Justiça poética V

Segundo a CNN, a explosão prematura e acidental de um autocarro armadilhado com explosivos matou os seus quatorze ocupantes, alegadamente responsáveis pela instalação de tão perigosa carga no veículo que se preparavam para detonar contra a polícia afegã ou contra tropas estrangeiras. Via Jihad Watch.

Menos blogues e mais livros (3): O Homem Eterno

O Homem Eterno (The Everlasting Man), de G. K. Chesterton, Alêtheia Editores, Lisboa, 2009. Excelente a tradução de Maria José Figueiredo. A leitura, nem sempre fácil de Chesterton, torna-se um deleite. Colo da Segunda Parte, Sobre o Homem Chamado Cristo, um excerto do Capítulo 5, A Fuga do Paganismo, para aguçar o apetite dos leitores:

«(...) There will be no end to the weary debates about liberalising theology, until people face the fact that the only liberal part of it is really the dogmatic part. If dogma is incredible, it is because it is incredibly liberal. If it is irrational, it can only be in giving us more assurance of freedom than is justified by reason. The obvious example is that essential form of freedom which we call free-will. It is absurd to say that a man shows his liberality in denying his liberty. But it is tenable that he has to affirm a transcendental doctrine in order to affirm his liberty. There is a sense in which we might reasonably say that if man has a primary power of choice, he has in that fact a super-natural power of creation, as if he could raise the dead or give birth to the unbegotten. Possibly in that case a man must be a miracle; and certainly in that case he must be a miracle in order to be a man; and most certainly in order to be a free man. But it is absurd to forbid him to be a free man and do it in the name of a more free religion. But it is true in twenty other matters. Anybody who believes at all in God must believe in the absolute supremacy of God. But in so far as that supremacy does allow of any degrees that can be called liberal or illiberal, it is self-evident that the illiberal power is the deity of the rationalists and the liberal power is the deity of the dogmatists. Exactly in proportion as you turn monotheism into monism you turn it into despotism. It is precisely the unknown God of the scientist, with his impenetrable purpose and his inevitable and unalterable law, that reminds us of a Prussian autocrat making rigid plans in a remote tent and moving mankind like machinery. It is precisely the God of miracles and of answered prayers who reminds us of a liberal and popular prince, receiving petitions, listening to parliaments and considering the cases of a whole people. I am not now arguing the rationality of this conception in other respects; as a matter of fact it is not, as some suppose, irrational; for there is nothing irrational in the wisest and most well-informed king acting differently according to the action of those he wishes to save. But I am here only noting the general nature of liberality, or of free or enlarged atmosphere of action. And in this respect it is certain that the king can only be what we call magnanimous if he is what some call capricious. It is the Catholic, who has the feeling that his prayers do make a difference, when offered for the living and the dead, who also has the feeling of living like a free citizen in something almost like a constitutional commonwealth. It is the monist who lives under a single iron law who must have the feeling of living like a slave under a sultan. Indeed I believe that the original use of the word suffragium, which we now use in politics for a vote, was that employed in theology about a prayer. The dead in Purgatory were said to have the suffrages of the living. And in this sense, of a sort of right of petition to the supreme ruler, we may truly say that the whole of the Communion of Saints, as well as the whole of the Church Militant, is founded on universal suffrage. But above all, it is true of the most tremendous issue; of that tragedy which has created the divine comedy of our creed. Nothing short of the extreme and strong and startling doctrine of the divinity of Christ will give that particular effect that can truly stir the popular sense like a trumpet; the idea of the king himself serving in the ranks like a common soldier. By making that figure merely human we make that story much less human. We take away the point of the story which actually pierces humanity; the point of the story which was quite literally the point of a spear. It does not especially humanise the universe to say that good and wise men can die for their opinions; any more than it would be any sort of uproariously popular news in an army that good soldiers may easily get killed. It is no news that King Leonidas is dead any more than that Queen Anne is dead; and men did not wait for Christianity to be men, in the full sense of being heroes. But if we are describing, for the moment, the atmosphere of what is generous and popular and even picturesque, any knowledge of human nature will tell us that no sufferings of the sons of men, or even of the servants of God, strike the same note as the notion of the master suffering instead of his servants. And this is given by the theological and emphatically not by the scientific deity. No mysterious monarch, hidden in his starry pavilion at the base of the cosmic campaign, is in the least like that celestial chivalry of the Captain who carries his five wounds in the front of battle. What the denouncer of dogma really means is not that dogma is bad; but rather that dogma is too good to be true. That is, he means that dogma is too liberal to be likely. Dogma gives man too much freedom when it permits him to fall. Dogma gives even God too much freedom when it permits him to die. That is what the intelligent sceptics ought to say; and it is not in the least my intention to deny that there is something to be said for it. They mean that the universe is itself a universal prison; that existence itself is a limitation and a control; and it is not for nothing that they call causation a chain. In a word, they mean quite simply that they cannot believe these things; not in the least that they are unworthy of belief. We say not lightly but very literally, that the truth has made us free. They say that it makes us so free that it cannot be the truth. To them it is like believing in fairyland to believe in such freedom as we enjoy. It is like believing in men with wings to entertain the fancy of men with wills. It is like accepting a fable about a squirrel in conversation with a mountain to believe in a man who is free to ask or a God who is free to answer.This is a manly and a rational negation for which I for one shall always show respect. But I decline to show any respectfor those who first of all clip the wings and cage the squirrel,rivet the chains and refuse the freedom, close all the doors of the cosmic prison on us with a clang of eternal iron, tell us that our emancipation is a dream and our dungeon a necessity; and then calmly turn round and tell us they have a freer thought and a more liberal theology. (...)»

