Closing the week 15 – Featuring The Assassins: US vs Anwar al Awlaki
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Featuring the Assassins: US vs Anwar Al Awlaki
BBC News – US approves killing US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki
The US government has authorised the capture or killing of radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, currently based in Yemen, officials have confirmed.
The cleric, who is a US citizen, is being targeted for his involvement in planning attacks on the US.
Al Jazeera English – Middle East – Yemen’s Awlaki family offers deal
The father of Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni religious scholar who has reportedly been added to a US hit list, says his son will halt his anti-US messages if Washington removes him from the list.
U.S. Approves Targeted Killing of American Cleric – NYTimes.com
The Obama administration has taken the extraordinary step of authorizing the targeted killing of an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks on the United States to directly participating in them, intelligence and counterterrorism officials said Tuesday.
Muslim cleric Aulaqi is 1st U.S. citizen on list of those CIA is allowed to kill
Because he is a U.S. citizen, adding Aulaqi to the CIA list required special approval from the White House, officials said. The move means that Aulaqi would be considered a legitimate target not only for a military strike carried out by U.S. and Yemeni forces, but also for lethal CIA operations.
gulfnews : In need of a fair trial
Omar Ahmad Sulaiman, an Imam in New Orleans and a member of the Islamic Circle of North America’s Sharia Council among others, firmly repudiated his call for jihad: “Most American Muslims simply dismissed his new lectures and writings as tainted by his frustration with what had happened to him in prison.”
Now, however, they believe that his is “the same call of the kharijites that has been repeated so many times, that feasts on the frustration and uncontrolled emotions of vulnerable youth that do not have the foundation or knowledge to recognise its illegitimacy”.
Yet, pause for a moment from the hysteria surrounding this man’s life. He’s clearly a hate-monger. But a terrorist? Al Awlaki denied that he encouraged the Nigerian bomber and called for the US to release correspondence between him and the Fort Hood shooter in the days prior to the attack.
Don’t Assassinate the Dangerous Cleric al-Awlaki – Newsweek.com
Obama wants to assassinate the radical Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Thing is, his murder would do more harm than good.
Pickled Politics » Whatever happened to Anwar al-Awlaki’s human rights?
Now. I wasn’t going to write about this because, although it disgusted me, I’ll admit that I’m usually unwilling to criticise Obama. But what irks me is that the same people who keep going on about how important human rights for all are, have said nothing about this incident at all over here. In fact, over at Harry’s Place blog they’re crowing about it. Nick Cohen is still pretending he cares about women’s rights while saying nothing about this either.
You’d think that someone being assassinated by their government without trial would be regarded as a pretty big violation of basic human rights.
Liberal Conspiracy » Is it legal for Obama to have Awlaki assassinated?
My fear is not so much the targeting of a Muslim, in this instance at least, but the continual erosion of due process requirements that authorise a state to deprive an individual citizen of life, liberty or property.
Anwar al-Awlaki, the Infidel — jihadica
Since the awful shootings at Fort Hood, media attention has focused on MAJ Nidal Hasan’s relationship with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born salafi preacher now in Yemen. Less well known, however, is that al-Awlaki was once declared kafir (infidel) by then London-based jihadi Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal.
Kucinich: White House Assassination Policy Is Extrajudicial
Targeted killings are not a new Obama administration policy. Beginning three days after his swearing in, President Obama has authorized scores of lethal drone strikes, including against specific individuals, in Pakistan and Afghanistan, surpassing the Bush era numbers. The elite Joint Special Operations Command maintains a list of individuals, including US citizens, which it is authorized to assassinate. In January, Dana Priest reported in the Washington Post that the CIA had US citizens on an assassination list, but the Post later ran a correction stating that only JSOC had “a target list that includes several Americans.” The policy of the CIA targeting al-Awlaki, a US citizen, for assassination, therefore, appeared to be a new development, at least in terms of public awareness of approved government assassinations.
Secularism and Islam going public
The Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens | Book review | Books | The Guardian
This sketch of sibling rivalry accounts for The Rage Against God’s unusual structure. It is a memoir, as well as an assault on Christopher Hitchens’s popular but poorly argued God Is Not Great (2007). In 2008, the brothers engaged in a public discussion about the coherence of religious belief. Peter reveals that they almost came to blows on that occasion, and that he has vowed never to debate with Christopher under the spotlight again. The Rage Against God is meant to be a grown-up substitute for more shouting matches.
The Associated Press: Europe struggles with Muslim dress code
Chances of seeing a burqa in Belgium are only a little better than spotting a liquor shop in Saudi Arabia. Yet Belgium soon may be the first European nation to outlaw the burqa and other Islamic garb that completely hides a woman’s body and face.
