The west is the source of the liberating ideas of individual liberty, political democracy, the rule of law, human rights and cultural freedom. It is the west that has raised the status of women, fought against slavery, defended freedom of enquiry, expression and conscience. No, the west needs no lectures on the superior virtue of societies who keep their women in subjection, cut off their clitorises, stone them to death for alleged adultery, throw acid on their faces, or deny the human rights of those considered to belong to lower castes.
Freedom of expression is our western heritage and we must defend it or it will die from totalitarian attacks. It is also much needed in the Islamic world. By defending our values, we are teaching the Islamic world a valuable lesson, we are helping them by submitting their cherished traditions to Enlightenment values.
Whilst we can only speculate what might be the true motives for most of the editors' abstinence, undoubtedly shameful cowardice first springs to mind, and whilst I have voiced my own theory as to why America as a whole has proven it's resolve and worth, in the fight against terror, it still does not excuse the cowardice of the MSM who continue not to publish the cartoons.
The Manifesto below will be published in the French weekly Charlie Hebdo today. Philippe Val @ Charlie Hebdo has urged other papers to print it, as a show of solidarity. And that guys includes all of us bloggers. Via Jyllands-Posten’s website, brought to us by the Danish blogger Agora (extensive coverage). Thank you to Michelle Malkin, who has a not to be missed post on this.
MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism
After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.
We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.
The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.
Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.
We reject cultural relativism, which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.
We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas.
We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.
12 signatures [I have put together some profiles, and researched some relevant articles written by each of the signatories]
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Profile; Read: 'Everyone Is Afraid to Criticize Islam'; Dutch MP backs Muhammad cartoons)
Chahla Chafiq (Profile see below; Read: Caskets and Rape: The Prison in Iran's Islamic Republic)
Caroline Fourest (Profile see below; Read: Tariq Ramadan: the Evidence)
Bernard-Henri Lévy (Profile; Read: Moral Atom Bomb; Interview with Bernard-Henri Levy on "American Vertigo"; A Letter to the American Left)
Irshad Manji (Profile; Read: Irshad Manji Biography; A Nightmare Come True: Farrukh Khan Pitafi on Irshad Manji; Muslims need critical thinking; Irshad Manji: Islam's Marked Woman)
Mehdi Mozaffari (Profile; Read: How to Combat Radical Islamists; Fatwa: Violence and Discourtesy; DEMOCRACY OR ISLAMOCRACY)
Maryam Namazie (Profile; Read: One woman's war; her blog)
Taslima Nasreen (Profile; Read: Dhimmis and Dhimmitude: Background Resources; Dear Taslima;)
Salman Rushdie (Profile; Read: Notes on Salman Rushdie: The Satanic Verses; SALON Features: Salman Rushdie)
Antoine Sfeir (Profile see below; Read: France's Islamic heartland; An incredible story from Iraq; Europe's tolerance under stress; Arab World : Are Nation States history?)
Philippe Val (Profile; Read: French Weekly Reprints Cartoons)
Ibn Warraq (Profile; Read: Islam and apostasy; Symposium: Islam, a Religion of Peace or War?; "Do Not Apologize"; How to debate a Muslim; Response to Anti-Muslim Writings; Islam and Intellectual Terrorism)
For quick review here are the brief résumés of the Manifesto signatories from Agora
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, from somilian origin, is member of Dutch parliement,
member of the liberal party VVD. Writter of the film Submission which
caused the assasination of Theo Van Gogh by an islamist in november
2004, she lives under police protection.
Chahla Chafiq
Chahla Chafiq, writer from iranian origin, exiled in France is a
novelist and an essayist. She's the author of "Le nouvel homme
islamiste , la prison politique en Iran " (2002). She also wrote novels
such as "Chemins et brouillard" (2005).
Caroline Fourest
Essayist, editor in chief of Prochoix (a review who defend liberties
against dogmatic and integrist ideologies), author of several reference
books on « laicité » and fanatism : Tirs Croisés : la laïcité à
l'épreuve des intégrismes juif, chrétien et musulman (with Fiammetta
Venner), Frère Tariq : discours, stratégie et méthode de Tariq Ramadan,
et la Tentation obscurantiste (Grasset, 2005). She receieved the
National prize of laicité in 2005.
Bernard-Henri Lévy
French philosoph, born in Algeria, engaged against all the XXth century
« ism » (Fascism, antisemitism, totalitarism, terrorism), he is the
author of La Barbarie à visage humain, L'Idéologie française, La Pureté
dangereuse, and more recently American Vertigo.
