Culture wars in Connecticut?
This state isn’t known as a battleground on social issues but a fault line is emerging over abortion.
The Family Institute of Connecticut, which staunchly opposes abortion rights, is publicly tangling with NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut, the state’s leading abortion rights advocacy group.
FIC recently participated in a campaign, dubbed 40 Days for Life, that dispatches volunteers to clinics providing abortion services. The volunteers aim to draw “attention to the evils of abortion” through prayer, fasting, constant vigil and community outreach, according to the group’s website.
But NARAL said some clients at one Hartford reproductive health center continue to be “harassed as they seek health-care services,” according to an email the group sent to its members (and circulated by the Family Institute.)
Anti-abortion protestors have blocked walkways and followed patients while shouting anti-abortion “rhetoric,” NARAL states.
Untrue, according to the FIC.
Fighting the Culture War
The only awards that count in the battle for the mainstream culture are measured in eyeballs, audience size, and money.
American Thinker Blog
Random Acts Of Culture
I’ve written about this before but I had to post again.
The Knight Foundation is an organization which, among other things, seeks to promote the arts.
To quote from the web site
Knight Foundation invests in artistic excellence, funding arts projects that engage the Knight resident communities in collective cultural experiences. We look for innovative, high-quality ideas. Our grantees represent both emerging artists and organizations and the oldest and most venerable institutions. The projects all have one thing in common: they enrich and engage the communities that produce them.
The program is in its first year, and emerging areas of interest include digitization of museum collections, development of arts incubator spaces, arts contests in which all community members are eligible for funding and a Random Acts of Culture program that brings fine art to the population and breaks down barriers that prevent consistent engagement in the arts.
One of the things they do is called Random Acts of Culture.
In eight different cities they arrange for artistic groups like musicians, singers, dancers, etc to simply show up at a public place and perform a work of art.
They’ve done Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s A Little Night Music, a performance of the tango and other classics.
I think it’s a wonderful gift to the people who live in those cities and would love to see it spread to other communities as well.
To check out some of the performances, go to the web site
German minister: “There is a macho culture among young Muslim men that glorifies violence”
ContrastsShe even acknowledged that it had religious roots, at least partially — which is much more realistic than most government officials in Western countries ever get close to being. “Minister slams ‘macho’ Muslim culture,” from The Local, November 26 (thanks to all who sent this in):
Family Minister Kristina Schröder slammed on Friday what she sees as a growing tendency to violence stemming from a “macho culture” among young Muslim men.
The minister told daily Wiesbadener Kurier that while discrimination and disadvantage were partly to blame, there were also religious and cultural roots to this propensity to violence, which was revealed in two studies commissioned by her ministry due to be released on Friday.
“We must not construct any false taboos here: there is a macho culture among young Muslim men that glorifies violence and which also has cultural roots,” she said. “The tendency towards violence among young, male Muslims is clearly higher than among non-Muslim, native youths,” she said.
It stemmed from perceived slights upon their honour, which they defended with violence, Schröder said.
“Social disadvantage and discrimination are important factors, but they are not sufficient as an explanation,” she said. “There is a co-dependence between religiousness, macho norms and tendency towards violence.”
Her comments came amid an ongoing debate about immigration, integration and Islam in Germany. Former central banker Thilo Sarrazin kick-started the issue with the publication of his book, “Abolishing Germany - How we’re putting our country at jeopardy,” which argued partly that Muslim immigration was dragging Germany down.
Chancellor Angela Merkel later declared that multiculturalism had “failed utterly,” while Bavarian Premier Horst Seehofer went so far as to suggest immigration from Muslim countries should be stopped.
Schröder indicated that discussion of the issue had been hampered by political correctness. Religion was part of culture and culture shaped behaviour, she said.
“If someone made an issue of the disproportionate tendency to violence among young Muslims, it was always said that this was a blanket judgement. But that’s not the case,” she said.
It was also striking that there was a growing hostility towards Germans being reported, she said.
“German children are not infrequently bullied in schools just because they are German. We must put up with that no longer,” she said.
Schröder called for stronger efforts for the education of Islamic religious leaders in German universities - something the federal governments has already embarked on by creating university courses for Imams.
“We have to make those who shape values in the Muslim community responsible. That is first of all the Imams,” she said. “Then another picture of society, of the roles of men and women and of violence, would soon be communicated in the mosques.”
The problem Schröder doesn’t face here is that the law of the supreme being is not negotiable. Even imams trained in German university courses will be studying the same Qur’an that fire-breathing jihadist imams study. It is unclear how she thinks “another picture of society” will “soon be communicated in the mosques” — what will change to create the circumstances in which such a thing could happen?
