Thursday, May 31, 2012

Is It Possible To Question Islam?

What an interesting question?  Can one question the history of Islam?  Did Muhammad actually exist?  Was he really illiterate?  Creeping Sharia asks those and other questions.

The question really should be whether it is possible to question Islam and not be threatened, injured or killed, slandered, or arrested. Robert Spencer via PJ Media » Is It Still Possible to Question Islam?.

Is it “Islamophobic” to question whether or not the standard picture of Muhammad as depicted in Muslim texts is historically accurate?

Certainly many people think so, notably the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The OIC is a fifty-six nation body (plus the Palestinian Authority) that, since the demise of the Soviet Union, comprises the largest voting bloc at the United Nations. It has been working for years to compel the UN to criminalize “Islamophobia.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a closed-door meeting with the OIC in December 2011, apparently to facilitate just that and figure out ways to circumvent the First Amendment’s protection of the freedom of speech.

Journalist Claire Berlinski notes that “the neologism ‘Islamophobia’ did not simply emerge ex nihilo”:
It was invented, deliberately, by a Muslim Brotherhood front organization, the International Institute for Islamic Thought, which is based in Northern Virginia. … Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, a former member of the IIIT who has renounced the group in disgust, was an eyewitness to the creation of the word. “This loathsome term,” he writes, “is nothing more than a thought-terminating cliche conceived in the bowels of Muslim think tanks for the purpose of beating down critics.”
Yet the mainstream media has for the most part bought into this perspective, treating all investigation of how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and supremacism as “Islamophobic,” however useful it might be to understand the motives and goals of those who have vowed to destroy the U.S. and Western civilization. Into this atmosphere comes my book Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry Into Islam’s Obscure Origins, which doesn’t touch directly on terror issues at all, but does demonstrate that Islam was political, supremacist, and violent before it was religious — a fact with considerable implications for today’s political scene.

In broad outline, the accepted story of Islam’s origins is well known. It begins with an Arabian merchant of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, known to the world as Muhammad, a name that means the “praised one.” He rejected the polytheism of his tribe and was given to frequent prayer in the hills and caves outside Mecca. In the year 610, when he was forty, he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira, about two miles from Mecca, when he was suddenly confronted by the angel Gabriel, who commanded him to recite.

For the next twenty-three years, until his death in 632, Muhammad did just that: He recited the messages he received from Gabriel, presenting them to his followers as the pure and unadulterated word of the supreme and only God. Many of his followers memorized portions. The Arabia in which Islam was born was an oral culture that respected poetic achievement, and thus the prodigious feats of memory required to memorize lengthy suras were not so unusual. After Muhammad’s death, the revelations he had received were collected together into the Qur’an, or “Recitation,” from the accounts of those who had memorized them or written them down.
Muslims around the globe are not the only ones who take this account for granted; even non-Muslims generally accept the broad contours of this narrative, which has been told and retold for centuries. However, virtually none of that standard account stands up to historical scrutiny, for several key reasons:
  • No record of Muhammad’s reported death in 632 appears until more than a century after that date.
  • The early accounts written by the people the Arabs conquered never mention Islam, Muhammad, or the Qur’an. They call the conquerors “Ishmaelites,” “Saracens,”“Muha- jirun,” and “Hagarians,” but never “Muslims.”
  • The Arab conquerors, in their coins and inscriptions, don’t mention Islam or the Qur’an for the first six decades of their conquests. Mentions of “Muhammad” are non-specific and on at least two occasions are accompanied by a cross. The word can be used not only as a proper name but also as an honorific.
  • The Qur’an, even by the canonical Muslim account, was not distributed in its present form until the 650s. Contradicting that standard account is the fact that neither the Arabians nor the Christians and Jews in the region mention the Qur’an until the early eighth century.
  • During the reign of the caliph Muawiya (661–680), the Arabs constructed at least one public building whose inscription was headed by a cross – a symbol abhorrent to Islam.
The lack of confirming detail in the historical record, the late development of biographical material about the Islamic prophet, the atmosphere of political and religious factionalism in which that material developed, and much more suggest that the Muhammad of Islamic tradition did not exist, or if he did, he was substantially different from how that tradition portrays him.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Best David Attenborough Narration Ever!

David Attenborough does a live voice over for a clip of a tortoise having sex with a shoe.




Have A Great Day!

All DC Schools Now Classify ALL Latino Stundents As White!



In an unusual move, a school in the nation's capital has decided to re-classify all of its Latino students as non-minority Whites. The move was made in association with its declaration of Trayvon Martin day so it could continue to brand George Zimmerman as a racist.

BREAKING NEWS:  This just in.   Mitt Romney is still rich.

 President Obama's choice for Teacher of the Year.  Hint:  She teaches in North Carolina.

Plus Facebook's problems, President Obama's High School Yearbook, and Bain Capital.

This week's Newsbusted.

TO E:  THIS IS SATIRE!!!!




Wednesday's Hero: Rear Adm. David Boone & Col. Paul Montanas


Rear Adm. David Boone & Col. Paul Montanas

Rear Adm. David Boone & Col. Paul Montanas

U.S. Navy

U.S. Marines

Rear Adm. David Boone, Naval District Washington director of shore readiness, talks with Col. Paul Montanas, Marine Barracks Washington commander, before a 4x100 meter relay at the 2012 Washington D.C. Special Olympics. Leaders from each branch of the military and Department of Defense ran with athletes as part of Military Day during the day's events.


Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy taken by Sr. Airman Steele C. G. Britton

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.



Wednesday Hero Logo


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

PatriotUSA needs YOUR help: Vote for Copious Gasser

I received this from Rick of Patriot's Corner.  A fine blogger and blog.  A call for voting for Patriot's Corner.  Take the time and vote for him.

