Muhammed Idrees Ahmad
The Spittoon have a post by about a nut called Muhammed Idrees Ahmad. Along with Professor David Miller of the University of Strathclyde, Ahmad runs a website called “Neocon Europe”
Neocon Europe is a wiki which aims to provide a:
“guide to Neoconservatives in Europe, including transatlantic propaganda networks from the Cold War to the War on Terror.”
That is a rather grand description of the website. If you look at the ‘recent edits‘ page, you will see that Neocon Europe consists significantly of Ahmed’s’ own fixation with two blogs: Harry’s Place and The Spittoon.
Here’s a taste of Ahmed’s criticism of Harry’s Place:
While proprietors of the website insist on identifying themselves as ‘pro-war Left’, other than the ritual invocations of George Orwell’s name, and sporadic use of the word ‘comrade’ there appears to be little on the website that would merit this designation. Left icons such as Noam Chomsky, Tony Benn, John Pilger, and even Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara are subjected to casual abuse by its writers. The Guardian’s Seumas Milne has been another frequent target (creatively labeled ‘the Stalinist, Seauauauamuas Milne’)
Imagine! Criticising St Che!!
Part of the fun of the rough and tumble of blogging is the joshing between blogs. Therefore, I have absolutely no problem with websites mounting critiques of the views of the writers at Harry’s Place or other blogs, websites or writers. There is, for example, a website called Christopher Hitchens Watch, run by a nutter and a conspiracy theorist. Then there is another website called Christopher Hitchens Watch Watch, devoted to watching, erm, the CHW website. See also Media Watch and Media Watch Watch. These projects are essentially no more than ”a bit of fun”: written by blokes to entertain themselves and their friends.
By contrast, Neocon Europe presents itself as the culmination of what purports ot be serious academic research:
The project is directed by David Miller. Much of the research originates from Phd projects being undertaken by Tom Griffin and Idrees Ahmad at the University of Strathclyde, together with additional research and information supplied by a small number of others.
It should therefore be judged by the more rigourous standards applicable to pieces of academic research. Frankly, it falls rather short.
Back to Ahmad. The Spittoon article concludes:
Reviewing the sum total of Mohammed Idrees Ahmad’s writings (and there are many more not listed here) reveals him to be a poor man’s Asghar Bukhari; a rotten anti-Semite who sees conspiracy and intrigue everywhere.
You will need to read The Spittoon piece in full for an evaluation of Muhammed Idrees Ahmad’s politics.
However, this tells me all I need to know about the man. Ahmed is a supporter of the antisemite, Gilad Atzmon: a man who believes that the Protocols of the Elders of Zion accurately depict the reality of contemporary Jewish power, and that Communist anti-Zionists who identify as Jews are in fact crypto-Zionists who are pushing the Jewish power agenda.
Here is Ahmed’s email of support to Atzmon.
Here is Ahmed’s signature on the petition defending Atzmon from ‘defamation’ by the ‘Zionist’, Tony Greenstein.
There are some people who are wholly preoccupied by “Zionists”, “Neocons”, the “Israel Lobby” and their networks of power and influence who are not in fact Jew haters. However, once you’ve started signing petitions attacking Tony Greenstein and supporting Gilad Atzmon, it is probably fair to say that you have crossed the line.
Gene adds: They’ve put an impressive amount of time and effort into “watching” us.
Comments
| 10 August 2009, 4:05 pm |
The list of neocons for the UK includes not only Harry’s Place, Oliver Kamm, Martin Bright, Marko Attila Hoare, and Melanie Phillips but also George Galloway!
http://www.neoconeurope.eu/Category:UK
This seems to be stretching the notion of a neocon somewhat.
| 10 August 2009, 4:14 pm |
Miller is a fruitlooper as well, who sees neocons under his bed (see his website).
He also intends to assist Osama Saeed
| 10 August 2009, 4:22 pm |
I see David T and the Telegraph (in its entirety) are on the list.
However I wonder if this overlaps perhaps with the invaluable work done by the people at JewWatch?
