Myth vs Fact

Myth	Fact
Islam: Religion of peace.	Sahih Muslim Book 020, Number 4690: It has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Amr that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: A troop of soldiers who fight in tile way of Allah and get their share of the booty receive in advance two-thirds of their reward in the Hereafter and only one-third will remain (to their credit). If they do not receive any booty, they will get their full reward.
Tafsir

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America The Beautiful: Our Common Hallowed Ground

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

-------------------------------------------------------

A note from Radarsite: This is an article which, up until a few days ago, I would have thought it impossible to write. But, even at my age, life is - or should be -- a continuing learning experience. That is what these last few days have been for me.
This election cycle has been one of the most contentious in my long memory. Never have the two sides, the Republicans and the Democrats, the conservatives and the liberals, been separated by such an unbridgeable gulf. Exasperated by the controversial and divisive war in Iraq, our conflicting visions for the future of this country of ours have grown seemingly irreconcilable. That is, almost irreconcilable.
Two unhappy events occurred over these last several days which, by exhibiting a blatant disregard for the inherent patriotism of the American people, or an utter contempt for human decency, seemed to have had a major impact on a lot of Americans, Democratic Americans and Republican Americans, conservative Americans and liberal Americans. This is not going to be a rehashing of those inglorious events, but rather a commentary on the lessons learned from observing the reactions of those affected by them.

The first concerns the disgraceful treatment of those 12,000 American flags at the Democratic National Convention in Denver "After the Hoopla, Contempt of Country". The immediate reactions to this huge political blunder from the folks at the Hillary Clinton Forum, and from the Obama people at the Democratic underground, marked the beginning of my reassessment of my unqualified Us versus Them mentality. I followed up that original article with two more just to treat these disparities. Here is an excerpt from one of them:

Democratic Trash: The Story That Just Won't Go Away >

Till now, I must confess, I hadn't really appreciated the differences between these two Democratic factions. But I certainly do now. As much as I disagree with their candidate's vision of America and where they would want to bring this country, the Hillary Dems seem to have exhibited a strong sense of sincerity and humanity. They have stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for what has turned out to be a major strategic blunder -- even though it was more the responsibility of the Obama Camp to control the images that came out of that Obama Celebration.

And how do the Obama people react to their own revealing anti-patriotic blunders? They react with viciousness and anger. They call on their attack dogs to do their work. Cynical, manipulative, their only concern is in discrediting the source. No responsibility. No embarrassment. No concern for how their obvious disregard for patriotism may look to the average American.

To me, this whole episode has been an education. This is what an Obama Presidency would offer. A Democratic redux of the Nixon years, with all of that petty hatred and viciousness, and with a whole new Enemies' List. This, my friends, is a clear and unadulterated view of the Obama Camp, and it is both enlightening and disgusting.

The second, and much greater outrage came from the 9/11 cartoon printed in the Daily Kos. In response to this article, once again the comments came pouring into Radarsite. Democrats writing in to condemn this outrage and the traitorous website that published it. One after another clearly and unequivocally distanced themselves from The Daily Kos and all that this despicable entity represents. Not surprisingly, many of these angry Democrats came to us from HCF.
Here are a few of their comments:

Please, do not think that this sickeningly offensive site or the deplorable content truly represent the Democratic party, because they do not; at least not the Democratic party to which I have been a life-long member. Every group, every party contains extremists who do not represent the views of the majority of that group, and such is the Daily Kos. They speak only for themselves and not for all Democrats. Most of us deplore this as much as those on the right. Perhaps if we could manage to get rid of the extremists in both parties, we could finally find common ground in our love of this country. Because whether you believe it or not, we love America as much as you do..

And:

I am a member of HCF and I am grateful for your article exposing the "obama supporters" and seeing that not all of us are like that.There are many of us democrats who do not support obama and are disgusted with the vile things some obama supporters say. I place country over party. This *new democratic party*, nor their "selected candidate" represent me, and I am fully in support of Senator McCain and Gov. Palin. McCain/Palin brought integrity back and many of us democrats do support them.
Country first

And on and on --
And from the Obama camp? From the Democrat Underground? Not a word.

So what, then, are the lessons learned from all that has happened in these last few days?
All in all, I believe this is a strong transendent and most welcome message of hope, hope for our country, for our beautiful America. And hope for those of us who have been all but consumed by the powerful partisan politics of this important election. And also, perhaps this is a message for our enemies; one that they would be wise to heed. Despite the visible rancor and the name-calling, despite the major ideological differences between our two parties, we are first and foremost Americans. Quite simply, we love our country. And God help those who seek to bring this great nation down. We are, after all is said and done, like a family, a family who has been disrupted by our differences and who have said things about each other that we may have regretted. But down deep, despite all the bitterness and anger, we know that we are still a family. And if you threaten this family, this fine family of ours, if you make the mistake of assuming that our differences have weakened our resolve to defend ourselves, then you have made a fateful blunder.

In short, I want to thank all of you out there who have contributed your comments in support of our shared values. You have made me proud of all America. - rg

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Myth vs Fact

Myth	Fact
Islam: Religion of peace.	Sahih Muslim Book 020, Number 4684: It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Musa Ash'ari that a desert Arab came to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, one man fights fgr the spoils of war; another fights that he may be remembered, and another fights that he may see his (high) position (achieved as a result of his valour in fighting). Which of these is fighting in the cause of God? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Who fights so that the word of Allah is exalted is fighting in the way of Allah.
Tafsir

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The Daily Kos: Beyond Outrage, Beneath Contempt

"All this 9/11 worship is ghoulish and downright silly. Some Brit on b3ta.com is even making fun of our pompous charade." From Daily Kos.com

Barack Obama at Yearly Kos Event

------------------------------------------------------------------
A note from Radarsite:

This is funny?

Or perhaps this man here --

is he funny?

Maybe this lady here is what's so funny.

My God. Can someone please explain this to me? Can anyone out there help me to understand how any American website, regardless of their political leanings, could find any justification, any justification whatsoever for publishing this cartoon? Can anyone describe for me the mentality of the British cartoonist who drew it? I won't waste my reader's valuable time waiting for answers. I do not want answers or explanations. But I will say this.
This is purportedly a Democratic, liberal website. If any Democrat or liberal out there does not immediately and passionately condemn this post, and condemn this vicious traitorous website and everything it stands for, if any Democrat or liberal out there does not at once disassociate themselves from this horror, then you are indeed the enemy, and I hate you as vehemently as I do al Qaeda. Perhaps even more vehemently, because you have the arrogance to consider yourselves to be Americans.
God help you. - rg

Hat tip to Van Helsing at Stop The ACLU

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Gaza Strip military buildup

Cross posted from Monkey in the Middle

As part of the Gaza Strip military buildup, women are trained for combat and for suicide bombing attacks.

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

As part of the Gaza Strip military buildup, women are trained for combat and for suicide bombing attacks. Hamas and the PIJ allowed media coverage of female combatants during the lull in the fighting. Such public messages are designed to deter Israel from entering the Gaza Strip in the future

A poster titled “Women suicide bombers” (Al-Istishhadiyyat) dedicated to Palestinian women who perpetrated suicide bombing attacks. In 2008, it was prominently featured on the Hamas website Palestine-info.

Overview

1. As part of the military buildup of the Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, which continues on a large scale even when the lull in the fighting is in place, the terrorist organizations provide military training to women, teenagers, and even children.1 During the lull, the terrorist organizations allowed a Lebanese TV correspondent (and, prior to that, the Al-Jazeera TV channel2) to film and interview women terrorists. It is our assessment that by doing so, the terrorist organizations wish to communicate their commitment to the struggle against Israel and deter the IDF from entering the Gaza Strip following the lull.

2. The women interviewed and featured on the media undergo defensive training (in case the IDF enters the Gaza Strip) and offensive training (such as firing rockets and perpetrating suicide bombing attacks). The women train in firing small arms, launching RPG rockets, throwing grenades, ambushes, attacking IDF soldiers, firing rockets, and blowing themselves up near IDF soldiers using explosive belts.

3. In the terrorist organizations' view, using women for combat activities has considerable operational advantages, the main of which is the relative ease they can operate without raising suspicions, both in the Gaza Strip (during IDF operations) and when perpetrating terrorist attacks in Israeli territory. It should be noted that, in the past, the various terrorist organizations (mainly Hamas, the PIJ, and Fatah) used women terrorists to perpetrate suicide bombing attacks in Israeli territory3 and to hit IDF soldiers during activities in the Gaza Strip. For example:

a. On November 6, 2006, during IDF Operation Autumn Clouds, a woman suicide bomber attempted to hit a Giv'ati force south of Beit Hanoun. The force spotted the suicide bomber and motioned her to stop, at which point she blew herself up, lightly injuring an IDF soldier. The PIJ claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack.

