Joseph Farah is founder of World Net Daily and a daily writer on diverse subjects.
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Obama's Ramadan blessing
Exclusive: Joseph Farah rebuts prez's claim Islam is just, tolerant, progressive
By Joseph Farah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a whole lot of pretending going on in our world today.
We have a federal judge ruling that the 5,000-year-old institution of marriage was "biased" and immoral from the start because of the way it discriminated unfairly against homosexuals.
We have a Justice Department that dismissed an open-and-shut case of vigilante-style voter intimidation because the perpetrators were black and the victims white.
And we have a man in the White House who extols Islam for "advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings."
That's what I call pretending.
In blessing the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, Barack Obama added that Islam "is a faith known for great diversity and racial equality" and that it "has always been part of America."
Brigitte Gabriel combats politically correct notions about the "religion of peace" in "They Must be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How we Can Do It"
I have more than a passing knowledge of Islam that includes firsthand experience and a significant amount of study over the last 30 years. But somehow I must have missed the advancements of justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
Honestly, I can think of none.
Did I overlook a reformation in the religion that has resulted in one genocide after another for the last 1,300 years? Racial equality? Has the Quran been rewritten to excise Muhammad's characterizations of blacks as "ugly," "raisin heads" and "pug-nosed slaves"?
Didn't it also say in that book that when Allah created the white man, he touched his right shoulder and he came out destined for paradise, but when he touched the left shoulder of the black man, he came out destined for hell?
Who does Obama think sold all those millions of black Africans into slavery in Europe and America? Is he not aware that black slavery is still alive in some Muslim countries in the Middle East?
Justice? Talk to me about it after you finish reading "The Stoning of Soriah M."
Progress? Can you name for me one major scientific or social advancement we can historically and accurately attribute to Islam?
Tolerance? I quote: "O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." Today, imams in the Middle East and elsewhere still quote Muhammad's hadith as their current marching orders: "The Hour [Day of Resurrection] will not arrive until you fight the Jews, [until a Jew will hide behind a rock or tree] and the rock and the tree will say: 'Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!'"
Dignity of all human beings? In Islam, Muslim males have a higher worth than any others. A Muslim man can have up to four wives, beat them and change them as he pleases.
How about Islam always being a part of America?
Perhaps Obama is referring to the Barbary pirates attacking American commercial ships, capturing their crews and holding them for ransom. Or maybe he's thinking back further to the reason Christopher Columbus journeyed West – to find a safe trade route to the East, one that would mean avoiding the murderous mujahedeen who had blocked the land routes.
I don't know.
What do you think he's talking about?
Were any of the founders Muslim?
What are the great Muslim moments in American history?
Maybe all of this sounds harsh.
But somebody's got to say it.
I'm not going to sit still while this pretender of an American president lies about the historical record and misrepresents evil as good.
It's time to stop pretending.
Well, that's what he says and I have to say it makes sense to me. What do you think?
Stephen M. Flatow
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Russians and their conversion – those crazy (actually, not so crazy) Israelis
Martin Oliner, chairman of the Religious Zionists of America weighs in on the kerfuffle surrounding proposed legislation in Israel that would make it easier for Russian citizens of Israel to become Jews. If your first response is “huh, I thought Israel only allowed in people who were Jews?” it would be a good response but the answer is “no.”
In response to the Nazi’s determination that anyone with one grandparent was Jewish and therefore liable for all kinds of special treatment, the State of Israel’s founders determined that anyone with one Jewish grandparent would be entitled to citizenship. Thus, almost 1,000,000 Russian citizens flooded Israel when the gates to migration from the Soviet Union were opened. But many of those Russians are themselves not legally Jewish.
This creates many Jewish life style issues. To alleviate those issues, conversion is in order. Now, some complain about a perceived difficulty with conversions, and the bill, commonly called the Rotem Bill after its sponsor was introduced to make it easier to convert. Well, the proverbial feathers hit the fan in, of all places, the United States.
