The King of Nepal Sees the Light

Tammy Bruce:

Anyone who says democracy is a "western" notion should take note. No one needs to ask the Nepalese if democracy is worth fighting for--after theirs was taken away, you just need to take a look at the result of their demonstrations .

The King of Nepal had dissolved their parliament in 2002, and then in January 2005 he declared a state of emergency which allowed him to seize complete power. For some reason he thought the people of Nepal wouldn't care. He was wrong.

After weeks of seeing the lazy, spoiled and criminal march for their "rights" to continue to be lazy, spoiled or criminal (France and the U.S), it's heartening to see the Nepalese demonstrating for something as grand and noble as a return to democracy, with many giving their lives in the process.

And after weeks of protest, what did the king have to say? ...

Read the rest at Tammy Bruce, with lots of linkage.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Russian Bombers Penetrated US Airspace

Maybe the Russians have invisible planes too?

The Intelligence Summit:

Moscow, Russia(Rai Novosti): Russian military planes flew undetected through the U.S. zone of the Arctic Ocean to Canada during recent military exercises, a senior Air Force commander said Saturday.

The commander of the country's long-range strategic bombers, Lieutenant General Igor Khvorov, said the U.S. Air Force is now investigating why its military was unable to detect the Russian bombers.

"They were unable to detect the planes either with radars or visually," he said.

Khorov said that during the military exercises in April, Tu-160 Blackjack bombers and Tu-95 Bears had successfully carried out four missile launches. Bombing exercises were held using Tu-22 Blinders.

By the end of the year, two more Tu-160s will be commissioned for the long-range strategic bomber fleet, Khorov said.

Both new planes will incorporate numerous upgrades from the initial Soviet models, the commander said. The bombers will be able to launch both cruise missiles and aviation bombs, and communicate via satellite.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Ebru Umar

Tammy Bruce reminds us of the attack on Ebru Umar as posted at Peaktalk:

Ebru Umar, a Dutch writer of Turkish descent and a good friend of the late Theo van Gogh - she contributed to his website and took over one of his columns after his death - was attacked in Amsterdam on Friday, reports Arjan Dasselaar. He wryly adds that the Dutch public news service – which in terms of breaking news is usually an excellent source – has so far, two days after the attack, failed to report it.

Newspaper de Telegraaf however has a brief audio interview with Umar in Dutch who confirms that two Moroccan youths followed her and after saying “that’s her!” knocked her down just as she was about to enter her house.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Iran Regime to Ban Satellite Dishes

Marze Por Gohar:

Tehran: The Iranian Parliament is examining a bill presented by deputies close to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which bans satellite television for private citizens.

The draft law provides for fines of up to 5000 euros for offenders. Saiid Abutaleb, the member of Parliament who drafted the reform, on Monday presented the bill to the media. Under the measures, which Parliament is to discuss in the coming days, private citizens who own a satellite dish have three months to get rid of it once the bill becomes law.

Offenders will be liable to fines of up to 5,000 euros, which most Iranian families can?t afford given that the average salary amounts to less than 200 euros a month.

Only public institutions and some associations will be allowed to own a satellite dish. Companies importing and selling satellite dishes who are not authorised to own them will receive fines of 50 thousand euros and their goods will be seised.

The government will use revenues from fines for the "fight against the West?s cultural offensive," said Mr Abutaleb.

The draft law allows companies to broadcast some foreign television channels provided they have obtained the government?s permission. Television channels broadcasting from abroad in farsi will be banned.

Cross-posted at Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad.

Irshad Manji: New Names on Manifesto

Irshad Manji has just updated her site with the names of people who signed the Manifesto Against a New Totalitarianism. My name is on there ... is yours?

Cross-posted here: Dreams Into Lightning - TypePad

Iran: Sexist Regime Steps Up Anti-Woman Activities

Using veiled female agents, the regime in Iran continues its policy of oppression against ordinary women. SMCCDI via Marze Por Gohar:

The Gender Apartheid Policy and repression of Iranian women has increased following the start, yesterday, of a new official campaign intended to enforce the observance of the Islamist mandatory veil in Iran.

Hundreds of fully black veiled and armed female security agents, qualified as "black crows" by most Iranians, have been deployed in each of Iran's main cities. Their official mission has been qualified as a 'suggestive guidance task intending to make respect the Islamic and moral values' and 'to fight the increasing western decadence'.

