“In Pakistan, some 2.8 million Christians are treated as second class citizens”
Although the laws of the dhimma mandating a second-class status for Christians are not fully in force in the Islamic world today, in many areas they remain as a cultural hangover, manifesting themselves in various ways to the detriment of equal rights for Christians and other non-Muslims. An update on this story. “Asia Bibi’s conviction is an incitement to crime, says Justice and Peace official,” from AsiaNews, November 12 (thanks to C. Cantoni):
Islamabad (AsiaNews) – “The sentence against Asia Bibi is a veritable incitement to crime. There was never any insult to Islam in the case and the judge did not take into account how the blasphemy law is being abused. So he came down with a harsh sentence,” said Peter Jacob, secretary of the Church’s Justice and Peace Commission, as he spoke to AsiaNews about the death penalty inflicted on a 37-year-old female farm worker by a court in Punjab last Sunday. “We absolutely condemn this way of doing things; we call on the government to intervene and stop the law from being abused,” he added.
Asia Bibi, mother of two, is the first woman to be sentenced to death for blasphemy. She has been in prison since last year. The trial judge accepted the prosecutor’s contention that she insulted Muhammad in a heated discussion with colleagues. In fact, all she did was to object to her fellow workers’ name-calling (infidel) and their attempt to get her to renounce Christianity. For this, Asia was beaten and reported to police in Ittanwali (Punjab) who arrested her on false blasphemy charges.
For Nazir S. Bhatti, who heads the Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC), Asia’s case is a clear attack on inter-faith dialogue because she was sentenced to death for her comment on Muhammad, not for any insult to the prophet.
“According to the constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the president of Pakistan or the interior minister have the power to withdraw any case,” Bhatti said. “There are examples of cases of terrorism withdrawn by the government of Pakistan. Why then the Pakistani administration is silent on Asia Bibi’s sentence?”
“In Pakistan, some 2.8 million Christians are treated as second class citizens, whilst Islamic government feel no shame to release Muslim criminals and terrorists,” he said….
How Much of $150 Million Obama Gives Abbas Goes To Arafat Museum-Honoring Terrorist Who Ordered Murder of US Ambassador Cleo Noel
I wrote yesterday about the museum being built in honor of terrorist leader Yasir Arafat.
Now that I’ve read FreznoZionism.org’s post about the money Obama is rushing to Abbas:
The US sped up delivery of $ 150 million in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority Wednesday, citing the need to fill an urgent budget shortfall.
“This figure underscores the strong determination of the American people and this administration to stand with our Palestinian friends even during difficult economic times,” declared US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in announcing the aid, which was taken from the $ 200 million the Obama administration plans to allocate to the PA in 2011.
When Obama decided to give Abbas an advance on the $ 200 million due for 2011, did he give consideration to how that money is being spent?
The Arafat museum is supposed to cost $ 3.4 million-this in the West Bank which is getting the $ 150 million advance because of a budget shortfall.
The Obama administration has obviously learned nothing about the folly of giving money to people who are bad financial risks.
But more than that-what are the odds that the US money will be used towards that museum?
Scott Johnson has documented Arafat’s responsibility for the murder of US Ambassador Cleo Noel, Jr:
On March 1, 1973, a gang of eight operatives of the Black September Organization stormed a party at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum. The party had been held in honor of the imminent departure of George Curtis Moore, the American charge d’affaires at the United States Embassy in Khartoum. The Black September gang took Moore and two others hostage — Cleo Noel Jr., the United States ambassador to Sudan; and Guy Eid, the Belgian embassy’s charge d’affaires. (Two other diplomats taken by the Black September operatives were released.)
The Black September gang demanded the release of Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert Kennedy; the release of a Black September leader held in Jordan; and the release of several members of the Baader-Meinhof gang held in Germany. On March 2, President Nixon and representatives of the other two governments announced that they would not negotiate with terrorists for the release of the diplomats. That evening the Black September operatives marched Noel, Moore and Eid to the embassy basement and brutally murdered them.
Arafat’s connection to Black September has been described as ‘doubtful’, but Johnson did his research:
I filed a Freedom of Information Act request for State Department cables and reports on the assassination of Ambassador Noel. A year later – in July 2003 — I received copies of 27 previously classified cables, all dating to 1973 . The cables directly contradict the Department’s assertion that Arafat’s connection to Black September and to the assassinations is in doubt.
The eight Black September terrorists who executed the operation had themselves proclaimed their membership in Black September at the time of the operation and after they surrendered to Sudanese authorities on March 3, 1973. Their membership in the organization has never been in doubt.
…[T]he cables demonstrate that in March 1973 the State Department had promptly concluded that Black September was nothing more than a front for Fatah and that Arafat himself had directed the operation resulting in the assassination of Noel and Moore. Both points are made over and over again in the cables to and from the Secretary of State.
