Video - Muslim Mob Attacks Copts in a Beni Suef Village in Egypt following Rumor about Church Construction

Muslim Mob Attacks Copts in a Beni Suef Village in Egypt following Rumor about Church Construction

A video, which was posted on YouTube on July 22 and and which circulated on social media, shows a Muslim mob throwing stones at families in the village of Saft Al-Kharsa in the Beni Suef governorate.

The video was shot from the balcony of one of the Coptic families. According to reports, the attacks followed the Friday sermons at the local mosques and were instigated by rumors that Copts had converted their homes into churches.

albawaba.com reported that the tension started when security forces apprehended Ishaq Fahim, a Copt whose home was used as a church since the nearest church is in another village, 10 km away.

The security forces warned Fahim against using his home as a church. Following the attacks, Fahim was arrested along with the Muslim rioters, and the security forces demanded that he sign a commitment that he would not turn his home into a church.

Related: EGYPT - Still delays for the approval of the law on the construction of churches

Ahmed al Tayyeb, great Imam of Al Azhar, personally went to express his Easter greetings to Orthodox Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II

Ahmed al Tayyeb, great Imam of Al Azhar, personally went to express his Easter greetings to Orthodox Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II. (Fides).

In Egypt, Coptic churches - who follow the Julian calendar - are celebrating Holy Week. In view of Easter, greetings and good wishes are expressed to the Copts by representatives of institutions.

Even Ahmed al Tayyeb, great Imam of Al Azhar, went to the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo to personally express his Easter greetings to Orthodox Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II.

And in the imminence of the Christian solemnity, also pastoral initiatives flourish in the large North African country: in recent days, some Coptic Orthodox priests of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Minya, Upper Egypt, decided to leave their parishes to go to celebrate moments of prayer in the streets, in cafes and in public places, in order to announce the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ to the many baptized who do not attend churches and sanctuaries even on the occasion of the liturgical solemnities.

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Minya presented this initiative on its website as an attempt to reach Christians, especially among many young people, who do not usually attend the parishes.

"This is an initiative that may seem unusual in a country overwhelmingly Muslim, always threatened by sectarian conflicts" refers to Agenzia Fides Anba Botros Fahim Awad Hanna, Coptic Catholic Bishop of Minya, "and it is obvious that it can be done with freedom and serenity in residential areas and villages only by Christian citizens.

But it still represents a sign of apostolic vitality: many young people have no real contact with the life of the Church and its liturgical and sacramental dynamics. So instead of waiting for them in a parish, we gently try to reach them, in places where they live and prefer to spend their time". (GV) (

Video - Egyptian Pres. Al-Sisi Congratulates Christians on Christmas: We Are All Egyptians, What Divides Us Destroys Us

“Son of Garbage Collector Cannot Become a Judge”: Egypt’s Justice Minister....Because he's a Christian?

“The Son of a Garbage Collector Cannot Become a Judge”: Egypt’s Justice Minister....Because he's a Coptic Christian? (ES).

Egypt’s Minister of Justice Mahfouz Saber has stirred controversy across Egypt after declaring that children of garbage collectors cannot become judges as they must grow up in a “respectable” environment.

During a live television interview, the Minister of Justice answered a question regarding the Justice Ministry’s employment criteria.

“With all due respect to the garbage collector, and anyone else beneath him or above him, it is necessary for the environmental medium where a judge grows to be suitable,”said the Justice Minister.

“A judge has his highness and position, he must come from a respectable medium, both financially and morally.”

The Minister added that if a garbage collector would be hired as a judge, he would suffer from depression and other issues. The Minister, who said this statement is based on prior experience, did not clarify what ‘issues’ he was referring to.

Asked whether this means the garbage collector and his children are deprived of employment, the Minister said the they would find a job that is suited to them.

Following the statements, Egyptians have taken to social media to call for the resignation of the Justice Minister. On Twitter, the top trending hashtag in Egypt calls for the Minister to be replaced.

Meanwhile, following the statements, Egypt’s former vice President Mohammed El-Baradei criticized what he called was a lack of the “concept of justice.”

“When the concept of justice is absent from a nation, nothing remains,” said El-Baradei, who has been living abroad since he resigned in 2013 over the bloody dispersal of pro-Morsi sit-ins in August 2013.

El-Baradei added that the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights preserves “the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.” 

In solidarity with garbage collectors, social media users have posted their support and praise of garbage collectors’ crucial role in society. Hmmmm.....the garbage collectors a.k.a. Zabbaleen in Egypt are mainly Coptic Christians, in good 'tradition' of Islamist supremacy, we can't have Christian judges....Do we? 'Muslim Brotherhood' Anyone?

Walid Phares.: "21 Egyptian Coptic Christians Murdered by the Terrorist group IS could be declared as martyrs."

The 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians Murdered by the Terrorist group IS could be doctrinally declared as martyrs. HT: Walid Phares.

It was learned from well informed sources in the that "the 21 Egyptian Christian Copts who were slaughtered by the Jihadists of the Islamic State on the sole basis of their Christian faith, could be doctrinally declared as martyrs.

The question is who would be the designating party, the Coptic Orthodox Church or the Vatican? 

Both Churches elevate individuals to martyrdom, some even to Sainthood, on the sole ecclesiastic basis and consideration of killed because of their faith and not other political, military or ideological considerations." Such possible decision could have significant ramifications on the moral and psychological levels, worldwide.

The Meaning of Martyrdom for Christians and Muslims

The meaning of martyrdom is radically different for Christians and Muslims. This difference is based on how, according to their religious beliefs, they look upon each other.

The word "martyr," in both the Christian and Islamic traditions, means "witness." In this regard, "martyr" refers to a witness for the faith. The Greek word (martus) signifies a witness who testifies to a fact of which he has knowledge from personal observation.

Eventually, the term "martyr" was applied exclusively to those who died for their faith. Martyrdom, nonetheless, was always clearly distinguished from suicide or anything suggestive of suicide. According to St. Gregory of Nazianzus, it is mere rashness to seek death, but it is cowardly to refuse it. In the modern age, G.K. Chesterton has remarked that the Christian "must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that " [m]artyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death" (no. 2473).

Islam also distinguishes martyrdom from suicide. Its tradition clearly and forcefully condemns suicide. Accordingly, the Koran says: "Do not kill yourselves, Allah is merciful to you, but he that does that through wickedness and injustice shall be burnt in fire." Similarly, the prophet Abu Huraira states: "The one who throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be eternally in hell."

At the same time, according to Islamic tradition, anyone who kills himself for the sake of Allah is doing something not suicidal but sacrificial, and therefore is considered a martyr.Here Islam and Christianity part company.

"Therefore, the one who blows up the enemies of Allah by blowing up himself as well cannot be considered a suicide, and he is, Allah willing, a martyr." The author cites a number of Islamic authorities, including the Koran, and comes to a conclusion that is not only non-Christian in its essence, but one that should be shocking to Christians:

Through the above evidence from the [Koran] and the Sunnah, it is clearly demonstrated that the "Islamic-bombing-assault' or the 'martyrdom operation' is Islamically legitimate as far as it is within the framework of Islam. The concept of martyrdom (shahada) in Islam is to be understood in light of the Islamic concept of the Holy Struggle (jihad).

The meaning of martyrdom is radically different for Christians and Muslims. This difference is based on how, according to their religious beliefs, they look upon each other. The Christian sees the Muslim, as well as anyone else, as his neighbor whom he is commanded to love. The Muslim quite easily, and consistent with the Koran, sees his fellow Christian as an infidel. In this purview, it is at least theoretically possible, given the Islamic tradition, for a Muslim to involve himself in a "martyrdom operation" in which he, together with Christians and other "infidels," are killed (in the name of Allah, to be sure). This is certainly an important concern and can be a serious obstacle in the path of peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians. Inter-religious dialogue is most desirable, but its basis must be in truth and not mere wishful thinking.

Christians do not seek martyrdom. They seek love, friendship, peace, and the God who has instituted these values and has commanded their adoption. They also hope that their Muslim neighbors will reciprocate in kind. They do not desire martyrdom either for themselves or for their Muslim neighbors. But they will accept martyrdom rather than renounce their faith. In this way, the Christian is a witness, as the word "martyr" suggests. But he is primarily a witness to love, and, like His Holiness John Paul II, a witness to hope. Hmmm......In layman terms: In Christianity the one killed is the Martyr; In Islam the one doing the Killing is the Martyr.Read the full text here.

Egypt's draft constitution - A look at key articles.

A look at key articles in Egypt's draft constitution.HT: Fox.

CAIRO – Egypt's draft constitution amending the charter adopted under ousted President Mohammed Morsi limits the scope of Islamic law and introduces new articles seen as a victory for rights advocates, while expanding the powers of the military in politics.

