Sunday, January 09, 2005
Elder of Ziyon
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Elder of Ziyon
MEMRI hits another home run - EoZ
Following practically all international events of importance, conspiracy theories are raised in the Arab and Muslim worlds. This occurred most recently following the Asian tsunami. Some of these conspiracy theories focused, as they often do, on allegations that it was a plot by the U.S. and Israel. Others speculated that the tsunami was a divine punishment for sins, including that of celebrating Christmas. The following are speeches and articles which appeared in the Arab media raising conspiracy theories about the cause of the tsunami; more will be posted on the MEMRI TV Project website (www.memritv.org) in the coming days:
Palestinian Friday Sermon by Sheik Mudeiris: The Tsunami is Allah's Revenge at Bangkok Corruption
The following are excerpts from a Friday mosque sermon aired on Palestinian Authority TV by Sheik Ibrahim Mudeiris, which was recorded and translated by the MEMRI TV Monitor Project:
" What happened there, in South-East Asia … we ask God to have mercy upon all the martyrs - for he who dies by drowning is a martyr. We ask God to have mercy upon all the Muslims who died there. Allah willing, they are martyrs. But, don't you think that the wrath of the earth and the wrath of the sea should make us reflect? Tens of thousands dead, and many predict that the number will be in the hundreds of thousands. We ask God for forgiveness. When oppression and corruption increase, the law of equilibrium applies. I can see in your eyes that you are wondering what the 'universal law of equilibrium' is. This law is a divine law. If people are remiss in implementing God's law and in being zealous and vengeful for His sake, Allah sets his soldiers in action to take revenge.
"The oppression and corruption caused by America and the Jews have increased. Have you heard of these beaches that are called 'tourists' paradise?' You have all probably heard of Bangkok. We read about it, and knew it as the center of corruption on the face of this earth. Over there, there are Zionist and American investments. Over there they bring Muslims and others to prostitution. Over there, there are beaches, which they dubbed 'tourists' paradise,' while only a few meters away, the locals live in hell on earth. They cannot make ends meet, while a few meters away there is a paradise, 'tourists' paradise.'
"Do you want the earth to turn a blind eye to the corrupt oppressors? Do you want the sea… Do you want the sea to lower its waves in the face of corruption that it sees with its own eyes?! No, the zero hour has come." [1]
Advisor to Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister: The Nations were Destroyed for Lying, Sinning, and being Infidels
Ibrahim Al-Bashar, an advisor to Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister, argued on the Saudi Arabian/UAE Al-Majd TV channel that the sins of the affected countries caused the tsunami:
"Whoever reads the Koran, given by the Maker of the World, can see how these nations were destroyed. There is one reason: they lied, they sinned, and [they] were infidels. Whoever studies the Koran can see this is the result…
"Some intellectuals, philosophers, and journalists - may Allah show them the straight path – say this is the wrath of nature. Whoever is angry must have a soul and a brain in order to act out his anger. Does the earth have a brain and a body with a soul? They talk about the wrath of nature, or else they claim that what happened was due to a fissure in the depths of the earth, which the earth's crust could not bear. They connect cosmic matters.
"But who is the one that cracked it, split it, and commanded it to quake?! Why don't we ask that question? Who is the one that sent the wind? Who sent the floods? But they tell you that it was due to the ebb and tide, and that the barometric depressions are to blame. Who commanded them to do so?
"These countries, in which these things occurred – don't they refrain from adopting Allah's law, which is a form of heresy? Man-made laws have been chosen over Allah's law, which has been deemed unsuitable to judge people?! Whoever does not act according to Allah's law is a heretic, that's what Allah said in the Koran. Don't these countries have witchcraft, sorcery, deceitfulness, and abomination?" [2]
Saudi Professor Sheikh Fawzan Al-Fawzan: Allah Punishes for Homosexuality and Fornication at Christmas
The following are excerpts from an interview on Saudi/UAE's Al-Majd TV with Sheikh Fawzan Al-Fawzan, a professor at the Al-Imam University, which was recorded and translated by the MEMRI TV Monitor Project:
"These great tragedies and collective punishments that are wiping out villages, towns, cities, and even entire countries, are Allah's punishments of the people of these countries, even if they are Muslims.
"Some of our forefathers said that if there is usury and fornication in a certain village, Allah permits its destruction. We know that at these resorts, which unfortunately exist in Islamic and other countries in South Asia, and especially at Christmas, fornication and sexual perversion of all kinds are rampant. The fact that it happened at this particular time is a sign from Allah. It happened at Christmas, when fornicators and corrupt people from all over the world come to commit fornication and sexual perversion. That's when this tragedy took place, striking them all and destroyed everything. It turned the land into wasteland, where only the cries of the ravens are heard. I say this is a great sign and punishment on which Muslims should reflect.
"All that's left for us to do is to ask for forgiveness. We must atone for our sins, and for the acts of the stupid people among us and improve our condition. We must fight fornication, homosexuality, usury, fight the corruption on the face of the earth, and the disregard of the lives of protected people." [3]
Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Munajjid: Allah Finished Off the Richter Scale in Revenge of Infidel Criminals
The following are excerpts from an interview on Saudi/UAE's Al-Majd TV with Saudi cleric Muhammad Al-Munajjid, which was recorded and translated by the MEMRI TV Monitor Project:
"The problem is that the [Christian] holidays are accompanied by forbidden things, by immorality, abomination, adultery, alcohol, drunken dancing, and … and revelry. A belly dancer costs 2500 pounds per minute and a singer costs 50,000 pounds per hour, and they hop from one hotel to another from night to dawn. Then he spends the entire night defying Allah.
"Haven't they learned the lesson from what Allah wreaked upon the coast of Asia, during the celebration of these forbidden? At the height of immorality, Allah took vengeance on these criminals.
"Those celebrating spent what they call 'New Year's Eve' in vacation resorts, pubs, and hotels. Allah struck them with an earthquake. He finished off the Richter scale. All nine levels gone. Tens of thousands dead.
"It was said that they were tourists on New Year's vacation who went to the crowded coral islands for the holiday period, and then they were struck by this earthquake, caused by the Almighty Lord of the worlds. He showed them His wrath and His strength. He showed them His vengeance. Is there anyone learning the lesson? Is it impossible that we will be struck like them? Why do we go their way? Why do we want to be like them, with their holidays, their forbidden things, and their heresy?" [4]
Egyptian Nationalist Weekly: U.S.-Israel-India Nuclear Testing May have Caused Asian Tsunami; The Goal: Testing how to Liquidate Humanity
The Egyptian nationalist weekly Al-Usbu' has published an investigation by correspondent Mahmoud Bakri, titled "Humanity in Danger," claiming that the earthquake and tsunami in Asia may have resulted from joint nuclear testing by the U.S., Israel, and India. The following are excerpts from the article:
"Was [the earthquake] caused by American, Israeli, and Indian nuclear testing on 'the day of horror?' Why did the 'Ring of Fire' explode?
"… According to researchers' estimates, there are two possible [explanations] for what happened. The first is a natural, divine move, because the region is in the 'Ring of Fire,' a region subject to this destructive type of earthquakes.
" The second possibility is that it was some kind of human intervention that destabilized the tectonic plates, an intervention that is caused only in nuclear experiments and explosions. What strengthens this direction [of thought] are the tectonic plates [under] Indian soil [ sic ], since in the recent few months, India conducted over seven nuclear tests to strengthen its nuclear program against the Pakistani [nuclear program].
"[Various] reports have proven that the tectonic plates in India and Australia collided with the tectonic plates of Europe and Asia. [It has also been proven] that India recently obtained high[-level] nuclear technology, and a number of Israeli nuclear experts and several American research centers were [involved in preparing this].
"The three most recent tests appeared to be genuine American and Israeli preparations to act together with India to test a way to liquidate humanity. In the[ir] most recent test, they began destroying entire cities over extensive areas. Although the nuclear explosions were carried out in desert lands, tens of thousands of kilometers away from populated areas, they had a direct effect on these areas.
