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In my article The Myth That Islam Encourages Scientific Inquiry I noted how ridiculous it is that so many Muslims believe (with delusional fervor) that Islam encourages scientific and intellectual inquiry despite the glaring paucity of Muslim achievements in any field of science.

In response to that article, a delusional Muslim left this comment: “this website make u cry and convert to islam: Miracles of the Qur’an.”

So I visited that website and sure enough, I did make me cry – with laughter.

Here is one example in the section called Mathematical Miracles of the Qur’an

HALLEY’S COMET AND 76 YEARS

One of the greatest developments in modern astronomy is the discovery of Halley’s Comet. The 18th-century scientist Edmund Halley discovered that the comet comes around every 76 years. With that discovery, Halley established that comets have astronomical orbits.

The name “Halley” by which the comet is known, appears in a most striking way in verse 76 of Surat al-An’am in the Qur’an:

When night covered him he saw a star and said, ‘This is my Lord!’ Then when it set he said, “I do not love what sets.” (Sura An’am, 76)

The letters that make up the word “Halley” appear for the first time in the Qur’an in this verse. Furthermore, the reference to a “setting” star is highly significant. What is more, the Arabic word “kawkaban,” meaning “star,” appears right next to the letters comprising “Halley.”

76, the number of the related verse, on the other hand, may indicate 76 years, which is Halley’s orbital period. (Allah knows the truth.) The verse number 76 represents the Halley comet; because Halley becomes visible from the Earth every 76 years. That is to say, its orbital period is 76. For this reason, that Halley is mentioned for the first time in the Qur’an in the 76th verse is a miracle of Allah.

But does any of this horsecrap comport with science and reality? According to Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory webpage on Halley’s Comet the actual average Perihelion is 75.3 years. The orbital period of 76 has only been approximately true for the last three centuries. For example, the comet’s appearances in 1682 and 1759 were a little over 77 years apart. In fact, Halley’s orbital period has varied between 74 and 79 years in the past two thousand years [P. Lancaster-Brown (1985). Halley and His Comet. Blandford Press].

If, as is alleged, that Allah knows the truth, then Allah should have instructed Mohammed to put the reference to Halley’s Comet in verse 75 since that is closer to the actual average, 75.3.

Another problem is that verse 76 talks about a star. A comet is not a star. Allah should have known that.

But let’s pretend that the Quran was really talking about a comet with a repeating period of about 70 plus years. So what? First century Jewish astronomers had already recognized Halley’s Comet as periodic [Selig Brodetsky: Astronomy in the Babylonian Talmud]. This would only prove that Mohammed not only stole from the Torah but also from the Talmud.

A miracle of Allah? Don’t make me cry.

Planck’s Constant

IN THE BOOK, The Sociopath Next Door, Martha Stout says something really interesting. Her book is about normal, everyday sociopaths (also known by the somewhat outdated term, “psychopath”). In other words, the book is not about serial killers, but about the neighbor who drives you crazy, the spouse who seems dedicated to making your life miserable, the cruel, unfeeling boss, etc.

A sociopath is someone who feels no empathy for other human beings. The consequences of this lack are enormous. These people are, in many ways, not recognizably human. And there is no cure for sociopathy. It is not caused by upbringing. Therapy only makes them worse.

About two percent of the population is sociopathic, and those who are in a relationship with a sociopath need to understand what makes sociopaths tick. The more you know, the less likely you are to be fooled, used, or destroyed by a sociopath.

But Martha Stout said something interesting for us here in our conversation about Islam. She wrote about the techniques sociopaths use to exploit people around them. Sociopaths use people. And there is one thing sociopaths use more than anything else because it works so well with normal people. Their ultra-effective weapon is to evoke pity. Stout wrote:

The most reliable sign, the most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as one might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is, perversely, an appeal to our sympathy.

I first learned this when I was still a graduate student in psychology and had the opportunity to interview a court-referred patient the system had already identified as a “psychopath.” He was not violent, preferring instead to swindle people out of their money with elaborate investment scams. Intrigued by this individual and what could possibly motivate him…I asked, “What is important to you in your life? What do you want more than anything else?” I thought he might say “getting money,” or “staying out of jail,” which were the activities to which he devoted most of his time. Instead, without a moment’s hesitation, he replied, “Oh, that’s easy. What I like better than anything else is when people feel sorry for me. The thing I really want more than anything else out of life is people’s pity.”

