Saturday, December 29, 2012

First They Came For The Guns...

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle


And took them out of their hands in Great Britain.  They promised the population that they would be safe, that crime would reduce to almost nothing.  It didn't happen.  In fact, crime increased.  Crime with knives increased.  So now they will ban the knife.


The good news is that if we ever do get that assault rifle ban, followed by a handgun ban, followed by a ban of anything that can shoot bullets, the “Banners” will still have a banner year of banning all the other ways with which people kill other people.

Violent crimes haven’t gone away with the UK’s gun control. They’ve actually gone up.
Britons suffer 1,158,957 violent crimes per year, which works out at 2,034 per 100,000 residents. The U.S., meanwhile, has a rate of 466 crimes per 100,000 residents, which is lower than France’s, at 504.
Instead of gun crime, the UK worries about knife crime. And has been practicing knife control.

The UK outlawed the switchblade and gravity knife in 1959.

In 1988 possession of a pocket knife with a blade larger than 3 inches in public became illegal.

In 1996, it became illegal to sell a razor blade to anyone under the age of 16.

In 2007, you needed a license to be able to sell “non-domestic knives.”

Despite all that knifepoint robberies rose by 10 percent this year and there are some 60,000 stabbings each year. So the push is on to outlaw long kitchen knives. Once that’s done, surely utopia will be at hand.
A team from West Middlesex University Hospital said violent crime is on the increase – and kitchen knives are used in as many as half of all stabbings.

They argued many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon.

They consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen.

None of the chefs felt such knives were essential, since the point of a short blade was just as useful when a sharp end was needed.

The researchers say legislation to ban the sale of long pointed knives would be a key step in the fight against violent crime.

“We suggest that banning the sale of long pointed knives is a sensible and practical measure that would have this effect.”
Certainly no law-abiding person needs a long blade kitchen knife. No one is talking about outlawing all kitchen knives. Just the ones with long blades. No reason for anyone to go beyond a paring knife anyway.

The chefs say so and what does Julia Child know anyway.

Take a good look America. This is where we’re headed under liberal dominion.

Source
What happens if you are a young girl and you need to shave your armpits? Or a boy age 15 and that peach fuzz is growing dark

I suppose the 10 top chefs they asked were vegans.  I need a long, sharp blade to filet fish.  Need a long, thick blade to butcher a kill.  Heck try to carve a roast or a turkey with a steak knife.  I need a very sharp long knife (and sharp fork) to do that too.

You cannot legislate safety for every situation.  You can kill with a steak knife, razor, heck a very sharp Swiss Army Knife.  Unless you have a cop following each and every person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, you will never prevent murders.

I suggest every person who cooks, who carves, who loves their freedom to rise up and strike a blow for freedom and kill this stupidity before it gains any grounds with the ruling Elites.



Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Maintaining Honor in the Middle East-and at Home

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com



Hat tip Al Jazeera



Yes, a tip of the hat to Al Jazeera for this report that Jordan is maintaining its honor in the matter of husbands killing their wives. It seems that Jordan's version of the OJ jury (its parliament) quashed a move by the senate to stiffen penalties for would-be OJs.

(Not that senate. It has no honor.)


http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2003/09/2008410102158508644.html

But that's old news. More recent is the statement by Mahmoud Abbas, the guy Israel is supposed to negotiate with in the West Bank, that there are no plans to crack down on so-called honor killings in his neck of the woods either. The below report comes from Jihad Watch, which also makes the fantastic claim that 91% of honor-killings world-wide are carried out by Muslims.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/12/moderate-palestinian-authority-no-plans-to-outlaw-honor-murders.html






(The other 9%)

Of course, there isn't much we can do about these things happening in places like Jordan or the West Bank; all we can do is enforce our own laws against murder here in the US (OJ notwithstanding). That means no court can entertain any argument of mitigating circumstances of "honor" due to any cultural or religious considerations.


Shaima Alawadi

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/08/us-crime-beheading-idUSTRE71703F20110208


Assiya Zubair Hassan

But there is, indeed, honor. Once again, I post the brave words of a young Pakistani-Muslim American woman from New York named Darakshan Raja at the MPAC convention in Pasadena on December 15 as she speaks about her professional specialty, domestic abuse.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/12/darakshan-rajas-speech-at-mpac.html

That is honor.



































The latest from “DHS Insider” (Part I & Part II)

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle


Hat Tip to Texas Fred

If this doesn't scare you, then your dead.

************************************************************
For those that haven’t seen it, aren’t on the mailing list or what have you, I have been getting messages from these folks and their Department of Homeland Security *mole* for quite some time now. In light of recent events I am sharing this story, Parts I and II, in their entirety. From the folks at Northeast Intelligence Network I give you this.

The latest from “DHS Insider” (Part I)
By Douglas J. Hagmann


Introduction

23 December 2012: After a lengthy, self-imposed informational black-out, my high-level DHS contact known as “Rosebud” emerged with new, non-public information about plans being discussed and prepared for implementation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the near future. It is important to note that this black-out was directly related to the aggressive federal initiative of identifying and prosecuting “leakers,” at least those leaks and leakers not sanctioned by the executive office – the latter of which there are many.

Due to those circumstances, my source exercised an abundance of caution to avoid compromising a valuable line of communication until he had information he felt was significant enough to risk external contact. The following information is the result of an in-person contact between this author and “Rosebud” within the last 48 hours. With his permission, the interview was digitally recorded and the relevant portions of the contact are provided in a conversational format for easier reading. The original recording was copied onto multiple discs and are maintained in secure locations for historical and insurance purposes.

Meeting

The following began after an exchange of pleasantries and other unrelated discussion:

DH: Do I have your permission to record this conversation?

RB: You do.

DH: I’ve received a lot of e-mail from people wondering where you went and why you’ve been so quiet.

RB: As I told you earlier, things are very dicey. Weird things began to happen before the election and have continued since. Odd things, a clampdown of sorts. I started looking and I found [REDACTED AT THE REQUEST OF THIS SOURCE], and that shook me up. I’m not the only one, though, that found a [REDACTED], so this means there’s surveillance of people within DHS by DHS. So, that explains this cloak and dagger stuff for this meeting.

DH: I understand. What about the others?

RB: They are handling it the same way.

DH: I’ve received many e-mails asking if you are the same person giving information to Ulsterman. Are you?

RB: No, but I think I know at least one of his insiders.

DH: Care to elaborate?

RB: Sorry, no.

DH: Do you trust him or her. I mean, the Ulsterman source?