Blogando o Corão: surata 2, "A Vaca", versículos 1-39 (excerto)

«Blogando o Corão: surata 2, "A Vaca", versículos 1-39 A surata 2, Al-Bácara (A Vaca), à semelhança da maioria dos capítulos do Corão, recebe o seu título de algo nele relatado - neste caso, o episódio no qual Moisés transmite aos israelitas o mandamento de Alá, ordenando o sacrifício de uma vaca (2:67-73). É a surata mais longa do Corão - 286 versículos - e dá início à disposição geral (mas não absoluta) de apresentar as suratas da mais longa para a mais breve, com excepção de Al-Fátiha, a qual merece a sua posição de destaque como primeira surata devido à sua centralidade no islão. A surata Al-Bácara, "A Vaca", foi revelada a Mafoma em Medina - isto é, no decurso da segunda parte da sua carreira profética, a qual teve início em Meca no ano 610. Em 622, Mafoma e a incipiente comunidade muçulmana deslocaram-se para Medina, onde, pela primeira vez, Mafoma se tornou líder político e militar. Os teólogos muçulmanos consideram, de um modo geral, as suratas de Medina como tendo precedência sobre as de Meca sempre que surja alguma discordância, de acordo com o versículo 106 deste capítulo do Corão, no qual Alá fala da revogação de alguns versículos e da sua substituição por outros melhores. (Esta interpretação do versículo 106 não é, contudo, unânime, sustentando alguns intérpretes que o versículo não se refere à revogação de parte alguma do Corão, mas sim às escrituras judaicas e cristãs. Voltaremos a esta questão oportunamente.)»

Leia todo o capítulo em O Corão Comentado. Leia o texto original em inglês em Jihad Watch.

Tentativa falhada de homicídio de Westergard (2)

Por Thomas Landen, no Hudson New York, um bom resumo dos detalhes da tentativa de homicídio na pessoa de Kurt Westergard e uma pertinente reflexão sobre várias questões a respeito do caso. Um artigo a ler na íntegra do qual destaco algumas passagens:

«(...) A 28-year old Somali man, armed with an axe, smashed his way through the glass door into the bungalow of the 74-year old cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, in a middle-class suburb of the Danish town of Aarhus. The door, made of reinforced bullet-proof glass, eventually gave way, but Mr. Westergaard, who uses a walking-stick, had time to get to the bedroom of his 5-year old granddaughter, wake her up and lock themselves up in his bathroom. (...) Five years ago, Muslim clerics placed a price of 1 million dollars on Kurt Westergaard’s head because he had drawn a cartoon depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammed with a bomb tucked inside his turban. This cartoon, Mr. Westergaard said, “was an attempt to expose those fanatics who have justified a great number of bombings, murders and other atrocities with references to the sayings of their prophet. If many Muslims thought that their religion did not condone such acts, they might have stood up and declared that the men of violence had misrepresented the true meaning of Islam. Very few of them did so.” Very few of them do so today.

