RUTHFULLY YOURS

Turkey’s countless agreements with Western organizations do not seem to have reduced the hatred for Christians there.

In Turkey, it is “ordinary people” who murder or attack Christians, then the judiciary or political system somehow find a way of enabling the perpetrators to get away with the crimes. Most of these crimes are not covered by the international media and Turkey is never held responsible.

While Muslims are pretty much free to practice their religion and express their views on other religions anywhere in the world, Christians and other non-Muslims can be killed in Turkey and other Muslim-majority countries just for attempting peacefully to practice their religion or openly express their views.

“Multiculturalism,” which is passionately defended by many liberals in the West, could have worked wonders in multi-ethnic and multi-religious places such as Anatolia. But unfortunately, Islamic ideology allows only one culture, one religion, and one way of thinking under their rule: Islam. Ironically, this is the central fact these liberals do not want to see.

On 26 July, the northern French town of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray witnessed a horrific Islamist attack: Two Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists killed an 85-year-old priest, Jacques Hamel, in his church during Mass. Two nuns and two churchgoers were taken hostage.

The terrorists, who had pledged allegiance to ISIS and, shouting “Allahu Akbar”, slit the throat of the priest and captured the bloody episode on video, according to a nun who escaped the assault.

Such Islamist attacks might be new to EU member countries but not to Turkey. For decades, so many innocent, defenseless Christians in Turkey have been slaughtered by Muslim assailants.

Christians in Turkey are still attacked, murdered or threatened daily; the assailants usually get away with their crimes.

In Malatya, in 2007, during the Zirve Bible Publishing House massacre, three Christian employees were attacked, severely tortured, then had their hands and feet tied and their throats cut by five Muslims on April 18, 2007.

‘My Lords, I wish to use the short time available to argue for a better understanding of Israel. This task is urgent because we see now a disturbing resurgence of anti-Zionism that is bordering on the antisemitic, particularly, I regret to say, in sections of the left in British politics.

Israel is not of course above criticism. It is right that where necessary we should be critical of Israeli policy, conduct and behaviour.

But too often this legitimate criticism of specific actions taken by Israel obscures the reality of Israel. When this reality is not heard, it creates a space for those with uglier motivations to build support for grotesque analogies between Israel and apartheid South Africa or even Nazi Germany.

I fear that on the left today what is in jeopardy is support not just for the conduct of Israel but for the concept of Israel. We see senior figures praising as friends those who are committed to the violent destruction of the Jewish homeland.

Indeed, we now have the perverse situation where people who consider themselves to be progressive oppose Israel in the belief that they are standing up for liberal values and human rights, but in doing so side with totalitarian Islamist regimes that abuse human rights and prohibit basic liberties.

I believe that it is the duty of progressives to stop the slide from opposition to specific policies of Israel towards opposition to the very existence of Israel. I want us to make the progressive case for a country where women have the right to vote, dress as they wish and say what they wish in a region where, too often, they are segregated and subjugated; for a country that is committed to the free practice of religion for all in a region where religious minorities are frequently suppressed and persecuted; for a country where gay people are not discriminated against, tortured, detained or executed, as they are almost everywhere else in the region; and for a country with a free press, freedom of expression, an independent judiciary and strong trade unions, all lacking in almost all neighbouring countries.

There is nothing progressive about siding with those who oppose the very values that we as a society strive to represent, and there is nothing progressive about seeking to extinguish a beacon of democracy, modernity and pluralism in the Middle East.’

Thousands to gather in towns and cities across Germany today at 3pm
They are calling for her resignation over open door immigration policy
Comes after four brutal attacks leaving nearly a dozen dead in one week
Three of the attackers were among 1.1million who entered as refugees

Merkel’s premiership is hanging by a thread today as thousands gathered to call for her resignation while a key political ally dramatically withdrew his support over immigration policy.

More than 5,000 protested in Berlin and thousands more throughout Germany over the ‘open-door’ policy that many have blamed for four brutal terrorist attacks that left 13 dead over the last month.

