Islam 2007
Kingdom in 2007: Encouraging Historic Interfaith Dialogue
Arab News (December
30, 2007) - Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s
historic meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Nov. 6 was one
of the highlights of his two-week-long European tour in 2007. It opened
a new era in Muslim-Christian relations as the two leaders called for
dialogue between the followers of major religions in order to promote
world peace. The Vatican meeting captured world attention. German
Chancellor Angelo Merkel commended the king for his meeting with the
pontiff. “We have been following up your meeting with the pope with
great interest. It was a fruitful meeting and we know that you support
interfaith dialogue to resolve all issues and problems,” she said. King
Abdullah arrived in Rome on the second leg of his four-nation European
tour, which also took him to the United Kingdom, Germany and Turkey. The
visits were instrumental in strengthening relations with the four
countries and mobilizing their support for Arab and Islamic causes. King
Abdullah was the first Saudi monarch to have an audience with the pope.
Benedict warmly greeted the king, grasping both his hands before leading
him to a library for their brief private meeting, which lasted 60
minutes, with both leaders speaking through interpreters. The Vatican
said the talks allowed a wide discussion on the need for religious and
cultural dialogue among Christians, Muslims and Jews “for the promotion
of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support
of the family.” Both sides emphasized the need for a “just solution” to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. About a million Catholics, many of
them migrant workers from the Philippines, live in Saudi Arabia, home of
Islam’s two holiest mosques. The BBC’s Frances Harrison in Rome said the
symbolism of the meeting was huge for those who believe there should be
more dialogue between Islam and Christianity, especially after the
pontiff’s controversial September 2006 speech at Regensburg University,
denigrating the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Benedict’s speech
sparked anger across the Muslim world. Later he said he was
misunderstood and regretted offending Muslims. Since then, he has met a
number of Islamic leaders and a year ago visited predominantly Muslim
Turkey. The Vatican has said it wants to pursue a dialogue with moderate
Muslims. Marco Politi, the Vatican correspondent for the Italian daily
La Repubblica and a biographer of Pope John Paul II, said: “I think it
is extraordinarily important that an official communiqué from the
Vatican and an important Islamic state like Saudi Arabia mentions
‘cooperation’ between Christians Muslims and Jews — not dialogue but
cooperation.” The meeting, presaged by an upbeat front-page article in
L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s newspaper, was also a clear attempt
by the Vatican to repair damage done by the pope’s statement on the
Prophet, which the Islamic world had seen as insensitive if not
incendiary. more...
IDF: Bomb making chemicals were disguised as EU aid
The Jerusalem Post (December
29, 2007) -
Official says PA dismantling Al-Aqsa and other militant groups
Haaretz.com (December
29, 2007) - The top Palestinian security official said on
Saturday his government was dismantling militant groups, including those
connected to President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction. Officials said
Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades largely agreed to go along with the
government's security plan in the West Bank without putting up a fight.
"There is no Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades any more," Interior Minister
Abdel-Razak al-Yahya told Voice of Palestine radio, referring to Fatah's
largest armed group. The pledge by Yahya came one day after Palestinian
militants killed two Israelis who were hiking near the West Bank city of
Hebron. Two of the militants were also killed in an ensuing gunbattle.
Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed at a U.S.-sponsored peace
conference last month in Annapolis, Maryland to launch negotiations with
the goal of reaching a statehood agreement by the end of 2008. But
Israel has said it will not implement any agreement until the
Palestinians meet their obligations under the long-stalled "road map"
peace plan to rein in militants in the West Bank and the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Hamas Islamists seized control of Gaza in
June after routing Abbas' secular Fatah forces there, but Fatah still
holds sway in the West Bank. The Palestinians assert that they are
meeting their security obligations in the West Bank by launching a
security clampdown in some of the largest cities. After commenting on
the dismantling of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Yahya said: "We wish
they [other groups] will respond positively and follow al-Aqsa's
example." He said Abbas's Western-backed government has started "working
to dismantle" other militant groups, though he did not spell out how
that would be accomplished. more...
Bin Laden issues warning on Iraq
Breitbart.com (December
29, 2007) - The head of the Al-Qaeda network Osama Bin Laden
issued a message Saturday warning Muslims against supporting Iraq's
US-backed government, and suggested the liberation of Palestine would
follow the Iraqi struggle. In the 56-minute audio tape released online,
the hunted militant accused the United States of seeking to control the
region through the Iraqi government, according to SITE, a US-based
institute that monitors extremist web forums. He singled out the Islamic
Party of Iraq, a leading political group allied with the government,
saying that Muslims supporting the party are traitors to Islam, the
monitor said in a report. "The group is assisting the Americans in
Iraq," Bin Laden said, according to an excerpt translated from the
Arabic by SITE. He added they were "fighting against the mujahedin,
while they should have created unity, with the heroes that established
the Islamic State." Bin Laden labeled any Muslims cooperating with the
US-led Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as apostates.
He also said that with Islamist mujahedin fighters currently engaged in
Iraq, the "liberation of Palestine" will follow, adding the mujahedin
would never recognize Israel nor any Palestinian government that accepts
a Jewish government, including one led by the Hamas Islamist movement.
The White House said the message showed the situation in Iraq was
improving with Iraqis turning against Al-Qaeda, and the importance of
the US-led military mission there. "This is a reminder that the aim of
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is to block democracy and freedom for all Iraqis. It
also reminds us that the mission to defeat Al-Qaeda in Iraq is
critically important and must succeed," said White House spokesman Tony
Fratto. "The Iraqi people -- every day, and in increasing numbers -- are
choosing freedom and standing against the murderous, hateful ideology of
Al-Qaeda in Iraq -- and we stand with them." Bin-Laden also apologized
for the death of Muslims during attacks and asked the Islamist fighters
to carry out their attacks away from Muslim places, SITE said in its
report "I want to assure the Muslims that we are trying to protect the
Ummah (the Muslim world) from the enemies, and trying to fight them
everywhere," he said, in the SITE translation. "However, when our Muslim
brothers die as part of our attacks against the infidels, crusaders, or
their agents the apostates, we are extremely sad about it. We don't want
that, and we are asking God to enter them to heaven," he added. SITE
judged that the audio tape was made after the Mideast peace conference
in the US city of Annapolis in late November but before the
assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto on
Thursday, which Pakistan's government has blamed on Al-Qaeda. more... Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, welcomes the completion of the procedures for the accreditation of EUPOL COPPS Europa Document (December 28, 2008) - Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), today welcomed the completion of the procedures for the accreditation of EUPOL COPPS and made the following statement: "I welcome the completion of the procedure that paves the way for the accreditation of the European Union police mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) by the Government of Israel. I wish to thank Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Tzipi Livni for her support. This agreement will facilitate the implementation of the mandate of the mission." The aim of the EUPOL COPPS mission is to work with the Palestinian civilian police to support the Palestinian Authority in taking responsibility for law and order, and improving its civilian police and law enforcement capacity. EUPOL COPPS helps to establish sustainable and effective policing arrangements under Palestinian ownership in accordance with the best international standards. This mission is a central pillar of the EU Action Strategy in support of renewed peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians launched in Annapolis last November.| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Abbas visits Olmert's home talking peace
Breitbart.com
(December 27, 2007) - Israel's annexation
of East Jerusalem was the key topic for peace talks Thursday between
Palestinian and Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, officials said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was to meet with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert at his official Jerusalem residence for the first
time since the U.S.-brokered summit in Annapolis, Md., late last month,
Haaretz reported. Prior to the meeting Palestinian media said two issues
are considered deal-breakers by Abbas: Israel's decades-old annexation
of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as a capital of their
eventual state, and Israel's construction of new settlements inside the
so-called Green Line near East Jerusalem. Negotiating teams from both
sides have met twice since the Annapolis meeting and each time ran into
roadblocks on the issues, the newspaper said. Other issues the two
leaders could discuss included the removal of checkpoints in the West
Bank, the Hamas control of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails, officials told Haaretz. U.S. President George Bush is
scheduled to visit the region in January with a goal of encouraging both
sides to move forward.
