We Haven’t Forgotten You

Cross posted from Snooper’s Take Our Country Back.

Support The Troops

We Haven’t Forgotten You

Cross posted from Snooper’s Take Our Country Back.

Support The Troops

We Haven’t Forgotten You

Cross posted from Snooper’s Take Our Country Back.

Support The Troops

Islamic Supremacism #1

Jeffrey Imm is a prolific writer on the subject of Islamic supremacism; here is a small sample.

• www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/099.html
• www.unitedstatesaction.com/blog/imm-articles/101.html
• counterterrorismblog.org/2008/07/jihad_and_outreach.php
• counterterrorismblog.org/2008/07/jihad_and_supremacism.php
• cicentre.com/articles/Crossroads_in_History_Jeffrey_Imm.pdf

Mr. Imm keeps his writing about Islamic supremacism at a high level of abstraction. I wanted to see the details of its source, so I visited http://www.ask.com and put the question: What causes Islamic supremacism? Jeffrey Imm’s articles were at the top of the list.

I also ran a search for Robert Spencer’s articles on the subject; this one looked promising:
The American Muslim, terrorism, and Islamic supremacism. He brings out the source of Islamic aggression, but neglects the source of supremacism.

It is not easy to separate supremacism from aggression & triumphalism; they are severely entangled.
Lets visit Ask’s Dictionary.com to be sure we are discussing the same thing.

supremacism

noun

the belief that some particular group or race is superior to all others; “white supremacism”

Stipulating for purpose of debate that Islam is a religion, which it really ain’t, where would Muslims get the idea that Islam is superior to all other religions? To answer this question, we must turn to the foundation of Islam, Allah’s book.

At the time of this writing, quranbrowser.com timed out, so I visited Islamicity and searched Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation for supreme, finding 27 matches.

1. 2:255 Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the supreme (in glory).
2. 4:13 Those are limits set by Allah. those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (for ever) and that will be the supreme achievement.
3. 9:63 Know they not that for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, is the Fire of Hell?- wherein they shall dwell. That is the supreme disgrace.
4. 9:72 Allah hath promised to Believers, men and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah. that is the supreme felicity.
5. 9:89 Allah hath prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein: that is the supreme felicity.
6. 9:100 The vanguard (of Islam)- the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well- pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that is the supreme felicity.
7. 9:111 Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur’an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah. then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme.
8. 9:129 But if they turn away, Say: “(Allah) sufficeth me: there is no god but He: On Him is my trust,- He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) supreme!”
9. 10:64 For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity.
10. 12:39 “O my two companions of the prison! (I ask you): are many lords differing among themselves better, or the One Allah, supreme and Irresistible?
11. 13:13 Nay, thunder repeateth His praises, and so do the angels, with awe: He flingeth the loud-voiced thunder-bolts, and therewith He striketh whomsoever He will..yet these (are the men) who (dare to) dispute about Allah, with the strength of His power (supreme)!
12. 13:16 Say: “Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?” Say: “(It is) Allah.” Say: “Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?” Say: “Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light?” Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: “(Allah) is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the supreme and Irresistible.”
13. 23:86 Say: “Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) supreme?”
14. 27:26 “(Allah)!- there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne supreme!”
15. 27:40 Said one who had knowledge of the Book: “I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!” Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: “This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, supreme in Honour !”
16. 32:21 And indeed We will make them taste of the Penalty of this (life) prior to the supreme Penalty, in order that they may (repent and) return.
17. 36:81 “Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?” – Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator supreme, of skill and knowledge (infinite)!
18. 37:60 Verily this is the supreme achievement! [Being removed from Hellfire.]
19. 38:65 Say: “Truly am I a Warner: no god is there but the one Allah, supreme and Irresistible,-
20. 38:67 Say: “That is a Message supreme (above all),-
21. 44:57 As a Bounty from thy Lord! that will be the supreme achievement!
22. 56:46 And persisted obstinately in wickedness supreme!
23. 56:74 Then celebrate with praises the name of thy Lord, the supreme!
24. 56:96 So celebrate with praises the name of thy Lord, the supreme.
25. 59:23 Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the supreme: Glory to Allah. (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.
26. 61:12 He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, and to beautiful mansions in Gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the supreme Achievement.
27. 64:9 The Day that He assembles you (all) for a Day of Assembly,- that will be a Day of mutual loss and gain (among you), and those who believe in Allah and work righteousness,- He will remove from them their ills, and He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that will be the supreme Achievement.

Does it declare Islam supreme? No. It declares Allah supreme in several verses.

