Arab world in uproar over Zionist spy birds

Israel’s Ma’ariv daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabian officials have “arrested” a wounded vulture that landed in a rural area of the country wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet etched with the words “Tel Aviv University.”

The bird is part of ongoing long-term research into bird migration patterns, but the residents of Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries had far more fanciful ideas. For them, this bird is a winged Zionist spy, and the transmitter he was wearing was sending vital classified information back to the “Zionist regime.”

Saudi Arabia’s Al Weeam newspaper was the first to report about the incident. It noted that the vulture had landed near the house of a local sheikh, and was not afraid of people. The reporter and the people he interviewed asserted that the aggressive nature of the bird and the foul odor that came out of its mouth were evidence of a Zionist plot, rather than tell-tale signs that this was in fact a vulture.

That article led to an explosion of comments on Arabic news websites and online forums, where people across the region were convinced that “the Zionists” had somehow trained the beasts of the wild to do their bidding.

Iran’s Tabnak news agency said as much when it reported that “spy personnel number of X63 [the identification number on the bird’s leg bracelet] leaves no doubt that other birds are going to be sent by the Zionist regime for espionage against Saudi Arabia and other countries.”

The story of the spy bird comes just weeks after Egyptian officials claimed that a string of shark attacks at resorts in the Sinai Peninsula were the work of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

Jerusalem Arab children taught to seek bloodshed

Thursday, January 06, 2011 | Ryan Jones

It is no longer a secret that Palestinian Arab children are being taught from a very young age to seek bloodshed and martyrdom in the battle against Israel. It is, nevertheless, instructive to continue highlighting such incidents as the world continues to press Israel to make concession to what it insists is a viable “peace partner.”

The latest example of this form of child abuse comes not from Hamas-ruled Gaza or even Palestinian Authority-controlled Ramallah, but rather from the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

On December 10, Hamas’ Al Aqsa TV broadcast a documentary titled “The Martyr’ Wedding.” In the program was featured a group of very young children from the Riyad Al Aqsa School in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher.

The children are shown holding up stones and bullets while singing:

“How strong is the army of Al Aqsa.
I am a soldier, defending its protected area.
How precious is the land of Al Aqsa.
I shall give up my life for its sake.
In the way of Allah we proceed aspiring to raise the flag.
May the glory of the religion (Islam) return, and may our blood be shed.”

It is worth noting that one of the two Jerusalem Arab men arrested recently for plotting to fire a missile into the city’s main soccer stadium is a resident of Sur Baher. Police investigating the plot said that they found a growing Hamas and radical Islamist presence in many eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods.
* Translation of the Hamas documentary was provided by Palestinian Media Watch
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

Europe, prepare for flood

Op-ed: Open letter to Europeans, who killed Jews and are now contending with radical Islam

Avi Rath
Published: 10.07.10, 17:57 / Israel Opinion

Good evening Europe!


Hello to you, dear continent. For a while now I've been meaning to write you a few words, as a close neighbor here in the Middle East who loves traveling through your beautiful landscape, and whose roots lie deep within the continent.


You were our home for thousands of years, and especially for the past 1,000 years. We've known good times of neighborly relations as well as economic, cultural and spiritual prosperity. Yet we had also known difficult days of hatred, expulsions, humiliation, and blood libels. Oh, did we ever know such days.


Somehow, we survived; both you and us. To our regret, and shamefully for you, we were not the ones who chose to end our affair with you, dear continent. We could have maintained neighborly relations and cooperation for many more years, yet for reasons of your own you chose to put an end to this partnership, literally.


The plan was formulated on your soil, the camps were built there and the trains traveled there; the graves were dug on your soil, and
the blood flowed to your rivers. Within a short period of time, you cut off a significant, 1,000-year Jewish presence. You murdered and expelled millions of loyal Jewish citizens. You eliminated not only them, but also all their contributions to the culture, economy, art, humanities, academics, literature, medicine, education, commerce, banking, and life in general.


I've been meaning to write you for a long time, yet it hasn't worked out. However, this week, after seeing two things, I decided that I must say a few words.


First, I saw reports drafted by all sorts of demography and sociology experts, who claim that within a few years, you, Europe, will be turning Muslim. In some European states, 50% of all births at this time already are Muslim. If we add this to the low birthrates of non-Muslim European - where you, the white, Christian Europe, shall turn into a Muslim continent.


You are indeed trying to engage in rearguard battles against this phenomenon – against mosques in Switzerland, against burqas in France, against immigration, and against all sorts of other things. Yet you too realize that this train cannot be stopped. Nobody will be able to forbid a Muslim woman from putting on a veil. Indeed, the liberal, enlightened, and scantily-clad European women realize that a day may come where radical Islam gains enough strength to end the party.


The second thing I saw was the travel advisories issued by many states to warn their citizens against heading to Europe for fear of terrorism. Someone already noted (and it wasn't necessarily a Jew) that while not all Muslims are terrorists, for some reason most terrorists are Muslim.


Slowly, our dear continent, you are starting to understand what you're dealing with here. You are starting to understand the kind of religion and culture brought along by radical Islam. Suddenly, you discover hatred and the culture of martyrs, as well as intolerance and isolation, alienation in the face of real democracy, and the shunning of human and women's rights.


Suddenly, radical Islam is stuck like a bone in Europe's throat. You cannot eject it – because that would immediately raise cries of racism, human rights, and the usual babble – but you cannot swallow it either, because the white, democratic, liberal and Christian European culture cannot contain such radical cultural and religious elements. It will end with a major explosion, in more than one way.


Dear continent, there is no vacuum in the world. You expelled and exterminated us, and got the Muslim world instead. At first it was nice, getting a little Mideastern atmosphere and breeze, yet with the passage of time the radical Islamic storm arrived and now threatens to sweep you away, our dear neighbor.


Now you are starting to sleep in the bed you made. Suddenly you are discovering women wearing veils, zealous eyes, and mosques at every corner. Suddenly you need to contend with high birthrates, a culture with radical characteristics which you cultivated, and terrorism and violence which you ignored. You cannot deny this for much longer. The confrontation is already here. Unfortunately we are already experts on the issue, even though here too there is no shortage of naïve, self-righteous individuals.


The first time the Creator decided to raze the world as result of our conduct, he agreed to grant humanity another chance. He asked Noah to go into the ark in order to create a new basis for the world and produce a more decent humanity. The ark was the world's chance; a momentary shelter.


So dear Europe, will you be wise enough to prepare ahead of time a physical and cultural Noah's Ark in order to survive and preserve yourself? Or will your aggressiveness, arrogance, and hypocrisy not allow you to admit to the disaster you brought upon yourself, turning into a continent living on borrowed time?


Regards,


Your Jewish neighbor from the Middle East
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3966017,00.html

Let Jews build homes

Op-ed: Razing of ‘unauthorized outposts’ unjust, raises questions about rule of law

Moshe Dann
Published: 09.29.10, 00:49 / Israel Opinion

Conventional wisdom says that “Israel promised (the US) to destroy all ‘unauthorized outposts,’ and, therefore, must fulfill its obligations.” If the government is looking for an excuse, this is a poor one.

The "promise" made in a letter in April, 2004 from Dov Weissglass, then chief of the Prime Minister's Bureau to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, was submitted "on behalf of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon;" the letter was not signed by Sharon, nor was it affirmed by the cabinet. It was, simply, "diplomatic correspondence."

Moreover, the letter contains conditions. "The Israeli government believes that further steps by it, even if consistent with the Roadmap, cannot be taken absent the emergence of a Palestinian partner committed to peace, democratic reform, and the fight against terror."

Using this letter to justify destruction of Jewish "unauthorized outposts" raises serious questions:

Does Weissglass' letter obligate Israel to carry out its provisions while ignoring its conditions? Does this letter obligate future Israeli governments? Was the letter approved by the cabinet (since it mentions only the PM)? Why didn't Prime Minister Sharon sign it? Other than Weissglass' letter, there is no binding agreement to destroy Jewish "unauthorized outposts," destroy settlements, or prevent Jews from building anywhere in the Land of Israel.

Asked to respond, senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office avoided direct specific answers. "This government is committed to the rule of law, and abiding by the law is paramount to maintaining a civil society." They refused to elaborate.

This begs the questions and shifts the argument to Israeli law and, vaguely, "rule of law."

What, in fact, is Israeli law regarding settlement building, and how is it determined? If Arabs are entitled to acquire property rights by settlement, why can't Jews? Why do Israeli authorities refuse to give permission to develop new neighborhoods, hilltops and outposts? If the application of law discriminates against Jews, what's the meaning of "rule of law"?

What about impartiality?

And why does Defense Minister Ehud Barak unilaterally and arbitrarily refuse to authorize Jewish-owned buildings? Is that democracy?

The Supreme Court has demanded that "unauthorized outposts" built by Jews be destroyed immediately, but has given over 100,000 illegal Arab homes a pass. And what about the vast "unrecognized" illegal Bedouin villages throughout the Galilee and Negev that are still growing?

"Rule of law" means impartiality above all; it also must make reasonable common sense. Jewish homes in "unauthorized outposts" built on unoccupied, unclaimed land are examples of Zionist enterprise and idealism.

They offer inexpensive places to live. Most received tacit approval from government ministries, including the prime and defense ministers, which provided infrastructure and utilities. They tried to fulfill the necessary requirements. They are citizens and members of Israeli society. How does destroying them demonstrate justice and the "rule of law" when they are discriminated against? Why can't they be offered legal recognition?

If providing legal status to Jewish homes in "unauthorized outposts" provides more taxes and fees and serves the interests of the State, why not allow it? How is denying only Jews the right to build assert the "rule of law?"

If the Israeli government is afraid of American opposition, then what does that say about "rule of law?" And, if the "rule of law" is important, why should it be sacrificed on the altar of American opposition?

Focusing on outposts and Jewish building in new neighborhoods of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria diverts attention from the real issues: the threat of a nuclear Iran, Pakistan/Afghanistan's disintegration, the danger from Hamas and Hezbollah, and ongoing terrorism from PA-controlled areas – to name only a few.

Where Jews can or can't live in the national homeland of the Jewish people hardly seems to be of such importance, unless, of course, the question is if they should have one at all.

But then, there are other, more ancient and sacred promises to keep.

The author, a former assistant professor of History, is a journalist living in Jerusalem.
source:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3961496,00.html

Palestinians plant their flags ahead of peace talks

Palestinian Arabs on Sunday sought to lay their claim to certain areas of the Holy Land ahead of Tuesday's second round of peace talks by planting flags at strategic locations.

In Jerusalem, the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was draped from the Al Aqsa Mosque that occupies the southern end of the Temple Mount. Several more PLO flags were planted around the compound, the most holy place on earth to Jews and many Christians.

Police later removed the flags, as they represented a violation of laws that prohibit the display of flags or other symbols belonging to recognized terrorist organizations.

In Hebron, a large procession of Palestinian Arabs waving PLO flags marched through one of the city's small Jewish neighborhoods. The Israeli army allowed the march, though it usually tries to keep the Jewish and Arab populations in Hebron separated to avoid confrontation.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21852

Arab youth lynch American man in Jerusalem

Israeli authorities on Tuesday lifted a gag order on last week's murder of an American Jewish man in downtown Jerusalem by a group of drunk Arab teenagers.

The teenagers had been attending a friend's birthday party in downtown Jerusalem, and then decided to hang out in "Cat Square" near the popular Ben Yehudah pedestrian mall.

While there, the youth convinced one passerby to buy them a bottle of vodka. After finishing their drinks, the teenagers approached 60-year-old Lance Wolf, an American Jew living in Jerusalem for the past two years, and demanded cigarettes. The teenagers later told police that Wolf refused them in a very rude manner, so they decided to get some revenge by beating him repeatedly over the head with wood planks they found at a nearby construction site.

The two boys who assaulted Wolf then fled the scene along with three other friends who watched the beating without interfering. Wolf then lay on the sidewalk bleeding for nearly an hour while several passersby did nothing to help. He died several days later at Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Paramedics insist he would have lived had he received medical attention sooner.

The entire incident was caught on a security camera pointing at Cat Square. That footage helped police capture the two mains suspects, residents of a northern Jerusalem Arab neighborhood.

The suspected murderers are aged 13 and 15, a fact that will likely keep them out of jail.

Nor does their family believe they deserve such severe punishment.

The mother of the younger suspect told reporters: "They drank because it was a birthday. It wasn't on purpose. It happened because they were drinking. He is a good boy."

The brother of the suspect added: "The police have turned him into a murderer. But everyone at his age hangs out there (at Cat Square). It's summer break, and they mill around there until morning. There's nothing else to do."

Police officials responded that while the suspects do not seem like particularly troubled or troublesome teens, the parents nevertheless carry a huge responsibility to raise their children right and to know where they are and what they are doing.

Israel's left-leaning mainstream media did not reveal that the suspects are Arabs in its initial reports on the murder.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21788

Israel captures 'most dangerous' Arab terror cell

Israeli security officials approved for publication on Monday the recent capture of a seven-man Israeli Arab terrorist cell from the northern town of Nazareth with close ties to Al Qaeda and Global Jihad.

A top police official who spoke to The Jerusalem Post called the group, which is made up of young Arabs all in their early twenties, "one of the most dangerous cells we have uncovered."

The seven confessed to the brutal murder of an Israeli taxi driver last year, as well as numerous smaller attacks. They were also planning a series of terrorist attacks in the near future, including the abduction of Israeli soldiers.

The cell was established two years ago using Al Qaeda propaganda and teachings as its foundation. Additional information on how to prepare weapons and carry out attacks was all gleaned from the Internet.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21410

Obama again delays US embassy move to Jerusalem

US President Barack Obama on Thursday again invoked a six-month delay on the move of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The US Congress in 1995 passed a law recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and demanding that the embassy, which is currently in Tel Aviv, be relocated there. But the law also allowed the president the ability to delay the move for a period of six months if national security concerns warranted.

Former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both renewed the delay every six months for the duration of their presidencies. Obama first ordered the delay in June.

The White House has failed to approve the move out of fears that it would upset the Palestinians and the Arab world, which claim the eastern side of Jerusalem for themselves, and reject the legitimacy of Jewish sovereignty there
source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=20098

PHOTOS: Captured ship had huge number of arms for Hizballah

Israel commandos on Tuesday night stormed and commandeered a German-owned cargo ship off the coast of Cyprus after learning that it was carrying weapons to the Hizballah terrorist militia in Lebanon.

It is unknown if the Israelis were prepared for the sheer number of weapons aboard the ship, which military officials said ended up being hundreds of tons worth of mortar shells, anti-tank missiles, Katyusha missiles and other heavy weaponry.

Hizballah later denied any connection to the ship and accused Israel of piracy for taking over the vessel in international waters. The shipping company claimed it had no idea the huge arms cache was hidden among the civilian cargo it was carrying.

pictures/source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19903

Obama appoints anti-Israel senator to head intel team

Israelis were given yet another reason to view US President Barack Obama with suspicion last week when he appointed former senator Chuck Hagel as the new head of his Intelligence Advisory Board.

Hagel has long rubbed Israel and its supporters the wrong way, and last month he reiterated his antagonistic positions when addressing the liberal Jewish lobby group J-Street. Hagel told his audience that meeting Arab demands for a Palestinian state on ancient Jewish lands is "is central, not peripheral, to U.S. vital security interests in combating terrorism."

Israel has for years been trying to impress upon Washington to not play into the terrorists hands by allowing them to define Israel's existence as justification for their actions.

Hagel also said that while the US may have a special relationship with Israel, the Middle East's only true democracy, it "must not come at the expense of our Arab relationships."

Hagel's remarks came as no surprise to those who followed his actions as a senator in recent years.

Hagel strongly criticized former President George W. Bush during his first term for refusing to meet with Yasser Arafat, while at the same time questioning the loyalty of American Jews who pushed for the US to back Israel against its enemies.

Later, Hagel refused to join an effort to convince the European Union to declare Hizballah a terrorist organization, and was one of only four senators to not sign a declaration backing Israel at the outset of the second Palestinian intifada, better known as the "Oslo War."

Israel observers are concerned that the same man will now play such a central role in shaping intelligence information before it reaches Obama, and thereby exercise tremendous influence over the president's foreign policy decisions.

source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19891

Israel rebuffs Obama demand to surrender before negotiations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a demand by US President Barack Obama that he commit to a major expulsion of Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria prior to a renewal of peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

According to Israeli media reports on Wednesday, Obama wanted to organize a major peace summit one month from now based on such an Israeli commitment. Even before the sides had a chance to sit down at the negotiating table, Israel was to surrender to all Arab demands to allow the creation of a Palestinian Arab state on every inch of land they claim.

A report in an Arabic-language newspaper indicated that the Palestinian Authority had informed Obama the peace process would not move forward until Israel was strong-armed into accepting those conditions.

At the same time, visiting US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice told Netanyahu that the White House expects more than just "lip service" from Israel regarding restarting the peace process.

Netanyahu has repeatedly stated his willingness to immediately restart talks with the Palestinians. He has issued only one precondition of his own, that the Palestinians finally honor their previous.

Source: Israel today - http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79

Tensions escalate between Israel and Turkey

Tension between Israel and Turkey escalated on Wednesday after a Turkish mini-series depicting Israeli soldiers brutally executing Palestinian civilians was aired on state-run television.

Traditional regional allies and trade partners, relations between Israel and Turkey began to chill several years ago when the latter elected a more Islamic government. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has since been regularly antagonistic toward Israel, taking advantage of every opportunity to cozy up to other regional Muslim powers by joining their bashing of the Jewish state.

The trouble between the two countries ramped up last week when Turkey suddenly barred Israel from a NATO military exercise that had been planned months in advance. The exercise was eventually called off because the US said it would not participate if Israel was left out. Turkish officials said their decision was based on what they called Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians during the recent Gaza war in January.

Erdogan told the Dubai-based news network al-Arabiya that his people increasingly reject cooperation with Israel, and that he must honor and demonstrate the will of his people.

As if to drive that point home, Turkey's state-run television station TRT1 on Tuesday evening broadcast the first episode in a new mini-series looking at the life of a Palestinian family in the so-called "West Bank." During the episode, Israeli soldiers repeatedly murder Palestinian children in cold blood, and in one scene line up about 10 innocent Palestinian civilians and mow them down with machine-gun fire.

Israel tried to brush off the cancellation of the military exercise and calm the media storm that followed that decision, but such an inflammatory depiction of Israel and Israeli soldiers on government-controlled TV was a step too far. Israel's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Turkish ambassador to lodge an official complaint over the broadcast.

Some Turkish officials alternatively said that the cancellation of the military exercise with Israel was the result of Israel's tardiness in delivering 10 unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, to the Turkish military. A Turkish officer told local newspaper Zaman that Turkey will impose a heavy fine on Israel if the UAVs are not delivered by the end of the year.

Further concerning Israelis is the fact that in conjunction with the above provocations, Turkey has been warming up to neighboring Syria, one of Israel's most hostile enemies in the region.

Turkey and Syria have traditionally been at odds, but Damascus revealed that earlier this year the two countries held a joint military exercise. After the cancellation of the NATO exercise that Israel was to take part in, Syrian Defense Minister Ali Habib told reporters in Turkey that the two Muslim nations will hold an even bigger military exercise in the near future.

source: Israel today - http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19758

Israel fears facing US-aligned terrorist army

Few of our readers will be surprised to learn that the very same Palestinian forces being trained, armed and funded by the US government often participate in or facilitate terrorist attacks on Israelis during times of strife.

In this way, Israel has been facing US-aligned terrorist forces for years already. But many in Israel fear that problem is set to become exponentially worse in the near future.

In an investigative report, the Jerusalem branch of the Center for Near East Policy Research noted that Congress has long tried to limit the amount and quality of military aid given to the Palestinians, aware that the Fatah-ruled Palestinian Authority is only nominally a peace partner and that it seeks reconciliation with the Hamas terrorist organization.

But US President Barack Obama is increasingly obsessed with forging a Middle East peace deal, and his answer to Israeli security concerns has thus far focused on upping American development of a PA fighting force. Obama and many in his administration have also signaled that while they may not like Hamas all that much, they are willing to accept the terror group as legitimate players on the regional stage.

When the PA finally reconciles with Hamas, which still holds a majority in the Palestinian parliament, Washington will only utter vague reservations. But when Hamas and other terror groups under its umbrella start attacking Israel and Israel responds militarily, the White House is expected to react with outrage that forces it trained and paid for are caught in the crossfire.

Even worse, if there is another large-scale eruption of Palestinian violence including Fatah forces, then Israel will have to fight directly against the US-trained Palestinian troops.

"Let's say that Israel wants to go after [Fatah] terrorists – there will be a sort of American veto, because the terrorists are affiliated with the Americans," NEPR Jerusalem chief David Bedein told Israel National News. "This has extremely serious implications."

Source:Israel Today - http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19746

Palestinian Authority equates suicide bombers to Jewish homes

A top advisor to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday drew moral equivalence between the actions of Palestinian terrorists and Israeli Jews by insisting there was no difference between a suicide bomber and a Jew who builds his home on lands claimed by the Arabs.

"What is the difference between blowing up a bus in Tel Aviv and taking over Palestinian land?" Mohammed Dahlan asked rhetorically in an interview with Israel Radio. Dahlan, who has long been a favorite of US presidents, also warned that violent riots in Jerusalem would continue until Jews stop trying to visit the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism.

Meanwhile, Abbas himself put forward new hardline peace conditions in an effort to bolster his flagging support among Palestinians.

Abbas publicly called for the UN to adopt the Goldstone Report into the recent Gaza War, and to prosecute what he called the "Israeli barbarians" who took part in it. He also made clear that he will never make peace with Israel unless every inch of the eastern side of the city, home to some 300,000 Jews, his surrendered to the Palestinian Authority.

source: Israel Today - http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19743

Study: Muslims = Quarter of World Population

A new study reveals nearly one in four people in the world practice Islam.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life says the total global population is estimated to be 6.8 billion. Of this number, Muslims of all ages living in more than 200 countries in the world today total 1.57 billion or 23 percent.

When compared to Christianity, there are an estimated 2.1 billion Christians of all ages living in the world today.

The report gives precise numbers on a religious population whose size has long been debated.

The study also maps out where the world's Muslim population lives in a very comprehensive fashion. It also contradicts the idea that Muslims are Arabs and Arabs are Muslims.

Here are some of the key findings of the Pew Forum's study Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population.

• 60 percent of all practicing Muslims in the world live in Asia.
• 20 percent live in the Middle East and North Africa.
• 15 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa.
• 2.4 percent live in Europe and less than 1 percent in the Americas.
• The world's largest Muslim population can be found in Indonesia. There are more than 200 million Muslims living there.

The report finds that India, which is majority Hindu, has the third largest Muslim population of any nation with more than 161 million Muslims. Germany has four million Muslims and that's more than the entire country of Lebanon.

There are concerns about the growth of Islam, because in Muslim countries ruled by Islamic law, religious liberty is rare or nonexistent.

"Look at how Christians today are treated in countries where Islam is dominant," said Geert Wilders, Dutch politician and filmmaker. "Try buying a bible in Saudi Arabia. Try to visit a church in Iran. Try to do anything Christian in an Islamic country. There is no room for it. They are intolerant."

Source: CBN.com - http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2009/October/New-Study-Maps-Global-Muslim-Population-/

Police, Arabs clash around Jerusalem

Israeli police and Arab Muslim residents of Jerusalem clashed in several parts of the Israeli capital on Friday, after Palestinian leaders and local Muslim clerics urged the Arabs to rise up in "defense of the Al Aksa Mosque."

The Arab leaders claimed that by restricting entry for Friday prayers atop the Temple Mount to Muslim men over the age of 50, Israel was laying siege to the mosques that occupy the biblical holy site. Israel regularly impalements such measures when intelligence suggests younger Arabs may be planning violence.

Israeli security forces managed to keep the Old City and Temple Mount area violence-free, but more raucous Arab elements did clash with police in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods of Ras al-Amud and Sur Baher.

In the Ras al-Amud confrontation, some 200 Israeli officers decked out in riot gear and shields had to push back thousands of stone throwing rioters. Once the police got close enough to buildings in the neighborhood, local women began throwing potted plants and stones at the Israelis from open windows and rooftop balconies.

Five Israeli officers were wounded in that clash.

In Sur Baher, which is near the Jerusalem-area kibbutz of Ramat Rachel, hundreds of Arabs hurled stones at police and tried to approach Jewish areas, but were stopped without injuries on either side.

Source: Israel today - http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19724