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Seems like I have gotten myself into a bit of jam by nominating a rather new site to be in the running in regard to win this contest; Who Is the Coolest SOB In The Conservative Blogosphere Award.  And no, I purposely DID NOT asked for Patriot's Corner to be tossed into the contest as I am here for other reasons. It is not about number of hits, visits, Rule 5 babes, etc. for me or my site. One thing CG mentioned is that my site is pretty serious and yes, it is. We live in very serious, dangerous times times. 
Those of you who do know me and have been around since the beginning know that I can be extremely mean, sarcastic, rude and a real SOB to those who I do not like for various libreal, communist, socialist, progressive statist reasons. Bring me an environazi, far left hippie fairie freak loser, followers of the death cult of islam, gun hating moron or those who drink the Kool Aid and see how they are treated by me.
BTW CG, I do have natural snark but choose to use it  judiciously and wisely. Nothing wrong with what you do at all or I would not be pimping your sites for votes, right? Just because you kind of threatened me has nothing to do with this post.
This contest was started several weeks ago by another blogger called Conservative BC who you can find here at I'm41.com. I came across this site called Copious Gasser. I cannot remember how I ended up at CG's site but it is pretty funny place. CG is not beyond attacking, snarking, slashing and beating anyone's site, comments or emails they post or send to him. Oh yeah, now I remember how I ended up at CG's; I sent him an email asking to be added to his blogroll. Foolish person that he is complied with my request and it has been downhill, sideways and quite entertaining from there to here. 
OK, OK, I am getting to the main point. After discovering this contest I asked Conservative BC to add Copious Gasser to his contest and he did so at midnight last night. So now CG expects, no, is demanding that I promote his site here to help him gets as many votes as possible in this contest for the SOB award. After some email exchanges and rather rude treatment by CG, I can, without any doubts, assure all of you that CG is not only worthy of this award but he is an equal opportunity SOB  (no one, I mean no one is safe and that is just one reason that he one awesome, a finely tuned SNARK MACHINE) and right up in the top five SOB's on the blogosphere as far as I see it..
The competition is very heavy and there are a lot of great, big gun blogs competing in this contest so I, PatriotUSA have come begging, empty beer bottles in hand to beg, no whine and grovel for any and all of you to go over and vote for Copious Gasser. NO back stabbing on your votes. I am counting on each and every one of you to help Copious Gasser and me out with your votes for him. You must vote for CG and that is all there is to it. If he does not fare well in this contest, each one of us will pay a steep and painful price from his revenge and paybacks, especially yours truly. After all, CG is one fine SOB, master of snark and mayhem.
I must add a note of warning and caution here. There is a thing called Rule 5 which always involves images of scantily clad or fully naked ladies and these are usually hidden behind an icon of some sort. Copious Gasser's site has Rule 5 babes as do many of the other sites that are in the running for this award. I see nothing wrong with this and CG is quite up front about Rule 5 in his disclaimer which everyone should read. CG also will put Rule 5 images of men for the ladies or perhaps the queers that may wander over to his site. Rule 5 is one sure way to bring a ton of hits, visits to your site, nothing wrong with this. Many great, Conservative, larger sites incorporate Rule 5 and good for them! That said, I have purposely decided NOT TO DO RULE 5 images here at Patriot's Corner. Just my personal choice for my site and the purpose for PC is as mentioned earlier, pretty serious. I do enjoy looking and appreciate the female body and no, I am not frickin' queer so lose than thought right now! These RULE 5 images are NSFW(not suitable for work) so if you open any up, take care where you open them up at!
Here is where you can go to vote and here is where you can find Copious Gasser and Conservative BC.
Vote here!!! Now, and that is an order. Voting only goes to June 5th so time is of the essence!

Voting Now Open — Coolest SOB In The Conservative Blogosphere Award

 

 

 I'm41 BC's great site in case you want to just check him out.

OK CG, here it is and I hope you will get off my case now. You snark and threat has totally wrecked my beer and whiskey inventory. Now I HAVE TO go to the store, damn it. Just one more way CG can get to you and he should really pay me for this post. I am sure he will and it will not be pretty.

Can I Say That?

Pat Condell's latest rant on Saudi Arabia.







Small Asteroid Buzzes Earth Today




Newly-discovered asteroid 2012 KT42 is flying past Earth today (May 29th) only ~14,000 km above the planet's surface. This means 2012 KT42 will actually fly inside the Clark Belt of geosynchronous satellites. The 3- to 10-meter wide asteroid ranks # 6 on the top 20 list of closest-approachers to Earth. According to the asteroid's orbit, there is no danger of a collision. Even if it did hit, this space rock is too small to cause significant damage. It would likely disintegrate almost entirely in the atmosphere, peppering the ground below with relatively small meteorites.

Find out more and see the latest pictures at Space Weather.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Two Names on the Wall-Repost and Update /2

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


As I did last Memorial Day, I am re-posting my original article, "Two names on the Wall", in honor of Dorian Houser and Michael Vinassa, two friends from my youth whom we lost in Viet Nam, with an update.

  
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2011/05/two-names-on-wall-reposting-and-update.html



Two Names on the Wall- Reposting and Update

What follows is a post I originally put up in December 2007 and re-posted last Memorial Day. There is a brief update at the end.

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I've been thinking about what kind of posting I would put up to mark Memorial Day. I finally decided to re-post an essay I originally put up in December 2007 in connection with the Viet Nam memorial in Washington DC. It will always be appropriate. I hope you appreciate it.





Dorian Jan Houser (1946-1967)
Michael G Vinassa (1946-1966)



The recent news that someone had defaced the Viet Nam War Memorial in Washington served to bring back my memories of two of my childhood friends whose names appear on that wall. Mike Vinassa and Dorian Houser were both from west Los Angeles, where I also grew up. We belonged to the same high school social club. All three of us entered military service after high school. I was assigned to Germany; they were sent to Viet Nam. I returned and went on with the rest of my life. They died in Viet Nam. Forty years later, with our country once again at war and American soldiers sacrificing their lives for America, we should also remember those that gave their lives in Viet Nam.

Dorian

I first knew Dorian in the 1950s. He and his brother, Lee, played on my little league team. Their father was our coach. Later, my relationship with Dory continued in school. In high school, we both belonged to a club called the Chancellors of Venice. As was common in west LA, there were many (off-campus) clubs formed for social purposes. We all had our club jackets, with the name of the club and locale (Venice or WLA) embroidered on the back. The colors of the clubs varied (ours was green). As we ended our high school days, these clubs disbanded as we went our separate ways-off to college, work or military service. In Dory's case, he entered the Marines in 1966, and after training, was sent to Viet Nam. On May 10, 1967, one month before his 21st birthday, he was killed in Quang Tin. He was hit in the chest by shrapnel and killed instantly.

I happened to be home on leave from Germany when we got the news that Dory was dead. I was able to attend his funeral before returning back to Germany. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it after all these years, but I chose not to wear my uniform to the funeral, simply because I was afraid his family might react emotionally to it. I have always regretted that decision.

Dory was the kind of guy that no one could dislike. He was friendly and unassuming. Needless to say, his funeral was a sad and emotional event. In the last couple of years, I have visited his grave a couple of times since my mother-in-law is interred in the same cemetery. About a year ago, I came across a posting about Dory by his sister. She described her brother and was looking for anyone who knew Dory and remembered him. I answered her post, but the email is no longer valid. As yet, I have not been able to contact her.


Mike


Mike Vinassa was also a member of the Chancellors. He was a stout, barrel-chested kid with a big tattoo on his shoulder, something unusual at the time for someone so young (still in high school). Needless to say, he was tough and didn't mind a good fight. Most other kids knew not to mess with him, but among his friends, he was well-liked. I remember one night we were at a party and he wanted to (playfully) roughhouse with me. We started slap-fighting and wrestling on the front yard of the house, and (somehow) I was able to throw him to the ground and fall on top of him. As you may know, innocent roughhousing among teenagers can easily turn into a real fight, and I remember thinking that Mike might suddenly get mad, so I rolled over and let him get on top, thus letting him win the match.

After high school, I went on to complete 2 years of college before I entered the Army. I basically lost touch with Mike and Dory at that time.

I had recently arrived at my post of duty in Germany when I came across Mike's name while reading the Viet Nam obituaries in the Army Times. It wasn't until several months ago that I learned the circumstances of Mike's death, which occurred on May 22, 1966.

Mike was a member of C Co, Ist Bn, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cav Division (US Army). Ironically, Mike was a short-timer, soon to return to the US, and, on that day, assigned to non-combat duties. Yet he insisted on accompanying his unit on a final combat mission in the Vinh Thanh Valley. It was on that final mission, that Mike lost his life-under heroic conditions. He personally led a group of his comrades in charging and taking out a machine gun nest that was pinning down his unit, but was fatally shot in the process. For his actions, Mike was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His sole survivor was his mother.