"Since 1992, many research [institutes] monitoring earthquakes across the world, such as the International Center for the [Study] of Earthquakes [sic] in Britain and in Turkey and other countries, [indicated] the importance of no nuclear testing in the 'Ring of Fire,' where the most recent earthquake struck, because this region is thought to be one of the most geologically active regions over millions of years. Thus, the international centers have always classified it as one of the most dangerous regions [and] likely to shift at any given moment, even without human interference.
"But the scientific reports stated that there had been nuclear activity in this region – particularly after America's recent decision to rely largely on the Australian desert – part of which is inside the 'Ring of Fire' – for its secret nuclear testing.
"Similarly, many international reports spoke of joint Indian-Israeli nuclear activity. Moreover, only this year Arab and Islamic countries intervened more than three times in the U.S. to stop this joint nuclear activity.
"Nevertheless, although so far it has not been proven that secret Indian-Israeli nuclear testing is what caused the destructive earthquake, there is evidence that the recent nuclear tests, the exchange of nuclear experts between India and Israel, and the American pressure on Pakistan regarding its nuclear cooperation with Asian and Islamic countries [by providing India with advanced nuclear technology in an attempt to stop Pakistani activity] – all these pose a big question mark regarding the causes of the severe earthquake in Asia.
"Scientific studies prove that there is increasing nuclear activity under the waters of the oceans and seas … and that America is the first country in the world responsible for this activity. This raises an enormous question mark… What is puzzling is that all the previous earthquakes did not cause such great destruction [as this one], particularly [in light of the fact that] the earthquake's center was some 40 kilometers under the seabed of the Indian Ocean.
"One of the American researchers, Merrills Kinsey, [5] pointed out an important fact in the scientific report that he prepared after the last disaster, which is that the center of an earthquake that took place some 40 kilometers under the ocean floor could not have caused such destruction unless nuclear testing had been conducted close to the tectonic plates in these countries, or unless several days previously there had been [nuclear] activity that caused these plates to shift and collide – which constitutes a danger to all humanity, not only to the inhabitants of these countries…" [6]
[1] Palestinian Authority TV, December 31, 2005. To view the clip, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=451.
[2] Al-Majd TV (Saudi Arabia/UAE), January 5, 2005. To view the clip, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=462.
[3] Al-Majd TV (Saudi Arabia/UAE), December 31, 2004. To view the clip, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=459.
[4] Al-Majd TV (Saudi Arabia/UAE), January 1, 2005. To view the clip, visit http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=452.
[5] The name was not identified by MEMRI.
[6] Al-Usbu' (Egypt), January 1, 2005.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
- Saturday, January 08, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
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Former American President Jimmy Carter, right, and former Republican Governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman (news - web sites) pay their respects at the grave of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) at his former headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah , Saturday Jan. 8, 2005. Carter and Christine Todd Whitman arrived on behalf of the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center as an observer for the upcoming Palestinian presidential elections. | ||
Friday, January 07, 2005
- Friday, January 07, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
When the three doctors, Gabi Idan, Jacob Vortman and Shuki Vitek, developed the Popeye - a precision guided air-to-surface missile - for the Israel Defense Forces, they never dreamed that the technologies used to develop it would be integrated 25 years later into the medical field and form the basis of two of the world's leading innovations in 2004.
The Wall Street Journal recently announced the winners of its 2004 Technology Innovation awards, and two Israeli companies, in which Idan, Vortman and Vitek were involved, ranked among the top three winners out of 120 entries. Given Imaging of Yokneam, which developed a capsule containing the PillCam, a video camera that photographs the digestive tract, took second. And InSightec of Tirat Carmel, which developed ExAblate 2000, a focused ultrasound system combined with MRI guidance for removing malignant growths in a noninvasive procedure, took third.
Both products went on the market during the past two years, and have been met with success: PillCam sales are expected to reach $60-80 million this year, while ExAblate 2000, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval just two months ago, reached sales of $10 million in 2004, its first year on the market. According to InSightec forecasts, sales in 2007 will exceed $100 million.
Vortman attributes the commercial success of his and his colleagues' inventions to the years the three of them spent at the Arms Development Authority (now known as Rafael). Idan developed the homing seekers for the Popeye missile and the Gil anti-tank missile. Vortman, who has a Ph.D. in electrooptics, is considered a pioneer in the development of night-vision systems for the defense establishment. Vitek developed at a later stage the Black Anchor, the target missile used in the trials of the Arrow missile.
The Wall Street Journal recently announced the winners of its 2004 Technology Innovation awards, and two Israeli companies, in which Idan, Vortman and Vitek were involved, ranked among the top three winners out of 120 entries. Given Imaging of Yokneam, which developed a capsule containing the PillCam, a video camera that photographs the digestive tract, took second. And InSightec of Tirat Carmel, which developed ExAblate 2000, a focused ultrasound system combined with MRI guidance for removing malignant growths in a noninvasive procedure, took third.
Both products went on the market during the past two years, and have been met with success: PillCam sales are expected to reach $60-80 million this year, while ExAblate 2000, which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval just two months ago, reached sales of $10 million in 2004, its first year on the market. According to InSightec forecasts, sales in 2007 will exceed $100 million.
Vortman attributes the commercial success of his and his colleagues' inventions to the years the three of them spent at the Arms Development Authority (now known as Rafael). Idan developed the homing seekers for the Popeye missile and the Gil anti-tank missile. Vortman, who has a Ph.D. in electrooptics, is considered a pioneer in the development of night-vision systems for the defense establishment. Vitek developed at a later stage the Black Anchor, the target missile used in the trials of the Arrow missile.
- Friday, January 07, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
What goes on 'over there'
By Natan Sharansky
Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to achieve a different result. We may want to keep this observation in mind when thinking about whether the upcoming Palestinian elections present a new hope for peace.
First, about those elections. While Israel should certainly do everything possible to enable Palestinians to vote, we must not delude ourselves into thinking that these elections will be democratic. Free elections can only occur in a society where people are free to express their opinions without fear of being punished for them. When there is no protection of the right to dissent, when a regime controls the press, when voters and potential opponents are intimidated, what happens in the voting booth matters little. That monitors will probably declare these elections free of fraud should also not earn them a democratic imprimatur. Soviet elections were also free of fraud. There was simply only one party on the ballot.
Fortunately, President Bush is viewing these elections with the proper perspective, asserting that they are "not the sign that democracy has arrived." Rather, he said, they are "the beginning of a process."
Whether this process will be a successful one will depend in large measure on whether we have learned from the mistakes of the past. Oslo failed because its architects and the democratic world that supported Oslo cared little about how Arafat ruled. The fact that Arafat was constructing a society built on fear was not seen as an impediment to peace. On the contrary, Arafat's iron-fisted rule was considered an asset. As Yitzhak Rabin put it, Arafat would fight terror "without a Supreme Court, without B'Tselem, and without bleeding heart liberals."
But this view is fundamentally mistaken. What goes on "over there" is very much our business. Regimes based on fear rather than popular consent need external enemies to sustain their illegitimate rule and therefore turn the societies they control into breeding grounds for terror and hatred. If we return to the Oslo mindset of not caring about what happens within Palestinian society, no peace process will succeed.
While the new Palestinian Authority leader's coronation at the ballot box does not give him the right to speak on behalf of the Palestinians, he can prove himself worthy of his new title by governing on behalf of the Palestinians. That means protecting dissent rather than crushing it, providing a good education for Palestinian youth rather than using schools and the media for incitement, building decent housing for those living in refugee camps rather than using them as pawns in a political struggle against Israel, and enabling an independent middle class to emerge rather than seeking to control all aspects of Palestinian economic life.
