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Britain's
Two Set of Books
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We are
trying to live our lives in our nation while running two sets of
accounts. On one side of the ledger -- as on the BBC page -- are the
facts that are happening. On the other side is the recounting of
punishments for those who have identified the facts.
Britain is in the midst of a breakdown. It comes from trying to live a
double-life. As with everybody who leads such a life, at some stage it will
inevitably crack under the stress of its own contradictions.
Take just one day's worth of news on the BBC website this past week.
On one side of the page was the headline: "Tory candidate quits
over homophobic and anti-Islamic tweets." On the other side of
the page was a headline
about the alleged Islamist take-over of schools in Birmingham and the
North of England.
The first article involves a council candidate who retweeted several
tweets that someone could potentially have deemed offensive. As usual in
modern Britain, the likelihood is that nobody actually did find them
offensive, but that someone decided that someone else might find
them offensive, and therefore decided to get rid of the culprit. For what
it is worth, the "homophobic" tweet consisted of a lame joke
asking: "How CAN a gay guy keep a straight face?" Not the best
gag in the world, but sure as anything not the precursor to some anti-gay
pogrom, nor, in any sane society, a matter to cause a resignation.
But then of course we get to the far more serious matter of a tweet
which might be regarded as being (cue drum roll)
"anti-Islamic." This tweet cited the arrest of four Muslim men
over the rape of a girl of 14. It then added, in its entirety:
"#Islam 'the religion of peace' & rape." Not perhaps the
wisest thing for a man elected to be a candidate for a council position
just two days earlier to have tweeted. But was it really worthy of him
immediately apologizing "for the real offense caused" and
stepping down from the election, saying, "I recognise that someone
standing for public office should show leadership and seek to unite
communities, not divide them. I hope the residents of Brentwood South can
forgive my lack of judgement in time."
The darkly amusing thing about all this was that on the opposite side
of the page ran the story about the apparent attempt by certain
fundamentalist Muslims to take
control of schools in the north of England. This most certainly
appears like a story of a group of people very much intent on causing
division. Indeed it is the story of people trying to divide our society
along purely religious lines.
The scandal, which was thought at first to include only schools in the
city of Birmingham, but has now spread to schools across the north of
England, has been followed across the British press. The story -- known
as the "Trojan Horse" -- concerns a letter of dubious
authenticity purporting to discuss how to take over schools in England
from within. This story has become one of the biggest scandals of recent
months. An official investigation is underway, but already the press
stories of what has apparently been going on at some of the schools in
question is enough to have caused serious public concern.
There are accounts of schools where girls are being made to sit at the
back of the class, of Christian children being left to teach themselves
so that their teachers can concentrate on teaching Islam to the Muslim
students. There are accounts of celebrated hate preachers who teach the
stoning of gays and others they do not like coming to the schools to
address children in assembly. The letter that spurred the investigation
may or may not be true. But the stories coming out seem very much to be
so and are worthy of investigation and comment. But that is exactly what
is now being clamped down upon.
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The former
headmaster of Saltley School in Birmingham resigned following a plot by
Islamist fanatics to oust him. (Image source: Screenshot from BBC
video)
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Most weeks in Britain there are stories like this. Sometimes they are
about the teaching of extreme Islamic views at a school. Sometimes they
are about British Muslims going to Syria and blowing people up with truck
bombs. Sometimes the story is about Muslim men who, yes, are convicted of
systematically raping young, underage, non-Muslim girls, and the general
public then reads the story and the account of a judge saying during
sentencing that the men chose their victims explicitly because of their
ethnic and religious background.
And all the time, as these stories come out, instead of there being a
fervent and growing desire from politicians and the general public to do
something about these abuses, there is instead an attempt to stop any
interpretation of the facts or even any dot-connecting over these messy
facts. The stories are reported, but the facts on the ground continue.
Instead of trying to tackle the problem, the decision appears to have
been made that the general public, and certainly anybody wishing at any
point to represent them, must never mention anything about all this.
Other than to say that it signifies nothing and that there is nothing to
see here.
