Monthly Archives: April 2011

As you may have heard, controversial koran-burning pastor Terry Jones was jailed this week in Dearborn, Michigan, because of his plans to demonstrate outside the largest Islamic Center in the United States. He and an associate were apparently released on $1 bond each, on the condition that neither go within some specified distance of the Center for three years!! Eugene Volokh is following the story on his blog, providing periodic updates along with Constitutional analysis.

What does this mean for us? As Ayn Rand has said, free speech is the litmus test issue by which we judge whether we are still able to speak, to persuade our fellow man to adopt views consistent with individual rights. Now, even at the time she was writing about this issue, in the 1960′s, there were some restrictions on speech. So it’s not the case that one more restriction necessarily means we’ve gone over the precipice towards totalitarian dictatorship. But here we have what Constitutional scholars call a “prior restraint” on speech, one that Eugene Volokh predicts (at link above) should clearly be found unconstitutional. And yet it happened. Here.

In addition, this is distinctly unlike restrictions on obscenity or profanity. The ideology of Islam, if adopted and practiced consistently, does appear, from everything I know about it (I plan to learn more, soon, starting with my Koran reading group), to be a threat to our way of life. Freedom to protest against it is as important as freedom to protest against any politician, political party, or political ideology. This is not an issue of defending one’s right to produce or consume tasteless pornography, simply as a matter of principle, so that we can preserve our right to political speech. In my mind, this is an unjustified restraint on political speech itself. What do you think? Join in the discussion during my live webcast tomorrow and let me know (here’s the link to the Facebook event with more information, or you can go directly to register here).

[Update: Terry Jones apparently plans to sue the prosecutor's office in Michigan for what they have done to him. Let's hope he wins and that this sets a precedent for any other prosecutors that would prevent us from exercising our freedom of speech!]

Inspired by the tremendous bravery of Ann Barnhardt:

I decided to lead a Koran reading group. Is Islam a religion of peace that’s been hijacked by a small minority of extremists, as we’ve been told repeatedly by both liberals and conservatives? Or is there something essential to Islamic doctrine that inspires and purports to legitimize acts of terrorism, as we’ve heard from people like Wafa Sultan, Robert Spencer, and Geert Wilders? Find out for yourself. Start by reading the Koran.

Beginning on May 10 we will meet weekly (Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 or 6:30, PST), via the same platform I use to conduct my live webcasts, to discuss sections of the Koran. The platform allows for interaction via text-based chat, but also by voice using either a USB mic connected to your computer (VoIP) or telephone. We will read approximately 20 pages of the Koran per week, along with the corresponding commentary published by Robert Spencer. We’ll take the week of July 4th off, which will allow participants to celebrate the Declaration of Independence — the reason I am able to organize a reading group such as this — in the manner of their choosing. We will finish on September 6, several days before the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America. This will allow us a few days to plan an appropriate commemoration of that day, armed with our newfound knowledge.

The version of the Koran I plan to use is this relatively inexpensive one. Should you want to join the group, you will need to buy a copy of the Koran, plus pay a small fee ($20) to help me cover the cost of using the platform for the meetings. Space is limited, so if you would like to reserve your spot, click here to register.

Every Sunday I conduct a live webcast in which I discuss news and politics from the perspective of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism. This Sunday the webcast returns to its regular time, 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., PST.

If you would like to join in live, which includes the ability to participate via text chat and also via audio either by using a USB mic connected to your computer (VoIP) or by phone, then click here to register.

So far the topics I plan to discuss are: (1) The budget compromise: what do you think of it, morally and practically? A significant step in the right direction, given today’s context? Or an indication that the House GOP offers us no significant improvement over the Democrats? (2) Donald Trump: Serious candidate with promise, or arrogant grandstander with no real principles? What do we make of his use of eminent domain? What significance should we attach to the things for which his “apprentices” are rewarded on his T.V. show? (3) The media’s, politicians’, and military leaders’ comments on Terry Jones’s burning the Koran and the violent reaction to it in Afghanistan. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Join in live if you can; otherwise check back here or in iTunes to listen to the recorded podcast later. And, if you are enjoying the podcast in iTunes, please write a review there if you get a chance! Thanks!

1. Freedom of speech is so important that we must allow burning of symbols, even symbols considered sacred to an entire country or culture…well, unless that symbol is the Koran.

2. One must speak out against all acts of hatred and violence towards homosexuals…well, unless such acts are committed by Muslims.

3. The more criticism of religion, the better…well, unless the religion you are criticizing is Islam.

4. Subjugation, abuse, and unequal treatment of women will not be tolerated…well, unless…well, you know.

5. War is never the answer…well, unless the question is, “How can we help Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood bring about a more Islamically correct government in Libya while telling the world our purpose is to prevent a tyrant from attacking his own people?”

6. The more traditions one can break with, the better…well, unless they are traditions the Islamic Hadith tells us must be practiced, in which case we must accommodate them at taxpayer expense. See also here.

7. Separation of Church and State is an essential principle of our nation’s founding…but a little bit of Sharia never hurt anyone.

8. Tolerance is an essential virtue, one that should be possessed by all in civilized society…well, unless…oh hell!

9. Pedophilia is abhorrent and those who commit acts of pedophilia should be shunned, prosecuted, disgraced or boycotted…well, unless they happen to be Mohammed…or Roman Polanski.

10. Slavery is terrible. So terrible in fact that we must frequently remind Americans that, hundreds of years ago, the founders of their nation held slaves…But if slavery is found to still exist somewhere today, condoned by Islamic law, it should be largely ignored. (But see here.)

*This post was inspired by Time’s Joe Klein, who recently said that the act of Koran burning by Terry Jones was as “murderous as any suicide bomber’s.”

[UPDATE: For an exception to the above generalizations, check out Bill Maher, in an excerpt from last week's show.]