Now that is has become public that the IRS has been targeting conservative groups during the ‘watch’ of the Obama administration, lots of different religious groups are beginning to come out of the woodwork with similar claims of harassment. They all have one thing in common- they are conservative and they support some issue that is at odds with the current administration.
Response: These are just a few of the stories of this kind that I found this morning. You can bet that others received similar treatment and may still be afraid to even now make it public.
This is unacceptable and it demonstrates that our way of life is actually under assault. These stories should give pause to consider to all of those who consider us to be rather paranoid when it comes to the Obama administration and their horrible record on violating and limiting religious freedom.
So those of you who think this is over should reconsider the facts. This is just the beginning and there are still 3 1/2 years to go for this administration to make their dismal record on religious freedom even worse. *Top
A number of recent controversial actions and official statements from the Pentagon have caused many to question whether religious liberty wasn’t actually under assault in the US military.
These reports have elicited a great deal of concern and confusion among military chaplains, pastors and congregations. In some cases, misinformation has been mixed with fact, with the possible result of furthering already tense relationships between military and religious communities.
We reject any and all attempts to sensationalize or misrepresent situations, in this or any other context. Having said that, we are concerned. While rejecting any conspiracy theory linking the reports above, we believe there are in some of these cases elements that are indicative of a troubling lack of respect for true religious diversity in our military. Furthermore, problematic attempts in some sectors of the military to compromise the free exercise of religion have given a sense of plausibility when other such reports emerge, even when those reports are not grounded in fact. …
While no reports indicate any known court martial or disciplinary proceedings related to evangelism, we also know that the time for clarification and protection of religious liberty is before such rights are taken away, not simply after they have been. …
We ask then, and expect, from our military leaders, and from their civilian command, clarification of a commitment to safeguarding religious liberty, including the right for all servicemen and women to share their faith, short of coercion or harassment. This would entail a less subjective and more precise definition of such coercion and harassment, beyond the ambiguous language of "proselytizing."
Response: The joint statement reflects my greatest concern that “proselytizing” will be defined so broadly that real religious liberty and freedom will end up being compromised. The report emphasizes the need to more clearly define the lines between sharing one’s faith and more coercive acts of harassment. The word- “proselytizing” is woefully inadequate in defining the difference.
Read the summary of recent events in the article and the ‘facts’ as understood by this joint committee. It is excellent and their conclusions clearly define what still needs to be done. *Top
The IRS officials recently admitted that some of their workers had made a practice of harassing conservative groups particularly those applying for non-profit status. Now it comes out that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as well as Franklin Graham’s international charity Samaritan’s Purse were both audited for the first time under questionable circumstances by the IRS last year.
The man known as America’s pastor was among those targeted by the Internal Revenue Service after the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ran newspaper advertisements promoting traditional marriage and biblical values, according to a letter his son wrote to President Obama.
“I am bringing this to your attention because I believe that someone in the Administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us,” wrote Franklin Graham in his letter and shared with Fox News. “This is morally wrong and unethical – indeed some would call it ‘un-American.’”
Graham is president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as well as the international charity Samaritan’s Purse. Both organizations received word of audits on the same day – not long after they ran full –page ads supporting North Carolina’s Marriage amendment.
Response: This is horrific and a real example of the obvious intimidation of a conservative Christian organization. Both ministries were cleared in the audit but it did end up costing them a great deal of time, effort, and money that could otherwise have been spent on ministry.
I believe that this is just the beginning rather than the end if matters are not taken to control the politicization of this agency. Even more outrageous is the potential law that the liberal state legislature in California is currently working on. It would not allow non-profit status for all organizations that oppose homosexuality and same-sex marriage (except for churches and official worship centers). They plan to target the Boy Scouts and other Christian sponsored youth groups via that method. *Top
You see this beautiful city all of the time in the movies and it seems to be so ‘modern.’ Dubai has become a popular vacation and business destination but most Westerners are not aware of some of the possible consequences of sharia law in that Muslim country.
An Australian woman was raped and then received an 8 month jail sentence for having illicit sex outside of marriage. Sounds ridiculous but 4 male witnesses are required in sharia dominated countries to secure convictions against rapists otherwise the woman is considered to be at fault and in violation of the law. Here’s the story from Yahoo.com:
Dubai is being promoted as a luxury high-class paradise in the desert, but the reality is brutally different, as Australian Alicia Gali discovered. Gali took a job in the UAE with one of the world’s biggest hotel chains, Starwood. What happened next makes this story a must-watch for every Australian planning on travelling through the region.
Gali was using her laptop in the hotel’s staff bar when her drink was spiked. She awoke to a nightmare beyond belief: she had been savagely raped by three of her colleagues. Alone and frightened, she took herself to hospital. What Alicia didn’t know is that under the UAE’s strict sharia laws, if the perpetrator does not confess, a rape cannot be convicted without four adult Muslim male witnesses. She was charged with having illicit sex outside marriage, and thrown in a filthy jail cell for eight months.
Response: This story reminds me of another that wasn’t quite so serious but was the result of Western ignorance of Muslim sharia law nonetheless. Several years ago a company executive who happened to be a woman was conducting business in Saudi Arabia and went downstairs to have a Starbucks with a business colleague and was arrested and subjected to 40 lashes by the Saudi religious police since she was in the company of a man who was not her husband or close relative.
Point is, women do not have the same rights in Muslim dominated countries that they do in the West. When the Australian woman went to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the rape she became subject to sharia law and was turned over to the police for having ‘illegal’ sexual relations. So it was the woman who ended up in prison rather than the rapists.
