NEFA foundation has published an Al Qaeda speech in which the Vilks caricature is mentioned. The pertinent section is this:

Others who had previously claimed to be neutral also have attacked the Muslims. An excellent example of this is the degenerate crusader country of Sweden, where they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed portrayed as a dog… We are witnessing every single villain attacking us—from the worshippers of the cross all the way to the worshippers of the cows—we are witnessing our blood and honor being taken away. We are being stabbed in the back every time we try to stand up tall and fight to regain the price of our ancestors. We say now, to all of you—slaves of the cross and material possessions—that we are a nation blessed by Islam. You will learn how to kneel down in humiliation. You will learn how to officially apologize for your crime against our Prophet Mohammed. We know how best to force you to back down and apologize for your actions. We reserve the right to punish those who committed the crime. If you do not apologize, then your industrial giants will be attacked. Companies such as Ericsson, Scandia, Volvo, Ikea, Electrolux, and others will be legitimate targets. You have been warned… [Additionally], on this day forward, we call for the killing of the cartoon artist Lars who committed these despicable acts against our Prophet Mohammed. We announce a reward of $100,000 for anyone who kills that infidel criminal. The reward shall be $150,000 for anyone who beheads him as well. We also will give $50,000 to anyone who kills the chief editor of that newspaper. O’ Muslims, you shall seek this reward, ask for forgiveness, and kill these two infidels…

Read the full transcript here (pdf).

They claim to be under attack because someone drew a cartoon. And the retaliation is murder, terrorism. I really don’t know what to say. What’s wrong with these people?

mohammad caricature, al qaeda, terrorism, islam, lars vilks, sweden

Anyone who follows Pharyngula will know about the movie Expelled (loathe as I am to link to them and thus increase google ranks, the page is actually really funny in a morbid sort of way). Now, New York Times reports on the baffling dishonesty of the makers: Scientists Feel Miscast in Film on Life’s Origin. The first few paragraphs explains the issue pretty neatly.

A few months ago, the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins received an e-mail message from a producer at Rampant Films inviting him to be interviewed for a documentary called “Crossroads.”

The film, with Ben Stein, the actor, economist and freelance columnist, as its host, is described on Rampant’s Web site as an examination of the intersection of science and religion. Dr. Dawkins was an obvious choice. An eminent scientist who teaches at Oxford University in England, he is also an outspoken atheist who has repeatedly likened religious faith to a mental defect.

But now, Dr. Dawkins and other scientists who agreed to be interviewed say they are surprised — and in some cases, angered — to find themselves not in “Crossroads” but in a film with a new name and one that makes the case for intelligent design, an ideological cousin of creationism. The film, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” also has a different producer, Premise Media.

An especially lovely part of the article is this:

There is no credible scientific challenge to the theory of evolution as an explanation for the complexity and diversity of life on earth. And while individual scientists may embrace religious faith, the scientific enterprise looks to nature to answer questions about nature.

This isn’t a balance quote, it’s directly from the author of the article. No pandering to religious sensibilities here!

evolution, creationism, expelled, dawkins

I’ve now joined Mojoey’s Atheist Blogroll. There should be a marquee at the bottom of the right sidebar scrolling some 400 atheist blogs, but it seems like it’s having some problems at the moment. Hopefully it’s sorted soon!

blogging, blogroll, atheism