Nine Christians murdered by the Muslim ragers - where is the outcry?

Nigeria: Nine Christians murdered over cartoon drawn by a Muslim in Bangladesh

"They cannot control their anger, they take knives and slaughter." Religion of Tolerance -- and Clear Thinking.

"Nigeria: Can Condemns Religious Killing in Kano," by John Shiklam for the Daily Champion (Lagos), with thanks to Twostellas:

GENERAL Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr Samuel Salifu has condemned the killing of Christians in Tudun Dankande local government area of Kano State.

He called on the state government to bring the perpetrators to book, warning that Christians would no longer condone any attack on them.

Salifu who spoke with newsmen in Kaduna weekend said that reports reaching him from Kano state said there was trouble in Tudun Dankande local government area of the state Friday where nine Christians, including a youth corper serving in the area were killed and their property destroyed over an internet cartoon said to have emanated from a 20-year-old Muslim boy from Bangladesh.

"Information available to me is that almost all the churches within that local government area have been razed down and shops belonging to Christians had also been burnt including their houses. We have been told that they have been ejected and their property brought down and burnt.

"The information given was that they saw a cartoon on the internet and they discovered that this cartoon was drawn by a 20-year-old Muslim boy from Bangladesh and they decided to visit their anger on innocent Christians and their churches.

"I have been told that nine people including a youth corper are confirmed dead and several others injured while the local government in a desperate attempt to cover the dastardly act pretended to be taking the victims to the hospital while in reality they sent some of the victims to Bauchi and some other places around so that people will not go there and see the number of destitutes or refugees caused by this incident.

"That is the information available, so far. What we have done is to ensure that the vice president is informed," he alleged.

He said Christians and their leaders were getting worried because both the Christian leaders and Muslims had been holding series of meetings within and outside the Nigerian Inter Religious Council (NIREC) to see how to bring about peaceful coexistence between followers of the two religions. Salifu regretted, however, that "the more we continue to meet with Muslim leaders the more some of these people attack our people.

[...]

"It is clear that the cartoonist is from Bangladesh and he is a Muslim, so why should they now visit their anger on Christians unless they are lunatics and if you call them this type of name, they say they are angry, but they go killing.

"They cannot control their anger, they take knives and slaughter. When you tell them what they are doing is wrong, they will turn round and start to kill. Very soon, there would be a lot of blood shed unless they stop this nonsense because the church is getting fed up.

Posted by Robert at October 5, 2007 6:05 AM

Hat Tip: Jihad Watch

Iraqis united against the Democrat led U.S. Senate proposal

Good News From Najaf, Fallujah and Basra

By Gateway Pundit

A demonstrator waves an Iraqi flag during a protest in Baghdad October 6, 2007. Members of the Iraqi Democratic Nation Party held a rally in Baghdad on Saturday protesting against the federal system in Iraq which was proposed by the U.S. Senate. (REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani)
Iraqi American Haider Ajina sends this good news from Najaf and Fallujah today from the Iraqi media. The following is a translation of an article from Buratha News on 10/4/07:

Success for security operation in Nejaf during commemoration of the death of Imam Ali PBH
The streets of Nejaf city were flooded with almost two million visitors from all over Iraq and neighboring countries. They came to commemorate the death of Imam Ali Son of Abi Talib PBH (Son in law of the prophet Mohamed & founder of the Shiite branch) amidst strong security measures. Ahmed Duaail spokesman for the province said, the security operation was implemented successfully with no incidences and the public service side of the plan was also implemented successfully.
Brigadier Uthman Alghanum commander of the eight Iraqi Army Brigade and director of Military operations in Nejaf province said, ‘security forces dealt eagerly with all intelligence at their disposal to close all avenues which can be used by terrorist and criminals. Visitors praised the security and public services available during the length of their stay and on the roads leading to Nejaf from other provinces. Roads leading to Nejaf had many rest stations which provided places to rest and served Iftar (evening breaking fast meal during Ramadan) as well as medical attention to those who needed it.

