In regard to tsunami relief, Jonathan's noticed one of the nastier yet essential truths of Islam: not all Muslims are created equal.

{...}you'll find some very rich countries who are doing next to nothing.

Take, for instance, Saudi Arabia ($10 million), Kuwait ($2 million), and Iran ($627,000). This, for their Muslim brothers and sisters? These are countries for whom wealth flows from the very earth which killed so many. The Saudi princes do not work or create. They shop and harvest. And yet here they stand again--they and the rest of the Middle East--sitting on their hands and expecting the rest of the world to take care of their Islamic brothers. How much is Islamic solidarity worth for Iran? About 16,000 barrels of oil.

That's fine, so far as it goes. It's their choice. But remember it the next time you hear a bin Laden tape blaming the West for the destruction of civilization. Remember it the next time you hear an Islamist imam castigating the Jews and infidels for defiling their lands. Remember it the next time you hear an al Jazeera story about how infidels are disrespecting Islam. Remember it the next time you hear how Islamic "solidarity" with other oppressed Muslims is what keeps this or that country from fully joining in on the war on terror.{...}

I can't tell you all the times the husband commented on how poorly Pakistani and Filipino guest workers were treated by their Kuwaiti hosts. They weren't spat upon, but they were definitely looked upon with disdain. It's the same with the Egyptians. The Indonesians are near the bottom of this Islamic totem pole, hence it's not surprising to me that Saudi, Kuwait and Iran aren't ponying up.

There is no such thing as a homogenous Islam. Which is one reason why we're not waist-deep in trouble where Bin-Laden is concerned. While Jonathan makes a good point in asking us to remember this lack of charitable cohesion the next time a call for Islamic Solidarity is shouted from the muzzein of Al-Jazeera, I have a feeling that our memories aren't the ones which will be called into play. Our remembrances will be the least of it. The majority of Indonesian Muslims, however, will remember keenly, and with great clarity, how little solidarity there actually is between Islamic Brothers.

After all, they've already got an axe against Wahhabism and have been grinding it for quite some time.

In the January, 2004 issue of Vanity Fair (unavailable online), Christopher Hitchens reported on the potential of Indonesia to become overrun with Islamic fundamentalists of the type who buy Osama's line of bull.

{...}At another meeting, three scholars from the Center for the Study of Islam and Society, headquartered at the Islamic State University in Jakarta, patiently explained their "inclusive" theology. All surveys showed, they told me, that most Indonesian Muslims are quite dutiful and observant. They fast and they pary and they keep the Ramadan rules and try to go on the hajj. "I am often attacked by extremists and hijackers of Islam," said Fu'ad Jabali, a fellow at the center, "because I studied in Montreal and London and had Jewish and Christian colleagues. But I can speak Arabic and quote the Koran---usually better than they can---and so I usually win the argument."

Nobody likes to make too much of it, because Indonesians are almost frighteningly polite and courteous, but a very distinct anti-Arab theme was one that I came to notice more and more. Rather like the Bosnians I met a few years ago, the local Muslims don't care to be lectured and browbeaten by bigots from the Arabian Peninsula, a place where hypocrisy is rampant. "They come to the poor districts here," said Jamhari Makruf, director of the center, "and say that they will build a mosque as long as they are allowed to appoint the imam. And then they try to impose Wahhabi indoctrination." It's an open secret that most of the Bali bombers went to the same religious school, or madrassa (the local name for madrassas is pesantren), a school founded by Abu Bakar Bashir, in point of fact, In pesantren like these, the main education on offer---aside from anti-american and anti-Semitic paranoia---is the mind-dulling, rote memorization of the Koran, in Arabic. And it's also well understood that there are pesantren paid for by Saudi petrodollars. "There is a saying here," I was told by Bambang Harymurti, editor in chief of Tempo. "If you see a snake and an Arab, take care of the Arab first." To this perhaps rather unattractive motto, he added, "The main problem for the United States is finding an exit strategy from Saudi Arabia."{...}

I'm fairly certain that Saudi Arabia has purposefully lowballed their relief donation in favor of contributing a larger sum later, which will be designated for the rebuilding of mosques and schools for their struggling Islamic brothers. The Saudis will come in when the rebuilding starts and will offer up mosques and schools, but, like before, there will be strings attached, all in the furtherance of Wahhabism. You know, Inshallah and all that.

It occurs to me that this, indeed, would be the time for all of those moderate Muslims to pony up some significant financial support. You know who I'm talking about, right? Those Muslims we hear nary a peep from when a westerner is beheaded in Iraq, but who still rant and rave about U.S. support for Israel and who, the minute they fear retaliation for something their extremist breathren did, scream, "Islam is a religion of peace!" You know, those guys and gals. It's time for them to step up to the plate. For the most part, Indonesia has rejected Wahhabism. So far. What better way to make sure it doesn't gain a foothold in the aftermath of the largest natural disaster ever to strike Indonesia than to allow the Indonesians to practice their own brand of Islam, using their own imams and their own teachers? Wouldn't that be the charitable thing to do? To put the money where their (proverbial) moderate mouths are?

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The Sudanese Government and the SPLA finally did the deal: after almost a year's worth of haggling, they finally signed a Cease Fire.

NAIROBI, Kenya - A peace accord ending Africa's longest-running civil war requires Sudan's government to withdraw at least 91,000 troops from the rebel-controlled south, a rebel official said Sunday, revealing new details of the deal signed last week.

The forces must pull out within 2 1/2 years, while a proposed government for the autonomous southern Sudan will field a separate army using its share of oil and tax revenues as well as international aid, rebel spokesman Samson Kwaje said.

{...} The rebels, meanwhile, have eight months to withdraw their forces from northern Sudan. They must pull out 30 percent of their fighters within four months of a signing ceremony scheduled for Jan. 9 in Kenya, said Ad'Dirdeiry Hamed, deputy Sudanese ambassador to Kenya.

The rebel pullout will cover the Nuba Mountains, land along the southern Blue Nile and Abyei, areas now held by the insurgents but which the government considers to be a traditional part of northern Sudan, Hamed said.

{...}Also, government and rebel forces each will contribute 20,000 troops to new, integrated army units. Rebels and the government also agreed to demobilize an unspecified number of troops, Kwaje said.

{...}Under the accord, Sudan will rewrite the constitution to ensure that Islamic law, or Sharia, is not applied to non-Muslims anywhere in the country, Kwaje said{...}

Hmmmmm.

The hairs on the back of my neck are calm but are still ready to twitch. Why? you ask? Well, it's worth noting that integrated Sudanese army units might prove a bad idea, as that's how the civil war got started when the Brits evacuated in 1956.

Yet, I remain cautiously optimistic that this will put an end to the war.

If for no other reason than this cease fire has finally cemented my timeline on the manuscript.

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