Anti-Jewish Demonstrations

Muslim Persecution of Christians, March 2014

Along with an especially jarring list of atrocities committed against Christian minorities throughout the Islamic world, March also saw some callous indifference or worse from the U.S. government.

President Barack Obama was criticized by human rights activists for not addressing the plight of Christians and other minorities during his talks with leaders in Saudi Arabia, where Christianity is actively banned.

According to the Washington-based International Christian Concern [ICC] advocacy group, Obama did not "publicly broach the subject of religious freedom" when he spoke on March 28 with Saudi King Abdullah, despite a letter from 70 members of Congress urging him to "address specific human rights reforms" both in public and in direct meetings with the king and other officials.

"This visit was an excellent opportunity for the president to speak up on an issue that affects millions of Saudi citizens and millions more foreign workers living in Saudi Arabia," said Todd Daniels, ICC's Middle East regional manager. He added that it was "remarkable that the president could stay completely silent about religious freedom," despite pressure from Congress "to publicly address the issue, as well as other human rights concerns, with King Abdullah..."

U.S. officials reportedly responded by saying that "Obama had not had time to raise concerns about the kingdom's human rights record."

Separately, after the United States Institute for Peace [USIP] brought together the governors of Nigeria's mostly Muslim northern states for a conference in the U.S., the State Department, citing "administrative" problems, blocked the visa of the region's only Christian governor, Jonah David Jang, an ordained minister. The USIP confirmed that all 19 northern governors were invited, but the organization did not respond to requests for comments on why it would hold talks without the region's only Christian governor.
According to Emmanuel Ogebe, a Nigerian human rights lawyer based in Washington, the Christian governor's "visa problems" are due to anti-Christian bias in the U.S. government: "The U.S. insists that Muslims are the primary victims of Boko Haram. It also claims that Christians discriminate against Muslims in Plateau, which is one of the few Christian majority states in the north. After [Jang, the Christian governor] told them [U.S. authorities] that they were ignoring the 12 Shariah states who [sic] institutionalized persecution … he suddenly developed visa problems… The question remains—why is the U.S. downplaying or denying the attacks against Christians?"

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

The Slaughter of Christians

Egypt: During pro-Muslim Brotherhood riots, a young Coptic woman named Mary was murdered—simply because her cross identified her as a Christian to Brotherhood rioters. According to an eyewitness who discussed the entire event on the Egyptian program 90 Minutes, Mary Sameh George was parking by the church to deliver medicine to an elderly woman: "Once they saw that she was a Christian [because of the cross hanging on her rear view mirror], they jumped on top of the car, to the point that the vehicle was no longer visible. The roof of the car collapsed in. When they realized that she was starting to die, they pulled her out of the car and started pounding on her and pulling her hair—to the point that portions of her hair and scalp came off. They kept beating her, kicking her, stabbing her with any object or weapon they could find…. Throughout [her ordeal] she tried to protect her face, giving her back to the attackers, till one of them came and stabbed her right in the back, near the heart, finishing her off. Then another came and grabbed her by the hair, shaking her head, and with the other hand slit her throat. Another pulled her pants off, to the point that she was totally naked."
Nigeria: A Muslim father allegedly slaughtered or had someone else slaughter his daughter with a machete, wounding a pastor and four others in the attack, because she had earlier converted to Christianity. According to police reports, "the suspect allegedly sneaked into the church premises and inflicted machete cuts on the four persons," which seriously wounded them and killed his daughter. Before that, the father had threatened his daughter to return to Islam or else, and she had taken refuge in the church. Police did not make clear if it was the father or an accomplice who committed the assault.
Separately, Muslim Fulani herdsmen launched another night raid into a Christian majority region. They massacred over 150 people, including a pastor, his wife and children; around 200 homes were torched. A surviving eyewitness said there were about 40 attackers, armed with knives, guns and other unidentifiable equipment. They came in the night, set fire to the homes, and burned dozens of Christians alive: "Those that tried to escape were butchered or gun down."
Pakistan: "A young Christian girl was killed by the Pakistani Taliban in the northern region of Pakistan," reported Agenzia Fide: "The girl had spent a few months on the run and in hiding with her cousin, a Muslim who converted to Christianity a few years ago. Since the conversion, the man is considered an 'apostate' and since then he has been the target of the Taliban. In past days, some militants discovered where the two were hiding: the girl in the escape was reached by a bullet and was killed, while the man managed to escape."
Somalia: Members of the militant Islamic group, al-Shabaab, publicly beheaded a mother of two girls and her cousin after discovering they were Christians. According to local sources, the Islamists "called residents to the town center to witness the executions of the 41-year-old mother, Sadia Ali Omar, and her 35-year-old cousin, Osman Mohamoud Moge." Before slaughtering the two women, an al-Shabaab member announced, "We know these two people are Christians who recently came back from Kenya—we want to wipe out any underground Christian living inside of mujahidin [jihadi] area." The two daughters of one of the women, ages 8 and 15, "were witness to the slaughter, sources said, with the younger girl screaming and shouting for someone to save her mother. A friend helped the girls, whose names are withheld, to relocate to another area." She said, "We are afraid that the al-Shabaab might continue monitoring these two children and eventually kill them just like their mother."