The Westergaard bathroom had been converted into a panic room. It has a steel door and is equipped with an emergency button directly linking it to the police. It took the officers three minutes to arrive. Meanwhile, the Somali was smashing at the steel door with his axe, shouting “Blood” and “Revenge” as he tried to work his way in: “Heeere’s Muhammed!”

When the police arrived, the Somali attacked an officer with his axe before he was shot in the knee and shoulder by other officers. Mr. Westergaard and his granddaughter escaped unharmed, though the horror they have been through is beyond description. The incident is reminiscent of another real-life horror scene, which unfolded six years ago in broad daylight in an Amsterdam street, when a young Moroccan, named Mohammed Bouyeri, ritually slaughtered the Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh. He slit van Gogh’s throat because the latter had made a documentary movie about the place of women in traditional Muslim societies.

Kurt Westergaard was lucky that Friday’s attack occurred relatively early in the night, around 10 pm, when he was still sitting in his living room and immediately saw what was happening. He was lucky to have reinforced bullet-proof glass, which gave him time to drag his grandchild from her bed and flee with her into the bathroom. He was lucky to have a panic room. If the attack had happened in the middle of the night, when Westergaard was asleep, he might not have had the same alertness and might not have reacted as quickly. He, his granddaughter, or both, might have been hacked to pieces. Five years ago, when the death threats against the cartoonist started, the Danish authorities converted the Westergaard bungalow into a fortress. They replaced all the windows with bullet-proof glass, transformed the family bathroom into a panic room, and installed surveillance cameras around the house. These measures saved Mr. Westergaard, but only barely so. The Westergaard family will need even better protection in future. (...) Two years ago, Westergaard’s wife was fired from the kindergarten where she used to work. She was sacked because several parents expressed concern for the safety of their children. It is not hard to understand the worries of the parents of the children Mrs. Westergaard cared for. These parents were afraid that one morning some axe-wielding barbarians would show up at the door, screaming “Heeere’s Muhammed!” Their concern is reasonable, because everyone knows what they are capable of. Nevertheless, instead of kicking out Mrs. Westergaard, as the kindergarten did at the request of the worried parents, the parents should ask themselves whether the time has come to kick out the barbarians within the gates. (...) It is time for the West to open its eyes to “the true faith of Islam.” As long as the West fails to do so, it will not be able to withstand those who are hacking their way to the heart of our civilization. It is not unreasonable, intolerant of “Islamophobic” of ordinary citizens not to want to harbor axe-wielding, throat-slicing fanatics in their own neighborhoods. Heeere’s the law, Muhammed! You cannot live here and impose your barbarian way of life on us.»

Parecem confirmar-se os rumores que ligavam o homicida a um atentado falhado contra Hilary Clinton e que o indivíduo, embora já referenciado como potencialmente perigoso pelas autoridades dinamarquesas, circulava livremente e dispunha de uma autorização de residência:

«(...) The would-be assassin of Kurt Westergaard had been living in Denmark since he was 16. The man had a Danish residence permit, despite being a member of a terrorist organization. The Danish authorities knew him to be a member of al-Shabaab, the Somali branch of al-Qaeda. Five months ago, this same fanatic had been arrested and imprisoned for seven weeks in Kenya on suspicion of involvement in a plot to murder U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton by blowing up the hotel where she was staying.

On Saturday, the Danish Minister of Integration, Birth Rønn Hornbech, announced that Denmark had learned its lesson and that it would make it harder for foreigners to get a residence permit if they refuse to integrate. Why do Western authorities not refuse entry to every Muslim who does not sign a binding obligation to live under our laws rather than those of Islam? If Muslims, including “moderate” ones, do not want to do so, there are 56 states worldwide belonging to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, where they can either stay or return to.

The Danish authorities allowed him to return. They say that they did not have the means to follow him around all the time, given that, although he was known to be dangerous, he had not committed any actual crimes yet. But they should not have allowed him in. Dangerous Somalis have a place of their own. It is called dangerous Somalia. Denmark is the home of people like Kurt Westergaard, his wife, his granddaughter, and other Danes. (...)»

Os últimos dias foram marcados pelo falhanço de dois actos jihadistas de relevo - o atentado com explosivos escondidos nas cuecas (do já conhecido como Bombista Eunuco, visto que os seus genitais terão ficado algo danificaos) e esta tentativa de homicídio sobre Westergard - e um bem sucedido - o atentado que matou diversos agentes da CIA no Afeganistão, perpetrado por um informador afegão com ligações a Al-Qaeda. Quantos mais terão de morrer para que os países ocidentais caiam na conta de que não podem continuar de olhos fechados e de braços cruzados? Uma última questão: como foi possível não ter sido notícia a tentativa falhada para matar H. Clinton? Por que razão só agora se fala nisto e de passagem, como se não fosse uma matéria de alto relevo?

Eufemismo de um eufemismo

De Roger L. Simon no Pajamas Media, sobre a absoluta necessidade de "chamar os bois pelos nomes":

«(...) “Man-caused disasters” is actually a euphemism of a euphemism, because the “War on Terror” itself has no real meaning. Terror is a method, not an end or a place. Fighting a “War on Terror” is like fighting a War on Cannons or Airplanes. Meaningless.

But we all know that the “War on Terror” is actually a euphemism for the “War on Radical Islam.” But nobody says it. Nobody official anyway. (Bush did say something like that once in a speech, as I recall, but was quickly shouted down by the nabobs of political correctness.) (...)»

Minaretes no Al-Andalus

Resolvi fazer este postal para dar destaque a uma passagem de um texto para cuja divulgação fiz um postal há pouco tempo - dado que o texto é extenso e a passagem podia passar despercebida - e para estabelecer uma ligação entre três temas por aqui abordados recentemente: os minaretes - como símbolo de domínio religioso e/ou civil do islão -, a idealização do Al-Andalus e a intenção expressa de vários grupos muçulmanos de reconquistar a Península Ibérica - território reclamado pelo islão, de acordo com a doutrina islâmica segundo a qual um território que tenha estado sob o domínio muçulmano pertence ao islão eternamente e é dever dos muçulmanos piedosos reconquistá-lo -; e a predilecção do islão pela prática da decapitação. Eis então a citação:

«(...) Yusuf b. Tashfin (d. 1106) led the Al-Murabit (Almoravid) Empire to conquer from western Sahara to central Spain. After the battle of Zallaqa in 1086, he had 24,000 corpses of the defeated Castilians beheaded "and piled them up to make a sort of minaret for the muezzins who, standing on the piles of headless cadavers, sang the praises of Allah." [22] He then had the detached heads sent to all the major cities of North Africa and Spain as an example of Christian impotence. The Al-Murabits were conquered the following century by the Al-Muwahhids (Almohads), under whose rule Castilian Christian enemies were beheaded after any lost battles. (...)»

Fica magnificamente demonstrado, num parágrafo, que três mitos à volta do islão - religião de paz, minaretes como simples objectos arquitectónicos e o Al-Andalus como espaço de sã convivência entre cristãos e muçulmanos e de elevação civilizacional da responsabilidade destes - não passam de isso mesmo.

Mais uma do Sr. Choudary

Via Vlad Tepes, vejo um video extraído de uma reportagem da CNN sobre a Quinta Coluna muçulmana no Reino Unido, onde pontifica o já nosso conhecido Sr. Choudary (de quem divulguei um video que, infelizmente, foi retirado). Merece a maior atenção a advertência de que a sharia será, de modo pacífico ou não, implementada no Reino Unido, no segmento que começa ao minuto 2:21.

Tentativa falhada de homicídio de Westergard

Kurt Westergard, autor da famosa gravura supra, foi alvo de uma tentativa de homicídio a noite passada. Ao que parece, um grupo de três homens armados tentou entrar na casa de Westergard; o caricaturista conseguiu refugiar-se numa das assoalhadas e activar um sistema de alarme posto à sua disposição desde que foi ameaçado de morte. Um dos atacantes, armado com um machado e uma faca, terá sido atingido pela polícia e detido (para que seria o machado?). A acção já foi saudada pelos jihadistas somalis com esta declaração:

«It is a general obligation for all Muslims to defend their religion and the prophet. He really did what was to be done by any other Muslim.»

As demonstrações da incompatibilidade do islão com os valores das sociedades ocidentais, nomeadamente a liberdade de expressão, multiplicam-se. Ver entrevista com Westergard. Via Jihad Watch e Tundra Tabloids. Entretanto, alguns órgãos informativos dinamarqueses reagem a mais este acto intimidatório republicando a gravura supra e outras originalmente publicadas na crise dinamarquesa. Faça o mesmo no seu blogue, tendo presente que o primeiro objectivo da jihad é instilar o medo no coração dos infiéis.