Here are some of the key points of the document, which faces a referendum within 30 days:

CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT:

In the preamble, the draft states that the charter "continues to build a democratic, modern country with a civilian government." The word "civilian," which in Arabic indicates non-religious and non-military, has stirred anger among ultraconservative Islamists who consider it synonymous with "secularist."

ISLAMIC LAW:

The new charter retains Article 2, which says the "principles" of Islamic law, or Shariah, are the basis for legislation, a phrase that has been in all Egyptian constitutions since the 1970s. However, it removes a Morsi-era provision that gave a more precise definition for "principles" that could have been used to legislate stricter Islamic law. It also deletes a reference to a role for Al-Azhar, the country's main Islamic institution, in overseeing legislation.

THE MILITARY:

A key clause gives the armed forces the right to name the defense minister over the next two presidential terms, an arrangement that places the military above any civilian oversight for eight years and leaves the power of the president uncertain.

The new charter also fails to ensure any level of transparency for the armed forces' budget or details of its vast economic empire, which includes interests in construction, road building, bottled water and land reclamation.

Civilians can still be tried before military tribunals, a provision introduced in the Morsi-era constitution and a major source of tension between rights groups and the military since Mubarak's ouster.

THE PRESIDENT:

The draft gives the president the right to appoint a prime minister and gives parliament two chances to support the president's choices, or be disbanded. The timeframe for forming a cabinet is 60 days.

For the first time, parliament has the power to remove an elected president and prosecute him over a list of crimes. Lawmakers can withdraw confidence from the president and call for early elections if they have a two-thirds majority and after a referendum.

FREEDOM OF BELIEF:

The draft says freedom of belief is "absolute." The 2012 Morsi-era constitution, said freedom of belief was "preserved," but the freedom of religious practice and the establishment of worship houses were restricted to "believers in heavenly religions" — Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Calls by rights groups to recognize the followers of any faith were turned down.

POLITICAL PARTIES:

The draft prohibits political activity or the establishment of political parties based on religion, dealing a blow to movements like the Muslim Brotherhood, its Freedom and Justice party, and Al-Nour, an ultraconservative Salafi party.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS:

The draft ensures equality between men and women, and says the state must take necessary measures to guarantee women have proper representation in legislative councils, hold senior public and administrative posts and are appointed to judicial institutions. It obligates the state to provide protection to women against "any form of violence."

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS:

The draft says the state is bound to all international agreements, including human rights covenants, already signed by Egypt.

DETENTION:

The new charter gives authorities 24 hours for those arrested to be referred to interrogators where a lawyer must be present and where the right "to remain silent" is ensured. Detainees have the right to appeal a detention order before a court within a week or be set free.

FORCED DISPLACEMENT:

The draft prohibits "forced displacement," which Coptic Christians and other minorities suffered as a result of sectarian tensions or government expansionist plans.

Egyptian soldiers will no longer swear loyalty to president .

Egyptian soldiers will no longer swear loyalty to president.(HD).

Egyptian soldiers will no longer swear loyalty directly to the president of the republic, according to a published decree, a symbolic change analysts said underlined the military's independence from any civilian control.

Officers will vow to "execute the orders of my leadership", according to the amended oath of allegiance, that removes the phrase: "I will be loyal to the president of the republic".

The decree was issued on Tuesday by interim head of state Adly Mansour, head of the army-backed administration installed by the military after it deposed President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood on July 3.

"The change is a positive one. It was meant in order not to make the oath personal. It already includes reference to the president, as he is one of the army's leaders," army spokesman Ahmed Ali told Reuters. "This way makes the loyalty to the leadership and not to a person," he said.

Analysts saw another symbolic aspect to the shift.

Nathan Brown, a professor at George Washington University and a leading Egypt expert, noted that the text of the decision showed that it was based on material presented to the president by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Sisi also serves as a vice president and as the defence minister in the interim government formed after the army overthrew Mursi last month.

"I don't think anyone would believe that this is likely to be the president's initiative," he said.

"In short, this is a military-initiated step, rubber-stamped by an acting president," he said. "It is clear from this who is calling the shots."

Brown also noted that in contrast to other countries, where the army "might swear allegiance to the constitution and laws", in Egypt, soldiers and officers will no longer be swearing allegiance to "any civilian official, law or procedure"

Egypt - Salafi cleric's Fatwa Bans Christian Priests from Public Transportation to Church.

Egypt - Salafi cleric's Fatwa Bans Christian Priests from Public Transportation to Church.By Raymond Ibrahim.Dr. Yassir al-Burhami, a prominent figure in Egypt's Salafi movement and vice president of the Salafi Call—the same sheikh who seeks to punish Muslim apostates, condemns Mother's Day, and advocates deceiving Israel—has just issued a fatwa, published in the "Voice of the Righteous Salaf," forbidding Muslim taxi-drivers and bus-drivers from transporting Coptic Christian priests to their churches, which he depicted as "more forbidden than taking someone to a liquor bar."
This analogy, of course, does not begin with Sheikh Burhami, but traces back to some of Islam's early giants, including Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim, who agreed that "building churches is worse than building bars and brothels, for those [churches] symbolize infidelity, whereas these [bars and brothels] represent immorality.
The logic is simple: It is better to profess Islam and be immoral, than to profess Christianity—for the latter denies the veracity of Islam, and hence is much more abominable. In this context, the Muslim who transports a priest to his church where he will preach Christianity—a message that contradicts Islam—is a terrible crime.Read the full story here.

Egyptian Coptic activists declare creation of Christian Brotherhood to 'counter' Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian Coptic activists declare creation of Christian Brotherhood to 'counter' Muslim Brotherhood.(AA).A group of Coptic activists in Egypt announced the establishment of the Christian Brotherhood to counter the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood especially after their candidate Mohammed Mursi won the presidential elections. The idea was first initiated in 2005 by lawyer Mamdouh Nakhla, head of al-Kalema Center for Human Rights, and political analyst Michel Fahmi. It was then adopted by Amir Ayad, member of the Maspero Youths Union for Free Copts, the group established after clashes with military forces in front of the TV building in the Cairo district of Maspero left more than 20 Copts dead.
The Christian Brotherhood has branches in 16 governorates in Egypt as well as four branches outside Egypt, three in Europe and one in Australia. “The idea started in 2005 with the rise of Islamist groups, but it had not been put to action since then,” Michel Fahmi told Al Arabiya in a phone interview. Fahmi explained that it was the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate presidential elections that necessitated taking steps towards creating the new Brotherhood. “It was then important to establish a body that can resist the Islamist tide.” Fahmi stated that he has no problem calling the Christian Brotherhood a sectarian group since the idea of the Muslim Brotherhood is also sectarian. “We created our group to create a balance in the Egyptian political scene.”
The new group, Fahmi pointed out, is not meant to compete with Muslims but with the rise of political Islam and its members are not after power. “Muslims are something and Islamists are something else and it is not true that we wanted to a Copt to take part in presidential elections.” According to Amir Ayad, members of the group decided to put their ideas into action when they felt that the hope of having a civilian state was gone.“With Mohammed Mursi’s victory, we felt that Egypt is about to turn into a religious state so we decided to create the group as a means of peaceful resistance against Islamist powers,” Ayad was quoted as saying by the Egyptian newspaper al-Youm al-Sabea. This resistance, which Ayad likens to that adopted by Mahatma Gandhi, will be basically through chronicling all sorts of violations and discriminatory acts committed against Copts across Egypt. “We will then use all available legal channels to make sure the perpetrators of these actions do not get away with them.”Hmmmm.....Read the full story here.

Why Copts Become Muslims By Qummus Sergius.

