Defunding Isreal but Blind to Islamophobia Ripoffs?

Sentinel
June 20, 2015
Laina Farhat-Holzman

Only in the free Western world can such asymmetrical nonsense take place. Israel, the one western country unfortunately located in the middle of the Muslim world is the focus of accusations of Islamophobia and targeted with boycotts of its industries and products. How ironic. Israel is the one country where Arab citizens can vote, have the highest standard of living, and have any kind of future. Yet young stupid liberals in Europe and the US vent their spleen on Israel and turn a blind eye to the horrors of Islam. These are the monkeys who see no evil.

And in the United States and Europe, where Muslims have managed to find refuge, Islam's well-healed (Saudi money) legal arm (CAIR) brings lawsuits and carps about how badly Muslims are treated. They even take a ridiculous lawsuit to the American Supreme Court and win (!), permitting a woman to wear her headscarf in an upscale department store despite the store's standards. What a triumph for Islam.

How reciprocal is the Muslim world's liberality today around the world? Here are a few items from just one day's news (June 10).

     o     Sikhs. There used to be a thriving community of 100,000 Sikhs (non-Muslim) living in Afghanistan in 1990. There are now 2,500, and they are being pushed out. They cannot reclaim the houses and businesses and houses of worship that were seized by the Taliban. The same is true for Afghan Hindus. All are leaving and returning to India, which will be Afghanistan's loss. Tolerance is not Islam's strong suit.

     o     Women. While CAIR worries about a head-scarfed woman, Nigeria has more serious problems. A child forced to marry at just 13, who then poisoned her 35-year-old-husband and three of his friends (forced confession), was freed from execution but kept in juvenile detention. Her family wants her back so that they can force her into another marriage (if they don't kill her first). This is, after all, Islamic law. She was a second wife. Good old polygamy and child brides are favored by Nigerian Muslims. Another 13-year-old was recently executed for the same trumped-up crime.

     o     Karnak, Egypt. Islam's famous hatred of pre-Islamic history is illustrated again in an attack on one of Egypt's most important tourist attractions, the Temple of Karnak in Luxor. Visited by millions every year, touists will hesitate to come, which is of course the reason for the Islamic militants' attack. It is not enough to just hate rival religions.

     o     Christians in Pakistan. Christians are not doing well anywhere in the Muslim world. We hear more about Christian women, forced to convert, or kidnapped and raped (as in Iraq or Egypt or with the African schoolgirls), but this time it was a young man who was convicted of murder as a 15-year-old, whose confession was obtained under torture, although prosecution witnesses had since recanted. He was executed anyway despite international protests. The Pakistani death penalty was supposed to be reinstated only for terrorists----but so what. A Christian doesn't have a chance in Pakistan.

     o     Turkish Judge's Strange Standard. First, there were the beatings in their home in Ankara, her husband's fist crashing hard against her body. Then came the beatings at the shelter, where she'd found refuge with their child, when the husband came to visit. The judge imposed a fine: 3,000 liras (about $1,000) against the man for physical abuse, and 3,000 more against the wife, for the injury to her husband's hand when he'd beaten her too hard. At first I thought this had to be a joke, but it was not. Is this from some obscure passage in Sharia law, because it certainly is not in Turkish secular law! Kamal Ataturk must be turning over in his grave!

     o     Gaza.     Where are all those demonstraters who want to defund Israel?  Hamas spent all reconstruction money on tunnels and missiles and doesn't give a hoot about Gaza's civilians. Who is the bad guy here?

Where are all those feminists who are blind, deaf, and dumb to what Muslims are doing to women? Are they shopping in Abercrombie for headscarfs?



Dr. Laina Farhat-Holzman is a historian, lecturer, and author of God's Law or Man's Law.  You may contact her at Lfarhat102@aol.com or www.globalthink.net.        

Dispatch from the Field: Influence of China, Russia and the United States in Today’s Mongolia

Harry Rhodes
June 2015, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

In June of 2015 I attended the Building Resilience of Mongolia Rangelands conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  It was primarily a trans-disciplinary scientific research conference addressing current problems facing the Mongolian steppe, its nomadic herder population, wild and domestic animal management and welfare, a changing environment (global warming), drought, and the loss of traditional rangelands and water sources to foreign mining interests with attendant environmental pollution.  I participated as both an attendee as well as a presenter (for work done by my wife, Lynn Rhodes).

