Dumb and Dumber: American Education System?

The Dumbing Down Of The American Mind

by Doug Soderstrom, Ph.D.

There is a very dangerous phenomenon that seems to be occurring in the United States of America; something that I refer to as "the dumbing-down of the American mind," a nearly willful tendency for Americans to forgo reality in favor of believing what they want to believe. But how could such a thing have occurred in such a proud nation, one that, according to George Bush, has become known as a bastion of freedom and democracy, a bright light for the whole world to see?

In my opinion, there are five factors that can explain such a phenomenon. First, there is the dumbing-down of education in our country. After having taught psychology at the college level for the past 39 years, I have seen our standards (what we essentially expect our students to accomplish in order to prove that they have learned something of value) go straight to hell! I began my career as an Instructor of Psychology back in 1966 at a very small junior college located only 60 miles south of the Canadian border, one with an enrollment of only 180 students, no doubt, a very cold and humble place in which to begin a teaching career!

And can you believe it, I actually required my students to read an entire textbook during the semester. And nobody got upset. Not the administrators, not the parents, nor even the students! However, today, if I were to do such a thing, I would have an extremely difficult time getting enough students to enroll in my classes in order to keep my job. The problem: A very determined standoff between the remaining few teachers willing to maintain standards versus a generation or two of students who are nearly unwilling to learn, students who have "apparently gone on strike" with an attitude of "I dare you to force me to learn!" The result: The fact that leniency (a lowering of academic standards in our country) has won out at the expense of quality education in that of our high schools as well as that of our colleges.

Consequently, in my opinion, our country is slowly but surely becoming "a nation of near retards," a collective group of individuals who have become so absurdly self-absorbed and disinterested in acquiring knowledge that we, as a nation, are slowly but surely losing touch with the reality of what is actually going on in the world! The best example is our population's general sense of ignorance in relation to world history, and especially that of our inability (or perhaps even unwillingness) to understand our own country's complicity in relation to the 9/11 attacks upon our nation.

Second, there has been a tendency for folks in our country to compartmentalize their religious beliefs from that of science and philosophy. Now it is important to understand that religion is based upon faith (knowledge that comes from personal experience). Science is based upon research (knowledge that accrues from the experimental process). And, of course, philosophy is based upon logic (knowledge based upon rational thought). One is no better than the other, and in our search for truth each should be allowed to complement the other. However, within that of the Christian fundamentalist community (one that did so very much to enable Bush-Cheney to be elected), there has been a deliberate attempt to discount what we have learned from science (as in global warming), as well as that of rational thought (that the world was created in a period of one week's time).

These folks believe that their religious beliefs are absolutely independent of anything and everything else in life, that their beliefs about God are more valid, and should be allowed to supersede every other source of knowledge. It doesn't matter to them if what they believe makes no sense at all or if what they believe is in absolute conflict with that of scientific evidence. To them, there is no gray, nothing but black and white, no critical thinking, nor even a willingness to listen to "the other side." There is just us (the good guys) and them (the bad guys), and, regardless of what you say, I am right and your are wrong, and if you do not agree with me, then you are going to go to Hell... and that is that! Probably the best example of such is an abject unwillingness on the part of so many folks in our country to face the mounting evidence that such a Godly country (The USA) led by such a fine Christian man (George Walker Bush) could have led our country into such an atrocious war while, along the way, having perhaps committed an amalgam of crimes against humanity. You see.. to hell with logic and scientific evidence, the truth (reality) is simply a matter of what I want it to be!

Third, in our country, there has been an absolutely inordinate interest in the procurement of freedom (a need for each to protect his or her own rights), at the expense of a reasonable concern for responsibility (an interest in the welfare of others). As a prominent philosopher once indicated... How wonderful it is that we decided to erect a Statue of Liberty on the east coast representing our concern for freedom, but how terribly unfortunate that we failed to erect a statue of responsibility on the west coast representing a corresponding need to be responsible.

Such an absurdly disproportionate interest in our own personal rights at the expense of an interest in the needs of others has lead our country to a kind of narcissism rarely seen at any other time in the history of man. Imagine a nation of individuals that represent only four percent of the world's population demanding the right to consume 35% of its wealth. It is almost as if Americans see themselves as having a moral right to plunder the earth and to hell with everyone else. And, of course, one of the best examples of such selfishness is the president's stubborn unwillingness to go along with the Kyoto Accord a world-wide effort to lessen the impact of global warming, much of which has been, and, of course, will continue to be caused by the tremendous polluting power of our own country. It is almost as if we, as a country, believe that we have the right to do whatever we want, and to hell with everybody else in the world. Almost as if might makes right and so... "screw you!"

Fourth, there has been an obdurate tendency for those in our country to become increasingly chauvinistic and bellicose. Chauvinistic in the sense of believing that patriotism, acting the part of a consummate American, is essential in order to be considered a decent human being, and, of course, translated this means, "If you don't like America the way it is, then you can just get the hell out!" And then such a chauvinism paired with a bellicosity that is moving us towards militancy, a willingness to castigate, an insistent urge to go to war against anyone, perhaps even everyone, who happens to simply disagree with us; those inside our borders such as liberals, humanists, democrats, or socialists, as well as those outside our borders such as Moslems, Palestinians, the freedom fighters of other countries, or even those of the Middle East who have the "rather ridiculous" belief that just because the oil is located on their land they seem to think they have the right to control other's access to it!

