Under The Holly Tree

ACTOR MIKE FARRELL & SHERIFF BACA JOIN COALITION OF CIVIC & FAITH LEADERS IN SPEAKING OUT AGAINST ANTI-MUSLIM DVD

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:49:00 +0000

ACTOR MIKE FARRELL & SHERIFF BACA
JOIN COALITION OF CIVIC & FAITH LEADERS
IN SPEAKING OUT AGAINST ANTI-MUSLIM DVD

(Los Angeles - 10/10/08) -- Sheriff Lee Baca and LAPD Captain Mike Downing will join actor Mike Farrell and the newly formed Coalition for Renewing American Democracy to speak out against an anti-Muslim film called "Obsession" during a press conference on Monday, October 13 in Los Angeles.

The DVD, called "Obsession: Radical Islam's War with the West," has been distributed to 28 million households in election swing states, and has been widely criticized as a divisive political ploy.

WHAT: SHERIFF BACA JOINS CIVIC-FAITH COALITION IN SPEAKING OUT
AGAINST MASS DISTRIBUTION OF ANTI-MUSLIM DVD

WHEN: Monday, October 13, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Islamic Center of Southern California
434 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90010

WHO: Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca
Actor Mike Farrell
Captain Mike Downing (Los Angeles Police Department)
Xandra Kayden (Coalition member, League of Women Voters)
Rabbi Steven Jacobs (Coalition member, Progressive Faith Foundation)
Rabbi Allen Freehling (Coalition member, L.A. City Commission on
Human Relations)
Salam Al-Marayati (Coalition member, Muslim Public Affairs Council)
Dr. Maher Hathout (Coalition member, Muslim Public Affairs Council)

The coalition will also release a statement, signed by more than a dozen religious, civic and law enforcement officials, voicing their "deep concern over the recent distribution of a deeply divisive and anger-provoking DVD" which undermines "our common and cherished beliefs by inciting fear and furthering ignorant stereotypes."

The statement from the Coalition for Renewing American Democracy reads, in part:

We, as members of civic and religious organizations along with law enforcement, come together united against hate and extremism. We believe that the best way to counter political and religious extremism is through cooperation and coordination. Those who divide our pluralism along the lines of religious or political views only further the cause of extremism. They profit from the fear generated from propaganda while we are on the front lines of pursuing effective public policy to eradicate terrorism.

We have come together to express our deep outrage over the recent distribution of a divisive and hate-provoking DVD called "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" to residents across the nation.... Invoking fear and anger in American voters is never the way to address the real problems of extremism and terrorism, and in a city as diverse and complex as Los Angeles -- at a time of great economic uncertainty -- this sort of hatred and blind tarring of a people and a faith is painful and dangerous.

America stands for the core values of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, pluralism, and equality for all. The Coalition for Renewing American Democracy seeks to work with a diverse group of faith and civic leaders and communities to renew America's promise by engaging elected officials and community leaders to promote security and guard against discrimination.

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.

Sarah Palin: Putting Republican Lipstick on the Alaskan Independence Party

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:16:00 +0000

So everyone just sneaks in to the Republican party according to the AIP and the candidate they WANTED to win as governor won, Sarah Palin.

Are we getting the picture yet?

From Improper:

Sarah Palin's Pals: 'I've Got No Use for America or Her Damned Institutions' (VIDEO)

By TheImproper.com

Sarah Palin has been bashing Barack Obama for his past acquaintanceship with Bill Ayers, a University of Illinois professor who 40 years ago was a member of the Weathermen, a radical movement active when Obama was 8 years old.

In the 1960s and 70s, the Weathermen conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings--actions which Obama has denounced as "detestable."

But Palin says this ex-acquaintanceship proves that Obama "is palling around with terrorists who would target their own country." But if guilt-by-association is a valid political consideration, Palin is even guiltier. Why? Because she's married to a man (Todd Palin) who only recently ended his 7-year membership in the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP). The members of this treasonous cabal wants Alaska to split off from the United States and walk away with the state's rich federal oil fields and one-fifth of America's land base.

AIP was founded in 1984 by Joe Vogler, a violent anti-American. "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," Vogler once said. "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler, AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Current AIP chairman Lynette Clark still clings to this radical belief, recently saying "[Alaska] should be an independent nation."

Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. A year earlier, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government."

Vogler even cursed the American flag, pledging, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Shockingly, Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism.

Palin's husband Todd was an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. While retaining her Republican registration, Sarah Palin attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska.

The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 Convention and even recorded a video greeting for the 2008 convention. In other words, this is not something that happened when she was eight! Is this who you want in the White House
_______________________________________________

Sarah Palin when asked about rumors she was on the shortlist to become McCain's vp: "As for that vp talk all the time, I tell ya, I still can't answer that question til someone answers for me, what is it exactly that the vp does every day, I'm use to uh being very productive and working real hard and in administration we want to make sure that that vp spot would be a fruitful position ESPECIALLY for ALASKANS and the thing's we are trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the US before I can even start addressing that question" (Video)

Excuse me, but wasn't he talking to her about running for vice president of the United States, not ALASKA?

Just what are the goals of the Alaskan Independence Party? Read them HERE

Now, what does Sarah promote more than anything else while on the stump?

DRILL BABY DRILL!!

What are some questions asked on the website for the AIP?

Q: If Alaska became independent, wouldn't we lose a lot of federal money?

