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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Syria blames the Carmalite Nuns for the unrest in the country...wait, what?

All I can say to this story, after all the previous stories is: it's always the Jews fault...always.


From The Jerusalem Post March 31 by Oren Kessler

Defiant Assad blames country’s turmoil on ‘Israeli plot’ 

Addressing his people for the first time since popular unrest erupted nearly two weeks ago, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday blamed a foreign conspiracy for the unrest and made no substantive pledges on implementing much-awaited reform.

“Our enemies work every day in an organized and public fashion to hurt Syria,” he told parliament. “Our enemies’ aim was to divide Syria as a country and force an Israeli agenda onto it, and they will continue to try and try again.”
Assad said Deraa, a southern city near the Golan Heights, where some of the bloodiest clashes with protesters have taken place, “is in the forefront in confronting the Israeli enemy and defending the nation.”

After the speech, hundreds took to the streets of the coastal city of Latakia – another hotbed of revolt in recent weeks – chanting “Freedom!” Several residents said they heard gunfire as security forces clashed with demonstrators.

Assad said he supported the principle of reform, but offered no specifics on changing Syria’s repressive one-party system.

“Implementing reforms is not a fad. When it’s just a reflection of a wave that the region is living, it is destructive,” he said.

“Syria today is being subjected to a big conspiracy, whose threads extend from countries near and far,” Assad added, without naming any countries.

Syria’s ambassador to Britain, Sami Khiyami, told BBC World News that he expected to see reforms – including ending the state of emergency and implementing multi-party rule – implemented within months, but he offered no additional details.

“We can sometimes postpone [dealing with] suffering that emergency law may cause,” Assad said in a speech frequently interrupted by applause. “But we cannot postpone the suffering of a child whose father does not have enough money to treat him.”

Assad said that a minority of people had tried to “spark chaos” in Deraa, but that their will would be thwarted by the majority. He said clear instructions had been issued to security forces not to harm anyone during the protests, in which at least 61 people are believed to have been killed.

In Israel, analysts tried to envision the shape Syria might take in a post-Assad era.

The idea that these regimes will be replaced by liberal democracies is too good to be true,” Moshe Maoz, a Syria expert at Hebrew University told Reuters. “If he stays he might prove more pragmatic.  He wants the Golan Heights from Israel. His father lost it...and the prestige involved is very important to him.”

Read it all

Israel releases army map showing nearly 1,000 purported Hezbollah underground military sites

Fascinating map, and if true shows just how powerful and formidable Hizballah has become.  They are a real threat to Israel, and have violated numer our pacts and agreements they have signed over the years, yet no one calls them to task for their behavior.  Israel is excoriated, but not Lebanon and Hizballah.  Now why is that?

Of course Hizballah denies the map is true, but regardless, with 40,000 weapons smuggled in over the last few years  does one have to look at a map to know from where the attacks will come?  Or from whom?


From The Washington Post March 31

Israel releases army map showing nearly 1,000 purported Hezbollah underground military sites

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military on Thursday released a map detailing what it says are nearly 1,000 underground bunkers, weapons storage facilities and monitoring sites built by the militant Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon.

Many of the sites on the map are located south of the Litani River in Lebanon, the zone where Hezbollah is banned from keeping weapons under the U.N.-sponsored truce that ended Israel’s summer 2006 war with the guerrilla group.

They really do want peace, though.

An article on the military spokesman’s website says Hezbollah has set up some 550 bunkers, 300 monitoring sites and 100 weapons storage facilities. The facilities are located in 270 villages, and many are located near hospitals, private homes and schools, the military said in a statement published on its website.

Israel and Hezbollah went to war after the Lebanese guerrilla group killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others in a cross-border raid. Although Israel inflicted heavy damage on the group, it was unable to prevent it from firing some 4,000 rockets into Israel during the monthlong conflict.

Since then, Israel has accused Hezbollah of repeatedly violating the U.N.-brokered cease-fire by restocking its arsenal and covertly moving forces into south Lebanon, near the Israeli border. The map released Thursday was meant to provide new evidence against Hezbollah.

Israel believes Hezbollah now has more than 40,000 rockets, nearly three time the pre-war level, including more powerful weapons capable of reaching Israel’s Tel Aviv heartland.

Read it all


Bali bomber arrest could spark Muslim outrage

Remember the Bali bombing a few years ago which killed over 200, including a number of Australians?  Well, Aussie authorities just arrested the last known suspect and plan to put him on trial.  It is feared that there may be a Muslim backlash and Indonesia may be in for a spate of attacks, mostly against Western enclaves.

Once again, are we supposed to be responsibile for how Muslims feel and act?  It is folly to believe we can have, or should have anything to do with how Muslims express their distaste.  Hoew Muslims act is entirely on their shoulders, it is not up to us to make Muslims feel better about themselves.  For that, try a therapist.


From World News Australia March 31

DFAT warns of Bali violence 

 


The federal government is warning the arrest of alleged Bali bomber Umar Patek could spark a violent response from extremists in Indonesia.
It is believed Patek, suspected of playing a key role in the 2002 nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, was arrested in Pakistan earlier this year.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has hailed the arrest as a major win in the fight against terrorism.

But Mr Rudd's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is warning the arrest could spark a violent backlash.

"The reported arrest in Pakistan of Umar Patek ... may increase the risk of violent responses in Indonesia in the short term," DFAT says in its latest travel warning.

"On some occasions where high profile extremists have been detained or killed, there has been a strong response from some supporters in Indonesia, including acts of violence."

Recent information indicates terrorists may be planning attacks in Indonesia which could take place at any time, DFAT says.

Any terrorist attack is most likely to focus on places where large numbers of Westerners gather, it warns.

DFAT's overall level of advice for Indonesia remains "reconsider your need to travel".

Patek is suspected of having served as Jemaah Islamiah's deputy field commander for the Bali bombings.

The 40-year-old was the final senior planner of the 2002 attack still at large.

He is wanted in several countries, including Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States.

He is believed to have trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan during the 1980s and 1990s and has been linked to al-Qaeda.
Read it all

Did the fat lady sing in Yemen?

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has declared the Abyan Province in Yemen to be a "Islamic Emirate" and their first official act is banning women from going outside unmless required, abd they m,ust be accompanied by a male relative.  AQAP wouldn't be trying to bring sharia law to Abyan, would they?

And just what would make them think they can declare an area to be Islamic?


From Business Insider March 31 by Grace Wyler

Al Qaeda Declares Southern Yemeni Province An "Islamic Emirate"

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has declared Yemen's Abyan province an "Islamic Emirate" and banned women from going outside, according to Eurasia Review and accounts from Yemeni journalists.

