October 30, 2005
GODBLOGS
via Angie at the QCA
What would Jesus blog?
That and other pressing questions drew 135 Christians to Southern California this weekend for a national conference billed as the first-ever for "God bloggers," a growing community of online writers who exchange information and analyze current events from a Christian perspective...
At one well-attended workshop -- "When Non-Christians Read Your Blog" -- Biola University professor Timothy Muehlhoff gave instructions on writing about faith without alienating nonbelievers. He stressed that God blogging has the potential to be a "train wreck" because done wrong it can reinforce stereotypes of evangelical Christians as angry and close-minded "pit bulls of the culture wars."
"As Christians today we are embroiled in the argument culture and we have forgotten this one thing: 'Blessed are the peacemakers.'," he said. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could say we brought a level of civility back to the conversation?"
I haven't met an angry or closed minded christian for a long while in real life or in cyberspace.
The article links to evangelicaloutpost.com and smartchristian.com
I had a look at evangelical outpost. It seems to be mainly concerned with investment advice. There is also a piece about whether christians should "take a stand against" Halloween.
I remember our pastor used to preach that people have "Forgotten the real meaning of Christmas." Its not true. Christmas was a totally pagan festival about eating, drinking and giving presents before christianity usurped it and it was usurped deliberately.
It has just returned to its original pre-christian flavour naturaly. Easter is the same. Not that I am against christians having their own festivals. If they really want to stand separate they should change the date of Christmas and Easter though. Thats what I would do.
What would Jesus blog?
That and other pressing questions drew 135 Christians to Southern California this weekend for a national conference billed as the first-ever for "God bloggers," a growing community of online writers who exchange information and analyze current events from a Christian perspective...
At one well-attended workshop -- "When Non-Christians Read Your Blog" -- Biola University professor Timothy Muehlhoff gave instructions on writing about faith without alienating nonbelievers. He stressed that God blogging has the potential to be a "train wreck" because done wrong it can reinforce stereotypes of evangelical Christians as angry and close-minded "pit bulls of the culture wars."
"As Christians today we are embroiled in the argument culture and we have forgotten this one thing: 'Blessed are the peacemakers.'," he said. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could say we brought a level of civility back to the conversation?"
I haven't met an angry or closed minded christian for a long while in real life or in cyberspace.
The article links to evangelicaloutpost.com and smartchristian.com
I had a look at evangelical outpost. It seems to be mainly concerned with investment advice. There is also a piece about whether christians should "take a stand against" Halloween.
I remember our pastor used to preach that people have "Forgotten the real meaning of Christmas." Its not true. Christmas was a totally pagan festival about eating, drinking and giving presents before christianity usurped it and it was usurped deliberately.
It has just returned to its original pre-christian flavour naturaly. Easter is the same. Not that I am against christians having their own festivals. If they really want to stand separate they should change the date of Christmas and Easter though. Thats what I would do.
One mans honesty is another mans corruption
When we hear that Muslims are anti-democracy we always assume totalitarian fascism as the alternative. Here is a Texan Muslim explaining anti-democracy. Abu Abdullah (Abu Hamza's sidekick) always painted a picture of kaffir's and christian's living happily under Islamic rule before. He said that sometimes christians prefered Islamic rule. He spoke of a "Zacca" system of taxation which you pay once a year which allows you to practice your own ways and exempts you from war.
I would like to film more of how Muslims think this utopian Islamic ideology would work in the 21st century as we don't have it explained to us properly.
In my own experience, much as genuine Islamists would like Allah to be in control I fear that any sort of power corupts those that weild it and attitudes to this corruption make a lot of difference. For example in India, and other places in the third world where bribery is a way of life you can usually get on with what you want to do as long as you involve yourself in this corruption.
In Goa all the restaurants and the bigger time drug dealers pay a percentage to the local mafia. The Police can spoil this sometimes, but only to a point, and only with new tourists. In the valley we were staying in the local mafia guy who used to ride past us on his shiny new enfield told me that the previous year they had tied the police up and left them in a ditch full of shit all night because they busted the same house twice. We smoked chillum openly on the balcony in Chapora while Police busted almost every Israeli in trendier Anjuna.
In the UK sensible Police turn a blind eye sometimes, and in London those of us who don't see eye to eye with the law are luckier than most, yet the Police and media rarely deal with the corruption of the rich.
In Pakistan, we get the impression that a lot of people would like to see homosexuals killed under Islamic law, yet in Peshawar I saw more gay people openly "hanging out" on the street than I do in London.
I don't know what to conclude here. A lot of gangster movies tell us that there is a morality in corruption. While I live in a society where some of my freedoms are at risk and I believe this to be corupt, I have to rely a bit on the morality of corrupt people and I find a certain level of corruption to be beneficial. I'm not against it.
When the Vikings sailed up the Thames they were wary of Londoners because they assumed that anyone who didn't live off the land was corrupt. I can understand the logic behind this.
I would like to film more of how Muslims think this utopian Islamic ideology would work in the 21st century as we don't have it explained to us properly.
In my own experience, much as genuine Islamists would like Allah to be in control I fear that any sort of power corupts those that weild it and attitudes to this corruption make a lot of difference. For example in India, and other places in the third world where bribery is a way of life you can usually get on with what you want to do as long as you involve yourself in this corruption.
In Goa all the restaurants and the bigger time drug dealers pay a percentage to the local mafia. The Police can spoil this sometimes, but only to a point, and only with new tourists. In the valley we were staying in the local mafia guy who used to ride past us on his shiny new enfield told me that the previous year they had tied the police up and left them in a ditch full of shit all night because they busted the same house twice. We smoked chillum openly on the balcony in Chapora while Police busted almost every Israeli in trendier Anjuna.
In the UK sensible Police turn a blind eye sometimes, and in London those of us who don't see eye to eye with the law are luckier than most, yet the Police and media rarely deal with the corruption of the rich.
In Pakistan, we get the impression that a lot of people would like to see homosexuals killed under Islamic law, yet in Peshawar I saw more gay people openly "hanging out" on the street than I do in London.
I don't know what to conclude here. A lot of gangster movies tell us that there is a morality in corruption. While I live in a society where some of my freedoms are at risk and I believe this to be corupt, I have to rely a bit on the morality of corrupt people and I find a certain level of corruption to be beneficial. I'm not against it.
When the Vikings sailed up the Thames they were wary of Londoners because they assumed that anyone who didn't live off the land was corrupt. I can understand the logic behind this.
via Godless Mom
John McCain has attempted to put forth a bill that would make it illegal for anyone acting on the behalf of the United States to mistreat prisoners or detainees in any matter. Basically it makes the Geneva Convention rules into national law. The bill passed with a huge majority of 91 votes. Yet Bush, who has never vetoed a bill in his entire term as president has threatened to veto this one. Dick Cheney went to McCain and said that Bush would sign the bill if an exception were made for the CIA. Basically, the Bush administration (who still insists that we don't torture people) is looking to make a nice little loophole for itself.Now, the Bush administration is attempting to claim that while it is illegal for us to torture anyone on our own soil, it is okay for us to do so when in other countries
John McCain has attempted to put forth a bill that would make it illegal for anyone acting on the behalf of the United States to mistreat prisoners or detainees in any matter. Basically it makes the Geneva Convention rules into national law. The bill passed with a huge majority of 91 votes. Yet Bush, who has never vetoed a bill in his entire term as president has threatened to veto this one. Dick Cheney went to McCain and said that Bush would sign the bill if an exception were made for the CIA. Basically, the Bush administration (who still insists that we don't torture people) is looking to make a nice little loophole for itself.Now, the Bush administration is attempting to claim that while it is illegal for us to torture anyone on our own soil, it is okay for us to do so when in other countries
BANG X 3
3 Bombs in Delhi. Fuck. This looks like the work of Kashmiri seperatists. It doesn't look like an Indian version of Indonesia's "Symbolic tourist bombers" or they would have bombed the Hare Rama up the road from one of the targeted markets where all the Israeli's stay.
