Paradise lost...

After a lengthy battle, Pakistan has agreed to allow the Taliban to introduce Sharia law, a deranged way of life backward enough to inflict punishment on rape victims, as my most last post pointed out. By all means, Pakistan is surrendering to the Taliban.

If the Pakistani Army does pull out and the Taliban moves into the once-beautiful Swat Valley, that leaves us with few options, except for maybe...



Air power of course...certainly no one deserves a missile up their ass more than a bearded scumbag who storms into a girls school with an AK-47 and burns it down, blows it up, or in some cases, throws acid on the innocent students. How sad is it to think of the young girls in Pakistan who, thanks to the Pakistani government, might lose the battle for their education.

President Obama needs to put forth a troop surge strategy in Afghanistan, but it will have to be more complex than that. Recent polls are suggesting that the people of Afghanistan are losing their trust of the United States and our NATO allies. For every girls' school the Taliban burns down in the tribal areas of Pakistan, the elected-government of Afghanistan, along with its western allies, should build 50 new ones on the Afghan-side of the border. Having their leaders picked off by CIA predator drones may be damaging to the Taliban, but the only way they will ever be finished off is if both Afghans and Pakistanis succeed in building successful democracies.

I have always defended Pakistan...there is little doubt that they have suffered far more than any other country in the region from terrorism, especially India and Afghanistan. But surrendering Swat Valley could be a mistake of historical proportions.

A new bastion for anti-semitism

South America has seen Nazi-like regimes come in place before, and it looks like Hugo Chavez's recent diplomatic moves against Israel are stirring the flames of anti-semitism.

Synagogue attacked in Venezuela

An armed gang has ransacked a Jewish synagogue in the Venezuelan capital Caracas after occupying the building for several hours.

About 15 unidentified men broke into the building before daubing graffiti on the walls and desecrating scriptures.

They also called for Jewish people to be expelled from the country.

Jewish leaders say tensions have risen since Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Israel this month over its recent military offensive in Gaza.

Elias Farache, president of Venezuela's Jewish Association, said the gang had tied and gagged security guards before destroying offices and the place where holy books were kept.

Anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli slogans were painted on the walls.

"Never in the history of Venezuela's Jewish community have we been the target of such an aggression," said Mr Farache.

"The climate is very tense. We feel threatened, intimidated, attacked."

'Moral force'

Venezuela and Israel have had strained relations for some time, and Caracas has been fiercely critical of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which started in late December.

The Venezuelan ambassador and his staff were ordered to leave the country on 6 January, and President Hugo Chavez has urged Israelis to stand up against their government.

Israel responded by ordering Venezuelan diplomats to leave, declaring them "persona non grata in Israel" earlier this week.

Who's the real enemy?

This post is a plea to the people of Iraq. Anyone has read any history of the Middle East obviously knows that Israel and the Arab states are historic enemies. A member of Iraq's parliament, Mithal Al-Alusi, could face prosecution for visiting Israel to attend an anti-terrorism conference. While the two state may have their differences, there's no question that Israel and Iraq face the same common enemy: political fundamentalists justifying murder under the religion of Islam. In fact, Al-Alusi's two sons were murdered at the hands of terrorists in Iraq.

Iraqi soldiers take part in a counter-terrorism drill.

The terrorists who are capitalizing off of this violence will never be defeated unless the countries of the world can find away to put aside their differences and confront them.

Sadly, two of the lawmakers pushing for Al-Alusi's punishment are Sunni and Shia. This is not how unification should work. Personally, I think that Maliki's government is getting way to close to the regime in Tehran. Iraq will forge a relationship with a country it fought a bloody 8-year war with, in addition to Iran's support for extremists in southern Iraq, but apparently its too much to cooperate with Israel in fighting terrorism. For the sake of a peaceful future for the Middle East, Iraqi lawmakers should drop any and all charges that might be coming against Al-Alusi.

Iraq punishes MP for visiting Israeli conference

by Jpost and AP

Iraqi legislators said Sunday that parliament had voted to lift the immunity of a Sunni Arab lawmaker who visited Israel.

