The Bernoulli Effect

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November 30, 2007

We Need Much More Of This From The Muslim Community

Mark Steyn at The Corner notes a statement by the Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland:

The Irish Supreme Muslim Council vehemently abhors and deplores the verdict of guilt issued by a Sudanese Court against the British school teacher Gillian Gibbons for allegedly "insulting religion".

The Council believes that a full criminal trial and now custodial sentence over the naming of a classroom toy is abominable and defies common sense.

Indeed it has been clear from the outset that Ms Gibbon did not in anyway desire to malign the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and that the choice of name for the teddy bear had come from the children themselves. The only thing to come from this affair is for the name of Islam to be dragged through the mud yet again by bigots.

For Muslims across the world, education is of paramount importance particularly because the Prophet Muhammad himself commanded Muslims to seek knowledge wherever they can.

Ms Gibbons was indeed a part of such a noble tradition of teaching others and we are appalled by her treatment and note that Sudanese Courts do not speak for true Islam, or Muslims in Ireland and Europe.

We are saddened that the Muslim world is silent on issues such as these and the punishment of the Saudi girl, but they are quick to issue decrees to justify and appease their political rulers. We call on the Azhar, who does not hesitate to issue decrees to appease Hosni Mubarak, and the Saudi scholars to forth-rightly condemn such unbecoming behaviour.

We also call on the Sudanese regime to resolve the Darfur crisis rather than concerning themselves with teddy bears.

Sheikh (Prof) Shaheed Satardien
Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland

This seems eminently sensible to me. Just think of the traction Islam could get in the arenas of Western public opinion if the reaction of the Muslim Council of Ireland was common throughout the world. The general absence of this reaction can only lead to one assumption by the opponents of fundamentalist jihad: that the continued silence of Muslim public opinion indicates tacit approval of those who would impose sharia law upon the world.

Muslims in the west might protest that this assumption is steeped in ignorance. Maybe, maybe not. But in any event the type of decisive statement made by the Irish Muslims fills the vacuum in which that ignorance might flourish.

November 02, 2007

Front Page News...Theoretically

This seemed like a very important story, from Tuesday's Houston Chronicle::

Oct. 31, 2007, 12:53AM

Freed sheiks celebrate quick rescue
Iraq military, backed by U.S., found kidnapped Sunni and Shiite leaders

By HAMZA HENDAWI
Associated Press

BAGHDAD — It had to be done quickly. Rogue Shiite militiamen were holding hostage a group of Sunni and Shiite tribal sheiks who had joined a revolt against al-Qaida. For the Iraqi government and its U.S. backers, the seven men represented a rare symbol of national unity.

A daring rescue operation secured their freedom.

A meeting Tuesday between most of the former captives and military officials — including the Iraqi commander of the rescue operation — offered the first detailed picture of the tense and fast-moving events: the kidnapping, the slaying of one captive and the seven-hour rescue mission Monday converging on an area that was "not fit for rats."

The sheiks, recounting their 30-hour ordeal to a small group of reporters including The Associated Press, said they were tortured and humiliated. At least three of the sheiks were visibly bruised. One man's left eye was red and swollen. The two others had bruises on their backs, arms and legs.

But they insisted that they emerged from captivity more determined than ever to continue their fight.

"We already forgot the pain and the wounds from our ordeal," said Haroon al-Moham-medawi, the bearded leader of the group from Khalis, a region in Diyala province where the terror organization has a heavy presence. "We pledge to you, the people and leadership of Iraq, that we will stay the course."

Al-Qaida militants, the sheiks told Iraqi and U.S. commanders, had prevented food rations from reaching them for a year, cut off power to their villages and ruined their orchards.

"Al-Qaida has condemned us to death," said al-Mohammed-awi, a Shiite. "But we have a strong uprising and we have volunteers from the age of 14 to 75."

Emphases mine. Here's more evidence that the Anbar Awakening has spread to other parts of Iraq. Michael Yon reports on yet another area of Iraq where the Awakening has taken hold (hat tip to Captain's Quarters). And yet this story in the Chronicle was buried in the back of the front section.

So what does the Chron think is fit for 1-inch bold headlines across the front page? From November 1--the very next day--we have:

Marine recruiters punished for cheating on entrance exams

HOUSTON — The military has punished nine Marine Corps recruiters who arranged for stand-ins to take Armed Services entrance exams for new enlistees.

The cheating was made public Wednesday, though Capt. John Niemann, a spokesman for the local recruiting district, said officials at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Houston noticed in April that signatures of test takers didn't match those on enlistment forms.

Nice job, editors! It's good to know we can depend on you for consistency.