October 19, 2005
PERSECUTION
via psy-trance journal
Land of the free??
UTAH RAVERS TREATED LIKE TERRORISTS!
by Apollo
Sun Aug 21st, 2005 at 22:30:30 PDT
UTAH RAVERS TREATED LIKE TERRORISTS! EVOL INTENT'S ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT
The helicopter dipped lower and lower and started shining its lights on the crowd. I was kind of in awe and just sat and watched this thing circle us for a minute. As I looked back towards the crowd I saw a guy dressed in camoflauge walking by, toting an assault rifle. At this point, everyone was fully aware of what was going on . A few "troops" rushed the stage and cut the sound off and started yelling that everyone "get the fuck out of here or go to jail". This is where it got really sticky.
No one resisted. That's for sure. They had police dogs raiding the crowd of people and I saw a dog signal out a guy who obviously had some drugs on him. The soldiers attacked the guy (4 of them on 1), and kicked him a few times in the ribs and had their knees in his back and sides. As they were cuffing him, there was about 1000 kids trying to leave in the backdrop, peacefully. Next thing I know, A can of fucking TEAR GAS is launched into the crowd. People are running and screaming at this point. Girls are crying, guys are cussing... bad scene.
Now, this is all I saw with my own eyes, but I heard plenty of other accounts of the night. Now this isnt gossip I heard from some candy raver, these are instances cited straight out of the promoters mouth..
* One of the promoters friends (a very small female) was attacked by one of the police dogs. As she struggled to get away from it, the police tackled her. 3 grown men proceeded to KICK HER IN THE STOMACH.
* The police confiscated 3 video tapes in total. People were trying to document what was happening out there. The police saw one guy filming and ran after him, tackled him and his camera fell, and luckily.. his friend grabbed it and ran and got away. priceless footage. That's not all though. Out of 1,500 people, there's sure to be more footage..........
This event was 100% legal... the police did not have a warrant. ...
The system fucked up last night... They broke up a party that was 100% legal and they physically hurt a lot of people there at the same time. The promoters already have 6 lawsuits ready to file with their lawyers and the ACLU is already involved.
LAND OF THE FUCKING FREE (Mov)
More religious persecution at Musicversesguns.org
Land of the free??
UTAH RAVERS TREATED LIKE TERRORISTS!
by Apollo
Sun Aug 21st, 2005 at 22:30:30 PDT
UTAH RAVERS TREATED LIKE TERRORISTS! EVOL INTENT'S ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT
The helicopter dipped lower and lower and started shining its lights on the crowd. I was kind of in awe and just sat and watched this thing circle us for a minute. As I looked back towards the crowd I saw a guy dressed in camoflauge walking by, toting an assault rifle. At this point, everyone was fully aware of what was going on . A few "troops" rushed the stage and cut the sound off and started yelling that everyone "get the fuck out of here or go to jail". This is where it got really sticky.
No one resisted. That's for sure. They had police dogs raiding the crowd of people and I saw a dog signal out a guy who obviously had some drugs on him. The soldiers attacked the guy (4 of them on 1), and kicked him a few times in the ribs and had their knees in his back and sides. As they were cuffing him, there was about 1000 kids trying to leave in the backdrop, peacefully. Next thing I know, A can of fucking TEAR GAS is launched into the crowd. People are running and screaming at this point. Girls are crying, guys are cussing... bad scene.
Now, this is all I saw with my own eyes, but I heard plenty of other accounts of the night. Now this isnt gossip I heard from some candy raver, these are instances cited straight out of the promoters mouth..
* One of the promoters friends (a very small female) was attacked by one of the police dogs. As she struggled to get away from it, the police tackled her. 3 grown men proceeded to KICK HER IN THE STOMACH.
* The police confiscated 3 video tapes in total. People were trying to document what was happening out there. The police saw one guy filming and ran after him, tackled him and his camera fell, and luckily.. his friend grabbed it and ran and got away. priceless footage. That's not all though. Out of 1,500 people, there's sure to be more footage..........
This event was 100% legal... the police did not have a warrant. ...
The system fucked up last night... They broke up a party that was 100% legal and they physically hurt a lot of people there at the same time. The promoters already have 6 lawsuits ready to file with their lawyers and the ACLU is already involved.
LAND OF THE FUCKING FREE (Mov)
More religious persecution at Musicversesguns.org
October 18, 2005
The Star Spangled Banner
Absolutely fascinating. When I can leave British Fundamental Islam I want to make a film about US Grass roots Republicanism.
Follow this
to this
Absolute classic.
I posted a few questions on Bold as Loves blog, which were deleted.
I tagged him here.
He finnaly got back to me here
and we finnaly get the story here!
Now as a "leftish" person (though I hate the term) what is a more valid preocupation? Entrenching myself amongst those who agree with me? Demonising my "enemy"? Or taking advantage of this new blogging phenomenon to find out what "my political opponents" really think and why?
Cheers Bold as Love!
Later!
YOU NEED BLOG
I'm enjoying this blog search. I've found loads of Melvin's audio and video. I love the Melvins. Listen to the Melvins. They are fantastic. I used a Melvins track on Preachers of Hate.
Melvins website
INDIAAaahhhh...
I've been asked before why India?
I think I have always been interested in what polytheism would do to my head, having spent my whole life in a society based on monotheistic principles. I've just surfed my way through 3 monotheists blogs. Now I am outside of religion there only seems to be a hairs breadth between them as they relate to daily life.
Polytheism is diferent. At the Indian embassy in Islamabad the guy behind the counter was suspicious.
"You have been already six months in India. I think that is quite enough time...."
"Really?" I answered casually. "I think that even twenty years in India wouldn't be enough time to do the place justice."
Right answer to a proud Indian. Bang! Down came his stamp on my passport.
I crossed the border just outside Lahore, bribing the Pakistan side to let me smuggle some Indian ruppees I had back in. The Indian's were a bit more advanced and had an X-ray machine. I kissed the ground. I didn't have a good time in Pakistan overall. The kallash tribe liked me but everyone else hated me, not being a monotheist and all.
I chose the oldest knobbly kneed Sikh cycle rickshawist and asked if I could ride. I like riding cycle rickshaws in Amritsar. Being a honky everyone laughs and all the cars give me a wide berth. Back at the Golden Temple (pictured) I sat outside with a baba smoking roadside weed through a chillum as evening drew on. A drunk came up to us.
"What country?" he asked me.
"England." I answered.
"India is best country in the world." he said.
I agreed with him.
And to complete the set...
Stumbled across a Jewish blog where the guy is brewing up some nice oxtail stew.
RELIJUN
What interests me so much about religion and belief? Whenever i come across a christian blog I can totally relate to it from my memories of how important church life was to me. Here's a christian woman relating how she is being dissed for preaching by the more othodox types. Women preaching wasn't the done thing in my church growing up.
Texan Muslims?
Islam is spreading in Texas apparently. via southzonecrew
This is so similar to a christian evangelism meeting no? Only the words are different.
This is so similar to a christian evangelism meeting no? Only the words are different.
Random Thoughts
Thats a proper blog entry title.
Shall I muse whistfully now? Fuck that.
Is the blogger randomizer button (top right) truly random? I keep getting the same "Dodge hemi" blog. The blogsearch is good though. I didn't hear about the Pixies reforming until the tour was over but I caught wave of mutilation via The Outhouse via blogsearching "the pixies live." The drummer seems to be enjoying himself. I was lucky enough to have seen one of the Pixies first UK gigs at Glastonbury festival many years ago, though it doesn't seem such a long time.