The conference was sponsored by Colorado State University with assistance and support from the U.S. Embassy and the American Center for Mongolian Studies and was also supported by many other international academic, scientific, and environmental organizations.  Scientists from a wide variety of countries attended the conference, including scientists from Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China, the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and Japan.

Mongolia is a country with a long and colorful history.  It is landlocked between two massive civilizational forces, Russia and China, and its history and culture have been significantly impacted by both of these neighboring cultures.

I had budgeted sufficient time both before and after the conference to see some of the country, and meet with local people.  I was surprised by some of the things I learned.  My interviews with Mongolians were frequently initiated by the Mongolians (I was obviously an American and my presence provided an opportunity for them to practice English with a native speaker).
My conversations with Mongolians included academics (primarily in the sciences), and young people residing in the capital city, but with both groups maintaining strong ties with nomadic relatives on the steppe.

The first thing apparent was a pride in the history of Mongolia and especially with its nomadic culture.  The second concern was about government corruption, especially corruption caused by the influx of foreign money, primarily related to Chinese mining interests and involvement in massive building projects in the capital city.  These operations were marked by the exclusion of Mongolian workers, with teams of Chinese workers being brought in to work on major construction projects.
A consistent theme with young people I interviewed was a desire for Mongolia to be independent from foreign influence.  Foreign influence was seen, by them, to be damaging to the culture of Mongolia.

The young people realized Mongolia existed within the primary spheres of influence of Russia and China.  When asked which influence they would choose if they had to choose between the two, they preferred Russian influence.  Answers to my inquiries as to why Russian over Chinese influence were consistent for historical reasons, hundreds of years in the past, but also for the corrupting influence associated with modern financial investment.  Russia, on the other hand, was seen more as a benefactor to Mongolia.  Russia was seen as a historical benefactor relative to activities in World War II, but also as a current benefactor providing trained educators and other less-exploitative involvement in the country.

The U.S. was seen as not significantly relevant to the political or economic situation.  As one Mongolian told me, the U.S. was liked but it was geographically too far away for its influence to be seen or felt.  They said “Russia and China were here”.

Final Program for ISCSC 2015, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

There will be an informal reception at the hotel on Wednesday, June 10, starting ~ 7 pm
on a roof lounge with a lovely view.  “Informal” means you pay for your own drinks or food.

Thursday, June 11

9 – 9:13 am, Welcome from the ISCSC President and our Brazilian Hosts, in Room A.

9:15 – 10:40 am, Thursday Panel Session 1

Room A (larger)
David Rosner, chair

Theodor Damian, Metropolitan College of New York, USA.  “The Signs of the Time:
With or Without Postmodernism.”  
Marek Jakubowski, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland.  “The Theory
of Civilization by Felix Koneczny – Archaic or Inspiring?”
Adnan Çelik, Selçuk University, Turkey.  “Have the Global Crises a Philosophy?
Who Creates them and Why?”
David Rosner, Metropolitan College of New York, USA.  “On Civilizational Trauma:
The Black Death and ‘Values at the Crossroads’ in Boccacchio’s Decameron.”

Room B (smaller)
Michael Andregg, chair

Dina Moscovici, Artigo de, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  “The Nomad Space of Art.”
Rochelle Almeida, New York University, NY, USA.  “A Clash of Titans in India: Post-
Modernist Quasi-Capitalism versus Socialism in Literature and Film.”
David Wilkinson, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.  “Was there a pre-Columbian
Civilization in the Amazon Basin?”
Michael Andregg, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA.  “Book reviews of
‘The Lowland Maya in the Late Preclassic: The Rise and Fall of an Early Mesoamerican Civilization’ (2011) and Marek Celinski’s ‘Civilizational Crisis and Renewal’ (2015).”

Break --  10:40 – 11:00 am

11–12:30 pm, Thursday Panel Session 2

Room A (larger)
Lynn Rhodes, chair

James Kielkopf, Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban
Policy, New York, USA.   “What’s really new about anti-neoliberal South
America? A comparative analysis of New Left governance in Latin America using analytical tools from the policy studies field.”
David Wilkinson, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.  “Mathew Melko:
A Civilizationalist Looks at Real Peace.”
Tereza Coni Aguiar, Consultant on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.   “Lebret’s Legacy to Humanistic Planning.”
Randall Groves, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA.  “The Origins of
Religion and the New History of Reason.”

