Emails and Holiday Greetings

Before I wish all of you a happy new year, I want to announce that any and all emails that have been sent me in the past 3 months have been erased, and all because I was unable to sign in to Hotmail during that time! So I am sorry if you have not heard back from me. Please re-send any messages you’ve sent.

That said, HAPPY NEW YEAR and GOD BLESS YOU IN THIS NEW YEAR!!
Salib

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s ‘Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians’ for 2006

WASHINGTON Dec. 22–Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2006 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, includes:

Jack Abramoff, Former Lobbyist – Abramoff is at the center of a massive public corruption investigation by the Department of Justice that, in the end, could involve as many as a dozen members of Congress. Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and a host of other charges on January 3, 2006, and was sent to prison in November to serve a five-year, 10-month sentence for defrauding banks of $23 million in Florida in 2000.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) – In January 2006, Hillary Clinton’s fundraising operation was fined $35,000 by the Federal Election Commission for failing to accurately report more than $700,000 in contributions to Clinton’s Senate 2000 campaign. New information also surfaced in 2006 raising more questions about Hillary and her brother Anthony Rodham’s connection to the Clinton Pardongate scandal, where presidential pardons were allegedly traded in exchange for cash and other favors.

Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) – In November 2005, Cunningham pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. He was sentenced to 8 years, four months in prison and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution in March 2006.

Former Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX) – Tom DeLay, who was forced to step down from his position as House Majority Leader and then resign from Congress, decided in 2006 not to run for re-election. Congressman DeLay has been embroiled in a series of scandals from bribery to influence peddling, and was indicted twice by grand juries in Texas.

Former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) – Foley left the House in disgrace after news broke that he had been sending predatory homosexual emails to a House page. A recent House Ethics Committee report indicated that Republican leaders knew about Foley’s dangerous behavior, but failed to take action. Democrats, meanwhile, shopped the story to the press to influence the elections. Outrageously, the Committee recommended no punishment for those involved.

Rep. Denny Hastert (R-IL) – In addition to mishandling the Foley scandal, outgoing House Speaker Dennis Hastert allowed House ethics process to ground to a halt on his watch. Gary Condit, Cynthia McKinney, William Jefferson, John Conyers, Tom Delay, Duke Cunningham, Jim McDermott, Patrick Kennedy are examples of alleged wrongdoers who faced little-to-no ethics enforcement in the House.

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) – Hastings is one of only six federal judges to be removed from office through impeachment and has accumulated staggering liabilities ranging from $2,130,006 to $7,350,000. Hastings was “next in line” for Chairmanship of the House Select Committee on Intelligence until a wave of protest forced Nancy Pelosi to select another candidate. Nonetheless, Hastings is expected to continue to serve on the Intelligence Committee.

Rep. William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson (D-LA) – Jefferson is alleged to have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to help broker high- tech business deals in Nigeria. According to press reports, he was also caught on tape discussing the deals, while an FBI search of his home uncovered $90,000 in cash stuffed in his freezer.

Former Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) – Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney resigned in early November 2006, three weeks after pleading guilty for accepting bribes from an Indian casino in exchange for legislative favors. Ney was the first congressman to be convicted of a crime in the web of scandals involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and is expected to serve a jail sentence.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) – Senator Reid came under fire in 2006 for failing to properly report to Congress a $700,000 land deal. Reid also accepted more than $30,000 of Abramoff-tainted money allegedly in return for his ”cooperation” in matters related Nevada Indian gaming.

Dishonorable Mentions include:

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) – According to complaints released by the House Ethics Committee recently, aides to Representative John Conyers (D- MI) alleged their former boss repeatedly violated House ethics rules, forcing them to serve as his personal servants, valets, and as campaign staff while on the government payroll.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) – In May 2006, Kennedy crashed his car into a Capitol Hill barricade at nearly 3 a.m. in the morning. Kennedy blamed the incident on a reaction to prescription pills, but officers at the scene said he smelled of alcohol. Nonetheless, they escorted him home rather than arresting him.

Former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) – McKinney assaulted a Capitol Hill police officer in April after refusing to go through a metal detector. While McKinney was never forced to answer in a court of law for her behavior, she lost her bid for re-election in 2006.

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) – Iraq war critic John Murtha was incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s first choice for House Majority Leader despite the ethical skeletons in his closet. Murtha is an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1980 “Abscam” scandal, which included the arrest and convictions of a senator and six congressmen. Murtha, whose current ethics continue to be questioned, lost his bid for Majority Leader to Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) – News reports surfaced in 2006 that Illinois Senator Barak Obama entered into an unusual land deal with a now- indicted political fundraiser, Tony Rezko. The complicated real estate transaction occurred when it was widely known that Rezko was under federal investigation in a political corruption scandal.

David Safavian, Former Bush Administration Official – Safavian, the former White House Chief of Procurement and former Chief of Staff for the General Services Administration, was indicted on September 19, 2006 on five counts of lying about his dealings with former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and obstructing a Senate investigation of his dealings. Safavian resigned from his White House position three days prior to his arrest.

“This list shows public corruption is endemic to our nation’s capital and that the anti-corruption work of Judicial Watch is needed more than ever,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The list could be much longer, as there are far too many politicians who abuse the public trust and place themselves above the law.”

Standard Newswire

The ‘Prophet’ Mohammad is Naked

The following is offered as an opinion from Gary McCullough, the director of the Christian Communication Network, in regard to recent discussions on the criteria to define a religion as peaceful and statements made by Pope Benedict XVI:

Is there not an Arabic version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Suit?
“How dare you say Mohammad was violent – I, as a devout and faithful follower of the peaceful religion of Islam, will kill you Christians and destroy your religious sites until your Pope apologizes.” – A hypothetical but apparently accurate position of many Muslims

The actions and teachings of Mohammad were evil and inhumane (my words, not the Holy Father’s). This was recently illustrated by the televised beheading of Nick Berg when one of the murderers put a blade to Berg’s neck and said, “Allah has left us an example in the blessed Prophet with the slow cutting of the prisoners’ necks, and the cutting off of their heads.”

Faithful followers of Mohammad are destine for eternal damnation–and while living out their faith on earth will make life like hell for those whom they are able to impact. Their only salvation is repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord, (yes, the one born of the Jews).

Our Christian desire is that the followers of Islam renounce faith in Mohammad, but not because we wish you death or will punish you. Our desire is out of love for you, even while you wish us harm—even while you do us harm. This offer is made with the unconditional promise that we will never force you to accept our proposition. This position on force is what defines a religion as peaceful. This position on force is what allows Muslims and a multitude of other religions to peacefully coexist with Christians in western countries. When Christians have the rule of law and the majority in a democracy, there is true freedom to worship as you choose.

What we will force upon Islam and its followers is punishment for enforcing Mohammad’s faith or laws upon others. This punishment will be meted out only in a just and measured response.

Such a response of force is not revenge. Such a response is not contrary to peace. It is a response in defense of life and in defense of our families’ and neighbors’ freedom. Individual Christians, as has been demonstrated throughout history, may refuse to defend themselves as a manifestation of God’s love for all—including violent Islamic aggressors. After all, we are commanded to “turn the other cheek.” But as a whole, as nations, and as families, we are not commanded to “turn the other cheek” of our neighbors, our wives, husbands, parents, or children.

A religion should be judged by its fruit. In countries under Islamic rule – violence against individuals who practice other religions is common. In the war raging in southern Sudan – when Islamic forces take control of an area, Christians have been killed when they refuse to convert to Islam and the Christian churches are burned. Yet when control of an area is taken by the southern rebel Christian army, mosques are left standing and Muslims are allowed to continue to practice their faith. I have traveled to Africa and spoken to the soldiers and survivors. This is just one example of what defines a religion as peaceful. This is one more example that defines Islam as a religion of the sword.

To claim Islam is a peaceful religion is a lie of whole cloth similar to the fabric of The Emperor’s New Suit. Perhaps I am naïve as a child, but I am no longer willing to be silent and gawk at Mohammad’s nakedness. – Gary McCullough, director of the Christian Communication Network

Background—

Here is what Pope Benedict XVI said:

“The emperor certainly knew that Sura 2, 256, reads: ‘No force in matters of faith’. It is one of the early suras, from a time — as experts say — in which Mohammed himself was still powerless and threatened.
“However, the emperor of course also knew the requirements about the holy war that were later formulated in the Quran. Without going into details like the handling of the owners of the scriptures, or non-believers, he (the emperor) turned to his interlocutors — in a surprisingly brusque way — with the central question after the relationship between religion and violence.

“He said, I quote, ‘Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.’”

See: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/ europe/09/15/pope.islam/

Also see: Mohammed, Assassinations, and Beheadings

Also see: Death Threats From Muslim Extremists

Save Iraq’s Persecuted Christians

FRONT ROYAL, Va., Nov. 14 /Christian Newswire/ — The growing collapse of law and order in Iraq is a tragedy. All Iraqis are affected, but the country’s Christian minority is bearing the heaviest burden. Explains Jim Jacobson, president of Christian Freedom International: “what began as liberation for Iraqi Christians has turned into a wave of deadly persecution.”

Christianity in the territory now known as Iraq dates back to at least the 4th century A.D., well before the advent of Islam. The church survived various forms of persecution over the centuries, but faces what may be its greatest challenge yet.

Although Saddam Hussein was no friend of Christianity—no dictator can be—he did not target Christians for their faith. They were no more free than anyone else, but at least they were insulated from jihadist violence.

The overthrow of Hussein initially created space for evangelism, and thousands of Iraqis responded. New believers flocked to new churches.

But the explosion of crime and lawlessness, rise of domestic insurgents, and influx of foreign jihadists have made life impossible for many Christians. Gangs have targeted Christians for extortion and kidnapping. Bombings and shootings have caught Christians as well as Muslims. And Islamic extremists, notes Jacobson, “have targeted Christians for everything from violating Islamic dress codes to simply being Christians.”

By some estimates half of the pre-war population of 1.2 million Christians—a mix of Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox faiths—have fled Iraq, many going to Syria. Other Iraqi Christians have sought to emigrate to America and Europe.

Time is running out to save Iraq’s Christians.

First, Washington must insist that successfully protecting religious minorities is one of its benchmarks it will use in assessing the effectiveness of the new Iraqi government—and America’s willingness to continue offering support. “The Bush administration must insist that it did not invade Iraq simply to replace one form of repression with another,” says Jacobson.

Second, American forces in Iraq should respond to requests for assistance from local Christians. In an attempt to appease Islamists, the U.S. has held Iraqi Christians at arms length, even though they are being targeted because jihadists identify them with Washington.

Third, the U.S. should accept Christians seeking to flee oppression. So far Washington has kept America’s doors largely closed, in an attempt to not admit that persecution exists in Iraq. But politics cannot hide reality.

Washington bears a heavy burden, having unintentionally loosed the furies of sectarian war on Iraq’s Christian community. Argues Jacobson: “At minimum, the Bush administration should push for additional protection for religious minorities and accept those Iraqis forced to flee because of religious persecution.”

CFI has distributed humanitarian assistance to Christians in Iraq and is currently seeking donations for another shipment of much needed aid.

ICC’s Hall of Shame Awards: The World’s Top Ten Persecutors of Christians

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 /Christian Newswire/ — The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) has just released its annual Hall of Shame Awards. This list details the world’s top ten persecutors of Christians.

This report calls attention to a growing trend that shows the source of Christian persecution shifting from nations with Communist governments to Islamic nations.

The first example of this trend is Iraq. One of the unintended consequences of the war in Iraq was to bring more pressure on the Christian communities there. Much of the media attention has focused on bloodshed between Sunni and Shiite, but hardly any coverage has been given to the disproportionately large number of brutal attacks on the small Christian minority. Therefore, ICC has ranked Iraq as the second-worst persecutor of Christians.

In addition, radical Islam has gained a foothold in the Horn of Africa through the anarchy in Somalia. This has contributed to a sharp rise in violence against Christians in Somalia and Ethiopia. It remains to be seen what effect the recent defeat of the Union of Islamic Courts in Somalia will have on the region.

ICC’s President Jeff King said, “Persecution must and can be fought. Religious persecution must be named and shamed on an international level. Journalists need to speak out about Islam’s mistreatment of other religions, while concerned individuals should get involved in the fight by contacting their elected representatives and by calling embassies and requesting fair treatment for Christians overseas.”

In order, ICC has ranked the world’s worst persecutors as: North Korea, Iraq, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iran, Eritrea, China, Vietnam, and Pakistan.

The report is in PDF format, and can be found on the ICC website www.persecution.org, or it can be accessed directly at www.persecution.org/suffering/pdfs/HallofShame2007.pdf.