An Islamic Justice

[islander]

Response to criticism

Spencer has responded to accusations that Jihad Watch is Islamophobic by declaring the term "Islamophobe" a label, "a tool used by Islamic apologists to silence criticism."  He says that his work is

    dedicated to identifying the causes of jihad terrorism, which of course lead straight back into the Islamic texts. I have therefore called for reform of those texts... I have dedicated Jihad Watch to defending equality of rights and freedom of conscience for all people.  That's Islamophobic?  Then is the fault in the phobe, or in the Islam? (wikipedia excerpts)

[islander]

Funding

Jihad watch has been funded by a variety of individuals and foundations, like Bradley Foundation and Joyce Chernick, wife of Aubrey Chernick.  Ken Vogel of Politico wrote that

       Though it was not listed on the public tax reports filed by Horowitz's Freedom Center, POLITICO has confirmed that the lion's share of the $920,000 it provided over the past three years to Jihad Watch came from Chernick, whose husband, Aubrey Chernick, has a net worth of $750 million, as a result of his 2004 sale to IBM of a software company he created, and a security consulting firm he now owns.  The David Horowitz Freedom Center had a budget of $4.5 million last year, according to its tax filings, of which $290,000 came from the conservative Bradley Foundation, which also gave $75,000 to the Center for Security Policy last year.  Horowitz has received an average of $461,000 a year in salary and benefits over the past three years, while Spencer has pulled in an average of $140,000, according to the center's IRS filings. (wikipedia excerpts)

[islander]

It is a shame that so many innocent Christians are being killed and persecuted so violently in these areas. May The Lord Jesus Christ protect them and support them in their times of trial....

and may he protect you too from sanctimony and religious bigotry.

[islander]

Jihad Watch is a blog affiliated with the David Horowitz Freedom Center

understandable that only alleged muslim atrocities are reflected in this blog.  there should be nothing here about what jews do (as in what they do to palestinians).  the david horowitz freedom center is jewish (freedom for jews, naturally) as prof. robert s. wistrich is jewish.  it's politics again, really.     

[Lorenzo]

A source is a source, there will be an agenda which ever source you utilize. Either it be fox news, bbc, cnbc, jihadwatch, etc. The point is, the message is that there is a plethora of our Christian brothers and sisters that are living under dire situations in Muslim-dominated countries.

[islander]

The websites Spencer Watch and Loon Watch were founded in reaction to Spencer and the Jihad Watch website and critique the cogency of Spencer's criticisms.

would it harm your faith, lorenz, to try visiting these websites for balance's sake? 

goodnight!  (i need to hit the sack now.  it's the wee hours of the morning here.) 

[Lorenzo]

Muslim Genocide of Christians throughout Middle East



ICC Note:

Hudson New York reports that, “Christians in Arab countries are no longer being persecuted; they are now being slaughtered and driven out of their homes and lands.” The article highlights the persecution of Christians in Iraq, Egypt and the Palestinian territories.

By Khaled Abu Toameh

11/26/2010 Middle East (Hudson New York) – It is obvious by now that the Christians in the Middle East are an "endangered species."

Christians in Arab countries are no longer being persecuted; they are now being slaughtered and driven out of their homes and lands.

Those who for many years turned a blind eye to complaints about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East now owe the victims an apology. Now it is clear to all that these complaints were not "Jewish propaganda."

The war of genocide against Christians in the Middle East can no longer be treated as an "internal affair" of Iraq or Egypt or the Palestinians. What the West needs to understand is that radical Islam has declared jihad not only against Jews, but also against Christians.

In Iraq, Egypt and the Palestinian territories, Christians are being targeted almost on a daily basis by Muslim fundamentalists and secular dictators.

Dozens of Arab Christians in Iraq have been killed in recent months in what seems to be well-planned campaign to drive them out of the country. Many Christian families have already begun fleeing Iraq out of fear for their lives.