And finally, there is a tendency for the people of our country to have become increasingly ethnocentric, for our citizens to believe that our way (the American way) is the one best way of doing anything and everything in life.... and that anyone (any nation) that disagrees with us is simply out of step and therefore must be wrong! For example.. the belief that Christianity, fundamentalist Christianity, is the right religion and every other religion in the world is wrong, and will therefore lead people to go to Hell. The belief that capitalism is the one correct way for a nation to distribute its wealth, and any other way of distributing wealth, such as socialism, is unacceptable, if not evil! And, in regards to governance, the belief that democracy is the only acceptable way, and that all others such as that of a Moslem theocracy in Iraq is wholly unacceptable (of course disregarding the rather glaring hypocrisy of the religious right who would certainly not object if they were able to transform the United States government into some kind of "Christian organization")! Unfortunately, such a way of thinking has, no doubt, led far too many of our citizens into becoming the worst kind of scoundrels; bigots believing that we, as Americans, have the right to tell anyone and everyone else in the world how they ought to live their lives!

In conclusion, it is my opinion that such factors as I have enumerated have led our nation into a very dangerous quagmire, one of abject arrogance and ignorance, a very bad combination indeed! Arrogance in the sense of believing that our nation can do no evil, that we can make no mistakes, since our nation has quite obviously received the a priori blessing of God allowing us to do anything and everything we as a nation "feel led" to do. And, of course, such a myth has been compounded by the rather farcical assumption that our president is a man of God. Ignorance in that the people of our nation have, no doubt, allowed themselves to become quite "under-educated," our belief in God tends to restrict honest and rational thought, we have endeared freedom to the point that it has severely inhibited our ability to comprehend our moral responsibility to others, and we have become so terribly ethnocentric that we are nearly incapable of understanding that people around the world have a right to choose what is best for them.

Consequently, as a result of so many things having gone wrong in our nation, our mind, the way that we as Americans think, has become so terribly dumbed-down that we are on the verge of losing nearly everything we have attained over the many years since we became a nation. I have no doubt that pride always cometh before the fall, and given such an arrogant degree of ignorance that has seemingly befallen so many in our country, it is high time that we, as a nation, come to our senses before it is too late or the imperialistic desires of the Bush-Cheney administration will utilize every bit of "our collective dumbness" to take our country to a place that we dare not go... that of a long-standing imperial desire to conquer the world with the unfortunate likelihood of ending up in a world war... something that no sane human being should want regardless of how dumb they just might be!

Democrats and Republicans Fighting?

For Immediate Release

March 31, 2007

Audio

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In recent days, the House and Senate each passed emergency war spending bills that undercut our troops in the field. Each of the Democrats' bills would substitute the judgment of politicians in Washington for that of our generals on the ground. Each bill would impose restrictive conditions on our military commanders. Each bill would also set an arbitrary deadline for surrender and withdrawal in Iraq, and I believe that would have disastrous consequences for our safety here at home.

The Democrats loaded up their bills with billions of dollars in domestic spending completely unrelated to the war, including $3.5 million for visitors to tour the Capitol, $6.4 million for the House of Representatives' Salaries and Expenses Account, and $74 million for secure peanut storage. I like peanuts as much as the next guy, but I believe the security of our troops should come before the security of our peanut crop. For all these reasons, that is why I made it clear to the Democrats in Congress, I will veto the bill.

Democrats in the House and the Senate also recently passed their annual budget resolutions. Their budgets would raise your taxes and raise government spending in Washington. And their budgets fail to address the most serious challenge to our Nation's fiscal health: the unsustainable growth in entitlement programs, like Social Security and Medicare.

Overall, the Democrats would raise taxes by a total of nearly $400 billion over the next five years. To put this in perspective, this would be the largest tax increase in our Nation's history, even larger than the tax increase the Democrats passed the last time they controlled Congress.

Let me explain what it will mean for your annual tax bill if the Democrats get their way. If you have children, the Democrats would raise your taxes by $500 for each child. If you're a family of four making $60,000 a year, the Democrats would raise your taxes by more than $1,800. If you're a single mother with two children working to make ends meet, the Democrats would raise your taxes by more than $1,000. If you are a small business owner working to meet a payroll, the Democrats would raise your taxes by almost $4,000. And more than five million low-income Americans who currently pay no income taxes because of our tax relief would once again have to pay. Whether you have a family, work for a living, own a business, or are simply struggling to get by on a low income, the Democrats want to raise your taxes.

The Democrats plan to spend all those extra tax dollars. In the Senate, Democrats have passed a budget that would spend $145 billion more than I have requested over the next five years. In the House, Democrats have passed a budget that would spend even more -- $213 billion above my request.

With their budgets, the Democrats have revealed their true intentions. During the last campaign, Democrats said that under their "pay as you go" approach, they would pay for their new spending. Now we see what they meant by that. The Democrats have chosen a "tax as you go" approach that requires you to cut your spending to pay higher taxes. And Democrats will use these higher taxes to spend more of your money on their special interest projects.

Our Nation cannot afford such reckless taxing and spending. Under my Administration, we have kept your taxes low and restrained government spending in Washington. Now, America's economy is leading the world, with an economic expansion that has produced 42 months of uninterrupted job growth and created more than 7.5 million new jobs. The fastest way to stop this growth in its tracks would be to allow the Democrats in Congress to impose higher taxes on you so they can spend more of your money.