Irshad Manji
Irshad Manji is a Fellow at Yale University and the internationally
best-selling author of "The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call
for Reform in Her Faith" (en francais: "Musulmane Mais Libre"). She
speaks out for free expression based on the Koran itself. Née en
Ouganda, elle a fui ce pays avec sa famille musulmane d'origine
indienne à l'âge de quatre ans et vit maintenant au Canada, où ses
émissions et ses livres connaissent un énorme succès.
Mehdi Mozaffari
Mehdi Mozaffari, professor from iranian origin and exiled in Denmark,
is the author of several articles and books on islam and islamism such
as : Authority in Islam: From Muhammad to Khomeini, Fatwa: Violence and
Discourtesy and Glaobalization and Civilizations.
Maryam Namazie
Writer, TV International English producer; Director of the
Worker-communist Party of Iran's International Relations; and 2005
winner of the National Secular Society's Secularist of the Year award.
Taslima Nasreen
Taslima Nasreen is born in Bangladesh. Doctor, her positions defending
women and minorities brought her in trouble with a comittee of
integrist called « Destroy Taslima » and to be persecuted as « apostate
»
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is the author of nine novels, including Midnight's
Children, The Satanic Verses and, most recently, Shalimar the Clown. He
has received many literary awards, including the Booker Prize, the
Whitbread Prize for Best Novel, Germany's Author of the Year Award, the
European Union's Aristeion Prize, the Budapest Grand Prize for
Literature, the Premio Mantova, and the Austrian State Prize for
European Literature. He is a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et
Lettres, an Honorary Professor in the Humanities at M.I.T., and the
president of PEN American Center. His books have been translated into
over 40 languages.
Philippe Val
Director of publication of Charlie Hebdo (Leftwing french newspaper who
have republished the cartoons on the prophet Muhammad by solidarity
with the danish citizens targeted by islamists).
Ibn Warraq
Ibn Warraq , author notably of Why I am Not a Muslim ; Leaving Islam :
Apostates Speak Out ; and The Origins of the Koran , is at present
Research Fellow at a New York Institute conducting philological and
historical research into the Origins of Islam and its Holy Book.
Antoine Sfeir
Born in Lebanon, christian, Antoine Sfeir choosed french nationality to
live in an universalist and « laïc » (real secular) country. He is the
director of Les cahiers de l'Orient and has published several reference
books on islamism such as Les réseaux d'Allah (2001) et Liberté,
égalité, Islam : la République face au communautarisme (2005).
Sister Toldjah has a link to a German blog which has the photos of all the signatories.
Memeorandum features my post here.
UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY:
Al Jazeera simply reports. Middle East Times, BBC, Townhall.com, The Statesman
The Brussels Journal publishes a dissenting opinion: "While Islamism can be considered the perversion of religion, the three scourges of the 20th century – Fascism, Nazism (National-Socialism) and Stalinism – were secular ideologies. Neither Adolf Hitler nor Joseph Stalin were theocrats. It takes “French intellectuals” to use mankind’s experience with National-Socialism and Stalinism as motivation for a rallying cry to oppose “religious totalitarianism” and a call for “secular values,” which they hold to be “universal values.”There is no doubt that Islamism is a threat to freedom and human dignity. However, as we have warned before, some people – undoubtedly brave, but nevertheless mistaken – are prepared to destroy certain basic freedoms, such as freedom of education, in their fight against Islam and religion in general."
The Glittering Eye, agrees with the above.
Outside The Beltway, goes into great detail on the differences between totalitarianism, socialism, authoritarianism and the ideology of Islam.
Front Page has declared solidarity. I have always loved that magazine. Still no MSM thus far.
More solidarity from other bloggers who are supporting the Manifesto @ Michelle Malkin, LGF, Instapundit, Agora, JunkYard Blog, The Belmont Club, Captain's Quarters, Atlas Shrugs, Protein Wisdom, MVRWC, Kim Priestap, Wizbang, GOP Bloggers, Right Wing News, Ace Of Spades, Sisu, Vince Aut Morire, Winds of Change, Silent Running, A Blog For All, Gateway Pundit, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, QandO, David's Medienkritik, Eurabia News,Third World County, The Astute Blogger, Small Town Veteran, GM's Corner, Blue Star Chronicles, Jihad Watch, The Political Pit Bull, Stop The ACLU, FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, No Pasaran, The Jawa Report, The Volokh Conspiracy, Dr. Sanity, Merri Musings, Rantings of a Sandmonkey, Middle Earth Journal, Tel-Chai Nation, California Patriot Bright & Early, Six Days More, Church and State. Secular Blasphemy.
