Blog to discuss the book "The Apocalypse - Letter by Letter: A Literary Analysis of the Book of Revelation" and current events that point to the events described therein.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Obama and Book of Revelations
In an earlier post, I indicated that Steven Paul interpreted certain symbols and the sequence of events in the Book of Revelation such that the likelihood that THE Antichrist is Barack Hussein Obama is very small if not impossible.
As you read The Apocalypse - Letter by Letter, by Steven Paul, you may be puzzled by how some of the events could take place given the current geopolitical alignment. For example, how could massive armies gather and head towards Israel without the US and its vast arsenal stopping it? How could the battle of Armageddon come about at all given that so many Christians still read The Book of Revelation and look for signs of its consummation? And how could a man actually call himself by a name so obviously associated with the prophecy of Antichrist and the number six hundred sixty six?
Well in just a few short months we've seen a radical shift in the posture of the United States towards friend and foe alike. The overtures to Islam and the change in tenor towards the nation of Israel do not portend well for the future.
As well, the continuous attack on Christianity and the falling away from the faith, the move towards relativism inside and outside the Church, all signal a weakening of God's people, politically, militarily but especially morally.
At the current pace of "change" it is not as hard to believe that Israel will be on its own and the United States more ambivalent about continuing the strong alliance with traditional western allies.
And more ominously, the table is being set for someone so diabolical as to have no problem with callng himself by the number of the name.
Note: The "Mountain Burning with Fire" is stirring. Also known as the Religion of Peace and Tolerance.
20,000 Muslims Attack a Church in Cairo
Posted GMT 11-26-2008 9:57:4 One thousand Christians were today trapped inside the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in West Ain Shams,Cairo, after more than twenty thousand Muslims attacked them with stones and butane gas cylinders. The Church's priest Father Antonious said that the situation is extremely dangerous.
The Muslim mob that attacked the church blocked both sides of the street and encircled the church building, broke its doors and demolished its entire first floor. The mob were chanting Jihad verses as well as slogans saying "we will demolish the church" and "We sacrifice our blood and souls, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Islam", while the entrapped Christians chanted "Lord have mercy".
The incident started on the occasion of the inauguration of the Church today, when the Muslims hastily established a Mosque in the early hours of this morning, by taking over the first floor of a newly-built building facing the Church and started praying there.
When the security forces tried to disperse the mob, they went to nearby homes and shops owned by Christians, and were armed with sticks, butane, knives and other sharp objects.
Witnesses said the mob included children from as young as 8-years old to men of over 50-years old, in addition to women.
The Church building was originally a factory that was adapted into its present state, the matter which took over five years to complete and to get the necessary permissions from the authorities to have a Church established.
Human rights organizations and lawyers were refused entry into the besieged Church.
The question has come up regarding the appearance of THE Antichrist as it relates to the current financial chaos and the presidential election in the US. This is probably more a reflection of insecurity and panic than theological discourse but can be addressed nonetheless.
First of all, I'll address the idea that Antichrist, the person, could be a US president. Many practical and political reasons point to this being extremely unlikely. US presidents do not make laws. They are one of three co-equal branches of government and are mostly responsible for law enforcement and national defense as well as running the social service bureaucracy. Antichrist will almost certainly rule by decree. The other branches of government present a restraint on US presidents though at times it seems they quickly abdicate that responsibility. Still, many other countries do not present such obstacles and are better candidates for a swift ascension to power.
Secondly, the Apocalypse gives clues as to the national and geographical origin of the "beast". He comes from an area outside the nominally Catholic area of the former Roman Empire (the 'sea') but within the empire's outermost reach at its height. The US does not qualify. Regions that are dominated by Orthodox Christianity and Islam are the most likely places.
More curious is the analysis done by Steven Paul that the US will have a special role in the ultimate defeat of the beast and his empire. The US with its powerful armed forces and its Christian character will be the world's last hope. Despite her flaws, the "Great Eagle" is the most Christ-like nation in her works of charity, her rule of law, and her spirituality.
Throughout history, there have been many types of the Antichrist who have come close to world domination and extermination of God's people, the Church. Islam was barely defeated at Tours. Napoleon's empire stretched across the European continent and Nazi Germany similarly made its futile attempt. Charismatic leaders rise with great passion and the people are seemingly mesmerized by their smooth-talking even as their freedom is taken away.
Today we see little dictatorships in Venezuela, Iran, Cuba and some African nations. As well, China, with its Godless communism seems to rise in power before our eyes. In the US, a slick-talking unknown has the electorate transfixed. Yet none of these comes close to the cunning and skill described in the Apocalypse. They are just precursors or impostors.
