Toronto Star Sanitizes Hamas During Pandemic

Posted on April 13, 2020 by First.One.Through

On March 30, 2020, the Toronto Star wrote an article “Fearing Gaza coronavirus spread, Hamas preps for mass quarantines” which painted Hamas as a reasonable and responsible government caring for its citizens.

The article opened with a woman returning to Gaza from Egypt who was surprised that Hamas had set up quarantine facilities for people entering the territory, who then became alarmed when people in the neighboring facility tested positive for Covid-19. In the description, Hamas was simply referred to as a “militant group” and not a designated terrorist organization by the government of Canada which notes that “since 1990, Hamas has been responsible for several hundred terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets.”

Not in this puff piece.

In this Star article, Hamas is on the front lines battling disease, not Jews, stating “Hamas is racing to build two massive quarantine facilities — hoping to prevent the disease from spreading and overwhelming Gaza’s already shattered health system.”

According to the article, the system is in dire condition with quotes like “The health care system is in shambles — a result of the blockade, three wars between Hamas and Israel and chronic underfunding due to infighting between Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority in the West Bank,” and “high rates of obesity, smoking and stress-related disorders appear to make Gaza’s population especially vulnerable.”

For starters, UNRWA, the organization that manages the healthcare in Gaza for the vast majority of the population is over-funded and over-staffed relative to the other global refugee agency UNHCR, by a wide margin. The people in Gaza have among the lowest mortality rates and highest life expectancy in the world, close to wealthy Arab kingdoms like Qatar and Kuwait.

Over 65% of the population in Gaza is under 25 years old, one of the youngest populations in the world with a median age of just over 17 years old. Only 6% of the population is over 55. This very young population has a very low risk of dying from Covid-19 which is most deadly for people over 70.

No matter. After stating that the healthcare system is underfunded and people are highly vulnerable, The Star burnished the credentials of Hamas’ leader: “After seeing images of the makeshift facilities, Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yehiyeh Sinwar, ordered the group’s military wing to build two new quarantine centres.”

Here are some other recent quotes from Sinwar, as translated by MEMRI:

“But I say this loud and clear: God forbid, if a time comes when we have no choice but to watch our citizens breathe their final breaths, and when there are no ventilators – I say to [Israeli Defense Minister] Bennet that we will make six million Israeli settlers [Jews throughout Israel] unable to breathe.“
“Umm Muhammad, do not worry about the resistance in Gaza. The whole world is hit by the coronavirus, but the members of the Al-Qassam [Brigades] are working day and night to complete their preparation for the liberation [of all of the land of Israel].”

Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, speaks to foreign correspondents in his office in Gaza City, May 10, 2018. (Khalil Hamra/AP)

The Toronto Star wrote a puff story about the Hamas leadership acting responsibly trying to care for a population desperately short of funds because of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of a highly vulnerable Gaza population. This in sharp contrast to the facts of the terrorist group leader making ongoing threats of war against the Jews of Israel while his over-funded and uber-young population ask for additional billions of dollars for theft and military purposes.

Oh, Canada.:(

Collecting protection money through rocket fire: cartoon by Palestinian cartoonist Ala al-Luqta entitled “Through protection money (in the original: khawa): Gaza is connected to a ventilator in the form of a rocket” (PALDF forum, April 2, 2020)

Related First One Through articles:

Quantifying the Values of Gazans

Looking at Gaza Through Swedish Glasses

Shut UNRWA in Gaza Immediately

The United Nations Can Hear the Songs of Gazans, but Cannot See Their Rockets

Cause and Effect: Making Gaza

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For CNN, The Critical Israeli Facts Have No Murdered Jews

Posted on April 11, 2020 by First.One.Through

The bias against Israel in the liberal media is no longer an accusation but established fact.

Consider the salient facts regarding Israel by the largest global media company, CNN.

Its website has a page called “Israel Fast Facts” which attempts to showcase the most relevant information about the modern state of Israel.

The “Timeline” runs from November 2, 1917 until January 28, 2020 (as of this writing). From the 1917 Balfour Declaration until Israel’s independence in May 1948, CNN wrote that there were “riots” between 1936 and 1939 due to “tensions between Arabs and Jewish settlers.”

For CNN, every single Jew who came to Palestine was a “settler.” In today’s parlance, CNN and the liberal media call any Jew living east of the 1949 Armistice Lines a “settler” committing an illegal activity. Does CNN believe that every Jew who came to Palestine did so illegally? The facts that Jews have been a majority in Jerusalem since the 1860’s and many thousands of Jews lived in the land for years is unmentioned and irrelevant.
The “riots” included massacres of Jewish civilians as in Hebron in 1929. However, no blame on Arabs or Jewish victims are noted.
The 1936-9 Arab riots resulted in the British succumbing to Arab pressure to issue a White Paper limiting the immigration of Jews into Palestine to 75,000 over five years, just as the Holocaust in Europe was starting. CNN failed to mention the Arab riots not only killing hundred of Jews in Palestine but resulting in over 100,000 dead Jews in Europe.