RB: Yes.

DH: Okay, so last August, you said things were “going hot.” I printed what you said, and things did not seem to happen as you said.

RB: You’d better recheck your notes and compare [them] with some of the events leading up to the election. I think you’ll find that a full blown campaign of deception took place to make certain Obama got back into office. The polls, the media, and a few incidents that happened in the two months before the election. I guess if people are looking for some big event they can point to and say “aha” for verification, well then I overestimated people’s ability to tell when they are being lied to.

DH: What specific incidents are you referring to?

RB: Look at the threats to Obama. Start there. The accusations of racism. Then look at the polls, and especially the judicial decisions about voter ID laws. Bought and paid for, or where there was any potential for problems, the judges got the message, loud and clear. Then look at the voter fraud. And not a peep from the Republicans. Nothing. His second term was a done deal in September. This was planned. Frankly, the Obama team knew they had it sewn up long before election day. Benghazi could have derailed them, but the fix was in there, so I never saw anything on my end to suggest a ready-made solution had to be implemented.

DH: What’s going on now?

RB: People better pay close attention over the next few months. First, there won’t be any meaningful deal about the fiscal crisis. This is planned, I mean, the lack of deal is planned. In fact, it’s necessary to pave the way for what is in the short term agenda.

DH: Wait, you’re DHS – not some Wall Street insider.

RB: So you think they are separate agendas? That’s funny. The coming collapse of the U.S. dollar is a done deal. It’s been in the works for years – decades, and this is one of the most important cataclysmic events that DHS is preparing for. I almost think that DHS was created for that purpose alone, to fight Americans, not protect them, right here in America. But that’s not the only reason. There’s the gun issue too.

DH: So, what are you seeing at DHS?

RB: We don’t have a lot of time, tonight – our meeting – as well as a country. I mean I have heard – with my own ears – plans being made that originate from the White House that involve the hierarchy of DHS. You gotta know how DHS works at the highest of levels. It’s Jarrett and Napolitano, with Jarrett organizing all of the plans and approaches. She’s the one in charge, at least from my point of view, from what I am seeing. Obama knows that’s going on and has say, but it seems that Jarrett has the final say, not the other way around. It’s [screwed] up. This really went into high gear since the election.

But it’s a train wreck at mid management, but is more effective at the lower levels. A lot of police departments are being gifted with federal funds with strings attached. That money is flowing out to municipal police departments faster than it can be counted. They are using this money to buy tanks, well, not real tanks, but you know what I mean. DHS is turning the police into soldiers.

By the way, there has been a lot of communication recently between Napolitano and Pistole [TSA head]. They are planning to use TSA agents in tandem with local police for certain operations that are being planned right now. This is so [deleted] important that you cannot even begin to imagine. If you get nothing else out of this, please, please make sure you tell people to watch the TSA and their increasing involvement against the American public. They are the stooges who will be the ones to carry out certain plans when the dollar collapses and the gun confiscation begins.

DH: Whoa, wait a minute. You just said a mouthful. What’s the agenda here?

RB: Your intelligence insider – he knows that we are facing a planned economic collapse. You wrote about this in your articles about Benghazi, or at least that’s what I got out of the later articles. So why the surprise?

DH: There’s a lot here. Let’s take it step by step if you don’t mind.

RB: Okay, but I’m not going to give it to you in baby steps. Big boy steps. This is what I am hearing. Life for the average American is going to change significantly, and not the change people expect. First, DHS is preparing to work with police departments and the TSA to respond to civil uprisings that will happen when there is a financial panic. And there will be one, maybe as early as this spring, when the dollar won’t get you a gumball. I’m not sure what the catalyst will be, but I’ve heard rumblings about a derivatives crisis as well as an oil embargo. I don’t know, that’s not my department. But something is going to happen to collapse the dollar, which has been in the works since the 1990′s. Now if it does not happen as soon as this, it’s because there are people, real patriots, who are working to prevent this, so it’s a fluid dynamic. But that doesn’t change the preparations.

And the preparations are these: DHS is prepositioning assets in strategic areas near urban centers all across the country. Storage depots. Armories. And even detainment facilities, known as FEMA camps. FEMA does not even know that the facilities are earmarked for detainment by executive orders, at least not in the traditional sense they were intended. By the way, people drive by some of these armories everyday without even giving them a second look. Commercial and business real estate across the country are being bought up or leased for storage purposes. Very low profile.

Anyway, I am hearing that the plan from on high is to let the chaos play out for a while, making ordinary citizens beg for troops to be deployed to restore order. but it’s all organized to make them appear as good guys. That’s when the real head knocking will take place. We’re talking travel restrictions, which should not be a problem because gas will be rationed or unavailable. The TSA will be in charge of travel, or at least be a big part of it. They will be commissioned, upgraded from their current status.

They, I mean Jarrett and Obama as well as a few others in government, are working to create a perfect storm too. This is being timed to coincide with new gun laws.

DH: New federal gun laws?

RB: Yes. Count on the criminalization to possess just about every gun you can think of. Not only restrictions, but actual criminalization of possessing a banned firearm. I heard this directly from the highest of my sources. Plans were made in the 90′s but were withheld. Now, it’s a new day, a new time, and they are riding the wave of emotion from Sandy Hook., which, by the way and as tragic as it was, well, it stinks to high heaven. I mean there are many things wrong there, and first reports are fast disappearing. The narrative is being changed. Look, there is something wrong with Sandy Hook, but if you write it, you’ll be called a kook or worse.

DH: Sure

RB: But Sandy Hook, there’s something very wrong there. But I am hearing that won’t be the final straw. There will be another if they think it’s necessary.

DH: Another shooting?

RB: Yes.

DH: That would mean they are at least complicit.

RB: Well, that’s one way of looking at it.

DH: Are they? Were they?

RB: Do your own research. Nothing I say, short of bringing you photographs and documents will convince anyone, and even then, it’s like [DELETED] in the wind.

DH: So…

RB: So what I’m telling you is that DHS, the TSA and certain, but not all, law enforcement agencies are going to be elbow deep in riot control in response to an economic incident. At the same time or close to it, gun confiscation will start. It will start on a voluntary basis using federal registration forms, then an amnesty, then the kicking-in of doors start.

Before or at the same time, you know all the talk of lists, you know, the red and blue lists that everyone made fun of? Well they exist, although I don’t know about their colors. But there are lists of political dissidents maintained by DHS. Names are coordinated with the executive branch, but you know what? They did not start with Obama. They’ve been around in one form or another for years. The difference though is that today, they are much more organized. And I’ll tell you that the vocal opponents of the politics of the global elite, the bankers, and the opponents of anything standing in their way, well, they are on the top of the list of people to be handled.