Will this new leader govern on behalf of the Palestinians? Much depends on whether the free world, including Israel, insists that he does. Unfortunately, the pervasive assumption among policymakers and diplomats is that what is needed now is not to press the new PA leader to implement democratic reforms but rather to strengthen this "moderate" so that he can fight extremists and make peace with Israel.
Arafat used this lack of concern for how he ruled to consolidate his power by strengthening hatred toward Israel and at the same time avoiding making concessions that he argued might "weaken" him and bring Hamas to power. If the free world adopts the same approach toward Abu Mazen or any other Palestinian leader, the results will be equally disastrous.
Abu Mazen's promise not to confront terror groups, his demand for a so-called right of return for Palestinians to pre-1967 Israel and his railing against the "Zionist enemy" have been dismissed as empty campaign rhetoric. But it may reflect a belief that, just as was true in the past, a free world afraid of "weakening" him will not force him to change course.
But there are also reasons to be optimistic. Foremost among them is Bush's recognition that the key to peace lies in the expansion of freedom and opportunity within Palestinian society. As the leader of the free world, Bush can play a critical role in advancing peace by linking American support for the PA to the regime's willingness to build such a society. With an American president willing to hold Abu Mazen accountable, the chances of inducing real change within Palestinian society are very real.
I am less confident, however, that Israel's government, whatever its eventual composition, will take advantage of this unique opportunity to begin a real peace process based on helping the Palestinians build a free society. Instead, we are divided among those who are determined to return to Oslo, those who endorse unilateralism and those who refuse any concessions under any circumstances.
But none of these approaches will advance peace because none of them will help change what is going on "over there." By stopping the insane policy of supporting dictatorship and instead focusing on helping the Palestinians build a free society, I am confident that we can forge a peace that will stand the test of time.
By Natan Sharansky
Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to achieve a different result. We may want to keep this observation in mind when thinking about whether the upcoming Palestinian elections present a new hope for peace.
First, about those elections. While Israel should certainly do everything possible to enable Palestinians to vote, we must not delude ourselves into thinking that these elections will be democratic. Free elections can only occur in a society where people are free to express their opinions without fear of being punished for them. When there is no protection of the right to dissent, when a regime controls the press, when voters and potential opponents are intimidated, what happens in the voting booth matters little. That monitors will probably declare these elections free of fraud should also not earn them a democratic imprimatur. Soviet elections were also free of fraud. There was simply only one party on the ballot.
Fortunately, President Bush is viewing these elections with the proper perspective, asserting that they are "not the sign that democracy has arrived." Rather, he said, they are "the beginning of a process."
Whether this process will be a successful one will depend in large measure on whether we have learned from the mistakes of the past. Oslo failed because its architects and the democratic world that supported Oslo cared little about how Arafat ruled. The fact that Arafat was constructing a society built on fear was not seen as an impediment to peace. On the contrary, Arafat's iron-fisted rule was considered an asset. As Yitzhak Rabin put it, Arafat would fight terror "without a Supreme Court, without B'Tselem, and without bleeding heart liberals."
But this view is fundamentally mistaken. What goes on "over there" is very much our business. Regimes based on fear rather than popular consent need external enemies to sustain their illegitimate rule and therefore turn the societies they control into breeding grounds for terror and hatred. If we return to the Oslo mindset of not caring about what happens within Palestinian society, no peace process will succeed.
While the new Palestinian Authority leader's coronation at the ballot box does not give him the right to speak on behalf of the Palestinians, he can prove himself worthy of his new title by governing on behalf of the Palestinians. That means protecting dissent rather than crushing it, providing a good education for Palestinian youth rather than using schools and the media for incitement, building decent housing for those living in refugee camps rather than using them as pawns in a political struggle against Israel, and enabling an independent middle class to emerge rather than seeking to control all aspects of Palestinian economic life.
Will this new leader govern on behalf of the Palestinians? Much depends on whether the free world, including Israel, insists that he does. Unfortunately, the pervasive assumption among policymakers and diplomats is that what is needed now is not to press the new PA leader to implement democratic reforms but rather to strengthen this "moderate" so that he can fight extremists and make peace with Israel.
Arafat used this lack of concern for how he ruled to consolidate his power by strengthening hatred toward Israel and at the same time avoiding making concessions that he argued might "weaken" him and bring Hamas to power. If the free world adopts the same approach toward Abu Mazen or any other Palestinian leader, the results will be equally disastrous.
Abu Mazen's promise not to confront terror groups, his demand for a so-called right of return for Palestinians to pre-1967 Israel and his railing against the "Zionist enemy" have been dismissed as empty campaign rhetoric. But it may reflect a belief that, just as was true in the past, a free world afraid of "weakening" him will not force him to change course.
But there are also reasons to be optimistic. Foremost among them is Bush's recognition that the key to peace lies in the expansion of freedom and opportunity within Palestinian society. As the leader of the free world, Bush can play a critical role in advancing peace by linking American support for the PA to the regime's willingness to build such a society. With an American president willing to hold Abu Mazen accountable, the chances of inducing real change within Palestinian society are very real.
I am less confident, however, that Israel's government, whatever its eventual composition, will take advantage of this unique opportunity to begin a real peace process based on helping the Palestinians build a free society. Instead, we are divided among those who are determined to return to Oslo, those who endorse unilateralism and those who refuse any concessions under any circumstances.
But none of these approaches will advance peace because none of them will help change what is going on "over there." By stopping the insane policy of supporting dictatorship and instead focusing on helping the Palestinians build a free society, I am confident that we can forge a peace that will stand the test of time.
- Friday, January 07, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
More than 500 election observers have poured into east Jerusalem and the Palestinian Authority over the last few days to watch the Palestinians cast their ballots, take the ballots to counting centers, and then count the votes.
The observers are divided into three categories. The largest contingent, 260 members, comes from the European Union. A second contingent is sponsored by the US National Democratic Institute and is bringing some 80 people from 15 countries; and the rest are part of a third group from a wide variety of countries – including Egypt, which is sending 20 observers – gathered under the UN's umbrella.
And where exactly were these "observers" when the campaigning was going on, when only Abbas managed to travel freely, when the PA press and "security forces" are all run by the same party that supports the Holocaust-denier Abbas, where all the millions that pour into Fatah go to only one candidate? Who needs to cheat in such an election? -EoZ
The observers are divided into three categories. The largest contingent, 260 members, comes from the European Union. A second contingent is sponsored by the US National Democratic Institute and is bringing some 80 people from 15 countries; and the rest are part of a third group from a wide variety of countries – including Egypt, which is sending 20 observers – gathered under the UN's umbrella.
And where exactly were these "observers" when the campaigning was going on, when only Abbas managed to travel freely, when the PA press and "security forces" are all run by the same party that supports the Holocaust-denier Abbas, where all the millions that pour into Fatah go to only one candidate? Who needs to cheat in such an election? -EoZ
- Friday, January 07, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Abbas later visited the nearby Balata refugee camp, where he was greeted by scores of Fatah gunmen belonging to the Aksa Martyrs Brigades.
Two of them, Ala Sanakreh and Ahmed Abu Salateh, appeared next to Abbas as he addressed thousands of supporters. The two are wanted by Israel for their role in a suicide bombing at Jerusalem's French Hill junction four months ago and other attacks. Abbas later held a closed door meeting with the gunmen and promised to help them after the election.
'I will do everything to protect these men,' Abbas vowed. 'The issue of the wanted men will be at the top of my priorities, in addition to the case of the prisoners.'
On the eve of Ababs's visit, Fatah members in the city murdered a 44-year-old man suspected of 'collaboration' with Israel.
The Aksa Martyrs Brigades have thrown their weight behind Abbas, calling on their supporters to vote for him. The group has also backed his call for an end to rocket attacks, and many of its gunmen say they won't oppose his efforts to reach a truce with Israel.
Two of them, Ala Sanakreh and Ahmed Abu Salateh, appeared next to Abbas as he addressed thousands of supporters. The two are wanted by Israel for their role in a suicide bombing at Jerusalem's French Hill junction four months ago and other attacks. Abbas later held a closed door meeting with the gunmen and promised to help them after the election.