It is the same most days. We are trying to live our lives in our
nation while running two sets of accounts. On one side of the ledger --
as on the BBC page -- are the facts that are happening. On the other side
is the recounting of punishments for those who have identified the facts.
At some point, as I say, this will break down. At some point the two
sides of our collective national life will inevitably meet. The sooner it
happens, the better.
Libya:
The Islamization of Universities
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The new
prime minister of Libya, Ahmed Maiteeg, is supported not only by the
Muslim Brotherhood, but also by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, listed
as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State.
Islamist militias are now dictating their agenda to the academic
authorities in Libya.
Under the monarchy and the former Gaddafi regime, university courses
were attended jointly by male and female students. Now, however, things
are changing, as the "new Libya" moves backwards.
Recently, the academic authorities of the University of Omar
al-Mokhtar, in Derna, a terrorist stronghold in eastern Libya, signed an agreement
with a local Islamist militia aimed at the construction of a wall
meant to segregate male from female students within the campus. The
agreement also calls for the introduction of a strict dress code for
female students, including the loose abaya over-garment and the hijab,
covering the head and chest.
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A section of the
gender-segregation wall being built at the University of Omar
al-Mokhtar, in Derna, Libya.
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Building the wall at the University comes after two years of pressure
by Islamist militias in the city of Derna: extremists denounced the
University, weapons were introduced inside the campus and death threats
were made to professors and students. Many professors have consequently,
left Derna and are looking for jobs in Benghazi or Tripoli.
The Islamist
Abu Saleem Brigade eventually offered the university administration a
deal: the Islamist group would provide security on campus in exchange for
the introduction of an "Islamic" dress code for female students
and the construction of a wall to separate women from men. To stop the
harassment, the university's president, as well as Derna's local council,
accepted this proposal.
In 2013, the highest Islamic authority in Libya, Grand Mufti Sheikh
Sadik Al-Ghariani, himself launched a call for the
separation of sexes in all workplaces, classrooms and government
offices.
In a communiqué to the Libya's parliament, the government and to the
leaders of different militias, the Grand Mufti asked for quick measures
aimed at "moralizing" public life, saying that he received
complaints about "the deterioration of morals and the widespread
phenomena of free mixing between sexes, with no restrictions or
regulations, in all state institutions." In the communiqué, he
stated that the mixing of sexes is "immoral."
The Grand Mufti is evidently trying to impose a strict interpretation
of Islamic law on the country and to make radical Islam the mainstream
Islam in Libya. The Islamist groups clearly share his views and seem to
feel supported by the Grand Mufti in the Islamization of the education
system.
The new prime minister of Libya, Ahmed Maiteeg, whose support from
Islamic extremists launched him to power, will doubtlessly not stop them
from trying to achieve their goal.
In an interview with the Saudi-owned channel, Al-Arabiya, Libyan
writer Mohammed
El-Houni said that Maiteeg is supported not only by the Muslim
Brotherhood, but also by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, listed as
Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State.
In the meantime, other Universities in Libya are also being Islamized.
The Libyan Herald reports that gender segregation and strict dress
codes are to be implemented
at Sirte University, halfway between Tripoli and Benghazi. The
Islamist movements seem to understand that the education system should be
the first institution to be changed to shape a future Libyan Islamist
society.
U.S.
Becomes Chief Enabler of Christian Persecution
Muslim Persecution of
Christians, January 2014
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"We
are looking for the bishop of this church to slaughter him -- we are
tired of the existence of this church near our mosque and the noise they
are making." — Church elder quoting Muslims who attacked a priest,
Zanzibar.
"Muslims
wanted to punish [him]...because he had recently organised a
demonstration against violence in Islam." — Local priest of a
murdered Christian, Bangladesh.
"O
people of the Scripture [Christians]. Do not exceed the limits of your
religion....Cease! It will be better for you...." — Koran, 4:171,
Billboard in Nazareth, Israel.
Human rights organization Open Doors published its 2014
World Watch List in January, highlighting and ranking the top 50
nations that persecute Christians. The overwhelming majority of countries
making the list—and nine of the top-ten worst offenders—are Muslim, and
include nations from among America's allies (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait) and
its contenders (Iran); from among economically rich nations (Qatar) and
poor nations (Somalia and Yemen); from among "Islamic republic"
nations (Afghanistan), "democracies" (Iraq), and "moderate"
nations (Malaysia and Indonesia).
