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Where’s the Pope’s Encyclical on Christian Persecution?

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Raymond Ibrahim | Friday Jun 26, 2015 9:40 AM

Pope Francis recently released a new encyclical. Portions of it deal with environmentalism, global warming, and climate change. Naturally, this has prompted controversy.

It’s noteworthy that Francis didn’t merely make a passing comment on global warming during this or that sermon, but that he issued a papal encyclical on the matter. Encyclicals are much more formal and significant than remarks made during mass. They are letters written by a pope and sent to bishops all around the world. In turn, the bishops are meant to disseminate the encyclical’s ideas to all the priests and churches in their jurisdiction, so that the pope’s teaching reaches every church-attending Catholic.

All this leads to the following question: Where is Pope Francis’ encyclical concerning the rampant persecution that Christians—including many Catholics—are experiencing around the world in general, the Islamic world in particular?

To be sure, the pope has acknowledged it. On April 21, during mass held at Casa Santa Marta, Francis said that today’s church is a “church of martyrs.” He even referenced several of the recent attacks on Christians by Muslims (without of course mentioned the latter’s religious identity).

Said Pope Francis:

https://humanevents.com/2015/06/26/wheres-the-popes-encyclical-on-christian-persecution/?utm_source=hedaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

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On ISIS’ Terms: Courting a Young American

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By RUKMINI CALLIMACHIJUNE 27, 2015

Alex, a 23-year-old Sunday school teacher and babysitter, was trembling with excitement the day she told her Twitter followers that she had converted to Islam.

For months, she had been growing closer to a new group of friends online – the most attentive she had ever had – who were teaching her what it meant to be a Muslim. Increasingly, they were telling her about the Islamic State and how the group was building a homeland in Syria and Iraq where the holy could live according to God’s law.

One in particular, Faisal, had become her nearly constant companion, spending hours each day with her on Twitter, Skype and email, painstakingly guiding her through the fundamentals of the faith.

But when she excitedly told him that she had found a mosque just five miles from the home she shared with her grandparents in rural Washington State, he suddenly became cold.

The only Muslims she knew were those she had met online, and he encouraged her to keep it that way, arguing that Muslims are persecuted in the United States. She could be labeled a terrorist, he warned, and for now it was best for her to keep her conversion secret, even from her family.

So on his guidance, Alex began leading a double life. She kept teaching at her church, but her truck’s radio was no longer tuned to the Christian hits on K-LOVE. Instead, she hummed along with theISIS anthems blasting out of her turquoise iPhone, and began daydreaming about what life with the militants might be like.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/world/americas/on-isis-terms-courting-a-young-american.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

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What a difference a mass murder makes

Nidal Hasan

June 18,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood Nj, In 2009  Nidal Hasan an anti american jihadist  shot 13 US solders the murders were later termed ‘Workplace Violence’ by U.S.

“Nidal Hasan’s victims must suffer twice—first when they were shot by the army shrink turned jihadi, and again as the government calls the murder of 13 soldiers at Fort Hood ‘workplace violence.’

As U.S. Army psychiatrist turned jihadi Nidal Hasan finally goes on trial for shooting 13 fellow soldiers to death at Fort Hood, here is what the government continues to classify the 2009 attack:

“Workplace violence.”

In what might be termed the audacity of nope, the government has declined to call this al Qaeda–inspired mass murder an act of terrorism because to do so would be “unfair to the victims.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/06/nidal-hasan-s-murders-termed-workplace-violence-by-u-s.html

The subsequent FBI investigation claimed : During the six years that Hasan worked as an intern and resident at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, colleagues and superiors were deeply concerned about his behavior and comments. Hasan was not married at the time and was described as socially isolated, stressed by his work with soldiers, and upset about their accounts of warfare.[8] Two days before the shooting, which occurred less than a month before he was due to deploy to Afghanistan, Hasan gave away many of his belongings to a neighbor.[9][10][11]

Prior to the shooting, Hasan had expressed critical views described by colleagues as “anti-American”. An investigation conducted by the FBIconcluded that his e-mails with the late Imam Anwar al-Awlaki were related to his authorized professional research and that he was not a threat. The FBI,Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Senate all conducted investigations after the shootings. The DoD classified the events as “workplace violence”, pending prosecution of Hasan in a court-martial.[12] The Senate released a report describing the mass shooting as “the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.”[13][14]

Investigators in the FBI and U.S. Army determined that Hasan acted alone and they have found no evidence of links to terrorist groups. They are satisfied that his communications with Awlaki posed no threat at the time. The decision by the Army not to charge Hasan with terrorism was controversial.[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidal_Malik_Hasan

Regardless of the FBI conclusion Hasan’s actions leading up to the rampage clearly suggest his jihadist, anti american attitude lead to the shooting.

