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"I learned that in extreme situations when human lives and dignity are at state, neutrality is a sin. It helps the killers, not the victims." Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor who lost his family in the Holocaust - Nobel Prize Author
Socialism - Liberalism Quotation
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened." – Norman Thomas
Jabr Jabran al-Faifi is a former detainee of Guantanamo Bay and an al-Qaeda member. It is believed Jabran provided the tip to the Saudi's of last weeks attempted postal parcel bombings.
The DailyMailUK reports that Saudi-born Jabr Jabran is providing "a wealth of intelligence," after "turning his back" on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
In an extraordinary move, 35-year-old al-Faifi secretly contacted the Saudi authorities from Yemen and a handover was arranged through officials in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
US Defence Department documents say one of his aliases was on a captured computer and that in November-December 2001 he was in the Tora Bora area of Afghanistan where Osama Bin Laden and other senior al-Qaeda and Taliban figures were at one stage trapped.
Jabran was released from Gitmo and sent to Saudi Arabia for "rehabilitation" in December 2006. Later he escaped and fled to Yemen. The "rehabilitation" obviously did not work. The Saudi's say only 11 out of 117 Guantanamo returnees rejoined al-Qaeda.
Content Scrapers: Until I can figure out what to do about your confiscation of my work for your own website, please be sure to give a link back as shown above.
Question for Ground Zero mosque supporters: Do you really believe this mosque at 51 Park will not be an attraction for every radical imam in the country, perhaps becoming the American Mecca? If Anwar al-Awlaki could get back into the U.S. without arrest, do you think he would not burn the trail to 51 Park? Do you think the mosque will not be treated as a trophy, and a proving ground for imams and their rising careers? Are you willing to take the chance of building a 15-story breeding ground where prayers 5 times a days will ring-over the site where American ingenuity once thrived, and Americans died.
For more on "the" mosque, Red at Caught Him with a Corndog has some honest dialog, with her commenters joining the conversation.
The Underpants bomber was aboard Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, the day before Christmas. Ten days later Flight 243 also from Amsterdam to Detroit brought four scary, and rudely disruptive Saudis, all with the last name, all students at the University of Akron, plus one more Saudi man that didn't get suspicious until the flight had descended to 500 feet above ground. The five men went through security and were cleared in Saudi Arabia. They mimicked the Underpants bomber's behavior aboard this flight. Finally via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) there is information about the men - who dropped from the press like a hot rock - likely because you and I have no need to know, and afterall, we wouldn't want to upset Arab communities. See a video below.
Detroit Metro Airport
The Dearborn Underground has a revealing report posted, taken directly from the Transportation Security Administration. First, a few points. These men were released by authorities only a short time after the flight landed. There were four Federal Air Marshalls on the flight. They were unconcerned about the fidgeting men, and one Marshall spent an hour in the cockpit with the Captain in an effort to convince him there was no threat. Presumably after the Captain "agreed" with the Marshall, the Flight Attendants were not convinced, and neither was the pilot as the reports of odd behavior kept rolling in.
The suspicious activity began shortly after takeoff. Passengers and crews endured these men for the entire flight. In the end, the Captain asked for emergency landing privileges, and received permission. On landing at Detroit Metro, the plane was taken a distance from the main airport area, checked and then sent on to the terminal, where the flight was met by authorities. The FBI was absent.
At "1300 hours," fighters were placed on battle stations at Toledo, but did not take off.
The Federal Air Marshall team leader said he was shocked when he learned of the Captain's request for security assistance on landing. The Marshall thought he had changed the Captain's mind.
Suffice it to say, when a Captain fully expects his flight to blow-up on descent, the Captain was not comforted by the Air Marshall. We know that if the Captain makes it safely to the ground, so do the passengers, and this Captain made the decision to err on the safer side. Three thumbs up for this Captain.
The FOIA documents say the four men with the same last name were scattered around the cabin. The fifth man, who has not been identified to be with the other four was sitting away from the other four.
The four men engaged in the behavior we have heard about on so many flights: they were up and down, back and forth to the restrooms, ignored seatbelt warnings, covered their heads completely with blankets, as did Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Their hands were covered and they "fiddled" with something, as did the Underpants bomber. Some of the men also put a coat over their lap, and "fiddled" actively under the coat - enough that the Flight Attendants could easily see that their hands were busy doing something. The video below says Air Marshalls reported that the men spoke "inappropriately."
At one point, a Flight Attendant removed the coat from the passenger and put it in the overhead. With the seatbelt sign on, the passenger got up and retrieved his jacket.
Some went back and forth to the lavatory, at times staying a long length of time, and sometimes not long enough to use the facility.