Shall I muse whistfully now? Fuck that.
Is the blogger randomizer button (top right) truly random? I keep getting the same "Dodge hemi" blog. The blogsearch is good though. I didn't hear about the Pixies reforming until the tour was over but I caught wave of mutilation via The Outhouse via blogsearching "the pixies live." The drummer seems to be enjoying himself. I was lucky enough to have seen one of the Pixies first UK gigs at Glastonbury festival many years ago, though it doesn't seem such a long time.
PUPPETS, ART AND RATS
Cycling through Lavender hill in South London the other day I found a road full of specialist shops which I thought would only survive in the west end. A well stocked specialist comic shop, a collectors model shop specialising in sci-fi models of the 50s onwards and a shop dealing exclusively in puppets. When was the last time you saw a puppet shop? I went inside and after a nice chat with the owner she ended up giving me a really nice hard back book about how to make puppets. Does Lavender hill exist outside London's economy? Very strange. I'm going to help out with some web work and maybe get back into making stuff again.
Pulling over to west London I queued up for about 20 minutes to view bansky's new work. A load of satyrical retakes on famous masters. A famous lanscape with a dumped rusting car inserted, another with a set of security cameras, another with a "Police: Can you help?" crime investigation board. There was also a plaster nude with tattoos and a skeleton in uniform. Running free on the floor were a whole load of rats. They looked great climbing through the eyes of the skeleton and sleeping in and around the exhibition.
To keep the rats safe, people were allowed in 6 at a time for 6 minutes only. I like to steal things no one will notice from "modern art instalations" and thought that one of Bansky's "art rats" would be a coo. I had to sign a form to say that I wouldn't touch the rats and other "insurance disclaimers" but I signed it with Mike Camel's name.
Once inside I crouched down and almost got one of the bigger rats to run up the inside of my sleeve. I could have picked up any of the sleeping rats I suppose but I didn't know where to take it once "liberated." The guy on the door patted my pockets to check me on the way out. He assured me that they all lived together harmoniously in a good home. I'd like to visit them again. They are very nice art.
Banksy's site
Do check out the rest of his graffiti. When I used to live in a squat in Hoxton, he regularly used to decorate the cars the kids burned.
Channel4News at Bansky's exhibition
Curses! Another chance at fame cruely dashed.
Txt message from Dave Blond
Hi there. Fancy being in a video shoot on tues? 10 chaps needed towear dog collars and be disciplined! Payment in beer and food.
Do I fancy dressing up as a vicar and getting whipped in a pop video? Is the Pope Jewish? Of course I do! I arranged to be there midday. The videomakers were having a meeting to finalise details.
2 AM got another txt.
Very sorry everybody...Due to some kind of cultural and artistic conflict the shoot is off. Many apologies for wasted time.
Hi there. Fancy being in a video shoot on tues? 10 chaps needed towear dog collars and be disciplined! Payment in beer and food.
Do I fancy dressing up as a vicar and getting whipped in a pop video? Is the Pope Jewish? Of course I do! I arranged to be there midday. The videomakers were having a meeting to finalise details.
2 AM got another txt.
Very sorry everybody...Due to some kind of cultural and artistic conflict the shoot is off. Many apologies for wasted time.
October 17, 2005
Note the blue eyes and tattooed dots on fore head. By the time they are this girls age they have thick black dead skin on the front of their feet/ankles like hobbits. Apparently this is from sitting infront of fires in the severe winters they have. I tried to teach them for one day. They are dangerous. Extremely tough. Amazing kids.
SNOW NUKES!
Iran on the agenda===================
The US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice tried to turn up the heat on Iran today over its nuclear programme, coming to the UK for talks with Tony Blair. She wants Iran brought before the UN - suspicious that Tehran is developing weapons rather than power stations. The Iranians said they would return to talks with the EU but rejected the key demand that it first stops the uranium enrichment which restarted in August. Ms Rice and the British foreign secretary Jack Straw also both warned Iran to stay out of the insurgency in Iraq. I caught up with Jack Straw earlier today to ask him why Iran shouldn't have nukes when Israel probably does and when we do.
snowmails
The US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice tried to turn up the heat on Iran today over its nuclear programme, coming to the UK for talks with Tony Blair. She wants Iran brought before the UN - suspicious that Tehran is developing weapons rather than power stations. The Iranians said they would return to talks with the EU but rejected the key demand that it first stops the uranium enrichment which restarted in August. Ms Rice and the British foreign secretary Jack Straw also both warned Iran to stay out of the insurgency in Iraq. I caught up with Jack Straw earlier today to ask him why Iran shouldn't have nukes when Israel probably does and when we do.
snowmails
October 14, 2005
Kallash Chicks
Further to my blogging about the Kalash tribe (haven't seen anything regarding their welfare re earthquake on the news yet- anyone?)
Within the first two days of my arrival a local tribal girl aged between 15-17 presented herself where I was eating obviously with me on her mind. She had painted red "glasses" around her eyes and red spots around her face and smelled a lot of some sort of flower. She had the usual spots and spirals tattooed on her face as well.
"A beautiful Kallashi girl." said my host.
I was polite but didn't give her any reason to be even more forward.
During my stay another Kallashi girl took immense pleasure in winding me up, locking me in my room until I almost kicked the door down in rage, that sort of thing- all the time. I didn't realise that it was because she liked me until once, when some Karachi "visitors" came past her and her friend drew closer to me to ward off their attention. It was obvious what trouble they faced as they went about their buisness from these tourists and I was glad to be there. I must qualify the divide I saw between Kallash and muslim's by saying that the Kallash did have friends amongst local Muslims, most of whom were mountain people who also hated the tourists from the big cities.
Kallashi girls are as forward about their sexual intent as some Swede's I have met, and all this surrounded by one of the strictest forms of Islam on the planet. If I had come across one I was attracted to I would still be there.
Within the first two days of my arrival a local tribal girl aged between 15-17 presented herself where I was eating obviously with me on her mind. She had painted red "glasses" around her eyes and red spots around her face and smelled a lot of some sort of flower. She had the usual spots and spirals tattooed on her face as well.
"A beautiful Kallashi girl." said my host.
I was polite but didn't give her any reason to be even more forward.
During my stay another Kallashi girl took immense pleasure in winding me up, locking me in my room until I almost kicked the door down in rage, that sort of thing- all the time. I didn't realise that it was because she liked me until once, when some Karachi "visitors" came past her and her friend drew closer to me to ward off their attention. It was obvious what trouble they faced as they went about their buisness from these tourists and I was glad to be there. I must qualify the divide I saw between Kallash and muslim's by saying that the Kallash did have friends amongst local Muslims, most of whom were mountain people who also hated the tourists from the big cities.
Kallashi girls are as forward about their sexual intent as some Swede's I have met, and all this surrounded by one of the strictest forms of Islam on the planet. If I had come across one I was attracted to I would still be there.
HELP!
I haven't had a lot of profesional help with this project. The last person to offer me help, who I actually introduced to Abdullah and co never answers emails or phone calls. Last time I heard from him he wanted me to score him some drugs.
I've been approached by two production companies recently, both meetings went the same way. The last one sent a researcher to take me for coffee. They were working on a project for Japan's version of the BBC. He asked me a bit about what I was doing before telling me that they had already interviewed Abu Abdullah but were having trouble getting back in touch with him.
I told them that this was probably because the last TV company to interview him in any depth had made a program for Turkish TV which claimed Abdullah was "Al-Qaida's No1 man in Europe." I knew that when publicity went wrong for the guys they would probably be arguing amongst themselves and battoning down the hatches.
"Have you had any luck contacting the Supporters of Shareeah?" I asked.
"Not really..."
"Thats the Supporters of Shareeah..." I said. "I think you'll have more luck with Bakri's friends. They seem to like publicity which makes Islam look tough. With the Supporters of Shareeah its if in doubt say nothing. They don't even like Islamic media."
The guy told me that they wanted to talk to two young Islamists who were close to the main mosques in Britain's "trouble spots" who "might have been tempted to become terrorists." and asked if I had anyone in mind I might be able to connect them with. I had mentioned that Abu Hamza's son, Mohssain had agreed to talk to me if I could get a proposal accepted. I think he thought Mohssain would be ideal.
I wished him luck contacting the Supporters of Shareeah himself. What do these people think? That I'll just hand over contacts I have struggled to gain over two years to people I don't know?
Did that guy I put you in touch with make a program calling you an intentational terrorist?
Oh sorry!
He seemed like such a nice guy to me!
All this vented I met Loretta today who I met giving a talk at the French Institute last week. She was pre-launching her new book
Made in America: Al Zarqawi & the Future of the Islamic Jihad
To give a quick run down of her talk:
She believed that it WASN'T "All about oil." (uncommon among the anti-globalist types) She believed it was about regime change. "These people think no further than 8 years ahead."
She said that Al-Zarqawi had arrived late in Afghanistan to fight the Russians, and had a tiny group of supporters. He was an uneducated man who had turned down Bin Laden's financial support and didn't accept him as an "Emir" because he didn't accept the "Enemy far away" philosophy. He wanted to defend Islamists where they were dirrectly being threatened. When the US invaded Afghanistan Al-Zarqawi's crew went to Iraq, rightly predicting that it would be America's next target.
Colin Powell announcing Al-Zarqawi as Iraq's local Al-Qaida head honcho meant that everyone travelling that way to "Fight Jihad" wanted to fight for him and all anti-American financiers wanted to finance him. She believed his group was still tiny and the way forward in Iraq was negotiation, although she believed the groups fighting US occupation were totally disunited and anyone with that mission would have a very hard time finding anyone to negotiate with.
Loretta was once consultant for US Homeland Security and was the Chair of the Countering Terrorism Financing Group for the Madrid Conference on Democracy, Terrorism and Security.
She couldn't give me a lot of time as she was being interviewed herself but she realised what I was up to and was "thinking in my direction."
Cheers Loretta.
I've been approached by two production companies recently, both meetings went the same way. The last one sent a researcher to take me for coffee. They were working on a project for Japan's version of the BBC. He asked me a bit about what I was doing before telling me that they had already interviewed Abu Abdullah but were having trouble getting back in touch with him.
I told them that this was probably because the last TV company to interview him in any depth had made a program for Turkish TV which claimed Abdullah was "Al-Qaida's No1 man in Europe." I knew that when publicity went wrong for the guys they would probably be arguing amongst themselves and battoning down the hatches.
"Have you had any luck contacting the Supporters of Shareeah?" I asked.
"Not really..."
"Thats the Supporters of Shareeah..." I said. "I think you'll have more luck with Bakri's friends. They seem to like publicity which makes Islam look tough. With the Supporters of Shareeah its if in doubt say nothing. They don't even like Islamic media."
The guy told me that they wanted to talk to two young Islamists who were close to the main mosques in Britain's "trouble spots" who "might have been tempted to become terrorists." and asked if I had anyone in mind I might be able to connect them with. I had mentioned that Abu Hamza's son, Mohssain had agreed to talk to me if I could get a proposal accepted. I think he thought Mohssain would be ideal.
I wished him luck contacting the Supporters of Shareeah himself. What do these people think? That I'll just hand over contacts I have struggled to gain over two years to people I don't know?
Did that guy I put you in touch with make a program calling you an intentational terrorist?
Oh sorry!
He seemed like such a nice guy to me!
All this vented I met Loretta today who I met giving a talk at the French Institute last week. She was pre-launching her new book
Made in America: Al Zarqawi & the Future of the Islamic Jihad
To give a quick run down of her talk:
She believed that it WASN'T "All about oil." (uncommon among the anti-globalist types) She believed it was about regime change. "These people think no further than 8 years ahead."
She said that Al-Zarqawi had arrived late in Afghanistan to fight the Russians, and had a tiny group of supporters. He was an uneducated man who had turned down Bin Laden's financial support and didn't accept him as an "Emir" because he didn't accept the "Enemy far away" philosophy. He wanted to defend Islamists where they were dirrectly being threatened. When the US invaded Afghanistan Al-Zarqawi's crew went to Iraq, rightly predicting that it would be America's next target.
Colin Powell announcing Al-Zarqawi as Iraq's local Al-Qaida head honcho meant that everyone travelling that way to "Fight Jihad" wanted to fight for him and all anti-American financiers wanted to finance him. She believed his group was still tiny and the way forward in Iraq was negotiation, although she believed the groups fighting US occupation were totally disunited and anyone with that mission would have a very hard time finding anyone to negotiate with.
Loretta was once consultant for US Homeland Security and was the Chair of the Countering Terrorism Financing Group for the Madrid Conference on Democracy, Terrorism and Security.
She couldn't give me a lot of time as she was being interviewed herself but she realised what I was up to and was "thinking in my direction."
Cheers Loretta.
Orange is the new brown
Cycling through a part of London I don't usually venture through I noticed a woman walking down the street whose face was orange. As she got into her car I noticed a bit of her back which was orange too. Cycling further along the street I noticed another orange woman. I wondered if they were related until further down the street I noticed one of those tanning shops. Why would people want to turn orange?
October 13, 2005
October 12, 2005
HACKED!
OK. Mike Camel's computer went down first, then Socialistwanker disappeared for a bit. Now I find our home computer has been hacked. Mr. Camel reckons its because he's been leaving abusive comments on US Military blogs.
If any US military or random hacker reads this and needs an explanation of what I've been up to, I haven't left any nasty comments on Military blogs, nor do I intend to. Whilst I have been frequently filming with and talking to the friends of someone your government accuses of being a "freelance recruiter of terrorists" I have never been questioned by the Police in this country. Neither have most of them as far as I am aware.
Plently of US Republicans are aware of what I am doing and I have discussed things with them openly on this blog. If it is not too bold I might say that I would consider most of them to be my friends now. Feel free to join in at any point.
If any US military or random hacker reads this and needs an explanation of what I've been up to, I haven't left any nasty comments on Military blogs, nor do I intend to. Whilst I have been frequently filming with and talking to the friends of someone your government accuses of being a "freelance recruiter of terrorists" I have never been questioned by the Police in this country. Neither have most of them as far as I am aware.
Plently of US Republicans are aware of what I am doing and I have discussed things with them openly on this blog. If it is not too bold I might say that I would consider most of them to be my friends now. Feel free to join in at any point.
October 11, 2005
BANNED!
OK. Had a quick look at Cagedprisoners.com to find that our Home Secretary has banned 15 international Islamic groups. The Suporters of Sharreah, Abu Hamza's group, is not on the list. Regular readers will know that I've met Adnan who runs caged prisoners a couple of times. He's a reasonable fellow.
Also on Cagedprisoners Mozam Begg:
"They know what will be the cause of terrorism it's not going to be these preachers they are talking about I swear as Allah is my witness that these so called preachers of hate have little or nothing to do with the proliferation of terrorism in this country or elsewhere. It's the reality of ths situation that is taking place."
"I began my journeys because I saw oppression. Many people who know me from before know that I was involved in aid convoys to Bosnia and elsewhere and supporting aid organisations and so forth and yes I supported people who were defending themselves in places like Chechnya and elsewhere financially and otherwise if the law doesn't allow me to do so any more then I will do so in whatever way I possibly can because..."