Some have chosen to start new lives in Jordan, while many others are expressing hope that they could be resettled in North America or Europe.

In Egypt, the plight of the Coptic Christian minority appears to be worsening. Just this week, the Egyptian security forces killed a Coptic Christian man and wounded scores of others who were protesting against the government's intention to demolish a Christian-owned structure.

Hardly a day passes without reports of violence against members of the Coptic Christian community in various parts of Egypt. Most of the attacks are carried out by Muslim fundamentalists.

…

Palestinian Christians have also been feeling the heat, although their conditions remain much better than those of their brothers and sisters in Iraq and Egypt.

Last week, the Western-funded Palestinian Authority in the West Bank arrested a Christian journalist who reported about differences between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Fatah operative Mohammed Dahlan. The journalist, George Qanawati, manager of Radio Bethlehem 2000, was freed five days later.

In the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, the tiny Christian community is also living in fear following a spate of attacks by radical Islamic groups.



http://www.persecution.org/2010/12/11/muslim-genocide-of-christians-throughout-middle-east/

[Lorenzo]

would it harm your faith, lorenz, to try visiting these websites for balance's sake? 

goodnight!  (i need to hit the sack now.  it's the wee hours of the morning here.) 

I have read your posts , Isles, and I would like to thank you for adding the other view, however, I stand with what I have said, the sense of 'relativism' cannot be supported in the case of our Christian brothers and sisters who have been persecuted and killed by muslims and islamic policies.

By in large, generally speaking, many of the muslims living in western nations enjoy freedom of religion and rights accorded to them by national constitutions and bill of rights , however, the Christians living in predominantly-muslim nations are not afforded that right. In fact, are being persecuted and forced to hide their faith , or flee the said country or face extermination.





Yours In Christ,
Lorenzo

[Lorenzo]

By George J. Marlin      



A bloodstained image of Jesus (Church of Saints in Alexandria, Egypt)





The upheaval in the Middle East has turned that region into a war zone. Protesters in Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen have been shot, clubbed, and jailed. Public condemnation of the violence by the United States and European Union is certainly warranted, and no-fly zones and other sanctions may be necessary to prevent the mass slaughter of innocent people.

Protesters and freedom fighters, however, are not the only victims of violence in the Middle East. There has been a significant rise in Christian bloodshed. Unfortunately, the leaders of Western powers, with little exception, have ignored those crimes.

In his annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, Pope Benedict XVI pointed to the “acts of discrimination against Christians, which are considered less grave and less worthy of attention on the part of governments and public opinion.” The Holy Father renewed his “heartfelt appeal” to Muslim religious leaders “that their Christians fellow-citizens be able to live in security, continuing to contribute to the society in which they are fully members.” Egypt’s Al-Azhar University suspended talks with the Vatican because they found the pope’s references to Muslim violence “insulting.”

Among other duties, I serve as Chairman of Aid to the Church in Need, U.S.A., a charity directly under the Holy Father that supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed, or in need. I receive regular updates and status reports on the plight of Christians in the Middle East. Here’s a roundup of what happened this past year:

Afghanistan: The nation’s constitution designates Islam as the state religion and “no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam.” As a result, in May 2010 a group of Muslims were sentenced to death for converting to Christianity. Fortunately, they escaped and found asylum in India. In August, ten members of an eye-care team from the Christian International assistance mission were murdered in Afghanistan’s northern mountains. The Taliban claimed responsibility saying the volunteers were trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. Open Doors, an international Christian rights organization, rates Afghanistan as the world’s fourth worst country for Christian prosecution.

Egypt: In December 2010, Muslim extremists attacked an Orthodox Coptic Church in Upper Egypt during Christmas midnight Mass and murdered nine. On New Years Day, twenty mass goers died and seventy others were wounded when a car bomb exploded outside the Church of Saints in Alexandria. Egypt is the home to 20-million Christians – far more than any other country in the region. Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants are persecuted for allegedly carrying out clandestine evangelization. Since it takes up to thirty years to receive permits to build a Christian church, the militant Imams have cracked down on Christians who gather in makeshift places of worship, claiming they are illegal.

Iran: While the population of Iran has grown since 1979 from 38 to 72 million, the Christian population has declined from 100,000 to 15,000. Christians have fled because they were constantly harassed by the government and falsely accused of being pro-Western. Because renouncing Islam is a crime of apostasy, there have been numerous arrests in Christian communities. In 2009, for instance, two women converts were arrested and charged with “acting against the security of the state” for distributing Bibles in their church. Thanks to international pressure they were released after eight months in jail, and allowed to leave the country. In January, about seventy Christians were arrested for attending services in “house churches.” In a November 2010 letter to President Ahmadinejad, Pope Benedict asked why Christian minorities live as dhimmis, second-class citizens.

Iraq: Since 2000, over 77 percent of Iraq’s 700,000 Christians have fled. In February 2008, the Catholic Archbishop of one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, Mosul (known in scripture as Nineveh), Paulos Faraj Rahho, was kidnapped and died in captivity two weeks later. His successor, Archbishop Amil Nona, believes that his diocese has suffered “some of the worst persecution to befall the Church in a generation.” On October 31, 2010, 58 people died and 70 were injured when an organization linked to al Qaeda attacked Baghdad’s Our Lady of Deliverance Syrian Catholic Cathedral during Sunday Mass. Among the dead were two young priests. Archbishop Louis Sako commented: “For us Christians of Iraq, martyrdom is the charism of our Church . . . .We are aware that bearing witness to Christ can mean martyrdom.”

Pakistan: Although the constitution of Pakistan states it is a secular country, violating blasphemy laws can be punishable by death. The Catholic Church’s Commission of Justice and Peace reported that since 1986 approximately 993 people have been charged with slandering Mohammed or desecrating the Qur’an. On March 2, 2011, the only Pakistani Christian cabinet member, Shahbaz Bhatti, was assassinated because he campaigned to reform the blasphemy laws. At his requiem in the Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady of Fatima, only one cabinet member had the courage to attend, Prime Minister Raza Gilani. Imagine if a U.S. cabinet member were murdered and only the president appeared at the funeral.

Saudi Arabia: Religious freedom is not protected under law and is severely restricted in practice. Public ceremonies or services by non-Islamic religions are banned. Saudi Arabia’s 1-million Christians are constantly harassed and police raid private religious gatherings and confiscate religious articles.

Yemen: There are only 8,000 Christians in this nation of 24 million. Yet in February, Yemen’s al Qaeda leader called on Muslims to wage jihad against them.
Despite all these crimes, there is hardly a peep from the Western powers. These victims would be completely forgotten if not for the Holy Father. In his January 1, 2011 World Peace Day message, he reminded the world that Middle East Christians “experience daily affronts and often live in fear because of their pursuit of truth, their faith in Christ Jesus and their heartfelt plea for respect for religious freedom. This situation is unacceptable since it represents an insult to God and to human dignity.”


George J. Marlin is an editor of The Quotable Fulton Sheen and the author of The American Catholic Voter.

© 2011 The Catholic Thing. All rights reserved. For reprint rights, write to: info@frinstitute.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Catholic Thing is a forum for intelligent Catholic commentary. Opinions expressed by writers are solely their own.



http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/the-forgotten-christians-persecuted-in-the-middle-east.html

[islander]

A source is a source, there will be an agenda which ever source you utilize. Either it be fox news, bbc, cnbc, jihadwatch, etc. The point is, the message is that there is a plethora of our Christian brothers and sisters that are living under dire situations in Muslim-dominated countries.

more often, a source is just a source.  it's the reader who makes the choice of believing all that one reads about one side of an issue.  i believe the term for that is narrow-mindedness?  or is it bigotry?  why, even the term "muslim-dominated" that you use is already a revelation.  it's as if there's a rivalry on what religion should be on top and should thus dominate.  won't a simple "muslim country" do?   

do share with us what else you've learned from your islamic studies some years back.

got to go...

[Lorenzo]

Pope Benedict XVI to diplomats: "The persecution of Christians must end"





In his traditional address to the Ambassadors, Benedict XVI gives an overview of the world's problems: from the economic crisis to Syria and to Nigeria and says, "Religious freedom is the first and foremost human right"

"In many countries, Christians are deprived of fundamental rights and relegated to the margins of public life; in others they suffer violent attacks against their churches and their homes." Pope Ratzinger stated this while receiving the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in the Sala Regia for the traditional New Year greetings. Benedict XVI, like every year, presented an overview of the state of the world, pointing out problems and encouraging signs. Firstly, He welcomed the Ambassador of Malaysia, a country that was added in 2011, and addressed a thought to the newly born state of Southern Sudan, formed last July, calling for an end to "tensions and clashes."

ECONOMIC CRISIS
 
The Pope recalled the "serious and alarming" consequences of the global financial and economic crisis which "not only affects families and businesses in the economically more advanced countries where it originated, creating a situation in which many, especially young people, have felt confused and frustrated in their aspirations for a brighter future," but has "profound impact also on the lives of developing countries."  Benedict XVI invites us not to lose heart and to "resolutely redesign our journey with new forms of commitment. The crisis can and should be a stimulus to reflect on human existence and the importance of its ethical dimension, even before the mechanisms that govern economic life."  We must, he explained, "establish new rules that will assure that everyone has the opportunity to live with dignity and to develop their skills for the benefit of the entire community."
 
YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE ARAB SPRING
 
Ratzinger then spoke of the "effects of this time of uncertainty" that particularly affects young people. "Their malaise has originated the turmoil which in recent months has invested, at times heavily, the different regions. I am referring primarily to North Africa and the Middle East where young people who, among other things, suffer from poverty and the fear of unemployment and feel that there are no certain prospects, have launched what has become a vast movement that demands reforms and more active participation in political and social life."  According to Benedict XVI, it is still early to make an assessment, but it is clear that "the initial optimism" has "given way to recognition of the difficulties of this moment of transition and change, and it seems clear that the appropriate way to continue the path taken is by recognizing the inalienable dignity of every human being and their fundamental rights." Respect for the person, Ratzinger said, "must be the focal point of institutions and laws, it must lead to the end of all violence and prevent the risk that the dutiful attention to requests from citizens' and the social solidarity needed are transformed into simple tools for maintaining or regaining power." The Pope also urged the international community "to dialogue with the those involved with the processes underway, with respect for populations and aware that building a stable and reconciled society, far removed from all unjust discrimination, particularly in terms of religious diversity, is a horizon wider and farther away than that of the elections."
 
 
SYRIA, THE HOLY LAND AND IRAQ
 
Benedict XVI expressed "great concern" for those populations of countries where tensions and violence continue, "in particular Syria, where I hope for a speedy end to bloodshed and the beginning of a fruitful dialogue between politicians, favored by the presence of independent observers."  He then mentioned the pious Holy Land, "where tension between Palestinians and Israelis have repercussions on the stability of the entire Middle East."  It is necessary, he said, that "those responsible for these two populations make courageous and farsighted decisions in favor of peace."  The Pope mentioned his appreciation for the initiative taken by the Kingdom of Jordan for resuming dialogue: "I hope that it will continue in order to reach a lasting peace, guaranteeing the right of those two populations to live in safety in sovereign States inside secure and internationally recognized border." And in this case as well, has asked the international community to "stimulate their creativity and initiatives to promote this peace process, while respecting the rights of each party." The Pope then said to follow "with great attention the developments in Iraq, deploring the attacks that have, until recently, caused the loss of many lives, and I encourage its leaders to continue firmly on the road to a full national reconciliation."
 
