Paul Long's Ramblings

another excellent piece by Tawfik Hamid Analysis of the Gaza Clash By Tawfik Hamid www.tawfikhamid.com The recent military confrontation between Israel and Hamas organization in Gaza raises several concerns. One of these concerns is:  Who is behind this escalation & why have they occurred at this particular time? Some Palestinian leaders such as Saeb Erekat have accused [i] Prime Minister Netanyahu of plotting the conflict for political gain, suggesting that the conflict will help Netanyahu's party in the coming Israeli elections. These accusations are somewhat illogical as the conflict is more likely to put the Israeli government in a serious Catch-22: accepting a cease fire will not satisfy those Israelis who support an invasion of Gaza , whereas invading Gaza may displease  a significant percentage  of the Israeli population. Hamas is indisputably part of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB ) [ii] (according both to the second item of the  Hamas ...

Another excellent piece by Tawfik Hamid The Psychology of Appeasement Why Radical Muslims Feel Free to Target the United States but Not France By Tawfik Hamid www.tawfikhamid.com The difference between Muslims' reaction to the French cartoons  that insulted the prophet Mohamed and their reaction to the  Mohamed  film that was produced in the United States is striking. On the one hand, Muslim mobs viciously  attacked US embassies, replaced the US flag with the Al-Queda flag, and killed many innocent people-including US ambassador Chris Stevens and other US diplomats. On the other hand, however, they did not dare react with the same violence against France, despite the very insulting nature of the French cartoons. The factors that underpin this odd disparity in Muslim reaction must be analyzed. The French response to radical Islam since September 11, 2001 can explain to a great extent this paradox. It seems that the French have understood the mindset...

Another excellent article by Tawfik Hamid and ... what scares me on a too close and personal level is point number 3 below which I have highlighted in bold red! Is the Egyptian 'Military' More Democratic than the 'ballot'? By Tawfik Hamid www.tawfikhamid.com Traditionally, the ballot is seen as the best way to achieve true democracy. Recent experience in some Muslim countries such as Egypt, however, demonstrate that there are exceptions to this widely held belief. Some of the basic values that are inherent in the word democracy include: People as the source of power. No group or faction or leader can impose their will, ideology, religion, or desires on anyone else (as  articulated  by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton). Equal rights for all citizens of the country. Rule of law. Respect for religious rights of citizens. Here are five observations based on the military leadership of Egypt over the last few decades: The constitution was clear th...

another interesting piece by Tawfik Hamid The "Snakes and Ladders" of the Muslim Brotherhood By Tawfik Hmaid www.tawfikhamid.com After 80 years the dream of the Muslim Brotherhood  ( MB )  to reach  power  in Egypt has come true. Currently, the MB controls the majority of the seats in the Egyptian Parliament and soon they will write the new constitution of Egypt. The ascent of the MB to power may have some similarity to the game of "Snake s  and Ladder s " where the 'Ladder' helps the players to reach the top while a 'snake' close to that top can also bring the player down to the bottom. The question is: Will the MB go down the 'Snake' after ascending via the 'ladder' of power? Analysis of the factors that helped the MB reach power reveals that this is a very likely possibility. Ascending via the Ladder Factors that helped the MB reach power 1- The Hijab When the Supreme Guide (The Murshid) of the MB had the opportunity to meet wit...

Good questions .... Muslim Brotherhood Needs to Change Before Asking the US for Support By Tawfik Hamid www.tawfikhamid.com In an article published in the Washington Post on Feb 4 [I], Mr. Khairat el-Shater, the deputy supreme guide of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood (MB) accused the U.S. and Europe of neglect after the January 25, 2011 uprising and overthrow of the Mubarak regime. This situation raises several points for discussion. First,  the MB convinced millions of Muslims over the last few decades that "Islam is the Solution". In fact this has been used as their slogan to support their political party (Freedom[II] & Justice Party) in the recent Egyptian elections. The MB need to explain to us and to the Muslim world where has the slogan "Islam is the Solution" gone? And; if Islam is the Solution as they claimed, why then are they begging for money and support from the West? Shall we see their attempt to gain Western support as an admission of failure of ...

In the USA, some rights are more equal than others? Reminds me of  ... "All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others" Do US courts justify Sharia-based Crimes?     By Tawfik Hamid www.tawfikhamid.com A federal appeals court has  blocked  an Oklahoma voter-approved measure barring state judges from considering Islamic and international law in their decisions. Muneer Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Oklahoma, sued to block the law from taking effect, arguing that the Save Our State Amendment  violated his First Amendment rights . The court stated "When the law that voters wish to enact is likely unconstitutional, their interests do not outweigh Mr. Awad's in having his constitutional rights protected." Awad argued that the ban on Islamic law would likely affect every aspect of his life as well as the execution of his will upon his death. The appeals court pointed out that Aw...