Is the Islam4UK ban a blow against democracy? Deborah Orr The Guardian, Anjem Choudary in London. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Today, the British government will proscribe the Islamist organisation Islam4UK and gift its leader, Anjem Choudary, with the useful satisfaction of telling its “former” members, “See? I told you so.” Choudary argues that this latest ban, one of a number that have been imposed on extremist groups he has been involved with, is a prima facie example of the narrow inadequacies and febrile delusions of liberal democracy. The annoying thing is that, according to his own limited and specific agenda … Continue reading The government’s decision to proscribe the Islamist organisation throws up an age-old moral dilemma

What hope for Hebron? With attacks on Palestinians by settlers commonplace, the last thing Hebron needs is the removal of international observers Seth Freedman guardian.co.uk “The situation is getting worse here,” says Zleikha Muhtaseb, the principal of a Palestinian kindergarten in Hebron’s old city. “After the intifada calmed down, we thought things were improving, but now it’s getting worse again: roadblocks are increasing, soldiers are attacking Palestinians at checkpoints, and the settlers are becoming more violent. Day and night the settlers threaten [local Palestinians], throwing stones and trying to burn their property, in order to put more and more pressure … Continue reading With attacks on Palestinians by settlers commonplace, the last thing Hebron needs is the removal of international observers

Islam4UK: free speech is never absolute Anjem Choudary’s group has incited violence and banning it is the right course for a society fighting terrorism Sunny Hundal guardian.co.uk, Alan Johnson’s decision to ban Islam4UK has led to many predictable and intelligent responses of derision from the left, notably at Index on Censorship and Our Kingdom. I’ve criticised various organisations, including Muslim ones, for not embracing free speech enough in the past. But here are the reasons why I believe it’s right for Islam4UK to be banned. • Islam4UK (and its earlier incarnations) do have a track record of inciting hatred and … Continue reading Anjem Choudary’s group has incited violence and banning is the right course for a society fighting terrorism

Yoav Shamir’s documentary offers a more nuanced view than the ADL’s identification of antisemitism with hostility to Israel Antony Lerman guardian.co.uk, Exploring antisemitism: Israeli filmmaker Yoav Shamir on set during the making of his documentary Defamation, 2009 Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Featu/Rex Features How is it that so many people who care deeply and genuinely about the problem of antisemitism find themselves on the opposite sides of a barricade fighting what sometimes seems like a war to the death? How many of us who have got caught up in these often bitter battles have hoped for some way of finding a … Continue reading Defamation v Anti-Defamation

Tweeting Indian minister upsets political grandfathers Tharoor has made headlines in India, where Twittering by politicians is rare but where there are some 500 million mobile phones – one of the world’s fastest growing markets. —Reuters/File Photo Sci-Tech Twitter hacked by ‘Iranian Cyber Army’ NEW DELHI: When deputy foreign minister Shashi Tharoor tweets to his half-a-million followers, whether criticising tough visa restrictions or joking about holy cows, the old guard of India’s ruling Congress party shudders. Here is a 53 year-old minister, a sprightly new kid on the block by the standards of India’s grandfatherly politicians, using trendy social networks … Continue reading Twittering Tharoors Tensions (TTT as opposed to PMT)

Mao and the Taj Mahal By Jawed Naqvi It is neither China’s priority nor its demeanour to rub its neighbours the wrong way. –Photo by AP The other day, at the Beijing airport during a transit stop, I witnessed the ugly sight of a group of Vancouver-based Indian Punjabis hurling abuses at two smartly turned out Chinese airhostesses. Because they were slurring when they were not grimacing at their quarries it was not clear at first what the men were agitated about. Someone explained later that they were demanding money from the women staffers of a Chinese airline in lieu … Continue reading China – respectful understated confidence, India – rude and overconfident?

Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud sits with his commander Wali-ur Rehman (R) during his meeting with local media representatives in Sararogha area of South Waziristan. – AFP (File Photo) Pakistan Drone attack targets Hakeemullah Mehsud ISLAMABAD: Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Pakistan Taliban chief that militants say escaped a deadly US drone strike Thursday, is a young, ambitious commander with a string of high-profile attacks to his name. Local television stations carried unconfirmed reports he may have been killed in the attack on the border of North and South Waziristan but the militia said their leader had already left the area and … Continue reading Maniac Mullah cultivates ruthless reputation

The Never-Ending Horror of Pat Robertson Last night, as I was updating my Facebook status, I briefly considered a post wondering how long it would take before Pat Robertson made some monstrous insinuation about the earthquake in Haiti being God’s will. I remember thinking, No, even Pat Robertson wouldn’t exploit a tragedy of this magnitude–a tragedy that, as of this writing, has claimed over 100,000 lives. Even Pat Robertson would have seen the pictures of the broken and mangled bodies of children, their limbs bloodied, crushed by fallen concrete. Even Pat Robertson, T-1000 Pharisee though he might be, would have … Continue reading The Curse of the Christian Talibans in the United States