What's Worse? ... Drawing Knives or Drawing Muhammad?

Sweden court lets go 3 accused in artist kill plot

Three men charged with plotting to kill Lars Vilks, the Swedish artist who depicted Islam's Prophet Muhammad as a dog, were released Wednesday by a court ahead of its verdict announcement.

ABC
In a brief statement on the final day of the trial, the Goteborg District Court said the men, aged 24-26 and of Somali and Iraqi origin, were no longer in detention. It did not give any reasons for its decision, saying only that it will disclose more information when the verdict is announced on Jan. 20.

But typically such a decision means that the court either won't convict the defendant or that there is little, or no reason, for keeping a person detained for fear that the suspect might run away or destroy evidence.

Prosecutor Agnetha Hilding Qvarnstrom has accused the suspects of planning to stab Vilks at an art event in Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city.

The men carried knives when they were arrested on Sept. 10, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and an art gallery was evacuated in connection with the arrests. Vilks had written on his blog that he planned to visit the event, but did not attend that night.

Police originally treated the case as a terror investigation, but later re-labeled it a murder plot.

All three suspects have denied the charges.

Vilks' 2007 drawing led to several threats against him, including from the al-Qaida terror network, and rekindled a debate over free speech and Islam. Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.

For The Sake Of The Children, We Should Stay Together

Woman Set To Marry Her Rapist

EMIRATES24/7

AFGHANISTAN: A woman in Afghanistan, jailed for adultery after being raped and then pardoned and set free, sees herself forced to marry her attacker after her brothers are threatening to kill her and she has nowhere else to go.

Gulnaz, who does not know her exact age but is 20 or 21, has told her story in a quiet voice with her blue burqa pushed up over her face, as her baby daughter, the child of her rapist, played on the floor at her feet.

She has told the French newsagency AFP she will have to marry the man as she needs a father for her child and to give both of them a home.

The woman says she no other place to live as her brothers have vowed to kill her, her attacker and her daughter.

Gulnaz was freed from prison on Tuesday, two years after she was jailed for a so-called moral crime, being raped by her cousin's husband.

History's Lessons ... Don't Ally With Turks!

A Lesson From History:

Islam's China Wars-751 A.D-Battle of Talas

From Wikipedia:

The Battle of Talas (or Battle of Artlakh) (怛羅斯會戰) (معركة نهر طلاس) in 751 AD was an especially notable conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty (together with variously involved peoples and nations associated with the geographical territory involved) for control not only of the Syr Darya region, but even more. In fact, this battle marked the end of the western expansion to the territory of the Tang dynasty; and, also, reached a point never reached by prior or subsequent dynasties. Prior to this time, a series of military events had lead the Tang army further and further westward, during the course of which various cities and states were conquered or overthrown. On July 751, The Abbasids started a massive attack against the Chinese on the banks of the Talas river; the Arab army (200,000 Muslim troops according to Chinese estimates though these numbers are almost certainly exaggerated) met the combined army of 10,000 Tang Chinese and 20,000 Karluks mercenary (Arab records put the Chinese forces at 100,000 also an exaggeration). Out of 10,000 Tang troops, only 2000 managed to return from Talas to their territory in Central Asia. 

The Tang dynasty's defeat was due to the defection of Karluk mercenaries and the retreat ofFerghana allies who originally supported the Chinese. The Karluks forces, which composed two thirds of the Tang army, deserted the Chinese coalition and changed to the Muslim side while the battle was ongoing. With the Karluk troops attacking the Tang army from the rear and the Arab attacking from the front, the Tang troops were unable to hold their positions. The commander of the Tang forces, Gao Xianzhi, recognized that defeat was imminent and managed to escape with some of his Tang regulars with the help of Li Siye. Despite losing the battle, Li did inflict heavy losses on the pursuing Arab army after being reproached by Duan Xiushi. After the battle, Gao was prepared to organize another Tang army against the Arabs when the devastating An Shi Rebellion broke out in 755. When the Tang capital was taken by rebels, all Chinese armies stationed in Central Asia were ordered back to China proper to crush the rebellion[6]

The Chinese name Daluosi (怛罗斯, Talas) was first seen in the account of Xuanzang. Du Huan located the city near the western drain of the Chui River.[7] The exact location of the battle has not been confirmed but is believed to be near Taraz and Talas on the border of present day Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

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