Terrorist Bodyguards for President Bush
Bridges For Peace (December 27, 2007)
- You can apparently choose your friends but not your bodyguards. In a
year when stories from the Middle East have often defied logic, now
President Bush will have members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, armed
to the teeth, as his bodyguards. This intriguing event will take
place January 9, when the President makes his swift dash into Ramallah
to meet with Palestinian Authority [PA] chairman Mahmoud Abbas [Abu
Mazen]. The twist in the tale of this absurdity is Al Aqsa Martyrs
Brigade is the military wing of the Abbas’ led Fatah and is listed by
the US State Department as a “terrorist organization.” They have
taken credit for suicide bombings in Israel in 2005 and 2006 and have a
long list of shootings and rocket launching activities. WorldNetDaily
broke the story this week. They spoke with a chief of the Al Aqsa
Martyrs Brigade in Ramallah who also serves as a senior officer in Force
17, the PA presidential guard unit. He confirmed to WND he had been
“slated to patrol the road outside Abbas’ compound during his meeting
with President Bush.” The Israeli security for the Presidential visit is
likely to cause chaos in the region. 8,000 police officers will be on
duty. Thousands from the local fire departments will be on duty. The
main highway between Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will be completely closed to
civilian traffic as the US convoy moves out to attend meetings with
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. There are reports that armored
vehicles from the USA are being shipped to Israel for the event. Radical
groups are marshalling to protest and proclaim their points of view at
various locations. This will add to the sensitivity of the situation and
the extreme state of high alert surrounding the visit.
People's voice thunders a clear 'yes'
The Jerusalem Post (December 25, 2007) -
The issue of Palestinian recognition of Israel's identity as a Jewish
state is emerging once again as a controversial issue in
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. Israeli and Palestinian political and
opinion leaders have been debating this issue publicly, and leaders of
the Israeli Arab or Israeli Palestinian community have added their say.
In the process, this issue has become a tool in the hands of those who
contemplated to spoil the recent American initiative which began at
Annapolis and derail any ensuing peace process. We wish to add to the
public debate our insights based on our joint Israeli-Palestinian Public
Opinion Poll (JIPP). This project is an initiative of the Truman
Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University and the
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah, and
is supported by the Ford Foundation and the Adenauer Foundation. It
tracks Palestinian and Israeli public opinion on the conflict and the
attempts to resolve it since mid 2000. We repeatedly examined this hotly
debated issue since mid 2003, and not often does one obtain such
clear-cut and consistent results as we do here. Our findings have
significant implications for the negotiations following the Annapolis
conference. They clearly indicate that the best negotiating strategy is
one that frames this issue in the context of two parameters: (1) it must
be mutual; i.e., Palestinians too must receive an Israeli recognition of
the national identity of their state as they grant Israelis recognition
of the Jewish nature of their state, and (2) it must come as a crowning
step; one that seeks to assure the two sides of future intentions rather
than one that seeks to impose an Israeli precondition for future
concessions. IF FRAMED within these parameters, the people's voice
thunders a clear "yes" to mutual recognition of identity. We wish here
to expose this silent majority, and turn private opinions of the
citizens on both sides into public opinion, and a factor in public
discourse. The question we ask our Israeli and Palestinian respondents
draws on the two states for two peoples formula from the
Ayalon-Nusseibeh Peace Plan from July 2002. The question we pose to both
Israelis and Palestinians is the following: There is a proposal that
after the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the
settlement of all issues in dispute, including the refugees and
Jerusalem issues, there will be a mutual recognition of Israel as the
state of the Jewish people and Palestine as the state of the Palestinian
people. Do you agree or disagree to this proposal? In nine polls we
conducted between 2003 and 2006, our findings show substantial and
consistent majority support in both publics for a mutual recognition of
Israel as the state of the Jewish people and Palestine as the state of
the Palestinian people when such recognition comes at the crowing stage
of negotiations. WHAT IS perhaps even more striking is the high level of
support for this formula among Palestinian citizens of Israel. As a
matter of fact, the Arab minority in Israel supports this formula at a
higher degree than Israeli Jews as well as Palestinians, and the pattern
of the findings is highly consistent. Over two thirds of Israeli Jews
and Arabs and an average of 60% of the Palestinians over the nine polls
support such a declaration. more...
Israel fears clash with U.S. over peace talks' impasse
Haaretz (December 25, 2007) -
The United States will conduct confidential assessments of whether
Israel and the Palestinians are meeting their peacemaking commitments
and share the results privately with the parties, U.S. and Western
officials said. Israel has sought to keep the U.S. process of judging
compliance with the long-stalled "road map" peace plan largely secret.
Palestinians say they favour disclosure of judgments on whether Israel
is halting all settlement activity and whether the Palestinians are
curbing militants as the plan demands. Though the Bush administration
has decided to keep the assessment process confidential, it reserves the
right to go public with its views if necessary, the officials said.
U.S. judgments will be crucial because Israel has said it
will not implement any peace deal until the Palestinians meet their
commitments to combat militants in both the West Bank and the
Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, where militants continue to fire rockets
across the border into Israel. The monitoring process may be a test of
Washington's readiness to hold a key ally to its commitments. Despite
U.S. and Palestinian pressure on Israel to freeze settlements, the
Housing Ministry said on Sunday 740 new homes would be built in East
Jerusalem next year. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas agreed at U.S.-sponsored conference in
Annapolis, Maryland last month to relaunch final-status peace talks with
the goal of reaching a statehood agreement by the end of 2008.
more...
Shiite/Sunni rapprochement? - Abdullah, Ahmadinejad Hold Wide-Ranging Talks
Arab News (December
21, 2007)
- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks here
yesterday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on major regional and
international issues as well as ways of strengthening bilateral ties,
the Saudi Press Agency said. Ahmadinejad, the first Iranian president to
perform Haj as guest of a Saudi king, arrived in the Kingdom on Monday
accompanied by top aides. Nearly three million pilgrims from different parts
of the Islamic world including several thousands from Iran performed Haj
this year. “In my discussion with King Abdullah we discussed different ways
to consolidate the brotherly relations among Muslim nations,” Ahmadinejad
was quoted as saying by the Iranian media covering his trip. He described
Tehran’s relations with Riyadh as “friendly,” adding: “The message of my
presence here is boosting ties among Islamic nations.” Iranian pilgrims in
the Kingdom expressed their hope that Ahmadinejad’s participation in the
pilgrimage would help repair ties between the Islamic republic and its Arab
neighbors. “Ahmadinejad’s Haj, since it comes at the invitation of the
Saudi king, shows that Muslim nations are supporting one another in times of
need,” an Iranian teacher said. “Having ties with big Arab nations is
a sign of unity among Muslims, and the West will understand that it cannot
divide Shiites and Sunnis,” said Hossein, a trader from Mashhad in
northeastern Iran. Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad attended a summit of the
Gulf Cooperation Council in Qatar, becoming the first Iranian president to
attend a GCC summit. Addressing the summit, the president tried to allay
fears of his Gulf neighbors and presented a 12-point program to promote
relations between Tehran and the six-member GCC. In his speech at the
summit, Ahmadinejad offered to sign a security pact with the GCC that groups
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. “I
personally hope that President Ahmadinejad will be able to successfully
implement his plans and improve Iran’s international situation (as a result
of the pilgrimage),” said university student Ali Rahmati. Ahmadinejad was
elected president in 2005.