The following is article from Voices of Iraq from Oct 2nd 2007:

Restless Falluja: a peaceful city in Ramadan
Anbar, Sept 30, (VOI) – Unlike its long history of bloody incidents and armed clashes, Anbar's Falluja city is living a renaissance of peace and hope this Ramadan with a drastic decrease in incidents of violence encouraging local residents to live their lives as fully as possible.
Unlike previous years, the city's mosques are crowded with worshippers invoking God to relieve their distress and restore stability to their war-torn country.
Sheikh Khaled Ahmed Saleh, an imam at al-Badawi mosque in central Falluja, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), "We thank God that peace reigns over the city during this month. We were unable to perform Taraweeh prayers (evening prayers during Ramadan) in mosques over the past few years. But now we pray, go to the markets, and visit our relatives."
Sunni Falluja is distinguished among other Iraqi cities by its numerous minarets and its shish kebab. It is for this reason that the 53-year-old Hajj Abboud al-Sudra calls it "the city of minarets and kebab."
"A religious spirit is uppermost at such times in the city, which is known for its many mosques and high and shining minarets," Sheikh al-Sudra said.
Among the most common activities held at mosques during the holy month are religious and cultural competitions. Following the Taraweeh prayers, competitions for Quran memorization and recitations are held at the Grand Falluja mosque.
An official from the Religious Endowments Department in the city told VOI said that two young men and a woman were the winners in the competition. "The awards were 5 million Iraqi dinars (4,048 U.S. dollars) for the first prize, 3 million dinars ($2,429) for the second and 2 million dinars ($1,619) for the third," he indicated.
A few hours after the Iftar (the fast-breaking meal), residents of Falluja flow into markets and cafes, which remain open until a late hour in the evening.
Commenting on the growth in trade activities in the city, Yahia al-Badrani, an owner of Falluja Food Markets said that unlike previous years since the foreign invasion in 2003 there is an increasing demand for food products this Ramadan. Linking this to the stable security situation in the city, al-Badrani said that his market close at 11:00 p.m. to meet consumers' demands.
Playing a prominent role in promoting the spirit of tolerance and reconciliation between those in dispute, religious clerics in the city make every effort to resolve quarrels and conflicts and restore peaceable relations

Haider Ajina comments:

The increase in security and gradual return to normal life was confirmed with a phone call from my dad in Baghdad last week. He said security in Baghdad in the many areas he goes to is substantially better and almost normal. Shops are open till late in the night for Ramadan, people are out on the streets, water is back and power is on for over 8 hours per day rather than 8 per week. The provinces have been getting 12-20 hours of electricity per day for some time now. The tremendous increase in the buying power of Iraqis since we liberated Iraq from the ternary of the Baathists has increased many fold. Many Iraqis have more appliance more cars etc.. In fact the number of cars owned and driven by Iraqis has more than quadrupled in the last 3-4 years. Imagine what this is doing to the demand for electricity and gas etc…
The Iraqi industry ministry has distributes loans to over 1600 factories in 38 areas in and around Baghdad creating over 17 thousand job opportunities. Phase two of this project is in Basra province with other provinces to follow. By the way the Iraqi parliament and the Iraqi ministerial chamber (executive branch) have both strongly rejected the non binding resolution issued by our congress to divide Iraq into three countries. This has been one of the few issues on which the Iraqi parliament has been unanimous. The hard work and incredible efforts of our men and women, especially in Anbar (and now spreading to Musul) province, is creating strong stability and enhancing reconciliation efforts in Iraqi.

