28 January 2010 , 12:27
IDF Delegation to Haiti returns to Israel
Praise given to the IDF aid delegation to Haiti as they were received by the Prime Minister, the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense.
Members of the IDF Delegation to Haiti arrived Thursday morning (Jan. 28) to Ben Gurion International Airport with an official military ceremony, in the presence of senior officials of both the IDF and the government, including Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, Commander of the Home Front Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, Commander of the Air Force Maj. Gen. Ido Nachushtan and the Head Medical Officer Brig. Gen. Nachman Esh.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that “approximately 40 hours after the earthquake in Haiti, about 36 hours after my instructions to send the delegation, the IDF forces were already on their way to Haiti. In less than 24 hours, people were on the ground. The plan was to build a field hospital within 30 hours, but in reality the mission was accomplished in half of the time.”
“You showed the world the true spirit of the IDF”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also added that,“The Chief of the General Staff updated me and told me that everyone expressed amazement at the speed of the work of the IDF in the field. We, who are familiar with the IDF, in how it operates in changing situations throughout the years, and especially in missions that seem impossible- we were not surprised. It is possible to plan for things at a basic level, but the biggest test of our strength, as a nation and as a military, is the ability to be ready and to rescue people quickly, by making quick decisions.” Prime Minister Netanyahu added that, “You have proven the capability and the proficiency, but you did much more than that. You raised peoples’ spirits; you raised the name of the State of Israel and the name of the IDF. Precisely during these days, during which there are those who conspire against us and distort and degrade the name of the IDF and the name of the State of Israel, you showed the world the true spirit of the IDF.”
“What characterizes the IDF in my opinion? Yesterday I returned from another place, a place where a terrible catastrophe occurred, and it was not a natural disaster but instead a disaster of human nature, with the most terrible brutality against our nation and against humanity in history.” Referring to his visit in Poland, from where he returned Thursday morning, Netanyahu added, “In this place, there was no one to arrive in time in order to save our people. Today we have the Israel Defense Force, which operates first and foremost in order to defend our people, but also to rescue people from distress all over the world- and only yesterday you were on the other side of the world.”
The Prime Minister concluded by saying that, “The entire world is full of appreciation for your work. I request to salute you in the name of the State of Israel and in the name of decent, honest and unswerving mankind. Well done, IDF.”
“You have merited praise from all over the world”
Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, returned today from a two day visit with the Commander of NATO in Brazil. Upon receiving the delegation, the Chief of the General Staff said that, “the shocking earthquake which took place near the capital of Haiti left behind unprecedented destruction: hundreds of thousands of people were killed and more than a million people lost their homes. An entire country was hit by shock and destruction which immediately struck all who passed there. Between the pain and fear for the future, and the excitement over lives saved – the amazing group of Home Front Command and Israeli Medical Corps personnel were there.”
“You have merited praise from all over the world and have turned into a source of pride for every Jew and every Israeli. The coping capability of the Home Front Command and the Medical Corps were already known in the past, among other incidents in the terrorist attack in Kenya and the earthquakes in Greece and Turkey. It can be said that in this mission, your capability in saving lives crossed new borders.” The Chief of the General Staff added that, “I was a witness to you speedy mobilization, to your treatment of injured people, to your struggle for every living soul, for everyone that still had a chance to be saved.”
“Our values guide us to cross continents in order to save lives”
While speaking about the spirit of the IDF that was expressed through the work of the delegation, the Chief of the General Staff said: “This spirit stands alone as one which inspires soldiers of the IDF and the values permeated in it. This is the most precise phrase explaining the feeling of representation and delegation which characterizes the IDF. Lately there have been those who complain about the IDF and have chosen to muddy its face and complain against its morals and ethics. In your work you have proven the opposite to be true – our values guide us to cross continents in order to save lives. That is what guides us today and will continue to guide us in the future.”
In his meetings with commanders of western militaries, within the framework of the annual NATO conference,The Chief of the General Staff said that the work of the IDF delegation received special notice. “Every personal conversation, and even formal speeches for the entire conference, opened will much praise for your work. As commander of this army, I was excited to represent you. We are proud of you and salute you,” he said.
Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said that the entire world was watching the work of the delegation. “It was heartwarming to see you doing not only your professional duties, but being present in a world where Israel merits so much criticism for its behavior and standpoints – with your work in Haiti you succeeded in showing the true spirit of the IDF, the true spirit of the State of Israel, and the long tradition of Jewish involvement… You strengthen the IDF, the land of Israel, and all of us.”
“This was no simple achievement”
The head of the Israeli delegation, Brig. Gen. Shalom Ben Arie, described the difficulties and challenges facing the IDF delegation to Haiti. “This was no simple achievement, because this was not an organic unit or a body trained for this mission. That being said, within 48 hours, we established an organized unit. The conditions in Haiti did not make the work any easier.”
He added “The delegation did not resemble any other delegation I saw, as two main factors jeopardized its success. First, we arrived to a country where all governing institutions were physically destroyed and therefore there was no one to receive us or to direct our aid efforts. We had to work blindly. Second, since 1994 Haiti has not had a military and there is a lot to think when stationing a military with such a large presence. Depsite this, we worked cooperatively with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, and we accomplished our mission in the best possible way.”
The head of the delegation added that “The field hospital, commanded by Col. Dr. Itzik Kries, treated 1,111 people, and performed over 300 life-saving surgeries. Each of this people would have died, were it not for this treatment. We are speaking of true life saving. The delegation worked out of the desire to stick to the mission and the determination to succeed, out of a sense of representing the country, out of friendship and the knowledge of the heavy weight responsibility on all of our shoulders. It is as if the success of the delegation hung on each person.”
source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/2801.htm
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Christian apologists: Be careful with Oprah's spiritual teachings
by Michelle A Vu, Christian PostPosted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 8:45 (GMT)
She is persuasive, influential and does a lot of good, but Christians should be careful when Oprah speaks about spirituality, warned two apologists.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 1,500 people at McLean Bible Church outside Washington DC on Friday evening, renowned apologist Josh McDowell and up-and-coming apologist Dave Sterrett explained the danger of adopting Oprah’s spiritual teachings from a Christian perspective.
McDowell and Sterrett, who recently co-authored a book on the subject, pointed out that the talk show queen and the spiritual teachers she promotes teach pantheism – God is all and all is God – and that there are multiple paths to reach God. She also emphasises that people should carry out their inner longings instead of restraining themselves if the act is said to be a sin by the Bible.
“Here is where you got to be careful,” said McDowell, bestselling author of More Than a Carpenter.
“Not only Oprah but others use Christian or religious terminologies that Christians would accept as Christian.
“The Christian God is a personal creator God which all truth resides, who is totally outside of ourselves and outside of our universe.
“When Oprah and others refer to God, it is an impersonal force. And I think one way that comes out is that they will say, ‘Look within you and find yourself from within. Find that God-consciousness. That is God.’”
In their book, O God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality, the apologists warn that Oprah “uses the language of the Bible and Christian traditions” but mixes that with other traditions to “create a hodgepodge of personalised faith”.
They point out in their book that Oprah said during her first A New Earth web seminar in 2008 that Christ came to show people that they can discover their own “Christ-consciousness”.
One of the main characters in the book, Lindsey, is struggling to make sense of Christianity, Oprah’s spirituality, and the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, author of Oprah Book Club’s pick A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. She says at one point:
“Maybe Jesus was no more God than you and I are. Maybe we’re all just part of the UltimateBeing that we call God or Universal Energy or that Eckhart calls Consciousness. Eckhart doesn’t feel that it is arrogant for me to say, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ If Jesus said it, why can’t I?”
But McDowell warned Friday that reliance on this inner consciousness is dangerous because it can justify sin since people should follow what they feel rather than an absolute Truth.
McDowell recalled an episode on an Oprah Winfrey Show last year where former evangelical leader Ted Haggard, who was involved in a gay sex and drug scandal, and his wife Gayle were guests. Gayle said that her husband had struggled with homosexuality since he was 12 years old and that he was trying hard to bring the desires under control and defeat them.
Oprah reacted by standing up and saying she disagrees and that one needs to look within oneself, to find the inner longings and live them out in order to be authentic.
“But wait just a minute,” the respected apologist cautioned. “What if he was a child abuser? Would Oprah say the same thing? To be consistent she has to. What if he was a rapist? She would have to say the same thing.”
McDowell and Sterrett, through examples of what Oprah teaches about spirituality, demonstrate that she cannot be consistent with her belief.
The apologists also addressed the opinion of Oprah and others who subscribe to religious pluralism – which says multiple religions, often contradicting, are equally true – saying that Christians are intolerant for saying Jesus is the only way. The apologists pointed out that those who say they cannot tolerate people who declare Jesus to be the only way are in fact showing they are intolerant of that statement. If they were as open-minded as they claim, the authors argued, they would tolerate people who disagree with them.
“I am not called in the Bible to be tolerant,” McDowell declared emphatically. “I am not. I refuse to be tolerant. I think it demeans people. I am not called to be tolerant; I am called to be loving. I am not called to tolerate people; I am called to love people.
“When you tolerate someone, it demeans them,” McDowell continued. “When you love someone, it projects value, dignity and worth in that person. As Christians we are called to not only love one another, we are called to love the ungodly.”
McDowell’s strong message resonated with audience member Denise Wingerd, 30, of Reston Bible Church.
“It clicked with me when he said Christians shouldn’t be tolerant,” Wingerd said to The Christian Post after the event. “The Christ standard is to love, to love those who persecute you. That is way above tolerance,” she said.
Wingerd said she used to watch the Oprah Winfrey Show until a “defining moment” made her decide to stop. On one episode, Oprah congratulated a guest for divorcing his wife and leaving his family after coming out, telling him it was time to celebrate that he was now his best self.
“I thought to myself, this woman does not deserve my attention,” Wingerd said.
Melanie McFarland, 29, a member of McLean Bible Church, appreciated McDowell’s argument that if people followed Oprah’s teaching on acting on their inner longings then child abuse and rape would be acceptable.
“You can rationalise everything in the world,” McFarland said. “He (McDowell) opened my eyes.”
She added, “I don’t watch Oprah but it’s just amazing people take her word and don’t look for the truth.”
O God: A Dialogue on Truth on Oprah’s Spirituality is written as a fictional Socratic dialogue where the reader feels he/she is sitting at the table with the characters discussing and comparing Christianity with pantheism and the spiritual teachings promoted by Oprah and her teachers. The book contains many exact quotes from Oprah and the authors she promotes on their views of spirituality.
Included in the back of the book are discussion questions that can serve as a guide in conversations about Oprah’s spirituality in community groups, book clubs, and Sunday school Bible classes.
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.apologists.be.careful.with.oprahs.spiritual.teachings/25154.htm
She is persuasive, influential and does a lot of good, but Christians should be careful when Oprah speaks about spirituality, warned two apologists.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 1,500 people at McLean Bible Church outside Washington DC on Friday evening, renowned apologist Josh McDowell and up-and-coming apologist Dave Sterrett explained the danger of adopting Oprah’s spiritual teachings from a Christian perspective.
McDowell and Sterrett, who recently co-authored a book on the subject, pointed out that the talk show queen and the spiritual teachers she promotes teach pantheism – God is all and all is God – and that there are multiple paths to reach God. She also emphasises that people should carry out their inner longings instead of restraining themselves if the act is said to be a sin by the Bible.
“Here is where you got to be careful,” said McDowell, bestselling author of More Than a Carpenter.
“Not only Oprah but others use Christian or religious terminologies that Christians would accept as Christian.
“The Christian God is a personal creator God which all truth resides, who is totally outside of ourselves and outside of our universe.
“When Oprah and others refer to God, it is an impersonal force. And I think one way that comes out is that they will say, ‘Look within you and find yourself from within. Find that God-consciousness. That is God.’”
In their book, O God: A Dialogue on Truth and Oprah’s Spirituality, the apologists warn that Oprah “uses the language of the Bible and Christian traditions” but mixes that with other traditions to “create a hodgepodge of personalised faith”.
They point out in their book that Oprah said during her first A New Earth web seminar in 2008 that Christ came to show people that they can discover their own “Christ-consciousness”.
One of the main characters in the book, Lindsey, is struggling to make sense of Christianity, Oprah’s spirituality, and the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, author of Oprah Book Club’s pick A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. She says at one point:
“Maybe Jesus was no more God than you and I are. Maybe we’re all just part of the UltimateBeing that we call God or Universal Energy or that Eckhart calls Consciousness. Eckhart doesn’t feel that it is arrogant for me to say, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ If Jesus said it, why can’t I?”
But McDowell warned Friday that reliance on this inner consciousness is dangerous because it can justify sin since people should follow what they feel rather than an absolute Truth.
McDowell recalled an episode on an Oprah Winfrey Show last year where former evangelical leader Ted Haggard, who was involved in a gay sex and drug scandal, and his wife Gayle were guests. Gayle said that her husband had struggled with homosexuality since he was 12 years old and that he was trying hard to bring the desires under control and defeat them.
Oprah reacted by standing up and saying she disagrees and that one needs to look within oneself, to find the inner longings and live them out in order to be authentic.
“But wait just a minute,” the respected apologist cautioned. “What if he was a child abuser? Would Oprah say the same thing? To be consistent she has to. What if he was a rapist? She would have to say the same thing.”
McDowell and Sterrett, through examples of what Oprah teaches about spirituality, demonstrate that she cannot be consistent with her belief.
The apologists also addressed the opinion of Oprah and others who subscribe to religious pluralism – which says multiple religions, often contradicting, are equally true – saying that Christians are intolerant for saying Jesus is the only way. The apologists pointed out that those who say they cannot tolerate people who declare Jesus to be the only way are in fact showing they are intolerant of that statement. If they were as open-minded as they claim, the authors argued, they would tolerate people who disagree with them.
“I am not called in the Bible to be tolerant,” McDowell declared emphatically. “I am not. I refuse to be tolerant. I think it demeans people. I am not called to be tolerant; I am called to be loving. I am not called to tolerate people; I am called to love people.
“When you tolerate someone, it demeans them,” McDowell continued. “When you love someone, it projects value, dignity and worth in that person. As Christians we are called to not only love one another, we are called to love the ungodly.”
McDowell’s strong message resonated with audience member Denise Wingerd, 30, of Reston Bible Church.
“It clicked with me when he said Christians shouldn’t be tolerant,” Wingerd said to The Christian Post after the event. “The Christ standard is to love, to love those who persecute you. That is way above tolerance,” she said.
Wingerd said she used to watch the Oprah Winfrey Show until a “defining moment” made her decide to stop. On one episode, Oprah congratulated a guest for divorcing his wife and leaving his family after coming out, telling him it was time to celebrate that he was now his best self.
“I thought to myself, this woman does not deserve my attention,” Wingerd said.
Melanie McFarland, 29, a member of McLean Bible Church, appreciated McDowell’s argument that if people followed Oprah’s teaching on acting on their inner longings then child abuse and rape would be acceptable.
“You can rationalise everything in the world,” McFarland said. “He (McDowell) opened my eyes.”
She added, “I don’t watch Oprah but it’s just amazing people take her word and don’t look for the truth.”
O God: A Dialogue on Truth on Oprah’s Spirituality is written as a fictional Socratic dialogue where the reader feels he/she is sitting at the table with the characters discussing and comparing Christianity with pantheism and the spiritual teachings promoted by Oprah and her teachers. The book contains many exact quotes from Oprah and the authors she promotes on their views of spirituality.
Included in the back of the book are discussion questions that can serve as a guide in conversations about Oprah’s spirituality in community groups, book clubs, and Sunday school Bible classes.
source:http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.apologists.be.careful.with.oprahs.spiritual.teachings/25154.htm
Monday, January 25, 2010
Abortion Whistleblowers $10,000 Reward Campaign Intensifies
by Staff
January 25, 2010
WICHITA, Kans., (christiansunite.com) -- Operation Rescue's Abortion Whistleblowers Campaign, which is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of abortionists who are breaking the law, is in full swing and taking to the radio waves, the Internet, and direct mail to advertize the project.
�" Flyers encouraging abortion clinic workers to come forward have been sent to every abortion clinic in the country. (View the flyer)
�" Radio ads have begun to flood the airwaves. (Listen to the ad)
�" A video on YouTube.com explains how to claim the $10,000 reward. (View the video)
�" Postings appear now on Facebook, My Space, and Twitter encouraging Whistleblowers to come forward.
The campaign has already yielded tips in several states, which are currently being evaluated. Operation Rescue is encouraging pro-life activists to help spread the word by distributing the reproducible flyers to clinic workers and posting Abortion Whistleblower links on their web pages and social networking sites.
"We have never found an abortion clinic that completely follows the law," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Specifically, we are looking for information about fraud, including billing fraud, Medicaid fraud, overbilling, double-billing, and things of that nature that defraud the public. We have seen a number of abortionists charged with these kinds of crimes over the years."
"We are also looking into other violations that directly endanger the lives of women, including sex crimes, the concealment of child sex abuse, unlicensed workers, improper handling of controlled substances, chemical impairment, illegal abortions, falsification of medical records, and other abuses," said Newman.
Operation Rescue is encouraging abortion clinic workers and anyone else who might have knowledge of abortion clinic crimes to do the right thing and come forward in the interest of protecting women.
Newman appeals to potential whistleblowers saying, "You may be a current or former clinic worker. We want to hear from you. You may be a hospital employee that has witnessed abortion- related abuses. You may be former abortion patient that has suffered abuse during your abortion. Information you have could save lives and spare women from suffering as you have."
To learn more or to report abortion clinic abuses contact Operation Rescue at www.operationrescue.org
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Operation Rescue is now headquartered in a former abortion clinic that it bought and closed in 2006. From there, Operation Rescue launches its innovative new strategies across the nation, exposing and closing abortion clinics through peaceful, legal means. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to stop abortion and ultimately restore legal personhood to the pre-born in obedience to biblical mandates.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08957.shtml
January 25, 2010
WICHITA, Kans., (christiansunite.com) -- Operation Rescue's Abortion Whistleblowers Campaign, which is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of abortionists who are breaking the law, is in full swing and taking to the radio waves, the Internet, and direct mail to advertize the project.
�" Flyers encouraging abortion clinic workers to come forward have been sent to every abortion clinic in the country. (View the flyer)
�" Radio ads have begun to flood the airwaves. (Listen to the ad)
�" A video on YouTube.com explains how to claim the $10,000 reward. (View the video)
�" Postings appear now on Facebook, My Space, and Twitter encouraging Whistleblowers to come forward.
The campaign has already yielded tips in several states, which are currently being evaluated. Operation Rescue is encouraging pro-life activists to help spread the word by distributing the reproducible flyers to clinic workers and posting Abortion Whistleblower links on their web pages and social networking sites.
"We have never found an abortion clinic that completely follows the law," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Specifically, we are looking for information about fraud, including billing fraud, Medicaid fraud, overbilling, double-billing, and things of that nature that defraud the public. We have seen a number of abortionists charged with these kinds of crimes over the years."
"We are also looking into other violations that directly endanger the lives of women, including sex crimes, the concealment of child sex abuse, unlicensed workers, improper handling of controlled substances, chemical impairment, illegal abortions, falsification of medical records, and other abuses," said Newman.
Operation Rescue is encouraging abortion clinic workers and anyone else who might have knowledge of abortion clinic crimes to do the right thing and come forward in the interest of protecting women.
Newman appeals to potential whistleblowers saying, "You may be a current or former clinic worker. We want to hear from you. You may be a hospital employee that has witnessed abortion- related abuses. You may be former abortion patient that has suffered abuse during your abortion. Information you have could save lives and spare women from suffering as you have."
To learn more or to report abortion clinic abuses contact Operation Rescue at www.operationrescue.org
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Operation Rescue is now headquartered in a former abortion clinic that it bought and closed in 2006. From there, Operation Rescue launches its innovative new strategies across the nation, exposing and closing abortion clinics through peaceful, legal means. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to stop abortion and ultimately restore legal personhood to the pre-born in obedience to biblical mandates.
source:http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08957.shtml
Human rights group releases persecution shame list
Human rights group International Christian Concern has released its annual top ten list of the world's worst persecutors of Christians.
International Christian Concern on Thursday released its annual Hall of Shame report that calls attention to the trend of Christian persecution around the globe.
India is ranked with countries such as Eritrea, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and China where religious freedom has been suppressed and atrocities persisting on an alarming scale.
According to the report, India remains on the top ten worst persecutors list “due to constant violent attacks against Christians.”
"Sources indicate that in 2009, there was an average of three attacks per week against Christians. Although attacks are not comparable in intensity with other top ten countries, the scope of persecution in India is widespread and affects millions of believers," the report stated.
It cited the 2008 Orissa violence where dozens of Christians were murdered and over 50,000 were displaced following the murder of a Hindu leader.
"Many Christians in Orissa are still unable to return to their homes due to threats issued by Hindu radicals forcing their conversion to Hinduism as a condition for their return. These Christians continue to suffer in refugee camps that lack housing, sanitation and food," ICC said.
In addition to violence, Christians also face discrimination from state and local officials.
"The states of Gujarat, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh enforce anti-conversion laws which restrict the freedom of Hindus to convert to other religions."
ICC President Jeff King laments that the persecution of Christians has become a common occurrence and is rarely reported by the mainstream media.
"Due to their faith, Christians endure harassment, discrimination, deportation, imprisonment, rape, torture, murder and other forms of persecution," he said.
Interestingly, the report says Communist and former Communist states are becoming less antagonistic towards Christianity (North Korea being the exception). However, persecution continues to increase in Islamic countries.
Last year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom placed India on its Watch List for the country’s inadequate response in protecting religious minorities.
The federal commission’s watch list consists of countries with governments that tolerate "serious violations of religious freedom.
source: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/human.rights.group.releases.persecution.shame.list/25141.htm
International Christian Concern on Thursday released its annual Hall of Shame report that calls attention to the trend of Christian persecution around the globe.
India is ranked with countries such as Eritrea, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and China where religious freedom has been suppressed and atrocities persisting on an alarming scale.
According to the report, India remains on the top ten worst persecutors list “due to constant violent attacks against Christians.”
"Sources indicate that in 2009, there was an average of three attacks per week against Christians. Although attacks are not comparable in intensity with other top ten countries, the scope of persecution in India is widespread and affects millions of believers," the report stated.
It cited the 2008 Orissa violence where dozens of Christians were murdered and over 50,000 were displaced following the murder of a Hindu leader.
"Many Christians in Orissa are still unable to return to their homes due to threats issued by Hindu radicals forcing their conversion to Hinduism as a condition for their return. These Christians continue to suffer in refugee camps that lack housing, sanitation and food," ICC said.
In addition to violence, Christians also face discrimination from state and local officials.
"The states of Gujarat, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh enforce anti-conversion laws which restrict the freedom of Hindus to convert to other religions."
ICC President Jeff King laments that the persecution of Christians has become a common occurrence and is rarely reported by the mainstream media.
"Due to their faith, Christians endure harassment, discrimination, deportation, imprisonment, rape, torture, murder and other forms of persecution," he said.
Interestingly, the report says Communist and former Communist states are becoming less antagonistic towards Christianity (North Korea being the exception). However, persecution continues to increase in Islamic countries.
Last year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom placed India on its Watch List for the country’s inadequate response in protecting religious minorities.
The federal commission’s watch list consists of countries with governments that tolerate "serious violations of religious freedom.
source: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/human.rights.group.releases.persecution.shame.list/25141.htm
Maj. Gen Eizenkot: No Tension in the North
24 January 2010 , 13:09
Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot comments on the security situation in the North of Israel
On Sunday (Jan. 24), the GOC of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, said that there is no truth to media reports on tension between Israel and Lebanon. “This is a virtual escalation that has no basis in reality.” The comments were made during a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies held in Tel Aviv.
Maj. Gen. Eizenkot spoke against the reports that another conflict in the North is only a matter of time. “The Lebanese side also has an interest in preserving the current calm,” he said, and added however that Syria keeps equipping Hezbollah with weaponry, and because of that “we are in a constant state of preparedness”.
“Hezbollah has not carried out any terror attacks since the Second Lebanon War, but it is growing stronger and we are preparing for any scenario. We will know how to act effectively. Nasrallah’s speeches are empty threats, he knows that important infrastructures have been damaged, and he would be happy to return to the days prior to July 2006,” said Maj. Gen. Eizenkot. “The Iranian threat is very significant and influential in the Northern regions of Lebanon. The hidden factors of the threat are the government’s Quds Forces who are working on the equipment and training of Hezbollah, building strongholds in the South as well,” he added.
source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/2402.htm
Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot comments on the security situation in the North of Israel
On Sunday (Jan. 24), the GOC of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, said that there is no truth to media reports on tension between Israel and Lebanon. “This is a virtual escalation that has no basis in reality.” The comments were made during a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies held in Tel Aviv.
Maj. Gen. Eizenkot spoke against the reports that another conflict in the North is only a matter of time. “The Lebanese side also has an interest in preserving the current calm,” he said, and added however that Syria keeps equipping Hezbollah with weaponry, and because of that “we are in a constant state of preparedness”.
“Hezbollah has not carried out any terror attacks since the Second Lebanon War, but it is growing stronger and we are preparing for any scenario. We will know how to act effectively. Nasrallah’s speeches are empty threats, he knows that important infrastructures have been damaged, and he would be happy to return to the days prior to July 2006,” said Maj. Gen. Eizenkot. “The Iranian threat is very significant and influential in the Northern regions of Lebanon. The hidden factors of the threat are the government’s Quds Forces who are working on the equipment and training of Hezbollah, building strongholds in the South as well,” he added.
source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/2402.htm
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