At this point Moazzam was interrupted by prayers. Reporter Vivian White spoke to him afterwards and got him to finish the point he was making:
"I was going to say that if the law doesn't allow me then I'll speak out against the law. Simple as that. If the law doesn't allow me to offer my support to those oppressed people around the country then I'll then I'll try and challenge the law in whatever way that I can. And I think that platforms like this are completely appropriate and relevant to that very same challenge."
I met Vivian White outside Belmarsh when Hamza was arrested. He was really encouraging and told me to contact Panorama. Have done so a couple of times but haven't heard from them.
also Army Chaplain James Yee on the Abuse of Prisoners at Guantanamo:
Yee was posted in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2002, but less than a year after serving there, he was accused of espionage by the military and faced charges so severe, that he was threatened with the death penalty. The military leaked information about the case to the press and the media went on a feeding frenzy. Chaplain Yee was vilified on the airwaves as a traitor to his country and accused of being a mole inside of the Army. Then the military's case began to unravel. The charges were eventually reduced and eight months later, dropped altogether.
Also on Cagedprisoners Mozam Begg:
"They know what will be the cause of terrorism it's not going to be these preachers they are talking about I swear as Allah is my witness that these so called preachers of hate have little or nothing to do with the proliferation of terrorism in this country or elsewhere. It's the reality of ths situation that is taking place."
"I began my journeys because I saw oppression. Many people who know me from before know that I was involved in aid convoys to Bosnia and elsewhere and supporting aid organisations and so forth and yes I supported people who were defending themselves in places like Chechnya and elsewhere financially and otherwise if the law doesn't allow me to do so any more then I will do so in whatever way I possibly can because..."
At this point Moazzam was interrupted by prayers. Reporter Vivian White spoke to him afterwards and got him to finish the point he was making:
"I was going to say that if the law doesn't allow me then I'll speak out against the law. Simple as that. If the law doesn't allow me to offer my support to those oppressed people around the country then I'll then I'll try and challenge the law in whatever way that I can. And I think that platforms like this are completely appropriate and relevant to that very same challenge."
I met Vivian White outside Belmarsh when Hamza was arrested. He was really encouraging and told me to contact Panorama. Have done so a couple of times but haven't heard from them.
also Army Chaplain James Yee on the Abuse of Prisoners at Guantanamo:
Yee was posted in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2002, but less than a year after serving there, he was accused of espionage by the military and faced charges so severe, that he was threatened with the death penalty. The military leaked information about the case to the press and the media went on a feeding frenzy. Chaplain Yee was vilified on the airwaves as a traitor to his country and accused of being a mole inside of the Army. Then the military's case began to unravel. The charges were eventually reduced and eight months later, dropped altogether.
October 09, 2005
Shake it up baby
Fuck. Severe earthquake news. The Kallash tribe, who I was blogging about live in this area. My room shook for a good five minutes one morning as I was waking up. A travelling architect wrote a book once about the traditional homes of tribal people in the Himalaya.
I have never found anything online as it is pretty obscure. He reckoned that the way the Kallash built their houses was unusualy good for surviving earthquakes. They live at the tops of valleys, with one houses roof being the one aboves "front garden" They intersperse two thick cut logs parallel with a layer of bricks, the whole thing stuck with mud. I hope they are OK.
Kallash links:
Pakistan photo's- Great pictures of tribal dress.
KALAS : Heathen Europeans In Asia- A lot of Kallash I spoke to doubted their Greek roots. They said that they tended to agree because people promised them new schools ("We're Greek! We're Greek!" etc.) They attracted a lot of nutter interest, (including me) christians who wanted to convert them etc.
Geocities- Guide to the North of Pakistan.
Indigenous People-Goes into more detail about their struggles with internal Pakistani tourism and talks about their festivals incuding Yoshi, which I was lucky to arrive in time for. They also have an article about Kallashi literature although I am wary of people who go into any detail about Kallashi ways as they take immense pleasure in spinning yarns to "intrepid travellers" who "discover" them...
Pilot guides- Makes reference to the cultural pressure they are under from Islam and tourism. This sort of stuff makes me worry as a lot of orthodox Islamists must have crossed the border here when the Americans invaded. This site also has a great picture showing the young girls facial tattoo's.
The Khyber gateway- A fairly good example of the idiots who put pressure on the Kallash:
The Kafir women are known throughout the area for their toughness. This is because they do almost all of the chores; both in the house and outside in the fields as well. Their men are considered a lazy lot;
Typically condescending from people who I am sure know a lot about the mountain farming lifestyle.
The dead of the Kalashis are left in wooden coffins in Kalash graveyards. The lids of these coffins are left open so that various elements of nature can affect the bodies...Going to a Kalashi graveyard is a smelly business and the faint hearted should not go as they should expect to see unsuitable scenes..
Never saw or heard this and I went to a Kallashi funeral. Can't refute it either. People tend to die quite a lot. Hard life. At the funeral I saw people sing and shout at the dead person in the open coffin.
"What are they shouting?" asked Dave Bones, intrepid tribal researcher.
"What did you fall out of that tree for? I told you to be more careful! Now your kids will grow up with no father! etc etc"
For safety, the Kalashis rely on their Muslim neighbors for giving them protection from outsiders.
What a pile of shit. What fucking "outsiders" exactly? Dickheads. In the North West frontier province Pakistani's south of the Lowri pass are "outsiders." I watched the Kallashi people "defend themselves" from arrogant Karachi tourists by pelting them with stones twice. Fucking hilarious. A mountain person from this area can pick up a stone and hit a target with it HARD quicker than some people could pull a trigger.
The Kalashis do believe that their hearts are closed and with the will of Allah SWT, their hearts will be opened at a right time and they will be blessed with the light of Islam. However, there are many Christian missionaries posing as tourists who are actively working trying to convert them to Christianity and thus create dissent in the area. The Government of Pakistan has officially forbidden anybody from trying to convert these tribes to another religion. The obvious reason behind this decision is that after these tribes are converted, the government will lose important revenue generated from tourists flocking the area.
The dynamics going on within this little gem are pretty obvious no? We want to convert them, the government wont let us because they want the tourist dollar. Christians posing as tourists try to convert them. On the second day after I arrived I had a blazing row with a group of them, much to the amusement of the Kallashi people.
I used to want to be a missionary but find it hard not to hate them now. Still, there are missionaries and missionaries like there are christians and christians...The Mission said it all for me, and has fantastic music by Enrio Moreoni which missed an oscar the year "Take my breath away" the cheesey gobshite Top Gun music by Berlin won. Absolute travesty.
October 08, 2005
October 07, 2005
"Did those hurt?"
Usual question. This time from a rat-kid white trash girl hanging around the bus station in the Southern English town I grew up in.
I had just bought some chips, angry at the gradual decline in quality of the bus station chippy over the years I infrequently visited home. This time even the bags had been reduced to an unusable size and I had to empty the chips into a newspaper I had given up reading. Strange. When I first bought chips as a kid they were in newspaper. Twenty five years later I have to provide my own. Am I getting old?
"I'm getting my tongue pierced." she told me. I was immediately surrounded by her rat-kid friends who I shared my chips with.
"I've got a hole-in-the-heart. I go into hospital at the end of this week." she said.
"Maybe you should get a ring put in that too!" I said jovially. She smiled. A couple more of her friends turned up who she hugged warmly.
"I got done for A.B.H. (Actual Bodily Harm) yesterday!"
"How did you manage that?"
"I beat a girl up outside school. She called me a dirty slag." she pulled out her bail-form proudly.
I laughed.
"What are you going around beating people up for?" I asked.
"Its the second time in a week!"
"And you are going into hospital in a couple of days? What are you doing getting banged up?"
I was now surrounded by 30 or 40 white trash kids in the usual American street-wear and baseball caps.
"Don't know. I probably got to do community service but I ain't doin it."
"Do some community service. Make yourself useful. What would you have to do?"
"I don't know. Paint a church or something."
"What colour would you paint it?"
"Pink with yellow spots."
"Make sure you do. Hey, do any of your friends spit? Is anyone I rapper?" I asked, looking round her friends.
They said that a few did who weren't in the vicinity yet. They assured me they were on the way. My coach left before I got a chance to sample the word from the kids on the street of my home town.
Friendly bunch.
I had just bought some chips, angry at the gradual decline in quality of the bus station chippy over the years I infrequently visited home. This time even the bags had been reduced to an unusable size and I had to empty the chips into a newspaper I had given up reading. Strange. When I first bought chips as a kid they were in newspaper. Twenty five years later I have to provide my own. Am I getting old?
"I'm getting my tongue pierced." she told me. I was immediately surrounded by her rat-kid friends who I shared my chips with.
"I've got a hole-in-the-heart. I go into hospital at the end of this week." she said.
"Maybe you should get a ring put in that too!" I said jovially. She smiled. A couple more of her friends turned up who she hugged warmly.
"I got done for A.B.H. (Actual Bodily Harm) yesterday!"
"How did you manage that?"
"I beat a girl up outside school. She called me a dirty slag." she pulled out her bail-form proudly.
I laughed.
"What are you going around beating people up for?" I asked.
"Its the second time in a week!"
"And you are going into hospital in a couple of days? What are you doing getting banged up?"
I was now surrounded by 30 or 40 white trash kids in the usual American street-wear and baseball caps.
"Don't know. I probably got to do community service but I ain't doin it."
"Do some community service. Make yourself useful. What would you have to do?"
"I don't know. Paint a church or something."
"What colour would you paint it?"
"Pink with yellow spots."
"Make sure you do. Hey, do any of your friends spit? Is anyone I rapper?" I asked, looking round her friends.
They said that a few did who weren't in the vicinity yet. They assured me they were on the way. My coach left before I got a chance to sample the word from the kids on the street of my home town.
Friendly bunch.
October 06, 2005
Whats good for the Duchess...
A specially licensed garden created by the Duchess of Northumberland to stimulate debate on the misuse of drugs has fallen victim to thieves.
Six cannabis plants and electrical growing equipment...
The Duchess was given permission by the Home Secretary last year to grow cannabis, magic mushrooms and opium poppies as part of her horticultural project.
(Telegraph Oct 5th)
Six cannabis plants and electrical growing equipment...
The Duchess was given permission by the Home Secretary last year to grow cannabis, magic mushrooms and opium poppies as part of her horticultural project.
(Telegraph Oct 5th)
Lickspittle and the Q'ustard Bomber
Totally by acident I caught up with the dramatic finale of The Apprentice last night (not sure which season you are on over there in the states) which I blogged about before. In this program everything was for charidee. A Charidee polo match, a charidee basketball jamboree and a manager of a computer software company up against a blonde Clifford Chase lawyer with no love lost between them.
"Money, money money money!" sang the O.J's.
This is apparently one of the most popular TV programmes in the states. Everyone aspires to these peoples attitudes and holds these peoples "values" which they honed in various name "American Institutions."
The two who rose from a million aplicants degraded themselves in the usual manner infront of the great Donald Trump before the office scenery flew away to reveal an audience of their peers in a New York theatre. Trumps smarmy friend interviewed a number of his "respected colleagues" and ex-contestants before the finalists came back in for a little more public degradation. Then Trump "fired" the looser and "hired" the winner.
The glittering prize was a choice between being involved in Trump's self-named huge errection in Las Vegas (a hotel) and involvement in 15 self-named huge errections (15 tower blocks and a park) in New York. Trump failed to pull his own version out of his trousers to show everyone, but I'm sure the grovelling apprentice was going to get a suck later. He of course chose to be near his lord and master in New York. If the lickspittle had positioned himself mouth open at the side of Trumps table to catch his dribble I wouldn't have been more disgusted. Compulsive viewing.
Would I suicide bomb myself amongst these people if I had the chance? No. If my explosives were custard, and I had the chance to hit everyone on the stage and cover the front three rows I'd consider it an achievement.
"Money, money money money!" sang the O.J's.
This is apparently one of the most popular TV programmes in the states. Everyone aspires to these peoples attitudes and holds these peoples "values" which they honed in various name "American Institutions."
The two who rose from a million aplicants degraded themselves in the usual manner infront of the great Donald Trump before the office scenery flew away to reveal an audience of their peers in a New York theatre. Trumps smarmy friend interviewed a number of his "respected colleagues" and ex-contestants before the finalists came back in for a little more public degradation. Then Trump "fired" the looser and "hired" the winner.
The glittering prize was a choice between being involved in Trump's self-named huge errection in Las Vegas (a hotel) and involvement in 15 self-named huge errections (15 tower blocks and a park) in New York. Trump failed to pull his own version out of his trousers to show everyone, but I'm sure the grovelling apprentice was going to get a suck later. He of course chose to be near his lord and master in New York. If the lickspittle had positioned himself mouth open at the side of Trumps table to catch his dribble I wouldn't have been more disgusted. Compulsive viewing.
Would I suicide bomb myself amongst these people if I had the chance? No. If my explosives were custard, and I had the chance to hit everyone on the stage and cover the front three rows I'd consider it an achievement.
October 05, 2005
via Omegaprojektet:
An astonishing claim that M16 recruited Muslim extremists in Britain for terror training abroad has been made by Oldham MP and former cabinet minister Michael Meacher.
Mr Meacher also suggest that a British Muslim held under sentenced of death in Pakistan for beheading a US journalist is being kept alive because he was a British double agent...
"During an interview on Fox TV this summer, the former US federal prosecutor John Loftus reported that the British intelligence had used the al-Muhajiroun group..to recruit Islamist militants with British passports for the war against the Serbs in Kosovo."
Mr Meacher also highlights the case of UK-born Muslim Omar Saeed Sheikh, sentenced to death for the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.
Mr Meacher writes that Sheikh has been allowed 32 appeals against his sentence, the last being adjourned "indefinitely". He says the same Delhi foundation describes Sheikh as a British agent.
Mr Meacher adds: "This is all the more remarkable when this is the same Omar Sheikh who, at the behest of General Mahmood Ahmed, head of the ISI, wired $100,000 to Mohammed Atta, the leading 9/11 hijacker, before the New York attacks, as confirmed by Dennis Lomel, director of FBI's financial crimes unit."
Mr Meacher's argument is that the UK and US security service do not want a proper investigation into these links because it would expose how they encouraged and helped to recruit Islamic 'warriors' when it suited their purposes
An astonishing claim that M16 recruited Muslim extremists in Britain for terror training abroad has been made by Oldham MP and former cabinet minister Michael Meacher.
Mr Meacher also suggest that a British Muslim held under sentenced of death in Pakistan for beheading a US journalist is being kept alive because he was a British double agent...
"During an interview on Fox TV this summer, the former US federal prosecutor John Loftus reported that the British intelligence had used the al-Muhajiroun group..to recruit Islamist militants with British passports for the war against the Serbs in Kosovo."
Mr Meacher also highlights the case of UK-born Muslim Omar Saeed Sheikh, sentenced to death for the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.
Mr Meacher writes that Sheikh has been allowed 32 appeals against his sentence, the last being adjourned "indefinitely". He says the same Delhi foundation describes Sheikh as a British agent.
Mr Meacher adds: "This is all the more remarkable when this is the same Omar Sheikh who, at the behest of General Mahmood Ahmed, head of the ISI, wired $100,000 to Mohammed Atta, the leading 9/11 hijacker, before the New York attacks, as confirmed by Dennis Lomel, director of FBI's financial crimes unit."
