<a href="http://silkroadsandsiamesesmiles.com/" title="Peregrinatio ad oram vitae"> Dawood Khan

al Qaeda, islam, Obama, Osama bin Laden, Shadow War, Yemen

Shadow War

In Afghanistan, islam, Middle East, Military, Religion, War on August 16, 2010 at 6:21 pm

It sounds awesome.

Is it?

An Afghan Timeline

Egypt, hamas, iran, Iranian Revolution, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, islam, Israel, lebanon, Muslims, Newt Gingrich, Quds Force, saudi arabia, Sharee'ah, Sharia, Wahhabism

It’s About Sharia! It’s About Submission to Allah…

In Afghanistan, islam, Middle East, Politics, Quotes, Religion, thinking out loud, Useful Information on August 1, 2010 at 2:36 am

The former speaker of the House gets the war on terror. For one thing, he refuses to call it the “war on terror,” which should be the entry-level requirement for any politician who wants to influence how we wage it. Gingrich grasps that there is an enemy here and that it is a mortal threat to freedom. He knows that if we are to remain a free people, it is an enemy we must defeat. That enemy is Islamism, and its operatives — whether they come as terrorists or stealth saboteurs — are the purveyors of sharia, Islam’s authoritarian legal and political system.

This being the Era of the Reset Button, Gingrich is going about the long-overdue business of resetting our understanding of the civilizational jihad that has been waged against the United States for some 31 years. It is the jihad begun when Islamists overran the American embassy in Tehran, heralding a revolutionary regime that remains the No. 1 U.S. security challenge in the Middle East, as Gingrich argued Thursday in a provocative speech at the American Enterprise Institute.

The single purpose of this jihad is the imposition of sharia. On that score, Gingrich made two points of surpassing importance. First, some Islamists employ mass-murder attacks while others prefer a gradual march through our institutions — our legal, political, academic, and financial systems, as well as our broader culture; the goal of both, though, is the same. The stealth Islamists occasionally feign outrage at the terrorists, but their quarrel is over methodology and pace. Both camps covet the same outcome.

Second, that outcome is the death of freedom. In Islamist ideology, sharia is deemed to be the necessary precondition for Islamicizing a society — for Islam is not merely a religious doctrine, but a comprehensive socio-economic and political system. As the former speaker elaborated, sharia embodies principles and punishments that are abhorrent to Western values. Indeed, its foundational premise is anti-American, holding that we are not free people at liberty to govern ourselves irrespective of any theocratic code, that people are instead beholden to the Islamic state, which is divinely enjoined to impose Allah’s laws.

Sharia, moreover, is anti-equality. It subjugates women and brutally punishes transgressors, particularly homosexuals and apostates. While our law forbids cruel and unusual punishments, Gingrich observed that the brutality in sharia sanctions is not gratuitous, but intentional: It is meant to enforce Allah’s will by striking example.

On this last point, Gingrich offered a salient insight, one well worth internalizing in the Sun Tzu sense of knowing one’s enemy. Islamists, violent or not, have very good reasons for the wanting to destroy the West. Those reasons are not crazy or wanton — and they have nothing to do with Gitmo, Israel, cartoons, or any other excuse we conjure to explain the savagery away. Islamists devoutly believe, based on a well-founded interpretation of Islamic doctrine, that they have been commanded by Allah to kill, convert, or subdue all who do not adhere to sharia — because they regard Allah as their only master (“There is no God but Allah”). It is thus entirely rational (albeit frightening to us) that they accept the scriptural instruction that the very existence of those who resist sharia is offensive to Allah, and that a powerful example must be made of those resisters in order to induce the submission of all — “submission” being the meaning of Islam.

It makes no sense to dismiss our enemies as lunatics just because “secular socialist” elites, as Gingrich called them, cannot imagine a fervor that stems from religious devotion. We ought to respect our enemies, he said. Not “respect” in Obama-speak, which translates as “appease,” but in the sense of taking them seriously, understanding that they are absolutely determined to win, and realizing that they are implacable. There is no “moderate” sharia devotee, for sharia is not moderate. Gingrich noted that in response to global outcry against the prospect of death by stoning for an Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, convicted of adultery, the mullahs’ great concession appears to be that she will be hanged instead. Islamism is not a movement to be engaged, it is an enemy to be defeated.

And it has been since Mohammad came slobbering and raving out of his cave.

There are moderate Muslims. There are Muslims who take their religion with a glass of ice cold beer. There are Muslims who believe that they can co-exist. There are Muslims who were simply born Muslim and know not much more about it than that their parents were Muslim.

Not all Muslims care to spread their religion.

That! We must not forget.

However, there are millions of Muslims who believe that Allah commands them to spread their religion. Through their life path as well as through teaching, witnessing and preaching and, yes, by there are many millions of Muslims who wholeheartedly believe in conversion (reversion) by the sword.

The problem with Islam and Muslims is that it is an enormously pressurised world. Peer pressure is a real danger. I have seen peer pressure turn a room full of irreligious Muslims who drink and cavort and chase girls all through the night and weekend into a motley crue of raving fundamentalists simply by the entrance of one religious individual.

Read their histories. Once Jihad is called, no one will dare denounce it for fear of being “unIslamic.” Read of the Afghan Constitutional Convention and how their Constitution came to include Sharia and the Qu’ran. It was not a forgone conclusion. It entered the room with a Mullah who publicly dared the assembly to exclude it by asking who in the assembly would stand against Sharia and the Qu’ran.

No one dared do so.

Not even Rashid Doostom. Doostum, who is one of the most secular Afghani of the age. Doostum who is infamous for his riotous drinking and womanizing. Dostum who hated the taliban and has publicly stated that he doesn’t see the need for women to cover themselves nor the reason that they should not attend university or be shut in the home.

