SpencerWatch.com: New Website Takes on anti-Muslim bigot Robert Spencer Posted on 10 August 2010 by admin For years, Robert Spencer has seemed quite comfortable spewing his anti-Muslim polemic uncontested, and then LoonWatch came along and shattered that comfort to bits. Now we introduce SpencerWatch.com, a site that lays waste, once and for all, to the hate, deception, and fear-mongering that propels Spencer. The site breaks down Spencer’s bio, agenda, and arguments, with more information than can be found anywhere on the web. It also has bios of Spencer’s “sugar daddy”, David Horowitz as well as Spencer’s “mystery man” Hugh Fitzgerald. The … Continue reading SpencerWatch.com

US pilots fly Pakistan flood aid to win hearts and minds US Army Staff and Pakistani soldiers while sitting in a helicopter, looking at the flooded areas in Swat. PHOTO: afp GHAZI: For US combat pilots in Afghanistan, there are two reasons to visit Pakistan: to help provide aid to the millions affected by devastating floods, and to improve America’s image. Torrential monsoon rains have lashed Pakistan for two weeks, triggering catastrophic flooding that the UN says has affected 13.8 million people, in a disaster eclipsing the 2004 tsunami that killed 220,000 across Asia. The government says the international community … Continue reading US fly in Pakistan flood aid

Rupert Murdoch fights to take the ‘sky’ out of ‘Skype’ BSkyB is trying to prevent Skype, the internet phone company, from continuing to use its name because the first three letters spell “sky”. By Rupert Neate, Technology and Media Correspondent telegraph.co.uk 8 Comments If Skype losses it may be prevented from using the Skype name or logo, without a licence Photo: REUTERS It emerged on Tuesday that BSkyB has been ensconced in a legal battle with Skype for more than five years. But the legal action over the “Skype” trademark only became public when Skype mentioned it in its 250-page … Continue reading Defend Skype! – As it is attacked by Rupert Murdoch

Fears of al–Qaida return in Iraq as US–backed fighters defect American allies the Sons of Iraq being offered more money by al–Qaida to switch sides Martin Chulov in Baghdad guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 August 2010 20.38 BST Article history Members of the Sons of Iraq. A leader of the group says some are being paid by al-Qaida. Photograph: Petros Giannakouris/APAl-Qaida is attempting to make a comeback in Iraq by enticing scores of former Sunni allies to rejoin the terrorist group by paying them more than the monthly salary they currently receive from the government, two key US-backed militia leaders have told … Continue reading Sons of Iraq being offered more money by al–Qaida

Credit agencies are no way to catch benefit cheats Using credit agencies on a ‘bounty basis’ offers an incentive to trap claimants using potentially inaccurate or incomplete data Tony Levene guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 August 2010 16.00 BST Article history Moving home frequently is not good for your credit rating. Photograph: Mike Stephens/PAUsing information from credit reference agencies such as Experian, Equifax and Callcredit that is “publicly available” and is “already used by commercial organisations” sounds an innocuous route to catch benefit cheats. But calling in these agencies – especially on a “bounty basis” – raises questions of which accuracy, accountability … Continue reading Experian – Gestapo?

Of feast and famine America discards 40% of the food it makes, while a billion in the world go hungry. How can we stop such dire misallocation? Sadhbh Walshe guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 August 2010 18.00 BST Article history Sushi sell-by: UK eco-activist Tristram Stuart shows the huge amounts of food thrown out by restaurants and fast food outlets in London, 2009. Photograph: Andy Hall for the GuardianThe world’s food systems are in crisis. Droughts and flooding have compromised crop production across the globe and over one billion people are hungry. But here in America, our overstocked supermarket shelves continue to … Continue reading America discards 40% of the food it makes, while a billion in the world go hungry.

COMMENT: Pursuit of acceptance —Taha Najeeb Khan Our society essentially functions on this perverse notion that Urdu must be reduced in its application as the language of the illiterate masses, while the role of English is elevated as the language of the privileged elite, an unfortunate hangover from the days of the British Raj Most of us are aware of the Berlin Wall that split Germany. It is said that while the eastern side of the wall was dirty and stained, the western side was clean and polished. This, in some manner, depicted the glaring divide in the German population. … Continue reading Pursuit of acceptance

COMMENT: Letters concerning toleration — II —Ahmad Ali Khalid Quashing God-given liberty (free will), stifling debate and criticism in an attempt to safeguard power under the pretence of religion can happen all too often when we cannot clearly separate religion and the state institutionally Those who arrogate the seat of judgement are most irrational and ungodly. God has made it clear that, “His is the judgement and to Him you shall all be brought back” (28:88). If one continues to argue the case that judgement on a person’s religious convictions and the nature of one’s heart and conscience must be … Continue reading Quashing God-given liberty (free will)?

COMMENT: Our Muslim and cultural identity —Munir Attaullah It is a gross error to think, as some would have us believe, that either our Islamic identity or our Islamic culture are threatened in any way. Instead of being seduced by arguments based on special pleading, let us not wilfully shut our minds to what was always so and always will be: the inevitability of change and evolutionary development Continuing today with the discussion of ‘culture’ I began last week, I remember that all I did then was skate round the subject. And, as my alibi for doing so, I took … Continue reading Muslim and cultural identity