The Chancellor faced a fresh wave of fury after it emerged that two recent terror attacks and a third killing were carried out by men who entered the country as refugees.
Despite the massive waves of criticism, Merkel defended her policy this week, dramatically proclaiming ‘we can do it’ as she pledged not to let the violent acts guide political decisions.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

The power to see inside. (TY Atid-EDI & Dan) Israel’s Aspect Imaging develops small, affordable and innovative MRI scanners. Its non-claustrophobic WristView scans limbs (e.g. wrist and hand) and Embrace scans newborns. WristView has just received the European CE Mark, to add to its existing US FDA approval.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-israeli-mri-co-aspect-imaging-raises-20m-1001139665
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-MLhykCyb0

Good feelings can kill bacteria. (TY Nevet) Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have stimulated the feel-good center in mice and discovered that their immune cells were able to kill twice as much bacteria than those of non-stimulated mice. The results, published in nature medicine, could explain the placebo effect.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-study-shows-placebos-physically-boost-immunity/
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/nm.4133/metrics/news

New treatment for cancer. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Rosetta Genomics has received a US patent for its miR-34 treatments of p53-negative cancers including lymphoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, skin cancer, certain types of lung cancer, and others.
http://rosettagx.com/files/press-releases/1468255718927d275d893bf3f293d526ca3435b8da.pdf

A better test for prostate cancer. Israeli founded Cleveland Diagnostics (CDX) is developing a technology and test kit that can eradicate inconclusive prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests. CDX says it will save the $4000 cost per negative biopsy, currently necessary in 70% of current testing.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-prostate-cancer-test-strives-to-slash-biopsies/

And another one. Israel’s Micromedic Technologies (part of Israel’s Bio-Light Life Sciences) reported positive results in a trial of its prostate cancer diagnosis solution. Its CellDetect technology was used to diagnose samples from 18 patients and healthy subjects, and both groups were accurately diagnosed.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-micromedic-jumps-80-after-cancer-diagnosis-trial-success-1001138112

Another step forward in fighting melanoma. Almost a year ago (see here) Tel Aviv University researchers found what triggers melanoma cells to become malignant tumors in the brain. Now they have uncovered an early warning of that event by detecting the brain’s inflammatory response to microscopic invading tumor cells.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/researchers-find-way-to-spot-tumor-cells-invading-the-brain/

Upgraded spine surgery robots. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Mazor Robotics has launched FDA-approved Mazor X, “a transformative platform for spine surgeries”. Mazor’s current range guides surgeons in spine operations. The new platform also helps planning through to verification. Israel’s Medtronic has already bought 15.
http://www.mazorrobotics.com/mazor-robotics-unveils-mazor-x-a-transformative-platform-for-spine-surgeries/

Snack vegetables to replace fast foods. (TY Dan) Israel’s Origene Seeds is developing a range of snack vegetables which aim to replace fast food snacks. The “Sweet Drops” mini-size cucumbers and peppers have a long shelf-life and will be marketed in special packets as “Finger Food” for work, school or leisure.
http://www.israelagri.com/?CategoryID=404&ArticleID=1272 http://www.origeneseeds.com/

Go around Europe these days: you will find not a single rally to protest the murder of Father Jacques Hamel. The day an 85-year-old priest was killed in a French church, nobody said “We are all Catholics”.

Even Pope Francis, in front of the most important anti-Christian event on Europe’s soil since the Second World War, stood silent and said that Islamists look “for money”. The entire Vatican clergy refused to say the word “Islam”.

Ritually, after each massacre, Europe’s media and politicians repeat the story of “intelligence failures” — a fig leaf to avoid mentioning Islam and its project of the conquest of Europe. It is the conventional code of conduct after any Islamist attack.

Europe looks condemned to a permanent state of siege. But what if, one day, after more bloodshed and attacks in Europe, Europe’s governments begin negotiating, with the mainstream Islamic organizations, the terms of submission of democracies to Islamic sharia law? Cartoons about Mohammed have already disappeared from the European media, and the scapegoating of Israel and the Jews started long time ago. After the attack at the church, the French media decided even to stop publishing photos of the terrorists. This is the brave response to jihad by our mainstream media

Imagine the scene: the morning Catholic mass in the northern French town of Etienne du Rouvray, an almost empty church, three parishioners, two nuns and a very old priest. Knife-wielding ISIS terrorists interrupt the service and slit the throat of Father Jacques Hamel. This heartbreaking scene illuminates the state of Christianity in Europe.

My dear friend Nidra is a respected French journalist, commentator and novelist and has sent updates and commentary and reporting from France….in the belly of the terrorist beast….rsk

Prior To Attack, Adel Kermiche, Killer Of French Priest, Wrote On Social Media: ‘In A Very Short While… There Will Be Big Things [i.e. News] On This Page’

From MEMRI, our goldmine of information, ample details about the social media production of Adel Kermiche. I have seen none of this information in French media. Kermiche used various noms de plume, including Abu Jayyed, for his accounts. Since June, the real Abu Jayyed has been running a program called “Jihad from A to Z” on the Telegram channel. It’s on the model of advice to the lovelorn…but aimed at the jihad fighter seeking clarification, for example, of the rules of combat. Well, our real Abu Jayyed recently announced that he was giving classes at the St. Etienne du Rouvray mosque!

