'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
An exhibit of wax statues, depicting some of Shiite Muslims' most beloved clerics and intended to pay tribute to this Iraqi holy city's contributions to culture, has been dipped in controversy as some Sunnis decry the figures as heretical.
It's no longer news that President Obama's vaunted outreach to Islam has been a bust. Numerous polls over the past three years have shown that after a brief flurry of enthusiasm, regard for the United States among the world's Muslims has declined precipitously. In some key countries, dislike for America is even lower than it was at the end of the administration of George W. Bush, whom liberal critics deemed culturally illiterate.
As Syria continues to burn under leader Bashar Assad's Hama 2.0 operation, all hope seems fixed solely on the United Nations Security Council. However, far from New York, the world's newest human rights organization is in a position to take the next pivotal move to defuse the crisis if it so chooses.
It is not exactly news that the Obama presidency is determined to go to unprecedented lengths to mollify, appease and otherwise pander to what it calls the "Muslim world." But the question has begun to occur: At what point do these efforts cross the line from a misbegotten policy to one that is downright anti-American - hostile to our values, incompatible with our vital interests and at odds with our Constitution?
The United Nations issued its first condemnation of discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people on Friday in a cautiously worded declaration hailed by supporters including the United States as a historic moment.
The wife of a prominent human rights lawyer who disappeared for two months amid a massive Chinese security crackdown said her husband has returned home and appears to be well.
Like ordinary folks, presidents of the United States are known by the company they keep. It is a test of their character. Often it shapes their policies. In the case of Barack Obama, it may blight his legacy and our nation's security interests. Until now, among the most egregious examples of the problem were the "friends of Bill" who played prominent roles in William Jefferson Clinton's presidency. Those folks included a mix of unsavory political operatives, Chinese agents and convicted felons. Their overnight stays in the Lincoln bedroom, legally challenged fundraising and 11th-hour pardons raised serious questions not just about President Clinton's ethics, but about his judgment.
The United Nations wants to criminalize religious heresy, provided that those making the claim are Islamists.
Islamists say the Koran is destined to rule America. In fact, the Muslim takeover of the White House is not just an unfolding action plan but a directive from Muhammad himself.
Democrats and vote fraud Bruce Tinsley's Mallard Fillmore cartoon on Wednesday (Culture, et cetera) about a Washington State woman who registered her dog to vote — the Associated Press story indicates that she actually voted three times in his name — illustrates a very important issue as we approach the 2008 national elections. That issue is election fraud and the different approach to it of the two major parties.
Democrats and vote fraud Bruce Tinsley's Mallard Fillmore cartoon on Wednesday (Culture, et cetera) about a Washington State woman who registered her dog to vote — the Associated Press story indicates that she actually voted three times in his name — illustrates a very important issue as we approach the 2008 national elections. That issue is election fraud and the different approach to it of the two major parties.
The roots of terror
Had the citizens of Greeley, Colo., been friendlier to the introverted Egyptian student Sayyid Qutb during his studies there from 1948 to 1950, he might not have become the Muslim Brotherhood's signature ideologue. But the lonesome Qutb resented everything America had to offer, especially individual freedom, capitalism, jazz and women's "open" sexuality.
In the wake of this weekend's spate of actual and attempted car-bombings in the United Kingdom, I watched the uncut version of "The Path to 9/11" — ABC's dramatic portrayal of the events that contributed to, and culminated in, the deadliest attacks on U.S. soil to date. As the brilliantly crafted segments (written by Cyrus Nowrasteh) rolled by showing addled thinking, failed policies and missed opportunities to prevent those attacks, I kept thinking: What mistakes are being made today that will form the backdrop to the next, possibly far more horrific, terrorist strikes in this country?
Last week, President Bush announced he will appoint a special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, acted earlier: Russia was granted observer status in the OIC almost two years ago. When Messrs. Bush and Putin met Sunday, what was missing from the discussion was the adversarial relationship between the United States and Russia in the Muslim world.
