The drab flags of Khorasan

My latest for The Rebel:

Those black banners Islamic fanatics like to wave? They made their first appearance on June 9 back in 747, as part of a dreary cycle of unreasonable expectations of earthly governments, bitter disillusionment and apocalyptic revolt. And it won’t stop until Muslims find a theological justification for separating mosque and state and assigning the latter a subordinate but legitimate dignity in its own sphere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_6yRUb_Lzw

The audio-only version is available here: [podcast title="The Rebel, June 10"]http://www.thejohnrobson.com/podcast/John2016/June/160609Rebel.mp3[/podcast]