Indigo Jo Blogs

Yet another Blogger test post

This is yet another attempt to test out Blogger posting.

And here's another paragraph for the same purpose.

Back to Blogger ...

Well, it looks like I might be back on Blogger faster than I had thought. Somebody appears to have cracked my website.

I tried accessing my blog today, to see if anyone had commented. Got nothing but an "Internal Server Error".

Tried logging in, and found that my home "user" directory is not there. Nobody has logged in via the SSH route since I last did, this morning just before 11, when my Dad and I left for his parents' place. But someone could have logged in via FTP, having got my password for that using a "packet sniffer", because passwords on normal FTP are transmitted using plain text, unencrypted.

I'm currently writing a program, currently called Catkin, to assist bloggers manage blogs like mine. My blog was facilitated with "Blosxom" which uses the computer's filesystem, not a database like most blog servers. All I do is write a blog entry in a common text editor, and use a FTP program to upload it to a given directory. You call it up in your browser, and that "blog.cgi" bit at the end - that's Blosxom. It finds the last twenty entries, the format files I've supplied (an edited version of a "flavour" which I think were designed by Rael Dornfest, the author of Blosxom), runs them together to make a whole HTML file, and displays it in your browser.

With my blog manager, you write the entry, click a button that says "Blog this!", and up it goes. Just like that. But I wrote to various tech bloggers who I know to use Blosxom, and one of them wrote back to me saying his server doesn't use FTP, because the password is not encrypted.

The password is also not encrypted when I log into my hosting provider to change things about my account. It's really bizarre, because SourceForge, the system I use to manage and release Catkin, uses secure transfer for almost everything. And that's free.

The moral of the story is, if you are looking for a web hosting provider, make sure they use a secure upload system. Especially if you do a blog and expect to publish anything controversial. Because anyone with an axe to grind and a bit of technical knowledge can use what has been called "a trivial packet sniffer", that is, something which monitors material passing by it on the Internet, find your password, and crack your account - and sabotage it.

My New Blog

Salaams to all the Muslims and hi to all the others :) Thanks to you all for reading my blog the last couple of months; I would like to welcome you all to my new blog, which is located here: http://www.blogistan.co.uk/cgi-bin/blog.cgi . (The name, incidentally, comes from a comment on FM's blog, and it seemed a nice title for my planned directory of Muslim blogs. Thanks Karl and FM.) The new blog is run on my own webspace, using a CGI Perl script called Blosxom. This blog will be left up, but not updated unless I am unable to renew my lease on my webspace at Fasthosts this time next year.

Sons of Malkoviches

Press Action reports on the approval by the US House of Representatives for establishing a federal tribunal to monitor criticism of Israel on campus (?!).

http://www.pressaction.com/pablog/archives/001546.html#001546

Richard Clarke's statement

Bohemian Mama has an interesting take on why Richard Clarke had to quit Bush's administration: "He's an adult" LOL! (11:12AM entry)

Jack Kelley: Bloodthirsty Arabs, Vigilante Jews

A piece from Salon.com on the disgraced USA Today hack Jack Kelley (thanks Muhsin):

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/23/jack_kelley/

The MMR debate

I just found this rather interesting article by George Monbiot about conflicts of interest in the debate over the safety of the MMR vaccine. Andrew Wakefield, who published a paper alleging links between the MMR vaccine and a number of diseases including autism, was revealed to have possible conflicts of interest. However, as Monbiot reveals, this is an extremely common problem in sections of the scientific community, with scientists putting their names to papers ghost-written by companies, sometimes never having seen the data on which the papers' conclusions are based. Here's the story.

Muslim blog directory

I have made arrangements to move both my homepage and my blog to a new server, mainly to get away from the adverts but also to have more choice in blogging methods. I intend to start a directory of Muslim blogs, which could be personal blogs, or blogs about Islam, or blogs about Islamic activities - any blog with an Islamic connection except, of course, for anti-Islamic blogs. Please can anyone tell me if they are running a blog, and if you know someone who does, please tell them to contact me. The email address is: indigojo underscore UK at yahoo dot co dot UK.

New version of SUSE Linux on the horizon

OSNews reports that version 9.1 of SUSE's version of Linux is shortly to be released, and the company's own website gives the date for release as 6th May. Although I recently acquired a Mac and really like OS X, I'm still quite fond of Linux and use it on my laptop. I've bought three successive versions of SUSE's distro and found it to be the most comprehensive and workable distro on the market despite a few minor problems. I intend insha Allah to buy this version also. I wonder, though, why they call it version 9.1 and not version 10, given that it has a new kernel (2.6 rather than 2.4), new KDE (3.2) and new (for SUSE) GNOME (2.4)?

Gilad Atzmon on Sh. Yassin murder

This is an article by Gilad Atzmon, an Israeli dissident living in London. Here's his website. (Thanks to J. Muhsin Kilby for the info.)

Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was murdered at daybreak on
Monday. Israel Air Force helicopters fired missiles at the car carrying the
wheelchair-bound head of the Islamic group as he left a mosque near his
house in Gaza City. It also appears Ariel Sharon was in direct command of
the assassination operation, not entirely surprising considering his bloody
history.

For those who fail to realise, today's barbaric Israeli act is an open call
for a world war. It is the final wake up call for every Muslim around the
world. It is violent proof that Israel isn't only against the Palestinians
but rather against Islam. Israel killed a prime spiritual leader on his way
out of the mosque. I have no doubt that this Israeli act won't be forgiven.
I also have no doubt that many Israelis will pay with their life for
Sharon's act. Moreover I am sure that sooner rather than later many innocent
non-Israelis around the world will die just for being near by an Israeli
embassy, Israeli consulate, a synagogue or even an American bank... This is
the reality Sharon favours the most.

This is exactly what Israel wants: to turn the entire world into a victim
of terror. This might help us to realise the main difference between the
Israeli left and right. While both believe in the right of the Jews to live
in Zion on the expense of the Palestinian people, the Israeli right wing
rely on maintaining a bloody struggle, oppressing the Palestinian people
(in particular) and humiliating Arabs (in general). While the Israeli left
would attempt to come up with some unrealistic righteous suggestions to
appease the Palestinian people and the world community (Oslo accord for
instance), the right wing Israelis will suggest that the only method to
guarantee Israeli security is to maintain the conflict with the Palestinian
people and to let it escalate into an international battle.

On the surface it seems bizarre considering Sharon was just recently
pretending to suggest a plan of Israeli disengagement from the Gaza strip.
Today he gave us a real chance to peep into his mind. The 'disengagement
plan' was just another of Sharon's tricks. In fact, Sharon and the Israeli
right wing need the Palestinians, they need them oppressed and humiliated,
they need their terror. Israeli right wing hegemony is fed by terror. And
now there is a new need emerging. Israel is facing a demographic disaster.
Within five years there will be a Palestinian majority in the territories
controlled by Israel (between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River).
This is literally the end of the Zionist dream. Eventually Israel will have
to give away its Jewish identity. While the Israeli left remains confused
about this reality, the Israeli right wing is fully prepared. For years
Israeli warmongers have openly discussed 'transfer': the ethnic cleansing of
the Palestinian people. Considering the current world affairs and general
opposition to Israel it is hard to believe that large scale ethnic cleansing
would go ahead unless some colossal catastrophe was in place. Sharon is
preparing the ground for such a disaster. He needs a war, a big one,
something that will allow him to go wild, to go out of control, to initiate
a campaign in which Israeli soldiers will become murderous squads ready
massacre against the Palestinian civilians. Sharon wants to re-launch the
1948 Nakba. Sharon fully understands that this is what the Israeli public
want. He is very good at reading their innermost desires.

The killing of Sheikh Yassin pushed the violence far beyond any recognisable
measure. It is pushing the Palestinian masses towards martyrdom. According
to the Israeli military doctrine, Israel would never be defeated by terror.
But at the same time every Israeli realises that the Zionist adventure will
be categorically defeated by a demographic crisis. The assassination of
Sheikh Yassin is there to push the Palestinians towards acts that will allow
the Israelis to impose the most murderous measures against the Palestinian
civilians. Mr Sharon, a world acclaimed war criminal and serial murderer
proved again that at least when blood games are concerned, he is one step
ahead of the game.

New Look for SunniPath

Saraji tells us that SunniPath - probably the no. 1 source for Hanafi and Shafi'i fiqh, has a great new look ma sha Allah. They offer a free email address.

Crucifixion death toll rises to 2

Two people have now died while watching the crucifixion scene in Mel Gibson's new flick The Passion. The BBC reports that a Brazilian Presbyterian pastor, Jose Geraldo Soares, died of a heart attack while "calmly" watching the scene with his wife in Belo Horizonte.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3559753.stm

I have to say I have no plans to go and see this film and watch a prophet (peace be upon him) being represented by some actor. This is something which would never happen in the Muslim world and I expect the film to be banned in several Muslim countries. There was one film called The Message in which a number of supposedly minor Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were played by non-Muslim actors, and although Muslims were consulted and the film is popular among Muslims in some places, several countries did ban it. Apart from the issue of play-acting the Companions which is forbidden in Islam, the film excludes a number of major Companions like Abu Bakr, Ali and others of that stature (radhi Allahu 'anhum), as if those they do portray are 'minor'. They were nothing of the sort. One, Hamza, was the uncle of the Prophet (sall' Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and known as "God's lion", and another, Bilal, was an early Companion who bore all the sufferings of the Muslims in Makkah. They portray Abu Sufyan (radhi Allahu 'anhu) as the 'villain' of the piece, and fail to mention that he became Muslim at the end!