AQAP, which has established full control over the southern province, made an online statement Wednesday declaring Abyan an Islamic Emirate governed by Shariah.

The statement said women in the province should not go out except under necessary circumstances...

Read it all


 

The cognitive dissonance of Jack Dresser

It is clear that some people should keep their opinions to themselves, yet they continue to speak with all the gusto of a preening politician.  Some of you may know Mr. Dresser, others may need an introduction. 

Jack Dresser is a virulent anti-semite and pro-Islamist, defending sharia law and jihad through TV interviews with our local imam here in Eugene, Oregon, Kahlid Alfallatah.  Dresser is co-founder of our local Al-Nakba Awareness Project, a group dedicated to re-writing history to show Palestine as a historically non-Jewish area.  For years he has been a vocal opponent of Israel and Jews, he sets up a little booth at our Saturday Market and passes out anti-semitic propaganda.  His favorite anti-Israeli whipping boy/poster child is Rachel Corrie, who he claims was killed by Jews.

In the Register-Guard, the local Eugene newspaper on March 29, an editorial by Jack Dresser appeared, talking about his favorite subject, Rachel Corrie and Jews.  There is so much wrong with what he wrote it would take too much space to address all his claims, but his main point about the group Rachel was murdered by, the ISM needs to be answered.  The ISM was the group Rachel was a member of, and their responsibility in her death is important to understand.

First is Dresser's editorial, then my reply.


From the Register-Guard March 29 by Jack Dresser

Rachel Corrie’s story is one America needs to know, too

Lord Leebrick Theatre Co.’s production of “My Name Is Rachel Corrie” recently ended, ably directed by Carol Dennis with Rachel’s role well-performed by Nicole Trobaugh. We thank the theater for staging this important work, now translated into some half-dozen languages and staged in over a dozen countries to date.

We agree with Craig Weinerman’s March 9 guest viewpoint that more context for the events leading to Rachel’s death was needed, and we provided some basics on one-page handouts to theater-goers at each performance. On the first two nights our handouts corrected misinformation on the theater’s website and playbill, which managers agreed to remove after speaking with the Corries.

Following this, what Weinerman described as our “aggressive and defamatory anti-Israel advocacy” on new handouts included the mission statement of the International Solidarity Movement with which Rachel worked, which describes itself as “a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli apartheid in Palestine by using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles.”

It continues, “Founded by a small group of primarily Palestinian and Israeli activists in August 2001, ISM aims to support and strengthen the Palestinian popular resistance by providing the Palestinian people with two resources, international solidarity and an international voice with which to nonviolently resist an overwhelming military occupation force.”

We added, “Martin Luther King once said, ‘The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.’ By joining the ISM, Rachel was not simply following personal beliefs and youthful idealism, but was engaging directly in shaping this historical arc, defending the weak from abuse by the strong, challenging cruelty and injustice, and supporting fundamental human rights under international law.

“Everyone has a right to life, liberty and security of person” — Article 3, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property” — Article 17(2), Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies” — Article 49, Fourth Geneva Convention.

“Any destruction by the occupying power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons ... is prohibited, except where such destruction is made absolutely necessary by military operations” — Article 53, Fourth Geneva Convention.

In addition, we corrected one playbill statement defining the intifadas as “attacks by Palestinian militants on the state of Israel,” defining them rather as “popular uprisings against the Israeli occupation.” The first intifada followed Gandhian principles and Palestinian resistance for some 2½ decades has been largely nonviolent against Israeli occupation of their land, on their land. Israeli state violence has vastly exceeded violence by Palestinians (see http://www.ifamericansknew.org/).

We also provided a list of informative websites for theater patrons who might wish to explore more thoroughly the conditions opposed by Rachel and the ISM and/or become more involved. On the back of the sheet we provided our own mission statement advocating “freedom, justice and equality in the Holy Land” — not exactly radical ideas.

Weinerman’s characterization of the context in which Rachel was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer while attempting to protect a Palestinian family’s home from demolition as “a counterterrorism operation” would be comical did it not reflect an ongoing tragedy for many thousands of Palestinians in addition to Rachel. Since 1967, over 25,000 Palestinian family homes and over a million fruit and olive trees — the mainstay of their economy — have been destroyed by Israel to establish illegal settlements, the segregation wall and a network of Jewish-only roads on Palestinian land, some 600 checkpoints on Palestinian roads that suffocate Palestinian commerce and social relationships, and other activities illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention (see http://www.icahd.org/).

Sympathetic identification with Rachel’s death was compared with — and by implication reduced by — the “equally tragic” stories of eight Israeli victims of suicide bombings named and described by Weinerman. They too are certainly tragic.
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem has recorded the deaths of children on both sides since the beginning of the second intifada in September 2000 (see www.rememberthesechildren.org). Through the end of 2010, 124 Israeli and 1,457 Palestinian children had been killed. We encourage readers to examine these records online, organized in parallel columns by month, specifying the name, age and cause of death of each victim.

Ninety-three Palestinian children had been killed before the first Israeli child died.
One hundred and five Palestinian children had been killed before the first suicide bombing, which killed two Israeli teenagers at a gas station.

Following discontinuation of suicide bombings by Hamas in 2005, eight Israeli and 671 Palestinian children have been killed.

Rachel died to protect Palestinians. Each Palestinian child also had a name, unknown and invisible to American consumers of our pro-Israel press. Each had parents and family, who remain voiceless. We too would like these other stories told. And as for Rachel’s parents as “critics,” they must now also serve as proxies for some 3,000 grieving Palestinian parents.

Jack Dresser is national vice chairman of the Veterans for Peace working group on Israel/Palestine and co-director of Eugene’s Al-Nakba Awareness Project.

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Here is my reply dated March 31

Rachel Corrie was used by Islam to advance the Palestinian agenda

In the guest editorial by Jack Dresser titled “Rachel Corrie’s story is one America needs to know, too” (3-29) I agree the story of Rachel Corrie is indeed one to be known, but with all the facts presented, not just the biased hatred of Israel and America presented by the play.

First, who is the International Solidarity Movement and what do they stand for?  Founded by American married couple Huwaida Arraf and Adam Shapiro along with Canadian-Israeli Neta Golan with the goal of sending anti-Israeli activists to Gaza and the West Bank.  Another mover in the ISM is George Rishmawi, head of the Grassroots International Protection for Palestinians.  He does the coordination and training of ISM volunteers once they arrive in the Palestinian areas. 

The ISM has a long history of associations with groups such as Islamic Jihad, the military wing of Fatah and the genocidal Hamas, who’s charter calls for the death of the Jews and the destruction of the state of Israel.  Rachel Corrie, as idealistic as she was let herself be drawn into the ISM, her hatred of Israel the driving force she nurtured and the ISM the group who would help her achieve the dream of stopping the “Israeli occupation”.

