"Islamists may be building a death star.." Topic

"Khorasan", the name of a freshly minted Islamist group who hate our freedom, sounded familiar and a google search turned up this revealing 2011 document. Gentlemen, we may be fighting the Dark Jedi in Syria and Iraq. Are they building a Death Star?

"The Jedi Temple is located on the planet of Coruscant, the name of which evokes the idea of the heart ("cœur" in French) or core, especially since the planet is literally at the center of Lucas' Galactic Republic. Remarkably, the name Coruscant when pronounced is indistinguishable from Khorasan, the land of origin of the Bektashi Order's founder. Given the identity of the Ottoman Janissaries as "Sons of Hajji Bektash," certain similarities between the Jedi and Janissaries do not appear to be without foundation. For example, Anakin Skywalker is brought as a child to the Jedi Council in a manner recalling the devshirme with its Bektashi patronage. His career as a Jedi in the service of the Republic may also be seen to approximate the service of a Janissary in the Ottoman state, which included the expectation of celibacy – at least for a time – and the abandoning of familial ties that might compromise loyalty."

PDF link

… oh, no. They have the Farce on their side.

May they rest in very small pieces, Amen.

Corazon is Spanish for heart, and is used as a term of endearment between lovers, approximating to darling – and also as a girl's name.

These are not the little darlings you seek

My older-than-George-Lucas dictionary lists "coruscant" as meaning "shining; glittering"….

Lucas is in the habit of using words that aren't commonplace, and assuming that nobody will recognize them. Coruscant, Calamari, Sidious (insidious), Ki-Adi-Mundi (coatimundi)… I could go on.

Speaking of Calamari: Star Wars has Admiral Akbar. Muslims have Allah Akbar. Coincidence?

Dear CKE1st

Akbar, Mughal Emperor of India? 1542-1605?

Akbar (IPA: [əkbər]; 14 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), also known as Akbar the Great or Akbar I,[6][7] was Mughal Emperor from 1556 until his death. He was the third and one of the greatest rulers of the Mughal Dynasty in India. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in India. A strong personality and a successful general, Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to include nearly all of the Indian Subcontinent north of the Godavari river. His power and influence, however, extended over the entire country because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance. To unify the vast Mughal state, Akbar established a centralised system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy. In order to preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, he adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects. Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic state identity, Akbar strived to unite far-flung lands of his realm through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to himself as an emperor who had near-divine status.

Mughal India developed a strong and stable economy, leading to commercial expansion and greater patronage of culture. Akbar himself was a patron of art and culture. He was fond of literature, and created a library of over 24,000 volumes written in Sanskrit, Hindustani, Persian, Greek, Latin, Arabic and Kashmiri, staffed by many scholars, translators, artists, calligraphers, scribes, bookbinders and readers. Holy men of many faiths, poets, architects and artisans adorned his court from all over the world for study and discussion. Akbar's courts at Delhi, Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri became centers of the arts, letters, and learning. Perso-Islamic culture began to merge and blend with indigenous Indian elements, and a distinct Indo-Persian culture emerged characterised by Mughal style arts, painting, and architecture. Disillusioned with orthodox Islam and perhaps hoping to bring about religious unity within his empire, Akbar promulgated Din-i-Ilahi, a syncretic creed derived from Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity. A simple, monotheistic cult, tolerant in outlook, it centered on Akbar as a prophet, for which he drew the ire of the ulema and orthodox Muslims.

On a lighter note:

Akbars Restaurant

The family garlic naan has to be ordered to be believed!