"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"

Father God, thank you for the love of the truth you have given me. Please bless me with the wisdom, knowledge and discernment needed to always present the truth in an attitude of grace and love. Use this blog and Northwoods Ministries for your glory. Help us all to read and to study Your Word without preconceived notions, but rather, let scripture interpret scripture in the presence of the Holy Spirit. All praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Please note: All my writings and comments appear in bold italics in this colour

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Bavarian Wing of Anti-Migrant AfD Party Calls for Ban on Mosques

"Islam not for Germany"

A general view shows the Sehitlik-Moschee mosque in Berlin, Germany © Fabrizio Bensch
A general view shows the Sehitlik-Moschee mosque in Berlin, Germany © Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters

The “construction and operation” of mosques should be prevented since “Islam doesn’t ‘belong to Germany,” the populist Alternative for Germany group from Lower Bavaria has said in its draft manifesto, according to local media reports.

A branch of the anti-migrant AfD party in Lower Bavaria has drawn up a new policy document that proposes the closure of all mosques already operating or being under construction in Germany, Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) media group reported on Wednesday.

The 45-page paper, titled “The Courage to take Responsibility,” explains the need for the ban by saying that Islam contradicts the constitution and “does not belong to Germany,” adding that there must be a reasonable limit to the freedom of religion.

When Article 4 outlining this freedom came into force, no one thought that a religion would encourage crimes and quest for “world domination,” the document stated.

Mosques promote “not only common prayer, but also the spread of Islamic teachings directed towards the removal of our legal order," it also said.

At the same time the controversial document stated that the Koran carries “lies and deception,” and Islam is already dominating 57 out 190 countries in the world.

Frauke Petry, AfD leader
Petr Bystron, AfD leader in Bavaria, told the RND publishing group that didn’t support the manifesto, though said he was aware of the draft that was met with many counter proposals inside the party.The faction from Lower Bavaria bears “certain similarities” to the more right-wing members of the party, Bystron noted.

The AfD party, founded in 2013 by economics professor Bernd Lucke, initially stood against the EU’s single currency, but for the EU membership. Last year, however, it saw a leader and ideology change with chemist and businesswoman Frauke Petry coming to power by winning public support with her anti-immigrant rhetoric. The AfD showed significant success at the recent elections securing enough votes to get into three state legislatures, including that in Sachsen-Anhalt where it became the second largest party after the ruling Christian Democratic Union of Germany.

Allah Cannot Compete With the Power of Jesus Christ

Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing. For Christians, it is trust that Jesus is Who He said He is and will do what He said He will do. For instance, "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, then I will hear from Heaven, and forgive their sins, and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Elijah taunts the prophets of Baal

Christian faith is based on Jesus Christ being the son of God, His death and resurrection, and His word, as written in the Bible.

Jesus and the Apostles spread the Gospel through preaching, but also through displaying the power of the Name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. "my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power". 1 Corinthians 2:4

Christians can point to thousands of examples of Christ forgiving the sins of reprobates, healing them, saving them, renewing them to become righteous and holy such that they can glorify Christ by the manifestation of His character.

Elijah calls down fire from Heaven

Muslims also have faith. Their faith is in Allah as revealed by Mohammed in the Quran and Hadith. Their faith is taught by memorization of scripture which they are required to believe without questioning even if they don't understand any of it.

They are required to believe what Mohammed said about Allah even though they never see any real example of that manifest. There are no examples of the power of Allah except when it comes to massacres and slaughter of innocents. 

This is not faith, it is fantasy; blind trust! It is like Elijah and the prophets of Baal who were unable to convince Baal to light the fire under their sacrifice. Elijah covered his sacrifice with water and called down fire from Heaven which completely consumed the soaking wet sacrifice.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is real! The god of Mohammed is not!

Watch the video below to see an example of the difference between Islam and Christianity.


Contact me if you have any questions - Google+; email - garymsmail@gmail.com; or Twitter - @GaryWmMyers 

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

It Feels Like a 'Crime' to Be Christian in Pakistan

There are no angels in Islamabad; only politicians

The deplorable state of Christians in Pakistan
by WAJAHAT S. KHAN
Pakistani Christian children play in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad on Jan. 23. Muhammed Muheisen / AP, file

A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday suicide attack on a park in Lahore and said Christians were "our prime target." In August 2014, NBC News examined what life is like for Christians in the country.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan This Islamic republic's wealthy and cosmopolitan capital is jokingly referred to as "a beautiful city 15 minutes from Pakistan." But life is no laughing matter for Islamabad's Christian community.

Most of the city's Christians can be found living in ramshackle houses constructed over open sewers in ghettos hidden from sight behind whitewashed walls. Authorities supply no power or gas to the slums, which are essentially cities within cities and in some cases are nestled between Islamabad's most plush neighborhoods.

Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah proclaimed in 1947 that his countrymen "may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state."


But the modern reality is very different. Most people in Pakistan are Muslims and Jinnah's imagined secular state has become increasingly theocratic after decades of dictatorships and official Islamism. 

This, I believe is typical evolution in an Islamic state. They tend toward theocracy and away from secularism. Look at Turkey, an intensely secular country when Attaturk separated it from the Ottomans a century ago. Now look at it! Erdogan is not so far from setting himself up as Sultan.

Europeans don't get this evolution. Many countries still think they can absorb an endless number of Muslims and maintain there western identity. They are fooling themselves and putting themselves in a position from which they can never extract themselves. Europe is living on borrowed time.

Christians, particularly the poor belonging to the agricultural center and north of the country, are considered outcasts by many and find themselves pushed to the edge of society.

Islamabad's Christians allege rampant discrimination by the conservative Pakistan Muslim League government. They say their small proportion of the population means they don't stand a chance at the ballot box and are now demanding a voice.


Recently retired cook Rehmat Masih has lived in Islamabad for four decades. The 65-year-old offers a bleak assessment of life in a Christian slum.

"I think being Christian, in this place, this Pakistan, is a crime," he said. "If we speak out, our corpses will be on the road."

Masih lives in "100 Quarters," a litter-strewn slum tucked between Islamabad's posh Margalla and Hill Roads. It is named after the first 100 apartments granted to Christians by the government in the 1960s, but it has since grown and now houses more than 1,000 Christian families.

"They say that Islamabad is a great capital of a great nation," said Masih, standing next to an overflowing drain. "But they let us live like this in middle of Islamabad. Officials drive by every day in BMWs and see this. Yet we are kept like this. Why?"


"WE ARE TOO SCATTERED, TOO DIVIDED, TOO UNEDUCATED"

According to the National Minority Alliance (NMA), Christians form under three percent of Pakistan's estimated 180 million people. But the community is spread all over the country, making it almost impossible for Christians to elect representatives who share their religion because they lack the numbers in a free-for-all poll. Almost always faced with a choice of a Muslim candidate from mainstream parties, they have to depend on a handful of "reserved" seats for minorities for representation in the 343-seat parliament, where non-Muslim minorities — Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians — have only 10 seats.

