Author Archives: Yossarian

Hizb ut-Tahrir and its Nuclear Ambitions

By Yossarian | Published: October 23, 2009

Here at the Spittoon we have covered HT’s attempts to destabilize and even mount a coup in Pakistan, an HT member’s assault on Quilliam’s director, the various unpleasantries of HT’s ideology yet even their copyright violations have so far failed to convince me (as all these matters have the Tories) that HT deserves to be designated an illegal organisation.

It is indisputable that HT’s rejection of free speech, democracy, equal rights, secularism (and on and on and on) is deeply unhelpful in British society. Their rejection of the key values (and democratic institutions) which bind our society together is certainly not something that should go unchallenged, but is this enough reason to ban them?

Well, this week the argument for banning has got that little bit stronger. Pakistan’s Daily Times reports:

Nuclear scientist among held Hizbut Tahrir activists

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Posted in International Affairs, Islamism | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Stop calling us terrorists, or we’ll blow you up

By Yossarian | Published: October 16, 2009

News reaches us of a serious irony deficiency afflicting the Taliban in Pakistan. The Daily Times reports that the offices of private TV channels, press clubs around the country and offices of the print media have all been warned that they may be the next target of terrorists.

What had they done wrong?

a Taliban group also sent two letters to the Lahore Press Club – one on October 12 and the other on October 14 – warning that if the media “does not stop portraying us as terrorists … we will blow up offices of journalists and media organisations” [...] The group said that Taliban should be referred to as mujahideen.

This is a clear demonstration of the fallacy of the argument that demonisation of Muslims in the press (which does occur) causes terrorism. Demonising Muslims is intrinsically wrong, but it does not cause terrorism. Extremist ideologies cause terrorism.

Posted in International Affairs, Islamism | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Rucking Hell

By Yossarian | Published: October 16, 2009

Carter-Ruck do not give up.

The law firm Carter-Ruck has made a fresh move that could stop an MPs’ debate next week by claiming a controversial injunction it has obtained is “sub judice”.

The move follows the revelation of the existence of a secret “super-injunction” obtained by the firm on behalf of the London-based oil traders Trafigura.

The injunction not only bans disclosure of a confidential report on Trafigura and toxic waste, but also banned disclosure of the injunction’s very existence, until it was revealed by an MP this week under parliamentary privilege.

Carter-Ruck partner Adam Tudor today sent a letter to the Speaker, John Bercow, and also circulated it to every single MP and peer, saying they believed the case was “sub judice”.

If correct, it would mean that, under Westminster rules to prevent clashes between parliament and the courts, a debate planned for next Wednesday could not go ahead.

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Posted in Freedom of Expression | Tagged , | 3 Comments

MPACUK Get It Right – Again!

By Yossarian | Published: October 15, 2009
andy

Andy in his more likeable student days

Hot on the heels of their spot-on analysis of the Home Office’s Islamic Network (as reported here by Effendi), MPACUK have again hit the nail on the head. In a piece entitled Extremist Muslim Nut Talks About The EDL, MPACUK lay into Anjem Choudary and suggest that they’d be happy to organise a whip around for his plane ticket to Saudi Arabia.

The word ‘extremist’ is something not commonly used on the MPACUK site when referring to Muslims because it has now been hijacked by right wing racists and loaded with such Islamophobia that to use it would be endorse their narrative.

Exceptions must be made, however, when it comes to the biggest nut of them all, Anjem Choudary, who many believe was behind the Luton protests that gave the tabloids the ammunition to demonise us.

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Posted in Islamism | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Try to keep a straight face

By Yossarian | Published: October 14, 2009

Posted in Islamism, Media | 11 Comments

This’ll never work

By Yossarian | Published: October 12, 2009

Syria has banned smoking in cafes, restaurants and other public spaces. The BBC reports:

Syria’s president has issued a decree banning smoking inside cafes, restaurants and other public spaces.

The decree also outlaws smoking in educational institutions, health centres, sports halls, cinemas and theatres and on public transport.

Workers must not smoke during meetings and businesses need to provide well-ventilated areas for smokers.

The restrictions include the nargile, or hubble-bubble pipe, which is a favourite among locals and tourists.

The decree, signed by President Bashar al-Assad, a qualified medical doctor, imposes a fine of 2,000 Syrian pounds ($46) on those who break the ban.

Syrian government has passed several laws restricting smoking in the last two decades.

A decree in 1996 banned tobacco advertising while a 2006 law outlawed smoking on public transport and in some public places, introducing fines for offenders. Under-18s are not allowed to buy tobacco.

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Posted in International Affairs | Tagged | 9 Comments

Welcome (but overdue) news from America

By Yossarian | Published: October 11, 2009

Obama has finally announced the end of the shameful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the US military reports today’s Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON–President Barack Obama on Saturday pledged to end a 16-year-old policy banning gay people from serving openly in the nation’s military, in a gesture to a group that provided a major source of support during his campaign.

But the president didn’t set out a timetable for reversing the policy. As a result, his pledge might not be enough to appease some in the gay community who feel that Mr. Obama hasn’t moved quickly enough to address their issues — even as his message could spark criticism from some conservatives and members of the military.

Speaking at a human-rights dinner in the capital, Mr. Obama vowed to end the Clinton-era “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which allows homosexuals to serve in the military, as long as they don’t disclose their sexual orientation or act on it.

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Posted in Ethics, International Affairs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Mufti and the Führer

By Yossarian | Published: October 8, 2009

Posted in Antisemitism, History | Tagged | 11 Comments

Macaroon’s idea of a “roadshow” – RIOT!

By Yossarian | Published: October 7, 2009
Macaroon member demonstrating his wit and intellect

Macaroon member demonstrating his wit and intellect

One of the hazards of being a London resident these days is that, if you decide to go to your local high street on a Saturday morning to do a spot of shopping, you risk running into Anjem Choudary and his (tiny) collection of belligerent, under-thinking (and undersexed) young men sometimes known as al-Muhajiroun (or al-Macaroon here at the Spittoon) and the “roadshows” they organise to try and identify vulnerable targets for radicalisation.

Last weekend it was the residents of Camden who woke up to find it was their turn to host these misfits. Although their video suggests that the “roadshow” passed off peacefully, this was not the case. Have a look at these photos:

police turn upface off

Anjem getting a ticking off from the guardians of kufr/police

Anjem getting a ticking off from the guardians of kufr/police

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Posted in Islamism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Inayat Bunglawala: Gay Rights Are An “Islamic Goal”

By Yossarian | Published: October 5, 2009

Here at the Spittoon we have tended to give Inayat Bunglawala a bit of a hard time. But we also give credit where credit is due. In that spirit, he certainly deserves credit that, on the back of a panel discussion about religious freedom and sexuality in Dublin (in which he participated with Peter Tatchell), he has just written a spirited defence of gay rights.

In Muslim communities the issue of homosexuality is very rarely discussed in a candid manner and is all too often wished away as if it is an affliction that involves other groups, not them. Not far from the surface, however, are reports of gay Muslim men being pressurised into rushed marriages by parents desperate to avoid any social stigma. The woman’s family is never told the truth about her husband’s sexuality, of course, with the result that another soul has to endure unhappiness due to the initial failure to face up to the issue. It is a highly dishonest and unethical approach.

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Posted in Homophobia | Tagged | 68 Comments

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