The parliament has also banned Mithal al-Alusi from traveling outside Iraq or attending parliamentary sessions, they said.

Sunday's punishment was confirmed by Osama al-Nujeif, a Sunni Arab lawmaker, and Haider al-Ibadi, a Shi'ite lawmaker.

The two men said Alusi's trip was illegal and a humiliation for Iraqis who see Israel as a historical enemy. Without parliamentary immunity, Alusi could be subject to prosecution.

Alusi, chairman of Iraq's Democratic Party, Mithal al-Alusi, surprisingly arrived at a conference on terror in Herzliya last Wednesday, calling for the establishment of a joint intelligence network with Israel and the United States.

"In Israel, there is no occupation, there is liberalism," Alusi said to the sound of roaring applause.

Alusi made his first trip to Israel in September 2004 to participate in a counter-terrorism conference. Apparently as payback, extremists murdered his two sons, 22 and 30.

The terrorists "will try to kill more. They will try to stop us. It should give us power to continue, to believe in ourselves," he told The Jerusalem Post in an interview at the time.

Alusi was given the American Jewish Committee's Moral Courage award following his sons' deaths.

Iraq could benefit by following India, which is seeking Israeli help in curbing a resurgent militant threat in Kashmir. What does either side have to lose right now?

Al-Qaeda stands alone

AQ's deputy leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri has released a new videotape, and in it, he condemns the actions of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Its clear now...AQ is getting desperate, and they are now forced to lash out at anyone...even grotesque regimes that have in the past been sympathetic to their cause. The article below the attack on Iran shows the measures Al-Qaeda needs to go to in order to continue their campaign of violence.

Al-Qaida blasts Iran for working with US

Al-Qaida marked the anniversary of the September 11 attacks Monday with an hour-and-a-half video message summarizing the state of jihad, or holy war, around the world and slamming Iran for collaborating with the United States.

In the short excerpts aired on the Arab satellite news channel Al-Jazeera, al-Qaida Number 2 Ayman al-Zawahri accused Iran working with US forces.

"The guardian of Muslims in Teheran is cooperating with the Americans in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and recognizes the two hireling governments there," he said.

Zawahri also criticized the Shi'ites for not "issuing any fatwa (edict) inside or outside Iraq calling for jihad and carrying arms against the Crusader occupier in Iraq." In militant postings, "crusaders" is shorthand for US troops in Iraq.

Zawahri has been increasingly singling out Iran and Shi'ites in his messages, most recently in April, describing the "Persians" as the enemy of Arabs and complicit in the occupation of Iraq.

The latest video featured clips of al-Qaida operations in the various fronts around the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, with prominent figures from the movement discoursing on their accomplishments over the year, Al-Jazeera said.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Pakistan...

From the Pakistan Dawn:

Teenage ‘suicide bomber’ held in Nowshera

NOWSHERA, Sept 8: Security personnel arrested on Monday a teenage boy they claimed was on a suicide mission and defused his explosives-lined vest. The boy was near a church in the Cantonment area when he was apprehended.

Officials said that 14-year-old boy, Mir Janan, was from Makeen area of South Waziristan.

During interrogation, the boy is said to have claimed that he belonged to Baitullah Mehsud’s Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

According to officials, he said that he had been brought to the area by a man on a motorbike.

The Inter Service Public Relations said the bomber was about 17 to 18 years old and his target was a security convoy.

He was spotted by two junior cmmissioned officers, Subedar Mohammad Naeem Akhtar and Naib Subedar Mohammad Rafique, who got hold of him.

The ISPR said that the boy was wearing a suicide vest packed with 10 to 15 kilogrammes of explosives. The vest was defused by bomb disposal personnel.

It is learnt that the boy also carried a hand-grenade and he tried to use it by removing its safety pin, but he was prevented from doing so.

Later, bomb disposal personnel had tactfully persuaded the bomber to take off the vest.

Security agencies are on the lookout for accomplices of the young terrorist.

