Muslim Persecution of Christians: May, 2013

by Findalis
Monkey in the Middle

 

A man accused of helping a Saudi woman convert to Christianity was sentenced to six years in prison and 300 lashes. The daughter was also sentenced to six years and 300 lashes, causing her to flee, reportedly to Sweden, where authorities are trying to find her and extradite her back to Saudi Arabia.

Nigeria continues to be the most dangerous nation for Christians—where more Christians have been killed last year than all around the Muslim world combined. In one instance, Boko Haram Muslim militants stormed the home of a Pentecostal pastor and secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and opened fire on him, instantly murdering him.

Separately, other Boko Haram gunmen killed 14 Christians, including the cousin and two nephews of the Rev. Moses Thliza, head of a Christian organization dedicated to preventing AIDS and caring for AIDS patients and orphans: Said Thliza: "My cousin, Bulus [Paul] Buba, was dragged out at gunpoint from his house by the Boko Haram members. They collected his car keys, demanded money and asked him three times to renounce his Christian faith, and three times he declined to do so [prompting them to execute him]. The attackers met three guards on duty, killed two of them by cutting their necks with knives, and then proceeded to take the third guard, Amtagu Samiyu, at gunpoint to lead them to where the keys of the deputy governor's house is."

As for some Christians observing a wake two kilometers away, Boko Haram Muslims asked to know what was going on there, and when they learned that people were saying prayers for an elderly Christian woman who had died, they charged in and shot into the crowd. "The attackers went there and shot indiscriminately at the worshippers, killing eight Christians—two women and six elderly men," said Thliza. "In all, we buried 14 Christians. Some were injured and taken to the hospital." Despite all this, when the Nigerian government tried militarily to confront and neutralize Boko Haram, the Obama administration criticized it, warning it not to violate the "human rights" of the Islamic terrorists.

Categorized by theme, the rest of May's roundup of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity:

Church Attacks

Bosnia: The Serbian Orthodox church of Saint Sava in Sarajevo, where Muslims make up approximately half of the population, was "desecrated" and six of its windows panes broken. The unidentified vandals wrote "Allah" in dark paint twice on the church wall. A month earlier, unidentified persons tried to set the church on fire.

Central African Republic: According to the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, since an Islamic rebel leader proclaimed himself president, the situation for Christians, has "deeply worsened." The organization warns against "the evil intentions for the programmed and planned desecration and destruction of religious Christian buildings, and in particular the Catholic and Protestant churches…. All over the country the Catholic Church has paid a high price." Several dioceses have been seriously damaged and plundered, and priests and nuns attacked (more information below, under "Dhimmitude.")

Egypt: Two Coptic Christian churches were attacked, one in Alexandria, the other in Upper Egypt. St. Mary in Alexandria was attacked by Molotov cocktails and bricks, causing the gate to burn and the stained glass windows to shatter. One thousand Christians tried to defend the church against 20,000 Muslims screaming "Allahu Akbar" ["Allah is Greater"]. One Copt was killed and several injured. In the village of Menbal in Upper Egypt, after "Muslim youths" harassed Christian girls—including hurling bags of urine at them—and Coptic men came to their rescue, another Muslim mob stormed the village church of Prince Tadros el-Mashreki. They hurled stones and broke everything inside the church, including doors and windows. The mob then went along the streets looting and destroying all Coptic-owned businesses and pharmacies and torching cars. Any Copt met by the mob in the street was beaten.

Iran: Because it refused to stop using the national Persian language during its services—which makes the Gospel intelligible to all Iranian Muslims, some of whom converted—the Central Assemblies of God Church in Tehran was raided by security services during a prayer meeting; its pastor taken to an unknown location, and the church was searched and its books, documents and equipment seized. Security agents posted a sign stating that the church was now closed. One local source said, "They constantly threaten the church leaders and their families with imprisonment, unexplained accidents, kidnapping and even with execution. We cannot go on like this." A number of its members have already been killed and its activities greatly restricted over the last few years.

Libya: The Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Benghazi was bombed. In the words of the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, "They put a bomb at the entrance of the corridor leading to the courtyard where there is the door of the church. The church, therefore, was not touched directly, but the attack is not a positive sign. The Church in Libya is suffering. In Benghazi the Coptic Church was hit, its chaplain was killed and now the Catholic Church. As I reported on other occasions, in Cyrenaica different religious women's institutes have been forced to close their doors, in Tobruk, Derna, Beida, Barce, as well as in Benghazi. The nuns who were forced to leave, served the population with generosity."

