The More I Read About Her

The more I admire her. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is not just brave, she's downright heroic. She's also apparently a top-notch speaker.

Ayaan spoke of her evolution in thinking about Islam and becoming a politician and activist.  She was raised Muslim, but at some point decided that there was no God.  Once she was free of the fear of God, hell and damnation, she was able to critically look at Islam and ask questions.  After 9/11, she asked, is terrorism linked to Islam or not? Can Islam be refomed? Her answer to the second question: Yes, but it must be reformed by Muslims. And it cannot be reformed without negating (not just ignoring) certain parts of the Koran.  "We must leave in the past that which belongs in the past."

From her experiences as a social worker in Holland, she saw that many immigrant woman and girls were victims of violence, including being beaten, enduring FGM and forced marriages.  Holland, caught up in multiculturalism, didn't protect these women but deferred to the immigrant men.  The females were at the mercy of the religious and cultural practices of their immigrant "collective."  And Holland, like other liberal European states, was sacrificing the individual rights of women and children for the collective rights of the religious minorities. 

From all indications, she is also someone who is not at all likely to lose an argument.

The Q&A afterwards demonstrated the forces that Ayaan is working against.   Most questions were to her were fairly hostile: How can an atheist reform Islam? What is your agenda?  Why are you speaking about Islam when you are not a theologian?  Isn't what you're doing extreme and dangerous and how is it serving the cause?  Why should a Muslim listen to you?  Aren't you setting up a straw man argument, saying that Muslims are either good Muslims or they're Osama bin Laden? Why are you only harping about Islam?  What about the Hindu texts?

Ayaan was unflappable and graceful in her responses."I speak about Islamic texts because that is what I know.  Religion is public, ideas are public.  It is necessary and urgent to review, revise, and discuss Islam as a body of ideas.  It is time to examine the links between reliigon and values."   

Ayaan Hirsi Ali shames her questioners and outright enemies. She has a grace and dignity that they cannot even hope to emulate.

UPDATE: Quite a good writeup at Roger Houston on the speech.

Equally Dumb

I've been thinking about this story since I first read it this morning. I really wanted to get my thoughts straight. According to the report, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson made remarks at a public meeting that explained that he had refused to award a contract because the contractor had criticized the President.

After discussing the huge strides the agency has made in doing business with minority-owned companies, Jackson closed with a cautionary tale, relaying a conversation he had with a prospective advertising contractor.

"He had made every effort to get a contract with HUD for 10 years," Jackson said of the prospective contractor. "He made a heck of a proposal and was on the (General Services Administration) list, so we selected him. He came to see me and thank me for selecting him. Then he said something … he said, 'I have a problem with your president.'

"I said, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'I don't like President Bush.' I thought to myself, 'Brother, you have a disconnect — the president is elected, I was selected. You wouldn't be getting the contract unless I was sitting here. If you have a problem with the president, don't tell the secretary.'

"He didn't get the contract," Jackson continued. "Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I believe."

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever if any law was broken by doing this. But if this story is true, and not made up out of the whole cloth to illustrate Jackson's point (which is a completely different discussion), then Jackson is just plain dumb here. This is a place no rational person wants to go, ever. This is a Pandora's box that should remain closed.

On the other hand, if a contractor actually said this to Jackson, he's a complete idiot and has no business doing business with the government. Freedom of speech does not grant immunity from consequences. Shooting your mouth off for absolutely no other reason than to feel good about yourself is a recipe for disaster. Any businessman who thinks they can badmouth the customer and thrive is just plain dumb.

On the dumb scale, they are both at the same level.

Free Alaa

I've already contacted the Egyptian Embassy (no reply as yet) by email. I'm sending off an email to the US State Department as well.

Are you a blogger? Are you writing emails? If not, why not?

Are you a human being? Are you writing emails? If not, why not?

No politics here, folks. Left or right, if you believe in freedom of speech get on board and DO SOMETHING.

You can help free 48 people.

UPDATE: I just did several different searches on Technorati, Ice Rocket, Bloglines and Google. A number of bloggers have linked this story. But all of them are what are considered right wing or right-of-center blogs. I did not see one, single left blog (apologies if I missed any, leave a comment and I'll update with that information). The left is supposed to be the champion of human rights.

Where the hell are you all?

You Can NOT Make This Stuff Up

No sooner did I post the last article about the lady who collects outhouses, when this weirdly related piece popped up.

A Maine woman has been charged with helping her daughter and two other teenage girls bake cookies laced with Ex-Lax to give to a teacher.

Julie Hunt appeared in Skowhegan District Court on Monday and pleaded innocent to a charge of misdemeanor assault.

Hunt was arrested Friday after a police investigation into the attempted prank at Carrabec Community School in Anson that sickened four seventh- and eighth-grade children.

The cookies, which were baked with Ex-Lax, were left on the teacher's desk on April 10 with a note saying, "We made these cookies just for you, hope you enjoy them."

Several students became ill after eating the cookies. Perhaps a fitting punishment would be sentencing Ms. Hunt to serving time in the lower floor of this.

Just a thought.

