MFS - The Other News

                         Afternoon Posting.

• HT:BloggerBase.Attacking Christians on Christmas; Where is the outrage?Christians around the world who live in countries dominated by the Muslim faith live in fear of attack and even death everyday, but particularly on Christmas"Most of the churches here in Baghdad have canceled Christmas celebrations." CANON ANDREW WHITE. Yet where is the overriding public demonstration of outrage? Where is President Obama and his administration with wholesale condemnation? Where is the condemnation from leaders around the world and the United Nations?If the positions were reversed and Muslims living in Christian dominated countries suffered from daily persecution that included mosque attacks, physical violence, death and the inability to observe holy holidays, what do you suppose the reaction would be?I think we know.Hmmmm....Still waiting for Obama's condemnation of this violence?Read the full story here.

• HT:TheJawaReport.Video : CAIR (Un-indicted co-conspirators In the Holyland Foundation)Decries Anti-Muslim Police Trainers.Hmmmm...."We don't want to take over your country"?Read and see the full story here.

• Bombing wounds 11 at Christmas Mass in Philippines.MANILA: A bomb exploded during Christmas Day Mass at a chapel inside a police camp in the volatile southern Philippines, wounding a priest and 10 churchgoers.The device was hidden in a ventilation window near the ceiling of the chapel, which is on the compound where the provincial police office is located in Jolo town on Jolo Island, Sulu provincial police said.The island is a stronghold of Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, but it wasn’t clear who was responsible for the bombing. Investigators recovered parts of a cell phone they believe detonated the device.All of the wounded were civilians. One woman remained at a hospital for observation later Saturday, but police said one did not need hospital treatment and the others have been treated and sent home.The Rev. Romeo Villanueva, 72, said a newly ordained priest, the Rev. Ricky Bacoldol, who was assisting him, was thrown off his feet by the blast impact and suffered a slight leg injury.“I was reading the Gospel. I was not yet finished when there was a loud explosion,” Villanueva told The Associated Press by telephone.Hmmm...."The war on christianity"?Outrage  by the US President......Silence and we all know why !3 bomb attacks on Christmas aimed at Christians not a word - 1 bomb among Muslims in Iran, but there he is speaking out against it! And he wonders why people don't believe he's a Christian?Read the full story here.

• Merry Christmas From a Very Merry Muslim.The last time I wrote a column about saying “Merry Christmas” without feeling guilty was a few years ago and I recall noting in conclusion that I hope I don’t have to write this again because the message is loud and clear. Alas political correctness has become a Canadian epidemic and with politicians still shying away from using the word, we have no role models left.To acknowledge that I love this time of the year and that I have already been an active participant in the launch of the Christmas season is redundant, to say the least. I use the word “Christmas” with feeling since I’ve recently celebrated my own festival of Eid , wished my Hindu and Sikh friends a delightful Diwali, and my Jewish friends a Happy Hannukah. Therefore, I feel we should have absolutely no qualms about wishing our Christian friends a “Merry Christmas” on their day of joy.Just to to think that in the year 2010, when Canada is fast set to become the most pluralistic country in the world, we’re avoiding saying “Merry Christmas.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but pluralism doesn’t mean minimizing the celebrations of the majority but being inclusive about everyone’s festivals. We know that every minority celebrates with full gusto, taking time off work with pay and having their kids take time of school without any qualms. In fact, employers have to accommodate minority faiths.But when it comes to Christmas, the story is different. A huge corporation (one of the largest in Canada) sent out a memo to its employees giving them guidelines on how to enjoy the holiday. The guidelines tell them not to use the word “Merry Christmas” lest they offend someone who doesn’t celebrate.My fellow Canadians, allow me to express what’s offensive.A Must Read !Read the full story here!

• EXCLUSIVE: The untold stories of two Christmas Day 2009 flights over Detroit.The bomb attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Christmas Day 2009 has been widely documented, but until now details of two other incidents have not been known.Two other travelers on two other flights put passengers and crew at risk that day.Action News was the only station to report about one of those incidents, and details on both are now revealed in documents obtained by Channel 7. Unbelievably, one of the incidents happened on the very same Delta route - Amsterdam to Detroit - that Abdulmutallab was also flying that day.Abdulmutallab was on Flight 253. But there was another incident, on Delta Flight 249 Amsterdam to Detroit later that day.Hmmmm.....The Obama administration transparent?Yeah ....keep dreaming.Read the full story here.HT:InfidelBloggers.

• HT:BackToBasics.Surviving Christmas in an anti-Christian society.As Americans prepare to celebrate the Christmas holiday, many are unaware that religious observances are practically a luxury when compared with nations that continue to oppress, persecute and even kill followers of Jesus Christ.Christians in several countries find it difficult to practice even the fundamentals of their faith. To openly celebrate the birth of the man they believe is their Savior could be nothing short of a death sentence.“It’s time for Christians in the United States to help in protecting their brothers and sisters overseas,” says political strategist and Christian Mike Baker.Read the full story here.

• HT:NewsRealBlog.Noam Chomsky’s 12 Days of Christmas.Have A Very Chomsky Christmas!On the first day of Christmas Noam Chomsky gave to me…Read and see the full story here.

• Video : Muted Christmas in Iraq. While millions of Christians celebrate, threats against Iraqi churches force the cancellation of celebrations. Iraq's Christian community have gathered despite continued threats, to mark Christmas in the same church where, less than two months ago, dozens of members of their community were killed in an attack.The walls of the church were marked with bullet holes, and plastic sheeting still covered the gaps where glass windows were shattered."No matter how hard the storm blows, love will save us," Matti Shaba Matouka, an archbishop told his congregation.Photographs of the dead parishioners were placed in front of the altar, and two black cassocks hung from the walls, representing the two priests killed in the attack.Outside the building hung a homemade sign that said the church would prosper during times of oppression.
  Hmmmm....When will this US President speak up for christians?Read and see the full story here.

• Hamas commander: Israel will disappear.Day after Mahmoud al-Zahar says Islamist group committed to unofficial truce, head of its armed wing says Israel will 'cease to exist and we will have Palestine. Spokesman: We have something that will worry the occupation.Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas' military wing, said the Palestinians will not give up their struggle until Israel ceases to exist.In a statement issued Saturday to mark 23 years since the Islamist group was founded, Deif also vowed to release all Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. "We promise to release them and break the (prison) bars despite the occupiers' efforts," he said.Speaking at a press conference with three guards, who were all masked and armed, he said the group was ready to repel any future Israeli invasion and hinted at a secret weapon."We are completely ready to answer any Israeli aggression," he said. "Our weapons are few compared to those of the Israeli occupation, but we have something that will worry the occupation," he said without giving details.Hmmmm....Anyone expecting a dirty bomb from the next aid convoy from Asia?Read the full story here.

• At Least 32 Killed in Blasts in Nigeria after Muslim attacks.MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Police in northern Nigeria say that Muslim radical sect members have attacked two churches in the restive region. Police chief Mohammed Abubakar told The Associated Press on Saturday that members of Boko Haram, a radical Muslim sect, attacked two churches in the city of Maiduguri on Friday evening. Danjuma Akawu, secretary of Victory Baptist Church said about 30 men attacked his church Friday evening, killing five people. Rev. Haskanda Jessu of Church of Christ in Nigeria said that three men attacked his church at the other end of the city, killing the security guard.Police accuse Boko Haram of a rash of targeted killings in recent months.Hmmm.....When will this selfproclaimed "Christian" President speak up for Christanity?Merry Christmas.Read the full story here. More here.