She was recruited to stand in front of a bulldozer, ostensibly to stop it from tearing down a home of a Palestinian.  In reality she was protecting the home of a known terrorist, and that home was above a network of tunnels used to smuggle weapons which were then fired against innocent Israelis.  Whether she knew this or not we will never know, we only know that she died in service of her Palestinian masters.

The death of Rachel Corrie is a tragedy, not only a loss of a young life but it is also a loss of perspective on the issues which foment this kind of behavior.  The ISM is not the kind of organization which sees both sides and acts accordingly, it brews it’s own brand of anti-semitism and Jew-hatred and inculcates the minds of the idealistic protesters to where there is only one path to redemption: give your life for the greater good.  The dead protesters gain nothing, it is the ISM who benefits the most, using their deaths as propaganda to recruit more visionaries to the cause.

The claim that the ISM is a non-violent group, akin to Ghandi or Martin Luther King, Jr is a lie, presented only to convince us that they really want peace and will do everything short of violence to achieve it.  Unfortunately history shows the ISM to be following more the lines of Muhammad than Ghandi. March 2003 saw Israeli troops raid the offices of the ISM in Jenin in the West Bank.  The IDF captured Shadi Suqiyeh, a senior member of the fundamental group Islamic Jihad who was known to have planned numerous foiled attempts against Israel.  

In April 2003 two suicide bombers from Britain met with ISM members before blowing themselves up in a Tel-Aviv pub.  Are these the non-violent approaches the ISM champions as per Ghandi or King?  As one of their leaders said on Al-Jazeera recently “We recognize that violence is necessary and it is permissible for oppressed and occupied people to use armed resistance and we recognize their right to do so.”  Not exactly the words to Kumbayya.
The tragic tale of Rachel Corrie is part of the decades-long animosity between two different ideologies: Judaism and Islam.  Her telling of the conflict, based in her own biases and prejudices reflects only one small part of the terror all sides experience.  The propaganda against Israel, presented with no context only serves to demonize, not to educate.  There are always at least two sides to every story and it is a shame the play about her life as an activist shows only hatred and hate-mongering against a people deserving of more than derision and scorn.

Rachel Corrie did not die to protect Palestinian children, she died to advance the program of Islamic genocide against Jews, through the ISM.  She died not a martyrs death, but the death of an innocent who knew not the real story.

May God bless Rachel Corrie.


  

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Woman raped in UAE sues hotel for damages because she was jailed for having sex outside of marriage

I know, sounds convoluted, but it isn't.  The woman was drugged and raped by hotel workers in 2008, and when she reported it, because of sharia law she was jailed for sex outside of marriage. 

Simply put, this is Islam.

Wish her well in her lawsuit.


From FOXNews March 29

Woman Jailed for Being Raped in Muslim Country Sues

An Australian woman is suing a five-star UAE hotel after she was drugged and raped by co-workers - but ended up in jail for eight months for having sex outside marriage.

(.)She is seeking compensation from her former employer for breaching its workplace duty of care after she reported the assault to authorities, only to be jailed for eight months on an adultery charge.

Ms Gali spent eight months in prison as it is illegal as having sex outside marriage in the UAE is illegal.

There is more

"Political correctness cannot stand in the way of identifying those who would do us harm."

 Sen. Jon Kyl threw a monkey wrench into Sen. Durbins hearings on Muslim victimization and the pitchfork and torch mobs running wild.  Kyl questioned the need for the hearings and wondered why Muslims in the US are not doing more to find the jihadists in their communities.

What is he, some kind of Islamophobe?


From CBSNews March 29 by Stephanie Condon

GOP senator turns the tables at Muslim rights hearing


Defenders of Muslim civil rights went to Capitol Hill today to ask the federal government to stem what they say is a rising tide of anti-Muslim discrimination. Yet for one Republican senator, the real question was whether Muslim advocacy groups are doing enough to help the government curb Islamic extremism.

Anybody care to answer:  CAIR, ISNA, MAS, MSA...anyone?


Today's Senate hearing, led by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), is the first in Congress to explore Muslim civil rights. It is intended to show that most Muslim Americans "are patriotic, law abiding people who simply want to live their life as we do," Durbin said today.


Republican Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), however, questioned the need for the hearing and suggested one of the groups testifying could do more to cooperate with the government.


"I'm a bit perplexed by the focus" of the hearing, Kyl said, in light of the fact that most religious hate crimes in the United States are committed against Jews.

Careful, Kyl.  You're not acting like the proper dhimmi.


"The point is, all bigotry is to be condemned," Kyl said. "Selective indignation is not helpful."


Today's hearing comes about three weeks after a controversial House hearing on the radicalization of Muslim Americans that critics said unfairly portrayed the Muslim community. Farhana Khera, the executive director of the group Muslim Advocates, testified in today's hearing that "in the last several months, anti-Muslim rhetoric has reached a disturbing new level." He said political leaders have jumped into the fray with sweeping, critical statements about Islam.


Kyl defended the hearing over Muslim radicalization today, saying, "Political correctness cannot stand in the way of identifying those who would do us harm." He questioned whether Khera's organization was committed to helping root out extremist elements of Islam, given that its website advises Muslims to consult a lawyer before speaking with the FBI about violent extremism.


"I would think Muslim Americans would feel a special obligation to help in such investigations," Kyl said.

One would think, wouldn't one. 

Read it all 

The latest trip down the rabbit hole

Sen, Dick Durbin seems to think anti-Muslim gangs are roaming the streets of Anytown, USA, rounding up those looking Middle Eastern and doing unspeakable things to them.  He believes that those who exercise their free speech right and set fire to a Qur'an, or speak out against Islamic ideology and the lack of human rights inherit within sharia law are practicing anti-Muslim bigotry.  It is Muslims who are suffering under the increasing burden of hate crimes, and are victimized by the evil known as Islamophobia, says Durbin so holding hearings on these scary problems affecting Muslims must be a priority.

Pish-tosh, I say.  The simple fact is that hate crimes against Muslims in 2009 amounted to almost 9% of the total, while hate crimes against Jews hit 70%.  Does Durbin even think to ask why Jews take the brunt of reported hate crimes?  No, it is easier to ignore Israel and appease Islam and Durbin will take no prisoners in finding the lie of Islamic victim hood to be his only truth.


From USA Today March 30 by Kelly Kennedy

Senators decry anti-Muslim violence

WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic senators at a hearing on anti-Muslim discrimination Tuesday agreed on one point: Even one case of bullying, violence or workplace harassment goes beyond what Americans should accept.

