With Libya now moving to a Sharia-based system that will impose religious values on the population, Egypt is also rapidly moving toward an extreme Sharia based system. Indeed, Hesham al Ashry (the leader of the Salafists) announced this week that “I am the enemy of democracy.”
Businessman Naguib Sawiris now calls Egypt’s future “dim … bad.”
Al Ashry put the reality into perspective: “This is a big opportunity and it’s not going to go back. This was mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed. Peace be upon him. He said this was going to happen.” Thus, the freedom that led to the overthrow of Mubarak regime will now be extinguished to embrace a new form of oppression — just faith-based rather than tyrant-based repression.
One of the objections made to the intervention of the United States in Libya was that, in addition to the absence of any declaration from Congress, President Obama could bring bring about a more radical regime. Even at the time, Libyan rebels were known to have extremist elements, including some linked to Al Qaeda. Some of the same concerns were heard in our Egyptian policies. I am less critical of the Obama policy on Libya. Indeed, I thought the Administration struck the right tone — without military intervention. However, there is a general misconception that the “Arab Spring” necessarily means a triumph of democracy and human rights. Movements in both Libya and Egypt show the powerful pull of theocratic oppression. The denial of the separation of mosque and state (as well as religious freedom) undermines a host of other rights from free speech to free association. The Obama Administration undermined those rights further with its shocking support of a United Nation’s resolution that embraced the concept of blasphemy prosecutions.
With the move to Sharia law, Egypt is showing other signs of extremism. Sectarian violence, particularly against Christians, has increased with little intervention from the military.
The loss of Egypt to religious extremism would be extremely destabilizing for the regime. It will also raise a question of our continued massive support for the country. Even though we have cities and states breaking under economic pressures, we are still pouring billions in aid to both Israel and Egypt.
raff, Ferguson was indeed a British officer who was under the command of General Cornwallis. In fact he was a brilliant man from Scotland who invented the Ferguson rifle. It was the first breech loading rifle to be experimented with by the military.
Wasn’t he the Scottish officer who had a chance to shoot Washington?
OS,
I thought he was a British officer so that is why I said European history.
Hit Post too soon.
Here is the quote
“It can be assumed without a shred of doubt that Patrick Ferguson utterly underestimated the courage of the mountain men. Their apparent advantage in numbers did not discourage him from offering battle; otherwise he would have continued his march on October 7th in the direction of Charlotte and Cornwallis. But had he known that these Overmountain Men would so aggressively stand and fight with a fierceness and conviction never before experienced in his southern campaign, I’m sure he would have been much more cautious and considerably less heroic.”
There is a lesson for the banksters and politicians here, methinks.
From my link above:
“
raff, that was not Europe. That was here where I live. We have a tradition around her of not suffering fools gladly.
http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/kingsmtfall05.html
Major October Snowstorm Targets Northeast
Powerful Storm Could Impact 60 Million People
http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/weekend-storm-wet-snow_2011-10-26
OS,
I am not sure they are up on their European history.
raff, maybe they heard what happened to Major Ferguson.
Gene and OS,
The corporations are mighty scared of this movement and they are pulling out all of the stops.
From Bdaman’s link.
“I don’t think this person represents the whole,” Huddy pointed out. “One of the media representatives asked me not to categorize this one person as representative of the whole group. Most of the folks I’ve dealt with have been accommodating. There is an element here that we’ve seen that has caused problems. Overall, it has been peaceful in the park.
There are documented agents provocateurs in the OWS camps. They are trying to weed them out as best they can, but they keep coming back.
The General Assembly is trying their best to keep it peaceful, non-violent and non-confrontational. It has succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations.
Virtually every unprovoked attack has come at the hands of the police. The regrettable incident in Oakland is the prime example.
Bdaman, you can do all the mental gymnastics you want and try to cherry pick hyperbolic journalists and wingnut bloggers all you want. The fact remains that I have seen NO video postings of OWS starting anything, and I scour YouTube and LiveLeak for images. If they were there, I would have found them. There are dozens of videos and photos on-line of police instigating violence against the OWS people. If there were all the rioters you describe, you can bet there would be actual, you know, pictures of it. There are hundreds of video cameras and security CCTV setups. If such pictures existed, you can bet Fox, CNN and MSNBC would be running endless loops of it.
Hey maybe it’s a sign
It would be the earliest one-inch snowfall in the city since the Civil War.
Northeast U.S. braces for October snowstorm with up to a FOOT predicted in areas.
Parts of Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, upstate New York, and New England could see “significant amounts of snow” this weekend, say forecasters.
