I am pleased to report that the Egyptian culture minister Faruq Hosni was defeated 27/31 yesterday at the UNESCO second vote for their new Director General. Bulgarian diplomat Irina Bokova was elected instead. Somehow, the people listened to the concerns, complaints and petitions against Mr. Hosni and his anti-Semitic stance.
New UNESCO Director General a Muslim?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an agency of the United Nations that was established in 1945. It strives to contribute to peace and security by advancing international collaboration through education, science and culture. It also claims to promote justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms as proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.
UNESCO (based in Paris, France) is currently seeking a new Director General to replace Mr Koïchiro Matsuura who will end his second term in November 2009. UNESCO Executive Board will vote the new Director General in from a list of nine candidates.
The leading candidate is Egypt Culture Minister Faruq Hosni. While he fell short of the 30 votes needed to be elected, he is still considered the most likely next Director General. There is a great concern by world citizens who adhere to the values proclaimed and hopefully upheld by UNESCO. A final vote will be held shortly with results in October 2009.
Mr. Faruq Hosni has a history of rejecting cultural relations with Israel and he was once a proponent of Hebrew book burning in Egyptian libraries.
He is said to have apologized about his biased censorship in the name of Islam. He also claims that he is not an anti-Semite since he restored all the synagogues in Egypt.
The water is muddy at best. Mr Hosni might have changed his stance on book burning – a good move if you want to be the next UNESCO Director General – but he remains a Muslim. What do I mean by that?
While not all Muslims are terrorists and not all Muslims hate Israel and the Jewish people, I see Mr Hosni’s appointment as one more step towards Global Muslim control. He himself might or might not be a practicing Muslim. He might even call himself a “moderate Muslim” (no such thing in my book). The reality is that with a Muslim at the head of an organization created to promote education, science and culture, the future of our free world seems again a little shakier.
Political Correctness towards Islam will be the demise of Western Civilization!
Where Were You on September 11, 2001?
Eight years ago, lives were lost, buildings leveled and enemies made. Western civilization will never be the same. Just as we can divide Jewish History using the Holocaust as a marker, I believe that we should divide American History using the events of 9/11 as a marker.
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry
Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watching
And turn on “I Love Lucy” reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love
The greatest is love
The greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Doing Good for Goodness Sake!
As much as I see it as my obligation to educate, expose and call to action all those who oppose anti-Semitism, I occasionally feel depleted of the words to use to describe how far the world has gone in its attempt at demonizing Israel and the Jewish people.
HATRED BREEDS HATRED: WHO’S BETTER NOW!?
Two recent events have prompted me to write this article as I always seek to educate those around me (physically and virtually).
I constantly have to remind myself that in the process of exposing the vitriolic lies spread by anti-semitism and greatly through radical Islam, I am always a stone’s throw from hating back those who hate us. It has been a personal battle of mine to live Matthew 5:44 daily:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you”
It is so much easier to get on my “holier than thou” soap box and point the finger at the enemy(ies), but we MUST resist the temptation and respond to hate with love, the love of Yeshua the Messiah that is!
If we claim that we have the truth and that God lives in us, if we claim that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is LOVE, then we’d better show that love to those we know are lost and without it.
The question is: “Are we showing the love of Yeshua?”
In the case of a Florida church, I am not convinced that their approach to Islam is building rather than burning bridges. The fact is, few if any real bridges exist between Christians and Muslims.
Apparently, the church put up a sign on their property saying “Islam is of the Devil”. Additionally, they printed the same message on T-shirts that some of their congregants started to wear, including in school. The result was that the kids were sent home for “breech of dress code”.( read full article here)
It looks to me that some people are stuck in Matthew 5:43 “ You have heard that it was said, ‘ YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy.’ and didn’t read 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you”.
Responding to hate with more hate is the opposite of what Yeshua told his followers to do. It looks to me like some of us believers in Yeshua need to take a closer look at His Word.
On another note but on the same topic, there is a new movie directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt, titled “Inglorious Basterds”. I must confess that I have not seen and have no intention to see the movie. But after talking to people who did and reading reviews, it appears that the movie focuses on “killing Germans” as some sort of revenge. This can only generate more anti-semitism as it will fuel the hatred that the world already has against Israel and the Jewish people.
I lost my own grandfather in Auschwitz after he was taken by the Gestapo from the home where his daughter (my mom) still lives in, near Paris. I guess I have a good reason to hate the Germans. My mother even more so,as they took her dad in front of her eyes when she was only 14.
But Yeshua changed me 26 years ago when I invited him to become My Messiah, My Lord and Savior. He loved me enough to die for me, I love Him enough to live for Him and if to live foHim means to love my enemies and pray for them…..
SO BE IT.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 117
- 118
- 119
- 120
- 121
- …
- 124
- Next Page »