OK, that's fine.  But only regarding Muslims?  Violence and harassment should not be put upon anyone, not just Muslims, correct?

"Those who use this type of rhetoric, who burn Qurans and who engage in other forms of bigotry and discrimination may be few in number, but their bigoted conduct and remarks violate the spirit of our Bill of Rights," said Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights.

While subcommittee Democrats said special attention should be paid to hate crimes committed against Muslims in the USA, Republicans argued that Muslim Americans have not done enough to fight radicalism in their own communities.

"Get in this fight," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "You're going to have to help your country. You're probably uniquely qualified, compared to anyone else, to understand what's going on and fight back."

The hearing comes two weeks after Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., conducted a controversial House hearing looking into how extremist groups lure American Muslims to become violent. A number of Muslim Americans felt their community was singled out for the terrorist acts of a few.

No one blames all Muslims for the acts of a few but there is a legitimate question in asking how the Muslim community is rooting out the jihadists and Islamists in their midst.  Not all Muslims are terrorists but the majority of terrorists are Muslim.  There's a little tip for you, Senator.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., says Anti-Muslim bigotry violates the American spirit.
There have been 800 incidents of alleged violence, threats, vandalism and arson against people who were perceived to be Muslim since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to the U.S. Justice Department. In addition, 14% of religious discrimination cases are against Muslim institutions....

That's about 80 a year.  Hate crimes against Jews since 9-11, if you average it out is over 10,000.  Yes Sen. Durbin, I see now why you are holding hearings on rising anti-Muslim hate crimes.  You are a dhimmi.

Read it all

Facebook pulls intifada page: too little too late

Go one Facebook and search the word "Islam" and you will find thousands of pages devoted to Islam, jihad, sharia and everything related to Islam.  Scan a few of the pages and you quickly realize that the hatred, anti-semitism and Judeophobia against the "people of the book" runs rampant on Facebook.  Why they pulled this particular page, and not the thousands of others which call for the death of Jews and the destruction of Israel is a mystery.  They say the page violated their terms of service, but that excuse is used as a catch-all phrase so no one has to actually explain the reasons behind their actions.

It is good this page was dismantled, but if Facebook really wanted to shut down the anti-semitism and Jew-hatred from Islam, they could do so easily.  One needs to ask Facebook why they refuse to shut down all the pages advocating the murder of Jews.

Well Facebook?  Care to comment?


From the BBC March 29

Facebook drops 'intifada' page for promoting violence 

Facebook has removed a page calling for a new Palestinian uprising against Israel after more than 350,000 people signed up to it.

The page which appeared on the social networking site was called Third Palestinian Intifada after two previous uprisings against Israeli occupation.
It was removed for featuring calls for violence, a company spokesman said.

Israel had raised concerns about the page. Facebook has helped spread calls for protests in Arab states.

I wonder what Zuckerberg will say when Islam and sharia become the new face of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain and all the others they "helped."

The Third Palestinian Intifada page had called for an uprising after Muslim prayers on Friday 15 May.

"Judgment Day will be brought upon us only once the Muslims have killed all of the Jews," a quote from the page read.

Wait, I thought Islam was a religion of peace.  Send the memo!

According to AFP news agency, three new copycat pages have appeared, with more than 7,000 Palestinians signing up to them.

'Red lines'

Facebook said the page had begun as a call for peaceful protest, even though it used the term "intifada" with its connotation of violent revolt.
 
"It seems that [Israeli] Minister Yuli Edelstein needs lessons in human rights and freedom of expression as he is not aware of the world's respect for individual opinion”Demtri Deliani Fatah official

"However, after the publicity of the page, more comments deteriorated to direct calls for violence," said Andrew Noyes, Facebook's public policy communications manager.
The creators of the page eventually made calls for violence as well, he added.

"We monitor pages that are reported to us, and when they degrade to direct calls for violence or expressions of hate - as occurred in this case - we have and will continue to take them down," Mr Noyes said.

By that criteria virtually every Islamic site should be shut down tonight.  Any site using the Qur'an as their foundation is a hate site, what is Mr. Noyes waiting for?

Read it all

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

More Christian persecution in Pakistan

The same fight, the same results.  Thin skin plus Allah gives you the right to kill and maim at your leasure. 

And the world yawns....


From AsiaNews March 29 by Jibran Khan

Third church attacked as Pakistani extremists declare war over Florida Koran burning 


Yesterday afternoon, an armed group attacked the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, 45 km from Islamabad. The fundamentalists hurled stones and tried to burn the building. Bishop of the capital, we are Pakistani Christians, we have no ties with the United States. Young Christians: no hope for the future.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) - An armed group of seven people attacked the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, about 45 km from Islamabad. The attack took place at 6.30 pm yesterday, while the security guard was absent. The extremists hurled stones, damaged the building and tried to set fire to it, but they did not shoot. Yesterday's was the third attack against a church in Pakistan less than a week. The escalation of violence is a result of the mad act - repeatedly condemned by Christians in Pakistan and India – of pastor Wayne Sapp, who last March 20, in Florida burned a copy of the Koran under the supervision of the evangelical preacher Terry Jones.

The caretaker of the church of St. Thomas confirmed that the attack occurred yesterday, at about 6.30 pm, taking advantage of the absence of the security guard. A group of six or seven armed men broke through a small door and started throwing stones at the windows, smashing the small lamps and tried to break the door. The caretaker called the priest and the police, he is currently still in shock and does not intend to make statements.

The extremists were armed, but did not open fire. Unable to break down the door, they tried to set it on fire. The parish priest, Fr Yousaf, rushed to the scene of the attack and tried to reassure the small Christian community. "It's a reaction - the priest told AsiaNews -  to the desecration of the Koran in Florida, although the Catholic community has condemned the act. We pointed out clearly that we have no link with the Americans. At the time of the attack there were no guards, the police are present only on Sundays. "

Pastor Tariq Emmanuel, who lives near the church, added that the assailants did not open fire "because it is a high security area" and the military would have reacted immediately in the event of gunfire. "The forces of order – he adds - have asked to install closed circuit security cameras and private guards of the Christian faith", the only available. Christians now "no longer believe the promises of protection" of the police, especially after the murder of Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti.

Msgr. Anthony Rufin, Bishop of Islamabad / Rawalpindi, strongly condemns the latest attack on the Christian community of Pakistan and once again distances the church from the burning of the Koran in the United States. "We have already explained – says the prelate - we are Pakistani Christians, not Americans. We have repeatedly reiterated that we should not be equated to the Americans. " He adds that the police "have started to investigate”, but in the past the parish "had not received threats of any kind. "

Read it all

Muslims welcome Christians as equals...wait, what?

