Christian leaders in Lahore, Pakistan have received death threats from Muslims over the past few months because of their involvement in the building of churches in the area, AsiaNews has revealed.
Javed David, a Pakistani Christian activist, told the news source on Monday that he and at least three of his Christian associates have been threatened by an anonymous group of Muslims amid growing anger regarding the construction of Christian churches.
David, who is the president of Hope for the Light Ministries, and his associates have been helping poor Christian communities in Pakistan build places of worship since 2013. However, he explained that he is becoming increasingly uneasy, particularly in the wake of the double suicide bomb attacks on churches in Lahore back in March.
In April, the anonymous group warned that if he continues to help construct churches, he will be made an “example” of.
“I had been to church in Sheikhupura to attend a meeting with colleagues. It was 8 p.m. when we left to return to Lahore. We were about to reach the main road when a motorbike drove up and blocked the way,” David said. “[I thought] maybe they were following us. The two bikers were wearing a helmet. One of them came up to my window and spoke to me. ‘We know what you are doing here,’ he said. ‘Stop building churches. Convert to Islam, which is the true religion. Otherwise we will make a horrible example of you.'” (Read more from “Christians Planting Churches in Pakistan Receiving Horrific Death Threats From Muslims” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-15 01:38:122015-05-15 01:38:12Christians Planting Churches in Pakistan Receiving Horrific Death Threats From Muslims
HSBC chief economist Stephen King is already thinking about the next recession.
In a note to clients Wednesday, he warns: “The world economy is like an ocean liner without lifeboats. If another recession hits, it could be a truly titanic struggle for policymakers.”
Here’s King’s warning:
Whereas previous recoveries have enabled monetary and fiscal policymakers to replenish their ammunition, this recovery — both in the US and elsewhere — has been distinguished by a persistent munitions shortage. This is a major problem. In all recessions since the 1970s, the US Fed funds rate has fallen by a minimum of 5 percentage points. That kind of traditional stimulus is now completely ruled out.
King notes that this far into the recovery, there’s a lack of “traditional policy ammunition.” For instance, Treasury yields have not risen, the budget deficit is not falling, and welfare payments are still on the rise. (Read more from “HSBC WARNS: The World Economy Faces a ‘Titanic Problem'” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-14 01:39:242015-05-14 01:39:24HSBC WARNS: The World Economy Faces a ‘Titanic Problem’
The Vatican announced Wednesday that it had brokered a treaty with the “state of Palestine,” upsetting Israeli advocates and propelling Pope Francis into the heart of yet another geopolitical fray.
The treaty is expected to be signed “in the near future,” the Vatican said. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, is scheduled to visit Pope Francis on Saturday, the day before the church canonizes two Palestinian nuns.
The treaty is thought to mark the first time the Holy See has formally recognized Palestinian statehood in a legal document. Vatican policy, however, has long held that a two-state solution is the best road to peace in the Holy Land. The Vatican has referred to Palestine as a state since November 2012, when the United Nations voted to recognize it as a nonmember observer state, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, told CNN. At the time, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI led the Catholic Church. . .
According to Palestinian officials, as many as 135 states now recognize Palestine as a state. Few political leaders, though, have the moral authority and popular appeal of Pope Francis.
While the Vatican commended the midlevel diplomats who hammered out the agreement, Wednesday’s announcement seems sure to polish the Pope’s image as a one-man United Nations, confidently wading into turbulent political waters and unafraid of upsetting the status quo. (Read more from “Vatican to Officially Recognize Palestinian Statehood” HERE)
The UN plans to launch a brand new plan for managing the entire globe at the Sustainable Development Summit that it will be hosting from September 25th to September 27th. Some of the biggest names on the planet, including Pope Francis, will be speaking at this summit. This new sustainable agenda focuses on climate change of course, but it also specifically addresses topics such as economics, agriculture, education and gender equality. For those wishing to expand the scope of “global governance”, sustainable development is the perfect umbrella because just about all human activity affects the environment in some way. The phrase “for the good of the planet” can be used as an excuse to micromanage virtually every aspect of our lives. So for those that are concerned about the growing power of the United Nations, this summit in September is something to keep an eye on. Never before have I seen such an effort to promote a UN summit on the environment, and this new sustainable development agenda is literally a framework for managing the entire globe.
If you are not familiar with this new sustainable development agenda, the following is what the official United Nations website says about it…
The United Nations is now in the process of defining Sustainable Development Goals as part a new sustainable development agenda that must finish the job and leave no one behind. This agenda, to be launched at the Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, is currently being discussed at the UN General Assembly, where Member States and civil society are making contributions to the agenda.
The process of arriving at the post 2015 development agenda is Member State-led with broad participation from Major Groups and other civil society stakeholders. There have been numerous inputs to the agenda, notably a set of Sustainable Development Goals proposed by an open working group of the General Assembly, the report of an intergovernmental committee of experts on sustainable development financing, General Assembly dialogues on technology facilitation and many others.
(Read more from “In September, the UN Is Launching a Major Sustainable Development Agenda for the Entire Planet” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-13 00:40:022015-05-13 00:40:02With Help of Pope, United Nations Is Launching a Major Sustainable Development Agenda for the Entire Planet
China now has dozens of nuclear-capable missiles that could target almost the entirety of the US, according to the Department of Defense’s 2015 report on the Chinese military.
The annual report to Congress focuses on China’s military modernization, possible invasion plans for the self-governing and US-allied island of Taiwan, advances in space technology, and Beijing’s rapidly advancing missile capabilities.
China’s conventional capabilities are improving. But Beijing also now has what could be considered the ultimate military asset for a rising superpower: the ability to deliver nuclear warheads nearly anywhere on earth (outside of South America, at least).
The following map from the report highlights the maximum missile ranges of China’s medium and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The longest-ranging of the missiles, the CSS-4, can target almost the entirety of the US (except for Florida).
Photo Credit: Department of Defense.
The CSS-4 has the largest range of any Chinese ICBM. The missile is nuclear-capable, according to the DoD report, and is housed in silos across the Chinese countryside. Beijing is estimated to have between 50 and 60 silo-based ICBMs. (Read more from “Pentagon Report: Chinese Ballistic Missiles Can Target Nearly the Entirety of the US” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-13 00:36:332015-05-13 00:36:33Pentagon Report: Chinese Ballistic Missiles Can Target Nearly the Entirety of the US
Still reeling from last month’s devastating earthquake, Nepal was hammered again Tuesday by a magnitude 7.3 temblor that caused dozens more deaths, unleashed fresh landslides and brought down unsteady buildings.
By late afternoon, Nepal’s Home Affairs Ministry said at least 42 people were killed and more than 1,117 injured in the largest aftershock yet recorded from the 7.8 quake on April 25. Officials warned that the toll could rise.
The epicenter was about 47 miles northeast of the capital, Katmandu, near the Chinese border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The April 25 quake, which killed more than 8,150 people, was centered in the mountains west of Katmandu.
The tremor struck just before 1 p.m. local time, sending residents of the capital scurrying into the open air for safety, and was followed by a series of smaller tremors that rattled nerves even further.
Within hours, new makeshift tents had begun popping up in parts of Katmandu as families that had survived the earlier quake and returned to their homes in recent days decided again they were safer sleeping outdoors. (Read more from “At Least 42 Dead After Second Devastating Earthquake Hits Nepal” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-13 00:29:152015-05-13 00:29:15At Least 42 Dead After Second Devastating Earthquake Hits Nepal
It seemed like a typical day for President Obama. He taped a TV interview on trade, hosted the champion NASCAR team on the South Lawn and met with the defense secretary in the Oval Office.
Not so typical was something that didn’t appear that day on the president’s public schedule: notification to Congress that he intends to renew a nuclear cooperation agreement with China. The deal would allow Beijing to buy more U.S.-designed reactors and pursue a facility or the technology to reprocess plutonium from spent fuel. China would also be able to buy reactor coolant technology that experts say could be adapted to make its submarines quieter and harder to detect.
The formal notice initially didn’t draw any headlines. Its unheralded release on April 21 reflected the administration’s anxiety that it might alarm members of Congress and nonproliferation experts who fear China’s growing naval power — and the possibility of nuclear technology falling into the hands of third parties with nefarious intentions.
Now, however, Congress is turning its attention to the agreement. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to hear from five Obama officials in a closed-door meeting Monday to weigh the commercial, political and security implications of extending the accord. The private session will permit discussion of a classified addendum from the director of national intelligence analyzing China’s nuclear export control system and what Obama’s notification called its “interactions with other countries of proliferation concern.”
The White House’s willingness to push ahead with the nuclear accord with Beijing illustrates the evolving relationship between the world’s two largest powers, which, while eyeing each other with mutual suspicion and competitiveness, also view each other as vital economic and strategic global partners. The Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry trade group, argues that the new agreement will clear the way for U.S. companies to sell dozens of nuclear reactors to China, the biggest nuclear power market in the world. (Read more from “Obama’s Quiet Nuclear Deal With China Raises Proliferation Concerns” HERE)
How many people in this country are aware of the fact that immigration from Islamic countries has doubled since 9/11? According to data Conservative Review collated from the DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, the U.S. has issued 1,628,854 green cards to immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries from 2001-2013. Here is the breakdown by country:
According to the data, a large portion of this new wave of immigration comes from volatile countries such as Iraq, Iran, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. And don’t forget about Somalia, the source of much of our recent troubles with homegrown terror, particularly in the Minneapolis area.
However, on the other hand, it is quite likely that Muslims have emigrated from non-predominantly Muslim countries in Europe and Canada or other countries not listed in our data table. Muslims from other countries have most certainly been issued green cards, such as those who come from Chechnya in Russia (Boston bombers) and India. Over 866,000 green cards have been issued to Indian nationals over the same period of time. This is obviously conjecture, but if it’s assumed that 13.4% of immigrants from India are Muslim – commensurate to their share of India’s native population – that would add another 116,000 Muslim immigrants to the overall tally.
The overall numbers track closely with Pew’s estimates of 100,000 new Muslim immigrants per year, almost twice the level of the previous decade. It is also 10% of our annual immigrant population. At that rate, the Muslim population in the U.S. is expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050.
A Growing Threat
There’s no doubt that some Muslims come here to seek better economic opportunity, just like any other group that has immigrated in recent years. But, if even 10% of these immigrants have radical Jihadist tendencies, that is 160,000 new ticking time bombs – all brought here after 9/11. And, as I’ve noted before, while there will always be only a small percentage of even the most radical community actually engaging in terror activity, there are likely hundreds of thousands more who share the ideals of Sharia law and share the very sympathies that help cultivate a climate of homegrown terror. A 2007 Pew survey found that 26% of young Muslims in America support suicide bombing in pursuit of Jihad (see p. 60). This is a very ominous statistic given the increased share of young Muslims and the growth of cyber-jihad since 2007.
This explosion of Muslim immigration has also led to the rapid growth of extremist mosques in this country, many of which are funded by terror-supporting countries or organizations. The latest painful example was the discovery of the Phoenix mosque where the two Garland terrorists prayed. This mosque, which is led by an ethnic Palestinian and tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, seems to have engaged in many activities that would terrify ordinary Americans.
This explains why our nation is witnessing the radicalization of so many new Muslim converts, such as Elton Simpson, the first Garland shooter. Simpson was also allegedly in touch with a Jihadist American-Somali immigrant from…you guessed it…Minneapolis.
Moreover, the 1.62 million number doesn’t even include non-immigrant visas. CR pointed out a couple of months ago that student visas from some of these same countries have increased astronomically, with those from Saudi Arabia increasing ten-fold over the past decade. Arabic is the fastest growing language on U.S. college campuses and among the immigrant population in general. It’s no wonder FBI Director James Comey told reporters last week that the terror threats have become needles in haystacks spread throughout every corner of the country. With an endless stream of immigrants from Jihadi parts of the globe, in conjunction with the devastatingly effective and ubiquitous cyber Jihad, our government officials have lost control over our security – their one core mission.
Yet, instead of being more careful with immigration and guarding our front door, Obama’s policy has been to increase refugees from volatile parts of the world that are embroiled in Islamic civil wars. The Magic Valley of Idaho is one of the newest locations chosen for an influx of Syrian refugees. This raises concerns if the State Department and DHS can accurately identify instances of potential jihad. Are the residents of the Magic Valley to believe they were all properly vetted, given the federal government’s shoddy track record in recent years?
Do Americans want to live in a society where we can no longer exercise our First Amendment rights because of fear of homegrown terror? More importantly, do Americans want to live in a country that is constantly under threat of terror from widespread radical jihadists living among us?
With over 150 known American Muslims caught attempting to join ISIS, and especially following the thwarted terror attack in Garland, Texas, the threat of domestic terrorism is rapidly spreading. Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, said on Sunday that he fears a terrorist can “strike at any moment” and that we should expect to see more “lone wolf” scenarios play out. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) told Fox News that the “threat environment” is one of the highest he’s ever seen. Military bases in the U.S are now operating on an elevated terror threat level.
The Distraction
While top government officials are finally recognizing the existential threat posed by homegrown terror, most of them fail to identify the core problem. The discussion inevitably leads to a debate over boots on the ground in Syria and Iraq to engage the U.S. military in yet another Sunni-Shiite Islamic civil war, instead of confronting the true problem – open-ended and growing immigration from the Middle East and other areas where Jihad and Sharia law are the guiding influences.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), an ardent proponent of loose borders, is trying to parlay the concern over homegrown terror into further involvement in endless Islamic civil wars. Ironically, it’s these involvements that have prompted the State Department to take in both Sunni and Shiite refugees who have created the very sort of terror concerns we are now trying to avoid.
Who voted for these policies? When did the American people ever have the opportunity to give input through a transparent process to the radical transformation of America? How many Americans would have supported a decision post-9/11 to roughly double the rate of Islamic immigration?
During any other era, these questions would be eagerly proposed by members of Congress across the political spectrum. These would not be partisan or controversial questions. They would represent common sense concerns about the very survival of our nation both from a security standpoint and from the perspective of a liberal democracy. Sadly, in this era of political correctness that knows no bounds, none of the politicians seem to care. Hopefully, they won’t be made to care through another avoidable terror attack. (See “Here’s the Amount of Immigrants That Have Come to America From Muslim Countries Since 9/11”, originally posted HERE)
[The author of this article was interviewed recently on The Joe Miller Show]
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-12 00:26:532015-05-12 00:26:53“A Growing Threat”: You’ll be Amazed at the Number of Immigrants Who Have Come to America From Muslim Countries Since 9/11
Neither Russia nor China has one inch of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, making it an unlikely and provocative venue for their first joint naval war games.
The 10 days of maneuvers that got underway Monday will include live-fire exercises in the strategic sea connecting Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The point is lost on no one: A powerful new alliance of eastern giants is flexing its muscles in the very backyard of Western Europe — much as China has done on its own in the Pacific.
The war games follow Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, where he headlined Victory Day celebrations and spent three days making billion-dollar deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s World War II allies mostly stayed away.
Russia has been driven into the arms of its communist neighbor by Western sanctions imposed for its role in the bloody Ukraine crisis. The United States and European Union have cut off Russian businesses and its government from international lending and provoked tit-for-tat trade embargoes that have hurt both sides.
In response, Putin has steered his country away from a U.S.-dominated post-Soviet world order, pivoting instead toward China, its not-always-friendly eastern neighbor. (Read more from “In a First, Russia and China Conduct Live-Fire Naval Excercises in Mediterranean” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-05-12 00:25:302015-05-12 00:25:30In a First, Russia and China Conduct “Provocative” Live-Fire Naval Excercises in Mediterranean
We’ve learned an invaluable lesson in our global community this week: that we’ve evolved beyond free speech.
For centuries, even the most enlightened minds in the world considered freedom of speech (and the proto-freedoms of conscience and thought) to be sacrosanct, too valuable to be infringed, and too essential to be gainsaid. For indeed, what ideas are so dangerous that they cannot even be freely discussed and debated in the search for truth?
We’ve found a few–the ones that offend protected classes. And always remember, dear citizens: you are not a protected class.
That’s why when a cartoon offends an Islamic jihadist, who then decides to violently attack masses of innocent people, our thought leaders place the blame where it now belongs…on the people who spoke out. Because Charlie Hebdo deserved it.
Yet before the recent attack at Garland, Texas, the same elite opinionati were aware of another cartoon contest, courtesy of our new allies in Iran. The Second International Holocaust Cartoons Contest.
Secretary Masud Shojaei-Tabatabaii told Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency that 839 works had been submitted to the Holocaust Cartoon Contest, a cynical sequel to a much derided 2006 competition making light of the slaughter of 6 million Jews in Europe during World War II.
Intentional, systematic slaughter of millions of innocent people? Surely the cartoons just leap off the page.
The contest was announced in response to the international support for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France. Obviously, the world got that one wrong (even Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, huh?).
Organizers putting on the contest say it is designed to highlight the world’s double standard in defending caricatures of the Muslim prophet Mohammed, whose depiction is taboo in Islam.
The works are also meant to question why Palestinians are “oppressed in compensation” for the Holocaust and warn of other Holocausts, including Gaza, according to a website for the contest. (See “Iran Holds Holocaust Cartoon Contest, It Drew Nearly a Thousand Entries”, originally posted HERE)
