American Support For Israel Is Religious?



Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Michele Marie Bachmann (née Amble; April 6, 1956) is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Minnesota's 6th congressional district, a post she has held since 2007. The district includes most of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, Blaine, Stillwater and St. Cloud.

She is currently a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. She previously served in the Minnesota State Senate and is the first Republican woman to represent the state in Congress.

Bachmann is a supporter of the Tea Party movement and a founder of the House Tea Party Caucus.

Bachmann was a longtime member of Salem Lutheran Church in Stillwater. She and her husband withdrew their membership on June 21, 2011, just before she officially began her presidential campaign. They had not attended the congregation for over two years. Salem Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. When challenged about that denomination's belief that the Pope is the Antichrist, Bachmann responded by stating, "I love Catholics, I'm a Christian, and my church does not believe that the Pope is the Anti-Christ, that's absolutely false." More recently, according to friends, the Bachmanns began attending Eagle Brook Church, an Evangelical church closer to their home.

Bachmann has cited theologian Francis Schaeffer as a "profound influence" on her life and her husband's, specifically referring to his film series How Should We Then Live?. She has also described Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey as a "wonderful" book. Journalist Ryan Lizza has argued that Bachmann's worldview is deeply influenced by the Christian movement known as Dominionism, citing the influence of Schaeffer and Pearcey as evidence. Others have criticized Lizza's article, especially its connection of Schaeffer with Dominionism. However, religion writer Sarah Posner broadly concurs with Lizza, pointing to the influence of Christian Reconstructionists Herb Titus and R. J. Rushdoony on Bachmann via the curriculum at O. W. Coburn School of Law. (Taken from Wikipedia).

This Christian lady believes that America will be cursed by God if they reject Israel. Here is that piece of news:

At a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Los Angeles last week, Rep. Michele Bachmann offered a candid view of her positions on Israel: Support for Israel is handed down by God and if the United States pulls back its support, America will cease to exist.

The Republican Jewish Coalition is the same organization that recently hired former Sen. Norm Coleman. Bachmann’s appearance on Feb.1 is part of a whirlwind of national events for Bachmann in February. Next up: she’s keynoting the Take Back Washington North Dakota event in Bismarck this Friday night.
Here’s a transcript of some of her remarks at the RJC event:

I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States . . . [W]e have to show that we are inextricably entwined, that as a nation we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, then there is a curse that comes into play. And my husband and I are both Christians, and we believe very strongly the verse from Genesis [Genesis 12:3], we believe very strongly that nations also receive blessings as they bless Israel. It is a strong and beautiful principle.

Right now in my own private Bible time, I am working through Isaiah . . . and there is continually a coming back to what God gave to Israel initially, which was the Torah and the Ten Commandments, and I have a wonderful quote from John Adams that if you will indulge me [while I find it] . . . [from his February 16, 1809 letter to François Adriaan van der Kemp]:
I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations. If I were an atheist of the other sect, who believe or pretend to believe that all is ordered by chance, I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.

. . . So that is a very long way to answer your question, but I believe that an explicit statement from us about our support for Israel as tied to American security, we would do well to do that.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/55061/bachmann-america-cursed-by-god-if-we-reject-israel

A reader called Karl commented on this issue and this lady thus:

It’s no wonder Bachmann speaks so fondly of Israel. They’ve provided her and her family members free annual vacations to Israel every year she’s been in office–to the tune of $44,380.

Most recently, in July-August 2009, Bachmann and her daughter traveled to Tel Aviv on the dime of the American Israel Education Foundation, living like royalty in $500-a-night hotels. Cost of the trip for Michele and Elisa Bachmann: $19,414.74, covered entirely by the Jewish group, which is affiliated with the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee). They each even got a nice photo album from their hosts as a momento of their junket.

In 2008, Bachmann and her husband, Marcus, traveled to Jeruselum, this time courtesy of the Jewish Community Relations Council. Cost of trip: $7,170.
In 2007, Michele and Marcus jaunted off to Tel Aviv with the American Israel Education Foundation picking up the tab again, including luxurious $436/night hotels. Cost: $17,796.

It’s not like Minnesota’s 6th District is heavily Jewish or anything. That matters little to our bought-and-paid-for congresswoman. What really matters is that for their $44,380 investment in Bachmann, the Israeli/Jewish lobbyists, er, “educators,” have gotten a loud mouthpiece to drum up support for Israel among the evangelical Christian base.

What can I say?

God is Great.

The Face Of Islam.



Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Yesterday I came across a delightful book called "Islam Our Choice: Portraits of Modern American Muslim Women" edited by Debra Dirks and Stephanie Parlove. The book contains the journey of six American women to Islam in their own words. These ladies are: Debra L. Dirks, Carema Cook-Masaud, Linda "iLham" Barto, Khadijah R. Beruni, Jennifer Manzoor and Stephanie Parlove. The End has been written by Stephanie Parlove and it is from this last chapter that I would like to quote a small part:

"In 1996, I was in Syria enjoying one of life's perfect days at the farm of Hisham Ghrayeb. My then new friend - now sister, Nura, got right up close to my face and looded deeply into my eyes, she tenderly cupped my face in her hands-a nurturing gesture no one had shown me since childhood-she smiled as she said, "You have the face of Islam." To this day, it remains the greatest compliment I have ever received.

The face of Islam! One has to ponder - what is the face of Islam? Shortcut for you right here. I know, and it is my honor to share it with you.

Islam has only one face; it does not come in disguise, and it does not pretend to be anything else. Islam announces clearly and definitively what is expected of you. Islam is not a shape shifter. Always it is the same, uncorrupted by the times and the whims of humanity. Islam is brutally honest while at once tender and light. It is following the Qur'an which is the voice of Allah, and guess what - Allah may not think just like you do; Allah thinks like Allah! Although you may find this shocking, it is absolutely sublime! This last revelation adjusted my entire perspective and was presented to me by Brother Jerry.