The Assyrian Bishop thinks democracy will take hold in the Middle East if Christians are treated as equals in Islam.

Where would he ever get the idea that Christians and Muslims are equal?  Certainly not from the Qur'an or any of the hadiths.  Maybe he has been listening to Karen Armstrong or Ibrahim Hooper.


From AINA March 29 by Joseph Mahmoud

"True Democracy in Muslim Countries Only If Christians Are Equal Citizens," Says Assyrian Bishop

Würzburg -- "Aid to the Church in Need" organised a world conference titled "Welt Kirche in Würzburg", in Germany on 18-20 March 2011, on the situation of Christians in Muslim counties. Many bishops from Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq and Nigeria and elsewhere took part in the event. Mgr Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, was among them. He expressed serious concerns about how 'Jasmine Revolutions' were developing in many countries of North Africa and the Middle East.

The Chaldean prelate saw few signs of optimism in the events now unfolding in Arab countries, like mass protests and popular unrest, which have front-page in newscasts, newspapers, magazines and websites. The sight of crowds praying or shouting slogans gives the impression of a wave of extremism.

Media are always talking about Islamic parties. Many Muslims want an Islamic state. After the collapse of regime that lacked a direction and vision, questions abound. Will things improve? Will there be security? Who comes next? Who is pushing these masses of young people? Who is funding the movement? I hope things will evolved(sic) differently in Iraq.

The bishop described the situation in Iraq, where for the past eight years, "we have lived with different kinds of oppression. Establishing freedom and democracy takes time and education, especially a separation between politics, which is based on interests, and religion, which is based on ideals that cannot be compromised."

So does he mean Islam is both political and religious?  Why you Islamophobe!

"Democracy cannot function if Islam is not updated. We must work together for a civilian state in which the only criterion is citizenship," he said.

One of the great understatements of the year.

Read it all
   

Historical accuracy intrudes on Palestinian propaganda

I wrote this a while ago, thinking there needed to be a bit more context in the narrative of Israel and the refugees.  It seems more appropriate today as anti-semitism is on the rise, and Jews across the world are once again suffering under the weight of false accusations and malicious lies.

The true history of the land of Palestine has been clouded by Arab propaganda and years of demonization, this is a small attempt to put in perspective the struggle between two disparate ideologies.


Opinion vs Fact in the Middle East

   Daniel Patrick Moynahan once said, "Everyones entitled to their own opinions, but no one is entitled to their own facts" and I believe that facts should always be acknowledged, even if they make one uncomfortable or challenge their long-held
beliefs.  Opinions should never get in the way of facts or the truth, especially in regards to Israel and the refugees.  A review of history is in order to bring the focus back on who the enemy of peace between Israel and the refugees really is.
  
   1948 saw the creation of the State of Israel and the beginning of 60 years of persecution and attacks against Israel and the  Jewish people.  UN resolution 181, which supposedly had the backing of Arab countries called into exsistence Israel and gave her the land which was part of the UN partition plan approved in 1947.Also in this
partition was land given to the Arabs, a land mass almost 10 times greater that Israel. 

   The British had negotiated with the Arabs in good faith to back this partition plan as it was the best way for all parties concerned to get what they deserve.  The Arab League, however refused the deal, and with their condemnation came a flurry of rejections,
with Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia claiming "We have pledged ourselves before God and history to fulfil the Charter in good faith, thereby respecting human rights and
repelling aggression....the Government of Saudi Arabia registers, on this historic occasion, the fact that it does not consider itself bound by the resolution adopted today by the General Assembly. Furthermore, it reserves to itself the full right to act freely in whatever way it deems fit." H. R. H. Amir Faisal al Saud, or this rejection from  Mr. Jarnali (Iraq) who stated "We did our best during the last few weeks to expound the spirit and the letter of the Charter and apply it to Palestine...therefore, in the name of my Government, I wish to put on record that Iraq does not recognise the validity of this decision, will reserve freedom of action towards its implementation, and holds those who were influential in passing it against the free conscience of mankind responsible for the consequences". 

   Syria had this view voiced by Amir Arslan, "My country will never recognise such a decision. It will never agree to be responsible for it. Let the consequences be on the heads of others, not on ours".  All the other Arab members of the UN had similar sentiments after UN resolution 181 was passed. 

   The final nail in Israels coffin as far as the Arabs were concerned came from the Arab League in their own lockstep reply to UN181 where they stated in no uncertain terms, "[These States also] declared the Arabs' rejection of [that solution] and that it would not be possible to carry it out by peaceful means, and that its forcible imposition would constitute a threat to peace and security in this area....The Governments of the Arab States emphasise, on this occasion, what they have already declared before the London Conference and the United Nations, that the only solution of the Palestine problem is the establishment of a unitary Palestinian State..."So in other words, Israel is the problem and when they're gone and Palestine is its own "unitary Palestinian state" then there will be peace in the Middle East.  So now we have the precedent for the animosity from Arabs towards Jews on the record at the UN. 

From the Mouths of our Enemies, Pt 7

Here is the next chapter from the book.  This one is on Hamas.

Enjoy.


Hate Speech from Hamas
Khaled Masha'al
Arabic;    خالد مشعل

   Hamas.  The name either strikes terror or love in your heart, depending on where your loyalties are to be found.  However, for a large number of people the name Khaled Mashal rings no bells.  He is today the leader and PR image man for Hamas, which means he is the one with the most innocent blood on his hands. 
    He is a man with no moral compass except the one provided by Muhammad.  There is absolutely no love lost between Masha'al and any non-Muslim, his tastes have always leaned toward the genocidal side when it comes to infidels.  He is a recent front-row player but by no means has he been inconsequential in how Islamic hatred has been displayed.
   Khaled Mashal was born sometime in 1956 in the Silwad neighborhood of Ramallah, then occupied by Jordan.  Little Khaled was still in elementary school when the 1967 Six-Day War broke out.  His family fled in the face of the Israeli military to Kuwait, and it was there he finished his schooling, earning a BS degree in Physics from Kuwait University(1a) 
    His membership in the Muslim Brotherhood in 1971 and his erstwhile overseeing of the Islamic Justice List, or Qa'imat al-haq al-islamiyya party in the 1977 General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) elections preened him for his role-to-be in global jihad and the upcoming Hamas(1b) 
     As a front group for the Palestine Islamic movement the Islamic Justice List had as its puppeteers the omnipresent Muslim Brotherhood.  There should be no surprised faces, fundamental (militant) Islam always provides the vehicle for its own propagation.  The GUPS elections were cancelled and Mashal then morphed the IJL into the Islamic League for Palestinian Students, al-rabita al-islamiyya li talab filastin in 1980(1c) 
   Khaled Mashal wanted to be a part of the growing Islamic axis of hatred against Israel and the west.  He challenged Yassar Arafat and his control of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) by involving himself in the founding of the Islamic Haqq Bloc(1d)
     The IHB was specifically created to compete head to head with Fatah in the leadership of the GUPS in Kuwait.   It failed it its attempt to wrest power from Fatah and Arafat, yet this minor setback only served to increase Mashals zeal for a "liberated Palestine" and the acceleration of the destruction of Israel(1e)
 "I bring good tidings to our beloved Prophet Muhammad: Allah's promise and the Prophet's prophecy of our victory in Palestine over the Jews and over the oppressive Zionists have begun to come true"(2) 