DH: Handled?

RB: As the situations worsen, some might be given a chance to stop their vocal opposition. Some will, others won’t. I suppose they are on different lists. Others won’t have that chance. By that time, though, it will be chaos and people will be in full defensive mode. They will be hungry, real hunger like we’ve never experienced before. They will use our hunger as leverage. They will use medical care as leverage.

DH: Will this happen all at once?

RB: They hope to make it happen at the same time. Big cities first, with sections being set apart from the rest of the country. Then the rural areas. There are two different plans for geographical considerations. But it will all come together.

End of Part I

Source: The latest from “DHS Insider” (Part I) « Northeast Intelligence Network

Monday, December 24, 2012

In The Beginning...

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle


I originally wrote this post for Christmas Eve 2008 the 40th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 8. I repost it for tonight to remind us of that mission and of a time in which Americans were more appreciative of G-d.

**************************************************************
Three words read by William Anders aboard the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve 1968.

1968 was our Annus horribilis. It was a year of unrest at the Democratic National Convention. It was the year that saw the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. It was a year in which riots and protests were the daily fare on the nightly newscasts. It was a year in which America felt at its lowest point. And America needed a boost.

When the Apollo 8 mission was originally planned the mission was not suppose to go to the moon. It was suppose to be in a low Earth orbit checking out the systems on the Command module and possibly the lunar module if one had been ready by then. Instead the mission was changed and Apollo 8 would be the first manned mission to go to the moon. In itself it would be a very dangerous mission, the first of anything is alway a dangerous mission to accomplish. Because of the nature of the mission and the decision to change it, the true mission was kept a secret from the public until the official announcement on 12 November 1968, less than 40 days before the scheduled launch.

Apollo 8 launched at 7:51:00 a.m. on December 21, 1968. During the flight, three fellow astronauts served on the ground as capsule communicators (usually referred to as "CAPCOMs") on a rotating schedule. The CAPCOMs were the only people who regularly communicated with the crew. Michael Collins was the first CAPCOM on duty and at 2 hours, 27 minutes and 22 seconds after launch radioed, "Apollo 8. You are Go for TLI". This communication signified that Mission Control had given official permission for Apollo 8 to go to the moon. Over the next twelve minutes before the TLI burn, the Apollo 8 crew continued to monitor the spacecraft and the rocket. The S-IVB third stage rocket ignited on time and burned perfectly for 5 minutes and 17 seconds. The burn increased the velocity of Apollo 8 to 35,505 feet per second (10,822 m/s) and the spacecraft's altitude at the end of the burn was 215.4 miles (346.7 km). At this time, the crew also set the record for the highest speed humans had ever traveled.

Five hours after launch, Mission Control sent a command to the S-IVB booster to vent its remaining fuel through its engine bell to change the booster's trajectory. This S-IVB would then pass the Moon and enter into a solar orbit, posing no further hazard to Apollo 8. The S-IVB subsequently went into a 0.99 by 0.92 AU solar orbit with an inclination of 23.47° and a period of 340.80 days.

The Apollo 8 crew were the first humans to pass through the Van Allen radiation belts, which extend up to 15,000 miles (25,000 km) from Earth. Scientists predicted that passing through the belts quickly at the spacecraft's high speed would cause a radiation dosage of no more than a chest X-ray, or 1 milligray (during the course of a year, the average human receives a dose of 2 to 3 mGy). To record the actual radiation dosages, each crew member wore a Personal Radiation Dosimeter that transmitted data to Earth as well as three passive film dosimeters that showed the cumulative radiation experienced by the crew. By the end of the mission, the crew experienced an average radiation dose of 1.6 mGy.

At about 55 hours and 40 minutes into the flight, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to enter the gravitational sphere of influence of another celestial body. At 64 hours into the flight, the crew began to prepare for Lunar Orbit Insertion-1 (LOI-1). This maneuver had to be performed perfectly, and due to orbital mechanics had to be on the far side of the Moon, out of contact with the Earth. After Mission Control was polled for a Go/No Go decision, the crew was told at 68 hours, they were Go and "riding the best bird we can find". At 68 hours and 58 minutes, the spacecraft went behind the Moon and out of radio contact with the Earth.

When the spacecraft came out from behind the Moon for its fourth pass across the front, the crew witnessed an event no one had ever seen — Earthrise. Borman saw the Earth emerging from behind the lunar horizon and called in excitement to the others, taking a black-and-white photo as he did so: Earthrise, seen for the first time by human eyes. In the ensuing scramble Anders took the more famous color photo, later picked by Life magazine as one of its hundred photos of the century.



As they rounded the Moon for the ninth time, the second television transmission began. Borman introduced the crew, followed by each man giving his impression of the lunar surface and what it was like to be orbiting the Moon. Borman described it as being "a vast, lonely, forbidding expanse of nothing." Then, after talking about what they were flying over, Anders said that the crew had a message for all those on Earth. Each man on board read the story of creation from Book of Genesis. Borman finished the broadcast by wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone on Earth. His message appeared to sum up the feelings that all three crewmen had from their vantage point in lunar orbit. Borman said, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, and a Merry Christmas to all of you, all of you on the good Earth"

After 10 lunar orbit, Apollo 8 returned to Earth on 27 December 1968. A successful and historic mission.

So on this Christmas Eve, we should remember a historic moment in Human history that took place 40 years ago.


William Anders

"We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Jim Lovell
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Frank Borman
"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."





View at YouTube
On this Christmas Eve I wish to again recall the words of Apollo 8 in wishing you a Merry Christmas.


And God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Darakshan Raja's Speech at MPAC Convention

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com



Hat tip to Joseph for the video.


One of the most interesting speakers at last Saturday's MPAC convention in Pasadena was a young lady named Darakshan Raja, who works with victims of domestic abuse in New York. Why was it interesting? It was interesting because this young lady exposed the problem of domestic abuse within the Muslim community in America, which she called "the number one problem in the community". She also called out the clerical leadership to address the problem as well as their own attitudes toward women in the mosque-especially those like herself who did not wear hijabs. On the screen she showed images of Shaima Alawadi and Abdifatah Mohammud, both fatal victims of domestic abuse. She is introduced to the audience by Haris Tarin, who moderated this particular session of the convention.

