by John Rossomando

IPT News

Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

It will be interesting to note if the pro-Gaza brigade will equally rebuke Hamas for supporting anti-female edicts in Gaza?  Of all the problems facing the Palestinians it appears that Hamas believes that forcing females into the “shadows” is a major priority. Therefore, from the next school year all schools irrespective of religion must follow the path of gender segregation and of course this is part and parcel of a slippery road.

Christian Palestinians in Gaza are now dhimmis because they have no say in the matter. Therefore, the Gulf paranoia of Saudi Arabia and aspects of Taliban logic are seeping into the Palestinian cause. Of course, the majority of schools in Gaza are already based on gender segregation but private and Christian schools could decide for themselves. However, now this right will be taken away from them unlike in the West Bank.

In secular Syria this nation is facing a civilizational war whereby radical Salafists want to turn this nation into “year zero.” Alawites, Christians, the Shia, and mainstream Sunni Muslim leaders, all face the wrath of Islamist terrorism, indoctrination and enforced “year zero.” Despite this, major Western nations like America, France and the United Kingdom are closing their eyes to the “civilizational war” in Syria – in order to fulfill their geopolitical ambitions.

This is nothing new because political elites in London and Washington supported Islamist terrorism and Islamization in Afghanistan along with their friends in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The result of this shortsighted policy was the enforcement of women being put into the shadows. Nothing was learnt because today many of the same nations are involved in supporting the Islamization of Syria. Therefore, the mosaic of civilization in Syria faces the wrath of Salafi Islamist hatred whereby this nation could be turned into another fundamentalist state.

Not surprisingly, leaders within Hamas have turned against Syria and clearly you have a correlation between Gulf nations supporting Hamas and greater “year zero” policies. Also, just like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, it is clear that Hamas is worried about even more fundamentalist groups in Gaza. This reality means that Hamas is seeking to show their Islamist credentials in order to crush future Islamist competition. Islamists will also be pleased that Christian dhimmis have been firmly put into their place.

Syria is a nation where women have freedom in government controlled areas and mosques and churches dot the landscape. Yet in areas where strongholds of Islamists exist then indoctrination, putting females in the shadows and crushing all alternative thought patterns is being put into place. In the last few weeks it is known that two Sunni Muslim clerics were killed in Syria for speaking out against terrorism, sectarianism and the new civilizational threat emanating from the Gulf.

Turning back to Gaza then Waleed Mezher (Gaza Ministry of Education legal advisor) stated to Reuters that “We are a Muslim people. We do not need to make people Muslims and we are doing what serves our people and their culture.”

Hala Qishawa from the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza comments that “They are fundamentalists who believe Islam says women should stay at home and not go out without a hijab. They are a fundamentalist party who want every section of society under their control, including civil society, the young and women.”

In Libya and Mali many Sufi shrines have been attacked just like in Somalia. Christians also face growing persecution in Libya and Islamists in Tunisia recently killed a major secular leader called Chokri Belaid. Meanwhile in Egypt the Coptic Christian community faces growing hostility and within this nation you have major anti-Shia rhetoric. Likewise, in Pakistan the Shia, Christians and all religious minorities reside in fear in many parts of this nation. Also, Islamists in Pakistan have killed health workers just like in Northern Nigeria and recently they shot a young girl for demanding female education in this country.

Therefore, it is perverse that major Western nations are once more on the side of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey whereby they support sectarianism, terrorism and sedition against secular Syria. Either, the nations of America, France and the United Kingdom are sleepwalking into “the Islamist year zero” brigade in Syria; or they care zilch about religious pluralism and the rights of women when it comes to foreign policy objectives; or the political elites in these Western nations have “sold their collective soul” to draconian feudal monarchies; or they are collectively blinded by their own rhetoric whereby the same nations keep on supporting draconian dark forces? Of course, it could be a mixture of the above but clearly the rich civilization of Syria is under threat.

The Washington Post stated about Gaza that “Other edicts include bans on women smoking water pipes in public, riding on the backs of motorcycles or getting their hair done by male stylists. Last month, it barred girls and women from participating in a U.N.-sponsored marathon, prompting a U.N. aid agency to cancel the race.”

It must be stated that several conservative nations separate children from a certain age but just like the above it is clear that the agenda is much more. Also, if individuals want to freely separate children based on religious beliefs then this happens all over the world. Yet in other societies individuals have choices and clearly banning women from running and how they dress is all part and parcel of creating a fundamentalist state whereby no choices are available to individuals. It is also noted that Christians have to follow suit and the reality of what is happening in Gaza today is following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia and the Taliban.

If Hamas in the future stretches further into the West Bank then one day you will have many Palestinians yearning to move from Palestinian held areas in the future. The Muslim Brotherhood and various Salafi groups are on the march because of the petrodollars of the Gulf; the indoctrination rat lines; open manipulation of Islamist charities; and of course the connivance of major Western nations. Therefore, what is happening in Gaza could one day be a reality in Syria if the central government is overthrown by various Islamist factions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/9965274/Hamas-orders-schools-in-Gaza-to-be-segregated-by-gender.html

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The stark reality of the New Year is that Islamists will continue to kill in the name of Allah in many nations just like usual. In Syria radical Islamists are killing minorities and mainstream Sunni Muslims, who don’t follow their creed of hatred. Meanwhile in Pakistan it is open season against killing charity workers, health workers and burning people alive who allegedly blaspheme against the prophet of Islam.

Pakistan and other nations including America, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia supported Islamists against communist Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s. The consequences of this are still reverberating today. However, the so-called elites in the above named nations have literally “gotten away with mass murder and chaos.”

More alarming, the same destabilization processes which were used against Afghanistan by supporting international jihadist networks in the 1980s and early 1990s is now being used against Syria. This means that mainstream Sunni Muslim clerics are being killed in Syria by international jihadists and indoctrinated Islamists at home. Therefore, the same forces which enabled September 11 to take place are once more involved in supporting radical Sunni Islamism in the Levant.

Of course nations like America, France and the United Kingdom are trying to cover their collective tracks. Yet their collective cover is blown because these nations are not putting pressure on Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to stop funneling resources, military hardware and creating many terrorist rat-lines in order to enter Syria. On the contrary, the usual players are delegating many intricate webs in order to destabilize Syria and clearly they all know that Islamists are filling the vacuum.

However, the massacre of charity workers by Islamists in Pakistan is a stark reminder that once the “Islamist genie is out,” then it is difficult to put it back in its bottle. Of the seven charity workers that were killed in Pakistan it is known that 6 were women. If Syria is anything to go by then the same Islamists will have probably been chanting “God is great” before killing women in cold blood – and the same applies to the death of the male charity worker. After all, in the world of “year zero Islamists” then killing in the name of Allah is all that matters irrespective if they are killing Muslims or non-Muslims. All that matters to these Islamists is death and destruction.

Prior to nations supporting international Islamists in Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s, then the indoctrination of Salafi Islam and other radical conservative versions which hate diversity were on the back-foot. However, once the leaders of America, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and other Gulf states supported Islamic jihadist movements then a barbaric reality entered the vacuum. The consequences of this are still reverberating today and this applies to endless massacres against Shia Muslims in Pakistan, persecution of non-Muslims, enormous discrimination against Ahmadiyya Muslims, attacking teachers who want to educate women and a host of other barbaric realities.

In Syria you have daily terrorist attacks and the secular nature of this nation is under threat. If things reach the same climax then this nation is going to be damaged for decades to come and sectarianism and Islamist indoctrination will turn the clock back. Yet many of the same nations which have created countless vacuums in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and created blow-back in Pakistan and of course enabled September 11 to take place; appear to care little because they are now involved in supporting sectarianism, terrorism and sedition against secular Syria. Also, for other nations like Mali and India then they have been victims of the terrorist networks which have been unleashed in the past by the axis of America, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and other nations already mentioned.

The murder of the latest charity workers in Pakistan alongside the image of a Syrian soldier being beheaded while Islamists encouraged a child to hack at his head – highlights the pure brutality and hatred of these religious fanatics. Yet for too long many nations have worked collectively with the same Islamist networks when the time suited. This is the case once more in Syria therefore the deaths of these charity workers in Pakistan can be traced back to the same nations which supported international jihadists in the 1980s and 1990s. Likewise, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and several Gulf states have enabled Islamist indoctrination to spread far and wide. Meanwhile so-called democratic nations in the West are allowing the petro-dollars of Saudi Arabia and several Gulf states to indoctrinate in Western nations.

Several weeks ago health workers were killed by Islamists in Pakistan. It was stated in an article by Modern Tokyo Times that “Given this reality, then the criminal act in killing health workers on the grounds of jihad, sums up the warped logic of a religious movement which is intent on crushing all alternative thought patterns. In a world based on logic, then these health workers would be praised for dedicating their lives for the good of humanity. Yet logic within the mindset of Islamic jihadists is not only thin on the ground but it is equally neo-primitive to an extreme.”

“However, if we turn the clock back to the early 1980s then nations like America, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom supported radical Sunni Islamists against communist Afghanistan. This meant that special operatives from within the CIA representing America and the ISI from Pakistan, and other operatives from nations like the United Kingdom, enabled international Islamists to get a foothold in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The upshot of all this is that a nightmare was created and today the world is witnessing this ongoing nightmare.”

Today another innocent seven people were killed by Islamists on the grounds that they were going to teach women and to help people who badly need support. These individuals in normal societies would be praised but in parts of Pakistan they are hated by Islamists. Yet when democratic nations condemn this attack, then the nations supporting the destabilization of Syria should take a good look in the mirror. After all, in Syria the same Islamist forces are encroaching on the “Muslim light of the Levant.” If Islamists win then indigenous Islam, Christianity and the Druze faith will all face a very bleak future in Syria. After all, Islamists care little about civilization and different thought patterns – instead they want a “year zero Islamist Islam” based on supremacy and hatred. Therefore, why are major Western nations in cohorts with nations like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states – and why don’t they ever learn?

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

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Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

In recent days the intensity of mistrust between the Kurds and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is clearly boiling over after the FSA entered Kurdish areas. The FSA Islamists are being openly supported by Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. France is probably the most dangerous equation within the triangle of America, the United Kingdom and ruling elites in Paris. Therefore, the Kurds have every right to fear the brutal FSA and the various different Islamist terrorist organizations in Syria.

After all, the Kurds have been struggling for decades in Turkey and vast numbers have been killed. At no time did Saudi Arabia and Qatar concern themselves about this. More importantly, the Kurds are much more secular and given the Islamist nature of the FSA and many different Islamist organizations; then clearly the Kurds will become a future “lamb to be slaughtered” under the “watch” of Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Christians also have much to fear from the FSA terrorists who have sacked countless number of Christian churches and killed Christians. This isn’t surprising, after all in Saudi Arabia not one single Christian church is allowed and Muslim apostates to Christianity face being beheaded. Likewise, many videos have been circulated by the FSA and various Islamist terrorist organizations whereby they are beheading Alawites, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims who are loyal to the government of Syria.

Given the nature of Saudi Arabia and that beheading is enshrined in the legal system of this nation, then this is another clear link to the barbarity of the FSA and Islamist terrorist networks. In the last 24 hours it is known that a Christian Armenian church was ransacked by the FSA Islamists. This isn’t anything new because in many Christian strongholds they have been forced to flee persecution and murder at the hands of the FSA and Islamist terrorist organizations.

Bishop Antoine Audo commented that “In the city of Homs, home to what was the country’s second-largest Christian community, all but a few of the faithful were forced to leave after a wave of persecution — all the churches desecrated.”

The Kurds will face the same Christian fate if the FSA and Islamists grow in strength because these movements care nothing about the mosaic of Syria. On the contrary, Islamists which are being funded by Qatar and Saudi Arabia desire a Sharia Islamic state based on the draconian Salafi branch of Islam. Therefore, not only are Christians and Kurds threatened by this new dynamic within Syria – but mainstream Sunni Islam will also face the wrath of Salafists – if they grow in power. Likewise, for Alawites, the Shia and Druze, then they also must understand that Saudi Arabia isn’t funding the FSA and Islamist groups for democracy, religious liberty and female emancipation.

After all, it is the government of Syria which supports religious freedom and female emancipation. Indeed, the secular nature of Syria is an affront to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In the past, this also would apply to Turkey but not under the Erdogan government which desires to scratch away at secularism within the body politic of Turkey. Therefore, during the last week you have not only witnessed Kurdish demonstrations in Turkey but also a mass demonstration by secularists in this nation because they don’t trust the Erdogan government.

In Aleppo the FSA and Kurds have been fighting after the FSA became interested in showing their power mechanisms alongside appeasing the government of Erdogan which is playing a very dangerous game. Sadly, for Syria, this outside meddling by Turkey which is the main conduit for international terrorists, covert operatives and military arms; then the result is tragic. This applies to vast numbers of Syrians being killed because of the collective policies of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. France is also involved in many areas while America and the United Kingdom are useful allies from a distance even if differences exist about the methodology.

During the recent fighting between the Kurds and FSA it is known that over 20 people were killed and it is also reported that over one hundred people have been taken by opposing forces. The FSA admits that at least 16 individuals from this mercenary and terrorist organization were killed. However, it is clear that the FSA is only interested in a truce in the short-term until they are powerful enough to crush the Kurdish Democratic Union Party. Likewise, the various Islamist organizations are not interested in democracy and secularism. Therefore, for Christians, Kurds and the Syria people collectively, it is apparent that under the FSA and various Islamist organizations that this country will enter a new period of oppression, wanton destruction and whereby religious liberty and female emancipation will be crushed.

The recent clash emerged after Kurds from all political persuasions demanded that the FSA leave their area. This isn’t surprising given the cleansing of Christians in many places by the FSA. When the FSA witnessed this then it is reported that they fired on innocent Kurds. Luckily, the Kurds, unlike Christian areas under FSA control, can’t be pushed around by the FSA and terrorized. Yet, the Kurds should know that if the FSA isn’t crushed in Kurdish areas and the military arms keep on flowing to the FSA; then one day this balance will tip against the Kurdish community. Once this happens, then Kurds will share the fate of Christians in places like Homs.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not interested in religious liberty, the future of Kurds within Syria and secularism. The dynamics within Turkey could change because many Turkish nationals don’t support the foreign policy objectives of Erdogan. However, for Saudi Arabia and Qatar then their goal will not change under the current monarchy based politics of both nations.

Christians and Kurds have much to fear given the ongoing persecution under the FSA and various Islamist terrorist factions in parts of Syria. Likewise, the Alawites, Shia and Druze know full well that Saudi Arabia isn’t interested in religious pluralism. Similarly, the Alevi suffer institutional discrimination in Turkey. Therefore, the dark forces being unleashed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar threatens the mosaic of Syria alongside destroying the independence of Syria which will please America, France and the United Kingdom.

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656) was a female painter in a world dominated by men but many aspects of her life highlight certain aspects of Catholic culture within Italy and this part of Europe. Her life also highlights the trial and tribulations of many women who have suffered from rape. Indeed, the art of Artemisia Gentileschi often relates to the reality of a world which impacts negatively towards women based on inequality and injustice.

This may appear to be a strange starting point to focus on Artemisia Gentileschi but her ordeal, the trial that took place and events afterwards all impacted on her art. It is clear that this artist felt a strong connection with powerful women in history and within the Christian faith which predominated in Italy in the seventeenth century. In this sense, the rape of Artemisia Gentileschi provided a new strength within her art in order to overcome this terrible and devastating experience.

Therefore, many themes of the art of Artemisia Gentileschi focused on the strength and determination of women. This applies to religious figures in the Bible, historical areas and from mythology. The Book of Judith highlights a lady who refused to bow down to powers that desired to enslave the Hebrews. While men feared the powerful army of Holofernes this didn’t apply to Judith. Given this reality, after gaining the trust of Holofernes she beheads him when he is drunk and takes his head back to the followers of Judaism.

This passion restored Mosaic Law and preserved the Hebrews against their enemies. Not surprisingly, Artemisia Gentileschi relates strongly with Judith and other powerful females. Therefore, her father and Artemisia Gentileschi prosecute the rapist openly in order that the truth is told. It must be remembered than even in the twenty-first century many women are killed in parts of Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and other parts of the world in so-called “honor killings.” Not only are these women murdered brutally but many legal systems fail to prosecute the perpetrator(s) in the modern world. Despite this, and bias within the legal system, it is clear that rapists would be held accountable by the courts of Catholic Italy in the seventeenth century despite the ordeal that she was put through. Also, unlike some parts of the modern world it is abundantly clear that Artemisia Gentileschi didn’t face an honor killing.

On this http://www.artemisia-gentileschi.com website which is dedicated to Artemisia Gentileschi, it is stated that “The trauma of the rape and trial impacted on Artemisia’s painting. Her graphic depictions were cathartic and symbolic attempts to deal with the physical and psychic pain. The heroines of her art, especially Judith, are powerful women exacting revenge on such male evildoers as the Assyrian general Holofernes. Her style was heavily influenced by dramatic realism and marked chiaroscuro (contrasting light and dark) of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573 – 1610).”

Artemisia Gentileschi was respected within powerful artistic circles because she knew individuals like Cristofano Allori. Also, it is stated that on entering the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence, that this meant that she was the first female painter to be given this honor. In time Artemisia Gentileschi would work within Christian cathedrals and highlight “powerful women” within part of her art.

The trial and tribulations of Artemisia Gentileschi also provide an insight into the world she belonged to. Likewise, the same can be said about her art and how strong role models were needed to overcome adversity.

http://www.artemisia-gentileschi.com

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Biram Ould Obeidi is a distinguished anti-slavery activist in Mauritania and widely respected for his important work in highlighting the dark side of this country. In recent times the government of Mauritania increased the punishment for individuals who continue to use slavery but to many individuals the legislation is “window dressing.” Also, slavery is firmly engrained in society therefore it is very difficult to eradicate slavery completely in Mauritania. This applies to cultural and conservative Islamic religious traditions which remain powerful in this country and which have been fused together in order to justify slavery.

Therefore, Biram Ould Obeidi felt this frustration deeply and during a protest against slavery he began to burn religious books regarding Islam. He burnt these books because according to him they justify and promote slavery in Mauritania.

This behavior wasn’t welcomed by many and protesters took to the streets and condemned this act. Biram Ould Obeidi didn’t intend to upset anyone and states that the “intention was certainly not to hurt the pride of the Muslims.” In his world the burning of books was meant to highlight the ongoing problem of slavery in Mauritania which he claims is still ongoing. However, given the conservative nature of Mauritania and with many Islamic clerics doing little to eradicate past traditions, he gave his enemies an excuse to rise against him. Therefore, the same state institutions which aren’t clamping down enough – according to activists against this terrible practice – have been given the opportunity to arrest him. Another six activists have also been arrested along with Biram Ould Obeidi.

Jacey Fortin, International Business Times, comments that “Slavery was officially made a crime only as recently as 2007, but that doesn’t seem to have made a dent in this pervasive problem…The Mauritanian government passed similarly toothless legislation to ban slavery in 1905, 1961 and 1981, but none of those decrees was ever enforced. Officially, the government denies the existence of slavery in Mauritania. Journalists who travel there to report on the magnitude of the problem must operate covertly, or else face expulsion.”

“The slaves themselves are often unable to fight for their freedom, as their captivity is not only physical, but mental. Many who are born into slavery grow up knowing no other way of life. Isolated by vast stretches of desert that surround the places where they live and work, these slaves often give their lives to their masters without ever encountering the concepts of equality, freedom and self-determination.”

It must be remembered that Saudi Arabia only abandoned slavery in the middle of the twentieth century because of international pressure. This fact means that Sunni Islamic clerics in Saudi Arabia weren’t concerned about slavery because you didn’t have any major movement within this country to abolish slavery. Also, in Sudan the Arab dominated leadership in Khartoum supported various militias in the 1980s and early 1990s which enslaved various black African ethnic groups.

Therefore, until anti-slavery laws have real power and Islamic preachers turn against this tradition within Mauritania, then little will change to alter the status quo irrespective if this applies to slavery or the exploitation of labor. It is also abundantly clear that divisions within Mauritania based on ethnic factors are leading to a host of other major problems.

Jacey Fortin, International Business Times, comments that “Regardless of whether or not Obeidi is convicted, news of his indictment sheds light on the issue he was fighting against: the widespread existence of slavery in Mauritania. There, slaves and slave owners are largely separated by differences in skin tone; for centuries, lighter-skinned Arabs have historically been the masters of darker-skinned West Africans.” 

“Mauritania has recently become a focal point for the international community due to its new status as an oil producer; it has also been considered an ally of the United States in the war on terror. But the slight increase of international attention in recent years has so far done little to eradicate the scourge of slavery in Mauritania.”

“This not a marginal issue. Hundreds of thousands of Mauritanians live in slavery today — a shocking 10 to 20 percent of the country’s total population of 3.4 million people.”

In a Human Rights Report by the US State Department in 2010 about the current situation in Mauritania it was stated that “…mistreatment of detainees and prisoners; security force impunity; lengthy pretrial detention; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrests; limits on freedom of the press and assembly; corruption; discrimination against women; female genital mutilation (FGM); child marriage; political marginalization of southern-based ethnic groups; racial and ethnic discrimination; slavery and slavery-related practices; and child labor…” persist within this country.

Mauritania rejects the charges and claims that poverty, lack of modernization, and traditional relations between slave owners and families still persist. It is also pointed out that you don’t have slave markets and that cheap labor is the root cause. Politicians in the current government state that they are sincere in trying to eradicate a system which is firmly entrenched in culture. However, the international community needs to be patient because political reforms need to be followed by re-education and this will take time given the economic reality of Mauritania.

Brahim Ould M’Bareck Ould Med El Moctar, Minister of Rural Development, also denies the accusation against Mauritania. According to him and other individuals you have a misconception between past history and governments which were less active in eradicating slavery.

He comments that “I must tell you that in Mauritania, freedom is total: freedom of thought, equality – of all men and women of Mauritania. Equality for all people. There is a phenomenon to which you are probably alluding, that has existed in Mauritania that has existed in other countries, which is slavery. And it is abolished in all communities, and criminalized today by our government. Therefore, there is absolutely no more problem of that in Mauritania. In all cases, especially with this government, this is in the past.”

“There are probably former relationships – slavery relationships and familial relationships from old days and of the older generations, maybe, or descendants who wish to continue to be in relationships with descendants of their old masters, for familial reasons, or out of affinity, and maybe also for economic interests. But (slavery) is something that is totally finished. All people are free in Mauritania and this phenomenon no longer exists. And I believe that I can tell you that no one profits from this commerce.”

The best hope of changing society in Mauritania is based on economic progress and greater links with the international community. Also, Muslim clerics have to become more involved irrespective if this applies to “slavery” or “cheap labor.” If religious leaders continue to remain mainly quiet then in time their own power base will be eroded by creeping modernization and links with the international community. 

The situation of Biram Ould Obeidi and other activists arrested needs to be monitored and outside nations with friendly relations with Mauritania need to raise this issue. It is in the interest of Mauritania to give opportunities to all Mauritanians irrespective of ethnicity because marginalization will hinder the future of this nation and will lead to instability.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/347716/20120601/mauritania-slavery-obeidi-charged-protest-sos-abolition.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18282569

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

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Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The United Kingdom government and BAE Systems once more “sell their collective soul” to Saudi Arabia despite the terrible human rights situation in this nation. Indeed, it highlights the utter bankruptcy of any ethical policies which are associated with this nation when it comes to foreign policy. After all, issues related to “democracy” and the fight against terrorism appears extremely “manipulated.”

Therefore, while the $3 billion dollar contract with Saudi Arabia, on top of other past contracts, is good news for BAE Systems and workers in this company. It does dampen the reality of “ethical policies” being issued by the leader of the United Kingdom and the same applies to the British Foreign Secretary. Also, it does nothing but encourage regional nations like Iran, Israel, Turkey, and others, to maintain a military arms race.

In Saudi Arabia not one single Christian church is allowed and the same applies to all non-Muslim faiths being banned from having places of worship. Also, Shia Muslims suffer systematic persecution and Ahmadiyya Muslims are forbidden from visiting Mecca. Judas only took a little compared with the British government and BAE Systems. For neither can claim that they don’t know about apostates to Christianity facing death, no religious freedom, and other barbaric practices.

Ben Wallace, Conservative MP in the British government, supports the arms deal because he stated that the country was “stable” and hinted that the country was moving towards human rights reform. Of course, if Ben Wallace was to elaborate on what reforms were being implemented, then he may come up short given the real reality of modern day Saudi Arabia?

William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, stated that “…there is no one model for democratic development in the Middle East. We must work with the grain of each society while standing up for universal human rights, recognizing that the pace of change will vary in each country.”

Note how William Hague on the one side talks about “universal human rights” but on the other side he is part of the same British government which supports the most draconian nation in the world. The human rights of Saudi Arabia applies to allowing old men (some older than 60) to marry young girls aged 8 and 9; killing apostates; homosexuals face the death penalty; Saudi women are forbidden from driving cars; Saudi women are whipped if they don’t fully cover-up; and a host of other draconian laws which enables sexual discrimination and religious apartheid.

BAE Systems in fairness is based in the military sector and issues related to human rights in this sector are extremely thin on the ground. Indeed, when blocks are put on companies from selling military arms to despotic nations, then it is always based on various “self-interests.” In this sense, BAE Systems is no different from other military based companies which sell equipment to nations irrespective of human rights and religious freedom.

North Korea is less draconian than Saudi Arabia when it comes to the freedom of women, but of course BAE Systems would be prevented from selling military arms to this nation. It is this spin and abuse of tolerating anything in Saudi Arabia in order to make profitable gains which is intolerable. Either “human rights” should highlight the reality of “human rights,” or nations should be more honest and clarify that they have no ethical foreign policies. Therefore, issues related to democracy, religious freedom, female rights, homosexual rights, and so forth; mean zilch when it comes to the bigger picture outside of the constituent nation state because Saudi Arabia breaks every decent rule in the book.

The menace of radical Sunni Islam and the Salafi movement which is spreading its hatred far and wide is based in many organizations in Saudi Arabia. September 11 was also a firm reminder about the role of Saudi Arabian Islamists in spreading hatred, fear, death, and destruction. This applies to the vast majority of individuals who did September 11 coming from this nation. Indeed, even within the United Kingdom educational books from Saudi Arabia have focused on hating Jews and Christians. Despite this, and the changing nature of Islam in Mali, Northern Nigeria, Somalia, and other nations, where Salafi Islam is growing – the British government, like usual, have their “eyes closed” to everything in order to further economic trade. This policy is bankrupt!

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Flag of Al Qaeda and terrorism in Syria

President Obama condemned the Syrian government for trying to protect Alawites, Christians, the role of women in society, and all Syrians who oppose Sunni Islamic radicalism. President Obama commented that “I strongly condemn the Syrian government’s unspeakable assault against the people of Homs.”  However, is President Obama going to condemn the ethnic cleansing of 90% of the Christian community from Homs by forces he eulogizes and whom he deems to be innocent?

If President Obama doesn’t condemn the ethnic cleansing of Christians in Homs then his silence, and the silence of others who also desire to “hide the civilization struggle,” shames all senior politicians and implies that they support the destruction of the Christian presence in this city. Therefore, will Obama condemn the radical Sunni Islamic assault against unarmed Christians?

If you turn the clock back to Iraq then 60% of the Christian community fled this country after the American led invasion. The “bleeding of the Christian presence” in Iraq is a clear reminder that the embattled Christians of the Middle East have been abandoned by the West. Therefore, they have been left to the sword of radical Sunni Islam. This in turn leads to greater militancy and hatred – and the next move is then against moderate Sunni Muslims who want to co-exist because their voices are crushed by indoctrination and fear.

It is ironic, because President Obama and Hillary Clinton will talk about the forces of good but it was the government of Syria which allowed 100,000 Christians to flee to this multi-religious society, which is based on secularism. Christians fleeing Iraq either stayed in Syria or the breathing space enabled them to move to other nations. However, it is clear that the government of Bashar al-Assad provided them with protection from the forces of radical Islam.

Agenzia Fides, Vatican News Agency, comments that “in Homs there is “an ongoing ethnic cleansing of Christians”, carried out by members of the “Brigade Faruq”, close to Al Qaeda…Militant armed Islamists – says the note – have managed to expel 90% of Christians in Homs and confiscated their homes by force.”

“According to Orthodox Metropolitan sources, the militants went door to door in the neighborhoods of Hamidiya and Bustan al-Diwan, forcing Christians to flee, without giving them the chance to take their belongings. The “Faruq Brigade” is run by armed elements of Al-Qaeda and various Wahhabi groups and includes mercenaries from Libya and Iraq.”

“The Vicar Apostolic of Aleppo, Mgr. Giuseppe Nazzaro told Fides: “We have no sources to confirm this information directly, but we can say that these relationships are beginning to break down the wall of silence built up to now by the press worldwide. In this situation Islamist and terrorist movements are making headway.”

Turning back to comments by President Obama, then he stated that “Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now. He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately.” This comment, like the other about Homs, just shows you how out of touch the American government is under President Obama. After all, Sunni Islamists are spreading their terrorism – therefore, does the leader of America believe that forces loyal to Al Qaeda should take power?

Maybe President Obama, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Hillary Clinton, and a host of others, support the ethnic cleansing of Christians? Their silence will be the answer to this question but clearly they won’t use inflammatory language either way because this is happening by opposition forces which support terrorism and religious hatred.

William Hague commented that “Syria should not belong to one family, to one coterie, or to one party. It belongs to all the people of Syria equally, in all their religious and ethnic diversity.” However, it is the forces of the opposition which is cleansing the Christian community and which is bent on implementing a monoculture on the Syrian people. Therefore, will he condemn the opposition which he supports for persecuting minorities, shackling women, blowing up innocents indiscriminately during ongoing terrorist attacks – and other brutal deeds being done by Sunni Islamic terrorists?

In Damascus under the firm control of the Syrian government you have Sunni Muslims, Alawites, Syrian Orthodox Christians, Catholics, secularists, and the entire mosaic of Syria. In Homs where opposition terrorists are spreading their hatred you have the ethnic cleansing of minorities and radical Sunni Islamization will then shackle women just like what happened in Afghanistan.

In an article published in the Los Angeles Time it is stated that “Syria’s Christian community has generally been regarded as supportive of the secular government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which, despite its systematic repression of political dissent, has been tolerant of religious minorities.”

President Obama commented that “I strongly condemn the Syrian government’s unspeakable assault against the people of Homs.” Therefore, is Obama going to condemn the opposition for the ethnic cleansing of Christians in Homs?

If not, why not?

http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=31228&lan=eng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3lhyT3602Y&NR=1&feature=endscreen　Sheikh Adnan Aroor threatening to torture minorities – notably, the Alawites.  

http://gawker.com/5882246/obama-to-syrian-people-we-are-with-you-and-the-assad-regime-must-come-to-an-end

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/03/church-fears-ethnic-cleansing-of-christians-in-homs-syria.html

http://www.christianpost.com/news/islamists-nearly-wipe-out-christians-in-syrian-city-72025/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feFwa8hrJtQ  RT VIDEO

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Pierre Leblanc

Modern Tokyo Times

Another important international business survey paints a rather damning view of the role of women within senior management positions in Japan. The survey carried out by Grant Thornton and which involved 6,000 international businesses, confirms other surveys whereby Japan is lagging well behind other leading economic nations and emerging markets. This fact is difficult to understand given the reality that Japan is a very modern nation whereby educational standards rank very highly internationally.

The Russian Federation came out on top in the survey of 40 economies with 46% of women being represented in senior management positions. Italy came out on top within the European Union at 36% and surprisingly Germany was very low along with Denmark. The figure in Germany was 13% and in Denmark it was 15%. Therefore, it would have been interesting if the survey delved more deeply into the cultural factors behind these findings. After all, you have such a huge discrepancy despite the closeness of geography and common shared factors like democracy, secularism, high educational standards, and other important areas.

Other nations which figured highly include Botswana, the Philippines, and Thailand, who all obtained 39%. In Latin America the standard average was 22% and in the United Arab Emirates the figure is now 15% and this highlights the growing maturity of this nation. In the past, the United Arab Emirates had a very low base. However, recent political and social changes in this country are opening up the labor market to women.

In the article by Jennifer M. Freedman which was published on the Bloomberg website, the author comments that “U.S. companies are lagging behind gains in Europe, where female board membership is growing to meet regulatory mandates and corporate governance codes. Representation of women on boards of Standard & Poor’s 500 (SPX) companies declined to 16 percent in 2011 from 16.6 percent in 2010, according to the Bloomberg Rankings annual analysis last year, which gathered data from public company information.”

The findings paint a bleak reality of the business world in Japan because this nation came last at 5%. This figure is alarming given the ultra-modernity of all major cities, high educational standards, and other positive areas. However, just like Germany, it would appear that behind the veneer of modernity is a culture which still prides itself on conservative values. This statement is painting a rather mild view because others would state that discrimination and the corporate cultures of Japan and Germany are to blame for such low figures.

Whatever the truth is, it is clear that the survey needs to focus on social factors, corporate culture, cultural norms, and other important areas. Also, are all companies open to female senior management positions or just a minority of companies? Of course the findings will be complex because it could be based on sexual discrimination, women don’t desire openly to work in senior management positions, educational emphasis on gender stratification, corporate culture, and many other factors.

However, with only 5% of Japanese females being represented within senior management then clearly this is hindering certain areas of the economy. After all, the demographic issue in Japan is a real area of concern because of the declining birth rate. This indicates a lot of “educational and talented wastage” is being lost at a time when people are needed to fill jobs throughout the economy.

If corporate Japan doesn’t change its collective thinking then another female generation will be lost when it comes to senior management positions. Of course, the reasons will be multiple and extremely complex but the best starting point is the corporate culture of this nation and then to focus on other areas. After all, can Japan afford to “throw away” so much hidden talent given the economic and demographic reality of modern Japan in 2012?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-08/women-fill-fewer-senior-management-positions-in-emerging-markets.html

http://moderntokyotimes.com 

(Pierre Leblanc worked closely with Lee Jay Walker on this article.)

Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Around 1 million people in the capital of Syria showing their support for Assad. Why don't their voices count in the mass media?

The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, is hoping that “moderate forces” will try to find a solution whereby all sides sit down at the table and focus on recent political events in Syria. This is a far cry from statements coming out of Washington which are only focused on another Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, and so forth.

Equally important, if you turn the clock back to Afghanistan in 1979 before America, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and others, supported international terrorism and the “dark forces” of radical Sunni Islam; then a secular based Kabul and other major cities were trying to modernize and radically alter the dynamics of society. However, the American-Saudi Arabian axis of “Sunni Islamic militancy” had other draconian ideas and this led to the “Talibanization” of minds which now predominates throughout many parts of northwestern Pakistan and vast areas of Afghanistan. Therefore, the American-Saudi Arabian axis of “Sunni Islamic militancy” supported Islamic terrorism and ultra-conservative Islamic forces throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After all, when the Taliban rose to power and supported the killing of all converts to Christianity, killing homosexuals, enslaving women, and preventing any forms of democracy and secularism – this was fine with America in this period.

The American-Saudi Arabia ratlines meant that Sunni Islamic fanatics spread their hatred, including burning female schools down, and this happened under both Democratic and Republican governments. Yet September 11 witnessed “blowback” because former allies now turned against their former “masters” but of course American leaders still protected Saudi Arabia. After all, not one single Iraqi was involved in September 11 but ratlines reached far within Saudi Arabian circles and nearly everyone involved came from this nation.

Images of George Bush holding a sword in Saudi Arabia despite this nation supporting the beheadings of Muslim converts to Christianity, and then President Obama bowing to the leader of Saudi Arabia, was truly sickening given the reality that this nation is the most draconian in the world. After all, females in North Korea have more freedom than in Saudi Arabia whereby females can’t go shopping with males, are forbidden to drive cars, and will be whipped if not covered from head to toe.

Despite everything, and with the full knowledge that around 120,000 people have been killed in Iraq and that in Afghanistan you have a nation based on fear, Islamic Sharia law, inequality, and where all converts to Buddhism and Christianity face death – America isn’t content. Therefore, America, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and other nations, now want to turn Syria into “year zero” and destroy a multi-religious society because these nations can no longer claim ignorance. After all, the same methodology keeps on popping up. In the past “Sunni Islamic fanaticism” was aided and trained by ratlines involving the American-Saudi Arabian axis and this led to the role of women and minorities being crushed and even after the Cold War ended this policy is continuing. Given this reality, then this “global policy” should be condemned for unleashing the same brutal forces which have crushed women, religious minorities, secularism, moderate forces within Sunni Islam, and so forth.

Saudi Arabia must be laughing at the most powerful mainly Christian society in the world which is based on secularism because why is America supporting Islamization? In Iraq around 60% of all Christians have fled and the same applies to the vast majority of Mandaeans. Also, in Saudi Arabia not one single Christian church or Buddhist temple is allowed but this doesn’t stop President Obama from bowing down to the leaders of this nation.

The fall of the former leaders of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and others, which were welcomed by political leaders in Washington, was replaced by nothing more than the rise of Islamic Sharia law and the de-humanization of non-Muslims and women. President Obama even welcomed the fall of Hosni Mubarak who was a staunch ally of America for decades and just like Hillary Clinton he continues with the spin. However, the ten million Coptic Christian minority in Egypt now faces greater Sharia Islamic law and persecution; the role of women will be put in “deeper shadows” when the power vacuum is handed over to Islamists; secular and liberal forces are becoming alienated from power mechanism; and even the Muslim Brotherhood was surprised by the showing of the Salafists who desire a Talibanization of society. Therefore, this highlights how out of touch the leaders of America are or that they are playing “an end-game” based on the wishes of Saudi Arabia – either way the end result is terrible because it isn’t based on democracy, secularism, or liberalism.

In Syria, the majority of members of the ruling party are moderate Sunni Muslims who share in a society whereby various Christian and Muslim sects have freedom. This religious freedom isn’t tolerated in the allies of Washington and this applies to Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Coptic Christians in Egypt are worried about their future because they know that forces of Sunni Islamic monoculture desire to turn the clock back and to Islamize all major institutions.

The Syria of Assad is a place where Alawites, the Druze, Christians, Sunni Muslims, secularists, socialists, and others, are part and parcel of society. Opposition forces desire to crush this multi-cultural and multi-religious society and obviously the role of women will suffer greatly. However, despite this the Western and Saudi Arabian propaganda machine is putting a spin on everything. Yet, if the Assad government collapses to the opposition then another Sunni Islamic monoculture will turn on the diversity within this nation because Alawites, Christians, the Druze, moderate Sunni Muslims, women, secularists, and so forth; will suffer at the hands of “conservative Sunni Islamic absolutism” and the richness of the Levant will be crushed like the richness of others nations which have fallen to Sharia Islamic law.

Afghanistan and Iraq were secular societies which were overthrown by America and its allies. Egypt is now entering a stage of growing Sharia Islamic law and anti-Christian persecution. Therefore, the “new Egypt” which was welcomed by President Obama, despite him not even knowing what the “new Egypt” was, is now showing its real color and it isn’t based on liberty. In 1983 the nation of Sudan introduced Islamic Sharia law and this was also welcomed and supported by America despite the fact that African Christians and Animists rejected this. The leader of Libya last year was overthrown and now you have the usual chaos and in time greater Islamization will take place whereby moderate secular forces and moderate Sunni Muslim forces will be crushed.

Given this reality, Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation commented in an article called “Russia and the Changing World” published in Moskovskie Novosti that “A year ago the world witnessed a new phenomenon – nearly simultaneous demonstrations against authoritarian regimes in many Arab countries. The Arab Spring was initially received with hope for positive change. People in Russia sympathized with those who were seeking democratic reform.”

“However, it soon became clear that events in many countries were not following a civilized scenario. Instead of asserting democracy and protecting the rights of the minority, attempts were being made to depose an enemy and to stage a coup, which only resulted in the replacement of one dominant force with another even more aggressive dominant force.”

“Foreign interference in support of one side of a domestic conflict and the use of power in this interference gave developments a negative aura. A number of countries did away with the Libyan regime by using air power in the name of humanitarian support. The revolting slaughter of Muammar Gaddafi – not just medieval but primeval – was the manifestation of these actions.”

“No one should be allowed to employ the Libyan scenario in Syria. The international community must work to achieve an internal Syrian reconciliation. It is important to achieve an early end to the violence no matter what the source, and to initiate a national dialogue – without preconditions or foreign interference and with due respect for the country’s sovereignty. This would create the conditions necessary to introduce the measures for democratization announced by the Syrian leadership. The key objective is to prevent an all-out civil war. Russian diplomacy has worked and will continue to work toward this end.”

The recent vote on the Constitution of Syria highlights the future direction of this nation but only a united Syria can provide a genuine future for all the people of this country irrespective of religion, sexuality, or no faith. Therefore, it is essential that the government and opposition forces seek compromise because the military solution and the encouragement of a civil war by the American-Saudi Arabian axis, will lead to the demise of a multi-cultural and multi-religious nation.

Saudi Arabia which is despotic and doesn’t tolerate one single Buddhist temple or Christian church and which crushes female emancipation, is happy about creating “mirror images” like Afghanistan which also supports killing apostates from Islam and trampling down on freedom. However, why is the secular nation of America which is overwhelmingly Christian following the same logic of “year zero?”

During the Cold War the United States tried to force “Agent Orange” democracy on the people of Vietnam and America also supported the massacre of millions of left-wing forces in Indonesia. In recent times the “moralistic” nation which went to war against Iraq “over a lie” is still whipping up hatred towards secular forces in order to maintain the American-Saudi Arabian axis. After all, the United States isn’t forcing the hand of Bahrain to accept a changing power balance and nor is America concerned about religious freedom and equal rights for women in Saudi Arabia.

The marriage of convenience now desires to destroy the last bastion of secularism in the Arabic speaking world. However, this shouldn’t be tolerated because the reality of what happened in Afghanistan could easily become the future of a “changing Syria,” which unleashes untold hatred towards religious minorities and reduces the role of women.

It is time for the nation of secularism to support the values that were founded by the American Constitution rather than supporting the dictates and blind hatred of Saudi Arabia which crushes all different thought patterns. After all, the “universal values of Saudi Arabia” supports killing apostates, killing homosexuals, shackling women, crushing the Shia, and clamping down on liberal Sunni Islam. The ruling elites in this nation oppose democracy, secularism, religious freedom, female equality, and other important areas to the hilt. Therefore, why is America “in bed” with Saudi Arabia and why does the United States desire to crush the last secular nation in the Arabic speaking Middle East?

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20120227/171547818.html

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

International terrorism, the radical Sunni Islamic angle, and massive funding coming out of Saudi Arabia, is clear for all to see despite the continuing lambast of Iran. Indeed, the vast majority of individuals involved in September 11 came from Saudi Arabia and only Saudi Arabian funding schools have preached hatred towards Christians, Jews, and others, in the United Kingdom. However, despite this, and much more, the clattering of commerce outweighs everything.

Therefore, political leaders who only care about democracy when the time suits their political objectives, send innocent American and British soldiers to distant lands whereby many are killed or disabled. At the same time political leaders play the democracy and “shared civilization card” but under all the political manipulation both nations continue to pander to Saudi Arabia.

It matters not if the government is Democratic or Republican in America, or if Conservative or Labour in the United Kingdom – because the central theme of supporting Saudi Arabia remains the same. This means that elected officials in both nations abuse the political system in order to support the most undemocratic, gender biased, and hater of religious diversity on the face of this planet. Yes, this applies to Saudi Arabia which crushes all diversity and maintains a firm gender apartheid and religious system.

Astonishingly, despite the complete mass discrimination of Saudi Arabia this nation sponsors major Islamic networks throughout the world in order to spread conservative Islam. In return, the West and the non-Muslim East sells its soul and demands nothing in return. The upshot of all this is that not one single Christian church, Buddhist temple, Shinto shrine, Zoroastrian temple, Hindu temple, Jewish synagogue, and other non-Muslim places of worship like the Sikh faith, is tolerated.

More alarming, all male Saudi converts to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, or to any non-Muslim faith, face the death penalty for merely leaving the Islamic faith. Also, from a gender point of view you have female apartheid because Saudi women are not allowed to own their own passports and to mix freely in society. Indeed, several years ago many young girls were allowed to burn to death because the fire services feared being punished for entering a female school. This all happens in the land of institutional hatred and where brave Saudi individuals face massive intolerance at the hands of the state apparatus.

Shia Muslims also face severe oppression and in many of the higher institutions of Saudi Arabia the followers of Shia Islam are denied full representation. At the same time the government of Saudi Arabia is helping the Sunni Muslim elite to clampdown on the Shias of Bahrain and many Shia followers have been killed by Saudi Arabian duplicity in Yemen.

Currently the leader of the United Kingdom is in Saudi Arabia whereby he hopes to “broaden and deepen” the UK-Saudi relationship. Of course, the relationship is all one sided because non-Muslims have no equality in Saudi Arabia and women, homosexuals, the followers of the Shia, face so much discrimination. However, the military expansion of this religious and gender apartheid nation will continue because of new enormous military contracts.

Recently, the ethical policy of the Obama administration was seen for what it is after announcing a 60 billion dollar military deal with Saudi Arabia. Clearly the leader of the United Kingdom will follow suit and announce another major arms deal with the most authoritarian and draconian nation in the world where religious freedom and gender equality is crushed.

The terrorist angle and September 11 should have woken many people up because the US and UK were involved in murky dealings in the past in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Pakistan, to name just a few. Therefore, the CIA and other covert ratlines in the 1980s and 1990s were allies of radical Sunni Islam in several parts of the world because of so-called security concerns.

David E. Kaplan in his article called How billions in oil money spawned a global terror network which was published in U.S. News, commented that “The evidence was indisputable: Saudi Arabia. America’s longtime ally and the world’s largest oil producer had somehow become, as a senior Treasury Department official put it, “the epicenter” of terrorist financing. This didn’t come entirely as a surprise to intelligence specialists. But until the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. officials did painfully little to confront the Saudis not only on financing terror but on backing fundamentalists and jihadists overseas. Over the past 25 years, the desert kingdom has been the single greatest force in spreading Islamic fundamentalism, while its huge, unregulated charities funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to jihad groups and al Qaeda cells around the world. Those findings are the result of a five-month investigation by U.S. News. The magazine’s inquiry is based on a review of thousands of pages of court records, U.S. and foreign intelligence reports, and other documents. In addition, the magazine spoke at length with more than three dozen current and former counterterrorism officers, as well as government officials and outside experts in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.”

It is apparent that Saudi Arabian ratlines got away with September 11 and religious leaders in the West and non-Muslim East have been shackled by political governments and political correctness which is switched on and off at random. The outcome is that the nation of Saudi Arabia continues to fund conservative Islam to the tune of over 100 billion dollars since the mid-1970s in the non-Muslim world. However, not one Buddhist temple and Christian church is allowed in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, not surprisingly nations like the UK now have around 100,000 converts to Islam with the vast majority being followers of the Sunni faith.

Saudi Arabia for decades funded a major Sunni Islamization policy and more militant individuals sponsored global terrorism. The Al-Shabaab in Somalia doesn’t dress and behave in traditional Somali ways and militants in Northern Nigeria are spreading the sword to Christians and moderate Muslims.

Irrespective of everything, including inaction after September 11, ignoring the real facts before this event, continuing to ignore the real long-term objective of conservative Sunni Islamic elites in this nation, maintaining the threat of killing all apostates, gender apartheid, and other draconian realities – it is more military sales from the nations of America and the United Kingdom. The ongoing silence about the reality of Saudi Arabia refusing religious freedom, political freedom, and gender freedom, shames both nations and many others which also ignore this reality.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/031215/15terror.htm Terrorist network

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1874471.stm Girls allowed to be burnt alive because they weren’t covered up – the reality of Saudi Arabia

http://moderntokyotimes.com/2011/12/19/siege-of-mecca-and-juhayman-al-otaibi-cia-and-gign-operatives-converted-to-islam/ - The Siege of Mecca and Juhayman al-Otaibi and CIA and GIGN operatives converted to Islam

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com

Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and a host of other nations, keep on sending economic support to Afghanistan and how do the leaders of this nation respond?  Yes, they still support an ongoing Islamic inquisition whereby every Muslim convert to Buddhism, Hindusim or Christianity faces the death penalty.

In truth, the policies of Karzai and the Taliban are not so different because both sides support killing apostates from Islam, the prevention of non-Muslim places of worship, continuing discrimination against women and rigid stratification of Afghanistan. Therefore, any positive images of Kabul being shown in the media, is just “a hidden disguise of reality” and corruption is endemic alongside the heroin trade.

Afghan converts to Christianity and other faiths also face persecution outside of Afghanistan and if de-Islamization of culture isn’t installed into the younger generation via the education system, then what is the point?

Therefore, the mosque and Islamic Sharia law needs to be kept out of all major institutions and reformist Muslim organizations should be supported. After all, how can commerce, pluralism, religious freedom, female emancipation, the rights of homosexuals, and so forth, happen under the prevailing conditions of modern day Afghanistan?

Secularism, credit unions to help business initiatives, a growing liberal media network, a judiciary which is free from religious dogma and an educational system based on liberal values is needed. Of course, other important areas need changing and this applies to restrictions on dress and challenging the power base of traditional rulers who care little about modernity.

This Sunni Islamic version of Islam in Afghanistan is mainly ultra-conservative and based on preserving inequality and the subjugation of non-Muslims, women, and maintaining stratification. The Islamic enlightenment in this country is a million miles away. Therefore, the current Western policy appears to be based on the status quo and allowing another generation of girls to be chained by an oppressive society.

If the option is the Taliban who recently stoned a woman to death for so-called immorality, yes, Mohammed married a child of 6 years of age and consummated the marriage with Aisha when she was 9 years old, and by this time Mohammed was over 50 (Obviously morality is conditional on individuals and not their own prophet); or the Karzai government which is corrupt and supports killing apostates via the state; then what option is this?

Trillions of dollars have been spent on Afghanistan and the return on all this money is you have schools which teach basic education to girls. However, this educational system is uneven and in more conservative areas it is still disliked.

Therefore, what are NATO forces and American troops dying for? Why are the sons and daughters of democrats being thrown to “the jaws of radical Sunni Islam” and the complete corruption and hypocrisy of the Karzai regime?

Once Buddhism and Hinduism nurtured the land of Afghanistan but the Islamic inquisition after countless invasions changed everything and one day all Buddhists would disappear because of many factors. These factors apply to dhimmitude, massacres, pogroms, and once the power shift became dominated by Islamic forces then Buddhism was doomed to just being a shell.

However, the Taliban didn’t even like a shell, therefore, the forces of conservative Sunni Islam turned against all Buddhist images. At the same time, the forces of radical Sunni Islam then turned against the Shia and slaughtered them in the thousands but of course Osama Bin Laden believed that this policy was both Islamic and a jihad.

This madness, and it is madness, which desires to kill apostates to Buddhism, apostates to Christianity, kill homosexuals, stone women to death for adultery, and so forth; isn’t being challenged by “the light of democracy;” on the contrary it is being challenged by appeasement and the corruption of the Karzai regime which also supports killing all apostates and not allowing any other religion in Afghanistan.

If Western political leaders just desire the status quo then surely they should stop wasting the lives of military people who are dying for nothing. Also, tax-payers money shouldn’t be thrown at a county which is undemocratic and corrupt.

America likes to rebuke North Korea but women at least have a million times more freedom in this nation than Afghan women. The same also applies to Saudi Arabia where women can’t drive cars and shop freely with men and so forth.

Indeed, you have more Christian churches in North Korea than in both Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. What does this tell us about Western policy and the nature of conservative Sunni Islam? Also, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia are deemed to be allies but from the point of view of democracy, religious freedom, equality of the sexes, and so forth, it certainly doesn’t look like it.

It is time to stop coddling up to despotism and for greater accountability.

http://www.aina.org/news/20111116185325.htm  (Recent article about apostates in Afghanistan)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060380/Afghan-mother-daughter-stoned-shot-dead-Taliban-accused-moral-deviation-adultery.html  (Woman and daughter stoned to death)

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com