"The Islamic State" Sticks It to Sykes-Picot

The newly-declared "caliphate" undoes nearly a century of infidel interference/map-drawing in one fell swoop.

Vapid, New Age-y Teaching Methods Designed to Keep Kids Dumber and Easier to Indoctrinate

That's my take-away from Margaret Wente's look at the latest pedagogic dogma:

Both British Columbia and Alberta are rewriting their entire K-12 curriculums to bring them into the 21st century. In Ontario, advocacy groups such as People for Education are pushing for similar changes. 

The key features of this new model are an emphasis on creativity, innovation and “digital literacies,” with more discussion of broad concepts and big ideas and less emphasis on factual knowledge. Courses will be personalized to suit students’ “learning preferences.” Classes will be “student-centred,” and feature far less direct instruction and far more project and group work. Teachers will be expected to act as guides to “self-directed learners.” Technology will feature heavily in the classroom. Grades and testing will be downgraded. (Because who, after all, can measure “creativity”?) 

What evidence is there that this new approach produces better results? Er, none. 

“Essentially it’s faith-based,” says Paul Bennett, an education consultant based in Halifax who is an expert on the history of education. In fact, all the evidence points the other way. Experiments with discovery-based math have generally been a flop. But never mind: The education reformers are pressing ahead full-speed.

Don't they always? And don't they always ignore their failures (for example, the "whole language" method which replaced phonics)?

UN-Done at Debate Camp

For the second year in a row, my 16-year-old son went to Debate Camp. It was held last week at a local private school for young'uns who, like my son, enjoy making arguments for the sake of persuasion, and sometimes simply for the sake of arguing. Anyway, on Thursday, the second last day of camp, they had a model United Nations. The issue they were supposed to discuss had something to do with the possibility of Russia launching a nuke--sort of like a Cuban Missile Crisis, but this time involving, for reasons that aren't clear to me, Norway.

My son was the first one to speak, and knowing exactly how the UN operates, he completely ignored Russia's culpability and, cheek lodged firmly in cheek, launched into a tirade about "the Zionists." It was all the Zionists' fault, he shouted, and something must be done immediately about the Zionists. Catching on to what my son was doing, his friends, some of them Jewish, some not, joined in. They, too, began ranting about how the Zionists were to blame.

Needless to say, the model UN never did get around to considering the issue at hand.

When my son came home and told me what he'd done, I had a good laugh. I told him I admired his audacity and his insight into the UN's M.O. The guy in charge of the camp, though, had an entirely different reaction. The next day he lashed into my son for derailing the debate and for failing to, I kid you not, "take the UN seriously."

Caroline Glick, no fool she, knows that not taking the UN seriously is probably the sanest response to its hijinks. Here's a snippet of a speech she gave recently (it's posted today on the FrontPage Magazine site):

Everybody remembers the UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 from 1975 that referred to Zionism, the Jewish national liberation movement, as a form of racism. 

As Daniel Pipes said last night in his introduction to Ambassador John Bolton, Bolton’s role in having that resolution cancelled in 1991 was really decisive in terms of that happening. 

But the fact that the resolution itself was rejected or was cancelled in 1991 didn’t mean that the sentiment behind it in any way went into remission. That has, since 1975, been really the guiding principle around which the entire UN system revolves, which is to try to somehow or another act in a concerted fashion in order to remove the international legitimization that was given to the Jewish national movement and the Jewish national home in 1947 in the UN Partition Resolution of the General Assembly [when it won]. 

So this has continued to be really the central motivating factor of the UN system generally since 1975, despite the good efforts of the George H.W. Bush administration in the early 1990s.

 Seriously, what a sick joke!

Not Waiting For Those Afterlife Virgins

ISIS Issues Orders in Mosul: Give Over Girls for 'Sex Jihad'

Time for Israel to End Its "Confidence Building Measures" Since It's Building the Confidence of Jihadi Rotters

And who the hell, aside from the rotters and those who share their Zionhass, needs/wants that?:

The recent kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers near Hebron, who are now the subject of a massive Israeli military-security search, should give pause. Israel says it has evidence of involvement by Hamas, the U.S. and EU-listed terrorist group that calls in its Charter for the worldwide murder of Jews. Hamas, which was recently incorporated into the Fatah/Palestinian Authority (PA) regime, is still receiving U.S taxpayer funding. 

Given these circumstances, Israel needs to put an end to its concessionary policy of ‘confidence-building measures:’ removing security checkpoints and roadblocks, freeing convicted and jailed Palestinian terrorists as demanded by the PA, and so on — especially if it emerges that the absence of checkpoints enabled the terrorists to carry out the kidnappings. 

That some terrorist acts have been facilitated in this way is beyond argument.

For sure. That's why the rotters and other Zion-loathers want Israel to tear down its security fencing.

Hot Off the Presses (and Hot Under the Collar): The Latest Edition Of the Glossy ISIS Magazine

It's called The Islamic State Report--which, given how it expresses plans to "smash the crusaders' borders" in the Middle East, makes it sound far more boring that it really is.

The Hypocrisy of Pride Revealed in Its Inclusion/Exclusion Choices

Zion-loathers are in; men's equality-lovers are out:

There will be no Pride march for a men’s equality group this year. 

The Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE) has been kicked-out of the Pride parade — the highlight and grand finale of World Pride — at the last minute and told that they do not belong. 

“Concerns have been raised by community members about your group and its conformity with the spirit of the Mission, Vision and Values of Pride Toronto,” said Pride Toronto Director Kevin Beaulieu in an e-mail to the group just days before the parade. 

The e-mail further specified the concerns were mainly about CAFE’s affiliation with “men’s rights” and anti-feminist organizations and expressed concern about the impact their involvement would have on Pride Toronto’s reputation and the comfort of the other groups.

So Pride Toronto's reputation is not sullied--nor is marchers' "comfort" level affected--by a group which purveys this era's version of the Big Lie for the express purpose of eliminating the world's one and only Jewish state?