The report also indicates that every Muslim nation that the U.S. has
helped "liberate," including during the "Arab
Spring," has become significantly worse for Christians and other
minorities. Previously moderate Syria is now ranked the third-worst
nation in the world in which to be Christian, Iraq fourth, Afghanistan
fifth, and Libya 13th. All four receive the worst designation in the
ranking process: "extreme persecution."
Three of these countries—Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya—were
"liberated" in part thanks to U.S. forces, while in the fourth,
Syria, the U.S. is actively sponsoring "freedom fighters"
against the regime. Many of these "freedom fighters" have been
responsible for any number of atrocities—including massacres, beheadings,
and the crucifixion of Christians, and others.
Despite this track record of interfering in Islamic nations, only for
the human rights of minorities to plummet, and despite the fact that
Syria has gotten dramatically worse for Christian minorities, Secretary
of State John Kerry declared
in January that, if only Bashar Assad goes away, "I believe that a
peace can protect all of the minorities: Druze, Christian, Isma'ilis,
Alawites—all of them can be protected, and you can have a pluralistic
Syria, in which minority rights of all people are protected."
The same was predicted of Iraq over a decade ago, yet today, well more
than half of the Christians are either dead or have fled, after years of
constant attacks on their churches and persons once the Arab dictator
Saddam Hussein was ousted.
Libya offers a more recent precedent. Since U.S.-backed
"rebels" overthrew Qaddafi, Christians—including
Americans—have been tortured
and killed (some for
refusing to convert), churches
bombed, and nuns
threatened.
January's roundup of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world
includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme
and country in alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity.
Attacks on Christian Places
of Worship
Egypt: Christian churches were severely targeted during the
first month of 2014. Among other incidents, during New Year Eve church
services, Muslim Brotherhood supporters attacked St. George Church in Ain
Shams; one young Coptic
man died from a bullet wound to the head. International Christian
Concern reports
that on Friday, January 3, Muslim Brotherhood supporters also attacked an
Evangelical Church in the Gesr El Suez area of Cairo, "pelt[ing]
stones on the church and chanting slogans against Christians," in
the words of a local. Reports indicate that "there was no security
for the church building and that the attackers operated with
impunity." On Sunday, January 5, security forces in Suez disrupted a
terrorist cell belonging to the "Supporters of Jerusalem,"
whose members were plotting to attack a nearby church during January 7
Orthodox Christmas celebrations. In the bathroom of the Three Saints
Church in the city of Beni Suef, the police found, among other items, a
bomb, which was defused by police. On January 10, security forces
"arrested a bearded person in possession of four hand grenades in a
handbag next to the Church of Two Saints," according to a local
Christian. (In 2011, a suicide attack on the same church on New Year's
Eve resulted in the killing of over 20 Christian worshippers). On January
24, authorities found explosives inside a car parked behind the Al Malak
Church, which was targeted, "to be exploded," sources told
International Christian Concern. On January 25, security forces in the
city of Ismailia found 26 Molotov Cocktails inside a bag next to the
Church of St. Bishoy. Witnesses say that the person in possession of the
bag of explosives was sitting in a car next to the church and that
"he fled when he saw the policemen." On January 28, "A
group of armed men," according to Asia
News "attacked the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in
the governorate of Giza. Police responded to gunfire and one officer died
in the shootout, while two others were injured."
Indonesia: In the province of Aceh, where Sharia law holds
sway, Christians, who make up 1.2 percent of the population, continue to
be denied permits to build churches. According to Agenzia
Fides, "There are only three churches in the provincial capital
Banda Aceh (one Catholic and two Protestant), and even though the
Christian population in Aceh is increasing, the requirements to obtain
permits and the pressures of radical Islamic groups on the civilian
authorities have made it extremely difficult for non-Muslims to build new
places of worship. Moreover, the current governor of the province, Zaini
Abdullah, who was elected in 2012, promotes a declared program of
islamization of society." According to Zulfikar Muhammad,
coordinator of the Aceh Human Rights Coalition, the laws that appear
within Sharia districts "limit the freedom of minorities to practice
their faith and are not coherent with the Indonesian Constitution."