Mr Meacher's argument is that the UK and US security service do not want a proper investigation into these links because it would expose how they encouraged and helped to recruit Islamic 'warriors' when it suited their purposes
October 04, 2005
More random surfing brings forth God is not an Asshole with all you need to know about hell, the apolcalypse, Hurricaines and the age of Kali Yuga, oh and a great little movie about not being gay. I'm not gay, by the way.
THE AFGHAN BORDER
I decided to see if I could walk up the the Afghan border anyway. It was aparently quite close but I had no idea how close. I couldn't sleep the previous night. Garum Cheshma's (extreme left of map) local nutter (alchoholic?) was banging on my door. I didn't open it. I had arrived the previous day on a jeep travelling through some Cecil B DeMille scale cliffscapes.
The town was typical North West frontier province. Beautiful landscape with not a woman to be seen. I was severely questioning the health of a society where the fairer sex are completely removed from view, and had totally forgotten why I was in Pakistan. I missed the easy, India hippie-hypocrisy to which I had almost grown familiar.
I had just finnished a breakfast of boiled goat with rice with an audience of schoolboys staring at me. I was breaking my vegetarian vow for the first time since I had done Vipassna in Jaipur 3 months earlier. I walked maybe 10 minutes up "the road to Afghanistan" before I encountered a farm, where two young girls stood staring at me over a gate laughing at me.
I carefully ignored them, looking round for their dad who I expected to be running at me with an AK-47. He turned up, obviously a bit startled seeing a facially-pierced hippie with bones sticking out of his ears on his way to Afghanistan, but not disturbed at all about the vicinity of his un-burkahed daughters. I was to encounter female Muslims only with the farming folk of the North west frontier province, outside the towns.
"Afghanistan?" I asked him, pointing. He nodded.
"Far?" I asked, spreading my arms.
He almost gave me the Indian head wobble.
"Don't fucking start that." I said to him. "I'm not in India now."
he laughed, having not understood a word.
I carried on walking with less certainty through heart achingly beautiful landscape. What the hell was I doing? What did I want to do? I vaguely thought that I would walk up to the border, shake hands with the "border guards" and then walk back down. I had no intention of actually crossing as I heard that the Taliban incarcerated beardless ones until their beard was a fist length.
What if I missed the border crossing totally and found myself in Afghanistan with no visa? What if there was no marked border and these "border guards" were part of my imagination? What the hell was I doing in Pakistan?
Suddenly through my drug hazzed memories of the last six months in India I remembered. Before I had left the UK, while I was still agonising about where to go I had read in the Pakistan Lonely plonker about a tribe called the Kallash. I had decided to try and get to them, using Pakistan to renew my India visa, as I knew in the UK that the Nepali set up was no longer fail safe. I had forgotten all of this in six months of drug taking frenzy but heading up onto the Hindu Kush it came back to me in the nick of time.
I knew these guys were around here somewhere. I turned round and headed back to Garam Cheshma. There I borded the next jeep back to Chitral, everyone staring at me. When in this situation in India I would find the local groccer and swap my bones for chillies to make people laugh. I did this. No one laughed. They looked even more disturbed by my ear-wizardry. I was so lonely passing back through the golden rocks. In Chitral I walked through the centre of town up to the mini-bus terminus I had arrived at two days before.
"Infidel! Herretic!" I heard in shouts and whispers as I passed. The day before I had only heard whispers. I wanted to get out before it turned into action.
"The Kallash tribe, are they far?" I asked the guys with the jeeps.
"No. In the next valley. maybe 4 or 5 hours? You can hire a jeep, 400 ruppes..."
I had grown used to this in India and knew the next question to ask.
"Is there local bus or jeep?"
"Yes. It is 25 rupees. We leave when there are enough passengers." the guy answered.
It took about another 3 hours until enough passengers had gathered and we left. I sat next to a smarmy buisnessman in shalwar-kamieeze and sunglasses. He had a greasy forehead and looked like he had money.
About 30 minutes into the journey he revealed his intentions on visiting the Kalash.
"I go to find young girls for sex."
"Oh yes...?" I answered, encouraging him with more rope.
For more than an hour he spoke of his business trips through every major Islamic country in the middle east, how much he had to pay for sex in each and how young the girls were. I nodded occasionally. I hoped the Kallash had not lowered themselves to this. He seemed uncertain.
We crossed the river and after a really hairy jeep ride half way up a river valley we eventually alighted. I was a bit disturbed as I didn't see anyone who looked Kallash. All the other passengers were Muslim and were content to stay at the Muslim guesthouse we had come to. I wandered off a bit.
The sleaze merchant followed.
"I come with you!" he said.
"No!" I shouted, bringing my hand down to emphasise the parting of our friendship, my face going red. "I go alone. Do NOT follow."
I did not want to have my first encounter with the Kallash standing next to this filth.
All the way up the valley I saw Muslim guest houses with Muslim patrons. Where were the Kallash? I thought this was their valley. I asked someone who pointed up the hillside. I walked up the hillside until I found houses which looked markedly different right at the top, where village ended and mountain began.
A woman came round the corner in a long black dress with a bright cowrie shell head-dress. She was smiling.
"You are Kallash?" I asked.
"Yes. You stay with us?" she asked.
"Yes please!!!" I wailed.
The town was typical North West frontier province. Beautiful landscape with not a woman to be seen. I was severely questioning the health of a society where the fairer sex are completely removed from view, and had totally forgotten why I was in Pakistan. I missed the easy, India hippie-hypocrisy to which I had almost grown familiar.
I had just finnished a breakfast of boiled goat with rice with an audience of schoolboys staring at me. I was breaking my vegetarian vow for the first time since I had done Vipassna in Jaipur 3 months earlier. I walked maybe 10 minutes up "the road to Afghanistan" before I encountered a farm, where two young girls stood staring at me over a gate laughing at me.
I carefully ignored them, looking round for their dad who I expected to be running at me with an AK-47. He turned up, obviously a bit startled seeing a facially-pierced hippie with bones sticking out of his ears on his way to Afghanistan, but not disturbed at all about the vicinity of his un-burkahed daughters. I was to encounter female Muslims only with the farming folk of the North west frontier province, outside the towns.
"Afghanistan?" I asked him, pointing. He nodded.
"Far?" I asked, spreading my arms.
He almost gave me the Indian head wobble.
"Don't fucking start that." I said to him. "I'm not in India now."
he laughed, having not understood a word.
I carried on walking with less certainty through heart achingly beautiful landscape. What the hell was I doing? What did I want to do? I vaguely thought that I would walk up to the border, shake hands with the "border guards" and then walk back down. I had no intention of actually crossing as I heard that the Taliban incarcerated beardless ones until their beard was a fist length.
What if I missed the border crossing totally and found myself in Afghanistan with no visa? What if there was no marked border and these "border guards" were part of my imagination? What the hell was I doing in Pakistan?
Suddenly through my drug hazzed memories of the last six months in India I remembered. Before I had left the UK, while I was still agonising about where to go I had read in the Pakistan Lonely plonker about a tribe called the Kallash. I had decided to try and get to them, using Pakistan to renew my India visa, as I knew in the UK that the Nepali set up was no longer fail safe. I had forgotten all of this in six months of drug taking frenzy but heading up onto the Hindu Kush it came back to me in the nick of time.
I knew these guys were around here somewhere. I turned round and headed back to Garam Cheshma. There I borded the next jeep back to Chitral, everyone staring at me. When in this situation in India I would find the local groccer and swap my bones for chillies to make people laugh. I did this. No one laughed. They looked even more disturbed by my ear-wizardry. I was so lonely passing back through the golden rocks. In Chitral I walked through the centre of town up to the mini-bus terminus I had arrived at two days before.
"Infidel! Herretic!" I heard in shouts and whispers as I passed. The day before I had only heard whispers. I wanted to get out before it turned into action.
