Social media in Beghazi; no talk of Muhammad film during attack

Obama lied, and people died.

From FOXNews December 18 by Catherine Herridge

Analysis of social media in Libya finds no reference to anti-Islam film on day of attack

As the State Department began Tuesday to circulate a highly anticipated report into what happened in the Sept. 11 Libya consulate attack, a separate analysis found that the first reference to the anti-Islam film that was initially blamed for sparking the attack was not detected on social media until a day later.

The independent review of more than 4,000 postings was conducted by a leading social media monitoring firm.

“From the data we have, it’s hard for us to reach the conclusion that the consulate attack was motivated by the movie. Nothing in the immediate picture – surrounding the attack in Libya -- suggests that,” Jeff Chapman, chief executive with Agincourt Solutions told Fox News.

Chapman says his analysts reviewed postings in Libya, including those from Benghazi, over a three-day period beginning on Sept. 11.

After identifying a geographic area and isolating a time frame, Chapman says his analysts can then “vacuum” up all of the social media postings, which are then analyzed in the original language using mathematical models. The firm previously has done work for government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

“We have seen no traffic in Benghazi – in the immediate lead up to the attack - related to the anti-Islam film," Chapman said. "There is a single source reporting on the evening of 9/11 that roads leading to the U.S. consulate in Benghazi were blocked. We also believe we have identified at least one individual who may have been involved - based on our analysis - that he posted a picture of himself attacking the consulate with an RPG.”

At 9:50 p.m. local time in Benghazi, about 20 minutes after the consulate assault began, one tweet provided by Chapman and translated from the Arabic states, “All roads leading to the U.S. Consulate closed #Benghazi and spread heavy security #USConsulate.”

The first reference to the anti-Islam film, initially blamed by the Obama administration for provoking the violent attack in Benghazi, appears to be a retweet of a Russia Today story that was not posted until Sept. 12 at 09:12 a.m. local time. The translation reads, “U.S. ambassador killed in Libya during his his country's consulate in Benghazi - Russia today http://t.co/SvAV0o7T response to the film abuser.”

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It's the Jews, says Iran regarding the Newtown killings

(sighing and slapping forehead)

From YNet December 18 by Dudi Cohen

Iran: Newtown massacre was Israeli conspiracy


"The Newtown massacre was the result of an Israeli conspiracy" an Iranian news website proclaimed Tuesday.

The United States is still reeling from the murderous rampage that left 20 children and six adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday. Tehran – which on Sunday offered its condolences to the victims and their families – is now promoting an alternative explanation to the horrific event.

Iran's Press TV website quoted Michael Harris, former Republican candidate for governor of Arizona and GOP campaign finance chairman, as saying that "An Israeli death squad was involved in the Sandy Hook shooting."

According to the report, Harris called the Newtown tragedy a "terrorist attack," adding that it was "Israel's revenge" and that it was meant to "teach the US lesson," following the Palestinian's status upgrade in the UN.

According to the report, the shooter, Adam Lazna, was meant to be the scapegoat.

Press TV failed to note where Harris was interviewed. The website also dubbed him an "intelligence analyst," but the GOP member has no known ties to the intelligence community in the US.

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Saudi Arabia: official gets 2000 lashes and 25 years for "unethical parties"

The "peaceful" side of Muhammad

If that was the law here in the US, the entirety of Hollywood, and more than 50% of the general population would suffer the same fate.  With sharia law in place, this is exactly what would happen, if we let it.  We do not want to become like the Saudis, yet many in both the public and private arenas would be happy for that to happen.

FYI, it takes about 300 lashes to kill you.

From Emirates 24/7 December 18

Saudi official jailed 25 years, to get 2000 lashes

A Saudi official appears to have paid a heavy price for staging “unethical parties” at his department, with a court in the Gulf Kingdom sentencing him to 25 years in jail and ordering him lashed 2,000 times in public.

The unnamed head of the government office in the southern town of Baha was also convicted of taking drugs, extortion of other officials and involvement in sodomy.

Newspapers said the court also fined the official SR200,000 and banned him from travelling outside Saudi Arabia during that period.

“He will be lashed in three batches after Friday’s prayers at the place where he committed his crimes in front of people,” Alsaudeh daily said.

It said the court also sentenced his aide to 15 years in jail, 1,500 lashes and travel ban, adding that the judge issued a recommendation the two would not benefit from any future pardon. The paper described it as a reduced sentence as the prosecutor had demanded the death penalty against the two.

“The two were found guilty of engaging in obscene acts, including staging unethical parties, using drugs and extorting other officials. They had also invited officials and other people to practice sodomy,” it said.  

The beard stays, says judge in Hasan trial

The beard stays as does the supremacist attitude

It appears settled; Major Hasan will get to keep the beard and the trial will now proceed.  He grew the beard because he is a Muslim, Hasan said but his lawyer claims it has nothing to do with religion.  How this will play out, and how much of Hasans beliefs will be questioned is anyone's guess, most likely little will be presented that melds his actions with mainstream Islamic doctrine as defined by Islam's recognized leaders.  To do so would, of course be Islamophobic.

From AP December 18

JUDGE INDICATES FORT HOOD SUSPECT CAN KEEP BEARD

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly Fort Hood shooting rampage apparently will be allowed to keep his beard during his military trial, after a new judge indicated Tuesday that she won't force him to shave.

The previous judge's order requiring Maj. Nidal Hasan to be clean-shaven or be forcibly shaved before his trial had tied up the case for more than three months, but an appeals court ousted that judge earlier this month.