Antichrist will capitalize on the kind of financial chaos and misery we have only seen a glimpse of recently. Such will be the malaise that people will gladly hand power over to him. The times we are in are precursor to but not the actuality of the kingdom of the beast. Current events are types or warnings of what is to come. One must keep their eyes on Rome and the Church to know the signs of the times. It is a spiritual war that is to come and the best preparation for it is the sacraments.
Note: I don't mean to be alarmist about the movement of large numbers of Muslims to the U.S. or event their attempts at political activism. What is more alarming is the drift away from the Catholic faith by Christians and the inactivity or even activism against Catholic faith and morals by nominal Catholics. 90% of Catholics in the U.S. practice birth control and 50% approve of abortion. Divorce rates are lower for "practicing" Catholics, but almost the same as the general population when all baptized Catholics are counted as Catholic. It will be in another generation when Muslims have assimilated to the degree that they also no longer adhere to their faith according to "The Enemy at Home" by Dinesh D'Souza. The question is whether or not Catholics we'll still be here. The best defense against having to adopt another culture's customs and values is to strengthen your own. To do so requires that you practice and value them. Has that train left the station for good in the west?
Amerabia: The Islamicization of the U.S. By: Center for Security Policy
Even Americans knowledgeable about Europe's growing accommodation to the totalitarian ideology, known alternatively as Islamism, jihadism or Islamofascism, tend smugly to believe the same thing can't happen here. Think again.
Every day, new evidence appears of similar acts of submission — the Islamists call it "dhimmitude" — on the part of the U.S. government, judges, the press and leading corporations.
Eurabia, meet the United States of Amerabia.
The Agenda, Loud and Clear
On May 4, an ominous alarm was sounded in a Pajamas Media column by Youssef Ibrahim, a former New York Times reporter. Ibrahim is an astute critic of the Islamists' steady, tireless and increasingly effective efforts to impose, on Muslims and non-Muslims alike, the repressive theo-political-legal agenda they call Shariah law.
He warned that "In the very real war on terror, a noisy squabble over 'fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here' clouds a simple truth: namely, that 'they' are here already. Indeed, Islamists are busy constructing a wing of jihad in America's backyard."
Among the most worrisome of the "they" now operating inside the United States are various front organizations systematically established by the Islamist organization known as the Ikhwan, or Muslim Brotherhood. During last year's federal trial of the Holy Land Foundation on terrorism-financing charges, the government introduced into evidence the names of many scores of such Ikhwan fronts.
Identified also as unindicted co-conspirators were virtually every one of the most prominent Muslim-American organizations, including notably the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).
Prosecutors also presented what amounts to a Brotherhood mission statement. According to a memorandum produced by the group in 1991: "The process of settlement [of Islam in the United States] is a "Civilization-Jihadist" process with all the word means. The Ikhwan must understand that all their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' their miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers."
To be clear, this is not the agenda of all Muslims, certainly not all American Muslims. Yet, we cannot safely ignore the fact that followers of the Muslim Brotherhood are among those who do have such an outcome as their goal — let alone allow our "hands" to contribute to its realization.
Writing about this Brotherhood manifesto in the Dallas Morning News last September, columnist Rod Dreher observed: "The entire 18-page platform outlines a plan for the long haul. It prescribes the Muslim Brotherhood's comprehensive plan to set down roots in civil society. It begins by both founding and taking control of American Muslim organizations, for the sake of unifying and educating the U.S. Muslim community — this to prepare it for the establishment of a global Islamic state governed by Shariah."
Inside the Gates
Unfortunately, in the past 17 years, the Ikhwan has succeeded beyond its wildest dreams. Groups like CAIR, ISNA and MPAC not only made great strides in what Ibrahim calls "the common task [of] instill[ing] the notion among Arab-Americans or European immigrant communities of Muslim countries that they are not part of secular multicultural societies." Brotherhood fronts have also penetrated and exercised enormous influence over U.S. government agencies responsible for understanding and countering the Islamist threat.
Space limitations preclude more than a handful of examples: The FBI allows CAIR to provide "sensitivity training" for its agents. U.S. intelligence actively recruits at ISNA and other Ikhwan front conferences. One of ISNA's highly placed admirers, Pentagon deputy chief Gordon England's consigliere Hisham Islam, was allowed to purge the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Islamist expert, Steven Coughlin, for warning against such practices. Most recently, two key federal agencies, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, encouraged American officials to eschew, when describing our enemies, the use of such terms as jihadist, mujahedeen, Islamic terrorist, Islamist, holy warrior and Islamofascism. According to an Associated Press report, the government is supposed instead to "use the terms 'violent extremist' or 'terrorist.'