Why Copts Become Muslims By Qummus Sergius.(OnCopticNationalism).By Dioscorus Boles.I publish herewith a report written by the famed Rev. Qummus (Archpriest) Sergius قمص سرجيوس which, as it looks, he had been invited to write by the Coptic Patriarch John XIX (1928–1942), the President of the Coptic Lay Council (Maglis il Milli), and its Deputy and Members.
It appears that these requested him to study and list the causes that led Coptic Christians to abandon their religion and convert to Islam. This is a problem that has been of great concern to the Coptic Church ever since the Muslim Arabs occupied Egypt in 641 AD. At the time of the Arab Conquest almost all Egyptians were Christians – the overwhelming majority of them being Copts (that is the descendants of the ancient Egyptians who became Christians early in our common era). Gradually Copts dwindled in number, while Muslims multiplied – many of the Muslims came from converted Copts (masalima) – so, with time, the Copts became a minority in Egypt, now forming just around 15% of the total Egyptian population. It is during that period, in 1936, that Qummus Sergius wrote his report in Al Manara al Misriah in which he studied the various drivers for the Islamisation of some Copts, and which was translated into English by one E. S. Parry, and published in The Muslim World (Vol. 26, Issue 4, pp. 372-379), October 1936. Although written more than seventy years ago, it is still pertinent to our time, and echoes some of the leading causes of conversion to Islam in the 21st century.
The reasons for Coptic conversion to Islam varied throughout history, and included coercion, association, calculation, resignation, and conviction.[11]
Conversion to Islam through conviction is rare; with other causes predominating, and some of them acquiring increasing importance with time:
Coercion – this has been the main cause for conversion to Islam at all times, whether it revealed itself in naked persecution, such as at the times of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (996-1020) and the Bahri (Turkic) Mameluke dynasty (1250-1382); or, in increasing taxes; or, as in modern times, in discrimination in employment, education, etc.See [15]  cause no. 2 and 5]
Calculation – triggered and encouraged by the financial inducements and promises that are offered by the Muslim society and state to those who would convert to Islam. This includes tax relief, offers of jobs, monetary rewards, marriages, and public celebration of the conversion. [See QS’s cause no. 3 and 5]
Resignation – they resign their Christian faith, not because they are convinced by Islam, but because they conceive themselves to have been aggrieved, rightly or wrongly, by the Church and Coptic society, and because Islam offers them some sort of escape by which they seek to change or manipulate the conflict situation to their advantage. [See QS’s cause no. 4, 6, 7 and 8]
Association – this has been a major cause, though it works in a subtle way. Copts live in a Muslim dominant country, where the tenets of Islam are displayed everywhere, and one cannot escape from its different manifestations and practices, particularly in villages and small towns. This no doubt is the result of the Copts’ nincompoopery which allowed them to give up their country in the first place to Arab invaders, since they saw themselves as Church only, and were not bothered by the loss of their national independence. The loss of our language in the Middle Ages, which was inevitable, was followed soon on its heels by the loss of our culture and religious knowledge. This is what the Apocalypse of Samuel had tried to warn us about; and it is what Severus of Ashmunin had described in his book Kitab al-Idah – so, with time, Copts fell victims to a process of Islamic culturalisation as they lost their culture, of which religion forms an important part. The outcome of this process is the shifting of so many Copts to a border zone where Copts became almost Muslims except by name – a “state of religious and national limbus”, as I would call it. Once there, a Copt could easily be pushed over to Islam when outward circumstances would arise, triggering a change in religion. [See QS’s cause no. 1].



This state of religious and national limbus is the responsibility of the Copts themselves, as Qumus Sergius clearly indicates. As a nation, we are responsible for the loss of our national sovereignty and our language, which reduced us to national and cultural state of subservience. But beyond this and that, every individual Copt is responsible for the current situation. Copts have neglected the knowledge of their religion and culture; and parents, both father and mother, are often ignorant of their rich heritage, so they cannot possibly impart it to their children. But, above all, it seems from Qummus Sergius’s report, that the Church and the institutions of the Coptic community, such as its schools and lay councils, bear most of the responsibility. He criticises strongly the ignorance, neglect, greed, and incompetence of Coptic schools, priests and bishops. The fundamental cause that works at the root of all other causes for conversion of Copts, as he tells us, is the widespread ignorance of the Copts of their Christian faith – which is multifactorial in its aetiology. The Coptic nationalists could not agree more; but they add to religious ignorance the weakness in the Copts’ national sentiment, for staying Christian is not just a religious choice but a national matter too. An Irish man or woman do not abandon their Irish national identity, culture and allegiance if they disagree with the Catholic Church – in a like manner, Copts should not abandon their nation if they cease to believe in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Anyway, Qummus Sergius is absolutely right in his own way; and he identifies a few things that could improve the religious education of the Copts. Some of these have already been picked on by the Coptic Church – we now have a widespread net of Christian churches, ministries, Sunday schools, charities, social clubs, etc., that plays a crucial role in the ‘Christianisation’ of the Copts..[23].

But the problem of conversion of Copts to Islam has not been stemmed out completely – it is still a reality with us; and we continue to witness Copts changing their religion, weakening our community and haemorrhaging its resources. Some of the conversion to Islam causes, such as resignation, have recently topped up the list, particularly following conflicts over divorce. Copts must study these causes very carefully, and seek solutions to address them. In his report, Qummus Sergius mentions specific situations related to marital conflicts that often lead some Copts to embrace Islam in order to escape alimony[24], ‘obedience’[25], the injustice in some verdicts[26], and the banning of re-opening of divorce cases once a previous appeal had failed, even if fresh evidence emerge. This must be particularly reviewed by Copts.
Changing religion, in the context of the Copts and their history, which is characterised by Muslim occupation and oppression, is not simply an exercise in religious freedom – it is a change in one’s identity, allegiance and ‘nationhood’. Although not always, it has often been the case that once a Copt changes his colours, he goes to the other camp, joining in the persecution of his past people – this is an act of changing one’s religious and national tags, both at the same time. The question “Why do Copts become Muslims?”, which Qumus Sergius tries to answer in his report, therefore, must concern Coptic nationalists for as much as it matters to Coptic Church ecclesiastics; and hence the publication of his report here.Read the full story here.

Coptic Church leaders refuse to have Sharia, not principles, as legislative source.

Coptic Church leaders refuse to have Sharia, not principles, as legislative source.(EI).Egyptian church leaders have said they will reject a proposed amendment to the constituation article, inherited from the 1971 Egyptian Constitution, that says the principles of Sharia are the main source of legislation. Salafis have called for amending the provision to “Sharia is the main source of legislation.” But Christian religious leaders said the article should stay the way it is. Article II of 1971 Constitution, which was copied into the current Constitutional Declaration, reads "Islam is the religion of the state. Arabic is its official language, and principles of Islamic jurisprudence (Sharia) are the main source of legislation." A 1979 amendment replaced "a main source" with "the main source."

Church leaders said the provision should have an additional part that states “non-Muslims shall resort to their rituals.”  

Some legal experts argue that deleting the word "principles“ means Sharia will play a bigger role in drafting legislation. Christians, who make up around 10 percent of the nation’s 82 million people, fear that having Sharia rather than its principles as the main source of legislation could mean restrictions on their religious freedoms.Secretary of the Holy Synod and Constituent Assembly member Edward Ghaleb told Al-Masry Al-Youm that “the rumors about the approval of the churches and Al-Azhar to amend the article, so it becomes ‘the Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation’ are far from true.” Ghaleb added, “We have agreed that the Al-Azhar document will be one of the sources for drafting the new constitution. The document states that the second article remains as it is, with the addition of the sentence, ‘non-Muslims shall resort to their rituals’ with regards to personal affairs.” Ghaleb said the Al-Azhar document and former Egyptian constitutions were distributed to the assembly members to guide them in drafting the new constitution. Andria Zaki, vice president of the Evangelical Church, called for not tampering with the second article of the constitution and "taking non-Muslims into account with regards personal affairs.” Zaki said that “any amendment [to the article] would complicate matters even more, and we need to reach more agreements than controversy at the moment.” He welcomed the proposal that Coptic vice president be appointed, noting “the need for everybody’s participation regardless of their affiliation.” But he demanded the choice of “a person who is widely acceptable between Copts, not choosing someone for decoration.”Hmmmm.......ever heard of 'Al - Taqiyya'?Read the full story here.

Egypt delays poll result to study appeals from Mursi and Shafiq.

Egypt delays poll result to study appeals from Mursi and Shafiq.(AA).The body overseeing Egypt’s presidential election said it would not announce the results on Thursday as planned, saying it needed more time to study appeals from the candidates, but did not say when they might be ready, the state news agency reported. The Egyptian presidential run-off pitted the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi against Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force commander who was Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister. Both claim to have won and have filed appeals against each other.
 “The (election) committee has decided to continue to examine the appeals, which involves looking at records and logs related to the electoral process, and this will necessitate more time before announcing the final results,” it said in a statement on Wednesday. Earlier, Committee Secretary-General Hatem Bagato told Reuters he could not say when the results would be announced. “We are at the stage of listening to the representatives,” he said. “The committee will meet afterwards to decide on whether to accept the appeals or not. After that, there will be a time set to announce the final result,” he added, speaking by phone. On Tuesday, a U.S. election monitoring group said it was unable to say if Egypt’s presidential election was free and fair as it had not been given sufficient access, accusing the military leadership of hampering a transition to democracy. Beyond the election itself, the group - the Carter Center - said a court’s decision to dissolve the Islamist-dominated parliament and a decree from the ruling military council limiting the future president’s powers increased the risk that Egypt was not becoming the democracy that many had hoped for. Omar Salama, a legal advisor and member of the election committee’s secretariat, said Morsy had filed over 150 complaints against his rival Shafiq. Al Ahram newspaper said on its website that Shafiq had submitted 221 complaints about the results. No official figures have been announced, but candidates had representatives at polling stations and were able to make their own tallies. “We must give both sides all the time they need to ensure that the process is fair and prevent any claims later on that not enough time was given to both sides,” Bagato explained.Read the full story here.

