The Moor's Last Laugh

The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 28, 2004 | FOUAD AJAMI

[neverdem]

In the legend of Moorish Spain, the last Muslim king of Granada, Boabdil, surrendered the keys to his city on Jan. 2, 1492, and on one of its hills, paused for a final glance at his lost dominion. The place would henceforth be known as El Ultimo Suspiro del Moro--"the Moor's Last Sigh." Boabdil's mother is said to have taunted him, and to have told him to "weep like a woman for the land he could not defend as a man." An Arab poet of our own era gave voice to a historical lament when he wrote that as he walked the streets of Granada, he searched his pockets for the keys to its houses. Al Andalus--Andalusia--would become a deep wound, a reminder of dominions gained by Islam and then squandered. No wonder Muslim chroniclers added "May Allah return it to Islam" as they told and retold Granada's fate.

[neverdem]

For whom the bell tolls

[fourdeuce82d]

What's brown and sounds like a bell? DUNNNNNNGGGG.

GOod post. have you read lee harris- "Fantasy Ideology?"

ggogle those keywords and you'll hit it.

It's odd- the CCCP, whom you and I implicity signed up to protect our homeland against, is nowhere near as determined/dedicated/nihilistic as Islamo-nazis.

But in a way they're even more dangerous- CCCP SSwhatevers could have destroyed this country. Al Qaida cannot. But they are much, much, much more dedicated and undeterrable as the nomenklatura of days gone by.

[goldstategop]

Europe has lost confidence, is morally decadent, and in full demographic retreat. The Arab world is confident, spiritually unified, and keeps growing by leaps and bounds. It would surprise no one if in another century, Europe, thanks to immigration from the Middle East, became more Arab than European and more Muslim then Christian. In a way, history's irony comes full circle. At last the descendants of The Moors will have their revenge upon those who expelled their ancestors from the soil of Europe over six centuries ago.

[Azzurri]

Moors? I thought it was the Moops. </ Seinfeld reference>

[lainde]

Save yourself Britain!

[boris]

"Satellite TV has been crucial in the making of this new radicalism. Preachers take to the air, and reach Muslims wherever they are."

I cannot for the life of me understand why the U.S. has not destroyed every single Arabic communications asset--including Al-Jazeera, satellites, ground stations, the works.

--Boris

[TigerLikesRooster]

The real nasty battle against Islam-ism will be waged in Europe. It is close to Islamic World and has what Muslim extremists hate most, the "decadent filthy" secular societies whose proximity allow them to contaminate Muslim faith. It would be natural for them to think that the societies should be "spiritually" cleansed by holy warriors from the ever-growing Muslim population in Mideast and Europe. While these extremists profess that they hate America most, America becomes increasingly the difficult target to hit effectively. Europe is closer and already has a sizable Muslim population, which make their Jihad easier. I suppose that the southern Mediterranean countries, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Christian Balkan states will harden first against the looming showdown. It may take time for Greece, though, to decide which one she hates more, Americans or Muslims.

[Bismarck]

Europe has reached rock-bottom. It will raise again... more Christian, more Conservative, more Pro-America.

[Kozak]

I cannot for the life of me understand why the U.S. has not destroyed every single Arabic communications asset--including Al-Jazeera, satellites, ground stations, the works.

Or better yet hijacked them and turned them into sources of friendly propaganda. What would they do, launch their flying carpets?

[neverdem]

I cannot for the life of me understand why the U.S. has not destroyed every single Arabic communications asset--including Al-Jazeera, satellites, ground stations, the works.

I believe the powers that be would consider that too provocative if our fingerprints were on the effort. At least for now the cost/risk is thought to be greater than the benefit. There's also alternative media, e.g. CDs, audiotapes and videotapes, that while not live can still distribute their message.

[Capt. Tom]

Save yourself Britain!

Might be too late. -Tom

The Boar War ; Muslims angry at plan to bring back historic statue of wild pig Source: Mail on Sunday; London (UK) Publication date: 2004-03-21 Arrival time: 2004-03-22

FOR more than 100 years it stood proudly as the centrepiece of England's oldest public park before being decapitated during a Second World War air raid. Now a row has broken out after plans to replace Derby's historic Florentine Boar statue were abandoned for fear of offending Muslims, whose religion considers pigs to be 'unclean'.

A replica of the statue, a crouching wild boar, was intended as the jewel in the crown of a Pounds 5 million National Lottery- funded restoration of the city's Arboretum Park.

But councillors have called for the proposal to be scrapped amid sinister warnings that the statue would be vandalised or stolen

[UltraKonservativen]

I cannot for the life of me understand why the U.S. has not destroyed every single Arabic communications asset--including Al-Jazeera, satellites, ground stations, the works.

Let's assume another attack on the US kills 10,000 people. What will be our response? A police action as Kerry advocates or a "WAR" response as Bush is likely to take?
It will come and we better have plans for it. Al Jazeera will have to be destroyed as legitimate target. What else will we do? Ideas welcome.

[norton]

The great irony in this, shared here in the SW USA, which is also 'across the straits' from a hostile enemy, is that people flee a culture only to force it on those who give them haven.

I guess, after all, it is a greater irony that we allow them to do it.

[Publius6961]

I believe the powers that be would consider that too provocative if our fingerprints were on the effort. At least for now the cost/risk is thought to be greater than the benefit. There's also alternative media, e.g. CDs, audiotapes and videotapes, that while not live can still distribute their message.

Too provocative? Animals are trying to kill us, telling us they want to kill us, and you talk about "too provocative"?

It's a win-win for everyone: European countries can keep selling communications equipment to the sandmaggots, we keep bombing them into rubble, bomb them again to make the rubble bounce, then start the cycle all over again.

Works for me.

[hinckley buzzard]

Although there has been virtually no publicity about it here, there is in fact a "Radio Baghdad," operated by the coalition, distributing news and information to the Iraqis and whoever else listens. And of course satellite TV receivers pick up many stations besides All-Cheezy-raw, so Arabs have access to news from the real world, if they want it.

[Fiddlstix]

[neverdem]

Too provocative? Animals are trying to kill us, telling us they want to kill us, and you talk about "too provocative"?

I didn't "talk". I wrote my impression of why the "powers that be" didn't persue the course of action that Boris would recommend.

IMHO, virtually all modern communications technology would need to be interdicted or destroyed. The fall of the Shah of Iran in the late 1970s was preceded by inflammatory audiotapes from the Ayatollah Khomeini in France smuggled back into Iran, IIRC.

Thought control is a very long term proposition and creates hard to break black markets. It's another version of book burning. The idea has to be discredited, if not destroyed, not the media that merely conveys it.

[thoughtomator]

The Harris article is called "Our World-Historical Gamble"