I believe there's a better way to balance our Federal budget. Last month, I sent Congress a plan that would eliminate the Federal deficit in five years, without raising your taxes. In the months ahead, I will work with Republicans and responsible Democrats in Congress to pass a disciplined budget and to stop the Democratic leadership from taking our Nation back to tax-and-spend policies of the past. By setting clear spending priorities and keeping taxes low, we can keep our economy growing, support our troops in the war on terror, and ensure our children and grandchildren inherit a more prosperous and hopeful America.

Thank you for listening.

END

"Palestine"

"The Muslim Ummah is like the human body, when one part of that body aches; the whole body aches. "


Mohammad (PBUH)

A clip of 786 (Seven 8 Six) performing their hit song 'Palestine' live at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.

For more info visit www.nasheeds.com or www.meemmusic.com)

An Little Islamic Reminder

Introduction

Salaam. I wasted a lot of time creating animation with music in the background. I was lost. music is haraam, and I never listened to it before, and now inshallah I won’t listen anymore.

So I decided, I will inshallah spend my time creating Islamic reminders, gaining me hasanaat, and a place inshallah in Janah.

I advise you all to watch this movie, as it took me time, and its worth it, and you will be asked how you spent your time, so spend it wisely.

Watch this now...

Princess Muslimah

Marines to Ban Tattoos

Introduction

Tattoos in Islam

Permanent Tattoo

Tattooing, in which the skin is pierced with a needle and a blue or other coloured dye is injected, is haraam in all forms, whether it causes pain or not, because it involves changing the creation of Allah, and because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cursed the one who does tattoos and the one for whom that is done. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “May Allah curse the women who do tattoos and those for whom tattoos are done, those who pluck their eyebrows and those who file their teeth for the purpose of beautification and alter the creation of Allah.” (al-Bukhaari, al-Libaas, 5587; Muslim, al-Libaas, 5538).

With regard to all these matters, the Ahadith testify that the one who does them is cursed and that they are major sins. There is some difference of scholarly opinion as to the reason why they are forbidden. It was said that it is because they are a form of deception, and it was said that it is because it is a way of changing the creation of Allah, as Ibn Mas’ood said – which is more correct and also includes the first meaning. And it was suggested that what is forbidden is only that which is permanent, because that is changing the creation of Allah; as for that which is not permanent, such as kohl which used for adornment by women, that is permitted by the scholars. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 5/393).

Temporary Henna Tattoo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tattoos: A Dangerous Art

This documentary chronicles a home made tattoo from construction of the gun to the application of the tattoo. It exposes the conflict between the professional tattoo artist and this unsafe practice. It won the "Outstanding Media Project 2006" award at the MSU Digital Media Arts and Technology Showcase.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marines Ban Big, Garish Tattoos

Marine Corps Bans Big, Garish Tattoos; Some Leathernecks Are Steamed

By THOMAS WATKINS

OCEANSIDE, Calif. Mar 28, 2007 (AP)— Five tattooed skulls stretch from Marine Cpl. Jeremy Slaton's right elbow to his wrist, spelling out the word "Death." He planned to add a tattoo spelling "Life" on his left arm, but that's on hold because of a Marine policy taking effect Sunday.

The Marines are banning any new, extra-large tattoos below the elbow or the knee, saying such body art is harmful to the Corps' spit-and-polish image.

Slaton and other grunts are not pleased.

"I guess I'll get the other half later," grumbled the 24-year-old leatherneck from Eden Prairie, Minn. "It's kind of messed up."

For many Marines, getting a tattoo is a rite of passage. They commonly get their forearms inscribed to remember fallen comrades, combat tours or loved ones, and often ask for exotic designs that incorporate the Marine motto, Semper Fi, or "Always faithful."

Dozens of Marines from Camp Pendleton, the West Coast's biggest Marine base, made last-minute trips to tattoo parlors in nearby Oceanside before the ban kicked in.

"This is something I love to do," said Cpl. David Nadrchal, 20, of Pomona, who made an appointment to get an Iraqi flag and his deployment dates etched onto his lower leg. "The fact I can't put something on my body that I want it's a big thing to tell me I can't do that."

Nadrchal said he is unsure whether he will re-enlist: "There's all these little things. They are slowly chipping away at us."

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway announced the policy change last week.
"Some Marines have taken the liberty of tattooing themselves to a point that is contrary to our professional demeanor and the high standards America has come to expect from us," he said. "I believe tattoos of an excessive nature do not represent our traditional values."

The ban is aimed primarily at "sleeve" tattoos, the large and often elaborate designs on the biceps and forearms of many Marines. Similar designs on the lower legs will be forbidden as well. So will very large tattoos on the upper arm, if they are visible when a Marine wears his workout T-shirt. Small, individual tattoos will still be allowed on the arms and legs. (The Marines already ban them on the hands.)

Marines already tattooed are exempt from the ban but cannot add to their designs; anyone caught with fresh ink in the wrong places could be barred from re-enlistment or face disciplinary action. Getting a prohibited tattoo could constitute a violation of a lawful order, punishable by up to two years in prison and a dishonorable discharge, Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Brian Donnelly said.

Unit commanders must photograph and document sleeve tattoos to ensure Marines do not add to their ink.

