burning any house of worship is obscene

Those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And had there not been Allah's repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah's name is much remembered; and surely Allah will help him who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty. (Qur'an 22:40, Shakir translation)

As you may have heard, Palestinians torched synagouges left behind by the retreating Jewish settlers. I am outraged by it^[1].

The situation isn't as black and white as the Israelophiles insist, of course. The decision to leave them standing was a craven act of cowardice by the Jewish authorities. Judith Weiss had a prety good point about this, warning earlier that leaving them standing would be a mistake, and then observing after their destruction:

In the end, though, the Israeli Government decided that desecration by Arabs would be more commensurate with the ethics and morale of the Jewish state than destruction by the IDF’s troops.

Further, the actual sanctity of the buildings themselves was essentially zero, given that all items of religious significance were removed:

As the settlers left their homes last month, they took the Torah scrolls, prayer books and other holy items from the synagogues, symbolizing the end of the use of the buildings as houses of prayer.

(The Jerusalem Post). Really, it's desecration of the sentimental, rather than the sacred, that we are talking about here, as opposed to many tragic examples of actively-in-use synagouge-desecration in the past.

Finally, the Sharon government had anticipated that the structures would be destroyed and left them intact regardless:

Citing fears of desecration, the cabinet originally planned to destroy the 17 synagogues left standing in 21 Gaza settlements that were evacuated and demolished last month.

But the government backtracked on Sunday under pressure from rabbis who said the demolition of houses of worship by Jews would be the greater sin.

(Ha'aretz). Not just Sharon. Minister Mofaz had a convenient change of heart himself:

Speaking publicly for the first time since he flip-flopped on his decision to leave Gaza synagogues intact, Mofaz said he just couldn't bear to lend his hand to the destruction of a Jewish house of worship.

"As a Jew it was hard for me to give orders to IDF soldiers to blow up a synagogue, so I asked that it be reconsidered," Mofaz said. "I believe that there are issues where Israel as a Jewish state considers the decisions of the rabbis," Mofaz said. "We also have to take into account the decisions of rabbis abroad. We knew that the Palestinians would respond to the decision, and the rabbis decided it would be better that the synagogues be destroyed at the hands of Palestinians than at the hands of the IDF."

What a puerile fool. He desecrates these places of worship by using them as pawns, just as much as the mobs torching them.

Still, despite the Israeli and Israelophile melodrama that the act of burning these buildings has generated, it is still inexcusable.

Make no mistake in my position: the synagouges should have been dismantled, and if the Israeli government was too craven to shoot their own dog, then the PA should have stepped up to the plate. The PA had the responsibility to dismantle them in a respectful manner. However expected it may have been by cynics on both sides of the conflict, the final responsibility for the action of burning them down lies however with the Palestinian people of Gaza, and their aspirations will suffer for it as just recompense.

As Haroon wrote a while ago, most muslims want to see Islam as merciful and strong. Not barbaric and reactionary. There's really no other way to describe the burning of these synagouges. And that's why I've become increasingly hard-line in my view towards the aspirations of the Palestinian people.

For the record, though, in response to this question, mosques have hardly been immune to destruction or defilement either. I've even supported the destruction of mosques, when neccessary. It's wrong to burn down any house of worship - or perform any other fundamentally political act upon it. The purpose of these buildings is higher than our petty squabbles.

[1] I have to also agree that there was excessive excuse-making for the Palestinians in the media.

victory is possible in Iraq

The Deuce Four is a Stryker infantry battalion comprised of about 700 soldiers, and has lost 12 men and earned over 150 purple hearts in some of the most intense urban combat of this war. When the battalion arrived in Mosul, the mostly-Sunni city had already devolved into an insurgent stronghold. When the home-base for organized kidnap and beheading squads swelled with the steady stream of fighters fleeing the crackdown in Falluja, the local police simply abandoned their stations. Mortar rounds and rockets fell by the hundreds, scores of car bombs attacked Deuce Four, the ISF, and later crowds of people, and IEDs made the roads literal minefields. In December, a terrorist slipped into the dining facility on FOB Marez and detonated his explosives vest during a crowded meal, killing 22 people.

Kurilla’s aggressive battle plan brought the fight to the enemy. Every new evolution in terrorist tactics was met with a ferocious counter blow that not only destroyed the immediate target, but also signaled frightened civilians that the US Army meant business in Mosul. Equally important civil affairs projects generated electricity virtually around the clock, built schools and parks, and brought top medical care to civilians. Within months, increasingly desperate to maintain control over the population, terrorists began launching attacks straight through groups of children, leaving many horribly burned. Their savagery further alienated civilians who were beginning to see the benefits of change. When top insurgent leaders were killed and captured, largely based on tips from Iraqi citizens, enemy attacks fell precipitously.