Syria: A violent explosion destroyed the church and convent of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in Deir Ezzor. According to Fr. Haddad of the region, "It was the only church in Deir Ezzor [that] so far still remained almost untouched." It is not clear how it was destroyed, but some say a car bomb was placed next to the church. Fr. Haddad lamented that, as in other regions, "there are no more Christians" left in Ezzor, due to "all this hate and desecration."

Tanzania: During a service to mark its official opening, a new church in a predominantly Christian suburb was bombed, killing at least five people and wounding some 60. According to a local source, "This was… a well-planned attack. Even before it, the threat was given and we still have many threats. Pray for us, and that God will overcome all these in Jesus' name." He added that, "radical camps in the country were teaching young Muslims that Christians must be killed or live as second-class citizens," or dhimmis. Among those arrested, four were Saudi Arabian nationals. The bombing follows the slaying of two church leaders in February, and the shooting in the face of a third on Christmas Day. In October, several church buildings were torched and vandalized.

Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism

Egypt: Twenty-four-year-old Demiana Ebeid Abdelnour, a social studies teacher, was fired and arrested for comparing the late Coptic Pope Shenouda to Islam's prophet Muhammad, "as well as putting her hand on her neck or her stomach every time she mentioned [Islam's prophet] Muhammad," which was interpreted by some students under 10-years-old as disgust. She would be the last Coptic Christian victim to be arrested or imprisoned in a "defamation of Islam" spree that began under now ousted President Morsi. One Coptic activist wondered, Why is defamation of religion a one-way street, only for the benefit of the Muslims, while Christianity is defamed every day?" He added that Sheikh Abu Islam, who tore and burned the Holy Bible, has not been detained.

Iran: Vahid Hakkani, a Christian prisoner in Shiraz, is suffering from internal digestive bleeding. Although doctors have diagnosed his condition as critical, and have recommended urgent surgery, prison officials have not allowed his transfer to any hospital. Earlier, Hakkani and other Christians were gathered for worship in a house-church when they were arrested "for participating in house-church services, evangelizing and promoting Christianity, having contact with foreign Christian ministries, propagating against the regime and disturbing national security."

Kashmir: Two Christians accused of carrying out "acts of proselytism," for distributing pamphlets and publications with biblical passages to some young Muslims, were savagely beaten by a mob, and later arrested by police, "who rescued them from a secure lynching." Separately, the "United Jihad Council" said that Christian missionaries in Kashmir are "highly reprehensible" and have a "hidden agenda [to] exploit the poor and the needy, offering them economic aid to convert them to Christianity." He noted that "Islam is the religion of peace and harmony, and that protects minorities. However, anti-Islam activities [evangelization] cannot be tolerated." The United Jihad Council accordingly calls on all Christian missionaries "immediately to leave the valley of Kashmir," warning, "If not, they will suffer the consequences."

Kazakhstan: Despite the nation's president recently boasting that, "Kazakhstan is an example to the world of equal rights and freedoms for all citizens" and that, "religious freedom is fully secured" in the country, the Barnabas Fund states that the government "has instructed people to report any individuals who speak about their faith with others in public to the police," as "talking about one's faith with others constitutes missionary activity, which requires personal registration… Compulsory prior censorship of all printed and imported religious literature is another way in which the state controls Christian activity. Confiscation of religious books appears to be increasing, with Christians amongst those most likely to be targeted."

Morocco: A fatwa by the government's top Islam authority, partially based on the teachings of Islam's prophet Muhammad, calls for the execution of those Muslims who leave Islam, causing many Christian converts to live in fear. Lamented one Christian: "The fatwa showed us that our country is still living in the old centuries—no freedom, no democracy. Unfortunately, we feel that we aren't protected. We can be arrested or now even killed any time and everywhere. The majority of the Christian Moroccan leaders have the same feeling. We are more followed now by the secret police than before. Only the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ gives us courage and peace."

Saudi Arabia: A Christian Lebanese man, accused of helping a Saudi women convert to Christianity, was sentenced to six years in prison and 300 lashes. Even so, the father of the woman claims the punishment is not sufficient. The daughter was also sentenced to six years and 300 lashes, causing her to flee, reportedly to Sweden, where authorities are trying to find her and extradite her back to the Saudi Arabia. Another man, a Saudi national who reportedly forged a travel document to help the woman flee, was sentenced to two years in jail and 200 lashes.

Dhimmitude

[General Abuse of Non-Muslims as Third-Class "Citizens," or Dhimmis]

Central African Republic: Christians are being terrorized, killed, and plundered by Islamic militants, who seized control of the country in March, even as international media and government ignore the crisis. In what one pastor is calling "a reign of terror," Muslims are tying up, beating and forcing Christians to pay money to save their lives. Many have been killed or wounded. The Barnabas Fund states that "rebels have a hit list of pastors and other Christian workers, and that places of worship are being attacked. Christian property is being looted. In one incident towards the end of last month, Seleka [Islamic] troops seized all the collection money given at a gathering of church leaders. Many Christians have fled their homes to the countryside and are too fearful to return. More than 200,000 people are internally displaced, while 49,000 refugees have been registered in neighbouring countries." On 10 May, Human Rights Watch released a report citing "grave violations" committed by the Seleka rebels against civilians, including pillage, summary executions, rape and torture. One pastor of a besieged church was shot dead when he went out holding a Bible aloft as a sign of peace.

Egypt: Mohamed Abu Samra, secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad Party, asserted that "it is permissible to kill some Christians today," justifying it by adding "Those who came out with weapons, their blood is allowed for us [to spill], as a fighter is not considered dhimmi." In Islamic law, a dhimmi is a non-Muslim who is permitted to exist provided he pays monetary tribute and lives as a submissive, lowly subject, according to Koran 9:29. Those Coptic Christian activists who vocally called for the removal of former Islamist president Morsi were not doing that, thereby becoming fair game for killing.

Indonesia: After an earlier Christmas Eve attack, during which members of Filadelfia Batak Christian Protestant Church were pelted with rotten eggs, dung and plastic bags full of urine, the pastor was attempting to leave the scene with his wife when Abdul Aziz, the leader of the mob who had earlier threatened to kill him, moved to attack him. Because the pastor stopped the Muslim agitator's blow with his hand to protect his wife and himself, he is now facing assault charges. Islamic law, based on the "Conditions of Omar," forbids Christians from raising their hands to Muslims, even in self-defense. The church has been meeting outside and in homes since its building was sealed off by authorities to appease Islamists in 2010—despite its having met all conditions for a building permit, as well as a Supreme Court ruling that a permit should be granted.

Pakistan: Over the course of five days, a Muslim mob tortured Javaid Anjum, a teenaged Christian student to death, because he dared drink water from the tap of an Islamic seminary while on a long journey to visit his grandfather. When Muslims discovered he was Christian, they forced him into the seminary, where they tried to force him to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam. When he refused, for five days, Muslim seminary students electrocuted him, broke his arm, and pulled out his fingernails. The electric shocks caused his kidneys to fail and he eventually died.

About this Series

Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching pandemic proportions, "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes:

1. To document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, Muslim persecution of Christians.
2. To show that such persecution is not "random," but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Sharia.

Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; apostasy and blasphemy laws that criminalize and punish with death those who "offend" Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (financial tribute expected from non-Muslims); overall expectations for Christians to behave like dhimmis, or second-class, "tolerated" citizens; and simple violence and murder. Sometimes it is a combination.

Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales—from Morocco in the West, to India in the East, and throughout the West wherever there are Muslims—it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.

More Textbook Controversy

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



                                                                                                                                                  2013

1933














                                   
                                                        Hat tip Townhall and Patriot Update                                                                                                                                                    


We have reported before here on various school textbooks that our children are reading that give a misleading portrait of Islam. Now there is another textbook controversy brewing in Florida over Prentice's World History. Todd Starnes in Townhall has the report.

http://townhall.com/columnists/toddstarnes/2013/07/29/textbook-praises-islam-denigrates-christianity-n1651503

In this book, which I perused online, no mention is made of any Islamic war or fighting  until after the death of the Prophet Mohammad. That is misleading if not completely inaccurate.  Schoolchildren in the Islamic world are not misled about those things. Why should children here be misled? As I have said before, if schools cannot teach true history to pupils when these sensitive subjects come up, it is better to stay away from religion altogether. False history has no place in our schools.