Apart from this I don't think the film will be very good for community relations - there may well be consequences in countries like Russia where the Jew-as-Christ-killer idea still has currency, and it may also add weight to the claims made by some Jews that if you "scratch a Gentile, you find an anti-Semite" and that Jews are at the end of the day not safe anywhere except Israel.

International reaction to Yasin killing

http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-03/22/article06.shtml

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3556753.stm

Half century of Israeli assassinations

Reaction to my last post

Thanks to everyone who responded to my last post in reaction to the murder of Shaikh Ahmad Yasin. It at least disproves Flanstein's earlier jibe that "there's only the two of us here"! In fact, I actually thought I had deleted that post, which I made in anger in reaction to the murder and the gloating over it I saw on the BBC's website. You can read more of the same on the odious "Little Green Footballs" blog - http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/ - I'm not going to link it because they have a habit of redirecting links from hostile websites and blogs to the Israeli Defence Force's Hebrew website!

No doubt a few people have had their opinions of Islam and Muslims confirmed. These people haven't really broken any stereotypes either. Let's take their comments one by one:

Flanstein: Why am I not surprised? My theory about the joy muslims take over the deaths of Jews was that you don't see them as human beings.

Me: Well, they are human beings, and as Shaikh Hamza Yusuf once said, you can't blame a dog for being a dog, but you can blame a human being for acting like something less than an animal.

Avi W: I'm shaking in my shoes, Yusuf. Perhaps you should direct your prayers to Shaul Mofaz, since Allah doesn't seem to be to stop JDAMs. Your gnome got less than he deserved.

Me: What's a JDAM? What gnome? I don't have any gnomes. My garden's a gnome-free zone.

Allah Most High subjects many of those He loves to trials in this life. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was terribly persecuted and outlived all but one of his children. Paradise is surrounded by trials and Hell by temptations.

Robert: One down, several hundred thousand to go; care to strap on a bomb yourself, Yusuf? Naw, I didn't think so, since the average camel-buggering Arab hasn't even got that much courage.

Me: I wouldn't know about "camel-buggering Arabs" because I've never met one. And I'm not an Arab. My surname is Smith - if you'd read my website you'd know that. I have no personal plans to carry out a suicide bombing, but it is clear that Arabs in Palestine do have such courage.

Robert again: Just think, your old Sheik Yassin has gone to his reward, that special place in Hell reserved for impotent old men who send out children with bombs strapped to their chests.

If Shaikh Yassin is impotent, how did he manage to have children?!

http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=XbQ5ap"

Who is the innocent? Is the Jew who took my home, land, and expelled me from it by force, killed my children, wife, and parents… is he innocent? The important thing is to determine who is the aggressor… Are we the ones that attack Israelis first or is it them? If you know that, the answer would be clear for you. (Shaikh Ahmad Yassin, 7th May 2003)

Haywood: If anyone still believes in the myth of a "moderate Muslim" here's your chance to repent.

Me: Of course, a "moderate Muslim" to you is someone who rejects part of the religion, or disavows the use of force to defend the religion or its people. The Jews did not disavow such force when trying to capture the land they currently occupy from the British. I don't see why Arab Muslims in Palestine (or any other locals, for that matter) should disavow it to defend their land.

SnickerGal: Who was the leader of the Palestinians before Arafat? Where can I read about the historic culture of the Palestinian people?

This is an irrelevance. Of course, the Arabs in Palestine were not called Palestinians before the British occupied the area under the "Mandate" scheme and called the region Palestine. Then, there was no need for a "leader" of the Palestinian people, because that particular group of Arabs had not been hived off and given another name. They were simply the local people, as they still are.

Crusader: As a proud kufr & Christian woman, I will surely die before I give birth to anything that follows Islam. Your comments are very revealing about the nature of this hostile, hateful religion, or at least this version of it.

Me: My own mother is not Muslim, and she never expected to give birth to someone who would later become Muslim, any more than you know such things about your children. May Allah guide your children. If you really feel that way, you will be pleased to know that the Muslims did execute some elderly Jews at their own request when they conquered one of the treacherous Jewish communities around al-Madinah. Should the need arise, just tell them and remind them of what I said, and ask them to chop off your head.

Crusader: Israel existed LONG before 1948 and has a right to exist now. The murderers of Palestine do not have the right to a state for a made up ethnic group!

Me: No country called Israel existed between before the time of Christ (peace be upon him) and 1948. That's a fact. They were displaced from the land God gave them when they rebelled against Him.

Crusader: BTW, why are kids always in the midst of violence in Israel? You never see Jewish kids at such scenes, unless they've been killed by some murdering bigot with a bomb.

Me: for more on this see LGF Watch - March 1st entry.

Crusdader: "Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. " It appears you have been deceived.