Malaysia: An unidentified assailant hurled two
firebombs at a shrine fronting the Church of the Assumption. Only one
bomb ignited, causing minor damage to the structure. The assault seems to
have been the response to Christians using the word "Allah" to
refer to the biblical God. "But the incident," said Sky News,
"stirred memories of a wave of such attacks on places of worship—mostly
churches—four years ago during an earlier bout of divisions over the
dispute in the Muslim-majority country.... Conservative Muslims have
raised pressure in recent weeks for Malay-speaking Christians to stop
using the word 'Allah.'"
Nigeria: On a Friday in the Muslim-majority north, gunmen
suspected of being members of the Islamic organization Boko Haram burned
down a church and the house of a National Assembly member. Separately,
in the midst of several Sunday morning raids by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, at
least fifteen Christians were killed.
South Sudan: During clashes between rebel groups and the
recently formed government of South Sudan, Catholic
and Protestant churches were attacked and priests forced to flee for
their lives. The whereabouts of a bishop who disappeared remains unknown.
Some 600,000 people, most of them Christian, have also fled their homes
amid reports of mass slaughters and ongoing attacks on churches.
Zanzibar: More than 100
Muslims stormed a church following an evening worship service and beat
the visiting preacher. According to a church elder, "These rowdy
Muslims were shouting and yelling, saying, 'We are looking for the bishop
of the church to slaughter him—we are tired of the existence of this
church near our mosque and the noise they are making.'" The Islamic
mob fled when police arrived—but not before tearing the visiting pastor's
coat and shirt, and causing him to suffer multiple injuries requiring
treatment. According to another church member, the "congregation has
been living in fear for their lives... At the moment we cannot worship
freely because we are being threatened. The Muslims are accusing us of
making a lot of noise while they themselves make a lot of noise."
Attacks on Christian
Freedom: Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism
Algeria: Ali Touahir, a 52-year-old Muslim convert to
Christianity, is paying
the price for apostasy: his Muslim wife has left him, taking their
seven-year-old daughter, and is divorcing him in court. One of his wife's
brothers has openly threatened to kill him. According to court documents,
the wife's lawyer wrote: "It is not possible that my client [the
Muslim wife] still remain under the same roof with a man who has
renounced his religion, as he became apostate; and we are not ignorant of
the punishment that is due an apostate under sharia [death]."
Israel: Christians in Nazareth were warned
against "slandering" Allah. A large billboard was posted in
Nazareth featuring a picture of a stop sign, along with Koran 4:171 which
reads: "O people of the Scripture [Christians]! Do not exceed the
limits of your religion. Say nothing but the truth about Allah (The One
True God). The Christ Jesus, Son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God and
His word conveyed to Mary and a spirit created by Him. So believe in God
and His messengers and do not say: 'Three gods (trinity).' Cease! It will
be better for you. Indeed, Allah is the One and the Only God. His
Holiness is far above having a son."
Kazakhstan: A court fined two Protestant Christians for
possession of Christian publications, which it defined as "extremist
material." According to a note sent to Agenzia Fides, a
"tough system of religious censorship imposed by the state"
prevails in the nation. Earlier, in October, 2013, Bibles and icons in a
small shop were seized by police, and the owner indicted for the sale of
religious material without the permission of the state. Similarly, a
67-year-old Christian Presbyterian Pastor has been under arrest since May
17, 2013, on charges of distributing "extremist material" --
basic leaflets on the Christian faith.
Lebanon: After allegations of blasphemy, that a decades-old
library owned by a Christian and church leader possessed "material
deemed insulting to Islam and Muhammad," the building was
torched in an arson attack; two-thirds of its 80,000 books and
manuscripts were destroyed.
Malaysia: Christians using the word "Allah" for
worship were again
attacked by Muslim groups. Similarly, a portrait of Fr. Andrew
Lawrence, Director of the Catholic Weekly Herald, was burned; threats to
his life continue. Msg. Murphy Pakiam, the region's Archbishop Emeritus,
in a letter asked that authorities to "take the necessary measures
to prevent further provocative acts of intimidation against
minorities." He concluded by saying, "Let us not forget to pray
for our enemies, who have misunderstood our faith."
Pakistan: Asia Bibi, a Catholic Christian wife and mother who
has been on death row for over four years without trial for allegedly
blaspheming Islam and/or its prophet Muhammad, sent a message to Pope
Francis saying that "only God will be able to free me.... I also
hope that every Christian has been able to celebrate the Christmas just
past with joy. Like many other prisoners, I also celebrated the birth of
the Lord in prison in Multan, here in Pakistan... I would have liked to
be in St. Peter's for Christmas to pray with you, but I trust in God's
plan for me and hopefully it will be achieved next year."
Dhimmitude and Murder
Bangladesh: Ovidio Marandy, a young Christian and brother of a
Catholic priest, was
murdered. According to his brother and family, "Muslim radicals
wanted to punish the young man, a well-known figure in the local Catholic
community, because he had recently organised a demonstration in his
village against Islamist violence," and more generally was speaking
for Christian rights in the Muslim majority nation. According to the
local Christian priest, "We are shocked by what happened. Christians
have the right to vote. Why are Islamists attacking us? We want
peace."
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Buddhists and
Christians protest Islamist violence in Bangladesh.
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Egypt: Yet another Coptic Christian child was kidnapped in
Egypt. Thirteen-year-old Cyril Rif'at Fayiz was abducted
in the Minya district by "unknown persons" who later called the
child's parents demanding one million Egyptian pounds, the equivalent of
nearly $150,000 USD -- an exorbitant sum for Egyptian villagers.
Syria: Two
Armenian families were compelled to convert to Islam at the hands of
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and one young Armenian
man, Minas, was killed for refusing. According to iNews,
"Minas and his father were held in ISIL's prison for 115 days,
according to one activist, and his accusation was that he refused to
submit [to Islam; convert]." The same report mentions other
Christian Armenians killed, including one who reportedly had "his
head chopped off and placed in a biscuit box." Separately, according
to Aleteia.org,
another Christian man, Fadi, was beheaded and his body stabbed with his
own crucifix, which had exposed him as a Christian to "rebels"
who had stopped his car.
Turkey: Protests against Christmas and New Year celebrations
were described as "unprecedented" by Al-Monitor. The
campaign was led by the Anatolian Youth Association (AYA), the youth
branch of the pro-Islamic Felicity Party. In one instance, in various
Istanbul neighborhoods, members displayed posters picturing a Muslim
man punching Santa Claus, with the slogan "No to New Year's and
Christmas celebrations." The group also distributed flyers stating,
"We are crying out that the New Year's and Christmas celebrations
held in our country are wrong and constitute a blow dealt to our Muslim
identity." On 26 December at Beyazit Square in Istanbul, the AYA
stabbed an inflatable Santa while chanting against Christmas and New Year
celebrations. One Christian bishop expressed concerns that the Santa
parody was "like a rehearsal" for attacks on real people: "A
handful of Christians are left in this country, and such incidents
naturally cause fear... The savage murders of missionaries took place in
the wake of similar hate campaigns."
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of
Christians is expanding. "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was
developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution
that surface each month.
It documents what the mainstream media often fails to report.
It posits that such persecution is not random but systematic, and
takes place in all languages ethnicities and locations.
Raymond Ibrahim is
author of Crucified
Again: Exposing Islam's New War in Christians (published by
Regnery in cooperation with Gatestone Institute, April 2013).
Previous reports
- December,
2013
- November,
2013
- October,
2013
- September,
2013
- August,
2013
- June,
2013
- May,
2013
- April,
2013
- March,
2013
- February,
2013
- January,
2013
- December,
2012
- November,
2012
- October,
2012
- September,
2012
- August,
2012
- July,
2012
- June,
2012
- May,
2012
- April,
2012
- March,
2012
- February,
2012
- January,
2012
- December,
2011
- November,
2011
- October,
2011
- September,
2011
- August,
2011
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