Tuesday, January 18, 2005

  • Tuesday, January 18, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
Apparently this is a little too much, too fast for Iraq. -EoZ


While Iraq is making provision for Iraqi exiles in more than 14 countries to vote in the Jan. 30 election, some 90,000 Jews who fled Iraq for Israel will be excluded from participating.

That's the word from Iraqi officials who say the exclusion is due to the fact that the newly liberated nation still does not recognize the Jewish state.

The government said yesterday allowing Israelis of Iraqi origin to participate in the country's elections under the Out of Country Voting program was 'out of question.'

Even if Iraqi Jews living in Israel wanted to travel to a voting center in Amman, Jordan, they would be prohibited from casting ballots.

Monday, January 17, 2005

  • Monday, January 17, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
Or, as Arutz Sheva puts it: Abu Mazen: Stop Attack But Be Gentle

(IsraelNN.com) PA leader Muhmad Abbas (Abu Mazen) has instructed his security forces to take action to stop shelling attacks against Israeli communities, but not by using force. Abu Abbas has reiterated his policy, to prevent a civil war among PA residents and terror organizations and therefore, will not use force to disarm terrorists.

"Put down that rocket or I'll....um....nonforcibly disarm you!"
  • Monday, January 17, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
So far the press has relayed three theories, one of which (a dispute with a former tenant) has been ruled out. And details from earlier stories are changing today away from a religious motive. We'll see.

Update:

Another wrinkle that points yet again to terror -
ABC News has learned that the slain family's cousin has been a translator working for the prosecution in the trial of Lynne Stewart. She is the radical lawyer accused of smuggling messages from imprisoned Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, to terrorist cell members and associates.

  • Monday, January 17, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
You would think that after watching how Arabs act towards Israel for over fifty years, that people would start seeing a pattern.

Today's game, played for the umpteenth time, is good cop/bad cop. Tell the West what they want to hear, play the wishful-thinkers in Israel and the US and Eurabia like an instrument, make sure that nothing is done, and throw up your arms and say "I have no control over the militants! And if I, a moderate, crack down on them - then I won't have any power at all! I'm your only hope for peace but don't expect me to actually do anything or I won't be able to help you!"


Sunday, January 16, 2005

  • Sunday, January 16, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
Did members of the "Religion of Peace" kill a family of four in cold blood?

Argument over faiths probed in killing of 4

Jersey City man received chat-room death threat
Sunday, January 16, 2005
BY MIKE FRASSINELLI AND MARK MUELLER
Star-Ledger Staff

Authorities are exploring whether a religious argument in an Internet chat room led to the slaughter of a Coptic Christian couple and their two daughters in their Jersey City home, relatives of the slain family said yesterday.

One of the victims, 47-year-old Hossam Armanious, spent some of his spare time in chat rooms devoted to the Egyptian religious sect, at times proselytizing and at times writing about persecution of Coptic Christians by Muslims, family friends said.

Armanious' hobby took a dark turn about two months ago, friends said, when he was threatened after writing comments deemed an insult to Islam by another person logged in to a chat site.

'Some Muslim guys said if you don't stop this, we're going to come out and kill you,' said a family friend, who requested anonymity, citing fears for his safety.

First Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor Guy Gregory would not comment on the possibility that the slayings were a bias crime.

'We are continuing the investigation, making inquiries on several theories, and will not comment further,' Gregory said.

The friend said Armanious told him about the threat but did not seem especially worried about it. Those logged into the chat rooms frequented by Armanious are identified only by nicknames, providing a measure of anonymity.

Investigators, however, remain interested in the lead.

An uncle of Armanious' wife, Amal Garas, said yesterday that detectives told him they were pursuing the chat room argument as a possible motive for the slayings. The uncle, Milad Garas, was one of many family members interviewed by police Friday.

'One detective said this was his theory,' the uncle said.



Update from the New York Post:
Armanious' fervor apparently rubbed off on his daughter, Sylvia — who would have turned 16 yesterday.

"She was very religious and very opinionated," said Jessica Cimino, 15, a fellow sophomore at Dickenson HS.

A family member who viewed photos of the bloodbath said Sylvia seemed to have taken the most savage punishment.

"When we saw the pictures, you could tell that they were hurt really, really bad in the face; especially Sylvia," said Milad Garas, the high-school sophomore's great-uncle.

The heartless killer not only slit Sylvia's throat, but also sliced a huge gash in her chest and stabbed her in the wrist, where she had a tattoo of a Coptic cross.

Also found murdered were the wife, Amal Garas, and the parents' other daughter, Monica.

Fred Ayed, the deacon at St. George and St. Shenouda Church, where the deeply religious family attended services, said he's worried that the murders could have a ripple effect.

"I am concerned for the safety of our community," said Ayed, who knew Hossam for 30 years. "People are scared because one family was slain like cows," said Moheb Ghabour, publisher of a local newspaper for the Coptic community.

