February 28, 2006
MUSTAPHA
Just found this in the sun complete with a video. Last time I bumped into Mustapha quite by chance in West London he told me he was releasing CDs.There is obviously a growing Jihadi pop market out there. He looked quite cool for a mini-version of dad and was with a friend who had eye liner on the bottom of his eyes I think. I have never ever heard him say anything hateful and I was there when he spoke after his dad was arrested. Maybe I'll try and dig the tape out to see what he did say. Maybe I wont fucking bother. I've rung Mustapha and Mohssain a few times over the last few months but they never answer. As I've said before I've given up on all this crap.
also read Son of a preacher man here.
also check out this Jihadi rap video which appears to focus on Chechenya and of course Dirty Kuffar by Sheik terra and the Soul Sala Crew.
also read Son of a preacher man here.
also check out this Jihadi rap video which appears to focus on Chechenya and of course Dirty Kuffar by Sheik terra and the Soul Sala Crew.
February 27, 2006
POLISH HIP-HOP
I briefly squatted with a female Polish rapper. Polish rap sounds exactly like normal rap backwards.
POCKETSCREENING
MA-DE IN POLAND (2005, UK/Poland, 47 mins) Director, Tony August. Q&A
with
discussant, KASTA
Tuesday, February 28th, 7.00pm
Venue: J Z Young Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, Gower Street
(University College London) WC1N
Further info about all the films, bookings and directions:
www.pocketvisions.co.uk
Documentary examining social & political aspects of the hip hop music
scene and film-making in Poland, part 'verite', part experimental, with an
emphasis on issues of identity and 'globalisation'
Shot in September 2002 in Wroclaw, Lodz and Katowice 'Ma-de In Poland'
looks at the then contemporary hip hop music scene in Poland. The film
begins in Wroclaw with Kasta Sklad, a local collective, in concert.
POCKETSCREENING
MA-DE IN POLAND (2005, UK/Poland, 47 mins) Director, Tony August. Q&A
with
discussant, KASTA
Tuesday, February 28th, 7.00pm
Venue: J Z Young Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, Gower Street
(University College London) WC1N
Further info about all the films, bookings and directions:
www.pocketvisions.co.uk
Documentary examining social & political aspects of the hip hop music
scene and film-making in Poland, part 'verite', part experimental, with an
emphasis on issues of identity and 'globalisation'
Shot in September 2002 in Wroclaw, Lodz and Katowice 'Ma-de In Poland'
looks at the then contemporary hip hop music scene in Poland. The film
begins in Wroclaw with Kasta Sklad, a local collective, in concert.
LET THE FUCKING KIDS HAVE IT
Krishnan in Channel4's snowmails addresses an issue I have been banging on about for years
Teenagers in charge
===================
"The current way of doing politics is killing politics." That's the
stark assessment of our democracy by an inquiry set up to consider how to
re-engage voters with the political process.
The Power Inquiry says the record low turnouts in the last two general
elections, and falling memberships of political parties, are symptoms
of an ailing democracy. Among other recommendations, it suggests
16-year-olds should be able to vote and stand for Parliament.
We'll be bringing together a bunch of sixteen year olds to see what
Britain would be like if they were in charge.
Teenagers in charge
===================
"The current way of doing politics is killing politics." That's the
stark assessment of our democracy by an inquiry set up to consider how to
re-engage voters with the political process.
The Power Inquiry says the record low turnouts in the last two general
elections, and falling memberships of political parties, are symptoms
of an ailing democracy. Among other recommendations, it suggests
16-year-olds should be able to vote and stand for Parliament.
We'll be bringing together a bunch of sixteen year olds to see what
Britain would be like if they were in charge.
ALL-COLOUR ROUND UP
OK guys, here's another round up of some of my favourite bloggers-
Maybe intellectual snobbery is more apparent in the US school system. That great font of American wisdom National Lampoon's Animal House tells us that people group up for safety into defined categories. Of course that happens here as well though I don't think they have "frat houses" in most comprehensives. At school I was probably quite nerdy and uncool. At Art college I stuck my hair out in porcupine spikes (pre sideshow Bob) and was immediately jumped on by the most beautiful girls in the college and the pub I worked in which made me think women were a bit fickle and didn't really adjust my low self opinion. I just thought they were fooling themselves and I was the brief beneficiary. These days nice girls jump on me often enough to avoid seriously considering suicide and I am grateful. I also occasionally buy MDMA when I am out which smashes through the fear. I'm not really boyfriend material.
Anyway, back to intellectual snobbery Stef has a great post on this subject, which reminded me of a post somewhere in my archive
With Peter, we walked into Moomba, right up to the VIP section. The velvet rope was no boundary for us...
Back then, (and to some degree, now) I viewed intelligent-culture folk (a certain breed, not simply anyone who's well educated) as an annoyance...They chose people like me as their enemy long ago and now they love to flaunt how heavily armed they are against my kind...
The aspect I most liked about hanging out with famous people was that because they were rich or famous, they never wasted their time with the same old talk; "What do you do for a living?" and such. That’s what kept me coming back for more, not because I was a starfucker. When the uber-smarties were involved, I felt they dragged the conversation back down to plebian levels with their bullshit prescribed, approved of topics and big words...
After we sat for a minute, three well-dressed, flat chested older women recognized Peter and sat down on chairs across from us...
The women accosted Peter, asking him wonderfully brilliant questions about his photography. I was so high, I could barely prop myself up with my elbow.
As an answer to their questions, Peter looked at me and said, "Have you met Stefanie? She’s from Florida! Where did you grow up again, darling?"
"Sarasota," I lied. My real hometown was so redneck and little-known, I’d taken to calling Sarasota my hometown. Also, I knew a lot about Sarasota.
"Sarasota?" the woman asked patronizingly. She didn’t appreciate this diversion, but she wanted to keep Peter’s attention. "And what do you think is most important about Sarasota?" she asked me.
I thought to myself, don’t disappoint Peter. So I replied, "The Spanish tiled roofs."
"Spanish tiled roofs?" She was confused.
"Yes! They’re functional yet beautiful, and everybody in Sarasota has one!"
"I think that’s marvelous." Peter exclaimed.
"Oh, I do too!" she agreed. Then, her expression changed. "But just what about Spanish tiled roofs…?"
"It’s about cultural aesthetics," I bullshitted, putting on my own authoritative, I’m-smarter-than-you voice.
She shook her head dismissively, saying "I think there must be something else that matters about Sarasota."
"How could there be?!" I scoffed, raising my voice and getting genuinely angry. She gave a defeated look that lasted for a split second, but I relished it. And I didn’t even beat her - I only won because she adored Peter.
I've never used my profiles "random question" as it never gives me an appropriate one. Stef's is:
The love potion you made tastes terrible. How will you drink it?
she answers:
As a bitter woman, my bitter potion suits me fine. The question is: how will I get the world to drink it?
I should imagine a lot of people would see her blog as poison. Its always been nectar to me. She has a great new photo up too.
On a completely different tack if you want to know what grass roots Republicans are thinking Rightwingsparkle has this:
Every newspaper in the country should have run Mayor Najim Abdullah Abid Al-Jibouri's tribute to U.S. troops. It's legitimate news— offering detailed updates on Iraq's reconstruction from the perspective of Iraqis. And it's positive news.
The mayor wrote: "Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them...Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city.
"Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young.
"This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi's followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats."
...Military families, fed up with conventional reporting, spread this and other positive stories through e-mail and Web sites
...As traditional news outlets consider how to compete with Internet-driven media into the future, they might consider why it is Americans have to turn to blogs and e-mail to learn about what our troops are accomplishing...
Trackback
Our major Swede behind Omegaprojektet quoting various sources linked to on his post has:
The most important question to ask regarding the bombings of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on the 22nd is: who benefits? Prior to asking this question, let us note the timing of the bombing. The last weeks in Iraq have been a PR disaster for the occupiers. First, the negative publicity of the video of British soldiers beating and abusing young Iraqis has generated a backlash for British occupation forces they’ve yet to face in Iraq...
...As quickly as these horrible events began, they were called to an end and replaced by acts of solidarity between Sunni and Shia across Iraq. This, however, was not shown by western corporate media.
...Thousands of Shia marched shouting anti-American slogans through Sadr City, the huge Shia slum area of Baghdad, which is home to nearly half the population of the capital city. Meanwhile, in the primarily Shia city of Kut, south of Baghdad, thousands marched while shouting slogans against America and Israel and burning U.S. and Israeli flags...
Construction Minister Jassem Mohammed Jaafar, who toured Sammara and inspected the damage incurred to the shrine, said the placing of explosives inside the dome was meticulous and must have taken at least 12 hours.
"Holes were dug into the mausoleum's four main pillars and packed with explosives," he told the media, adding that work on each pillar must have taken at least four hours.
This is an astounding statement to make. This means that the perpetrators had free rein for much of the time to carry out their heinous crime.
How did they get access to the shrine in the first place?
also:
MI6 pays out over secret LSD mind control tests. The Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has paid thousands of pounds in compensation to servicemen who were fed LSD without their consent in clandestine mind-control experiments in the 1950s.
Tequilita is getting smashed:
I spent friday night with a new girlfriend. she's on the rodeo committee and invited me to the rodeo kickoff party. it was terrible. picture the astrodome filled with the same crowd you'd find in an east texas wal-mart, rocky mountain jeans as far as the eye can see. i didn't think anyone still wore those...in pleather too. that was a treat. we had already bought drink tickets and we weren't driving, so there was nothing left to do but get smashed.
I've got lots of other favourite bloggers but this post is getting a bit long. Do click through my links. I'll round up with AngryBlackBitch who is celebrating her birthday (happy birthday bitch!)
Jumping in with the first dose of bitchitude...
It didn’t take those motherfuckers long, did it? South Dakota has passed a piece of shit the size of...well, Montana through their state legislature. The Governor plans to sign it…and ban all abortions in the state with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Oh…but they’re willing to be compassionate if a woman’s life is in the balance.
Nice of them, huh?
...There is a part of me that almost wants to see America experience life without choice…again. Mayhap the pain, suffering, botched back alley medical torture and general degradation will bring about some motherfucking sanity...again.
Maybe intellectual snobbery is more apparent in the US school system. That great font of American wisdom National Lampoon's Animal House tells us that people group up for safety into defined categories. Of course that happens here as well though I don't think they have "frat houses" in most comprehensives. At school I was probably quite nerdy and uncool. At Art college I stuck my hair out in porcupine spikes (pre sideshow Bob) and was immediately jumped on by the most beautiful girls in the college and the pub I worked in which made me think women were a bit fickle and didn't really adjust my low self opinion. I just thought they were fooling themselves and I was the brief beneficiary. These days nice girls jump on me often enough to avoid seriously considering suicide and I am grateful. I also occasionally buy MDMA when I am out which smashes through the fear. I'm not really boyfriend material.
Anyway, back to intellectual snobbery Stef has a great post on this subject, which reminded me of a post somewhere in my archive
With Peter, we walked into Moomba, right up to the VIP section. The velvet rope was no boundary for us...
Back then, (and to some degree, now) I viewed intelligent-culture folk (a certain breed, not simply anyone who's well educated) as an annoyance...They chose people like me as their enemy long ago and now they love to flaunt how heavily armed they are against my kind...
The aspect I most liked about hanging out with famous people was that because they were rich or famous, they never wasted their time with the same old talk; "What do you do for a living?" and such. That’s what kept me coming back for more, not because I was a starfucker. When the uber-smarties were involved, I felt they dragged the conversation back down to plebian levels with their bullshit prescribed, approved of topics and big words...
After we sat for a minute, three well-dressed, flat chested older women recognized Peter and sat down on chairs across from us...
The women accosted Peter, asking him wonderfully brilliant questions about his photography. I was so high, I could barely prop myself up with my elbow.
As an answer to their questions, Peter looked at me and said, "Have you met Stefanie? She’s from Florida! Where did you grow up again, darling?"
"Sarasota," I lied. My real hometown was so redneck and little-known, I’d taken to calling Sarasota my hometown. Also, I knew a lot about Sarasota.
"Sarasota?" the woman asked patronizingly. She didn’t appreciate this diversion, but she wanted to keep Peter’s attention. "And what do you think is most important about Sarasota?" she asked me.
I thought to myself, don’t disappoint Peter. So I replied, "The Spanish tiled roofs."
"Spanish tiled roofs?" She was confused.
"Yes! They’re functional yet beautiful, and everybody in Sarasota has one!"
"I think that’s marvelous." Peter exclaimed.
"Oh, I do too!" she agreed. Then, her expression changed. "But just what about Spanish tiled roofs…?"
"It’s about cultural aesthetics," I bullshitted, putting on my own authoritative, I’m-smarter-than-you voice.
She shook her head dismissively, saying "I think there must be something else that matters about Sarasota."
