This, the final news feed for January, was scheduled for posting before I left to go out of town, so there may be urgent breaking news which isn’t included.

If you have been leaving comments that haven’t been approved, it’s probably because Dymphna has not been at the computer. Be patient; when she is feeling well enough, she’ll take care of them (assuming they deserve approval, of course).

Pay attention to some of the news about the financial crisis — important doings are afoot in the EU.

To see the headlines and the articles, open the full news post.

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Caroline Glick, ESW, Fjordman, Gaia, JP, Kitman, Nick, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Commenters are advised to leave their comments at this post (rather than with the news articles) so that they are more easily accessible.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Y’all remember the Baron has a temporary part-time job now, right? This is a 99.9% telecommute situation with occasional face-to-face meetings as necessary. These tête-à-tête confabs will be rare. Given that he hates to sleep anywhere but in his own bed, I, for one, believe his assurances in this regard.

Thus did the Baron put on his traveling shoes this afternoon and head out to meet with his new bosses. He should return by Thursday, maybe even earlier.

Before leaving he scheduled a newsfeed for tonight; it will appear magically at the appointed time. He also asked me to explain why comment moderation will be spotty for the duration — i.e., my time in the chair is limited by the pain in me derrière.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

This new job is such a blessing! While it’s not permanent or full-time, the pleasure the Baron gets from even this partial return to work is delightful to behold. Sometimes I think I ought to tie an anchor to his foot to keep him from floating off…

There’s another aspect to this job: it is one answer to a question I’d reluctantly begun to ponder as the year turned.

Yes, our donors are generous, and, yes, the freelance editing we do helps a great deal. But taken together, these weren’t quite enough to avoid dipping into our savings. As the bottom line continued to dwindle, I couldn’t help wondering whether we were on the right path. Yet I also couldn’t — and can’t – envision our life without Gates of Vienna, despite that insistent economic reality. So, as I always do when faced with this kind of question, I began to search for some indication that we were indeed still on the right path.

It works like this: The Decision — whatever term one uses, it’s essentially a Quo Vadis query — goes at the top of a sheet of copy paper. This is used for a week or ten days during which time I note whatever appears regarding my question. These indicators can be big flashing lights or small, subtle signs. Obviously the Big Ones weigh more heavily in reaching A Decision.

In this case, leaving aside all the small signs which showed up that week, here are two we couldn’t miss: the first was this new job in a field The Baron loves and has missed dearly. It is also one he can do from home while still maintaining Gates of Vienna and his other commitments.

The second indicator arrived in the form of a most generous gift which (if editing jobs and donations stay the same) permit us to let our savings alone for the immediate future.

Using this method to arrive at A Decision has, without fail, provided answers of startling clarity. Though I haven’t been happy in all cases to discern what needed doing, I can’t complain about ambiguity; there isn’t any. The answers certainly do get my attention. They are lucidity in the moment, which is all I need.

And should the necessity to ask another question slowly reappear, I’ll know it eventually, too, even though I may procrastinate as long as possible before getting out that piece of paper.

Michael Coren talks to Megyn Kelly about the recent verdict in the Shafia murder case. They also discuss the near-universal effort by the Western media and political leaders to deny the nature of Islamic “honor killing”.

Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for uploading this video:

Here’s another story about what life is like for infidels in Vollsmose, a culturally enriched neighborhood of Odense on the Island of Funen in Denmark. The article was kindly translated by our Danish correspondent TB, who includes this note:

Here is yet another article about the situation in Denmark. This time it is about a Christian priest who has been forced out of the former Danish area in Vollsmose, a suburb of Odense. His name is Massoud Fouroozandeh. I have heard him in the radio and read about him in the papers several times. He is a former Muslim, originally from Iran (came here as a refugee when he was 15 years old), and the founder of the Christian Church of Love in Odense.

Massoud is about the most gentle, mild, lovable, tolerant, likeable and friendly person possible. He represents everything the Muslims postulate that Islam is all about. Yet, apparently, by some kind of mysterious and invisible force, he is automatically rejected by the Islamic body when doing what the Muslims keep telling us constitutes the core principle of The Religion of Peace; promoting peace, tolerance and respect towards his fellow man. Now isn’t that just a paradox?

The translation from BT:

Christian priest harassed out of Vollsmose

It may seem peaceful to hang a crucifix in the rearview mirror of your car. But such a thing is not tolerated in Vollsmose. Here it resulted in a burned out car and lethal harassment.

Through the last few days www.bt.dk have revealed how ethnic Danes are suffering smear campaigns in the troubled Odense ghetto, Vollsmose. According to a police officer, nine out of ten burglaries are directed against people with Danish names. Now it turns out that merely to profess to the Christian faith can be fatal in the district. Christian pastor Massoud Fouroozandeh found that out the hard way.

“The problems began a few years ago when I was told by a couple of young immigrants that I should not drive around with the crucifix I had on my rearview mirror,” says Massoud. He was originally born in Iran, from which he fled as a 15-year-old. Of course, it took more to scare the hardened priest, who continued to drive around with his crucifix.

Provocative and unreasonable

“I thought it was provocative and unreasonable, and they obviously should not be allowed to decide what I should and should not do. But a few months later someone torched my car and cut up the seats with a knife. Of course it was because of the crucifix . I was furious, but I would not submit to them.”

Therefore the stubborn priest also placed a crucifix in his new car.

“I believe that one should turn the other cheek, so it was probably my kind of revenge, and I actually felt that it compelled some respect in the neighborhood.”

But the war had only just begun

Massoud thought he had prevailed, but the reality was, that the war had only just begun.

“The windows in my car were smashed twice after that. They began to call me and my family on the phone, only to slam down the receiver when we answered. I was threatened that there would be serious consequences if I did not change religion. And I was called a religious traitor.”

The police then determined that Massoud was in such a danger that he was equipped with an emergency alarm phone 24 hours a day, and his home was equipped with increased surveillance. The police assessment proved to be true.

“We were going to a church service in Copenhagen one day, and just before we came out on the highway, my right front wheel began to rattle. It appeared that someone loosened the lug nuts on it. It could have ended fatally.”

The children were not allowed to play alone

From now on it was clear to Massoud that someone wanted him dead. And thoughts about what could happen to him and his family began to spin around in Massoud’s head.

“We were all very tense. The children were not allowed to go out to play alone anymore. My work and the fact that my girls did not wear a headscarf meant that they were bullied. Additionally, the children became nervous when I came home late.”

So after living in Vollsmose for more than ten years the family made the inevitable decision in November 2010.

“It was really unpleasant to have to move, and I was very much in doubt, because it sends the wrong signal. But I had to submit. It was all about the safety of my children and my family.”

Today the family is living in a sheltered housing at an undisclosed location in Odense, and life in Vollsmose still characterizes their everyday living.

“I’m still afraid if there is someone behind me in the evening, and every morning I always take a walk around my car just to see if there is anything suspicious.”

For a complete listing of previous enrichment news, see The Cultural Enrichment Archives.

The video below shows Rep. Allen West speaking to his constituents a few days ago in the 22nd District of Florida. Col. West directed a few choice words at Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and other Democrats:

Hat tip: Nick.

The worsening financial situation in Greece dominated today’s EU summit in Brussels. German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed down from her original proposal for a “budget czar” to oversee Greece and help it meet IMF requirements for a new bailout. Greece’s creditors are expected to have to write down even more of the country’s debt.

Meanwhile, Spain seems to be entering a new recession: newly-released figures show that growth for the final quarter of 2011 slipped below zero.

In other news, a plague of pythons is wiping out the small mammal population in the Florida Everglades. The pythons are not native to Florida, but are descended from pets that either were released by their owners or escaped during some of the big hurricanes of the 1990s.

To see the headlines and the articles, open the full news post.

Thanks to CSP, Fjordman, Insubria, JP, Kitman, Steen, The Observer, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Commenters are advised to leave their comments at this post (rather than with the news articles) so that they are more easily accessible.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

As we reported earlier today, a jury in Kingston, Ontario convicted Mohammad Shafia, his wife, and his son of murdering four female members of their family.

Below is Ezra Levant’s take on the case. He discusses the willingness of Canadian liberals to tolerate the intolerable when it comes to Islam, as exemplified by the shamelessly biased and bigoted reporting of the Shafia case by the CBC.

Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for uploading this video:

A few days ago Tundra Tabloids posted about a young man in England who was attacked by an angry Kuwaiti at an “Israel Apartheid Week” event. The assailant was evidently attempting to bite the man’s ear off, but missed (go to TT to see the photo; Vlad has the video). The incident occurred almost a year ago, but is in the news again after the acquittal of the biter.

In discussing the story with a fellow Counterjihad activist earlier today, I asked him, “Are ears halal? Especially infidel ears?”

He replied, “I would think if you are trying to hurt them, it’s OK. If you are trying to eat them, it’s not. Sharia is all about intentions, you know.”

Actually, that’s not true.

Islam is only concerned with what’s on the surface, with publicly visible behavior. As long as a Muslim is seen to obey Allah’s law, and fulfills his express public duties, Islam is satisfied.

Sharia is actually about what serves the interests of Islam. Anything that serves the interests of Islam is halal, “permitted”. Sometimes it’s even mandatory.

One of the most important meta-rules in Islam is that any commands in the Koran may be overridden temporarily, provided that doing so helps expand the territory governed by sharia. The interests of the entire Ummah trump any particular Islamic rule of behavior.

That’s what taqiyya is all about. That’s why slaughtering innocents is fine, as long as it helps expand the reach of Islam.

Once the world is fully Islamic, all the rules will be fully enforced.

On everyone.

With no exceptions.

Forever.

That’s the dream of Islam.

Last week Diana West, the author of The Death of the Grown-Up, was interviewed by Brian Lamb on C-SPAN. During their hour-long conversation they discussed Hollywood, the Left, the growing threat of Islamization, the American military’s counterinsurgency strategy, and “nation-building” in the Middle East.

Near the end of the interview you’ll hear a particularly interesting exchange in which Diana points out how neatly the infantilized and politically correct culture of 21st-century America dovetails with the Islamic institution of dhimmitude:

A full transcript of the above interview is available at Q-and-A.org.

After a lengthy trial in Kingston, Ontario, Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Yahya, and their son Hamed Shafia have been found guilty on four counts each of first-degree murder. The three were convicted of killing Mr. Shafia’s other wife and his three daughters to protect the family from dishonor.

The AP story below reports yesterday’s verdict, and gives extensive background on the history of the case. However, alert readers may notice the prominent absence of two words from the article: Islam and Muslim:

Jury Finds Afghan Family Guilty in Honor Killings

KINGSTON, Ontario (AP) — A jury on Sunday found three members of an Afghan family guilty of killing three teenage sisters and another woman in what the judge described as “cold-blooded, shameful murders” resulting from a “twisted concept of honor,” ending a case that shocked and riveted Canadians.

Prosecutors said the defendants allegedly killed the three teenage sisters because they dishonored the family by defying its disciplinarian rules on dress, dating, socializing and using the Internet.

The jury took 15 hours to find Mohammad Shafia, 58; his wife Tooba Yahya, 42; and their son Hamed, 21, each guilty of four counts of first-degree murder. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

After the verdict was read, the three defendants again declared their innocence in the killings of sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar 17, and Geeti, 13, as well as Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, Shafia’s childless first wife in a polygamous marriage.

Their bodies were found June 30, 2009, in a car submerged in a canal in Kingston, Ontario, where the family had stopped for the night on their way home to Montreal from Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The prosecution alleged it was a case of premeditated murder, staged to look like an accident after it was carried out. Prosecutors said the defendants drowned their victims elsewhere on the site, placed their bodies in the car and pushed it into the canal.

Ontario Superior Court Judge Robert Maranger said the evidence clearly supported the conviction.

“It is difficult to conceive of a more heinous, more despicable, more honorless crime,” Maranger said. “The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of honor … that has absolutely no place in any civilized society.”

In a statement following the verdict, Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson called honor killings a practice that is “barbaric and unacceptable in Canada.”

Defense lawyers said the deaths were accidental. They said the Nissan car accidentally plunged into the canal after the eldest daughter, Zainab, took it for a joy ride with her sisters and her father’s first wife. Hamed said he watched the accident, although he didn’t call police from the scene.

After the jury returned the verdicts, Mohammad Shafia, speaking through a translator, said, “We are not criminal, we are not murderer, we didn’t commit the murder and this is unjust.”

His weeping wife, Tooba, also declared the verdict unjust, saying, “I am not a murderer, and I am a mother, a mother.”

Their son, Hamed, speaking in English said, “I did not drown my sisters anywhere.”

Hamed’s lawyer, Patrick McCann, said he was disappointed with the verdict, but said his client will appeal and he believes the other two defendants will as well.

But prosecutor Gerard Laarhuis welcomed the verdict.

“This jury found that four strong, vivacious and freedom-loving women were murdered by their own family in the most troubling of circumstances,” Laarhuis said outside court.

“This verdict sends a very clear message about our Canadian values and the core principles in a free and democratic society that all Canadians enjoy and even visitors to Canada enjoy,” he said to cheers of approval from onlookers.

The family had left Afghanistan in 1992 and lived in Pakistan, Australia and Dubai before settling in Canada in 2007. Shafia, a wealthy businessman, married Yahya because his first wife could not have children.

Shafia’s first wife was living with him and his second wife. The polygamous relationship, if revealed, could have resulted in their deportation.

The prosecution painted a picture of a household controlled by a domineering Shafia, with Hamed keeping his sisters in line and doling out discipline when his father was away on frequent business trips to Dubai.

The months leading up to the deaths were not happy ones in the Shafia household, according to evidence presented at trial. Zainab, the oldest daughter, was forbidden to attend school for a year because she had a young Pakistani-Canadian boyfriend, and she fled to a shelter, terrified of her father, the court was told.

The prosecution said her parents found condoms in Sahar’s room as well as photos of her wearing short skirts and hugging her Christian boyfriend, a relationship she had kept secret. Geeti was becoming almost impossible to control: skipping school, failing classes, being sent home for wearing revealing clothes and stealing, while declaring to authority figures that she wanted to be placed in foster care, according to the prosecution.

Shafia’s first wife wrote in a diary that her husband beat her and “made life a torture,” while his second wife called her a servant.

The prosecution presented wiretaps and mobile phone records from the Shafia family in court to support their honor killing allegation. The wiretaps, which capture Shafia spewing vitriol about his dead daughters, calling them treacherous and whores and invoking the devil to defecate on their graves, were a focal point of the trial.

“There can be no betrayal, no treachery, no violation more than this,” Shafia said on one recording. “Even if they hoist me up onto the gallows … nothing is more dear to me than my honor.”

Defense lawyers argued that at no point in the intercepts do the accused say they drowned the victims.

Shafia’s lawyer, Peter Kemp, said after the verdicts that he believes the comments his client made on the wiretaps may have weighed more heavily on the jury’s minds than the physical evidence in the case.

“He wasn’t convicted for what he did,” Kemp said. “He was convicted for what he said.”

If you watch this video, compiled from several news reports on Canadian TV, you’ll hear culturally enriched hecklers calling the prosecutor a liar and shouting other abuse as he gives a public statement outside the courthouse.

Hat tip: Vlad Tepes.

Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, says that his government is planning to begin peace talks with the Taliban. The latest reports say that the Saudis will act as intermediaries, and the talks will be held in Saudi Arabia.

In other news, a prominent American economist says that the Eurozone may well collapse this year, and almost certainly in the next three to five years.

To see the headlines and the articles, open the full news post.

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Egghead, Fjordman, Insubria, KGS, Kitman, The Observer, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Commenters are advised to leave their comments at this post (rather than with the news articles) so that they are more easily accessible.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer sends a translation of the latest news on Anders Behring Breivik from the Norwegian media. The translator includes this note:

This is an important story, because it shows us that Breivik was taking advantage of various Al Qaeda methods, and that he was thinking along the same lines as other Al Qaeda operatives.

The translated article from today’s VG Nett:

Breivik behaves in accordance with Al Qaeda manuals

During his six-month prison stay, Anders Behring Breivik has behaved in accordance to his own manifesto — which was clearly inspired by Al Qaeda.

Several of the chapters in Breivik’s manifesto resemble the manuals of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network.

According to Knut Bjarkeid, the chief warden at Ila Prison, Breivik behaves exactly like he described he would in his 1500-page manifesto.

“Yes, exactly to the letter,” the Ila warden says.

Meeting ban

He recognizes Breivik’s behavior from the Al Qaeda manual on how to behave in captivity, and he believes Breivik is inspired by it.

“Breivik is friendly, he’s interested in other people and he tries to establish relationships,” says Bjarkeid.

As a consequence the prison has issued instructions to its staff not to spend any time alone with him.

“Our staff never spends any time on a one-to-one basis with Breivik. There are always several guards present. All communication with Breivik is recorded, logged and analyzed.”

Breivik’s stay at Ila is regulated by basic rules for high-security prisoners, plus an additional 130 individual rules that the prison has chosen to implement.

CCTV surveillance is one of those security measures. Breivik is, however not kept under CCTV surveillance inside his cell, Bjarkeid emphasizes.

“All contact with Breivik is governed by strict rules. We have decided to set aside normal procedures that would have allowed the staff to use their own judgment. There are procedures that dictate how many guards need to be present outside his cell door whenever he’s let out, and where these guards are to be positioned. There are also procedures that dictate what Breivik can and cannot see in relation to these measures. There are written procedures that we follow when he’s having showers, and when his lawyers are visiting,” the warden says.

“In order to look after our employees’ best interests, we facilitated frequent conversations with the prisons own psychologists in the initial stages.

“The psychologists advised them on how to address Breivik, how to interrupt him and how to end a conversation,” Bjarkeid says.

Uses the network

Franck Orban, a researcher employed by the Correctional Education System, believes that Breivik must have had access to Al Qaeda manuals available on the internet.

“It is difficult to say with a hundred percent certainty whether he has read the manuals for imprisoned jihadists, but several elements of Breivik’s manifesto bears semblance to the Al Qaeda rhetoric.”

“This suggests that he has had access to them,” Orban says.

“As a result, his perception of prisons may have been influenced by that of militant Islamists, which is a paradox, since Breivik’s image of reality is completely different from theirs.”

In his manifesto Breivik describes how to use the time in prison to build an organization and how to recruit fellow prisoners for the “cause”.

This is a well-known strategy used by Al Qaeda all over the world.

“Prison plays an important part in Breivik manifesto. It is an arena where new followers can be recruited. Maybe he envisions a type of community within the prison, but there are no guarantees that he will get to spend that much time with the other inmates,” Orban says.

Two Al Qaeda manuals have been translated into English and posted on the internet.

Both are featured on websites that are hostile to Islam, and which Breivik has visited.

The well-known terrorist researcher Magnus Ranstorp also sees several similarities between Breivik’s manifesto and the strategy employed by Al Qaeda.

“It is highly likely that he has come across these manuals. We can at least conclude that there are several striking similarities,” Ranstorp says to VG.

The Al Qaeda manuals

There are several similarities between the Al Qaeda manuals and Breivik’s own manifesto, and what Breivik has told police in interrogations:

• Breivik expected to be tortured in prison, and in his manifesto he describes how to mentally prepare for this. This is also outlined in great detail by Al Qaeda.
• In his first court appearance he complained that the isolation felt like “torture.”
• An Al Qaeda manual found in Manchester in 2005 included descriptions of how terrorist members should act in court. According to the manual it is imperative to claim that tortured is being administered.
• The 32-year-old outlines the qualities of a “perfect knight” who carries out a terrorist attack, and he stresses that one must expect to become a martyr. Al Qaeda also lists several requirements for their own terrorists, including the willingness to sacrifice their own lives.
• Breivik describes numerous safety measures in the planning and implementation phase. These measures are very similar to the instructions found in the Al Qaeda manuals.

“There are many aspects of the manifesto which are inspired by Al Qaeda. Among other things, how to avoid being detected by the security services and how to implement safety measures,” Ranstorp says.

Wanted to film

In his manifesto Breivik expresses great admiration for Al Qaeda and the methods they use, which he sees as highly successful.

In police conversations, Breivik has also drawn parallels between Islamists and the Templar organization he claims to be a member of.

Among other things he wanted to film the killings of his “primary targets” on Utøya, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jonas Gahr Støre and Marte Michelet.

He wanted to send these tapes to various news agencies, thus creating fear.

“The main goal, as is the case with Al Qaeda, is to get the message out. An organization with limited funds needs to make use of psychological warfare,” Breivik stated in police interrogations.

Al Qaeda has not been a subject in the interrogations, according to defense lawyer Geir Lippestad.

The lawyer says that he has never spoken to Breivik about Al Qaeda.

“I can confirm that he behaves politely and follows all the rules in prison, but why he acts this way and whether it has something to with Al Qaeda are only speculations, Lippestad says.

Hat tip: Fjordman.

The British Freedom Party reports that YouTube has just shut down the party’s channel for violating the company’s terms of service. The reason? BF had the temerity to post a copy of Geert Wilders’ film Fitna.

The horror!

Here’s the report from the BF website:

Censorship of Geert Wilders’ Film Fitna — Does YouTube Follow Sharia Law?

The British Freedom YouTube account has been suspended because it included Geert Wilders’ controversial film Fitna. British Freedom received the following message from YouTube:

“The YouTube Community has flagged one or more of your videos as inappropriate. Once a video is flagged, it is reviewed by the YouTube Team against our Community Guidelines. Upon review, we have determined that the following video(s) contain content in violation of these guidelines, and have been disabled:

“Fitna — The Geert Wilders Movie — YouTube.mp4 — (BritishFreedomTV)

“We encourage free speech and defend everyone’s right to express their points of view even if unpopular. But YouTube does not permit hate speech. “Hate speech” means content that promotes hatred or violence against members of a protected group (race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity). Sometimes there is a fine line between what is and what is not considered hate speech. If you’re not sure whether or not your content crosses the line, don’t post it.”

It seems that YouTube which claims to encourage free speech could be accused of basing its understanding of such freedom in accordance with principles of sharia. Sharia does not allow the criticism or negativity towards the holy book of Islam. The website fidh.org reports that a man in Afghanistan was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment “for having distributed a document criticising the Koran and its views on women’s rights”. Would YouTube censor a video that pointed this out? Fitna is simply a film that quotes the Koran and then shows how some people have interpreted those quotes. To call it ‘hate speech’ indicates a political agenda and an attempt to stifle debate.

Why has British Freedom been specifically targeted? There are many YouTube channels that contain the film Fitna which can be found quite easily by a simple search. Has British Freedom been targeted because it is a political party? The OIC is already trying to meddle in the internal affairs of Western democracies via its global campaign against free expression. The very nebulous and ill defined term ‘Islamophobia’ is often used to restrict debate with regard to subjects that discuss issues relating to political Islam. The Secretary General of the OIC, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has specifically referred to Western politics. Does this mean that there is now an organised campaign against specific political parties and if such a campaign exists has YouTube inadvertently found itself embroiled in it? Has YouTube now sided with the OIC and accepted its narrative? If the public are prevented from making informed decisions at election times due to politically motivated censorship then democracy looses all its true meaning.

The European Union has offered to host the next meeting of the Istanbul Process which relates to the OIC campaign against freedom of expression. If the European Union bows to OIC pressure on this subject then it means that very significant legislative changes might occur in European states that could put democracy itself in serious danger. The issue of freedom of expression is therefore the subject on ongoing political debate and materials like the film Fitna is an important component of that debate. Censorship of this film could be seen as an attempt to stifle debate on a subject of significant public interest. YouTube’s action against the British Freedom YouTube channel may cause some people to conclude that YouTube is effectively taking sides in an extremely significant political debate.

We call upon YouTube to take a position of political impartiality and reinstate the British Freedom channel with the film Fitna included on it.

Here’s a Liveleak version of Fitna.

Nicolai Sennels’ latest essay has been published at Jihad Watch. Some excerpts are below:

Islamonausea, not Islamophobia
by Nicolai Sennels

We should stop using Muslims’ self-chosen word — “Islamophobia” — by which they paint themselves into a corner of being feared: it destroys communication. Instead of such a divisive term, we should insert a more approachable and factual word that preserves opportunities for bridge-building and learning: “Islamonausea.” This does not render communication impossible, but enables visitors to our Western cultures to notice aspects of their behavior that make us sick.

It’s no wonder that Muslims use the word “Islamophobia” so often. Lacking convincing arguments, charm or constructive contributions to their surroundings, being feared is the only way to gain at least some kind of respect. The term Islamophobia, fear of Islam, points to what Muslims want, not to what non-Muslims feel. Who is afraid of Islam, anyway?

“Xenophobia,” an irrational fear of that which is strange or foreign, also doesn’t work. Aversion to Islam doesn’t come from unfamiliarity with the religion; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. There’s no reason to fear being called a racist, either, since neither Islam nor Muslims are a race.

Our language needs a term that describes what many critically thinking people feel about Islam according to their own terms, not according to what Muslims wish us to feel or what the PC establishment diagnoses to scare us into allowing more voters for the Left into our countries. We need a term that simultaneously invites Muslims to realize what they need to change about their behavior and religion if they wish to advance from an embarrassing last place in the evolution of civilizations and to earn some real respect among the world community.

Natural reaction

As in many other nauseating situations, Islamonausea is a normal and natural reaction to something abnormal, not vice versa.

The nausea reflex is innate, and it is biologically natural and healthy to experience emotional and bodily discomfort with anything that is unpleasant, unhealthy or harmful.

There is nothing phobic or racist in feeling nausea when hearing about the Islamic massacres performed by Muhammad and his many devout copycats through history and all over the world today. The same goes for Muhammad’s sexual relationship with a nine-year old girl, and the cutting off of limbs and stonings in the name of Allah and his Sharia laws.

Thinking of Muslims’ epidemic practice of forced inbreeding (which damages intelligence and increases the risk of psychiatric diseases) — often many generations in a row — one may also experience unpleasant feelings in the abdomen. There is also no shame in feeling nausea when hearing about the extreme social control, violence and murderous examples made to keep and scare hundreds of millions of their women from enjoying their human rights to chose their own sexual partners, clothing and lifestyle.

The many calls for hatred, violence and killing of non-Muslims commanded by the faultless Koran are outright disgusting. Imagining the pinnacle of evolution being a planet-sized Islamic caliphate is not only a complete embarrassment to the human race; it may also make one lose one’s appetite.

[…]

Prevalence

The first use of the word that I have been able to trace, is from 7 July 2005, in a comment on this website, Jihadwatch.org.

Here, a person calling himself Sheik Canuck, writes in a comment to an article on Muslims’ positive reaction to the Islamic suicide bombings in London that same day:

“I don’t have islamophobia, I have islamoNausea, I’m sick of them all.”

The first time it occurred in a Danish newspaper was in a letter by this writer in Nordjyske Stiftstidende on December 30th 2011, entitled “We have nausea“.

The term attracted some attention when the comedian, atheist and Islam critic Pat Condell used it in a video from 2009 called “Apologists for evil.”

Islamonausea deserves its own article on Wikipedia. Help get Islamonausea into our dictionaries by using the word on blogs, in articles and in Letters to the Editor, and in everyday speech.

Read the rest at Jihad Watch, which also has the embedded links.