Muslim Persecution of Christians: April, 2013

Christian Suffering Under Jihadi Extremism

Before Egypt's President Muhammad Morsi was ousted, April was one of the worst months for Christian Copts there. On April 5 near Cairo, when a longstanding feud between a Christian family and a Muslim family—based on male Muslims sexually harassing Christian girls—culminated in the violent deaths of six Christians, including two of the participants, a Christian and a Muslim, being set on fire, and local Muslims went on another "collective punishment" spree. It resulted in the injury of at least 20 other Copts, an Evangelical church being set on fire, and an attack on a Coptic church, Two days later, after Copts had mourned their dead in the St. Mark Cathedral—Coptic Christianity's holiest site and home to the Coptic pope—Muslim mobs, who had waited outside, launched yet another attack—aided by state security forces. Eyewitnesses said as many as 40-50 tear gas canisters targeted the mourners, many of whom were women and children hiding in the cathedral. Two more Copts were killed and many dozens wounded as other officers stood by while the Muslim mob tried to destroy the cathedral.

Muslim "youth" climb to the roof of a building adjacent to St. Mark Cathedral to attack it. To the left, a man winds to hurl a projectile at it. And in the white circle to the right, high-ranking Egyptian officials and security stand by watching (easily recognizable by their hats and helmets). Source: RaymondIbrahim.com

On one Friday after prayers, the Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque in Cairo was turned into a "torture chamber" for Egyptians, many of whom were Christians, protesting the Muslim Brotherhood. One of the victims, Amir Ayad, a Christian, said he was severely beaten before being left for dead at the side of the road. He suffered a fractured skull, a broken arm, bleeding in his right eye and pellet wounds. Coptic Christian children, mostly boys, were targeted for kidnapping and held for ransom; one 6-year-old, after his family had paid the Muslim kidnapper, was killed. And a video appeared on Arabic-language websites showing a crowd of Muslims in Egypt assaulting and raping two Christian women on a crowded street and in broad daylight. Throughout, the women scream in terror as the men shout Islamic slogans such as "Allahu Akbar!" "["Allah is Greater!"] None of the many passersby intervenes in any way.

Also in April, during Easter week in Nigeria, Muslim herdsmen launched a series of raids on Christian villages, killing at least 80 Christians. Most of those slain were either children or the elderly. Over 200 Christian homes were destroyed, eight churches burned, and 4,500 Christians displaced. According to a pastor present at the time, "It was a helpless situation, as no Christians had any weapon to fight back. Women, children, and the elderly who were not able to escape were shot and killed. Luckily, all my children are in school, so this made it easier for our escape from the Muslim attackers. We sneaked away in the midst of the confusion and trekked for more than 20 kilometers [12 miles] to find a place to stay."

Categorized by theme, the rest of April's Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity:

Church Attacks

Central African Republic: A number of church buildings were attacked and the homes of Christians looted in the aftermath of a bloody coup by Sharia-adherent Muslim rebels. During the chaos, as in a standard jihad, Christian property was targeted for plundering, while Muslim property was spared. The leader of the Muslim rebels, Michel Djotodia, "assumed the presidency from the ousted François Bozizé, becoming the predominantly Christian nation's first Muslim president." According to one Christian, "We are no longer at home. They pillage our goods which are then sold by the Muslims, who export them."

Indonesia: Local officials, at the behest of Islamist forces, demolished the Batak Protestant Church building in West Java and threatened to close others, causing hundreds of Christians to protest in the streets. Once again, as happens with increasing regularity in Indonesia, congregation members then held services in the street, near the site of the destroyed church. As the Morning Star News added: Indonesian officials routinely delay or deny church building permits… thus providing Islamic extremists a pretext for protests and attacks." Newspapers covering the event posted photos of "church members in tears—singing hymns, crying and begging local officials not to demolish their facility. Hundreds of police and army officers guarded the area while Muslim militants, shouting Koranic verses, cheered the excavator."

Saudi Arabia: Apparently once again "The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia—the top Islamic official in the country of Saudi Arabia—has [again] declared that it is 'necessary to destroy all the churches of the region." (First reported here over a year ago.)

Sudan: In the latest of a series of moves that have put pressure on Christians, a Muslim government minister announced that no new licenses will be granted for church buildings; he claimed that the existing churches are sufficient for the number of worshippers. Building churches has, in fact, been disallowed since South Sudan seceded in July 2011; the Islamist government of Khartoum responded by making the lives of Christians in Sudan even more difficult than usual. Days before this latest measure, the government deported a senior church leader and two expatriate missionaries who had been working with children in Khartoum. No reason was given. The government has also demolished countless church buildings on the pretext of paperwork irregularities.

