Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Opposing radical Islamist terrorism is a moral duty
Terrorism will only cease to be a threat when extremist ideology is marginalised.
Meanwhile, some are now arguing that terrorism should be accepted as a normal hazard of modern life, like traffic accidents. Others draw false comparisons between terrorist acts and the rampages of mentally ill gunmen tragically endemic in the US. These sentiments fail to acknowledge the unique characteristics and goals of terrorism. Terror attacks are perpetrated by immoral ideologues, not the mentally ill. This is true whether the terrorist is acting alone or as an operative in an organised network.Daniel Pipes: Lessons from the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist List
As the instigator for terrorism, radical Islamism is not the only global actor, but it is a major player, and to deny this is to deny reality.
A terror attack is intended to send a message that civilians are not safe in public places. The fear that is created by terrorism is leveraged by the indiscriminate nature of the attacks. More than an atrocity, it is an assault on the social contract underpinning society. Moreover, successful terrorist attacks tend to encourage others and touch off a savage game of one-upmanship in a drive to capture global media attention.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's list of "Ten Most Wanted" fugitives dates back to 1950 but the list of "Most Wanted Terrorists" dates back to just after 9/11 and a sense that terrorism had become a strategic threat. Today, the list includes 31 individuals, all of them male and with a single exception (Daniel Andreas San Diego, an animal rights extremist), all of them Muslim:Brendan O'Neill: The 10 stupidest Islamic terrorists
The atrocious Boston marathon bombing was a reminder of the hurt and sorrow that can be caused by Islamic terrorists. It was also a reminder of how fantastically stupid and inept such terrorists can be. Who are the stupidest Islamic terrorists of all?Saudis said to have warned US of Boston bombing
Saudi Arabia in 2012 sent the United States a written warning naming alleged Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a security threat, a British newspaper reported on Wednesday.Bolton: US Should Resign from 'Clown Convention' at UN
Bolton said that simply firing Falk, who was appointed in 2008 to a six-year term as U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Palestinian territories, wouldn’t solve the problem.Max Brenner exposes the haters to the light
“I’m all in favor of firing him sooner rather than later. But here’s the sad news: He will be replaced with somebody else and it won’t make a bit of difference,” Bolton said. “I think the culture at the United Nations is such that merely firing one guy will not change anything.”
Bolton said the problem is that the entire U.N. human rights mechanism is fundamentally directed against Israel, adding that more resolutions are passed dealing with Israeli human rights violations than “the rest of the world combined.”
There was a pleasingly vigorous response to recent BDS supported activity to boycott a new Max Brenner chocolate shop at UNSW. Julia Gilard was very clear in her condemnation – as reported in the AustralianIsrael ads perverted in battle for public opinion in Ireland
“Julia Gillard has denounced the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement ahead of anti-Israeli protest action planned at the University of NSW today.
The Prime Minister said yesterday through a spokeswoman that the government had always been firm in its opposition of the BDS movement, which equates Israel with apartheid-era South Africa.
An advertising campaign in the Irish city of Cork urging people to visit Israel was defaced almost immediately on its unveiling by anti-Israeli activists. The ad campaign, which featured colourful images of Israeli society with the slogan “Visit Israel,” was overwritten with the slogan “Boycott Israel” and other messages critical of Israeli policy. The vandalism was clearly well organized and photos of the defacement were posted on the Internet and the Facebook page of the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign.UN Watch: Tweets for Terror: Mona Seif, Nominee for 2013 Martin Ennals Human Rights Award
UN Watch today called on the jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, comprised of Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and eight other NGOs, and chaired by Hans Thoolen, to cancel its nomination of Mona Seif, an Egyptian activist who openly advocates terrorism and war crimes, as a top contender for the 2013 prize. She openly incites to violence against civilians, terrorism and war crimes:Anti-Semite and war criminal Dr. Erik Fosse awarded commandership of the Order of St. Olav
This is the same Dr. Fosse who allowed armed combatants to take refuge at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza in the Cast Lead operation in December 2008/January 2009. At no point did he protest how the same combatants put the lives of the patients in his care in further damage, but also tolerated that acts of terror and war crimes were planned and executed from this compound.Pope Francis Accepts Peres’s Invitation to Visit Israel
Israeli President Shimon Peres formally invited Pope Francis to visit Israel during a meeting between the two leaders at the Vatican.Old Spice Ad Man Finds Hit in Israel With Maccabee Beer Commercial (VIDEO)
Pope Francis accepted the invitation “with willingness and joy,” a Vatican spokesman said, Reuters reported.
Isaiah Mustafa, recognizable as The Man Your Man Could Smell Like in Old Spice deodorant ads, is also making a name for himself pitching beer in Israel.Regina Spektor coming Israel’s way
Acclaimed alternative folk singer, who can list the Obamas among her fans, to perform in AugustFrom Iraq to Israel, for life saving heart surgery
Three Iraqi children have arrived in Israel for life-saving heart surgery and were received by representatives of the Ministry for Regional Cooperation and members of Save a Child’s Heart charity.
Although Iraq is defined as an ‘enemy state’ to Israel, the Knesset approved the entry of the three children and their mothers on humanitarian grounds.
