Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Blue Hearts 1.8.10.05
OK, Here's a new way to get info to you. Please let me know if it works better. In future, I won't just cut and paste on normal email. I'll cut and paste to here and see if that works better. (Some of you haven't been able to read the info in my emails.)
Hey all,
There are 7 emails below for your perusal. Some require optional action, if you are so inclined.
The first email is written buy a guy who occasionally submits articles to a Libertarian e magazine, fyi. I just found his viewpoints interesting. This was written before the last Nov. election. (I don't usually go around looking at Libertarian magazines; I was reading an Assyrian on-line magazine.)
The last is requesting for us to sign a petition and get it back to him by Aug 8th. OK, so I'm a little late. But I think he still wants the petitions.
Thanks all. Can't wait for our next get-together. I'll keep you posted.
Kristin
1.
Bush’s Global War on Christians
Glan Chancy
For LewRockwell.com
... There is a belief, widespread among Christian conservatives, that the ‘War on Terror’ is really a ‘Clash of Civilizations.’ Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, although himself a conservative Jew, summed up the views of many Christian conservatives quite succinctly in one of his articles posted on the Internet. He wrote, "It is time that I said in print what I have long felt in my heart: I not only support President Bush, I revere him. At a time when so many other world leaders want to paint Sept. 11 as a terror attack, President Bush saw it for what it was: a clash of civilizations, a war to the death between two systems – one open, democratic and respectful of human life, the other oppressive, tyrannical and deeply contemptible of human life."
The ‘War on Terror’ then is not just about keeping the borders of the United States secure. It is not simply about preventing future terrorist attacks. Rather, the ‘War on Terror’ is the ultimate showdown of Christianity (and Judaism) versus Islam. It is a fight to the finish, and George W. Bush is our Richard the Lionhearted, leading the armies of the Cross, allied with those of the Star of David, to glorious victory.
In this apocalyptic setting, the vast majority of Christian conservatives are backing President George Bush because they sincerely believe that, "Something must be done about the Muslim threat!" To these religious conservatives, George Bush is willing to go on the offensive and strike back in the name of God and country. They fear that John Kerry will surrender to the Muslims, and allow Western Civilization to be overrun a la Constantinople in 1453.
"Forget all of Bush’s flaws," Christian conservatives bellow, "At least he’s willing to fight!"
So, is our glorious president leading the Christian World in a great struggle against the Muslim hordes? If he were, then a reasonable outcome of this ‘Clash’ would be that the position of Christian (and Jewish) populations worldwide would be in the process of becoming more secure.
This is, alas, absolutely not happening. In fact, the current policies of the Bush administration are threatening to absolutely devastate ancient and pious Christian communities whose blood will be on all our heads. To deal with the subject honestly, it must be acknowledged that it almost appears as if President George Walker Bush were waging a global war against Christians.
There are a tremendous number of facts that could be marshaled to support such a counterintuitive statement, and at least some will be surveyed in this article. However, the primary thrust of this article will be to analyze the policies of the Bush Administration that have placed us on the road to destroying one of the oldest Christian communities in the entire world – the Assyrians of Iraq.
Iraq – Before the Liberation
To understand the situation in Iraq today, in proper context, let’s first review some basic facts about Iraq as it was under Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Saddam Hussein was a bad Muslim, and everybody knew it. A secular dictator, he ruthlessly suppressed radical religious sentiment, and tried to build a modern state. Saddam was bitterly hated and reviled by Muslim radicals as diverse as Osama Bin Laden and the Shi’ite Ayatollahs of Iran. In a tape released by Osama bin Laden in February 2003, Saddam Hussein is referred to as an 'ignorant infidel.’ The Iranian clerics hated Saddam so much that they repeatedly spurned peace initiatives to end the Iran-Iraq War, in the hopes continued fighting could topple his government. They intended to replace it with a Shi’ite dominated state modeled after their own. Eventually, they got smart enough to hire Ahmed Chalabi to convince the U.S. to topple Saddam for them.
Saddam had inherited the Ba’ath Party ideology of secular pan-Arab socialism, and hewed to many of its tenets throughout his brutal rule. Iraqi women enjoyed more rights than women in the surrounding Arab countries. Women could hold jobs and attend higher education, all with uncovered faces. In fact, women comprised 20% of the professional workforce.
Under Saddam, alcohol merchants plied their wares freely in their shops. The lack of enforcement of the Sharia made Iraq the party spot of the region. David Younan Oro, a 70-year-old patriarch of a Christian family in Ramadi, ran casinos and nightclubs during the heyday of Saddam’s regime. He described the glory days like this, "They drink like donkeys here. Business was good. I had a lot of restaurants and shops." If you stayed out of politics, life and business were good.
Among the primary tenets of Ba’athist ideology was a dedication to religious tolerance. This is not surprising, since the intellectual father of Ba’athism was Michel Aflaq, himself an Orthodox Christian. In keeping with Ba’athist ideology, Saddam did not interfere with the rights of the Assyrian Christians in Iraq to practice their faith. Comprising somewhere between one and two million Iraqis, the Aramaic-speaking Assyrians are the original inhabitants of the modern-day state of Iraq.
