The Daily Telegraph let slip a most revealing fact:
“the BBC insisted that the play not be uncritical”,
The BBC was not insisting that the play be not uncriticial of a New Labour government which agreed to use intelligence from terrible torture in Uzbekistan, and cooperated with torture worldwide in the extraordinary rendition programme.
The BBC was in fact concerned that those facts were not given too much prominence compared to diversionary criticism of me for not being a teetotal monogamist, which is of course much worse than being a warmongering torturing murderous bastard.
Nadira was wondering when the media would stop calling her a lap dancer, when they would start using her married name, or mentioning her acting achievements (including the fact that she plays multiple characters in David Hare’s adaptation of Murder in Samarkand for Radio 4, in four different languages).
The answer I fear is never, not even in the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/feb/02/david-tennant-samarkand-radio-4
nor in the EDP
I will say however that I think David Hare had done a tremendous job and produced an excellent play which is both entertaining and profound. As I gather is usual for David, he did a tremendous amount of research, even travelling to Tashkent to interview eye witnesses as well as holding a meeting with the FCO to get their side of the story. I am actually quite relieved that the production does not simply rely on my word for the key events.
Please do publicise the broadcast by whatever means are at your disposal.
Lucky (?) my lunch date turned into dinner. Arsalan, OK, so, where does that leave us? With a situation which makes no sense, again, yippee. My heart cringes for people of all shades involved.
Still, I am not persuaded by the solution of electing even more ruthless leaders, with a concomitant increase in hatred and hysteria. I know it sounds old-fashioned.
But thanks for that: I learnt from it. I can’t find any reference to Mr Griffin visiting Israel to fundraise, btw, though he did, of course, go to Libya.
Be afraid that Israel will nuke the UK? I’m sorry?
I’m off to dinner.
Yes I remember his visit to Libya, he went there to get some money but came back with Gadafis Silly green Books.
At that time he wanted to get Muslim help against Jews. and Now he is trying to get Jewish help against Muslims.
“Be afraid that Israel will nuke the UK? I’m sorry? I’m off to dinner”.
Provided we don’t talk about enforcing UN Resolutions or International Law we should be OK. Bon appetit.
I believe it is time not to be afraid.
I think fear is their best weapon.
Israel uses fear to get its own way. Whether they scare palestinians in to leaving by killing their babies. Or whether scare jurnalists with accusations of antisemitism in to saying whatever Israel wants them to say.
We need to stop fearing and start acting.
Muslims need to reunite in to their own united states or EU, the Khilafah.
Once Muslims have that powerful state, then we can deal with Israel in the only way it is possible to deal with Israel. And after that happens, Muslims Jews and Christians will live in peace.
Just as they did after the Crusaders were kicked out.
Remember Rachel Corrie PBUH
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK8Z3i3aTq4 )
http://tinyurl.com/Rachel-Corrie-RIP
@Arsalan. Thank you for articulating a rationale for your opposition to Israel – that clarified your stance much better. The stuff you wrote before that sounded just like bilious racial hatred, so I’m glad you’ve eased off on the rhetoric.
“Once Muslims have that powerful state, then we can deal with Israel in the only way it is possible to deal with Israel.”
…politically, I hope. You wouldn’t be advocating ethnic cleansing, would you? Because if so, you’re every bit as bad as those you condemn, just with a different ideology.
MJ
In my link above…
Professor Martin Van Crevel said “We possess several hundred atomic warheads”…Why that many?.
George, Creveld has also said:
“We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that that will happen, before Israel goes under”.
That’s why so many.
MJ, you said:
“That the major political parties all have “Friends of Israel” groups is beyond belief.”
On the “Blair getting away with murder” thread at February 4, 2010 11:03 PM, Mark Golding posted:
“George Galloway has just said, “Iraq was invaded because it did NOT have WMD; North Korea will NOT be invaded because it HAS weapons of mass destruction.”
Could this help explain why the UK government has so many “Friends of Israel”?
Jesus (Issa, Yeshua) wept. He’s still weeping.
“Could this help explain why the UK government has so many “Friends of Israel”?”
You may be onto something there Clark. To quote from Yes Minister: “When you’ve got them by the balls, hearts and minds will surely follow”.
Russia still has plenty of nukes, but there’s not so much deference in that direction.
“Jesus (Issa, Yeshua) wept”
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28151
Brilliant link, Richard. Thanks for that. Scathingly humorous and very moving, too.
“Russia still has plenty of nukes, but there’s not so much deference in that direction.”
http://tinyurl.com/ykga3wn
“Scathingly humorous and very moving, too.”
I look at the date on it occasionally, and think – yes, it’s really true, the whole damn _world_ knew better than the Powers That Be, even so quickly.
It’s a bit more complex than that. You forgot about the smallprint:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_verses_in_the_bible_advocate_killing_non_believers
Logos,
I think God covers that in his paragraph about Leviticus. None of that stuff was on the stone tablets. I think the lawyers had got involved by then.
Ingo
You can’t trust anyone…
http://tinyurl.com/yekndbn
“I think the lawyers had got involved by then.”
heh.
I’d like to see a follow-up interview, to discuss the way “his” ideas developed between the various old-testament books and the Quran. A systematic cull of lawyers might be one explanation.
Suhayl,
I think the name you was grasping for was
http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/
author of The Guantanamo Files
“None of that stuff was on the stone tablets”.
He shoots, he scores.
Steve,
You worry about my sanity.
I wouldn’t bother worrying about me.
