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Archive for January, 2012

Nigeria: Christian Pastor Found Dead with Slit Throat in Gombe State

01/18/2012 1 comment

By Vincent Ekhoragbon – “A cleric, Pastor Yahaya Abdu of Baptist Church, Bajoga in Funakaye Local Government Area of Gombe State, has been found dead near his house.

It was learnt that the body of the preacher was found on Sunday, with his throat slit open.

Police spokesman Ahmed Mohammed, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said there was no clue yet on the cleric’s assailants.

He said the police were investigating the matter and would make public their report on it and other recent killings in the state.

Mohammed called for calm among the residents, saying the police would end criminality in the state.

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chair, Rev. Abare Kalla said he received the news with sadness, adding that he would establish what happened and how it happened.

He urged Christians to remain calm and steadfast in their prayers to God to reveal those behind the killing.” Source – The Nation.

Categories: Radical Islam, Wars and Rumors of War Tags:

‘Startling’: Up to 6.7 Million Bats Now Dead of ‘White-Nose’ Fungus in Canada and the United States

01/18/2012 1 comment

“U.S. scientists are estimating that between 5.7 million and 6.7 million bats in Canada and the United States have succumbed to white-nose syndrome, a fungus spreading in eastern North America.

The mortality figures were released Tuesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

‘White-nose syndrome has spread quickly through bat populations in eastern North America, and has caused significant mortality in many colonies,’ said Dr. Jeremy Coleman, co-ordinator of the U.S white-nose syndrome program. ‘Many bats were lost before we were able to establish pre-white-nose syndrome population estimates.’

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director Dan Ashe said the ‘startling ‘ figures illustrate the severity of the threat facing the animals.

‘Bats provide tremendous value to the U.S. economy as natural pest control for American farms and forests every year, while playing an essential role in helping to control insects that can spread disease to people,’ Ashe said.

White-nose syndrome was first detected in a cave west of Albany, N.Y., in 2006. It has since spread to 16 states, along with Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Scientists expect the disease will continue to spread to other regions.

Bats with the syndrome exhibit unusual behavior during cold winter months, including flying outside during the day and clustering near the entrances of caves and mines where they hibernate. The disease is named for the white patches that appear on the muzzles and other body parts of hibernating bats.

Advocates says action is needed to protect bats.

‘Today’s new mortality estimates are a wake-up call that we need to do more, and fast,’ said Mollie Matteson with the Center for Biological Diversity.” Source – CBC.ca.

Categories: Mass Animal Deaths, Pestilence

Nigeria: Christians Told to ‘Leave, Convert or Die’ as Nation’s Leader Says Protecting Christians Against Religious Cleansing Now Nearly Impossible

01/18/2012 3 comments

And I guess it would be when you’re own top “security” officer is unable — or unwilling — to keep Islamist killers locked up …

By Charlie Butts – “Another religious persecution watchdog group is drawing attention to the dangerous situation in Nigeria.

There has been a spike in violence against Christians in Nigeria and a terrorist group called Boko Haram is taking credit. International Christian Concern spokesman Jonathan Racho points out that more than 80 Christians have been martyred in the north in the past few weeks.

‘The Christian leaders in Nigeria are expressing their concern that these killings could amount to religious cleansing,’ says Racho. ‘They are calling for help. They are calling for prayers.’

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern in a recent statement that it is nearly impossible to protect Christians.

‘He said there are people within this government branch who sympathize with Boko Haram — Islamic radicals — and he was talking about how the situation is really complicated because of that,’ says the ICC spokesman. ‘You have a situation where the government is divided now.’

President Jonathan is Christian — and while the south is predominantly Christian, the north is mostly Muslim. Boko Haram has set a deadline for Christians in the north to leave that part of the country, convert to Islam, or die.

International Christian Concern says the potential danger to Christians is so serious that perhaps Nigeria should seek outside assistance and expertise in order to prevent genocide.” Source – One News Now.

Top Nigerian cop suspended over suspected sect member escape – “Nigerian authorities on Tuesday suspended a top police officer for alleged negligence in the escape of a suspected member of the Islamist Boko Haram sect arrested over a deadly Christmas bomb attack. The principal suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, who was arrested on Saturday, was handed over to a police commissioner for further investigation. He was then ordered to be taken to Abaji, near Abuja, for further investigation, police said in a statement. ‘In the course of undertaking this important procedure, the policemen on escorts with the suspect were attacked by the suspected sect gang members and in the process the suspect was freed,’ it said. ‘The police view this development as a serious negligence on the part of the commissioner of police and have since queried and suspended him from duty,’ it added.” Read more.

Categories: Radical Islam, Wars and Rumors of War Tags:

The Earth Groans: Strange, Unexplained Sounds in Conklin, Alberta 01/12/2012

01/17/2012 14 comments

Here’s another one to file under the weird and wacky reports of strange and unexplained “earth sounds”. The first video appears to have taken place just this past week in Conklin, Alberta Canada.  The second video is an August 2011 compilation of odd sounds that have been recorded around the globe prior to August of last year.

Update: Added third video purporting to contain recordings made during the first two weeks of January 2012 (unconfirmed) …

Categories: Anything Else

Sudan: Former Prime Minister Accused of Blasphemy After Proposing Women Be Allowed to Lead Prayers in Mosques

01/17/2012 Leave a comment

Don’t be surprised. According to Islam’s prophet, women are little more than a man’s possession imparted by Allah with only half the intelligence of her owner-husband. Which is probably why the word of a woman is only worth half that of the superior sex. And why a female receives only half the inheritance that a male receives. Such intellectual and social deficiencies must therefore mean that it’ll be twice as hard for a woman to earn her way into Mohammed’s Paradise, which would explain why Mohammed said that a majority of the occupants in Hell were women …

By REEM ABBAS – “A leading Sudanese opposition figure is under heavy criticism for proposing that women be allowed to lead prayers in mosques.

Sadiq Al-Mahdi, who is a former prime minister in the government, has also been pushing for the abolition of the niqab, the female face veils, as a way of ‘freeing’ Muslim women in Sudan.

Currently, Al-Mahdi leads one of the country’s major opposition parties, the Umma Party.

Reacting to the proposals, the Sharī’a Association of Scholars and Preachers of Sudan denounced the comments as ‘blasphemy’ and demanded the opposition leader atone or face trial.

The association is charged with the responsibility of defending Islam, a religion that has strict guidelines for women, especially on dressing.

In recent years, another opposition leader who is a popular Islamic theologian in the Northern African country, Hassan Al-Turabi, was declared an apostate after making statements about women’s rights in Islam.

Al-Turabi who leads the Islamist-centred Popular Congress Party (PCP) also said that Muslim women can marry Christian and Jewish men as they are ‘men of the Book’ and that women could lead prayers in mosques and should have equal rights with men.” Source – Africa Review.

Categories: Anything Else, Radical Islam

Uganda: 15 Year-Old Christian Girl Locked Up By Father for Six Months and Tortured for Leaving Islam

01/17/2012 Leave a comment

Luke 21:16-17, “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me.”

“BWERA, Uganda, January 17 (CDN) — A 15-year-old Christian girl in western Uganda who lost the use of her legs after her father locked her in a room for six months for leaving Islam has begun to take tentative steps.

Susan Ithungu of Isango village, Kasese district, had been hospitalized since September 2010 after neighbors along with police rescued her from her father, Beya Baluku, who had given her hardly any food or water. He was arrested shortly afterward but quickly released. She and her younger brother, Mbusa Baluku, lived alone with their father, who was divorced from their mother.

In March 2010, Susan had trusted Christ for her salvation – prompting her father to threaten to slaughter her publicly with a knife. Pastor Joseph Baluku of Bwera Full Gospel Church in Kasese said neighbors who discovered that the girl was locked in a room with almost no food or water notified authorities.

After her release, they took her to a hospital on Sept. 6, 2010. She would not be discharged from hospital care until Oct. 19, 2011.

After Compass published her ordeal on Aug. 11, 2011, several individuals and ministries came forward to help her… She now lives in a rented house in an undisclosed location.” Read more.

Categories: Radical Islam, Wars and Rumors of War Tags:

Massachusetts: At Least 20 Dolphins Found Dead in Cape Cod Area, Number of Dolphin Strandings Unusually High

01/17/2012 3 comments

By Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley – “(CNN) — At least 20 dolphins have died after washing up near several Cape Cod towns, an International Fund for Animal Welfare spokeswoman said Monday.

Between 40 and 50 common and Atlantic white-sided dolphins have been found stranded close to the shore since Thursday, and the number will likely rise, said IFAW spokeswoman Kerry Branon. Some animals were released Monday near Provincetown, bringing the total number of animals saved to 19.

‘It may not sound like a high success rate, but when you consider that 27 were alive when they washed up, I think we’re doing pretty well.’ The remaining eight that were stranded alive died.

Stranded living animals are given full health assessments, including ultrasounds and hearing tests; dead animals are given CT scans and necropsies, Branon said. Five released dolphins have been equipped with satellite tags on their dorsal fins to track their location and to see if they’re surviving.

Despite January-April being ‘high season’ for dolphin stranding near Cape Cod, IFAW experts aren’t exactly sure why so many dolphins are appearing now.” Read more.

Categories: Mass Animal Deaths

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus || Spoken Word (Video)

01/16/2012 3 comments

By Jefferson Bethke – “A poem I wrote to highlight the difference between Jesus and false religion. In the scriptures Jesus received the most opposition from the most religious people of his day. At it’s core Jesus’ gospel and the good news of the Cross is in pure opposition to self-righteousness/self-justification. Religion is man centered, Jesus is God-centered. This poem highlights my journey to discover this truth. Religion either ends in pride or despair. Pride because you make a list and can do it and act better than everyone, or despair because you can’t do your own list of rules and feel ‘not good enough’ for God. With Jesus though you have humble confident joy because He represents you, you don’t represent yourself and His sacrifice is perfect putting us in perfect standing with God!”

Categories: Anything Else, Good News

Indonesia: 25 Volcanoes Now Under Alert or Watch Status for Showing Abnormal Activity

01/16/2012 Leave a comment

Padang, West Sumatra – “Twenty-five volcanoes in Indonesia are now showing abnormal activity or have been put on alert or watch status, presidential special aide Andi Arief said here on Saturday.

‘According to official data, 25 volcanoes are now under alert or watch status and they must be given priority with regard to disaster mitigation planning at district or city levels,’ he said at a workshop on journalists’ role in disaster management.

He said in West Sumatra there were two volcanoes that need to be closely watched, namely Mount Marapi and Mount Talang, as they are still under alert status.

Mount Marapi is located in Agam and Tanahdatar districts and rises 2891 meters above sea level, and Mount Talang (2597 meters above sea level) in Solok district was located around 40 kilometers from the provincial capital Padang.

Apart from the two volcanoes, the government and regional disaster management agencies were also giving priority attention to Mount Papandayan in West Java, Mount Karangetan and Lokon in North Sulawesi, Mount Ijen in East Java, Mount Gamalama in North Maluku, Mount Krakatau in Banten and Lampung and Mount Lewoloto in East Nusa Tenggara.” Read more.

Categories: Anything Else, Natural Disasters

Tunisia: Crowd Chants ‘Killing the Jews is a Duty’ While Attending Speech by Hamas PM Ismail Haniya (Video)

01/16/2012 3 comments

Glorification of death and genocide has become a serious rallying cry lately, and not just from the Ayatollahs in Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.  Over the past year alone we’ve been hearing loud and clear from the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, to the Palestinian Authority and Fatah in the West Bank, to the clerics of Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian people as a whole, and even from Islamists living as far away as America and Europe. With one mind they speak loud and clear to the ends of the earth of their thirst and yearning for the death of all Jews.  And now this same sentiment is being reflected by the “liberated” people of Tunisia …

Categories: Radical Islam, Wars and Rumors of War Tags:

A Taste of Islam: An Interview with Bill Warner

01/16/2012 Leave a comment

By Mark Tapson – “In the years after the 9/11 attacks, more non-Muslims than ever before have studied Islam to understand the religious motives of those who had declared war on us. And yet non-believers who are alarmed at what they have found in the foundational texts of Islam are always told by apologists that we don’t understand the true Koran, that we labor under misconceptions about the Religion of Peace, that we don’t understand the complexities of sharia, that our objections and criticisms stem from racism (even though Islam is not a race) and an irrational fear of Islam and its adherents. The problem always seems to lie with us. What is the truth and how can we get to it behind the contradictions and the mystification?

Bill Warner has the answer. The founder and director of the Center for the Study of Political Islam (CSPI), he holds a PhD in physics and math. He has been a university professor, a businessman, and an applied physicist. But Dr. Warner has also had a lifelong interest in religion and its impact on history, and so the day after 9/11 he decided to make the source texts of Islam available for the average person who wants to know more.

As part of that effort, Mr. Warner has produced a dozen books, including a Koran, a biography of Mohammed and a summary of the political traditions of Mohammed. He writes articles and produces news bulletins that record the suffering of the victims of political Islam. And he has spoken nationally and internationally about Islamic political doctrine.

This Tuesday in Los Angeles, Mr. Warner will present ‘A Taste of Islam.’ See here for information about attending.

Mark Tapson: Mr. Warner, your background is in physics and mathematics. How did you come to devote yourself to the study of religion and to feel compelled to share your insights on political Islam? How did the field of statistics shape your perspective on Islam?

Bill Warner: I was raised in a very religious family and read the Bible a great deal. I studied physics and math, but my interest in religion expanded to the effects of religion on history. After graduate school I was attracted to mysticism and Eastern religions. So, forty years ago, I looked into Sufism, mystical Islam. I went to Sufi dances, learned zikr (a Sufi devotional practice), met Sufi masters and read Sufi literature. But, there was always this jarring background noise of the history of Islam. So, I left my study of Sufism.

Twenty years later as a professor I had Muslims in my classes and they sparked my interest in the Koran. It was a tough read, but I read it cover to cover. The text was literally a puzzle, but I set it aside until 9/11.

On 9/11 as soon as the second plane hit the second tower, I Read more…

Categories: Radical Islam, Wars and Rumors of War

Russia: African Swine Fever Marches Across Country, Forces Farm to Kill All 30,736 of its Pigs

01/16/2012 Leave a comment

“Russia has been dealing with African swine fever (ASF) in its swine herd since 2007 and the virus keeps marching across the country. This has prompted serious concerns about the prospect of the virus spreading into other Eastern European countries.

Now, a southern Russian farm had to slaughter all 30,736 of its pigs because of ASF, reports Bloomberg News. The pigs belonged to the Plemzavod Industrialny farm, located in the southern Russian Krasnodar region.

These hogs generally went to supply pork to local markets in the region, according to Alexei Alekseenko, a spokesman for Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s food-safety agency.

This marks the country’s largest outbreak of the virus, and consequent culling. The animal carcasses are typically burned and buried.

ASF was reported in a major agricultural breeding plant located a few kilometers out of Timashevsk city earlier this week. In that complex 98 pigs deaths had been registered.

According to the region’s veterinary services officials, pig deaths also were registered in several nearby private farms, and there is suspicion that the animals also died from ASF.” Read more.

Categories: Mass Animal Deaths, Pestilence