Snapped Shot

I'm going to post this without the usual commentary:

I just stumbled across a lengthy thread discussing George Mason University's Quiet (Islamic) Meditation Space today, and I must say, I'm very impressed with J.A.Sorg's handling of the matter. I've not bothered to participate in Student Government to date, but if our Senators are indeed elected, I would encourage all of you to ensure that J.A. continues to be elected to his office indefinitely:

Apparently not open for everyone.

As for the Meditation Space, I personally want it gone or opened to all religions. A couple months back I wanted to pray the Catholic rosary on a Sunday I couldn't make it to church, and I was told I could not. The people who were there from the MSA were lucky I was in a good mood, because I would have went off on them. Now with all the revelations of what the space has become it is obvious there are two problems: 1) This space is in clear violation of the Establishment Clauseand does not belong in the fashion it does on a public University and the MSA has "bigger" plans for it (An Islamic Education center, are you kidding me? If the Catholic's of this campus had to raise their own money to get a Church and a religious center nearby, and did it, so can MSA. The should not get public taxpayer money for a "religious center" in the JC), and 2) Attempts at negotiating a compromise with MSA to allow other religions and non-religions to use the area have proven to be.....extremely unsuccessful. Add the gender dividing walls, and we are looking at a discrimination lawsuit from someone down the line.

In the rest of that post, he describes in depth how the Facilities responsible for managing the Johnson Centre have essentially denied the MSA's request to expand the space.

Update: After sending Mr. Sorgini an e-mail, I got the following response, which I think speaks volumes about the attitude that the MSA takes towards the University administration and Student Government. Reprinted with his permission:

Mr. Ledbetter,

Trust me, you have not caused me any stress over this matter. The stress has been caused by the SG and other individuals trying to convince the MSA to reach some sort of settlement that would be effective for all Mason students. I am more worried about this getting uglier then it has gotten, but that is only due to the fact that the MSA will not agree to hear any reasonable compromise.

Something will be done about this issue, but as of now I do not know what is going to happen.

With regards,

Joseph Sorgini

---

My original message:

Subject: Greetings from an Agitator

I hope I didn't cause you too much grief with my efforts to expose the MSA's antics to a wider audience. I've been going to GMU for 4 years now, and have finally just gotten completely sick with how much power they think they hold on campus -- how much power they actually do hold, thanks to the incompetent leadership shown by the University administration.

I just discovered this thread today, and am very impressed by your work - Please keep it up!

Most Respectfully,
Brian C. Ledbetter
www.snappedshot.com - Mason '08

Update: Welcome, LGF readers!

If you haven't seen it yet, here are some pictures that will help explain the current situation.

We've definitely got something interesting going on here.



Theory #1: The simplest (and most likely) explanation is that the IDF is taking active efforts right now to eradicate Al-Aqsa. Considering that, of all of the thugs in the Territories, Al-Aqsa is the most brutal, this is completely understandable, and I congratulate my comrades in the Forces for their gallant efforts!

Theory #2: A less likely explanation (but still plausable, due to the tendency of the locals to Blame Israel First) is that the genuine Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is going around wiping out members who formed a splinter group. I can imagine that the genuine thugs, upon hearing their former associates describe them as being "unethical," would naturally take umbrage and handle things "Mafia style." Any reasoned observer understands full well by now that that's the only way business gets done under the "Palestinian Authority."

Theory #3: The remotest possibility I can think of is that Hamas is making efforts to combat Fatah, by wiping out Fatah's most active "wing," and then planting evidence "suggesting" that Israel was responsible. I don't think this is the case, but I'll present it here anyway, just in case there's some shred of truth to it.

[Update: Upon further reflection, I'd say that Theory #2 is the most plausible. The IDF doesn't generally take any action without at least letting their Public Affairs office know about it first... which in and of itself is a very telling commentary on the handicap placed upon itself and other Western militaries by many of the "Open Government" policies which are so popular today. But I digress...]

So, to wrap up, in the past few days, we have had a new terror group formed. Less than twelve hours later, its leader is "murderated." The very next day, another Al-Aqsa member (by this time the press has completely forgotten about "Abu Ammar") is gunned down in a cafe by "The IDF," which could be true, or could be the locals' traditional Jew-Blaming. I didn't report on that incident, since it didn't seem to be connected at the time. And just now, a group of Al-Aqsa terrorists just happen to "exploderate" whilst "Driving While Jihadi."

