By Akil N. Awan | (The National Interest) The masked gunmen who assaulted the Charlie Hebdo offices in a hail of automatic gunfire, leaving twelve people dead in their wake, were heard proclaiming, “we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad.” Amateur footage also revealed the killers invoking God with the Arabic phrase, “Allahu Akbar”—an otherwise-innocuous, everyday […]
Archives for January 2015
Twitter mirth after Steve Emerson’s Fox Nonsense re: Birmingham as Muslim ‘no-go’ Zone
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) — Steve Emerson, a major figure in the Islamophobic network on which our right wing billionaires spend roughly $10 million a year, and who has even been paid for his wisdom by the US government, delivered himself of the most remarkable set of weird conspiracy theories on Fox Cable […]
Determined to Protect Jewish Citizens, France to deploy thousands of Troops to “sensitive sites”
AFP | — “Members of the Jewish community in Paris remain rattled after an Islamist attack that left four people dead at a kosher supermarket. France has deployed thousands of troops across the country to guard Jewish schools and other sites.” AFP: “France to deploy thousands to protect Jewish, “sensitive sites” ”
The Right’s Determined lies about Keystone XL Creating Jobs
MediaMatters4America | — “The right keeps on pushing lies about the Keystone Pipeline.” MediaMaters4America: “The Keystone XL Jobs Lie”
Hezbollah’s Surprising Denunciation of Paris Attacks: is it Courting the West?
By Rola El-Husseini | (Special to Informed Comment) In a speech in Beirut on January 9, 2014, on the occasion of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah declared that killings and beheadings by “takfiris” (excommunicators) are more harmful to Islam than are cartoons or books mocking the Prophet. This was […]
After Charlie Hebdo: More Surveillance won’t Protect Free Speech
By Jillian York | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Following a terrorist attack, it is not uncommon to hear calls from politicians and government officials for increased surveillance. Fear and grief can lead to quick “solutions” that have significant consequences; as we pointed out last week, some of the most far-reaching surveillance and law enforcement powers around […]
Paris Rally: Charlie Hebdo Team regret not Parading Caricatures of Hypocritical World Leaders
Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) Le Monde reported on the Charlie Hebdo team at the Paris rally on Sunday, the largest demonstrations in France since the end of World War II. They were emotionally exhausted, having lived through a nightmarish week that saw 10 of their colleagues murdered in cold blood. (One of the staffers […]
J.K. Rowling takes Rupert Murdoch to Hogwarts School over his Islamophobia
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) Rupert Murdoch is the billionaire press lord and major shareholder in News Corp., which own Sky News and Fox Cable News. He tweeted after the Paris attacks: Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible. — Rupert Murdoch […]
New Republican Majority Wants to intervene in Obama’s Iran Talks
By Luke Johnson | (RFE/RL) WASHINGTON — Should U.S. President Barack Obama and Western powers reach a nuclear deal with Iran, they could face a new hurdle: a Republican Congress. Republicans are eyeing various Iran-related measures, including legislation to impose fresh sanctions should talks fail and to require congressional review of any deal. The Obama […]