Scotland: Row Over Same-Sex Marriage Rages On Times Online, Kenny Farquharson, 5.28.2006 Is a society that accepts gay unions sexually deviant? Or is the Church of Scotland stuck in the dark ages?
The current issue of Sustainable Development Law & Policy, a journal published by the Washington College of Law at American University, focuses on the topic of "Sound Chemicals Management." Research and policy position essays cover Latin America, the U.S., Europe, and more:
David A. Wilhite, "Chemical Taking: Glyphosate and the Eradication of Due Process in Colombia"
Malcolm C. Woolf, "Why Modernization of the U.S. Toxic Substances Law is Good for Public Health and Business"
Marcos A. Orellana, "Europe's REACH: A New Chapter in International Chemicals Law"
Chirac denies secret bank account The French president is denying accusations he has a secret bank account in Japan into which large donations were paid by an unnamed foundation. >> Read full story
Bush announces Darfur food aid U.S. President George Bush has ordered tens of thousands of tons of food sent to Sudan to aid people affected by the ongoing civil war in the African country. >> Read full story
Hamas continues fulfilling its mission—waging terrorism—so why is The New York Times shocked?
Iran Says It Will Defy Any UN Resolution On Its Nuclear Program The New York Times reports Iran yesterday "vowed...to defy any United Nations Security Council resolution on its nuclear activities on the eve of a major report by atomic inspectors on the status of its nuclear program." Javad Zarif, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in New York that "Iran would consider illegitimate any Council resolution calling on Iran to stop uranium enrichment that invoked the so-called Chapter 7 clause, which could open the door to penalties and possibly to military action." The Washington Times reports that in remarks to an Iranian audience, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, "We want nuclear technology for peace and progress of nations, and if some believe that they can prevent us with psychological warfare and resolutions, they are mistaken."
Poll Finds Americans Support Strikes Against Iran By 48%-42% Margin. The Wall Street Journal reports in its "Washington Wire" column that a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows that "despite Iraq, Americans don't reject strikes against a nuclear Iran. By 48%-42%, public says U.S. should join coalition to attack Iran's nuclear capability if Tehran approaches development of a weapon."
Rice tells Iran to 'stop playing games' U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Iran needs to stop "playing games" to thwart international sanctions against its nuclear program.
Iran threatens to share nuke expertise Iran Tuesday threatened to suspend cooperation with U.N. watchdogs and to share its nuclear know-how with other countries. >> Read full story
Iraq: Stolen Away Time, Brian Bennett, 4.23.2006 As criminal gangs run amuck in Iraq, hundreds of girls have gone missing. Are they being sold for sex?
Venezuela to move ahead with arms purchase Venezuelan officials said they would move ahead with the purchase of arms from Spain despite U.S. objections, El Nacional reported Wednesday. >> Read full story
FromFOREIGN POLICY’s March/April 2006 Issue
(Note: Some articles are available from FP online with free registration; others require subscription.)
Across the globe, people are choosing to have fewer children—or none at all. Will some societies become extinct? Hardly. It’s more likely conservatives will inherit the Earth. Like it or not, a growing proportion of the next generation will be born into conservative households that believe father knows best.
China’s economic boom has dazzled investors and captivated the world. But beyond the new high-rises and churning factories lie rampant corruption, vast waste, and an elite with little interest in making things better. Forget political reform. China’s future will be decay, not democracy.
Criminal tribunals in places such as Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia were supposed to bring justice to oppressed peoples and hold killers accountable for crimes against humanity. Instead, they squander billions of dollars, fail to advance human rights, and ignore the wishes of victims. It’s time to abandon the false hope of international justice.
WIDE ANGLE: NIGHT FLIGHTPhotographs by Bruno Stevens Every evening, as many as 44,000 children in northern Uganda hike miles from their rural villages to shelters in town. These night commuters are hiding from a radical, religious, paramilitary group that seeks to swell its ranks by abducting children as they sleep.
To keep trade talks from flying off the tracks, WTO chief Pascal Lamy must enforce deadlines, sidestep European bureaucrats, and persuade U.S. politicians to put up or shut up.