Good to know.

Update: Here's how LGBT rag Xtra is reporting the CAFE kerfuffle:

Kevin Beaulieu, the executive director of Pride Toronto, tells Xtra that concerns about CAFE’s activities had been raised within the last few days. “A decision had to be made quickly in the interest of the comfort and safety and ability of groups to participate in the parade,” he says, adding that he met with Justin Trottier, who made the original application to march in the parade, to explain the decision in person. 

Representatives from CAFE are upset that their permit has been revoked. Eleanor Levine, a board member and spokesperson for the organization, says that they believe they have been misrepresented as an organization that hates women. 

“We are not anti-women,” she says. “We are absolutely inclusive.” 

She says CAFE will still be involved in WorldPride, even if they can’t march in the parade. The group claims they are hosting a Pride party in downtown Toronto June 28, though venue details have not yet been provided. 

Pride Toronto sparked outrage in 2010 when it attempted to ban Queers Against Israeli Apartheid from marching in the parade. Though the group’s presence remains controversial to some, Pride Toronto eventually relented after furious community members pointed out the fallacy of censoring even unwelcome views in a parade founded on free expression.

Now, that--censoring some but not others--is what I call a pathetic fallacy (and, oh look, it may even rain on their parade).

Update: Future former prime minister Justin Trudeau tweets that he's

Proud to be joining Premier @Kathleen_Wynne and countless others in celebrating diversity and acceptance at #WorldPride.

Acceptance of "rainbow festoonery and rogue genitalia"--sure. Acceptance of QuAIA--certainly. But Pride's non-acceptance of CAFE and diverse opinions shows that, when crunch time comes,  Pride's "diversity and acceptance" amounts to little more lip service and hot air.

Update: There's not a single rogue genital on view in the Ceeb's sanitized photo gallery of the parade.

The IDF Hands Out Lollipops for Ramadan to Suckers in the West Bank

The message on the wrapper reads:

“Ramadan Kareem, here is some candy after Hamas embittered your life in the West Bank. You are welcome to share!”

Photo Credit: Yoni Alper - Terror Watch

Update: Barry and Kerry's Ramadan messages aren't nearly as cheeky or succinct but they sure are sugary:

US President Barack Obama has greeted Muslims across the world on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, describing it as the time for self-reflection and devotion through prayer and fasting. 

“A time for self-reflection and devotion through prayer and fasting, Ramadan is also an occasion when Muslims around the world reaffirm their commitment to helping the less fortunate, including those struggling because of economic hardship and inequality,” Obama said in a statement yesterday. 

Lauding the role of Muslim organisations in America for their efforts at social empowerment, Obama said: “Here in the US, we are grateful to the many Muslim American organizations, individuals, and businesses that are devoted to creating opportunity for all by working to reduce income inequality and poverty, not only through their charitable efforts, but also through their initiatives to empower students, workers and families with the education, skills and health care they deserve.”

Yeah, those American Muslim organizations, like, say, CAIR, are superb at "empowerment," aren't they? But do go on about the true meaning of Ramadan, Mr. President:

Ramadan, he added, also reminds us of our shared responsibility to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves and the basic principles that bind people of different faiths together: a yearning for peace, justice and equality. 

“At a moment when too many people around the world continue to suffer from senseless conflict and violence, this sacred time reminds us of our common obligations to pursue justice and peace and to uphold the dignity of every human being,” Obama said.

"Senseless conflict and violence"?  Actually, to those looking to restore the caliphate and who base their "struggle" on core Islamic teachings, it makes perfect sense. I'm sure, though, we can count on John Kerry to also ignore that reality:

Sending his wishes on the occasion, Secretary of State John Kerry said Ramadan is a time for peaceful reflection and prayer, a time for acts of compassion and charity — universal values and aspiration ingrained in every human heart. 

“Across the globe, Muslims will assemble and celebrate a rich tradition with fasting and prayer, as generations have done every year since the time of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Here in America, Muslims will commemorate Ramadan in ways that reflect the great diversity of our country and the spirit of community that binds us together,” he said. 

“The diversity and patriotism of America’s religious communities are sources of strength for all of us, and our freedom to worship is a powerful reminder of the traditions we share. 

E Pluribus Unum–From Many, One. And from many faiths, we stand together in one shared country,” Kerry said.

Funnily enough, E Pluribus Unum could be the jihadis' motto for the ummah, too.

Update: I hate to spoil all the warm 'n' fuzzies engendered by the Barry 'n' Kerry bromides, but the truth is that because of Obama's bone-headed M.O.

An extremist Islamic state is coming into being in the heart of the Mideast. It will become a bastion of terrorism unleashing its attacks against neighbors and sending its faithful on operations in Europe and the US.

Ramadan Kareem, everyone--or should it be "Allahu Akbar!"?

The Ceeb's Little Mosque on the Prairie--Defunct AND Irrelevent

According to Harpoon Siddiqui, the Toronto Star's in-house shill for the Islamic perspective, we foolish, Islamophobic Canadians should pay attention to the non-threatening Muslim majority in our midst--people like Zarqa Nawaz, a woman who claims to have "put the fun back in fundamentalism" via her "hit" TV show:

About 100 fans turned up at the Toronto Reference Library on Thursday to hear the creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, the CBC comedy that drew a record audience of 2.1 million for its premier show in 2007, ran for six seasons, was sold in 60 foreign markets and has been studied at universities for its social and political significance in the post-Sept. 11 world. 

Zarqa Nawaz of FUNdamentalist Films — “comedy is the most effective way of breaking barriers” — has also made documentaries, Me and the Mosque (on gender equality), BBQ Muslims (two brothers accused of terrorism after their backyard barbecue explodes), and Death Threat (a novelist tries hard to get a fatwa of death for publicity). 

Nawaz, 46, has just written Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, an irreverent account of her many intra- and inter-cultural challenges as a hijab-wearing observant Muslim. Ironically, she took on the hijab as a teenage rebellion against her parents, immigrants from Pakistan. Her mother did not wear one, but for the daughter it became “the weapon of choice to break my parents’ heart.”  

