The Yazidis, now, they predate Islam, and Christianity, and perhaps even Judaism, who knows. And the Mandaeans go back (at least) to John the Baptist.
I already explained to you how credible the “being overruled by his own parliament” is. Are you seriously trying to claim that the political parties in Jordan are anything other than regime-approved puppets? Why isn’t Jordan described as a democracy then if it has 30 political parties that can stand in elections?
My mistake. I thought they were an off-shoot of Gnosticism.
It’s possible that they may have been thought of as such.
Similarly, in Iran everyone has to have an ID listing their religion with the only allowed ones being “Muslim, Christian, Jew, or Zoroastrian”. Obviously, the Mandaens are none of those, but they’ve usually been classified as Christians, though recently the Iranian regime has started making trouble for them including making one of their largest community centers into a police station to show what they were thought of as.
That’s why they historically haven’t been persecuted the way the Ahmadis or the Bahai have been, though recently Muslim extremist in Iraq have been persecuting the Mandaeans causing them to flee in droves.
If you’re going to respond to me, please respond to what I actually wrote.
I never said Jordan was a democracy. A nation where the King can only be overruled by a two-thirds majority of Parliament is not a democracy.
My point was he isn’t a dictator because dictators don’t allow Parliaments to overrule them.
Finally, claiming that the Islamic Action Front is a “regime-approved puppet” is an extremely ridiculous statement.
Latest work from Mubarak: “If I resign today there will be chaos.”
“Will be”? Does he ever even look out his office window?
Just heard on NPR that Mubarak supporters are going around the streets editing the graffiti, so that “We Want To Try Mubarak” becomes “We Want Mubarak,” etc.
That has got to be the lamest, saddest thing in the history of revolutions.
I feel sorry for the supporter who has to edit the graffiti that says FUCK MUBARAK!..
OK, you wouldn’t assume his knowledge, Egyptian culture ain’t Kenyan culture, but what’s so complicated about it?
It just occurred to me that this also means there is nobody who has the authority to accept any compromise on the movement’s behalf, however reasonable. I.e., there is not anybody who can work out a deal with Mubarak (like he has to go now but Suleiman can be president until elections in September, or something), and then go back to the mob in Tahrir Square and say, “We’ve got a deal, you can all go home,” and they do.
Has this occurred to Mubarak?
Has anyone seen Downfall? As the Russians close in on Berlin, Hitler sits in his bunker in total denial of what’s happening, moving imaginary divisions around the map. Thinking of that, for some reason . . .
And, what do you know! So is Mubarak! 
Inevitable…
When you are a dictator and run a country and you spend all your time dealing with sycophants , it is difficult to imagine the people hate you. Every minute has people wanting to get your attention and perhaps be granted a favor. Mubarak had 30 years of it. He thought it was a right he could simply pass on to his son.
In one week, it all fell apart. I understand why he has trouble realizing how far he has fallen. If he was smart he would head straight to Switzerland and grab all the American tax money he has stashed, then move to America. If you have enough money in the US ,you can do whatever you want.
Well, now, it appears, there is “a still-unformed council of respected leaders from across Egyptian society” and the U.S. is trying to get the Egyptian army to bless talks between that council and Suleiman. We’ll see. It would have to get, you know, formed first.
I think the people’s negotiating council is going to have to include some people from the square, probably a couple of those “youths” that Suleiman seemed so exasperated by, if the process is to be accepted by the people “in the square” (figuratively and otherwise).
Because so many are talking as if this is an Islamic revolution and because the song is so fun, I direct you to this youtube of a guitar and sing along about Mubarak out, it is in Tahrir in Cairo :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahCwBBndlVY&feature=player_embedded
On a worrying note, someone blew upthe Egypt-Israel gas pipeline near El Arish, cutting off Israel’s foreign supply of natural gas. We were afraid something like this might happen.
Err, according to the wires it was the pipeline to Jordan, although Egypt has shut down all flow through the main line. On one of the channel, I forget which now, someone suggested this was the Bedouin in Sinai (who apparently hate the Egyptians?).
From CNN
Looks like a banal industrial accident, Sky news not normally being the types to miss a chance at sensationalism…