Humanitarian groups mucking around with terrorists?

Thanks to Richard for sending me this snippet from NRO: The Corner this morning (the short piece is lead-in to this longer article in the Wall Street Journal entitled:  ‘FARC’s Human Rights Friends.’ )   Laugh till you cry. 

As we learn more about the Colombian military’s daring hostage rescue last week, one detail stands out: In tricking FARC rebels into putting the hostages aboard a helicopter, undercover special forces simply told the comandantes that the aircraft was being loaned to them by a fictitious nongovernmental organization sympathetic to their cause called the International Humanitarian Mission.

It may have taken years for army intelligence to infiltrate the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and it may have been tough to convincingly impersonate rebels. But what seems to have been a walk in the park was getting the FARC to believe that an NGO was providing resources to help it in the dirty work of ferrying captives to a new location.

So what does all this have to do with us?   Maybe, just maybe, you should look with a jaundiced eye at all these NGO’s running around the world “saving” people “because they care.”

Happy Independence Day

Ann and I wish our readers a happy Independence Day, and hope everyone will give a cheer for the Declaration of Independence and the founding principles of our great nation.

These principles were based on the English traditions of the rule of law based on the common law, individual liberty, and limited government, among others. This is our American heritage — one based not on blood or birthplace, but on adherence to these great principles. It is sad that this heritage is being lost as the education establishment seems to have decided that our country’s history and traditions are not worth passing on to the next generation.

This terrible lack makes it all the more important that we act to prevent the loss of our precious American identity. This is one reason that we see the admission of large numbers of non-western immigrants as a threat. If new Americans were being taught the principles of our founding, and they saw them operate in public life, we could assimilate a certain number of people from cultures that are alien to ours. But when they come in large numbers, remain living in their own groups, and encounter very little education about their new country — and much of that based on multiculturalism rather than adherence to American principles — we are on a path toward greater fragmentation into a host of competing groups with no unifying beliefs and principles.

You must see ‘Fitna’

Here is a link to Gates of Vienna blog which gives several links to where you can view the controversial Dutch film, “Fitna.”   

Is Turkey not reforming Islam?

On Thursday I posted the news that “Turkey is preparing to publish a document that represents a revolutionary reinterpretation of Islam - and a controversial and radical modernisation of the religion.” Now the director of the project denies that there is any revision of Islam. Rather,

“What we are actually doing is re-classifying, re-categorizing the Hadith and translating it into Turkish, no more no less.”

Gormez said the three-year project has to do with a new understanding of the Sunnah and Hadith and accordingly making them more understandable to today’s Turks.

The project is misunderstood by westerners, he went on.

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He shrugged off media suggestions that Turkey was re-writing the Hadith and creating a new Islam.

“They made too much fuss and took the project out of its real context.

“We are neither fashioning a new Islam nor dare to alter the fixtures maxims of Islam,” Gormez said emphatically.

“The Western media have read what are doing from a Christian perspective and understood it in line with their Christian and Western cultures.”

When it comes to Islam, Gormez said, the Western media is used to focusing on women’s status and jihad.

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Gormez also refuted claims they would and edit out some hadiths, especially about women.

“No Muslim in the right mind would dare delete any hadith or tamper with the Prophet’s heritage.”

Yet he also said this:

 “We have also taken into account the unauthentic ones or those attributed falsely to the Prophet because to understand the true Hadith, you really need to (understand) the unauthentic sayings.”

I wonder if the western media really misunderstood the project. Or did the director have to backtrack after he came under criticism from other Muslims? Sometimes “criticism” means “threats” when we’re talking about Islam. Look at this from the original article: 

As part of its aggressive programme of renewal, Turkey has given theological training to 450 women, and appointed them as senior imams called “vaizes”.

They have been given the task of explaining the original spirit of Islam to remote communities in Turkey’s vast interior.

One of the women, Hulya Koc, looked out over a sea of headscarves at a town meeting in central Turkey and told the women of the equality, justice and human rights guaranteed by an accurate interpretation of the Koran - one guided and confirmed by the revised Hadith.

She says that, at the moment, Islam is being widely used to justify the violent suppression of women.

“There are honour killings,” she explains.

“We hear that some women are being killed when they marry the wrong person or run away with someone they love.

“There’s also violence against women within families, including sexual harassment by uncles and others. This does not exist in Islam… we have to explain that to them.”

That sounds like a little more than “re-classifying and re-categorizing.” This project bears watching. Whether Islam can be reformed might hinge on how the Turks and the managers of this project handle the criticism from the rest of the Islamic world.

Hat tip to Jihad Watch.

Good morning from RRW

This morning I want to make a statement to our readers.   First, to our national and international readers, sorry that we have been focused recently on the issues surrounding Refugee Resettlement in Washington County, MD.  Tonight we have a public forum which includes representatives from the US State Dept., Maryland Office for New Americans, and federal contractor Church World Services and its subcontractor Virginia Council of Churches.   We hope that much of what we have been bringing, although local in nature, may help you understand the issue better and help you put some ideas to work.  We will get back to covering more on broader issues shortly.

Since one of our goals at RRW is to “encourage reform of Refugee Resettlement policy at a national level”, we plan to have some suggestions for reform in the coming days.

For our readers who are here today to see what we are up to,  I am making one thing very clear.  This is a serious debate about public policy.  In fact, in my opinion, the subject of immigration, legal and illegal, is the most important issue facing our country.  I have not interjected anything about anyone’s personal lives into the debate,  but apparently my personal life is fair game.   All I can say is, it is easy for people to be charitable with taxpayers’ money.  It’s a lot harder to give out of your own pocket to help make the lives of people from the third world a little better.  Our contributions this evening will be based on policy, not how many points we can rack up on the ”I’m so compassionate” scale. 

Going Away…

     I’ll be away for a few days, but additional authors are joining this blog so maybe you will get some new perspectives in the coming days on the important community-changing issue of Refugee Resettlement.  

     If you are just beginning to learn about legal immigration reform, we have many posts since July 1 that will help you get started in your research, so please look back through our archives.  And, then plan to take action! 

Hold the enthusiasm for “John Doe”

Just in!    There are questions about the language in the “John Doe” amendment.   Those tricky legislators may have left wiggle room for eager beaver lawyers.  Will report when we know more.

The pollster Frank Luntz, on Laura Ingraham’s radio program today, reported that 52% of voters are extremely angry with Washington, gee I wonder why.

“John Doe” wins and so do you

     Free speech is alive and well!   We are happy to report that the so-called “John Doe” amendment has been included in the Homeland Security bill voted out of conference committee late last night.  See our previous post on this all important security issue.

     Once the bill is signed by the President you can, without fear of lawsuit, report suspicious behavior to the authorities.   This is another win in only a few weeks for the grassroots citizens of America.

  Remember:   See something, say something!

Off topic*, urgent help needed to save “John Doe”

         In Washington, a House-Senate conference committee on a homeland security bill is considering whether to include a measure to protect from lawsuit Americans who report suspicious behavior.  The so-called “John Doe” measure comes in response to a lawsuit by six imams who were booted from a plane that was about to fly from Minneapolis late last year because they were acting very suspiciously. 

        The imams plan to sue not only the airline but the passengers who reported their behavior — a step that, if successful, could have a chilling effect on whether other Americans come forward to report such behavior.  Without this protection, Americans would have no reason to follow the motto of law enforcement agencies: “If you see something, say something.”

      The “John Doe” legislation passed both the House and Senate by overwhelming margins.  But key Democrats are trying to drop it from the homeland security bill, which would kill it.    The conference committee is meeting and will make a final decision on this vital legislation in the coming days.

      If you agree Americans should be encouraged to report suspicious behavior,  now is the time to act.  Call or e-mail your own Senator and your House member.  You can find their contact information at http://www.congress.org - just enter your zip code.  Tell them to insist that the conference committee include “John Doe” protection in this bill. 

       And after calling or e-mailing your own Senator and House member, contact Congressman Thompson and Senator Leahy.  Also contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin.

        We must not be intimidated into silence.  In the war on terror, there’s too much at stake for all of us.

* And, this is the beauty of blogging!  We are not constrained by bosses, boards of directors,  or 501(c)3 status.   We practice free speech!