Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Will Christians be Targeted By New Domestic Terrorism Law Enforcement Group?
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The U.S. Department of Justice announced plans on June 3rd to revive a law enforcement group – The Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee – which will investigate persons the department designates as domestic terrorists. 

The reconstituted task force will emerge from one that was originally created by former Attorney General Janet Reno after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. As law enforcement agencies began focusing on militia threats from abroad after the September 11, 2001 hijacked plane attacks on America, the committee was dissolved shortly afterwards. 

The task force under Janet Reno focused mainly on right-wing extremism while current Attorney General Eric Holder’s newly minted committee will reportedly focus on Internet radicalization. 

Reuters reports that committee members will be selected from the FBI, the National Security Division of the Justice Department and the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, which also includes representatives of federal prosecutors. 

At the announcement of the reformation of the domestic terrorism committee, Holder said in a statement that while the United States remains concerned about threats from Islamic extremists, the task force will concern itself primarily 
with “the continued danger we face from individuals within our own borders who may be motivated by a variety of other causes from anti-government animus to racial prejudice." 

Justice Department officials said that after the hate-driven shootings which occurred last April at a Jewish Community Center in Kansas City, Missouri, federal prosecutors are pushing for coordination of national intelligence on these types of criminals. 

Persons who would not fall under the jurisdiction of the committee are criminals who appear to be influenced by extremists abroad, such as the perpetrators at the April 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon. 

In its effort to ensure that the new task force will not engage in racial profiling or other bias targeting of individuals who may be wrongly suspected of having violent intentions, Naureen Shah, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union said the ACLU plans to hold discussions with the Justice Department on the matter. 

The re-launch of this federal domestic terror committee after not convening for over a decade has raised major privacy concerns. Lee Rowland, a staff attorney at the ACLU, said, "Attorney General Holder's announcement that the new task 
force will focus on evidence of antigovernment animus and racial intolerance raises concerns that it could be a sweeping mandate to monitor and collect controversial speech." 

In 2009, Janet Napolitano – then Homeland Security Department Secretary – supervised an intelligence assessment proposing closer scrutiny of "right-wing extremism," which included some antiabortion and anti-immigration groups, gun owners, and recent war veterans. The report angered many conservatives when it was released, and fostered mistrust of Obama administration policies, as NationalJournal.com points out. 

In April of 2014, the FBI began an investigation into the militia and supporters that stood with Cliven Bundy during the armed standoff at his southeastern Nevada ranch, which erupted out of a legal dispute over unpaid grazing fees demanded by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 

The characterization of the Bundy supporters as “domestic terrorists” by Senator Harry Reid, as well as the revelation in a Dept. of Defense directive that President Obama had considered using military force against the gathering of 
supporters on the Bundy ranch property, both point to the ultimate question: who will actually be targeted by this task force?

Unity Pact 'Peaceful'? Recent Fatah Film Glorifies Terrorism
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade in Kalandiya

Flash 90

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction recently posted a film excerpt on its Facebook page, which demonstrates that terrorism is a feature of "unity" between Hamas and Fatah.

The film, "The Revolutionists of the Land," was produced by Fatah's military wing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, which is recognized as a terrorist organization. It was posted on Fatah's Facebook on May 14, a day before "Nakba (Catastrophe) Day," when Arab rioters demonstrated against the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

The clip, translated and exposed by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), can be seen here:

In the excerpt, Fatah honors arch-terrorist "heroes" such as Abu Jihad, who killed at least 125 Israelis in terror attacks, and Abu Iyad, head of the Black September terror group that murdered 11 Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Specific terror attacks, such as the Coastal Road massacre led by Dalal Mughrabi in 1978 that left 37 dead, are hailed as "great operations." Pieces from the film "21 Hours at Munich" are also shown in the clip, as Fatah boasts "the world stood still in view of the Munich operation."

The film's narrator then states "the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades still have a finger on the trigger. They have revolutionists and Martyrdom-seekers 'who have been true to their covenant with Allah,'" as images of the group's armed terrorists are shown.

Abbas the terrorist leader

One important point the film mentions is that former PA Chairman Yasser Arafat ordered Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades to be established in 2000 as Fatah's military wing, noting the Brigades "excelled in every attack" in the second intifada terror war which started the same year.

PMW points out that while there has been criticism against Abbas for creating a unity government with Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, Abbas himself heads Fatah, making him the leader of Fatah's military arm - the recognized terror organization Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

It is worth noting that members of Fatah have conducted terror attacks in Israel as recently as last Monday.

Abbas praised Munich massacre mastermind Abu Daoud in 2010, saying "he was one of the leading figures of Fatah and spent his life in resistance and sincere work as well as physical sacrifice for his people's just causes." 

Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of the Shurat Hadin Israel Law Center, has exposed that Abbas in fact provided the financing for the Munich attack.

U.S. Quietly Releases More Military Prisoners in Afghanistan
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

President Barack Obama

Reuters

The Obama administration has quietly returned a dozen detainees from a small US military prison in Afghanistan, defense officials stated Thursday night, in another controversial prisoner release set to tone down the US's war on terror. 

US President Barack Obama, in a letter to Congress released on Thursday, informed U.S. lawmakers that about 38 non-Afghan prisoners remained at the Parwan detention center outside of Kabul, down from around 50 a few months ago.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that a Frenchman, a Kuwaiti and ten Pakistani prisoners were sent back to their respective home countries at the end of May.

According to the official, the remaining detainees include Yemeni, Tunisian and other Pakistani nationals.

The news surfaces on the heels of the controversial return home of US soldier and longtime captive Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was traded for five top Taliban terrorists last month. 

Critics have said that, in making the trade quiet trade for Bergdahl, the administration violated the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires a 30-day warning before releasing terrorists from the compound - charges that US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel denied. 

Hagel also made a number of remarks indicating that the terrorists' release - which the Taliban called "a victory," sparking the desire to kidnap more soldiers - was necessary to save Bergdahl's life, indicating an "ends justify the means" approach.

The New Christian Divide - Cultural Christians Vs Practicing Christians
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Are there any clear indications as to how the Church in America is headed? Ed Stetzer believes that based on certain researched trends, the church in America is not dying, but there are still some challenges and changes to be considered. He goes on to describe four “Mission trends” that need to be considered when it comes to the state of the church in America.

Stetzer argues that when we consider missiology (the area of practical theology that investigates the mandate, message, and mission of the Christian church), part of the discipline includes considering how churches relate to their culture in a dynamic way It also considers what current cultural changes mean for future church engagement of that culture.

In a recent article published in Christianity Today, Stetzer outlines four trends that are already evident and expected to increase in importance in future:

1. The Word "Christian" Will Become Less Used and More Clear.

There are three broad categories that make up the approximately 75 percent of Americans who refer to themselves as Christians: 

• Cultural Christians, about 25% of the U.S. population, are simply those who, when asked, say they are a Christian rather than say they are an atheist or Jewish. They are "Christian" for no other reason than they are from America and don't consider themselves something else.

• Congregational Christians: They account for another close to 25% of the population. This person generally does not really have a deep commitment, but they will consider refer to themselves as Christians because they have some loose connection to a church—through a family member, maybe an infant baptism, or some holiday attendance.

• Convictional Christians, also about 25% of the population, are those people who self-identify as Christian and who orient their life around their faith in Christ. This includes a wide range of what Christian is—not just evangelicals, for example. It means someone says they are a Christian and it is meaningful to them.

Stetzer elaborates: “The trend is that less people are calling themselves Christians and those who are will take it more seriously. In other words, cultural and congregational Christians, or the "squishy middle," is collapsing while convictional Christians are staying relatively steady. In the future, the word Christian will mean more to those who would be considered convictional Christians. However, it will mean—and will be used—less to those who were nominal Christians in the first place. The word will be less used and more clear.”

Stetzer’s research also brings out another startling reality: America’s true Christian population is therefore at about only 25%, which means it is now only a Christian nation in name by virtue of about 50% of Americans professing Christianity as their religion of preference, as compared to just 25% of convictional and practicing Christians. The Bible indicates the test of the true Christian:

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (I John2:3-5).

It certainly seems clear that as far as God is concerned, those we consider “nominals” are actually no different than the self-professed “nones”. 

2. The Nominals Will Increasingly become Nones.

Stetzer explains: “Type one (cultural) and two (congregational) are what we would generally call nominal Christians…they're simply calling themselves Christians because that's who they consider themselves to be, not because of any life change or ongoing commitment. Those types of Christians, about half of the population now, will become a minority in a few decades. We are now experiencing a collapse of nominalism. The "Nones," those who give say they have no religious preference, could potentially represent as many as half of the population in the next 20 to 30 years…”

The natural consequence or conclusion of this is that as the Nones rise in their number, Christian influence on culture will begin to wane and Christianity will be further marginalized. In essence, those who profess Christianity in name only, and without a serious commitment to Jesus Christ, will find it easy to disassociate themselves when the tag ‘Christian’ starts to be seen as a liability or inconvenience, and will thus end up missing the “narrow gate” and the “difficult way” that leads to life (Matthew 7:14).

3. Christians Will Increasingly Change Cultural Tactics.

According to Stetzer: “The next 20 years are going to be a challenge for convictional Christians and churches in many places. We will be engaging in cultural conversations often as the minority we truly are. Those who aggressively fight this as a culture war will find it hard to reach people. Instead of being seen as those who are seeking to engage and serve people in the culture, Christians will be seen as an enemy…In Biblical terms, we may experience what it means to be salt and light in the midst of an adversarial culture.”

Stetzer suggests that to counter this “adversarial culture”, we must hold the Word of God in high authority as the Berean Christians did in Acts 17:11. Christians must become seriously committed to Scripture and the Gospel in every aspect of our lives. We should also wisely discern the present culture and strategize how to best glorify God. "From the Issacharites, who understand the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32).

Stetzer concludes that “...There are ways to stand for the good, advocate for cultural realities that engender human flourishing, and do so in a loving way. That's the future convictional Christians need.”

4. More Robust Churches will Result from the Death of Nominalism.

In Stetzer’s view, the next 20 years are going to be a challenge for convictional Christians and churches in many places. It is beginning to cost something to be a Christian in America—not as much as in many places in the world or in much of history, but more than it used to. 

Churches that are preaching the Gospel and are focusing on Biblical truths are going to become more clearly distinct from the culture around them. The end result? Robust Christian communities are going to get stronger. These Gospel-preaching churches will have members who are more, not less, committed and these committed churches will have less nominal Christians in the years to come. 

Christianity will become more of a minority in culture, but more refined, more Biblical, and more missional churches will be the result.

Stetzer concludes by saying that “the lasting effects of these shifts will force churches to make a critical decision. They will either become a cultural church that allows the societal trends to dictate their ever-changing beliefs. Or they will become a counter-cultural church that faithfully adheres to Scripture and proclaims the gospel in a carefully considered way. The latter church will offer real hope in the midst of an adversarial culture and is the only real future for the American church.”

How true. We are already witnessing the increasing divide between the culturally conforming churches that support such vices as abortion and homosexuality, and the uncompromising churches that do not. Preaching against sin and immorality is now being labeled “hate speech.” Sadly, much of the persecution that will be suffered by the true Church will come from the conforming, compromising churches. Jesus warned: They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.(John 16:2).

Yet, the promise of God still stands firm and secure:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:“For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:35-39).

Politically Incorrect Though Persecution on the Rise - Will You be Next?
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Are you in danger of being reported to the authorities for expressing your ‘politically incorrect’ thoughts and behaviors while in the safety of your home, and in the privacy of family conversations? At least one journalist thinks so: Cheryl Chumley, a reporter for The Washington Times and the author of “Police State USA,” feels that a remark made by Michelle Obama reflects a growing trend in America to target and attack individuals for committing “thought crime.”

Michelle Obama’s recent remarks made headlines when she reportedly exhorted graduating high schoolers in a commencement address to monitor their families for politically incorrect thoughts and behaviors. Chumley described this as an intrusion of family privacy by government that belongs “in a George Orwell novel, not the White House.”