Assad: Syria-Iran alliance unshakeable
The
Jerusalem Post (December 13, 2007) -
Syrian President Bashar Assad rejected claims that Syria's alliance with
Iran had been weakened by Damascus' participation in last month's
US-sponsored Mideast peace conference, saying Thursday that the two
countries' ties will never be shaken. Assad made the comments as he
inaugurated two joint Syrian-Iranian industrial projects - factories for
cars and cement. He was joined at the ceremonies by the Iranian industry
and housing ministers. The November conference in Annapolis, Maryland,
which relaunched Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, was widely seen
as also aimed at isolating Iran by bringing together Arab nations. US
officials have expressed hopes that Syria's attendance would mark a
start to easing it out of its alliance with Teheran. Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other top officials denounced the conference,
and some officials expressed surprise over Syria's participation -
though none directly criticized it. Speaking at the auto factory, Assad
said, "inaugurating this plant in partnership with our Iranian brothers
and officials is a response to those who tried to circulate (reports)
... that relations between the two countries have been shaken." "I
confirm, on this occasion, that relations will not be shaken for any
reason or under any circumstance," Assad said at the factory in Hasya,
some 160 kilometers north of the Syrian capital, Damascus. according to
the official SANA news agency. Syria and Iran have growing economic
ties, with the annual two-way trade estimated at about US$200 million.
The size of Iranian investments in Syria has reached around US$2
billions in sectors such as power generation, automobiles, cement and
agriculture. Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally. The two countries have
had close relations since 1980 when Syria sided with Persian Iran
against Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The $50 million International
Syrian-Iranian Factory for Cars is the second car venture between the
two countries in less than a year. It will have an initial production
capacity of up to 15,000 cars a year and would likely increase to reach
35,000 cars annually at its final stage, SANA said. In March, Syria and
Iran inaugurated the first joint car project in the industrial city of
Adra near Damascus. Assad and the Iranian ministers also inaugurated a
new cement plant in the northern city of Hama, some 210 kilometers
northwest of the Syrian capital. The factory that had cost US$250
million has a production capacity of 1.1 million tons annually, SANA
said. The project, which would create some 400 jobs, was initially
agreed upon during a visit by then Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to
Syria in mid 1999. The project is financed by the Kuwait Fund for
Economic Development and the Iranian company has provided all the
necessary equipment.
Israeli ministry drops plans for Jerusalem homes Reuters
(December 20, 2007) - Israel's Housing Ministry backed away on
Thursday from a preliminary proposal to build homes on occupied land
near Jerusalem that had been criticized by Palestinian and Israeli
officials. "The construction is no longer being discussed," a ministry
official said. The issue of Israeli settlement building in the Jerusalem
area has clouded renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians
launched at a U.S.-sponsored conference last month. Disputes over
settlements and Jerusalem are central to the negotiations President
George W. Bush hopes can be concluded before he steps down in January
2009. The ministry said on Wednesday it had been discussing the
possibility of building homes near what Israel refers to as Atarot and
the Palestinians call Qalandia in the occupied West Bank. Israel annexed
Arab East Jerusalem after the 1967 Middle East war in a move that has
not won international recognition. It regards all of Jerusalem as its
capital. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the
state they hope to create in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
NATO Backs Turkey's Alliance of Civilizations Initiative Todays
Zaman (December 20, 2007) -
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has announced that it
supports the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, co-chaired by Turkey
and Spain. The NATO summit started on Tuesday with the
participation of 26 heads of state and government in Riga, Latvia. In a
joint declaration, NATO leaders expressed their support for the Alliance
of Civilizations initiative. "We support
the collective value and dialogue between cultures and people. Therefore
the Alliance of Civilizations initiative under the aegis of United
Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan is of great importance to us,"
was the announcement made at the end of the summit. Meanwhile, NATO
leaders also invited Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina on
Wednesday to begin negotiations for eventual membership in the
military alliance, but urged Serbia and Bosnia to fully
cooperate with the UN war crimes tribunal. NATO leaders resumed their
summit Wednesday with a pledge to stay the course in Afghanistan despite
mounting casualties and the continual refusal of some governments to
send their troops into combat in the most dangerous regions of the
country. "We will stand with the
Afghan people for the long term," NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer told reporters at the press conference held after the
gathering. Well it appears that NATO likes the goal of the Alliance of Civilizations. This means that all member nations of NATO will go along with European military forces to enforce wherever this ends up going. I don't think it looks good for those who refuse to go along with the global governance plans.
What is Happening to Europe? Frontline
Fellowship (December 17, 2007) -
Europe is in danger of falling to Islam. The catastrophic
decline of Christianity in Europe and the sharp decline in the birth
rate, along with massive Islamic immigration, has made Europe vulnerable
to an Islamic takeover. Secular Humanism and Hedonism have
gutted Europe, morally, spiritually and ethically. Most Europeans have
replaced the pleasure of worship with the worship of pleasure.
Materialism and Occultism have, in too many areas, filled the spiritual
vacuum. Abortion, pornography and perversion have devastated the morals
of Europe. History is repeating itself . Europe today
is facing a similar Renaissance of paganism and aggressive Islamic
expansionism, which threatened faith and freedom back in the 15 th and
16 th Centuries. There is an urgent need for a new Reformation. Secular
Humanism and Hedonism are no match for Islamic Jihad. Only a vibrant
Biblical Christianity can enable Europe to resist, and defeat, radical
Islam. From the time of the Reformation in the 1500’s, through to the
beginning of the Second World War, Europe was the world’s dominant
trading and industrial region. However, Marxist economies and
dictatorships in Eastern Europe crippled development, eroded national
infrastructures, undermined the ecology and devastated the work ethic,
retarding economic development. In Western Europe, the ruinous World
Wars and costly welfare state with its restrictive practices in trade
and industry slowed down innovative development. By the second half of
the 20th Century, the North American and East Asian economies surged
ahead of those of Europe. After the Muslim invasions of the 7th and 8th
Centuries, Christianity was almost wiped out in its heartlands of North
Africa and the Middle East. For nearly 1,000 years the countries of
Western Europe became the last major refuge for Christianity. The
aggressively expanding and encircling Muslim forces occupied Spain,
overwhelmed the Byzantine Empire, and threatened the very heartland of
Europe, even seizing Budapest in 1527 and besieging Vienna as late as
the 17th Century. Hemmed in by Islam, Europe was effectively prevented
from having any meaningful missionary outreach to Africa or Asia. It was
not until the Reformation in the 16th Century that the church was
revitalized to eventually become a force for world evangelization. The
last 400 years have seen tremendous worldwide advance for the Gospel,
but recently it has witnessed a distressing decline in Europe itself.