Linked to Mudville Gazette, Third World County(1)and (2)
Related on ATB:
In The Line Of Fire
Is There Any Difference Between Exquisitely Refined Multicultural Sensitivity And Shari'a
Hirsi Ali 'The Real Heroine In The Fight Against Islam
A Perilous Premise
A Dangerous Precedent
The Grave Injustice Of A Senseless Death Sentence
Is Western Liberalism Modifying It's Core Beliefs
"The Nation of Islam Will Sit At The Throne Of The World..."
The Metastasizing Sharia
Religious Dogma Has No Place In A Secular Society
The Cartoon War
Take A Walk On The Wild Side
The Effect Of Our Holy Trinity Of Multiculturalism, Moral Equivalence And Relativism On The War Of Destiny
"House of Islam and House of War"
The fact is that Islam is a religion that has mainly been advanced by violence and intimidation, from Prophet Mohammed's Hijra in A.D 622 and A.D 630, through Islamic expansion by the Ottoman Empire, to present day Wahabism, notably Al Qaeda and Taliban. It is important to remember that the very essence of Islam precludes it from coexisting with any other religion, particularly Christianity or perception of it. The fact that any Muslim who converts to Christianity in most Islamic countries would be killed or run out of town is a reminder. The notion of coexistence, let alone assimilation is antithetic to the Islamic empowerment; the notion that Allah gave Mohammed Islam to rule over all other religion.
Hence, every country on planet earth with a significant Muslim population is either an Islamic state (intolerant and undemocratic) or has Islamic groups fighting to make it (or portions thereof) an Islamic state. It is interesting that European states and recently Canada have facilitated the laying of the essential foundations for the same to become of their societies in the future. In the name of multiculturalism and political correctness they have put the future of their children and grand children in serious jeopardy, as they have essentially ensured that their children and grand children will inevitably have to deal with Islamic extremism in their societies.
To understand the motivation of Muslims in Western societies it is important to remember a little bit of history. Following Prophet Muhammad's example—his violent triumphant return to Mecca in A.D. 630 and the establishment of the Islamic empire in AD 634, Muslims have conquered and imposed Islam on lands stretching from the borders of China and India to Spain's Atlantic coast. All of these conquered lands were compelled by force to embrace Islam, and as a result many (if not all) have become Islamic states. In his book Islam and the West, historian Bernard Lewis notes, "For almost a thousand years . . . Europe was under constant threat. In the early centuries it was a double threat—not only of invasion and conquest, but also of conversion and assimilation. All but the easternmost provinces of the Islamic realm had been taken from Christian rulers, and the vast majority of the first Muslims west of Iran and Arabia were converts from Christianity. North Africa, Egypt, Syria, even Persian-ruled Iraq, had been Christian countries, in which Christianity was older and more deeply rooted than in most of Europe. Their loss was sorely felt and heightened the fear that a similar fate was in store for Europe." Well, that fate is now on the verge of certainty, as indigenous Europeans are gripped by apathy and complacency, while Arab immigrants and immigrants from Islamic countries are on the march to take over Europe for Islam.
In 1801, two months after the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson as president, Tripoli (now Libya) which was compelled by the Ottoman Empire to become an Islamic nation, nearly two and half centuries prior (1535), declared war on the United States because the Americans had refused to pay tribute to raiding Arab corsairs. The ambassador from Tripoli had explained to Jefferson in Paris in 1786 that Muslims considered such raids their duty according to both the Qur'an and the Hadith, and that they were therefore bound to wage attacks (jihad) on all who refused to acknowledge Muslim authority.
In December 2002, a leading Sunni sheik, Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, in a fatwa posted on the website http://www.islamonline.net (in response to a reader's question), wrote of the "signs of the victory of Islam," citing a well-known Hadith: ". . . The Prophet Muhammad was asked: ‘What city will be conquered first, Constantinople or Romiyya?' He answered: ‘The city of Heracles will be conquered first'—that is, Constantinople. . . . Romiyya is the city called today ‘Rome,' the capital of Italy. The city of Heracles [later to become Constantinople] was conquered by the young twenty-three-year-old Ottoman Muhammad bin Morad, known in history as Muhammad the Conqueror, in 1453. The other city, Romiyya, remains, and we hope and believe [that it too will be conquered]."
