Tuesday 29 July 2014

Deuteronomy 6:4 O Israel

So much in the news about Israel again recently. Civilians die, crimes against humanity, animals, genocide, and all the usual stuff. 

I have always tried to take an impartial macro view about the situation in the middle east but I dare say, what little I know is definitely more than the average Malaysian joe. 

By the way, Malaysian demographics has the average Malaysian joe being Malay and Muslim. He is brought up on anti-semitic fodder and hates Jews with a kind of passion that makes one wonder what evil the Jews have done to him personally or what Jews have done to their Arab brethren that the Arabs have not done worse to their own kind. It also boggles the mind that the average Malaysian joe has never even met a Jew in person and would not recognize a Jew even if a Jew walked up and kicked him in the ass!

The internet is the great enabler and it is so easy to do a quick study on any topic one fancies. But with socio politics and so much data, information, misinformation, disinformation, interpretations, arguments, propaganda, etc. it is not easy to obtain an impartial view on anything. The trick is to have empathy and recognize preaching to the choir content. 

Nevertheless, the internet is a wonderful tool and as far as Israel is concerned more people should do their own research. That the Israeli jews make Arab leaders look bad is a given. What the former has done with arid desert land and harsh natural resource scarcity will benefit the Arabs in a "prosper thy neighbor" concept if only the Arab people can wake up. Here are some interesting videos:



What is the Israel v Palestine Conflict?


Wall Of Lies Or Truth? So easy to determine.


Jimmy Carter On Gaza


Israeli Technological Development


Agricultural Marvel


Israeli Water Tech


An Israeli Speaking For Palestinians


6 Day War; Pre-Emptive Strike


Yom Kippur War 1973 Part I


Yom Kippur War 1973 Part II


Yom Kippur War 1973 Part III

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A Heads Up From Mike Naser:

Dr.David Liepert Become a fan
Canadian Muslim Leader, Spokesperson, Author and 07/25/2014 9:19 am Educator

When Israel Remembers Their Covenant, They Will Change The World

Up here in Canada, I'm a pretty popular Muslim, even though I've been defending Israel's right to live safely and securely in God's Holy Land for as long as I've been a Muslim. More important than that though -- by far -- is the fact that no Muslim has ever been able to gainsay me even when I've addressed thousands of them at one time, because the Qur'an says (In Al-Maeda 5:20-21)

Remember Moses said to his people; "O my People! Call in remembrance the favor of Allah unto you, when he produced prophets among you, made you great, and gave you what he had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown to your own ruin." because the word translated as "assigned" --Katab Allahu-- really means ordained or entrusted.

Because of that, one of the first things Muslims did when we took over the Holy Land in our very beginning was force the Christians to let the Jews back in, and whatever else you say about us, Muslims take our religion seriously. So despite politics, despite recent world history, and despite incurring the anger of much of the Muslim world, according to the Qur'an, governing God's Holy Land is your destiny.

But Israel, I'm afraid you're doing it wrong.

I know you sometimes like to think otherwise, but He didn't give you the land unconditionally. In fact, the conditions have clear from the beginning, literally, because the book they're recorded in in the Torah is titled Bereshit, which means "In The Beginning". (I hope you don't mind a little "in" joke, just to let you know I study the Torah in Hebrew: I think that's important.)

The thing is, even in English God's conditions are clear. He says (in Bereshit 18: 17-19)

Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do, since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."

But here's the thing.

Everything Hashem promised to Abraham is contingent on the actions of his children and his household after him. Read through it carefully and you'll see. He says "to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."

So for everything He's said about Abraham to come to pass, you have to step up and do the right thing first. And the "right thing" is clearly linked to the well-being of the Palestinians, because of Deuteronomy 29: 10-11:

All of you are standing today in the presence of the LORD your God -- your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, together with your children and your wives, and the aliens living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Leviticus 19:33-34:
When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 24:22:
"You are to have the same law for the alien and the native born. I am the Lord your God."

and Ezekiel 47:21-23:
"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign Lord.

Right now, the world is full of Christians and Muslims who'd like nothing more than to see God's promises come to pass. But honestly? I'm afraid more and more of us are giving up, and starting to wonder if you're really ever going to be the Israel God intends.

Please make no mistake: most of the support that you -- Israel -- are receiving from the U.S. and Canada and the rest of the so-called "Christian" world, much of the support that you could be receiving from the rest of the so-called "Muslim" world and ALL of the support you have been promised from God-Most-High is predicated on your becoming the Israel God meant you to be.

· When you prevent Palestinians from fishing in their own waters, and destroy their boats when they try: are you the Israel God intends?

· When you build your security perimeters on Palestinian land, and prevent Palestinian farmers from growing crops on 35 percent of their small remaining share of our world's arable land -- by shooting them when they try: are you the Israel God intends?

· When you prevent Palestinians from traveling, to study, to see our world's wonders, to visit family, to visit their own spouses: are you the Israel God intends?

· When your internal check-points force pregnant women to deliver babies on the road-side, and cause medically ill Palestinians to die without care: are you the Israel God intends?

· When your armies destroy Palestinian homes, hospitals, schools, Mosques, farms and fruit-trees in order to maintain "no-go" zones: are you the Israel God intends?

· When you restrict Palestinians to half the electricity, and a quarter of the water that an Israeli receives: are you the Israel God intends?

· When you hold onto all the land you claimed from active warfare since 1967, a crime according to International Law -- the same International Law that made you a State in the first place: are you the Israel God intends?

· When you maintain a belligerent 47-year long occupation, at the cost of tens of thousands of innocent lives lost and millions of lives lived under oppression: are you the Israel God intends?