The energies that were released by the Protestant Reformation and its
rediscovery of the Bible in the common tongue, led to the most
extraordinary spiritual Revival in history. The Reformation freed the
Christians of Northern Europe from the decadence of Renaissance paganism
and lead to the greatest birth of freedom and scientific discoveries in
history. The Reformation in Europe championed the principles of
religious freedom, liberty of conscience, the rule of law, separation of
powers and constitutionally limited republics. The Reformation forwarded
the explosion of scientific enquiry, the industrial revolution, and the
campaign to eradicate the slave trade worldwide. However, from the time
of the French Revolution in 1789, hostile, anti-Christian ideologies
began to compete with Christianity for worldwide dominance. Secular
Humanism, Evolutionism, Socialism and Marxism have led to terrible wars,
oppression and destruction. With the rise of Secular Humanism a
practical atheism or fuzzy new age spirituality have become the
predominant beliefs of most Europeans. Many Europeans have moved away
from the rock certainties of their Biblical Christian heritage to the
sands of situation ethics, relativism, reincarnation, the new age and
the occult. The popularity of the occultic Harry Potter books
and films are a symptom of this new fascination with witchcraft. Secular
societies in Europe now regard Christian absolutes with intolerance and
Bible believing Christians are frequently ridiculed, marginalised and
even legislated against, with secular governments no longer satisfied
with the deviant being declared normal, but demanding that the normal be
declared deviant. The popularity of fraudulent and fictional
anti-Christian books, such as The Da Vinci Code and The
Gospel of Judas, are symptomatic of the rise of anti-Christian
heathenism in Europe. Much of the blame for the defeat and retreat of
Christianity in Europe must be laid at the door of liberal theology
which rose to dominate theological institutions all over Western Europe
by the beginning of the 20th Century. Most mainline denominations were
spiritually crippled by the deliberate erosion of confidence in the
Scriptures and in the power of the Gospel. The primary results of these
liberal termites has been a massive exodus away from attending liberal
denominations. Large areas of Europe today are post-Christian with a
small, irrelevant, committed Christian remnant with little impact on the
broader society. Most of Europe needs to be evangelized again. Many
areas of Europe have not had meaningful exposure to Biblical
Christianity for several generations. William Booth, the founder of the
Salvation Army, over a century ago, warned that a time may come when
Europe would have: “A religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity
without Christ, Forgiveness without Repentance, Salvation without
Regeneration, politics without God, a Heaven without a hell and a
Saviour without a cross.” That describes many churches today and
underlines the urgent need for a new Reformation. As Alexander
Solzenitzen declared of Russia in 1917: “We forgot God!”
Those who forget the lessons of the past are doomed to
repeat its failures. We need to rediscover our history if we are to
survive the present threats. more...
Children promise to 'wipe out' Zionists WorldNet
Daily (December 13, 2007) - Two
children have made an appearance on Hamas Television's children's
show called "Liberate" to exhort a liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque
on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and to promise to "wipe out"
Zionists. The
new video captured from Hamas Television is being made available
by
the Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors and
publicizes media reports throughout the Middle East. MEMRI also
has a web page that is devoted to Al-Aqsa television clips. The
boy, in the Dec. 3, 2007, appearance, launches the message: "My
beloved brothers, as you know, today the Al-Aqsa Mosque is crying
out: 'Where are the people of the frontline, the Palestinian
people?' Yes, my dear brothers, that is the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The
subject of our lesson today is Jerusalem, to where your Prophet made
his nocturnal journey - the Al-Aqsa Mosque," he says. "Yes, my
beloved brothers, as you know today, and as you knew yesterday and
the day before, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has fallen into oppressing and
malicious hands, the hands of those who know nothing but injustice.
But let me tell you how the Al-Aqsa Mosque will be returned, how we
shall rescue it from the shackles of the occupation, from the
shackles of the Zionist entity. "Will it be through conferences? No,
not through conferences, but by means of force, because the Zionist
entity, your enemy, the enemy of Allah, the enemy of Islam, knows
nothing but injustice and the killing of Palestinians, the
persevering people on the frontline. Indeed, the [mosque] will be
returned only by means of force," he says. He continues to warn
about "what the Zionist enemy has done," lumping Israel and America
together. "But is it too late? No, it is not too late. If we all
unite, the Al-Aqsa Mosque will not remain in the hands of the
Zionist enemy, it will not remain in the hands of your enemy,
despite all their conspiracies against the Palestinian people…" the
boy says. The girl then takes over, saying, "To Al-Aqsa, to Al-Aqsa
- we shall unite our ranks. We will wipe out the people of Zion, and
will not leave a single one of them." The mosque has been the
subject of discussion in recent weeks, as President Bush's Annapolis
summit was held with the intention of getting a focus on the issues
that remain to be negotiated for a two-state Middle East, a goal he
has set to reach before his second term expires in a little more
than a year. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount have been included in
those talks, and Palestinian leaders have told WND Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed a willingness to give up control
of the Temple Mount. That is the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
which was built on the location where the first and second Jewish
temples, once housing the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the
Covenant, stood. The Temple Mount currently is under Israeli
control, but both Jews and Christians are barred from praying there.
It was opened to the general public until 2000, when Palestinians
launched an intifada by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers. The
Israeli government closed the Mount to non-Muslims, but reopened it
in 2003. The mosque, however, falls under control of the Waqf, which
monitors and enforces its rules against visitors. The mosque was
built around A.D. 709. Revealed: Israel agreed to forfeit Temple Mount WorldNet Daily (December 13, 2007) - In spite of longstanding denials by top officials here, the Israeli government in 2000 agreed to relinquish the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site – to the Palestinians during U.S.-backed negotiations, according to declassified documents made public today. The information comes as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert earlier this month denied talks started at November's Annapolis summit would lead to Israel giving up its sovereignty over the Temple Mount, while chief Palestinian negotiators tell WND the Jewish state already agreed to forfeit Judaism's holiest site to a coalition of Arab countries. According to declassified Israeli government documents published today by Israel's Haaretz newspaper, during U.S.-led negotiations in 2000 at Camp David, Ehud Barak, then prime minister, agreed sovereignty over the Temple Mount would be either "ambiguous" or control would be determined based on the bond of each party to the site. The Palestinians would therefore control the upper sections of the Mount, which houses the Al Aqsa Mosque and also is the site of the First and Second Jewish Temples. The 2000 negotiations fell through after Palestinian President Yasser Arafat rejected an offer of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. Barak at times denied he offered the Temple Mount to the Palestinians, but he also indicated during interviews he was willing to compromise over the site. Haaretz published excerpts from a 26-page document it obtained, signed by Barak's negotiator Gilad Sher and said to be summaries of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The document was titled "The Status of the Diplomatic Process with the Palestinians Points to Update the Incoming Prime Minister." Sher also wrote in his book published after the 2000 negotiations, titled "Beyond Reach," that President Bill Clinton floated a plan that called for the Temple Mount to become Palestinian sovereign territory, while the Western Wall below and its complex would fall under Israeli sovereignty. Barak was said to have initially rejected that plan, but according to participants at the negotiations summit, he was ultimately willing to forfeit the Temple Mount. The 26-page document published by Haaretz also said Barak was willing to give up most of the West Bank and split Jerusalem into two capitals, one called Jerusalem and another Al-Quds. Negotiations would have seen Arab sections of Jerusalem being turned over to the Palestinians. The release of the document follow's last month's Annapolis summit at which Olmert committed to aim at creating a Palestinian state before the end of next year, handing strategic territory to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. In a briefing to reporters upon returning to Israel from Annapolis, Olmert claimed Israel's sovereignty over the Temple Mount is not up for discussion. He said negotiations started at this week's Annapolis summit had no bearing on the situation on the Temple Mount. But a chief Palestinian negotiator, speaking to WND on condition of anonymity, said Olmert's denials were "false." "What Olmert said (regarding the Mount) is absolutely false. I think he's not yet ready to tell the Israeli public and is waiting for the right time, and he fears his coalition with religious extremists will fall apart if he announces it now," said the negotiator. Olmert's maintains a government coalition with the religious Shas party and Russian Yisroel Beiteinu party, but if those two bolt, the prime minister could create a new coalition with leftist parties. The chief Palestinian negotiator said that in the months leading up to Annapolis, the Palestinian team was "surprised" by Olmert's willingness to give up the Mount. "We had intense debates on many topics, which remain open and unsettled, but the Harem Al-Sharif (Temple Mount) is not a sticking point. The Israelis didn't argue with us. We were pleasantly surprised Olmert didn't debate about giving the lower section of the [Mount] either, which was a sticking point in the past." more... I believe the Temple Mount will be handed over in the dividing of Israel, but I also believe that the temple will be rebuilt, just the inner court, once God reveals Himself to Israel in the destruction of the Magog invaders from Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya and others. The attitude of Israel and the world will shift dramatically, I believe, once God shows Himself in defense of Israel.