Attacks on Christian Churches

Egypt: After countless death sentences were handed out to convicted Muslim Brotherhood members, their supporters protested and rioted in the streets. According to Spero News, "Violence spilled over from demonstrations in the Cairo suburb of Ain Shams when Muslim protesters attacked a Coptic Orthodox Christian church on March 28. Four people were killed in the attack on the church... Among the dead are a 25-year-old journalist and a Coptic Christian worshipper. When Egyptian security forces intervened, violence spread throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Muslim radicals are frequently whipped up into frenzy by their religious leaders on Fridays when they gather for prayer."
Kenya: During Sunday worship service, two heavily-armed gunmen entered the Joy in Jesus Church in Mombasa—a region which according to authorities has a mosque with ties to the Somali Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab. The gunmen "sprayed the congregation with bullets, killing at least seven Christians and leaving several others in critical condition," including the assistant pastor, according to the Morning Star News. The newspaper continues: "As the attackers fled Joy in Jesus Church, a box holding 26 bullets dropped outside the church" - an act indicating that they intended even more carnage. According to one church leader, "We, as the church, feel that what happened is a retaliation for the attack [by police] that took place in Masjid Musa Mosque recently. When the Muslims are attacked, there is a false generalization that the Christians are the ones doing it. We as the church became a scapegoat for the recent attack on the mosque." (This logic is similar to the barrage of church attacks the Coptic Christians of Egypt suffered after the Muslim Brotherhood and former president Morsi were ousted during the June 30 revolution.
Pakistan: One day after Christians placed a cross on a partially-constructed church that was being built on a fellow Christian's land, a Muslim mob "damaged the building and the land by ploughing the ground with the help of a tractor" and "desecrated" the cross according to the Express Tribune. The chairman of the Human Liberation Commission Pakistan added that "the Christian community was not protected in Pakistan and that they face discrimination at every level." Discussing this incident, Agenzia Fides reported that "when a large group of Islamic extremists saw the Christian symbol [the cross] they arrived unexpectedly with bulldozers and started demolishing the building. ... the perpetrators were not arrested, thanks to the political clout they have. Christians in the neighborhood who have asked for protection to civil authorities, on the other hand have received threats and have to abandon the idea of the project to build a church."
Uganda: In the predominantly Muslim districts of the Christian-majority nation, "Islamic extremists burned down two church buildings of the Free Church of Christ in February and the home of a church leader" in March, as reported by the Morning Star News. Bishop James Kinyewa, 47, said: "While I was preaching, I heard loud noise, people saying, 'Fire! Fire!' coming from nearby neighbors." He went on to say that he found "rowdy Muslim youths with clubs and machetes" who prevented him and others from trying to put out the fire from his house. "They were shouting, 'Allahu Akbar' [Allah is greater]." he said. "Now the same militant group is hunting for my life. My family and I are now hiding ourselves, homeless and waiting for God's intervention." Everything inside the two razed church buildings, which served 240 people, was destroyed. "My church members have no place to worship," the bishop said.

Attacks on Christian Freedom: Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism

Brunei: A new penal code in the Muslim-majority nation threatens school principals and schoolteachers with five years' imprisonment and up to $20,000 in fines if they teach or speak to a Muslim child of religions other than Islam. (Future punishments may include amputation and execution.) According to the new law, based on Sharia, or Islamic law, it is a crime "to persuade, influence, incite, encourage a child with non- Islamic teaching." It is also a crime to "expose the child to any ceremony or act of worship which is not Islamic or allow the child to participate in activities for the benefit of other religions." The new law is of especial concern to private Christian schools, which Muslim students also attend.
Iran: Vahid Hakkani, a Christian man who was imprisoned and sentenced to 44 months in jail, after being found guilty of "attending a house-church, spreading Christianity, having contact with foreign [Christian] ministries" and "disrupting national security," began a hunger strike in prison to protest the rejection of his conditional release appeal by the Revolutionary Court, despite concerns for his health. Far from rethinking his sentence, according to his family, "prison authorities will transfer him to solitary confinement because he refuses to stop his hunger strike."
Separately, eight more Christians were detained, blindfolded, and interrogated by security forces for their "Christian activities," said rights activists. Some members of the group had their personal items, including cell phones, confiscated.
Kazakhstan: Christian preaching is "extremely harmful to mental health of the people": such was the ruling of a law court which led to the sentencing of a Christian pastor, Bakhytzhan Kashkumayev, to four years in prison. According to Agenzia Fides, "the [67-year-old] Pastor, who is responsible for the Grace Church in the Kazak capital Astana was found guilty of 'causing serious mental disorder' to a presumed victim Lyazzat Almenova. The Pastor will also have to pay a heavy fine ... for the 'moral damage' inflicted." The pastor's lawyer said that this is one of the "strangest cases he has ever come across, in terms of legality."
Pakistan: Sawan Masih, accused of blaspheming, has been sentenced to death at a hearing held in his prison cell, "out of fears that Masih might be attacked on his way to court." In March 2013, after Masih, a Christian, was accused of maligning the prophet of Islam, he was arrested by police. Even after his arrest, thousands of Muslims attacked Christian colonies, and burned churches and homes. Christians who protested were attacked by the police. To this day, not one of the thousands of rampaging Muslims has been convicted.
Separately, two other Christians, a paralyzed, sickly man and his wife, also accused of "blasphemy via sms"—that is, blaspheming via text messaging—remained in prison. According to "World Vision in Progress," the "judges of the High Court were initially convinced of what was said by the defense. But after pressure from Muslim religious leaders and the threats of extremists in Gojra, the judges denied bail, saying the case will be completed within two months. Radical Muslims had already threatened defense lawyers many times." Concerning the aforementioned Christian man sentenced to death, Fr. James Channan OP, Director of the Peace Center in Lahore, Pakistan, said the following: "It was a dispute over a matter concerning property. But the Muslim took advantage, finding a shortcut and accused Sawan of blasphemy. The whole world knows what happened next. Over 100 Christian homes of Joseph Colony, a Christian neighborhood in Lahore, were destroyed, 2 churches burned, Bibles desecrated and Crosses destroyed by an angry mob of more than 3,000 fanatics. The Christians of Joseph Colony still live in danger and fear that the mob might attack again at any time. ... After Sawan's death sentence, I ask myself: where is justice? Why is nothing done against these innocent Christians who have been attacked and have lost their possessions? What about the churches which were desecrated, Bibles burned and crosses destroyed? Is this not blasphemy?"
Uganda: When a 23-year-old Muslim woman converted to Christianity and a neighbor informed her father, "My father began beating me with clubs and blows, and I started screaming in great pain," she said. "While I was down on the floor bleeding, my father went looking for a knife to kill me. A neighbor named Saleem arrived and helped me escape." She found lodging from a nearby church and was taken to a hospital the next day.