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE: Please become the Israel God intends. 

Amen
Follow Dr. David Liepert on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrDavidLiepert

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Like That, So How?

Hypocrisy. Hamas, Boka Haram, ISIS, Al Qaeda, Taliban, what's the difference? Their use of human shields is nothing compared to their false use of Islam as a shield. It is Islam just because they are Muslim?
















Watch this joint press conference yesterday by UN SecGen Ban Ki Moon and Netanyahu.

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Nice...

"Allah does not burden any soul beyond what it can bear"  Quran 2:286

If such is the philosophy I can definitely buy that of Islam. Totally congruent with my own belief in an immortal soul. Unfortunately, Man makes his own bed and rampant fanaticism gives Islam a bad rap by seemingly indicating there are so many tormented incarnate souls needing to defend an expressedly perfect religion.  

Thanks again Mike Naser Taib for the heads-up of the following must-view expression of beauty:


Durian Durian

Thanks Mike Naser Taib for this heads up. This being durian season and all, here's an education in durian.

Sunday 20 July 2014

Weapons And Conflicts

To state the obvious, Man has been looking for increasingly effective and efficient tools to kill (both for food and in conflicts) since intentionally casting the first stone to hurt. It also stands to logic that weapons were the first things to be mass produced instead of say, farming tools. 

Fast forward to the last 100 years, that encompasses two world wars and a thawed out "cold" war together with an unbroken timeline of smaller conflicts throughout the world, is it surprising that the weapons industry continues to thrive? 

Whether it is private sector or government funding and R&D, we now have more sophisticated tools to kill each other. One thing is certain, there is lots of money for everybody from simple bullets to grenades; from nuclear submarines to aircraft carriers; from vehicle borne missiles to intercontinental nuclear warheads; from fighter jets to unmanned drones. 

Do not be mistaken, we are now at the cusp of another world war and none of us are safe. It is unprecedented that mankind is now equipped to hurt each other not only physically but also economically, psychologically and if it comes to past, totally! 

Our only salvation seems to be a declaration of war against WEAPONS. Non-proliferation and deterrence do not work. Governments must eventually do away with military budgets. 

Unfortunately and indeed paradoxically, there is only one effective weapon against weapons; PEACE! But if all else fails, maybe THIS will work:

Scientists believe that the aliens can make a pre-emptive attack to prevent the spread of the harmful effects of humanity on Earth.



Friday 11 July 2014

We Are All, We Are One

Bid to reclaim Malaysia for all launched

Published on Thursday, 10 July 2014 12:02
Written by Mirror On The Wall
In what can be described an historical event, several NGOs and concerned citizens have come together as one nation to launch, what they have described a people's movement, called Negara-Ku, to reclaim the nation.
Pak samadambiga-oct29The movement, which is led by national laureate A Samad Said or better known as Pak Samad and former Bar Council chair, Datuk S Ambiga and former Suhakam commissoner Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, has among other objectives, to reinstall the sense of peace, harmony, goodwill among all communities and understanding that Malaysia was so well known for in the past. 
Zaid Kamaruddin is chairman of the Negara-Ku movement.
Aptly named 'Negara-Ku' or my country, the movement is focused on the formation of Bangsa Malaysia - a move away from the current ethnocentric and race-based politics of of the day.
In charter released today, the movement chastised race-based parties that are bent on perpetuating divisiveness and polarisation by reinforcing "their respective power bases".
Resist, refuse and rebuke
The former Bersih 2.0 co-chair added that ethno-centric and race-based politics as well as communally-minded politicians continue to derail the process of inclusive nation-building and the formation of a Bangsa Malaysia national identity.
Samad also said that religion was increasingly being used as a main marker of identity, and as a boundary maintenance mechanism to polarise the people.
haris-ibrahim2Also present was activist Haris Ibrahim, who reminded the people of an epsisode in 1947 when the British attempted to divide the people of Malaya. He said that attempt failed.
"On October that year, the people, Malays, Chinese and Indians downed tools and brought the administration to a halt."
The new movement launched today he said, was to return Malaysia to te unity and harmony experienced in the past.
"Resist, refuse and rebuke the effort to divide us," Haris said.

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

The Negara-Ku movement slammed what it described as "the manipulation of race, ethnicity and religion that has resulted in increasing intolerance, bigotry and extremism," in a once prosperous and united nation.
The charter further says that the state apparatus has abdicated its traditional role of being honest and fair "brokers" in conflict management in society.
This, it said, has resulted in an "emerging sub-culture of political violence that are symptomatic of dangerous under-currents in society."
The charter, which touches on a wide range of socio-ethnic issues, says that the proponents strongly believe that "the majority of the People want to end this brand of divisive ethno-religious politics."
The movement emphatically states that it wants to "take ownership, fully cognisant, that Malaysia is a nation where her people are inextricably bound by a shared history, commonweal, and destiny."
Among the stated objectives of the Negara-Ku charter are:
1. To resist all forms of intolerance, bigotry, hatred, extremism, and violence;
2. To oppose all forms of discrimination, oppression, persecution and injustice;
3. To oppose all forms of discrimination, oppression, persecution and injustice;
4. To strive for a socially inclusive society;
5. To exhort the State and its Institutions to respect, adhere and uphold the Rule of Law;
6. To demand adherence to the principles of stewardship, integrity, accountability and transparency in all aspects of governance.
The ultimate aim of the Negara-Ku charter is the healing of the nation, so ravaged recently by incendiary statements, and to restore hope to land that was once the envy of our neighbours.