Finally, my friends, sweet Islam is the whisper of peace embracing the spirit of each Muslim. It is the silent, bubbling joy to which we are privy when we hold the hand of Allah while we climb this mountain of life. It is our safety, our support and our motivation. The face of Islam is one face, but you will find that face on over 1.2 billion people in the world today. Inshallah, you will recognize it when you see it; or better yet, someone will see it in you."

Wa'laykum Salam.

Kill Those Palestinians.



Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

The following is a UN report on developments in occupied Palestine and the killing of children by the Israelis.

Eleven Palestinian children were killed and 360 injured (342 boys and 18 girls) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in incidents related to the armed conflict. Of the 360 children injured, 58 were under the age of 12; 83 per cent of the injuries occurred in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and 17 per cent in Gaza; 302 children were injured by the Israeli security forces, 40 by Israeli settlers, 11 by unexploded ordnance, and 2 by unidentified perpetrators. In addition, five children were injured by mishandling weapons and explosives, including one incident allegedly related to interfactional fighting by Palestinian armed groups. No Israeli children were killed in 2010 as a result of the conflict, but two were injured, including one as a result of a rocket from the Gaza Strip on 21 December launched by an unidentified Palestinian armed group.

There are serious concerns regarding the increasing number of civilians, including children, shot and injured in the so-called Gaza buffer zone imposed by Israel, which covers the area up to 300 metres from the Gaza fence. The exact boundaries of the zone are unclear, given that it is not physically delimited, but is known to be an area where there are clashes between militants and the Israeli security forces. In May 2009, the Israeli Army made a statement indicating that any individual entering the zone would be endangering his or her life. However, Palestinians continue to collect gravel and scrap metal in abandoned settlements and industrial zones near the fence, which they later sell to support their families. In 2010, 40 boys and 4 girls were allegedly injured by Israeli fire in or near the buffer zone. Of those, 26 boys, some as young as 13, were shot while collecting gravel within 800 metres of the fence. In cases where sworn affidavits were taken, 19 children were shot in the leg, 2 in the arm and 1 child was shot in the head.

For the third consecutive year, the use of Palestinian children as human shields by Israeli security forces was reported, with three new cases documented in three separate incidents in the West Bank in 2010. A 16-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy were used as human shields during house searches in two separate incidents in Nablus, and a 14-year-old boy was forced to walk in front of Israeli soldiers as a shield while stones were being thrown at them during clashes in Hebron. In the first prosecution of its kind, on 11 March 2010, two soldiers were charged with using a boy as a human shield during “Operation Cast Lead”. The soldiers were convicted by an Israeli military court on 3 October 2010 for “inappropriate behaviour” and “overstepping authority”. They were demoted from the rank of staff sergeant to sergeant and given three-month suspended prison sentences. To date, the measures taken by the Israeli security forces to prevent and punish the use of children as human shields have not reflected the gravity of such conduct.

As of December 2010, 213 Palestinian children between the ages of 12 and 17 were in Israeli detention or imprisoned by the Israeli security forces, including one girl on conflict-related charges. Two Palestinian children were held in administrative detention without charge or trial in 2010, including one boy having been detained for over 10 months. Of particular concern is the sharp increase in the last quarter of 2010 in the documented cases of arrest of young children in the Silwan neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. There are also increasing reports of violence and mistreatment of children by Israeli soldiers during patrols in Silwan, as well as during the arrest, transfer to detention and interrogation of children from East Jerusalem. According to Israeli police figures, 1,267 criminal files were opened against children accused of throwing stones in East Jerusalem between October 2009 and October 2010.

In 2010, 90 cases of ill treatment with regard to the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention were documented by the United Nations and its partners, including through the sworn affidavits of children. Twenty-four of these children were below the age of 15, including two 10-year olds and one 7-year old. In more than 75 of these cases the excessive or extended use of hand-ties and blindfolds were reported, 62 children reported being beaten, 35 children reported position abuse and 16 children were kept in solitary confinement. In three cases, children reported the use of electric shocks on their bodies and four reported being threatened with electric shocks in the course of their interrogation, which resulted in confessions made under duress. Particularly concerning was the fact that there was an increase in documented cases of sexual violence, with 14 cases (13 boys and 1 girl) in 2010 compared to 9 cases (8 boys and 1 girl) in 2009. The cases involved threats of sexual violence (13 cases) and 1 actual sexual assault through the use of electrical cables on genitals. The high number of instances of such treatment reported and documented suggests that ill treatment of children is common in the Israeli military justice system. There is evidence that some children do not report incidents of ill treatment while in custody, owing to concerns about repercussions for making such complaints, and doubts about the effectiveness of the complaints process.

One case of ill treatment of a Palestinian boy by the Palestinian Preventive Security Force was also reported and documented in 2010. The case refers to an incident involving an alleged association with Hamas. The boy was threatened and beaten for the purposes of obtaining a confession. He was released after having been detained in solitary confinement for eight days after having been denied access to a lawyer or to presentation before a judge.

There was an increase in the number of attacks on schools and education facilities by Israeli security forces and settlers in 2010 (20 cases), compared to 2009 (9 cases). These attacks resulted in damage to schools or interruption of education, placing the safety of the children in Gaza and the West Bank at risk. The majority of cases involved the presence of Israeli security forces within school compounds following raids, forceful entry, and search and arrest operations, including the use of tear gas on students. There were also three incidents involving air strikes and shelling by Israeli security forces that resulted in damage to four schools in Gaza, although schools did not appear to have been directly targeted in these incidents. There was also an increasing number of incidents in 2010 in which Palestinian students were prevented from accessing schools and had their safety compromised by Israeli security forces. Thirty-six such incidents were documented in the West Bank in 2010, purportedly involving security measures such as road closures searches, harassment or assaults at checkpoints by Israeli authorities and settlers. In other cases, children were exposed to settler violence as Israeli authorities did not provide military escorts to protect children who pass near historically violent settlements and outposts in the West Bank, particularly Hebron. In this regard, the Israeli authorities have not yet responded to the request of my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in February 2009 to investigate the 2008 attack by Israeli settlers of children on their way to the Al-Tuwani School outside Hebron. Furthermore, they have failed to address the broader issue of settler violence against Palestinian children. In addition, the blockade on the Gaza Strip impacts on the availability, accessibility and quality of education in Gaza. Though the situation has improved since the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) commenced building 20 new schools after certain restrictions were lifted, UNRWA was unable to deliver education to a number of Palestinian refugee children owing to a shortage of school space resulting from the restriction on the importation of construction materials to rebuild schools destroyed or damaged during “Operation Cast Lead”. Those children are therefore attending Palestinian Authority schools.

