first ;)

What a bunch of backward maroons.

Good thing Pakistan is our ally and would never tolerate anything like this!!! ;)

Tell me again how Islam is a religion of "Tolerance?"

I think I missed it the first time.

Seems to me like begging them to take baths and veil themselves and quit their jobs doesn't all add up. Given, the veiling and quitting the job thing seems Talibanish, but the bathing? Did the Taliban have something about that? Even then, this seems a little vague and confusing.

This is wrong on so many fronts I'm speechless. Nonetheless, where is the Pakistani government statement of protection? Where is the "moderate Muslim" outrage? Where are CAIR's and the AMC's statement of denunciation? Hooper, I can't hear you!

This is why we need to double the size of our military. I think we should adopt the carpet bombing/steamroller strategy: you piss us off, we carpet bomb you and steamroll you. Simple and effective.

What's with the bathing at home clause?

Are they just trying to encourage bathing in general?
Or are they trying to discourage their frivolous women from cleaning themselves at some kind of expensive public showers?

I can't imagine there's much of a problem with the latter, so I'd guess it must be the former...

This is why these women should all own and know how to use guns. If these clowns tried to kill American women for holding jobs, said women would shoot their sorry asses. I can't imagine how hopeless it must be to live in a country where you can't defend your own life (though I did visit England once).

The posters in the name of Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islamia (HUJI) outfit pasted on the main walls of a mosque of Shahdara Sharief in the border district of Rajouri asked women to quit government jobs by January 25 or face death, the sources said.

But private-sector jobs are OK? I guess that's one way to protest high taxes...

Something else just struck me (ow):

The posters in the name of Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islamia (HUJI) outfit pasted on the main walls of a mosque of Shahdara Sharief in the border district of Rajouri asked women to quit government jobs by January 25 or face death, the sources said.

Not to be pedantic or anything, but I think that when the death threats are involved, you're no longer asking.

Waiting for the NAG (National Association of Gals) errrm, NOW response to this.

Waiting...

Still waiting...

Hey, I've got an idea: why don't we get some of our Loony Lefty Human Shields™ to head over to Pakistan and offer their services to the women there?

this is actually part of indian-held kashmir that the terrorists keep infiltrating and try to talibanise, slitting the throats of unveiled women, throwing acid on their faces, etc. this is what indian army is up against -- sheer evil

In many parts of the world, especially places where water tends to be more scarce, public bath houses tend to be the social center of some communities.

In most countries, the bath houses are segregated by sex, or have separate hours for men and women. They used to be quite common in Afghanistan until the Taliban banned them. I’m not sure if the Taliban banned all public bath houses or just the ones for women.

I guess that the Arab male, being so morally fragile, must find the notion of all those naked women together just too tempting. Therefore, to prevent any male from falling into sin, women must be banned from bathing outside their homes.

And Europeans call Americans puritanical.

I think that Martha Burke should go over there and obtain a government job - I will donate the target for the back of her Burka - But I suppose that this isn't an important enough "woman's" issue. Playing Golf with a bunch of bilionaires is what it's all about.

Mommydoc:

I'm waiting for the gun control nut loonie socialists to notice that all the islamofuckwits are armed... with SOVIET and CHINESE guns.

adam--I'm waiting for them to care.

Rajouri is in INDIAN territory, not Pakistani territory. Charles, the text needs to be changed

And actually, in my mind, the fact that the terrorists think they can get away with sneaking into Indian territory and kill women who have government jobs (or don't wear veils, or who are Hindu) is even more disgusting.

Oh, wait - they CAN get away with it, because Pakistan is our ally in the war on terrorism.

There must not be many Hindus left in Kashmir, then. The fanatics are running out of people to attack. It?s worth noting that Muslims are in the majority in Kashmir, especially after decades of attacks on Hindus. When you run out of polytheists, it?s time to turn on the muslim women.

Now, on a practical note, what would you do if you lived in this province? Can the police protect you? Or are some of them already compromised by these thugs? If they can?t protect you, you are living in a lawless state. Do you commit yourself to living in fear, always afraid that you, or your wife or daughter, will be chosen as an example?

There are many peaceful, civilized Muslims; however, it takes only a few criminals to sow terror.

I recommend a book, TIGER LADIES, by Sudha Koul, about Kashmir, and the plight of the native Pandits. The author takes great pains to emphasize that Hindus (that is, Pandits) and Muslims lived together in harmony for generations. It is heartbreaking to realize that a native culture is being wiped out by militant Islam. Yet another beautiful part of the world which is becoming too dangerous for a Westerner to visit (in my opinion).