Here’s Oliner’s view on the issue taken from the Jewish Press.
The Conversion Controversy: An Orthodox Perspective
By: Martin Oliner
Lost amidst the controversy surrounding the proposal to reform Israeli conversion law is its impact on thousands of former Soviet Jews who immigrated to Israel in search of religious freedom after three generations of Communist-imposed atheism and anti-Semitism. The American Jews who have fomented opposition to the bill are unwittingly following in the footsteps of the former Soviet oppressors.
Take a common-enough scenario, an 18-year-old Israeli-born soldier, the son of Russian émigrés, who eats kosher, observes religious holidays, and is willing to die for his homeland. His parents entered Israel under the Law of Return, but according to Jewish law (halachah) he is not considered Jewish because his mother is not Jewish. He cannot marry in his native land or be buried in a Jewish cemetery.
Under the Law of Return, Israel grants citizenship to anyone with one Jewish grandparent. An estimated 300,000 of the million immigrants from the Soviet Union are therefore not Jewish according to Jewish law. Some five percent, or 15,000, wish to become Jewish, but are stymied because current Israeli law allows only the Israeli Chief Rabbinate to perform conversions. This creates a bottleneck. The rabbinic courts are backlogged with applications, each of which has to be individually investigated and processed.
Jewish law is specific about what is asked of a person who wishes to be a Jew: circumcision for men (milah), a dip in a ritual bath (mikveh) and, above all, a commitment to living a Jewish lifestyle. A rabbinic court (beis din) is convened to ensure that these requirements have been met. Most rabbis - and this includes most Orthodox rabbis - are not conversant in the arcane details, just as most rabbis are unprepared to slaughter an animal according to Jewish dietary law or to circumcise an infant boy. These skills must be specifically learned. Would you hire an outstanding lawyer who specializes in matrimonial law or in corporate mergers to defend you in a murder trial?
David Rotem, is a Member of Knesset representing the political party supported by many Russian immigrants. He introduced a measure to ease the bottleneck by permitting chief rabbis of cities throughout Israel who have passed examinations in order to hold their office to conduct conversions. The bill pertains only to conversions performed within Israel. It vastly expands, rather than limits, the number of rabbis authorized to perform conversions. And it leaves intact the ability of rabbis of all persuasions in America and throughout the world to perform conversions that are recognized in Israel.
To me, the Rotem Bill is laudable. But the leadership of the Reform movement in America opposes it, and has threatened to withhold financial and political support from Israel if the bill passes. It has even lobbied 20 members of Congress against aid to Israel. These leaders claim to represent a majority of American Jewry, but clearly they do not. They may not like these facts:
· Half of American Jews are unaffiliated with any movement, while others are Conservative or Orthodox. Therefore, the Reform movement cannot possibly represent a majority. In fact, the largest group of affiliated Jews is Orthodox.
· With few exceptions, the 900 Reform synagogues are full only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur while most Orthodox congregations are full every Shabbat. Therefore, the claim even to represent Reform-affiliated Jews is tenuous - the members are uninvolved and are out of the loop.
· Reform rabbis perform conversions without regard to halachah. They count as Jewish children born to non-Jewish mothers. They do not require circumcision, ritual bath, or Jewish lifestyle. Therefore, their opinion concerning who is a Jew is of dubious merit.
· In the United States, even the Conservative Movement does not accept Reform conversions that do not involve circumcision and ritual bath.
These are harsh judgments, but they are indisputable. Now let's look at the religious and political environment in Israel:
· Even if they only attend services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, most Israelis select Orthodox congregations. Non-Orthodox congregations and rabbis exist wherever they find support. There are very few. Why? That's the Israeli choice.
· Orthodoxy is not a monolith but a broad spectrum, ranging from modern men and women in casual attire to Chassidim.
· The two major parties in the governing coalition are secular, and are democratically elected. If they support legislation, it's because their constituents support it, not because of their own theological inclinations. That's how a democracy works.