Russia, France, Germany, Algeria and US Training Fatah Commandos Israel
National News (December 13, 2007)
- PA Arabs belonging to the Fatah terrorist group loyal to PA
President Mahmoud Abbas are being trained in Russia, France, Germany
and Algeria for “counter-terror” operations against Hamas. According
to the New York Daily News, the PA forces are receiving covert
training at a secret Russian base in Moscow in an effort to stave
off a Hamas takeover of Judea and Samaria. The Fatah men are being
trained by Russian commandos who fought Islamist terrorists in
Chechnya. The PA force is named “al-Himaya Wal-Isnad" (defense and
reinforcement) according to the report and includes 25 PA
intelligence officers. The course will last for a month and will
involve extensive weapons and combat training. According to the Daily News report, similar training courses are
being provided in France, Germany and Algeria – with plans to send
PA units to other countries for training as well. "They are getting
good training over there," PA official Dr. Ibrahim Khraishi told the
Daily News. Meanwhile, in Judea and Samaria, PA forces
continue to receive equipment and training from the US, with
General Keith Dayton continuing to oversee the program even after
the American-supplied arms and equipment supplied to Fatah in Gaza
was inherited by Hamas with little resistance shown by Fatah forces.
Dayton even testified to Congress just a few weeks before the fall
of Fatah in Gaza, saying that the PA forces his men trained had
progressed significantly. Abu Yousuf, a Fatah terrorist from
Abba's own Force 17 security forces, told WorldNetDaily earlier this
year that while some of the weapons may be used in confrontations
against Hamas, the bulk of the American arms and training
would be utilized to "hit the Zionists." He also said if
there is a major conflict with Israel, U.S. weapons provided
to Fatah may be shared with other "Palestinian
resistance organizations." What side are we on? The bottom line is that Islam has a common enemy, everyone that isn't Muslim - and especially hatred for Israel. So could this conflict between Hamas and Fatah a deceptive way to get arms for their future plans to destroy the nation of Israel as foretold in the Bible? How far does this conspiracy go? Are our leaders really that ignorant? What is the goal of Islam?
Blair
ducks MK question about Jewish state
Jerusalem Newswire (December
12, 2007) -
Israeli parliamentarians were reportedly furious December
12 when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to answer a
question directed at him about Palestinian Liberation Organization [PLO]
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' [Abu Mazen’s] recently reiterated refusal to
recognize Israel as a JEWISH state. While the PLO has consistently held
to its refusal to acknowledge and agree to Israel being a Jewish state,
it began to more blatantly and vociferously express this position in the
week before last month's Annapolis conference. And it has repeated its
position since. Blair, who is in Israel in his new role as special envoy
on behalf of the so-called Quartet of world powers, was addressing the
Knesset [Parliament] Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee when one of
its members, Likud MK Limor Livnat, questioned him on the issue.
"Members of the committee were furious when Blair did not answer,"
reported the leftist daily, Haaretz. The international community is
widely understood to agree with the Arab point of view that there should
be no Jewish state per se, but that the Jews who live in the Middle East
should agree to being citizens of a one-man-one-vote state. By contrast,
the Jews who founded Israel believed, as does virtually the entire
nation as it exists today, that a Jewish state is essential if they are
to survive as a people in this almost universally anti-Jewish world.
US Officials To Meet With Arch Foes - Iran and Syria
Infolive.tv (December 11, 2007) - US
and Iranian officials are scheduled to hold talks in Baghdad on December
18, in a joint effort to quell the violence in Iraq. Iraqi Foreign
Minister Hoshiyar Zebari confirmed the meeting. According to reports the
ambassadors of both countries, while bitter enemies have met three times
in the past. Washington accuses Teheran of providing funds and arms for
Shi'te militias that operate in Iraq. Howvever Zehari told reporters the
meeting will be "technical and a follow up to the last meeting of
security experts, not at the level of ambassadors deputy chiefs of
missions and security experts." There are also unconfirmed reports that
US Administration officials intended to meet with Syrian officials in
the near future. Possibly in an attempt to coax Syrian President Bashar
Assad away from the Islamic Republic in order to isolate Syria from Iran
and possibly encourage the Syrian regime to engage in peace talks with
Israel. Joshua Landis, a leading Syria expert, who publishes "Syria
Comment" was quoted in a recent article saying, " Syria is key to the
peace process. If you keep the door closed on Syria, many people believe
the peace process can go nowhere.” Syrians he said are willing to do a
deal, despite Iran’s objections.
Israel and Palestinians launch peace talks in discord Reuters
(December 12, 2007) - The first peace talks
in seven years between Israel and the Palestinians opened in discord on
Wednesday with the Palestinians demanding a halt to settlement building
and Israel calling for a crackdown on militants. The tensions, coming
just two weeks after a U.S.-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis,
Maryland, highlighted the difficulties ahead for negotiators trying to
reach agreement on a Palestinian state before U.S. President George W.
Bush leaves office in January 2009. Wednesday's negotiating session was
supposed to lay the ground for detailed talks on final-status issues,
including borders and the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Instead, the first round was dominated by Palestinian demands Israel
halt plans to build new houses on occupied land near Jerusalem and
concerns about Israeli military activity in the Hamas-controlled Gaza
Strip, officials on both sides said. The Palestinians said future
negotiating sessions depended on Israel's response on the settlement
issue, but they stopped short of threatening to pull out of the talks.
"We want to hear a reply to our demands," said chief negotiator Ahmed
Qurie. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said
both sides raised concerns during the 90-minute session. "This process
does not have a quick fix," he said. "It's clear the issues on the table
will demand ongoing diplomatic efforts." The United States, which pushed
for the talks, said it was important not to make snap judgments after
one meeting. "There will be ups, there will be downs," State Department
spokesman Sean McCormack said. "What is important is that they continue
to move forward and that the overall trend line is positive." The talks
came one day after Israel carried out one of its biggest raids into Gaza
since the Islamist group seized control of the coastal territory in
June. Five militants were killed. Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Gabi
Ashkenazi, told a security conference in Tel Aviv that a big offensive
in Gaza may be inevitable, although he said smaller Israeli strikes were
having an impact on militants firing rockets into Israel. The mayor of
Israel's border town of Sderot resigned in protest over the government's
failure to halt the rockets. more...