The suicide bomber Mirfat Amin Mas'oud reading her “last will” before
leaving to perpetrate the suicide bombing attack. She said that hopefully
she would go to heaven and meet her mother (Al-Jazeera, November 6, 2006).

b. On November 23, 2006, an IDF force spotted a female suicide bomber on the outskirts of the Jebaliya refugee camp. She was carrying an explosive charge and approaching the force. She blew herself up, lightly injuring four IDF soldiers. Hamas claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack. The suicide bomber, who had formerly led women's demonstrations in the Gaza Strip, was 57 years old. It was the first time such an old female suicide bomber was dispatched to perpetrate a terrorist attack.

Left: suicide bomber Fatima Najar reading her last will before
embarking on the suicide bombing (Al-Aqsa TV, November 23, 2006);
right: Fatima Najar leading a women’s demonstration at the entrance of
Beit Hanoun in the winter of 2006 (NTV, August 19, 2008)





4. Following is a summary of several reports which appeared on the Arab media, dealing with the terrorist organizations' training and use of female suicide bombers in the Gaza Strip during the past year.

Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades

5. On August 19, 2008, the Lebanese TV channel NTV (Al-Jadeed) aired a program about women belonging to Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades training in the Gaza Strip. The program showed women training in firing small arms, throwing grenades, and ambushing and attacking IDF soldiers. The correspondent noted: “Every year, dozens of women in the Gaza Strip undergo military training, including students, mothers, and working women. They know that their part in the conflict is not limited to taking care of the injured and the children. [They know] that what they do may change the balance of power [between the Palestinians and Israel ].” Following are several images from the NTV program:







Left:Throwing a grenade while shouting “Allah Akbar"
right:Shooting a rifle with a telescopic sight
middle:Firing small arms














6. Following are photographs taken before the lull in the fighting of women belonging to the Hamas movement on training and operative activity. The photographs appeared on the Internet forum of the popular TV channel Al-Jazeera (January 31, 2008).


left:The so-called “the woman who desires Jerusalem ”,
operative of the Jerusalem Brigades (NTV, August 19)
right:The explosive belt belonging to “the woman who desires Jerusalem” (NTV, August 19)

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

7. A show aired on Lebanese TV channel NTV ( August 19, 2008 ) featured a female operative of the PIJ's Jerusalem Brigades. Referring to herself as “Ashiqat al-Quds” (i.e., the woman who desires Jerusalem), she presented a ready-to-use explosive belt and expressed her willingness to blow herself up among IDF soldiers in case of an Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.




left:The so-called “the woman who desires Jerusalem ”,
operative of the Jerusalem Brigades (NTV, August 19)
right:The explosive belt belonging to “the woman who desires Jerusalem” (NTV, August 19)






8. The operative told the Lebanese television reporter that she had taken part in combat operations before and noted that she was highly motivated to continue her activity. She also said she was engaged, but that she informed her fiancé that she would have to leave if duty called. She further stated: "Even if the Jews come on my wedding day, I will go out and confront them on my wedding day. Nothing will stop me on my way to martyrdom..."

Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades

9. The Al-Jazeera forum ( January 31, 2008 ) published photographs of female Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Fatah's military wing) operatives on training. It was said on the forum that Fatah women have carried out suicide bombing attacks.



left:Women operatives belonging to Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades networks training in the Gaza Strip
right:Women operatives belonging to Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades networksThe Palestinian Islamic Jihad.






From Monkey in the Middle:

This is just the lull before all out war will break out between Hamas and Israel. And again the world will scream foul if a single Palestinian civilian even stubs their toe. But this next time, Israel should attack on the ground only after they use saturation bombing and make Gaza look like Dresden or Tokyo did in 1945. Maybe then the Palestinians will stop their attacks.

As usual I ask all to click on the logo below and give generously to the Sderot Media Center. Your contribution goes to the needy families of Sderot and the Western Negev, providing mental health support, financial support, and food to those who undergo a daily bombardment. Give generously.

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