Islam
Glenn Greenwald and Egypt, continued
A quick follow-up on Glenn Greenwald’s blundering comments about the anti-Hillary protests in Egypt: Indeed, the tomato-throwing protesters were anti-Islamist, not anti-Mubarak. In fact, this report indicates the protesters were riled up by bogus claims regarding the Obama administration’s Egypt policy — claims spouted by hysterical right-wingers in the U.S. including Michele Bachmann and Frank Gaffney. So Greenwald, rushing to validate
Glenn Greenwald thinks he understands Egypt
Regarding the protests against Hillary Clinton that occurred in Alexandria, Egypt, Glenn Greenwald tweeted this: And then this: As if the Arab world is one undifferentiated mass of anger at the U.S. In fact, this report (hat tip David Toube via FB) on the demonstrations includes the following line:
“America has disgraced itself”
I agree with this strongly worded assessment of the Cordoba controversy by Peter Beinart. Key point: Once upon a time, the “war on terror” was supposed to bring American values to Saudi Arabia. Now Newt Gingrich says we shouldn’t build a mosque in Lower Manhattan until the Saudis build churches and synagogues in Mecca—which is to say, we’re bringing Saudi
In support of Cordoba House
I’m proud that the president of my country, and the mayor of my city, have spoken out forcefully against the bigoted campaign to block the construction of a Muslim community center on Park Place in lower Manhattan. This is a phony issue ginned up by the right, in fact part of a wider outburst of xenophobia that actually has little
Antisemitism weekly roundup
I tweeted on this the other day but let me recap here: This NYT piece reported that the ships in the Free Gaza Movement flotilla were funded by something called the Perdana Global Peace Organization. Greta Berlin, a founder of the Free Gaza Movement, herself acknowledged this link to Perdana. Look around Perdana’s website and you’ll find the organization is
Which Muslims?
On the planet where rightists and tea-partiers live, “Muslims” are engaged in an undifferentiated jihad against the West; all are guilty until proven innocent. On the planet where some lefties and liberals live, “Muslims” in the West are terribly offended by the U.S. and NATO making war against “Muslims,” which leads to tragedies like the massacre at Fort Hood. On
Fort Hood
David Frum, one of America’s last sane conservatives, links to famous photographs that remind us of the sacrifice of Muslims who died as members of the U.S. military. And yet just yesterday, the very day of the Fort Hood massacre, GOP House members gave their imprimatur to a fanatical far-right rally, at which people held up posters of President Obama
Sufism the answer?
Soon after watching “A Thousand and One Voices,” Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud’s absorbing if somewhat somber documentary on Sufi music, I came upon this Foreign Policy piece by Ali Eteraz, on Pakistan’s effort to promote Sufism as a counterweight to Talibanism. (Hat tip Adam LeBor.) Eteraz hates the idea: It signals an increase in the politicization of Islam in Pakistan — if