Egypt: Islamists vs. Copts - An Animosity That Seeks Any Excuse to Attack.

Egypt: Islamists vs. Copts - An Animosity That Seeks Any Excuse to Attack.(GI).By Raymond Ibrahim.

If Egypt's government does go Islamist—and early presidential election results indicate it will— millions of powerless Christians will be seen as troublesome and unwelcome infidels, not just by "extremists," but by the government as well: the first step to genocide.

As Egypt's presidential elections come to a close, with the Brotherhood claiming presidential victory, the future for Egypt's indigenous Christians, the Copts, looks bleak.
Earlier, after the first presidential elections of May 23-24, any number of Islamists denounced them, bemoaning that it was the Copts who were responsible for the secularist candidate Ahmed Shafiq's good showing.
Even though Shafiq is a "remnant" of the Mubarak regime, under which Copts suffered, he is seen as the lesser of two evils to an Islamist presidency. As one Copt put it: "What did they want us to do? Whoever says that supporting Shafiq is a crime against the January 25 Revolution, we ask him to advise us for whom should we vote? The sea is in front of us and the Islamists are behind us."Islamist kingpin Yusuf Al-Qaradawi himself called on politically active Muslims to go meet with the Copts and "explain to them" how they have nothing to fear from an Islamist president, telling them that "Shafiq will be of no use to you."
Most adamant was popular TV personality Muhammad Hassan, a cleric who appeared several times assuring Copts that they have "nothing to fear from the application of Sharia," which he portrayed as the best guarantor for their safety and freedom. A day before the elections, Hassan implored the Copts "to elect Sharia and vote for Dr. Muhammad Morsi, promising them peace and security, and that they would live in prosperity under Sharia law."
Sheikh Muhammad Hassan is, incidentally, the same cleric who says Islam forbids Muslims from smiling at infidels—except whenever Muslims need to win them over. One week before he began beseeching Copts to vote for Sharia, he was in Saudi Arabia making disparaging comments about "those who say Allah has a son," the Koran's condemnatory language for Christians.Hmmm......Anyone believing that Pres Obama will speak up for the Christian Copts, can leave his number in the comments I've got a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.Read the full story here.

Defying ban by Pope Shenouda III, Coptic Christians visit Jerusalem.

Defying ban by Pope Shenouda III, Coptic Christians visit Jerusalem.(AlArabiya).After the death of their spiritual leader, more than 2,000 Egyptian Copts have poured into the Holy Land for the Easter holidays, defying a ban he imposed on visiting Jerusalem and other Israeli-controlled areas. The influx - after decades when Egyptian pilgrims were a rarity - adds a new element to the already diverse mix of languages and faiths in Jerusalem’s Old City during the holy season. The pilgrims are clearly distinguished by the Egyptian accent of their Arabic and long cotton robes worn by many of the men. “It’s the most beautiful thing in the world to see light of the Messiah. We have dreamed of this for a long time,” said Halim Farag, 60, in the plaza outside the cavernous Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected.
Farag, his sister and his wife paid $860 each for their five-day trip - money they scraped over a year of saving and borrowing. They will stay for Coptic Easter, which is Sunday, following the Orthodox calendar used by some Eastern churches. For many Copts, visiting the Holy Land, and Jerusalem in particular, is one of the most meaningful acts of faith they can perform. Some liken it to the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims are obligated to make at least once in their lives if they can. But for the past three decades, very few Copts have made the journey because of the ban by Pope Shenouda III. Shenouda imposed the ban to protest Egypt’s 1979 peace agreement with Israel, saying Christians shouldn’t visit Israel until it makes peace with the Palestinians.
Shenouda was also upset over a custody dispute with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church over a rooftop monastery at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. That dispute remains unresolved. Small groups of Copts have always defied the ban. But following Shenouda’s death in late March at the age of 88, there has been a clear spike. The ban remains in place, but the visitors said they believed this was their chance. “There is nothing more beautiful than to visit the holy sites. This is a pilgrimage this shouldn’t tied to politics,” said a 62-year-old pilgrim who would only identify herself by her first name, Samia, because she was worried about punishment from the Church. Another woman said the pilgrimage is “a dream for all of us” but admitted she was concerned over the repercussions, both from the Coptic Church and the Egyptian public, who largely reject any normalization of ties with Israel. “You don’t know what they will do to us when we come back - especially after they see what numbers we came in,” said the woman, wearing a knee-length black skirt and black shirt.
The Copts, mostly middle-aged or senior citizens, have been busy milling around the Holy Sepulcher throughout the week. They have trundled to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, built on the site where they believe Jesus was born. They have shopped and haggled on the way, charming many Palestinians with their Egyptian accents and humor, made familiar throughout the Arab world through generations of popular Egyptian movies and soap operas. A Palestinian tour guide who works with the Coptic community said most in the wave of pilgrims “are old, and they want to visit at least once in their life.” The Coptic Church has not yet named a successor to Shenouda, and it remains unclear how strictly the next leader will enforce the ban. Pilgrims face being denied the sacrament when they return home to Egypt, said Father Antonious al-Urashalimi, secretary of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He said the Church would decide on an individual basis whether the impose punishments. Those not considered elderly could be banned from the sacrament for six months to a year.
The punishment is hefty for Coptic believers, who say it is equivalent to being denied union with Christ through eating the bread and drinking the wine symbolizing his body and blood. The flow of Copts to the Holy Land could also bring a backlash back home in Egypt, where Copts make up about 10 percent of the 85 million population. The 33-year-old peace between Israel and Egypt has never been warm. The few Egyptians who do make the journey to Israel are often viewed with suspicion back home. Already, one newspaper article in a pro-government newspaper has reported on the visits to Jerusalem in what the pilgrims felt were dark undertones. Few expect violence against Copts in Egypt to rise because of these visits. But Copts said they feared their visit would be used as propaganda by hardline Islamists or others trying to portray them as disloyal. “They want to show that the Copts aren’t nationalists,” al-Urashalimi said. “We hope God will enlighten those minds, those people who say this is the root of treason, because we are Egyptian nationalists who have sacrificed many things for our homeland.”Hmmmm.......Since when do hardline Islamist need excuses?Read the full story here.

Egyptian Copts abandon constitution talks, say ‘pointless’ to take part

Egyptian Copts abandon constitution talks, say ‘pointless’ to take part.(AlArabiya).Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has said it is “pointless” to take part in talks on a new constitution, saying mounting Islamist domination in the talks has led them to withdraw from the assembly, Egypt’s state news agency said. The 100-member constitutional assembly selected by the parliament is dominated by Islamists, reflecting their resounding victory in parliamentary elections. Late on Sunday, the Church announced the decision to withdraw; a move which followed earlier calls by Egyptian liberals to boycott the constitution drafting committee, which is seen as failing to adequately represent the nation’s diversity.“The Coptic Orthodox Church General Council agreed with the approval of all of the council’s 20 members to withdraw from the constitutional assembly... as it found it was pointless for the church to be represented following the comments made by the national forces about the way the assembly was formed,” the state news agency said, quoting a church statement. The current constitution was suspended by the country’s army rulers in February of last year shortly after they took power from Egypt’s long-serving autocratic president, Hosni Mubarak. Coptic Christians, who form Egypt’s biggest minority group and constitute most of Egypt’s 10 percent Christian population, have long had a difficult relationship with the country’s overwhelmingly Muslim majority. Since Mubarak’s ouster, Christians have become increasingly worried after an upsurge in attacks on churches, which they blame on hardline Islamists, although experts say local disputes are often also behind them.The new constitution is eagerly awaited by many Egyptians. It is expected to include more freedoms and define rules of the state’s political authorities, including the presidential powers which were absolute during the 30-year-rule of Mubarak. Many liberal parties, public figures along with the state’s top Islamic authority of al-Azhar have all previously announced their withdrawal from the assembly.
A Muslim Brotherhood MP said on Sunday that the group’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), has drawn up the basic features of the constitution to be drafted by the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly, according to Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper. Saad El-Husseini, of the FJP, told the paper that the party has decided that the constitution will be based on the al-Azhar Document and the Democratic Coalition for Egypt Document. “The Al-Azhar Document, published June 2011, supports ‘the establishment of a modern, democratic and constitutional state’ in Egypt that would observe the separation of powers and guarantee equal rights to all citizens,” the newspaper explains. Meanwhile, the Democratic Coalition for Egypt, (a coalition of 34 parties, including the FJP and the liberal Wafd Party) issued a document in August 2011 containing what they call “non-binding fundamental guiding principles for the constitution,” a document that “respects plurality and guarantees freedom, justice, equality and equal opportunity for all citizens without bias or discrimination.”Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                         Afternoon Posting.

