Pic of the Day

The ancient city of Petra, located in modern-day Jordan.

PIC OF THE DAY

I just ran across this picture of the Baha’I Gardens in Israel. They’re not only gorgeous, but a testimony to the freedom of religion enjoyed by Israeli citizens. The Baha’I faith originated in Iran as a revision of Islam, but in the face of heavy persecution from the mullahs, its followers were in many cases forced to flee. Their headquarters, called the International House of Justice, are now located in Haifa, Israel.

Is the Palestinian Authority Ready for Statehood?

Is the PA ready for statehood? According to the UN, yes!
The only impediment to the nation-building prowess of the PA: the Israeli occupation!
Does that strike you as funny?
According to a report issued by the United Nations, the Palestinian Authority has made enough progress in six different areas to enable them to run a state. It listed the six areas as rule of law and human rights; livelihoods; education and culture; health; social protection; and infrastructure and water.
Rule of law?! The PA hasn’t done a very good job of that in Gaza, where they lost control to Hamas in 2007. Terror has been rampant ever since.
Livelihood? I thought Palestinians were all dirt-poor and lived in refugee camps – you know, those pictures the Western media is so fond of?
Education and culture? Government-run children’s TV shows in the West Bank and Gaza teach children to be “martyrs” against Israel, and many schools, soccer fields, and other public buildings are named in honor of terrorists.
Social protection? Yes, I’ll grant that the PA and Hamas have created an excellent environment for the social protection of terrorists. Jihadists, hiding behind civilians in the midst of a dense urban jungle, are rather difficult for Israel to target and take out, especially without garnering criticism for civilian deaths. And did you know that one out of three Palestinians applaud the recent brutal massacre of the Fogel family in Israel? No wonder terrorists can operate with impunity in these areas.
Regarding infrastructure and water, if the PA has made any progress in these areas it has been with Israel’s assistance, via the several partnerships the two have come to for the development of PA services. And yet the UN has the audacity to say the Israeli “occupation” which “stifles Palestinian life” will make significant progress towards PA statehood difficult! Because the Israelis enjoy having unstable neighbors who cut their throats at night and shoot stuff at their civilians?!? Because they like the reigning disorder and chaos in the Palestinian areas, and want to keep things that way? I think not…

I believe the world needs to come together to tell the Palestinians to stop deluding themselves. They are always crying “Land for peace! Give us a state, and we’ll be good!”. Well, I propose peace for land, and a state based on good behavior. When the PA tears down its monuments to terrorists; when Hamas recognizes Israel’s right to exist; when the government stops inciting its people to bloodshed and begins cracking down on those who seek to take innocent life; then, and only then, should the world even consider trusting them with a state of their own. Jesus said it best:
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16:10.
When the PA is faithful in what they have, then –maybe– they’ll get more.

RELATED LINKS:
• Palestinian Media Watch
• Palestinians to Tell West They are Ready for Statehood – Reuters

Why is the World Blind to Hamas Terror?

If you follow the news coming out of the Middle East, you’ve likely heard about the antitank missile fired at an Israeli school bus by Hamas terrorists this morning. If you listen to the mainstream media -CNN, Fox, ABC, the BBC- then that’s likely ALL you’ve heard on the subject. Did you know that since then, possibly more than 40 other military-grade projectiles have been fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians?
Why the lack of media coverage?
It’s the same thing that happened with the Fogel family murder in Itamar, Israel. The whole world was focused on the unfolding tragedy in Japan, and no one seemed to have the time to cover the brutal murder of a rabbi and family by Arab terrorists. Why not?
I must confess that I’m honestly at a loss to answer this question, though it annoys me quite a bit. Why, when Hamas commit a crime in the name of freedom, does it go virtually unnoticed? Yet Israel is constantly being accused of apartheid, genocide, and war crimes in the struggle to protect her own people.
Why turn a blind eye to TERRORISTS?

Please leave a comment below if you have any thoughts on this topic. I’d love to hear from any readers I may have. Why do YOU think the press hates Israel/loves Hamas?

http://www.britishmuslimsforisrael.com

Here’s something you definitely don’t see everyday! A group of Muslims maintaining Israel’s right to exist as a nation, and exposing the hypocrisy of the Middle Eastern nations that deny her right to exist.
Check the site out! It gives promise of more good things to come. And, it might not hurt to send out a little prayer for safety for these guys…

http://www.britishmuslimsforisrael.com.