Dhimmitude

Bangladesh: The home of a Catholic family was torched and destroyed during the night, and the culprits, according to residents, "could be Islamic fundamentalists." The family, two women and two children, managed to escape the blaze. According to one of the women, "Three days before the fire we saw some people unknown to us behind our house. They asked around if we were Christians. We feel that this attack was premeditated by them. We have lost in [sic]everything, including our Bible and the crucifix. All we have left are the cloth[e]s on our backs." A local priest adds: "This is an attack against the minority, and could be the hands of Islamic extremists. They are very powerful in the area."
Iraq: A Christian politician and member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement "denounced some officials of the Nineveh province after collecting documented evidence on the corrupt system where many properties—land and houses—belonging to Christians change hands in an illegal and secret manner, without any mandate on behalf of their legitimate owners." He also called on Iraqi Christians who fled their homeland to check the status of the property they left in Iraq and reaffirm their full rights to them.
Pakistan: A March report by Agenzia Fides offers a glimpse of the endemic rape and sexual abuse of Christian girls at the hands of Muslims: "The rape of girls belonging to religious minorities is a very common phenomenon in Pakistan. Christian women are a prime target, because the most vulnerable and defenseless. The majority of cases are not even reported to the police and, when it happens, the perpetrators of violence often go unpunished. The Christian community is still shocked by the recent case of Sumbal, a 5-year-old Christian girl, raped by a group of Muslim men on a street in Lahore. ... Another recent case ... concerns a Muslim man from Lahore who attempted to rape two Christian girls, sisters, aged 1 and 3. ... A few months ago another case aroused indignation: that of a 9-year-old Christian girl who suffered a gang rape by three young Muslims. Violence against children are [sic] committed with ease, explains a source of Fides that assists victims, especially because the perpetrators remain unpunished: injustice fuels the vicious cycle of violence. In 2004, a case that caused uproar around the world was the brutal rape of a-two-year old child Neha Munir, raped because her father, Munir Masih, a Christian, refused to convert to Islam."
Syria: Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic jihadis crossed into Syrian territory over the Turkish border and launched an attack on the Christian Armenian town of Kessab. Among other acts, "Snipers targeted the civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the surrounding villages." Reportedly eighty people were killed. The jihadis later made a video touring the devastated town. No translation is needed, as the main phrase shouted throughout is Islam's triumphant war cry, "Allahu Akbar." About two-thousand Armenians were evacuated to neighboring areas. While occupying Kessab, the jihadi terrorists desecrated the town's three Armenian churches.

Jihadists pose in the deserted streets of the Christian Armenian town of Kessab, Syria, after conquering it and reportedly killing 80 people. (Image source: Salma Media Center YouTube video)

Turkey: Five men held in prison as suspects in the 2007 "Malatya Massacre"—when three Christian missionaries were tortured to death—were released. The five walked free from their high-security prison because their time in detention while still on trial exceeded new legal limits. "It is deeply disturbing to hear that the five men responsible for these brutal murders have been freed on bail, including three who were arrested at the crime scene," said Christian Solidarity Worldwide's chief executive Mervyn Thomas. "We urge the Turkish authorities to take every necessary measure to ensure they remain in the country to face justice, which has been exceedingly long in coming. This trial has been ongoing for six years with no indication of a conclusion in the near future. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims, to whom the release of these men has dealt yet another blow, no doubt leaving them with a deepening sense of uncertainty as to whether they will ever see justice for their loved ones. For their sakes, the Turkish authorities must ensure that justice is served as a matter of urgency."

About this Series

While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians is expanding. "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month.
It documents what the mainstream media often fails to report.
It posits that such persecution is not random but systematic, and takes place in all languages ethnicities and locations.

Massive Show of Support in LA for Israel Marred by Palestinian Violence

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


Hat tip LA Jewish Journal

Today a crowd of what I would estimate in the thousands turned out in front of the Federal Building in West Los Angeles waving American and Israel flags in a loud show of support for Israel. I was there and took pictures and video (Video to follow). There was also a crowd of several dozen pro-Palestinians waving Palestinian flags. LAPD and security kept the pro-Palestinians on the north side of Wilshire Blvd. while the pro-Israel crowd dominated the south side and adjacent corners. There was one incident of violence on the part of the pro-Palestinians and some arrests were made. It has not been one hundred per cent conformed yet, but it appears that a DHS officer fired a shot at the fleeing suspects.