Turkey: A 13th century church building, the Hagia Sophia of Trabizon (not to be confused with Constantinople's famous Hagia Sophia) is set to become a mosque again.

After the Ottoman conquest it had been turned from a church into a mosque, but later, under Turkey's secularist President, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and apparently due to its "great historical and cultural significance" for Christians, it had been turned into a museum. Local authorities decreed that its Christian frescoes must again be covered in preparation for its reopening as a mosque. [Update: As of July, the Hagia Sophia of Trabizon has become a functioning mosque.]

Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism

Indian Kashmir: In Srinagar, a Muslim mob attacked two men, five women and two children, all of British origin, on the accusation that they were preaching Christianity. The mob also threw stones at their vehicles and tried to destroy their home. The police, however, when they arrived, arrested the two men on, according to Asia News, "false charges of forced conversions." The local imam told police that, "if they try to convert anyone, I will prevent it at all costs." According to a Christian close to the case, "The false and defamatory accusations of the imam and the complicity of the police in arresting these Christians are a serious threat to religious freedom, a right guaranteed by the Constitution of India." Also in Srinagar, another Muslim mob attacked a Christian-children's home, beat the staff and visitors, tried to kill the pastor and kidnap the children, destroyed property, and killed the home's pet dog—again on the accusation that the group running the home was converting Muslim children to Christianity.

Somalia: Muslims from the Islamic organization Al Shabaab ("The Youth") shot to death 42-year-old Fartun Omar, a widow and mother of five, for converting to Christianity. Months earlier, they had killed her husband for the same "crime," and had been hunting for the wife, who, after abandoning Islam, had gone in hiding. She leaves behind five orphaned children. Separately, Al Shabaab Muslims also seized Hassan Gulled, 25, for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, and imprisoned him, and tortured him. According to local sources, "Al Shabaab have been torturing him to see whether he would deny his Christian faith. Since last week, no information has surfaced concerning Gulled. There is a possibility that he could have been killed."

Tanzania: After a visit by an evangelist, Lukia Khalid, a Muslim mother of three, and nearly seven months pregnant, converted to Christianity; she later said: "My husband asked me whether I had left Islam, to which I said 'Yes.' He threatened to kill me if I was to stay with him. I then decided to escape that night with my three children to a neighbor's house…. We left only with the clothes that we were wearing. The command was so urgent that we could not wait any longer. We had to leave immediately." Unable to pay school fees and supplies without her husband, the children have stopped attending school.

Dhimmitude

[General Abuse of Non-Muslims as Second-Class "Citizens," or Dhimmis]

Iran: A new report, based on interviews with 31 Christians and produced by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, has found "that the authorities consistently treat standard Christian practices, such as being a member of a house church or attending a Christian conference, as criminal acts. Although the Iranian government claims to respect the rights of its recognised religious minorities, it does not do so in practice. The report found that Christian converts and members of unregistered churches are denied the right freely to practise their faith, and that they face violations of their right to life through extrajudicial killings and even execution for apostasy (though only one Christian convert is known to have been executed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution)."

Pakistan: According to the Morning Star News, "Incited by calls from mosque loudspeakers after a dispute between Muslim and Christian youths, which started when Muslims told Christians not to play music [forbidden in Islam] a Muslim mob attacked a Christian neighborhood in Gujranwala today, injuring at least five Christians and damaging a church and dozens of shops and vehicles…. A resident of Francis Colony, where 2,000 Christian families have settled in the overwhelmingly Muslim-majority country, said police bias was evident in today's attack. 'The police was doing what it does best – nothing!' said Asif Barkat, who received minor injuries as he and other Christians tried to defend themselves. 'Their bias towards Christians is quite evident, because when the Muslims were raiding our church and property, they just watched, but when we confronted them, they started hitting us with batons and used live ammunition to deter us.'" Separately, two unidentified men tried by force to stop the car of the president of All Pakistan Minorities, Saleem Khursheed Khobar, a Christian, and when that failed, opened fire on him. As with other Christian human rights activists who have been assassinated in Pakistan, Khobar is being hounded for vocally representing the nation's downtrodden religious minorities: "I am being threatened and have gone into hiding to protect myself," he said from an undisclosed location. "Law enforcement agencies know that I am being followed. My whole family is under threat but the government doesn't care."