Menos blogues e mais livros (2)

De Samuel Huntington, O Choque de Civilizações e a Mudança na Ordem Mundial, Gradiva (1999), boa tradução de The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Simon & Schuster (1996). Essencial para perceber o avanço do islão no Ocidente e estar capacitado para fazer face às ameaças que se avizinham.

"Desinfectar" o Magrebe, rumo a Al-Andalus

O número dois da Al-Qaeda, Al-Zawahiri, apela à "desinfestação do Magrebe de espanhóis e franceses" de modo a preparar a reconquista do Al-Andalus. Esta intenção é expressa com toda a clareza, inclusive com recurso a um mapa da Península Ibérica. O video surge no site da Al-Qaeda no Magrebe, grupo responsável pela recente tomada de três reféns espanhóis na Mauritânia - onde se encontravam a desenvolver trabalho humanitário - e de um casal italiano, entre outros. Mais um aviso para os distraídos: estamos na segunda linha da expansão islâmica, depois de Israel. A Europa central e do norte está praticamente perdida. A seguir, seremos nós.

Video via ABC.es. Notícia via Jihad Watch, via Tea and Politics, via Alerta Digital.

Foto do casal italiano.

Bom Ano 2010

Livro de Números 6,22-27. O Senhor disse a Moisés: «Fala a Aarão e a seus filhos: Assim abençoareis os filhos de Israel. Dizei-lhes: ‘O Senhor te abençoe e te guarde! O Senhor faça brilhar sobre ti a sua face e te favoreça! O Senhor volte para ti a sua face e te dê a paz!’ Invocarão o meu nome sobre os filhos de Israel e Eu os abençoarei!»

"A Europa está perdida"

Jamie Glazov entrevista, para a Frontpage Mag, Dave Sheskin, canadiano, major na reserva das Forças Armadas Israelitas (IDF - Israeli Defense Forces), que serviu também a Mossad, onde se especializou em islamismo e sharia. Da entrevista, destaco duas passagens; a primeira diz respeito à islamização da Europa - a qual, segundo Sheskin, se encontra para lá do ponto de retorno -, e ao ponto da situação nos EUA e no Canadá:

«FP: From what you seem to be saying, Europe is drowning in the face of Islamization. It’s also been allowing toxic elements to nest on its territory. What can be done? Is it too late for Europe to save itself?

Sheskin: With approximately 52 million Muslims now residing in Europe, most experts believe that the European demographics are challenged. In my opinion, it is too late for Europe to save itself (destaques nossos). The radical component of this aforesaid group is increasing dramatically, and they do not conform to the host society. They would prefer that the host society adapt to their laws and customs. This clashes directly with our democratic ideals, and if we are not careful, we will eventually face the same fate.

FP: Your thoughts on our confrontation with Radical Islam and Sharia Law?

Sheskin: We have not yet experienced much conflict with the radical Islamists, but if we fail to regulate and control the immigration laws of this country, Canada, we stand to relinquish our right of self-expression, self-determination and democracy as we know it. Should we remain complacent and fail in our endeavor to prevent the radical Islamists from settling here, there will be more than just a confrontation; a holy Jihad will more than likely be the penalty.

This is the last bastion of western civilization to be conquered by them, and they have emphatically said so many times. The United States of Islam and Canada is the name that they would love to see waving in the breeze on an Islamic Crescent flag. And let there be no doubt whatsoever that we are the ultimate prize for them. Once their numbers have substantially increased, it will be our children, grandchildren and all generations to follow that will have to face the consequences of a confrontation that we can not win.

Using Quebec as an example, the Muslim community in that province has grown and exploded since the last census taking, and their increase in permitted immigration there has swelled by more than 140% within the last decade. If ever they get the opportunity to propagate here as they have in Europe, over 52 million we will become a minority people within mere decades. Unfortunately, our government has done little to prevent them from settling here in large numbers, and they are enjoying the freedom we offer.

(...)

As far as Sharia Law is concerned, we are already witnessing the consequences of allowing them even a limited amount of freedom in that area in England, Belgium and Denmark. Sharia requires its followers to engage in Jihad through whatever means possible, and if not for any other reason, that should be enough for us to have Sharia Law banned in this country.

Sharia explicitly calls for the use of violent techniques that are designed to create fear amongst the so-called infidels, and whoever stands in the way of a potential Muslim theocracy would be easily eliminated. The suppression and brutalization of women and persecution of our gay society must never be permitted to take hold here. All we have to do is take a drive through Detroit, and see what Sharia Law has done there. Such immoral practices of religious justice stems from the Qur’an itself, and it is cruel. Their oppressive and barbaric laws can contribute nothing to the betterment of our society, or for that matter, even theirs.

(...)

FP: What has Sharia Law done in Detroit?

Sheskin: A few months ago, I drove through a sector of Michigan called Dearborn. I stopped at a red light and took advantage of the brief interlude to survey my surroundings. I could have sworn that I was back in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. The men were walking a few steps in front of the women, as was customary, while the women all covered in dark shades of burkas’ and hijabs trailed a fair distance behind pushing baby strollers. That on its own was proof enough for me that Sharia Law was observed.

However, there were other indicators as well. The Sharia courts in Detroit and surrounding areas are authorized to settle family disputes without the consent of the US courts, and use shaming tactics as a tool for punishment. That is also legal. They have their own religious policing unit that operate independently from the local authorities, and recently, so-called ‘infidel residents’ have stated that they do believe that “honour killings” are carried out, and the bodies disposed of in secluded areas of the state that are not easy to get to by the state authorities. (...)»

A outra passagem que gostaria de destacar diz respeito à capacidade de resistência de Israel e do resto do mundo ocidental:

«FP: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about Israel’s and the West’s ability and capacity to defend itself against Radical Islam?

Sheskin: This may sound bizarre, but I do believe that radical Islam and its followers will ultimately self-destruct in time. Israel most definitely has the means to protect herself from this enemy, because we have grown to know precisely what they stand for and what their intentions are towards us. Should they ever attempt to draw us into a place that we wish not to go, they will experience the wrath of a nation and its inhabitants who have had enough of their threats and verbal intimidation.

I would want to see the Western world be more prepared then they are. As of this moment, I do believe that Israel is better equipped to handle radical Islam. We are fortunate to have friends such as Canada and the United States for supporting us. If need be, we would do the same for them. In addition, I believe that Moammar Khadafy of Libya and Ahmadinijad of Iran spew so much hatred, that it is an endeavor on their part to convince themselves that they are superior to us. To be able to prove that is another issue; and I certainly hope that they do not push us too far. Our reaction would be very severe and unforgiving. (...)»

Morrer a rir

"Malvados cristãos! Desde que fizeram aquele atentado com roupa interior explosiva... E outro com um explosivo enfiado no recto!" Excerto do filme An American Carol. Via Jihad Watch.

Martírios

Enquanto por cá se discute o direito dos muçulmanos na Europa a construir estruturas arquitectónicas que simbolizam a superioridade, se não o domínio, do islão sobre uma sociedade; se concedem plenos direitos de cidadania aos muçulmanos, nomeadamente o acesso a posições de poder nas forças de segurança, na política, nas forças armadas, espreitemos para a forma como os cristãos são tratados em alguns países muçulmanos, através de um artigo recente de Phyllis Chesler no Pajamas Media, começando pelo Iraque:

«(...) [I]n Mosul, Iraq, the Syrian Orthodox Church of St. Thomas, founded in 770 AD, was bombed — killing two civilians and wounding five others. This was the “sixth attack on Christians there in less than a month.” Ironically, according to their identity cards, the two murder victims were actually Muslims. However, according to Father Abdul Massih Dalmay of this church, “Christians are being targeted during Christmas time.” Father Dalmay feels that the government has not provided enough security for churches at this time and views this as “negligence on their part.”

The Syrian Orthodox Parish of the Immaculate Virgin was attacked a week ago. An infant girl was killed and forty people were wounded. Father Faez Wadiha, of this church, says, with irony: “This is certainly a Christmas present for Mosul, a message of congratulations why we are celebrating a feast of love and peace. But we will pray in the streets, in homes, in shops. God is everywhere, not just in churches.” The Syrian Catholic Church of the Annunciation , the (Chaldean) Church of St Ephrem, and the St. Theresa Church were all bombed in Mosul in the last month. According to another Christian Father: “These attacks are aimed at forcing Christians to leave the country.” (...)»