Room B (smaller)
Michael Andregg, chair

Abdulmajed Muhammed Wali, King Saud University, Rihadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Education Means Influencing the Sons and Daughters.”
Khalid Aleid, King Saud University, Rihadh, Saudi Arabia.  “The Impact of Islam on
Strengthening Family Ties:  A Value of the Civilized.”
Abdullah Saleh Alsaif, King Saud University, Rihadh, Saudi Arabia.  “Islamic Cultural
Values Regarding the Treatment of Children and Children with Special Needs.”
Essa Nasser Alduraibi, King Saud University, Rihadh, Saudi Arabia.  “Civilizational
Values in Dialogue, and Means for Promotion of Dialogue in Education.”

Lunch  (12:30 – 2:00, panels begin exactly then) (On your own  - Many restaurants nearby)

2:00 – 3:30, Thursday Panel Session 3

Room A (larger)
Michael Andregg, chair

Carla Monteiro Sales, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio, Brazil.  “Representations
of North South Relations in an Inverted Map of South America.”
Mauricio Goncalves Silva, with Maria Monica Vieira Caetano O’Neill, and Claudio
Stenner, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Population Arrangements and Urban Concentrations in Brazil: Conceptual Aspects.”
Evandro La Macchia, with Jacob Binsztok and Julio Wasserman, Universidade
Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  “Petroleum Exploration and Production Policy:  Brazilian Winding Paths.”
Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Turkey.  “The Effects of
Religious Beliefs on the Working Decisions of Women: Some Evidence from Turkey.”

Room B (smaller)

Randall Groves, chair

Abdulmajeid Aldarwish, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Civilized Values of Dealing with Neighbors in Islam.”
Abdulaziz Saud Aldhowaihy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“The Determinates of Prestigious Values in Islam.”
Khalid Alsharidah, Qassim University, Burayaday City, Saudi Arabia.
“Socio-Cultural Transformations in Saudi Arabia: Displacement vs. Resistance Theories of Change.”
Abdullah Alfauzan, Qassim University, Alqassim City, Saudi Arabia.  “Contributions
of Civilization Towards Social Freedom and Alienation in the Arabic City:  A Literary Point of View.”

Break --  3:30 – 4:00 pm

4:00 – 5:30 Thursday Plenary Session:  Emmanuel Carneiro Leão, Distinguished Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Our Crises”   In Room A.

Evening on your own.  There are more than two things to do in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil ;-)!!


Friday, June 12

9:00 – 10:30 am, Friday Panel Session 4

Room A (larger)

Michael Andregg, chair

Hisanori Kato, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan.  “Philanthropic Aspects of Islam:  The
Case of the Fundamentalist Movement in Indonesia.”
Faranak Bavardeh, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Baku, Azerbaijan.
“Ibn Khaldun’s Socio-Economic Wisdom and its Influence on the Rise and Fall of
Civilization.”
Juri Abe, Rikkyo University,Tokyo, Japan.  “The Role of Foreign Teachers in
Modernizing Meiji, Japan”
Tatiana Bystrova, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.  “Open City as a
‘Soft Power’ of Modern, Urban Environments.”

Room B (smaller)

Lynn Rhodes, chair

Sami Alkhalil, Mohammed A. Alsuhaim, Ahmed M. Alkhalil, and Omar A. Alsedees
King Saud University and Qassim University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Islamic Values that Regulate Finance and Economy.”
Kamel Saud Alonazi, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Economic Crises:  Reality and Solutions.”
Adel Mohammed Alabisy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  “Samples
in the Economic System From an Islamic Perspective, and its Effect on Building Values.”
Bandar AlAnazi, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“The Values of Faith and Moral Values in Islamic Economics.”

Break  10:30 – 10:50 am


10:50 am–12:20 pm Friday Plenary Session:  Pedro Geiger, Distinguished Professor,
State University of Rio de Janeiro.  “An Introduction to Brazil.”  