The Daily Caller reported that Chumley “sees a troubling growth of America’s most powerful political figures now singling out private individuals for their beliefs, and using government agencies and public denunciations to intimidate opponents into silence.” Several examples as seen by Chumley include:-

• Harry Reid attacking the Koch brothers "for the crime of giving money to conservative causes";
• President Obama, Joe Biden and the entire cast of the White House, for slamming lawful gun owners for exercising their Second Amendment rights, and for trying to drum up emotional-fueled support to ram through gun control;
• The IRS targeting of tea party and patriotic non-profits;
• The nation’s highest law enforcement official, Eric Holder’s of stonewalling on a special prosecutor appointment;
• The creation of hate crime laws as one of the first steps in the country’s history in the direction of attacking unpopular and politically incorrect thoughts in America.

According to Chumley: “What comes to mind when I think of the genesis for this growing trend of government to control Americans’ speech, and by extension, thoughts, is when the notion of hate crime was brought into our criminal prosecution system — as if acts of violence that are committed because of racial divides deserve a different category of ‘extra-special bad’…Political correctness and pandering politicians have fueled this narrative in recent years. Anybody who throws the race card on a regular basis — think Eric Holder, Al Sharpton, Harry Reid — is guilty to a certain degree of clamping down on free speech, and in turn, making Americans even wary of what they think.”

In Chumley’s opinion, private companies like A&E with the “Duck Dynasty” debacle are just as complicit as government in regulating speech that’s deemed offensive by the government and media, especially in relation to religious views and lately, the gay rights movement. Chumley sees the solution to this being “Americans growing a backbone and holding firm to their beliefs” adding that “the only answer is to refuse to be cowed. We’re a nation that’s founded on the belief that rights come from God, not government.” 

However not everyone agrees with Chumley’s angle about Michelle Obama’s comments being a “thought police” trap. Comments sampled from online political forums suggest that interpretation of Michelle Obama’s comments differed widely. Some observers support Chumley’s views while others strongly felt that Michelle was simply urging young people not let bigotry and prejudice go unchallenged, thus helping the youth to be a part of the solution against racist and bigoted views and attitudes, irrespective of their individual racial backgrounds.

Whatever the case, the Justice department does seem to be in favour of formal programs to contain domestic “anti government or racially prejudiced” elements. This view was recently captured by WND.com who quoted Attorney General Eric Holder as stating that the Justice Department is “resurrecting a program designed to thwart domestic threats to the United States, and says those threats include individuals the government deems anti-government or racially prejudiced.”

Holder reportedly announced the return of the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, created in the wake of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing but scrapped soon after the 2001 terrorist attacks as intelligence and law enforcement officials shifted their focus to threats from outside the country. The committee will be comprised of figures from the FBI, the National Security Division of the Justice Department and the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. 

In his statement announcing the return of the committee, Holder said he remains concerned about the specter of attacks prompted by Islamic extremists, but he said this committee will be tasked with identifying other threats such as “anti-government animus to racial prejudice.” 

The interpretation of Holder’s comments has had some alarm bells ringing and panic buttons pushed. The American Civil Liberties Union for instance is said to be pushing back against the DOJ plan, fearing “it could be a sweeping mandate to monitor and collect controversial speech.” Horace Cooper, co-chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board ( a network of black conservatives) commented: “It appears there’s an attempt to marginalize people who hold views that are sharply different from those of the administration and much of the establishment…(this administration) says that the groups of people that are not within their particular perspective ought to be considered the very threat … that the real terrorist threat that comes internationally presents.”

It would therefore appear that the real concern being raised in some quarters is that the government may now be equating dissenting speech that is well within the bounds of the freedom of expression, with terrorist threats – and may therefore proceed to apply anti-terrorist measures to individuals or groups considered to be guilty of merely expressing their views.

Has it come to that yet in America? That’s the question – for the answer, DOJ approaches and tactics in dealing with dissenters perceived to be politically incorrect will need to be carefully watched on an ongoing basis.

PA Threatens Australia Over Jerusalem Terminology
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

PA ministers (illustrative)

Flash 90

Australia could face trade sanctions by Arab nations over its decision to stop using the term "occupied" when referring to Jerusalem, the head of the Palestinian Arab delegation to Canberra threatened Friday.

Izzat Abdulhadi said Australia's new stance on Jerusalem, the 3,000-year-old capital of the Jewish people which has been wrongly labeled as "occupied" or "illegal under international law" for decades, was a "substantial policy shift".

"We think that it's very provocative and unuseful [sic], and it's not appropriate," Abdulhadi told AFP.

His comments came after 18 diplomats from countries including Indonesia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia protested to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra on Thursday.

Australia said last week it would no longer refer to Jerusalem as "occupied" because the term carries pejorative implications and was neither appropriate or useful.

"It is important, as far as you can, not to use loaded terms, not to use pejorative terms, not to use terms which suggest that matters have been prejudged and that is a freighted term," Prime Minister Tony Abbott said. "The truth is they're disputed territories."

The comments sparked fury in the Arab world, with the Jordanian and Palestinian Authority (PA) governments summoning Australia's diplomatic representative in protest. Israel hailed the move as "refreshing."

"We asked the government to reverse this position," Abdulhadi said of the diplomatic protest.

He threatened that trade sanctions could be put in place against Canberra if the government persisted with its stance, which he said left Australia isolated.

"It depends on the reaction of the Australian government," he said, adding that the issue could also be taken to the United Nations General Assembly. "Unfortunately I think there will be negative consequences for the (Australian) government."

Australia's export trade with the Middle East is significant, accounting for billions of dollars annually, particularly in wheat and meat, with Qatar and Jordan being major markets for live sheep.

"We want to maintain the trade and we will work very hard with them to ensure that that happens," Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters on Friday.

Abdulhadi said he would meet Foreign Minister Julie Bishop next week and was hopeful that, after being threatened, Australia could explain the decision.

"Maybe we can avoid all this sort of thing if we can have good discussions," he said.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said officials at Thursday's meeting of diplomatic officials had agreed to maintain an "open dialogue" on the issue.

Obama Says Short - Term Military Actions Required in Iraq
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Barack Obama

Reuters

US President Barack Obama declared on Thursday that short-term military actions will have to be taken in Iraq, following the take-over by an Al Qaeda break-off Islamist terrorist group over large portions of the country.

Reuters reported that Obama said he is looking at "all options" as far as helping the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, noting "I don't rule anything out," when asked whether the United States is considering drone strikes or any other action to stop the insurgency.

Speaking at the White House while meeting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, Obama said there will be "short-term immediate actions that need to be done militarily in Iraq," and that the US is prepared to take action to defend its security interests.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has begun turning southward towards Baghdad, after conquering the second-largest Iraqi city of Mosul and several other northern cities this week in a lightning offensive.

Iraq's US-trained military has received fierce criticism, after tens of thousands of troops simply fled without a fight in the face of a much smaller ISIS force, allowing them to conquer large sections of the country and American-supplied military equipment, including aircraft.

An ISIS spokesman threatened to capture Baghdad, adding that the Sunni Islamist group intends to push even further southwards into Shia Muslim strongholds such as the Shia holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, a move which will threaten not only Iraqi Shias but also neighboring Iran, where officials have warned the country's armed forces could intervene to protect Shia shrines.

Obama's inactivity up till now on Iraq has stoked the ire of US senators, with House Speaker John Boehner remarking on Thursday "what's the president doing? Taking a nap."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) noted that Iraq is "collapsing," warning "the next 9/11 is in the making."

The concern over the White House's willingness to address the issue was expressed on Monday, when State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said "I don't get the sense that they're gaining a lot of territory," in reference to ISIS's standing in Iraq.

An Obama administration official told Reuters on Wednesday on condition of anonymity that Iraq has requested US air strikes, but that the US position as of that point was to strengthen Iraqi army forces rather than attack directly.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Pope Condemns Religious Fundamentalism, Middle East Violence
Following his first visit to the Middle East as pope last month, the pontiff criticised fundamentalism in Christianity, Islam and Judaism as a form of violence. "A fundamentalist group, even if it kills no one, even it strikes no one, is violent. The mental structure of fundamentalism is violence in the name of God."  

Real time imaging of DNA repair a step toward prevention and treatment of cancer
Until now people have generated all sorts of models on mostly very indirect information. Now for the first time we can actually see what happens, in real time and at the molecular level. We can learn about the dynamics of biological processes such as DNA repair."  

Popular Florida eatery tells vet ‘his kind’ not welcome; backlash follows
Robert Thompson, a 20-year Navy vet who served in Iraq, visited the Old Key Lime House in Lantana, Fla., on Saturday and was told to remove a leather vest because they do not allow “gangs or colors” at the restaurant, WPTV reported. The vest was covered with patches associated with his military service, such as a large patch depicting his affiliation with American Legion Post 180, according to the local NBC affiliate.  

POSSIBLE GEOMAGNETIC STORM TODAY
A coronal mass ejection hurled into space by the double X-flare of June 10th could sideswipe Earth's magnetic field today.  

The United Kingdom's Muslim Trojan Horse
The story takes place in Birmingham, a city with a large concentration of Muslim immigrants. A majority of Muslim pupils exists in nearly twenty of the city's schools, and recently it was discovered that a group of teachers, on their own initiative, decided to add extremist Muslim study units to the curriculum.  

Muslim Rioters Stone Police on Temple Mount
Twenty masked Muslim rioters on Friday pelted police forces with stones on the Temple Mount. The attack occurred at the Rambam (Mughrabi) Gate, the only point of access for Jewish visitors to the holiest site in Judaism.  

Clinton defends change in gay marriage stance in tense interview
In a tense interview with NPR’s Terry Gross Thursday, Clinton accused the radio host of “playing with her words” after Gross repeatedly pressed Clinton about her change in stance on gay marriage.  

Americans being evacuated from Iraqi air base as militants advance
Americans were being evacuated Thursday from a major Iraqi air base as Al Qaeda-aligned militants toppled cities in the country's north and threatened to advance toward Baghdad.  

Greece Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes East of Athens
A Greece earthquake today 2014 has just struck east of Athens. The Greece earthquake today June 13, 2014 locally began moments ago. Damage assessment is pending. Officials tell news that a 5.0 magnitude Greece earthquake today started just after 2:34 am local time.  

Iraq conflict: Sistani 'issues' Shia call to arms against militants
Iraq's most senior Shia cleric has issued a call to arms as Sunni-led insurgents sweep across towns. The call by a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani came during Friday prayers, as the militants widened their grip in the north and east and threatened to march south. The UN says hundreds have been killed - with militants carrying out summary executions of civilians in Mosul.  

Ukraine crisis: Fighting erupts in city of Mariupol
Government troops in eastern Ukraine have launched a dawn attack on separatist rebels in the port of Mariupol, with heavy fighting reported. Interior Minister Arseny Avakov said the security forces were successfully bringing separatist strongholds in the city "under control". Five pro-Russian rebels were reported killed and at least four government soldiers injured in the city.  

Somalia's al-Shabab militants impose dress code
Somalia's al-Shabab militants have rounded up around 100 women and ordered them to comply with a strict Islamic dress code or risk being whipped. The women were arrested in Buale, about 300km (185 miles) south-west of the capital, Mogadishu. BBC Somali analyst Mohamed Mohamed says it is rare for al-Shabab to carry out such mass arrests.  

Iraq conflict: All options open to fight insurgents - Obama
US President Barack Obama says his government is looking at "all options", including military action, to help Iraq fight Islamist militants. But the White House also insisted it had no intention of sending ground troops. The remarks came after the cities of Mosul and Tikrit fell to Sunni Islamist insurgents during a lightning advance.  

Tel Aviv celebrates 16th-annual Gay Pride Parade
Tel Aviv's 16th-annual Gay Pride Parade set out on Friday morning with tens of thousands of people participating in the march. Celebrations this year are being held under the banner, "Tel Aviv marches for equality." Staring from 10 a.m. community “happening” festivities began in Gan Meir park before the parade's official take off.  

Israel advances plans for 1,083 settler homes in Judea and Samaria
Israel this week advanced plans for 1,083 settler homes in the West Bank as part of its response to the newly formed Palestinian government that is jointly sponsored by Fatah and Hamas. The move is the second approval of settlement activity in the last eight days, and follows the Construction and Housing Ministry’s publication last week of tenders for 1,500 homes over the pre- 1967 lines in West Bank settlements and east Jerusalem.  

