The Collapse of Arab Civilization

During the Middle Ages the Arabs showed a strong interest in assimilating the scientific knowledge of the civilizations they had conquered. Many classic works of antiquity that might otherwise have been lost were translated into Arabic and Persian and later in turn translated into Turkish, Hebrew, and Latin. They assimilated, synthesized, and advanced the knowledge gained from the ancient Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, and Phoenician civilizations.  Centers of learning and of transmission of classical wisdom included colleges such as the School of Nisibis and later the School of Edessa, and the renowned hospital and medical academy of Jundishapur; libraries included the Library of Alexandria and the Imperial Library of Constantinople and other centers of translation and learning.  Fast forward to today and what sees is a vastly different picture wrought in large part by the fundamentalism that has taken over much of Islam and made opposition to modernity a key element of its agenda.  A piece in Politico Magazine looks at the sad decline of the Arab world.  What's frightening is that fundamentalist Christians would have a similar decline over take America.  Here are article excerpts:

With his decision to use force against the violent extremists of the Islamic State, President Obama is doing more than to knowingly enter a quagmire. He is doing more than play with the fates of two half-broken countries—Iraq and Syria—whose societies were gutted long before the Americans appeared on the horizon. Obama is stepping once again—and with understandably great reluctance—into the chaos of an entire civilization that has broken down.

Arab civilization, such as we knew it, is all but gone. The Arab world today is more violent, unstable, fragmented and driven by extremism—the extremism of the rulers and those in opposition—than at any time since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire a century ago. Every hope of modern Arab history has been betrayed. The promise of political empowerment, the return of politics, the restoration of human dignity heralded by the season of Arab uprisings in their early heydays—all has given way to civil wars, ethnic, sectarian and regional divisions and the reassertion of absolutism, both in its military and atavistic forms.

Is it any surprise that, like the vermin that take over a ruined city, the heirs to this self-destroyed civilization should be the nihilistic thugs of the Islamic State? And that there is no one else who can clean up the vast mess we Arabs have made of our world but the Americans and Western countries?

No one paradigm or one theory can explain what went wrong in the Arab world in the last century. . . . . No one theory can explain the marginalization of Egypt, once the center of political and cultural gravity in the Arab East, and its brief and tumultuous experimentation with peaceful political change before it reverted back to military rule.

Nor is the notion of “ancient sectarian hatreds” adequate to explain the frightening reality that along a front stretching from Basra at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to Beirut on the Mediterranean there exists an almost continuous bloodletting between Sunni and Shia—the public manifestation of an epic geopolitical battle for power and control pitting Iran, the Shia powerhouse, against Saudi Arabia, the Sunni powerhouse, and their proxies.

Iraq’s story in the last few decades is a chronicle of a death foretold. The slow death began with Saddam Hussein’s fateful decision to invade Iran in September 1980. Iraqis have been living in purgatory ever since with each war giving birth to another. In the midst of this suspended chaos, the U.S. invasion in 2003 was merely a catalyst that allowed the violent chaos to resume in full force.

The polarizations in Syria and Iraq—political, sectarian and ethnic—are so deep that it is difficult to see how these once-important countries could be restored as unitary states. In Libya, Muammar al-Qaddafi’s 42-year reign of terror rendered the country politically desolate and fractured its already tenuous unity. The armed factions that inherited the exhausted country have set it on the course of breaking up—again, unsurprisingly—along tribal and regional fissures. Yemen has all the ingredients of a failed state: political, sectarian, tribal, north-south divisions, against the background of economic deterioration and a depleted water table that could turn it into the first country in the world to run out of drinking water.

True, there is no single explanation for the collapse of a once decent and relatively tolerant civilization - homosexuality was actually common under the Ottomans and homosexuality was decriminalized in 1858. But behind much of the extremism is fundamentalist religion.  Ironically, some of the fundamentalist seek to restore the glories of the past yet their closed mindedness, abhorrence of education and modern thought are the antithesis of the golden age that these extremist claim to want to recapture.

Quote of the Day: The GOP Is a Religious Organization, Not a Political One.

