Yemini man yells 'God is great', pounds on cockpit prior to landing

On Sunday, a man with a Yemeni passport ran towards the front of the plane 20 minutes before landing and began yelling and banging on the cockpit door. Passengers report the man, identified as Rageh Almurisi, 28, yelled "God is great" in Arabic. Almurisi was subsequently tackled to the ground by a flight attendant, with help from a former Secret Service agent and retired police officer who happened to be on-board American Airlines flight 1561 from Chicago to San Francisco.

Larry Wright, the ex-cop who took him down, said he was sure Almurisi intended to crash the plane. Still, others prefer to believe he mistook the cockpit for the bathroom.

Almurisi now faces one count of interfering with a flight crew, a charge that could lead to up to a maximum of 20 years in prison. On Friday the court will decide if he can be released on bail.

On Sunday there were two other incidents of flight security scares. A continental flight from Houston to Chicago was forced to land in St. Lois after an Illinois man tried to open a door near the front of the plane. And a Delta flight from Detroit to San Diego was diverted to Albuquerque because of a "security threat".

Meanwhile, in an similar vein, flights landing in or departing from Tel Aviv were diverted to Cyprus or Jordan after Israeli fuel supplies were found to be contaminated by bacteria.

If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would say that governments are trying to scare passengers and thereby reduce the frequency of air travel, as a result of rising oil prices worldwide, in the wake of Middle East unrest and the uncertainty regarding the future of Libya's oil. One way or another, these days, a safe flight is not to be taken for granted.

Of course these incidents could very well be the first wave of revenge after the killing of Osama bin Laden last week. It is yet to be told if global terror will surge or subside in the wake of bin Laden's takeout. According to Rav Moshe Wolfson of Yeshivat Torah V'Daas brought to us by Rabbi Lazer Brody, bin Laden's fall signals the immanent fall of Yishmael. And the fall of Yishmael signals the approaching redemption, hinted to by the fact that bin Laden died on the last day of what will be Pesach Moshiach--the seven days of rejoicing that will be added on to Passover to celebrate the miracles of our final redemption. 

Amen ken yehi ratzon

Something's fishy about Osama's deep-sea burial

After Osama bin Laden was reportedly killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, U.S. officials supposedly rushed to bury the body within 24 hours, in accordance with Islamic law. According to one US official, finding a country willing to accept his remains would be "difficult", so the decision was made to bury him at sea. However, burial at sea, a common practice for fallen naval veterans, is not commonly allowed according to Islamic law, according to Al-Islam.org:

• It is obligatory to bury a dead body in the ground, so deep that its smell does not come out and the beasts of prey do not dig it out, and, if there is a danger of such beasts digging it out then the grave should be made solid with bricks, etc.

• If a person dies on a ship and if there is no fear of the decay of the dead body and if there is no problem in retaining it for sometime on the ship, it should be kept on it and buried in the ground after reaching the land. Otherwise, after giving Ghusl, Hunut, Kafan and Namaz-e-Mayyit it should be lowered into the sea in a vessel of clay or with a weight tied to its feet. And as far as possible it should not be lowered at a point where it is eaten up immediately by the sea predators.

• If it is feared that an enemy may dig up the grave and exhume the dead body and amputate its ears or nose or other limbs, it should be lowered into sea, if possible, as stated in the foregoing rule.

If the goal here is respecting Muslim burial law, which in itself is quite spurious, why rush to meet the 24-hour deadline, and yet break another considerably even more serious guideline, namely, to bury the dead in the ground? Falling back on an American public both glaringly ignorant on Islam and yet apologetically obsequious to Muslim sensitivities, this administration seems quite eager to bury something or other.

The Arab Revolutions and Jerusalem

Revolution in the Arab world is just getting started. In Libya, a NATO airstrike killed Qaddafi's son and grandchild, drawing criticism from Russia for going beyond the U.N. mandate. And yesterday in Daraa, Syrian troops were ordered to use "any means necessary" to crush the rebellion against President Bashar Assad. Meanwhile, Egypt's new justice minister has determined that Mubarak's wealth derived from profits from the country's gas deal with Israel.