'I will do everything to protect these men,' Abbas vowed. 'The issue of the wanted men will be at the top of my priorities, in addition to the case of the prisoners.'
On the eve of Ababs's visit, Fatah members in the city murdered a 44-year-old man suspected of 'collaboration' with Israel.
The Aksa Martyrs Brigades have thrown their weight behind Abbas, calling on their supporters to vote for him. The group has also backed his call for an end to rocket attacks, and many of its gunmen say they won't oppose his efforts to reach a truce with Israel.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
- Thursday, January 06, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
It is too hard to answer Fool Callie's questions in the tagboard, so I'll try here:
Plastic surgery for cosmetic-only purposes is frowned upon, and I don't see why Botox would be any different. But I never read a t'shuva on the topic. My guess would be that if it has a small danger involved (like the reports that people contracted botulism) then it would be definitely no good; if not then it may be acceptable for special cases. Perhaps you can ask this woman who appears to be an Orthodox dermatologist who has given talks on this topic.
- Why have the MO community started kicking up the Bat Mitsvah thing if girls still don't read from the Torah?
- Is Botox Kosher?
Plastic surgery for cosmetic-only purposes is frowned upon, and I don't see why Botox would be any different. But I never read a t'shuva on the topic. My guess would be that if it has a small danger involved (like the reports that people contracted botulism) then it would be definitely no good; if not then it may be acceptable for special cases. Perhaps you can ask this woman who appears to be an Orthodox dermatologist who has given talks on this topic.
- Do Orthodox Jews have the tooth fairy?
- Thursday, January 06, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Saudi Arabia's pledge to help tsunami victims: $30 million
Saudi Arabia's money sent to Palestinian suicide bombers: $109 million
Saudi Arabia's money sent to Palestinian suicide bombers: $109 million
- Thursday, January 06, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Members of the Fatah youth movement chant slogans during a rally for Palestinian presidential candidate Mahmoud Abbas at a hotel in the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Hanina, January 5, 2005.
Remember that these are not Hamas - these are the terrorists from Mahmoud Abbas' own party. Look how moderate these kids are with their cute Nazi salutes! - EoZ
- Thursday, January 06, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
It is utterly depressing to see wishful thinking replace common sense in the current Israeli government.
Is there any actual indication that Abbas will be any more "peaceful" than Arafat? For every "pragmatic" statement that gets trumpeted in the Western press, he makes three statements completely consistent with the desire for the destruction of Israel. Since when is someone who denies the Holocaust, insists on all of Jerusalem, and praises suicide bombers a "moderate?"
Is there any actual indication that abandoning Gaza will make things more peaceful? Hamas isn't saying anything of the sort. Israel will have to de facto occupy all the areas that they plan to abandon to keep rockets out of southern kibbutzim. And for this we are uprooting Jews, dismantling synagogues and moving cemeteries?
Historically, Israel has gained respect most when she looked after her own interests. Sure she was criticized in 1967, when she bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor, even after Entebbe. But has the criticism lessened any since Sharon started his appeasement policy? On the contrary - Israel is more reviled than ever. And now she no longer has the moral authority of protecting her own citizens, weakening her further and placing her at the mercy of the EU and UN who are so anxious to impose a solution. If Israel is losing her own desire to defend herself and ignore the world, G-d help us all.
And it all seems to be based on the same sort of wishful thinking that produced the fruits of Oslo, of over a thousand innocents killed.
-EoZ
Is there any actual indication that Abbas will be any more "peaceful" than Arafat? For every "pragmatic" statement that gets trumpeted in the Western press, he makes three statements completely consistent with the desire for the destruction of Israel. Since when is someone who denies the Holocaust, insists on all of Jerusalem, and praises suicide bombers a "moderate?"
Is there any actual indication that abandoning Gaza will make things more peaceful? Hamas isn't saying anything of the sort. Israel will have to de facto occupy all the areas that they plan to abandon to keep rockets out of southern kibbutzim. And for this we are uprooting Jews, dismantling synagogues and moving cemeteries?
Historically, Israel has gained respect most when she looked after her own interests. Sure she was criticized in 1967, when she bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor, even after Entebbe. But has the criticism lessened any since Sharon started his appeasement policy? On the contrary - Israel is more reviled than ever. And now she no longer has the moral authority of protecting her own citizens, weakening her further and placing her at the mercy of the EU and UN who are so anxious to impose a solution. If Israel is losing her own desire to defend herself and ignore the world, G-d help us all.
And it all seems to be based on the same sort of wishful thinking that produced the fruits of Oslo, of over a thousand innocents killed.
-EoZ
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
- Wednesday, January 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
A new historical series airing on Iran's Sahar TV, recorded and translated by MEMRI's TV Monitor Project, depicts the early Christian era from an Islamic perspective. The seventh episode, which aired on December 30, 2004, shows the crucifixion of some of Jesus' followers by the Romans. In a scene reminiscent of the crucifixion of Jesus, the series shows Jews who are passing by the crucifixion site stopping to abuse the crucified Christian preacher Adonya, by gleefully and maliciously throwing stones at him as he is nailed to the cross. A Roman soldier tries to stop them, but the Jews bribe him and continue to abuse Adonya. In portraying them as Jews, the actors talk like cartoons, and wear as their clothing traditional 'Jewish' religious garb (a tallis, which in fact is used only during prayer).
- Wednesday, January 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
THE FENCE [Cliff May]
The new fences will be chain-link and six feet tall, topped with small spikes to “deter” those who might consider scaling them. Well, we’ll see what the International Court of Justice in The Hague has to say about this!
Oh, wait a minute, sorry. These fences are not being erected along the West Bank to protect Israeli communities from Hamas terrorists, these fences are being erected between the District of Columbia and Prince Georges County in Maryland, and they are meant to stop “criminals” from crossing from the city into the suburbs. The route the fences will block has been used as a “corridor for drug dealing.”
And, off course, drug dealers are committing crimes. Whereas suicide bombers are …how shall I put this …expressing their anger and outrage over grievances? The front page Washington Post story is here.
The new fences will be chain-link and six feet tall, topped with small spikes to “deter” those who might consider scaling them. Well, we’ll see what the International Court of Justice in The Hague has to say about this!
Oh, wait a minute, sorry. These fences are not being erected along the West Bank to protect Israeli communities from Hamas terrorists, these fences are being erected between the District of Columbia and Prince Georges County in Maryland, and they are meant to stop “criminals” from crossing from the city into the suburbs. The route the fences will block has been used as a “corridor for drug dealing.”
And, off course, drug dealers are committing crimes. Whereas suicide bombers are …how shall I put this …expressing their anger and outrage over grievances? The front page Washington Post story is here.
- Wednesday, January 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
I spent way too much of today looking at some of the blogs that are mentioned in the Israellycool blog that are up for nominations in one of the many annual awards given throughout the blogosphere. It is worth looking through the nominees and browsing - some are political, some are personal, but all are either Israeli or Jewish (or both.)
I was astonished at how many are out there now, and my tiny, little-read news blog seems a bit redundant with all of the other ones in the 'sphere.
A good place to start is the nominations for "best post". I also liked the personal Israeli blogs which describe Israeli society in ways you could never get from newspapers.
And, no, I'm not trolling for a nomination!
-EoZ
I was astonished at how many are out there now, and my tiny, little-read news blog seems a bit redundant with all of the other ones in the 'sphere.
A good place to start is the nominations for "best post". I also liked the personal Israeli blogs which describe Israeli society in ways you could never get from newspapers.
And, no, I'm not trolling for a nomination!
-EoZ
- Wednesday, January 05, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - The Sri Lankan government reportedly refused to accept a large Israeli rescue and medical mission to aid tsunami victims. But even so, an Israeli group says it has contributed more civilian aid to Sri Lanka than any other country.