I was astonished, and more than a little put off. I think I would have liked him better if he had said “staying out of jail,” or even “getting money.” Also, I was mystified. Why would this man — why would anyone — wish to be pitied, let alone wish to be pitied above all other ambitions? I could not imagine. But now, after twenty-five years of listening to victims, I realize there is an excellent reason for the sociopathic fondness for pity. As obvious as the nose on one’s face, and just as difficult to see without the help of a mirror, the explanation is that good people will let pathetic individuals get by with murder, so to speak, and therefore any sociopath wishing to continue with his game, whatever it happens to be, should play repeatedly for none other than pity.

More than admiration — more even than fear — pity from good people is carte blanche. When we pity, we are, at least for the moment, defenseless, and like so many of the other positive human characteristics that bind us together in groups…our emotional vulnerability when we pity is used against us…

The reason I thought that was interesting and relevant is that pity is one of the most common techniques Islamic supremacists use, and it is the main reason they’ve been able to get away with as much as they have so far. They exploit the egalitarian, multiculturalist, good-hearted nature of non-Muslims. They evoke pity and then use our own kindness and our desire to “get along with others” against us.

I was just reading the book, Tripoli: The United States’ First War on Terror. The ruler of Tripoli had been seizing U.S. merchant ships, adding the ship to his own fleet, keeping the contents of the ship, and selling the captured sailors into slavery. It was a very lucrative pirating business. The U.S. wanted Tripoli to stop it, of course. The ruler of Tripoli said, “Sure, we’ll stop attacking your ships if you pay us tribute every year.”

So for awhile the U.S. paid the tribute because they were a new country and had no navy to speak of, and they wanted to continue with their overseas trade. But the ruler of Tripoli decided the tribute they had agreed to wasn’t enough, so he demanded more and when he didn’t get it, he started seizing U.S. ships again.

Meanwhile, the U.S. was frantically building a navy, and by this time had enough warships to put up a fight, so they did. Suddenly Tripoli’s ruler wanted to talk peace. But in the negotiations, the man negotiating on behalf of the ruler asked for a gift of money. The U.S. said no, absolutely not. The U.S. said basically, “You have not been fair in any way and have only acted as our enemy, and no, we will not pay you to stop the fighting.”

Then Tripoli’s negotiator tried to appeal to pity: “But Tripoli is very poor,” he pleaded. “she cannot subsist without the generosity of her friends; give something then on the score of charity.” In this case, Tripoli had already established a poor reputation with the Americans, so the pity plea did not work. But even after the U.S. negotiator said no, Tripoli’s negotiator tried to make the U.S. negotiator feel guilty for not feeling pity. He asked, basically, “You say you want peace but you won’t give this gift of charity to obtain the peace?”

Islam uses the pity plea anywhere it can. Mohammad used it, Muslims in Tripoli were using it, and Muslims today are still at it. In their dealings with powerful non-Muslims, the basic stance of Islam is: “We are an oppressed, persecuted people. We’re a minority. We’re under siege. We are wrongly accused. We’re the victims of bigotry, hatred, and Islamophobia.” And if they can’t find anything to point to that proves their oppression, they literally create something.

It’s like a game they are playing, except this is a game with very serious consequences. A single sociopath using the appeal to pity can completely ruin the lives of many people. And this is, of course, nothing compared with what Islamic supremacists have done. They’ve killed over 270 million people since they started. They’ve ruined even more lives, and they are affecting the lives and livelihoods of billions of us today.

I would like to spend my time working on productive, positive, life-affirming activities. Instead, I am spending many hours of my short time here on earth trying to stop the insidious Islamic encroachment, reading and writing about things I wish didn’t exist. It’s an upsetting topic. It’s disturbing. But the consequences of ignoring it are even worse, so I devote a large portion of my life to it.

And, of course, I’m not alone. Each of us has been influenced in hundreds of ways we don’t even know about by the third jihad (and the first two jihads).

It’s important to understand how they do it. One of the most successful techniques they use is the appeal to pity. The good news is that as soon as you see the appeal for what it is, the game is over, the magic disappears, the trance is lifted.

Citizen Warrior

For the addict who has decided to confront his or her addiction, the ongoing process of recovery is often met with difficulties, challenges, setbacks, and ultimately, success. Furthermore, many addicts need to grapple with other underlying conditions or issues that accompany the addiction. For these individuals, a dual diagnosis drug rehabilitation program may be especially helpful and is often an ideal program when all things are considered.