Still under the impression that Arab revolutions are "good for Israel"? Now that the revolution momentum has spread, and the West has demonstrated its readiness to defend rebel groups, Palestinian leaders are eager for their slice of the cake, seeking to solicit support for their violent struggle for the heart of two thousand years of Jewish faith and peoplehood--Jerusalem (via Israel National News):

Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the northern branch of the Israel Islamic Movement, said Sunday that the revolutions in Arab countries are the preliminary phase of the liberation of Jerusalem from what he called "the occupation". Speaking to reporters following a visit to Jordan on Friday, Sheikh Salah said that the government changes in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries came from the will of the people must be channeled against Israel, noting that the revolutions had returned the issue of Jerusalem and the Al-Aksa mosque to their natural place.

Salah went to Jordan to take part in an event commemorating the 7th century C.E. conquest of Jerusalem by Caliph Omar ibn Al-Khattab, the namesake of the Mosque of Omar on the Temple Mount, whose conquest went as far as Egypt, Syria and Iraq. Salah said Omar's conquests should not just be celebrated but should be remembered to bring about a new reality.

Jerusalem, in all its glory, is no more than a pawn in Islam's struggle against the presence of Jews in the land of Israel. For anyone who needs a refresher on the true place of Jerusalem in Muslim tradition, here is The Video They Don't Want the World to See (via Shirat Devorah).

Glenn Beck: God's not dead

Okay, so it's no secret that I love Glenn Beck. Beck is one of the only voices in American media calling attention to the real threats Israel faces, and informing the American public about the danger of the latest Arab revolutions bringing about an Islamist Middle East. Beck brings moral clarity into the news.

Chazak v'amatz, Beck! But Yidden! We can't leave it all to Beck. We also have to speak up without fear that there is a right and wrong in this conflict and more importantly, that Chai Hashem - God is present, in our lives and in the news.

P.S. It's a long video, so consider leaving it on while you do some early Pesach cleaning. =0)

Will millions of Muslims march to Israel?

Remember the 2 million people in Tahrir Sq chanting to liberate Jerusalem?

It seems as if Amnon Yitzchak's warning that millions of Arabs could march to Israel has now gone viral...in the Arab world, that is. Facebook may have taken down a page calling for a third intifada, but two new pages are up, calling for a mass invasion of Israel by millions of Arabs on May 15th, the date marking the establishment of the state of Israel.

The Maseera 2011 page reads (translated by INN from Arabic):

Our goal is to carry out the march of the Right of Return in both word and deed to Palestine on May 15 2011 from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in order to penetrate the borders of Palestine and return to the homeland and validate the right of return in word and deed...

If this takes off, unrest in the Muslim world is not looking good for Israel.  But not to worry, thanks to the lunar calendar, Israel's Independence day falls nearly a week before the march, so there will be plenty of time to celebrate before the madness begins.

Twitter and Facebook so far have been portrayed as neutral tools harnessed by the Arab populace against dictatorships. Yet now that Zuckerberg has agreed to take down the page calling for a violent uprising against Israel, Ishmael and social networking find themselves at somewhat of a standoff. I wonder how long this page will last.

Muslim revolution, soon by you

Farrakhan

Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan used his podium Sunday to predict that Arab revolts in the Middle East will spread to the U.S. Speaking at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Chicago, Farrakhan said:

What you are looking at in Tunisia, in Egypt … Libya, in Bahrain … what you see happening there … you’d better prepare because it will be coming to your door

For anyone who needs a reminder, in the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama's Farrakhan connection caused a quite a stir. As Richard Cohen wrote to Americans in his important 2008 column, despite Farrakhan's virulent anti-Semitism ("Hitler was a very great man"), Obama belongs to a church which described Farrakhan as a man who "truly epitomized greatness". In 2007, the head of Obama's Trinity United Church, Reverand Jeremiah Wright, awarded Farrakhan the Empowerment award. Farrakhan has also lectured at the church on several occasions, and Wright has called him "one of the most important voices in the 20th and 21st century".

Somehow, America let this blow over and elected Obama anyway. After Obama was elected, Farrrakhan said that God's divine plan for the world explains why Obama won. Farrakhan was the first to celebrate, having kept quiet during the campaign so as not to mar Obama's image further. In 2008 Farrakhan said that when Obama talks "the Messiah is absolutely speaking."

Farrakhan wasn't the only radical nut to celebrate. To the terror of his advisors, Obama was praised in Qaddafi's 2009 UN speech, where Qaddafi referred to Obama as a "black African Kenyan" and said: "We are content and happy if Obama can stay forever as president of America."At a speech in Libya, Qaddafi said: “Now, ruling America is a black man from our continent, an African from Arab descent, from Muslim descent, and this is something we never imagined – that from Reagan we would get to Barakeh Obama.” Qaddafi said Obama "knows he is a son of Africa. Regardless of his African belonging, he is of Arab Sudanese descent, or of Muslim descent."

As it turns out, Farrakhan's and Qaddafi's support of Obama were not coincidental; the two have quite a history (the Obama-Farrakhan-Wright-Qaddafi alliance notes are courtesy Flopping Aces blog). In 1984, Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan visited Qaddafi, a trip about which Wright said: “When [Obama's] enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli to visit [Qaddafi] with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell.”

In 1985, Farrakhan received a $5 million interest free loan from Qaddafi. In 1996, Libyan news reported that Farrakhan and Qaddafi agreed to work together in order to liberate “oppressed blacks, Arabs, Muslims and Red Indians". On his struggle before connecting with Farrakha, Qaddafi said: “our confrontation with America was like a fight against a fortress from outside.” Farrakhan has traveled to Libya on several times, and in 1996 was awarded the Gadhafi Human Rights Award (lo aleinu!).

To be clear, Farrakhan's loyalties ultimately lie with the Libyan people, even more than with Qaddafi. In his speech on Sunday, Farrakhan also called to halt violence against the protesters, a clear attack on Qaddafi. For Farakhan, protests in the Arab world are the sign of a turning of a new page, a new page which will reach the U.S. as well. If all the protests were about were democratic reforms, what would it mean that they will soon reach the U.S.?

Protests in the Arab world, while they may carry the good wishes of basic economic and political rights which have been denied for years, are inseparable from two key movements: Marxism and Islamism, which together translate into the dream for a new world order to liberate the weak, led by the resurgence of modernity's favorite victim: Islam.

Farrakhan isn't the only one saying this. On Sunday, another radical Muslim cleric used his podium to herald the United States as the ultimate destination of the Arab revolution. As reported by INN:

The British radical Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary said on Sunday that U.S. President Barack Obama must embrace Islam as a way of life or face the consequences of a trial under the Shariah Islamic court system.

...Choudary also said that he is planning a protest in front of the White House on Thursday in which he will call on American Muslims to revolt against the country and implement Sharia law. He added that during the protest he will also call on Obama and all Americans to “embrace Islam, not only as a religion but as a way of life.”

...During Sunday’s interview with Klein, Choudary repeated his contention that the flag of Islam will fly over the White House. “I do believe that as a Muslim every part of the world will be governed by the Sharia,” he said. “So symbolically the flag of Islam will fly from every single country, every single nation.”

Many have said Obama's presidency and protests in the Arab world mark the "turning of a new page". Only now are we able to conceive what only in our wildest dreams the two could have to do with each other: Islam revolution, soon by you, in the U.S., and beyond.

Libya updates: Rebels approach Tripoli, Thousands dead, Obama speaks up (kind of)

Add caption

Libyan rebels have taken control of more Libyan cities and are approaching Tripoli. Thousands are said to be dead. US, Britain and Turkey are evacuating their citizens by boat. 

Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda's North Africa branch published a statement in support of the Libyan uprising: "(We) will do whatever we can to help you, because your fight is the fight of every Muslim who loves Allah and His Messenger."

Obama spoke Wednesday night for the first time against the violence in Libya, threatening international sanctions (scary! wait, has that seriously not happened already?)

The United States also strongly supports the universal rights of the Libyan people. That includes the rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, and the ability of the Libyan people to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. They are not negotiable. They must be respected in every country. And they cannot be denied through violence or suppression. Like all governments, the Libyan government has a responsibility to refrain from violence, to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and to respect the rights of its people. It must be held accountable for its failure to meet those responsibilities, and face the cost of continued violations of human rights.

Let's hope the US takes the same stance on human rights towards Iran, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and radical Islam in all its forms worldwide.

Glenn Beck's Caliphate Theory

Glenn Beck from FOX News has been getting a lot of flack lately for his warnings about what lies ahead in Egypt. In truth, he is doing the research that the media should be doing - if the media itself wasn't dominated by the forces he describes.

Beck has emphasized on his nightly U.S. show that between military rule and democracy lies a key transition stage, which provides ideal conditions for radical Islam, which has been waiting at the sidelines for years, to jump in and take the reins.

In bringing about 'change' Islamists and Leftists have joined forces in the name of 'revolution' - the meaning of which will be debated, after the forces in charge are dissolved. Beck claims that the Leftist-Islamist alliance is an international phenomnenon, which Europe is waking up to, and which has its eyes on America as well. Beck views Obama as a positive ally of this 'change'.

On his radio show, Beck outlined three points of convergence of Leftists and Islamists that enable their temporary 'unholy alliance' (as printed on HuffPost):

1. Groups from the hardcore socialist and Communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are both a common enemy of Israel and the Jew.

2. Groups from the hardcore socialist and Communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are the common enemy of capitalism and the western way of life.

3. Groups from the hardcore socialist and Communist left and extreme Islam will work to overturn relatively stable countries, because, in the status quo, they are both ostracized from power.

In this video, Beck defends his theory to FOX News' skeptical Billy O'Reilly:

Ayaan Harsi Ali on the Muslim Brotherhood

This weekend, Israel's Ma'ariv ran a great article in the weekend section on radical Islam defectorette and women's rights activist Ayaan Harsi Ali, author of the books Infidel and Nomad, and her take on Egypt. Ali is a crucial voice at this juncture, since she knows radical Islam from the inside and as a result of her deep rejection of her upbringing, is now fearless in exposing its true face. Last week Ali appeared on Andrea Mitchell Reports and spoke the truth: Don't be fooled by their public statements, the Brotherhood's fundamental goal is creating an Islamic regime in the new Egypt.

Ali also wrote an op-ed in the New York times last week, entitled 'Get Ready for the Muslim Brotherhood'.

Western Views on Muslim Prayer: Your Thoughts Please

According to Jewsh tradition, Ishamel, the origin of Islam, was a son of Abraham, and underwent circumcision, endowing his offspring with significant spiritual and cultural power. Throughout our history many Jewish philosophers have not denied the relationship between Muslims and God though the medium of prayer.

Today, because of the high frequency of terrorism in the name of Islam, the spectacle of Muslim prayer can arouse associations of fear or violence. However, for a moment, I would like to ask readers to transcend gut political responses, and respond to the following question:

If you believe in God, do you believe God listens to Muslim prayer? If so, in what relation to prayers of people of your own faith?


If you do not believe in God, what associations does Muslim prayer bring up for you and why?

Please respond below. All opinions are welcome.

Note: This post is NOT intended to create or enforce stereotypes (nor to explicitly fight them), but is a general inquiry into the theological tenets of people's faiths in the context of shifts in geopolitics. The question is being asked about Islam since after the Egyptian protests, I believe that Islamism is a force that will be rapidly spreading throughout ALL Arab countries, and for people who believe in God and the power of prayer, I think this is an interesting place to start.

Glorification of death?

A popular slogan from the Egyptian protests: