Religion & Roach Motels Redux

Revisiting my previous post, I can't decide which event is responsible for warming the cockles (see left for a reasonable facsimile) of my heart: the imminent release of "apostate" Abdul Rahman or that a long-held suspicion of mine, namely that Condoleeza Rice is a twat, might be true. Which to choose, which to choose?

1) It is leaked to the press that the charges against Abdul Rahman will be dropped (although this is still not confirmed). Mr. Rahman isn't innocent of course, only that "the case against Rahman had been thrown out on technical grounds and sent back to prosecutors to gather more evidence." Apparently the defendant's ready admission of his conversion, his professed willingness to die for his adopted faith, and his repeated requests for a Bible didn't provide the terra firma on which the prosecution could tread with confidence. It would seem that the prosecution thought that this legal mumbo jumbo would placate the country's hard-liners. Or if it didn't, they would see it as it is: a buckling to their western/infidel detractor which would result in a renewed need to make Islam more rigid than ever & to mount a counter-crusade against the Infidels. So it comes as no surprise to hear that "Death to Bush" is Number 1 with a bullet in the Top 10 chants screeched by some 700 protesters in Afghanistan. Plus ça change, baby. Here's hoping that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn't feel left out.

2) Reading Condoleeza Rice's responses to this incident has me scratching my head in puzzlement. When asked if American Christian missionaries should be encouraged to save souls in Afghanistan, she said, "I think that Afghans are pleased to get the help that they can get." Eh? Is she really suggesting that Afghanistan is interested in anything from the West except cash and technology? Is she being deliberately obtuse or naturally stunned? Or how about her comments that the U.S. needs to respect the sovereignty of that "young democracy" Afghanistan? Omigod, Condoleeza - let Abdul swing from the highest gibbet or protest but get that fence picket out of your ass . You can't have it both ways. But there is hope - there is a rumour afoot, that Ms. Rice may throw her hat (or her '70's Mary Tyler Moore hairdo) in the ring and apply for the post of Commissioner for the National Football League. Wow! - Secretary of State to NFL Commissioner. Why not? Since the Buffalo Bills will never win the Super Bowl, there's probably not much damage she can actually do. Best of luck. I'm sure that the NFL is "pleased to get the help that they can get".

On second thought, my cockles aren't as toasty as I had first thought, maybe just room temperature. What a better world we would live in if the Afghan authorities had released Abdul after much soul-searching, deep introspection, open dialogue - culminating with a universally-embraced consensus to not kill people because of their chosen god, goddess, or Coke bottle from the sky. He's being released for all the wrong reasons: it's a sweet victory for Mr. Rahman but a pyrrhic victory for Islam. And *sigh*, Condoleeza has apparently ruled out her move from the Big Leagues to the - uh, Big Leagues. Damn - and I was feeling so good there for a while.