Social Justice South Africa

The Uprising Against the Desert Mirage: Why Egypt's power is the same as under Mubarak

2011-10-15T02:07:00.001-07:00

(Scripturelink: Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

When the Egyptian Revolution of sorts was in full swing, South African Catholic, in an article I wrote, warned against the change of power as something potentially catastrophic. A change in power where people die, religious freedom is damaged, and nothing really changes.

Media knew full well, and were wilfully negligent in neglecting to inform us the public of something we all knew from a bit of research, something I noted worriedly and wished that media would report on. South African Catholic certainly reported on the haphazard and deadly true position in the Revolution in Egypt.

Mubarak was a figurehead. Real power in Egypt, as I have noted time and again, has always, and continues to lay with the ferocious but diplomatic Egyptian Generals and army corpse.

Mubarak was one of a number of puppet princes installed by this army, funded with a Billion US dollars a year by America, and in the current constitutional framework, far more powerful a nemesis of the people than Mubarak, a mere figurehead ever was.

The army of Egypt, was careful not to partake directly in fighting, the very reason for a figurehead is that they are expendable. The New York Times, and others are finally, allegedly only now awaking to the fact that the Egyptian army always has been the king maker in Egypt, that they appointed Mubarak, and intend officially and publicly now to appoint Egypt's next dictatorship/government.

Whereas the Catholic press were deeply concerned by the revolutions, whereas it warned of future crackdowns against Catholics, as either a rebel government came to power, or the army was forced to act in a populist manner, mainstream Western media lauded the revolution, and the role Facebook, Google, twitter played.

The real spark, is not the massacre of Christians by the Egyptian army recently, in which allegedly, Coptic Christian Minority Egyptians were driven over, and shot at with live ammunition by Egyptian soldiers. The real spark was noted by Official Vatican news agency, Agenzia Fides: always a useful source in conflict monitoring. Fides reported that a marked change occurred with the storming of the Israeli embassy recently, that in past times the building would have been sourly protected to the death by Egyptian soldiers, who would far outnumber protesters. Israel is where the army of Egypt gets its billion dollar a year funding from America from, yet the army in Egypt, now believed that bowing to populist intentions was more important. Interestingly, just before the revolution occurred, I monitored increased sales of US arms to the Egyptian army, as I noticed this reported in specialist military monitoring news media.

The cabinet it says, must be chosen by the army, as with the Prime Minister: a return to Mubarak days. The power behind the power allegedly wants to insure it can keep this power. It also, allegedly desires the huge power which would come with suggested power to intervene to keep Egypt secular.

c.f. extrapolation in evidence of this New York Times October 14th 2011

Wikileaks, according to the UK Telegraph reported that the revolution in Egypt, had been planned for exactly when it occurred. While George W. Bush, rejected attempts to insure regime change in Egypt, the Obama administration had a different view. Either way, the people who organized the Egyptian uprising, were trained by the Americans, according to the Telegraph, as our service detailed when the revolution was allegedly in full swing.

c.f. extrapolation in evidence of this SACNS January 30th 2011; February 2nd 2011

The army, in Egypt, chose figureheads because like a hydra, it can lose them one by one. The power behind the power remains, and it will be surprising if any real democracy emerges in Egypt. Certainly... now that Satellite Television viewers have had their viewing pleasure: the seeming alleged fall of a monolithic state, and have moved onto Libya: a seeming genocide against Sub-Saharan Africans *, by tribally connected warlords, disguised as an overthrow, more viewing pleasure can result.

c.f. extrapolation in evidence of this SACNS September 2nd 2011;

In North Africa and the Middle East:

Everything "Changes", Everything :"Stays the same".

(once again my source is the New York Times, claims that the revolution on the ground was pushed forward by propaganda against "kaffirs" ("unbelievers": specifically in this case: black ones))

Massive Municipal Strike; Malema Corruption Evidence? Whites to be taxed for skin colour? And Friction amidst ANC Allies over anti-USA Botswana coup d'état call

2011-08-14T00:43:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa: Social Justice; Family; Life news Service of the ~SACNS)

Article by Marc Aupiais c.f. Google Plus account of Marc Aupiais, where this opinionated post originally appeared!

Today in the Communist Dictatorship column :

Summary:
Zuma King Maker Over-steps the very small Line, President asks if the man who got him into power along with leftest allies runs this country: a truly good question, considering !
Government Workers STRIKE for a further 18% increase in already huge salaries, on tomorrow the day of the Assumption of Mary into heaven
Sunday Times: finally links Malema to alleged Government Tender Fraud in Limpopo?
Desmond Tutu calls for already legally discriminated against "Whites"/Europeans/Caucasians to be further taxed as revenge for Apartheid: SAPA Reports

*START*>

Zuma King Maker Over-steps the very small Line, President asks if the man who got him into power along with leftest allies runs this country: a truly good question, considering !

Mr Malema, who's called for nationalisation of Industry (Banks, Mines, etc), has apparently been upsetting Mr Zuma (President). But this time over his comments that there is a need for "Regime Change" to be imposed on neighbouring Botswana for its support of the American government.

The ANC NEC, changed a meeting with the Youth League at the last minute, sending go fetch boy, Communist Party Leader Montashe to inform Malema the meeting was cancelled. As the one man to oppose nationalisation of what COSATU says the ANC has agreed for "General Industry", Mr Montashe is allegedly out of favour in certain circles. Malema didn't believe he had been so affronted as to see the meeting post-poned as its agenda changed from inducting the Youth League Leaders, to possible disciplinary action for endangering South African ties with neighbouring Botswana with what sounds iconically like a call for coup d'état in the country.

And as Montashe was sent to tell the Youth League of the cancellation, caused by his reported pressure to have them called into account, they decided allegedly not to believe him.

As Malema unceremoniously bust into the ANC NEC meeting where high level issues were being discussed, where Mr Zuma (President) set a new president: apparently asking with furore if the Youth League ran the country.

There were four people at the meeting, three NEC members confirmed the events where Zuma lost his temper. As there were seemingly two Youth League members there also. Two of the members of the Youth League confirmed the event.

Source on the specific events of the said meeting:

President Zuma fumes at Malema ... - Times LIVE http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/08/14/president-zuma-fumes-at-malema-... lets hope Mr Zuma gains courage: as so far his King Makers have called for overthrowing Botsawna, communism?

Government Workers STRIKE for a further 18% increase in already huge salaries, on tomorrow the day of the Assumption of Mary into heaven

If the perils of Cosatu's claims the ANC NEC will introduce general Nationalisation of Industry are anything to go by, their strike actions to further bleed the government dry will be even worse in future. Municipal strikes often turn out quite similar to London Riots, as Unions, allied with the ANC, answer to no one. I've driven through streets impacted by strikes, it is a scary sign in Braamfontein during Municipal strikes.

The Government workers now take up a huge portion of budget, stopping building of schools, new roads, just to afford paying salaries ever higher than in the private sector. A situation resulting in job losses everywhere.

Source for Strike's date, percentage:

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/08/14/big-strike-begins-tomorrow

Sunday Times: finally links Malema to alleged Government Tender Fraud in Limpopo?

According to the Sunday Times, which claims to have positive proof: Steve Bosch is alleged to have paid 1.2 Million of his company's " Sizani Build It" money from its Standard Bank account into Malema's account, and his architect's account in his name. The Sunday Times, which revealed similar facts by then National Prosecuting Authority Vusi Picoli against then Deputy President Zuma and Shabir Shake (released from jail controversially on death leave but yet to die years later) who was convicted: has a tendency to aim at Government corruption by the ANC. Steve Bosch got Tens of Millions in Tender money in Limpopo, for his company. Malema recently called for the nationalisation of all South African banks.

Source on Alleged bank records: http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/08/14/tender-boss-paid-malema

Desmond Tutu calls for already legally discriminated against "Whites"/Europeans/Caucasians to be further taxed as revenge for Apartheid: SAPA Reports

Sapa reports on comments by the former Anglican Archbishop and gay activist Desmond Tutu, to make whites, who he sees as rightly having felt guilt for Apartheid to pay extra taxes. With the Help of Nelson Mandela's cabinet, and policy decisions, and others: Whites are already barred from many top jobs even when there are not black South Africans to fill them, from money for charitable causes (such as when an orphan is white), and from certain degrees of ownership of companies. Whites are also unlikely to get educational scholarships, and unions, allied with the Ruling ANC: often bar the appointment of whites, either in low paying jobs, or in positions such as principle of a government school.

At least 6 00 000 of the minority population are already impoverished.

I am white.

For source on Tutu's words and far right Afrikaans Party's response this is our source:
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Tutus-white-tax-is-racist-20110813

Just another day in what was once paradise for many more people than now: as ironically the average standard of living for all South Africans was higher under Apartheid, when half the world abandoned us under sanctions. Or perhaps Iconically. Not Ironically! Iconic of a nation where the pendulum swings from one dangerously out of sync state to another, perhaps even more dangerous for its seamless apparent powers and its deals with Unions, and others!
END>

How Obama plans to annihilate Israel- #Egypt

2011-01-30T02:03:00.000-08:00

Article by Marc Aupiais

I've been watching for months, as Egypt continued to stockpile more and more American weapons, from F16s to other military equipment. It has been a concerning buildup of arms. According to the UK based Daily Telegraph, and Wikileaks cables they have pointed out, the American government wanted to institute Regime Change in Egypt, this year 2011 before September, or so their diplomatic cables declare, which also note that America helped train those who are pushing the protests along.

Egypt is instrumental in the Israeli Gaza blockade, preventing weapons and supplies into the Bank. The Egyptian population are not targeting the army, because they support them for clashing with the Israeli forces recently.

Obama recently had a Jewish Heritage celebration in America, an Israeli newspaper noted that other than campaign contributors, all the Jews who were invited where non-Zionists.

The American backed Jasmine Revolution II in Egypt, will have one certain effect. America will have lost an ally as the Egyptian people do not support their pro-Israeli efforts in the Mid-East.

Israel is now possibly at jeopardy. A new democratic government will almost certainly get rid of the unpopular Gaza wall or allow supplies in.

On another note, some Egyptian Christians are hoping a new government will mean better treatment.

Southern African Catholic Bishops are only another part of the Ruling Party now?-- become a tool for the Ruling party, as lobbying organization joins the ANC!

2011-01-27T02:25:00.001-08:00

Article by Marc Aupiais

Concerning words from the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference:

"National Religious Leaders Forum (NRLF).

On January 5th 2011, a meeting of NRLF, National Interfaith Leaders Council (NILC) and the Commission for religion and traditional affairs of the African National Congress was held in order to discuss Unity amongst the two Interfaith organizations. The consensus reached was that instead of forming a third umbrella body, as was suggested by Luthuli House, both NILC and NRLF should amalgamate. Each organization will appoint 7 members to constitute a working group. This body who will prepare a concept paper and recommend procedures for the formation of a single National Interfaith organization or forum.

The Challenge of follow-up.

The challenge that continues to confront the conference is to develop a mechanism that will ensure that the results of the various ground-breaking conferences and documents are systematically discussed and implemented. Here we refer to Ecclesia in Afrika, the African Synod on Justice and Reconciliation, the IMBISA triennial Conferences (self-reliance, good governance, good work ethics) and the economic justice pastoral document. Unless we have a way of monitoring implementation, we run the risk of reinventing the same ideas every few years.

Lay Formation.

By lay formation I understand the empowering of lay people to participate fully and meaningfully in the life of the church and society by virtue of their baptism. Lay formation has not yet been given content at Conference Level. It is also not clear how this dove-tails with the evangelization and catechesis. Lay formation is a broad term that refers to information dissemination, the imparting of specific knowledge and training. But there is a debilitating vagueness about this term. LUMKO has been suggested as a possible institution to put together a laity formation programme. To date, no plans have been forthcoming.

It is equally important not to lose sight of the need for a laity structure, a platform, a forum where lay people can make their voices heard. If the Conference does not help to facilitate such a forum or structure, other structures will emerge to occupy the empty space. There are many lay organizations in the church. It is imperative that there should be a possibility of networking for the benefit of the church. The Conference needs to dialogue with representatives of the lay faithful.

Joint Witness.

It is sixteen years since the last Joint Witness Conference. In our view, meetings at metropolitan level are good and desirable. But this can in no way substitute for a national, regional encounter between Bishops and Leaders of the Consecrated Life. A formal structure would facilitate such a dialogue.

The religious are partners in the work of evangelization and should from time to time be consulted on important issues our times. Otherwise, it appears that the work they do is hardly given any recognition. Again, such as in the case of the laity, if no forum is given at conference level, some will always create their own plat form to express their concerns and unhappiness with the Church. We appeal to the Bishops to consider Joint Witness III in the interest of collaboration, openness and dialogue.

+B. Tlhagale

25/01/2011"

The role of the church in Society according to sacbc

2011-01-27T02:23:00.000-08:00

Article by Marc Aupiais

SACBS President says:

"The role of the church in Society

President’s report to the January Plenary Session of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference 2011.

Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI

As a Bishops’ Conference, we are being continuously challenged to redefine the role of the Church in our changing societies. It is relatively easy to appreciate the public role of the Catholic Church in the area of social services, health care and development projects. During the past three years, the Bishops’ Conference has been discussing the topic of sexual morality with the view to issuing a pastoral document. What is missing in the public spaces of our societies is the voice of the Catholic Church (or the religious sector) that genuinely seeks to engage the public on moral-ethical issues which impinge on the society at large. Our 3 nations are developing democracies. They are politically stable, but fragile. To varying degrees, they are characterised by graft, violent crimes, corruption, the serious lack of service delivery and self enrichment by those in positions of responsibility. The South African jails are overflowing with prisoners. To the majority of the ordinary citizens, the promises of democracy and rule of law are not only dreams that have failed but in many a reminder of the painful experiences of the past.

Our materialistic society protects and promotes the rights of individuals to accumulate wealth. Christian principles of fairness, equality and justice have fallen by the wayside. Our societies have lost a basic tenet of morality: the upliftment of those who have a greater need. The rich flaunt their wealth. They have become incapable of postponing their own personal interests in favour of the upliftment of poor communities.

All this begs the question. What is the role and possibly the influence of Christian morality on our societies and nations? Is the church capable of persuading individuals to move away from a rights-based morality – “It is my right to accumulate wealth”. Is the Church able to persuade our fellow citizens that to be truly moral person it is equally important not to harm others and to avoid greed.

Some pressing questions come to mind. If our Christian morality is based on our faith in God and if faith is a matter of choice (personal), is morality also not a question of personal choice? There is such a thing as a secular morality? How does Christian morality face up to it? Can Christian leaders discuss moral issues with non believers without reference to God? Is it a fair assumption that our countries are Christian Countries? If so, does this allow Christian leaders to impose on the people Christian moral principles or threaten them with the fires of hell? What about African Traditional morality, de we as Christians simply dismiss those who believe in traditional morality pagans (levirate, polygamy etc)?

In spite of many questions, what is abundantly clear is that we need morality to build compassionate human communities; Government can only do so much. Is the church leadership willing to invest resources and time in responding to this challenge? Where are our own moral theologians?

The second issue concerning morality which I wish to raise flows from the statement released by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith explaining the context of the statement of the Holy Father concerning the use of condoms by gay men. The statement points out that the real challenge is to focus on behaviour change rather than on condom use. My question is: What the status of the principle of a lesser evil in Catholic moral theology today? Is casuistic moral thinking still in vogue? Again here I sense a stagnation, a poverty of moral thinking in Africa and a dependency on American-European thinking. HIV & AIDS is not a North Atlantic problem. It is an African problem. It is a disease Africa shares with gay people in Europe and North America. When Europe thinks about moral issues around HIV &AIDS, they think of gay people. In Africa, we think about millions of ordinary men, women and youth, it is high time we challenge our moral theologians to assess the moral challenges of HIV &AIDS. It is high time for the conference to invest in the training of moral theologians in a more systematic fashion. Cynics would say, what more is there to think about? We have the Ten Commandments! We have a duty not to allow the imaginative genius of the human spirit to stagnate or die."

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European court rules- No human right to abortion, but asks Irish government for clearer regulations

2010-12-17T03:17:00.000-08:00

Article by Marc Aupiais

Despite misleading arguments in media, the Council of Europe (not the EU) European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, in France- has not ruled that Abortion is a human right. The court found that a Lithuanian woman living in Ireland was due Euro 15 000 as she had not been given information as to how her pregnancy related to the success of her Chemotherapy or on what risks it could pose to her health. The other two applicants who wanted ordinary therapeutic abortions were turned down by the court. Ireland was fined for having vague laws on the matter of abortion.

The Irish constitution bans abortion outright, while allowing for the right of life of a woman to be on equal footing: with wording suggesting that procedures not aimed primarily at abortion of a child, but which none the less result in it's collateral unintended/undesired death are acceptable. Procuring an abortion which is not "medically necessary" is considered a crime in Ireland, and both doctor and woman involved could be arrested.

In Attorney General v. X, in 1992,

"In this case in which a 14-year-old girl said she had become pregnant after being raped by her friend's father, the Attorney General of Ireland had enjoined the girl and her parents from traveling to England for an abortion. A psychologist had testified that in her present state of mind, the girl was suicidal. The Supreme Court of Ireland held that the right to life supersedes all other rights, including the right to travel. However, if there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother which can only be avoided by termination of the pregnancy, then an abortion is permissible. The Court determined that the girl's risk of suicide satisfied this condition, and therefore the girl was allowed to terminate her pregnancy."
U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health (US Government)
Ir Law Rep Mon. 1992 Mar 5;12(47):401-80.

A 1992 decision by the Irish Supreme Court, said that if a woman's life was endangered even by her own suicide threats then she should be allowed an abortion, however the Irish government never legislated on the decision, with many Irish claiming that it was based on false medical science and not real statistics and science. Furthermore, the girl was a 14 year old in the case, with very different anatomy, and unlike an adult immigrant from Lithuania was more of a suicide risk. Also the X case also involved not an abortion denied in Ireland but the right to travel to another jurisdiction to procure it. The girl's age of 14, just past puberty, makes her case very similar to the Recife incident, where the Catholic church none the less stated that the young girl's abortion was unacceptable and murder of her twin children. It also involved rape and a child.

The Irish Times reports that no woman has ever died in an Irish hospital due to lack of an abortion. American murder statistics show that pregnant women are the most vulnerable to murder as compared women at any other stage of life. Abortion is legal in America. Ireland is known for having some of the best maternal health statistics in the world. C-Fam has in the past shown correlation between legal abortion and poor medical practice in many countries such as India etc. In South Africa over half of pregnancies are aborted, with doctors claiming that life threatening situations are not addressed due to an essentially cosmetic surgery.

KPMG, has warned that if the South African population does not grow significantly, an aging longer living older population, without skilled youths to replace it may result in a collapse of the state: in South Africa and in other developing and developed countries with declining population growth rates. One of the reasons given by sources as to why black/Ethnically African South African women used to have such large families according to academically studied work, lies in ANC pressure on women to have more children under threat.

Fertility awareness which is between 95% and 98% effective year on year at preventing unwanted conceptions is permitted by the Catholic church when used "unselfishly" and is generally accepted in African culture which sees western devices such as condoms as an insult to a man's integrity and authority.

According to C-Fam and the Irish lawyers in the case, it was highly irregular for the case to appear in a European court before being judged by Irish courts which could have given clarity on the matter. While the European Court rejected this, it does seem contrary to its purpose.

The court explicitly said the European right to privacy does in no means create a right to abortion, thus rejecting the argument of Rode v Wade.

The Associated Press quotes Ireland's pro-abortion health minister, who notes that Irish anger about submission to the European Union, means that they will not legislate on the matter:

"The judges lambasted Ireland's defense claiming that the woman should have petitioned the Irish High Court for the right to have an abortion in Ireland. They said Irish doctors must be given clear legal guidance on the eligibility rules for abortions.

Health Minister Mary Harney said she was confident that Ireland would draft legislation to bring the country's laws into line with its own Supreme Court — but said the step would have to wait for the next government. Ireland faces an unscheduled national election in the spring.

"Clearly we have to legislate, there's no doubt about that," Harney said. "But I don't think we have the capacity to bring forward proposals in a matter of weeks."

Harney noted that the government twice tried to resolve the issue with referendums in 1992 and 2001, but voters on both sides of the abortion argument rejected that constitutional amendment. In both cases, the government sought to limit the right to legal abortion only to cases where the woman was at risk of death — but excluding suicide threats.

She said lawmakers would face a "highly sensitive and complex" debate over what specific definitions should apply for life-threatening conditions. She said pregnant women suffering from cervical cancer, exceptionally high blood pressure or ectopic pregnancies already were receiving abortions in Irish hospitals.

The vast majority of nations in the 47-member Council of Europe permit broad access to abortion, most recently Spain, which legalized first-trimester abortions in July. Only Malta and Vatican City ban the practice outright, while several others seek to limit it to exceptional cases including rape and fetal abnormalities.

European Court of Human Rights judgments are legally binding but difficult to enforce. Council of Europe nations often take years to enact the legal reforms ordered. An offending nation that refuses to observe a court order could be expelled from the Council of Europe, but this has never happened."
Associated Press (American based; Secular special interests; non-governmental; story hosted by Yahoo)
December 16 / 2010

Whether the Council of Europe decisions are in any way binding is a matter of much debate. The court after all is not a representative of the Irish people.

Homosexuality was legalized following a similar decision by the court in Ireland. The same court banned crucifixes in Italian schools. The judgement is de facto unenforceable and according to C-Fam based on false facts:

"It thus seems that the third applicant (and, following her, the Court) completely distorted and confused the facts of the case. Had the applicant been in need of another cycle of chemotherapy, she would (also under current Irish law) have been entitled to receive it. Indeed, withholding such treatment from her would certainly have raised an issue under Article 2 of the Convention (i.e., the third applicant’s Right to Life). But this does not seem to have been the case. (Yet again, we notice how regrettable it is that the Court made this judgment without ascertaining the facts…) No chemotherapy was withheld from the applicant, nor was the loss of the unborn child caused by any chemotherapy or other treatment. Instead, the woman’s decision to have abortion was based on the irrational and unfounded assumption that the pregnancy might cause her cancer to recommence. This irrational thought would never have sufficed as a ground for “legal” abortion – especially not in a system where, as the ECtHR requests, the eligibility of a woman for having recourse to abortion on grounds of a risk for her life must be ascertained on the basis of objective criteria. One does not see, therefore, how the existence of such a system would ever have resulted in the applicant having access to a “lawful” abortion in Ireland…."
C-Fam (American based; Independent of the State; UN, EU and European and American legal coverage; Catholic, family, human rights and other special interests coverage)
December 16 / 2010

No need for killing foetuses at all- with new Stem cell treatment

2010-11-16T07:33:00.001-08:00

Note by Marc Aupiais

In the past it has been claimed there is a need to harvest stem cells from abortions to compare with adult stem cells moved back. Embryonic stem cells often cause cancer, adult stem cells (not from aborted human beings) were seen as the safest. If it is confirmed, a new method which involves straight transfer from stem cells to needed cells may do away with that so-called not really need altogether:

"Canadian scientists have turned human skin cells directly into blood cells, the first time one kind of mature human cell has been converted into another, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature.