The Marines and the other branches of the military already ban tattoos that could be offensive or disruptive, such as images that are sexist, vulgar, gang-related or extremist.

The Army, which has been doing most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and is struggling to fill its ranks, actually relaxed its tattoo restrictions last year. Soldiers can now get ink on the back of their hands and the lower back of the neck.

The Navy last year decreed that tattoos visible while in short-sleeve uniform cannot be larger than the wearer's hand. The Air Force says tattoos should be covered up if they are bigger than one-quarter the size of the exposed body part.

Tattoo artist Jerry Layton at the Body Temple Tattoo Studio in Oceanside said he was booked up with Marines rushing to beat the deadline.

"These are guys that are dying in the war," Layton said. "They can fight, but they can't get a tattoo? It's ridiculous."

(Military spokesman's last name was misspelled as 'Donnolly' in previous version.)

Over 450,000 Jewish Settlers in West Bank

RAMALLAH, West Bank, 30 March 2007 — On the occasion of “Land Day”, celebrated every year on March 30 by Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Palestinian Arabs inside Israel, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has issued a press release detailing data on the occupied Palestinian land, including the Israeli settler population. According to the data over 450,000 Jewish settlers are in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Regarding the population density in the Palestinian areas, PCBS states that, in 2006, the population density in the West Bank was 432.3 persons per km and 3,955.7 persons per km in the Gaza Strip. The governorate of Gaza City was recorded as the most densely populated in 2006 with a population density of 6,833.8 persons per km.

On the other hand, the Jericho and Jordan Valley governorate was recorded as the least densely populated governorate with a population density of 73.6 persons per km. On an average, the Palestinian population density was recorded as 645.9 persons per km.

Regarding the Israeli Jewish settler population, the percentage of settlers in the Palestinian territories in 2005 equaled 15.8 percent of the total persons living in the West Bank; the highest percentage was in the Jerusalem governorate where settlers represented 38.0 percent of the total population, according to PCBS data.

The PCBS data suggest that the number of settlers in the West Bank in 2005 reached 451,441, of which 246,843 settlers were in the Jerusalem governorate (191,575 in the part of Jerusalem which was annexed by Israel in 1967, and 55,268 settlers in the rest of the governorate) representing 54.7 percent of total settlers in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, for the third day of its intensive military operations in West Bank, the Israeli forces killed a Palestinian youth during an arrest raid in a village located south of the West Bank city of Jenin. Palestinian sources said soldiers were looking for Rabia Assa’sa, a member of Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in the village of Muthallath Al-Shohada, south of Jenin. Rabia managed to escape but his brother Amjad was arrested.

A group of youths in the village confronted soldiers by hurling stones. Soldiers opened fire killing Ahmad Assa’sa and injuring two other youths. The Israeli forces said that, in the nearby village of Muthallath Al-Shuhhada, troops responded to fire directed at them and shot toward an armed man who was stationed on a roof but did not notice that he was hit, an army spokesman said.

Palestinian witnesses said Ahmad was not armed and soldiers were shooting in response to stone throwing in the village. Israeli forces arrested 15 Palestinian activists across the West Bank yesterday. Israeli soldiers operating in Nablus overnight arrested the city’s Islamic Jihad leader

Israel rejects Arab peace plan

Palestinian leaders hope Israel will accept the Arab League offer [Reuters]

March 29, 2007

Israel has refused to accept a revived Arab peace initiative, saying more negotiations are needed.

The plan, put forward after an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia, offers Israel full diplomatic ties if it withdraws from all land seized in the 1967 war, allows the creation of a Palestinian state and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Amr Moussa, the league's secretary general, read out a "Riyadh Declaration" reaffirming its commitment to an initiative offered in 2002.

The declaration "affirms a just and comprehensive peace ... based on the principles and resolutions of international legitimacy and the land-for-peace formula".

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, urged Israel "not to miss another chance" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to accept the revived plan.

"I reiterate the sincerity of the Palestinian will in extending the hand of peace to the Israeli people."

Israeli rejection

However, Shimon Peres, the Israeli deputy prime minister, rejected the initiative and said talks were needed on any final peace deal.

"There is only one way to overcome our differences, and that is negotiation," he told Israel radio.

Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, said the Israel rejection was not suprising.

"This has always been its approach. Whenever the Arabs come up with resolutions ... [offering] peace, they reject them categorically," he said.

Refugee issue

One obstacle is the the right of return of the Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the creation of Israel in 1948, and of their descendants.

However, the Riyadh Declaration makes no direct mention of the refugee issue and the 2002 plan calls only for a "just solution" to the problem.

Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's Jerusalem correspondent, said that Israel might see room for manoeuvre in this.

"Israel will be looking for any signs that the Arab League has toned down the 2002 plan - most notably on the right of return for refugees."

In their closing statement, Arab leaders also warned of a threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, seen as refering to Israel and Iran.

The leaders called for greater co-operation among Arab nations to develop their own peaceful nuclear energy programmes.

Many Arab states share Western concerns that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and are worried about its growing influence in the region's main hotspots - Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

Source

Anti-Islamic film linked to pro-Israeli groups

March 29, 2007

An anti-Islamic documentary, promoted by the two most-watched U.S. cable networks, CNN and Fox News, was marketed and supported by pro-Israeli groups, according to an IPS investigation.