• 2:255 supreme in glory
• 9:129 lord of the supreme throne of glory
• 12:39 supreme and irresistable
• 13:13 supreme power
• 13:16 supreme and irresistable
• 23:86 lord of the supreme throne of glory
• 27:26 lord of the supreme throne
• 27:40 supreme in honor
• 36:81 supreme creator
• 38:65 supreme and irresistable
• 56:74 your lord the supreme
• 56:96 your lord the supreme
• 59:23 Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace

ALLAH” is the Arabic name for THE ONE SUPREME UNIVERSAL GOD. … THE ONE SUPREME UNIVERSAL GOD. In … ONLY to Allah “ALLAH–HU–AKBAR” means “Allah is Greater” … www.hajis.co.uk/hajj-and-islamic-terminology.pdf

If Allah is supreme–the greater, then is not his religion, righly understood & practiced superior?

3:19. Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in calling to account.

3:83. Do they seek other than the religion of Allah (the true Islamic Monotheism worshipping none but Allah Alone), while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned.

Herein lies the problem; the doctrine of domination. Islam must be maid to dominate the world because Allah said so.

3:55. And (remember) when Allah said: “O ‘Iesa (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that ‘Iesa (Jesus) is Allah’s son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allah) superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allah, or disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad , ‘Iesa (Jesus), Musa (Moses), etc., or in His Holy Books, e.g. the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Qur’an] till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute.”

9:33. It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) hate (it).

22:78. And strive hard in Allah’s Cause as you ought to strive (with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior). He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind by inviting them to His religion, Islam), and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship, it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islamic Monotheism). It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur’an), that the Messenger (Muhammad ) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind! So perform As­Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), give Zakat and hold fast to Allah [i.e. have confidence in Allah, and depend upon Him in all your affairs] He is your Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.), what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.) and what an Excellent Helper!

48:28. He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), that He may make it (Islam) superior over all religions. And All-Sufficient is Allah as a Witness.

61:9. He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islamic Monotheism) to make it victorious over all (other) religions even though the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammed ) hate (it).

Notice that in 3:55, Allah tells Jesus that his followers will be superior to the disbelievers. Let us turn to Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir for elaboration which will clarify this matter.

Throughout this time, the Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews. Allah aided them against the Jews because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews, even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah’s curse descend on them.

When Allah sent Muhammad , those who believed in him also believed in Allah, His Angels, Books and Messengers in the correct manner. So they were the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth. They believed in the unlettered Prophet , the Final Messenger and the master of all mankind, who called them to believe in the truth in its entirety. This is why they had more right to every Prophet than his own nation, especially those who claim to follow their Prophet’s way and religion, yet change and alter his religion. Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad’s religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions. This is why Allah allowed Muslims to conquer the eastern and western parts of the world and the kingdoms of the earth. Furthermore, all countries submitted to them; they demolished Kisra (king of Persia) and destroyed the Czar, ridding them of their treasures and spending these treasures for Allah’s sake. All this occurred just as their Prophet told them it would, when he conveyed Allah’s statement,

(Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me.) ﴿24:55﴾.

Therefore, Muslims are the true believers in `Isa. The Muslims then acquired Ash-Sham from the Christians, causing them to evacuate to Asia Minor, to their fortified city in Constantinople. The Muslims will be above them until the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, he, Muhammad , who is truthful and who received the true news, has conveyed to Muslims that they will conquer Constantinople in the future, and seize its treasures.[Altering the Religion of `Isa]

From 9:33, 22:78, 48:28 and 61:9 we learn that Allah sent Moe to make his word superior. If you read the context in Surah As Saff, you will discover that the meaning is military: Islam is to dominate by force of arms. What did we learn from the tafsir?

• Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews.
• Allah aided them against the Jews
• Muslims are the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth.
• Muhammad’s religion shall always be dominant and victorious.
• allowed Muslims to conquer
• Muslims are the true believers in `Isa.
• The Muslims will be above them until the Day of Resurrection.
• That they will conquer Constantinople.

We discover what makes Islam dangerous to mankind: the convergence of supremacism, triumphalism & militarism.

Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 65:

Narrated Abu Musa:

A man came to the Prophet and asked, “A man fights for war booty; another fights for fame and a third fights for showing off; which of them fights in Allah’s Cause?” The Prophet said, “He who fights that Allah’s Word (i.e. Islam) should be superior, fights in Allah’s Cause.”

Allah’s cause is to make Islam dominate the world by military force. Allah is supreme because he is the only deity; creator of everything in existence. Islam is superior because it is ‘Allah’s religion’. Islam is uncorrupted, other texts have been altered, denigrating their authenticity & authority.

9:111 informs us that the Muslim’s contract with Allah is the supreme achievement. 61:11 reveals the meaning of that contract.

61:11 . That you believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and that you strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!

8 Years of Rockets And Still No End In Sight

Cross posted by Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Sderot residents in fortified room (Photo: Amir Cohen)

Imagine that you live under a situation in which every day there is a rocket attack from your neighbors. You don’t know where it is going to strike, you don’t know if your home, your family will suffer this time. Imagine that this has been going on for 8 years and the authorities would do nothing to stop these attacks. This is what the citizens of Sderot and the Western Negev have lived with for 8 years now. Even when there was a so-called “truce”, the rockets fell. And yet the world only condemns Israel for attacking back.

Four Qassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza Saturday evening towards the city of Sderot in south Israel. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
One of the rockets landed in the courtyard of a local factory, but caused no damage to the site. Another rocket landed near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, while the third landed near the security fence separating Israel from the Hamas-controlled territory. The landing site of the fourth Qassam has yet to be located.

The attack on Sderot took place at around 19:30 pm; loud explosions were heard in the city.

The al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, claimed responsibility for the barrage, saying it was launched in retaliation for Israel’s “continued aggression” and “crimes of the occupation.”

At 9:30 pm another Qassam rocket fired from Gaza landed in an open area in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

At least 15 Qassams and 26 mortars were fired toward the western Negev region throughout the day.

In the afternoon a barrage of mortar shells and one rocket fell in a kibbutz located within the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council’s limits.

Full Story

Now imagine a former US President siding with your attackers, advising them and telling the Media that it is all your fault that you are being attacked by your neighbor.

Former United States President Jimmy Carter reported that he advised Syrian-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on what price to demand from Israel for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted more than two years ago. He said that Hamas is “relatively satisfied with the status quo.”

Carter’s visit to Lebanon and Syria earlier this month follows a trip to to Damascus several months ago in the face of American policy against establishing direct contact with the outlawed terrorist organization.

Carter wrote on his website that he spoke with Mashaal about “formulas for prisoner exchange to obtain the release of Corporal Shalit,” who has since been promoted to sergeant.

However, he probably is not aware of the promotion because the International Red Cross has not succeeded in convincing Hamas to honor the Geneva Convention and allow its officials to visit him. The Red Cross also has rejected Israeli citizen’s demands that it stop visiting terrorists in Israeli jails until Shalit is seen and confirmed to be alive and in good health.

Full Story

I see that a nursing home hasn’t been found for Grandpa Carter yet.

In order to put forward your side of the conflict you hold a news conference, but the media does not attend, calling you an aggressor and murderer.

Sderot Media Center Press Conference Release

By Anav Silverman – Sderot Media Center

A day before the Hamas-Israel ceasefire officially ended, Sderot Media Center facilitated a press conference with a panel of Sderot officials who provided brief updates of the security situation and the impact of the ceasefire on the area residents to Israeli and international press.
Member of Knesset and Kadima party member, Shai Chermesh, who is a resident of Kfar Aza, a western Negev community under daily mortar shelling, participated in the panel. He stated that the ceasefire had yielded no positive results for Israel. “Gilad Schalit is still in Gaza and Sderot and western Negev residents are still under rocket fire. This is a reality that our government must deal with and as of now, the government of Israel has shown that it has little authority over what is happening to Sderot and the western Negev,” MK Chermesh concluded.

“Hamas is the occupying power of Gaza and has treated its constituents terribly,” he added. “Hamas must stop using their own Palestinian civilians as sacrificial offerings by employing rocket terror tactics against innocent Israelis.”
Chermesh stated that he believed that disengaging from Gaza in 2005 was a positive move. “It was important that we left and it was too bad that we didn’t leave earlier,” he stated. “If the IDF re-enters Gaza, the attack must be planned carefully. The people of Gaza should not go hungry and we must limit civilian causalities as much as possible.”

Batya Katar, representing the Parents Association for the security of Sderot, stated that Sderot residents feel that Sderot is a separate entity. “We don’t have the right leaders to deal with the reality of the region,” she said. “If this was happening in Tel Aviv, there would be a completely different reaction from the government.”

“Only yesterday evening, a Palestinian rocket landed right outside a busy supermarket. People outside at the time barely escaped the rocket explosion,” Katar added. “Thanks to the Tzeva Adom, they were able to make it inside, but the attack could have been deadly. How many more rocket attacks must Sderot experience, how many near-death experiences must Sderot residents endure–before the government of Israel acts?”

The president of Sderot’s Small Businesses Association, Danny Dahan told the press that the rocket fire was economically crippling the region. Dahan, who owns Dahan’s supermarket in Sderot, explained that the changed shopping patterns of his customers–“they rush in and rush out” has contributed to the decrease in sales. “People no longer linger around, taking their time to buy food. Everyone wants to go home as quickly as possible.” Dahan also stated that due to the rocket fire, there were problems with shipments of goods coming into Sderot. “Some of our suppliers refuse to enter Sderot because of the rocket fire. Many times, I end up going to the junction in Ashkelon to pick up the goods for my supermarket.”

Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center director, highlighted that the over 2,500 Palestinian rockets fired at Sderot and the western Negev have caused a marked increase in psychological trauma among Sderot children. “Between 70-94% of Sderot children are suffering from signs of PTSD, according to a recent NATAL survey” Bedein stated.

Bedein also related that between 300-400 Palestinian rockets have been fired at Israel since the ceasefire began in June. Yehuda Ben Maman, the Sderot security officer, added that although many bomb shelters have emerged throughout Sderot in the recent year, most of the structures provide protection from rocket shrapnel only and not from direct Qassam rocket hits.

But for the people of Sderot and the Western Negev, the IDF might be giving them a Chanukah present.

Military source: IDF prepared to ‘conquer Gaza Strip’ if need be

Military sources said the IDF was preparing for a wide-range of scenarios, pending government instructions.

“We have operational plans ranging from conquering the Gaza Strip to pinpoint raids against rocket squads,” one officer said. “However, we will ultimately do what we are told to do.”

Full Story

You can give the children of Sderot a wonderful Christmas/Chanukah gift too. A small donation to the Sderot Media Center will give a child the gift of hope and love. It pays for the small parties given to the children of Sderot, the psychological counseling that many of the citizens need, and the legal help the people of the region need to deal with the government bureaucracy. It is easy to do. Just click on the Sderot Media Logo at the top or bottom of this post and follow the directions from there.

8 Years of Rockets And Still No End In Sight

Cross posted by Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Sderot residents in fortified room (Photo: Amir Cohen)

Imagine that you live under a situation in which every day there is a rocket attack from your neighbors. You don’t know where it is going to strike, you don’t know if your home, your family will suffer this time. Imagine that this has been going on for 8 years and the authorities would do nothing to stop these attacks. This is what the citizens of Sderot and the Western Negev have lived with for 8 years now. Even when there was a so-called “truce”, the rockets fell. And yet the world only condemns Israel for attacking back.

Four Qassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza Saturday evening towards the city of Sderot in south Israel. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
One of the rockets landed in the courtyard of a local factory, but caused no damage to the site. Another rocket landed near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, while the third landed near the security fence separating Israel from the Hamas-controlled territory. The landing site of the fourth Qassam has yet to be located.

The attack on Sderot took place at around 19:30 pm; loud explosions were heard in the city.

The al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, claimed responsibility for the barrage, saying it was launched in retaliation for Israel’s “continued aggression” and “crimes of the occupation.”

At 9:30 pm another Qassam rocket fired from Gaza landed in an open area in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

At least 15 Qassams and 26 mortars were fired toward the western Negev region throughout the day.

In the afternoon a barrage of mortar shells and one rocket fell in a kibbutz located within the Shaar HaNegev Regional Council’s limits.

Full Story

Now imagine a former US President siding with your attackers, advising them and telling the Media that it is all your fault that you are being attacked by your neighbor.

Former United States President Jimmy Carter reported that he advised Syrian-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on what price to demand from Israel for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted more than two years ago. He said that Hamas is “relatively satisfied with the status quo.”

Carter’s visit to Lebanon and Syria earlier this month follows a trip to to Damascus several months ago in the face of American policy against establishing direct contact with the outlawed terrorist organization.

Carter wrote on his website that he spoke with Mashaal about “formulas for prisoner exchange to obtain the release of Corporal Shalit,” who has since been promoted to sergeant.

However, he probably is not aware of the promotion because the International Red Cross has not succeeded in convincing Hamas to honor the Geneva Convention and allow its officials to visit him. The Red Cross also has rejected Israeli citizen’s demands that it stop visiting terrorists in Israeli jails until Shalit is seen and confirmed to be alive and in good health.

Full Story

I see that a nursing home hasn’t been found for Grandpa Carter yet.

In order to put forward your side of the conflict you hold a news conference, but the media does not attend, calling you an aggressor and murderer.

Sderot Media Center Press Conference Release

By Anav Silverman – Sderot Media Center

A day before the Hamas-Israel ceasefire officially ended, Sderot Media Center facilitated a press conference with a panel of Sderot officials who provided brief updates of the security situation and the impact of the ceasefire on the area residents to Israeli and international press.
Member of Knesset and Kadima party member, Shai Chermesh, who is a resident of Kfar Aza, a western Negev community under daily mortar shelling, participated in the panel. He stated that the ceasefire had yielded no positive results for Israel. “Gilad Schalit is still in Gaza and Sderot and western Negev residents are still under rocket fire. This is a reality that our government must deal with and as of now, the government of Israel has shown that it has little authority over what is happening to Sderot and the western Negev,” MK Chermesh concluded.

“Hamas is the occupying power of Gaza and has treated its constituents terribly,” he added. “Hamas must stop using their own Palestinian civilians as sacrificial offerings by employing rocket terror tactics against innocent Israelis.”
Chermesh stated that he believed that disengaging from Gaza in 2005 was a positive move. “It was important that we left and it was too bad that we didn’t leave earlier,” he stated. “If the IDF re-enters Gaza, the attack must be planned carefully. The people of Gaza should not go hungry and we must limit civilian causalities as much as possible.”

Batya Katar, representing the Parents Association for the security of Sderot, stated that Sderot residents feel that Sderot is a separate entity. “We don’t have the right leaders to deal with the reality of the region,” she said. “If this was happening in Tel Aviv, there would be a completely different reaction from the government.”

“Only yesterday evening, a Palestinian rocket landed right outside a busy supermarket. People outside at the time barely escaped the rocket explosion,” Katar added. “Thanks to the Tzeva Adom, they were able to make it inside, but the attack could have been deadly. How many more rocket attacks must Sderot experience, how many near-death experiences must Sderot residents endure–before the government of Israel acts?”

The president of Sderot’s Small Businesses Association, Danny Dahan told the press that the rocket fire was economically crippling the region. Dahan, who owns Dahan’s supermarket in Sderot, explained that the changed shopping patterns of his customers–“they rush in and rush out” has contributed to the decrease in sales. “People no longer linger around, taking their time to buy food. Everyone wants to go home as quickly as possible.” Dahan also stated that due to the rocket fire, there were problems with shipments of goods coming into Sderot. “Some of our suppliers refuse to enter Sderot because of the rocket fire. Many times, I end up going to the junction in Ashkelon to pick up the goods for my supermarket.”

Noam Bedein, Sderot Media Center director, highlighted that the over 2,500 Palestinian rockets fired at Sderot and the western Negev have caused a marked increase in psychological trauma among Sderot children. “Between 70-94% of Sderot children are suffering from signs of PTSD, according to a recent NATAL survey” Bedein stated.

Bedein also related that between 300-400 Palestinian rockets have been fired at Israel since the ceasefire began in June. Yehuda Ben Maman, the Sderot security officer, added that although many bomb shelters have emerged throughout Sderot in the recent year, most of the structures provide protection from rocket shrapnel only and not from direct Qassam rocket hits.

But for the people of Sderot and the Western Negev, the IDF might be giving them a Chanukah present.

Military source: IDF prepared to ‘conquer Gaza Strip’ if need be

Military sources said the IDF was preparing for a wide-range of scenarios, pending government instructions.

“We have operational plans ranging from conquering the Gaza Strip to pinpoint raids against rocket squads,” one officer said. “However, we will ultimately do what we are told to do.”

Full Story

You can give the children of Sderot a wonderful Christmas/Chanukah gift too. A small donation to the Sderot Media Center will give a child the gift of hope and love. It pays for the small parties given to the children of Sderot, the psychological counseling that many of the citizens need, and the legal help the people of the region need to deal with the government bureaucracy. It is easy to do. Just click on the Sderot Media Logo at the top or bottom of this post and follow the directions from there.

The Case of Lt. Col. West and the Feminization of American Culture

9/11 and the Great Debate
An alternative paradigm

After the shock of 9/11 and three bitter and contentious presidential elections, we still find ourselves a nation divided, hopelessly divided between red states and blue states, conservatives vs. liberals, and patriots vs. multiculturalists. Fundamentally, the dispute centers on two vital questions: What was the national significance of 9/11, and what should be the nature of our response? At stake in these debates is nothing less than the future of our democratic society.

I contend that we have framed the debate in inappropriate terms. There can be no overarching liberal or conservative response to violent aggression. The only appropriate response must be one that is purposely tailored to the specific nature of the attack. In the hope of casting new light on this discussion, I propose an alternative paradigm: reframing the issues in masculine or feminine terms – that is, the masculinization or femininization of society.

History appears to support the view that during prolonged periods of peace (the absence of actual enemy attacks on native soil), societies tend to become more feminine.* This does not mean to suggest that societies in peacetime necessarily become soft or effeminate, rather, that they become more inward directed, more concerned with what might for the sake of argument be characterized as feminine issues—that is, social and domestic issues, principally concerned with personal rights and civil liberties, as opposed to more aggressive nationalistic pursuits such as military ventures or foreign affairs. As peace settles in those traditional masculine virtues—strength, courage, duty, loyalty, bravery, honor—which served the society so well in time of war, and may in fact have saved the very life of that society—are gradually shunted aside and devalued, eventually replaced by the gentler feminine virtues of patience, understanding, nurturing, tolerance, and love.

Over the years, I submit, the character of America has changed. Somehow we, the valiant, universally respected victors of World War II, have come to be perceived—at least by our enemies—as a weak, feminine, Godless nation, selfish, self-centered, worshipful of youth and pleasure, obsessed with all the classic vanities—wealth, health, weight, style, status, and safety. An unapologetically self-indulgent society, who eagerly spends $42 billion a year on cosmetic plastic surgery and anti-aging products.* A cowardly society, loathe to risk the slightest injury to its soft, well-pampered skin. Of course, this is a grossly distorted, overly-simplistic view which, at least as it applies to our courageous military is, thank God, just plain wrong. Indeed, it is arguable that this is merely the sour self-righteous Islamisist view of a successful Western capitalist democracy. However, there may be more than one element of truth in this unflattering portrait. We have indeed changed. And nowhere has this change been more perfectly exemplified than in our deeply conflicted reactions to the events of September 11, 2001.

Immediately following the attacks on New York City, the Peace Protestors were out in force, filing into Manhattan’s parks and squares with their obligatory candles and guitars.

Under this maudlin display of love and good will, it quickly became apparent that there were those among us whose sense of national pride had been so thoroughly compromised by insidious doubts and—mostly inaccurate—leftist propaganda that they actually began to wonder aloud if perhaps we didn’t deserve it.

How do we explain the startling contrast between these ambivalent reactions to the horrors of 9/11 and the almost immediate display of visceral anger in response to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941; even though it could be argued that, though admittedly dishonorable and treacherous, the Japanese attacks were in fact a military attack against a military target, that actually resulted in less fatalities (2,403 compared to 2,986) than were incurred on 9/11—while virtually all of the 2,749 victims in New York City were innocent civilians. Where, one might ask, is our righteous anger? What has happened to that steely resolve which we so courageously sustained throughout those terrible war years? How did we lose our way? And how, after our final victory, did we fall from those bright heights of post-war optimism down into this dark abyss of doubt and disillusionment?

From The Secret of Sansom’s Hair: Hollywood and the Demasculinization of America by Roger W. Gardner
——————————————————————————–

The Case of Lt. Col. West

Lt. Col. Allen B. West in undated family photo (Courtesy Angela West)

OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM
Lt. Col. West fined $5,000
Avoids court martial for using shock tactics to save lives
By Art Moore
World Net Daily

An officer in Iraq who used shock interrogation tactics to thwart an impending attack on American soldiers was punished with forfeiture of two month’s pay, according to his lawyer.
Previously faced with the possibility of a court martial, Lt. Col. Allen B. West accepted Article 15 non-judicial punishment from the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division at a hearing today in Tikrit, Iraq, said Neal A. Puckett, a retired Marine officer.

Puckett said the loss of pay amounts to $5,000.

“I’m pleased that it’s over with,” West told WorldNetDaily by telephone from San Antonio, Texas. “But I thought that taking $5,000 away from a guy who is about to retire was a little bit unnecessary.

“I didn’t think that needed to be part of a sentence in order to send whatever message the commanding general thought he needed to send,” he continued.

“Simply a letter of reprimand should have done it,” Puckett insisted.

West will return to Ft. Hood, Texas, as soon as transportation can be arranged and will be assigned to the Rear Detachment of the 4th Infantry Division as he awaits the processing of his retirement request.

The punishment does not affect his eligibility for retirement and pension, Puckett said.

West’s commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, had authority to accept or reject the recommendation of administrative punishment from the officer who presided over West’s preliminary hearing in Tikrit last month, Lt. Col. Jimmy Davis.

At his preliminary hearing, West acknowledged he allowed two soldiers to beat an Iraqi policeman who refused to reveal details of an ambush plot and fired his pistol near the man’s head, threatening to kill him.

As WorldNetDaily reported, under threat of an attack, West took charge of the interrogation of an Iraqi policeman, Yahya Jhodri Hamoody, determined to flush out details as he warned subordinates “it could get ugly.” Threatening to kill the Iraqi if he didn’t talk, West fired a pistol near the policeman’s head.

The scared policeman then immediately disclosed the information, leading to the arrest of two Iraqis last August and cessation of attacks on West’s 4th Infantry Division battalion.

At the hearing last month, West was asked by his defense attorney if he would do it again.

“If it’s about the lives of my men and their safety, I’d go through hell with a gasoline can,” he said.

“But that’s what’s going on out there in the streets here, and that’s how I feel about my boys,” he told the hearing, held in one of Saddam Hussein’s lavish palaces. “There is not a person in this room I would not sacrifice my life for.”

But Army prosecutors believe his actions in the town of Saba al Boor, near Tikrit, violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was charged with aggravated assault and faced a wide range of possible outcomes from no disciplinary action to a sentence of up to eight years in prison.

The prosecutors gave West a choice – face charges or resign within days of his 20 years of service, losing retirement benefits. West chose to face the charges and place his fate in the hands of Maj. Gen. Odierno.

Puckett said West can be contacted by e-mail and his wife has her own e-mail address.

Angela West has set up a legal fund for her husband with the following address: Allen West Defense Fund c/o Angela West, 6823 Coleman Drive, Ft. Hood, TX 76544.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
———————————————————————–

Lt.Col. West and the Feminization of American Culture
By KG at Crusader Rabbit

“The ‘West Affair’ has implications for the survival of American civilization. It is just that important. Great empires of the past have similarly dissolved, disintegrated, and disappeared as a result of the same malady that holds America in its grasp — the feminization of their culture. Why few in America realize this truth in its stark reality and its dark implications for the future — most concern themselves with the minute details of the media’s entertaining but trivial political ‘issue of the day’ — tells us more about America than it does about the primary actors in the ‘West Affair.’ “
The whole thing makes fascinating–if depressing–reading. How are we going to turn this trend around? Is it too late?

The Case of Lt. Col. West and the Feminization of American Culture

9/11 and the Great Debate
An alternative paradigm

After the shock of 9/11 and three bitter and contentious presidential elections, we still find ourselves a nation divided, hopelessly divided between red states and blue states, conservatives vs. liberals, and patriots vs. multiculturalists. Fundamentally, the dispute centers on two vital questions: What was the national significance of 9/11, and what should be the nature of our response? At stake in these debates is nothing less than the future of our democratic society.

I contend that we have framed the debate in inappropriate terms. There can be no overarching liberal or conservative response to violent aggression. The only appropriate response must be one that is purposely tailored to the specific nature of the attack. In the hope of casting new light on this discussion, I propose an alternative paradigm: reframing the issues in masculine or feminine terms – that is, the masculinization or femininization of society.

History appears to support the view that during prolonged periods of peace (the absence of actual enemy attacks on native soil), societies tend to become more feminine.* This does not mean to suggest that societies in peacetime necessarily become soft or effeminate, rather, that they become more inward directed, more concerned with what might for the sake of argument be characterized as feminine issues—that is, social and domestic issues, principally concerned with personal rights and civil liberties, as opposed to more aggressive nationalistic pursuits such as military ventures or foreign affairs. As peace settles in those traditional masculine virtues—strength, courage, duty, loyalty, bravery, honor—which served the society so well in time of war, and may in fact have saved the very life of that society—are gradually shunted aside and devalued, eventually replaced by the gentler feminine virtues of patience, understanding, nurturing, tolerance, and love.

Over the years, I submit, the character of America has changed. Somehow we, the valiant, universally respected victors of World War II, have come to be perceived—at least by our enemies—as a weak, feminine, Godless nation, selfish, self-centered, worshipful of youth and pleasure, obsessed with all the classic vanities—wealth, health, weight, style, status, and safety. An unapologetically self-indulgent society, who eagerly spends $42 billion a year on cosmetic plastic surgery and anti-aging products.* A cowardly society, loathe to risk the slightest injury to its soft, well-pampered skin. Of course, this is a grossly distorted, overly-simplistic view which, at least as it applies to our courageous military is, thank God, just plain wrong. Indeed, it is arguable that this is merely the sour self-righteous Islamisist view of a successful Western capitalist democracy. However, there may be more than one element of truth in this unflattering portrait. We have indeed changed. And nowhere has this change been more perfectly exemplified than in our deeply conflicted reactions to the events of September 11, 2001.

Immediately following the attacks on New York City, the Peace Protestors were out in force, filing into Manhattan’s parks and squares with their obligatory candles and guitars.

Under this maudlin display of love and good will, it quickly became apparent that there were those among us whose sense of national pride had been so thoroughly compromised by insidious doubts and—mostly inaccurate—leftist propaganda that they actually began to wonder aloud if perhaps we didn’t deserve it.