Uncle Ayman doesn't have much to say about this in his tape. You would think someone like Baitullah Mehsud (Pakistani Taliban chief, alleged assassin of Benazir Bhutto) would have many "brave" martyrs on hand instead of having to convince 14-year olds to blow themselves up amongst fellow Muslims. A similar case like this happened in Iraq last month, involving a 16-year old girl.

Make no mistake, although AQ takes a beating every time the world sees their true face (that they kill children and target Muslims more than any other group), they did score a tremendous victory with Musharraf's ouster. Zawahiri points to this in his tape, specifically.

A cultural crossroad

It can almost be called Al-Qaeda’s Tibet…China’s western Xinjiang Province, home to the ethnic Uighurs, a mainly Muslim minority in China. Chinese repression of the Uighur people has given extremist groups an opportunity to exploit this suffering, and turn it into a political tool. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement has carried out at least three violent attacks against Chinese police in security forces during the month of the Olympics, killing dozens of people, primarily ETIM fighters and policemen.


Seeing as I have never had the chance to come face-to-face with an ethnic Uighur separatist, I am not sure if liberating the Muslim people of western China is truly something they care about (terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in Iraq or the Taliban routinely put this notion to rest by blowing up innocent Muslims, often dozens at a time, almost every day). Regardless, the attacks that have occurred during the Olympic Games have only provoked the Chinese regime into forcing its ironclad grip even tighter on the Uighur community who would like to have the chance to exercise their religion, language, and culture freely.

Below is a very interesting article I found on Al-Jazeera about this tense situation…note the map of the province above, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s alleged that some ETIM fighters are receiving training in the mountainous tribal areas of these countries.

Xinjiang tense in wake of attacks

By Tony Cheng, in Kashgar

With the eyes of the world on the Olympics in Beijing, a lockdown is in force across China's western Xinjiang province.

After three separate attacks in recent days, the Chinese government is unsure who they can trust in this restless region, more than 2,000 km from the Chinese capital.

At a checkpoint outside the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, a short distance from the site of Tuesday's fatal stabbing of three security officials, we found police relaxed, but no one was allowed to pass unchecked.

Heading back into the city, security was much tighter, with armed police forcing passengers to disembark from buses and cars to have their ID cards electronically checked.

Foreigners had their passports photocopied and their details entered into a computer.

A total of 31 people have been killed in just 2 weeks in the deadliest upsurge in violence seen in Xinjiang for many years.

Uighur exile groups based in Germany say the government has detained dozens of innocent Muslims in the wake of the attacks.

On August 4, Kashgar, close to the frontier with Afghanistan, saw the deadliest of the recent attacks when two men drove a truck directly into a group of jogging border police outside a small boarding house.

They threw what the authorities described as grenades, and continued the attack with knives.

By the time the attackers were overpowered, 16 policemen lay dead.

Reports in Chinese state media said police later found papers detailing a plan for "holy war" in the attackers' belongings.

It was a severe and bloody assault but with apparently very few witnesses - the owner of a nearby boarding house said she saw nothing.

When I asked a local shopkeeper how 16 people had died without his seeing any thing, he told me to go and ask the government.

The government itself has said little, despite claiming several months ago that there was a very real possibility of an attack from Muslim Xinjiang-based fighters targeting the Olympics.

But the simplicity of the weapons used - trucks, homemade bombs and knives - does not suggest the operations of a global "terrorist" network.

And the nature of the attacks appears more spontaneous than highly planned.

Kashgar's famous bazaar is still bustling with life, but in the wake of the recent violence everyone there seems a little more wary.

Religions cannot only reject terrorism, they need to stand up against it, together

When writing this post, my first thought was Saturday's brutal terror attacks in the Indian city of Ahmadabad, but this can apply to all settings and religious backgrounds. The followers of a religion must do more than simply reject the use of extremism in the name of their faith. In addition to speaking out against the use of violence, they must stand beside different religions, especially when extremists seek to create tension between said religions, often by simply killing as many people as they can, holding their breath, and hoping it will create mayhem and panic. We've seen it in Iraq many times...what appeared to be nothing but a country descending into chaos and civil war was initiated by Al-Qaeda's specific targeting of religious institutions and provoked a conflict that has shaped the political world in a way never imagined.