Critics like Samuel Yaqoob, of the Muslim-Christian Coalition, say those seats are given to "friends and favorites of the ruling parties, not actual spokespersons of our community."

"We are too scattered, too divided, too uneducated," added Robin Daniel, of the National Minority Alliance.

Many residents of the capital's Christian slums work in sanitation, cleaning sewers and collecting refuse. Others provide domestic help for Islamabad's well-heeled. Students from private high schools can be spotted with their expensive cars parked near the gates of such slums during afternoons, purchasing narcotics from Christian teenagers.

"Our problems are social, legal and political," said Shahryar Shams, 25, a newly graduated lawyer. "In theory, all fundamental rights for minorities are granted by the Constitution of Pakistan. But we lack organized political leadership in our own community. We face increasing extremism from the rest of society too ... But our biggest issue is that we are represented by those who are selected by the powers that be, and not through our direct vote."

In September, a suicide bomb attack on a church killed at least 75 people. And in March 2013, a Muslim mob set ablaze almost 200 buildings in a predominantly Christian neighborhood of Lahore.

Pakistan's much-debated "Blasphemy Law" is also often used to target Christians and other minorities. In 2012, 14-year-old Rimsha Masih was falsely accused of burning the Quran, the sacred Islamic text. Charges were later dropped amid international concern for her safety, but the law, remains on the books. Those accused under an anti-blasphemy law are sometimes lynched by the public even if they are found innocent by the courts.

One brave politician championed the idea of dropping the grossly misused Blasphemy Laws. He was murdered last year by the religion of peace.

Image: Fazeela Bibi, 17, is a resident of the Christian "100 Quarters" slum
But Fazeela Bibi, 17, a Christian high-school dropout who works as an office assistant at the American Embassy in Islamabad, suggested that the community was traditionally "not united" enough to drive change.

"One person can't do anything alone," she said, while preparing lunch over a wood stove in a 100 Quarters courtyard adjacent to a drain oozing out monsoon rains and refuse. "Injustice cannot be fought alone."

Fazeela Bibi, a 17-year-old resident of the "100 Quarters" slum, says Christians are unfairly treated in Pakistan but also acknowledges that the community is not organized. Wajahat S. Khan / NBC News
Masih, the retired cook, has been unsuccessfully trying for 14 months to meet his elected local representative to request repairs for a broken electric transformer. He wasn't too optimistic about the future.

"I'm pretty sure that we will remain living like this," he said. "That's how it's been for 67 years. There are no angels in Islamabad. Only politicians." 

Ankara Summons Berlin Envoy Over Clip Mocking Erdogan on German TV

© extra 3
© extra 3 / YouTube

Outraged by a satirical clip making fun of the Turkish President and his recent policies that was broadcast on German television, the Foreign Ministry in Ankara has summoned the German Ambassador for official explanations.

Having taken control of the media in Turkey, Erdogan is now reaching out to try and take control of international media. You have to wonder what kind of fantasy Erdogan is living in.

Following the broadcast of the satirical piece titled “Erdowie, Erdowo, Erdogan” (Erdogan is pronounced Erdowan, I believe) on NDR show titled “Extra 3” on March 17, German Ambassador Martin Erdmann was summoned up several days later to officially explain “in length” the reasons for the broadcaster’s behavior, Der Speigel has learned.

The one minute and 52 second long satire package showing footage from recent history in Turkey criticized Erdogan's increased crackdown on the freedom of the press and hostile policies in the region, including Turkey’s alleged support for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters in neighboring Syria.


The video also focused on the lavish living of the Turkish president and his multibillion euro deals with the Europeans to keep migrants at bay. The broadcast on German television comes at a time when Germany, as part of EU is actively seeking closer ties with Turkey to help tackle the migrant crisis in Europe.

Erdogan’s crackdown on journalists and restrictions on freedom of speech have been repeatedly criticized by the international community, along with Ankara’s controversial anti-terrorists campaign against Kurdish militants which inflicted much suffering on Turkey’s minority population.

The day the satirical piece was aired, RT launched a petition calling for a UNHRC-led investigation into claims of alleged mass killing of Kurdish civilians committed by the Turkish military during Ankara’s crackdown on Kurds in the country's southeast.

This Is Why Finland Has the Best Schools in the World

William Doyle
Children in Finland.
Children in Finland. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa

The Harvard education professor Howard Gardner once advised Americans, "Learn from Finland, which has the most effective schools and which does just about the opposite of what we are doing in the United States."

Following his recommendation, I enrolled my seven-year-old son in a primary school in Joensuu. Finland, which is about as far east as you can go in the European Union before you hit the guard towers of the Russian border.

OK, I wasn't just blindly following Gardner - I had a position as a lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland for a semester. But the point is that, for five months, my wife, my son and I experienced a stunningly stress-free, and stunningly good, school system. Finland has a history of producing the highest global test scores in the Western world, as well as a trophy case full of other recent No. 1 global rankings, including most literate nation.

In Finland, children don't receive formal academic training until the age of seven. Until then, many are in day care and learn through play, songs, games and conversation. Most children walk or bike to school, even the youngest. School hours are short and homework is generally light.

Unlike in the United States, where many schools are slashing recess, schoolchildren in Finland have a mandatory 15-minute outdoor free-play break every hour of every day. Fresh air, nature and regular physical activity breaks are considered engines of learning. According to one Finnish maxim, "There is no bad weather. Only inadequate clothing."

One evening, I asked my son what he did for gym that day. "They sent us into the woods with a map and compass and we had to find our way out," he said.

Finland doesn't waste time or money on low-quality mass standardised testing. Instead, children are assessed every day, through direct observation, check-ins and quizzes by the highest-quality "personalised learning device" ever created - flesh-and-blood teachers.

In class, children are allowed to have fun, giggle and daydream from time to time. Finns put into practice the cultural mantras I heard over and over: "Let children be children," "The work of a child is to play," and "Children learn best through play."

The emotional climate of the typical classroom is warm, safe, respectful and highly supportive. There are no scripted lessons and no quasi-martial requirements to walk in straight lines or sit up straight. As one Chinese student-teacher studying in Finland marvelled to me, "In Chinese schools, you feel like you're in the military. Here, you feel like you're part of a really nice family." She is trying to figure out how she can stay in Finland permanently.

In Finland teachers are the most trusted and admired professionals next to doctors, in part because they are required to have a master's degree in education with specialisation in research and classroom practice.

"Our mission as adults is to protect our children from politicians," one Finnish childhood education professor told me. "We also have an ethical and moral responsibility to tell businesspeople to stay out of our building." In fact, any Finnish citizen is free to visit any school whenever they like, but her message was clear: Educators are the ultimate authorities on education, not bureaucrats, and not technology vendors.

Finland delivers on a national public scale highly qualified, highly respected and highly professionalised teachers who conduct personalised one-on-one instruction; manageable class sizes; a rich, developmentally correct curriculum; regular physical activity; little or no low-quality standardised tests and the toxic stress and wasted time and energy that accompanies them; daily assessments by teachers; and a classroom atmosphere of safety, collaboration, warmth and respect for children as cherished individuals.

One day last November, when the first snow came to my part of Finland, I heard a commotion outside my university faculty office window, which is close to the teacher training school's outdoor play area. I walked over to investigate.

The field was filled with children savouring the first taste of winter amid the pine trees.

"Do you hear that?" asked the recess monitor, a special education teacher wearing a yellow safety smock.

"That," she said proudly, "is the voice of happiness."

William Doyle is a 2015-2016 Fulbright scholar and a lecturer on media and education at the University of Eastern Finland.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Female Arab Journalist Asks, 'What If Christians Were Suicide Bombers?'

Journalist Nadine Al-Budair claims Islam must shed its intolerant image, disavow those who practice terrorism, and apologize to the rest of the world for the death brought by radical jihadists
by Gregory Tomlin
Nadine Al-Budair  /Facebook/MEMRI

DOHA, Qatar (Christian Examiner) A female Arab journalist who lives in Qatar has penned a bold article that asks Muslims in the Middle East how they would respond if Christian suicide bombers struck their public markets, collapsed their tall buildings or tried to force Muslims to convert to Christianity.

Liberal Saudi journalist Nadine Al-Budair writes in Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper that Arab countries have refused to address the problem of terrorism and have yet to create a climate that matches the liberal, humanitarian climate of the West. She asked Muslims to consider what their world would be like if Christians the world over had responded to Muslims the way terrorists have spread radical Islam.

"Imagine a Western youth coming here and carrying out a suicide mission in one of our public squares in the name of the Cross. Imagine that two skyscrapers had collapsed in some Arab capital, and that an extremist Christian group, donning millennium-old garb, had emerged to take responsibility for the event, while stressing its determination to revive Christian teachings or some Christian rulings, according to its understanding, to live like in the time [of Jesus] and his disciples, and to implement certain edicts of Christian scholars," Al-Budair writes in a translation of the editorial provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Al-Budair asks her readers to imagine Christian priests calling Muslims infidels over loudspeakers and chanting that God has demanded their deaths. She also writes they should also consider what would happen if Arab countries had provided Westerners with entry visas, benefits, modern healthcare only to have them turn on their hosts to kill them in the name of religion – likely a reference to the San Bernardino attacks carried out in December 2015.

"These images are far from the mind of the Arab or Muslim terrorist because he is certain, or used to be certain, that the West is humanitarian and that the Western citizen would refuse to respond [in this manner] to the barbaric crimes [of the Muslim terrorists]," Al-Budair writes. "Despite the terrorist acts of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, we [Muslims] have been on [Western] soil for years without any fear or worry. Millions of Muslim tourists, immigrants, students, and job seekers [travel to the West] with the doors open [to them], and the streets safe [for them]."

Safe for them, but not so safe for anyone else because of them.

She writes, however, that tolerance for Muslims is fading in the West because Muslims refuse to confront the problem of Islamic extremism. As evidence of this, she points to the presidential campaign of New York billionaire Donald Trump, who in a "scary declaration," she writes, "demanded to bar Muslims from entering the U.S."

Al-Budair wrote that Muslims do not have the right to condemn statements like those made by Trump without addressing the failures of Arab educational systems which teach jihad and hatred of the West in madrassas (Islamic schools) around the world. Al-Budair claims Muslim nations should apologize to the rest of the world.

Much of what she said about education in the Middle East was voiced a year ago by Jordan's Queen Rania in addressing the United Arab Emirages UAE Government Summit in Dubai.

Al-Budair isn't confident, however, that anyone will heed her call for tolerance.

"After all these farces, some Arab analyst comes out touting a pathetic message, and reciting the same words in his friend's ear that he has repeated millions of times: 'Those [Muslims who commit terrorism] do not represent Islam, but only themselves.'

"This is all we [know how to do] – absolve [ourselves] of guilt," she wrote.

Al-Budair, who describes herself, as a feminist, last year encouraged Muslim women to flee their "benighted countries" for the safety, security and opportunity of the West.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Melanie's Miracles

The number of miracles that have happened around our adopted daughter, Melanie, would blow the minds of most people. 

For the first couple of months of 2016 Melanie complained of headaches. After three visits to doctors and no diagnosis, she was finally taken to Emergency where she was sent to have a CT scan. The scan revealed that the shunt implanted in Melanie's head had stopped working.

Melanie has spina bifida - is paralyzed below T2; she has hydrocephalus and required several attempts to get a working shunt implanted after being born. She died on the operating table more than once, and she contracted meningitis as a result of one of the surgeries. The meningitis robbed her of much of the use of her right arm and hand; it also left her such that she would never function beyond the level of a 5 or 6 year old. Mel also has food allergies which can be fatal.

Now, with that history the thought of having shunt replacement surgery was not something we looked forward to. But Mel was hospitalized in some considerable pain that was just increasing almost hourly. Abbotsford Regional Hospital does not do shunt surgeries, so she was put on a list to go to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, B.C. She would have the surgery there.

A day went by, two days, 3, 4. On the 4th day Mel was in so much pain she was crying way harder than I had ever heard her cry in the 27 years I have been listening to her cry. My wife, Pat, was beside herself. She was texting several members of our family while controlling her anger at the delay in Mel being moved to RCH, and the apparent inability of the nurses to get Mel sufficient medication to control the pain.

I know people were praying for her, nevertheless, I asked the family members who were chatting with us to pray, to really pray. Within minutes Pat was informed Mel would be transferred that day, and they soon got her medicated sufficiently to endure the pain of the spinal fluid filling up her head.

Mel was transferred that evening and had great fun in the 45 minute ambulance trip with a medic who had met some of the top stars in country music. Mel is a country music nut - loves Faith Hill, Shania, etc.

It was the next afternoon before she got another CT scan at RCH. The following morning the neurologist informed Pat that that CT scan was greatly improved over the one taken in Abbotsford. "Shunts don't normally fix themselves" he said, but that is what appeared to be happening.  Pat responded that we were used to things like that happening around Melanie.

They decided to keep her in RCH for observation over the next several days. Mel had been prone to panic attacks while in the hospital in Abbotsford and the first couple days in RCH, and then they just stopped. 

A few days later, another CT scan showed little improvement over the previous, but by then, we had reduced Melanie's medication to almost zero and she was in a great mood. Pat was beginning to wonder why they were there. 

A few more days go by, another CT scan showed significant improvement. In fact, it looked completely normal. We expected that would be the case because Mel was acting completely normally and was pretty much off all medication. So given that she felt well and the shunt somehow fixed itself, Mel was released from hospital having completely avoided shunt replacement surgery. 

That everything began to happen almost immediately after several of us prayed is by no means a coincidence. God listens to intercessors, and He has always looked after Melanie, often in absolutely amazing ways. But you will have to wait for my book to read about them.

Why didn't God completely heal Melanie from all her handicaps? God made her perfect the way she is. The extraordinary effect she has had on hundreds of lives would never have been possible without her special needs.  God has glorified Himself through her much, much more than through most people.

We all have handicaps of some sort, some more visible than others. But Melanie, and those of us who believe Jesus is God will live without handicaps in Eternity in the Presence of Jesus Christ - He Who is risen. Blessed be His Name.


Stockholm Burning - 2nd Night of Rioting in Muslim Sector

Vehicles set ablaze for 2nd night amid riots
in Stockholm suburb 

Violent riots continued for a second night in the southern Stockholm suburb of Alby, known for its significant immigrant population, RT’s Ruptly agency reports. Protesters set fire to cars and pelted police and emergency services with rocks and pyrotechnics.

On Thursday night, police were patrolling the suburb, which is home to large Syrian and Armenian diasporas, as well as more recent Iraqi refugees, when a rock flew through the back window of their parked car.

As officers searched for the culprits, the rioters set fire to tires on a public bridge, and poured gasoline over several cars, before lighting them up. When fire crews arrived they were also showered with projectiles.

On Friday night, police encountered yet more clashes with residents, although there has been no official confirmation of a link between the scuffles.

One man was arrested Thursday, but has since been released.

Click for video

Sweden’s last major riots took place in 2013, provoked by an alleged incident of police brutality. But there have been widely-publicized incidents involving foreign-born residents, including asylum center murders, and sexual assault cases, over the past year.

Sweden accepted nearly 170,000 asylum seekers in 2015, more per capita than any other EU state.

As Swedish law forbids police to record the ethnicity and origin of the perpetrators, the identity of the recent rioters is unlikely to be uncovered.

As with France, which forbids the inclusion of religion on census taking, this is a stupid law designed to protect religious minorities. But it makes the protection of the general public that much more difficult. It amounts to protecting the rights of criminals at the expense of the public.

Alby will soon be a no-go zone in Stockholm where Sharia will likely emerge - and the Islamization of Sweden continues.

Dozens of Christian Martyrs Made Today by 'Religion of Peace' in Pakistan **UPDATE**

Pakistan bomb blast kills 44 in Lahore park
Many of the 91 wounded are in critical condition

The latest numbers out of Pakistan are 65 dead and 300 wounded. Please pray for the wounded, the families of the deceased, and the responders
and praise God for the courage and faith of every Christian in Pakistan
- the gates of Hell will not overcome!
The Associated Press 
At least 44 people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion at a crowded park where many minority Christians had gone to celebrate Easter Sunday in the Pakistani city Lahore, officials said.
At least 44 people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion at a crowded park where many minority Christians had gone to celebrate Easter Sunday in the Pakistani city Lahore, officials said. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)

A bomb blast in a park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday has killed 44 people and wounded 91, a health official said.

Many of the injured are in a critical condition, Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the chief minister of Punjab province, said.

The explosion took place near the children's rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park, local police chief Haider Ashraf said. He said the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing.

Of course, because the 'religion of peace' loves children, or, at least, loves torturing and murdering them.

I think it safe to say that the majority of Pakistanis will not be alarmed by this massacre. They probably think the victims deserve their fate because they turned their backs on Islam. Islam is, of course, the only true religion..... of Satan!

The poor, unfortunate idiot who blew himself up thought he was going to wake up in Paradise surrounded by dozens of virgins. But, in reality, he has woken up in Hell surrounded by demons. There is a special place in Hell for those who convince these fools to blow themselves up and take as many genuinely good people with them as they can.

I have mercy for the suicide bombers - they are simple fools. It's those who teach it as a great thing, but who, themselves, don't do it - they are the truly evil.


Area crowded with families celebrating Easter

The area was crowded with Christians celebrating the Easter holidays, and many families were leaving the park when the blast occurred, Ashraf said.

Ashraf said the park was manned by police guards and private security guards. "We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat but no specific threat alert was received for this place," he added.

Footage broadcast on local television stations showed chaotic scenes in the park, with people running while carrying children and cradling the wounded in their laps.

A witness, not identified by name on Pakistan's Geo TV station, said he was heading toward a ride with his wife and two children when he heard a huge bang and all four of them were thrown to the floor.

© The Associated Press, 2016 

Saturday, March 26, 2016

German Food Minister Stands up for Pork on Public Menus

© David Gray
© David Gray / Reuters

Germany’s food minister is concerned about pork being removed from public menus because of cultural sensitivities, saying accommodating religions requiring halal or kosher should not mean depriving Germans of their favorite traditional dishes.

“I am worried about pork being taken from school and canteen menus,” German Minister for Food and Agriculture Christian Schmidt told the Funke media group.

“It cannot be that we solve cultural differences in food with the lowest common denominator. I expect the growing cultural diversity to lead to a larger offering, not a smaller one.”

The place of pork on public school menus has emerged as a hot topic given Germany‘s growing number of Muslim refugees, whose halal dietary laws forbid the consumption of pork.

Pork plays a big role in German cuisine, from well-known Bratwurst sausages to grilled pork hocks served with sauerkraut. Eisbein, pickled ham hock, is also one of the most popular dishes in Germany, served with boiled or mashed potatoes and mustard. In addition, pig breeding and consumption are an important part of Germany’s economy.

“But if we want to respect cultural sensitivities and traditions in our society, we also have to make this effort [of keeping pork on the menus],” Schmidt said, adding that everyone has the right to eat what he or she is accustomed to.

“The compromise cannot be that everyone just eats salad leaves,” he stressed.

Wise words, Minister Schmidt, and very good to get out in front of this debate before it's too late.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Turkey Behind Radical Islam; British Special Forces, al-Shabaab in Libya - King of Jordan

A flag bearing the emblem of the Special Air Services (SAS). © Cathal McNaughton
A flag bearing the emblem of the Special Air Services (SAS). © Cathal McNaughton / Reuters

The UK has covertly deployed special forces in Libya, 
Israel is turning a blind eye to Al-Nusra, 
& Turkey wants radical Islamists to prevail in the Middle East, 
are the shocking insights King Abdullah of Jordan confidentially shared with US lawmakers.

The leader of the Middle Eastern state, who has been in power since 1999, gave this frank regional assessment to congressional leaders, including John McCain and Paul Ryan, in a closed-door meeting during his visit to the US back in January. Minutes from the briefing have now been obtained by the Guardian via an unsanctioned leak.

In the most substantive revelation, the royal said that Jordanian special forces operating in Libya had been embedded with a more sizeable British SAS contingent to help them overcome cultural barriers, including understanding “Jordanian slang [which] is similar to Libyan slang.”

WU.S. President Barack Obama meets with King Abdullah of Jordan in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington February 24, 2016. © Kevin Lamarque
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with King Abdullah of Jordan in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington February 24, 2016. © Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
The UK Foreign Office does not comment on the whereabouts of the elite SAS and other special forces as a matter of policy.

The security intelligence agency Stratfor had already alleged the UK’s involvement earlier this month, saying that SAS units had been “escorting MI6 teams to meet with Libyan officials about supplying weapons and training to the Syrian army and to militias against the Islamic State. The British air force bases Sentinel aircraft in Cyprus for surveillance missions around [ISIS-controlled Libyan city of] Sirte as well.”