In subsequent years, I have been able to find both their names on the Viet Nam Memorial. (I was living in the Washington area at the time.) As stated, I have visited Dory's grave, but as yet, have not identified Mike's cemetery. When I look back at my life after the Army, I contemplate how I finished college, began my career, got married, had children, retired, and now find myself in my 60s. But as I looked down on Dory's grave, I realized that he and Mike are frozen in time-forever 20 years old. I wonder what became of their parents, the rest of the families.

In a sense, today's soldiers are more fortunate than those who went to Viet Nam. The overwhelming majority of the American people greatly respect them (with the notable exception of the usual mindless idiots who are not worth further mention in this essay). Soldiers returning from Viet Nam were often subject to dispicable treatment from those of their own generation who did everything they could to avoid military service. Once the Viet Nam War ended, the country wanted to forget about it as quickly as possible-after all, it was just a tragic period in our history. We also forgot about our Viet Nam veterans who came back alive-in so many cases, as walking wounded. They deserved so much better from us. They are still among us, and in many cases, still wounded.

All of us who lost friends or family members in Viet Nam should try to keep their memories alive and honor them. God rest their souls.

Michael G Vinassa- Panel 07E, line 104
Dorian Jan Houser- Panel 19E, line 082

Update:

My original post was discovered on the internet by Dory's sister, who was naturally shocked and deeply touched. She currently lives in central California. We exchanged a couple of e-mails. I learned that Dory's dad had passed on, but that his brother was still around and doing fine.

I finally discovered that Mike was interred at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. As yet, I have not gotten up there to visit his grave, but I will. I learned from a mutual childhood friend that Mike's father had been killed in the Korean war. Mike was all his Mom had.
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Update:

Last year, I was finally able to pay my respects at Mike's grave at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills. Even though I was able to obtain the grave marker and a map from the office, finding graves at Forest Lawn proved to be tricky since the little stone markers they use to give row and plot numbers are worn. (I was also looking for my aunt's grave, but never could find it.) In addition, there was a driving rainstorm. It took over 30 minutes, but I finally find Mike's grave. His Mom, who lost Mike's father in Korea, now lies next to him.  Because of the weather, I wasn't able to linger long. The next time I am in LA, I will try and return.

Last year, I was also contacted by a high school friend of Dory's (whom I had not known). He also served in Viet Nam, was living in Florida, and was trying to find where Dory was buried. I was able to give him the information he needed, plus put him in contact with Dory's sister. He is determined to come to California and pay his respects to Dory in the near future.

One way or another and to one extent or another, our generation was marked by Viet Nam, whether we served there or not. For Dory, Mike, 58,000+ other Americans and millions of
Vietnamese, the scar was total. In addition, we still have survivors among us from World War II, the Korean War, and the wars since Vietnam, not to mention that still on-going in Afghanistan. This is why Memorial Day is an important day for us all. If we ever forget their sacrifices, then we will have lost our greatness.


Remembering Their Sacrifice!



On other National holidays the nation takes to the streets in joyous celebration.  On Memorial Day we are to take time to remember and mourn those men and women who gave their lives for this country.  So many did over the years.


War Dead Wounded
Revolutionary 25,000 25,000
1812 20,000 4,505
Mexican-American 13,283 4,152
Civil 624,511 281,881
Spanish-American 2,446 1,622
Philippine-American 4,196 2,930
World War 1 116,516 204,002
World War 2 405,399 670,846
Korea 36,516 92,134
Vietnam 58,209 153,303
Gulf 258 849
Afghanistan 1,803 31,965
Iraq 4,477 41,936
Totals 1,312,614 1,515,125


We should pause and remember them.  But instead most Americans will go to sales in malls, go to the beach and have cook outs.

The sacrifice these men gave entitles these Americans to do that.  It is our Freedoms and the Freedom of the world that they sacrificed their lives.  The liberation of Europe, not once but twice.  The liberation of Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and Afghanistan from the Taliban.  The Freedom of Cuba from Spain, the Philippines, the Battle of New Orleans and Brooklyn Heights.  They sacrificed at Shiloh, and Gettysburg.  The Wilderness and Fredricksberg.  And the nation they fought for survived and thrived.

To the families of those who have died:  Thank You.  There is no monetary settlement, no honors we can give you to heal the pain.






Sunday, May 27, 2012

Shavuot 2012



Since this is a day for dairy food here is a favorite recipe of mine:
Classic Cheese Blintzes

Blintzes are a traditional dish for the holiday of Shavuot. Top with sour cream, apple sauce or cinnamon and sugar.

BATTER
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. oil

CHEESE FILLING I
1/2 pound farmer cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
4 Tbsps. honey or maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk

CHEESE FILLING II
1 pound cottage cheese, strained
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsps. flour
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla sugar
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

USE: 7 inch skillet
YIELDS: 12 blintzes

BATTER: In a large mixer bowl combine eggs, milk, water and blend well. Gradually add flour, then both sugars, salt and oil. Beat well until there are no lumps in the batter.

FILLING I: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat well. Or combine all the ingredients in a blender container and blend until smooth.

FILLING II: Combine all ingredients, except raisins, in a bowl and beat well. Or all the ingredients can be combined in a blender container and blended until smooth. Then add raisins.

TO ASSEMBLE CREPES:

1. Prepare batter and filling of your choice. Using a paper towel or basting brush, apply a thin coating of oil to a 7 inch skillet. Place skillet over medium heat until skillet is hot but not smoking.

2. Ladle approximately 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Tilt pan to swirl the batter so it covers the bottom of the skillet.

3. Fry on one side until small air bubbles form, and top is set. Bottom should be golden brown. When done, carefully loosen edges of crepe and slip out of skillet onto a plate..

4. Repeat the above procedure until all the batter is used. Grease the skillet as needed..

5. Turn each crepe so that golden brown side is up. Place 3 tablespoons of filling on one edge in a 2 1/2 inch long by 1-inch wide mound..

6. Roll once to cover filling. Fold the sides into the center and continue rolling until completely closed..

7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet and place each crepe seam side down in the skillet and fry 2 minutes on each side, turning once.

VARIATION: Whole wheat pastry flour can be used instead of white flour.

It is OK to buy the frozen blintzes too. Easier to make.



Shavuot - The Day that Shook the World



Why Does the MSU at UC Irvine Call Michael Oren a War Criminal?

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





Michael Oren
Israeli ambassador to the US


In February of 2010, the Israeli ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, came to speak to a largely Jewish audience at UC Irvine. The UCI's Muslim Student Union, an organization that has brought a bad reputation to UCI for a decade, was also there. They did not come to listen, however. They came to disrupt. When it was over, UCI was once again in the international spotlight.

During the recent week of anti-Israel diatribes at UC Irvine hosted by the Muslim Student Union, I twice had the opportunity to ask four members of the so-called "Irvine 11" why they could not extend the same right of free speech to their opponents that they were enjoying themselves. One of the reasons given was that the Israeli ambassador (Michael Oren) whom they had disrupted at UC Irvine in 2010, was "nothing less than a war criminal".

Really?

Michael Oren, who is the current Israeli ambassador to the US, was actually born in the US to a Jewish family, but later emigrated to Israel, where he served with the Israeli Defense Forces. His bio is here on Wikipedia.

