The Muhammed saga continues
I’m a pompous theocratic fool
His eminence Grand Sheik Sayyed Tantawi of the al-Azhar in Cairo — the most respected religious authority in the Sunni Islamic world — won’t let go of the Muhammed caricatures. In an interview with Berlingske Tidende he now condemns their publication nearly a year ago as “one of the worst crimes ever,” and demands the following punishments:
* For the newspaper Jyllands-Posten: banning for several years.
* For its editor-in-chief: 1-3 years in prison.
* For its cultural editor, Flemming Rose: to be drawn as a pig.
No, I’m not making this up!
Memo to the Grand Sheik, his like-minded ulama, and their followers: the day you non-violently protest Israeli aggression with half the zeal which you have put into this farce, it will be possible to take you seriously again.
who takes them seriously anyway… in their opinion, cartoons have greater reach than bombs! in my opinion, they are not worth any sort of consideration… if other sunnis really consider him a major authority, then you do wonder about this supposed silent majority that is tolerant and open minded…
Comment by Shyamal — August 25, 2006 @ 2:36 pm
Sirocco, see you were banned from Kos. Sorry — really. I sometimes do not understand the politics of the site. Perhaps, really you don’t mind. But I noted today that the Swedish government has voted in a conservative government. This seems like big news to me - my paternal Scandinavian blood keeps me interested in the Scandinavian countries. I hoped you would put something up about that change — my own feeling is it may be due to immigration. Is this true in any way? Is Europe taking on a conservative bent, do you think? I also read Germany has a larger neo-nazi party. Considering how our conservatives have pretty much mucked up my country - I would think people would run in the other direction. Is it globalization? Immigration? A new generation that wants to make money? I’d like to see a commentary from you? I was angry at Australia’s pm when he made those unkind remarks about Sen. Gore. That’s also a conservative government. What’s happening, do you think? Don’t know how else to get in touch with you -
Comment by xanthe — September 18, 2006 @ 3:29 am
Hello xanthe. No, I don’t personally mind being banned at dKos, which is a huge and mostly uninteresting time sink. The loss, if I may say so, is all on dKos’ side. Moreover, I was quitting blogging anyway, and have in fact done so. But in principle it is a little shocking, and it brings out what an arrogant joke this Moulitsas character is. As best I can recall he also did not speak out against the US sponsored carnage in Lebanon with a word, which makes him a coward at best.
I don’t think the narrow win for the centrists and conservatives in Sweden has much to do with immigration policy, which for the most part wasn’t on the agenda. And I wouldn’t worry about the result. The winning coalition aren’t conservative by US standards; they’d all belong to the Democratic party. Think in terms of Britain’s New Labour without the horrific foreign policy (even the conservatives in Sweden wouldn’t have supported the Iraq War, say). Moreover the Social Democrats have been in power for 12 consecutive years, so in a way it’s healthy for Swedish democracy to have a gentle swing of the pendulum. That said, I would of course have voted for the Social Democrats myself.
The Neo-Nazis in the former DDR (who of course are right radicals, not conservatives) are another matter entirely. Although I know less about that, it’s cleae that their progress is driven by economic stagnation and unemployment in the east of Germany. Why the conditions remain so dour in these areas despite so massive transfers and investment from the west is not obvious to me though.
Australia has had a conservative gov’t for many years. I don’t have many kind things to say about that country, to be frank. It’s like the USA, only not so cultivated. The Howard thing they have for a PM is a notorious jerk.
Take care!
Comment by Sirocco — September 19, 2006 @ 2:23 pm
Sirocco, I also have been waiting for a commentary from you about world events, but so far only the same bearded picture is coming up. I agree with the comment by Xanthe that I liked your website, the contents seemed very logical to me and reminds me of my late brother, who was a kind, a wise man,; I agree with you that I do not understand why there is such stagnation in the former DDR, even that so much money was poured into it. There was definitely a lot of corruption, but I do not blame the misery an that. There is probably some desire of people to be led, either by the communists, or by the fascits, it’s the easest way not to think; the young people in the ‘free’ world seem to be freed of thinking by watching mindless tv shows or games, or else engage in drug and sex. Still this does not explain the Fall of the former communist societies in Eastern Europe and DDR in particular.
We need to think together about it, so help us, Scirocco…….
Tony
Comment by tony — September 21, 2006 @ 1:02 am
Scirocco, the Dream of Dialog that Josteen Gaarder has invoked and which the Pope also mentioned in his recent speech to academics, lives in your blog and I wish you would continue this internet site as a service to people of good will.
Tony
Comment by tony — September 21, 2006 @ 1:31 am
I’m sorry to see you stop blogging - but I don’t know your schedule, etc. In any event - thanks for comments and erudite commentary on blog. Amd if you ever come to Chicago - you have my email address.
Barb
Comment by xanthe — September 21, 2006 @ 8:05 pm
the cartoon story just proofed once more how “peaceful” islam is. after the cartoon incidence European nations should have suspended diplomatic relationship with more than one country. What happened? nothing. good old european laissez-faire. there are times when I wish the US would occupy Irak a little bit more just to achieve that there is one islamic nation in the world that has had sufficient contact with democratic processes to be a starting point for the rest of the islamic world. we can only hope that this will be the case, for then the expenditures on Irak will have a positive outcome for the entire world and many families who have lost a member in Irak might feel a little bit less deprived. until then I have to deal with muslim collegues who think that Christianity and Judaism are trash and who will not tolerate any verbal dissent, not even when it comes from above. all of this right in the US - a proof that exposure to different behaviour alone does not suffice.
Comment by mara — November 11, 2006 @ 3:50 am