United Nations Resolution Against Blasphemy Aimed at Protecting Islam

Pakistan and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which presently includes 57 nations, introduced a resolution to the United Nations on “Combating the Defamation of Religion.”  The measure first passed in 1999, and now the United Nations wants to make the non-binding resolution binding for all member states.  While the resolution was amended to include religions other than Islam, the United Nations seems to have become much more sympathetic to Islam, citing ” . . . the intensification of the campaign of defamation of religions and the ethnic and religious profiling of Muslim minoritieis in the aftermath of 11 September 2001.”

In short, such a resolution, would make it illegal in the United States to speak against Islam (and presumably other religions) in any way that could offend the sensitivities of practitioners. 

Opponents say that this would trump the United States’ Constitution by violating our First Amendment right to free speech.  Under this resolution, discussing the connection between international terorrism and Islam could become a crime.

The binding resolution could be introduced as early as March.

Click here to read the full story.  Click here to watch the most recent discussion by news commentator and radio host, Lou Dobbs.

Christians traveling overseas need personal security training, says specialist

BOISE, Idaho. (BP)–A sharp increase in crimes against Americans and other Westerners traveling abroad has prompted David Dose, a personal security specialist, to recently produce for distribution a DVD based curriculum instructive in avoiding and otherwise dealing with numerous such issues, from petty theft to long-term detention in foreign countries.

Dose, who in 2003 founded Fort Sherman Academy, is an authority in hostage survival and anti-terrorism training for civilian and faith-based audiences. He has trained more than 12,000 people representing more than 47 government, commercial, and church organizations, and has assisted in the recovery of persons both detained and kidnapped outside the U.S.

 The U.S. State Department Web site highlights the need for Dose’s training, noting that Americans traveling overseas must maintain a high level of vigilance regarding personal security because of continued threats of violence against U.S. citizens abroad. ”These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings,” says the site.

Despite increased security risks, Christian organizations show a consistent annual increase of short-term volunteers traveling abroad. From 2005 to 2006, for example, there was a 66 percent increase in volunteers traveling abroad. Unfortunately, the same time period revealed a 300 percent increase in the number of incidents reported, 110 of which were either criminal or political in nature, and several of which posed serious threats to individuals’ safety.

Terrorists promise ’surprises’ for Israel

WorldNetDaily

TEL AVIV – Speaking during exclusive WND interviews today, leaders of Hamas and an allied terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip claimed they have “surprises” in store for Israel as the Jewish state continues its aerial bombardment of Hamas targets in Gaza.

The threats come as information from Israeli defense officials indicates Gaza-based terrorists have long-range rockets capable of reaching just outside Tel Aviv if launched from the northern Gaza Strip.

“This war is a war for elections and therefore we promise to send them (Israelis) surprises,” stated Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas’ so-called military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades.

Click here to read the full story

Jesus’ Birth Place is a Danger Zone for Christians

Controlled by militant Muslims, the place of Jesus’ birth is a danager zone for Christians today. But Arab believers say the gospel continues to be preached there.

[12.24.08] Rami Ayyad was closing up at the Bible Society in Gaza where he worked when armed men whisked him into a car and sped away. For hours, Ayyad’s whereabouts were unknown. Pauline, his wife and the mother of their three children-the last still in utero-finally got through to him on his cell phone.

He wasn’t able to say much, and she could tell something was wrong. It turned out to be the couple’s last conversation.

The next day, October 7, 2007, Ayyad’s body was found marred by signs of torture and riddled with the gunshot wounds that killed him.

Hanna Massad, pastor of the Gaza Baptist Church-the only evangelical church in the Gaza Strip-said Ayyad was the first known martyr in Gaza and most likely was killed for refusing to convert to Islam.

Full Story Here

Israel prepares to strike Iran

The Jerusalem Post newspaper reports that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are prepared to launch a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities without the consent and coordination of the United States.  According to the report, IDF officials would prefer a scenario that included U.S. coordination, but finds it necessary to prepare for options that do not include the U.S.

There is some question as whether Israel would be able to pull off a bombing operation without U.S. approval because the U.S. controls the mission critical airspace over Iraq.  Israeli officials have reportedly stated that such a mission would be risky and difficult, but not impossible – even without receiving codes from the U.S. Air Force.  Israel also requested codes from the U.S. in 1991 during the First Gulf War, but was denied.

Multiple news sources previously reported that President G. W. Bush declined to grant Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s request give the Jewish nation a “green light” to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.  The U.S. and Israel both maintain that Iran’s uranium enrichment activities are likely aimed at developing weapons – a claim that Iran denies.  Israeli intelligence sources believe that Iran already has enough nuclear material to make an atomic bomb.