How do we explain the startling contrast between these ambivalent reactions to the horrors of 9/11 and the almost immediate display of visceral anger in response to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941; even though it could be argued that, though admittedly dishonorable and treacherous, the Japanese attacks were in fact a military attack against a military target, that actually resulted in less fatalities (2,403 compared to 2,986) than were incurred on 9/11—while virtually all of the 2,749 victims in New York City were innocent civilians. Where, one might ask, is our righteous anger? What has happened to that steely resolve which we so courageously sustained throughout those terrible war years? How did we lose our way? And how, after our final victory, did we fall from those bright heights of post-war optimism down into this dark abyss of doubt and disillusionment?

From The Secret of Sansom’s Hair: Hollywood and the Demasculinization of America by Roger W. Gardner
——————————————————————————–

The Case of Lt. Col. West

Lt. Col. Allen B. West in undated family photo (Courtesy Angela West)

OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM
Lt. Col. West fined $5,000
Avoids court martial for using shock tactics to save lives
By Art Moore
World Net Daily

An officer in Iraq who used shock interrogation tactics to thwart an impending attack on American soldiers was punished with forfeiture of two month’s pay, according to his lawyer.
Previously faced with the possibility of a court martial, Lt. Col. Allen B. West accepted Article 15 non-judicial punishment from the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division at a hearing today in Tikrit, Iraq, said Neal A. Puckett, a retired Marine officer.

Puckett said the loss of pay amounts to $5,000.

“I’m pleased that it’s over with,” West told WorldNetDaily by telephone from San Antonio, Texas. “But I thought that taking $5,000 away from a guy who is about to retire was a little bit unnecessary.

“I didn’t think that needed to be part of a sentence in order to send whatever message the commanding general thought he needed to send,” he continued.

“Simply a letter of reprimand should have done it,” Puckett insisted.

West will return to Ft. Hood, Texas, as soon as transportation can be arranged and will be assigned to the Rear Detachment of the 4th Infantry Division as he awaits the processing of his retirement request.

The punishment does not affect his eligibility for retirement and pension, Puckett said.

West’s commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, had authority to accept or reject the recommendation of administrative punishment from the officer who presided over West’s preliminary hearing in Tikrit last month, Lt. Col. Jimmy Davis.

At his preliminary hearing, West acknowledged he allowed two soldiers to beat an Iraqi policeman who refused to reveal details of an ambush plot and fired his pistol near the man’s head, threatening to kill him.

As WorldNetDaily reported, under threat of an attack, West took charge of the interrogation of an Iraqi policeman, Yahya Jhodri Hamoody, determined to flush out details as he warned subordinates “it could get ugly.” Threatening to kill the Iraqi if he didn’t talk, West fired a pistol near the policeman’s head.

The scared policeman then immediately disclosed the information, leading to the arrest of two Iraqis last August and cessation of attacks on West’s 4th Infantry Division battalion.

At the hearing last month, West was asked by his defense attorney if he would do it again.

“If it’s about the lives of my men and their safety, I’d go through hell with a gasoline can,” he said.

“But that’s what’s going on out there in the streets here, and that’s how I feel about my boys,” he told the hearing, held in one of Saddam Hussein’s lavish palaces. “There is not a person in this room I would not sacrifice my life for.”

But Army prosecutors believe his actions in the town of Saba al Boor, near Tikrit, violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was charged with aggravated assault and faced a wide range of possible outcomes from no disciplinary action to a sentence of up to eight years in prison.

The prosecutors gave West a choice – face charges or resign within days of his 20 years of service, losing retirement benefits. West chose to face the charges and place his fate in the hands of Maj. Gen. Odierno.

Puckett said West can be contacted by e-mail and his wife has her own e-mail address.

Angela West has set up a legal fund for her husband with the following address: Allen West Defense Fund c/o Angela West, 6823 Coleman Drive, Ft. Hood, TX 76544.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
———————————————————————–

Lt.Col. West and the Feminization of American Culture
By KG at Crusader Rabbit

“The ‘West Affair’ has implications for the survival of American civilization. It is just that important. Great empires of the past have similarly dissolved, disintegrated, and disappeared as a result of the same malady that holds America in its grasp — the feminization of their culture. Why few in America realize this truth in its stark reality and its dark implications for the future — most concern themselves with the minute details of the media’s entertaining but trivial political ‘issue of the day’ — tells us more about America than it does about the primary actors in the ‘West Affair.’ “
The whole thing makes fascinating–if depressing–reading. How are we going to turn this trend around? Is it too late?