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Posted on 07/11/2005 8:12:04 PM PDT by nwctwx
Agree 100%. We have National Parks and forests for them to set up their "teepees" (recollect earlier TM thread drawings) and hide in plain sight all around us. Rented or purchased RVs could be driven from place to place to our most scenic destinations (Hoover Dam?) through our nation's tunnels, over its bridges and on its ferries? The ones with heavily tinted windows have peaked my attention It may be nothing, but then again, a lot of explosives could be enclosed in one of these modern day trojan horses.
You're in my prayers every day, but extra prayers on the way for your quick recovery. You're right, this is going to be a good week, and since you're going to be feeling better soon, it'll be even better (smiling).
What do you make of this? This has happened in my neighborhood over the past five years. At first it was an anomoly, and now, I'd say, a third in the daytime are muslim women. There is no way/dress for me to identify muslim men. Do you think that the politicalization of this war is pushing mainstream muslims (those who might not wear hajib in the US) to "self-identify" out of sympathy or a sense of unity with their fellow muslims? One more thing. As you've noticed, some cars have a fish on the backside to symbolize Christian, some have fish w/feet for Darwinians, and now there is a muslim insigna. Is anyone else seeing that in their city?
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/27Jul2005_news36.php
ANALYSIS / THE BATTLE AGAINST EXTREMIST
RELIGIOUS IDEOLOGY
Challenging the slew of online
militants
In parts of Southeast Asia where
internet literacy among youth is
considerably high, the spread of
extremist ideologies over the World
Wide Web may possibly be even graver
than reported
By NAZRY BAHRAWI
The second foiled bomb attacks by militants in London
last week has renewed the need to weed out radical
ideologies. Since the advent of 9/11 though, little has
been done to scrutinise how the internet could have
been mobilised by extremist ideologues.
In a bid to up the ante against ''infidel'' propagators in
the war against terror, militant groups from the Middle
East like the Jihadist Information Brigade have been
observed by the US-based Islamist news monitoring
non-profit agency Site Institute, to embark on a
full-scale online effort to win supporters.
In fact, the lure of the borderless online continent is so
lucrative that even the elusive Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi,
Osama's alleged right-hand man, has reportedly
switched his modus operandi _ spreading his notorious
bloodcurdling brand of terror online by starting an
internet magazine sometime in early March.
In light of these developments, one must pay tribute to
the ardent engineers of Singapore's newly established
S$38-million Infocomm Security Masterplan for having
been proactive in seeking to protect what its outgoing
Deputy Prime Minister And Coordinating Minister For
Security And Defence, Dr Tony Tan, described as ''the
nerve system of our economy'', in a speech delivered at
the Infocomm Security Seminar 2005 late February.
Indeed, Singapore's strategic position as the regional
headquarters to countless multinational companies
with businesses in parts of Southeast Asia makes it a
prime target for tech-savvy terrorists intending to
destabilise its economy.
Given the slew of free trade agreements (FTAs) signed
between nations like the US and Bahrain, its
government's comprehensive blue plan to improve the
republic's information communication security defences
over the next three years is thus timely in its attempt
to attract foreign investors and elevate trans-national
commerce.
With this infrastructural security in place, the
information communication environment in the
island-state is therefore perceived ripe to now tackle
the threat of online radicalism.
Arguably hailed as the paramount definitive product of
the global technology awakening this decade, the
internet represents the ideal new media tool where
extremist Islamic ideologies can fester and grow
exponentially as recent developments suggest.
As an affirmation to this precarious phenomenon,
findings published in a 60-page report by the Dutch
Intelligence service known as the AIVD late last year in
the wake of the brutal slaying of filmmaker Theo van
Gogh by Mohammed Bouyeri of Dutch and Moroccan
nationalities, details the spread of anti-Western and
anti-democratic notions to young Dutch Muslims over
internet websites and online chat-rooms.
Muslims in Malaysia are already making their presence
felt in cyberspace. Sociologist Maarof Salleh from the
Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
reports in a commentary published by its daily
newspaper The Straits Times in early January that
postings on Malaysiakini.com forum on contemporary
debates relating to Islam reflects the sheer intensity of
the online media as a platform for voicing the masses'
concerns.
In parts of Southeast Asia where internet literacy
amongst the youths is considerably high, the spread of
extremist ideologies over the World Wide Web may
possibly be even graver than reported.
Singapore citizens can already attest to the dangers of
online religious radicalism after having experienced the
Fateha.com episode where exclusivist and
anti-establishment sentiments under the leadership of
a charismatic personality ran high amongst a group of
Muslim youth activists.
While the group was later disbanded, it must not be
discounted that remnants of its radical ideology that
threatens to subvert the Singapore's strong ethnic and
religious harmony may still linger on the subconscious
of impressionable young Muslim minds that have
frequented the now defunct portal in the past.
