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My wife and I just got our new iPhone 4s, and the next thing we needed was a case. (Especially because the Apple free iPhone 4 case program currently says it takes weeks to get the free case.) We were surprised that the case we finally settled on seems to be unknown to many reviewers. It isn't in the MacWorld case reviews done so far, and we didn't yet find a video about it on YouTube.
We wanted a case that would provide protection in case the phone was dropped, would make it easy to grip (since the iPhone is very slick and slippery), would take care of the famous signal drop-off when the iPhone is held a certain way, and would look good. Also, I wanted mine to have a belt clip.
Even though it wasn't in any of the lists of iPhone 4 case reviews we saw, we found via Google, the zCover Classic Ruggedized Healthcare Grade Silicone Case for Apple iPhone 4.
zCover states on their site that "The phone edges are protected with a reinforced layer of silicone that acts like a crash pad. Your phone will not be damaged even when dropped from up to 25 feet onto a hard surface."
Our zCovers arrived yesterday and we like them a lot.
Looks good and comes in a variety of colors.
Easy access to controls.
Wide cutout for the camera minimizes flash bounce-back from the flash bouncing off the edges of the camera cutout.
Thick silicon case wraps around phone.
If you want to find out about Islam, you need to look at the actual words of the Islamic holy texts. The following is a brief introduction to Islam, using words quoted from the Islamic holy books.
There are three holy writings of Islam: The Koran, the Hadith, and the Sira. The Koran is text that Mohammed stated was dictated to him by the angel Gabriel, direct from Allah, who in Islam is considered to be the author of the Koran.
The Hadith are anecdotes from the life of Mohammed, as recounted by people who knew Mohammed personally. There are several books of Hadith, each from a different editor. Two of the books of Hadith are considered authoritative. The editor of one these two books of Hadith is a man named Bukhari, and this book is called the Bukhari Hadith. The other is edited by a man named Muslim, and this book is called the Muslim Hadith. The other books of Hadith are considered to possibly have invented or inaccurate anecdotes in at least some places.
The Sira is the official biography of Mohammed.
So let's start with the Koran.
The Koran
The Koran is divided up into chapters. Each chapter is called a Sura. Korans do not print the Suras in chronological order. Instead, they are printed in order of length, from the longest to the shortest.
Here are some Suras to start with as an introduction. All quotes are from the USC Muslim Student Association web site. This web site has three translations of each verse for comparison.
Sura 3:
[3.151 - i.e. Sura 3, verse 151] We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they set up with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and their abode is the fire, and evil is the abode of the unjust.
Sura 4:
[4:56] (As for] those who disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the chastisement; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.
[4.89] They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.
[4.90] Except those who reach a people between whom and you there is an alliance, or who come to you, their hearts shrinking from fighting you or fighting their own people; and if Allah had pleased, He would have given them power over you, so that they should have certainly fought you; therefore if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you a way against them.
Sura 5 (one of the verses that is the origin of "apes and pigs" as a description of non-Muslims):
[5.60] Say: Shall I inform you of (him who is) worse than this in retribution from Allah? (Worse is he) whom Allah has cursed and brought His wrath upon, and of whom He made apes and swine, and he who served the Shaitan; these are worse in place and more erring from the straight path.
Sura 8:
[8.12] When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.
[8:55] Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve, then they would not believe.
[8:65]O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand.
[8:67] It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desireth (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah is Mighty, Wise.
[8:69] But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good: but fear Allah: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
Sura 9 (includes "the verse of the sword, 9.5"):
[9.5] So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
[9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.
[9:30] And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!
[9:73] O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination. Wherever you look, the Koran usually devolves into inciting contempt, if not hatred of those of other religions, and often into inciting violence.
Sura 22:
[22:19-21] These are two adversaries who dispute about their Lord; then (as to) those who disbelieve, for them are cut out garments of fire, boiling water shall be poured over their heads. With it shall be melted what is in their bellies and (their] skins as well. And for them are whips of iron.
Sura 40:
[40:70-72] Those who reject the Book and that with which We have sent Our Messenger; but they shall soon come to know, When the fetters and the chains shall be on their necks; they shall be dragged Into boiling water, then in the fire shall they be burned
Sura 56:
[56:92-96] And if he is one of the rejecters, the erring ones, He shall have an entertainment of boiling water, And burning in hell. Most surely this is a certain truth. Therefore glorify the name of your Lord, the Great.
Sura 66:
[66:9] O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be hard against them; and their abode is hell; and evil is the resort.
If you hear about a verse that is supposedly peaceful, look it up. You will often find that verses after it in the same Sura, incite contempt, if not hatred and/or violence against non-Muslims. For example (note- "people of the book" means Jews and Christians):
[2.109] Quite a number of the People of the Book wish they could Turn you (people) back to infidelity after ye have believed, from selfish envy, after the Truth hath become Manifest unto them: But forgive and overlook, Till Allah accomplish His purpose; for Allah Hath power over all things.
That sounds okay. But a few verses later comes contempt for Jews and Christians, and a statement that they will be tormented in the afterlife:
[2.113] The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (To stand) upon." Yet they (Profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment.
[2.114] And who is more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of Allah, Allah's name should be celebrated?-whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them? It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them except in fear. For them there is nothing but disgrace in this world, and in the world to come, an exceeding torment.
Sura 2 is cited as a "peaceful" Sura in the Koran, since 2.109 calls on Muslims to "forgive and overlook." This is an example that shows that there are relatively less violent parts of the Koran. This would be more evident if the Koran were presented in the chronological order of when Mohammed revealed it to his followers. Historically the earlier verses are more peaceful. As Mohammed became a successful warlord, the verses of the Koran became more hateful and more violent.
How are these contradictions dealt with by Islamic believers? In Islam there is the doctrine of "abrogation," which holds that if two verses contradict each other, the verse revealed later abrogates the earlier verse. The basis for the doctrine of abrogation is found in the Koran itself:
[2.106] "None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?"