So Oren served in a theater of combat with the IDF (Lebanon). Does that make him a war criminal? Not in my eyes, but to the one-sided view of Israel's enemies and the MSU, it seems just the mere fact that Oren served with the IDF in combat against the terrorists (and those always charming Syrians) who are trying to destroy Israel makes him a war criminal. You know the line; genocide against the Palestinians (whose population keeps exploding notwithstanding the "genocide"), apartheid, etc.

This is not to say that some soldiers never commit war crimes. They do, but a decent nation (like Israel) has a system of justice to deal with those things-something that Hamas, Hezbollah and all the rest lack.

So what specific action did Oren commit that makes him a "war criminal"? It is true that during the Israeli incursion into Lebanon, the infamous massacres at the Shatila and Sabra refugee camps took place committed by Lebanese Phalangists in 1982. Israel was accused of allowing the massacre to take place since the area was under their occupation. Even if that is true, does that make Oren or every IDF soldier in Lebanon at that time a war criminal? Oren was also a media relations officer for the IDF during the 2006 war against Hezbollah and the 2008-09 fighting in Gaza. That and his current position as ambassador, make him a "war criminal" since he defends Israel's "war crimes".

According to the MSU.

I also take note that these reckless accusations are being thrown around by young men who have never served their country in uniform. What do they know of these things? Not even I would be so careless to throw that charge around although I have served the US Army in uniform-but not in a combat theater. I would be very cautious in calling someone a war criminal.

But to the former UCI students and MSU members, caution or facts mean nothing. Oren served in combat against Israel's enemies, gave the media Israel's version of the conflicts in 2006 and 2008-09, and now serves as Israel's ambassador. Thus, he is a "war criminal".

But who are the war criminals involved in the 2006 abduction, torture and murder of two Israeli border guards in 2006-which led to the fighting?

Who are the war criminals who send missiles from Gaza into Southern Israel, which sparked the 2008-09 Gaza conflict?

Who are the war criminals who snuck into the Fogel family home in Itimar and massacred an entire family including three children? Who are the war criminals who danced in the streets and passed out sweets in honor of the so-called "soldiers" who committed that horrific act? Apparently, slitting the throat of a months-old infant as it sleeps in its crib is not a war crime-it is an act of "heroic resistance", just as sending men and women into buses and pizza parlors to blow themselves up is not a war crime, but an act of "heroic resistance". Shooting rockets into Israeli schoolyards is not a war crime. It is "heroic resistance".

This past month, four arrogant young men told an audience that if the Israeli ambassador came back to speak at UCI, they would be there to disrupt him again.....because he is "war criminal". They spoke without disruption, but could not face the fact that they had denied that courtesy-that right- to the Israeli ambassador.

I suggest these four young men and the other seven who took part in that disgraceful disruption that gave UCI such a bad name take a few years off and serve their own country in uniform, as Oren did. It would be an education for them.

One they never got at UCI.






Saturday, May 26, 2012

You Never Leave A Friend In The Field!

That is taught to every IDF soldier.  Whether dead or alive, your buddy, your friend, your fellow soldier will be brought back.  Thus when climbing Mount Everest Nadav Ben-Yehuda saw his friend Aydin Irmak, and American of Turkish origin dying he didn't think twice and turned around just 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the summit and saved Irmak's life.  Thus fulfilling the mitzvah of hatzoloh nefashot – saving a life.


An Israeli who rescued a distressed climber on Mount Everest instead of pushing onward to the summit said Friday that the man he helped, an American of Turkish origin, is like a brother to him.

Nadav Ben-Yehuda, who was climbing with a Sherpa guide, came across Aydin Irmak near the summit last weekend. In that chaotic period, four climbers died on their way down from the summit amid a traffic jam of more than 200 people who were rushing to reach the world's highest peak as the weather deteriorated.

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Ben-Yehuda, 24, appeared proud that Irmak, 46, had made it to the summit, noting that he is one of a small number of "Turkish" climbers to reach the top. Irmak left Turkey for New York more than two decades ago, but remains proud of his Turkish heritage. The friendship stands in contrast to the political tension between Turkey and Israel, which were once firm allies.

"Aydin, wake up! Wake up!" Ben-Yehuda recalled saying when he found his friend in the darkness. The American, he said, had been returning from the summit but collapsed in the extreme conditions, without an oxygen supply, a flashlight and a rucksack. Ben-Yehuda, who developed a friendship with Irmak before the climb, had delayed his own ascent by a day in hopes of avoiding the bottleneck of climbers heading for the top.

There have been periodic tales of people bypassing stricken climbers as they seek to fulfill a lifelong dream and reach the summit of Everest, but Ben-Yehuda said his decision to abandon his goal of reaching the top and help Irmak was "automatic," even though it took him several minutes to recognize his pale, gaunt friend.

"I just told myself, `This is crazy.' It just blew my mind," Ben-Yehuda said. "I didn't realize he was up there the whole time. Everybody thought he had already descended."

The Israeli carried Irmak for hours to a camp at lower elevation. Both suffered frostbite and some of their fingers were at risk of amputation. Ben-Yehuda lost 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in his time on the mountain, and Irmak lost 12 kilograms (26 pounds), said Hanan Goder, Israel's ambassador in Nepal. Goder had dinner with the pair after their ordeal.

"They really have to recover mentally and physically," Goder said. "They call each other, `my brother.' After the event that they had together, their souls are really linked together now."

The ambassador said the rescue was a "humanitarian" tale that highlighted the friendship between Israelis and Turks at a personal level, despite the deteriorating relationship between their governments. One of the key events in that downward, diplomatic spiral was an Israeli raid in 2010 on a Turkish aid ship that was trying to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of eight Turkish activists and a Turkish-American.

The Jerusalem Post, which reported that Ben-Yehuda would have been the youngest Israeli to reach Everest's summit, spoke to Irmak by telephone during the dinner that Goder hosted.

"I don't know what the hell is going on between the two countries," the newspaper quoted Irmak as saying. "I don't care about that. I talked to his (Ben-Yehuda's) family today and I told them you have another family in Turkey and America."

Ben-Yehuda, who spoke to the AP just before leaving Nepal for urgent medical treatment in Israel, said he could not say with certainty how he would have reacted if he had come across a stricken climber he did not know. Oxygen is in such short supply and the conditions are so harsh, he said, that people on the mountain develop a kind of tunnel vision.

"You just think about breathing, about walking, about climbing," he said. According to Ben-Yehuda, the fundamental questions going through the mind of a climber heading for the peak are: "Are you going to make it?" and "When is the right time to turn back?"

And once a climber begins the descent, the all-embracing question becomes: "How fast can I go down?"

Ben-Yehuda said his military training in Israel helped shape his reflexive decision to rescue Irmak. "You never leave a friend in the field," he said.

Source
It is fitting that this story happened this week.  For tonight starts the Jewish Holiday of Shavuot.  Now Shavuot celebrates G-d giving the People of Israel (and the world through them) the Torah.

From Chabad:
The Torah was given by G‑d to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai more than 3300 years ago. Every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of G‑d’s gift, and G‑d “re-gives” the Torah.

The word Shavuot means “weeks.” It marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot.

The giving of the Torah was a far-reaching spiritual event—one that touched the essence of the Jewish soul for all times. Our sages have compared it to a wedding between G‑d and the Jewish people. Shavuot also means “oaths,” for on this day G‑d swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to Him.

