Christians are targeted by the Palestinian Authority.

Cross posted at Monkey in the Middle

In the Muslim world Jews and Christians have a third-class status known as Dhimmitude. Under the Dhimmitude they have no rights, not even the right to practice their religion if they wished. A special tax called Jizyah is imposed on these groups. Forced conversions to Islam, rape, murder and exile of whole communities is done on a grand scale.

In June I wrote about how the Palestinian Authority (PA) since the 2006 take over of the city of Bethlehem the city's Christian population has gone from being 85% of the population to just over 12% of the population. Nothing has changed, if anything it has gotten worse.

It is estimated that, for the past seven years, more than one thousand Christians have been emigrating from the Bethlehem area annually and that only 10,000 to 13,000 Christians remain in the city. International human rights lawyer Justus Reid Weiner, who teaches at Hebrew University, told the Jerusalem Institute for Global Jewish Affairs that, under the PA-Fatah regime, Christian Arabs have been victims of frequent human rights abuses by Muslims.

"There are many examples of intimidation, beatings, land theft, firebombing of churches and other Christian institutions, denial of employment, economic boycotts, torture, kidnapping, forced marriage, sexual harassment, and extortion," he said. PA officials are directly responsible for many of the attacks, and some Muslims who have converted to Christianity have been murdered.

A systematic destruction of one of the world's oldest Christians communities.

In 2006, Hassan El-Masalmeh, a member of the Bethlehem City Council and local Hamas leader, publicly advocated implementing a discriminatory tax on non-Muslim residents. In late 2007 an evangelical pastor was forced to leave Ramallah under threats from Fatah gunmen, and soon after, his congregation dispersed.

"Incidents of Muslim men ‘seducing' or kidnapping Christian girls have caused growing anxiety among the Christian population. In May 2004, a sixteen-year-old Christian girl from Bethlehem, who was a U.S. citizen, went missing for five days after being kidnapped by a 23 year-old Muslim. " The girl's family contacted the American Consulate in Jerusalem, and it was only thanks to their intervention that she was rescued and left with her family for the United States. The episode received virtually no international media coverage.

In another case, a Muslim family appeared uninvited on the doorstep of a wealthy Christian family in Judea and Samaria and demanded that the Christian family's daughter, known for her beauty, marry their son. Their son was already dressed up for his wedding, accompanied by the sheikh and fifteen Muslim men. To protect his family the Christian girl's father opened fire on the Muslim entourage, killing three and wounding ten. The girl's family immediately abandoned their home and fled abroad."

No child, no woman, no man of the Christian faith is safe. They will be harassed, threatened, raped and killed if they resist.

The PA was involved in the torture of two Muslim brothers from Samaria who adopted the Christian faith.

The first brother was arrested by the PA secret police and accused of collaborating with Israeli and American intelligence. After the interrogation the police placed a cardboard sign on his back upon which was written, ‘Najib the Christian.' Then he was told to ‘curse Jesus.'" He eventually made contact with Israelis who arranged for him to hide in a bomb shelter in a Jewish community and was finally granted asylum in Norway.

His brother spent 21 months in a PA prison after being arrested on fabricated charges. He was held for seven months in underground solitary confinement. Weiner quotes his testimony before him thus: "I was beaten with sticks; they stripped me naked and made me sit on bottles, and on the legs of chairs that they turned upside down, and many, many other sadistic things that I am even ashamed to say." Many times they allowed lynch mobs like the Al-Aksa Brigades to come in and pull prisoners out of the cells. They were taken out and shot on the spot, their bodies then dragged through the streets for all to see."

The young man was sentenced to be executed but was liberated from prison by the Israel Defense Forces. He lives in Israel but his wife and eight children remained behind and are under constant threat of harassment. He hopes to find asylum in Norway.