The transformation was completed without first rewinding the skin cells into the flexible pluripotent stem cells that have most frequently been used to grow tissues. By skipping the pluripotent step, the researchers believe they have skirted the risk that the replacement cells might form dangerous tumours.

The team created blood progenitor cells - mother cells that multiply to produce other blood cells - as well as mature blood cells, according to the report. Both types of cells could be useful in medical treatments, said study leader Mick Bhatia, a stem cell scientist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario."

in reference to: IOL Technology - A world first for stem cell research (view on Google Sidewiki)

Unprecedented

2010-11-16T07:29:00.001-08:00

"Unprecedented
November 16, 2010 -
With an election without precedent Timothy Dolan has become the new president of the Bishops' Conference of the United States.

For the first time was not elected vice president, in this case Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson in Arizona, but his main "opponent", Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York."

(automatic translation from Italian.

in reference to:

"Unprecedented November 16, 2010 - With an election without precedent Timothy Dolan has become the new president of the Bishops' Conference of the United States. For the first time was not elected vice president, in this case Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson in Arizona, but his main "opponent", Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York."
- Palazzo Apostolico - Diario Vaticano Paul Rodari »Blog Archive» Unprecedented (view on Google Sidewiki)

Foreign Islamist militants attack Iraqi stock exchange, then Syrian Catholic Church in Iraq

2010-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

(SACNS Asia and Middle East; SACNS Audio-Visual article; Social Justice South Africa)

Download/Stream the audio of : Massive Casualties as Syrian Cathlic church attacked in Iraq

Massive casualties as Syrian Catholic church attacked by Islamic Special Interest terror tactics utilising group|

01 | November (11th Month) | 2010 AD

Article by Marc Aupiais

A Syrian Catholic church was held hostage in Iraq, resulting in dozens of deaths and more injuries. It is uncertain if the majority of deaths occurred before or after police stormed the church, having reportedly not attempted to negotiate with hostage takers, reportedly belonging to an Islamic Special Interests group, which some in the West link to Al Qaeda.

47 people are dead, and dozens more that is: at least about 60 (mostly women) injured, after militants, claimed as foreign by local Iraqi press, stormed the Iraqi stock exchange, and after this, a Syrian Catholic church: Our Lady of Deliverance parish. The militants, on taking the parish, killed the priest instantly, and took about 100 people within the church hostage according to reports. When police stormed the building without any reported negotiations, suicide bombers set off their bombs and threw grenades at police according to reports. A local Iraqi television station claims an attacker phoned them claiming to be part of the Islamic State of Iraq, an Islamic special interests group, allegedly linked to Al Qaeda, and allegedly capable of using terror tactics.

Islamic State of Iraq, also is possibly the source of a text on an Islamic militant website, claiming to be from the group and giving the alleged reasons for the attack.

The text referred to two women who allegedly converted from Coptic Christianity to Islam, in order to divorce their husbands in Egypt, before disappearing. They reportedly reappeared claiming no conversion, before allegedly being spirited away to distant monasteries. People converting from Islam have previously alleged being in danger of life and limb for the move. The Islamic special interests group, has asked the Vatican to "release" the women, whom it says it considers victims of Christian oppression, and to be Muslim. It claims the women are being held by Christians.

Whether the church was the intended target of the militants, or the stock exchange, is uncertain. Attacks against Christians in Iraq have been commonplace since an American invasion disposed of former President Saddam Hussein, imposing a new regime upon Iraq with the help of a northern tribe of former separatists. Iraq has asked foreign nations not to accept Christian refugees due to a skills draining caused by what some players in the region consider a genocide against minority Christians in the country.

Before Republican US President George W. Bush invaded Iraq, the Vatican warned of such a potential genocide, asking the president not to enter the country. While sectarian violence has been reduced under years of occupation, after an initial spike due to the ending of the Saddam Hussein regime, violence against Christians has only increased. Critics of the current Democratic Party Barack Obama US administration have claimed that early withdrawal of American troops created a power vacuum, endangering westerners and minorities in the majority Islamic and Arab nation.

Police on the scene, the Iraqi government, and the US military all give different statistics for casualties, arrests, and the number of militants. About 10 Iraqi police died in storming the church.

Attacks against churches, and kidnappings, and murders of Christians are common in Iraq, with Christian groups reported as claiming that the US installed and now elected Iraqi government does little or nothing to protect their basic human interests.

Sources:

American; Independent of the state; Catholic special interests Source:

American Papist/ Catholic Vote Action

Terrorists storm Mass in Iraq: Murder priest, kill dozens of hostages

Thomas Peters

01 / 11 | November / 2010

sources that are Secular interests coverage.

British based Sources:

Daily Mail (Independent of the state)

Thirty nine killed in hostage bloodbath as Iraqi security forces storm militants in Baghdad church

01 / November | 11 / 2010

KATHERINE FAULKNER

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1325481/39-killed-Iraqi-security-forces-storm-militants-Baghdad-church.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

American based, Independent of the State, Liberal; secular/general interests source

AP (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Baghdad church seige ends with 47 dead

01 / November | 11 / 2010
HAMID AHMED

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39935278/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

Lancet article considers alcohol more dangerous than drugs

2010-11-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

(SACNS Europe; SACNS Audio-Visual; Social Justice South Africa)

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Lancet Publishes contrary and controversial alcohol/drugs study|

01 | November (11th Month) | 2010 AD

Article by Marc Aupiais

In a controversial article, the Lancet Medical journal has given a platform to David Nutt, a controversial scientist who was fired from the British government for his controversial view that dangerous drugs should be classified as less dangerous than they are by the British government. He has suggested that horse riding is more dangerous than ecstasy use, and was angered when the British government refused to accept some of his more controversial views.

The Lancet study considers Alcohol the most dangerous drug in use, 8 times more dangerous than ecstasy. Over a dozen factors were taken into account ranging from lost friendships to damage to the environment, with the acute danger to drugs users themselves only one of many factors. A commentary also appearing in the edition of Lancet noted that the study did not look at cross usage of drugs, but said this was beyond its scope.

Professor David Nutt was fired by then home secretary Alan Johnson for demanding ministers listen to the controversial advice of his government Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which had fronted his views on drugs in a different format, according to the Daily Mail. Professor David Nutt told the BBC that alcohol is a terrible societal ill in his perspective and that this is because it is so available.

The direct connection between drugs, violent crime, the Taliban, drug lords, and organized crime has not seemed as important to the Lancet "experts" as Alcohol's negative effects. It also does not seem to note that alcohol when taken in moderate amounts is not extensively dangerous to health, and that there are many forms of alcohol.

The study was released just as California considers legalising Cannabis use by the population in general. Cannabis is known to cause schizophrenia in those with genetic predispositions.

The study seems to have relied on value judgements in every case made by "the experts". David Nutt, and another scientist who quit after the British parliament had him fired, are two thirds of the authors of the study.

CNN, and a BBC blog, appear to have portrayed the Lancet study very favourably. A possible factor in Alcohol's high danger rating is the fact that alcohol is legal and openly used and acceptable in society, while drugs are not. The study is being used by drugs legalization special interests campaigners to attempt to get narcotics legalized, despite the fact the study does nothing to reduce the huge personal harm of using narcotics.

While most adults consume alcohol, many with no negative effects, much fewer people regularly take narcotics, giving heed to laws introduced due to high road accidents, deaths, and other preventable societal ills.

Sources:

All sources are Secular.

British Sources:

Daily Mail (Independent of
the state)
"Alcohol 'more dangerous
than crack, heroin and
Ecstasy'"01 / November | 11 / 2010
KATHERINE FAULKNER
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1325472/Alcohol-dangerous-crack-heroin.html#ixzz141ucDMiN
BBC World News (British
Broadcasting
Corporation) (Not
Independent of the state)
"Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin' says Prof David Nutt"
01 / November | 11 / 2010
Staff report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11660210?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

American, Independent of
the State, Liberal

CNN (Central News
Network)
Study: Alcohol 'most
harmful drug,' followed by
crack and heroin

01 / November | 11 / 2010
staff report
http://edition.cnn.
com/2010/HEALTH/11/01/alcohol.harm/

USA links women with homosexuals at the UN

2010-09-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

(SACNS Americas News; Social Justice South Africa)

SACNS background quotes:

Barack Obama's UN Ambassador lumps women with gays: endangering efforts to promote women's special interests! - SACNS Quotes Analysis - 27 (28th in RSA time) September 2010

Why America's lumping of gay and women's rights damages equality - Aupiais Site reviews - 27 (28th in RSA time) September 2010

Why promoting homosexuality costs lives? HIV AIDS for one! - SACNS Quotes Analysis- 27 September 2010

Homosexuals the typhoid Mary of HIV AIDS - Aupiais Site Reviews - 27 September 2010

Article by Marc Aupiais

Rosemary DiCarlo who is the United Nations Ambassador for host Nation the United States, has decided to risk women's rights, so often abused: for the sake of pursuing homosexual special interests.

She has replaced violence against women: a very direct condemnation of practices so widespread, with sexual and gender-based violence in a speech given to the United Nations this past weekend.

A recent federal study in the United States of America, found that one in five so-called homosexuals and so-called bisexuals were infected with HIV, with forty-four out of one hundred of these infected unaware of their condition. That is twenty times the national average.

Discrimination against homosexuals is often linked to HIV aids, and to the high suicide rates in the given population and among children adopted by them.

Abortion, has a real economic cost and affects demand and supply ratios.

Editorially

Linking women with homosexuality, and separating sex and gender, are moves which are sure to create animosity in the United Nations. It is also sure to put women's rights back centuries.

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The Strikes contravene the public interest- RSA Bishops

2010-08-23T10:05:00.001-07:00

(SACNS Africa; Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

For our source quotes, analysis, and additional information, please see:

SACNS Quote Analysis:
South African Bishops claim that state doctors', teachers' strike contravenes the public interest

A protest action over pay and benefits by public service unions, including unions consisting of educators at state institutions, as well of healthcare professionals, who are employed by the state, was the receiver of recent statements of disagreement from the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, the official Vatican endorsed Catholic bishops' conference for South Africa, and neighbouring nations. The SACBC media unit contacted our service, and other media earlier today via email, as is verified by our internal systems, so as to allow our service access to their opinions, which they inform us are also aired on their official website.

Cardinal Wilfred Fox Napier, of the Archdiocese of Durban who lists himself as the SACBC spokesperson, who our service verifies is a former head of the regional organization, has stated his view that some of those seemingly partaking in protest actions have prevented doctors, students and teachers from free access to healthcare and education facilities, in some instances, and has claimed that such reported actions contravene the public interest and human special interests, such as the general allowance, in South African law to primary, as well as secondary education, and healthcare. He stated that the Bishops Conference supported the allowance in South African law for protest action during wage disputes, but that some strikers had affected negatively the ability of other individuals residing in South Africa, to further their own interests, such as the achievement of primary, or secondary education, or the accessing of health services, and may have affected the interests of those who are less able to make a living, and those with fewer means at their disposal. Military medical units have been sent by the state to state healthcare facilities, according to a number of local media reports.

Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions), a non-parliamentary member of the ruling (ANC) African National Congress's tripartite alliance, was part of general protest action, according to a "No Comment TV" video from independent European Union special interests service, EuroNews, which is connected to a number of European state broadcasters, and has an official contract with the European Union to air certain programs. Mine workers, have also been on strike according to text on video sharing site YouTube below the "No Comment TV" video by EuroNews.

South Africa has a history of violent and controversial protest action, those not partaking in some protest actions have in the past been reported in local press as having been intimidated to join protest action, or having been injured.

The recent protest action, has accompanied reported intimidation of other individuals by individuals partaking in the general protest action. Local media has claimed that some students in a less affluent area had allegedly assaulted a group of educators who were partaking in the protest action, via stoning. Stoning is a common form of vigil-ante behaviour in South Africa, where victims often do not survive the process.

There have been allegations of obstructions of ambulances, and some students have been advised that if they attend school, they should do so without wearing any form of identifiable school uniform. The president of the republic has been reported recently in local media as disapproving of the actions of strikers.

A number of deaths have been reported, allegedly due to the actions of strikers, and police have reportedly used rubber bullets, in accordance with usual police policies involving crowd control. Police and state agents, have been deployed to certain areas according to local media, reportedly, in order to address security, health and human special interests which could have been affected by the protest action.

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Italy: Interior Minister's statements against legitimate immigrants on welfare are unacceptable according to the Italian Bishops

2010-08-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

(SACNS Europe; Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

SACNS Quote Analysis:
Italian Bishops oppose throwing out EU immigrants who rely on benefits- Italy
And : Interior Minister from federalist party, not that of Berlusconi - Italy

Italian Interior Minister Roberto Marconi (EuroNews spelling- seems incorrect) (Minister Roberto Maroni), of the Lega Nord Padania federalist party, which is working in coalition with the Popolo della Libertà of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi- has made a statement which has reportedly put him at odds with the official body of Catholic bishops in Italy. Maroni has called for immigrants in Italy from other European Union (EU) states, who are receiving financial support from the government to survive, during the financial crisis, to be expelled from Italy. The move has upset the Italian Catholic Bishops, according to European service EuroNews, which quotes Giancarlo Perego as representing the Italian Episcopal Conference, to state their criticism of the move, by a minister of Silvio Berlusconi's broad coalition government.

The Catholic Bishops' representative reportedly, has expressed the view, that such a move would cause a societal shift favouring a more nationalist tendency, over one of a more European perspective. The representative stated, seemingly that restricting the movement of Europeans in Europe could have a negative affect on the achievement of a particular vision of the European Union, which the bishops, it seems to be suggested, support.

European citizens are officially welcomed in Italy, which has taken actions against non-European-Union-origin immigrants.

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US voters oppose move to allow open gays in US armed forces- latest poll results

2010-08-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

For our source quotes, analysis, and additional information, please see:

SACNS Quote Analysis:
US voters oppose open gays in US armed forces- latest poll THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2010

Contrary to polls, by homosexual special interests supporting organisations, a conservative group, opposing homosexual special interests in this case has conducted a poll- this time focused on persons who plan to vote in the upcoming elections (presumably those to replace representatives later in this year)- the results were the opposite of prior polls which did not focus on professed planned voters. Respondents, the conservative pollsters claimed- opposed prioritizing lifting the American ban on homosexuals in the military.

A network of major opponents to a homosexual special interests effort by US President Barack Obama, and Michael D. Palm Center, to legalize service by homosexuals in the US military has conducted a poll of 1000 respondents who claimed they planned to vote in November elections: which could see an end to Democrat majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Military Culture Coalition, said that: potential voters nearly unanimously felt that overturning the 1992 law, should not be a focus for the American Congress. Over 50% thought US President Barack Obama was putting political games ahead of principle.

On 9th July 2010, Reuters reported on objections, that those in a group most forcefully pushing the repeal have had, to surveying troops, as to whether they would react negatively, to open homosexuals in the military, calling any survey biased. Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military is the name the Michael D. Palm Center, once went by: this group is the one which opposes surveys of troops, and is often quoted by secular services.

Section 654, Title 10, is the law in question for repeal. A 2006 poll by those promoting the repeal, found similar results to the current one, with 69% neutral or opposed to homosexuals openly serving in the US military.

Contrary to media reports- "Don't ask don't tell" does not ban open homosexuals, but rather all homosexuals from military service in the United States. However, the system "don't ask don't tell" removed mandatory questions on soldiers' sexual attractions from questionnaires they were compelled to fill out. Whether the system is actually enforced by the Obama administration has come into question, after it emerged that the alleged wikileaks leak- who revealed thousands of US military secrets about war efforts in active war zones- had for a long time served as an open homosexual, and homosexual special interests activist in the US military.

For more information on the history of the debate involving the law which "Don't Ask Don't Tell" relates to, please view our archive article:

Bias in Reuters? :Pentagon says troop survey not biased against gays | Reuters SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2010

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Kenyan government tries to pass dangerous, foreign constitution

2010-08-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

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'No' side claims dirty tricks in Kenya referendum campaign | RFI

"Popular support for the new constitutition was supposed to be a fait accompli. That was until the mainstream churches threw a spanner in the works. They mobilised for a rejection of the draft, claiming that it is liberal on abortion and same-sex relationship and that it introduces Muslim Khadi courts.
Former President Daniel Arap Moi and influential politicians from the populous Rift Valley province are opposing the draft over the same issues and over the question of land.

President Mwai Kibaki, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and nearly 90 per cent of the cabinet and MPs addressed a huge rally in Nariobi’s Uhuru Park, urging a massive turn-out in favour of the draft.

[...]

The no campaign held a similar rally in the city’s Jamhuri Park. They accuse the government of using underhand methods and intimidation to get support for the draft because it senses defeat.

Tom Namwamba, who heads the no campaign secretariat, claims that the president’s side of using underhand tactics. They have used thugs to attack his office and steal material, he says, ordered civil servants to campaign for a yes vote and booked all choice venues in Nairobi to deny his side a convenient venue to hold their rallies.

“If you see anybody engaged in such petty, barbaric practices, then you know that that person has read the signs of losing,” he comments."
Radio France Internationale [RFI] (Secular; French)
01 / 08 | Aug / 2010

A no side rally was tragically bombed some time ago, as I reported then, noting that the government said not to jump to conclusions as to who bombed it. The yes side, has the backing of US president Barack Obama, who seems to have been flexing muscle to insure the constitution, which encourages homosexuality and abortion passes, Kenya may find additional aid coming their way if they acquiesce in the matter of values, and culture. Other controversial elements include "land reform" clauses which the opposition claims may cause tensions between black and white Kenyans. Kenya suffers from endemic violence and also racism, White (Caucasian) and Indian (Asian) Kenyans have both faced persecution in the past. The current government has been accused of allowing the creation of death squadrons (Agenzia Fides: The Vatican's Missionary News Service 24 / 09 | Sept / 2008), which allegedly killed and tortured rivals, and those allegedly involved in crime. The government claims that the Constitution will pass, despite Catholic and evangelical opposition to what is essentially a foreign constitution, misrepresenting the culture and values of Kenya.

In 2009 our service noted:

"Kenya: more general Overview:

Kenya, was once one of Africa's so-called: shining stars, however, electoral violence, and purported human rights abuses, along with drought, and famine: have harshly affected, what once was a nation, seen, perhaps falsely as a hope for many.

In previous articles, we have covered, the political situation in Kenya, having stabilized somewhat at this stage. Recent events, however: show a government, made up largely of people, seemingly more interested in their own political success, than in the success of their country. The global economic downturn, will likely also affect such nations: but with such a makeshift government, the chances are, that problems in Kenya, won't be ultimately solved overnight. Efforts, at helping populations make it through such trying times: however, can make differences in lives, just as efforts in Zimbabwe, and the DRC (Congo), have paid off somewhat.

Corruption, and accountability in Africa

What Kenya, and much of Africa: truly need at this point, is accountability for actions, politically, and in business. That a situation, such as the one: over, or perhaps caused by alleged vote rigging, and alleged political human rights abuses: has occurred: has made Kenya less able to deal with life threatening situations."
Archives
13 / 01 | Jan / 2009

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Wikileaks and the US intelligence quagmire

2010-07-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

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"Summary

25th July 2010 5:00 PM EST WikiLeaks has released a document set called the Afghan War Diary, an extraordinary compendium of over 91,000 reports covering the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.

The reports, while written by soldiers and intelligence officers, and mainly describing lethal military actions involving the United States military, also include intelligence information, reports of meetings with political figures, and related detail.

The document collection is available on a dedicated webpage.

The reports cover most units from the US Army with the exception of most US Special Forces' activities. The reports do not generally cover top secret operations or European and other ISAF Forces operations.

We have delayed the release of some 15,000 reports from the total archive as part of a harm minimization process demanded by our source. After further review, these reports will be released, with occasional redactions, and eventually in full, as the security situation in Afghanistan permits.

The data is provided in HTML (web), CSV (comma-separated value) and SQL (database) formats, and also was rendered into KML (Keyhole Markup Language) mapping data that can be used with Google Earth. Please note that the checksums will change."
Wikileaks (a clandestine organization which is known for its use of advanced technological and legal techniques in order to leak top secret government documents to the general public)
26 / 07 | July / 2010

Wikileaks, a site which many journalists wished they worked for, and many others: especially world governments: fear, has done it again. Someone within the US government has downloaded thousands of classified files, which they uploaded to the whistle blower organization: the bane of intelligence and counter-intelligence everywhere.

The site revealed allegedly from the intelligence documents of the US government that US special forces have allegedly been ordered to kill or capture suspected Taliban heads with no form of trial, that Pakistani intelligence has allegedly helped the Taliban in planning their attacks on the coalition efforts, and that over 100 Afghani civilians have allegedly accidentally been shot by US troops' mistakes. PR coups by the coalition claiming that they are ultra-cautious, firing warnings before shooting, and even purposely missing, have thus been called into question. US President Barack Obama, has understandably attempted to call into question Wikileak's ethics, the same man had in the past, amidst controversy asked US citizens to forward him any emails they received seemingly of those with questioning or critical views against him a while ago.

The US is allegedly concerned over US lives due to the wikileaks leak, not seemingly mentioning non-coalition lives. Prior Pakistani intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Hamid Gul (Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI]), says accusations against him are false. Pakistan is internationally known for human rights abuses and other alleged violations of international humanitarian law.

Up to 91 000 (Ninety-one Thousand) documents were leaked by the transparency activists at Wikileaks. Starting in 2004 to about 2010.

Many journalists find the service indispensable, and believe it vital to protecting democracy, other subscribe to its services.

Important quotes:

"The United States has condemned as "irresponsible" the leak of 90,000 military records, saying publication could threaten national security.