* Note: The heading above the video calls Raja "A victimology specialist". That is the label attached by the person who took the video. Yes, Ms Raja spoke of certain attitudes on the part of non-Muslims toward abuse in the Muslim community, but that was not the main thrust of her talk. I have a suspicion she made many in the audience uncomfortable and sorry that they invited her. For me, her appearance was the highlight of the day.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1n3922gt8441w7/Darakshan%20Raja%20Speech%20-%20A%20Victimology%20Specialist.mp4

I salute you, Ms Raja. We may disagree on certain things, but you showed true courage. Hopefully, there are more out there like you.




Why Can't US Muslim Leaders Take a Stand Against Violence on Apostates?


Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com


Last Saturday, I attended the 12th annual Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) convention, which was held at All Saints Episcopalian Church in Pasadena. This church is an activist church under the leadership of Pastor Ed Bacon, who made a couple of curious comments about Christians as hateful people.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/12/mpac-convention-at-all-saints-church-in.html

As also reported in the above link, I took advantage of the occasion to speak with MPAC leaders Salam Al Marayati and Maher Hathout about the question of apostasy within Islam. Both of these gentlemen are recipients of the Freedom Pledge Letter, sent out to approximately 200 of the top Muslim leaders in America in 2009 and again this year asking them to sign a statement that Americans who had left Islam should not be harmed. The video of myself with Hathout is on the above link and the one with Marayati is pending. In essence, both told me that they would not sign the letter and that they did not subscribe to the idea of death for those who leave Islam. If you go to the below link, you can see the video of Hathout receiving  the letter from me back in June and his statement about it.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/maher-hathout-appearance-at-guibord.html

So if you compare Hathout's two statements, first, he said he never received the letter, but he would read it, and if it was serious and didn't insult Islam, he would sign it; then last week, he said he didn't sign it because nobody is going to tell him what to sign.

In addition, I have spoken twice about the letter to another recipient, Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Center of Orange County, who is arguably the most influential Muslim leader in America. The first link is from last April, when I met Siddiqi at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and asked him if he had received the letter (which he denied).

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/04/muzammil-siddiqi-and-freedom-pledge.html

The below link is from November at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California when I reminded him of the letter and gave him his copy.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/11/muzammil-siddiqi-promotes-sharia-at.html

Clearly, there is a disconnect here. Of all the Muslim leaders in America, people who go around proclaiming that they are bridge builders and men of peace, only two have signed the letter, Zuhdi Jasser and Ali Ayami. Why is it that so many others cannot bring themselves to sign a simple statement that Americans who have left the Islamic faith should not be harmed (since they are indeed living under the threat of death)?

In trying to sort out the answers, at least the ones I have received from the men I have spoken to in the above reports, it seems that there may be a distinction in the minds of some of them between private apostates (those who quietly leave the religion and say nothing) and public apostates (those who proclaim their apostasy and publicly criticize Islam). There may or may not be disagreement among Islamic jurists as to the former, but as to the latter, there is really none. The latter is considered treason. (I even managed to get that much out of Siddiqi though he did not explicitly say that the latter should be put to death.)

One of the scheduled speakers at the Pasadena event (who did not show) was a young man named Shaykh Abdullah Adhami. Prior to the convention, I had posted a video of Adhami trying to answer a question about apostates during a previous speaking appearance. He spoke of private apostates and public apostates, but never really answered the crucial question as to what should be done with them (if anything).

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2012/12/apostasy-as-explained-sort-of-by-shaykh.html

So the issue of death for apostates is clearly a ticklish one for those who profess that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance especially given all the intolerance, hate and mayhem being conducted around the world in the name of Islam. It is indisputable that in many Muslim-majority countries, apostates are being murdered.

That brings us to the issue of people like Pastor Ed Bacon, who made such a big issue of the people who expressed disapproval of his invitation to MPAC to hold their annual convention at his church. There are many like him, Christians and Jews who don't want to hear any bad news about Islam. It is laudable that they may want to find moderate, peaceful Muslims with whom to hold inter-faith events. But at what point do they recognize that they are being used by the wrong people? In the days leading up to the convention many tried to educate Bacon and the church as to what MPAC was really all about. Bacon reacted indignantly, calling them bigots and Islamophobes and talking about the "vile hate mail" he had received. Whether some messages may have used inappropriate language, I don't know; I have not seen them. I have already said that the three guys who showed up to protest the event acted like idiots, but that was it.

The fact is that if Bacon believes so strongly in MPAC, maybe he should ask Marayati and Hathout why they could not bring themselves to sign a simple letter that says that people who leave Islam should not be harmed. Maybe Bacon should ask himself why out of some 200 American Islamic leaders, only two men could bring themselves to sign such a letter. Here is the reason why:

They can't.

God Rest Ye Merry Anti-Semites

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle




There is an old hatred returning to the Christian community.  A hatred of Jews and Judaism.  It is especially vicious this time of year.  A new call for the blood of Jews to run through out the streets of the world.  A vicious cry led by the Church of England, Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church (USA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church.
A new report from NGO Monitor reveals that several Christian organizations that support the Palestinian Authority are using Christmas to attack Israel. Holiday propaganda ranged from half-truths aimed at portraying Israel as oppressive to “crude anti-Semitism” based on historic Christian accusations of Jews being prophet-killers, the group said.

The report, titled, “O Boycott All ye Faithful,” criticized groups including Christian Aid, Sabeel, Kairos Palestine, and Israel Palestine Mission Network, Presbyterian Church (USA).

The latter group has published a daily advent devotional headed by a picture in which Mary and Joseph, parents of Jesus, are trapped behind a wall styled on Israel’s security barrier between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The first entry compares Israel to the Romans who once brutally oppressed the Jewish people.

“Jesus lived when the Roman empire had recently come to his land and made it part of the empire. The Romans were very cruel to any of those who dared to resist the occupation… As we look at the complexity of the Palestine/Israel issues today, I am struck by a sense of déjà vu,” wrote Reverend Richard Toll.

His message also included a warning to “collaborators,” whom he said Christians must expose. The PA considers “collaboration” with Israel in fighting terrorism a death penalty offense.

Further writings continue the trend of extreme criticism of Israel, with some hinting that modern-day Palestinian Authority Arabs are like Jesus, while Israel is like the Romans who killed him.

The annual Christmas message from Sabeel compares Israel to the Roman Empire as well, as does a video message posted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Groups based in England and Ireland – Amos Trust, Christian Aid, and the Ireland Palestinian Solidarity Campaign – used images or writings that targeted Israel’s security barrier by comparing PA residents to figures in early Christianity. Amos Trust, for example, wrote, “If Jesus were born today in Bethlehem, the Wise Men would spend several hours queuing to enter the town.”

The security barrier was built following a brutal wave of suicide attacks targeting Israeli civilians. Jerusalem, just minutes from Bethlehem, was hit by dozens of attacks murdering hundreds of people. Several of the attackers were from Bethlehem, among them a bomber who targeted high school students on their way to school, killing and wounding several dozen.

Unsurprisingly, the issue of terrorism in Bethlehem was not mentioned by any of the organizations.

“NGOs and well-known charities are exploiting the 2012 Christmas season with anti-Israel campaigns… The repeated emphasis on Bethlehem highlights the dark theological messaging,” warned NGO monitor.

“With this abuse of holiday and religious symbols, these NGOs and charities that claim to promote moral agendas are not offering messages of peace and good cheer. Rather, their intolerant and theologically charged messages exacerbate an already polarized and violent conflict,” the group charged.

Many of the offending groups are funded by the European Union and European governments. Sabeel is funded by Sweden, and Christian Aid by the UK, Ireland, Norway and the EU.

“As funders, these governments are enablers and share the moral responsibility for the actions of the NGOs,” NGO Monitor declared.

Source
A new Christmas Carol is being taught to Christian children all over the world:
Deck the streets with the Blood of Jews,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Tis the season to hate Jews,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Blame them for the death of Christ,
That way the PA will let us stay,
Fa la la la la la la la la.

I wonder how long it will be until this becomes a prophecy and not a song?

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

MPAC Convention at All Saints Episcopalian Church in Pasadena

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com



MPAC President Salaam Marayati- Pastor Ed Bacon



On December 15, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) held their 12th annual convention at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California. All in all, I would guess there were about 500 people attending. It was advertised as the first time a Muslim organization had held a convention at a Christian church, a point MPAC speakers made repeatedly during the day. I was also in attendance for the convention as well as the evening banquet.

The host for the convention was Pastor Ed Bacon, who has worked on interfaith issues with MPAC for several years now. In the days prior to the event, the church received several e-mails protesting the church's invitation to MPAC, which many consider linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. The church and MPAC held a press conference complaining of "vile" e-mails and "threats".

I arrived an hour before the event in order to register. On the sidewalk outside the church were about three people holding anti-Islam posters. One man was in a wheel chair. Two others were alternating speaking while about a dozen church supporters lined up on the church lawn facing them (lower photo). The two speakers, who looked like Hulk Hogan look-a-likes, were making insulting comments about Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, and the church for hosting  the event. Eventually, an atheist guy joined them and much of the debate was between these three guys doing all the talking. Private security and police were on hand, there were no incidents, and the protesters left once the event began.


(Hat tip Chris)



The opening remarks were made by Salaam Marayati, the director of MPAC. A moment of silence was held for the victims of  the massacre in Connecticut this week.

Bacon, in his opening remarks referred to the negative feedback from his co-religionists, and said, "Christians can be very hateful". He also quoted his friend, Maher Hathout of MPAC, who reportedly had stated, "Peacemaking for Muslims is not an option. It is an imperative."

Bacon also spoke of his "heart breaking visit" to Gaza a few years back. When visiting a Red  Crescent office, he asked an official what the central mission of Islam was and was told, "Without a doubt-justice".

The event then went on to the first of three sessions. The first was a panel discussion moderated by local news reporter Beverly White, joined by Maher Hathout and Nayyer Ali of MPAC. White proceeded to lob up one softball question after another to the panelists.

"What does this day mean?"


White, Hathout, Ali

Hathout, as he always does, wins his audience with humorous quips. In one remark, he asked, "What is all the fuss about?" He referred to extremists who cannot see Muslims as normal people. "When they see normal people like us, they don't know what to do with us. He also referred to people who want to know if "we pass their litmus test on the Palestinian-Israeli issue". " He divided Americans into two groups-"us" (referring to those in the room) and those who don't want us at the table due to racial-religious bias (I am paraphrasing.)

Hathout also referred to criticism that the Islamic Center of California (Los Angeles) had books authored by Islamic cleric  Yusuf al Qaradawi. He noted that universities have books about Hitler and Marx. Yet, he ignored the reason why such books are in libraries for historical research. Most people who read Qaradawi do so to apply his words to their own lives.

White also asked Hathout about the claims of protesters that he had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Hathout stated that many decades previous when he was in Egypt as a young man, he was associated with the Brotherhood in opposing the British occupation of Egypt and trying to keep (Gamal) Nasser from becoming a dictator. He stated that he has lived in the US for 40 years and has had no ties (to the Brotherhood).

In response to a question from White about the events in the Middle East, Ali addressed concerns about Islamist movements being involved in politics. He explained that for 200 years, the Middle East was under colonialism and there was no discussion about religion and state. After de-colonization, there were dictatorships and now comes democracy. He added that countries are trying to find their way to democracy. These are the first steps. He added that he felt the new constitution was flawed, that he wouldn't vote for it, but it was for the Egyptians to decide.

After this session, a letter was read to the attendees by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) congratulating them for the event. At that point, the Muslim guests adjourned to a separate room for prayers.

The second session featured a series of 10-minute talks by young Muslim activists. The moderator was Haris Tarin of the MPAC ofice in Washington DC.  During his remarks he stated, "We have made a church our home" and talked about "Fast Forward" they way young Muslims see America two decades from now.

The first speaker introduced by Tarin was Yusuf Abdul-Qadir. This young man from the Bronx talked of his growing up there and the contrast between midtown Manhattan and the Bronx. He attended Syracuse University and is involved in various community causes. During his slide presentation he showed associations with Siraj Wahhaj and Daisy Khan, the latter of whom is the wife of Faisel Abdul Rauf, the would be leader of the Ground Zero mosque in New York. Qadir made no mention of having been contacted by the FBI for an interview, a subject that he has previously been vocal on.

The next speaker was a young lady from Houston named Wardah Khalid. She is a blogger and is involved with a local radio show. For visual aids, she showed two pictures used by Pamela Geller.
Israel ad2

Speaking of the controversy over the word, "jihad", she stated that  "some folks want you to believe jihad means conducting acts of terror, and that is not all jihad means (Italics mine). That is not what Jihad means".

As to the second picture above, Khalid stated "That is not the case" and said that the (Koranic) phrase refers to "not being with God" as she spoke of Muslims' belief in a monotheistic God. She referred to critics as
"spreading a message about Islam that is not entirely true" (Italics mine). Left unexplained is who "We" refers to in the second ad. Perhaps, the above two quotes from Khalid were innocent slips of the tongue.