The film, titled "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West", includes pictures of Palestinian resistance fighters, footage of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Nazi rallies, with the aim of comparing the threat posed by “radical Islam” to that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

“Obsession”, produced by Raphael Shore, a Canadian now living in Israel, and directed by Wayne Kopping of South Africa, ran on CNN and Fox News, which aired it seven times in November last year. Both networks praised the film, with CNN's right-wing pundit Glen Beck calling it "one of the most important films of our time", and Sean Hannity of FOX News describing it as "shocking beyond belief".

But neither station acknowledged the film’s connection to HonestReporting, a watchdog group that monitors the media for the alleged negative portrayals of Israel.

HonestReporting admits that it marketed "Obsession" but denies it produced or funded the project. "We initially gave some guidance to the 'Obsession' staff," wrote Pesach Bensen, editor of Mediabackspin.com, the organization's weblog, in an email response to IPS.

HonestReporting was set up in 2002 by British university students who objected to what they considered anti-Israeli coverage by European media in response to the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

Although the film’s website doesn’t mention HonestReporting, the group’s name does appear at the end of the film's credits.

Moreover, a call for tax-deductible donations to help "launch" the documentary appeared on HonestReporting's website, promising a free DVD of "Obsession" upon release. Contributors of 250 dollars or more were promised a free copy of the book "Israel: Life in the Shadow of Terror". An entry on Mediabackspin.com, the organization's weblog, also describes HonestReporting as a "proud partner" of the film.

The documentary has sparked debate on U.S. university campuses, where Muslim students opposed its screening, saying that it would spur hate crimes against them.

“Obsession” was screened on 30 campuses last semester -- along with DVD sales on the Internet and showings at synagogues. But administrators in some colleges pressured student groups not to show the film.

According to the New York Times, a Middle East discussion group that planned to screen the film found out that the distributors of "Obsession" require the audience to register with IsraelActivism.com, the Web site of Hasbara Fellowships, a pro-Israeli group which aims to train students "to be effective pro-Israel activists on their campuses."

The founder of Hasbara helped found HonestReporting. Rabbi Ephraim Shore, the president of HonestReporting, also helped found Hasbara.

Although the film contains disclaimers stating that "it's important to remember most Muslims are peaceful and do not support terror," critics argue that it makes little distinction between the Islamic religion and the political realities that fuel terrorism.

"It's all part of that industry of Muslim bashers," said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Norah Sarsour, a Palestinian-American university student, said it was disheartening to see "a film like this that takes the people who have hijacked the religion and focuses on them."

Some Rabbis also spoke out against the film, describing it as biased.

It was "a way to transfer the Middle East conflict to the campus, to promote hostility,” said Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, director of the Hillel Jewish student group at Pace University in New York, which canceled the screening of the film last November.

STATEMENT On The Assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

Neturei Karta International

March 2004, Leicester, England 27

My friends, Neturei Karta attend occasions such as this because we feel that we have both a religious and humanitarian duty to publicise our message as much as possible.

The assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin by the Zionist State is the latest tragic episode in the one hundred year old confrontation between Zionist and Arab in Palestine.

It is tragic both for Jews and for Palestinians. It is tragic because it is another instance of the trail of bloodshed which has been the result of the Zionist Palestinian confrontation which has existed since the formation of the Zionist ideal to set up an illegitimate State in Palestine. Illegitimate because it is contrary to Jewish Religious belief and contrary to Jewish Religious teaching on basic humanitarian justice.

The Zionists claim (misleadingly) to represent the Jewish People and, as a result, any animosity arising among Palestinians following the assassination of Sheikh Yassin could fall on the whole of the Jewish People.

Those who harbour this animosity are accused of anti-Semitism. However, what has to be made abundantly clear is that Zionism is not Judaism. Zionists cannot speak in the name of Jews. Zionists may have been born as Jews, but to be a Jew also requires adherence to Jewish belief and conduct. Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism. On the contrary Zionism itself and its deeds are the biggest threat to Jews and Judaism.

THEREFORE Orthodox Jews wish to declare that the Zionists do not represent the Jews in any way and they have no mandate whatsoever to speak in the name of the Jewish People. Orthodox Jews dissociate themselves entirely from the perpetuation of the confrontation with the Palestinian People.

We absolutely sympathise with the Palestinian cause, and protest vehemently against the terrible wrongs being perpetrated against the Palestinian People by the Zionist illegitimate regime in Palestine.

Sheikh Yassin embodied the Palestinian claim and dream to be their own masters in Palestine and it was for this cause that he died.

Orthodox Jews endorse Sheikh Yassin’s claim because that is the wish of the Palestinian People, the indigenous population of Palestine.

I wish to add that the connection between Arab and Jew goes right back into ancient history. Mostly the relationship was friendly and mutually beneficial. Historically, the situation frequently was that when Jews were being persecuted in Europe they found refuge in the various Arab countries. Our attitude to Arabs and Muslims can only be one of friendliness and respect.

I would like to finish with the following words. We want to tell the world, especially our Arab and Muslim neighbours, that there is no hatred or animosity between Jew and Arab. We wish to live together as friends and neighbours as we have done mostly over hundreds even thousands of years in all the Arab countries. It was only the advent of the Zionists and Zionism which upset this age old relationship.

We wish to declare once again that the only solution to the impasse in Palestine is the total peaceful dismantling of the Zionist State.

We consider the Palestinians as the people with the right to govern in Palestine. The Zionist State known as “Israel” is a regime that has no right to exist. Its continuing existence is the underlying cause of the strife in Palestine.

