The Root.com has some interesting observations on enduring prejudices among whites about blacks being inherently prone to violence that remind me of common attitudes towards Muslims. Will White People Riot? | Views | TheRoot.com "Would black people riot if Sen. Barack Obama didn't win the election?" That was the question a white man in Memphis recently asked a racial reconciliation group with which I am involved. After five years of being a columnist for the daily paper in Memphis, I... Read more

It's a strange world out there. HT: The Urban Journal. Read more

Listen to this empty-headed, hate-spouting "legislator" accusing a huge chunk of America (and many of her colleagues) of being anti-American terror sympathizers merely for the mortal sin of leaning Left and not buying her guy's scare tactics. This is symptom of the deep intellectual and moral malaise afflicting the Republican Party today. They're so completely out of ideas that all they have to offer is this vicious and breathtakingly hypocritical slime. It's quite revolting to see a politician who's obviously... Read more

Thanks to the good folks at Al-Hewar, I just came across a refreshingly sober and thoughtful (not to mention nicely produced) article in an Antiochian Orthodox publication on the lot of non-Muslims under Muslim rule in the Middle East since the advent of Islam. Here's its introduction: The symposium in which this paper is being given, “Christians and Jews Under Islam,” held at Antiochian Village, Ligonier, PA, July 21–25, 2008, could not have come at a better time. Those of... Read more

Okay, as with all things on this blog, I’m woefully behind on this matter of business, but I hereby announce for the benefit of the few of you who have not already heard the news repeatedly from other, more diligent Muslim bloggers, it’s time to cast your vote for the 5th Annual Brass Crescent awards. This year pranksters do not, thankfully, have the option of voting for Akram’s Razor, as I’m one of the judges. (Which is surely the Blogosphere... Read more

What a picture. A whole lot of the WSJ’s most loyal readers no doubt crapped their pants at this sight, from a red state only a few weeks from the election. Washington Wire – WSJ.com : Obama Rally Draws 100,000 in Missouri Read more

Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)–an excellent media watchdog outfit whose work I’ve followed and tried to support for close to a decade now–has come out with a valuable series of case studies on Islamophobia in the media. Check them out. Overview Making Islamophobia MainstreamHow Muslim-bashers broadcast their bigotry A remarkable thing happened at the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) nominations in February 2007: The normally highbrow and tolerant group nominated for best book in the field of criticism a... Read more

A world without G'days? Say it ain't so? Reminds me of reports that my beloved (and, in my case, most of the time dearly depahted) Boston accent is disappearing. BBC World Service – News – Are Australians losing their distinctive accent? The strong Australian accent has its origins in the cockney English spoken by many of the earliest migrants and was at its most pronounced in the 19th century. Now a new study has found that the accent is fading... Read more