The new judge overseeing Hasan's case told him during a hearing Tuesday that the beard, now thicker than when he first appeared in court with it in June, violates Army regulations. The judge, Col. Tara Osborn, said she won't hold it against him but that military jurors might.

Hasan answered "yes, ma'am" when Osborn asked if he grew the beard voluntarily. In a previous court hearing, he said he grew the beard because his Muslim faith requires it and not as a show of disrespect. Osborn asked defense attorneys to draft jury instructions about the issue. Jurors likely will be told not to consider Hasan's appearance when deciding on a verdict.

Hasan, 42, an American-born Muslim, faces the death penalty or life in military prison without parole if convicted in the 2009 rampage that killed 13 and wounded more than two dozen others on the Texas Army post.

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Iraq: more than 48 murdered as Shia/Sunni rift widens

1400 years of theological hatred cannot be wiped away by the forced implementation of Western democracy.  It is foolish to try, but those windmills need tilting against, and we just cannot resist.

From the Kuwait Times December 19

Wave of Iraq attacks kills 48 – ‘Security situation is worsening’

BAGHDAD: A wave of attacks targeting both Iraqi security forces and civilians killed 48 people yesterday, in a second day of deadly violence ahead of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US forces.

Yesterday was the deadliest day in Iraq since November 29, when 50 people were killed. The latest violence comes after attacks killed 19 people and wounded 77 on Sunday. US military forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq on December 18, 2011, ending a nearly nine-year war that cost the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis, thousands of Americans and hundreds of billions of dollars.

Violence in Iraq is down significantly from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but while Iraqi forces have held their own since the US departure, insurgent groups still pose a significant threat, and attacks occur almost daily. In the deadliest attack yesterday, a car bomb exploded at a car dealership in north Baghdad, killing at least 11 people and wounding at least 40, security and medical officials said. In the Karrada area in central Baghdad, a car bomb killed at least one person and wounded at least four, an interior ministry official and a medical source said. “The security situation is worsening,” said Duniyah, a 23-year-old employee of a hotel near the site of the explosion, who was watching the street from inside the hotel entrance, which was strewn with broken glass. Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint on the highway west of Tikrit, then abandoned and detonated their explosives-rigged car when a patrol pursued them, killing a total of five police and wounding five, a senior police officer and a doctor said.

In the village of Al-Buslaibi, north of Baghdad, a roadside bomb targeting an army patrol killed three soldiers, while an attack by gunmen on army checkpoints in the north Iraqi city of Mosul killed three soldiers, officers and a doctor said. A car bomb in Khaznah, a village near Mosul populated by the small Shabak minority, killed seven people and wounded 12, while two car bombs near a Shiite place of worship killed five and wounded 26 in the northern flashpoint town of Tuz Khurmatu, security and medical sources said.

Three roadside bombs exploded near Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding four others, while a magnetic “sticky bomb” and a shooting in the city killed two people, police and medics said. In other attacks in Diyala province, gunmen wounded three Kurds in Jalawla, while a sticky bomb killed two Kurds in Baladruz, according to the same sources. Khaznah, Tuz Khurmatu and Jalawla are all part of areas which Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region in the north wants to incorporate, over Baghdad’s strong objections. “The attacks in the disputed internal areas further aggravate the tensions there,” UN Iraq envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement condemning the violence, calling for efforts to de-escalate tensions in such areas.

A salvo of 10 mortar rounds slammed into the town of Rutba in Anbar province, killing two and wounding nine, officials said, and a car bomb near Dujail north of Baghdad killed one Iraqi and wounded at least 10 Iranian pilgrims. A roadside bomb against a police patrol in Madain, south of Baghdad, wounded three police and two civilians, while an attack by gunmen on a Sahwa anti- Qaeda militia checkpoint west of the north Iraq city of Kirkuk killed one militiaman, security and medical officials said. And a car bomb in Khaldiya, west of Baghdad, killed two civilians and two police, and wounded seven other people, police Captain Abdul Hafez al-Mahlawi said....

"They then started pulling her hair and put her face against the stove, burning her face. In spite of this, she remained faithful"

Converting from Islam to another faith is considered apostasy and is punishable by death.  This girls parents were just following the words of their prophet and his example as related in the Qur'an.

Such a lovely religion, Islam.

From BosNewsLife December 18

Kygyzstan Girl “Burned” For Faith In Christ

BISHKEK/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- A young Kyrgyz girl is forced to work in a sewing workshop after being tortured by her parents in Kyrgyzstan because she converted to Christianity, well-informed investigators said Tuesday, December 18.

The troubles began when the girl "accepted Jesus [Christ]" as her Lord and Savior "during a church meeting" despite opposition towards Christians in this heavily Islamic nation, explained aid and advocacy group Open Doors.

"When her parents found out about her decision, they were very upset and took her home to their village" where she was soon mistreated, the group told BosNewsLife in a statement.

"They wanted her to recant and renounce her faith in Christ, so they began to beat her systematically till she lost consciousness." Yet the girl, who was wrongly identified as "Almas" amid security concerns, "did not give in", added Open Doors.

WINTER TORTURE

"It was winter when all of this happened, so her parents put her into a cold room and kept her there for several days. Still they were unable to break her spirit," said Open Doors, which is in close contact with local believers.

"They then started pulling her hair and put her face against the stove, burning her face. In spite of this, she remained faithful," the group claimed.

Her parents reportedly also burned all her Christian literature and decided to closely watch their daughter. "They put her to work in a sewing workshop, where she is forced to work from early in the morning till late in the evening."

