German commentators like to saddle up the hobby horse and criticize the sad state of affairs regarding race in the USA. To an extent, they're right to do so, because it is a sad state of affairs. But I'd also like to see them take a look at themselves, to go after the casual racism that is so alive and well in northern Europe, whether it's ( Read more... )

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It looks scary:


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Syracuse University`s Zachary Breiterman onn Charlie Hebdo and satire:


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If Kant's Enlightenment shouts "Dare to know!" the motto of postmodernism sometimes becomes "How dare you know!" This seems particularly apparent in certain deformations or abuses of postcolonial theory, hwere any strong claim to comparative, psychological, or historical knowledge is too often facilely framed as a form of "epistemological ( Read more... )

In short: stay the course. Take the high road. So it's tough? Then it's tough.

http://religiondispatches.org/here-we-go-again-what-to-say-about-islam-after-charlie-hebdo/

Both from Die Zeit. Christian Bangel asks "are we strong enough?" to resist hatred and reminds us to differentiate between Islam and Islamism. Jochen Bittner (who also has an English-language column in the NYT) points out "what Islam and the West have neglected," which is, he thinks, that Islam and Islamism are not so different after all, as far as ( Read more... )

Just about sums up my feelings about the whole thing:

http://www.der-postillon.com/2014/12/versehentlich-mitmarschierender-moslem.html

On the Nazi sympathies of the Swedish theologian who put Sefer Hekhalot, better known as 3 Enoch, on the map:

http://mystical-politics.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/hugo-odeberg-and-nazi-germany.html

"among whites" - it ain't pretty. Esp. disappointing is that one of the stories he recalls involves a racist metal-fan. sigh.

Germany and esp. Ostdeutschland still have a long ways to go.http://www.sueddeutsche.de/leben/alltagsrassismus-unter-