Saturday, December 15, 2007

Human Shields : Palestinians Exploit Their Own Schoolchildren

by Carlos

http://www.peacewithrealism.org/headline/gaza02.htm

Palestinians have made a specialty of murdering civilians, yet still wish to portray Israel as a sponsor of terrorism. They have found an effective method: deliberately putting their own civilians, even their children, in mortal danger.

The Israeli army captured on video a group of terrorists near an elementary school in Gaza preparing to launch mortar shells. They would launch the shells from a yard next to an elementary school, then flee the site, leaving the school squarely in the path of any possible Israeli retaliation. According to Israeli military officials, the Israeli army identified the school and withheld fire.

One Israeli army officer expressed the dilemma:

"They don't think twice about firing Qassam rockets near crowded public areas, even though they're fully aware that they're endangering innocent civilians. We're constantly faced with very difficult and complex dilemmas, how best to defend Israel's citizens and strike at these terror cells while at the same time avoid civilian casualties on the Palestinian side. The terror organizations are well aware of our sensitivity to these issues and they take full advantage of the situation. This is as cynical as their use of the civilian population gets."

This tactic of using one's own civilians as human shields is of course nothing new. Hezbollah used it to great effect in the war of summer 2006. Now Palestinians are practicing it so they can shell Israeli cities while still portraying themselves as victims.

Those who defend the Palestinians ask, "What choice do they have? Where else can they go? Gaza is so tiny. They have to fire those rockets from somewhere." I guess this makes sense if one really does not want to abrogate the inalienable right of Palestinians to murder Israeli civilians. Still, couldn't they at least find a vacant lot somewhere not right next to a school? Wouldn't it be smart to take reasonable safety precautions when firing deadly weapons?

Islamic extremists are only too willing to confer martyrdom on their own people. The Taliban do the same thing in Afghanistan, against the U.S. There is much resentment against the U.S. among the Afghan people, because so many civilians have been killed. Asked by Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes how often air strikes are cancelled at the last minute, Air Force Colonel Gary Crowder replied: "Thousands and thousands of times a month. We look very, very often, we tracked some of the insurgent leaders we will track for days and days on end. And we are prepared to strike them at any moment. But we can never get all of the criteria necessary to meet our rules of engagement." Added Marc Garlasco of the Pentagon: "I don't think people really appreciate the gymnastics that the U.S. military goes through in order to make sure that they're not killing civilians."

"If so much care is being taken why are so many civilians getting killed?"
Pelley asked.

"Because," Garlasco replied, "the Taliban are violating international law." They shield themselves inside people's homes. One cannot go after them without putting civilians at risk.

Somehow this tactic of striking and using human shields as cover has become acceptable. If human shields are harmed, that becomes the focus of attention and the initial aggression is forgotten. Israel is expected to abide by international law, but it is never applied to the Palestinians. No law can be just or even coherent if applied to only one party in a conflict.

Israel has the evidence. The Palestinians are abusing their own children. Let the world decide.

Sources:

Greenberg, Hannah. "Video: Terrorists Firing Mortars from Schoolyard." Ynet News, October 31, 2007.

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it!

 

 This woman should run for president.  She is one ticked off ladyWritten by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it!


"
Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in down town Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia .

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosqu es.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it- I don't care !!

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:

"
Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan

I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.

"
If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Also by.. Ronald Reagan

One last thought for the day:

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in... And how many want out."

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1.
Jesus Christ
2.
The American G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET THIS.

UJA-Federation cares for those in need, rescues those in harm's way, and renews and strengthens the Jewish people in New York, in Israel, and around the world.

 

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

Watching the Watchdog.


Nir Boms and Elliot Chodoff (10/25/2007)

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
"Who watches the watchmen?" asked the Roman poet Juvenal, paraphrasing a central problem discussed by Plato in The Republic.

The pursuit of "Justice" is a tricky business in a complicated world demanding that we make judgments about critical issues beyond our immediate perception like global warming, foreign policy, peace and war.

Fortunately -at least in the democratic world – we have a tool meant to facilitate these difficult judgments: the media, a free and open marketplace of ideas; a platform for information and views helping formulate wise and fair judgments.

The media's role is to be the watchdog of democracy. But what happens when the watchdog falls into an unexpected trap? What happens when it is betrayed from within and maliciously manipulated in order to create a skewed picture of reality?

The media should be immune to such pitfalls. Ethics mandating honest reporting, due diligence and corroboration of facts should prevent facile manipulation attempts. Consequently, recent remarks of a France 3 TV journalist on the sidelines of a French lawsuit are cause for considerable concern.

French journalist Clement Weill Raynal's comments followed a defamation suit hearing in France. The defendant, a colleague, was sued for accusingFrance 2 TV of broadcasting a staged story, inciting unnecessary violence in the Middle East. The story occurred in 2000 and purported to show Israeli soldiers intentionally shooting a 12 year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammad al-Dura. The
defendant, Philippe Karasenty, argued that the infamous report aired by France 2 was highly inaccurate and probably staged. Responding to the case, Raynal wondered about all the fuss:"Karsenty is so shocked that fake images were used and edited in Gaza, but this happens all the time everywhere on television and no TV journalist in the field or a film editor would be shocked."

Does Raynal's observation reflect the prevailing norm of French TV? Is this mainstream media's dirty little secret whose revelation France 2 and its reporter, Charles Enderlin, whose voiceover of the original news report blamed Israeli troops for targeting the boy - despite the fact that he was not present at the scene and considerable evidence to support its staging has emerged - seem
determined to quash in court?

Enderlin claimed that he deleted footage of the boy's death from his report because the death agonies were too painful to watch. This assertion is contradicted by the few outsiders permitted to see the raw footage (that France 2 still refuses to make public) who deny the existence of the scene. Furthermore, in a segment cut from the TV report, long after his "death" the boy lifts his arm and looks toward the camera, before returning to the "dead" position.

