By Daniel Greenfield —— Bio and Archives February 11, 2011
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"I think Mubarak's resignation is a good thing for Coptic Christians, and other Egyptians. If he had not done so, there would likely have been riots and violence and a descent into chaos," said Paul Marshall, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., to The Christian Post.No mention is made of the rights of Egypt's Christians. Instead it's suggested that they should be happy that the protesters and their violence didn't further endanger them. A single cautionary note comes from the Washington Post's Michelle Boorstein
"The current situation for the Copts stinks, but [longtime Egyptian President Hosni] Mubarak is the best of the worst for us," said the Rev. Paul Girguis of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Fairfax County, which has about 3,000 members. "If Muslim extremists take over, the focus will be extreme persecution against Copts. Some people even predict genocide."Arguably the genocide has already begun. The Christians of the Middle East are an interruption in the narrative of Muslims who want to wipe out all traces of other peoples and religions from the region. Pervasive vandalism and destruction of ancient artifacts from previous civilizations, whether it is Muslim looting and destruction of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Taliban's bombing of the Buddhas of Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia which actually has a fatwa forbidding the preservation of historical sites... punishable by death. Egypt's Copts, like Israel's Jews or Turkey's Armenians, are holdouts against a tide of Muslim genocidal violence with the aim of ethnically cleansing regions under their control.
In the process many have formed some unusual bonds that reflect the non-ideological character of the Egyptian youth revolt, which encompasses liberals, socialists and members of the Muslim Brotherhood. ''I like the Brotherhood most, and they like me,'' says Sally Moore, 32, a psychiatrist, a Coptic Christian and an avowed leftist and feminist of mixed Irish-Egyptian roots. ''They always have a hidden agenda, we know, and you never know when power comes how they will behave. But they are very good with organising, they are calling for a civil state just like everyone else, so let them have a political party just like everyone else - they will not win more than 10 per cent, I think.'' Many in the circle met during their university days. Islam Lotfi, a lawyer who is a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Youth, says his group used to enlist others from the tiny leftist parties to stand with them in calling for civil liberties, to make their cause seem more universal. Many are now allies in the revolt, including Zyad al-Elaimy, 30, a lawyer who was then the leader of a communist group.Quotes like this are altogether familiar from Iran. But you don't need to worry about Dr. Sally Moore being forced to don a burqa. Moore came from London, when things get hairy, she'll go back together. For now she reps the Popular Campaign in Support of ElBaradei, which is part of the Youth of the Egyptian Revolution, along the Muslim Brotherhood Youth. The Muslim Brotherhood is explicitly using the Iranian model (see Atlas Shrugs) for Kamal Helbawi's statement to Iran's news agency.
Iran revolution example to follow, says Egyptian scholar London, Feb 10, IRNA – The Islamic revolution in Iran over three decades ago has set an example for others to follow, according to a prominent Egyptian scholar. “It has had an impact not only on Egypt but all over the Muslim world,” Kamal Helbawi said on the eve of the 32nd anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Iran.
Kamal al-Halbavi, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, expressed gratitude to Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei for his support of the revolution. Al-Halvavi said he hoped that Egypt would have a “a good government, like the Iranian government, and a good president like Mr. Ahmadinejad, who is very brave.”Helbawi was the Muslim Brotherhood's "spokesman to the West". So much for the 'split' between Sunnis and Shiites.
The two-ship Iranian task force, consisting of two British-built vessels, Vosper Mark V-class frigate Alvand and supply ship Kharg, left Iran on 26 January, according to Iranian news sources. The next day, a senior naval officer announced that the task force, deployed as the 12th Naval Group, “would enter the Red Sea and the Mediterranean waters.” The prospect of a Mediterranean deployment is as unprecedented as the Saudi port visit. There is no guarantee it will actually happen, but the timing is interesting. While the Mubarak regime was in power, there was little possibility of Egypt permitting an Iranian naval task force to transit the Suez Canal. I’m not convinced any Egyptian authority will agree to such a transit before the country’s political future is sorted out – I certainly don’t think the Iranians know their warships are approaching a Canal that will be opened to them by a specific, expected change in political conditions. But what I do perceive is a bold move by Iran.Iran is throwing its weight around and daring anyone to stop them. The Mullahs and Ahmadinejad are confident that no one will. We're quickly approaching an endgame.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that a new Middle East is being created which would be free of the United States and Israel, as he backed the Arab uprisings but warned Egyptians to be watchful of America's "friendly face." Massive crowds of Iranians, waving flags and chanting "Death to Mubarak!" and "Death to America!" descended on Tehran's Azadi Square (Freedom Square) to listen to the hardliner who lashed out at the West and Israel in a speech marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution. "We will soon see a new Middle East materialising without America and the Zionist regime and there will be no room for world arrogance (the West) in it," Ahmadinejad told the cheering crowds who gathered despite the cold and cloudy weather.And yes there's talk of an apocalypse a-coming
In his fiery style, Ahmadinejad, showed his messianic beliefs on Friday, saying the world was witnessing a revolution managed by Imam Mehdi, the 12 Shiite imam who disappeared as a five-year-old in the 10th century and who Shiites believe would return on the judgement day. "The final move has begun. We are in the middle of a world revolution managed by this dear (12th Imam). A great awakening is unfolding. One can witness the hand of Imam in managing it," said Ahmadinejad, wearing his trademark jacket.
Nuclear proliferation analysts from the Federation of American Scientists and the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) assess that since 2006, Pakistan has increased the size of its nuclear arsenal from 30-60 atomic bombs to approximately 110. That makes Pakistan the world’s fifth largest nuclear power ahead of Britain and France. As for delivery systems, according to The Washington Post, Pakistan has developed nuclear-capable land- and air-launched cruise missiles. Its Shaheen II missile, with a range of 2,400 kilometers, is about to go into operational deployment.Yes, the sponsors of the Taliban now have over a 100 nuclear missiles. Pakistan has more nuclear weapons than its former colonial masters in London do. How many will it have 10 years from now, while we keep on cutting our own arsenal? While we place Europe's missile shield in Turkey, another Islamist state. Pakistan's missiles can't reach London yet. Depending on where they launch from. But they will be able to. And then New York and Washington D.C. If they dispense with the warheads, they have enough to destroy every city in the US with a population above 200,000. Again nothing to worry about. Just be very afraid of. You know how afraid our governments are of Muslims, when all they can do is stage the occasional small scale of mass murder. How afraid are they going to be when they can kill 50 million people in a single day? And how long do you think freedom of speech and religion will last when that day comes that the Muslim world forces the free world to choose? Think about it, while there's time. And think about how much US money given as payback for Pakistan's on and off efforts against Al Qaeda was diverted to build those weapons. Endgame.
Daniel Greenfield is a New York City writer and columnist. He is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and his articles appears at its Front Page Magazine site.