Khalid went on to refer to the Peter King hearings (who was often singled out for attack during the day), as well as anti-Sharia legislation which "would make it impossible for Muslims to practice their religion". She mentioned the National Defense Authorization Act and the New York Police Department "spying on Muslims simply because of their faith". "Jihad means struggle", she said and encouraged Muslims to get involved with blogs and other activities and "redefine the narrative". Below is her presentation: (Hat tip Joseph)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vxtsi1ciemxvnox/Wardah%20Khalid%20Speech%20at%20the%2012th%20Annual%20MPAC%20Convention%20-%20Author%20of%20Young%20American%20Muslim%20blog%20for%20the%20Houston%20Chronicle.mp4



The next speaker was Alejando Beutel, a convert to Islam from a Catholic/Jewish home. Beutel spoke of the year 2050 in America and the changing demographics to a majority-minority population. He emphasized the importance of research and told of a project he was involved in at Missouri State University on the identity of Muslims as Americans.

The next speaker and the most interesting one was a young lady named Darakshan Raja from New York, who is involved in family abuse work. As she opened her talk a picture of murder victim Shaima Alawadi flashed on the screen. Raja talked of how the community came together when it was thought that Alawadi was the victim of a hate crime. But when it turned out to be a case of domestic abuse, "we withdrew".

Raja went on to call domestic abuse the number one problem in the community.

She then showed a picture on the screen of a ten year old boy named Abdifatah Mohammud, and told how he was abused by his step-father for 9 months and nobody did anything. Then in 2012, the boy ran away from home but was returned to his family by someone in the community. The step-father then tied the boy to a chair stuffed a sock in his mouth then used a rolling pin to beat him to death separating his scull from his spinal column.



http://buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121018/CITYANDREGION/121019187/1109

"How many people in our community protested this?' she asked. "When an imam tells a woman to go back to her abusive husband, nobody hears from them again."

Raja also  said, "I can count the number of shelters for Muslims on my hand."

She also blamed the legal system for being indifferent to cases of Muslim abuse. She said when Muslims call 911, there is no response. She referred to judges who don't give protective orders because "Islam permits it." (in their view).

Raja added that the Muslim community has to address this and that the imams need to be trained.

Dustin Craun, another convert to Islam and community organizer was next. Among his memorable quotes was a tribute to the Dreamers. Thanks to them and our present administration, "we are about to give amnesty to 11 million people."

Craun also talked of the influence of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King on his life. He also said that after his conversion, he became temporarily disillusioned and left his original mosque (not named) because it was intolerant. He eventually moved to the Bay Area to be mentored by Zaid Shakir. He also mentioned his involvement with the PICO National Network.

White racism seems to be a big issue for Craun (who is also white). He seems to be a classic product of that anti-Western civilization, post colonial education that dominates in our universities. If he wants to link white racism to Islamophobia, there are millions of non-white people he can talk to around the world who have been victims of persecution by Muslims or even ex-Muslims like Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Craun was followed by two high schoolers, one a Muslim and the other a Catholic. They did a school project on attitudes of Islamophobia and said that MPAC helped prepare brochures for them to hand out.

After this, Tarin posed questions to the speakers as a panel. (The audience was able to write questions and pass them to the front.)

l-r; Khalid, Craun, Qadir, Raja, Beutel (Hat tip Chris)


During this session, Craun referred to "mass incarceration" and said that there were 350,000 Muslims in prison. He also said we cannot accept one trillion dollars of our money going to the military. He also mentioned the use of drones and the possibility that they may be used by US police forces.

In answer to a question about women in mosques, Raja  stated that men are taken more seriously, and  when she enters a mosque not wearing a hijab, she is not taken seriously as a Muslim. (Raja was not wearing a hijab when she spoke.) She also complained about the Violence Against Women Act not being re-authorized. there was an oblique reference to Congress since 1994 and "If you are not a white woman, you are not protected."

Craun, who has a Masters degree in Ethnic Studies, talked about "whiteness", and people who don't want to discuss race. He said that "White supremacist Christianity is on the rise."

Lunch was from 3-4. During the break, I approached Marayati and asked him about the subject of apostasy. I also mentioned the Freedom Pledge letter, which he and many other Muslim leaders in the US had received from Former Muslims United asking them to sign a pledge that American apostates not be harmed. He told me he vaguely remembered seeing the letter a couple of months previous but had not signed it. The reason he gave is that Nonie Darwish (the head of FMU) had a political agenda while MPAC had made its views known, that there is no punishment for leaving Islam, and there is nothing about that in the Koran. I asked him specifically if that also pertained to public apostates who spoke out critically against the religion as well as those who quietly left. Marayati reiterated there was no punishment for leaving Islam for either group. I then gave him another copy of the letter addressed to him, thanked him, shook hands and left.

In addition, during the morning, I also spoke with Hathout and asked him if he had signed the same letter, which I had given him in June. He said he had not because nobody is going to tell him what to sign and that he had already said he did not believe in death for apostates. The below video shows Hathout being interviewed by a local NBC reporter,  myself, and two other private citizens.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xwqqkgjcxr14ofd/Channel%204%20News%2C%20Gary%20Fouse%2C%20and%20Joseph%20Interview%20with%20Dr.%20Maher%20Hathout%20at%2012th%20Annual%20MPAC%20Lower%20Resolution%20Version.mp4


From 4-5:30, a panel discussion was held in the sanctuary moderated by Edina Lekovic of MPAC. The panel members were Bacon, Hathout, Narinjan Singh Khalsa, a Sikh minister and member of the LA Human Relations Commission, and Rabbi Sarah Bassin of New Ground-A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.

Rabbi Bassin is involved in a group devoted to interfaith dialogue between Jews and Muslims. She made a reference to the relationship between the Jews in the diaspora (US) and Orthodox Jews who, according to her,  should not get to say who is a Jew and who isn't. She told of a visit to Israel years back when she saw the grave of the young Israeli who had opened fire in a mosque killing several Muslims. She was outraged that the gravestone was covered with pebbles-a Jewish tradition to honor the dead.  She also said that as Jewish numbers decline, they must engage in interfaith activities with other faiths.

Mr Khalsa spoke of the challenges facing Sikhs in America from those too ignorant to know that they are not Muslims. He also said that Sikhs were mandated to dress in traditional garb and this was a hindrance to getting a job. He, of course, spoke of his recollections of the shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

When Lekovic asked why Muslims have problems getting mosques built, referring to the Murfreesboro, Tennessee mosque, Hathout said that the other is afraid of us, but added certain Muslims don't represent Islam well.