Me: no, you have been deceived by a long succession of lying priests and pseudo-theologians. We do not follow any false Messiah. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said he was the Messenger of Allah, which he was, not the Messiah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) as the Messiah, and this is affirmed in the Holy Qur'an, chapter 9, verse 30.

Crusader: And may God bless and protect His people Israel. And Kudos to the IDF for a job well done.

Me: why would a Christian speak such nonsense? The disbelieving and rebellious among the children of Israel ceased to be "His people" centuries ago.

Website update

Two new links have been added to the website:

Hanbali Text Society (see last article for sample of content) and Karimia Institute, both under Islamic links.

An interesting article on the Kharijites

This is a highly interesting article on the Kharijites and their modern-day equivalents, the Wahhabis. This is on the website of the Hanbali Texts Society, an organisation dedicated to propagating orthodox Hanbalism and distinguishing it from the Wahhabi sect.

HTS on the Kharijites

Me and my Mac

I've had my Mac nearly a week now (since Tuesday) and I have to say I'm generally pleased with it. We had it sitting on the dining table until Friday, but of course it couldn't stay there forever because people have to eat off that table (including me), so I ordered a computer table from Viking which arrived on Friday. So it's now next to the old computer in the upstairs office.

I haven't tried everything the Mac does yet - I've used it so far for a bit of programming and surfing the Internet (and blogging, of course). The performance is fine - 1GHz is a slower clock speed than many cheaper PC's (you can get an Athlon now for about £500) but I haven't noticed it. It's also very well-designed - the mouse, which sits next to the keyboard, plugs into a USB port on the keyboard rather than having to be connected to the system unit (there isn't one - the system is in the monitor) with a long cable.

The magazine I mentioned earlier made a big thing about the Mac's looks, but the user interface is what stands out. Apple have really done a good job on it. There is one thing I miss about Linux though - the multiple desktop thing, so you can keep your various windows separate and have your WP on one 'screen', your web browsing on another, your mail on a third and your chat on a fourth. The Mac's OS (on this version, 10.3) has a thing called Exposé, where you roll the mouse to a given point and it shrinks all the windows so they all appear at the same time. And you can use the keyboard to flick between applications, but not individual windows - you have to use the application's window menu to get to a particular window. I'd like to have that fixed somehow, although I'm not holding my breath - the mouse and menus are integral to using the Mac (unlike Windows where you can do most things without it).

Having come from Linux, I was looking forward to going back to some of my old X11 applications. X11 is supposed to come with the system, but I couldn't find it - the disk I read that it was on just contained translations of a "Readme" file about restoring the system. I had to download it from Apple, then get Fink and then learn how to use that. The apt-get program did not work for me - it connected to SourceForge where Fink is held, but trying to get the files only resulted in 404's. So I had to use the Fink command-line program itself to get the sources and compile them, which obviously takes much longer than just installing binaries although it's obviously safer.

Actually, many of the programs I used on X in Linux are actually available for the Mac's own GUI - this includes the Mozilla suite and even GNU Emacs. This is obviously preferable to running them on X11 because X11 has its own memory overheads. But it's still useful to have X11 around.

The Rally Yesterday ...

Well I went on the rally yesterday, it was not as big as the huge anti-war rallies last year but it was big enough that people were still leaving the start (Hyde Park) as the rest of us were having our rally in Trafalgar Square. It rained a little bit and it was very windy - I heard that people in other parts of the country had been killed by flying debris, but no-one here (al-hamdu lillah) was injured, although I almost got one of the Marxists' flagpoles land on my head in Hyde Park.

We had the usual speakers - obviously the groups who organised the rally (Stop the War, The Muslim Association of Britain and CND) and a few trade unionists and minor politicians, and four of the hundreds of Birmingham schoolkids who walked out of school last year to protest against the war. Nigel Kennedy gave two violin recitals (one by Bach and one piece he said was from Lebanon or Palestine) and after the rally the Asian Dub Foundation gave a gig. Respect were out, of course, but I had expected them to have a higher profile than the various Trot groups which come out of the woodwork on days like this. If these guys want to help organise anti-war rallies, fine, but don't they realise that they damage the credibility of these rallies by using them to advertise themselves? There can't be that many Communists in this country, surely?

I heard someone on the radio mention that a lot of the people who turned up on last year's big marches were notably absent - the married thirty-somethings and Twickenham brigade or something like that. As usual, they played down the number of people who turned out - the organisers said about 75,000, the police said it was a third of that number. Of course, the threat of wind and rain may well have deterred people from coming, but I don't see why it matters. The fact is that at least one group of people are still protesting at what is a ridiculous adventure in which we had no need to get involved and has not had the results the leaders promised. Yes, Saddam is gone, but what is going to take his place? Nobody knows, and I don't believe the coalition are in any place to decide.