With things taking a turn for the better in Iraq, it looks like a another target has emerged...central and south Asia. In India and Pakistan, the continued use of terrorism has done considerable damage to the people of these countries, and has wrecked havoc in marketplaces, bus stations, cafes, and other public places. India is one of the most populous countries in the world, with one of the largest GDP's in the world and a formidable military power. Yet somehow, a rag-tag band of so-called Islamic fundamentalist can bring the country to its knees and create shock waves of panic across the nation of more than one billion. By strapping dozens of crudely made explosive devices to bicycles and bins and blowing up as many people as possible, fear is everywhere. In a country like India, where many cities are overcrowded with millions of people, the attackers can fall back into the shadows, leaving the population afraid and vulnerable.

The sick people who carry out these attacks are hardly Muslim at all (I know, I make this point on my blog almost weekly). The attacks happening in India and Pakistan are designed to create as much tension and animosity between rival religious groups (Hindus and Muslims) and rival political parties (AQ and the Taliban's targeting of Benazir Bhutto, Musharraf, and their supporters). Sometimes they succeed, as they managed to do in Iraq for sometime, until the Iraqi people finally stood up and said "Enough!", and other times they stand in solidarity, as they have managed to do in India's religiously diverse communities. Despite dozens of attacks, including Saturday's bomb blasts, there has yet to be large-scale violence against the Hindu and Muslim population. This is the good news, and the fact that their barbaric form of "resistance" has failed to do what's intended must hit back at the forces of terrorism.

Photos from CNN/AP

Separating Islam from Al-Qaeda

It is widely speculated that a massive car bomb attack against the Danish Embassy in the Pakistani capitol of Islamabad on Monday is reaction to the Danish cartoons that have been the subject of great controversy in recent months. The first thing on everyone's mind will be the notion that Islamic extremists are somehow "defending Islam" by driving a car packed with explosives into a foreign embassy, but let's remember something--there are over 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, and even if only 10 percent of them embraced Al-Qaeda's beliefs, the world would quickly be brought to its knees in a sea of destruction. The suggestion by some that attacks like this are the mainstream view in Islam are incorrect, the numbers themselves prove that wrong. Instead, controversies like the Danish Cartoons and the Dutch film "Fitna" give Al-Qaeda and other extremists a chance to recruit followers by convincing them that their religion is being insulted...and also put more distance between Muslims and westerners, who should be embracing each other in the fight against extremism. Anyone who reads my writings knows that I am a strong supporter of Islam and believe that the faith has been twisted into a sadistic ideology by some to advance certain beliefs--beliefs that are far from what is taught in the Koran. Someday, Al-Qaeda's lasting legacy will be the horrendous destruction it has brought upon Muslim countries and the religon it claimed to be fighting for, and not necessarily the attacks it has succeeded in carrying out in the west, which pale in comparison.

There's another reason not to believe the speculation that this is only about "blasphemy". Consider that AQ's #2 man Ayman Al-Zawahiri has openly declared that the Danish cartoons merit a response from Muslims, but why is it that Mr. Zawahiri doesn't have much to say when his Taliban allies in Pakistan's northwest blast their way through crowds of worshippers in mosques to target security officials and politicians? Surely, that is FAR more degrading and harmful to Islam than anything a Danish newspaper can print or anything Geert Wilders can say in his misguided film, yet Al-Qaeda and their fellow extremists do so with glee not only in Pakistan, but in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Muslim countries. Al-Qaeda is exploiting this issue--and I strongly suggest the Dutch film "Fitna" and other anti-Muslim propaganda should be pulled, but by the looks of it, Al-Qaeda is far more interested in killing innocent people (mainly Muslims) and bringing about destruction in Muslim countries, so it isn't fair to say they are standing with their "fellow Muslims" to defend a religion they have greatly perverted.