Nawaz kept it, though, exercising her individual autonomy as an “Islamic feminist.” 

Obviously, "feminist"--like "peace"--has a different meaning for different cultures.

But back to us "Islamophobes":

Still, Muslims remain subject to relentless scrutiny and collective guilt. They are grilled for the wrongs of Muslims the world over, “which makes you paranoid. If I see the grass growing at our mosque, I tell the imam, ‘cut it, please, otherwise people will think we are terrorists.’ 

“You are dealing with a community that has been dehumanized by the media. In fact, Muslims are a boring people going about their suburban lives. When Canadians meet real Muslims, they find that’s not the Muslims they see on television.”

I think both Zarqa and Harpoon need to listen to Brigitte Gabriel. Those "boring" suburbanites may be real, but they are irrelevant.

Update: A comedy series the Ceeb'll never make ('cuz there's nothing fun or funny about this fundamentalism): Little Church in Nigeria.


On Zarqa's show, the Christian dude was the scary one.

How Can People Be Sure That Their Donations to Widows, Orphans and Other Refugees in Syria Aren't Going to the Bad Guys?

They can't:

Donors and everyday citizens from the Persian Gulf and other sympathetic corners of the world, witnessing the humanitarian crisis in Syria, have been funneling money to the most effective forces fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad there, namely Qaeda-affiliated groups and ISIS. Smartly, these groups have realized they must match their brutal militancy with charitable services, akin to the governance and charity models of groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. This makes it difficult to differentiate funding to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees from support for terrorism.

In light of this, one wonders what percentage, if any, of Islamic Relief Canada's emergency funds for Syria are ending up in the pockets of jihadis.

The "Wisdom" of Staging the Klinghoffer Opera in the City Where the Twin Towers Were Toppled By Islamic Terrorists

Stefan Kanfer writes:

[Met chief Peter] Gelb’s non-Solomonic decision [to nix the TV broadcast but go ahead with the stage production] seems a slap in the face to New York City, site of the murder of some 3,000 people, all of them as vulnerable and disarmed as Leon Klinghoffer.  

But a larger question will remain long after the dust settles. As the Middle East grows more inflamed and dangerous by the hour, and its atrocities become part of 24-hour news cycle, why this opera, and why now? At the Met, as on the battlefield, good timing usually brings victory. Bad timing, on the other hand, can ruin an opera, and wreck a reputation.

In the era of jihad busting out all over, we're all Klinghoffers, and claiming there's no difference between terrorists and the victims of terrorism is apt to be a much tougher (and certainly a much more repellent) sell.

Queers Against Apartheid Marching in the World Pride Parade: No Problemo. CAFE, a Group That Defends Equal Rights for the Male Gender Marching: It's a No Go

Next time someone tells you the parade is all about "free speech" and "inclusiveness" (not to mention those "rogue genitalia"), read them this:

Controversial “Men’s Issues” Organization Ejected From Pride Parade 

TORONTO, ONTARIO – (June 28, 2014) – The educational charity Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE), whose programs focused on the well-being of boys and men are routinely opposed by some feminists, has had their permit to walk in Sunday’s Pride parade revoked. 

CAFE will nevertheless host a public Pride Party tonight in the Village and will participate visibly in World Pride Sunday. 

“As a trans-woman I’m troubled that Pride would become my oppressor,” said Genna Ross, Chair of CAFE’s LGBT Committee, and advocate for transgendered people and the disabled. 

CAFE walked in 2013 without incident and was approved for 2014 months ago. Pride’s Dispute Resolution process prevents cancellation of permits after June 21st and grants groups opportunity to respond to complaints. Those procedures were abandoned. 

Among provocative groups walking in Pride, including Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and OECTA, only CAFE was barred. 

“Pride has abandoned its own values of equality, inclusion and diversity,” said Ross. 

CAFE is pursuing an amicable resolution with Toronto Pride.

An "amicable resolution," huh? Let us know how that works out for you, 'kay? (My suggestion: change your name to something that resonates with Pride--Queers Against White Male Privilege or Queers Against Income Inequality, say.)

Hasta La Vista, Marty

U.S. Mideast envoy Martin Indyk hangs it up after failing to broker a peace-in-our-time in our time deal between Israel and Abbas.

Today In Totally Deranged Zionhass...

Grandiose Ayatollah Sistani warns that the Jooooos are plotting to break up Iraq.

"The 'Interfaith' Movement is a Muslim Brotherhood Scam Designed to Soften Up Gullible Jews and Christians in Advance of the Inevitable Islamic Victory"

Exactamundo!

Emboldened ISIS Lobs Threats at America Via Twitter

It's the hashtag jihad!:

Supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have launched a viral propaganda campaign on Twitter threatening to attack the United States and its interests if America acts militarily against the group in Iraq. 

These threats have been delivered through messages on ISIS's #CalamityWillBefallUS hashtag and feature images of the 9/11 attacks; dead American soldiers; the body of slain U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens; a threatening message from Anwar al-Awlaki, the late leader of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP); and the Nick Berg beheading video among others.

"We will kill your people and transform America to a river of blood :)!" a poster tweeting under the name "Miqdad remain #" said in a post on the #CalamityWillBefallUS hashtag. 

The threats are posted in English as well as in Arabic. For example, the ISIS-linked Al-Battar Media Foundation sent out a tweet Wednesday night telling supporters that "Tweeting in English is preferred" in a Twitter campaign that it plans for Friday that it is calling a "Warning to American People."...

Sure, they're scary, but for obvious reasons these threats remind me of this:

Black Bear Crashes Thru Skylight, Helps Himself to Birthday Cupcakes

Now, that's what I call a party!

Zion-Loather Sid Ryan's Union Gives Big Props to Commie Raul Castro's "Sexy" Daughter

So touching. I think I may cry:

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 26, 2014) - The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) has presented Mariela Castro Espin of Cuba with the OFL Outstanding Workers' Rights Advances Award for 2014. Ms. Castro Espin was presented the award by Sid Ryan, President of the OFL, at a reception hosted by the Canadian Labour Congress at Pride Labour House on June 26, 2014. 

Mariela Castro Espin is a Member of the Cuban Parliament and Director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX). 

CENESEX campaigns for effective AIDS prevention as well as recognition and acceptance of homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestitism, transsexuality and human rights. 

In 2005, Ms. Castro Espin proposed a project to allow transgendered Cubans to receive sex reassignment surgery and change their legal gender. The measure became law in June 2008 and sex reassignment surgery is now available to Cubans without charge. 

She is president of the Cuban Multidisciplinary Centre for the Study of Sexuality, president of the National Commission for Treatment of Disturbances of Gender Identity, member of the Direct Action Group for Preventing, Confronting, and Combating AIDS, and an executive member of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). 

Because of Ms. Mariela's commitment to LGBTQ rights, in 2013 amendments to the Workplace Code of Cuba including discrimination protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity and HIV status. 

"Sister Castro Espin's tireless work has secured protections for LGBTQ workers in every sector of Cuba's workforce," said Sid Ryan. "The Ontario Federation of Labour and our 52 affiliated unions recognize this historic achievement and celebrate it as an inspiration for unions across the Americas." 

Ms. Castro Espin is the daughter of current Cuban president Raúl Castro and feminist and revolutionary Vilma Espín, and is the niece of former president Fidel Castro.

Welcome to Cuba, where, because of decades of Communism, everything's crumbling, a '56 Buick is considered a  late-model car, speech is not free but gender reassignment surgery is gratis.

You can see why capitalism-hatin' Sid Ryan would think it worthy of an award.

Update: Sister Castro Espin is "hiding Cuba's crimes behind gay rights lies."

Update: Here's a beneficiary of Cuba's free sex change surgery. All I can say is hubba hubba.



Update: An American Jew has been imprisoned in Sister Castro Espin's gender dysphoria utopia since 2009. His "crime": he was helping Cuban synagogues access the Internet.

Er, Those Brainiacs Barry and Kerry Know That Iran Is Playing a Double Game Re ISIS, Right?

Maybe not. After all, they think making common cause with the Iranian regime ('cuz it's Shia) against ISIS (which is Sunni) makes good sense:

Secretary of State John Kerry floated this idea in an interview on June 16 with Katie Couric, saying, "We're open to discussions if there is something constructive that can be contributed by Iran, if Iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq and ability of the government to reform." President Barack Obama, in remarks delivered on June 19, seemed to rule out a direct military coordination with the Islamic Republic but nevertheless struck a similar chord of possible future cooperation. "Iran can play a constructive role if it is helping to send the same message to the Iraqi government that we're sending, which is that Iraq only holds together if it's inclusive," the commander-in-chief said, before adding that Iran's "hot and heavy" military support for the Assad regime has gravely worsened conditions in Syria -- implying that what is transpiring in Iraq now is spillover from that conflict next door. Perhaps not so surprisingly, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also seemed amenable to an entente cordiale with the Great Satan. In a televised address on Iranian state media broadcast on June 14, he appeared to invite U.S. military intervention in Iraq to stem the ISIS assault and presented (not for the first time) Iran as a partner in what was once known as the global war on terror: "We all should practically and verbally confront terrorist groups."  

Yet American veterans of the decade-long Iraq war and occupation say that the idea is both preposterous and dangerous. Iran, they maintain, has long played a double game in Mesopotamia and the Levant, both enabling Sunni extremists to infiltrate countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon and then swooping in as the only safeguard heralded against the very forces they helped unleash... 

OMG, They've Named a Park After Chief Ontario "Human Rights" Commissar Barbara Hall!

Considering all she's done (and not in a good way), I wouldn't name so much as a kitty litter box after her.



That's Babs on the right receiving her extra special
"way to go, infidel" clock from a member of
CASMO, a Canadian Khomeinist outfit
that shut down soon afterward.

Lying With Maps, QuAIA-Style, Finds a Home In the Local LGBT Newspaper

The LGBT Zion-loathers are delighted that the local rainbow rag has decided to run the Zionhass ad rejected by the TTC:



This ad complaining that real problem boils down to the fact that the Joooos have too much damn land (and that Arabs don't have nearly enough) appears in "Xtra’s 2014 World Pride Toronto edition. On stands June 26 to July 10. Pick one up if you are in town."

How very, um, "inclusive."

Zionhass in the Globe and Mail

This letter-writer thinks he knows why Stephen Harper has refused to move heaven and earth to get a "Canadian" journalist back:

Canada’s Middle East foreign policy is set by Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli PM is very pleased to be rid of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood with its ties to Hamas. With Mr. Netanyahu happy to have the Egyptian military back in control, our government isn’t about to criticize the Egyptian government.

Well, that's one way to explain it. One nutty, Jew-hatin', Protocols-esque way. The truth, however, has nothing to do with Netanyahu and everything to do with the fact that the journalist in question happens to be Egyptian as well as Canadian, and that presents certain complications. 

As always, though, it's easy and comforting for some to blame any difficulty on the Joooos.

ISIS the Latter Day Abbasids?

The "pure" ones want to conquer Jordan and Saudi Arabia in their bid to create another caliphate with Baghdad as its capital.

That's What I Call Environmental AND Excremental

EPA employees told to stop pooping in the hallway

American Exchange Student in Germany Gets Trapped In Giant Vagina Sculpture, Becomes Internet Sensation

What a dick!