The fifth Saudi waited until the last minute, when the flight was just 500 feet off the ground, then threw off his seat belt and "ran" to the lavatory...and then right back again - as a Flight Attendant and a Marshall tried to retrieve him after being buckled-up and ready for landing.
To demonstrate the quandary:
Earlier, some FAs passed it off as “college kids acting ‘goofy.’” Then one of them recounts how her mind was changed as the flight was making its final approach to Detroit and the cabin was supposed to be secured for landing:
“...one passenger 42D or 32H got up to go to the bathroom. Passengers [in adjacent other seats] had a coat across their laps and were fiddling with something under their (sic) coat.“
At this time we considered this to be a credible threat and landing the airplane quickly with everyones (sic) help became a higher priority. Preparing for a bomb blast was a higher priority.”
Dearborn Underground has transcripts of pertinent parts of the report along with commentary. The point is that these jokers were quickly released to go on their merry way. The fifth passenger, running down the aisle of the plane at an altitude of 500 feet, wasn't even questioned, let alone detained.
We know that not a single one of us would take part in any of these behaviors - mimicking the Underpants bomber. We know there are things we cannot say or do in public places these days, so where is the disapproval of doing a copycat of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab?
Perhaps this was a dry run, so knowing that is a possibility, and having no way to rule-out the possibility, why are these men's names not on a no-fly list? How about sending a strong, public message to Arab men that Americans are sick of this, and authorities will no longer tolerate the behavior. How about issuing an ultimatum: Try this again, and Marshall's will detain you, cuff you and lock you in a seat until landing is achieved. When you hit the airport you will be heavily, heavily fined and put on the no-fly list for a year. Let's do it.
Five Saudi Males - Suspicious Behavior NW Flt. 243 (video)
Al-Qaeda's Saeed al-Shihri was detained at Guantanamo, then released and is now in Yemen calling for accelerated jihad within the Saudia Arabian army. Al-Qaeda has "supporters" in the Saudi army. Who knew (of course we knew)....and we are sending arms to the Monarchy at stealth speed? De-throning the Saudi Arabian royals is now officially on the terrorism calendar, according Saeed al-Shihri, who accuses the Saudi monarchy of aiding the U.S. in killing Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. The order has gone out to kidnap Saudi princes, ministers and Christian residents of the country, and to attack Israel "from northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Saeed al-Shihri
According to Saeed al-Shihri, who is a Saudi national, some Saudi military members are asking whether they should stay in the "army" or join al-Qaeda in Yemen. The advice given:
“Unite ranks, call for Jihad within your departments, and form Islamic cells to attract whoever can help in military or political organizational work.”
The al-Qaeda leader also called on its followers in the armed forces to attack Israel from northwestern Saudi Arabia. “Carry your arms against Israel, which is only few kilometres away from you,” al-Shihri said. “Whoever among you is a pilot should seek martyrdom in the skies of Palestine, and who works in the navy should aim his weapon at the Jews there.”
The U.S. embassy has notified U.S. residents of the danger:
The U.S. embassy warned its citizens in the kingdom that it has credible information that unidentified extremists may be planning to attack western nationals in al-Qassim province north of Riyadh, according to a Warden Message on its website dated Aug. 4. The timing and method of potential attacks aren’t known, according to the statement.
In the meantime, the U.S. has devised a continued arms sale package to Saudi Arabia, considered the biggest overseas U.S. arms sale in our history. The al-Saud family has a lot at stake. They need us and we need them, but what happens after the Iranian nuclear threat to the area is gone? Think how this story might different had we dealt with Iran several years ago. Jihad Watch has more.
I noticed a lot of traffic today on a post I did on American Omar Hammami, also known as Abu Mansour al-Amriki. Some of that traffic, although not all, was coming from Saudi Arabia. I searched around for the source of the recent interest and found that another American, Samir Khan, is believed to be behind a new online English language magazine for al-Qaeda named Inspire. This makes the fourth known America-born Al-Qaeda member. Khan, a New Yorker, produced a similar online militant blog before he disappeared, thanks for no listting on a no-fly list. He is believed to be in Yemen. The new blog-magazine says it was posted by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Samir Khan
Khan's new website featured an English-language recruiting video by Omar Hammami, another American born member of al-Qaeda. The video, in English, is targeted to the English speaking Somali's inside the U.S. In this NY Daily News article, one of our own favorite terror blogs, The Jawa Report mentioned where I found this post dated July 28, 2010 saying that when Khan fled the U.S. he was well-known to intelligence for being attached to terrorists and terrorism, yet he apparently was not on a no-fly list.
Islam denounces democracy, Islam denounces Christians and Jews, Islam denounces the corruption of the disbelievers upon the earth, and Islam is coming to crush the armies of disbelief and smash the false government and religions of the world to bring humanity from darkness into light,” wrote.
Samir Khan was born in Saudi Arabia but his family moved to Queens when he was 7-years-old. He became radicalized when at age 15 he attended a summer camp sponsored by the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA). Over the years the family moved to New Jersey and finally to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2004, which explains the numerous visitors I had today from that state. So yes, this also begs the question asked by Rusty Shackelford at The Jawa Report, how was this guy allowed to leave this country and operate openly out of Yemen? That gives us four know American-born al-Qaeda from the U.S.: Adam Gadahn, Omar Hammami, Samir Khan and Anwar al-Awlaki - who has the distinction of being on a White House targeted kill list.
In the bizarre Muslim news world, you may have heard of various fatwas calling for Saudi women to breastfeed the grown men in their lives who are not "kin." Believe it or not, it's true, but that's not where the story ends. See a video below.
Saudi Women
The first fatwa came in 2007. An Egyptian at the Al Azhar University apparently couldn't get as close to the women around him, and issued a fatwa "calling upon women to breastfeed their male colleagues." This would create a "maternal bond," dontcha know. After an unknown time at the breast, the man becomes a brother or son.
Three years later, the fatwa is back again, and Saudi women are actually considering it, much to the chagrin of Saudi males.
Saudi women are forbidden to drive, so the ladies have threatened to "breastfeed their drivers," if not allowed to drive themselves. If that isn't desperate, I don't what is. The visual is just too, too....?
Obviously there are some problems, and one that I can think of that isn't being mentioned: generally, women don't tote breast milk around with them unless they have small children - hopefully babies. So, assuming a woman has breast milk, will she have enough for the child(ren) and the grown guy? What if the soon-to-be-kin doesn't want to quit when she's had enough? If she doesn't have small children to breastfeed, what do the fatwa-issuers expect the woman to do? Snap her fingers nipples and command the milk?
This blog quotes some Saudi women and sheds a light on some of the complications of this fatwa:
"I have not breastfed my own children. How do you expect me to do this with a foreign man? What is this nonsense?" she said.
Another woman said the fatwa should also apply to the husbands who should be breastfed by housemaids. By doing so, all will be brothers and sisters," she said
Saudi writer Suzan Al Mashhadi sarcastically asked Al Obaikan: "Do the women have to breastfeed the driver in the presence of their husbands or can they do this alone?"
Muhammad must bear the blame for this because his wife, Aisha, was one little-breastfeeding mama (once she reached puberty, of course). Source: Middle East Forum, LATimes.
Others bloggers talking about breastfeeding adult men: BareNakedIslam
Fatwa for Saudi Women to Breastfeed Adult Men (video)
In a very smart move, Saudi Arabia has cleared air space for Israeli Air Force or missiles to cross their airspace to get to Iran's nuclear sites. In fact, they have "conducted tests" to make sure their own air defenses are standing down. See a video below.
Israel and Saudi Arabia
Israel is the tiny slice of land in the rusty orange color, bordered by Egypt
Obama, and presumably, Iraq, has not given Israel permission to fly over Iraq, and now it's clear that he has no plans to help our best ally and the only democracy in the Middle East. What a enraging situation for Americans, and a shameful one for Obama, but then he is a man who knows no shame. I hope Jewish Americans are paying attention.
In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.
To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.
“The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,” said a US defence source in the area. “They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.”
No one in the Middle East feels safe from the Iranian Mullahs, although most will not speak out about it:
Sources in Saudi Arabia say it is common knowledge within defence circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing,” said one.
It's an interesting article, with info about specific Iranian nuclear targets. Update 11:30 p.m 6-12-10. YNetNews reports that Saudia Arabia denies the Times report on airspace clearance. I guess I would deny it too, if I were running things there. I noted in the Times article, said "The Times can reveal."
Saudi Arabia Clears Air Space for Israeli Air Force (video)
Colonel Allen B. West (R-FL) is running for a seat in the People's House from Florida's 22nd district which includes Palm Beach. West has announced that he has received the endorsement of former Governor Sarah Palin. See a video below.
Allen B. West
Col. West's opponent in the November 2010 election is incumbent Ron Klein. Klein and West ran against each other in 2008. Klein won with 54% of the vote. He is in his second term and his seat is considered safe. What they don't know won't hurt them.
The uber-Liberal Americans for Democratic Action ranked Ron Klein as 95 on a scale of 100 - meaning Klein is almost perfectly Liberal. We have the opportunity to seat a true America hero in the People's House. Let's get 'er done!
Allen B. West background:
Allen West was born in Atlana, Georgia on February 7, 1961 to parents Herman West, Sr. and Elizabeth West. He is 49 years old. He is married to Dr. Angela M. Graham-West of Kingston Jamaica. Mrs. West holds an MBA and Ph.D. She is a financial planner. The West's have two daughters: Aubrey, 15, and Austen, 11.
West holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, a Masters in Political Science from Kansas State University, and Master of Military Arts and Science degree from the US Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He served as Commander of the 2nd Battalion 20th Field Artillery, 4th Infantry.
He joined the Army on November 1, 1983, attending the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. He completed the Basic Airborne and Jumpmaster courses at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Read more on Col. West's military service here.
Col. West retired from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Colonel. He served in Operation Desert Storm, and the Iraq War. He has been an adviser to the Afghan Army through Military Professional Resources, Inc. He is the third of four generations of family to serve in the military. His military awards include:
The Bronze Star
The Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters
The Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and Combat V-Device for Valor
Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal with Palm Tree
Kuwait Liberation Medal
The Army Valorous Unit Award
Army Master Parachutist Badge
Army Air Assault Badge
Navy marine Corps Parachute Insignia
Italian Parachutist Badge
German Proficiency Badge Bronze Award
The Army Achievement Medal
In 2004, FrontPageMag names Colonel Allen B. West their Man of the Year:
FrontPage Magazine’s Man of the Year has shown true courage, compassion and heroism in the face of battle – and unlike the worthies named above, he has suffered for his good deeds rather than received commendation. He has been on the frontlines of the War on Terror in the heart of the Iraqi resistance. He undertook extraordinary measures to safeguard the lives of his men, to protect Americans under attack by bloodthirsty Islamist gangleaders. Yet instead of reward he has been tested by fire, having been dishonored by the very military he served so effectively for the last 20 years of his life. This irresponsible punishing of someone who should be awarded for his bravery and patriotism endangers the American people. For that reason, we seek to honor Col. Allen B. West.
Colonel West earned the disdain of leftist intellectuals and the rebuke of the United States armed forces for protecting the lives of his troops. West commanded the 4th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, near Tikrit. In the days following the toppling of Saddam’s regime and preceding the dictator’s capture in a filthy desert hole, West was responsible for the lives and safety of 700 men and women who had spent a cautious summer sweltering in the crosshairs of Sunni Triangle terrorists.
As we near the elections, we are certain to hear the Left attack Col. West for protecting his own men in Iraq. What happened to the Colonel is unthinkable, yet it happened. This is the real story:
In late August, Colonel West received news that his men had been targeted by a group of thugs associated with an Iraqi policeman named Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi. Allied forces quickly apprehended Hamoodi in Saba al Boor, a tiny town near Tikrit. Four interrogation specialists worked late into the evening of August 20, desperately trying to pry the attack plans out of him. Growing frustrated, the interrogators resorted to physical force, punching Hamoodi – without success. (Hamoodi was not seriously injured at any point during the interrogation.) It was then that Col. Allen West intervened.
Seeing that even physical violence had proven ineffective, Colonel West took the next logical step: He took the intransigent suspect outside, shoved Hamoodi’s head into a sandbox and threatened to kill him. The Colonel then pulled out his sidearm and fired a warning shot into the sky. Then West carefully held Hamoodi’s head aside as he fired a shot over Hamoodi’s shoulder, into the warm Iraqi sand burying his visage.
That near-scrape with death did the trick. Hamoodi began singing, telling West the identities of two men planning the attacks and revealing their attack plans, including the site of the intended ambush. The two men were arrested, and Colonel West ordered his men away from the site as they continued to serve the liberated Iraqi people. Upon turning Hamoodi over, he admitted his unorthodox tactics. For protecting the 700 soldiers in his care and cracking Hamoodi where professional interrogators had failed, Colonel West was immediately stripped of his command and threatened with jail time.
In October, the armed forces offered Colonel West an ultimatum: resign the military and lose his pension and benefits, or face trial for violating standard interrogation procedure. If convicted, West could have received up to eight years in jail – for saving his men’s lives. On the other hand, West, who had just qualified to retire with 20 years service, needed his benefits to care for his wife, Angela, a cancer victim.
West chose to make his case to his military colleagues. Publicly choking back tears, West acknowledged his actions in interrogating Hamoodi; he merely denied that what he had done was criminal, knowing his troops had been targeted for extermination in the midst of a war. His great heart showed during his trial, as he said, "If it's about the lives of my men and their safety, I'd go through Hell with a gasoline can . . . There is not a person in this room I would not sacrifice my life for."
On December 11, West escaped court martial. Major General Raymond Odierno ordered West to pay a $5,000 fine and allowed him to retire as a Lieutenant Colonel. The ordeal caused by his desire to save his troops a violent death in a desert land had finally ended. He was free to return to Ft. Hood, Texas, to his wife Angela, with his reputation essentially cleared.
I hope you will read the FrontPageMag article linked above. There is much about the Colonel that we need to know as the election nears.
President Obama and Hillary Clinton both spoke briefly at the National Prayer Breakfast about Ugandan legislation to make homosexuality a crime in Uganda, a crime that could draw the death penalty for "serial offenders." The hidden message is: Christians are behind the Ugandan bill to oppress gays, but he makes no mention of the most torrid gay-haters of all time - Islam. Bash Christians at the National Day of Prayer breakfast, ignore Islamic hate - go figure. See the transcript of Obama's Prayer Breakfast speech below commentary.
Religion in Uganda is divided almost equally between Catholics and Protestants, with 42% each. Twelve percent of the population is Muslim. This Ugandan bill was introduced by David Bahati, who may ties with a controversial Christian group known as The Family. Throughout Islam, homosexuality is punishable by death, although that punishment is not always carried out. Eighty-three countries have laws against homosexuality. Of the 83, 26 are Muslim countries. Seven countries carry the death penalty for "homosexual acts," but...Sharia Law allows the death penalty, at all times.
Obama's message today was subtle. You may have missed it. Leave it to Barack Obama to put the spotlight on Christianity, when
it comes to the oppression of gays, but never mentions the heinous
crimes against homosexuals by Muslim countries - the only countries where the call for discrimination and, often death, is loud and clear.
Homosexuals die in Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and thoughtout the Muslim world. Has the President ever condemned them? Iran's President Achmadinejad recently said there "are no homosexuals in Iran." Here's why.
If gay communities everywhere were to be a part of the President's comments today, then it was appropriate to bring up Uganda's Anti-Homosexual legislation, specifically because it calls for the death penalty, but why not call out Islam, and it's routine torture, imprisonment, and death of gays. Why not ask our Nation to pray for the safety of homosexuals throughout the world, and from the podium at the National Day of Prayer Breakfast, call out Iran, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, where the citizens often take over the punishment, saving the government the bother.
In today's speech, more than once, he hinted at Christian intolerance. Who do you think he is talking about with this quote:
For centuries, entire religions have been persecuted, all in the name
of perceived righteousness.
Citing the "Golden Rule" and the words of Jesus to 'Love our
neighbors as we love ourselves," he quoted an Islamic hadith that
cites brotherhood, but ignores that non-believers cannot be brothers
with a Muslim. He said there is no religion having a central tenant of
hate...but ignores the fact that jihad is called for against any
non-believer. He ignores that you and I are non-believers.
Off-topic only a slight bit, but nevertheless relevant, is Obama's failure to call out Palestinian laws that call for the extinction of Jews...the death of Jews. It's no different than the call for death to homosexuals. While demanding a two-state solution in Palestine, with Israel giving up their land in exchange for a peaceful relationship with Palestinians, has Obama, or our State Department, pointed out that Palestinian Constitutions and Charters simply do not allow such a relationship with Israel... or admitted that the "solution" is folly because of the unmitigated hatred from one people toward another people? No he has not.
Other comments in this speech are just as disingenuous. He said our faith requires us not only to believe:
...but to do - to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others
and the betterment of our world.
He thinks we do not give, yet the records show that he and Michelle gave next to nothing in years 2000-2004, even though he was an Illinois Senator for three of these year. In 2005 he gave 4% and in 2006 6.7% of his adjusted gross income - as he eyed the presidential campaign trail for 2007. See The TaxProf Blog for how uncharitable this power couple were. And now he denigrates our lack of giving something of ourselves.
In Obama's new budget released this week, he is trying to reduce or do away with tax deductions for charitable giving, and in a speech he accused parents of spending tuition money on gambling in Las Vegas! He thinks we do nothing! The betterment of our world, in The Time of Obama, is directing and instructing ACORN, and moving incredible powers into the hands of organizations like them. Believe me, the agenda here is to force all "giving" from the government. if passed, the new budget will bring $291 billion to government coffers, from what was once a deduction to you, over the next ten years. Congress shot this down early last year. Here it is back again.
The White House is expecting to collect an additional $291 billion over
the next decade by reducing the write-off for families earning over
$250,000 despite the fact Congress roundly rejected such a measure last
year. While the administration is portraying this as a populist move, experts have said the end result will be a significant blow to charities and non-profits already reeling in the midst of the recession.
Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center said the
rule change would make it about 10 percent more expensive for
individuals affected to donate to charity. He estimated that would
correspond to a $10 billion drop in donations out of the $300 billion
Americans give annually.
But here is Obama's real agenda, his secret agenda: enslave the people. Make them come to the government for everything:
Last year the Obama administration defended the move, claiming that the
$100 million included in the Recovery Act for charities and non-profits
would help cover the gap, along with the natural rise in donations
following the economic recovery. Those arguments will be even tougher
to make this year with the country still mired in double-digit
unemployment and no second stimulus for charities in the works.
I think that can be a naive view, that charities will be specifically
helped by getting potential government dollars instead of private
dollars they are getting right now,” Riley said. “The idea that private
money will be replaced by growth that may or may not happen, government
programs that may or may not happen, seems at best a risky bet.”
Okay, that's my rant. Here's the transcript:
Good morning. I want to thank the Co-Chairs of this breakfast,
Representatives Heath Shuler and Vernon Ehlers. I’d also like to thank
Tony Blair for coming today, as well as our Vice President, Joe Biden,
members of my Cabinet, members of Congress, clergy, friends, and
dignitaries from across the world.
Michelle and I are honored
to join you in prayer this morning. I know this breakfast has a long
history in Washington, and faith has always been a guiding force in our
family’s life, so we feel very much at home and look forward to keeping
this tradition alive during our time here.
It’s a tradition that I’m told actually began many years ago in the
city of Seattle. It was the height of the Great Depression, and most
people found themselves out of work. Many fell into poverty. Some lost
everything.
The leaders of the community did all that they could for those who were
suffering in their midst. And then they decided to do something more:
they prayed. It didn’t matter what party or religious affiliation to
which they belonged. They simply gathered one morning as brothers and
sisters to share a meal and talk with God.
These breakfasts soon sprouted up throughout Seattle, and quickly
spread to cities and towns across America, eventually making their way
to Washington. A short time after President Eisenhower asked a group of
Senators if he could join their prayer breakfast, it became a national
event. And today, as I see presidents and dignitaries here from every
corner of the globe, it strikes me that this is one of the rare
occasions that still brings much of the world together in a moment of
peace and goodwill.
I raise this history because far too often, we have seen faith wielded
as a tool to divide us from one another - as an excuse for prejudice
and intolerance. Wars have been waged. Innocents have been slaughtered.
For centuries, entire religions have been persecuted, all in the name
of perceived righteousness.
There is no doubt that the very nature of faith means that some of our
beliefs will never be the same. We read from different texts. We follow
different edicts. We subscribe to different accounts of how we came to
be here and where we’re going next - and some subscribe to no faith at
all.
But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is
no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones
taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.
We know too that whatever our differences, there is one law that binds
all great religions together. Jesus told us to "love thy neighbor as
thyself." The Torah commands, "That which is hateful to you, do not do
to your fellow." In Islam, there is a hadith that reads "None of you
truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for
himself." And the same is true for Buddhists and Hindus; for followers
of Confucius and for humanists. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the
call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with
dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this
Earth.
It is an ancient rule; a simple rule; but also one of
the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of
responsibility for the well-being of people we may not know or worship
with or agree with on every issue. Sometimes, it asks us to reconcile
with bitter enemies or resolve ancient hatreds. And that requires a
living, breathing, active faith. It requires us not only to believe,
but to do - to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others
and the betterment of our world.
In this way, the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote
a greater good for all of us. Instead of driving us apart, our varied
beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the
afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has
broken; to lift up those who have fallen on hard times. This is not
only our call as people of faith, but our duty as citizens of America,
and it will be the purpose of the White House Office of Faith-Based and
Neighborhood Partnerships that I’m announcing later today.
The goal of this office will not be to favor one religious group over
another - or even religious groups over secular groups. It will simply
be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf
of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line that our
founders wisely drew between church and state. This work is important,
because whether it’s a secular group advising families facing
foreclosure or faith-based groups providing job-training to those who
need work, few are closer to what’s happening on our streets and in our
neighborhoods than these organizations.
People trust them. Communities rely on them. And we will help them.
We will also reach out to leaders and scholars around the world to
foster a more productive and peaceful dialogue on faith. I don’t expect
divisions to disappear overnight, nor do I believe that long-held views
and conflicts will suddenly vanish. But I do believe that if we can
talk to one another openly and honestly, then perhaps old rifts will
start to mend and new partnerships will begin to emerge. In a world
that grows smaller by the day, perhaps we can begin to crowd out the
destructive forces of zealotry and make room for the healing power of
understanding.
This is my hope. This is my prayer.
I believe this good is possible because my faith teaches me that all is
possible, but I also believe because of what I have seen and what I
have lived.
I was not raised in a particularly religious household. I had a father
who was born a Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were
non-practicing Methodists and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical
of organized religion, even as she was the kindest, most spiritual
person I’ve ever known. She was the one who taught me as a child to
love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I would want done.
I didn’t become a Christian until many years later, when I moved to the
South Side of Chicago after college. It happened not because of
indoctrination or a sudden revelation, but because I spent month after
month working with church folks who simply wanted to help neighbors who
were down on their luck - no matter what they looked like, or where
they came from, or who they prayed to. It was on those streets, in
those neighborhoods, that I first heard God’s spirit beckon me. It was
there that I felt called to a higher purpose - His purpose.
