May 20, 2007

State Of Emergency Declared In Israel (May 20, 2007) - Israel's defense minister declared a state of emergency Sunday in Sderot, which has been under near constant rocket attack from Gaza. Minister Amir Peretz's declaration came as a new barrage of five Qassam rockets stuck Sderot Sunday morning. No one was reported killed or seriously injured, though some residents were hospitalized in shock. Sderot residents called the emergency declaration too little, too late, the Jerusalem Post reported. "Only after dozens of Qassam rockets and thousands of residents have left Sderot, the government only now understands that there is a state of emergency in Sderot," said Alon Davidi, a Sderot resident. The declaration gives civilian authority to Israel's Home Front Command to close factories and schools and order medical clinics, the Post said. Peretz declared a similar state of emergency in northern Israel following Hezbollah rocket attacks last summer during Israel's war on Lebanon. About 4,000 of Sderot's 23,000 residents have left the city for temporary "relief" shelters in safer parts of Israel, the Post reported.
| Israel | Islam |

Israel launches new airstrikes on Hamas (May 20, 2007) - Israel's air force fired a missile at a house in Gaza City late Sunday, killing at least eight people, residents and hospital officials said. The strike followed a decision to step up attacks against Islamic militants in response to rocket fire from Gaza. Israeli air attacks on militant targets earlier in the day killed another three Palestinians. The attack on the house was the deadliest airstrike since last Tuesday when Israel started reprisals for the rocket barrages. Residents said the house belonged to a Hamas lawmaker Khalil al-Haya, and six of the dead were members of his family. Al-Haya was not at home and was not harmed, they said. He was one of the Hamas representatives in cease-fire talks with Fatah and was attending an Egyptian-sponsored truce meeting just before the strike, residents said. The missile hit a room used as a meeting place for the extended family, relatives said. Hospital officials said eight people were killed and 13 injured. The Israeli military said the missile hit a group of armed militants outside a house. At Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, there was pandemonium as cars brought in the victims, some of them dismembered by the blast. Al-Haya went to the hospital to visit his wounded relatives. "We will go ahead despite the challenges, despite the martyrs, despite the pain that I am suffering and my people are suffering," he told reporters at the hospital, in remarks carried by local radio stations. Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, said those killed were civilian members of the al-Haya family, and the attack was a sign that Israel is targeting "everyone — civilians and leaders." "This escalation is very serious," he said. "All options are open" for responding to this. In a statement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for international pressure to stop the Israeli attacks. more...
| Israel | Islam |

Bush gets ready for Iraq U-turn by Brown (May 20, 2007) - Gordon Brown is prepared to risk the future of the "special relationship" with the United States by reversing Tony Blair's support for the Iraq war, President George W Bush has been warned. He has been briefed by White House officials to expect an announcement on British troop withdrawals from Mr Brown during his first 100 days in power. It would be designed to boost the new prime minister's popularity in the opinion polls. The President recently discussed with a senior White House adviser how to handle the fallout from the expected loss of Washington's main ally in Iraq, The Sunday Telegraph has learned. Details of the talks came as a close ally of Mr Brown called for a quicker withdrawal of British troops. Nigel Griffiths, a former minister, said: "We should get out of Iraq as soon as is practicable. We should consult the Iraqi government - but they cannot have a veto. This cannot be delayed." Mr Griffiths, who resigned as deputy leader of the Commons this year over the decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system, spoke out as reports suggested that Mr Brown would use an early trip to Iraq to reassess Britain's role and accelerate the withdrawal. Revelation of the US fears will reinforce expectations in Westminster that Mr Brown will make a decisive break with Mr Blair's support for the war. more...
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America |

Muslim outrage over Judeo-Christian values (May 19, 2007) - MUSLIMS are outraged that prospective citizens will have to acknowledge the Judeo-Christian tradition as the basis of Australia's values system. Australia's peak Muslim body said the proposed citizenship question - revealed in the Herald Sun - was disturbing and potentially divisive. Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Dr Ameer Ali said the "Abrahamic tradition" or "universal values" would be less divisive ways of describing the nation's moral base. Dr Ali said use of the term Judeo-Christian was the result of "WWII guilt", and before 1945 Australia would have been called only Christian. "That question must be rephrased," he said. Dr Ali was backed by Democrats senator Lyn Allison, who said the answer to the question was highly debatable. But Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews stood firm on the merit of the question. Mr Andrews said Australia's Judeo-Christian heritage was indisputable historical fact. "We are not asking people to subscribe to the Judeo-Christian ethic," he said. "We are simply stating a fact that this is part of the heritage of Australia in terms of its foundation. "This is not an exercise in political correctness. It is trying to state what has been the case and still is the case." But Health Minister Tony Abbott confused the issue, saying the modern Australian values system was secular, or of no particular religion. more...
| Islam |

Revered Israeli apocalyptic kabbalah leader shocks Jews, Christians with name ‘Yeshua’ (May 18, 2007) - A controversy is raging in Israel, in evangelical circles in the U.S. and on kabbalah web forums worldwide following the posthumous release of what a revered Sephardic rabbi claimed to be the name of the Messiah. When Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri died in February 2006, somewhere between the age of 106 and 117, 300,000 attended his funeral in Jerusalem. The Baghdad-born kabbalist had gained notoriety around the world for issuing apocalyptic warnings and for saying he personally met the long-awaited Jewish Messiah in November 2003. Before Kaduri died, he reportedly wrote the name of the Messiah on a small note, requesting it remained sealed for one year after his death. The note revealed the name of the Messiah as "Yehoshua" or "Yeshua" – or the Hebrew name Jesus. However, complicating the story further, the note is being challenged as a forgery by his 80-year-old son Rabbi David Kaduri. "It's not his writing," he is quoted as telling Israel Today. The note, written in Hebrew and signed in the rabbi's name, said: "Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah's name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid. This I have signed in the month of mercy." The Hebrew sentence consists of six words. The first letter of each of those words spells out the Hebrew name Yehoshua or Yeshua. The finding has raised a combination of excitement and controversy in both Jewish and Christian circles – but scarcely any media attention. Jewish blogs and web forums are filled with skeptical analysis and puzzlement. "So this means Rabbi Kaduri was a Christian?" asked one poster rhetorically. Another wrote: "The Christians are dancing and celebrating." Not exactly. In fact, many Christian discussion boards say Kaduri's description of the Messiah – no matter what his name – doesn't fit the biblical account of a returned Jesus of Nazareth, who, they believe, will rule and reign on Earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. About his encounter with the Messiah Kaduri claimed is alive in Israel today, he reportedly told close relatives: "He is not saying, 'I am the Messiah, give me the leadership.' Rather the nation is pushing him to lead them, after they find [in my words] signs showing that he has the status of Messiah." Kaduri was also quoted as saying the imminent arrival of the Messiah will "save Jerusalem from Islam and Christianity that wish to take Jerusalem from the Jewish Nation – but they will not succeed, and they will fight each other." Statements like that have some Christians wondering if Kaduri might be talking about another Yeshua – perhaps even a miracle-performing "false Christ" many evangelicals believe will precede the return of Jesus. Aviel Schneider, the author of the Israel Today story, said the worldwide reaction to news of Kaduri's note has been "crazy." He said he has never received so many emails and calls from around the globe. He said he was urged not to publish the story by the rabbi's yeshiva, where officials said it was "impossible" that the note was actually written by Kaduri. But Schneider was given access to many of the rabbi's manuscripts, written in his own hand for the exclusive use of his students. He was struck by symbols painted by Kaduri all over the pages. "They were crosses," said Schneider. "In the Jewish tradition, you don't use crosses. You don't even use plus signs because they might be mistaken for crosses. But there they were, painted in his own hand." Asked what those symbols meant, Kaduri's family said they were "signs of the angel." more...
| Israel |