• Iran Live Blog : 25 Bahman / 14 February. "My Bloody Valentine "? Here. Television viewers around the world following events in Cairo over the past few weeks have become familiar with the layout of Tahrir Square, epicenter of the Egyptian uprising. Here's a bird's-eye comparison with Azadi Square, the intended destination of the Monday march planned for Tehran. Here.

• Mousavi & Karroubi: IRGC, Basij, Army will not abandon Iranian people.GVF — ‏‪In the lead-up to the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, ‬the Leaders of Iran‪'‬s opposition Green Movement have‪ called on the Iranian people not to tolerate tyranny and signaled that Iran's armed forces would not leave the Iranian nation alone.‬In a statement released on Tuesday‪,‬ Mousavi and fellow opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi said that the 1979 Islamic Revolution was the outcome of the people'‬s will to take "their destiny into their own hands‪."‬‏‪"What we saw in the those days, was not a mere displacement ‬of political power‪,‬ but the arrival of a new discourse and the departure of an old one which believed that it could continue to exist by shutting all the doors for the gradual reform of the state and society, by resorting to a coup d'état‬ reliant on control‪-‬seeking foreign powers and negligence on the part of this country‪'‬s ‪[most] caring [individuals], by ‬arresting scores of freedom‪-‬seekers‪,‬ by enforcing press censorship,‬ by pouring oil revenues into the pockets of opportunists in power‪,‬ by arming itself to the teeth using all sorts of weapons‪,‬ by employing a deafening propaganda machine‪ and the illusion of having an immense role in regional and global developments, by turning a blind eye to rivals and critics, and considering themselves and their associates as 'everyone' while viewing as sacred a power that lacked ‬the people‪'‬s approval‪,"‬ wrote the men‪ who maintained that Iranian people's sense of responsibility had placed them "at the forefront of regional societal developments" and the formation of though "in recent decades."‬Mousavi and Karroubi stated that the ‬most important concern for the Elite Council charged with writing Iran‪'‬s constitution following the Islamic Revolution was ‪"‬finding ways to prevent the formation of authoritarianism‪,‬ despotism and dictatorship in any sh‪ape or form" and that the constitution was written at a time when the people's main concern was "equality" "brotherhood" and "justice."‬ ‪"‬The people who rose up during the revolution intended to remove ‪[‬inequality‪]‬ by adopting a model ‪[‬of governance‪]‬ that was based on the just rule of ‪[‬Imam‪]‬ Ali‪."Read the full story here.

• 'A weapon of mass destruction was found in the U.S.': Shock confession of Customs officer.A port official has admitted that a 'weapon of mass effect' has been found by 'partner agencies' in the U.S., raising major questions over a possible government cover-up.The disturbing revelation came in an interview with San Diego's assistant port director screened by a television channel in the city.The Customs and Border Protection Department tried to dampen speculation over his remarks, but doubts remained over whether he had inadvertently revealed a dirty bomb plot to attack the U.S. mainland.Concern over a secret WMD bust came after U.S. cables made public by the Wikileaks whistleblower website revealed terror groups were plotting a 'nuclear 911.In the interview screened by San Diego’s 10News, Al Hallor, assistant San Diego port director, said ‘weapons of mass effect’ had been found, although he did not specify exactly where or what they were.Reporter Mitch Blacher asked Mr Hallor: ‘Do you ever find things that are dangerous like a chemical agent or a weaponised device?’‘At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year, but our partner agencies have found those things,’ the customs official replied.‘So, specifically, you're looking for the dirty bomb? You're looking for the nuclear device?’ asked Mr Blacher.‘Correct. Weapons of mass effect,’ said Mr Hallor.

‘You ever found one?’ asked Mr Blacher.

‘Not at this location,’ Mr Hallor said.

‘But they have found them?’ asked Mr Blacher.

‘Yes,’ said Mr Hallor.He was explaining how the port checks cargo ships arriving at the port. He suggested the customs ‘partner agencies’ may have found the 'weapons of mass effect.'Former Secret Service agent and airline security director Glen Winn told 10News Mr Hallor’s comments appeared to be credible.‘This person was, I believe, knowledgeable, has a very important position with the port and the government and as such has that knowledge,’ he said.Hmmmm.......Read the full story here.

• HT:Aina.President Obama Invited Muslim Brotherhood; What About Coptic Christians?Coptic Christians in America, with the support of other Americans, are concerned for their counterparts living in Egypt. Also in danger could be people of other faiths, including Muslims of unpopular sects.A Coptic Christian is an Egyptian, living in Egypt or abroad, who believes in Jesus Christ. "Coptic" means Egyptian. Coptic Christians follow either the Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant form of Christianity.Coptics are concerned that while President Barack Obama invited the Muslim Brotherhood to participate in forming a new Egyptian government, neither he nor others in his administration specifically invited Egypt's Christian population or other religious groups to the table.Although White House spokesman Robert Gibbs' Jan. 31 speech called for "nonsecular" participation in discussion of a new Egyptian government, the only religious group invited by name was the Muslim Brotherhood.Voice of the Copts is a representative body of Coptic Christians in the USA. Its website criticizes Obama's refusal to admit the Muslim Brotherhood is not a threat while he himself states the Brotherhood is well-organized with anti-American ideas. Voice of the Copts informs that there are many kinds of people in Egypt and all must be considered.By various reports, there are ten to twelve million Coptic Christians in Egypt. This is 15 percent to 20 percent of the population. The fear is, that if the Muslim Brotherhood turns out to want Sharia law (Islamic religious law) to become state government law, what will become of these Christians?And what will become of Muslims who are the "wrong" sect of Islam? In countries currently governed by Sharia law, a Muslim can be an unpopular type of Muslim, depending whether leaders in the regime are Shia or Sunni. They can be shunned from employment, dispossessed of their homes, persecuted, tortured or killed just like any other religious minority.The New York Sun reported in May 2010 that Coptic Christians have been unable to obtain an audience with President Obama to discuss religious persecution in Egypt. They don't mind Obama's hand extended to the Muslim community, but the fact that their own is ignored is extremely frustrating.Hmmmm..... I for one would love to see the Christian" President Obama his Baptism certificate with or without the birth certificate.Because none of his actions show anything Christian like!Read the full story here.

• HT:IsraelMatzav.Mubarak stashed the cash and where is he now?The 'Palestinian' Maan news service reports that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is so seriously ill that he fainted before giving his ill-fated non-resignation speech on Thursday night. But that illness did not stop him from stashing millions of dollars in cash in 'untraceable bank accounts' during the 18 days before his resignation. On Friday night Swiss authorities announced they were freezing any assets Mubarak and his family may hold in the country's banks while pressure was growing for the UK to do the same. Mr Mubarak has strong connections to London and it is thought many millions of pounds are stashed in the UK.But a senior Western intelligence source claimed that Mubarak had begun moving his fortune in recent weeks."We're aware of some urgent conversations within the Mubarak family about how to save these assets," said the source, "And we think their financial advisers have moved some of the money around. If he had real money in Zurich, it may be gone by now."The Bahrain-based newspaper Al-Wasat reported Saturday that Mubarak had fallen into a coma, quoting sources close to the deposed leader.The Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm said Sunday that Mubarak was in Baden, Germany for medical treatment.And it was reported on Israel Radio earlier today that Mubarak is in Dubai.Hmmmm.....As i said earlier he had 18 days to move the money and yes who wouldn't want to spend his last years in Dubai's islands of the world?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Iranian Senior Official: U.K. Ambassador Barred from Iran.Hossein Ebrahimi, a member of the Iranian Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said that the Iranian regime has decided to ban Simon Gass, the U.K. ambassador to Iran, who is currently away from the country, from returning there, in light of his "anti-Iran activities" and his appointment as NATO's envoy to Afghanistan.Hmmmm.....Meanwhile Iran is having the Turkish President as a guest ,Turkey a NATO member active in Afghanistan and close friend of Pres Obama judging from his many Telephone calls lately to the Turkish leaders.Are we being betrayed........ is Israel being served on a platter as the sacrificial lamb to hold the peace in the Middle East?Read the full story here.  