In different ways and different forms, it is that spirit and sense of
purpose that drew friends and neighbors to that first prayer breakfast
in Seattle all those years ago, during another trying time for our
nation. It is what led friends and neighbors from so many faiths and
nations here today. We come to break bread and give thanks and seek
guidance, but also to rededicate ourselves to the mission of love and
service that lies at the heart of all humanity. As St. Augustine once
said, "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though
everything depended on you."
So let us pray together on this
February morning, but let us also work together in all the days and
months ahead. For it is only through common struggle and common effort,
as brothers and sisters, that we fulfill our highest purpose as beloved
children of God. I ask you to join me in that effort, and I also ask
that you pray for me, for my family, and for the continued perfection
of our union. Thank you.
Pat Condell, a British stand-up comedian, talks about the importance of America and our First Amendment. Condell's video message below is about Islam, Sharia Law, Human Rights, the Saudi's new plan, Europe's "free speech," "weasel words," and how freedom is dying, courtesy of the United Nations.
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton's insight into the corrupt and loathsome workings of the United Nations has proven spot-on, once more. This from the Heritage Foundation:
The United States was one of only four countries that voted against the U.N. General Assembly resolution that created the council.The U.S. cast its vote out of concern that the new council would lack safeguards against the problems that afflicted the CHR. Regrettably, this concern has proved to be well founded....
The blacklist of human rights abusers has just been officially whitewashed. Under first-year leadership of the new U.N. Human Rights Council, Cuba and Belarus are dropped from the the list of countries under scrutiny for human rights offenses, but Israel, according to UN Watch, is blatantly targeted for "permanent indictment under a special agenda item."
Anne Bayefsky, writing for the Wall Street Journal and Eye on the UN:
The political lesson here is that the U.S. and Canada don't have the power to push the council to protect human rights, and the European Union would rather sacrifice Israel and hide its own weakness by joining the consensus.
Under this "special agenda," the Palestinians are the only people to receive recognition as "abused":
Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, which includes Human rights violations and implications of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other occupied Arab territories; and "Right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.
Israel holds the distinction of being the only country on the planet that the U.N. deems a human rights abuser:
...not genocide in Sudan, not child slavery in China, nor the persecution of democracy dissidents in Egypt and elsewhere.
The investigations of Israel, under the "special agenda" will continue "until the end of the occupation," and the new Council has deemed the "investigation" not to be worthy of review, at any time.
How does a newly formed Council, charged with protecting the world's human rights, gain the power to point its accusatory finger at democracies and ignore profound human suffering at the behest of Kings and dictators? Bayerfsky sheds some light:
The U.N. General Assembly created the council without specifying membership criteria, such as, say, actually respecting human rights. The council now includes the likes of Angola, Azerbaijan, China, Cuba, Egypt, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Less than half of its members, using the Freedom House's yardstick, are fully free democracies. And after a successful take-over bid of regional blocs within the council, the Organization of the Islamic Conference now dominates it.
Other "not free" countries elected to the Council are Algeria, Cameroon, and Tunisia, and others are suspect, or as Freedom House labels them: Nations at a Crossroads. It can be noted that the U.N. Human Rights Council consists of 13 seats for African states, 13 seats for Asian States, 6 seats for Eastern European states, 8 seats for Latin American and Caribbean states and 7 seats for Western European and Other states.
The European Union includes countries holding eight of the council's 47 seats. It has made no serious effort to focus the council's attention on the world's worst human rights violators. According to a report by the independent group UN Watch, the European Union "has for the most part abandoned initiating any country-specific resolutions." At one point before last week's meeting, the European Union threatened to quit the council, effectively killing it. Yet when the meeting ended, Europe's representative, Ambassador Michael Steiner of Germany, said that while the package of procedural decisions singling out Israel "is certainly not ideal . . . we have a basis we can work with."
For a video exposing the U.N.'s clear support of Nations viewing their citizenry as lower than chattel, see U.N. Watch: Up Against Human Rights (or look to the right top of my sidebar for a smaller screening of the video).
Arrested Militants Trained to Use Planes in Suicide Bombings
CAIRO, Egypt — Some of the militants arrested in a terror sweep in Saudi Arabia trained to use civilian aircraft in homicide missions, a Saudi interior ministry spokesman said Saturday.
Read the story at FoxNews.com. As Democrats, unbelievably, thumb their righteous noses at "America's General" Petraeus, terrorist plane hijackings are still in the news, and Congress plays mind games with funding for our troops. Read Layla's interesting comments on the emergency funding at The Hill Chronicles.
Here's a Washington political riddle where you fill in the blanks: As Alberto Gonzales is to the Republicans, Blank Blank is to the Democrats -- a continuing embarrassment thanks to his amateurish performance.