Sometime after five o'clock, we heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from the south side of Wilshire where most of the Israel crowd was lined up along the curb. Police converged at the scene and moments later two squad cars with lights and sirens proceeded east on Wilshire where they stopped a grey pickup truck. Here is how the LA Jewish Journal reported it. They have a video of the incident, and what appears to be a shot can be heard as the vehicle takes off.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/la_pro_israel_rally_interrupted_by_violence

According to witnesses I talked to, all of the occupants of the truck except the driver came out of the truck and began throwing sticks and a tire iron into the crowd before climbing back into the truck. Other witnesses said a DHS officer was struck by a tire iron and fired a shot at the fleeing suspects. Initial reports are that four Palestinians who reside in Anaheim have been arrested. I should also note that other witnesses said fire crackers were thrown into the street. As you can imagine, accounts are all over the place. I was able to observe the suspect vehicle near the corner of Wilshire and Westwood after the suspects had been removed.

The atmosphere was definitely tense, and at times one or two of the pro-Israel or pro-Palestinians tried to cross the street to provoke the other side. Police and security kept them from succeeding. There were also a lot of motorists driving down Wilshire with Israeli flags and honking and a few Palestinian supporters as well doing the same.

All in all, I must say that with all the other demonstrations going on around the US and the world, LA did its part to send a massive show of support to Israel. By the way, I disagree with the Journal's crowd estimates. At the most I would say there were 70-80 pro-Palestinians and two-three thousand pro-Israel supporters. It was loud; it was festive, and the good guys carried the day. I will post the videos I took tomorrow.

Kudos to the Israel American Council and Stand With Us who organized it.

Hypocrisy in the Israel-Hamas War: Max Blumenthal and Hussam Ayoush

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


Writer Max Blumenthal and LA CAIR Director Hussam Ayloush are engaging in gross hypocrisy when it comes to the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Blumenthal, a rabid opponent of Israel, tweeted a picture of residents of Sderot, Southern Israel sitting in lawn chairs on a hilltop overlooking Gaza and watching the Israeli rockets hit their marks (rocket launchers and Hamas locations). Ayloush re-tweeted it pointing out that the Israelis were cheering as the rockets struck home.

https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/487328560877559808

First of all, were I a resident of Sderot after years of having to hit the bomb shelters as Hamas rockets landed in our schoolyards from Gaza, I would be cheering too.

But here is the hypocrisy. Where was the outrage when hundreds of Arab residents of Israel were standing on Temple Mount and cheering the rockets being shot into Israel?

http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/08/hundreds-of-arabs-celebrate-atop-temple-mount-after-rocket-attacks-on-jerusalem-video/

Can you say hypocrites? Is there not a difference between cheering for your own country within your own country as opposed to a 5th column cheering the enemy from within?

It is also worth noting that while Israeli rockets are targeted toward rocket launching sites and Hamas leaders, Hamas rockets are targeted toward civilians. Further, the Israeli airstrikes are in response to the Hamas rockets that have continually been poured into Israel from Gaza. Yes, it is unfortunate that innocent civilians are killed, but that is going to happen even when you try to avoid it-even when you warn the residents of buildings ahead of time to get out-as Israel does.

Consider this: What would we expect the US to do if Cuba was sending rockets into Miami? Of course, we would be expected to retaliate. In the process, innocent Cubans would die no matter how much we tried to engage in precision bombing.

Whose fault would it be?

Bombing Gaza

We've been in this movie before.

An Open Condemnation Of The Murder Of Mohammed Abu Khdeir

We unequivocally condemn the horrific murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. It was unjustifiable under any circumstances. The killing was reprehensible and we hope that the criminals who did this sickening act are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Israel is a country run by the rule of law. There are reports that Jews have been arrested for this crime. If a trial finds that Jews are indeed guilty of this unconscionable killing, our condemnation is redoubled. The idea that Jews could do such an act fills us with shame and horror.

The people who murdered Mohammed do not represent us in any way. It is not enough to dissociate ourselves from the dreadful act; we must also ensure that crimes like this are never repeated.

Just as the appalling murders of Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar do not in any way justify the hideous murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, neither does Khdeir's murder justify the violence, terrorism, destruction and incitement we have seen over the past few days against Israelis and Jews.

We hope and pray that everyone, Arab and Jew, lives in peace and security in the region.

Signed,

Monkey in the Middle - Katie A. Norcross
Elder of Ziyon
Daphne Anson
CiFWatch - Adam Levick
Internet Haganah - A. Aaron Weisburd
Liberty's Spirit - Elise Ronan
Mike Cohen
Zach Novetsky
Beer Sheva
Edgar Davidson
Ray Cook
5 Minutes for Israel - David Guy
GabrielQuotes
This Ongoing War - Frimet and Arnold Roth
Israelkompetenzkollektion  Shelly
Dr. Sharon Chard-Yaron
Always Write Again -Natalie Wood
Avi Eisenberg
MS Wallack
British-Israel Coalition - Harvey
Israel Matzav - Carl in Jerusalem
Joe Settler
Philosémitisme
Yid With Lid - Jeff Dunetz
A Commonplace Blog - D. G. Myers
Mystical Paths - Reb Akiva
Erika Dreifus
Meir Solomon
Is The BBC Biased - Sue and Craig
iIDF24 - Eliyahu Yakov
Sussex Friends of Israel
Menschen Leben Blog
Daled Amos
Cherson and Molschky
Cohav.org
Lori Lowenthal Marcus at The Jewish Press
Joel Richardson
Red Knuckle Politics
Love of the Land
Michael Lumish
Pally Alley
Huff Watch
Springs of Hope
La Voix Juive
oldschooltwentysix
Arsen Ostrovsky
Lawrence Solomon
Blazing Cat Fur
Jewish American Patriots - Pamela Schieiber
Elizabeth Browder
Laura Ben David
Torah Musings - Rabbi Gil Student
Gedalyah Chaim Reback
FightBDS
American Infidels
Point of No Return
Anne's Opinions
Pro Israel Bay Bloggers - Dusty Katz
Letters from Rungholt - Lila
Ithaca Mavens
Jay in Philadelphia
Hadassah Sabo Milner
Bethany S. Mandel
StopBDS Park Slope - Barbara Mazor
Somewhere in Texas - SmokieTX
Bigfoot's Place - Bigfoot
Miss Beth's Victory Dance - Miss Beth
Radarsite -  Roger Gardner
Assoluta Tranquilita - Aunty Brat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I invite any blogger, columnist or pundit to sign on to this letter in the comments section (please include the URL of your blog/column) so I can add to the signature list. Bloggers are also encouraged to reproduce this letter on their own blogs.