A: No. If Alaska returned to territorial status, most federal money would still be available. If Alaska were to attain complete independence, its revenues from oil and other natural resources would far exceed the amounts currently received from the federal government, at our current level of resource utilization.

Hmmmm, so maybe we can just put lipstick on this AIP position and call it Republican big oil interests getting in there to open it all up before they make their final push.

And what about US citizenship? Remember, Todd Palin was officially a member of this party for years and Sarah "pals" around with them, speaking at their conventions.

Q: Would I lose my U.S. citizenship?

A: Depending on the form of independence, several forms of citizenship would be possible, including the retention of U.S. citizenship or dual citizenship. However, considering the moral, educational, and economic decay of the U.S., Alaskans' who hold themselves to a higher standard might very well decide to at least maintain an arm's length distance from a country in decline.

There you go, Palin has the NERVE to denegrate Michelle Obama's statement that she had never been prouder of her country than when her husband ran but yet Palin's husband belonged to a party that thinks Alaska is above the rest of the US and should keep an "arm's length"

I'd say Ms. Palin, your well made up MASK is peeling away very quickly as you lipstick melts away under the heat of the TRUTH.

Report: Right-Wing Pundits Use Mainstream Media to Smear American Muslims

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:07:00 +0000

Report: Right-Wing Pundits Use Mainstream Media to Smear American Muslims

Report profiles 12 top Islamophobes in U.S. media, examines the rise of 'smearcasting' phenomenon - how Islamophobes use the mainstream media to spread fear, bigotry and misinformation

Last update: 2:16 p.m. EDT Oct. 8, 2008

NEW YORK, Oct 08, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), the national media watchdog group, released a first-of-its-kind report today that profiles 12 of the leading Islamophobic pundits and media figures and examines the ways they've negatively influenced media coverage in the U.S. The report, "Smearcasting: How Islamophobes Spread Fear, Bigotry and Misinformation," describes a loose network of right-wing, anti-Muslim partisans who regularly use innuendo, questionable sources of information and even lies to smear, and effectively marginalize, Muslim Americans in the media.

The report is available for download at: http://www.smearcasting.com

"This report takes a fresh look at Islamophobia and its perpetrators in today's media," said Steve Rendall, one of the report's authors and a senior analyst at FAIR. "We found prominent right-wing pundits and activists using misinformation and innuendo to broadcast hate against an entire community -- in this case, Muslims -- and major media have either fallen asleep at the wheel or, in many cases, have actively helped to spread the smears."

"Media should seek various points of view, but the message of the Islamophobes cannot possibly comport with the standards and practices that should constrain media outlets from airing smears against ethnic and religious groups," said Rendall, "We're talking about double standards."

The report's "dirty dozen" list includes talk show hosts like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and Glenn Beck; activists like Michelle Malkin, Daniel Pipes and David Horowitz; and influential writers like Mark Steyn and Robert Spencer.

The report also features four case studies, or snapshots, of how smearcasting has impacted the news cycle, including:

-
- Right-wing pundit Daniel Pipes led a successful campaign to oust the principal of a secular Arabic-language New York City public school by initiating a media-driven pressure campaign. The principal's history of forging interfaith and interethnic alliances was ignored as the campaign branded her a "stealth Islamist," and media pressure eventually forced her to resign.

-- Conservative columnist and Internet activist Michelle Malkin pressured Dunkin' Donuts into dropping an ad featuring celebrity chef Rachael Ray wearing a black-and-white scarf -- which Malkin falsely identified as a keffiyeh, calling it a symbol of "murderous Palestinian jihad."

-- Islamophobia has emerged in the 2008 presidential election, from nefarious whisper campaigns directed at Sen. Barack Obama to the recent distribution of the anti-Muslim propaganda DVD "Obsession" to 28 million newspaper subscribers in swing states.

"We're not talking about people raving on a street corner downtown," said Rendall. "These are people who either have a powerful platform at their disposal or are allowed unfettered access to powerful platforms by reporters and editors in what are considered mainstream publications."

"These Muslim-bashing attacks have a real impact, not only on Muslims in America but on our civil discourse," Rendall added. "We're in the middle of a historic election in which Islamophobia has already played a role, and I don't think we've seen the last of the dirty tricks and the smearcasting. Media need to step up and do their job of separating fact from innuendo, and they
should distinguish the impartial experts from the smearcasters."

To download a copy of the report visit: http://www.smearcasting.com

FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled.

Contact:

Isabel Macdonald, 212-633-6700 x310, imacdonald@fair.org

SOURCE Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)

Palin believes in "Puff", the Magic Dragon That Is

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:01:00 +0000

So if you haven't read about one of the more bizarre beliefs of Sarah Palin which has come to light, let me enlighten you. The woman who doesn't know what a vice president does, who instead of answering questions she CAN'T answer tells you she's going to talk about other things, the woman who has "only been on the job for five weeks (that would be you are INTERVIEWING for the job, OMG, it's been FIVE weeks already? That's a LONG time considering the earth has only been around for six thousand years!), yep, that's ole "Joe SixPac", moose huntin', hockey mom trying to turn her own pig's ear into a purse Palin.

Where was I? Oh yes, one of the more unusual beliefs she holds is that dinosaurs lived side by side with human beings. What's that? She's seen the proof with her own eyes!

The Young Turks have something to say about this latest confession from the woman who wants YOU to take a stroll in the forest with her to see the footprints of man right inside the same footprints of dinosaurs!