Did you even think to wonder who is the St. Etienne of the sorrowful Normandy church? I just learned, from Edouard Tertreau in le Figaro, that Saint Etienne (Stefanos or Stephen), who was Jewish, is the first Christian martyr. I can’t find his Hebrew name. [http://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/politique/2016/07/27/31001-20160727ARTFIG00272-face-aux-mecreantsde-daech-l-heure-du-devoir-pour-l-islam-de-france.php

According to l’Annuaire chrétien, [http://www.annuairechretien.com/etudes/0217-etienne-le-premier-martyre.php] St. Etienne is known for his vigorous efforts to prevent the backsliding of early Christians into Judaism. “He announced the end of the ‘old alliance,’ insisting on the difference between Judaism and Christianity, making impossible all compromising between the church and the synagogue.” So here we are, in a Normandy town with 2000 years of history in our hands!

And speaking of shameful compromising, here’s another admirer of Marion Maréchal Le Pen, la petite chérie of her grandfather who was, among other compromissions, a close friend of Saddam Hussein. The article ends with the bit about the killers “giving a sermon at the altar” before slaughtering the priest. Could Ruthfully Yours be the only English-language outlet that says they took an oath? Oath, as in oath to the caliphate? http://www.meforum.org/blog/2016/07/france-lepen-we-must-kill-islamism .

DEBATE

The government pursues its rear guard combat against the Opposition. But PM Valls did finally concede that it was a mistake to let Adel Kermiche out on parole. If the Le Pens, Aunt & Niece, were the only ones identifying the enemy and calling for résistance, I suppose the president and his allies would direct all their rebuttals against the Front National.

On the contrary. The report of the bipartisan Parliamentary Commission investigating the November 13th massacre was made public just before the Nice attack. It concludes with concrete proposals for improved security. Dismissed with hardly a blink by the Prime Minister and Interior Minister at the time, the proposals are snapping back with renewed punch today.

Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the parliamentary opposition (Les Républicains) outlined his vision in a full page interview with le Monde, July 28, 2016

PARIS—French authorities have detained a Syrian refugee and are investigating whether he conspired with Islamist radicals who killed a French priest in a Normandy church this past week, officials said Friday.

Also Friday, authorities placed a 19-year-old under formal investigation on preliminary charges of terrorist conspiracy in the attack. He had been detained on Monday, the day before the priest’s slaying, after authorities discovered a video in the suspect’s home showing one of the two killers, Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean, threatening France. Security services were unable to locate Petitjean before he mounted his attack.

Authorities didn’t release any other details about that suspect.

The investigator’s latest moves raise the possibility that other Islamic State followers were involved in the priest’s killing, and renews concerns that the terror group has exploited refugee flows to strike in Europe.

Police found a copy of the Syrian man’s passport at the home of Adel Kermiche, one of the two killers shot dead by police, officials said. But they said it is still unclear if he was involved in the plot. In past attacks, extremists have stolen documents to sneak operatives across borders.

Authorities took the Syrian into custody at a refugee center in Allier, in the center of France, hundreds of miles from the Normandy town where the priest was killed, officials said.

European security officials have been trying to find Islamic State operatives who may have entered Europe amid the hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving from the Middle East. On Sunday, a Syrian asylum-seeker who declared allegiance to the group blew himself up in Ansbach, Germany. Last year, some Islamic State operatives behind the attacks in Paris and Brussels posed as Syrian refugees to slip into Europe.

French Prime Minister Manual Valls admitted missteps in tracking the two Islamic radicals. Kermiche, a 19-year-old Frenchman, had served 10 months in a French prison for twice trying to travel to the battlefields of Syria, but was released in March on condition he wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Four months later, Kermiche and Petitjean, another Frenchman, stormed Saint-Etienne-Du-Rouvray, a 16th-century church, and killed the Rev. Jacques Hamel, as the 85-year-old auxiliary priest celebrated Mass.

“It is a failure, we have to recognize that,” said Mr. Valls in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde published Friday.

Days before the Normandy attack, French authorities had received a photo of Petitjean from a foreign intelligence service that warned the man had threatened to carry out an attack on France, according to officials familiar with the investigation. But France failed to make the link between the man in the photo and Petitjean. CONTINUE AT SITE

Two weeks after the failed coup and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s subsequent mass purge, three facts seem clear. Turkey has ceased to be a democracy in any conventional sense. The army’s reputation and cohesiveness have suffered a massive blow, with uncertain consequences for its operational effectiveness. Most importantly, Turkey’s foreign policy and regional security strategy will become more difficult to predict and less amenable to Western interests.