Sheik Al-Qaradhawi went on to say "This means that Islam will return to Europe as a conqueror and victor, after being expelled from it twice—once from the South, from Andalusia, and a second time from the East, when it knocked several times on the door of Athens." He qualified his statement thus: "I maintain that the conquest this time will not be by the sword but by preaching and ideology . . ." (Source: Vancouver Independent Media, http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2002/12/23883.php).
Following in Prophet Mohammed's footsteps, many Muslim zealots, such as Usuman dan Fodio, an Arab (Fulani) Nigerian, utilized the established Islamic practice of taqlid ("imitation") to ruthlessly establish the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Nigeria. Usuman, as Prophet Mohammed before him, established Islam in northern Nigeria, by putting the indigenous Hausa people to the sword, in much the same way the Abbasid rebel al-Bukayr had done in the eighth century. In Degel, before their migration, dan Fodio orchestrated an oath of allegiance to galvanize his followers and motivate them to wage jihad against their enemies. He invoked the memory of the prophet Muhammad's own migration in 622 (hijra) that had been preceded by an oath his allies had taken to wage jihad by his side, an oath remembered in Islamic history as Second Aqaba and still invoked today, by Islamic extremists all over the globe, under the inspiration of Osama bin Laden and Abu Mussab al-Zakawi.
According to Mervyn Hiskett, "By appealing to ‘tradition,' Usuman made it clear here that he intended to appeal to taqlid (‘imitation') alone, and, that he disdained all use of ijtihad, or, ‘free play' of the intellect. That is to say, innovative thought or independent thinking were forbidden. But, he went further in also ruling out any place for qiyyas (‘analogical reasoning'). In so doing, Usuman paved the way for appeals to jihad based on revelation and on religious authority."
Much of the Qur'an (the hadith) is based on tradition—imitation of Prophet Mohammed's views, actions and conducts. We know today that the invocation made by dan Fodio and many others of that era, are being repeated today by Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaida. The notion that because extremist Muslims are in the minority, therefore majority of Muslims do not share their overall goal is a perilous premise. We must not forget that in their days, Mohammed and dan Fodio were supported by a few but highly motivated and dedicated people, as is Osama bin Laden and Abu Mussab al-Zakawi in present time.
The great commission for Christians is to make disciples of every nation through love; the great commission for Muslims is to conquer the world for Islam through Jihad. As many Christians are merely standing on the sidelines and not in the forefront of that commission, but would rejoice over a world where people of every nation are made Disciples of Christ, so would Muslims who are not necessarily in the forefront of the great Islamic commission, as it is carried on today, should the world become “conquered for Islam” by Islamists, through their Jihad.
Some Europeans like to engage in the perilous feel good notion of meaningless self-assurance, by arguing that the Islamic expansion ended in the 17th century or buying into the glib claptrap mantra that Islam is a religion of peace. Look around you, all over world, wherever there is a significant Muslim population, tell me what you see? Do you see peace and tranquility, do you see freedom, or do you see Islamic totalitarianism or the drive to establish it? For these Europeans, history has no relevance. They forget that the drive for Islamic expansion was not voluntarily ended by Muslims, who had sought to conquer the world for Islam, nor because Islam had undergone a progressive change, which inspired it to become more amenable. Indeed, Islam has remained virtually unchanged since then and so are the sentiments of that era, as we see even today in the deep desire to re-establish the Caliphates and in events around the world. The fact is that age of Islamic expansion was ended by the Western response to it. But, Muslim leaders through the ages have not given up on that drive. They have been waiting for the right time and the right opportunity. Don’t forget that every Muslim believes that Islam is superior to any other religion or any other ideology, for that matter, including democracy.
Many of them believe that the time has come, considering the unprecedented decline of Christianity in Europe and the Aristippulian consciousness that has gripped Europe. To them, Christianity, the old enemy that stood in the way of worldwide Islamic domination, has been weakened, and is virtually no more in Europe. Some even believe the “war” for Europe is already won .You see it in the attitude of Muslims in European societies. To them America is the final frontier for Islamic expansion.