Iran Part 2

Image by cdtwigg via Flickr

In my last post I promised I’d share some things you and I could do regarding Tehran(the capitol of Iran)’s nuclear ambitions. That was a while back, and I’ve regrettably left this blog alone since then. But in the time that has passed between that post and now, a lot has happened. It is now estimated that we have roughly a week to stop Iran from bringing its newest reactor online. After that reactor begins production, any strike will be rendered much more dangerous due to the radiation released. Sanctions, olive branches, Security Council resolutions, tough talk – we’ve seen that none of those will work to stop Iran. So, back to my original question…what can we do? I’ll break the noun “we” down into two parts – we as a nation, and we as private citizens .

1. As a Nation

We must act first to strike Iran before it’s too late. I don’t mean an all-out, protracted war like Viet Nam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. I mean a lightning-fast, overwhelmingly powerful surgical strike targeting Iran’s known and suspected nuclear sites. It can be us. It can be Israel. It can be India for all I care (as long as they don’t botch the job!). It could involve covert action, i.e. sending commandos in to sabotage the plants, or it could be an air strike. But somebody’s got to stop Iran, and there will never be a better time to do it. Iran has already announced their dream of destroying the enemies of Allah and bringing the return of the Mahdi. Do we want the death and destruction of 9/11 wrought on a huge scale? Millions of Americans dead, instead of mere thousands? The state of Israel is so small that a single missile with multiple warheads could destroy the entire nation. Do we want that to occur? Iran does.

Carpe Diem…

2. As Individuals

a. We need to pray like we’ve never prayed before. I can almost see the eyes rolling right now on some of you. “Prayer? He thinks prayer can do anything to stop a rogue nation from going on a nuking spree?” Well, in fact, I do. I also believe that the reason our nation has been so blessed, the reason we’ve become the most awesome global power the world has ever seen, is because we honored God. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…” Psalm 33:12a. That’s been true for most of our history. But, a God who can protect, a God who can bless, can also remove protection and withhold blessing. When a nation that once followed the paths of righteousness turns her back on God, there can be only one consequence. God turns His back on that land, removes His protection from it, and lets it get what’s coming. We need to repent before the LORD, and pray that Iran doesn’t become His judgment on us for forsaking Him. We should also pray for Israel, that she will be given protection from enemies who would gladly drive her into the sea…or incinerate her in the blinding heat of a nuclear Holocaust.

b. We need to tell our leaders to act NOW to stop Iran before it’s too late. If you live in the US like me, then you know that we are faced with the most vapid, politically correct, indecisive leadership the world has ever seen. If our leaders think their political futures are at stake, they will act. If nobody speaks up, then they will probably just hide their heads in the sand, and get their backsides scorched off in the ensuing nuclear blast. The Israeli leadership at least understands the gravity of the situation. After all, they’re just a couple-minute ride away by missile. And in 1981, the Israelis demonstrated their willingness to act upon a potential nuclear threat at Iraq’s Osiraq nuclear reactor. So if you’re Israeli or Jewish, let BiBi and the government know one thing: “We’re with you. So go ahead.” And remember…never again.

Jewish people all over the globe repeat that phrase. “Never again.” Because they’ve already lived through one Holocaust, and they’re not eager for another. But here in America, we’ve had it pretty easy by comparison. So I think we should simply say “Never.” Wouldn’t you agree?

Related Articles

• Israel has ‘8 days’ to hit Iran nuclear site: Bolton (alternet.org)
• Israel Has Until Week’s End to Strike Iran Nuclear Facility, Bolton Says (foxnews.com)
• Poll: Most Americans Say US Should Help Israel With Air Strike Against Iran (dakotavoice.com)

