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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (12301)	2/6/2006 5:24:14 PM
From: michael97123	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

It is almost too romantic a view to be real. All these bizarre pronouncements from hamas and iran and yet i continue ot focus on al quaeda as the major threat and these dudes as dreamers who may have a practical side to them---iran because they are in power and deal with other nations and hamas because they will be in power and have to deal with other nations. I very easily could be underestimating iran and hamas and even overestimated the wahabis and al quaeda. A couple of questons that seem never to get answered satisfactorly for me. Is Hamas sunni or shia or a combo? Is it sponsored by egypt or iran or a combo?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (12301)	2/6/2006 5:27:01 PM
From: lorne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

Depictions of prophet nothing new February 06, 2006 theaustralian.news.com.au LONDON: Despite the outcry, the Danish cartoons of Mohammed are just the latest in a long line of depictions of the Muslim prophet, both in the West and in Islamic countries. From Ottoman religious icons to market stalls in Iran, from the US Supreme Court building to the South Park cartoon, Mohammed has been frequently portrayed in flattering and unflattering lights. Many painters, including William Blake, Gustave Dore, Auguste Rodin and Salvador Dali, have depicted Mohammed in illustrations of Dante's Inferno, where the Muslim prophet ends up in hell with his entrails hanging out. Depictions of Mohammed were common during the Ottoman Empire, when the taboo on portraying him was less strong, although often his face was left blank. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has a 16th-century picture of Mohammed in a mosque, wearing long sleeves to hide his arms and hands. A 14th-century Persian miniature shows the angel Gabriel speaking to Mohammed, whose face is shown. Medieval Islamic pictures often echoed Christian iconography. The University of California has a 14th-century Turkish painting of the newborn Mohammed in his mother's arms, like pictures of the Christ child. The taboo is stronger in Sunni Islam than Shia -- and even today in Iran, which is mainly Shia, pictures of Mohammed can be bought illegally in markets. Even in the holiest Muslim city of Mecca, Mohammed has been depicted. Edinburgh University has a 14th-century miniature of him rededicating the black stone at the Kaaba mosque in Mecca, to illustrate A Monumental History of the World by Rachid Ed-Dine. In Islam, as in other religions, different communities will place different interpretations on the Hadith, the sayings of the prophet, which deal with depictions of him. Mohammed is recorded as having said: "And who is more unjust than those who try to create the likeness of my creation?" He also said: "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture." Taken with the Koranic injunctions on respect for the prophet, these sayings mean that in strict Islamic interpretations, any representation of any living thing is forbidden. Essential illustrations in academic textbooks might, for example, show a cow but with the head missing. Technically, the rulings also forbid photographs of family members in the home, video cameras and mobile picture phones. They remain the subject of intense debate in Islamic scholarly circles. Just as many young British Muslims today photograph their friends and family on their mobile telephones, the prophet has appeared in art throughout the centuries, along with his court. Where this has happened, concession is usually made to Muslim sensitivities by ensuring the features of his face at least are veiled or blanked out. Such pictures arose most often in cultures where it was a mark of respect to hang pictures of a reigning monarch or other leader in homes and galleries. Imam Ibrahim Mogra, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "This would happen where the Hadith prohibiting it might be overlooked, or merely interpreted differently. For example, some scholars might argue that the intention of the Hadith was to prevent worship of the image and that it was permissible to have an image where the aim was not to worship but to show respect." He said the debate continued in Muslim families today. "Some are very strict about it and will not have photographs taken except for official documents such as a driving licence or a passport. Others will say it is OK to have photographs taken because they do not intend to worship the pictures. In this country, most people take a relaxed view about photographs." The US Supreme Court in Washington has a statue of Mohammed as an example of an ancient law-maker. Mohammed was put to less serious use by a German food company in 1928, which used him for advertising bouillon. In the past 20 years, many books on Islam in France have shown pictures of Mohammed, even on their cover, in a more sympathetic light. In 2001, the satirical cartoon South Park included an episode called Super Best Friends in which Mohammed and the founders of the other world religions acted as superheroes. Although not deliberately blasphemous, there can be few portrayals of Mohammed in an all-singing, all-dancing version. The Times

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (12301)	2/6/2006 5:52:30 PM
From: Scoobah	Respond to of 32591

this is their gift to spain for the train bombings and their pacifist president who pulled the spaniards from the coalition; when they smell blood, they dont let go.

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (12301)	2/6/2006 7:14:36 PM
From: lorne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

Hawk. Whats you opinion as to what appears to be a sudden longing by France to be friends with the USA.... Think it has anything to do with the recent and ongoing muslim uprising problems in Europe.? France calls for new transatlantic partnership www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-06 07:48:59 news.xinhuanet.com MUNICH, Feb. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie urged on Sunday the European Union and North America to establish a new strategic partnership as soon as possible. Speaking at the 42nd Munich Conference on Security Policy, which ended Sunday, Alliot-Marie said NATO remains a key-guarantee for common security at the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean, but "let us make sure we do not spread ourselves too much in areas where the competence of other organizations is more obvious." She said the NATO could rely on a EU "which is more and more able to assume its responsibilities". Describing the EU as the first economic power in the world, the French minister said "it is cut out to be a major power pole in the new international environment", which faces many new challenges such as terrorism, regional crisis and transnational issues. "The development of its defense capacities is a must so as to enable it to be an autonomous player and strengthen the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance," Alliot-Marie noted. She added that this durability challenge of the transatlantic link precisely depends on the ability to "define a new partnership between the Europe Union and North America". "Each of our pillars has specific trumps: particular links with this or that region, specific capacities in civil-military fields, and experience adapted to specific environment," she said. She said in terms of defense, "we must make the specificities of NATO operations and EU operations clearer". She elaborated that NATO is better equipped to handle heavy andlong-lasting operations, while the European special force is better adapted to "lightening" operations and civil-military actions. Alliot-Marie called for diversity in seeking common goals, because of "the discrepancies in terms of culture, development andhistory which leave marks on countries and people". She said, "diversity is richness and must be safeguarded," adding "our vision can therefore not be uniformity, but a search for goals that are in line with our common values." Enditem