I'm reading this the same as everyone else:
Radical cleric European human rights claim rejected
and
SCOTLAND YARD PROBES ABU HAMZA HATE BROADCAST
Apparently Mr Hamza got a message out through Hani al-Sibai. This was one of the guys who turned up in the public gallery at Hamza's trial. I had no idea who he was till I saw him on TV much later.
..
February 09, 2011
February 05, 2011
Camerons Muscular Plan
...Speaking to a security conference in the German city of Munich, Mr Cameron said that the threat of terrorism must be confronted not only though intelligence and surveillance, but by taking on the ideology of Islamist extremism at home.
"Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism," the Prime Minister said.
While a "passively tolerant" society allowed its citizens to do what they like, so long as they do not break the law, a genuinely liberal country "believes in certain values and actively promotes them," Mr Cameron said.
"Freedom of speech. Freedom of worship. Democracy. The rule of law. Equal rights, regardless of race, sex or sexuality. It says to its citizens: This is what defines us as a society. To belong here is to believe these things.
"Each of us in our own countries must be unambiguous and hard-nosed about this defence of our liberty."
The Prime Minister stressed that right-wing extremists and Christian fundamentalist preachers of hate must also be condemned.
He also insisted that a clear distinction must be made between the religion of Islam and the political ideology of Islamist extremism...
..
"Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism," the Prime Minister said.
While a "passively tolerant" society allowed its citizens to do what they like, so long as they do not break the law, a genuinely liberal country "believes in certain values and actively promotes them," Mr Cameron said.
"Freedom of speech. Freedom of worship. Democracy. The rule of law. Equal rights, regardless of race, sex or sexuality. It says to its citizens: This is what defines us as a society. To belong here is to believe these things.
"Each of us in our own countries must be unambiguous and hard-nosed about this defence of our liberty."
The Prime Minister stressed that right-wing extremists and Christian fundamentalist preachers of hate must also be condemned.
He also insisted that a clear distinction must be made between the religion of Islam and the political ideology of Islamist extremism...
..
February 04, 2011
COME ON EGYPT
Not been bloggin of late, been engrossed in making music. Al Jazeera is on in the background rooting for Egypt. Its been quite amazing how Al J is really coming into its own through this and twice as amusing that the whole of the US is suddenly watching it.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/158183/washingtons-sudden-embrace-al-jazeera-wont-erase-past-us-crimes-against-network
Not in the tea leaf reading business so no predictions.
Also in the news, it seems from Wikileaks that the US govt started in Finsbury where I left off
AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6191INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITYRUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0479RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
Nothing new or particularly secret really, they should sort their filing system out though.
..
http://www.thenation.com/blog/158183/washingtons-sudden-embrace-al-jazeera-wont-erase-past-us-crimes-against-network
Not in the tea leaf reading business so no predictions.
Also in the news, it seems from Wikileaks that the US govt started in Finsbury where I left off
AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6191INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITYRUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0479RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
Nothing new or particularly secret really, they should sort their filing system out though.
..
January 26, 2011
January 12, 2011
These stories usually turn out to be bullshit....
Sky sources reveal that jailed radical cleric Abu Hamza has been involved in a 'violent' incident with prison officers at a high security jail. Hamza was allegedly left "bloodied and bruised" after the altercation...
...Family members said the Egyptian-born cleric told them he was assaulted by up to 10 prison officers during the incident. However sources have told Sky there was no violence involved, but that Hamza had to be restrained by officers...
...Hamza's family claim he's suffered repeated racial abuse by both inmates and staff and has requested to be placed in solitary confinement.
last I heard he has always been in solitary in a "prison within a prison" as Musa described it.
..
...Family members said the Egyptian-born cleric told them he was assaulted by up to 10 prison officers during the incident. However sources have told Sky there was no violence involved, but that Hamza had to be restrained by officers...
...Hamza's family claim he's suffered repeated racial abuse by both inmates and staff and has requested to be placed in solitary confinement.
last I heard he has always been in solitary in a "prison within a prison" as Musa described it.