The documents released by the Wikileaks website include details of killings of Afghan civilians unreported until now.

Three news organisations had advance access to the records, which also show Nato concerns that Pakistan and Iran are helping the Taliban in Afghanistan."
BBC World News (Secular; Governmental; United Kingdom/British)
26 / 07 | July / 2010

"The papers contain specific claims that Pakistani intelligence helped the Taliban plan attacks on NATO, United Nations and Indian targets.

One refers to an alleged meeting between insurgents and the former Pakistani intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Hamid Gul.

He says the allegations are false."
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Governmental; Australian; Secular)
27 / 07 | July / 2010

Barack Obama, has vastly escalated the US war on Al Qaeda, and others, from the much smaller wars fought by an anti-"terror" crusading George W. Bush. Guantanamo Bay, is still open for business, and America, has increasingly been continuing associations with shifty regimes. The Afghan regime is one which has fronted a strong belief is a need for legally enforced marital rape, and which has allowed the arrest of those who convert away from Islam. A report by French Propaganda station: France 24, shows Afghan soldiers being used as human de-mining tools, being made to walk in front of vehicles, to detonate IEDs, it also alleges massive corruption, and shows an Afghan army hardly capable of putting on its own helmet, never mind fighting a war, and one where many desert having completed training, going to who knows which forces or armies around which could use their skills. It is thought the Taliban will regain Afghanistan the moment the international troops leave the area. Wikileaks has called the leak a hero for their actions.

Wikileaks claim they do not verify sources, but documents. They have purposely created a system they claim to make whistle-blowers untraceable even to themselves.

Many have viewed the leak here:

http://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diary,_2004-2010

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A New terror movement gains graduation in Northern Ireland Riots

2010-07-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Sinn Fein cannot control dissidents, who have increasingly been carrying out bombing attacks, and are beginning to overcome technical aspects

'Sinn Fein are yesterday's men' - Telegraph: "'Intelligence chiefs have warned ministers that splinter groups like the Real and Continuity IRA are on the verge of a wave of killings. We believe a new generation of republican fanatics are planning a campaign. The hardcore are in their twenties and they are building bombs from designs pioneered by the PIRA. Recent bombings, like the bridge at Cullyhanna, show they are overcoming their technical problems with detonators. Our big fear is an attempt to emulate the 1984 Brighton bomb attack. And those preparing for the Conservative conference in Birmingham in October have factored the threat into their security preparations.'"

Protestant celebrations of the defeat of a Catholic king, turn ugly

Northern Ireland dissident bombings, have broken into petrol or other flammables bomb, brick and stone ... hurling rioting, where rioters have used YouTube and mobile/cellular phones in hope of mimicry and support. Almost 100 police officers have been injured.

Dissident IRA splinter groups gain momentum, as first time terrorists are recruited on the spot, while girls allegedly dressed to the 9's for the occasion, encourage every violent act, as though a bizarre flirtation, a price to pay with immodesty for their violent cause. In the eyes of those in Northern Ireland, these riots, where the youths ignore their parents, and are pushed forward, into the chasm, and swirled down beyond boundaries: may be the equivalent of South Africa's June 16, where activists similarly used Youth and peer pressure to build up a movement.

Propaganda and Social Networking, help build on discontent by each malcontent | This problem is more than Northern Ireland

Youths, who like the (surprisingly largely pro-nuclear) Iranian Green movement are using technology, especially YouTube, create pseudo-hero videos of their exploits, in a sort of propaganda. Powerful Laser lights were used to blind police by protesters, sometimes as young as eight years old (Daily Mail 14 / 07 | July / 2010).

How will the more liberal than Yesteryear Tories, and their LibDem partners deal with this, after all, while Northern Ireland has its own parliament, this is up to them? Especially as the former political partner of the cause of the IRA, is no longer such a legitimate force to control the violence, as it did in Yesteryear. And the rioting is only to spread, as with the bombings, given that Sinn Fein and the IRA have no control over the riots!

Verbal attacks from Britain against the pope by Britain's leaders, and press and state officials, mocking Catholic identity probably have not helped the peace efforts either. His visit to Great Britain may well accompany more fuel for the fire, which was also hurt by British comments on Irish sex abuse, seen internally in southern Ireland as an Irish problem. This may be so, even if the Church has always condemned the terrorist attacks of those fighting to be free of Britain in Northern Ireland, where a Catholic culture remains, even if its moral standing in some quarters may be a bit fuzzy.

What had been a number of small attacks by a new, terrible splinter actions alliance of a Real and Continuity Irish Republican Army, without the same efforts to reduce deaths that the IRA had taken in the past: has now turned into a new fully fledged movement. The likely causes cited by the Telegraph are a despair over the direction of their cause, belief that their parents compromised for weakness, and stifling poverty only spurred on by the terrible recent depression. A depression which one may say was: if not in the markets, in their psychology, and their stomachs, and certainly stirred their alleged bigotry or at least their political beliefs or sentiments.

In South Africa, where the poor have begun to feel betrayed by their own parents, and the struggle partners including the ruling ANC, similar scapegoat violence has also begun, largely with foreigners and random persons as the targets, certainly not the ANC, though senior members have been treated much as Sinn Fein leaders, by protesters/rioters. Likewise, a youth which feels left out of hope, has terribly seen hope in the flames of scapegoating the forces of order, perhaps a deathly reminder that peace is not an achievement but a journey.

The Catholic church condemned fully the IRA during its fight for Irish independence in Northern Ireland against Great Britain. A Catholic priest, says the Telegraph, called this "recreational rioting", as though it were some entertainment for bored youths- in order it seems to condemn it as pointless. South Africa's anti-apartheid movement had just as many recreational followers, as did the original IRA.

This violence, while sparked by yet another Protestant celebration, is not a new violence, but one which has been stirred by gradual bombings... and mainly two terrorist groupings. Whether by thugs, as one politician called it, as low class youth often are described as, or by other factors, the violence, condemned by the political spectrum, the violence and new violent cultures do not look to be disappearing soon, all the more if it is to become a pass-time.

Police are looking through pictures and surveillance and have warned that those who showed recognisable features, would be arrested. Likely not the societal saboteur terrorists who had planned for the previously more peaceful protests, to erupt into disorder.

Given the treatment of former IRA Sinn Fein leaders by protesters, it is unlikely that talks will prevent a recurrence of the violence. The Real and Continuity IRA do not it seems have a political voice, and it is uncertain as yet should they seek to gain one. Certainly not if their violence continues to manipulate, and grow: by fear, and social media.

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USA: Montana: 5 years old's to be taught Sex Ed; "Graphic Images in art help people understand sexuality"

2010-07-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"Katie Walker, Communications Director for American Life League, appears on CBN News Morning Edition, to discuss Montana's plan to introduce graphic sex curriculum to public school children as young as five."

[ALL talks on the shocking decision on CBN]

From telling high-school kids that graphic sexual images in art help us understand our sexuality "Erotic images in art help understand Sex"- CBN, to graphically describing all sorts of sexual acts verbally to fifth graders, to telling kids in grade 1 about gay's "people can love people of the same gender", a Planned Parenthood Sex Education backed sex education program in Montana, USA, starting with 5 year olds, and up, has sparked controversy.

Planned Parenthood, while paid to teach sex education, makes billions off of abortions, and contraceptive every year. Their funding in education, and abortion has gained much since Barack Obama took the presidency, given the US president's prior relationship with the abortion firm.

The curriculum is also from SEICUS (possible error by ALL in spelling of the acronym) Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, another similar group. The program being which is part of the curriculum put forward by the Montana school board, especially upsets American Life League, as it is believed that by bringing graphic sexuality into the lives of pre-puberty children could cause very negative side effects on teen pregnancy, and on learning ability. ALL calls it child abuse. Allegedly it is an attempt to disrupt children's sexual latency period. Recent research has found that abstinence only education is more effective than contraceptive education, and that children who are exposed to abstinence only education are more likely to use a condom if they do have sex.

In South Africa, it is a statutory crime to purposely expose children to real, or simulated sex, meaning that such a program would likely be termed exposing a minor to pornography in South Africa's strict sexual laws.

CNN, a liberal news network also notes the story, saying that the 5 year old's are taught about correct terms for private parts:

A Blog Also carrying the video

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UNICEF: Islamist Terrorism, Abortion, Contraceptive, surgical sterilizations and Free Love for Teens?

2010-07-17T03:18:00.000-07:00

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(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Article summary: article looks into media across the left/right divide and secular/religious divide to explain why funding to UNICEF promotes a leftest agenda which includes promotion of sexual freedom among teens, contraception, abortion, sterilization, and other political agendas which divert from helping children including alleged funding of terrorist propaganda in Palestine.

A reader wrote to our service, to paraphrase:

your article on Selena Gomez was harsh, she's put so much into her fashion line, and wants to do what hundreds of girls fail to do, she wants to succeed in a tough business, and is UNICEF, which sales will help fund really that bad?

This is our service's response.

"Several years ago the Vatican withdrew its support for UNICEF and later Renato Cardinal Martino, then Vatican representative at the UN, asked Catholics to cease donating to the organization."
LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; used by the Vatican recently to gain accurate information on Catholic organizations funding abortion)
05 / 06 | June / 2009

While the speech of Renato to the United Nations is hard to find on the only recently existent Vatican website, it does note something similar as well as elaborating on our first issue: promotion of contraceptive and "birth control":

"Among other organizations, we may also mention UNICEF and UNHCR as particularly significant. The former has for some time launched contraceptive and sex education programmes; as is known, the Holy See has suspended its symbolic contribution to UNICEF in the light of the latter’s refusal to guarantee that this contribution would not be used for programmes contrary to Catholic principles.

[...]

The international bodies most affected are, in the UN system, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNDP and the UN Economic Commissions ECA, ECLAC and ESCAP. In particular, UNFPA, together with the [abortion promoting alliance] IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation), has programmes in 157 countries lobbying to change laws and to implement programmes of birth control, with reserves of 335 million US dollars."
Vatican
11 / 02 | February / 2000

American Life League is more direct:

"Until the mid 1960's UNICEF fulfilled its mission and performed a great service to many of the neediest children in the world. However, as the world and the UN began to change, more unscrupulous programs replaced these worthy works and the original mission was lost to population control euphemisms and "reproductive health issues". A recent series of articles in the British medical journal, The Lancet, on the growing number of preventable childhood deaths worldwide provide a clear indication that UNICEF needs to redirect its "emphasis [on] its traditional mission of child survival". (1)

[...]

UNICEF promotes itself and raises funds at Halloween by having children carry its donation boxes door-to-door. It is also financed in large part by U.S. purchasers of UNICEF's Christmas Cards. While contributions may help to provide food, clothing, medicine or the like, chances are they may also go toward various forms of birth control, abortion and sterilization."
Americal Life League (ALL) (American; Independent; Catholic)
05 / 10 | October / 2005

The British Guardian paper, notes UNICEF's direct entry into promoting sexual education, and prevention of pregnancy:

"According to the United Nations agency Unicef, women born into poverty are twice as likely to stay that way if they have their children too soon. They are more likely to be unemployed, to suffer from depression and to become dependent on alcohol or drugs.

[...]

Unicef's explanation is pretty unequivocal. Sweden, for example, radically changed its sex education policies in 1975. "Recommendations of abstinence and sex only within marriage were dropped, contraceptive education was made explicit, and a nationwide network of youth clinics was established specifically to provide confidential contraceptive advice and free contraceptives ... Over the next two decades, Sweden saw its teenage birth rate fall by 80 per cent." Sexually transmitted diseases, in contrast to the rising rates in the UK and the US, declined by 40% in the 1990s.

"Studies of the Dutch experience," Unicef continues, "have concluded that the underlying reason for success has been the combination of a relatively inclusive society with more open attitudes towards sex and sex education, including contraception." Requests for contraceptives there "are not associated with shame or embarrassment", and "the media is willing to carry explicit messages" about them that are "designed for young people". This teeming cesspool has among the lowest abortion and teenage birth rates on earth.

America and the UK, by contrast, are "less inclusive societies" where "contraceptive advice and services may be formally available, but in a 'closed' atmosphere of embarrassment and secrecy". The UK has a higher teenage pregnancy rate not because there is more sex or abortion, but because of "lower rates of contraceptive use"."
Guardian (UK/British; Independent; Secularist; liberal)
11 / 05 | May / 2004

Unfortunately, the opposite trend was recently shown to be more accurate in a modern world: whereby research has found abstinence education both more effective in causing teens to use contraception, as well as successful in causing teen abstinence: Archive 24 / 02 | February / 2010- either way, UNICEF is promoting an accepting atmosphere to extra-marital sex among teens.

To then quote a more conservative group [note, the poor formatting is their's, not ours]:

"UNICEF also helps to fund organizations that promote abortions. One such organization is the Population Council, the group which holds the U.S. patent for the "abortion pill" RU-486. Another is a South African group called LoveLife, which actively encourages teenage girls to have abortions.

LoveLife provides a toll free number to Marie Stopes International abortion clinics, recommending abortion "... if you are happy to pay for the services. Remember, it is your right to get counseling [and] an abortion. If people are unhelpful, donÂ¡Â¯t get discouraged. Keep trying. You donÂ¡Â¯t need permission from anybody to have an abortion." LoveLife, which describes an abortion as a "gentle suction," encourages girls to "Talk to someoneÃ¾ua health worker, a counselor, or someone you can trust." Afterwards, LoveLife tells girls, "You will feel a sense of relief. Some people like to do a ritual to end the processÃ¾ulight a candle, plant a flower, write a poem or go for a long walk." No mention of post-abortion trauma here, one is merely "ending a process," not taking the life of the child.2"
Population Research Institute (Catholic; Independent; American; pro-life; one of the organizations researching the ageing population problem)
18 / 10 | October / 2010

The Liberal guardian, several years later again quoted UNICEF to promote contraception:

"A report by the United Nations agency Unicef notes that in the Netherlands, which has the world's lowest abortion rate, a sharp reduction in unwanted teenage pregnancies was caused by "the combination of a relatively inclusive society with more open attitudes towards sex and sex education, including contraception". By contrast, in the US and UK, which have the developed world's highest teenage pregnancy rates, "contraceptive advice and services may be formally available, but in a 'closed' atmosphere of embarrassment and secrecy"."
Guardian (UK/British; Independent; Secularist; liberal)
26 / 02 | February / 2008

A UN Lobby, C-FAM, notes that once again, UNICEF has then ignored the plight of children to a degree in their annual report for 2009:

"NEW YORK, NY, January 30, 2009 (C-FAM) - The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, launched its annual report this week claiming that, “Having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide,” and dedicated the 168-page flagship publication to the issue of maternal mortality, virtually ignoring the agency’s mandate of child survival. The report recommends increased global financing of UN initiatives aimed at “family planning” and “reproductive health services” as the primary way to reduce maternal deaths, but also provides extensive evidence that there is no reliable data to substantiate its claims.

Entitled, “The State of the World’s Children 2009: Maternal and Newborn Health,” the study addresses the problem of 536,000 maternal and 4.7 million newborn annual deaths worldwide, focusing on Africa, Asia and Latin America. Yet, the report undercuts at length the validity of its own statistics, stating that a “high degree of uncertainty for maternal mortality ratios indicates that all data points should be interpreted cautiously,” and saying “The [UN’s] 2005 maternal mortality estimates are far from perfect,” merely reflecting “a strong commitment on the part of the international community to continually strive for greater accuracy and precision.” And while it argues that “more than 99 per cent” of maternal deaths “occurred in developing countries,” it goes on to call “commonplace” the absence of data to make such a claim.

In fact, the report admits that only 35 percent of the data used to create the 536,000 number in 2005 was based upon “complete/good” data. A full 35 percent of the 171 countries surveyed to create the number had “no data.” Another 20 percent of the total maternal mortality figure was from “estimates” and “uncertain/poor data.”

Another contradiction in the report is its discussion of abortion. According to the report, abortion complications are the smallest contributor to maternal death in every one of the three developing regions studied. By contrast, hemorrhaging is the cause of nearly 30 percent of maternal deaths in all three regions, followed by hypertension and sepsis. Undefined “other causes” account for nearly a third of deaths in Africa and one fifth of the deaths in Asia and Latin America.

Contradicting this evidence, the report calls for a “continuum of care” that promotes “reproductive health services,” a term used by some UN officials to include abortion. It then puts at the top of its eleven recommended interventions for reducing maternal deaths “promoting access to family planning services, based on individual country policies,” with skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care mentioned as lower priorities.

The report also claims that in 2005, heads of state created “a specific target on reproductive health: Millennium Goal 5, Target B,” which seeks to “Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health” and includes “contraceptive prevalence rate,” and “unmet need for family planning,” as indicators of attaining the target. The UN Population Fund, contradictorily, claims that such a target was created in 2008. In fact, the heads of state rejected the target in 2005, and have never voted on or adopted such a target."
C-Fam (Catholic; Independent; American based: New York, located near the United Nations
30 / 01 | January / 2009

Continuing a policy of pro-abortion efforts in the developing world, a representative UNICEF in June 2009 called any Catholic who opposes its efforts radical:

"PAHO and UNICEF both promote "reproductive health" that is an acknowledged euphemism at the United Nations for the promotion of abortion, abortifacient drugs, artificial contraception and sterilization. UN groups, while stating that their reproductive health policies are in conformity with local laws, also engage in heavy pressure tactics, particularly through committees such as that of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to change national laws to allow abortion on demand. Earlier this year, UNICEF published a 168-page report that called for massive increases in "reproductive health services," in developing countries.

Several years ago the Vatican withdrew its support for UNICEF and later Renato Cardinal Martino, then Vatican representative at the UN, asked Catholics to cease donating to the organization.

Asked if UNICEF would be willing to give up promotion of their anti-life policies in order to form a partnership with the Catholic Church, Dr. Manrique said that it is only "radicals" in the Catholic Church who oppose those things, not the Church as a whole.

"Well, that may be the recommendation of the Cardinal, but along with the recommendation of the Cardinal there are many other opinions," he said. "There are radicals that do not help the advancement of organizations."

Asked if the promotion of condoms for AIDS prevention, the "reproductive right" of abortion and contraception, and "gender ideology" are in conflict with the Church, Manrique responded, "These three issues ... are perfectly in tune with the Catholic Church.""
LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; used by the Vatican recently to gain accurate information on Catholic organizations funding abortion)
05 / 06 | June / 2009

As for a secular source to close off our review of Unicef, we chose major American News Source, the National Review Online:

"Americans mostly know UNICEF through the “trick or treat for UNICEF” campaigns. The “trick” is on the donors who think that UNICEF is all about helping poor children.

UNICEF has been a major financier of Palestinian “summer camps” which encourage children to become suicide bombers. One such camp is named for Wafa Idris, a female suicide bomber.

[...]

UNICEF’s focus on politics and political correctness has come at the expense of saving the lives of the approximately ten million children under the age of five who die each year from preventable causes.

According to UNICEF, the major cause of child poverty in the world is the free market—even though countries with free markets have vastly lower levels of child poverty than do the kleptocratic, statist economies extolled by UNICEF.

A 2003 report praised the North Korean dictatorship:
the particular strength of the DPRK’s policy framework lies in its comprehensiveness, integration and consistency in addressing the interests of children and women. It has been aligned with the collective production system. The Government has proactively broadened and updated its laws and policies on an ongoing basis, also making an effort to harmonize with international innovations and standards.

Given UNICEF’s affinity for the extreme left, it should be no surprise that UNICEF helps fund the gun- prohibition lobby in Brazil.

The Executive Director of UNICEF is traditionally chosen by the United States (although nominally appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General). All of the abuses described above took place during the tenure of Executive Director Carol Bellamy, who was selected by President Clinton in 1995. In May 2005, President Bush chose former Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman as executive director.

While there is no reason to believe that Veneman shares Bellamy’s extreme Left agenda, it would be fair to say that she has a long way to go to fix UNICEF. The organization today stills promotes the Brazilian gun prohibition lobby Viva Rio, and funds the pro-terrorist Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation as one of its “partners” in what it calls “occupied Palestinian territory.” UNICEF also “partners” with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which uses ambulances to transport terrorists and their weapons, and whose personnel have participated in suicide bombings.

UNICEF’s executive board includes China (whose forced abortion policy is neither pro-life, nor pro-choice, nor pro-child) and Bhutan (where children are among the many victims of the regime’s human rights abuses). UNICEF has doled out unaccountable money to the North Korean regime.

Under Veneman, UNICEF is not as bad as it was under Bellamy, and even under Bellamy, the organization performed some good works. However, most people who give money to groups which help children would prefer that none of their donations be used to finance terrorism, the destruction of civil liberties, or tyranny. "
National Review Online (NRO) (American; Secular; Conservative)
26 / 10 | October / 2007

Whatever the conservative write for the National Review Online says, many of UNICEF's projects for promoting abortion, and also contraception come under the new leadership. SImply because a previous leader was appointed by a Democrat, does not make a Republican any better for the job.

On 8 March 2009 she said in "Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman on International Women’s Day 2009":

"In places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where five million people have died in the conflict, sexual violence leaves many survivors with horrific injuries, emotional wounds, HIV and AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. It can inflict devastating long-term consequences on the lives of the affected women and girls, and on entire societies. "
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund
08 / 03 | March / 2009

But Unicef has changed leadership again, likely once again swinging further left:

"Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Anthony Lake, who served as national security adviser to former President Bill Clinton, has been endorsed by the Obama administration to head the United Nations Children’s Fund, a U.S. official said.

[...]

During President Barack Obama’s campaign for the White House, Lake served as a foreign policy adviser to him."
Bloomberg (Secular; Independent; American)
18 / 02 | February / 2010

Lake was linked to a campaign scandal during his serving under Clinton, according to Time Magazine (American; Secular; Independent; liberal)

24 / 02 | February / 1997

.

He has also continued UNICEF advocacy for girls' "empowerment" and "education" in re "health", possibly a reference to their programs promoting contraception and abortion, and saying that saving mothers' lives is the most important part of saving children, and reducing global poverty:

"Admitting that some progress is being made to save both child and maternal lives, Mr Lake pointed out that the Countdown Decade Report is important in that it reveals the startling truth: “We are not making enough progress: 19 million children and women have died because of treatable causes since the last Countdown report (in 2008).” Mr Lake emphasized that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were inter-connected, linking girl’s education and empowerment to health of women and children: connection between saving mothers’ and children’s lives: “I know that saving mother’s lives (MDG5) is the single most important factor in saving children (and achieving MDG 4)...and reducing global poverty (MDG1).” He concluded by applauding the health care professionals’ work and action: “We can do this, but only by working in partnership with governments, civil society...and most of all, families who are most affected. We have a tremendous responsibility to do what we must do—now!"
WHO World Health Organization
08 / 06 | June / 2010

Countdown Decade Report takes special note of contraceptives, and advocates an increase in funding for "family planning services", also looking into maternal deaths due to abortion.