However, David Cameron has refused to provide any information on this even to closed parliamentary committees, saying earlier this week that the SAS is already “subject to international law as everyone else is in our country but I do not propose to change the arrangements under which these incredibly brave men work.”

Officially, Britain will station 1,000 troops to help train locals in Libya and aid its teetering government in the near future, but so far none have supposedly been sent to the country, which has been in the grip of an ethnic and sectarian war since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Prime Minister’s office has refused to answer press calls concerning the latest leaks, The Guardian says.

Other statements made by the 54-year-old King Abdullah are more gossipy, but indicative of deep rifts between the US and Saudi-headed coalitions tasked with eliminating Islamic State and restoring the rule of law to the region.

Abdullah said that Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan “believes in a radical Islamic solution to the problems in the region.” He went on to say that “that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy, and Turkey keeps getting a slap on the hand, but they get off the hook.”

The revelation comes just after the announcement of a deal that Turkey struck with the EU earlier this month to aid it in solving its refugee problem in exchange for billions of euros.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. © Umit Bektas
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. © Umit Bektas / Reuters

Israel is accused of “looking the other way” when it comes to Al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra, which controls large swathes of land in Syria including territory on the Israeli border, because the group is “an opposition to Hezbollah,” the Iranian-funded Lebanese militia fighting for President Bashar Assad in the Syrian conflict. There have previously been accusations in the media claiming that Israel was even giving medical treatment to al-Nusra fighters before sending them back out on the battlefield, and that a direct communication link had been established between the Israeli army and the terrorist group. The IDF has always denied these allegations, however.

Historically, Israel has never turned anyone away from medical treatment, even their worst enemies. As for 'sending them back out' - makes it sound as if they are working for Israel. When Israel releases someone from hospital, it is not responsible where that person goes unless he is a criminal or enemy.

King Abdullah’s biggest warning came regarding al-Shabaab, an east African jihadist group with a lower profile than ISIS, Boko Haram and others, but which has begun to “feed into Libya.”

An Islamist fighter from Al-Shabaab Mujaahidin. © Feisal Omar
An Islamist fighter from Al-Shabaab Mujaahidin. © Feisal Omar / Reuters

“Jordan is looking at al-Shabaab because no one was really looking at the issue, and we cannot separate this issue, and the need to look at all the hotspots in the map. We have a rapid deployment force that will stand with the British and Kenya and is ready to go over the border into Somalia,” he told congressmen.

The Jordanian embassies in the US and UK have refused to verify the claims, while one congressman has admitted to the Guardian that the briefing did happen, but would not authenticate its talking points.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Denmark May Strip Radical Imams of Citizenship

© Reuters
© Reuters

Denmark might soon be able to strip radicalized imams of citizenship. The proposal is expected to be supported by a majority in parliament.

The initiative comes from the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party, and has received backing from the ruling Liberal Party, the opposition Social Democrats and the Conservative party.

"The Constitution says that one must practice his faith as long as it is not contrary to morals or disturbing to the public order,” Martin Henriksen, Danish People's Party's spokesman told the Berlingske newspaper on Monday.

“When imams endorse or recommend stoning or when an imam tells a woman subjected to violence by her husband, that that’s okay, then it [may be considered] subversive speech that disturbs the public order. Some of these imams are Danish citizens, and we think we should deprive them of their citizenship," he said.

The proposal was made in particular to withdraw citizenship from Abu Bilal, a leading imam at the Grimhoj mosque in the city of Aarhus. A recent documentary, ‘Mosques behind the Veil,’ revealed that the imam advocated the stoning of adulterous women and the killing of apostates.

It drives me crazy that western countries seem to take forever to get rid of radical Imams. I'm glad Denmark is finally getting around to it.

Danish Prime Minister Lokke Rasmussen urged MPs to come up with measures to counter the growth of radical Islam after the documentary exposed the activities of such radical mosques.

The Danish People’s Party is set to make two new proposals in the upcoming set of negotiations with the Danish PM. The party is to present a draft resolution on stripping Abu Bilal of his Danish citizenship and then to review the Constitution’s clause on religious freedom.

Rasmussen said that he will be willing to “push the limits” of the interpretation of the Danish Constitution when reviewing the proposals, the Local reported.

"We are open to all solutions that can stop the radicalized imams," said Trine Bramsen, the Social Democrats' spokesman, according to the Berlingske newspaper.

Marcus Knuth, the Liberal Party’s immigration spokesman, said the proposal was “a really good idea.”

“I personally think it sounds like a really good idea… You are not just talking about twisted old imams. These are the mosques that have shaped many Syrian fighters, and they can be a threat to national security,” he said.

The president of Grimhoj Mosque, however, called the measure a very drastic step, saying it would only encourage radicalization.

"We will not solve the problem that way, but risk creating more radicalization. I do not understand the thinking. Denmark is the best country I live in and I have no interest in destroying it," Oussama El-Saadi said.

In January, the Danish government passed measures that allowed the confiscation of valuables from refugees. The new laws also delayed refugees’ reunification with family members for three years. Integration Minister Inger Stojberg said the goal of the new legislation was for Denmark to become “significantly less attractive for asylum-seekers.” The move was greeted by severe criticism from human rights groups.

US Professor Amazed at Wealth in Gaza City; Notes 900 Mosques, 2 Libraries

 Does this surprise you?
Algemeiner.com 
Gaza. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. 

A professor at the Jackson School of International Studies at Washington University visited Gaza City for six hours a few weeks ago, and he was astonished that after reading years of propaganda about how poverty stricken Gazans are, they really aren’t.

 I was flooded with impressions as we drove into the old city of Gaza. The first was, unexpectedly, that it looked nothing like India. Given the severe poverty, even humanitarian crisis, that Gaza as a whole is experiencing, I had expected the obvious and wrenching poverty that I had seen in some Indian cities or many other Third World countries, for that matter—collapsing infrastructure, rickety shacks, a surfeit of beggars, children in rags, adults sleeping on the sidewalks. At least in this part of the city and others that I saw later in the day, none of that was visible. Instead, I saw hordes of children going to school, university students walking in and out of the gates of the two universities—both the children and the university students reasonably dressed. I observed morning shoppers buying vegetables and fruits from stands, shopkeepers opening their shops, and people walking purposefully to wherever they were going for the start of the day. There were cranes and construction workers everywhere, with lots of uncompleted buildings being worked on. A garbage truck, with a UN sign on it, was making its rounds.

There was the occasional bombed out building, from the 2014 War. One had the entire top of the building, several stories, simply blown off. But other than those, most buildings were in decent shape, and some apartment buildings were downright nice. There were definitely some junkers on the road, but most of the cars looked like late-model varieties. Some of the side streets were pocked and broken up; the main thoroughfares, though, were in good shape. There were almost no traffic lights, and traffic was a bit chaotic. I must add again that I was in Gaza City (both the old and new parts of the city) only and did not go to some of the outer areas and refugee camps where the bombing in the 2014 war was the heaviest and where, I understand, destruction was massive.

People were certainly not in rags. Men were mostly in chino-type pants and button-down shirts. With very few exceptions, women were covered with the hijab and burka. Perhaps 10-20 percent of them were in black with their faces totally covered. Incidentally, this sort of veiling was not a traditional practice in Palestinian society; it is very much a product of the “new fundamentalism.”

The fascinating people I met during the day actually related to Israel in what I considered a very interesting fashion. In conversation after conversation, there was a kind of by-the-way acknowledgment of the destructiveness of Israel’s policies and, for sure, a general hatred for Israel. But what was striking was how everyone quickly went on from those sorts of almost off-handed comments to criticize how the Hamas government or the people themselves are also responsible for the state of affairs. There was no obsessing about Israel, which I found interesting. Indeed, there might even be a general acceptance of Israel in terms of realizing that Israel will long be part of their future.

 …My final meeting was with a fascinating character, Atef Abu Saif. Atef holds a Ph.D. in political science from the European University Institute in Florence, having worked with a friend of mine, Professor Phillipe Schmitter. Atef is also a novelist. He now teaches political science at Al-Azhar Gaza University and writes frequently, including for the New York Times and Slate. An open member of Fatah (although critical of the Fatah leadership), he has clashed with Hamas on a number of occasions, landing him in jail for short stints.

Atef’s main contention is that there are actually two Gazas. One is the one run by Hamas and includes its supporters. He noted, for example, that there has been a mosque-building binge, leading to a total of 879 mosques in the Strip by 2014, as compared to two public libraries. In his words, “Gaza has become one huge mosque.” The second Gaza consists of the Palestinian public in Gaza, engaged in all sorts of cultural and social activities outside Hamas’s orbit. If not quite a civil society, he intimated, there is a lot that goes on beneath the radar.

Obviously, the Palestinian propaganda machine likes to keep the world thinking that it is being constantly victimized by the Israelis. It is part of their plan to turn the world against Israel, and it's working. The Islamization of Europe is another method by which the western world will turn against Israel. The results will not be pretty.

The mosque building frenzy in Gaza is an attempt to radicalize all Gazans in order to keep up the insane fight against Israel. Gaza used to be mostly Christian, but thanks largely to Hamas, Christians make up a very small minority on the strip.

A Palestinian State Led by Arabs Would be Another Failed Arab State

Unusually insightful and candid remarks from Dubai Security Chief

 Dahi Khalfan Tamim
Chief of Dubai Police Dahi Khalfan Tamim.. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Bi-national not two-state solution

The Head of General Security for the Dubai Emirate, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, has stated that Palestinians should abandon their aspiration for an independent state and merge with Israeli Jews in a united, bi-national state instead.

In a series of remarks published on his Twitter account Monday afternoon, Tamim attempted to garner support for his idea, claiming that a Palestinian state led by Arabs would join the list of failed states in the Arab world. 

According to Tamim, the dream of such a state will never come true, since "Israel will only recognize Palestine if Palestinians become part of it."

Tamim controversially stated: "I suggest relinquishing the idea of a Palestinian state and being satisfied with an Israeli state that would include both Israelis and Palestinians and join the Arab League."

"Today, the Jews are heading the world's economy, without the Jews you Arabs would not have known how to deposit your money in the bank," Tamim continued.

Did he just call his own race stupid? Disregarding the accuracy of that, I don't think this is going to go down well with other Arabs.

In light of what he described as Arab incompetence in running a state and the distinguished economic talents of Jews, Tamim claimed that a joint Jewish-Palestinian state will only prosper under Israeli leadership.

"Without the Jews you Arabs would not have
known how to deposit your money in the bank"

However, according to his thesis, this bi-national state would ultimately become an Arab state, where Jews will be a minority, as Jewish citizens in the Arab world are.

"Seventy years after the bi-national state would be established, the Arab minority would become the majority and rule the state, just like it happened in South Africa," Tamim tweeted.

And then Israel will become a failed state.

In another tweet that spurred controversy, the Dubai security chief wrote: "We should not treat Jews as our enemies. We should treat them as cousins with whom we have a controversy over land inheritance. "

In order to test the feasibility of his idea, Tamim asked his Twitter followers if they think Palestinians and Jews can live together in an Israeli-ruled state. Not surprisingly, 57 percent of the followers answered that "'Jews have no place in our country."

I'm surprised that it's only 57%. I would have thought 97% to be more likely. Would Israel consider such a solution? I think it's unlikely, at least in the short term. With more than half the Palestinians wanting the Jews gone, security would be a nightmare. And then there is the problem of creeping Islamization.

Europe ‘Closed Its Eyes’ to Terrorist Threat – French PM

French Prime Minister Manuel Vall © Charles Platiau / Reuters

Europe, and France in particular, closed their eyes to the progress of extremism, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said, adding that terrorism threat to Europe today is “probably higher” than before the November attacks in Paris.

“We have closed our eyes throughout Europe, and also France, on the progress of extremist ideas,” Valls told Europe 1 radio.

According to the PM, the EU has never experienced a terrorist threat “on such a level.”

The threat of terrorism to Europe today is “probably higher” than before the November attacks, Valls said, referring to the massacre in the French capital November 13 in which over 130 died.

“This is not a war like others, terrorism wants to destroy us,” he added.

Terrorism is not an entity that it can 'want' anything. Terrorism is the method by which Islam is slowly destroying Europe. It is Islam that seeks to destroy Europe, because that's what Islam does - destroy.

Valls also called for the adoption of a European passenger name record (PNR) system in Europe, as it “must be able to respond to the expansion of radical Islamism.”

Even after the Paris attack there is free movement within Europe. That is utter insanity! I'm not sure how a PNR system would work but it sounds like IDing passengers on trains and planes. But what about the millions of travellers in cars and trucks?

“We must move quickly… It is urgent to strengthen the control of EU external borders,” he added.

The PM also took the example of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect behind Paris attacks who was arrested earlier.

“Can a Frenchman who kills other French people… remain French? My answer is ‘no’,” said Valls.

So does that mean anyone who murders a Frenchman should be stripped of his citizenship? I think you mean 'anyone whose goal in life is to kill Frenchmen' should lose his citizenship.

Since November 13, 2015, Abdeslam has been Europe's most wanted man. He was captured in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on Friday. During the police assault, Abdeslam was shot in the leg, but appeared to have sustained only a slight injury and was released from a local hospital early on Saturday.

Formally charged with involvement in terrorist murder, Abdeslam is being questioned by police in Belgium. French authorities have launched a fast-track appeal to have him extradited, following a request from French President Francois Hollande.

The Belgian capital was rocked by a twin blast at the city’s airport at around 8am local time (07:00 GMT) and an explosion at the Maalbeek Metro station, just meters away from a number of EU buildings, less than an hour later. At least 31 people were killed and over 260 injured in what the Belgian authorities have said were both terrorist attacks.

On Tuesday Valls, who was speaking at an emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace, said “We are at war and have been suffering for several months in Europe,” in regards to the November 13 Paris terror attacks.

“We are faced with war and we need to be mobilized at all times,” he added.