   Over two decades later and the hatred is still overwhelming, purpose-driven and non-stop.  The hatred towards Jews and non-Muslims never changes, never waivers.  It is all-consuming and for all time.
     The so-called "liberation of Palestine" will not stop the march of fundamental (militant) Islam against the infidels and crusaders, each small step towards the world-wide caliphate only serves to embolden Islam to fight harder.  Nothing in the Qur'an tells Muslims that they must do anything less than convert, subjugate or wage war against those who will not submit to the will of Allah.  This leit-motif of intolerance demands of its adherents their humanity and compassion in regard to non-Muslims and Khaled Mashal practiced well these verses of horror.

Monday, March 28, 2011

How much more convincing do we need?

The continuing advancment of pure, sharia-compliant Islam into Egyptian society will not stop us from believing the unicorns and rainbows will win out and a new, secular and democratic day will dawn over the fertile crescent of the Nile.

Excuse my while I turn and cough.

Is it just me or has the idiot level been lowered?


From JIhad Watch March 28 by Robert Spencer

Egyptian cleric on referendum: "The ballot boxes said 'yes' to Islam...From now on, Islam will enter every aspect of our lives"

Following are excerpts from a speech delivered by Egyptian cleric Muhammad Hussein Yaaaqub, which was posted on the Internet (accessed on March 21, 2011): [...] Muhaamad Hussein Yaaqub: This was an [Islamic] raid – the raid of the ballot boxes. [...] They have begun saying: "From now on, Islam will enter every aspect of our lives." What is our response to them?
Crowds: Yes, it will.
Muhaamad Hussein Yaaqub: They were the ones who said that it would be decided by the ballot, weren’t they? Isn't that what their democracy is all about? The people said "yes" to Islam, right?
Crowds: Right.
Muhaamad Hussein Yaaqub: The people have said that they want religion, and whoever says he cannot live in such a country anymore is free to go. Go in peace. After all, they have visas for Canada and America. They are free to go.
[..]
Sometimes, when your sheik tells you to vote "Yes," you vote "Yes" – even if it contradicts what you want....
Here is the original video from MEMRI
Watch it all.

Bare-headed singers get a thumbs-down in Afghanistan

"Women do not appear in public without wearing a burka and niqab in an Islamic country like Afghanistan..." and so the deputy Governor of Helmand Province gets his walking papers. 

This is Islam.


From BBC News March 28 by Bilal Sarwary

Helmand sacking over female singers without headscarves 

The deputy governor of Helmand province has been sacked for organising a concert that featured female performers without headscarves.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai took the action against Abdul Satar Mirzakwal after tribal elders complained that it was inappropriate.

The concert attracted about 12,000 people and was hailed as a success by local authorities.

Helmand is one of Afghanistan's most volatile provinces.

Correspondents say that simply staging the concert in Helmand was a sign of the extent to which security has improved in the province after a sustained coalition offensive against Taliban militants in the area.

The concert featured two female singers - Farzana Naz and Rita Wagma - who appeared on stage without headscarves.

But officials in the country's Supreme Court said that Mr Karzai took action after hearing complaints from tribal elders.

"Women do not appear in public without wearing a burka and niqab in an Islamic country like Afghanistan," one official, who wished to remain unnamed, said.

Read it all

Another day in Misery

Day after day the body count mounts.  It becomes almost a blur after a while, but it is always important to remember these acts as they highlight the continuing struggle between Islam and ourselves. 


From Reuters/Yahoo March 28 by Elyas Wahdat

Suicide bombers kill 20 in Afghanistan's southeast 

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Three suicide bombers killed 20 people in an attack on a construction firm in a restive province in southeastern Afghanistan, government officials said on Monday, with the Taliban claiming responsibility for the assault.

Violence in Afghanistan has spiraled in the past year, with Taliban-led militants stepping up their fight against the Afghan government and its Western backers as Kabul prepares to take over responsibility for security gradually from foreign forces.

The attackers forced their way into the company's compound in the Bermel district of volatile Paktika province on Sunday night after killing a security guard, and then detonated a truck laden with explosives, the Interior Ministry said.

"As a result, 20 employees of the construction company were killed and 50 others were injured," it said in a statement.

Mohebullah Sameem, governor of Paktika, earlier put the death toll from the attack at 13.

He said the dead and wounded included employees of the firm and other civilians. Construction crews and others working on infrastructure projects are frequently targeted by insurgents.

Drywall jihad.

Read it all

"Behead those who insult Islam"

The most popular poster in the Islamic world and proof the are the "religion of peace".

The cartoons from the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard a few years ago got Muslims so riled up they killed and maimed in the name of Allah.  Now, another outrage has Muslims murdering for justice.  Remember Terry Jones, the Pastor in Florida who threatened to burn a Qur'an, then backed down?  Well he finally did it, along with Wayne Sapp the two of them burned the word of Allah.  Needless to say, there is chaos in the land of the star and crescent.

When you hear anyone tell you Islam means peace, remind them of the rage expressed by Muslims because of their too-thin skin. 

Oh, also because Allah says so.  Did I mention they are Christian as well?


From AsiaNew March 28 by Jibran Khan

Two Christians killed, churches burned: extremists respond to Florida Koran burning

In Hyderabad and Lahore, a mob of Islamic fundamentalists targeted the Christian places of worship. Desecrated several copies of the Bible. Anti-American slogans and demonstrations in different cities of Pakistan. The extremists pledge more violence, if Washington does not condemn pastor Jones to death. Bishop of Islamabad: the gesture of a "fanatic." 

Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Two believers killed, churches attacked, copies of the Bible burned: the Christian community in Pakistan is once again the victim of violence by Islamic fundamentalists, who have targeted places of worship in the country. The extremist violence was triggered by the insane act - repeatedly condemned by Christians in Pakistan and India – of the pastor Wayne Sapp, who last March 20, in Florida burned a Koran under the supervision of the evangelical preacher Terry Jones. The escalating violence has raised alarm over the fate of Asia Bibi, a symbol of the abuses committed in the name of the blasphemy law. The bishop of Islamabad / Rawalpindi defines the US pastor a "fanatic" who encourages followers to a "violent ideology", the consequences of which have an impact "on innocent Christians" across the world.

