Saudi Arabia has again shown its institutional intolerance of other religions with the arrest of Hamoud Bin Saleh, 28, who wrote about how he converted to Christianity from Islam. The arrest of the blogger followed the killing of the daughter of an official in the Kingdom’s religious police who also wrote about her Christian faith.
What is fascinating is that the Kingdom does not try to disguise its attacks on free exercise and free speech. The government admits that Bin Saleh was arrested “because of his opinions and his testimony that he had converted from Islam to Christianity.” The government has also blocked his website, fearful that other Muslims will be exposed to the discussion of religion.
Bin Saleh gave a detailed account of how he started to question Islam after watching the beheading of three Pakistanis convicted of drug charges. He concluded that they were executed because they were poor and became critical of Sharia law in general.
Five months ago, a Saudi official with the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice killed his daughter for converting to Christianity by first cutting the tongue of the girl and then burning her to death.
For the full story, click here.
Let’s get some facts straight. Mohammad died in the seventh century. Disagreement over who should be his successor erupted within a day and a half. Two principal factions emerged, the Shia and the Sunni. They have continued to fight each other for thirteen hundred years. Bush was totally ignorant of the history of Iraq and the Middle East and Islam when he took office. His ignorance was wilful because he had access to great scholars and historians. He didn’t understand that social structures there are based upon tribal loyalties. He thought “Shiite” was Mississippian for “cow patty.” He didn’t understand that sectarian violence was ancient and had been muzzled only through the strong arm rule of Saddam Hussein. He somehow concluded that he could export democracy to the Middle East the same way we export used cars to South America. He decided to start in Iraq and was completely unprepared when the masses didn’t rise up begging for copies of “The Federalist” after Saddam’s overthrow. It is now seven years later and the country is gradually lurching toward becoming an Islamic republic in which Christians are not welcome, women are gradually being pushed out of the schools and back into the home, sectarian reconciliation is a dream and we have to prop up a weak prime minister who resents our presence but needs our protection. And all this has only cost thousands of American lives, tens of thousands of Iraqi lives, close to a trillion dollars and no end in sight. Yes, indeed, what an accomplishment!
Incredible game! Both teams should be proud of their play. And that was the first time I’ve enjoyed a half-time show in 15 years that didn’t involve a wardrobe malfunction.
That was a great game to warch. I was rooting for the underdog, but it was an exciting game no matter who you were cheering for.
High drama!
Steelers 27
Cards 24
Whew!!
mespo,
Steelers? Really? Come on man, it’s been 61 years since the Cards played a championship and that wasn’t even the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh has rings and trophies and while I’m NOT a Cards fan from way back to the St. Louis days (don’t get me started on Cards baseball – with the exception of Oz and Whitey), but it’d be nice to see them get it too just for historical kicks. Like I told Jill, my only bet this year is that one team will win. It’s a sure shot, but the payoff on those odds are crap.
BTW – Holy Day Menu Here is (only one recipe b/c we’re keeping it simple today) . . .
Burgers with the best beef in KC (in itself a bold dining pleasure), not preground, but rough ground at home in the food processor. On the grill since the weather is nice. All the fixings.
Oven Fries made with Yukon Gold taters, chunks of sweet onion and sprinkled with fresh rosemary, coated in olive oil.
Assorted dips and chips. Beer or BYOB.
Homemade vanilla ice cream with vanilla-cinnamon crisps (quick and dirty recipe below).
* 10 wonton wrappers
* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 2 teaspoon vanilla infused confectioners’ sugar – put in bag with a vanilla bean for at least 3 days prior
* 1/2 – 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon according to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cut the wonton wrappers in half on the diagonal or in strips. I like a mix. In a medium sized bowl, toss the cut wontons with the canola oil making sure the coating is even.
Place the triangles onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown and crisped.
Dust while hot with infused confectioners’ sugar, and serve. Good plain, with ice cream or as a foundation for plating desserts like creme brule or poached pears in red wine sauce (but not in strip form). Crisps will keep a few days in an airtight container but they usually get snacked out of existence before then.
Not as fancy as what you and Patty have shared, but today’s not for too fancy is my experience.
I hope you and all our other Super Bowlers have good one!
Just one of many examples of how the House of Saud maintains its repression of the Saudi people, through anachronistic, religious fanaticism: http://thebfdblog.com/2008/02/11/saudis-repress-cupid/
I am appalled and revolted but sadly, I am neither surprised nor shocked at the brutality coming from the Muslim world. What I yearn and desire is the ability to impart to the Western world is the mindset and worldview of the Muslim people. I recall giggling at the thought of our President sitting down with Iran’s president to dialogue. Why did I giggle? I giggled because I found it amusing that there is such a lack of understanding of how these people think. What defines an Eastern Muslim? Islam defines how they think. It permeates their very being as Islam is their culture. Our upbringing and our culture define our way of thinking and because we think the way we do, we reason that what we want, they want. Our culture teaches us that people should be allowed to make choices in how we worship or not worship or even change ‘religions’ if that is our choice. Our laws do not prosecute us if we choose to change ‘religions’ but in fact, will protect us if that is our choice. Their culture is defined by the teachings of Islam and to dishonor Islam, one must be punished.
