Failed Bomber Reaches Out To Israelis

I was just reading a hopeful story on Yahoo News, which concerns a changed person. It was just six years ago, Shifa al-Qudsi was plotting to strap on explosives under a maternity dress and blow herself up among Israelis. Now she says she wants to meet them. Just released from prison at age 30, the former hairdresser insists she has no regrets, but says times have changed. "I hope to join a peace group," she says. "I am ready to talk to Israelis, to get closer." Her startling transformation mirrors broader changes in Palestinian society in the West Bank, where enthusiasm for armed conflict against Israeli occupation has been eroding.

Al-Qudsi's story also provides a glimpse of the motives of a suicide bomber and how easy it was at one time for militants to recruit young Palestinians — mostly men but also a few women — for 131 bombings that have killed hundreds of Israelis. For al-Qudsi, the personal appeared to intersect with the political. While she said she wanted to avenge the suffering inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli troops, her former employer said al-Qudsi also felt depressed and stigmatized by her divorce. Interviewed recently in her parents' home in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, al-Qudsi wore a tailored leather coat, pants, stiletto-heeled boots and a headscarf that seemed more a nod to social norms than a sign of religious piety. She appeared confident and optimistic. One of 10 children, she married a cousin at 16, gave birth to a daughter, Diana, and divorced after two years when her husband took up with another woman. Returning to her parents' home with her daughter, al-Qudsi started working at a beauty parlor. Her former boss, Zahwa Zakallah, described her employees as a fun-loving group that would occasionally take day trips, including several to the beach at Netanya, an Israeli city 10 miles west of Tulkarem that would become al-Qudsi's target.

Life changed after the uprising broke out in 2000. As a wave of bombings and shootings by Palestinian militant groups crested, Israeli forces reoccupied West Bank towns in a major military offensive. Troops also ringed the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, effectively putting him under house arrest. Al-Qudsi said she was increasingly driven by a desire for revenge, and was particularly upset by Israel's humiliation of Arafat, a Palestinian icon. In early 2002, her 16-year-old brother, Mahmoud, was caught with a suicide belt and sentenced to 18 years in prison. And a 27-year-old West Bank paramedic became the first female suicide bomber, killing an elderly Israeli man in Jerusalem. Al-Qudsi said she sought contact with the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent Fatah offshoot. She said she was told to reconsider and come back in a month. She persisted and was eventually accepted.

"I was waiting for the moment I could push the button and see the bodies flying," she said. Her handlers wanted to send her to the town of Hadera, but al-Qudsi said she insisted on Netanya because she knew her way around the town. She was fitted for a vest meant to hold 33 pounds of explosives under the maternity dress. The plan was for her to be accompanied by a male bomber disguised as an Israeli medic who would detonate his explosives minutes after she did, in order to kill Israeli rescuers. But informers tipped off the Israelis and al-Qudsi was arrested. Troops barged into her parents' home one night in April 2002 and drove her away. She said they beat her with fists and rifle butts until she reached the local army lockup. She quickly confessed, but spent 42 days being questioned about who else was involved in the plot.

In a plea bargain, an Israeli military court sentenced her to six years in prison. Her lawyer, Khaled Dazuki, said the sentence was relatively light because no suicide belt was found. Dazuki believes the plan was in its early stages and his client wouldn't have gone through with the attack. Al-Qudsi described the Israeli prison as a warren of dirty, vermin-infested cells where guards sometimes tear-gassed troublesome inmates, including herself. Now she has a job with a prisoners' aid group, plans to study social work, and talks about her eagerness to tell ordinary Israelis her story and hear theirs. She also struggles to explain her decision to become a bomber. Asked how she could leave her young daughter motherless, she said, "God would have taken care of her." Yet she also said the worst part of being in prison was being away from her child. She and Diana, now 13, are inseparable. The teenager says she's thankful her mother is alive, wants nothing to do with politics, and dreams of going abroad to study law. What made her change her mind after her arrest?

She said that times are different now. "I'm not sorry about what happened," al-Qudsi said defiantly. She wanted the world to know about the suffering of the Palestinians under occupation, but said: "At the time, I didn't think as a human being. I thought only of revenge. "If I had thought it through better, I might not have made this decision."

If there is any hope for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, it will come throught the efforts of people like Al-Qudsi! We wish her well in her peace efforts, as well as all who strive for peace in that caldron of violence!!

