Posted on 04/15/2007 4:43:46 PM PDT by DAVEY CROCKETT
Europe's bio-threat readiness questioned
Image: European Community Europe discusses how to prepare itself in the face of bio-terrorism threats and "perversions" of science, not to mention naturally occurring bio-threats to human health.
By Brooks Tigner in Brussels for ISN Security Watch (11/04/07)
The EU must work much closer with its 27 national capitals and across the Atlantic to combat the growing threat of bio-terrorism, according to EU and US policymakers and scientists.
The European Commission aims to fire up discussion of the issue and prompt some solutions when it issues a consultative document on bio-preparedness in the coming weeks.
While Washington is pushing ahead with high levels of government spending and close public-private coordination to protect the US population against bio-attacks, policy in Europe still lacks focus and is splintered into separate national policies, despite universal concern among EU and national experts that their continent is highly vulnerable to attack. Pan-European research is just as fragmented, though current and forthcoming EU-funded projects aim to pull researchers in the same direction.
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There is no policy coherence in bio-preparedness in general across Europe, whether the issue is one of vaccine production, security at bio- and virological laboratories or national immunization policies.
(Excerpt) Read more at isn.ethz.ch ...
Thanks FARS, good links!
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP159307
May 18, 2007 No.1593
Islamist Websites Monitor #100-102
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 100
ISI Announces Capture of U.S. Soldiers in Al-Mahmudiayya, Warns U.S. Not to Search For Them
In the past 48 hours, the ISI has posted two communiqués on the Islamist websites claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of the U.S. soldiers in Al-Mahmudiyya on Saturday, May 12, 2007 and warning the U.S. not to search for them because doing so would endanger them.
The first message, posted May 13, 2007, states that the soldiers were captured in the course of “clashes between the mujahideen and a Crusader patrol in Al-Mahmudiyya.” The second message, posted May 14, 2007 and titled “The War Scale Tips Once Toward You and Once Toward Us,” mocks the official U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, saying that he “looked pale and could hardly speak... after the ISI captured the U.S. soldiers in Iraq” - in contrast with his demeanor on the day he announced the killing of the ISI’s official spokesmen, Al-Jaburi, when he “bragged that they succeeded in killing our sheikh.”
“Today,” the message continues, “you have experienced a calamity. Your false propaganda presented the American soldier as undefeatable, as a soldier who can never be captured, but with Allah’s grace the American soldier has been humiliated by the monotheists of the ISI.” The message ends with a threat: “If you are concerned for the safety of your soldiers, do not search for them.”
ISI Forms Special Jihad Brigades
On May 13, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué by the ISI announcing the establishment of special jihad brigades to carry out attacks deep in enemy territory.
The following are excerpts:
“We announce to the Muslim nation that the [ISI] war ministry has trained special brigades with exceptional physical fitness and combat abilities. Their task: to carry out attacks like the ones currently being carried out in Al-Anbar, Mosul, and Diyala districts and elsewhere, to reach the enemy’s rear lines, to penetrate deep into enemy territory, as in the attacks on the [Iraqi] parliament and on [Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister] Salam [Al-Zubaie] Al-Zukum [wounded in a car bomb explosion near his home on March 23, 2007], and to bring [wanted] individuals into custody.”
Video Documenting the April 11, 2007 Bombings in Algeria
On May 10, Islamist websites posted a 29-minute video produced by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has taken responsibility for the three bombings in Algiers on April 11, 2007. [1] The video shows the last messages of the three bombers, and documents the preparation and implementation of the attacks.
The video begins with a caption saying “Attack on three targets [belonging to] blatant collaborators: the headquarters of the apostate Algerian government, the Interpol headquarters, and the headquarters of the Center for Fighting Jihad.” This is followed by captions describing the “crimes” committed by each of these bodies.
Next, the video brings excerpts from speeches by Sheikh Abu Mus’ab Abd Al-Wadoud, the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and by Osama bin Laden, in which they declare that jihad and martyrdom are the only ways to fight the infidels, and urge Muslim youths to join the jihad.
The video then shows the stages of preparing the attacks. First is the stage of “gathering information and preparing the operation,” in which the terrorists scope out the targets. Next is the stage of “preparing the bombs and loading the vehicles with 1,900 kilos of explosives,” in which the terrorists, backs to the camera, are shown preparing charges fitted with timers. The following scene shows the terrorists, wearing explosive belts and with guns at their sides, giving their last statements. They urge young Muslims to join the jihad and carry out martyrdom operations, and one of them says: “I recommend the path of Martyrdom, for it is the shortest route to Paradise.”
In the stage of “implementing [the attacks],” the terrorists are shown getting into the explosive-rigged trucks. One of them points to the switch and says that a single push will bring one to Paradise. The video ends with a caption saying: “The last moments before the bombing of the Interpol headquarters and the Center for Fighting Jihad.” A few seconds later, an explosion is shown, while cries of “Allah Akbar” are heard in the background.
The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=840992&ak=null.
Below are images from the video:
Videos Show Execution of Iraqi Officers Kidnapped by the ISI
Islamist websites recently posted two ISI videos showing the execution of the Iraqi officers captured by the organization on May 7 and May 8, 2007. [2]
The first video, posted May 10, 2007, opens with a written message stating that since the ISI’s ultimatum has expired, the organization has decided to “carry out Allah’s ruling.” The film then shows the six hostages kneeling on the ground, surrounded by several masked mujahideen, two of them holding cameras. During the execution, an excerpt from an audio message by ISI War Minister Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir is heard in the background: “Crush their supremacy, raid their military bases, cut off their limbs, tear their hearts from their bodies! This is the day of massacre. Today we will annihilate the unbelievers...”
The second film, posted May 11, 2007, shows the three hostages - Lieutenant Colonel Khaled Ahmad Hussein and his two bodyguards - kneeling on the ground, while a masked mujahid stands behind them and reads out the ISI’s May 8, 2007 ultimatum to Al-Maliki’s government. Next, the three officers recite a text, calling on “those who cooperate with the government of idols” to “return to their senses, cooperate with the mujahideen and with the ISI, and defend the divine laws.” This is followed by the written message stating that “the ISI’s ultimatum has expired, and the ISI court in Mosul has therefore decided to carry out Allah’s ruling.” The three hostages are then executed next to a busy road in full sight of the people in passing vehicles.
The first video, with some graphic images removed, can be viewed at:
http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=840664&ak=null.
The second video, with some graphic images removed, can be viewed at:
http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=840671&ak=null.
Below are images from the videos:
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 101
Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Calls On Algerians to Boycott May 17 Elections
On May 15, 2007, Islamist websites posted an audio message by the Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Mus’ab ‘Abd Al-Wadoud, titled: “Boycott the Ongoing Farce of the Elections.” ‘Abd Al-Wadoud devotes the beginning of his message to undermining the legitimacy of the Algerian parliament. He accuses the parliament, which he labels “an insignificant parasite institution,” of representing the government, not the Algerian people who elected it, and thus of aiding the government’s “corrupt” policies. More specifically, he denounces the fact that the parliament has kept silent although the “government made an alliance with the American enemy... at a time when [the latter] is still launching a military campaign to exterminate Muslims in many places.” In addition, he blames the parliament itself for initiating “despicable cooperation with the French parliament, which enacted recently several laws... prohibiting [the wearing of] the hijab in French schools.”