Syria: Christians continued to be targeted by Islamic rebels, especially for kidnapping. Among those abducted were two bishops, Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Bishop Paul Yazigi. An armed group of Chechen jihadis stopped their car, killed the driver, and took the two bishops hostage. Meanwhile, thousands of Christians continued to flee Syria. In in one instance, 500 crossed the border into Turkey, where church officials are considering building a "tent city" to house the refugees. Adds AINA: "Assyrians and other Christians in Syria have been disproportionately affected by the war, and have been targeted by the Muslims rebels. The Muslim Jihadists have kidnapped Assyrians for ransom, attacked places of worship and created a climate of fear, forcing many Assyrians to abandon their homes and villages and seek safety in Turkey."

Turkey: Erdal Dogan, a human rights defender, who played an important role in the trial of the 2007 Malatya massacre, against those Muslims who tortured and slaughtered three Christian men working in a Bible publishing house, "remained in life danger Friday, April 12, after receiving death threats," including from the defendants, one of whom threatened him during a hearing.

About this Series

Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching pandemic proportions, "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes:

1. To document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, Muslim persecution of Christians.
2. To show that such persecution is not "random," but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Sharia.

Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; apostasy and blasphemy laws that criminalize and punish with death those who "offend" Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (financial tribute expected from non-Muslims); overall expectations for Christians to behave like dhimmis, or second-class, "tolerated" citizens; and simple violence and murder. Sometimes it is a combination.

Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales—from Morocco in the West, to India in the East, and throughout the West wherever there are Muslims—it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.

NBC Pimping for Hillary

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

What used to be a great news network is now little more than a PR arm of the Democratic Party. Now we learn that NBC is planning a mini-series on Hillary Clinton in time for the 2016 elections starring some actress named Diane Lane as The Great Woman Herself.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/27/nbc-to-air-miniseries-about-hillary-clinton-timed-ahead-2016-presidential/?test=latestnews

And who is Diane Lane and why was she chosen?

"What difference, at this point, does it make?"

Ah yes. The resemblance is remarkable. Those legs will look great in a pantsuit.

I can just envision how it will go. Imagine a scene in the White House with a bunch of nervous advisers-white men all- trying to tell Bill how to respond to the embassy bombings in Africa. Suddenly, Hillary walks into the room and calmly gives Bill the winning advice, and everything turns up roses (except for that aspirin factory in Sudan).

Imagine dramatic courtroom scenes, where Hillary, the greatest woman lawyer in the country, wins a case for the Rose Law Firm against corporate polluters who poisoned the air that was breathed by a five-year-old girl who died from cancer as a result.

Imagine Hillary dealing with the unspeakable pain of her husband's infidelities, but determined ultimately to keep the family together for the sake of the country.

Imagine endless scenes of Hillary jetting off to one world capital after another, speaking to world leaders, seeking peace here and there and everywhere. Why not use a little old Hollywood dramatic license and actually portray an actual peace deal brokered by Hillary, such as Israel and the Palestinians, perhaps?

Imagine Hillary as the secretary of state at three in the morning during the Benghazi attack communicating directly with Ambassador Stevens right up to the moment the line goes dead and she knows she has lost one of her best friends, giving orders and telling the army to send in the troops, only to be thwarted by nervous generals in the Pentagon. Imagine Hillary fearlessly spearheading the drive to catch and imprison the man responsible for the attack in Benghazi and other places-that film maker in LA.

How will Diane Lane ever do Hillary justice?



"Those messages from Libya never reached my desk."


And I can only wonder where the suits at NBC came up with the idea for this mini-series. Could it have been from your humble blogger-little ol' me? After all, I am the one who started the first Hillary mini-series, am I not? I have already produced one great story with three great sequels.