Upon wondering, say it isn't so Sarah, just how this is possible, I had to go no further than the comments on the same you tube:

TexicanGirl (4 hours ago) Show Hide

Marked as spam

Reply | Spam

'Historia Animalium' written in the 1500's describes several animals as alive at the time that we consider dinosaurs today. A peasant in Italy encountered and killed a small dinosaur Tanystropheus in 1572.

WOW, I'm from Texas too and I didn't know that! Let's look further.........searching searching

Dragons are "mythological" giant reptiles. Many cultures have dragons in paintings, literature and history. Some of the paintings of the "dragons" look like various kinds of dinosaurs. How could it be that so many cultures independently made up the thought of a giant reptile? These sound a lot like dinosaurs to me. Dinosaurs were created along with man and all the other animals.

Later on, there was a worldwide flood which drowned and buried all life on earth except people and animals in a very large boat called the ark. There was plenty of room for dinosaurs. The biggest dinosaur egg was only about the size of a football. Young dinosaurs were very small. The large ones were old ones as they grew all their life. The young ones with a long life ahead of them were on the ark, not the old, big ones.

The ones that got buried quickly with sediment fossilized. Also, all of the lush vegetation was buried and later turned to gas and oil. After the flood, which lasted a year, the earth's climate was changed because it was the first time it had ever rained. Before the flood the earth was covered with a canopy of misty water which made it into a giant green house.

So, God made dinosaurs, but they weren't called that yet. They were called dragons. Then, the big ones died out and people forgot that they were ever real, and they became part of myth. Then, when the dragon bones were dug up and they were given a new name, dinosaur. I have booklets about this topic if you would like to request one free of charge.

GREAT, that's how Alaska got all that oil! From dragon bones! Poor Puff! But I want to see a picture of this dinosaur that an Italian farmer killed (must have been the LAST one) in 1572

Ya know, gee Sarah, I understand now, the "young earth" theory sure is cool! But if I saw that cute little critter, and had never seen one before, I might call the Sierra Club up instead of hitting it over the head. Weren't they around back then?

I just gotta wonder, does Sarah believe that "Historia Animalium" written in the 15oo's by Conrad Gesner which was based on the BIBLE (GEE we've come full circle in this in-house logic) gives full proof to her belief. Only Philip Munger might know since Sarah ain't talking much about this sort of thing lately.

Well Sarah, since you made a list of pet projects that John McCain has worked out for you in the debate the other night, might I as a potential citizen at your mercy suggest another one? Since Todd is so happy on a snow mobile, and you, according to Fred Thompson, are highly qualified to become my vice president because you can single handedly field dress a moose, why don't the two of you do something fun together, heck take the press along with you for photo-ops, you can PROVE that creationism should be taught right alongside evolution in our schools? Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to go out and find one of these dinosaurs that SURELY must still exist in that vast wilderness up there. Then bring it on back home. You can then drape it on the back of your sofa in your office in the White House right alongside that grizzly bear of yours. Yep Sarah, should you succeed in your aspirations, our country will come a long way baby.

Wink wink, you BETCHA!

Sunday Offering #62: They are different

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:53:00 +0000

In response to the mass mailing of "Obsession", tool to spread mistrust and hatred towards my Muslim brothers and sisters.

Nader Calls on Obama and McCain to Visit a Mosque

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:36:00 +0000

As well they should.

Nader challenge to McCain and Obama: ‘Meet me at the mosque’

The following is a media release from the Ralph Nader presidential campaign:

October 2, 2008
www.votenader.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marc Abizeid, 202-360-3273, marcabizeid@votenader.org

NADER TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE GRAND MOSQUE FRIDAY, OCT. 3

Ralph Nader will be holding a news conference Friday, October 3 at 11 a.m. outside the Grand Mosque Islamic Center in Washington DC where he will challenge Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain to visit a mosque, like they have churches and synagogues, before the November election as a show of respect and tolerance.

Nader recently wrote a letter to Obama and McCain asking the men to act on such a request.

“As you know, discriminatory acts against Muslim-Americans have soared in recent years. They emanate from stereotyping, ethnic profiling, bigotry and, unfortunately, actions by some local, state & federal officials. The documentation is broad and deep on this unfortunate situation that spreads fear and anxiety among millions of Muslim-Americans…,” Nader wrote in his letter to Obama and McCain. “Out of respect for Muslim-Americans who have served in all the dimensions of our society from the professions to the armed forces, from the trades to the arts and sciences, from blue collar to white collar work, while raising their children to surpass their own achievements as befits the American horizon, we urge you to visit a Mosque before November 4, 2008.”

The letter is published in its entirety below.

Who: Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader
What: Press conference
Where: Grand Mosque Islamic Center, 2551 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20008
When: Friday, October 3, at 11 a.m.
——
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Barack Obama
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Sens. McCain and Obama,

Visits to religious institutions are certainly not a requirement for candidates running for public office. We are a country dedicated to the separation of church and state. This does not mean that candidates cannot visit churches, synagogues and mosques by way of expressing respect and tolerance which are the essence of freedom of religion and civil rights safeguarded by our Constitution. According to the New York Times, both of you, Senator McCain and Senator Obama, have visited churches and synagogues during your long campaigns for the Presidency. Neither of you have visited a mosque. As you know, discriminatory acts against Muslim-Americans have soared in recent years. They emanate from stereotyping, ethnic profiling, bigotry and, unfortunately, actions by some local, state & federal officials. The documentation is broad and deep on this unfortunate situation that spreads fear and anxiety among millions of Muslim-Americans. Concerns over ethnic and religious prejudice caused President George W. Bush to visit the Grand Mosque in Washington DC just days after 9/11 and express the proper sentiments in public. Out of respect for Muslim-Americans who have served in all the dimensions of our society from the professions to the armed forces, from the trades to the arts and sciences, from blue collar to white collar work, while raising their children to surpass their own achievements as befits the American horizon, we urge you to visit a Mosque before November 4, 2008. You can, in this declarative manner, reassure these Americans of your concern and recognition of their civil rights and civil liberties and the need for religious and ethnic tolerance that you believe to be the binding practices that hold our multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation together. Your affirmative response would be welcomed. Sincerely yours, Ralph Nader

Couch Surfing, Could It Be A Way To Peace?

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:21:00 +0000

"Peace begins with me", so I say yes, because peace must be found at the macro level to become reality, but it MUST exist and begin at the micro level, where human beings reach out to each other.

Have couch, will travel

By Adrianne Jeffries, Technology / Internet

There is a new way to hop around the world for travelers whose budgets can't keep up with their wanderlust, and the perks may be more than financial. For adventurous travelers only, Couchsurfing.com is a Web site that connects travelers to people who are willing to host strangers in their homes for free.

You might expect that to be a small group, but you'd be wrong. The site has more than 670,000 members in 231 countries, with 5,000 new members signing up every six weeks.

When sisters Martina, 23, and Brittany Fields, 22, of Norfolk, went backpacking last year, they stayed with strangers in Germany, France and the Netherlands over the course of two months.

"I didn't want to stay in a hostel because I wanted that experience of meeting the locals and going to the local places," Martina said. "If you go to the hostels you're just going to meet other Americans."

Couchsurfing Project co-founder Casey Fenton felt the same way. After scoring a cheap ticket to Iceland, Fenton sent e-mails to more than 1,500 university students in Reykjavik asking if anyone wanted to put a friendly American up for the night. The result was amazing.

Not only did students offer Fenton a place to stay, many wanted to show him "their" Reykjavik. Fenton had such a great time that he decided never to go back to that traditional tourist trap, the hotel. He recruited three friends with various skills and The Couchsurfing Project was born.

"Couch surfing is a global hospitality network and the premise is that a traveler can stay anywhere in the world, for free, in someone's home, as long as they are willing to sleep on the couch."

That's how Dan Hoffer, another one of the four original founders, explains the site to someone who has never heard of it before.

There are other similar hospitality networks aiming to link travelers with free accommodations, but Couchsurfing is the largest by "almost any metric," Hoffer said. Other sites include GlobalFreeloaders.com, founded by Australians, and HospitalityClub.com, founded by a German.

The Couchsurfing Project also seems to have inspired participation at levels far beyond any other site. The Web site is maintained by volunteers, drawn from the most active members. The nonprofit only has six paid employees, and only one of the original founders is paid for his involvement. The others have day jobs, Hoffer says.

It's evident that the site's members, or "couch surfers," derive benefits much greater than a sleeping surface.

"You have the opportunity to make friends you will keep years and years later," Martina said. She and her sister still keep in touch with most of the people they met while couch surfing.

They were able to return the hospitality they were given when a friend who hosted them in Berlin came to Norfolk and stayed at the Fields' house.

Martina has also made friends at home through The Couchsurfing Project. She coordinates meet-ups for the group "757 CSers" which has 87 members in the Hampton Roads area. The 757 CSers get together once a month to talk about places they've gone, places they want to go, and people they've met while couch surfing.

"It's an awesome opportunity to meet people who are doing the same thing you are doing," she said.

The average age of the site's members is 27, but couch surfers range from 18 to 89. Rick and Cherri Feineis of Virginia Beach are a married couple in their 40s in the "757 CSers" group. They joined the site together after Rick read about it in a magazine for business entrepreneurs. The article suggested that traveling businessmen could use the site to save money, which is why Rick got involved.

But since Rick and Cherri do a lot of world travel, they decided they might as well let the world come to them. They were also already involved in Lost Boys of Hampton Roads, a program to place Sudanese refugees in temporary homes.

"We'll open our home up and see who comes," Rick said at the time.

Their first couch surfer was a Saudi Arabian backpacker named Yasser, who proposed to cook for them in exchange for sleeping in their home. They agreed to the arrangement, but there was tension in the house. Cherri was apprehensive about hosting someone from the Middle East because of the war in Iraq. And the young Sudanese boy staying with them was afraid that the backpacker might have bad intentions.

"Here was a Sudanese refugee whose family was slaughtered by Muslims, and here was this Islamic person, and the Sudanese was terrified. He thought he was going to kill us in our sleep. That was what he experienced as a child in Sudan," Rick said.

Yasser arrived and Rick describes the experience as a "genuine cultural exchange." The Saudi Arabian cooked Philly cheese steaks (using kosher Muslim beef) and all said grace at the table. The group smoked flavored tobacco from the hookah pipe Yasser brought from home and the family took him to a reggae bar. The Sudanese and the Saudi Arabian got along, and Yasser and Cherri write each other every month.

Fear of being murdered by a couch surfer is actually a common reaction from the uninitiated. Martina's parents were understandably leery of the idea of their two daughters sleeping on strange couches in faraway countries, even though they have faith in their girls' good judgment.