Passemos ao Egipto:

«For years now, Islamist “gangs” have been forcibly converting Christian children to Islam by drugging, kidnapping, gang-raping, photographing the rapes, blackmailing, and “marrying” the female child, as young as twelve, to Muslim men. The Egyptian police have been unwilling to stop this criminal activity. Recently, a Christian television channel broadcast a program about this in Arabic. Many Egyptians were shocked. Here is one of the kidnappers’ tactics:

“The latest fraud mentioned on the TV program is that Muslim gangs who dress as Coptic priests, offer a car lift to Christian girls and then abduct them. ‘The Coptic Church has warned its congregation against letting any unknown person dressed as a priest into their homes or accepting a lift.’”

A substantial Christian population has always lived in Egypt. They have increasingly been bombed, tortured and murdered. For example, the Monastery of Abu Fana in Upper Egypt has existed since the 5th century — which clearly predates Islam by two centuries. Last year, Bedouin Muslims attacked the monastery, “destroying a small church and burning the monastery’s farm. Nine monks and monastery employees were wounded and four others were abducted.” Jeff Jacoby writes:

“One of the [abducted] monks had his arm and legs broken,” the Egyptian lawyer and human-rights activist Nagib Gabriel later testified. “The other two were tied together with ropes, suspended from a tree, and severely beaten with hoses and sticks. Afterwards, they were placed — upside down and still tied together — on the back of a donkey and shoved off. The monks were further commanded to spit on the cross and proclaim the shahada [the Muslim credo that "there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet"], beaten every time they refused, and even threatened with death.”

(...)»

Sigamos para o Paquistão:

«For a long time now, Christians have been persecuted in Pakistan. Their female children have been kidnapped, forced to convert and forcibly married to Muslims; both priests and believers have been attacked, and often murdered. Earlier this month, in Sargodha, Pakistan (in or near the Punjab), a mob of Muslim villagers, armed with clubs, spades, and axes attacked a showing of a film on Jesus, injuring three part-time evangelists very seriously as well as four Christians in attendance. The mob destroyed their appliances and absconded with funds. The mob also turned on Christian villagers who tried to intervene. Apparently, the mob climbed “trees to get a clearer view of the screen. The eyewitnesses said that as soon as the Muslim attackers watched the resurrection and ascension of Christ, they became enraged because their version of Islam forbids portraying an image of a living thing and especially that of a prophet. ” As usual, the police refused to register a complaint.»

Um saltinho à Turquia, candidata à adesão à U(RSS)E:

«[O]n December 15, 2009, in Istanbul, in response to a Swiss vote banning the construction of new mosque minarets, a group of Muslims went into a church building in eastern Turkey and threatened to kill a priest unless he tore down its bell tower. Specifically, on December 4, 2009, three Muslims entered the Meryem Ana Church, a Syriac Orthodox church in Diyarbakir, and confronted the Rev. Yusuf Akbulut. They told him that unless the bell tower was destroyed in one week, they would kill him. … Akbulut has been the target of threats, harassment before.”»

Uma espreitadela na Indonésia, famosa pela convivência entre cristãos e muçulmanos:

«In the rapidly Islamifying Indonesia, in Jakarta, “hundreds of Muslims celebrated the eve of the Islamic New Year last Thursday (Dec. 17) by attacking a Catholic church building under construction in Bekasi, West Java. A crowd of approximately 1,000 men, women and children from the Bebalan and Taruma Jaha areas of Bekasi walking in a New Year’s Eve procession stopped at the 60 percent-completed Santo Albertus Catholic Church building, where many ransacked and set fires to it, church leaders said. Damage was said to be extensive, but no one was injured.”»

Uma paragem na Somália, onde os jovens islamitas tomam o poder:

«“Islamic extremists controlling part of the Somali capital of Mogadishu this month executed a young Christian whom they accused of trying to convert a 15-year-old Muslim to Christianity. Members of the Islamic extremist group al Shabaab had taken 23-year-old Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf into custody on Oct. 28 after the 15-year-old boy reported him to the militants. Yusuf’s body was found on Nov. 14 on an empty residential street in Mogadishu, with sources saying the convert from Islam was shot to death, probably some hours before dawn.”»