Secretary Rice: Our promotion of human rights and democracy is in keeping with America's most cherished principles and it helps to lay the foundation for lasting peace in the world. How a country treats its own people is a strong indication of how it will behave toward its neighbors. The growing demand for democratic governance reflects a recognition that the best guarantor of human rights is a thriving democracy with transparent, accountable institutions of government, equal rights under the rule of law, a robust civil society, political pluralism and independent media. We hope that the reports will encourage governments, organizations, the media and publics to address human rights problems. We also hope that the reports will be a source of information and inspiration to the noble men and women across the globe who are working for peaceful democratic change.
Chavez threatens U.S. ambassador The U.S. ambassador to Venezuela has been threatened with expulsion by President Hugo Chavez for "provoking" violence among poor people in Caracas. >> Read full story
In a move that has outraged parents, the UK yesterday unveiled a plan to place nurses in every school in England with the authority to help students arrange for pregnancy tests, morning-after pills and abortions - without alerting their parents - in order to improve "sexual health."
China's President Visits Washington China's President Hu Jintao will visit Washington this week for the first time since he became leader of China's government. On the eve of his long-anticipated visit, critical security and economic policy issues loom large for both the U.S. and China. Hu's visit will provide an opportunity for President Bush to put the relationship on a more stable path to protect vital U.S. security and economic interests. Read more »
"Since October 2001, approximately three hundred Americans have been killed and another eight hundred have been wounded in Afghanistan. The overthrow of the Taliban was about more than denying a base of operations to al-Qa'ida—it was also about liberating the people of Afghanistan from a brutal theocracy. All of this makes recent news from Kabul all the more ironic—and outrageous. Abdul Rahman is on trial for his life in a Kabul court. His crime? Converting to Christianity... While the Taliban no longer rules the country, conversion from Islam to another religion, called apostasy, is still punishable by death. The prosecutor offered to drop the charges if Rahman converted back to Islam, but Rahman refused... The irony is inescapable: This is the country that we rid of the Taliban because of its religious oppression. This is the country in which we have spent at least $70 billion to establish a free democratic government. This is the country whose freedom cost us three hundred American lives and eight hundred casualties. And this is the country that is preparing to execute a man for becoming a Christian after he witnessed other Christians caring for his countrymen. Is this the fruit of democracy? Is this why we have shed American blood and invested American treasure to set a people free? What have we accomplished for overthrowing the Taliban? This is the kind of thing we would expect from the Taliban, not from President Karzai and his freely elected democratic government." —Chuck Colson
The Case of Abdul Rahman: Tolerance is a Cornerstone of Freedom
Shortly after 9/11, U.S. forces descended on Afghanistan and helped overthrow the oppressive Taliban regime whose primary governmental policy was a strict adherence to the most draconian elements of Muslim religious law. In the wake of the Taliban's overthrow, and with GIs standing guard, the people of Afghanistan wrote a new Constitution and elected a new government. Now, seemingly in the shadow of those apparent steps forward, the new government of Afghanistan is prosecuting one of its citizens for being a Christian. And if he's found guilty, Abdul Rahman could face the death penalty. Read more now from the Center for Individual Freedom
CAIR Urges Immediate Release of Afghan Christian A U.S. Islamic advocacy group criticized for not speaking out immediately about the trial of an Afghan Muslim who may get the death penalty for converting to Christianity is calling for the man's immediate release. >> Read full story
Al-Qaeda-Linked Palestinians Charged With Planning Attack For the first time, two West Bank Palestinians have been charged in an Israeli military court with belonging to al Qaeda and planning a major terror attack inside Israel. >> Read full story
French Student Riots by Thomas Sowell Student riots in Paris remind us that education at elite academic institutions is not enough to teach either higher morals or basic economics. Not on their side of the Atlantic or on ours. Why are students at the Sorbonne and other distinguished institutions out trashing the streets and attacking the police? Because they want privileges in the name of rights, and are too ignorant of economics to realize that those privileges cost them jobs. >> Read Full Column
Pakistan Troubled by US Nuclear Deal With India Washington's agreement to resume nuclear energy cooperation with India could affect the balance of power in South Asia, Pakistani officials have warned. There is continuing debate in the country about the implications of the Bush administration's new policy towards India.
Laura Bush to Africans: Try Abstinence Read it here
WO Comment: How about saying it to Americans as well as every other person in the world.