The truth about this incident is not merely a philosophical issue. These images inspired many revenge seekers, including Osama Bin Laden and the murderers of Daniel Pearl. Others were inspired as well. Two 14-year-old sisters were arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. They claimed that their decision had been motivated by images of al-Dura's
death, replayed endlessly on the Internet and Arab satellite channels.

Raynal's words must be considered in the context of other troubling examples of severe media manipulation in Middle East conflict reporting. For example, in April 2002, during Operation Defensive Shield, launched against terrorist organizations in the West Bank, the media initially uncritically repeated the Palestinian claim of 500 civilians killed by Israeli troops, coining the enduring phrase, "The Jenin Massacre," with reporters repeating the reference long after the Palestinian casualty count was confirmed at 52, including combatants.

Bloggers had a field day during the Israel-Hizbullah War of July-August 2006, criticizing the reporting from Kafr Kana, a South Lebanese village in which dozens of civilians were reported killed in a collapsed building. Image-hungry photographers devoured staged scenes of the same "casualties" being removed from the rubble as their bodies were recycled for late-arriving photographers by a would-be rescue worker.

Additional examples include Adnan Hajj, who was fired by Reuters after admitting that he altered photographs, published on the front page of the NY Times, to increase the perception of damage caused by an Israeli attack on Beirut. Other stories included that of a Lebanese woman, pictured lamenting the destruction of "her" house in 4 different locations, and an ambulance, reportedly "hit" by an Israeli missile that never was.

The conflict in the Middle East is sufficiently ruthless and bloody without artificial incitements. The circumstances of that war, pitting a modern army against terrorists who hide among civilians, can, unfortunately, easily result in the killing of noncombatants. This complex reality is magnified by media interest unparalleled in any other conflict in the world. If, however, the media can bring real massacres in Serbia, Darfur and Somalia to the forefront of world opinion - resulting in efforts to alleviate further suffering – it seems to be playing the opposite role in the Middle East, exacerbating the intensity of conflict and hatred. During the next few weeks, a French judge will rule on the role of France 2 in doing just that. Let us hope that his ruling will set higher standards for Middle East coverage, in order to help reduce the flames of war rather than fan them.

Nir Boms is the vice president of the Center for Freedom in the Middle East. Elliot Chodoff is a military and political analyst for MidEast-On Target.



Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

 

Someone else's Land for Peace


By Ami Isseroff

It pays to keep an open mind. Sometimes our neighbors have really good, creative ideas and perhaps we should listen to them more often.


Rami Khouri, who writes for the Beirut Daily Star, had some suggestions about the peace process. He believes it is being compromised by American behavior. Perhaps the U.S. genuinely wants peace, but according to Khouri, they are going about it the wrong way. He wrote:

Yet even if this were a newfound American motive, its good intentions are almost totally negated by the style and substance of US behavior: lecturing, boycotting and threatening some key parties on the Arab side...

Right on, brother! You have given Israel the green light we have been waiting for. It is probably very easy for Israel to have peace with the certain Arab country (let's call it "S") that is being lectured and isolated by the U.S. All we have to do is agree that they have carte blanche in a certain other little Mediterranean Arab country that is directly to the north of Israel.

It is true that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice warned Israel that it may negotiate only about Israeli rights with the "S" country, and cannot abrogate the rights of that other Arab country. But since we now have the go ahead from Rami Khouri, it makes perfect sense for the Israeli side to make a great deal with the "S" country: Land for peace. We get peace, and someone else gives up their land - the whole country. If the US agrees, all the sanctions will be removed against the "S" country. They will stop intervening in Iraq, and they will stop sabotaging peace with the Palestinians. It won't cost Israel or the U.S. anything. A good deal for all concerned - except for some people in that other little Arab country. How very noble and altruistic of our neighbors to the north, to be willing to sacrifice their country for the sake of peace!

But alas, Israel and the United States understand that peace cannot be bought by sacrificing the rights of others. The "S" country, having digested the peace offering, will only clamor for more.

Back to the drawing boards Rami Khouri.

Ami Isseroff

Original content is Copyright by the author 2007.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Living in Sderot...

http://web.israelinsider.com/views/12372.htm

 

By Noam Bedein , Sderot Media Center

November 19, 2007

 

At a time when people think that nothing will come of the planned summit in Annapolis, in Sderot and the Jewish communities of the Western Negev, the implications of the Annapolis have already been felt. Since November 1st, 2007 until today, according to the IDF spokesman, 110 Kassam rockets and mortars have been launched from Gaza towards Sderot and Western Negev.

 

180,000 Israelis -- including Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot, and over 20 kibbutzim and Moshavim, now live under the daily bombardment of kasssam missiles fired from Gaza, while Egypt has facilitated the flow of hundreds of thousands of weapons, Ammunition since Israel's disengagement in August 2005, whole allowing Hamas to build a well trained organized army which numbers 13,000 fighters, many having had special training in Iran.

 

At the same time, thousands of Katyusha rockets are ready to be launched towards Israel. Recent video footage shows that Gaza terror cells launch mortar shells from UNRWA schools, knowing the sensitivity that Israel has to killing civilians. A senior IDF intelligence officer observes that "Palestinian terror organizations continue to abuse the civilian population in Gaza by launching attacks against Israel from their midst." They don't think twice about firing Kassam rockets near crowded public areas, even though they're fully aware that they're endangering innocent civilians," said the officer.

 

So, with the IDF trying to avoid civilian casualties, a senior Israel Air Force Commander has confirmed that the IDF has hit only three percent of the rocket launchers.

 

The IDF is not even trying to kill or to capture the Gaza terror leaders who give the orders to shell and terrorize Israel.

 

The Sderot Media Center asked a senior IDF officer as to why the army does not kill or capture the Gaza terror leaders, who operate in the open, giving news interviews around the clock. The officer provided a one word answer: Annapolis. So long as Israel conducts negotiations, the IDF will not enter Gaza -- even to kill off terror leaders, as it did in Spring 2004 when Hamas leaders Yassin and Rantissi were targeted.