..
December 29, 2010
QUILLIAM SHRINKING
Demos blog
...reducing government funding makes some sense in respect of the review of the Prevent strand of counter-terrorism. With less money to go around, Prevent needs to be more focused on public safety – working primarily to target individuals who have adopted al-Qaeda ideology but have not acted on it. The Quilliam Foundation finds it difficult to access these people, and even more difficult when receiving government money...
UPDATE: new comment freshly laid by a curious "MUSA"
Im soooooo glad the quilliam foundation are almost finished. They was no good n the begining and no good at the end. InshaAllah nooooooooooooo one funds them.
could that be Musa Ahmet rejecting them for a second time? 3 part video of us discussing the launch of Quilliam here. And a press TV report from the launch. They since phoned Musa to see if he could be of any use but he decided against joining up with them. As I have said before, I have no opinion. There always seemed to be confusion about the point of Quilliam. Certainly nothing we saw at the launch seemed geared towards those at risk of turning to extremism. What is a "think tank" in terms of anti-extremism?
(update: Musa's comment is now missing for some reason)
Harry's Place has a perspective:
...In many important ways, Quilliam has won the battle. There is now a broader understanding of the work of Islamist political parties active in the United Kingdom...
There is? What for? And how much did that cost again?
More think tanking or thinking tank from Quilliam- How to Respond to Al-Qaeda ?
...In 2003, the Metropolitan Police evicted Abu Hamza and his followers from the mosque, installing individuals from the Muslim Association of Britain, an Islamist group with links to the Muslim Brotherhood, in their place...
err... oh forget it.
..
...reducing government funding makes some sense in respect of the review of the Prevent strand of counter-terrorism. With less money to go around, Prevent needs to be more focused on public safety – working primarily to target individuals who have adopted al-Qaeda ideology but have not acted on it. The Quilliam Foundation finds it difficult to access these people, and even more difficult when receiving government money...
UPDATE: new comment freshly laid by a curious "MUSA"
Im soooooo glad the quilliam foundation are almost finished. They was no good n the begining and no good at the end. InshaAllah nooooooooooooo one funds them.
could that be Musa Ahmet rejecting them for a second time? 3 part video of us discussing the launch of Quilliam here. And a press TV report from the launch. They since phoned Musa to see if he could be of any use but he decided against joining up with them. As I have said before, I have no opinion. There always seemed to be confusion about the point of Quilliam. Certainly nothing we saw at the launch seemed geared towards those at risk of turning to extremism. What is a "think tank" in terms of anti-extremism?
(update: Musa's comment is now missing for some reason)
Harry's Place has a perspective:
...In many important ways, Quilliam has won the battle. There is now a broader understanding of the work of Islamist political parties active in the United Kingdom...
There is? What for? And how much did that cost again?
More think tanking or thinking tank from Quilliam- How to Respond to Al-Qaeda ?
...In 2003, the Metropolitan Police evicted Abu Hamza and his followers from the mosque, installing individuals from the Muslim Association of Britain, an Islamist group with links to the Muslim Brotherhood, in their place...
err... oh forget it.
..
December 23, 2010
XMAS IS EVIL!
Via Pickled Politics, check out Xmas is Evil here.
In the church I grew up in our pastor used to preach a lot of what Mr Choudhary et al are saying. The same sermon every year- That people had forgotten the real meaning of Christmas. They had taken the "Christ" out of Christmas and now use it as an excuse for, well a lot of the evils mentioned here.
It was only much later that I found out that it was actually Christians who stole the yuletide festivity for their own, and the real meaning of the whole thing was to have a big blow out on the shortest day of the year and hope that what you had left would last you till something grew out of the ground again!
I feel very lucky to be alive now, in the UK. I hope we all enjoy our good fortune over this festive period and find ways to share it beyond these borders in the New Year.
..
