Sep. 30, 2006 Intifada fizzles in Brooklyn: a coalition of 24 radical groups draws only 70 protestors (and 3 counter-protestors) on 6th anniversary of the al-Aqsa Intifada, a.k.a. Arafat’s War, or the Oslo War.

This is a young Dutchman wearing a t-shirt with the famous Danish cartoon and U.S. flag draped around his shoulders. He caused quite a commotion when he appeared with his video camera. Police had to move in and protect him. A crowd of Hisbolla wannabes assailed him with foam and spittle as they screamed hatred. I was able to get this shot as he was ordered by the police to pack his camera away and “Leave Now!” He shot some video. When he left, the police sent an escort with him when he left the area. I heard one officer say “Stick with him and make sure there’s no trouble.” and two officers followed him.

Dutch people are emigrating from Holland at an alarming rate. They’re brokenhearted at seeing their country transformed by an increasingly violent Muslim fanatic minority. They are leaving for Canada, the U.S.A., Australia and other countries which are also in danger from the same type of creeping Islamic intolerance.

This is Dr. Anwar Osman from the Sudan. He introduced himself as the president of the Sudanese Friendship Committee and as former director of the UNITED NATIONS High Commission for Refugees. He told me that he was at this rally in support of the Intifada because he supports democracy, and Hamas and Hizbolla are democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian and Lebanese people.
Then he wanted to talk about the situation in Darfur and southern Sudan. I wanted to hear what he had to say about the middle east, but he insitsted on telling me emphatically that the Sudanese situation must be settled as an internal matter, that interference from other countries only complicates the situation.
His professed love of democracy is ironic not only because Israel is the only democracy in the middle east, (and one of the few countries where Arabs have the right to vote) but because the dictator of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, has been in office since taking over in a coup in 1989. He then immediately banned all political parties, cracked down on the press, dissolved Parliament, and assumed the posts of chief of state, prime minister, chief of the armed forces, and minister of defense. Al-Bashir’s regime harbored Osama bin Laden so it does have terrorism in common with the democratically elected government in Palestine and with Hisbolla.

Note the “Zabiba” on his forehead. Al-Qaeda spokesman Ayman al-Zawahiri also has one, as do other fanatics. It is created by banging ones head on the floor during prayer. Some generate a “Zabiba” using a hot hammer to enhance this mark of muslim piety. The depression can be noted in the skull after death.
According to a comment on an Egyptian web site (Ravings of a Sandmonkey) “the main purpose of this sign is said to be:lighting the grave of a dead muslim in the after world Grave Torture (Azab Al Kabr)!! and I guess that Mohammed ment by this sign to have a unique cosmotic appearance to his fellows..,”
 

Photo essay here.