Monday, October 8, 2012
Children Called 'Nazis' and 'Bigots' for Opposing Same-Sex Marriage
Community leaders in the United Kingdom are raising concerns over the increase of harassment of youths by their peers over their stance against with same-sex marriage.
At issue are claims that children as young as 12 who do not endorse homosexuality or same-sex marriage are being labeled as "Nazis" and "bigots," according to a senior Roman Catholic official.
John Deighan, the Roman Catholic Church's parliamentary officer in Scotland, revealed that he has become aware of the disturbing trend which sees some young children being harassed by their peers over their views and beliefs related to a few specific issues.
"People are increasingly being subjected to manipulation by what I would call the equality lobby … There is a level of hostility which is building up even against very young people," said Deighan according to reports from the Christian Institute.
Deighan made his comments during a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this week which was focused on the wider issue of the treatment of churchgoers in Europe.
"I know, for example, of children in Scotland, including my own 12-year-old child, who have been branded as 'Nazis' and 'bigots' because they have dared to disagree with the idea of same-sex marriage," Deighan said.These comments come during a turbulent time, considering the social and religious divide that has been caused by various issues, including the current state of homosexuality and the British government's attempts to legalize same-sex marriage.
While these developments are disparaging, even worse, they are not part of an isolated incident. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg created a wave of controversy after word got out that in a draft of one of his speeches he labeled those opposed to homosexuality and same-sex marriage as "bigots."
Aides for Clegg tried to correct the harm done by issuing a statement that the draft of the speech, which was given to media, was incorrect. They then made a corrected version of the speech available to the public.
Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/children-called-nazis-and-bigots-for-opposing-same-sex-marriage-82792/#YBhTE7c8ALpqHGkt.99
IAF Interception of a drone in Israeli airspace
Israeli intelligence and air force waged a cyber battle Saturday, Oct. 6 with unidentified parties, most likely Hizballah or Iran, who sent a satellite-guided unmanned helicopter into Israeli air space through the Mediterranean. DEBKAfile’s military sources report exclusively that for 30 minutes, as the helicopter flew over southern Israel, control swung back and forth between Israeli cyber operators and unknown agents.
The battle was finally resolved by an Israel decision to scramble four F-16 fighters to shoot the trespasser down, the while Israeli cyber experts tried to identify its satellite controller.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak released a statement saying that Israel takes a very grave view of the incursion and will weigh its response.
DEBKAfile reported earlier Saturday, straight after the incident:
Israeli air force jets were scrambled Saturday, Oct. 6 to shoot down a small unmanned aircraft from Gaza. It was downed over the Yatir forest in the southern Mt. Hebron district after cutting across southern Israeli airspace. It crashed at around 1000 local time. Israeli troops are scouring the area in search of fragments.
DEBKAfile’s military sources reports that the unmanned plane was sent over Israeli airspace at the start of a military mobilization exercise conducted by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is coordinated with Hizballah and sponsored by Iran. The Lebanese terrorist group may have helped Hamas launch the aerial vehicle, which came in from the west.
It as shot down almost half an hour after the intrusion. The IDF spokesman denied it caught Israel intelligence unawares. He said the UAV was tracked from the start and the operation for downing it was delayed to avoid harm to civilian locations in its path.
Our sources add that the plan for the Gaza exercise was approved in the talks Hamas leaders Mahmoud A-Zahar and Marwan Issa held with Iranian and Hizballah leaders in Tehran and Beirut in the second week of September. They agreed then that Hamas would take active part in any Iranian or Syrian conflict with Israel.
After launching the small UAV, Hamas went ahead with its call-up of reserve strength for active duty. Roadblocks were thrown up to keep Gaza Strip roads from being clogged with civilian traffic and speed up military movement. Palestinian sources claim that before it was detected the Hamas craft managed to fly over Israeli bases and towns including Beersheba.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Saudi Arabia religious police chief announces new curbs
The head of Saudi Arabia's notorious religious police has told the media he will curb his force's powers in a bid to clamp down on excesses.
Some functions, such as arrests and interrogations, will be handed over to other state bodies, Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh told al-Hayat daily.
The force is supposed to police dress codes and religious observance.
But there has been growing anger among Saudis at examples of aggressive behaviour by the "mutawa".
In recent months, a mobile phone clip of a religious policeman ordering a young woman to leave a mall because of her make-up went viral.
Many Saudis also blamed the mutawa for causing a fatal car crash when they chased a man who had refused to turn his radio down.
Mr Sheikh was appointed in January amid growing public criticism of the mutawa - officially known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Their sanctioned duties include preventing women driving, enforcing modest dress codes, policing bans on public entertainment and making sure all businesses close for prayers five times a day.
Two weeks into the job, Mr Sheikh banned volunteers from serving in the force, and in April warned that those found to have harassed people would be punished.
He has publicly dressed down officers deemed to have applied themselves overzealously to their duties.
Now Mr Sheikh has announced a new raft of measures to curb their powers.
Arrests, interrogations, house raids and searches will now be carried out by other police or judicial bodies, he told al-Hayat.
Elsewhere he promised his officers would be forced to adhere to a new code of practice.
He said he would target the practice of preventing women unaccompanied by family from entering shopping centres.
BBC
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