World Threats

Imam Zaid Shakir, a co-founder of Zaytuna, America’s first Islamic college, said that the 1983 suicide bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon by Hezbollah, killing 241 U.S. and 58 French soldiers, was not an act of terrorism in a lecture at Northwestern University in Chicago.

The comment was made in an undated lecture posted on YouTube titled,“Jihad: A Just Struggle or Unjust Violence?” It is not known when the lecture was given but clips from it first appeared in 2009.

Shakir defined terrorism as “random violence directed against a civilian population to affect a political outcome.” He cited the Israeli bombing of Beirut in 1982 as acts of terrorism and Hezbollah’s bombing of the Marine barracks as a military operation.

“Hezbollah’s bombing of the Marine barracks in 1984 is viewed as one of the greatest acts of terrorism directed against Americans until the Oklahoma City [bombing] in history, but if we step back, who was targeted? Civilians? No, military personnel in a military installation in a war zone,” Shakir is seen saying at about 17 minutes into the video.

“It’s interesting go ask a question, if Hezbollah owned a bomber, which they don’t, and flew overhead and bombed the barracks, would it be described as an act of terrorism?” he asks.

Shakir said that jihad can mean a general struggle to do something good for Islam or a just war to protect Muslims.

Click here to read the rest of my article at RadicalIslam.org.

On September 26, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi spoke at the United Nations and laid out the foreign policy agenda of, as he called it, “the New Egypt.” As expected, the speech was free of the incendiary rhetoric that would peel away the Brotherhood’s carefully-crafted “moderate” image, but the same old Islamist themes were present.

He opened his speech with praise “for the brotherly State of Qatar,” the supposed U.S. ally that is acting as the bank account for Islamists across the region trying to steer the direction of the Arab Spring. It is also home to Al-Jazeera and Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi, the top Brotherhood cleric who isn’t quite as shy about expressing his extremism and support for suicide bombings.

The overall theme was one of Egypt acting more aggressively to shape international events. “I cannot omit to reiterate here today Egypt’s commitment to working with its Arab brothers and sisters to reclaim our rightful position in the world,” he said.

The most important goal, Morsi said, is to establish an independent Palestine with Jerusalem. It was predictable but think about what he didn’t say. He didn’t call for a permanent, two-state solution because the Brotherhood’s vision of a “free Palestine” requires the destruction of Israel. He didn’t call for an end to violence against Israelis or a recognition of Israel’s right to exist.

Click here for the rest of my analysis at RadicalIslam.org.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is nothing if he not consistent. He believes that the 12th Imam of Islam, the Mahdi, will return with Jesus to convert the world to the Muslim faith. He has built a highway to a well in Iran that the Mahdi is supposed to emerge from and belongs to the Twelver Shi’a faith.

Now he brings these beliefs to the United Nations. In his speech to the body today, he slammed ‘Zionism’ while stating his belief in the Mahdi.

The date of his return is not known, but Ahmadinejad indicated that he felt the arrival would come quickly, telling delegates: “Now we can sense the sweet scent and the soulful breeze of the spring, a spring that has just begun.”

Some critics of Iran’s Islamic regime have expressed concern that messianic Shiite beliefs might drive leaders like Ahmadinejad to seek an apocalyptic confrontation with those he sees as foes of God’s will on Earth.

But at the United Nations he insisted the Mahdi’s return would bless all, not just “a specific race, ethnicity, nation or a region, a spring that will soon reach all the territories in Asia, Europe, Africa and the U.S.”

What a nice message for Yom Kippur.

In FrontPage Magazine today, I discuss a few takeaways from President Obama’s speech at the U.N. On the bright side, he stood against Islamic blasphemy laws, pointed out the double-standards in the Muslim world’s rage, and said the Iranian regime follows a “violent ideology” and cannot be contained. On the down side, he underscored an Islamist theme that “Islamophobes” are threatening the world and did not pinpoint the Islamist ideology as the true source of the violence taking place.

Below is an excerpt:

In President Obama’s speech at the United Nations yesterday, he sent a message to the Islamic world: We, like you, fear the critics of Islam. Though he stood against the Islamic blasphemy laws that punish real and imagined insulters of Islam, he reinforced the Islamist narrative that a war on Islam is underway.

“The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied. Let us condemn incitement against Sufi Muslims, and Shiite pilgrims,” President Obama said.

He also took a few digs at the inconsistency in the Islamic world’s rage. He noted that the U.S. hasn’t instituted blasphemy laws against anti-Christian speech and that “the future must not belong to those who target Coptic Christians in Egypt.”

These paragraphs sound like a condemnation of all religious intolerance, but the first sentence emphasizes that it is only Islamic forces that should win the future. Anti-Christian sentiments, anti-Semitism and hostility towards Muslim minorities exist, but it is the anti-Islamic forces that we must be most concerned about. President Obama stood against Islamic blasphemy laws but justified the rationale used by Islamists around the world in implementing them.

The Islamist narrative that “Islamophobes” are waging war on Islam and systematically persecuting Muslims was also reinforced by Obama’s statement that the enemies of Islam must not win the future. The Islamist theme that Muslims are under assault is a critical factor in the radicalization process that creates potential terrorists. This sentiment is actively promoted by groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations here in the U.S.

Click here to read the rest of my FPM article.

The al Shabaab Islamist movement has been having a difficult go at it lately. It was recently kicked out of almost all of Mogadishu, allowing in the provisional government. AMISOM fighters have also dislodged the Islamist fighters from other parts of the country and have brought in reinforcements. Now a large chunk of al Shabaab’s militias have defected:

An entire faction called Hizbul Islam, has also split from the larger al-Shabaab and is likely to side with the Somali government.

No doubt the terror group is attempting a new offensive in the capital, but seem to be losing momentum quickly.

An office of the Palestine Branch of Syrian intelligence was bombed Tuesday. The large explosion has been reported by al Arabiya and responsibility was claimed by both the secular and Islamist rebels. According to the rebels, a major general and two colonels were killed as well as dozens of others.

Residents said smoke was billowing from the area in southeastern Damascus and an activist said ambulances were rushing to the scene.

“At exactly 9:35 a.m., seven improvised devices were set off in two explosions to target a school used for weekly planning meetings between shabbiha militia and security officers,” said Abu Moaz, a leader of Ansar al-Islam, one of the rebel groups in the 18-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, according to Reuters.

The United West, an activist group led by Tom Trento, released video from the 27th Annual Muslim Day Parade in New York City that took place on Sunday, September 23, showing state Senator Tony Avella (D-11th District) walking off-stage in disgust over Islamist rhetoric.

The video shows an imam with a thick accent from Brooklyn stating on stage, “The freedom of speak and freedom of rights our problem starts. So, I would like to demand United Nations to make an international law that would criminalize blasphemy.” He reiterates the need for legislation “for the protection of the honor of our beloved prophet.”

Such legislation is one of the foremost causes of Islamists around the world, as it would result in the prosecution and punishment of any perceived attack on Islam, including criticism of the religion or of Islamists that equate criticism of their radical ideology with attacks on all Muslims. This is the call of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, and Imam Mohammad Qatanani of the Islamic Center of Passaic County — better known as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s “friend,” whom he calls a “force for good” under fire from “bigots.”

The second speaker recited a poem she wrote that stated, “We have the unborn martyrs in our wombs and drop bombs in here because all that we blow up is minds in minefields.” According to Trento, she then condemned the U.S. and called on the ummah (Muslims worldwide) to rise up. The tape further shows her declaring that Palestinians in refugee camps are “housed by Zionist Nazis.” Of course, she didn’t mention the apartheid state in Lebanon that discriminates against Palestinians or the poor treatment they get in other countries.

State Senator Tony Avella, a marshall of the parade, walked off-stage in clear disgust over the comments.

Click here to read the rest of my PJ Media article, sponsored by the Institute on Religion and Democracy.

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Click the title of this post to watch my segment on “Fox & Friends” this morning about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mohammed Morsi coming to NYC and our boycott of Warwick Hotels:

Finding the right place to stay in shape is a great idea for the modern person. With so many ways to exercise and places to go, you can find just the right place for you. If you are looking for gyms in Leeds, there are good options out there for you with pay-as-you-go gyms. This is the same for gyms in Manchester. You can also find the best gyms in Birmingham, as well. Pay-as-you-go gyms offer you much more in flexibility without the stress of having to keep up a constant membership. You pay for what you want and it will save you money and time in the long run. Make sure to check out the various gyms and how they can help you today!

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Long simmering tensions between the Chinese and Japanese governments flared up earlier today when six surveillance ships were sent by China on a mission of “law enforcement over its maritime rights,” which just happened to involve violating Japan’s territorial waters, and attempting to lay claim to the Senkaku Islands.

The islands, which have been under dispute by the rival governments since World War 2, are quite possibly near huge maritime gas and oil fields, and in China’s continuous drive for more resources and energy power, it does not surprise me they are attempting to assert their claim, albeit weak and unfounded, at this time.

This situation also materialized with the Japanese government buying the islands two days ago from private owners to prevent nationalists from developing on them to intentionally taunt the Chinese. Apparently, China saw the move as encroaching on their sovereignty and deployed several vessels to the area.

Japan was understandably agitated by the encroachment of their territorial waters and deployed their coast guard to meet the Chinese vessels, demanding their departure, which they obliged by the afternoon and the incident was diffused without the use of force.

However, this demonstrates the Chinese government is feeling confident enough to start asserting their claims and authority over disputed islands with their neighbors, most of which are weak militarily and rely heavily on the United States for protection, and that we could see the beginning of Sino imperialism in South West Asia.

Stay tuned to this interesting development.

How’s 2012 treating you so far? Hopefully well, but we can’t say the same about our beloved country. The United States and neighboring Canada are experiencing the worst droughts in more than 20 years, with grave economic and environmental effects on the years to come.

Starting in the spring, rainfall became sparse from South Dakota to Kansas to Indiana and as summer has progressed, the situation has gotten worse.

According to the most recent data, more than 80% of the US is affected by the drought, with almost half of this territory being heavily affected by it. You might remember the similarly vicious droughts of the 1950′s, when many people starved to death, with the note that the 2012 drought is lasting for much longer.

The current drought is going to affect many things and corn is one of the most notable. Corn is so widely used that a poor harvest of corn could cause gasoline prices to go up. This is because higher corn prices translate into higher ethanol costs and in turn higher gas prices at the pump.

Corn is also used to feed many of the animals we eat. So the price of chicken, beef and the like will go up as well. Further, if livestock need to be slaughtered because they can’t be fed, that could also impact food costs down the line.

As we speak, people’s farms and businesses are affected by the drought, with many Americans not having the certainty they’ll be able to provide the food their families need, in order to survive.

And guess what? Winter is coming! How are you going to cope with it? What will you do when there will be no food on shelves or basic food prices will skyrocket?

Here’s one great material that covers this, as well as practical methods to protect our families, no matter what calamities or dangers the outside world has in store for us:

Find out more here.

In the case the drought’s sinister effects already crippled your state, you have to act now! At a smaller scale, you have to do what the agriculture and food industry fail to accomplish due to lack of resources. You will have to:

− Grow your own vegetables in greenhouses, in your back garden, making the most out of your space. You’ll find the most accurate and simple method for doing this in the book above.

− Breed animals for meat and other benefits, take care of them and provide them with food;
− Get your own water and energy when the conventional sources for this will go bust;
− Protect your hard worked food and resources from all types of predators;
− Help those in need to survive.

These are just some of the things you will have to do in order to keep you and your family safe. And the drought we’re going through now is just one of many natural or manmade disasters that are affecting North America as we speak.

The Family Surviving Course mentioned before is packed with easy to follow and implement advice for anyone. September isn’t National Preparedness Month for no reason!

Want to find out more?