And one last thought: Kashmir is very cold. Staying warm is expensive, and difficult. In such a climate, public baths make sense, rather than spreading the expense and trouble of heating water and bathrooms over the region. It is also, probably, a psychological blow, as I would imagine that public bath houses are a center for gossip and mutual support.

Should review my posts. New habit to make. In the meanwhile, please replace ?s with ,s where appropriate.

Or 's. Will now go hang my head in shame.

This is the religion of "peace and tolerance." Ha!

Jules,

The problem in Kashmir is not that the army is unwilling to protect people. Bear in mind that the Indian army is predominantly Hindu, and they did everything they could to prevent the Hindus from being driven out. Kashmir is just too mountainous for the army to protect every village. Unlike the US in Vietnam, India doesn't have enough helicopters to move troops into trouble spots. (So what does Bush do? He gives choppers to Pakistan)

The problem is that there is no way to stop the infiltration of new terrorists from Pakistan. Every time the Pakistanis want to move a new group across, they use their artillery to shell Indian positions, and the terrorists get through. The Pakistanis control the high ground, so counter-battery fire from the Indian side isn't very effective, and India can't launch air strikes, because that would mean war.

Bush could solve this problem really, really quickly by telling Musharraf to stop or else, but instead, Bush gives Pakistan money and weapons.

And people wonder why I vote Democrat...

What I would be interested to know is what the fully veiled one has to say about this pleasantry.

Check out the comments section, BTW. I think I managed to stir up a (long-overdue) reaction to her poison.

Too bad all of the human shields are in Baghdad. I guess they prefer the odds of potentially one American bomb possibly going astray and maybe hitting near a hospital or mosque to the stated certainty of confronting armed men slaughtering unarmed women in the streets. Imagine.

In the marketplace of ideas, Islamite thinking is like the National Enquirer: sure, it's entertaining in the checkout counter, but you surely wouldn't feed your family with it. At least, not if you care for their health.

Q, unfortunately, almublablah and i share a webring. I'm not leaving it, and she isn't either, so... but i do stop in there occasionally and she what she's going on about.

The sickest thing? She's a convert.

About five years ago i worked with a woman who had a Kuwaiti fiance. She was looking forward to converting to Islam. Even then, (still pretty much a lefty, too, at that point) i was flabbergasted. That just seemed, to me, like willingly stepping in a pile of elephant shit barefoot. She had all the standard excuses, too- "veils promote modesty" and blah blah blah.

Squib:

The sickest thing? She's a convert.

Yeah, I know. That's what gets my blood boiling, too.

Anant: thanks for the correction.

Bush could solve this problem really, really quickly by telling Musharraf to stop or else, but instead, Bush gives Pakistan money and weapons.

So what did Clinton do about this?

It's a cliche that the most fervent, fanatic followers of a religion, trend, ideology, etc. are the new converts, so I'm hardly surprised.

One of the saddest things I've ever read by Western female Muslim (I don't know if she's a convert) was an essay about how polygamy is a good thing, Muslims are wrong to say bad things about it and discourage it, and worst of all, she prays that she herself will have the faith and strength to "set an example" and be in a polygamous marriage herself.

[Link: www.zawaj.com...]

I read this and wonder what on earth is going on here in this woman's mind??

More of the same here: [Link: www.zawaj.com...]

Here's the rather insufferable Shariffa Carlo's archives, another female American convert who is in favor of imposing Islamic law and savages the West and America every chance she gets--while living here and enjoying all its privileges. She's really into this "complete and total submission and obedience to Allah and his religion Islam" thing.

[Link: www.islamzine.com...]

She says that women must accept polygamy as it is what Allah has ordained, supports the "mujahidin" fighting "in the cause of Allah, and says that she would be willing to kill her own non-Muslim parents "to defend my [Muslim] brothers and sisters," since the word of Allah must reign supreme, even over family affections (in the one called "Come! Said The Spider To The Fly" which is all about how non-Muslims are not to be trusted). You really have to read this stuff to believe it. Especially look at "Allah Bless America With Islam."

