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‘Hamas disinters Christians in Gaza’

by Asad on Dec 12, 2009 Christians, Israel, World News Comments Closed • Christianity, Israel, Jewes, world

Majed El Shafie

Every three minutes a Christian is being tortured in the Muslim world, and in 2009 more than 165,000 Christians will have been killed because of their faith, most of them in Muslim countries, according to a human rights organization that is visiting Israel starting Sunday.

“Hamas digs up the bodies of Christians from Christian burial sites in the Gaza Strip claiming that they pollute the earth,” said Reverend Majed El Shafie, President of One Free World International (OFWI), who will head a delegation of human rights activists, members of parliament from Canada and religious personalities.

During their visit to Israel the delegation will hold a conference on human rights and persecuted minorities at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem. The conference will provide new statistics on the persecution of minorities in Muslim countries.

El Shafie said that between 200-300 million Christians are being persecuted in the world, 80 percent of whom lived in Muslim countries and the rest in communist and other countries.

Members of the delegation will meet with Knesset Speaker Reuven Ri (more…)

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Change in Muslim-Christian relations

by Abdullah on Oct 12, 2009 Christians, Islam, Knowledge, Muslims, North America, World News Comments Closed • Christianity, Islam, Knowledge, Muslims, North America, world

Islam and Christianity are far and away the two largest global religions (1.5 and 2.1 billion). Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Today, more than ever before, they co-exist or encounter each other in 57 Muslim countries and in Europe and America and beyond. Despite significant doctrinal differences, they also they share much in common in matters of faith, values and interests. If religion has too often been part of the problem, it must also be part of the solution.

Share much in common in matters of faith, values and interests

In contrast to the past, the world of the 21st century is both transformed and threatened by the impact of globalization, a source of integration and fragmentation in international affairs, economic and social development, and inter-religious or multi-religious affairs. Today, President Barack Obama and European leaders are faced with the fallout from eight years of Bush legacy that led many Muslim critics of the US-UK war on global terrorism to charge it was a war against Islam and Muslims, an attempt to redraw the map of the Muslim world. Obama, in his inauguration and subsequent addresses to Muslims from Ankara and Cairo, has sought to recast America’s image among its Muslim and non-Muslim allies. His commitment to the importance of a multi-lateral approach with its emphasis on diplomacy in the pursuit of peace and justice — in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, were among the reasons for the recent and surprising award of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition and encouragement of Barack Obama’s fresh international vision in American foreign policy. (more…)

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Hate crimes on rise in Canada

by Khan on Jun 14, 2010 Canada, Christians, Islam Comments Closed • Canada, Christianity, Islam

Hate crimes in Canada increased 35 percent in one year, with more than half of them motivated by race or ethnicity, government figures show.

Police departments reported 1,036 hate crimes in 2008, 35 percent more than in 2007, with 55 percent motivated by race, 26 percent by religion and 16 percent by sexual orientation, a report released Monday by Statistics Canada showed. While all three categories of hate crime increased in 2008, the biggest jump was in crimes motivated by sexual orientation, which doubled from 2007 to 2008. The category also had the most violent hate crimes, with 75 percent motivated by sexual orientation.

Police-reported hate crimes refer to criminal incidents that, upon investigation by police, are determined to have been motivated by hate toward an identifiable group. The incident may target race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, language, sex, age, mental or physical disability, or other factors such as profession or political beliefs, the report said.

About two-thirds of religiously-motivated hate crimes were committed against Jews. There were 165 hate crimes targeting the Jewish faith in 2008, up 42 percent.

Police reported 30 hate crimes against Catholics, double the total in 2007. The 26 incidents against the Muslim faith represented a slight drop from 2007.

Among the hate crimes motivated by race or ethnicity, almost 40 percent were committed against blacks. Police reported 205 hate crimes against blacks in 2008, up 30 percent over 2007, but still lower than the 2006 total of 238.

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Irish church knew abuse ‘endemic’

by sufisahab on Dec 4, 2009 Abuse, Child Abuse, Christians, Church Comments Closed • Abuse, Child, Christianity, Church, Irich

An inquiry into child abuse at Catholic institutions in Ireland has found church leaders knew that sexual abuse was “endemic” in boys’ institutions.

It also found physical and emotional abuse and neglect were features of institutions.

Schools were run “in a severe, regimented manner that imposed unreasonable and oppressive discipline on children and even on staff”.

The nine-year inquiry investigated a 60-year period.

About 35,000 children were placed in a network of reformatories, industrial schools and workhouses up to the 1980s.

More than 2,000 told the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse they suffered physical and sexual abuse while there.

The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, said he was “profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed that children suffered in such awful ways in these institutions”.

“This report makes it clear that great wrong and hurt were caused to some of the most vulnerable children in our society,” he said.

“It documents a shameful catalogue of cruelty: neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, perpetrated against children.” (more…)

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Racist graffiti sprayed on Muslim sign

by Asad on Apr 30, 2010 Canada, Christians, Islam, Muslims Comments Closed • Canada, Islam, Muslims, North America

A sign marking the future site of a mosque in the Barrhaven area was spray-painted with racist graffiti sometime overnight Thursday.

“I don’t know what to think. I guess some people don’t want us here,” said Wais Sidiqi, an administrative officer with the South Nepean Muslim Community.

Someone wrote “F— Muslims,” and “Ragheads Go” with what appears to be a poorly drawn swastika, which makes it read more like “Ragheads Golf.”

Sidiqi said the group paid $1.2 million for 1.3 hectares of land at 3020 Woodroffe Ave.

They’re trying to raise another $1.9 million for the second phase of their plan, which includes beginning construction in 2011.

Sidiqi said he called police to report the vandalism Friday morning but was told several people had already reported it.

The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the act Friday.

“Such acts are offensive, hurtful and intimidating to local citizens,” said executive director Ihsaan Gardee.

Gardee said there have been several similar cases reported to CAIR-CAN in the past four months.

“Mosques in Hamilton, Calgary, and Waterloo were vandalized and hate messages were spray-painted outside a mosque in Pickering earlier this week,” said Gardee.

The organization is calling on the Ottawa police to conduct a swift investigation and bring those responsible to justice.

Police are investigating.

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The wave of anti-Christian violence

by sufisahab on Jan 14, 2010 Christians, Islam, World News Comments Closed • Christianity, Islam, world

A recent wave of violent attacks on Christian worshippers and churches in countries across the Muslim world is intensifying concern that continuing military conflict, cultural friction and economic imbalances embroiling Islam and the west are fuelling a parallel rise in religious intolerance at grassroots level.

The increase in tensions is seen as particularly disturbing in countries such as Egypt where Islam and Christianity have a centuries-old history of largely peaceful co-existence. In one recent incident, gunmen attacked a Coptic Christian congregation near Luxor, on the Coptic Christmas eve, killing six churchgoers and provoking inter-communal rioting and arson.

The Egyptian government said the violence was an isolated event and not sectarian. But many disagreed. About 2,000 Copts took to the streets of Cairo on Wednesday, saying the official response had been inadequate and complaining of systemic ill-treatment. One sign read: “Egypt burns while its leaders sleep.”

Egypt’s constitution guarantees equal rights for all religions. Yet according to Human Rights Watch’s 2009 world report, discrimination against Christians, Bahá’ís and minority Muslim sects is entrenched. Egypt’s 78 million population is predominantly Sunni Muslim. Copts make up 10% of the total.

Anger in local Muslim communities about Christian proselytising, alleged desecrations of the Qur’an, or “liberal” attitudes towards women often sparks confrontation. An attack on a Protestant church in Tizi Ouzou in Algeria on Saturday night, when Bibles and hymnals were burned, was reportedly touched off by rumoured Christian attempts to convert Muslims. (more…)

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US ‘grieving’ after army shooting

by Abdurrahman on Nov 6, 2009 Army, Christians, North America, Terrorism, World News Comments Closed • Army, North America, Obama, Terrorism, world

MAJOR NIDAL MALIK HASAN

US President Barack Obama has said the “entire nation” is grieving after a shooting that killed 13 people at a Texas army base.

He said he had ordered all flags at the White House and other Federal buildings to be flown at half mast until Veterans Day on 11 November.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, a US-born Muslim and army psychiatrist, opened fire at Fort Hood on Thursday.

He was due to be deployed soon to Afghanistan, a military official said.

Family members said Mr Hasan was strongly opposed to the deployment and had wanted to leave the army.

Mr Obama cautioned against “jumping to conclusions” and said the motives for the shooting were being investigated.

“What we do know is that their families, friends and an entire nation are grieving right now for the valiant men and women who came under attack yesterday,” he said on Friday.

He added that the order for flags on federal buildings to fly at half mast was a “modest tribute to those who lost their lives”.

The chief of staff of the US Army – Gen George Casey – said the attack had been a “kick in the gut” for the entire army.

It began at about 1330 (1930 GMT) on Thursday at a personnel and medical centre at Fort Hood – the largest US military base in the world, home to about 40,000 troops.

The commander of the base, Lt Gen Robert Cone, told NBC News that, according to eyewitnesses, Mr Hasan had shouted the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar!” [God is great] before opening fire. (more…)

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US Muslim detained for ‘terror plot’

by sufisahab on Oct 22, 2009 Christians, Islam, Muslims, North America, Terrorism, World News Comments Closed • Islam, Muslims, North America, Terrorism, world

A photo of Tarek Mehanna

US security forces have apprehended an American Muslim citizen over claims of his ‘conspiracy’ to kill the country’s politicians, soldiers, and civilians.

American security forces arrested Tarek Mehanna, a US pharmacologist of Egyptian descent, around Boston on Wednesday over accusations of his conspiracy to carry out ‘terror’ attacks against Americans.

Mehanna has been charged with plotting to kill US citizens at shopping malls and to assassinate politicians and troops in collusion with another US expat, Ahmad Abousamra, and a third unnamed accomplice, AP has reported.

Despite a lack of evidence incriminating the US citizen, Mehanna was accused in a federal tribunal of supporting ‘terrorism’ for his ‘anti-US’ stance.

The court arraigned the 27-year-old doctor and Islamic teacher of seeking ‘terrorist training’ during his 2004 trip to Yemen.

He also stands accused of allegedly telling a friend that it was ‘unfathomable’ for America to have military bases in the ‘heart of the Muslim world’ and that the ‘land of Mohammad [the prophet of Islam] … is being used as a military base to attack Muslims’, the report adds. (more…)

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Vatican investigates Bosnia ‘apparition’ of Virgin Mary

by Abdurrahman on Mar 18, 2010 Christians, Church, Mary Comments Closed • Bosnia, Christian, Mary

Around 30 million are estimated to have visited since the first sighting

The Vatican has announced a commission to investigate claims that the Virgin Mary appears on a daily basis in a town in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

Six children first reported the apparition in the town of Medjugorje in June 1981.

However, the sightings have not yet received official recognition from the Catholic Church.

The 20-strong commission will report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the top doctrinal body.

Long debate

For almost 30 years, the Virgin Mary has been said to appear daily in Medjugorje, dressed sometimes in a grey dress and veil and sometimes in gold, crowned with stars and floating on a cloud.

It is said she speaks in Croatian, uttering the words: “I’ve come because there are many true believers here. I wish to be with you to convert and reconcile the whole world.”

It is also said that three flashes of light precede her apparitions, during which the voices of the visionaries can no longer be heard.

But the Catholic Church has long debated the credibility of the sightings.

There was a recent visit by a cardinal from Vienna, Christoph Schoenberg.

But the bishop of neighbouring Mostar has frequently criticised unquestioning belief in the claims.

Until the commission reports back to the Church’s top doctrinal body, believers are likely to continue to flock to this small Bosnian town.

Around 30 million are estimated to have visited since the first sighting of what they call “Our Lady”.

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Why does Europe hate Israel?

by Abdurrahman on Jun 14, 2010 Christians, Europe, Israel, Jews Comments Closed • Christianity, Europe, Israel, Muslims, world

By Ed West

Why does Europe hate Israel? That’s the question asked in Robin Shepherd’s A State Beyond the Pale, which I’ve reviewed in the Catholic Herald this week. The book came out some months back, but with Helen Thomas’s recent outburst (Shepherd also includes the American Left in the growing league of Israel haters) it’s more timely than ever.

I tend to avoid the subject of Israel-Palestine because there are already a billion people expending measureless energy discussing it on a million internet messageboards and social media outlets, probably costing the world economy trillions of dollars a year in lost production.

It’s also a very complex issue that seems to attract the most ironic and absurd partisans: on the one hand feminist or gay and lesbian organisations that support the violently reactionary Islamists of Gaza against one of the most gay-friendly states on earth; on the other, Christian religious nuts who support the settlement of Jews in the West Bank at the expense of the Christian community there – and not just any Christian community either, but one founded by Jesus Christ himself.

And those on both sides who paint this as a simple clash of civilisations between Jews/Christians and Muslims ignore the fact that Israel’s arch-enemy, Syria, has a large, well-protected and equally anti-Israeli Christian minority (indeed if and when the current dictatorship falls the Christian community may well face the same fate as their brethren in Iraq). The Syrians also have an attitude towards Islamists that makes the Israelis look like Birkenstock-wearing pinkos in comparison – 53 Palestinians (mostly combatants) were killed during the IDF’s attack on Jenin a few years back; anywhere between 25-40,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed when the Syrians stormed the town of Hama to crush an Islamist revolt. How many of the flotilistas have even heard of Hama? None, because no one in Europe cares about 40,000 dead Arabs if it’s Arabs doing the killing – it seems if you can’t blame the Jews, it ain’t news. (more…)

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