Gimme that old time religion

And this is the same Taliban that Germany wants to buy, I mean, talk to?

Just up the road from a Bundeswehr camp in a village in the region called Dasht-i-Archi, about 100 Taiban rode into town on motorcycles with two prisoners – a married man and a woman who had presumably committed adultry. They then stoned them to death in the town square.

It was not clear why the Bundeswehr was not there to do anything about this, but then again it’s never been clear why the Bundeswehr is never there to do much of anything about anything like this that happens down there. Perhaps they weren’t there because they didn’t want to interfere in the expression of religious freedom or something.

“Das Paar wurde eine Stunde lang gesteinigt und da die junge Frau noch nicht tot war, richteten sie die Taliban am Ende mit einem Kopfschuss hin.”

Another reason to like Germany’s national team

(And they haven’t even beat Argentina yet) German neo-Nazis don’t like them.

For neo-Nazis it is next to impossible to back a team that includes players with names like Boateng, Özil or Podolski. This German national team is the most ethnically diverse ever, celebrated widely as finally being representative of the wider German society. But to the far right, a squad where 11 of the 23 have migrant backgrounds is no longer really German.

“The black-red-gold flag that attaches itself to the Federal Republic of Germany is not the flag of the German nation! Whoever proudly waves that flag is supporting the exact opposite of what is really German and national.”

Pakistan ist eben anders

Pakistan is just different, you know. Than Germany, I mean.

I was at a the hairdresser, an elderly man who doesn’t resort to electric clippers. All he has is a creaky pair of scissors, a comb and aerosol with water. He did a neat job bit I wasn’t entirely happy.

I said: “I look like Hitler.”

He looked at me in the mirror, gave a satisfied smile and said: “Yes, yes, very nice.”

In the Islamic world, not just in Pakistan but right across from Iran to northern Africa, anti-Semitic sentiment of course plays a role.

Hear no evil

Then there’s no need to see it either. Germany is threatening to walk out during Mahmoud “The Rude” Ahmadinejad’s planned speech at the UN later today should he deny the Holocaust for the nine hundred and thirty-fourth time this year.

You can't deny I'm one rude guy.

“We will leave the hall if President Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust or makes anti-Semitic statements … we are making efforts towards a unified European position,” a spokesman at the German foreign ministry said.

Another spokesman who asked not to be identified said that if that doesn’t work, the next time Ahmadinejad gets squirrely at the UN European delegations will unify in holding their breathes until their faces turn uniformly blue.

“As recently as last week, Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a lie, repeating the inflammatory statement as world powers weigh how to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions.”

What’s in a name?

There’s a good reason why Germany has some of the strictest rules in the world when it comes to naming children. I just haven’t been able to find it yet.

Jihad Jr.'s father knows best.

But just stop and think about it. We (as in they) certainly don’t want any fruitcakes out there (as in right here) naming their kids awful things like Woodstock, Tom-Tom or Peppermint, now do we? An awful thing like Jihad (Holy War) is different though, it seems. I just haven’t been able to find out why that is yet.

“The child’s father is a radical Islamist.”

No letter of congratulations for you, buddy!

Angie Merkel sure showed this guy. Now the Mullahs-R-Us (R as in Religious, or in Regime, if you prefer – or as in both, come to think of it) are going to have to rethink this whole re-election scam of theirs. Or maybe they won’t have to, come to think of it again, but still.

Sheesh. Not even Super Ali A., the über-supreme religious leader in Iran himself, sent Ahmadinejad a congratulation note. He wouldn’t even let the little Kanalratte (sewer rat) kiss him on the hand during the inauguration ceremony. As is custom, I mean. Sure it’s a yucky custom, I’m aware of that, and I’m glad he didn’t kiss the guy too, but as Chancellor Merkel might have said; “andere Länder, andere Sitten” (when in Tehran, do as the Tehranians do), which she didn’t and which, of course, they are. Doing, I mean.

“In view of his controversial re-election, the Chancellor won’t be congratulating Ahmadinejad.”