Muqtedar Khan, an Islamic scholar, whom I have quoted elsewhere, wrote in his article, published in the New York Times on September 7, 2003, “Muslims in America. American Muslims. The difference between these two labels may seem a matter of semantics, but making the transition from the first to the second represents a profound, if somewhat silent, revolution that many of us in the Muslim community have been undergoing in the two years since Sept. 11.” He wrote further, “On its face, this shift would seem to threaten the very core of Muslim identity and empowerment. After all, in the decade before the events of Sept. 11, Islam was one of the fastest?growing religions in North America. Mosques and Islamic schools were going up in every major city. Groups like the Council on American?Islamic Relations and the American Muslim Alliance established chapters in nearly every area with a Muslim population.” He lamented the decline in the growth of Islam in America since the events of September 11, because “both sources of Islam’s growth—immigration and conversion—are now in jeopardy” as a result of the passage of the USA Patriot Act and anti-terrorism measures.
Khan also wrote, “Because we took our American citizenship for granted, we did not acknowledge its value and virtues. But now it is imperiled, the overwhelming desire of many Muslims is that America remain true to its democratic and secular values.” The question is, will Muslims in Western societies truly embrace democracy and those “secular values” and work to make inroads into their homelands for the same to take root. Or will their attitude to the West remain as smoke and mirror, cloak and dagger.
Posted by: slowtrain | Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 04:40 AM
Washington, let's not forget about Atomic Pyongyang and their hypereccentric and wannabe James Bond "leader"; you know, the commie Korean dude with the pompadour hairdo and six-inch booster heels, who is afraid of flying on airplanes. Well, not only did he arm the IRI with ballistic missiles and other munitions, but he managed to turn his own communist nation (1/3 of the axis of evil) into an international atomic-threat without the Agency's knowledge, during Bill Clinton's infamous years in the oval-office. Mr. Clinton was preoccupied with "more important matters" at the time, such as Cohibas and a certain not-so-sultry intern (what an embarrassment and total national-security/intelligence disaster & failure).
Yup, we can all collectively thank 8 yrs. of Rodham & Clinton, and their deputy al gore (the IRI's # 1 soviet-weapons procurement specialist) for an atomic Pyongyang and an atomic Iran. And i always thought that the leftists were vehemently against atomic-weapons and nuclear-proliferation; it turns out that the leftists are only against nukes when we want to use them as a deterrent weapons-system for the defense of our own homeland.
i truly hope that history will not be kind to the Rodham and Clinton legacy, and the massive amount of national security damage (Aldrich Ames, Robert Hansen, classified-technologies transferred to the prc, George "slam-dunk" Tenet, nuclear-proliferation in Pakistan and the IRI etc...) that took place during their disastrous mismanagement of the Executive Office. i just hope that the US electorate finally learns a very important lesson from history, and doesn't repeat this sort of devastating mistake in '08; for the sake of our great country, and for the future of all American children.
Posted by: RL | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 07:20 PM
Thank you so very much. My very best wishes.
Posted by: Washington | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 06:36 PM
Washington,
Your post is listed in the trackbacks so that should be fine, and I have taken it out of the dissenting views.
Posted by: Alexandra | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 04:19 PM
Madam:
I do not, nor does my blog, agree with the statement attached to it above. We are "for" the manifesto EXCEPT where it indicates Stalinism instead of Communism for we believe that Communism is as evil and putrid as the Nazi threat or the threat of the barbarians of Islamic militancy.
There is a concerted effort to dilute the failures of Communism by attaching Stalin, a true butcher, to the name as opposed to stating, with clarity, that Communism is a corrupt system. Witness China, Cuba, and the aforementioned Soviet Union.
Again, for clarification, the manifesto is fine except where it leaves out communism.
Thank you for the time put in correcting this misconception.
Respectfully,
Washington
Posted by: Washington | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 03:50 PM
"Wow, I am SO scared on those legendary Arab militray machines that are no doubt massing on our borders as we speak. Can you say "boogie man"?"
That legendary Arab military machine, nimwit, is assymetrical. If Islamists believed in uniforms and heirarchies and military formations*, things would be pretty easy for us, wouldn't it? Instead, they kill with backpack bombs, civilian aircraft, whatever they can use to cause as much death and destruction as possible- as we've seen around the world, camoflauged as civilians. (or do Muslim civilians dress in what is to them, a combat uniform, I'm not sure there.) Your "legendary military machine" has attacked office buildings in the US, trains in Europe, nightclubs in Indonesia, and a grade school in Russia. Not as an accident, or as an effort to attack legitimate military targets colocated, but as a deliberate effort to kill as many innocents as possible. And you call them "Boogie men"? Who do they have to kill to get your attention?
"The whole free speech issue is a canard cooked up by Flemming Rose,"
Who? Funny, I thought it was like a Voltaire/Locke thing. So... umm... you're against it, I assume.