[16.101] "When We substitute one revelation for another, and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages), they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not."
Sura 9:5, quoted above, is in one of the last-revealed Suras in the Koran, and one of the most violent and hateful. Sura 9:5 is known as "the verse of the sword."
A useful resource when reading the Koran is the official Islamic scholarly commentaries on it, called Tafsir. Tafsirs are what Islamic scholars say about each verse in the Koran. There is a collection of Tafsirs online . Here's an example of a Tafsir about 9.5, the verse of the sword:
(So when the Sacred Months have passed...), meaning, `Upon the end of the four months during which We prohibited you from fighting the idolators, and which is the grace period We gave them, then fight and kill the idolators wherever you may find them.' Allah's statement next,
[فَاقْتُلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ]
(then fight the Mushrikin wherever you find them), means, on the earth in general, except for the Sacred Area, for Allah said,
[وَلاَ تُقَـتِلُوهُمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّى يُقَـتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ فَإِن قَـتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ]
(And fight not with them at Al-Masjid Al-Haram, unless they fight you there. But if they attack you, then fight them. )[2:191] Allah said here,
[وَخُذُوهُمْ]
(and capture them), executing some and keeping some as prisoners,
[وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُواْ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ]
(and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush), do not wait until you find them. Rather, seek and besiege them in their areas and forts, gather intelligence about them in the various roads and fairways so that what is made wide looks ever smaller to them. This way, they will have no choice, but to die or embrace Islam,
This Tafsir leaves no room for doubt that the verse of the sword is meant to be applied literally.
Here's a page that shows the chronological order of the Suras.
The Hadith
As is the case with the Koran, one cannot read the Hadith without noting how concerned it is with contempt of, hatred of and violence towards non-Muslims. Here are some examples to serve as an introduction. All parentheticals are from the translations at the USC Muslim Student Association web site (link):
Bukhari (4.52.176-177) - Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' " Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."
Bukhari (4.52.196) - Allah 's Apostle said, " I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' his life and property will be saved by me except for Islamic law, and his accounts will be with Allah, (either to punish him or to forgive him.)"
Bukhari (54:487) - Someone asked, "O Allah's Apostle This (ordinary) fire would have been sufficient (to torture the unbelievers)," Allah's Apostle said, "The (Hell) Fire has 69 parts more than the ordinary (worldly) fire, each part is as hot as this (worldly) fire." In other words, ordinary fire isn't hot enough to torture non-Muslims. Therefore the fire in Hell is 69 times hotter.
Bukhari (59:727) - Allah's Apostle [said]... "Allah's curse be on the Jews and the Christians" Note: This was spoken on Muhammad's death bed, and was one of the last things that he ever said.
Bukhari (2:28) - The Prophet said: "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful." It was asked, "Do they disbelieve in Allah?" (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, 'I have never received any good from you."
Muslim (41.6985 - Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.
The Sira
Here are a few episodes from the official life of Mohammed, as told in the Sira. Unlike holy figures of other religions, Mohammed was a warlord. Mohammed is considered the perfect man in Islam.
(Link)
The apostle offered a sword to his followers, saying, ‘Who will take this sword for a worthy price?’ Many coveted it, but he would not give it up until Abu Dujana asked, ‘What is its price? He replied, ‘That thou strike the enemy with it until it bends’, and Abu Dujana took the sword; he was a brave man, anxious to distinguish himself in war, and he was best known by his red head‑dress which he wore when he was ready to fight. He took the sword, put on his red turban, and strutted about the ranks; seeing this, the apostle said, ‘Such a gait pleases Allah only on occasions like this!’
...Soon the enemy even approached the apostle himself. He was struck down by stones and one of his front teeth was lost.
‘His face being wounded, blood trickled down it; and wiping it, he exclaimed: “How can a nation prosper which dyes the face of its prophet with blood, though he invites them to the worship of Allah?” ‘ Ali took the apostle by the hand, and Talha lifted him up until he stood upright; Malik licked the blood from the face of the apostle and swallowed it, and the apostle said, ‘He whose blood has touched mine will be exempted from the threat of hell‑fire.’ When the foe pressed close on the apostle, he asked, ‘Who will save my life?’ and six men of his followers arose and fought by his side. One by one they were martyred until a single defender remained, and he, too, was wounded; but a company of Muslims arrived and put the infidels to flight. Then the apostle said ‘Bring him near to me 1’ and they brought the wounded man to him and he made his foot a pillow under the man’s head; and thus he expired, with his cheek on the foot of the apostle of Allah.
Here is another example. (Link).
At noon of the same day Gabriel came to the apostle, wearing a silken turban and riding on a mule saddled with brocade. He said, 'Hast thou put away thy arms, apostle of Allah?' He replied, 'Yes', and Gabriel said, 'But the angels have not yet put away theirs. I have come here to call the people to follow the command of Allah and march against the Banu Qurayza. I go myself to make them tremble.' Therefore the apostle of Allah ordered it to be proclaimed that none should hold afternoon prayers until they reached the Jewish stronghold.
The apostle sent Ali ahead with his standard and the people hastened to join it. When Ali reached the fort he heard language offensive to Islam and returned to meet the apostle, whom he warned not to approach the Qurayza. 'Why?' asked the apostle. 'Didst thou hear them insult me? Had they seen me there, they would not have spoken thus.' When he arrived in the territory of Qurayza he alighted near the Well of Ana and the people assembled around him. Many arrived after the last evening prayers without having held their afternoon prayers, so they held their afternoon prayers after the last evening prayers; but Allah did not punish them for that nor did the apostle of Allah reproach them.
The apostle of Allah besieged the Qurayza for twenty‑five days until they were distressed, and Allah struck fear into their hearts.
...
