september 30, 2005

FDNY Just Dodged a Major Bullet

The New York Fire Department just dodged a major bullet. In the ultimate irony, The FDNY--whose incredible courage during 9/11 was an inspiration to Americans everywhere--came perilously close to having a 9/11 denier on its payroll. You read that right. Imam Intikab Habib, 30, a native of Guyana who studied Islam in Saudi Arabia, was slated to be sworn in today as just the second Muslim chaplain in FDNY history. There was just one problem--during an interview with Newsday earlier this week, Habib said the following about the 9/11 attacks, which, he seemed to forget, affected his would-be employer, the FDNY, perhaps more than anyone: "I as an individual don't know who did the attacks. There are so many conflicting reports about it. I don't believe it was 19 ... hijackers who did those attacks."

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setpember 29, 2005

U.S. Muslim Extremists Still Pine for a Future of Islamic Government

Just in case you've grown complacent in the 4-plus years since 9/11(sadly, I fear many Americans have), I feel compelled to remind readers of this important fact: there are still a number of Muslims extremists in the United States who pine for a a future where America has more mosques than churches or synagogues, where women are veiled, where the Koran is taught in the classroom, where Ramadan replaces Christmas, and where brutal Islamic sharia law is king. While most American Islamists will never say that aloud, some have slipped in the past, particularly before the 9/11 attacks, which increased awareness in the U.S. about the Islamist enemy within.

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september 27, 2005

How is the U.S. Gov't Dealing with The Iranian Threat?

It's widely acknowledged that radical Islam's official declaration of war on the United States came during the Iranian revolution of 1979. That's when a gang of wild-eyed Iranian "students"-- including Iran's newly elected terrorist-in-chief, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad--stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 54 Americans hostage and making "Death to America" the most popular catchphrase in the Muslim world this side of "Allahu Akhbar." ("Death to Israel" comes in a close third).

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september 26, 2005

Al-Qaeda Cell Leader Should've Received Harsher Sentence

Some interesting news out of Europe: currently the most crucial front in the worldwide war on terror after Iraq. Imad Yarkas, an al-Qaeda cell leader in Spain, was convicted today in a Madrid court and sentenced to 27 years in prison for conspiracy and being "a leader of a terrorist organization." The Yarkas conviction closed out Europe's largest trial of al-Qaeda members thus far. But while I'm thrilled to see the Syrian-born Yarkas behind bars, his conviction is a huge disappointment in that it could have--and should have--been much more harsh.

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september 23, 2005

West Still Doesn't Realize Imminence of Jihadist Threat

In yesterday's blog, I criticized a U.S. Magistrate Judge's decision to set a suspected Muslim-American terrorist, Ali Asad Chandia, free on bond as he awaits trial. Today, I've got to deal out similar criticism--this time to British authorities--for allowing a white Muslim convert named Zayead Hajaig out on bail as he awaits sentencing. Hajaig had been arrested by Scotland Yard anti-terror detectives in Britain last week. He's wanted for questioning by American authorities.

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September 22, 2005

From the Jihad in Your Backyard Department ...

From the "jihad in your backyard" department comes this: a 28-year-old Muslim man named Ali Asad Chandia--who's charged with aiding not one, but two terrorist groups--was released on bond yesterday by a U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia. Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan set the following conditions for Chandia's release, which prosecutors rightly opposed: A) He'll stay with his wife at his home in College Park. Maryland, and will be electronically tracked by a GPS bracelet. B) His mother will put up her home in Gaithersburg, Maryland as collateral. How touching.

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september 21, 2005

The Difference Between Islam and Christianity

I just received the following reaction to yesterday's blog from a reader describing himself as "Muslim-American." Pay particular attention to the last paragraph, which I've boldfaced:

Mr Stakelbeck,
I am a Muslim-American who converted to Islam, and I must say that in part I agree with your comments. There are two dimensions to Islam. A Christian once asked me: "Is Islam a religion of peace or terror?" I said: "That depends on you." -He seemed confused. I continued...