In 2010, Palestinian armed groups were responsible for eight incidents related to access to education, including two attacks on UNRWA summer schools in Gaza and one incident of a rocket that was fired into Israel and landed near a kindergarten in Ashkelon. Of particular concern was the attack in May on UNRWA summer camps located in Gaza by masked assailants. The attack and intimidation against UNRWA officials, for which no group has claimed responsibility, was apparently intended to have a negative effect on the attendance of the quarter million boys and girls who participated in those summer camps.

On 20 June 2010, the Israeli Security Cabinet declared the easing of the Gaza blockade, particularly pertaining to civilian goods and humanitarian access. While this has resulted in some improvement in the entry of construction materials, it amounts to only a fraction of what is needed to meet the humanitarian needs of the population of Gaza. Gaza’s health-care system also suffers from a severe lack of adequate equipment and instruments. As a result, patients must seek treatment outside of Gaza. From January to November 2010, while 3,546 out of 3,851 (92 per cent) applications for children who sought medical assistance outside of Gaza were approved, 294 applications were delayed and 11 were denied. Both the delays and denials in processing applications can be life-threatening to child patients who are waiting for urgent medical treatment. Four children, all under the age of 3, died while waiting for the appropriate permits to travel outside of Gaza in 2010.

Forced displacement continues to affect the lives of hundreds of Palestinian families. More than 431 Palestinian structures were demolished in 2010 in the West Bank (including Area C and East Jerusalem), including 137 residential structures, leaving homeless at least 594 people, 299 of them children.

http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/palestine.html

Wa Salamu 'Alaykum.

Mawlana 'Ubaydullah Sindhi on Mawlana Gangohi.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Mawlana ‘Ubayd Allah Sindhi (may Allah shower His mercy upon him) writes: 

‘‘Shaykh al-Islam Abu Mas‘ud Rashid Ahmad Gangohi is the son of Hidayat Allah Ansari. He was born in 1244 AH, and learnt from Mawlana Mamluk ‘Ali [Nanautwi], Mawlana ‘Abd al-Ghani [Dehlawi], Mawlana Ahmad Sa‘id [Dehlawi], and Mawlana Imdad Allah [Muhajir Makki] etc. I personally studied a large portion of Sunan Abi Dawud from him. Allah granted me immense benefit through it. It is the effect of Mawlana Rashid Ahmad’s company that I followed his maslak in such a way that I never even contemplated moving away from it. Through him, the Wali Allahi approach to fiqh and hadith became manifest to me, and through his blessings I became well versed in the fundamentals as well as advanced rational discourse in the sciences of fiqh,suluk & ma‘rifah, Arabic and the Qur’an & Sunnah. I found Mawlana Rashid Ahmad to be a well-versed imam and mujtahid of the Hanafi School. He conformed strictly to the school of thought of his teacher, Mawlana ‘Abd al-Ghani, and was as unshakeable as a mountain in this regard. He closely resembled Mawlana Muhammad Ishaq [Dehlawi][1] in the Wali Allahi maslak. I understood the reality of sunnah and bid’ah from his book, Barahin-e-Qati‘ah. He had authored this book in support of Shah Isma‘il Shahid’s work, Idah al-Haq. Mawlana Rashid Ahmad became the Imam of the Deobandi group after Amir Imdad Allah and Mawlana Qasim [Nanautwi][2]. In excess of three thousand shaykhs attained religious knowledge from him. His year of passing is 1323 AH.’’ 

Shah Wali Allah awr unki Siyasi Tehrik, p. 197 (Sindh Sagar Academy, 2008 ed. by Mawlana ‘Ubayd Allah Sindhi)
http://zakariyya.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/mawlana-rashid-ahmad-gangohi-and-the-wali-allahi-tradition/
Wa'laykum Salam.

Third Battle Of Panipat.

Third Battle of Panipat (1761): End of Maratha Dominance Forever.



Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

The third battle of Panipat was fought between the Afghans and the Marathas.

The battle was significant as it marked the end of Maratha dominance in India.

At the time of this battle Afghans were under the leadership of Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas under the leadership of Peshwas had established control across Northern India. During the eighteenth century the parallel decline of Mughal Empire and defeat of Marathas in the battle of Panipat saw a new beginning of the colonial rule in India.

The main cause attributed towards the defeat of Marathas in the battle was the lack of allies due to their brutal behavior during the earlier years of reign.

All important rulers including Sikhs, Jats, kingdom of Awadh, Rajputs and many more were all upset with the treatment of Marathas towards them. The third battle of Panipat was fought in between Kaalaa Aamb and Sanauli road of present day.

Both forces moved in lines, but intelligently the Afghans had cut all possible lines for Maratha Forces.
The Maratha Army consisted of the artillery in front, protected by infantry, pike men, bowman and musketeers. The cavalry was instructed to wait behind the artillery and bayonet holding musketeers and they were ready to charge when control of battlefield is fully established. Behind the line were thirty thousand young men who were not that expert in fighting and then about thirty thousand civilians.