The apostle of Allah imprisoned the Qurayza in Medina while trenches were dug in the market‑place. Then he sent for the men and had their heads struck off so that they fell in the trenches. They were brought out in groups, and among them was Kab, the chief of the tribe. In number, they amounted to six or seven hundred, although some state it to have been eight or nine hundred. All were executed. One man turned to his people and said, 'It matters not! By God's will, the children of Israel were destined for this massacre!’ Then he seated himself and his head was struck off.
Aisha, the wife of the apostle, said, 'Only one of their women was killed. By Allah! She was with me, talking and laughing, while the apostle slaughtered her countrymen in the market place; and when her name was called, I asked, "What is this for?" and she replied, "I am going to be slain!" I asked why and she answered, "For something I have done!" Then she was taken away, and her head was struck off. But I shall never cease to marvel at her good humour and laughter, although she knew that she was to die." She was the woman who threw a millstone down from the Qurayza fort and killed a Believer.
Now the apostle distributed the property of the Banu Qurayza, as well as their women and children, to the Muslims, reserving one‑fifth for himself.
A Principal of Islam Drawn from the Islamic Holy Texts
There are some important principals of Islam taught by Islamic scholars, based on the above holy texts of Islam. One of them is Taqiyah (pronounced "tah-key-ya"). Here is how Taqiyah is described in an Islamic Tafsir (an official commentary by an Islamic scholar on the Islamic holy texts):
The Prohibition of Supporting the Disbelievers
Allah prohibited His believing servants from becoming supporters of the disbelievers, or to take them as comrades with whom they develop friendships, rather than the believers. Allah warned against such behavior when He said,
[وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ]
(And whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way) meaning, whoever commits this act that Allah has prohibited, then Allah will discard him. Similarly, Allah said,
[يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ عَدُوِّى وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ]
(O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them), until,
[وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيلِ]
(And whosoever of you does that, then indeed he has gone astray from the straight path.) [60:1]. Allah said,
[يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ للَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَاناً مُّبِيناً ]
(O you who believe! Take not for friends disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves) [4:144], and,
[يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَـرَى أَوْلِيَآءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ]
(O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends, they are but friends of each other. And whoever befriends them, then surely, he is one of them.) [5:51].
Allah said, after mentioning the fact that the faithful believers gave their support to the faithful believers among the Muhajirin, Ansar and Bedouins,
[وَالَّذينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ ]
(And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you do not behave the same, there will be Fitnah and oppression on the earth, and a great mischief and corruption.) [8:73].
Allah said next,
[إِلاَ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَـةً]
(unless you indeed fear a danger from them) meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.'' Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, "The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection.'' Allah said,
[وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ]
(And Allah warns you against Himself.) meaning, He warns you against His anger and the severe torment He prepared for those who give their support to His enemies, and those who have enmity with His friends,
[وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ]
(And to Allah is the final return) meaning, the return is to Him and He will reward or punish each person according to their deeds.
[قُلْ إِن تُخْفُواْ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدَا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفُ بِالْعِبَادِ ]
(29. Say: "Whether you hide what is in your breasts or reveal it, Allah knows it, and He knows what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is able to do all things.'') (30. On the Day when every person will be confronted with the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil. And Allah warns you against Himself and Allah is full of kindness with the servants.)
So Taqiyah, in the words of this Islamic Tafsir, means "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.'' Many Muslims won't admit that Islam makes the demands on Muslims that are documented in this article. When Islam is described to you, do not necessarily jump to take it at face value. Make sure to verify it for yourself in the Islamic holy texts. Many Muslims who believe they are following the Koran, will misrepresent it to you. They will tell you that the Koran doesn't call for violence against Jews or Christians, despite all the Islamic texts that do so. They will tell you that the Hadith are just hearsay, although the Bukhari and Muslim Hadiths are considered authoritative and are foundational to Islamic law. They will tell you that the Koran only applies to the time and place when it was written. The Muslim scholar who came up with this point of view was the Sudanese scholar, Mahmoud Mohammed Taha. Taha was put to death by the state of Sudan for these views. No Imam I know of at this time preaches this point of view today. (If you know of such an Imam, please let me know in the comments section of this post).
Differences in Terms
Islam defines some things differently than other religions. For this reason it is important to be very specific when having a discussion about Islam. Here's an example from the comment section on this site. A gentleman named Karwan, with an IP address located in the UAE, made the following comment on this site:
Birds of Same feather fly together
You are bunch of Ignorant people have no knowledge of Islam how can you talk about Islam and Quran and Sharia Law.
Improve yur knowledge and get some life
I replied:
Karwan, do you agree that when a Muslim blows up a bus, train, plane, or other public place in the name of Islam, he is not rewarded for it by being sent to paradise?
Karwan responded:
I dont like killing people in the name of religion or justify the religion. According to Quran killing any person without a just cause is big sin as killing the whole humanity and saving the life of one person is as good as saving the whole humanity. (Surah Maidah 5:32).
Those people who commit this crime will not be awarded paradise but will be punished in hell.
At first glance that sounds good. However, in Islam, it is considered "just cause", to use Karwan's phrase, to kill non-Muslims if they don't convert to Islam or submit to second-class citizen status. I replied:
I notice you didn't directly answer the question. This is significant because the Koran makes it very clear that in Islam it is considered just cause to kill a non-Muslim who does not agree to convert to Islam or to submit to second-class citizen status.
I request a yes or no answer. Do you agree that when a Muslim blows up a bus, train, plane, or other public place in the name of Islam, he is not rewarded for it by being sent to paradise?
So far... no response from Karwan.
What Imams Preach Today
What is it that Imams today actually preach? A Google search of "Imams Preach Hate" returns 56,500 items. It's easy to find Imams preaching hate.
