We're often asked why it is that we keep plugging away, working as propagandists to mobilize the masses. Precisely what are we mobilizing to do?

As we say in The Propagandist Manifesto, "our cause is freedom, modernity, reason, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness." But I will often add that we are also defined by our enemies.

I believe this photo I captured at Occupy Wall Street in New York City a little while back pretty much says it all. I would not taint all Occupy Movement activists by association with the Spartacist League -- but I'm not at all convinced that many of them would be willing to give these bozos the rhetorical slapping-down they so richly deserve.

Confusion to our enemies!

Jonathon Narvey is the Editor of The Propagandist

The infamous case of the Shafia honour killings has made international headlines thanks to the horrific details of the mass-murder itself and the outrageous conduct of the defendants during the trial. A father, mother and son murdered the family's three daughters and the polygamous husband's first wife. It is certain to become a textbook example of honour killings, carried out according to the tribal traditions of numerous Islamic states; an abominable cultural import into the Western world.

The evidence seemed so overwhelming in this case (notwithstanding the almost-immediate launch of an appeal) that few objective observers could have been surprised by the harsh sentences of life in prison; 25 years without parole, according to Canadian law.

Indeed, one surprising commentator often (and weirdly) used as an alleged voice of Canada's Muslim community by the mainstream media appears to have felt compelled to make a statement that at once condemns the guilty. He does so while also seeming to partly blame the government that accepted this immigrant family in the first place. 

Pay close attention to the words of Calgary-based Imam Syed Soharwardy:

‘I talked about domestic violence and honour killing. That this is absolutely horrible crimes that in Muslim may come and see this as there is room in our religion. There is no room for this kind of crime in religion," said Soharwardy.

The imam says the case has shed light on the tensions and challenges young Afghan women face and he says government has to do more to educate those women and their families when they arrive here.

"Not only just have a test, you know, about Canada but before anybody comes here I think the government has a responsibility to clearly say what kind of society this Canada is," said Soharwardy.

That's very, very odd. Not that Soharwardy is wrong when he says that these were absolutely horrible crimes. Nor that the government has a duty to outline to immigrants clearly what kind of society this is -- though one would think that immigrants would make the common-sense preparations such as checking into these sorts of things before they move. Read more

I assume he did. After all, when a religion is based on the conduct of a pedophilic genocidal mass-murderer who cursed all who chose to walk a different path, it's not surprising that his most vocal followers turn out to be violent dweebs. So much for freedom of speech in the UK:

Just before I was due to start, a young man entered the lecture theatre, stood at the front of the room with a camera and proceeded to film everyone in the audience. That done, he informed us that he knew who we were, where we lived and if he heard a single negative word about the Prophet, he would track us down. (I am told he made further threats as he left the building).
The organisers of the event, the National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies called the police and the event was unfortunately cancelled.

I'd been avoiding the topic of the marines' pissing on Afghan bodies (presumably Taliban casualties) in the last few days mostly because I thought the issue was already getting way too much ink. Yes, desecration of bodies is both unlawful and unethical -- and these Marines have been identified and will be punished. It was an isolated incident and is not representative of our soldiers' conduct in the field (If it were, you can bet the media would be running this circus 24/7 with a steady perp walk of assorted Marine miscreants). Case closed.

But if I may use this occasion to point out some small feature of this war in Afghanistan, it is that while incidents like these from our side are given worldwide coverage, the Taliban's serial violations of the Geneva Conventions merit almost no reporting at all.

When was the last time you heard a news report on the Taliban's refusal to wear uniforms? This is a basic requirement of any armed force, allowing armies to distinguish who they are fighting and avoid civilian casualties. The Taliban don't do it. Hell, no jihadist movement in the world does it.

Then there's the Taliban's habit of commandeering homes and mosques to store weapons and conduct ambushes on ISAF forces -- again, putting civilians in harm's way. Not kosher, according to the Geneva Conventions.

How about the Taliban's use of child soldiers? Then again, can you really call the child a "soldier" if all you're doing is strapping on a dynamite belt and sending them over to beg candy from the troops, the better to blow them up at close range? More like "walking IED". Details. Read more

Along with four Canadian judges. But that's OK. Nothing to see here. The cops don't appear to be very much interested in death threats against Blazing Cat Fur and his family.

Can't some official police nerd track down the ISP from this bozo and charge him with uttering threats? Here's an excerpt of the latest from BCF's Islamist cyber-stalker:

"Against you. If you believe that you are invincible because you hide in the shadows Of the evil Zionist, you are incorrect. Death is coming for you, the third time Will be Allah’s time and your demise is coming soon. The forces are already Set and no matter of the outcome in our family, this act will occur, We will give you further notice that these blogs must be eradicated immediately or Anyone associated with them will die and will suffer the mighty blow

Riiiiiiiiiight. Thanks for the kind note.

The Iranian regime has apparently determined the Internet to be un-Islamic. They have built a country-wide Intranet in its place. Users will have to give their name along with their father's name, telephone number, address and national ID in order to log on. Once it is ready, 23 million Iranians will have their Internet access shut down.

For the government, this means no more anonymous blogging about green revolutions and other such halal topics in cyber-cafes (Oh wait. That's already outlawed). Iranians will be unable to read, watch or listen to what is happening outside of their totalitarian state-approved sources.

For this dubious benefit, the government will have essentially set its nation back to the pre-Information Age.

Owing to practical considerations of having to deal with competing neighbors in a tough neighborhood, the Mullahs haven't gone all out for Talbanization of their nation. But it's a slippery slope.

The Arab Spring has also been called the Arab Awakening, which begs the question of why the oppressed people living in the Arab states and Iran don't wake the hell up already.

There are hints that the international mainstream media (despite the wilful blindness of the BBC, CNN and other big outlets) has begun to catch on to the fact that all of the revolutionary activity across the Middle East has actually set back the region by decades and may end up putting them back centuries. Some of the people who live in those countries, such as the few genuine liberal democrats hoping for a break with the greater and petty tyrrannies of the past may be catching on a bit quicker. But the vast majority of Arabs appear to be quite willingly signing up for another epoch of theocratic serfdom.

In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is triumphant (much to the chagrin of the country's Christian minority, which is already on the verge of being totally ethnically cleansed). The head of Tunisia's victorious Islamist political party gloats over the pending arrival of a Sixth Caliphate. In Libya, the dictator has been replaced by gaggles of Al Qaeda-sympathizing hillbillies. These are the areas where the revolutionary activity has seen its greatest potential success and ultimately, its most awful failure.

The Islamic world generally suffers from poor development prospects to the point that the nations of the Middle East (with one glaring exception in the tiny but free democracy of Israel) have fallen behind everywhere else from Asia to Latin America. The causes are not difficult to discern: women are not emancipated or even fully treated as human beings. Right off the bat, 50 percent of the Middle East's productivity swirls down the toilet. Meanwhile, vast numbers of uemployed, under-educated young men with no prospects, no capital and no idea of how to change their lot in life sit and steam. That's a recipe for disaster in any country. Throw Islamic fundamentalism into the mix and now you're really playing with fire.

The revolutions were supposed to bring change, but how can they do that when most people don't understand their own interests (Which is not a phenomenon confined to the Middle East -- try asking an unemployed American Tea Party volunteer why he supports tax breaks for billionaires and a reduction in the social safety net. Prepare to get spit on)? Read more

More Catholic schools found to be little more than prime hunting grounds for pedophiles. Meanwhile, yet another Islamic Madrassa was torturing kids and churning out jihadists.

At this point, I don't see why parents who voluntarily send their kids to religious schools aren't assumed to be complicit in their abuse. It's not like the parents didn't know what was going to happen: 

CONCERNED PARENT. "Poor Timmy. Sure, I figured there was a small chance that the priest was going to use him as his personal sex slave. But little Mikey is the cute one, so I figured that little bugger -- sorry, figure of speech -- that little guy was going to get all of the attention. How was I supposed to predict that the holy father was going to molest all of them? I feel so betrayed. And I sure hope this experience doesn't turn Timmy gay, because then we'll have to disown him and he'll burn in hellfire for eternity."

Shut 'em down. All of 'em.

Jonathon Narvey is the Editor of The Propagandist

She wanted to get a higher education. Naturally, Mr. Islam responded by chopping off her fingers. 

Police say Rafiqul Islam, 30, attacked her because she pursued higher education without his permission.

They say Mr Islam, a migrant worker, admitted to the crime shortly after returning home from the Gulf.

However there has been no independent confirmation from the suspect that he carried out the attack.

The incident is one of a number of acts of domestic violence targeting educated women in recent months.

Police say that Mr Islam, who works in the United Arab Emirates, tied up his 21-year-old wife, Hawa Akther Jui, earlier this month. He then taped her mouth and cut off the five fingers.

I mean, why wouldn't you do that? A very reasonable, culturally valid response to an unreasonable request. Good for you, Mr. Islam (yes, as Blazing Cat Fur has pointed out, that is his name).

Now, get back in that kitchen and make me a sandwich. And don't bleed on it or you can kiss the rest of your arm goodbye. Stupid cow. Want to get an education? As if.

On December 7, 1941, an aggressive empire that indoctrinated its soldiers in the divine nature of its bloody conquests attacked the USA at Pearl Harbor. America did not bow down to the Empire of the Sun. The USA brought its unparalleled military-industrial complex to bear upon the foe, defeating Japan and ultimately liberating untold millions in Asia from slavery. Without this determined effort, China, Korea, Vietnam and a host of other nations might still today be amalgamated under the so-called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

The Japanese Imperial Army was certainly guilty of uncountable atrocities, including genocide, the systematic rape of cities, and the starvation and abuse of prisoners of war. But at least it can be said that when they struck their most infamous blow against America, they went up against battleships and aircraft carriers, not office towers full of accountants and hedge fund managers.