Nonie Darwish Speaks in Silicon Valley

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





Nonie Darwish, an Egyptian-born apostate from Islam, writer, speaker and activist, is one of those people I am proud to know, albeit not well. In this video, she speaks before the Conservative Forum of Silicon Valley (I didn't know they had conservatives in Silicon Valley.) on June 3. The video below is via C-Span and was sent to me by Darwish.

In this video, Darwish speaks on the topic, "Islam and the West". She discusses a wide range of issues such as women's rights under Islam, sharia law, Islamic conquests of various nations in history, Muslim attitudes toward non-Muslims, and apostasy. (She is unable to return to her native Egypt due to a fatwa calling for her killing. In fact, as she points out in her presentation, the only country in the Middle East she can visit is Israel!)

 This video lasts over an hour but is well worth the time.


 http://www.c-span.org/video/?319734-1/islam-west

Happy Entebbe Day!

I drew this cartoon exactly thirty years ago. July 4th 1977. It was the first anniversary of that amazing, daring rescue at Entebbe Airport. The operation had not only snatched the hostages out of their place of captivity, but had also dragged the country out of the dark depths of despair.

Here's the cartoon that I'd done the year before, when the rescue took place.

For info about the Entebbe raid... and to see actual 1976 TV coverage of the event click here.

Actually the fight for freedom is universal!

 238 years and going strong (despite Obama and the Democrats)!

Wednesday's Hero

This post was suggested by SJ



Stan White
94 years old from Albuquerque, New Mexico



Albuquerque veteran Stan E. White, a Pearl Harbor survivor who was injured during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, was awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s highest decoration, according to Perry Bendicksen, Honorary French Consul for New Mexico.

Although he was raised in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, White was a 19-year-old athlete and cowboy living in New Mexico when he enlisted in the Army. He said he saw it as an opportunity for travel, adventure and education. He ended up with a life he never could have predicted.

You can read more about Stan White here & here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Muslim Persecution of Christians, February 2014

The most historic and emblematic sign of Muslim persecution of Christians returned in February: Christians in Raqqa, Syria, under the occupation of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], which has since consolidated more territory, were given the three classic choices of Islam: 1) convert to Islam or 2) pay jizya (tribute or extortion money, as in the Koran 9:29) and uphold all the conditions stipulated in the medieval Conditions of Omar—which include heavy restrictions on Christian worship—or 3) the sword.
According to the BBC, ISIS issued a directive:

citing the Islamic concept of "dhimma", [which] requires Christians in the city to pay tax of around half an ounce (14g) of pure gold in exchange for their safety. It says Christians must not make renovations to churches, display crosses or other religious symbols outside churches, ring church bells or pray in public. Christians must not carry arms, and must follow other rules imposed by ISIS (also known as ISIL) on their daily lives. The statement said the group had met Christian representatives and offered them three choices—they could convert to Islam, accept ISIS' conditions, or reject their control and risk being killed. "If they reject, they are subject to being legitimate targets, and nothing will remain between them and ISIS other than the sword," the statement said.

A Pew study confirmed that Christians are "the most persecuted religious group in the world" and that their persecution is occurring primarily throughout the Islamic world. In the category of "Countries with Very High Government Restrictions on Religion," Pew lists 24 countries—20 of which are Islamic and precisely where the overwhelming majority of "the world's" Christians are actually being persecuted.
February's roundup of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and country in alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity.

Attacks on Christian Churches

Nigeria: Among other church-related atrocities, the Islamic terror group Boko Haram attacked a church during Sunday services in the Muslim majority northeast of the nation. According to Christian Today, "They locked the doors before the end of the service and shot at the congregation, slitting the throats of those who tried to escape. They also detonated bombs before going on a four hour rampage, burning houses and taking hostages from the village."
Sudan: "In what Sudanese Christians believe is part of a campaign by Islamist President Omar al-Bashir to rid the country of Christianity," reported the Morning Star News, "bulldozers accompanied by local police and personnel from the National Intelligence and Security Services destroyed the Sudanese Church of Christ building in the Ombada area of Omdurman, across the River Nile from Khartoum." According to a local Christian: "The government has confiscated the land where the church was built—please pray for the church to get a place for worship. We had not any prior indication from the officials that the church would be destroyed; they have not even warned us." The only reason officials gave for demolishing the 300-member church was that it was located in a "Muslim area" and so "not wanted there," reported one church member. The police officer in charge of demolition reportedly said: "We have orders from above to demolish this church building. We do not want any church in this area."
Zanzibar: Several churches were attacked in the Muslim majority islands. A bomb that was remotely detonated rocked the entrance of Christ Church Cathedral on February 24. The day before, Sunday, February 23, another bomb exploded near the door of the Evangelistic Assemblies of God Zanzibar Church, just before the end of service. The bomb caused minor injuries to several worshippers. Earlier, a mob invaded the Sunday service of a Pentecostal Evangelism Fellowship of Africa church; apparently they intended to kill the senior pastor. After failing to find him, they battered a visiting clergyman. According to local activists, "Additionally at least 20 churches have been looted and either burnt or demolished by mobs in recent months."