Although Anthony/Tony Lake does seem to now emphasize the need for skilled birth attendants:

"“Saving women’s lives is an important factor in saving children’s lives, just as improving women’s status in the world may well be the single most important factor in reducing global poverty.

“UNICEF strongly supports the Muskoka Initiative’s emphasis on strengthening health systems to improve maternal and child health. Prenatal care, skilled birth attendants, early and exclusive breast feeding, better primary medical care – these are key interventions we know can prevent the causes of most neonatal and many maternal deaths. To make a sustainable difference, we also need to work together to scale up integrated, community-based services that can save many child lives and are not only cost-effective, but also well designed to reach those in greatest need.

“Today, the G8 countries have renewed their commitment to maternal and child health, and we must all hold ourselves accountable for achieving greater progress on this critical challenge.”"
UNICEF
25 / 06 | June / 2010

The Muskoko Initiative which he praises, once against uses language that makes clear what was already known about G8 efforts, given the controversy of Canada not wanting to fund abortion:

"2. Scope: The Initiative is related to MDGs 4 and 5, as well as elements of MDGs 1 (nutrition) and 6 (HIV/AIDS, malaria). The Initiative is focused on achieving significant progress on health system strengthening in developing countries facing high burdens of maternal and under-five child mortality and an unmet need for family planning. Improving maternal and under-five child health requires comprehensive, high impact and integrated interventions at the community level, across the continuum of care, i.e., pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth, infancy, and early childhood.

3. This Initiative includes elements such as: antenatal care; attended childbirth; post-partum care; sexual and reproductive health care and services, including voluntary family planning; health education; treatment and prevention of diseases including infectious diseases; prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; immunizations; basic nutrition and relevant actions in the field of safe drinking water and sanitation."
Muskoka Initiative
G8 Summit, June 2010

""For American children and parents, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF offers an impactful way to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children," says Selena. "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was created to support UNICEF, which has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world.""
Seventeen Magazine (American; Secular; Independent)
01 / 07 | July / 2010

Selena may believe her claim on more lives saved, and that may be the case, the problem lies with lives lost due to UNICEF. Her direct linking of buying Dream Out Loud to UNICEF, means that those who buy her product will be supporting UNICEF's efforts in the world. After all, she says her fans can make a difference via Dream Out Loud's support of groups such as Unicef. I do hope she is not intentionally supporting such an organization. Her association with pro-abortion groups, and other issues, are of some concern, although I have never read or seen or heard her directly support abortion, although she linked to a video on her twitter of Pink's Dear Mr President, which was addressed to George Bush, Although Selena linked during Obama's presidency: the song advocates abortion and de jure homosexual "marriage". She is also performing at this year's Lilith Fair, which is concerning given the tour's history with abortion. I do believe our service was justified in our "harsh tone" article, none the less, the reader comment was more than welcome, and enabled this long response, precisely because we so value their opinion, and desire to show our reasoning why we warned our readers.

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Bias in Reuters? :Pentagon says troop survey not biased against gays | Reuters

2010-07-10T02:04:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Analytical Article by Marc Aupiais

Article summary: looks into either an error or a misrepresentation by a Reuters article, as well as into the arguments surrounding a US policy and the law that policy stifles.

Pentagon says troop survey not biased against gays | Reuters

So goes a headline in a Reuters (British; Independent; Secular) piece on the controversial repeal of the policy of don't ask don't tell, or so they inaccurately claim to start. Don't ask don't tell won't be repealed: all it entailed was taking questions on a trooper's sexuality from questionnaires, without lifting the ban on homosexuals in the military: creating the de facto position, that homosexuals who wanted to serve would keep quiet and other troops would not ask if they were that. Pretty much the same as if our army were to get rid of the question of how old a trooper was.

The more concerning issue lies here, to quote their article:

"The Palm Center, a research institute of the University of California, Santa Barbara, was one of the groups critical of the overall polling approach by the Pentagon.

"Why would you ask those questions unless you thought there was something potentially wrong with (that group)?" asked Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin. "You would never have a survey asking: Would you share a shower with a Catholic soldier?""
09 / 07 | July / 2010

It makes it seem as though the man and centre quoted have no specific agenda, not so if one researches his history and the centre's history (interestingly they call it the Palm Center, and not the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military [CSSMM] by which it was often referred to as in the past, before it decided on a name change it seems),

"WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A pro-homosexual group known as Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military (CSSMM), a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, claims to have unearthed a current Pentagon document that lists homosexuality as a psychological disorder."
LifesiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; Read in and trusted in the Vatican) 20 / 06 | June / 2006

The Palm Center is more than simply an activist group, even liberal media such as CNN see it as much more:

"The Palm Center, which circulated the statement calling for the repeal of the "don't ask-don't tell" policy, is looking to President-elect Barack Obama to address the controversial issue of gays in the"
CNN (Activist; Left leaning; American; Independent; Secular) 17 / 12 | November / 2008

In other words, the very group with instituted the call for a change of policy is being quoted like an independent objective source which disagrees.

NRO National Review Online's conservative think tank further notes how the Palm Center has been an active proponent of doing away with the law, without military input why they would possibly oppose any survey:

"Someone needs to break this news to the Michael D. Palm Center, an activist group based at the University of California–Santa Barbara that used to call itself the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military. On Monday the Palm Center issued a pretentious and legally absurd report claiming that President Obama can indeed snap his fingers with an executive order suspending enforcement of the 1993 law stating that homosexuals are not eligible to serve in the military. That law, Section 654, Title 10, differs from Bill Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” administrative policy because it states that homosexuals are not eligible to serve in uniform.

Even Pennsylvania Democrat Joe Sestak, co-sponsor of a House bill (H.R. 1283) to repeal the 1993 law, recently told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that President Obama should not try to get around Congress on a matter such as this. “We are a nation of laws,” said Sestak, “and in the last administration we saw executive actions that seemed to bend if not break those laws.”

The Palm Center’s desperation strategy seemed to be reflected during last Sunday’s ABC News program “This Week.” Host George Stephanopoulos aggressively questioned Pres. Barack Obama’s national security adviser, James Jones, on the issue of homosexuals in the military. Acknowledging congressional and military resistance to Obama’s position on the issue, Stephanopoulos suggested that the president should try to circumvent the law by suspending enforcement.

The question reflected the Palm Center’s latest polemic, which encourages the president to stop enforcing the law, rendering it essentially meaningless. Using contrived arguments, the Palm Center gay-studies scholars unconvincingly tried to justify unilateral non-enforcement of the law. The document advocates an interpretation based on the rarely used authority that underlies presidential “stop-loss” orders that sometimes are issued to keep troops in the field during a military or national emergency."
National Review Online (American; Independent; Secular; Conservative)analytical editorial on 14 / 05 | May / 2009

The current poll seems to be addressing concerning results in the past which say that there may be a mass exodus of American troops if homosexual troops are allowed to serve de jure in the US military:

"The 2008 Military Times Poll asked a new question that produced jaw-dropping results: “If the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy is overturned and gays are allowed to serve openly, how would you respond?” The article emphasized that 71% of respondents said they would continue to serve. But almost 10% said “I would not re-enlist or extend my service,” and 14% said “I would consider not re-enlisting or extending my service.” Only 6% expressed “No Opinion.” Before voting to repeal the law, Section 654, Title 10, members of Congress, and President-elect Barack Obama, ought to do the math.

[...]

The December 2006 news release announcing the often-quoted Zogby Poll on this subject, which was paid for by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military (now called the Michael D. Palm Center), blatantly spun the story by omitting mention of responses to the key question asked — Should homosexuals serve openly in the military? The 26% of Zogby respondents who favored repeal of the law could not compete with the combined 69% of people who said that they were opposed or neutral on that question. This was hardly a mandate for radical cultural change in the military."
National Review Online (American; Independent; Secular; Conservative)analytical editorial on 02 / 01 | January / 2009

Christian Science Monitor, an American secular service which supports lifting of the ban says:

"“Is that where we as a country want to be? I think not,” says Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is lobbying for a repeal to the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) ban.

More than 25 countries specifically allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military, including all original NATO signatories except the US and Turkey.

Some 16 countries – including Pakistan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen – bar open homosexuals from serving in the military. Across Africa, 37 countries declare homosexuality outright illegal – inside the military or out. Last week, two civilian men in Malawi were convicted and sentenced to serve 14 years in prison for homosexuality.

[...]

Already, US service members serve alongside gays and lesbians. The Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, has estimated that some 66,000 gay and lesbian troops serve (pdf download) in the US forces today. And Britain, a key ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, has allowed homosexuals to openly serve in its military for a decade.

Canada and Australia lifted their bans in 1992, followed by Israel in 1993, and South Africa in 1998. The lift on bans did not result in a mass “coming out,” the Palm Center found, nor were there instances of increased harassment of or by gay people.

When Britain looked to repeal its ban, its military initially considered DADT. But they found it was a “disaster,” which “hadn’t worked,” was “unworkable” and was “hypocritical,” according to the Palm Center’s report, "Gays in Foreign Militaries 2010: A Global Primer."

Instead, the British military based its regulations on the Australian model, which simply ban public displays of affection, harassment and inappropriate relationships – regardless of whether the couple was gay or straight. In 2002, the British Ministry of Defense reconfirmed that “there has been no discernible impact on operational effectiveness” as a result of ending the gay ban and that “no further review of the Armed Forces policy on homosexuality” was necessary.

[...]

Concern that the repeal of DADT will reduce the number of volunteers is unfounded, according to Dr. Nathaniel Frank, primary author of the Palm Center Report. In Britain and Canada, roughly two-thirds of the military said it would refuse to serve with open gays, but in reality no more than three people in each country actually resigned, according to the report. [Although it is not resignations which are referred to in American polls but people who refuse to re-enlist]"
28 / 05 | May / 2010

Of course in the cases noted, the countries involved are ones where homosexuals enjoy special political or legal protections, as compared to the vastly polarised United States, and what seemed to be cited as working was a more general ban on relationships in the military, and troops it seems were still too scared to "come out" the Palm Center, once again cited as pushing for the reform, claims. If there is real tolerance in the military structures of these countries, and homosexuals are not intimidated into silence, why would they not "come out", many of the inside concerns related more to unit cohesion in combat than to people resigning. The concern is over lives possibly lost, due to the position homosexuals in a military face. I might note, South Africa is not, and since Apartheid, has not been an ally of America, South Africa is a member of the non-aligned movement and is much more closely linked to China and Cuba, than it is to America. In fact, it is one of the few countries which periodically stands up to America, and 4 of 5 South Africans oppose all homosexual acts, meaning that even if gays were to serve in an organization as dangerous as the underpaid under resourced SANDF, they would be very unlikely to "come out", for fear of reprisals. Once again a fact checking error. Though yes, homosexuals, and HIV/AIDS sufferers are both allowed in the SANDF.

As the US's Catholic Bishop of the Armed Forces opposes the repeal of the ban, our service has determined to research into this issue. I personally am unsure of my own position on this issue, as is our service. However, what I personally do best, and what our service is known for is our fact checking ability, and I thought it important to note this bias, the quoting of a particular source as though a differing opinion, as yet not noting that it is in fact an activist organization, this is done both by Reuters, and by the Christian Science monitor, which take the views of the Palm center as though they were fact on face value. The British Army also has a policy of not shooting to kill where possible, simply because an organization says it has been successful with a strategy does not mean it has been. The questions the US military are asking are exactly the applicable ones. The note of "would you shower with a Catholic" equates sexual preference to religion. Interestingly the biggest opponents to homosexuals openly in the US military are in the Catholic church and hierarchy.

As I noted before, our service has no viewpoint on this matter. We do however affirm the teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the norms of marriage set out in Canon law vis-a-vis the theological delict of the recognition of homosexual unions, and the theological delict of homosexual acts, and of endorsing these. I do however think it highly possible, that those who choose to discriminate against homosexuals on duty whether for fear of harassment by them, or due to a general dislike or other reasons, may well choose other methods of discouraging their service in the US military, or of practising their dislike, due to the very different nature of American society. If this law is repealed, it is also almost certain to be used to further the means of Islamist organizations which already have had great success in recruiting militia in their war against America and other western powers, notably due to the sexual mistreatment of prisoners. As this is happening, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which I noted oppose the lifting of the law prior Don't Ask Don't Tell's policy, has banned all people who currently experience strong homosexual urges, from US seminaries, in accordance with Vatican norms on the matter. I think the reason Republicans and the US Catholic hierarchy so opposes the lifting of the ban, lies in the polarisation of America, a tug of war which is beyond reason, whether or not it would be reasonable in the specific US situation for homosexuals to serve in the military.

This move, as with the Obama administration's choice to change "Freedom of Religion" for less tolerant "Freedom of Worship", since an unstable man of what in America is the minority Islamic faith, shot up Fort Hood, as with many other moves the US has made while ignoring conscientious objectors and religious voices in recent times: will certainly be noted by America's enemies, allies and neutrals throughout the world. If bible verses on rifles and bullets were feared to cost American lives, then there may be a very real concern that these moves may even further fuel the fire of America's enemies.

It is however vital that the US military does not ask its questions vaguely. It also is a matter of concern that Reuters did not note exactly who they were quoting. Further, religion is very different than sexual preference, and even more different than acts of a sexual nature. While I strongly oppose America's wars in the Middle East and elsewhere, if it were my country, I would be asking about the mortality statistics and injury statistics in countries which lifted their bans, especially among those suspected by other soldiers of homosexuality, as well as whether Islamist extremists gained more recruits. The first right of any human being gay or straight is the right to life.

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British Scientists warn Reuters: oil spill clean-up worse than spill

2010-06-29T12:00:00.001-07:00

(World Tainted Green/ Social Justice South Africa / Va-browser)

Article by Marc Aupiais

British Marine biologists say that the (banned in Europe I believe) chemical cleaning methods used by BP and the Obama administration, with its attempts to "find out who [Obama] must kick in the ..." is doing more harm to the gulf of Mexico than good. Natural bacteria otherwise would have cleared the oil, but they say that is not politically expedient. This is nothing new, I wrote about it at va-browser a while ago

in reference to: Analysis: Doing nothing might have been best for oil spill | Reuters (view on Google Sidewiki)

Pope Benedict XVI apologises to victims of sex abuse by clergy in Malta

2010-04-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

Heading: Pope Benedict XVI apologises to victims of sex abuse by clergy in Malta

(Social Justice South Africa)

|Download the audio version of this article|

Article by Marc Aupiais

|Clip from South African Catholic channel on Ustream, announcing the breaking news about the pope visiting abuse victims, this short clip, is less detailed than the article and audio of our service on this matter|

Pope Benedict XVI, who largely quashed sex abuse in the Roman Catholic hierarchy when he was given the jurisdiction to do so as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, around 2001, has once again moved against paedophilia in the Roman Catholic church. He did not note the sex abuse crises to reporters on the plane travelling to Malta, rather indirectly referring to actions which had hurt the church, and separating these from the church herself. Yet, surprising some, especially our service’s own editor, Pope Benedict XVI, officially in Malta to celebrate the 1950th year since Saint Paul was shipwrecked in Malta, met with eight (8) alleged victims of sexual abuse by clergy. Four (4) priests were allegedly involved in the abuse, years ago. The victims were all over the age of thirty.

The Associated Press, referencing one of the eight (8), claimed that the Holy Father was driven to tears while meeting the alleged victims. The pope expressed what Vatican Radio termed shame and sorrow: for the abuse suffered at the hands of clergy.

The Holy Father reportedly promised the victims that the church was doing all in its power, to combat the scourge of paedophilia and to protect young people, within the church. He promised it was doing everything to bring abusers to justice. Benedict XVI was noted by Vatican Radio as listening to the stories of the alleged victims, and prayed with them for healing. He noted their suffering, and that of their families due to the alleged abuse.

The move is significant, after some media had brought allegations without adequate evidence against the pope, involving sex abuse cover-up. Notably the New York Times, and additionally the Associated Press, who claim Benedict XVI did not act on a specific case of sexual abuse, despite the issue at hand being a priest’s request to leave the priesthood, and despite this being decades before it was in Joseph Ratzinger’s jurisdiction, to deal with sexual abuse cases.

The pope notably apologized to the victims, not the media, a very papal form of diplomacy and of acting. Benedict XVI has consistently attempted to root out sexual abuse in the church, since being given some jurisdiction over the matter in 2001, and especially since becoming pope. He has apologised for the church, to Australian victims, American victims, Ireland and its victims, and now to the victims in Malta. The Maltese victims, seemed very mature about the affair, and certainly could not have been portrayed as attempting to undermine the church, given their statements, as far as our service has had access to these.

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Gender controversy athlete lands in South Africa

2009-08-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

(Originally appeared at: South African Catholic 25 / 08 | August / 2009; c.f. Sports24 (Secular; Independent; South African; part of News24) 25 / 08 | August / 2009 ; 25 / 08 | August / 2009 ; 25 / 08 | August / 2009)

-----UPDATED VERSION OF ARTICLE-----

Notation by Marc Aupiais

Pretoria local: Caster Semenya, the athlete who has struck up controversy internationally, due to the athlete's appearance being very much like that of a male of the species, a masculine voice, and running times like those of a male athlete: has landed in South Africa.

Sports24 has noted reports of elevated levels of male hormones in her blood, reportedly this information comes from testosterone testing. The UK Telegraph having reportedly reported that the Athlete has three times the normal female level of testosterone.

Semenya's mother insists that she is female, and locally, much of the reporting on the issue has sided with Semenya. The South African Council of Churches' youth wing has condemned international speculation which has lead to requests for gender testing, and members of the African National Congress (leftist ruling party in South Africa) have also stood on the side of the athlete at the centre of the controversy.

The Head Coach of the South African national athletics team (Dr Ekkart Arbeit), according to News24, has now been accused by East German Heidi Krieger of giving her high doses of anabolic steroids.

A birth certificate claiming that the Pretoria athlete is female has been presented to the BBC, by some of those on the side of Semenya.

The president of the international athletics body concerned: Lamine Diak, has reportedly raised concern over a seeming leak of confidentiality.

The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) has asked local athletics authorities to carry out gender testing- a complex process which the BBC reports should take weeks, if the local body even conducts these at all.

The fact that gender testing is not done on all athletes- seems based on the complexity of the process and the time it takes to conduct.

According to News 24, Athletics SA President Leonard Chuene informed reporters:

"We are not going to allow Europeans to describe and define our child... we will define our child,"
(Sports24 (Secular; Independent; South African; part of News24) 25 / 08 | August / 2009)

This seems to hint that local authorities may not co-operate.

News24 reports that tests on Semenya are ongoing.

Communist Vietnam blocks globally acclaimed Catholic World News (CWNews)- CWNEWS

2009-08-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

(Scripturelink.net News)

Notation by Marc Aupiais

Catholic Culture / Trinity Communications' Catholic World News service has allegedly been blocked by the Vietnamese Government. The service has noted their reporting on the situation in Vietnam, as a possible explanation for what they are reporting as a block against them online.

Due to the makeup of the specific site mentioned- it is unlikely that Vietnamese will be safely able to use usual methods to bypass the specific alleged block.

Several services, including Zenit News Service, AsiaNews, and Catholic World News- have reported on alleged state brutality against Catholics, reportedly conducted by Vietnam's Communist government, and allies. It is uncertain which other services, other than Catholic World News, who reported on the alleged issue, and AsiaNews, Catholic News Agency, and Independent Catholic News - have possibly been affected- if indeed the Vietnamese internet is being filtered by their national grid's possible firewall.

There has been increasing friction between the Vatican State, and the Communist Vietnamese government- over land ownership and over anti-religious violence, and censorship claims. Catholic services have increasingly been reporting on alleged violence, intimidation, sanctions against Catholics, and arrests- as well as alleged censorship.

According to Catholic World News: those blocked include:

"VietCatholic News, a service staffed by Vietnamese journalists, has long been blocked to users inside the country. Now Catholic World News, AsiaNews, Catholic News Agency, and Independent Catholic News have all been added to the list of blocked sites."
Catholic World News (Catholic Independent; American) 06 / 08 | August 2009
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=60341

Unlikely to be an error if only a number of websites have been blocked, as seems suggested:

Scripturelink.net news, recently found itself unavailable in the Republic of South Africa, along with at least one United States of America government site, however- this could well have been an error in South Africa's local system.

The report alleging the censorring of a number of websites by the Vietnamese state- in contrast- has claimed that many of those sites which reported abuse, are no longer available by ordinary methods in Vietnam.

By-passing government blocks with proxy and information masking techniques, is a likely method to be attempted by Vietnamese if the claims are true:

In situations such as that alleged by CWNEWS: browsers such as Firefox have been quite easily set up to use a proxy for every operation- thereby bypassing government or organisational information blocks, while other methods actually masking specific internet activity are well known to work- and to be in use in many instances. Both kinds of methods: having been used during the Iranian Election Saga, are likely known more widely than before. It is considered: not advisable to enter identifiable information, or passwords- over proxy- the Catholic World News site demands that users log in, after a certain amount of activity, or be denied access to their resources.

Notre Dame supports Abortion Advocates? Invites Barak Obama to speak: and plans to give pro-infanticide politician honourary law degree!

2009-03-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa )

Article by Marc Aupiais

Disturbing news about Notre Dame University in the United States of America has been circulating:

here is an article on this:
http://cardinalnewmansociety.org/CardinalNewmanSociety/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/435/ItemID/446/Default.aspx

The head of Notre Dame can apparently be contacted here:
president@nd.edu I advise writing and asking information on this: and condemning the action if so.

Notre Dame has awarded many previous Presidents similar honors: however their focus on position seems worrying, and sends a certain message to Catholic voters.