Lekovic asked Pastor Bacon for his reaction that he was under fire from "right-wing Christians". He said that after the election, he flipped to Fox News ('which I don't watch") to see what (Bill) O'Reilly said. Bacon quoted O'Reilly as saying, "the white establishment is over". "It was news to him", said Bacon. He then referred to the handful of protesters who had been outside the church in the morning, and said they were "asleep" referring to a "revolution of compassion".

Bacon also stressed the importance of religions being politically involved for justice. He used the term "justice" more than once. One might wonder if his concept of justice is based on the Bill of Rights and if he sees that justice based on sharia might be something much different.

Lekovic then raised the issue of freedom of speech and the video controversy over, "The Innocence of Muslims". She asked Bassin where was the line between freedom of speech and hate speech?

Bassin told of her reaction as a child to the Skokie, Illinois march by Neo-Nazis. Looking back, she thought it was correct to allow the march due to "American exceptualism". She referred to the "3 protesters" earlier in the day and said that people can rise up and reject it.

Lekovic then referred to the effort by the Organization of Islamic Conference to get legislation passed through the UN to outlaw "defamation of religions" "What is the Koranic take?" she asked Hathout.

Hathout replied that he had criticized the fatwa against Salmon Rushdie (over "The Satanic Verses"). He  added that we should consider all the complexities and all the poor masses who don't have the sophistication (my word) we do, and we ought not to provoke these people to respond. ("Low expectations, Sir?)

In another question, Lekovic asked Hathout if he agreed with the death sentences hounded down by Egyptian courts to those in the US involved in the production of the above-mentioned video. Hathout said he opposed the sentences and hoped that higher courts would overturn them.

Then Lekovic asked if there was a double standard when it came down to Islamophobia vs anti-Semitism. She referred to weapons being sent to Israel by the US funded by US taxpayers.

Bacon responded that the history of the (Christian) church was "littered with evil"  listing the Crusades, slavery, the Holocaust, and "evangelical Zionism" He then condemned a comment just made by Mike Huckabee in response to the killings in Connecticut.

Bassin told of an experience when she was working with the Jewish Federation and there was a protest outside their hqs by pro-Palestinians. People were urged to go outside and support the Jews/Israelis.

"We can't stand on opposite sides of the street shouting at each other."

In response to a question about sharia law in America, Hathout said that "we abide by the Constitution and the law, and we don't want to deviate from it. We don't want to enforce sharia in the US or anywhere".

That ended the conference. The last event was the dinner banquet, which I also attended. The moderator was again Lekovic. At one point, she read a letter from Thomas Perez, head of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department to MPAC congratulating them on their event. Perez apparently had spoken at the 2010 convention and said that his office proudly displayed a certificate of appreciation from MPAC on the wall at Justice hqs.

Among the attendees at the banquet were LA Sheriff Lee Baca, Michael Downing chief of LAPD's Counter Terror squad, at least one of his officers,  as well as some of Baca's deputies from LASD's corresponding unit. (No, they were not there covertly. They were honored guests.) The principal speakers were Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), whose district includes Pasadena, Pakistani Consul General Riffat Massod, who received an award, and Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA). Both Chu and Honda got their political shots in and bitterly attacked Congressman Peter King (R-NY) over the recent hearings he held on radicalization within the US Muslim community. Honda, who spent his earliest years in a WW II relocation camp for Japanese-Americans, told the audience that had there been an MPAC in 1942, Japanese-Americans never would have been interned.

 After Honda's speech, I left missing a talk by a couple of brothers playing in the NFL who had taken the 2012 season off to go on the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

Impressions

 The above-mentioned younger speakers were impressive and will be heard from in the future. (I don't mean that necessarily in a negative sense.) The ordinary Muslim people who attended were nice, and I assume they are decent people. I had a chance to chat with some of them.  It is their leadership I worry about. Once again, MPAC played the victim card complaining of Islamophobia. Pastor Bacon is clearly an activist cleric who gave away his animus toward Israel with his comment about "evangelical Zionism", whatever that means. All Saints Church has a long history of political involvement in various issues, both laudable and maybe not-so-laudable.

Here is what was missing; while several speakers distanced themselves from Islamist extremism, there was no mention of Islamic intolerance throughout the outside world toward non-Muslims, whether it be Copts in Egypt, Christians in Pakistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Sudan, Baha'i in Iran, Jews in Europe and on and on. It was the proverbial gorilla in the back of the room. Ultimately, MPAC would have us believe that it is all a big misunderstanding or a figment of our imagination. The most courageous speaker was Ms Raja, who, with emotion in her voice, called out the Muslim community and its male leadership when it comes to domestic violence. For me, it was the highlight of a long day. In contrast, the Rabbi Bassin had not one word to say about Islamic anti-Semitism, nor did Pastor Bacon have one word to say about the Islamic intolerance and persecution directed towards Christians and other non-Muslims in the Islamic-majority world.

Ms. Khalid's statements about jihad were to me disingenuous. Her two slips of the tongue may have been innocent, but jihad in part means to go to war against infidels to establish the religion. There may have been truth to what Muhammad is reported upon returning from a battle to have referred to as the "greater jihad" of becoming a better Muslim, but if that statement is true, he also referred to the "lesser jihad" (of battle against infidels).

As for the assurances that there is no death penalty for apostates under sharia from Messers Marayati and Hathout, I am sorry, but it is a part of (Hudud) sharia law as "punishments for crimes against God".  It is especially universally recognized  when one talks about an apostate who publicly criticizes the religion. These men both recognize that such a penalty is illegal in America and that they are bound to obey American laws where they live. However, speaking theoretically, were this to become an Islamic nation under sharia law, that is what we would live under.

As for the Hulk Hogan type protesters, in my view, they acted like idiots. The LA Times and  Channel 4 (NBC) were covering the event, and it is these guys they will base their reporting on. It is this handful of people who will make the headlines. How unfortunate.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

My Confession

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle



I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, “Merry Christmas” to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crib, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in G-d are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship G-d? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her: “How could G-d let something like this happen?” (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said: “I believe G-d is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect G-d to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash G-d and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the L-rd, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of G-d is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what G-d thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein




Merry Christmas!

Where Are the Wounded of Benghazi?

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com






Remember the talk of the people who were rescued in Benghazi at the US mission on September 11? Remember the complaints from various members of Congress that these people had not even been heard from? Here is what I have been told by my reliable sources. Within the past 48 hours, a reliable source was attending an event in Bethesda in Maryland for wounded troops. Within a particular wing of the hospital the source noticed several men in suits standing watch in the corridor. When the source asked who they were, he/she was told they were Secret Service agents guarding those who had been wounded at Benghazi.

Stand by.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Jewish Federations of N America and Sderot

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com




Hat tip Israel Behind the News
Below is an article posted in Israel Behind the News which concerns the fund raising and distribution of the Jewish Federations of North America. It charges that although the JFNA has announced $5 million in aid to trauma victims in S Israel due to the rockets launched there by Hamas in Gaza, they are refusing aid to the regional mental health center in Sderot, which is dealing with trauma victims.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Bedein

Director

Israel Resource News Agency

Center for Near East Policy Research

Beit Agron International Press Center

Suite 105-106

37 Hillel Street

Jerusalem 94581 Israel





Jewish Federations won't help Sderot regional mental health center after raising 5 million dollars for mental health

by: David Bedein

Accountability?

North American Jewish Federations raise 5 million dollars to help mental health services for Southern Israel - yet won't help a mental health center which provides mental health services in southern Israel


As the southern region of Israel endured 2,000 aerial attacks launched by the Gaza Hamas regime. Michael Siegal, the incoming chair of the JFNA Jewish Federations of North America Board of Trustees, ascended the podium of the General Assembly of Jewish Federations on November 14, 2012 in Baltimore and addressed the barrage of rockets raining down on Israel’s southern region.

“15 seconds,” Michael Siegal said, “15 seconds. That’s the amount of time in which one needs to be able to get to a shelter after a warning siren is sounded,” he told the crowd. “Can you imagine what that means for a young mother caring for three small children?” Siegal then turned his head to the representatives of Israel sitting in the audience.

“Send our prayers and our love to the people of Israel, & tell them that our thoughts are with them now as they always are.”
Less than ten days later, indeed, the JFNA Jewish Federations of North America announced an emergency allocation of five million dollars to address the mental health needs of the citizens of southern Israel. http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/11/16/3112091/jfna-establishes-new-israel-relief-fund-commits-5-million-chicago-pledges-1-million
The staff of the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center followed press reports of Siegal's remarks and expressed appreciation for the new allocation of funds for mental health services in southern Israel
That is because the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center remains terribly short of mental health staff to handle the continuing emergency situation.
Instead of 10 mental health professionals on call at all times to handle a case load of more than 3,000 active cases of severe trauma distress, the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center only has budget to retain only two and a half positions in mental health treatment, with the promise of an one more eventual professional staff position from the Israel Ministry of Health.
In that context, the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center applied to the Jewish Federations of North America for a special allocation at this time from JFNA funds raised for the mental health needs of southern Israel at this time..
JFNA considered the request over a period of four weeks. During that time, JFNA did not visit the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center.
Instead, JFNA coldly confirmed on Sunday of this week that JFNA will not help the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center.

Sources at JFNA said that that JFNA prefers to only help “resiliency centers” through the "Israel Trauma Coalition" which provide counseling to people in need..
Resilience centers do not treat cases of possible mental breakdown - which is the province of a mental health center.
Sources at the Israel Trauma Coalition say that they will not help the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center, for political reasons.

The Israel Trauma Coalition does not want to "embarrass" the Israeli government, which, as they see it. "should" fund the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center
While the Sderot Regional Mental Health Center does receive some funding from the Israeli government, it also receives funds from The Barzelei hospital in Ashkelon and is authorized to receive donations - not only from the government of Israel.
So there you have it:

Jewish federations raised five million dollars for mental health needs of the people of southern Israel during this time of stress and trauma , yet it will not provide one cent to help the Sderot Mental Health center, because of political considerations

Where is the accountability of the JFNA?
Jerusalem Post background article:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There may be two sides to this story, and as a frequent critic of this organization, I will withhold comment. If you care about this issue, you might want to call your local Federation branch to ask for an explanation. Don't waste your time speaking to whomever answers the phone. Ask to speak to the CEO.


Monday, December 10, 2012

Europe in 1940: The Problem of Naziphobes

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com




The face of hate
French Naziphobes in Paris



It is the year 1940 and a wave of hate is sweeping Europe. Everywhere you look, people eye each other with looks of fear and suspicion. An entire group of people is being singled out for hate based not on race, not on religion, not on anything else but what they believe.

Stare into the face of NAZIPHOBIA.



German Nazi immigrants in Paris
Victims of discrimination

And it is not just those German immigrants into countries such as Poland, Holland, France, Belgium, Denmark and Norway. It is also the local Nazis who are being discriminated against and are the victims of hate speech and hate crimes.

"It's gotten so bad, I am afraid to leave my palace," says Pierre Laval, a French leader who supports the Nazis in their struggle for acceptance.

"I get hostile stares when I go to the store to buy herring", says Vidkun Quisling, in Norway.

Across Europe (with the exception of Germany), Nazi meeting places and headquarters are being desecrated in the dead of night by Naziphobes. Below you can see the racist desecration of the Nazis' hqs in Paris, the Hotel Meurice.



In spite of the hate, Nazis are making a determined outreach to non-Nazis to convince them that Nazis pose no threat. Josef Goebbels, the Nazi public relations and outreach director, has made speeches in French, Danish, Dutch and Norwegian insisting that National Socialism is peace.

"In fact", Goebbels stated this week, "in German, Nazional Sozialismus means "peace".



"...and one more thing..."

The outreach also includes meetings with members of the local communities, where free copies of Mein Kampf are given out in the various local languages.



In addition, Nazis are participating in various inter-faith events in an effort to increase mutual understanding.



Yet, the hate continues.

The Nazis are also finding that they can't even build a Lutheran church in non-German countries without protest. The plan to build a Lutheran church in Paris has met with stiff resistance from local French. Below is the proposed plan for the new Lutheran church to be built in Paris next to the Eiffel Tower (which will be demolished to make way for the church).


Haussmann would be proud.

Mr Laval, who supports the church, says that without the construction, Nazis would be literally forced to pray in the streets.

"Which is unthinkable," added Laval.

Meanwhile, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, en route to Oslo to accept his Nobel Peace Prize, lamented the misunderstanding between his people and the rest of Europe. He called for the League of Nations to pass an international law that would outlaw any expression of criticism toward Nazism, an idea that has garnered much support world-wide. Such a law has already existed in Germany since 1933, and it seems to be working quite well. At least, there have been no complaints.