This is truly turning out to be a fascinating week for Al-Aqsa. In the best possible sense of the word. To whomever is doing this:—Please keep up the great work! Any efforts to "thin the Thugocrat herd" are commendable, and my hat is certainly off to you for your efforts!

I'll miss the dopey-looking idiots, but the world is definitely better off without them.

Update: The obligatory crocodile tears can now be found beyond the fold. Continue reading »

Here's an excellent background on why the Palestinian territories are so messed up:

Rampant individualism.

In the early morning of May 15, Hamas used mortars, missiles and machine guns to attack a Presidential Guard contingent belonging to Fatah that was stationed near the Karni border crossing with Israel. Hamas then hit a jeep carrying Fatah reinforcements, and ensured their targets were dead by shooting them in the head at close range.

When the shooting was over, 10 Fatah members were dead, with a similar number wounded.

Suddenly aware that their unprovoked massacre may have gone too far, Hamas claimed it was Israel who had actually killed the Fatah people and threatened any journalist who dared report otherwise. [Ed.:—Where are the editors who are supposed to recognize this misinformation for what it is? Asleep at the wheel, apparently...]

Then, in a truly perverse twist, Hamas launched more than 20 rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot "to take revenge" for the massacre they themselves had committed.

Given the overwhelming evidence and eyewitness accounts of those who were there, it was clear to most Palestinians that Hamas had committed the massacre. Still, when trying to explain the cause of the current infighting, several Palestinians, including Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, insisted that Israel was somehow to blame.

This is the real Palestinian Naqba, the disaster at the root of Palestinian suffering since even before 1948.

Instead of taking responsibility for their role in shaping their destiny, on virtually every occasion, the Palestinians have twisted their worldview to put the blame solely on Israel.

There is no self-awareness, not to mention self-criticism. No sense of accountability.

Be sure to read the whole article—it's well worth it. I've also got photos from this year's Naqba if you're interested.

It would appear that the esteemed Agence France-Presse does not have any wire editors to spare. They seem to be mixing up the various terrorist factions who inhabit (nay, infest) the Palestinian terror-tories.



Of course, as we covered earlier, the body being carried belongs to a militant from an offshoot of Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, which is itself a "violent" offshoot of the violent Fatah faction. Who, by the way, hate Hamas with a passion:

Residents say it’s enough to wear a beard, associated with Islamist Hamas, to be taken as a target by fighters from secular Fatah. A black and white keffieh, the headscarf symbolic of Fatah, is enough to earn a bullet from Hamas.

A mistake like this could happen to anyone, right?

Y'all can send me a check for the correction whenever you'd like, AFP.

It looks like our pal Mahmud Ahmadinejad will not be ending his term anytime soon as the dictator duly-elected President of the Terrorist Peaceful Republic of Nukes Iran. (That sure took some editing!)



It really is turning out to be a glorious week for dictators everywhere...

As anyone on Madison Avenue would tell you—photos can definitely lie to you:



Thanks to PJM for that laugh!

(Old title: Good Old-Fashioned Airbrushing. Did it really take me 6 months to come up with something better than that? Yeesh!)

I think the implications that Muhammed is trying to get across are quite clear:



Muhammed, and whichever AP editor decided that this was newsworthy, deserve nothing less than to be fired immediately. This is blatant propaganda, and it has no place on a reputable (ha) news service.

I'm sure that Palestinians would neeeever allow their children to be near evil guns, right?

See if you can guess who said this:

...the media can be sometimes more important than armed action, and sometimes other tributary of this work provide him with legitimacy and give cover for the continued addition of directing many of the messages both on a psychological level or practical.

What do you think? U.S. Army? State Department? Those Dastardly Zionists?

The answer can be found over here.

Rusty over at The Jawa Report has analyzed the photo of an Israeli "missile" that's been floating around the internet for a few days now. I was e-mailed a tip about it by astute reader Frank W. over the weekend, and didn't see anything beyond reproach in the picture. While there are some artefacts in the photograph around the missile, they seem to be due to the electronic transmission medium (i.e., JPEG) that the newswires use to put photos like this online. (You can bet that if the photo is reprinted in a magazine, it would be crystal-clear.)