The Israeli humanitarian aid organization Latet (Hebrew for "to give") has already shipped 70 tons of supplies to the area, said Latet spokesperson Evia Simon. "It is the biggest amount of equipment [sent by] a civilian aid organization to Sri Lanka," said Simon.
The group has sent about $300,000 worth of supplies, including water, water-purification tablets and medicine. Latet has its own six-man team, including a doctor, on the ground in Sri Lanka to help distribute the supplies.
Latet, the first humanitarian aid agency to be established in Israel, has previously provided aid to Kosovo war victims, Ethiopian famine victims, victims of the two Turkish earthquakes and survivors of the earthquakes in El Salvador and India.
Israelis were surprised last week to hear that Sri Lanka had turned down Israel's offer to send a 150-person medical and rescue team to the country. Unofficial Israeli sources said that the Sri Lankan government refused the team's help because the unit falls under the umbrella of the Israeli army.
But the Sri Lankan ambassador to Israel, Tissa Wijeratne, denied that his government had refused the Israeli assistance and said Sri Lanka had "no objection" to the military composition of the team.
"The Sri Lankan government didn't refuse," Wijeratne said in a radio interview on Tuesday. "They wanted the Israeli government to delay the arrival of the 150-member Israeli rescue and relief team."
Wijeratne is due to meet with the Israeli Health Minister Danny Naveh later on Tuesday.
The Israeli humanitarian aid organization Latet (Hebrew for "to give") has already shipped 70 tons of supplies to the area, said Latet spokesperson Evia Simon. "It is the biggest amount of equipment [sent by] a civilian aid organization to Sri Lanka," said Simon.
The group has sent about $300,000 worth of supplies, including water, water-purification tablets and medicine. Latet has its own six-man team, including a doctor, on the ground in Sri Lanka to help distribute the supplies.
Latet, the first humanitarian aid agency to be established in Israel, has previously provided aid to Kosovo war victims, Ethiopian famine victims, victims of the two Turkish earthquakes and survivors of the earthquakes in El Salvador and India.
Israelis were surprised last week to hear that Sri Lanka had turned down Israel's offer to send a 150-person medical and rescue team to the country. Unofficial Israeli sources said that the Sri Lankan government refused the team's help because the unit falls under the umbrella of the Israeli army.
But the Sri Lankan ambassador to Israel, Tissa Wijeratne, denied that his government had refused the Israeli assistance and said Sri Lanka had "no objection" to the military composition of the team.
"The Sri Lankan government didn't refuse," Wijeratne said in a radio interview on Tuesday. "They wanted the Israeli government to delay the arrival of the 150-member Israeli rescue and relief team."
Wijeratne is due to meet with the Israeli Health Minister Danny Naveh later on Tuesday.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
- Tuesday, January 04, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
Temple Mount
Palestinian Word Games
By Daniel Pipes, January 4, 2005
New York Sun*
January 4, 2005
We read that "Prime Minister" Mahmoud Abbas is running in the elections on Sunday to succeed Yasser Arafat as "president" of "Palestine."
Excuse me, but prime minister, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, means the "head of the executive branch of government in states with a parliamentary system." Despite tens of thousands of references to Mr. Abbas as prime minister, he in not a single way fits this description.
Oh, and there is also the matter of there being no country called Palestine. Arab maps show it in place of Israel. The U.N. recognizes its existence. So too do certain telephone companies – for example, France's Bouygues Telecom and Bell Canada. Nonetheless, no such place exists.
One can dismiss use of these terms as symptoms of the same unrealism that has undermined Palestinian Arab war efforts since 1948. But they also promote the Palestinian cause (a polite way of saying, "the destruction of Israel") in a vital way.
In an era when the battle for public opinion has an importance that rivals the clash of soldiers, the Palestinian Arabs' success in framing the issues has won them critical support among politicians, editorial writers, academics, street demonstrators, and NGO activists. In the aggregate, these many auxiliaries keep the Palestinian effort alive.
Especially in a long-standing dispute with a static situation on the ground, public opinion has great significance. That's because words reflect ideas – and ideas motivate people. Weapons in themselves are inert; today, ideas inspire people to pick up arms or sacrifice their lives. Software drives hardware.
Israel is winning on the basic geographic nomenclature. The state is known in English as Israel, not the Zionist entity. Its capital is called Jerusalem, not Al-Quds. Likewise, Temple Mount and Western Wall enjoy far more currency than Al-Haram ash-Sharif or Al-Buraq. The separation barrier is more often called a security fence (keeping out Palestinian suicide bombers) than a separation wall (bringing to mind divided Berlin).
In other ways, however, the Palestinian Arabs' wording dominates English-language usage, helping them win the war for public opinion.
*
Collaborator means someone who "cooperates treasonably" and brings to mind the French and Norwegian collaborators who betrayed their countries to the Nazis. Yet this term (rather than informant, mole, or agent) universally describes those Palestinian Arabs providing Israel with information.
*
Refugee status normally applies to someone who, "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted . . . is outside the country of his nationality," but not to that person's descendants. In the Palestinian case, however, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of refugees also merit refugee status. One demographer estimates that more than 95% of so-called Palestinian Arab refugees never fled from anywhere. Nonetheless, the term continues to be used, implying that millions of Palestinian Arabs have a right to move to Israel.
*
A settlement is defined as a small community or an establishment in a new region. Although some Jewish towns on the West Bank and in Gaza have tens of thousands of residents and have existed for nearly four decades, settlement, with its overtones of colonialism, is their nearly universal name.
*
Occupied territories implies that a Palestinian state existed in 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza. That was not the case, making these areas legally disputed territories, not occupied ones.
*
Cycle of violence, a term President George W. Bush has adopted ("the cycle of violence has got to end in order for the peace process … to begin"), implies a moral equivalence between the killing of Israeli civilians and Palestinian Arab terrorists. It confuses the arsonist with the fire department.
*
The peace camp in Israel – a term that derives from Lenin's usage – refers to those on the left who believe that appeasing mortal enemies is the only way to end Palestinian aggression. Those in favor of other approaches (such a deterrence) by implication constitute the "war camp." In fact, all Israelis are in the "peace camp" in the sense that all want to be rid of the conflict; none of them aspires to kill Palestinian Arabs, occupy Cairo, or destroy Syria.
Arabs may have fallen behind Israel in per capita income and advanced weaponry, but they lead by far on the semantic battlefield. Who, a century back, would have imagined Jews making the better soldiers and Arabs the better publicists?
By Daniel Pipes, January 4, 2005
New York Sun*
January 4, 2005
We read that "Prime Minister" Mahmoud Abbas is running in the elections on Sunday to succeed Yasser Arafat as "president" of "Palestine."
Excuse me, but prime minister, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, means the "head of the executive branch of government in states with a parliamentary system." Despite tens of thousands of references to Mr. Abbas as prime minister, he in not a single way fits this description.
Oh, and there is also the matter of there being no country called Palestine. Arab maps show it in place of Israel. The U.N. recognizes its existence. So too do certain telephone companies – for example, France's Bouygues Telecom and Bell Canada. Nonetheless, no such place exists.
One can dismiss use of these terms as symptoms of the same unrealism that has undermined Palestinian Arab war efforts since 1948. But they also promote the Palestinian cause (a polite way of saying, "the destruction of Israel") in a vital way.
In an era when the battle for public opinion has an importance that rivals the clash of soldiers, the Palestinian Arabs' success in framing the issues has won them critical support among politicians, editorial writers, academics, street demonstrators, and NGO activists. In the aggregate, these many auxiliaries keep the Palestinian effort alive.
Especially in a long-standing dispute with a static situation on the ground, public opinion has great significance. That's because words reflect ideas – and ideas motivate people. Weapons in themselves are inert; today, ideas inspire people to pick up arms or sacrifice their lives. Software drives hardware.
