Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Islamo-fascism Awareness Week

This week is being called "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" on some hundred college campuses. Led by David Horowitz, it is garnering an impressive amount of attention (hundreds of articles on Google News.)

Many are offended by the term itself. Christopher Hitchens defends it in Slate; the Huffington Post responds.

I am not thrilled with the term - it is great for publicizing events like these but it has the potential to obscure more than it illuminates; my preference would be "Political Islam" as it points out that the dangers of Islamism are not so much religious as political, and attacking a political movement is far different from attacking a religion. Alas, it isn't as catchy.

Some notable articles about this week include:

- Zombie's photo essay of Nonie Darwish's speech at Berkeley and the protests around it.
- Darwish's own speech and comments about the atmosphere there.
- The Daily Pennsylvanian on how it turned into "Terrorism Awareness Week" at Penn. Hmmmm.
- Robert Spencer on the entire topic.
- A Columbia U op-ed pointing out that the same people who were for Ahmadinejad speaking are against anti-Islamist speakers
- FrontPage's roundup of Day One.

Amnesty Int'l blasts Fatah, Hamas

From al-Guardian:

Amnesty International has slammed the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and the rival Fatah group for serious human rights abuses in the recent factional fighting in Gaza and the West Bank.
Hamas is accused in a report published today of "increasingly resorting" to arbitrary detention and torture since its forces took control of the Gaza Strip in June. In the West Bank Fatah security personnel are accused of detaining, abducting and abusing hundreds of Hamas supporters, with help from Israel.
The Palestinian president and chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is the leader of Fatah and a key partner for Israel, the US and the west. Hamas has been boycotted as a terrorist organisation which refuses to renounce violence, recognise Israel or accept peace agreements.
"The leaders of both the PA and Hamas must take immediate steps to break the cycle of impunity that continues to fuel abuses, including arbitrary detentions, abductions, torture and ill-treatment by their forces," said Malcolm Smart, AI's Middle East director. "The ongoing factional struggle between Fatah and Hamas is having a dire effect on the lives of Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip ... exacerbating the human rights and humanitarian crisis caused by Israeli military campaigns and blockades."
Amnesty's report catalogues the infighting that culminated last June when Hamas seized control of PA security institutions in Gaza. Both sides "displayed a flagrant disregard for the safety of the civilian population by launching indiscriminate attacks and reckless gun battles in residential neighbourhoods," it says.
Lawlessness and impunity were already the norms before 350 people were killed. Both sides mounted attacks in and around hospitals and targeted patients in their beds. Fatah activists were thrown from tall buildings.
Amnesty has issued reports critical of Israeli practices in the occupied territories, and says it is anxious to demonstrate that it is not ignoring abuses committed by the Palestinians. "The international community must hold all Palestinian parties accountable to the same human rights standards," said Mr Smart.

The last paragraph is most interesting. It shows that the criticism of Amnesty as being one-sided about alleged Israeli human rights violations has stung, and Mr. Smart is pretty much admitting that it is true.

Of course, Amnesty cannot resist blaming Israel for some of the abuses mentioned above. And clearly Amnesty does not use the same yardstick when criticizing Fatah and Hamas because of the sheer number of reports that target Israel, whose alleged abuses pale in comparison to the daily murder and torture that Palestinian Arabs do to each other. Even so, this proves that shining a light on the absurdly biased condemnations that Israel has suffered, not only by NGOs but also at the UN, can cause enough discomfort to prod these organizations to take a deeper look at how Israel's sworn enemies act.

For an example on how bias still pervades Amnesty, do a search on "Qassam rockets" or "Sderot." Every mention of Palestinian Arab rocket attacks is "in context" of Israeli attacks against terrorists; there are no articles dedicated only to PalArab abuses. But there are plenty that mention only Israeli abuses, with perhaps a passing reference to Israeli "claims" that their attacks against terrorists are in response to rocket or terror attacks.

Still, it is a step in the right direction. As of this writing, the report is not yet on the Amnesty site.

Palestinian Arabs freak over Sarkozy's statements

French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday made some statements that have the Palestinian Arabs up in arms:

"Each side should have its own nation-state," he said, according to Israeli officials who were present at the two leaders' meeting. "It is not reasonable for the Palestinians to demand both an independent state and also the refugees' return to the state of Israel, which even today has a minority of one million Arabs."

Sarkozy, who hosted Olmert at the Elysee Palace, expressed strong support for Israel, describing its establishment as "a miracle" and "the most significant event of the 20th century."