After listing the parliament’s numerous “crimes,” ‘Abd Al-Wadoud appeals to the Algerian people, saying: “Our country does not need anyone to enact laws pertaining to that which is permitted and prohibited. [Instead, our country] is in need of someone who will apply what Allah has prescribed. God has perfected a religion for us, and thus, aside from the religion of Islam, Algeria does not need the infidels’ experience, codes of law, theories, and philosophies.” He warns the Algerian people: “If you participate in their elections, you vote for hindering the shari’a... and for giving priority to the infidels’ laws... Had you asked the sincere among the religious scholars about these legislative councils or parliaments, they would have told you that Islam does not legitimize [such institutions], since it is forbidden to rule but with what Allah has revealed... and that only Allah possesses power and authority and not the nation...” He concludes his message by calling on the Algerian people to resist “the deceptive media campaign” and all the political pressure so as to “prove to the world... that your nation neither submits nor bows to anyone but Allah, and that it neither accepts corruption nor assists corrupt people. You should express your rejection of these elections, and the fact that you wash your hands of it. You are requested to boycott and to refrain from voting.”
Taliban Leadership Eulogizes Mullah Dadallah, Threatens Painful Revenge
On May 16, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué from the Taliban leadership following the death of Mullah Dadallah, in which they offer their condolences to all of the Afghani mujahideen, praise Dadallah as a role model for all Muslims in the world, and warn that “the enemies will pay a high price in revenge” for his death “in accordance with Afghani custom.” The following are excerpts from the communiqué:
“The martyr Mullah Dadallah was a true model of a tireless fighter - a revolutionary fighter [and model] of rectitude and courage, not just for the jihad-fighting Afghani people, but for all of the Muslims of the world…
“Nonetheless, in the martyr-hero Mullah Dadallah’s caravan of mujahideen there are thousands of fellow travelers, and now his worldview, ideology, and way in jihad will pick up pace... in order to fill the void that he left, and each one [of the thousands of fellow travelers] will turn into a thorn in the eyes of the enemy, just as this daring hero [was]...
“It can be said with absolute [certainty] that the death of Dadallah will strengthen the force and the resistance of the ranks of our jihad. Wounds and martyrdom are not considered defeat in Islam’s dictionary... Whenever a void appeared, the Muslim attackers filled it in a proper manner.
“Today as well, the enemies of Islam and Afghanistan should not rejoice in the death of the martyr Mullah Dadallah. To the contrary, it should sadden them, since the mujahideen will make the enemies pay a high price in revenge... The enemies will shed many tears for many of their loved ones... The enemy will soon see [the mujahideen’s] revenge for this barbaric action, in accordance with Afghani custom and with the orders of the Islamic Emirate...
“[Signed:] The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”
Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades Threaten France With “Bloody Jihad Attack” Following Sarkozy’s Victory
On May 15, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué from the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades [3] titled “Message to the French People,” in which they warned that they would carry out “a bloody jihad attack” in France in reaction to the “Crusader-Zionist” Sarkozy’s elections victory:
“After you took your stance and placed in your leadership the Crusader-Zionist Sarkozy, who thirsts for the blood of Muslim children, women, and elderly, and yearns to carry out the mission of his masters in the White House, we in the Martyr Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades warn you that the coming days will be [days of] a bloody jihad attack and a murderous war in the heart of Sarkozy’s capital [i.e. Paris] against all those who let themselves be enticed into following the policy of the despicable people in the Black House…
“Abu Hafs Al-Tikriti
“The Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades
“European Division
“May 15, 2007.”
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 102
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb: Media Spreading Lies About Us
On May 14, 2007, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb posted a communiqué on Islamist websites, titled “The Most Recent Nonsense [Spread by] the Media,” in which it denies various claims made about it in the media and calls on journalists to be more professional and accurate in their reports.
The following are excerpts:
“We categorically deny the [report]... regarding [the existence] of an internal opposition [within our organization] that objects to the strategy of martyrdom operations, and stress that there is accord within [our] organization... [In fact,] we hereby announce to the nation, as our Emir has already announced, that the list of martyrdom [seekers] is growing daily, and that the apostates and Crusaders had better start digging graves for themselves.
“We [also] deny the reports that 17 jihad fighters have been killed... We urge our Muslim brothers in Algeria and outside it to shut their ears to the hysterical lies which will probably escalate as the victories of the jihad fighters continue [to multiply]...
“We call on these biased papers to be more objective and neutral... and on every [journalist] in these papers who still has some honesty and professionalism left not to take part in this deliberate deception.”
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No.1541, “Islamist Websites Monitor No. 85,” April 13, 2007. http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=iwmp&ID=SP154107.
[2] On the kidnappings, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1576, “Islamist Websites Monitor No. 97,” May 9, 2007, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP157607 ;
MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1579, “Islamist Websites Monitor No. 98,” May 10, 2007, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP157907.
[3] This organization has in the past published a number of threats that it did not in the end carry out. In 2004, MEMRI published an assessment based on an analysis of the threats and additional materials, that called into question the credibility of the threats and the organization’s very existence. See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 185, “Assessing the Credibility of the ‘Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades’ Threats,” August 10, 2004, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA18504.
Masri, he is odd, I read about him yesterday, but even a different account, and still it bugged me.
You are correct, I think.
If so, then why is he in Germany setting shops on fire.
Insanity, that I can accept.
I know some of the BBC reporters are mid-east supporters, so it is not a surprise they tried to hide that he may be a jihadi.
From your first link, in the very good article that Alan formed:
Andrew Bostom, who has studied the history of Jihad on three continents for more than one thousand years, says that “terrorism was often a prelude to conquest.” Terrorism is psychological warfare, to make the non-Muslims scared of Muslims, soften their resistance and prevent them from mounting a real defense of their lands when Muslims later wage a full-scale war to colonize and subdue them.<<<
That is it , clear as can be.
reminded me of this site:
http://theway2k.vox.com/library/post/al-qaeda-spreads-islamofascist-hate-in-english.html
and this:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=12136206&postID=571907950364976704
In this one, the jihadi and commie post openly in the comments:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=12136206&postID=2356659075650159304
In Mein Kampf, Hitler noted that he could easily turn a Communist into a Nazi, and recruited heavily from among Red circles. There was little real ideological disagreement between Hitler and Stalin -- they both wanted a world ruled by an absolute dictator. Their only real disagreement was over WHO was to rule
Similarly, between the Shiites and Sunnis, the major real difference is over which group of theologians are to be in charge.
The reason the Left and the Islamists are allied is because they are so much alike. They both want domination over the minds of men, so that a non-working Elite may enjoy the fruits of the Dhimmis who would be their slaves
Allan’s blog is top of the line today, made me want to copy and bring it here.
Good job........
The enemy is among us:
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Bush removes provision requiring back taxes from illegal immigrants
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | May 19, 2007
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration insisted on a little-noticed change in the bipartisan Senate immigration bill that would enable 12 million undocumented residents to avoid paying back taxes or associated fines to the Internal Revenue Service, officials said.
A provision requiring payment of back taxes had been in the initial version of a bill proposed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat. But the administration called for the provision to be removed due to concern that it would be too difficult to figure out which illegal immigrants owed back taxes.
The dropping of the back-tax provision was not made clear in the announcement of the immigration reform proposal on Thursday. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, speaking in reference to illegal immigrants seeking legal status, said, “You’ve got to pay your taxes.” He did not state whether he was referring to back taxes, future taxes, or both.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, asked in a telephone interview yesterday to clarify Chertoff’s remark, said it referred only to future taxes.
“It is important that the reformed immigration system is workable and cost efficient,” Stanzel said. “Determining the past tax liability would have been very difficult and costly and extremely time consuming.”
Stanzel stressed that immigrants would be required to pay a fine of up to $5,000 if they want to apply for a green card to become a legal resident, although that fine is not for failure to pay taxes.
Laura Capps, a spokeswoman for Kennedy, said a provision for requiring back taxes was in Kennedy’s original bill and that Chertoff called for it to be removed. “Chertoff thought it would be too challenging to accurately determine the amount of an applicant’s back taxes,” she said.
Administration officials said many illegal immigrants do not get paychecks that can be audited, making it difficult to determine tax liability.
But Pete Sepp, spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, which says it has 362,000 members, was stunned that the provision was removed. While saying it would be difficult to come up with a precise estimate of the amount of back taxes owed by undocumented residents, he said it would be in the tens of billions of dollars, with a similar amount in fines for failure to pay the taxes.
“I can tell you, most law-abiding taxpayers would find that provision totally distasteful,” Sepp said about the decision not to seek back taxes. “I doubt that many citizens are willing to swallow that special treatment.”
Sepp said he understands that it would difficult to determine back taxes owed by illegal immigrants, and he said that many illegal immigrants would have earned too little to pay taxes. But he suggested that the administration could have come up with a plan requiring at least some tax-related payment from immigrants who are seeking to become legal residents.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
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We are a matter of days away from losing the war against jihadists.
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP159007
May 18, 2007 No.1590
Syrian Liberal Nidhal Na’isa On the West, Pan-Arabism, Islamism, and Al-Jazeera
Syrian liberal author Nidhal Na’isa began his career in journalism as a teenager, at the government dailies Al-Thawra and Syria Times, [1] but today he is a vocal opponent of the Arab regimes and the pan-Arab ideology, as well as of Islamism and Islamist terrorism. He has written that due to the Islamist “tsunami,” the Middle East could be declared an “intellectual disaster zone”; that if one were to try to sell pan-Arab identity to “the bushmen and the cannibals” they wouldn’t buy it; and that the pan-Arab media is “a harbinger of ill, pain, and destruction.” In contrast, he praises the West for its humanism and its respect for the individual, and writes that, given the current state of affairs in the Arab world, the real question is not “why does the West hate us?” but rather why it does not.
The following are excerpts from some of Nidhal Na’isa’s recent articles:
“We Could Declare [The Middle East] an Intellectual Disaster Zone After the Surging Fundamentalist Tsunami Swept Through”
In an interview published April 23, 2007 on the liberal Arab website Aafaq, Na’isa discussed the Islamist phenomenon:
“The world is swept up in globalization, whereas our unfortunate regions are being swept up everywhere by fundamentalism. We could declare [the Middle East] an intellectual disaster area after the surging fundamentalist tsunami swept through it.
“This is a wave that came after the slaughter, on the debris of the failure and disintegration of the leftist pan-Arab projects, [when] their intellectual hollowness and the superficiality of their proposals… became evident…
“Fundamentalism is a notion that disturbs the sleep of everybody concerned with the present and the future of this region. All of us are fundamentalists, when fundamentalism is taken in the sense of tenacious clinging to [our] opinion and rejection of the other. I see fundamentalism on the faces of all, in their thoughts and proposals. Nobody comes to terms with the other; no one pays attention to anyone else. In my view, this is fundamentalism in its more important and fuller meaning…”
“In Our Totalitarian Societies… Leaving [the Fold of] Collective Thought is Considered Error, Heresy, and Atheism”
When asked about the phenomenon of increasing religiosity in Syria, Na’isa said that it was part of “the spread of the culture of the herd and ‘group’ thinking, which means the negation of the individual and the individual’s importance in creation, development, and originality.”
He continued: “Western civilization was founded on unleashing individual initiative and glorification of individual reason - and not collective reason, which is generally emotive and not of sound judgment.
“In our totalitarian societies, the collective ‘I’ prevails over the individual ‘I,’ and all become equals under the podiums of the [Islamic] jurisprudents. Leaving [the fold of] collective thought is considered error, heresy, and atheism…”
Na’isa’s praise for the West does not, however, extend to current U.S. policy in the region, which he feels has been counterproductive and has fed extremism: “Much of the religiosity in our societies is based on the principle ‘not out of love for ‘Ali, but in order to spite Mu’awiya,’ [i.e.] in order to spite the current regimes, and in order to goad George Bush and the U.S., which acts in a reckless, thoughtless, and foolish manner, and, through its policies, increases the strength of this [fundamentalist] current…
“So long as the [Syrian] nationalist opposition forces remain repressed and banned, and religious activity is the sole [kind of activity] permitted and tolerated, many will see in it a shelter for the expression of… their identities as [people who] reject the Arab constellation of despotism…”
The Syrian Media is “A Mongoloid Child, Retarded and Underdeveloped”
In the interview, Na’isa draws a clear distinction between past heroes of resistance to colonialism and those whom the modern Arab media crowns as martyrs:
“It goes without saying, and is clear to anyone with eyes to see, that there is a distinction between [on the one hand] someone who ends a life full of human giving and sacrifice… and who worked for a noble and lofty goal, and [on the other hand] someone with a black history… The lying pan-Arabist, Islamist-propagandist media will never succeed in creating saints and martyrs out of slaughterers, butchers, and hired killers…
“The hypocritical pan-Arab hissing [i.e. the pan-Arab media]… has poisoned our lives and turned them into a cheap lie.... The viper, before it bites, emits a hissing sound, which is a harbinger of ill, pain, and destruction.”
Na’isa said of the Syrian media in particular that it is “a mongoloid child, retarded and underdeveloped.” [2]
“In Truth, I Think That Those Wicked ‘Infidels’ Love Us More Than We Hate Them”
On April 22, 2007, Nidhal Na’isa published an article on the liberal Arab website Elaph titled “Why Don’t They Hate Us?” in which he lampooned the Islamists’ anti-West discourse:
“A great part of the fiery, devout, [Islamic] revivalist discourse… is based on [the claim] that the ‘infidel’ West is our mortal archenemy, that it hates us with the greatest hatred, and that it does not let any opportunity pass for hatching conspiracies and striking at us.
“[It is also based on the claim] that all of the backwardness, misery, deterioration, decline, defeats, and baseness currently present in the Arab and Muslim worlds are due to an uninterrupted flood of machinations on the part of those evil infidels. [The claim is] that they target our religion and our being because they have no religion, and because we are better than them in Allah’s view, and that they envy us for this very reason.
“[The Islamists claim] that we are a great source of concern for [the West], and that we are their sole preoccupation and fear, and that the green [i.e. Islamic] ‘giant’ is ambushing them with its extraordinary capabilities of poverty, hunger, corruption, despotism, ignorance, prisons, delusion, superstitions, and preachers.
“[According to the Islamists, Islam] is, for this reason, the only one capable of destroying Western civilization, defeating it on its home ground, and wiping it out of existence through ‘a few explosive belts’ that do nothing other than kill and target Arab and Muslim children and their innocent blood.
“[They say that] the mother of all decisive [battles] - the fateful war with the atheist, sinful infidels - passes by way of those innocents, and that if it were not for accursed Israel, wicked America, the infidels, and the descendants of apes and pigs that lie in wait for us night and day, our countries and homelands would be like Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Oslo… When Allah rids us of those wicked, accursed people, we will live in tranquility and bliss, and live happily ever after, and we will have offspring, and girls whom we will dress in chadors, veils, and hijabs.
“But in truth… I think that those wicked ‘infidels’ love us much more than we hate them. If it were not for them, life would be transformed into hell and fire.”
“London Has Become a Safe Haven for Fundamentalists Fleeing the Hell of Middle Eastern Despotism”
“[The West] has contributed greatly - through material aid, technical expertise, and advisory assistance - to many of the amenities of life we enjoy. Tens of millions of humans have benefited from the West’s achievements in the sciences, and Western universities have opened [their doors] to the multitudes of students arriving from all countries of the world.