To take one example, in early March the U.S Mission in Vienna reported to Secretary Rogers: “The Black September Organization (BSO) is a cover term for Fatah’s terrorist operations executed by Fatah’s intelligence organization, Jihaz al-Rasd…For all intents and purposes no significant distinction now can be made between the BSO and Fatah…Fatah leader Yasir Arafat has now been described in recent intelligence as having given approval to the Khartoum operation prior to its inception.” [emphasis added]
It is one thing for Obama to rush money to Abbas, claiming this man-and remember Abbas’s term in office actually ended almost 2 years ago-is a moderate and a willing peace partner, while he incites hatred against Israel.
But considering how Abbas and the Palestinian Authority waste that money and may be using US money to honor the murderer of Americans goes beyond the pale.
We should demand that Obama get assurances from Abbas that US money will not go towards building this museum.to honor Arafat.
Technorati Tag: Arafat and Cleo Noel.
U.S. gives $150 million to Palestinians to “fill an urgent budget shortfall”
Very urgent that the Palestinian Authority has a balanced budget, doncha know. The U.S. doesn’t need one, but the P.A. must have one. Won’t you sleep better tonight, American taxpayer, knowing that you have worked to help fill an urgent Palestinian budget shortfall? I mean, Qassams aren’t cheap. “US accelerates funding to PA with $ 150 million transfer,” by Hilary Leila Krieger for the Jerusalem Post, November 10 (thanks to all who sent this in):
WASHINGTON – The US sped up delivery of $ 150 million in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority Wednesday, citing the need to fill an urgent budget shortfall.
“This figure underscores the strong determination of the American people and this administration to stand with our Palestinian friends even during difficult economic times,” declared US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in announcing the aid, which was taken from the $ 200 million the Obama administration plans to allocate to the PA in 2011.
“We need to work with the Palestinian Authority to support their efforts to build toward a future Palestinian state that is able to govern itself, uphold its responsibilities to provide for its own people, and ensure security,” Clinton said at the State Department Wednesday, with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad participating by video conference. “Progress on this second track gives confidence to negotiators, removes excuses for delay, and underscores that the Palestinian Authority has become a credible partner for peace.”
Senior administration officials pointed to a year-end shortfall in the Palestinian Authority’s budget as the driving factor behind the timing of Wednesday’s announcement.
“Given the significant budget gap that the Palestinian Authority faced, we were looking … to do all that we could to close their budget gap for this year,” one official said, noting that the EU and some Arab states has also recently made allocations. “We obviously wanted a number of things here, including encouraging others to do more as well on the funding.”…
Nearly 60 Million Uninsured
Reuters reports that 59 million Americans lacked health insurance for at least part of 2010, up 4 million from 2008.
“The findings have implications for U.S. healthcare reform efforts. A bill passed in March promises to get health insurance coverage to 32 million Americans who currently lack coverage.”
“But Republicans who just took control of the House of Representatives last week have vowed to derail the new law by cutting off the funds for it, and some want to repeal it. Experts from both sides predict gridlock in Congress for the next two years in implementing healthcare reform’s provisions.”
Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire
Nearly 60 Million Uninsured
Reuters reports that 59 million Americans lacked health insurance for at least part of 2010, up 4 million from 2008.
“The findings have implications for U.S. healthcare reform efforts. A bill passed in March promises to get health insurance coverage to 32 million Americans who currently lack coverage.”
“But Republicans who just took control of the House of Representatives last week have vowed to derail the new law by cutting off the funds for it, and some want to repeal it. Experts from both sides predict gridlock in Congress for the next two years in implementing healthcare reform’s provisions.”
Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire
Auditor: ACORN Owes Government $3.2 Million
From the Associated Press:
A government audit says the advocacy group ACORN should reimburse the government $ 3.2 million for failing to adequately show that lead removal work was performed at a reasonable cost.
The auditors also say some grant money was spent inappropriately, including for political campaigns and fundraising.
Congress already has cut off ACORN’s federal funding after allegations of voter registration fraud and embezzlement.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s inspector general looked at spending designed to eliminate lead poisoning.
About $ 2 million was questioned because the group didn’t document open competition by contractors. Another $ 1.2 million was found to have been spent on ineligible activities.
A Better Way to Spend $140 Million
After Meg Whitman’s (R) failed bid for California governor at a personal cost of $ 140 million, Ezra Klein has some advice for the politically ambitious wealthy: “Don’t run for office.”
“That sort of money could tip a half-dozen (or maybe a few dozen, depending on how good you are at this) close elections toward the candidate who thinks most like you… That will make a much bigger difference than taking office yourself. And then, when one of your candidates eventually becomes president, you can just get them to appoint you to the Cabinet position of your choice. And you’ll probably have enough money left over to start a think tank or endow a research center or enlarge an existing institution devoted to pushing the issues you consider important.”
Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire
Opposing Health Funding For A Million Arizonans, Pearce Compares Health Care To High-Priced Fashion Items
As soon as Republicans swept into power in both Congress and state legislatures across the country, many of them began advocating for spending cuts they claim are intended to rein in state and federal deficits. Some of these more radical state Republicans have even pushed for their states to reject federal money for crucial programs, with Gov. Rick Perry (TX) advocating for letting states opt-out of Social Security and numerous Texas lawmakers considering pulling the state out of the Medicaid program, something the right-wing Heritage Foundation supports.
Now, Arizona state senator Russell Pearce (R), who has just been elected the president of the state senate, has launched a push to reject federal funding for the state’s Medicaid program, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). Pearce wants the state to turn down $ 7 billion in federal funding that would help keep AHCCCS afloat. When asked what the more than one million Arizonans who rely on AHCCCS for care would do, Pearce told a reporter that “church, community, families got to provide.”
Yesterday, Pearce appeared on a local news show to field questions about the agenda he plans to enact as Senate President. At one point, host Brahm Resnik probed Pearce’s proposal to reject the federal health care funding and asked him if the more than one million people who rely on the program will just have to “fend for themselves” if AHCCCS doesn’t get the federal money it needs to survive. Pearce responded that the issue needs to be “put in context,” and compared funding health care to an unwise, broke shopper going to the fashion merchandise chain Dillard’s and buying clothes. Resnik later asked Pearce what the “future” will be of the million people on the program if it no longer has the funds to operate, and Pearce dryly responded, “They’ll probably be okay,” and suggested that they may move the program towards privatization, adding co-pays and premiums:
RESNIK: Let’s turn to the budget now. You told Howard Fisher of Capitol News Services last week you are prepared to let the Feds keep billions of dollars they provide for the state access program. You said, quote, “If we’re saving (state) money the fact that we lose some federal money means nothing. … Church, community, families got to provide.” So are you saying that you’re willing to let the 1 million people who get health care from the state through access just fend for themselves?
PEARCE: What I’m saying is you sometimes can’t afford to take the federal money –
RESNIK: Are you saying –
PEARCE: Things need to be put in context. Hang on. It’s like going to Dillard’s, you don’t have any money, but it’s a great sale. So I’m gonna buy it, but I have no money. The federal money comes with strings. One of the great challenges we have this session will be to work around some of the stimulus money we took to tie our hands. […]
RESNIK: So you are willing to say no to those billions of dollars?
PEARCE: I don’t think we’ll take the money. […]
RESNIK: And the one million people on access, what’s their future?
PEARCE: They’ll probably be okay.
RESNIK: Okay, how?
PEARCE: […] It’s time to cut the fat and trim government.
RESNIK: Next June when the budget is done will there be an access program, a state insurance program for a million people?
PEARCE: We’re not gonna eliminate it, we’re gonna fix it. There’s gonna be co-pays, premiums, we’re gonna fix it.
Watch it:
One in five Arizonans is now utilizing AHCCCS. Due to the recession, the program has already been drastically scaled back, with as many as 18,000 Arizonan children cut from KidsCare- the division set up to care for juveniles — this past year alone. Without the federal funding, there is little hope that AHCCCS will be able to continue to serve Arizonans. Pearce is putting the health of more than a million people on the line with his ideological crusade against the federal government, and denying people health care is not the same as denying them designer goods from fashion retail stores.
The Political Furor over the Bogus Report About Obama’s $2oo Million Trip to India
It hit the Internet and conservative talk shows like a lightning bolt…a “report” (who cared if it was confirmed or not or true or not?) that Barack Obama’s trip to India was going to cost $ 200 million. How could it NOT be true? Rush Limbaugh was in full Obama demonization throttle about it (but then Limbaugh is to facts what pizza is to dieting)..Some blogs were raging about it. Michelle Bachmann called it “massive overspending” (and how could anything coming out of Michelle Bachmann’s mouth be anything but true?). Sean Hannity made it a huge issue out of it but some Fox Newers who were not rip-n-read partisans raised their eyebrows at the “report.” The White House tried defusing the reports (but who cares what they say if Michelle Bachmann said something else?).
The teenie-weenie problem was:
It was not true.
But since when did that ever prevent hours of political outrage, since our politics has now evolved it a kind of looped sting of outrage and anger over events (perceived or real) committed or purported to be commmited by the the other sports team political party. Those are much easier to write and rage about than boring old policy ideas and whip up emotions.
CNN”s Anderson Cooper offers this great segment documenting a totally fallacious attack “issue” — one that most assuredly has left a lot people still believing it is true (so for some who were ranting about it in the end it had a political plus side in the unending war to negatively define those who don’t have the same party letter in front of their name as you do).
On the other hand, there are some weird aspects about Obama’s trip to India..
Offbeat Ads and the $200 Million Question
In episode 36 of our podcast, we give you a taste of some of the more bizarre and amusing ads from the midterm campaigns. Plus, we shoot down the absurd claim that President Obama’s trip to India will cost $ 200 million per day.
[podcast]http://wpress.bootnetworks.com/Images/image/radio/FactCheckRadio_episode36.mp3[/podcast]
For more on the stories discussed in this …
FactCheck.org