 

This non-response policy represents a continuation of US Secretary of State Rice's order to Israel, exactly one year ago, not to retaliate in Gaza.

 

Meanwhile, an irony not lost on the residents of Sderot and the Western Negev is that the planned Annapolis summit is slated for the 26th and 27th of November, the same date that launched the American brokered cease fire between Gaza and Israel that lasted until the 15th of May, during which time more than 300 Gaza missiles were launched against Israel. The American ambassador to Israel praised that ceasefire, however, noting that no Israelis were killed during that period. It would be instructive to know how the USA would react if Buffalo or El Paso were under "fatality-free" missile fire.

 

"Physical damage you are able to see. The scar in the heart -- that's what you cannot see." Osnat Ben Haim told me that on the day that her house was struck by a direct hit, when she describing how her six year old son was having a sandwich in the kitchen only two minutes before the Kassam exploded in her kitchen. The boy was not killed, but he has been traumatized.

 

Who would believe that, in the State of Israel marking 60 years, fathers would need to whisper the 'Kiddush', the blessing on the wine, so they'll be able to hear the siren go off and so flee the house in 15 seconds. So much for being a free people in our own country, as our national anthem proclaims.

 

34 years ago this week, Israel's first prime minister and pioneer of the Negev, David Ben Gurion passed away. Prime Minister Olmert drove through the Negev to Ben Gurion's grave, and didn't think to drop by the five communities in the Negev that had been shelled the night before, leaving a city block of cars aflame in Sderot. To see Israel unwilling to act in self-defense, Ben-Gurion would turn over in his grave.

 

How does it feel, after fifteen months in Sderot, to experience 2000 Kassam rockets fired from Gaza towards one's new home in Sderot? Getting use to the routine of waking up with a collective alarm clock? Expecting the first one to land, some time during the morning, either on the way to college, on the way to the bank, on the way to the market, always looking out for a nearby shelter.

 

The town is totally dependent on an electrical alarm system that (usually) allows them 15 seconds to run for their lives. It was rendered totally helpless when a kassam rocket knocked out the town's electricity, and the missiles began to strike without any alarm whatsoever.

 

Shelters are now scattered all over Sderot, in the public area and at bus stops, market places, libraries, soccer fields, schools, kindergartens, and playgrounds.

 

I wake up in the middle of the night, convinced I just heard the siren. Breathing softly while the heart keeps on pounding, counting down quietly in my mind, listening to the chilling silence waiting to hear the whistle, and once heard, a few seconds later an explosion of the rocket -- listening for the intensity of the nature of the explosion, to determine if it fell in the town or outside of it.

 

Every time you hear a whistle, you are sure that a rocket is coming right at you....

 

In the past weeks, we have witnessed a rocket strike near by a special ed school, while children were in daycare. A rocket landed in an elderly man's back yard. We watch as he is evacuated, mumbling and sobbing. A rocket slams into the neighborhood of people from the Caucasus mountains, where residents have no shelter to run to. A rocket explodes in front of an woman, who desperately cries out: "This is not a life!"

 

The Shushan family has been sleeping together in their living room for the past year with their five children, because they don't have enough time to run down the stairs to the shelter.

 

In the words of MK Shai Hermesh, Kfar Gaza, September 2007: "It's a matter of time until a missile hits a direct hit into a classroom or family -- and that's going to light the whole entire fire in the Middle East."

 

Yes, after Annapolis, the Israeli Army will enter Gaza again. The international media will film the bodies of dead Arab mothers and children who were used as human shields by Arab terrorists. Condy Rice and Donna Olmert will ask that we shed tears for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But the real humanitarian crisis pervades among the Jews of the Negev. No, this is not a life. This is not a life worthy of the Jewish State.

 

The chief of commander of the Israeli Air force has said: "Our real power and strength is the Moral strength." While Rice briefs the media that the Palestinians want their dignity, that is precisely what has been robbed from the Jewish communities of the Western Negev.

 

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

 

 

 

Gingrich: NIE Report Deliberately Worded to Hurt Bush.

by Gil Ronen

 

The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that downplayed the danger from Iran's nuclear program was "fundamentally dishonest," former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich said in an exclusive interview with Israel National Radio's Tovia Singer.

 

"If you simply change about three words you change the whole report," Gingrich said, adding that the report seems to have been "deliberately written to maximize the pain to the Bush administration." It was written by three former State Department officials who were "deeply opposed to what President Bush is doing," he said, and who wrote the report "to maximize confusion."

Gingrich characterized the NIE as "very misleading, very destructive and very unfortunate… almost a bureaucratic coup d'etat."

 

Military attack? Only as last resort
If read without the opening paragraph, Gingrich said, the report actually shows Iran poses a great danger: "Iran has 3,000 centrifuges. They could build one bomb a year with 3,000 centrifuges… you go down this list and you realize nothing has changed," he said. "All that happened is that there was one specific weaponization process which may have been suspended but not closed… and meanwhile everything else in their program is moving forward."

Gingrich played down the importance of the report, predicting that "in a few weeks the report will almost be as if it never existed."

Gingrich said that a military attack on Iran should only be the last resort. In the 1980s, he reminded the listeners, President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Pope helped bring down the unpopular regime in Poland by creating an alternative to it.  

Click here to listen now to the interview with Newt Gingrich (starts at 24:40 minute mark).

or

Download

 

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

 

 

PA Children's Programming: 'Wipe Out the People of Zion'

by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

The Palestinian Authority's Al-Aksa TV broadcasts, produced by Hamas, include children's programming that calls for the genocide of the "people of Zion." On December 3, 2007, a Hamas children's show broadcast on PA TV featured an impassioned speech by a young boy of approximately nine years old. Speaking in the style of many Islamist preachers, and with an image of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as a background, the boy declared that the only way to "rescue" the Al-Aksa mosque from Israel, America and their allies is "by means of force."