For more on this story please see:

Jerusalem Post article
Fox News article

Scholars are searching for missing pages of Codex Aleppo

JERUSALEM (AP) — A quest is under way on four continents to find the missing pages of one of the world’s most important holy texts, the 1,000-year-old Hebrew Bible known as the Crown of Aleppo.

Crusaders held it for ransom, fire almost destroyed it and it was reputedly smuggled across Mideast borders hidden in a washing machine. But in 1958, when it finally reached Israel, 196 pages were missing — about 40 percent of the total — and for some Old Testament scholars they have become a kind of holy grail.

Researchers representing the manuscript’s custodian in Jerusalem now say they have leads on some of the missing pages and are nearer their goal of making the manuscript whole again.

The Crown, known in English as the Aleppo Codex, may not be as famous as the Dead Sea Scrolls. But to many scholars it is even more important, because it is considered the definitive edition of the Bible for Jewry worldwide.

The key to finding the pages is thought to lie with the insular diaspora of Jews originating in Aleppo, Syria, where the manuscript resided in a synagogue’s iron chest for centuries.

Israel asks U.S. permission to bomb Iran

News reports have surfaced that Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert recently raised the question of bombing Iran with U.S. president George W. Bush. According to reports, Olmert asked Bush about the U.S. position on this issue during a May 14th private meeting in Jerusalem.  Bush reportedly rejected the idea saying the U.S. could not currently support such a strike.  Sources say that Bush’s refusal of such military action being considered by Israel is due to potential retaliation by Iran on U.S. targets in the region, including in Iraq and Pakistan.  The U.S. may also be concerned that a single Israeli strike may not be sufficient to disable all of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Many analysts believe that Israel must interpret the current lack of U.S. support for a strike on Iran as an indication that this position will not change during the current administration.  This contradicts prior speculation that an Israeli strike would be more likely before the U.S. presidential election.  Some analysts believed that Israel may strike while Bush is still in office due the uncertainty of U.S. support during the next administration, depending on the results of the election.

Israel considers Iran its greatest current threat due to its nuclear ambitions and the continual remarks from the Islamic Republic’s political and religious leaders predicting the demise of the Jewish state.  Israel, along with the U.S. and its allies, have repeatedly stated that Iran must not be permitted to obtain nuclear weapons.  Israel and the U.S. both prefer a diplomatic solution over the Iranian nuclear issue.  But, both nations also hold that all options, including military options, are on the table.

Israel has conducted similar strikes on nuclear development sites of other neighboring enemy nations.  The 1981 Operation Babylon air strikes destroyed a nuclear reactor in Iraq while air strikes in September 2007  targeted suspected nuclear development facilities in Syria.

Read more about the reported Bush-Olmert discussions in the articles, below:
The Guardian (UK)
Fox News

Archaeologists Discover Coins from Second Temple Period

Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University were surprised to discover a hoard of gold coins from the period of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  The coins were hidden in a “dovecote,” a small niche carved out for birds to lay eggs, and were discovered at a site at Kibbutz Rama Rachel near Jerusalem.

The coins were concealed in an ancient cooking pot, and researchers suggest that the stash was quickly hidden, perhaps after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.

The dig is being conducted to primarily to determine the purpose the structure that stood on the site.  Lipschits, the archaeologist in charge of the dig, believes that the building was an administrative center for Assyrian authorities during their occupation of Israel.

Click here to read the full story.

Palestinian Authority officials hope for an Obama win

WorldNetDaily – Aaron Klein – July 6, 2008

JERUSALEM – The Palestinian Authority is hoping Sen. Barack Obama wins the presidential election in November and expects the Illinois Democrat to immediately set out to create a Palestinian state once he takes office, a top PA official said.

“We would like to see Obama elected. If he is elected, an agreement about the foundation of a Palestinian state (would be) reached,” PA Planning Minister Samir Abdullah told reporters in Tokyo this weekend.

Abdullah, who is the former head of the Palestinian Communist Party, said the PA expects Obama to win in November. He said once Obama takes office, “he will immediately study the Palestinian cause and will try to push it forward.”

“Obama promised he will not wait until the last period of his office to relaunch negotiations … he will begin doing this since his first day in office unlike President Bush, who waited until his last period of power.”

Abdullah’s remarks were published yesterday in the Firas Press Network, a Palestinian news website identified with PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah organization.

Read the full article HERE.

Priestly garb created for Third Temple

The Temple Institute is a Jewish group in Jerusalem that is committed to construction a Third Temple and re-instituting animal sacrifices and other practices required by Jewish law. The group has been well known for years and have been in the news many times. In the past they have attempted to dedicate a cornerstone for a new Temple, re-created furniture and tools described in the Bible, and so forth. Recently the group has, once again, made news headlines for hosting a seminar describing their work on re-creating the garments to be worn by the priests in the future Third Temple (read a Jerusalem Post article HERE).