Iran: Part One

Today I would like to discuss the issue of Iran. It seems that these days, one cannot monitor the news for very long without coming across something new regarding this oil-rich Middle Eastern nation. An oppressive leadership, coupled with a radical form of Islamic theology, wants to dominate the world. A president named Mahmoud Ahmedinejad boldly proclaims his desire to destroy the “Great Satan” – America – and the “Little Satan” – Israel. “Anyone who recognizes Israel shall burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury!” says he. “Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism?…This slogan, this goal, can certainly be achieved.” Is this some wannabe hotshot on the global stage, trying to make himself feel big and tough? Could be kinda cute…except for one thing. He’s trying to go nuclear.
In a speech to the National Defense University in October 2007, former President George W. Bush stated that “Our intelligence community assesses that…Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States and all of Europe by 2015…” According to http://www.iranwatch.org, by December 2008 Iran probably had the requisite amount of Uranium-235 to fuel a first-generation implosion bomb, and within a year had enough to make another one. In January 2005 IDF Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Farkash said Iran could possibly develop its first bomb sometime between 2007 and 2009. Subsequent Israeli intelligence estimates state that they’ll probably have a bomb by 2012. And lest you say “Well, they won’t be able to shoot it over here ’til 2015 anyway”, remember that they don’t have to use ICBMs to cripple us. They’ve already practiced launching medium-range missiles right off the decks of cargo ships, a tactic that could leave America or Israel completely defenseless.
Maybe you are wondering right now why Iran has been so persistent, so determined to aquire nuclear technology whatever the cost. In the face of international economic sanctions, threats from Israel, and olive branches extended by well-meaning but clueless diplomats and heads of state, Iran has continued to forge ahead. Why? They certainly don’t need nuclear energy – they’re sitting atop some of the largest oil reserves in the world. So does Iran really want to destroy us? Israel? If so, why? And, just as important, what can we do about it? In this post, we will take a look at the history of Iran and see how it influenced the ideological structure of the Irani leadership. The next post will examine what we can do about it all. And remember, if you’re going to fight a war, you need to know how your opponent thinks. If you’re going to preempt one, you need to read his mind.

The history of the nation of Iran goes back roughly 5,000 years, dating from 2800 BC, when their first dynasty was established. The nation continued to exist under various rulers and empires, and carried the name of Persia. In 651 AD, the Muslim Conquest began, and Iran was taken over for Islam. Iran was ruled by various dynasties amd empires until 1501, when it was finally reunited into an independent state by the Safavid dynasty. And here’s where something really important happened, something that would have consequences reaching even into the 21st century. The Safavid dynasty made a sect of Islam known to most Americans as Twelver Shi’a Islam the official religion of Iran. On this simple little fact hinges the entire problem we are today facing. Iran is officially a theocracy -ruled by a cleric who claims to speak for Allah- and it is the beliefs of Twelver Shi’a Islam that are guiding the country toward its war with the West. Let’s try and break this belief system down so we can see where the Iranian Ayatollah and president are coming from.
The Twelvers comprise the majority of Shi’a Muslims, so from here on out I shall simply refer to them by our plebian English designation of Shi’ites. They hold most of the same beliefs as the rest of Islam: There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his Prophet, and the unforgivable sin is known as shirkh -assigning partners with Allah. However, the Shi’ites believe that the true line of succession from Muhammad was through his son-in-law Ali, and that the best knowledge of the Qur’an and requirements of Islam can be found by through his teaching. They also consider Ali to be the first of twelve imams, divinely infallible persons who were to rule the faithful and correctly interpret the teachings of Islam. And it is the very last of these imams, yes, ladies and gentlemen, imam number twelve, who is behind all this fuss with the modern-day nation of Iran.
Muhammad al-Mahdi (“the Guided One”) was born in 869 AD as Abu’l Qasim Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Ali (there’s a mouthful!), and became the twelfth imam at the tender age of five. He apparently disappeared from off the radar very soon thereafter, and the Shi’ites believe that he went into hiding. Some say he fell down a well and stayed there, and others say Allah took him to heaven, but all believe that he will one day return to this earth. There will be a war of massive proportions raging between the faithful and the infidels, and the world will be in chaos. It will be up to the Mahdi to restore order to the earth by wiping out injustice and infidelity, and establish Islam as the only world religion. This is the worldview held by the Supreme Leader of Iran and his faithful president. And now that you understand what they believe, you now hold the key to Iran’s feverish quest to build the bomb. It’s quite simple, though the implications are deadly: IRAN WANTS TO PROVOKE this catastrophic war -to bring about the return of the Mahdi.

In the post following this, we will take a look at what you and I can do with our new-found knowledge.

Hello world!

This is the inaguaral post of  my ultra-exciting Middle Eastro-centric blog. My goal is simple – to provide an unabashed look at the current situation in the Middle East, and figure out what it means for us all. We’ll be taking a look at history, politics, and religion – all essential to a balanced understanding of the Middle East – and we’ll see what ancient prophecies have foretold for centuries regarding this area of the world.  Whether we’re discussing oil, terror, democracy, world peace, or Bible prophecy, sooner or later we always wind up in the Middle East. Because one thing is certain: no other place is as important on the world stage.

                            -More to come,

                                                       Lawrence