According to a transcript provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the boy told his presumably child viewers that "the Al-Aksa Mosque has fallen into oppressing and malicious hands, the hands of those who know nothing but injustice." Describing the Jerusalem mosque as in "the shackles of the occupation," despite the fact that it is under Muslim Wakf control, the boy went on to say:

"But let me tell you how the Al-Aksa Mosque will be returned, how we shall rescue it from the shackles of the occupation, from the shackles of the Zionist entity. Will it be through conferences? No, not through conferences, but by means of force, because the Zionist entity, your enemy, the enemy of Allah, the enemy of Islam, knows nothing but injustice and the killing of Palestinians, the persevering people on the frontline. Indeed, the [mosque] will be returned only by means of force."

After an unclear reference to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which affirmed the United Kingdom's support for a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, the boy-preacher continued:
 
"But look what the Zionist enemy has done, look what Israel and America have done. Look what the allies of Israel and America have done. They have dug tunnels underneath the Al-Aksa Mosque, but the sheikhs and mujahideen of the Al-Aksa Mosque have exposed these tunnels and called upon the Palestinian people: 'Look what has happened, look what has happened.'

"These calls have gone unheeded, my beloved brothers. But is it too late? No, it is not too late. If we all unite, the Al-Aksa Mosque will not remain in the hands of the Zionist enemy, it will not remain in the hands of your enemy, despite all their conspiracies against the Palestinian people."

Later in the programming, a similarly young girl recited a poem that included the lines: "To Al-Aksa, to Al-Aksa - we shall unite our ranks. We will wipe out the people of Zion, and will not leave a single one of them."

Renewed Campaign to Promote Death Among PA Children
According to a recent MEMRI report, the Al-Aksa television network - best known for its "jihad Mickey Mouse" - has renewed its encouragement of children to attack Israel and its praise of their self-destruction whileDuring a Friday broadcast in October, PA TV inaugurated a new program in which a girl sang in the background, "My little brothers, how long will we continue to let the occupier [rule] us by hunger and siege?" A chorus answered, "By killing and destruction."

Later in the program, a child was shown entering a cave, where he was told, "This is not just any cave. These are children who were martyred during the blessed Al-Aksa Intifada. I and a group of friends have cleaned this cave to make it fitting for the Intifada's child martyrs."

During that scene, a chorus of girls sang in the background, "We long for martyrdom. Our country is free and our death is happiness."

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

Iran, Syria and North Korea are working together on weapons of mass destruction.

 

The Middle East's Gathering Storm

"Those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it." But those who study history are also condemned to repeat it apparently. Despite the clear warning signals, it is not likely that effective action will be taken to stop Iran. This is because, as in the case of Hitler,  the risks and the cost will appear to be too great until it is far too late. In retrospect of course, what should have been done may be perfectly clear. Insurance is always too expensive until after the accident happens. Storm windows are always too much of a chore to install until after the storm comes.

 

Ami Isseroff

The Middle East's Gathering Storm

War On Terror: Iran, on the path toward nuclear weapons, says it's drawn up plans to bomb Israel. Syria, meanwhile, is working with Iran to arm missiles with chemical warheads. Will the world heed these danger signs?

In "The Gathering Storm," his history of World War II, Winston Churchill recalls how President Roosevelt once asked for suggestions about what the war should be called. "The Unnecessary War," Britain's wartime prime minister replied. "There never was a war more easy to stop than that which has just wrecked what was left of the world from the previous struggle."

The world today is seeing the gathering of forces that, if allowed to coalesce, could unnecessarily and avoidably leave multitudes dead.

In Iran, for instance:

• Deputy air force commander, Gen. Mohammad Alavi, announced that "we have drawn up a plan to strike back at Israel with our bombers" in the event of an Israeli attack on Iran, such as an attempt to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities.

• Having announced that it has reached the key threshold of 3,000 centrifuges, Iran may now be able to make enough nuclear material in a year to construct an atomic bomb.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran's Islamofascist regime and a holocaust denier who says he wants Israel wiped off the map, apparently will not be allowed by New York City to visit the Ground Zero area during his trip to the United Nations next week.

Like his other acts and statements, Ahmadinejad's request seems designed to provoke outrage from Americans. Is his apocalyptic Shiite belief in the coming of a 12th imam to fight a war against the antichrist behind his repeated "asking for it" from the West?

Iran will fire 600 Shihab-3 missiles at targets throughout Israel in the event of an attack on either Iran or Syria, according to the Jerusalem Post.

• Former President Jimmy Carter says we shouldn't take the Iran threats seriously. "I think it would be almost inconceivable that Iran would commit suicide by launching one or two missiles of any kind against the nation of Israel," he said.

Many of Churchill's critics said the same about Nazi Germany in the 1930s. But apocalyptic fanatics have been known to be suicidal, and Carter, of course, has been wrong about Iran before.

As for Syria:

• The recent raid in northeastern Syria by Israeli F-15s may have been directed against a factory where North Korean nuclear material was stored (see editorial below).

• The State Department official in charge of nuclear nonproliferation policy last week publicly confirmed the presence of North Koreans in Syria and said he "wouldn't exclude" a possible connection to disgraced Pakistan nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan's supply network.

• The Israeli raid came three days after a ship with North Korean cargo docked in Syria. Israel thinks it carried nuclear materials.

• Jane's Defence Weekly reports that among the dozens apparently killed in the blast two months ago at a secret Syrian military installation were Iranian engineers who were helping the Syrians develop chemical weapons.

The publication quoted Syrian defense sources who said the explosion happened during tests to equip a Scud C missile with mustard gas, a violation of international law.