Fritz, Daniel and Attila

No, they’re not stand-up comedians. As a matter of fact, they don’t stand up for anybody, not even the judge. But the chances are good that they’ll be sitting for quite a long time to come, even by German standards.

 

I sit down for everybody.

 

The so-called Sauerland cell is now facing charges in Germany of conspiracy to murder, plotting to launch explosive attacks and membership in a terrorist organisation. Tipped off by evil US American security services, German spooks had been keeping them under surveillance for months before busting them big time in 2007. The German Islam converts and company had purchased 12 barrels of hydrogen peroxide and were arrested in their vacation home/bomb factory preparing attacks on American targets in Germany.

 

Some may wonder how ordinary Germans could have been recruited for an Islamic holy war crusade like this. I wonder were all the other ordinary ones like them are still hiding. Or do they even have to hide at all anymore these days?

 

“Ich stehe nur für Allah auf.”

Germans racists after all

I don’t get it. This was a UN conference, Germany. How could you, gulp, boycott today’s anti-racism forum and then urge those attending it to “stand up for the effective fight against racism and ethnic discrimination” at the same time?

 

Can't wait to give my big speech!

 

What ever happened to international cooperation and consensus and community? The UN would never let another one of its shining examples of international unity be, well, hijacked by hate-filled demagogues and misused as a platform to repeat attacks on Israel and deny the Holocaust, now would it? Not like it did during its first conference on racism in Durban eight years ago which was marred by anti-Semitic comments from some less-than-well-meaning NGOs. It’s just not that kind of a place.

 

No, Germany. By making this fateful decision you have revealed yourself to be what you really and truly are; a country that can actually make the right decision from time to time, although this probably hurts like hell and you’ll be doing a lot of tooth grinding over it for a while (making right decisions can be like that). Good job and keep up the good work.

 

„Irans Präsident Mahmud Ahmadinedschad hat Israel einem Fernsehbericht zufolge kurz vor Beginn der Anti-Rassismus-Konferenz als „Fahnenträger des Rassismus“ bezeichnet.“

What’s out is in and vice versa again

Funny how times change, or how perception does. When it comes to Afghanistan, I mean. Although one can argue over here (and some folks actually do) that when Barack Obama proposes to talk to “moderate” Taliban (?) he “not only openly admits to the catastrophic situation, he also openly admits his helplessness,” others welcome the move, of course, and are having one of those we-told-you-so kind of moments.

We're the moderate ones

“From sarcasm to outrage went the range of reactions when the the former head of the German Social Democrats, Kurt Beck, on the occasion of a visit to Afghanistan, suggested two years ago to negotiate with “moderate Taliban.” Now U.S. President Barack Obama has taken up exactly that proposal – and no one is laughing anymore.”

Well I’m certainly not. I’m shocked, to tell you the truth. As mentioned above, I think sarcasm to outrage are the proper reactions to such an idea.That such a proposal can actually even be considered today, much less considered to be salonfähig (socially acceptable), much less to be considered to be something that anybody could want to laugh about is beyond me. Talk about sad.

“The West simply can’t bumble about anymore in Afghanistan.” Says who?

What do we do with these guys now?

Open up a detention camp on Sylt? Damn. I’m impressed doch (after all). A German frigate actually stopped a pirate attack off the coast of Somalia and took nine suspects into custody the other day. These guys were considered suspect because German and American helicopter crews caught them attacking a merchant vessal and later when they got busted their rocket-propelled grenade launchers were still smoking pretty good here and there, even though they claimed they were just out fishing, I’m sure.

 

 Yo, ho, ho, me buckos.

 

But what now? What does Germany do now with these icky yucky pirates? Hmmm, could it be that your problems just begin once you capture guys like this red-handed? It sounds familiar somehow, somewhere, sometimes.

 

“First, independent prosecutors in Hamburg need to decide whether the men should face trial in Germany. The German navy has given them all its evidence, and it is now up to them to say whether German interests were at stake during the attack. A specially convened commission, representing Germany’s Interior, Foreign, Defense and Justice ministries, met this week to discuss the legal status of the pirates — hitherto unchartered legal territory.”