Look To Our Future, America? (Video Had 1.5 Million Views in 5 Days Before Youtube Removed It)
I read the Snopes.com take on this November 2015 video, referenced at that link, and I like their reporting and trust it. Still, they come up with only three instances where footage wasn't of actual Muslim refugees. Snopes also writes that it uses footage from cities all over the world, not just in Europe, but doesn't give any estimates or percentages. Breitbart-London's reports the film consists of "recent news reports, police camera footage, and interviews. Kicking off with scenes of a modern car ferry disgorging thousands of illegals into Greece, the film then cuts to dozens of aerial shots of columns of migrants marching north into Europe."
If it went so viral five months ago, I sure missed it at the time. I still think Americans should watch it and decide for themselves. Surely, the clips of the threats made by Islamists to the Western world weren't dubbed in or scripted falsehoods.
This article translates and quotes from The ISIS Manifesto, found on an ISIS laptop. It also supplies a myriad of Youtubes--still up--by radical jihadists showing how to make bombs including chemical weapon bombs, and the ISIS statement that "Even Muslims, their blood is permissible to shed regardless so long they live in the United States."
Maybe that is why we don't see more peace-loving, moderate Muslims speaking up. They know they will be next to die.
Also, please pray for Rev. Tom Uzhunnalil, a Yemeni-based Indian priest reportedly to be crucified today, Good Friday, by ISIS.
Only if the United States was a relatively short boatride away from Syria and the rest of the war-torn Middle East, or only if we shared land borders with European countries, would we see such masses walking, running, being violent, pillaging like this here as they went, across our land.
But what's to say that our current Swiss-cheese immigration policy won't result in this, someday soon, having started with the unnoticed, un-vetted trickle at airports, seaports and the Mexican and even Canadian borders, amounting to the same overwhelming dangerous takeover of cities and states, over several years' time?
Think we're too big to be overrun and outpopulated? Think there's so much [land/food/resources/taxpayer-paid welfare] to go around that it won't become reality? Perhaps. But watching that video, I don't think any of those excuses are any obstacle to those of the same mindset as those bragging in the video about how they're going to take over a country and eventually all of Europe and establish sharia law.
It's already starting small here, with the beheading of an Oklahoma woman and the attempted beheading of another there, by a convert to radical Islam. That attacker had on his Facebook page another photo [WARNING; EXTREMELY GRAPHIC PHOTO IN THIS LINK] of a white man, presumably a U.S. soldier, being beheaded.
Do you really think it will just end if we "all try to just get along?"
Is Donald Trump really so wrong, about a temporary moratorium on refugees until we can sift out the troublemakers and haters of Americans who only want to kill us because they believe it glorifies Allah and wins them Paradise?
I haven't liked Piers Morgan since he was one of the judges who, like all the rest of the world, disdained then fell in love with then-unknown Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent. (Do take a break and go watch it. Every time I watch this video, it brings tears to my eyes. And Piers is actually a nice guy in it, shocked speechless for once, but genuine and nice. Too bad he didn't stay that way.)
But unless this obnoxious Republican-basher is pulling our chain to fool us, he actually seems to believe Trump has some points right:
"Trump told me countries must tighten their borders in light of these terror attacks, especially to anyone related to an ISIS fighter in Syria."Is he so wrong?
"He told me he wants law-abiding Muslims to root out the extremists in their midst, expressing his bafflement and anger that someone like Abdeslam was able to hide for so long in the very part of Brussels he had previously lived. Is he so wrong?
"He told me America must make it far harder for illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. and thinks European countries should follow suit. Is he so wrong?
"He told me he believes there are now areas of many major European cities which have become poisonous breeding grounds for radicalized Islamic terror. Is he so wrong?
"I didn’t feel I was talking to a lunatic, as many seem to view Trump. I saw a guy, a non-politician unfettered by PC language restraints, who is genuinely furious at the devastation which ISIS is wreaking, and seriously concerned for the security of his fellow Americans and indeed, the citizens of Europe.
"(Remember, Trump’s from New York and felt the horror of 9/11 very personally and very deeply like all New Yorkers.)
"His plans for tackling this extraordinarily dangerous threat to the world have been widely condemned as ‘bigoted’ and ‘racist’. But although I publicly criticised him for the Muslim short-term ban suggestion, I’ve known Trump for ten years and I don’t believe he’s a racist.
"I think he’s someone who has spent his life responding to metaphorical punches on his nose by punching even harder back. And right now, he firmly believes that ISIS will murder countless more Americans and Europeans if somebody somewhere doesn’t stand up and punch them hard in the face."
I am Roman Catholic. 100%, or at least I try to be. Not like Barbara Boxer, Joe Biden, etc. are "Catholic." I was once like them, and out of fear, I aborted what would be my only daughter. It's a grief, now, that I can never outlive.
In finding forgiveness and redeeming grace only through Jesus and the help of Rachel's Vineyard, I came back to my faith more completely than I thought I had been in my youth.
So I do believe in what all those who are truly Christians believe, what Jesus taught us, about "whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."
Because in aborting my child, I did it to Jesus, also. And yet, coming to Him in my grief and sorrow, twenty long years of denial later, He still forgave and welcomed me back, just as the father of the Prodigal Son did in Jesus' parable: "While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." What I learned, as the Prodigal Son learned, is that, while I was "still a long way off", meaning not even spiritually close to Him, not acknowledging my sorrow over the abortion, He had already forgiven me, already washed away my sin, by his Blood and Death on the Cross. I just hadn't known it or asked for it, yet: "God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."
And I also believe that I am to
..."love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,But watching that first video, and imagining similar atrocities by rampaging mobs of angry, radicalized Islamists, happening ten or so years from now in the United States, as it's happening in Germany, France, Britain, Greece, and other Europeans countries, I am very afraid.
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you
For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
Even the Pope and the Vatican are protected by "Italian Armed Forces...[and] the Pontifical Swiss Guard." When the Pope travels, he is guarded exceedingly well, and "in fact, he sits at the center of one of the world’s most sophisticated executive security systems."
The guns of the Vatican Swiss Guard, and their experience and proficiency with them, is highly lauded by the website Guns.com: "Located deep inside the barracks of the Swiss Guard is an arsenal of arms that the soldiers train with constantly over the course of their service and, today, this steel is far from archaic."
The Swiss Guard has and is proficient in using an arsenal of submachine guns including "HK MP7 PDW's chambered in 4.6×30mm" (which are "armor piercing" and also used by US Navy Seals and the German GSG9), SIG MKPOs (9mm firing 900 rounds a minute with 30-round magazines), MP43/44's ("a better-made Swiss copy of the Finnish Suomi M31 submachine gun"), SIG 510 and 550 assault rifles, Beretta submachine guns, Sig P220 semi-automatic pistols, and much, much more. That gun aficionado link has beaucoup photos of all the weapons at the Swiss Guard's disposal, and their final comment is, "Woe is the military force that would chose to invade the Vatican. Suffice it to say, if the Swiss Guard ever has that clearance sale, we want to get in line."
My point is that the Pope, whether he likes it or not, is heavily guarded with uber-extensive firepower. I know he's a lot more important a person than I am, or you are, for that matter. And I am not trying to be disrespectful of or disobedient to Christ's current Vicar and Rock of my Church here on earth.
But if we were always, all of us, meant to let our enemies "strike us on one cheek" then "offer the other one as well," then does all the Vatican 's firepower go against that?
I'm searching for what is right by my Lord. He is my only judge. But am I cherry-picking scripture when I remember Jesus said, at the Last Supper which we commemorated last night, Holy Thursday, among the most solemn of our holy days,
He said to them, “But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one.I believe that passage was intended by Jesus, in that He wanted (or knew already that) Peter would strike the high priest's servant with his sword, cutting off his ear, so that Jesus could perform his very last miracle, healing the man completely with His touch, while all his enemies stood watching.
For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, ‘He was counted among the wicked’; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.”
Then they said, “Lord, look, there are two swords here.” But he replied, “It is enough!”
But then there is this scripture passage, about the coming persecutions Jesus warned his Apostles (and us) about: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." How are we to be like sheep, and also shrewd as serpents? I'm not sure. But I do know that in the rest of that passage, Jesus predicted what is already coming to pass here in this country--the first part--and I believe could only get worse--the later parts: "But beware of people for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved."
They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact,Jesus predicted this, not only for his immediate disciples in His own time, but for His followers today, as well.the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.
"When their hour comes..." Is that hour here? It is for those in Paris, Brussels, San Bernadino, as it has been for others in almost countless places.
There are Muslims who reject that "killing is offering worship to God/Allah":
"Islam rejects the call of ISIS to murder civilians", from a blog/website called "Faith in Allah", in 2014:This group of Muslims took it a step further:"When crimes against humanity are committed, it is the duty of Muslims to stand with the oppressed whether they are Muslims or not. If such crimes are committed in the name of Islam, we have a further obligation to clarify for people the truth about our religion.
The so-called “Islamic” state, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has released a video message calling upon Muslims to kill civilians living in the nations at war with them. Muhammad Adnani, official spokesman of ISIS, issued the following statement:
If you can kill a disbelieving American or European, especially the spiteful and filthy French, or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, kill him in any manner or way however it may be. Do not ask for anyone’s advice and do not seek anyone’s verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling."This communication demonstrates as clear as day that ISIS are the modern-day Khawarij and the enemies of Islam. Never have we seen such stubborn and ignorant repudiation of Islamic law. Any Muslim who supports them after hearing this from them is a fool who follows his repugnant desires upon the path to Hellfire."Allah the Exalted and His Messenger have commanded in unmistakable and decisive (muhkamat) verses and traditions that it is unlawful for Muslims to kill women, children, and those who are not participating in war."
From The Center For Inquiry's "A Call to the Muslims of the World from a Group of Freethinkers and Humanists of Muslim Origins", apparently written soon after 9/11:I must be compassionate to "the least of brothers of Christ", and want to allow serious, desperate refugees to come here, but also feel I owe it to not just my own son but to all our sons, daughters, grandchildren and everyone in this country to at least try to be smart about who we let in and who we keep out. I don't think a "wall" will necessarily do it. I do think we have the intelligence and surveillance to better vet those who would infiltrate the refugee masses. And I think Trump is right to say put a hold on it till we know what's really going on. It is common sense, after all, and the hold won't last forever."Where did they get this distorted idea? How did they come to believe that killing innocent people pleases God? [my emphasis] Or is it that we are misguided? Does really Islam preach violence? Does it call upon its believers to kill non-believers? We denounce those who commit acts of violence and call them extremists.
...
"In this crucial moment of history, when a great catastrophe has befallen us and a much bigger one is lying ahead, should not we wake up from our 1400 years of slumber and see where things have gone wrong??Hatred has filled the air and the world is bracing itself for its doomsday. Should we not ask ourselves whether we have contributed, wittingly or unwittingly, to this tragedy and whether we can stop the great disaster from happening?
"Unfortunately the answer to the first question is yes. Yes we have contributed to the rise of fundamentalism by merely claiming Islam is a religion of peace, by simply being a Muslim and by saying our shahada (testimony that Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his messenger). By our shahada we have recognized Muhammad as a true messenger of God and his book as the words of God. But as you saw above those words are anything but from God. They call for killing, they are prescriptions for hate and they foment intolerance. And when the ignorant among us read those hate-laden verses, they act on them and the result is the infamous September 11, human bombs in Israel, massacres in East Timor and Bangladesh, kidnappings and killings in the Philippines, slavery in the Sudan, honour killings in Pakistan and Jordan, torture in Iran, stoning and maiming in Afghanistan and Iran, violence in Algeria, terrorism in Palestine and misery and death in every Islamic country. We are responsible because we endorse Islam and hail it as a religion of God. And we are as guilty as those who put into practice what the Qur'an preaches - and ironically we are the main victims too. If we are not terrorists, if we love peace, if we cried with the rest of the word for what happened in New York, then why are we supporting the Qur'an that preaches killing, that advocates holy war, that calls for the murder of non-Muslims? It is not the extremists who have misunderstood Islam. They do literally what the Qur'an asks them to do. It is we who misunderstand Islam. We are the ones who are confused. We are the ones who wrongly assume that Islam is the religion of peace. Islam is not a religion of peace. In its so-called "pure" form it can very well be interpreted as a doctrine of hate. Terrorists are doing just that and we the intellectual apologists of Islam are justifying it. We can stop this madness. Yes, we can avert the disaster that is hovering over our heads. Yes, we can denounce the doctrines that promote hate. Yes, we can embrace the rest of humanity with love. Yes, we can become part of a united world, members of one human family, flowers of one garden. We can dump the claim of infallibility of our Book, and the questionable legacy of our Prophet.
...
"We know too well that it is not easy to denounce our faith because it means denouncing a part of ourselves. We are a group of freethinkers and humanists with Islamic roots. Discovering the truth and leaving the religion of our fathers and forefathers was a painful experience. But after learning what Islam stands for we had no choice but to leave it. After becoming familiar with the Qur'an the choice became clear: It is either Islam or humanity. If Islam thrives, then humanity will die. We decided to side with humanity."
It is just "being shrewd as serpents." Isn't it?
Or else, I am afraid, we will see the scenes in that first video, here, on our soil, in my lifetime.
posted by Annie at 12:00 PM