Quatar Football Chief (a Guy With Two "Bins" In His Name--So You Know He's REALLY Rich) 'Splains Why His Oily Emirate "Deserves the World Cup"

I must admit it's something I never expected to see anchoring the National Post's "Editorials" page. But I guess Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani deserves to have his say, same as anyone else. Anyhoo, here's a bit of the double-bin sheikh trying to make the case that he was awarded the 2022 World Cup sans chicanery and hanky-panky:

I accept that we spent more money campaigning than other bids, but this was solely to catch up with our better known rivals. We had to tell people about our country and what we could offer, to overcome the perceived obstacles. But from the day we launched our bid to the day our country’s name was pulled from the envelope in Zurich, we played strictly by the rules.

Hey, I believe you, sheikh. And, heaven knows, you had to spend a ton o' cash to get FIFA to overlook a humongous obstacle that, truth be told, should have but the kibosh on your bid from the start. It is this:

The month of May [the month when the 2022 World Cup is scheduled] is characterized by rapidly rising daily high temperatures, with daily highs increasing from 95°F to 105°F over the course of the month, exceeding 111°F or dropping below 89°F only one day in ten.

Yowza, that's a scorcher!

I bet the phrase "hotter than Hades" did not feature anywhere in the sheikhs' pitch.

In Wake of Another Boko Haram Terrorist Attack, Nigerian Governor Sets the Record Crooked About Jihad

Boko Haram has blown up an upscale shopping mall in the Nigerian capital, but the Governor of Niger State wants everyone to, like, chillax because

“Boko Haram is un-Islamic. Islam is about moderation and not extremism. Jihad is about how to make peace and life better, not how to kill people.’’

Good to know. I doubt, though, that it'll offer much consolation to family members of those killed today.

Update: Boko Haram's Wiki entry makes it sound as though the jihad outfit is at least 99 44/100th% pure Islam.

The Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad (Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad),^[2][3] known by its Hausa name Boko Harām (pronounced [bōːkòː hàrâm]; figuratively meaning "Western education is sin"),^[4][5] is a terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria,^[6] north Cameroon and Niger.^{[7][8][9][10]} Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002,^[11] the organization seeks to establish a "pure" Islamic state ruled by sharia,^[12] putting an end to what it deems Westernization.^[13][14] 



Double Standard of Anti-Hate Speech Laws in France: Taunt Les Juifs All You Want, But Don't Be Beastly to the Muslims (Who are Beastly to Jews)

A French court says that Dieudonné
Doesn't have to watch what he can say.
There will be no retrial
For his Shoah denial.
It's not "hate speech," or even outré .

No wonder French Jews are exiting the joint by the thousands.

No Surprise, Globe and Mail Designated "Moderate" Muslim Sheema Khan Has Mixed Feelings About Islam's Draconian Punishment for "Apostasy"

On the one hand, the alleged "moderate" (who wears a head scarf and helped found the Canadian wing of CAIR, an outfit not exactly noted for its "moderation") admits that the punishment doesn't seem to fit the "crime" (and a "crime"--a capital one--is how Islam views a Muslim embracing a different religion):

Yet there is something inherently wrong with a law that calls for the execution of an individual who chooses to renounce their religion. At the heart of the matter is an individual’s fundamental, and highly personal, choice of belief. The Koran makes it clear that “there is no compulsion in religion,” and nowhere does it prescribe death for an apostate.

Nowhere? Well, if you're adamant about that, Sheema, I guess we'll have to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Or not. (Here's Sheikh Qaradawi on the subject of apostasy meriting a death sentence:

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the most renowned and prominent Muslim cleric in the world, has stated: “The Muslim jurists are unanimous that apostates must be punished, yet they differ as to determining the kind of punishment to be inflicted upon them. The majority of them, including the four main schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi`i, and Hanbali) as well as the other four schools of jurisprudence (the four Shiite schools of Az-Zaidiyyah, Al-Ithna-`ashriyyah, Al-Ja`fariyyah, and Az-Zaheriyyah) agree that apostates must be executed.” There is only disagreement over whether the law applies only to men, or to women also – some authorities hold that apostate women should not be killed, but only imprisoned in their houses until death.)

On the other hand, Sheema knows that change is slow to come among the die-hard and the hidebound, and says maybe it's expecting too much to see it manifested in this poor Sudanese woman's case. Furthermore, such expectations--dun-dun-dun--could even make things worse:

While times have changed, views rooted in medieval Islamic law have not. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 20 countries – all with a Muslim majority – prohibit apostasy. Pew has also found that a majority of Muslims in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian territories favour the death penalty for apostates.

This is problematic, that large numbers of Muslims view a highly personal religious choice as a political statement punishable by death – a view shaped by history more than by the tenets of the faith itself. 

But asking Muslims to simply discard their faith and join 21st century secularism, or denigrating medieval Islamic laws will only harden attitudes. Another way forward is a reformative path that affirms the fundamental sources of Islam, namely the Koran and the example of the Prophet, in light of the 21st century.

Yeah, I'm sure that that will do the trick.

Mandarin Restaurants Offer Free Food for Canadians on Canada Day

It's free and all-you-can-eat--but only if you can provide proof of citizenship.

B-b-b-b-but I thought Toronto is a "sanctuary city" and no one is a beagle, er, illegal.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if some non-citizen lodged a "human rights" complaint about Mandarin's egregious "discrimination."

Letter Penned By a Former Chief Rabbi of Israel Re Islam's "Closeness" to Judaism Expected to Fetch Semi-Big Bucks at Auction

Boy, did Rabbi Herzog ever get it wrong:

A letter from an Israeli Chief Rabbi arguing that the closeness of Islam to Judaism could help the cause of Middle East peace is to go on sale tomorrow. 

It was written by Israel’s first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Isaac Herzog, in 1954 to Professor Abraham Katsh, who had published a book on “Judaism in Islam”,  

Rabbi Herzog, who died in 1959, wrote: “It is my fervent hope that the learned men of the Arab peoples may… be helped to realize how near Islam is to Judaism historically and that this connection may help to promote the cause… of peace between Ishmael and Israel.” 

The letter, up for auction at Kestenbaum’s in New York, tomorrow, is expected to fetch between $4,000 to $6,000.