Another Christian convert, El-Achwal, was initially arrested on fabricated charges of stealing gold. He was kept in a tiny cell and regularly left without food or water for days on end. The torture he sustained during the interrogation required lengthy hospitalization. Weiner, who interviewed El-Achwal, said Ahmed "had suffered extensive and serious burns on his back, buttocks, and legs. The heated torture implement that was applied to his skin reminded me of similar medieval instruments." He was eventually freed but refused to renounce his Christian faith. One day he was beaten by a group of masked men affiliated with the PA security services, who also torched his car. His residence was firebombed and on January 21 2004, he was shot dead by masked gunmen who have never been arrested.

And what is the Christian community in the US saying about this?

American Episcopalians and Presbyterians frequently blame Israel for the Middle East conflict. Leaders of other North American churches including the Methodists, the United Church of Christ, and the Lutherans "have also gone to great lengths to offer up one-sided condemnations of Israeli policies."

They know not what Christianity is it seems. For they condemn those who until they gave up control of Judea and Samaria, had guaranteed religious freedom to all. But that is not enough. What the Methodists, United Church of Christ and Lutherans have actually done is to show themselves to be anti-Semites of the worst form. Instead of a cross, they should place a swastika above their altars.

If this keeps up there will be no Christians in Bethlehem, and one of Christendom's most holy sites will become a mosque. Exactly what the Muslims have been striving for all along.

I ask my Christian friends to speak out about this at your church, to your pastor, to your friends. The western media will not mention it for it puts the PA into a bad light and that is not allowed. And to pray for your Christian brothers and sisters who are facing a persecution the likes of which has never been seen in the land of Israel before.

Sphere: Related Content

Delta Bravo Sierra

I may have mentioned this before, but DBS comic strip ALWAYS gives me a chuckle. If it's politics you want, or an insider's view of the military, Mr Hooah!'s daily take on all matters really should be on your reading list. Mr Hooah! nails it every single day, saying in a few words, and three pictures, what it takes people like me many paragraphs to say ;) Yes, I have DBS embedded on my site, and you can, too! Just go to Mr Hooah!'s site here, and follow instructions. Oh, and while you are at that, you might want to check out MRS Hooah! here.

HOOOOOOOAH!

Sphere: Related Content

Myth vs Fact

Myth	Fact
Islam: Religion of peace.	Sahih Muslim Book 020, Number 4694: It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: Who seeks martyrdom with sincerity shall get its reward, though he may not achieve it.
Tafsir

Sphere: Related Content

It would be impossible for anyone to come to the defense of that Daily Kos 9/11 cartoon, right? Wrong.

A note from Radarsite: After posting this article to the History Channel Boards I started wondering if anyone would actually write in to defend the Daily Kos' publication of this cartoon. No, I decided, that would be impossible. They might find a way to attack me, but no one in their right mind could defend that hideous cartoon or that despicable website that published it.
And yet, incredibly, unbelievably, they have.
To me, this response is even more disturbing than the cartoon itself. Although the author of these comments addresses me repeatedly by name, I am deleting his. However, if anyone wants to read these comments for themselves I have provided the link above. Normally Radarsite posts a commentary at the end of an article. But in this case I will not. I will not reply personally because, even though these comments were directed at me, I feel that they are in reality directed at us all. I await your responses. - rg

From The History Channel Boards

Re: The Daily Kos: Beyond Outrage, Beneath ContemptSep 14, 2008 6:35 AM
> Can someone, anyone, explain this to me? > > http://radarsite.blogspot.com/2008/09/daily-kos-beyond > -outrage-beneath.html

I can...but you won't like the answer. I can...but you don't WANT ananswer: 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 oncedisassociate 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.

Therein lies the problem, Roger. Since I am not about to do what you have demanded, you will immediately label me, as you said, the "enemy". This is a sickness common to the right; you feel that you MUST have 'enemies". Not just to help you sort out
friend from foe, you actually need them to justify your very existence. Before you condemn me however, I would ask only one thing: that you be honest enough to read what I am about to write--in its entirety. You still will not like me, but if you are HONESTLY seeking an answer to your question (assuming it was notrhetorical) I will give you one.