Too often, the relative peace and prosperity that the civilized world enjoys encourages complacency. The real ways for free countries to prevent a large-scale war are: 1) Be prepared to fight a war by building and maintaining adequate defenses, and 2) Recognize and eliminate obvious threats before war becomes inevitable.

Iran, Syria and North Korea are almost certainly working together on weapons of mass destruction. These terrorist states will either use them themselves or give them to Hamas, Hezbollah or even al-Qaida to use.

Churchill also expressed the "earnest hope that pondering upon the past may give guidance in days to come." History is guiding us to act against the gathering storm in the Mideast — before it's too late.

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

 

 

Hardline takeover of British mosques

By

Almost half of Britain's mosques are under the control of a hardline Islamic sect whose leading preacher loathes Western values and has called on Muslims to "shed blood" for Allah, an investigation by The Times has found.

Riyadh ul Haq, who supports armed jihad and preaches contempt for Jews, Christians and Hindus, is in line to become the spiritual leader of the Deobandi sect in Britain. The ultra-conservative movement, which gave birth to the Taleban in Afghanistan, now runs more than 600 of Britain's 1,350 mosques, according to a police report seen by The Times.

The Times investigation casts serious doubts on government statements that foreign preachers are to blame for spreading the creed of radical Islam in Britain's mosques and its policy of enouraging the recruitment of more "home-grown" preachers.

Mr ul Haq, 36, was educated and trained at an Islamic seminary in Britain and is part of a new generation of British imams who share a similar radical agenda. He heaps scorn on any Muslims who say they are "proud to be British" and argues that friendship with a Jew or a Christian makes "a mockery of Allah's religion".

Seventeen of Britain's 26 Islamic seminaries are run by Deobandis and they produce 80 per cent of home-trained Muslim clerics. Many had their studies funded by local education authority grants. The sect, which has significant representation on the Muslim Council of Britain, is at its strongest in the towns and cities of the Midlands and northern England.

Figures supplied to The Times by the Lancashire Council of Mosques reveal that 59 of the 75 mosques in five towns – Blackburn, Bolton, Preston, Oldham and Burnley – are Deobandi-run.

It is not suggested that all British Muslims who worship at Deobandi mosques subscribe to the isolationist message preached by Mr ul Haq, and he himself suggests Muslims should only "shed blood" overseas.

But while some Deobandi preachers have a more cohesive approach to interfaith relations, Islamic theologians say that such bridge-building efforts do not represent mainstream Deobandi thinking in Britain.

The Times has gained access to numerous talks and sermons delivered in recent years by Mr ul Haq and other graduates of Britain's most influential Deobandi seminary near Bury, Greater Manchester.

Intended for a Muslim-only audience, they reveal a deep-rooted hatred of Western society, admiration for the Taleban and a passionate zeal for martyrdom "in the way of Allah".

The seminary outlaws art, television, music and chess, demands "entire concealment" for women and views football as "a cancer that has infected our youth".

Mahmood Chandia, a Bury graduate who is now a university lecturer, claims in one sermon that music is a way in which Jews spread "the Satanic web" to corrupt young Muslims.

"Nearly every university in England has a department which is called the music department, and in others, where the Satanic influence is more, they call it the Royal College of Music," he says.

Another former Bury student, Bradford-based Sheikh Ahmed Ali, hails the 9/11 attacks on America because they acted as a wake-up call to young Muslims. This, he says, taught them that they will "never be accepted" in Britain and has led them to "return to Islam: sisters are wearing hijab . . . the lion is waking up".

Mr ul Haq, the most high-profile of the new generation of Deobandis, runs an Islamic academy in Leicester and is the former imam at the Birmingham Central Mosque. Revered by many young Muslims, he draws on his extensive knowledge of the Koran and the life and sayings of the prophet Muhammed to justify his hostility to the kuffar, or non-Muslims.

One sermon warns believers to protect their faith by distancing themselves from the "evil influence" of their non-Muslim British neighbours.

"We are in a very dangerous position here. We live amongst the kuffar, we work with them, we associate with them, we mix with them and we begin to pick up their habits."

In another talk, delivered a few weeks before 9/11, he praises Muslims who have gained martyrdom in battle and laments that today "no one dare utter the J word". "The J word has become taboo . .. The J word is jihad in the way of Allah."

The Times has made repeated attempts to get Mr ul Haq to comment on the content of his sermons. However, he declined to respond.

A commentator on religious radicalism in Pakistan, where Deobandis wield significant political influence, told The Times that "blind ignorance" on the part of the Government in Britain had allowed the Deobandis to become the dominant voice of Islam in Britain's mosques.

Khaled Ahmed said: "The UK has been ruined by the puritanism of the Deobandis. You've allowed the takeover of the mosques. You can't run multiculturalism like that, because that's a way of destroying yourself. In Britain, the Deobandi message has become even more extreme than it is in Pakistan. It's mind-boggling."

In some mosques the sect has wrested control from followers of the more moderate majority, the Barelwi movement.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities said: "We have a detailed strategy to ensure imams properly represent and connect with mainstream moderate opinion and promote shared values like tolerance and respect for the rule of law. We have never said the challenge from extremism is simply restricted to those coming from overseas."

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

 

 

 

Jimmy Carter's war againsgt Israel -- video.

Takes a couple of minutes to load, but watch it carefully, ONE CORRECTION to it, There is NO West Bank, its Judea and Sameria and Gaza, in addition it was NOT occupied by Israel's IDF, they were attacked and they LIBERATED land that was their's by right which the British illegally gave away to the Emir of Jordan and therefore it can not be occupied as you can not occupy Land that is yours anyway.

Please open : http://www.terrorismawareness.org/jimmy-carters-war/

 

Transcript of Usama Bin Laden Tape 09/07:UBL's New Year's Gift to the Jews.

By Ami Isseroff

The transcript of Osama Bin Laden's recent remarks is a gift to the Jewish people for our new year. Osama has sent a message to the Western World. The message is: "It's not about the Jews, Stupid, and it's not about Israel, It's about YOU."

Usama invites Americans to convert to the religion of peace. He offers low taxes, reminding people that the Zakah tax is only 2.5%. Of course if you choose to remain a dhimmi, you will not have to pay the Zakah at all, but you will have to pay the Jizya tax. Still, it is something to consider, as even that would not be much more than capital gains tax, and it applies to all sorts of income. Even the income you will make producing Burqas. More boon to Republicans: Radical Muslims are not big on birth control and they have no use for women's liberation, evolution, gay people and gay marriages either. And you get to have 3 (three) wives.

Senator James Abourezk still doesn't believe Muslims were really responsible for 9-11. He thinks the Zionists did it. Usama is a regular donor to the Hadassah, I bet. There might be something to Abourezk's idea. In this tape, Bin Laden doesn't mention the Jews or Israel even once. Oh Mearsheimer and Walt, where is thy sting? Israel is not the issue. You can give up Israel, to the king of Sauid Arabia, who will deny our women the right to drive automobiles, but you still will not escape the sword of Islam! Thank you Osama for telling the truth!

Following is a transcript of the Osama bin Laden tape originally posted at the SITE Institute.

And here is a link to the video itself, with subtitles..

Ami Isseroff

Transcript: Osama Bin Laden September, 2007

"All praise is due to Allah, who built the heavens and earth in justice, and created man as a favor and grace from Him. And from His ways is that the days rotate between the people, and from His Law is retaliation in kind: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and the killer is killed. And all praise is due to Allah, who awakened His slaves' desire for the Garden, and all of them will enter it except those who refuse. And whoever obeys Him alone in all of his affairs will enter the Garden, and whoever disobeys Him will have refused."

"As for what comes after: Peace be upon he who follows the Guidance. People of America: I shall be speaking to you on important topics which concern you, so lend me your ears. I begin by discussing the war which is between us and some of its repercussions for us and you."

"To preface, I say: despite America being the greatest economic power and possessing the most powerful and up-to-date military arsenal as well; and despite it spending on this war and is army more than the entire world spends on its armies; and despite it being the being the major state influencing the policies of the world, as if it has a monopoly on the unjust right of veto; despite all of this, 19 young men were able - by the grace of Allah, the Most High- to change the direction of its compass. And in fact, the subject of the Mujahideen has become an inseparable part of the speech of your leader, and the effects and signs of that are not hidden."

"Since the 11th, many of America's policies have come under the influence of the Mujahideen, and that is by the grace of Allah, the Most High. And as a result, the people discovered the truth about it, its reputation worsened, its prestige was broken globally and it was bled dry economically, even if our interests overlap with the interests of the major corporations and also with those of the neoconservatives, despite the differing intentions."

"And for your information media, during the first years of the war, lost its credibility and manifested itself as a tool of the colonialist empires, and its condition has often been worse than the condition of the media of the dictatorial regimes which march in the caravan of the single leader."

"Then Bush talks about his working with al-Maliki and his government to spread freedom in Iraq but he in fact is working with the leaders of one sect against another sect, in the belief that this will quickly decide the war in his favor."

"And thus, what is called the civil war came into being and matters worsened at his hands before getting out of his control and him becoming like the one who plows and sows the sea: he harvests nothing but failure."

"So these are some of the results of the freedom about whose spreading he is talking to you. And then the backtracking of Bush on his insistence on not giving the United Nations expanded jurisdiction in Iraq is an implicit admission of his loss and defeat there. "

"And among the most important items contained in Bush's speeches since the events of the 11th is that the Americans have no option but to continue the war. This tone is in fact an echoing of the words of neoconservatives like Cheney, Rumsfeld and Richard Pearle, the latter having said previously that the Americans have no choice in front of them other than to continue the war or face a holocaust."

"I say, refuting this unjust statement, that the morality and culture of the holocaust is your culture, not our culture. In fact, burning living beings is forbidden in our religion, even if they be small like the ant, so what of man?! The holocaust of the Jews was carried out by your brethren in the middle of Europe, but had it been closer to our countries, most of the Jews would have been saved by taking refuge with us. And my proof for that is in what your brothers, the Spanish, did when they set up the horrible courts of the Inquisition to try Muslims and Jews, when the Jews only found safe shelter by taking refuge in our countries. And that is why the Jewish community in Morocco today is one of the largest communities in the world. They are alive with us and we have not incinerated them, but we are a people who don't sleep under oppression and reject humiliation and disgrace, and we take revenge on the people of tyranny and aggression, and the blood of the Muslims will not be spilled with impunity, and the morrow is nigh for he who awaits."

"Also, your Christian brothers have been living among us for 14 centuries: in Egypt alone, there are millions of Christians whom we have not incinerated and shall not incinerate. But the fact is, there is a continuing and biased campaign being waged against us for a long time now by your politicians and many of your writers by way of your media, especially Hollywood, for the purpose of misrepresenting Islam and its adherents to drive you away from the true religion. The genocide of peoples and their holocausts took place at your hands: only a few specimens of Red Indians were spared, and just a few days ago, the Japanese observed the 62nd anniversary of the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by your nuclear weapons."

"And among the things which catch the eye of the one who considers the repercussions of your unjust war against Iraq is the failure of your democratic system, despite it raising of the slogans of justice, liberty, equality and humanitarianism. It has not only failed to achieve these things, it has actually destroyed these and other concepts with its weapons - especially in Iraq and Afghanistan- in a brazen fashion, to replace them with fear, destruction, killing, hunger, illness, displacement and more than a million orphans in Baghdad alone, not to mention hundreds of thousands of widows. Americans statistics speak of the killing of more than 650,000 of the people of Iraq as a result of the war and its repercussions."

"People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of the tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped. Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven't made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there, which has led to the vast majority of you being afflicted with disappointment."

"And here is the gist of the matter, so one should pause, think and reflect: why have the Democrats failed to stop this war, despite them being the majority?"