The Assyrians did suffer repression under Saddam Hussein, who suppressed their ethnic and linguistic distinctiveness while trying to meld the hodgepodge of peoples in Iraq into a unified state. At no time, however, were the Assyrians ever denied the free practice of their religion, nor did they fear for their lives simply because of their faith.
One measure of the relative religious freedom of the Assyrians under Saddam was the exuberant and public celebration of Christmas. As one writer described it, "Christmas decorations, including nativity scenes, were seen in shops, restaurants and hotels. And Saddam reportedly sometimes attended services at Christian churches in Baghdad and even delivered an annual Christmas address."
As for the United States, Saddam seems to have pined for better relations. He had been a de-facto ally of the U.S. during his war against Iran, and appears to have wanted to recapture that status. According to the Duelfer Report, compiled by the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), beginning already in 1991, "very senior Iraqis close to the president made proposals through intermediaries for dialogue with Washington," even offering to be Washington's "best friend in the region bar none."
Apparently, Saddam never did understand why he couldn’t just work a deal with the U.S. In his befuddlement, Saddam is not alone. Many other observers of the region still can’t grasp why this secular dictator made it to the top of the U.S. hit list in a war supposedly directed at Muslim extremists.
Iraq – After the Liberation
To say the least, since being liberated from Saddam, things have gone badly for a great many Iraqis. However, the time has been especially harsh for the Assyrian Christians. Large areas of Iraq are now under the control of Muslim religious leaders whose militias have been enforcing Muslim law. Based on locally issued fatwas, these armed fanatics have killed Christians for engaging in prohibited businesses such as selling alcohol or other formerly legal products. Many Christian business men have seen their shops, restaurants, and other business either forcibly closed or confiscated.
David Younan Oro’s casino, the flagship of his family business, was taken over by armed men who converted it to a Mosque. "We had a very good situation until the fundamentalists began to appear and we were affected," said Roger William, Oro’s son-in-law. "Because America and Britain are Christian countries, they blame us for the war. We are terrified. We really don't know what the future will hold."
Even Christian homes and private land are being appropriated. The Kurds, America’s erstwhile allies, are among the worst offenders. Writing about the situation in Dara, his home village, an Assyrian Christian living in London reported that, "The Kurdish people are building homes on our village’s land, without our permission. It is sad to say, our own neighbors are stealing it from us."
Christians have reported rapes, kidnappings, and assaults. The situation is so bad, that Christian children have been gunned down in their own homes. This little girl, Raphid was gunned down in her home along with her sister in July. She was only six years old. Her sister, Raad, was only sixteen. They belonged to a well-known Assyrian Christian family that had been threatened. While the family was out, terrorists entered and shot the two children at point blank range.
These two little girls died simply because they were Christians in a country increasingly slipping into Muslim rule.
Armed groups of men have stopped cars on the street and harangued women whose heads are uncovered, accusing them of violating Islamic law. Even Christians have started wearing headscarves out of fear, something that never happened under Saddam Hussein’s regime.
As Christians have retreated into the shadows, the compromise Transitional Administrative Law in force in Iraq today has actually gone far towards officially establishing Islamic rule in what was once a secular country. Article 7 states, in part, that "Islam is the official religion of the State and is to be considered a source of legislation. No law that contradicts the universally agreed tenets of Islam, the principles of democracy, or the rights cited in Chapter Two of this Law may be enacted during the transitional period." It further complicates the problem for Christians in Iraq that they are under represented in the interim government when compared with their percentage of the population. It is almost as if the U.S. intentionally excluded them in the lead up to the ‘handover’ of power.
Nor do the promised elections in January appear likely to improve the situation. According to a recent poll released by the International Republican Institute (an organization allied with the U.S. Republican Party), the highest level of support among Iraqis for any politician belongs to Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The name of his organization probably speaks for itself.
It is bitterly ironic that far from bringing Western secularism, the U.S.-invasion has instead opened the door for an Islamic Republic. Out of fear, an estimated 40,000 to 45,000 Assyrians have already fled Iraq. Most have found shelter in Syria next door, a nation that the U.S. may be targeting next in its drive to spread ‘freedom’ in the Middle East. Had President George W. Bush set out with the intentional goal of destroying the Christian population in Iraq, it is hard to see how he could have been more effective than he has been to date.
More Fronts in the War
President Bush has continued the NATO occupation of Kosovo. Since the end of the war against Serbia, Kosovo has been the scene of anti-Christian ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. More than 120 churches have been destroyed, some dating to the 14th century. 240,000 Christian Serbs have fled the province. Periodic anti-Christian pogroms such as the one that erupted from March 17th – March 18th kill dozens, wound hundreds, and cause more Serbian Christians to flee for their lives. While the U.N. administers the province, NATO troops, some 60,000, are the actual force on the ground. This means that, ultimately, the Bush Administration bears the responsibility for failing to protect the Christians in Kosovo from Muslim fanatics.
Elsewhere in the Balkans, the Bush Administration has continued the status quo in Bosnia, which allows Muslim terrorists to use it as a safe-haven for recruiting and training. According to European intelligence sources, Bosnia has become a "one-stop shop" for Islamic militants heading from terrorist battlegrounds in Chechnya and Afghanistan to Iraq. In addition, the U.S. under Bush has continued to try and dismember the nation of Macedonia by forcing it to make ever larger concessions to its Muslim Albanian minority.