“They have granted citizenship and inducements - material and other - to all of the outstanding, the gifted, and the creative to live in those countries - and even to those who were chased out of their own countries. For instance… London has become a safe haven for fundamentalists fleeing the hell of Middle Eastern despotism. They release, from London, their fiery communiqués for the destruction of the infidel West …
“The prophecy has been fulfilled, and [these Islamists in London] have, in fact, become the only group to be redeemed from the inferno of tyranny, the hell of oppression, and the fire of despotism.
“It was the infidel West, for instance, that extracted oil from the Arabian desert, and turned it into a green paradise and expansive oases full of vitality. [In these oases,] various kinds of economic, intellectual, athletic and artistic activities flourish, and conferences and conventions are held to revile the infidel West and to accuse [other Arabs] of treachery, in the intoxicating atmosphere of the heart of the desert.
“If it were not for this massive technological aid, those countries would be living now as [they lived] in the earliest period of that great, time-honored history of theirs, before there was a West and before there were infidels.
“In addition, this infidel West dedicated its utmost efforts and thinking… to the medical sphere, and eliminated many of the contagious, infectious diseases that used to be predominant in the world. And it is this same West that gives [the Arabs] electricity with which to desalinate water…
If the West Were To Reciprocate the Enmity of the Arab Satellite Stations, “It Could Turn Their Lights Off and Send Them Back to the Early Camel Age”
“And it was [the West] that launched satellites ‘that float in the sky’ [3] [that made possible] the [Arab] satellite TV stations which show up every day on the [TV] screens, and which sprinkle their unique ‘masterpieces’ over mankind. If the West wanted to, and if it were to act with the same logic of unveiled enmity [as the Arab satellite stations do], it could turn their lights off with one push of a button and send them back to the deep black depths and the Early Camel Age…
“I believe that applying oneself to putting forward all of the overwhelming conclusive arguments concerning the humanism of the West, the loftiness of its endeavors, and the nobility of its intentions, would be… a pointless linguistic digression. The general concept can be summed up by [the fact] that the West has not been grudging in [sharing] its humanism and its civilization with others, and it demands of them only a bit of quiet - if there is to be no good faith, recognition, and return of the favor…
“The world has become a narrow lane in a small global village. It listens, follows [developments], thinks, contemplates, and analyzes - and it cannot at all fathom the motives and the goals of this hostile and vicious discourse of incitement that some tirelessly market, exploiting their alliance with despotic regimes.
“One painful conclusion can be drawn from all of this… [and it is] that the more logical question… is not ‘why do they hate us?’ - if there is indeed some degree of hatred - but rather ‘why don’t they hate us?’… [4]
Al-Jazeera Talk Shows as A Window on Arab Society
In an April 15, 2007 article on Elaph.com, Na’isa took issue with those who criticize the popular Al-Jazeera talk show “The Opposite Direction.” In a rather backhanded compliment, he “praises” the confrontational show as an accurate, if pale, reflection of the conflictual state of contemporary Arab society:
“I don’t understand why many criticize ‘The Opposite Direction’… and call it… a cockfight, or a boxing ring, or a dialogue of the deaf.
“All the aforementioned program does is to pass on, through its participants and its unaffected interviews, some random aspects of a head-butting, fragmented Arab reality…
“’The Opposite Direction’ is a microcosm of the larger ‘opposite directions’ that are to be found in every home, in the street, within every institution, group, and political party, and in every small gathering, even those around a hookah and a backgammon table in a popular café, or in an out-of-the-way village.
“In fact, relatively speaking, [’The Opposite Direction’] is far less violent than what goes on in reality: the deafness, the anger, the resistance, the mutual shoving and head-butting. It often seems to me as though no one understands the other, and no one wants to listen to the other.
“If Allah, may He be praised and elevated - and the fact that he has not done this is [due to] His great wisdom - [but] if Allah were to bestow upon us weapons of mass destruction, we would destroy one another down to the last man… And then we could rest, and give tortured humanity a respite from our long and wearying problems, discussions, and talks.
“Hopefully our discussions will remain at the level of the ‘The Opposite Direction’ - a ‘bit’ of yelling and vituperation… and will not transform into a deadly hell and tremendous bloodshed…
“So first off, I would like to sincerely thank all of the participants… in this program, because they express, in a true and spontaneous manner, the nature of our societies, their innermost being, without any ‘touchup’… These are our people and our peoples. This is how we are. This is what we have to offer…” [5]
On the Arab Media’s Version of “Arab Identity”
In an April 26 article on Elaph, Na’isa wrote: “The charlatan… propagandistic media glories in the bombastic term ‘Arab identity,’ and it extols it and promotes it as the heavens’ gift to those sinking into a morass of backwardness…
“In truth, I tried hard, exhausted with fatigue and worn down by sleeplessness, and I [still] am trying, to define the basic characteristics of this identity vaunted by the Arab nationalists, professional pan-Arabists, and the Islamists, [thinking that] perhaps I could find a single reason or convincing explanation as to the uniqueness of this gift of nature that they dote on night and day.
“[I thought that] perhaps I could stumble on just one find by which I could advance a single proof concerning the enigma of the Zionist, colonialist, Burmese, Bengal, and Nepalese conspiracies to make this identity disappear from existence…
“I couldn’t find any convincing reason [to make] people cleave to this identity, apart from a wicked and obscure desire, not free of bad intent, to take revenge on them, deceive them, and keep them in their state of misery, decline, and in their humiliating position.
“This identity has come to mean… oppression, despotism, coercion, repression, prison, mass graves, security chases, exploitation, persecution, the organized plunder of national resources, odious racist discrimination against minorities and women, monopolization of thought, talent, and creativity, and the punishment of the free. It contains many distinguishing characteristics, such as: corruption, fragmentation, wars, tribal conflict, clannishness, blood feuds, and deep-rooted hostilities that never had any basis in the first place.
“[In the Arab world] the ruler is the army boot…, dictatorship, demagoguery…, military coups, and deification of the leaders. Without these unique characteristics, Arab identity loses its… customary and familiar luster and glamour…
“In light of all of these saddening and oppressive facts, if we were to put this identity… up for sale - to the bushmen or the cannibals in the jungle, to outcasts or refugees, to gypsies or to vagabonds - would any of them agree to buy it?...” [6]
[1] www.aafaq.org, April 23, 2007.
[2] www.aafaq.org, April 23, 2007.
[3] Paraphrase of Koran 21:33.
[4] www.elaph.com, April 22, 2007.
[5] www.elaph.com, April 15, 2007. Several weeks after publishing this article, Na’isa himself was invited to appear on “The Opposite Direction” on Al-Jazeera; see MEMRI TV Clip No. 1448, May 8, 2007: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1448.
[6] www.elaph.com, April 26, 2007.
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP159107
May 18, 2007 No.1591
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 102
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb: Media Spreading Lies About Us
On May 14, 2007, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb posted a communiqué on Islamist websites, titled “The Most Recent Nonsense [Spread by] the Media,” in which it denies various claims made about it in the media and calls on journalists to be more professional and accurate in their reports.
The following are excerpts:
“We categorically deny the [report]... regarding [the existence] of an internal opposition [within our organization] that objects to the strategy of martyrdom operations, and stress that there is accord within [our] organization... [In fact,] we hereby announce to the nation, as our Emir has already announced, that the list of martyrdom [seekers] is growing daily, and that the apostates and Crusaders had better start digging graves for themselves.
“We [also] deny the reports that 17 jihad fighters have been killed... We urge our Muslim brothers in Algeria and outside it to shut their ears to the hysterical lies which will probably escalate as the victories of the jihad fighters continue [to multiply]...
“We call on these biased papers to be more objective and neutral... and on every [journalist] in these papers who still has some honesty and professionalism left not to take part in this deliberate deception.”
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP158807
May 17, 2007 No.1588
Islamist Websites Monitor No. 101
Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Calls On Algerians to Boycott May 17 Elections
On May 15, 2007, Islamist websites posted an audio message by the Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Mus’ab ‘Abd Al-Wadoud, titled: “Boycott the Ongoing Farce of the Elections.” ‘Abd Al-Wadoud devotes the beginning of his message to undermining the legitimacy of the Algerian parliament. He accuses the parliament, which he labels “an insignificant parasite institution,” of representing the government, not the Algerian people who elected it, and thus of aiding the government’s “corrupt” policies. More specifically, he denounces the fact that the parliament has kept silent although the “government made an alliance with the American enemy... at a time when [the latter] is still launching a military campaign to exterminate Muslims in many places.” In addition, he blames the parliament itself for initiating “despicable cooperation with the French parliament, which enacted recently several laws... prohibiting [the wearing of] the hijab in French schools.”
After listing the parliament’s numerous “crimes,” ‘Abd Al-Wadoud appeals to the Algerian people, saying: “Our country does not need anyone to enact laws pertaining to that which is permitted and prohibited. [Instead, our country] is in need of someone who will apply what Allah has prescribed. God has perfected a religion for us, and thus, aside from the religion of Islam, Algeria does not need the infidels’ experience, codes of law, theories, and philosophies.” He warns the Algerian people: “If you participate in their elections, you vote for hindering the shari’a... and for giving priority to the infidels’ laws... Had you asked the sincere among the religious scholars about these legislative councils or parliaments, they would have told you that Islam does not legitimize [such institutions], since it is forbidden to rule but with what Allah has revealed... and that only Allah possesses power and authority and not the nation...” He concludes his message by calling on the Algerian people to resist “the deceptive media campaign” and all the political pressure so as to “prove to the world... that your nation neither submits nor bows to anyone but Allah, and that it neither accepts corruption nor assists corrupt people. You should express your rejection of these elections, and the fact that you wash your hands of it. You are requested to boycott and to refrain from voting.”
Taliban Leadership Eulogizes Mullah Dadallah, Threatens Painful Revenge
On May 16, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué from the Taliban leadership following the death of Mullah Dadallah, in which they offer their condolences to all of the Afghani mujahideen, praise Dadallah as a role model for all Muslims in the world, and warn that “the enemies will pay a high price in revenge” for his death “in accordance with Afghani custom.” The following are excerpts from the communiqué:
“The martyr Mullah Dadallah was a true model of a tireless fighter - a revolutionary fighter [and model] of rectitude and courage, not just for the jihad-fighting Afghani people, but for all of the Muslims of the world…
“Nonetheless, in the martyr-hero Mullah Dadallah’s caravan of mujahideen there are thousands of fellow travelers, and now his worldview, ideology, and way in jihad will pick up pace... in order to fill the void that he left, and each one [of the thousands of fellow travelers] will turn into a thorn in the eyes of the enemy, just as this daring hero [was]...
“It can be said with absolute [certainty] that the death of Dadallah will strengthen the force and the resistance of the ranks of our jihad. Wounds and martyrdom are not considered defeat in Islam’s dictionary... Whenever a void appeared, the Muslim attackers filled it in a proper manner.
“Today as well, the enemies of Islam and Afghanistan should not rejoice in the death of the martyr Mullah Dadallah. To the contrary, it should sadden them, since the mujahideen will make the enemies pay a high price in revenge... The enemies will shed many tears for many of their loved ones... The enemy will soon see [the mujahideen’s] revenge for this barbaric action, in accordance with Afghani custom and with the orders of the Islamic Emirate...
“[Signed:] The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”
Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades Threaten France with “Bloody Jihad Attack” Following Sarkozy’s Victory
On May 15, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué from the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades [1] titled “Message to the French People,” in which they warned that they would carry out “a bloody jihad attack” in France in reaction to the “Crusader-Zionist” Sarkozy’s elections victory:
“After you took your stance and placed in your leadership the Crusader-Zionist Sarkozy, who thirsts for the blood of Muslim children, women, and elderly, and yearns to carry out the mission of his masters in the White House, we in the Martyr Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades warn you that the coming days will be [days of] a bloody jihad attack and a murderous war in the heart of Sarkozy’s capital [i.e. Paris] against all those who let themselves be enticed into following the policy of the despicable people in the Black House…
“Abu Hafs Al-Tikriti
“The Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades
“European Division
“May 15, 2007.”
[1] This organization has in the past published a number of threats that it did not in the end carry out. In 2004, MEMRI published an assessment based on an analysis of the threats and additional materials, that called into question the credibility of the threats and the organization’s very existence. See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 185, “Assessing the Credibility of the ‘Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades’ Threats,” August 10, 2004, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA18504.
[From the Indian Group at Yahoo, couldn’s choose only one, so will share the post of Bear Warrior...granny]
Bear Warrior
wrote:
May 17 - Daily Feast
Morning peeks over the horizon with fresh breath and rosy cheeks. She
sparkles with dew and turns the trees into halos of green that tint the
air. Her eyes are blue and she turns them on earth with tender care.
Her good humor reveals that it is the month of flowers - the planting
month. Speak to morning with gratitude.Though she comes daily, she stays
only a few hours and then she changes clothes and moves across to the
time of long shadows. Show reverence to the One who gave her to us, this
time of day that gives us such vigor and such vision of how we can make
her day.
~ So may our hearts and the hearts of the white men go out together to
Thee and be made good and right. ~
BLACKFOOT - CROW CHIEF, 1850
“A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II” by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
Elder’s Meditation of the Day - May 17
“If the Great Spirit wanted men to stay in one place He would make the
world stand still; but He made it to always change...”
—Chief Flying Hawk, OGLALA SIOUX
The Elders tell us change occurs in two directions. They say, “That
which is built is constantly being destroyed; that which is loose is being
used to build the New.” In other words, change is constantly going on.
Many times we hear people say, “I hate change.” Does it make sense that
the Great Spirit would design people to hate it? The Great Spirit
designed people with change abilities such as visioning, imagery and
imagination. Maybe we need to learn to use these tools and then we’ll look
forward to change.
Great Spirit, today, let me see the harmony of Yours, truly changing
world.
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
THINK on THESE THINGS
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Do you want to know the truth about worry? It hits everyone. It is not
an ailment just for weaklings or cowards. Worry is the cat you throw
out only to have it back in before you can close the door.
Worry has another side. It proves we care very much, and that we
appreciate our God-given strength, for if we can turn it to faith, then faith
can be just as strong. And to overcome worry, or to at least control
it, there must be faith.
Faith, and the knowledge that if you could be in all the places,
watching closely all the things about which you are concerned, you couldn’t
do a tenth as much good as one simple prayer.
We are taught, “Be not anxious,” “Fear not,” and “Be not afraid,” and
too quickly we become anxious, fearful, and very frightened. But even
then we have only to put worry to flight by remembering those quieting
words that are so absolutely true, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Recently we had a summer storm. It was rumbling and heavy with
darkness. The lightning flashed across the sky, and trees bent back and forth
in the uncertain currents. When the first huge drops of rain spattered
across the walks and lawns, our thoughts turned to the safety of anyone
or anything that might be caught out in the wind and rain.
We’ve been through many summer storms. Some of them left permanent
marks upon our memories. The threatening, the darkness, the pressure of the
atmosphere are not so different from the emotional storms of the human
life. We see lives under pressure bend to and fro in the uncertainty of
life. We know concern for the safety of those who experience emotional
storms. Then we know the only answer is in God’s hands. There is no
other way.
The good earth rights itself quickly after a storm. Nature comes forth
more richly for having gone through the storm, and the scars are lost
in new growth. And blessed are we when we lift ourselves up to a new,
deeper radiance and peace.
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*
If you have a chance to make life better for others and fail to do
so,
you are wasting your time on Earth. No matter what our station in life,
we are here to serve, even if that sometimes means making the greatest
sacrifice of all.
www.theupcn.com
Bear Warrior
[from]
Silence does not exist
Here is something for you to think about..We live in a universe where
silence does not exist..
We can isolate ourselves in a sealed environment lined with sound
proof equipment but that does not prevent the sounds our hearts and
respiration make.. Even though you may not be aware you can hear your heart
and respiration and even the blood flowing within your body.....
You may go into the remotest areas of the earth and the deepest
recesses within the earth itself and even there you will find no silence..
Just a few miles beneath the earth’s surface there exists streams of
flowing water and beneath that there exists pools of oil and gases and
even below that exists the molten interior of the earth.. The interior
sounds 0f the earth are heard by us even though we have become accustomed
to the sounds and our bodies filter the noise out....The earth spins on
it’s axis and there is always a wind even on seemingly windless days
and the winds produce sounds.. The solar winds produced by the sun always
blow and these produce sounds..The Galaxy itself produces sounds
emitted by stars and other objects which we have become accustomed to hearing
and filter out..
So the next time you think it is too quite stop and concentrate and
you will find it is not really quite it is only that you have tuned out
the noise..
Running Fox
Bear Warrior
[from]
Four Sacred Directions in the Universal Circle of Life
Four Sacred Directions in the Universal Circle of Life,
are observed in the Cherokee Tradition. Each represents a
specific color, direction, attribute of learning focus, and
path to follow.
This clockwise circle represents the spiral of life, with
the directional energy that influences it. The Center is
for the Creator, and the Four Directions of the Universal
Circle. The Four Directions provide guidance in
understanding our behaviors and directions. The Directions
provide us balance and we must find the harmony in
relationship to all that exists in our environment.
The Four Directions also connect us with the spirit of the
animals and birds as our brothers and sisters in the
Universal Circle. In traditional teachings, the circle
represents an omni-present energy that exists in the
universe - which is, the never-ending Circle of Life.
EAST
SOUTH
WEST
NORTH
Color - Red
Direction - Spiritual
Path of Sun
Color - White
Direction - Natural
Path of Peace
Color - Black
Direction - Physical
Path of Introspect
Color - Blue
Direction - Mental
Path of defeat
Quix, as I read this, I thought first of weaving, then Mandala
[the Wheel of Life], clay and beads, it cries out to be used......
granny.............
Bear Warrior
[from]
TWO EAGLES
TWO EAGLES SOARED IN SPIRIT DREAMS,
THEY TRIED TO REACH THE SUN SIDE BY SIDE THEY FREELY
SOARED,THEIR JOURNEY JUST BEGUN.
THEY SOARED UNTIL THE BREAK OF DAY
THEN SOARED THROUGH THE NIGHT THEY SOARED PAST THE STARLIT MOON
WITH STARDUST IN THEIR FLIGHT ALTHOUGH THEY SAW THROUGH DIFFERENT
EYES,
THE LIGHT SOURCE WAS THE SAME. IT BATHED AND WARMED THEM BOTH THROUGH
LIFE AND KNEW THEM BOTH BY NAME.
ONE EAGLE SAID, “YOU DON”T SEE LIGHT EXACTLY AS I DO....
SEE THROUGH MY EYES AND NOT THROUGH YOURS,,, OR A WING I’LL PULL FROM
YOU!
“THIS CANNOT BE,WHAT CAN YOU MEAN,WITHOUT A WING I’LL “DIE.
I’LL FALL TO THE EARTH,NO LIGHT I’LL SEE,NO LONGER WILL I FLY”.
“UNLESS YOU SEE THROUGH MY EYES,YOU’LL DIE ANYWAY!
SO I’LL JUST PULL YOUR WING OFF NOW,AND SEND YOU ON YOUR WAY! THE
EAGLES WING HE THEN DID PLUCK AND SMILED UP TO THE SUN. “I, SAVED ONE
MORE FROM SEEING LIGHT THROUGH EYES NOT MINE....IT’S DONE.
THE SUN LOOKED DOWN,AND IT DID FROWN AT WHAT THE EAGLE DID,
AND CRIED TEARS OF WHITE-HOT GRIEF, FROM TEARS THE EAGLE HID.
“MY
HEART IS BROKE BY WHAT YOU’VE DONE,YOU’VE PLUCKED THEM FROM THE LIGHT.
“I, SHINE MY LIGHT FOR ALL TO SEE, I LOVE THEM WITH MY MIGHT!!!
“YOUR EYES ARE YOUR’S TO SE THE LIGHT THE WAY YOUR EYES WILL SEE,
HOW OTHER’S SEE THE LIGHT THROUGH THEIRS,IS THEIRS....NOW LET THEM BE!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
http://johnny-ong.blogspot.com/2007/05/digging-up-malaysias-racial-past.html
Digging Up Malaysia’s Racial Past
A new book presents the view that 1969 race riots were instigated by ambitious Malay politicians. Now it seems the book will be banned by the government.
Thirty-eight years on, the traumatic ethnic riots of May 13, 1969 in Malaysia remain as much a subject of official censorship as the events of June 4, 1989 in China. Now a new book by a Malaysian Chinese academic, launched on 13 May 2007 itself, is on the point of being officially banned for suggesting that May 13 was the occasion for what amounted to a coup against the independence leader and Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman by his United Malays National Organisation (”UMNO”) colleagues who were pushing pro-Malay policies. Officials of Malaysia’s Internal Security Ministry Tuesday confiscated 10 copies of the book from a Kuala Lumpur bookstore, advising the store not to sell it as it may be banned. According to a letter issued by Ministry officials, the book is suspected of being an “undesirable publication.”
What happened on May 13 remains highly relevant to UMNO’s position as the leader of the Barisan Nasional, the alliance of race-based parties that has ruled the country since independence 50 years ago.
“Declassified Documents on the Malaysian riots of 1969” by Dr Kua Kia Soong, the principal of New Era College, is based not directly on Malaysian sources, but on now-open British documents held at the Public Records Office in Kew Gardens, near London. These consist of contemporary British diplomatic and intelligence reports which suggest that the riots were not spontaneous acts of communal violence, as is constantly alleged by UMNO, but were fanned by Malay elements, with support from the army and police, wanting to discredit the accommodating prime minister and impose a much more rigorous Malay agenda. One British document concluded that the goal was to “formalize Malay dominance, sideline the Chinese and shelve Tunku.”
The official Malaysian government version of events was that the riots were sparked by opposition parties “infiltrated by communist insurgents” following huge opposition gains in the election. Although the UMNO-led Alliance, the predecessor of the Barisan National, retained an overall majority, it lost its two thirds majority and its control of Selangor state was threatened. Certainly there was much celebrating among the mainly Chinese opposition parties at the election result, which angered Malay politicians who sensed their political dominance was under threat.
By the time the riots were over, official figures said 196 people had been killed, 6,000 made homeless and more than 700 buildings destroyed or damaged.