Well, It’s An Unusual Collection

Of outhouses. That's right, privies, two-holers, you-know-what houses. Janie Peel of Appling, Georgia collects the predecessors to indoor plumbing and stores the buildings in her back yard. She says she like old buildings.

But does she have a brick one? Or even better, a two-story one?

Who knew there was a website for outhouse enthusiasts?

We've said it before - there are some search word combinations we are scared to death to try…..

101st Blog Of The Day

Continuing on my project to visit one member of the Fighting 101st each day, today I went to Way Off Bass (loved the name) and found a poet by the name of Cameron Wood. I'll have to see about getting a copy of the album he recommends further down the page, too.

TRUA Reviews Hewitt

The Real Ugly American has a review of Hugh Hewitt's new book up over at his site. He had an unfortunate accident while doing an interview with Hewitt, but still managed to get the story out.

Still More On The Angry Left

Well, Richard Cohen got his baptism from the angry folks on the left. I also see that Jonathan Chait got the same treatment. Both of these writers tend to be pretty harsh critics of the administration. But they did the unforgivable. They dared express an opinion not sanctioned by the Move On/Atrios/Kos convergence. So, how are the lefty sites reacting to this criticism. Why with anger, of course.

Thanks for proving the point, folks. I think I'll start an implosion watch pool. Anyone want in?

UPDATE: Freaking ouch.

You Can Tell

That whoever wrote this is a city feller. The city of Clermont, Iowa has passed a law banning the feeding of stray cats. The reporter calls the cats "cuddly".

Feral cats are anything but cuddly. They're usually extremely nasty and very, very messy to have around.

Here’s Your Big Chance!

We reported a while back on a Chinese businessman who had purchased an unusual paperweight for his office. A MiG-21 jet fighter to be precise. Well, it turns out he a) can't bring the jet into China and b) can't read very well. The eBay auction specifically restricted the sale of the aircraft to the US or Canada. So the businessman wants his money back.

So here's a thought, maybe the 101st should go in together and buy our own air force!

Identity Confirmed

The man who spent 23 years posing as Christopher Edward Buckingham in England has been positively identified as Charles Albert Stopford III from Clearwater, Florida. (Original post here.) His family is quite delighted that they have found the wayward lad, however, he doesn't seem quite as pleased. He's refusing all visitors or contact while in jail. Authorities are trying to figure out what to do with him at this point.

Stopford fled Florida after allegedly attempting to blow up his supervisor's car. And you thought working at a Burger King was boring.

Thanks To Science We Have An Answer

Yesterday we had a troubling report that young men in college were experiencing performance problems in areas not actually part of their course of study. The poor guys are having problems in their sex lives.

But in Today's New York Times there is a ray of hope that may help stiffen their resolve. Or something like that.

Researchers at Knox college report that handling handguns raises testosterone levels! Hope is just around the corner guys! If you're only having a little difficulty, maybe a .38 special will do the trick. For a more difficult case, perhaps a .40 S&W. Only in extreme cases should you consider a .44 magnum, though. You might strain yourself.

Why Isn’t This Getting More Attention?

I found the link to this article over at Roger Simon's place. This should be getting major coverage all over the MSM and the blogosphere.

Topping his agenda were under-the-radar peace talks with Israel, religious classes to teach Imams the history and virtues of the West, and dramatic new initiatives to build ties to Rabbis and evangelical Christians.

Were Dr. Ahmed Abaddi merely a soft-spoken, gentle-mannered professor of comparative religion in his native Morocco, his views would certainly be welcome, but not particularly newsworthy. However, Abaddi is actually in a position of some influence. As Morocco’s Director of Islamic Affairs and senior advisor to King Mohammed VI, he is responsible for overseeing his country’s 33,000 mosques. And he’s not just talking about a new approach to Muslim relations with the West. At the direction, and with the blessing, of his King, Abaddi has already taken a number of concrete—and controversial—steps.

The article goes on to document many of the actions Dr. Ahmed Abaddi has taken that are positive. This a an important sign that there is hope in the Muslim world. It is not all rabid Islamic fascism, there really are moderate voices.

One wonders if things like this and the collapsing terrorist insurgency in Iraq cast a different light on the Iranian psychopathic loony President's letter. Maybe his letter is not really crowing about the downfall of democracy, but whistling past the graveyard of the Islamofascist's dreams.

Please read the whole thing.

Feingold Opens Mouth, Changes Foot

Russ Feingold wants Democrats to "stand up to Bush" over the Iraq war. One wonders where Mr. Feingold gets his news reports. The Democrats have been doing nothing else but criticizing Bush for several years now. What does he want to do, challenge Bush to a duel?

"We must get out of our political foxholes and be willing to clearly and specifically point out what a strategic error the Iraq invasion has been," Feingold, D-Wis., told a National Press Club audience.

Yeesh. Try to stay current, Russ. This isn't 2003 anymore and your party has been relentless in it's criticism. Except we really know who this is aimed at, don't we?

Careful, Russ. There may be robotic penguins in your future as well……

When Headlines Make You Go “Huh?”

"Rove prepares 20 judges", says the headline to the article published in The Hill. Which leads me to wonder exactly how one properly prepares a judge. Are they better sautéed or roasted? Sadly the article doesn't say and my cookbooks are no help whatsoever.