Note to NBC: Don't steal any of my scripts. You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

CAIR in California on Attack Again

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





Two "moderates": Yusuf al Qaradawi (l) and Hussam Ayloush (r)

"The Republican Party can no longer remain silent in the face of the anti-Muslim bigotry spewed by a minority of hate-mongers within its ranks. Republican leaders and elected officials must repudiate this latest smear of Islam and reassure Muslims in California that Steel's Islamophobic views do not reflect those of the party. Such incidents can only serve to divide our nation along religious lines, increase discrimination against ordinary Muslims and harm America's image worldwide," -Ayloush

The bully boys at the Council on American Islamic Relations are on the attack again, this time against a GOP official in California who said some things that CAIR didn't like. Common Dreams-a progressive web site has their version of the problem.

http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0415-08.htm

I note that once again, front and center is CAIR's chief bully boy for Southern California, Hussam Ayloush. He is one of those figures who has sold himself to the gullible establishment as a moderate voice. He writes op-eds for fish wraps like the LA Times and Orange County Register that are full of prose about mutual understanding. But is he really a moderate?

As the above photo suggests, Ayloush associates with people like the Muslim Brotherhood spiritual mentor Yusuf al Qaradawi. This man (Qaradawi) has called the Holocaust (on tape), "God's punishment for the Jews", and has said (on tape) that his desire is to die falling in battle against the infidels. Just in the past few days, he has called on his followers to kill the enemies of deposed Egyptian ruler Mohammed Morsi. Now there is a hate-monger.

Then there is this article, which I have posted previously:

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2013/01/discover-networks-article-on-muslim.html

An excerpt from Discover the Networks:


"On August 27, 1999, MSA UCLA collaborated with such groups as the  Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council to sponsor a "Protest Against the Use of Secret Evidence" in federal terrorism investigations. Among the speakers at this Los Angeles event were Hussam Ayloush of CAIR-Southern California, and Abdul-Alim Musa, who wishes to see Islam "dominate" all other faiths." (emphasis mine)

Abdul Alim Musa. Now there is a hate-monger. He also hates his own country. Don't take my word for it; just ask him.

And this:

"On October 22, 2000 at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, MSA UCLA members Arif Shaikh and Ahmed Shama (who at that time was president of the organization) headed a demonstration protesting “Israeli aggression” against the Palestinians. Asserting that only "justice by Islamic means" could counteract "Israeli apartheid," Shama condemned "racist Zionists" and led the crowd in shouts of: “Victory to Islam!"; "Death to the Jews!”; and "Death to Israel!" Shama also burned an Israeli flag while the crowd chanted, “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Mohammed is coming for you” -- a historical reference to the 7th-century Battle of Khaybar in which the Prophet Mohammed and his Muslim army routed the Jewish population.

Another featured speaker at the October 22 rally, MSA West president Sohail Shakry, quoted the following words of Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah: “If we look at the situation the past 52 years, the biggest impediment to peace has been the existence of the Zionist State of Israel. Since the existence of this state, we have had wars, conflicts, killings, massacres. If we really want true peace then we must see that it goes with the elimination of the Zionist entity in the middle of the Muslim world.”

A third speaker was CAIR-Southern California member Hussam Ayloush (emphasis mine), who complained about Israel's “racist” practices and the many American “tax dollars [that were being] used to kill the innocents of Palestine.” Urging those in attendance to do whatever they could to help Palestinian “victims and orphans,” Ayloush implored his listeners to support the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) -- a pseudo-charity which in December 2001 would be shut down by the U.S. government because of its financial ties to Hamas."


We don't need any lectures about hate-mongering from you, Mr Ayloush. Your associations with hate-mongers Yusuf al Qaradawi, Alim Abdul Musa  and reported presence at events where chants of "Death to Jews" are heard disqualifies you to call anybody a hate-monger.

The Godmother Part 4

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



The Godmother


Starring Anthony Weiner as Fredo


Fredo

"Rolling Stone raves, "Anthony Weiner nails Fredo!"


February 2011

The Godmother's limousine pulls into the driveway of her Hempstead, NY home. Weary from a long trip in which she narrowly escaped a revolution against a friendly dictator, she steps from the car and, escorted by her bodyguards, trudges up the icy driveway to the front door.

Slumping onto the living room sofa, the Godmother asks for a cold hand towel.

"Pretty close call over there in Cairo, eh?" asks one of her men.

"Yeah. A lotta deals went down the can with that one. Where's Bill?"

""He's off on some speaking gig. He sends his love." (hat tip John Speedie)

The Godmother lights a cigarette and stares at her men. She senses something is wrong.

"What is it?" she asks.

The men in the room look downward.

""C'mon. Let's have it."

Finally, one of the men responds:

"It's your brother. He's in trouble again."

"You mean Huey?"

