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December 11, 2007
Alger la Blanche: Takfiri Nihilism & Murder
The takfiri nihilists, mutaslimine, have struck again in Algiers, I was just in those neighbourhoods on business a day or so ago, and at present can only hope my dear Algerian friends were not by chance caught in this bestial bloody mindedness. (English reporting here).
The report indicates that the nihilists of "Al Qaeda in the Maghreb" claimed responsibility this evening.
(Ce double attentat suicide a été revendiqué sur un site internet islamiste par Al Qaïda au Maghreb islamique, l'ex-Groupe salafiste pour la prédication et le combat (GSPC).)
Sadly these scum make the Algerian government look preferable, which is a real achievement in a negative sense.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 15, 2007
Razor's and Preciousness, or I'm so very Muslim posturing
Tardily, but I thought I would share this. Of course I am right, as always, but I am sure many will disagree with my viewpoint but frankly I am tired of reading Muslim [it seems esp. an Indo-Pak non-native Arab speaker disease] writing in English that pretentiously uses Arab-lish translits for religious terms that are perfectly adequately expressed in ordinary English.
Worse, the idiotic responses pretending to tell me how "Muslims" speak about such issues (amusing pretention that), or trying to imply a lack of familiarity - rather than grasping the unnecessary self-segregation and foolish pretentiousness of injecting such terms.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:07 PM | Comments (43) | TrackBack
January 07, 2007
Parisian Serving Soup un-Kosher, un-Halal
A queer little article from the Financial Times on the Conseil d'Etat of France decision forbiding Solidarité des Français from distributing its soup containing pig ears, feet and tails to Parisian homeless
I have to say it has an only in France air to it, but gives one a moment to reflect on French approaches to "integration" and a tendecy to favour form over substance. It will surely be an occasion for the Phobics to rail on about "Eurabia" and their fevered imaginings regarding an Islamic threat in Europe.
Continue reading "Parisian Serving Soup un-Kosher, un-Halal"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:46 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 05, 2007
The Burning Issue in the Middle East That Will Resolve All Conflict
Properly designed public and quasi public restrooms that can (i) be properly maintained by sub-literate peasant cleaning staff with only the vaguest acquaintance with the restroom concept, (ii) be used for the various required abulatory pre-prayer functions without forcing said devote praying people into odd contortions such as washing their feet in the same sink I want to use to wash me face, (iii) for men, ideally with urinals that are at once functional, marginally water efficient and set a height that a reasonably constructed male can use without untoward events.
Continue reading "The Burning Issue in the Middle East That Will Resolve All Conflict"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 04:00 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
December 31, 2006
In Lighter Moments
In watching TV last night one of the very young cousins, on seeing the video of Sadaam's execution, yelled out, "haouli1, mistaking Sadaam for a sheep.
It was quite amusing.
Of course the little fellow I think has only just learned the word.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 29, 2006
France, Immigration: On Delusions & Ignorance
Clive Davis has drawn my attention (in some ways I curse him) to a new round of utterly idiotic ignorant American whanking on about the problems in the French immigrant and native-born ethnic minority ghettoes.
While the violence infesting the immigrant and native born ethnic minority ghettoes is clearly reaching grotesque proportions, I have to question the sanity (or in the alternative honesty and/or intelligence) of writers that can send off missives characterising this as an issue of "Islamic militias" or of mass (white) emmigration to North America (the later proposition rather clearly racist).
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:16 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
October 07, 2006
Mr Straw & The Niqab
It appears that For. Sec. Straw's comments on the Niqab, the face veil, have set off a bit of a storm. From The Financial Times to The Times coverage of his original comments regarding prefering women not wear the face veil as divisive through to coverage of The Poodle's craven and inconsistent pandering and on to coverage (the sooner he is gone the better, I await with impatience The New York Times (but British official, I am come on, how about Brit For. Sec.?).