Meanwhile within hours of the tragic Charleston SC church shooting , ” Dylann Roof, who is suspected of killing nine members of a Charleston black church on Wednesday, is officially under federal investigation for domestic terrorism. But commentators across the political spectrum aren’t waiting for the official results of the investigation. They’re already making a point of labeling the shooting a terrorist act https://www.vox.com/2015/6/18/8803721/charleston-terrorism-racism

Unlike  Nidal Hasan his Roof’s racist philosophy is being shown as motive for the killings ,  A website with a white supremacist manifesto features dozens of photos of Dylann Storm Roof, the man accused of killing nine people at a church in Charleston, S.C., posing with weapons, burning an American flag and visiting Southern historic sites and Confederate soldiers’ graves.https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/us/dylann-storm-roof-photos-website-charleston-church-shooting.html?_r=0

So Nidal Hasan ,was “workplace violence” but Dylann Roof is a “terrorist” , the cowardice of our political leadership never stops amazing me .

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FBI director says Islamic State influence growing in U.S

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Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — In a dramatic assessment of the domestic threat posed by the Islamic State, FBI Director James Comey said Thursday there are “hundreds, maybe thousands” of people across the country who are receiving recruitment overtures from the terrorist group or directives to attack the U.S.

Comey said the Islamic State, also known as ISIL, is leveraging social media in unprecedented ways through Twitter and other platforms, directing messages to the smartphones of “disturbed people” who could be pushed to launch assaults on U.S. targets.

“It’s like the devil sitting on their shoulders, saying ‘kill, kill, kill,”’ Comey said in a meeting with reporters.

The FBI director’s comments come in the midst of a federal investigation into a foiled attack in Garland, Texas, involving two ISIL sympathizers, one of whom, Elton Simpson, was long known to federal authorities.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/07/isis-attacks-us/70945534/

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Officials: FBI probes possible ISIS-inspired threat

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By Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz, CNN

Updated 6:06 PM ET, Sat April 25, 2015

(CNN)The FBI is investigating a possible ISIS-inspired terrorist threat in the United States, law enforcement officials said Saturday.

The investigation originated from intercepted chatter and other intelligence information that led officials to believe a possible plot could be in the works, the officials said.

No arrests have been made. It’s not clear whether the threat is real or aspirational.

The exact nature of the threat couldn’t be learned. One official said it focused on parts of California where officials stepped up security, a U.S. official said.

The Transportation Security Administration alerted local law enforcement agencies that are responsible for external security around airports, but officials said the possible threat is not necessarily aviation-related.

Some cities around the United States have increased their security as a precaution.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined Saturday to talk about specifics, but spoke about security measures in general.

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/25/us/possible-isis-inspired-threat/index.html

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Tsarnaev guilty on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing

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AFTER BOMBER’S CONVICTION, JURY TO DECIDE LIFE OR DEATH

BY DENISE LAVOIE
AP LEGAL AFFAIRS WRITER

BOSTON (AP) — Now that a jury has convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on all charges, even more is at stake in the next phase of the federal trial: The same 12 people must decide whether the 21-year-old lives or dies.

Tsarnaev was found guilty Wednesday of 30 counts against him, including conspiracy and deadly use of a weapon of mass destruction. Seventeen of those charges are punishable by death.

The verdict was considered practically a foregone conclusion since Tsarnaev’s lawyer admitted he participated in the bombings.

The former college student was found responsible for the deaths of three people who died in the bombings as well as the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer who was gunned down days later as Tsarnaev and his now-dead brother, Tamerlan, attempted to flee.

In addition to the people who were killed, more than 260 others were injured when twin pressure-cooker bombs packed with shrapnel exploded near the marathon’s finish line on April 15, 2013, turning the traditionally celebratory home stretch of the world-famous race into a scene of carnage.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOSTON_MARATHON_BOMBING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-08-13-35-08

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How to spot a terrorist, according to US airport security

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Austin-Powers-Goldmember-austin-powers-8219216-852-480

How to spot a terrorist, according to US airport security
By Oliver Smith
11:50AM BST 30 Mar 2015

Leaked document suggests that whistling and excessive laughter could see you singled out for additional screening

Excessive yawning, strong body odour and arrogance are among the suspicious signs that US airport staff are trained to associate with potential terrorists, a leaked document has revealed.

A confidential security checklist used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the organisation in charge of airport screening in the US, was published by The Intercept last week.

Other warning signs, according to the document, include protruding or throbbing neck arteries, whistling, excessive laughter, and “verbally expressing contempt for the screening process”.

Its Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) guidance, used by staff to root out potential terrorists, lists a total of 17 “stress factors”, each of which are worth one point, 15 “fear factors”, worth two points, and six “deception factors”, worth three. If a traveller scores four or more points, they should be referred for selective screening, according to the instructions.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/11503843/How-to-spot-a-terrorist-according-to-US-airport-security.html

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ISIS in New Jersey: How big a threat?

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Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh

Is there an ISIS wannabe living near you?

On some level, the answer is immaterial to the Islamic State and other terror groups like them, terrorism experts say.

Fear is the coin of their realm. So regardless of the reality, the mere perception that there are many other Americans like former Neptune resident Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh lurking in the shadows helps further their cause.