YouTube - Toronto Imam preaching hate
Oct 23, 2009 ... Here is a 10 minute sequence from a Toronto Imam. The whole speech is here: http ://vladtepesblog.com/?p=14652 (he switches to English sort ...Pajamas Media » 'Why Islam': Reaching Out and Preaching Hate
Oct 22, 2009 ... The proper response to someone preaching hate is not to hate them back .... Virtually every imam, mullah, ayatollah and cleric has direct or ...Undercover Mosque - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abu Usamah saying of apostates: “If the imam wants to crucify him he should crucify him. ..... "Documentary reveals clerics 'preaching hate' in UK mosques". ...The Canadian Sentinel: 1 In 10 US Mosques Preach Hate, Violence: FBI
Nov 10, 2009 ... 1 In 10 US Mosques Preach Hate, Violence: FBI ... Generating those attitudes are imams who preach jihad and hatred in American mosques and ...The Untouchable: how Abu Hamza was allowed to preach hate as ...
Jun 19, 2010 ... The Untouchable: how Abu Hamza was allowed to preach hate as authority ... began to alarm the imams and trustees of a number of mosques. ...
A Google search of "Imams Preach Love" returns 1,620,000 items, but let's look at the top 5:
Iraqis condemn killing of imam who preached love of country
May 22, 2010 ... At Sheikh Abdullah Shakkur's funeral, imams, relatives, and friends remembered the sheikh's teachings on loving Iraq and rejecting ...
Peaceful preaching inside, violent message outside a New York ...
Nov 5, 2009 ... Outside a Manhattan mosque where the imam preaches against ... "If you're asking me if I love him as a Muslim, I love him more than I love ...
The Etiquette of Preaching (Va'iz) || Imam Reza (A.S.) Network
The other most esteemed etiquette of this month for religious scholars, jurisprudents, congregational prayer imams, and preachers is to preach and admonish, ...
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick Embraces Hate Preaching Imam ...
May 31, 2010 ... Imam Abdullah Faarooq preaches for violence, and has even bought ... Feel free to mention this site, as I would love to debate him on Islam. ...
Does Islam Preach That Infidels Be Killed?
The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a ... me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me? ...
It is very difficult to find Imams preaching love, even on a Google search for "Imams Preach Love."
Memritv.org has a large library of video from Arabic TV broadcasts translated into English. A search here on "imam" returns 139 items. Here are the most recent 5 at the time this is being posted:
#2533 - Former Al-Qaeda Military Emir of Baghdad Justifies Killing of Civilians as Collateral Damage in Terrorist Attacks
Al-Fayhaa TV (Iraq) - June 30, 2010 - 06:06#2532 - Israeli Salafi Imam Nazem Abu Salim: We Are on the Verge of Defeating the US
The Internet - June 25, 2010 - 04:20#2504 - MEMRI Flotilla Coverage: Imam Ahmad Ibrahimi, Coordinator of Algerian Delegation to “Freedom Flotilla": Our Hatred of Them Is So Intense That We Wished We Could Have Been Bombs and Blown Ourselves Up among the Brothers of Apes and Pigs
Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas/Gaza) - June 4, 2010 - 02:23#2400 - Iraqi MP Ayad Jamal Al-Din: Saddamists with Blood on Their Hands Should Be Killed; Iraq Should Destabilize Countries That Destabilize Its Own Security
Al-Arabiya TV (Dubai/Saudi Arabia), Al-Fayhaa TV (Iraq) - February 14-23, 2010 - 13:37#2371 - Taliban-Pakistan Destroys Mosque After Being Criticized by the Imam
Alaan TV (UAE) - January 20, 2010 - 02:46
Conclusion
We have reviewed material from each of the holy texts of Islam, introducing you to the chapters of the Koran, as well as to the authoritative Hadith, and to the biography of Mohammed, the Sira. The words of the Islamic texts have been used, as well as the opinions and interpretations of learned Islamic scholars.
In honor of "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day", here are the famous Mohammed cartoons:
Next time you hear an Islamist preach that people should be unable to speak out against Islam, or call to get someone barred from speaking, keep this in mind: There are two principals that underly almost everything Islamic fundamentalists say. Islamic fundamentalists believe that: 1) Nobody has any human rights whatsover except for Muslims. 2) Saying anything that puts Islam in a bad light should be illegal.
One you are on the lookout for these two principals, all the weird things Islamic fundamentalists say start to make sense. For example, they claim that Israel is racist, even though the population of Israel is currently 20% Arabic, and 16% Muslim, while Muslim lands are about 0% Jewish, after those nations drove about 800,000 to 1,000,000 Jewish people from their homes by force; to Islamic fundamentalists that makes sense because in their view, non-Muslims have no human rights and aren't to be regarded as human at all.
And when Muslim groups try to stop people from being able to publicly speak about Islam, it is because fundamentalist Muslims believe that saying anything that puts Islam in a bad light should be illegal.
Now that you're aware of this, watch how many times Islamic leaders follow these two principles in their public statements.
Why did the media turn a blind eye for decades to the fiscal policies of so many states, that have all but destroyed the fiscal viability of those states?
Why does the media give Obama a pass on the BP oil spill but blamed GWB for Katrina?
Why does the media ignore the injunctions in Islam for Muslims to use every method of fighting, including violence, to install Islamic Sharia Law as the governing law of any land in which they live?
Why doesn't the media track down Obama's birth certificate?
THE MEDIA *IS* THE CONSPIRACY.
The new media, the people's media - bloggers, talk radio, and Fox - are what is spreading the truth today.
DON'T TRUST ANY MEDIA OVER 30.
Reposting, in its entirety, from Dan Perrin at Redstate:
“Mr. President, I send an unprinted Amendment to the desk, and ask for its immediate consideration,” are the exact words that any U.S. Senator can say when offering this amendment on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
This amendment, below, should be walked down to the floor of the U.S. Senate and voted on prior to any vote on the floor of the U.S. House, in order to prepare the legal battlefield for the court challenge against the Alice-in-Wonderland-like-Red-Queen, Speaker Pelosi, and her dictatorial and unconstitutional scheme to pass the Senate Health Care bill without voting on it. While we are uncertain that we will be fighting on this ground, it is essential to prepare the battlefield, if we do.