Both are widely understood terms that define our enemies appropriately and simultaneously deny them any level of legitimacy." (Evidently, President Bush has not gotten the word as he used what Andy McCarthy calls the "J-word" in his press conference last week.)
The Bottom Line
This astounding act of dhimmitude confirms Steve Coughlin's thesis: The enemy has so thoroughly gotten inside our decision-making as to preclude us from understanding his true nature and threat doctrine. By affording the Ikhwan such an opportunity, we have rendered this country, as a practical matter, incapable of countering our Islamist foes abroad — let alone here at home.
Fortunately, a courageous legislator, Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., has come forward to challenge the emerging Amerabia. She has unveiled a 10-point program that calls for, among other things: investigations of Ikhwan penetrations of our prison and military chaplain corps; an inquiry into the legitimacy of CAIR's tax-exempt status; corrective actions with respect to numerous ill-advised policies vis a vis Saudi Arabia; and addressing the seditious nature of Islamist threats to our government and people.
For her exemplary leadership and determination to resist national dhimmitude, this column recognizes Congresswoman Myrick with its coveted "Horatius (or, for the first time Horatia) at the Bridge" award, for her willingness, like the legendary Roman, to take on singlehandedly the enemy hordes and try to save her country.
We hope she will add to her list and secure the broadest possible support for her efforts.
Note: The book "The Apocalypse - Letter by Letter: A Literary Analysis of the Book of Revelation", by Steven Paul essentially makes the same claim as this wacko from Hamas, that Rome will eventually be overrun by the kingdom of Antichrist and the Church will have to flee for safety. Isn't it ironic that this member of the Palestinian Parliament, an sort of oxymoron, sends this message while the pope is in the US?
Hamas Cleric Predicts 'Rome Will Be Conquered by Islam' Monday , April 14, 2008
A sermon last Friday by a prominent Muslim cleric and Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament openly declared that "the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital," would soon be conquered by Islam.
The fiery sermon, delivered by Yunis al-Astal and aired on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV, predicted that Rome would become "an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread though Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, even Eastern Europe."
"Allah has chosen you for Himself and for His religion," al-Astal preached, "so that you will serve as the engine pulling this nation to the phase of succession, security and consolidation of power, and even to conquests through da'wa and military conquests of the capitals of the entire world. "Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our prophet Muhammad," he added.
Al-Astal last June preached how it was the duty of Palestinian women to martyr themselves by becoming homicide bombers.
"The most exalted form of jihad is fighting for the sake of Allah, which means sacrificing one's soul by fighting the enemies head-on, even if it leads to martyrdom," he said in a June 23, 2007 interview.
"When jihad becomes an individual duty, it applies to women too, because women do not differ from men when it comes to individual duties," he said, calling Jews "the brothers of apes and pigs" who should "taste the bitterness of death."
Friday's rant repeated that theme: "Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam.
"I believe that our children, or our grandchildren, will inherit our jihad and our sacrifices, and, Allah willing, the commanders of the conquest will come from among them.
"Today, we instill these good tidings in their souls – and by means of the mosques and the Koran books, and the history of our Prophets, his companions, and the great leaders, we prepare them for the mission of saving humanity from the hellfire at whose brink they stand."
It's beginning to add up now. There is going to be a war with Iran and I predict it will be this summer. Numerous seemingly separate events are converging all at once, mostly having to do with the US and the economy.
The summer months often provoke a spike on gasoline costs. Gasoline is already at an all-time high. Consumer unrest is boiling over as truckers have begun protests and blockades in Washington DC and around the country. A war with Iran would simultaneously focus attention away from unrest and have a direct bearing on oil prices.
Recent disclosures about Iran's meddling in Iraq are also pointing towards military action. This week Gen. David Patraeus testified that Iran's government is responsible for training and supplying elements that are killing US and Iraqi soldiers and civilians at an increasing rate.
The news today is coming fast and furious. One report is that Iran has secretly been testing long range missiles capable of hitting Europe. Satellite photos were released of the bases where this activity is centered.And on top of that is another flashpoint incident of Iranian speedboats harassing Navy ships and being fired on. They just can't be this stupid, can they?
All these stories when lumped together reveal an increase of fear generation not seen since the run up to the Iraq War. It is a propaganda assault.
While the US and President Bush were accused of a "rush to war," the fact is that the military buildup for Iraq took many months, was done in the open, and was in parallel with ultimatums and threats against Saddam Hussein's regime made at the UN. No such buildup for an Iranian attack is needed. Iran is already surrounded by US and allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. A simple repositioning is all that would be needed and if Iran is really fueling the insurgencies in both places, there is little risk of increased violence in those places by pointing the weapons at Iran.
Removing the Iranian regime would add the missing piece in the Persian Gulf oil puzzle. It would be done in a way that appears defensive leaving adversaries such as Russia and China little room to object. Both would be privately irate and concerned as the west led by the US gains control of a huge percentage of the world's oil reserves.
The problem with the logic involved is with the vocal objection to the invasion of Iraq. The protesters shouted "No blood for oil!" But five years after the invasion, the price of oil has skyrocketed. Why? Because the price of oil is pegged to the dollar and the dollar has been greatly devalued by the debt run up to fight the war. It is a banker's paradox that to get the resource takes twice as much money as the resource is worth, not technically but because of the political means, war.
Should the Iranian people resist military operations with any degree of strength, the west would once again be faced with a long and expensive operation. But the bankers make out either way so you can expect it to happen.
And rather than wait for the uncertainty of a new president in the US, it is likely to happen this summer. The drumbeat has begun and Iran best look back at recent history if there is to be any stopping it.
Having said all that, it is my view that it will fail. I base that on the prophesy in the book, Apocalypse - Letter by Letter. I believe Iran will thwart an invasion or attack and instead rally the Muslim world through coercion in some cases, economic bribery in others. If the west is not careful, this could be a turning point towards uniting the new caliphate and causing the simultaneous removals of the west-leaning despots in control of most of those countries.
Note: Wait till you see what gets printed in the mainstream media during the Pope's visit. The blasphemy will know no bounds. And yet, saying anything negative about Islam, like the fact that it has an inherently violent element that even Muslims are afraid to denounce, will never be said there. Look at the photo. Seem like a fine group of young chaps out for a stroll?
Over 25,000 Pakistanis Rally Against Anti-Koran Film, Prophet Cartoons Sunday , April 06, 2008 KARACHI, Pakistan - More than 25,000 people rallied Sunday in the largest protest in Pakistan so far against an anti-Koran film made by a Dutch lawmaker, urging their government to expel the Netherlands ambassador.
"They call this freedom of expression, but it's freedom of aggression," keynote speaker Munawwar Hasan, a leader of the main Islamic party Jamat-e-Islami, told the crowd as it chanted "God is great."
The 15-minute film by Geert Wilders, which sets verses from the Muslim holy book against a background of violent images from terror attacks, was released in March. It has sparked weekly protests in Pakistan, usually drawing hundreds of people after prayers on Friday, the Muslim holy day.
But police officer Syed Suleman estimated Sunday's crowd at 25,000, while organizers claimed more than 100,000 people turned out.
Wearing head bands inscribed "We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sanctity of the prophet," they marched for two kilometers (more than a mile), then gathered on Karachi's main street to listen to speeches.
They also burned an effigy of Wilders as speakers said their government should sever diplomatic ties with Western countries supporting the publishers of cartoons defaming the Prophet Muhammad.
"The Muslim world is on one side, but Muslim rulers like (President Pervez) Musharraf are toeing the Western agenda under the garb of secularism," Hasan said, referring to Musharraf's role in Washington's war on terrorism.
Hasan said this rally, named "The glory of the prophet march," was not against the West in general, but was aimed at creating awareness among Muslims that they need to unite against a war against Islam.
Note: Last time someone made cartoons accusing Islam of being violent, they rioted across Europe and Asia to prove it. Likewise, when the Pope quoted a text that questioned whether Islam was inherently violent, there were riots and a nun was stabbed to death.
The apathetic western media and governments will continue to call Islam a "Religion of Peace" hoping saying it will make it so.
Islam is the "Burning Mountain" of the Book of Revelation. It has its place in the mysterious plan of God. And so does the Mystical Body of Christ. Destiny awaits both.
Had to redo the link after the original hosting site, LiveLeak was threatened with death.
***WARNING!! EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE IN THIS VIDEO***
Our take: The following articles only confirm what we already sensed - that Europe has lost its faith and that the resulting vacuum is being filled by Islam. What Islam failed to capture by conquest it now takes by procreation and the apathy of the formerly Christian lands it has spread to without resistance. All that remains is for the tipping point to be reached when the remaining faithful are persecuted and put to the sword.
Madrid, Mar. 26, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The Union of Muslim Communities in Spain (UCIDE) claims that 1.13 million Spaniards, or 2.5% of the country's residents, are Muslim, Vatican Radio reports.
Moroccan immigrants, numbering approximately 565,000, constitute the largest Muslim group in Spain. Also, almost 35,000 native Spaniards have converted to Islam.
UCIDE is demanding Islamic religion classes in public schools in the four Spanish regions with the highest concentration of Muslims: Catalonia, with 279,000; Madrid, with 197,000; Andalusia, with 185,000; and Valencia, with 131,000.
British Muslims to outnumber Christians? London, Mar. 26, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Muslims may outnumber practicing Catholics in England and Wales by the year 2020, according to a forthcoming study.
A Christian Research study on estimates that the number of Catholics attending Sunday Mass regularly will fall to 679,000 in the next 12 years. Over the same period, the "Religious Trends" forecast says, the number of Muslims praying at English mosques will rise to 683,000.
Catholics already outnumber Anglicans attending Sunday services in England. The "Religious Trends" survey, which will be published in April, will suggest that by the year 2050, the number of practicing Muslims will exceed the number of Christians attending all Sunday church services in England.
Note: It would be easy to dismiss the Bin Laden statement as hubris from a reclusive, dying man and a reclusive, dying ideology if not for the knee-jerk reaction to burn things and chant in mindless protest in much of the backwards Muslim world. Photos like the one below could be taken in any of a dozen or so countries anytime one of the jihadi leaders points out a new grievance or whips up an old one. It would be better for the media to ignore them if not for the real and present danger they present for unsuspecting westerners caught in the cross-fire.
Vatican Blasts Bin Laden's Claim of Pope's Anti-Islam 'Crusade'; CIA Is 'Confident' Voice Is Terror Leader's
Thursday , March 20, 2008
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said Thursday that Usama bin Laden's accusation that Pope Benedict XVI had played a role in a worldwide campaign against Islam is "baseless," as the CIA said it was "confident" that the voice on the tape is in fact the terror leader's.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said it was not surprising that bin Laden had mentioned the pope in a new audiotape posted late Wednesday on a militant Web site -- which the CIA believes is authentic, a U.S. intelligence official told Reuters.
"He was already named in previous messages," Lombardi said in a telephone interview. "It is absolutely baseless (to accuse) the pope of contributing to a lack of respect toward Islam" and its prophet, Muhammad, Lombardi said.
In the tape, bin Laden warned of a "severe" reaction for Europe's publication of cartoons of the prophet and said they were part of a "new Crusade" against Islam in which Benedict had played a "large and lengthy role."
Lombardi noted that the pope and the Vatican have criticized the cartoons on several occasions. In 2006, after the caricatures were first published in a Danish newspaper, the Vatican said the cartoons represented an "unacceptable provocation," and that the right to freedom of expression "cannot entail the right to offend the religious sentiment of believers."
The pope later said religious symbols must be respected, but he also condemned as unjustified the violent protests in Muslim countries that followed the publication of the cartoons. Benedict has recently taken steps to improve relations with moderate Islam.
In November he will meet Muslim religious leaders for a seminar that was organized after 138 Muslim scholars and intellectuals wrote to Benedict and other Christian leaders to encourage Christians and Muslims to develop their common ground of belief in one God.
In a 2006 speech in Germany that angered many in the Muslim world, Benedict cited a medieval text that characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."
The pope later said he was "deeply sorry" about the reactions his remarks sparked and stressed that they did not reflect his own opinions.
Whether it is in the explicit form of the old Tridentine Mass or in the softer language of the NovusOrdo Mass, the spirit and intent is the same - to pray for the conversion of the Jews. Why? Because we love them as our elder brothers and as those whom Jesus loved first. And out heart aches for their long-suffering and the persecution they experience for being God's first chosen ones. And we also pray for them because revelation tells us our prayers will one day be effective. In The Apocalypse - Letter by Letter, by Steven Paul, their conversion is described as well as the place God has prepared for them in the "New Heaven and New Earth".
Some Passages From Chapter 24:
Note that the names of the twelve tribes are written on the "gates." This suggests a special honor will be bestowed upon the Jews, for they were God's chosen nation, his "gate," through which salvation came to the whole world. The text suggests that the leadership of the Church will be given to them, because they will "sell," i.e., renounce, all that they have, their worldly desires, to "buy" or obtain the "pearl," the wisdom of Christ. Christ was born of the house of David, and He meant exactly what he said, "the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.'
4 Behold I have given him for a witness to the people, for a leader and a master to the Gentiles. 5 Behold thou shalt call a nation, which thou knewest not: and the nations that knew not thee shall run to thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee. [Is. 55:4-5].
The foundations of the "wall" are twelve, and each is adorned with a specific kind of "precious stone." The "jewels' are symbolic of spiritual things; three of them I have already explained in part two of this commentary. As for the others, I have not yet been able to find their precise meanings. I will neither opine nor speculate. If I find their meanings, I will inform you. Isaiah 54:11-12 contains a description, in part, similar to the one John gave.