As regular readers know, I come from a family of former Republicans and served myself some years ago on the City Committee for the Republican Party of Virginia Beach.  I remember when what began as an  infiltration of the GOP by Christofascists commenced and, as the GOP moved away from honoring the concept of the separation of church and state I resigned from the GOP.  Things have only gotten far, far worse over the years since I walked away in from the GOP in a combination of disgust and fear.  At this point, all of my immediate family members have walked away from the GOP as well - as did my late parents before their passing.  The fusion of religion and politics was the number one reason we all walked away.  Andrew Sullivan has a spot on description of what today's GOP has become.  Here's the pertinent language:

The GOP, at its core, is a religious organization, not a political one. It is digging in deeper on immigration reform, and marriage equality, and abortion. It is not acting as a rational actor in political competition but as a fundamentalist movement, gerrymandering its way to total resistance to modernity’s increasing diversity of views and beliefs. It is emphatically not a socially conservative force: it is a radical, fundamentalist movement, incapable of accepting any political settlement that does not comport with unchanging, eternal dicta.

It is the great tragedy of the era that Republicans targeted one of the few grass-roots, genuinely conservative movements [gay marriage proponents] as their implacable enemy in the last quarter century. They went after the one group truly trying to shore up and support marriage – and they even wanted to amend the Constitution to do so. They did so, I believe, for one reason alone: fundamentalism. And that is not conservatism. In so many ways, it is conservatism’s eternal nemesis: the refusal to adjust to the times in favor of an ideology that never changes.

Candidly, I do not see how the Christofascist take over can be easily reversed.  Particularly here in Virginia where the Virginia GOP is an arm of The Family Foundation, a virulently anti-gay and anti-minority organization of extremists.

More Evidence of Iraq Government Involvement in Gay and "Emo" Murders

In my view, all fundamentalist religions are a danger to civil society because they seem to breed hate and potential violence. It's always the fundamentalists who are flying planes into buildings, walking into churches and murdering doctors they disagree with, setting off bombs at the Atlanta Olympics, throwing their children out of their homes for being gay, and denigrating women and those they deem "sinful." What makes the situation worse is that too often government officials are afraid to stand up to religious based hate and intolerance and the violence against others that is a frequent by-product of religious extremism. We see this cowardice in today's Republican Party and in the corrupt government in Iraq which in order to apparently curry favor with Islamic extremists set the stage for the ongoing slaughter of those deemed "other" in Iraq. The New York Times has an article that throws initial responsibility at the feet of the Iraqi government. The pictures (one of a number) below from an Iraqi blogger are graphic and horrible, but they show the real face of the fruits of religious fundamentalism and why religious fundamentalism of all types needs to be stopped. Take a good look at the product of religion. Here are highlights from the Times story.

Iraqi officials deny that there is any campaign targeting gay men or emo teenagers. They call the stories a media fabrication designed to drum up hysteria and embarrass Iraq. But it was the Iraqi government that first labeled emo youths a public menace. On Feb. 13, the Interior Ministry released a statement that condemned the “phenomenon of emo” as Satanic. The rebellious teenage fashions of dark clothes, skull-print T-shirts and nose rings, the statement said, are emblems of the devil.

The ministry said its Social Police would be sent to investigate “the emo” and added that its forces had also received the authority to go into all of Baghdad’s schools to find them. “They have official approval to eliminate them as soon as possible, because the dimensions of the community began to take another course, and is now threatening danger,” the statement said.

Emo is short for “emotional hardcore” and its aesthetic sprang from the American punk music scene in the 1980s and has been remixed in Baghdad over the last few years.

Ibrahim al-Abadi, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said the statement had been misinterpreted. He said emo youths were free to dress as they pleased, and said the government would protect them.

But over the past month, threatening letters began appearing in Shiite neighborhoods across Baghdad, residents said. One of the fliers, scanned and posted online, addresses dozens of gay men by name and nickname. It warns people identified as Japanese Haider, Allawi the Bra, Mohammed the Flower and others: Reform your behavior, stop being gay, or face deadly consequences. “Your fate will be death if you don’t quit doing this,” one leaflet warns. “Punishment will be tougher and tougher, you gays. Don’t be like the people of Lot.”