In the church I grew up in our pastor used to preach a lot of what Mr Choudhary et al are saying. The same sermon every year- That people had forgotten the real meaning of Christmas. They had taken the "Christ" out of Christmas and now use it as an excuse for, well a lot of the evils mentioned here.
It was only much later that I found out that it was actually Christians who stole the yuletide festivity for their own, and the real meaning of the whole thing was to have a big blow out on the shortest day of the year and hope that what you had left would last you till something grew out of the ground again!
I feel very lucky to be alive now, in the UK. I hope we all enjoy our good fortune over this festive period and find ways to share it beyond these borders in the New Year.
..
December 17, 2010
DEAD
Another ominous story, another trawl through forty hours of tapes? As usual this guy looks familiar.Abdaly spent much of the past decade in Britain and appears to have been radicalised there..
I am glad I decided not to pursue journalism after all. I don't like any of this. Any news connected to this is not going to be good news.
Some of it is interesting news though. Remember Mahmoud Abu Rideh? Held up as an example of misused control orders? (Guardian also).. Said in one interview Bin Laden was a "decent man"? Allegedly killed in Afghanistan fighting alongside the Taliban.
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December 14, 2010
JODY
The debate about what has been happening to Jody McIntyre and this subsequent Ben Brown interview is very interesting. I must admit I am siding with Jody about the F.I.T. squad -not surprisingly but I am siding with this geezer in The Telegraph about the interview.
As a representative of the BBC the guy had to robustly interview Jody. It helps Jody. Put it this way- what would the right wing press be saying about the BBC if he didn't? For Jody to be able to answer questions like this on TV helps his case, should he choose to pursue one.
Obviously I have seen the enthusiasm of the F.I.T. squad before, its not been a secret here that they know who I am and ask silly questions because they think they are leaning on me for something which is DEFINITELY in their own heads. They also do this to people known to be violent. Jody says he believes in revolution. the F.I.T squad should ask him what he means by this. I am sure they will get all the information they need without pulling him out of his wheel chair and dragging him across the street. Or they could read his blog.
They aren't very good at distinguishing actual threats from those they or their bosses perceive are they. Leaning on someone with cerebral palsy like this they have no fucking excuse whatsoever. The anti terror squad asked questions politely and calmly. Mind you that is probably because I am a honky. The F.I.T squad are a bit thick and exceed their remit. They behave like demented paparazzi. Pushing it too far and being caught on camera should be good for them. I hope they learn something for once. Jody can answer, and the way he answers is a lesson to all of us. Tomlinson couldn't.
Personally I have seen a valiant attempt from the Beeb, in a BBC manner of course- to pursue issues of Police brutality and issues of disorder involved in these protests. Maybe I am getting old or something. I have noticed white bits in my beard.
I hope this generation achieve change, and aren't distracted by policemen with these attitudes like so many of my generation were.
Jody's version of events is here
Richard Littlejohn here
Some curiously extensive stuff from The Daily Mail. Including an image of just how frontline Jody was.
...More than 180 people have been arrested by police investigating rioting during the series of protests against rising student tuition fees, it emerged today.
Senior officers said the vast majority of the 182 suspects were aged between 17 and 25 and have never been involved in violence or criminal acts before...
also breakfast news
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December 13, 2010
I read it in The Sun (who owe me money)
JAILED terror fanatic Abu Hamza will today ask to be freed claiming he is "too sick" to remain behind bars.
The hook-handed rabble-rouser's lawyers will produce a doctor's report claiming his stumps have become infected while in jail.
Other medical problems include diabetes, high blood pressure and a skin condition...
..
The hook-handed rabble-rouser's lawyers will produce a doctor's report claiming his stumps have become infected while in jail.
Other medical problems include diabetes, high blood pressure and a skin condition...
..
December 08, 2010
Have a read of this..
The path into terrorism in the name of Islam is often described as a process of radicalisation. But to be radical is not necessarily to be violent. Violent radicals are clearly enemies of liberal democracies, but non-violent radicals might sometimes be powerful allies.
