Magic Statistics

An Indonesian court heard yesterday that the Muslim men who beheaded three Christian schoolgirls regarded them as Ramadan trophies and that they formulated the idea after talking with jihadists in the Philippines.  The alleged ringleader and two others are now on trial in two separate proceedings; other suspects remain at large.

Javanese trader Hasanuddin appeared in Jakarta Central Court yesterday charged with planning and directing the murders in October last year. He faces a death sentence if found guilty under anti-terrorism legislation.

Hasanuddin allegedly returned from a visit to members of Philippines Islamist group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front with tales of how that organisation regularly staged bombings to coincide with Lebaran, the festival that ends the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He later spoke with a preacher in Poso, Central Sulawesi, about whether such a plan could work in Indonesia, but expressed doubt about whether it was appropriate.

However, after further discussion with friends, he decided that beheading Christians could qualify as an act of Muslim charity.
. . .
"It would be a great Lebaran trophy if we got a Christian. Go search for the best place for us to find one," Hasanuddin allegedly ordered his companion.

All defendants are charged under anti-terror legislation and face the death penalty if convicted.

The beheadings took place in Central Sulawesi, which is said to have become a jihad battleground.  Last month, three Central Sulawesi Christians were executed for killing Muslims.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world.  Some 88% of its 220 million people follow Islam.  Central Sulawesi, however, is divided about equally between Muslims and Christians.

h/t: Religion News Blog

When asked about their preferences among American politicians, Canadians typically prefer Democrats to Republicans by a wide margin.  So, most Canadians are probably celebrating yesterday’s results in the US elections.  Ironically, however, Americans have voted for the party that is more likely to enact protectionist trade policies that could damage Canada’s economy and cost Canadian jobs.

Free trade between Canada and the U.S. could resurface as a thorny issue after the Democratic party won an influential swath of Washington's political real estate Tuesday night, said a former ambassador to the United States and political adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Derek Burney, who was posted to Washington under Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney in 1989, said that on the issue of trade with Canada "there's not much good news" that can come from the election result because Democrats are more likely to bring a "protectionist" bent to their work in Congress, as opposed to Republicans who bring a "freer-trade mentality."

"Those lines are pretty blurry at the best of times, but despite the fact that Canadians seem to think that Democrats generally are closer to Canadians, on trade policy the situation is a bit different," said Burney, who organized Harper's transition to government after last January's federal election.

The Democratic Party’s power base is in the Northeastern states, many of which border on Canada.  Alan Gotlieb, Canadian Ambassador to the US during the 1980s, when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed, says that’s not good for Canada.

"What I'd call Gotlieb's law when I was down there is that the closer your constituency is to Canada the more anti-Canadian you're likely to be," he said from his Toronto law offices. "It's counterintuitive, isn't it?"

It remains to seen whether the Democratic-controlled House (and possibly Senate as well) will pass any protectionist trade bills.  Canadians can only hope that the Democrats do nothing to harm our economy.

Canada sells 84% of its exports to the United States.

Previous related posts:

• Canadian economy has flourished under free trade
• All regions of Canada have benefited from NAFTA

In one of the few Election Day bright spots for the GOP, Sarah Palin has won the Alaskan gubernatorial race for the Republicans.  Democratic candidate Tony Knowles campaigned on his eight years of experience in the governor's mansion (1994-2002), but the voters decided to go with Ms Palin's message of change.  She is the first woman to be elected Governor of Alaska and is set to be the youngest person ever to assume the office.

On a night of political upheaval across the country, Democrat Tony Knowles couldn’t stop the wave of anti-­establishment momentum that carried Palin from her small town roots in Wasilla, past incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the primary and into Alaska government’s top job.

With 98 percent of the precincts counted this morning, Palin had clinched the race with 48.7 percent of the vote to Knowles' 40.5 percent. Independent Andrew Halcro had 9.6 percent.

Palin, 42, claimed victory late Tuesday.

“All right! Are you ready for new energy for Alaska?!” Palin said at the Egan Convention Center late Tuesday, as supporters cheered wildly, shaking their red and white campaign signs.

Palin won with lukewarm support from her own party establishment. But by promising new energy and a fresh face, she whupped a well-known, longtime Alaska politician for the second time in a row.

Ms Palin will succeed Republican Frank Murkowski whom she trounced in the primary election.  She is married with four children.

One of her top priorities will be to push construction of a natural gas pipeline to bring gas from Alaska's North Slope to consumers in the Lower 48 states.  During the campaign, she stated her preference for an all-Alaska pipeline route over a route paralleling the Alaska Highway through Yukon and northern BC into Alberta.

The state's lone seat in the US House of Representatives was easily held by incumbent Republican Dan Young.  Republicans also retained control of both the state house and senate.

Previous related posts:

• Alaska state legislature sues lame-duck governor over natural gas contract
• Alaska gubernatorial candidate: Cut Canada out of gas pipeline

(Background: The United Church of Canada has launched an embarrassingly lame advertising campaign featuring a bobble-head Jesus on a car dashboard.)

Now we won't have to endure any more of those wretched, revolting, and utterly mindless attack ads on American television.  (We watch Detroit and Seattle stations via satellite.)

Someone has thought of one good outcome of yesterday’s Democrat victory.

The good news about Democrats taking the House is that we won't have to endure months and months of lawyering over election fraud and imagined disenfranchisement. Because when Republicans win, it's only by acts of thuggery and abuse. When Democrats win, it's because The People™ have spoken.

That is a relief.

h/t: On the Other Foot