This amendment, I am reliably advised, was written by a former judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals who was on President Bush’s short list for the Supreme Court (Roberts beat him out) and is recently retired and is teaching Constitutional law at one of the most prestigious national law schools at University on the west coast.
So, in other words, don’t mess with the language of this amendment. Just launch it, now on whatever bill is now pending on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
START OF TEXT OF THE AMENDMENT:
Unprinted Amendment No.___ .
Intended to Proposed by Mr. _________.
Viz:
Add at the end of the bill the following new Section:
“Sec.___ . a) Inasmuch as Sections Five and Seven of Article I of the United States Constitution mandate a certain process for the enactment of a federal law and do not allow a measure to become a law by “deeming” it passed by either House of Congress, it is the Sense of the Senate and its judgment that the House of Representatives is required by the Supreme Law of the United States, to vote directly and up or down on H.R. 3590 in order to send that measure lawfully to the President, if, and only if, it shall have been approved by a majority vote of each such House taken on an identical measure; and, more particularly, it is the Sense of the Senate that, in conformity with Article I of the Constitution, the House of Representatives, unless the measure is returned to the Senate with an Amendment by the House, must vote directly on the language sent to it by the Senate precisely as it was duly enrolled at the direction of the Senate by its Enrolling Clerk, certified as an Act of the Senate by the Secretary of the Senate, and thereupon transmitted by the Senate’s Messenger to the House Chamber while the House of Representatives was in actual Session.
b) It is the further Sense of the Senate that the exact words that the Senate caused to be enrolled on parchment and taken by messenger to the House of Representatives, constitute the sole document and the only document upon which Members of the House can lawfully cast their vote, whether Yeah or Nay, under the process expressly mandated by the United States Constitution; and it is also the Sense of the Senate and its judgment that to do otherwise by “deeming” rather than voting would void any purported enactment, deprive it of the force of law, justify disobedience to it, and cause irreparable violence and harm to our system of government and its fundamental law through fraud, deception, abuse of power, and usurpation of the civil rights of the People.
c) This Section maybe cited as the “Congressional Voting Rights Resolution.”.
END OF AMENDMENT TEXT.
I further ask all patriots and Americans who care deeply about the U.S. Consititution to re-post the text of this Amendment every where possible on the internet. Specifically, wallpaper the web with the text of the this Amendment, today.
Update 1-21-10 - from the Miami Herald:
200,000 Haitian migrants could file for Temporary Protected Status
Federal immigration officials predict that up to 200,000 Haitians could apply for Temporary Protected Status, which would keep them from being deported. Applications will be accepted starting Thursday.
Update 1-22-10 - from Reuters:
TOLEDO, Spain, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Haitian citizens who arrive in the United States illegally after the Jan. 12 earthquake will be sent home, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Friday.
Although the United States has said it will allow eligible Haitians living in the country when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck to stay and work for 18 months, this will not apply to those who leave Haiti to escape the disaster.
"Haitians need to be there to help rebuild their country, this is not an opportunity for migration," Napolitano said at a news conference in the Spanish city of Toledo.
Sounds good - but does it apply to those 45,000 evacuees mentioned in the 1-19-10 update of this post?
The unions had been opposing Obama's health-care bill due to the high tax it is to impose on so-called "Cadillac" insurance plans. Yesterday came news that Obama had gotten the union leaders on board. This post will show that Obama achieved this in a particularly vicious manner.
From Fox:
The breakthrough announced Thursday was a biproduct of the previous days talks: a deal on so-called "Cadillac" insurance plans. The White House and top union leaders heralded the agreement, which shields all union workers for five years from significant taxes on health benefit packages that non-union workers will face starting in 2013.
Obama lured in union leaders, not by offering them a way to improve the plan itself, but by telling them that the government will discriminate against non-unionized workers. For five years non-union workers will pay a tax that union workers will not.
This government-backed discrimination is vicious. It appealed to the worst instincts in the union leaders, who will use it as a hammer against non-unionized businesses.
Why are Reid, Pelosi, and Obama trying to push through the health care bill when the majority of the public opposes it?
Background: From Rasmussen polls, December 7th, 2009:
The Senate worked through the weekend on its version of the national health care bill, with President Obama stopping by for a rare Sunday visit, but for the second week in a row, only 41% of U.S. voters favor the health care plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% oppose the plan. And as has been the case for months, the emotion’s on the sign of the naysayers: 40% Strongly Oppose the plan, while just 23% Strongly favor it.
As Megan McAardle puts it:
It's pretty clear at this point that any health care reform which passes is going to have more voters against it than for it.
There's exactly one explanation. Led by Obama, Reid and Pelosi don't care about the will of the people. They want to destroy democracy and put their boots on our necks. They're tired of being servants of the people. They don't like always being worried about losing their jobs in the next election, and they don't like having to answer to huge number of pesky "voters." What they want to do is give the government the power to control our health so that nobody will dare to oppose them again.
They must be stopped. Their agenda must be destroyed. And the American people owe a huge debt of gratitude and support to every Republican Congressman and Senator who is holding the line against them, because these Republicans are the only thing standing between us and the destruction of democracy by Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and every Democrat who supports this health care bill.
The following remarkable document was sent to me by a reader, Huda N. (not her real name). It is a warning from someone who appears to be personally knowledgeable about the subject. I emailed back, asking, "Can you provide some background on yourself and your experience with the subject you are writing about, that I could pass along to readers?" She replied:"I am very sorry I can't provide you with more information about myself because you know that fundmantalist if they knew anything about me, about my family, and even my name i might be killed or one of my family members might be hurt or at least they might send threatning letters with abusive language. So if you want to post the article refer to me as Huda only."