Osama Hassan, director of the Islamic Center of Jersey City, described the relationship between Copts and Muslims as cooperative if not friendly.

"I think there might be people that can get into physical fights, but not to the point of murder," Hassan said.

Both the deacon and uncle poured cold water on the theory that the family were the victims of a robbery gone wrong.

"This is not a robbery, Ayed said. "We found all of the jewelry in the house. They didn't take anything."

The FBI confirmed it has been called in to help with the case.

  • Sunday, January 16, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
From the ever-popular Tehran Times comes this startling example of Israel's expansionism. Yes indeedy, Israel is setting up "settlements" in Turkey!

Some stuff just can't be parodied. -EoZ


Qatar-based satellite television network Al-Jazeera reported last Sunday that the Zionist regime has made a proposal to establish a Jewish settlement in Turkey in southeastern Anatolia.

The proposal also called for a joint agricultural venture in the region.

The Turkish daily Yeni Shafak confirmed the report and wrote that Ankara does not have a positive view of the proposal, adding that Turkey’s National Security Council has revealed that the region Israel has picked is one of the country’s most fertile areas.

A wave of concern swept over Turkish citizens and political circles after the news was reported, since the Zionist regime’s current policies remind them of Israel’s usurpation of Palestinian territories and its slogan about the so-called Greater Israel: “From the Nile to the Euphrates”.

In its Aug. 25, 2004 edition, Yeni Shafak wrote that the Zionists are planning to purchase parcels of lands and immovable property in eastern and southeastern Turkey.

According to the paper, Turkey’s intelligence and security organizations are closely studying Israel’s policy.

In June 2004, the Turkish magazine Nokta warned the Ankara administration of the risks entailed by Israel’s plans.

The magazine disclosed that 60 Jewish people living in southeastern Anatolia where a dam is under construction, goaded on by the Zionist regime, purchased some plots of land with a total area of 423 square kilometers, i.e., half the size of Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.

Israel is now asking for permission to invest in Turkey’s irrigation projects under the pretext of sharing its great experience in the field of agriculture, noted the periodical.

However, Israel’s top priority in the region is taking control of Turkey’s water resources.

Many Turkish political analysts view Israel’s measures as a serious threat to their country’s national security and have voiced their deep concern about the Zionist regime’s activities in northern Iraq.

Indeed, Israel’s recent proposals have worried political circles in Turkey much more than before.

Clearly, Turkey will face a serious predicament if it does not deal with the issue promptly and decisively.

Saturday, January 15, 2005

  • Saturday, January 15, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
AP has always been the lesser of evils compared to Reuters and the disgusting AFP, but this comes as a shock: referring to Al Aqsa murderers, who only murder Jews, as terrorists without the usual scare quotes!

Grudging kudos also to Powell for saying what they are.

Of course, it is also sad when something this tiny and inconsequential is regarded as good news. -EoZ


Powell Demands Abbas Stop Terrorists

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Faced with a sudden setback to Middle East peace prospects, Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) insisted Friday that new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas bring under control terror groups that are killing Israelis.

'He's got to get those terrorists under control,' Powell said after six Israelis were killed in a bombing and shooting attack at a Gaza crossing. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) responded by cutting all contact with Abbas.

"The terrorists are not going to destroy Israel. 'It's not going to accomplish anything. It hasn't accomplished anything,' Powell said."

Friday, January 14, 2005

  • Friday, January 14, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
Why does it seem like Christians love Israel more than Jews do? This is truly amazing and I have no doubt that Mr. Cox will find many other Christians willing to join his prayer vigil - but can you imagine a Conservative or Reform Jew (or most Orthodox Jews) willing to do this sort of thing? - EoZ

There was no fanfare surrounding Earl Cox as he set out to launch his year-long prayer mission in front of the Western Wall on Sunday. Alone and hunched over a book of psalms, the evangelical Christian from South Carolina sat, undisturbed, praying for the peace and security of the State of Israel. It was to be the first prayer session in his effort to ensure an American Christian presence at the Western Wall every day, for at least eight hours a day, for the entire year of 2005.
'We want to make sure that true, pure Christians will pray that God will look over the people of Israel,' he said during a rare break from prayer on Sunday morning.

Cox, who moved to Jerusalem last week to oversee the year long program and is the founder of the pro-Israel American Christian Reserve (ACR), led a group of evangelical Christians on the inaugural prayer mission this week. A former Republican strategist and an active figure in the campaign to draft Elizabeth Dole for the U.S. presidency in 2000, he became an active pro-Israel voice three years ago during what he calls his religious 'metamorphosis.'

'I'd be happy to give someone a prize if they could tell me why I love you people so much,' Cox, who is also the host of the Christian Zionist radio show Front Page Jerusalem, said of his new pro-Israel persona. 'I know this sounds fanatical, but I am not a fanatic. In the past, I thought evangelicals were crazy, and to be frank, many of them have been crazy with the things they've done. But what we're bringing is absolute, pure, true love without an agenda.'