Two Problems

One might be interested in learning about what programs of this nature entail. The psychiatric community is in general agreement with respect to the fact that addictive behavior is often accompanied by other conditions. The condition may predate the addiction or the addiction may have led to the condition but it is thought that both need to be addressed in order to have successful recovery.

Part of The Problem

Regardless of which came first, the clinical disorder or the substance abuse, more and more expert clinicians are finding it important and necessary to treat both simultaneously. The psychiatric community has increasingly found that effectively treating disorders that accompany addiction often results in a more lasting recovery. This treatment is done in a number of different ways and may vary somewhat from clinic to clinic.

Group Therapy

Group therapy plays a big role in this type of rehabilitation. With just about any person who is dealing with chemical dependency, a feeling of isolation often exists. The group atmosphere underscores the fact that the addict is not struggling alone. The support that one gets from the larger community plays a key role on the road to recovery. Many supporting clinicians, speakers and educators are themselves recovering addicts.

Counseling

Individual therapy or counseling is another important element of the process. This may allow the addict to focus more deeply on many of the underlying issues. During individual sessions, the addict will be taught different coping skills to put into effect when one is overcome with the urge to consume drugs or alcohol.

Prescription Medication

If disorders such as anxiety and depression are present, psychiatrists may prescribe medication. This could be for a brief period or as a long-term treatment. The initial idea is to get things like anxiety and depression under control to be able to better focus on the addiction itself. While on medication, the patient will often learn, and put into use, emotional management skills to better manage the conditions and the urges.

Individual Assessment

In this type of residential alcohol addiction rehabilitation, different kinds of treatment are woven together strategically. Clinicians will often fine-tune the rehabilitation to include a combination of group settings, individual sessions and medication. Each person’s addiction and needs are taken into account during the assessment period and throughout the program.

(Golden angels attached at scaffolding are pictured during an exhibition in the Holy Cross church in Munich December 17, 2009. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle )

Mary Rich worked for a hospital in northern New Jersey for 25 years, first as a registered nurse and later as an executive. One of the job’s benefits was a traditional pension that she expected to receive at retirement. Now that benefit seems unlikely to be around by the time she retires.

Rich’s financially troubled former employer, the Hospital Center at Orange (HCO), shut down in 2004. The pension plan currently has .25 million in assets, which are being distributed at the rate of .7 million per year. By the time Rich reaches retirement 12 years from now, the money will be gone.

Under normal conditions, a pension plan such as HCO’s would have been back-stopped by the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, the federally sponsored agency that insures most private sector pension plans. When plans go belly up, PBGC takes them over and continues to make payments; most participants receive 100 percent of promised benefits. But HCO’s case wasn’t typical. A year before it closed, HCO had declared itself to be a “church plan” – meaning that it was claiming an exemption to federal pension law and PBGC coverage.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, known as ERISA, regulates most private-sector pensions. But it has always exempted plans operated directly by churches for their clergy and employees to make it easier for the churches to operate their plans.

A 1980 amendment to ERISA clarified that the exemption also applied to church pension boards, which administer group pension plans for church employees. But since then, a growing number of plan sponsors with less-direct ties to religious organizations have been declaring themselves church plans and asking the Internal Revenue Service to issue private-letter rulings confirming the exemptions, which free the plans from federal funding requirements.

They can stop paying PBGC insurance premiums and can even receive a refund of up to six years of insurance premiums – probably a total of about 0,000 in HCO’s case. While that may have been a lot of money for a struggling hospital to recoup, it’s a disaster for workers relying on the pension plan, and it’s especially egregious considering that the cost of lifetime protection from PBGC is just per year per plan participant.

