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I will make no secret of the fact that I begin this in a low mood, with a cloud of melancholy descending on me. I have been off work with a viral infection for the past few days, so I suppose a weakness of spirit is only to be expected, but it is not that. [...]

Salam alaikum, Some of you might have seen an article / heard a report on the BBC which suggested that the Turkish Government is preparing to “revise” Islam. I think this article in today’s Zaman (a mainstream Turkish newspaper) sheds some light on the BBC claims: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=135202 Speaking with Today’s Zaman on Wednesday, Dr. Mehmet [...]

My email to Eddy Mair on Radio 4’s PM programme this evening: Can you prove to me that the huge crowds witnessed on the streets of Khartoum after Friday prayers today were because of the teddy bear insult? If you go to any Muslim city anywhere in the world after Friday prayers you will witness [...]

Who is it that knows what is in the hearts except God? Will you set yourself up as Judge? Do you claim to know what is in another’s heart? Will you place my faith in Inverted Commas too if I say something with which you disagree? I refer of course to an exchange in another [...]

Some alternative readings on the cult of Apple (I think Apple make very pretty gadgets, but)… iSlave iPoison + iWaste iGenocide: Mass Murder, the iPhone, and You iPhone – Made In China No news of an eco-phone Gadgets and my slice of the pie How green is that iPhone? Post Script I have a mobile [...]

Quote: justgrits.wordpress.com Bowes said, October 27, 2007 at 6:05 am Do you recall the murder of Victoria Climbié in the UK in February 2000? She died at the age of nine following months of barbaric abuse at the hands of her guardians, both of whom were evangelical Christians? She had been burnt with cigarettes, tied [...]

I have never liked the term “Islamophobia”. The misuse and corruption of the term “phobia” is an aside—although I could certainly explore this in some depth—for I also have some trouble with the term “anti-Semitic” where “racism” would do. I do not dispute that some Muslims face discrimination, that Islam is derided (as Christianity is) [...]

Quote: “I am rather getting tired of the deafening silence of an immense majority of British Muslims when it comes to condemning terrorism.” Deafening silence? What, do we each run newspapers that have a daily circulation of 7,800,000 like The Sun? Or do we have access to an audience like BBC Radio 1 (9.8 million [...]

A comment on a weblog regarding the current tendency for those opposed to Muslims to quote a piece of research which suggests that a quarter of us believe in conspiracy theories regarding the massacres on the London transport system in July 2005: redleader, Comment No. 626343, June 8 15:12, GBR EdmundWest, I agree that the [...]

Here is a quote from the reviews section for a Windows Vista sidebar gadget called “Prayer Times” on the Windows Live website: “Dear Microsoft I like many of your products, but posting junk like this on your gadgets page, which is probably one of the first things people are going to play with when they [...]

I must say this rather bothered me on my recent pilgrimage to Mecca: the construction of a monstrosity that already overshadows the Kaaba, even as its construction continues. When it is finished in three years’ time it will be the world’s seventh largest building – it can already be seen for miles around on the [...]

As Robert Cottage from Colne, Lancashire, finally goes on trial at Manchester Crown Court, pleading guilty to possession of explosives, Home Secretary John Reid is set to address Christian children about looking for the tell-tale signs of extremism in their parents. Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron, came under fire last night for his call [...]