Two papal visits are listed in CNN’s timeline, in 1964 and 2000. It is unclear how that is critical to the history of Israel as CNN does not list papal visits to other countries like Lebanon in their timelines.

Dozens of Palestinian terrorist attacks around the world are unmentioned, and the sole attack listed by CNN was the slaughter of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games, which failed to label the terrorists as Palestinian.

There is no mention of Hamas being formed in 1987, the publication of its anti-Semitic charter calling for the killing of Jews and destruction of Israel in 1988, its election to a majority of the Palestinian parliament in 2006 or its routing of Fatah and takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

No mention of Israel’s peace agreement with Jordan in 1994.

While CNN mentioned the Gaza Disengagement Plan in December 2003, it failed to mention the April 2004 letter from US President George W. Bush to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in conjunction with such action, clearly stating the US position that a two-state solution would NOT run along the 1949 Armistice Lines.

The May 2010 Turkish flotilla to Gaza is referred to as bringing “humanitarian supplies,” in which “nine activists” were killed by Israeli commandos. Lost in this description was that the boat refused to dock peacefully in an Israeli port to have the supplies delivered to Gaza and that the “activists” actively beat the Israelis with the soldiers responding in a defensive action.

Continuing its theme of Israelis being aggressors, CNN wrote about Israeli confrontations with Hamas in 2008, 2014 and 2018 mentioning the number of Palestinians killed but never mentioning any Israelis killed or injured.

CNN map of Israel, referring to “East Jerusalem,” a place that only existed for 19 years as an artifice of war

CNN’s timeline of Israel’s history includes thousands of dead Palestinians at the hands of Israelis but not a single dead or injured Israeli by Palestinians. It further minimized Palestinian terrorist attacks against Jews around the world with only a solitary mention of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Olympics and even then, refusing to state the terrorists were Palestinian.

And CNN goes further to label Israelis as militants and Palestinians as victims by describing every Jew that ever came to Israel as a “settler,” inherently deserving of Arab wrath.

Related First One Through articles:

Christiane Amanpour is More Anti-Semitic Than Ilhan Omar

CNN’s Politicization of Antisemitic Murder

CNN Will Not Report Islamic Terrorism

Social Media’s “Fake News” and Mainstream Media’s Half-Truths

Review of Media Headlines on Palestinian Arab Terror Spree

Transitions, Juxtapositions and the Night of the Exodus

Posted on April 8, 2020 by First.One.Through

“O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing,
ever waning,
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;”

opening of “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana

This 13th century Latin poem was put to music by Carl Orff in 1935-6. It describes fate as an ever “whirling wheel” in which a person goes through life with ups and downs. The pace of the rise and fall is unclear, but presumably happens over time as the wheel slowly rotates.

There are, however, moments in time when two competing realities exist side-by-side. A woman may be pregnant one second and a mother the next. The transition lasts for a moment.

There are also situations when a transition is not only defined by time but by space. A person can be inside a house and then outside. A simple threshold is crossed to change not only location but situation.

In rare situations, alternative realities are neither separated nor juxtaposed, but twist and fold upon each other. Such is the Night of the Exodus and the first night of Passover.

The Night of the Exodus

On the night of last plague on Egypt, the killing of the first born, the Jews were commanded to take a lamb, slaughter it, paint its blood on the doorposts of the home, then roast the lamb and devour every morsel.

The lamb was considered a deity in ancient Egypt. Killing it, roasting it and displaying its blood on the outside of the homes was designed as a clear affront to Egyptian sensibilities. They could smell the roasting of the meat and see how the Jews enjoyed sticking their faces in it.

Remarkably, the Jews did this while still slaves. They were still in Egypt and not yet free as they feasted and killed the Gods of their masters. They took liberties associated with free folk, pulling their future freedom into the moment of slavery. These choreographed actions helped transform their mental state from one of servants to masters. When God said “And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a sign for you,” (Exodus 12: 13) it was truly designed as a way for the slaves to break the orientation of servitude.

Every generation afterwards was also commanded to remember that remarkable night – to place themselves as if they were there thousands of years ago – making that transformation at the Seder, holding the matzah, the bread of slavery, together with the pascal lamb, the symbol of salvation. Holding both items together serves as a vehicle to transform time, space and mental state, just as Jewish ancestor did long ago.

The Seder

The Passover Hagaddah captures the essence of these curious juxtapositions and transformations at the beginning of the Magid section with a short paragraph called Ha Lachma Anya.