EDUCATION AND FAMILY
 
Echoing the theme of World Day for Peace, Benedict XVI reiterated that education is "a crucial issue for every generation," reaffirming the need to preserve "educational places." "One of these is - he said – is first of all the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman. This is not just a social convention, but the basis for all societies. Therefore, policies that are detrimental to the family threaten human dignity and the very future of humanity."  The Pope has called for policies that enhance the family. And speaking of opening up to life he expressed his satisfaction with the recent decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which "prohibits the patenting of processes related to human embryonic stem cells, as well as the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that condemns prenatal selection based on sex." Looking especially to the Western world, Ratzinger said he was convinced that "we oppose the education of young people and thereby legislative measures for the future of humanity that not only allow, but sometimes even promote, abortion for reasons of convenience or questionable medical reasons."

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND PERSECUTION
 
Speaking of education, Benedict XVI observed that “an effective education also solicits respect for religious freedom” which “is characterized by an individual dimension, as well as a collective dimension and an institutional dimension”. Religious freedom is “the first of human rights, because it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person”. A right that “too often, for various reasons, is still limited or mocked”. The Pope paid tribute to the memory of Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, “whose tireless fight for the rights of minorities ended with a tragic death.” He added: “it is not, unfortunately, an isolated case. In many countries, Christians are deprived of fundamental rights and relegated to the margins of public life; in others they suffer violent attacks against their churches and their homes. Sometimes they are forced to abandon the country that they helped to build, because of continuing political tensions and policies that often relegate them a secondary spectators in the life of the country”. In other parts of the world, Ratzinger said, “there are policies bent on marginalizing the role of religion in social life, as though it were the cause for the intolerance, rather than an appreciable contribution to education in respect of human dignity, justice and peace.”  Benedict XVI called the legislative changes "encouraging" signals of religious freedom, “by which the public legal personality of religious minorities has been recognized in Georgia,” as well as the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights “in favor of the presence of crucifixes in Italian classrooms”. A sentence for which Italy worked extensively. And in saying this the Pope addressed a “special thought” for Italy, “at the end of the 150th  anniversary of its political unification.”
 
ENOUGH WITH TERRORISM
 
The Pope recalled how last year “religiously motivated terrorism” claimed many victims, “especially in Asia and Africa” ​​and reiterated that religious leaders should be “firmly and forcefully repeating that this is not the true nature of religion. Instead, it is the misrepresentation that contributes to its destruction. Religion cannot be used as an excuse to bypass the rules of justice and law.”
 
THE FORGOTTEN AFRICA
 
Benedict XVI recalled the recent visit to Benin, and the path of reconciliation between the various communities and ethnic groups. “It is sad to note”, he added, “that in various countries of that continent this goal is still far away.” Ratzinger said he was referring, "in particular to the upsurge of violence in Nigeria, as highlighted by the attacks against various churches over Christmas, the aftermath of civil war in Côte d'Ivoire, the continuing instability in the Great Lakes Region and the urgent humanitarian situation in the countries of the Horn of Africa.” And he asked, “once again, that the international community promptly help to find a solution to the crisis that has been going on for years now in Somalia.”
 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Lastly, Benedict XVI returned to one of the recurring themes of his pontificate, emphasizing how education that is “properly understood, can only encourage respect for creation”. The Pope mentioned “the serious natural disasters in 2011 that hit several areas of Southeast Asia, and the environmental disasters such as the nuclear power plant in Fukushima in Japan”. Caring for the environment, “the synergy between the fight against poverty and climate change are - he added – important areas for promoting integral human development”. Ratzinger therefore hoped that “after the XVII session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change recently concluded in Durban, the international community must prepare for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (“Rio+20”) as an authentic “family of nations” and, therefore, with a great sense of solidarity and responsibility towards present and future generations”.


http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/homepage/the-vatican/detail/articolo/diplomazia-diplomacy-diplomacia-vaticano-vatican-papa-pope-el-papa-11490//pag/1/

[Lorenzo]

do share with us what else you've learned from your islamic studies some years back.

got to go...