Conscientious Objector Gets OUT

There is a story of a conscientious objector, which is confusing me and perhaps it will you as well. First, I am confused because this soldier is a West Point graudate, and Second, because he has already served more than a year in Iraq. Also, as you can read below there is alternative service available, instead of the discharge, which he is receiving from the Army.


A U.S. soldier who said his Christian beliefs compelled him to love his enemies, not kill them, has been granted conscientious objector status and honorably discharged, a civil liberties group said on Tuesday. Capt. Peter Brown, who served in Iraq for more than a year and was a graduate of the elite U.S. military academy West Point, said in a statement issued by the New York Civil Liberties Union that he was relieved the Army had recognized his beliefs made it impossible for him to serve.

Capt. Peter Brown, a 2004 graduate and member of the 10th Mountain Division, said his religious convictions prevented him from carrying a loaded weapon or ordering his men to use lethal force.Brown was stationed in Baghdad for more than a year with 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, out of Fort Drum. His conversion to a pacifist interpretation of the Bible began after his commission into the Army when he attended a civilian religious center in the Netherlands in 2004, the lawsuit said.

While in Iraq, Brown applied for discharge from the Army as a conscientious objector. Though a chaplain appointed by the Army and an investigating officer both concluded that he was sincere and recommended an honorable discharge, the Army disagreed and denied his request. The ACLU and its New York chapter sued in July, asking a federal court to order the Army to reverse its decision. Before the court could act, the Army reconsidered and granted Brown’s request Aug. 28, NYCLU spokeswoman Jennifer Carnig said. The announcement was delayed until after Brown’s return from Iraq in September. ACLU lawyers filed a voluntary dismissal of Brown’s lawsuit on Tuesday, said Deborah Karpatkin, the ACLU attorney who represented Brown.


A conscientious objector is one who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds of moral or religious principles.

HOW TO APPLY
In general, once a man gets a notice that he has been found qualified for military service, he has the opportunity to make a claim for classification as a conscientious objector (CO). A registrant making a claim for Conscientious Objection is required to appear before his local board to explain his beliefs.
He may provide written documentation or include personal appearances by people he knows who can attest to his claims. His written statement might explain:
how he arrived at his beliefs; and
the influence his beliefs have had on how he lives his life.
The local board will decide whether to grant or deny a CO classification based on the evidence a registrant has presented.

A man may appeal a Local Board's decision to a Selective Service District Appeal Board. If the Appeal Board also denies his claim, but the vote is not unanimous, he may further appeal the decision to the National Appeal Board


.Classifications
Men are not classified now. Classification is the process of determining who is available for military service and who is deferred or exempted. Classifications are based on each individual registrant's circumstances and beliefs. A classification program would go into effect when Congress and the President decide to resume a draft. Then, men who are qualified for induction would have the opportunity to file a claim for exemptions, deferments, and postponements from military service. Here is a list of some, though not all, classifications and what they mean:
1-A - available immediately for military service.
1-O Conscientious Objector- conscientiously opposed to both types (combatant and non-combatant) of military training and service - fulfills his service obligation as a civilian alternative service worker.
1-A-O Conscientious Objector- conscientiously opposed to training and military service requiring the use of arms - fulfills his service obligation in a noncombatant position within the military.
2-D Ministerial Students - deferred from military service.
3-A Hardship Deferment - deferred from military service because service would cause hardship upon his family.
4-C Alien or Dual National - sometimes exempt from military service.
4-D Ministers of Religion - exempted from military service.

Student Postponements - a college student may have his induction postponed until he finishes the current semester or, if a senior, the end of the academic year. A high school student may have his induction postponed until he graduates or until he reaches age 20. Appealing a Classification - A man may appeal his classification to a Selective Service Appeal Board.

WHO QUALIFIES?
Beliefs which qualify a registrant for CO status may be religious in nature, but don't have to be. Beliefs may be moral or ethical; however, a man's reasons for not wanting to participate in a war must not be based on politics, expediency, or self-interest. In general, the man's lifestyle prior to making his claim must reflect his current claims.

SERVICE AS A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Two types of service are available to conscientious objectors, and the type assigned is determined by the individual's specific beliefs. The person who is opposed to any form of military service will be assigned to Alternative Service - described below. The person whose beliefs allow him to serve in the military but in a noncombatant capacity will serve in the Armed Forces but will not be assigned training or duties that include using weapons.

ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
Conscientious Objectors opposed to serving in the military will be placed in the Selective Service Alternative Service Program. This program attempts to match COs with local employers. Many types of jobs are available, however the job must be deemed to make a meaningful contribution to the maintenance of the national health, safety, and interest. Examples of Alternative Service are jobs in:
conservation
caring for the very young or very old
education
health care
Length of service in the program will equal the amount of time a man would have served in the military, usually 24 months.

So, is anybody out there as confused by this story and the strange outcome that is taking place?! I think that it is obvious what must be done to stop random acts of pacifiscm from sprouting up in Iraq. All Bibles, and other religious texts must be removed from the troops, and no further mention of Christ, or even Christ-like acts can be allowed to be manifested, on the part of anyone serving in the military. There should be a Presidential finding at once and put an end to the madness of peace, or "loving thy enemy" talk within the ranks. After all President Bush, communes daily with God, and God supports the war, otherwise President Bush would have ended it long ago!! God has the time to sort out the good, from bad, once we get them before him, so we don't have to be so darn cautious, and we can keep surging all over them!

I'm Just saying, what John Lennon would now say, "Give War A Chance!" Peace..OUT!!





war

Bali Conference Promotes Tolerance

I was just reading a very good story online at MSN news and have a link to it below.

There was a conference being held tuesday in Bali, Indonesia, as the world's most populous Muslim nation brought together religious leaders and victims of attacks by Islamic extremists.

A Jewish Holocaust survivor, one Sol Tiechman, 79, was one of those invited to speak at the conference and he made a plea for tolerance. Mr. Tiechman was a teenager living in Czechslovakia, whn his city was first occupied by the Hungarian army and then the Germans. He said that we should try and improve life instead of destroying it. He lost 70 family members to the Nazis including his sister, brothers, and grandparents, who were taken to Auschwitz,Warsaw, Dachau, Kaufering and Landsberg concentration camps before allied forces liberated them in 1945.

One of the goals of this meeting was to counter the conference last December which had been hosted by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that tried to cast doubt on the killing of an estimated 6 millions Jews during World War II.

The daylong gathering on Bali island was attended by high-profile moderate Indonesian Muslim leaders, including former President Abdurraham Wahid, and Hindu spiritual head Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, as well as Buddhist teachers, a Jesuit priest and rabbis.

Victims of a terrorist attack in Israel and of suicide bombings by Muslim militants on Bali in 2005 were among participants. More than 220 people have died from two attacks in Bali.

Bali is a mostly HIndu city in Indonesia, which also has a Muslim population of some 190 million people, making it the largest Muslim nation in the world. The government is secular and people are mostly moderate, though there is a vocal militant minority that has grown in recent years.

I had several emplolyees who are from Indonesia and they are some of the nicest, calmest people considering all of the natural disaster's that have hit their nation. If there is going to be a New World Order, I would support allowing Indonesia to run it. Their peaceful ways would inspire us all to be better people.

Please take a look at the story and know that in a world where radical Muslims get most of the press, that there is a group of genuine moderates out there and we can only hope that their strain of Islam will be the winning one.