Regards,
Haider Ajina

There has been a tangible improvement in the security climate since British troops vacated their outpost in Basra. (Telegraph)
Bill Moore from the UK forwarded the latest good news from southern Iraq published in The Telegraph
"The Tide is Turning in Basra"

For after four painful years of missed opportunities and sacrifice, there are encouraging signs that progress is being made in helping the Iraqi people rebuild their country after decades of misrule.
The military surge undertaken by the Americans has seen a significant reduction in Baghdad and the surrounding provinces. Although accurate figures are hard to come by, coalition claims that the murder rate in Baghdad has halved since the surge began in June are being given credence by even the most critical aid agencies.
The American military's success in tackling the more militant insurgent groups has led to many Sunni tribal elders, who had given their tacit support to the insurgency, opting to cooperate with coalition forces in restoring security and political stability...
This significant change in Iraq's political and security climate is also manifesting itself in the south, where the British military has had responsibility for administering four provinces since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in the spring of 2003.
In the past few weeks there has been a tangible improvement in the security there, particularly since British troops vacated their last outpost in Basra's city centre at the end of August. Crime in Basra is down 70 per cent, and rocket and mortar attacks against British forces – which were running at more than 90 a day in the summer – have been reduced almost to zero – as Mr Brown experienced for himself this week...
The collapse of the government's infrastructure and security apparatus meant that this was always going to be a long haul. But, bit by bit, the building blocks have been put in place, starting with the new constitution, which was confirmed by a national referendum in late 2005, and followed by the election of the first democratic government in Iraq's history.
...One of their biggest tests came in the summer when the pro-coalition governors of Muthanna and Qadasiyah provinces were assassinated. "We half expected the Iraqi provincial authorities to contact us and ask for assistance," a senior British officer told me. "But in fact the Iraqis made it clear they did not want any assistance. They were adamant that they wanted to sort things out themselves. It was a very encouraging sign."
In fact, the desire of Iraqis to conduct their own affairs has caused British commanders to undertake a radical re-evaluation of how they go about providing support.
Another crucial consideration was whether the Iraqi security forces were capable of filling the security void. And if the evidence of the past five weeks is anything to go by, the signs are encouraging. The effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces is such that, as Mr Brown intimated during his lightning visit, Basra should be handed over to full Iraqi control by the end of next month.

Counterterrorism Blog has more on the disastrous Sunni insurgency in Iraq.

Another Sunni leader opposing Al Qaeda dies

A leader of a Sunni Arab tribal council which opposed al-Qaeda in Iraq has been killed in a roadside bomb attack north of Baghdad, Iraqi officials have said.

Sheikh Muawiya Jebara, a senior member of the Salahuddin Awakening Council, and three of his bodyguards were killed as his convoy travelled near Samarra.

His death comes less than a month after the killing of the head of a similar group in neighbouring Anbar province.

Meanwhile, the Shia mayor of Iskandariya died in a separate bombing.

Abbas al-Khafaji, a member of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), and four of his bodyguards were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their car at a checkpoint, police said.

A mixed Sunni-Shia town 40km (25 miles) south of the capital, Iskandariya lies in a centre of the Sunni insurgency known as the "triangle of death".

Tribal alliance

The attack on Sheikh Muawiya Jebara occurred in mid-afternoon as he travelled to an area south-west of Samarra to support other members of the Salahuddin Awakening Council who were currently fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The sheikh survived the initial blast, but died from head injuries shortly after arriving in hospital, his brother said.

The head of the Tikrit-based Salahuddin Awakening Council, Sheikh Sabah Mutashar al-Shammari, recently said the tribal alliance had conducted more than 100 operations against Sunni extremist militants.

"Our forces are working in co-ordination with the ministers of defence and interior," he told the AFP news agency.

"Our troops consist of 3,000 fighters distributed across seven headquarters in the province."

Last month, the leader of the Anbar Awakening, Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, was killed in a bomb attack near his home in Ramadi.

US officials have pointed to the formation of the tribal alliances as one of the most positive developments in their efforts to reduce violence in Iraq.

MP arrested

In other news, the US military said it had taken an Iraqi member of parliament into custody after he allegedly attended a meeting of suspected al-Qaeda members.

The MP was seized during a joint raid by US and Iraqi forces in the town of Sharqat, north of Baghdad.