Palestinian envoy: Australia trade at risk with Islamic nations over east Jerusalem policy
Arab and Islamic nations have warned of trade sanctions on Australia for its decision last week to desist from referring to east Jerusalem as "occupied," the Palestinian envoy to Canberra told AFP on Friday. Izzat Abdulhadi criticized Australia's decision and called its new position on east Jerusalem a "substantial policiy shift."  

Iraq conflict: ISIS militants seize new towns
Islamist militants in Iraq have seized two new towns, widening their control after threatening to move on Baghdad. The Sunni-led Islamists advanced into Saadiya and Jalawla in Diyala province and surrounding areas as security forces abandoned their posts. The US says it is looking at "all options", including military action, to help Iraq fight the insurgency.  

Ukrainian minister: 3 tanks cross from Russia
Ukraine's interior minister says that three tanks have crossed into Ukrainian territory from Russia and were attacked by his country's forces.  

Russian Bombers Buzz California
Two long-range Russian bombers flew within 50 miles of the northern California coast Monday. The incident began much further north when four Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber planes and a refueling tanker enter the outer Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) near Alaska.  

Iraq Gets International Help... From Iran
Iran, of all places, has reportedly dispatched two units of its elite Revolutionary Guards to Iraq to help stem the tide of terrorist gains and defend Baghdad from assault. The two nations were bitter rivals for decades when Saddam Hussein's Sunni dominated regime was at war with Tehran's Shiite-led government. After the U.S. invasion, the Iraqi government came to be dominated by Shiite leaders, who now finds themselves under assault from the Sunni militants of ISIS. Now Iran sees Baghdad as a strategic partner, and the ISIS militias as unacceptable neighbors.  

Found! Hidden Ocean Locked Up Deep in Earth's Mantle
Deep within the Earth's rocky mantle lies oceans' worth of water locked up in a type of mineral called ringwoodite, new research shows.  

Leading Rabbi: Evangelists More Exalted Than Persia's Cyrus
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

PR photo

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Dean of the Har Bracha Yeshiva and Rabbi of the Samaria town of Har Bracha, wrote in his influential weekly column in Besheva Magazine that there is no problem with the Ministry of Education's accepting funds from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) for children's summer camps, and that it is alright for parents to register their children to the camps.

Rabbi Melamed's column goes much further, however, and indicates a newfound openness in the way part of the leadership of the strictly orthodox leadership stream in religious Zionism – the hareidi religious Zionists, or “hardalim” – views Zionist Christians.

Rabbi Melamed's column, which is very popular in the religious Zionist public, brushes off as false the claims that the summer camps serve Christian missionary aims and that the children in them will be exposed to missionary materials. “It is hard to understand where such a libelous claim sprang from,” the rabbi adds.

The rabbi took issue with the IFCJ's policy of collecting funds by presenting Israel as a poverty-stricken country, when in fact its economy is growing, and poverty is not as bad as in the US. The fund would have done better to ask for support in a more respectable way, for scientific and spiritual endeavors. However, he said, “after the evangelists donated their money with kindness of heart and with love for the people of Israel, unconditionally and with no involvement in where the money goes, they must not be insulted by throwing their contribution back in their faces, while accusing them of trying to proselytize Jews.”

He notes that the IFCG funding is only a small fraction of the total funding for the camps: 36 million shekels, compared to 260 million shekels that the Ministry of Education allotted.

"As for the claim that this contribution could cause the Jewish masses in Israel to view evangelists – who are Christians who love Israel – favorably, there is no fault in this, because they deserve recognition for their support for us. We must battle missionaries, not moral Christians who respect our religion and support us.”

The rabbi goes even further and says: “It appears that we can say that the American evangelists are the most important and meaningful group supporting Israel nowadays. These are about 70 million citizens of the largest superpower in the world, who believe that the words of the Bible hold true today, and that the nation of Israel needs to return to its land and follow its Torah and Mitzvot. Their moral stature is higher and more exalted than that of Coresh [Persian King Cyrus], who assisted the Return to Zion.”

Rabbi Melamed quotes Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook ztz”l, who wrote that “The love of human beings must be alive in the heart and soul, the love of every person individually, and the love of all the nations... despite all of the different opinions, religions and beliefs.”

Islamist Pincer Move Tightens the Noose on Baghdad
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

ISIS-captured Mosul, Iraq

Reuters

Islamists from Al Qaeda offshoot the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) continue to gain ground in northern and eastern Iraq Friday, conquering both Saadiyah and Jalawla as they move throughout the Diyala province toward Baghdad from the west.

Sources told Reuters Friday that the Islamists have also captured several small villages in the Himreen mountains, and are conquering the region, town by town. 

Battles have also broken out near Baqubah, the capital of Diyala just north of Baghdad, according to the Telegraph. 

ISIS progress, moving toward Baghdad. Red circles show where ISIS have taken over full cities; X shows major clashes between Iraqi forces and ISIS. Green: Kurdish takeovers Google Maps/Annotations from A7 staff

Hundreds of thousand of people are fleeing into the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq, according to the Telegraph, as this week's refugee crisis escalates.

Eyewitnesses say that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's forces have melted away in the face of ISIS fighters, who have now captured numerous of former US military equipment - including up to 15 tanks, armored cars, and at least two helicopters, according to the Daily Mail. 

Meanwhile, images from captured cities such as Mosul and Tikrit showed a bloody massacre of Iraqi forces, as well as deserted streets, burnt homes and vehicles and discarded uniforms left by government troops fleeing the brutal fanatics. In Mosul, ISIS captured scores of US-made vehicles and equipment, as well as an airport which housed several military aircraft.

ISIS leaders have reportedly urged their jihadists to continue their march, and threatened that battle would rage in Baghdad and in the Shi'ite holy city of Karbala. Shi'ite Muslims reportedly are fleeing the region to the south.

Tracking ISIS progress

The ISIS has already controlled the Iraqi city of Fallujah for five months, and has also led one of the strongest rebel movements fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria. 

But this week's offensive has seen the ISIS claim a stunning number of victories in a lighting-fast takeover of the flashpoint region. 

So far, the Islamists have made a systemic advance from northern Iraq and southward.

On Tuesday, ISIS leaders seized Mosul; just 48 hours later, Tikrit - birthplace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein - fell to the terrorists.

Advancing toward Baghdad, large-scale clashes have erupted in Samarra; on the eastern front, Kurdish forces took Kirkuk to fend off the Islamist advance on Thursday, and the town of Jawlala fell to ISIS on Friday.

In addition, the Daily Mail reports Friday that the Islamists have begun to "fill the gaps" between cities - taking over small villages and surrounding Baiji, which houses Iraq's largest oil refinery.

Iran Threatens to Resume Enrichment If Talks Fail
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Bushehr nuclear reactor

Reuters

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday that Iran would resume uranium enrichment activities if no agreement is reached with the West, Reuters reports.

Speaking at a conference in Rome, Araqchi said he believed it was possible for Iran to reach an accord with world powers in time for a July 20 deadline, with drafting of final proposals due to begin next week.

"We need hard work and wisdom and logic to overcome disagreements," Iran's Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

"Iran will return to 20 percent enrichment if a deal cannot be reached ... failure to reach a deal will be a disaster for everyone," he added.

Iran and six world powers have been holding talks on curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for an end to western sanctions.

The ongoing talks seek to turn an interim deal reached in November into a permanent agreement by July 20. Under the interim deal, Iran committed to limit its uranium enrichment to five percent and is gradually winning access to $4.2 billion of its oil revenues frozen abroad and some other sanctions relief.

Final agreement has been held up by differences over issues including the number of uranium enrichment centrifuges that would be available to Iran and diplomats have said there may have to be an extension.

Senior U.S. officials met with Araqchi earlier this week in Geneva. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki was asked about a series of bilateral meetings officials from the six-power group held with Iranian officials in Europe this week ahead of next week's negotiations in Vienna.

Throughout the talks, Iran has declared that it will never give up on what it sees as its right to enrichment.

Hamdallah Admits Unity Government is Powerless
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Rami Hamdallah

Flash 90

Ten days after the swearing in of the Fatah-Hamas unity government, unity Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah admitted on Thursday that his government is effectively powerless, and lacks any authority in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

In an hour long interview with the New York Times, Hamdallah proposed no concrete plans for integrating the military forces of both sides, a point of contention even from before the government's formation. 

That issue, along with all security matters, would be the responsibility of a high commission to be appointed in the future by Abbas, according to Hamdallah.

Hamdallah complained about his ministers, who were selected through Fatah and Hamas negotiations. He said he would have chosen "very few" of the ministers if it was up to him.

The new prime minister also acknowledged "you have to be realistic - we're not in control," when asked when he would visit Gaza. He cited the reunification of Germany which started around 1990, saying "up until now, they are still working on that, so don’t expect we’ll do it all in 24 hours.”

Highlighting the lack of control in Gaza, Hamdallah admitted that the recent crisis over payment of Hamas employees' salaries in Gaza, which led to the closing of all the region's banks last week until this Wednesday, was not solved by his government.

The prime minister said the financial bail-out from Qatar and public pressure in Gaza, where 40,000 Hamas employees and roughly 70,000 Fatah employees were left without pay, led to the reopening of banks by Hamas.

As for next month, Hamdallah said the PA would not pay Hamas employees, and has not been promised by Qatar or other countries to bail them out again, indicating the crisis will likely repeat itself.

"This is not in our hands"

Another issue in Gaza which has caused the poor financial situation is the Egyptian siege on the Hamas-enclave, given that Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood which has been at odds with the new military-backed government.

While a senior Egyptian official revealed Saturday newly elected President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's administration is considering giving the unity government supervision of the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Sinai, Hamdallah said negotiations with Egypt on the issue have not yet begun.

“I wish I could open it (the Rafah crossing) yesterday, but this is not in our hands,"  Hamdallah opined.

The unity government's limitations in terms of Gaza are such that it can not even collect taxes in the area.

A five-member committee was appointed on Tuesday by the government to deal with integrating Gaza. It hopes, among other things, to reverse an old order by Abbas exempting Gaza residents from taxes, following the 2007 violent seizure of the area by Hamas.

"We will be asking people to pay their electricity bills," Hamdallah said, adding "we’re not going to do it tomorrow."

The new unity government is set to be in office for six months, when national and legislative elections are to be held in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. 

It has been charged that the formation of the unity government as a "non-partisan, independent government" of 17 "technocrats" is an attempt to deflect criticism over Hamas's involvement.

Defense Experts Warn Israel of Possible Isis Threat
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

As the battle rages between Islamists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and Iraqi forces, the US, EU, and UN have begun to take notice - and Middle Eastern leaders are expressing concern for their safety. 

But how far can the battle reach?

On Friday, former Israeli intelligence expert Jacques Neriah suggested in a CNN interview that Israel must prepare itself for the eventuality that the battle could reach the shores of Tel Aviv - despite the fact that the fighting rages more than 915 kilometers (595 miles) away. 

According to Neriah, the current crisis in the Middle East has made Israel relatively quiet, and could buy the IDF time to prepare.

"Everyone is busy killing one another in the Arab world - it gives Israel a 'time out' to reorganize and to prepare itself for the long run," Neriah stated. 

"If Iraq falls in the hands of ISIS, then we will have a terrorist state - where terrorists will be trained, will be equipped, will be financed by an [entire] state and not by an organization which is [in] hiding." 

Analysts have noted that the real threat to Israel's security would not be a direct assault from ISIS, which would have to overcome the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria, re-mobilize, and then launch an attack from Israel's northern neighbor to succeed. 

The real threat from the ISIS stems from its reputation, as its success could spur increased terror activity from ISIS-affiliated groups in Gaza and the Sinai desert. 

The ISIS has already controlled the Iraqi city of Fallujah for five months, and has also led one of the strongest rebel movements fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria. 

But this week's offensive has seen the ISIS claim a stunning number of victories in a lighting-fast takeover of the flashpoint region. 

So far, the Islamists have made a systemic advance from northern Iraq southward.

On Tuesday, ISIS leaders seized Mosul; just 48 hours later, Tikrit - birthplace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein - fell to the terrorists.

Advancing toward Baghdad, large-scale clashes have erupted in Samarra; on the eastern front, Kurdish forces took Kirkuk to fend off the Islamist advance on Thursday, and the town of Jawlala fell to ISIS on Friday.