Bill sees churches as political lobbies (May 18, 2007) - A Christian organization is announcing the success – for now – of its urgent petition drive to convince Congress to drop plans to re-classify ministers and ministries as "lobbyists," which would create reams of red tape and subject leaders to fines of up to $50,000 if they didn't follow the fine print. Jay Sekulow, of the American Center for Law and Justice said the language was "troubling" and would have created an "extreme burden" for churches and non-profits if they wanted to exercise First Amendment rights to speak out on moral issues. "We heard from more than 180,000 Americans who wanted this provision removed and we're delighted that it has been defeated," he said. "Most Americans clearly understand that lobbying reform does not translate to threatening the constitutional freedoms that permit Christians to speak out on issues that matter most." He had warned when a similar proposal was defeated in January in the U.S. Senate that the issue may return, and it did. "This legislation, in essence, attempts to override the United States Constitution," the ACLJ had said in its petition appeal on the new U.S. House plan. "What we're dealing with here is the work of politicians who want to control, limit, and silence Christians and conservative groups." "This is an important free speech victory for churches and non-profit organizations. We stand ready to meet any further challenge should Congressman [Martin] Meehan [D-Mass.] attempt to reintroduce this troubling amendment on the House floor when the lobbying reform bill is considered next week. We will vigorously oppose such a move if it occurs," Sekulow said. The ACLJ said the newest proposal, House Resolution 2093, would have done the same as the earlier Senate plan, in Section 220 of S. 1. The proposal, as did the earlier plan, could have required pastors, church leaders, advocacy organizations and even some individuals to register as lobbyists, under penalty of fines of up to $50,000, the ACLJ said. The ACLJ's protest petition is available online. And Sekulow noted that he has assembled a legal team and produced a legal analysis, available on the organization's website, that details the dangers of the proposal. "We are preparing a complaint to file in federal court if necessary," he said. more...
| America |

Rabbi warns against going to Temple Mount (May 17, 2007) - Former chief rabbi Avraham Shapira, head of Mercaz Harav yeshiva, said yesterday that Jews are prohibited from going to the Temple Mount. Shapira's statement came after a pamphlet issued by religious-Zionist rabbis calling on people to go to the Temple Mount, and doing so themselves earlier this week in what has been called a historical change in their stand. Shapira (along with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu) is considered a leading figure in the religious-Zionist movement. He made the statements at the traditional rally in honor of Jerusalem Day at the yeshiva. Rabbi Dov Lior, the head of the West Bank rabbinic committee and the chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba, who was among those who visited the Temple Mount with the group this week, was seated next to him. Rabbi Zalman Melamed, the head of the Beit El Yeshiva and a leader among West Bank rabbis, said, "Next year we will all go up freely to the Temple, which will be built, with the ashes of the red heifer, without disagreement and without questions." Until a few years ago, most rabbis prohibited Jews from going to the Temple Mount because no one knows for sure the exact location of the Holy of Holies, and the concern that today's Jews, considered "impure" by Jewish law, would enter prohibited zones. However, as a result of the strengthening Palestinian presence on the Mount, religious-Zionist rabbis have been pressured in recent years to permit visits to some parts of it. The committee of West Bank rabbis allowed ascent to the Mount a few years ago.
| Temple Mount |

Charlemagne Award 2007: Dr. Javier Solana Madariaga pdf (May 17, 2007) - "I was privileged to be born into a family with a long-standing commitment to Europe. Naturally it gives me great satisfaction to note that, along with Salvador de Madariaga, two members of this family have now received this eminent distinction. As a Spanish European, allow me to say a few words of gratitude to those Spaniards present here who have been awarded the distinction that I now have the honour to receive. It is not hard to put this into words: by pooling our resources and working together we can forge a better and more promising future than any of us could have hoped to do alone. This is all the more important in a world in which forces and movements have been unleashed which no single government can control or contain. A world in which violence, oppression and extreme poverty are still with us. A world in which many do not share our commitment to multilateralism and the rule of law. I am convinced that we should continue the European integration process. In the past we have relied on a three-pronged strategy of enlarging, deepening and reforming. Each of these elements has depended on the others for success, and even for meaning. With enlargement we have reunified Europe without imposing anything on anyone, simply through the enormous power of attraction that the Union has had on other European States. It has been a historic success. But the Union is a work in progress. That is why I am convinced that we need changes in various spheres. Changes in what things we do and how; changes in how we communicate with our citizens and spend their money; changes in how we deal with the rest of the world. Above all, we need to safeguard Europe's capacity to act. Our world is changing very rapidly. New players are moving into the centres of power and decision-making; major economic flows are also shifting; many schools of thought are moving away from our humanist model; and scientific and technological know-how is spreading to regions of the world where, just a few years ago, it would have been inconceivable to encounter this type of knowledge. In the face of those far-reaching changes; in the face of those challenges of unpredictable scope, I regret to have to observe that our Union is reacting with paralysing narrow-mindedness." Just when we should be at our most alert, just when the world's demand for Europe is at its highest, the Union has turned inwards, immersed in a sterile institutional crisis. We cannot go on like this. This must be resolved as soon as possible, in 2007. For this reason, I unreservedly support Chancellor Merkel in her efforts to put an end to this hiatus and put Europe back on a solid footing to face the future. And we should do so with determination because Europe means not only grand ideas but also concrete achievements. Of these there have been many and of great significance: the single market, the euro, enlargement, the development of capabilities to conduct military and civilian crisismanagement operations, to name a few. But our citizens want more than a market and a regional stabilisation project. They also want the Union to be a global player. And they want it, by acting globally, to be a factor for peace. We are seen as an active player but not as a threat. For this we have to thank the legacy of the ideas on which we originally founded our project: solid laws and institutions, the tireless pursuit of consensus and a spirit of compromise... European integration began with the desire to consolidate peace between Germany and France. Forty years later, it has been the key to the peaceful reunification of the continent. In Europe, we have managed to break away from the old idea of basing our security on the weakness of others. We have transcended that approach, which remains prevalent in many parts of the world. Now we realise that our strength and prosperity depend on the strength and prosperity of our neighbours. We have to go on to take the next step and become a factor for peace in the international community. The young people of Europe are big-hearted. In vast numbers, they act to alleviate the situation of those who suffer the greatest hardships. I have toured three continents, visiting EU missions in which European police officers, soldiers, magistrates and young people of all origins are working for peace. What started out as a European peace project must in the 21st century become a factor for peace in the world. Our young people will, without a doubt, back such a project. Because it is above all they who dream of a world like that. Europe is a global player speaking with one voice and playing a decisive role in world peace and stability. Europe is an inescapable factor in resolving any international conflict or crisis. Europe, a point of reference for a world based on solid, respected laws and institutions. That is my idea of Europe. And I believe with all my heart that this can and should be the next achievement in the grand European project. We have the capability. Let us mobilise the political will and make it happen.
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana |

“How The Six Day War Almost Led To Armageddon” (May 17, 2007) - June, 1967. War clouds had been building for months. The Israelis found themselves increasingly surrounded by Soviet-backed forces of the Arab and Islamic world, all of whose leaders were vowing to “throw the Jews into the sea,” and the Israelis were considering a first strike. The element of surprise might be their only hope of survival, they figured. But President Lyndon Johnson had warned Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in no uncertain terms that such a move would be a serious mistake. As historian Michael B. Oren noted in his highly praised book, Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, Johnson sent a secret message to Eskhol saying that “it is essential that Israel not take any preemptive military action and thereby make itself responsible for the initiation of hostilities. Preemptive action by Israel would make it impossible for the friends of Israel to stand at your side.” Oren noted that Johnson specifically “warned of the possibility of direct Soviet intervention.” Marshal Andrei Antonovich Grechko, the Soviet deputy defense minister, had told his Egyptian counterparts in Cairo that the Kremlin had dispatched “destroyers and submarines to the waters near Egypt, some armed with missiles and secret weapons” to help wipe out the Zionists. One of Israel’s top experts on Soviet foreign policy told Israeli Defense Forces intelligence that “the USSR would muster all its influence and power to maintain its Middle East position” and when asked if the Soviets would intervene directly, replied, “of course.” Soviet Premier Kosygin, meanwhile, sent a cable to Prime Minister Eshkol warning that “if the Israeli Government insists on taking upon itself the responsibility for the outbreak of armed confrontation then it will pay the full price of such an action.” But at 8:44 a.m. on the morning of June 5, 1967, Eshkol sent an urgent message back to President Johnson informing him that it was too late. War had begun. “After weeks in which our peril has grown day by day, we are now engaged in repelling the aggression which [Egyptian President] Nasser has been building up against us,” Eshkol wrote, explaining his rationale for the preemptive strike Israel had just launched. “Israel’s existence and integrity have been endangered. The provocative [Arab] troop concentrations in Sinai, now amounting to five infantry and two armored divisions; the placing of more than 900 tanks against our southern frontier; . . . the illegal blockade of the Straits of Tiran; . . . the imminent introduction of MiG-21 aircraft under Iraqi command [into the theater]; Nasser’s announcement of ‘total war against Israel’ and of his basic aim to annihilate Israel. . . . All of this amounts to an extraordinary catalogue of aggression, abhorred and condemned by world opinion and in your great country and amongst all peace-loving nations.” more...
| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |

Pastor John Hagee's D.C. Meeting Worries Jews (May 17, 2007) - Pastor John Hagee says Armageddon will soon strike the nation of Israel, so he's enlisting Christians to help protect Israel against an attack from Iran. Hagee, who has close ties to the Bush administration, has some in the Jewish community worried about his efforts to help Israel and his talk of a coming war with Iran. The well-known pastor and author, who broadcasts nationwide from his mega Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, has been seeking to help Jewish groups raise money from Christians for Israel. "The enemies of Israel are the enemies of America," Hagee said. "They are the enemies of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These enemies have drawn the battle line. If a line has to be drawn – then draw that line around both Christians and Jews! We are one; we are united!" Such polemics from Hagee hail the fiery theme of the 2nd Annual Israel/Washington D.C. Summit slated for July 16-19 in the nation's capital. As a warm up to the main July enclave, Washington area residents can attend a "Night to Honor Israel" in nearby Alexandria, Va., on May 20, also sponsored by Hagee. Hagee, an unapologetic Christian Zionist, has hosted "Nights to Honor Israel" dinners in over 40 cities around the country – with help from a dedicated all-volunteer staff of 13 regional directors, 46 state directors and more than 85 city directors. The most profitable evening, held last October in Hagee's hometown of San Antonio, snared some $7 million. Funds flow directly into the coffers of various Jewish federations. This past summer, for instance, $1 million was donated to the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for the Israel Emergency Campaign – an effort to aid the embattled northern region of Israel. Fundamentalist Christians like Hagee believe they have a Biblical injunction to bless Jews and the State of Israel as God's "chosen people." Hagee's efforts appear innocuous enough on its face, but some Jewish groups see his Christian Zionist movement with either skepticism or anger. At the heart of the movement is Hagee's Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Founded in February 2006, this Christian, pro-Israel lobbying group is hard at work extending Hagee's influence beyond Washington – to Jewish and evangelical communities around the nation. For his part, Hagee does not minimize the scope of his movement, stating that CUFI "will have organized offices in every state in the union, mobilizing every Christian and whoever will work with us on a pro-Israeli agenda."
| Gog/Magog | Israel |

Earthquake jolts Banten (May 17, 2007) - An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Banten province at 6.37 a.m on Thursday. "The epicenter of the earthquake is located at 6.98 degrees south latitude and 104.93 degree east longitude about 65 km southwest of Ujung Kulong at a depth of 30 km under the sea surface," Koko of the Meteorological and Geophisics Agency office said here on Thursday. He said that there was no immediate report on damage or casualties in areas near the epicenter. "We have also contacted relevant officials in a number of cities around the epicenter such as south Banten and Lampung (in Sumatra) but they did not even feel the tremors," he added. He said there was no records on the occurrance of aftershocks. Thursday`s earthquake was the second minor quake to occur in Indonesia this week. On Monday, North Sulawesi Province was jolted by an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Maluku Sea, at 1.37 degrees northern latitude and 126.31 degrees eastern longitude, head of the Manado meteorological and geophysics office Subardjo said here on Monday. The depth of the earthquake was 22 kilometers under the Maluku Sea, which is located about 124 km southeast of Bitung city, North Sulawesi Province.
| Earth Changes |

Minor earthquake shakes Anchorage (May 17, 2007) - A 3.6-magnitude earthquake rattled Anchorage late Wednesday, according to the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer. The epicenter of the quake was 40 miles southwest of Anchorage, in Cook Inlet. The earthquake struck at 10:21 p.m.
| Earth Changes |

