More on defining extremism
Surprisingly I find myself in agreement with Sunny Hundal for once (regarding HMG’s proposed definition of Muslim extremism). Unsurprisingly, for slightly different reasons:
Are these stupid idiots reading Melanie Phillips for guidelines? There are many Sikhs who advocate a Sikh state based on Sikh principles, will they be criminalised? Armed resistance against the Israeli military is [...]
Defining extremism and stigmatising Muslims
The Guardian has uncovered a document outlining the government’s new counter-extremism strategy, in which Islamic extremists are defined as follows:
• They advocate a caliphate, a pan-Islamic state encompassing many countries.• They promote Sharia law.• They believe in jihad, or armed resistance, anywhere in the world. This would include armed resistance by Palestinians against the Israeli [...]
Ayaan Hirsi Ali on respect, hypocrisy and Fitna
In an article for the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant published in March 2008, Ayaan Hirsi Ali attacks the hypocrisy of the Dutch government in its failure to engage properly with the Muslim community in the Netherlands:
Who actually insults Muslims here? The democratically elected MP who engages them by presenting them with painful, but highly relevant [...]
Modern Fascism
Michael Ledeen has some unpleasant thoughts to share:
[T]he state is getting more and more deeply involved in business, even taking controlling interests in some private companies. And the state is even trying to “make policy” for private companies they do not control, but merely “help” with “infusions of capital,” as in the recent call [...]
Why are all these people following me?
One week into the Great Twitter Experiment and I have somehow acquired 43 followers, who have been entertained with 17 gripping updates from yours truly.
I still haven’t quite worked out what the point is yet, but Twitter is growing on me.
On bigotry
I’ve been trying to work out why I was quite so annoyed by Alex Massie’s post on Geert Wilders and his party, and some of the other commentary on the subject. What seems to be bugging me the most is the use of the word “bigot”. I’ve suddenly realised that I don’t think I’ve called [...]
Mugabe’s little joke
Zimbabwe’s new unity government is off to a flying start. With one MDC ministerial nominee under arrest even before being sworn in, you have to wonder how this can possibly end well. Mugabe is certainly having the last laugh at those who thought his regime was on the way out.
Morgan Tsvangirai has in [...]
Is Wilders a bigot?
In his new Spectator blog, Alex Massie sets about the task of proving that Geert Wilders is a “boor and a bigot”:
The answer is that Wilders is not a poster-boy for free speech, largely because he would seek to deny that right – not privilege, right – to those whom he disapproves of himself. People [...]
About Fitna
In the light of the uproar around Geert Wilders’ exclusion from the U.K. by the Home Office, and discussion around his film Fitna in particular, I thought I had better go and see what all the fuss was about.
The film is widely available online, but I’m not going to link to it. For one [...]
A Titian! A Titian! (we all fall down)
On the other hand, things can’t be all bad if we have time to worry about this nonsense.
keep looking »