"How could there be?!" I scoffed, raising my voice and getting genuinely angry. She gave a defeated look that lasted for a split second, but I relished it. And I didn’t even beat her - I only won because she adored Peter.
I've never used my profiles "random question" as it never gives me an appropriate one. Stef's is:
The love potion you made tastes terrible. How will you drink it?
she answers:
As a bitter woman, my bitter potion suits me fine. The question is: how will I get the world to drink it?
I should imagine a lot of people would see her blog as poison. Its always been nectar to me. She has a great new photo up too.
On a completely different tack if you want to know what grass roots Republicans are thinking Rightwingsparkle has this:
Every newspaper in the country should have run Mayor Najim Abdullah Abid Al-Jibouri's tribute to U.S. troops. It's legitimate news— offering detailed updates on Iraq's reconstruction from the perspective of Iraqis. And it's positive news.
The mayor wrote: "Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them...Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city.
"Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young.
"This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi's followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats."
...Military families, fed up with conventional reporting, spread this and other positive stories through e-mail and Web sites
...As traditional news outlets consider how to compete with Internet-driven media into the future, they might consider why it is Americans have to turn to blogs and e-mail to learn about what our troops are accomplishing...
Trackback
Our major Swede behind Omegaprojektet quoting various sources linked to on his post has:
The most important question to ask regarding the bombings of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on the 22nd is: who benefits? Prior to asking this question, let us note the timing of the bombing. The last weeks in Iraq have been a PR disaster for the occupiers. First, the negative publicity of the video of British soldiers beating and abusing young Iraqis has generated a backlash for British occupation forces they’ve yet to face in Iraq...
...As quickly as these horrible events began, they were called to an end and replaced by acts of solidarity between Sunni and Shia across Iraq. This, however, was not shown by western corporate media.
...Thousands of Shia marched shouting anti-American slogans through Sadr City, the huge Shia slum area of Baghdad, which is home to nearly half the population of the capital city. Meanwhile, in the primarily Shia city of Kut, south of Baghdad, thousands marched while shouting slogans against America and Israel and burning U.S. and Israeli flags...
Construction Minister Jassem Mohammed Jaafar, who toured Sammara and inspected the damage incurred to the shrine, said the placing of explosives inside the dome was meticulous and must have taken at least 12 hours.
"Holes were dug into the mausoleum's four main pillars and packed with explosives," he told the media, adding that work on each pillar must have taken at least four hours.
This is an astounding statement to make. This means that the perpetrators had free rein for much of the time to carry out their heinous crime.
How did they get access to the shrine in the first place?
also:
MI6 pays out over secret LSD mind control tests. The Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has paid thousands of pounds in compensation to servicemen who were fed LSD without their consent in clandestine mind-control experiments in the 1950s.
Tequilita is getting smashed:
I spent friday night with a new girlfriend. she's on the rodeo committee and invited me to the rodeo kickoff party. it was terrible. picture the astrodome filled with the same crowd you'd find in an east texas wal-mart, rocky mountain jeans as far as the eye can see. i didn't think anyone still wore those...in pleather too. that was a treat. we had already bought drink tickets and we weren't driving, so there was nothing left to do but get smashed.
I've got lots of other favourite bloggers but this post is getting a bit long. Do click through my links. I'll round up with AngryBlackBitch who is celebrating her birthday (happy birthday bitch!)
Jumping in with the first dose of bitchitude...
It didn’t take those motherfuckers long, did it? South Dakota has passed a piece of shit the size of...well, Montana through their state legislature. The Governor plans to sign it…and ban all abortions in the state with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Oh…but they’re willing to be compassionate if a woman’s life is in the balance.
Nice of them, huh?
...There is a part of me that almost wants to see America experience life without choice…again. Mayhap the pain, suffering, botched back alley medical torture and general degradation will bring about some motherfucking sanity...again.
February 25, 2006
PARTY LONDON AGAIN
Mindscapes and Friends
1 Beresford Avenue
Wembley
Stonebridge park Station
Hours: 10pm-very late
Entrance: Members plus Guests
Infolines: 07956 033 712 07939 838 904
Website: www.mindscapesandfriends.com
February 24, 2006
PARTY LONDON
With the positive inspiration of two Jo's:
*Kalahari*
Fri 24th Feb 9pm-6am £15 @ the Brixton Mass
Collaborators from:
Liquid Records, Indigenous people, Synergy, Kundalini, Tribe of Frog,
ID Spiral, Whirl Y Gig, Chichime, EdensoundS
Join forces in support of a community, to present an event of inspiring
music and intense dance backed by a state of the art 92K sound system
and Optikinetics Lasers.
The event will be including:
A massive fire performance by the Jedi Jugglers accompanied by the
Kakatsitsi master drummers, performing live amongst the fountains and
structures of the Brixton Peace Gardens, illuminating St Matthews and
guiding guests to the entrance.
Inside, the performances will continue into the Liquid cavern and its
UV
drenched stage and painting wall with surreal triba-delic images.
Accompanying the full-on Psy-Trance will be a flutist, didge player and
darabouka drum pushing the concept of live musicians with DJ.
Headlining: Voice of Cod - Andy Mason - Liquid Ross B2B Natzan -
Kristian
In the Tribal Vibrations room high quality ambient dance will be moving
to energetic psy-dub and triba-lectic grooves erupting with an intense
laser show, colours and movie quality visuals.
Headlining: Bluetech - Gaudi - Ott - Dr Alex Paterson
Indigenous music will reverberate throughout the venue with an
amplified
didgeridoo circle being played at the top of the spiral staircase and
tribal music groups and DJs perform live in the Indigenous chill which
also offers nutritious snacks from the Sattva café and a healing space.
Headlining: Greg Hunter fusion with Kakatsitsi - DJ Steve Kundalini -
DJ
Mudra
Full line-up on http://www.tribalvibrations.net
The event aims to raise awareness of indigenous communities and the
problems they face, in particular the Bushmen of the Kalahari who are
currently under threat from the Botswanan government.
For more information concerning the Bushmen and the projects stemming
from the profits made at this event visit:
http://www.san.org.za, http://www.survival-international.org or
http://www.tribalvibrations.net
Thanks for your support:
Info: http://www.tribalvibrations.net
Tickets: http://www.accessallareas.org
*Upcoming events*
*Saturday 25th Feb*
Bolivia Solidarity Night @ The Square
http://www.londonsocialcentre.org.uk
*Saturday 25th Feb*
Healer and Winston @ The Spitz
http://www.reason2b.net/events
*Sunday 26th Feb*
Mellout @ The Inn on the Green
http://www.idspiral.org
*Tuesday 28th Feb* (and every Tuesday)
Small World Acoustic Music and Poetry @ The Synergy Centre
http://smallworldsolarstage.org/smallworld/index.html
http://www.thesynergyproject.org
Events in March:
*March 1st - 31st*
ANOTHER WORLD IS BLOSSOMING
A Season of events running throughout March...
Weekly screening at The Synergy Centre, a big party and more tbc...
Another World Is Blossoming Screenings @ Synergy Centre
Main Features (lots more vital viewing will be shown):
Thurs 9th: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Thurs 16th: The End of Suburbia
Thurs 23rd: The Corporation
Thurs 30th: The Take
Another World Is Blossoming Fundraiser
Friday 31st @ The Synergy Centre
With Live Music from Joe Driscoll, The Pistachios, The Rub, United
Vibrations, DJ Rubbish, Bones of Contention, Jamie Woon, Sarah Bear and
more!
Plus a repeat Screening of The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and
Healthy Food from the Synergy Sattva Cafe.
http://uniteddiversity.com
http://www.thesynergyproject.org
*Saturday 4th March*
Creative Forum Visioning @ The Square
http://www.creativeforum.org
http://www.londonsocialcentre.org.uk
*Kalahari*
Fri 24th Feb 9pm-6am £15 @ the Brixton Mass
Collaborators from:
Liquid Records, Indigenous people, Synergy, Kundalini, Tribe of Frog,
ID Spiral, Whirl Y Gig, Chichime, EdensoundS
Join forces in support of a community, to present an event of inspiring
music and intense dance backed by a state of the art 92K sound system
and Optikinetics Lasers.
The event will be including:
A massive fire performance by the Jedi Jugglers accompanied by the
Kakatsitsi master drummers, performing live amongst the fountains and
structures of the Brixton Peace Gardens, illuminating St Matthews and
guiding guests to the entrance.
Inside, the performances will continue into the Liquid cavern and its
UV
drenched stage and painting wall with surreal triba-delic images.
Accompanying the full-on Psy-Trance will be a flutist, didge player and
darabouka drum pushing the concept of live musicians with DJ.
Headlining: Voice of Cod - Andy Mason - Liquid Ross B2B Natzan -
Kristian
In the Tribal Vibrations room high quality ambient dance will be moving
to energetic psy-dub and triba-lectic grooves erupting with an intense
laser show, colours and movie quality visuals.
Headlining: Bluetech - Gaudi - Ott - Dr Alex Paterson
Indigenous music will reverberate throughout the venue with an
amplified
didgeridoo circle being played at the top of the spiral staircase and
tribal music groups and DJs perform live in the Indigenous chill which
also offers nutritious snacks from the Sattva café and a healing space.
Headlining: Greg Hunter fusion with Kakatsitsi - DJ Steve Kundalini -
DJ
Mudra
Full line-up on http://www.tribalvibrations.net
The event aims to raise awareness of indigenous communities and the
problems they face, in particular the Bushmen of the Kalahari who are
currently under threat from the Botswanan government.
For more information concerning the Bushmen and the projects stemming
from the profits made at this event visit:
http://www.san.org.za, http://www.survival-international.org or
http://www.tribalvibrations.net
Thanks for your support:
Info: http://www.tribalvibrations.net
Tickets: http://www.accessallareas.org
*Upcoming events*
*Saturday 25th Feb*
Bolivia Solidarity Night @ The Square
http://www.londonsocialcentre.org.uk
*Saturday 25th Feb*
Healer and Winston @ The Spitz
http://www.reason2b.net/events
*Sunday 26th Feb*
Mellout @ The Inn on the Green
http://www.idspiral.org
*Tuesday 28th Feb* (and every Tuesday)
Small World Acoustic Music and Poetry @ The Synergy Centre
http://smallworldsolarstage.org/smallworld/index.html
http://www.thesynergyproject.org
Events in March:
*March 1st - 31st*
ANOTHER WORLD IS BLOSSOMING
A Season of events running throughout March...
Weekly screening at The Synergy Centre, a big party and more tbc...
Another World Is Blossoming Screenings @ Synergy Centre
Main Features (lots more vital viewing will be shown):
Thurs 9th: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Thurs 16th: The End of Suburbia
Thurs 23rd: The Corporation
Thurs 30th: The Take
Another World Is Blossoming Fundraiser
Friday 31st @ The Synergy Centre
With Live Music from Joe Driscoll, The Pistachios, The Rub, United
Vibrations, DJ Rubbish, Bones of Contention, Jamie Woon, Sarah Bear and
more!
Plus a repeat Screening of The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and
Healthy Food from the Synergy Sattva Cafe.
http://uniteddiversity.com
http://www.thesynergyproject.org
*Saturday 4th March*
Creative Forum Visioning @ The Square
http://www.creativeforum.org
http://www.londonsocialcentre.org.uk
This is a post about the Synergy centre in Camberwell. The Southwark press had an article recently but I can't find it online.
February 23, 2006
The One with the Hole?
The JCS staff had placed a peppermint at each place. Bush unwrapped his and popped it into his mouth. Later he eyed Cohen's mint and flashed a pantomime query, Do you want that? Cohen signaled no, so Bush reached over and took it. Near the end of the hour-and-a quarter briefing, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Army General Henry "Hugh" Shelton, noticed Bush eyeing his mint, so he passed it over.
February 22, 2006
RETIRING ANARCHISTS, DISSIDENT PRINCES
7pm Tuesday Feb 7th 2006 - Dealing with the cops
When we were all 'young WOMBLES', the tactics used for dealing with the forces of law & order were new & exiting. Lines of foam clad white overalls struck fear into riot cops throughout the known world!!! - (Well almost!).
On the other hand it was nice to observe that white overall tactics however limited did cause a response from the cops as well as hysteria in the media (remember Mayday, Dsei etc.). The main positive outcome from this tactic was the solidarity it created & encouraged throughout the years.
Even if certain old ways have passed their sell-by date, as times have changed, we still have this solidarity. Therefore it should be a very positive thing to discuss how we can evolve our strategy & tactics related to dealing with the 'dark forces', so we can remain one step ahead.
The Prince of Wales saw himself as a "dissident" trying to influence opinion by writing letters to politicians and he used the media to disseminate his views, according to former aide Mark Bolland.
February 20, 2006
PARTY'S OVER
In 2005, of the 355 parties listed on GoaTrance party websites
for raves across the world, not one listed Goa.