I would gladly share, perhaps, later in another thread. Good Night, Isles. Sweet Dreams.

[Lorenzo]

By Cindy Wooden on Monday, 9 January 2012



Benedict XVI has paid tribute to murdered Pakistani politician Shahbaz Bhatti


Pope Benedict XVI has condemned “religiously motivated terrorism” and restrictions on religious freedom during his annual address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican.

Looking at signs of promise and areas of concern around the globe, the Pope said human dignity, truth and justice demand that governments safeguard all human life and recognise the importance of the traditional family based on the marriage of a man and a woman.

But his strongest words were reserved for the topic of religious freedom and religiously motivated violence.

The Pope paid tribute to Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic and government minister for minorities in Pakistan, “whose untiring battle for the rights of minorities ended in his tragic death” when he was murdered last March.

“Sadly, we are not speaking of an isolated case,” the Pope told the diplomats gathered in a formal, frescoed hall of the Apostolic Palace.

“In many countries, Christians are deprived of fundamental rights and sidelined from public life; in other countries they endure violent attacks against their churches and homes,” he said, mentioning particularly the Christmas Day attacks against churches in Nigeria.

“In other parts of the world,” he said, “we see policies aimed at marginalising the role of religion in the life of society, as if it were a cause of intolerance rather than a valued contribution to education in respect for human dignity, justice and peace.”

“In the past year, religiously motivated terrorism has also reaped numerous victims, especially in Asia and in Africa,” he said.

Discussing the Arab Spring movements that toppled repressive governments in North Africa and spread to the Middle East, Pope Benedict said “it is hard to make a definitive assessment” of events, but “initial optimism has yielded to an acknowledgment of the difficulties of this moment of transition and change”.

With concerns expressed about creating new power elites or creating situations where Christian minorities could face more pressure, the only way forward towards true democracy and peace “is through the recognition of the inalienable dignity of each human person and of his or her fundamental rights”, the Pope said.

“Respect for the person must be at the centre of institutions and laws,” the Pope said in his address to representatives of the 179 countries that have full diplomatic relations with the Vatican.

Pope Benedict focused particularly on the needs and concerns of the world’s young people as he spoke to the ambassadors about the global economic crisis, the Arab Spring democracy movement, wars and social tensions.

“The present moment is sadly marked by a profound disquiet, and the various crises – economic, political and social – are a dramatic expression of this,” he said.

The Pope expressed his hopes for an end to bloodshed and tensions in South Sudan, Syria, the Holy Land, Iraq and the Great Lakes region of Africa, and urged the nations of the world to take seriously their obligation to protect the environment and fight climate change.

Saying he was looking particularly toward developed western nations, Pope Benedict urged governments to protect the most basic human right – the right to life.

“I am convinced that legislative measures which not only permit but at times even promote abortion for reasons of convenience or for questionable medical motives compromise the education of young people” in respect for life and hope for the future, which in turn compromises the future of humanity, he said.

Pope Benedict said education in knowledge and in values was crucial today and that “pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman.”

“This is not a simple social convention,” he said. The family is the basic structure of society and “policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself,” he said.

Turning his attention to the environment, the Pope said people cannot ignore the natural calamities and “ecological disasters like that of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan” that marked 2011.

“Environmental protection and the connection between fighting poverty and fighting climate change are important areas for the promotion of integral human development,” he said. The Pope asked governments to demonstrate “a great sense of solidarity and responsibility toward present and future generations” as they prepare for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, which will be held on June 20 to 22 in Rio de Janeiro.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2012/01/09/pope-condemns-persecution-of-christians/

[Lorenzo]

Pope Benedict condemned a bomb blast outside a church in Egypt which killed at least 21 people, the latest in a series of attacks on Christians in the Middle East and Africa.