Frankly, I don't think it's worth the paper it's written on.

A rabbi downplaying Islam's built-in animus toward Jewry--now, where have I heard that before?

"Kurds" and "Weigh"

This headline reminded me of an old nursery rhyme about a little "Miss" and her tuffet.

Was Iran Behind the Benghazi Attack?

That's the latest scuttlebutt.

Presbys, Zionhass and "Human Rights"

What's the connection?:

Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the BDS movement, praised the vote as a “sweet victory for human rights.” 

He said Presbyterian supporters of Palestinian rights have introduced divestment into the U.S. mainstream and have given Palestinians “real hope in the face of the relentless and intensifying cruelty of Israel’s regime of occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid.”

I wouldn't get your hopes up there, Omar. The dying Presby church consists of a bunch of old blue-haired biddies who don't wield a lot of influence these days.

You Say "Grenada" and I Say "Granada"

Let's call the whole thing off.

Well, That Didn't Take Long

'Freed' Sudanese Christian Woman 'Apostate' Rearrested

Today in "The World Is Crazy": Playwright David Mamet Shuts Down Milwaukee Production of "Oleana" When a Dude Is Cast in the Lead (Female) Role

Former lefty about to be accused of "transphobia" in five, four, three, two...:

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet ordered a Milwaukee theater company to shut down a controversial play he wrote after producers cast a man to play the female lead, according to Breitbart News.

 The play "Oleanna," which Mamet wrote in response to Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court hearings, had performed just one show at the Alchemist Theater before the company pulled the plug after receiving a cease-and-desist order from Mamet, a former "brain-dead liberal" turned conservative.

 "We excitedly brought this story to the stage because, even though it was written years ago, the unfortunate story that it tells is still relevant today," the producers said in a statement explaining its gender switch.

"We auditioned for this show looking for the best talent, not looking for a gender. When Ben Parman auditioned, we saw the reality that this relationship, which is more about power, is not gender-specific but gender-neutral."...

Can't wait for the Alchemist Theater production of "Annie," featuring a boy in the title role. (Maybe they can call it "Dannie." Or "Mannie.")

Where In the World Is Recently-Resigned TDSB Chief Chris Bolton?

Apparently, after laying the requisite groundwork, he's decamped to Vietnam:

Consulting work done by Toronto’s public school board for a Vietnamese private school could be put on hold as a result of trustee concern about how their former chairman has also been hired as the school’s CEO.

Trustee Shelley Laskin said she was “surprised” by a story in the National Post on Saturday related to the issue, and is considering a formal motion to suspend the arrangement between the Toronto District School Board and Canadian International School System in Ho Chi Minh City until trustees can get more information. Trustees “need to be involved,” she said, “because of the potential involvement of our former chair.”

“I have no idea how deep the conflict is so we just need information … We don’t know what we don’t know,” said Ms. Laskin, adding the situation is similar to one the board dealt with last week with its Confucius Institute partnership with the Chinese government. In that case trustees voted to delay the institute’s further activities until they could gather more information.

Reports surfaced last week that Chris Bolton, who suddenly quit as TDSB trustee and chair June 13, had left to become the new head of a Vietnamese private school. ...

Nice work if you can get it.

Beware, Mrs. Gladys Scroggins of 47b Elm Street!

The IRS and its Guy Kibbee-resembling chief are out to get you--and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

(Guy Kibbee, eh? Personally, I'm more of an S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall fan.)

Update: Poor "Guy Kibbee." He's the head of the IRS and yet he claims he doesn't know what "spoliation of evidence" means.

To put it in context, I am neither an attorney nor the head of a huge federal agency, and even I know what it means.

"Her Name Was Rachel Carson"

Hilariously, in a dark sort of way, a letter-writer to the Globe and Mail uses the above-named "scientist" to rebuke those, especially Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who refuse to bow to the collective "wisdom" of climate change scientists.

Rachel Carson, of course, is largely responsible for that ban on DDT, which is responsible for the death of untold millions in Africa and Asia.

That should serve as a cautionary tale for the letter-writer and those who think as he does, but it can't as long as he and his ilk remain wilfully blind to the true ramifications of Carson's efforts.

CJN Columnist Has His Reasons For Advising Us to Ignore QuAIA

Adam Goldenberg writes:

As threats to the Jewish people go, this one’s fairly benign. Every year, our community’s leaders go to the barricades to keep a few dozen activists out of a parade that’s so crowded, it can be difficult to find one’s own friends among the rainbow festoonery and rogue genitalia. Our well-intentioned defenders look like censors, and give QuAIA a taste of the free-speech martyrdom that, make no mistake, is their true objective.

"Rogue genitalia"--ick!

Those, er, shortcomings aside, I think Goldenberg gets it wrong when he says QuAIA's true objective is "free-speech martyrdom." At most, that's a mere side benefit. Its true objective--the objective of all ardent Zion-loathers--is the demise of the Jewish state. Which means QuAIA's objective is part and parcel of global Zionhass, the Jew-hate of our time. Which means it's as malign--and malignant--as it gets.

Also--have you noticed that the people who freak out about the Ernst Zundels of the world are the same ones who want you to ignore QuAIA's antics?

Funny, that.

Update: Over at the CJN site, a commenter named "Yussi" is grateful for QuAIA. He writes:

QuAIA helped me to understand why as a Jew I'm obligated to fight for the equal rights of Palestinians and Arab-Israelis. Israel should be a fully secular state and don't discriminate anyone based on their ethnicities or religions. Kuddos to QuAIA for the good work.

 "Kuddos"? Hands up anyone who thinks "Yussi" is a QuAIA plant whose first language is not English.

Update: This is what Goldenberg would have us ignore because it's supposedly "fairly benign" and hard to detect:

NRO Editorial: Presby Divestment a "Wicked Act"

Indeed. For, as the editorial points out, the Presby action puts the church in very bad company:

Mainly, the boycotts serve the delegitimization of Israel, and the dehumanization of Israelis. They call into question Israel’s right to exist. They make Israel a pariah state. They soften Israel up for . . . 