The Slaughter of Christians

Egypt: Near Aswan in Upper Egypt, one Mahmoud Muhammad Ali went on a rampage, attacking several Christians, including employees of two Coptic-owned pharmacies and two female students who were walking nearby. A woman, stabbed in the neck, was killed, and another severely wounded. According to the brother of the slain woman, Madline, 30, "He killed her because she is a Christian. There was nothing else. He was targeting Christian pharmacies. He went and tried to attack a Christian, and when he failed, he went to the next Christian pharmacy." Human rights activists and Copts also warned that authorities and others were trying "to shift blame away from Ali and establish the groundwork for his defense." That is, they were trying to establish that he was "insane or somehow otherwise mentally incompetent to stand trial, allowing him to escape punishment. The tactic has been employed frequently in clear-cut cases of violence against Copts. Because of it, the impunity with which people can attack Christians in Egypt without punishment encourages other attacks."
Kenya: Lawrence Kazungu Kadenge, 60, a church leader in Mombasa, was killed near his church, Glory of God Ministries Church, for reportedly preaching Christianity near a mosque where jihadis [holy warriors in the cause of Islam] were being trained. During the slaying of the pastor, a witness heard one of two suspects say, "Make sure you have killed him—he has been promoting his religion near our mosque." According to another church leader, "We as the pastors in Mombasa are living in fear because pastors are being eliminated one by one. We need prayers that the church will survive these attacks as we are being targeted by the radical Muslims." According to a Mombasa police official, "This is not a mosque for prayers but a base for recruiting Muslim youths to engage in terrorist activities."
Libya: After Ansar al-Sharia—a group that appears connected to Egypt's now ousted Muslim Brotherhood—offered a reward to any Benghazi resident who helped round up and execute the nation's Coptic Christian residents, seven Copts were identified as Christians, forcibly seized from their homes by "unknown gunmen," taken out and executed some 20 miles west of Benghazi (graphic pictures appear here). A few days later, another Coptic Christian, Salama Fawzi, 24, was shot in the head -- again by several "unknown gunmen" -- while unloading food in front of his grocery stand in Benghazi. The day after that, another corpse was found, believed -- from the small cross tattooed on his wrist traditionally worn by Egyptian Christians -- to be that of a Copt.

 

Bodies of Coptic Christians lay in a field near Benghazi, Libya, after their abduction and execution by Islamists in February.

Nigeria: Chanting "Allah is great," reports the AP, "suspected Islamic militants gunned down dozens of Christian villagers and slit the throats of others" in a Saturday night raid on Izghe village in Borno state, a primarily Christian village in a Muslim-majority region. Over 100 were slaughtered in the attack, including an elderly woman. A local farmer who escaped said the attackers, whom authorities suspect are affiliated with Boko Haram, had gone door-to-door looking for those hiding in their houses: "The attackers came around 9:30 pm in six trucks and some motorcycles. They were dressed in military uniform. They asked men to assemble at a place, and began hacking and slaughtering them." Gunmen also attacked a fishing village on Lake Chad on Saturday, and killed an unspecified number of residents. A survivor said several people drowned in the lake while trying to escape the Islamic gunmen. Separately, more "suspected Islamic militants," reports the Daily Mail, "killed 43 students in a pre-dawn attack Tuesday on a northeast Nigerian college... The terrorists, thought to be from Boko Haram, set a locked hostel on fire, before shooting and slitting the throats of those who tried to climb out the windows. Some were burned alive."
Pakistan: A 24-year-old Christian husband and father of two, arrested by the police on the false charge of theft, was, during an all-night interrogation, "tortured to death" at the police station, according to Asia News. The police said that he had committed suicide by hanging himself. But autopsy results revealed that he died from "serious internal injuries." Afterwards, the Catholic Church of Pakistan and civil society groups staged a protest against police brutality, and said that while police brutality in Pakistan is widespread, if a Christian is detained, he "usually is treated worse by police or when he is in prison."

