Egypt: cleric bans Facebook

This is almost laughable. They tried this ploy in Iran. Banned some things on the net. People worked around it. Where there's a will, there's a way. The clerics are all running scared in muz-land because the more that people know about the great big world outside of islam and get to liking it, the less power the clerics have. They're running now, but they can't hide. In the countries considered "moderate", the clerics have much less power and are regularly ignored by a very large segment of the populace. In places like Iran, where the clerics want to have a theocracy where the clerics rule every aspect of life, outside contact is a huge contributor to their failure at total domination. Too bad sokhar ain't around, he'd probably back me on this one point. Mazawhachacallit probably sees this in The Lebanon too.

Naah, the clerics here are around but we don't hear from them too often. Most of them avoid over-the-top bulls*** like this because their political opponents (Christians, Druze and other Muslims) will tear them to shreds. But Syria, which I recently stopped visiting because of military conscription issues(they want me to be all they want me to be) is bonkers for banning. They just love it. There is a lot they ban, but as usual proxy servers and innovative circumvention works. I have friends that develop shell servers and pass out web clients. Oh and the US recently approved something or other to let the socialist and Muslim countries get unabated media access. Basically they RSS key info to users' emails.
In terms of nations overflowing with multi-culturalist potheads who think Islam is an Arabian self-help guide, the Internet is especially dangerous, though. They finally realize just how many community college Freshmen they can reach out to who have a problem with Christianity. Honestly, if the Muslims have such a giant problem with Internet Free Speech, why their blogs aren't subjected to laws they approve of - is a mystery.

Thanks for the on-the-spot clarification. I've surmised that the military conscription thing is something that appears in Syria with some regularity. My bud Tony and his brothers took off from Syria years ago cause their Daddy didn't want them in army uniform, and Daddy ran too, many years before. It's puzzling to me as to why the Syrians would be snuggling up to Iran, they don't have a shia majority, have lots of Christians and Jews. are basically secular, and the "President for life" is an Alawi shia, not a "real shia".....the muz seem to have regular puddle pissing competitions over the smallest things, and then get deadly/nuts over it. Is Bashar just CYA because he fears Iran, or is he really trying to crawl into bed with those looney tunes? All I know for sure is that Baath is big in Syria, but I don't know what that really means. The muz brotherhood has, historically, been entrenched in the area in Syria (not so much in Lebanon) and how much influence do they have? I've heard that you gotta be born a Druze to be a Druze and they are tough on "pushy" outsiders and want to be left alone. The land they occupy is strategicly situated though and their situation could get precarious....and they ain't going quietly. But they ain't "really" muz and they ain't Bahais or Christians.....kind of a mysterious brand of cat. Shed any light on where they're coming from? Have you got any idea how many militias there are in Lebanon? I don't know where you're from in the States, but Dearborn (I'm sure you've heard of that place) has about 3 or 4 different militias they support in Lebanon with $ if in no other way. It's been like that for years and years. I'm glad you toned down a bit. You could be a real asset here as "boots on the ground" providing insider info.

Oh, no one f***ing knows why Syria and Iran are constantly palling around. Some people figure it's the Alawi thing(Alawi shia are basically a notch more crazy than regular Shi'ites). Others just feel like Syria really does fear Iran and does what it needs to to stay out of trouble. Back when Syria and Iran were getting cozy and Saddam started his beef with Iran, political analysis could reasonably argue that Iraq and Syria would support each other, being Baathists. Even Saddam figured it that way.
-Sidebar: Baathism is yet another failed offshoot of socialism. It has an empty, useless charter that proposes that the people will rise and the oppressors will fall. It never says how.
As for the Muslim Brotherhood, they're not in charge for the same reason they're not in charge in Egypt: Dictators are never very friendly to each other. Since Abdel-Nasser, the Brotherhood has been having regular wall updates (not the facebook wall, prison walls). And in Syria, daddy Hafez laid down a massacre so brutal that they learned that no amount of Jihad would get them Syria. The collateral damage was immeasurable though. As much as they hate al-Assad, many Lebanese agree that this dark, draconian measure prevented a Muslim state next door to Lebanon and Israel.

Funnily enough, no one knows what the Druze are. They register on the CIA factbook as Muslim, and they share some minor ties, but their heritage has been disputed. Druze argue that they are the founders of Lebanon, that they had land all over the Arab world, and even that they are an offshoot of Judaism. This is supposedly backed up by the fact (which I have yet to confirm) that there are Druze military officers in Israel.

Militias were a-plenty in the aftermath of the war, but now the power structure has changed and everyone has gotten more organized. Never a good sign. The parties are the only ones with guns (i.e. enough to go to war with) The only independent militias left are small gangs that sell heroin and hashish in the Bekaa valley, they care for very little. Now the major players are Hezbollah and (by association) their allies. They're getting barrels worth of state-of-the-art weapons from Iran, and in the 7th of May(2008) they reminded Beirut that the weapons were not exclusively for Israel. Using the defense of the downtrodden Shi'ite minority, Hezbollah is gladly bullying us around
Glad to be of service. I've always wanted to be a government spook. Thanks to blogging, I don't even have to leave the house!

Druze are a mystery. Rumor has it, and from several sources, probably some truth to them, that Israeli commandos and Druze Militia often work together in limited operations. The Druze a re for the Druze though, and never do anything unless it's to benefit the Druze. The just don't make alliances that would allow any control over them....that's the word I get. It seems like Lebanon ain't Lebanon any more. Syria has a "buffer zone " in the north and Israel is trying to maintain a "buffer" in the south. Guys I worked with from Lebanon were really pissed when palistinians stuck guns in their faces and demanded papers when they went back home on leave to where they were born. What happened to the palestinians that Jordan kicked into Lebanon?....is that who is hezbullah now or is hezbullah all mixed up with palestinians and Lebanese? I know there is a slight accent difference when they speak. Is there a clear seperation in Lebanon between the palestinians and the Lebanon natives? It seems like such a cluster f*** going on over there it's hard to understand what really is what from way over here. We really don't hear much of anything about the internal workings, just opinions.
I think you're right about Syria and why they do what they do. I think they are pretty desperate to keep Syria for Syrians and are walking the thin line very carefully. They haven't even been a country that long and don't want to lose the identity they've gotten. Anyhow, thanks for the info. Very informative and thought provoking.

Thanks for that Maz I agree with Tonto in that you have an inside track on what's what in that region.
I remember Hafaz Assad's annihilation of the Muslim brotherhood;he certainly didn't piss about.
And I have also heard that there are a few Druze in the IDF.
That Walid Jumblatt character is enigmatic in the extreme.
Stay safe!

You know I was looking up 'Obama and Egypt' on google, and I read that Obama had the gall to go over there and quote passages from the Qur'an to those animals. I can't believe the media fails to report that our president is going over there and having drum circles with those savages. It seems Barack has a 'forbidden love' of his own over there.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/04/egypt.ob...
This is disgusting. Egypt receives US money to promote hate speech in their country and oppress Copts. HALF the money Israel receives in foreign aid
Glad to see they're spending it wisely.
I may agree with Obama on jobs, but his foreign policy leaves something to be desired

Yes! I had read about this as well. Wasn't this where he said "America has a rich Islamic heritage" or something to that affect? MAN, he's such an appeaser! Drives me crazy ;-D

Oh I found it! I had actually gotten this in a e-mail & wa-la, I found it posted in somebodies blog. I liked it ALOT, hope you guys do too.
http://lornakismet.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/oba...

<<<
In Barak Obama’s Cairo speech he said, “I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America’s story.”

Were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed?

Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians.

Were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day?

Sorry again, those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians.

Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution?

The Declaration of Independence?

The Bill of Rights?

Did Muslims fight for this country’s freedom from England? No.

Did Muslims fight during the Civil War to free the slaves* in America? No they did not and In fact, Muslims to this day are still the largest traffickers in human slavery. Your own ‘half brother,’ a devout Muslim, still advocates slavery himself, even though Muslims of Arabic descent refer to black Muslims as “pug nosed slaves.” It says a lot of what the Muslim world really thinks of your family’s “rich Islamic heritage” doesn’t it?

Where were Muslims during the Civil Rights era of this country? Not present. There are no pictures or media accounts of Muslims walking side by side with Martin Luther King Jr or helping to advance the cause of Civil Rights.

Where were Muslims during this country’s Woman’s Suffrage era? Again, not present. In fact, devout Muslims demand that women be subservient to men. So much so that often they are beaten for not wearing the ‘hajib’ or for talking to a man that is not a direct family member or their husband. Yep, the Muslims are all for women’s rights aren’t they?

Where were Muslims during World War II? They aligned with Adolf Hitler. The Muslim grand mufti himself met with Adolf Hitler, reviewed the troops, and accepted support from the Nazi’s in killing Jews.

Finally, Obama, where were Muslims on Sept. 11th, 2001 if they weren’t flying planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or a field in Pennsylvania killing nearly 3,000 people? They were rejoicing. No one can dispute the pictures shown from all parts of the Muslim world celebrating on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other news networks that day.

Strangely, the very “moderate” Muslims who’s asses you bent over backwards to kiss in Cairo, Egypt on June 4th were stone cold silent after 9-11. To many Americans, their silence has meant approval for the acts of that day.

And now we can add that on November 5, 2009 a Muslim doctor and psychiatrist, that was supposed to be counseling soldiers returning from battle in Iraq and Afghanistan, slaughtered them at Fort Hood.

Is that the “Muslim heritage in America” that he was referring to?

>>>>>>>

***From my research I found Muslims to have a spotty presence here as slaves. That seems to be the first appearances in our American history.

That's what I read as well Maz;massaging the vermin with obsequious blandishments is perceived as weakness.
BTW there's a character called Zaiyat lurking about.
His English is piss poor;and it's difficult to work out what he's really saying.
Perhaps you might guide the poor soul to his permanent enlightenment in Arabic(although I'm only guessing that he speaks it)

Zaiyat? Found no such shmuck. What posts has he commented on?

Oh he's most amusing! He seems to be getting it together a little better. Not quite the raving lunatic he started out as.

Oh you slay me. I think it's more like this issue is one that cannot be apologized for or debated in any real way. I don't see any gray here. Just Barack telling Muslims: Sure thing, fellas. Come right in and attack whatever you want. I believe you when you say you didn't have anything to do with the terrorist threats. These aren't American citizens who are Muslim in origin or for no explicable logical reason converted. These are overseas tyrants, responsible for the resident psycho-house of Egypt: Al-Azhar.
Egypt has always harbored the sickest and most violent of Jihadists, and unless Obama sends a loud, clear ZERO TOLERANCE message those jerk-offs will be doing conga-lines into US towers.