We pray for a solution to the terrible and tragic impasse that exists. Hopefully based on results brought about by moral, political and economic pressures imposed by the nations of the world.

We pray for an end to bloodshed and an end to the suffering of all innocent people - Jew and non-Jew alike - worldwide.

We are waiting for the annulment of Zionism and the dismantling of the Zionist regime, which will bring about an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people. We would welcome the opportunity to dwell in peace in the holy land under a rule which is entirely in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the Palestinian People.

May we soon merit the time when all mankind will be at peace with each other

¤¤¤¤¤¤

Update:

March 1, 2007: Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews held a counter protest against Zionist extremists outside the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York City.

American Zionist Relations

Isn’t it time for a resolution?

House approves 2008 deadline for war pullout

Bush calls it 'political theater' and vows to veto bill

March 29, 2007

Video

WASHINGTON - A sharply divided House voted Friday to order President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year, but the president reiterated his vow to veto the bill, saying the House had “abdicated its responsibility.”

Bush appeared at the White House alongside veterans and family members of troops to accuse Democrats of staging nothing more than "political theater" that delays the delivery of resources to soldiers fighting in Iraq. If the spending bill is not approved and signed into law by April 15, Bush said troops and their families “will face significant disruptions.”

“A narrow majority in the House of Representatives abdicated its responsibility by passing a war spending bill that has no chance of becoming law and brings us no closer to getting the troops the resources they need to do their job,” the president said.

“These Democrats believe that the longer they can delay funding for our troops, the more likely they are to force me to accept restrictions on our commanders, an artificial timetable for withdrawal and their pet spending projects,” he said. “This is not going to happen.”

The victory for Democrats is part of an epic war-powers struggle, and Congress’ boldest challenge yet to the administration’s policy.

Ignoring the veto threat, lawmakers voted 218-212, mostly along party lines, for a binding war spending bill requiring that combat operations cease before September 2008, or earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet certain requirements. Democrats said it was time to heed the mandate of their election sweep last November, which gave them control of Congress.

“The American people have lost faith in the president’s conduct of this war,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not.”

The vote, echoing clashes between lawmakers and the White House over the Vietnam War four decades ago, pushed the Democratic-led Congress a step closer to a constitutional collision with the wartime commander in chief. Bush has insisted that lawmakers allow more time for his strategy of sending nearly 30,000 additional troops to Iraq to work.

Pelosi victoryThe roll call also marked a triumph for Pelosi., who labored in recent days to bring together a Democratic caucus deeply divided over the war. Some of the party’s more liberal members voted against the bill because they said it would not end the war immediately, while more conservative Democrats said they were reluctant to take away flexibility from generals in the field.

Republicans were almost completely unified in their fight against the bill, which they said was tantamount to admitting failure in Iraq.

“The stakes in Iraq are too high and the sacrifices made by our military personnel and their families too great to be content with anything but success,” said Republican Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

What is the number one myth about Israel and Palestine?

Check our DNA!

Abbas and Olmert to Meet Regularly

Mohammed Mar’i & Hisham Abu Taha, Arab News


RAMALLAH/GAZA CITY, 28 March 2007 — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had agreed to meet once every two weeks and hold talks that could include discussions about the formation of a Palestinian state. She said the United States would continue to mediate.

Rice made the statement at the end of a brief visit to the Middle East, after shuttling between the two sides for three days. American officials had hoped that the secretary would announce a new diplomatic drive for talks toward Palestinian statehood. But the hopes were dampened late Monday, when she met with Olmert for a second time. The prime minister expressed his strong opposition to any mention of the “core issues” in the final status agreement with the Palestinians, namely, Jerusalem, the Palestinian refugees and the 1967 border. Following deliberations between the two, Rice decided she would not make any dramatic statements in yesterday’s news conference; rather she would summarize her diplomatic efforts in the region in recent days. She said that Olmert and Abbas showed flexibility. Rice said she would participate occasionally in the meetings between the two.

“The parties will also begin to discuss the development of a political horizon consistent with the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with the road map,” she said, adding that “new thinking” was needed to move the stalled peace process forward.

“We are not yet at final status negotiations. These are initial discussions to build confidence between parties,” Rice said. The discussions will leave an opening for negotiations on other issues in the future. The secretary said she will continue her periodic visits to the region, in which she will hold parallel talks with Israel and the Palestinians on all issues pertaining to the “political horizon.”

The secretary said doors had been opened during her visit and that she was laying the ground work for future peace talks. Rice said that her envoy, Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, would try to set benchmarks with both parties toward a final agreement. Halting rocket fire from Gaza on Israel and improving movement of Palestinian travelers and cargo at Israeli-controlled crossings were the key issues on the agenda, she said.

A Day of Iran

There is a land that has dogs in the house
When it is still Haraam.

Where a Palestinian is still welcome
Even when the country is threatened
By the bomb.



Where you can freely practice Islam
And have time to pray five times a day.



A land that stands against the world’s enemy
Where there is hope for a firm tomorrow.

Where being a Muslim is still honored
Not opposed like the West.

A Shia land that stands firm
On the oppressor’s who murder all Muslim
Regardless of whom?

~Housewife4Palestine

Deen-il-Islam

by Zain Bhikha

Saudi Summit: 'Cat Fight and Piss Match Going Home with Tail's Between their Legs?'