A single rave held in Arambol Christmas week 2005, north of Anjuna, drew
some crowds but nothing like the 20,000 ravers per party the area was
once infamous for. Anjuna's millenium raves attracted over 200,000
western and Israeli ravers and in many ways proved to be the turning
point for this party destination.
Times have simply changed.
The free walk-in open air raves are almost extinct, party bonhomie under
the stars is over. In its place are a proliferation of clubs that still
play trance music, but mix the repertoire to cater to varied taste --
sometimes hip hop, evissa house, fusion, even bale bale and "Bollywood
nights" for the largely urban Indian club hopper, who wanted a bit of
Goa's rave action but are now stuck with its monetised version.
Since it's trendy, no one's complaining. Page 3 celebs, Bollywood,
professionals from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad make one
long beeline for Goa's clubs.
Almost all of the western budget backpackers that favoured the small
one-room guesthouses, or hung around street 'chai' shops in neighbouring
Chapora and Vagator beach have moved further north and south to quieter
areas
for raves across the world, not one listed Goa.
A single rave held in Arambol Christmas week 2005, north of Anjuna, drew
some crowds but nothing like the 20,000 ravers per party the area was
once infamous for. Anjuna's millenium raves attracted over 200,000
western and Israeli ravers and in many ways proved to be the turning
point for this party destination.
Times have simply changed.
The free walk-in open air raves are almost extinct, party bonhomie under
the stars is over. In its place are a proliferation of clubs that still
play trance music, but mix the repertoire to cater to varied taste --
sometimes hip hop, evissa house, fusion, even bale bale and "Bollywood
nights" for the largely urban Indian club hopper, who wanted a bit of
Goa's rave action but are now stuck with its monetised version.
Since it's trendy, no one's complaining. Page 3 celebs, Bollywood,
professionals from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad make one
long beeline for Goa's clubs.
Almost all of the western budget backpackers that favoured the small
one-room guesthouses, or hung around street 'chai' shops in neighbouring
Chapora and Vagator beach have moved further north and south to quieter
areas
IF I WAS GOING TO VOTE...
The internet, he insists, is not only transforming lifestyles and employment patterns, but will also radically alter the structure of politics.
"The net makes us feel we can care about someone living in Lahore as if he is living next door," he rhymes.
"That has changed our whole view of the world and somehow has had an effect on our consciousness."
In terms of domestic politics the net means individuals will be empowered, as never before, he believes.
Plus a bit of this, a bit of that and a bit of the other
February 19, 2006
Seen it, done it, bought the fucking T-shirt in a charity shop for three quid.Thanks to Paula
for taking the photo.
February 18, 2006
DEFINE "LOSER"
Haven't been "home" for three days now, yesterday spent sitting watching Lord of the Rings in a HUGE building with the old squat buddies. Czechs, Poles and Bulgars, Heavy Metal Pete juggling, chaos draws me back.
"--- has been to hospital. I think he' s severed a tendon..." said a girl I hadn't met before.
"Really? Was he punching walls?" I asked knowing the answer.
I had been with this guy the day before, he was happy as Larry but he does tend to flip going from squat to squat with boxes of bike bits making highly individualistic London street bikes. I bought a front wheel for my bike off him for six quid. My friend had bought a really nice bike for thirty-five. One less to move.
After Lord of the Rings I met another old friend in an Islington pub.
"I haven't gambled for 31 days! I've been going to GA meetings on Tuesdays, got a nice new girlfriend..."
We went back to his for a bit then off to another pub in Highgate. I hadn't seen him since October last year and it was nice to catch up.
"I don't like to see people when I am gambling. I spent Christmas alone and cold..."
"You shouldn't worry. Its your money. I'm not your girlfriend. It makes no diference to me. If you gamble you should take me with. Do you cheer the horses?" I asked.
"Yes mate."
"Do you have any idea which one is going to win?"
"No mate. Once I just kept betting on number seven over and over again."
We walked past the betting shop on the corner of his road on the way back from the pub.
"Do you ever use this betting shop?" I asked.
"Yes mate." he answered, stopping to honk up a big greeny and spit it on the doorhandle."I won a grand on three numbers once. They had it all back within three days..."
Theres a voice inside which wants to go straight, get a fulfilling job buy a house and have kids. There is another voice which feels safe in the chaos of squatting. Treading water watching people pass through. Playing music loud in huge spaces I will eventually loose. Grim laughter from everyone living with their obvious failings and mental health problems on the surface.
Autistic Behaviour? I don't know. Its easier to go backwards to something you know than forwards into the unknown. the legacy of trying to record the views of Fundamental Islamists for three years makes a bit more sense when I am back amongst the people I was living with when I first started.
What I think is beginning to crystalize. When I filmed the kids they spoke about what they did and why they did it proudly. I put the critisisms the press were making to them and they answered them. With Islamists I just can't go through this simple process with a camera running which makes it an interesting waster of time, but a fucking waste of time when it comes down to it. In this case, three years.
Is it because they like the idea of martyrdom?
because they are all secretly terrorists who want to kill me?
because I am a kaffir?
Maybe I don't tick enough boxes. I don't recognise a "Police state" around me. There used to be one in the 1980s, it isn't there anymore and I will argue that with any moany "pwotestor". Yes they photograph me. Yes "thinking I might become a terrorist" is mildly iritating and I am a bit indignant with the image of "Big brother" this creates in my mind but no one stops me, my blog is here, I am free to pusue my life within legal means. In short the Police don't hassle me and from what I can tell they don't hassle Abu Abdullah either. Which is why I reckon my suspicion as to why the Police have arrested NONE of them and didn't want to arrest Hamza either is the right one. i.e MI-5 know what they are doing (de menezez apart) and David Cameron et al can go fuck.
Anyway the Venezuelans have actually fought off a Bush backed coo, are proud of themselves and want to talk about it so when I get round to picking my computer up I'll be back with some Venezuela. Bit more simple than talks about talks about bullshit.
William Hague was not far wrong, in response, when he dubbed the anti-glorification clause a "press release law".
but the great irony - and perhaps the great injury - of this approach is that, far from calming the public mood about the genuine threats from Islamist terrorism and its apologists, it may provoke and exacerbate it.
We shall not support Hamza or anybody who creates hatred to incite people to be violent or resort to acts of terrorism against innocent people...
But our question is : Those who will not hesitate to criticise God, why are not they defending Abu Hamza and criticise his conviction as because he did not commit any crime but used his freedom of speech? This is the reason why Muslims feel they are being discriminated and punished for religious reason. Fight terrorism politically and there will be peace and justice.
To start with if Abu Hamza, regarded by many as a buffoon, is such a deadly threat to Britain, indeed to civilization as a whole, why is he getting away with such a light sentence?
The seeds of clashes are there in both the Koran and the Bible. Each one of them de-legitimises the existence of the other. As per their thinking, the "others" are fit to be converted or executed. Harmonious co-existence is not an option anymore. There are dozens of ayats in Koran which justify what Abu Hamza has been saying. Fortunately, there are countries where these ayats are not found in the Koran as these have been gently deleted.
Today, freedom tends to be absolute though there is no absolute freedom anywhere in the world, including the most democratic countries.
"--- has been to hospital. I think he' s severed a tendon..." said a girl I hadn't met before.
"Really? Was he punching walls?" I asked knowing the answer.
I had been with this guy the day before, he was happy as Larry but he does tend to flip going from squat to squat with boxes of bike bits making highly individualistic London street bikes. I bought a front wheel for my bike off him for six quid. My friend had bought a really nice bike for thirty-five. One less to move.
After Lord of the Rings I met another old friend in an Islington pub.
"I haven't gambled for 31 days! I've been going to GA meetings on Tuesdays, got a nice new girlfriend..."
We went back to his for a bit then off to another pub in Highgate. I hadn't seen him since October last year and it was nice to catch up.
"I don't like to see people when I am gambling. I spent Christmas alone and cold..."
"You shouldn't worry. Its your money. I'm not your girlfriend. It makes no diference to me. If you gamble you should take me with. Do you cheer the horses?" I asked.
"Yes mate."
"Do you have any idea which one is going to win?"
"No mate. Once I just kept betting on number seven over and over again."
We walked past the betting shop on the corner of his road on the way back from the pub.
"Do you ever use this betting shop?" I asked.
"Yes mate." he answered, stopping to honk up a big greeny and spit it on the doorhandle."I won a grand on three numbers once. They had it all back within three days..."
Theres a voice inside which wants to go straight, get a fulfilling job buy a house and have kids. There is another voice which feels safe in the chaos of squatting. Treading water watching people pass through. Playing music loud in huge spaces I will eventually loose. Grim laughter from everyone living with their obvious failings and mental health problems on the surface.
Autistic Behaviour? I don't know. Its easier to go backwards to something you know than forwards into the unknown. the legacy of trying to record the views of Fundamental Islamists for three years makes a bit more sense when I am back amongst the people I was living with when I first started.
What I think is beginning to crystalize. When I filmed the kids they spoke about what they did and why they did it proudly. I put the critisisms the press were making to them and they answered them. With Islamists I just can't go through this simple process with a camera running which makes it an interesting waster of time, but a fucking waste of time when it comes down to it. In this case, three years.
Is it because they like the idea of martyrdom?
because they are all secretly terrorists who want to kill me?
because I am a kaffir?
Maybe I don't tick enough boxes. I don't recognise a "Police state" around me. There used to be one in the 1980s, it isn't there anymore and I will argue that with any moany "pwotestor". Yes they photograph me. Yes "thinking I might become a terrorist" is mildly iritating and I am a bit indignant with the image of "Big brother" this creates in my mind but no one stops me, my blog is here, I am free to pusue my life within legal means. In short the Police don't hassle me and from what I can tell they don't hassle Abu Abdullah either. Which is why I reckon my suspicion as to why the Police have arrested NONE of them and didn't want to arrest Hamza either is the right one. i.e MI-5 know what they are doing (de menezez apart) and David Cameron et al can go fuck.
Anyway the Venezuelans have actually fought off a Bush backed coo, are proud of themselves and want to talk about it so when I get round to picking my computer up I'll be back with some Venezuela. Bit more simple than talks about talks about bullshit.
William Hague was not far wrong, in response, when he dubbed the anti-glorification clause a "press release law".
but the great irony - and perhaps the great injury - of this approach is that, far from calming the public mood about the genuine threats from Islamist terrorism and its apologists, it may provoke and exacerbate it.
We shall not support Hamza or anybody who creates hatred to incite people to be violent or resort to acts of terrorism against innocent people...
But our question is : Those who will not hesitate to criticise God, why are not they defending Abu Hamza and criticise his conviction as because he did not commit any crime but used his freedom of speech? This is the reason why Muslims feel they are being discriminated and punished for religious reason. Fight terrorism politically and there will be peace and justice.
To start with if Abu Hamza, regarded by many as a buffoon, is such a deadly threat to Britain, indeed to civilization as a whole, why is he getting away with such a light sentence?
The seeds of clashes are there in both the Koran and the Bible. Each one of them de-legitimises the existence of the other. As per their thinking, the "others" are fit to be converted or executed. Harmonious co-existence is not an option anymore. There are dozens of ayats in Koran which justify what Abu Hamza has been saying. Fortunately, there are countries where these ayats are not found in the Koran as these have been gently deleted.
Today, freedom tends to be absolute though there is no absolute freedom anywhere in the world, including the most democratic countries.
February 17, 2006
I don't really participate in "Indymedia" style stuff anymore because by and large it doesn't change anything and even less does it get its intended message over to its target audience. That said I'm going to give you a little rundown of things I've noticed or been to which are recorded there.
Firstly Sky is in Italy giving evidence of how he was almost beaten to death by the Police at the Genoa Diaz trial, so big up Sky...
This is a story about the ongoing occupation of a Boatyard in Oxford a friend of mine is involved in, so big up Kiwi Matt...
and here is an interesting video showing the comedy terrorists involvement with the "Can you not draw cartoons of our prophet with a bomb on his head" rally and the cute little O-I-L demo in Picadilly also recorded here. I think one of these videos includes someone saying "I can feel a national shift in conciousness because of this event" which I find quite amusing.
Firstly Sky is in Italy giving evidence of how he was almost beaten to death by the Police at the Genoa Diaz trial, so big up Sky...
This is a story about the ongoing occupation of a Boatyard in Oxford a friend of mine is involved in, so big up Kiwi Matt...
and here is an interesting video showing the comedy terrorists involvement with the "Can you not draw cartoons of our prophet with a bomb on his head" rally and the cute little O-I-L demo in Picadilly also recorded here. I think one of these videos includes someone saying "I can feel a national shift in conciousness because of this event" which I find quite amusing.
More of the other...
Letter to my son
Dear Son
I wanted you to know how I felt about the military, my service in it, and my feelings about you serving if you ever choose to.