The holiday of Shavuot is a two-day holiday, beginning at sundown of the 5th of Sivan and lasting until nightfall of the 7th of Sivan. (In Israel it is a one-day holiday, ending at nightfall of the 6th of Sivan.)
  • Women and girls light holiday candles to usher in the holiday, on both the first and second evenings of the holidays.
  • It is customary to stay up all night learning Torah on the first night of Shavuot.
  • All men, women and children should go to the synagogue on the first day of Shavuot to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments.
  • As on other holidays, special meals are eaten, and no “work” may be performed.
  • It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Among other reasons, this commemorates the fact that upon receiving the Torah, including the kosher laws, the Jewish people could not cook meat in their pots, which had yet to be rendered kosher.
  • On the second day of Shavuot, the Yizkor memorial service is recited.
  • Some communities read the Book of Ruth publicly, as King David—whose passing occurred on this day—was a descendant of Ruth the Moabite.
What Judaism gave to the world is a conscience.  The knowledge of right from wrong.  The Golden Rule.  And the world has hated Judaism and Jews for it ever since.  It was the teaching of Judaism and Jewish Law that made Nadav Ben-Yehuda turn away from a lifetime goal and save his friend.


Friday, May 25, 2012

Faisal Abdul Rauf on Hannity

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



Wednesday night, Sean Hannity interviewed the Ground Zero mosque imam, Faisal Abdul Rauf on his Fox News show. Rauf, as always, came across as the kind, gentle man who abhors violence. Just as he did when I saw him last year at UCLA, his theme is that we, as Jews, Muslims and Christians, must stand together against the extremists of our religions, which begs the question as to which Jews and Christians are committing all the acts of terror in the world. Oh, sure. Terry Jones burns Qurans, and Charles Worley wants to put gays behind walls, but really. Is there any comparison with all the horror that is going on around the world in the name of Rauf's religion? Below is what Discover the Networks has to say about Rauf:

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2462

Hannity is really starting to understand the threat, and he cross-examined Rauf about his post-9-11 statements on 60 Minutes about American policies being "an accessory" to 9-11. Rauf apologized and said he was wrong to say it.

Here is a transcript of the 60-Minute interview of Rauf and three others conducted by Ed Bradley.

http://www.islamfortoday.com/60minutes.htm

When I saw the video clip of that interview last night, I thought I recognized the man sitting next to Rauf. Sure enough. It was none other than Siraj Wahhaj, an imam from Brooklyn, who tries to pose as a moderate when non-Muslims are around. However, the audios from his Brooklyn mosque paint a different figure, one who refers to arming black ex-convicts in the inner city with AK-47s and other incendiary statements about Jihad. Wahhaj was listed as a possible unindicted co--conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York and actually testified as a character witness for the Blind Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman in his terrorism trial.  Too bad Hannity wasn't armed with those facts and able to ask Rauf what he is doing sharing a stage with Wahhaj.

Oh yeah. Guilt by association. Sorry.

Last year at UCLA, Rauf used his soft-spoken charm to wow an audience of academics with his usual message. Sitting in front of me was a 30-something lady who was in the throes of ecstasy as she groaned and nodded assent to Rauf's honey-coated declarations as he shared the stage with the arrogant young Reza Aslan. Later outside, an older gentleman (who I think was Jewish) told me that the whole world should be Islamic with everyone living under Sharia law so we won't have any reason to fight anymore. (I didn't ask him whether he wanted to be Sunni or Shia.)

To me, figures like Rauf are far more dangerous than the obvious radicals like Alim Abdul Musa and Amir Abdel Malik Ali. They don't put on a false face. They tell you what their agenda is. Rauf is a con man who fools people. much like our local Orange County imam Muzammil Siddiqi. In police jargon, it's kind of like, "good cop, bad cop".

Please They Will Murder Me!

Is the plea of a Muslim Palestinian from Nablus to the High Court of Justice Thursday.  What was this poor man's crime?  Spying for Israel?  No.  Being a member of Hamas?  No.  Being a member of Fatah?  No.  Being gay?  Yes.  He is a gay Palestinian and Muslim.  A death sentence in the Muslim world.
A homosexual Palestinian man petitioned the High Court of Justice Thursday against Interior Minister Eli Yishai and the public committee reviewing humanitarian cases at the Interior Ministry following their decision to reject his appeal for legal residency status in Israel.

According to the petitioner, his request was denied despite indication of special humanitarian circumstances and therefore violates the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law. In his petition, the man also requested that the court issue an edict preventing authorities from deporting him until the court rules on his matter.

The petitioner, a Muslim Palestinian from Nablus who grew up in Israel until the age of six, said he is an openly gay man, whose sexual orientation is well known in the West Bank and was even reported in the Palestinian media.

He further noted that he has been living in Tel Aviv with his Israeli partner for many years, and that the two had signed a domestic partnership agreement over a decade ago.

According to the petitioner, if he is deported back to the Palestinian Authority, his life would be in danger.

He claimed that he has been arrested and beaten by the Palestinian police due to his sexual orientation in the past, and that his family has disowned him and warned him against returning to Nablus.

After a long wait, the petitioner was informed last October that the chairman of the committee, Minister Yishai, has decided to deny his request – a decision the petitioner is claiming discriminates against same sex couples.

Source
To Muslims Homosexuality is a sin punishable by death.  Hundreds of Muslims living in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza have fled to Israel in fear for their lives.  In fact every stereotype of being gay is exploited.  For instance it is widely believed that all male hairdressers are gay.  Therefore no man can be a hairdresser.   Or that idiot Ahmadinejad's statement to the world that there are no gays in Iran.  That is somewhat true.  They have killed so many.


Yep.  No gays here.  Just dead gays.

In Israel the LGBT community is open.  They live openly, they serve in the IDF, they can adopt.  Although gay marriage is not performed in Israel, if a couple marries in a nation in which gay marriage is allowed, their marriage is accepted by the State of Israel.  Gay partners have the same rights as non-gay partners.  While the US persecuted gays in the military, then implemented  "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  The IDF had the policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Give A Damn!"  They serve, and many in combat units too.

Yet the majority of the LGBT side with the Muslims of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and not with Israel.  Hamas and the PA both execute gays and lesbians for the crime of Homosexuality.  But American, Canadian and European Gays work towards the destruction of Israel.  They are leaders in the BDS movement.  They are always in the forefront of Fakistinian parades against Israel.

The next time one of these useful idiots yell at you ask them how many people turned out for the Gay Pride Parade in Gaza?  Answer:  0  They don't have one.  Then ask them how many turned out for the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem?  Answer:  More than 5,000.  Then ask why only Turkey has a Gay Pride Parade and no other Muslim nation has one?  Ask them why try to destroy the only Middle East nation that accepts their gay and lesbian children?  They will never answer that question.

I do hope the High Court elects to grant this poor man asylum in Israel.  He has been in Israel for 10 years, in a loving relationship and has committed no crime.  He is what is good in the region and deserves life.