Indonesia: Funding pulled for traditional pre-Islamic performances. Turkey: V.S. Naipaul withdraws from event after Muslims enraged for saying they don’t value pre-Islamic culture.
V. S. Naipaul has had to withdraw under pressure from an event in Turkey because Muslims were outraged over his saying that Islam “has had a calamitous effect on converted peoples. To be converted you have to destroy your past, destroy your history. You have to stamp on it, you have to say ‘my ancestral culture does not exist, it doesn’t matter.’”
Meanwhile, in Wonogiri, a regency in Central Java province in Indonesia, newly elected district chief Danar Rahmanto is withdrawing public funding for traditional, pre-Islamic Javanese performances. Muslim leader Ahmed Sukino explained: “The traditional ceremonies are misleading people. And the offerings to the sea include a buffalo’s head and harvest produce. Rather than let the food be wasted like this, why don’t we give it to the poor?” He was in effect saying, in Naipaul’s words, “my ancestral culture does not exist, it doesn’t matter.”
“Wonogiri Pulls Funding for Traditional Performances on Islamic Groups’ Urging,” by Candra Malik for the Jakarta Globe, November 25 (thanks to MMC):
Wonogiri, Central Java. Bowing to pressure from local conservative Islamic organizations, the new head of the Wonogiri district in Central Java is withdrawing his administration’s support, financial or otherwise, for traditional events.
District authorities have in the past supported and also chipped in for the holding of several time-honored ceremonies and processions, but newly elected district chief Danar Rahmanto is changing all that.
“I will only remove three cultural events from local government budgets, but I won’t forbid the people of Wonogiri to run them in a self-financing arrangement,” he told the Jakarta Globe.
The district administration had in the past few years annually earmarked some Rp 3 billion ($ 340,000) for all tourism programs, including the three events which are all major happenings on the district’s tourism calendar.
Danar said he was morally bound to the political contract he had entered with a number of Islamic organizations and three political parties, namely the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the National Mandate Party (PAN), and the United Development Party (PPP), for their support in the regional elections.
Other organizations that backed Danar’s candidacy were the Koran Tafseer Assembly (MTA), the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Institute (LDII), Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI), the Indonesian Brotherhood of Hajjis (IPHI) and the Youth of Kabah.
MTA chairman Ahmad Sukino said the group has asked the new district head “to keep his promises.”…
“The traditional ceremonies are misleading people. And the offerings to the sea include a buffalo’s head and harvest produce. Rather than let the food be wasted like this, why don’t we give it to the poor?” Sukino said.
He added that traditional ceremonies were not going to help people get closer to God and would not guarantee them protection.
Wonogiri PPP chairman Anding Sukiman said the party would withdraw support for Danar if he did not pull budgetary support for the events. “This is a political consequence,” he said.
Islamic hard-liners in Central Java have previously launched attacks on popular all-night-long wayang [shadow puppet] performances, saying they were rife with drinking….
Random Acts Of Culture
I think this is just wonderful. A foundation dedicated to the proposition of bringing random acts of culture to people around the country.
This was an event in Philadelphia
Click here to view the embedded video.
You can find more examples here
Culture of corruption: Maxine Waters ethic trial delayed
With Charlie Rangel’s ethics trial out of the way, it’s one wrist-slap down, one to go, for the Dems. But it looks like fellow Congressional Black Caucus member and entrenched race hustler Maxine Waters will have a little more time to wait.
The House Ethics panel says in a statement released this afternoon that “new documents” have been found. No new trial date has been set.
You can read the brief statement here.
“The Committee voted to recommit the matter regarding Representative Maxine Waters to the investigative subcommittee due to materials discovered that may have had an effect on the investigative subcommittee’s transmittal to the Committee.”
Let’s hope the new evidence is related to the Washington Times’ revelation that Waters co-sponsored legislation that directly benefited one of the top clients of a lobbying group that had her husband on the payroll.