Africa: Millions in Urgent Need, Thousands Could Die Monthly as Crisis Grows Read it here
China Champions New UN Human Rights Council Model Calling it the "best possible compromise," the Chinese government is urging the United States to set aside its objections and support a proposal to reform the U.N.'s human rights mechanism. >> Read full story
Muslim Woman Sparks Debate With 'Apartheid' Remarks Malaysia is considered one of the most moderate nations in the Muslim world, but the daughter of a former prime minister has sparked a row by comparing discrimination against Muslim women in her country with the treatment of black South Africans under apartheid. >> Read full story
New Rules Don't Bring More Religious Freedom to China One year after China implemented new regulations on religion that it said would end discrimination, campaigners continue to report abuses; and some question whether the situation has improved at all for believers. >> Read full story
Frank Salvato: Of the People, By the People, For the Terrorists Common sense dictates that it is unwise to fund those who want to do you harm. It makes no sense to buy bullets for a gun that will be shot at you. In fact, it wouldn’t be out of line to say that funding those who have declared you are the enemy, for any reason, is a pretty stupid move. In light of this bit of logic, why is the United States, or any other free nation for that matter, still mulling the possibility of funding a Hamas-led Palestinian government?
Hamas Website Encourages Kids to Become Martyrs A new Hamas website for children encourages them to become suicide bombers. >> Read full story
US denounces violence, discrimination against religious freedom in India Read it here
WO Comment: That's fine but what about denouncing the attacks on religious freedom in the United States?
Iran Not Honest With IAEA, Big Surprise Today the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, reported that Iran is forging ahead with plans to enrich uranium – a step necessary to build nuclear weapons – while stonewalling the world body's efforts to probe Tehran's program.
Agape Press:India's Christians Face Violence, Intimidation Tactics From Hindu Radicals A spokesman for a ministry to the persecuted Church says anti-Christian hostility and maltreatment of Christian believers in India has reached new levels. According to Gospel for Asia, Hindu extremists have launched dozens of attacks against Christians and their churches since January.
GOPUSA: Gov'ts Urged to Remember Christians in Islamic States A Christian group has launched a campaign urging governments to protect Christian minorities in Islamic countries. >> Read full story
LifeSiteNews.com: Pakistani Nurse Raped for Refusing to Perform Abortions (Use the search page to locate the article.
Rice empties both barrels on Venezuela's Chavez Jim Kouri, February 19, 2006 The Venezuelan president viewed by the Bush Administration as a communist madman got some choice words from the US Secretary of State. Making her sharpest criticisms yet about Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Condoleezza Rice said that Venezuela and Cuba are ''sidekicks'' of Iran and dangers to Latin American democracies . . . [Click for more]
The Closing of Civilization in Europe Brussels Journal, Paul Belien, 2.22.2006 The collapse of faith in its own values has, not surprisingly, led to a demographic collapse because a civilization that no longer believes in its own future also rejects procreation . . . The coming decade will witness the war between the values of Islam and the secular “values” of the decadent, hedonistic post-Marxist Left.
Iraqi National Assemblywoman Tanya Gilly-Khailany is witnessing a transformation of her country she has dreamt of all her life: Men and women are working. Boys and girls are going to school. Millions have been immunized against polio and other life-threatening diseases. Construction is on the rise, as are new business startups. And the Iraqi gross domestic product has grown from $18.9 billion in 2002 to $33.1 billion in 2005. More importantly, fear throughout the country is dissipating.
Here's one for you: Early this month, in front of 200,000 screaming supporters in Havana's Revolutionary Square, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro bestowed Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez with UNESCO's 2005 International Jose Marti Prize for promoting Latin American heritage, liberty and values.
The disturbing truth about Sweden's Moral Decay should serve to sober us from our own complacent drunken stupor.
Israeli Political System at a Crossroads, Experts Say While the Hamas election victory and threats from Iran are major concerns for Israeli voters, domestic issues also will influence their choices, experts here said. >> Read full story
American Clown Journalism 101 By Michelle Malkin Journalists around the world are being targeted by suicide bombers, threatened with "hate crimes" prosecutions and thrown in jail for defending a free press from crazed Islamists.
From Fox News
Muslim Mob Targets Western Businesses in Pakistan Thousands of protesters rampaged through two cities Tuesday, storming into a diplomatic district and torching Western businesses and a provincial assembly in Pakistan's worst violence against the Prophet Muhammad drawings, officials said. At least two people were killed and 11 injured. Read more.
Nigeria: Christians Targeted as Bloody Cartoon Violence Continues CNSNews, Patrick Goodenough, 2.20.2006 At least 16 people were killed in the country's northern Borno state, and Muslim rioters also torched more than a dozen churches and businesses linked to Christians, according to police figures.
Gay Activists Ask Canada to Lower Age of Consent for Anal Sex, National Post Agrees
By John-Henry Westen
TORONTO, February 14, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Homosexual activists have long sought to distance themselves from pedophiles, however Canada's most prominent homosexual activist group has now demanded the lowering the age of consent for anal sex to 16 from 18. Surprisingly, Canada's National Post, regarded by some as a 'conservative' paper has come out in favour of the proposal.
Reacting to the Conservative Government's plan to raise the age of consent for normal sex from 14 to 16, EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) has commenced a campaign to have the age of consent for anal sex lowered to 16 from 18. Laurie Arron, the director of advocacy for EGALE remarked to the Ottawa Citizen, "There's no reason to treat anal sex differently than other sexual acts except to stigmatize gay and bisexual men."
However, that statement is categorically false, speaking strictly from a medical standpoint. Even those who support homosexual sex acts warn nonetheless that anal sex is a dangerous activity, regardless of genders involved. The sex info site of the University of California at Santa Barbara, which can in no way be described as opposed to homosexual activity, nonetheless points out that anal sex is a dangerous practice.
Experts on sexual behaviour, or "sexperts" at the site refers to them, warn that anal sex is the most dangerous behaviour for transmission of HIV/AIDS and all other STDs since the anus is not designed for sexual activity as is the vagina. Moreover, the 'sexperts' warn that the practice also leads to fecal incontinence - loss of normal control of the sphincter muscles which leads to stool leaking from the rectum at unexpected times.
As the website puts it: "Even when people use lots of lubrication during anal sex, there can be tearing of the tissue inside the anus . . . For this reason, anal sex is the riskiest form of sexual activity when it comes to the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
"Tiny tears in the anal tissue are like giant superhighways for the HIV viruses, allowing them to get inside the body and enter the blood system. Anal tears provide an opening for all the other STDs as well.
"It may be possible for repetitive anal sex to lead to weakening of the anal sphincter, which is the muscle that tightens after we defecate. Once weakened, feces can escape the anus against our will." (see the website http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/?article=faq&refid=125 WARNING: graphic sketches used to illustrate)
Nevertheless, the National Post backed the EGALE request in an unsigned editorial Saturday February 11. The editorial titled, "Equalize the age of consent" said "Section 159 of the Criminal Code specifically bans anal intercourse between unmarried people under 18. This is plainly discriminatory, a prohibition intended to stigmatize homosexual or bisexual teenagers, suggesting that the nature of their sexual relationship requires special added protection. This is nonsense." (see the editorial - paid subscription required - http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/editorialsletters/story.html?id=a2d82b6e-90bc-4b35-a48a-3938e0f4f699 )
In response to the editorial, Jessica White West Vancouver, B.C. wrote a letter to the editor of the National Post. The published letter stated, "If both vaginal and anal intercourse were in accordance with natural law and did not discriminate in terms of consequences, this would be true. However, this is not the case with homosexual sex, as two people of the same sex do not have the required body parts to interact sexually and their intercourse can never be fruitful."
White continued, "Furthermore, their sexual practices result in both physical and emotional damage, as is evidenced in numerous studies. More than 80% of AIDS cases in Canada are among homosexual or bisexual males; other diseases suffered either exclusively, or in larger percentages by the homosexual population, include: anal cancer, chlamydia trachomatis, cryptosporidium, giardia lamblia, herpes simplex virus, HPV, gonorrhea, viral hepatitis B and C, and syphilis."
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Claudia Rosett, Journalist-in-Residence at the Foundation
for the Defense of Democracies, on U.S. Demands for United Nations Reforms
"The U.N.'s real problem today is not that it has been
hit with unfounded accusations, but that one after another, allegations of
U.N. misconduct, mismanagement, conflicts of interest, and corruption have
turned out to be true. ...The real question, as [U.N. Secretary General]
Annan and Malloch Brown denigrate U.S. demands for reform, while holding
their hands out for American tax money, is whether in this age of fascist
movements, terror tactics, and weapons of mass murder, we can afford the
indulgence of coddling as our leading global institution this sorry excuse
for what was meant to be an honest forum for free and peace-loving nations."
Center for Individual
Freedom
United Nations – A Human Rights Farce - By Paul M. Weyrich
Read article here
U.N. Taxation of Americans -- A Persistent Problem
Book Review: U.N. Endangering Our Security
Most in U.S. think U.N. can't handle Iran A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds most U.S. citizens don't think the United Nations can solve the growing Iranian nuclear dispute. >> Read full story
If you thought the corruption and mismanagement uncovered in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal would finally be the catalyst for real change at the United Nations, think again. Last week, reform at the UN failed -- again.
First, there was the failure of the new Human Rights Council. The old human rights group had discredited itself by setting out the welcome mat for human rights abusers such as Cuba, Sudan and Syria while shutting the door to U.S. membership. But the "new" human rights body is just as bad.
Then Iran -- which is openly defying the UN with its drive to acquire nuclear weapons -- was elected vice-chair of the UN Disarmament Commission.
And now a majority of UN member nations has rejected a series of reforms that would give the secretary general greater authority to hire and fire staff and more control over the budget. These reforms are supported by countries like the United States, Japan and Europe who collectively supply more than 86% of the UN's budget. But the anti-reform bloc, led by China and Russia -- which contributes less than 13% of the budget -- voted them down.
In the bipartisan Task Force Report on UN reform that I co-authored with former Senate Majority leader George Mitchell, we stated quite clearly that UN reform is vital to the continued integrity of the institution itself. While I remain hopeful that the United States will prevail in achieving much needed reforms at the UN, our task force also noted that without fundamental reform, the United Nations' reputation will suffer and reinforce incentives to bypass it in favor of other institutions, coalitions or one our own if necessary.
UN now threatens more than strengthens global peace, security and freedom Read it here
U.S. Withdrawal From Human Rights Commission The Right Move The U.S. decision not to become a member of the United Nations' "reformed" human rights council was exactly the right choice, says Tom Kilgannon, president of Freedom Alliance.
U.S. wants change in U.N. dues formula The United States is calling for a new method of apportioning U.N. dues that would result in sharp increases for countries like China, Russia and India. >> Read full story
Striving For Mediocrity By Thomas P. Kilgannon Last week, UN Ambassador John Bolton, cast a lonely ballot when he voted against the creation of the United Nation's new Human Rights Council.
A No-Comment On Kofi's Cash By Cliff Kincaid The United Nations has launched another effort at "reform," designed to convince the American taxpayers that things are changing for the better at an institution known for corrupt practices.
John Bolton discusses UN Reform and the Human Rights Commission (March 23, 2006). To view transcript visit "Ask the State Department" : Bolton on UN and HRC.
UN Approves New Human Rights Body The United Nations General Assembly Wednesday approved a new U.N. human rights body to replace the current U.N. Human Rights Commission, despite objections from the United States. >> Read full story
WO Comment: The above press release from the ACLU should remove any doubt that the ACLU is anti-American and will go to any lengths to undermine American government and national security.
Many have speculated about the ultimate aims of the United Nations and how they might be tied to an agenda of global government. But now the speculation game is over. In "Global Deception" by Joseph Klein, the plot to end America's experiments in independence, freedom, representative government and self-government is put on public display as never before. No one has ever connected the dots quite like this before. Even in a period of scandal and disgrace, Klein shows how Kofi Annan and his cabal have taken giant steps forward in undermining the world's last, best hope for national sovereignty - the United States of America. This is not a theoretical book about a future Big Brother society; it's a book about the loss of American constitutional rights today. Here are some of the building blocks to that brave new world already in the works:
--The new "International Criminal Court," with secret proceedings that would make terrorist trials look open by comparison, could soon take precedence over the U.S. judicial system - leaving no American from the president on down safe from malicious prosecution.
--A planned "global taxation system" to be overlaid on the structure of the Internal Revenue Service could force Americans to underwrite a trillion-dollar U.N. slush fund.
--How people like George Soros, Ted Turner and Jacques Chirac are planning to scrap your Bill of Rights for their "global norms of good behavior."