Israel is winning on the basic geographic nomenclature. The state is known in English as Israel, not the Zionist entity. Its capital is called Jerusalem, not Al-Quds. Likewise, Temple Mount and Western Wall enjoy far more currency than Al-Haram ash-Sharif or Al-Buraq. The separation barrier is more often called a security fence (keeping out Palestinian suicide bombers) than a separation wall (bringing to mind divided Berlin).
In other ways, however, the Palestinian Arabs' wording dominates English-language usage, helping them win the war for public opinion.
*
Collaborator means someone who "cooperates treasonably" and brings to mind the French and Norwegian collaborators who betrayed their countries to the Nazis. Yet this term (rather than informant, mole, or agent) universally describes those Palestinian Arabs providing Israel with information.
*
Refugee status normally applies to someone who, "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted . . . is outside the country of his nationality," but not to that person's descendants. In the Palestinian case, however, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of refugees also merit refugee status. One demographer estimates that more than 95% of so-called Palestinian Arab refugees never fled from anywhere. Nonetheless, the term continues to be used, implying that millions of Palestinian Arabs have a right to move to Israel.
*
A settlement is defined as a small community or an establishment in a new region. Although some Jewish towns on the West Bank and in Gaza have tens of thousands of residents and have existed for nearly four decades, settlement, with its overtones of colonialism, is their nearly universal name.
*
Occupied territories implies that a Palestinian state existed in 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza. That was not the case, making these areas legally disputed territories, not occupied ones.
*
Cycle of violence, a term President George W. Bush has adopted ("the cycle of violence has got to end in order for the peace process … to begin"), implies a moral equivalence between the killing of Israeli civilians and Palestinian Arab terrorists. It confuses the arsonist with the fire department.
*
The peace camp in Israel – a term that derives from Lenin's usage – refers to those on the left who believe that appeasing mortal enemies is the only way to end Palestinian aggression. Those in favor of other approaches (such a deterrence) by implication constitute the "war camp." In fact, all Israelis are in the "peace camp" in the sense that all want to be rid of the conflict; none of them aspires to kill Palestinian Arabs, occupy Cairo, or destroy Syria.
Arabs may have fallen behind Israel in per capita income and advanced weaponry, but they lead by far on the semantic battlefield. Who, a century back, would have imagined Jews making the better soldiers and Arabs the better publicists?
Monday, January 03, 2005
- Monday, January 03, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
The year 2003 saw conspiracy theories from the Middle East surrounding most major events, ranging from the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia to the capture of Saddam Hussein. 2004 saw a continuation of this trend. Previous conspiracy theories this year included blaming the U.S. and Zionists for worldwide calamities, Egyptian conspiracies about 9/11, and accusations about activities of the U.S. and Jews in Iraq. The following top ten list represents conspiracies which were published in the Arab and Iranian media during the last months of 2004.
10) U.S. and Zionist Control of Al-Jazeera: Muslim critics of Al-Jazeera frequently charge that it is run by the U.S. and Israel. In the Tehran Times on December 2, Hassan Hanizadeh wrote that "rumors arose suggesting that the network was established by U.S. and Israeli agents in order to present a bad image of Islam to the world… The actions of the network gradually revealed the fact that Al-Jazeera officials, on the orders of Zionist agents, are trying to … tarnish the image of Islam…"
9) Zionists Spreading Diseases Amongst Arabs: Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV broadcast a program in November about "Zionist attempts to transmit dangerous diseases like AIDS through exports to Arab countries." Iran's Mehr News Agency ran a story titled "Israel Exporting Carcinogenic Foodstuff to Arab States" on November 24, writing, "The trend has led to an increase in leukemia and liver and stomach cancer in the Arab countries which have imported Israeli foodstuff."
8) Iran Accuses Al-Zarqawi of Working for Jordan: The Iranian Mehr News Agency alleged on December 26 that "Jordan sent Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to Iraq to carry out destabilization activities," and that Iraqi President Iyad Allawi is controlled by Jordanian officials. The report also accused Jordan of planning to re-settle five million Palestinians in Iraq.
7) Jews Were Behind the September 1st-3rd Chechen Beslan School Attack: Dozens of religious, political, and media personalities from the Middle East have blamed the Beslan attack on Jews and Israelis. Ali Abdullah, a conservative Bahraini religious scholar, claimed on September 5, 2004 that Israelis - not Muslims - were behind the attack, as part of an effort to "tarnish the image of Muslims."
6) Israel Stealing Body Parts of Palestinian Children: Iran's Sahar 1 TV is currently airing a weekly series that premiered on December 13 called "Zahra's Blue Eyes." The show includes graphic scenes of Palestinian children whose eyes have been surgically removed and stolen by Israel.
5) Jews Tamper with The Koran: The Kuwaiti English daily Arab Times published an article on September 21 titled "New Education Plan 'Enforced'; Jews tamper with Holy Quran." The article reported on the Dean of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies of Kuwait University, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Razak Al-Tabtabaei, who had "warned citizens and residents of some versions [of the Koran] which have been manipulated by Jews…" Al-Tabtabaei explained, "For long Jews have been plotting against Muslims using various means… They have been damaging the Holy book by the changing and deleting verses with the aim of hiding the truth."
4) U.S. To Invade Pakistan and Annihilate Muslims: Maqdoom Mohiuddin favorably reviewed a book in the Saudi Gazette on October 19, which advances the theory that "there have been rumors about a possible invasion of Pakistan… The U.S. has started implementing its program… The book also reveals that the other possible targets of the U.S. will be Sudan, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey…" Mohiuddin claims that President Bush's true goal is the "total annihilation of the Muslims."
3) U.S./Jews Behind the October 7th Taba Attacks in Egypt: Adli Barsum of the Egyptian government daily Al-Gumhuriya is one of dozens of Arab columnists who propagated conspiracy theories about the Taba attacks. He asked in Al-Gumhuriya on October 12: "Who planned the bombings in Taba? … Is it the Mossad? …Is it the CIA?" The London Arabic-language daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that a headline in Egypt's weekly Al-Mustaqbal Al-Jadid, the official organ of the National Party's Policies Committee under the leadership of Gamal Mubarak, read "Proof of Mossad Involvement in the Explosions in Taba."
2) Israel Killed Yasser Arafat: Writing in the Egyptian weekly Al-Ahram, Ghada Karmi claimed on November 11, "… A close confidant of Ariel Sharon has stated that the latter had 'eliminated' Yasser Arafat 'through his cooks'…" On November 11, Khaled al-Batesh, leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told UPI that "during Sharon's last visit to Washington, he told U.S. President George W. Bush, 'We will help G-d to get rid of him.'" An article in the Tehran Times on November 17 stated that "a special Zionist commando group" was responsible.
1) U.S. Soldiers Stealing Organs from Iraqis: In the Saudi daily Al-Watan on December 22, an article by Fakhriya Ahmad alleges that, based on European secret military reports, U.S. personnel in Iraq are stealing human organs: "The reports confirm the finding of tens of thousands of mutilated cadavers missing parts… These teams offer $40 for every usable kidney and $25 for an eye…" The report also appeared in the Syrian daily Teshreen and in Iran's Jomhour-ye Islami.
10) U.S. and Zionist Control of Al-Jazeera: Muslim critics of Al-Jazeera frequently charge that it is run by the U.S. and Israel. In the Tehran Times on December 2, Hassan Hanizadeh wrote that "rumors arose suggesting that the network was established by U.S. and Israeli agents in order to present a bad image of Islam to the world… The actions of the network gradually revealed the fact that Al-Jazeera officials, on the orders of Zionist agents, are trying to … tarnish the image of Islam…"
9) Zionists Spreading Diseases Amongst Arabs: Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV broadcast a program in November about "Zionist attempts to transmit dangerous diseases like AIDS through exports to Arab countries." Iran's Mehr News Agency ran a story titled "Israel Exporting Carcinogenic Foodstuff to Arab States" on November 24, writing, "The trend has led to an increase in leukemia and liver and stomach cancer in the Arab countries which have imported Israeli foodstuff."