On March 25, a mob of Islamic extremists attacked a Pentecostal church in Hyderabad, killing two Christians and burning some copies of the Bible. Eyewitnesses said that the fundamentalists stormed the place of worship looking to set it on fire, but a group of believers defended the church. Security forces have fled the scene, leaving those present at the mercy of the crowd. The attackers hurled anti-Christian slogans and a feeling of anger toward the religious minority has spread. in the city The pastor of the church reports that "despite the condemnation of the burning of the Koran" the community "has come under attack because they think that we are linked to the Americans." He emphasizes that "we are Pakistanis, who were born in this land and we do not have any kind of relationship with the United States." "What fault did those two innocent people have – he ends - who were not Americans, but only Pakistani Christians?".

In a second incident, the Full Gospel Assembly Church, in the Badami Bagh area of Lahore, was attacked. Again fundamentalists burned the church, threw copies of the Bible into the street and accused the Christians of blasphemy, claiming they found pieces of the Koran, not far from the church. During the attack some security guards were injured.

Meanwhile, the weekend demonstrations were repeated against the burning of the Koran wanted by Pastor Terry Jones in different cities of Pakistan - among other Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad. The demonstrators, who burned his picture and chanted slogans and chants against the United States, called for the death of U.S. preacher. Extremists also threatened reprisals and other targeted attacks against Christians, if the U.S. government fails to take action against Pastor Jones.

Read it all

"These hearings are just the most recent example of a troubling pattern of unwarranted scrutiny on American Muslims"

Referencing the King hearings a few weeks ago, Deborah Jacobs, the head of the New Jersey ACLU enforces the belief that it is those who ask questions of a Muslim's behavior who are the problem, not bothering to address the fact that those who shout "Allahu Akbar" create the problem. 

So what do you do when confronted with the unpleasant aspects of Islam?  Why, hold a gathering to talk about Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate-mongering and the victimization of Muslim s through hate crimes.  Why not white-wash the realities of those who murder in the name of Allah by making it all about themselves through name-calling and obfuscation.  In the military we call that SOP.


From NorthJersey.com March 28 by Melissa Hayes

500 attend Muslim tolerance luncheon
 
When Mohamed Younes selected "Religious Freedom and Tolerance" as the theme for the American Muslim Union's annual brunch, it was long before New York Rep. Peter King decided to hold hearings on "radical Islam."

Younes, president of the union, said the luncheon Sunday at the Glenpointe Marriott in Teaneck came at the right time.

"It just happened to be the right subject for the right moment," he said.

Younes, who founded the Paterson-based grass-roots organization in the hopes of serving the American Muslim community and promoting equality, told the roughly 500 attendees that religious freedom is a constitutional right.

"With the wave of hate speech we hear too much these days, I hope it does not destroy the fabric of our nation and to turn one American against the other," he said. "We need to put the doubt behind us for good in order to participate and to contribute with the well-being of America, our homeland."

Allahu Akbar is hate speech which has turned Americans against Islam.  Care to fix that one, Younes?

Politicians, former judges and state officials including Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, state Sen. Brian Stack, Sen. John Girgenti, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli, as well as representatives from Homeland Security and the FBI sat alongside community members and religious leaders from various faiths.

Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, jokingly thanked the Muslim community for welcoming a short Jewish woman with open arms.

"It is important for us to grow understanding with one another and to continue the dialogue," she said.

Islam understands you all too well, Sen. Weinberg, the problem is you do not understand Islam.

On the theme of religious freedom, Ambassador H.E. Youssef Zada of the Egyptian Consulate noted that during the recent protests in Egypt, it was Christians who guarded the Muslims as they prayed in Tahrir Square.

And now that the crisis is over, it is back to killing and persecuting those same Christians.

During the four-hour event, many speakers referenced the House Homeland Security Committee hearings earlier this month.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, said he didn't have a problem with the hearings because he "knew there would be no evidence presented at the hearings that would embarrass anyone in any shape or form from the Muslim community."

In other words, the good dhimmi Pascrell has learned to "shut up a little"

"This is the greatest country in the world because people from all over the world came here. That's what makes it great. We have to protect that," he said. "It's tough to get to the dining table, but there's a place there once you get there. Every group has had to fight through this."

Read it all
  

Sunday, March 27, 2011

"...in countries with strong protections on speech and other forms of expression, the idea that a religion can have the same defamation protections as living individuals is considered an affront to individual rights."

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has been trying for over 10 years to have the UN pass it's defamation of religions resolution.  The OIC wants to have the UN ban any talk about the uncomfortable aspects of Islam, under the guise of protecting all religions from defamation.  Unfortunately Islam is the only religion who finds insult in ANY kind of dialogue on itself or the behavior of Muslims.  Christians, Jews, Hindus, Baptists, all other beliefs may complain and whine if someone says something mean about them, but they do not show the same penchant for violence as Islam does.

Now all that is moot as the UN Human Rights Council just bowed to Muslim sensibilities and the  believed real rampant Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.

We hate Muslims, therefore we cannot talk about them anymore.  Brilliant.


From ArabNews.com Mzarch 26

OIC commends resolution on religious discrimination

JEDDAH: The UN Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a new resolution on the elimination of forms of discrimination and violence based on religious beliefs.

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), which represents the Islamic group at the council participated in the March 24 discussion. The United States and the European Union too were represented.

Informed sources in the OIC General Secretariat here said that the new resolution related to combating religious intolerance and negative stereotypes, stigmatization, discrimination, and incitement to violence, and violence against individuals based on religion and belief is not a substitute for an earlier resolution adopted by the UN on combating defamation of religions, which the Human Rights Council had adopted many times in the past several years.

(.)According to informed sources, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had invited the OIC to lead, along with both Washington and the European Union, the efforts to draft a new resolution to ensure the foundations adopted by the previous resolution, giving a wider margin of freedom of expression.

The sources confirmed at the same time that the decision regarding defamation of religions has not been abandoned.

This is the most contentious of the resolutions, because in countries with strong protections on speech and other forms of expression, the idea that a religion can have the same defamation protections as living individuals is considered an affront to individual rights.

Read it all.
 

Prisoner release the path to peace

Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palistinian Authority in the West Bank tells Israel that the way to peace between the two peoples is for Israel to release every Palestinian prisoner back to the streets.  Abbas is not a friend of Israel, despite what we are told by the media.  He is as genocidal and Islamic as they get, yet he continues to garner support as a "moderate" among Middle Eastern leaders.