Northern Ireland; Great Britain/Ireland; EU: Europe: 3rd arrest over police killings

2009-03-15T02:03:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa; BBC World News (Governmental; British; Secular) 14 / 03 / 2009; NBews 24 (Secular; Independent; South African: Article from AFP: French; Independent; Secular: somewhat left leaning) 13 / 03 / 2009; Archive: 11 / March / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"Father Aidan Troy", a Catholic Priest: on Saturday, was reported, as asking that the British territory, of Northern Ireland's government: open dialogue, with IRA splinter groups, who continue an armed struggle against British rule in Northern Ireland. He believed lives could be saved by such.

"Paul Goggins", Northern Ireland's Minister of Security, however ruled out any communication, with those not happy with the result of negotiations between the IRA's previous ally: Sinn Fien, and the British Government, about a decade ago.

Following the deaths: of two British Soldiers, in Northern Ireland, last weekend, a policeman had also been killed. On the death of the Policeman: Police on Friday: had arrested a third suspect. Responsibility for recent terrorism, has been claimed both by the so-called "Real IRA': having killed the two soldiers, and the "Continuity IRA": who killed the policeman. Public support in Northern Ireland: among Catholics, and pro-"Republicans", for the original IRA: has not extended to splinter groups, since a peace process was worked out, between Sinn Fien, now a political mainstream party in the region, and the British.

Pope Benedict XVI: decried the murders as wrong, as terrorism, and as a danger to the "Peace Process", in Northern Ireland(Archive: 11 / March / 2009), and it is unlikely that these two new incidences will do much to alter the political scene in Ireland.

The IRA, itself: was condemned for terrorist activities by the Catholic church. Sinn Fien, which some still associate with the old IRA ("Irish Republican Army"), which unlike the IRA, when still operational: desires to have Northern Ireland Join Ireland by peaceful, political means: has more than predictably condemned the killings.

The killings seem to hint at a higher death rate than seen in a long while in Northern Ireland. They may have been prompted by, possibly ill-timed, and unwise: new efforts by the British: to weed out the last latent splinters of the IRA, who remain armed.

Northern Ireland has some autonomy from Britain: British Abortion laws: for instance do not extent to the semi-autonomous region, however: it is not independent of Britain, nor has it gained freedom from the "United Kingdom", as Southern Ireland ("The Republic of Ireland") did.

British Descendants of troops once sent to occupy Ireland, who later settled in the Northern region, who have demographically often been "Protestant", and those who were occupied by Britain, and desire to join Southern Ireland(Demographically mostly "Catholics"), disagree over which territory, and into which country, "Northern Ireland" should belong.

The control of what was once mainstream British Protestantism: by the British crown, certainly at one stage played a part in the disagreement: between those supporting Ireland, and those for "Great Britain".

Part of Why I cannot see how abortion: can possibly be anything but Legally Defined Genocide: however you view it!

2009-03-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

According to The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights: for the United Nation, in the:
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

Approved and proposed for signature and ratification or accession by
General Assembly resolution 260 A (III) of 9 December 1948

entry into force 12 January 1951, in accordance with article XIII

"Article 2

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

9 December 1948;
12 January 1951;

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/p_genoci.htm

These are genocide.

Acticle 2, section d: obviously refers to the destruction of potential population. The declaration does to refer to the prevention of one, or a million births: only to preventing births.

Legal abortion: whatever its' other intents: intends to prevent some, if not many future citizens of humanity, and of the countries where it is legal: from being born.

Thus: it destroys part of a future population: via imposed laws: which prevent citizens from stopping abortion, and which cause people to be allowed to perfrom abortions.

Therefore: whether or not the child is a person: does not make Abortion by state, or aided by state anything but Genocide in my possibly uneducated opinion.

How then: do so many governments throughout the world: so easily ignore what the World has declared as genocide?

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Canada: North America: Development and Peace (Caritas Canada)/ Canadian bishops: Funding Abortionist groups in mexico: LifesiteNews

2009-03-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. archive: 28th of September 2008; LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian) 12 / 03 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

--Yesterday--2009: 12th day of March--Canada/Mexico--Church organization helps fund abortionist activists--

Those who were shocked when the Australian Government allegedly lifted a ban on giving taxpayers money to abortionistic groupings, will be more shocked to hear that those supporting abortion, and aiming to legitimize it in Mexico, are receiving money given to "Development and Peace" (Caritas Canada): in good conscience. Development and Peace: in the fundraising body of the Canadian Bishops' Conference.

Caritas' Canadian Arm: not only doesn't deny or dispute evidence, that it its supporting pro-abortionist groupings: who are attempting to widen the noose over Mexico: but further admits to having no policy on the issue of abortion: and it is not an issue as to funding an organization, as to whether or not they partake in the killing of unborn children: according to Caritas' Canadian Arm: "Development and peace": who have given money given in good conscience: to the cause of allowing widespread killing of unborn infants in Mexico, Latin America.

"Catholic" support of what the church sees as a Genocide against the rights of the unborn: is often pivotal to the success of abortionists in killing the unborn child. The money given to these organizations, and prestige of working with the church: undoubtedly allows them to donate more resources to legalizing the rip[ping apart, or burning to death of unborn babies.

That many of the worst agents in the world: of the so-called "Culture of Death", are church-going "Catholics" is not surprising. That An SSPX bishop is banned from many churches: while abortionists receive, and desecrate our lord and Savior, at Mass: is shocking and disgusting.

This is not the first time that Canada's Catholic Bishops have directly aided abortionists' agendas. Previously: the Canadian church supported a Canadian march: supporting abortion, and homosexual unions. The "Catholic Womens' League" leadership in Canada: also partook in such, via the same march (archive: 28th of September 2008).

In South Africa: "The Southern Cross", an organization partly owned by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC): not only regularly attacks the Vatican: when secular news praises it: but has also been caught out fronting abortionist arguments, and supporting contraception, and gay priests.

Aiding abortion: is an activity: which very likely results in the automatic excommunication from the Catholic church: preventing absolution in confession: such spiritual excommunication: needs a special confession and absolution to be lifted.

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South Africa: South Africans Abroad (Expatriots): May Vote: Const. Court

2009-03-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. BBC World News (Governmental; British; Secular) 12 / 03 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

--Johannesburg, South Africa -- Thursday 12th March 2009--

Under ANC leadership, millions of South Africans have left, either due to openly racially based policies: designed to "transform" the workplace (replace white people with Black people: often irrespective of skills levels), get rid of "elitist" education, such as Advanced program Mathematics, and to conduct other forms of social engineering, and the like. Corruption, and crime have also caused an exodus, with the chief of police suspected of aiding organized crime: the organization investigating this disbanded, and South Africa's mooted next president: facing over 700 (Seven Hundred)charges of corruption from the same disbanded organization. To say nothing of electoral violence, murders, widely noted voter intimidation, incitement of political and ethnic violence, to say just some of the things, which have caused South Africans to leave, while the ANC (African national Congress) has "cared", for South Africa, these past 15 or more or less years.

Today, the Constitutional Court, in Johannesburg, upheld a plea, launched by an opposition party, to allow South Africans abroad to be able to vote, if registered.

Some of those who voted with their legs, perhaps: now can help keep South African Democracy safe. Mr Jacob Zuma, the ANC candidate for the election, has not even completed his schooling. Many ANC candidates have been caught in corruption, and those in power currently, kicked South Africa's previous president out of office, before his term was complete.

Fortunately, the Constitutional court, has ruled, and just some of the South Africans abroad, will be able to vote.

The IEC (Independent Electoral Board (of South Africa)), has said that it is prepared to take on foreign based voters. They must inform them of an intent to vote before March 27th 2009. It is very likely that Foreign based voters, who are registered, will be able to vote at South African Embassies overseas, however, we do not have the exact details of the plan with certainty as yet.

The ANC, is widely thought to be those who will win the next election, despite corruption, and a rise in unemployment. 2 000 000 (Two Million) South Africans are living abroad. Often Crime, and fears for job security, are sited as reasons for leaving South Africa. Many skilled workers have left the country.

At least now those expats (expatriots) who are warned in time, will not be disenfranchised this election (prevented from voting), rather, they shall have suffrage to help shape South Africa's future.

Zimbabwe; SADC Region; Africa: Mrs Tsvangirai "assasinated", Morgan in foreign hospital?

2009-03-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Google News Search (assorted, diverse sources) __/__/__; IOL (South African; Secular; Independent) 08 / 03 / 2009; BBC World News (Governmental; British; Secular) 07 / 03 / 2009; AP (Independent; Secular; American) 08 / 03 / 2009; BBC World News (Secular; British; Governmental) 06 / 03 / 2009; 07 / 03 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

It was a car crash, and the MDC, who have changed their tune of late, were once sticking to that story, about how, Susan Tsvangirai died, and Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, and the leader of the MDC ("Movement of Democratic Change"), landed in hospital, before allegidly being shipped off to Botswana for some reason. Whether or not the accident resulted from "foul play", Tsvangirai, had had a two car escort, but somehow still got hit by a truck/lorry, controlled by a partner of USAID, operating in Zimbabwe. The lack of a police escort is odd, it is even more odd, that Tsvangirai, who has allegedly, repeatedly in the past, had his human rights abused by Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, managed to get himself into a car accident, something other trouble persons in Zimbabwe's President's eyes, have gotten into in the past.

Mugabe appeared at the hospital to visit his arch rival in politics, and seemed disappointed, either by the incident, or by some other thing. Repeatedly, the "Unity Government", forced on the MDC, by SADC ("Southern African Development Community"), mediations, called biased and partisan by the MDC, has began to look more and more like an oddity.

One of the MDC's officials, Roy Bennett, is still in jail, after his bail on "terrorism" charges, was appealed again, with a magistrate who ordered his release from jail: arrested on Friday. It is widely thought that the charges are trumped up, and that the judiciary are acting as oddly as Mugabe's henchmen in an election.

The "Masvingo-Harare" Road, where Susan Tsvangirai, called the pillar, of Morgan Tsvangirai's strength, met her sudden end, has two lanes. Morgan had a car in front and behind himself, and still, they got hit by a truck. Morgan Tsvangirai is in a Stable condition, his wife is stably dead.

Deputy Mines Minister "Murisi Zwizwayi", who is a member of the MDC, does not buy into police reports involving humps in the road and potholes. He says the road was clear. An independent investigation is already being demanded, and the MDC, has also realized that they probably need to investigate the facts.

All these again put a shadow over Zimbabwe's Neighbor, South Africa: seen as instrumental in keeping Mugabe in power, the same nation, whose efforts to keep Sudan's president out of the International Criminal Court, and whose efforts to keep Saddam Hussein in Iraq, in power, are noted internationally.

Few signs of stability in Zimbabwe, if any

While Mugabe's opponents, have a history of "convenient" car crashes, according to an American source, the fact, that it was a truck, from a Zimbabwean partner of USAID, a governmental organization, seems highly odd; especially, as it allegedly is the truck, which hit the Tsvangirai car. America has extended sanctions against Zimbabwe, and continues to refuse to acknowledge the new "unity government", as currently capable of bringing any real hope to Zimbabwe. Western nations, don't have any change of opinion of Zimbabwe, since South African lead mediation organized a "Unity" Government, which maintained much of Mugabe's stranglehold. The MDC, was disappointed when sections of government, in the past: used to kill MDC members, or hold them, were not given into their control. These same apparatus, seem to still be used against their human rights.

Tsvangirai, has reportedly been flown to Botswana, the only SADC region government, to strongly appose Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, and his Zanu PF. Botswana, has been giving aid to Zimbabweans, via the Catholic Charity "Caritas Zimbabwe", of "Caritas Internationalis": Caritas Internationalis, is known for getting aid to those in need of it. Other gifts of funding, by other nations, have been fraught with accusations, that such funding went straight to Mugabe.

Botswana's assistance to Zimbabweans

Botswana, and the Catholic church, have both been critics of Zimbabwe's government. The "Republic of South Africa", has still not cut off Zimbabwe's electricity, and has taken no real action against Robert Mugabe. 4 000 (Four thousand), Zimbabweans, are dead, having had Cholera. 80 000 to 90 000 (Eighty Thousand, to Ninety Thousand), Zimbabwean people, have the disease currently.

In South Africa

Due to a lack of compensation, meanwhile: the city of Cape Town, in South Africa, has recently moved to have refugees in state run areas evicted. This follows other closings of camps set up to protect foreigners, after multiple murders and acts of hate against them in Xenophobic attacks. Zimbabweans seeking asylum, were recently shipped off, from northern South Africa's Musina, in Limpopo Province: to Johannesburg, where a Christian church, has been caring for them. The Government has far from welcomed the refugees, but many have had to enter the country: in order to get basic care for cholera, or avoid death, or untenable standards of living. Cape Town, claims that the National government has not reimbursed them for care of refugees. The opposition stronghold, does not plan to follow other areas, in forcibly removing refugees, but rather: has taken a legal route.

The Cape Town action, in South Africa's south, under South Africa's Opposition, the DA (Democratic Alliance), is much later than that of Pretoria, which has already bulldozed away any refugee sanctuary.

The Musina outpost, in Limpopo, to the north of the country (South Africa), near the Zimbabwean border, to deal with refugees from Zimbabwe, has meanwhile, also been closed.

The SANDF (South African National Defense Force), meanwhile may take its own action to remove refugees from SANDF properties. The government in Cape Town has said, that their action to have refugees removed from public/municipal property: does not effect those on SANDF properties.

Meanwhile, the murder trial, in which a South African singer (Lucky Dube) was killed in a botched hijacking: some time ago, also showed what foreigners in Zimbabwe faced. Criminals are more likely to kill a foreigner, than a South African: and many in South Africa, are openly xenophobic. Those in the refugee camps, set up, at the hight of attacks on non-South African Africans, at least those in Cape Town: are likely refusing assistance, at reintegration into South Africa, due to fear, as the burning images, of one famous torched foreigner: likely still remain in their minds.

In Zimbabwe

Suspicions, that the car crash, was an assassination attempt, on Zimbabwe's own opposition leader, will likely further divide the political scene there.

Foreign governments, will likely be even more suspician of the Zimbabwean government than before.

A report on ENEWSCHANNEL, shortly after Zimbabwe's elections, said that due to the suspension of a runoff, Tsvangirai, had legitimately won the elections with a legitimate majority.

Tsvangirai is Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, under mediation brokered in Pretoria. Whether this was an assassination attempt or not: Mugabe will have one less voice in parliament to deal with. Echoes of political suppression in Zimbabwe, are not far from many memories: and continuing seeming human rights abuses in the Sub Saharan Nation, mean that most eyes viewing this situation from afar, are unlikely to take the politically convenient, whether false of true: view, that anything about Zimbabwe has changed much.

Brazil; South/ Latin America: Mother of child whose father raped her: excommunicated, after the nine year old went through the trauma an abortion (Abo

2009-03-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; IOL (Independent; Secular; South African) 06 / 03 / 2009 ; 05 / 03 2009 : note some reader comments on this page are disturbing, even hateful and anti-religious)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Rio de Janeiro; Brazil- - Her stepfather (A 23 twenty three: year old male) Raped her, and her mother gave her the childhood memory of and stigma of having had an abortion. A Girl of (9) Nine years of age, in Brazil, aborted her twin children, as endorsed by the Brazilian Government, in cases such as rape. Having, or assisting, or being part to an abortion, or allowing even one additional abortion to occur, by one's effect, can incur the automatic excommunication, which may only be lifted with the permission of a Catholic bishop: hopefully given to one's confessor. One must confess directly, the sin of abortion, and not vaguely that of wrath.

The 9 year old was considered too young to fall into being held accountable by the punishment, but the mother: was either excommunicated in causing the child to get an abortion or for other reasons. The Child is old enough, that her actions are mortal sin, and will deny her entrance into heaven, unless she confesses her sin, or there is the slight possibility, that she did not understand her actions. The 9 year old, is not excommunicated, only the mother, who endangered her for the affections of a 23 year old, and also caused her to have an abortion, and the doctors who did the deed.

Abortion is the killing of a unique and independent human life. In the catholic world view: it is homicide, and murder. There is also many an effort to help women or their partners, due to the horrific trauma that killing unborn innocents brings with it. Abortion is an intrinsic evil, and having any part in one, and possibly even voting for a party, which is pro-abortion ("pro-choice"), will very likely get you automatically excommunicated from the Global Roman Catholic Church, the world's largest and oldest religious organization, which is currently under the pontificate of the Beloved Pope Benedict XVI. This means that you cannot take sacraments in the church, and cannot attend confession validly, until the abortion is confessed to a priest who has the authority to absolve one for aiding abortion, who must then absolve one.

"Brazilian Archbishop Jose Gomes Sobrinho ", yesterday announced the excommunication of the doctors who took part in killing the nine year old's twins.

The Twins were killed at a hospital under the direction of a: "Fatima Maia". "Marcio Miranda", meanwhile, a lawyer who was representing the church: notes that any health danger claims asserted to by the director of the hospital, which killed the twins, are unfounded. They say that a Caesarean section, would have been a perfectly safe, and ethical option when the pregnancy reached the stage when the mother was to birth the children. Direct, and intentional abortion is a mortal sin of the gravest manner, in the Roman Catholic church.

It is considered, murder, heresy, the killing of one who has never once sinned, and possibly even the prevention of an unborn soul entering heaven. As an aborted child is not baptized, it is considered that it's soul's state should be left in the hands of God.

Zimbabwe, SADC Region, Africa: PM Tsvangirai notes Cholera is worse than thought, as Mugabe, seemingly continues, unabated: abuse of human rights

2009-03-05T23:21:00.001-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. 13 / 01 / 2009; Reuters (British; Independent; Secular) 05 / 03 / 2009; 05 / 03 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Zimbabwean Prime Minister: "Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai"; of Zimbabwe's "Unity Government", having asked for aid, and said that he will not allow human rights to go unpunished, has now contended "World Health Organization" (WHO) figures, which say that about 4 000 (Four Thousand) Zimbabweans have died, and 80 000 (Eighty Thousand) Zimbabwean people: are infected with the curable disease: cholera. Tsvangirai, says that the WHO, has underestimated the extent of the tragedy.

Zimbabwe's water sanitation, and other basic structures of modern, and of basic: civilization, have basically shut down. Many Zimbabweans have no access to clean water. Non-Profit initiative: "Jik for Zim"(13 / 01 / 2009), by "Catholic Development Commission", based in Cape Town, South Africa; recently tried to send Jik bleach to Zimbabweans, so as to place it in water to kill disease, so Zimbabweans could drink the bleached water. Using Jik Bleach to purify water, is usually reserved for desperate rural communities in South Africa. That was when there were only around 16 000 (sixteen thousand) cases of Cholera reported. The Figure has since raised to 80 000 (Eighty Thousand) people infected with the disease.

Many Zimbabweans, however: have little to no hope of preventing Cholera, and those infected in the collapsed country, are oft near assured death from a curable disease, due to a collapsed health sector, and lack of basic sanitation systems. Many have crossed the Border to Neighboring South Africa, for basic cholera treatment. South African Cholera cases, have spread as far as Gauteng, but are largely being kept from becoming too wide a problem. Those from "Up North" (Other African States), who seek refugee status, or citizenship in South Africa, risk Xenophobia, which has emerged among many in lower income brackets, and has seen multiple murders in outbursts, and sudden eruptions of race hatred.

Meanwhile, an attempt at a "trial" of sorts, on Thursday: on whether or not to allow appeal on an attempt to get bail for an MDC ("Movement of Democratic Change") parliamentarian, who was charged with something along the lines of treason: via charging him with plotting "terrorism", whose legal representation has been theoretically successful: in getting him bail, has resulted in Bail being effectively denied, oddly enough.

The judge, oddly: allowed prosecutors to appeal the bail, despite claims by the lawyer for the defense, that the judge himself told the prosecutors, that the chances of succeeding in an appeal are negligible: effectively allowing bail to in practice: be denied. "Beatrice Mtetwa", is the source of these accusations against the Zimbabwean "Supreme Court"; she is the one who noted that the Judge of Zimbabwe's "Supreme Court", trying the matter: noted the negligible chances that the prosecution had of winning: an appeal on the granting of bail, which caused her to be disappointed with the ruling.

The Name of the Defense, is "Roy Bennet" (an official in the MDC), arrested on terrorism charges, widely believed to be trumped up. His Lawyer is "Beatrice Mtetwa", who sees the allowance of appealing the bail grant, to be odd. The Prosecutor, is "Chris Mutangadura", who assures us that Roy, a "white" man: will remain in "custody".

This allowance for appeal: means that "Roy Bennet" will remain in "custody", until a hearing date is set. Allegations by "Morgan Tsvangirai", of the MDC ("Movement for Democratic Change"), that the SADC mediation, which formed the "Unity Government", in Zimbabwe, was partisan, seem far from here, but it is likely due to the cholera epidemic that he gave in at all, just as he withdrew from an election he would have won: because "Robert Mugabe" started another wave of mass terror: by committing human rights abuses on suspected MDC supporters: as he always had before.

Mugabe's ZANU PF, has consistently been seen as abusing human rights, and as not caring for the people of Zimbabwe. It allowed "White" Farmers to be removed from their properties, by inhumane force, and since: Zimbabwe now: has a collapsed economy: only worsened by state policies: which tend to ignore human dignity and basic reason. South Africa, has been accused of propping up Mugabe: both in thwarting sanctions and "United Nations" (UN) plans to remove Mugabe from power, and via accusations by the MDC itself, and by others. Mugabe gave members of South Africa's Ruling, communist affiliated, ANC ("African National Congress"): sanctuary, and a military training position in Zimbabwe, during the ANC's armed struggle against the Apartheid government. A "Struggle", which also involved the bombing of civilian sites in South Africa. After Democracy, the "Nationalist Party" (NP), responsible for Apartheid, at such stage now calling itself the NNP ("New Nationalist Party"), allied with, and was incorporated into the ANC.

Having seemingly used SADC ("Southern African Development Community"), with whatever intent: so as to force the MDC into a government seemingly presided over by Mugabe, South Africa, has since been vocal in calling for aid to be given to Zimbabwe. The Western World, meanwhile, does not seem to perceive Zimbabwe as having changed enough, if at all: on human rights, and other issues: and therefore, has not given Zimbabwe aid: seeming to condemn South African efforts to reform Zimbabwe's image: as a failure: and certainly any attempt to say that real change has occurred.

There is a perception is some circles: that in ceding to the SADC forced "Unity Government" in Zimbabwe, "Morgan Tsvangirai" effectively lost his power base. According to South Africa's "ENEWSCHANNEL": during reporting on the "elections" in Zimbabwe: the MDC, technically won, and Morgan Tsvangirai, is legally the winner of the Presidential post, due to the unconstitutional period of suspension of run-off elections.