Sewing sweatshops are believed to be widespread in the country where many struggle with crippling poverty. "It has become virtually impossible for Almas to have any contact with her Christian friends," Open Doors said.

The findings come amid reported growing pressure on minority devoted Christians in this country of some 5.5 million people, where roughly 75 percent is Muslim.

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Living the good life, again

As we gear up for the holidays it becomes hard to remember the simple basics of living.  Caught up in the whirlwind of family, food and frenzy we don't stop until January 2, and by them we have missed the pleasures of remembering the bygone days where living simply was the greatest gift.  From longtime friend "LW" came a email about education in the US, and in the email was this gem.  For the holiday season I give you the rules for living the good life, again.

Merry Christmas everyone.

A Farmers Advice

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.
Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
Don't judge folks by their relatives.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

Live simply. 

Love generously. 

Care deeply. 

Speak kindly. 

Leave the rest to God.

Salafists in Jordan say after the overthrow of Assad in Syria, Tel Aviv is next

They make no bones about their plans, yet no one will address his words of hatred.  These Salafists are supporting the same Syrian rebels that Obama and the West are, will Obama now distance himself from the Islamists and pull support for the Free Syrian Army?  Unlikely, as we refuse to believe that those fighting Assad could be anything but our partners.  No one remembers Afghanistan in the 80s when we supported the mujahideen in their fight against the USSR.  The mujahideen became the Taliban after the defeat of the Soviets, and took all those weapons we gave them and turned them on us.  That lesson seems lost in another round of useless posturing, and the blind faith that we can win by using the enemy of our enemy.  It never works for the long term, but we never learn.

From YNET December 16 by Roi Kais

'First we take Damascus, then Tel Aviv'

The leader of the radical Salafist movement in Jordan, whose organization actively supports the Syrian rebels' efforts to topple President Bashar Assad's regime warned Sunday that once the Damascus opposition achieves its primary goal, it will set its sights on Israel.
The group's leader, Abed Shihadeh, who is also known as Abu Muhammad al-Tahawi, spoke at the funeral of a Jihadist who committed a suicide attack in Amman last week.

"We tell Benjamin Netanyahu, the (Israeli) prime minister, get ready. The army of the Prophet Mohammad is coming your way."

But it has nothing to do with Islam.
Shihadeh added: "Those carrying explosives in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan will find you, Allah willing," he added. "The next fight is between us and you."

The jihadist leader further pledged to "Take over Damascus and then head to Tel Aviv… As far as we are concerned, Palestine stretches from river to sea, from Rafah to a-Nakura. We will not rest until Palestine is liberated."

Commenting on the United States' decision to add the al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra to its terror watch list, Shihadeh said that "Allah blesses the heroes of Jabhat al-Nusra.

"America is the mother of all terror in the world," he added, further blaming the US for "standing by Assad and the Jews."

First round of voting in flux for Egypt; sharia opponents cry foul and demand another vote

photo; barenakedislam.com

I am still wondering where dhimmi Jimmy Carter is, to step in and look at the voting system and then declare his approval for the outcome.  Ever the Islamic apologist, he would be perfect to certify the election and assuage the worlds angst.

Jimmy, call your office!

From Al-Arabiya December 16

Egypt’s opposition shouts ‘violations,’ calls for vote repeat

Egypt’s main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, called on Sunday for a repeat of the first round of the constitutional referendum and wants a probe into 4,000 complaints it said took place during the vote.

Islamists claimed victory in the initial phase of the referendum, but the opposition alleged the balloting had been “marred by irregularities and violations,” the Front said in a statement obtained by Al Arabiya.
The two sides' positions drew out the deep uncertainty and division seen in Egypt over the past three weeks, a period marked by mass protests and deadly clashes.

A small majority of 56.5 percent voted for the draft charter, which was put to half of Egypt's 51 million voters on Saturday, according to the Freedom and Justice Party. They are the political branch of President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian media reported roughly the same figure, which fell short of the landslide victory the Brotherhood had been hoping for.

But the opposition National Salvation Front coalition said in a statement that it “will not recognize any unofficial result.”

The head of the Front, Mohamed ElBaradei, a former chief of the U.N. nuclear energy agency, tweeted of the first round: “Country split, flagrant irregularities, low turnout, disillusion with Islamists on the rise. Illiteracy remains a hurdle.”

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Leading Shia ayatollah issues fatwa telling Christians in Iraq to either convert to Islam or die

Ayatollah Ahmad Al Hassani Al Baghdadi is not some fringe preacher listened to by a few dozen zealots.  He is one of the most prominent Shia clerics in Iraq, and when he speaks, Muslims listen.  He advocates the worst of Islam, so he must be a misunderstander of the religion of peace.

I'll send the memo...

From ASIANews December 15 by Joseph Mahmoud

Shiite ayatollah launches fatwa: Iraqi Christians, conversion to Islam or death

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - An Advent of light and shadow for Iraq's Christians, who are celebrating the reopening of the cathedral of Baghdad but at the same time subjected to new - and heavy - threats from a radical Shiite Muslim leader. From studies of a television broadcaster based in Egypt, an Iraqi Ayatollah launches a fatwa against the religious minority on the eve of Christmas: "Conversion to Islam or death." However, strength of faith overcomes the fear of violence as witnessed by celebrations for the "rebirth" of the Syrian Catholic cathedral in the capital, the scene of a bloody attack at the end of October 2010 (see AsiaNews 31/10/2010 Al Qaeda attack on Baghdad church ends in massacre)

In an interview last December 13 on Egyptian television Al Baghdadia, the Shiite ayatollah Ahmad Al Hassani Al Baghdadi issued a fatwa against Christians in Iraq. Labeling them as "polytheists" and "friends of the Zionists", the extremist leader stressed that they must choose "or Islam or death," while "their women and girls may legitimately be regarded wives of Muslims." Al Baghdadi is known for his "jihad" positions and for attacking Americans in the past during their presence in the country, and today he lives in Syria, supporting the armed opposition.

