terrorism

Remember…

Our World Has Changed

Our World Has Changed

We used to read about terrorism in other countries. We encountered suicide bombers and germ warfare only in the newspapers. We could hardly have imagined hijacked jets smashing into buildings or deadly anthrax spreading through the U.S. mail.

Our world has changed. We have heard the sirens. We have turned horrified eyes to the burning skies. The flaming towers are etched forever on our memories. Every day the altered skyline reminds us of the tragedy.

Our world has changed. We watch in dismay as HAZMAT teams examine post offices. We grieve the loss of friends and loved ones. We know fear.

The unbelievable has happened. And our world has changed.

One thing has not changed.

Terrorist Attack!

September 11, 2001 — a day that will live in history and in the memories of those old enough to remember that day. On that day, well-trained terrorists hijacked airliners and used them as missiles of mass destruction in New York and Washington. Millions in the United States and beyond now live in fear of more attacks from a foe that is determined, elusive, and exceedingly difficult to confront. Even if guns and warplanes could destroy hundreds of terrorists and their strongholds, who is to say that more of them are not hiding out somewhere else?

The world begs for solutions to the terrorist menace, but solutions are hard to come by.

As I thought about the terrorist menace, I began to contemplate another more serious terrorist operation.

Living by Faith

Whether he’s a master terrorist or a stellar citizen, the faith of Jesus is what he needs for redemption. Whether she’s the best or the worst humanity has to offer, the faith of Jesus is what she needs for redemption. Whether they grew up in a rock-solid Christian home or in demon-worshiping home, only the faith of Jesus will bring them redemption. Thankfully, no matter who or how anyone is, Jesus makes His redemption available to them.

When Terror Strikes Home

Terrorists strike and our world erupts in dust, fire, and chaos. As we look around with shell-shocked gaze, suffering and insecurity leap at us from the rubble. Pain tears across the faces of the injured. Specters of suffering rise from the rubble to grip our heart the specters of stark terror, crushing bereavement, helpless fury, and mind-numbing bewilderment and shock. The scene burns indelibly into our very soul.

We begin to ask questions. “Why!? Where are You, God? Don’t You care about us anymore? Why do You permit such suffering and chaos?”

Is God responsible for it all? Is He still in control? What does the Bible say?

Target: Samir Kuntar

Samir Kuntar

Sure, this fellow is a target of various Israeli forces.

But I have him in mind as a prayer target.

Is this the kind of person Christians should pray for?

Kuntar was serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli prison for murdering three Israelis, including smashing to death a 4-year-old girl with the butt of his rifle.

Among his yet-living victims who make good prayer targets: the mother to the above girl.

Smadar Haran Kaiser

As I lay there, I remembered my mother telling me how she had hidden from the Nazis during the Holocaust. "This is just like what happened to my mother," I thought.

Islam: What Will You Not Say?

The Erosion of Free Speech

Although the headline of the June 8th article in the Daily Times of Pakistan read “Pakistan to ask EU to amend laws on freedom of expression,” the request from high-level government officials was in reality a threat. The six-person Pakistani delegation was set to deliver a warning that unless blasphemy against Islam stopped, terrorist attacks against European assets could escalate. Their cited example was the suicide bomb attack this June 2 on the Danish Embassy in Pakistan in which eight people died and 27 were injured as a result of possible renewed backlash to the 2005 publication of 12 editorial cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammed.

Islamabad informed the European Union countries that the backlash to perceived insults to the “religion of peace” could jeopardize “inter-religious harmony” and result in uncontrollable attacks on other diplomatic missions abroad. A high-level delegation representing the Pakistani government was to travel to Brussels to further warn EU officials of the liabilities of free expression.

This apocryphal grandstanding, in which Islamabad seeks to eradicate free speech and reclassify it as an offensive hate crime, is part and parcel of the insidious Islamic effort to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate under shariah law. Paradoxically, in most of the Muslim world, the right of free speech is nonexistent. Verbal and physical attacks on non-Muslims are rampant, as is death for apostates, terrorism training for youth, hate indoctrination of non-Muslims in mosques and schools and the oppression of Christians, Hindus and Jews. But Muslims feel free to use democratic precepts in the service of their own radical ideology to, ultimately, overthrow liberty, eliminate individual rights and destroy freedoms in Western societies. They seek prohibitions on free expression to strengthen Islam, pave the way toward Islamization and keep the Western public ill informed and unaware of potential threats to the democratic way of life. By couching this effort as merely the elimination of offensive speech, they conceal their true goal of undermining the laws of Western societies, specifically the very foundation of democracy – free speech.

This goal was dramatically illustrated in March of 2008, when the 57 Muslim states that make up the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) struck a blow against free speech by successfully forcing through the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) an amendment to a resolution on Freedom of Expression. The amendment, requiring extensive changes to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, officially characterizes as abuse and an act of religious discrimination any criticism of Islam. It also calls for the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression to report any individuals and news media issuing negative comments about Islam.