"They said, 'How do you know these people aren't going to kill you?'" Martina said.

But Brittany and Martina persuaded their parents after showing them the diligent planning that was their groundwork for spontaneity.

"They planned it out, they just didn't jump right in it, so I felt more comfortable as things went along," Martina and Brittany's father, Martin, said. "But in the beginning I was like, I really don't want them to do this ... but I trust them."

Martina and Brittany's mother, Bridget, sympathized with her daughters' taste for adventure. When Bridget was 18, she crashed on couches in the Florida Keys for a few months, without doing the kind of planning that Brittany and Martina did.

"So at first I was hesitant but then I had to put myself back when I was younger and my adventures," Bridget said. "I enjoyed myself and they should too."

The parents were also comforted by the idea that the sisters would be traveling together.

The planning that Martina and Brittany did was to sift through member profiles to find people they thought they would be comfortable staying with. They communicated with their first host in the Netherlands for a month and a half before they met him.

After they got to Europe, they would search for hosts in their next destination, communicating with them for a few days before meeting.

The web site has a mechanism for collecting information about a member's trustworthiness. The first level of security is the reference system. Members can write a testimonial about their experience with another member, and rate that experience as negative, neutral or positive. This information is prominently displayed on a member's page.

Tina Fey does Palin

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:26:00 +0000

CAIR Asks FEC to Probe Anti-Muslim DVDs Sent to Swing States

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:37:00 +0000

CAIR Asks FEC to Probe Anti-Muslim DVDs Sent to Swing States

Israel-Based Group Behind 'Obsession' Distribution to 28 Million U.S. Homes

Last update: 12:55 p.m. EDT Sept. 23, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC, Sep 23, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today announced that it has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) over the distribution of an anti-Muslim film to 28 million homes in presidential election swing states.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging the FEC to investigate whether the Clarion Fund, a non-profit organization that distributed DVDs containing "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," is really a front for an Israel-based group seeking to help Sen. John McCain win the U.S. presidential election. (No information about a board of directors, staff or even a physical address is offered on the fund's website.)

In its complaint to the FEC, CAIR wrote in part:

"The Clarion Fund recently financed the distribution of some 28 million DVDs containing the film 'Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West' in what many political analysts describe as 'swing' states in the upcoming presidential elections. Those same analysts say the distribution of the 'Obsession' DVD was designed to benefit a particular presidential candidate, namely Sen. John McCain...

"According to the website for the Secretary of State for New York, Clarion Fund Inc. is incorporated in New York as a Delaware-based foreign not-for-profit corporation. According to the Delaware Department of Corporations, Robert (Rabbi Raphael) Shore, Rabbi Henry Harris and Rebecca Kabat incorporated Clarion Fund. All three of whom are reported to serve as employees of Aish HaTorah International, an organization apparently based in Israel. Also according to the Delaware Department of Corporations, the incorporators of the Clarion Fund used Aish HaTorah's New York City address (150 West 46th Street, New York) to incorporate Clarion Fund in Delaware... [SEE: http://www.aish.com/aishint/wwprogram.asp]

"It appears that the funding for the production, marketing and distribution of 'Obsession' may have originated from Israel-based Aish HaTorah International."

To read the entire FEC complaint, click here. http://www.cair.com/Portals/0/pdf/ObessesionlettertoFEC.pdf

There is at least one report of a person who received the DVD also getting an automated phone call asking that person to watch the film and then "keep it in mind when you go to the voting booth."

"American voters deserve to know whether they are the targets of a multi-million-dollar campaign funded and directed by a foreign group seeking to whip up anti-Muslim hysteria as a way to influence the outcome of our presidential election," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad.

Awad said CAIR has received numerous complaints from those who were sent the DVD in newspapers delivered to their homes and has recorded at least one report of an anti-Muslim bias incident directly resulting from the DVD distribution.

SEE: Ohio Muslims Fearful After DVD Released in Newspapers http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=9043986

Some newspapers, including the News & Record in North Carolina and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, have refused to distribute the DVDs.

SEE: Post-Dispatch Refuses to Distribute DVD Offensive to American Muslims http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/civil-religion/politics/2008/09/post-dispatch-refuses-to-distribute-dvd-offensive-to-american-muslims/

Interfaith leaders such as Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, have spoken out against the distribution of "Obsession" in swing states. In a statement, Gaddy also called for an FEC investigation: "...when a cynical attempt is made to influence our nation's presidential election by stoking fear of one religious group we believe the media along with public officials, such as the Federal Election Commission, must establish who is trying to influence our politics through religious bigotry."

SEE: Statement of Rev. Welton Gaddy On the Distribution of the Anti-Muslim Film "Obsession" in Newspapers http://www.interfaithalliance.org/news/268-statement-of-rev-welton-gaddy-on-the-distribution-of-the-anti-muslim-film-obsession-in-newspapers

An editorial in the Palm Beach Post outlined the apparent political motivation behind the Clarion Fund campaign:

"Distribution of the DVD... was timed with the post-Labor Day start of presidential election season. About 95 percent of the papers that contained the DVD are in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and New Hampshire.

"Notice a pattern? Right, those are the swing states that most analysts believe will determine the election. The issue on which polls consistently show John McCain ahead of Barack Obama is national security. One way to make voters worry less about the economy and more about national security would be to send out a DVD that opens with clips of 9/11 and includes scenes of Muslims chanting 'Death to America!'"