Another flier circulating around the Zayouna neighborhood appears addressed to emo youths. It tells them to cut their hair, not to wear the clothing of devil worshipers, and not to listen to metal, emo or rap music. And if they refuse, “God’s punishment will be come down upon you,” the letter says.

Ali Hili, a gay Iraqi activist who lives in London, said as many as 750 gay Iraqis have been killed in the past six years, and thousands have emigrated or are living deep in the closet.

“It’s a clear war on sexual minorities on Iraq,” he said. “They are refusing to admit it.”

Fear has rippled across socially liberal niches of Baghdad, from the basement-level clothing shops where teenage boys buy skull pendants and skater gear, to upscale hair salons and theaters. Advocates say some emo youths and gay men have left for northern Iraq, while others have shorn off hairdos or muted outfits that were once badges of identity.

Four gay friends in Baghdad, sitting together for an interview, said the daily barrage of harassment and threats has taken on an especially menacing edge in the last few weeks. Neighbors have told them, “Your turn will come soon.” Young men have driven by and shouted “Block! Block! Block!” referring to the current weapon of choice for attacks.

In one photo, a handsome young man in a white jacket, dark aviator sunglasses and coifed black hair stands as if he were a fashion model. In another, the vacant, bloody face of a man with similar features stares up at the sky. His body lies in the bed of a police truck.

Friends have identified him as Saif Raad Asmar Abboudi, a 20-year-old from one of the poorest areas of the vast Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City. An Iraqi police report obtained by Mr. Hili’s advocacy group, Iraqi LGBT, says he was beaten to death with a brick on Feb. 17.

As I said, take a good look at what fundamentalist religion yields. It's horrible. It's ugly. It's scary. And we have anti-gay hate groups here in America who would do the same as what's happening in Iraq if allowed to do so. These "godly" folks are a danger to civil government and the freedoms of others.

UN General Assembly Votes To Allow Gays To Be Executed Without Cause

In a vote that makes a mockery of the concept of human rights, the United Nations General Assembly voted to voted to removed “sexual orientation” from a resolution that protects people from arbitrary executions. Driving the anti-gay vote were the majority of African, Middle East and Caribbean nations. For LGBT individuals around the world, in my view, we (and our straight allies) need to (1) demand that our home countries cut off ALL foreign aid to anti-gay nations, (2) boycott all travel to such nations - Caribbean nations of The Bahamas and Jamaica could be particularly vulnerable to travel boycotts - and (3) avoid purchasing any products derived from them to the maximum extent practicable. In the case of Africa, we also need to spotlight the anti-gay hatred being fueled by Christianist organizations from the West - including the Roman Catholic Church. Religion has truly become a leading force for evil in the world today. The stigma needs to become not one aimed at LGBT individuals, but rather those individuals, nations and religious organizations that fuel anti-gay bigotry and hatred. The NewCivilRightsMovemement.com has details. Here are highlights:
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Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people were once again subject to the whims of homophobia and religious and cultural extremism this week, thanks to a United Nations vote that removed “sexual orientation” from a resolution that protects people from arbitrary executions. In other words, the UN General Assembly this week voted to allow LGBT people to be executed without cause.
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The U.K. gay rights and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said, “This is a shameful day in United Nations history. It gives a de facto green light to the on-going murder of LGBT people by homophobic regimes, death squads and vigilantes. They will take comfort from the fact that the UN does not endorse the protection of LGBT people against hate-motivated murder. “The UN vote is in direct defiance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees equal treatment, non-discrimination and the right to life. What is the point of the UN if it refuses to uphold its own humanitarian values and declarations?
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“This vote is partly the result of a disturbing homophobic alliance between mostly African and Arab states, often inspired by religious fundamentalism. LGBT people in these countries frequently suffer severe persecution.”
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Bromley expressed great disappointment in losing all the Southern African countries on the vote, including Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Nambia and South Africa, the latter, whose domestic laws and record on LGBT civil rights have held great regard throughout the world.
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Another region that unanimously supported the removal of sexual orientation from the resolution were the Carribean nations. Most noteworthy was the support from the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.
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Middle East countries that principally observe the Muslim religion and its practices, as well as countries whose politics are dominated by Christian fundamentalists, generally oppose LGBT and women’s rights at the UN. Even the United States has yet to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Indeed, CEDAW has the most “reservations” filed by the most member states of any international human rights convention on record.
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We need to make anti-gay bigotry have a real monetary price. For those who would like to voice their disappointment, here are e-mail addresses for The Bahamas, South Africa, and Jamaica tourism ministries. Tell these outlets that you and all your friends will be making a point to make their nations travel pariahs.
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Jamaica: USA: info@visitjamaica-usa.com (1-800-526-2422); Canada: jtb@visitjamaica-ca.com, (800) 465-2624; Europe: (London) mail@visitjamaica.uk.com, (44) 207-225-9090; (Germany) jamaica@travelmarketing.de, 49 (0) 2104 832974,
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The Bahamas: tourism@bahamas.com, 1-800-Bahamas
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South Africa - Ministry head: +27 83 778 9923 Email: raucamp@tourism.gov.za; Director of Communications: 082 771 6729 Email:
tbloem@tourism.gov.za