B xx
| 10 August 2009, 4:24 pm |
Excellent, still getting under the skins of all the right people. The site considers mentioning a history of anti-Semitic comment to be ’silencing critics’.
| 10 August 2009, 4:33 pm |
In relation to “Tehrani”, all I did was pointed out that the Guardian had themselves decided that her comments were antisemitic and had deleted them.
God, they’re utter loons aren’t they?
| 10 August 2009, 4:41 pm |
‘There are some people who are wholly preoccupied by “Zionists”, “Neocons”, the “Israel Lobby” and their networks of power and influence who are not in fact Jew haters.’
Really? I wouldn’t be too sure about that.
It SHOULD be a great source of shame to the Western world in particular that even whilst the atrocities of WW2 are within living memory and there are still survivors of that persecution alive to bear witness, anti-Semitism did not die out with the defeat of the Nazis.
It should be an equally great source of shame that British universities (and indeed other British instiutions) harbour bigoted anti-Semites who propogate racist conspiracy theories under the guise of ‘free speech’ and academic research.
The doctrines of so-called ‘progressive’ anti-Zionism are indistinguishable from racism and whilst they may possibly the only kind if racism which is socially acceptable in Britain today, they should be morally repulsive to anyone with even the smallest of concerns for the future of this society.
| 10 August 2009, 4:52 pm |
Lets not be equivocal about this guy. He thinks Hassan Nasrallah’s speeches ‘remain grounded in fact’ and thinks the US Holocaust Museum is involved with the Save Darfur Coalition to perpetuate the conflict in order to keep attention off Israel.
| 10 August 2009, 4:54 pm |
Does this constitute Miller and Ahmad’s academic work? It certainly is presented as if it is.
Who the fuck is this guy anyhow – Professor of Blog Studies?
| 10 August 2009, 5:01 pm |
I must here agree with Israelinurse
Who the fuck is this guy anyhow – Professor of Blog Studies?
Indeed. You’d have thought he’d be from Paisley Tech rather than a semi-proper university. Disgraceful.
| 10 August 2009, 5:04 pm |
You are David Kerr, Ven, and I claim my five pounds!
| 10 August 2009, 5:14 pm |
I’m beginning to think that Harry’s Place is involved in a nightmare conspiracy. Surely I will wake up in a moment and realise with relief that it’s all just a ghastly dream.
Alice in Horror Land. British Universities and institutions full of ghouls of all colours. Or are they clones from another planet who want to take over our world?
Ghastly to think that all this obsession with Zionism and Jews is fortuitous. If Israel and the Jews did not exist they would dig their claws into some other scapegoat.
Is it partly the fault of our society that such creatures have arisen?
After all it was capitalism that spawned communism and fascism by drawing rural peoples en masse into the big cities. Big subject.
| 10 August 2009, 5:15 pm |
Who the fuck is this guy anyhow – Professor of Blog Studies?
I know – I mean, i can’t think of any other academics at post-92 universities who run online vanity projects about ‘liberal interventionism’ and who present them as serious research…
I’d have a lot more time for that spitoon ‘report’ if it didn’t spend a good deal of its wordcount baselessly insulting him with things like ‘undersexed’. adds no value whatsoever.
| 10 August 2009, 5:15 pm |
Congratulations Harry’s P.
Lively debate & lots of people who recognize evil nutters & are not scared to
identify them, even if they call themselves “LeftvWingers”.
| 10 August 2009, 5:17 pm |
I subscribe to everything Israelinurse says, as often.
| 10 August 2009, 5:19 pm |
Now, now ‘windter’ where have I ‘baselessly’ insulted Idrees? Do tell.
| 10 August 2009, 5:21 pm |
How timely! I covered that very site a few days ago.
One of their selection methods is
“Pro-Israel and Zionist strands other than those allied to neoconservatism”
Basically, anyone that doesn’t hate Israel or Israelis.
As that site includes both the name and addresses of some people there might be a case against them under the Data Protection Act.
| 10 August 2009, 5:23 pm |
caling him undersexed? as i said in my post…
| 10 August 2009, 5:26 pm |
I subscribe to everything Nursey says, as always.