• Obama's Reversal on 'Indigenous Peoples' Rights Stirs Concern Over Legal Claims.President Obama's decision last week to reverse U.S. policy and back a U.N. declaration on the rights of "indigenous peoples" has touched off a debate on whether the move could boost American Indian legal claims over the ills they suffered dating back to the colonial period.But John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the "abstract" document -- which in several sections discusses the "right to redress" -- will probably be used to fuel new legal claims. And he predicted the issue would complicate those cases more than it would help either side actually resolve them. "It's a kind of feel-good document that has so many unclear phrases in it that nobody's really sure what it means when you agree to it," Bolton told FoxNews.com. "It's wrong and potentially dangerous to sign onto a document that you don't fully understand the implications of." The non-binding U.N. document includes dozens of provisions but generally states that indigenous people should not be discriminated against, should be able to sustain their own political and social systems, and have rights to the "lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned" or used.Those concepts are not radically new. Americans Indians, as demonstrated by a spate of recent settlements, have legal rights to pursue discrimination and other claims against the government. Plus Obama's support for the document follows his signing of a congressional resolution last year that officially apologized to "native peoples" for the "violence, maltreatment and neglect" inflicted on them by U.S. citizens. However, that resolution included explicit language to ensure it could not be used in the courts. A disclaimer at the end declared that "nothing" in the resolution would authorize or support claims against the United States. By contrast, several sections in the U.N. document explicitly outline those rights. One article in the middle of the declaration states that indigenous peoples can be entitled to "restitution" for land and resources that were damaged or confiscated from them. The document says compensation "shall take" the form of land or resources or even money.A detailed document released by the State Department underscored the importance of the "redress provisions," saying the government would continue to work with American Indians to accommodate their territorial rights. "While the declaration is not legally binding, it carries considerable moral and political force," the State Department said in a written statement last week.The Obama administration, though, has demonstrated an interest in settling claims from American Indians and other groups when possible. On top of the so-called Pigford settlement, which recently awarded $1.2 billion to black farmers who claimed they were cheated out of loans by the Agriculture Department, Obama earlier this month signed a law authorizing $3.4 billion to address American Indian claims in a case known as Cobell. In that case, the plaintiffs had accused the Interior Department of bilking 300,000 American Indians out of revenue from oil, gas and other resources. Obama noted last week that the settlement fund also includes money to "put more land in the hands of tribes to manage or otherwise benefit their members." A separate $760 million settlement closed a discrimination case against the Agriculture Department similar in nature to the Pigford case. According to the State Department, the Obama administration has so far picked up more than 34,000 acres of land "in trust" for Indian tribes. That land can be used for housing and other purposes. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who has been particularly critical of the Pigford claims process, expressed concern about the potential implications of the U.N. document on indigenous peoples. He said he's curious what "special rights" the document could convey. Carl Horowitz, a project manager with the National Legal and Policy Center who follows discrimination cases against the federal government, used the r-word -- reparations -- to describe those implications. "It reflects a global egalitarianism," he said. "It's a shakedown."Hmmmm....I've been saying this here on MFS since he made the statement,and what is the role of the Turkish firms willing to work with the native tribes in order to escape taxes?Read the full story here.

• Dutch arrest 12 Somalis on suspicion of terrorism.Dutch authorities have arrested 12 men of Somali origin they believe were about to carry out a terrorist attack, authorities said Saturday.The country's intelligence service provided information that led to the arrests in Rotterdam, Public Prosecution Service spokesman Wim de Bruin told CNN.No weapons or explosives were found, he said. The suspects are in police custody."The attack was said to be imminent so the national police started an investigation which led to the arrest of 12 Somalis later on Friday in Rotterdam," de Bruin said. "We are not sure about what the target was, how they were going to carry out the attack or when."A Dutch counterterrorism office spokeswoman said the immediate threat to the country has been removed and the terror alert level will remain "limited," or relatively low."We are now following the information that comes out of the interrogations with these 12 individuals to see if there still remains a threat from this plot," said Judith Sluiter of the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism.Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including a series of bombs tore through an Ethiopian restaurant and a rugby center in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Officials said the July 11 blasts, which killed 79 people, were probably set off by suicide bombers.Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in September asked other countries to train Somalia's forces to help counter militant groups.Hmmmm....And we shouldn't profile??Read the full story here.More here.