Democracy should never spread by the barrel of a gun. All these conservatives are saying is that they don’t believe democracy would win out in the marketplace of ideas.
So much for blind faith in the invisible hand.
Illiberal governments are on the rise, mainly from tacit US support that says “we don’t care how you treat your citizens as long as you agree with us.” Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel all have poor human rights records but nothing is ever said because they are our “strongest allies in the region.” Losing the moral high ground is one of out biggest international problems. The United States has become a country of “do as I say, not as I do”
Iraq is free? I thought it cost 4000+ lives and 3 trillion dollars and my Constitutional rights to privacy and to travel, inter alia. I must have missed the newspaper ad. Now I going back to my pre-game prep. I will not be bothered by trolls on a “holy day.” Go Steelers!!
Mark,
Yes. Who will forget the way Obama forced people attending his appearances to sign loyalt oaths? Oh wait. That was Chimpy.
O.K., well, who will forget the way Obama disregarded the fourth amendment by authorizing warrantless wiretaps of American citizens? Um… ok… That was the Special Ed President again.
All right! I’ve got it. We all remember when Obama’s spokesman told us that “Americans need to watch what they say”! Am I right? What?! It was Drinky, AGAIN?
Hmmmm. I’m sure Mark must have plenty of examples to back up his point. I just can’t come up with any.
Oh wait, there was that time Obama outted a CIA agent and jeopardized several covert operations just to get back at the agent’s husband for exposing Obama’s fraudulent justification for going to war…
Buddha,
The trolls are multiplying again!
The fact that 90% of the 9/11 attackers were Saudi citizens has never been discussed much and the reason is because George W. was on the job. He and his family have been in the Saudi pocket for a long time. It is time to put the Saudi’s in their proper place. This example of religious discrimination in Saudi Arabia is just one more nail in the coffin. That might be the one country that George W. can go to without being arrested for War crimes. Maybe he will exile himself there.
Iraq is Free:
God bless your free country & God Bless the President that made it possible.
Enjoy your freedom, it is hard to keep. We are struggling to keep our freedom right now in America as a result of the November elections and the attempts under the Obama regime at silencing opposition.
mespo and JT,
That link? I don’t want you to think I’m saying anything about the animal community. It’s all about the humans.
Speaking of which . . . here’s a suggestion.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2172612.ece
A troll by any other name . . .
At least an inability to learn is one of your consistencies.
Look, if you want to feed your masochistic tendencies, I only hard smack trolls when I’m making a point about trolls so addressing me directly as bait won’t work. Go get someone else to abuse you. It shouldn’t be difficult.
Buddha writes: “Can someone please explain why Bush Co. and our government still treats these kind of people as our “allies”?”
The first mistake is calling out “Bush Co” when it is now “Bama Co”. The second mistake is not understanding how “my enemy’s enemy is my friend” works.
Buddhababy, even France does some stupid stuff Americans don’t like, like making back door deals with Saddam for his oil, undercutting UN sanctions, while our Air Force pilots are in the air having missiles shot at them for enforcing the same UN Sanctions. So do we knock FRANCE off the allies list also?
I find it interesting how those that whined some of the world hated us under Bush us are now discovering that now it is just different countries that hate us under Obama than it was under Bush.
Can someone please explain why Bush Co. and our government still treats these kind of people as our “allies”? Aside from Exxon’s again global record setting P&L statement? Saudi Arabia not only attacked us, but the continue to stand squarely against every value and legal tradition this country was founded upon. This is on top of being a perpetual regional irritant. Theocratic monarchist fascists, they have been reluctant and even hostile to attempts to curb both terrorism and terrorism funding because they know they’d be turning in members of the “royal” family.
Just remember when you see red skies at night that the end of the world is being sponsored by Saudi Arabia, PNAC and Big Oil. Saudi Arabia is their ring leader. Personally, nothing would give me more satisfaction than a photo of Prince Bandar with a Marine’s boot on his throat. Almost as much as seeing the same thing happen to Dick Cheney and the members of the Secret Energy Taskforce.
I’m not the only American who feels this way, Saudi Arabia. You might want to keep that in mind now your boy is out power and the party you purchased is imploding. Some of us were paying attention to WHO attacked us on 9/11. Pst, it wasn’t Iraq. We may not take over your country, but I think it’s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that we can destroy one.
Think about that next time you try to force your 12the Century retrograde version of religion down someone’s throat. Or resist efforts to cut off money to terrorists. Or endorse child rape. Or jerk around oil prices via your puppet monopoly/cartel/criminal organization OPEC just because you can (for now). Or any of the other just plain shitty behavior that is the hallmark of your state.
What goes around, comes around, Saudi Arabia. Your days are NUMBERED.
Don’t expect a lot of sympathy when you get what’s justly coming to you.