In June, this limitation on free speech was further underscored when representatives of two non-governmental organizations sought to address stonings, honor killings and female genital mutilation sanctioned under shariah law. As part of the effort to mute criticism of Islam, the Egyptian UNHRC delegate demanded that the speakers be silenced, proclaiming, “Islam will not be crucified in this Council.”

Thus, banned from UNHRC sessions is criticism of shariah laws that oppress women, condemn homosexuals and threaten converts and non-Muslims. Also banned are statements against Islamic law-sanctioned child marriage, honor killings, the hanging of homosexuals and the murder of apostates.

The United Nations is not the only front where Islamic gag orders are in place. Canada’s Human Rights Act….

Be sure to read more (if not all) of the full article.

HT: Persecution.org

Oh, Those Israelis!

The MSM continues exercising their right to free speech. Here's a little interpreting . . . .

Is this another anti-Israeli, pro-Hezbollah propaganda piece disgusted disguised as news?

Israeli commandos have struck deep into Lebanon, snatching five suspected Hezbollah guerrillas in a helicopter raid that spectacularly snubbed international pressure for an end to the three-week-old conflict.

struck deep into Lebanon = “The Israelis are really violating Lebanese sovereignty now.”

spectacularly snubbed = “The Israelis are still thumbing their nose at too many of us.”

while Hezbollah resumed raining rocket fire on Israel.

Hezbollah resumed = “They were provoked by the Israelis.”

Israel had called a 48-hour partial halt to air attacks after a raid on the Lebanese village of Qana on Sunday which killed 52 civilians, most of them children.

after a raid = “The Israelis did the Qana thing (and don’t bother us with what the new media is reporting about Hezbollah’s cold-blooded staged event).”

killed…civilians = “Who else but Israelis would kill non-combatants — you know, regular people like you, dear reader? These Jews obviously don’t know how to wage a war in a civilized way (and don’t harass us with the preposterous notion that Hezbollah fighters are dressing as civilians and operating from among civilians).”

children = “Killing harmless civilians living in their own homes out of their own free will is terrible enough, but this is beyond savagery. And we reject the outlandish anti-Arab idea that Hezbollah is callously using children and women as hostages, human-shields, and propaganda pieces.”

Local police said the Israelis snatched five people in the raid

people = “Just like you, these are civilians — not warriors, not terrorists, not Hezbollah. I’m telling you, someone needs to restrain these Israelis!”

That’s enough of that.

Am I being cynical or bothered or mocking or suspicious?

That seems quite likely, eh?

More Time for Redemption?

I’m sure you’ve already read/heard:

September 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui should spend his life in prison instead of being executed for his role in the hijacked airliner attacks, a U.S. jury decided on Wednesday.

I’m left amazed and wondering.

I wonder if his (potentially) longer life will result in his spiritual redemption.

I wonder if that was a jury of his peers (and if it wasn’t, will a mistrial be declared).

I wonder if this is how the war on terror(ism) is to be fought.

I wonder why I thought he should get the death penalty.

I wonder how his case was so much stronger than Timothy McVeigh’s.

I wonder if this means McVeigh got a bum rap (or if McVeigh’s jury would have “hung” Moussauoi).

I wonder how many Christians will (still?) pray for his salvation.

I wonder how many Christians will (still?) wish for his death.

I wonder what the just sentence would be.

I wonder how many people are genuinely happy with the verdict.

I wonder what kind of comments his Al-Qaeda pals will make.

I wonder what Moussaoui truly thinks.

I wonder what I’m supposed to think.

I wonder what you think.

I wonder what God thinks.

Grasping for Explanations

This whole deal of the Islamic terrorists seizing the CPT folks in Iraq and threatening to kill them if some impossible demand isn’t met seems odd to me.

How to explain it?

I suppose we could say this group of Muslim terrorists is simply ignorant of (1) who CPT is, (2) what good PR is, and/or (3) what righteousness is.

Maybe they didn’t count on their fellow terror groups taking exception with them for snatching this particular group of people. (See below.)

Maybe this particular terrorist crew isn’t Islamic at all. Maybe they’re American and/or Israeli agents trying to give the Muslims some bad press. That would even explain the targets of choice. Hmmmm. Maybe after/if these four are executed, this is the explanation that will be given by some folks “out there.” Well, I guess if that’s how it happens, I’ll be able to say I read it first right here at my very own MVP. Big deal.

Anyway, Robbins over at National Review Online says this in his current piece:

A letter in the Mennonite Weekly Review featured a letter signed by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Palestine People’s Party, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Union of Palestine, Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian Liberation Front, and the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front. “We appeal to our brothers in the resistance and all those with alert consciences in Iraq,” the letter said, “with whom we consider ourselves to be in the same trench confronting American aggression and occupation, to instantly and quickly release the four kidnapped persons from CPT, in appreciation for their role in standing beside and supporting our Palestinian people and all the Arab and Islamic peoples.”

Why did these guys use the Mennonite Weekly Review?

Could it be they know the CPT-snatchers read MWR?

Now I’m getting carried away.

May God somehow glorify Himself through all this.

God is great and Daniel was His prophet!

Above all, love God!