Catholic sources in the capital tell AsiaNews that it is "a very serious fatwa," but "it is unlikely that people will be upset too much." The government pays "attention" to these proclamations by extremists, however it is possible that such words could "create panic in some areas of the capital," where there are now "very few" Christians.

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Critical Thinking Report: British University to host debate on evolution and Islam, bows to protests and changes plans

From omdurman.org

Update; I received an email from the Deen Institute on the conference today, December 18; 

FYI The event is still going ahead at at a new venue. Logan Hall central London. http://www.thedeeninstitute.com/evolution-conference

A Muslim think tank called The Deen Institute was to put on a debate on Islam and evolution, but opposition from students who found insult anyone would suggest the possibility that Muhammad may not have created the universe.

Co-founder of the institute, Adam Deen said  “It’s almost like there’s an intellectual mafia movement who won’t allow any freedom of thought.”

On the nose, Adam.

From the Independent December 14 by Jerome Taylor

Debate on Islam and evolution has to be called off after revolt by student societies

Organisers behind a British conference on Islam and evolution say they nearly had to cancel the event after receiving a torrent of opposition from Muslim students at one of the country’s top scientific universities, The Independent has leanred.


The Deen Institute, a Muslim debating forum which promotes critical thinking, had hoped to hold a conference entitled “Have Muslims misunderstood evolution?” early next year. Among the speakers invited to attend included Muslim scientists, imams who have promoted the compatibility of Islam and evolution as well as those who preach a form of Islamic creationism.

The initial plan was to hold the event next month at Imperial College London, one of the country’s foremost universities for scientific exploration and debate, in cooperation with the local Islamic student society. But the Deen Institute said it was forced to pull out when it became clear that opposition to the event from supporters of creationism began mounting. It is now being held without input from any Muslim student society at Logan Hall, a conference centre owned by the University of London.

“We eventually had to give up of getting any support from student societies because it was seen as simply too controversial,” Adam Deen, co-founder of the institute, told The Independent. Deen, who describes himself as a “conservative Muslim” who encourages critical thinking, said he was surprised to receive such opposition at a place of scientific study, particularly as he had made sure to invite all sides of the debate including those who preach creationism.

“It’s symptomatic of a bigger problem in the Muslim world where people representing practical Muslims have to be seen to be more literalist,” he said. “It’s almost like there’s an intellectual mafia movement who won’t allow any freedom of thought.”

Usman Siddiqui, president of Imperial’s Islamic student society, insisted that they were unable to co-host the event for “logistical reasons” rather than ideological ones.

“I did not say that Imperial ISoc have no qualms with the event - it's just that we did not reach the stage where we were to make that decision,” he said. “They wanted to use Imperial as a venue, it didn't work out, and now they have a new venue.”

However it is clear that opposition to the event has been increasing ever since the Deen Institute began publicising it. One source involved with preparations said: “As soon as it went live I was inundated with complaints. It’s sad because student societies should be desperate to host this kind of debate.”

Mr Deen’s public Facebook account illustrates many of the concerns people raised. In one comment Mohammad Ali Harrath, the founder of the highly influential Islam Channel, wrote: “This debate is a big mistake. It is shifting debate to make it a Muslim issue rather than an issue between atheists and creationists.”

Another commenter, Zeshan Sasjid, added: “Evolution is not Islamic. Prophet Adam did not have parents. A Muslim can’t believe that Prophet Adam.”

However others criticised their fellow believers for being overly literalist and shunning scientific research.

“If our faith is strong we can only gain from looking at, hearing and understanding difference,” wrote Amina Crashaw. “If this were not truth I would not be Muslim. Understanding difference include being open to finding something new to learn from the Qur’an. Not new facts but new depth.”

The row is informative because it illustrates some of the controversies currently occupying the Muslim world about the compatibility of science and whether critical thinking is being closed down by more literalist schools of thought.

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Honor hacking in India

Another in the continuing line of articles telling of the death of a young man at the hands of his lovers family because they both followed their heart.  Now there are a couple of circumstances told in the article below which I think some in the West could use as a justification for the murder, but the point is this was done using the sharia law and the example of Muhammad as "al-insan al-kamil" or the perfect man.

From The Times of India December 13

Ex-sarpanch hacked to death for eloping with girl

MACHERLA: In a gruesome incident, a former village sarpanch of a tribal hamlet was hacked to death for eloping with a girl from another community as the elders in her family were against their marriage. The incident took place in the wee hours of Wednesday at Ekonampet village of Macherla mandal in Guntur district. Two others, including the girl who married the tribal leader, were also injured in the incident.

According to information, Sreenu Naik, 30, of Ekonampet village fell in love with one Shaik Fatima, 23, of Macherla town a few years ago. However, Fathima's elders objected to their marriage as Sreenu Naik was already married and had two children. However, to get the consent of the family members of Fathima, Sreenu Naik, reportedly deserted his first wife and children.
Even then the family members of the girl and religious elders strongly objected to Sreenu's marriage proposal to Fathima and warned him to keep away from her. The story took a curious twist when Fathima herself left home to live with Sreenu. The couple fled Macherla town and were residing at Ekonampet village. Feeling humiliated by Fathima's decision, her brothers reportedly began hatching a plot to eliminate Sreenu about six months ago and got the chance on Wednesday.