Earthquake in Laos shakes Thailand (May 17, 2007) - Thousands of workers fled swaying high-rise office buildings in Bangkok on Wednesday but there were no injuries or major damage reported after an earthquake struck about 465 miles north in western Laos, officials said. The earthquake, centered in a remote region of Laos, was measured at magnitude 6.1 by the U.S. Geological Survey and Thailand's Meteorological Department. Smith Dharmasaroja, chairman of the National Disaster Warning Center, told Thai TV Channel 3 there were numerous aftershocks and warned people not to return to houses for at least 24 hours. Yong Chanthalansy, a Lao Foreign Ministry spokesman, said from the Laotian capital of Vientiane that the earthquake lasted about 10 seconds. He said it was not felt in Vientiane and there were no initial reports of casualties. Many offices in Bangkok's business districts were evacuated after the earthquake struck, with their panicky occupants gathered in the street. Numerous workers went home early from their jobs. The quake also was felt in Chiang Mai, a popular Thai tourist destination about 160 miles southwest of the epicenter. Officials there said there were no reports of damage.
| Earth Changes |

IDF troops, tanks enter Gaza; 7 dead, including 4 Hamas, in IAF strikes (May 17, 2007) - Israel Defense Forces infantry troops and tanks entered several hundred meters into the Gaza Strip Thursday evening at two points, following four Israel Air Force attacks on Gaza which left at least seven Palestinians dead. The IDF took position in the Gaza Strip west of Sderot, as well as on the ruins of former Jewish settlements Nisanit and Elei Sinai. However, the troops are not preparing for an extensive operation in the strip. The IDF tanks entered Gaza earlier on Thursday, attaining outlook positions just inside the northern strip. Palestinian militants fired some 17 Qassam rockets at the western Negev on Thursday, one of which slammed into a high school on the outskirts of Sderot, lightly wounding two people. In the first of the four IAF strikes on Thursday, a Hamas Executive Force compound in Gaza City was hit, killing a Hamas militant and wounding dozens of people. Later, the IAF fired missiles at car belonging to Hamas in Gaza City, killing two militants. Hamas identified one of the dead as Imad Shbana, a senior member of the organization. Later Thursday, the IAF hit Gaza City for a third time, striking a Hamas position in the city and killing at least one militant. The IAF carried out a fourth strike on Thursday evening, firing a missile at a vehicle in southern Gaza at sundown. Israel confirmed the strike, saying that the vehicle had been carrying members of the militant Islamic Jihad organization. The Palestinian security officials said the vehicle was a small truck belonging to the Rafah town council and had been on its way to inspect a garbage dump. Since such vehicles are sometimes used to carry rockets, the officials said, it might have been a case of mistaken identity. Gaza hospital officials said that one of the dead was a teenager. Hamas militants said they fired three rockets from that area shortly before the airstrike. Hamas' armed wing threatened to resume suicide bombings in Israel after the first attack leveled the multi-story Executive Force compound. "This is an open war launched against Hamas. All options are open, including martyrdom operations," said Abu Ubaida, spokesman of Hamas' armed wing. more...
| Israel | Islam |

Marxists and Islamo-fascists of the World Unite! (May 17, 2007) - Forget the proletariat! Now it is Marxists and radical Muslims of the world unite! If any doubt still existed regarding bonds being formed between the hardcore left and elements within Islam, one needed to look no further than the leftist “Festival of Resistence” conference held at the University of Toronto last weekend for confirmation. As indicated by the causes they represented, the contemporary Marxists gathered there seem to have given up on the Western proletariat ever becoming revolutionary and placed their hopes elsewhere in their unending, hate-filled struggle to destroy capitalism. In the audience were members from such stimulating groups as the environment, First Nations, the anti-war movement and the transgendered (Was Marx a cross dresser?). But while diverse in nature, the one commonality they all possessed, one can be assured, was hatred of capitalism, Israel, the United States and of Western civilization. But, as reported in the Canadian newspaper, The National Post, the conference’s opening night was not given over to any of these ragtag, would-be revolutionaries to rail against the ills of capitalism or George Bush, as one would expect, but rather was dedicated to forging unity between Marxists and Muslims. To this end, the keynote speaker the first evening was a controversial local Muslim, Zafar Bangash, a Muslim imam and the director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought. Bangash is currently at the center of a controversy to bring a mosque to Newmarket, a town north of Toronto. The people opposing the project say they are not objecting to their community getting its first Muslim place of worship but rather are against Bangash himself, whom they regard as an Islamic extremist. more...
| Islam | America |

Hybrid embryos get go-ahead (May 17, 2007) - The government has overturned its proposed ban on the creation of human-animal embryos and now wants to allow them to be used to develop new treatments for incurable diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The proposal, in a new draft fertility bill published today, would allow scientists to create three different types of hybrid embryos. Scientists would be allowed to grow the embryos in a lab for no more than two weeks, and it would be illegal to implant them in a human. The first kind of hybrid allowed under the bill, known as a chimeric embryo, is made by injecting cells from an animal into a human embryo. The second, known as a human transgenic embryo, involves injecting animal DNA into a human embryo. The third, known as a cytoplasmic hybrid, is created by transferring the nuclei of human cells, such as skin cells, into animal eggs from which almost all the genetic material has been removed. This is this type of human-animal embryo that is being developed in British universities. Scientists say that developing these embryos will provide a plentiful source of stem cells - immature cells that can develop into many different types of tissue - for use in medical research. more...

Democrats to change 185 year-old house rule to allow tax hikes without having to vote (May 16, 2007) - In a stunning move, House Democrats today revealed they will attempt to rewrite House rules that have gone unchanged since 1822 in order to make it possible to increase taxes and government spending without having to vote and be held accountable. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today vowed Republicans will use every available means to fight this unprecedented change. “This is an astonishing attempt by the majority leadership to duck accountability for tax-and-spend policies the American people do not want,” Boehner said. “The majority leadership is gutting House rules that have been in place for 185 years so they can raise taxes and increase government spending without a vote. House Republicans will use every tool available to fight this abuse of power.” Last November, House Democratic leaders promised the most open, ethical Congress in history: “[W]e promised the American people that we would have the most honest and most open government and we will.” (Nancy Pelosi press stakeout, December 6, 2006) “We intend to have a Rules Committee ... that gives opposition voices and alternative proposals the ability to be heard and considered on the floor of the House.” (Steny Hoyer in CongressDaily PM, December 5, 2006) The rules House Democrats are seeking to change have not been changed since 1822. Republicans have already achieved significant legislative successes on the House floor with 11 consecutive “motion-to-recommit” victories that exposed flaws and substantively improved weaknesses in underlying Democrat bills. But rather than living by the same rules which have guided the House of Representatives for 185 years, Democrats are proposing to change the rules in order to game the system and raise taxes and increase spending without a House vote. What are House Democrats afraid of?
| America |

