Muslim Persecution of Christians: March, 2013

The Middle East Forum website has released it's latest report on Muslim persecution of Christians, which is probably the most under-reported story in the mainstream news media, truly a travesty in itself. One need not even ask if there would be this much media silence if Muslims were being murdered for their faith all over the world the way Christians are.

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The Islamic jihad against Christians in Nigeria is proving to be the most barbaric. A new report states that 70% of Christians killed around the world in 2012 were killed in the African nation. Among some of the atrocities committed in March alone, at least 41 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a bus station in a predominantly Christian neighborhood. According to the Christian Association of Nigeria, these attacks "were a signpost of the intended extermination of Christians and Christianity from northernNigeria."

According to the Rev. Jerome Ituah, "Out of the 52 Catholic churches in Maiduguri diocese, 50 of them have been destroyed by Boko Haram. When two Christian brothers were returning home after Sunday church service, jihadis opened fire on them with machine guns, killing the brothers, as well as three others, and injuring several more Christians.

Another 13 Christian factory workers in Kano were "gruesomely" slain. Said the local bishop: "Reports of the attack reaching us disclosed that on that fateful Saturday at about 7 p.m, Muslim faithful were conducting their prayer close to the affected compound occupied by Christian families, when two taxi cabs stopped in front of the compound and the occupants, who all concealed their arms dashed into the complex and demanded to know why the residents were not part of the 7 p.m. Muslim prayer. They responded by telling the visitors they were Christians and so could not be part of the Muslim gathering. At that point, they separated the men from their wives and children and shot them dead on the spot after ordering the women and children into their homes" to be enslaved.

The bishop added that, "government should show more concern, like it has always done when Muslims are affected; I have not seen that in the case of Christians—that 13 Christians were killed in one straight attack and nothing is heard from the government reflects selective justice because we are aware of compensation paid to Muslim families in situations of this nature."

However, the Nigeria government recently did go on the offensive to try to contain the jihadis in northern Nigeria—only to be chastised by the Obama administration, in the person of John Kerry, who recently warned the Nigerian government not to violate the "human rights" of the jihadi mass murderers.

Categorized by theme, the rest of March's Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity:

Full story here:
http://www.meforum.org/3532/muslim-persecution-of-christians-march-2013

UNC Wants Christian Club to Let Unbelievers Lead

From CharismaNews:

The University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG) is saying a Christian student club isn’t religious—and because it’s not religious, the “Make Up Your Own Mind” club must allow students from other religious and belief systems to become members and leaders in order to get formal group recognition from the university.

That move led to a federal lawsuit against UNCG. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys representing the club filed suit on Wednesday.

“Saying that a Christian club isn’t religious is flatly absurd, especially when the university has granted its belief-based exception to numerous other clubs,” says ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “The First Amendment forbids the government from determining what is and what is not ‘religious,’ yet the university is doing exactly this by telling a Christian group that it is not religious.

Full story: here. 

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Let's just be real here. Would UNCG tell a Muslim group that they'd have to accept Buddhists as members of their club? Would they force an Atheist group to accept Christians or Muslims? Or a Liberal/Democratic club that they must accept Republicans/Conservatives as members? The answer to these questions is of course, no.

The stupidity of this all is simply breathtaking.  Then again, these are NOT stupid people we're dealing with here; this is a university staff -- obviously fairly intelligent people. So what's at play here is nothing but an anti-Christian agenda. UNCG has no leg to stand on, neither from a legal, or common-sense standpoint. This is nothing but harassment.  This just makes me think of the days to come when the Devil will look for more reasons to harass believers in Christ and use whatever method, including the legal system, to do so.  Jesus spoke of persecution that will face believers in Him:

 ⁹ “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³ Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  (Mark 13: 9-13)

It's insane that this matter even has to go to court to dealt with. But may God work this out for His glory. This is an important case, just in terms of the precedent it could set. If UNCG is allowed to get away with this stunt, it just opens the doors for other colleges, universities, and other schools to do the same thing to Christian students. Here's hoping the Make Up Your Mind Club wins this case in court speedily. I'll keep an eye on this to see how this case turns out.