If people can at us (Muslims) with love, respect, and peace, then you will find Islam as being a religion of peace.

However, when invaders come into our countries, bulldoze our houses, rape our economies and resources, as well as our women and children. THEN, my friend, you will find Islam as being a religion of terror.

I think this statement pretty much sums up the difference between Islam--where violent jihad is encouraged against non-believers--and Christianity, where Jesus encourages us to turn the other cheek and love our enemies.

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september 20, 2005

Radical Islam is Not a Peaceful Religion

Islam is a peaceful, tolerant religion. Jihad simply means "inner struggle." Mohammed was a man of peace and compassion. These and other politically correct pearls of wisdom have been force-fed to the American public ad nauseum by government elites and the mainstream media ever since 9/11 (when, ironically enough, 19 members of the "religion of peace" murdered over 3,000 Americans in cold blood). But the facts, as they say, do not lie. We need look no further then the ongoing Muslim-driven religious strife in Iraq, Kashmir, Bosnia, Chechnya, Sudan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Phillipines, Pakistan, Europe and elsewhere to see that oftentimes those "peaceful" Muslims just don't play nice.

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september 19, 2005

Mass. Governor under Fire for Mosque Comments

Shortly after arriving back in Washington, D.C. from the Katrina disaster zone Friday evening, I learned that Massachusetts' Republican governor Mitt Romney had come under fire from American Muslim and civil rights groups. His crime? Suggesting that the U.S. should closely monitor radical mosques as well as young Muslim men from terror-sponsoring states like Syria and Saudi Arabia who have taken up residence in America. How dare he! To Romney's immense credit, he has refused to apologize for his comments, which, to the overwhelming majority of Americans, are just plain common sense.

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September 9, 2005

9/11 a Time of Reflection for War on Terror

With the fourth anniversary of 9/11 upon us, now is a good time to reflect on what the U.S. has accomplished in the War on Terror, and what it still needs to do. Joseph Farah has written an excellent article on this topic at Worldnetdaily.com titled "Don't forget bin Laden." His basic thesis: how can we call our efforts against Al-Qaeda a success when the groups' leader, the man--lest we forget--behind 9/11 and the growing worldwide jihadist movement, is still breathing? If Bin Laden is still holed up in a cave in 2008, recording threatening videotapes rather than pushing up daisies, I don't see how the Bush presidency could be considered a success, despite all the strides it has made in battling Islamic terror around the globe. This will be my last blog for a week or so--I'm heading down to Louisiana to cover Katrina's aftermath. In the meantime, stay vigilant.

september 7, 2005

Top al Qaeda Operatives Living in Out of the Way Places

Is there any area of the world left, besides Antarctica, where Islamic jihadists haven't set up shop? Since 9/11, experts have repeatedly cautioned that Al-Qaeda operates in over 60 countries--from Australia to Malaysia, from Brazil to Belgium, from Ontario to Ohio. And of course, throughout the Middle East, Central and South Asia and North Africa. Given this disturbing fact, it should come as no surprise that for the last 14 years, a top Al-Qaeda operative has been living as a political refugee with his family in frigid, remote Norway.

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september 6, 2005

U.N. General Assembly to Include Gallery of Despots

It appears that the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, which begins September 12, will include a rogue's gallery of despots, strongmen, and even a bona fide terrorist--Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the newly elected president of Iran. As I discussed in my September 1 blog, Ahmadinejad has a long history of murder, mayhem, and anti-American activities to his credit. He's currently under investigation in the U.S. for his role in the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-81, which saw the U.S. Embassy in Tehran seized and 52 Americans taken hostage for 444 days.

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september 1, 2005

Iran Blames Tragedy on America

Leave it to Iran's terrorist government to use a horrific tragedy as an occasion to bash America. Yesterday in northern Baghdad, nearly 1,000 Shiites died in a stampede after panic broke out during a religious procession across a Tigris River bridge. Apparently, mayhem ensued after rumor spread that Sunni suicide bombers were among the marchers. So what did Iraq's eastern neighbor, Iran, have to say about this human disaster?

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