Roe v. Wade Loses Public Support (May 16, 2007) - The more people understand about the court ruling, the more likely they are to be pro-life. A national public opinion survey released this week shows that many people who know the facts about Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion -- think it should be overturned. The survey, commissioned by the Ethics and Public Policy Center and the Judicial Confirmation Network and conducted by Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc., was completed earlier this month. “Public opinion on the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade is significantly affected by a focus on the conditions under which abortion is allowed by the ruling,” the survey report stated. David O’Steen, executive director of the National Right to Life Committee, said the survey confirms what he’s known for years. “If you just ask about Roe v. Wade, there’s majority support for it. Using the slogans of modern business, Roe v. Wade is a ‘brand’ that has been sold to the American people by the media,” O’Steen said. “But if you describe what Roe v. Wade does, then a majority doesn’t support it.” In response to the survey’s first question – “Would you like the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade, or not?” – 55 percent said Roe should not be overturned; just 35 percent indicated it should. Support for Roe varied depending on circumstances. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they supported abortion when the life of the mother is at risk, and 77 percent said it should be legal if the pregnancy poses a health risk or if it resulted from rape or incest. If the preborn child was diagnosed with a “serious physical or mental deformity,” abortion support dropped to 55 percent. Seventy-nine percent said abortion should not be legal if “the woman does not like the gender of the fetus”; 72 percent said it should be illegal if the woman believes the child would interfere with her life; and 65 percent said a lack of financial stability does not make it right. Respondents were then told that Roe v. Wade allowed abortion in every circumstance presented – and were again asked if it should be overturned. This time, 48 percent said it should not be overturned; 43 percent said it should be. “While many Americans will say they support Roe v. Wade,” said Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst at Focus on the Family Action, “most don’t know it allows unrestricted abortion for any reason throughout pregnancy.”
| America |

Europe-U.S. alliance shifts (May 16, 2007) - European politics are suddenly moving forward at a dizzying pace, making room for tectonic changes in transatlantic relations that will, in turn, force Washington to reassess how it looks at its European friends, not-so-friends and foes. In France after 12 years in the French presidency, Jacques Chirac is bowing out; Nicolas Sarkozy is in. Mr. Sarkozy, 52, is the son of a Hungarian immigrant who fled communism. In Great Britain after 10 years as prime minister, Tony Blair will soon be out when he steps down in June. Gordon Brown will be in. And in Berlin, Helmut Kohl, a dinosaur of German politics, has been gone for a while, replaced by Angela Merkel. Besides the obvious changes, it is also important to point out major political differences among Western Europe's top leaders; Mr. Chirac was seen as cold to the United States, with whom he never really managed to surmount the strains caused by the Iraq war; Mr. Sarkozy is outwardly warm to Washington. Mr. Blair seemed to follow Mr. Bush blindly, even into the greatest Mesopotamian misadventure; Mr. Brown is likely to question, and then question some more before committing to accepting Mr. Bush's policies. And in Berlin, Mr. Kohl, who together with Mr. Chirac put up a united front against Washington's hegemony, was replaced by Gerhard Schroeder. Then he was replaced by Mrs. Merkel, who is far more open to cooperating with Washington. The irony brought about by these changes is that the countries labeled "old Europe" by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld -- indicating that they were practically irrelevant as allies in the wars waged by the United States -- are back firmly in the U.S. corner. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, which, until recently could be counted as Washington's most trusted ally in Europe -- thanks to Mr. Blair's unfaltering support of George W. Bush -- may adopt a different policy after Mr. Blair's departure from No. 10 Downing Street next month. Mr. Blair was seen to be so adamantly in agreement with Mr. Bush that the British press took to calling him "Bush's poodle."

In France, these changes at the top have produced the unthinkable. Who would have imagined just a few months ago that a French leader, no less one emerging from the party that has inherited the political legacy of Gen. Charles de Gaulle, would emerge into the open as being so pro-American? Especially when it was de Gaulle himself who initiated the anti-American mood that prevails in much of France's society to this day.

In a book just released by Nicolas Sarkozy titled "Testimony: France in the 21st Century" and no doubt timed to coincide with his victory in the May presidential elections, the new French president does not waste time letting the reader know his strong pro-American feelings. As for the opening chapter in his book, Mr. Sarkozy writes that he has "no intention of apologizing for feeling an affinity with the greatest democracy in the world." Mr. Sarkozy goes on to say, "I don't see why my country doesn't take inspiration from its great ally, rather than constantly trying approaches that have failed both in France and elsewhere." His very American outlook on work ethics will undoubtedly send shivers down the spines of many of his fellow citizens. As Mr. Sarkozy says, "the French socialists would have you believe that work is a sort of punishment from which people should try to escape." more...
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America |

Sex, violence, cannibalism could get Bible sealed (May 16, 2007) - Hundreds of citizens are urging a media watchdog to classify the Bible as "indecent" due to the high amount of sex and violence throughout the Scriptures, and could force the Good Book to be sealed in plastic with a warning label. The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority of Hong Kong said it received 1,406 complaints about biblical indecency by this afternoon. The sudden surge of complaints comes in the wake of the launch of an anonymous website, TruthBible.net, which claims the Bible "made one tremble" due to its graphic content, including rape, incest and bestiality. If authorities classify the book as "indecent," only people over 18 could purchase it, and the Scriptures would need to be sealed in a wrapper with a mandatory warning on the outside. "Wow, another excuse to try and remove Jesus or anything about Him from the world, so to speak," said one poster on an Internet messageboard. "The Enemy is hard at work in these last days." According to the Gospel Herald, the Chinese Christian News Service, the TruthBible site was created by an anonymous person introducing himself as a student who attended Christian school at an early age. "He claimed that the Bible is illogical and teachers in the school have not [been] able to clarify the problems. He even commented that 'many Christians are just blindly following their beliefs' and has caused 'tragedy.' The purpose of the website is to prove that 'the Bible is not the absolute truth, rather it is merely a mythical book made up by human beings,'" the report said. The site, which is in the Chinese language, features a "legal disclaimer" at the top in English, saying: "This website contains Bible material which may offend, and may not be distributed, circulated, sold, hired, given, lent, shown, played or projected to a person under the age of 18 years." It also includes passages from both the Old and New Testament featuring acts of violence, sexual activity and even cannibalism. Among the selections is the story of incestuous relations between Lot and his daughters after the destruction of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis. Rev. Stephen Leung, a Protestant pastor of the evangelical Remembrance of Grace Church, is blasting the move to reclassify the Bible as indecent. "The Bible clearly defines God's laws against incest, homosexuality as well as sex between man and animal," he told the Herald. "The Bible guides people how to become a better person." At this point, the agency says it's undecided on whether or not the Bible had violated laws regarding obscene or indecent articles. As WND previously reported, a Christian minister in Sweden was sentenced to a month in prison for a month in 2004 for offending homosexuals during a sermon. Pastor Ake Green had described homosexuality as "abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society." more...
| Signs of the Times |