The Bush Administration has made Turkish entry into the European Union a number one priority on its international agenda. Despite Turkey’s horrendous record of mass murder and abuse of its Christian minorities, President Bush has been intervening personally to try and convince skeptical Europeans that, "Including Turkey in the EU would prove that Europe is not the exclusive club of a single religion, and it would expose the 'clash of civilizations' as a passing myth of history." President Bush’s single-minded determination to see Turkey in the EU even drove him to try and force a bad settlement of the Cyprus question on unwilling Greek Cypriots, who ultimately rejected it.
Ironically, even as his Christian supporters in the U.S. bemoan the increasing Islamization of Europe, President Bush is doing everything he can to make sure that 70 million more Turkish Muslims will have the opportunity to settle there. While the possibility that this massive migration could destroy the very heart of Christendom seems to be lost on President Bush, certain European leaders have become quite alarmed. Addressing the issue of Turkey joining the EU, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing said, "In my opinion, it would be the end of Europe."
Both d’Estaing and Jacques Chirac, current president of France and a favorite target of American Christian conservatives, have positively emerged as defenders of the faith as they fight against Turkish accession to the EU. If only President Bush had as much dedication to Europe’s Christian heritage as the heroic French.
In Chechnya, a region much in the news since the Beslan massacres, the U.S. has inserted itself on the side of the Muslims opposed to Russian rule. Foremost among the American agitators against Russia is The American Committee for Peace in Chechnya, a front group of Bush-connected neoconservatives such as Richard Perle, James Woolsey, Michael Ledeen and Kenneth Adelman. The ACPC wants Putin to negotiate with the Chechens rebels, and favors a NATO presence in Chechnya along the lines of the NATO missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. President Putin seems to be relatively uninterested in listening to their ideas. If only the American president were half as wise.
Conclusion
Whatever President Bush and his coterie are doing globally, one thing is abundantly clear. They are not fighting a global war on any kind of Islam, radical or otherwise. On the other hand, they are making tremendous progress towards crippling or completely destroying large segments of the world’s Christian population. And in this slaughter, the American people have become his accomplices.
Despite all of the negative impacts of his foreign policy on Christians globally, the Christian conservatives in America have been deafeningly silent. Two reasons account for this. First is their overwhelming pre-occupation with Israel. The State of Israel and its security were mentioned by both presidential candidates in their debates. The need to protect Israel is the subject of daily articles in conservative publications, both online and dead tree. Pat Robertson even threatened to form a third party, if the Republicans ever waiver in their full-throated support of the State of Israel. Such concern for the plight of Christians abroad is non-existent.
Perhaps if the Assyrians and others renounced Christ and embraced the Talmud, American Christians would care what happens to them?
The second reason is the fear that criticizing Bush will hurt his chances of re-election. For this reason, many Christians have kept their silence, all the while knowing the truth of what is happening. This is not a Christian attitude. Christ stood for the truth at all times, not only when it was expedient. Standing silent in the face of suffering, simply to prevent inconvenience to a favored politician, is not following the way of Christ.
It is time for Christian conservatives to end the silence. We must speak out, and we must let the President, whether it be Bush or Kerry, know that a continuation of these disastrous policies will absolutely not be tolerated.
Glen Chancy [email] is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Political Science, and a certificate in Eastern European Studies. A former University lecturer in Poland, he currently holds an MBA in Finance and works in Orlando, Florida as a business analyst for an international software developer.
2.
From : Missouri Democratic Party
Sent : Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:51 PM
Subject : Campaign Season Begins Today
Campaign Season Begins Today
The Missouri Democratic Party is proud to announce the launch of our Campaign War Room.

To win in the future, we need to organize now. We can no longer wait for the next campaign to come along and hop on board. It is time to build an organization to identify supporters, bring in activists and educate the voting public about the issues that affect them every day.
The War Room is the place where we can all come together as Democratic Activists and take action. We will all learn what we can and must do to organize locally. Victory statewide begins at the most local level. In the coming months we will be launching new programs specifically targeted at local action.
The War Room will be the heart of online and field collaboration. There will be information and signups for many different programs, including Adopt-A-Voter, Local Organizing and Staffing Registration Tables. We will also feature information about how to organize a local training on Direct Voter Contact and how to use the online Voter File. The War Room will also include regular Campaign News Updates to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information available.
Go to the Campaign War Room to Sign Up Now
We are lucky to have the power of the Internet to spread information about our projects, but it is essential that we also get offline and into the field. At the MDP's War Room you will find out what we are doing and how you can plug in, but that is just the first step. We encourage everyone to take part in this campaign to organize locally. And don't forget; check back often because the War Room will never be closed. New projects will be launched and more news will be added regularly. You never know when something that you were meant to be a part of will pop up.
Thank you for your dedication in the past and we look forward to building the MDP together in the coming months and years.
We will talk to you soon,
- The Entire MDP Team
3. This is from Planned Parenthood
Protect Women's Health & Safety!
SAVE THE DATE!
RALLY @ THE CAPITOL
WED, SEPTEMBER 14TH
Jefferson City
Instead of supporting comprehensive sexuality education and family planning services that help PREVENT unintended pregnancies, Governor Blunt has threatened to call a tax-wasting special session that will endanger the health and lives of women across the state of Missouri.
By advocating for irresponsible laws that reduce women's access to reproductive services, Governor Blunt is sending a clear message that his priorities lie with anti-choice interest groups, NOT with women's health.
YOU can stand up against these attacks on women's health by attending the Rally @ the Capitol on September 14th!
Let's show Governor Blunt & the state legislature that Missouri supports reproductive choice!
Stay tuned for more details...
To RSVP or FMI, send an email to Carrie.Shapton@ppkm.org
or call (913) 312-5100 ext.257
4.
What would you like to know about John Roberts?
Here's your chance to ask your questions.
Hilary Clinton, Barbara Mikulski and the other Democratic female Senators have created a website to get feedback from Americans about what questions they would like Roberts to answer.
Please click on this website at: http://democrats.senate.gov/AsksRoberts/
5.
Join the 10,000 letters campaign!
A coalition of women's groups is launching the 10,000 letters campaign to oppose the special session scheduled for September. Below is a sample letter, and their web site. The Missouri Women's Network, one of our founding coalition members, is involved with this effort. They are wanting hand-written letters, so break out those pens!
Sample Letter
Dear Governor Blunt,
I am opposed to the 2005 special legislative session because it is a waste of time and money for the state of Missouri.
INSERT YOUR SELECTED TALKING POINT(S) HERE!
Therefore, I request that you stop wasting legislators' time and taxpayer money and reconsider your insistence on calling a special session of the Missouri legislature.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Address
City, State, Zip
Talking Points
CHOOSE ONE OR MORE OF THESE POINTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR HANDWRITTEN LETTER.
It is wasteful to spend taxpayer money when the state is facing a budget crisis. This special session will cost an estimated $100,000 per week at a time when the legislature has cut funding for vital programs such as Medicaid. The money wasted on a special session would be better spent educating our children or providing critical services for Missourians.
A special session should be reserved for pressing issues of statewide concern that cannot wait until the next legislative session. The single bill that will be the focus of the special session is not at all urgent and certainly does not merit such extraordinary attention.
It is a waste of a special session to have one because you want to appeal to controversy and manufacture a crisis for personal political gain. The calling of this special session is an obvious attempt to salvage the Governor's tarnished political image. Despite the fact that 2005 is not an election year, Missourians are paying attention and we will remember what you do in 2005 when we visit the polls in 2006 & 2008.
It is a waste to have a special session if the proposed goal of the session is not effective. If your agenda is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Missouri, then your efforts should be focused on restoring family planning funding and retaining medically correct information on contraception in sex education programs.
Step One—Grab some paper and a pen and use the opening sentence from the sample letter above.
Step Two—Select one (or more) of the talking points and copy it into your letter. Feel free to change the words around and make it your own.
Step Three—Insert the closing sentence and sign your name. Be sure to include your address, so Governor Blunt knows you are indeed a Missouri resident.
Step Four—Mail your letter to:
10,000 Letters
P.O. Box 873
St. Peters, MO 63376
Step Five—Tell all your friends about the 10,000 Letters Campaign and how powerful a message a handwritten letter sends! Or better yet, forward them the link to our website: www.10ThousandLetters.org
Want to make an even greater impact? Send a copy of your letter to your state representative and/or state senator. Visit www.house.state.mo.us to find who your elected officials are.
6. This is from Vicki Walker, who came to speak at our last meeting.
I would like to continue our Health care conversation for an additional week. We have agreed that many people want national health care, including an increasing number of businesses (read: GM, Ford), but how do we pay for it? What should it look like? Should we morph Medicare/Medicaid and National Health care into one policy position - so we cut down on bureaucracy, possible fraud and stigma? If everyone is covered, do we cover everyone the same? What about catastrophic insurance? For nursing homes? (I realize there is a new movement and hopefully a strong movement to make nursing homes less institutional and more, uh , homelike? Green Homes is the movement - check it out)
The rich will always be able to afford the 'extras', but should the 'extras' be an experimental treatment that may save a life? Should 'extra' be availability of Rx drugs OR the choice of alternative care, such as massage therapy, Holistic or naturopathy, chiropractry, rolfing? Instead of 'disease' should we focus on 'health'? What would that look like?
Please continue the conversation. We want YOUR ideas! We will take the best and begin to formulate public policy and YOU can be part of that. When you are blogging - do not rehash what doesn't work or what we SHOULD do. Give us IDEAS.
Pass it on. www.midwestvalues.org - click on blog
Vicki Walker, Co-Founder
Midwest Center for American Values
www.midwestvalues.org
Join our online progressive values conversation by clicking on our blog!
816.289.5932
7. This is from Paul Rola. I wanted to gather signatures but since we didn't have a gathering before the due date, I thought it best to just send this along to you. Please print, sign and send to Paul if you can.
The time for gathering names is just about over. Any petitions that are sent by the 8th will no doubt be included in the final tally. So you still have most of the weekend to make a final push.
For those of you who chose not to gather names from your surroundings, please do me a favor; copy the attachment, sign it and send it to me. You may do that by mail (address is on the bottom of the petition), you may scan the petition into your computer and send it as an attachment, or if you have a fax, send it to 816 761 9757.
You would be surprised how many petitions I have received with just 1 name or a husband and wife. These "little" petitions are the ones that seem to have the biggest impact on me. These are the people who may be unable to gather a list; but definitely want their voice to be heard, as we try to get out the whole Downing Street Memos story. This is real grassroots!
Take Care
Paul

Hey all,
There are 7 emails below for your perusal. Some require optional action, if you are so inclined.
The first email is written buy a guy who occasionally submits articles to a Libertarian e magazine, fyi. I just found his viewpoints interesting. This was written before the last Nov. election. (I don't usually go around looking at Libertarian magazines; I was reading an Assyrian on-line magazine.)
The last is requesting for us to sign a petition and get it back to him by Aug 8th. OK, so I'm a little late. But I think he still wants the petitions.
Thanks all. Can't wait for our next get-together. I'll keep you posted.
Kristin
1.
Bush’s Global War on Christians
Glan Chancy
For LewRockwell.com
... There is a belief, widespread among Christian conservatives, that the ‘War on Terror’ is really a ‘Clash of Civilizations.’ Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, although himself a conservative Jew, summed up the views of many Christian conservatives quite succinctly in one of his articles posted on the Internet. He wrote, "It is time that I said in print what I have long felt in my heart: I not only support President Bush, I revere him. At a time when so many other world leaders want to paint Sept. 11 as a terror attack, President Bush saw it for what it was: a clash of civilizations, a war to the death between two systems – one open, democratic and respectful of human life, the other oppressive, tyrannical and deeply contemptible of human life."
The ‘War on Terror’ then is not just about keeping the borders of the United States secure. It is not simply about preventing future terrorist attacks. Rather, the ‘War on Terror’ is the ultimate showdown of Christianity (and Judaism) versus Islam. It is a fight to the finish, and George W. Bush is our Richard the Lionhearted, leading the armies of the Cross, allied with those of the Star of David, to glorious victory.
In this apocalyptic setting, the vast majority of Christian conservatives are backing President George Bush because they sincerely believe that, "Something must be done about the Muslim threat!" To these religious conservatives, George Bush is willing to go on the offensive and strike back in the name of God and country. They fear that John Kerry will surrender to the Muslims, and allow Western Civilization to be overrun a la Constantinople in 1453.
"Forget all of Bush’s flaws," Christian conservatives bellow, "At least he’s willing to fight!"
So, is our glorious president leading the Christian World in a great struggle against the Muslim hordes? If he were, then a reasonable outcome of this ‘Clash’ would be that the position of Christian (and Jewish) populations worldwide would be in the process of becoming more secure.
This is, alas, absolutely not happening. In fact, the current policies of the Bush administration are threatening to absolutely devastate ancient and pious Christian communities whose blood will be on all our heads. To deal with the subject honestly, it must be acknowledged that it almost appears as if President George Walker Bush were waging a global war against Christians.
There are a tremendous number of facts that could be marshaled to support such a counterintuitive statement, and at least some will be surveyed in this article. However, the primary thrust of this article will be to analyze the policies of the Bush Administration that have placed us on the road to destroying one of the oldest Christian communities in the entire world – the Assyrians of Iraq.
Iraq – Before the Liberation
To understand the situation in Iraq today, in proper context, let’s first review some basic facts about Iraq as it was under Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Saddam Hussein was a bad Muslim, and everybody knew it. A secular dictator, he ruthlessly suppressed radical religious sentiment, and tried to build a modern state. Saddam was bitterly hated and reviled by Muslim radicals as diverse as Osama Bin Laden and the Shi’ite Ayatollahs of Iran. In a tape released by Osama bin Laden in February 2003, Saddam Hussein is referred to as an 'ignorant infidel.’ The Iranian clerics hated Saddam so much that they repeatedly spurned peace initiatives to end the Iran-Iraq War, in the hopes continued fighting could topple his government. They intended to replace it with a Shi’ite dominated state modeled after their own. Eventually, they got smart enough to hire Ahmed Chalabi to convince the U.S. to topple Saddam for them.
Saddam had inherited the Ba’ath Party ideology of secular pan-Arab socialism, and hewed to many of its tenets throughout his brutal rule. Iraqi women enjoyed more rights than women in the surrounding Arab countries. Women could hold jobs and attend higher education, all with uncovered faces. In fact, women comprised 20% of the professional workforce.
Under Saddam, alcohol merchants plied their wares freely in their shops. The lack of enforcement of the Sharia made Iraq the party spot of the region. David Younan Oro, a 70-year-old patriarch of a Christian family in Ramadi, ran casinos and nightclubs during the heyday of Saddam’s regime. He described the glory days like this, "They drink like donkeys here. Business was good. I had a lot of restaurants and shops." If you stayed out of politics, life and business were good.
Among the primary tenets of Ba’athist ideology was a dedication to religious tolerance. This is not surprising, since the intellectual father of Ba’athism was Michel Aflaq, himself an Orthodox Christian. In keeping with Ba’athist ideology, Saddam did not interfere with the rights of the Assyrian Christians in Iraq to practice their faith. Comprising somewhere between one and two million Iraqis, the Aramaic-speaking Assyrians are the original inhabitants of the modern-day state of Iraq.
The Assyrians did suffer repression under Saddam Hussein, who suppressed their ethnic and linguistic distinctiveness while trying to meld the hodgepodge of peoples in Iraq into a unified state. At no time, however, were the Assyrians ever denied the free practice of their religion, nor did they fear for their lives simply because of their faith.
One measure of the relative religious freedom of the Assyrians under Saddam was the exuberant and public celebration of Christmas. As one writer described it, "Christmas decorations, including nativity scenes, were seen in shops, restaurants and hotels. And Saddam reportedly sometimes attended services at Christian churches in Baghdad and even delivered an annual Christmas address."
As for the United States, Saddam seems to have pined for better relations. He had been a de-facto ally of the U.S. during his war against Iran, and appears to have wanted to recapture that status. According to the Duelfer Report, compiled by the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), beginning already in 1991, "very senior Iraqis close to the president made proposals through intermediaries for dialogue with Washington," even offering to be Washington's "best friend in the region bar none."
Apparently, Saddam never did understand why he couldn’t just work a deal with the U.S. In his befuddlement, Saddam is not alone. Many other observers of the region still can’t grasp why this secular dictator made it to the top of the U.S. hit list in a war supposedly directed at Muslim extremists.
Iraq – After the Liberation
To say the least, since being liberated from Saddam, things have gone badly for a great many Iraqis. However, the time has been especially harsh for the Assyrian Christians. Large areas of Iraq are now under the control of Muslim religious leaders whose militias have been enforcing Muslim law. Based on locally issued fatwas, these armed fanatics have killed Christians for engaging in prohibited businesses such as selling alcohol or other formerly legal products. Many Christian business men have seen their shops, restaurants, and other business either forcibly closed or confiscated.
David Younan Oro’s casino, the flagship of his family business, was taken over by armed men who converted it to a Mosque. "We had a very good situation until the fundamentalists began to appear and we were affected," said Roger William, Oro’s son-in-law. "Because America and Britain are Christian countries, they blame us for the war. We are terrified. We really don't know what the future will hold."
Even Christian homes and private land are being appropriated. The Kurds, America’s erstwhile allies, are among the worst offenders. Writing about the situation in Dara, his home village, an Assyrian Christian living in London reported that, "The Kurdish people are building homes on our village’s land, without our permission. It is sad to say, our own neighbors are stealing it from us."
Christians have reported rapes, kidnappings, and assaults. The situation is so bad, that Christian children have been gunned down in their own homes. This little girl, Raphid was gunned down in her home along with her sister in July. She was only six years old. Her sister, Raad, was only sixteen. They belonged to a well-known Assyrian Christian family that had been threatened. While the family was out, terrorists entered and shot the two children at point blank range.
These two little girls died simply because they were Christians in a country increasingly slipping into Muslim rule.
Armed groups of men have stopped cars on the street and harangued women whose heads are uncovered, accusing them of violating Islamic law. Even Christians have started wearing headscarves out of fear, something that never happened under Saddam Hussein’s regime.
As Christians have retreated into the shadows, the compromise Transitional Administrative Law in force in Iraq today has actually gone far towards officially establishing Islamic rule in what was once a secular country. Article 7 states, in part, that "Islam is the official religion of the State and is to be considered a source of legislation. No law that contradicts the universally agreed tenets of Islam, the principles of democracy, or the rights cited in Chapter Two of this Law may be enacted during the transitional period." It further complicates the problem for Christians in Iraq that they are under represented in the interim government when compared with their percentage of the population. It is almost as if the U.S. intentionally excluded them in the lead up to the ‘handover’ of power.
Nor do the promised elections in January appear likely to improve the situation. According to a recent poll released by the International Republican Institute (an organization allied with the U.S. Republican Party), the highest level of support among Iraqis for any politician belongs to Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The name of his organization probably speaks for itself.
It is bitterly ironic that far from bringing Western secularism, the U.S.-invasion has instead opened the door for an Islamic Republic. Out of fear, an estimated 40,000 to 45,000 Assyrians have already fled Iraq. Most have found shelter in Syria next door, a nation that the U.S. may be targeting next in its drive to spread ‘freedom’ in the Middle East. Had President George W. Bush set out with the intentional goal of destroying the Christian population in Iraq, it is hard to see how he could have been more effective than he has been to date.
More Fronts in the War
President Bush has continued the NATO occupation of Kosovo. Since the end of the war against Serbia, Kosovo has been the scene of anti-Christian ethnic cleansing on a massive scale. More than 120 churches have been destroyed, some dating to the 14th century. 240,000 Christian Serbs have fled the province. Periodic anti-Christian pogroms such as the one that erupted from March 17th – March 18th kill dozens, wound hundreds, and cause more Serbian Christians to flee for their lives. While the U.N. administers the province, NATO troops, some 60,000, are the actual force on the ground. This means that, ultimately, the Bush Administration bears the responsibility for failing to protect the Christians in Kosovo from Muslim fanatics.
Elsewhere in the Balkans, the Bush Administration has continued the status quo in Bosnia, which allows Muslim terrorists to use it as a safe-haven for recruiting and training. According to European intelligence sources, Bosnia has become a "one-stop shop" for Islamic militants heading from terrorist battlegrounds in Chechnya and Afghanistan to Iraq. In addition, the U.S. under Bush has continued to try and dismember the nation of Macedonia by forcing it to make ever larger concessions to its Muslim Albanian minority.