Armed with deadly weapons, they reached the village in the early hours and tried to barge into the house. As the door was locked from inside, the assailants removed tiles on the roof and entered the house. At least three persons are said to have entered the house and hacked Sreenu to death. The victim died on the spot as he was attacked with sickles and axes and stabbed several times. When a terrified Fathima shouted for help, the offenders attacked her too leaving her with a severe head injury. A neighbour Sakru Naik, who rushed to the spot, was also attacked by the fleeing offenders. Sakru Naik suffered bleeding injuries. Locals rushed to the spot and took the injured to hospital. Macherla police launched an investigation into the case. With Sakru Naik's condition turning critical, the police shifted him to the Government General Hospital (GGH) at Guntur. Fathima is recovering at the Macherla government hospital.

Texas: new schoolbooks call Allah the only one to worship

Since Texas is the state which all other states look to for their school textbooks, it is possible thius lesson plan will make its way across the US into schools far and wide.  We may even see it here in Oregon. But remember, Islam is a religion of peace and to think otherwise would be Islamophobic.

From WND December 14 by John Griffing

Texas teaching 'Allah is the Almighty God'

In the 70 percent of Texas public schools where a private curriculum has been installed, students are learning the “fact” that “Allah is the Almighty God,” charge critics of a new online curriculum that already is facing condemnation for its secrecy and restrictions on oversight.

The program, called CSCOPE, is a private venture operating under the umbrella of the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative, whose incorporation documents state its independence from the State Board of Education of the Texas Education Agency.
Other reports previously have raised alarm over the curriculum’s depiction of the Boston Tea Party as a terrorist act on par with the 9/11 attack.

According to documentation that has leaked out, the program describes the Boston Tea Party this way: “A local militia, believed to be a terrorist organization, attacked the property of private citizens today at our nation’s busiest port. Although no one was injured in the attack, a large quantity of merchandise, considered to be valuable to its owners and loathsome to the perpetrators, was destroyed. The terrorists, dressed in disguise and apparently intoxicated, were able to escape into the night with the help of local citizens who harbor these fugitives and conceal their identities from the authorities. It is believed that the terrorist attack was a response to the policies enacted by the occupying country’s government. Even stronger policies are anticipated by the local citizens.”

There also have been reports that the curriculum – contrary to recent Supreme Court rulings – says the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the right to bear arms, is limited to state-run organizations.

“The collective right’s advocates believed that the Second Amendment did not apply to individuals; rather it recognized the right of a state to arm its militia. It recognized limited individual rights only when it was exercised by members of a functioning, organized militia while actively participating in the militia’s activities.”

Now come concerns about what critics describe as a definitively pro-Islam bias.

The critics say the studies border on proselytizing.

In one scenario, students are asked to study the tenets of Islam, and critics say the materials provided exceed impartial review of another faith, extending into requirements of conversion and moral imperatives.

A computer presentation utilized as part of a study of Islam includes information on how to convert, as well as verses denigrating other faiths.

According to excerpts, under the heading, “Who Is Allah?,” students are told:

“Allah is the Almighty God.”

“Allah alone is the Creator. He alone deserves our devout love and worship.”

Muhammad is described as having become “disillusioned with the corruption in the city and the growing gap between the urban dwellers and the Bedouins (nomadic herders).”

But there is no mention of his documented sex activities with a child or his penchant for beheading entire indigenous people groups.

CSCOPE’s geography curriculum also is being scrutinized.

A high school question on a geography test asks, “Which of the following has been a benefit of globalization?” Possible answers are as follows: a) pandemics, b) increased standard of living, c) loss of local culture, and finally, d) widespread environmental impacts.

The only “correct” answer accepted in the context of the test is “an increased standard of living.”

Aside from Islamic creep, we also have the propagandizing of children to Agenda 21 from the UN.

WND recently reported the Texas State Board of Education was hearing concerns expressed by parents.

The debate carries national significance because of the influence Texas has on textbook and curriculum publishers as the only state that adopts uniform standards.

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Hamas; a creation of Israel?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes.  The reasons make sense, in a historically inaccurate paradigm but produce no lasting positive results.

Did Israel create Hamas?

I do a lot of research because I love to learn, and I find the most interesting information by reading the comments at the end of articles. The variety and scope of peoples thinking (or lack thereof) always has me guessing as to what they really mean, and on occasion I learn something I did not know previously. One commentator claimed that Israel created Hamas and that stopped me cold. I thought, how is that possible and why would Israel create the very entity which demands its destruction? The answers, as I researched the idea were disturbing and not at all what I would have believed.

The 1970s and 80s were a turbulent time for Israel and the warring Islamic factions. Yassar Arafat and his Fatah (PLO) army presented themselves as secular and cooling to Israel’s existence, while Sheik Yassin and his Hamas group, formerly known as Mujama Al-Islamiya were recognized by Israel as a charity, and given all the perks inherit with being a charity. Israel used Hamas against Arafat and we, along with Israel went along. This marriage of convenience is not unusual, what is unusual is that after each debacle we don’t learn, and continue to support, with short term vision the enemies of our enemies.