Sure, at times the words I write on the internet may give you the impression that I am completely insane.
But they are just words.
In the real world, I have a Wife and Kids I Love To Bits, and Loads of Friends and a really Interesting and Diverse Social Life
And I still Travel The World with My Wife and Get To Places That Even I didn’t Know Still Exist.
Can you understand what it is like, when you are in the depths of rural India, and you are the First White Man and My Wife is The First White Woman, that over 99% of the Festival of over 10,000 People have ever seen
And the People cover us with Garlands of Flowers and Pass Us Their Babies To Bless.
I mean, you may think I am making up all of this stuff I write, and you simply cannot believe, that I get out of my pit and travel around the World
And You May Think I am Insane
But I Cope with My Insanity, without harming or threatening any other person in this World
And I go to places with my wife, that others would not dare go.
She is a Heart of Gold, and Her Love Shines Through
Whilst it is entirely possible that we might end up in the wrong place at the wrong time – and we both get tortured to death
We have already lived such fascinating interesting lives, that I reckon we will be able to cope with pain and death too.
Sure, we don’t want to experience it, but everyone who survives gets old, and their body decays, and sometimes the decay comes with enormous pain, such that death is a release…
And I do not apologise for shaking the hand of a musician tonight I first saw 38 years ago.
I told him you are one of my all time heros, and its fantastic , you are still doing it now, and I hope you will still be doing it in 20 years time when you will be over 90 years old.
So Steve, I mean in the nicest possible way
FUCK OFF
She Looked like a Teenage Boy’s Wet Dream, Beautiful Face, Slim Fit Figure, Nice Boobs, and Incredibly Long Blonde Hair…
So when she went outside for a smoke, I tried to engage in conversation with her, and got virtually no response whatsoever.
So I thought beautiful looking Angel with no personality whatsoever
But I was wrong
She followed me back in, and took her hand, and took her away from me
And I could then see Two Beautiful Angels Dancing Together
She eventually let My Wife come Back To Me
The Music Was Exceptionally Good
And so after the gig tonight I do an Internet Search – and Yes there were various Cameras there – and I know that I was right at the Front of The Stage When The Vestal Virgins Came on, but I didn’t realise that anyone had actually included me
I look more or less the same now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sDUjOKi69U
Tony
Almost The Same Birthday as Me.
Personally I Reckon Dave Brock Did The Right Thing Telling Him To Fuck Off
Dave Brock Has a Better Voice and Can Also Play Guitar – And I went To His Last Wedding
But even so
Mr Nik Turner Can Play Sax
And seems to be Surrounded By a Rather Large Number of Beautiful Girls
And He’s Only 69
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nik_Turner
Tony
I know this might seem harsh, but the Financial Director Has Done Absolutely NOTHING for the company, since he went to University
He Has Put Absolutely No Money Into It Whatsover – Ir Any Other Contribution
It is My Son’s Company
He Has Done ALL The Work
It Was Him – And He’s a Techie – Not a Smooth Talking Marketing Bloke
Who is Planning a Massive Expansion of His Company
And Realises
That it Must Be Completely LEGAL
Because The LAW is All We Have To Protect Us
Its about Justice and Fairness
I try and explain this to Americans nut all they seem to Understand is That The Who are playing at the Superbowl
And I Really Didn’t Like Rugby When I Was a Kid
But I got into the Second Team at Football
Oh The Mud
Tony
“Sure, at times the words I write on the internet may give you the impression that I am completely insane.
But they are just words.”
Yes, but that’s all we’ve got here, is words. That’s what people are, in this medium; what they say.
And so she phones him up from about 70 miles away at 3:00 am
And I say – well go and sort her out – and her friends
You are completely sober.
He says I know I am, but they’ve phoned The RAC
I say its no big deal
Its not that Cold Tonight
And They can all Cuddle Up Together To Keep Warm Tonight – Until The RAC turn up – and hopefully Fix It
They Will Survive
But The Contingency – Is There
Tony
Lagos
What I am calling for is the recapture.
And homes going back to the people who own them.
The reason why what I wrote may have sounded like racial hatred to you is that is what you have been programed to think.
Israel is what I hate and I have made that clear. Israel is not a race or a religion. It is just a country created by ethnic cleanings.
Zionism is ethnic cleanings, people who call for Zionism are people who call for ethnic cleansing. And Israel was created and is being maintained through Ethnic cleansing.
But the Zionists play with words and reverse their meanings.
Let me be clear on this. Zionism is racism. Israel is a racist apatite state. It was created as such. The acts of Ethnic cleansing that take place in Israel are not abhorrent mistakes. They are part and parcel of the very nature of Israel and it is impossible for Israel to have come to being or continue without such ethnic cleansing.
For Israel to be created as a nation of Jews, 80% of the Non-Jews who lived their had to be expelled of exterminated. They had to do this to form a Jewish majority, and every so often they have to repeat massacres and expulsions to maintain a Jewish majority.
And Lagos, I do not think I am anything like a Zionist if I call for lands and houses to be returned to the people who own them. If the thieves decide to pay for the stolen property and the owners decide to sell, that is their business. But owners don’t become thieves if the take back what was stolen.
I do not believe ethnic cleansing will take place after the destruction of Israel. Because it did not take place after Saladin recaptured Palestine from the Crusaders. Muslims are better than that.
Homes that were not paid for may be returned to the families who still have the deeds to the land, but I do not call that ethinic cleansing.
Do you?