I suspect that had this been written in the tone of an Economist article, Windter would be declining to grace it with his approval.
| 10 August 2009, 5:28 pm |
That’s one word out of more than 2000. Any other examples? You say I spend a ‘good deal’ of the word count making ‘baseless’ accusations. What was baseless?
| 10 August 2009, 5:29 pm |
there’s a lot of other stuff about him being nuts, too.
if you’re happy with ‘reports’ that groundlessly insult the people they’re meant to be about, then fine. but if so, you’re as bad as each other.
| 10 August 2009, 5:39 pm |
no worries. care to explain why you called him ‘undersexed’?
| 10 August 2009, 5:47 pm |
Much of the research originates from Phd projects being undertaken by Tom Griffin and Idrees Ahmad at the University of Strathclyde
You don’t wanna mess with these mental giants! Phd, noch! Its even better than an “-ology”. “University”? These guys must have “A” Levels or something like “highers” and that stuff.
“Strathclyde”, its the “Oxford/Cambridge/Harvard” of Great Britain’s Northern territories.
If these guys are onto Harry’s Place you can bet we’re sunk! Doomed I say! Doomed! Capt Mainwaring!
“I told you Ahmad, NO sugar, strong and milky. get it right or you’ll be back flippin burgers”
(Felt I needed to vent a little cruel back)
| 10 August 2009, 5:49 pm |
I love the entry for Gene:
“Gene Zitver is an Israeli-American who blogs at Harry’s Place.”
Booooooo! Israeli and American and blogs at Harry’s Place – he’s clearly beyond the pale; no need to even bother about what he’s written then!
| 10 August 2009, 5:49 pm |
And this is a PhD?
| 10 August 2009, 5:53 pm |
As a “Professor”, Miller presumably has research interests which he seeks public grants to pursue, anyone like to let us know what they are?.
| 10 August 2009, 5:59 pm |
And this is a PhD?
Welcome to the liberal fulfillment of the Gramscian project.
Wonder if they have any links to the “Glasgow Media Group”?
| 10 August 2009, 6:00 pm |
You can read about Miller here:
| 10 August 2009, 6:01 pm |
I always suspected Gene was a Neocon. At last, I have the proof at my fingertips without having to scroll through those old posts looking for Flanker’s comments.
| 10 August 2009, 6:04 pm |
Morgoth, I believe so (quite unsurprisingly enough).
| 10 August 2009, 6:05 pm |
Just looked him up – anyone care to hazard a guess on what Terrorlogy is?
Mrs Ben
David Miller is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Geography and Sociology at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow Scotland and the co-founder of Spinwatch a website publishing public interest reporting on spin, deception and lobbying.
David is widely known for his writings on propaganda, spin and lobbying as well as for his expertise on ‘terrorism’, and international conflict, global power-politics and the Scottish political scene. He is often called upon by the news media as a commentator on media issues and regularly writes for popular media outlets.
He is an advisor to the BRussels Tribunal on Iraq, the Centre for Investigative Journalism based at City University, London, the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) and UKWatch and a member of Naspir. He moderates the Media Watch e-mail list and maitains pages on various social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Ma.gnolia, Photobucket, Delicious, Stumbleupon , Twitter, LinkedIn, and Technorati.
Editorial Work
David is on the Editorial board of Journalism Studies, Critical Studies on Terrorism and Corporate Communications: An International Journal as well as the editorial committee of the Scottish Left Review.
Research Networks
In the Department of Geography and Sociology David is the Research Director and heads the research cluster on Globalisation, Communication and Democracy .
David is the convenor of the Public Interest Research Network which is a collaborative research organisation involving more than one hundred researchers in and outside academia who work together to produce research in the public interest.David also co-convenes three working groups as part of the Public Interest Research Network, one on Neoliberal Scotland the second jointly with Doug Stokes of Naspir which focuses on Terrorism ‘expertise’, the Consortium for Research on Terrorlogy and Political Violence .
The third, on Science Communication and Management, focuses on the pressures on natural and social science under neoliberalism and the communication of science issues.
