Bookeristas In The News

USA: Glenn Beck's Friday The 13th Nightmare For Liberals: Black Conservatives

Mary Baker, Maria, Clifton B. (all pictured), and Adrienne Ross - whose blog posts are all highlighted here at Booker Rising - will be on the FOX News Channel audience as part of a town-hall-style show featuring conservative blacks. I've heard that the show will be taped the tomorrow, but it will air on Glenn Beck's show on Friday.

Word is that they will discuss their views on America's political scene and being contrarian as wider Black America largely supports U.S. President Barack Obama, among other topics.

Muslims Run Roman A Clef Film On Hirsi Ali Out Of Kenya

No, this movie is not being produced or directed by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (pictured), the Somali-born libertarian feminist, former Dutch parliamentarian, and vocal critic of Islam. She's not even mentioned in the movie. The Dutch film producer IDTV has ceased all operations in Kenya, after Muslims objected to a film about a Somali woman whose life story is eerily similar to that of Ms. Hirsi Ali (article in Dutch).

Turmoil about the film, titled "The Promised Land", arose in late October after the script containing parts that criticized Islam was leaked to the The Friday Bulletin, a weekly Muslim magazine. An example: "Haweya grabs the gold decorated Koran from the shelf and gives her mother an earful. 'I wipe my ass off with it! Can you hear me? I wipe my ass off with it!"

After The Friday Bulletin's report, various Kenyan mosques campaigned against a roman a clef on Ms. Hirsi Ali being filmed in Kenya and there was civil unrest (article in Dutch). The film company's spokesman confirmed that there is a preliminary script, but denies that the leaked portions is part of it. "We have a local company for us who does the casting and screen tests. What exactly happened, we don't know. The director of the film, Theu Boermans has not been consulted." The unrest was partly responsible for IDTV's decision to stop operations, the spokesman confirmed, "but we were still not satisfied with the quality of the script." IDTV will continue the project, but not return to Kenya.

In case you're wondering how Ms. Hirsi Ali is linked to Kenya....she is the daughter of the late Hirsi Magan Isse, scholar and a leading figure in the Somali revolution. The family spent time in exile in Nairobi, Kenya (as well as Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia). Many of Ms. Hirsi Ali's formative years - especially her teen years - and part of her early adulthood were spent in Kenya.

Britain: James Cleverly Named To Evening Standard "London's 1,000 Most Influential People 2009" List

Under the "Running London" category. The Evening Standard (London) writes about the city's Youth Ambassador and Conservative Party member: "Ambitious and bright, the keen triathlete manages to bridge the gap between parties, the old school Tory assembly members and those running City Hall. Tipped for a future front bench role in Parliament."

No stranger to longtime Booker Rising readers, Mr. Cleverly is also a London Assemblyman.