Dhimmitude

Indonesia: In South Sumatra province, hundreds of armed Muslim men, led by local Islamic leaders, stormed and forcibly occupied two acres of land owned by the small Christian community. The raid was prompted after local Muslims realized that Christians were planning to build a place of worship. Days earlier the ceremony of laying the first stone had been held, amid protests from local residents. According to Asia News, "The process for building a church in Indonesia—Catholic or Protestant—is quite complicated and may take five to ten years to obtain all permits required by law… permission must be obtained from a number of [Muslim] residents in the area where the building is to be constructed... And even if the permission is granted 'unspecified reasons' can come into play that will lead officials to block the projects. Often, this occurs after pressure from the Muslim community or radical Islamic movements."
Also, in the Indonesian province of Aceh, a new law appeared saying that Islamic laws (Sharia) be extended to non-Muslims, the majority of whom are Christian. Elements of Sharia had already been in force but were applied only to Muslims. The new by-law [Qanun Jinayat] was approved by Aceh's legislative council and signed by Governor Zaini Abdullah, who said "The qanun [law] does indeed oblige everyone in Aceh to follow sharia without exception. It would be unfair if Muslims were punished while non-Muslims were not, just because sharia violations are not stipulated in the Criminal Code." Since then, non-Muslim women have been harassed by police for not wearing veils, and men for wearing shorts. Three-time violators of the dress rules could be publicly caned.
Iraq: Reflecting the growing lack of religious freedom and pressures to convert to Islam, "the leaders of the Christian churches in Iraq," reported News VA, "hope that the right to freely choose one's own religion when they reach adulthood is guaranteed to all citizens. The Christian leaders issued a document that 'asked to explicitly guarantee, at a legal level, the right to freely choose one's religion, also modifying the existing legislation on the civil status of the child with regards to religious matters.'"
Lebanon: Foreign al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadis, recruiting among Lebanon's Palestinian camps, were "planning to start targeting Lebanese Christians with suicide bombings," said Mahmoud Abdul-Hamid Issa, the former top security official for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon. Since the proclamation of Lebanon's independence, the amount land belonging to Christians has been reduced by half. According to Agenzia Fides, "The drastic decrease in landed properties belonging to Christians ... is also connected with the strong emigration tendencies that characterize the Christian portion of the Lebanese population"—Christian emigration is a growing occurrence in the Islamic world in recent years. Due to several estate policies, "almost all of the lands sold during those years increased from Christian owners to Muslim owners. Several legislative proposals have been presented in parliament to try to block the erosion of the land ownership of Christians in Lebanon."
Malaysia: A Christian cemetery was attacked and desecrated in the middle of the night by unknown persons in the Muslim-majority nation. "Local witnesses said that some gravestones were completely smashed, and some crosses were broken. Flowerpots and other stone markers were also broken. It seems that perpetrators used a heavy tool to do the damage," reports Asia News: "The cemetery attack is the latest in a series of incidents against the Catholic community in Malaysia, where religious tensions have been on the rise."
Nigeria: A Muslim man kicked his wife of 16 years out of their home after he learned that she had converted to Christianity and was attending church on Sunday— the local court agreed with his actions. According to the judge, Alhaji Lawal Munir, the "Islamic legal system [Sharia] provided that a mere denouncement [or "renouncement"] of Islam by any of the parties automatically dissolved a marriage."
Pakistan: After Christians refused to sell their properties to local Muslim businessmen, the Muslims "hatched a plan to drive out Christian families residing there by alleging blasphemy." Sawan Masih, of the Christian Joseph Colony, was first to be scapegoated. The businessmen put up banners accusing him of blaspheming the Muslim prophet Muhammad, and announcements were made in local mosques that "a Christian man had committed blasphemy." According to the Christian, "They played on religious sentiments of the neighbours... registered a case against me and set the colony [including 200 houses] on fire." Masih also said the police were involved: "Police caused alarm among the Christians who were advised to leave the colony to save their lives."
Also, in a note to Agenzia Fides, the Anglican Bishop of Karachi affirmed the deteriorating condition of non-Muslim minorities in the country: "Religious minorities in Pakistan, and especially Christians, have become the constant target of masses of extremists.... Over the last few years religious minorities have been targeted, their villages burned, accused in false cases of blasphemy, victims of intimidation, forced marriages and forced conversions.... When a Christian is accused of blasphemy, the people of a neighborhood gather to punish the culprit, burning him alive or lynching him. The police and the government have never punished such acts." The Bishop also pointed to "a new, subtle form of psychological pressure: the extremists target Christians and try to extort money from them by threatening a fatwa against them, using the Islamic religion to blackmail."
Sudan: Authorities seized a Christian pastor as he was preaching during Sunday service and threatened that he would "face justice" unless he resigned his position. "They arrested me in a very shameful way and threw me in the car," said the pastor. According to Morning Star News, this move is "part of a government plan to take over properties of the church's denomination, the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC)." Earlier, for example, "plain-clothes police officials raided the offices of the SPEC in Omdurman in what church leaders called a bid to take over the property. Without permission from government authorities, the officers entered the church compound and chased SPEC pastors and others out of the offices, a Christian leader said… Since April 2012, a SPEC compound in Khartoum has been subject to attempted takeovers and attacks by Islamic extremists."

About this Series

While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians is expanding. "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month.
It documents what the mainstream media often fails to report.
It posits that such persecution is not random but systematic, and takes place in all languages ethnicities and locations.

More Doubt Cast on IRS Story on Lerner's E-Mails

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


The story line of the IRS that Lois Lerner's missing e-mails and crashed hard drive cannot be retrieved has been further cast in doubt by industry experts.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/27/industry-group-irs-lost-email-story-makes-no-sense-records-should-have-been/

Of course, the issue of computer hard drives is beyond my expertise, but it sure looks like the IRS at the highest levels has destructed evidence and is engaging in a massive cover-up. At this point only a fool would believe the excuses given by the IRS and its smirking commissioner John Koskinen. Lois Lerner, the central character in this scandal,  has now twice taken the 5th before Congress. Of course, you can't put a dog in the pound for taking the 5th, but public opinion is entitled to draw the obvious conclusions.

We know that the Democrats in the House and the Senate were putting pressure on the IRS to investigate and prosecute, if possible, conservative tea party groups that were applying for tax-exempt status so they could participate in election activism. The IRS did the next best thing; they stuffed their applications in a drawer and sat on them. They also bogged the organizations down with needless and detailed questionnaires. They effectively kept them from organizing in the 2012 election. In addition, they shared private tax-payer information with people in the White House.

Ten days after the IRS received a written request from House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) as to IRS monitoring of conservative groups, Lerner's computer mysteriously crashed as well as the computers of 6 other high-ranking officials. You wonder why Lerner took the 5th? And that smug Koskinen sits there before Congress with that Cheshire smirk and says there is no apology owed to anybody for this.

Just as the Obama White House has corrupted the Department of Justice, it has corrupted the IRS. An entire agency and an entire department engaging in cover ups of scandals that go right back to the White House.