The rise of Hamas as a militant and fundamental nationalistic organization began in earnest after the 1967 war. Before that they were more concentrated in rebuilding society, not actively trying to destroy Israel. It was after 1967, at the beginning of the false recreation of the land of Palestine that Hamas became the virulent anti-semitic society they are today. With the leaders of the refugees, including the Arab League making up their own history in order to de-legitimize the state of Israel, it was a natural for Hamas to join the growing chorus of hatred against Israel, their best interest regarding power and land rested in the hands of those who were rewriting history to suit their genocidal plans.

What Israel failed to take into account (by choice or by ignorance) was the Islamic dogma underlying Sheik Yassin’s long-term plans. It appears Israel had a very real worry about angering Islamists, and wanted to maintain the veneer of cooperation with Islam, yet they failed to understand that in Islam’s long view, they were the ones that would be forced into the same box they were trying not to get locked into. An act which, as we have seen has come back to bite them hard.

As we experienced in Afghanistan in the 1980s, supporting those who were the enemy of our enemy by giving the Mujahideen arms, logistics, ground and air support and training not just defeated the USSR, it also won us a little breathing room. Yet as with Hamas and Israel, we did not see the inherit long-term dangers of working with a group dedicated to killing all non-believers, and had been planning, for 1400 years the demise of its enemies and the creation of a world-wide caliphate. Israel does have a better grasp of the religiousity of Hamas and understands what drives them, but in the end Israel will not speak the truth about Islamic texts and tenets, for fear of “insulting” Islam and Muslims. By this method does she almost guarantee more fighting, wars and possibly her demise.

Whether or not Israel created Hamas is moot today. Debating the merits and responsibilities does not answer the core question; how to defeat Hamas both ideologically and militarily while maintaining the cohesion of the Islamic world. A difficult task, and one which Israel cannot do alone. The changes must come from within the Islamic community in the form of “ijtihad” which is the opening up of a debate forum designed to challenge, discuss and clarify Islamic dogma within the time period in which it exists. A reformation, if you will that will toss out the parts of the Qur’an that jihadists and Islamists use to justify their actions and uphold as right the calm and peaceful Qur’anic passages that enable Islam to coexist as an equal member of the brotherhood of man. Without this sea-change, Israel and the rest of the world will continue to experience the devastation of groups like Hamas, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Lashkar e-Talib and other Islamic supremacist groups whom hundreds of millions of Muslims support.

It does not surprise me to read the details of how Hamas came to be today, what disappoints me is that history has shown that this approach does not work yet we still believe we can use this tactic and not eventually be eaten by the alligator. As long as we continue to fool ourselves on the bedrock reasons of what the end desire for Israel is that comes from their enemies, we will always have to bury our dead. There is not enough room to bury them all. This must end, and soon.

Lipstick on the Jihadi Pig

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is at it again.  Responding to new AFDI ads which quote the Qur'an, Ahmed Rehab and his band of merry Islamists are starting a campaign called "MyJihad" where average Muslims tell us what jihad is to them, and why we needn't be afraid of jihad.  Nothing in their ads reflect the copious Qur'anic quotes used by jihadists, nor the upholding of those passages as valid by leading Islamic clerics and scholars.  It is a one-sided campaign designed to lull us into a false sense of calm, and to detract from the very real threat of jihad and the imposition of the sharia outside of Muslim-dominated countries.

Here is the AFDI ad CAIR is responding to;


No pictures of the ads by CAIR yet, but it is the message, not the art that is the danger here.

From Jihad Watch December 15 by Robert Spencer

Hamas-linked CAIR applies cosmetics to the concept of jihad

"Local Muslim group reclaiming ‘Islam’ with ‘MyJihad’ campaign," by Tina Sfondeles in the Chicago Sun-Times, December 14:
A month after an ultra conservative group plastered controversial “Defeat Jihad” ads on 10 CTA buses and likened Muslims to “savages,” a local Muslim group countered back with a campaign to “reclaim Islam” and educate the country about the true meaning of the word “Jihad.”

In the Chicago Sun-Times, you're "ultraconservative" if you oppose jihad and Sharia. But for the Associated Press, you're "ultraconservative" if you want Sharia and brand its opponents "followers of infidels."

Note also Tina Sfondeles's flagrant dishonesty: our AFDI "Defeat Jihad" ad didn't liken Muslims to savages. The ad read: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad." Thus the "savages" are those who pursue jihad attacks against Israeli civilians. By equating those who are undeniably savages with all Muslims, Sfondeles is painting all Muslims with a broad brush and committing "Islamophobia," no?
Through CTA bus and train ads and a social media campaign on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, participants are being asked to express what their Jihad is with the hashtag #MyJihad.

By Friday morning, more than 3,000 users had “liked” the campaign’s Facebook page. And on Twitter, thousands have posted what their “struggle” or Jihad is.

“#myjihad Is to have the serenity to accept things I can’t change. The courage to change the things I can, & the wisdom to know the difference,” a man in Saudi Arabia Tweeted.

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, and creator of the campaign, said the goal is to explain the very misunderstood and sometimes seemingly controversial concept of Jihad.

“Jihad in Islam simply means the struggle to a better place,” Rehab said. “Whatever barrier or burdens that you have in your life, you are asked, you are tasked to muster in the inner courage, the inner resolve, the inner determination to overcome those personal barriers, personal issues.”

He said the word has been misconstrued by Muslim and anti-Muslim extremists and it’s time to re-educate the public about Islam and its concepts. Often the term “Jihad” is associated with violence and those waging “holy war.”