This civilian line consisted of many middle class men, women, children who took this as an opportunity to visit pilgrimage to visit holy places and shrines and also Aryavarta (Aryan Land). Behind the civilian line there was another protective infantry line composed of comparatively young and experienced soldiers. 

On the other hand the Afghans also formed up a similar kind of Infantry in the third battle of Panipat, the left wing formed by the Najib`s Rohillas and the right wing by two brigades of Persian troops. The left center was controlled by two higher officials, Shuja-ud-Daulah and Ahmad Shah`s Vizier Shah Wali. The right center consisted of Rohillas, under Hafiz Rahamat and other chiefs of the Indian Pathans.

Pasand Khan led the left wing, which was composed of well-chosen Afghan horsemen. This way the army moved forward with the Shah at the center so that he could watch and control the battle.

The battle lasted for two months which ultimately resulted in the defeat of Marathas and their dominance in India.

Wa'laykum Salam.

The Popes Of Rome.

What You Didn't Know About The Popes Of Rome
By Mark Owen

On the evening of Saturday April 2, 2005, after receiving the Rite of Extreme Unction, Pope John Paul II passed away. At this time his chamberlain would have gone to the papal hospital bed and asked the Bishop of Rome a question, "Are you dead?" There would be no reply from the Pope. The chamberlain would then pick up a silver hammer and strike the Pope on the head and repeat his question, "Are you dead?" Again there would be no reply. The chamberlain would then thrice call out the Pope's baptismal name. He would then declare the Pope to be dead.

 

This is the way the Church has determined papal deaths for centuries. This is the way of the world's oldest monarchy.

 

Since 1763 the august Almanach de Gotha has been the ultimate authority on the royal houses of Europe. Listed under 'Reigning Sovereign Houses' is the Holy See. Therein is stated, "the incumbent of the Holy See is considered by Christian sovereign families as the 'Father of the Family of Kings,' [and] his Holiness represents the OLDEST MONARCHY on earth"

 

The triple sovereignty of the Pope-Person, Holy See & Vatican City--is distinct in fact and in law. Internationally, he is not subject to any authority on earth. His Cardinals are considered to be Princes of the Church and peers of the sons of reigning monarchs. Each diocese is considered to be a royal fiefdom. The word 'diocese' originally signified an administrative unit devised by the Emperor Diocletian, a tyrant noted for his persecution of Christians.

 

Following are brief sketches of some of the more interesting holders of the title 'Vicar of Christ' (it should be noted that the Latin equivalent of the Greek 'anti' is 'vicarius,' from whence is derived the word 'vicar').

 

Without a doubt, there was one Pope who was completely mad. In 896 Stephen VII set in motion the trial of his rival, the late Pope Formosus who had been dead for 9 months at the time. Formosus' corpse was dragged from its tomb and arrayed on a throne in the council chamber. The corpse, wrapped in a hair shirt, was provided with council, who wisely remained silent while Pope Stephen raved and screamed at it. The crime of Formosus was that he had crowned emperor one of the numerous illegitimate heirs of Charlemagne after first having performed the same office for a candidate favored by Stephen. After Stephen's rant, the corpse was stripped of its clothes and its fingers were chopped off. It was then dragged through the palace and hurled from a balcony to a howling mob below who threw it into the Tiber. The body was later rescued by people sympathetic to Formosus and given a quiet burial. Stephen was strangled to death a few years later.

 

In 964 Pope Benedict V raped a young girl and absconded to Constantinople with the papal treasury only to reappear when the money ran out. Church historian Gerbert called Benedict 'the most iniquitous of all the monsters of ungodliness.' The pontiff was eventually slain by a jealous husband. His corpse, bearing a hundred dagger wounds, was dragged through the streets before being tossed into a cesspit.

 

In October 1032 the papal miter was purchased for the 11-year old Benedict IX. Upon reaching his 14th year, a chronicler wrote that Benedict had already surpassed in wantonness and profligacy all who had preceded him. He often had to leave Rome in a hurry.

 

Gregory VII was a master forger, surpassing even the great fraud known as the 'Donation of Constantine,' the document that created the Papal States. Gregory had an entire school of forgers turning out document after document bearing the papal seal of approval. These documents were later systematized in the mid-1100s in Bologna by Gratian, a Benedictine monk. He called his work the Decretum, or Code of Canon Law. It was peppered throughout with several centuries of forgeries along with Gratian's own fictional additions. Gregory also formalized the celibacy doctrine in order to curtail the many gifts of church lands being given away to all of the illegitimate children of priests and bishops. According to Catholic historian Peter de Rosa in his book Vicars of Christ:

 

"Popes had mistresses as young as fifteen years of age, were guilty of incest and sexual perversions of every sort, had innumerable children, were murdered in the very act of adultery. In the old Catholic phrase, why be holier than the Pope?"

 

Another interesting figure was Alexander VI (formerly Rodrigo Borgia). He reigned from 1492-1503. Alexander committed his first murder at the age of 12. Upon assuming the Papal miter he cried, "I am Pope, Vicar of Christ!" In his Decline and Fall Gibbon referred to Alexander as the Tiberius of Rome. Like his predecessor Innocent VIII, Alexander sired many children, baptized them personally and officiated at their weddings in the Vatican. He had ten known illegitimate children (including the notorious Cesare and Lucrezia), by his favorite mistress Vannoza Catanei. When she faded, Borgia took the 15-year old Giulia Farnese. Farnese obtained a Cardinal's red hat for her brother who later became Paul III.

 

Alexander was followed by Julius II who purchased the papacy with his own private fortune. He didn't even pretend to be a Christian. A notorious womanizer who sired any number of bastards, Julius was so eaten away with syphilis that he couldn't even expose his foot to be kissed.

 

Under Leo X (1513-21)--who cursed and excommunicated Martin Luther-specific prices were enumerated by the Roman Chancery for every imaginable crime. For instance, a deacon accused of murder could be absolved for 20 crowns. Once pardoned, he could not be prosecuted by civil authorities. Two hundred years earlier, John XXII had done much the same thing, setting prices for crimes ranging from incest to sodomy.

 

During his pontificate Innocent VIII (1484-92) granted a 20-year Butterbriefe indulgence to persons who met his price. For a sum, one could purchase the privilege of eating favorite dishes during Lent.

 

Leo X (Giovanni de Medici) commissioned the Dominican friar Tetzel to sell indulgences which released one from purgatory. Tetzel's famous refrain went, "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs!"

 

Pope Sixtus IV charged Roman brothels a Church tax. According to historian Will Durant, in 1490 there were 6800 registered prostitutes in Rome. Pius II declared that Rome was the only city run by bastards (the sons of Popes and Cardinals).

 

The iniquity of the various Popes has filled many books, and one has to wonder if the Church has been cursed from the very beginning. After all, Constantine leveled the Stadium of Caligula and the Temple of Apollo and used the stones and marble from them to erect the original basilica of Peter. Could he have been engaging in an act of sympathetic magic, as some have alleged? Constantine's choice of building materials might account for the observation made in Rome by Martin Luther centuries later who declared, "If there is a Hell, Rome is built over it. It is an abyss from whence issues every kind of sin."

 

Very brief mention should be made of the staggering scale of the Inquisition. In his History of the Inquisition, Canon Llorente, who was Secretary of the Inquistion in Madrid from 1790-92 estimated the number of condemned in Spain alone to have exceeded 3 million, with 300,000 burned at the stake. A Catholic historian comments on the events leading up to the suppression of the Spanish Inquisition:

 

"When Napoleon conquered Spain in 1808, a Polish officer in his army, Col. Lemanouski, reported that the Dominicans (in charge of the Inquisition) blockaded themselves in their monastery in Madrid. When Lemanouski's troops forced an entry, the inquisitors denied the existence of any torture chambers. The soldiers searched the monastery and discovered them under the floors. The chambers were full of prisoners, all naked, many insane. The French troops, used to cruelty and blood, could not stomach the sight. They emptied the torture chambers, laid gunpowder to the monastery and blew the place up"

 

Rome was truly drunk with the Martyr's blood.

 

And the Papacy isn't fairing much better in our modern age, and would appear to be in serious decline, if not in outright defeat.

 

In November 2000 Italian headlines screamed, "Devil Defeats Pope!" Il Messaggero reported that the Pope had been confronted by a teenage girl in the Vatican who screamed insults in a cavernous voice during an audience. John Paul attempted an exorcism but his ministrations had no effect on the girl.

 

Devils in the Vatican would come as no surprise to Msgr. Luigi Marinelli. His book Gone With the Wind at the Vatican fairly flew off the shelves in Italy, revealing as it did stories of money-laundering prelates, sex abuse and Satanic rituals performed within the walls of the Holy See.

 

Marinelli's comments echo those of the late Fr. Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit and exorcist, whose 1990 book The Keys of this Blood contains the following disturbing information:

 

"Most frighteningly for John Paul, he had come up against the irremovable presence of a malign strength in his own Vatican and in certain bishop's chanceries. It was what knowledgeable Churchmen called the 'superforce.' Rumors, difficult to verify, tied its installation to the beginning of Paul VIs reign in 1963. Indeed, Paul had alluded somberly to "the smoke of Satan which has entered the Sanctuary"-an oblique reference to an enthronement ceremony performed by Satanists in the Vatican. Besides, the incidence of Satanic pedophilia-rites and practices-was already documented among certain bishops and priests as widely dispersed as Turin in Italy and South Carolina in the United States. The cultic acts of Satanic pedophilia are considered by professionals to be the culmination of the Fallen Archangel's rites."

 

Adding fuel to the fire is ex-Jesuit Robert Kaiser with his recent book Clerical Error. Kaiser states that Malachi Martin was something of a confabulist who lived for 30 years as a kept man under the roof of Manhattan socialite Kakia Livanos, the ex-wife of Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos. Kaiser goes on to say that Martin also stole his wife Mary from him at one point in the 60s when all three were quartered in Rome. Kaiser also surmises that Martin may have been a paid lobbyist for the American Jewish Committee.

 

In his new book Glimpses of the Devil, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck weighs in with many interesting comments on possession and exorcism. He also declares Martin to have been most scrupulous in his histories of the exorcisms recounted in Hostage to the Devil. However, according to Peck, although a formidable scholar and gifted polyglot (17 languages), Martin could by turns be a 'pathological liar' and a 'leprechaun.' Needless to say, the jury is still out on the legacy of Malachi Martin.

 

On the other hand, the verdict on the pederasty that is endemic to the Roman priesthood, is in. The Church paid out more than $1 billion in claims to victims of sex abuse by clergy in the 1990s alone. And the American branch offers a very disturbing treatment method to offenders. One startling example should suffice:

 

Fr. Jay Mullin was accused of molesting a boy more than 20 years ago in Boston. Then Cardinal Bernard Law commanded Mullin to be evaluated at St. Luke's Institute. The Institute is a Washington clinic that was profiled in a Boston Globe article of February 24, 2002:

 

"Mullin was flown south in 1992 to a clinic outside Washington, D.C. The church-run clinic had a huge collection of child pornography of varying degrees, which ranged from soft porn to hardcore S&M images, all featuring pre-teen boys and girls"

 

This would have to rate as the most devilish form of aversion therapy ever known. It would be akin to treating alcoholics with copious quantities of vintage wine or bombarding junkies with free packets of China White heroin. Truly degenerate and depraved lunatics were running the asylum known as St. Lukes.

 

Notwithstanding the scandal and shock of the aforementioned, Rome carries on quietly with her program of world dominion. They lead the competition to establish the first one-world system that has ever existed. Their ultimate goal is global religious syncretism, and to eventually wield control and authority over every individual on earth. The human solidarity goals of the Roman Church are identical to the goals and objectives of the United Nations. This is why they are such an perfect fit. Rome only gives the appearance of objecting to the UN agenda. At the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome Cardinal Angelo Sodana pledged the Holy See's support for the UNs humanistic 'Programs of Action.'