Sexual Orientation Included in "Terrorist" Data; Death Panalty for Blogging

One has to wonder WYF is going on with the USA and EU countries moving towards an agreement to share data in what are supposedly criminal and terrorist cases. However, included in the data to potentially be shared is information on individuals' sexual orientation. While I know the Christianists would gladly categorize all LGBT individuals as some sort of terrorists, one would have thought the governments of modern democracies would be beyond such thinking. Not according to a Washington Post story. Meanwhile, in Iran, legislation may be coming that would establish a basis for arresting and/or executing bloggers for "establishing websites and weblogs promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy." First some highlights from the WP story (note that the EU is more concerned about people's privacy than the Chimperator's minions):

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The United States is negotiating deals with European countries to exchange fingerprint and DNA data in criminal and terrorist cases, and in some circumstances to transfer data on race or ethnic origin, political and religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. . . . Senior Bush administration officials said the data exchange is crucial for spotting dangerous people before they enter the United States and for furthering criminal and terrorist investigations.

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But European privacy officials are concerned that the emerging bilateral pacts will not adequately protect people's privacy. And U.S. privacy advocates are concerned about the potential transfer of sensitive information on U.S. citizens to Europe. The bilateral pacts augment the airline passenger record agreement reached last year with the E.U., which requires airlines flying here from abroad to transfer data on passengers to U.S. security agencies. They also complement a series of bilateral agreements to exchange screening data on known or suspected terrorists, which exclude data on race, religious beliefs and other sensitive items.

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But some European lawmakers fear that, taken together, the accords will lead to a far-reaching exchange of personal data without appropriate safeguards and that eventually the United States will seek access to Europe-wide databases. . . . But Schaar, who is independent from the government, said he found no "clear rules on purpose limitation" or on the storage period. "First," he said, "which data are of concern is not really completely clear. Second, who are the competent authorities on the U.S. side? Third, and most important, there is a lack of independent supervision in the United States over data protection." In European states, independent privacy commissions safeguard the privacy rights of citizens, he said.*

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Switching to Iran, the way things are headed can only be viewed as a blueprint that Daddy Dobson and other Christo-fascists would love to emulate. That way yours truly and many other bloggers who discuss their inconvenient lies and efforts to subvert the U. S. Constitution could be dealt with. Here are some story highlights on this development:

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On Wednesday, Iranian members of parliament voted to discuss a draft bill that seeks to “toughen punishment for disturbing mental security in society.” The text of the bill would add, “establishing websites and weblogs promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy,” to the list of crimes punishable by death.

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If the Iranian parliament approves this draft bill, bloggers fear they could be legally executed as criminals. No one has defined what it means to “disturb mental security in society”. Such discussion concerning blogs has not been unique to Iran. It shows that many authorities do not only wish to filter blogs, but also to eliminate bloggers!

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Nikahang, a leading Iranian online cartoonist and blogger, says [Fa]: if this draft bill becomes law, everything will be based on interpretation and a simple blogger will be considered a center to destroy people’s religion! What can I say? Only people who disturb people’s mental security could support such a thing.

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Fundamentalist religion - whether Islamic or Christian - continues to show itself as a principal enemy of democracy, personal liberty, and modernity. Would that more Americans would wake up to the evil that the James Dobsons and Don Wildmons of the nation and world represent.