FDD

Europe must distinguish between Islam and Jihadism

      Phares: The European Public Must Learn to Distinguish

        Between Islam as a religion and Jihadism as an Ideology

In an interview with the Slovak News Agency, Professor Walid Phares visiting scholar at the European Foundation for Democracy said Europeans must begin to distinguish between Islam as a religion and Jihadism as an ideology. "European Governments and Union must allow and encourage debates between Jihadists  counter Jihadists in the Muslim communities. Phares was interviewed by Monika Polakova of  the Slovak News Agency (TASR) on 30-Jun-2008. The interview was published later. The interview original posting can be found here [ Visit Website ]

"Radicalization of Muslim youth: a self-fulfilling prophecy?"

                               Phares at the European Policy Center

Brussels, the European Parliament, European Foundation for Democracy, Future Terrorism Project. June 30, 2008

As part of his tour under the auspices of the European Foundation for Democracy, Professor Walid Phares gave a lecture at the European Policy Center (EPC) under the title of "Radicalization of Muslim Youth: se self fulfilling prophecy." In partnership with the King Baudouin Foundation, the EPC describes itself as an independent Think Tank at the cutting edge of European Union affairs. The lecture series is under the EU integration and Citizenship program.

The event was chaired by Mrs Shada Islam, Senior Program Executive of EPC and attended by many diplomats including representatives from the embassies of Afghanistan, Singapore, Indonesia, US, Canada, Romania, Austria, Malaysia, Japan, UK, Poland, the European Commission, the Council of Europe and members of the European Parliament. Also representatives  from NGOs including the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, European Students Forum, the Institute for Community Cohesion and the Futures Institute of the University of Coventry, Conrad Adenauer Institute, Church and Society Commission of CEC, Center for Equal Opportunity and Opposition to Racism, Comite Permanent de Controle des Services de Renseignments,  the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the EC, and the East West Institute. Also attended the director of the European Foundation for Democracy Roberta Bonazzi and the senior staff.

Iranian Visa Office? (RWC)

Secretary of State Rice is considering opening a US passport Visa office in Tehran, Iran.

We have no embassy in that country, and haven’t had one since the Iranians seized our embassy, and took American hostages, almost 30 years ago.

Last I was in Tehran, a few years ago, the embassy compound had been turned into a military camp.  Sloppy peasant soldiers walked the brown clay walls around the huge compound.  An anti-CIA book store for tourists was at the main gates.

So here is Iran trying to build a nuclear weapon, maybe to use on Israel and the West, and here is the quote from Ms. Rice with her reasons for possibly opening a Visa office in Tehran, like the one the US has in Havana:

“We want more Iranians visiting the United States. We want the efforts that we have engaged in to have Iranian artists in the United States and American sports people in Iran. We are determined to find ways to reach out to the Iranian people.” Iranian artists?

A US Visa office for Iranians already exists in Dubai but Secretary Rice said it is  difficult for some Iranians to get there.

If they find it hard to get to Dubai they’ll find it even harder to get to New York or Los Angeles.

None of this has apparently been decided but is the subject of internal State Department noodling, so to speak. 

And no one can “noodle” like the State Department.

Zimbabwe's Problems Continue (RWC)

I am back once again on the subject of Crazy Bob Mugabe, the 84 year old dictator of the once lovely country of Zimbabwe, a man who just won’t go away.

As you now know, he has been sworn in for a sixth term as president. You may have seen the picture of him, holding a bible of all things, claiming victory in a one-man race, after he killed and maimed the leadership of the opposition, driving 200,000 of them from their homes until his rival quit the race.

Morgan Tsvangirai, head of that opposition –The Movement for Democratic Change, should get a medal for personal bravery.

Mugabe should swing from a gallows after a trial for genocide.

Morgan Tsvangirai described Mugabe’s swearing in ceremony as an exercise in “self delusion” and made the obvious point that it was meaningless. 

I should say.