I suppose that a dislclaimer is necessary at this point: I lost a very good friend whom I had known since childhood that day. He wasn't a policeman or firefighter, just one of the office folks desperately trying to get out of the building. He didn't make it.

Now, for your answer. It would help if you understood something of the grieving process we ALL suffer when tragedy of any sort occurs, from losing a job, to death of a loved one, to facing our own deaths, to deaths on a scale, or under circumstances, that we cannot even begin to wrap our minds around. To this day, the Holocaust, the Stalanist purges, the Pol Pot regime, the Bataan Death March, the fire bombing of Dresden, and others like them are events that I can comprehend intellectually, but not emotionally. Could I take another person's life? Sure. Could I kill 1,000 people at once? No. Would I feel some overriding guilt at being the agent of another person's death? Only if I was an unintentional agent.

That being said, the grieving process follows a pretty standard path: first, there is denial that whatever the tragedy is has happened, or is happening. Then, once forced to acknowledge it, we get angry, for we don't like to suffer pain of loss (and if you believe that people grieve first for others, you are wrong; we grieve first for ourselves, then for others).

As the anger begins to cool down, we begin to bargain. "God, if you take away this disease, I will go to church every Sunday, and build a shrine in your name!" We promise that which we have never been able to achieve before as a gesture that we are serious. It doesn't have to be to God; it can be to a doctor, ("cure my child, and I'll give everything I have to your favorite charity!") our spouse or parent ("If you will forgive me and take me back, I will change my ways!") the bargaining is pretty straightforward.

But when fate pursues its inevitable course, we enter into depression. We can't shield ourselves from the truth with denial; our anger hasn't done us a bit of good; and whatever force(s) in the universe that control things seem to want a higher return on their investment than our good intentions. At some point during the depression, we come to a realization--that whatever it is that has made us grieve is not going to change, to stop, to reverse itself, so we must accept it. We don't have to be happy about such acceptance--but we acknowledge that things are what they are. If you are outside when it begins to rain, you don't have to like the rain, but you accept the fact that you are wet. Acceptance is a crucial point in the grieving process; it allows you to move on in your life. It doesn't mean that you forget what (or who) made you grieve, nor does it mean that you stop feeling sad; it simply means that this thing did, is, or will happen, and nothing is going to change it.

When the twin towers were struck, do you remember your first reaction? I remember mine. "No--this can't be happening! I refuse to believe it!" That's denial. A part of the denial is a false hope: "Okay, this is bad; but they'll be able to get out..."

Then the shots of the buildings collapsing: "NO! Buildings just don't fall down like that!" False hope: "They had enough time to get everyone out. Those poor people who jumped didn't have too; they just panicked..."

Then the anger begins: "WTF just happened, and why?" As the story comes out, and it becomes clear that terrorists are trying to hurt this country, that anger becomes rage: "This isn't your g-damned backward third world country, you a$$holes; this is the USA!" The rage intensifies: "find the f**kers who did this, and kill them; painfully, if possible. Then kill any of their friends with the same idea, then kill their families; hell--find out where they came from and nuke the whole f**king country back to the Stone Age!" We lash out at Afghanistan: "God, let us just go in, grab Bin Laden, and kick the s**t out of anyone who gets in our way. If he puts up a fight, please make sure his death is slow and very painful..."

Then comes a period of depression. We have searched for him and not gotten him. The a$$hole keeps eluding us." (A return to anger). But then we come to acceptance. We have cleared Ground Zero; we have buried the dead. We have supported the families who had direct losses; we have honored the heroes of that day. Each in our own way, we have tried to understand what Abraham Lincoln understood 143 years ago at Gettysburg: But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

But we Americans have a couple of problems with tragedies of this sort. This first is an almost congenital belief that we are (or should be) immune from the same problems that the rest of the world has. We are not. Then, too, we have a large portion of the population which needs to justify their continued anger and hatred against others outside this country--and we do this by great public displays of mourning, even 8 years after the tragedy. Are there people who are still genuinely mouring? I'm sure there are; but the majority do so because it has become expected of them (and certainly, with sentiments such as those you expressed on your blog, perhaps you can understand why someone would rather mourn publicly than be accused of anti-Americanism) .