Zimbabwe, SADC Region, Africa: Tsvangirai continues in the pathos of damage control in asking aid, as Zimbabwean refugees don't get reception in RSA

2009-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa ; c.f. Reuters (Secular; British; independent) 04 / 03 / 2009; 04 / 03 / 2009; )

Article by Marc Aupiais

Morgan Tsvangirai: Zimbabwean Prime minister, has called for the International Community to lift sanctions, and has warned his fellow countrymen that human rights abuses, such as police brutality will no longer be accepted.

It is unlikely that Tsvangirai has the power to keep his promise. He only entered the "Unity Government", with Zimbabwean President "Robert Mugabe", after being thrawted, and defeated by SADC,(Southern African Development Community), a regional body: in which South Africa, and it's ruling party: the ANC (African National Congress): has great influence. Tsvangirai had repeatedly accused SADC, and South Africa's mediation: of being in support of Mugabe. Mugabe still has ample control over state resources, due to the agreement "reached" by his Zanu PF, and the MDC, at a SADC mediation. Mugabe, suspiciously, it appears, from his actions: is able, as proved by actions in the earlier days of the unity government: to use state resources in intimidation, and human rights abuses.

It is likely that Tsvangirai joined the "Unity Government", in Zimbabwe, in order to gain aid, however the International community, will still not recognize what it considers to still likely be a form of dictatorship, or government sustained by the will of a few, even if Morgan Tsvangirai in some token manner, or in some amazement: has an office in government. The Catholic church in Zimbabwe, also: like the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference: desires for Mugabe to be removed from power, from documents which have been released, this is ascertained to be so: by us (on the last time we were updated, by the SACBC: properly on the issue, unless we missed something, which seems highly unlikely).

Thousands of Zimbabweans have died from a cholora epidemic, due to a lack of clean water. Many others have fled to South Africa, where they face Xenaphobia against "Up North" (Other States in Africa), and other issues.

Our Own Page on Catholic Answers Forums

2009-03-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

We have made a page on catholic Answers forums, if you join us, you may be able to help us create a forum in which to talk:

Our address there is:

http://forums.catholic.com/group.php?groupid=18

The Description is:

"Social Justice South Africa

Group Created by Marc Aupiais
Interested in promoting Catholic morality, human rights, and human dignity, discuss these, and stories appearing in Social Justice South Africa: here, whether or not you are South African.

Here is a group on humanitarian etc news and information which you may want to join.

The news and information, and advocacy of human rights via informing the public (so far) group

http://socialjusticesa.blogspot.com

created this group, and hopes that this will also be a place to discuss these stories, or for stories to be given to us to publish, or where new talent may be found for such."

Source:

http://forums.catholic.com/group.php?groupid=18

South African Catholic gets a possible discussion forum

2009-03-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

Appeal/Note by Marc Aupiais (Editor) of South African Catholic

In our attempts to be at the forefront of Journalistic, and technological development, we jumped at the opportunity of a page on Catholic Answer forums, join our group there, hopefully, if we get enough members, they will let us create a sub forum, just for our news.

See our page/group here:

http://forums.catholic.com/group.php?groupid=17

Description:

"South African Catholic News Service
Group Created by Marc Aupiais
Discuss News and events effecting South Africa, or stories covered in "South African Catholic", or promote the Scripturelink News initiative and Search engine. Note, the importance of this group, is not to be underestimated. An international News and Information Service: "Trinity Communications"/Catholic Culture: has placed the website of South Africa's Catholic weekly, the Southern Cross, on an international danger list. "South African Catholic", being a scripturelink initiative, however, attempts to live up to Scripturelink's international reputation for Fidelity to the faith.

Have South African Stories, or want to discuss what we have to say: do so here!

South African Catholic, has a news website:

here:

http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com

"

Source:

http://forums.catholic.com/group.php?groupid=17

This, in addition to our YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SACATHOLICNEWSSERVIC

Our Google Group:

http://groups.google.com/group/south-african-catholic-news-service

Which acts to take our mailing lists to an almost automated level (this is where you subscribe to our emails)

And our numerous facebook initiatives, hopefully combine with this to put us ahead, but we need your help in this.

Marc
Editor

Africa: SADC: South Africa: Corruption and Politics: Shaik (accused of a currupt relationship with ANC president) shakes off 15 year jail sentence

2009-03-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

(Scripturelink Voters guide; Social Justice South Africa; IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 03 / 03 / 2009; Letters sent to IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) on the 04 / 03 / 2009; IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 04 / 03 / 2009; IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 04 / 03 / 2009; 03 / 03 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Shabir Shaik: convicted of having a "Generally Corrupt" relationship with the Ruling (with a majority capable of changing the constitution of SA, which has changed said constitution numerous times) ANC (African national Congress) President Jacob Zuma, has just been "permanently" let off a 15 year jail sentence for corruption, 2 days after a press release by Jacob Zuma, that he would pardon Shaik on possibly becoming president of South Africa.

"Shaik was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2005 after he was convicted on two counts of corruption and one of fraud. This was based on evidence of a corrupt relationship between himself and then South African and ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma.

At the time of going to press on Monday night, there was a lot of activity at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban, where Shaik had spent a good deal of his incarceration."

(IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 03 / 03 / 2009)

The ANC, largely backed by uneducated masses of South Africa, who suffer from lack of education, and basic resources: after over a decade of ANC rule, is mooted to win a majority, as usual in this year's elections. When a Constitutional challenge on election rules, preventing South Africans abroad from voting: hit: the ANC set the election date in April: this may well prevent the constitutional claim from succeeding. Millions of South Africans have left the country since 1994, due to openly racist business and other regulations set by the government: which has seen incalculable damage to South Africa's economy, due to a non-white skills shortage, and also the leaving of many South Africans due to crime, and a general perception among many: that whatever they want, the government will do as it desires.

Opposition parties have, in recent years, whether purposeful, or incidently: had the police used against them. DA leader Hellen Zille was arrested in Cape Town, by police, while objecting on crime. ANC offshoot: COPE, was prevented from taking to the streets, to campaign after a national congress, by Riot Police, as the ANC suddenly had a meeting nearby. No mention of Riot Police by the ANC talk was mentioned. With Voter intimidation in recent By-Elections, and ANC supporters alleged by the DA, to have been bussed in, and attempting to blockade a DA rally in a township, these are just some of the worries: not excluding murders in Kwazulu Natal; where IFP and ANC supports are alleged to have taken part in violence in previous elections. High ranking members of the ANC's Triparteid Alliance: have said that they will take up arms for Mr Zuma's cause, and there have been comments regarding what seems, for lack of adequate clarification like a physical annihilation of the DA (Democratic Alliance), South Africa's major opposition party.

According to the State, which has let Shaik off due to "depression", and "high blood Pressure", Shaik will not be sent back to jail, if these "symptoms" suddenly disappear. The State has also refused to release exactly what "terminal" condition Shaik has: only mentioning what could be signs of someone actually being in prison.

"It should be noted that in terms of section 75 (8) of the Correctional Services Act (Act 111 of 1998), the 'decision of the board is final' and can only be reviewed by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Review board, led by a judge," Wolela said."
( IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 03 / 03 / 2009)

As the law requires a prisoner to be terminally ill to be released, it seems odd, that a terminal illness has not been mentioned. In fact, unless Shaik kicks the bucket within days, or weeks, it raises the question on HIV Positive prisoners, who have been denied parole until their last legs. Perhaps Shaik needs a change in diet, having spent most of his time in hospital, over what many may see as symptoms of stress, and being in jail.

IOL, probably South Africa's most reliable news source, has more to say, by airing letters sent on the issue, which I think are an interesting read:

Like many South Africans: who have seen so much in the interesting way in which ANC supporters of high rank usually don't feel too discomforted when faced with "prison", many South Africans seem suspicious. Others want more details: some think that fraudsters should not go to jail.

(Letters sent to IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) on the 04 / 03 / 2009)

IOL notes that the state is refusing to review the choice, or to give it up to review, despite the fact that the ANC controls the government, and: "Shaik was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2005 on two counts of corruption and one of fraud, which, among other things, related to an alleged bribe he negotiated between Zuma and a French arms company. - Sapa"IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 04 / 03 / 2009; IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 04 / 03 / 2009). Zuma is president of the ruling ANC.

The African National Congress denies ( IOL (Independent; South African; Secular) 04 / 03 / 2009) any influence in the release of Shaik, while the DA, among others is seeking some form of action over the surprise the release of Shaik, due to his "High Blood pressure" "etc".

IOL quoted a source, which tries to get prisoners rights insured, it was noted that 2500 prisoners die a year, it seems these did not get this parole. Many prisoners have been subject to denials of medical parole, and it is probably a unique case, that Shaik should get it for depression and high blood ( 03 / 03 / 2009: IOL) pressure, with possible "chest pains". Why the public has been denied so much information on this case is odd, especially due to the following:

"32. Access to information

Everyone has the right of access to

any information held by the state; and
any information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise or protection of any rights.

National legislation must be enacted to give effect to this right, and may provide for reasonable measures to alleviate the administrative and financial burden on the state."

(Bill of Rights, Chapter II of the Constitution of the "Republic of South Africa" 10 December 1996)

Sri Lanka; Asia; Eurasia: Tamil Tigers shoot nuns, and civilians- nuns escaping war Zone

2009-02-12T23:17:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Reuters (British; Independent; Secular) 12 / 02 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Reuters has reported harrowing stories about the Sri Lankan War: whereby LTTE Rebels ("Tamil Tigers"): have been accused of shooting at civilians who have attempted to flee the war zone. Those shot include nuns.

The Tigers have been careful to attempt good relations with the Church: releasing ten Catholic Orphanage children which were kidnapped to be child soldiers last year. A nun, who had been moving 2 000 civilians from village to village: was told that she could leave: as long as only religious (nuns) left with her. The nuns in this case: stayed with the civilians. This nun, and five others escaped with the aid of the so-called "Red Cross" humanitarian and aid relief grouping.

The Catholic church, and other global voices have called both sides to insure the safety of civilians. Sri Lanka's army claims it is doing such: although a civilian building was earlier hit by artillery.

The Tamil Tigers have ignored repeated requests to let civilians out of the war zone. The group could well believe that having to avoid civilians, may prevent the government from immediately destroying the Tigers. The Tigers are listed as terrorists on several international lists: and the Catholic church has repeatedly in the past worried about civilians who have been in their vicinity.

Mexican Bishops Distrustful of politicians

2009-02-12T22:51:00.001-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Zenit: Spanish Edition (American; Catholic; Independent) 11 / Feb / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Mexico's Bishops: have made a release: calling for a lack of empty promises at elections, which could increase voter apathy, and have asked for a responsible program to combat the Credit Crisis. The Bishops have asked for all players in the economy to act responsibly to get Mexico through the coming times in a healthy or better manner, than if the players were to act irresponsibly about the entire situation.

EU, Europe: Caritas Spain, Germany: to help Street Children in Ukraine

2009-02-12T22:48:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Zenit: Spanish (Catholic; Independent; American) 11 / feb / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Spanish arm of Caritas International, and the German Arm: are attempting a three year finance plan for efforts to reintegrate street children in Ukraine, back into society. These face multiple issues, including sexual exploitation. Other focusses of the Spanish Arm of Caritas Internationalis include projects with Caritas in Armenia and Albania.

Some of the Effortis in collaboration with the Ukrainian arm of Caritas, and will focus on children in Kiev, Lviv, Ternopil, Donetsk and Kmelntsky.

The Armenian arm has a special program needing funding to care for the sick and elderly.

Vatican to EU: stop ignoring African human Rights

2009-02-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Zenit News Service (American; Independent; Catholic): French Edition 11 / 02 / 2009; Zenit: here: quotes L'Osservatore Romano)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal "Tarcisio Bertone", on Tuesday (10th February), in an effort promoted by the "Czech Republic" Ambassador, met with ambassadors from the European Union (EU), to the Holy See (Vatican). He showed the Vatican's deep concerns for Africa, and the Middle east. He begged Europe to no longer ignore other continents, and asked that they see and focus on human rights, and crying issues, weeping out of Africa and the Middle East in particular.

His ultimate request: that Europe help the delicate situation in the Middle east comprehensively; and that it deal with Africa: not as though sucking the marrow from the bones: but in a manner which is also best for Africa.

Former Communist Block Bishops: called to co-operate to spread Gospel

2009-02-12T00:57:00.001-08:00

(Journey in a Broken World; c.f. Zenit News: Spanish Edition (Independent; American; Catholic) 11 / 02 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Zenit News, Spanish Edition: is reporting that Benedict XVI, has asked bishops in the former communist block, in Eastern Europe: to work together, in order to overcome situations caused by past injustice: and to bring the message; that is the Gospel: more fully into their societies.

The theme of the conference was:

"Mission of the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, twenty years after the collapse of communism (1989-2009).""
(Zenit News: Spanish Edition (Independent; American; Catholic) 11 / 02 / 2009))

The statements asking for co-operation: were made two days ago on Tuesday: by Cardinal: Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State. They were given to the bishops: at a meeting in Croatia: in: Zagreb. It was seemingly sent: in letter form, in a letter written by the Vatican Secretary of state. The meeting seems to have been by the Bishops in Central Europe, bearing the theme given above.

Benedict XVI: emphasized, that whatever the circumstances encountered after the fall of atheistic communism: the mission of the church remains evangelization. Communism stifled the church: and made missionary activity dangerous: as communist nations still do today.

Central Africa: Bishops blame governments for starvation, and destitution of people

2009-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Zenit News (Catholic; Independent; American: Spanish Edition) 09 / 02 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

According to a release, in a Spanish Language article on Monday by a Catholic news agency : Zenit News: the Bishops conference of Central Africa: Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa Region (Acronym of: ACERAC): has placed the blame for poverty: which often includes starvation: on a lack of transparency, on corruption, and in the lack of adequate systems dealing with corruption, and protecting the environment, and peoples of the region: in Resource Rich Central African Regions: according to Zenit: the countries encapsulated by the Central African bishops conference: include: Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea.

Madagascar : Mayor continues campagn: government's "riot police" kill protestors: aiming at violently removing their government

2009-02-07T23:13:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. CNA (Catholic; Independent; American) 30 / Jan / 2009; Zenit News (French Edition: Catholic; Independent; American) 05 / Feb / 2009; Vatican radio: 15 / 06 / 2009; Agenzia Fides/ Fides Service (Catholic; Independent; Italian) 02 / 02 / 2009; 05 / 02 / 2009; Fides: info on Madagascar; 25 / 11 / 2004; Reuters (Secular; independent; British) 07 / 02 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

A few days ago: Mayor: Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo: was removed from his position, by Madagascar's president: after attempting to have the well known island's President: Marc Ravalomanana: removed. Rajoelina challenged his removal: was reinstated, and stepped down: his attempt to have the country's constitutional court remove their president: failed. Rajoelina supporters have consistently looted, and have held several violent protests. Up to 25 people died: at the hands of police: after his supporters were told to remove the country's president from the "Presidential" ("Ambohitsorohitra") Palace: causing police loyal to the President: to eventually open fire with live bullets. Original riot police fled in fear, but others resorted to live fire: preventing the removal of the president from his home. Rajoelina, had promised to give Ravalomanana's: "Ambohitsorohitra" presidential palace: to his new "Prime Minister": Roindefo Monja: who he has declared as such without an election, while the Madagascan president still has yet to be defeated.

Andry Rajoelina, has banked on poverty, and controversial foreign economic deals: and the manner in which the Madagascan economy has grown since Ravalomanana, its president: was elected: without much improvement in quality of life for many Madagascans. His means have largely been violent protests, as well as the airing of an interview with an ex-president/dictator of Madagascar: who is in exile, and the government also: has finally responded in a noticeably violent manner. The anti-government protestors: have attacked properties owned by they Island's president, and have shut down, apparently: all but Radio Don Bosco in Antananarivo: the Catholic Radio station, which has somehow survived: despite questioning the anti-governmental claims, of victory: as incorrect.

The protesters, however: accuse Madagascar's president of being a dictator, and at least 68 people have died, at the hands, apparently: of protesters, who broke into riots: deaths because of looting, and violence by protesters: has not been an unusual situation since their violent protests, often involving looting: began. They say that the Madagascan Government has prevented media initiatives: and objected after the sacked mayor: Andry Rajoelina's TV station: was shut down: having aired an interview: with exiled Marxist dictator: then president, then ex-president: "Didier Ratsiraka".

The UN has called on Madagascar's president to protect civilians, and Ban Ki-moom, UN Secretary General: had on Thursday: determined to send an envoy: "Haile Menkerios"; to assess how the UN (United nations): can encourage peace in the troubled nation.

Radio Don Bosco, and Fides News: both believe that the protests are losing power. Claims exist that tensions still are there: but people need to work.

While the sacked mayor: has proclaimed that he controls the Island: the government still: clearly controls the riot police. The Madagascan situation is rife with controversy and with complexity. Both sides have now resorted in some measure: to violence. Foreign nations: have expressed distress over the situation. There are hopes to cause dialogue between the sides. Madagascar's president was legitimately elected, and the Madagascan Parliament: largely consisting of his supporters: since his being elected: is the only body: which could impeach the president under the Madagascan constitution: it seems: from the ruling of their constitutional court.

It is thought that Madagascar's violent upstart, by a sacked mayor: may well have been overplayed: that there is not enough support to remove the country's president. An attempt to set up a second authority, apposing Madagascar's presidency, and government: has resulted in a power vacuum, according to the anti-government group: whose leader: has cited this as a reason to call himself leader of the country. He has said that a transitional government would contain representation from all the regions of the Island. The damage of his efforts: on the people of Madagascar: who are angry: already because of economic issues: and the effects of the global downturn: could well mean that this is a situation: that Madagascar could be better without.

Whether or not accusations about mismanagement of Madagascar are true: the Large Island nation: could soon need extensive international aid: with commerce, and communication centers having been attacked by the insurgency.

It is not the first time: that Madagascar has had two rival governments: 2002 saw violence: due to doubt as to whether or not its current president, or the Marxist predecessor: was president. When the situation was cleared up: the current: embattled President of Madagascasr: was declared the winner. There was already the visibility of signs of the current struggle of personality: in July last year.

Italy, EU, Europe: Catholic Prolife objects: Father can't "murder" his sick daughter

2009-02-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; Pro-Life) 06 / 02 / 2009; Reuters (Secular; British; "Independent") 06 / Jan / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Italy's president: leftist, and pro-death, "ex"- Communist pro-euthanasia: "Giorgio Napolitano"; has refused to sign a degree passed by the Italian Parliament's "Council of Ministers", under Premier: Silvio Berlusconi, which would prevent: the Father of: "Eluana Englaro"; despite a lack of cost in keeping her alive: she is a pro-life icon, through her situation, and was sustained in a Catholic hospital: from intentionally slaying her. Patients who have been declared brain dead, have previously made full recoveries. Unless one is to admit the Divine, as the pro-death community is unlikely to do: it must at least be admitted that those who are considered brain dead: are often not dead, and can still recover. Even aids patients are not murdered: those who cannot recover: are given as much life as is possible, and viable. Cancer patients also.

If there was evidence at the time, that "Giorgio Napolitano", of the Left leaning Democrats, otherwise called: the DS, in Italy: then those who voted for him, are as fully responsible for the possibility of murder as he is. Italy, like South Africa: has a largely pro-life population, however: just like South Africa: certain influencial politicians: have completely ignored these opinions, on the sacredness of life.

Euthanasia is intrinsically evil: and is epitomized in the Nazi choice to "Euthanize" Jews, Homosexuals, and objectors to their regime.

If "Giorgio Napolitano" prevents "Eluana Englaro", from clutching onto life: against a decisive decision by the: "Council of Ministers", the "Republic of Italy"'s representation on the matter as yet: then he risks showing why the Catholic church openly condemns communism itself. He is noted as an ex-communist by reuters, however: his communist party was disbanded in 1992, wherein he has since joined Italy's left.

"Eluana Englaro", was transfered from a Catholic hospital: "Catholic clinic in Lecco "; to the pro-death, and complicit: "La Quiete clinic" ("Calmness Clinic"), in "Udine", Italy. "Eluana Englaro", has been in a Coma, on life support since 1991, and is now 37, according to archive reporting. Her Father: "Beppino Englaro", along with her neurologist: "Alberto Defanti": have been spicing up the killing of this woman: as peaceful: as though starving to death were peaceful.

The "council of ministers'" ruling co-insides with efforts, by "La Quiete clinic", to kill her: they have begun to starve her today. Leftist, ex-communist party: "Giorgio Napolitano": plans to prevent interference with the intentional killing of "Eluana Englaro".

His refusal to sign a bill labeled:

" “Urgent Provisions on Nutrition and Hydration,”"

Of which LifeSiteNews notes:

" The text of the law, entitled “Urgent Provisions on Nutrition and Hydration,” reads, “Pending the approval of a complete and comprehensive legislative framework in the field of end-of-life, nutrition and hydration, as forms of life support physiologically designed to alleviate suffering, cannot under any circumstances be rejected by the person concerned or suspended from caregiver subjects unable to provide for themselves.”

Today the Council of Ministers voted unanimously to support the measure despite the doubts of some. “Even those who had doubts were convinced to vote because the government has the opportunity to express its decision but also offers a way to Parliament to decide,” one member said. In November, legal expert Luca Silvestri told LifeSiteNews.com that a decree law was the best hope of stopping the court-mandated dehydration death of Eluana as well as protecting others by closing the legal “back door” to euthanasia by dehydration.

Thousands of pro-life groups and individuals across Italy have been begging the government to intervene. Archbishop Pietro Brollo of Udine said on Wednesday, “The only duty society has towards this young woman is to help her to live.”

“Udine is ready to embrace Eluana Englaro, a daughter of this land. Upon learning of her arrival, I ask first of all that this woman be guaranteed care, hydration, nutrition and every means that someone who is sick, particularly someone who is very incapacitated, is due by those who have the professional duty in conscience to provide a cure,” the archbishop wrote in a statement"

LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian; Pro-Life) 06 / 02 / 2009)

According to Reuters: there is hope for Pro-lifers: they say:

"Berlusconi said that if the president did not sign the decree he would quickly call an emergency session of parliament -- where he has a comfortable majority -- to enact a law."
(Reuters (Secular; British; "Independent") 06 / Jan / 2009)

While some hope is seen in anywhere but Italy's President: the Vatican fears that the woman's father, and doctors, with the country's president complicit in such: could well manage to end the tragic life of: "Eluana Englaro".