The president of the Union for Reform Judaism decried Israel's "coercive religious monopoly." Yet the Reform leaders seem untroubled by their efforts to coerce the government of Israel into granting equal stature to their movement, which has very few adherents in Israel. In my opinion, the leadership of Reform Judaism is using the Rotem Bill as a smokescreen to disguise the movement's own shortcomings.
Times are difficult for the State of Israel. Not only the Arab countries, but many in Europe and elsewhere, are engaged in efforts to delegitimize it. Compared to any Arab nation, or many in Asia, Africa or Latin America, Israel's human rights record is laudable. Israeli Arabs and Jews have equal access to the courts. Mosques function openly. Minarets sound. Israeli Arabs and Palestinians wear burqas or any other garb they choose. For American Jews to denigrate Israel is terribly harmful to both countries. To lobby Congress against Israel is simply unforgivable.
Hopefully, the Rotem Bill will be enacted after the six-month moratorium called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The bill is good for Israel and in no way prejudicial to the interests of any segment of American Jewry. It is inconceivable that Russian immigrants who, for over a half-century, were not allowed to practice Judaism as they wished by the Communist regime, would now be stymied by America's Reform movement, a group with which they have virtually no connection.
Date: Wednesday, August 18 2010 Copyright 2008 www.JewishPress.com
Well, I think this makes sense. What do you have to say?
Stephen M. Flatow
In response to the Nazi’s determination that anyone with one grandparent was Jewish and therefore liable for all kinds of special treatment, the State of Israel’s founders determined that anyone with one Jewish grandparent would be entitled to citizenship. Thus, almost 1,000,000 Russian citizens flooded Israel when the gates to migration from the Soviet Union were opened. But many of those Russians are themselves not legally Jewish.
This creates many Jewish life style issues. To alleviate those issues, conversion is in order. Now, some complain about a perceived difficulty with conversions, and the bill, commonly called the Rotem Bill after its sponsor was introduced to make it easier to convert. Well, the proverbial feathers hit the fan in, of all places, the United States.
Here’s Oliner’s view on the issue taken from the Jewish Press.
The Conversion Controversy: An Orthodox Perspective
By: Martin Oliner
Lost amidst the controversy surrounding the proposal to reform Israeli conversion law is its impact on thousands of former Soviet Jews who immigrated to Israel in search of religious freedom after three generations of Communist-imposed atheism and anti-Semitism. The American Jews who have fomented opposition to the bill are unwittingly following in the footsteps of the former Soviet oppressors.
Take a common-enough scenario, an 18-year-old Israeli-born soldier, the son of Russian émigrés, who eats kosher, observes religious holidays, and is willing to die for his homeland. His parents entered Israel under the Law of Return, but according to Jewish law (halachah) he is not considered Jewish because his mother is not Jewish. He cannot marry in his native land or be buried in a Jewish cemetery.
Under the Law of Return, Israel grants citizenship to anyone with one Jewish grandparent. An estimated 300,000 of the million immigrants from the Soviet Union are therefore not Jewish according to Jewish law. Some five percent, or 15,000, wish to become Jewish, but are stymied because current Israeli law allows only the Israeli Chief Rabbinate to perform conversions. This creates a bottleneck. The rabbinic courts are backlogged with applications, each of which has to be individually investigated and processed.
Jewish law is specific about what is asked of a person who wishes to be a Jew: circumcision for men (milah), a dip in a ritual bath (mikveh) and, above all, a commitment to living a Jewish lifestyle. A rabbinic court (beis din) is convened to ensure that these requirements have been met. Most rabbis - and this includes most Orthodox rabbis - are not conversant in the arcane details, just as most rabbis are unprepared to slaughter an animal according to Jewish dietary law or to circumcise an infant boy. These skills must be specifically learned. Would you hire an outstanding lawyer who specializes in matrimonial law or in corporate mergers to defend you in a murder trial?
David Rotem, is a Member of Knesset representing the political party supported by many Russian immigrants. He introduced a measure to ease the bottleneck by permitting chief rabbis of cities throughout Israel who have passed examinations in order to hold their office to conduct conversions. The bill pertains only to conversions performed within Israel. It vastly expands, rather than limits, the number of rabbis authorized to perform conversions. And it leaves intact the ability of rabbis of all persuasions in America and throughout the world to perform conversions that are recognized in Israel.
To me, the Rotem Bill is laudable. But the leadership of the Reform movement in America opposes it, and has threatened to withhold financial and political support from Israel if the bill passes. It has even lobbied 20 members of Congress against aid to Israel. These leaders claim to represent a majority of American Jewry, but clearly they do not. They may not like these facts:
· Half of American Jews are unaffiliated with any movement, while others are Conservative or Orthodox. Therefore, the Reform movement cannot possibly represent a majority. In fact, the largest group of affiliated Jews is Orthodox.
· With few exceptions, the 900 Reform synagogues are full only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur while most Orthodox congregations are full every Shabbat. Therefore, the claim even to represent Reform-affiliated Jews is tenuous - the members are uninvolved and are out of the loop.
· Reform rabbis perform conversions without regard to halachah. They count as Jewish children born to non-Jewish mothers. They do not require circumcision, ritual bath, or Jewish lifestyle. Therefore, their opinion concerning who is a Jew is of dubious merit.
· In the United States, even the Conservative Movement does not accept Reform conversions that do not involve circumcision and ritual bath.
These are harsh judgments, but they are indisputable. Now let's look at the religious and political environment in Israel:
· Even if they only attend services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, most Israelis select Orthodox congregations. Non-Orthodox congregations and rabbis exist wherever they find support. There are very few. Why? That's the Israeli choice.
· Orthodoxy is not a monolith but a broad spectrum, ranging from modern men and women in casual attire to Chassidim.
· The two major parties in the governing coalition are secular, and are democratically elected. If they support legislation, it's because their constituents support it, not because of their own theological inclinations. That's how a democracy works.
The president of the Union for Reform Judaism decried Israel's "coercive religious monopoly." Yet the Reform leaders seem untroubled by their efforts to coerce the government of Israel into granting equal stature to their movement, which has very few adherents in Israel. In my opinion, the leadership of Reform Judaism is using the Rotem Bill as a smokescreen to disguise the movement's own shortcomings.
Times are difficult for the State of Israel. Not only the Arab countries, but many in Europe and elsewhere, are engaged in efforts to delegitimize it. Compared to any Arab nation, or many in Asia, Africa or Latin America, Israel's human rights record is laudable. Israeli Arabs and Jews have equal access to the courts. Mosques function openly. Minarets sound. Israeli Arabs and Palestinians wear burqas or any other garb they choose. For American Jews to denigrate Israel is terribly harmful to both countries. To lobby Congress against Israel is simply unforgivable.
Hopefully, the Rotem Bill will be enacted after the six-month moratorium called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The bill is good for Israel and in no way prejudicial to the interests of any segment of American Jewry. It is inconceivable that Russian immigrants who, for over a half-century, were not allowed to practice Judaism as they wished by the Communist regime, would now be stymied by America's Reform movement, a group with which they have virtually no connection.
Date: Wednesday, August 18 2010 Copyright 2008 www.JewishPress.com
Well, I think this makes sense. What do you have to say?
Stephen M. Flatow
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Oliver Stone - Anti-semitic comments get a pass by the media
Jeff Jacoby, writing in the Boston Globe and on his website compares the reaction to Mel Gibson's tirade against Jews to Oliver Stone's. He asks, "is there a double standard?"
Now, turn to Oliver Stone, the most recent prominent Hollywood figure to blame Jews for the world's ills and "Jewish domination of the media". One week later, less than 150 items have been posted. "On ABC, CBS, and NBC, the news shows completely ignored the story. The New York Times restricted its coverage to two short items in its "Arts, Briefly" section -- and few other papers ran even that much.
No widespread calls for a boycott of Stone and his work.
So, Jacoby wonders,
I think he's right and that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
LATE IN JULY, a Hollywood honcho uncorks a blast of anti-Semitic bile, the sort of malignant stereotype about Jews one might expect from David Duke or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Is that newsworthy?
It certainly was in 2006, when Mel Gibson, arrested in Malibu for drunken driving, demanded to know whether the arresting deputy was Jewish, and then launched into an anti-Semitic rant: "F-----g Jews," he raged. "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."Calls went out for folks to boycott Gibson movies and to never work with him again. More than 1,000 news items were filed in the week after the incident.
Now, turn to Oliver Stone, the most recent prominent Hollywood figure to blame Jews for the world's ills and "Jewish domination of the media". One week later, less than 150 items have been posted. "On ABC, CBS, and NBC, the news shows completely ignored the story. The New York Times restricted its coverage to two short items in its "Arts, Briefly" section -- and few other papers ran even that much.
No widespread calls for a boycott of Stone and his work.
So, Jacoby wonders,
Gibson and Stone are both guilty of indulging in rank anti-Semitism (for which both promptly "apologized"), but only Gibson was buried under a newsroom avalanche of outrage and disgust. What explains that glaring difference? Surely the media don't think Jew-baiting is intolerable only when it comes from a right-wing Christian like Gibson. Surely they wouldn't overlook Stone's noxious rant just because he is a pluperfect left-wing activist.Surely that can't be the explanation for so disgraceful a double standard.
Can it?
I think he's right and that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
On-line polls
Did you ever get an e-mail from an acquaintance who says YOU MUST go to such and such a site and answer a poll on this issue or that? Sure you have.
Such an e-mail hit my in-box today for an MSNBC poll on Arizona's new immigration law that allows police officers to ask for identification if they think a person is in the country illegally. Here was the message in the exact type size:
If you don't do anything else today, please answer this MSNBC Poll question and forward it on to as many people as you can. The silent majority must not be silent on this one.
OK, I get it, you want me to look at the poll. So, I did, and voted.
Now, I don't know when this poll was first posted on MSNBC but as of this morning it had more than 1,100,000 respondents. The question is, where are all the people opposed to the Arizona initiative? Why haven't their e-mail alerts clued them to the poll?
Let's be honest, polls don't matter. They don't change political positions but they make you feel good to know that you are not alone with your feelings one way or the other. Keep those polls coming, I love to be one in million or in this case one of 90+% of 1,100,000.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
Such an e-mail hit my in-box today for an MSNBC poll on Arizona's new immigration law that allows police officers to ask for identification if they think a person is in the country illegally. Here was the message in the exact type size:
If you don't do anything else today, please answer this MSNBC Poll question and forward it on to as many people as you can. The silent majority must not be silent on this one.
OK, I get it, you want me to look at the poll. So, I did, and voted.
Now, I don't know when this poll was first posted on MSNBC but as of this morning it had more than 1,100,000 respondents. The question is, where are all the people opposed to the Arizona initiative? Why haven't their e-mail alerts clued them to the poll?
Let's be honest, polls don't matter. They don't change political positions but they make you feel good to know that you are not alone with your feelings one way or the other. Keep those polls coming, I love to be one in million or in this case one of 90+% of 1,100,000.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Fatal drugs - counterfeit malaria treatment in Southeast Asia
Here's a trivia question for film buffs out there-- Harry Lime was accused of what crime?
Time's up. It was selling counterfeit penicillin. The drug was still relatively knew when Graham Greene wrote his novel and was a potent anti-biotic for many illnesses. When caught by the gendarmes, Harry would have been tried and sentenced to death because he was responsible for the deaths of dozens in a meningitis outbreak.
Today, the problem of counterfeit medicines is still with us. We're not talking about generics or knock-off drugs. No, we're talking about pills being 100% flour, or worse, containing parasites.