But there are an even smaller number who continue to use the tragedy for blatanlty self-serving means. This is not the first time it has been done; "Remember the Alamo!" "Remember the Maine!" "Remember Pearl Harbor!" are examples of tragedies which were used for blatantly political causes. (Please note that I DO NOT impugn any of them; I merely state the truth: that they were used as ignition points to fan the flames of both patriotism and hatred in this country, ) The British cartoonist who drew the picture is under no compunction to share our ingrained societal outrage. He may, in fact see our annual mourning as an exercise in ghoulishness, picking at a wound, not letting it heal, as a way to justify our behaviors abroad (and at home).

Finally, why would the Daily Kos call it ghoulish? Perhaps because they understand that Dubya used the tragedy to further his own presidency, and that perhaps giving the country a chance to heal would have been better. Also, when you look at the history of Republican politics, there has ALWAYS been an amorphous external enemy or a heinous internal enemy against which to rally the faithful. And that is what the Republicans need to do: to use 9/11 as a visual image around which the faithful can rally. One need only look at Sarah Palin's acceptance speech at the GOP convention to see that they pulled out every patriotic image to flash on the sceens behind her; a constant reminder to the faithful of who the "real" patriots were.

It is this reckless willingness to divide the people into "patriots" and "non-patriots" based on their adherence to proper modes of behaviors that is a Republican staple, and leads to assinine statements such as this: ...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.

Given that trian of thought Roger, how long will it be before you can rationalize calling someone the "enemy" because he comes from a different part of the country, or has a different color skin, or worships differently than you do? There is the answer, roger. I told you that you wouldn't like it; but it IS th truth.

A PS from Radarsite: It seems that that entire response in support of that DK cartoon posted at the history Channel has mysteriously disappeared. If this was the decision of their moderator, I applaud them. Unfortunately however, it's too late. The article has already been written and I am not going to delete it. Someone wrote that response. Someone thought those thoughts. And you published them. Moreover, I believe that these comments did not originate in the mind of one lone lunatic, but accurately represent the opinions of those associated with the publication of those cartoons. For these reasons I am leaving this article untouched. If the History Channel wishes to make any statement regarding this issue I will happily post it - rg

Sphere: Related Content

Every Day Heroes

Every week, I introduce readers to extraordinary men and women who face incredible circumstances daily as part of what they call "just doing my job." In a time of war, these men and women in military show us what Hero really means - every single day.

Today, on the heels of one of the darkest days in America's history, I am truly humbled to share one of those shining bright lights, who continues to serve America, having survived the 9/11 Pentagon horrors. Yes, this read will take more than a few minutes of your time. But this hero has given way more than that of his life to service.

Meet Army Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell:

9/11 Survivor Returns to Tell Story of Hope

Sep 12, 2007
BY Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (American Forces Press Service, Sept. 12, 2007) - Minutes after terrorists slammed a hijacked commercial airliner into the Pentagon six years ago, Army Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell thought he was going to die.

Lt. Col. Birdwell laid burning and bleeding on the second floor at the intersection of the 4th corridor and the E Ring, only yards from where the nose of the plane penetrated the walls. More than 60 percent of his body was blistered, his lungs were seared and he couldn't stand.

Lt. Col. Birdwell said he made his peace with God, and gave up the fight for survival.

But he didn't die.

Not then, nor hours later when he thought he might in the emergency room. Not six days later when Lt. Col. Birdwell said his final goodbyes to his 12-year-old son because chances of his survival were not even one percent.

Now recovered, retired and living in Texas, Lt. Col. Birdwell returned yesterday to the Pentagon to tell his story of survival, hope and spiritual growth.

"This is the place that the Lord spared my life," he said, when asked about how it felt to return.

"We're here to remember those that were lost and those who are serving because of those lost. So it's a great day to be back in the building," Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd in the Pentagon auditorium yesterday, Lt. Col. Birdwell good-naturedly made light of the extent of his injuries that day.