Saudi king invites Ahmadinejad for haj-media
Reuters
(December 12, 2007)
- The king of U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia has invited Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend this year's haj in the Muslim holy city of
Mecca, Iranian media reported on Wednesday. It would be the first time
an Iranian president was officially invited to take part in the annual
pilgrimage, starting later this month, the official IRNA news agency
said. Like other Gulf Arab states, Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has long
been wary of its large Shi'ite Muslim neighbor and shares Western
concerns about Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Saudi King Abdullah has
formally invited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to take part in this
year's haj ceremony," Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammad
Hosseini, was quoted as saying by state television. The five-day rites
are expected to begin on December 18. On Tuesday Ahmadinejad said he
would take part in the haj if formally invited. Last week he became the
first Iranian president to attend a summit of Saudi Arabia and five
other Gulf Arab states. It was not clear whether the 51-year-old had
attended the haj before. A duty for every Muslim at least once in a
lifetime, the grueling ritual is one of the world's biggest displays of
mass religious devotion and is held under tight security. At least 1.5
million people are expected to arrive from abroad in Mecca where
pilgrims follow a route around the mountains in line with a tradition
established by the Prophet Muhammad. In 1987, more than 400 people,
mostly Iranians, died in clashes with Saudi security forces at an anti-U.S.
and anti-Israel rally in Mecca.
France
scores symbolic victory against Turkish EU membership EU
Observer (December 12, 2007) -
France has scored a symbolic victory in its battle against Turkey
joining the European Union by succeeding in removing the word
'accession' from an EU document on the state of negotiations. A
statement on the EU's enlargement strategy, agreed by foreign
ministers in Brussels on Monday (11 December), refers only to an
intergovernmental conference with Turkey and Croatia later this
month, rather than to accession or membership negotiations. The
normal phrasing for these meeting to discuss progress on membership
negotiations is "accession conferences." But France, strongly
opposed to Turkey joining the EU, got its way yesterday after
putting diplomatic pressure on for around two weeks before the
meeting. Britain and Sweden were amongst the countries that were
against the French move. "We do not see any rationale for
backtracking either on the Treaty of Rome or on these commitments,"
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said before the meeting,
according to Reuters. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has made no
secret of his staunch opposition to Ankara's membership bid. It
featured during his presidential campaign in the first half of 2007
while after his election Mr Sarkozy suggested Turkey become a member
of a Mediterranean Union he wants to set up and that the EU's final
borders are discussed in a wise committee - both suggestions are
seen as part of an overall aim to derail Turkey's bid. Germany is
also against Turkish EU membership, but has been less vocal at the
European level on the issue than France. It prefers instead a
privileged partnership - essentially granting Ankara closer ties
with the EU but no decision-making powers. Turkey opened membership
talks with the EU in 2005. But it has only made small progress so
far. Talks have been blocked in a number of areas because of
Ankara's position on Cyprus - it refuses to trade with it - while
France has blocked the opening of talks in areas that smack too much
of leading to EU membership. Turkey itself has also been slow to
undertake internal democratic reforms, which has led to criticism
from the EU side. more... With rejection by Europe, who will Turkey turn to? Most likely, and according to Bible prophecy, Turkey will align with the Islamic side and participate in the attack on Israel. Keep watching!
‘America has abandoned us’ Jerusalem
Watchman (December 9, 2007) - The newspapers
here in Israel made for sobering reading this weekend. In the words of a
visiting compatriot in the cause of Christian Zionism, it is as if, after years
of moving towards a cliff in Israel-US relations, we have suddenly arrived, and
tipped over the edge. The United States has betrayed the trust of its once
“faithful friend” in the Middle East, and things are spiraling at an alarming
speed - seemingly out of control. Israelis today believe that Washington
successfully worked to lure them to Annapolis by promising to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish state against Iran’s fevered efforts to
obtain, deploy and possibly use nuclear weapons. Largely as a result of this
“guaranteed” alliance, the Olmert government went to Annapolis despite the
refusal of the Palestinian Arabs to, among other things, recognize Israel as a
Jewish state. Once there, believing that America truly has Israel’s best
interests at heart, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to work towards the
creation of a Palestinian state by the end of the Bush presidency, and gave the
US the right to judge whether or not Jerusalem is complying with its commitments
under the Road Map. And then, with this Israeli commitment in its pocket, and
before the news crews had barely departed the US Naval Academy, Washington
suddenly lifted its threat to use force against Iran, issuing a report whose
heading announced that the genocidal mullahs had in fact halted their nuclear
weapons program in 2003 and therefore no longer posed a serious threat to Israel
or anyone else within reach of their long range, surface-to-surface missiles.
The fact that the body of the National Intelligence Estimate report soundly
contradicts its headline has done little if anything to alleviate the fallout
from its release. For Israelis, the announcement means that America has left it
dangling before the diabolical designs of the Islamic world - and particularly
of holocaust-threatening Tehran. This was the consensus of understanding, at
least on the staff of The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s biggest-circulation
English-language daily, who expressed their sense of shock and disbelief: We
have been
“bushwacked” exclaimed disbelieving editor-in-chief David Horowitz. America
has
“dropped a bomb on Israel” said reporter Ya’akov Katz. An American guest
columnist, Jonathan Tobin, said the “intelligence bombshell [had left] Bush’s
approach to Middle East peacemaking in ruins and Jerusalem isolated.” And
Post deputy managing editor and columnist Caroline Glick wrote a requiem
for Israel-US relations in her “Column One” piece hauntingly headlined:
“The abandonment of the Jews.” Elsewhere, in a
Ynetnews report Sunday Shas Party Minister Yitzhak Cohen slammed “the manner
in which the Americans relate to the intelligence report on Iran [as] similar to
the way in which they viewed those reports they received during the Holocaust on
railways transporting hundreds of thousands of Jews to their death at Auschwitz.
more... Pray for Israel. World politics are lined up against Israel as prophesied. The powers behind America have a secret agenda that falls in line with Bible prophecy as the whole world is coming against Israel. Zechariah 12:1-3 I'm learning that the world we are told of is not the world that is. Our perceptions are shaped by the powerful people who have consolidated their influence over media and politics to blind the population so they can carry out their dark plans.