I responded, "May I tell readers what country you are in?" She responded, "All I’ve talked about is in Islam as a religion. I have used verses from the Quran and stories from books of Hadith (Islamic interpretation books). Every thing is practiced in all Arab countries except for slavery. It is not practiced any more as it is not haram but it is condemned by the international society only. In Saudi Arabia they still consider Pilipino and Asian servants as (their right hand belongings, if you understand me). The more educated, far from Islam (liberal) citizens the more they tend not to follow the Islamic teachings. The more they are involved in Islamic believes the more they tend to practice these teachings and follow the path of their prophet."
Here now, is the testimony of Huda.
To all you young women wishing to meet a dark handsome Middle Eastern man
Want to force out the people who know how to do the job? That's what destroyed the financial strength of Harvard University. From Vanity Fair:
The fall of Harvard Management Company
• The longtime head of Harvard Management Company, Jack Meyer, quit to start his own hedge fund in 2005 after growing fed up with criticism over the eight-figure salaries some of his managers were pulling down and with persistent meddling from top Harvard officials. Two particular annoyances were Summers, who had been questioning Meyer’s investment strategies, and Robert Rubin, a member of the Harvard Corporation, who frowned on Meyer’s aggressive strategies and wound up on the “warpath” with Meyer, as one person put it.• When Meyer left, he took much of Harvard Management Company with him — including 30 portfolio managers and traders, as well as the chief risk officer, chief operating officer, and chief technology officer. The place became “like a Ferrari without the engine,” according to a portfolio manager who arrived after Meyer left. This angered Rubin, according to someone who knows him well: “In Rubin’s opinion, Meyer crippled the institution.”
Now Obama wants to inflict precisely this kind of destruction on the very companies he pretended he wanted to save with the bailouts.
The Obama administration is set to dictate incomes to Americans at companies who foolishly believed that accepting government bailouts didn't give the government the right to dictate to them what they could and could not do with their lives. From the NY Times:
Responding to the growing furor over the paychecks of executives at companies that received billions of dollars in the government’s financial rescue, the Obama administration will order the companies that received the most aid to deeply slash the compensation to their highest paid executives, an official involved in the decision said on Wednesday.
Under the plan, which will be announced in the next few days by the Treasury Department, the seven companies that received the most assistance will have to cut the annual salaries of their 25 best-paid executives by an average of about 90 percent from last year. Their total compensation — including bonuses and retirement contributions — will drop, on average, by about 50 percent. The companies are Citigroup [C 4.42 -0.01 (-0.23%) ], Bank of America [BAC 16.51 -0.50 (-2.94%) ], American International Group [AIG 38.96 -1.47 (-3.64%) ], General Motors, Chrysler and the financing arms of the two automakers.
In March I posted:
Obama Wants to Turn the U.S. Into a Government-Managed “Planned Economy”
Obama is proving that some of the change he wants is to replace our market-driven economy, with one in which business decisions are made by the government and forced by law on we, the people. He wants greatly increased government control over health care, education, and energy......
Obama wants the government to control executive pay at all these financial firms. This kind of central planning of business decisions, controlled by the state, is called a "Planned Economy." From Wikipedia:
A planned economy or directed economy is an economic system in which the government or workers' councils manages the economy. It is an economic system in which the central government makes all decisions on the production and consumption of goods and services. Its most extensive form is referred to as a command economy, centrally planned economy, or command and control economy. In such economies, central economic planning by the state or government is so extensive that it controls all major sectors of the economy and formulates all decisions about their use and about the distribution of income. The planners decide what should be produced and direct enterprises to produce those goods. Planned economies are in contrast to unplanned economies, such as a market economy, where production, distribution, pricing, and investment decisions are made by the private owners of the factors of production based upon their own and their customers' interests rather than upon furthering some overarching macroeconomic plan.
Want to know what countries have, or have had, "planned economies"?
Important planned economies that existed in the past include the economy of the Soviet Union, which was for a time the world's second-largest economy[citation needed], China during its Great Leap Forward, and India, prior to its economic reforms in 1991, Afghanistan under the Soviet occupation and under the Taliban, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein from 1979 to 2003. ...Although most economies today are market economies or mixed economies (which are partially planned), planned economies exist in some countries such as Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, and Burma.
Yeah, baby! Let's turn the United States' economy into one like those of the Soviet Union, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and North Korea!
Frankly, that's change that nobody can believe in.
But that's what Obama is going for.
And just to rub in that what he wants is absolute rulership rather than to serve the people, Obama is threatening to cut people's salaries by 50% to 90%
That means people losing their homes.
That's the kind of rulership Obama wants to have over all the people.
Fight it or lose your freedom.
We've been hearing a great deal from the Obama administration about saving Medical costs by cutting money spent on patients who are in the last two years of their life. From the Washington Post, June, 2009:
But it is the findings of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice that have generated the most excitement in the Obama administration, all the way up to the Oval Office. For more than a decade, the New Hampshire researchers have documented and mapped wide variations in the cost and types of care given to American seniors through the Medicare program, concluding that spending more on health care has not resulted in better health.
In the final two years of a patient's life, for example, they found that Medicare spent an average of $46,412 per beneficiary nationwide, with the typical patient spending 19.6 days in the hospital, including 5.1 in the intensive-care unit. Green Bay patients cost $33,334 with 14.1 days in the hospital and just 2.1 days in the ICU, while in Miami and Los Angeles, the average cost of care exceeded $71,000, and total hospitalization was about 28 days with 12 in the ICU.
Here's the dangerous fallacy of pursuing this argument: there are many cases in which people whose doctors expected they had little time left to live, went on to enjoy years of life, in which they were able to bring joy to their friends and loved ones.
One of my very good friends was told many years ago that he had at most a year or two left. He is still very much among us, a good father to his son, and contributing greatly through his work to many people's lives.
