As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, Anthony Shadid, now of The New York Times, is not only one of our best mideast correspondents, he’s also a deep chronicler of the evolution of political Islam. The central argument of his 2002 book Legacy of the Prophet: Despots, Democrats, and the New Politics of Islam was that even as the centrality of radical Islamic politics has grown in American eyes, there’s been a contrary evolution on the ground in the Middle East — toward a softer-edged political Islam, more comfortable with democratic norms and political pluralism. Shadid has a piece in the Times today revisiting this question, “Egypt’s Path After Uprising Does Not Have to Follow Iran’s.”
If you’re in DC on the 15th you may want to check Bad Romance: A Comedy Show About Love & Other Messy Stuff, a show put on by TPM fav Sara Benincasa and Hillary Buckholtz. Find out more about it here.
State Department releases statement on protests in Algeria.
We note the ongoing protests in Algeria, and call for restraint on the part of the security services. In addition, we reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including assembly and expression. These rights apply on the internet. Moreover, these rights must be respected. We will continue to follow the situation closely in the days ahead.
Pamela Geller, blogger and ardent opponent of the Park51 Islamic cultural center proposed for downtown New York City, tells attendees at CPAC that CPAC itself has been infiltrated by “Muslim Brotherhood activists.” Watch.
Bernie Avishai on why President Obama should present his own plan for an Israeli-Palestinian peace based on the Olmert-Abbas talks of several years past.
The AFL-CIO goes on TV with a new ad targeting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his efforts to rollback union collective bargaining rights and possibly call out the state National Guard on state workers.
The Postal Service Inspector General reports that postal employees are charging a bit too much porn on their company credit cards, in addition to other problematic charges.
Shirley Sherrod used the opportunity of CPAC to serve Andrew Breitbart with a suit for libel and slander.