Interesting Stuff # 58

ON MORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE

HUGO CHAVEZ, UNWITTING FRIEND TO AMERICA

Why Gay Activists Must Read Mary Cheney’s Book

Doubts About the Story on Iran's New Clothing Law

Even if the story about the new Iranian law mandating Muslims wear Islamic clothing and non-Muslims wear designated colors turns out to be totally false, the laws that they do have in place concerning non-Muslims are indicative of a disturbing trend.
Iran's constitution already carves out special status for non-Muslims. For example, it prohibits non-Muslims from obtaining senior posts in either the army or government. A national ordinance made into law in 2000 and 2001 requires all non-Muslim butchers, grocers, and purveyors of food to post a form in the window of their place of business warning Muslims they do not share their faith. At the time the code was defended in order to enforce Islamic dietary law. Muslims in Iran officially enjoy preference over non-Muslims in terms of admission to universities and colleges.
Such laws are reminiscent of Jim Crow laws in our country and also could easily lead to an Iranian version of the 1935 Nuremburg Laws on Race. Once a culture has laws put into place to designate a minority group as less than the majority group, the only limits left on what laws they might next write are those of their own sense of justice.

I don't have much faith in Ahmadinejad's and the mullocracy's sense of justice.

This is a Saudi textbook. (After the intolerance was removed.)

S audi Arabia's public schools have long been cited for demonizing the West as well as Christians, Jews and other "unbelievers." But after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis -- that was all supposed to change.
A 2004 Saudi royal study group recognized the need for reform after finding that the kingdom's religious studies curriculum "encourages violence toward others, and misguides the pupils into believing that in order to safeguard their own religion, they must violently repress and even physically eliminate the 'other.' " Since then, the Saudi government has claimed repeatedly that it has revised its educational texts….
The problem is: These claims are not true.
A review of a sample of official Saudi textbooks for Islamic studies used during the current academic year reveals that, despite the Saudi government's statements to the contrary, an ideology of hatred toward Christians and Jews and Muslims who do not follow Wahhabi doctrine remains in this area of the public school system. The texts teach a dualistic vision, dividing the world into true believers of Islam (the "monotheists") and unbelievers (the "polytheists" and "infidels")….
The Saudi public school system totals 25,000 schools, educating about 5 million students. In addition, Saudi Arabia runs academies in 19 world capitals, including one outside Washington in Fairfax County, that use some of these same religious texts.
Saudi Arabia also distributes its religion texts worldwide to numerous Islamic schools and madrassas that it does not directly operate. Undeterred by Wahhabism's historically fringe status, Saudi Arabia is trying to assert itself as the world's authoritative voice on Islam -- a sort of "Vatican" for Islam, as several Saudi officials have stated-- and these textbooks are integral to this effort. As the report of the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks observed, "Even in affluent countries, Saudi-funded Wahhabi schools are often the only Islamic schools" available….

Weak on leaks: Why prosecute two small-fry lobbyists but let the New York Times endanger national security? (prosecute both)

At a preliminary hearing in the AIPAC case, Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for one of the two defendants, pointed out that James Risen, a reporter for the New York Times, won "the Pulitzer Prize … for doing what my client has been indicted for."

Right On Time

The liberal media runs around like trained dogs on a leash with this sort of thing. If the religious Left were back, one wouldn't need scholars and politicians to pronounce it so. The following statement is simply proof that this has nothing to do with Religion, at least not primarily. It's political calculation and ultimately unsustainable as a genuine religious movement fostered from the ground up.
In large part, the revival of the religious left is a reaction against conservatives' success in the 2004 elections
This ship will crash upon the rocks of almost every major issue it eventually comfronts.

Big Wheels Keep On Spinning (How to improve Rep chances in 2006)

Giuliani vs. McCain (Right now, I’m a Giuliani man, but in the 2000 primaries I was a McCain man, so what the heck do I know!)

Rejecting the Canadian way

Take it from me, a Canadian: Americans should think twice before modelling the Medicare prescription drug benefit on the Canadian price-controlled system.