This man mounted on horse back and did battle against the Taliban alongside US Special Forces and stood in battle and taunted the Talib Commanders.

This man was too fearful to denounce the inclusion of Islam, the Qu’ran and Sharia law in the Afghan Constitution.

To be seen as an infidel, one who is against Islam, in the lands occupied by Islam is to write your own death warrant. From the highest in society to the lowest.

Ask Malalai Joya. Read of her life and mission.

There are many Muslims who wish to live under a secular government and to live out their religion in private.

The problem is the Mullahs and those who use Islam as a means to power.

Our war is with the Mullahs. It’s with the Ayatollahs.

Even then, not all Mullahs wish to live out their lives as Government agents. Look to the Sufis who believe that religion is a private matter and that all religious leaders should stay out of politics.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran are the enemies of freedom.

Rid ourselves of them and the tide turns.

I’ll state again. Not all Muslims and not all of Islam is the enemy. Just as I believe that not all Christians desire to force their religion on all and sundry. I believe the same of Muslims.

There are key elements.

1. Wahhabism and Saudi Arabia

2. Iranian Revolutionary Islam

Take out those two and the battle is won.

Hezbollah, the Quds force and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard are the major exporters of Iranian Shi’a War on the West.

Wahhabism is the father of all Sunni terror lords and murderers. The Taliban and the Deobandi of Central Asia, Pakistan and India are all end points that can be traced to the Nejd of Saudi Arabia and their evil cult of al Wahhab. The Muslim Brotherhood is the father of all Sunni Terrorist Organizations. The MB were followers of al Wahhab and his desert madness.

Yet, we claim that Saudi Arabia is our ally.

And Iran is defended in the West by fools. Fools who side with Hizbollah against Lebanon and Israel. Fools who support Hamas.

Fools who support a Wahhabi Shrine mere feet away from Ground Zero.

Afghanistan, Egypt, India, India~Pakistan War, Israel, lebanon, NATO, Pakistan, US Bases and Deployment

Why are our Armed Forces still in Europe?

In Afghanistan, Central Asia, Introduction, Middle East, Military, Politics, Stupidity, thinking out loud, Travel, Useful Information, War on July 16, 2010 at 12:01 am

04.04.2008: Steve Bell on Nato

We need strategic relocation.

Europe needs to pay for their own defense. See how they like being out from under our Defense umbrella. The cowards would have to foot the bill and they’d have to back their talk with more than “We disagree with America.”

I’d say out of Europe altogether unless they want to pay us for having our troops there. Europe should be paying the US for their defense. As should South Korea. We should not be paying them for the privilege of defending them. I’ve never understood the concept of renting bases from Germany or the RoK. We’re there or were there to keep their sorry asses from being invaded. They should have been paying us.

I’d say withdraw from NATO and form a separate treaty organization with Australia and Great Britain.

We should withdraw completely from Saudi Arabia unless they start paying us for their protection with billions of barrels of oil.

We should negotiate a base in Ethiopia. Hell, at least they’re Christian. We should negotiate a base with Israel and all of our aid should be dependent on their allowance of our use of their lands. Put a base right square in the Negev. Negotiate another base with Jordan and one with Egypt. We give aid to all of these countries. That gives us an eye for Europe. A quick hop across the Med and boom ——–> Italy and Greece. I’d even be for placing a base in the Christian areas of Lebanon to counter the Iranian Rev Guards, Quds Force and Hizbollah.

We should negotiate a base with India as well. In Hindu or Christian areas. Stay out of Muzzie areas of India.

Keep a small force in Afghanistan and a small force in Iraq for the foreseeable future but draw down the rest and let those countries build themselves.

That puts us strategically located across the globe and gives us some damn fine opportunities for sightseeing.

The best thing that we could do is to get out of Europe.

We should declare war on Pakistan and let India go in with us and kick their asses.

Solve Pakistan and Afghanistan is solved. It’s that freakin’ simple.

That will scare the shit out of Iran and China as well as put Russia on notice.

We screw around way too often. End this shit. NOW!

Afghanistan, Korengal Valley, Pakistan, Sebastian JUnger, war

WAR by Sebastian Junger

In Afghanistan, culture, Introduction, War on July 13, 2010 at 12:01 am

My take on WAR by Sebastian Junger from a Political Forum to which I contribute (or decimate…depending on your view point…lol)

It’s a damn good read.

I read it in two days while drinking beers in Phnom Penh. I couldn’t put the damn thing down.

Closest thing I’ve ever read to being there. Though, I’ve never been in that kind of situation as those in the Korengal Valley. He gets the feel of Afghanistan and conveys it to the reader as flawlessly as it is possible to do on the written page.

Best book I’ve read about the Afghan War.

The guy captured it perfectly. It’s in the little nuances and in the way that he talks to the reader.

The story of those soldiers in that valley is well worth the read.

And Sebastion Junger has balls the size of Afghanistan. That guy voluntarily walked out and was airlifted into combat so that he could tell that story as authentically as possible.

While I was there, I went out with the expectation that I’d run into something. Sometimes we did, sometimes we didn’t. I never came close to what those guys experienced though. Not remotely close, I may as well have been on Mars as compared to their experience. BUT I NEVER went out there HOPING for contact. I was always hoping for as little action as possible.

Those guys in that Valley have my utmost respect for having been there and Junger too for writing that book.

Though, I didn’t go through the crucible that those guy have gone through, I know exactly what they are talking about when the express their apprehension to returning Stateside.

After being out there, there’s no way that living in America can measure up to the experience of being out there. Where life can be measured in inches and seconds and chance serves you as well (or as poorly) as preparation and planning.

I don’t know…I’m having a hard time not going on and on about this book.

If you are interested in Afghanistan or the Military, Read It!

If you are looking for a political hit book….this one isn’t your book.