Read the full story here.
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January 21, 2011 at approximately 12:30 PM. Times Square   Decided to check out the Egyptian Revolution Rally taking place just after the first light snow of the winter season. Their stage was late, so sans amplification the rally leaders were chanting and attempting to kept the crowd busy until their errant truck/stage arrived.   It was a small crowd comprised of familiar Leftists, “Palestinians” and Islamist protestors. Usually, I’m called a Zionist, a Racist, a Nazi and a hate-monger but today, I was lectured, told outright HOW I was to write about the rally or else LEAVE because (you see) ” I’m an Islamophobe who WORKS for Pamela Geller.” Policing me was Marxist/Fakestinian agitator, Andy Pollack. Andrew Pollack of   Al-Awda NY who loves to press his hulking mass into my space while proudly declaring that I had to stop filming. He kept his little soldiers busy infringing on my freedom of speech and assembly by attempting to block my camera with flags and bodies. Nice, huh? The games Lefties play…. Two young women in the rally were ‘alerted’ by Pollack to not speak with me because I “WORK for Pam Geller”. One of those girls was Micha (Michelle)Balon of the STAGED #OWS marriage (arranged to please the easily duped MSM.) But, Micha doesn’t seem to be ‘married’ anymore. Her face book page says she is interested in MEN and makes no mention of a ‘husband’ My other critic was Nada Elmansy (in light blue hijab) She said I can’t be trusted to write appropriately about Muslims!” However, I appreciate that she took a moment on camera to actually express why she was there. Some more pictures of the signs…. Yearning for bread, dignity and ….”Social Justice”! Socialists…Revolution…. Freedom…Justice For All! Anti-Israel (lots of kuffeyas ) and Anti-America…. It wasn’t just a rally about those martyred in Tahrir Square… The VIDEO:     Facts are the Muslim Brotherhood and the Sharia compliant government is antithetical to a  a free society, to a democracy.   “The Islamist parties have won 72 percent of the seats in the lower house… the revolutionaries of Tahrir Square were disgraced at the polls and exposed as an insignificant social and political force…The Muslim Brotherhood (and its fellow jihadists in the Salafist al-Nour party) will control Egypt’s internal affairs.”   Yet there were no signs criticizing the Muslim Brotherhood. If there were Christians at this rally ( as they claimed) WHERE were the signs supporting the Copts.   This election is “.. bad news for women and for non-Muslims. Egypt’s Coptic Christians have been under continuous attack by Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist supporters since Mubarak was deposed…The military massacred them when they dared to protest their persecution.”   I heard nothing protesting  the attacks and murders of the Copts, martyred in Egypt because they are CHRISTIANS. Will the Muslim Brotherhood and the Sharia compliant government be any better? (crickets chirping) Is Egypt a country on the verge of a real Democracy? Were those killed in Tahrir Square fighting to live under Sharia?   ” …the Islamic fundamentalists now in charge of Egypt (who) don’t need a constitution to implement their tyranny. All they require is what they already have –a public awareness of their political power and their partnership with the military.”   Leaving no doubt that this was also a protest in opposition of Israel. “...the new regime ( in Egypt) which allows Sinai to be used as a launching ground for attacks against Israel and as a highway for weapons and terror personnel to flow freely into Gaza; clear signs that the peace with Israel is already dead – treaty or no treaty. “..the depth and breadth of America’s losses, consider that on January 25, 2011, most Arab states were US allies to a greater or lesser degree. Mubarak was a strategic ally…In Egypt, it was clear that the Muslim Brotherhood would emerge as the strongest political force in the country.” Keeping the Revolution alive in Syria, in Libya, in Tunisia, in Yemen (in Egypt)… and in ‘Fakestine’… FREE FREE etc etc etc etc …. Reminding us that America is:   “…looked upon with increasing contempt and disgust throughout     the Arab world.” After all,  Ramsey Clark and his International Action Center was promoting, organizing , supporting this rally.  His organization is not just critical of America it is ANTI- America.   No Old Glory flying along side the flag of Egypt. Just signs, signs and more signs blaming America and praising Socialism. Their “Hope and Change” for a democracy is just an excuse to build another  Saudi Arabia; another Iran compliments of the Muslim Brotherhood.  ********

Global Day to support the Egyptian revolution on Saturday, Jan 21st. 2012 Egyptian & Egyptian Solidarity Groups Rally to Support Egyptian Revolution’s Demands on the Anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution Global Event: The Struggle Continues New York City, NY— During the 18 days from Jan 25th to Feb 11th, 2011, the whole world witnessed millions of Egyptian protesters marching in the streets of Egypt and protesting in Tahrir Square, demanding their basic human rights: dignity, freedom, and social justice. After decades of patience and suffering, Egyptians finally spoke out loudly and peacefully demanding the fall of a police-based authoritarian regime, the end of Mubarak’s dictatorship, and the establishment of a civilian, democratic state. www.iacenter.org ********* This was as much an anti-America rally as it was a pro- Egypt (Muslim Brotherhood Rally) The protestors in Times Square may protest the SCAF but they say nothing against the Muslim Brotherhood….   “…the military junta…has made its peace with the Muslim Brotherhood. The generals and the jihadists are negotiating a power-sharing agreement.”     And Anonymous…of course… was there with this pithy thought: “Beneath this mask is an idea and ideas are bullet-proof”