• Turkish FM: Israel wants to be only democracy in ME.Davutoglu criticizes Jewish state for 'linking' Egyptian opposition to Iranian regime, trying to define itself as 'purely Jewish'. "Israel is losing its allies only because of its policies," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told CNN-Turk News Saturday night.Addressing the collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime in Egypt, Davutoglu said Israel "takes pride in being a democracy, but does not want any other country to be a democracy." According to Davutoglu, Israel has tried to link the Egyptian opposition to the Iranian regime and make the issue a regional problem. "If Israel feels threatened at this time, it must first check itself," he said before heading to Iran for an official visit. "Despite (US President Barack) Obama's efforts over the past two years, the peace process is stuck. Who is responsible for this? The settlement building policy, the control over conquered territories – all these don't point to a peace-inducing attitude," he said. "(Israel) cannot establish a purely Jewish state. It believes it can exist in complete isolation from its surroundings. This is a hard goal to achieve –trying to divide the Middle East."Davutoglu rejected the notion that a Mubarak-led Egypt would preserve peace and stability in the region. "Israel lost countries it had diplomatic relations with, and now it fears losing countries it considers close, her said. According to Ankara's top diplomat, Israel is the Middle East country most in need of reflection as demonstrations break out across the region."I don’t know of any friendly, objective nation – be it European or American – that would agree to such a distinction. With time, everyone will understand that Israel's actions cannot be legitimized just because its people have suffered in the past," said the Turkish FM. Hmmmm.....Israel is losing friends because of Obama his policy and why the meeting next month in The US with Hillary Clinton to discuss Turkish - Israeli relations without any Israelis present?Is Israel the next to be stabbed in the back by recognising the Palestinian state?Read the full story here.

• Turkey’s Opposition MP: “AKP Uses the Police as Revolutionary Guard”.Deputy Chairman of Turkey’s main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) Engin Altay said that AKP was using the police force as its Revolutionary Guard. He said that PM Erdogan has been transforming the country’s parliamentary democracy to an oligarchy, showing no tolerance to peaceful student protests which he brutally suppresses by using the police as his revolutionary guard.In a written statement Altay said that a recent protest by students in Black Sea Technical University to oppose the planned hydroelectric power stations in the region, was met with brutal police action that stopped a democratic protest by severe beatings, dragging and stepping on the heads of the students. “Everywhere in Turkey all democratic and peaceful anti-AKP protest or demonstrations are being suppressed by excessive and brutal measures by the police, which the prime minister defines as the ‘guardian of democratic regime’. No true democrat would assign the responsibility of guarding democracy into the hands of the police”, Altay said. He reminded that PM Erdogan had stated in the past that “democracy is only a vehicle, a tram that you take until you get to your desired station, where you get off”.During the protests in Egypt, and when PM Erdogan was calling on Mubarak to listen to the wishes of his people, Turkish police had been using force to silence the many peaceful protests by students and labor unions in various cities in Turkey.Hmmmm.....Turkey the worst violator of human rights !And Obama's BEST FRIEND !Tell me what company you keep and I'll tell you what you are.Miguel de Cervantes. Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.In Iran, Protest Movement, Regime Prepare for February 14 Demonstrations.On February 12, 2011, the Iranian regime rejected the protest movement's request for permission to stage demonstrations in support of the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, planned by movement leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi for February 14, 2011. Ignoring the ban, the movement's coordination committee has called on its supporters to take to the streets anyway.In anticipation of the demonstrations, the regime has arrested associates of the protest movement leaders, issued public announcements warning Iranians not to participate in the protests, increased media oversight, and blocked Internet access.The regime's concern is that the mass demonstrations in support of the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings will turn into demonstrations against the Iranian regime itself. This fear was reflected in a statement by Iranian Basij commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi, who at a ceremony at Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters claimed that Western intelligence agencies were looking for a disabled person to set himself on fire in Tehran, in order to spark a popular uprising there – following the model of events in Tunisia and Egypt.It should be noted that the Iranian regime's policy vis-à-vis protest movement leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Mohammad Khatami has so far focused on isolating them politically and denouncing them publicly, and on measured persecution of them and their families, who have been subjected to house arrest, physical assaults, destruction of property, unexpected searches, and restrictions on their movements. Senior regime officials have explained that the regime has intentionally refrained from prosecuting or executing the protest movement leaders and their relatives, so as not to turn them into martyrs, which could spark another wave of protests like that of 2009.On February 11, 2011, some 70 high-ranking regime officials, including Majlis members, lecturers at the universities and religious seminars, and former IRGC members, issued a statement announcing the establishment of a steering committee to coordinate the suppression of the protest movement, called the Ammar Headquarters. The headquarters' declared goal is to ensure complete obedience to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and to the principle of velayat-e faqih (the "rule of the jurisprudent"). Among these officials were associates of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, such as Qassem Ravanbakhsh, an associate of President Ahmadinejad and of his religious mentor Ayatollah Mesbah-e Yazdi, as well as Alireza Panahian, who heads Khamenei's leadership think tanks at several Iranian universities, and who has repeatedly called for the execution of Mousavi and Karroubi. The Khandaniha website assessed that the committee's aim is to pressure the Iranian leadership to prosecute, or even execute, the protest movement leaders.It should be noted that as part of its coverage of Revolution Day, February 11, 2011, the Iranian news agency Fars, which is close to the IRGC, published a photograph of demonstrators holding pictures of Mousavi and Khatami with nooses around their necks. In addition, at Revolution Day rallies in Tabriz and Yazd, participants signed a petition calling for prosecuting Mousavi for his alleged responsibility for the 2009 riots.Hmmmmm........It's promising to be a very bloody Valentine in Iran,sleep well President Obama.Read the full story here.

• HT:SultanKnish.AOL Reinvents Itself as Anti-America Online.AOL's purchase of Huffington Post is not the beginning of a liberal new media monopoly, rather it's the prolonged death rattle of a company that has money, but no reason for existing. AOL started out as the country's biggest service provider, and is now nothing more than a third rate imitation of Yahoo, which is also struggling to survive.High profile white elephant purchases by desperate dot coms are nothing new. AOL has been doing that for years. It bought Bebo for 850 million dollars and then sold it for 10 million dollars. It bought Xdrive for 30 million and then tried to sell it for 5 million a few years later. Now Huffington Post joins the ranks of Bebo and Xdrive. Another acquisition by a troubled company that has lost its customer base and can't figure out how to get a new one, except by buying up companies tapped into the business model of two years ago.Much like at HuffPo, the details don't really matter. Only the image does. Or the image of the image. The melange of emotion and outrage, titillation and talking down to, that exercise the reptile brain but leave nothing inside it. The Huffington Post's success marks the failure of the consumers of its content. Selling it to AOL does more than turn the former America Online into Anti-America Online, it puts a price tag on the prime commodity of the progressive movement, unpaid labor repaid in betrayal. It's a commodity that everyone from Ralph Nader to Obama has made great use of, harnessing the outrage and enthusiasm of the base for their own profit. For Arianna and AOL, the pricetag was a mere few hundred million. For Obama it was in the hundreds of billions.Read the full story here.

• West's call for slashing federal spending draws cheers from conservative activists.WASHINGTON — Three months after unseating a Democrat in a Palm Beach-Broward district that voted for Barack Obama, U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, emerged tonight as one of the symbolic conservative faces of the new GOP-controlled House.Tapped by organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference to deliver the event's keynote address, West gave thousands of cheering activists a 30-minute call for slashing federal spending, maintaining America's military might and defending "definitive American culture" against "multiculturalism...on steroids."After Sarah Palin turned down an invitation to give the keynote address, CPAC organizers chose West as a symbol of the conservative-leaning class of 87 GOP freshmen whose victories wrested control of the House from Democrats.West, a fiery conservative speaker with strong tea party backing and a national following on YouTube, unseated Democrat Ron Klein last fall in a district that's divided nearly evenly between Republicans and Democrats.West is one of only two black Republicans in the House."You endured the relentless and hostile attacks from the liberal left, such as being called racist," West told the conservative activists. "Perhaps they should see who is standing here as your keynote speaker."West quoted from Washington, Lincoln, Sun Tzu and others in outlining what he called the three pillars of conservatism. Limited government is one pillar, he said. The second is "peace through vigilance, through resolve and through strength.""If we are to have a new dawn in America, it means reclaiming our Judeo-Christian faith heritage," he said. "This is not about a separation of church and state, it is about making sure that we do not separate faith from the individual. You must never forget that the American motto is 'In God We Trust'."West acknowledged his spot on the early endangered lists, but told the cheering conservative crowd: "Standing here in front of each and every one of you, I don't feel so vulnerable."Hmmmm......"I have not yet begun to fight!"Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Syrian-Turkish Agreement to Collaborate against PKK.The Turkish daily Milliyet reports that a comprehensive Turkish-Syrian agreement for counterterrorism cooperation, aimed especially at coordinating efforts against the Kurdish organization PKK, is being considered by the Turkish parliament. According to the agreement, both countries will undertake to prevent all military, cultural, economic and propaganda activity by the PKK in their territory; a direct communications system (hot line) will be installed between the Syrian and Turkish chiefs of staff; joint military operations will be conducted, as needed, and procedures will be established for the rapid extradition of PKK members between the two countries.Hmmmm.......Erdogan "Muslims don't commit genocide".Read the full story here.