Jerusalem Gay and Proud

Thursday, May 24, 2012

On This Date

3 Silvan

Yahrtzeit of David "Mickey" Marcus (1902-1948), an American Jew who volunteered to fight for the Israeli army in the 1948 War of Independence. Marcus was a tough Brooklyn street kid who attended West Point and then law school. In World War II, Marcus rose to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army, where he helped draw up surrender terms for Italy and Germany. While serving in the occupation government in Berlin, he was responsible for clearing out the Nazi death camps, and then as chief of the War Crimes Division, where he helped arrange the Nuremberg trials. Seeing the Jewish suffering first-hand, Marcus became a committed Zionist, and in 1947 he volunteered to help secure the Jewish settlements which were under attack from hostile Arabs. Marcus designed a command structure for Israel's new army and wrote manuals to train it. His most famous achievement was ordering the construction of the "Burma Road," a winding mountainous path which allowed Jewish convoys to reach Jerusalem and relieve the Arab siege. Tragically, on the day that the war's cease-fire took effect, Marcus was mistakenly shot by a Jewish guard. His story became the subject of a movie, Cast a Giant Shadow, starring Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner.



Cast a Giant Shadow trailer 1966



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Wednesday's Hero: Companions For Heroes




Companions For Heroes

Companions For Heroes

This week, Wednesday Hero is profiling another great nonprofit organization called Companions For Heroes(formerly Pets 2 Vets or P2V). C4H rescues animals from shelters and pairs them with service members, police, firefighters and first responders suffering from physical wounds as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). All free of charge. Head over and check them out and make a donation, if you're able to, volunteer your time or you can let them know of a hero who's in need of their help.

You can "Like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.


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.


Wednesday Hero Logo

Monday, May 21, 2012

Jerusalem: The Media Myth of Two Cities



Yesterday was Yom Yerushaleyim, Jerusalem Day.  The day the city of Jerusalem was reunited after 19 years of being separated in 2.  Between the years 1948 and 1967, 19 years, Jordan control the Old City of Jerusalem.  And Jordan violated every agreement that was arraigned for Jews and Christians to visit their holy sites.  In fact the Jordanian Army destroyed every synagogue and even built latrines along the Kotel (Western Wall).  Jordanian men and so-called Palestinians lined up to urinate along this holy site.  (They now claim it as their own.  They said Muhammad [May He Rot In Hell] peed there or something like that.)  Hundreds of Jewish families who had lived in what the Media calls "Arab East Jerusalem" fled for their lives and were not able to return to their homes for 19 years.  Yet the media continues the lie that the city needs to be cut in half.

Yesterday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said:
“We will protect Jerusalem, because Israel without Jerusalem is like a body without a heart,” the prime minister said. “On this hill, 45 years ago, the united heart of our people began to beat again, with full power. Our heart will never be divided again.”
One city, never divided.

It is with that in mind that Honest Reporting has produced the following video:



The history of Jerusalem did not start in 1967. Thousands of years of Jewish history took place in what is now called "Arab East Jerusalem."

Only when the Jewish residents were driven from their homes in 1948 was the city divided between East and West.

This video shows the reality of Jerusalem today and includes interviews from survivors of the fall of Jerusalem. To discuss the issue of Jerusalem, join our Facebook Group "The History of Jerusalem Did Not Start in 1967."

To read more about the issue of Jerusalem, check out the Jerusalem resources section of the HonestReporting website: http://www.honestreporting.com.

Come to Jerusalem with us in July, meet Jerusalem expert Lee Glassman, and see the places shown in this video.

Click the mission page http://www.honestreporting.com/mission for more info.
JERUSALEM: ONE CITY, 
NEVER TO BE DIVIDED!!!!! 





Monkey Attacks A Mosque...Israel To Blame

Hat Tip to Holger Awakens

Well the Saudis haven't blamed Israel yet, but they will given their past history and a bit of time.
A packed Saudi mosque plunged into pandemonium after a money found its way inside and attacked worshippers just as they were about to kneel down for their daily prayers, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom said on Sunday.

Hundreds of people have converged on the mosque in the western town of Taif for their evening prayers and lined up behind the preacher when the monkey jumped into the lines and attacked them.

"They stopped their prayers to chase the monkey…after a few minutes, they failed to catch it and the monkey succeeded in fleeing outside the mosque,” Sabq daily said without mentioning where the monkey had come from.

Source
Welcome to the Mossad zoo of agents Mike Moshe the Monkey.  So far as we can tell Agent Mike Moshe is still alive and still preparing his next action.  I'm just waiting for the report that the Saudis have captured this agent.  He is described as a monkey wearing a Kippur.

Mike Moshe the Monkey
If you see this monkey, run.  He is armed and dangerous.


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Oh Jerusalem!

Starting tonight and continuing all through Sunday (until sunset) Israel and the Jewish people will be celebrating the 45th anniversary of the reunification of the City of David, Jerusalem.


On Saturday night and Sunday Israelis will celebrate Jerusalem Day, which marks the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six Day War after 19 years of Jordanian rule in half of the city.

Synagogues were full Saturday night as many Israelis held special, festive prayer sessions in honor of the 45th anniversary of the capital’s reunification.

The government will hold a special session Sunday at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, which was the site of some of the Six Day War’s fiercest battles. During the session the government will vote on a series of motions aimed to develop Jerusalem in terms of tourism, economy and more.

One of the motions is the development of Ammunition Hill at a cost of 20 million shekels.

At 3 p.m. the annual Jerusalem Day march will take place in and around the Old City. Later in the afternoon the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem will host the main Jerusalem Day celebrations. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, ministers, and members of Knesset are expected to be in attendance.

Source
For the last decade the Fakistinians have tried to destroy any link Jews have to the City of David.  Yet written non-Jewish sources from the Greeks, Romans to the Crusaders and Ottomans, finally to the British have all called Jerusalem the City of David, the City of the Jews.  One can lie about the truth, but the facts dispels the lies.

Jerusalem, the city which Barack Hussein Obama would cut in half to please the Muslim world, will never be divided again.  Too many Jewish lives were given for that to ever happen.


Ofra Haza - Yerushalaim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold)


Lyrics

The mountain air is clear as water
The scent of pines around
Is carried on the breeze of twilight,
And tinkling bells resound.

The trees and stones there softly slumber,
A dream enfolds them all.
So solitary lies the city,
And at its heart -- a wall.

Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.

The wells ran dry of all their water,
Forlorn the market square,
The Temple Mount dark and deserted,
In the Old City there.

And in the caverns in the mountain,
The winds howl to and fro,
And no-one takes the Dead Sea highway,
That leads through Jericho.

Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.

But as I sing to you, my city,
And you with crowns adorn,
I am the least of all your children,
Of all the poets born.

Your name will scorch my lips for ever,
Like a seraph's kiss, I'm told,
If I forget thee, golden city,
Jerusalem of gold.

Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.

The wells are filled again with water,
The square with joyous crowd,
On the Temple Mount within the City,
The shofar rings out loud.

Within the caverns in the mountains
A thousand suns will glow,
We'll take the Dead Sea road together,
That runs through Jericho.

Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.
One City Never To Be Divided Again!!!!    JERUSALEM!!!!



Saturday, May 19, 2012

"Zionist Jew": Anti-Semitic?

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



The appearance of radical Oakland imam Amir Abdel Malik Ali at UC Irvine last week and yet another reference to "Zionist Jews" (This time he called UC president Mark Yudof a "Zionist Jew") raises a question over the use of the term itself. Ali defends his use of the term as differentiating between Jews in general and those who either live in or support the Jewish state of Israel. He will tell you (as he told me last week) that not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews.  This takes us back to May 2010 at UCI when he told a Jewish questioner, "You Jews. You wouldn't sit down for tea and crumpets with the Nazis.....Y'all the new Nazis."






There is an old saying that it is not what you say but how you say it. I think that certainly applies to the use of the very term "Jew". Today in Germany, the term "Jude" is still an emotion-laden word. During the Third Reich, Nazis didn't have to use slurs and epithets to refer to Jews, they simply used the word "Jude". In most cases, they literally spit out the word, much like Ali does when he says, "Zionist Jews". In addition, the word Jew can be used in a pejorative way in English if used in a certain tone. Even when I use the word (or Jewish), I am conscious of the tone and context in which I use it. I think the same situation exists in other languages and would bet the farm in Arabic.

What Ali is engaging in is code language. To Israel's opponents, Zionism is considered a bad thing. Ali thinks as long as he puts that adjective "Zionist" in front of  "Jew", it is OK. As an African-American, Ali knows all about code language since it has been used for ages against African-Americans. If some white racist gets in front of a microphone and starts railing against "welfare queens", everyone knows what he is talking about.

Of course, on both sides of an argument, we can see references to "code" that may or may not be justified. Ali and his friends will tell you that using "Zionist" isn't really code language at all, nor is the term, "pro-Israel lobby". Yet many of them will tell you that the expression "cutting taxes' is now code language for racism directed at African-Americans (which, in my view, is nonsense and, in its own way, insulting to African-Americans).

Ali might want to consider why he never uses the term, "Zionist Christians" (at least I have never heard it from him). If not all Zionists are Jews, then surely he must think that some are Christians who support the notion that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state (like me, for instance).



"Fousesquawk is a straight-up Zionist Christian."


Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?

Even if Ali sincerely believes that his use of the term, Zionist Jew" is not anti-Semitic and not meant to apply to all Jews, he surely is savvy enough to know that his manner in saying it would lead many to believe there is religious animus involved and would offend many Jews, Zionist or not. After all, white Christians know that when referring to other groups like African-Americans and Muslims, offense can be taken very quickly, and (most of us) use our words carefully so as not to offend-even inadvertently. Those rules of etiquette apparently do not apply to Ali or those who invite him to speak on their behalf.

No, on the other hand, the MSU, prior to all their speaking events the past couple of years, have used a verbal disclaimer given at the opening that it is wrong to label anti-Zionism or opposition to Israel as being anti-Semitic. Indeed, they state that they oppose all forms of racial or religious bigotry-including that directed toward members of the Jewish faith.  That apparently opens the doors for speakers like Amir Abdel Malik Ali (and others the UCI MSU has invited through the years like Abdul Alim Musa and Mohammed al-Asi) to step to the microphone and spout their toxic venom. Of course, Ali really offends nobody because he says, "Zionist Jews".

"You can take the Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew."

-Mohammed al Asi at UCI in February 2001

Poor Al Asi forgot to say "Zionist Jew". Well, we can certainly forgive the American-born, Ayatollah-supporting imam from Washington since Nowhere Is It Written, "Zionist" Jew.

As long as we are on the topic of momentous declarations at UCI, we might as well include this jewel from a few years back when Jewish students and community members were complaining about the rhetoric at these same events:

"One person's hate speech is another person's education."


That is what they were reportedly told by a university official.






Muslim Persecution of Christians: April 2012

"The police are also involved in this."

As Easter, one of the highest Christian holidays, comes in April, Christian persecution in Muslim nations—from sheer violence to oppressive laws—was rampant: In Nigeria, where jihadis have expressed their desire to expunge all traces of Christianity, a church was bombed during Easter Sunday, killing some 50 worshipers; in Turkey, a pastor was beaten by Muslims immediately following Easter service and threatened with death unless he converted to Islam; and in Iran, Easter Sunday saw 12 Christians stand trial as "apostates."

The persecution of Christians has come to regions not normally associated with it. As in Nigeria, Muslim militants are now also running amok in Timbuktu, Mali—beheading a Christian leader and threatening other Christians with similar treatment. Sharia law has been imposed, churches are being destroyed, and Christians are fleeing Timbuktu in mass.

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

Church Attacks

Azerbaijan: A church in the Muslim-majority nation has "become the first religious community to be liquidated by a court since the country's harsh new 'Religion Law,' requiring all previously registered religious institutions to re-register, came into force in 2009. Greater Grace Protestant Church in the capital, Baku, "was stripped of its registration at a 15-minute hearing on 25 April. The decision, which was made in the absence of any church representatives, makes any activity by the church illegal and subject to punishment."

Indonesia: Gunmen opened fire on the GKI Yasmin church, causing much damage, in the latest attack on the building, which has been illegally sealed off by authorities since 2008 in response to Muslim demands. Another Protestant church unlawfully sealed off by the authorities—despite meeting all requirements for a permit—was met with violent opposition from Muslims when its members tried to hold a service on the street in front of their sealed-off church building. Muslim residents made death threats, played loud music, and rode a motorcycle through the congregation. A church spokesman said: "We are constantly having to change our location because our existence appears to be unwanted, and we have to hide so that we are not intimidated by intolerant groups… We had hoped for help from the police, but after many attacks on members of the congregation, we see that the police are also involved in this."


Kenya: Two separate grenade attacks on churches took place: 1) Muslims threw grenades into an open-air Christian church gathering, killing a woman and a boy, and wounding some 50 other Christians: Muslims had been holding a meeting near the gathering, and Christians could hear their preachers railing against Christianity right before the attack took place. 2) In a separate incident, a Muslim man pretending to be a worshipper at a church threw three grenades during service, killing a 27-year-old university student and injuring16. The terrorist, who, according to eyewitnesses, appeared to be of Somali origin, "looked uncomfortable and always looked down. He threw three hand grenades and only one exploded. He took off, and he fired in the air three gunshots."

Nigeria: An early morning attack on a Christian church service left at least 16 people dead: Jihadi gunmen on motorcycles stormed Bayero University in the city of Kano Sunday morning during a Catholic mass held in the school's theater hall, hurling improvised explosive devices, and opening fire as people fled. "The attack follows a string of violent incidents against Christians in the predominantly Muslim north."

Sudan: A Christian compound in Khartoum was stormed by a throng of Muslims "armed with clubs, iron rods, a bulldozer and fire," the day after a Muslim leader called on Muslims to destroy "the infidels' church." Shouting "Allahu Akbar!" ["Allah is Greater!"], and "No more Christianity from today on—no more church from today on!" the jihadis stormed the Bible school bookstore, burning Bibles and threatening to kill anyone who tried to resist. "What happened could not be imagined—it was terrible," said an eyewitness. "They burned all furniture of the school and the church as well." As usual, "Police at the compound stood back and did nothing to prevent the mob from vandalizing the compound."

Tunisia: Members of the Christian Orthodox Church in Tunis, one of very few churches in the nation, are being "abused" and receiving "threatening messages." Church members are "living in a state of terror," so much so that the Russian ambassador in Tunis specifically requested the nation's Ministry of Interior to "protect the church." The abuse has gotten to the point where "Salafis covered the cross of the church with garbage bags, and told the church members that they do not wish to see the vision of the Cross anywhere in the Islamic state of Tunisia." Separately, a Muslim burst into a church to deliver a letter from an Islamist party inviting the archpriest to convert to Islam or to take down the church's crosses and pay jizya, the Islamic subjugation tax.


This Week's Latma

This week we hear the New French National Anthem.