If you answered " Harry Reid," give yourself an A. And join the long list of senators of both parties who are ready for these two springtime exhibitions of ineptitude to end.
Broder also refers to a Chris Wallace "FoxNews Sunday" interview with Chuck Schumer 'splaining' what Reid meant when he said the "the war is lost." This analysis from Broder:
Everyone got that? This war is lost. But the war can be won. Not since Bill Clinton famously pondered the meaning of the word "is" has a Democratic leader confused things as much as Harry Reid did with his inept discussion of the alternatives in Iraq.
On Hillary's funding rap:
Hillary's Sister Souljah Moment? Courtesy of jpcarter888
Take a quick sec to vote in my Pajamas Media Presidential Poll
(upper right corner of page)
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Tracked back by: Doll Face from Blue Star Chronicles. Excerpt: Videos by Andrew Huang | More VMIX videos View more Indie Movies and Shorts videos | Embed this video Doll Face by Andrew Huang.
Jihadis aspire to 'conquer France' from The Amboy Times. Excerpt: Hat tip, JW. Today's muhajideen won't fight with large armies in the traditional sense of battle. Islam has traditionaly been spread with the sword. But today's Muslim nations are far behind in technology, so they will continue to wear down
Egyptian Blogger Quits from Blue Star Chronicles. Excerpt: Sandmonkey is quitting blogging.
eeny, meeny, and miney (moe missed the train) from walls of the city. Excerpt: Well, Chevrolet has taken an interesting tactic on releasing some of their concept cars... or, at least, tantalizing the American public with the examples of their concept cars, as is always the case with car companies. I have never really...
Open Trackback Weekend #51 from 123beta. Excerpt: Well, here it is the weekend already! Just leave a post and I'll be sure to send a reciprocal ping your way...
I thought I was reading the New York Times, but instead it was Arab News. What follows are reports of a Festival held in Saudi Arabia this past week. The words from this Islamic "festival" are reminiscent of American Liberals' rhetoric of anything and everything conservative in this country. They blame us for racism, for our Christian beliefs, for our lack of tolerance, for no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - they say Conservatives lie, in brief, the Democrats blame us for a culture of corruption - just as does Islam.
As our Republican leadership fails to come to the microphones, whether in majority power or not, and speak out for the very values they were elected for, Conservatives are facing their own personal Jihad from the Left.Read the following and marvel at the parallels: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, hosted the Janadriya Heritage and Culture Festival in Riyhad this week. The festival was “open to the world” and included “a number of Russian intellectuals,” the King said. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the dignitaries.
In this headline from Arab News, dated today, King Abdullah Warns Muslims Against Forces of Schism, Abdullah “called upon Arabs and Muslims to strengthen unity and cautioned them against forces that try to create division among them. He urged Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals to uphold human values. “The whole world is looking for humaneness,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying.
Then you get the left hook: Speakers at a Friday seminar, organized as part of the festival, pointed fingers at the United States for nurturing a culture of hatred toward Islam and Muslims.
This from “Mufti of Lebanon Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Juzo:
The mufti said radicalism, a product of racism, enclosure and religious hatred, was noticeable everywhere, but it was prominent in the West. “Despite the scientific advancement in America it still looks at others with snobbishness and conceit,” he said.
“They have not been able to free themselves from racism since the Crusades,” he said.
He said America was seeking to impose its own agenda on other countries in the region through domination and cited the example of the invasion of Iraq, which President George W. Bush dubbed “Operation Freedom.”
“The invasion of Iraq was part of a big lie. It was accused of having weapons of mass destruction and was invaded. And all of this happened so Israel could feel secure and not threatened,” he added.
America, he said, was causing another tragedy in the region by taking sides in the Sunni-Shiite conflict by supporting one side against the other. He said that the president’s speeches reflected his prejudice toward Islam. “What their culture of hatred reveals to us today is only a fraction of what lies inside. Today we face a new Western colonization,” he added.
Also in attendance was Dr. Jaafar Idrees who said this:
“...the Qur’an differentiated between hatred and hostility. He said Islam’s tolerant message is not to attack others who do not believe in its message, but to call them to the right path.
The problem, he noted, was not in hatred itself but when hatred turns into armed battles. “The real danger is when a superpower builds its policies on a religious belief which allows it to conquer other countries,” he said.
“...underlined the desert values of humaneness, open-mindedness, sincerity, chivalry, courage, magnanimity, romantic spirit and closeness to God”. “A man in power should meet the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people in the streets, know the views of prominent people...”.
The same article recounts a question to the King. While it intimates (but doesn’t specifically state) that Vladimir Putin asks “...when Saudi women would start driving in the Kingdom’s streets?...King Abdullah replies “...a decision...must come from Saudi society”.
So much for “ordinary people in the streets".
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