Aspiring to perfection - Oct 25-26

Seminars on aspirinig to perfection happening on Oct 25-26, 2008.

Details here: http://www.aspiringtoperfection.com

Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Israeli war crimes and more land grabbing

Story on Archbishop Desmond Tutu's scathing report on Israels war crimes in Gaza in 2006.

In his report the Archbishop says:

"I think the West, quite rightly, is feeling contrite, penitent for its awful connivance with the Holocaust," Archbishop Tutu said.

"The West is penitent, the penance is being paid by the Palestinians."

(Source: BBC News, Sept 18, 2008)

This story discusses, yet more land grabbing by the Israelis, some excerpts:

B'Tselem calculates that the annexation of the land has more than doubled the size of the settlements, with Palestinians, who still own the land, denied access.
...
It says that the unofficial closing off of land to Palestinians, around these settlements, has been going on for 30 years.

But what has been happening more recently is the Israeli military formalising the expansion of these settlements through what are called "special security areas".

The group has calculated that this has more than doubled the overall area of the settlements.

Palestinians, despite privately owning half the land, now have no access to it.

(Source: BBC News, Sept 11, 2008)

Rules of Warfare in the New World Order

Received this email which fits nicely here as well:

Rules of Warfare in the New World Order

Rule # 1: It is always the Arabs that attack first, and it's always Israel that defends itself. This is called "Retaliation" .

Rule # 2: The Arabs, whether Palestinians or Lebanese, are not allowed to kill Israelis, either soldiers or civilians. This is called "Terrorism".

Rule # 3: Israel has the right to kill Arab civilians. This is called "Self-Defense". If the dead Arabs are by the hundreds, "Collateral Damage".

Rule # 4: When Israel kills too many civilians, the Western world calls for restraint. This is called the "Reaction of the International Community".

Rule # 5: Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to capture Israeli military, not even a limited number, not even 1. This is called "Kidnapping" .

Rule # 6: Israel has the right to capture as many Palestinians as they want. (Palestinians: around 10000 to date, 300 of which are children; Lebanese: 1000 to date, being held without trial.) There is no limit; there is no need for proof of guilt or trial. This is called "War on Terrorism".

Rule # 7: When you say "Hezbollah", always be sure to add "supported by Syria and Iran". This is called "Axis of Evil".

Rule # 8: When you say "Israel ", never say "supported by the USA, the UK and other European countries", for people (God forbid) might believe this is not an equal conflict. This is called "Helping our Friends".

Rule # 9: When it comes to Israel, don't mention the words "occupied territories", "UN resolutions" or "Geneva conventions". This could distress the audience and is called "Anti-Semitism".

Rule # 10: Israelis speak better English than Arabs. This is why you let them speak out as much as possible, so that they can explain Rules 1 through 9. This is called "Fair and Balanced".

Ethnic Cleansing in slow motion

The cleansing, occupation, harassment continues steadily, but painfully...

Israel 'worry' at settler attacks
W Bank settlement plan condemned
W Bank in 'grave' water crisis
'Jewish settler attack' on film
Gaza 'Fulbright three' lose visas
Tutu: Gaza blockade abomination
Israel 'has 150 nuclear weapons'
Family killed during raid in Gaza
Israel isn't creating basis for peace - U.N.
UN warns over Gaza economic woe


Israel 'worry' at settler attacks
Excerpts:

...
There were 429 incidents in the first half of 2008, against 551 in 2007.
...
In July, an Israeli rights group published a report saying nine out of 10 investigations into alleged attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers ended without anyone being charged.
...
Meanwhile, the Israeli defence ministry has said Israel has postponed the expected evacuation of the settlement of Migron, in the West Bank. No new date has been set.

Migron has a population of about 200, and is the largest of about 100 Jewish settlements established without Israeli government permission.

All settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

There are thought to be around 430,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

...

(Source: BBC News, Aug 15/08)

W Bank settlement plan condemned

Excerpts:

...

A US official said the expansion was not helpful to the peace process while UK Foreign Minister David Miliband expressed dismay at the reports.

...

The latest plan is to initially build 20 new homes at Maskiot which will be occupied by religious Jewish families who had previously withdrawn from Gaza.

...

(Source: BBC News, July 25/08)

W Bank in 'grave' water crisis

Excerpts:

The group criticises the distribution of joint water resources and limits placed by Israel on the Palestinian Authority's ability to drill new wells.

"It will have serious repercussions on the economy and health," B'Tselem said.

West Bank per capita water use is about 66 litres a day - just two-thirds of the recommended international minimum.

The accumulated effects of a series of dry years would make matters worse in the months to come, the group added.

Per capita water consumption by Israeli settlers in the West Bank is 3.5 times that of Palestinians, B'Tselem says.

Water consumption per head of the population is calculated by including the consumption of livestock.

In some parts of the northern West Bank, a largely agricultural area, consumption is far below the overall average, B'Tselem says.

"The chronic water shortage results in large part from Israel's discriminatory policy in distributing the joint water resources in the West Bank and the limits it places on the Palestinian Authority's ability to drill new wells," its statement says.

A recent United Nations report highlighted water shortages in the Gaza Strip, and said a lack of spare parts and fuel meant sewage plants could not function properly.

...

Source: BBC News, July 1/08

'Jewish settler attack' on film

Excerpts:

...

Over the brow of the hill walk four masked men holding baseball bats. To the right of the screen, in the foreground, stands a 58-year-old Palestinian woman.

Thamam al-Nawaja has been herding her goats close to the Jewish settlement of Susia, near Hebron in the southern West Bank.

Within a few seconds, she, along with her 70-year-old husband and one of her nephews, will be beaten up.

....

Source: BBC News, June 12/08

Nice reads by Natalie Babbitt

Some interesting reads for the young readers by Natalie Babbitt:

The Devil's Storybook
The Devil's Other Storybook
Knee-Knock Rise

Summer Quiz on Qur'an

Muminah Seminar on Qur'an produced this quiz for kids to complete over the Summer of 2008.

Quiz on hadith of Lady Fatima A.S.

I.S.I.J produced this quiz based on these hadith (i.e. sayings and traditions) of Lady Fatima A.S. on the occasion of her birth anniversary (July 2008 / Jumada al-Thani 1429)