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In this mailing:
- A. Z. Mohamed: The Pope, Peace and Islamic Fundamentalists
- Jonathan S. Tobin: What is Behind the Refusal to Stand for the
Anthem?
- Amir Taheri: Kurdish Referendum: What is the Lowdown?
by A. Z. Mohamed • October 1, 2017 at 5:00
am
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Islamist terrorists in Egypt bombed Coptic churches
and killed dozens of innocent people on Palm Sunday, and Saudi Arabia, which
finances and hosts the Muslim World League (MWL), is the global purveyor of
extremist Wahhabism. More importantly, it sends a signal to persecuted
Christians and moderate Muslims that they really have nowhere to turn. In his
attempt at appeasing Muslims, then, the Pope is actually emboldening the
"arsonists," not the "firefighters."
-
Perhaps the Pope is unaware of the nature of the MWL
and Al-Azhar. If so, here is a brief description of each:
-
"MWL has a long history of ties to, and financial
support for, Islamic extremists, terrorist operatives, and terrorist
organizations including Hamas, the Abu Sayyaf Group, al-Ittihaad al-Islami, the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Jemaat-al-Islamiyya, and al Qaeda.... MWL has
often provided a platform for hateful, inflammatory rhetoric directed against
Jews and the state of Israel." — Discover the Networks.
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"Any Muslim can kill an apostate and eat him, as well
kill infidel warriors even if they are young or female and they can also be
eaten, because they are not granted any protection.." — Al-Azhar book for high
school students; 2015 investigative report conducted by the Egyptian newspaper
El-Youn el-Sabi.
Pope
Francis speaks with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayyib, Grand Imam of Cairo's al-Azhar
University, at the Vatican on May 23, 2016. (Image source: RT video
screenshot)
After
a visit to the Vatican on September 20, a delegation of the Muslim World League
(MWL), an international NGO based in, and funded by, Saudi Arabia, lauded Pope
Francis for his past statements rejecting the link between Islam and violence.
During their "historic meeting," MWL Secretary-General Muhammad Abdul-Kareem
Al-Issa and the Pope exchanged gifts and reportedly vowed to enhance cooperation
"in all areas to achieve common goals, notably the spread of peace and
harmony."
The
next day, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the WML held an
"informal meeting... during which it was repeated that:
by Jonathan S. Tobin • October 1, 2017 at 4:30
am
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If there is a declining number of Americans who
demonstrate patriotism, it may spring from the fact that few have ever served
their nation in any capacity.
-
Public education in the post-Vietnam era, as well as
textbooks often developed with the "help" of dubious sources, have also
emphasized America's flaws while undermining the sense that it is a place worth
defending.
-
It is worth wondering if the battles over the anthem
are more the natural outcome of a popular culture that no longer teaches Western
values or requires either a draft or any kind of national service.
Alejandro
Villanueva of the Pittsburgh Steelers chose to stand and salute in sight of fans
during the playing of the national anthem on September 24 in Chicago, while the
rest of his teammates stayed in their locker room. Villanueva was apparently
quickly shamed by his team into expressing regret. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty
Images)
The
debate about whether football players should stand for the national anthem moved
to the center of the national conversation last month. On Sunday, September 24,
scores of National Football League players, knelt, sat or stayed in the locker
room while the Star-Spangled Banner was played. What used to be a rote exercise
that began all sports events suddenly became seen as an indicator of sympathy
for the Black Lives Matter movement or antipathy for President Donald J.
Trump.
The
most telling moment in the controversy, however, may have come a day later, when
one NFL player felt compelled to apologize. The contrarian was not one of those
allegedly protesting the nation's perceived shortcomings. It was, instead, a
player who stood at attention and with his hand over his heart while the anthem
was played.
by Amir Taheri • October 1, 2017 at 4:00 am
A
woman casts her referendum vote at a voting station on September 25, 2017 in
Erbil, Iraq. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Despite
many efforts to stop or postpone it, the Iraqi Kurdistan referendum has become a
fait accompli and must be taken into account in shaping future
developments, and Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani (also known as
"Kak Masoud" -- "Brother Masoud" in Kurdish), the man who orchestrated the
exercise, must be as pleased as Punch.
In
contemplating the future, it is important to know exactly what we are talking
about. Supporters of the referendum have pinned their flag to two concepts:
independence and self-determination.
They
say Iraqi Kurds want independence. However, like all other Iraqis, Iraqi Kurds
already live in a country that is recognized as independent and a full-member of
the United Nations.
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COMMENTS • 110