It’s The Hijab, Stupid
For better or worse, old habits and traditions die hard, or actually the never do.
The Parliamentarians in
She is the last serving female minister, and now she is under pressure (not the first time) to quit :
Kuwaiti MPs have demanded controversial education minister Nouriya Al-Subeeh appear before them to answer questions over her conduct and the standard of education in the Gulf Arab state as pressure continues to mounts on her to resign
And here is why they consider her to be controversial:
The feud between certain sections of parliament and the minister dates back to October when she moved two top officials from their posts prior to the start of the academic year, blaming them for shortcomings in the ministry.
At the time, MPs said they would give Al-Subeeh a three-month reprieve to reform the country’s education sector and resolve problems within the ministry.
Al-Subeeh has courted controversy ever since she refused to wear a headscarf in parliament, and was greeted with jeers and protests when she took the oath of office in April.
The looming grilling of Education Minister Nouriya Al-Sabeeh, the only woman minister in the Cabinet, is seen as a setback to women’s rights in Kuwait by women activists. Today Al-Sabeeh’s opponents are set to file a request to quiz her following the recent sexual assault case at the Ardhiya Primary School for Boys. But the move is perceived by women rights advocates as nothing but a personal grudge for gender-related reasons and political gain.
Good Luck promoting the equal right for women in the Middle East.
The Film On Quran - Premiere in January
Dutch politician to go ahead with film criticizing Koran
All those who consider themselves a true liberal , who respect the freedom of speech and the individual, the law and the common sense, should applaud the efforts made by this man.
Via Earthtimes.org
Amsterdam - A Dutch legislator who has criticized Islam and demanded that the Koran be banned, on Monday said he would go ahead with plans to release a film criticizing the Muslim holy book in January. Geert Wilders, writing in the daily daily Volkskrant newspaper, said the Dutch government was exerting “inadmissible pressure” on him not to go through with the film.
…
Some 40 individuals have since filed a complaint against Wilders with the Dutch police. They claim the politician has violated the Dutch laws on discrimination and freedom of religion.
Freedom of religion? You mean, freedom of Islam to slander other religions, propagate hatred and make every attempt to undermine the laws of the free Western society?
“Contrary to similar paragraphs from the Bible and the Torah, paragraphs from the Koran describing miserable things are still widely being practised today,” Wilders wrote.
“Muslims should learn to accept some criticism.”
Legislator Rita Verdonk, who like Wilders, is also known for a harsh position on issues involving immigrants, expressed her willingness to form a government with the Freedom Party leader in an interview with the daily Telegraaf on Monday. She is the first Dutch politician to do so.
“He has guts,” Verdonk was quoted as saying. She stressed, however, she did not agree with Wilders’ demand to ban the Koran. “I uphold the Dutch constitution,” she said.
Around 800,000 Muslims live in the Netherlands, a country of 16.9 million.
Good Luck and Merry Christmas!
Kenya now, Al-Kenyya-el-Islamyia Soon?
Worldivided.com continues to monitor the events in Kenya, as the Presidential elections there are drawing near.
Presidential campaign in this country would probably not earn the attention of my blog (apart from my personal interest in the outcome), unless it turned around the issue of the promise made by the Presidential frontrunner Raila Odinga to the Muslim sheikhs of Kenya to implement Shariah law in predominantly Muslim areas of the country in exchange for the Muslim vote. Muslims are approximately 10% of Kenya’s 35 Million population.
Presidential election date is set for December 27th, 2007
These two previous posts describe the events:
A Lesson from Kenya
Kenya-Sharia Presidential Candidate Scam?
When the news about the Memorandum of Understanding being signed between Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga and Kenyan Muslim leaders first broke through CISA, Kenyan Sheikhs dismissed the very existence of the document, suggesting that the document is a “forgery”:
Sheikh Abdi, who said he has seen the document, dismissed it as a forgery, adding that in this era of advanced information technology it was very easy to reproduce a person’s signature.
Now Muslims officially confirm that the MoU was signed, but they deny the content (a very familiar behavior path, or Modus Operandi, isn’t it?):
Muslim leaders in Kenya have denied reports that the presidential candidate for the opposition has promised to introduce Sharia law if he is elected.
The National Muslim Leaders Forum (Namlef) said that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement in order to end existing discrimination against Muslims, and not to implement Sharia law.
End the existing discrimination against Muslims? How?
Those who are familiar with the way Muslims interpret the term “discrimination” (when applied to Muslim minority) know that according to Islamic law discrimination of Muslim ends once the community is allowed to live by the laws of Islam – the Sharia – implemented fully or partially. Until Muslims are forbidden/denied/whateveryoucallit to fully or partially practice their faith they consider themselves to be discriminated against, even if the laws of Islam contradict the law of the State Muslims live in.
Is this another attempt by the Muslims to lie and deceive the non-Muslim majority from the real issue here?