Lunch – 12:20 – 2 pm   (On your own; many options)

2:00 – 3:30 pm, Friday Panel Session 5

Room A (larger)

David Rosner, chair

Zoltan S. Novak, Budapest, Hungary.
“’Panta Rhei’ as the Central Idea of Spengler’s Life Work.”
Mario Wenning, University of Macau, Macau, China.  “The Fate of Transcendence in
Postsecular Societies.”
Vincent Ho, University of Macau, Macau, China.  “Chinese Heritage in East Asia:
Comparative Approaches in Literature, Religion and Culture.
Hasan Tasci, Dr. Esenler Municipal City Thought Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
“City, Civilization, and Prophets.”

Room B (smaller)

George Von der Muhll, chair

Habibollah Babaei, Academy of Islamic Science and Culture, Qom, Iran.
“Standards of Islamity of Civilization.”
Fahad Mohammed Alsultan, Qassim University, Buraydah City, Saudi Arabia.
“Was there an Ideological Impact on Saudi-Iranian Relations Prior to the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979?”
Saeed Ali Alghailani, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  “Alexis de
Tocqueville and Muhammad on War: A Comparative and Historical Perspective.”
Nasser Mohammed Almane, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  “The
Motives of Ethical Commitment in Islam – a Comparative Study.”

Break:  3:30 – 3:50 pm

3:50 – 5:20 pm, Friday Panel Session 6

Room A (larger)

Lynn Rhodes, chair  

Ronald J. Glossop, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, IL, USA.  “The
Meaning of the Twenty-First Century: From Inter-Nationalism to Globalism.”
Anna Sobolewska-Bujwid, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wroclaw, Poland.
“Together or Separately?  The Problem of Social Capital in Central Europe.”
Itzchak Weismann, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.  “Salafi Interpretations of the
Civilizational Values of Islam.”
George Von der Muhll, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
“Civilizations and Their Frontiers: Identities and Imagery.”

Room B (smaller)

David Rosner, chair

Hamza Ates, Istanbul Medeniyet University Ctr. for Civilizational Studies, Turkey.
“Ethics-Based Civilization:  What Can Islam Contribute?”
Sultan S. Alsaif, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Values Between Religions in Islam.”
Ahmed Allhaib, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  “Civilized Values and
Dealing with the Other in Islam.”
Ibrahim Guran Yumusak, Istanbul Medeniyet University Centre for Civilizational
Studies, Turkey.  “Economic Development: Management from Al-Siyasah Al-Shar’iyah.”

Note Bellum: A tour of Rio de Janeiro is available this Friday evening with
Dr. João Baptista Ferreira de Mello, a Geography Professor from the State University of Rio de Janeiro.  The tour is called:  “Walking Between Night Lights in Downtown Rio.” Dinner will be on your own, perhaps grazing from the variety of restaurants along the way.

Saturday, June 13

9 -- 10:30 am, Saturday Panel Session 7

Room A There is no Room B on Saturday

Michael Andregg, chair

Nissim Mannathukkaren, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
“Replicating or Reinventing Modernity?  The Case of Kerala India.”
Ashok Malhotra, State University of New York (SUNY), Oneonta, NY, USA.
“Reflections on Clash or Reconciliation of Civilizations.”
Joseph Gualtieri, University of Hong Kong, China.
“Nature and the Crisis in Global Civilizational Values.”
Ahmed Alshbaan, Qassim University, Buraydah City, Saudi Arabia.  “The Role of
Social Endowment Institutions for Promoting Geographic Trips to the Orient (From the Sixth to the Eighth Century AH).”  (~1122 – 1322 of the Common Era)


Break:  10:30 – 11:00


11 – 12:30 Saturday, Panel Session 8

Room A

Lynn Rhodes, chair

Andrzej Szahaj, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland.
“The Values of Multiculturalism.”
Ahmed Almazyad, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  “Values in Islam.”
Tarkan Oktay, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.  “Sister City
Relationships of Municipalities in Turkey in the Context of Soft Power.”
Lynn Rhodes, Royal Oaks, CA, USA.  “Community Trust and Law Enforcement
Around the World: a Key to Peace and Prosperity Everywhere.”

12:30 – 1 pm latest   Business Meeting!  This business meeting will be very short because
the Banquet starts at 2 pm at an off-site location to be announced at the Conference.

The most important agenda is announcement of our venue for 2016 and possibly more details about Montreal in 2017.  Senior officers come up for election in 2016.



[Stats: 14 panels with 58 papers from 16 countries and most occupied continents]