I am not sure if that is good or bad, but it bears some commenting on. First, when I first saw the comments I wasn't sure if he meant the hijab, which would have been annoyingly tedious, or the niqab, which I agree with. I am pleased to see it is about the covering of the face. There is a vast and important difference between the ninja get-ups that are so very Saudi Wahhabite neo-Islamic rot, and a woman covering her hair with a scarf.
Continue reading "Mr Straw & The Niqab"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:32 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 02, 2006
Tariq Ramadan
Tariq Ramadan has an interesting Op Ed on his effective banning from the United States. The Right Bolsheviks seem to be like the old Left Bolsheviks.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:11 AM | Comments (16) | TrackBack
October 01, 2006
Violence, Christians, Muslims - Fallacious Framing, bis:
I caught an interesting article in The Washington Post on Somali shopkeepers and violence which I think is a decent point of illustration of the easy, fallacious framing that often occurs.
Now, in this instance, the article focuses on the xenophobic reaction of Xhosa to Somali shopkeepers, telling known by a name derived from Islamic and Somali vocabulary - baraka, which as many readers know is simply the Arabic for "blessing(s)," although not as the journo incorrectly puts it "God's blessings" as a phrase, merely understood, as in English low church usage that it's God that does blessing. Somalis are known as barakas. Now, the article, aside from some ethnic superficialities, is quite good. However, in reading it and reflecting on how such stories get framed I rather thought it typical of, in particular, Western journo reporting in Africa and elsewhere on violence where an ethno-religious cleavage exists.
Continue reading "Violence, Christians, Muslims - Fallacious Framing, bis:"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 04, 2006
Maghreb Encore, Queer Legal Twists: The engaging potential of non-Muslim Imams (or at least Mourchides)
Reading over Ibn Kafka's blog (perhaps I have to meet this guy, although the idea of people knowing the 'real' Lounsbury gives me hives) I came across this absolutely delicious piece: which by the author's analysis raises the concept of Imams and the like appointed by the State not actually having to be Muslim. Now, a slim chance that, but entertaining in and of itself. It also provides the occasion to reflect on some of the more silly claims that float around in the English language about the MENA states and Sharia law(s), which I will perhaps too snidely note would generally take a dim view of Jewish or Xian Imams per se).
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Deserving Further Comment: Muslim Women as Victims - Lalami's "Missionary Position"
In a rather longish piece in the American Leftist dinosaur paper, The Nation, expatriate Moroccan author Laila Lalami takes a whack at one of eerie's favourite topics, Muslim Victim Women Reformers in an arty entitled "The Missionary Position".
While I am not normally inclined to read such things as The Nation, the highlighting by The Arabist were enough to induce a read.
I cannot say that I am a fan of such hackneyed phrases as "supporters of empire", above when used seriously, but what can I expect out of literary types?
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 27, 2006
Economic Progressivism: Left Things to Love in Islamic "Economics"
I ran across a press release from some US Uni by some anthro-sociology professors on 'progressive' features of Islam ironically pointed to by an 'Islamic Investing' website trumpeting it as Study Finds Muslim Scholars An Egalitarian Force For Economic Reforms, a fine illustration of the brainless lack of confidence among certain circles that they take anything with a remotely positive spin on anything "Islamic" and wave it around, saying "See Islam positive, Islam positive!!!!" like five year olds. Witless gits.
The site itself I came across from a decent arty on the diversity of fatwas and the general focus on small things in life although in fact although I am of the opinion that foolish fatwa shopping is a bad sign of a rather brainless 'islamisation' but that is probably my general snobbery and contempt for people running after ill-groomed 'religious men' for advice when half a brain and some reasonable reflexion would suffice.
However, let me get on to the silly stereotypically Left academics' silly PR note on "Progressivism" and Islam:
Continue reading "Economic Progressivism: Left Things to Love in Islamic "Economics""
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:15 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
Whanking Ignorance on Dubai
In writing a little bit on some idiotic whanking about "progressive" economics and conservative Islamists, I reminded myself to return to something I spotted via GrapeShisha
A truly stupid article on Dubai which only deserves comment on these excerpts
Dubai sounds like a fake country. Or an exotic place only vacationing al-Qaida cellmates and CIA spooks know how to find. ..... Dubai's connections to al-Qaida terrorism apparently were accidental, not government-countenanced. But Islam is the state religion ..... So beneath the glitz and gleaming skyline Dubai is a theocratic Islamic state that no American would want to be a citizen of for more than an hour. But it's spectacular proof that the Middle East is not monolithically backward, hopeless or anti-Western. And it shows that relatively good things can evolve in the Muslim world without the United States having to use force to create them.
I honestly am impressed the author could pack quite so many stereotypes, just plain idiotic mischaracterisations (hint having a state religion does not a theocracy make you semi literate git, else England would be a theocracy (and in terms of enforcing 'uniformity would not have been far off Dubai if one rewinds not so far, but no one would think of writing seriously that Elisabeth I was a 'theocrat' ).
I honestly wonder at the literacy and rationality of American commentators on Islam, the Islamic world and... well just the outside bloody world in general. Theocracy....
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:09 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
May 07, 2006
Al Qaeda & Media, a quick reflexion on Bou Aardvark
Aqoul's fine friend, Bou Aardvark has some interesting reflexions on the recent blithering on about Al Qaeda, the recent tapes and like from Bin Laden and Zarqaouie and communication strategy that I thought I might make a superficial comment on.
Both Some jihadi perspectives on the al-Qaeda tapes (although after perusing the source material I realised why I don't amuse myself with Jihadi internet boards) and the more American domestically oriented AQ's media strategy: strength or weakness? are one of a piece in a sense, and I think together a necessary reminder for the sharp observer that one really knows very little about what is going on with the organisation, al Qaeda.
Continue reading "Al Qaeda & Media, a quick reflexion on Bou Aardvark"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 26, 2006
Our Dear Andrew
I thought I would not clog up 'Aqoul with an irritated side comment on the ever predictable Andrew Sullivan's latest piece of silly phobics in discovering, that as-Sistani (oh the horrors) isn't a liberal or in fact perhaps moderate - except in the sense of being politically modrate relative to the US occupation.
Welcome to the real world Andrew. You might want to try understanding that accomodation with respect to American occupation for own political reasons is not synomous with "moderation" as to belief or dogma.
But no matter, one should be unsurprised that Andrew, filled with his own unexamined old-school Islamophobia, is unable to distinguish between the issues. He's yet to apologise or retract his idiotic comments about a "Muslim" intefada in France last year.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:55 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 12, 2006
And in the category of just plain stupid hissy fits
Israel rethinks Christian heritage centre
By Harvey Morris in Jerusalem
Published: January 11 2006 17:32 | Last updated: January 11 2006
"Israel is reconsidering a project to help US Christians open a heritage centre in the Galilee region after Pat Robertson, the American evangelical broadcaster, suggested the stroke suffered by Ariel Sharon was a punishment from God for removing Jews from Gaza."
Of course US Xians should be read as American Evangelical Protestant Whacko Xians, not old school denominations, local Xians of the wrong ethnicity or anything of the like.
There is little to say there other than, simpering hypocritical prats. Not like these kind of views were not well-known before hand. At least your fine Palestinian Xians (Orthdox, Catholic and other wierdo sects) actively want your disappearance for rational reasons.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:58 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 03, 2005
Judgement
I would be remiss not to note this important little issue arising in Morocco, as reported in the press: two fairly dim or perhaps idealistic (I personally can not tell the difference sometimes) young things decided that they would get married via consul. Mixed marriage and all that. Only they're both men.
I personally am indifferent to the issue in grosso modo. However this was a rather stunningly stupid move. Just bec. the home country of one of the fellows in question recog. such does not mean it's smart to walk into a consulate and insist on tying the knot.
The phrase, when in Rome comes to mind.
Doubtless a bit of very precious activism going on in this case.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:38 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 06, 2005
Queer Conversations
I had a most peculiar experience a few evenings ago, indeed it was unique in my experience to date in the region.
Continue reading "Queer Conversations"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:59 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