“The only two things that God judges you by in the tradition of Islam are the two things that you control, your intentions and your effort,” Rehab said. “Your intention being sincere and your effort being for the best. That effort is Jihad.”

Naperville mom Angie Emara is featured in one of the ads with her children. She said her Jihad is getting over the loss of her son, and also raising another son with special needs.

“For me it’s personal. I don’t want my kids to grow up in an environment where they’re immediately rendered suspect for nothing of their doing,” Emara said. “...My Jihad is an ongoing struggle…My Jihad is to hold back the tears when I see my son live past Adam’s years and do things he never could. My Jihad is to push forward past the grief, past the second guessing.”

CAIR-Chicago’s campaign, in part, was spurred by the anti-Muslim ads that turned up on CTA buses last month. The ads, financed by conservative blogger Pamela Geller and her organization American Freedom Defense Initiative, have caused controversy — and some legal challenges — in Detroit, New York City and Washington D.C.

“In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad,” the ad reads.

The #MyJihad effort is staffed by CAIR volunteers, and the group paid for the CTA ads. But part of the campaign is aimed at seeking sponsors. For $500, a group can sponsor a bus. The group’s goal is to have enough sponsors so that the campaign can reach New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Seattle and Houston.

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New FBI hate crime stats out for 2011, guess who is suffering the most?

If you listen to CAIR, MSA, MPAC, ISNA or any of the myriad organizations claiming to represent Muslims in the US you will be inundated with misleading rhetoric, outright lies and shameful posturing about the plight of all the poor, oppressed Muslims suffering undue demonization at the hands of the evil West (re; Zionists) and the angry mobs of "Islamophobes" with pitchforks and torches.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Once again, 2011 has turned out to be a bad year to be a Jew, with over 63% of religious hate crimes committed against them.  Only 13% of religiously motivated hate crimes were against Muslims.  This has been the norm for many years, and any claim of victimization by Muslims is founded on an entitled view of themselves, and a belief that Islam is a better thought pattern than any Western or secular viewpoint.  Remember these numbers the next time someone tries to tell you about the rampant and all-pervasive anti-Muslim bias they claim exists.  Then ask them why they do not stand for Israel and the Jews.

From CAMERA December 11

FBI Figures: Still No ‘Wave of Islamophobia’

Hate crimes reported to U.S. law enforcement agencies declined six percent from 2010 to 2011, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual statistics. The 6,222 reported hate crimes were the fewest since 1994.

“Nearly half of hate crimes reported in 2011 were racially motivated,” The Baltimore Sun noted (“U.S. hate crimes decline,” December 11). Religious bias accounted for nearly one-fifth of the total. “Thirteen percent of the 936 religious bias crimes were anti-Islamic, but the large majority [63.2] were anti-Semitic in nature.”

Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin (“Right Turn,” “Hate-crime incidents down,” December 11) asserted that the total number of religious hate crimes, for a nation of more than 310 million people, “is tiny.”

Statistically speaking it is a tiny number, especially when compared to Islamic countries.  America, with all it's warts is still one of the most tolerant and inclusive countries on planet earth.  

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Egyptians vote on new constitution, Islamists use violence to influence outcome

Egypt's new constitution is not your forefathers constitution

The news is that the first round of voting goes to support the new, sharia-based constitution.  It appears the intimidation and threats from Islamic purists worked.  I wonder when dhimmi Jimmy Carter will show up in Cairo to monitor the results, declaring that all is well and we have nothing to fear.

Wait for it...

From Reuters December 15 by Tamim Elyan and Yasmine Saleh

Violence flares in Cairo as Egyptians vote

(Reuters) - Islamists attacked the offices of an Egyptian opposition party newspaper on Saturday, security sources said, as people voted on a new constitution intended to pull the country out of a growing political crisis.

The newspaper of the Wafd party in Cairo was targeted with petrol bombs and birdshot, the sources said, in the latest of a series of violent incidents surrounding a divisive referendum designed to pave the way to national elections next year.

The attack came as officials began counting votes after polling stations closed at 11 p.m. (1600 ET).

Official results will not come until after a second round of voting in remaining areas of the country next Saturday, but conflicting claims were already emerging from the rival camps.

A spokesman for the opposition National Salvation Front said it had indications that 60-65 percent of voters in Cairo and other cities had rejected the new constitution, while President Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood allies said that after 1 million votes had been counted, 72.5 percent were in favor.

Mostafa Shafik, managing editor at Wafd's newspaper, which is located next to the party headquarters, said his offices had been damaged.

"The attackers used Molotov cocktails to enter, which left minor areas burned," he said.

A Reuters photographer saw a dozen or so cars damaged inside the Wafd headquarters' grounds, their windows broken. Glass was also broken in the headquarters, but he saw no immediate signs of fire damage. Two people appeared to have been injured.

Wafd blamed followers of Hazem Abu Ismail, a Salafist preacher, for the attack, but he used hisFacebook page to deny involvement.

Violence in Cairo and other cities has marred the run-up to the referendum. Several party buildings belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party have been burned in protests.

Rival factions armed with clubs, knives and swords fought in the streets of Alexandria on Friday. Opposition supporters trapped a Muslim preacher inside his mosque after he backed a "yes" vote in favor of the constitution.

ANGRY DEMONSTRATIONS

President Mursi provoked angry demonstrations when he issued a decree last month expanding his powers and then fast-tracked the draft constitution through an assembly dominated by his Muslim Brotherhood group and its allies. At least eight people were killed in clashes last week outside the presidential palace.