• Xmas joy mixed with threats for Mideast Christians.Christians in the Middle East prepared on Friday to celebrate Christmas, some in fear of attacks against their community, as in Iraq, and others in the most discreet way possible, as in Saudi Arabia.For Iraq's battered Christian community, threats of attacks from Al-Qaeda and mourning for the victims of an October massacre at a Baghdad church have turned a normally festive season into one of fear and sadness.Many mass gatherings in Iraq were cancelled on Friday, and Saturday services will be held during the morning for safety reasons.Security measures have been stepped up after Al-Qaeda threats against Christians, with protective walls erected around some churches and the number of soldiers and police guarding churches strengthened.On October 31, militants laid siege to Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church, leaving 44 worshippers, two priests and seven security forces personnel dead in an attack claimed by Al-Qaeda affiliate the Islamic State of Iraq.Ten days later a string of attacks targeted the homes of Christians in Baghdad, killing six people and wounding 33 others.On Friday, Chaldean Catholic archbishop Monsignor Louis Sarko said in a message from Kirkuk that Iraqi Christians must remain steadfast, despite their fears."Today we are living a painful experience in Iraq, which reached its peak with the massacre at Our Lady of Salvation, which touched both Christians and Muslims. But we must persevere in the face of disaster," Sarko said."We will not surrender to division and frustration," he said.In Saudi Arabia, Christians will be as discreet as possible in their Christmas celebrations, as the Gulf kingdom forbids the overt practice of any religion but Islam.In the capital Riyadh, there are no signs of the Christmas season."We don't do much for Christmas; we have to be careful," said Raul, one of the more than one million mostly Christian Filipino migrant workers in the country, who along with two other fellow welders from Pangasinan were doing their weekly shopping at the popular Pinoy supermarket in Riyadh."I put up some Christmas lights in my apartment, and made a tree in the shop," said Valentin, a metal shop worker from Cavite. "You can't buy a Christmas tree in Saudi Arabia."Religious services take place, but are exceedingly hush-hush. The state oil giant Aramco, with thousands of non-Muslim employees, has long allowed services in its tightly guarded compounds in Eastern Province.Foreign communities also organise their own services, though most of the Christians in the country do not have access.Although private worship in homes is protected under government orders, many Saudis including the religious police are not aware of that and so Christians are particularly cautious of attracting attention.
  Hmmmmm.....The Saudi king getting treatment in a US hospital does atract more attention of course.Read the full story here.

• Iran : Travel ban for Iran reform leaders. Prominent opposition candidates of disputed 2009 vote, are barred from leaving country.Iran's two main opposition leaders have been barred from leaving the country, a prominent Iranian politician has said.Mousa Qorbani, a member of the judicial committee, announced the travel ban on Saturday for Mir Hossain Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi - reformist leaders who ran in the disputed 2009 presidential elections.The measures are part of a state-sponsored crackdown on the reform movement after the elections sparked nationwide protests against the ruling party over vote fraud allegations.The government accuses opposition leaders of being "stooges of the west'' and of seeking to topple the ruling system through street protests.Qorbani also suggested to put the leaders on trial after many mid- and low-level figures in opposition groups have been tried and sentenced to long prison terms.He said authorities had "recognised'' that Mousavi, Karroubi are "mohareb" - a term meaning that they are "fighting God". "Therefore, they are barred from leaving,'' he was quoted by state media as saying.Many other opposition figures who have been convicted were tried on charges of being "mohareb".Hmmmm....Fighting God or the President?Read the full story here.