"No. Fredo. We got a call from Huma yesterday. Seems there's more pictures going around."

At that the Godmother picks up a lamp next to the soda and flings it across the room. The men remain silent.

"Where is Huma now?" she asks.

"She's at home-working."

"Which job?"

"I don't know," answers one of the men.

"What do you mean you don't know?" screams the Godmother. "Why is it every time I ask a question I can never get a straight answer out of you #*^#!s?"

The Godmother gets up and starts pacing back and forth.

"I told Fredo the first time that he broke my heart. Now it happens again."

"Maybe we could send him out to one of our casinos in Vegas just to get him away from here," suggests one of the men.

"Yeah, right," shoots back the Godmother. "What makes you think Fredo could run a casino. Besides, he'd be sending those pictures to cocktail waitresses two or three at a time."

"Youse want we take him on a little fishing trip out on da lake?' asks one of the men.

The Godmother sits back down and lights another cigarette. She takes a long drag and thinks.

"Not now. Not yet. I don't anything to happen to Fredo while Michael is still mayor of New York."





She slumps further into the sofa.

"You know, I'm starting to think it's time for me to get out of this racket for a while-at least until 2016. I'm thinking of turning over the operations to GianKarlo while I get ready for the big enchilada."

"GianKarlo?" ask the men in unison. But Godmother, GianKarlo isn't ready for this job. He's still a boy. He'll screw everything up big time."

"What the Hell difference does it make anyway? Our foreign investments are all screwed up as it is. It's about time he grows up. Go find him. Where is he?"

"He's out on da lake, Godmother."

"Go get him. I'm going to bed. Oh, and tell Fredo all is forgiven. He can come home now."

"I think I see him pulling into the driveway now."

What is Lean?

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

There is a street drug cocktail going around, and it is popular in the inner city and hip hop circles. It is called Lean. Another variant is called Purple Drank. It consists of promethazine and codeine cough syrup mixed with hard candy and certain soft drinks, one of the more popular being Arizona Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail. One of the popular candies used is Skittles.

http://blog.globalsafetynetwork.com/?p=367

You don't hear about this in the main stream media, but there is a lot of speculation about this mixture and Travyon Martin. On the night he died, he was coming back from a 7-11 with an Arizona Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail drink and a bag of Skittles, something the prosecution drummed on in an effort to portray Martin as a child, a word used over and over by prosecutors in the trial. The prosecutors referred to the drink as Arizona Ice Tea, not exactly accurate.

In and of itself, this might not be enough to draw conclusions, but the autopsy on Martin reportedly showed findings of liver damage consistent with the effect of taking this insidious mixture. In addition, it is reported that text messaging on his cell phone showed references to this drink (see below video).

Of course, one thing Martin was not bringing back from the store was the codeine-based cough syrup, which would have required a prescription.

Bill Whittle is a conservative writer, commentator and blogger who has produced this 10-minute video, which examines this question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebu6Yvzs4Ls&feature=youtu.be

It seems pretty clear by now that young Trayvon was not the angelic child that has been portrayed in the media. He had gotten into a number of scrapes-especially at school. Even the photos we saw were those taken when he was younger and before he started to head down the wrong path. In short, the public was misled, just as the state of Florida and the prosecution tried to mislead the jurors in the case with a false portrait of Trayvon the Child.

Having said that, it is still a tragedy that a 17-year-old teenager lost his life in a situation that could have been so easily avoided. As I said before, Trayvon had his whole life ahead of him in which to turn it around.

However, it also points to the false narrative we have been fed about George Zimmerman. Just days ago, he stopped on the highway to pull four people out of a burning car crash. Nevertheless, many of his detractors are already calling it "staged". His life is still in danger, and will be for a long time.

What the public is owed in this tragedy is the truth, which has been twisted out of all proportions. If Trayvon Martin was, indeed, abusing this cocktail, and violent and paranoid behavior was the result, might it not serve as a warning to other youth? Putting images of Martin Luther King in a hoodie is downright wrong and insulting. Trayvon Martin was no Martin Luther King, nor was he an Emmitt Till. He was Trayvon Martin, and whatever his legacy will be, it should be an accurate one-not to condemn him because he was, after all, only 17, but to serve truthful history and serve as a cautionary lesson for our youth, particularly that segment where this drink is currently popular. If this drink was part of the story, the public deserves to know.