The War Against the Christians

If one were to judge based on what we get from our hypocritical mainstream news media, one would think persecution of Muslims is rampant worldwide, and persecution of Christians is practically a non-issue. Indeed, quite the opposite is true.  Clifford D. May of National Review echoes my sentiments so well in this article that I don't really feel the need to say a lot in the way of introductory comments on this one. The article pretty much speaks for itself. Read on...

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The War Against the Christians
The most important story not being told

January 14, 2011 12:00 A.M.

Imagine if Muslims in Europe were being arrested for nothing more than peacefully practicing their religion. Imagine if Muslims in South America were being sentenced to death for “insulting” Jesus. Imagine if mosques were being bombed and burned by terrorists in a growing list of Christian-majority countries.

Now here’s what you don’t need to imagine because it is all too real: In recent days, Christian churches have been bombed in Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, and the Philippines. In Indonesia a mob of 1,000 Muslims burned down two Christian churches because, according to one commentator, local Islamic authorities determined there were “too many faithful and too many prayers.” In Iran, scores of Christians have been arrested. In Pakistan, a Christian woman received the death penalty for the “crime” of insulting Islam; the governor of Punjab promised to pardon her — and was then assassinated for the “crime” of blasphemy.

I could provide dozens more examples of the persecution and, in many cases, “cleansing” of Christians in what we have come to call the Muslim world. If the situation were reversed, if such a war were being waged against Muslims, it would be the top story in every newspaper, the most urgent item at the U.N., the highest priority of all the big-league human-rights groups.

What we have instead is denial...

Full article here.

Related Links:
www.persecution.com
www.christianpersecution.info

Christian Groups Intensify Efforts Against U.N. Defamation Resolution

The hypocrisy that we see coming out of the Muslim world seems to know no end. Once again, various Muslim nations are pushing for the UN to vote on a so-called “Defamation of Religions” resolution. Upon close examination, however, it’s pretty transparent, however, that it’s mostly a “Defamation of Islam” resolution.

Of course, there is very little freedoms of religion in most Muslim nations, and in many such nations, those who convert from Islam to other religions – especially to Christianity – do so at the very risk of their lives. Chants of “Death to America, Death to Israel” and “Kill the Jews, Kill the Christians” are not uncommon in mosques in Muslim nations. So for them to introduce this Trojan horse of a resolution to supposedly prohibit defamation of religion – read “defamation of Islam – is the height of chutzpah and hypocrisy.

Thankfully, this time there seems to be more opposition to this bill from Christian organizations this year than in years past. Still, the temerity of these Muslim nations pushing this legislative atrocity in the UN is just breathtaking.

So what it boils down to is this: These people turn a blind eye to the atrocities taking place against Christians and other non-Muslims in their own countries…but they seem pretty thin-skinned when it comes to any speech that they feel “defames” their precious religion. 

Amazing.
Simply. Amazing. 

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Article from the Christianpost.com

A U.N. resolution that seeks to criminalize words and actions perceived as attacks against religion – particularly Islam – will be up for vote again this year.

This time, however, the U.N. Defamation of Religions resolution is picking up more opposition than in previous years and might not pass as it has in the past.

“The resolution lost support in the U.N. General Assembly vote during the last couple of years and we think this year may be the tipping point,” reported Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors, which has launched a campaign to rally concerned individuals against the resolution.

“We need to encourage key countries to change their vote on this resolution, supporting the efforts of our State Department,” it added.

Annually sponsored by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) since 1999, the anti-defamation resolution – which has been presented in various forms and under various titles – seeks to make the "defamation of religions" a human rights violation.

According to the resolution, the "defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred in general could lead to social disharmony and violations of human rights."

It also claims there is a “need to effectively combat defamation of all religions and incitement to religious hatred in general and against Islam and Muslims in particular."

Full article here: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101014/christian-groups-intensify-efforts-against-un-anti-defamation-resolution/

Related links that deal with the issue of Muslim/anti-Christian persecution:

www.persecution.com
www.jihadwatch.com
www.dhimmi.com/

Obama Administration Shifting from Freedom of Religion to "Freedom of Worship"

Words do matter. We should never forget that.

The terms "freedom of religion" and "freedom of worship" might sound very similar, but the underlying meanings are actually quite different. It seems like the Obama administration is making a shift from the concept of "freedom of religion" to the softer "freedom of worship" position.And frankly, this is a very big deal. If this idea catches on, the implications for Christians, especially in terms of religious freedom as it relates to our ability to proselytize, could be HUGE.


