ISLAM
BACKWARD MARCH
They want to retreat centuries to a purer time when men were closer to God. No, not Islamists seeking to return to the time of Muhammad in the seventh century. I’m talking about the haredim, Israel’s ultra-orthodox Jews. First, a bit of Torah. People have long believed in an idyllic past. Witness the Garden of…
Read MoreLOWE’S AND CHANUKAH
Lowe’s, the home improvement chain, beckons shoppers with, “Let’s build something together.” Earlier this month, Loewe’s sought to help build walls around American Muslims. This gives a whole new meaning to the ancient meaning of Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. So let me unravel the mystery. The Tampa-based Florida Family Association took umbrage at…
Read MoreMUSLIM STATES/JEWISH STATE
Last week, Egyptians voted for parliamentary representatives in a third of the nation’s provinces. Although secular liberals led the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak, Islamic parties—no surprise—claimed 65 to 70 percent of the vote following runoff elections. The Muslim Brotherhood, which New York Times columnist Tom Friedman describes as less doctrinaire than its Salafist rivals…
Read MoreTHE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
My oldest son, Seth, recently went on a business trip to Germany. As many travelers do, he suffered some culture shock on returning: the obesity of so many Americans, TVs blaring in airports, disorderly freeway traffic. Of course, Germany is part of the West, but the differences between Western societies are notable. How much greater…
Read MoreHOORAY FOR THE HYPHEN
What goes around comes around. Recently, several European leaders declared multiculturalism a failure. Europeans, who once avidly condemned America’s racial and religious shortcomings, have encountered their own challenges involving large Muslim minorities from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. French President Nikolas Sarkozy declared on February 10, “If you come to France, you…
Read MoreIRAN: SO WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
On January 22, six world powers (U.S., France, Germany, China, Russia and Britain) attempting to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons ended their latest attempt at negotiations. Once again, they failed. We can applaud such diplomatic efforts, but I wonder if our government and others really expect the Iranians to respond. Consider these items: •…
Read MoreSNOW GLOBES AND ISLAM’S CIVIL WAR
Know those cute little snow globes—souvenirs of cities in northern climes? Don’t think about carrying one onto a plane. A few weeks ago, I saw a no-snow-globes sign in the New Orleans airport. New Orleans! But I don’t downplay the Islamist threat. Bombs hidden in shoes or underwear or vehicles where crowds gather pose real…
Read MoreGROUND ZERO AND MY SYNAGOGUE
They’re coming to tear down my synagogue, San Francisco’s Congregation Sherith Israel. Forget that our 105-year-old architectural and artistic treasure is undergoing a multi-million-dollar earthquake retrofit. They’re coming. And the reasons are obvious. The building is large. Prominent. You can see its gray dome from quite a distance—not surprising in a city of hills. And…
Read More