‘North African’ Stranger’s Stolen Kiss on Lips is Not Sexual Harassment

Subway passengers use escalators during the rush hour at the subway station in Vienna © Leonhard Foeger
Subway passengers use escalators during the rush hour at the subway station in Vienna © Leonhard Foeger / Reuters

Austria
A young woman who was kissed by a stranger on the Vienna Metro on her way to work was shocked to learn from police officers that a kiss wasn’t an act of sexual harassment.

Iryna L., a 27-year-old manager, said she was on her way to work on Monday. Suddenly a man “of North African origin and approximately 25 years old” approached her and started stroking her hand. When she asked him to stop, the man kissed her.

“It happened very quickly. He sat near me in the full carriage and stroked my hand. I cried out ‘stop’ and moved myself to another seat, he tapped me on the shoulder, pulled me to him and kissed me on the mouth,” she said, as cited by Austrian Heute newspaper.

Iryna said she hit the attacker with her bag and he ran away.

However, the young woman saw little help from other people on the train.

“Two men just stared stupidly, a woman advised me to call the police,” she said.

Kussattacke U-bahn
Iryna L.
At the police station, Iryna learnt from the officers that a kiss isn’t considered to be a form of sexual harassment.

Police spokesperson told Heute that officers requested a video of the attack from metro station, adding that “there could possibly be a fine for breaching the peace.”

However, Iryna is not going to let the ‘kiss’ case go. On Tuesday she said that she sent video of the events to investigators. "The court will decide if it was a case of sexual harassment,” she added.

Iryna said she had undergone a medical examination.

“… I still have to do a blood test to rule out any risk of infection… He [the man] should be punished because I'm afraid,” she told Heute.

I agree completely! 

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Brussels Attacks Show ISIS is 'Winning' - Former CIA #2

The question all Muslims need to answer

Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell. © Win McNamee
Former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell. © Win McNamee / AFP

Following the terrorist attacks on Brussels' Zaventem Airport and Metro stations, the former deputy director of the CIA said the jihadist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISISI/ISIL) is "winning" in its efforts to attack Western targets.

Michael Morell, deputy director of the CIA for more than three years during Obama administration, said Tuesday on CBS 'This Morning' that the Brussels attacks are a "reflection of how large, how compartmented, how sophisticated the ISIS capability is in Europe."

While the US continues to strike IS targets in Syria and Iraq, the jihadist group is "growing rapidly in the rest of the world," he added.

"So I would say they're winning, right? They're winning, and we're going to have to find additional approaches to try to undermine them," Morell said.

Morell added that he believes IS has "more territory today around the world than they did at any time, and they've conducted now attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and now in Brussels."

IS has developed a sprawling jihadist network that originated from Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which emerged following the US invasion of that nation in 2003.

As of March 15, the US-led coalition of countries fighting IS has conducted 10,962 airstrikes against IS targets, with more than 7,300 of those strikes occurring in Iraq. The US has conducted 8,386 of those total strikes. As of February 29, the cost of "kinetic operations" against IS, which began in August 2014, was $6.5 billion, according to the US Department of Defense.

Well, somebody is benefiting from this war. It's not the people of Syria or Iraq; it's not the Europeans who are being invaded by Islam; it's not the coalition countries that are spending kazillions of dollars on bombs and aircraft; it is, of course, the people who make those bombs and aircraft.

Coalition countries are mortgaging their children's and grandchildren's lives so that a handful of arms merchants can get filthy, and I mean filthy, rich. They are those whose massive wealth comes with the blood of millions of victims whether soldiers or innocent women and children; it makes no difference to them. They are those who always benefit from war and it would be utterly naive to think that they weren't somehow complicit in ensuring that there is always a war someplace. Gotta keep the inventory moving.

It is the senseless pulverizing of Syria and Iraq that is causing a large part of the migrant crisis. It is why Europe is being invaded at the invitation of Angela Merkel. It is why European culture is rapidly deteriorating and will be nearly obliterated in one or two generations.

This terror crisis should be bringing Europeans to their knees, not to be beheaded by Muslims, but to draw close to the real God, the only one Who can truly defeat the Satanic Cult of Islam.

Here is a question I would ask every Muslim entering Europe: Do you believe Allah rewards suicide bombers who kill infidels? 

If the answer to that question is yes, then they are someone who is sympathetic to terrorists and should have no place in Europe. Of course, the Quran permits Muslims to lie to infidels (that's us) so you have to take another step and require them to disavow those statements in the Quran or Hadith where Mohammed states emphatically that they do.

The Brussels attackers detonated bombs in a departure area of Zaventem Airport where travelers enter prior to security checkpoints. Morell said that this tactic, of setting off bombs before security, indicates that airports in the US and elsewhere must have checkpoints immediately upon entering an airport.

"Absolutely," Morell said about the need for renewed security protocol in the US. "We're going to have to adjust to what they're doing."

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Marine Le Pen Gets Cold Shoulder in Quebec

Leader of France's far-right Front National is in Quebec until Friday
CBC News 
Quebec politicians have declined to meet with Marine Le Pen. (Patrick Seeger/EPA)

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right party, wasn't too pleased she was given a chilly reception after protesters gathered at her Quebec City news conference — saying it was unacceptable behaviour in the name of democracy.

"Go back to bed," Le Pen told demonstrators.

The president of Front National is visiting the province over the span of six days, with stops in Montreal and Quebec City.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, Parti Québécois Leader Pierre Karl Péladeau and Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault have all declined to meet her.

This says as much, if not more, about the leadership of Quebec, and indeed, Canada, who are liberal-minded, higher purpose persons who think anyone with a conservative agenda must be evil and beneath them. In reality, they are short-sighted egotists who cannot see beyond the end of their long noses, and who vilify those who can.

Le Pen could possibly end up as President of France next year. How will that work for international relationships - starting off as enemies? Perhaps she would have been more welcome if she slipped an envelope of money under the table to some government bagman.


Security agents escorted protesters out of the Quebec City hotel to allow Le Pen to speak before noon Sunday.

Demonstrators said they disapprove of Le Pen's party and its beliefs, with signs stating Quebec youth didn't care much for the Front National.

Sights set on 2017

Le Pen has been criticized by many in France for what are seen as thinly-veiled racist positions.

However, the Front National, a one-time fringe party founded in 1972 by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has gained popularity under her leadership.

She has her sights set on the 2017 presidential election and has been striving to clean up the party's image.

A rundown of Le Pen's itinerary:

Friday and Saturday: Montreal.
Sunday: Quebec City. 
Monday: Quebec City and Montreal.
Tuesday: Montreal (news conference).
Wednesday: Montreal.
Thursday: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
Friday: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, then back to Montreal.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

EU Countries Turning on Merkel in Mass Resentment at Germany's Dominance

Nigel Farage & Angela Merkel

NIGEL FARAGE today claimed other EU countries are ready to bring Angela Merkel “down a peg or two” amid growing resentment at the German Chancellor’s dominance of European decision-making.

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL REPORTER EXPRESS

Nigel Farage noted rising anger at Angela Merkel's grip on EU affairs
EU leaders are currently meeting in Brussels to discuss a plan drawn up between Mrs Merkel and Turkey in a bid to stem the flow of migrants into Europe amid the ongoing refugee crisis.

But the Ukip leader suggested the fact the German leader now appears to “speak on behalf of all” Europeans is causing “massive, massive resentment right across the EU”.

Speaking to LBC Radio from the Belgian capital, Nigel Farage described how “one or two countries are beginning to kick back” against Mrs Merkel’s grip on EU affairs.

The MEP insisted Germany had never intended to dominate the EU, but had been thrust into a central role following the outbreak of the eurozone debt crisis.

Mr Farage said the EU’s unelected bureaucrats “did not command the authority to be the leading voices on what the eurozone should do faced with this crisis”, adding: ”And so what happened was the biggest, most powerful country in the eurozone and the EU… stepped to the fore.

“We’ve seen since 2008 and 2009 Germany increasingly becoming the dominant voice.”

I sense that one or two countries are now
 on the verge of bringing her down a peg or two.
Nigel Farage

The anti-EU politician outlined how Mrs Merkel now “speaks on what should happen with Turkey, she speaks on what should happen with the migrant crisis and she speaks on what the Greeks should do with their public spending levels”.

Mr Farage added: ”She appears, when she speaks, to speak on behalf of all of us.

“That is causing massive, massive resentment right across the EU and particularly in the south and the Mediterranean.

“I sense that one or two countries are now on the verge of bringing her down a peg or two.”

The Ukip leader noted how the Netherlands are holding a referendum next month on the proposed deal to put Ukraine on the path to EU membership, which he predicted would be rejected.

And Mr Farage also highlighted moves in Hungary to hold a vote on the “Merkel proposal” for compulsory migrant quotas for each EU member state.

He said: “She [Merkel] is still the top dog, if you like, in the EU - but one or two countries are beginning to kick back.”

Earlier this month, Iceland’s prime minister gave a similar warning over Germany’s dominance of the EU.

Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, who has seen his country’s economy soar outside of the EU, said: “When it comes to the big stuff the decisions are made by two, and increasingly one country.”

Last weekend, Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrat party suffered a series of painful defeats in regional elections as part of a continuing backlash against the German Chancellor’s handling of the refugee crisis.

Mrs Merkel initially offered safe passage for all Syrian refugees to Germany, but soon saw her popularity plummet as the country saw nearly half-a-million asylum claims in 2015.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Geert Wilders' Video

My previous post made mention of a video Geert Wilders made a few years ago. It is presented here in its entirety (about 16 minutes). 

Caution there are some gruesome images, not a lot, but a few. 


5 Most Islamophobic Rants by Geert Wilders as His 'Inciting Hatred' Trial Begins

Islamophobic rants, or truth, or both?

Wilders appeared in court with his trademark peroxide blonde hair. © Michael Kooren / Reuters

The trial of right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders started Friday for inciting hatred and discrimination against the Dutch Moroccan minority.

Wilders denies any wrongdoing, saying comments he made, which included referring to Morrocans as “scum”, are protected by his right to free speech.

Prosecutors said the case pits that right versus the right to be free from discrimination, according to Reuters.

“Freedom of expression is not absolute, it is paired with obligations and responsibilities, the responsibility not to set groups of people against each other,” said lead prosecutor Wouter Bos.

Consequently, there is no room for the truth when speaking about Islam. If you can't express the truth because someone might be offended, or for fears of starting a riot, then your society is based on a sham, and when the truth finally comes out, then you will see rioting.

The controversial leader of the Party for Freedom (PPV) appeared relaxed in court with his famous ‘bottle blonde’ hair on display, posing for photographs before proceedings began.

He says the trial is a politically-motivated attempt to uproot the PPV, which has become the most popular party in opinion polls with an election expected in the Netherlands next year.

Long before Donald Trump started scoring political points on the backs of Muslims, Wilders made a name for himself as an outrageous and offensive orator.

Here are five of his most anti-Muslim rants, in no particular (new world) order.

“We’ll take care of that”
Wilders made repeated calls for “fewer Moroccans” while campaigning during the 2014 election, including at a televised rally where he told supporters who cheered him on that “we’ll take care of that.” Moroccans account for two percent of the country’s population.

Of course, they can't take care of anything unless they get elected in which case they will have popular support for taking care of that. What the, will you haul half the electorate into court for inciting hatred?


“Islam is not a religion, it's an ideology, the ideology of a retarded culture”
Wilders came out with this line, just in case you weren’t already sure where he stood on the issue, while promoting his controversial film "Fitna" in the Guardian in 2008. The next year, he was briefly blocked from entering the UK until he won an appeal.

Retarded would not be my choice of words; I would probably choose something stronger. But the idea of Islam as an ideology is quite popular. Wilders certainly didn't invent it.


“Our Judeo-Christian culture is far superior to the Islamic one. I can give you a million reasons. But here is an important one. We have got humor and they don't.”
Wilders made this not-so-hilarious comments when speaking at last year's event in Texas featured cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. Two gunmen with links to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) were killed by police after they tried to ambush the event, while their accomplice was convicted on terror charges this week.

Some of the things that pass for humour in our Judeo-Christian culture certainly doesn't support the argument that it is superior to Islam. That Muslim humour is not easily found is a fact. They certainly seem to have problems laughing at themselves. And when it comes the Mohammed or the Quran, well, look out.


“The Koran is a fascist book which incites violence. That is why this book, just like "Mein Kampf", must be banned.”
Wilders went on trial in 2011 for inciting hatred against Muslims using quotes like the above and for calling for Muslim criminals to be stripped of Dutch nationality and deported. He was acquitted after a judge decided that the target was a religion and not a race.

If you disagree with that statement it is because you know little or nothing of the Quran. In Islam, Mohammed is the model just as Jesus is the model for Christians. But Jesus didn't commit genocide, mass murder, pedophilia, polygamy, or enslavement. Nor did He order His son to divorce his wife so that He could marry her. Mohammed did all these things under the pretext that it was Allah's will. Jesus gave us a sample of God's will and it's nothing like what Mohammed did.


“In my fight for freedom and against the 'Islamization' of the Netherlands, I will never let anyone silence me. No matter the cost, no matter by whom, whatever the consequences may be.”
Wilders' PPV party is gaining momentum with those who oppose him, but support absolute free speech. Wilders backers including members of the neo-Nazi movement Pegida, who demonstrated outside the courtroom with some wearing pigs ears in an attempt to taunt Muslims for not eating pork.

If you are not with Geert Wilders, you are for the Islamization of the Netherlands, even if unwittingly. When Muslim enter a country in great numbers they take it over eventually. Then your little Dutch girls will be married while still children, they will wear hijabs, they will not be allowed out in public alone or they will be justifiably raped. And if they get pregnant because of the rape, they will have the choice of marrying the rapist, or one of them, or going to jail.

Geert Wilders can see that train coming; bleeding heart liberals cannot.