* By Randy Sly
* 7/16/2010
* Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Words matter - listen carefully to our current administration

Since the initially strong language on religious freedom used in President Obama's Cairo speech, presidential references to religious freedom have become rare, often replaced, at most, with references to freedom of worship. A purposeful change in language could mean a much narrower view of the right to religious freedom.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The change in language was barely noticeable to the average citizen but political observers are raising red flags at the use of a new term "freedom of worship" by President Obama and Secretary Clinton as a replacement for the term freedom of religion. This shift happened between the President's speech in Cairo where he showcased America's freedom of religion and his appearance in November at a memorial for the victims of Fort Hood, where he specifically used the term "freedom of worship." From that point on, it has become the term of choice for the president and Clinton.

In her article for "First Things" magazine, Ashley Samelson, International Programs Director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, stated, "To anyone who closely follows prominent discussion of religious freedom in the diplomatic and political arena, this linguistic shift is troubling: "The reason is simple. Any person of faith knows that religious exercise is about a lot more than freedom of worship. It's about the right to dress according to one's religious dictates, to preach openly, to evangelize, to engage in the public square. Everyone knows that religious Jews keep kosher, religious Quakers don't go to war, and religious Muslim women wear headscarves-yet "freedom of worship" would protect none of these acts of faith."

In the administration's defense, Carl Esbeck, professor of law at the University of Missouri, is quoted by Christianity Today as saying, "The softened message is probably meant for the Muslim world, said. Obama, seeking to repair relations fractured by 9/11, is telling Islamic countries that America is not interfering with their internal matters."

Let's be clear, however; language matters when it comes to defining freedoms and limits. A shift from freedom of religion to freedom of worship moves the dialog from the world stage into the physical confines of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque. Such limitations can unleash an unbridled initiative that we have only experienced in a mild way through actions determined to remove of roadside crosses, wearing of religious t-shirts and pro-life pins as well as any initiatives of evangelization. It also could exclude our right to raise our children in our faith, the right to religious education, literature or media, the right to raise funds or organize charitable activities and the right to express religious beliefs in the normal discourse of life.

Full article here:

Runaway Christian Convert Being Treated for Cancer

Seventeen year old Fathima Rifqa Bary, who bravely resisted her own parents as she chose Christ over Islam, is now fighting cancer. May the prayers of the saints be with her.

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From FoxNews.com:

By Joshua Rhett Miller

Published May 25, 2010

The Muslim teenager from Ohio who converted to Christianity and fled to Florida in fear of retaliation is being treated for an "aggressive" form of uterine cancer, a close friend told FoxNews.com.

Fathima Rifqa Bary, 17, has undergone two operations and has a third scheduled for Thursday, said Jamal Jivanjee, an ordained pastor who heads an Orlando-based ministry.

"The biopsy did come back malignant," Jivanjee told FoxNews.com. "It's a pretty aggressive form of uterine cancer."
Doctors had initially considered a complete hysterectomy, Jivanjee said, but they are hopeful that the complete removal of Bary's uterus won't be necessary.

"She really wants people to pray for her," he said. "That was why the decision was made to get the news out there."

Full story here:

Related story: Christian girl begs state: Don't let them kill me!

Two Christians Murdered for Witnessing in Florida

Two men have been killed for sharing their Christian faith. This is something you might expect in Pakistan or Iran, but it happened here in the good ol' USA -- in Boynton Beach, Florida to be exact. If it was 2 Muslims or 2 Jews you would have heard a lot about it. But they are 2 Christians, so the media just yawns.

Sadly, as anti-Christian sentiment continues to increase in this country, I expect to see this happen more and more. Christians had better be cautious out there, since the spiritual climate in our nation, and our world, is definitely changing.

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Why the National Media Blackout?
Contact: Dr. Gary Cass, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, 866-508-2232, 954-551-9770

VISTA, Calif., Feb. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- "Anti-Christian hostility is getting increasingly deadly as this week's tragic events demonstrate," said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. "The increasing demonization of Christians in our culture makes some feel its open season on Christians."

According to the Boynton Beach police, simply sharing the word of God on the street is what brought two ministers to the man who killed them. Tite Sufra, 24, and Stephen Ocean, 23, were shot and killed Saturday night after meeting Jeriah Woody, 18. They witnessed to Woody for fifteen minutes when he got a phone call and told the preachers he 'had to go.' As they walked away, Woody suddenly started walking back toward them. Sufra walked up to greet him and was killed with a shot gun blast at point blank range. When Ocean ran, he was shot in the back. After he fell, Woody shot him in the head execution style. Woody was arrested Wednesday and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

"As of today, there are no national news organizations reporting this vicious murder of two innocent Christian men. Why?" Cass said, "I'll ask this: If two Muslims, or two feminists or two homosexuals were murdered, wouldn't the media be all over it? These were two fine young black Christian men shot by another black man for their Christian faith, yet the media does not seem to care."

Cass continued: "It is an ominous sign of our times that Christians are being shot on the streets and in our churches. Last year Jim Pullion was killed while holding pro-life signs in front of his granddaughter's Owasso Michigan high school. Rev. Fred Winters was murdered while preaching in his pulpit in Maryville, Illinois. Increasingly we see Christian ministers threatened and churches terrorized and vandalized for their stand on marriage. Now when Christians gather for worship they must have armed security. Anti-Christian defamation and bigotry has helped to create this violent climate and it must stop."

About the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission - The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (CADC) is a national, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) Education Corporation whose purpose it is to champion Christian religious liberty, domestically and internationally, by standing against anti-Christian defamation, bigotry, and discrimination.

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See related article for more info, including photos:
Two men preaching religion shot to death in Boynton Beach

Islamic plan to criminalize Gospel message crumbling

We do have some good news to report. A sneaky plan to criminalize the Gospel message looks like it's losing support in the United Nation.

WorldNetDaiily reports on this important, but woefully underreported, story:

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Islamic plan to criminalize Gospel message crumbling 

U.N. vote shows 'continuing pattern of growing opposition' to proposal

By Bob Unruh

The latest vote on the nonbinding proposal came as the U.N. headed into the weekend, with 80 votes in favor of the proposal, 61 against and 42 abstentions. The results show support declining from the 86 yes votes a year ago and the 108 yes votes from two years ago.

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, has been working to raise the world's awareness of the implications of the plan for several years. He's especially concerned that the ultimate goal appears to be a binding action by the U.N.
© 2009 WorldNetDaily


Support for a United Nations proposal that critics contend would be used to ban criticism of Islam, censor the message of Jesus Christ and attack and kill Christians and members of other faiths is plunging, according to the newest vote totals.

A resolution has been pending in one form or another since 1999 and originally was called "Defamation of Islam." The name later was changed to "Defamation of Religions," but Islam remains the only faith protected by name in the proposal.

It is being sought by the 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to "protect" Islam from what OIC members perceive as "criticism," which could include anything referencing Christianity since that could be considered a challenge to the beliefs of Muslims.
"For several years now, we have been working to oppose this resolution and this afront to religious freedom," he said in a blog posting shortly after the vote. 'During that time, we have seen a dramatic decline in support for this resolution.

He saw today's vote as "a very encouraging sign."

"What this tells us is that our message is getting through," he said. "A growing number of nations around the world understand that this resolution is unacceptable – that it is harmful, not helpful, to preserving religious liberty and freedom. We will continue to work on this issue and to educate more nations about the dangers of this resolution and encourage them to vote against it."

Lindsay Vessey, advocacy director for Open Doors USA, an international Christian ministry operating in many Islamic states, previously told WND that U.N. human rights provisions always have focused on individuals, but the concept of protecting a religion would give authoritarian governments virtually unrestrained power to attack individuals whose message they don't like.

"It would legitimize national blasphemy laws in countries that are actually going to persecute religious minorities, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan," she said.

Full article here.

Swiss Ban Mosque Minarets

GENEVA — Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a surprise vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population.

Muslim groups in Switzerland and abroad condemned the vote as biased and anti-Islamic. Business groups said the decision hurt Switzerland's international standing and could damage relations with Muslim nations and wealthy investors who bank, travel and shop there.

"The Swiss have failed to give a clear signal for diversity, freedom of religion and human rights," said Omar Al-Rawi, integration representative of the Islamic Denomination in Austria, which said its reaction was "grief and deep disappointment."

Full article here.
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Are these people kidding? Muslims, complaining about a lack of diversity, freedom of religion, and human rights??!!! Please.

Let's strip away all the foolish politically-correct junk we always hear in the media about the so-called "religion of peace". The simple fact is, Muslims should be the last one complaining about "freedom of religion", "religious diversity", etc. Islam is simply the most intolerant religion on the planet. Christians and other non-Muslims are killed in Muslim countries at an alarming rate in numerous countries around the world. Muslims cannot claim the same thing regarding followers of their religion. In fact, Many Muslims go to various parts of the world and expect (or demand) religious freedoms that they know are not available in the Muslim countries they came from.

In fact, former Muslims who convert to another religion in a Muslim country often do so at risk of their very lives (especially if they convert to Christianity). And we haven't even begun to talk about the genocide in Sudan, perpetrated by Muslims against non-Muslims in areas such Darfur, which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. Of course, the Muslim world is silent about that, but if 20 Palestinians were to be killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, the Arab/Muslim world would be howling about the "injustice". Oh, the hypocrisy.

Let Muslims worldwide show concern for human rights and freedom of religion for those who don't believe as they do... and then maybe they'll be in a position to grumble when others oppose them trying to spread their religion wherever they go. In the meantime -- sorry, no sympathy here.
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The photos below are from a Muslim protest in London in March 2006. This should give us all an idea of why so many Europeans are alarmed about the spread of Islam on their continent.

Man fired after saying homosexuality wrong

The demonically inspired "gay rights" movement continues its spiritual warfare against Christians. The video and article below speak for themselves.
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Posted: November 02, 20099:02 pm Eastern

By Michael Carl
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A Massachusetts man has been fired from his sales position at the Logan Airport branch in Boston of Brookstone allegedly for telling a female manager that his Christian faith says homosexuality is wrong.

Peter Vadala was fired and the company says he violated a tolerance policy. But Vadala reports his dismissal came because he expressed his Christian view of homosexuality after a female manager made repeated references as she approached him four times during work hours to her plans to marry her lesbian partner.

"At the start of the day, she told me she was getting married. I told her 'Congratulations,' and asked, 'Where's he taking you on your honeymoon?" Vadala said.

"She replied that her partner was a 'she,'" he continued, "So I immediately tried to change the subject.

"I think she knew I was uncomfortable talking about it," he continued. "But, she brought it up to me three more times during the day.

"After the fourth time she told me about her plan to marry her partner, I told her, 'I think homosexuality is bad stuff,'" Vadala said.

"That's what I said. I wasn't rude about it and I didn't act disrespectfully to her," he said. "All the woman said to me as she left the store was, 'Human Resources buddy. You keep your opinions to yourself!'"

(Full article here)

'Gay' Man Sues Bible Publishers

A homosexual man is suing a Bible publisher because the Bible refers to homosexuality as a sin. Three words come to mind when I read this story: STOP THE MADNESS!

Seriously, how far away are we from homosexuals suing churches for preaching what the Bible teaches... and winning!?

Bradley LaShawn Fowler of Canton, Mich., is seeking $60 million from Zondervan Publishing and another $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing for violating his constitutional rights and causing him emotional pain, because the Bible versions they publish refer to homosexuality as a sin. The lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, The Grand Rapids Press reported.
Fowler, 39, claims that the Bible has made him an outcast from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment."

Full story here: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69147

U.S. deporting Christian pastors

Our government allow millions of illegal aliens to come into this country illegally,but they want to deport a law-abiding pastor?? Such madness!

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67861

U.S. deporting Christian pastors
Immigration rejects requests to stay when church leaders' visas expire

Posted: June 23, 2008


U.S. immigration authorities have stepped up deportations, but rather than pursue illegal aliens, they have chosen to evict America's church ministers from the country instead.

Honesty could cost Christian pastor Keith Thomas his citizenship because he cooperated with immigration officials, disclosing two minor marijuana convictions he incurred when he was a young man in England 33 years ago.

Thomas, 53, is working without pay, fearing deportation from the U.S. and separation from his family. He was denied a green card based on convictions that were expunged in 1982. Thomas told WND he has documentation to prove his clean record since the 1975 conviction and that he has always been truthful with officials, but he doesn't understand why people who enter the country illegally are allowed to stay when he is facing the citizenship battle of his life.

"They've let 12 million illegals into the country, yet somebody has been doing some good, paying taxes, came in legally and has been married to an American for 27 years and has two American kids, and they're going to kick him out?" Thomas asked. "I told the truth. Nobody called me out on my past. If I had not even owned up to my record, the government would not have been able to find any of it."

Full article here

Actress Bridget Bardot is on trial in France, for saying some harsh things against Islam. Many countries around the world have such laws where people face imprisonment for speaking against any religion they disagree with. Very disturbing. And look for it to get worse.

How long before we Americans can get prosecuted and face possible jail time for speaking against a religion we disagree with? How long before blogs like this get shut down for the same speech?

PARIS - Brigitte Bardot is back on trial in France, facing charges of fanning discrimination and racial hatred against Muslims.

In a Paris court hearing Tuesday, prosecutors said they are seeking a two-month suspended prison sentence and a $23,900 fine against the former screen siren and animal rights campaigner.

Bardot, 73, was not present for the hearing. A verdict is expected June 3.

A leading French anti-racism group known as MRAP filed suit last year over a letter that Bardot sent to then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, and which was published in her foundation's quarterly journal.

In the letter to Sarkozy, now the president, Bardot accused France's Muslim population of destroying France, and complained about the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha.

French anti-racism laws prevent inciting hatred and discrimination on racial or religious or racial grounds. Bardot has been convicted four times for inciting racial hatred.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080417/ap_on_re_eu/france_bardot

Pastors' convictions for quoting Quran overturned

I guess its only a matter of time before these so called vilification Laws come to America. They are already in Candada and Australia. God help America when such a law comes here!

Story from WorldNetDaily.

Two Australian pastors who were convicted of "vilifying" Muslims when they quoted from the Quran during a seminar on jihad have had their appeals upheld by the Victorian Supreme Court.

And while that means they will return to a lower court for another trial, that actually is a good result, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs.

"In a sense we are happy with this decision… It means this case will be kept alive in the public consciousness," Pastor Danny Nalliah said in a VOM report. "There's a need to keep these vilification laws in sharp focus to reveal the problems this law is creating."
The Australian law was imposed in order to prevent the denigration of people based on their race or religion, and similar laws also have been approved in Canada, where critics of the law say they include sexual orientation and forbid pastors from condemning homosexuality as a sin.

Many of the "hate crimes" proposals in the United States are based on a similar concept: designating as "crimes" the statements people make about their own beliefs or convictions.

Muslim Persecution of Christians in the Holy Land

As the world bends over backward to make sure Muslims dont feel they are being offended or persecuted, we see that obviously many muslims arent worried about the feelings of Christians living among. This story is about Christians in Bethlhem, the birthplace of Christ.


O, Muslim town of Bethlehem...
http://thisislondon.co.uk
Dec. 16,2006.

All is quiet in Bethlehem. On Manger Square, the Church of the Nativity stands in the pale gloom of dusk, its doors open to passing pilgrims.

But inside, the nave is empty of visitors and the collection boxes depleted of coins.

In the candlelit grotto downstairs, a silver star marks the spot where Jesus is supposed to have been born.

It is one of the most sacred sites in Christendom, but there are no tourists queuing to see it.

Just 500 yards down the road, Joseph Canawati is not looking forward to Christmas.

The expansive lobby of his 77-room Hotel Alexander is empty and he says: "There is no hope for the future of the Christian community.

"We don't think things are going to get better. For us, it is finished."

Life for Palestinian Christians such as 50-year-old Joseph has become increasingly difficult in Bethlehem - and many of them are leaving.

The town's Christian population has dwindled from more than 85 per cent in 1948 to 12 per cent of its 60,000 inhabitants in 2006.

There are reports of religious persecution, in the form of murders, beatings and land grabs.

Meanwhile, the breakdown in security is putting off tourists, leading to economic hardship for Christians, who own most of the town's hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops.

The situation has become so desperate that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, are to lead a joint delegation to Bethlehem this week to express their solidarity with the beleaguered Christian populace.

The town, according to the Cardinal, is being "steadily strangled".

The sense of a creeping Islamic fundamentalism is all around in Bethlehem.