A quick Google search for "lived longer than doctors predicted" turns up numerous examples.
To sum up:
In many cases, possibly a majority of cases - particularly in cases of those who are elderly but not terminally ill - no one knows in advance when the last two years of anyone's life will be.
But Obama evidently seeks to have doctors make a decision about when the last two years of our lives have arrived, and then withhold medical care from that point forward, hastening an earlier death.
Here's the famous video of Obama, relevant to the subject:
Obama: "Maybe you're better off, not having the surgery, but taking the pain killer."
Do you want a doctor, very possibly acting in a way enforced by federal guidelnes written by bureaucrats in Washington, telling you when they must withhold medical care from your parents?
If that's not a death panel, it's too close to one for comfort.
So many doctors oppose Obamacare. Sample headlines:
70 percent of specialty doctors oppose health-care reform proposals
45% Of Doctors Would Consider Quitting If Congress Passes Health Care Overhaul
A.M.A. Opposes Government-Sponsored Health Plan - NYTimes.com
So of course, since under Obama the Dems try to destroy public debate, and care nothing about the will of the people, and care nothing about the opinions of the people who actually are experts in the subject, today we see the Dems trying to bribe doctors into supporting health care. From AP:
Senate Dems seek higher doctor payments
WASHINGTON — Maneuvering to boost prospects for sweeping health care legislation, Senate Democrats hope first to win quick approval for a bill that grants doctors a $247 billion increase in Medicare fees over a decade but raises federal deficits in the process, officials said Wednesday.
If that isn't bad enough, it's part of a huge deception the Dems are hoping to perpetrate. The Dems are planning to claim that the main health care bill won't add to deficits (don't be fooled: a huge new study reveals it places tremendous costs on all Americans) -- all the while, packing the deficit-increasing items into a separate bill:
By creating a two-bill approach, Democrats intend to claim the more comprehensive health care measure meets President Barack Obama's conditions — that it will neither add to deficits nor exceed $900 billion in costs over 10 years.
The corruption, the intention to rule the people by force instead of representing them as public servants, is ghastly. Obama cannot be trusted to lead. All the Dems need to be voted out of office, because they are presenting a danger to the freedoms this country is built on.
The health insurance industry criticized Obamacare, and immediately, in return, Democrats in Congress are actually threatening insurers with a legal change that would be harmful to them. This is a massive assault on free speech by the Democrats. They are actually attempting to use the power of the state to halt criticism of Obamacare.
Here are the specifics. From AP, two days ago:
Insurance companies aren't playing nice any more. Their dire message that health care legislation will drive up premiums for people who already have coverage comes as a warning shot at a crucial point in the debate, and threatens President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.
Democrats and their allies scrambled on Monday to knock down a new industry-funded study forecasting that Senate legislation, over time, will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a typical policy. "Distorted and flawed," said White House spokeswoman Linda Douglass. "Fundamentally dishonest," said AARP's senior policy strategist, John Rother. "A hatchet job," said a spokesman for Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.
But the health insurance industry's top lobbyist in Washington stood her ground. In a call with reporters, Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, pointedly refused to rule out attack ads on TV featuring the study, though she said she believed the industry's concerns could be amicably addressed.
At the heart of the industry's complaint is a decision by lawmakers to weaken the requirement that millions more Americans get coverage. Since the legislation would ban insurance companies from denying coverage on account of poor health, many people will wait to sign up until they get sick, the industry says. And that will drive up costs for everybody else.
Insurers are now raising possibilities such as higher premiums for people who postpone getting coverage, or waiting periods for those who ignore a proposed government requirement to get insurance and later have a change of heart.
...The study projects that the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions of the Baucus bill would be in effect.
Premiums for a single person would go up by $600 more than would be the case without the legislation, it estimated.
In 10 years' time, premiums would be $4,000 higher for a family plan, and $1,500 more for individual coverage.
Today, the Democrats responded by abusing the power of the state to threaten the insurers with an attack. From Politico:
Democrats launch attack on insurer exemption
The long-simmering tension between insurers and congressional Democrats is erupting into open warfare, with lawmakers stepping up their push to revoke a key federal protection for the insurance industry.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday will call for an amendment to the health care reform bill that would remove the long-standing antitrust exemption for insurers, echoing a push by other Democrats to crack down on the industry.
The Government is supposed to defend free speech; to be public servants, not our masters, overlords, or rulers. Under Barrack Obama, the Democrats are presenting a literal threat to freedom of speech in this country. They all need to be voted out of office, because they are presenting a danger to the freedoms this country is built on.
Update 10-26-09
From Dick Morris:
The medical device industry had its day at the White House as did the insurance industry, the drug makers, the nurses, and the doctors. In turn, each group heard the White House request that they come up with voluntary cuts in their health care costs and support Obama's proposed changes in return for assurances that Congress would not impose deeper cuts (or, in the case of the doctors, that it would actually rescind cuts already scheduled under current statutes).
But, unlike all these other groups, the medical device industry refused the deal. This posture enraged the tyrants in the White House who vowed to punish the industry with cuts imposed by Congress. The result was a decision by the revenue-hungry Senate Finance Committee to extract billions in funds from the industry.
The legislation does not work like a sales or excise tax. Rather it follows the model of the punitive tobacco settlement imposed on cigarette companies in the 90s. It assesses an industry-wide payment which firms must make in proportion to their market share. It bars the them from passing along the cost of the assessment by charging more for certain basic products, but allows them to raise the price of others to raise the funds for the fee.
So, the result will be that virtually every piece of advanced surgical equipment will be subject to a price increase to meet the levy from Washington. No matter that these devices often make the difference between life and death and that, in effect, taxing them raises the cost of vital treatments. The vengeful White House will have its pound of flesh from the medical device industry for daring to be independent and to refuse to knuckle down to Administration pressure!