As the Deuce Four heads home this week, they leave behind a Mosul that, while not yet in the clear, is much closer to security and prosperity than anyone would have considered possible eight months ago.

Thats from Michael Yon's latest and why I sincerely believe that victory is possible in Iraq. I think that the successes of our military have been largely in spite of, not because of, the Administration's leadership - but the people of Iraq have hearts and minds that can be changed, and they can see the benefit of a future that does not involve someone's iron thumb. I go against the grain of most muslims, who are rightly cynical of Western motivations in this post-colonialist world, and most liberals, who are rightly cynical of this Administration's commitment to anything beyond their immediate political fortunes. The success thus far in Mosul is assuredly temporary if there isn't political will on both sides to see it continue.

Where my cynicism comes into play is whether such political will can be found. If not, then stories like the work and blood sacrifice of Deuce Four will be rarer and rarer still. There is a tipping point, and we are close to it - but we can tip either way.

Coins to cards

bloody brilliant:

Coinstar machines today charge consumers 8.9 percent of their coins for the service of counting it and giving it a receipt for the remaining 91.1 percent of the money.

In Amazon.com's case, though, Coinstar machines will charge nothing for the service as far as consumers are concerned. Amazon is selling Coinstar its gift cards at a sharp volume discount, allowing Coinstar to cover its costs and profit.

In other words, the gigantic vases of pennies I have in my closet can be converted in seconds to Amazon credits. Without any fees. The 9% fee that Coinstar usually charges was enough to never make me want to use their machines before, and the hassle of rolling my own coins was why I never take my accumulated change to the bank. Hence, accumulated coins in closets.

I do typically rotate coins through for sadaka in both our cars of course. This new program however gives me even more options. Especially if we can donate to the Red Cross via Amazon using these certificates. That money does no good - for me or for society - just sitting in those vases in my closet.

reforming the Senate

In many ways, the role of the Senate is the Guardian of the Republic. It's original purpose was to provide to the States what the House of Representatives provided to the citizens: a direct voice and agent for their interests. However, that role has been substantively eroded by the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution, which has essentially given us two Houses. The impact of this has been a complete eradication of the conept of federalism - such that even supposed champions of states' rights, the Republicans, pay only lip service to the concept (witness only the Schiavo case for proof that federalism, like fiscal conservatism, is long since dead in GOP circles).

I've previously written about the corrupting influence the 17th Amendment has had upon our national political discourse. Briefly, it has become an avenue for special interests to dominate the Senate as they do the House. I reject the short-sighted arguments that repeal would lead in the short term to undesirable political outcomes; most conservatives are agnostic about the repeal, but liberals tend to say that repeal would give Republicans an advantage given that most state legislatures are GOP-dominated. But the short-term impact is not my concern. In fact, repeal of the 17th would lead to more independence from the "party above country" mentality that drives modern politics in this modern (and thoroughly Republicanist) age.

Glenn Reynolds just mentioned the idea of repeal, and poses an interesting counter-proposal. His suggestion is to make Senators ineligible for President, thus bluntig most of their aspirations and focusing the Senate on the business of being the Senate rather than a grand stage. However, I think that while it has some merit, it's a symptomatic approach, which would not address the underlying issue of who Senators are beholden to when they assume office. It's the quality, and motives, of the Senators before they arrive at the Capitol, not how they comport themselves after they arrive, which concerns me and why I still favor repeal. If repeal of the 17th were to come about, I think that Glenn's suggestion would be rendered largely moot.

Blogger arrested at 9/11 Freedom Walk

Thomas Nephew is a brave man. His Newsrack blog is one of the oldest blogs on the blogsphere, four years and going strong. He made the brave but foolish decision to protest at the absurdly choreographed "Freedom Walk" 9-11 PR event in Washington DC, reprising his role as Hooded Man from Abu Ghraib. His write-up on his arrest is a must-read, so I won't excerpt it - just go to Newsrack blog and read.

Old Orleans

While Katrina was on approach, I was somewhat bemused, thinking to myself that the dire predictions all over the media were just the usual blowhard fear-mongery. Storm surge! breaking levees! A toxic lake! The storm passed 50 miles to the east, the winds didn't push the water into Lake Ponchatrain, the levees for the most part held. This morning, the news was all about "hey, so when can the Louisianans start heading home?" and "keep tuned right here for the latest news on when I-10 is re-opened at US 641."