Research interests
His current research interests include propaganda and the ‘war on terror’, corporate communications, corporate power, lobbying, the strategic use of science, corporate influences on academic work, spin and the decline of democratic governance. He is currently working on a project on terror experts.
PhD supervision
David supervises a range of engaged doctoral students working on critical media theory, lobbying, think tanks, Freedom of Information, the Sociology of Corporate Power, intellectuals and power and international politics, especially in relation to war and terrorism. David encourages prospective PhD students to get in touch directly, though he is particularly interested in supervising topics related to the following areas:
| 10 August 2009, 6:08 pm |
Bob-B, there’s a mistake on Miller’s page.
http://gs.strath.ac.uk/content/view/96/112/
David Miller is widely known for his writings on propaganda, spin and lobbying as well as for his expertise on ‘terrorism’
should read:
David Miller is widely known for his writings of propaganda, spin and lobbying as well as for his ‘expertise’ on terrorism
Idrees, if you’re watching/reading, please tell Prof Miller to update his own profile page before he worries about the neocons. Thanks.
| 10 August 2009, 6:19 pm |
The problem with their list is that it incorporates everyone from Conrad Black, the Reuben Brother to Paul Anderson, and as much is fairly meaningless.
| 10 August 2009, 6:26 pm |
“There are some people who are wholly preoccupied by “Zionists”, “Neocons”, the “Israel Lobby” and their networks of power and influence who are not in fact Jew haters.”
Who for example?
The very idea of placing “neo-con” next to Jew is a sign of antisemitism.
Are there people preoccupied (obsessed) with Blacks who are not racists?
| 10 August 2009, 6:38 pm |
“Left icons such as Noam Chomsky, Tony Benn, John Pilger, and even Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara are subjected to casual abuse by its writers”
Hahahahahahahahahaha!
That is so sad.
| 10 August 2009, 6:40 pm |
What Israelinurse said. Lots of footnotes, no attempt to engage with the subject matter. How well he learns from the heroes he lists. Superb job, the Arabian Neocon.
| 10 August 2009, 6:52 pm |
Why was my comment deleted? I have the right to engage with antisemitic shit at its level.
| 10 August 2009, 7:04 pm |
George Galloway, a neocon? Guffhaw!
I guess his perfunctory denouncements of some antisemitism (but never of genocidal antisemites like Nasrallah) got under this nutter’s skin.
Someone who has time for this nonsense let me know how good my guess it, I have no intention of reading the site.
| 10 August 2009, 7:17 pm |
Goodness, he’s studying in a Department of Geography and Sociology – whatever next, English Literature and Physics?
| 10 August 2009, 7:28 pm |
Hay Ahmad are you on this one yet, you old Phd?
Jews responsible for Swine and Bird flu http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1106530.html
(Oh and obviously England’s cricket collapse and Mrs Madeline Murgatroyd of East Cheam with her grazed knee after slipping in a pot-hole in the road).
| 10 August 2009, 7:34 pm |
Goodness, he’s studying in a Department of Geography and Sociology – whatever next, English Literature and Physics?
Diploma in Fries & Big Mac’s from McDonalds University?
| 10 August 2009, 8:12 pm |
The academic rigour is notably absent from a project which purports to be academic in nature. For example, the article on HP says we paint Mehdi Hasan as a “closet Islamist” and this claim is footnoted with a link to an article which makes no such claim. In fact, it was noted in the series on Mehdi Hasan that he was *not* an Islamist.
So I think this chap just makes things up. Hopefully this wiki isn’t part of his PhD thesis or something…. unless its in Psychology and this is part of a group dynamics experiment on the effects of propaganda. Perhaps his research involves collating and analysing the responses of people he tells lies about.
| 10 August 2009, 8:44 pm |
All well and good that we can see through this guy like a piece of clingfilm, but it doesn’t change the fact that once he gets his PhD he’ll probably go on to advise some government think tank or commission on extremism or even to teach a new generation of students. These people may be batty, but they’re also potentially dangerous if, as academics, people actually think they know what they’re talking about.