The Bush Administration has made Turkish entry into the European Union a number one priority on its international agenda. Despite Turkey’s horrendous record of mass murder and abuse of its Christian minorities, President Bush has been intervening personally to try and convince skeptical Europeans that, "Including Turkey in the EU would prove that Europe is not the exclusive club of a single religion, and it would expose the 'clash of civilizations' as a passing myth of history." President Bush’s single-minded determination to see Turkey in the EU even drove him to try and force a bad settlement of the Cyprus question on unwilling Greek Cypriots, who ultimately rejected it.
Ironically, even as his Christian supporters in the U.S. bemoan the increasing Islamization of Europe, President Bush is doing everything he can to make sure that 70 million more Turkish Muslims will have the opportunity to settle there. While the possibility that this massive migration could destroy the very heart of Christendom seems to be lost on President Bush, certain European leaders have become quite alarmed. Addressing the issue of Turkey joining the EU, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing said, "In my opinion, it would be the end of Europe."
Both d’Estaing and Jacques Chirac, current president of France and a favorite target of American Christian conservatives, have positively emerged as defenders of the faith as they fight against Turkish accession to the EU. If only President Bush had as much dedication to Europe’s Christian heritage as the heroic French.
In Chechnya, a region much in the news since the Beslan massacres, the U.S. has inserted itself on the side of the Muslims opposed to Russian rule. Foremost among the American agitators against Russia is The American Committee for Peace in Chechnya, a front group of Bush-connected neoconservatives such as Richard Perle, James Woolsey, Michael Ledeen and Kenneth Adelman. The ACPC wants Putin to negotiate with the Chechens rebels, and favors a NATO presence in Chechnya along the lines of the NATO missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. President Putin seems to be relatively uninterested in listening to their ideas. If only the American president were half as wise.
Conclusion
Whatever President Bush and his coterie are doing globally, one thing is abundantly clear. They are not fighting a global war on any kind of Islam, radical or otherwise. On the other hand, they are making tremendous progress towards crippling or completely destroying large segments of the world’s Christian population. And in this slaughter, the American people have become his accomplices.
Despite all of the negative impacts of his foreign policy on Christians globally, the Christian conservatives in America have been deafeningly silent. Two reasons account for this. First is their overwhelming pre-occupation with Israel. The State of Israel and its security were mentioned by both presidential candidates in their debates. The need to protect Israel is the subject of daily articles in conservative publications, both online and dead tree. Pat Robertson even threatened to form a third party, if the Republicans ever waiver in their full-throated support of the State of Israel. Such concern for the plight of Christians abroad is non-existent.
Perhaps if the Assyrians and others renounced Christ and embraced the Talmud, American Christians would care what happens to them?
The second reason is the fear that criticizing Bush will hurt his chances of re-election. For this reason, many Christians have kept their silence, all the while knowing the truth of what is happening. This is not a Christian attitude. Christ stood for the truth at all times, not only when it was expedient. Standing silent in the face of suffering, simply to prevent inconvenience to a favored politician, is not following the way of Christ.
It is time for Christian conservatives to end the silence. We must speak out, and we must let the President, whether it be Bush or Kerry, know that a continuation of these disastrous policies will absolutely not be tolerated.
Glen Chancy [email] is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Political Science, and a certificate in Eastern European Studies. A former University lecturer in Poland, he currently holds an MBA in Finance and works in Orlando, Florida as a business analyst for an international software developer.
2.
From : Missouri Democratic Party
Sent : Tuesday, August 2, 2005 6:51 PM
Subject : Campaign Season Begins Today
Campaign Season Begins Today
The Missouri Democratic Party is proud to announce the launch of our Campaign War Room.

To win in the future, we need to organize now. We can no longer wait for the next campaign to come along and hop on board. It is time to build an organization to identify supporters, bring in activists and educate the voting public about the issues that affect them every day.
The War Room is the place where we can all come together as Democratic Activists and take action. We will all learn what we can and must do to organize locally. Victory statewide begins at the most local level. In the coming months we will be launching new programs specifically targeted at local action.
The War Room will be the heart of online and field collaboration. There will be information and signups for many different programs, including Adopt-A-Voter, Local Organizing and Staffing Registration Tables. We will also feature information about how to organize a local training on Direct Voter Contact and how to use the online Voter File. The War Room will also include regular Campaign News Updates to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information available.
Go to the Campaign War Room to Sign Up Now
We are lucky to have the power of the Internet to spread information about our projects, but it is essential that we also get offline and into the field. At the MDP's War Room you will find out what we are doing and how you can plug in, but that is just the first step. We encourage everyone to take part in this campaign to organize locally. And don't forget; check back often because the War Room will never be closed. New projects will be launched and more news will be added regularly. You never know when something that you were meant to be a part of will pop up.
Thank you for your dedication in the past and we look forward to building the MDP together in the coming months and years.
We will talk to you soon,
- The Entire MDP Team
3. This is from Planned Parenthood
Protect Women's Health & Safety!
SAVE THE DATE!
RALLY @ THE CAPITOL
WED, SEPTEMBER 14TH
Jefferson City
Instead of supporting comprehensive sexuality education and family planning services that help PREVENT unintended pregnancies, Governor Blunt has threatened to call a tax-wasting special session that will endanger the health and lives of women across the state of Missouri.
By advocating for irresponsible laws that reduce women's access to reproductive services, Governor Blunt is sending a clear message that his priorities lie with anti-choice interest groups, NOT with women's health.