This tax, imposed in a spirit of haughty arrogance, falls on totally inappropriate objects. Valves, prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, hearing aids, and such are essential therapies that make life longer, better, and less painful. To tax them makes no sense. Except in the world of sharp elbows and interest group politics that grips this take-no-prisoners and show-no-mercy White House.
Obama uses the power of the state to oppose people's right to free speech, and our right to be free.
Before we get to Obama's offer of help to the Taliban, let's review who the Taliban are.
From Infoplease.com:
The Taliban's popularity with the Afghan people surprised the country's other warring factions. Many Afghans, weary of conflict and anarchy, were relieved to see corrupt and often brutal warlords replaced by the devout Taliban, who had some success in eliminating corruption, restoring peace, and allowing commerce to resume.
The Taliban, under the direction of Mullah Muhammad Omar, brought about this order through the institution of a very strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. Public executions and punishments (such as floggings) became regular events at Afghan soccer stadiums. Frivolous activities, like kite-flying, were outlawed. In order to root out "non-Islamic" influence, television, music, and the Internet were banned. Men were required to wear beards, and subjected to beatings if they didn't.
Most shocking to the West was the Taliban's treatment of women. When the Taliban took Kabul, they immediately forbade girls to go to school. Moreover, women were barred from working outside the home, precipitating a crisis in healthcare and education. Women were also prohibited from leaving their home without a male relative—those that did so risked being beaten, even shot, by officers of the "ministry for the protection of virtue and prevention of vice." A woman caught wearing fingernail polish may have had her fingertips chopped off. All this, according to the Taliban, was to safeguard women and their honor.
.....The Taliban allowed terrorist organizations to run training camps in their territory and, from 1994 to at least 2001, provided refuge for Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization. The relationship between the Taliban and bin Laden is close, even familial—bin Laden fought with the mujahideen, has financed the Taliban, and has reportedly married one of his daughters to Mullah Muhammad Omar.
The Taliban destroyed treasures of the world - the ancient statues of Buddha. From USA Today, 2001:
One of the Buddhas that have been destroyed. The two black figures in the center near the bottom are men who are sitting down.
In Afghanistan recently, supreme Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar issued an edict against un-Islamic graven images, which means all idolatrous images of humans and animals. As a result, the Taliban are destroying all ancient sculptures. Explosives, tanks, and anti-aircraft weapons blew apart two colossal images of the Buddha in Bamiyan Province, 230 kilometers (150 miles) from the capital of Kabul.
The reason we went into Afghanistan in the first place was because the Taliban, who were running Afghanistan, had aided Bin Laden, who had just killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11. From Wikipedia:
The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001 as the U.S. military's Operation Enduring Freedom and the British military's Operation Herrick, was launched in response to the September 11 attacks.
The stated aim of the invasion was to find Osama bin Laden and other high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and put them on trial, to destroy the whole organization of Al-Qaeda, and to remove the Taliban regime which supported and gave safe harbor to Al-Qaeda.
To sum up: The Taliban supported Al-Qaeda, and have a tight bond to Bin Laden - the enemies of America who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11.
So now what's Obama proposing? Merely to take their side against the U.S. army and put them back into involvement with the political future of Afghanistan - when the entire mission of the U.S. army in going into Afghanistan, was to get rid of the Taliban.
Does that sound impossible? From FoxNews and AP:
WASHINGTON -- President Obama is inclined to send only as many more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as are needed to keep Al Qaeda at bay, a senior administration official said.
The official, in an interview with The Associated Press, also added that the president is prepared to accept some Taliban involvement in Afghanistan's political future, reiterating what Obama said in March.
The assessment comes from an official who has been involved in the president's discussions with his war council about Afghanistan strategy.
Let's list the outrages:
How many different ways can Obama attack the interests of the American people before he utterly exposes himself as one who can no longer be trusted to lead?
If you live in New York and love Conservative comedy, don't miss Evan Sayet, live, October 7th and 8th.
"Who makes me laugh? Easy, Evan Sayet." -- Ann Coulter
Evan Sayet is bringing his highly acclaimed “Right to Laugh – A Night of Conservative Comedy” to New York City for two days only as part of the New York Underground Comedy Festival, October 7 and 8.
This is an all-conservative line-up that includes PJTV’s al Sonja Schmidt – a beautiful, black, female conservative (with all the stories that entails) as well as Ellen Karis, former Wall-Streeter turned family values comedienne and Fox News Channel favorite.
Even though the shows are being held in comedy clubs, this is NOT your typical comedy club experience! Evan’s Right to Laugh nights have been running in Los Angeles for over five years, garnering a following that includes famous radio talk show hosts, best selling conservative authors, Republican television, movie and even rock stars (yep, they exist!), as well as leading political activists and elected officials.
“Evan has crossed that line from ‘funny’ to important” - Michael Barone
Evan has become the go-to guy for political comedy at high end Republican/conservative events like CPAC and David Horowitz’s Restoration Weekend. In fact, David describes Evan as “Simply the best political comedian working in America today.”
Tickets for the shows are just twenty dollars and are available online (highly recommended) as well as at the respective box offices.
Seats for The Oct. 7th show – at the world famous Comic Strip Live on 81st Street and Second Avenue at 8:30 can be purchased here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/84639
Seats for the Oct. 8th show – at the beautiful Broadway Comedy Club on 53rd St. between 8th and 9th here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/84709.
If you love to laugh but you’ve stopped going to comedy clubs because you don’t care to have your values attacked by shallow and angry Leftists, this is your night to return!
“Evan is one of my favorite cultural commentators” -- Tammy Bruce
“At last I can delight in a show that is genuinely funny” -- Larry Elder
"Evan Sayet explodes pernicious stereotypes with refreshing humor that is simultaneously thought-provoking and hilarious..." -- Michael Medved
From commenter A.M. Whittaker:
Update 1-19-10 - from WFTV in Orlando, Florida: