Entrevista a Melanie Phillips a propósito do lançamento do seu mais recente livro

Melanie Phillips, que conhecemos dos seus artigos no Spectator, entre outras publicações, acaba de lançar o seu mais recente livro, The World Turned Upside Down. O Catholic World Report entrevista a autora, que fala de Obama, de Fé e Razão, de Ciência e Cientismo, de Alterações Climáticas, de Esquerda e Utopia, do Islão e dos seus aliados ocidentais:

How did you select the title of your book?

Melanie Phillips: It arose in my mind because that’s how I think about the situation in the West. So often I’m writing about all manner of things happening, where everything’s been turned backwards and inside out. Right has turned into wrong, justice into injustice, victim into victimizer and so on. And I know from the response I get from my readers that on very many issues they think that too. But they are perplexed by the fact that what they think of as clearly demonstrable reality is represented in a way that makes white black and black white. They feel absolutely perplexed and bewildered, and that’s why I called the book The World Turned Upside Down.

Could you explain the “Princess Obama” syndrome?

Phillips: Yes, it comes from the fact that I look at two phenomena, the cult that surrounded Princess Diana in Britain and the cult that surrounded Barack Obama when he was running for president. Of course the shine has come off Barack Obama, but I was looking at this extraordinary hype that surrounded him when he was running for president.

In both cases it seemed to me that the reason for the hysteria and the hype was that the public was projecting onto both of these personalities its hopes and fears…and they thought that both of these characters would transcend these difficulties.

For example, Princess Diana was perceived as one of life’s victims. She was the product of a broken home, she had an eating disorder—she had a lot of problems. She was unhappily married to a man who was perceived to be cold and unfeeling. And yet she transcended all of this because she was beautiful, she was a fairy-tale princess. She was the “Queen of Hearts” and all that sort of nonsense. And so it was a kind of psychological projection and transcendence, and that’s why she was so important to people, and that’s why there was so much hysteria when she died.

Similarly, Barack Obama seemed to me to have achieved near-divine status because he was seen, I think, as someone who—by virtue of what he was and where he came from—would transcend some of the more traumatic problems that America felt it had, in particular its terrible history of slavery, its history of discrimination against black people, and the current situation in which America was fighting against the Islamic world. Obama, who himself fused black and white, Muslim and Christian, seemed to represent a kind of promise of global harmony.

[Obama] became a kind of mythic figure just as Princess Diana had been a mythic figure. So in order to illustrate this phenomenon of psychological projection, I called it the Princess Obama syndrome.

You talk about how science and religion were not always regarded as being at odds with one other, but that “scientism” (the belief that scientific materialism alone can answer all the questions in the world) has taken over. How did it happen that religion became the enemy of science?

Phillips: I think the explanation is that science became identified with materialism. When Western science led the way there was no problem—religion and science were held to be completely compatible with each other. They were simply exploring different things. Science was the attempt to explore and explain the world that could be seen. Religion was the attempt to explain reasons behind the world, and these were considered separate spheres which could co-exist very happily.

Some of the most distinguished scientists from that time onwards have been religious believers. Now for various reasons this doctrine of materialism grew up that made no room for religion. One can trace this way of thinking to the Enlightenment, to Francis Bacon and other thinkers who tried to make science basically take over from God. And for various reasons this strain of thought took root particularly in the 20th century and thus caused science, in my view, to overreach itself.

So science became scientism, which is this argument that says explicitly that there can be no explanation for anything in the universe or in the whole of experience that is not a materialist explanation. This is absolutely ludicrous, because there are all kinds of things that go on, like love and law and philosophy, which don’t have a materialist explanation. And they’re not irrational. But scientists have said there’s no room for anything that isn’t explained by science, which has caused those scientists who take that view to become irrational in, say, their attempts to explain the origins of the universe. They would have us believe that live matter evolved from inanimate matter, which is a kind of magic. That is a species of superstitious belief.

So you have people who purport to be the most rational in our world actually saying extremely silly and irrational things. And that is because they’ve been led into this terrible trap by the doctrine of materialism, which has resulted in this forced polarity, this forced opposition of science and religion.

Sed omnia in mensura et numero et pondere disposuisti

O cavalheiro pontuado e gentil sugeriu-nos uma aula do professor Thomas E. Woods iunior, académico da História nos Estados Unidos da América, sobre como a Igreja Católica construiu a Civilização Ocidental. Versão televisiva, destinada ao público em geral, da obra scripta que pode ser comprada no Brasil ou em Portugal, ou na língua original, e já citada pelo Luís a propósito da subserviência obamiana. Da série de aulas, recomendáveis desde o início, aqui fica a que tenta esclarecer o triste episódio de Galileu, carpido ad nauseam:

Nossa Senhora da Sabedoria, rogai por nós.

Sam Solomon conversa com Michael Coren

Se o leitor ainda não viu a dupla entrevista de Michael Coren a Bat Ye'or e a Sam Salomon, pode querer começar por ver esta selecção das intervenções de Salomon, um académico muçulmano que apostatou.

In Kitman TV, via Tundra Tabloids. Questão final: por que razão Solomon faz questão de não ser identificado? a) é feio e tem vergonha; b) disse à mulher que ia comprar cigarros e foi dar uma volta com uns amigos; c) esqueceu-se de fazer a barba; d) na sua condição de apóstata, teme que algum muçulmano observante o execute, como estipula o Alcorão e algumas ahadith¹. ¹ - «What do the Quran and Hadith really teach about Apostasy ? In the Quran Most Quranic references deal with how God looks on apostates and how he is going to punish them in the Day of Judgment. The first verse has an indirect inference about apostasy, but nonetheless is used by Muslims as a basis for punishing apostates The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is : execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land : that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter ; Sura 5:33 But those who reject Faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of Faith,- never will their repentance be accepted ; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray. Sura 3:90 Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty. Sura 16:106 Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way. Sura 4:137 In the Hadith Ibn Abbaas said : The Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever changes his (Islamic) religion, kill him.” Al-Bukhary (number 6922) Abd-Allah ibn Masood said : The Messenger of Allah said : “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, except in one of three cases : a soul (in case of murder) ; a married person who commits adultery ; and one who leaves his religion and separates from the main body of Muslims.” Sahih Al Bukhary number 6484 and Sahih Muslim number 1676 How Does Islam Deal with Apostates ? An Apostate in Islam is a Muslim who rejects Islam after being either born into it or after embracing it as a convert from some other religion. An apostate is looked upon as worse than an infidel who has never professed faith in Allah and Mohammad as his prophet or in any way practiced Islam. Apostasy in Islam is equal to treason. In Islam, politics and religion are inseparably intertwined. A famous fundamental expression in Islam says it all, “Islam is a religion and a state.” It is obvious that treason within Islam has spiritual and cultural dimensions. It does not write-off the public rejection of its fundamentals as merely private matters of personal preference in regard to religion. Such actions are viewed as bad influences on Islamic societies as a whole that could escalate into widespread seditions. That is why they deal with it so harshly. Apostasy within Islam can encompass thoughts of the heart, words spoken and deeds. An example of apostasy of the heart would be most anything that might indicate disbelief in the supremacy of Allah. Associations with any deities such as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and claims that such possess divinity that parallels that of Allah would be apostasy by the heart. Apostasy of the tongue would be any words that question the authenticity of the Quran and the tenets of Islam. Serious infractions such as praying to idols, treating the Quran in a casual/disrespectful manner and ceasing to recite one’s 5 daily prayer sessions can be quickly deemed as apostasy by deeds. There are a few types of situations in which Muslims would not be counted as liable for rejecting the faith. Ignorant mistakes, misunderstandings about Sharia Law and instances of coercion to renounce Islam would fall into this category. The principle of Al Taqeyya makes the provision that any Muslim, who renounces Allah and/or his prophet Mohammad to preserve his own life, is not guilty of apostasy. Such is solely permitted in situations wherein the Muslim was giving lip service as opposed to the true feelings of his heart. (See Sura 16:106) Islam has two forms of apostasy ; the ordinary and the extreme. The ordinary pertains to situations in which the perpetrators did not intend to bring harm and insults to Islam. Under such circumstances most schools of Muslim jurisprudence would give the guilty person three days to express repentance. Those who fail to do so can incur severe punishments including imprisonment, torture and execution. Those who are charged with extreme apostasy aren’t given opportunities to express repentance. There is no waiting period for anyone who is indicted for purposely attempting to bring harm or insults to Islam, the Quran, and Mohammad. We have heard of people executed by family members, Islamic city councils and through the auspices of National Religious-State Islamic governments. In recent years there have been reports of the aforementioned executions from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt and Afghanistan. Unquestionably, some have been carried out secretly in Western democracies. The various sects within Islam normally have similar policies about the severity of verdicts for female apostates as they would for men. The only difference would be that Shafiites, Malikites and Hanbalites would punish the woman exactly as they punish the man ; she would be given 3 days to repent or be executed. However, the Hanafites would be more lenient. They would permit a woman to serve out her sentence through life in prison until she either comes to repentance or dies.»

Bispo católico de diocese turca assassinado (3)

Notícias recentes vêm confirmar a nossa suspeita de que as previsíveis alegações de insanidade pela defesa do homicida do bispo Padovese não têm fundamento e que, se se tratasse de um país com um sistema judicial desprovido de preconceitos religiosos ― nomeadamente os instilados pela sharia, designadamente, neste caso, que um muçulmano matar um kufar não é crime de grande gravidade ― estaríamos perante uma condenação mais que provável a uma longa pena de cadeia. Fazendo fé na presente notícia, estamos perante um homicídio de motivação religiosa, no qual um muçulmano matou a pessoa que considerava ser o «Grande Satã» com duas dezenas e meia de facadas e o decapitou¹, a gritos de Allahu Akbar («Alá é o maior»), homicida que, provavelmente usando de taqiyya ― doutrina segundo a qual é lícito a um muçulmano mentir, sem se encontrar sob coacção, desde que daí resultem vantagens para o islão ―, simulou ter-se convertido ao cristianismo, eventualmente para se aproximar do possível alvo. O leitor que ajuíze:

«While a funeral for Bishop Luigi Padovese, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia was being held in Iskenderun, Turkey today, new reports from the Turkish media are questioning the alleged insanity of Murat Altun, the personal driver and murderer of the Italian-born bishop.

Altun, 26, who had been working as an assistant and driver to Bishop Padovese for four years, was arraigned last Friday, accused of being the sole killer of the Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia.

The first official reports said that Altun killed the bishop during a temporary moment of insanity, a claim that Altun's lawyer confirmed.

Nevertheless, on Monday, the Turkish TV station NTV announced that Altun has admitted that the brutal murder of the bishop—who received more than 25 knife wounds, eight of them in the heart, and had his head almost completely severed from his body—was the action of a "divine inspiration to kill the great Satan."

It was also reported by NTV that Altun shouted “Allah Akbar!” several times after the murder, despite his alleged conversion to Catholicism.

The killer's lawyer insisted on Monday that his client suffers "mental problems," and had finished a psychiatric treatment before the murder; but witnesses contacted by NTV say Altun never showed signs of mental problems during his four years as the bishop's driver.»

¹ - Conteúdo brutal, desaconselhado a pessoas sensíveis, mas instrutivo sobre o que é o islão, sobre como trata os prisioneiros e sobre como educa as suas crianças. Addendum: notícia mais completa.

Crise humanitária em Gaza? (2)

In Arutz Sheva/Israel National News:

«(...) Hamas still is refusing to accept aid that was sent on the flotilla last week that tried to break through the Israeli sea embargo. Hamas spokesmen said accepting the aid would be admitting to Israeli’s sovereignty over the Gaza coast, as stipulated in the Oslo Accords and in the unilateral withdrawal of Jews and the IDF from the Gaza area five years ago.

(...)

However, Gaza is doing fine without the flotilla cargo. Since the beginning of the year, Israel has shipped through Gaza crossing nearly 22,000 tons of cooking oil, more than 89,000 tons of rice, fruit and vegetables, 110,000 tons of wheat, and 38,000 tons of meat, chicken and fish products. INN brings a weekly report of the cargo that goes into Gaza.

In addition, Gaza residents have received hundreds of tons of flour, dairy products, sugar and other food products, nearly 4,900 tons of medical equipment and medicine, nearly 600 tons of clothing and shows and more than 10,000 tons of cement.

Critics have falsely claimed that Israel is not letting any building material into Gaza. Building materials are closely supervised to prevent use for non civilian purposes. The flotilla brought tons of cement on its cargo ships, and Israel said it wanted safeguards that the material would not be used by Hamas to build cement bunkers and smuggling tunnels.

Millions of gallons of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power stations and for cooking gas also have been transferred to Gaza by Israel.

In an effort to sustain the Gaza export industry, Israel has allowed 249,000 tons of carnations to leave the area as well as the export of power plant turbine and generators for maintenance work.

In the last week alone, ending on Saturday, Gaza residents received 484 truckloads, consisting of 12,413 tons of humanitarian aid and cement, not including the aid that Hamas has refused to accept.

In addition, 373 medical patients and escorts crossed from Gaza to Israeli hospitals and to Arab hospitals in Judea and Samaria for medical treatment.

During the same period, Egypt had sealed its border with Gaza, opening it only last week in a political move to weaken the image of Israel in the world following the flotilla clash.»

Free Gaza

Via Arutz Sheva.

Crise humanitária em Gaza?

Por que razão tantos cidadão ocidentais estão tão revoltados com o bloqueio naval a Gaza, que visa, recorde-se, impedir a entrada de armas, ou material que sirva para a sua construção, no território que se estende entre o Mar Mediterrâneo e o sudoeste de Israel, território do qual o exército israelita se retirou em 2005, como passo necessário e meio-caminho andado ― diziam os mais optimistas ― para a paz com os palestinianos? A razão da maioria, presumo, é humanitária: a julgar pelo que conhecemos de Gaza, os seus residentes estarão a passar dificuldades com a ausência de meios para satisfazer as necessidades mais básicas. Será verdade? Veja-se o quadro (note-se que os dados são anteriores a 2005, ou seja, do tempo em que Gaza estava ocupada pelo exército israelita): Fome não parece haver. E como estarão as coisas hoje, em consequência do bloqueio decretado por Israel desde que o Hamas ― cujos estatutos definem como objectivo a aniquilação de Israel ― está no poder?

Para saber sobre a real situação de Gaza, ou seja, para romper o bloqueio informativo que os media ocidentais têm em curso, visite o site de Tom Gross, onde poderá ficar a conhecer um restaurante de luxo e uma piscina olímpica de Gaza e ver o desmontar de outras mentiras sobre o conflito Israelo-Árabe. Via Vlad Tepes e Melanie Phillips, que diz:

«(...) That there is hardship in Gaza is indisputable. But that is caused solely by the fact that it is at war with Israel --waged by a regime that also imposes great hardship and suffering upon the Gazans themselves. The flotilla activists and their supporters, however, continue to maintain that Gaza is starving and that their purpose was to bring in supplies that don’t exist because of the blockade. (...)»

À procura de um casus belli?

Report: Turkish PM wants to visit Gaza Lebanese newspaper al-Mustaqbal says Erdogan considering going to Strip himself in order to break siege

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is considering a trip to Gaza in order to break the siege imposed on the Strip by Israel, Lebanese newspaper al-Mustaqbal reported Saturday, quoting "knowledgeable sources".

The newspaper said that "as part of the open conflict between Turkey and Israel following the massacre against the 'freedom sail' to Gaza and the protest sparked in the world, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is considering going to Gaza himself in order to break the blockade imposed on the Strip."

The sources noted that the Turkish leader had raised the option in a conversation with his associates.

According to the report, Erdogan told the American administration he was planning to ask his navy to escort another aid flotilla, but that American officials asked him to delay the plan in order to look into the matter. The newspaper reported that the Erdogan government was under a lot of pressure from "political and popular groups" to annul all military agreements with Israel, but that the military establishment was strongly opposed to this demand.

(...)

Turkey's ambassador to Washington warned Friday that his country could be forced to break relations with Israel unless it apologizes for its raid on the Marmara.

In a meeting with reporters, Namik Tan outlined three Turkish demands for Israel including a public apology. He said Israel also must accept a credible independent investigation of the raid and end its blockade against Gaza.

When asked if Turkey might break relations, Tan cited the high emotions of the Turkish public about the raid. He said: "We don't want this to go to that point."

Bispo católico de diocese turca assassinado (2)

São numerosas as vozes dos que pedem às autoridades turcas que investiguem cabalmente as circunstâncias e as motivações do homicídio de Mgr. Luigi Padovese ― Vigário Apostólico de Ancara, assassinado ontem à facada pelo seu motorista ―, e que não se detenham na alegação de súbita loucura, a qual a sua defesa, pouco surpreendentemente, invoca ― estratégia à qual as defesas dos jihadistas e autores de crimes ditos de honra recorrem com frequência no Ocidente (com bons resultados), e nos países muçulmanos expediente usado pelos homicidas de cristãos e de não-muçulmanos em geral, conseguindo com isso penas que, pelos parâmetros do mundo ocidental, são bastante leves.

Mgr. Padovese's driver charged with murder. Doubts about his "insanity" by Geries Othman Christian observers and ask that the investigators to delve deeper into the motives for the murder.. Several attacks against Christians in Turkey are the work of "young unbalanced men" The condolences of the Italian Bishops Conference and PIME. The funeral of Mgr. Padovese next week in Milan.

The driver of Mgr. Luigi Padovese, killed yesterday in front of his house in Iskanderun has been formally charged with murder by a Turkish court. The police confirm that the man, who for over four years was a close collaborator of the slain bishop suffers from mental disorders. But some doubts remain surrounding his illness and there have been widespread calls on the authorities to deepen their investigations into the motives for the assassination.

Murat Altun, 26, was arrested yesterday, hours after the killing of the bishop. According to some witnesses the murderer was stilly carrying the knife with which he had butchered Mgr. Padovese. After hours of questioning, the police confirmed the insanity of Murat. AsiaNews sources had said yesterday that Murat was "depressed, violent, full of threats."

But faithful and the Turkish world are still finding it hard to accept the thesis of mental illness, which only became evident a few months ago. Several attacks in recent years were committed by young people deemed "unstable" at the time but who later proved to have connections with ultra-nationalist and anti-Christian groups.

To many observers it seems that governments, politicians, Turkish civil authorities are avoiding all serious analysis of these events. The risk is that these violent episodes will be merely brushed off with the excuse that they are the isolated acts of madmen, the casual gesture of an young Islamic fanatic.

Among the "isolated acts" of unbalanced people are: the wounding of Fr Adriano Franchini, Italian Capuchin, Smyrna on December 16, 2007; Fr. Roberto Ferrari, threatened with a kebab knife in the church in Mersin on 11 March 2006, Fr. Pierre Brunissen stabbed in the side, 2 July 2006 outside his church in Samsun. These three attacks were carried out without fatal consequences.

This was not the case for Don Andrea Santoro, shot and killed Feb. 5, 2006 while praying in church in Trabzon; the same fate for the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink assassinated January 19, 2007 just outside his home in a crowded street in Istanbul. And the even more tragic death April 18, 2007 of three Protestant Christians, including one German, tortured, stabbed and killed while working in the Zirve publishing house in Malatya, which publishes Bibles and Christian books.

Among Christians and some Turkish NGOs is the request that investigations do not stop at the arrest of a deranged turn, but dig deeper.

Meanwhile, church figures are flocking to Iskanderun to express their condolences to the local church. The body of Mgr. Padovese was transferred to hospital in nearby Adana, for an autopsy. According to preliminary information, the funeral of Mgr. Padovese will be held in Milan, his city of birth, not before Wednesday, June 9.

Among the first expressions of condolence – sent to the nuncio in Turkey, Mgr. Antonio Lucibello, are those of the Italian Bishops Conference. A message signed by Card. Angelo Bagnasco, reads: "While we deplore this barbaric murder, we join the pain of the local Church, which still is tried so very hard".

Condolences have also been expressed by priests from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), in whose seminary Mgr. Padovese had been a professor. Fr. Mark Rebolini, who had visited the bishop in Turkey last summer, writes: "It is incredible to think about what happened to him .... a sense of profound sadness lingers in me because martyrdom .. is always a defeat for humanity, but in the logic of God it is a great gesture of love capable of healing many wounds. "

Via Women Against Sharia.

Se não fosse trágico, daria vontade de rir

A British abortion organization is opening up a chain of abortion clinics in China, you know the land of forced abortions. And you thought all those pro-aborts were actually pro-choice? Times Online reports:

Marie Stopes International (MSI) has opened five outlets in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu. Here the selective abortion of girls has led to a gender imbalance of up to 131 boys for every 100 girls. The closeness of MSI’s relationship with the Chinese government was shown earlier this month when Li Bin, its population minister, visited the MSI offices in London and an abortion clinic in Bristol.

But hold on it gets better. MSI is arguing that they're going to China to promote "choice" in China. Ha! These people are insane if they expect anyone not in the media to believe something like that. An organization that makes its money performing abortions is going to the land of forced abortion to teach them that children should sometimes not be aborted. What? I'm trying to think of an analogy to that but none are coming into my head. Feel free to offer some up and make me feel stupid. Sadly, according to the article, some in England seem most upset by the fact that MSI receives millions in taxpayer funds and they're wondering why their money is being used to abort Chinese babies when it could be so much better spent on killing little English babies. God help us.

In Creative Minority Report.

Documentário holandês sobre o islão boicotado

Um documentário sobre o islão na Holanda e na Bélgica, da autoria de Ben Kok (autor de Allah, the Netherlands, and the House of Orange), foi duplamente boicotado, quer através da recusa na sua exibição nas principais cadeias de televisão flamengas, quer na divulgação da sua existência. O documentário fora anteriormente boicotado, logo na fase de produção, pelos políticos membros da coligação que governava a Holanda na altura da rodagem ― Partij van de Arbeid [PvdA - Partido do Trabalho, Socialista, (ironicamente designado Partido dos Árabes)], Christen Democratisch Appèl [CDA - Convocatória Cristã Democrata] e Christen Unie [CU - União Cristã (cristãos de esquerda)] ―, que recusaram os pedidos de entrevistas. Eis uma apresentação do documentário:

Via Gates of Vienna.

Papa visita ilha ocupada militarmente pelos turcos

O norte da ilha de Chipre foi ocupada militarmente pela Turquia em 1974. Os cipriotas turcos proclamaram uma república turca que só a Turquia reconhece. A ilha continua dividida apesar das condenações e resoluções das Nações Unidas, às quais os turcos não fazem qualquer caso. É espantoso como a União Europeia tem relações amigáveis com um país que ocupa ilegalmente território de um dos seus membros e pondera a possibilidade de admitir o invasor ocupante. O Papa Bento XVI vai encontrar-se com a pequena comunidade de cristãos em comunhão com a Santa Sé e com os ortodoxos, numa altura em as relações entre católicos e ortodoxos atingem o ponto mais alto de diálogo e entendimento desde há séculos. De lamentar, para começar, o homicídio do Vigário de Ancara.

Bispo católico de diocese turca assassinado

O padre Luigi padovese, Vigário Apostólico da Anatólia e presidente da Conferência Episcopal Turca, foi assassinado à facada, quatro anos depois do homicídio de um outro bispo em missão na Turquia. O bispo recém-assassinado comentou a triste efeméride do seguinte modo: «O padre Santoro foi morto como símbolo, porque representa o que significa ser padre católico». A Igreja que está na Turquia expressa perturbação pela pouco interesse que as autoridades e os media turcos mostram pelo assunto.

«The president of the Turkish Catholic bishops' conference has been murdered.

Bishop Luigi Padovese of Anatolia was stabbed to death on Thursday, June 3. The crime occurred in the port city of Iskenderun, where the bishop was preparing to leave for Cyprus to join Pope Benedict XVI on his visit there this weekend.

Turkish reports indicated that Bishop Padovese was attacked after he opened the door-- indicating that the assailant was someone he knew. The bishop's driver reportedly confessed to the killing. That development stunned Church officials who said that the driver, identified only as Murat, had shown every evidence of loyalty to the prelate.