Arabs set for peace offensive at Saudi summit


March 27, 2007

by Lamia Radi

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud(L) speaks with Saudi Prince Satam bin Abdul Aziz upon arrival at Riyadh airport. Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit which will formally relaunch a long-dormant Arab plan for Middle East peace and actively seek negotiations with Israel.

Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit which will formally relaunch a long-dormant Arab plan for Middle East peace and actively seek negotiations with Israel.

The annual meeting of heads of state, which starts on Wednesday, comes after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealed to Arab governments to "begin reaching out to Israel" by building on the peace blueprint first adopted at a summit in Beirut in 2002.

Arab foreign ministers agreed to revive the plan in preparatory talks on Monday. The blueprint offers Israel full normalisation of relations if it withdraws from all lands it occupied in 1967, and permits the creation of a Palestinian state and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Saudi Arabia, a US ally and author of the blueprint, lobbied fellow Arab states to endorse the plan's revival, leaning particularly on the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas which now leads a government of national unity with the Fatah party of president Mahmud Abbas.

Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya(L) and his Lebanese counterpart Fuad Siniora embrace ahead of a meeting in Riyadh. Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit which will formally relaunch a long-dormant Arab plan for Middle East peace and actively seek negotiations with Israel.

Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya and Abbas flew into Riyadh aboard the same plane in a show of unity.

Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal also reportedly assured Saudi Arabia that the group, which does not recognise Israel, will back whatever consensus the Arab summit reaches on the peace plan.

Palestinian foreign minister Ziad Abu Amr, an independent in the new unity cabinet who is seen as an acceptable interlocutor by the West, told AFP that the international community should "isolate Israel" if it spurns the Arab peace offer.

The Palestinian president said: "If this initiative is destroyed, I do not believe that a better chance for peace will present itself in the near future.

"I think the Arab initiative is the most precious and important (plan) proposed since 1948 for a solution of the Palestinian problem and the occupation," Abbas told AFP.

Israel rejected the peace blueprint when it was first adopted, but Israeli leaders have recently spoken of the plan as a starting point for talks.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni identified the plan's insistence on the right of return of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Middle East war as a particular stumbling block.

Saudi King Abdullah(R) welcomes Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad at Riyadh airport. Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit which will formally relaunch a long-dormant Arab plan for Middle East peace and actively seek negotiations with Israel.

Arab ministers said their offer of talks with all parties including Israel was intended to address such problems.

The Arab League was "sending a clear message to the world about their determination to strive for peace," one minister told AFP.

Ministers were "declaring their readiness to open negotiations with the Jewish state about the modalities of their initiative, namely the thorny question of Palestinian refugees," he said.

The minister said the contacts would be undertaken by working teams whose membership would reflect the varying "relations with the rest of the world" of different Arab states.
Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab countries to have peace treaties with Israel, will handle the contacts with the Jewish state, he added.

In contrast with the display of unity by the Palestinians, Lebanon will have two delegations at Wednesday's summit, after the failure of Saudi-led attempts to resolve the rift between pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud and anti-Syrian Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Saudi King Abdullah(R) speaks to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at Riyadh airport. Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit which will formally relaunch a long-dormant Arab plan for Middle East peace and actively seek negotiations with Israel.

It will also be represented by two foreign ministers -- pro-Syrian minister Fawzi Salloukh, who tendered his resignation last November along with five other Damascus allies -- and anti-Syrian interim minister Tareq Mitri.

Siniora arrived in Riyadh to a low-key welcome, despite Saudi Arabia's close ties with his cabinet.

Lahoud was denied the guard of honour given to other heads of state and greeted at the airport by Riyadh deputy governor Prince Sattam bin Abdel Aziz rather than by King Abdullah.

The monarch did turn out to welcome Lahoud's Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, meeting him for the first time since last summer's Lebanon war sparked a war of words between the two governments over the wisdom of Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers that sparked the conflict.

Iraq's Kurdish foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, hit out at fellow ministers after they drafted a resolution calling for amendments to the Iraqi constitution to give more power to the ousted Sunni Arab elite and reverse moves towards a federal system.

"We don't need a diktat from Arab countries," Zebari said.

Libya is the only member of the 22-strong Arab League boycotting the summit.

Saudi King Abdullah(R) welcomes Iraqi President Jalal Talabani(L) at Riyadh airport. Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit which will formally relaunch a long-dormant Arab plan for Middle East peace and actively seek negotiations with Israel.

Bush Family Aided Hitler?

Prescott Bush

"It is quite clear that one of the major challenges of the 1970s ... will be to curb the world's fertility." -- George Bush Sr.






"Those who are physically and mentally unhealthy and unworthy must not perpetuate their suffering in the body of their children." -- Adolph Hitler

A highly esteemed investigative reporter explores the facts surrounding how George Bush's grandfather Prescott Bush aided Hitler and the Third Reich come into power and also compares propaganda techniques used by the Bush Administration of today with the techniques used by Adolf Hitler.

Also, there is a mentioning about California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s family ties and views towards Nazism.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Further Reading:

Gold Fillings, Auschwitz & George Bush

The Bush Family --- Eugenics & Master Racism

Western War Ideology ?

Can They Do Better Then This?