This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.

Taken literally, each person at the Seder is facing a fossil, a 3,300-year old object. Perhaps more incredible, this item from antiquities is actually connected to relatives who lived far way (time AND place) in Egypt. On this special night we display a family heirloom.

All those who are hungry, let them enter and eat.

Based on the juxtaposition of the sentences it would appear that we are going to eat this precious piece of history. While we may be a tad hungry, it seems inappropriate to eat something irreplaceable.

All who are in need, let them come celebrate Passover.

This sentence seemingly addresses the whole world. As food is the cure for hunger, Passover must be the remedy for “need.” It is unclear whether the needs are physical – like food for hunger – mental, spiritual or emotional. Perhaps celebrating Passover helps them all.

Now we are here, next year in the land of Israel.

The paragraph pivots again. After two invitations for people to participate in the meal and holiday, there is a declaration that we will celebrate next Passover in Israel. Presumably, this is for all of the people who we just invited to sit down with us, to celebrate together in Israel.

This year we are enslaved, next year we will be free.

Another interesting juxtaposition of sentences of here versus next year. Does this suggest that we are here now and enslaved and next year we will be free and in Israel? Or, should we rethink the entire discussion: are we reciting words that are thousands of years old, just as we point to matzahs of our ancestors? This entire scene is a reenactment of the last night in Egypt, when Jews were on the threshold of freedom, on their journey to the land of Israel.

The first night of Passover we do not simply imagine lives as slaves in Egypt nor our freedom that we have today. We reenact that pivotal moment of transforming ourselves in time, place and mental health which happened on the last night in Egypt, when we jumped forward and feasted and imagined life in the promised land, even while anchored in the reality of slavery.

Like no other year in over 3,000 years, with a pandemic upon us with many mourning departed loved ones and spending Seders in solitude, let us all say Ha Lachma Anya and pull forward that future of freedom to live full lives in the complete Jerusalem.

Related First One Through articles:

A Plague for Others

Ruth, The Completed Jew

Taking the Active Steps Towards Salvation

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Hamas Charter, Articles 15 and 16

Posted on April 6, 2020 by First.One.Through

The Hamas Charter builds on its theme of jihad in Articles Fifteen and Sixteen.

The Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine is an Individual Duty:

Article Fifteen:

The day that enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the individual duty of every Moslem. In face of the Jews’ usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised. To do this requires the diffusion of Islamic consciousness among the masses, both on the regional, Arab and Islamic levels. It is necessary to instill the spirit of Jihad in the heart of the nation so that they would confront the enemies and join the ranks of the fighters.

It is necessary that scientists, educators and teachers, information and media people, as well as the educated masses, especially the youth and sheikhs of the Islamic movements, should take part in the operation of awakening (the masses). It is important that basic changes be made in the school curriculum, to cleanse it of the traces of ideological invasion that affected it as a result of the orientalists and missionaries who infiltrated the region following the defeat of the Crusaders at the hands of Salah el-Din (Saladin). The Crusaders realised that it was impossible to defeat the Moslems without first having ideological invasion pave the way by upsetting their thoughts, disfiguring their heritage and violating their ideals. Only then could they invade with soldiers. This, in its turn, paved the way for the imperialistic invasion that made Allenby declare on entering Jerusalem: “Only now have the Crusades ended.” General Guru stood at Salah el-Din’s grave and said: “We have returned, O Salah el-Din.” Imperialism has helped towards the strengthening of ideological invasion, deepening, and still does, its roots. All this has paved the way towards the loss of Palestine.

It is necessary to instill in the minds of the Moslem generations that the Palestinian problem is a religious problem, and should be dealt with on this basis. Palestine contains Islamic holy sites. In it there is al- Aqsa Mosque which is bound to the great Mosque in Mecca in an inseparable bond as long as heaven and earth speak of Isra` (Mohammed’s midnight journey to the seven heavens) and Mi’raj (Mohammed’s ascension to the seven heavens from Jerusalem).

“The bond of one day for the sake of Allah is better than the world and whatever there is on it. The place of one’s whip in Paradise is far better than the world and whatever there is on it. A worshipper’s going and coming in the service of Allah is better than the world and whatever there is on it.” (As related by al-Bukhari, Moslem, al-Tarmdhi and Ibn Maja).

“I swear by the holder of Mohammed’s soul that I would like to invade and be killed for the sake of Allah, then invade and be killed, and then invade again and be killed.” (As related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).

