, this is not true, and truth lies in research. [...]

I had hoped, for instance, that there would be an Islamic awakening in the humanistic sense, that there would be a reexamination of Islam, and that Islam would take part in the building of today's world. But the entire "Islamic awakening" of today is based on violence, killing, and terrorism.

The Chinese Connection

As tensions mount and more violence threatens in Burma, an article at PM looks at the Chinese connection, quoting the South Asian Analysis Group:

China was the only state that stood by Myanmar since the military took over power in 1988. Myanmar is heavily dependent on China for all its military requirements as they have been buying them at “friendship prices”. China on the other hand is wooing Myanmar both for its economic and strategic interests. To exploit the river and road networks in Myanmar, China has entered into a long term agreement with Myanmar. China is building new roads linking Myanmar with the South-West provinces, clearing the Irrawady river for bigger barges and modernising some of the ports and shipyards of Myanmar.

But the Chinese are being cautious:

China has gently urged Myanmar's military rulers to ease the strife that has seen tens of thousands take to the streets in protest, diplomats said Tuesday, even as Beijing said publicly it would stick to a hands-off approach toward its neighbor.

China has quietly shifted gears, the diplomats said, jettisoning its noninterventionist line for behind-the-scenes diplomacy. A senior Chinese official asked junta envoys this month to reconcile with opposition democratic forces. And China arranged a low-key meeting in Beijing between Myanmar and State Department envoys to discuss the release of the leading opposition figure.

For a country that has been Myanmar's staunchest diplomatic protector, largest trading partner and a leading investor, the shift is crucial. Asian and Western diplomats in Beijing and Southeast Asia said China's influence in Myanmar is second to none and could be decisive in restraining the junta from a violent confrontation with protesters.

"China has been working to convey the concerns of the international community to the Burmese government," a Western diplomat in Beijing said on condition of anonymity, citing policy. "But it could definitely do more to apply pressure."

Since the threat of disruption to the 2008 Beijing Olympics seems to have paid some dividends in pushing China into modifying its policies on Darfur, maybe the same could apply here. Then again, though, perhaps encouraging opposition to the authority of a geriatric bunch of leaders, ruling in the name of a discredited socialist ideology, would hit a little too close to home.

Sowing Life in a Troubled Country

Making music in Iraq:

With cinemas closed, the theater dead, and an entertainment-killing curfew in force every night, Iraqis are returning to one of their more ancient traditions - making music in the home.

Music teachers and instrument shop owners say that young Iraqis, bored with television and with little else to do, are investing both time and money in learning to play musical instruments. [...]

Raghid, a Christian who can play just about every instrument that he sells in his shop, is adamant that he will not follow most of his relatives who have left Iraq, as he loves his country.

"I am a person who sows life in this troubled, explosive, and insurgency-burdened country," he said. "I will stick with Iraq and my friends with whom I have spent all my life. We have all decided not to leave each other and to stay put despite the troubles," he said. "I love my profession and my friends, both Shiites and Sunnis."

Music teachers are also starting to earn a better living thanks to the revival of home-based entertainment.

Abbas Fadhel, 28, who recently graduated from Baghdad's Higher Music Institution, uses his downtown apartment as a school where he teaches 15 students a month the system of melodic modes known as maqam used in traditional Arabic music, as well as other more modern genres.

He says that students are torn between getting out and risking traveling the highly dangerous streets of the capital or staying at home and being bored.

"They say they're afraid to go out, but they also feel they're wasting their time sitting at home," said Fadhel. "In the past young people used to go to the theater or the cinema, but now there's no more entertainment so they've started learning music."

One of Fadhel's students, 16-year-old Zina Hatham, says that she loves music and is learning to play the keyboard. "It is beautiful and I love spending my time learning how to play," Hatham said. "I love to express myself through music."