Islam & Science

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

Chanced upon a great website on Islamic thought. I particularly appreciate its broad scope and holistic vision. Note: The "Major Voices" index page (which lists thinkers in alphabetical order) does not work properly, but you can reach the same information via the "Through the Ages" page (which lists the same figures, but chronologically). Center for Islam & Science Home Page Center for Islam and Science (CIS) is dedicated to the promotion of research and diffusion of knowledge on all aspects... Read more

Who killed General Zia?

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

The fearless and always enlightening Eric Margolis on new suspicions that that perrenial favorite of Muslim conspiracy buffs–often for very good reason–the Mossad, had a hand in General Zia’s demise in 1988. Read Another Day in Empire’s informative analysis, too, while you’re at it. I’m far too uninformed on this to have an opinion as to the culprit, but the premise is hardly ridiculous. It wouldn’t be the first time Israeli intelligence has been involved in assasinations or other violent... Read more

Remembering Ahmed

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

I mentioned last week how a dear friend, Ahmed Hussain, had passed away unexpectedly. Sabih Khan has set up a page that is a treasure trove of wonderful pictures of Ahmed over the years. It’s a fitting tribute that give you a hint of what a fun, loving, and much loved person Ahmed was. (Thank you, Sabih. You did a great job!) There’s even a picture of me with Ahmed, so I guess my secret identity is now blown (time... Read more

The idiot cavalry rides again

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

A newspaper in Egypt has taught the Danes a lesson–that Egyptians can be as stupid as anybody else, I suspect–by running a photo of a belly dancer with Queen Margaret’s head superimposed. What a devastating riposte… The tone of the headline ("First picture of the Queen of Denmark") is very tabloidish. Does anybody know this newspaper? Also, the fonts in the other headlines are too small for me to make out. Can anybody out there translate the other headlines that... Read more

Learning (and learning to be) Danish

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

Some non-cartoon related musings about Denmark. "Danish queen raps radical Islam" the queen is quoted as voicing disapproval of "these people for whom religion is their entire life". I’m not sure how I feel about this point. I certainly object to the way some Muslims subject every aspect of life and the world to a narrow, sometimes, purritanical conception of Islam, BUT I fear that this is not what she’s talking about. My worry is that the Queen considers a... Read more

More on the pig pic

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

The Danish Muslim delegation disputes the charge, widely made in Denmark, that they misrepresented the case by bogus images in addition to the 12 published by Jyllands-Posten. They say this was the result of the mistaken distribution of a printout of an email attachment that they’d received. Am not sure whether this addresses all the charges (e.g., I think I saw a different picture, which was considerably worse) or whether this explanation has been rebutted by their Danish critics. Must... Read more

Afghani women still subject to violence

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

The topic of this report isn’t Islam or Afghani religious beliefs but I think it’s still very relevant to our contemporary debates about gender relations in Islam, as it’s an illustration of the savage practices many of us used to support, whether actively or passively, in the name of Islam. There was a time, before the international media shamed us into reexamining our priorities, when many, many Muslims effusively praised the Taliban for being "traditional" (by which was often meant... Read more

When superstition kills

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

The pervision and cruel irony of this problem in Malawi is stunning. For whatever it’s worth, Malawi is 75% Christian (55%, Protestant; 20%, Catholic), 20% Muslim, and 5% animist & other religions. “Have Men in Our Land Chosen to Become Worse Than Beasts?” (IPS News Service) In addition to their concerns about wife battering, activists say they are alarmed at apparent increases in rape, underage sex and molestation perpetrated by men [in Malawi] who believe that intercourse with a child... Read more

“Cartoons story uses a tired script”

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

The author is a good friend of mine Cartoons story uses a tired script – baltimoresun.com Americans are thoroughly comfortable with what we know well, such as in thinking that the enlightened West basks in the doctrine of free speech while pious Muslims condemn hate-filled cartoons with violent demonstrations. Read more

A Lego artist

Last updated on: May 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm By Svend White

Some lighter fare… Nathan Sawaya makes his living creating custom Lego sculptures and murals. Here are my favorite: Han Solo in Carbonite Van Gogh’s "Starry Night"(It’s not so peculiar a medium given how Impressionism was an experiment with dabs of color and points of light.) The Lego PC Read more