The Education of the Generations:

Article Sixteen:

It is necessary to follow Islamic orientation in educating the Islamic generations in our region by teaching the religious duties, comprehensive study of the Koran, the study of the Prophet’s Sunna (his sayings and doings), and learning about Islamic history and heritage from their authentic sources. This should be done by specialised and learned people, using a curriculum that would healthily form the thoughts and faith of the Moslem student. Side by side with this, a comprehensive study of the enemy, his human and financial capabilities, learning about his points of weakness and strength, and getting to know the forces supporting and helping him, should also be included. Also, it is important to be acquainted with the current events, to follow what is new and to study the analysis and commentaries made of these events. Planning for the present and future, studying every trend appearing, is a must so that the fighting Moslem would live knowing his aim, objective and his way in the midst of what is going on around him.

“O my son, verily every matter, whether good or bad, though it be the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, and be hidden in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, Allah will bring the same to light; for Allah is clear-sighted and knowing. O my son, be constant at prayer, and command that which is just, and forbid that which is evil: and be patient under the afflictions which shall befall thee; for this is a duty absolutely incumbent on all men. Distort not thy face out of contempt to men, neither walk in the earth with insolence; for Allah loveth no arrogant, vain-glorious person.” (Lokman – verses 16-18).

Articles Fifteen and Sixteen give clarity to the intended meaning of “jihad,” a word which people sometimes say is an inward struggle to find a purity of spirit.

Stating “In face of the Jews’ usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised,” and “the Palestinian problem is a religious problem, and should be dealt with on this basis,” Hamas makes clear that jihad is an external religious war to purify the land of Palestine of Jews. As part of the battle, Palestinian society will direct its youth towards the “study of the enemy, his human and financial capabilities, learning about his points of weakness and strength, and getting to know the forces supporting and helping him,” and will use “scientists, educators and teachers, information and media” to make “basic changes” to “the school curriculum” so the young will know how to defeat their Jewish enemies.

And the Palestinian Arabs elected Hamas to 58% of the parliament with this charter, the United Nations pushes for Hamas to be part of a unity government, and the media talks of “Islamic resistance” as a peaceful and natural endeavor.

A Palestinian boy holds his father’s weapon during a graduation ceremony as part of a military-style summer camp organized by Hamas, August 2015. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash90

Related First One Through articles:

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #1

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #2

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #3

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #4

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #5

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #6

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #7

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #8

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #9

The Palestinians aren’t “Resorting to Violence”; They are Murdering and Waging War

Extreme and Mainstream. Germany 1933; West Bank & Gaza Today

Pick Your Jihad; Choose Your Infidel

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The U.N. Doesn’t Care About Middle-Aged White Male Victims of Covid-19

Posted on April 5, 2020 by First.One.Through

The Covid-19 pandemic is attacking every person on the planet but the United Nations only cares about some of them.

UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres spoke in New York City on March 31, 2020 about the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19. It was a shameful display of political correctness in the face of statistics.

Antonio Guterres, speaking to RFI and its sister TV channel, France 24. © RFI

He led with a call to aggressively combat the virus saying “I am particularly concerned about the African continent.”

He then added “Second, we must tackle the devastating social and economic dimensions of this crisis, with a focus on those most affected: women, older persons, youth, low-wage workers, small and medium-sized enterprises, the informal sector and vulnerable groups, especially those in humanitarian and conflict settings.”

The head of the global agency addressed a global scourge and selectively highlighted segments of humankind for his concern – seemingly everyone who is not a middle-aged white male.

It is worth reviewing the people who have been most impacted by the coronavirus.

Worldometer maintains a tally of the death toll and those who have contracted the virus. At the time of this writing, April 05, 2020, 11:33 GMT, here are the plain facts:

The greatest number of deaths in proportion to the population are happening in EUROPE. Spain, Italy, Andorra and San Marino are seeing fatalities of 266, 254, 220 and 943 per 1 million, respectively. Belgium and France have deaths of 125 and 116 per million, respectively. In Africa, the hardest hit country is Algeria, with 29 deaths per million. The continent’s largest country by population, Nigeria, had 0.02 deaths per million. The Europeans are dying at ten times the rate of Africans.
The fatality rate for men in confirmed cases is 4.7% while for women it is 2.8%. Men are 68% more likely to die than women.
Older people are indeed the most likely to die from Covid-19, with those over 80 years old having a 14.8% mortality rate. People in their 70’s and 60’s have a 8.0% and 3.6% mortality rate, respectively. But for the youth, there are extremely few deaths. For those between 10 and 39 years old the rate is 0.2% and there have been no cases of anyone under ten dying. Meanwhile people in their 50’s die at almost seven times the rate of 20 to 40 years old.

But the United Nations made a special call out for the young women in Africa when older white men in Europe are dying by the minute.

When it comes to economic losses, there is a direct correlation to educational level, with those with college degrees having the most job security, while those without a high school diploma fairing the worst. It is also true that more women are now graduating college than men in the United States, a fact for all races. As such, women will continue to gain in job security relative to men.

The day after Guterres made the comments above, he said “The COVID-19 crisis reinforces the importance of science and evidence informing Government policies and decision-making.” Meanwhile he has shown no ability to use evidence to inform his thinking or direct his concern.

The United Nations demonstrates the maxim that political correctness makes no room for factual evidence.

Related First One Through articles:

The CoronavirUS is Not Us Versus Them

A Plague for Others

“Coastal Liberal Latte-sipping Politically-correct Out-of-touch Folks.”

Older White Men are the Most Politically Balanced Demographic By Far

NY Times, NY Times, What Do You See? It Sees Rich White Males

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J Street: Home for Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Peace Americans

Posted on April 3, 2020 by First.One.Through

J Street is a progressive political lobbying group which bills itself as the “political home for Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Americans.” It is a marketing ploy designed to sell pro-Arab propaganda to undermine the government of Israel.

Consider a current snapshot of the lobbying group’s current press releases:

J Street’s press most recent press releases from its website on April 3, 2020

Not one off the six articles which J Street felt were the most pressing of the day related to advocating for Israel. There was no support for the country’s battle against the Covid-19 pandemic which has shut down the country, the successful democratically-held elections in the country or America’s recent elections for the World Zionist Congress.

Instead J Street published pro-Arab and pro-Muslim press releases:

Block Israeli application of sovereignty over any part of Area C
Give financial support to Palestinians
Condition US aid to Israel on its not demolishing illegal Arab homes
No war with the Islamic Republic of Iran
A push for US Democratic presidential candidates to not be too supportive of the policies of the current government of Israel
A call to ban Jews from living in and around the Old City of Jerusalem

This snapshot is not surprising for anyone who has followed the far-left lobbying group since its founding in 2008. This group lobbied the Obama administration to censure Israel at the United Nations and to sign an Iranian nuclear deal which the government of Israel opposed. The lobbying efforts were so extremely anti-Israel with the flimsiest Jewish veneer that even devout liberal politician Gary Ackerman (D-NY) said

“I’ve come to the conclusion that J-Street is not an organization with which I wish to be associated….America really does need a smart, credible, politically active organization that is as aggressively pro-peace as it is pro-Israel. Unfortunately, J-Street ain’t it.”

There are many people who argue that one needn’t be anti-Palestinian to be pro-Israel. I would agree as it relates to Palestinian Arabs who want to make peace with Israel and respect the Jewish people’s history, dignity and security needs in their holy land. On can similarly be both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian, which is J Street’s contention.

But it shows J Street’s deliberate dishonesty to only state it is “pro-Israel” in its tagline when it is primarily focused on a pro-Arab agenda which it believes benefits Israel. Either drop the “Pro-Israel” claim or add “Pro-Arab” to be clear what the far-left lobbying group actually represents.

Related First One Through articles:

J Street is Only Considered “Pro-Israel” in Progressive Circles

J Street is a Partisan Left-Wing Group, NOT an Alternative to AIPAC

The Evil Architects at J Street Take a Bow

J Street: Going Bigger and Bolder than BDS

The Fault in Our Tent: The Limit of Acceptable Speech

J Street’s Select Appreciation of Transparency

A Review of the Fifteen US Slates for the World Zionist Congress

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BBC Welcomes Release of British Muslim Accused of Beheading Daniel Pearl

Posted on April 2, 2020 by First.One.Through

On April 2, 2020, a Pakistani court overturned the murder conviction of Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British national with a history of extremism for the beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

Daniel Pearl, before his execution in 2002

According to the Wall Street Journal for whom Pearl worked, “the Karachi court, which heard Mr. Sheikh’s appeal last month, overturned convictions for murder and terrorism, the 40-page ruling said Thursday. The third conviction, kidnapping for ransom, was downgraded to simple kidnapping, and Mr. Sheikh’s sentence was reduced to seven years.” In response to the ruling, Dow Jones which owns the Journal stated “we continue to seek justice for the murder of Daniel Pearl.” Reporters Without Borders, an international watchdog group for journalists, called the decision “incoherent” and a “shocking denial of justice.”

Beyond the news services, a senior official at the U.S. State Department said “The overturning of the convictions for Daniel Pearl’s murder is an affront to victims of terrorism everywhere. Those responsible for Daniel’s heinous kidnapping and murder must face the full measure of justice.”

The reaction from the British news service the BBC was seemingly the complete opposite.

The media service wrote that Sheikh’s “arrest and conviction in 2002 came in quick succession, at a time when Pakistan was under severe pressure from the United States to eliminate terror networks operating on its soil,” making the entire arrest of Sheikh seem like a sham witch hunt.

Rather than quote Dow Jones or Reporters Without Borders, the BBC wrote that “a group of US journalists, including former colleagues of Pearl, said in 2011 that they believed Sheikh had not carried out the beheading,” adding fuel to the reader that the conviction of Sheikh was never credible as even reporters and friends of Pearl believed Sheikh to be innocent.

BBC would not mention the reaction from the U.S. State Department, nor the reaction from Pearl’s father who had called it a “mockery of justice.”

In providing background to the case, BBC ran a header “Longstanding questions over Sheikh’s conviction.” The article continued that “The main argument of the defence lawyers was that the prosecution had failed to prove their case beyond doubt. They may have a point. There have been questions over whether the four [Sheikh and three accomplices] had any direct role in Daniel Pearl’s murder, though there was some evidence to show Sheikh’s involvement in his kidnapping.” Complete editorializing in the middle of a news article does not seem an issue for the BBC editors.

The icing on BBC’s celebratory cake was the concluding paragraph:

“But the Pakistani judiciary has sat on his appeal for nearly two decades, and some observers believe the present ruling has come at a time when the mood in the US and the rest of the world has changed and nobody seems to be worried about the terrorists of the past.“

Congratulations BBC. Your patriot who conspired with colleagues to kidnap and behead a 38-year old journalist and then cut up his body into pieces will soon be set free. He left behind a pregnant wife and the lingering final words “My father is Jewish. My mother is Jewish. I am a Jew.” But for the BBC, the true victim in the story is a British Muslim who unjustly lost 18 years of his life due to American-Zionist pressure.

Related First One Through articles:

Anti-Semitism Is Harder to Recognize Than Racism

Names and Narrative: It is Called ‘Area C’

Bernie Sanders’ Antisemitic and Anti-Zionist Friends

For The NY Times, Antisemitism Exists Because the Alt-Right is Racist and Israel is Racist

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A Plague for Others

Posted on April 2, 2020 by First.One.Through

When Covid-19 first began killing people in China it felt like a disease far away, a distant threat so remote it did not register. When it later arrived in Iran, the focus became the curious relationship between China and Iran, not that the disease was going global. Then it came to Italy, and just a short time later it was in almost every country.

Yet even as the virus found local victims, people chose to manufacture distance. This was only deadly for the elderly. It killed those with compromised health. There was no true need to worry, as the vast majority of people who tested positive for the coronavirus suffered from a mere cold.

That attitude was best captured in an interview with a teenager enjoying spring break in Florida “If I get corona, I get corona. I’m not going to let it stop me from partying.”

This was a plague for “others” and the guidelines calling for “social-distancing” was not relevant for them.

It is something to consider during this holiday of Passover, when plagues came for the Egyptians.

The Quarantine of Goshen

The story of the plagues which helped free the Jews from slavery in Egypt 3,300 years ago had two parts: the first nine plagues and the final one.

During the initial plagues, the land, animals and people of Egypt were attacked broadly with a variety of vermin and afflictions, except for the Jews as God protected them. However, for the final plague, the killing of the first born, the Jews were asked to take specific actions to facilitate their protection. They were to take a lamb, paint its blood on the doorposts of the house, roast the lamb and eat it; a slew of activities which were unnecessary for the first nine plagues. Clearly God was capable of inflecting a plague on segments of the population as He had done nine times before but for the final plague, God wanted the Jews to take a part in their own salvation.

The story of the tenth plague unfolds in three parts. First, Moses addressed Pharaoh in Exodus 11: 4-8 saying that God will kill every first-born in Egypt except for the Jews “in order that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” This plague was specifically designed to highlight the “other.” All people are not the same and will not be impacted the same way.

But the story and message seem to morph. In Exodus 12: 1-20 God addressed the Jews through Moses and Aaron with a detailed plan of the various steps the Jews needed to take during their last night in Egypt, and it wasn’t so much about how to pack. Tucked among the twenty sentences was a critical line “And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a sign for you: when I see the blood I will pass over you, so that no plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” The key to avoiding the impact of the plague is “blood on the houses,” an item that was mentioned in passing six sentences earlier as part of a long list of things to do.

God had gone from not asking the Jews to do anything during the first nine plagues, to putting forth a long list of tasks, one of which was – incidentally – key to avoiding the impact of the plague.

In the third part of the revelation of the tenth plague, Moses addressed the Elders in Exodus 12: 21-27 and provided a much more direct plan for salvation: “Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and to the two doorposts. None of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning. For when the LORD goes through to smite the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, and the LORD will pass over the door and not let the Destroyer enter and smite your home.” Moses went to the crux of the matter to get the people to focus, directly connecting the blood on the doorposts to salvation. He also elaborated on God’s command telling people to stay inside – to self-quarantine – during the deadly plague.