Verses 22-27 allude to passages in the Old Testament, such as, Isaiah 60:3, which reads,
"Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance";
or 60:11, which reads,
"Your gates shall stand open constantly; day and night they shall not be closed, but shall admit to you the wealth of nations, and their kings, in the vanguard." [John does not mention "night" because the "millennium" will be unending "days," spiritually speaking]
There are too many to quote, and it is better for the reader to "browse among the lilies," so that he or she may judge how closely John has restated many of the prophecies in the Old Testament.
One fact is made perfectly clear: Israel shall be exalted and glorified in the "millennium," and Jerusalem, especially. It was impossible for me not to receive the impression that Jerusalem will be the center of the Church in the world during that time. The reader must keep before the mind that Chapter 21 describes Jerusalem, in particular, and the Church, in general, the former being understood as within the latter. Since Jerusalem will be the "crown" upon the "mountain," like the "crown" upon the "woman" in Chapter 12, I have concluded what I have concluded about Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (holy and true) dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given to every one of them one; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little time, till their fellow servants, and their brethren, who are to be slain, even as they, should be filled up.Apoc. 6:9-11
Chaldean Catholic Faith and Resolve: 'They Will Not Scatter the Chaldean Flock'
3/14/2008 Chaldean.Org
"May Bishop Raho rest in the arms of our Lord and may God show mercy on those that continue to hate."
MOSUL, IRAQ (Chaldean.org) - The Chaldean community around the world stand numb and in disbelief as news of Archbishop Bishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul is dead. Outcry from world leaders swayed no influence as fanatical terrorists proved once more that no women, children, medical providers, and now spiritual leaders are safe from their killing spree.
"These are innocent people that want to help bring peace. They kill them, because they are filled with hate. These barbarians have no faith in anything, but their own rise to power," said Omar Touma, a recent refugee and Chaldean parishioner of the Good Shepherd Chaldean Church in Canada.
Text of the news, mournful cries, and prayer messages quickly traveled via e-mail and phone messaging reporting the sorrowful news. Our Bishop is dead, decried one message as images of weeping families huddled together comforting one another.
The kidnappers had been demanding a heavy ransom, Church officials say. When requests were made to speak to the Archbishop the kidnappers replied that the archbishop was dead and gave gave instructions on how Church officials could recover the archbishop's body.
The Chaldean archbishop of Mosul had been dead for at least five days before his body was found this morning by some members of the Church, following information provided by the kidnappers themselves. This timeline is provided by the autopsy conducted on the body of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, found in an abandoned area outside of the city, which is in part used as a trash dump.
Archbishop Rahho was seized outside the Holy Spirit cathedral in Mosul after conducting a Stations of the Cross service on Friday, February 29. Three parishioners were killed by the gunmen who abducted the archbishop.
In the days since the kidnapping, Church leaders had pleaded in vain for some clear evidence that Archbishop Rahho was alive and well. The archbishop, who was 69, suffered from a serious heart condition and needed daily medication.
The identity of the kidnappers remains unknown. Although Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki had ordered an all-out effort to locate the archbishop and secure his release, troops were unsuccessful in their search around Mosul-- a city dominated by insurgents and terrorists.
While the kidnappers did ask for a large money ransom, they were evidently not motivated solely by the desire for financial gain. Church spokesmen said that their demands included political conditions-- an indication that the archbishop's abduction was arranged by a terrorist group rather than simply a criminal gang.
Mosul confirms its place as the most dangerous city for the Christian community, the presence of which has dropped by over 75% since 2003. Christians remain the soft target for insurgents terrorists and criminal gangs to raise money and fund their ongoing operations.
After the Iraqi government and coalition forces systematically began turning off funding sources for these militant and criminal groups, their focus turned towards Christians. Iraqi Christians tend to be educated professionals and considered wealthy. They also offer less of a risk in way of having a pro-Islamic police force aggressively peruse the crimes since the victims are Christians and maintain a dhimmi status under Islamic law.
The attacks have created a brain-drain in Iraq as the professionals flee the country in large numbers. Professors, doctors, scientists, and engineers have fled into neighboring regions or across the ocean seeking safe harbor.
After Fr Ragheed Gani was slaughtered on June 3 information revealed that the terrorists were politically motivated to drive Christians out of Iraq. Many consider the indigenous Iraqis that were able to maintain their Christian identity and keep from being converted or conquered by Muslim raiders in the early centuries a moderate balance to the region. The belief is held strongly by fanatical Muslims who are systematicaly driving out the church in hopes of creating a more fundamental Islamic Iraq.