bali

Two Good Arrests, But Officers Injured

I have just finished an excellent story in the Iowa Press-Citizen concerning six people who were arrested after a melee in which two officers were injured.
Please read the whole story in the paper or online, but the short story is that Iowa City Police were called to 921 N. Dodge for a domestic abuse situation. They arrived and after arriving the situation escalated and resulted in an attempt to arrest James Michael Willis, 27 of that address. He pushed officer Laura Wood down injuring her back. Another officer , Matt Hansen, was punched in the face and other officers were injured in minor ways. The following people were arrested for interference with the officers as they tried to arrest Mr. Willis: Demetrius James Bledsoe, 26, same address, Antonio Maurice House, 27, of 913 Willow St., Kimberly Rachel Willis, 24, Adam M. Melcher 31, and Lakisha D. Thomas, 24 of Coralville. Miss Willis was also arrested on escape charges as she fled after being handcuffed and was found 15 minutes later a few houses away.
I went to the reader comments after reading this story and it looks like most of them were favorable toward the police reaction in the situation. In fact, one of the comments was by the person who called the 911 complaint in and he said the man arrested was screaming about killing everyone in the residence, he was using the N word even though he is African-American. In the story it says he was yelling about killing white people when the police arrived, so the situation was bad and while it seems that this young man’s friends like him a lot, as evidenced by their stupidity in trying to interfere with the police, it is also illegal as they now know.
From all of the reporting I think they should be happy that someone did not get shot, because being attacked by several assailants at once would in my estimation make it imperative to stop the violence as quickly as possible. I find the restraint used by these officers as evidence of the high quality training that they receive and the discipline with which they control their emotions. I know that it their job, but think about yourself, if you were in a situation that put you in grave danger would you not react on emotion and not rational thought, it would be “flight or fight time”.
So congratulations to the police on this incident and perhaps it will educate some people not to attack the police. I know a few officers and find them to be good people who do a hard and sometimes dangerous job for and they get too little respect for it most of the time. I quibble sometimes about the occasional speeding tickets which I have received, and that they could be doing something better, but in reality everything that they do to keep the rule of law upheld is the true and right thing to do. These young people better wake up and realize that breaking the law is wrong for anyone, no matter their age or their race, that is what civilized society is all about.
So remember kids alcohol or other substances, loud voices, mingled with threats of bodily violence, will invariably bring a knock at your door by the police, how you respond can get you either a warning or if you choose to be stupid, a night in jail, followed by charges, fines , and perhaps even serious jail or prison time. Worst of all if you escalate it too far, it could have ended in serious injury or even death. May Officers Wood and Hansen get well soon.
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Eleven peace activists who claimed they were justified in staying in the federal courthouse after hours because they wanted to end the war in Iraq were found guilty of trespass by a Linn County judge.
“While wanting to end the further loss of lives is a goal of the utmost importance, the
Court does not find that this goal amounts to justification for the Defendants' actions given the completely speculative nature of the outcome in this case,” Magistrate Judge Jill Ableidinger said in a written order issued Monday afternoon.
She tried all 11 together on April 25, each on a single simple misdemeanor trespass charge.
Ableidinger said the defendants didn't know if Grassley would speak to them, secondly had no way of knowing that a conversation would cause him to act and lastly that if the Senator did what effect, if any, the action would have on saving lives.
Frank Cordaro of Des Moines, a former Catholic priest and seasoned activist, expressed disappointment in the judge's decision. It's been his experience that the judicial branch of the U.S. government sides with the executive branch in war making, Cordaro said. His first arrest dates back to a 1977 protest at the Pentagon.
About two dozen protesters waited outside the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, which is on the second floor of the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids, on Feb. 26 hoping to talk to the Senator by phone to convince him to push for an end to the war.
They were participating the Occupation Project, part of the Voices for Creative Non-Violence campaign, which is an effort to stop the war in Iraq.
Grassley was on a plane to Washington, D.C. The war protesters waited, hoping to speak with him by phone. They were repeatedly asked to leave. An hour and a half after the courthouse closed to the public, Cedar Rapids police were called in to arrest the 11 who remained in the hallway.
Ableidinger said they could have attempted to contact the Senator earlier, or waited until the next day.
Sentencing is set for July 6th in Linn County District Associate Court and they face up to 30 days in jail.
In addition to Codaro those convicted include:Andrew Alemeo,19,of Cedar Falls Joshua Casteel, 27, of Cedar Rapids; Megan R. Felt, 20, of Iowa City; Timothy L. Gauger, 36, of Eugene, Ore.; David A. Goodner, 26, of Iowa City; John P. Hornbeck, 25, of Iowa City; Ryan D. Merz, 20, of Maple Plain, Minn.; Conor A. Murphy, 29, of Madison, Wis.; Rosemary M. Persaud, 47, of Iowa City; and Justin N. Riley, 19, of Crystal, Minn.
So we have had two good outcomes in two different stories dealing with law breakers, which shows that no matter what you think your goals are you do not get to violate the law and expect to get away with it.
I am proud of Senator Grassley not caving in and actually talking to these whack jobs. I know if you really want to stop the war in Iraq why don’t you hop a plane and talk to your Al-Qaida buddies and ask them to stop killing our troops and the Iraqi citizens. I am sure if you are so in touch with your feelings about stopping the war, then you really need to go to the source and I am sure you can hold hands in brotherhood with the terrorists, they’ll agree, the killing will stop and then our troops can come home.
There see it really is that easy, isn’t it? Oh right, No it is not! I hope you enjoy your jail time, it will be easier if you pretend you’re the victim’s! Right, I already know that you do, but you are wrong, the victim’s are the poor citizens of Iraq and our troops being killed by your terrorist brethren, or in the story our fine police officers, who were only doing their jobs.