The military that has long served as a trusted unifying force for the country is deeply divided, diminished and discredited. Hundreds of its senior officers are under arrest. Almost 1,700 have been dishonorably discharged, including 40 percent of all active-service generals and admirals. That once staunchly Kemalist army, which had been for nine decades one of the key institutions of the Turkish state and society, is gone. It is likely to emerge from the purge as a pliant instrument under Erdogan’s direct control—a hundred reliable colonels have already been promoted to generals—and not a suprapolitical institution accountable to the prime minister’s office as before. This change requires a constitutional amendment, which may well pave the way for the new constitution which would grant Erdogan unprecedented executive powers.

Some operational consequences of the purge are already apparent. James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, said on Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado that it is hindering Turkey’s cooperation in the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State. He and head of U.S. Central Command General Joseph Votel said that many Turkish officers who cooperated with the American military in anti-ISIS operations have been removed or jailed. The future of the key Incirlik Air Base, from which the U.S. conducts attacks against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, is uncertain. Already last year security concerns caused Air Force commanders to restrict movement of U.S. personnel to a small area surrounding the base. This year the voluntary departure of family and dependents became mandatory. Air attacks were temporarily suspended or reduced following the coup, the base was left without power for almost a week, and its commander was taken off the premises in handcuffs. Of immediate concern was the fact that some 50 B-61 hydrogen bombs are stored in Incirlik’s underground vaults, NATO’s largest nuclear storage facility. Having those 170-kiloton weapons in a volatile region, with many of the trusted officers in Turkey’s military purged or jailed, and Erdogan in full charge in Ankara, presents a security risk. To put it mildly, as former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis did in a Foreign Policy article on July 18, “this poses a very dangerous problem”:

Unfortunately, it is likely that the military in the wake of the coup will be laser-focused on internal controversy, endless investigations, and loyalty checks—and simply surviving as an institution. This will have a chilling effect on military readiness and performance. While some operations have resumed at the crucial Incirlik Air Base, cooperation is already frozen across many U.S. and NATO channels.

After many years of a gradual erosion of the secular state, the Turkish government has been sprinting towards Islamist tyranny since the failed coup attempt. The response of Donald Trump to this new reality is unsettling, to say the least.

He declined to commit a potential Trump administration to opposing the Erdogan government’s crackdown, using the Islamist line that the U.S. lacks the moral authority to criticize other countries’ human rights abuses.

In an interview with the New York Times after the coup failed, Trump said he “give[s] great credit to him [Erdogan] for being able to turn that around” and marveled at the scenes of protestors stopping the involved military personnel. Hillary Clinton opposed the coup while standing by criticism of the Turkish government.

The reporter pointed out to Trump that Erdogan has used the coup as a pretext for a massive crackdown, arresting 50,000 people, removing major elements of the judiciary and suspending thousands of teachers.

Clarion published a stunning accounting of the purge. Now, the regime just shut down another 130 media outlets and kicked out 1,700 members of the military.

Trump did not speak out against these purges and said that opposing the Islamist tyranny in Turkey would not be a part of his administration’s agenda. He did, however, say there “may be a time when we can get much more aggressive on that subject…We’re not in a position to be more aggressive. We have to fix our own mess.”

Amina al-Jeffrey was born in Swansea, UK, and taken at age 16 to Saudi Arabia by her father, who disapproved of her Western lifestyle.

Now 21, she is fighting a court battle in the High Court in London against her father to be allowed to return to the UK.

She alleges that her father, Mohammed al-Jeffrey, put “metal bars” on her bedroom and described being a “locked-up girl with a shaved head.”

Still a judge in the High Court, Justice Holman, has asserted, “We have to be careful about asserting the supremacy our cultural standards.”

Holman also said that it is unclear whether or not Britain had jurisdiction in the matter since al-Jeffrey was an adult with dual Saudi and UK citizenship.

Al-Jeffrey said her father hit her, deprived her of water and forced her to urinate in a cup.

Although “metal bars are no longer in her room” according to her lawyers, “she is still locked up in the house” and “not allowed to use the phone or internet.”

“Steps need to be taken to ensure Ms. Jeffery is returned to the UK where her safety can be guaranteed,” the Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit said in a statement.

“Her treatment has extended to depriving her of food and water, depriving her of toilet facilities, physical assault and control of her ability to marry who she wishes and creating a situation in which she feels compelled to marry as a means of escape,” Henry Setright, a lawyer acting on behalf of al-Jeffrey said in a statement.