I think I was wrong (video link courtesy WWLTV). Some hasty transcription:

80% of our city underwater

some sections, water as deep as 20 feet

incredible amount of water in the city - both airports are under water

the twin spans in new orleans east have been totally destroyed - they're gone

oil tanker run aground, leaking oil

serious levee break at 17th street canal, place where orleans and jefferson parish both drain... causing waters to continue to rise in certain sections of the city

houses literally picked up off their foundations and moved

if you drive on the high rise we are not sure of the structural soundness, it appears as though a barge has hit one of the main structures of the high rise

gas leaks that have sprung up throughout the city, and even when underwater, you will see flame shooting out of the water

These comments were spoken by the Mayor appearing live on WWLTV, he was reading off a list given to him at a FEMA briefing. Other tidbits from the WWLTV website:

Residents of Jefferson Parish will probably be allowed back in town in a week, with identification only, but only to get essentials and clothing. They will then be asked to leave and not come back for one month.

Looting is rampant, and parts of the city are under marshal law.

Helicopters are trying to stem breaches in levees by dropping 3,000 pound sandbags.

Here is an AP photo gallery. Look at #27, #36, #38, #49, #77, #97, #99.

Finally, there's also a Latest Updates Blog at the site which has all sorts of detailed information, including some bright bits of news - for example, classes at LSU will be starting next Tuesday. Overall though, this is beginning to look nothing like the city had "dodged a bullet". New Orleans was not spared.

Also: a blog from the Times-Picayune. Unbelievable narratives.

UPDATE: The Governor of Louisiana has decreed that the whole city must evacuate. Text from AP/WWLTV:

Governor says entire city needs to be evacuated

03:29 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Associated Press

With conditions in the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans rapidly deteriorating, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday that people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers need to be evacuated.

"The situation is untenable," Blanco said during a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."

Because of two levees that broke Tuesday, the city was rapidly filling with water and the prospect of having power was a long time off, the governor said. She also said the storm severed a major water main, leaving the city without drinkable water.

The governor said that at midnight, all of the boat operators trying to rescue people from rooftops were told to take a break.

"They refused. They couldn't do it," Blanco said.

Blanco said some people who were stranded in a tall building, but rescuers couldn't get to that building because of the large number of people "calling to them and jumping from rooftops."

UPDATE 2: The French Quarter is now flooding.

I'll stop updating this post now.

Bohra soldier killed in Iraq

The Dawoodi Bohra muslim community lost one of its own in Iraq last week. Hatim Kathiriya of Fort Worth, Texas was killed in a rocket attack in Baghdad. The official DoD announcement reports that he was a logistical specialist assigned to the 703rd Forward Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA.

InnaLillahi Wa inna Ilahi Raji'un

Hatim was born in Gujrat, and came to the US seeking a better life for himself, as do so many members of the Bohra community. The report in the Dallas Morning News has some detail about his surviving family:

Spc. Kathiria is survived by his father, Siraj Kathiria; mother, Shirin Kathiria; and two sisters, Kahdija Kathiria and Habiba Kathiria, all of Dahod, India.

Spc. Kathiria was born July 1, 1982, in Dahod in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Spc. Kathiria's uncle, Nuruddin Kathiria of Fort Worth, said that Spc. Kathiria was a bright, energetic and ambitious young man who came to the United States in June 2003 determined to enter service in the U.S. military.

Spc. Kathiria enlisted in the Army in November 2003. He obtained his U.S. citizenship in January 2004. Mr. Kathiria said Spc. Kathiria was in the process of obtaining a military secrecy clearance.

Mr. Kathiria said his nephew had a bachelor's degree in computer science and wanted to pursue a master's degree.

"It looked like a good future for him. He was progressing pretty fast, but it ended pretty fast," Mr. Kathiria said. "That's what shocked us."

I am in the process of trying to reach Nuruddin bhai in the Dallas jamaat to get some more information about Hatimbhai.

There is also a piece in the Times of India that goes into more detail about Hatim's ambitions. He was still an Indian citizen, who joined the Army in the hope that he could fund his studies and pursue the American dream. I know of only a few other Bohras serving in the armed forces, but Hatim bhai exemplified the spirit of my community.

Hatim also shares the distinction with Sergeant Uday Singh, a Sikh, of being one of two Indian nationals to have been killed in active duty in the US Armed Forces. Sergeant Singh was cremated with full military honors in his native Punjab and the ashes interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC.