— AFP reports: “Jordan jails man for 10 years over ‘honour killing’ ”
— “A Jordanian court sentenced a 61-year-old man to 10 years in prison on Wednesday after convicting him of killing his teenage daughter last year to ‘defend his honour,’ a judicial official said.”
— ” ‘In 2008, the 17-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped by a group of men, who are currently on trial,’ the official told AFP.”
— ” ‘But the father suspected that his daughter was involved in a sexual relationship with one of the men. He shot her dead before handing himself in to police, claiming he wanted to defend his honour.’ ”
— ” The court initially jailed the father for 15 years, ‘but decided to reduce the sentence after the man’s family urged leniency,’ he said, adding the murder took place in Ein Basha, outside Amman.”
— “In a separate case, a court commuted the death sentence of a man to 10 years in jail for strangling his married sister to death in 2007 ‘because he suspected the girl was involved in prostitution,’ in the Red Sea port of Aqaba, an official said.”
— “The official declined to elaborate.”
— “Murder is punishable by death in Jordan but in so-called ‘honour’ cases a court sometimes commutes or reduces sentences, particularly if the victim’s family urges leniency.”
Voice of America reports:
“A top Pakistani Taliban commander is claiming responsibility for Monday’s attack on a Shi’ite religious procession that killed 43 people and sparked fires that burned for days.”
“Asmatullah Shaheen said Wednesday his group sent the bomber who wreaked havoc on the Ashura ritual in the southern city of Karachi. He told Reuters news agency that the Taliban ‘will carry out more such attacks within ten days.’ ”
“Sunni Muslim extremists, including the Taliban, regard Shi’ites as heretics. Shi’ites make up one-fifth of Pakistan’s population, while Sunnis account for about 70 percent.”
“Monday’s bomb attack in Karachi was the third in as many days targeting Ashura observances by Pakistani Shi’ites.”
— Islington Gazette: Police’s honour killing pledge
— “An honour killing must never be allowed to happen in Islington – say detectives who discovered that a couple were threatened with death for having a forbidden relationship.”
— “The 25-year-old Egyptian Muslim woman and her 21-year-old Greek Orthodox boyfriend were allegedly assaulted by her family for their secret love affair.”
— “Police believe the woman was first beaten up by her father and brother until she revealed her boyfriend’s identity.”
— “The boyfriend was allegedly then bundled into a car, beaten up and taken to his girlfriend’s family home in Holloway.”
— “There they were threatened with death if they had any further contact.”
— “But charges have never been brought over the incident in June last year because no-one was willing to give evidence.
— “While a murder has never happened in Islington, police have revealed the borough has experienced four cases of ‘honour-based violence’ in the last year.”
Image from Hizb ut-Tahrir America's Web Site Promoting a Chicago Suburb Event on Pakistan on December 20
Three days before the HTA Lombard event, Hizb ut-Tahrir published an “open letter to the Ulema of Pakistan” calling for the Pakistan people to overthrow their government, and “uprooting the agent government,” and stating “the Ulema should issue a Fatwa for the expulsion of America from the region.” In this December 17 press release, Hizb ut-Tahrir further claimed that “America has planned to shift the blame of her crimes towards the Muslims…”
This message was conveyed to new American recruits in the Chicago area by Hizb ut-Tahrir America in a “lecture given by Abu Baseer.” Baseer spoke to a group of approximately 40 individuals, with women once again segregated in the back of the Lombard community building facility.
Anti-Democracy Hizb ut-Tahrir America December 20, 2009 Meeting at Govt-Managed Facility in Lombard, Illinois -- Women Segregated and Only Permitted to Sit in the Back of the Room
In the Lombard government-managed facility, Abu Baseer told new Hizb ut-Tahrir America recruits not to trust Christians and Jews as “allies,” stating that it was against Allah’s will. Abu Baseer also denounced “the Kafir” (“infidel”) stating that the “sanctity of Muslim blood is greater… than the sanctity of the Kafir.” (The next day, December 21, Hizb ut-Tahrir America posted an article stating that schools for other religions, such as Jews, would only be permitted for “Dhimmis” accepting a state of servitude.)
Hizb ut-Tahrir America December 20, 2009 Speakers in Lombard - Abu Baseer Denounces Kafirs and Denounces Pakistan Government as un-Islamic
Hizb ut-Tahrir America’s Abu Baseer described the circumstances in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as one where that nation has suffered from a Pakistan government that is “bombing Muslims and burning innocent females and children alive.” He used this as the emotional centerpiece of his argument as to why extremism was necessary to end the “corruption” in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Nor did Abu Baseer tell new Hizb ut-America recruits that it was in fact a Lal Masjid Violent Extremist who spilled “Muslim blood” as reported in the London Times that “transformed from a seat of religious learning to an inferno by the suicide bomber who detonated his charge as the Pakistani commandos stormed the Red Mosque compound.” All the new American recruits for the extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir were told is that it was the Pakistan government “burning innocent females and children alive,” inciting hatred against the Pakistan government as “un-Islamic.”
Hizb ut-Tahrir America's Graphic Images of Suffering - Blamed on America at Chicago Suburban Meeting
Hizb ut-Tahrir America’s Abu Baseer used a showman’s countdown of a litany of “symptoms” of Pakistan’s problems, war, violence, poverty, describing “the Pakistani government bombing Muslims,” claims that Pakistani people were “bombed indiscriminately from the air,” describing the “Pakistan economy in shackles,” stating that “to get billions of dollars of aid, Pakistan has to agree to draconian measures… to increase poverty in the country,” Abu Baseer kept stating that all these were merely “symptoms,” not the “cause” of Pakistan’s problems. Abu Baseer got at least one audible “wow” from his audience when describing the suffering of the Pakistan people, which he blamed on the Pakistan government not being sufficiently “Islamic,” and described myriad imagined “plots” by America to take over Pakistan, including blaming President Barack Obama.
Abu Baseer claimed that “America wants to invade and occupy Pakistan for itself,” imagining a U.S. plot “to control the gateway to Southeast Asia” and “immense energy resources” and an imagined U.S. plot to create a “major front against America’s competitors like China and Russia,” viewing the “war on terror” as a “proxy war” intended to “partition Pakistan.” Never criticizing the Taliban, Abu Baseer claimed that the violence in Pakistan was not the result of terrorists, but was coordinated by the Pakistan government and U.S. contractor Blackwater. Abu Baseer claimed that U.S. contractor Blackwater is planning activities for inside Pakistan to “destabilize the country,” with Blackwater agents working to “make others look bad” using the “same devious practices used to create chaos in Iraq.” Abu Baseer claimed that “Pakistan rulers are providing all support to U.S. in this bloodbath” and that “the government is declaring every bomb blast a suicide blast to exonerate the [Pakistan] secret service and secret agencies like Blackwater…”
Abu Baseer continued to attack democracy at the Lombard event as well, claiming that democracy was part of “British colonial law” designed to subjugate the Pakistan Muslim population, and stating that democracy is something “other than what Allah” demands, which will result in continued “injustices towards the people.” Abu Baseer denounced the current “system of ruling” in Pakistan, stating that “a fair system can only come from Allah” – and that “system of Islam… an Islamic state” is required. Regarding democracy in Pakistan, Abu Baseer stated that Muslims must “replace [such] systems altogether” and that with its population and nuclear weapons that Pakistan would be more powerful if it became a true “Islamic state.”
Abu Baseer stated that there would be “great punishment” against the Pakistan army, and claimed that the rulers of Pakistan “have violated the command of Allah.” Their greatest crime, in Hizb ut-Tahrir America’s views, was Abu Baseer’s view on “security alliances.” Abu Baseer told the Lombard event audience “all you who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians for your allies, they are but allies to one another, and whoever allies themselves with them becomes one of them” and that “Allah does not prize such evil doers.”
The crowd concluded the event with a chant of “Allahu Akbar.”
Concluding Hizb ut-Tahrir America's Calls for Extremism in Pakistan and the World
The anti-democracy international Hizb ut-Tahrir organization has a long history of making death threats both in the U.S. and aroundthe world. In Bangladesh in November 2009, Hizb ut-Tahrir was reported as having threatened to murder a university vice chancellor who sought to prevent professors who promoted hate at a Bangladesh university. At the beginning of December 2009, Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia called for stonings and whippings as the answer to addressing the AIDS disease.
“Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamist network that is committed to creating an Islamic Caliphate that spans the globe. The organization is banned in Germany and Russia as well as several Arab countries and targets Muslim children between the ages of 9 and 18. Many compare their efforts to organizations like the Hitler Youth. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, is counted among their alumnus.”
Dr. Jasser stated that “Hizb ut-Tahrir preaches an ideology that calls for the destruction of the principles that America is founded on.”
BBC television broadcast on its Panorama television show on the Hizb ut-Tahrir, interviewing a British “influential Muslim figure” who stated about Hizb ut-Tahrir to BBC: “I believe that if Hizb ut-Tahrir are not stopped at this stage and we continue to let them to politicize and pollute the youngsters’ minds and other gullible peoples minds, that what will happen in effect is that these terrorism acts and these suicide bombings that we hear going on around us in foreign countries, we will actually start seeing these incidents happening right outside our doorsteps.”
We support our unqualified, universal human rights for all. We urge Hizb ut-Tahrir supporters to drop the burden of the hate of extremism from their hearts, and to rejoin the family of humanity in support of our universal human rights.
Extremist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir has been promoting its anti-democracy message at a public event sponsored by the Indonesian government in Jakarta, receiving an award for their public booth:
— “Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia stands at the Muharram commemorations weeks – 1431 H in Jakarta Islamic Center. This event took place during for a week and beginning on 14-20 December 2009. The event was organized by the Jakarta provincial government, and followed by the booths of various Islamic organizations in Indonesia. At the end of the show, stand Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia received an award as the best stand during the event. And stand HTI became a favorite booth for the visitors who visited the Islamic center in Jakarta.”
The extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir message in Indonesia is summarized as “Save Indonesia with Sharia” (Selamatkan Indonesia Dengan Syariah).
The well-organized, glossy booth and materials by the extremist, anti-democracy Hizb ut-Tahrir organization apparently got the attention of Indonesians attending the event.
Anti-Democracy Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) Booth at Indonesian Government-Sponsored Event
North Korea confirms detention of US citizen
— London Times reports:
— “A brief report by the Korean Central News Agency yesterday noted the arrest of an unnamed US citizen, thought to be Robert Park, a 28-year-old of Korean descent, who walked across the frozen Tumen River that divides China from North Korea.”
— “He carried with him letters addressed to Mr Kim, asking him to step down as leader, release political prisoners and open the isolated country to foreigners.”
— ” ‘I am going in for the sake of the lives of the North Korean people,’ he told Reuters news agency before traveling to China from the South Korean capital, Seoul, last week.”
— ” ‘If Mr Kim kills me, in a sense, I realise this is better. Then the governments of the world will become more . . . embarrassed and more forced to make a statement. Until the concentration camps are liberated, I do not want to come out. If I have to die with them I will. These innocent men, women and children … as Christians, we need to take the cross for them.’ ”
— “Supporters and relatives of Mr Park, whose border crossing was filmed by Christian activists, expressed relief that he was alive, despite a discrepancy in the date in the state media report.”
— North Korea holding American
— Washington Times: “The report did not identify the American, but activists believe he is 28-year-old Christian missionary Robert Park, who they say slipped across the frozen Tumen River into North Korea from China on Christmas bearing letters calling for a change in North Korea’s leadership and an end to political prison camps.”
American Robert Park Detained in North Korea (/Lee Jae-Won/Reuters)
Washington, DC (December 30, 2009) The North Korea Freedom Coalition has sent urgent appeals today for humanitarian consideration for American Robert Park, a devout Christian, who crossed into North Korea on Christmas Day in his words “to proclaim Christ’s love and forgiveness” and to call upon North Korea to open its borders so food and medicine can be delivered and to close down its political prison camps. NKFC sent appeals to Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Sweden’s Ambassador to North Korea Mats Foyer (the protecting power for United States in the DPRK); and Ambassador Sin Son Ho, North Korea’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Citing Robert Park’s motivation for entering North Korea as an expression of his great love and compassion for the North Korean people, NKFC specifically requested Dr. Kellenberger and Ambassador Foyer’s help to ensure that Park is treated humanely. In their letters to Kellenberger and Foyer, they noted that international attention to the detainment of American activists Euna Lee and Laura Ling was critical and led to their eventual return home, while permanent American resident Reverend Kim Dong Shik starved to death while detained in North Korea.
In their letter to North Korean Ambassador Sin appealing for Park to be given humanitarian consideration, the non-denominational NKFC, which has Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim members, wrote, “We know that Robert Park entered North Korea illegally, but we know him to be a man of great love and compassion for humanity and especially for the people of North Korea…We appeal to the authorities in North Korea to consider that this man’s actions were totally motivated by his love for them and that his behavior is modeled on the teachings of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe laid down his life for mankind. Certainly, this was what motivated Robert to cross the border on the day that Jesus’ birth is celebrated around the world.”
Park has been spearheading efforts in South Korea including prayer vigils and mass demonstrations to call attention to the suffering of the North Korean people and has led the worldwide campaign Freedom and Life for all North Koreans. He has not been heard from since he crossed the border on Christmas Day, but North Korean authorities have confirmed that he is in their custody.
“He knew fully the risks of going to North Korea,” said NKFC Chairman Suzanne Scholte, “but was willing to lay down his life for the North Korean people who are the most persecuted people in the world today. We need to honor his commitment by redoubling our efforts to promote freedom and human rights for North Koreans. “
The NKFC released a report this month entitled “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and North Korea” that examines the thirty articles of this document to conclude that North Koreans are denied every single one of these universally accepted human rights standards. The document is available at nkfreedom.org.
For further information, visit nkfreedom.org or call 703-534-4313 703-534-4313 .
Communist China to lift Internet, phone bans in Xinjiang: state media
— AFP reports: “China plans to restore online access and lift a ban on text messages and international calls in Xinjiang, state media said Tuesday, months after deadly ethnic unrest prompted a communications shutdown.”
— “The official Xinhua news agency quoted the regional government as saying it had restored access to part of the wire’s website as well as parts of the website of the state-run People’s Daily newspaper.”
Prague Daily Monitor reports “Former Ku-Klux-Klan head to revisit CR in Jan”:
— “Duke’s forthcoming visit is again organised by Filip Vavra who is often linked with the neo-Nazi organisation National Resistance, Tyden.cz writes.”
— “The exact date of his visit is not known as yet, but it is supposed that he will arrive in the latter half of January, Vavra said.”
— ” ‘He has two reasons for his visit to the Czech Republic. First, he will demand that the (Czech) state give him a satisfaction for the detention and accusation for which [he says] the police had no reason. Second, he has been embarrassed about that about a half of the people who saw him in April are in prison,’ Tyden.cz quotes Vavra as saying.”
White Supremacist David Duke (Photo by Richard Ellis/Getty Images)
— SPLC Summer 2009 Report: Share and Share Alike – Neo-Nazi and Academic Have Much in Common
— Heidi Beirich reports: “His website brims with criticisms of plagiarism — although they come, naturally, in the form of repeated attacks on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who is characterized as a ‘world-class plagiarist.’ Plagiarism, Duke’s site adds piously, is ‘theft,’ a rip-off that the site suggests amounts to ‘a serious felony.’ ”
— “Which brings us to Duke’s last book.”
— “When Duke published his self-proclaimed ‘world-wide Bestseller’ Jewish Supremacism: My Awakening to the Jewish Question in 2002, he promised that the book’s ‘amazing documentary evidence’ would challenge ‘your most cherished beliefs’ about who is threatening the existence of ‘European-Americans.’ Duke’s thesis was simple: Jews oppose all ethnic solidarity other than their own and ‘they consistently oppose all organizations seeking to preserve the interests and heritage of Europeans.’ In a nutshell, Jews undermine the white race.”
— August 21, 2009: Prague Daily Monitor: “Three plead guilty in Vitkov attack – Three of four men accused in an arson attack earlier this year on a Romani family in Vítkov have pleaded guilty to the accusations. The four are currently being represented by court-appointed attorneys, but an ultra-right group led by Filip Vávra is collecting money to hire a lawyer for them.”
— Summary of neo-Nazi organizations in the Czech Republic: “this group, known as Narodni Odpor Praha (National Resistance Prague), organized a demonstration to pay tribute to the memory of the ‘last victim’ of World War II—the Nazi Rudolf Hess…. Filip Vavra still claimed that the NO could become an alternative for disappointed Republican voters”
Reuters: Tens of thousands at pro-government rallies in Iran
— Reuters: “Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied in cities across Iran on Wednesday swearing allegiance to the clerical establishment and accusing opposition leaders of causing unrest in the Islamic state”
— ” ‘You should repent … otherwise the system will confront you as a ‘mohareb’ (enemy of God),” cleric Ahmad Alamolhoda told reformist leaders at a Tehran rally, state TV reported. Under Iran’s Islamic sharia law the sentence for a mohareb is death.”
— “In Tehran, crowds burned American and British flags.”
Reuters report on mass "pro-government" rallies in Iran (Reuters)