Defense Experts Warn Israel of Possible Isis Threat
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

As the battle rages between Islamists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and Iraqi forces, the US, EU, and UN have begun to take notice - and Middle Eastern leaders are expressing concern for their safety. 

But how far can the battle reach?

On Friday, former Israeli intelligence expert Jacques Neriah suggested in a CNN interview that Israel must prepare itself for the eventuality that the battle could reach the shores of Tel Aviv - despite the fact that the fighting rages more than 915 kilometers (595 miles) away.

Church Divisions Now Resulting in Those Holding to Biblical Truths Being Asked to Leave
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Divisions seem to be emerging in Christendom within Scotland, over the positions taken by the Church of Scotland over certain scriptures relating to the role of women in church and the acceptance of homosexual clergy, with allegations of intolerance being made by the opposing parties towards each other in relation to these topics.

The Church of Scotland, also commonly known or referred to as the Kirk, is essentially Presbyterian, as distinguished from the Church of England or the Scottish Episcopal Church. It holds it’s General Assembly every May.

Pastor Jon Gleason of the Free Baptist Church of Glenrothes recently provided his views in an article for mindrenewers.com, stating that those who hold to Scripture were reportedly labeled “intolerant”, “not nice,” “grumbling grunters”, practicers of “antiquated gangsterism” and “oddballs” who need to “put their toe to the Church of Scotland’s line or get out.”

According to Pastor Jon Gleason, the bone of contention is that those thus named or labeled have committed the crime of believing, and insisting on adherence to the following Scriptures:

• But I suffer (permit) not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence (I Timothy 2:12).
• A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…. (I Timothy 3:2).
• One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (I Timothy 3:4).
• For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly (Titus 1:5-6).

David Lacy, former moderator and Very Reverend of the Kirk, was reportedly upset that the outgoing moderator of the Kirk, Mrs. Hood (also titled Very Reverend) was told that she was told she wouldn’t be welcome to preach in some parishes. Pastor Gleason reported that “Mr. Lacy wants us to know this is “blatant disobedience” and “a slap in the face to the court” …“Those ministers and elders who break the law of the Church should be taken to task by the local presbytery and if they don’t obey their presbytery it should come to the Assembly.” Mrs. Hood reportedly said there were 20 to 30 (out of 1400) parishes that have no woman elders — and “that’s too many.” 

Pastor Gleason countered in his article: “And if we are going to talk about “blatant disobedience,” what about disobedience to the Lord and His revealed Word? Instead of “putting their toe to the Church of Scotland’s line,” shouldn’t a spiritual leader want people to “put their toe to the Lord’s line?” 

Maybe instead of worrying about a “slap in the face” to a court controlled by religious political power-grabbers, one should think about the “slap in the face” to centuries of believers. They sacrificed and died to hold to the Word of God and deliver it to those who came after, and now those who allegedly follow in their footsteps toss it on the scrap heap. What about the “antiquated gangsterism” of threatening to use the General Assembly to force people to abandon the Bible?”

Pastor Gleason asserts: “If you care about Scripture, you have to get out. It is way past time to get out.” He says that indeed thousands have already left in the last year, and suggests that in five to ten years, the next divisive issue may well be around "not having enough parishes that have homosexual ministers/elders. Before long, those who don’t want to accept them will be told to get out.”

A similar article appeared in the Presbyterian Plodder, in which Robert Walker states: “In what appears to be a carefully planned and co-ordinated attack on evangelical ministers the Church of Scotland has issued a call for discipline of those congregations and ministers who do not ordain women to eldership or support women in ministry. The Kirk is urged to “crack down on sexist local church leaders”, and they themselves are urged to leave because their presence is a threat to peace and unity and they cannot be tolerated in a broad church".

Walker alleges that the widespread Scottish press coverage of the Church of Scotland leadership was deliberately planned and timed to happen two days before the debate on active homosexuals in office. He further states that “those who are most vocal in opposing the acceptance of practicing homosexuals in office and the proposed removal of such behavior from the possibility of Biblical discipline are also those who maintain a Biblical position on women in office. At one swoop their removal would remove a core of resistance to the gay agenda”.

Indications are that although homosexuality is currently generally understood within Christendom to be unBiblical, perverted and immoral since the Bible is very clear on the subject. In such cases, a departure from categorical Biblical truth and standards is a move towards heresy and apostasy. However the issue of whether women should be allowed to preach seemingly represents more of a grey area – at least in the minds of many Christians.

Opponents of women preaching or speaking in Church say that the scripture stating: “But I suffer (permit) not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence (I Timothy 2:12) needs to be taken and applied literally. An example is Michael Houdmann writing in Got Questions.com, supporting this position and providing explanations based on various scriptures. 

Others such as J. Lee Grady beg to differ – in an article on the subject in Christdrivenwomen.com, Grady interprets: ‘”Many Bible scholars believe Paul was dealing with a serious heresy problem in the church at Ephesus when he wrote 1Timothy 2:12. Certain female teachers were spreading dangerous gnostic fables, and in some cases they were suggesting that women are superior to men or that Eve was created before Adam. Paul commanded Timothy not to let these women spread their doctrines. Yet we know that he was more than willing to let trained, Bible-believing women teach--since he commends such female ministers as Phoebe, Junia, Priscilla, Tryphena and Tryphosa.”

The Church of Scotland divisions around gender ministers would then seem to be a microcosm of a larger division on the subject. Based on their respective interpretations of scripture, some churches are happy to ordain women pastors and elders, while others are not, and yet others favour the hybrid model where women are allowed to lead in various capacities but not to preach. 

What is clear is that Christian unity must be based on truth, and truth must be shared in love – yet never compromised for the expediency of acceptance by man. As Peter and the other apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Christian Cop Loses Appeal
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy New Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A panel of federal judges in Denver, in an opinion written by Judge Harris Hartz, found that it is perfectly appropriate for a police chief to order subordinates to attend an Islamic mosque where Muslims “discussed Islamic beliefs, Muhammad, Mecca, and why and how Muslims pray” in addition to encouraging officers “to buy” Islamic books and pamphlets that were for sale.

The ruling came on Thursday from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a case brought by Capt. Paul Fields, who had been ordered by Tulsa police officials to either go to a special event at the local mosque himself, or order others to do that.

Fields refused based on religious freedom objections and was punished for that.

The judges on the 10th Circuit panel said that was perfectly appropriate.

“This ruling is troubling on so many levels,” said Robert Muise, of the American Freedom Law Center, which has pursued the case since it developed several years ago.

“We have argued throughout this case that Capt. Fields was summarily punished for simply raising and asserting a religious objection to the order mandating attendance at the Islamic event, and that such discriminatory treatment violates the First and 14th Amendments,” he said. “Yet, inexplicably, the 10th Circuit refused to address this main issue on appeal, claiming that it was not raised below.

“The court is wrong, and we intend to seek full court review of this patently erroneous decision,” he said.

The case was brought by the AFLC on behalf of Fields against Tulsa, Police Chief Chuck Jordan and Deputy Chief Daryl Webster.

The court ruling “noted that Capt. Fields’ briefs asserted that the city’s ‘reason for imposing punishment, or at least the reason for the severity of the punishment, was the religious nature of Fields’ objection to the order.’ The appellate court further noted that ‘there is evidence in the record that would support this assertion. Some statements by TPD officials suggest that at least part of the motive for punishing Fields was that he posed a religious objection to the order and refused to attend the mosque event on religious grounds.’ 

Yet, the court refused to address the issue on appeal, claiming ‘that it was not preserved in the district court.’ Instead, the court avoided this central issue and simply held, as did the district court, that the order ‘did not burden Fields’ religious rights because it did not require him to violate his personal religious beliefs by attending the event…,’” the AFLC said.

“It is impossible to square the court’s opinion with the briefs and the record presented on appeal. Indeed, even a cursory review of our briefing before the district court and in the appellate court makes clear the basis for Capt. Fields’ constitutional claims: he was singled out for discriminatory treatment and thus punished because he raised a religious objection to the order. That is religious discrimination, pure and simple,” the AFLC said.

The police department executives had promised they would send officers to the mosque for Muslims to talk to them about the Quran, Muhammad and their other beliefs, but were unable to find volunteers. So they issued an order making attendance mandatory.

Fields objected, telling officials, “Please consider this email my official notification to the Tulsa Police Department and the City of Tulsa that I intend not to follow this directive, nor require any of my subordinates to do so if they share similar religious convictions.”

Police officials immediately launched an internal affairs investigation which resulted in a two-week suspension for Fields, and a permanent demotion.

“When Chief Jordan was asked directly during his sworn deposition whether it was his ‘understanding that [he] could have accommodated Captain Fields’ religious objections to this event if [he] had made it voluntary for him,’ the chief responded, ‘Yeah. According to his e-mail, yes, I could have,’” the AFLC said.

Even the formal disciplinary statement said, “Capt. Fields was disciplined during this rating period for refusing to attend and refusing to direct that officers attend a law enforcement appreciation day at a local mosque.”

“The evidence is overwhelming that the city and its senior police officials wanted to make an example of Capt. Fields by harshly punishing him, a Christian, for objecting on religious grounds to an order compelling attendance at an Islamic event,” said David Yerushalmi, co-founder for the AFLC.

“Consequently, when judges can rewrite the case and the case history to fit the conclusion they seek, as the 10th Circuit has done here, due process is robbed of any meaning,” he said.

“Had a Muslim officer objected to attending a Jewish event to be held at a synagogue on a Saturday and the officer was treated like Capt. Fields, there is little doubt that the entire Tulsa Police Department chain of command would have been fired,” Yerushalmi said.

“As the 10th Circuit acknowledged in its opinion, the undisputed record evidence demonstrated that during the Islamic event, which was held on a Friday – the ‘Sabbath’ for Muslims – the Muslim hosts discussed Islamic religious beliefs; they discussed Muhammad, Mecca, why Muslims pray, how they pray, and what they say when they are praying; they showed the officers a Quran; and they showed the officers Islamic religious books and pamphlets that were for sale and encouraged the officers to purchase them. 

Moreover, after the event, the Islamic Society posted on its website a photograph of the police officers sitting at a table with members of the mosque with the caption, ‘Discover Islam Classes for Non-Muslims,”‘ AFLC reported.

The AFLC noted that Fields just prior to the religious event, “was one of the primary officers involved with helping to protect this mosque from a criminal suspect intent on doing harm.”

The Tulsa Islamic organization has featured speakers such as Imam Siraj Wahhaj, “a Shariah-adherent Muslim who promotes the destruction of Western civilization and the creation of an Islamic caliphate,” according to the lawsuit.

88 Senators to Obama: Reconsider Aid to PA
Jun 13th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Barack Obama

Flash 90

An overwhelming majority of 88 U.S. Senators have sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to reconsider aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) over its forming a unity government with Hamas.

The initiative was led by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). The letter, published on Cardin’s website, expresses strong reservations about U.S. relations with the newly formed Fatah-Hamas unity government.

“The recent formation of a Palestinian Authority unity government supported by Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that has never publicly accepted the Quartet principles, represents a serious setback to efforts to achieve peace,” the Senators wrote. “By its actions and inaction, Hamas has demonstrated it is not a partner for peace.”

Citing the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 and restrictions contained in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2014, the Senators reminded Obama of the legal prohibition on “foreign assistance to Hamas or any power-sharing government of which Hamas is a member or over which Hamas has undue influence.”

“Hamas has openly called for Israel’s destruction and last month Hamas leaders again repeated their refusal to meet recognized international demands: recognition of Israel, renunciation of terror, and acceptance of previous Israel-PLO agreements,” wrote the Senators.

They further noted that any assistance to the PA “should only be provided when we have confidence that this new government is in full compliance with the restrictions contained in current law.  We urge you to continue to impress on President Abbas the need for him to cease any alliance with terrorist organizations such as Hamas and to return to the negotiating table with Israel.”

The European Union, the United States and the United Nations have all said they were open to working with the new unity government despite the inclusion of Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization.

The State Department has justified Washington’s decision to work with the unity coalition by saying there are no Hamas ministers in it.

A similar call to Obama from Senators was made shortly after the Hamas-Fatah coalition was announced.