8) Iran Accuses Al-Zarqawi of Working for Jordan: The Iranian Mehr News Agency alleged on December 26 that "Jordan sent Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to Iraq to carry out destabilization activities," and that Iraqi President Iyad Allawi is controlled by Jordanian officials. The report also accused Jordan of planning to re-settle five million Palestinians in Iraq.
7) Jews Were Behind the September 1st-3rd Chechen Beslan School Attack: Dozens of religious, political, and media personalities from the Middle East have blamed the Beslan attack on Jews and Israelis. Ali Abdullah, a conservative Bahraini religious scholar, claimed on September 5, 2004 that Israelis - not Muslims - were behind the attack, as part of an effort to "tarnish the image of Muslims."
6) Israel Stealing Body Parts of Palestinian Children: Iran's Sahar 1 TV is currently airing a weekly series that premiered on December 13 called "Zahra's Blue Eyes." The show includes graphic scenes of Palestinian children whose eyes have been surgically removed and stolen by Israel.
5) Jews Tamper with The Koran: The Kuwaiti English daily Arab Times published an article on September 21 titled "New Education Plan 'Enforced'; Jews tamper with Holy Quran." The article reported on the Dean of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies of Kuwait University, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Razak Al-Tabtabaei, who had "warned citizens and residents of some versions [of the Koran] which have been manipulated by Jews…" Al-Tabtabaei explained, "For long Jews have been plotting against Muslims using various means… They have been damaging the Holy book by the changing and deleting verses with the aim of hiding the truth."
4) U.S. To Invade Pakistan and Annihilate Muslims: Maqdoom Mohiuddin favorably reviewed a book in the Saudi Gazette on October 19, which advances the theory that "there have been rumors about a possible invasion of Pakistan… The U.S. has started implementing its program… The book also reveals that the other possible targets of the U.S. will be Sudan, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey…" Mohiuddin claims that President Bush's true goal is the "total annihilation of the Muslims."
3) U.S./Jews Behind the October 7th Taba Attacks in Egypt: Adli Barsum of the Egyptian government daily Al-Gumhuriya is one of dozens of Arab columnists who propagated conspiracy theories about the Taba attacks. He asked in Al-Gumhuriya on October 12: "Who planned the bombings in Taba? … Is it the Mossad? …Is it the CIA?" The London Arabic-language daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that a headline in Egypt's weekly Al-Mustaqbal Al-Jadid, the official organ of the National Party's Policies Committee under the leadership of Gamal Mubarak, read "Proof of Mossad Involvement in the Explosions in Taba."
2) Israel Killed Yasser Arafat: Writing in the Egyptian weekly Al-Ahram, Ghada Karmi claimed on November 11, "… A close confidant of Ariel Sharon has stated that the latter had 'eliminated' Yasser Arafat 'through his cooks'…" On November 11, Khaled al-Batesh, leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told UPI that "during Sharon's last visit to Washington, he told U.S. President George W. Bush, 'We will help G-d to get rid of him.'" An article in the Tehran Times on November 17 stated that "a special Zionist commando group" was responsible.
1) U.S. Soldiers Stealing Organs from Iraqis: In the Saudi daily Al-Watan on December 22, an article by Fakhriya Ahmad alleges that, based on European secret military reports, U.S. personnel in Iraq are stealing human organs: "The reports confirm the finding of tens of thousands of mutilated cadavers missing parts… These teams offer $40 for every usable kidney and $25 for an eye…" The report also appeared in the Syrian daily Teshreen and in Iran's Jomhour-ye Islami.
- Monday, January 03, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
On December 23, 2004, the Dutch Ministry of the Interior published a 60-page report entitled From Dawa to Jihad. Prepared by the Dutch general intelligence service (AIVD), it describes radical Islam and examines how to meet its threat to Dutch society.
#
Among the close to one million Dutch Muslims, about 95 percent are moderates. This implies that there are up to 50,000 potential radicals.
#
Since September 11, 2001, phenomena such as the growth of radical Islamic groups, polarization between Muslims and the surrounding society, limitations in the process of integration, and Islamist terrorism have increased in The Netherlands.
#
The capability of Dutch society to resist the threat of radical Islam is considered low, though recently a greater desire has become apparent among the Dutch population to become more resistant. Also within the Dutch Muslim community resistance against radical forces is low. The moderate organizations and individuals are not able to counterbalance the radical forces.
#
An earlier AIVD report dealt with Saudi influences in The Netherlands, mentioning a number of mosque organizations that originated from Saudi missions and financing. The Amsterdam Tawheed mosque, which in the past has put extreme anti-Semitic statements on its website, is linked financially, organizationally, and personally with the Saudi Al Haramain Foundation. Several other mosques are supported financially by Saudi charities.
#
The Dutch report places the blame for the origins of the problem squarely on the deeply-rooted ideology of fierce opposition to the Western way of life among certain Muslim groups. It does not claim that the problem of radical Muslims would disappear if there were peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel and Jews are not mentioned in the report.
#
Among the close to one million Dutch Muslims, about 95 percent are moderates. This implies that there are up to 50,000 potential radicals.
#
Since September 11, 2001, phenomena such as the growth of radical Islamic groups, polarization between Muslims and the surrounding society, limitations in the process of integration, and Islamist terrorism have increased in The Netherlands.
#
The capability of Dutch society to resist the threat of radical Islam is considered low, though recently a greater desire has become apparent among the Dutch population to become more resistant. Also within the Dutch Muslim community resistance against radical forces is low. The moderate organizations and individuals are not able to counterbalance the radical forces.
#
An earlier AIVD report dealt with Saudi influences in The Netherlands, mentioning a number of mosque organizations that originated from Saudi missions and financing. The Amsterdam Tawheed mosque, which in the past has put extreme anti-Semitic statements on its website, is linked financially, organizationally, and personally with the Saudi Al Haramain Foundation. Several other mosques are supported financially by Saudi charities.
#
The Dutch report places the blame for the origins of the problem squarely on the deeply-rooted ideology of fierce opposition to the Western way of life among certain Muslim groups. It does not claim that the problem of radical Muslims would disappear if there were peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel and Jews are not mentioned in the report.
- Monday, January 03, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
#1 The truth: Palestinian girl killed in Gaza explosion
www.spa.gov.sa/newsprint.php?extend.229069
Gaza city, Gaza Strip, Jan 1, SPA[Saudi Press Agency] -- A ten-year-old
Palestinian girl was killed Saturday when an explosion ripped through her
home in the Jebaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, hospital
officials said.
Residents said Ibtihal Abu Daher was killed when a Palestinian rocket
inadvertently hit her house. Her 11-year old brother Ihab was also wounded
in the explosion.
--SPA
1359 Local Time
1059 GMT
#2 The Lie: A Palestinian Girl and a Man Killed by Israeli Troops
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=1807
JABALYA, Palestine, January 1, 2005 (IPC Agencies)[Official PA website]--
Ibtihal Abu Daher, 10 years-old girl, from the Gaza Strip refugee camp of
Jablya, was killed early this morning by the Israeli troops and her
11-year-old sister was injured after an Israeli tank fired a shell on the
Palestinian-owned houses opposite to the Abu Safiya neighborhood.
A senior hospital official at the Gaza-based Alshifa hospital, said that
Ibtihal arrived in a very critical condition at the Kamal Edwan hospital in
the northern Gaza Strip, and that her sister was in a moderate condition.
www.spa.gov.sa/newsprint.php?extend.229069
Gaza city, Gaza Strip, Jan 1, SPA[Saudi Press Agency] -- A ten-year-old
Palestinian girl was killed Saturday when an explosion ripped through her
home in the Jebaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, hospital
officials said.
Residents said Ibtihal Abu Daher was killed when a Palestinian rocket
inadvertently hit her house. Her 11-year old brother Ihab was also wounded
in the explosion.
