04 April 2004

Niall Ferguson mulls it over:. a condensed version .. "Eurabia?" nytimes.com/2004/04/04/magazine/04WWLN.html track this site | 4 links [blogdex - the weblog diffusion index] A noted historian writes about the possible decline and fall of Europe, owing to declining birthrates, declining religious affiliation, and rapid Muslim immigration.   Add to that the rising hysteria about immigration and asylum in the UK leading to ministerial resignations, and the future of Europe looks a little .... un-European? There was also a scary opinion piece in the Mail on Sunday, which I cannot link, by Lord Ahmed dealing with the influence of imams in British mosques: "Lord Ahmed claimed that many clerics allowed to enter the country as imams do so by 'dubious means and for dubious purposes'.  He alleged that many had worthless qualifications and were encouraged to deliver inflammatory sermons because Muslim 'elders', who control Britain's 1,200 mosques, want to draw crowds to boost their own power. 'They perpetrate the notion that Muslims are victims of English colonial oppression and encourage people to rise up against the rule of the white man', Lord Ahmed writes....... 'Most of them come here from the Indian subcontinent, speak no English and have no knowledge of British culture.  A typical example of the imams who are coming to a mosque in the UK would be someone who has preached in a village and was not considered good enough to progress to a mosque in a major city'.  The peer claimed that some imams were driving young Muslims into the arms of groups who support terrorism by filling them with 'hate and absurd notions about Britain'.  11:56:38 PM    comment []

Is This For Real? Urgent steps are being taken by financial institutions to avoid chaos as more than 14 million people have until June 30 to deliver personal information in person - or see their accounts frozen. In terms of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, account holders must confirm their details in person at banks and investment companies, presenting their ID books and proof of home address, such as a municipal account. Failure to do so will result in the closure of the account, according to the law that was passed by parliament in November 2001 and took effect in June last year. (From the Sunday Independent)   2:39:16 PM    comment []

South Africa's Election I must say that I have not been paying much attention to South Africa's third democratic election, whch happens on April 14.  The outcome is probably boringly predictable, with the ANC likely to maintain its two-thirds majority and impotent opposition parties sounding off about corruption and non-delivery. Besides, the government has decided that, apart from diplomats, South African citizens resident abroad (largely white, and largely anti-government I guess) should not have the opportunity to exercise their democratic right. What sparked my interest today was an article in the New York Times concerning Patricia De Lille, leader of the relatively new Independent Democrats, who is claiming her party will get from 5 to 10% of the vote and possibly outperform the current opposition Democratic Alliance.  Interesting.  There is no doubt that Ms De Lille is a much more credible critic of the government than Tony Leon and the white leadership of the DA, who, fairly or not, are perceived as bitter white racists trying to reclaim the benefits of apartheid, and she has been a very effective and sharp critic on many of the same issues as the DA.  She also has undoubted integrity and in person is a very charming and nice lady (I have met her).  God knows, Mbeki and the ANC, comfortable, cynical and corrupt, presiding over disastrous public health policies, culpable of appalling, criminal neglect regarding Zimbabwe, and scrambling like blazes to cover up their naked corruption in the Arms Deal and elsewhere, exposed by their lack of delivery of real change for most of the population outside of a new elite, could do with some effective opposition.  Can Patricia De Lille, the DA and the IFP deliver it, can they combine their strengths to be a real opposition coalition?  What depth does De Lille have behind her in her leadership structure, or is she just a figurehead with not much of substance behind her? I don't know, becaause I haven't been following the campaigns at all closely, so we'llhave to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks.  In the meanwhile, here is the Sunday Times Election Special, while IOL and the Mail and Guardian have similar coverage, from which I can get up to speed. 2:30:53 PM    comment []

Molvania - A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry. this little guidebook as being the best .. Eastern Europe's Forgotten Jewel .. Official Molvania Site .. where we'll honeymoon .. Molvania travel guide .. Molvania molvania.com track this site | 5 links [blogdex - the weblog diffusion index] This has to be another April 1  joke - quite an elaborate one. 1:08:34 PM    comment []