If not monitored closely, the threat of growing
radicalisation of young Muslims especially in developed
Singapore and Southeast Asia's other rapidly
developing nations like Malaysia, Indonesia and
Thailand can be further amplified by the advent of
unmoderated online chat-rooms, where direct
engagement with clandestine extremists cloaked
behind an unassuming nickname may further
concretise latent divisive worldviews and perhaps even
cultivate the mushrooming of extremist ideologies.
Besides hijacking the countless number of shady
internet websites and unmoderated online chat-rooms,
radicals can also take advantage of two other popular
internet products in a bid to spread their wayward
ideologies _ online mailing groups and weblogs or
''blogs'' as it is fashionably coined.
An online search over the Yahoo! search engine would
disclose that there exist nearly 5,000 internet mailing
lists pertaining to Islam, with some having over 2,000
members spanning across the globe. Authorities
seeking to monitor the spread of extremist ideas online
would encounter difficulties in gaining access to
mailing lists where membership is inherently exclusive
and subject to approval by its owners.
In the wake of the tsunami disaster, for instance,
emails were spread through these various mailing
groups that the tsunami disaster is a bala or divine
punishment, for those who perished.
If left unchallenged, such exclusivist messages can
sublimely influence impressionable minds of the
Muslim young into thinking that those who died
deserved it.
Luckily, moderate voices sought to rebut such
damaging messages offline.
For instance, US-based Muslim scholar Prof Ibrahim
Abu' Rabi has urged Muslims to focus on applying the
Islamic notion of ihsan or compassion, and help the
survivors rather than trying to over-rationalise the
disaster on religious grounds. In a world where radical
interpretations of Islam have permeated through
cyberspace, it is important that the moderates
translate his humanitarian message online so others
may pay it forward.
While blogs have existed since 1997, it is only recently
that its appeal amongst the wider world has immensely
increased. Its potential sphere of influence was most
evident in the controversial US-led Iraq war where ''war
bloggers'' from both sides have successfully lobbied for
public support and global sympathy in varying degrees.
Given its mass public appeal and proven extensive
reach, especially among the young, it is only a matter
of time before dubious individuals vying to promote
radical ideologies to impressionable juveniles across
the Muslim world will ride on the bandwagon.
Yet to demonise blogs unceremoniously is tantamount
to sheer injustice. Like a double-edged knife, this
technology cuts both ways in that it can be mastered
for noble as much as malicious intent.
For instance, a Bangkok-based web-cum-blog site
called Newsean advances public discourse on
socio-political matters by offering perspectives into
contemporary news issues for its thinking Asian
readership.
In another instance, a social commentator for
Singapore-published Today newspaper caricaturised as
''Mr Brown'' essentially started out as a blog celebrity.
His acknowledged public status is no surprise,
considering that Singaporeans are perhaps the most
progressive in the region to embrace blogs as a
newfound subculture. Its residents recently staged the
first-ever annual Singapore Bloggers Conference in
early July.
Notwithstanding these, the ideological war against
terror must now also be fought on a new frontier, with
technology taking centre-stage.
To counter the threat of growing radicalisation amongst
Muslim youths in Southeast Asia, it is perhaps
worthwhile for regional leaders to critically examine the
contents of the AIVD report that has outlined 20
specific guidelines in minimising the spread of
extremist ideologies, like promoting positive role
models and addressing feminist concerns within Muslim
communities.
As the report also aptly points out, authorities must
also not ignore the contextual social, economic and
political problems that might spur young Muslims to
embrace extremist tendencies garbed within the
ongoing fervent Islamic discourse, within the vast
expanses of the virtual global continent of ''Cyberia''.
Nazry Bahrawi is the managing editor of The Muslim
Reader magazine published in Singapore.
I spent the last 4 days with many international people from various nations and I assure you the people I met who represented Israel were the kindest and friendliest of people. If any single one of them was harmed, it would be a tragic loss for Isreal and the world. God bless and protect Israel and its people.
Amen.
I woke up today and could actually talk.
No more quiet house.
Smiling...
"God bless and protect Israel and its people."
Ditto and amen.
You're welcome! Glad to be back with TM this week. Hoping Cindy is feeling better. Addictive catch-up on TM will prevent me from getting to sleep early (another goal bites the dust).
To: bitt; Prime Choice
" HEY, why haven't we hearing about THESE people 24/7? "
http://www.fox11.com/stories/news/transit_security.asp
AP
"U.S. transit officials urge riders to be more vigilant"
WASHINGTON (AP) --
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The head of emergency response for LA's transit system says he believes a London-style terrorist attack is "inevitable." On the Net:
NYS Metropolitan Transportation Authority:
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/
LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority:
http://www.mta.net
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority:
http://www.wmata.com "
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/331630p-283400c.html
"Federal official: NYC should fear homegrown terrorists"
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "He likened al-Qaida to a cancer that has metastasized.