New York has received measurable snow before Halloween only three times since 1869 – and never more than one inch, which is what some experts are predicting.
It would be the earliest one-inch snowfall in the city since the Civil War.
OS,
It’s funny that you said “If the park is open 24-7 and they suddenly announce it is closing at sunset solely because a meeting is going on there they did not like, then that is another thing entirely.”
It’s funny in light of that’s exactly what just happened in Nashville.
“Occupy Nashville protesters were returning to the Tennessee Legislative Plaza in front of the state capitol on Friday after being rousted from their campsite by state troopers earlier this morning.
Twenty-nine protesters were taken into custody at shortly after 3 a.m. Some were dragged from the campsite they’ve occupied for about three weeks.
Those arrested were taken to Davidson County Night Court for booking, but were freed by Night Court Commissioner Thomas Nelson.
‘You have no lawful basis to arrest and charge those people,’ Nelson said to state troopers.
‘For three weeks they’ve sat up there and protested under no admonition whatsoever that they were violating state policy regarding camping out on Legislative Plaza or that they were committing a crime.’
He said he understood that the state had changed its policy on Thursday, but ‘they (the protesters) have to be given the opportunity to comply with those rules.’
The action — a line of 75 troopers swept through the camp after giving a 10-minute warning — came less than a day after the state’s Department of General Services said the plaza and other public areas nearby would be subject to a curfew, with no occupation between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45078623/ns/us_news-life/#.TqsjEM3cKz8
Jackbooted thuggery to deprive people of the 1st Amendment rights.
And thus, there is thunder before every storm.
Way to go, Tennessee.
A disgruntled Occupy Wall Street protestor confronted WNYW‘s John Huddy this morning, as he was covering the latest developments in Zuccotti Park, and the situation quickly turned ugly.
“This is somebody I’ve come across several times for the last few days,” Huddy told viewers following the altercation. “He threatened to stab me in the throat with a pen. He ripped the mic out of my hand.” Video inside…
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/occupy-protestor-assaults-wnyw-reporter_b27076
If a park closes at sunset and there is a gate to close, then fine. But only provided the closing is an established procedure. If the park is open 24-7 and they suddenly announce it is closing at sunset solely because a meeting is going on there they did not like, then that is another thing entirely.
Some years ago, in 1780 to be exact, a Major Patrick Ferguson sent a message to a group called the Wataugans. That message told the Wataugans to leave where they were and submit to his authority or, “…I will march my army over the mountains, hang your leaders, and lay your country waste with fire and sword.”
Their response? They went looking for him and killed him, along with most of his army.
THAT is the blood that runs in my veins. Just so you will know where I am coming from. The rights enumerated in the Constitution were bought with blood. I am not giving any of them up without a fight.
Occupy Wall St. gets dangerous; NYPD threatens to sue rowdy demonstrators who initiate violence
There are some parts of Zuccotti Park that even the protesters won’t go at night.
Police sources said Thursday that several fights have been reported in the park and officers have been warned of “dangerous instruments being concealed within cardboard tubing” when approaching the demonstrators.
“There is a lot of infighting in the park,” a police source said. “There is one part of the park where even they don’t go at night. They call it The Ghetto.”
The revelation came after the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association warned demonstrators that he will pursue civil suits against anyone who assaults any union member.
“New York’s police officers are working around the clock as the already overburdened economy in New York is being drained by ‘occupiers’ who intentionally and maliciously instigate needless and violent confrontations with the police,” SBA President Ed Mullins said in a statement.
Mullins said about 20 NYPD cops have been injured in clashes with protesters. He said he will also push for prosecutors to bring felony assault raps against anyone who gets physical with an NYPD sergeant.
Mullins’ threat follows a spate of violent incidents between cops and demonstrators at Occupy movements across the country.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/10/28/2011-10-28_get_physical_in_wall_st_protes.html#ixzz1c7CaaXen
What if you and I–and maybe the rest of the Turley regulars–went to the park to have this discussion. Do we need a permit?
That all depends on what the rules of the park are. And those rules could be quite different public verses city. One may say park closes at sunset.
We could have a meeting not knowing what the rules are and if the meeting was against the rules or required a permit and someone says something we could say sorry, didn’t know, we will know next time. If someone doesn’t say anything then yip pee.
Perhaps the nuns were being obtuse, Elaine. I always heard those were called Angles. In all fairness, they’re a lot like Engels but usually with no itchy skin, aches or fever.
Engels? I thought Engels were heavenly creatures with wings. I guess I didn’t learn so much during the twelve years that I spent in parochial schools!