Well, Iran and other enemies of Israel have pledged to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. It is true that Israel is backed by U.S. military might. It is further true that it has military might of its own: nuclear weapons. But its survival is no sure thing. These boycotts and other protests are not “freebies” — rebukes of a nation that is going to be fine no matter what. They are not mere acts of political correctness. They undermine a country whose very existence is threatened every day. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has now joined a nasty and growing mob.

And Speaking of the Hopeychangey Agenda, How's It Working Out In the Middle East?

Not so well. In fact, it has turned everything into a heaping pile of fecal matter. Writing in Politico (of all places), Elliott Abrams lays a lot of the blame for the deterioration on an arrogant, Islam-adoring president and his flawed worldview:

The Middle East that Obama inherited in 2009 was largely at peace, for the surge in Iraq had beaten down the al Qaeda-linked groups. U.S. relations with traditional allies in the Gulf, Jordan, Israel and Egypt were very good. Iran was contained, its Revolutionary Guard forces at home. Today, terrorism has metastasized in Syria and Iraq, Jordan is at risk, the humanitarian toll is staggering, terrorist groups are growing fast and relations with U.S. allies are strained. 

How did it happen? Begin with hubris: The new president told the world, in his Cairo speech in June 2009, that he had special expertise in understanding the entire world of Islam—knowledge “rooted in my own experience” because “I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed.” But President Obama wasn’t speaking that day in an imaginary location called “the world of Islam;” he was in Cairo, in the Arab Middle East, in a place where nothing counted more than power. “As a boy,” Obama told his listeners, “I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk.” Nice touch, but Arab rulers were more interested in knowing whether as a man he heard the approaching sound of gunfire, saw the growing threat of al Qaeda from the Maghreb to the Arabian Peninsula, and understood the ambitions of the ayatollahs as Iran moved closer and closer to a bomb. 

Obama began with the view that there was no issue in the Middle East more central than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...

Obama's tunnel vision plus his hubris plus his haplessness equals "social justice" on a vast scale, a scale the Kielbragger brothers (see previous post) can only dream of.

Enough, Already, With the Hopeychangey Agenda Being Foisted on Unsuspecting Schoolkids

This leftist indoctrination has got to stop:

After more than ten inspiring weeks on the road visiting schools across Canada, Free the Children wrapped up its We Create Change tour with a final stop at Western Technical-Commercial School (WTCS) on June 17.

Grade 10 student Mackenzie had the experience of a lifetime when she was interviewed by Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the Children. Mackenzie is an active member of the Free the Children Club at WTCS and takes pride in encouraging others to volunteer and get involved. As a student leader, she led Grade 9 students in the Brick Walk, and the We Day to raise money to build a school in Africa. This summer, she is excited to be volunteering on a Free the Children trip to Ecuador to participate in a project to build a foundation for a school there. As a school, WTCS students and staff have raised more than $44,000 for Free the Children projects.

The We Create Change Tour visited selected school communities this spring, connecting with tens of thousands of students across nine provinces. Young Canadian change-makers' personal stories were featured, along with musical performances from Neverest, inspiring presentations from Spencer West, firsthand accounts from students and educators from developing countries, and countless special surprises...

Free the children--from Free the Children.

Update: How the Left Distorts History to Inspire New Generations of Activists

David Duke Gives Props to Presby BDS

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

Hey, Presbys, if this former KKK wackjob thinks you're on the right track, you might want to take a second look at your actions.

"Sting's Children to Not Inherit Fortune"

Tell me what this story is doing in Arab News and we'll both know.

Based on that Old Heart-Warmer "The Shoplifter Around the Corner"

Image by Dianny of All the Right Snark

"Tragedy/Gladja-de"

A most felicitous rhyme ("apocapated," no less), one that'll prompt you to "Put On a Happy Face."

Malaysian Court: No God But Allah, But No Allah for You, Kuffar!

An appeals court in Malaysia has upheld the ban on infidels using the word "Allah." But, hey, there's a "sound" basis for its ruling:

Allah is the Arabic word for God and commonly used in the Malay language to refer to God. The court had ruled that Catholic Church had no grounds to appeal a lower court decision last year that kept it from using "Allah" in its Malay-language weekly publication. 

The government says Allah should be reserved exclusively for Muslims -- who make up nearly two-thirds of the country's 29 million people -- because if other religions use it that could confuse Muslims and lead them to convert. 

Christian representatives deny this, arguing that the ban is unreasonable because Christians who speak the Malay language have long used the word in their Bibles, prayers and songs before authorities sought to enforce the curb in recent years. Christians make up about 9 per cent of the population, with many living in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island. 

The ban appears to apply mostly to published materials, not spoken words, and newspapers using the term would lose their license. Imported Malay-language Bibles containing the term Allah, typically from Indonesia, already have been blocked. Beyond that, it wasn't clear what the punishment would be for violating the ban. 

Human Rights Watch said it reflected dwindling religious tolerance in Malaysia.

Several questions arise here:

1) How dumb are Malaysian Muslims? So dumb that they would be "confused" by non-Muslims using the word "Allah" such that it would induce them to convert to another religion?

2) Why, as a non-Muslim, would you want to use "Allah" for God?

3) How would we ever cope were Human Rights Watch not around to point out the glaringly obvious?

Boko Haram "Mum" Working to "Reconcile" Jihadis and Other Nigerians

Meet Aisha, whose claim to fame, other that her appointment to a reconciliation outfit, is her ability to whip up a delicious cauldron of soup:

In April 2013, Aisha was one of two women appointed to the government-initiated Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North. She was also named as a must-have participant by Boko Haram representatives. 

A lawyer and human rights activist, Aisha along with 25 other committee members consisting of politicians and northern community leaders were given the task of identifying and engaging key leaders of Boko Haram, and developing a framework for amnesty and disarmament of the group.  

