Fundamentalism: it's not just in the Middle East.

NOTE CONNECTION 3.0 makes the observation that Europe and America have their share of fundamentalists and 'loonies' too. The blog quotes the following from "Loon watch"

"According to Loonwatch.com, 2010 was the year of Islamophobia:

“Looking at the year in review we see that right-leaning and populist anti-Muslim/xenophobic organizations and party’s increased their power/influence across Europe while also initiating and passing discriminatory legislation in their countries”


The post goes on to talk about an arson attack on a mosque in Berlin, and about how the Park 51 Mosque debate in America – the home of 'media blitz racism' according to the writer – suddenly disappeared when the midterms got close.

Glenn Greenwald, Jon Stewart,Keith Olbermann and Max Blumenthal are singled out as voices of reason, and suggests that in regard to Islam people should distinguish 'the bad apples in the group from the good ones'. Quoting Rick Warren on eternity, this quite impassioned blog post concludes as such:

"The Egyptian people responded to terror with unity – with the hope that Americans respond to Islamophobia with reason."

Maysaloon draws some interesting observations on the network coverage of the Tunisia riots, and suggests that no revolution truly supported by the US State department can really quite catch on:

"It is interesting to contrast the coverage of outlets such as CNN and the BBC for the riots in Tunisia with those that took place in Iran. Almost round the clock coverage, sympathetic montages of the protestors and in-depth analysis. Yet with Tunisia, the coverage by the BBC has mainly been focused around the 1500 British tourists there, with a spokesperson from ABTA coming on to give his views on the situation. On CNN, the issue was on for a few minutes only, as a passing concern amongst other issues in the Inside Africa programme. Even with newspapers, I distinctly recall pictures of the protestors who had died in the Iranian riots amalgamated into a picture of Neda Sultan, the girl with a photogenic face who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and became the posthumous poster-girl for the so-called "Green Revolution"

What Israel couldn't do, FROM BEIRUT TO THE BELTWAY argues, Hizbullah have done to themselves:

"They can have fun weaving conspiracy theories all they want. But Hizbullah's standing is forever tarnished after the report comes out. What they prevented Israel from achieving they are doing unto themselves. First by rejecting the course of justice and alienating at least half of the Lebanese population. Second by having participated in the plot to destroy Lebanon through killing its prime minister, and by aiding and abetting in the murder of its intellectuals and policy makers."

She might be beautiful, but she still needs an airbrush. EMIRATES ECONOMIST calls out ELLE magazine on one of its covers.

FROM BEIRUT WITH FUNK keeps it simple. This is what he wants:

"I don't want to die for my country. I also don't want to kill for my country. I just want to live peacefully in my own country"

A man in a sky jacket refuses to "come down". Surreal.