• HT:BigGovernment.Andrew Breitbart on Pigford Lawsuit: ‘Bring It On’.Andrew Breitbart and the head of Breitbart.tv sued by Pigford claimant.Los Angeles, CA, February 12, 2011 – Breitbart.com LLC announced today that its Chairman and CEO Andrew Breitbart and the head of Breitbart.tv, Larry O’Connor, have been sued in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by a central figure in the Pigford “back-door” reparations case. The Pigford case involves over $2.5 billion in US taxpayer money and constitutes one of the biggest cases of corruptionand politically-motivated fraud in the history of the United States. Mr. Breitbart and Breitbart.tv have been investigating and reporting on the Pigford case since late summer 2010.Andrew Breitbart said, in response to being sued, “I find it extremely telling that this lawsuit was brought almost seven months after the alleged incidents that caused a national media frenzy occurred. It is no coincidence that this lawsuit was filed one day after I held a press conference revealing audio proof of orchestrated and systemic Pigford fraud. I can promise you this: neither I, nor my journalisticwebsites, will or can be silenced by the institutional Left, which is obviously funding this lawsuit. I welcome the judicial discovery process, including finding out which groups are doing so.”On Thursday, February 10, 2011, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., Mr. Breitbart held a national press conference at which he, Huffington Post blogger Lee Stranahan, and black farmer Eddie Slaughter presented compelling evidence for, and Representatives Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Steve King (R-IA) specifically called for, Congressional investigation into the Pigford case.At the press conference, Mr. Breitbart revealed two hours of audio of Thomas Burrell, the head of the Black Farmers & Agriculturalist Association, Inc., teaching non-farmers in the South how to commit fraud in the Pigford “back-door” reparations case. This audio conclusively demonstrates how people have conspired to grow the class of Pigford claimants to 94,000, when in fact, there were only about 18,000 black farmers in the entire country during the relevant time period, and when there were never anticipated to be more than a few thousand potential claimants among those 18,000. The numbers just do not and cannot add up."I am determined to obtain justice for the truly and legitimately discriminated against American black farmers, who have heretofore been denied justice by the USDA and the Pigford case,” Andrew Breitbart said. “Nothing will deter my efforts to makes them whole. I will simultaneously continue to fight relentlessly against the efforts of those who would use these working American farmers to defraud the American taxpayer to the tune of billions of dollars. This new lawsuit will not stop the American public from finding out what is really going on, who is directly culpable, and the critical role of the Pigford claimant in all off this.”The lawsuit served today does not name as co-Defendants President Barack Obama, the USDA and USDA head Tom Vilsack, even though it is they who fired the Pigford claimant, and who, according to the Pigford claimant herself, denied her due process.Mr. Breitbart categorically rejects the transparent effort to chill his constitutionally protected free speech and, to reiterate, looks forward to exercising his full and broad discovery rights.Mr. Breitbart is absolutely confident of being fully vindicated.Hmmmm.....Something smell awfully bad there and it aint the manure!Read the full story here.

• HT:JudicialWatch.CPAC: Former CIA Director Tells Of Sharia Threat. The only thing more popular than bashing President Obama on the last day of the Conservative Political Action Conference was national security, especially the hot-button topic of Sharia law, the authoritarian doctrine that inspires Islamists and their jihadism. Several accomplished military, terrorism and national security experts have long asserted that terrorists are covertly using Islamic Sharia law as a non-violent way to destroy the United States. A panel of highly regarded experts reiterated the assessment in a Saturday afternoon CPAC seminar called “The Sharia Challenge in the West.”Former Central Intelligence Agency Director Jim Woolsey, a foreign policy specialist who has worked for both Democratic and Republican administrations, led the intriguing seminar. The United States is, not only at war with terrorists such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah but also with those who, over the long run, want to impose Sharia law, Woolsey assured.He defined Sharia as a “theocratic dictatorship extremely opposed to democracy” and a movement to “eliminate and destroy western civilization.” The biggest challenge in fighting it is America’s long tradition of tolerance towards all religions, he warned, pointing out that the radical Islamic group Muslim Brotherhood is largely behind the effort to bring Sharia to the U.S. Ironically, Muslim Brotherhood affiliates sponsored a CPAC panel a day earlier to defend Islamic rights, building a mosque at Ground Zero and the overall mission of the group which is known as the parent organization of Hamas and Al Qaeda. Suhail Khan, a controversial figure with connections to Middle Eastern radicals, led the event which at times got heated. A few years ago Khan received an award from an Al Qaeda operative (Abdurahman Alamoudi) and the event was actually recorded in a video.Hmmmm......."Beware of Greeks baring gifts"?Read the full story here.

• 'Bio terror' threat man arrested in South Africa after threatening to attack Britain and U.S.A businessman was arrested in South Africa on terrorism charges yesterday after allegedly threatening to attack Britain and America with biological weapons.The arrest came after a six-month investigation by British, US and South African security services. The 64-year-old man, who is a South African citizen, is said to have repeatedly sent threatening emails to a Whitehall department in an attempt to extort £2.5 million.He is then understood to have sent similar threats to institutions in the US, at which point the FBI was called in.Yesterday morning several containers were left in a storage facility near the suspect’s home in South Africa’s North-West Province. They are thought to have held money and, when the man went to collect it, he was arrested by South African special forces.Read the full story here.

• Canadian strip-searched woman sues U.S. border guards.A woman from Stratford, Ont., has launched a $500,000 lawsuit in a U.S. federal court against two female U.S. border guards in Detroit.In March 2010, Loretta Van Beek was travelling to Savannah, Ga., where she owns a small vacation home, when she was pulled over by customs agents at the Ambassador Bridge, across the river from Windsor, Ont.Van Beek, 46, told CBC News she was sent to secondary inspection when customs officers found a few raspberries in her car that she'd forgotten to declare. After more than an hour of questions, Van Beek was told she was being denied entry on suspicion that she was living illegally in the U.S.Van Beek said she was marched into a holding cell by two female agents and ordered to remove her shirt and stand spread-eagled against the wall. "She was squeezing my nipples, etc., for a very long time, unnecessary attention," Van Beek said of one of the agents. "It was sexual — using her fingertips, not back of hand like you would expect."Then she said the search became even more invasive."She ran her hands in my lower region," Van Beek said.Van Beek claims the guard shoved her hand inside her genital area while the other officer watched."It was deviant behaviour by the officer, no other explanation," said Van Beek. They "Saw a woman on her own — vulnerable."A spokesperson said a strip-search is allowed when there is reason to believe someone is hiding something on his or her body, and the person has to be told the reason.Van Beek said she wasn't given a reason.The lawsuit documents were filed on Feb. 9, 2011.Hmmmm........A pat dawn to far"?read the full story here.

• Twitter runs abuzz with rumor that Turkish president watched pirated DVD.The Turkish president has become the subject of discussion on social media website Twitter after sending a tweet on the site saying he had watched a film not yet legally available in Turkey.“I watched ‘The King’s Speech’ with my wife. It is really a very good film … I suppose the film will be subject to many discussions and be awarded with many prizes,” President Abdullah Gül wrote Saturday on his Twitter account.The message touched off a number of discussions about whether the president had watched a pirated copy of the film.Suspicions were raised as the film’s DVD will only be available for sale on April 19 in the United States and will only begin playing in Turkish cinemas starting Feb. 18, daily Milliyet reported Sunday. Members of the social networking website discussed all of Saturday the possibility that Gül had watched a pirated copy of the film.Following the discussions, a message from the Cinema and Copyright’s general director, Abdurrahman Çelik, was posted on his Twitter account.“The president has not watched a pirate copy of the film ‘The King’s Speech,’ but rather a special copy provided by the cinema general directorate upon his request,” Çelik wrote on Twitter.Read the full story here.

• HT:BigGovernment.UN Report Documents Food Price Spike Since Fed Easing.Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, reputation is in shambles after spending last week aggressively denying a report by this author, in an article appearing in Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government Blog and featured on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show, that the Fed’s QE2 monetary stimulus program is the cause of revolts in poor countries worldwide. In a stunning development, the United Nations Agricultural and Food Organization at the end of the week released a crisis report warning of the growing dangers from starvation and political unrest from global food inflation.Chairman Bernanke tried to distract criticism from his dangerous policies that have inflated food costs by trying to shift blame to the leaders of other countries in the developing world. Bernanke urged leaders in emerging countries to stop subsidizing food costs. At a National Press Club meeting Bernanke said; “In some cases, some of the emerging markets are facing inflationary pressure because their own economies are growing faster than their own capacity.” He added: “It is up to emerging markets to find the right tools to balance their own growth,”In response to a reporter’s direct question about the civil unrest in the Middle East and the Fed’s role in the months-long surging commodities prices, Bernanke strongly denied Instead, Bernanke suggested surging prices of things like corn, soybeans, sugar and livestock to rising incomes in developing countries. He stated that higher incomes translate into strong growth in global demand for food, particularly an increased appetite for animal proteins such as beef, pork and chicken. “As people’s diets become more sophisticated, their demand for food and energy grows,” he said.A new United Nations report debunks Bernanke’s pathetic alibi. As demonstrated below, the index of food prices would be up a lot more than 35%, if inflation in meat and dairy costs were not so low as compared to the cost of cereal feed, which have sky-rocketed. Farmers are actually liquidating flocks and herds right now because they cannot afford the cost of grain to feed them.