While officially they're 'not to use of any force or brutal manners', never less various reports are contrary to the official statements made, today, by the Islamic regime's President and heads of security forces. Reports are stating about the use of brutality, insults and fines against hundreds of maverick Iranian females who were seen opposing the black crows injunctions in several areas of Tehran, such as, Vali-e-Asr (former Pahlavi), Madar (former Mohseni) and Tajrish. Several young girls were seen arrested and transferred to security posts in order to what has been qualified as 'proper identification'.

In some places maverick Iranian males, offended or intending to protect their mothers, sisters, female friends or the victims, from the repressive female agents, were seen beaten by male security agents who have been deployed to protect their female colleagues.

It seems that some harsh critics made by some European and American circles against the discriminatory campaign have caused the sudden issuance of official statements on the 'peaceful nature of the guidance task'.

Reports of the same type of repressive measures have been received from some of the provincial cities, such as, Esfahan, Rasht, Ghom, Mashad or Shiraz where they have already been applied before its start in the Capital.

In reality, the whole campaign has started following the quasi-official rally which took place in front of the Islamic Parliament last week. It took place in order to offer a so-called legitimate and popular back up for the discriminatory crackdown on Iranian women and was composed by dozens of fully dark veiled female agents, as well as, foreign Islamist females and even what some many Iranians call as 'veiled governmental prostitutes'. This third category is used for various purposes by the Islamic regime, such as, collecting information or approaching foreign journalists while having a more western look or in some cases wearing more provocative clothing.

Tens of Iranian women have died and hundreds of other have been injured, since 1979, for fighting for gender equality in Iran. Many of them have used mass gatherings to burn their mandatory veils and to denounce the existing repression while some naive foreign circles have started to promote, since 1997, individuals, such as, Shirin Ebadi or Mehranguiz Kar as defenders of women's rights.

In reality, while thousands of Iranian women were marching in the streets of Tehran, in 1979, and shouting "No Veil, No Submission"; Ebadi and Kar were endorsing Rouh-Ollah Khomeini's backwarded Islamist revolution. Worst, they were seen as wearing the Islamist veil in sign of such support, despite having had higher law education and human rights courses.

In other Iran news, Nuremberg mayor Dr. Ulrich Maly urges the German government to do the right thing rather than allow Iran's chief thug Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit. YNet via MPG:

On June 11, at 6 p.m., the first game of the Iranian national team in the World Cup will get under way. Nuremberg's stadium is situated just dozens of meters from the first Nazi marching square and the enormous conference hall built for Hitler. The huge structure, which was never completed, is used today as historical testimony to the Nazi era.

The arrival of Iran's soccer team would not be causing such a stir, would it not be for the Holocaust denials of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his plans to arrive at the city in order to cheer on his team.

In the halls of government in Berlin, officials believe that the Iranian president will not arrive in the end. Therefore, they do not see a point in comply with a call by the Wiesenthal Center to declare Ahmadinejad as persona non grata.

"Ahmadinejad won't be our guest and he is not wanted among us," Maly told Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's leading newspaper.

"From the minute FIFA decided not to boycott Iran in the world cup, the arrival of the Iranians turned into a problem for the German government. We would prefer that other teams play here. I don't plan to prevent demonstrations against Ahmadinejad and against his intolerable statements on the Holocaust and the destruction of the State of Israel," he said.

Read the full article at the link.


Iran

Iranians Rebel Against Islamist Regime at Soccer Match in Tehran

SMCCDI:

Hundreds of Iranians used the occasion, offered by the match played between Bargh e Shiraz and Esteghlal (former Taj) soccer teams, in order to protest against the Islamic republic regime. The local game took place yesterday at the "Azadi" ('Freedom') stadium of Tehran.

Slogans were shouted and street clashes took place in the Azadi, Karaj and Enghelab areas as security forces attacked the protesters. Dozens of security patrol cars and buses were damaged in retaliation to the brutality of Islamist Militiamen.

Tens were seen injured or arrested at the issue of the unrest.

Iranians are seizing the mass presence opportunity offered by soccer games or big events in order to protest and express their rejection of the Islamic regime. In that line, Iran was the scene of consecutive and massive protest actions, during the 2002 World Cup soccer qualification games but the trend was stopped by the believed forced loss of Iran to Bahrain. Since then, important soccer games have been often turned into popular protests, especially when they're played in Tehran.

Most opposition groups, such as SMCCDI and the Iran National Secular Party (INSP), and underground networks have planned massive popular protest actions, both inside and abroad Iran, at the occasion of the upcoming 2006 World Cup games in Germany. Iran's first game is scheduled for June 11th against Mexico and Its other first round games are against Portugal, on June 17th, and against Angola on June 21st.