I, myself, would love to see a study on Western female converts to Islam, just to make some sense of this for myself. Unfortunately the one I did find, Daughters of Another Path by Carol Amway, was strictly anectdotal and mostly intended to help converts and their puzzled families, so it emphasizes "understanding," especially from the non-Muslims, and many of the stories were of women who converted because they married a Muslim, who tend to be less fanatical, as opposed to newly minted jihadi wannabes.

I am waiting patiently for the feminists in the West to organize mass protests against this inhuman behavior...and waiting...and waiting....

actually, helicopters aren't very useful there (just as they weren't very useful in afghanistan or in climber rescue...)

the problem is that the mountains are really freaking high, and that lots of places are above the ceilings for the helos in use (actually pretty much any helo)

you tend to get conservative with you flying when you could be blown into a cliff or accidentally blunder into one in bad weather...

same reason why early aviation across mountains was so dangerous: had to fly through passes (i.e. acting as a fast car) rather than over...

current planes have a lot more lift and higher thrust/weight ratios than helos... but of course fighters aren't all that great at moving troops or loitering over an area, or getting in close to enemy troops...

This sounds like a job for those naked chicks from Marin County, waging peace with their breaths. "Breathe in violence and mayhem, breathe out happy government employees and bath tubs. Make felafel, learn the word for shari'a in three languages."
Rajouri, here we come!

I'll believe that Allah wants to run the show the way they say He does, when He tells them this face to face - not through a book, or a psychologically compromised intermediary (a f-ckwit, in other words).

Calgon, take me away!

#22 Anant

Yes, mountainous terrain would make the border difficult to defend. But why do you assume that the group is necessarily from over the border? It's a horrible thing to contemplate anyone killing another sentient being because they do not isolate themselves in their own homes, but do all of these creeps come from Pakistan by definition? That is, there are no radicalized mosques in Kashmir?

Notice how many restrictions these posters lay out. Not only employment, hygiene, and movement, but also the age of marriage! I'm afraid they already plan to kill and maim women to spread their vision of a "perfect" society.

It is also impossible for any police force or army to protect every woman in a given area from suspected, but unknown, attackers, especially if the attackers are an organized group.

Jules #36:

Actually, the very fact that the group is Islamist in nature pretty much guarantees that it is a Pakistani group, and not a native Kashmiri group.

There is no doubt that, at least in the beginning, the rebellion in Kashmir was largely home-grown. It grew out of a legitimate dissatisfaction with the completely inept way in which successive Congress governments in Delhi had handled Kashmir. However, the indigenous rebels were mostly secular. In fact, most Kashmiri Muslims (at least on the Indian side) are sufis, and are a much kinder and gentler lot than your average islamofascist thug.

By the early 90's, the Indian army had pretty much crushed the indigenous groups. In fact, many former Kashmiri rebels now work for the army. Anyway, it was at this point that the Pakistanis decided to throw their support behind hard-core jihadi groups from Pakistan and Afghanistan. After all, with the Soviets gone from Afghanistan, it made sense to take all these guys and throw them at India.

All the Kashmiri rebels ever wanted was independence (not that they had any right to it, but that is what they wanted). These new guys want to turn Kashmir into Taliban-ville

clinton actually saw what was going on in pakistan and tilted us policy towards india, e.g., he went to india after teh nuke tests for 4 days and to pakistan for 2 hours to give them a tough, really humiliating, speech on TV. bill forced the pakistanis to withdraw from kargil where they invaded india.

bush-powell are practically boyfriends with musharraf, it's very sad

#18 Jules.....good observations . These women probably use their trips to the bathhouses to socialise and to seek mutual support. It is the one place where they can be among themselves. It is a safe, protected sanctuary and, thus, one that has to be destroyed.

bush-powell are practically boyfriends with musharraf, it's very sad.

Did you, perchance, miss the military action in Afghanistan? Musharraf was a very needed "ally" (stretching that term to its limit) to aid in putting down al Qaeda. It's called realpolitik and it's sometimes necessary.

#40 addison,
did you catch how in afghanistan, all the important people sneaked into pakistan at tora bora?
did you catch how in afghanistan, when kunduz was besieged, it was pakistani air force planes that airlifted hundreds of taliban and al-qaeda back to pakistan?
did you catch how in afghanistan, pakistan gave weapons and fuel to taliban even after the us started bombing?
did you catch how this last july, pakistan used american c-130s to give north korea nuclear technology (god forbid a nuke gets dropped on our 37,000 troops in s.korea, it will be courtesy of bush-powell's boyfriend).
this isn't realpolitik, it's not even myopic, it's stupid blindness