Rusty asks,

Doesn't it seem odd that the two photogs would be standing side by side at the exact moment that an Israeli missile hits....er...something?

Rusty, of course these photographers are standing side-by-side. That is a staple of modern photojournalism. See my banner above for starters.

Photographers travel in packs, partly for safety reasons, partly because they are all competing to capture the same dramatic scenes.

When I covered the events of that day as they unfolded (thanks for not linking back then, Rusty... wink), it was clear that a handful of wire photographers were all on site together, covering a Palestinian "swarm" of a bombed Hamas base camp. The ensuing scenes of carrying victims look laughable, but given that an explosion just went off nearby, it's not beyond reproach to think that someone could have genuinely been injured, either by flying debris, or by concussion. (The emotion displayed for the cameras may or may not have been genuine, of course.)

I hate it when there's no conspiracy to be had, but this definitely seems to be one of those cases... The all-knowing Allah has more on this photo as well. See Ace if you're looking for snark.

I'll dig up some other obvious examples of photographer-swarming shortly. I've definitely got a handful here in Ye Olde Archives. Stay tuned for more, folks!

Update: Alright, I'm finally on a high-enough-speed connection that I can make this happen. I'll be updating here for a few minutes, so keep your eyes peeled and your "Reload" button loaded...

3 photographers, 1 subject—It would seem that all three of these photographers "accidentally" happened on the same idea for a shot, an "innocent" Palestinian mother and child.

I'll be putting the rest beyond the fold, if you're interested!

Update: Rusty has been sent the real versions of these photos, which are definitely worth a see. Maybe I was wrong... and thank you kindly for the linkage, sir!

Update again: An astute AoSHQ reader points out that the projectile is most likely a Paveway II.

Continue reading »

It would seem that, in less than 12 hours, the dastardly Zionists have killed the leader of the brand new offshoot of Al-Aqsa Martys Brigades. Score one for the home team!



Notice that Mohammed Ballas and Mohammed Torokman were both present at the press conference announcing this new terror organization as well. Is it a coincidence that he was around when its brand new leader was slain? I think not.

I have a sneaking suspicion that both photographers were celebrating the day's festivities with the gang in the duration between this morning's story and this latest update. Good thing, too—otherwise, this immortal feat of Israeli policy would escape my notice completely.

I've rounded up some other pictures of this thankfully-former leader below the fold. Make note that some of the pictures are mildly graphic, so if you're averse to such things, be sure to skip this one.

See-Also:

The Jawa Report, Ace of Spades HQ

Continue reading »

I've always told you that when you stop paying attention to lying attention whores, they go away. If only the media would pick up on this tactic in the West Bank...



I'm sure Hugo still thinks highly of her...

In Brian's Grand Scheme of Things (patent pending), being used as a propaganda tool doesn't rank as a very intelligent thing to do. Oh and also, the EU is about 20 rungs down from the United Useless Nations.



You notice how our intrepid photographer managed to conceal the blatantly anti-American propaganda on the wall with a conveniently placed head or two? Continue reading »

It would appear that Bashar al-Assad, the darling of Nancy Pelosi, has graciously allowed himself to be re-elected to another 7-year term of dictatorship running the DNC's foreign policy. Here's to another 7 years of silly pictures of chinless ophthalmologists.

For the record, winning "97 percent" of the vote by cowing the populace via brutal violence does not make one the "elected leader" of anything, much less a nation worthy of being called "free."

Unless you happen to be a "favoured" member of the Socialist elite, in which case your praises will be sung by such widely diverse thinkers as "Red" Nancy Pelosi, Michael "Flabmeister" Moore, and Hugo "Killed the TV Star" Chavez.



The local population of public employees (hint to you DNC members: Public employees are employed by Assad) made an effort to celebrate the occasion. While it couldn't possibly live up to Cuba's half-century of practice at these faux-genuine celebrations, I'll be rounding up the pics below, so you can see the wonders of freedom for yourself. Continue reading »