Ben
*Irony of history- of all the enemies fought by the United States in the last century, only one- Nazi Germany- is generally admitted by the Left as actually Evil. Strange, though, their behaviour in wartime, as in wearing of appropriate uniforms, honoring terms of surrender, respecting the priviledged position of medical personnel and clergy, avoiding mistreatment of captured US soldiers, etc, marks them as the best behaved of the lot. As soldiers, compared to the Islamists, Nazis were angels.
Posted by: Ben | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Skippey,
Sweetie, I've seen you do the rounds today, but you are beginning to make less and less sense.
This manifesto is not about the right and the left, in case you have not noticed. Most of the intellectuals on that list are on the left or the extreme left.
And what's with all the Israel bashing you are doing on your visits elsewhere. You criticized the brilliant video featuring Wafa Sultan which I also posted on Sunday, on the grounds that Memri showed it and you say they are run by Mossad. What kind of an irrelevant argument is that, considering the content?
A bit Israelphobic are we?
Posted by: Alexandra | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 03:13 PM
Alexandra, now i'm finally starting to understand and appreciate why (ie. the Brussels Journal) all of those Belgian jokes are the French version of the Pollock jokes in America.
This doesn't change the fact that Le Pain Quotidien sells the most delicious jam in America, and Belgian chocolate is almost as delicious as its Swiss and French counterparts. It's time for my afternoon chocolate-fix.
If any of you are familiar with the existence of a "Chocoholics Anonymous" in the Mid-Atlantic region, will you please be so kind as to contact me. Thank You !
And for you true chocolate aficionados out there, please just look-up teuscher, and La Maison Du Chocolat; almost as sweet as Alexandra on a good day. This blog Rocks ! Ciao Bella. : )
Posted by: RL | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 02:29 PM
Love your blog, keep up the good work!
Posted by: Rightwinger | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 01:54 PM
Actually this new White House is a big improvement. Please say they'd change the tenants too.
Wow, I am SO scared on those legendary Arab militray machines that are no doubt massing on our borders as we speak. Can you say "boogie man"?
The whole free speech issue is a canard cooked up by Flemming Rose, who is a pal of Daniel Pipes (whose Campus Watch squelches free speech--if it is critical of Likud Israel).
The Pope said, and I agree, that "using free speech to offend a billion people is a strange strategy to sell it."
Posted by: skip | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 12:30 PM
OmGosh Alexandra! Is that the jami-masjid mosque or the fatehpuri-masjid?
GREAT PHOTOSHOP! This one is right up there with your sharia/koran and the cut off hand one!
You never cease to amaze me!
Posted by: Liquid | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 12:22 PM
i'm very disappointed, but not surprised, that Shirin Ebadi has chosen not to join this effort. i've always had some reservations concerning her, and this just confirms some of my suspicions about her. All of these courageous women and men ought to be praised for their courage; because their signatures on this manifesto means that they are marked women and marked Men (this is not another attempt at islam-bashing, or a sick religious joke. this is the unfortunate reality of the dark, depraved, and demonic-mentality of islamofascism islamoterrorism).
Another creative, interesting, and original photo by Alexandra. You should seriously consider pursuing photography as a hobby during your free-time, and posting some of your photos in a new photo-section of your blog. i'm willing to bet that you would be a "natural" at it (photography). i highly recommend Leica and Rollei equipment, and Zeiss lenses. Say Gruyere!
"Art is a reflection of God's creativity, an evidence that we are made in the image of God." Francis Schaeffer : )
Posted by: RL | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 10:46 AM
The. Best. Photoshopping. Ever.
Technical note: Some of inks for Irshad Manji and Mehdi Mozaffar are mixed up.
Posted by: Sissy Willis | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 10:40 AM
Excellent post, as always.
Related to the topic, don't miss this interview of http://tinyurl.com/dl2dm Walid Shoebat, Ibrahim Abdullah and Zak Anani
Posted by: Fausta | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 10:40 AM
Now we can only hope everyone of these writers continues to stand up and defend their words. As someone else said, we don't need these people just to write a strongly-worded letter - we already have the UN and the IAEA.
Posted by: Mike Andreyakovich | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 10:28 AM
Good Morning: What amazing response time, Alexandra. Wonderful ! Thank you for the background on the brave signers of the NEW Declaration of Independence. Where can the average citizen sign and so be counted among those who will not be forced by fear into submissive silence?
Posted by: jess1dering | Wednesday, March 01, 2006 at 07:55 AM