 

Rome also has designs on Jerusalem.

 

For 46 years after Israel's rebirth the Vatican refused to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. But Rome wants to exert premier influence over Jerusalem, which will one day function as the capital of her World Church.

 

In a 1993 letter to the Pope, Shimon Peres promised to internationalize Jerusalem, granting the UN political control of the Old City and the Vatican hegemony over the holy sites within. This was confirmed by the Italian newspaper La Stampa. In March 1995 the Israeli radio station Arutz Sheva was leaked a cable from the Israeli Embassy in Rome, confirming the hand over of Jerusalem to the Vatican.

 

The future Pope will establish his throne one day within the walls of the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. It is from here that he will rule his World Church.

 

And this day may not be as far off as many believe. The cornerstones for the Third Temple have already been quarried by the Jewish group known as the Temple Mount Faithful. They are extremely well financed and organized. They have also produced priestly vestments in accordance with scriptural outlines and are presently attempting to breed a perfect red heifer in anticipation of the coming dedication ceremonies. Obviously, Rome and the Temple Mount Faithful are headed for a showdown.

 

In a letter sent to the Vatican in January 2004, the TMF demanded that Pope John Paul return the Temple Menorah and other vessels and treasures removed in 70AD by Titus and taken to Rome, where they are presently held within the Secret Vatican Archives.

 

Mark Owen is a freelance writer living in Toronto, Canada.

Wa'laykum Salam.

10 Darwinist Fabrications.

10 DARWINIST FABRICATIONS.

1. THE LIE THAT "IT HAS BEEN PROVED THAT LIFE COULD HAVE EMERGED BY CHANCE ON THE PRIMITIVE EARTH"

The only evidence cited in evolutionist sources is the 1953 Miller Experiment. Yet no living cell was created in this experiment, just a few amino-acids were synthesised. It is mathematically impossible for amino-acids to form strings in the right sequence by chance and make proteins, and for these to give rise to a cell. Miller's synthesised amino-acids are of no significance, since his experiment used gasses which were not present in the primitive atmosphere on earth. (see Miller's Experiment)

2. THE LIE THAT "THE HUMAN EMBRYO HAS GILLS"

This claim rests on a scientific fraud committed by the evolutionist biologist Ernst Haeckel at the beginning of the 20th century. In order to come up with proof of evolution Haeckel created drawings of the embryos of such living things as human beings, chickens and fish and placed them side by side. Yet there were distortions in these images. Today the whole scientific world recognises these as counterfeit. The structure shown as a "gill" by Haeckel is actually the beginning of the middle ear channel, the parathyroid and the thymus glands. (see The Recapitulation Misconseption) 

3. THE LIE THAT "NATURAL HISTORY CONFIRMS THE TREE OF LIFE"

Darwinism maintains that life on earth originated and developed from a single root, subsequently splitting off into branches, like a tree. Evolutionists have struggled to make natural history fit this claim for 150 years. Yet natural history actually paints a diametrically opposed picture. The fossil record shows that there was no "tree of life" and that the basic groups of living things emerged suddenly and at the same time. Almost all the known phyla (basic groups of living things) emerged in the Cambrian period, some 530-520 million years ago. (see The "Tree of Life" is Collapsing) 

4. THE LIE THAT "ARCHAEOPTERYX IS THE MISSING LINK BETWEEN REPTILES AND BIRDS"

The 150-million-year-old bird fossil known as Archaeopteryxhas been portrayed as "the greatest fossil evidence of evolution" since the 19th century. It has been claimed that this fossil possesses certain reptilian features, for which reason it is the "missing link" between reptiles and birds. This claim has been invalidated, however, by recent findings that prove that Archaeopteryx was a perfect flying bird. Moreover, the alleged reptilian ancestors for birds, the theropod dinosaurs, are all younger than Archaeopteryx in terms of their appearance in the fossil record; a fact which evolutionists try to hide. (see The Archaeopteryx Misconception) 

5. THE LIE THAT "THE EVOLUTION OF THE HORSE HAS BEEN PROVEN BY THE FOSSIL RECORD"

For decades now, 'the evolution of the horse' has been portrayed as one of the best documented proofs of evolution. Four-legged mammals which lived at different times have been lined up, from small to large, and these "horse series" exhibited in museums of natural history. Research in recent years, however, has revealed that the creatures in the series were not one another's ancestors, that the sequence is gravely mistaken, and that the creatures portrayed as the ancestors of the horse actually emerged after the horse. (see The Myth of Horse Evolution) 

6. THE LIE THAT "LIVING THINGS POSSESS VESTIGAL ORGANS"

For a long time now it has been maintained in evolutionist sources that some organs in living things serve no function, and that these are evolutionary blind spots inherited from the evolutionary ancestors of the creatures in question. For instance, the human appendix and coccyx were for long years regarded as such vestigal organs. Yet the latest scientific findings have revealed that all these organs do actually have important functions. The "list of vestigal organs" drawn up by evolutionists at the beginning of the 20th century is now without foundation. (see The Myth of Vestigal Organs) 

7. THE LIE THAT "VERTEBRATES' FIVE-FINGERED HAND STRUCTURE IS EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION"

The dolphin's fin, the bat's wing and the human hand all contain a five-fingered bone structure. This similarity has for a long time been put forward in evolutionist schoolbooks or popular publications as evidence they all evolved from a common ancestor. Genetic research, however, has shown that these organs, which seem so alike on the surface, are actually controlled by very different genes. Evolutionists today admit that "similar organs do not represent evidence of evolution." (see The Fall of the Homology in Tetrapod Limbs) 