I feel the military to be an honorable means of service to your country and others around the globe. I also feel the profession of combat arms to be a noble one, but one that should be taken with the utmost seriousness, for with it comes a responsibility that is greater than almost any other. If you ever pursue this make sure that you also achieve an education outside of it, and be sure to read the millennia of experience that are very much applicable even to this day and beyond, as the world does change but the human experience within it does not.
Be ever vigilant and always stand against the unlawful, unethical, and immoral. This takes great courage at times.
...If you do choose to serve you will become part of a family lineage. Your paternal grandfather served two tours in Vietnam, your uncle in Desert Storm and Haiti. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that your grandfather and uncle both left active service after having served in armed conflicts. My story has yet to be written.
also this survey
Dear Son
I wanted you to know how I felt about the military, my service in it, and my feelings about you serving if you ever choose to.
I feel the military to be an honorable means of service to your country and others around the globe. I also feel the profession of combat arms to be a noble one, but one that should be taken with the utmost seriousness, for with it comes a responsibility that is greater than almost any other. If you ever pursue this make sure that you also achieve an education outside of it, and be sure to read the millennia of experience that are very much applicable even to this day and beyond, as the world does change but the human experience within it does not.
Be ever vigilant and always stand against the unlawful, unethical, and immoral. This takes great courage at times.
...If you do choose to serve you will become part of a family lineage. Your paternal grandfather served two tours in Vietnam, your uncle in Desert Storm and Haiti. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that your grandfather and uncle both left active service after having served in armed conflicts. My story has yet to be written.
also this survey
February 15, 2006
The other side...
Major John said...
Dave,
Almost everyone was either happy or curious to see us. I had a couple of bad experiences, but everything else was terrific. That is what was so disappointing about the people coming to Bagram to cause trouble - the local people are used to us, work with us and are quite peaceful.
Dave,
Almost everyone was either happy or curious to see us. I had a couple of bad experiences, but everything else was terrific. That is what was so disappointing about the people coming to Bagram to cause trouble - the local people are used to us, work with us and are quite peaceful.
IS THIS TRUE? WOULD JESUS BE IN FAVOUR OF THIS?
The one week 'Operation New Market' has resulted in:
- Most mosques in the city were bombed during the first attack days, sometimes with people still praying in them,
- The only hospital in Haditha was bombed to ruins, on May 28, 2005, resulting in the death of many doctors, staff and patients.
- American war planes completely destroyed, on May 28, 2005, the main electrical substation that provided electricity for the whole city.
- On May 28, 2005, American war planes blew up the main water refinery station in Haditha, rendering it completely useless for providing fresh water for the city.
- Half of the schools in Haditha have been thoroughly destroyed, and the other half have been taken over by the Americans and their 'Iraqi mercenaries', just as the year's finals are approaching.
- Most mosques in the city were bombed during the first attack days, sometimes with people still praying in them,
- The only hospital in Haditha was bombed to ruins, on May 28, 2005, resulting in the death of many doctors, staff and patients.
- American war planes completely destroyed, on May 28, 2005, the main electrical substation that provided electricity for the whole city.
- On May 28, 2005, American war planes blew up the main water refinery station in Haditha, rendering it completely useless for providing fresh water for the city.
- Half of the schools in Haditha have been thoroughly destroyed, and the other half have been taken over by the Americans and their 'Iraqi mercenaries', just as the year's finals are approaching.
HOLY FUKT UP SHIT BATMAN!
This has got to be bad news.
Miller proudly announced the title of his next Batman book, which he will write, draw and ink. Holy Terror, Batman! is no joke. And Miller doesn't hold back on the true purpose of the book, calling it "a piece of propaganda," where 'Batman kicks al Qaeda's ass."
The reason for this work, Miller said, was "an explosion from my gut reaction of what's happening now." He can't stand entertainers who lack the moxie of their '40s counterparts who stood up to Hitler. Holy Terror is "a reminder to people who seem to have forgotten who we're up against."
What is it with the cartoon thing at the moment? Is reality not fucked up enough for people?
Sit 'em all on your knees with comic books. Tell them you are good and they are bad. That'll work.
Miller proudly announced the title of his next Batman book, which he will write, draw and ink. Holy Terror, Batman! is no joke. And Miller doesn't hold back on the true purpose of the book, calling it "a piece of propaganda," where 'Batman kicks al Qaeda's ass."
The reason for this work, Miller said, was "an explosion from my gut reaction of what's happening now." He can't stand entertainers who lack the moxie of their '40s counterparts who stood up to Hitler. Holy Terror is "a reminder to people who seem to have forgotten who we're up against."
What is it with the cartoon thing at the moment? Is reality not fucked up enough for people?
Sit 'em all on your knees with comic books. Tell them you are good and they are bad. That'll work.
February 14, 2006
SNOW MARTYR
Saddam the martyr?
===============
While More4 News will be exploring the Islamisation of Saddam, who has
taken to conspicuously carrying a Koran into court every day. As
president he ran a defiantly secular country disliked by many Islamic states
. Now his picture has started appearing on Iraqi insurgent websites
even though old school Al Qaeda sympathisers abhor him for expelling
Islamists during his rule. Can he succeed in trying to re-cast himself ?
snowmails
===============
While More4 News will be exploring the Islamisation of Saddam, who has
taken to conspicuously carrying a Koran into court every day. As
president he ran a defiantly secular country disliked by many Islamic states
. Now his picture has started appearing on Iraqi insurgent websites
even though old school Al Qaeda sympathisers abhor him for expelling
Islamists during his rule. Can he succeed in trying to re-cast himself ?
snowmails
FOR CHRISTS SAKE GIVE UP. DO SOMETHING ELSE
A friend of mine told me today about a book someone wrote about not meeting J.D. Salinger. I sort of realise this is a blog about not making a film.
In "activist" circles, when people think they are right they want to tell people. To make media about it. These people don't want to tell people, with the notable exception of Abu Abdullah who seems to consistently trust me at the moment. I can see that British society has made them isolated and entrenched, and they've made themselves like this as well.
I sort of wonder now- If the Islam Hamza was talking about to the non-Muslim jury is truly what he believes, and Rabbi Goldstein and Rev Coles are telling the truth about Hamza's contact with them, (which I can't honestly believe that they aren't) why Hamza stood in the street shouting surrounded by masked kids rather than touring church coffee mornings talking as he did to jury, rabbi and reverend.
Personally I sort of coasted along thinking I was having fun talking to people with controversial opinions but the trial has driven a train through that. I suppose in some ways I was trying to make an opinion which was "sellable". Seeing blanket coverage of this story must have swayed me. I think my films are biased because I want to see the good in people. Am I blinding myself to the bad?
It all seems like the tower of babel to me. We are all speaking diferent languages, even when we speak the same language. For example Barry said that Hamza and co were like the "BNP" of Islam, and just as representative of Islam as the BNP were of British mainstream society. Although I don't want to think this I know Abdullah has a temper and believes "strong arm tactics" are justified by the Koran and so I can see what he means.
Indigo pointed out that tiny terror groups circulated within the justified anti-racist movements in America in the sixties. I can see that it is possible that all these people the media says are connected to Finsbury park could easily have passed through Finsbury park mosque and been inspired by Hamza's words on the tapes even if he actually didn't believe terrorism of innocents to be justified.
I had to point out myself to a Muslim recently starting on about the fact that the British people had re-elected Blair and so were responsible for Iraq Hamza own words from my tapes:
"Islamically... it is immoral to target people who have no say in the war. In fact they were against the war in Iraq…If it was not for this Zionist media the people of this country would have informed themselves…so it is not fair to target them. It is not Islamic…We’ve got to distinguish between the evil politicians and the normal people who go about there business every day.”
I fear for these people lumping "kuffar" into one alien group they are against which was one of my main reasons for rocking up to Finsbury park in the first place- to tell these people that we weren't all up for killing Muslims. That a lot of people cared. It doesn't suprise me how events shaped the minds of these kids who did 7/7 especially as they came from outside London where the benefits of harmony between races are less obvious.
I don't know what I think about "guerilla tactics". How can people critisize violent overthrow of dictators by freelance groups when the US and UK military have done the same in Iraq- with probably an equivalent scale of innocent deaths along the way. Both groups justify themselves. Hamza with blood curdling speeches about "cutting peoples meat and leaving it to the flies" and Blair and Bush with sensible sounding words about "collateral".
I can see that I don't want to talk about any of this. I want to talk about peace. Positive ways forward. Understanding.
And that is not "sellable".
I really don't know what I am driven by or where I am going.
In "activist" circles, when people think they are right they want to tell people. To make media about it. These people don't want to tell people, with the notable exception of Abu Abdullah who seems to consistently trust me at the moment. I can see that British society has made them isolated and entrenched, and they've made themselves like this as well.
I sort of wonder now- If the Islam Hamza was talking about to the non-Muslim jury is truly what he believes, and Rabbi Goldstein and Rev Coles are telling the truth about Hamza's contact with them, (which I can't honestly believe that they aren't) why Hamza stood in the street shouting surrounded by masked kids rather than touring church coffee mornings talking as he did to jury, rabbi and reverend.
Personally I sort of coasted along thinking I was having fun talking to people with controversial opinions but the trial has driven a train through that. I suppose in some ways I was trying to make an opinion which was "sellable". Seeing blanket coverage of this story must have swayed me. I think my films are biased because I want to see the good in people. Am I blinding myself to the bad?
It all seems like the tower of babel to me. We are all speaking diferent languages, even when we speak the same language. For example Barry said that Hamza and co were like the "BNP" of Islam, and just as representative of Islam as the BNP were of British mainstream society. Although I don't want to think this I know Abdullah has a temper and believes "strong arm tactics" are justified by the Koran and so I can see what he means.
Indigo pointed out that tiny terror groups circulated within the justified anti-racist movements in America in the sixties. I can see that it is possible that all these people the media says are connected to Finsbury park could easily have passed through Finsbury park mosque and been inspired by Hamza's words on the tapes even if he actually didn't believe terrorism of innocents to be justified.
I had to point out myself to a Muslim recently starting on about the fact that the British people had re-elected Blair and so were responsible for Iraq Hamza own words from my tapes:
"Islamically... it is immoral to target people who have no say in the war. In fact they were against the war in Iraq…If it was not for this Zionist media the people of this country would have informed themselves…so it is not fair to target them. It is not Islamic…We’ve got to distinguish between the evil politicians and the normal people who go about there business every day.”
I fear for these people lumping "kuffar" into one alien group they are against which was one of my main reasons for rocking up to Finsbury park in the first place- to tell these people that we weren't all up for killing Muslims. That a lot of people cared. It doesn't suprise me how events shaped the minds of these kids who did 7/7 especially as they came from outside London where the benefits of harmony between races are less obvious.
I don't know what I think about "guerilla tactics". How can people critisize violent overthrow of dictators by freelance groups when the US and UK military have done the same in Iraq- with probably an equivalent scale of innocent deaths along the way. Both groups justify themselves. Hamza with blood curdling speeches about "cutting peoples meat and leaving it to the flies" and Blair and Bush with sensible sounding words about "collateral".
I can see that I don't want to talk about any of this. I want to talk about peace. Positive ways forward. Understanding.
And that is not "sellable".
I really don't know what I am driven by or where I am going.
February 12, 2006
Venezuela Social Forum
Jo is back, after successfully fending off a cheerful couple of Venezuelans trying to take his camera at gunpoint on the first day. We've looked through a few hours of the subsequent footage, edit coming soon. It'll be refreshing moving on to another subject for a while. At least in this case the people actually WANT to tell you what they are about so it should be a bit easier.
Venezuela coming soon..
February 11, 2006
James Whale?
James Whale (on the left in the pic) is a UK "shock jock" who used to have a late night Leeds based zany TV show in the late 80s which was quite watchable to us students. He was always full of life and very rude to people who phoned in. I never knew he had Hamza on the show.
James Whale defends having Hamza on his show, commenting: "Getting these people around a table and talking may help us all to understand the problems facing us all. My programme doesn't shy away from the controversial issues. In fact, if Osama Bin Laden called me tomorrow, I'd ask him what time he could come on..."
Sounds like my sort of guy. I can't find the show anywhere online but I'm finding cryptic messages refering to it:
DID ANYONE HEAR JAMES WHALE THIS AFTERNOON STICKING UP FOR HIM......I WAS FUMING!!!
Intriguing. I'm going to try and contact him.
Can you not draw pictures of our prophet with a bomb on his head please?
Guess who I saw on the BBC/MCB pro-Islam protest?
Christopher Hitchens.
Hes probably going to write something about it somewhere so keep your eyes open.
I also bumped into one of the professional photographers I used to meet in Finsbury park on a regular basis. He said he had gone freelance recently and was much happier working less.
"Have you had any luck getting your doc on TV?"
"No."
"Thats a suprise. I thought you'd be in the middle of it by now..."
"Yeah, I tried the BBC, Channel 4 turned my idea down..."