Remember, he did his doctorate thesis on why the Holocaust never happened.


From The Elder of Ziyon March 26

Abbas adds a new condition for "peace": Release all terrorists

Mahmoud Abbas, that intransigent leader that the world considers "moderate," had added another condition for "peace" with Israel:

Abbas now demands that Israel release every single Palestinian Arab prisoner.

This includes, of course, the most heinous terrorists - those that have murdered and slaughtered Israelis - that have been captured by Israel. Abbas is not distinguishing between prisoners with "blood on their hands" and those who merely planned or facilitated terror attacks.

Abbas is saying that peace depends on Israel releasing murderers. Not only that, he is implicitly threatening to support terrorism against Israel until every last of those prisoners are released.
The compassion and peaceful intentions of Abbas and the Palestinian Authority towards Israel shine through once again.

Read it all
 

Muslims Attack Christian in Egypt, Cut Off His Ear

The persecution of Christians in Egypt continues.  One day the problem will be solved, that day being the day after the last Christian is killed.  We can thank the religion of peace.

This is Islam.


From AINA March 26

Muslims Attack Christian in Egypt, Cut Off His Ear

(AINA) -- A group of Muslims attacked Ayman Anwar Mitri, a 45 year old Christian Coptic man in the Upper Egyptian town of Qena, cutting off his ear. The Muslims claimed they were applying Sharia law because Mr. Mitri allegedly had an illicit affair with a Muslim woman. The Muslims called the police and told them "We have applied the law of Allah, now come and apply your law," according to Mr. Mitri in an interview for the Egyptian Human Rights Organization.

Mr. Mitri, a low grade administrator at a secondary school, from elHasweya, in Qena, 492 KM from Cairo, had rented his flat to two Muslim sisters, Abeer and Sabrin Saif Al-Nasr, through an agent. After nine months he learned the sisters had been indicted for prostitution, so he asked them to leave and they did.

On Sunday, March 20 Mr. Mitri was informed by a friend via a phone call at 4 AM that the flat where the Muslim sisters lived was on fire; he went to the flat. While waiting in the torched flat a Muslim named Alaa el Sunni came and berated him for renting his flat to prostitutes. "I tried to calm him down," said Mr. Mitri, "and told him I knew nothing about the two women since they came through an agent." Alaa suggested they would go somewhere quiet to clear the misunderstanding. They went to the flat of Mr. Mitri's friend Khaled, a policeman, where 12 Muslims were waiting for him. They started beating him and saying "We will teach you a lesson, Christian" and "This serves your right for renting your property to prostitutes."

Believing this was the end of the episode, they asked him to call the Muslim woman, so that they would send her to her father. When the woman refused to come, they asked a female Muslim neighbor to call her, saying that her belongings are with her. The woman, Sabrin, came and was told to say that she had a relationship with Mr. Mitri. "At first the woman refused, but after being beaten, she agreed," said Mr. Mitri.

Remembering his ordeal, he said that they sat him on a chair and a Muslim named elHusseiny cut his right ear off. "I felt so shocked that I do not even know what tool he used." They also made a a 10cm cut at the back of his neck, cut his other ear, his face and his arm (video showing wounds). Mr. Mitri said they wanted to throw him off the fifth floor but Khaled objected, saying he would get into trouble for just being there, since he is a policeman.

Mr. Mitri said that the Muslims tried to convert him to Islam, but he refused. The Muslims then called the police and told them to come and get the Copt saying "We have applied the law of Allah, now come and apply your civil law."

Misunderstanding Islam once again.

Read it all

Moderation in Islam

With all the brouhaha going on in the Middle East and all the talk about democracy, secularism and moderate Islamic governments, I wanted to revisit the concept of the moderate Muslim and whether that applies today. 

I dug up this brilliant piece by Steven A. Cook at Foreign Policy back in June of 2008.  Titled "The Myth of Moderate Islam"  It speaks better than I can about why we cannot continue to look for that golden calf as it really does not exist within Islamic doctrine.


The Myth of Moderate Islam
By Steven A. Cook

Of all the cures commonly proposed for the many ailments afflicting the Middle East, there is one tonic nearly everyone seems to agree on: boosting moderate Islam.
It sounds eminently reasonable. If Islamic extremism is the problem, moderate Islam must be the solution. It follows that Western governments should therefore find ways to make the moderates more powerful and encourage the extremists to become more moderate. Allow Islamists to compete and accumulate power, the argument goes, and they will have little incentive to radicalize. Furthermore, assuming the mundane tasks of day-to-day governance will compel even the most extreme groups to focus more on filling potholes than on destroying the Great Satan.

But this belief is dead wrong. Not only is it impossible to agree on a working definition of the word “moderate,” but there is scant evidence that extremists really do moderate once they assume power.

Consider, for example, Hezbollah. The Shiite organization provides state-like services such as education and healthcare for the people of south Beirut and southern Lebanon. The organization, which has had representatives in the Lebanese Parliament since 1992, has often demonstrated a surprising degree of pragmatism. It took part in a May 2005 electoral alliance with several of its adversaries in order to maximize electoral returns in crucial districts. Just a few months earlier, during Lebanon’s “independence uprising,” which pushed Hezbollah’s ally, Syria, out of Lebanon, the organization struck a tone of national unity.

But this spring, Hezbollah revealed the extent to which it remains a militant group. Its cadres took over west Beirut in a powerful display of force intended to show that it has no intention of giving up its guns. Much of Hezbollah’s political power is based on the potent idea of “national resistance” to Israeli aggression. If Hezbollah disarmed, it would be no different from Lebanon’s myriad political factions jockeying for advantage. It is precisely the organization’s militancy that provides Hezbollah with a significant political advantage over its rivals. Why give that up?

The same can be said of Hamas. Two years after its electoral victory, a year after its forcible takeover of Gaza, and despite reported strains and splits within the organization, there are few signs that the Palestinian Islamist group has moderated. The clearest sign that Hamas had altered its worldview would be to accept the international community’s conditions. But why would it? If Hamas were to accept Israel’s right to exist, renounce armed struggle, and honor previously signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, it would cease being Hamas and effectively become a shadow of its rival, Fatah. The Islamists have not only beaten Fatah on the battlefield, but have also, and more importantly, sold a winning narrative about the ineffectiveness of dialogue with Israel. In Palestinian politics, bowing to international demands is hardly rational.

The other common, but misleading argument about moderate Islam asserts that if only the voices of moderation were given broader exposure, the extremist ideologies of al Qaeda and other groups would find fewer adherents. Although this seems sensible, good luck trying to define “moderate Islam.”