"Whether or not al-Qaida has a reach into the boroughs of New York or the areas of East London or not, I think we're going to be seeing the metastases developing more and more along the continuum of radicalism, extremism, violence and then leading to terrorism," he said.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who hosted the conference, credited law enforcement with thwarting a handful of local plots in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. He said the arrests last year of "two homegrown jihadists" in an alleged scheme to blow up a subway station in busy Herald Square were proof the city could protect itself."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-pdrugs27jul27,0,5567488.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
"50 in West Palm area arrested for drugs; some suspected in recent shootings"
By Stephen Deere
Staff Writer
Posted July 27 2005
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WEST PALM BEACH -- A six-month sting operation by local and federal authorities has netted the arrests of roughly 50 drug dealers, law enforcement officials said Thursday.
West Palm Beach police think at least three of the people arrested have been involved in the spate of shootings plaguing the city, West Palm Police Capt. Dennis E. Crispo said."
Good read:
CAIR Dislikes Free Speech on Radio
By Pete Fisher (07/26/05)
http://www.americandaily.com/article/8432
Saved it to my Favorite Places and will update as I see sources for doing so.
http://www.wtop.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=547066
AP
"Metro Cops to See How NYC Handles Bag Checks"
Updated: Tuesday, Jul. 26, 2005 - 4:45 PM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON - Watching and learning is what Metro authorities will be doing this week in New York City.
Metro Chief Polly Hanson says members of her force will spend part of Thursday watching how the NYPD is randomly searching bags."
Thanks a bunch MamaDearest.
THANKS flutters.
And another good one:
Will we defend ourselves?
Walter E. Williams
July 27, 2005
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/walterwilliams/ww20050727.shtml
You're welcome, Cindy.
Note, this group has changed, now it is CAIR news and other reports, like the Plane from LA that was diverted yesterday,
even Iraq deaths are here.
granny
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.religion.islam/browse_thread/thread/e7d05eace99976b4/de8afba8bd2ce93b?hl=en#de8afba8bd2ce93b
Topic in alt.religion.islam
HISTORIC
BUILDING
WAS OWNED
BY COUNTY
ISLAMIC
CENTER
Only 1 message in topic - view as tree
Sirknight67
Jul 27, 12:38 am show
options
HISTORIC BUILDING WAS OWNED BY COUNTY ISLAMIC
CENTER
MAYA KREMEN, HERALD NEWS, 7/26/05
http://www.northjersey.com/pag
e.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnF lZUVFeXkz...
PATERSON - Fire officials on Monday started demolishing
a historic building
destroyed by a Sunday fire to aid them in an arson
investigation.
The building, at West Railway and Genessee avenues,
was owned by the Islamic
Center of Passaic County, and mosque leaders worried
that it might be a bias
attack. But authorities said on Monday that it was still
too early to
determine the cause of the fire.
Arson investigators from the city Fire Department and
the county
Prosecutor's Office weren't able to venture very far into
the building
because of the precariousness of the structure, according
to Passaic County
Prosecutor James Avigliano.
"We haven't ruled out anything," Avigliano said. "There's
nothing to
indicate at this point in time how this fire started. If it's
an accidental
fire, there's no bias."
The fire started late Sunday afternoon and ripped
through the three-story
building's wooden rafters and floors. Within the first
hour, the building
partially collapsed onto itself. The blaze was mostly
extinguished by Sunday
evening, but on Monday afternoon, firefighters were still
wetting down hot
spots. All that was left were charred beams and a few
sections of wall
sticking up from a pile of bricks.
The mosque bought the property, a 110-year-old former
lighting factory, for
nearly $1.2 million in 2003. It was planning to use it for
a community
center, with a pre-school, after-school programs and a
food market. The
mosque hadn't purchased fire insurance, because it
wasn't sure whether the
building would be demolished or salvaged, said Nabil
Abbassi, head of the
Islamic Center's development committee, and a former
mosque president.
Mosque officials had been waiting to hear from the city's
Historic
Preservation Commission about whether the building had
to be preserved.
On Monday morning, Abbassi stood in front of the
charred remains of the
building. He glanced at the pile of bricks, then looked
away.
"I'm very sad - sad only because if it was arson in any
way, it's not good,"
he said. "If it's an act of God, though, we take it in
stride."
Mosque leaders increased security at the Islamic Center
on Sunday night
after news of the fire. Men stood guard outside the doors,
and will continue
to do so during busy prayer sessions, said Abbassi.
Leaders of the mosque were already on high alert before
the fire. Reports of
hate crimes against Muslims have increased nationwide
in the last few years,
according to the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group
CAIR, the Council of
American Islamic Relations. The number of New Jersey
incidents reported to
CAIR climbed from one in 2002 to seven in 2004.
Reply
End of messages
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