"They say that I support Israel because my grandfather was Jewish, but this isn't a personal matter," he continued, according to the Israeli sources. "Israel introduces diversity and democracy to the Middle East. It's a miracle that out of the remnants of the ... scattered Jewish people, such a state has arisen."

"Israel's security is a clear red line, which is not up for negotiation," he added. "That is an inviolable condition, which we will never concede."

Naturally, the Palestinian Arab reaction to the idea that Israel has a right to exist was fast and furious.

IMEMC sniffs in its "news" article about the statements:

In a highly-partisan speech, Sarkozy branded the creation of Israel as a "miracle," arguing that the state "introduces Democracy and diversity to the Middle East," a statement ignoring Israel's record of human rights violations, the fact that the apparently democratic Israel currently refuses to negotiate with a democratically-elected Hamas government, and the associated fact of Israel's continued policy of collective punishment against residents of both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Nicloas Sarkoy, the 23rd President of the French Republic, was elected to the position on May 6, 2007 on a right-wing ticket. While he is well-know for his uncompromising and controversial views on law and order and immigration, he is most famous for attending a press conference while apparently drunk.

Do you get the impression that this "reporter" isn't happy?

The PA's own refugee committee demanded an apology for those hurtful words.

Expect to see much more vitriol as Arab editorialists scramble to write pieces on how Jews must be banished from the West Bank while Arabs must be allowed to move where ever they want.

The Bidoon

Palestinian Arabs aren't the only ones who are treated like dirt by the Arab world. There is also a large population known as Bidoon, short for Bidun jinsiya which means "without nationality" in Arabic. Most are Arab.

There are between 110,000 and 120,000 stateless Bidoon in Kuwait. Many have lived in Kuwait their entire lives, but Kuwait reserves full citizenship rights for those who established residence in the country prior to 1920. In some cases, residence prior to 1920 was not sufficient for acquisition of nationality...

The Bidoon in Kuwait are not allowed to work or to receive welfare services. Security ID had been taken from the majority of them leaving them no access to public health care. They are banned from travel. Bidoon children may be denied birth certificates needed to attend school.

(In Saudi Arabia), stateless Bidoon are not given passports.

The UAE also has a population of a roughly estimated 100,000 stateless Bidoon. Despite the fact many of these individuals were born in the U.E., they are not considered to be citizens.

Bahrain, to its credit, did naturalize most of their 15,000 Bidoon in 2001.

The only possible reason we don't hear about the Bidoon is because they haven't embarked on any terror campaigns against Western targets. If they would try to fight for their rights in the lands that they came from they'd be destroyed without anyone really caring - a couple of hundred thousand Arabs being killed by other Arabs is hardly newsworthy. There are no UN committees that condemn Kuwait or the UAE for their "apartheid" against fellow Arabs, no outraged editorials pretending to care about these Arabs' civil rights, no international campaigns for allowing basic human rights to these Arabs. And of course there are no UN refugee camps for these people providing free food and education.

Because the oppressors are Arab, which means that the victims don't really matter.

Egyptian Koran for kids tells them to fight Jews and Christians

MEMRI quotes from an Egyptian article that uncovers a children's Koran that incites against Jews and Christians - and it was approved by Al-Azhar University:

The article stated: "This Koran commentary, intended for children, includes erroneous ideas which incite against the followers of the [other] monotheistic religions. For instance, the interpretation of the Al-Fatiha Sura [the first Sura of the Koran], states that [the expression] 'those who earn Thine [i.e., Allah's] anger' refers to the Jews, and [the expression] 'those who go astray' refers to the Christians. [2] This [rendering] contradicts the tenets and the tolerant character of the Islamic faith.
"We wished to find out who was behind these inciting interpretations, especially since they are intended for children and teach them notions of hatred and extremism. It should be noted that the Muslim scholar Gamal Al-Bana was the first to call attention to this book, in his critical article about various Koran commentaries which contradict the principles of shari'a... [3]
"We discovered that the book was first published 10 years ago by Dar Al-Sahaba Lil-Turat in Tanta, and was edited by Sheikh Magdi Fathi Al-Sayyed. Since then, there have been five more editions, and the book has been translated into several languages, including Indonesian, Malaysian, and Turkish. The question arises: How could the [Al-Azhar] Academy of Islamic Research allow the publication of such ideas? After all, [one of its] duties is to monitor [publications] that misrepresent Islam and disparage the [other] monotheistic religions. Considering [the Academy's] involvement in cultural conflicts, and its persecution of anyone who has innovative ideas in areas of thought, culture and philosophy, its [scholars] ought to revert to their original role.
"The hidden poison [of extremism] has seeped into the pages of this book, which was approved [for publication] by the Al-Azhar Academy of Islamic Research... [after being] examined by four of its scholars. [One of the authors] of the introduction is the president of Egypt's Koranic schools, and a hadith expert at Al-Azhar University, Dr. Ahmad 'Issa Al-Ma'sarawi..."

Deliberate Inculcation of Extremist Ideas
The article continued: "Overall, the book is characterized by incitement to extremism and by extremist interpretations that do not reflect the true meaning of the verses... [For example,] the book divests Islam of its most fundamental principle - [the principle of] peace - and even incites against this [notion] in its interpretation of the [following] verses: 'Forgive them, and overlook [their misdeeds], for Allah loveth those who are kind [5:13]'; 'And if the enemy inclines towards peace, then incline towards it and trust in Allah, for He is all-hearing and all-knowing [8:61].' [The book states that] these verses are abrogated by the 'Verse of the Sword,' which descended later, and which says: 'Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the Latter Day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book [i.e. among the Christians and Jews], until they pay the jizya [the Islamic poll tax on non-Muslims] and they are in a state of subjection [9:29].' [According to the book], peace and reconciliation agreements [with Christians and Jews] have been forbidden since this verse was revealed.
"In its interpretation of this verse, [the book] says: 'Allah commands the believers to fight all the infidels who do not believe in Allah and in the Latter Day [i.e. in the Day of Judgment], who do not follow His instructions regarding what is allowed and prohibited, and who do not believe in the true faith, which is Islam - i.e. the Jews and the Christians'...
"One of the most appalling parts of the book is a section quoting several verses from the Al-Maida Sura ['The Table Spread'], which the book labels as 'proof of the heresy of the Christians.' The ideas planted [by this section] in the children's minds are like a time bomb that will lead to civil war, since the children learn by heart [verses that indoctrinate them] to accuse the Copts of heresy. This is totally inexplicable, and also contradicts [the spirit of] the Egyptian constitution...
"In its interpretation of verse [9:41] - 'Go forth light and heavy, and strive hard in Allah's way with your property and your persons; this is better for you, if you know' - the book says: 'Allah the Almighty told the believers - both young and old - to set out and fight for the sake of Allah.
"In explaining verse [9:66] - 'O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end' - the book says: 'Allah commanded the believers to wage jihad against the infidels by [fighting them] with the sword, and to wage jihad against the hypocrites by imposing upon them the punishments and constraints mandated for those who violate the commands of Islam..."
The article further stated: "The expected consequence of this [book] is that, in future, thousands of young children will be willing to blow themselves up [in terrorist operations] against [non-Muslims]. This is the danger [that this book represents]. [The book's aim] is not to interpret verses, but to deliberately instill children with ideas that incite [to extremism]. This is evident from its deliberate ignoring of other verses... that reflect the true [face of] Islam, which does not discriminate among the followers of the monotheistic religions but [calls for] brotherhood among them..."

Notice, of course, that the author of the article proves Islam's peacefulness by showing that 'true' Islam doesn't call for the destruction of Christians and Jews, but only for their subjugation ("until they pay the jizya [the Islamic poll tax on non-Muslims] and they are in a state of subjection.") So while the author is to be commended for showing this incitement in this edition of the Koran, he also shows Islam's bigotry at the same time.
(h/t Yid with Lid)

Palestinian security forces arrest a supporter of Hamas at a protest demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in the West Bank city of Hebron, Monday, Oct. 22,2007.

A Palestinian security force officer points his rifle towards supporters of Hamas, not seen, at a protest demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in the West Bank city of Hebron, Monday, Oct 22,2007.

Do you think these are police-issue ski masks?

WaPo on Palestinian Arab economy since the Intifada

Some choice quotes from this article in the Washington Post:

According to the World Bank, the Palestinian gross domestic product per capita has shrunk 30 percent -- to $1,129 -- since the uprising began. Unemployment and poverty rates have spiked across the territories, especially during the 16-month international embargo that followed Hamas's election victory.
By contrast, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Israel's per-capita GDP is $31,767, nearly double what it was on the eve of the Palestinian uprising.

It appears that the intifada hurt Palestinian Arabs far, far more than it hurt Israel. Just like in 1947, an attempt to hurt Israel economically (in this case, with terror) backfired badly, hurting the people it was supposedly meant to help. Israel adjusted to the situation to the point that tourism is now back at pre-intifada levels and the Palestinian Arabs, who cheered every bus bomb, are left with nothing.

Even so, rather than see the writing on the wall, they look at the facts exactly backwards:

The Israeli government says the steps it has taken help ensure Israel's security in the absence of a peace deal. But Palestinian officials argue that the impoverishing effects of the economic separation spawn unrest in the territories and increase the potential for attacks inside Israel.