Smithsonian Magazine writes about "The Fatal Consequences of Counterfeit Drugs." And the story is scary. Malaria is rampant in southeast Asia, and many people fall prey to the disease each year. Prior drugs are no longer working, but a new one, China's "Artesunate," is very effective but is a little pricey--not for us in the States but for people there.
Crooks have found a way to duplicate the look of the pill, and pharmacists are often without the means of knowing if the drug they are selling is the real thing or not.
In the meantime, read the magazine article, and learn what's happening on the other side of the world. Harry Lime gets his in the end, maybe the new Harrys will get theirs.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
Time's up. It was selling counterfeit penicillin. The drug was still relatively knew when Graham Greene wrote his novel and was a potent anti-biotic for many illnesses. When caught by the gendarmes, Harry would have been tried and sentenced to death because he was responsible for the deaths of dozens in a meningitis outbreak.
Today, the problem of counterfeit medicines is still with us. We're not talking about generics or knock-off drugs. No, we're talking about pills being 100% flour, or worse, containing parasites.
Smithsonian Magazine writes about "The Fatal Consequences of Counterfeit Drugs." And the story is scary. Malaria is rampant in southeast Asia, and many people fall prey to the disease each year. Prior drugs are no longer working, but a new one, China's "Artesunate," is very effective but is a little pricey--not for us in the States but for people there.
Crooks have found a way to duplicate the look of the pill, and pharmacists are often without the means of knowing if the drug they are selling is the real thing or not.
In the meantime, read the magazine article, and learn what's happening on the other side of the world. Harry Lime gets his in the end, maybe the new Harrys will get theirs.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
Thursday, June 24, 2010
From the shake of the head department - Gays bash Israel
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid wins battle against censorship proudly
Stephen M. Flatow
"congratulates Toronto’s LGBT community for successfully reversing censorship at
the 2010 Pride Parade. Pride Toronto announced today that it would not censor
the term ‘Israeli apartheid’ from the parade."
The Queers group is aligned with the Israeli apartheid movement because they believe that Israelis are tolerant of a gay lifestyle only to contrast Israeli practices with those in the Arab and Muslim world where homosexuality is punishable by death. In other words, Israel's liberal attitude towards gays is a ruse to trick liberal countries into supporting their oppression of Palestinians.
I give up.
Well, that's what I have to say.Stephen M. Flatow
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What are we to do with Haiti?
My suggestion? Why not make Haiti a commonwealth partner of the United States along the lines of, say, Puerto Rico.
I think there are three advantages to such a confederation-
And, if it doesn't happen, you can expect to see 10s of thousands of Haitians allowed to emigrate to the United States out of humanitarian compassion resulting in the creation of another lower income strata putting more strain on American social services.
I think the choice is easy. Make them partners, not mendicants. It's worked in the Philippines and it's working in Puerto Rico. Haiti should be next.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
I think there are three advantages to such a confederation-
- it's obvious that the infrastructure has to be rebuilt. Who can do that better than American contractors employing local labor? This results in profit for American companies, perhaps increased tax revenue from them, and a boost for economic recovery here and there as well since salaries to local workers will be translated into a demand for goods and services. Manufacturing on the island will then follow, again, adding more people to the working class.
- it will stabilize the government and streets of Haiti. It's no secret that Haitian politicos have for generations lined their pockets at the great expense of the populace. An American presence will stabilize "law and order" and allow for development of local constabulary. With America becoming the nanny, the need for private organizations and the United Nations to hold hands with Haitians will soon disappear. The only handholding will be as partners in educational and scientific ventures.
- the prospect of free passage between the United States and Haiti will result in the construction of American-style resorts to attract dollars from tourists. Again, a boost for the Haitian economy and folks through salary and taxes.
And, if it doesn't happen, you can expect to see 10s of thousands of Haitians allowed to emigrate to the United States out of humanitarian compassion resulting in the creation of another lower income strata putting more strain on American social services.
I think the choice is easy. Make them partners, not mendicants. It's worked in the Philippines and it's working in Puerto Rico. Haiti should be next.
Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow
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