"This vile gesture of death, like that of putting bombs near to the houses of Christians in Iraq to force them to leave, offends God and all of humanity," the pope said after his weekly angelus blessing.

The car bomb explosion outside a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria on Saturday wounded dozens of people as worshippers gathered to mark the new year and Egypt's Interior Ministry said a foreign-backed suicide bomber might have been responsible.

It prompted Christians to protest on the streets, and some Christians and Muslims threw stones at each other. Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 79 million.

The pope urged Christian communities to persevere in a non-violent manner in the face of what he described as "a strategy of violence that has Christians as a target."

Two people were killed and at least 16 wounded in a series of bomb attacks on Thursday on the homes of minority Christians in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security sources said.

Over Christmas, six people were killed in attacks on two Christian churches in northeastern Nigeria and six were wounded by a bomb in a Roman Catholic Church on the island of Jolo in the Philippines.

The Vatican fears that the attacks, combined with severe restrictions on Christians in countries such as Saudi Arabia, are fuelling a Christian exodus from the region.

In his New Year's homily, the pope said "words were not enough" to bring about peace, particularly in the Middle East.

He called for "concrete and constant commitment" from national leaders and said everyone on a local level should strive for peace in their relations with their neighbors.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/55347/pope-benedict-condemns-church-attack-in-egypt

[hubag bohol]

[chriswise]

klaro ang imong paghagpat, chris.  (kumusta ang imong new year tuod?)  akong pagsabot nimo, ang relihiyon gigamit sa politikong tumong mao nga kun unsa may gubot nga mahitabo, di angay basulon ang relihiyon.  hinaot unta nga sakto ang akong pagsabot sa imong buot ipasabot.

sa kitatibok an maayo man akong new year,,kaso gisugat sa ubo og sip on,,,,,

[islander]

sa kitatibok an maayo man akong new year,,kaso gisugat sa ubo og sip on,,,,,

get well soon! 

[islander]

Speaking of education, Benedict XVI observed that “an effective education also solicits respect for religious freedom” which “is characterized by an individual dimension, as well as a collective dimension and an institutional dimension”.  Religious freedom is “the first of human rights, because it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person”.  A right that “too often, for various reasons, is still limited or mocked”.

and the mocking is not limited to adherents of other religions.  christians do it too, as shown by some posts in this thread from questionable or biased internet sources.  for pointing this human flaw out, viva, il papa!

[islander]

from another thread (in Inspirational Stories | Dosage of Hope):

A Muslim man died and when he arrived in Paradise, he was met by the great Prophet Moses, who showed him around.

They saw all the beautiful trees, and met with many other Muslims. By and by, they came across a large Temple with a giant throne, encrusted in jewels. All around it stood massive soldiers, and around them darted many happy-faced children.

"Who are they?" asked the Muslim man.

"They are the Children of Israel," said Moses. "They have come to Paradise and received what they sought--triumph, strength and recognition."

The Muslim man nodded, and on they went. Next they came across a large meadow filled with people of many different backgrounds, all sitting happily and eating a giant Potluck dinner.

"Who are they?" asked the Muslim man.

"They are the Unitarian Universalists. They came to Paradise and found peace and harmony among all people."

The Muslim man smiled, and on the went. By and by they came across a giant white fence, with a large sign: "Do not Enter".

"Who are they?" asked the Muslim man, with a frown.

"Oh, them?" answered Moses. "Those are the Christians." Then he bent down and whispered into the Muslim man's ear, "They think they're the only ones here".

 

[hubag bohol]

and the mocking is not limited to adherents of other religions.  christians do it too, as shown by some posts in this thread from questionable or biased internet sources. 

Kadto rang hamtong na sa ilang pagtuo maoy makalikay sa tawhanong awhag pagpalakaw og mga pasipala.