Here's the story about the attack from The New York Times. Keep in mind Pakistan's government is trying to engage in "peace talks" with the Taliban, including militant leader Baitullah Mehsud, who is believed to be responsible for some of the many suicide bombings that have plagued Pakistani cities the last year and a half--including the assassination on Benazir Bhutto and the previous attempt on her life that killed scores of her supporters two months earlier.

A powerful car bomb exploded outside the Danish Embassy in an upscale area of the Pakistani capital Monday, badly damaging the building and killing at least six people, according to reports from hospitals.

A senior official at the Interior Ministry, Rehman Malik, said one foreigner was among the dead, but he did not give a nationality. Casualty lists posted at two hospitals said that six people had died and more than 20 had been injured. Mr. Malik said the police were investigating whether the blast was a suicide attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The blast, heard around the city at about 1 p.m., was the second effort to single out foreigners in Islamabad in the last few months and came as the civilian government has signed a series of peace deals with Islamic militants in the nation’s tribal areas.

Several European bomb experts who examined the blast site said that the bomb appeared to have contained about 110 pounds of explosives and left a crater nearly three feet deep. It was powerful enough to wreck cars up and down a street that is home to many diplomatic residences, schools and a nearby shopping center.

Culture battles

In South Thailand, where the Muslim World meets the primarily Buddhist realm of Southeast Asia, the cultural differences have amounted to conflict, war, and bloodshed. Unlike the Middle East and Central Asia, where homicidal fanatics have justified their actions by hijacking the religion of Islam and are using it to accomplish a political agenda, this conflict seems to be happening because of religious issues that are not understood among the opposing sides, and unfortunately, the failure to do so has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.



On a daily basis, its not uncommon for South Thailand to experience multiple shootings, bombings, or other extremist attacks. Some target security forces, others target schools and religious institutions.

Volunteer Assistance:

The failure to reach an understanding in South Thailand makes it that much harder to try and provide aid to the many people who are suffering due to the violence. For example, Northern Thailand, which is considered to be very peaceful, has numerous community development projects taking place where the locals and international volunteers are working together. If the religious differences in Southern Thailand could be addressed by the local people and the international community, the same action could be taken there as well.

On a personal note, I should add that Thailand is at the top of my list for countries to volunteer in next year, in addition to Tanzania.

Frightening

The words of Barack Obama's Pastor, Jeremiah Wright, are disturbing. At times, you have to wonder if this guy actually believes what he is saying. To be fair, Obama has distanced himself from the comments, but nevertheless, these anti-American tirades are frightening.

However, Obama should explain to potential voters why he has been attending this particular church for so many years.

The Israel factor

On Friday night, I had the opportunity to visit a Synagogue and meet with the Jewish community here in the East Bay. After observing the Shabbat service, we discussed current events and politics over coffee and pastries, which I must say was a very positive and enlightening experience. I talked about my fascination with current events, as well as my desire to see as much of the world as possible, and they happily discussed with me the values of their religion and how they feel about some of the events happening in the world today. In the end, I was able to think long and hard about Judaism, Israel and the perception regarding the faith and the Jewish state.

In recent weeks, I have been offering my commentary on several political blogs. Almost on a daily basis, I have traded arguments with numerous responders, many of whom speak strong criticism against Israel. Do not get me wrong, that is perfectly fine, seeing as I myself have disagreed with some of the tactics the Israelis use in their daily battles Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen. However, I will defend Israel's right to exist until the very end. I believe that Israel, as well as the Palestinians, are in a fight for survival against a force that is determined to destroy both of them. That of course, is political terrorism, an evil that all too often justifies its actions under the banner of Islam.

Here's how I reached that conclusion. Keep in mind, when I say this, I am not favoring the Israelis or the Palestinians, but I am instead concerned for both of them. Both sides have certainly made many mistakes in the conflict, which is now in its seventh decade. But the analysis does not focus on that, nor does it assign blame to either side.

My analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

Today, both Israelis and Palestinians are dying because of Gaza's Hamas rulers, the smaller, violent factions that go along with them, and their supporters in Iran and Syria. We all remember Hamas' bloody takeover of the Gaza strip, in which hundreds of Palestinians were killed, a move which should have drawn condemnation from even the harshest critics of Israel. All the while, rockets continue to pound Israeli border towns and the threat of the terrorists resuming their "martyrdom operations" looms in light of the deadly Dimona bombing in central Israel earlier this month. Still, there are people who continue to blame Israel for the situation unfolding in the Middle East, even as terrorists continue to slaughter innocent Muslims across North Africa and central Asia, hundreds of miles away from the daily clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants. It's often said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the primary reasons for sparking the war on terrorism, yet in reality it appears to be just another conflict between two sides the terrorists have taken advantage of (Iraq and Pakistan also come to mind here). Notice that terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (North Africa), the Taliban, and the Somali insurgency all embrace the same murderous ideology as Hamas while using similar tactics (suicide bombings, rocket attacks, kidnappings). The big difference though, is that there are no "Zionist forces" in those countries to provoke them. There are no Israeli settlements intruding on Arab land and no "occupation" in Algeria, yet that did not stop terrorists from murdering scores of innocent Muslims and leveling entire buildings in coordinated bombings, some of which surpassed any terror attack ever committed in Israel. All the while, Palestinian terrorists that buy into the same ideology as those murderers continue to use every effort available to sabotage the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. When Israel's leaders try to meet with the peace-seeking Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, the rockets start flying. By doing so, Hamas and its supporters are stating that they have no regard for the well being of Israel or the Palestinians they claim to be defending. After the events of last year, Israelis, Palestinians, Israel critics, and Israel supporters alike should all be able to put aside their differences and reach a similar conclusion.

So the point is that Israel does not seem to be the main culprit behind the violence we are seeing across the Muslim world, in my opinion anyway. Muslims have been hit the hardest since 9/11 in terms of terrorist attacks, far more than westerners as a matter of fact. To further prove that point, here is another example. Obviously, the Israeli-Palestinian crises goes back to the land dispute that started many years ago, just like the situation in Iraq between Sunni and Shia. However, as I pointed out, fuel is added to the fire when terrorists do everything they can to set off more violence. The conflict is exacerbated when rockets blast houses of innocent people and suicide bombers decimate Israeli Cafes in Tel Aviv or Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad.

As salafism and other brands of political terrorism sweep across North Africa and threaten southern Europe, even Jimmy Carter could see this coming if he would drop the whole "peace not apartheid" rhetoric and open up his eyes.

When homicidal maniacs hijack a religion...

Well the news that has been come out of the Muslim world these last few days has been very disturbing. In December, I wrote a post about an assassination attempt on a Pakistani government minister who was attending prayers inside of a mosque. Scores of people died in that bomb attack, and these next examples are certainly no better. One happened in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

Yesterday in Iraq, two disabled women were strapped up with explosives and detonated by remote control in two Baghdad markets, killing almost 100 innocent people in what was perhaps the most brutal terrorist attack in over 9 months in the Iraqi capital. The obvious question we should all be asking is 'why', but we should also be wondering why the inhuman mass murderers behind the attack weren't willing to send one of their own "martyrdom seekers" into the crowd. Perhaps it is because they are simply running out of bad guys, or maybe its because they are too afraid, or it could be because they are desperate to find a way to destroy the amazing progress that has been made in Iraq in recent months. Just the same, those who continue to suggest that the Iraq conflict is nothing more than civil war are not only wrong, they are ignorant. To say that ordinary Iraqis or Muslims would committ such an evil act is insulting to the people of that country, their culture, and their religion.

In Afghanistan, an equally horrendous act was committed when a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up inside of a mosque in the southern city of Lashkar Gah on thursday, killing the deputy governor of Helmand Province and five others in what the provincial police chief described as "totally against our religion". It follows a pattern of similar attacks in the region, including the one in Pakistan that was mentioned earlier.

These barbaric attacks are only the latest in a series of events that have been happening around the world in regards to the war on terrorism. Just look at the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Algiers bombings, and the siege of Mogadishu in Somalia in addition to the terrorist activities that continue in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some may deny it, but all of these events are connected to the broader war on terror in some way or another.