The gears of the swamp-draining machine grind slowly, ever so slowly…
***
Flashback: The Mad Maxine Waters show; Update: “I won’t cut a deal”
August 4- Mad Maxine’s minority fat-cat bankers
August 3- Maxine, Barney, Fannie, Freddie & TARP Hanky-Panky
July 31 - Summer of Corruption: Maxine Waters/OneUnited Bank refresher course
December 3, 2009 - Congressional Black Caucus pushes bailout for Air America/Sharpton/Jackson crony
October 30, 2009 - Culture of corruption: Democrats Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson under investigation
October 7, 2009 - Maxine Waters: “Many members” are as sleazy as my friend Charlie Rangel; Update: House Dems move to quash Remove Rangel resolution, 243-156
March 13, 2009 - Congresswoman Bank of OneUnited responds
March 13, 2009 - Culture of corruption: Banking hypocrite Maxine Waters
March 12, 2009 - Culture of corruption alert: The Bank of Maxine Waters
September 27, 2009 - Diversity racketeers want their piece of bailout pie
State Dept criticizes Europe for defending its culture and civilizational identity
I’m still waiting for her statement on the restrictions on religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt and other majority-Muslim countries. “Clinton critical of religious freedom in Europe,” from AFP, November 17 (thanks to all who sent this in):
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Wednesday the state of religious freedom in Europe, as Washington highlighted policies and attitudes toward Muslim veils and Islam as a whole.
“Several European countries have placed harsh restrictions on religious expression,” Clinton said, without elaborating as she unveiled the State Department’s report on international religious freedom for the last year.
Her assistant secretary for human rights, Michael Posner, cited France’s ban on wearing the niqab and other face coverings in public places and a Swiss motion passed last year that bans building new minarets.
Both measures have been criticized as intolerant moves stigmatizing Europe’s growing Muslim population.
Posner acknowledged “growing sensitivity and tension in Europe” over Islam.
“What we are urging our European friends to do is to take every measure to try to alleviate that tension,” he added….
In other words, surrender, already.
State Dept criticizes Europe for defending its culture and civilizational identity
I’m still waiting for her statement on the restrictions on religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt and other majority-Muslim countries. “Clinton critical of religious freedom in Europe,” from AFP, November 17 (thanks to all who sent this in):
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Wednesday the state of religious freedom in Europe, as Washington highlighted policies and attitudes toward Muslim veils and Islam as a whole.
“Several European countries have placed harsh restrictions on religious expression,” Clinton said, without elaborating as she unveiled the State Department’s report on international religious freedom for the last year.
Her assistant secretary for human rights, Michael Posner, cited France’s ban on wearing the niqab and other face coverings in public places and a Swiss motion passed last year that bans building new minarets.
Both measures have been criticized as intolerant moves stigmatizing Europe’s growing Muslim population.
Posner acknowledged “growing sensitivity and tension in Europe” over Islam.
“What we are urging our European friends to do is to take every measure to try to alleviate that tension,” he added….
In other words, surrender, already.
Culture of corruption: Rangel (and Pelosi) on trial
Drain the swamp? HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Corruptocrat Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) faces his delayed House ethics trial today at 9am Eastern — though reports say he may not show.
CSPAN-3 is supposed to carry the proceedings - online stream is here.
Rangel is expected to stand alone before the panel without a defense team; the lawyers quit after a tussle over strategy two months ago. The adjudicatory hearing comes just as another dark cloud rolls in over Rangel’s head. Via the NYPost, Rangel “appears to have improperly used political-action committee money to pay for his defense,” which he no longer has. “Rangel tapped his National Leadership PAC for $ 293,000 to pay his main legal-defense team this year. He took another $ 100,000 from the PAC in 2009 to pay lawyer Lanny Davis. Two legal experts told The Post such spending is against House rules.” Which House rules hasn’t Rangel broken?
The most ethical, transparent House ever is operating in its usual cloaked manner. WaPo reports: “The logistics of the cases are somewhat unclear because the ethics committee tends to operate in deep levels of secrecy. The prosecution will be represented by staff lawyers for the committee who handled the two-year investigation of Rangel; the congressman is expected to deliver an opening statement that would likely mirror much of his August floor speech. It is unclear whether witnesses will be on hand or if committee lawyers will just read transcripts, and, if witnesses are present, whether Rangel will cross-examine them under oath.”
A reminder of the 13 charges against Rangel, which were unveiled back in July:
Count I: Conduct in Violation of the Solicitation and Gift Ban
Count II: Conduct in Violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service
Count III: Conduct in Violation of the House Gift Rule
Count IV: Conduct in Violation of Postal Service Laws and Franking Commission Regulations
Count V: Conduct in Violation of Franking Statue
Count VI: Conduct in Violation of House Office Building Commission’s Regulations
Count VII: Conduct in Violation of the Purpose Law and the Member’s Congressional Handbook
Count VIII: Conduct in Violation of the Letterhead Rule
Count IX: Conduct in Violation of the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA) and House Rule XXVI
Count X: Conduct in Violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service
Count XI: Conduct in Violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service
Count XII: Conduct in Violation of Code of Conduct: Letter and Spirit of House Rules
Count XIII: Conduct in Violation of the Code of Conduct: Conduct Reflecting Discreditably on the House
Yes, the dirty laundry that the Dems stuffed in a closet during the midterms will finally get an airing. It’s as much a trial of Rangel as it is of Swamp Drain Failure Nancy Pelosi.
