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Abunimah v. Ajami
There was a worthwhile exchange about the cartoon protests on last night’s PBS Newshour, between Ali Abunimah and Fouad Ajami — two bright people whose views on the Middle East could hardly be more opposed. Read the transcript.
That’s a laugh
From today’s NY Times: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said publishing the cartoons ”runs counter to the principle that different religions and civilizations should respect each other and live together in peace and harmony.” Thank goodness we’ve got the government of China — ruthless persecutor of Christians, Tibetan Buddhists and Falun Gong adherents — to teach us all about
Worth a thousand words
Courtesy Filibuster Cartoons.
“What the media isn’t telling you”
A diarist at Daily Kos alleges that Saudi Arabia drummed up this whole cartoon controversy. Why? To distract the Muslim world from Saudi ineptitude following yet another stampede tragedy at Mecca during the Hajj. (Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan.)
Music in brief
Sorry for the abrupt gear-shift, but I’ve been meaning to put up some recent musical highlights. —François Moutin (bass) played the 55 Bar on Thursday, Feb. 2. If I see a better jazz show this year I’ll be surprised. The quartet had Joel Frahm on tenor, Jim Ridl on keys and Ari Hoenig on drums. I’d been under the weather
The cartoons II
It’s clear at this point that the story is no longer the cartoons, but rather the reaction to the cartoons. Let’s reflect on these lovely sentiments, expressed by extremist Muslims in London. Robert Fisk of the Independent writes: “The problem is that these cartoons portrayed Mohamad as a bin-Laden type image of violence. They portrayed Islam as a violent religion.
The cartoons
I’m with Brownie and Gene of Harry’s Place, who seem to agree that “no constructive purpose can be served by the publication of the [Muhammad caricatures] in other journals across Europe,” and that “anyone encouraging publication, in this country [Britain] or any other, relishes confrontation more than they care about reconciliation.” Marcus writes: “This Danish cartoon business is rapidly turning
More truth in labeling
Last year the Guardian ran an editorial by Saad al-Faqih and identified him merely as “a leading exiled Saudi dissident and director of the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia.” As this post at Harry’s Place revealed, al-Faqih is known to have purchased one of the satellite phones used in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombing in Nairobi. He is on