NEWS FLASH
Our Point of View
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Posted 05 July 2000 |
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The Jewish Agency screens Zionist films on the walls of Al-Aqsa mosque. |
Posted 03 July 2000 |
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Posted 03 July 2000 |
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Posted 23 June 2000 |
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Hijab in French Schools - Personal freedom and the state's oppression. |
Posted 23 June 2000 |
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Posted 23 June 2000 |
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An ex enemy of Islam reverts and accepts it as the only truth |
Posted 22 June 2000 |
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Read Sarah Joseph's "A foreigner in my own land" (link). Are Muslims the enemy, or is it Islam? An article by a British Muslim lady. |
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An evangelist burns a copy of the Koran and broadcast it on television. |
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An Indian poet and novelist embraces Islam
It takes extraordinary courage for a rich and famous Hindu to embrace Islam and be faced with the ire of Hindu extremists, who recently murdered an Australian Missionary priest and his two lovely children by burning them alive. The celebrated Indian novelist and poetess Dr. Kamala Das is now Suraiyya. Her Krishna poems are replaced by Ya Allah. Kamala's "My Story" has been published in more than 15 languages and is a text book in Japan. Her English poetry collections include: Summer in Calcutta, Alphabet of Lust, The Descendants, Old Play House, and Only the Soul Knows How to Sing. She has been awarded numerous prizes and was the only Malayalee to be nominated for the Nobel Prize. Here is part of the "Times of India" article:
I like Islam's orthodox lifestyle: Kamala DasS Balakrishnan
The Times of India MUMBAI: Noted writer Kamala Das finds herself in the eye of a storm following her recent decision to embrace Islam and change her name to Suraiya. This is not the first time she finds herself embroiled in a controversy. Her writings in the past have generated considerable heat. But the earlier controversies were essentially confined to literary circles. Her decision to convert to Islam has taken Kerla by storm with applause and criticism both flying in her direction. The Times of India spoke to her over the telephone at herhome in Kochi on Tuesday evening. Excerpts: Question: When exactly did you decide to embrace Islam? Answer: I do not remember the exact time. I think it was about 27 years ago.
Q: Why did you wait so long to convert?
A: When I discussed the matter first with my husband in the early seventies, he asked me to wait. He advised me to read books on Islam. I again thought of converting before the1984 parliamentary elections.But, not all my children were married and settled at that time. I did not want my decision to impact on their lives. Now, all of them are well settled and happy. Hence, I have announced my decision now.
Q: Who introduced you to Islam?
A: My first interface with Islam was through two blind Muslim children, Irshad Ahmed and Imtiaz Ahmed. They were sent to me by the National Association for the Blind since I had volunteered to read and teach the blind. The children virtually stayed at our flat at Bank House at Churchgate, Mumbai. I was required to read them Islamic scriptures.
Q: What was it in Islam which attracted you?
A: I liked the purdah which Muslim women wore. I liked the orthodox lifestyle of Muslim women.
Q: But, doesn't the Purdah circumscribe your freedom?
A: I don't want freedom. I had enough of it thrust on me. Freedom had become a burden for me. I want guidelines to regulate and discipline my life. I want a master to protect me. I wanted protection and not freedom. I want to be subservient to Allah. In fact, for the past 24 years I had worn a purdah off and on. I had gone to markets, matinee shows and even while abroad I had worn purdah. I have several of them. A woman in purdah is respected. No one touches you or teases you if you wear one. You get total protection.
Q: But isn't freedom the most precious of all gifts enjoyed by humankind?
A: My freedom had become frayed at the edges. It was not good any more. It was no more the toy I wanted to play with. I had outgrown the desire for freedom.
Q: What was the immediate reason to accept Islam?
A: Recently I was travelling in a car from the Malabar to Kochi. I started the journey at 5.45 a.m. I looked at the rising sun. Surprisingly, it had the color of a setting sun. It traveled with me and at 7.00 a.m. it turned white. For years I have been looking for signs telling me when to convert. Finally, I got the message.
Q: Can you please specify the three chief reasons which prompted you to become a Muslim?
A: I cannot list the reasons like that. I wanted protection. My husband died seven years ago and I am now a lonely widow who is 67 years old. When he was there he provided me with protection. I had not to bother about getting tickets, passports, visa and such other things. I just had to follow him.
Zionist films screened on the walls of Al-Aqsa mosque.
The Jewish Agency said it screened Zionist movies on the wall of Al-Aqsa, the third holiest shrine in Islam, as part of the programme for its annual general assembly
June 27, 2000, 12:44 PM
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A top Muslim cleric lashed out at Israel's Jewish Agency on Tuesday for projecting pro-Israeli films on the wall of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque.
Ikrima Sabri, the grand mufti of Jerusalem, said the outdoor screening on Monday night was provocative to Muslim feelings.
The semi-official Jewish Agency said it had not intended to offend, and declined to discuss the films' content.
"This is irresponsible behavior that aims to show Israel as the owner of the city," Sabri told Reuters.
The fate of Jerusalem is among the major issues to be decided in Israel-Palestinian peace talks.
The Jewish Agency, which helps to coordinate immigration to Israel, said it screened Zionist movies on the wall of Al-Aqsa, the third holiest shrine in Islam, as part of the program for its annual general assembly.
"It was done in Jerusalem as a symbol for the Jewish people," agency official Avinoam Bar-Yosef said.
Al-Aqsa is located on an esplanade, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif or (The Nobel Sanctuary) and regarded by Jews as the site of the biblical Temple Mount.
Israel annexed Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war in a move that has not been recognized internationally. It claims all of the city as its eternal capital.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state that they plan to declare later this year.
Jewish Radicals try to occupy Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem
Some 21 people were lightly wounded when fisticuffs broke out between Palestinians and Jewish radicals who tried to enter the mosque compound.
June 28, 2000, 02:30 PM
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP English) - Violent scuffles between Palestinians, Jewish radicals and Israeli police broke out Wednesday in Jerusalem's Old City when Jewish extremists tried to march on Islam's third holiest site, witnesses and Palestinian officials said.
Some 21 people, including the director of the Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, were lightly wounded when fisticuffs broke out between Palestinians and Jewish radicals who tried to enter the mosque compound, where renovation work has been at the center of a emotional dispute.
Israeli police intervened to help the Jewish demonstrators, according to Adnan Husseini, the director of the Waqf (the body that controls Jerusalem's Islamic endowments and runs the mosque compound.
Husseini told Voice of Palestine radio that the group of Jewish radicals shouted anti-Muslim slogans as they tried to enter the Aqsa area.
Mosques in America under attack (From Arabia onLine)
Many American Muslims feel that incidences like these are bound to continue as long as the American public continues to be misinformed about the Islamic faith.
By Anayat Durrani
June 22, 2000, 09:38 AM
CALIFORNIA (AROL) - In recent years American Muslims have witnessed an increase in the incidence of attacks on mosques by arsonists and vandals. On Tuesday, June 20th, Masjid Al-Noor in Memphis, Tenn., became the latest target, this time at the hands of an enraged neighbor. The suspect was said to have opened fire on the mosque with his shotgun, filling the door of the mosque with bullet holes. One Muslim man was wounded after being shot in the pelvis area by the suspect, who was arrested and later charged by Memphis police.
"I think we see this happening more and more because Islam is spreading very quickly in the US. Some people feel threatened by Islam because they don’t understand it or are influenced by what they see on television or in the movies," says Amir, a 30-year-old Egyptian-American living in Boston, Mass.
In the United States it is estimated that there are approximately 2,000 mosques, Islamic centers and Islamic schools that serve an estimated American-Muslim population of over six million. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States and in the world with 1.2 billion adherents worldwide. In the United States, the number of adherents to the Islamic faith in many estimates has surpassed Judaism and is believed to be the second largest religion in America after Christianity. Despite Islam’s impressive numbers, the Islamic religion remains largely misunderstood.
"I think the general opinion Americans have about Muslims is that we are extremists and terrorists who want to start a "jihad" on the West. They think we are anti-American. And, certainly, the images they see in movies is not helping," says Amir.
Many Muslims fault not only Hollywood but also the American media for fueling the fire and spreading misinformation about the Islamic faith. "I think that the reason for the increase in hate crimes against Muslims is because of the continued lack of knowledge and true or accurate representations of Islam, combined with the continuous portrayal of conflict in the Middle East and Muslim world on the 12 o'clock, 5 o'clock and 11 o'clock news," says Hiba, a 34-year-old Palestinian-American living in Chicago, Ill.
The 90s have witnessed several attacks on mosques across the United States. According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in September of 1994 in Yuba City, Calif., a mosque that was nearly completed was burned to the ground in what was ruled as arson. In October of the same year, a Brooklyn, N.Y., mosque was damaged by fire. In April of 1995 a High Point, N.C., mosque burned in another suspected arson attack. On June 6, 1995 in Springfield, Ill., a mosque was damaged by fire leaving authorities to believe it could have been the work of arsonists. In 1996, a Greenville, S.C., mosque came under the attack of arsonists. One suspect was apprehended and charged for involvement in an arson. Acts of arson and vandalism have also occurred in Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois and Georgia.
Last March, two fires burned a mosque in Minneapolis, Minn. According to an article by Jim Adams of the Star Tribune, investigators suspect that the fires were set to hide the burglary of an office inside the Islamic Community Center. Before the first fire occurred witnesses reported seeing two men leaving in a white van. CAIR offered a $5,000 reward for any information leading to the capture and conviction of those responsible for the mosque burning.
Last May, Colorado’s largest mosque almost fell prey to an arsonist. Before the suspect could do any damage to the Denver mosque, he fled the scene and led police on a seven-mile car chase before he was finally apprehended. According to James Brooke, of The New York Times, the suspect’s car contained an arsenal of bomb-making materials, four guns and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. When arrested, the man reportedly said to police, "I am an enemy against the Islamic nation, and I was going to take care of business."
Many American Muslims feel that incidences like these are bound to continue as long as the American public continues to be misinformed about the Islamic faith. Organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have made tremendous progress in presenting Islam in its true light, particularly through tireless efforts to contact the media to ensure fair and accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims. Many American Muslims nationwide have also taken it upon themselves to make a difference and help educate Americans about Islam.
"Well, I think that each of us individually can make changes. Every time we meet a non-Muslim and identify ourselves as Muslims, and inform people about the real Islam, we can break stereotypes and present ourselves as positive examples of who and what Muslims really are," says Hiba.
CAIR has advised the American Muslim community to take safety measures to improve mosque security to deter such incidences. CAIR has also urged that Muslims report immediately any incidents against mosques to local law enforcement and CAIR regional offices, as well as to document damage through the use of photographs and videos.
Copyright Arabia on Line © 2000 all rights reserved
Read the story on Arabiaonline
French teachers campaign against the Hijab (From Muslim News)
A lower secondary school in La Grand-Combe, southern France, has been re-opened following a strike by teachers, backed by many parents, protesting an official order to allow two Muslim pupils (who are sisters) to wear Islamic headscarves in class. Last month, the Head of the Education Authority issued a directive permitting their return to classes at College Leo-Larguier after their mother, a convert to Islam, filed a suit alleging the state was refusing to educate her daughters properly by isolating them in a classroom. The Education Authority had authorised their isolation as a "temporary solution" till the matter of the pupils' hijab issue was resolved.
The girls, Romina, 13, and Diana, 12, have been excluded from normal lessons since October 1998 and secluded in a classroom without supervision.
The ‘controversy’ surrounding the issue of headscarves is linked to the French constitution, which enshrines the principle of excluding "ostentatious" religious symbols from the classroom. In a ruling by the State Council of France since November 1997, headscarves should not be seen as ostentatious, but pupils could face exclusion if they refused to take part in lessons or games.
Many parents of pupils at the school, many of whom are of North-African and Turkish origin, see the wearing of head-scarf as a "danger to the community’s harmony". Imam from the local Grand-Conbe Mosque have condemned the parent of the two pupils for insisting the they should be allowed to wear the hijab. The Imams of most mosques in France are appointed by the French Government.
In order to appease the defenders of secularism, the school administration assured them that the two girls, who are of French origin but were converted to Islam by their brother, will have to attend the disciplinary board of the school with a view to expel them if they break regulations.
President of the Pupil Parents Association, Lydie Ouakli claims, "The Education Authority does not want to understand that we are fighting for the protection and integration of these children and not for their exclusion."
The Muslim community has regularly challenged French laws over the issue of the hijab since 1989 when a principal excluded three girls for wearing the hijab. In Flers, Normandy, another pair of Muslim (again sisters) are taking lessons by correspondence after staff refused to teach them
Hackney Mosque Firebombed ( From Muslim News )
Shacklewell Lane Mosque was firebombed early on Sunday morning, February 13. In an apparently motiveless incident, at around six o'clock the villains broke into the prayer hall of the mosque and set off eight firebombs causing an estimated £100,000 worth of damage.
HE DEMOLISHED BABRI MASJID THAT DAY ........... SEEKS FORGIVENESS TODAY!!!
Among the fears of lakhs of Kar sevak who had gathered to demolish the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya - Dec. 6, 1992, few furiously climbed on the majestic minaret of the mosque. The most important among the few was Shive Sainik. A resident of Faisabad, where Ayodhya is situated Shive Prasad was the captain of Bajrang Dal. He was given the responsibility to guide four thousand Kar Sevak in the demolition of mosque. It was he who gave training to four thousands of people under him, on how to carry the demolition. On seeing the majestic minarets of the mosque come down captain Prasad was overjoyed and shouted the "Ram! Ram!" This happened seven years ago. On Dec. 6 ,1999 the same Shive Prasad was seeking forgiveness from Allah for his cruel act seven years back. This 6 Dec.1999 he was fasting(non-obligatory) and regretting for the act with tears and was seeking forgiveness from Allah in his prayers. Yes ! Shive Prasad has embraced Islam. He has changed his name to Mohammed Mustafa. One will be moved to learn how he embraced Islam. This change in Shive Prasad's heart was published by Malayalam News (7.12.99) issued by "Arab news publications" in Saudi Arabia. Shive Prasad's father Trigal Ramanathan was chief among the heads of Sangh Parivar. His whole family was actively involved in demolishing the Babri Masjid. Soon after the demolition of the mosque, Shive prasad felt a depression in his heart. He had no peace of mind. He felt that he had committed a great sin. In 1997 he went to Sharjah in order to seek employment. But even at work his mind was restless. On Dec. 4, 1998 as he was walking along the streets of Sharjah, he happened to hear a speech before Friday prayer held in a mosque which was in Hindi. When he heard the speech, which he felt was something different. He wanted to listen to the complete speech. That message about Allah created a revolution in his restless mind. He continued to listen to such speeches there after. The revolution in his heart was completed. All praise be to God Allah ! Allah has shown him the right path. He has forfeited the ignorance and chosen the righteous path. When Shive Prasad embraced Islam he was driven out by his family members who were strong RSS activists. He is praying to God that his family member should also choose the righteous path as he did. Shive Prasad says that among those who led the demolition on the spot were Ashok Singhal and Advani. On the day of demolition the police and CRPF connived with the leaders of BJP, Bajrang Dal and RSS. Both these law enforcing agencies greatly helped in the demolition. He recalls that on that day Ashok Singhal dressed himself in military uniform and gave orders. He also recalls, soon after the demolition of the mosque they entered the Muslim areas in the Faisabad and shouted "Jai Shriram". Now, Shive Prasad is receiving continuous threatening from RSS, BJP and Bajrang Dal. Sangh Parivar was threatened to be killed if he returns to India. But Mohammed Mustafa (Shive Prasad) says firmly that he will never turn away from Islam - the righteous path even if death comes his way. Having learnt 17Surahs in the holy Quraan, he is anxious to complete learning the whole of "Holy Qur'an". His ambition is to become a true Islamic preacher and bring ignorant people to light. If Allah wishes, his ambition will be fulfilled and the very same hands which demolished the Babri Masjid will built up again.
By Anayat Durrani, Special Correspondant to ArabiaonLine
In the US, where Muslims number over six million, the Islamic faith has in many estimates surpassed Judaism and is believed to be the second largest religion in America.
CALIFORNIA (AROL) - Islam, a religion that was for centuries believed to have been ‘spread by the sword’ is currently the fastest growing religion in the United States and in the world. Adherents to the Islamic faith number 1.2 billion worldwide. And growing…
In the United States, where Muslims number over six million, the Islamic faith has in many estimates surpassed Judaism and is believed to be the second largest religion in America after Christianity. While part of the rise in the population of Muslims in the United States is due to immigration, the phenomenal growth of Islam in the past 10 years has come from an increasing number of Americans converting to Islam from other religions.
Muslim leaders estimate that half the number of American converts to Islam come from the African-American community. Twenty-two-year-old Leslie Jordan is a recent convert to Islam. "I decided that I wanted to convert to a religion whose beliefs were like mine and whose practices would compliment the life I wanted to lead and help to exemplify my beliefs." Jordan, who changed her name to Thanaa ("thankfulness"), studied Islam for seven months, often cross-referencing with the Talmud and Bible. She was convinced that Islam was the truth. "Conversion for me has not been too difficult as I have truth in the verses of the Holy Qur'an and in the Hadith."
Islam continues to draw followers at an estimated rate of 135,000 converts per year. During the Gulf War alone, it was reported that approximately 3,000 Americans converted to Islam.
American women make up the second largest group of converts to Islam. Dani Black converted to Islam in March of 1997. Originally a Catholic, Black studied one religion after another, from Buddhist to Pentecostal. She remained unsatisfied until her search led her on the path to Islam. "Finally, Allah (SWT) made a way for me to find the truth." Black, who now goes by the name of Khadijah, said her husband converted to Islam shortly after she did. "We both are very happy."
At the rate that Islam is spreading, demographers predict that by the year 2025 one out of four people in the world will be Muslim.
Forty-eight-year-old Everett Ferguson, now Luqman Abdullah-Wajid, was introduced to Islam at the age of 20. In his youth, Abdullah-Wajid did not follow any religion nor did he believe in God. "As I studied Islamic beliefs, I was struck by how they were in harmony with reason," he says. "Islam’s clarity, logic, and authenticity leave me feeling very grateful."
The increase in the number of American Muslims may be a result of the presence of more mosques and Islamic centers that are sprouting up in several cities across the United States. There are approximately 2,000 mosques, Islamic centers and schools in the country. Non-Muslims are often invited to mosques and Islamic centers where they are provided with information about Islam.
James was raised a Baptist and during his childhood attended Baptist, Lutheran and Methodist churches. While in law school, he accompanied a classmate and attended Catholic church. It wasn’t until his 30s that James says he began to study religion seriously. "I studied briefly with the Original Hebrew Israelites, before getting a copy of the Holy Qur’an," he says. "After reading it, I was touched in my soul and many of the questions that I had throughout my life were answered. I knew that I had to make a decision." At the age of 33, a Muslim co-worker took James for a visit to a local mosque. "I was so moved that I took my shahada right then and there."
Converting to a new faith is not always a smooth transition. The difficulties new Muslims face after conversion often arise from family and friends. For Thanaa, her conversion was not easily accepted. "The most difficult part for me has been trying to explain my choice to change to family and friends who are not familiar with what Islam is really about." Thanaa says that only her mother, sister and boyfriend have accepted her conversion. James also experienced similar difficulties when he became a Muslim. He says that his wife is the only one in his family with misgivings about his decision. "My wife, who is still Christian, still does not understand why I converted, and was upset. Inshallah, Allah will soften her heart."
Islam’s increasing numbers in recent years could be a sign that attempts at educating the American public about Islam by several American-based Muslim organizations have been working. For many years, Islam was not as well represented in the Judeo-Christian society of the United States. However, in recent years several organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the American Muslim Council (AMC), among several others, have been successful in reaching the media and educating Americans about the real Islam.
The continued growth in the number of converts to Islam should finally put to rest the myth that Islam was ever ‘spread by the sword’. The great number of adherents to the Islamic faith is evidence enough of Islam’s powerful message.
"Becoming a Muslim is the best thing that has happened in my life," James says.
Anayat Durrani is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles, Calif.
Read the story on ArabiaonLine
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The truth about the 767 EGYPT AIR tragedy :
Interesting news!!
The following is an independent translation of an article from A1
The following article was published in Al Ahram newspaper (Egypt's main paper):
Still after the tragedy hit the Egypt Air 767 Boeing a 112 kilometers off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Many questions come to mind about the cause of the airplane's sudden "fall" after its explosion at 11,000 feet elevation after 40 minutes of its take-off from Kennedy International Airport in New York.
A Great Mystery:
This tragedy, the worst in the aviation history of Egypt and the worst of the century, has been shrouded with a great mystery more than any other similar tragedies. What made it even more mysterious is the confusing and strange conclusions reached by the American authorities about the details of the incident, which puzzled the intellect of many in the investigation and police fields.
Many neutral investigators are almost definite that the tragedy happened as a result of "sabotage". They ask: What has hit the plane (in the tail) without leaving any trace or evidence of the cause?
They also ask about the nature of "the sabotage": was it something that was done from outside the plane while flying or if it was actually something "implanted" inside the plane. Whatever the cause, there has to be someone who caused the incident.
Some investigators used the "know who would benefit from the act to know who did it" in their research. Meanwhile, others searched closely in a series of events that came before, during and after the bodies of all 217 victims ended up in the bottom of the ocean or eaten by its sharks and whales. So those events became givings that lead them to draw a sketch of the culprit, or , at least show his fingerprints.
16 coincidences worth contemplating:
Here is a "series" of events or "coincidences" as in the language of investigators:
1. There were 34 generals of different ranks from the Egyptian Armed Forces on board the plane. Among them was a general who has a Doctorate in atomic sciences, and more than 20 pilots who successfully completed training in operating Apache helicopters that were sold recently to Egypt. Also on board were other generals who successfully completed training in launching the famous American Patriot missiles. The training of all those generals lasted 3 years and has cost Egypt $3 billion, which Egypt paid in full.
2. Israel vehemently denounced the training program of those generals upon their arrival in the US 3 years ago, and Israel called the training program "a threat to Israel's security".
3. Cairo started a big campaign to rid the region of weapons of mass destruction. The campaign has targeted mainly Israel since it is the only country in the region that possesses such dangerous weapons.
4. Israel started a campaign accusing Egypt of seeking to modernize its armed forces, and of possessing missiles that threaten the security of Israel, especially so because the army generals who came to train in the US will be exposed to the secrets of the joint American-Israeli missiles and jet fighters technology.
5. Egyptian defense minister, Muhammd Hassan Tantawi, announced last October that war with Israel is not ruled out. He also announced that Egypt therefore is continuously building its armed forces to be in a state of readiness.
6. One day before the tragedy, the American authorities provided hotel accommodation in a 3-star hotel for the airplane crew, which constitutes a violation of the simplest norms of international aviation, where the crew is usually accommodated in the airport hotel or in a 5-star hotel.
7. On the same day, a crew of pilots and flight attendants of Israel's airline (Al A'al) checked in the same hotel with a general form the Israeli Intelligence (Mossad) who was in charge of the crew's luggage and personal belongings.
8. Just a few hours prior to the incident, one of the Egypt Air flight crew complained to the hotel security that someone has sneaked into his room, because he noticed signs of someone's attempt to open his suitcase by breaking the locks. But the hotel security assured him of no foul play as long as nothing was missing.
9. The day of the incident, Edward Mcglauglen, an American Jew, who is a vice president of an American civil agency was one of the passengers of Egypt flight form Los Angeles to New York City in route to Cairo. But when the plane landed in New York City, Mcglauglen refused to continue his journey to his final destination (Cairo) for fear of possible "planting of a bomb" by "one of the passengers" at its first stop (New York City).
10. The same day of the incident, the American authorities opted to take the flight crew's luggage from the hotel through the halls to the plane itself. Meanwhile the Mossad general opted to take the luggage of the crew of Al A'al flight to the Israeli plane himself. But the luggage of the crews of both Egypt Air and Al A'al ended up being taken from the hotel to the airport in the same car that took the Mossad general to the Israeli plane.
11. Prior to the Egypt Air flight departure, the American authorities have inspected the plane for 3 hours, which is a very unusually long time in aviation norms. Also it has been reported that airport security have not given similar attention to any other plane that day.
12. After 40 minutes of the flight's departure, contact with the plane was lost over the Edward American naval base, which is known to have anti-aircraft missiles, some of which are ready to be launched automatically by the mere sensing of an object passing over at a certain elevation.
13. After the incident, 3 eye witnesses testified to the investigators that they saw the plane on fire as it was falling down. Fox News also has confirmed in its own investigation of the incident that the plane had exploded in mid air before its fall according to what was seen on the radar screens.
14. The American investigation team reported that the plane fell down from 33,000 feet to 19,000 feet in 40 seconds, "which, according to aviation experts, is a speed equal to a free fall due to earth gravity, which makes it evident that the plane has fallen down in pieces and not as one body. Because the body of the plane is designed in a way that makes it impossible for the body of the plane to descend at a speed in access of 7,000 feet per second". Aviation experts also add that "even if the engines of the plane stopped working, it would still be possible to land the plane at the nearest airport".
15. After 10 hours of the incident, a member of the American investigation team announced that they have found the "black box" that records the secrets of the events in the "last moments" just before the plane's fall. However, the next day, the American official spokesman denied finding the "box" and said that the investigation team is still searching for it!
16. There were 34 generals from the Egyptian army on board "the plane", which is a violation of Egyptian army rules that "prohibit" more than 3 generals to be on board the same flight, domestic or international, for security of the generals. This decision was reached in 1978 after "the downing" in the Western Sahara of the flight that had Ahmad Badawi on board (in which 12 generals have died). At that time the fingers pointed to "the Israeli enemy" and the American intelligence.
So all these events make up 16 "coincidences" not just 2 as required by Agatha Christy, the author of police investigation stories. Therefore, the coincidences suggest, one way or another, that the Mossad was after the incident.
A Revert Muslim teacher with a veil started her duty: Hamburg Germany - taken from a german newspaper.
Hamburg first Muslim teacher with a white scarf and a long beige coat, Susanne B. (30) finished her first school day in An der Isebele school in Eimsbuttel. "The children looked briefly but did not ask questions about my clothes or religion. Children do not have prejudices to show. I know this also from the time when I was training in schools in Lurup and Blankenese" she said.
In the preliminary school Susanne B. teaches German and Mathematics. Because she received very good grades after her training she had ben employed by the ministry of education together with 26 young teachers. The leader of the personnel department Norbert Rosenboom said "competence and demand has been dominating as reason for employment" (Math teachers are rare in Hamburg).
An evangelist burns a copy of the Koran and broadcast it on television.
A well known evangelist has burned a copy of Quran live on TV. A disgusting act of hatred which shames Christian missions in Muslim countries.
Full story on BBC site
Israeli family's Palestinian Authority asylum plea
An Israeli family has asked the Palestinain Authority for political asylum because they allege the Israeli authorities are harassing them.The parents allege that social services in Israel are threatening to take their children away.
Two years ago a group of thirteen Israelis complaining of discrimination in Israel spent nearly a month in the West Bank, but eventually returned home.
Full story on BBC site also mentioned in the Arabic newspaper -Alhayat- London.
The conversion of a prominent Christian priest in Russia
Also check another interview with the same new Revert priest
Here (link)note:
