Presumptive nominee John McCain is back to his old ways -- speaking to La Raza and promising comprehensive immigration reform. Can conservatives trust McCain? Should we start a movement to dump him from the ticket? Let us know what you think.

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5/16/2008

Barack Hussein Obama has come unglued because of something President Bush said. In a speech to Israel's Knesset, Bush said... 

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Monday, May 19

Richard Collins - 9:30AM
Founder of the premier Hillary Clinton educational website StopHerNow.com Collins has declared StopHerNow.com’s mission accomplished and how now launched Stop-Him-Now.com to do the same to Sen. Obama.

FIND INFORMATION on how to carry The Lynn Woolley Show in your market.

LOGICAL ITEMS for Logical people. If it is not found here, it's not logical.

The Death of Talk Radio?
A politically-powerful liberal-left movement seeks to silence conservative media personalities. This book analyzes the threat from the perspective of veteran talk show host Lynn Woolley and media analyst and critic Cliff Kincaid.

Clear Moral Objectives
*Special Price*
Finally, here's a book that examines the nation's twelve big challenges in clear, logical terms -- no spin and no parsing of words.

The Last Great Days of Radio
*Special Price*
A mixture of humor, wit, and nostalgia, this memoir follows one radio career from a small station in a small market all the way to the largest radio newsroom in Texas -- and back again.

Wes Riddle's Horse Sense
October 1, 2007

The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar month, which makes a year some 11-13 days shorter than the Western calendar based on a solar year.  Therefore, holidays vary from year to year.  Moreover, Islam does not use Christ’s birth as a reference point for counting years; instead the calendar begins at the year of the Hijrah (also Hegira), the migration of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina in the seventh century.  The year 2000 roughly corresponds to the Islamic year 1420; currently we are in the Islamic year 1428 A.H.  Westerners joke with wry sense of humor, that the Middle East has medieval characteristics—naturally, since the calendar corresponds to Europe’s late Middle Ages! 

At any rate, things have changed and continue to change rapidly.  Saudi Arabia continues to be the most religiously conservative Islamic country, which is interesting since it has very few problems with Al Qaeda these days (not since the worst of it experienced in 2003-2004).  Remember that when you see or hear about the Hollywood movie due for release called, “The Kingdom.”  The cities of Riyadh and Qassim in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are conservative, even by Saudi standards.  Thirty years ago a Saudi could get beat to death if he smoked a cigarette openly on the streets in Qassim, but today Westerners shop there and go about their business with no sense of hostility towards them and no more fear of violence than if they were in a major American city. 

Incidentally, violent crime is actually less likely to happen in an Islamic city—an interesting point, since statistics show violent crime trending upwards again in the United States.  Of course, foreigners living or traveling in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East should certainly be aware when Ramadan occurs.  For the sake of cultural awareness, it isn’t a bad thing for all Americans to know at least what it is. 

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar year or Hijrah calendar.  It is the holiest month of the year for Muslims, and the sighting of the crescent moon marks the beginning of the month.  This year Ramadan began around 12 or 13 September and should end around 11 or 12 October.  Ramadan is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control.  Muslims think of it as a kind of “tune-up” for their spiritual lives.  Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Koran, charity, purifying one’s behavior and doing good deeds. 

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate and learning to be thankful and appreciative for all of God’s blessings.  The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun.  In between, during the daylight hours, Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and marital sex.  The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset.  Public eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum are prohibited even for foreigners during the daytime (children and persons in fragile health are exempt from fasting). 

Driving on the roads is particularly challenging, since people who are fasting and dehydrated aren’t the most alert of drivers—and after work, they sure head home in a hurry to get ready for iftar!  Mixed workplaces usually have Non-Muslim break areas, which are closed off, so as not to “tease” or tempt Muslims by doing things in front of them that they are supposed to refrain from doing. 

When Ramadan ends, Muslims celebrate with three days of feasting called Eid al Fitr.  These are the most important Islamic holidays all year.  During Eid al Fitr, extended families gather for feasting, people visit their senior relatives, and children receive gifts and wear new clothes.  It’s as close to Thanksgiving and Christmas as it gets in a Muslim country; and ironically, the spirit conveyed (and felt) is similar to a “Merry Christmas!” whenever someone says to you, “Eid Mubarek!” 

In recent years in the Middle East, Ramadan has been a focus for anti-western demonstrations, since it is a highly charged period of religious activity.  With the continued presence of U.S. military in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq, this Ramadan could be no different.  Western visitors are all generally told that if you’re humble, respectful and friendly toward others, you’ll probably be just fine.  Not bad advice wherever you are, whether it is Ramadan or Hanukkah
_____________________
Wesley Allen Riddle is a retired military officer with degrees and honors
from West Point and Oxford.  Widely published in the academic and opinion
press, he ran for U.S. Congress (TX-District 31) in the 2004 Republican
Primary.  Email: wes@wesriddle.com.