YOU can stand up against these attacks on women's health by attending the Rally @ the Capitol on September 14th!
Let's show Governor Blunt & the state legislature that Missouri supports reproductive choice!
Stay tuned for more details...
To RSVP or FMI, send an email to Carrie.Shapton@ppkm.org
or call (913) 312-5100 ext.257
4.
What would you like to know about John Roberts?
Here's your chance to ask your questions.
Hilary Clinton, Barbara Mikulski and the other Democratic female Senators have created a website to get feedback from Americans about what questions they would like Roberts to answer.
Please click on this website at: http://democrats.senate.gov/AsksRoberts/
5.
Join the 10,000 letters campaign!
A coalition of women's groups is launching the 10,000 letters campaign to oppose the special session scheduled for September. Below is a sample letter, and their web site. The Missouri Women's Network, one of our founding coalition members, is involved with this effort. They are wanting hand-written letters, so break out those pens!
Sample Letter
Dear Governor Blunt,
I am opposed to the 2005 special legislative session because it is a waste of time and money for the state of Missouri.
INSERT YOUR SELECTED TALKING POINT(S) HERE!
Therefore, I request that you stop wasting legislators' time and taxpayer money and reconsider your insistence on calling a special session of the Missouri legislature.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Address
City, State, Zip
Talking Points
CHOOSE ONE OR MORE OF THESE POINTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR HANDWRITTEN LETTER.
It is wasteful to spend taxpayer money when the state is facing a budget crisis. This special session will cost an estimated $100,000 per week at a time when the legislature has cut funding for vital programs such as Medicaid. The money wasted on a special session would be better spent educating our children or providing critical services for Missourians.
A special session should be reserved for pressing issues of statewide concern that cannot wait until the next legislative session. The single bill that will be the focus of the special session is not at all urgent and certainly does not merit such extraordinary attention.
It is a waste of a special session to have one because you want to appeal to controversy and manufacture a crisis for personal political gain. The calling of this special session is an obvious attempt to salvage the Governor's tarnished political image. Despite the fact that 2005 is not an election year, Missourians are paying attention and we will remember what you do in 2005 when we visit the polls in 2006 & 2008.
It is a waste to have a special session if the proposed goal of the session is not effective. If your agenda is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Missouri, then your efforts should be focused on restoring family planning funding and retaining medically correct information on contraception in sex education programs.
Step One—Grab some paper and a pen and use the opening sentence from the sample letter above.
Step Two—Select one (or more) of the talking points and copy it into your letter. Feel free to change the words around and make it your own.
Step Three—Insert the closing sentence and sign your name. Be sure to include your address, so Governor Blunt knows you are indeed a Missouri resident.
Step Four—Mail your letter to:
10,000 Letters
P.O. Box 873
St. Peters, MO 63376
Step Five—Tell all your friends about the 10,000 Letters Campaign and how powerful a message a handwritten letter sends! Or better yet, forward them the link to our website: www.10ThousandLetters.org
Want to make an even greater impact? Send a copy of your letter to your state representative and/or state senator. Visit www.house.state.mo.us to find who your elected officials are.
6. This is from Vicki Walker, who came to speak at our last meeting.
I would like to continue our Health care conversation for an additional week. We have agreed that many people want national health care, including an increasing number of businesses (read: GM, Ford), but how do we pay for it? What should it look like? Should we morph Medicare/Medicaid and National Health care into one policy position - so we cut down on bureaucracy, possible fraud and stigma? If everyone is covered, do we cover everyone the same? What about catastrophic insurance? For nursing homes? (I realize there is a new movement and hopefully a strong movement to make nursing homes less institutional and more, uh , homelike? Green Homes is the movement - check it out)
The rich will always be able to afford the 'extras', but should the 'extras' be an experimental treatment that may save a life? Should 'extra' be availability of Rx drugs OR the choice of alternative care, such as massage therapy, Holistic or naturopathy, chiropractry, rolfing? Instead of 'disease' should we focus on 'health'? What would that look like?
Please continue the conversation. We want YOUR ideas! We will take the best and begin to formulate public policy and YOU can be part of that. When you are blogging - do not rehash what doesn't work or what we SHOULD do. Give us IDEAS.
Pass it on. www.midwestvalues.org - click on blog
Vicki Walker, Co-Founder
Midwest Center for American Values
www.midwestvalues.org
Join our online progressive values conversation by clicking on our blog!
816.289.5932
7. This is from Paul Rola. I wanted to gather signatures but since we didn't have a gathering before the due date, I thought it best to just send this along to you. Please print, sign and send to Paul if you can.
The time for gathering names is just about over. Any petitions that are sent by the 8th will no doubt be included in the final tally. So you still have most of the weekend to make a final push.
For those of you who chose not to gather names from your surroundings, please do me a favor; copy the attachment, sign it and send it to me. You may do that by mail (address is on the bottom of the petition), you may scan the petition into your computer and send it as an attachment, or if you have a fax, send it to 816 761 9757.
You would be surprised how many petitions I have received with just 1 name or a husband and wife. These "little" petitions are the ones that seem to have the biggest impact on me. These are the people who may be unable to gather a list; but definitely want their voice to be heard, as we try to get out the whole Downing Street Memos story. This is real grassroots!
Take Care
Paul