I hope that no Republican types starts trying to target this book as Liberal writing and that no Democrat tries to hype it as an anti-War book. It’s so much more.

So much more…

Afghanistan, Congressional Medal of Honor, Eastern Afghanistan, Hero, Heroes, Korengal Valley, Medal of Honor, Soldiers, u.s. military, US Army

Soldier from the Korengal Valley up for the Medal of Honor

In Afghanistan, Central Asia, culture, Military, thinking out loud on July 12, 2010 at 5:26 pm

A US paratrooper who took part in some of the heaviest fighting in the war in Afghanistan – in the remote Korengal Valley – has become the first living nominee for the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war.

The highest American decoration for military valour, the Medal of Honor has been awarded only eight times, all posthumously, since 1973. Two were given to snipers for the part they played in the battle of Mogadishu in 1993 in protecting a downed helicopter pilot. Since then, there have been six awarded from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but none of them has been given to a surviving serviceman.

Although the Pentagon has refused to comment on the identity of the soldier, the Army Times reported on Friday that it had established that the proposed recipient was Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His name is understood to have been put forward after he charged into a wall of fire from Taliban fighters, who were attempting to overrun his position, to drag away another US soldier.

The episode, which took place on 25 October 2007, is described in Sebastian Junger’s new book, War, which describes the fighting in the Korengal Valley. A documentary, Restrepo, made by Junger with cameraman Tim Hetherington and covering the same period, is released this weekend.

Describing his attempts to reach a wounded colleague, Giunta told Junger: “I did what I did because that’s what I was trained to do. I didn’t run through fire to save a buddy – I ran through fire to see what was going on with him and maybe we could hide behind the same rock and shoot together. I didn’t run through fire to do anything heroic or brave. I did what I believe anyone would have done.”

Read those last few words again. This guy is a true, real and live hero.

Neither Afghanistan nor Iraq are light situations. They’re deadly serious. There are areas in both that are deadly. There are areas in which one can sit on a FOB for a year and never come under enemy fire. The media doesn’t run stories on this phenomenon. The enemy-less FOBs out there that see no real enemy combat. I’ve been on quite a few FOBs over there that see no enemy contact. I’ve been on some that see rocket and mortar attack. And I’ve been on some that have taken enemy fire.

I’ve never been anywhere close to the Korengal Valley or it’s daily hazard of enemy contact.

The guys in that valley acted heroically on a daily basis for weeks at a time. There are lulls, of course. Times when the taliban and the Arab fighters crawl back into Pakistan to lick their wounds and re-supply. Even so, the danger is ever present in a place like Korengal. There is no let down. The stress is unimaginable. The bond created by that stress. A bond forged in fire is indescribable. Seeing your friends killed or wounded and the unspeakable horror of the possibility or likelihood that you could be next. How does one speak to that.

I had conversations back in the States with some civilian friends of mine. Guys who had never been in a combat zone. They kept telling me that all of our soldiers were heroes. Some even characterized me as a hero. I’m simply a contractor over there. I can leave any time that I feel the pressure is too much. Hell, I could leave just for the hell of it. I was able to take holiday every 3 or 4 months.

Not so for soldiers. They’re there. For the duration. They’ll rotate in and out on leave once during their 12 to 15 month tour. Other than that, they’re stuck. No choice but to sweat it out.

But. There are two types of soldiers over there. Those who see combat and those who don’t. Some soldiers never leave their FOB. Never see an enemy combatant outside of CNN, Fox News or MSNBC. Some of these sit at FOBs that directly support combat troops. Some sit in rear areas like Bagram or Camp Phoenix and never leave the FOB. Others drive around green zones wherein no enemy contact is made.

I spent 18 months at Bagram Air Field (BAF). We were rocketed or mortared once a month at best. There was always a rumor that the insurgents would try to infiltrate. Bullshit rumors at best. Anyone with any knowledge of the situation in Afghanistan and of the insurgency knew that the insurgents had neither the equipment nor the manpower to breach BAF. It just wasn’t going to happen. Aside from the occasional rocket and the daily detonation of mines being detonated on the perimeter, I never felt truly threatened at BAF and the war rarely intruded on my day.

That’s how a great majority of soldiers and almost all of the Navy and Airmen spend their tour in Afghanistan. Contractors are, for the most part, in the same category.

Not so for your average Combat Soldier in Afghanistan. Not so for your average Marine in Afghanistan. These guys are sent out to do the heavy lifting. These guys fight. For those in Western Afghanistan, it’s a bit of a lighter load. Excepting parts of Farah and Badghis Provinces. I know this because I was there for 30 months as a mentor and trainer for the Afghan National Police. I know how much more dangerous some areas are than others in Afghanistan. I’ve spent time in Qandahar as well and up in the Mountains of Ghor. I’ve experienced some of these places and have spoken with folks just out of other areas. I know people in some of these places right now. Out in the East and the South, the fighting is much more intense. Korengal is in the East. Curved up next to Pakistan. I’m sure that during some of the Ops that those guys ran in Korengal, they looked straight down into Pakistan.

Those guys are fighters. Those guys are heroes.

I knew Officers and NCOs over there who never left the FOB. 12-15 months sending Soldiers and Marines out in harm’s way. Never once did they inspect these troops. Never once did they share their hardships and dangers. These Officers and NCOs were not heroes. They weren’t even leaders.

I know this is not politically correct of me to say, but, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who sit at FOBS and never see the enemy. They’re just Joes doing their job. There doing nothing heroic. Contractors out there are hired to do a job. They’re not heroes. There are exceptions to this, of course. Some men and women will fall into situations and become heroes. Others will fail and become cowards.

The men who fight on those hills. They’re guilty. Guilty of going above and beyond and becoming heroes. These are the men who in earlier times would have inspired tribal tales and cultural myths such as Hericles, Perseus and Achilles. These are the rough men standing ready to defend us. They join the military for adventure. They join the military for college funds. They join the military because if they didn’t, they’d probably spend their lives in prison. They join the military for as many reasons as there are individuals out there fighting. Regardless, they find themselves in hell. They fight for their brothers and die for their brothers.

Personally, I feel it’s a stain on the honor of the truly heroic to call all members of the military heroes. It’s even worse the way the term is bandied about as concerns Sports personalities and others of the like.

The title of hero is an honorific that’s earned. It’s an honor above all others. It’s about selflessness. It’s putting the lives of others above yours.

Despite their protestations. these men in the Korengal Valley and similar places are heroes.
We should not diminish their legacy by such easy use of the word.

If you want to delve more deeply into the War in Afghanistan or the Korengal Valley, I recommend reading WAR by Sebastion Junger. It is an amazing read.

It’s true that heroes are inspiring, but mustn’t they also do some rescuing if they are to be worthy of their name? Would Wonder Woman matter if she only sent commiserating telegrams to the distressed?
Author: Jeanette Winterson

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Arthur Ashe

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insanity, madness, Sanity

Sanity

In Afghanistan, culture, islam, Middle East, thinking out loud, Useful Information on July 5, 2010 at 12:01 am

“Sanity is a madness put to good use.” — George Santayana

Afghanistan, Baht, Bamian, buddha, Cambodia, china, Dubai, French Indochine, herat, Indochine, Jewelry, Kuchi, Kuwait, Laos, Money, Piastre, Riels, Teak wood, Thailand, This and that, Vietnam, Yuan

Monetary Notes of the World

In Afghanistan, beauty, Cambodia, Central Asia, Commerce, culture, Middle East, thinking out loud, Useful Information, Vietnam on July 2, 2010 at 10:36 pm

Unny and I had this table custom made for our new digs out in the ‘burbs. Cost a bit, but, not too much. It’s made from teak wood. I wanted something in which to display the monetary notes which I’ve collected from my travels. I only wish that I had some of the notes that are in my storage room back in the States.

There are notes in there from China, Dubai, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, India, Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, Vietnam, North Korea and a few other countries. As well as notes from old French Indochine. The note with the tiger is from Vietnam during the US war era. I actually got that one from ebay.com because I thought it was cool.

There are also coins in there from all over (Japan, Malaysia, EU, England, etc). Some old ones but mostly newer coins. I placed my three French Indochine Silver Dollars. They’re probably counterfeit, but, I don’t care. That actually makes them a little more interesting to me and I paid a pittance for them. 3 or 4 bucks. Nothing to cry over. I knew or thought that they were fakes when I purchased them.

I also placed of couple of Greco-Bactrian coins in there. Supposedly, they’re silver and over a thousand years old. I don’t know. So many fakes being sold in Afghanistan these days. Even so, those coins are supposedly a dime a dozen over there. Chances are they’re real. They’re not rare, though. At least not for anyone who’s traveled in Central Asia. They’re all over the place there. It is said that one can find them walking out in open ground or on fields and such. They’re that common place. Neat little pieces of history.

The necklace is a Kuchi piece that I purchased at a bazaar in Herat. It’s made of brass and copper with a few worthless gems thrown in for good measure. It has an old animist relief on it. Looks to be an old Ganesh likeness to me. I also placed my Bamian Buddha stamps in the lower right corner and four little jewelry/snuff boxes. The two with Camels depicted on them are from Dubai and made from silver and glazed to make the camel likenesses. The other two I purchased in Herat. Those two are supposed to be silver as well. Though, I doubt it.

There you have it. My little collection of monies (and sundry items) from around the world.

al Qaeda, Ayatollah Khomeini, Egypt, hamas, House of Saud, iran, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Iraq, islam, Israel, Khamenei, Muslims, Obama, Oman, Ottoman Empire, President Obama, Quds Force, saudi arabia, Somalia, Syria, taliban, The Muslim World, Wahhabis, Yemen

The Muslim World

In Afghanistan, Central Asia, culture, Introduction, islam, Middle East, Military, Religion, Spirituality, Stupidity, thinking out loud on June 23, 2010 at 12:01 am

http://content.bored.com/photos/derf.jpg

I like this. Except that I don't see any of them as scary. I see those labeled as scary as folks who need to be dealt with violently. Not all, but, those who would act violently against US.

On the Muslim World

Muslims see themselves as a community. They always have and always will. The only way to stop that is to kill all of them. Christians think of themselves as a community as well. Christendom is a concept only recently gone out of fashion. There are mentions of Christendom from the 19th Century, I know. Europe was still speaking of Christendom until only recently. I think Churchill mentions it a few times. That was the 20th Century. It is not a foreign concept to think in terms of a World Wide Religious or Cultural community. We think of the West. The West is Christian. No matter how greatly this is denied by atheists and secularists within the West. The West is merely a more secular term for Christendom. The West is as guilty of this kind of speak as is Islam. The difference is that we, in the West, agree with Western Culture. We don’t see it as problem and arrogantly believe that the rest of the World should be overjoyed to join us. Muslim lands. Christan lands. During World War I and at the end of World War I, “The West” celebrated the return of the “Holy Land” to it’s rightful Christian hands by virtue of it’s capture after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire encompassed most of what we now speak of as the Middle East. Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and a few others were all part of the now defunct Ottoman Empire. This was considered the Muslim World or the Lands of the Mohamadens (Saracens) and spoken and written about as such by Christian or “Western” writers and historians. That some in our era do not understand the concept of Muslim lands is fairly meaningless. The Great Tides of History are against their ignorance. It’s simply that they are ignorant of the history of the region. Not their fault. Our schools are more interested in Political Correct thought processes than learning. If one truly desires to rail against this concept and this ideology, though, one should at least be aware of this history. Me, I don’t care what history says about Muslim lands. Prior to the Muslims, these lands were all Western (Roman) and/or Christian. Not that Christians ruled them justly either.

History also shows us that the most violent and war like culture wins out in the end. The winners determine the future and control history. Except in our current era, where idiotic pacifists, socialist, multi-culturalists and self defeatists in the West want to write history based strictly upon their feelings of guilt and ignorance of history. They remind me of mini-Pol Pot or Mao Tse Tung pretenders. The greatest threat to the West (Christendom) is not the Muslims or even Communist China. It is the 5th Column of corrupt leftists and extreme liberals within our own borders. In order to finally defeat the Islamic threat, we will need to defeat this 5th Column by making them irrelevant.

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iran, islam, Islamic Reform, islamic violence, Jihad, Leftist Idiots, lessor jihad, Muslims against Sharee-ah, Muslims against Sharia, Reform, saudi arabia, Terrorism

A call for Islamic Reform

In Afghanistan, Central Asia, culture, islam, Middle East, Military, Politics, Religion, Spirituality, Stupidity, thinking out loud, Useful Information on June 21, 2010 at 12:02 am

OUR GOALS

to educate Muslims about dangers presented by Islamic religious texts and why Islam must be reformed

to educate non-Muslims about the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. Islamic Religious Fanatics, Radical Muslims, Muslim Fundamentalists, Islamic Extremists or Islamofascists)

to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Moderate Muslims are also targets of Islamic Terror

OUR MANIFESTO

Brothers and Sisters!
Do not make the next generation of Muslims clean up your mess!
Fight Islamic Fascism now, so your children won’t have to!

Acknowledging mistakes
The majority of the terrorist acts of the last three decades, including the 9/11 attacks, were perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalists in the name of Islam. We, as Muslims, find it abhorrent that Islam is used to murder millions of innocent people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Inconsistencies in the Koran
Unfortunately, Islamic religious texts, including the Koran and the Hadith contain many passages, which call for Islamic domination and incite violence against non-Muslims. It is time to change that. Muslim fundamentalists believe that the Koran is the literal word of Allah. But could Allah, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate, command mass slaughter of people whose only fault is being non-Muslim?

The Koran & the Bible
Many Bible figures from Adam to Jesus (Isa) are considered to be prophets and are respected by Islam. Islamic scholars however believe that both the Old and the New Testament came from God, but that they were corrupted by the Jews and Christians over time. Could it be possible that the Koran itself was corrupted by Muslims over the last thirteen centuries?

The need for reform
Islam, in its present form, is not compatible with principles of freedom and democracy. Twenty-first century Muslims have two options: we can continue the barbaric policies of the seventh century perpetuated by Hassan al-Banna, Abdullah Azzam, Yassir Arafat, Ruhollah Khomeini, Osama bin Laden, Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, Hizballah, Hamas, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, etc., leading to a global war between Dar al-Islam (Islamic World) and Dar al-Harb (non-Islamic World), or we can reform Islam to keep our rich cultural heritage and to cleanse our religion from the reviled relics of the past. We, as Muslims who desire to live in harmony with people of other religions, agnostics, and atheists choose the latter option. We can no longer allow Islamic extremists to use our religion as a weapon. We must protect future generations of Muslims from being brainwashed by the Islamic radicals. If we do not stop the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, our children will become homicidal zombies.

Accepting responsibilities
To start the healing process, we must acknowledge evils done by Muslims in the name of Islam and accept responsibility for those evils. We must remove evil passages from Islamic religious texts, so that future generations of Muslims will not be confused by conflicting messages. Our religious message should be loud and clear: Islam is peace; Islam is love; Islam is light. War, murder, violence, divisiveness & discrimination are not Islamic values.

Religious privacy
Religion is the private matter of every individual. Any person should be able to freely practice any religion as long as the practice does not interfere with the local laws, and no person must be forced to practice any religion. Just as people are created equal, there is no one religion that is superior to another. Any set of beliefs that is spread by force is fundamentally immoral; it is no longer a religion, but a political ideology.

Equality
Islam is one of the many of the world’s religions. There will be no Peace and Harmony in the World if Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights. Islamic supremacy doctrine is just as repulsive as Aryan supremacy doctrine. History clearly shows what happens to the society whose members consider themselves above other peoples. All moderate Muslims must repudiate the mere notion of Islamic supremacy.

Sharia
Sharia Law must be abolished, because it is incompatible with norms of modern society.

Outdated practices
Any practices that might have been acceptable in the Seventh Century; i.e., stoning, cutting off body parts, marrying and/or having sex with children or animals, must be condemned by every Muslim.

Outdated verses
The following verses promote divisiveness and religious hatred, bigotry and discrimination. They must be either removed from the Koran or declared outdated and invalid, and marked as such.

Outdated words & phrases
Use of the following words and phrases or their variations must be prohibited during religious services:
• Infidel / Unbeliever: these terms have negative connotation and promote divisiveness and animosity; Islam is not the only religion
• Jihad: this word is often interpreted as Holy War against non-Muslims
• Mujaheed / Holy Warrior: no more wars in the name of Islam
• American (Christian / Crusader / Israeli / Zionist) occupation: these terms promote bigotry; at this point in time, Muslims living in non-Muslim lands have more freedoms than Muslims living in Muslim lands

Islam vs. violence
Islam has no place for violence. Any person calling for an act of violence in the name of Islam must be promptly excommunicated. Any grievances must be addressed by lawful authorities. It is the religious and civic duty of every Muslim to unconditionally condemn any act of terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam. Any Muslim group that has ties to terrorism in any way, shape, or form, must be universally condemned by both religious and secular Muslims.

Portrayal of Prophets
While portrayal of Prophets is not an acceptable practice in Islam could be personally offensive to some Muslims, other religions do not have such restrictions. Therefore, the portrayal of the Prophets must be treated as a manifestation of free expression.

The Crusades vs. The Inquisition
While the Inquisition was a repulsive practice by Christian Fundamentalists, the Crusades were not unprovoked acts of aggression, but rather attempts to recapture formerly Christian lands controlled by Muslims.

So long as idiots in the West keep excusing it, the violence of Islamic extremism will exist.

al Qaeda, Allah, America, Christendom, Christianity, Extremist Muslims, islam, Moderate Muslims, Mohammad, Muslim Brotherhood, Muslims, Terrorism, The Muslim World, The West, War on Terror

Muslims and The West: Hate, Fear and Suspicion

In Afghanistan, Central Asia, islam, Middle East, Military, Politics, Religion, Spirituality, Stupidity, thinking out loud, Useful Information on June 20, 2010 at 12:01 am

On Trust, Fear and Hate

Moderate Muslims do what moderates of all stripes do. They stay home and keep to themselves. It’s why their called moderates. Look, I absolutely abhor the Wahhabis and about 90% of the inane nonsense that is preached by these idiots and the Clerics and the IRG and Hizbollah and Hamas, etc. You won’t find many people who know as much about Islam as I AND who rails against that idiotic religion more than I. That said, the logic of the “hate, fear, [dis]trust” rhetoric here is flawed. I know many Muslims who want no part of the extremists. I know some “moderate” Muslims who feel threatened by the West. We have encroached upon their lands, their culture, their people. We’ve forced our way on them. It’s only natural that eventually there will be push back. If they did the same to us would we sit back and take it. There are regular, every day people out there who just happen to be Muslim. The majority of Muslims are like any other people. They observe their religion casually and don’t really get all that silly about it. Then you have the freaks. The Government of Iran and most of it’s Clerics, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and it’s pets — Hamas, the Quds Force and Hizbollah. You’ve got al Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood, al Jihad and the rest of the off shoots from those gangs of criminals and miscreants. You can brand all Muslims as this or that about as much as you can brand all Americans as this or that. I’ve traveled, lived and worked amongst Muslims for over a decade. They’re not all bad people. Are all Christians bad because of the murderers of abortion doctors? Are all Texans bad because of the murderers who dragged that black kid in chains a decade ago. Are all Americans bad because of the criminals who take advantage of war and rape and pillage the people whom we are supposedly liberating? NO!

I don’t think that ALL Muslims distrust the West/America. I don’t think that ALL Muslims trust the West/America either. I’ve met Muslims who like and respect America who still don’t really trust us per se. They know that America is going to do what is right for America. This is correct. They understand this. Some of these people also understand the politics of America and know that we will change depending on the mood of the country and who we elect based upon that mood. America doen’t really have much continuity of ideals. We are ever evolving and constantly moving between the two political polars. Bush initiated the current Iraq war and Obama ran with our withdrawal as part of his platform. Many of the Muslims with whom I have dealt over the years understand this dynamic. Many of the Muslims with whom I have dealt know that America and the West have no real stomach for actual violence and war. Even though we love the fantasy of it. The enemies of the West and America understand this as well. They know that we’ll get riled and ramped up for a period of time. They also know that they can wait us out and we will grow impatient with a lack of result or too many dead bodies even when we are winning the greater war. They know that our ardor for war and patriotism has clear boundaries. They know that they can wait us out. The Muslim community and especially that part of it that hates the West/America knows that over time they can defeat us because we do not have the stomach for war. They know that the majority of the West has that pacifist strain that will eventually lead to our downfall. There are many Muslims out there who would love to ally themselves with the West and bring about a more or less secular Islam. These people, though, do not trust the West to help them see that struggle through to it’s conclusion. They know that their deaths and the end of this alliance is one Obama (or Carter) away. Even Reagan withdrew from Lebanon after the bombing there that killed 280+ Marines. Reagan stared Soviet Russia in the eye and still backed down quickly from the violence of Islam. It happens time and time again. Many Muslims love the West/America. They see the potential for a life of liberty and freedom AND Islam therein. Even so, they fear our inability to stay the course. They do not trust our fortitude especially in the face of adversity and violence of the type that the other extreme of Islam will bring to bear while fighting us.

In the West and amongst Modern Christianity, voicing one’s opinion that runs counter to the Extremists brings criticism and possibly ostracism. In the lands of Allah, criticizing the extremists brings violence and death. Who here, in the West, would raise his voice first with the full knowledge that it will bring death and/or violence to yourself and your family?

That’s about what I thought…

This is what happens to Muslims who speak out against Jihad and the battle against the West.

MRAP and a Horsedrawn Buggy ~ Herat, Afghanistan June 2009

In Afghanistan, thinking out loud, Travel on June 17, 2010 at 12:01 am

This is life in Afghanistan. The people there live in a strange twilight between the ancient world and the modern. Modern day Jet Fighters, Airliners and UAVs passover villages whose inhabitants live in Mud and Thatch huts. Some of these folks might even have a TV jerry rigged to a small 3.5 kw generator. These are the “rich folks” of the village. Most of the men of the police force who come to train at the RTC live on mud floors or in caves outside of their village. To marry. one must pay a dowry. These folks ride horses and donkeys. They carry their goods and belongings to and from the bazaar or home in donkey carts or horse drawn wagons.

They still judge travel there in days rather than hours.

Not all. A goodly portion of Afghanis, though, travel in this way. Even when a motor vehicle is involved, travel that in America or Europe would take a few hours can sometimes take a day or two and sometimes more. There is also the danger of bandits and taliban gangs on the roads. Caution is needed and a good ear for trouble.

It’s a strange place. It’s also an enchanted land where anything might happen. Good or bad.

Afghanistan, Kabul, Kabul Beauty School, puppy love, Rashid Doostum, Sher Khan

Kabul Beauty School

In Afghanistan, Literature, Spirituality, thinking out loud, Travel, Useful Information on June 16, 2010 at 12:01 am

This is an old post that I wrote up a few months ago while I was in Herat, Afghansitan. This happened between June and September 2007 in Kabul.

I read the book Kabul Beauty School and decided to seek out the real place. The actual beauty school. Try to meet the author and get her to sign the book. The books more about life in Kabul than just a Beauty school. So I get there and decide to get a hair cut. This is a few years back. The reason that I decide to get a hair cut is that the receptionist is pretty as hell. lol Just an excuse to talk to her and stick around longer. And she smelled so good I didn’t want to stop inhaling her scent. Whatever it was. Some combination of fruit and flowers that left my knees weak. haha

I get my hair cut and while in the middle of that. I’m talking to the receptionist. I get her name ~ Muzghan. She’s Afghani but had moved to London with her parents during the diaspora. I figured she was about 24 or 25. We talked for a while and eventually I talk her into meeting me for lunch at my hotel. We exchange phone numbers.

Back to the hair cut. The gal cutting my hair had underarm stench that cut the freakin’ wind. A couple times I actually thought that I was going to start gagging or pass out from it. It was strong. Like she hadn’t taken a bath in a month stink. I just started laughing. I let her finish my hair. She does an ok job. I spike my hair up anyway so if they screw it up, it usually looks like I did it on purpose. lol

Back to Muzghan.

Muzghan calls me up and asks me to meet her in the lobby of my hotel. I get all excited. Woohoo, I’ve got a DATE in Kabul, Afghanistan! hahahaha You have no idea how big a deal that is until you spend a few months in Afghanistan.

She shows up with a body guard and stinky hair cut lady as a chaperon. We have tea and talk for a while down in the coffee shop in the mall area of my hotel. And it’s actually a pleasant afternoon and good conversation. I seem to have met a Kabuli socialite.

Her body guard has an AK47. And stands there like he’s ready for the attack from hell.

Of course, I am the perfect gentleman during this meeting and each subsequent meeting under the watchful gaze of the body guard. The last couple of meetings she didn’t bring the chaperon. But she never went any where without her body guard. She laughed at me for being nervous.

Turns out Muzghan is only 20.

And she is a member of the extended family of Agha Khan.

If you don’t know who Agha Khan is…look the dude up. He’s so rich that he has his own consulate in London and a couple of other countries. He’s the head of the Ismaeli Clan. The Ismaelis are a sect of Islam. Shi’a Islam. They’re small. Maybe 30 million worldwide. The largest group is in Canada. Agha Khan is their leader/father/benefactor. He sets up scholarship foundations for them. Businesses and keeps them organized and in touch. He’s no Osama bin Laden. Quite the opposite. He believes in education. For Muslims. Men and women.

Anyway, I meet with Muzghan a few more times. At first because I’m interested and I think I might get laid. lol Then later, I figure out that there ain’t a prayer in hell of getting laid and it’s just interesting talking to this girl.

Out of curiosity, I asked a guy named Sher Ahmad (a whole other story) who is the Security Boss of Rashid Dostum (look him up). I asked Sher what would happen if I wanted to marry Muzghan. He told me with a straight face; “David, they would kill you.” I looked at him in disbelief at first. Then I just laughed. Realizing that he was telling the truth. That’s when he told me that she was a relative of Agha Khan and she would be matched with another Ismaeli and never have a worry in her life.

She emails me out of the blue every once in a while. She returned to London not long before I departed for Herat. Apparently, they’d found out that she was meeting with some strange American. Thankfully, I had sense enough to not make any Rico Suave moves on her or anything stupid like that. The bastards probably would have killed me had I tried. For me, it was enough to meet an nice, educated Afghan woman and learn a bit more about the culture.

I tell ya. Lots of crazy experiences over here.

The first email that I got from her after her return to London: “David, I miss you so much.” I must have been her first crush. It was a cute email. She was a nice girl and pretty as hell. Had this lilting sing song voice that made ya wanna break out in song yourself. It was a great experience for me and a beautiful side of Kabul that not too many Westerners are privileged to have.

Afghan Museum, Afghanistan, Darulaman Palace, Kabul

Kabul Blast ~ Afghans and Americans Slain by Islamic Suicide Bomber

In Afghanistan, Politics, Quotes, Religion, Stupidity, thinking out loud, Travel on May 19, 2010 at 12:06 am

[carbomb0518]

By ALAN CULLISON

KABUL, Afghanistan—At least 10 people, including six coalition force members, were killed and almost 50 wounded when a suicide car bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy outside an Afghan military-recruitment center in Kabul Tuesday morning, police officials said.

A spokesman from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said six “international service members were killed and several wounded” in the attack, but wouldn’t reveal their nationalities.

Gen. Khalil Dastyar, the deputy police chief of Kabul, said the dead NATO members were American. The Associated Press reported that five of them were U.S. troops; the nationality of the sixth wasn’t immediately disclosed.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that a car loaded with 1,200 pounds of explosives rammed into a U.S. convoy at about 8:30 a.m. local time.

The blast destroyed at least 12 civilian vehicles, one of them a civilian bus; its charred remains were left resting near the road. NATO said five of its vehicles were damaged.

The bomber targeted a small convoy of U.S. military vehicles that were moving along the road near the recruitment center, officials said. The road also skirts a U.S. military base, Camp Julien, that hosts a counterinsurgency training academy for both Afghan and U.S. military personnel.

I stood at this spot not two months ago. This exact spot. That pillar that is knocked over is from the 19th Century from the time of the Afghan Kings. Off to the right of the pillar is the National Museum of Afghansitan. I took a photograph standing next to that pillar when I stopped at the Museum. Strange to think that this could have been me getting hit. Wrong time, wrong place. I was lucky. Right time. Right place. No bombs. Aside from the scant traffic, it was just begger kids, Afghan Police, a few other tourists and a few merchants. No talib assholes or other Wahhabist scum around.

Thank God!

May God Protect our Soldiers and Civilians in Afghansitan and may he protect the Afghan People as well. May he strike down the scourge of evil that is the taliban. Amen.

Afghanistan, Ghorid, herat, islam, Khoda Hafiz, khorasan, Masjid Jami, Moghul, Timorid

Masjid Jami

In Afghanistan, Central Asia, islam, Travel on May 13, 2010 at 7:28 pm

Sometime during my tour in Afghanistan, I got outside the wire. I tend to do this from time to time. Get out and wander around with a friend or two.

This particular time, I was doing some business with the ANP Province Headquarters. While there, I crept out with a few guys and one ANP Colonel and strolled over to the Masjid Jami in Herat. COL Khoda Dad spoke with the head Mullah there and asked him to give me a tour of the Mosque. After intros were made, I was escorted about and taken to almost every part of the Mosque. One of the more interesting parts of the tour were when they showed me the room where all of the repairs are made for tiles and such. They do all repairs by hand. Exactly the same process as hundreds of years ago when the Mosque was first created. They even hand paint the ceramics onto the tiles.

I took these pictures as I walked around in awe of the agelessness of the place.

I’m very lucky to have been able to have had this and other experiences in Afghanistan. I’d venture to say that not everyone has such incredible and unique adventures over there.

Khoda Hafiz!

Baht, Cambodia, Khmer, Kip, Laos, Numismatism, Numismatist, Riels, thai, Thailand

Money!

In Afghanistan, Cambodia, Central Asia, Commerce, culture, Holidays on May 9, 2010 at 6:48 pm

I’m not a numismatists or serious collector of coins and notes. Not by any means. Even so, I usually grab a few notes and/or coins when I’m traveling. The part that is cool for me is to find old money that is still in circulation. The old Mao notes in China. Older notes in Thailand that have an earlier version of King Bhumipol. The notes in Cambodia that highlighted the various peoples and ethnic minorities or have varying versions of Angkor Wat and other sites. The notes used in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion, the Civil War and the Taliban eras.

These notes convey a sense of history to me. They’re part of the fabric of the history of these lands. That fascinates me. I’ve monies of varying sorts from nearly every country that I’ve visited plus a few other notes that were gifts from the homelands of folks whom I’ve met out on the road.

These are a collection of items from Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The Lao and Khmer notes, I picked up in Luang Prabang, Vieng Vang and Vientiene (Laos). The Thai notes were given to me by Unny’s parents. She was telling them that I had a crazy fascination with money so that brought me some from her Grandfather’s house. Some of the notes are pretty old with the oldest dating to the 1920s.

The coins are all Thai with the exception of the old French Indochine Piastres. They are probably fakes, but, they were too cool to pass up. I tested them as I have been instructed. The ring test and the obverse/reverse line test. They actually passed those test. Even so, they were much to cheap and felt too light to be solid silver coins of that size. Perhaps, I’ll have them checked one day. I don’t care if they are real or not. They look cool and that’s all I’m interested in at this point.

Afghanistan, Alexander the Great, Babur Khan, genghis khan, Ghowarashad Shrine, herat, Herat Citadel, Martyrs Museum, Minarets of HErat, pictures of Afghanistan, Tamerlane, Western Afghanistan

Touring Herat with the ANP

In Afghanistan, culture, islam, Middle East, thinking out loud, Travel on May 1, 2010 at 12:01 am

Last few days in Herat.

I had asked General Akrummuddin and COL Zahir to arrange a tour of Herat for me. There are hundreds of architectural and historical wonders in and around Herat. The Primary locations being the Minarets, the Citadel and the Masjid Jami. All beautiful with centuries of history. These structures have been witness to Alexander, Tamerlane, Genghis Khan, Babur Khan and a host of other historical figures of greater or lesser renown.

With about a month to go, I felt safe to get the tour underway. COL Zahir and General AKs Securty Deputy were worried. What would happen to them if I were kidnapped or harmed in some way under their watch. Probably would be a mess. Not that I’m a huge target or an important target.

I talked to General AK and COL Zahir again. They arranged everything.

I was given a two vehicle entourage with security guards for protection. I was driven around the city and taken to the Martyrs Museum, the Citadel, an ancient aqueduct, a couple of Shi’a Shrines in the area the names of which I can’t remember right now (I’ll have to update this later) and to the Minarets and the Ghowharashad Shrine.

The Minarets had to be magnificent in their day. They’re still a site to behold. Especially considering the age of the things. The Citadel was extraordinary. I was able to get our and mix it up a bit with the locals right around the Citadel.

It was an incredible adventure about which I plan to write more in the future.

For now, I simply wish to share the photos from the event.

Hope you enjoy.

Afghanistan, AH64, Apache, aviation, Blackhawk, CH47, Chinook, Helicopter, UH60, Vulcan

Helicopters in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan on March 9, 2010 at 12:01 am

This was the view outside my front door in Afghanistan. I watched these birds come and go all the time.

Speeding off to places like Farah, Bala Magob, Bala Baluk, Delarom or Torqundi. Carrying men, equipment, ammunition, food. You name it. Taking the battle to the insurgents. Some days it was non-stop. Some days it was a trickle.

I took these pics the day after Thanksgiving 2009 while I was working for MPRI.

Malalai Joya

Malalai Joya ~ The Only Real Hero of the People of Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, culture on March 3, 2010 at 3:40 pm

The US, EU and the UN should do the right thing and agitate to have her re-instated to the Parliament. It’s a travesty that we stand idly by and let Democracy be made a sham by the Warlords and that dog Karzai.