There is a plan, writes Klein. And he lays it out like never before. It includes eviscerating the Constitution, first by entangling our legal system in an insidious rats' nest of covenants, treaties and protocols, then by enlisting sympathetic federal judges to incorporate these "international norms" into the laws governing our everyday lives. Already several sitting justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are aiding the plan. "For years I've been waiting for a definitive expose on the U.N.," said Joseph Farah, founder and editor of WND. "Here it is - Joseph Klein's 'Global Deception.' I cannot recommend it highly enough." WO Note: The book is available at WorldNetDaily online store.
UN Campaign Underway to Ensure Abortion Internationally Recognized as Human Right There is a new desperation at the UN to secure international recognition of abortion as a human right, as abortion advocates increasingly anticipate that Roe vs. Wade will be overturned in the United States, says Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse of Concerned Women of America. “Every single paragraph in the section on health is about reproductive health. Further…reproductive health is separated from maternal and child health. In fact, there is a distinct hostility toward public health that focuses on maternal and child health. One would think that the only health problems women face concern reproduction.” Dr. Crouse said the U.N. Commission makes absolutely no mention of the top ten diseases that kill women worldwide, and even fails to address basic health issues such as malaria, tuberculosis, measles and diarrhea, many of which are caused by the lack of essential services. (c) Copyright: LifeSiteNews.com, a production of Interim Publishing. Permission to republish granted but acknowledgement of source (use LifeSiteNews.com) is *REQUIRED*
A Continuing Shame - The United Nations and human rights Read it here
Sex Abuse Running Rampant With UN Peacekeepers: U.S. Run Away! The United Nations says incidents of sexual abuse among its peacekeeping and administrative personnel deployed at various locations around the world are "too high for them to track," according to a news report, but that officials hope to decrease the number of incidents within three or four years.
UN Fails at Supposed Attempt for Human Rights Reform The United States today said it would oppose the current effort to recreate the discredited United Nations Human Rights Commission because the new proposal does little to keep nations with poor human rights records off the panel and brings no real reform – a claim the United Nations says it’s committed to.
U.N. Reform Promises to be a Long HaulRead it here
U.N. Resolution on Human Rights Council Does Not Deserve U.S. Support Read it here
Fox News: Father Jonathan: U.N. Conspiracy Theory? “Can we trust the United Nations? No.” Father Jonathan Morris thinks the Commission on Human Rights is really a humanitarian "red alert." Check out his latest blog entry.
GOPUSA: UN, US on Collision Course over New Human Rights Body United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan wants the world body this week to approve plans for a new U.N. human rights council, but critics say the reform proposal has been watered down to the point where it should be rejected.
Freedom Alliance: United Nations Attacks America, Freedom Alliance President to UN: "Physician, Heal Thyself" Dulles, Virginia – In another example of United Nations duplicity, a special panel of UN "experts" released a report that again accuses the United States of abusing war on terror detainees being held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while calling on Washington to close down the detention center.
United Nations Pushing Abortion Politics in Peru
By Terry Vanderheyden
LIMA, February 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A United Nations representative in Peru is urging presidential candidates to include platforms to legalize the abortifacient morning-after pill (MAP) in their upcoming April 9 election. UN envoy Jairo Palacio argues erroneously that the MAP does not constitute abortion because some groups define pregnancy as occurring after a newly formed human embryo implants into a mother’s womb – one process through which the so-called emergency contraception acts. The morning-after pill has been shown conclusively to prevent the already created child from implanting in the lining of the uterus. The myth of “emergency contraception” has been very successful in marketing the drug in North America and Europe where there is little popular perception of abortion as being wrong. However, public perception in such historically Catholic countries as Peru, has not allowed such an easy acceptance. Despite public opposition, government forces have routinely acted to promote the abortifacient. A 2004 study produced by the World Health Organization, the UN population fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Development Program presents their plan for overcoming resistance to morning-after pills from more “conservative Catholic” countries. Interestingly, the article commends the “progressive” Catholic millieu in Brazil which allows the use of the abortifacient in its national health programs. The study identifies the target groups as lower class adolescents and teenage mothers in “economically deprived areas.” Historically, the population control movement has made no secret of its intention to eradicate the poor as a solution to poverty.
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Insanity runs rampant in United Nations by Jim Kouri February 22, 2006
Staying true to form, the United Nations is once again condemning the nation of Israel over their refusal to subsidize a terrorist group that frequently attacks and kills Israelis. Israel's decision to withhold $50 million of funds destined for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in protest of Hamas' electoral success was sharply criticized by the United Nation's peace envoy. The UN's Alvaro de Soto said the decision made by the Israeli cabinet last Sunday was premature and declared that it ran counter to the agreed policy last month of the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia. However, the US has not criticized Israel's decision. In fact, the US demanded the return of $50 million in aid money from the Palestinians as a result of Hamas election victories and their refusal to repudiate their call for the annihilation of Israel. The UN officials said that international funding should be judged against the willingness of a Hamas government to renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist, and observing past agreements between Israel and the old PA. But Hamas has not renounced violence and they are being encouraged by the madman president of Iran in their hatred of the Israeli people. Read more >>>Insanity runs rampant in United Nations
Muslim Leaders Want UN to Outlaw 'Defamation' Disturbed by Muslim leaders' attempts to criminalize any criticism of Islam, human rights campaigners are urging the United Nations to resist pressure to outlaw religious defamation in a resolution creating the U.N.'s new human rights council. >> Read full story
The United Nations’ record on promoting basic human rights is one of decline. The drafters of the Charter of the United Nations included a pledge by member states “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women.” U.N. treaties, such as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which the General Assembly passed in 1948, form the core of international standards for human rights. Each U.N. member state is party to at least one of the seven major human rights treaties. Yet the U.N.’s record in promoting basic human rights in recent times has been one of failure and inaction.
The great violence over 12 cartoons published in a Danish newspaper "is the fulfillment of Samuel Huntington's prediction of the clash of civilizations," writes Helle Dale.
While the U.S. has taken a hard line against radical Islam, much of Europe has not. "We do not have a war against terror," maintains one senior EU official. Is the current violence a wakeup call for Europe? If so, it comes none too soon. As Nile Gardiner and James Carafano explain, the EU is "engaged in a campaign of pandering and grandstanding to delegitimize U.S. counterterrorism." It is preparing a "show trial" on U.S. renditions; expect "a platform for anti-U.S. bile." Political posturing too often trumps counterterrorism in Europe. That must change.
Instapundit posted this Mohammed Image archive, to show that his image has been portrayed throughout Islamic history. Captain’s Quarters has more on how the Imam’s are artificially enhancing all of this. Also see this interesting op-ed by Charles Moore in the London Telegraph. A Muslim (a moderate?), Ibn Warraq, defends the publication of the cartoons in Der Spiegel. A senior Islamic cleric in Australia asks (threatens?) the Aussies not to publish said cartoons. CNN has already made clear that it will not show the cartoons "out of respect [fear?] for Islam." The BBC has done the same, but being British and sophisticated and thoughtful and all, they have deliberated and anguished over the decision.
Note this CNN story on the burning of the Danish consulate in Beirut. Note the last paragraph, wherein the Danish paper’s cultural editor said that the uproar came after "radical imams from Denmark traveled to the Middle East, deliberately lying about these cartoons," and said that the paper was owned by the government and was preparing a new translation of the Koran "censoring the word of ’Allah,’ which is a grave sin according to Islam." The fact that everyone has apologized for everything and has been sensitive to everyone has nothing to do with any of this, that is now obvious. No one is caricaturing Islam. We are all responsible for our own portraits, in the end.
Nothing but honor and applause to Mark Steyn for this column. It is true, hilarious, and sobering because it is true. I don't know how else one can talk about this latest spasm in the Muslim world. It is a comedy. No, it is a tragedy. No, it is a slice of reality that is horrifying. Try David Warren, he may shed some light on this. He thinks we ain't seen nothin' yet.
Note that it looks as though the Egyptian ship’s captain may have been the first to skedaddle. And thirteen Al Qaeda bad guys (including the guys responsible for the USS Cole bombing) escaped from a prison in Yemen. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has compared Iran’s nuclear policy to the Nazi party’s rise to power in Germany, warning that in the past the nations of the world refused to take a stance against concrete threats, enabling some of history’s greatest catastrophes.
And here is the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, comparing Bush to Hitler: "The imperialist, genocidal, fascist attitude of the U.S. president has no limits. I think Hitler would be like a suckling baby next to George W. Bush." Nepal grinds to a halt, as Maoists call for a general strike. I could go on with the bad news. Yet, there is always some good news. A young man saves the life of the woman who saved his life seven years earlier. Amazing. Posted by Peter W. Schramm
Sticks and Stones and Cartoons and Violence
My old friend David Foster has written a thoughtful essay in response to this piece about John Locke and the cartoon violence. David’s conclusion is worth emphasizing:
It may be that the creator and publisher of an offensive cartoon uncivilly insult others, but those who react with violence to that insult implicitly reject the fundamental premise of Locke’s argument for toleration, because they are acting as if they could get belief through "outward force."
According to Locke, the man who makes the demand we are considering is telling you what religion you must adopt and in effect trying to rule you. On my reading of Locke, that is not grounds for civility but manly vigilance, firmness, and action.
David thus fleshes out the point that Roger Kimball makes more briefly here.
But, wait, that’s not all. John Zvesper reflects on these matters from his perch on the continent destined to be the crucible of the conflict between militant Islam and liberal principles… if only our European friends remember what liberalism means. Here’s the conclusion:
The cartoon affair raises the question of how effectively Europeans—and their political descendants in the rest of the liberal democratic world—can and will clarify (to themselves as well as to their allies and their enemies) what they stand for. Is clarifying and upholding the principles of liberal democracy not essential to maintaining our self respect, and therefore of gaining and keeping the respect of allies? Is it not therefore necessary to the success of the Bush strategy of isolating Islamic warmongers from their peaceful co-religionists?
If western politics is not—like the mirrors in Wertheim Park—broken beyond repair, liberal democrats will embrace a more confident response to religious intolerance. The dogmatic skepticism that says that neither nature nor heaven can help us—that liberal democratic politics has no natural, transcultural justification—is the basis of multicultural hypersensitivity and unwarranted censorship. It is not a basis for defeating political tyranny, but for surrendering to it.
Amir Taheri argues that neither images nor satire are prohibited by Islam. Two snippets:
The "rage machine" was set in motion when the Muslim Brotherhood—a political, not a religious, organization—called on sympathizers in the Middle East and Europe to take the field. A fatwa was issued by Yussuf al-Qaradawi, a Brotherhood sheikh with his own program on al-Jazeera. Not to be left behind, the Brotherhood’s rivals, Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic Liberation Party) and the Movement of the Exiles (Ghuraba), joined the fray. Believing that there might be something in it for themselves, the Syrian Baathist leaders abandoned their party’s 60-year-old secular pretensions and organized attacks on the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus and Beirut.
And this:
Islamic ethics is based on "limits and proportions," which means that the answer to an offensive cartoon is a cartoon, not the burning of embassies or the kidnapping of people designated as the enemy. Islam rejects guilt by association. Just as Muslims should not blame all Westerners for the poor taste of a cartoonist who wanted to be offensive, those horrified by the spectacle of rent-a-mob sackings of embassies in the name of Islam should not blame all Muslims for what is an outburst of fascist energy.
Posted by Joseph Knippenberg
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Likely drug gangsters have threatened the families of county sheriff's deputies in Texas who thwarted two recent smuggling operations at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the latest development in the Texas border wars now at:
Feds Must Secure Border from Those 'Who Want to Kill Us' The federal government must address illegal immigration and border security or risk the wrath of voters in upcoming elections, congressional Republicans told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., Thursday. >> Read full story
Bush Hails Cooperation With SE Asia in Remarks on Terror Plot President Bush's remarks Thursday about a foiled al Qaeda plot to fly hijacked airliners into the tallest building on the U.S. West Coast focused renewed attention on Southeast Asia's links to terrorism -- and on the crucial help of governments that are sometimes reluctant to have their cooperation made public. >> Read full story
Israel Insists on Need for Defensible Borders Given all the political and security threats it faces from hostile neighbors, Israel's borders must be determined based on its strategic security interests, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations said. >> Read full story
African Muslims Join Cartoon Protests Muslims in Africa have joined their counterparts elsewhere in protesting the publication of cartoons satirizing Mohammed, although most of the demonstrations so far have remained peaceful. >> Read full story
Profoundly Unserious By Jennifer King The Muslim world is in an uproar over the latest perceived "offense against Islam".
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