"Have you tried Jon Snow?"
"No. I tried the Channel 4 News indyfund years ago."
"I meet Jon Snow sometimes through work. He is very approachable."
"Yeah, I don't know. I don't think these TV people like me. Maybe its the way I look..."
"Everyone who does these type of documentaries are nutters. They know that. Maybe if you took the bones out when you first meet them... No don't do that. You stay as yourself. Good luck!"
What can I say about the protest? It was boring. I'd rather have been at the "beheading" protest though that would have been boring too. Apparently Galloway was booed when he spoke. I'm sad that I missed that. I almost went down to the Big Brother house to boo him and now I've missed another opportunity. Fuck it.
here is a video of Galloway getting booed out of the Big Brother house for those who missed it.
I moved on to the O-I-L "reclaim love" event by the statue of Eros in picadilly. Mr. F-I-T made sure I knew he was filming me again.
PS- Note to LITTLE GREEN FOOTBALLS- can I join? You have some ridiculous comments about Islam over here that I would like to answer... my email is dave*at*socialistwanker.com
Christopher Hitchens.
Hes probably going to write something about it somewhere so keep your eyes open.
I also bumped into one of the professional photographers I used to meet in Finsbury park on a regular basis. He said he had gone freelance recently and was much happier working less.
"Have you had any luck getting your doc on TV?"
"No."
"Thats a suprise. I thought you'd be in the middle of it by now..."
"Yeah, I tried the BBC, Channel 4 turned my idea down..."
"Have you tried Jon Snow?"
"No. I tried the Channel 4 News indyfund years ago."
"I meet Jon Snow sometimes through work. He is very approachable."
"Yeah, I don't know. I don't think these TV people like me. Maybe its the way I look..."
"Everyone who does these type of documentaries are nutters. They know that. Maybe if you took the bones out when you first meet them... No don't do that. You stay as yourself. Good luck!"
What can I say about the protest? It was boring. I'd rather have been at the "beheading" protest though that would have been boring too. Apparently Galloway was booed when he spoke. I'm sad that I missed that. I almost went down to the Big Brother house to boo him and now I've missed another opportunity. Fuck it.
here is a video of Galloway getting booed out of the Big Brother house for those who missed it.
I moved on to the O-I-L "reclaim love" event by the statue of Eros in picadilly. Mr. F-I-T made sure I knew he was filming me again.
PS- Note to LITTLE GREEN FOOTBALLS- can I join? You have some ridiculous comments about Islam over here that I would like to answer... my email is dave*at*socialistwanker.com
here is a BBC piece taken from a Times article about Hamza's ex-wife.
Also this says the 7/7 guys listened to Hamza at the mosque, this says there is no evidence this is true at all.
Also this says the 7/7 guys listened to Hamza at the mosque, this says there is no evidence this is true at all.
more Venezuelan babelfish
First that all thanks for your commentaries in my Blog, yours does not remain back for anything, is very good and is very pleasant. As far as the commentaries of Mr.Bones: "My not to understand anything" ^ _ ^ If they want my opinion of the Forum, were an excellent opportunity so that people of other parts occurred to account the left thing that his "leader" has to Venezuela, whereas he takes care to give the money to other nations. As she badly says a joke that walks crossing the Web: "Chávez is going to help Venezuela, which happens is that it goes in alphabetical order, the first Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil.....Venezuela, Vietnam...., is necessary to have patience" ¬ _ ¬ Greetings, we are ***reflxing mng ourselves!
I don't think she's that impressed with Chavez.
I don't think she's that impressed with Chavez.
February 10, 2006
SNOW CAPITALISM
Capitalism or plunder?
================
Dunfermline is not the only embarrassment of the day, there is Qinetiq,
the defence company floated by the Ministry of Defence for £40m that in
three years has been sold on again for £220m.
A couple of characters from the state owned past who put £120,000 of
their own money, staggered off with £23m.
Maybe that’s capitalism but others are saying its playing fast and
loose with the family silver. Faisal Islam is on the case but he says that
it is so complex, finding the smoking gun proving cloudy business.
snowmails
================
Dunfermline is not the only embarrassment of the day, there is Qinetiq,
the defence company floated by the Ministry of Defence for £40m that in
three years has been sold on again for £220m.
A couple of characters from the state owned past who put £120,000 of
their own money, staggered off with £23m.
Maybe that’s capitalism but others are saying its playing fast and
loose with the family silver. Faisal Islam is on the case but he says that
it is so complex, finding the smoking gun proving cloudy business.
snowmails
Bridge too far...
Honestly, hug a tree. Stick your hands in wet earth. Get into the turning of this planet.
(Picture from empirewire.com)
Russians meet Hamas?
Like Israel, the U.S. government was amazed and furious with Russian President Vladamir Putin's invitation to Hamas. A U.S. official asked how Russia would respond to a U.S. invitation for Chechen rebels to visit Washington.
Now we see it! That was the deal was it? You keep quiet about Palestine and we'll keep quiet about Chechenya.
Liberals in the UK loose their leader when the badly kept secret of his alchoholism is revealed, loose a couple of leadership candidates through gay sex scandals and then go on to WIN a byelection, turning over a Labour majority in Scotland with a 16% swing...
everyone on TV is saying that it is all because of a bridge...
ya hombre!
That evil, evil totalitarian Chavez is at it again.
I randomly met a Venezuelan surfing the blogsphere in the early hours. Do you remember the babelfish in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? The "babelfish" which you stick in your ear to translate alien languages for you? How many years later and heres the online babelfish. Its still got teething problems, or should I say it is "flapping about a bit with its mouth opening and closing". I asked what she thought of the "Chavez revolution" here is my reply via babelfish:
Experiments? Hummm not, sounded to robust means that, friend I say something to him, we are not rates of laboratory, or some strange sample of society... I would like to know from where she writes We have been a young country that is experiencing a series of changes of all type, and for some years (if, we experimented, nobody experiments with us) Good... this I complete that I write, I do it leaving my opinion out of danger (very personal) on if he is certain that of the changes... What I think? and I have little space much to write it everything... with respect to the Forum, sincerely seemed to me the purest act of political proselitismo here... to be honest to what extent the participants knew the reality Venezuelan, but I am not sure that those who did it are not so favorable chavez It did not want to enter controversies of political type, but this it is subject for post, post long and laying
Greetings
What to make of that? She doesn't sound too impressed but doesn't want to be drawn too much maybe?
I randomly met a Venezuelan surfing the blogsphere in the early hours. Do you remember the babelfish in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? The "babelfish" which you stick in your ear to translate alien languages for you? How many years later and heres the online babelfish. Its still got teething problems, or should I say it is "flapping about a bit with its mouth opening and closing". I asked what she thought of the "Chavez revolution" here is my reply via babelfish:
Experiments? Hummm not, sounded to robust means that, friend I say something to him, we are not rates of laboratory, or some strange sample of society... I would like to know from where she writes We have been a young country that is experiencing a series of changes of all type, and for some years (if, we experimented, nobody experiments with us) Good... this I complete that I write, I do it leaving my opinion out of danger (very personal) on if he is certain that of the changes... What I think? and I have little space much to write it everything... with respect to the Forum, sincerely seemed to me the purest act of political proselitismo here... to be honest to what extent the participants knew the reality Venezuelan, but I am not sure that those who did it are not so favorable chavez It did not want to enter controversies of political type, but this it is subject for post, post long and laying
Greetings
What to make of that? She doesn't sound too impressed but doesn't want to be drawn too much maybe?
Break dancing
I've got to take a break from this and go dancing somewhere for a week or so, or to do something I have never done before. Anything. I miss Thai street food and thai pissheads who sit out at night playing beatles songs on acoustic guitars. I miss the chloroform sniffing street kids in Delhi.
I was invited to the LSD symposium in Basel where a friend of mine was putting on a fantastic party which I had to turn down because of the trial. In the last few years its been very hard for me to take acid with all of this Fundamental Islam in my head.
I've missed the only chance to say happy 100th! to Albert Hofman for what? Where am I going with this?
I still wonder why I've put so much energy into this when I used to be just a party animal.
One of the main reasons I started was because I was trying to stop smoking dope and needed something to "get my teeth into" to consume my time where the outcome was unknown.
The outcome is still very unknown but I am not sad that I have met the people I have met. I wonder if an MI-5 file will haunt me one day. I wonder if I would have trouble getting into America, whether I would be pulled in for associating with "known terrorists". I hope not. I've got a map of the US on my wall and since I got back from India in 2000 (2001?) I've always thought I was heading for America next.
I don't have the "AmeriKKKa" hatred that a lot of lefties have, especially after meeting so many nice Texans online.
I want to put out a karmic blessing to everyone whatever your faith and beliefs. Big up to the HUMAN SPIRIT. This planet can be beautiful for everyone. I believe that and I am a bi-polar schizoid dope fiend. I used to sit with people who had this belief but sitting with people who agreed with each other at a time when my country was going to war became deeply unsatisfying to the point when I had to leave it.
I chose to test my belief with those the media were saying would do me harm. I was nervous all the time but have never felt threatened. I've laughed, I've cried. I watched blood curdling speeches from many years ago. I heard the man who said these things speak in court of an Islam which sounded great.
I've yet to really grok it all...
I don't understand people. I feel really remote. I feel a deep love for humanity as a whole but no real love for any individuals who are close. I just drift through. When I look into my eyes in the mirror I'm not there anymore. I haven't been for ages. I'm sort of used to it. I'm a slave of habit. Addiction.
Ah well thats me for the night.
I was invited to the LSD symposium in Basel where a friend of mine was putting on a fantastic party which I had to turn down because of the trial. In the last few years its been very hard for me to take acid with all of this Fundamental Islam in my head.
I've missed the only chance to say happy 100th! to Albert Hofman for what? Where am I going with this?
I still wonder why I've put so much energy into this when I used to be just a party animal.
One of the main reasons I started was because I was trying to stop smoking dope and needed something to "get my teeth into" to consume my time where the outcome was unknown.
The outcome is still very unknown but I am not sad that I have met the people I have met. I wonder if an MI-5 file will haunt me one day. I wonder if I would have trouble getting into America, whether I would be pulled in for associating with "known terrorists". I hope not. I've got a map of the US on my wall and since I got back from India in 2000 (2001?) I've always thought I was heading for America next.
I don't have the "AmeriKKKa" hatred that a lot of lefties have, especially after meeting so many nice Texans online.
I want to put out a karmic blessing to everyone whatever your faith and beliefs. Big up to the HUMAN SPIRIT. This planet can be beautiful for everyone. I believe that and I am a bi-polar schizoid dope fiend. I used to sit with people who had this belief but sitting with people who agreed with each other at a time when my country was going to war became deeply unsatisfying to the point when I had to leave it.
I chose to test my belief with those the media were saying would do me harm. I was nervous all the time but have never felt threatened. I've laughed, I've cried. I watched blood curdling speeches from many years ago. I heard the man who said these things speak in court of an Islam which sounded great.
I've yet to really grok it all...
I don't understand people. I feel really remote. I feel a deep love for humanity as a whole but no real love for any individuals who are close. I just drift through. When I look into my eyes in the mirror I'm not there anymore. I haven't been for ages. I'm sort of used to it. I'm a slave of habit. Addiction.
Ah well thats me for the night.
The Reunification of Islam
This is fascinating. More from the article the Islamabad teenagers pointed out:
Do you think it possible that this winter will continue? Every winter is followed by spring, and every night by day. But the Islamic world is all broken up and fragmented. They have gone to study. It is like this: India is an able son of Islam; it is studying in the high school of the British. Egypt is a clever son of Islam; it is taking lessons in the British school for civil servants. Caucasia and Turkestan are two valiant sons of Islam; they are training in the Russian war academy. And so on. You see, after these noble sons of Islam have received their diplomas, each will lead a continent, and, waving the banner of Islam, their just and mighty father, on the horizons of perfection, will proclaim the mystery of pre-eternal wisdom inherent in mankind in the view of pre-eternal divine determining and in the face of obstinate fate (Said Nursi. Kastamonu Lahikasi, 121-32).
Although written several decades ago, this narrative clearly sets forth the goals as well as the strategy of the Nur movement. Taking this prophecy to heart, Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the Fetullahci world wide educational system, Interfaith Dialogues, and the Rumi Organization, has raised up an army of young Islamists armed with a good education and the code of secrecy and unwavering allegiance to him, to go as missionaries to spread Islam and in so doing ensure the birth of Islam in Europe, and then in the United States.
also:
In the eighties Pakistan backed the Afghans against the Red Army because that was what the US wanted; in the mid-nineties the mujahideen were banished and replaced by the Taliban in order to appease the US; in September 2001 Pakistan changed its policy as a result of a single phone-call from US secretary of state Colin Powell. Likewise Musharraf’s abandonment of Kashmir is also the result of pressure from Washington.