Cox, a real estate tycoon who has spent a great deal of his personal fortune funding pro-Israel efforts, founded and funds both ACR and Front Page Jerusalem. Back in his home base in Charleston, he sat in the town square nearly every Thursday with a bottle of water, an umbrella and a sign that read `pray for the people of Israel.' The vigil in the Old City, his partners in prayer explain, seemed like a natural way to give his prayer added power, significance, and attention.

Cox is hoping to enlist hundreds of Christians from abroad to participate in the effort and reported this week that a number of interested worshipers have already signed up for time slots on his Web site, www.supportforisraelstartswithme.com. Still, he's not worried about a shortage of volunteers, because as far as Cox is concerned, he can come out to the Western Wall everyday.

"I believe that prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is an important part of our lives," he says. "I could talk to you for six months straight and still not explain my love of the Jewish people. God just called on me to take a stand with Israel."
  • Friday, January 14, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
Has there ever been a bigger waste of newsprint and electrons than stories like this?

Not only because it is usually followed by atrocities like this. But the pattern is so predictable, the words so empty, the lies so egregious, that how can any self-respecting media outlet report it straight? Wouldn't it be better to say "Once again, a so-called moderate Hamas leader is hinting to the press that he might possibly consider being a little less murderous for a short period of time if Israel would completely and utterly surrender immediately"? Even a "Hamas has made such statements before, but its charter still calls for the destruction of Israel."

But every time a Hamas member makes such a ridiculous statement, thousands of media outlets trumpet it as a sign for peace, without the least bit of skepticism.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

  • Thursday, January 13, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
Can you imagine if it is a close race and the Israelis end up deciding the elections? -EoZ

Anyone who is or once was an Iraqi citizen, even if he was deprived of the citizenship, is eligible to vote, Sarah Tosh, spokesperson for Iraq's out-of-country-voting (OCV) central headquarters, said yesterday.

"There are no restrictions on Iraqis on the basis of religion, race or sex," said Tosh. "This definitely includes those who are Israeli citizens today."

Anyone who has an original Iraqi birth certificate may take part in the vote. Other required certificates are an Iraqi passport, an identity card, or a form from the Iraqi population registrar testifying that the holder is or was an Iraqi citizen.

...
"I call on everyone who lives in the free states to come and vote, to provide a counter balance to the voters from other countries," said Mithal al-Alousi, the Iraqi politician who visited Israel last year and is today the secretary general of the Democratic Party of the Iraqi nation. He was referring to hundreds of thousands of votes that will come from ballots posted in Iran.

Some 130,000 Jews emigrated from Iraq to Israel after it's establishment, decimating one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Arab world. The Jews left considerable property behind, as the Iraqi government forbade them to take it out of the country or sell it.
  • Thursday, January 13, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
The ironic thing about this pro-terror conference is that it is sponsored by the Institute for Women’s Studies and Gender Studies.

Yes, UT activist women seem to support societies that condone honor killings and second-class status for women, not to mention a culture that encourages women to blow themselves up and kill Jews when they are caught having affairs.

Equality!
  • Thursday, January 13, 2005
  • Elder of Ziyon
The Western world has been falling all over itself, breathlessly praising the Palestinian elections as an example of "democracy" and saying that it shows that Palestinians are now mature members of the exclusive club of democratic nations. The Palestinian spokespeople like the exerable Ashrawi are also jumping on the bandwagon of "See? We proved we are democratic!"

Even the more skeptical pundits, those who point out that the election was a foregone conclusion, and that the PA threatened those who wouldn't vote for Abbas, and the fact that many ballots were cast multiple times, seem to think that if the election was truly fair, it would herald the start of a new era in the Arab world.

But almost everyone is missing the point. Elections aren't a magic panacea that turns terrorists into upstanding public citizens. There were sham elections in the old Soviet Union and Iraq as well, and Hitler was "democratically" elected.

People are mixing up elections and freedom. Freedom is the prerequisite for true democracy.

Only in a society that has true freedoms, of press and religion and freedom to demonstrate, where the marketplace of ideas is available to all, where there is no fear of publicly stating unpopular opinions - only there can one hope to see truly fair elections, true democracy where each person can freely make up his or her mind.

It is a reasonable assumption that people want to be free. It is reasonable to assume that people who enjoy freedom will not be as interested in starting wars with other nations without good reason. But it is by no means guaranteed - it is entirely possible that Egyptians would vote for a state based on Islamic law (and then they would voluntarily take away their own freedoms.)

But if we want to promote democracy, we need to first promote freedom, we need to promote equal rights for women, we need to set the groundwork where true democratic leaders can emerge.

A society where there is no functioning justice system, where the rulers can act with impunity, where the media is controlled tightly and reporters threatened, where the schools are told to teach hate - this is not a free society, and this is not a democratic society.

It is disheartening to see so many people get so excited over something that doesn't exist.

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