8. THE LIE THAT "INDUSTRIAL MELANISM IS EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION BY NATURAL SELECTION"

Among the most frequently repeated so-called "proofs" of the theory of evolution in the world is that of the moth population in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. According to this claim, air population darkened the colour of tree bark, which meant that since dark coloured moths had better camouflage they were protected from bird predators, as a result of which the dark coloured moth population increased. Yet this is not evolution, because no new species of mothsemerged. All that happened was the population levels of previously existing species changed. Moreover, recent works on the story show that the story itself was not true at all; the famous pictures of moths resting on trees were fake and no such "industrial melanism" (darkening of colour due to industrial pollution) ever took place. (see The True Story of Industrial Melanism) 

9. THE LIE THAT "MUTATION EXPERIMENTS ARE PROOF OF EVOLUTION"

Mutations are one of the two "evolutionary mechanisms" proposed by neo-Darwinism. It is suggested that these chance modifications to DNA caused living things to evolve. Thousands of mutation experiments have been performed to back up this claim. Some populations of living things, fruit flies in particular, have been subjected to intense mutation. Evolutionist publications portray these mutation experiments as "laboratory evidence of evolution." Yet the fact is that far from confirming evolution these experiments have actually undermined it. In not one living thing exposed to mutation has an increase in its genetic information been observed. On the contrary, mutants (living things exposed to mutation) are always deformed, sterile and sickly. (seeMutations) 

10. THE LIE THAT "FOSSILS PROVE THAT APE-MEN ONCE LIVED"

Darwinism's mort prominent deception is the claim that man evolved from ape-like creatures. This claim has been imposed on society by means of thousands of fictitious drawings and models. The fact is that there is no evidence that "ape-men" ever lived. Australopithecus, portrayed as man's oldest ancestor, was actually an extinct ape species, not so very different from modern chimpanzees. Classifications such as Homo erectus, placed afterAustralopithecus in the evolutionary chain, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens archaic, were all different human races. (see The Imaginary Family Tree of Man) 

You Dirty Tamilian.

 US diplomat goes to school after `dirty Tamilian' remark Thursday August 18, 2011 08:23:05 PM, Arun Kumar, IANS

Washington: The US diplomat in India who got into trouble over her controversial remark about how she "became dirty and dark, like a Tamilian" has joined a "cross-cultural communications and understanding class". "We consider the comments absolutely unacceptable. I think you saw that she apologised almost immediately," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters here Wednesday when asked about Vice Consul Maureen Chao's remarks in Chennai last week. "She's also voluntarily enrolled in a cultural sensitivity course. But obviously, they're unacceptable and inconsistent with core American values," she said. Asked to explain if the State Department conducts such classes for erring officials, Nuland said: "I don't know exactly who's conducting this class, but the sense was that this class would do some good." Chao made the controversial remark at a function at SRM University while narrating her experience about her 72-hour train journey from New Delhi to Orissa in 1989 when she came to India on a semester programme. Recalling her experience in exchanging her lower berth in the train compartment for an upper berth with a fellow passenger, she reportedly said that when she came out of the train after the journey "I became dirty and dark, like a Tamilian".  http://www.ummid.com/news/2011/August/18.08.2011/us_diplomat_goes_to_school.htm Wa'laykum Salam.

Bold Attack On Israel.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

A bold attack was carried out by Palestinian warriors on the illegitimate state of Israel yesterday. Infiltrating into Southern Israel via Sinai, the mujahideen killed several Israelis and engaged the Israeli military from afternoon till evening. In retaliation, the terrorist state of Israel launched an air strike against Gaza and killed six Palestinians. May Allah bless them with Jannah and may Allah give greater strength to the Palestinian freedom movement.

JERUSALEM: Gunmen killed seven people in attacks on vehicles in southern Israel on Thursday and a senior Israeli official said they had infiltrated from the Gaza Strip through Egypt's Sinai desert. Israel responded with an airstrike in the Gaza Strip that killed six Palestinians.

Israel's military said the incident began when "terrorists shot at a bus on its way to (the city of) Eilat and then fired an anti-tank rocket at another vehicle. At the same time, a military patrol hit an explosive device".
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said seven people were killed along the road, just meters from the porous border with Egypt. The military put the number of wounded at around 25.
Israeli special forces were called in and engaged the gunmen as police and military closed roads around Eilat, a popular Red Sea resort.

The military said seven gunmen were killed.

The violence, which began in the early afternoon, stretched into the evening. As the Israeli military's chief of staff and Defense Minister Ehud Barak were briefing reporters at the scene, ambulances raced away to what reporters said was another attack by gunmen in which two people were wounded.
"It was a grave terrorist incident that took place in several locations," Barak said in a statement. "It reflects the weakening of Egypt's hold in the Sinai and the broadening of activities by terror elements."
Calling the Gaza Strip, Palestinian territory controlled by Hamas and bordering the Sinai and Israel, "the source of terrorist activities", Barak said: "We will act against them with full force and determination."
Egypt's South Sinai Gov. Khaled Fouda denied gunmen had opened fire from Sinai. "The South Sinai governor denied there was any gunfire from Taba toward Eilat port," the Egyptian state television reported.

Gaza's Hamas government denied any role in the attacks. "The Palestinian government denies the accusations made by Barak about the operation in Eilat and affirms that there is no relation between the Gaza Strip and what happened near Eilat," Hamas spokesman Taher Al-Nunu said.

"These accusations are an attempt to distract from the Israeli domestic crisis," Al-Nunu said, referring to protests over the cost of living that have shaken Israel in recent weeks.
A senior Israeli official claimed the gunmen, unable to cross into Israel through the heavily patrolled border with the Gaza Strip, had gone into the Sinai and then infiltrated from there into southern Israel.

Israeli officials have voiced concern that armed groups in the Sinai have been making use of a security vacuum left by the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

The Israeli shekel fell against the dollar and stocks dipped on Thursday.

Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, recently stepped up security activity in the Sinai. On Tuesday, Egyptian security sources said an army crackdown on armed groups in the northern Sinai had netted four militants as they prepared to blow up a gas pipeline. A network of smuggling tunnels links the area with the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian security sources said it was unlikely the gunmen had come from Egyptian territory. Security patrols on the Egyptian-Israeli border had not picked up on "suspicious movements" on the Egyptian side, a source said, adding that security had been heightened on the border after news of the incident.

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article490266.ece

Wa'laykum Salam.

Stages Of Acquiring Knowledge.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Allah Ta`ala ordered Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam to make this Du'aa:

  وَقُلْ رَّبِّ زِدْنِىْ عِلْمًا

"Oh My Rabb! Increase me in knowledge."

Despite being granted the great rank of Nubuwwat and appointed as leader of all the Ambiyaa, yet Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam was ordered to make Du'aa for an increase in knowledge. Knowledge('Ilm) is a Noor to safeguard ourselves, (light) through which one identifies truth from falsehood. Ignorance, on the other hand, is darkness, which conceals the hazards of this path. Thus, we must acquire knowledge.

Hadrat Sufyaan Thawri rah has outlined five stages to acquire knowledge.
 

First stage is Istimaa' (Listening Attentively):

When Wahi (revelation) would descend upon Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam, he would listen to the revelation attentively observing total concentration.  The Qur-aan has recorded two orders of Istimaa`:

  وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوْا لَهُ -

"And when the Qur-aan is being recited, then pay careful attention to its recitation" and

 فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوْحى-

"Listen attentively to what is being revealed".

Paying special attention is imperative.  If there is no Istimaa` then there is no guarantee that the 'Ilm acquired is that of 'Ilm e Nubuwwat. (Knowledge of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam)

The angel Jibraeel descended with Wahi (revelation) to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam.  After listening to it, he would relate it to the Sahaabah . Allah Ta`ala, in describing the qualities of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam says:

  يَتْلُوْ عَلَيْهِمْ آياتِهِ  

"He will recite to them the verses of the Qur'an". 

The Sahaabah listened to the recitation of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam with utmost devotion and concentration.

Once, whilst speaking to a Sahaabi , Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam grasped his shoulder and shook it. Why did Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam shake this Sahaabi? To ensure that he was not inattentive and paid careful attention to the words of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

Sahaabah listened to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam with complete attention. In turn, the Taabi'een heard from the Sahaabah and this sequence of narration has continued, in this manner, over the centuries until 'Ilm e Nubuwwat has reached us today.

Knowledge acquired without observing Istimaa` cannot be regarded as 'Ilm e Nubuwwat. Therefore, the Muhadditheen have placed great importance on Istimaa`.

Second stage is Insaat (silence, pondering):

Insaat refers to paying attention, pondering or being observant.  Not to have a wandering mind.  This means, if a student listened to the lesson inattentively, he will not grasp the intended meaning.  Subsequently, there can be no guarantee that he has understood the lesson correctly. Distortions that are apparent, nowadays, are a result of not practicing upon Insaat (not paying attention or pondering over what is being said or having a wandering mind).

It has been recorded regarding a certain Muhaddith (scholar of hadith), that someone owned a strip of land close to his well but he would not grant that farmer permission to draw water from it. They were always arguing and quarrelling over this matter.

This Muhaddith had the quality of Istimaa` but he did not possess the quality of Insaat.

Someone asked him: "Why are you quarrelling so much? Everybody has the right to draw water from the well".

He replied, "It appears in the Hadith:

لاَ يَسْقِىْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَاءَهُ زَرْعَ غَيْرِه ِ 

No person should use his water to irrigate the land of another.

This does appear in the Hadith. He had acquired Istimaa` but he did not possess Insaat.  He did not fully understand the Hadith and he did not pay attention to its explanation.

This person then explained. "This is not the explanation of the Hadith.  The correct explanation of this Hadith is, that one who has purchased a pregnant slave girl should not share the bed with her until she does not give birth to her child. The reason being, that it is the land of someone else. Therefore, one should not irrigate it."

On hearing the explanation the Muhaddith said: "May Allah reward you. Up to now I had understood the Hadith incorrectly."

It is recorded regarding yet another Muhaddith that he used to perform Witr Salaah whenever he relieved himself from the call of nature, be it during the day or at night. When asked why he did this, he replied:

"It is reported in the Hadith

اسْتَجْمَرَ فَلْيُوْتِرْ مَنِ

Whosoever relieves himself should perform Witr

The questioner told him: "This is not the actual meaning of the Hadith". He then explained the Hadith to him, "Use uneven clots of soil to clean yourself after answering the call of nature." ('Witr' mean 'uneven' and does not refer to the 'Witr Salaah')

In short, Istimaa` must be followed by Insaat.

 

Third stage is Hifz (remembering or memorizing):

One should remember whatever one has read, heard or understood.  If the information leaves the mind then how will one be able to practise upon it and how will the chain of narration, for that part of knowledge, continue? What then will remain of 'Ilm if one heard the lesson, paid attention but did not remember it?

 

Fourth stage is 'Amal (practice):

One should practice on whatever one has heard attentively and remembered.  If one does not practice on the 'Ilm acquired, it will be void of any benefit and blessing.  An Urdu poem translates as follows:

The world will never listen to the statement of the one who does not put his own advice into practice.       

 

Fifth stage is Nashr (preaching and imparting):

'Ilm cannot be transferred or protected without Nashr. It will remain in the confines of a closet or trunk and after a few days, it will be buried. However, embarking on preaching, without acquiring the first four stages, is of no significance. This is why Hadhrat Sufyaan Thawri rah clearly explained the five stages of knowledge so that all the stages may be adhered to.

http://alhaadi.org.za/faqihul-ummah/mawaiz/405-stages-of-acquiring-knowledge.html?showall=1

Wa'laykum Salam.