While lying on the floor after the explosion, waiting to die, "Instead of hearing 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant," all I got was just more well done," he joked.

But the humor was no cover for the emotion in his voice when he earlier described lying in the darkness and screaming to Jesus, saying "I'm coming to see you."

Lt. Col. Birdwell said the blast was not like those pictured in Hollywood movies, in which characters are able to see a ball of flame coming toward them and make a conscious decision to evade its blast.

"There was just that nanosecond between hearing the sound and then the concussion, the blast, the fire," Lt. Col. Birdwell said. "I was tossed around like rag doll. The next thing I know is I'm trying to get up. It's black except for the ambient light of fires. I'm on fire. I got to my knees once."

After the blast, unable to stand and unsure of which direction in the darkness to take, Lt. Col. Birdwell said he collapsed to the floor and waited for "that feeling of the soul departing the body."

"It didn't come. I was like 'Okay, Lord, I'm still waiting. I'm ready," he said.

Instead, Lt. Col. Birdwell said he started feeling cold water dripping on his face. It was coming from the sprinkler system and extinguished the fire on his body.

Minutes later Lt. Col. Birdwell was able to open his eyes and he saw the reflection of some lights down the 4th corridor. Leaning against the wall for balance, he staggered a few yards toward the light.

Fires were burning and debris was scattered everywhere. Smoke was pouring down the hallway. Lt. Col. Birdwell's access badge and name tag were melted, he was covered in blood, and his clothes were literally burned from his back.

"I didn't know what was ahead of me but I knew that I needed to get moving,' he said.

At the C Ring door, he saw some friends.

"In that moment of relief that there were people there I just ... collapsed in front of them," Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

The four carried him to what had become a hasty triage area and an Air Force doctor gave him a shot of morphine and an IV. Both were given in his feet, because his feet weren't burned.

From there, Lt. Col. Birdwell was taken by golf-cart out of the Pentagon, to an SUV, and was rusted to Georgetown University Hospital. He was later flown, once airspace was no longer restricted, to Washington Hospital Center.

He spent the next 92 days there undergoing excruciating treatments, physical therapy and surgeries. In all Lt. Col. Birdwell has had 39 surgeries ranging from those that were lifesaving, to reconstruction for his face and ears.

Lt. Col. Birdwell said there is no way to describe the pain that a burn victim goes through during recovery.

"You're like a cracker. Everything's crisp. Nothing wants to bend," he said. "There is no medication that makes you comfortable. There is medication that steps you back from the edge of the Grand Canyon, that makes it quasi-tolerable, but much of what has to be done to you is pretty painful."

"With that (tracheotomy) in your throat there's no air going over your vocal cords. The Lord's the only one that can hear you screaming in your mind," Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

Of the nine that were sent to the burn unit that day, only two were expected to live. Eight survived, he said.

Lt. Col. Birdwell joked about seeing one of his fellow burn victims for the first time in the hospital.

"I remember the first day I saw John [Yates] in physical therapy and I looked at him and said what in the 'blank' happened to him. And then John looked at me and said the same thing," Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

Remarkably, Lt. Col. Birdwell returned to work the following March, although he only worked a few hours a day, two days a week. By his own account, he didn't contribute much to the office, but it was the principle behind his going to work that made him make the trip.

Just walking in and out of the building daily was exhausting, he said, because of permanent lung damage caused by the smoke and the jet fuel vapors.

"The first day I came in ... I had to sit on the bench for 10 minutes because I was huffing and puffing," he said.

But it was the memories of his two coworkers who died in the attack that kept him persistent, Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

"I wanted to be back in the building. I wanted to have that sense of purpose and mission of getting better, being part of the team. Two of my coworkers were never going to come back in. and by the lord's grace I was coming back in," Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

One day, during his early days of painful physical therapy, a pastor told him that "God never wastes our pain." At the time, the words were disregarded because Lt. Col. Birdwell's focus was on the pain and getting through the therapy.