--SPA
1359 Local Time
1059 GMT
#2 The Lie: A Palestinian Girl and a Man Killed by Israeli Troops
www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=1807
JABALYA, Palestine, January 1, 2005 (IPC Agencies)[Official PA website]--
Ibtihal Abu Daher, 10 years-old girl, from the Gaza Strip refugee camp of
Jablya, was killed early this morning by the Israeli troops and her
11-year-old sister was injured after an Israeli tank fired a shell on the
Palestinian-owned houses opposite to the Abu Safiya neighborhood.
A senior hospital official at the Gaza-based Alshifa hospital, said that
Ibtihal arrived in a very critical condition at the Kamal Edwan hospital in
the northern Gaza Strip, and that her sister was in a moderate condition.
- Monday, January 03, 2005
- Elder of Ziyon
By John Farmer
The tsunami that struck South Asia last week has cast an unflattering light on the Muslim world and the mindless hatred it fosters towards the West.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation on the globe, was also by far the greatest victim of the earthquake and tsunami that convulsed the Indian Ocean basin. Of the tens of thousands of fatalities, Indonesia suffered at least 90,000 deaths. It, in a sense, was truly an Islamic tragedy.
So where in its hour of need did the Islamic world turn for relief? To the hated West, of course.
While America was ponying up some $350 million and the nations of Western Europe pledged sums approaching $200 million by the last count, what were the oil-rich Muslim nations of the Middle East doing for their religious brethren? Not a whole hell of a lot. Kuwait, which owes its very existence to Western help when Saddam Hussein tried to swallow it whole and today is fat with $45-a-barrel oil profits, dug down deep but could initially find only a paltry $2 million in aid money.
Kuwait is typical. Qatar, which reportedly has offered some $35 million, is the exception. The super-rich Saudis could come up with only $10 million, and the rest of the Arab world has been slow to react, and niggardly with what help they have found it in their hearts to offer, if any.
It's all part of a piece in the Muslim world. From Egypt to Pakistan and in all Muslim nations in between, it has been politically easier to finger the West, and especially the United States, for the Muslim plight than to look inward at their own faults and failings. Their treatment of the Palestinians offers but one example.
The plight of the Palestinians cries out for help. But most of the help they get comes not from their wealthy Arab neighbors, but from the West and from international agencies. What the Palestinians primarily get from their Arab neighbors are subsidies to the families of suicide bombers and a lot of hot-air hatred for Israelis and Americans. The Saudis, for example, have for decades poured millions of dollars into the funding of Wahhabi mosques and schools and clerics who preach jihad against infidels, a k a Westerners in general and Americans in particular.
Will that change now with the huge Western and, more particularly, American participation in the tsunami rescue effort? Not likely. It's not in the Muslim mind-set to acknowledge Western good will or good intentions. The Serbian slaughter of Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo, for example, was halted only by Western intervention, led by the American military; the Muslim Middle East was impotent to stop the genocide. But did that get the West or Washington any applause? We're still waiting.
So deep are the feelings of inferiority that afflict the Muslim societies of the Middle East (especially in the face of Israeli success) that they cannot accept responsibility for their own failings. Better to blame America and the West than to question the backwardness they endure in the name of Islamic or religious rigidity. One would hope that their helplessness in the face of the tsunami suffering of their co-religionists in South Asia would open the eyes of Middle East Muslims to their own inadequacy. But don't bet on it. It's easier to blame the rich Americans for being too slow with help.
George W. Bush has taken few hits even here at home for his tardy reaction to the crisis. It's true that Bush wasn't quick off the mark (he never is, really), but on this score he's taking a bum rap. Everyone was slow to react, largely because first estimates of the casualty rate were low, as few as 20,000. Only after a day or two did the world begin to grasp the dimensions of the tragedy.
And the scale of American aid is hardly measured by the $350 million Bush has offered. Two Navy battle groups, whose operations cost American taxpayers millions of dollars per day, have been dispatched to the stricken regions with supplies and thousands of personnel. Equally important is the fleet of American helicopters made available to ferry water and food to remote areas of Sri Lanka and especially the isolated islands of Indonesia. As the days go by and the rescue mission mounts, the role of the American military in aiding the Muslims of South Asia will only grow in size and scope.
This, as even the most radical of Middle East Muslims must realize privately, is a job only the American Superpower can handle. Whether they'll credit American generosity, however, or continue to see us as the "Great Satan," is another matter.
The tsunami that struck South Asia last week has cast an unflattering light on the Muslim world and the mindless hatred it fosters towards the West.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation on the globe, was also by far the greatest victim of the earthquake and tsunami that convulsed the Indian Ocean basin. Of the tens of thousands of fatalities, Indonesia suffered at least 90,000 deaths. It, in a sense, was truly an Islamic tragedy.
So where in its hour of need did the Islamic world turn for relief? To the hated West, of course.
While America was ponying up some $350 million and the nations of Western Europe pledged sums approaching $200 million by the last count, what were the oil-rich Muslim nations of the Middle East doing for their religious brethren? Not a whole hell of a lot. Kuwait, which owes its very existence to Western help when Saddam Hussein tried to swallow it whole and today is fat with $45-a-barrel oil profits, dug down deep but could initially find only a paltry $2 million in aid money.
Kuwait is typical. Qatar, which reportedly has offered some $35 million, is the exception. The super-rich Saudis could come up with only $10 million, and the rest of the Arab world has been slow to react, and niggardly with what help they have found it in their hearts to offer, if any.
It's all part of a piece in the Muslim world. From Egypt to Pakistan and in all Muslim nations in between, it has been politically easier to finger the West, and especially the United States, for the Muslim plight than to look inward at their own faults and failings. Their treatment of the Palestinians offers but one example.
The plight of the Palestinians cries out for help. But most of the help they get comes not from their wealthy Arab neighbors, but from the West and from international agencies. What the Palestinians primarily get from their Arab neighbors are subsidies to the families of suicide bombers and a lot of hot-air hatred for Israelis and Americans. The Saudis, for example, have for decades poured millions of dollars into the funding of Wahhabi mosques and schools and clerics who preach jihad against infidels, a k a Westerners in general and Americans in particular.
Will that change now with the huge Western and, more particularly, American participation in the tsunami rescue effort? Not likely. It's not in the Muslim mind-set to acknowledge Western good will or good intentions. The Serbian slaughter of Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo, for example, was halted only by Western intervention, led by the American military; the Muslim Middle East was impotent to stop the genocide. But did that get the West or Washington any applause? We're still waiting.
So deep are the feelings of inferiority that afflict the Muslim societies of the Middle East (especially in the face of Israeli success) that they cannot accept responsibility for their own failings. Better to blame America and the West than to question the backwardness they endure in the name of Islamic or religious rigidity. One would hope that their helplessness in the face of the tsunami suffering of their co-religionists in South Asia would open the eyes of Middle East Muslims to their own inadequacy. But don't bet on it. It's easier to blame the rich Americans for being too slow with help.
George W. Bush has taken few hits even here at home for his tardy reaction to the crisis. It's true that Bush wasn't quick off the mark (he never is, really), but on this score he's taking a bum rap. Everyone was slow to react, largely because first estimates of the casualty rate were low, as few as 20,000. Only after a day or two did the world begin to grasp the dimensions of the tragedy.
And the scale of American aid is hardly measured by the $350 million Bush has offered. Two Navy battle groups, whose operations cost American taxpayers millions of dollars per day, have been dispatched to the stricken regions with supplies and thousands of personnel. Equally important is the fleet of American helicopters made available to ferry water and food to remote areas of Sri Lanka and especially the isolated islands of Indonesia. As the days go by and the rescue mission mounts, the role of the American military in aiding the Muslims of South Asia will only grow in size and scope.
This, as even the most radical of Middle East Muslims must realize privately, is a job only the American Superpower can handle. Whether they'll credit American generosity, however, or continue to see us as the "Great Satan," is another matter.
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