So my question to all you liberals and Democrats out there is; are you happy with this? Your side is winning. But at what cost-that our government has been corrupted in this manner? Is this what our democracy has become-that whoever is in power can do whatever they want? We have had Fast and Furious and a now open border. People are still dying from the weapons that were allowed to cross unhindered into Mexico, and the death toll includes a Border Patrol agent in Arizona and possibly an ICE agent stationed in Mexico. The corrupt Eric Holder lied under oath, withheld records with the help of Obama and executive privilege, and because the Democrats are in power, nobody is held accountable. It will probably be the same with the IRS. There will not be a special prosecutor because Holder will not appoint one. At this point, the Republican House holds hearings while the Democratic Senate sits silent.

Bottom line: They will get away with it.

The Presbyterian Church

According to the New York Jewish Week: 

Misguided Presbyterian Vote

"By a 310-303 vote last week, a prominent American Protestant denomination made history. The Presbyterian Church, with about 1.8 million members, became the first major Christian group in this country to approve a resolution in favor of economic divestment from American businesses that make equipment that helps foster Israel’s occupation in the West Bank. 

The amount of money that the Presbyterians will withdraw from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions, $21 million, is relatively small in the world of international finance. But the message that the Presbyterian’s General Assembly sent last week in Detroit was huge: keep away from Israel."

 I am wondering if the youth of the Presbyterian Church will now be donning brown shirts, swastikas and standing in front of Jewish shops stopping people from buying there.  For there is no difference between what this church has done and Nazis.

Future Presbyterian Youth At Work!

Israel And The Kurds

And now, according to Bloomberg: 

Iraq Government Condemns Kurds for ‘Illegal’ Oil Sale to Israel

Iraq’s government condemned the country’s semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities for “illegally” selling crude oil to Israel for the fourth time.
The SCF Altai tanker carrying crude oil from the Kurdish region docked in Ashkelon, Israel, June 20, according to an e-mailed statement from the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

Why I Support Israel

By Pat Condell



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Leftists Try to Stop Videotaping at Portland State University

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


Hat tip Campus Reform

On June 12, a small group of Socialists held an open meeting at Portland State University in order to bash Capitalism. A conservative blogger, Dan Sandini, decided to attend and videotape the event, which he was legally entitled to do given that it was an open event at a public university. The organizers of the event thought otherwise and called the campus cops. In this case, the cops rightfully told the blogger and the Socialists that videotaping was permissible as long as he didn't disrupt the event. That didn't satisfy the lefties. Campus Reform has the report and a video of what transpired. You really need to watch this video to see how the little rascals (and a couple of supposed adults) behave.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=5694


This, of course, brings to mind my own experiences at UC Irvine, where the Muslim Student Union has attempted to prevent me from videotaping their anti-Israel events for a couple of years now. The last time, the UCIPD backed them up, and I had to shut down my camera. When I complained after the fact, the UCIPD acknowledged I was correct, the officers had erred, and apologized.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2014/05/meeting-with-uc-irvine-campus-pd.html

Since then I have sent a letter to the UC Irvine dean of student affairs and the director of  Campus Event Services suggesting that all campus organizations holding public events be advised that videotaping is permissible under UC Irvine policy and that signs be posted to that effect at the door in order to prevent any future confrontations or incidents.



I have received no reply to that letter. Oh, well.

In anticipation of future similar events at UC Irvine, which I intend to videotape, I am sending this video (in the form of this post) to the aforementioned offices at UCI. As I have said before, this should not even be an issue of this or that university's policy. It should be a matter of law, and if necessary, should be enforced by the courts. At this point, it appears that UCI is doing the right thing as is PSU. At UC San Diego, on the other hand, the administration and campus police have taken the side of the Muslim Students Association and have enforced a ban on videotaping. In my opinion, the affected persons at UCSD should get the attorneys involved the next time it happens.

Kudos to Mr Sandini. Not only did he stand his ground, he effectively exposed the far left for what it is.

Wednesday's Hero

This post was suggested by Greta



PFC. Edmond Harjo
96 years old from Seminole, Oklahoma
195th Field Artillery Battalion
November 24, 1917 - March 31, 2014



We've sadly lost yet another Code Talker. Edmond A. Harjo was the last surviving Code Talker for the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Back in November of 2013, 33 tribes were honored in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. with the Congressional Gold Medal for their contribution in the war, Harjo was the only living Code Talker to attend.

You can read more about PFC. Harjo here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Crazy!

From Dry Bones

In response to the unfolding "Kidnapping our Boys" affair, I decided to run this golden oldie from back in 1975! It is a cartoon that I drew one year short of 40 years ago!!!

Now for your enjoyment:

Crazy by Patsy Cline



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To All Dads!

Happy Birthday US Army And Flag Day

Today is the 239th Birthday of the US Army.

The United States Army (USA) is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services. The modern army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on 14 June 1775, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War before the establishment of the United States. The Congress of the Confederation officially created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 after the end of the Revolutionary War to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The army considers itself to be descended from the Continental Army and thus dates its inception from the origins of that force.

From Wikipedia

The US Army has seen action in every war this nation has fought.  It is the backbone of our fighting forces.  If you are interested in joining this fighting force, then go here to the US Army website.

The Caisson Song (Original US Army Song)


Click here if the video fails to load.

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 Flag Day!

Today is Flag Day.  The day Americans honor the flag.  It is fitting it is also on the birthday of the US Army since many members of that service died defending the flag.

From Wikipedia:

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The United States Army also celebrates the Army Birthday on this date; Congress adopted "the American continental army" after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. Title 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110[4] is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the President's discretion to officially proclaim the observance. On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first (and only) U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale. New York Statutes designate the second Sunday in June as Flag Day, a state holiday.

You're A Grand Old Flag


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