Non-Malays, in particular, have long believed that though there was violence on both sides, it was a mostly one-sided affair with some Malay politicians, notably Selangor Chief Minister Harun Idris, encouraging mobs to attack Chinese areas and that the security forces initially did little to prevent violence. This is largely confirmed by contemporary reports such as those of Far Eastern Economic Review correspondent Bob Reece.
Kua’s thesis suggests that there was a grander political design behind the episode, which from the beginning was intended to create a new political agenda and new leadership. He attributes this to a younger Malay group dissatisfied with the aristocratic, pro-British Tunku.
In any event, the Tunku effectively stepped aside as emergency powers to rule by decree were (temporarily) placed in the hands of a National Operations Council headed by his deputy Tun Abdul Razak - father of current deputy prime minister Najib Razak. The Tunku remained prime minister until September 1970, but had little authority any more. In 1971 he also stepped down as president of UMNO after virulent criticism by the Malay “Young Turks,” headed by Mahathir Mohamad, the future Prime Minister. The same year the government enunciated the New Economic Policy and began aggressive affirmative action programs to advance the economic and educational level of Malays.
However, while the consequences of May 13 may be clear, there are disagreements about Kua’s thesis even among those who attribute the riots to Malay politicians. For example, Dr Syed Husin Ali also a respected academic and deputy head of the opposition Keadilan Party, has suggested that while some UMNO figures used the events as an opportunity to sideline the Tunku and set out a pro-Malay agenda, it was not planned as such.
In other words, Razak and others took advantage of the situation which arose after the election and the appearance of Malay mobs to grab the reins of power from the Tunku, with whom they were dissatisfied, but that it was not premeditated. Syed also takes issue with Kua’s view that they represented an aspirant Malay capitalist class when most had traditional and feudal links.
Bookstores have been advised not to sell Kua’s book and a formal ban looks likely on the grounds that it will stir up racial animosities, which it could well do in the short run. However, from a broader perspective it is hard to see how a multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia can flourish if events such as May 13 can only be discussed in private, while the public is fed a distorted official version in order to sustain the legitimacy of UMNO politicians. (source: Asia Sentinel)
posted by Johnny Ong at 3:21 PM
“It is important that the reformed immigration system is workable and cost efficient,” Stanzel said. “Determining the past tax liability would have been very difficult and costly and extremely time consuming.”<<<<
Good, let them make it a law and all good Americans obey the law. [joking, as we will never be that lucky]
From what I was hearing on the talk shows, there was some who think that it has not been written as yet and is in the working stages still..........They say no one has a copy of it.
If this article is correct, it is a “y’all come on over” law.
[Black listed in Malaysia]
http://johnny-ong.blogspot.com/2007/05/due-to-greed-scrupulous-companies-have.html
Securities Commission’s Blacklist
Due to greed, scrupulous companies have been set-up to meet the needs of the greedy people.....hehehe.
The Securities Commission has issued a list of companies or websites that has no authority/approval to deal in securities, provide investment advice and/or fund management services related to securities or futures. And if you do come across such companies or representatives of such companies, do inform SC at 603-62048999 or e-mail: aduan@seccom.com.my. Generally, people’s tendency is to dabble with such companies even after reading this posting. Never try never know and what if it really works for them..............bad bad.
ABFund (www.abfund.us)
Al-Arabic Fund (www.al-arabic.com)
ABB Fund (www.abbfund.com)
Artemis Wealth Management
Asia Wallet/ASWtrader/Splitindex Inc (www.splitindex.com)
AM Global Management (www.nypoe.com)
BHG e-investment (www.bhg-corp.com)
Bidvask Investment Ltd (www.bidvask.com)
Buy-e-barrel (www.buyebarrel.com)
Brentwood Trust Company (www.brentwoodtrust.com)
Belton Market (www.beltonmarkets.com)
Cambridge Capital Trading(www.cambridgecapitaltrading.com, www.dubaiex.com) * (Press Release)
Capital Enhancement Club/ CEC
CB.IRAQ
Capital Glory Holdings Ltd
Data Saham (www.datasaham.com)
Dragon Gold Sdn Bhd / Dr Iain Gray
Duit Wayang
Dana Futures (www.danafutures.com)
Dana Modal (www.angelfire.com/journal2/danamodal)
Debenture Petal Trust
eUK Gold (www.eukgold.com)
Eubond.com (www.eubond.com)
Eduit2u.com (www.eduit2u.com)
E-suisse Fund (www.esuissefund.com)
Euro America Index (www.eaindex.com)
E-Barrel (www.ebarrel.com)
Fical (www.fical.net / www.fical.us)
GC Group Asset Management
Good Credit Asset Management
Goldmill Wagner Ltd / GWA Worldwide (www.goldmillwagner.com)
Global Investment Network System (http://ginsystem.com)
Hibah Funds
IPC Shopping Services Sdn Bhd/Empay (www.ipcshopping.com)
Jai Network System Sdn Bhd
Lexworth Prestige
Mercury Acquisition Associates (www.mercuryacquisitionassociates.com)
Montego Finance & Securities Berhad (www.montegofs.official.ws)
My Dinar (www.mydinar.net)
Mind-X Solutions Sdn Bhd (www.betonmarkets.com)
My Share (www.myshare2u.com)
Oregon Invest (www.oregoninvest.com)
Ocean Balance Ltd
Pure Investor / PIPS (www.pureinvestor.com, www.gopips.com)
Prowealth Solutions (www.prowealthsolutions.com)
Remisier (www.remisier.com)
Sunshine Empire (www.sunshine-empire.com)
Swiss Mutual Fund (www.swisscash.com, www.swisscash.biz) *(Press Release)
Sweden Fund (www.swedenfund.com)
Solid Investment (www.solidinvestment.com)
Smartcash (www.smartcash.com)
Sime Securities (www.simesecurities.net)
Starr-Bradley Associates Inc (www.starrbradleyinc.com)
Tian Ping (www.tianping2u.com)
UeBond (www.uebond.com)
United Capital Management Inc (www.brentwoodtrust.com)
Universe Asset Management Inc / Tony So
Win Li Fund (www.winlifund.com)
Whitman Pearce & Partners (www.whitmanpearce.com)
3A Consulting Group Sdn Bhd
If you had invested in the above schemes, all the best to you then!
Tags: Securities Commission, SC, Blacklist, Fund Management, Asset Management, Fund, Securities, Futures, Investment
Labels: Business
posted by Johnny Ong
Thanks to Milford421 for this report:
Seattle Public Schools - Dhimmitude in Washington State
The Seattle Public School system is doing its part to make sure
American children will be ready to welcome their new Islamic
overlords: Seattle Public Schools | Equity and Race Relations.
Presenter: Hate Free Zone
Mission and Goals: Hate Free
Zone Washington is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to
uphold the fundamental principles of democracy and justice. Our
goals are to:
* Empower immigrant communities to advocate for equality, dignity
and respect.
* Build a collective voice for immigrants and refugee communities in
the political system.
* Restore and protect civil liberties and human rights, regardless
of citizenship status
* Undo stereotypes and free society from discrimination and hate.
Our Programs:
Our work integrates three critical areas that act as the catalyst
for systemic change: Political advocacy and mobilization, community
support and education.
Post 9.11 Backlash
This training covers the specific impact of the backlash against
immigrant and religious minority communities in the U.S. after
September 11th, 2001. Real stories will be shared including those of
people targeted with hate crimes, bullying/harassment, employment
and housing discrimination, and detentions and deportations.
Bias-based Bullying (Religion, Race and Culture)
How can we recognize and prevent bullying, harassment, and violence
based in bias regarding a student’s religion, race, or culture? This
training will explore this topic and show a short video of students
speaking from their own experience.
Islam and Muslim Americans
How can we better understand our Muslim students? This presentation
covers many aspects of Islam including:
Common Misconceptions and Stereotypes
Women in Islams
Basics of Islam
Jihad
Key Terms and Phrases
Muslims in America in the World
Muslim Prayer in Schools
Why do Muslim students need to leave my class to pray? This
presentation focuses on accommodating Muslim students in school.
Specifically, we cover prayer requirements for Muslim youth as well
as other important information for making a school and classroom
Muslim-friendly.
www.littlegreenfootballs.com
Hizb-ut-Tahrir wants worldwide Sharia law
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=170
his article was published by F18News on: 29 October 2003
CENTRAL ASIA: Hizb-ut-Tahrir wants worldwide Sharia law
By Geraldine Fagan, Forum 18 News Service http://www.forum18.org , and
Igor Rotar, Forum 18 News Service
http://www.forum18.org
Hizb-ut-Tahir, which is widespread in Central Asia, has told Forum 18
that
it aims to introduce a worldwide Caliphate and ban all faiths apart
from
Islam, Judaism and Christianity, all religious practice being regulated
by
Sharia law. Buddhism, Hinduism, the Hare Krishna faith and what the
party
sees as sects within Islam would all be banned. Hizb-ut-Tahir members
also
explained to Forum 18 that the party would give all non-Muslim states a
choice between either joining the Caliphate under Sharia law, or paying
a
tax to the Caliphate. Failure to pay the tax would be punished by
military
attacks. The USA, the United Kingdom and Israel were described to Forum
18
as the work of the devil and “European democracy” as “a farce”. Within
the
Caliphate, Christians and Jews would be allowed to drink alcohol, if
that
was required for religious rituals, and to regulate within their own
communities marriage, divorce and the assignment of possessions.
Members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, one of the most widespread illegal Islamic
movements in Central Asia, have told Forum 18 News Service that if it
comes
to power, Islamic Sharia law would be imposed on all and faiths not
mentioned in the Koran would be banned. A self-styled international
Islamic
political party that claims to reject violence, thousands of whose
members
have been imprisoned in Central Asia, especially in Uzbekistan, it
mostly
devotes its energies to circulating leaflets and other literature and
says
it avoids violence. But Hizb-ut-Tahrir members in both the Uzbek and
the
Kyrgyz sections of the Fergana valley, speaking to Forum 18 on
condition of
anonymity, described how the party plans to treat non-Muslims if it
achieved
its chief goal of establishing a caliphate.
Hizb-ut-Tahrir, whose headquarters is illegally based in Jordan, is
banned
or treated as illegal in all the Central Asian republics. It aims to
achieve
the unification of Muslims worldwide under a single caliphate and
believes
that western democracy is unacceptable to Muslims. Its publications
contain
violently anti-Semitic views and it denies key human rights such as
religious freedom. Countries such as the United States, the United
Kingdom
and Israel are considered to be the work of the devil. Blatant
anti-Semitism
is a characteristic of the party’s ideology. For example,
Hizb-ut-Tahrir
leaflets distributed illegally in Uzbekistan invariably call the Uzbek
president Islam Karimov a “Jewish kafir”. One Uzbek member of
Hizb-ut-Tahrir
expressed his regret to Forum 18 that Hitler had not succeeded in
eliminating all Jews.
In March 2002, Hizb-ut-Tahrir published a statement describing Jews as
“a
defective people” and calling upon Muslims to remove them from
Palestine. It
was still on the organisation’s Russian-language website in April 2006.
Entitled “Kill them wherever you find them, and cast them out from
wherever
they cast you out” - a quotation from the Koran - the March 2002
document
begins by describing Jews as “renowned for their treachery and broken
promises (..) they kill prophets and innocent people.” While stopping
short
of calling for specific terrorist acts, it describes how “in Palestine
today
the mujahidin display examples of piety - young men compete in acts of
self-sacrifice (..) and mothers encourage their sons to become shahids
[a
term for suicide bombers] and bow to Allah in gratitude if they hear
news
that their children have fallen as shahids.” It concludes by calling
upon
Muslims to mobilise armies for battle “in order to cast the Jews into
misfortune for their deeds and wipe their vile persons from the land of
Isra
and Mi’raj” (a reference to a journey said to have been undertaken by
the
Prophet Muhammed from Mecca to Jerusalem and then heaven in one night).
Hizb-ut-Tahrir is banned as anti-Semitic in Germany, and the
organisation’s
Danish spokesman, Fadi Abdelatif, was in October 2002 given a sixty-day
suspended jail sentence for distributing racist propaganda, after he
circulated the March 2002 anti-Semitic statement on the streets of the
Danish capital Copenhagen.
Hizb-ut-Tahir members in the Fergana Valley have told Forum 18 that
ideally
an Islamic state should be formed, as the prophet Mohammed decreed, at
the
initiative of citizens. However given today’s conditions, it was said
that
such a step “would become a farce, like the so-called European
democracy”,
and so the decision to form an Islamic state should be taken by the
most
“influential people” (i.e. powerful politicians and businessmen).
Ideally it
was said, all the countries of the world would join the caliphate
although
Hizb-ut-Tahir plans to allow non-Muslim countries, such as the United
States
and the United Kingdom, not to join the caliphate provided that they
pay a
tax to it. They would then fall under the protection of the caliphate
and it
would defend their interests. If non-Muslim countries refused to pay
the
tax, the caliphate would launch military attacks against them.
In the caliphate itself Christian and Jewish communities would be
permitted
because, according to the Koran, adherents of these religions are
“people of
the Book”. Other religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism and the Hare
Krishna faith, would be considered pagan sects and would be banned. In
particular, the caliphate’s leadership would oppose what it regards as
sects
within Islam itself (including Ahmadiyya, Bahai’ism and Ismailism). In
Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s view, the only true Muslims are those who adhere to
the
four Madhabs {i.e. the four separate schools of legal interpretation
within
Shariah law). Those who depart from the Madhabs would be considered as
apostates and liable to punishment according to Islamic law.
All citizens in the caliphate would have to abide by Sharia law when
outside
their homes. For example, all women would have to wear long dresses and
scarves when in public places. However, Hizb-ut-Tahir members told
Forum 18
that in Christian and Jewish quarters women could wear clothes
permitted by
the laws of their own religion. Christians and Jews would also be
allowed to
drink alcohol within their own communities, if that was required for
religious rituals. Although all citizens of the caliphate would be
subject
to Sharia law, Christians and Jews could administer justice according
to
their own laws in what were described as internal matters (i.e.
marriage,
divorce and the assignment of possessions).
‘Dirty bomb’ man’s sentence cut
Last Updated: Wednesday, 16 May 2007, 10:27 GMT 11:27 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6661371.stm
Dhiren Barot
Barot admitted plotting attacks in the UK and US
A British al-Qaeda activist who planned atrocities including a “dirty
bomb”
attack has had his sentence cut.
Dhiren Barot, 34, had been jailed for a minimum of 40 years after
admitting
to conspiracy to murder.
But this was reduced to 30 years by three Court of Appeal judges headed
by
the Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips.
They said the 40-year term was for “the terrorist who has been
convicted,
after trial, of a serious attempt to commit mass murder by a viable
method”.
Planning attacks
Lord Philips said that Muslim convert Barot’s conspiracy did not amount
to
an actual attempt, and it was unclear whether his plots would have
succeeded
and what the consequences of them would have been.
Barot was jailed for a minimum of 40 years by Mr Justice Butterfield at
Woolwich Crown Court last November.
He admitted planning attacks in the UK and the US.
The court heard that Barot planned terror acts including limousines
packed
with explosives and a radioactive “dirty bomb”.
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