Please suggest a title!

Mr Geert Wilders. Source here

I am undecided so please suggest a title for this piece. Words that have occurred to me so far have been "cowards", "poltroonery", and "appeasers."

I am referring to the case where a democratically-elected Dutchman, Geert Wilders, was refused entry to the United Kingdom on the grounds that he might stir up trouble, because he has unfashionable views about Islamists. The Islamists showing their usual disregard for historical accuracy, or indeed any kind of accuracy, have labelled Mr Wilders a "fascist" which personally I do not believe he is. He has been accused of religious hatred. Actually whilst I wouldn't say I hate religion, I would be inclined to say that Religion of nearly every persuasion leaves me distinctly underwhelmed, based as it is on pathetic superstition. As the Marquis de Montaigne so wisely observed, "Man is truly stupid: he cannot make a worm, yet he creates gods by the dozen."

These events have shown the United Kingdom in a very poor light indeed - showing that there is a distinct lack of what the military used to call "moral fibre."

The Government in the form of Miss "Jacqui" Smith, Home Secretary, has been quick to criticise Mr Wilders. Unfortunately it is not long since the self-same government buckled under to the United States over the case of the British Guantanamo Bay prisoner , Binyam Mohammed who has said to have been been subjected to appalling torture with, if not the connivance of MI6, at least with the knowledge of two or perhaps more of its officers.

With this in mind, the British Government is in no position to attempt to occupy the high moral ground it seems to claim in the case of Mr Wilders. It should, for a start, ask itself whether it is responsible for running the country, or whether this important function is henceforth to be carried out only after seeking and obtaining the approval of the Islamists who perhaps represent 5% of the population.

Poltroons indeed! Apparently, "The Government remains committed to the principle of free speech."

What a joke.

News links here , here., here and here

UPDATE:  Here's a well thought-out piece on the subject from Charles Moore at the Daily Telegraph.

SECOND UPDATE:  Today the BBC has another story on this subject.  The key paragraphs are:

Lawyers acting for Mr Mohamed have campaigned for alleged evidence of his torture to be made public.

Last week, judges refused to order the disclosure of a summary of US reports on his detention, citing a threat to US intelligence-sharing with Britain.

Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones ruled that some parts of papers referring to Mr Mohamed should remain secret, following the threat from the US to halt the sharing of information on terrorism.

However, they said Foreign Secretary David Miliband believed there was a "real risk" that the potential loss of intelligence co-operation would seriously increase the threat from terror faced by the UK.

Mr Miliband later insisted there had been "no threat" from the US. 

And still more stinky stuff has come to light; this will run for a while I think.

Until the next time.

Wacko Jacko Reinvents Himself?

"Bad"  Source: here

Michael Jackson has excelled himself: he has become a Muslim and may be seen in the picture above elegantly turned out in some sort of black tent.

There is no doubt that Jackson is talented.  Really I have to say it's all very sad.  Perhaps now he will be greeted by Mr Whippy in Somalia?  Better give up the dancing (at least with ladies) Michael (now "Mikaeel").

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Until the next time

Strictly Come Dancing? I think Not

Alternative title:

THE BARBARIC, THE TRAGICOMICAL & THE COURAGEOUS.

I hate once again to give you a rant, but once again here it is! It is about those wonderful, progressive, humanitarian peoples, full of the milk of human kindness, tolerance and generosity, guided (so they say) by their holy book.

My alternative title is inspired by the fact that this piece is based on three recent news items, as usual taken from the International Herald Tribune.

The first item, splendidly illustrating how holy men can provide comfort and support for populations in struggling countries, comes from Somalia. There, 32 people, 25 women and 7 men foolishly decided to take part in a traditional dance. In consequence, they were all whipped.

"We arrested 25 women and seven men who were dancing near Balad (town). We released them after whipping them. We warned them many times, but they wouldn't listen," he told Reuters.

"The dancing of men and women together is illegal and totally against Islam. We neither killed them nor injured them, but only whipped them according to the Islamic law."

Thus spake one Sheikh Adow, a fine example of Islamic fundamentalism. A bullet in the back of the Sheikh's head would, I think, improve conditions in that locality. What a miserable example he is! "We neither killed nor injured them, but only whipped them..." Arsehole.

By an amusing coincidence, the second story concerns dancing too. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, is apparently Vice-President of Iran and he is in big trouble. Mr Mashaie is responsible for Culture and Tourism and presumably in connnexion with his official role, attended a ceremony in which women in traditional dress carried a copy of the Koran (the Islamic bible if you didn't know) accompanied by music. This has been described as a "dance" and is viewed as being very naughty indeed. There are calls for the Vice-President's resignation. Sounds very moderate to me; perhaps they'll not injure him - just give him a little whipping? Next time perhaps the women will carry a copy of the Satanic Verses or Plato's Republic - or even Tom Jones (!) instead.

Finally my third item shows real courage which I can only boggle at. I should say that I am well aware that sitting here in the West at my keyboard, it is easy to be "brave"; the story of Shamsia in Afghanistan puts all of us bloggers to shame.

Shamsia, a 17-year-old schoolgirl at Kandahar, was in a group of girls who were attacked by some of those fearless servants of Allah and Mohammed. No doubt inspired by the Koran, they ripped off the girls' headscarves and threw acid into their faces. Shamsia is made of stern stuff; covered in ointment and with one eye damaged she said:

"I'll continue going to lessons. I'm studying to be able to build our country."

In Afghanistan where the appalling Taliban who were most likely responsible for this fine holy act, hold sway over much of the country, Shamsia has great courage to speak out thus. I wish her every success.

Until the next time.

Damn' Right!

The subject of Free Speech is one guaranteed to get my blood pressure up into to the red part of the scale - principally because of course despite its being guaranteed by various international treaties and charters and well-meaning bodies it seems not to exist in many parts of the world.

I have written here on this subject a number of times - for example on 1st March and 3rd March this year.

For once something good has happened. Today the BBC reports that the Centre for Social Cohesion, a British organisation has, citing the cases of 27 writers who have been threatened for criticising the Muslim religion, stated that "governments have a duty to ensure free speech for all citizens" (or of course in Great Britain, subjects).

This sort of thing is long overdue: I considered it outrageous that a foreign government could threaten the life of a British subject with seeming impunity. I refer to the case of Salman Rushdie, who was obliged to live in hiding for nine years, all because he wrote a book. And what about this case (from the BBC article):

"And Syrian-born Danish MP Naser Khader, who founded the organisation Democratic Muslims, in the wake of the Prophet Muhammad cartoon row, lives under 24-hour police protection, said the think tank's report. "

Britain needs a new Lord Palmerston: he would have known how to deal with these religious fatheads.

That's right: they make me bloody angry with their insufferable arrogance and barbaric medieval behaviour, all in the name of their god.

Until the next time