SMCCDI is known for its importnat role in the promotion of Football (Soccer) Protests and especially in the coordination of last World Cup Soccer qualification games' riots. It constantly mobilized the masses via the intense use of digital technology, such as the Internet and satellite TV, as well as, help from some friendly Persian speaking radio stations abroad who were offering airtime for consecutive interviews and transmitting the Movement's calls:

http://www.daneshjoo.org/article/publish/article_486.shtml
http://www.daneshjoo.org/article/publish/article_485.shtml
http://www.daneshjoo.org/article/publish/article_482.shtml
http://www.daneshjoo.org/article/publish/article_479.shtml

Iran

Iran: Prosecutor Najafabadi Shot in Shadegan

Iran Focus:

Tehran, Iran, Apr. 21 – The prosecutor in the Department of Justice in the southern town of Shadegan was shot and seriously wounded, a semi-official daily reported on Saturday.

The official, identified as Najafabadi, was shot in his car on his way from work by masked gunmen who made their escape on a motorbike, the hard-line daily Kayhan wrote.

Najafabadi sustained injuries in the face and foot, according to the report.

Shadegan is situated in the Arab-dominated province of Khuzestan. Ahwaz, the capital of oil-rich province, has been the scene of unremitting anti-government protests since early 2005.

Iran

Repulsive Republican Watch

Average Gay Joe at Gay Patriot:

Ah yes, another “Repulsive Republican” who raises the ol’ barnyard animals canard:

Ohio’s Secretary of State is coming out strong in support of Issue One, the measure that would ban same-sex marriage. Kenneth Blackwell spoke to an energized crowd at the Cathedral of Praise Tuesday night.

Blackwell said it’s time for people of God to take a stand. He even drew a comparison between same-sex couples and farm animals. “I don’t know how many of you have a farming background but I can tell you right now that notion even defies barnyard logic … the barnyard knows better,” said Blackwell referring to the idea of same-sex marriage.

... When will the Republicans free themselves of these people who treat faith as some cheap whore in order to curry favor and gain power?

Russia to Sell Weapons to Iran

Tammy Bruce:

Our Friends the Russians ...

Are selling missiles to the Iranians which will be used to kill Israelis and Americans. And this from a country that was simultaneously partly in charge of negotiating with Iran to get them to stop their nuclear research, and has said it will veto any action (including sanctions of course, because that would shut down their income stream) in the UN Security Council. Absolutely outrageous ...

Read the rest at the link.

Russia
Iran

The Manifesto of 1,400

Irshad Manji has an up-to-date list of readers who have signed the Manifesto of 12. From the Manifesto:

We -- writers, journalists and public intellectuals -- call for resistance to religious totalitarianism.

Instead, we call for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values worldwide.

The necessity of these universal values has been revealed by events since the publication of the Muhammad drawings in European newspapers. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the arena of ideas. What we are witnessing is not a clash of civilizations, nor an antagonism of West versus East, but a global struggle between democrats and theocrats.

Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The preachers of hate bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a world of inequality. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred.

Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of greater power imbalances: man’s domination of woman, the Islamists’ domination of all others.

To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed people. For that reason, we reject “cultural relativism,” which consists of accepting that Muslim men and women should be deprived of their right to equality and freedom in the name of their cultural traditions.

We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of “Islamophobia,” an unfortunate concept that confuses criticism of Islamic practices with the stigmatization of Muslims themselves.

We plead for the universality of free expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on every continent, against every abuse and dogma.

We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of enlightenment, not of obscurantism.

Signed,

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Chahla Chafiq , Caroline Fourest, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Irshad Manji , Mehdi Mozaffari, Maryam Namazie, Taslima Nasreen, Salman Rushdie, Antoine Sfeir, Philippe Val, Ibn Warraq

More than 1,400 ordinary people have signed. Go to the link to see the list of names, and if your name isn't on there yet, you can follow Irshad's e-mail link to sign.

Fatah-Hamas Clashes Reported

Jerusalem Post:

Gunmen from Hamas and the Fatah engaged in a shootout at the Palestinian Health Ministry on Sunday, wounding three people in the latest internal clashes between the feuding groups.

The incident began when Fatah loyalists arrived at the ministry to talk with Health Minister Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, and Naim called on Hamas militants to come protect him, ministry employees said.

When the Hamas gunmen arrived, a shootout broke out with the Fatah militants, witnesses said.