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Hojin Choi

We can't point fingers on Muslims, violence - 0 views

  • We can't point fingers on Muslims
  • For Christians to call Islam a violent religion takes unbelievable amounts of neglect about our history.
  • Christianity has caused more than its fair share of death and suffering between the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Colonialism
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Citation:Ronk, Sam. We can't point fingers on Muslims, violence. N.p., 11 Apr. 2011. Web.1 Apr. 2011. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110411/OPINION04/104110304/-1/GETPUBLISHED03scripts/We-can-t-point-fingers-Muslims-violence Summary:This article contains the strong opinion about the Islam. Sam Ronk insists that the Christians make the Islamists to be violence. People think that the Islam is more violence than the Christianity from the death and suffering between the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Colonialism. Therefore, he think that the Americans and Christians need to refresh in order to convert the statement of the Islam. Reflection:I love this article because it is really fresh at least to think about the purposing of the religion specially Islam. This article have aggressive opinions against the christianity. I am christian who never regret my decision; however I agree that the christians need to rethink about what we did for the other religions. I believe that the Islam originally purpose to show the violence; they have wrong ways to spread the spirits. I guess that the Christianity seldom did the violence either. According those facts, we don't need to emphasize the Islam is the violence. Question:1) What is the main idol purpose to the Islam and Christianity?2) Why people think that the Islam is always violence that peace?3) What is the violence reaction from the Christianity?4) Why Christians disagree about this article?
Leah Hop

Priests and parishes threatened by drug cartels - 0 views

  • Mexican priests have suffered numerous threats of violence, kidnapping and extortion from the nation's narcotics-trafficking cartels.
  • a growing number of priests--mostly serving in remote and mountainous areas rife with illegal drug trade activities--have been transferred to other parishes, assigned other types of work or even moved to other parts of the country because of threats. Other priests, meanwhile, have been forced to raise up to $800 each week for extortion payments.
  • violence overflowing parts of Mexico has claimed at least 22,700 lives--a figure recently revised upward by the federal government--since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and sent the army and federal police to crack down on the cartels.
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  • fear exists and the insecurity destroying the life of so many communities isolates them and exposes them to new expressions of violence
  • cartels and their affiliates have threatened to kidnap evangelical pastors and extorted churches and charity projects through protection rackets.
  • Rev. Manuel Corral, who initially denied similar threats against members of the Catholic clergy, but stories of aggression against priests and the church quickly surfaced.
  • In his region near Ciudad Juarez it has turned once-peaceful communities into ghost towns as frightened residents flee to Texas and cartel members burn down buildings thought to be affiliated with rivals.
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    Research Question: What is the cause of all the violence associated with the Mexican drug trade? Source: "Priests and parishes threatened by drug cartels." America 3 May 2010: 6+. Student Edition. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale(en,,):FQE%3D(ke,None,6)Mexico:And:FQE%3D(ke,None,10)drug+trade:And:FQE%3D(ke,None,8)violence:And:LQE%3D(AC,None,8)fulltext$&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&searchId=R1&currentPosition=1&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&docId=A226089688&docType=IAC Summary: This article is about Mexican priests that have faced threats of violence, kidnapping, and extortion from the cartels. Because of these threats many priests have to transfer to a different parish, take up different types of work, and even move to other parts of the country. On the other hand, other priests are forced to raise $800 a week for extortion payments. The violence created by the cartel has killed at least 22,700. This number has increased ever since Presiden Felipe Calderon stepped into office as President in 2006. Reflection: I was kind of surprised that priest are being threatened and that because of this many need to move to a different part of the country. It's sad to see that this violence is turning once peaceful communities into "ghost towns" where residents are feeing in complete terror. This article doesn't really help answer my research question, but it does help me understand what the cartel is doing, and who the violence is being inflicted upon. Questions: 1) What is the motive behind targeting/threatening priests? 2) How should the church respond to this violence? 3) What are Mexican police doing to stop this? 4) How do other cities in Mexico respond when they hear about the violence created by the cartels?
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Muslims Asked to Be Peaceful. - 0 views

  • Muslims to avoid violence in the name of religion.
  • the religious values of Islam are best promoted and nurtured through peace and understanding, not violence.
  • "Religious values of tolerance and compassion, both within the Islamic community and in relations with others, can go a long way in inculcating the much needed culture of peace,"
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  • the efforts of the Acholi Religious Peace Initiative, which brings together Christian and Muslim leaders in search of peace in northern Uganda.
  • "Such collaboration among various social and religious groups in Uganda will foster national unity,"
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? "Muslims Asked to Be Peaceful." Africa News Service 23 June 2004. Student Edition. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=STOM&docId=A118509071&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: This article was about the United Nations Development Programe advising Ugandan Muslims to avoid violence. One of the representer, Toure, said that the value of Islam is best promoted and nurtured through peace, not violence. He kept stressing that peace is the key for better religious values and peace will bring foster national unity. Reflection: I think he is absolutely right. Violence is never an answer for anything. Peace might not always work out as we think, but peace is the ultimate key for incorporating all other religions and achieve better value of Islam. By reading this, Muslims asked to be peaceful, it tells me that still people's view of Islam is violence. Even though it's only a small group of people being violence, it's impact is enough to get this kind of advise. I think Muslims should remind themselves of the foundation of Islam.  Questions: 1)Why are they asking Muslims to be peaceful and not other religions? 2)What is the relationship between Muslims and the advisor? 3)What is Muslims view of this advise?
megan lemmen

