Report From Washington – June 21, 2013

Editor: William J. Murray

Join me in a fact finding mission to Israel – A once in a lifetime mission led by William J. Murray, William Federer and Frank Gaffney, all three experts on Israel and Islamic affairs. Not a standard “tour,” the mission includes visits to settlements and military bases plus evening panels. Read more

In this issue: Young Nigerian Christian victims of terror denied visa for camp in USA by Obama / Study shows Obama’s Arab Spring causes repression / Obama spy program on churches allowed, but mosques off limits / Senators move to block aid to Syrian jihadists / Congressmen and Senators want protections for military religious liberty / The Koran says: Being a Christian worse than being a murderer / More Saudi evil / Nigerian Muslims brag bout killing kids / No word on kidnapped bishops in Syria / 300 Western jihadists held in Syria

The Presidency

TURNED DOWN: Deborah and her mom (left); the caskets of her brother Caleb and her father Peter.

Obama admits Muslim victim of terror to USA, but not Christians – The non-profit group Tuesday’s Children invited four victims of terror to a summer camp in the USA. Of the four Nigerian teenagers who applied to the U.S. embassy for visas at the behest of Tuesday’s Children, the embassy denied visa requests for the three who are Christian but accepted the one who is Muslim. Read more
Petition to Congress: Allow Christian terror victims to come to camp in USA – A full investigation must be made by both the House and Senate as to why three Christian kids who were victims of terror were denied visas for a summer camp, while the one Muslim on the same application was approved. Send a free fax to your congressman demanding an investigation.
Obama’s Arab Spring causes persecution – A Pew Research Center study has found that since the beginning of the so-called “Arab Spring” in 2010 – engineered by Barack Hussein Obama – religious persecution against Christians has increased throughout the Middle East. Read more
Obama spy program on churches OK, but not on mosques – The Washington Examiner has published a two-part expose on Obama’s spying program in American churches, looking for those who have “anti-government” opinions. While this spy program is going on, targeting conservative Christians, Obama has put spying in mosques off limits. Read more
Congress
Senators move to block aid to Syria jihadists – A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation to block the U.S. from escalating its involvement in the Syrian civil war, as concerns mount on Capitol Hill over the Obama administration’s plan to directly arm rebels. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Chris Murphy (D-CN) introduced the bill Thursday to prohibit the Defense Department and intelligence agencies from funding operations in Syria. Read more
Congressmen and Senators want military religious liberty protections – President Obama is objecting to an amendment proposed by Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) and amendments by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT). Fleming’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would expand protection of the rights of conscience to members of the Armed Forces and to Chaplains. Read more
Religion and Culture
Being a Christian worse than being a murderer? – What then does it mean when the Koran says that “fitnah is worse than killing”? According to Ibn Kathir, to disbelieve in Allah is to be guilty of the crime of shirk or, as he puts it, “committing disbelief.” Shirk, he says, is fitnah, the crime worse than killing. Just being a non-Muslim – a Christian, a Jew or a pagan – is worse than murder, Dr. mark Durie explains in this extraordinary article. Read more
No tax dollars for jihadists – The Religious Freedom Coalition has begun an online petition asking congressmen to speak out against any funding, military or otherwise, to jihadists anywhere in the world. The petition comes at a time the Obama Administration is furnishing help from the CIA, as well as cash and “humanitarian” aid, to jihadists fighting the secular government of Syria. Provide your name and zip code, and a copy of the petition will be faxed to your congressman free of charge. See petition here.
International
Saudi Arabia: Years in jail for helping a woman in need – Saudi women’s rights activists Wajeha Al-Huweidar and Fawzia Al-‘Uyouni were sentenced to prison for trying to help a Canadian woman living in Saudi Arabia.