Sheathed in a full black niqab with only her light brown eyes peering out from behind her spectacles, the 44-year-old told Al Jazeera about how she first became involved with Boko Haram, including its slain chief Mohammed Yusuf who was shot dead allegedly while trying to escape police custody in 2009.  

"I would visit his house regularly and always cooked food to bring to the almajaris [pupils] of the Quranic school," Aisha said.  

"Yusuf would always be there preaching and he liked my cooking very much, especially my egusi soup. He prayed that Almighty Allah would reward me because so many were eating from my pot, and that was how we established a close relationship. The boys called me 'mum'. Many of them didn't have mothers."...

Sounds to me like all the motherless lads need is a hug and a steaming bowl of egusi soup. ;)

Update: Sounds tasty (and filling):

Egusi soup is a kind of soup thickened with the ground seeds and popular in West Africa, with considerable local variation. Besides the seeds, water, and oil, egusi soup typically contains leaf vegetables, other vegetables, seasonings, and meat. Typical leaf vegetables for egusi soup include bitterleaf, celosia and spinach. Typical other vegetables include tomatoes and okra. Typical seasonings include chili peppers, onions, and iru (fermented beans). Typical meats include beef, goat, fish, shrimp, or crayfish.

Good Question

Adam Levick asks

what, in light of the Palestinian rejection of even the most benign efforts to humanize six million murdered Jews, should provide us with hope that a piece of paper signed by Palestinian leaders will actually result, after seven decades of hostility, in a diminution of Palestinians antipathy towards the Jewish other, and create a society which humanizes – and accepts the existence of – six million living Jews?

What? Wishful thinking? A belief in rainbows and unicorns? A desire to be done, once and for all, with that pesky Israel problem? A lack of knowledge about the basics of Islam, a faith whose holy scripture, the Koran, is "extensively structured as a polemic against the Jews" (as David Nirenberg has characterized it) and which is taken as literal truth by the vast majority of Muslims, even the "moderate" ones?

I think that pretty much covers it.

"Osama bin Bieber"?

He's soooo dreamy--for an 18 year-old jihadi who's run off to fight with ISIS, that is.

Rev Who Lacked Moral Fortitute to Stand Up to QuAIA Tapped to Lead World Pride Parade

Rev Brent Hawkes, who, being an out-to-lunch lefty, never could take a stand against Zionhass showing up at the all-too-"inclusive" celebration, is tickled pink to be this year's leader. When Sue-Ann Levy, who not incidentally is gay, was rude enough to ask Hawkes how he felt about being Grand Marshall of a parade in which QuAIA will once again be a fixture, he answered exactly as you'd expect him to:

Rev. Hawkes said he doesn’t think there’s any Grand Marshal who loves or feels comfortable with every element of the parade, indicating it’s “not appropriate” -- given his role this year -- to comment on a specific group.

 Spoken like a true jellyfish.

A Cri de Coeur From Calgary Muslims (Not That It's Terribly Helpful)

"There are radicals in this country," say Riyaz Khawaja, president of a Calgary-based Shia Muslim organization who took part in an anti-ISIS protest in Calgary. Khawaja added that these radicals "are brainwashing our youth and taking their steps toward terrorism, which is against Islam itself."

Well, if you call it "terrorism," it "is against Islam itself." If you call it jihad, though, it's okey-dokey. More than that, it's the grounds the faithful continue to use for conquering as much land as possible for Allah.

Pretending that there's no jihad (and I'm not referring to that benign personal "struggle" to behave correctly) is not only less than helpful, it's downright deadly.

Update: Calgary imam Syed Soharwardy blames the Canadian government--yes, the government--for not doing enough to stop the "brainwashing" (knowing full well that infidels hold little sway over young'uns who are energized by the message of jihad).

The Chick Who Wrote the Words for the Klinghoffer Opera Is Outraged That the Met Has Cancelled Its Simulcast

Alice Goodman, who sounds like she could be Jewish but who's actually "a poet from Minnesota who now works as a Church of England rector," is irate re the cancellation of the broadcast (even though the production itself is going ahead as planned). Goodman pooh-pooh's the fear that the simulcast would have fanned the flames of Jew-hate, labelling it (the fear, not the Jew-hate) “offensive, ludicrous, laughable and simply not true.” Furthermore, huffs the hyperventilated Rev,

“I think it’s a very bad decision, and the reasons given for it are deeply confused and insulting and disingenuous,” she said by phone from the Cambridgeshire home she shares with her husband, Oxford University’s Professor of Poetry, Sir Geoffrey Hill.  

“The opera is not anti-Semitic – far from it. But it tries to understand the people who become terrorists. If you want to prevent something, you have to understand it.”

Maybe so. But Goodman doesn't understand it. And because her understanding is faulty, predicated as it is on a moral equivalence which simply isn't there, she has ended up justifying the terrorism.

Now here's the part where her animus becomes crystal clear:

Rev Goodman, 56, also suggested the Met had come under pressure from some of its donors, although Mr Gelb has denied that is the case.

Oh, those Jooooos! They're behind everything, aren't they?

Update: Here's a taste of how librettist Goodman "understands" things:

CHORUS OF EXILED PALESTINIANS
My father’s house was razed
In nineteen forty-eight

When the Israelis passed
Over our street.

The house was built of stone
With a courtyard inside
Where, on a hot day,
one Could sit in shade

Under a tree, and have

A glass of something cool.
Coolness rose like a wave
From our pure well.

No one was turned away.

The doorstep had worn down:
I see in my mind’s eye

A crescent moon.

Of that house, not a wall
In which a bird might nest
Was left to stand.
Israel Laid all to waste.

Though we have paid to drink
Our water, and our wood

Is sold to us, we thank

The only God.

Let the supplanter look

Upon his work. Our faith

Will take the stones he broke
And break his teeth.

"The supplanter," eh? Oy vey!

Rev Goodman's protests to the contrary, these words are the very definition of Zionhass, the Jew-hate of our time.