"I will come back to reply to this question after raising another question, which is:"

"Why are the leaders of the White House keen to start wars and wage them around the world, and make use of every possible opportunity through which they can reach this purpose, occasionally even creating justifications based on deception and blatant lies, as you saw Iraq?"

"In the Vietnam War, the leaders of the White House claimed at the time that it was a necessary and crucial war, and during it, Rumsfeld and his aides murdered two million villagers. And when Kennedy took over the presidency and deviated from the general line of policy drawn up for the White House and wanted to stop this unjust war, that angered the owners of the major corporations who were benefiting from its continuation."

"And so Kennedy was killed, and al-Qaida wasn't present at that time, but rather, those corporations were the primary beneficiary from his killing. And the war continued after that for approximately one decade. But after it became clear to you that it was an unjust and unnecessary war, you made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war, not even the most violent of its murderers, Rumsfeld. And even more incredible than that is that Bush picked him as secretary of defense in his first term after picking Cheney as his vice president, Powell as secretary of state and Armitage as Powell's deputy, despite their horrific and blood history of murdering humans. So that was clear signal that his administration - the administration of the generals- didn't have as its main concern the serving of humanity, but rather, was interested in bringing about new massacres. Yet in spite of that, you permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you - with your full knowledge and consent- to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Then you claim to be innocent! This innocence of yours is like my innocence of the blood of your sons on the 11th - were I to claim such a thing. But it is impossible for me to humor any of you in the arrogance and indifference you show for the lives of humans outside America, or for me to humor your leaders in their lying, as the entire world knows they have the lion's share of that. These morals aren't our morals. What I want to emphasize here is that not taking past war criminals to account led to them repeating that crime of killing humanity without right and waging this unjust war in Mesopotamia, and as a result, here are the oppressed ones today continuing to take their right from you."

"This war was entirely unnecessary, as testified to by your own reports. And among the most capable of those from your own side who speak to you on this topic and on the manufacturing of public opinion is Noam Chomsky, who spoke sober words of advice prior to the war, but the leader of Texas doesn't like those who give advice. The entire world came out in unprecedented demonstrations to warn against waging the war and describe its true nature in eloquent terms like "no to spilling red blood for black oil," yet he paid them no heed. It is time for humankind to know that talk of the rights of man and freedom are lies produced by the White House and its allies in Europe to deceive humans, take control of their destinies and subjugate them. "

"So in answer to the question about the causes of the Democrats' failure to stop the war, I say: they are the same reasons which led to the failure of former president Kennedy to stop the Vietnam war. Those with real power and influence are those with the most capital. And since the democratic system permits major corporations to back candidates, be they presidential or congressional, there shouldn't be any cause for astonishment - and there isn't any- in the Democrats' failure to stop the war. And you're the ones who have the saying which goes, "Money talks." And I tell you: after the failure of your representatives in the Democratic Party to implement your desire to stop the war, you can still carry anti-war placards and spread out in the streets of major cities, then go back to your homes, but that will be of no use and will lead to the prolonging of the war."

"However, there are two solutions for stopping it. The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out, and I ask Allah to grant them resolve and victory. And the second solution is from your side. It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations."

"And with that, it has become clear to all that they are the real tyrannical terrorists. In fact, the life of all of mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories of the major corporations, yet despite that, the representative of these corporations in the White House insists on not observing the Kyoto accord, with the knowledge that the statistic speaks of the death and displacement of the millions of human beings because of that, especially in Africa. This greatest of plagues and most dangerous of threats to the lives of humans is taking place in an accelerating fashion as the world is being dominated by the democratic system, which confirms its massive failure to protect humans and their interests from the greed and avarice of the major corporations and their representatives."

"And despite this brazen attack on the people, the leaders of the West - especially Bush, Blair, Sarkozy and Brown- still talk about freedom and human rights with a flagrant disregard for the intellects of human beings. So is there a form of terrorism stronger, clearer and more dangerous than this? This is why I tell you: as you liberated yourselves before from the slavery of monks, kings, and feudalism, you should liberate yourselves from the deception, shackles and attrition of the capitalist system."

"If you were to ponder it well, you would find that in the end, it is a system harsher and fiercer than your systems in the Middle Ages. The capitalist system seeks to turn the entire world into a fiefdom of the major corporations under the label of "globalization" in order to protect democracy."

"And Iraq and Afghanistan and their tragedies; and the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes; and the abject poverty and tragic hunger in Africa: all of this is but one side of the grim face of this global system."

"So it is imperative that you free yourselves from all of that and search for an alternative, upright methodology in which it is not the business of any class of humanity to lay down its own laws to its own advantage at the expense of the other classes as is the case with you, since the essence of man-made positive laws is that they serve the interests of those with the capital and thus make the rich richer and the poor poorer."

"The infallible methodology is the methodology of Allah, the Most High, who created the heavens and earth and created the Creation and is the Most Kind and All-Informed and the Knower of the souls of His slaves and the methodology that best suits them."

"You believe with absolute certainty that you believe in Allah, and you are full of conviction of this belief, so much so that you have written this belief of yours on your dollar."

"But the truth is that you are mistake in this belief of yours. The impartial judge knows that belief in Allah requires straightness in the following of His methodology, and accordingly, total obedience must be to the orders and prohibitions of Allah Alone in all aspects of life."

"So how about you when you associate others with Him in your beliefs and separate state from religion, then claim that you are believers?!"

"
What you have done is clear loss and manifest polytheism, And I will give you a parable of polytheism, as parables summarize and clarify speech."

"I tell you: its parable is the parable of a man who owns a shop and hires a worker and tells him, "Sell and give me the money," but he makes sales and give the money to someone other than the owner. So who of you would approve of that?"

"You believe that Allah is your Lord and your Creator and the Creator of this earth and that it is His property, then you work on His earth and property without His orders and without obeying Him, and you legislate in contradiction to His Law and methodology."

"This work of yours is the greatest form of polytheism and is rebellion against obedience to Allah with which the believer becomes an unbeliever, even if he obeys Allah in some of His other orders. Allah, the Most High, sent down His orders in His Sacred Books like the Torah and Evangel and sent with them the Messengers (Allah's prayers and peace be upon them) as bearers of good news to the people."

"And everyone who believes in them and complies with them is a believer from the people of the Garden. Then when the men of knowledge altered the words of Allah, the Most High, and sold them for a paltry price, as the rabbis did with the Torah and the monks with the Evangel, Allah sent down His final Book, the magnificent Quran, and safeguarded it from being added to or subtracted from by the hands of men, and in it is a complete methodology for the lives of all people."

"And our holding firm to this magnificent Book is the secret of our strength and winning of the war against you despite the fewness of our numbers and materiel. And if you would like to get to know some of the reasons for your losing of your war against us, then read the book of Michael Scheuer in this regard."

"Don't be turned away from Islam by the terrible situation of the Muslims today, for our rulers in general abandoned Islam many decades ago, but our forefathers were the leaders and pioneers of the world for many centuries, when they held firmly to Islam."

"And before concluding, I tell you: there has been an increase in the thinkers who study events and happenings, and on the basis of their study, they have declared the approach of the collapse of the American Empire."

"Among them is the European thinker who anticipated the fall of the Soviet Union, which indeed fell. And it would benefit you to read what he wrote about what comes after the empire in regard to the United States of America. I also want to bring your attention that among the greatest reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union was their being afflicted with their leader Brezhnev, who was overtaken by pride and arrogance and refused to look at the facts on the ground. From the first year of the Afghanistan invasion, reports indicated that the Russians were losing the war, but he refused to acknowledge this, lest it go down in his personal history as a defeat, even though refusal to acknowledge defeat not only doesn't do anything to change the facts for thinking people, but also exacerbates the problem and increases the losses. And how similar is your position today to their position approximately two decades ago. The mistakes of Brezhnev are being repeated by Bush, who - when asked about the date of his withdrawing of forces from Iraq - said in effect that the withdrawal will not be during his reign, but rather, during the reign of the one who succeeds him. And the significance of these words is not hidden."

"And here I say: it would benefit you to listen to the poignant messages of your soldiers in Iraq, who are paying - with their blood, nerves and scattered limbs - the price for these sorts of irresponsible statements. Among them is the eloquent message of Joshua which he sent by way of the media, in which he wipes the tears from his eyes and describes American politicians in harsh terms and invites them to join him there for a few days. Perhaps his message will find in you an attentive ear so you can rescue him and more than 150,000 of your sons there who are tasting the two bitterest things: "

"If they leave their barracks, the mines devour them, and if they refuse to leave, rulings are passed against them. Thus, the only options left in front of them are to commit suicide or cry, both of which are from the severest of afflictions. So is there anything more men can do after crying and killing themselves to make you respond to them? They are doing that out of the severity of the humiliation, fear and terror which they are suffering. It is severer than what the slaves used to suffer at your hands centuries ago, and it is as if some of them have gone from one slavery to another slavery more severe and harmful, even if it be in the fancy dress of the Defense Department's financial enticements."

"So do you feel the greatness of their sufferings?"

"To conclude, I invite you to embrace Islam, for the greatest mistake one can make in this world and one which is uncorrectable is to die while not surrendering to Allah, the Most High, in all aspects of one's life - ie., to die outside of Islam. And Islam means gain for you in this first life and the next, final life. The true religion is a mercy for people in their lives, filling their hearts with serenity and calm."

T"here is a message for you in the Mujahideen: the entire world is in pursuit of them, yet their hearts, by the grace of Allah, are satisfied and tranquil. The true religion also puts peoples' lives in order with its laws; protects their needs and interests; refines their morals; protects them from evils; and guarantees for them entrance into Paradise in the hereafter through their obedience to Allah and sincere worship of Him Alone."

"And it will also achieve your desire to stop the war as a consequence, because as soon as the warmongering owners of the major corporations realize that you have lost confidence in your democratic system and begun to search for an alternative, and that this alternative is Islam, they will run after you to please you and achieve what you want to steer you away from Islam. So your true compliance with Islam will deprive them of the opportunity to defraud the peoples and take their money under numerous pretexts, like arms deals and so on. "

"There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling only 2.5%. So beware of the deception of those with the capital. And with your earnest reading about Islam from its pristine sources, you will arrive at an important truth, which is that the religion of all of the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them) is one, and that its essence is submission to the orders of Allah Alone in all aspects of life, even if their Shari'ahs [Laws] differ."

"And did you know that the name of the Prophet of Allah Jesus and his mother (peace and blessings of Allah be on them both) are mentioned in the Noble Quran dozens of times, and that in the Quran there is a chapter whose name is "Maryam," i.e. Mary, daughter of 'Imran and mother of Jesus (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both)? It tells the story of her becoming pregnant with the Prophet of Allah Jesus (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both), and in its confirmation of her chastity and purity, in contrast to the fabrications of the Jews against her. Whoever wishes to find that out for himself must listen to the verse of this magnificent chapter: one of the just kings of the Christians - the Negus - listened to some of its verses and his eyes welled up with tears and he said something which should be reflected on for a long time by those sincere in their search for the truth."

"He said, "verily, this and what Jesus brought come from one lantern": i.e., that the magnificent Quran and the Evangel are both from Allah, the Most High; and every just and intelligent one of you who reflects on the Quran will definitely arrive at this truth. It also must be noted that Allah has preserved the Quran from the alterations of men. And reading in order to become acquainted with Islam only requires a little effort, and those of you who are guided will profit greatly. And peace be upon he who follows the Guidance."
September 7, 2007 06:30 PM


Original content is Copyright by the author 2007.