• IHH to host welcome party for Marmara.Thousands expected to cheer flotilla ship back to home port in Istanbul after lengthy stay in Haifa.The Mavi Marmara, the main ship that participated in a calamitous flotilla to Gaza in May, is set to return to its home port in Turkey Sunday amid festivities planned by the IHH, the group that organized the flotilla.Bülent Yıldırım, the president of the humanitarian aid group whose assaulted IDF soldiers on board the Marmara, described before the press the welcome the ship would receive. "The ship was a symbol of conscience, and now it is a symbol of freedom," he said. The Marmara, which has been docking in Haifa port, will arrive in Istanbul through the sea after which it was named. On board are family members of the nine activists who were killed during the IDF raid on the vessel. In the meantime, another aid convoy is on its way to the Strip – the Asia 1, an "Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan", arrived Friday in Lebanon. According to the Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar, the convoy visited Sidon and the Hezbollah commemoration site in Mlita. It then continued to Syria, from where members are expected to fly to Egypt and transfer the goods by land. The convoy left New Delhi on December 1, and after being held up by the Indian authorities succeeded in leaving Pakistan for Iran on the 7th. They were welcomed by the Iranian president and other officials, and a number of parliament members joined them, according to reports. There are some 200 members altogether.Hmmmm....A dirty bomb underway to Gaza?Read the full story here. 

• Saudi school’s name changed for blasphemy.Saudi education authorities have decided to change the name of a local school called after a famous pre-Islam Arabian poet because he was not a Muslim, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom reported on Friday.Hatem Al Tai School in the northern town of Hail has been changed into Hatem School on the grounds the poet Hatem Al Tai was Christian, Sharq daily said.“Education sources said the decision to change the school’s name was because Hatem Al Tai was a blasphemous man who had lived during the Jahiliyya era before Islam…several intellects in the city criticized the decision and considered it as an act of fanaticism, which is hated in Islam.”Hatem Al Tai was a famous pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah Arabian poet. He was a Christian and belonged to the Ta'i Arabian tribe in north Saudi Arabia.Stories about his extreme generosity have made him an icon to Arabs up till the present day, as in the proverbial phrase "more generous than Hatem Al Tai.”Hmmmm......."more generous than Hatem Al Tai.”Who was a Blasphemer?Hmmmm.....Says a lot about them.Read the full story here.

• HT:TundraTabloids.In 'moderate' Muslim Malaysia :srtict Islamic state kept Brit a virtual prisoner at home.Shivaun Orten:‘I soon learned what it was like to be an Islamic bride,’ she said. ‘My husband insisted I live across the border in Terengganu, which is a strict Islamic state and which I call Taliban Land. I cannot go out by myself. I have to cover up. I am there to serve my husband and family.‘My husband on the other hand was out all the time, often with women and taking drugs. What angered me most was that the women were of no class at all, just tarts.‘It got so bad that in 2003 I packed my bags and got in the car. I had made it almost 200 kilometres and was within an hour of Kuala Lumpur and the airport and a flight back to London when I was stopped by police at a checkpoint near a town called Bentong.‘I was handcuffed and raped, twice each by two policemen, and one did it three times. My husband had phoned the police and set me up.‘He later admitted that he had said I was a runaway prostitute and told police to give me a warning before sending me home.’Read the full story here.

• HT:What'sUpWithThat.And now for something completely different ! Snowmageddon II: Monster blizzard to bomb New England?Merry Christmas! The best numerical weather prediction models in the world have been churning out 5-day forecasts for the past few days that will make someone pull their hair out. The main question is how far east will the major extratropical cyclone or blizzard develop over the Atlantic off of New England. The track details will determine who will get a dusting of snow and who could possibly get 1-2 feet. As the event unfolds,this post will provide additional links.From meteorologist Ray Hawthorne, fellow FSU grad:This is one of the most complex forecasts I’ve seen since the infamous, so-called Blizzard of 2000. There appear to be four distinct shortwaves — one along the Texas Gulf coast, another in the Middle/Upper Mississippi Valley, a third in the Middle Missouri Valley, and a fourth in western Ontario province, Canada.Read the full story here.