Somehow, they didn't need that incentive back in 2000, when they decided to attack Israel while they still had jobs and money and a future. For some reason they managed to attack random Jews anyway.

On the eve of the uprising, 136,000 Palestinians, or nearly a quarter of the labor force, worked inside Israel or in Israeli-owned enterprises in the territories. ...Today, 47,400 Palestinians from the West Bank, or less than 9 percent of the workforce, have such permits.

Less than 5 percent of Israel's exports are sold in the Palestinian territories. By contrast, roughly 90 percent of Palestinian exports are sold inside Israel.

Half of the Palestinians with Israeli work permits are employed by Israeli-owned enterprises in the occupied territories.

According to these numbers, some 22,000 Palestinian Arabs are now employed by Israelis in the territories. The hated settlers are now responsible for a very large portion of the Palestinian Arab economy!

Just as Gaza suffered huge unemployment when Israel left (well before the Hamas takeover,) the ordinary Palestinian Arabs would suffer huge economic losses should Israel do the same from the West Bank.

The record over the pas century is clear - when Palestinian Arabs work together with Zionists, they prosper. When they choose terror instead, or they force a separation, they are the ones that suffer most. The settlements are not an impediment to real peace - they actually help the Palestinian Arabs who want to support their families in dignity.

Once again, the Palestinian Arab people themselves pay the price for their leaders' shortsightedness and arrogant pride.

Another example of Iranian human rights

From the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty:

The Farsi Christian News Network reports that an Iranian Christian couple were flogged after being declared "Mortad", or apostates. The couple, a woman from an Assyrian-Iranian family and a man who had converted to Christianity, were denied a Christian marriage ceremony due to the rules governing the marriage of ex-Muslims, and thus married in accordance with Islamic law. However, the courts consider marriage by Islamic law equivalent to re-conversion, and when the couple were later found at a Christian prayer meeting, they were denounced as apostates. In September, agents of the Revolutionary Court visited the couple at their home to execute the sentence of flogging. The full article can be found here; please be warned that it contains graphic photos.

I imagine that if they decided not to get married to avoid the appearance of converting to Islam, they'd be flogged for living in sin. Either way, if you are an ex-Muslim in Iran, you are screwed.

PalArabs doing what they do best

Over the weekend we've seen more snapshots of what a Palestinian Arab state would look like, as the death count continues to rise. It cannot possibly be because of the culture of death, or because generations have been raised glorifying violence and martyrdom. Nope, ultimately, it must be because of Israel, somehow. Maybe because of the cigarette shortage.

The latest additions to the hit parade:

An Islamic Jihad member was killed Sunday night by Hamas.
A man died from injuries inflicted by Hamas in September.
A six year old boy was kidnapped for ransom in the West Bank.
A second man in two days was found, tortured and shot, in Gaza. (Here are pictures of the first one, who looks like Hamas gouged his eye out.)
A 18-year old girl was abducted by Hamas.

The 2007 PalArab self-death count is now at 556.

UPDATE: Another body found of a 29-year old man east of Qalqiya. 557.
UPDATE 2: That body was a woman's body.
UPDATE 3: Hamas announced the death Wednesday of a fighter on a "mission," probably in a tunnel collapse. 558.

From YNet:

Iranian police have decided to crack down on "inappropriate behavior of couples in public", the semi-official FARS new agency reported Sunday.

"If someone walks in the street with his partner and commits an offense, we will deal with it," Ahmad Ruzbahani, chief of the morality police, was quoted as saying.

Iranian law forbids women to be seen in public with men who are not family members. However, not all Iranians comply, and many meet their significant others in public parks.

Now police have decided to put an end to the growing phenomenon and forbid couples to hold hands in public. Ruzbahani said married couples were also called upon to "act modestly" in public.

"They should not act in an inappropriate manner or in a way that will attract attention," he said.

Other police officials said kissing in public was also strictly forbidden.

Last week it was reported that a young woman committed suicide after being arrested for a "moral offense". Zuhara Bani, a 27-year-old med student, was caught in a public park with her boyfriend.

She was taken to a detention facility, where she hung herself 48 hours later with a piece of cloth she had found.

Which means, of course, that she was in jail for over 48 hours for her "crime."

Interestingly, a Google News search for Zuhara Bani comes up empty before today.

UPDATE: Ruth points out that Iranian blogger Kamangir has been following the story - the girl was a medical student, she spoke with her parents and seemed OK right before her "suicide," and her boyfriend was going to be released, possibly because he had connections.

MEMRI translates an article about her as well.

But still nothing in the English-language MSM before today.