No Mosques At Ground Zero

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There was a fairly interesting article in Sunday’s New York Times by Robert F. Worth on a rising star within the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Beltagy, and what it might portend for the future of Islamist movements as well as the Middle East after the Arab Spring.   Some of it, namely the divisions within the Brotherhood as between a cautious older guard and a newer, younger, flashier set of leaders, was of less immediate concern to me, though it was quite interesting.  What really got my attention was the division described, here and elsewhere, as between the mainstream Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which won 49% of the seats in the lower house of Parliament, and the more hardline Salafists, who won about a quarter of the seats. (To be clear, “Islamist” under my working definition is a person who seeks for the shari’a a prominent role in the law and constitution of the nation state.  An itinerant preacher who runs around trying to convince women to wear headscarves is not an Islamist.  A legislator who seeks to increase the number of hours of required religious training in public schools is.  I think that works well enough at least for these purposes.)

Islamic Law In Our Times

To travel internationally, one requires a passport from the country of citizenship. Even children need a passport. Be it an airline or a cruise line, the same rule applies provided you are leaving the country. This same rule is applicable for those travelling on land. However, if you are caught unaware, there are expedited pass ports for children as well as adults.

Timetable

A passport takes four to six weeks from the time the application is submitted to receipt of same. If the international trip is urgent, the US Department of State also offers expedited services. These services will shorten the duration of processing and delivery to two weeks.

Expedited Service

The cost implication of the expedited passport is higher than that of the normal passport. The difference will depend on how urgent the passport is required. Non-governmental agencies also offer this service to the populace. They reduce the processing time to a range of 12 days to 24 hours. If the passport is not needed urgently, the cost implication might be reduced.

Government Licensing

Online and offline expediting services are available. Both providers need to get a license from the government in order to operate. This license should be the yardstick used to make a decision. For those that opt for an online agency, provide a valid email address along with other data that you present. This will be used to convey essential information to you. The offline service providers will require a contact phone number.

Payment

There are varieties of payment options. These are also subject to the agency you select. Online agencies provide the following options; PayPal, bank wire, e-check and credit card. The offline agencies accept credit/debit cards, money order, bank deposits and checks. You can then select the most appropriate option that suits you best.

Additional Charages

Asides from the government approved cost for a passport, the agency also charges for their service. Their charges might also come along with other services besides obtaining a passport. This occurs primarily when the agency is also laden with your traveling arrangements.

Parental Involvement

The parents or guardian of a child is actively involved in the entire process. The present laws of the United State stipulate for both parents be available when the application for the passport is submitted. In the absence of parents, guardians are allowed. The role of the parent/guardian also includes paying the required fees. All agencies offering this service are bound by this law.

Book or Card

When applying for infant American passport, you need to specify the nature of passport you want. There is the passport book and the passport card. With the passport book, a minor gets to travel by any means of transportation to any part of the world. The passport card is valid only for land and sea travels. This limits the travel destination to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda. The fees applicable to each of the passports also vary.

(A general view shows the Swiss mountain resort of Davos December 28, 2011. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

Leaders of the Arab Spring sought to assure the world’s elite in Davos that the rise of political Islam is not a threat to democracy, and pleaded for help creating jobs and satisfying the hunger of their people for a better life. Politicians, activists and entrepreneurs from countries that have cast off dictators and held free elections in the last 12 months were prized guests at the World Economic Forum, where they asked for patience, understanding and investment.

The new prime ministers of Tunisia and Morocco, both chosen from Islamic parties, dismissed Western worries about a surge of political Islam across North Africa and sought to dispel the notion that the promise of last year’s protests had faded.

“I do not believe the new regimes should be called political Islamist regimes. We must be careful with our terminology… For the first time in the Arab world, we have free and honest elections that led to democratic regimes,” Tunisian Prime Minister Hammadi Jebali told a Davos panel.

Twelve months ago, stunned Davos delegates watched live television images of crowds surging into Cairo’s Tahrir Square in a political earthquake few had anticipated. Arab officials and civil society activists urged Western executives and commentators not to demonize the Islamic movements that have gone from prison to parliament and the corridors of power in a year of stunning transformation.

“I would like to ask the businessmen in the room. Have you suffered from the victory of the Islamists? You supported the dictatorships in the past,” Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane said.

“Today we can guarantee your interests more than they did in the past.”

Read the full story by Warren Strobel and Paul Taylor here.
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FaithWorld

As we celebrate our 63rd Republic Day, let’s take a look at some Muslim contribution to patriotic songs in India over the years. The list is not exhaustive and considers only the more popular…

Indian Muslims