Odinga is currently the frontrunner in the Kenyan presidential election battle. Recent opinion polls have suggested he could receive the support of 45 per cent of voters, while the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki of the Party of National Unity has 43 per cent of support.
Christian leaders called for the pact between Odinga and Namlef to be made public. The MOU was originally signed on 29 August 2007.
Namlef responded by making the MOU public in late November following concerns aroused by a document on the internet claiming that Odinga had promised to introduce Sharia law in Muslim majority areas.
Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi of Namlef said, “There was a fear that Muslims will force their faith on other people, Islam does not allow suppression of other religions and we will be the last to advocate for this,” reports the BBC.
It is the same Sheikh that said MoU doesn’t exist and dismissed it as “forgery”. Is this the classic case when Muslims are allowed to lie to the “infidels” in order to promote the goals of Islam?
And yeah, “Islam does not allow suppression of other religions and we will be the last to advocate for this,”…Right…
The MOU which has now been made public says that Odinga in fact promised only to defend Muslims against harassment and victimisation by the state security forces who claim they are fighting terrorism.
The public MOU claims that an Odinga presidency would see the setting up of a commission to investigate renditions of Muslims to Somalia, Ethiopia and Guantanamo Bay, reports the BBC.
In addition to this Odinga pledged to make policies to redress the marginalisation of Muslims in the Coast and North-East provinces
Same “grievances”, different continent.
“Redressing the marginalization of Muslims…” - and that how?
Promised “only to defend Muslims against harassment and victimisation by the state security forces who claim they are fighting terrorism.”? And this comes from the citizen of the country whose capital was bombed in 1998 by Al Qaida operatives (American embassy bombing), who infiltrated through the Kenyan Muslim community.
And here is the main question:
Can the Kenyan citizens be certain that the MoU that was made public did not “accidentally lack” some parts that were omitted, in order to quiet the uproar around this document?
How can anyone believe the people who first denied the existence of the MoU and proved to be lying?
Here is the document, published by Evangelical Alliance of Kenya
Worldivided.com continues to monitor the situation around the elections in Kenya.
The Stuff That We Do
Israeli Institute of Technology (Technion), located in Haifa, keeps surprising us with more interesting inventions and performances:
Via Jerusalem Post - Technion releases first ever nano-Bible
The entire vowelled-Hebrew text of the Bible has been inscribed by Technion scientists on a gold-coated silicon surface smaller than the head of a pin.
This is not an attempt to make the holy book more portable, but an exercise meant to arouse public interest in nanotechnology. It was part of an educational program developed at the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute at Haifa’s Technion-Israel Institute of Technology aimed especially at young people.
The idea to inscribe the whole biblical text using a focussed-ion device was that of Prof. Uri Sivan, director of the Berrie Institute, and the project was carried out by Ohad Zohar, the center’s physics education adviser, along with Dr. Alex Lahav, formerly lab director of the Wolfson Center for Microelectronics.
Ufff….these evil Jews, I tell ya….
The entire story is here
Sunday - A Day Without Islam
Aaaaaand… we’re back, after two days of being offline due to some problems at our hosting provider’s servers.
Today is a “Day Without Islam” on our blog, so we’ll start with these news:
Via SciDev.net - South American countries join forces to boost biofuels
I think it is one of the most efficient ways to fight terrorism - eliminate or reduce the main source of funding - the oil
Members of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) have agreed to carry out research and develop policies to increase biofuel production in the region.
The decision was made last week (4 December) during the 13th CAS Regular Meeting, in Asunción, Paraguay.
CAS is a forum for the ministers of agriculture and livestock of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
“The member countries have agreed to foster strategic alliances to allow technological development and research in this area,” Álvaro Rojas, CAS president and the Chilean minister of agriculture, told SciDev.Net.
Brilliant and blessed action. I guess the countries are coming up to the understanding of one simple fact: the oil, alongside with providing us with the fuel for our economies is also:
- Depriving us from seeking alternative fuel sources
- Serving as the main source of funding for terrorists states (like Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc), who in their turn supply a smaller international terrorist groups with money and weapons.
The next is the kind of news that I LOVE reading about:
Sanctuary gives aging animals homey environment
This is a classic example of humanity at its best:
Paw Prints Dog Sanctuary, which opened last month on five acres in Spring Twp., Perry County, caters to senior dogs from rescue groups.
The idea, according to sanctuary founders and former Humane Society of Harrisburg Area volunteers Laurie Lyon and Kevin McCartin, is to free kennel space older dogs take up in rescues while giving them a bucolic setting in which to await adoption or spend their final years.
And…one of my favorite topics - Astronomy and Space:
2009 to be UN International Year of Astronomy
The United Nations has proclaimed 2009 to be the International Year of Astronomy to mark the 400th anniversary of observations by Galileo that revolutionised our understanding of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) said here on Thursday.