Merkel Gives Up On God In EU Treaty (May 16, 2007) - German chancellor and Christian Democrat Angela Merkel has voiced regret there will be no reference to Christian roots in the revised EU treaty, amid controversial remarks about damage to churches in Turkish Cyprus at a meeting of religious VIPs in Brussels. "You know what my personal view is. I would have liked the constitution to deliver such a reference. But as president of the European Council, I see there is not much of a chance," she said on the prospects of God appearing in a preamble to the EU text. "I can't hold out any hope," she added. Her statement comes in the context of Germany's push to fix the broad outlines of a new EU treaty - still called a "constitution" by some - in late June, following months of bilateral consultations with EU states after the rejection of the original EU constitution in 2005. The God debate is at least as old as the 2002 EU convention that wrote the original constitution, with Roman Catholic states like Poland and the Vatican pushing for the reference, but with France and the UK worried over national secularist traditions or damaging relations with Islamic EU candidate Turkey. The EU's 50th birthday declaration in March rejuvenated the discussion. But in the end the birthday text made no reference to Christianity, while praising "identities and diverse traditions of member states" and how the EU is "enriched" by a "variety of languages, cultures." more...
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom |

PM: I'm ready to negotiate Saudi peace plan with Arab leaders (May 15, 2007) - While visiting Jordan Tuesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert invited 22 leaders of Arab nations to convene and invite Israel to negotiate the Saudi peace plan without preconditions. Olmert added that if they were willing to invite him somewhere for talks, then "I'm ready to come." The Saudi peace plan calls normalized ties between Israel and the Arab world in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. "We heard about the Arab peace initiative and we say come and present it to us. You want to talk to us about it, we are ready to sit down and talk about it carefully," Olmert told reporters. Jordan's King Abdullah, however, told Olmert during their meeting in the seaside resort of Aqaba that Israel first had to take concrete steps to improve relations with the Palestinians. The king stressed first and foremost to Olmert that talking about new settlements or expanding existing ones is in contradiction of Israel's desire for peace, said Amjad Adayleh, the director of the information department at the Royal Palace. Olmert told the king that such reports were baseless, Adayleh said. He added that Abdullah also urged Olmert to lift an economic blockade on Palestinians, making it easier for them to cross borders and immediately unfreeze all Palestinian funds held by Israel. A palace statement added that Abdullah "called on Olmert to agree with the Palestinians to put a specific timeframe to implement the Arab peace initiative over a short period." more...
| Israel | Islam | 1st Seal |

Climate Momentum Shifting: Prominent Scientists Reverse Belief in Man-made Global Warming - Now Skeptics (May 15, 2007) - Following the U.S. Senate's vote today on a global warming measure (see today's AP article: Senate Defeats Climate Change Measure,) it is an opportune time to examine the recent and quite remarkable momentum shift taking place in climate science. Many former believers in catastrophic man-made global warming have recently reversed themselves and are now climate skeptics. The names included below are just a sampling of the prominent scientists who have spoken out recently to oppose former Vice President Al Gore, the United Nations, and the media driven “consensus” on man-made global warming. The list below is just the tip of the iceberg. A more detailed and comprehensive sampling of scientists who have only recently spoken out against climate hysteria will be forthcoming in a soon to be released U.S. Senate report. Please stay tuned to this website, as this new government report is set to redefine the current climate debate. In the meantime, please review the list of scientists below and ask yourself why the media is missing one of the biggest stories in climate of 2007. Feel free to distribute the partial list of scientists who recently converted to skeptics to your local schools and universities. The voices of rank and file scientists opposing climate doomsayers can serve as a counter to the alarmism that children are being exposed to on a daily basis. (See Washington Post April 16, 2007 article about kids fearing of a “climactic Armageddon”) The media's climate fear factor seemingly grows louder even as the latest science grows less and less alarming by the day. (See Der Spiegel May 7, 2007 article: Not the End of the World as We Know It) It is also worth noting that the proponents of climate fears are increasingly attempting to suppress dissent by skeptics. (See UPI May 10, 2007 article: U.N. official says it's 'completely immoral' to doubt global warming fears) more...
| Earth Changes |

I am going to go outside the view of most prophecy scholars and bring you some views that I want you to study to see if it is so. The popular view is that the Antichrist will break his seven year peace covenant with Israel after 42 months. But the verse says that he will cause sacrifice and the oblation to cease. When Antichrist walks into the Temple, it will not be to break a covenant, but to stop the animal sacrifices by the priests. Regular readers will know that I lean to the view that the seven year ENP might be the fulfillment of this prophecy. We can not be totally sure of it, but the signs are there. I have done some layman studying of the ENP and found that there are action plans written into it to protect animal rights. It must be fully implemented by 2010, halfway trough the ENP seven year period. Israel was one of the first to sign the ENP. Israel wants to have a Temple to resume daily sacrifice. Sacrificing of animals is against the action plans of the ENP. By sacrificing of animals, Israel will violate the ENP, and that can cause the Antichrist to walk into the Temple and stop the sacrificing. Here are some snippets from the official animal welfare document:

OBJECTIVES
The primary objectives that the Commission wishes to achieve with the elaboration of this Action Plan are to:
Define more clearly the direction of Community policies on animal protection and welfare for the coming years;
Continue to promote high animal welfare standards in the EU and at the international level;
Provide greater coordination of existing resources while identifying future needs;
Support future trends in animal welfare research and continue to support the 3Rs principle: Replacement, Reduction and Refinement alternative approaches to animal testing;
Ensure a more consistent and coordinated approach to animal protection and welfare across Commission policy areas, also taking into account aspects such as the socio-economic impact of any new measures.

These cannot be considered as stand-alone actions; there are clear linkages between the actions foreseen necessitating a coordinated and holistic approach. A period from 2006 to 2010 is considered appropriate in order to advance the actions proposed, with associated regular monitoring and evaluation of progress as well as follow-up programming beyond 2010 following the completion of this first Community Action Plan.

BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
The preparation of an Action Plan per se has no implication for the Community budget. The potential budgetary implications of each individual action will be taken into account in the impact assessments to be prepared for each respective action, within the framework set for the expenditure on veterinary and phytosanitary measures for the period 2007-2013 where relevant.