The story of the deadly plague evolved in a curious fashion. At first Moses told Pharaoh that the plague will be very selective – it will only come for the first-born and only from Egyptians, because “the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” God sees that the people of Egypt and Israel are different and will act accordingly.

But it becomes less clear that this is actually true. God doesn’t seemingly recognize any difference as He asks the Jews to paint the outside of their homes with blood. It is the home markings that God sees. If Jews wandered the streets that night, they would presumably have died, which is why Moses clarified that no one should leave their houses. The distinction between Egyptians and Israelites that Moses discussed with Pharaoh was one of direction, not of personhood.

“Death of Pharaoh’s First Born” painted 1872 by Lawrence Alma -Tadema (1836-1912)

Plagues and deadly viruses may present as threats for “others” but that is delusional. Neither youth nor religion will serve as shield, and leaders as far back as Moses understood that directing people to self-quarantine in their homes is the best precaution.

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Hamas Charter, Articles 13 and 14

Posted on April 1, 2020 by First.One.Through

The Hamas Charter continues to clarify its strategies to achieve its goal of an Islamic State in Articles Thirteen and Fourteen.

Peaceful Solutions, Initiatives and International Conferences:

Article Thirteen:

Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Abusing any part of Palestine is abuse directed against part of religion. Nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement is part of its religion. Its members have been fed on that. For the sake of hoisting the banner of Allah over their homeland they fight. “Allah will be prominent, but most people do not know.”

Now and then the call goes out for the convening of an international conference to look for ways of solving the (Palestinian) question. Some accept, others reject the idea, for this or other reason, with one stipulation or more for consent to convening the conference and participating in it. Knowing the parties constituting the conference, their past and present attitudes towards Moslem problems, the Islamic Resistance Movement does not consider these conferences capable of realising the demands, restoring the rights or doing justice to the oppressed. These conferences are only ways of setting the infidels in the land of the Moslems as arbitraters. When did the infidels do justice to the believers?

“But the Jews will not be pleased with thee, neither the Christians, until thou follow their religion; say, The direction of Allah is the true direction. And verily if thou follow their desires, after the knowledge which hath been given thee, thou shalt find no patron or protector against Allah.” (The Cow – verse 120).

There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. The Palestinian people know better than to consent to having their future, rights and fate toyed with. As in said in the honourable Hadith:

“The people of Syria are Allah’s lash in His land. He wreaks His vengeance through them against whomsoever He wishes among His slaves It is unthinkable that those who are double-faced among them should prosper over the faithful. They will certainly die out of grief and desperation.”

The Three Circles:

Article Fourteen:

The question of the liberation of Palestine is bound to three circles: the Palestinian circle, the Arab circle and the Islamic circle. Each of these circles has its role in the struggle against Zionism. Each has its duties, and it is a horrible mistake and a sign of deep ignorance to overlook any of these circles. Palestine is an Islamic land which has the first of the two kiblahs (direction to which Moslems turn in praying), the third of the holy (Islamic) sanctuaries, and the point of departure for Mohamed’s midnight journey to the seven heavens (i.e. Jerusalem).

“Praise be unto him who transported his servant by night, from the sacred temple of Mecca to the farther temple of Jerusalem, the circuit of which we have blessed, that we might show him some of our signs; for Allah is he who heareth, and seeth.” (The Night-Journey – verse 1).

Since this is the case, liberation of Palestine is then an individual duty for very Moslem wherever he may be. On this basis, the problem should be viewed. This should be realised by every Moslem.

The day the problem is dealt with on this basis, when the three circles mobilize their capabilities, the present state of affairs will change and the day of liberation will come nearer.

“Verily ye are stronger than they, by reason of the terror cast into their breasts from Allah. This, because they are not people of prudence.” (The Emigration – verse 13).

The Hamas Charter states clearly that there is no peaceful solution to the Question of Palestine. The goal of the movement is to hoist “the banner of Allah over their homeland.” But the purpose of international conferences is to set “the infidels in the land of the Moslems,” an unacceptable outcome for a group seeking to purge the land of all non-Muslims. Those “double-faced” people cannot be allowed to triumph over the Muslim “faithful.”

Rejecting peace, Hamas makes clear that the method of achieving its objective is “jihad.”

Mohammed Deif (1965-), founding member of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades

Jihad is mentioned eleven times in the charter. Here, in Article Thirteen, it is used for the fourth time, after the rejection of any peaceful approach, with a clear message: “There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad.” Hamas seeks a war of the “faithful” Muslims against the Jews and Christians who “settle” in “the land of the Moslems.” The charter calls for all Muslims to join the fight for the “liberation of Palestine” from these “infidels.”

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The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #1

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The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #3

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Hamas Charter, Articles 11 and 12

Posted on March 31, 2020 by First.One.Through

The longest section of the Hamas Charter is about “strategies and methods,” which run from Articles Eleven through Twenty-two.

