According to the BBC, France has deported a radical Islamist preacher from Algeria said to have given pro-jihad speeches in a mosque in north-east Paris.
Reda Ameuroud and his brother Abderahmane have been permanently banned from French territory and the French are on the verge of expelling 10 more radical Islamists in August.
The real news here is that these guys would probably not have been deported from the US. We'd have every religious liberty group, the ALCU and coincidently the French up in arms if we expelled radical Islamic preachers.
7/31/2005
7/27/2005
Africa
George Ayittey was interviewed on PBS' Wide Angle last night. Mr. Ayittey is from Ghana and is a professor of economics at American University in Washington D.C. This was without a doubt one of the best interviews I have ever seen or heard on the subject of Africa. He was honest about the reasons for the continent's problems and was accurate in his assesment of the west's stance on Africa.
I highly recommend that you read the transcript of the interview by clicking here.
I highly recommend that you read the transcript of the interview by clicking here.
7/25/2005
Seventh Heaven
So Lance rolled into Paris yesterday to collect his seventh tour title. I'll give the devil his due. Lance is probably the most dominant athlete I have ever seen.
A curious thing happened on the final podium yesterday. Lance told the assembled crowd that it was too bad that they didn't believe in miracles. This was an obvious stab at the Frenchies for all of the Armstrong dopes allegations. Hmmm...The curious thing is that according to Lance himself, he doesn't believe in miracles either.
A curious thing happened on the final podium yesterday. Lance told the assembled crowd that it was too bad that they didn't believe in miracles. This was an obvious stab at the Frenchies for all of the Armstrong dopes allegations. Hmmm...The curious thing is that according to Lance himself, he doesn't believe in miracles either.
7/19/2005
Nelson Mandela
Yesterday was Nelson Mandela's 87th birthday. He is one of the most beloved people on the planet but I don't really know why. I hear people say things like, "He was wrongfully imprisoned and did not seek revenge on his captors."
Let's evaluate the wrongness of his imprisonment shall we?
Mandela was one of the leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) in the 60's. The ANC had decided that in order to bring about the change they wanted in South Africa, they would start targeting civilians. This of course means bombs in banks, restaurants etc. If this guy lived in the US we'd have him in Gitmo by now.
His organization of "freedom fighters" were very active while he was in prison in the 70's and 80's. I remember when all extra-curricular activities at our schools were cancelled in 1986 because the ANC had announced that in order to bring about the change they wanted they were going to kill white children. These are the same people who sang "kill the farmer, kill the white man" at Walter Sisulu's funeral.
After his relese from prison in the early 90's Mandela promised jobs, homes and running water for everyone if the would vote for him. I was in South Africa last summer and saw that he had delivered on none of the three. While serving as president of South Africa his three best friends were Momar, Fiedel and Yassir. Hardly the company a great humanitarian would keep.
So let's see Nelson for what he really is; a master politician. A man who is able to manipulate the masses at will.
Let's evaluate the wrongness of his imprisonment shall we?
Mandela was one of the leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) in the 60's. The ANC had decided that in order to bring about the change they wanted in South Africa, they would start targeting civilians. This of course means bombs in banks, restaurants etc. If this guy lived in the US we'd have him in Gitmo by now.
His organization of "freedom fighters" were very active while he was in prison in the 70's and 80's. I remember when all extra-curricular activities at our schools were cancelled in 1986 because the ANC had announced that in order to bring about the change they wanted they were going to kill white children. These are the same people who sang "kill the farmer, kill the white man" at Walter Sisulu's funeral.
After his relese from prison in the early 90's Mandela promised jobs, homes and running water for everyone if the would vote for him. I was in South Africa last summer and saw that he had delivered on none of the three. While serving as president of South Africa his three best friends were Momar, Fiedel and Yassir. Hardly the company a great humanitarian would keep.
So let's see Nelson for what he really is; a master politician. A man who is able to manipulate the masses at will.
7/13/2005
Church outrage at Zimbabwe raids
The following story was taken from the BBC
South African church leaders have accused Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe of "trampling on humanity" with the recent destruction of houses.
A South African church delegation has just completed a visit to Zimbabwe to see the consequences of raids on shack dwellers and informal traders.
Shack demolitions over the past two months have left more than 200,000 people homeless, according to the UN.
The government says the crackdown is aimed at ridding cities of criminals.
The police have this week started demolitions in more affluent parts of the capital, Harare.
Eddie Make, deputy secretary general of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) said a visit to the Caledonia transit camp near Harare, to which people have been relocated, had caused the delegation "a lot of pain".
"People had literally been removed from their places of abode and dumped in a remote area with no cover other than plastic sheets and pieces of wood they had cut from surrounding trees in order to protect them from the winter cold," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
Mr Make said the delegation appreciated that governments have a responsibility for law and order.
"But we are of the opinion that this is not creating order," he said. "Rather, it is disrupting the lives of people."
Political solution
"We would like to say to President Mugabe that he is trampling on the humanity of people and as we believe all people, regardless of whether they are poor or engaged in illegal activities, are created in the image of God it is therefore incumbent upon the political authorities to respect their human dignity."
Mr Make said that as a church organisation, SACC would pray for those responsible for the actions.
"Secondly we would like to encourage churches in South Africa and around the world to write letters of support to the people of Zimbabwe," he said.
A seven-year-old boy crying after his home was demolished
This seven-year-old boy cried after his home was knocked down
He added his organisation would campaign for aid and relief to Zimbabwe, because "it is quite apparent that this kind of assistance is not being offered by the Zimbabwean government, and it is an open secret that when aid is made available to the country it is being used for political purposes".
Mr Make also said SACC would "be facilitating a political solution for the people of Zimbabwe through talking to the president of South Africa".
Anglican Archbishop Njonkulu Ndungane and Catholic Cardinal Wilfred Napier were also part of the interdenominational church delegation.
New South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has also visited Zimbabwe.
After meeting Mr Mugabe, she said her country was working to understand the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, a motion condemning the demolitions has been rejected by Zimbabwe's parliament.
It was proposed by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change but lost the vote 54-33.
South African church leaders have accused Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe of "trampling on humanity" with the recent destruction of houses.
A South African church delegation has just completed a visit to Zimbabwe to see the consequences of raids on shack dwellers and informal traders.
Shack demolitions over the past two months have left more than 200,000 people homeless, according to the UN.
The government says the crackdown is aimed at ridding cities of criminals.
The police have this week started demolitions in more affluent parts of the capital, Harare.
Eddie Make, deputy secretary general of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) said a visit to the Caledonia transit camp near Harare, to which people have been relocated, had caused the delegation "a lot of pain".
"People had literally been removed from their places of abode and dumped in a remote area with no cover other than plastic sheets and pieces of wood they had cut from surrounding trees in order to protect them from the winter cold," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
Mr Make said the delegation appreciated that governments have a responsibility for law and order.
"But we are of the opinion that this is not creating order," he said. "Rather, it is disrupting the lives of people."
Political solution
"We would like to say to President Mugabe that he is trampling on the humanity of people and as we believe all people, regardless of whether they are poor or engaged in illegal activities, are created in the image of God it is therefore incumbent upon the political authorities to respect their human dignity."
Mr Make said that as a church organisation, SACC would pray for those responsible for the actions.
"Secondly we would like to encourage churches in South Africa and around the world to write letters of support to the people of Zimbabwe," he said.
A seven-year-old boy crying after his home was demolished
This seven-year-old boy cried after his home was knocked down
He added his organisation would campaign for aid and relief to Zimbabwe, because "it is quite apparent that this kind of assistance is not being offered by the Zimbabwean government, and it is an open secret that when aid is made available to the country it is being used for political purposes".
Mr Make also said SACC would "be facilitating a political solution for the people of Zimbabwe through talking to the president of South Africa".
Anglican Archbishop Njonkulu Ndungane and Catholic Cardinal Wilfred Napier were also part of the interdenominational church delegation.
New South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has also visited Zimbabwe.
After meeting Mr Mugabe, she said her country was working to understand the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, a motion condemning the demolitions has been rejected by Zimbabwe's parliament.
It was proposed by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change but lost the vote 54-33.
Where does the money go?
According to the World Bank Europeans spent $11 billion on ice cream last year. Before we get too upset at the Euros we should remember that Americans spent $19 billion buying gifts off of wedding registries last year.* So we spent $30 billion on wedding gifts and ice cream in the western world. Nice.
According to the Commission for Africa the world's wealthiest nations spent $24 billion on aid to Africa. We in the west spent $6 billion more on wedding gifts and ice cream than helping the poorest people on the planet. We should be ashamed. We are more concerned with pleasure and keeping up appearances than helping others. Weddings and ice cream are the modern day equivalents of bread and circuses.
*Source theknot.com
According to the Commission for Africa the world's wealthiest nations spent $24 billion on aid to Africa. We in the west spent $6 billion more on wedding gifts and ice cream than helping the poorest people on the planet. We should be ashamed. We are more concerned with pleasure and keeping up appearances than helping others. Weddings and ice cream are the modern day equivalents of bread and circuses.
*Source theknot.com
7/10/2005
London Calling
I was saddened to see the bombings in London yesterday. I like the British people. I come from a former British colony and am still a citizen of a British Commonwealth nation. I am always saddened by the loss and suffering of others but London touched me a little more than maybe some others might have.
My wife and I were in London last June. One of the things that is very noticable is the higher level of security in the UK. It is obvious that people are more vigilant over there than they are over here. London does still bears the scars of the second world war. But none of the vigilance mattered as the bombs were exploded last week. The truth of the matter is not that we are being protected by our governments but rather that we are at the mercy of the extremists. It is apparent that they can attack whenever they want to.
This leads me to my point. JR Rousseau was wrong. The government can not save us. Our only hope is God Almighty Himself.
My wife and I were in London last June. One of the things that is very noticable is the higher level of security in the UK. It is obvious that people are more vigilant over there than they are over here. London does still bears the scars of the second world war. But none of the vigilance mattered as the bombs were exploded last week. The truth of the matter is not that we are being protected by our governments but rather that we are at the mercy of the extremists. It is apparent that they can attack whenever they want to.
This leads me to my point. JR Rousseau was wrong. The government can not save us. Our only hope is God Almighty Himself.
7/04/2005
Happy Birthday America!
The land of the free, home of the brave celebrated its 229th birthday today. I often hear people in evangelical circles say that we need to return to our Christian roots. Perhaps the truth is that we have never deviated too far from our enlightenment roots. Were the framers of the constitution not influenced by John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau?
Rousseau's Social Contract stated that we are born good, corrupted by an evil society, good goverment steps in to save good individual from corrupt society and utopia is realized. Is this not how most view our world? We are good, the world is bad and the government must save us.
Firstly, The Social Contract is flawed in its logic and secondly, it is the complete opposite of a Christian worldview.
So the next time someone wants us to return to our Christian roots we need to evaluate our roots and rather desire to view the world Christianly.
Rousseau's Social Contract stated that we are born good, corrupted by an evil society, good goverment steps in to save good individual from corrupt society and utopia is realized. Is this not how most view our world? We are good, the world is bad and the government must save us.
Firstly, The Social Contract is flawed in its logic and secondly, it is the complete opposite of a Christian worldview.
So the next time someone wants us to return to our Christian roots we need to evaluate our roots and rather desire to view the world Christianly.
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