But later, in 2002, a young man was badly burned and the Washington Hospital Center burn unit called Lt. Col. Birdwell asking if he would visit to encourage the patient.

That was when the pastor's words rang true for Lt. Col. Birdwell, and his painful experiences began shaping the direction for the rest of his life.

The former Field Artillery officer eventually got his strength back, adding more days and longer hours and then back to his regular to his schedule. But, as his retirement approached, the couple struggled with the decision to stay in, or retire from the Army. Physical disabilities would keep Lt. Col. Birdwell from being promoted, and he wasn't sure he wanted to serve from behind a desk.

He retired July 1, 2004, and, with his wife, Mel, began Face the Fire Ministries which is a nonprofit organization that serves critical burn survivors and wounded servicemembers.

"An 80-ton, 757 came through at 530 miles an hour with 3,000 pounds of jet fuel and I'm still here and the plane isn't," Lt. Col. Birdwell said. "You don't' survive that because the Army made you tough. You survive it because the Lord's got something else in mind for you."

A self-described "crispy, old guy," Lt. Col. Birdwell said he now enjoys visiting wounded servicemembers. On his trip from Dallas to Washington for the ceremony, he stopped a servicemember in the airport to shake his hand.

"To go see young men and women who have willingly said, 'Send me,' is a great opportunity to say 'Thank you,'" he said.

Now, Lt. Col. Birdwell lives relatively pain free, is busy with his ministry, his son just started college, and they are just "normal folks."

Even so, the Family has a greater appreciation for life, he said.

"We always understand what's most important because we've had a very graphic reminder of how precious life is," Lt. Col. Birdwell said.

This has started a very intentional tradition for Lt. Col. Birdwell, his wife and son. One that in six years, they have protected. One that, before Sept. 11, 2001, was not given much thought.

"When we are going to be apart, we always make sure we very clearly say goodbye. That way there is always that last remembered moment," he said.

I found this story here, and there is so much more all over the internet about Lt. Col. Birdwell. Go here, (for the family story), and here, (page 4):

Sept. 11^th Survivor Shows Generous Spirit

Army LTC Brian Birdwell suffered burns over 60 percent of his body as a result of being close to the impact point when the plane hit the Pentagon on Sept. 11^th, 2001. He then began a painful recovery which included more than 30 surgeries. During the healing process, LTC Birdwell and his wife were inspired to try to provide comfort and support to burn patients at hospitals nation-wide through “Face the Fire,” a ministry the Birdwells founded together. He recently visited the amputee-care center and burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft Sam Houston, TX. During that visit, he donated $5,000 each to the Fisher House Foundation and to Fort Sam Houston Child and Youth Services. Fisher House provides “a home away from home” for families tending to loved ones at medical facilities. The donation to CYS will be used to create a child care fund for families staying at the Fisher Houses to enable families to use the Child Development Center for hourly care free of charge when the need arises. Birdwell is now retired and works in the same office where he worked at the time of the Sept. 11^th attack, the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. He and his wife wrote a book, “Face the Fire,” about their experiences during and after the Pentagon attack. Profits from the book go to assist burn victims and to support the Fisher House.

******************

Also a very cool story - verified on Snopes here, about a meeting between Lt. Col. Birdwell and President Bush, and President Bush saluting Birdwell.

As I told you, to this day, Lt. Col. Birdwell (although now retired) and his wife, Mel, STILL serve their country, and nurture other wounded military brothers and sisters in arms. Check out the story of the organisation they founded, and now run: Face The Fire Ministries.

Lt Col. Birdwell has been featured in a few msm stories, and also has a site that is a must read:
Birdwell911

An amazing man, living through events that could have left a legacy of negativity in the future of this military hero. Instead, he chose to see an opportunity to continue serving, living those words the pastor gave to him:"God never wastes our pain." This 'self-described "crusty old guy" ' MORE than qualifies as my Every Day Hero.

Thank YOU, Lt. Col. Birdwell, for your service!

Sphere: Related Content