SULLIVAN - THE MURDERER OF VAN GOGH: No, I'm not letting go of this story. When a film-maker in a liberal Western country is shot, has his throat cut and then has a long manifesto pinned into his flesh with a knife in broad daylight, more people need to be concerned. Now it turns out that the murderer, who had completely blended into Dutch society, belonged to the same Islamist cult as Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the terrorist now at large in Iraq. The cult is called Takfir Wal Hijra. Here's a useful Dutch blog on the case. Money quote:
TIME wrote about Takfir Wal Hijra: 'Takfir wal Hijra is a sort of Islamic fascism.' However, even more interesting is the assertion that Takfir Wal Hijra apparently allows its members to appear non-radical, and even non-Islamic, if the mission requires it: 'The threat of Takfir is that its cold, heartless killers could easily be the boy or girl next door. Takfir Wal Hijra members are permitted to disregard the injunctions of Islamic law in order to blend into infidel societies. In other words, Takfirs can have sex with loose women, drink alcohol, eat pork and do whatever else they feel is appropriate to advance their mission.'
That was also true of the murderers of 9/11. How conveeenient. The note - written in fluent, literate Dutch - is chilling. Here is part of its message. Remember that it was pinned into someone's flesh with a knife, and also threatened another person, Dutch parliamentarian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali:
I know for sure that you, Oh America will go under;
I know for sure that you, Oh Europe, will go under;
I know for sure that you, Oh Holland, will go under;
I know for sure that you, Oh Hirsi Ali, will go under;
I know for sure that you, Oh unbelieving fundamentalist, will go under.
What part of that do we not understand?
- 3:29:01 AM
ELLIS ON THE ELECTION: Some smart thoughts about why Kerry lost. Money quote:
Did the Kerry campaign really imagine that they could out direct-market Karl Rove? By buying into the 17-state strategy, they walked right into Rove’s trap. By reducing the battlefield, they enlarged the Bush campaign’s tactical brilliance. The key to defeating Bush in the biggest national election since 1968 was to nationalize the race, not localize it. And the way to do that was to do it, with national campaign advertising, national campaigning and a direct national appeal that said: this is not Florida’s election or Ohio’s election, this is your election. You pay taxes, you have a right to be heard. I will not disenfranchise you. I will not marginalize your vote.
Well, the real national strategy was simply anti-Bush. Strong enough to get you to 48 percent. Not strong enough for the rest.
EMAIL OF THE DAY: "You are wrong. Gays were NOT the issue. I'm a born again Christian, (raised Baptist, then Pentecostal!) Morals were my deciding factor also. Not anything to do with "gay" I live next door to San Francisco and have gay family and dear friends since 1976. BEFORE it was cool. BEFORE it accepted like it is today, I have had 4 friends die of AIDS.
The morals I cared about? A president who meant what he said. A man who is faithful to his wife. A man who doesn't pander to Hollywood. A man who is not ashamed to say he prays and give credit to a higher power, who helps him. A man who doesn't try to please all the people all the time. A man who shares my deeply held belief about freedom and what a GREAT country America is, and someone who knew Saddam Hussein has murdered 400,000 innocent men, women and children. I did not care if there were weapons of mass destruction, Saddam himself was a weapon of mass destruction. We are better off today, with this man gone from power, who can argue that? Who are these people that say we should have not gone in there, I thought we should of done this YEARS ago." I hope this emailer is representative (although I fear she is not of many in the organized religious right). I agree with much of it. And I'm sick and tired of having the notion of homosexuality being disassociated from "moral values." Homosexuality, like heterosexuality, is morally neutral. And the fight for gay marriage is about celebrating the difficult moral tasks of fidelity and love and commitment and responsibility. I wish we gays could find common cause with more Christians in exactly this kind of endeavor. And I know that many of us have. But the fear of both sides has caused this great and painful rift. I pray that enough people of good will can overcome their fear and help to heal it. |