“You know that expression, ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity,’ ” said Robert J. Louden, director of the homeland security program at Georgian Court University, Lakewood. “Because even bad publicity brings your name to someone’s attention.” (Mullen/Asbury Park Press)

https://www.app.com/story/news/local/2015/03/20/tairod-pugh-isis-recruting-westerners/25110621/

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Bibi Wins Big !

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Bibi Wins Big !
Mar 17, 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, According to the AP , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared victory after a tight national election appeared to give him the upper hand in forming the country’s next coalition government.

In a Twitter statement , Netanyahu says that “against all odds” his Likud party and the nationalist camp secured a “great victory.”

Despite rumors to the contrary final results indicated that Netanyahu will have an easier time cobbling together a majority coalition with hard-line and religious allies.
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Obama’s ‘shameful’ snub of Netanyahu

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Photo from Congressman Darrell Issa ,had a great seat for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech this morning.For Israel, the Iranian pursuit of a nuclear bomb is an existential threat. Is it any wonder they do not trust this administration to decide when Iran will obtain the weapon with which it threatens to wipe Israel off the map?

Obama’s ‘shameful’ snub of Netanyahu
By Darrell Issa5 P.M.MARCH 2, 2015

For all of the attention being given to the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to address Congress Tuesday, so many of those covering the upcoming speech have gotten it backward. The story is not that Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to the United States at the behest of congressional leaders. The story is that one of America’s closest allies in the world feels so alienated by President Obama that he believes his best hope in protecting his nation from a nuclear Iran lies in making his case directly to the American people, having lost confidence in a U.S. president who has rejected his counsel and sought to demonize and marginalize him. Put simply, rather than standing behind our allies, President Obama has thrown himself decisively in front of them, as an obstacle to be circumvented.

Though it is shameful that a staunch ally feels the need to go directly to the American people, it should not be surprising to those who have watched this administration’s actions. The attacks on Israel’s leader continued this week, as Secretary of State John Kerry questioned Prime Minister Netanyahu’s judgment, suggesting that Netanyahu’s support of American involvement in Iraq (involvement Kerry himself supported) somehow rendered him untrustworthy. National Security Adviser Susan Rice called his upcoming Capitol Hill speech “destructive.”

For Israel, the Iranian pursuit of a nuclear bomb is an existential threat. Is it any wonder they do not trust this administration to decide when Iran will obtain the weapon with which it threatens to wipe Israel off the map?

https://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/02/issa-obama-israel-netanyahu-iran-speech/

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Muslim Mayor: ‘I Cannot Accept that Poverty Leads to Terrorism,’ ‘If You Do Not Like’ Western Values, ‘F*** Off,’ Leave!

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cover11

Ahmed Aboutaleb, the Muslim mayor of Rotterdam,not everyone is a coward

Muslim Mayor: ‘I Cannot Accept that Poverty Leads to Terrorism,’ ‘If You Do Not Like’ Western Values, ‘F*** Off,’ Leave!

By Barbara Boland | 5 hours ago

“I cannot accept that poverty leads to terrorism,” Ahmed Aboutaleb, the Muslim mayor of Rotterdam, told CNN Wednesday, taking issue with the Obama administration’s claims. “I know how it is to live in poverty. I spent 15 years in Morocco on one meal a day, walking without shoes… I know how it is to be a product of poverty.”

The mayor made headlines in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks when he said on a Dutch television program:

“It is incomprehensible that you can turn against freedom. But if you do not like freedom, in Heaven’s name pack your bag and leave. There may be a place in the world where you can be yourself. Be honest with yourself and do not go and kill innocent journalists.

And if you do not like it here because humorists you do not like make a newspaper, may I then say you can f*** off.

This is stupid, this so incomprehensible. Vanish from the Netherlands if you cannot find your place here.”

He told Michael Holmes on CNN that what he’s received thousands of emails praising his courageous words.

https://www.mrctv.org/blog/muslim-mayori-cannot-accept-poverty-leads-terrorism-if-you-do-not-western-values-f-and-leave#8CZNGa:ViO

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Three missing London schoolgirls ‘travelling to Syria to join Isil’

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Shamima Begum at the airport, your daughter could be next?

Three missing London schoolgirls ‘travelling to Syria to join Isil’

Metropolitan Police ‘extremely concerned’ about three teenage girls from east London school believed to be attempting to travel to Syria via Turkey

Police are appealing for help to find three schoolgirls who have gone missing and are thought to have travelled to Turkey with the intention of crossing the border into Syria.

They are Shamima Begum, 15, who could be using the name Acklina Begum, and 16-year-old Kadiza Sultana. The third girl, 15, is not being named at the request of her family, Scotland Yard said.

Police fear the girls, all pupils at the Bethnal Green Academy, in east London, might be heading to join terror group Isil – Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Islamic State.

They travelled from their homes on Tuesday, February 17 and boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11424884/Three-missing-British-schoolgirls-travel-to-Syria.html