Many Christians believe that the the existence and work of the Temple Institute is a sign that biblical prophecies concerning the end times may soon be fulfilled. The group has been working diligently on preparations to build a Temple in Jerusalem as soon as the political climate makes such a move possible. They reportedly have all of the blueprints, and most of the furniture, implements, and so forth needed to make Third Temple a reality in very short order. They have also identified and trained a priesthood -that is reportedly historically linked to the ancient priesthood – to resume the sacrifices and other rituals as soon as conditions are favorable.

More information about the Temple Institute can be found on their web site – http://www.templeinstitute.org/

Radical Islamist Television Teaches Children to Hate Jews

Radical Islamists are broadcasting strong anti-Semitic messages around the world, and their satellite stations are penetrating Europe where many Muslim immigrants live.

Al-Aqsa, a broadcasting station run by Hamas, recently discontinued use of a Mickey Mouse clone named Farfur that was used to attract pre-school aged children to a show.  When the character was phased out, after international pressure, the program portrayed Farfur as Muslim martry killed by an Israeli official.

The program’s host said to the children:  “You’ve seen how the Jews killed Farfur as a martyr.  What do you want to say to the Jews?”  A three-year-old live caller named Shaima said:  “We don’t like Jews, because they are dogs!  We will fight them!”  “Oh, Shaima, you’re right,” the girl in the studio replied, “the Jews are criminals and our enemies.”

There is growing concern in Europe about this type of conditioning.  A 2007 study published by the German Interior Ministry (GIM) entitled “Muslims in Germany” revealed growing anti-Semitic sentiment amongst Muslim youth in Germany.  In 2003, the GIM banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an Arab anti-Semitic organization; and in 2005, it ordered Yeni Akit, a Turkish anti-Semitic publishing house, to shut down.

 With growing Muslim diaspora populations, it is increasingly disturbing that shortwave and satellite programming is able to circulate worldwide, broadcasting hatred and genocidal radicalism.

Click here to read the full story.

Obama good for the Jews?

The half-brother of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, Malik Obama, told Army Radio on Thursday that Obama would make a good president for Jews.

Malik Obama, a Muslim who resides in a small village in western Kenya, also requested to send a special blessing to the Jewish people around the world from the Obama family in Kenya.

The Obama brothers’ father, a senior economist for the Kenyan government who studied at Harvard University, died in car crash in 1982. He left six sons and a daughter. All of his children – except Malik – live in Britain or the United States.

Barack Obama grew up in Hawaii with his American mother after his parents divorced and did not meet his brother Malik until 1985.

So… Obama good for the Jews? What do you think?

Archaeologist Discovers Oldest Christian Worship Site

Dr Abdul Qader Al-Hassan claims to have discovered what may well be the oldest Christian Church. The excavation of a cave beneath the ancient St. Georgeous Church, which dates from the 3rd Century A.D., in Rihab, Jordan, has revealed Christian artifacts dating from the period of Christ’s death.

The researchers believe that 70 early Christians who fled persecution in Jerusalem worshipped in the small cave between 33-70 A.D. The chapel is approximately 7 by 12 metres with a circular apse. An inscription in the cave reads: “70 beloved by God and the divine.”

Al-Hassan has discovered the church’s cemetery as well as lamps, potter shards, coins, and iron crosses.

Experts are approaching the claim with caution.

Click here to read the full story.

Israeli leader: Next U.S. president ‘may not be as friendly’

World Net Daily

Israel must push to complete a deal with the Palestinians before President Bush leaves office, because the next U.S. president might not be as friendly toward the Jewish state, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned today.

WND first reported last monththe Israeli government estimates Sen. Barack Obama will win the presidential election and is rushing to finalize a deal with the Palestinians and possibly Syria before Bush leaves office, two top Israeli diplomats said.

The diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel is seeking to create “defensible borders” within months, fearing if territorial negotiations were held during an Obama administration, Israel would be pressured into more dangerous concessions.

Briefing Israel’s security cabinet today, Olmert said he was uncertain whether the next U.S. administration would be as sympathetic toward Israel as that of Bush. He said Israel should take full advantage of Bush’s remaining time in office to seek a deal with the Palestinian Authority.

“There is no telling what things would look like once a new president is elected,” Olmert said, adding the Bush administration is “is extremely friendly” and that “time is of the essence” in completing a deal with the PA.

Click Hereto read the original article on WND.

Holy City Rejects Movie Advertisement

The municipality of Jerusalem has refused to display billboards for the new box office hit, Sex and the City, a Hollywood movie based on a television series.

According to Maximedia, the advertising company, Jerusalem officials were concerned about “offending public sensitivities” by printing the word “sex” on a billboard.  Consequently, no advertisements for the film that employ the printed word will appear in Jerusalem or Peta Tikva, a town near Tel Aviv with a large ultra-Orthodox Jewish population.

Click here to read the full story.