Strategies and Methods

Strategies of the Islamic Resistance Movement: Palestine Is Islamic aqf:

Article Eleven:

The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that. Palestine is an Islamic Waqf land consecrated for Moslem generations until Judgement Day. This being so, who could claim to have the right to represent Moslem generations till Judgement Day?

This is the law governing the land of Palestine in the Islamic Sharia (law) and the same goes for any land the Moslems have conquered by force, because during the times of (Islamic) conquests, the Moslems consecrated these lands to Moslem generations till the Day of Judgement.

It happened like this: When the leaders of the Islamic armies conquered Syria and Iraq, they sent to the Caliph of the Moslems, Umar bin-el-Khatab, asking for his advice concerning the conquered land – whether they should divide it among the soldiers, or leave it for its owners, or what? After consultations and discussions between the Caliph of the Moslems, Omar bin-el-Khatab and companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, it was decided that the land should be left with its owners who could benefit by its fruit. As for the real ownership of the land and the land itself, it should be consecrated for Moslem generations till Judgement Day. Those who are on the land, are there only to benefit from its fruit. This Waqf remains as long as earth and heaven remain. Any procedure in contradiction to Islamic Sharia, where Palestine is concerned, is null and void.

“Verily, this is a certain truth. Wherefore praise the name of thy Lord, the great Allah.” (The Inevitable – verse 95).

Homeland and Nationalism from the Point of View of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine:

Article Twelve:

Nationalism, from the point of view of the Islamic Resistance Movement, is part of the religious creed. Nothing in nationalism is more significant or deeper than in the case when an enemy should tread Moslem land. Resisting and quelling the enemy become the individual duty of every Moslem, male or female. A woman can go out to fight the enemy without her husband’s permission, and so does the slave: without his master’s permission.

Nothing of the sort is to be found in any other regime. This is an undisputed fact. If other nationalist movements are connected with materialistic, human or regional causes, nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement has all these elements as well as the more important elements that give it soul and life. It is connected to the source of spirit and the granter of life, hoisting in the sky of the homeland the heavenly banner that joins earth and heaven with a strong bond.

If Moses comes and throws his staff, both witch and magic are annulled.

“Now is the right direction manifestly distinguished from deceit: whoever therefore shall deny Tagut, and believe in Allah, he shall surely take hold with a strong handle, which shall not be broken; Allah is he who heareth and seeth.” (The Cow – Verse 256).

New principles are introduced in this section of the charter, the first of which states that the land of Palestine is an “Islamic Waqf.” Such designation makes the land consecrated for the benefit of all Muslims for all time. It therefore becomes impossible for any Muslim – whether state or individual – to give up a square inch of it to any non-Muslim.

As an Islamic holy land, Hamas wants Palestine to be ruled by Islamic Sharia law. This is not the practice of many other Muslim-majority countries which pull their inspiration from Islamic law. It is a defining feature between secular and religious Islamic nations and Hamas clearly has opted for the latter.

The Islamic Waqf Council offering a ruling on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem / the Al Aqsa Compound [Muammar Awad/Reuters]

Hamas’ viewpoints are not simply extreme but immovable in regards to both land and law. In regards to land, it states unambiguously that “any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up.” Regarding the law of the land, the charter states “any procedure in contradiction to Islamic Sharia, where Palestine is concerned, is null and void.”

The charter then attempts to bind all of these religious concepts together with “nationalism” in Article 12. This is not a simple task as up to this point the charter is a broad call for every Muslim in the world to undertake the liberation of Palestine and all “Moslem lands” which they all should consider holy. There is nothing particularly unique about Palestine any more than Syria, Iraq or Kuwait until this idea is introduced, seemingly from out of the blue.

And it is therefore no surprise that Hamas cannot really breach the notion of a Palestinian people even when it talks about nationalism. For Hamas, nationalism is a “religious creed.” To the extent that this “nationalism has borders, it is only around Islam and Muslims. The “enemy” is defined as all non-Muslims who “tread [on] Moslem land” and the obligation to fight them is the “duty of every Moslem, male or female.”

Indeed, when the charter states that “nothing of the sort is to be found in any other regime,” it is true in a very sinister way. Other political movements create a framework for their citizens. But Hamas has no interest in being “connected with materialistic, human or regional causes.” It is simply an extremist religious organization whose mission is a jihad to rid Islamic holy lands of non-Muslims.

Among all political parties in the world, Hamas is uniquely constructed as an extremist jihadist group whose sole mission is about expunging non-Muslims, rather than about building a society.

Related First One Through articles:

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #1

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #2

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #3

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #4

The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #5

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The Hamas Charter, Chapter and Verse. #7

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