Posted on Jan 30, 2005
Until relatively recently, Portugal’s experience with democracy hadn’t been any more successful than say, Iraq’s.
Matters changed with a bloodless and popularly supported coup in 1974 , (without, it must be said, any help from coalitions of trigger-happy foreign troops or bomb-crazy insurgents). However, the path to an effective democracy was a long and rocky one requiring much hard work and constant vigilance by the Portuguese people. Some say that it wasn’t until 1987 that Portuguese democracy achieved maturity.
Anyway, it’s a lovely peaceful place now where they make excellent custard tarts (natas) and where it’s warm, even in January.
Posted on Jan 27, 2005
I was sitting down watching the coverage about the release of the latest Brummie Guantanamo victim, specifically Azmat Begg talking about his son Moazzem, when my mom chirped up with the following revelation.
Apparantly, in a bungalow just around the corner from my mom’s house, there once lived a little old Pakistani woman. She was in her 90s, according to my mom, and a frail but independant and very pious woman, indeed she had been to the ‘Hajj’ many times already and she constantly prayed for her family. They would meet each other out in the neighbourhood and exchange greetings as good neighbours do.
One day there was a knocking on my mom’s door and upon opening it my mom found the little old lady standing there in a distressed state. Naturally, she was ushered in and seated and given a cup of tea. When she had calmed down she told my mom of her woes – some youths had been relentlessly harrasing her at her bungalow and she was at her wits end – she was frightened, (she lived alone), and had come to my mom for help.
My mom got hold of my brother and he called the police. When they appeared they asked a lot of questions and found out as much as they could and then eventually made an arrangement that would get the police over to the little old lady’s bungalow as soon as there was a sign of trouble from these sick youths.
And that’s it as far as that anecdote goes! A little old lady was helped out by a good neighbour and an understanding local police. So what was the Guantanamo connection? – the little old lady was Moazzem Begg’s grandma.
Posted on Jan 7, 2005
Of course everything pales into insignificance but still…
Hot on the heals of November’s religiously motivated xtreme film criticism by a Dutch Muslim and following barely a month after a bit of (sadly successful) play picketing by hundreds of Birmingham Sikhs comes the latest in holy hotheadedness by British Christians protesting against, of all things, Jerry Springer – The Opera.
For heavens sake get a grip (and while you’re at it grab a life!). It’s the 21st Century goddamit!
It’s as if for a brief period of about 40 years anyone in the free world, with the courage to do so, had a chance to express themselves in whatever way they chose, undoubtably offending others while doing so but nobody’s forcing anyone to watch are they!? I really fear that a sliding door of opportunity may be shutting up.
I bet when these writers created their works they didn’t expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition …
[JARRING CHORD]
[The door flies open and Cardinal Ximinez of Spain [Palin] enters, flanked by two junior cardinals. Cardinal Biggles [Jones] has goggles pushed over his forehead. Cardinal Fang [Gilliam] is just Cardinal Fang]
Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise…. Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and ruthless efficiency…. Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency…and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope…. Our *four*…no… *Amongst* our weapons…. Amongst our weaponry…are such elements as fear, surprise…. I’ll come in again.
[The Inquisition exits]
– from “The Spanish Inquisition” (Monty Python)