...(Story continues here)

The Hypocrisy of The American Left

Repost. Originally posted Feb-28-2006

So the liberal media and the left in general is all worked up over the Muslim cartoons shown recently in European newspaper. They say it was an unneccesary provocation. And frankly, I agree. (Not that anything justifies the hundreds fo people killed and injured worlwide because of it.)

However, why wasn't the left get similarly perturbed when Andres Serrano was touring the art world with his vile P--- Christ photograph, which showed a crucifix sumberged in his urine? When Christians got all worked up about that, leftists in media, academia, and politics, came to his defense, citing "artistic freedom". In their eyes, Christians just had to set aside their religious sensibilities in the name of freedom of expression.

Interesting. If an artist were to show a Koran, or a picture of Mohammed, submerged in urine, you'd better believe we'd have similar protests worldwide too, along with numerous death threats (and dead bodies lying in the streets before long). And predictably, the leftists would chastise any such "artist" for "unneccesarily provoking" the Mulsim world and "disrespecting the Muslim religion". Just seems to me that if you want to disrespect a religion today, there's only one religion you can blaspheme against get away with it with no problem: and that is Christianity.

I notice that many liberals, even the non-religious ones, will bend over backward to protect and defend Islam for some reason - while their criticisms, of "religious intolerance", for example, are usually reserved for Christianity. I wonder how much of this is because deep down, they know they dont have to worry about Christians acting as sucide bombers, or burning their buildings down when they insult us. Methinks their "respect" of Islam has a lot to do with fear of Islam. Don't think so? Maybe you haven't been looking closely enough. Peace.

The Madness Continues

Repost. Originally posted Feb-19-2006

So now Muslim rioters kill 16 people in Nigeria protesting some cartoons that they say insulted their religion. They attacked and burned Christian churches, killing innocent people. Someone please explain to me what Christians in Nigeria had to do with cartoons printed in Denmark and other parts of Europe. The answer, of course, is NOTHING! Just another excuse for a bunch of deluded radical Islamists to foment hatred against those who don't agree with them. And this is the so-called "religion of peace"? Please. Enough said.

And while we're at it, why doesn't the media address the widespread practice of anti-Jewish and anti-Christian cartoons routinely shown in Arab Muslim countries? Seems to me like today's media is bending almost making a concerted effort to NOT show both sides of this issue. Why? Are they afraid of becoming victims of radical Muslims themselves? As much as the media likes to demonize Christians (such as the "Christian Right), it's interesting how they seem to be trying not to show the real dark side of radicalist Islam in the world today. Still the violence speaks for itself. Even with a compliant media tiptoeing around the issue, the truth about radical Islam can't be hidden.

Keep your eyes open, folks. Keep them open

Satnic Blue Jeans?

OK. So this guy in Sweden decides to design and market some anti-Christian jeans. The logo of these jeans has a skull and an upside down cross on it. (The upside-down cross is a well known Satanic symbol.) And the designer's purpose? Well, it's to make a statement that he thinks Christianity is "evil", and he has a "great dislike for organized religion". The makers say it’s a joke, but the logo’s designer said there’s a deeper message. ‘’It is an active statement against Christianity,'’ Bjorn Atldax said. He also states that Christianity has been the cause of wars throughout history.

Well if this guy knows his history he'd notice that wars have been started by quite a few religions; like Islam for example. Of course he'd never design anti-Muslim jeans. If he did, within seconds he'd have radical Islamists issuing a fatwa against him for blasphemy! He'd be a dead man walking, and he knows it. Look what happened when muslims worldwide were insulted by some cartoons of Mohammed. Imagine the reaction if this man were to design anti-Islamic jeans and proclaim that Islam is "evil". Fuggedaboutit!! The guy says he's againt "organized religion" Isn't Islam an "organized religion"? Hmmm....

Of course, my point is not that he should insult Islam. My point is that he wouldnt dare do it. So when it's time to insult someones religion in today's culture, bashing "organized religion" really comes down to just bashing Christianity. It's just so easy, so convenient. Which leads to this question: Do these people really respect Islam, or are they just afraid of it? My theory: its not respect, it's simply fear. They're afraid. Very afraid (and with good reason too).

It's kinda funny to me that people, like this guy, who say they have a problem with organized religion really have a problem with Christianity in particular, and they know they can get away with insulting Christianity more so than any other religion.

I just hope true Christians notice whats going on here. The climate is changing... and I'm not talking about the weather. Peace.