Drug Trafficking, Violence and Mexico's Economic Future - 0 views

  • In August, the bodies of 72 migrants were found in northern Mexico. They had been shot after refusing to work for a drug gang. Days later, a prosecutor and police officer investigating the crime disappeared.
  • Its largest market, the U.S., sources 90% of its cocaine from Mexico.
  • Drug trafficking is a lucrative activity for the Mexican cartels, generating estimated annual revenues of US$35 billion to US$45 billion for Mexico, with a profit margin of approximately 80%.
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  • Currently, seven powerful drug-trafficking organizations occupy different regions of Mexico -- La Familia Michoacán, the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, the Beltrán-Leyva Organization, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, and the Juárez Cartel.
  • For example, the Mexican government is working to improve the effectiveness of its federal police force, planning to hire 8,000 additional police investigators during 2010, while at the same time trying to purge the force of corruption.
  • In August 2010, nearly 10% of the federal police were fired for failing lie detector, drug, or other tests that form the "trust control exams" designed to identify officers with ties to organized crime.
  • In addition, Plataforma México, a recent reform related to information management, aims to create real-time interconnectivity within Mexico's police force by developing a national crime database to facilitate tracking drug criminals.
  • More importantly, the government is taking the punishment of convicted drug criminals seriously and has increased extraditions to the U.S.
  • An estimated 7,000 people died in Mexico in 2009 as a result of the drug war -- significantly more than the 1,300 people who are believed to have died in 2005 before the war began. There were also an estimated 1,200 kidnappings in 2009.
  • As previously noted, vehicle armoring is a principal offering of the security industry, and it is not surprising that the growth of the market is most visible in this subsector. In Latin America, the armoring market has increased by 850% in the last eight years, and Mexico is now the second largest market after Brazil. Since 2008, the number of armored cars has increased by 25% in Mexico City and by 60% in the rest of the country. This market is expected to grow by 20% in 2011. Businesses have responded to this need: There are now 70 registered providers of armoring, compared to only three 15 years ago.
  • In August 2010, the far-reaching impact of Mexico's drug-related violence prompted Calderón to open debate on legalizing drugs.
  • For the past two years, American Chamber Mexico (AmCham) has conducted a survey of its members -- foreign and national managers -- to gauge their sentiment regarding corporate and personal security: 75% say their businesses have been affected by the country's insecurity.
  • Nearly 60% of the respondents felt less secure on a personal level in 2009 than in 2008; but the same respondents were equally divided as to whether their respective companies were more, less, or equally secure across the same period.
  • Of the third of the respondents who viewed their companies as being less secure than the year before, the most commonly noted contributing factors were the strengthening of organized crime activity, impunity in the judicial process, and activities associated with drug trafficking. Among those who felt their companies were more secure, 25% credited the work of the Mexican authorities, while 75% attributed the improvement to the results of efforts within their own companies.
  • Pemex, the state-owned petroleum company, has been a repeated target of the cartels. In 2010, the company experienced multiple kidnappings and theft by the cartels and corrupt employees. Reuters estimates that Pemex loses "US$750 million of fuel and oil from its pipelines each year" along with "valuable spare parts and equipment."
  • Kroll estimates the direct cost of insecurity to the government, businesses, and citizens to be US$65 billion, or 8% of GDP.
  • focuses
    • megan lemmen
       
      Reflection: There is no possible way to completely eliminate corruption, even in the United States; the fact that Mexico realizes, however, that there is a problem is a step in the right direction. While it's great that Mexico is making efforts to decrease corruption in the police force and government, it's a task that will take a long time to complete. It's horrifying to think that a birthday party-a normal, friendly activity-could be so terribly interrupted by the drug cartel. As to legalizing the drugs, I think that it would cause more problems than it would solve. Yes, it would decrease the price of drugs and decrease the demand from drug cartel, but then how would they get their money? They would go to other means of earning a living; men who can be violent like this would have no problem getting money through other horrifying crimes. Questions:1) What are all of the positive and negative effects of legalizing drugs?2) Is there a better way to screen government and police officials in order to decrease corruption?3) What are other safety measures that the typical citizen can go through to be more safe?4) What else can be done to decrease the drug cartels?
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    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Duff, Devon, and Jen Rygler. "Drug Trafficking, Violence and Mexico's Economic Future."Knowledge @ Wharton. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. . Summary: Mexico is making efforts to cleanse their police force by performing drug tests, lie detector tests, and other exams to make sure that the officers are being honest. There is also a new program called "Plataforma México" that will try to connect the police force better in order to catch criminals. Many Mexican businesses are suffering due to the violence; drug cartels are using theft or kidnapping to gain power or profit. A birthday party was even interrupted by the drug cartel-the violence is now affecting the citizens. Legalizing drugs has been considered as a means to decrease the price of drugs, and thus get rid of the drug cartels. Some think, though, that this will increase their violence in order to earn more of a profit. Private security has increased due to the lack of trust in Mexico's public security. Tourism has decreased, not only due to the violence but swine flu as well in 2009.  ***rest of info is sticky noted on this page
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Local Muslims condemn acts of violence in name of their religion. - 0 views

  • One local Muslim, Mohamed Salih, is clear in his feelings toward the Muslim man who allegedly went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood last week.
  • He deserves to be at the "bottom of the biggest hell," Salih said.
  • There is a misconception among many non-Muslims that Islam, the religion that Muslims follow, encourages hate and violence. Really, it teaches the opposite
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  • "(Violence) has no place in this religion," he said. "There is no god out there that would accept killing innocent people."
  • Terrorists have misunderstood the Islamic duty of jihad, which means struggle.
  • Any person who commits an act of violence in name of Islam gravely misunderstands the religion
  • The "greater jihad" is within one's self, Salih said, against egos and evil within. The "lesser jihad" means actions to defend one's self and family.
  • In some Islamic countries, women are not allowed to own property, divorce or have the same rights as men. But the religion allows women equal treatment and rights.
  • they haven't encountered hostility from the local community. In fact, they've felt welcomed.
  • The religion is already misunderstood by many, and every time a Muslim kills in the name of Islam, it undoes the work that many have done to dispel myths and misinformation.
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? "Local Muslims condemn acts of violence in name of their religion." Wyoming Tribune-Eagle [Cheyenne, WY] 14 Nov. 2009. Student Edition. Web. 9 Mar. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=STOM&docId=CJ212039947&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: This article was about one local Muslim's opinion of violence of Muslims. He actually was against them. He said that violence has no place in Islam religion and there is no god that would accept killing innocent people. He thinks that muslim who acts out violence in name of Islam, misunderstands the religion and thus he says terrorist misunderstood the Islamic duty of jihad, the struggle. In jihad, the greater jihad is with in one's self, against egos and evil within, and the lesser jihad is the action to one's self and family. He also says that Islam allows women to get an equal treatment and rights. He acknowledges that Islam is already misunderstood every time a Muslim kills in the name of Islam, but he says the Islam religion itself teaches the opposite of violence.
Leah Hop

BBC News - Mexico's drugs gang 'death squad' - 0 views

  • come into existence some seven years ago, when leaders of the Gulf cartel of illegal drugs traffickers took it on as their security network.
  • The gang was called Los Zetas after the Mexican word for the letter 'z', as this was the radio call sign of one of their first leaders, former Mexican Special Forces Lieutenant Arturo Guzman Decena.
  • Mr Guzman took 30 other personnel from Mexico's Special Forces Airmobile Group to work with him for the Gulf cartel.
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  • The original group trained new members, and quickly became known for its ruthlessness, in particular for beheading their victims.
  • The Mexican Defence Ministry has described the cartel as "the most formidable death squad to have worked for organised crime in Mexican history".
  • By 2007, after the extradition of Gulf cartel leader Osiel Cardenas-Guillen to the US, the Zetas are said to have begun running their own drugs smuggling operation from Mexico to the US.
  • In February and March 2010, between 200 and 250 members of rival cartels were killed as they battled to control regions in Mexico's north-east.
  • It says he was a corporal in the Airmobile Group before being recruited by the Zetas in 2002, and it has offered a $5m (£3.2m) reward for his capture.
  • Ten members of the Zetas are on the DEA's most-wanted list, with total rewards offered amounting to $50m.
  • The Zetas have apparently switched their operations from the west coast state of Michoacan to Tamaulipas on the east coast, and down to Cancun in the Yucutan Peninsula.
  • As the Zetas have tried to take over territory controlled by other gangs, there has been a sharp increase in murders of rival gang members.
  • According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in 2009 the leader of the Zetas was Heriberto Lazcano-Lazcano.
  • In addition to drugs, the Zetas have specialised in human trafficking,
  • The Zetas are said to charge $1,000-$2,000 for each man and woman smuggled across the border. The business also gives them contacts throughout Central America, and in the US, where they are suspected of committing a number of murders.
  • In late August 2010, they are thought to have been responsible for the deaths of 72 Central and Southern American illegal migrants
  • They have also become notorious in Mexico for breaking out of jail when they are caught and imprisoned.
  • In May 2009, 53 inmates of Cieneguillas prison in Zacatecas state escaped, freed by gunmen thought to be Zeta members.
  • Some analysts say that Mexican government's hardline tactics, such as the recent raid which ended with the deaths of 27 alleged Zetas near the US border in Tamaulipas, have seriously weakened its capacity.
  • in July 2010 in the northern city of Monterrey, when Zetas leader Hector Raul Luna Luna was captured by the authorities.
  • there are as many as 30,000 youngsters aged between 18 and 24 who have no work apart from the easy money offered by groups such as the Zetas
  • Some 28,000 deaths have been blamed on organised crime since President Felipe Calderon came to power in 2006.
  • He has drafted as many as 50,000 members of the security forces into the fight against the cartels, but is facing increasing criticism because of the surge in deadly violence throughout Mexico.
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    Research Question: What is the cause of all the violence associated with the Mexican drug trade? Source: Caistor, Nick. "Mexico's drugs gang 'death squad' ." BBC News. N.p., 4 Sept. 2010. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11189017 Summary: The Zeta drugs gang, formed around seven years ago, is known as the most ruthless and threatening death squad in Mexican history. Ten members of the Zetas are on the DEA's most-wanted list with rewards reaching $50m. As a result of the Zetas trying to take over more territory, there have been a rapid increase in murders of rival gang members. "President Felipe Calderon has drafted nearly 50,000 members of the security forces into the fight against the cartels, but is facing increasing criticism because of the surge in deadly violence throughout Mexico." Reflection: To be honest I didn't know a lot about the Mexican drug trade, and had never heard of the Zetas. It's unfortunate to see how influential and dangerous this group has become over the course of just seven years. It disgusts me to read about how ruthless this gang is; particularly for beheading their victims. Also, I read about what Mexico's president is trying to do, however he is being criticized because of the increase in violence. Thinking more about President Felipe Calderon makes me want to look more into what Mexico is trying to do to stop such violence. This article helped me understand more about the Zeta gang but didn't specifically help answer the cause of my research question. Questions: 1) What is the most effective way of trying to reduce violence throughout Mexico? 2) Are the Zetas targeting certain areas or specific gangs? 3) Why do the Zetas want to conquer more territory so badly? 4) Because the Zetas committed some murders in the US, is the US doing anything to stop this from happening?
Hojin Choi

Will Islam divide or unite Iraq?(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay). - 0 views

  • Will Islam divide or unite Iraq?
  • American combat troops have officially left Iraq, but religious factions there continue to jostle for power in the still-unformed government seven months after the March election failed to elect new leaders.
  • Sunni, Shiite, Sadrist, and Kurdish political leaders are struggling to negotiate a coalition government.
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  • When religion goes wrong
  • When religion goes wrong, it goes very wrong.
  • Archbishop William Temple
  • When people slaughter the innocent believing that they are doing it in God's name, the effects are catastrophic.
  • If 9/11 showed us the power of religion to cause tragedy on an epic scale, the aftermath should teach us something else. When religion is at the heart of the problems in a country, religion also needs to be at the heart of the solution.
  • Relationships of trust
  • I first visited as a peace negotiator in 1998. My commitment to Iraq over such a long period has enabled me to develop relationships of trust with nearly all of the most senior religious leaders.
  • Through religious leader engagement, we have been able to negotiate the release of many hostages, both expat and Iraqi.
  • Making
  • ake war
  • hose who m
  • peace with t
  • This work has been difficult.
  • Members of my church have been kidnapped or killed. I have lost many friends. But if you want to work for peace, you need to be willing to work with people who make war. Nice people don't cause conflict.
  • the warmakers need to be encouraged to become peacemakers.
  • Peacebuilding requires relationships.
  • A Sunni/Shiite fatwa against violence
  • Long-term commitment
  • This is religious reconciliation at a grassroots level, and gives standing to negotiate at the highest level.
  • raq needs this religious reconciliation if it is to survive. And so we remain committed to a long term, relational program of religious leader engagement.
  • Andrew White, an Anglican reverend and canon, is president of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East.
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Citation:White, Andrew. "Will Islam divide or unite Iraq?" Christian Science Monitor 20 Oct. 2010. Student Edition. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=STOM&docId=CJ239979945&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary:This article about the perspective of Andrew White, the president of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. He discussed about the Islam after the Iraq War; although there are some political leaders attempt to negotiate a government, the Islam still have a power at the government during seven months. The author quotes Archbishop William Temple saying that " When religion goes wrong, it goes wrong." He suggests 4 different solutions to prevent for abusing the islam: 'Relationship of trust', 'Making peace with those who make war','A Sunni/Shiite fatwa against violence', and 'Long- term commitment'. 
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    You are missing your questions and reflection sections
Brielle DeFrell

Online NewsHour: Tension and Violence Arise Over Oil Drilling in Nigeria -- August 25, ... - 0 views

  • Tensions and violence have been rising in Nigeria as Shell Oil has sought the rights to drill more widely for more oil in the Niger River Delta region
  • oil at 67 bucks a barrel,
  • A lot of money is flowing to Nigeria; a lot of money is flowing to oil companies -- not just Shell - but Chevron, Exxon/Mobile, and a number of others that are drilling there.
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  • last several decades violence has been building off and on in the Niger River Delta
  • lucrative industry, which is living right next to very, very poor people and there is been a lot of conflict over time, a lot of mistrust built up between residents and the companies.
  • People feel that they have been cheated; people feel that their rights have been violated; they end up protesting against the companies or in some cases attacking the companies. The companies end up -- have to be protected by the military.
  • RAY SUAREZ: Not gaining but also feeling themselves burdened -- don't they -- by environmental concerns, fouling of the groundwater, that kind of thing?
  • t money paid to Nigeria's government in taxes - and the Nigerian Government will admit this -- a lot of the money over the years has been stolen.
  • Nigeria has a tremendous corruption problem, and the money that's disappeared is probably in the billions -- not the millions -- over the years -- perhaps the tens of billions
  • don't really have much of a functioning government
  • There aren't any roads in many areas; there aren't good schools in many areas; many places don't even have electricity; many places don't have telephone lines, although cell phones are now spreading through independent companies.
  • oil companies will say first off that they don't employ that many people
  • various ethnic groups in the Delta and tribal groups and different villages and individuals, many, many different groups, and it is often felt that the oil companies have taken sides, that they have gone about a divide and rule practice as some people will call it.
  • the face of the government to many people is a police officer or a soldier or sailor who is there fundamentally to guard an oil installation and not to help the people, or protect the people.
  • a feeling that the government has taken sides in this triangle and it's with the companies and not with the people who live there?
  • Shell acknowledged more than 200 oil spills last year alone. Thousands of barrels of oil were spilled in the water and there have been many oil spills over the years. And that has contributed, by many people's accounts, to environmental degradation there.
  • So each company is trying to do something but the question is: Are they doing something that's just public relations or that's too small to make a regional difference in a region of millions of people, or are they really going to do something that could change the situation?
  • We get 1.2 million barrels a day from Nigeria; it's the fifth largest supplier of oil to the United States
  • Every day there is some more than 100,000 barrels, 140,000 from one company, as a matter of fact, that doesn't get out of Nigeria because of violence over the last couple of years and some days that's a much higher number.
  • in some cases you simply have people who live next to an oil facility, who feel they have been cheated, who feel that they're actually worse off for the facility being there because of pollution and other problems - who feel they're not benefiting and they go and they protest.
  • terminal in 2002 and again in 2005 was invaded by residents from nearby villages who simply felt that they were not gaining anything from Chevron.
  • They invade the terminal; they shut it down; Chevron makes promises; people feel the promises aren't kept; they come back again. That's one way that there's violence.
  • ethnic conflicts; there was a major one in 2003 revolving around elections
  • one group that felt that another group was having the election rigged in their favor and so they struck out. And they battled with Nigeria's military to some degree and they also attacked oil facilities because that was a way that they could strike back at the government.
  • disputed who owned a bit of oil land. The question who was got paid a little bit of money for the oil that was discovered on that land. They ended up fighting over it; a number of people were murdered.
  • military came in and essentially, by some people's account, settled matters by burning one of the villages. The military denies that the burning was intentional but, in any event, we went and visited -- a great number of buildings were destroyed, a number of people were killed.
  • no evidence of the government in many of these places. Does the oil company become -- in effect -- the government, and how do they respond to these challenges? What did they tell you about what they're trying to do in that part of Nigeria?
  • oil companies will have showcase instances in which they provided some community development.
  • instances in which oil companies have to acknowledge they have made promises that haven't been kept.
  • They will promise, for example -- in a village near the Chevron Terminal there is erosion of the land, which is blamed on the way that Chevron has managed its land. Whether that's fair or not, Chevron has promised to fix it by building some new housing on some new land. It hasn't been done yet, and Chevron has its own reasons why that hasn't been done -- they'll say because the situation is too unstable and there's been too much violence.
  • when they get frustrated, when there is an ethnic militia or an ethnic group that is going to engage in violence, they'll often turn it against oil companies, which they will see as perfectly justified, even though the oil companies will find it an outrageous disruption;
    • Brielle DeFrell
       
      Summary: Tensions between oil companies and the Nigerian people have been escalating for decades. The violence has increased as the years have gone by and the promises the oil companies have said they would do have not been fulfilled. As the oil companies don't have the jobs to give to the Nigerian people, they feel like they don't get any benefit out of the oil companies being there. The people feel like they have been cheated and lied to constantly, although sometimes the oil companies have kept their promises. The environmental issues have continued in the area, but also social issues have risen up too. The government is so corrupt that the people are living on the "outside" of the world. There aren't roads, not many good schools, many don't have electricity or telephone lines. They know there is so much more out there because of the oil rigs they see next to them, but they aren't able to experience it. The people have risen up many times against their "government", also known as our oil companies, that we don't get up to 100,000 barrels of oil a day. Invasions have happened at oil companies and people have been murdered because of the problems here. 
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    Research question: What are the effects of the competition with oil in Nigeria?  Lehrer, Jim. "Tension and Violence Arise Over Oil Drilling in Nigeria." Online NewsHour. PBS, 25 Aug. 2005. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. . Reflection: Wow, never before did I realize all the problems that Nigeria has. Not only has the oil companies caused many environmental problems, but they have also caused the people to not trust them and the promises they throw at them like candy. I understand that is one of our major places to get oil from, but I really think we need to look into what the companies are causing the Nigerian people to do to not just us, but each other. To think that our oil companies is pretty much their only government, that is really scary. Question: *Is there a way to set up a REAL way to help with environmental issues here? *If companies start to keep companies will people settle down? *Can we help Nigeria set up a functioning, uncorrupt, government?
Brielle DeFrell

Nigeria and Oil - Global Issues - 0 views

  • There is a symbiotic relationship between the military dictatorship and the multinational companies who grease the palms of those who rule….They are assassins in foreign lands. They drill and they kill in Nigeria.
  • Human Rights Activist Oronto Douglas
  • Niger Delta in Nigeria has been the attention of environmentalists, human rights activists and fair trade advocates around the world. The trial and hanging of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni ethnic minority made world-wide attention. So too did the non-violent protests of the Og
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  • oni people
  • Ogoni, Ijaw and other people in the Niger Delta, those who have been worse affected for decades have been trying to stand up for themselves, their environment and their basic human and economic rights.
  • divide communities by paying off some members to disrupt non-violent protests.
  • threaten the livelihood of neighboring local communities. Due to the many forms of oil-generated environmental pollution evident throughout the region, farming and fishing have become impossible or extremely difficult in oil-affected areas, and even drinking water has become scarce. Malnourishment and disease appear common.
  • loss of property, price inflation, prostitution, and irresponsible fathering by expatriate oil workers.
  • Organized protest and activism by affected communities regularly meet with military repression, sometimes ending in the loss of life.
  • While the story told to consumers of Nigerian crude in the United States and the European Union—via ad campaigns and other public relations efforts—is that oil companies are a positive force in Nigeria, providing much needed economic development resources, the reality that confronted our delegation was quite the opposite
  • oil company operating in the Niger Delta employing inadequate environmental standards, public health standards, human rights standards, and relations with affected communities.
  • Far from being a positive force, these oil companies act as a destabilizing force, pitting one community against another, and acting as a catalyst—together with the military with whom they work closely—to some of the violence racking the region today.
  • Oil For Nothing: Multinational Corporations, Environmental Destruction, Death and Impunity in the Niger Delta, Essential Action and Global Exchange, January 25, 2000
  • The military have been accused of thousands of killings, house/village burnings, intimidating people, torture and so on.
  • in the killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa to Chevron-marked helicopters carrying Nigerian military that opened fire upon protestors,
  • oil companies have neglected the surrounding environment and health of the local communities
  • oil spills that are not cleaned up, blatant dumping of industrial waste and promises of development projects which are not followed through, have all added to the increasing environmental and health problems.
  • corruption and religious tensions between Muslims and Christians
  • into 2004
  • Shell companies have worsened fighting in the Niger Delta through payments for land use, environmental damage, corruption of company employees and reliance on Nigerian security forces.
  • Shell companies and their staff creates, feeds into, or exacerbates conflict.
  • Voilence in the Niger Delta kills some 1000 people each year,
  • With over 50 years of presence in Nigeria, it is reasonable to say that the Shell companies in Nigeria have become an integral part of the Niger Delta conflict
  • Human Rights Watch’s 2010 report. They note although free speech and independent media remain robust and there have been some anti-corruption efforts. However, this is overshadowed by religious and inter-communal violence that has seen Muslims and Christians killing each other and by Nigeria’s political leaders’ “near-total impunity for massive corruption and sponsoring political violence”.
  • latest escalation of violence began in early 2006, hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between rival armed groups vying for illicit patronage doled out by corrupt politicians, or between militants and government security forces. Armed gangs have carried out numerous attacks on oil facilities and kidnapped more than 500 oil workers and ordinary Nigerians for ransom during this period
  • June 2009, followed a major military offensive in May against militants in the creeks of Delta State, which left scores dead and thousands of residents displaced.
  • — Nigeria, World Report 2010, Human Rights Watch
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    Research question: What are the effects of the competition with oil in Nigeria?  Shah, Anup. "Nigeria and Oil." Global Issues, Updated: 10 Jun. 2010. Accessed: 10 Mar. 2011. Reflection: The more I research the problem the more I realize how big of a problem this really is. There are so many environmental issues and protests that have come with drilling in Nigeria.  Summary: The presence of oil companies have hurt many of the communities on the Niger Delta in Nigeria including environmental pollution, farming and fishing difficulties because of oil spills, drinking water is getting scarcer and scarcer, and malnourishment and disease is showing up more and more. Not only is it bring environmental issues, but economic and societal one too including loss of property, price inflation, prostitution, and bad fathering by oil company workers.Many people have lost their lives to the violence that goes on with both violent protests and non-violent ones. The government is corrupt and there are religious tensions going on between Muslims and Christians in the midst.  Questions:  *What would be best? To stay and get oil or to get out to stop the violence? *Is there a way to stop the violence? And should we take the step in doing so even though it may hurt us? *How many oil spills have happened in Nigeria?
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Fault line of faith: six pastors killed, 40 churches razed in Jos's most recent violence - 0 views

  • NIGERIA Murderous rioting reportedly sparked by Muslim attacks on Christians and their property in late November destroyed 40 churches and left six pastors and at least 500 others dead, according to Nigerian church leaders.
  • What began as outrage over suspected voting fraud in local elections quickly crossed over Jos's religious fault line between the Islamic north and Christian south.
  • When angry Muslims took aim at Christian sites (rather than at political targets), Christian gangs responded in self-defense
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  • Islamists in turn killed more than 100 Christians.
  • Among the Christians killed was Joseph Yari of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), who died helping other Christians repel Muslim fanatics bent on burning down Christ Baptist Church.
  • the pastor's widow, said she had forgiven the killers.
  • In 2004, an estimated 700 people died in Yelwa, also in Plateau state, during Christian-Muslim clashes.
  •  
    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Fault line of faith: six pastors killed, 40 churches razed in Jos's most recent violence." Christianity Today Feb. 2009: 11. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&docId=A193452567&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summery: A suspected voting fraud in local elections made Muslims in Nigeria furious, and there began the bloody fight between Islamic north and Christian south. The Muslims took their angry and started off to explode their anger to Christians, rather than the political targets. They killed each others and more than 25000 persons were displaced in the violence. Among the killed Christians, there were Joseph Yari, who died helping other Christians repel Muslim fanatics. And his widow said that she had forgiven the killers, because they didn't know Jesus and had no idea of their deeds. Reflection: This article show that Islam is a religion of violence. Muslims got angry and wrong people. Their fraud of election wasn't Christian people's fault. They should have argued to political people instead of attacking Christians. They burned down the churches and properties and killed hundreds of pastors. They wasn't thinking deep enough before the situation got out of the hand. This shows that Muslims are extremists and Islam is the religion of violence. Questions: 1. Was there any killed Muslim's widow saying that they have forgiven the killers? 2. Who was the leader in this riot? 3. Does other Muslims also think that the voting fraud is Christian's fault? 4. What was the aftermath of
megan lemmen

Introduction to Gangs: Opposing Viewpoints - 0 views

    • megan lemmen
       
      Response: There obviously is no place where we can draw a line to where the violence stops. The drug cartels are crossing over into America because this is where their drug market is; are we directly causing the violence and deaths in Mexico? Money should be used to stop drug addictions rather than to add to the violence. Why is the United States funding Mexico to create more violence with weapons and training? I agree that the United State's money should primarily be used to help weed out government corruption. The citizens of Mexico deserve our help, protection, and support. Questions:1) I'm curious as to how many innocent citizens have died in the US and Mexico due to these drug cartels? Not just the number dead-but solely innocent civilians.2) Has there been an improvement in the violence since the US gave money to help Mexico?3) How many gangs in the US are related to those in Mexico?4) Is the violence spreading across Mexico's other borders into Guatemala?
  •  
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: "Introduction to Gangs: Opposing Viewpoints." Gangs. Ed. William Dudley and Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. Summary: Not only is the Mexican drug trade affecting Mexican citizens, but also those in America. The violence has crossed the borders and affected immigration patrol, gangs in the US, and other citizens. Mexico provides most of the cocaine and meth to the United States-about 90%. The expansion of the drug market has allowed for gangs to take higher risks for themselves, and thus higher risks for Mexicans and Americans. Because the United States is the main consumer of these drugs, we are fueling the violence. Politicians who were previously liberal on the border policy might become more conservative to protect their constituents. The US is giving money to Mexico to "help Mexico's military purchase weaponry and fund training" as well as "reform its judiciary system." Some believe that this money should actually be used to stop the government corruption instead. *the rest is on a sticky note on this page
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Yes, He Is a Terrorist.(The Take; Religion)(Major Nidal Hasan ). - 1 views

  • Yet when under threat, real or imagined, we want religion to be definitive. Despite our intimacy with the heterogeneous nature of belief, we allow ourselves to be seduced by cartoon characterizations.
  • it's that there is no definitive religious interpretation.
  • The Quran does condone violence: "Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward."
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  • It also advocates peace: "Those who invoke not with God, or any other god, nor slay such life as God has made sacred in vain."
  • Muslims to see terrorism as a selfless and righteous act for the greater good of the global Muslim community.
  • Sixty percent of Americans believe that "there is a lot of discrimination" against Muslims, according to the Pew Forum. Thirty-eight percent say they think Islam is a violent religion,
  • while a small number of dangerous Islamic terrorists continue to wage war on the West, the majority of American Muslims are simply trying, like the rest of us, to get by.
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Miller, Lisa. "Yes, He Is a Terrorist." Newsweek 23 Nov. 2009: 24. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&docId=A212141335&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary:This article was about Major Nidal Hasan, a Muslim, who murdered 13 people at the Army base in Fort Hood, Texas. It said that there is no definitive religious interpretation, but we try to limit our religion to be definitive, when under threat. Then, is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? In the Quran it supports for both. It condone violence while it advocates peace. But for Hasan's case, the article says he might be suffered from PTSD, but was more awake of the idea of Jihad and convinced by the cleric who said the terrorism is selfless and righteous act for better Muslim community. On the other hand, as statistically, lot's of Americans believe that Islam is a violent religion, when the actual number of terrorist is small and majority of them are just trying to get by.
Brielle DeFrell

More Blood for Oil (FOREIGN AFFAIRS) - 0 views

  • Search
  • Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa, the fifth-largest oil supplier for the United States, and the tenth-largest oil producer in the worl
  • largest
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  • plagued by mounting violence
  • Unrest in the country's southern delta region has been growing for a quarter century,
  • claims up to a thousand lives a year
  • local militant groups has formed under the umbrella of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has succeeded in cutting oil production by 500,000 barrels a day since December 2005
  • It isn't enough, the authors warn, to spend generously "when there are unresolved questions about where much of that money goes"--an opinion apparently shared by MEND's spokesman
  • the region is becoming Nigeria's "Vietnam."
  •  
    Research Question: What are the effects of the competition with oil in Nigeria?  "More blood for oil.(FOREIGN AFFAIRS)(Brief article)." The Atlantic Nov. 2006: 42. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.Document URLhttp://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&docId=A153093930&source=gale&srcprod=STOM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&version=1.0 Summary: Nigeria is a big supplier of oil and because it is so oil-rich it has lots of violence that has been rising for a quarter of a century. The competition of oil is claiming up to a thousand lives a year. After the militant group of MEND was formed it cut oil production down 500,000 barrels a day since December 2005.  Reflection: I never realized how big a producer of oil Nigeria was and how many problems that brought onto the country. Never would I think that oil could cause thousands of people to die over the past few years. I think as they keep cutting oil production they also need to try and stop all the violence going on. It can't be a consistent problem, it needs to be fixed eventually.  Questions: How long has the violence been going on?  What is the Nigerian government trying to do about the violence? How are they cutting oil production? How did the oil cause people to become violent? 
megan lemmen

BBC News - Crunching numbers in Mexico's drug conflict - 0 views

  • According to the new database, the total number of people killed in the conflict between December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon came into power, and the end of 2010, stands at 34,612.
  • Last year was by far the bloodiest since Mr Calderon launched his head-on military confrontation with the cartels, with 15,273 deaths.
  • At least 89% of the fatalities are suspected gang members killed in turf wars between the different organisations that compete for control of trafficking routes into the US.
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  • That one city of less than 1.5 million people was the location for more than 18% of the total number of deaths nationwide in the same period.
  • The state is home to Ciudad Juarez - the city across the border from El Paso, Texas - where 6,437 people have lost their lives in drug-related violence since late 2006.
  • In 2007, there were 244 drug-related deaths. The same figure for 2010 was of 4,427 victims - it grew by an astonishing 1,800%.
  • Meanwhile, in states like Tlaxcala, only 13 people have been killed in the conflict since 2006; in Yucatan, the total figure is 26.
  • In fact, 70% of the homicides, the database shows, have taken place in only 85 of the 2,500 municipalities around Mexico.
  • At least 12 mayors were killed by alleged gang members in 2010, while in the first two weeks of 2011, two more died in incidents related to the drugs conflict.
  • From a list of 37 "wanted" drug barons issued by the government in March 2009, 17 were captured or killed by government forces - including Arturo Beltran Leyva, head of the Beltran Leyva cartel, in December 2009 - while two were killed in clashes between criminal groups.
  • Security forces have confiscated almost 100,000 weapons from the cartels, while the value of the seized narcotics amounts to more than $10bn (£6.3bn).
  • Government security spokesman Alejandro Poire points out that the number of drug-related murders decreased by about 10% in the last quarter of 2010, and officials hope this will become a long-term trend.
  • In a recent nationwide survey by the National Statistics Bureau, more than 70% of respondents said they felt the overall security situation had worsened in 2010 compared to the previous year. More than 30% believed the situation would get worse in 2011.
  • Meanwhile, 41% admitted they did not feel safe to walk alone between 4pm and 7pm in the area where they lived.
  •  
    Research Question: How does the Mexican drug war affect the government and people of Mexico? Source: Miglierini, Julian. "Crunching Numbers in Mexico's Drug Conflict." BBC News. N.p., 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. <>. Summary: This article stated a number of facts that related to the number of killings since 2006 and their continued increase into 2010. The more shocking and accurate death tolls have recently been released, sending the Mexican government and people into more of a crisis than before. Not only have gang members been killed in the war against drug cartel, but civilians, police,and soldiers as well. This fight against drug cartel could possibly have increased the violence instead of diminishing it. The violence is not located all throughout Mexico; it occurs much more densely in certain areas like Ciudad Juarez, which accounts for 18% of the total number of deaths nationwide during a certain time period. Drug barons have been captured or killed, but so have mayors and journalists. The Mexican people do not feel safe; what can the government do about this?
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Mobs attack 3 churches in Indonesia. - 1 views

  • Three churches in Indonesia were attacked by Muslim mobs upset over what they deemed a light sentence against a Christian in a blasphemy case
  • Violence erupted Tuesday in the town of Temanggung in Central Java after a court sentenced Antonius Richmond Bawengan to five years on charges of blaspheming Islam in books and articles he distributed in October 2010
  • Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.
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  • the crowd set fire to one church and stoned two others in the town, where shops remained closed.
  • courthouse also was attacked by some of those attending the trial, forcing the evacuation of the judges.
  • The latest violence follows a similar incident Sunday in which members of the Ahmadiyah sect were attacked, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to several more.
  • The Ahmadiyahs are not accepted as a part of Islam by mainstream Muslims.
  •  
    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? "Mobs attack 3 churches in Indonesia." UPI NewsTrack 8 Feb. 2011. Student Edition. Web. 9 Mar. 2011. http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/infomark.do?&amp;contentSet=IAC-Documents&amp;type=retrieve&amp;tabID=T004&amp;prodId=STOM&amp;docId=A248610396&amp;source=gale&amp;srcprod=STOM&amp;userGroupName=lom_accessmich&amp;version=1.0 Summary: This article was talking about three churches in Indonesia being attacked by Muslim mobs. Antonious Richmond Bawengan had sentenced to 5 years for blaspheming Islam in book and articles he distributed. And this upset the Muslims and the mob put fired on one church and threw stones to two other churches in the town. Also the courthouse was attacked by some of those attending the trial. They broke windows and set fires on cars. The article also says that before similar case had happened. Reflection: By looking at this news article, I could see that why people consider Islam religion as violence. It's not just Muslims being angry at the trial result, they are taking far more steps next. Since Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, this can be happen more often than any other countries. And also in the article, it said the similar case happened not too long ago, which was the members of the Ahmadiyah sect being attacked. And the Ahmadiyahs are not considered as a part of Islam by mainstream Muslims, so we can see that Muslims are very violent toward non-Muslims. There are always death and injuries when they act out their violence. Questions: 1. Why were the mob so mad at the trial's result? 2. Why did they attack the churches not other buildings? 3. What happened to the m
Hojin Choi

Boy in Pakistan tells police of school for suicide bombing - 0 views

  • A sorrowful Pakistani teen suspected of collaborating in this week's deadly suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine is claiming to police that scores of his young peers at a camp in the nation's perilous tribal region are being trained to stage attacks.
  • Fidai was arrested alive after the suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine on Sunday killed at least 41 people and wounded more than 100
  • he got suicide bombing lessons for six months, including training to use pistols, grenades and a suicide jacket.
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  • Ahmed Mubarak, the police chief of the Dera Ghazi Khan district, said the teen told police that more than 300 boys between ages 12 and 17 are being trained in North Waziristan's Mir Ali area to stage suicide bombings.
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? CItation:Habblb, Nasir. Boy in Pakistan tells police of school for suicide bombing. CNN, Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2011http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/08/pakistan.teen.bomber/index.html?iref=allsearch Summary:The Pakistani teenager suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine with his young peers at a camp.Fidai was arrested alive even though he tried to suicide bombing himself.On sunday, at least 41 people and wounded more than 100 at a Sufi shrine because of Fidai. In his interview, he had been trained in order to use the pistol, suicide jacket and grenades lesson for six months, but he said that he never miss his family because Qaru Zafar who is the Taliban leader persuade him that Fidai would go to heaven if he suicide for the Taliban. Reflection:This article show how extreme Islamists are stupid. Unfortunately I can not understand that why Islamists have chosen the young people to suicide bombing for their authority. I believe that they will know their reaction bringing the violence image to the Islam. My research topic is Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? I found my answer for this article. During I research the paper for the Islam, I barely find the article about the peace of Islam. The violence reactions of Islam news are dominated in Newspaper. According this facts, the extreme Islamists need to convert their image for the peaceful Islamist. Question:1) Why the extreme Islamist  use young people to suicide bombing?2) Why Islamist hardly try to covert their image?3) How many people scarified for Islam?4) Why people easily believe that they can go heaven instead of their life?
Hojin Choi

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Tribal leader killed in Pakistan - 0 views

  • A tribal leader who opposed the head of the Taliban in Pakistan has been shot dead in the north-western Pakistani town of Dera Ismail Khan, police said.
  • Qari Zainuddin
  • Baitullah Mehsud, was killed by a gunman in his office early on Tuesday.
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  • South Waziristan.
  • Zainuddin hit out at Mehsud for recent attacks in which civilians have been killed.
  • The fresh violence comes as the Pakistani army is preparing to launch a new offensive against Taliban fighters under Mehsud's command.
  • Zainuddin was taken to the hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
  • Not a jihad'Earlier this month, Zainuddin criticised Mehsud after an attack on a mosque which killed 33 people.
  • "Islam stands for peace, not for terrorism,"
  • Mehsud is thought to head the most powerful group of militants in the country, with a network of alliances with other militants.
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    Research question: Is Islam a religion of peace or invitation to violence? Citation:Tribal leader killed in Pakistan. BBC, 23 June 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8114104.stm Summary: This article announced about the Pakistan. A trivial leader, Qari Zainuddin, 26,  who opposed the Taliban; as a result, he was assassinated in the north-western Pakistani town. He usually blamed Baitullah Mehsud who was the head of Taliban, and also most powerful group of militants in the county. Recently, Zainuddin attacked to the Mehsud; therefore, a guard who was under controlled by Mehsud entered the room at Zainuddin's office and fired.   Reflection:This article is what I want for my research question. For the reason, this is the evidence or reference to show people that Islam refer to maintain violence than peace. Since I have known the Pakistanis' violence, I recognize that it is worst than what I guess before. I can realize why they killed  between Pakistani and Taliban, but I need to consider about the initiation of the conflicts; it should be demarcation dispute of the Islam. According the article said,  "the Islam stands for peace, not for terrorism"; however, having many happenings between two sides don't make any sense of the Islam purpose.  Questions:1) What is the initiation of the conflicts between them?2) How can we solve sensitive problems?3) What is the Islam main purpose?4) Was Zainuddin's behavior for the Islam or just his authority? 
Joy Merlino