This report is a summary of two years of research examining the difference between violent and non-violent radicals in Europe and Canada. It represents a step towards a more nuanced understanding of behaviour across radicalised individuals, the appeal of the al-Qaeda narrative, and the role of governments and communities in responding.
will have a read and get back to you..
..
This report is a summary of two years of research examining the difference between violent and non-violent radicals in Europe and Canada. It represents a step towards a more nuanced understanding of behaviour across radicalised individuals, the appeal of the al-Qaeda narrative, and the role of governments and communities in responding.
will have a read and get back to you..
..
December 04, 2010
KATHY
My old Republican buddy Kathy on Wikileaks:
This post might be the most rebellious of all the posts I've written. Maybe because it came about from a discussion with my oldest son, who in his younger years was known to rebel.
My son's take on Julian Assange is that it doesn't matter who he is, why he is doing this, or his past. What matters is that our leaders are doing things that are wrong, maybe illegal, and exposing them is not a bad thing. He doesn't buy the argument that it puts our soldiers lives in danger. He says that is what they always say, but when has a soldier died because we discovered things like this? He also asked why the administration didn't work with Assange to redact the possible dangerous information? Assange agreed to do that, but they refused. They didn't want any of it published. Which is understandable, but when you know it's going to happen anyway, wouldn't you do what you can to limit the danger to our troops? Also, my son seems to think the media is focusing way too much on Assange and his personal life. Why don't they focus more on what the cables say about how our government and other governments operate?
All good questions that got me to thinking...
..
This post might be the most rebellious of all the posts I've written. Maybe because it came about from a discussion with my oldest son, who in his younger years was known to rebel.
My son's take on Julian Assange is that it doesn't matter who he is, why he is doing this, or his past. What matters is that our leaders are doing things that are wrong, maybe illegal, and exposing them is not a bad thing. He doesn't buy the argument that it puts our soldiers lives in danger. He says that is what they always say, but when has a soldier died because we discovered things like this? He also asked why the administration didn't work with Assange to redact the possible dangerous information? Assange agreed to do that, but they refused. They didn't want any of it published. Which is understandable, but when you know it's going to happen anyway, wouldn't you do what you can to limit the danger to our troops? Also, my son seems to think the media is focusing way too much on Assange and his personal life. Why don't they focus more on what the cables say about how our government and other governments operate?
All good questions that got me to thinking...
..
December 03, 2010
Tell it like it is...
Really Sobering Dispatches doco. Tells you what it is like living in a place where there is a terrorist attack every four days or so. This doco follows the Police and the surviving victims and their relatives.
Also- I have never seen it before, but the third series of The Family is excellent. A real lesson for me in documentary story telling.
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Also- I have never seen it before, but the third series of The Family is excellent. A real lesson for me in documentary story telling.
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November 30, 2010
Expectations on youth
I was expecting an article like this:
Is entrapping low-level wannabe jihadists with elaborate FBI sting operations the best way of handling domestic radicals?
I don't know is my answer..
..
Is entrapping low-level wannabe jihadists with elaborate FBI sting operations the best way of handling domestic radicals?
I don't know is my answer..
..
November 29, 2010
November 25, 2010
November 22, 2010
And More Starting..
An occasional reader and long time enemy of Mohammed Hamid (or Osama Bin London) from Speakers Corner sent me a mail directing me to Al Qaeda's online magazine in english called "Inspire". Don't worry, I'm not going to post a link.
It is definitely directed at the young with whom I think it would be scarily popular. It doesn't actually contain bomb making instructions, not the issue I saw anyway but it does suggest its readers commit acts of terrorism in the west. It suggests killing pedestrians at random with a 4X4 with "butcher blades" attached to it is the righteous work of Allah. It also gives detailed instructions for web encryption. It can't have taken that long to put together, it must be a bitch to track if someone managed to send it to me.
..