Do you think it possible that this winter will continue? Every winter is followed by spring, and every night by day. But the Islamic world is all broken up and fragmented. They have gone to study. It is like this: India is an able son of Islam; it is studying in the high school of the British. Egypt is a clever son of Islam; it is taking lessons in the British school for civil servants. Caucasia and Turkestan are two valiant sons of Islam; they are training in the Russian war academy. And so on. You see, after these noble sons of Islam have received their diplomas, each will lead a continent, and, waving the banner of Islam, their just and mighty father, on the horizons of perfection, will proclaim the mystery of pre-eternal wisdom inherent in mankind in the view of pre-eternal divine determining and in the face of obstinate fate (Said Nursi. Kastamonu Lahikasi, 121-32).
Although written several decades ago, this narrative clearly sets forth the goals as well as the strategy of the Nur movement. Taking this prophecy to heart, Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the Fetullahci world wide educational system, Interfaith Dialogues, and the Rumi Organization, has raised up an army of young Islamists armed with a good education and the code of secrecy and unwavering allegiance to him, to go as missionaries to spread Islam and in so doing ensure the birth of Islam in Europe, and then in the United States.
also:
In the eighties Pakistan backed the Afghans against the Red Army because that was what the US wanted; in the mid-nineties the mujahideen were banished and replaced by the Taliban in order to appease the US; in September 2001 Pakistan changed its policy as a result of a single phone-call from US secretary of state Colin Powell. Likewise Musharraf’s abandonment of Kashmir is also the result of pressure from Washington.
February 09, 2006
More Islamic commentary on the Hamza trial on Arcis.co.uk
and some very unislamic commentary too...
Abu Hamza: imprisoned for talking rubbish
...It was politicians and journalists who transformed this north London-based radical into a terrible threat to life and liberty as we know it. For the past few years his mug has been plastered on the front pages of the papers under headlines such as 'EVIL HAMZA' and 'Hook is a threat to Britain'. In early 2004, then home secretary David Blunkett took the unusual step of declaring that Hamza was 'unfit' to be a British citizen. The Home Office became obsessed by Hamza; one former minister told Scotland on Sunday that, 'I would go to meetings where Hamza was almost the only thing discussed, [even if he] wasn't on the agenda' (5). Hamza was eventually arrested in a highly publicised dawn raid (details of which were leaked to the Sun the day before it was due to take place), and the government set out its case against him.
It was these political machinations, rather than his own capabilities, that made Hamza into public enemy no.1 - and which no doubt helped him to appear as the brave warrior he claimed to be in the eyes of his supporters. The transformation of a nobody in north London into an evil threat to the fabric of society revealed far more about British society's own sense of insecurity than it did about Hamza's powers or prowess. That everyone from the Home Office to various leader writers could be rattled by the anti-Western and anti-British rants of 'Captain Hook' suggested that many in Britain have a flimsy sense indeed about what they stand for and why.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Hamza's trial was a showtrial; worse, that it was a showtrial of a straw man. Having turned him into a panto villain, the authorities then made a spectacle of throwing him off the stage while sections of the media whooped and cheered along. It doesn't say much for British society that it can only feel good about itself by trying and imprisoning a one-eyed whacko like Hamza.
This is actually THE BEST Hamza article I have read in three years. Obviously knowing his friends I don't agree with some of the sentiment towards him but what this guy reckons the whole situation says about Britain is right on the money. If Europe is "Islamised" it would be because these people are morally and culturally destitute. If it was Islamised it wouldn't be them that would suffer either- it would be me.
and some very unislamic commentary too...
Abu Hamza: imprisoned for talking rubbish
...It was politicians and journalists who transformed this north London-based radical into a terrible threat to life and liberty as we know it. For the past few years his mug has been plastered on the front pages of the papers under headlines such as 'EVIL HAMZA' and 'Hook is a threat to Britain'. In early 2004, then home secretary David Blunkett took the unusual step of declaring that Hamza was 'unfit' to be a British citizen. The Home Office became obsessed by Hamza; one former minister told Scotland on Sunday that, 'I would go to meetings where Hamza was almost the only thing discussed, [even if he] wasn't on the agenda' (5). Hamza was eventually arrested in a highly publicised dawn raid (details of which were leaked to the Sun the day before it was due to take place), and the government set out its case against him.
It was these political machinations, rather than his own capabilities, that made Hamza into public enemy no.1 - and which no doubt helped him to appear as the brave warrior he claimed to be in the eyes of his supporters. The transformation of a nobody in north London into an evil threat to the fabric of society revealed far more about British society's own sense of insecurity than it did about Hamza's powers or prowess. That everyone from the Home Office to various leader writers could be rattled by the anti-Western and anti-British rants of 'Captain Hook' suggested that many in Britain have a flimsy sense indeed about what they stand for and why.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Hamza's trial was a showtrial; worse, that it was a showtrial of a straw man. Having turned him into a panto villain, the authorities then made a spectacle of throwing him off the stage while sections of the media whooped and cheered along. It doesn't say much for British society that it can only feel good about itself by trying and imprisoning a one-eyed whacko like Hamza.
This is actually THE BEST Hamza article I have read in three years. Obviously knowing his friends I don't agree with some of the sentiment towards him but what this guy reckons the whole situation says about Britain is right on the money. If Europe is "Islamised" it would be because these people are morally and culturally destitute. If it was Islamised it wouldn't be them that would suffer either- it would be me.
Darren first tried crystal meth when he was 15-years-old and by the age of 17 this destructive drug had a powerful hold on his life. He used the drug in the rave scene, but after he was taught how to steal cars by a meth trafficker, he began using them to transport stolen property from apartment storage locker break-ins, mail thefts, and theft from vehicles. Darren states that he has stolen hundreds of cars which in itself became a second addiction where he stole "for the rush".
Darren speaks freely about how crystal meth almost killed him when, after a meth binge that lasted for 12 straight days and nights without sleep, his throat became swollen shut and he required emergency hospitalization to save his life. He also described drug fuelled high-speed escapes from police in stolen cars where he almost struck innocent pedestrians, including a child beside a school. Darren is now 23-years-old, but he feels that the past eight years have been stolen from him - he was the "walking dead".
Darren's message is clear: crystal meth and car theft stole his life, and nearly stole the lives of innocent people.
Video here
Darren speaks freely about how crystal meth almost killed him when, after a meth binge that lasted for 12 straight days and nights without sleep, his throat became swollen shut and he required emergency hospitalization to save his life. He also described drug fuelled high-speed escapes from police in stolen cars where he almost struck innocent pedestrians, including a child beside a school. Darren is now 23-years-old, but he feels that the past eight years have been stolen from him - he was the "walking dead".
Darren's message is clear: crystal meth and car theft stole his life, and nearly stole the lives of innocent people.
Video here
Heres a cheerful soul
Europe is pregnant with Islam and will give a birth to an Islamic nation
originaly published here
Since September 11, the word Islam has become familiar words around the world. Some Muslims see this phenomenon as an open door for spreading Islam globally. Some even interpret this tragedy as fortuitous because they say Allah will bring good news out of bad news. Others argue that in the future Islam and the message of the Qur’an would have prevailed in any case. Also, some Muslims go further to provide what they perceive as clear proof that this victory will occur...
Because Islam
holds that everything happens for a reason, some Islamists interpret the World Trade Center attack as a means of spreading Islam. In this view the event advanced the early twentieth century prophecy of the Bediuzzamans [holy man]...
In 1908, Saidi Kurdi foretold that Europe would become an Islamic nation. He wrote that his followers should take with pleasure the advantages of Europe - like technology and industry - that would assist them in their progress toward their goal and in the development of their civilization. However, he admonished them that they should forbid the sins and evils of Western civilization from entering the boundaries of their freedom and their culture...
Believing that the most effective tool to defeat the enemy is to shoot the enemy with his own weapon, Muslims see the enemy’s weapon as democracy, rule of law, and particularly freedom of expression. Technology and higher education are also to be appropriated to use against infidels. In their home countries, most Islamists cannot exercise freedom of expression, but in the West they seize the benefits of democracy to spread Islam. Ironically, the airplane hijackers lived in the United States under the rule of law as ordinary members of the community until they executed their plan to crash the planes into the buildings and kill so many occupants. By this strategy of assessing the most advantageous tools of the Western world, Islamic organizations with a mission to revive an international Islamic state take hold of every means of achieving their goal, especially the benefits of the enemy’s society. Academic freedom, freedom of assembly, sophisticated technology, as well as values of tolerance, equal access, and freedom of speech have permitted Islam to become the most rapidly growing religion in both the United States and Europe.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Saidi Kurdi recognized that through their own technology Europeans could be conquered. His early writings predict this conquest.
also a comment from the Belmont Club here
"They said they didn't want to kill me."
Exactly, Skeletal Dave! Muslims have a POLICY called "taqiyyah" which involves consciously and deliberately dissembling and lying to the enemy, to non-Muslims, therefore to YOU.
You can argue that THOSE PEOPLE, THERE may not have been actively seeking your death, or else you'd be dead, but that doesn't eliminate such a desire for your death in the macro-picture.
I can't really argue that one. If I call Abdullah and ask him if "Taqiyyah" means he can lie to me, and he says no, he could still be lying to me.
originaly published here
Since September 11, the word Islam has become familiar words around the world. Some Muslims see this phenomenon as an open door for spreading Islam globally. Some even interpret this tragedy as fortuitous because they say Allah will bring good news out of bad news. Others argue that in the future Islam and the message of the Qur’an would have prevailed in any case. Also, some Muslims go further to provide what they perceive as clear proof that this victory will occur...
Because Islam
holds that everything happens for a reason, some Islamists interpret the World Trade Center attack as a means of spreading Islam. In this view the event advanced the early twentieth century prophecy of the Bediuzzamans [holy man]...
In 1908, Saidi Kurdi foretold that Europe would become an Islamic nation. He wrote that his followers should take with pleasure the advantages of Europe - like technology and industry - that would assist them in their progress toward their goal and in the development of their civilization. However, he admonished them that they should forbid the sins and evils of Western civilization from entering the boundaries of their freedom and their culture...
Believing that the most effective tool to defeat the enemy is to shoot the enemy with his own weapon, Muslims see the enemy’s weapon as democracy, rule of law, and particularly freedom of expression. Technology and higher education are also to be appropriated to use against infidels. In their home countries, most Islamists cannot exercise freedom of expression, but in the West they seize the benefits of democracy to spread Islam. Ironically, the airplane hijackers lived in the United States under the rule of law as ordinary members of the community until they executed their plan to crash the planes into the buildings and kill so many occupants. By this strategy of assessing the most advantageous tools of the Western world, Islamic organizations with a mission to revive an international Islamic state take hold of every means of achieving their goal, especially the benefits of the enemy’s society. Academic freedom, freedom of assembly, sophisticated technology, as well as values of tolerance, equal access, and freedom of speech have permitted Islam to become the most rapidly growing religion in both the United States and Europe.
At the turn of the twentieth century, Saidi Kurdi recognized that through their own technology Europeans could be conquered. His early writings predict this conquest.
also a comment from the Belmont Club here
"They said they didn't want to kill me."
Exactly, Skeletal Dave! Muslims have a POLICY called "taqiyyah" which involves consciously and deliberately dissembling and lying to the enemy, to non-Muslims, therefore to YOU.
You can argue that THOSE PEOPLE, THERE may not have been actively seeking your death, or else you'd be dead, but that doesn't eliminate such a desire for your death in the macro-picture.
I can't really argue that one. If I call Abdullah and ask him if "Taqiyyah" means he can lie to me, and he says no, he could still be lying to me.
Awrite treacle?
Indroducing you all to Gloria who is off to work with the Massai in Nairobi and will be blogging about her journeys on Treacles Travels here.
TERRORISTS. FREEDOM FIGHTERS.
“But they are legislating besides Allah which is totally Haram!”
I had pointed out in conversation with Abdullah the comments on MPACUK which suggested that he and the guy he argued with on Sky TV had both only managed to “Disgrace Islam in front of the Kaffirs.”
I said that although I had nothing to do with Islam I wondered if the man had a point.
Why am I writing these words? Why on earth have I found myself taking about Kaffirs and arguing with Republicans? Why was Finsbury park mosque like a terrorist casting show? Are any of these people real? Looking at the front page of the Standard last night I wondered to myself in a stoned haze whether Hamza, all of them, are spies working for the government. I had a waking dream of Hamza with his dark glasses and hook standing looking at me from a distance. For a fleeting irrational moment I thought Abu Hamza, David Blunkett and Nick Griffin were all robots put amongst our species to herd us through fear.
I had called Abdullah earlier and he appeared to be threatening a “fatwah”, an attack on the Muslims who spoke against Hamza. At points like that I wonder if I should call the Police, but assume they are listening anyway. Barry Norman told me once that Abdullah had threatened to kill him in the mosque but he hadn't taken him seriously. I was relieved when he called back after his prayer time in a calmer mood.
