tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post4726245586522253237..comments2024-03-18T23:52:19.552+02:00Comments on A Political Refugee From The Global Village : "Romania is Islamic land"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-90808765388394894052016-02-02T14:25:47.018+02:002016-02-02T14:25:47.018+02:00Not so sure - 'feeling thirsty ... and Bulgari...Not so sure - 'feeling thirsty ... and Bulgaria is close.AVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09917186839183782032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-80246139043809340942016-02-02T07:44:13.580+02:002016-02-02T07:44:13.580+02:00I didn't know there were Muslims in Romania. H...I didn't know there were Muslims in Romania. Hopefully there is not too much bloodshed on my vacation thereMickey Mousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14591065964674645140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-16414101650353977552015-12-08T20:24:07.093+02:002015-12-08T20:24:07.093+02:00Romania is an interesting mix of Mitteleuropa, the...Romania is an interesting mix of Mitteleuropa, the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Bucharest though is difficult to define. It is several European (and even American - eg. New York) cities in one. But not Paris. "The Little Paris" is a misnomer. Let's hope that terrorists, big or small, agree...!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-76138430897038897322015-11-19T18:32:48.007+02:002015-11-19T18:32:48.007+02:00That's the Good Fight !
Public ideas are tak...That's the Good Fight ! <br /><br />Public ideas are taken too seriously ... AVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09917186839183782032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-58441365810130484092015-11-19T16:19:51.766+02:002015-11-19T16:19:51.766+02:00While travelling to Heathrow airport, I had a very...While travelling to Heathrow airport, I had a very interesting discussion with the taxi driver, who was of Iranian origin. He told me how angry he was with the mullahs of his country for the Arabisation of the Iranian culture. I told him that the Danubian Principalities prevented the islamisation of their land by paying a enormous tribute money to the Ottoman Empire. <br />He told me: This was the best money ever spent!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-57399059898789280162015-11-19T13:05:09.000+02:002015-11-19T13:05:09.000+02:00These statements are not, I submit, contradictory,...These statements are not, I submit, contradictory, though they do require explanation.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-91419104182505752512015-11-19T12:51:39.537+02:002015-11-19T12:51:39.537+02:00"All of what is now Romania was, it is true, ..."All of what is now Romania was, it is true, once in some sense part of the Ottoman Empire..."<br />"In fact, Wallachia and Moldavia were never territories of the Ottoman Empire but protectorates."<br />"...Tudor Vladimirescu, who fought for the Sultan."<br />"...Vladimirescu, by contrast, wanted to free Moldavia and Wallachia from both the Turks and the Greek aristocracy." Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-8577034930524662152015-11-19T07:43:36.619+02:002015-11-19T07:43:36.619+02:00The Muslims of Dobrogea have always called themsel...The Muslims of Dobrogea have always called themselves Turks, even they are a mixture of Turks and Tatars. When I was at University in the 80's, I had a couple of colleagues from this minority. They did not call themselves Muslims but Turks even many of them had Oriental looks from their Mongolian genes. One female colleague could have been mistaken for a Japanese woman but not her brother; he looked rather Turkish and her niece (her brother's daughter) had light brown hairs and blue eyes ! All of them spoke an ancient Turkish dialect so they had to learn modern Turkish from scratch. My Japanese looking colleague told me once that in Turkey they are considered Romanians, not genuine Turks. <br />Turks and Tatars from Dobrogea intermarry within their religion, so you can see very interesting mixed race people in Constanta county.<br /><br />Off topic: in Mongolia, people call themselves Tatar, not Mongolian. The superb Mongolian baritone who won the last Cardiff competition called himself a Tatar.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-29797063833814644242015-11-19T00:50:50.884+02:002015-11-19T00:50:50.884+02:00Same way we can say most of the Middle East is Rom...Same way we can say most of the Middle East is Romanian land ;) courtesy of the Wallachian and Moldavian princes being the last surviving magistrates of the Eastern Roman empire.<br /><br />if this gets serious we can always take the Megali Idea out of storage, and have a public duel with ridiculous ideas.Emil Perhinschihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10710579823013077273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-88140973966553783092015-11-18T22:36:36.329+02:002015-11-18T22:36:36.329+02:00Dear Paul your column is great, thank you for this...Dear Paul your column is great, thank you for this clear overviewHoria Novaceanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01101815077820704239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-50099056358831905382015-11-18T15:09:50.179+02:002015-11-18T15:09:50.179+02:00Paul,
Also, the Ottomans accepted the restriction...Paul,<br /><br />Also, the Ottomans accepted the restriction imposed by Romanian princes that there were not allowed to construct any mosques on Romanian territory. The first mosque was built only after Romania gained full independence in 1878. The right that could not be taken from them as a tribute-paying state was given freely once they were independent.<br /><br />Also, by way of fact, the first terrorist attack (foiled by Romanian security) was in 1970 - at least the first I've discovered. It was an assassination attempt against the Israeli ambassador. Another, again foiled, against Golda Mier occurred in 1971 and there were at least two dozen others over the past 45 years - including successful assassinations and bombings in the mid-1980s, as well as terrorist attacks on Romanian institutions abroad. So, yes, they do have rather direct experience of what happens when security intelligence fails.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />LarryLarry L. Wattshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15928263952261463735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-13988896002537336182015-11-18T14:34:44.506+02:002015-11-18T14:34:44.506+02:00I have very much enjoyed reading this article, Pau...I have very much enjoyed reading this article, Paul. Thank you. Romania had indeed paid during its entire history to stay in its borders, to keep its faith intact. I guess 'sacrificiu' its the word that defines us the most and some diplomacy skills.<br /><br />ElenaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-59839104224412534512015-11-18T14:29:32.218+02:002015-11-18T14:29:32.218+02:00This is an rich, informative post that explains th...This is an rich, informative post that explains the relatively low level of Islamic influence in Romania very deftly, with a personal anecdote that ends the piece on a charming grace note.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-27911102537494643712015-11-18T11:02:23.464+02:002015-11-18T11:02:23.464+02:00Well ... This "sheik-dude" has a big pro...Well ... This "sheik-dude" has a big problem (besides the major one, that all this radical islamists have, upthere, "at the attics"; not referring here to all muslims, but just to radicals): he proves deep lack of historical culture. But I believe that's a concept that never was of their attention : culture. … and why is that ... Because ROMANIA's ancient name is DACIA; and our ancestors (like the ancestors of any people in this world), believed in GODS(="ZEI"), not in GOD (="Dumnezeu"). DACIA was part of THRACIA (a wider region ruled by us...) and our ancestors (called "Daci") were named "the most wiser and brave from the Thracs.<br />OctavianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-24746691445334560542015-11-18T09:48:45.274+02:002015-11-18T09:48:45.274+02:00Good piece Paul. You could have also mentioned ou...Good piece Paul. You could have also mentioned our exotic visit to that Gypsy Muslim town in Dobrogea, where they only understood we were looking for a mosque when we used the Turkish “Camii” word ( pronounced “jemie”), which our Serbian friend remembered!<br />IonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-16817622795481221262015-11-18T09:45:22.957+02:002015-11-18T09:45:22.957+02:00Paul, we should go on a trip to a village near Vam...Paul, we should go on a trip to a village near Vama Veche, to see Hagieni, an ancient tatar comunity. You can buy cheese from them, they have an old muslim graveyard there, prety interesting. Many houses are ruins, it looks strange. From time to time you can see a mongolian face in a backyard. The place is known for his dobroudjan turtles who can be seen in the forest. And there should be some vipers also there, but i never seen them and survive to tell the story :)<br />MarioAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com