These are just snippets of the 9 page document. If you can read the whole document, please do so. The foundation for the fulfillment of Daniels prophecy might already be in place. Only time will tell if it is so. Maybe this will blow over and lead to nothing, or we might see it happen in just over three years time. We still need a Temple and there are not much time left for it to be build, but if we are seeing the unfolding of this prophecy, we will not wait to long.
| Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Temple Mount |

Iran, EU to hold nuclear talks on May 31: IRNA (May 15, 2007) - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet on May 31 for a new round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program, the IRNA news agency said on Tuesday. Larijani and Solana last met on April 25-26 in the Turkish capital Ankara to discuss Iran's nuclear row with the West. IRNA said they agreed to meet again during a telephone discussion in which they emphasized the need for a "logical and legal solution through diplomatic means." It did not say where the meeting would take place. A spokeswoman for Solana said she could not confirm a date or venue for the next round of talks but the EU foreign policy chief told a reporter on Monday he expected it would be around the end of the month. Solana made clear in an interview with a German newspaper that any talks with Iran would be difficult and take time to find a solution. "Our dispute over the Iranian nuclear program cannot be resolved in hours, or days or months. It will probably take years," he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung according to extracts of an interview to be published in full on Wednesday. Iran is embroiled in a deepening standoff with major powers over its atomic ambitions, which the West fears are aimed at making nuclear weapons. Tehran says it only wants to produce electricity. more...
| Iran | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana |

New Insights into Ahmadinejad's Apocalyptic Beliefs (May 14, 2007) - If you're looking for some light summer reading, you might want to skip The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the State of Iran by Yossi Melman, a leading Israeli investigative journalist, and Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born Mideast analyst who works closely with the BBC, Voice of America and the Los Angeles Times. But if you're interesting in revealing new insights in Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic religious beliefs, look no further. Major American news outlets like CBS's "60 Minutes," NBC News, CNN and Time have covered Ahmadinejad extensively -- even interviewed him exclusively -- yet missed the big story: the end of the world theology driving his foreign policy. But Melman and Javedanfar get it. Excerpts from their new book:

An additional indicator of the Mahdi's arrival, say the religious scholars to whom Ahmadinejad is listening, will be "the death of 80 percent of the world's population in a massive war." The authors note that Ahmadinejad is telling associates time is very short, noting that in 2005, he "made the timetable more specific, saying the Mahdi would reappear in 2007." He thus increased government funding for the leading Islamic school that teaches about the coming of the Mahdi by 1,000% to $3.5 million. "With Iran now able to enrich uranium, it could become nuclear in 2007," the authors conclude. "If that happens, Iran's nuclear arsenal might give the regime the confidence it needs to start a war, which could then become the 'platform' that Ahmadinejad has said he wants to create for the reappearance of the Mahdi." more...
| Iran | Islam |

Olmert: Israel seeks world acceptance of a united Jerusalem under its sovereignty (May 14, 2007) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday he would seek to expand the borders of Jerusalem and that he hoped for eventual world acceptance Israeli sovereignty over the entire city. At a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the city in 1967, Olmert said: "The past 40 years are only the beginning. I believe, hope and pray that we will continue to work together to strengthen Jerusalem, to expand its borders, to cultivate its foundations, to build its neighborhoods." In his remarks at the Western Wall remnant of an ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem, Olmert said Israel hoped to achieve world acceptance of its rule in the city, by respecting its holiness to three faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. "If we do this with wisdom and caution, we will preserve this city always under our sovereignty, complete and united and accepted by the entire world. This is our goal," Olmert said. Meanwhile, the ambassadors from the United States and the European Union countries will not attend the celebrations Wednesday to mark the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, the Israeli media reported Sunday. Ra'am-Ta'al MK Ahmed Tibi welcomed the decision not to attend celebrations for what he termed "the so-called unification of Jerusalem." According to Army Radio, the envoy from Germany declined the invitation in the name of all EU states due to a dispute over the status of East Jerusalem as part of the Israeli capital. A short time later, Israel Radio reported that American Ambassador Richard Jones will also not attend. The Foreign Ministry explained it had invited diplomats to attend a ceremoney commemorating 40 years since the unification of East and West Jerusalem at the Knesset. "We regret the EU's announcement by which its representatives will not take part in this event, and expect the participation of many other diplomats," it added. more...
| Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America |

Palestinians mark 'catastrophe' of Israel creation (May 14, 2007) - Palestinian refugees in Syria Monday marked the 59th anniversary of the "catastrophe" of Israel's creation with a call for resistance until the birth of a Palestinian state and the return of refugees. "Fifty-nine years have passed since the Palestinian and Arab Naqba [Catastrophe] in 1948," the Damascus-based Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a statement. Israel declared independence May 14, 1948, triggering a regional war that saw more than 700,000 Palestinians being driven out or fleeing their homes. Israel has never accepted UN General Assembly Resolution 194, passed in 1949, under which refugees have the right to return to their homes or be compensated for their losses. Palestinian refugees' rights have also been mentioned as a stumbling block to a recently reinvigorated Arab peace plan that would see Arab recognition of Israel in return for lands seized in 1967 and the return of refugees. "No one has the right to sell off the refugees' right of return. Abandoning this right amounts to high treason," said a statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The hard-line PFLP founder George Habash said in a statement that the Palestinian resistance "will only stop with the emergence of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."
| Israel | Islam |

EU ministers to meet Arab counterparts (May 14, 2007) - European Union foreign ministers met Monday to review key global flashpoints including developments in the Middle East, Serbia and Kosovo. Ministers from the 27-nation bloc will also seek to hammer out a joint stance ahead of an upcoming summit with Russia and hold trade and aid talks with South Africa and other African nations. In separate discussions, EU defence ministers will agree a new strategy to build a European defence industrial base to encourage military cooperation among governments in the bloc. They are also expected to finalize plans for EU police operations in Afghanistan and post-settlement Kosovo. Foreign ministers are set to meet an Arab League delegation, including the organization’s head Amr Moussa, as well as foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Egypt and Qatar, to discuss the latest Middle East developments. Diplomats said the focus would be on a resurrected Arab initiative designed to end conflict in the region. The peace proposal, initially launched at an Arab League summit in 2002, includes a land-for-peace offer to Israel and has been warmly welcomed by the EU as a way of breaking the current deadlock between Israelis and Palestinians. The meeting also marks the first visit to Brussels by Palestinian Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr, a member of the newly formed Hamas- Fatah coalition government. EU governments have agreed to hold ‘selective’ discussions with non-Hamas members of the Palestinian Authority but have so farfused to resume direct aid to the government. Diplomats said the focus would be on a resurrected Arab initiative designed to end conflict in the region. The peace proposal, initially launched at an Arab League summit in 2002, includes a land-for-peace offer to Israel and has been warmly welcomed by the EU as a way of breaking the current deadlock between Israelis and Palestinians. more...
| Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal |

Demographic expert: World's supply of children 'shrinking' Jim Brown onenewsnow.com (May 14, 2007) - A demographic expert says the ongoing global decline in fertility is the single-most powerful force affecting the fate of nations in the 21st century. Hear This Report Author and public policy expert Phillip Longman says the concept that if your parents never had children, chances are you won't as well, rings true across the world today. Longman, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, says world population is increasing by 76 million persons per year. That, he notes, is like adding a new country the size of Egypt to the world's population every year. However, Longman says although world population may be growing, the world's supply of children is shrinking. It is a trend he acknowledges as strange, but true. "This trend started right here in Europe 30 or 40 years ago," he told his audience at World Congress of Families IV in Warsaw. "Today in Europe there are 36 percent fewer children under the age of four than there were in 1960. There's 50 percent fewer children in Poland than there were in 1960." And while many experts know these trends, he adds, "what many of us don't realize is that this trend is now going global." Longman says the trend is not being fueled by high infant mortality rates, but is part of a larger trend in both rich and poor countries -- people everywhere are having fewer children or none at all. That trend likely concerns Patrick Kelly, the vice president of the Knights of Columbus, who says a nation has no future without healthy families that welcome children and educate them in cultural and religious values. Speaking at the same conference in Poland, Kelly asserted that the main challenge confronting the family in the West is "a crisis of the proper understanding of the nature of the human person." "The problem consists of a faulty anthropology that detaches human freedom from the truth and values the person in strictly individualistic and materialistic terms," observed Kelly. "This was the great error of communism, and it now presents an enormous challenge to the consumer cultures of the West." Kelly says the reduction of the family to its economic component has been "the great temptation of the West." Both Longman and Kelly made their comments at World Congress of Families IV in Poland, which wrapped up on Sunday.

Springtime in Islamberg (May 14, 2007) - Situated within a dense forest at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains on the outskirts of Hancock, New York, Islamberg is not an ideal place for a summer vacation unless, of course, you are an exponent of the Jihad or a fan of Osama bin Laden. The 70 acre complex is surrounded with "No trespassing" signs; the rocky terrain is infested with rattlesnakes; and the woods are home to black bears, coyotes, wolves, and a few bobcats. The entrance to the community is at the bottom of a very steep hill that is difficult to navigate even on a bright sunny day in May. The road, dubbed Muslim Lane, is unpaved and marred by deep crevices that have been created by torrential downpours. On a wintry day, few, save those with all terrain vehicles, could venture forth from the remote encampment. A sentry post has been established at the base of the hill. The sentry, at the time of this visit, is an African American dressed in Islamic garb - - a skull cap, a prayer shawl, and a loose fitting shalwat kameez. He instructs us to turn around and leave. "Our community is not open to visitors," he says. Behind the sentry and across a small stream stand dozens of inhabitants of the compound - - the men wearing skull caps and loose fitting tunics, the women in full burqa. They appear ready to deal with any unauthorized intruders. The hillside is blighted by rusty trailers that appear to be without power or running water and a number of outhouses. The scent of raw sewage is in the air. The place is even off limits to the local undertaker who says that he has delivered bodies to the complex but has never been granted entrance. "They come and take the bodies from my hearse. They won't allow me to get past the sentry post. They say that they want to prepare the bodies for burial. But I never get the bodies back. I don't know what's going on there but I don't think it's legal." On the other side of the hill where few dare to go is a tiny village replete with a make-shift learning center (dubbed the "International Quranic Open University"); a trailer converted into a Laundromat; a small, green community center; a small and rather squalid grocery store; a newly constructed majid; over forty clapboard homes; and scores of additional trailers. It is home to hundreds - - all in Islamic attire, and all African-Americans. Most drive late model SUVs with license plates from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The locals say that some work as tollbooth operators for the New York State Thruway, while others are employed at a credit card processing center that maintains confidential financial records. While buzzing with activity during the week, the place becomes a virtual hive on weekends. The guest includes arrivals from the inner cities of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and, occasionally, white-robed dignitaries in Ray-Bans from the Middle East. Venturing into the complex last summer, Douglas Hagmann, an intrepid investigator and director of the Northeast Intelligence Service, came upon a military training area at the eastern perimeter of the property. The area was equipped with ropes hanging from tall trees, wooden fences for scaling, a make-shift obstacle course, and a firing range. Hagmann said that the range appeared to have been in regular use. Islamberg is not as benign as a Buddhist monastery or a Carmelite convent. Nearly every weekend, neighbors hear sounds of gunfire. Some, including a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, have heard the bang of small explosives. None of the neighbors wished to be identified for fear of "retaliation." "We don't even dare to slow down when we drive by," one resident said. "They own the mountain and they know it and there is nothing we can do about it but move, and we can't even do that. Who wants to buy a property near that?" more...
| Islam | America |

Syria Advances Military Exercise Schedule (May 13, 2007) - Syria has advanced its military schedule in what could signal plans for war with Israel in 2007. Officials said Syria has decided to conduct a series of major military exercises in May through July. They said the decision was meant to accelerate preparations for a war against Israel in the summer of 2007. "Syria is now in the middle of an unprecedented process of a huge military buildup," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said. "They have acquired state-of-the-art Russian weapons, huge quantities of long-range rockets and missiles." Officials said Syria was close to concluding negotiations to purchase advanced anti-aircraft systems from Russia. They said the systems could include the S-300PMU1 air and missile defense system as well as the TOR-M1 mobile short-range anti-aircraft battery.
| Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Dozens of rabbis ascend Temple Mount in unprecedented visit (May 13, 2007) - Dozens of rabbis from the national Zionist camp visited the Temple Mount on Sunday in order to increase awareness and emphasize Jewish linkage to the site. A few days ago, the rabbis had released an announcement permitting Jews to enter the Temple Mount. Sunday's visit marks the first time such a large group of rabbis, including the head rabbi of the Yesha Council Rabbi Dov Lior, Ma'ale Adumim Yeshiva head Rabbi Nahum Rabinowitz, and Rabbi Daniel Shaleh, have visited Temple Mount together. Last weekend, the religious media published a notice signed by Bnei Akiva Yehiva head Rabbi Chaim Druckman, his colleague Rabbi Avraham Zuckerman, and Kiryat Shmona Chief Rabbi Tzfania Drori. The rabbis called on "the entire holy public to ascend the Temple Mount in purity ... to arrive in coming days to the allowed sites near the entrance to the Temple Mount." By publishing the announcement, rabbis Druckman, Zuckerman, and Drori joined dozens of other rabbis from the national Zionist camp who have recently decided to permit Jewish entry into the Temple Mount, subject to halakhic (Jewish law) restrictions. Allowing the entry is a clear deviation from the general halakhic rabbinical consensus, including both from the ultra-Orthodox camp and the national Zionist camp, which maintains that Jewish entry to the site is forbidden. The accepted explanation for the entrance ban throughout the years was that the exact location of the temples and the Holy of Holies is unknown, meaning Jews could unknowingly set foot in forbidden areas. Another central explanation maintained that by allowing a general entrance, the general public would arrive at the site, and could set foot in the forbidden areas as well.
| Israel | Temple Mount |

News for May 20, 2007