Don't cry for Khaled Salman Hamdan

Here's an interesting item, that from what I could tell was not reported in any news media whatsoever:

A child was killed and 3 others injured by the Police in Sheja’eya Quarter yesterday evening. The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that at about 16:00 on Saturday (20 October 2007), a group of youth in Mansour Street in Sheja’eya attacked a policeman and beat him. A police force arrived and fired indiscriminately, killing Khaled Salman Hamdan (8) by a bullet to the chest as he was walking with his mother to a wedding in the area. Three others were injured, including one child who was critically injured.

Hamas "police" firing indiscriminately, killing an eight year old?

One would expect that this would make world headlines. It is, after all, symbolic of Hamas' reckless endangerment of human life, and their culpability for his death is far worse that the hoax of Mohammed Al-Dura. But there will be no intrafada in defense of Hamdan, no world headlines screaming for revenge, no Reuters pictures of his funeral, no apologies to come from Hamas. This is expected behavior, a dog-bites-man story, and if it wasn't for the Palestine Center for Human Rights (which is shamefully biased itself) no one would have ever heard of Khaled Salman Hamdan.

Don't cry for Khaled, because the Arab world and their supposed supporters sure aren't.

The PalArab self-death count for the year is now at 553, including 40 children.

Moderate Fatah would-be assassins against Olmert get two months in jail

From YNet:

A group of gunmen affiliated with Fatah attempted to hit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's convoy as it made its way from Jerusalem to Jericho for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on August 6, Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin told the cabinet ministers Sunday morning.

Israel learned of the plan from intelligence information received several days before the visit. The attack was eventually thwarted by the Shin Bet and the Palestinian Intelligence Service headed by Tawfik Tirawi.

Following the incident, the Palestinians arrested three suspects, who were later released, according to Israeli officials. Two other cell members are being held in Israel.

On Sunday, Israel filed an official complaint with the Palestinian Authority following the suspects' release.

Israeli security sources expressed their anger over the release, which took place "after these terrorists' involvement in the foiled attack was made clear."

The cell included five members who were involved in terror attacks and previous failed attacks in the West Bank. The information was disclosed to the PA, which arrested three of the cell members. The other two were detained by the IDF and the Shin Bet.

Israeli officials claimed Sunday that the PA released the three suspects, whom Israel claims are members of the Palestinian security organizations, on September 26. The three, Ynet was told, admitted to the plot before they were released.

You have to understand that this is a cultural thing - attempted murder in the PA is as serious as graffiti. How dare Israel impose its obscene Western standards on the peaceful Palestinian Arabs!

Another rare photo of a "non-violent" protest

Palestinian Arab terror apologists consistently refer to the weekly protests at Bilin as "non-violent" and they characterize Israeli actions against them at the protest as being completely unprovoked.

Reuters, for once, actually took a photo at last Friday's protests:

Palestinian demonstrators throw stones at Israeli troops during a protest against Israel's controversial barrier near the West Bank village of Bilin October 19, 2007. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (WEST BANK)

Notice how Reuters refers to using a sling, which is a deadly weapon by any definition, as "throwing stones."

Related story here.

Another PalArab kid killed by PalArabs

This time by Hamas.

From Ma'an:

A Palestinian man and a child were killed on Saturday when armed confrontations erupted between the Palestinian Hillis family and Hamas' Qassam Brigades in the eastern Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses reported that thirteen-year-old Palestinian boy Muhammad Al-Susi was killed after receiving a bullet to his head. Al-Susi's brother was also injured during the clashes.

Sources from within the Hillis family announced that Muhammad Hillis was killed and several other family members were injured.

Director of Ambulances and Emergencies in the Palestinian Ministry of Health Dr Muawiya Hassanein confirmed that several people were injured and were transferred to Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Our 2007 PalArab self-death count is now at 548.

UPDATE: A 50-something man's body was found, stabbed and tortured, in Khan Younis. 549.

A woman was killed in Hamas/Islamic Jihad fighting in Rafah - 550.

UPDATE 2: A third person was killed in Saturday's clashes. 551.
A man was killed Sunday in Islamic Jihad/Hamas fighting. 552.

Why the Gazans died

The clashes yesterday between the Hillis family and Hamas yesterday, that left at least 4 dead (I counted five and I think one is brain dead accounting for the discrepancy) was at least for a very good reason, according to the family:

They said the reason for the fighting was that one family member had bought a car from the national security service a year before the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and Hamas were trying to seize the car from its new owner by force.

Once again proving that Palestinian Arab lives really are cheap, by their own standards.

More on the cheapness that Arabs hold of Arab life here and here.