Tariq Ramadan: Muslims and the West | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
Watch excerpts from his April 12 address at Georgetown University and his conversation with journalists, including Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly managing editor Kim Lawton. Ramadan discusses fear of the religious “other” and the need for policies that foster a better understanding of Islam, US relations with the Islamic world in the wake of President Obama’s 2009 speech in Cairo, and the new visibility of Islam in the West and current debates in Europe over whether to ban the burqa, the niqab, and other Islamic garments.
Notion of ‘reasonable accommodation’ under threat
“Reasonable accommodation” – the idea that the majority has a moral obligation to accommodate the rights of minorities in a reasonable manner – is increasingly under threat in the West today.
Bosnian colleges draw Turks avoiding headscarf ban | GlobalPost
About 1,000 Turkish students have left home to attend university in Bosnia, attracted by the low cost of living, good food and — for women — the right to wear an Islamic headscarf.
On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan officially opened a new campus of the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) on the outskirts of the Bosnian capital.
In dynamic societies, change is a natural process. Like in the rest of Canada, Quebec culture has evolved from the intermingling of people of different backgrounds and ideas. The same type of interaction taking place between Muslims and other Canadians, and between Muslims of diverse cultures, is producing change and driving a new Muslim Canadian identity – one that does not sacrifice religion or ethnicity.
Not to be left behind, Muslim women are in fact on the leading edge of this new phenomenon.
The Associated Press: Woman mosque leader seeks new Muslim in Europe
Yassmine el Ksaihi doesn’t see herself as a feminist rebel. She covers her head and wears modest clothing. She learned to read the Quran at age 5 and promotes traditional Muslim values.
Yet there is something pioneering about her nonetheless: At age 24 she is the administrator of a large mosque, an unusual position of authority for a young woman in the world of Islam, even in Europe.
Up to a quarter of the 16 Muslim females standing as candidates at the next month’s general elections are in prominent positions to win parliamentary seats for the first time, according to an analysis carried out exclusively by The Muslim News.
Misc.
The Anthropology Of Facial Hair – The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
It was predicted that men would emphasize sexually-selected traits, including mustaches, beards, and sideburns, when they have difficulty obtaining spouses.
FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Is an Anti-Islam Wave Hitting Europe?
The rise of Wilders has alarmed many political observers, and has been cited as yet another point of evidence of a new tide of European anti-Islamism. (Though Wilders specifically rejects comparisons to far-right politicians Jean-Marie Le Pen and Jörg Haider.) Bolstering this “trend” are Switzerland’s referendum against minarets, the French ban on headscarves in public buildings, and anti-immigration parties making headway in other countries. But is pure Islamophobia (e.g., the number of people who fear or dislike Islam) the driving factor in the PVV’s rise in support? And why are anti-Islam/anti-immigration parties such a force in the Netherlands, but not in countries like Spain? Is it simply a matter of integration of a new immigrant group, rather than cultural or political characteristics specific to Muslims?
Afghan Investigators Say U.S. Troops Tried to Cover Up Evidence in Botched Raid – NYTimes.com
Afghan officials investigating the deaths of five Afghan civilians gunned down in February during a bungled raid by American Special Operations forces believe that troops tampered with evidence at the scene, the lead investigator said Monday. NATO officials disclosed that they were looking into the allegations.
Bering in Mind: Scientists say free will probably doesn’t exist, but urge: “Don’t stop believing!”
One of the most striking findings to emerge recently in the science of free will is that when people believe—or are led to believe—that free will is just an illusion, they tend to become more antisocial.
DK Matai: Innovation, Anthropology and Cultural Relativity
Where a sociologist might put together a questionnaire to understand what people think of an object, an anthropologist would immerse themselves in the subject and try to understand it from “within”! With the arrival of micro and nano devices, anthropology has witnessed a mini-renaissance in the 21st century. As our lives become ever more exposed to technology, and companies become much more interested in how technology affects us and how we interface with it, anthropologists have found themselves in increasing demand.
Miami Bus Ads Ask Ex-Muslims: “Fatwa on Your Head?” « Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion
“Is your family or your community threatening you?”
Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller have come up with a new wheeze: anti-Muslim bus ads on the sides of buses in Miami.
Melilla: Europe’s dirty secret | Spain | Morocco | EU | World news | The Guardian
Melilla: Europe’s dirty secret
African migrants will do anything to get into the Spanish enclave of Melilla. And the authorities will do anything to keep them out
Extended Interview: Zeba Iqbal | Muslims in Michigan
Here you can listen to Jennifer Guerra’s extended interview with Zeba Iqbal, the Executive Director of the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP) who has written numerous articles about Muslim dating.
The Voice of the Cape – www.vocfm.co.za – Let women into mosques: alim
In his first public address on Friday evening at the Newtown mosque in Johannesburg where the imamat is lead by Maulana Ebrahim Bham, Sheik Yusuf al Qardawi laid his finger on the one of the most contentious issues in the north by questioning the absence of women. According to the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), Maulana Igsaan Hendricks, during his address Qardawi pointed out that he could not complete his talk since the women were absent.
The Saudi housewife who spoke out | Nesrine Malik | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
The Saudi housewife who spoke out
Hissa Hilal, a niqab-wearing Saudi housewife, made it to the finals of a TV poetry competition against the odds
Muslim World Journal of Human Rights
The use of the term `honor killing’ has elicited strong reactions from a variety of groups for years; but the recent Aqsa Parvez and Aasiya Hassan cases have brought a renewed interest from women’s rights activists, community leaders, and law enforcement to study the term and come to a consensus on its validity and usefulness, particularly in the North American and European Diaspora. While some aver that the term `honor killing’ is an appropriate description of a unique and particular crime, others deem it as rather a racist and misleading phrase used to promote violent stereotypes of particular communities, particularly Muslim minorities in North America and Europe. This article works to lay the groundwork by presenting both sides of the debate over the term `honor killing’ and analyzing the arguments various groups use in order to justify their particular definition of the term, and if and how they support its use in public discourse. I argue two main points: one, that `honor killing’ exists as a specific form of violence against women, having particular characteristics that warrants its classification as a unique category of violence. Second, I show that while `honor killings’ are recognized as such in many non-Western contexts, there is a trend among advocacy organizations in the North American and European Diaspora to avoid, ignore, or rebuke the term `honor killings’ as a misleading label that is racist, xenophobic, and/or harmful to Muslim populations. This is a direct response to the misuse of the term mostly within media outlets and public discourse that serves to further marginalize Muslim and immigrant groups.
Seattle University Spectator – A personal jihad: Melody Moezzi shares her tale
In a speech given April 12 in Pigott Auditorium, Melody Moezzi discussed the topic of “My Personal Jihad,” exploring Islam and gender roles in the Middle East.
Dutch
De kloof tussen burger en wetenschap | DeJaap
De kloof tussen burger en wetenschap
De controverse over klimaatverandering, het wantrouwen tegenover sociaalwetenschappelijk onderzoek naar allochtonen, het op gelijke hoogte willen zetten van creationisme en evolutieleer – er zijn veel onderwerpen waarin meningen en wetenschappelijke kennis aan elkaar gelijk gesteld worden. De wetenschap wordt verweten niet objectief te zijn, onderzoek te doen vanuit moralistische of politieke standpunten en/of feiten expres verkeerd te interpreteren. Het is goed als burgers autoriteit in twijfel trekken. De vraag is echter of zij voortgebrachte kennis in twijfel moeten kunnen trekken, zelfs als ze er helemaal geen kaas van hebben gegeten.
Joost Niemöller » De islam en de Nederlandse wet
De ‘contractsleer’ van de islam zou de Nederlandse overheid een ingang kunnen bieden om besprekingen te openen over de aspecten van de islam die zich al dan niet laten verenigen met onze wetgeving en de beginselen die daar aan ten grondslag liggen.
Nederlandse Islamitische Omroep » Archief » De Zevende Hemel 17 april
Islam in Europa: Bosnië-Hercegovina
Bosnië-Hercegovina is één van de weinige landen in Europa waar de islam al sinds eeuwen een vaste plaats inneemt binnen de cultuur en samenleving. Misschien zou Bosnië nog altijd het voorbeeld zijn voor een vreedzaam samenleven van culturen en godsdiensten, wanneer er niet de burgeroorlog geweest was, die in de jaren ‘90 van de vorige eeuw de illusie verstoorde.
Hoewel de vrede intussen sinds meer dan tien jaar teruggekeerd is, is de toekomst van het land nog altijd onzeker. Welke plaats neemt de islam in het huidige Bosnië in, en wat voor gevolgen heeft de oorlog voor het bewustzijn van de Bosnische moslims gehad? Correspondent Michael de Werd maakte over deze vragen een indringende documentaire.
Seminar: Adoptie & Islam « Moslim Sleutelfiguren Amsterdam
In navolging van het grote succes van voorgaande seminars hebben s.v. Avicenna en MSV Nijmegen de krachten wederom/opnieuw gebundeld. Op woensdag 21 april 2010, organiseren wij gezamenlijk het seminar: Adoptie in de Islam. Wat is het Islamitisch standpunt omtrent Adoptie? Is het verboden, toegestaan onder bepaalde voorwaarden of juist onze plicht? Wat zijn de voorwaarden en kan in deze moderne samenleving en wetgeving nog aan deze voorwaarden worden voldaan? Dit zijn slechts een aantal vragen waar een antwoord op zal worden gegeven tijdens deze avond. Bent u benieuwd hoe het nu precies zit? Dan is dit is uw kans om erachter te komen!
