It seems that there is only one act that can really be truly subversive and effective in society. If you make people think then you're going to bring everything down that relies in blind acceptance which is exactly what Islam did at the time of the Pagans. By forcing the people to think they came to a rational understanding and today we need to force people to think rather than blindly accept. Those who drive bombs into Shia mosques and those who 'vote for change' are both blindly following one or the other. Time to think for yourselves!

Not every operation in the war on terror goes the way that the Americans would like it to and that involves fighting via proxies. Terrified of there being an area outside of their 'global reach', facing over stretch and still retaining the mental scars of their last visit in Somalia they appear to have armed and supplied the 'anti-terrorism' alliance that has been formed. Of course the arms transfers etc will have been via proxies as well to ensure that America can continue to protest its innocence when accused of breaching the arms embargo. This would have been perfect (for them) had the warlords alliance been any good but apparently the 'Islamic Courts' have taken the advantage and have even stepped outside of their existing city territory into the suburbs.

This now means that there's anti-American feeling in parts of Mogadishu and an enemy with more territory, more influence and an axe to grind against US influence. Not only this but the 'government' in Somalia loses because although tainted by the presence of warlords engaged in fighting it became painfully clear to everyone that the US has bypassed the government in favour of the 'real power'.

Chalk one up to the post 9/11 CIA.

Is it just me or does the idea that Israel allows weapons to Fatah but not medicine into Palestinian hospitals indicate what is going on there?

So a couple of news stories that made me think today. Firstly that they think they've found the original virus behind HIV called SIVcpz. Am I the only one to think "How'd it cross species?!?!" Were hunters and chimps sharing needles?

Second thing is the crazies who've been protesting outside funerals of soldiers in America. Firstly I think it's a little sad to do that because the Americans should definitely leave Iraq but the ones who are dead...well they're a little past castigation don't you think? As for the accusation that all American soldiers are gay thats absurd! Everyone knows they only get into sodomisation if its part of an interrogation...

Edit: Yes, that is my very own Bushism up there. Time we made up our own crazy words here too.

So another depressing article about forced marriage came onto the BBC News website recently but for once it was in a Christian country rather than a Muslim. Funnily enough it wasn't referred to as a "Christian" practice or problem...(Ann Cryer take note).

So it seems that much of the mass media are doing their best to ignore the
reality in Uzbekistan at the moment. Once the shooting stopped and it became
clear that the west was not doing to do anything to signal that the events
of Andijan were unacceptable, then the media decided that there was no
story. Except of course there is a story and there will continue to be
stories in Uzbekistan; people who are persecuted, arrested and tortured for
nothing more than calling to Islam. A story many people missed was that
after the media left the killing did not stop. In the prisons of Uzbekistan
political prisoners were executed either without reason or for alleged
infractions of prison codes. Prison codes by the way include things like not
praying, not reciting Qu'ran and not fasting.

For some background reading Craig Murray's
website<http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/archives/4_uzbekistan/index.html>is
worth a read on Uzbekistan and has a lot of links to media reports on
Uzbekistan. Even a simple google search will let you know a lot about what
the situation is like there. Have these restrictions and abuses done
anything to dampen the call to Islam or the thinking of the people there?
You decide...

"In the absence of live voices, entrepreneurs have moved into the recorded
sermon market. A few years ago, such recordings circulated on tape, but now
they are released on CD.

'Previously I wouldn't have thought CDs on religious subjects would have
sold so well, either,' said a trader at a market in Kokand. 'But they're
even more popular than Indian films and Russian blockbusters.'" -
IWPR<http://www.iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=261462&apc_state=henprca>

Can you imagine if this had been a Palestinian girl? It'd have been proof that Islam is a wicked religion that promotes hate and violence...because it's an Israeli girl we actually discover that its part of the 'celebrations' in Israel.

I notice the "War on Terror" has been changed into "The Long War" which is a shame to be honest. The idea of a war on terror made about as much sense as a 'war on shooting stuff' or 'war on aerial bombing' but the 'long war' just sounds depressing and vaguely indefinite. Not to mention the WOT at least an enemy to defeat (however absurd) the long war is just war that goes on for a long time with no specific enemy.

Still it does mean that eventually when they've stripped away pretty much every right under the sun we'll have forgotten the reason behind everything apart from something bad happened on 9/11 and 'they who are just evil' must pay.

I also heard a comedy radio programme which made good point: If the terrorists are attacking just because they 'hate our freedoms' then we better hope they never find out we've been bombing and invading their countries or they'd be really cross.

A quick look at the news will show how there is trouble in the Muslim world; troops still fighting in Falluja, Afghanistan still a warzone and Iran now becoming more and more a target. Yet when we focus too much on the military aspects we miss a bigger picture and one that is far more dangerous than any gunship could ever be.

There is a process of trying to shape and create ideas in the Muslim population from the western governments that often goes quite unnoticed in the Muslim Ummah. There are two main prongs to this which we can identify one being the official state actions and the other being 'insiders' promoting a 'western-friendly' version of Islam.

The state actions are two types; promoting ideas and cracking down on ideas they deem inappropiate. A fine example is the British government who wrote a report listing organisations who they deemed to be acceptable people to work with and making mention of those ideas they feel are not acceptable. Of course those groups were ones that challenged British foreign policy and present Islam as an alternative set of ideas to western liberal democracy. So groups that pander to the government will get funds, access and prominent places on 'roadshows' whilst those that do not will get exclusion at best and banning at the worst. It is these actions that lead people to become 'insiders' presenting a 'reformed' Islam that is government approved. Think back to TV interviews regarding the cartoons, how often did they wheel out a unhijabed woman (usually an Athiest) and describing her as a 'Muslim woman' who started saying how she wanted the British press to show the images?

America is no different, they have banned charities and really done their best to create a climate of fear amongst primarily immigrant Muslim communities. Threats of deportation and the actual seperation of families all leads to the creation of a compliant and pliable Muslim population.

What does this mean for us? Well it means we now have a duty to look at who is saying and why. It means that in the workplace when people start talking about a 'new' Islam quietly but firmly point out that Islam is from the Qu'ran and Sunnah that have remained the same for 1400 years. Point out that it is the right of any individual to speak out about the truth, holding governments of all kinds to account for their actions.