The latest wave of violence against the church came from January 6-17, 2008, when a series of explosions struck the Chaldean Church of Mary Immaculate, the Chaldean Church of St Paul, which was almost destroyed, the entryway to the orphanage run by the Chaldean sisters in al Nour, a Nestorian church, and the convent of the Dominican sisters of Mosul Jadida.
"Our faith is in Jesus who died for the sins of humanity. He will find favor in our Chaldean Martyr who offered nothing but peace, hope, and love," says Touma. "May bishop Raho rest in the arms of our Lord and may God show mercy on those that continue to hate. They will not scatter the Chaldean flock because they have killed our shepherd. Our faith will now grow even stronger."
Note: The Bible refers to a "Burning Mountain" and only one current movement fits the description...
Muslims protest Danish Muhammad cartoons Demonstrations against publication held in Pakistan, Gaza, Denmark
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Muslims protested Friday in the Gaza Strip, Pakistan and Denmark against the reprinting of a Danish newspaper cartoon depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Thousands of residents in the conservative Gaza Strip ruled by the militant Islamic Hamas movement marched in the Jebaliya refugee camp chanting: "What Denmark said is heresy." "It is shameful that Denmark should renew its offense against the prophet," Hamas official Mushir al-Masri told reporters at the protest.
Question: Can you commit heresy against a religion you are not a part of?
In Pakistan, hundreds of people rallied in various parts of the country, setting fire to Danish flags and demanding the Danish ambassador's expulsion. And in Denmark, a prominent Danish imam urged rioting youth to stop setting fires and hurling rocks at police.
The protests came after Denmark's leading newspapers reproduced one of 12 cartoons of Islam's prophet Wednesday in a gesture of solidarity after police said they uncovered a plot to kill the cartoon's artist. The drawings had sparked deadly riots across the Muslim world in 2006.
About 200 students from the International Islamic University in Islamabad vowed to organize a street march next Friday if the government did not accept their demand.
"We are even ready to sacrifice our life for our beloved Prophet," said Mahmood Sadiqui, a student leader.
Note: I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Maniacal suicide seems pleasing to the prophet.
About 200 people held a similar rally in Multan, a main city in the eastern Punjab province, burning Danish flags and chanting "Death to the Cartoonist!" and "Boycott, boycott of European products!"
Note: There goes the trade balance for the EU. What will the Danes do now?
At two rallies in Pakistan's biggest city of Karachi, about 150 supporters from radical Islamic parties torched effigies of the Danish prime minister amid calls to boycott Danish products. Mohammad Imran, a student leader from Islami Jamiat Talba, a student organization linked with Pakistan's largest Islamic political group, Jamaat-e-Islami, called the cartoon "blasphemous."
"We demand the rulers to sever diplomatic ties" with Denmark and Sweden for publishing the cartoons. "The cartoonist and publisher must be hanged."
Note: Ooh, that'll hurt. Where will they get carpets from?
It was the second protest in Karachi in as many days. Dozens of Islamic students set fire to a Danish flag on Thursday. In Pakistan, blasphemy of Muhammad is considered a serious crime that carries the death sentence.
Appeal for calm in DenmarkIn Copenhagen, about 800 people protested peacefully in a march organized by the radical Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Meanwhile, a prominent Danish imam urged rioting youth to stop setting fires and hurling rocks at police after a fifth consecutive night of vandalism there and in other Danish cities.
"Please stop what you're doing," Imam Mostafa Chendid, the leader of the Islamic Faith Community, said in an address to young people during Friday's prayer. "The prophet has not taught you to burn down schools, or burn cars or infrastructure."
Note: Someone did. If not the Prophet, who?
Nine youths were arrested overnight Friday in Copenhagen, six of whom faced preliminary charges for throwing rocks at police officers, police said Friday. There were no reports of injuries.
Note: I don't know why people seem so surprised. Williams long ago departed from sound Christian leadership by promoting homosexual relations in the Anglican Church, causing a unrepairable schism. That he is now advocating Sharia law is only a further symtom of his deep psychosis. He said he was only for a "partial" implementation of Sharia, as though that were possible. He cited for example the relativley benign divorce laws - ones where only the husband has rights and the wife is treated as property, for example. And he said he wasn't for severe punishments (I assume he means beheading or amputation for stealing) That local Muslim leaders said they weren't even seeking such an accomdation shows how off his rocker this man is. To some extent, this works in favor of the separated brothers in the Anglican communion. The more wacky their leadership shows themselves to be, the more Anglicans return home to the true faith. If Williams wants to find common ground with Muslims, perhaps he should try enforcing Christian doctrine in the areas of divorce and human sexuality. Muslims are typically for chastity, against abortion and frown on prnography, for example.
