Notre-Dame de Paris

Yesterday evening we got the devastating news that the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France, was aflame. The fire was initially so ferocious and violent that it was feared that the cathedral would burn down completely.

Firefighters inside the cathedral
Photo by Yoan Valat

Today we received the sad news that the spire and the oak roof had collapsed, but also the wonderful news that both towers were safe, the structure of the building undamaged and the rosetta windows still intact. All the treasures and artifacts had been removed safely and the copper statues that were normally a part of the collapsed spire had been removed a week prior. It seems the stone ceiling of the cathedral prevented burning timbers from falling into the cathedral. The heroic efforts of the 400 firefighters had been successful.

Of course, the usual Islamophobic ghouls came out yesterday and declared that this was yet an example of Islamic terrorism in its war against Christianity. The cause of the fire is awaiting an inquest, but it is believed that it can be attributed to ongoing renovation work around the collapsed spire.

Two French billionaires have already announced plans to pledge a total of €300 million towards renovation and repairs.

The Notre-Dame is a unique treasure of immense cultural and historical value for Europe and the World.

Civic Duty - Voting ✓

Today the nation in the European Union named the Kingdom of Sweden is having elections for the national, regional and local parliaments.

I have, of course, performed my duty to democracy, myself, my friends and family, my compatriots, my nation and for all future generations by casting my vote on one of the democratic parties running for election. I will keep my votes to myself, as is my democratic right, however, I will reveal one of the parties I did not vote for in any of the elections.

I did not vote for The Sweden Democrats, because it is a populist, anti-intellectual, xenophobic, Islamophobic party, infested by Nazi ghouls from the past and Neo-Nazis from the present.

Their solution to every political problem they encounter is simple and easy and speaks to the lowest and most vile common denominator within the Swedish population and is not based on factual evidence at all but on thoughts, feelings, and beliefs based on prejudice.

Areas of politics and the Sweden Democrats solution

Healthcare:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Housing Shortage:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Terrorism:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Finances:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Taxes:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Immigration:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Education:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Defense:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Daycare:
"Bla, bla, bla and then we kick out the immigrants, the refugees, and the Muslims and send them back to where they came from. Sweden will be back to what it was in the early 50's when life was beautiful."

Etc, etc, ad infinitum!

In Trump's World

In Trump's World:
Obama: Kenyan
LeBron James: dumb
Don Lemon: dumb
Maxine Waters: low IQ
black countries: shitholes
black athletes: SOBs
Black tenants: unwelcome
Black workers: lazy
Central Park 5: guilty
Mexicans: rapists
Muslims: terrorists
Indians: fake
Nazis: very fine people

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) August 4, 2018

Laird: "Prachtig Nederland!" (Updated)

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls etc., etc., today commented on the results of the Dutch elections.

"The people of the world, and especially Europe, should thank the Dutch voters for putting a stop to the growth of the Islamophobic and anti-EU populists. 

Hopefully the results of this election will break the onslaught of the growing populism in Europe, I even dare to wish that it may set a trend for the upcoming national elections in Germany and France. 

The Dutch example gives us all hope and shows the political leaders of Europe that it is possible to quell the rise of populism, even after Brexit and the American presidential election. Prachtig gedaan, Nederland!"

---
Update
I found this quote by Jesse Klaver, leader of the GreenLeft party, that I cannot withhold from you. On polling day he said that the left’s answer to the far right’s rise in Europe was to stand up for its ideals. “What I would say to all my left wing friends in Europe: don’t try to fake the populace. Stand for your principles. Be straight. Be pro-refugee. Be pro-European. We’re gaining momentum in the polls. And I think that’s the message we have to send to Europe. You can stop populism.”

Women and Clothing

When will men, politicians and legislators (particularly the French and the Islamophobes) learn that it is a woman's fundamental right to decide over her clothing and over her own body?

If a woman wishes to wear a burkini to the beach, it is her prerogative to do so. Just as much as she has the right to wear a bikini or even to throw away her bikini-top.

These rights do not diminish if she happens to be a Muslim and chooses to cover her body at the beach.