The main Sunni Arab alliance in parliament, the Iraqi Accord Front, said the man was one of its members, Naif Jassim Mohammed.

The US military said the man was being questioned by the authorities, but was not formally considered to be a detainee.

Later, parliament agreed to let the Iraqi Accord Front replace another of its MPs with one of the country's most famous football stars.

Ahmed Radhi, the only Iraqi player to have scored in the World Cup, replaced Abed Nasser al-Janabi, who was expelled from parliament in June after saying he was leaving politics to join the insurgency.

Sears Tower plot trial begins

Seven men accused of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago have go on trial in Miami Florida.

The men intended to ignite a guerrilla war that would bring down the US government, federal prosecutors said.

Defence lawyers said FBI informants had devised the plot and the defendants had played along to con money from them.

"These defendants came together for one sole purpose, to
wage a holy war against the United States," said prosecutor Richard
Gregorie in his opening statement.

He said they wanted to bomb a number of landmark buildings and put poison in restaurant salt shakers.

There would be no survivors from the alleged Sears Tower
bomb, Mr Gregorie said, because the defendants planned to shoot anyone
who escaped.

'Con game'

But lawyers for the defendants said the purported plot
was the inspiration of two paid FBI informants, one of whom posed as an
al-Qaeda operative.

Lawyers for the accused said the case against them was overblown

The defendants hoped to con the two men of $50,000 (£24,500) they had allegedly offered the group, their attorneys said.

"All he wanted to do was get his money and run and who
better to con than somebody who was supposedly al-Qaeda," said Ana
Jhones, attorney for Narseal Batiste, the alleged ringleader of the
seven men.

Government officials described them after their arrest
as "home-grown terrorists" but said they posed no real threat because
they had no actual al-Qaeda contacts, no weapons and no means of
carrying out the attacks.

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::: English Blog for Mojtaba :::

::: English Blog for Mojtaba :::

Mojtaba needs our help because he is not allowed to express his own personal views regarding the theocracy of Iran.

Believe it or not, this attitude is nothing new. The same kind of thing happened in Scotland when the Kirk had the most power and was running the country. I learned of a case where a 19 year old student was hanged for blasphemy. Even when he apologised the court refused to back down from the sentence of death.

It is an inalienable right that we should be able to express our divergent views without being imprisoned. The Iranian theocracy has too much power over the people and they are not allowed to express their views aganist the murderous plotting of those who are in charge of the government. Anyone who disagrees with these imams is arrested and tortured, taken before the courts, intimidated and not allowed to say anything in their defence.

This is not justice and justice must prevail.

Where there is life there is hope

I have adopted a new motto in memory of Theresa Schindler who lost her battle to live. For the moment it looks as though we have lost the war, but I do believe that the war is really just beginning.

It is truly difficult not to bring in religion on this issue, because every time I have spent time working to get justice for Theresa Schindler, I find myself immediately thinking of the Scriptures, especially those Scriptures that refer to how Israel and Judah were punished because the judges who had been appointed were no longer just. Instead of justice prevailing the widows and orphans were being ripped off by the judicial system as it exited in ancient Israel. In the end, God's justice prevailed.

There are many scenes, including court room scenes that must be played out in the near future. Several good minded citizens were arrested because they attempted to take food and drink to Theresa, and this action was forbidden by the Unjust Judge. Whilst this was happening, the people present at the scene acted upon the Gospel of Matthew, keeping in mind that at the Final Judgment the Lord will separate those who willingly fed, clothed and gave water to the weak and the hungry from those who turned their backs upon those who needed help. What we saw was the Gospel of Matthew in action, and we saw how people behave when they turn their backs upon justice.

Justice will only prevail when we divest ourselves of ego, and selfishness and we become that new creation in the Lord. At this present time it is the selfish and the egotistical who have the upper hand.

However, we can and we will make a difference in our society. We need to be willing to stand up against the purveyors of the culture of death.