Western Nations, in the grips of secularist, liberalism politics, and culture: have increasingly marginalized the weakest members of society: sufferers from illness, those needing care, and babies: unprotected in the womb. Support of popular musicians, such as the band U2, of groups like his which support the likes of "Human Rights Watch", or "Amnesty International": have caused any Catholic, or other supporting their music, or favorite causes: just as in the tragedy of any Catholic who supports "Amnesty International": to be complicit, in the intentional killing of children, unable to protect themselves: and still in the womb.

The pro-life movement allege a second, ten times larger holocaust in modern times: one which; like the original holocaust: is not apparent to those allowing it to continue. Hitler killed ten million helpless Jewish citizens of humankind. America alone has killed over fifty million babies: still helpless in the womb. Catholic structurally connected sources such as Britain's Tablet, or South Africa's "Southern Cross": need to assess their impact: in their choices to appose the Vatican on life or Family issues.

Support of Barak Obama: in the Southern Cross: is easily accessible to American voters: the fact: that this man has chosen to support what fits the material description of Article 2 section d of the UN (United Nations) declaration on the crime and punishment of Genocide: whether or not the children of his victims, are also alive, and victims: makes this beyond an issue of faith. The protection of children: and the prevention of societal decline: as is so clear in Europe's aging population: is both a human rights bombshell: and endangers global populations: and poverty.

British aims: at implementing a two child limit: and reducing population via abortion, and contraception: not only fits the UN declaration on Genocide, and incitement to Genocide: but further: raises suspicions as to why Britain would enact such, and what connection it could have to large immigrant populations, or to abortion groups.

Venezuela; Chavez supporters attack Jews; Vatican Embassy: in further anti-religious possible voter intimidation

2009-02-05T01:58:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa ; c.f. IOL (Independent; Secular; South African) 05 / 02 / 2009; Reuters (Secular; British; independent) 04 / Feb / 2009; Archive: 23 / Jan / 2009))

Article by Marc Aupiais

After an attack on an important Jewish Synagogue on Saturday, came an attack on a Catholic Diplomatic Embassy (Nuncio), on Wednesday: as forces accused of alleged links with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: continue anti-religious campaigns.

While Reuters reports:

" Tear gas canisters were lobbed into the Vatican's diplomatic compound in Caracas on Wednesday, the head of the mission said, days after armed men vandalized a synagogue in the capital."
(Reuters (Secular; British; independent) 04 / Feb / 2009)

The head of the Catholic "Mission" (Nuncio), according to Reuters: is: "Giacinto Berloco".

IOL continues: focusing on the Synagogue, and ignoring the diplomatic attack:

"President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday condemned Saturday's attack on Caracas' main synagogue, which he said was being used by "the bourgeoisie" to fan unrest ahead of a crucial referendum next week on his bid for unlimited re-election.

"They accuse me of being anti-semitic. I don't hate Jews, and I call on all Venezuelan Jews not to let themselves be used," Chavez said during a military parade in Maracay, 80km southeast of Caracas."
(IOL (Independent; Secular; South African) 05 / 02 / 2009)

This comes some time after a Vatican Nuncio (Embassy to a political power), was tear bombed in January already, though by an alleged group: which claims they did not attack on Saturday, or Wednesday: and after Chavez kicked out the Israeli ambassador to Venezuela, over the Gaza Strip offenses in January.

The Venezuelan socialist, has also had confrontations with the country's Catholic bishops: who he alleged had a "plot" against him. The Bishops, fear for Venezuela's democracy, as the European Union's Parliament's Vice president fears for "Fundamental Liberties". Both the Jewish authorities, and the Catholic church: have been accused of plotting against the socialist: Chavez, who is attempting to change his country's constitution, to give him yet another term in office. A 2007 attempt failed: leading him to include longer terms in office for other leaders; to gain their support. Chavez supporters have been accused of attacking different obstacles to his sustained iron hand over Venezuela. His statements and actions against the Israeli government recently, are thought a possible cause for the outburst against minority Jews.

Of a previous January anti-religious attack: The Vice President of the EU (European Union's) Parliament: Mario Mauro (Archive: 23 / Jan / 2009) , who is also the representative on religious persecution in the: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, had condemned an attack on a Catholic Nuncio: which is the technical name for a Vatican Embassy, to a political power. The Nuncio, was in Venezuela, and government supporters, are: due to a past record, possibly: those responsible for both the January and February attacks.

Mario claimed then: that fundamental rights (He uses the word "Liberties" in the original quote): were consistently being scraped into non-existence and stolen from citizens: a statement in which he implicated the Venezuelan government(Archive: 23 / Jan / 2009).

Catholic bishops have lambasted the socialist, and others consider him a nuisance to world affairs. His attacks on the west, and attempts to derail capitalism and to attack capitalist systems, are well known.

Elias Farache, who is the current president of the Venezuelan "Jewish Association", is a voice which blames Chavez action over Israeli strikes in the Gaza strip recently: for the attacks.

Venezualan Foreign Minister, a certain Nicolas Maduro: claims that they will bring the culprits to justice; however: this seems doubtful, if those responsible are politically connected enough. He himself admits that the attack was professional. The group which claims to have attacked the Catholic Nuncio in January: "La Piedrita" ("The Pebble"), are still able to operate, able enough: to deny any recent activity.

Great Britain Government advisor Planning, or inciting Mass genocide?

2009-02-01T06:20:00.001-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Genocide Declaration is simple, and easy to remember:

"Article 1

The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.

Article 2

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

(UN General Assembly: 11 December 1946: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/p_genoci.htm )

So are the statements, and allegations in the British Times:

"COUPLES who have more than two children are being “irresponsible” by creating an unbearable burden on the environment, the government’s green adviser has warned.

Jonathon Porritt, who chairs the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, says curbing population growth through contraception and abortion must be at the heart of policies to fight global warming. He says political leaders and green campaigners should stop dodging the issue of environmental harm caused by an expanding population"

(British, Secular: The Sunday Times :February 1, 2009; Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor; http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article5627634.ece?Submitted=true)

So, does the British government plan to reduce a population group via abortion and Contraception ("measures intended to prevent births within the group")?

As it is, Europe is aging, and dying out: due to the huge aged population, and lack of youth, Britain risks the same: the British Government; like other first world governments: which mess with their populations, create discrepancies between small minorities wealthy, and many poor: meaning that wealth is not adequately spread. Is this a suggestion for Genocide, and will Britain implement a genocide against their own people: Perhaps? We will have to see!

Zimbabwe, SADC Region: Why would Morgan Tsvangirai compromize?

2009-02-01T00:10:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The deal forced on Morgan Tsvangirai, by SADC, accused of a possible "Passive Genocide", by Johannesburg Catholic Archbishop: Buti, has nothing much which is good, or different. It needs negotiation, which will head to nothing for the MDC (Movement For Democratic Change), or at least: nothing much whatsoever that they have not been offered before.

Tsvangirai, withdrew from elections, which he would have won, having legally, already been elected president of Zimbabwe, according to South African experts quoted by E Television. This choice seems similar, to save his people: he has sacrificed his party's needs, and left his fellows in Mugabe political prisons, and Mugabe in power.

The MDC, had rejected the new deal, but after hearing his words, they allowed it: on condition on further negotiations, negotiations, which will likely give nothing to the MDC, as long as South Africa continues to harbor Mugabe's wishes. The ZANU PF, has relied on South African support for eight years, and it is likely the South African aid, which will go through to Zimbabwe, after the "Unity" government is formed, which is a large motivator, as Tsvangirai, sees his people die from mismanagement, a hospital system disappeared, no fresh water: and epidemic poverty, and cholera, as Mugabe does not seem to care.

Tsvangirai, has chosen a "noble" path, as many whose people are taken hostage: do, but this "noble" path, could be what is delaying their freedom: SADC (Southern African Development Community), can only hide the corpse they have left on their doorstep for so long. In either case: it is almost certainly his anxiety for the people he is said to serve: that has caused him to compromise and form this government.

There should certainly be a human rights commission to investigate South African actions over Zimbabwe. Botswana, who has considered Mugabe illegitimate, has given money to the people on the ground, or will give such: via Catholic Charity: Caritas Internationalis.

Tsvangirai's words: "SADC has decided", seem odd: he has not accepted their decisions before: it hints that he possibly was forced to accept such agreement: that he did not have a choice. SADC, has periodically been accused of being partisan towards Mugabe, and against the MDC, in negotiations. Mugabe shielded ANC (African National Congress) fighters during Apartheid in South Africa, and South African companies mine and trade in Zimbabwean resources: as South Africa's state power company sells electricity to Zimbabwe.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference: fears a government in South Africa, Zimbabwe's southern alleged ally: which will not be accountable to the people, after next election: as it is: those in positions of power in the ANC: did not have these positions immediately after last election, and gained such positions, partly due to the impeaching of the previous president of South Africa; using the comments of a judge, not Judging Mbeki, words, which have since been ruled inappropriate, and without weight: by a judge: during an appeal. The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference: has consistently criticized South Africa's communist affiliated, ANC controlled government.

COPE, an ANC breakaway: meanwhile: has not released their full manifesto, something, which seems odd. The ANC's supporters were implicated in recent voter intimidation at by-elections.

Stop keeping Nigerians alive: Gay group to EU; as Socialist Spain forces child indoctrination program

2009-01-30T07:15:00.001-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. LifeSiteNews 21 / Jan / 2009; 29 / Jan / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

LifeSiteNews.com is reporting two interesting stories, firstly; following usual code: groups saying they represent "gay" "rights", have asked for EU (European Union) funding to be outright stopped: to Nigeria, which just rejected "Gay" "Marriage": considered evil by Islamics, and Catholics: and therefore democratically rejected in Nigeria. EU funding has been used in the fight against aids: based on religious views: Michael Cashman, Labour MEP and President of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual Intergroup, is the source of these "suggestions". The European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, should receive a request from the "man", asking them to "re-evaluate" funding to Nigeria.

The EU recently past a resolution, attempting to force all member states to recognize "Gay Marriage": and action, considered the Matter of Mortal sin, and intrinsically evil, by the Catholic church. Barak Hussein Obama, Europe's friend in the White house on Abortion: recently lifted a ban on funding foreign abortions with US taxpayer money.

The Federal Government in America, was recently charged with a lawsuite: after helping fund Catholic Church efforts to rescue victims of human trafficking, because the church body, refused to fund abortions with the money given them. An attempt by the American so-called "Democrat" party: to bail out failing abortion clinics, recently failed.

Spain's socialist, and radically anti-religious government, spawned of an Al Qaeda strike, meanwhile: has remove the rights of parents: to remove their children from indoctrination classes: aimed at changing the views of their society on "Homosexuality". Spain's radical rejection of religion, has caused recent discomfort in Catholic circles: as a secularist government attempts to remove church symbols from public areas: and to force through ideological laws, and measures: on Spain's citizens.

According to LifeSiteNews.com:

"Spain's socialist political establishment, however, was jubilant.

"I celebrate that with this the debate is finished," said Spain's Justice Minister Fernandez Bernejo, who added that "this situation has been created by the bad decisions of some autonomous communities who haven't fulfilled their obligation to educate children well.""

The decision was upheld by their supreme court: another judge: who objected to government policy on homosexuality: was recently removed from the judiciary: purely on his belief that a certain lesbian couple: would not give a child they wished to adopt: a natural upbringing, and normal life. Those involved: such as: Benigno Blanco, President of the Spanish Family Forum, object that the decision by a judiciary, with a history: is unconstitutional, as with the Socialist decision to implement the policy.

Venezuela; Latin America: Catholic Embassy tear bombed, government supporters suspected

2009-01-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; Catholic Watchdog South Africa; c.f. Zenit News 22 / 01 / 2009 ; Archive : 25 / 10 / 2008; 13 / 11 / 2008; Zenit News 10 / 07 / 2007 ; 19 / 11 / 2007; CWNews 13 / 05 / 2006 ; Catholic Culture 21 / 11 / 2008; all sources quoted, are catholic, and independent; The First Two are South African; the Rest are American (USA) Based)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Vice President of the EU (European) Parliament: Mario Mauro , who is also the representative on religious persecution in the: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has condemned an attack on a Catholic Nuncio: which is the technical name for a Vatican Embassy, to a political power. The Nuncio, was in Venezuela, and government supporters, are: due to a past record, possibly: those responsible.

Venezuela is ruled by the socialist: Hugo Chávez, who has had clashes with the church. During Last year's November 23rd elections, Hugo Chávez's socialist supporters, were accused of intimidating Catholics. Hugo Chávez, wants a completely socialist state, and has made controversial comments on the world stage. Tensions, between Hugo Chávez, who originally tried to create a coup, but later was elected, and the Bishops, in Venezuela; are high: due to his anti-life policies, education issues, possible interference with church structures, and accusations of an alleged plot against Hugo Chávez, made against the Bishops in the country. All of this and actual violence has created a tough circumstance.

The Attack is not the first, and previous experience means that the socialist government's supporters, and factions close to the president, called radical, and considered to have religious intolerance; by EU Parliament Vice President: Mario Mauro; who is also the representative on religious persecution, to the: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Mario Mauro condemned the attacks, saying that any future incidences would only make things worse for Venezuela, where he claims that fundamental rights (He uses the word "Liberties"): are consistently being scraped into non-existence and stolen from citizens.

He noted his solidarity with the Catholic community in the country, where this is not the first attack on the church. Previously, also: government supporters have attacked this embassy, somewhat creating suspicions, that they have something to do with the recent tear bombings!

: Caritas update

2009-01-21T01:17:00.000-08:00

(Southern African Catholic Press Releases )

Introduction by Marc Aupiais

We do not endorse, nor guarantee the contents of this email, rely on it at your own risk:

Issue No. 5

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Caritas in 2009
	Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis talks about priorities and challenges in 2009.

Caritas President Cardinal Rodriguez speaks out on Gaza crisis
	Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga urged world leaders to halt the destruction in Gaza. A huge rebuilding effort is now needed.

Zimbabwe appeal: Love and hope in a time of tragedy
	Nearly half the population is close to starvation. A cholera epidemic is threatening those weakened by hunger. The state is collapsing with the economy, electricity, schools, hospitals, water supply all failing.

Terrorised Congo families receive Caritas aid
	Caritas brought to the world's attention Christmas massacres in Congo and is now providing 10.000 families with help.

Migration: weighing up the options
	Many of the world’s migrants risk alienation, rejection and poverty far from home to create a better life for themselves and for their families. They do this because there’s no better alternative.

The crisis in Darfur gets worse
	Violence is increasing in Sudan’s Darfur region almost six years after the crisis began leaving people more desperate than ever.

World Social Forum
	Catch up on who is doing what at the World Social Forum on Caritas blog.

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www.caritas.org	Contact us

Obama Inauguration to cost about 10 times Bush's, in a time of economic crisis

2009-01-20T03:13:00.000-08:00

(Catholic Watchdog South Africa; c.f. InForumBlog (Catholic; Independent; American) 19 / 01 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

When Bush did his cool +-40 million or so US Dollar inauguration, the press thought it could better be spent: not so with the cool +-500 000 000 (Five Hundred Million) Barak Hussein Obama inauguration. Despite a time of economic Crisis, two wars, and so much more: Obama, who voted to kill Abortion survivors, via infanticide,and hardly spoke up on the tragedy in the Gaza Strip, except to bolster his own image, Obama, wants to go in in "Style", insisting on using Lincoln's bible, and other extravagances. As could have been predicted, by his cool political response when the Financial Crisis came out, Obama: is proving to be anything but prudent with American money.

Bush recently set aside January 18th, as a day for the sanctity of human life, including the lives of the unborn. Bush, while being against abortion, and cloning, and liked, apparently by the Dalli Llama, given special treatment by pope Benedict XVI, also went against the Vatican on the Iraq war (Second gulf War), resulting in a massacre of Christians, by militants, and also: has been implicated in removing privacy, and in possible human rights abuses.

Bush's own inauguration, was considered a bit extravagant. The question as to why Obama throws such a party, when his people will starve all the more, and why the homeless in the area have been force to move; is hardly being asked very much, if at all: in much of the mainstream media.

Israel keeps her word: unilateral ceasefire, which Hamas has vowed to ignore

2009-01-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; Scripturelink Voters Guide; c.f. (thanks to a dear friend) CBSNEWS (Secular; Independent; American) 17 / Jan / 2009; c.f. BBC World News (Reliable; Secular; British; Government) 18 / Jan 2009; Archive 15 / Jan / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Israel said it was all about missiles, and considering the more cautious governance, of the ruling political forces, this seemed believable, and appears to be the case. Israel, has declared it would, and seems to have: unilaterally withdrawn offenses on the Gaza Strip, it plans to retain troops for ten more days, however, it will not launch fresh offenses, even as it has vowed that troops will defend themselves if and when Hamas believes it can attack. Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement), which the BBC suspects, could be funded by Iran, along with fellow terrorists: Hezbolla in their suspected funders: has itself, as Hamas, vowed to continue fighting, even as Israel has stopped offenses, resulting in a quite night, after about three weeks of fighting.

Israeli troops, remain, so that they and Egypt, can arrange security, to prevent Hamas from smuggling in weapons, to restart offenses. After the Unilateral Ceasefire, Hamas, which still has the destruction of Israel, which they do not recognize as a state: as their goal: still wanted bloodshed. At least one missile was launched against Israel after the truce went into effect, according to CBS, quoting a source called "Bergers".

1200 Palestinians have died in this conflict, as well as at least ten Israelis. What a child and woman is in this conflict is hard to determine. Being under the age of 18 makes one a child: but in Islamist conflicts, women have been suicide bombers, and perhaps could be militants, and children have become militants.

Facilities, and resources of many humanitarian, or relief groups, have been casualty to air-strikes in this conflict, and the UN is worried about the state of hospitals. Israel was accused of disproportionate force in protecting her borders, but countered that their civilians were being hit.

A probable reason for Israeli speed, and proportions; is that the Bush administration is set to leave soon: even with a proportionate response, it is much less likely, that Israel would get away with defending their borders under the Democrat Obama, who in this issue, said, via advisors: he would not cause two authorities, but who has spoken up on almost everything else. It seemed an odd statement to make. Barak Hussein Obama: voted to euthanise abortion survivors, and wants to get rid of parental consent for abortion. He has not, during the fighting: commented on the deathly situation in the Gaza Strip.

This entire conflict, could probably, have been done, and likely would have been done in a smaller, more civilized manner: if Israel knew it could rely on international support, as it protected its borders. Humanitarian casualties, and the entire situation, would probably have been low key in such a situation, whereby those currently in power in Israel, had previously been extremely soft, even to the point of endangering their political future: on the Gaza Strip situation. They only launched offenses: after a period of daily attacks on civilians.

This is not to justify the offensive; it is however to state what appears to be fact: Israel thought this proportion of force was utterly necessary. Considering stances of those in power in Israel, previous stances before this conflict: should they have believed there was an easier, less collateral spewed manner to protect Israel, they likely would have taken it. Before the counterstrike was launched, Israel, had already given up hope of international solutions. Also, efforts by the international community, as we, and any astute analyst would have predicted, and as we did predict: were not the ones to end this conflict: as we predicted, it was ended purely at the whims of Israel, as would be obvious.

As long as the world shows such blatant bias in judging conflicts, rather than realizing the root cause of these, and realizing who started what: civilian casualties will remain high in situations such as this one. If no-one else will look after Israel, Israel will: the problem is, the manner in which they now can: in that a smaller attack would have had as much backlash, and no attack, would mean allowing terrorism against their innocent civilians.

Blame for collateral damage: must be placed equally on Israel, and on Hamas: and on every biased voice which misrepresented this conflict. Refusal to reason by Hamas, and outright provocation, cannot be ignored. The Hague should be consulted on this issue. From all appearances, it appears as though the Israeli hand seemed almost forced: forced by fear of reprisals when Bush left, and by political pressure, by their own women and children, and rabbits, and dogs, and boys and men: and even an infant: by those facing daily terror attacks: in a war between hateful extremists, and civilians: in which a military chose to intervene.

Before the world says "Never Again", and then forgets they have: one must look at the core of the issue: the reason this tragedy has occurred: lies squarely on the arms of the international community: on the international hatred and bias: so evident (Archive 15 / Jan / 2009) in France recently: which had, when this situation was minor: completely ignored the plight of Israel: so that Israel did, as they always had: and put on a display, which cost, in this case, in a way: 1200 or more or less lives.

Social Justice South Africa: CAR; North Africa: Central African Republic sends troops to Congo Border

2009-01-15T01:29:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africaa; c.f. c.f. News 24 (Secular; South African; Independent) 15 / 01 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"Central African Republic", is sending troops to their border, as a "buffer", against LRA ("Lord's Resistance Army") rebels, believed to be operating out of the DRC (Congo). The LRA, has been accused of recent atrocities in Southern Sudan, and in other countries. Defence Minister Jean Francis Bozize, of the "Central African republic" (CAR), claimed that troops would be sent to the border. They will be in High Mbomou Province, which borders on Sudan, which has accused the LRA of attacks, High Mbomou Province also, importantly borders on the DRC, where the rebels are believed, by some important sources: to base themselves.

The LRA, have been implicated in human rights abuses, and a recent massacre in a Catholic church. The LRA, are lead by a Mr. Joseph Kony, who is wanted in the International Criminal Court (ICC), that is: in the Hague: for war crimes. Accusations against the LRA, include those by Catholic Ethos Umbrella Humanitarian Group: Caritas internationalis.

Social Justice South Africa: SA Blood Bank "Running Dry"- IOL

2009-01-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Donate blood, Save A Life (Non-affiliated with any movement; independent; promotes donation of blood) 14 / Jan / 2009; IOL (Secular; Independent; South African) 14 / Jan / 2008)

Article by Marc Aupiais

IOL, is reporting a blood shortage according to their article based on alleged communication from the the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), who claim that the festive season, has left them with only a day's supply of blood. "Safe" (Donate blood, Save A Life : has links guiding you through eligibility to donate), and regular Blood donars, are advised, to donate as soon as possible.

("Donate blood, Save A Life (Non-affiliated with any movement; independent; promotes donation of blood) 14 / Jan / 2009;) Has links on their site, including a facebook group to help those donating blood.

