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POSTCARD USA: Hate merchants rule ok —Khalid Hasan

The variety of homo sapien Americanus known as the neocon is no less frightening than his jihadi counterpart that everyone, including Charlie’s aunt, is chasing after these days

Mindlessness has no religion, nor is it confined to a particular society. While no sensible person can have any illusions about the sanity of, say, Osama Bin Laden or his bearded cave-dwelling deputies (O where is James Bond now that he’s needed!), they have more than their matches in the good old USA.

As a matter of fact, the variety of homo sapien Americanus known as the neocon is no less frightening than his jihadi counterpart that everyone, including Charlie’s aunt, is chasing after these days. I present to readers of this column the darling of the American Right, a lady by the name of Ms Anne Coulter. Author of such classics How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must), Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the War on Terrorism and High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton. She continues to write despite a pie having been thrown at her some time ago. Onward Christian soldiers!

Ms Coulter authors a syndicated column — everybody seems to write a syndicated column in American journalism — which keeps the blood of such flag-waving Americans as adore her on the boil. And their numbers are large, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, down.

In order to get a taste of Ms Coulter’s approach to religion and international relations, let me quote what she wrote on September 12, 2001. “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” A few days later, the lady struck again. “Congress could pass a law tomorrow requiring that all aliens from Arabic countries leave. We should require passports to fly domestically. Passports can be forged, but they can also be checked with the home country in case of any suspicious-looking swarthy males.”

There is no dearth of admirers when it comes to Ms Coulter. For example, the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute conferred its annual conservative leadership award on her “for her unfailing dedication to truth, freedom and conservative values and for being an exemplar, in word and deed, of what a true leader is.” Even before 9/11, Ms Coulter was out there with her flaming sword. In an interview on June 20, 2001 she said, “God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, ‘Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It’s yours’.” To a disabled Vietnam veteran she said, “People like you caused us to lose that war.”

Princess Diana may have been mourned by the whole world but Ms Coulter was not impressed. This is what she said, “Her children knew she’s sleeping with all these men. That just seems to me, it’s the definition of ‘not a good mother.’ ... Is everyone just saying here that it’s okay to ostentatiously have premarital sex in front of your children?”... “(Diana is) ordinary and pathetic and confessional.”

Of President Clinton she once said, “If you don’t hate Clinton and the people who laboured to keep him in office, you don’t love your country.” She is a lady who likes rough justice. For instance, “I have to say I’m all for public flogging. One type of criminal that a public humiliation might work particularly well with are the juvenile delinquents, a lot of whom consider it a badge of honour to be sent to juvenile detention. And it might not be such a cool thing in the ‘hood to be flogged publicly’.” And why does she like President Bush” “The thing I like about Bush is I think he hates liberals.” You don’t say!

But since this is an even-handed column — whenever possible that is — here are a number of entries from the diary of British jihadist Zeeshan Siddique, nabbed in Pakistan last April (surprise, surprise). The New York Times reported that there is talk of publishing his diary under the title Hello, Allah? It’s Me, Siddique.

When the Pope died, Siddique wrote, “Allah will throw him in hell.” He was also cheered by the death of Prince Rainer of Monaco. Why, I don’t know. One entry called Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari “the dog of the hell fire” and President Pervez Musharraf, he called, “Satan”.

And if you thought he loved life in Pakistan, it weren’t necessarily so. He wrote that he was “constantly laughed at and ridiculed.” One can only hope Siddique is provided with pen and paper wherever he is to produce more colourful stuff.

Meanwhile, Islam-bashing goes on without let or hindrance. The publishers of the book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) claim that it is a bestseller. The repetition of sacrilege may not be sacrilege, as the saying goes, but I do not think either I or the readers of this newspaper will have the stomach for what that book contains. All one can ask for is “an ounce of civet” to sweeten the imagination. Kipling wrote that the Colonel’s lady and Judy O’Grady are sisters under the skin. By the same token Ms Anne Coulter and Zeeshan Siddique are siblings.

Khalid Hasan is Daily Times’ US-based correspondent. His e-mail is khasan2@cox.net

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