Jerusalem To Be Divided, Declares Israeli Official WorldNet
Daily (December 9, 2007) - A top
member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government today announced
Israel "must" give up sections of Jerusalem for a future Palestinian
state, even conceding the Palestinians can rename Jerusalem "to
whatever they want." "We must come today and say, friends, the
Jewish neighborhoods,
including Har Homa, will remain under Israeli sovereignty, and the
Arab neighborhoods will be the Palestinian capital, which they will
call Jerusalem or whatever they want," said Israeli Vice Premier
Haim Ramon. Positions held by Ramon, a ranking member of Olmert's
Kadima party, are largely considered to be reflective of Israeli
government policy. Ramon's statements follow last month's
U.S.-sponsored Annapolis summit at which Olmert committed to aim at
completing negotiations by next year to create a Palestinian state,
with Israel expected to evacuate swaths of Jerusalem and the
strategic West Bank. Ramon said due to the city's demographics, Arab
neighborhoods of Jerusalem "should not be under Israeli sovereignty,
because they pose a threat to Jerusalem being the capital of a
Jewish Israel." About 231,000 Arabs live in Jerusalem, mostly in
eastern neighborhoods. The city has an estimated total population of
724,000. Ramon listed population statistics as the reason Olmert's
government finds it necessary to split Jerusalem. But
WND broke the story last week that according to Jerusalem
municipal employees, during 10 years as mayor of Jerusalem, Olmert
instructed city workers not to take action against hundreds of
illicit Arab building projects throughout eastern sections of
Jerusalem housing over 100,000 Arabs squatting in the city
illegally. The workers and some former employees claim Olmert even
instructed city officials to delete files documenting illegal Arab
construction of housing units in eastern Jerusalem. Olmert was
Jerusalem mayor from 1993 to 2003. As mayor he made repeated public
statements calling Jerusalem the "eternal and undivided capital" of
Israel. Jerusalem municipal employees and former workers, though,
paint a starkly contrasting picture of the prime minister. "He did
nothing about rampant illegal Arab construction in Jerusalem while
the government cracked down on illegal Jewish construction in the
West Bank," said one municipal employee who worked under Olmert. She
spoke on condition of anonymity because she still works at the
municipality. One former municipal worker during Olmert's mayoral
tenure told WND he was moved in 1999 to a new government posting
after he tried to highlight the illegal Arab construction in
Jerusalem. He also spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his
current job. more...
Hitler a Hero on Palestinian Authority Radio
World Net Daily
(December 5, 2007) - A Palestinian
Authority radio contest featured a laudatory biography of Adolf Hitler
replete with his military victories, heroism and no mention of the
Holocaust. "His golden year was 1940, when his armies invaded Denmark,
Norway, Luxembourg, Holland, and Belgium and defeated France…By mid
1942, his country controlled the largest land area in Europe…He refused
to surrender and continued to fight for two more years, but, his bitter
end came in the spring of 1945 when he took his own life…Who is he?" was
the question broadcast as a Voice of Palestine radio contest on November
27. The question was part of the official
Palestinian Authority-run radio’s Ramadan quiz - rebroadcast this past
week, and documented by
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). The broadcast presents Hitler
heroically, detailing his two Medals of Honor in World War I, his rise
to power, his launching of World War II and specifies country after
country that he conquered. “Not surprisingly, though citing his
victories and 'bitter' fall in great detail, the Holocaust is not
mentioned,” the latest PMW report states. “This is consistent with
Palestinian education in general which erases the Holocaust from
history." A
recent PMW report on the new 12th grade PA history schoolbook showed
that many pages were dedicated to the history of World War II and even
to Nazi racism, but neither Jews nor the Holocaust were mentioned.
According to the PMW report, “[I]t is important to understand that the
revulsion of Hitler expected in the West is not true in Palestinian
society. Palestinians can be found who are named "Hitler" as a first
name: Hitler Salah [Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Sept. 28, 2005], Hitler
Abu-Alrab [Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Jan. 27, 2005], Hitler Mahmud
Abu-Libda [Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Dec.18, 2000.] Articles have
appeared in both Fatah and Hamas newspapers which demonstrate Hitler's
admired status.” The Voice of Palestine contest offered a prize of 600
shekels to the person who guessed Hitler's name. more...
CAIR called 'turnstile' for terrorist suspects
World Net Daily
(December 4, 2007) - 'Proven record
of senior officials being indicted, imprisoned, deported from U.S.'
As the Council on American-Islamic Relations lobbies
Congress to help strike its
name from a list of co-conspirators in a federal terror case, WND
has learned the Muslim group's ties to terrorism and extremism are far
more extensive than first believed. Although CAIR is a nonprofit
organization, it does not disclose complete directories of its staff or
advisory boards, and even refuses to make its federal tax filings
readily available to the public. But a review of federal criminal court
documents, past IRS 990 tax records and Federal Election Commission
records detailing donor occupations, reveals that Washington-based CAIR
has been associated with a disturbing number of convicted terrorists or
felons in terrorism probes, as well as suspected terrorists and active
targets of terrorism investigations. "Their offices have been a
turnstile for terrorists and their supporters," said one FBI veteran
familiar with recent and ongoing cases involving CAIR officials. As
previously reported,
three CAIR officials have been linked to terrorism. But WND has
learned that at least 11 other CAIR officials have been caught up in
terror investigations, bringing the total to 14. Congressional leaders
say they are warning lawmakers and other Washington officials to
disassociate from the group due to its growing terror ties. "Groups like
CAIR have a proven record of senior officials being indicted and either
imprisoned or deported from the United States," said U.S. Rep. Sue
Myrick, R-N.C., co-founder of the House Anti-Terrorism/Jihad Caucus.
CAIR itself recently was named as an unindicted
co-conspirator in an alleged scheme to funnel $12 million to the
terrorist group Hamas. In the Holy Land Foundation case, federal
prosecutors also listed CAIR as a member of the U.S. branch of the
Muslim Brotherhood, a worldwide jihadist movement that gave rise to
Hamas, al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. The government will retry
the Holy Land case, which ended in a hung jury. "There was a lot of
evidence presented at the recent Holy Land Foundation trial which
exposed CAIR and others as front groups for the Muslim Brotherhood in
the United States," Myrick said. Still, CAIR is lobbying House Judiciary
Committee Chairman John Conyers and other sympathetic members of
Congress to pressure the Justice Department to expunge its name from the
case, arguing the negative publicity has hurt membership and
fundraising. The federal judge during the trial refused a written
request by the group to strike its name from the list of
co-conspirators. The petition is still pending before the court. CAIR denies supporting terrorism and continues to claim
to be a "moderate" voice for Muslims in America. The group says its
critics are the extremists, including radio personality Michael Savage,
whom the group is now attacking with a boycott campaign. So far it has
convinced Wal-Mart, OfficeMax, AT&T, JCPenney and other companies to
stop advertising on Savage's popular show. In response, Savage last week
filed a lawsuit against CAIR, accusing the organization of being a
"political vehicle of international terrorism" that seeks to do
"material harm to those voices who speak against the violent agenda of
CAIR's clients." Ibrahim Hooper, communications
director for CAIR,
told WND the group would not comment on Savage's action until the
document had been reviewed. CAIR, which runs 33
offices and chapters nationwide, also recently helped defeat an
anti-terror plan by Los Angeles police to map the local Muslim community
for extremist neighborhoods. Now it's pressuring GOP presidential
hopeful Mitt Romney to back down from his position against appointing a
Muslim to his Cabinet. Critics counter that CAIR has no legitimate voice
to make such complaints, because the group is itself an extremist
organization that has employed or appointed to its boards of directors
and advisers an inordinate number of radical co-conspirators, suspected
and convicted terrorists, and other criminals. Indeed, the list is long
and growing, and includes: more...
CAIR – anything but 'American'
World Net Daily
(December 4, 2007) -
I'm proud of my friend and colleague Michael Savage today
for standing up against the un-American bullies at the so-called
"Council on American-Islamic Relations." I'm here to endorse
his lawsuit and offer any help he needs in combating these thugs who
seek to narrow the public debate in America, apparently to conform to
the wishes and standards of their foreign supporters in some of the most
vicious police states in the world. This is an important case. It's
about the defense of freedom of speech. It's about the defense of truth.
It's about the defense of justice. And it's about fighting for the
American way.