"The Kallash tribe, are they far?" I asked the guys with the jeeps.
"No. In the next valley. maybe 4 or 5 hours? You can hire a jeep, 400 ruppes..."
I had grown used to this in India and knew the next question to ask.
"Is there local bus or jeep?"
"Yes. It is 25 rupees. We leave when there are enough passengers." the guy answered.
It took about another 3 hours until enough passengers had gathered and we left. I sat next to a smarmy buisnessman in shalwar-kamieeze and sunglasses. He had a greasy forehead and looked like he had money.
About 30 minutes into the journey he revealed his intentions on visiting the Kalash.
"I go to find young girls for sex."
"Oh yes...?" I answered, encouraging him with more rope.
For more than an hour he spoke of his business trips through every major Islamic country in the middle east, how much he had to pay for sex in each and how young the girls were. I nodded occasionally. I hoped the Kallash had not lowered themselves to this. He seemed uncertain.
We crossed the river and after a really hairy jeep ride half way up a river valley we eventually alighted. I was a bit disturbed as I didn't see anyone who looked Kallash. All the other passengers were Muslim and were content to stay at the Muslim guesthouse we had come to. I wandered off a bit.
The sleaze merchant followed.
"I come with you!" he said.
"No!" I shouted, bringing my hand down to emphasise the parting of our friendship, my face going red. "I go alone. Do NOT follow."
I did not want to have my first encounter with the Kallash standing next to this filth.
All the way up the valley I saw Muslim guest houses with Muslim patrons. Where were the Kallash? I thought this was their valley. I asked someone who pointed up the hillside. I walked up the hillside until I found houses which looked markedly different right at the top, where village ended and mountain began.
A woman came round the corner in a long black dress with a bright cowrie shell head-dress. She was smiling.
"You are Kallash?" I asked.
"Yes. You stay with us?" she asked.
"Yes please!!!" I wailed.
October 03, 2005
FAITH
I went back to the church I grew up in on Sunday. Partly because it makes my mum happy and partly because I still have genuine friends there. She can't really cope with a whole service and nods off but someone picks her up from where she lives every Sunday. They are a really nice bunch. She can't move around too well these days.
The long running battle between the more "pentecostal" christians and the more orthodox ones seems to have been won hands down by the "happy clappys." The side I was on incidentally.
When I hear about the internal arguments of Mr Hamza's supporters I know from personal experience what this is like. Intense relationships build up around the "God" concept of any denomination. My sister is still scarred by the attitude of the "orthodox" christians we grew up with. She got pregnant at 15 and married the father under pressure. She is now happily married to someone else, as is the father of her two kids.
"___ and ___ have sinned." said the pastor at their wedding.
I had forgotten about this. My auntie, who isn't religious told me about it recently. I think she wanted to throw a hymn book at him.
Sitting in her 4X4 yesterday ---- gave me a massive tirade against illegal imigrants and then burst into tears. I thought she was going to crash the car. She is in a very hard job where she see's the arse end of society 40 hours a week. I know that outside London the racial bubble we exist in here bursts.
The orthodox pastor left the church a while ago, along with most of his family. I think he was quite depressed. I don't hold anything against him personaly, though I know he voted conservative and had a different perspective on christianity to the one that I held. The more emotional members of his congregation struggled with his authoritarian nature but I know that he struggled with it himself too. I remember he gave me a genuine hug at my fathers funeral which meant a lot to me and he also visited my mum in hospital not too long back. Haven't seen the guy for years myself.
A much more "liberated" pastor has taken over and a lot has changed at the church. I think everyone my sister is bitter about has left. The format of the service is basically the same but things are more relaxed and informal around the edges and this is reflected in the way the building is set up now. There was a genuinely warm atmosphere on Sunday.
They are part of the interdenominational "Alpha" course set up in this country, where people are given a gentle introduction to christianity. After the service the pastor suggested I go on one. There isn't much I don't know about christianity, as I used to preach it myself. I need the "Beta" course maybe.
Another lady I didn't know joined us and we got talking about what I was doing.
"So what do you make films about?" she asked.
(I like answering this one)
"Fundamental Islam." I said. (always a show stopper) "You've seen the guy with the hooks on TV? Him and his friends and family."
"So what do you think?" she asked.
"I think I want to film exactly what the guys say it is. What they believe. What they are about."
She enquired as to the state of my faith. I agreed that my christianity had "lapsed" . I told her that I was unhappy with any religion which divided between saved and lost.
"The trouble is the devil lies to us." she said.
"Hmmm..." I said. "The Islamists I speak to have a similar concept of "the Devil"...hmmm..."Evil" with a unified personality. I don't know..."
"What do you believe now?" she asked me.
I gave her my stock answer to that one.
"I don't believe in belief. There either is or there isn't a "God" "Budha" or "Devil". Whether I believe or not, that is the only fact I know."
"I suppose it takes faith" she said.
"Yes. Faith. Exactly. Faith."
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone MOTHERFUCKER..." Jesus H. (New Malung Version)
The long running battle between the more "pentecostal" christians and the more orthodox ones seems to have been won hands down by the "happy clappys." The side I was on incidentally.
When I hear about the internal arguments of Mr Hamza's supporters I know from personal experience what this is like. Intense relationships build up around the "God" concept of any denomination. My sister is still scarred by the attitude of the "orthodox" christians we grew up with. She got pregnant at 15 and married the father under pressure. She is now happily married to someone else, as is the father of her two kids.
"___ and ___ have sinned." said the pastor at their wedding.
I had forgotten about this. My auntie, who isn't religious told me about it recently. I think she wanted to throw a hymn book at him.
Sitting in her 4X4 yesterday ---- gave me a massive tirade against illegal imigrants and then burst into tears. I thought she was going to crash the car. She is in a very hard job where she see's the arse end of society 40 hours a week. I know that outside London the racial bubble we exist in here bursts.
The orthodox pastor left the church a while ago, along with most of his family. I think he was quite depressed. I don't hold anything against him personaly, though I know he voted conservative and had a different perspective on christianity to the one that I held. The more emotional members of his congregation struggled with his authoritarian nature but I know that he struggled with it himself too. I remember he gave me a genuine hug at my fathers funeral which meant a lot to me and he also visited my mum in hospital not too long back. Haven't seen the guy for years myself.
A much more "liberated" pastor has taken over and a lot has changed at the church. I think everyone my sister is bitter about has left. The format of the service is basically the same but things are more relaxed and informal around the edges and this is reflected in the way the building is set up now. There was a genuinely warm atmosphere on Sunday.
They are part of the interdenominational "Alpha" course set up in this country, where people are given a gentle introduction to christianity. After the service the pastor suggested I go on one. There isn't much I don't know about christianity, as I used to preach it myself. I need the "Beta" course maybe.
Another lady I didn't know joined us and we got talking about what I was doing.
"So what do you make films about?" she asked.
(I like answering this one)
"Fundamental Islam." I said. (always a show stopper) "You've seen the guy with the hooks on TV? Him and his friends and family."
"So what do you think?" she asked.
"I think I want to film exactly what the guys say it is. What they believe. What they are about."
She enquired as to the state of my faith. I agreed that my christianity had "lapsed" . I told her that I was unhappy with any religion which divided between saved and lost.
"The trouble is the devil lies to us." she said.
"Hmmm..." I said. "The Islamists I speak to have a similar concept of "the Devil"...hmmm..."Evil" with a unified personality. I don't know..."
"What do you believe now?" she asked me.
I gave her my stock answer to that one.
"I don't believe in belief. There either is or there isn't a "God" "Budha" or "Devil". Whether I believe or not, that is the only fact I know."
"I suppose it takes faith" she said.
"Yes. Faith. Exactly. Faith."
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone MOTHERFUCKER..." Jesus H. (New Malung Version)
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