Finalmente, a Terra Santa:

«(...) [F]ewer and fewer Christians (and no Jews) live there year-round; pilgrims come to visit at this time of year but that’s about it. According to Benny Avni, writing in the New York Post, “fifty years ago, Christians made up 70 percent of Bethlehem’s population; today, about 15 percent…Practically the only place where the Christian population is growing is in Israel.”

As to the Church of the Nativity, it was treated abominably by Palestinian terrorists who, in 2002, held priests hostage there and treated it as a combination garbage dump and toilet. Israeli forces had to rescue the priests and arrange a cease-fire and surrender.

In the West Bank, churches, Christian cemeteries, and Christian-owned businesses have been attacked and defaced. Christians have been leaving in droves. According to Benny Avni, the current “West Bank Christian population (not counting Jerusalem)…is now less than 8 percent of the population.”

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Daniel Schwammenthal focuses on the persecution of Arab Christians in Bethlehem and especially on how the Western media has refused to cover this fact. When we read about the persecution of Palestinians it is only ascribed to Israel, never to Hamas, Hezbollah, or to the Palestinian Authority. The firebombing of Christian homes and of the only Christian bookstore in Bethlehem, the mass Islamic prayers in Manger Square, the intimidation of students at a Christian Bible college by Muslims who stand outside and loudly chant from the Qu’ran — are all daily realities for Christians in Bethlehem. A Christian spokesman in Bethlehem says: “We have never suffered as we are now suffering.”

What in God’s name, are we to conclude from all this? Nina Shea, in National Review, draws some of the necessary conclusions:

“The disappearance of living Christian communities would signal the disappearance of religious pluralism and a moderating influence from the heart of the Muslim world. Within our lifetime, the Middle East could be wholly Islamicized for the first time in history. Without the experience of living alongside Christians and other non-Muslims at home, what would prepare it to peacefully coexist with the West? This religious polarization would undoubtedly have geopolitical significance. So far, official Washington has not taken this under consideration.”

(...)

Of course, Muslims persecuted, colonized, and genocidally exterminated other non-Muslim groups too. Let’s not forget the Hindus in India who were under genocidal attack for 700 years; the Zoroastrians and Baha’i who were under attack in Iran; and the Armenians who were genocidally exterminated by Turkish Muslims. Armenians are a Christian ethnic group whose members belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. To this day, the Turks still refuse to admit their responsibility.»

E concluíndo:

«(...) [O]n the one hand we have a relatively passive Christian West which has chosen not to actively stop the persecution of Christians in Muslim lands. On the other hand, we have allegedly “peaceful” Muslims who look the other way as Christians are persecuted and who are, understandably, also unwilling to … die to save Christians. For that matter, they are simply trying to live their lives and they are also unwilling to risk their lives to save other Muslims as well. “Peaceful” Muslims do not necessarily feel responsible for what is happening. Culturally and psychologically, they have been well trained to blame others, never themselves and to never act alone, as individuals, and/or against the family, clan, tribe, or ummah. (...)»

Infiltração jihadista na Europa

Na sequência do atentado frustrado num avião prestes a aterrar em Detroit no dia 25 de Dezembro, volta a discutir-se a segurança nos aeroportos e no interior das aeronaves. A bizarra circunstância do terrorista ter conseguido embarcar sem passaporte, levanta preocupações a respeito da eficácia das medidas de segurança nos aeroportos. Neste contexto, a notícia divulgada pelo blogue Islam in Europe alude a um risco grave e complexo: a lealdade dos muçulmanos à sua fé sobrepõe-se a qualquer outro compromisso, seja para com o país que os acolheu ou que os viu nascer, seja um compromisso profissional. O islão cauciona a mentira a bem da religião, através do conceito da taqiyya, e o profeta Mafoma terá dito que "Guerra é engano". O mandato universal à jihad (1) até que o islão seja a religião universal faz de todo o muçulmano um mujahid em potência. A disposição para morrer em jihad torna os mujahidin guerreiros temíveis que não recuam perante nenhuma ameaça. Seria bom que os riscos de acolher os muçulmanos no Ocidente em geral, em posições de poder - nomeadamente em forças de segurança, públicas ou privadas -, em particular, fossem ponderados. (1) - "Muhammad said: ‘I have been ordered to fight against all the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's messenger, and offer the prayers perfectly, and give the obligatory charity. So if they perform all that, then they save their lives and property from me and their reckoning will be done by Allah.'" Hadith Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1, 24.