Please read the suit for yourself – and join me in making a sacrificial
monetary contribution to the fight. But I also want to share some
information to consider that is not addressed in this lawsuit. CAIR, a powerful and well-funded lobby group, has been
targeting Savage's radio advertisers with a campaign of lies and
intimidation. Every single advertiser has been pressured, and a few have
caved in to the heavy-handed threats. Each of us who cares about
preserving Savage's unique voice on the airwaves needs to pull out all
the stops in support of the advertisers who remain. I have done this
already. I urge you to do the same. Likewise, you need to know who and
what this group is really all about.
In April 2005, the founder of the Texas chapter of CAIR, Ghassan Elashi
was found guilty of supporting terrorism – the third CAIR figure to
be convicted on federal terrorism charges since 9/11. Elashi, along with
two brothers, was convicted in Dallas of channeling funds to a
high-ranking official of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Mousa
Abu Marzook. CAIR is a spin-off of the Richardson,
Texas-based Islamic Association For Palestine, or IAP, which was founded
by Marzook. Former FBI counterterrorism chief Oliver Revell has called
the IAF "a front organization for Hamas that engages in propaganda for
Islamic militants." Marzook, deputy chief of
Hamas' political bureau in Syria, founded the IAP in 1991. At its
conferences in the United States, the IAP hosted leaders of Hamas and
the Muslim Brotherhood. Marzook was deported in 1997. It was not the
first conviction for Elashi. As chairman of the Holy Land Foundation
charity in Dallas, Elashi was convicted last year of making illegal
technology shipments to two countries on the U.S. list of
terrorist-sponsoring states, Libya and Syria. Four brothers, including
Bayan and Basman, also were convicted. Other CAIR figures convicted
since 9/11 are Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer, a former communications
specialist and civil-rights coordinator, and Bassem Khafagi, former
director of community relations.
Royer was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges he trained in
Virginia for holy war against the United States and sent several
members to Pakistan to join Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Kashmiri terrorist group
with reported ties to al-Qaida. In a plea bargain, Royer claimed he
never intended to hurt anyone, but admitted he organized the holy
warriors after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. After
his arrest, Royer sought legal counsel from Hamas lawyer Stanley Cohen,
who said after 9/11 he would consider serving as a defense lawyer for
Osama bin Laden if the al-Qaida leader were captured. Khafagi, was arrested in January 2003, while serving with
CAIR, and convicted on fraud and terrorism charges. Current CAIR leaders
also have made statements in support of Hamas and the domination of the
United States by Islam. more...
Savage Sues Muslim Group Newsmax
(December 3, 2007) - Nationally syndicated
radio host Michael Savage has filed a lawsuit against CAIR, the Counsel
on American-Islamic Relations, charging that the Muslim group has
misused copyright material from his show. The group, which identifies
itself as the nation's leading watchdog group protecting the rights of
Muslims, has used clips of Savage's radio show to raise funds and to get
supporters to demand Savage's sponsors cease advertising on his “Savage
Nation” broadcasts. Savage’s show which originates in San Francisco,
California reaches over eight million listeners per week, according to
the lawsuit. The suit adds that his Web site MichaelSavage.com receives
2.3 million page views per month. In the suit he alleges that instead of
being what it claims to be — a civil rights organization — it is
actually a political organization “designed to advance a political
agenda that is directly opposed to the existence of a free society that
includes respect and dignity for all people and all religions. “The
copyright infringement herein is part of this plan. CAIR’s fundamental
purpose is to be a lobbyist for foreign interests,” an allegation that
the lawsuit backs up with numerous examples of CAIR’s activities. In a
Nov. 1, 2007 statement CAIR, which described itself as “A prominent
national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group” urged “radio listeners
of all faiths to contact companies that advertise on Michael Savage's
nationally-syndicated radio program to express their concerns about the
host's recent anti-Muslim tirade. CAIR charged that Savage “screamed
attacks on Muslims, Islam, and the Quran, Islam's revealed text, during
his Oct. 29, 2007, program,” and claimed that an unspecified number of
concerned listeners contacted the group CAIR about Savage's alleged
attacks on Islam.” CAIR cited what it called “Savage's shouted
anti-Muslim attacks,” using copyrighted material from that show: "I'm
not gonna put my wife in a hijab. And I'm not gonna put my daughter in a
burqa. And I'm not getting on my all-fours and braying to Mecca. And you
could drop dead if you don't like it. You can shove it up your pipe. I
don't wanna hear anymore about Islam. I don't wanna hear one more word
about Islam. Take your religion and shove it up your behind. I'm sick of
you." more...
Evangelical Leaders Reiterate Call for Two-State Solution for Israel and
Palestine Christianity
Today (December 3, 2007) -
Over
80 educators and ministry heads affirm efforts to negotiate lasting
peace, and warn of consequences of failure.
This week the Bush State Department is devoting its full diplomatic
efforts toward bringing a two-state resolution to the Israel-Palestine
conflict. Over the past few months, they have put on a full-court press
to gather a broad representation of Arab world leaders to join Israeli
and Palestinian negotiators for a historic meeting in Annapolis,
Maryland. Now, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian
National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to a program of
sustained and focused negotiations throughout 2008. With these cautious
but hopeful beginnings, over 80 evangelical leaders have signed a
statement indicating their belief "that the way forward is for the
Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a fair, two-state solution."
These leaders—including Christian college and seminary presidents,
denominational heads, and other ministry leaders—pledge their "ongoing
support for the security of Israel," and state that "unless the
situation between Israel and Palestine improves quickly, the
consequences will be devastating" for Israel. Palestinians with little
economic opportunity "are increasingly sympathetic to radical
solutions." The full text of their statement and the list of signatories
follow. more... I think this is one of the consequences of not understanding Bible prophecy and what it says about the future. These leaders aren't looking at what the Bible says will happen to those that come against Israel. God said He would put Israel in the land and Jeremiah 30:20 says, "Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them." Read Ezekiel 36,37 as well. Remember it is when everyone says peace and safety that sudden destruction comes. Recognizing the Bible's prophesies is much different from actively participating in what it says will happen. These things will happen without our help and given the judgment for those that come against Israel and God's putting Israel in the land, I think it is an error for Christians to get involved. We should pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel knowing that will only happen when Christ returns and sets up His eternal kingdom. Who doesn't want peace and security? But be careful of who you are trusting to give it to you. The Bible says the end-times is anything but a time of peace and security and the men fomenting the chaos are doing so to implement their control of the world, not to bring peace. The spirit of antichrist destroys many with peace, Daniel 8:25, much like the loss of freedom because of terrorism and in the name of peace and security. It's all about control and power for these elite who are working with the spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:11-20 Israel's security is guaranteed by God and will be shown when Iran, Turkey, Russia, Libya and others are destroyed in the mountains of Israel. However, I do |
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The
IDF and Shin Bet uncovered 6.5 tons of potassium nitrate hidden in sacks
that were disguised as aid from the European Union, the army announced
on Saturday. Security forces discovered the stash in the cargo of a
Palestinian truck at a West Bank checkpoint earlier in December.
According to the IDF, the material, hidden in sugar sacks, was planned
to be used by terrorists in the Gaza Strip. "Potassium Nitrate is a
banned substance in the Gaza Strip and the Judea and Samaria region due
to its use by terrorists for the manufacturing of explosives and Kassam
rockets," the IDF spokesperson wrote in a statement. "This is another
example of how the terror organizations exploit the humanitarian aid
that is delivered to the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with
Israel's approval," the statement read.