The initiative, to be hosted by the IAU and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), was approved by the UN in response to a request by Italy, where the great astronomer was born, it said.
Ninety-nine countries and 14 organisations have so far signed up to participate in the scheme, which will seek to promote public involvement in skywatching, especially by the young.
“IYA 2009 will highlight global cooperation for peaceful purposes — the search for our cosmic origin and our common heritage which connect all citizens of planet Earth,” the IAU added.
Bloody Holiday
Yesterday and today Muslims are celebrating Eid Al Adha
Second, what can one expect from the religion that calls this brutal, gruesome and bloody practice (being observed by children of all ages) a “holiday”?
Dubai: It was a joyful day for Muslims who celebrated Eid Al Adha, the feast of sacrifice, with morning prayers and generally enjoying the long weekend.
…
“My kids love the time here. It is really wonderful to see so many happy faces,” said Lubna, a Palestinian mother-of-two
In other words, blood and slaughter are joyful and kids love it.
Third, here is a quote from the Old Testament. That’s what God thinks about this entire issue of “sacrifice”:
Isaiah 1:11 – 15
“The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the LORD.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
And in Hebrew:
ישעיהו פרק א
יא לָמָּה-לִּי רֹב-זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר יְהוָה, שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים; וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים, לֹא חָפָצְתִּי.
יב כִּי תָבֹאוּ, לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי–מִי-בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם, רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי.
יג לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ, הָבִיא מִנְחַת-שָׁוְא–קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא, לִי; חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא, לֹא-אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה.
יד חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי, הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח; נִלְאֵיתִי, נְשֹׂא.
טו וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם, אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם–גַּם כִּי-תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה, אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ: יְדֵיכֶם, דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ.
To those who will say “we also kill animals for food”:
Yes, we do. I hope we soon grow over this habit (I have), no matter how “human” (I despise this definition) our methods are .
People love their steaks and I have no illusions over it. However, the number of vegetarians in the Western society is spiking, and I believe it’s a process that will eventually (generations later) lead to abandoning the consumption of meat. Wishful thinking of sharp prediction? Time will tell…I won’t be around to see it.
Kenya - “Sharia” Presidential Candidate Scam?
On November 19th I published this story, quoting some news sources (Catholic Information Service for Africa – CISA, AllAfrica.com) on the alleged deal between Kenyan Presidential candidate, Raila Odinga and Muslim Sheikhs.
FLASHBACK:
According to CISA, presidential candidate Raila Odinga and Muslim leaders signed an MoU where Odinga pledges to include creation of two semi-autonomous regions fully controlled by Muslims at the Coast and North-eastern
Note:
When the news of the Memorandum of Understanding became public, it came under harsh and open criticism from the Kenyan Christian leaders; Muslim leaders denied the existence of the MoU
Sheikh Abdi, who said he has seen the document, dismissed it as a forgery, adding that in this era of advanced information technology it was very easy to reproduce a person’s signature.
The usual “conspiracy” rant…
On December 18th, The Christian Monitor reports:
Concerns Raised Over Alleged Vow to Enforce Islamic Law in Kenya
On November 27 the memorandum of understanding (the one that is forged, according to Sheikh Abdi), was made public
According to International Christian Concern (ICC), however, there are in fact two versions of the MOU. The persecution watchdog group claims that Abdi and Odinga signed a private MOU which is very different from the one presented to the public.
In the secret version of the MOU, Odinga allegedly states his intention to, ”within six months, rewrite the Constitution of Kenya to recognize Sharia as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared regions” if elected, according to ICC.
This, of course, in return to endorsement by the Muslim community in Kenya of Odinga’s candidature for the presidency.
Presidential elections in Kenya are to take place on December 27, and Odinga is favorite to win it.
Kenyan Christian leaders react:
The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya
Raila, in both MOUs, “comes across as a presumptive Muslim president bent on forcing Islamic law, religion and culture down the throats of the Kenyan people in total disregard of the Constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of worship and equal protection of the law for all Kenyans.”
The Chairman of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, the Rev. Dr. Wellington Mutiso
Kenya should continue to be a secular state. Christians want a level playing ground where [Christians and Muslims] are treated equally.We (Kenyan Christians) are opposed to any move at favoring a particular religious group by political parties
ICC Regional Manager for Africa, Darara Gubo
the agreement made with Muslim leaders “undermines the secular nature of Kenya and opens a Pandora’s box of chaos and conflict similar to what happened in Nigeria and Sudan.
This is not a stand-alone incident; rather, it is part of strategy to Islamize Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, through the introduction of Sharia law
They know exactly what they are talking about and don’t shy away on naming the danger what it really is. Political Correctness it not on the agenda!
Worldivided.com will continue to monitor the elections in Kenya and deliver the news on any further developments.