Stay the hell away from woman's clothing and their bodies!

Should the men, legislators and politicians (particularly the French, right-wing, Christian and Islamophobic ones) not be able to contain themselves completely, perhaps they should legislate that Philippe Pradal, le maire de Nice, should be obliged to wear a burkini when he visits a beach. I am certain that he would be much more of an eyesore in regular swimwear.

The Swedish Hijab-Rebellion

A pregnant Muslim woman was recently knocked down on a street in Stockholm and had her headscarf ("hijab") pulled off by the assailant. Following the assault women who wear the veil testified that they are often subjected to name-calling and harassment of the most vile kind, both Islamophobic and misogynistic.

The incident lead to the so called "hijab-rebellion", in which women from all walks of Swedish society, wishing to show solidarity and "normalize" the wearing of hijab, started posting pictures of themselves in veils on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You name it, it was everywhere.

This "rebellion" lead to a counteraction from a combination of strange bedfellows, militant feminists and xenophobic ultranationalists on the far right of the political spectrum. They claim that the hijab is a sign of a patriarchal cultural and religious tradition of male oppression and control of women and is a tool to curtail women's freedom to dress as they chose and to express their sexuality. They also claim that it is counterproductive to integration as it creates barriers against the surrounding majority culture. Some even go so far as to say, that by wearing the veil in a Western culture the women are doing exactly the opposite of what they claim they wish to achieve, i.e not to draw attention to themselves.

Throughout Europe we are also receiving reports that young Muslim women are starting to don the veil for various reasons, some as a political statement or as a protest against the exploitation of female nudity in the Western cultures. There may be even more reasons.

I find myself a bit lost in all the rhetoric. As far as I am concerned the hijab in itself is most definitely a powerful symbol of male oppression and control and of a traditional chastity culture. However, I wouldn't dream of ever trying to regulate what a woman may or may not wear, just as I would not wish to regulate the length of her skirts or infringe on her complete right to her own body and sexuality.

Any woman should be allowed to dress as she chooses, for whatever reason. Just live with it and accept it!

Slanted Journalism

The latest issue of Newsweek has - rightfully - drawn a lot of criticism for the magazine´s cover and article on "Muslim Rage".

The U.S. magazines grossly exaggerated and dishonest reporting on the reactions in the Muslim world on the the discovery of an inane and provocative Islamophobic film on YouTube must be one of the worst examples in history of bad journalism. The magazine blows up the reactions of a small minority of crazy extremists and tries to imply that there is a widespread fury among the Muslims.

Some people should lose their job for this bummer, if they haven´t already, and hopefully that includes the editor-in-chief.

The website Gawker.com has made a satirical compilation of thirteen photographs showing us the true pictures of the Muslim Rage, see Gawker: 13 Powerful Images of Muslim Rage. (Tipped by Avaaz.org.)

Angry Egyptians gather to vent their Muslim rage

Iranian couple preparing to rage

The reaction to the cover and the article in the Muslim community has also resulted in a a flood of hilarious tweets.

Demonizing Muslims

Demonizing Muslims is a strong movement in the Western Hemisphere that totally makes me sick to my heart. Islamophobia seems to stick its ugly head up everywhere.

The Swedish Democrats 2010 elections commercial


American Future Fund TV commercial


As my father worked abroad when I was growing up my family spent eleven of my first twelve years among muslims and let me tell you;
Muslims are not demons.
Muslims are not terrorists.
Muslims are not seeking world domination.
Muslims are kind and considerate.
Muslims love their children.
Muslims want to live in peace.

Just as among us Swedes, the Americans, the Dutch or the Germans or any other group of people there are sickos, weirdos and fools among the Libyans, the Lebanese, the Iraqi or the Iranians. They are not, have never been and will never become a majority.

The Swedish Democratic Party (the Swedish Nazi Party according to me) have tried hard to clean up their act in the hope of getting seats in the Swedish parliament in the upcoming national elections on September 19th, 2010. The polished mask slips in their election movie and they show their true face!

Hate is never the answer!