SEE: The Secret Cell Helping McCain (Palm Beach Post) http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/09/21/a16a_schultz_col_0921.html

SEE ALSO: Anti-Islam Film Targets "Swing State" (IPS) http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43940

Editorial and letter writers nationwide have called the film "propaganda" and even compared it to Leni Riefenstahl's 1935 pro-Nazi film "Triumph of the Will." One writer called it "misleading and dangerous." (Broward-Palm Beach New Times, 9/20/08)

SEE: Putting Lipstick on Propaganda Doesn't Change It (NWF Daily News) http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/clarion_11254___article.html/fund_obsession.html

Jeff VanDenBerg, director of Middle East Studies at Drury University, called the film "a blatant piece of anti-Muslim propaganda." (News-Leader, 9/17/08)

Those interviewed in "Obsession" constitute a veritable who's who of individuals CAIR calls "Muslim-bashers." Speakers include Walid Shoebat, who once told a Missouri newspaper that he sees "many parallels between the Antichrist and Islam" and "Islam is not the religion of God -- Islam is the devil." (Springfield News-Leader, 9/24/07)

Others interviewed in the film include Nonie Darwish, a self-styled "former Moslem" who wrote that "Islam is cruel, anti-women, anti-religious freedom and anti-personal freedom in general," and Daniel Pipes, who warned a Jewish convention of the "true dangers" posed by "the presence, and increased stature, and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims." (American Jewish Congress, 10/21/2001)

Another "Obsession" interviewee, Brigitte Gabriel, told the Australian Jewish News: "Every practising Muslim is a radical Muslim." She also claimed that "Islamo-fascism is a politically-correct word... it's the vehicle for Islam... Islam is the problem."

SEE: The World According to Brigitte Gabriel (Australian Jewish News) http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3403

When asked whether Americans should "resist Muslims who want to seek political office in this nation," Gabriel said:

"Absolutely. If a Muslim who has -- who is -- a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day -- this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America."

SEE: 'Obsession' Stars Have Lectured at U.S. Military Colleges http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=3168

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Source

Chuck Hagel Speaks

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:10:00 +0000

Hagel Says U.S. Arabs Face 'Transformational Time'

Bowen Williams

| Sep 23 2008

Americans must work with Middle Eastern countries instead of against them, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) implored of a crowded Riggs Library during a speech yesterday afternoon.

“Now is one of those defining moments,” he said. “We can either drift toward danger or build a global community.”

In his lecture entitled “America: Our Next Chapter,” sponsored by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Hagel described the powerful impact that events in the Middle East have on America as a whole, saying that conflicts in the region are not isolated but have strong affect on the heart of America.

Hagel, a Vietnam veteran with two purple hearts, said that the best way to deal with the Middle East is to promote the “common interests” which we share with Arab countries and to encourage greater diplomacy, something that America’s next president will have to make a top priority.

“We can’t squander the next four years. We must welcome and help build a global community,” Hagel said. “The next president will have to make Congress, the Senate and the world a partner.”

“The Middle East is a tribal land, it has a history, it is complicated,” Hagel said, arguing that the region cannot be dealt with using traditional methods of force. “Military strength is not the solution in the Middle East,” he stated, adding that it often leads to the suffering of innocent civilians.

Rather, the United States should look for mutually beneficial policies to promote the interests of Americans and citizens in the Middle East, he said.

Under current conditions, Hagel stated that neither Americans nor Iraqis will tolerate American presence in the region for much longer. He illustrated the danger of areas such as the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where terrorists are reforming and growing in number.

He also mentioned that this is the generation that will determine the new world order, having to deal with the drastic financial gap between different parts of the world.

Hagel compared the situation that America now faces to the one it faced after World War II, pointing to the 10 years directly after World War II as an example of progress in the realm of foreign policy.

In light of the upcoming elections, Hagel said that the next president will inherit the greatest number of challenges any president has confronted since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hagel stated that given the current financial crisis and problems in America, the next president will be very limited in foreign policy options.

At the same time, however, Hagel said he was hopeful for the new president, saying that “this is one of the most transformational times in the history of man.” (source)

Youtube: Former serviceman, businessman, and long-serving politician, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) contributes a wealth of personal experience on America's most pressing issues from the domestic economy to political divisions to the Iraq war. The self-proclaimed patriot is not afraid to question the nation's current status, recent policy debacles and future prospects. America: Our Next Chapter is a tough but optimistic letter from one concerned citizen to the rest of America.

Sunday Offering #62: What if they staged an occupation and nobody came?

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Nuremberg Principle:

Principle IV

The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him.

2008 Shministim Letter: Israeli High School Students Refuse Military Service Enlistment

A group of Israeli high school students who signed the "Shministim" letter in 2006, refusing to enlist in the Israeli military.

We, Israeli youth who have just graduated from high school, declare that we will work against the policy of occupation and oppression of the Israeli government in the occupied territories and in the area of the state of Israel, and will therefore refuse to take part in these actions, which are conducted in our name as part of the Israeli military.

Our refusal to serve in the military comes first and foremost in protest of Israel’s state policy of separation, control, oppression and killing in the occupied territories, from an understanding that oppression, killing and the sowing of hatred cannot bring peace to the world, and which stand in contrast to the fundamental values of a society that purports to be democratic.