His liberal, secular and Christian opponents say the constitution is too Islamist and tramples on minority rights. Mursi's supporters say the charter is needed if progress is to be made towards democracy nearly two years after the fall of military-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak.

"The sheikhs (preachers) told us to say 'yes' and I have read the constitution and I liked it," said 53-year-old Adel Imam as he queued to vote in Cairo on Saturday. "The country will move on."

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Britain: less Christianity and more Islam is the new norm

A decrease of 13% in those who claim a spiritual belief since the last census (2001) and an almost doubling of the Muslim population in the same time period.  The demise of English society has been accelerating for the last 30 years, we are now seeing the results of putting cheap immigrant labor ahead of societies cultural identity.

Long live the Queen.

From The Telegraph December 11 by Damian Thompson

Christianity is fading away in Britain as Islam surges and agnosticism spreads

Poor Rowan Williams: wrong to the end. Christianity is not "fading away" in Britain, he says. Yes it is, as the census figures clearly illustrate.

Since the last census in 2001, the number of Britons identifying themselves, however loosely, as Christians is down 13 percentage points to 59 per cent.

The number of respondents who say they have no religious faith is up 10 points to 25 per cent. Meanwhile, staggeringly, the Muslim population has grown from 1.55 million to 2.7 million, an increase of 1.15 million from 2001 to 2011.

The surge in Islamic belief is entirely a consequence of immigration...

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UN lunacy; new VP of Human Rights Council holds 800K of its people in slavery

Care to guess what the dominate ideology of the majority of the people is in this case?  Hint; Mauritania.  If you guessed Islam, you win!  I'll say it again, we should leave the UN as soon as possible, it is a tool of our enemies, specifically Islam.

From UN Watch December 10

Human Rights Day Marred by Election of Slave-holding Mauritania as VP of UN Human Rights Council

GENEVA, Dec. 10 – UN Watch condemned today's election of Mauritania, a country that allows 800,000 of its citizens to live as slaves, as Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Council.

In addition, the Geneva-based group also announced the failure of its yearlong campaign, with 55 MPs and NGOs, to get UNESCO to remove Syria from its human rights committee.

1. Mauritania Elected Today as VP of UN Human Rights Council

The UN Human Rights Council met today in Geneva and elected Mauritania as its Vice-President and Rapporteur for the next year, the second highest position at the world's top human rights body.

"It is obscene for the U.N. to use the occasion of Human Rights Day, when we commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to elect the world's worst enabler of slavery to this prestigious post," said Hillel Neuer, UN Watch executive director.

"The U.N. is making an arsonist head of the fire department. It defies both morality and common sense."

According to a recent report by the Guardian, "up to 800,000 people in a nation of 3.5 million remain chattels," with power and wealth overwhelmingly concentrated among lighter-skinned Moors, "leaving slave-descended darker-skinned Moors and black Africans on the edges of society."

Read Moors as Muslims.

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Army manual tells soldiers to stop criticizing the Taliban and talking about women's rights

 Military madness disguised as multi-cultural tolerance.  I don't know which is worse; being a clueless dhimmi or a deliberate anti-American brown-noser.  Either way, we are doomed if this is SOP today for our military.

From Judicial Watch December 11

New Army Manual Orders Soldiers Not To Criticize Taliban

Here is a strong indicator that the Obama Administration’s crusade to appease Islam has gone too far; a new U.S. military handbook for troops deployed to the Middle East orders soldiers not to make derogatory comments about the Taliban or criticize pedophilia, among other outrageous things.

It gets better; the new manual, which is around 75 pages, suggests that Western ignorance of Afghan culture— not Taliban infiltration—is responsible for the increase in deadly attacks by Afghan soldiers against the coalition forces.

The soon-to-be-released Army handbook is still being drafted, but a mainstream newspaper got a sneak preview and published an article that should infuriate the American taxpayers funding the never-ending war on terror. The manual is being created because someone with authority bought the theory that cultural insensitivity is driving insider attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

More than three dozen insider attacks have killed 63 members of the U.S.-led coalition this year, according to the article, and some blame “American cultural ignorance.” The bottom line is that troops may experience social-cultural shock and/or discomfort when interacting with Afghan security forces, the new military handbook says. “Better situational awareness/understanding of Afghan culture will help better prepare [troops] to more effectively partner and to avoid cultural conflict that can lead toward green-on-blue violence.”

The draft leaked to the newspaper offers a list of “taboo conversation topics” that soldiers should avoid, including “making derogatory comments about the Taliban,” “advocating women’s rights,” “any criticism of pedophilia,” “directing any criticism towards Afghans,” “mentioning homosexuality and homosexual conduct” or “anything related to Islam.”

At least one high-ranking military official had the backbone to publicly criticize the new manual, albeit through a spokesperson. U.S. Marine General John Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, doesn’t endorse it and rejected a proposed forward drafted by Army officials in his name. “He does not approve of its contents,” according to a military spokesman quoted in the story.

Earlier this year the Obama Administration changed the way federal agents are trained to combat terrorism and violent extremism by eliminating all materials that shed a negative light on Muslims. Under White House orders, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) destroyed instructional material that characterizes Muslims as prone to violence or terrorism in a government-wide call to end Islamophobia.

Instead of honestly confronting the ideology which drives our enemies, just throw everything in the trash and  pretend it never existed, while blaming those who point out the ideology.  No, not me but the clerics, imams and mullahs who use the Qur'an to uphold the violence.  They are the ones the finger needs  to be pointing to.

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