“I know they all desperately want you to be the next Abu Hamza.”
“Well you've seen the Evening Standard. I'm on page 4.”
I had bought all the papers but hadn't looked at them yet. I saw that the standard said "100 Hamzas still out there" or something. Later I saw Abdullah as he said, on page 4 pictured next to some Muslims I have never met who had gone on TV justifying 7/7. If Abdullah ever said anything justifying 7/7 I would be extremely pissed off. I recorded his views on the subject days after the event.
“You don't understand. All this time I am trying to educate you and you don't accept Islam.”
“Look. You have to understand. It doesn't matter from my perspective if a Muslim believes in democracy or not. I don't vote. At the moment I am anti-democracy. If it gave me any choice i would be for it. I stood at the trial out of respect for the jury for giving up their time, not any "man-made law". I've read MPACUK. They are not pro-war. They believe that they can achieve the same results you are after by engaging with democracy. A lot the Republicans I speak to think this is probably true here as Muslims are breeding faster than the rest of us.”
“A bottle of Alcohol is Haram. A sip of alcohol is Haram. Man made law is forbidden for a Muslim. You may not believe me, but whether you accept it or not, all of these TV people give you knock backs yet you stay with this. There is a reason why.”
“Because I am interested in the people who don't justify bombing in this country yet have a different view of Mr. Hamza to the accepted mainstream view. This is what I want to film. My biggest obstacle is your friends. You isolate yourselves. Except for yourself, Hajj and Jamal, everyone else looks at me like I am some sort of Kaffir. I want peace between your culture and my culture. When I started all of this I wasn't even concentrating on Hamza. I started trying to make a film about you because for whatever reason I found you easier to talk to.”
“You shouldn't be offended by the word kaffir. It just means someone who hasn't seen the light.”
“I'm not offended. In Pakistan I stayed with a tribe who used to control an area called Kaffiristan. I don't mind being called a Kaffir. I am a Kaffir.”
Abdullah talks in long rants battering my phone credit, saying things I mostly agree with. Its hard to get a word in edgeways. Thinking about it, he probably thinks the same about me.
“These are my brothers and sisters! I read your site, you don't care, you smoke and drink and live your life. You value a life over here more than a life over there like everyone else.”
“ Why do you say I don't care? That is not true. I may have a different lifestyle but I don't want innocents to be killed anywhere. I wrote on my blog that when I stoped the week after 7/7 I was remembering Muslims killed in Iraq as well as the 52 innocents killed here. You know, I don't want to advise you or anything. I'm just trying to make an objective film, but if you want these results and you speak in an angry voice blurring or being grey about what is a Jew and what is a Zionist you are doing your cause a disservice and so is Mr. Hamza.”
“It says in the Koran. The Jews are cursed because they rejected Jesus. That is why Mohamed came as the final messenger. If I preach now that a Muslim should aid his brothers and fight back in Palestine I am breaking the law, but any Jew can go to Israel, put on a uniform, kill my brothers and sisters and come back.”
I couldn't really argue with the last part. This was one of the most distressing things I realised during the court case. Even knives and blank firing guns at found at the mosque could still point to Muslims training to fight Russians in Chechnya as easily as the right wing papers suggest it points to terrorism over here. Obviously that is what I would like to be true. No one I have met at Finsbury park justified 7/7.
“That is true, and the British people know what a freedom fighter is, but the way you present yourself the British people will not realise that is what you are about. Look. I believe you don't want to kill me. I believe none of you hate Jewish people as a race. All I am saying is try not to loose your temper, and try and remember you are talking to people who are not Muslims.”
I think we came to the end of our conversation with a good understanding of each other.
I just want to push things forward in Londonistan. Peace between Islam and the West. Oil wealth for the people, the end of dictatorships. Things like that. Complete world peace. Arms down. Jesus, Mohamed, all of them. Clean slate you know?
Things like that.
For me personally I'd like to include an option to disgrace my beliefs in public but there you are..
I had pointed out in conversation with Abdullah the comments on MPACUK which suggested that he and the guy he argued with on Sky TV had both only managed to “Disgrace Islam in front of the Kaffirs.”
I said that although I had nothing to do with Islam I wondered if the man had a point.
Why am I writing these words? Why on earth have I found myself taking about Kaffirs and arguing with Republicans? Why was Finsbury park mosque like a terrorist casting show? Are any of these people real? Looking at the front page of the Standard last night I wondered to myself in a stoned haze whether Hamza, all of them, are spies working for the government. I had a waking dream of Hamza with his dark glasses and hook standing looking at me from a distance. For a fleeting irrational moment I thought Abu Hamza, David Blunkett and Nick Griffin were all robots put amongst our species to herd us through fear.
I had called Abdullah earlier and he appeared to be threatening a “fatwah”, an attack on the Muslims who spoke against Hamza. At points like that I wonder if I should call the Police, but assume they are listening anyway. Barry Norman told me once that Abdullah had threatened to kill him in the mosque but he hadn't taken him seriously. I was relieved when he called back after his prayer time in a calmer mood.
“I know they all desperately want you to be the next Abu Hamza.”
“Well you've seen the Evening Standard. I'm on page 4.”
I had bought all the papers but hadn't looked at them yet. I saw that the standard said "100 Hamzas still out there" or something. Later I saw Abdullah as he said, on page 4 pictured next to some Muslims I have never met who had gone on TV justifying 7/7. If Abdullah ever said anything justifying 7/7 I would be extremely pissed off. I recorded his views on the subject days after the event.
“You don't understand. All this time I am trying to educate you and you don't accept Islam.”
“Look. You have to understand. It doesn't matter from my perspective if a Muslim believes in democracy or not. I don't vote. At the moment I am anti-democracy. If it gave me any choice i would be for it. I stood at the trial out of respect for the jury for giving up their time, not any "man-made law". I've read MPACUK. They are not pro-war. They believe that they can achieve the same results you are after by engaging with democracy. A lot the Republicans I speak to think this is probably true here as Muslims are breeding faster than the rest of us.”
“A bottle of Alcohol is Haram. A sip of alcohol is Haram. Man made law is forbidden for a Muslim. You may not believe me, but whether you accept it or not, all of these TV people give you knock backs yet you stay with this. There is a reason why.”
“Because I am interested in the people who don't justify bombing in this country yet have a different view of Mr. Hamza to the accepted mainstream view. This is what I want to film. My biggest obstacle is your friends. You isolate yourselves. Except for yourself, Hajj and Jamal, everyone else looks at me like I am some sort of Kaffir. I want peace between your culture and my culture. When I started all of this I wasn't even concentrating on Hamza. I started trying to make a film about you because for whatever reason I found you easier to talk to.”
“You shouldn't be offended by the word kaffir. It just means someone who hasn't seen the light.”
“I'm not offended. In Pakistan I stayed with a tribe who used to control an area called Kaffiristan. I don't mind being called a Kaffir. I am a Kaffir.”
Abdullah talks in long rants battering my phone credit, saying things I mostly agree with. Its hard to get a word in edgeways. Thinking about it, he probably thinks the same about me.
“These are my brothers and sisters! I read your site, you don't care, you smoke and drink and live your life. You value a life over here more than a life over there like everyone else.”
“ Why do you say I don't care? That is not true. I may have a different lifestyle but I don't want innocents to be killed anywhere. I wrote on my blog that when I stoped the week after 7/7 I was remembering Muslims killed in Iraq as well as the 52 innocents killed here. You know, I don't want to advise you or anything. I'm just trying to make an objective film, but if you want these results and you speak in an angry voice blurring or being grey about what is a Jew and what is a Zionist you are doing your cause a disservice and so is Mr. Hamza.”
“It says in the Koran. The Jews are cursed because they rejected Jesus. That is why Mohamed came as the final messenger. If I preach now that a Muslim should aid his brothers and fight back in Palestine I am breaking the law, but any Jew can go to Israel, put on a uniform, kill my brothers and sisters and come back.”
I couldn't really argue with the last part. This was one of the most distressing things I realised during the court case. Even knives and blank firing guns at found at the mosque could still point to Muslims training to fight Russians in Chechnya as easily as the right wing papers suggest it points to terrorism over here. Obviously that is what I would like to be true. No one I have met at Finsbury park justified 7/7.
“That is true, and the British people know what a freedom fighter is, but the way you present yourself the British people will not realise that is what you are about. Look. I believe you don't want to kill me. I believe none of you hate Jewish people as a race. All I am saying is try not to loose your temper, and try and remember you are talking to people who are not Muslims.”
I think we came to the end of our conversation with a good understanding of each other.
I just want to push things forward in Londonistan. Peace between Islam and the West. Oil wealth for the people, the end of dictatorships. Things like that. Complete world peace. Arms down. Jesus, Mohamed, all of them. Clean slate you know?
Things like that.
For me personally I'd like to include an option to disgrace my beliefs in public but there you are..
February 08, 2006
Bloggers worm pie
OK OK I checked my tapes for the 7/7 bombers a long time ago..
Why oh why do I fucking do this? What did I ever hope to achieve? Stuck between Muslims who don't want to talk to me or don't think I understand because I'm a kaffir and media outlets...you know, I was just interested in the tiny group of people with a diferent opinion about Hamza than the one all over the News. I thought as no one else was doing it I'd give it a go. I thought it would be interesting to film these people. Its that simple and that horendously complicated.
I'm going to eat some worms, then I'm going to try and forget about all this for an evening.
Meanwhile, wonder of all wonders here is an Islamic site which is not scared to touch this issue. I've quoted MPACUK before. They seem to be pro-democracy though a comenter here once accused them of anti-semetism. I just called Abdullah and I think he was raging about having an argument with one of these guys on Sky news live... hang on... here's an interesting comment:
MPAC has at last joined the league of organisations actively engaged in fracturing this Ummah on the basis of their claim to represent the majority of the Muslims as claimed by its spokesperson on the Skynews today. Mr Bukhari, what Islamic interest do you think you were serving when you engaged the brother- Abu Abdullah- in the debate. The skynews journalist tactfully steered the two of you into engaging in dog fight under the pretext of making comments on Abu Hamza. You both ended up calling each othe Kaffirs, and the atmosphere was entirely changed for the two of you from a newroom to a courtroom. ALas, the two of you, and in fact the Abu Hamza himself are pathetic individuals that are simply playing into the hands of your common enemies- that is just how stupid you are. Abu Hamza may have been sentenced today, if you guys do not back off from the same people that led him to his prison room, remember that you already may have been enlisted. A word is enough for the wise.
and another:
SKY then got a close friend of Hamza to debate with someone from the Muslim Council (some banana organization) about the sentence and they just started a slanging match about who was a true Muslim... I could see all the the editors rubbing their hands and slapping their backs at the stupidity of these two people. Why demonise Islam when you can let Muslims do it themselves. I felt ashamed....
and this is interesting:
Abu Hamza says what he means, like it or hate it.
Two:The BNP are a bigger threat. They're winning elections and encouraging others to play the race card. Abu Hamza represents a fringe group within a minority. Despite efforts to prove that he's behind 7/7, we've yet to see proof he's more than rhetoric and spin.
Lastly, the media are obsessed with "the Hook". If newspapers gave fuehrer Nick that much publicity everyone would think the 4th Reich was coming soon.
The first statement is sort of what I think from seeing Hamza. If he was anti-semetic he would fucking say so. As some forgotten person said on TV last night, he is no "shrinking violet".
Anyway another:
Shame on you mapc.
After everything that has happened over these last few days what we didn’t need was any gloating over abu hamza’s conviction. Your participation in it, MPACUK (and of all channels on sky!) was a very bad call. I do not agree with all that hamza says but ive actually listened to him and in his unedited form much of what he says is ok (the delay in prosecution, verdicts and the framing of the counts in the indictment support that). I speak as someone who does not ascribe to any individual or group,. I have supported you in the past and done so proudly but this act of yours disgusted me. Most know nothing of the details of the trial, the defence evidence that was deemed inadmissible or pertinent evidence deemed irrelevant. Do you know that a RABBI & VICAR came as defence witnesses!
This last one explains, I hope to Non-Muslims why Muslims often don't speak out against other Muslims in front of the "kaffir". It seems to be one of the biggest sins.
WHYDONTYOUJUST SHUTTHEFUCKUPDICKHEAD?
"I call upon the governments around the world to stick their fucking oar in as much as possible to stir trouble for political capital."
Who gives a shit if you call on nations? Who are you?
I call upon all nations to make peace with each other and live in harmony.
There. I feel a bit better now.
Who gives a shit if you call on nations? Who are you?
I call upon all nations to make peace with each other and live in harmony.
There. I feel a bit better now.
Missing blogs
February 07, 2006
GUILTY?
Jon Snows snowmail
The DPP is interesting on the issue of whether he got a fair trail,
whether he will be extradited and just how villainous he is.