All members of our group are involved and believe in the importance of social work. We do not refuse to serve the society in which we live, but protest the policies of occupation and methods of action of the military apparatus as it exists today—violating rights, discriminating on the basis of race and acting in contravention to international laws.

We object to the means of “defense” of the Israeli society (checkpoints, the extrajudicial killings, apartheid roads for Jews only, the closures, etc.) which serve the policy of holding onto territory, annexing even more occupied lands to the state of Israel and violating the rights of the Palestinian population in an aggressive manner. These actions, both as band-aids on a bleeding wound and as providers of a temporary, limited solution which over time, result in a worsening of the conflict.

We protest the theft and vandalizing of Palestinian lands for an expansion of the settlements, all done in the name of defending Israel. Additionally, we object to the transformation of Palestinian villages and towns into closed ghettos due to the Separation Wall and the checkpoints, in which no conditions for making a basic living exist.

We further protest the humiliating and contemptuous attitude taken by the military toward Palestinian residents of the West Bank. This attitude is expressed in severe violence against demonstrators, humiliations, detentions, the destruction of private property, etc., in an unnecessary manner that further violates international law.

The Wall and the checkpoints encircle the territories and constrict like a noose around the neck of the Palestinians, and the soldiers who commit crimes under the protection of their commanders are seen as the face of Israeli society, a society that tramples and oppresses and which does not succeed in seeing the other people living beside it as a partner and not enemy.

In order to conduct a true dialogue between the two societies, it is incumbent upon us, the more established society, to strengthen the other side. It is only together with a more stable society—socially and economically—that we can hold an informed discussion, instead of committing unilateral actions. Instead of strengthening the hands of citizens who still have a hope of peace in their heart, the military imposes terrible sanctions and drags more and more people in the direction of impermeable and violent radicalism.

We call on every citizen who wonders whether the military policy in the occupied territories promotes the peace process, to check for herself the situation on the ground, to look for the humane side in it and in the society next to us, to break through the myths which are rooted in us, concerning the necessity of the military being in the territories and to protest every action found to be illogical and illegal.

In a place in which there are human beings, there is someone with whom to talk and therefore, we request to create a dialogue that rises above the power struggles, the unilateral acts of payback and attrition, to break the myth that “no partner exists,” which leads to a dead end of ongoing frustration, and to turn to more humane paths.

It is contradictory to aggress in the name of defense or to imprison in the name of freedom, and thus it is impossible to be moral and to serve the occupation.

The email address to contact the Shministim is shministim@gmail.com

To see the Shministim blog and the Hebrew petition online, click here.

________________________________________________________________

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" Matthew 5:9

Israeli Zionists Attempt to Tilt US Elections With the Mass Distribution of "Obsession"

noreply@blogger.com (Robin) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Americans across the country woke up yesterday to a added bonus in their Sunday newspapers, a free DVD (26 million of them distributed), "Obsession" which purports to be a truthful documentary on "radical Islam".

From the website, obsessionwatch.org read:

Fact

America is at War!

However, the war is an ideological war and is being waged by propagating misinformation, derived from misleading references and conditions. Make no mistake, evil people do exist and they are ruthless in their actions. The attacks of 9/11 will forever be a reminder that villains and criminals are capable of horrific acts that can cripple our nation. This is not Islam!

Problem!

We as Americans have been deceived.

Numerous organizations have formed and have been working together under the banner of "Education" to spread the "warning" that you need to "Wake Up" and to fear "Radical Islam", and it's war against the west.

No one tool has been used more often than the film "Obsession: Radical Islam's War against the West". This video has been shown in government buildings during business hours while employees were earning our tax dollars. Many Universities have held public viewings for students. Exposing our youth to half truths and verified lies. Many religious centers have adopted the film as an instructional material on Islam!

So what's the problem? People from all walks of life have been subjected to this film which is nothing more than a concentrated dose of fear designed to strike fear deep into the hearts of Americans, and to provoke the question "Does Islam really teach this"?.

The Facts are simple, this video contains within it numerous verified false claims and obvious errors. Some easy examples are the incorrect translations of Arabic documents to English, mislabeling Arabic television with Iranian or Persian television, events and scenarios placed out of context, as well as testimony given by self proclaimed reformed terrorist's. My question is, how did they get into America to do the interview? I thought we had a terrorist watch list! If indeed these men have committed acts of terror, and are currently living or residing in the United States they need to be brought in on charges for crimes against humanity. If all it takes is to say "sorry, I wont kill anyone else anymore", then we should all get a pass on the crimes we commit. However, this is reality, and the truth is, these men are deceiving you.

The film "Obsession" was produced/directed by (according the the movie's website) Raphael Shore and Wayne Kopping.

Just who is Raphael Shore besides being the producer of "Obsession"?

1. He is the founder of the Clarion Fund. Read, "Pro-McCain Group Dumping 28 million scare dvd's in swing states" (a Daily Kos commenter also states the film came in the latest edition of the Journal of Higher Learning)

2. He is the brother to Ephraim Shore, both men are Canadian/Israeli citizens, both are rabbis.

3. Both men are "bigshots in Aish HaTorah yeshiva," and are opening a center in Tel Avivaccording to their brother, David Shore who gave an interview to Haartz July 18, 2008titled "House Calls" (note that David is also into film making, being a former producer/screen writer for "NYPD Blue" and "Law and Order", creator of "Dr. House")

What is Aish Ha Torah yeshiva? According to this Wikipedia link (which at the top says it was written as an advertisement) Note: The government of Israel awarded it 40 percent of the land facing the Western Wall.

A key Aish HaTorah program is the Discovery Seminar, which uses scientific methods, such as the Bible Code, to explore the authenticity of Judaism and its relevance to modern times. The four-hour seminar presents an overview of the entire gamut of Jewish history, philosophy, and attempts to answers questions such as, "Why Be Jewish?" "Does God Exist?" and "Is Torah True?"

From the link to "Discovery Seminar"

The backbone of the seminar is a series of classes called "Failsafe". They include classes on the unique signs of Kosher mammals and fish that apparently couldn't have been known thousands of years ago. Another presentation is on the historical claim of a national revelation that the Jewish people experienced at Mount Sinai. And perhaps most controversially, a presentation on scientific documented evidence for hidden codes in the Bible.

Hidden codes in the Bible? Now we're getting somewhere.

What other religious entity, in the US in particular, looks for codes in the Bible, for a translation of (in particular) Revelations as a guide to the future?

Christian Zionist Fundamentalists.

Although the outcomes for the two religious beliefs are certainly at odds with each other! Christian Zionists firmly believe that a certain number of Jews must convert to Christianity in time for the "rapture", something I am quite sure Aish Ha Torah believers might have a problem with. But it's ALL about the undivided support for Israel that Christian Zionists give which is at the core of any Israelis/Jews overlooking this sticking point.

This leads to a connection in another mass mailing of the film "Obsession" which took place in February. That month I attended the Sabeel conference in Pasadena and sat at dinner with a friend of mine, Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak, co-founder of Jews on First and contributor to
the website/organization, Challenging Christian Zionism. That evening Rabbi Beliak was absolutely livid because he had just received a package in the mail which contained a copy of "Obsession"and the book, "Standing With Israel" by David Brog, director of Christians United for Israel. Included in the package was a letter from the former Israeli ambassador to the US asking the rabbis and other Jews the mailing went to to welcome the support of Christian Zionists. The mailing was sent out by the Republican Jewish Coalition using a postal permit by CUFI (Read the full article HERE.

Didn't John McCain just recently have to distance himself from CUFI out of utter embarrassment? Yet the Republican Jewish Coalition is mailing freebies written by CUFI's director.

Enter the massive distribution of the scare tactic film, "Obsession", produced by an ISRAELI citizen, distributed through the shadowy organization the Clarion Fund (founded by the same person) and BINGO, you've just HOPEFULLY scared the bejeebers out of 28 million voters who have heard McCain state, "The absolute gravest threat is the struggle that we're in against radical Islamic extremism which can affect - if they prevail - our very existence."

News outlets as well as bloggers are trying to get at the bottom of just who financed this 26 million mass distribution of "Obsession". The Clarion Fund's Ross stated that the money came from one contributor, but isn't giving up any secrets. Richard Silverstein posits that the entity behind the funding could be Sheldon Adelson, multi-billionaire Vegas mogul. Possible, very possible since he is on the board of directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition who sent out the February mailing. (Read another posting on Adelson by Richard Silverstein HERE)

But at least Sheldon Adelson is a US citizen, whereas according to all research I have done so far, Raphael Shore is not. This means that a Canadian/ISRAELI Zionist is raising the funds to attempt to scare the American electorate into voting for McCain, who is running almost ENTIRELY a post 911 terror scare campaign.

While Ephraim and Raphael Shore have chosen to live their lives as purveyors of hate, their other brother David, has chosen a different path. In the Haartz interview he gave in July he wrote of the character he created, "Dr. House"

“”I personally think that the American networks underestimated the capacity of the audience to embrace a character like this. And it was sort of to my benefit. Because now they’re all scrambling to get that type of character on. But I think American audiences, the networks, all want the likable character and they mistake that for nice. And I think we like to watch Dr. House. He’s not likable in the traditional sense, but we like to watch him, and obviously that’s what really matters.”

One of the key phrases used in the show is “everybody lies.” House says it a lot. That’s a very pessimistic view for network TV in America.

“Again, I didn’t expect it to be this popular. I wrote that line in the pilot; it was just another line in the script. And then as we were doing the pilot, actually filming it, it suddenly became, obviously, … the defining thing about the show. And it’s not as pessimistic as it sounds. It’s more that everybody has secrets, and everybody sees the world their own way. It’s really a line that speaks to this character’s pursuit of truth. And that truth doesn’t come from just asking a person a question and getting an answer. Truth comes from digging deeper and finding out what’s behind that answer and what that answer really means. And even when a person’s not consciously lying, they are seeing a version of the world that may not be exactly the real version of the world. This character wants to find out the ultimate truth.”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1001012.html

Considering the shadowiness of the Clarion Fund, it’s statement that “Meir” and “Halperin” are aliases (Obsession's executive producer is listed as Peter Mier, while the production manager is listed as Brett Halperin, per Ephraim Shore) it’s refusal to state where the donations, in particular the sugar daddy donation for the mass mailing come from, I find David’s statement about “everybody lies”, truth as a matter of perception shrouded in personal secrets very illuminating. We don’t like to watch him, but we do, don’t just ask questions, dig deeper, get at the answer and what the answer really means.

Indeed, so true in the case of the mass distribution of “Obsession”, who ALL is behind it, and what is their goal.

Are they even Americans? No. Ephraim and Raphael Shore are Israeli/Canadian citizens