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Sunday, January 01, 2006

The Strange and Curious World of Mr Oliver Kamm

The incredibly self-regarding Oliver Kamm seems quite upset that I (in common with other reviewers) couldn't find anything good about his new book in my review for The Daily Telegraph yesterday. He writes on his blog that I have sent 'peevish' emails to him, Nick Cohen and David Aaronovitch- but neglects to tell his readers what the emails contained- a very simple question as to whether as pro-war writers they had any plans to join the Territorial Army- which is urgent need of new recruits. Nearly a month on, the only lap-top bombadier to have replied to the question is David Aaronovitch-I'm still waiting to hear from Kamm.
So come on Oliver- when you have a spare moment from your bond trading/ writing 'left-wing' pro-war polemics- please give us an answer! We would like to know!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you ever volunteer for the JNA?

Anonymous said...

Damn you, first commenter, you beat me to the obvious jibe.

P.

Normal Mouth said...

http://normalmouth.blogspot.com/2006/01/kamm-down-neil.html

Anonymous said...

No, I did not volunteer for the JNA for the simple reason that I was not/am not a citizen of Yugoslavia. But if I had been I would have had no hestitation in signing up-to defend my country against those who wished to destroy it.

Anonymous said...

Given that NC would like his simple question answered may I ask him to answer the simple questions put to him by Venichka on 8 Dec at Harry's Place which he never bothered to answer.

1) How many Mosques on the territory of what is now "Republika Srpska" in 1990?

2) How many now? (and, for good measure, given that all 16 were destroyed in Banja Luka, when exactly did the front line of the war reach that city?)

In fact for good measure - repeat the above two questions with regard to Roman Catholic Churches.
(The question about Banja Luka can apply again, too)


And may I also ask his response to the charge that, with regard to Alija Izetbegović, he is

"just recycling long-discounted Serb nationalist propaganda.

Izetbegovic was never a member of the SS during WW2. He was a member of the Young Muslims, a Bosniak nationalist movement, some of whom joined the SS 'Handzar' division in order to fight the Chetniks, then revolted and shot their officers as soon as they were sent to France.

You've both misquoted Izetbogovic and taken him out of context - the quote I believe you refer to is "there can be neither peace nor coexistence between the Islamic faith and non-Islamic social and political institutions" - this refers to societies under Islamic rule only, which he never viewed as a possible future for Bosnia. ("Bosnia should be a secular state. A non-secular Bosnia would be terror - Alija Izetbegović for "Start BiH Magazine", Sarajevo")"

http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2005/12/08/take_that_.php

Given that this information was given to him on 9 Dec, what is the reason for repeating his falsehoods in his review of Kamm's book published on 31 Dec?

Anonymous said...

Unlike certain neo-conservative writers I can mention- I do answer 'simple' questions.
Regarding 1, or 2- are you implying that in some way I support/supported the destruction of mosques in the former Yugoslavia? Re, the neo-conservative's favourite Islamist- Alija Izetbegovic was a recruiting agent for the SS Handzar division in WW2 and his views on society and Islam are there for all to read in his 'Islamic Declaration' and also in 'Islam Between East and West'. Your attempts to portray a man who wrote 'having the right to govern its own world, Islam clearly excludes the right and possibility of putting a foreign ideology into practice on its territory. There is thus no principle of secular government and the State must express and support the moral principles of religion'- as a secularist icon really is quite laughable.

Anonymous said...

Something that may interest Neil...

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007681

Anonymous said...

Neil, in Harry's Place on 8 Dec you defined fascists as those who:

"destroy the religious symbols and places of worship of other faiths;

...

murder people for being citizens of a country which they consider to be hostile to (their ideology)."

You linked such practices to "neo-cons fascists" but surely it is entirely legitimate to point out that Karazdic et al engaged in EXACTLY these practices and are therefore fascists as defined by you. The question on Banja Luka was (clearly, I thought) intended to show that the neo-cons you despise were fighting against fascism - by your own definition.

With regard to Alija Izetbegović, the charge from Harry's Place, which I repeated, was that you had invented a quote from him by morphing

"there can be neither peace nor coexistence between the Islamic faith and non-Islamic social and political institutions" - ("Bosnia should be a secular state. A non-secular Bosnia would be terror - Alija Izetbegović for "Start BiH Magazine", Sarajevo")

into

'no connection between Islamic and non-Islamic institutions'

If you have a source for the quote then please give it and this matter at least is settled in your favour. If not, then you should recognise that no matter how right you think you are you are not allowed to invent quotes to try prove it.

I thought that the question put to you on this matter, one of shoddy scholarship, was perfectly clear.

Finally, I put the questions of others from Harry's Place inside quotation marks and asked you to answer; how exactly do you know what my own opinions are given that I never told you?

Neil Clark said...

Come on 'anonymous' ! if you want to engage in some questions and answers- why are you hiding your identity?

Anonymous said...

I've no idea who 'Anonymous' is, but I'm that's my Harry's Place comment he's been quoting. Feel free to argue with me all you want, Neil.

With regard to your recent emails to Kamm, etc, you might like to know that until I left to work in Sarajevo, I used to be a memeber of the TA. Do I win a prize?