| 10 August 2009, 11:43 pm |
Does anyone know which university David Miller attended? His CV is conspicuously lacking in any details whatsoever of his academic qualifications. I scent the Glasgow Media Group – an arriviste group of academics I know something about from my former incarnation as consort of a leading Marxist Sociology professor (and having myself a sociology degree – something I try to keep under wraps).
| 11 August 2009, 2:07 am |
Spectrum @ 7:34 pm
Jews responsible for Swine and Bird flu http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1106530.html
Désirée Rover could possibly be right about Rothschild and Kissinger -but she’s included Rockefeller and Brzezinski among the Jews responsible for the pandemic – that’s just not fair.
| 11 August 2009, 4:37 am |
Say what you like about Adam Curtis but at least during ‘The Power of Nightmares’ he produced a concise definition of Neo-Con and pretty good one too. This attempt at a wiki (the BSG one makes this well under half arsed) seems instead to operate on the following:-
You are a neo-con if….
you don’t particular thirst after the ‘end’ of Israel
you think a particular brand of theocrats are bad (If Christo-fundies are your bag, don’t worry)
you thought removal of tyrants a good thing in and of itself.
you would prefer not to see a repeat of the holocaust.
| 11 August 2009, 4:47 am |
Ps. Morgy
‘Welcome to the liberal fulfillment of the Gramscian project.’
The most successful users of Gramscian meta-politics after his rediscovery have been the Neo-Liberals and the Ultra-Nationalists post sixities. The left are pretty much useless at it now.
| 11 August 2009, 8:14 am |
Goodness, he’s studying in a Department of Geography and Sociology
andym
Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Geography isn’t just about remembering the names of capitol cities anymore you know.
| 11 August 2009, 10:57 am |
Muhammed err someone and Professor what’s his name (sorry forgot already)
There are so many assholes around these days I have difficulty keeping up with the play. Two more Jew Hating conspiracy freaks in a world increasingly inhabited by Jew Hating conspiracy freaks, welcome back to the 1930’s folks.
| 11 August 2009, 2:28 pm |
I scent the Glasgow Media Group
Click on this link and scroll down to the article.
| 11 August 2009, 8:40 pm |
DavidT
“In relation to “Tehrani”, all I did was pointed out that the Guardian had themselves decided that her comments were antisemitic and had deleted them.
God, they’re utter loons aren’t they?”
Guardian deletes comments without ever stating on CIF the reason that they were antisemitic.
Odd that 2 years later someone had a copy of those deleted comments?
Further Matt Seaton the CIF editor in an email to another blog stated he did not believe them to be anti-semitic.
http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2008/10/toube-or-not-toube-that-is-question.html
Running witchhunts against those who oppose Israeli government or you disagree with, is your specialism!
Outing of DavidT
http://neilclark66.blogspot.com/2007/10/outing-of-david-t.html
| 11 August 2009, 8:40 pm |
DavidT
“In relation to “Tehrani”, all I did was pointed out that the Guardian had themselves decided that her comments were antisemitic and had deleted them.
God, they’re utter loons aren’t they?”
Guardian deletes comments without ever stating on CIF the reason that they were antisemitic.
Odd that 2 years later someone had a copy of those deleted comments?
Further Matt Seaton the CIF editor in an email to another blog stated he did not believe them to be anti-semitic.
http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2008/10/toube-or-not-toube-that-is-question.html
Running witchhunts against those who oppose Israeli government or you disagree with, is your specialism!
Outing of DavidT
http://neilclark66.blogspot.com/2007/10/outing-of-david-t.html
| 11 August 2009, 9:48 pm |
What a disgusting individual, linking to a blog by a disgusting “expert” referring to another virtual sewer. Outing of David T? How long did that take, two seconds?
As David T says, utter loons.
| 11 August 2009, 10:17 pm |
DavidT saying “utter loons” of “Fuck off” does not answer any points raised, only exposes DavidT’s witch-hunting tactics and hollowness of his claims!
My work here is done.
HP’ers, do read the piece in full at The Spittoon – and be sure to comment too. Let Idrees know we’re on to him.
http://www.spittoon.org/archives/2192