Opinieblog » God bestaat niet en Herman Philipse is zijn profeet
Steek uw vinger op als u in Ganesha gelooft, die beroemde god van de hindoes, met vier armen, een mensenlichaam en een olifantshoofd. Dit verzoek van filosoof en atheïst Herman Philipse werd donderdagavond slechts door één bezoeker in de afgeladen Jacobikerk in Utrecht beantwoord.
Een meerderheid, daarentegen, gooide de handen in de lucht toen Philipse vroeg wie er in een lichaamsloze, almachtige, algoede schepper van hemel en aarde gelooft. Als een volleerd opiniepeiler corrigeerde hij de uitkomst. „Gert van den Brink heeft zijn achterban goed georganiseerd.”
De godsdienstfilosoof Van den Brink had hem uitgenodigd om in debat te gaan over de oorsprong van de menselijke moraal. Niet zomaar, want Van den Brink heeft een heel boek gewijd aan kritiek op het denken van de atheïst. Er is geen God en Philipse is zijn profeet, heet het. Met als ondertitel: De onredelijkheid van een atheïst.
Dat vrijheidsideaal wil afrekenen met alle taboes. Alles moet bespreekbaar zijn en liefst ook nog zichtbaar worden gemaakt op de televisie. De laatste tijd valt dat ook op als het gaat om seksueel misbruik in Rooms-katholieke instellingen. In een onlangs verschenen boek ‘Een meisje voor dag en nacht‘, door de journaliste Renate van der Zee,wordt schokkend duidelijk hoe het kan gaan achter een gesloten voordeur in een Islamitisch gezin. Een echt gebeurd verhaal van incest en familie-eer dat licht werpt in een duistere werkelijkheid. Nu nog de politieke en kerkelijke leiders.
Bruggenbouwers » “Conflicten moslims en christenen geïmporteerd door Westen”
De Ghanese predikant Johnson Mbillah was zondag 11 april te gast in de Lukaskerk in Den Haag. Hij ervoer nooit spanningen tussen moslims en christenen. Hij noemt de huidige conflicten ‘geïmporteerd’. “Westerse christelijke evangelisten doen soms extreme uitspraken en roepen op tot haat tegenover andersgelovigen.”
PAROOL: AMSTERDAM – Moslims: graag islamles op openbare scholen
Op openbare basisscholen in Slotervaart met overwegend moslimleerlingen bestaat grote behoefte aan islamlessen.
Dit blijkt uit een enquête door de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, waar de deelraad van Slotervaart om had gevraagd. Negentig procent van de moslimouders met kinderen op Ru Paré, de Einsteinschool, de Huizingaschool en de Louis Bouwmeesterschool is voorstander van islamlessen buiten de reguliere schooltijd.
Laat een openbare school openbaar blijven | De Dagelijkse Standaard
Het is weer eens zover. Het bolwerk van de seculiere openbare school ligt onder vuur. Deze keer wegens enquête door de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, waar de deelraad van Slotervaart om had gevraagd. Slotervaart is de deelraad waar Ahmed Marcouch namens de PvdA de scepter zwaait en toevalligerwijze heeft hij onderwijs in zijn portefeuille. Wat een toeval weer. De uitkomst is niet echt verrassend wanneer je kijkt naar de samenstelling van die buurt.
Southpark vertoont zogenaamd profeet Mohammed | Alatoerka.nl
In Islam is het absoluut verboden om tekening van de profeet Mohammed te maken. Met deze aflevering heeft Southpark de Islam en andere godsdiensten beledigd. Ik hoop in ieder geval dat mensen naar aanleiding van deze aflevering meer informatie zullen zoeken over de bestaande geloven. Tijdens het zoeken naar informatie zullen mensen ongetwijfeld goede bronnen tegenkomen die juiste informatie bevatten. Door deze informatie zullen mensen ook bewuster worden en eerder nadenken voordat ze een godsdienst beledigen. Welke godsdienst iemand heeft maak niet veel uit, het gaat uiteindelijk om respect voor elkaar.
Michael Mannheimer in München – AmsterdamPost
Vorige week donderdag vond in München een volgende grote islamkritische bijeenkomst plaats. Met Michael Mannheimer was wellicht de moedigste journalist van Duitsland aanwezig. Hij hield de lezing ”Eurabia – De capitulatie van Europa voor de islam”. Twee en een half uur lang leverde hij uiterst interessante feiten, die ook voor belezen islamcritici nieuwe zaken bevatten.
Weblog Anja Meulenbelt » Onzin over de ‘islamisering’
In de Groene Amsterdammer van 18 februari 2010 stond een artikel van John Bowen, antropoloog en professor in Washington, die die angstgolf voor de islamisering nog eens een keer terugbracht tot de feiten en de juiste proporties.