Testing the water - 0 views

  • THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR national liberation lacks leadership and is currently on hold. What's left for Israel to sort out now are its Palestinian citizens, who comprise 20% of the population in Israel and are increasingly treated as a fifth column, discriminated against at every level.
  • The call for a state for all its citizens, for equality and full democracy, are demands that threaten the Zionist project of a Jewish state with exclusive rights for Jews, preferably without the indigenous Palestinian population.
  • The silent and semi-visible system of segregation, apartheid and racist policies placed against them since the establishment of the state of Israel is taking more aggressive, visible and vocal expression, both within the government and Israeli media.
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  • We are also witnessing an unprecedented and alarming rise in the submission of overtly racist bills that target Palestinians individually and collectively; calling for revoking their citizenship, limiting their political freedoms, banning them from marking the Palestinian Nakba (1948 catastrophe) and banning them from residing in Jewish towns, amongst other things.
  • Racist right-wing activists not only thrive in such an atmosphere but are also given the means to publicly target Palestinian citizens, frequently inciting violence and racism and provoke yet more dehumanising campaigns.
  • he march of the fascist group in Umm AL Fahem on 27 October was a case in point. The march was called for by the extreme right-wing organisation, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and supported by Michael Ben-Ari, an Israeli Knesset member from the National Union, an extreme far-right party.
  • He is a leading figure in the colonial movement in the West Bank, and has been sentenced to several prison terms for physical assaults on Palestinians.
  • Marzel is a former member of Cakh, a Jewish terrorist organisation headed by Rabi Meir Kahane, which called for the forced expulsion of the Palestinian population.
  • The 'performance' in Umm Al Fahem was a message to all Palestinian citizens and their leadership warning them to beware, telling them "you either accept Israel as a Jewish state, with exclusive rights for the Jews, and live with gratitude as second-class citizens, or we will crack down mercilessly", with transfer remaining a looming option.
  • According to the organisers, they wanted to impress upon the residents of the town that they "are the landlords of the State of Israel" and called not only for outlawing the Islamic movement, which happened to be their chosen Arab 'enemy' of the day, but also for its expulsion from Israel.
  • Viewed by many as a deliberately provocative act, the march was nevertheless authorised by the Israeli Supreme Court, despite its history of incitement to violence.
  • In the online version of Yediot Aharonot, the second-largest daily publication in Israel, Marzel is quoted as saying: "nothing is more symbolic than the fact that on the day of the 20th anniversary of his murder, Rabbi Kahane's followers will continue his struggle against the Arab enemy."
  • The problem facing Palestinian citizens is not what Marzel and his ilk say: they are merely articulating what the government is not yet able to say. These small, partisan, fascist groups achieve their purpose by successfully organising media stunts such as the event in Umm AL Fahem. However, the real 'performance' was the one choreographed and directed by the official authorities, including the police.
  • Was the Israeli Supreme Court decision and the thousand-strong police presence, including their brutal confrontation with fellow citizens, only intended to protect the freedom of expression of a group that publicly incites violence against Palestinians and Arabs, and calls for the expulsion of Palestinian citizens? No, not entirely.
  • Cakh was outlawed in 1994, following the massacre of 29 Palestinians in Hebron by one of its members, Baruch Goldstein.
  • n Umm AL Fahem, Marzel and his group were simply doing a job for the government with their attempt to demonise the Palestinian citizens as terrorists, this time taking the Islamic movement as their cause celebre, to 'legitimise' future government actions against them. In Umm Al Fahem, just as in Israel's operations in the West Bank and Gaza, where it has been escalating violence against the Palestinian communities in incremental doses, Tel Aviv is testing the ground in preparation for future, more aggressive operations to come.
  •  
    Shiekh, Awatef. "Testing the water." The Middle East Jan. 2011: 22+. Student Edition. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. Summary: This article is talking about the racism that exists for the Palestinians living in Israel. It states that they are "discriminated against at every level." The government as well as the media are taking part in this visible discrimination. The freedom of Palestinians living in Israel is being limited by racist bills. Right-wing activists are publicly targeting Palestinians. An example of this is the group Umm Al Fahem.  Reflection:  We have heard about the seizing of Palestinian land, and the Israelis living in Palestine, but we do not often hear about the Palestinians living in Israel. According to this article, the treatment of Palestinians in Israel is horrible. There is open discrimination, not openly supported by the government, but definitely not stopped by it. In reality, the actions of the Palestinians towards the Israelis are not the only acts of violence. The Israelis act out as well, it is simply not brought to our attention as often.  Questions: 1) How will this affect the peace treaty negotiations? 2) How will this attitude of hatred affect the future generations? 3) Will the refugee negotiations be affected by this treatment? 4) How does this compare to how the Israelis living in Palestine are treated?
Ji-Yoon Jeon

Yes, He Is a Terrorist.(The Take; Religion)(Major Nidal Hasan ). - 1 views

  •  
    sorry there is nothing here to give you credit for.
Cindy Son

Hezbollah warns Israel against fresh violence - World - IOL | Breaking News | South Afr... - 0 views

  • Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday warned Israel against launching new attacks against his militant group in a speech marking the anniversary of the end of the war with the Jewish state.
  • Nasrallah said Hezbollah had provided $380-million in emergency aid to assist 28 300 families affected by the war, most of them in southern Lebanon.
  • He did not say where the money came from, but Hezbollah is widely believed to be bankrolled by Iran.
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  • The last time the charismatic leader, considered Israel's enemy number one, appeared in public was on September 22, 2006, when he made a speech in the same neighbourhood to proclaim victory following the devastating 34-day war.
  • "We are here because Hezbollah is the only one that managed to defeat Israel, despite the high price we paid," said Hassan Korkomaz, who gathered with his family on Tuesday to listen to Nasrallah's speech.
  • Israel's war with Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of more than 1 200 Lebanese civilians, a third of them children, as well as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
  •  
    What are the effects of Hezbollah on Israel? "Hezbollah warns Israel against fresh violence ." IOL News. N.p., 15 Aug. 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. . Summary : Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel not to attack against Hezbollah anymore. According to the article, "Israel's war with Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Lebanese civilans, a third of the children, as weel as 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers." Therefore, Hezbollah leader, with the help of Iran, supported 28,300 Lebanese families who were affected by the war. Because Hezbollah started to support those people who were affected by the war, Lebanese began to feel supportive and think that Hezbollah is the only one that can manage to defeat Israel; they believe in Hezbollah's ability to deal with Israel. Nasrallah's speech is significant because it was the first time he appeared in public after the 2006 war. Reflection : Through this article, I could find out that Hezbollah tired their best to get support from the people in their country. And I was surprised that they actually obtained people's positive opinions around 2007 by warning Israel not to bomb or attack against their country again. It was smart a decision of Hezbollah that they drew people's attention positively to deal with the issues between Israel and themselves.  Question : 1) How people's opinions about Hezbollah changed after 2007?  2) Did Nasrallah's speech made any difference between Lebanon and Israel?  3) Are there any other ways to manage to defeat Israel beside Hezbollah?
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