It is definitely directed at the young with whom I think it would be scarily popular. It doesn't actually contain bomb making instructions, not the issue I saw anyway but it does suggest its readers commit acts of terrorism in the west. It suggests killing pedestrians at random with a 4X4 with "butcher blades" attached to it is the righteous work of Allah. It also gives detailed instructions for web encryption. It can't have taken that long to put together, it must be a bitch to track if someone managed to send it to me.
..
November 21, 2010
STOPPING part2
Well that's it then, The Impossible is over... or is it?
We were playing boring music. No one was dancing. I think dragging ourselves around abandoned warehouses improvising wasn't exactly inspiring us to make more music and the sequenced trance we started making sounded old before its time for some reason. Its a shame we never recorded the guitar/bass/drums live thing we started out with properly. Maybe London is the wrong place for jam bands. I have heard that Melbourne in Australia and Austin Texas are good.
Anyway endings and beginnings propelled me out into the countryside for a think which was good. I went to an event called Green drinks at The Green Dragon pub in Bungay where a guy called Simon Weeks gave a fascinating talk about the process he has gone through getting a small scale wind farm going. For more of this read Sustainable Bungay here also Cookpole Energy Action here.
It was very interesting for me as a Londoner hearing first hand about the much publicised NIMBY opposition to wind-farms, in an area which used to be well known for windmills. It seemed incredibly obvious to me that someone should start rebuilding classic windmills with updated internal technology. Even if they are less efficient it seems to me that two windmills which become a tourist attraction to the area might be better that one which is being stopped by a small amount of people complaining it is an eyesore.
Back to the music, getting all my equipment home made me realise that I have got a hell of a home studio set up I am itching to get into. Casting wide for inspiration I came across this, which is apparently classed as techno.
[hth001] Riino & Lorisloser - Stop (Original Mix) by Heaven to Hell Records
I have only made one track with this pulsing bass, but I quite like it, and you don't need a bass player to do it eh. I am wondering if I could put some sonic youth style guitaring and some live percussion together around this style of live set. It annoys me that music is so segregated these days, as although I like this, I can't see "minimal" as a genre on its own. I am sure djs used to let music expand and contract and progress over time like breathing. Maybe I am getting old.
hmmmm. Some more pondering is required.
..
We were playing boring music. No one was dancing. I think dragging ourselves around abandoned warehouses improvising wasn't exactly inspiring us to make more music and the sequenced trance we started making sounded old before its time for some reason. Its a shame we never recorded the guitar/bass/drums live thing we started out with properly. Maybe London is the wrong place for jam bands. I have heard that Melbourne in Australia and Austin Texas are good.
Anyway endings and beginnings propelled me out into the countryside for a think which was good. I went to an event called Green drinks at The Green Dragon pub in Bungay where a guy called Simon Weeks gave a fascinating talk about the process he has gone through getting a small scale wind farm going. For more of this read Sustainable Bungay here also Cookpole Energy Action here.
It was very interesting for me as a Londoner hearing first hand about the much publicised NIMBY opposition to wind-farms, in an area which used to be well known for windmills. It seemed incredibly obvious to me that someone should start rebuilding classic windmills with updated internal technology. Even if they are less efficient it seems to me that two windmills which become a tourist attraction to the area might be better that one which is being stopped by a small amount of people complaining it is an eyesore.
Back to the music, getting all my equipment home made me realise that I have got a hell of a home studio set up I am itching to get into. Casting wide for inspiration I came across this, which is apparently classed as techno.
[hth001] Riino & Lorisloser - Stop (Original Mix) by Heaven to Hell Records
I have only made one track with this pulsing bass, but I quite like it, and you don't need a bass player to do it eh. I am wondering if I could put some sonic youth style guitaring and some live percussion together around this style of live set. It annoys me that music is so segregated these days, as although I like this, I can't see "minimal" as a genre on its own. I am sure djs used to let music expand and contract and progress over time like breathing. Maybe I am getting old.
hmmmm. Some more pondering is required.
..
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