There's no doubting the odious nature of the utterances captured on
video tape, but I must also confess a very slight concern about the extend
to which he and his hook may have been demonised . My editor tells me
that it's a typical wet liberal view (not for the first time). And
actually damn me twelve good men and women true have banged him to rights. So be it.
also More4News video:
We speak with a man who's known Abu Hamza for years about what he makes of the radical cleric's seven year sentence for soliciting to murder, amongst other things.
Mohamed Ali, chief executive of the Islam channel and acquaintance of Abu Hamza joined us in the studio.
The DPP is interesting on the issue of whether he got a fair trail,
whether he will be extradited and just how villainous he is.
There's no doubting the odious nature of the utterances captured on
video tape, but I must also confess a very slight concern about the extend
to which he and his hook may have been demonised . My editor tells me
that it's a typical wet liberal view (not for the first time). And
actually damn me twelve good men and women true have banged him to rights. So be it.
also More4News video:
We speak with a man who's known Abu Hamza for years about what he makes of the radical cleric's seven year sentence for soliciting to murder, amongst other things.
Mohamed Ali, chief executive of the Islam channel and acquaintance of Abu Hamza joined us in the studio.
ABU HAMZA FOUND GUILTY
I'm going to leave this cryptic because I've been asked to but THERE IS SOMETHING BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS ALL THE MEDIA IS MISSING....No really. ANY journalist who did ANY real research into this would see it STARING THEM IN THE FUCKING FACE. Boooooolocks to them.
Times Online, BBCNews, Reuters
You could actually see a bit of my face in the BBC piece which disturbed me a bit, but the presenter was talking over the question I was asking Mr. Hamza so thats OK.
I'm not really suprised about the verdict as the jury were not allowed to see anything Hamza had said at the time or since which refuted all of this. As I said before, looking at them I thought they would convict on the evidence they saw, the media assault and the current political climate.
Hamza's only defence were his words in court and "context". I was a bit suprised that they convicted on the Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad after Mr. Seale's testimony, but there you are.
On the ITV News I saw a guy calling himself Abu Jihad say that the "Black Flag of Islam" would be over Downing Street one day. I sat eating lunch with this guy on the steps of St. Pauls the other day. He had missed most of the trial because he was in Turkey. I asked him if the Police had questioned him a lot over the years. He only spoke of one occasion when a group of them were on their way to the airport to go for Hajj in Mecca.
Channel 4 news
Notice in studio discussion Azzam Tamimi doesn't condemn Mr. Hamza outright...
This is a curious interview I missed which Johann Hari (who is gay) did with Hamza years ago.
also do check out Newsnight when the program comes online in a minute
And - at a time when the vast majority of British Muslims are uneasy that their peaceful religious beliefs are often drowned out by the noisiest and most extreme minority within their community - how long will it be before another "Abu Hamza" takes his place?
THE MEDIA drown out the peaceful majority because peaceful Muslims don't make news do they? Notice they ARE DESPERATE for someone to take Hamza's place.
Here is an interesting Times article comparing the Hamza and Griffin cases.
Times Online, BBCNews, Reuters
You could actually see a bit of my face in the BBC piece which disturbed me a bit, but the presenter was talking over the question I was asking Mr. Hamza so thats OK.
I'm not really suprised about the verdict as the jury were not allowed to see anything Hamza had said at the time or since which refuted all of this. As I said before, looking at them I thought they would convict on the evidence they saw, the media assault and the current political climate.
Hamza's only defence were his words in court and "context". I was a bit suprised that they convicted on the Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad after Mr. Seale's testimony, but there you are.
On the ITV News I saw a guy calling himself Abu Jihad say that the "Black Flag of Islam" would be over Downing Street one day. I sat eating lunch with this guy on the steps of St. Pauls the other day. He had missed most of the trial because he was in Turkey. I asked him if the Police had questioned him a lot over the years. He only spoke of one occasion when a group of them were on their way to the airport to go for Hajj in Mecca.
Channel 4 news
Notice in studio discussion Azzam Tamimi doesn't condemn Mr. Hamza outright...
This is a curious interview I missed which Johann Hari (who is gay) did with Hamza years ago.
also do check out Newsnight when the program comes online in a minute
And - at a time when the vast majority of British Muslims are uneasy that their peaceful religious beliefs are often drowned out by the noisiest and most extreme minority within their community - how long will it be before another "Abu Hamza" takes his place?
THE MEDIA drown out the peaceful majority because peaceful Muslims don't make news do they? Notice they ARE DESPERATE for someone to take Hamza's place.
Here is an interesting Times article comparing the Hamza and Griffin cases.
I spy with my little eye
message from Abu Abdullah: relating to this post and this one
yes mr bones that the one (Paula Newton) shes trying to frame me as a spie . she said that im working for the cia & mi6. where the hell she got her information from is beyound me these people stop at nothing in telling lies so thay can make a name for themselves. this is why we dont trust the media. they sould change their name from media to bushmeya. phone me when you can
yes mr bones that the one (Paula Newton) shes trying to frame me as a spie . she said that im working for the cia & mi6. where the hell she got her information from is beyound me these people stop at nothing in telling lies so thay can make a name for themselves. this is why we dont trust the media. they sould change their name from media to bushmeya. phone me when you can
February 03, 2006
Quite right too. Well done Jamie Oliver. He maybe a Tory boy but he did the right thing. Spectacular.
I've just been trying to look up gambling odds on America attacking Iran.
I found this from this
so if I bet a tenner on September how much do I win? And what would the odds on the opportunity to enjoy my winnings be?
Rightwingnuthouse is getting right into it of course...
While most experts believe that the Iranians will eventually have 50,000 centrifuges housed in the FEP at Natanz, the best estimate is that they currently only have 1000 – 1500 on hand, hence the long lead time between getting the enrichment plant up and running and converting enough U-235 to build a workable bomb. At full capacity, the plant should be able to enrich enough uranium to make 25-30 bombs a year.
I found this from this
so if I bet a tenner on September how much do I win? And what would the odds on the opportunity to enjoy my winnings be?
Rightwingnuthouse is getting right into it of course...
While most experts believe that the Iranians will eventually have 50,000 centrifuges housed in the FEP at Natanz, the best estimate is that they currently only have 1000 – 1500 on hand, hence the long lead time between getting the enrichment plant up and running and converting enough U-235 to build a workable bomb. At full capacity, the plant should be able to enrich enough uranium to make 25-30 bombs a year.
via terrorism news:
We would be happy to work under the Irish model...
The West has nothing to fear from Hamas. We're not going to force people to do anything. We will not impose Sharia. Hamas is contained. Hamas deals only with the Israeli occupation. We are not Al Qaeda.
I tried to bring "the Irish model" into the fray when the TV News brought US acusations of terrorism to Abu Hamza in Preachers of Hate. Didn't really work. Nice try though.
We would be happy to work under the Irish model...
The West has nothing to fear from Hamas. We're not going to force people to do anything. We will not impose Sharia. Hamas is contained. Hamas deals only with the Israeli occupation. We are not Al Qaeda.
I tried to bring "the Irish model" into the fray when the TV News brought US acusations of terrorism to Abu Hamza in Preachers of Hate. Didn't really work. Nice try though.
ONE EYED
What is it with the one eye thing? There's Nick Griffin, Abu Hamza, Mullah Omar, also -
an Algerian militant named Mokhtar Belmokhtar, "The One-Eyed." ...(who) for years had run a transnational smuggling and banditry operation from the deserts of northern Mali. The U.S. military believed that after 9-11 Mokhtar was recruiting and arming religious radicals in the area; it wanted to attack his camps. The State Department argued that the intelligence on Mokhtar was not conclusive, and the American embassy in Mali insisted that an air strike on Mokhtar would "radicalize people you don't want to radicalize," according to a U.S. government official in the Sahel.
I thought "radicalizing people you don't want to radicalize," was official US policy now no?
also an interesting piece in the Asian Age:
In London at the Old Bailey, the trial has begun of one Abu Hamza Al Masri. He is accused of inciting other people to murder on racial and religious grounds. In the Crown Court in Leeds, the leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin, faces charges of inciting people to racial hatred.
Both these characters are notorious...
In both cases I feel that the Crown will fail to convince a jury that the "incitement" did anything more than express an insulting opinion.
Liberal democracies can't afford in today's world to create a crime of political heresy. Insult to religion and to the feelings of groups of people ought to be incorporated, albeit with accompanying debate and protest, as part of the dialectic of freedom.
if you look at the original you'll see I've been very selective in quotation...
an Algerian militant named Mokhtar Belmokhtar, "The One-Eyed." ...(who) for years had run a transnational smuggling and banditry operation from the deserts of northern Mali. The U.S. military believed that after 9-11 Mokhtar was recruiting and arming religious radicals in the area; it wanted to attack his camps. The State Department argued that the intelligence on Mokhtar was not conclusive, and the American embassy in Mali insisted that an air strike on Mokhtar would "radicalize people you don't want to radicalize," according to a U.S. government official in the Sahel.
I thought "radicalizing people you don't want to radicalize," was official US policy now no?
also an interesting piece in the Asian Age:
In London at the Old Bailey, the trial has begun of one Abu Hamza Al Masri. He is accused of inciting other people to murder on racial and religious grounds. In the Crown Court in Leeds, the leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin, faces charges of inciting people to racial hatred.
Both these characters are notorious...
In both cases I feel that the Crown will fail to convince a jury that the "incitement" did anything more than express an insulting opinion.
Liberal democracies can't afford in today's world to create a crime of political heresy. Insult to religion and to the feelings of groups of people ought to be incorporated, albeit with accompanying debate and protest, as part of the dialectic of freedom.
if you look at the original you'll see I've been very selective in quotation...
February 02, 2006
OK the "one eyed BNP sheik" has beaten his "incitement to religious hatred" rap on two counts, with a retrial scheduled for the other two. In the case of the "other one eyed sheik" the jury have asked for a fucking dictionary- and they've been turned down! The Independent seem to have captured the mood of the moment with Nick Griffin as an example of freedom of speech, juxtaposed with a picute of Palestinian gunman outside protesting "journalistic freedom" extending to a derogatory cartoon depiction of Mohamed across Europe.
also Hamza Judges laptop stolen
and here is a good BBC piece about Fitz's summing up for the defence
alsoHook's Big Ben Bomb Book
also Hamza Judges laptop stolen
and here is a good BBC piece about Fitz's summing up for the defence
alsoHook's Big Ben Bomb Book
February 01, 2006
TAIKONAUT! HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD, PART ONE
A one-woman show written and performed by Anna Chen
Directed by Jonathan Man
"I looked from pig to man and from man to pig,and already it was impossible to tell who'd look better in a bacon sandwich."
A stranded taikonaut (Chinese for astronaut) contemplates looming planetary destruction and the twists of fate which brought her from England to a decaying orbit as she works out how to get back home - if home still exists.
One of a new generation of political plays, Taikonaut is a black horror comedy exploring how love of power still trumps the power of love, and how the dream of a better world slips further away the closer you get.
This cautionary tale follows Anna Chen's acclaimed comic debut, Suzy Wrong - Human Cannon, in which she took a shotgun and a scalpel to the stereotypes of Chinese women. She now does politics and gives us a snapshot of the British Chinese experience in the 21st century.
FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCES BAC FEBRUARY 2006
Two Scratch Nights
BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
8pm Saturday 18th and 6pm Sunday 19th February 2006
(Saturday performance is followed by a Q&A session)
An opportunity to see the show in its early stages before it hits the theatre and festival circuit
Tickets: �5, �3 concessions
BAC box office: 020 7223 2223
BAC ticket booking website
www.annachen.co.uk
Included as part of the Mayor of London's China in London season 2006
Directed by Jonathan Man
"I looked from pig to man and from man to pig,and already it was impossible to tell who'd look better in a bacon sandwich."
A stranded taikonaut (Chinese for astronaut) contemplates looming planetary destruction and the twists of fate which brought her from England to a decaying orbit as she works out how to get back home - if home still exists.
One of a new generation of political plays, Taikonaut is a black horror comedy exploring how love of power still trumps the power of love, and how the dream of a better world slips further away the closer you get.
This cautionary tale follows Anna Chen's acclaimed comic debut, Suzy Wrong - Human Cannon, in which she took a shotgun and a scalpel to the stereotypes of Chinese women. She now does politics and gives us a snapshot of the British Chinese experience in the 21st century.
FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCES BAC FEBRUARY 2006
Two Scratch Nights
BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
8pm Saturday 18th and 6pm Sunday 19th February 2006
(Saturday performance is followed by a Q&A session)
An opportunity to see the show in its early stages before it hits the theatre and festival circuit
Tickets: �5, �3 concessions
BAC box office: 020 7223 2223
BAC ticket booking website
www.annachen.co.uk
Included as part of the Mayor of London's China in London season 2006
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