Mop and glow, Dems!
Dept. of culture: ‘Populism Yeah Yeah’
I don’t do much plugging real-world events on this blog, as what’s convenient to my Northeast Corridor self may not be convenient to most readers.
But I finally caught "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" on Broadway last night, and it’s (as the Times said) "alarmingly" of the political moment, capturing and parodying a populist movement that is at times the Tea Party, at times the Obama campaign, and at times just the 1830s.
So it’s much worth catching for anybody who’s been obsessing lately about the political world.
Also, relatedly (and also in New York) Monday night at the Public Theater, is a conversation between Sam Tanenhaus and Hendrick Hertzberg on the question of "Who Lost America: How Our Politics and Culture Have Changed in the 10 Years Since Bush v. Gore," with some music from the "Andrew Jackson" composer.
Edifice of “Palestinian culture” crumbling in the face of a novelty item
Palestinian Authority Minister of Culture Siham Barghouthi said Tuesday that his ministry was investigating Israel’s theft of Palestinian heritage.
Palestinian culture must be preserved by organizing exhibitions and festivals to show that heritage claimed by Israel is actually Palestinian, Bargouthi said in an interview with Ma’an Radio.
A blue version of the keffiyeh, a scarf and a Palestinian national symbol, could be found in markets with a Star of David used instead of the traditional pattern, the minister noted.
Maha Saqa, director of the Heritage Conservation Center in Bethlehem, told Ma’an Radio that a country is an accumulation of its culture, and the theft of heritage should be examined. Israel had stolen Palestine’s national food, clothes and the keffiyeh, she said, adding that the modified keffiyeh, bearing the Star of David, was used in European football stadiums.
Earlier this year, even PA prime minister Salam Fayyad got into the keffiyeh kerfuffle, publicly launching a Campaign for the Keffiyeh and the Palestinian Dabka (dance.)
An Arab hip-hop artist made an entire song protesting Israel’s supposed stealing the keffiyeh. And they’ve been complaining about this tiny company that makes the Star of David keffiyeh for years.
How can culture be “stolen?”
And if they are secure in their culture, then how could they be threatened by a novelty product?
If you want to buy one and contribute to the cultural genocide of Palestinian Arabs, the one pictured above can be bought here. A competitor whose keffiyot also say “Am Yisrael Chai” sells their products here.
Should this be titled ‘the culture that is the media’ or ‘markets in everything’?
Wondering which candidate got the most coverage this year?
[Christine] O’Donnell, despite lacking national name recognition earlier this year, has been covered more than any other 2010 candidate, according to research provided by Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. … O’Donnell ranked first among 2010 candidates. She was lead newsmaker in 160 stories, a remarkable number considering the majority of them came within the past two months.
O’Donnell, incidentally, won’t win tonight, and never had a chance of winning. She just made for good copy.
Photo credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Bristol Palin a star in pop culture and a new music video
That’s a sad reality, but it is what it is, and we can’t simply ignore it.
Bristol Palin is leaving her own footprint in pop culture. Not only is she on Dancing with the Stars, she also stars in the music video for the band Static Cycle. Yes, conservatives are cool.
Morocco: Presence of Israeli guests at culture fest offends Muslims
And they accuse city authorities of — horror of horrors! — “using invitations to Israelis to attend cultural and intellectual events to normalise relations with the Jewish state.” Islamic Tolerance Alert from modern, moderate Morocco: “Morocco: Israeli guests at culture fest rile Islamists,” from AKI, October 22 (thanks to C. Cantoni):
Rabat, 22 Oct. (AKI) - Israeli intellectuals, artists and scientists attending a series of conferences in the southern beach resort of Agadir have angered Islamists in Morocco, according to daily al-Tajdid.
The Islamists, many from the country’s hardline Justice and Development party accuse Agadir’s authorities of “seeking to normalise relations with Israel.”
“They are using invitations to Israelis to attend cultural and intellectual events to normalise relations with the Jewish state,” the Islamists said in a statement cited by al-Tajdid.
“Meanwhile, the occupation of Palestine continues and cruel crimes are carrried out by the Zionists,” the statement continued….
Israeli scientist Naomi Tilzer’s attendance at a cactus conference has especially rankled with the Islamists, al-Tajdid said without elaborating.
Last week, a group of Israeli athletes took part in an international meet and a Jewish singer gave a concert in Agadir.