Discover a "Secret Cabal" that that threatens Israel's democracy.
Hint:  It's name starts with a K


Adjustments to the French national anthem and Ilana Dayan uncovers a plot





Have A Good Weekend!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Obscene Profits?

The president and those on the left love to vilify the oil companies. With gasoline averaging $3-$4, many Americans play right into that vilification and the resulting hatred of the oil companies for their "obscene" profits. The reality is that the oil companies operate on incredibly slim profit margins.
 
With Mother's Day this past weekend, I got to thinking: What is Hallmark's profit margin on a $5 Mother's Day card? I don't know for certain, but I would be willing to bet that that $5 card costs Hallmark no more than 50 cents to produce.
 
So...what about Hallmark's "obscene profits"?
 
 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

2012 UC Irvine Hate Week Post Mortem

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




"One man's hate speech is another man's education."


Another UC Irvine week of hate against the Jewish state of Israel has wrapped up, and I would like to add a few post-mortem thoughts.

First of all, the return appearance of Amir Abdel Malik Ali and the "triumphant return" of the so-called Irvine 11 (4 of them anyway) pretty much refute the claims that the Olive Tree Initiative at UCI has improved the situation on campus between Jewish and Muslim students.

On the other hand, some of my friends have remarked that the steam seems to have gone out of the Muslim Student Union's Israel Apartheid week. Perhaps, it was the suspension over their disruption of the Oren event in 2010; perhaps, it was the fact that they seem to be bringing back pretty much the same list of speakers with the same tired old message. Attendance appeared to be down, usually 30-50 MSU students, a few curious on-lookers, or other students getting extra credit from their liberal professors to go and listen to the propaganda, as well as some from the community showing support for Israel and provide some sort of intellectual challenges to the lies and exaggerations. Hopefully, the MSU is catching on to the fact that the student body pays hardly any attention to them as they pass by the flagpoles on their way to and from lunch/class. For most students at UCI, the week of events is more an annoyance than anything else. I am not ready to judge this annual event dead yet since another flareup in the Middle East involving Israel will undoubtedly spur the activists back into what they do best-congregate at the flagpoles.

Of course, the campus paper, the New University, maintains its political correctness by this week's coverage, which is on the front page instead of the editorial section, where it belongs.

"Liberation."


"Near the end of Ali’s speech, a Zionist Jew from the crowd yelled out, “We’re not allowed to live in our own country?” Ali’s answer of, “It [Israel] is not your country. " (Emphasis mine)

To summarize the week of events, it was almost the same lineup of speakers we have seen regularly in the past. Boring Ben White, the ever-annoying Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, the misguided Hedy Epstein (who doesn't realize whom she is lending support to), always radical imam Amir Abdel Malik Ali ( who belies the claims of the MSU that they are really a mainstream religious organization that rejects anti-Semitism), and this time, veterans of the Oren disruption, 4 unrepentant young men, who swear if the Israeli ambassador ever returns to UCI, they will be there to disrupt again. To this day, they refuse to acknowledge that Ambassador Oren has a right to speak.

They also do a fair job of limiting opposition comments. First, they set up the old "ask your question, make it pertinent to the speech, be respectful, and return to your seat before your question will be answered." rule for q and a. Then they interrupt to tell you to get to your question. Then they ask you to cease and return to your seat  as soon as they detect you are making a statement. It is, of course, a skillful way of limiting the "dialogue".

I heard a lot of talk last week about suffering, victims, and justice, but of course, it was all on one side. Did anybody mention the slaughter of the Fogel family including 3 children, one a couple of months old? Oh yeah. I did. Nobody was impressed.

Actually, the MSU started off the previous week hosting a lecture by a UCI professor whose name I will leave out because it was almost incomprehensible. The title was "Beyond Speaking Truth to Power" and (I think) had something to do with whether the oppressed should answer their oppressors with words or force. That's pretty much where I got lost. I think the rest of the audience did as well. It was obvious that as the speaker delved deeper and deeper into theory nobody was paying much attention. She referred to some guy named Foucault, who I assume was Michel Foucault, a French philosopher who had a curious hobby of getting tuned up by local gendarmes . I had come hoping to ask a hardball question, but when it was over, I couldn't think of anything to ask. Only a couple of students managed to ask questions. It was painful.

Returning to Hate Week, another low point was after the Epstein speech, in which a white-haired man (probably a professor) with a very strong accent got up and after thanking Epstein, proceeded to make an incoherent attack on the US political (two-party) system. "Nothing is going to change as long as (America) keeps this two-party system." (I am paraphrasing.) Now allow me to repeat for the hundredth time on this blog that I love immigration. I think it does great things for our country, so great that I married an immigrant myself. Yet, when I hear this kind of trash talking about my country from one who is an immigrant (and probably a recent one judging by his English), or just happens to be here, it gets my nationalisttic juices flowing. Flowing as in I wanted to invite the gentleman to return to his own country. Know what I mean?

I was thinking of doing just that, but at the moment, I and couple of others were approached by some crazy white guy in his 30s-40s, who reminded us of  Popeye looking for Bluto. He was clearly not normal and itching for a fight with anyone who happened to be handy. He came up to where we were seated on the steps and showed us one of those maps showing the demographics of Israel at various times and actually put it in front of the face of the young man sitting next to me. At this point, the campus police moved in and told him to get out of our space. We moved away as this nut job engaged in a 5-minute tirade against the cops before he left. At that point, there was no sense in making the campus cops' job harder by telling someone else off.

Ali, for his part, put a new title on his standard stump speech (The Struggle has no Borders). The only new items were a reference to Trayvon Martin and another name added to his ever-growing list of Zionist Jews (UC President Mark Yudof). When I took him to task for the latter, he pointed out that there was a difference between referring to Zionist Jews and simply Jews. After his speech, a questioner pointed out to him his infamous quote from the 2010 appearance at UCI when he told a Jewish questioner, "You Jews. Y'all the new Nazis." That is a direct quote. Yet, Ali denied it saying he always says "Zionist" Jews. Music maestro, please.



At least, Ali has stopped bringing his goons to flank him for "security" as he did in 2006 when he called Rupert Murdoch a "straight up Zionist Jew."

                                                                                                                         



(Pretty intimidating, wouldn't you agree?)

Which brings to mind another thought: What are the rest of the students on campus supposed to think when they see these MSU folks standing around in olive-green t-shirts, Palestinian scarves with the black and white doo-dads (hat tip D. Horowitz), and red bandannas? I mean who are they trying to intimidate?

But back to the speakers because they are the ones who really ought to be ashamed since they cannot use their youthful age as an excuse. Not only did several of them  repeat the same presentations and talking points (Bazian, Omar Shakir, and White) ad nausea, they succeeded many times in losing their own audience including the MSU-the poor kids who dutifully have to attend all these events and listen to the same propaganda every year, plus put up and dismantle that silly apartheid wall every day. It must be exhausting for them, poor lads. Sooner or later, they will wake up to the fact that they are only appealing to the fringe-both students and faculty. Most people in this country are sick and tired of hearing about the so-called "suffering" of the Palestinians. After decades of skyjackings, kidnappings, the Olympics massacre in Munich, the Achille Lauro, Leon Klinghoffer, suicide bombings, massacres, and other assorted murders, as well as dancing in the streets on 9-11, please excuse some of us if we don't care.