Tag: Islam

As the world watches and waits for the political uprising in Iran to either succeed in toppling the brutal Khomeinist regime or be crushed by it, a movie by the name of The Stoning of Soraya M. opens in limited

While Iranian-American protesters packed streetcorners in Westwood last Saturday afternoon in support of the revolution currently playing out in the streets of Tehran, an historical drama about stoning in Iran got underway at the Los Angeles Film Festival mere blocks

President Obama has left the United States for a foreign trip that includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France and Germany. Unfortunately, a stop in Israel is not included. Why? With increasing rhetoric, Mr. Obama and his administration seem to be leaving

So Obama’s speech Thursday morning was like the free buffet at a low-level hotel: a balanced breakfast served way too early, and I slept right through it. However, lucky for me, I found the transcript, and what a balanced meal

It’s just a few months into the Presidency, and Barack Obama is finally living up to his middle name. In a good way, of course! In front of the Turkish Parliament last April, he stressed how he’s lived among Muslims,

I’m tired of ignoring the elephant in the room, so I’ll just come out and say it. Christians are corny, out of touch, lonely creepers who generally end up becoming murderers or rapists…. At least that’s what Hollywood’s taught me.

So The FBI and NYPD busted a homegrown terror cell Wednesday – a group of four men who wanted to replace two Bronx synagogues with a crater. (Thank God religion had nothing to do with it.) It turns out that

Since our country’s having a heated conversation about torture, and especially since that conversation seems certain to devolve into a parade of politicized, self-flagellating show trials that will broadcast our divided weakness to the world, it’s time to get some

It’s no surprise to anyone that the Obama administration is attempting to distance itself from and discredit the Bush administration’s War on Terror. What may be shocking to some is its brazen Audacity of Scope. The euphemistic change of “War

I have three words for the next person who tries to tell me there’s no liberal bias in the mainstream media. Or more precisely, three letters: N, P, and R, as in National Public Radio. This past Saturday’s “Morning Edition”

As President Obama takes his victory lap abroad, the cheerleading media line up to shake their pompoms. The Huffington Post says “this is what real diplomacy looks like.” Slate calls it “the return of statecraft.” Here’s another way to describe

Here was Barack Obama in Turkey this week: “We will convey,” said Barack Obama to the Turkish Parliament Monday, “our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world — including

Sorry that I can’t cry over Roger Friedman’s firing as a columnist from FOXNews.com. It’s not just that he ignored the age-old advice–don’t blank where you live/eat/work. And it’s not just that as an entertainment industry writer, he was an

Saturday, I saw the most honest and courageous politician on earth give a speech about Islam’s threat to the civilized world after a screening of his short film, “Fitna.” It was just another reminder of how important strong leadership is

Some interesting news on Team Oscar in Iran. It seems both Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (he of the murdered blogger and post-Obama video Death to America rallies) and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are actually using Team Oscar’s visit to Iran as

Tonight, HBO’s “Big Love,” which has become tremendous television, runs its season finale. In spite of the fact that the first large media portrayal of Mormons living and working in America (in my memory) is based around a rogue polygamist

I think the best way to introduce myself here is to post a modified version of the introduction to my new book, ProPiganda: Drawing the Line Against Jihad. Though I was born into a Muslim family, I became interested in

I have been accused of promoting hate speech more than once as a talk radio programmer. In fact, I’ve been accused of it for over 25 years. Who defines hate speech? Many who accuse talk radio of promoting hate want

First, President Obama jettisoned the admittedly empty and useless phrase “war on terror,” a label which pleased pretty much no one, primarily because it didn’t specify an enemy; it’s often been pointed out that the phrase was like calling World

Mormon church leaders are criticizing HBO for including a private, sacred ceremony in its show Big Love, the drama about a polygamous Mormon family in Utah. Apparently only church members “in good standing” are allowed to enter temples and either

*Warning: Extremely Offensive Material* Since putting a “fatwa” on my head seems to be in vogue, I’m banking on getting my face on the cover of “GQ”. Get lost, Jude Law. Sure, following the massive influx of violent threats, I

I must have missed a few subtle literary points in college when I was taking a Charles Dickens seminar. I missed the spot where Fagin, in Oliver Twist, is wearing a gigoondo yarmulke. Also, blasting right by yours truly–alas, never

Valentine’s Day was the 20th anniversary of the death fatwa issued against The Satanic Verses novelist Salman Rushdie by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, whose stern expression glowered down from many a wall-sized banner throughout his country, and whose declaration, “There is