"What has happened is terrible," said Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, especially in light of the murder of Father Andrea Santoro in February 2006. Ironically, Bishop Padovese had recently told a Vatican Radio audience that Father Santoro "was killed as a symbol, because he was the reality of what it means to be a Catholic priest." Church sources in Turkey had expressed discomfort at the absence of public concern about the murder of Father Santoro, saying that the government and media were downplaying the Islamic threats against the Christian minority.

A native of Milan, Italy, Luigi Padovese entered the Capuchin order in 1965. He had taught in Rome for years before his appointment in 2004 as apostolic vicar for Anatolia.»

Também in Rorate Cæli.

Requiescat in pace.

Jihad contra Israel (7)

Surgem indícios fortes de que os indivíduos que atacaram com fisgas, tubos de ferro, tacos e diversos tipos de armas brancas os soldados israelitas são membros ou associados de organizações terroristas e/ou mercenários ao seu serviço:

Confirmed Hamas Leader Among Flotilla 'Activists' A confirmed terrorist leader was among the Gaza flotilla extremists aboard the Mavi Marmara on Monday, holding a Dutch passport.

Amin Abu Rashed, 43, was among the militants arrested on the Turkish vessel following the vicious attack on Israeli Naval commandos who boarded the ship. The Palestinian Authority Arab holds a Dutch passport and operates out of Rotterdam as the leader of the Hamas terrorist network in the Netherlands. He has presented himself to Dutch media and others as a “human rights activist.”

According to a report posted Tuesday on the Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report, Abu Rashed – also known as Amin Abu Ibrahim – was “one of the chief organizers of the Gaza flotilla.”

The six-ship flotilla, sponsored largely by Turkey, refused to change course despite repeated Israeli requests to head for Ashdod port rather than violate an embargo on the Hamas terrorist-run Gaza region. In Ashdod, Israel promised to off-load the ships' cargo, inspect it for contraband and then deliver all legal humanitarian aid to Gaza via the land crossings – but the ships refused to comply, vowing instead to “reach Gaza or martyrdom.”

The Muslim report added that Rashed and 29-year-old Dutch anthropologist Anne de Jong were offered a fast-track deportation procedure, “but refused because they [said they] want to complete their mission.” Both refused to sign the State of Israel declaration of expulsion that would have allowed them to go free.

Abu Rashed's name has previously come up in a document presented as evidence in the United States government's prosecution of the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation charity organization – a group that was funneling money to Hamas.

Global jihadists were deeply involved in the flotilla incident in other ways. Approximately 40 of those arrested on the Mavi Marmara had no identification, and many were found to be carrying thousands of dollars in cash in their pockets – the same amount for each. Israeli officials said they appeared to be mercenaries, possibly linked to Al-Qaeda, who had received their remuneration just before boarding the vessel.

IDF video evidence shows the group splitting up into teams and sending the rest of the passengers below decks, while making preparations for the ambush of the Israeli Naval commandos.

According to the GMB Daily Report, “Previous posts have described the heavy participation of the Global Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza flotilla, the Muslim Brotherhood background of the Al Jazeera journalist reporting from the Turkish ship involved in the confrontation, and the intent of the Global Muslim Brotherhood to send another flotilla to Gaza.”

Hipocrisia turca exposta no Parlamento Europeu

Ao que tudo indica, a Turquia ― possivelmente ao mais alto nível da sua hierarquia política ―, esteve envolvida no planeamento da tentativa de violação do bloqueio naval israelita a Gaza, cujas trágicas consequências são conhecidas. Apesar disso, a Turquia apressa-se a saír a terreiro exigindo que as alegadas violações dos direitos humanos perpetradas por Israel sejam punidas, não se inibindo de invocar os mesmos direitos que a própria Turquia não reconhece a parte dos seus cidadãos, cristãos e curdos. Disso fala um eurodeputado holandês ― do PVV, partido liderado por Gert Wilders ―, em sede própria, dirigindo-se a um representante da Turquia nesse forum: Via Vlad Tepes Blog.