Kenya, drought a "National Emergency"- Kenyan government

2009-01-13T02:55:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Reuters' Alertnet (Article by Reuters:Secular; Independent; Based in great Britain; Global)09 / Jan / 2009; CRS (Catholic; Independent: answer to USCCB though; Relief Organization; American Based)13 / 01 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Kenyan Government, has declared a "National Emergency", after a drought "has" allegedly rendered +-10 000 000 (Ten Million) Kenyan Citizens "Food Insecure"; according to a Reuters article; via AlertNet: which quotes the Kenyan government. This situational report, by Reuters: is largely based on a release, by the office of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki's office, even as Reuters, but not the Kenyan government: notes the role of violence in the situation. Kenya, has seen human rights violation related accusations, and electoral violence in recent times, and accusations: of death squads, and the resulting reduction in tourism, a recent drought has hit it hard.

Kenya, will now, among other measures: begin to import: 5 000 000 (Five Million) additional bags of maize due to a shortfall: largely blamed on 2007 election violence, which resulted in +-1 300 (One Thousand, and Three Hundred) deaths, and +-300 000 (Three Hundred Thousand) people being driven from their homes, due to violence.

Both the Kenyan government, and working independent of them, Catholic Relief Services, are attempting to minimize the damage done by an alleged Drought and Famine, which is affecting many citizens in Kenya. The role of election violence, and allegations of Government death squads, and political persecution in this, possibly, could have increased vulnerability to the situation. Most of the efforts, seem to focus on basics, such as food, water, and farming products. CRS, is helping supply food, according to their dispatch (CRS (Catholic; Independent: answer to USCCB though; Relief Organization; American Based)13 / 01 / 2009).

For those who want to help:

CRS, forwards one to a donation page: from the article they wrote on their efforts:
https://secure2.convio.net/crs/site/Donation2?1080.donation=form1&df_id=1080

It seems to be their general donations page, but I may be mistaken on this, but possibly, one can write in the "Special Request" section, where they want the money to go: I am unsure of this.

A good thing about, our source on this: US based CRS: is that CRS, has a good ratio: of direct funding towards communities, versus the cost of their work.

Kenya: more general Overview:

Kenya, was once one of Africa's so-called: shining stars, however, electoral violence, and purported human rights abuses, along with drought, and famine: have harshly affected, what once was a nation, seen, perhaps falsely as a hope for many.

In previous articles, we have covered, the political situation in Kenya, having stabilized somewhat at this stage. Recent events, however: show a government, made up largely of people, seemingly more interested in their own political success, than in the success of their country. The global economic downturn, will likely also affect such nations: but with such a makeshift government, the chances are, that problems in Kenya, won't be ultimately solved overnight. Efforts, at helping populations make it through such trying times: however, can make differences in lives, just as efforts in Zimbabwe, and the DRC (Congo), have paid off somewhat.

Corruption, and accountability in Africa

What Kenya, and much of Africa: truly need at this point, is accountability for actions, politically, and in business. That a situation, such as the one: over, or perhaps caused by alleged vote rigging, and alleged political human rights abuses: has occurred: has made Kenya less able to deal with life threatening situations.

Ha Noi, Vietname: Update: Catholic Parishioners sue press, after period elapses

2009-01-13T02:45:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. AFP (Secular; French; Antagonistic at times; Liberal) 12 / Jan / 2009 ; Ha Noi, Vietnam; Asia: Vietnamese Communist administration: continues anti-Catholic Blitz 06 / Jan / 2009 ; Social Justice South Africa 06 / Jan / 2009; c.f. Catholic Culture (Catholic; Independent; American; This is a news alert of theirs) 05/01/2009; AsiaNews (Catholic; Independent; Asian) 05/01/2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

While this is from a separate news source, 2 women, amongst: the Catholics, who were allegedly wrongly reported in the news, as accepting guilt for charges leveled against them, by the Vietnamese government, and who have been given prison sentences, ranging from a year, to longer, are suing the Government Controlled, Communist Vietnamese, Press: for what they are claiming was distortion of the issue.

The relatively large Catholic population in Vietnam, periodically faces, what some fear is a government push to destroy the Catholic religion, parishes, and Catholic buildings are appropriated, often to be turned into parks, or luxury hotels: making it seem that the demolishing of these, is pointless.

The Parishioners, were allegedly involved in a prayer vigil, outside a parish site.

Details are accessible in our earlier article:

(Ha Noi, Vietnam; Asia: Vietnamese Communist administration: continues anti-Catholic Blitz 06 / Jan / 2009)

Zimbabwe; SADC; Africa: Caritas internationalis asks for US $ 7 million, to help feed Zimbabwe

2009-01-13T00:45:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Zenit News (Catholic; American based: Global; independent) 09 / 01 / 2009;Caritas Internationalis (Catholic; Global; Independent; Humanitarian Group) 09/ Jan / 2009 (Press Release))

Article by Marc Aupiais

Caritas internationalis, the Umbrella Organization of over 160 Catholic ethos Charities, worldwide: is calling for US$ 7 million, to be made in donations: for their aid effort in Zimbabwe, where they plan to aid 250 000 (Two Hundred, and Fifty, Thousand), of the 5 000 000 (Five Million), Zimbabweans, estimated to be in danger of dying of malnutrition, and starvation, this is half of the Zimbabwean population.

The Cholera Epidemic, has only had a negative situation on the situation (Social Justice South Africa; South Africa: "Jik For Zim": Local Catholic Project, we were alerted to by the Information Officer of the SACBC 13 / Jan / 2009), with +- 1 700 (One thousand Six Seven hundred) Deaths, and +-36 000 (Thirty Six Thousand) cases reported, on our last checking up on such. A press release, sent out a few days ago, and posted today by us, showed much lower figures, but this is likely due to the rate of increase in infection, or perhaps other factors, as to accuracy.

According to Caritas Internationalis (Catholic; Global; Independent; Humanitarian Group) 09/ Jan / 2009

"A Cholera outbreak over the last five months has killed over 1,700 people with 36,000 cases reported.

Caritas will provide monthly food rations to 164,000 people, 88,800 school children with a midday meal at school, and farming training to 4,600 homes. Caritas will give 16,000 homes access to clean water and provide 5,000 people with basic health care.

Caritas Internationalis Secretary-General Lesley-Anne Knight said, “People will die in Zimbabwe unless they receive urgent humanitarian assistance. At least five million people need food aid but many more are going hungry. The high mortality from Cholera indicates an extreme international emergency."

(Caritas Internationalis (Catholic; Global; Independent; Humanitarian Group) 09/ Jan / 2009 Press Release)

between 7, and 9 out of every ten families battle to survive, many take part in sex work, or sell possessions,
as Caritas Internationalis elaborates:

"A Caritas nationwide survey in October-November 2008 showed that between 70 and 90 percent of families are barely managing to feed themselves. The worst affected areas are Masvingo, Bulawayo and Hwange, followed by Gokwe, Mutare and Gweru, then Harare and Chinhoyi.

Only 5 to 10 percent are receiving food aid. Most are picking wild foods, selling their animals or household items, or carrying out sex work to survive.

Deaths from hunger have been reported and Caritas expects the situation to worsen as the hungry season peaks from January to March. Caritas has reported 200 cases of children fainting at school due to lack of food.

The Caritas appeal with target the most vulnerable people in Zimbabwe such as women- and child-headed households, children, the sick and the elderly. "

(Caritas Internationalis (Catholic; Global; Independent; Humanitarian Group) 09/ Jan / 2009 Press Release)

Donations in this effort, can be made via national organizations of the group, according to Caritas; or possibly via:

http://www.caritas.org/services/donate_now.html

Which Zenit has pointed to, as a way to donate in general.

South Africa, has been accused of not acting against Zimbabwean dictator, Robert Mugabe: despite, the MDC (Movement For Democratic Change), his opposition, having legally won the election, according to South African based, Secular News Station: ENEWSCHANNEL. For more or less eight years now, South Africa has allegedly protected Mugabe from the international community, and has continued doing business with Zimbabwe.

Social Justice South Africa; South Africa: "Jik For Zim": Local Catholic Project, we were alerted to by the Information Officer of the SACBC

2009-01-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. CNS (Catholic; American; Independent; we don't endorse them) 05/01/2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The article linked to, isn't the full article, but it is the only online version, on their website: by the news source publishing. The reason we linked to it, was that we were alerted to the project by the Information Officer, of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, but like what seems to be many of their dispatches, it wasn't in their words, meaning our publishing agreement doesn't apply. They simply alerted us to the situation, without giving an perspective, or article separate from it.

Based on the email we received, and extrapolation:

At least +-16 000 people in neighboring Zimbabwe have been diagnosed with the curable disease: cholora. Our other dispatches have covered, that many need to cross the South African border for treatment. Healthcare in Zimbabwe, is currently, according to secular news: in a state basically: of collapse.

"Catholic Welfare and Development": a South African based, Catholic Charity: which is Cape Town (Western Province, South Africa) based: has set up a project: "Jik for Zim", which has so far: raised $US 16 000, to supply Zimbabwean NGO (Non-Governmental Organization): "Catholic Development Commission", among other NGOs, with Jik, which for our international viewers, is a form of clothing bleach, often used in South Africa: which is also used as a water purification ingredient, by rural people.

The partners in this in Zimbabwe, plan to distribute the bleach, along with information on how to use it: to over 1 000 villages, or communities.

Cholora, is spread via contaminated food and water supplies.

A teaspoon of Jik, according to the article, will purify about 25 litres of water, in +-12 hours. Likely over 1 600 people have died of Cholora in Zimbabwe's recent epidemic so far, which has spread to 10 Zimbabwean provinces, and over the South African border. The agency says, that once they "meet" the Jik (Water purification; information) needs of the local populations: they will use left-over money to supply Zimbabweans with food. Over +-5 million of these face starvation.

According to Health 24 (associated with News 24, South African; Secular, which we often quote; we quote an old article of theirs on Cholora)

Symptoms of Cholora can include, sometimes at different stages:

"Severe, watery diarrho", "Nausea and vomiting", "Muscle cramps", "Dehydration","Hypovolemic shock" (not enough blood supply: untreated: leads to death)

(Health 24 (South African; independent; Secular) 13/07/2007)

As to the South African Charity: for this specific: "Jik for Zim" (Zimbabwe) project:

Their account details are:
Account name: CWD Zim Crisis Relief; Account number: 07 115 5090; Standard Bank; Thibault Square Branch, Cape Town; Branch code 020909; Swift ID SBZA ZA JJ.

c.f.
(Zimbabwe; SADC; Africa: Caritas internationalis asks for US $ 7 million, to help feed Zimbabwe 13 / Jan / 2009)

Gaza Strip: palestine: Caritas Jerusalem medical point hit in Gaza strip; children cry, people in freezing weather: and other horrors on the ground

2009-01-12T06:09:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Caritas Internationalis (Catholic; international) __/__/__ 12 / Jan / 2009; ; Caritas Aotearoa (Catholic; New Zealand based): speaking via AlertNet (Secular) 12 / Jan / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Caritas Internationalis, reports, that a local medical point: treating the people of Gaza: set up by Caritas Jerusalem, has been hit, by what they are calling an Israeli F-16 Fighter Jet. It was one of six points in the area. According to reports, given by the humanitarian umbrella organization: people are in dire situations: having lost everything: many stay in schools. There are stories, of three to a blanket, in "freezing" cold, and of the trauma experienced by children. A quote given from a source on the ground, as Caritas Jerusalem continues to work: feeding 3 000, having given many medical supplies to hospitals; and taking care of minor needs: they say: that Israel has given them the three hour daily window: when they should have given them a door.

A representative of the Humanitarian Organization: Caritas Internationalis: says:

"Thankfully, since all of the families from the homes had already fled the violence and were staying in various schools in the district, nobody was hurt in the bombing.

Indeed, the day after the bombing took place another medical clinic was destroyed by another Israeli bomb. On Saturday, a clinic run by the Middle Eastern Council of Churches in Al-Shuja’ia, east of Gaza City was completely destroyed by another fighter jet.

Not only now have Caritas Jerusalem lost one of their six local medical points in Gaza, but the people of Maghazi are temporarily without medical support and over $10,000 worth of medical equipment was destroyed. Caritas Jerusalem staff are now struggling to stretch their operations to Maghazi from the existing point at Al Mosaddar.

The bombing at the clinic comes at a time when medical supplies are severely depleted throughout Gaza. Since the medical points had decided to focus on minor injuries, thereby freeing up the hospitals for more serious cases, Caritas Jerusalem had already shared much of its stock of equipment to four hospitals. These include such essentials as adrenaline, syringes and alcohol. As the Caritas outlets come under severe pressure, the strain on the already-overloaded hospitals will only worsen.

Fr Manuel Musallam, the Parish Priest of Gaza, said in a telephone conversation from Beit Hanoun this morning, “There are dead bodies lying on the streets. The clinics are carrying out operations on the floor and women have no place to give birth.”"

(Caritas Internationalis' blog 12 / Jan / 2009)

Conflict in the Gaza Strip reemerged, after Terrorist grouping: Hamas: launched too many missiles into Israel, having shot first, after a 6 month ceasefire: causing public opinion in Israel to favor a counterstrike of the current proportion, or of lesser proportion: so as to stop rocket strikes against Israeli civilians. Israel's government, which was seen as too "soft" on the Gaza Strip issue, by many in Israel, was spurred on by public anxiety: with rocket-fire being aimed at their civilians: so as to launch an assault on the Gaza Strip: not controlled by the Palestinian government: but by Hamas. Israel has been accused of "disproportionate" force: in their response to the attack: by Caritas Internationalis, who also condemn rocket strikes into Israeli: by Hamas (An acronym in Arabic for: Islamic Resistance Movement).

"Project Caritas", the South African wing of Caritas Internationalis, along with other groups,such as the South African Council of Churches, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (whose fund raising organization "Project Caritas" is), and even with partnership in the effort by COSATU (which is a controversial trade union, and has been implicated somewhat, as possibly not unbiased in this: by certain views expressed: against Israel, and in other matters, which cause many not to agree with them, in calls by their leader of being prepared to "Kill" for a Mr. Zuma; and by previous insults of the Ten Commandments, by Union Members, attempting to justify adultery), and the government: have collaboratively arranged for a humanitarian flight to get urgent, medically focused aid into the Gaza Strip. To donate to this c.f. : Joint SACC/SACBC Statement on SA Humanitarian Relief to Gaza 12 / Jan / 2009.

Statements,in a press release, we received by email, inform of what this mainly is focussed on:

"Key items to be dispatched as part of the relief operations include medical equipment, medical supplies, medicines, bottled water, food, baby milk, high energy and protein supplements, mattresses and blankets. These items would be purchased in South Africa from financial contributions made to the various groups involved in the appeal.

It has been agreed that Project Caritas, the official fund raising campaign of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) for humanitarian disaster relief would co-ordinate the Emergency Appeal on behalf of the South African Council of Churches."

(: Joint SACC/SACBC Statement on SA Humanitarian Relief to Gaza 12 / Jan / 2009)

Caritas Aotearoa (New Zealand branch): recently pledged $ 50 000 (probably their version of dollars, but it does not add NZ in front, so possibly, even likely, it is perhaps: actual dollars) to the situation, and Caritas Internationalis has asked for NZ $3.5 million to deal with the situation.

Caritas Jerusalem is doing work on the ground.

Here is a report from Caritas Aotearoa, on their efforts, and Caritas work on the ground (unrecognized characters were in the original, it was probably saved as the wrong format, on Alertnet):

"Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand Director Mike Smith said its sister agency, Caritas Jerusalem, has a long established involvement in Gaza. Caritas Jerusalem will undertake the following:
� provide primary health care services and post-operative out-patient care to Gaza residents through its Caritas Medical Centre, mobile clinic and 6 medical points � assist 4 of the Gaza hospitals in dealing with the crisis, through the provision of medicines and supplies, including 2 ICU ambulances � provide supplementary food parcels to 4,000 families � provide hygiene kits to 2,000 families � provide financial support in the form of cash to 2,000 families and � provide blankets to 1,000 families.
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand calls for an immediate ceasefire, asking both the Israeli military to cease its attacks on Gaza and Hamas to end its rocket attacks. Caritas Director Michael Smith said "An immediate permanent ceasefire is needed to enable the sick and wounded to be adequately treated. Innocent people are suffering and humanitarian assistance is desperately needed.""

(Caritas Aotearoa (Catholic; New Zealand based): speaking via AlertNet (Secular) 12 / Jan / 2009)

Caritas Internationalis is the umbrella organization of over 160 humanitarian organizations worldwide. It is a mainly Catholic relief organization, but employs, and helps persons of other backgrounds also.

Gaza Strip/Israel: Middle East; Eurasia: United nations Operating again

2009-01-09T23:04:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

With GPS co-ordinate sharing, and a guarantee from Israel: the United Nations (UN), has decided to re-enter into humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel says it will withdraw, when their citizens are safe from terrorism: manifested in rocket-fire into Israel. Both sides, have: as was to be expected: rejected a UN Security Council: call for immediate ceasefire: Israel called this impractical; and with an American Abstention: there really is no reason, practically speaking, except a withdrawal by Hamas: or negotiations which they see as beneficial: for real hope of these efforts to cause Israel to withdraw: as American support, and the pleas of support of their terrorized population: of the operation: means more to Israel; that the United Nations combined.

Caritas Internationalis lauds the 3 hour breaks in bombings, by Israel; however, they want Israel to stop using a "disproportionate" amount of force, but rather, from their statement: it seems: for Israel: to protect their borders proportionately, and they desire rocket-fire from Hamas (actually an acronym in Arabic of "Islamic Resistance Movement") to stop. They have called the UN Human Rights Council: in Geneva; to investigate both sides under International Humanitarian Law.

They also desire a permanent ceasefire on both sides.

A flight to Israel, with humanitarian medical supplies for those in Gaza: arranged by Catholic, society, and government in South Africa: should arrive around January 20th. To contribute to this: there are details here:

http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-help-those-in-gaza-press-release.html

Caritas Internationalis; among others call for investigation, and permanent ceasefire

2009-01-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Caritas internationalis (Catholic; independent; humanitarian organization) 09 / 01 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Caritas Internationalis, an Umbrella organization of Catholic relief organizations: has called for an investigation of actions of both sides in the conflict in the Gaza Strip: asking that all violations of International Law on both sides: be investigated: and that Israel stop using a "disproportionate" amount of force to protect themselves, and Hamas stop rocket fire into the Gaza Strip. It has called both sides to respect International Law.

In Catholic doctrine, there is a proportionate amount of force, which one can use to protect themselves. Caritas Internationalis makes this request, for an investigation: to the United Nations Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland. They have said that the three hour lapses in bombings, by Israel, are a start, but that a permanent ceasefire is needed in the area.

Sri Lanka; Asia: Catholic Bishop calls Army to protect civilians: while fighting tigers: after collateral damage inflicted

2009-01-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f UCAN NEWS (Asian; Independent; Catholic) 08 / Jan / 2009 )

Article by Marc Aupiais

As the Sri lankan army advances against the Tamil Tiger (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)) separatists, in Sri Lanka: the Catholic Bishop in the area: has called on the Sri Lankan army to avoid civilian casualties. Several have already been casualty to aerial bombing, which the bishop has called the Army to hault when dealing with highly populated areas; or more directly: he has said to save civilians from mortar, and aerial bombardment: possibly allowing for strategic strikes: although he does not mention these.

The Bishop of Jaffna, has said that he believes the army has hit civilian targets with aerial bombings, and is calling for them to save civilians from Mortar, and aerial bombardment.

The Sri Lankan army will now need to pursue the rebels in a highly populated area, if they desire immediate victory. Much like the situation in the Gaza Strip, this one demands caution on the part of a largely: morally/doctrinally speaking, somewhat: justified army: so as not to take unjustified actions, or do possibly immoral damage to innocent bystanders.

The Bishop's: Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam's appeal to: President Mahinda Rajapaksa; of Sri lanka: does not seem to be a request that they do not pursue the Tigers, but that they be cautious about how they go about routing them out: so as to minimize civilian: non-combatant: losses.

Manila; Philippines: government wants mineral investment; and to cut off rebels from gold mines

2009-01-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; C.f. Reuters (Secular; Independent; British) 08 / 01 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The Philippine army plans in 2009: to take a small mining region from rebel hands. The region funds Maoist (Communist)rebel recruitment across the country. Rebels have raided local industry, for goods, and have attacked infrastructure, including a mobile phone center: in order to get funding for their civil war initiatives. The army blames an Islamic Insurgency last year: in the south, high fuel prices, and a humanitarian crisis, for failing to destroy 40 rebel bases they had promised to destroy last year. They plan to destroy all Maoist bases by 2010.

The Philippines is planing to attract hundreds of millions in mining investment this year, making this operation of a perceived special interest to their government.

A recent law past: allowing 100 percent ownership of mines. Those apposing some mining investments: include Catholic representation. The Philippines is demographically: considered largely Catholic.

South Sudan; North Africa: Ugandan "Lord's Resistance Army": accused of attacking Sudanese villagers

2009-01-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Reuters (Secular; British; Independent) 08 / Jan / 2009 ; BBC World News (Secular; British; Government) 01 / Jan / 2009 )

Article by Marc Aupiais

Western Equatoria, a region in southern Sudan, has accused the Ugandan LRA (Lord's Resistance Army): of killing 38 Sudanese villagers (accusations are by the governor of the area: Jemma Nunu Kumba). The LRA has recently been pushed back from positions in the Congo. Caritas Internationalis: a humanitarian grouping: claims that about 400 people were killed in LRA raids over the Christmas period, including many in a Catholic Church.

Accusations of dismemberment, the bashing of a baby against a tree, and throwing a man in a fire, are just some of these surfacing from South Sudanese authorities. Ugandan, Congolese (DRC), and southern Sudanese troops were involved in recent offensives against the LRA. After a brief silent period in December, ending with offenses against the Ugandan Rebels: who have displaced about 2 million Ugandan civilians, and whose leaders are wanted in the Hague (International Criminal Court) for war crimes: The LRA, has since been accused of a spate of brutal, even primitive massacres of civilians.

Many of their outposts in the DRC, have been irradiated in bombings, but their leadership(including:their elusive commander: Joseph Kony), which is wanted for trial in the International Criminal Court(ICC): have yet to be caught.

Recently, the BBC, reported of fears that the LRA, were heading towards CAR, after the recent offenses against them in a national park (Garamba).