Shias celebrate Ashoura Holiday

Crowds of Shiite worshippers have converged on the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Southern Iraq. Many Iraqi Shiites are sure to be emboldened by recent security gains across the country, although the threat of terrorism does remain. Shiite worshippers were attacked yesterday in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and in Iraq's Diyala province, but the holiday has remained relatively peaceful over the last few days. Last year, violent attacks by Sunni extremists in both countries marred the celebrations.

Joy to the World...there is hope for tomorrow as we come upon a new year

As the world celebrates Christmas and 2007 draws to a close, we can remember that there is hope for a better tomorrow and that good can overcome the problems we are facing.

Photo taken by Michael Yon, war zone journalist www.michael-yon.com

Description: Iraqi Christians celebrate as they raise a cross above their newly reopened chruch in Baghdad.

When crazy people attack...

I've been looking around on some other blogs these last couple of days and have reached the conclusion that there are some really crazy people out there. One right-wing commentator has condemned me for publishing my article about Islam, while one left-wing blogger is actually suggesting that the "Jews" are really in control of American foreign policy. This weekend I succeeded in publishing my newspaper article detailing my trip to the mosque in San Francisco. However, upon its publication online, I couldn't help notice that some fanatical conservative zealot felt the need to attack my perspective and completely dismiss the notion that Islam is indeed a peaceful religion. "Look at what they're doing to Jews and Christians in the Middle East" is the most common argument made by the extreme right, even though far more innocent Muslims have been murdered by Islamic terrorists than Christians or Jews. This comes after my global warming editorial I submitted a few weeks back sparked a debate, including ranting by those on the left who want everyone to believe the climate change debate is over. Now, I'm in the cross hairs of the far-right, simply for speaking the truth that the vast majority of those who adhere to the Islamic faith are good, peaceful people. I recently read a great book by Bernie Goldberg, a frequent guest on the O'Reilly Factor, called "Crazies to the left of me, Wimps to the Right". In it, Bernie talks about how both the far-left and the far-right have completely lost touch with reality. Between Rosie O'Donnell saying that radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam and the religious right completely dismissing the theory of evolution, its easy to say that he's correct in his analysis. Now, having been published myself, I find myself being attacked by the fringe elements on both sides. The funny thing is, most clear thinking people would probably agree with me when I say that human beings don't fully understand the earth's complex climate. I'm sure many people would also agree with me when I say that most Muslims are good people. However, when opinions like these get in the way of their agenda, the fringe elements on the right and the left aren't going to be happy.

Partner in peace

Now, for the even more important news that came about on Friday. I visited the mosque in San Francisco and was warmly welcomed. The best way to sum it up would be to say that it was a truly amazing experience. I got the opportunity to observe Friday prayers and see just what Islam is all about. At 12:30, an hour long sermon is delivered in Arabic. Seeing as I can only say a few basic phrases in Arabic, I listened to the Arabic to English translation generously provided in the back. Afterwards, I got to sit down in the center of the mosque and talk with the Muslim community about how they felt about some of the things happening in the world today. Just as I have always believed, they reaffirmed to me that Islam is a religion of peace and that true Muslims reject religious violence, whether it be against westerners or their own people. I brought up the subject of Iraq and the religious violence that is happening over there, and they exlained that there really is no difference between Sunni and Shia. My hosts were Sunni, but they said that Shia families come in to pray on a regular basis, something the you're not going to hear about in the media too often. I also talked about terrorism and their thoughts on groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. There answer was simple: It's political, meaning that many of these groups have a political ideology that has developed over the years. Its important to point out that there is nothing in the Koran that encourages religious violence, hatred, or attacking innocent people. My hosts also voiced their concerns about how many ignorant people, such as some conservative commentators, have stated that Islam is not a religion of peace and calls for the use of violence to bring about conversions. When I was there, I would like to make absolutely clear that nowhere in the Masjid did I hear about anything like that. Muslims are indeed peaceful people and want what we all want: peace and prosperity throughout the world. I shared with them my plans for becoming a writer and how I want to help make the world a better place, and they told me that they fully support my plans and believe it is a noble cause. They encouraged me to write an op-ed about my experience and I plan to do just that. Islam is truly a beautiful and peaceful religion and I encourage anyone who wants to learn more about it to contact the local Muslim community. It is by understanding each other we can all work together to help make the world a better place.