Commodity Index Increase

Overall 35%, Meat 10%, Dairy 12%, Cooking Oil 42%, Cereal 52%, Sugar 70%

Poor people around the world eat little or no meat or dairy. The majority of their diet consists of rice, corn, flour, sugar and cooking oil. Those food costs are up 55% since the Fed’s stimulus.To the poor of the world, Fed Chairman Bernanke’s comments suggesting that they are eating too much meat, sound allot like the comments attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette’s during the French Revolution regarding her starving subjects: “If there is no bread, let them eat cake.” These insensitive comments by the Queen won her trip to the gallows. Chairman Bernanke’s actions and comments are winning America a place of wrath from the poor of the world.Hmmmm......."après nous, le Déluge"? (I don't care what happens when I am dead and gone.)Read the full story here.

• HT:CreepingSharia.Dedicated prayer rooms for Muslims at Canadian public schools.....and Catholic schools.WATERLOO REGION — Walk through the wooden door into the secluded, carpeted room with holy books and prayer mats, and it’s hard to believe you’re in a school.But this is the beginning of a new phase for public and Catholic schools where prayer rooms could become commonplace.Under a provincewide policy, school boards must be more inclusive and accommodate different faiths during the school day.This could mean a private place for Muslim students who pray five times a day and for students who are fasting, a modified gym class and a separate room for them so they don’t have to watch their peers eat lunch.Atieh Noori, a 27-year-old Muslim student at St. Louis Adult Learning and Continuing Education Centre in downtown Kitchener, uses the prayer room each day at lunchtime to say her midday prayers.After school, Noori doesn’t have time for prayer so she appreciates the space.A 27-year old student? Who clearly isn’t as dedicated to Islam as she’d like some to think. If you don’t have time it obviously ain’t that important. But rather than making a personal sacrifice, Muslims like Noori want everyone else to accommodate their Islamic habits.The newly adopted faith and accommodation policy states that each student has a right to follow his or her beliefs free from discrimination or harassment. Areas of reasonable accommodation include observance of major religious holy days and celebrations, prayers and rituals, dietary requirements and fasting, religious attire and participation in school curriculum and extracurricular activities.“Someone’s faith is part of who they are. Accommodating them brings understanding and shows we respect them,” said public school trustee Cindy Watson.Blazing Cat Fur highlights the severity of the problem in Canada noting the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Muslim Brotherhood are both adherents of the right of ”Hisbah” under Sharia law:Hisbah: Allows a private citizen to prosecute any individual who commits an act he considers a breach of the Sharia even if the plaintiff himself has not been personally injured by such an act.Hmmmm...to the Catholic Schools i can only say :"And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God… These are my Commandments ! ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'May they burn in Hell for eternity.Read the full story here.

• 'If not now, when?' Thousands of furious Italian women protesters demand the head of Berlusconi over 'underage sex' scandal.Hundreds of women took to the streets of Italy's cities today calling on scandal hit Premier Silvio Berlusconi to resign after prosecutors requested he be sent to trial for having sex with an underage prostitute.Protesters said evidence leaked from the probe into Berlusconi, 74, allegedly paying for sex with then 17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer Karima El Mahroug, showed he has little respect for female dignity.Wiretaps leaked from more than 600 pages of the prosecution file suggest he surrounded himself at parties at his home with starlets and other women hoping to use their looks to gain positions in politics or within his Mediaset TV empire.Protests were scheduled to take place in 200 cities and towns across Italy as well as London and New York, with the largest held in Rome and Milan and counter demonstrations by activists from Berlusconi's People of Freedom party area also planned. Organisers have called the protest 'If Not Now, When?', which is also the title of a famous novel by the Italian award winning writer Primo Levi and which tells the story a group of Jewish partisans behind German lines during World War II as they seek to continue their fight against the occupier and survive.Iaia Caputo, of the organising committee, said: 'The Ruby case has revealed a system of political selection based on an exchange of sex and power.'If we accept this as normal, we risk prejudicing the free choice of women.'We want to send a message to the country and to the parties that do not see themselves a part of what has happened over the last few weeks - it's possible to change route.'Read the full story here.

• Report: Stuxnet virus was supposed to infect 5 Iranian nuke sites.New York Times publishes Symantec report on Stuxnet virus, reveals that attack on Iran's nuclear system began a year earlier than previously thought.The Stuxnet software worm which infiltrated the Iranian nuclear program systems was introduced into the system in order to infect five industrial facilities in Iran between June 2009 and May 2010, the New York Times reported Sunday.A report published by computer security software firm 'Symantec' reveals that Stuxnet attacked the Iranian computers in three waves and that it was capable of gathering information on the location and type of computer it infected. This information would allow the Stuxnet creators to determine if they had successfully reached their intended target. According to the report, Symantec estimated that the nuclear facility at Natanz would not be connected directly to the internet, which is why an attempt was made to infect industrial organizations that would be likely to share information, and the malware, with Natanz – with the intent of 'injecting' the virus into Natanz. The New York Times also reported that at least three versions of the program were probably written, and the researchers discovered that the first version had been completed just 12 hours before the first successful infection in June 2009. The researchers speculated that the first step in the infection was either an infected e-mail sent to an intended victim or a hand-held USB device that carried the attack code. International inspectors that visited Natanz towards the end of 2009 found that almost 1,000 gas centrifuges had been taken offline; causing speculation over the possibility that an attack disabled part of the system. In April 2010, the attackers once again attempted to distribute the program, this through a portable connection with the target being components bought from Germany's Siemens. The virus was introduced from an unknown location within Iran. The malware program carried two different attack modules aimed at different centrifuge arrays, but that one of them had been disabled, said Symantec researchers. Read the full story here.

• HT:Sheikyermami.Canuckistan Submits!“It is naïve to think that all cultures are compatible with Canadian values”.For calling attention to demographic conquest, this candidate from Canada’s Christian Heritage Party acknowledges he will be branded a “racist.” But there is nothing “racist” about wanting to put the brakes on when we have no idea who we are bringing into our countries with regard to jihadist sympathies and Islamic supremacism — as with the recent embarrassment in the United States about supposed Iraqi refugees’ coming under scrutiny for al-Qaeda links.No matter how many awful surprises result, “moderation” is an article of politically correct faith, as Western countries allow in more Muslim immigrants or “students” than they can properly screen, in numbers where they cannot and have never really attempted to enforce substantive standards of integration. On both fronts, they are hampered by fears of “profiling” and “Islamophobia.” The result, as Australia’s former immigration minister warned, is a “nation of enclaves” which can mount a collective resistance to integration light years beyond the individual level. And they become protected habitats for jihadist preaching and violence, with attempts to investigate answered with cries of racism and xenophobia.SURREY - The federal Christian Heritage Party is calling for a national moratorium on immigration from Muslim countries to curb increasing radical Islamist power in Canada.Hmmmm......Canada was born at the beginning of 20Th Century at Vimy Ridge and lost by Political correctness in the 21 Th Century.Read the full story here.

• And now for something completely different.One of America's oldest eagles ever meets her match: electrocution by telegraph pole.It spent 25 years successfully avoiding aeroplanes, animal traps and all the other pitfalls of flying.But one of the top ten oldest birds ever recorded has sadly met an unfortunate fate – electrocution on a telegraph pole.The Kodiak Island bald eagle died in Alaska after hitting a utility pole’s crossbar last month.The mature wild bird’s discovery has provoked much interest among raptor biologists, after a band on its leg revealed it is the second-oldest bald eagle documented in Alaska.Biologists have no other way of confirming mature wild eagle ages other than on recovered bands.‘Based on the bird-banding record that I've seen, it would be one of the top ten oldest birds ever recorded,’ Kodiak Island wildlife biologist Robin Corcoran said.It was a beautiful older female,’ Mr Corcoran said. ‘The power pole near a cannery had been fitted with two devices designed to protect eagles but it perched on the lowest of three crossbars where utility authorities did not believe there was enough room to alight.’Alaska’s oldest recorded eagle was a 28-year-old from the Chilkat Valley outside Haines, although a dead eagle believed to be aged 29 was found late last year on Adak Island in the Aleutians.Experts say most eagles don't approach three decades.Read The full story here.