Rape is common in Muslim dominated countries since men are seldom brought into court or receive jail sentences for that act. Under sharia law it is the woman which is always considered to be at fault unless at least 4 men will testify on her behalf- which almost never happens. So women who are raped frequently find themselves in trouble and in jail rather than the rapists in Muslim countries. Outrageous from a Western perspective but true. Businesses should take sharia law into consideration before sending women employees or executives to conduct business in Muslim countries.
Western nations who are currently bending over backwards to accommodate Muslim citizens who are asking for access to sharia courts and law should be aware of where this is all leading. I recently read an article that Muslims in the UK were participating in ‘limited’ marriages. Among Shiite Muslims it is popular to get ‘married’ for one night or weekend in order to have ‘legal’ sex with a woman who is really a prostitute. Apparently some British Muslims are also participating in limited contract ‘marriages’ in order to date and get to really know someone of the opposite sex before having a permanent marriage relationship.
Point is, should Western nations accommodate Muslims living in the country and allow for sharia civil courts? If so what parameters need to be in place to protect the rights of women? *Top
Dearborn police and officials have gone out of their way on a number of occasions to restrict religious freedom in this Muslim dominated community.
Christians attending and sharing their faith at Dearborn’s Arab International Festival have been mistreated and arrested at nearly every recent Festival. Finally in one lawsuit at least Dearborn officials have been forced to apologize. Here’s the story from One News Now:
After winning one of two lawsuits, Christians are looking forward to handing out Christian literature and discussing their faith again at this year’s Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan.
The incident occurred at the predominately Muslim festival in June 2010. Rob Muise of the American Freedom Law Center describes what happened to his clients – Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, David Wood, and Paul Rezkalla.
"These Christians were peacefully preaching the gospel on the city streets during the Arab Festival and they were arrested, placed in handcuffs, and thrown in jail for the evening and then had to withstand a five-week criminal trial," he shares. "I defended them during the criminal trial in which they were acquitted of their ‘breach of peace’ charge by a unanimous jury verdict."
The Law Center then filed a civil rights lawsuit against Dearborn, its mayor, chief of police, and several police officers who were involved in the arrests. The case was settled this week, an undisclosed amount is to be paid by the city, and the mayor has issued an apology.
Response: Finally a win in court that will hopefully change Dearborn’s treatment of Christians publically sharing their faith in that community and particularly at the Arab Festival this year.
Here are few of our articles in the past covering some of the injustices and mistreatments of Christians in the past in that Muslim dominated community in Michigan, USA:
It all started with an attack on a helicopter in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011 that took the lives of 25 American special op personnel, including members from SEAL Team Six, five from the National Guard and Army Reserve crewmen, and eight Afghanis.
The part of the story that I am particularly interested in is the claim that during a joint funeral that included the fallen Americans and Afghanis, an Imam proclaimed in Arabic a condemnation upon all non Muslims which would have included the fallen American heroes. The American parents were naturally offended by that Koranic declaration and upset with the government for allowing it in the first place.
There are differences of opinion over whether the Imam intended to get away with an offensive recitation against non-Muslims in Arabic or whether he was merely presenting a traditional Muslim funeral prayer over the fallen Afghanis.
“I announce the evil by all-aha. By the name of the merciful all-aha. People of hell and people of heaven are not equal (even, not the same), people of heaven are the winners, if we [unintelligible word] the Koran on the mountain, you will see, you will see him in submission and humble of alla-aha’s fear. Those (who are in submission) are examples for the people (the public) may these people (the public) remember, praise alla-aha. Alla-aha God of glory, of the people behaviors (he is wondering or questioning the people’s behaviors). And peace to the Prophets, thanks to alla-aha, please (asking alla-aha) to forgive him, comfort him and accept him in paradise. [The prayer ends, however this subject was talking to some audience he was telling them I LOVE TO....then the audio ended].”
Here are the verses in the Quran that it was based upon:
And be ye not like those who forgot Allah; and He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors! (Koran 59:19)
Not equal are the Companions of the Fire and the Companions of the Garden: it is the Companions of the Garden, that will achieve Felicity. (Koran 59:20).
Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect. (Koran 59:21)
Regardless of whether the Imam actually intended to offend non-Muslims or not it was divisive. At the very least his statements were highlighting real Islamic teaching that recognizes a difference between the fallen Muslim Afghanis who were ‘winners’ and destined for Heaven and the dead American non-Muslims who were destined for hell according to that reference from Quran. I believe that the parents of our fallen heroes here have a right to complain. *Top
The USCIRF 2013 annual report on religious freedom is out. Here’s a link to the 400 page analysis with a detailed ‘blow by blow’ country by country summary of violations in the past year.
The 15 worst countries when it comes to intolerance and religious persecution are:
Burma, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tasjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Note that ten of the 15 are Muslim dominated countries. Also note that among the worst of the worst are three Communist countries that are long time occupiers on this list:
China, North Korea, and Vietnam
Egypt gets a special place on this year’s list as a country that is getting to be far worse in their treatment of religious minorities than they use to be. Especially of the Coptic Christians who make up 10% of the population. The former regime use to offer at least a moderate amount of protection for the Copts but the current government is far more radical and dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. Now the authorities in Egypt seem to be encouraging the attacks against the churches and Christian communities in the country and the police and courts no longer offer any protection.
So much for the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ which was supposed to bring greater ‘Western style’ democracy but has ended with bringing on a more radical ‘sharia winter’ instead with even less rights and protections for religious minorities.