Archbishop of Canterbury argues for Islamic law in Britain
The Archbishop of Canterbury came under fierce attack last night from the Government, his own Church and other religions after he advocated the adoption of parts of Sharia, or Islamic law, in Britain.
Leaders of all the main political parties made clear that they did not accept Dr Rowan Williams's assertion that the incorporation of some aspects of Sharia was "unavoidable".
Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, condemned his comments as "muddled and unhelpful" and one senior bishop said that he was "surprised and concerned" by Dr Williams’s remarks.
Even the Muslim Council of Britain insisted that most members of the community did not want Sharia and emphasised that it had not discussed the issue.
Dr Williams argued, in a speech at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, for a "plural jurisdiction" that would allow Muslims to choose whether some legal disputes were resolved in secular or Sharia courts. He called for "constructive accommodation" over such issues as resolving marriage disputes.
Earlier, he told BBC Radio 4 that people should approach Islamic law with an open mind. Although emphasising that there was no place for "extreme punishments" and discrimination against women, Dr Williams stressed the importance of making all communities "part of the public process" in order to limit any oppression.
There are nearly 1.6 million Muslims in Britain, representing 2.7 per cent of the total population. Sharia courts do exist, but they have no legal standing and their decisions are not binding. Dr Williams said: "It seems unavoidable and, as a matter of fact, certain conditions of Sharia are already recognised in our society."
However, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said that British law must be based on British values. "Sharia cannot be used as a justification for committing breaches of English law, nor should the principles of Sharia be included in a civil court for resolving contractual disputes," he said.
Gordon Brown's spokesman added that concessions had been made in specific instances - such as a relaxation of the law on stamp duty to avoid it being paid twice when Sharia-compliant mortgages were used by Muslims.
They involve two transfers of property, so in theory stamp duty would be payable twice, but is in fact paid only once.
The Conservative response was even stronger. Baroness Warsi, Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action said: "The Archbishop's comments are unhelpful and may add to the confusion that already exists in our communities... All British citizens must be subject to British laws developed through Parliament and the courts."
Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: "Equality before the law is part of the glue that binds our society together. We cannot have a situation where there is one law for one person and different laws for another."
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, who claimed recently that parts of Britain were no-go areas for non-Muslims, was one of the first to criticise Dr Williams. Dr Nazir-Ali, the country's only Asian bishop, said: "English law is rooted in the Judaeo-Christian tradition and our notions of human freedoms derive from that tradition. It would be impossible to introduce a tradition like Sharia into this corpus without fundamentally affecting its integrity."
Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, a Leicester imam and an expert in interfaith issues for the Muslim Council of Britain, said his fear was that Islamophobic and racist groups would use the Archbishop's remarks to attack Islam.
He added: "I welcome debate on this issue but my personal feeling is that the vast majority of Muslims do not want to see a parallel or separate system for Muslims in our society."
Rabbi Danny Rich, chief executive of Liberal Judaism, said: "I am staggered he has said this. The Jewish community has learnt the value both of participating in the British legal system but at the same time, in certain matters where the State gives it the right, to sort out those matters with its own rabbinic authorities. But we accept that British law has priority."
The Archbishop's lecture was one in in a series of discussions Islam in English Law, part of the Temple Festival.
Note: The story below from Catholic World News shows how even in so-called "moderate" Muslim countries, there is no tolerance towards Christianity. Indonesia's constitution, unlike even more hostile Islamic regimes in Saudi Arabia, for example, guarantees freedom of religion. But when the law is violated, the state looks the other way. Meanwhile, all over the US and Europe, Mosques are being built often with financial assistance both from the state and christian religious authorities. Is this what the Pope is talking about when he seeks reciprocity from Muslims in his talks.What gives? Islamic pressure closing churches in Indonesia
Jakarta, Dec. 20, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Indonesian Catholic bishops have called public attention to rising Islamic pressure against Christian churches, Vatican Radio reports.
Bishop Martinus Situmorang of Padang, the president of the country's episcopal conference, is the co-author of a new report on the campaign by Muslim activists to close down Christian churches. The report shows that from 2004 through 2007, 108 churches have been closed because of Islamic pressure.
The report notes that Indonesia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and challenged the government to honor that promise, protecting the Christian minority from Muslim extremists.
Catholics constitute just 3% of the population in Indonesia. About 85% of the country's 220 million people are Muslims, giving Indonesia the world's largest Muslim population.