Permission Granted...

The mosque in San Francisco has invited me to come by for a visit during Friday prayers next week, which is pretty cool because Friday is the most holy day of the week for Muslims. I plan on talking to them about how the Muslim community feels about some of the events happening in the world today and they'll tell me more about what their religion is all about. I think it's going to be a very interesting experience entering an Islamic place of worship. I have studied Islam extensively, but this is going to be one of my biggest steps forward in my desire to learn more about the world around me and help make it a more peaceful place.

Iraqis stand united

Well, there's been a lot of good news coming out of Iraq. Reports continue to show that violence overall has fallen dramatically. Yesterday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki took a tour through Baghdad late at night, something that was once extrmely dangerous. Michael Yon, a war zone journalist, took the picture above of Iraqis from all relgions-- Sunni, Shia, and Christian, raising a cross at a newly reopened church. The Iraqis also praised the United States, offering thanks to the American people for peace and freedom. At the same time, memos retrieved from former AL-Qaeda strongholds reveal that the terror group has been decimated by the growing movement by the Iraqi people to drive it from their country.

The religious left

My god, your god, under god, Charles Darwin, evolution, and why we need to just get along

There are five major religions in the world today: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Budhism, plus countless other smaller ones, all of which preach some very different ideologies. They can't all be right, and that is why I am not an advocate of any particular organized religion. I consider myself spiritual, meaning I look at the world around me and believe that there is a lot more to it than just what we see in front of us. Basically, at the core, all the religions basically believe that too. I once read a good book about religion when I was in High School. It explored all the differences about the major religions, but at the end described them as being "different paths leading up the same mountain". That's what religion should be all about, unfortunately, all we seem to do is argue, attack, and even kill just to defend our religious beliefs. Atheists and antitheists aren't innocent either. Sure, you could point to the Crusades and terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and say that religion is bad, but what about Mao Zedong, the Communist leader of China? He wanted to eradicate religion and sanctioned the deaths of tens of millions of people. The same goes for Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot, the biggest mass murderers in history. Then there's the evolution argument. Today we have schools, scientists, politicians, and religious leaders arguing over what we should be teaching in our schools. The whole thing is a mess, really, and the easy thing is to say we should agree to disagree. Unforunately, everyone wants to believe that either their god or their anti-god belief is the only correct one, and don't want to explore other possibilities. The key here is acceptance. I can use myelf as an example. As I said earlier, I consider myself to be spiritual and I believe that the world was created for a reason. I read about all the different religions regularly and believe they all make good points. I've been to Church several times and find it to be a moving experience. Do I believe evolution happened? Yes, but am I absolutely sure? No. With all those things I believe, many religious groups would be shocked. But by learning more about all the theories and possibilities to why we're here, maybe we can help to understand it better. However, we're stilll pretty far from that. With so many hateful movements out there, both religious and atheist, we still have a lot of work to do. Just last week, a group of students in Colorado walked out of school to protest the pledge of allegiance. Apparently, they joined up with the growing movement to remove the words "Under God" from the Pledge. They even went so far as to create their own lyrics, scrapping many of the orignal words and replacing them with things like diversity, equality, and constitutional rights. One student said that the Pledge is "almost religious oppression". Religious oppression? That is just stupid. If you want to see religious oppression, go to southern Sudan and protest the persecution of Christians. In Israel, Islamic Jihadists have carried out hundreds of attacks against the state's Jewish citiznes, simply because they see them as "infidels". Here in the US, we give more religious freedom to our citizens than anywhere else in the world. This movement to remove "Under God" from the pledge is like calling a Christmas tree a Holiday tree, its just idiotic. Just the same, we have religious groups calling for boycotts of movies and products that mention things they disagree with, when there are much, much more important things we should be worrying about right now.