Middle East Options

Catastrophe in Gaza: flood of sewage kills six, numbers rising

Palestinian rescue workers search for bodies amongst flooded houses after a cesspool embankment collapsed in the village of Umm Naser, in the northern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 27, 2007. An earth embankment around a cesspool suddenly collapsed Tuesday, spewing a river of sewage and mud that killed three people and forced residents to flee from this village in the northern Gaza Strip, officials said. A local official blamed shoddy infrastructure in Umm Naser, a town of 3,000, for the disaster. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

March 27, 2007

Gaza - Ma'an - At least six Palestinians have died and many others have been injured when a pool of sewage burst its banks near the Bedouin village of Um An-Nasir in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.

The rescue operation is ongoing.

The sewage, which was held in a reservoir, destroyed the decades-old walls and flooded an area where many Bedouins live. At least 25 houses in the Bedouin village of approximately 5,000 inhabitants were surrounded by the polluted water.

One of the killed people was identified as Nasira Abu Atiq, 80, according to medical sources. The head of emergencies in the Palestinian health ministry, Dr. Mu'awiya Hassanein, confirmed to Ma'an the death of six Palestinians and the injury of many others. He added that the rescue operation is still ongoing.

The mayor of the village, Ziad Abu Farya, said, "Nearly 70 percent of the village's houses were surrounded by the contaminated water, which overflowed into the village." He noted that every 15 minutes, a child is rescued from the water.

Abu Farya appealed to the municipality, all institutions and the public for immediate help in the rescue operation. He added that the injured Palestinians are being transported to Kamal Adwan Hospital and the military hospital.

The Palestinian ministry of health warned long ago about the danger of the sewage reservoir.

The Gaza municipality has expressed regret and sorrow for the collapse of the sanitation compound in the village of Um An-Nasir.

Palestinians search for survivors amongstthe sewage (MaanImages)

The emergency teams in the municipalities, including dozens of engineers and technicians, with the support of machinery and equipment, worked with civil defense teams at the site to rescue citizens and prevent the continuation of the devastating effects of this accident.

The mayor of Gaza City, Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan, gave instructions to immediately help the citizens of the village of Um An-Nasir, and act to alleviate the suffering caused by the collapse of the sewage treatment plant.

A spokesman for the Palestinian interior ministry, Khalid Abu Hilal, said that the cabinet will convene at the request of the interior minister, Hani Qawasmi in order to discuss the environmental disaster.

In a press conference held in Gaza, the spokesman added that the minister has contacted the cabinet and the security commanders to form a committee to investigate the reasons for the collapse of the walls of the sewage reservoir.

On the other hand, Abu Hilal denied that the minister's convoy was shot at near Um An-Nasir on Tuesday. He stressed that the minister insisted on visiting the afflicted area himself. Abu Hilal then confirmed that local residents "abused" the minister but the guards dispersed them by firing shots in the air.

News War: Stories From a Small Planet

Coming March 27th at 9pm

Check Local Listings »

On Tuesday, March 27, FRONTLINE/World will conclude the "News War" series with a 60 minute report about global media. In the lead story, "War of Ideas," correspondent Greg Barker investigates new Arab media and its role in both mitigating and exacerbating the clash between the West and Islam.

Focusing on Al Jazeera and how it has changed the face of a once-parochial and tightly controlled Arab media, Barker reports on Al Jazeera's growing influence around the world.

The second story, "Requiem," pays tribute to reporters from across the globe who have been killed, jailed, or exiled for daring to speak truth to power. Last year, 2006, was one of the deadliest years on record for journalists and most did not die in combat. They were deliberately targeted, hunted down, and murdered, often in their homes or offices, for investigating corruption, crime, or human rights abuses. As the need for fair and accurate news coverage increases, FRONTLINE/World looks at the dangers journalists confront to tell their stories.

photo © CHRIS HELGREN/Reuters/Corbis

Not Stand up to Ahmadinejad

We, the undersigned, call on the international community to indict Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for incitement to commit genocide, as per the UN Genocide Convention which classifies "incitement to commit genocide" as a crime against humanity.

Aish.Com

by Housewife4Palestine

This is the latest insult by the Zionist towards the President of Iran, namely Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and it shouldn‘t go without reputable form those who are not Zionist nor those under their feet in the West.

There is numerous campaigns these days to not only insult Ahmadinejad personally with the propaganda lies, but to go even further for the American’s in Hollywood to create a movie that is my understanding an outrage in Iran itself, namely the movie called, “300,” that just came out this month.

Warriors take their places at the front of the deadly Spartan phalanx in Warner Bros. Pictures' 300 - 2007

In my opinion the movie not only insulted the Iranian people, but also the people of Greece, towards an historical event in history; that wouldn’t have looked towards this form of barbarism and idolatry.

The Zionist are taking a form of propaganda, like a last ditch breath to sway thinking towards their cause in any means necessary because they are not just loosing a war of arms, but the war of thinking and wills. Otherwise, they are drawing for straws, to create thinking towards the negative views of the historical country of Iran.

While it is knowledgeable that Ahmadinejad accused the Zionist of war crimes and their continuous global threats to humanity using the West. The Zionist are a threat and should be dealt with is the thinking of two thirds of the world.

Iran nor any country or people that oppose genocide to the world are a threat to humanity, but just another attempt to save.

One thing to remember, the Zionist always points fingers at others for the crimes that they commit themselves.

Finally, to accuse Ahmadinejad of any kind of war crimes, those who are perpetrating the real war crimes should go first.