Terrorizing Muslim Women.

Some time ago I received an e-mail titled the “Joys of Muslim women” and the author was given as Nonie Darwish. I wrote to her to ask for permission to publish this article and she wrote back that she wasn’t the author, and gave me permission to publish her article, “Terrorizing Muslim Women," which was published in the FrontPage Magazine USA in July 2010. Picture: Nonnie Darwish.

Nonie Darwish was born in Egypt, she is the daughter of an Egyptian Army lieutenant general, who was called a "shahid" (click this link) by the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, after being killed in a targeted killing in 1956. Darwish blames "the Middle Eastern Islamic culture and the propaganda of hatred taught to children from birth" for his death. In 1978, she moved with her husband to the United States, and converted to Christianity there. After September 11, 2001 she has written on Islam-related topics.

The people of Australia are getting increasingly concerned, about the rapid increase of Muslims in this country. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, said recently that Multiculturalism is a dismal failure in Germany and the rest of Europe can echo the same sentiments. It is a sad and well-known fact that Muslims in Europe refuse to integrate in their respective European counties – and the same is the case in Australia. I would like to stress that I’m not xenophobic, I’m publishing this to inform. - Werner

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Terrorizing Muslim Women, by Nonie Darwish

There is an article floating all over the Internet, “Joys of Muslim Women, which discusses the horrific truth about how Islam legally treats women. The article claims to have been written by me, but that is false: I am not the author. Let me use this occasion, however, to set a few matters straight:

The silence is deafening around the world in regards to the inhumanity and brutality of Sharia towards women. Most of the activism against stoning, flogging and abuse of women under Sharia is heard from former Muslim women, like myself, and a few others in the West who dare to expose the truth.

Muslim women have no choice but to abide by Sharia, since rejecting it is grounds for the charge of apostasy, punishable by death. Having been exposed to Sharia for centuries, Muslim women have learned convoluted coping mechanisms to avoid Sharia’s wrath. Engaging in their own form of Stockholm Syndrome, most Muslim women publicly defend the very laws that enslave them. Even Obama’s advisor on Islamic affairs, Dalia Mujahed, stated that Sharia is “misunderstood.” Muslim women end up as the guardians of their own jails. It is women who often report younger girls who refuse to wear the head cover, and some wives cover up for the honor killing of a daughter by their husband or son. Many have accepted their inferior status and wear it as a badge of honor.

That is why there is no significant grass-roots feminist movement in the Muslim world today. Muslim feminists are routinely accused of apostasy - with its death penalty hanging over their heads. The only feminist movements to speak of in the Muslim world occurred during British colonial rule and, on a smaller scale, when the French conquered Egypt in 1798. By the end of the British rule, feminism ended inside the Muslim world. Many Muslims claim that “Islam honors women” just as they claim that Islam is a “Religion of Peace.” The truth however, is just the opposite. Islam does not honor women, but rather holds their very lives in absolute bondage.

America must outlaw Sharia from ever being practiced by anyone on American soil. If we fail to do this, if we permit Sharia to creep into our legal system, we might as well say goodbye to our freedom. Here are just a few examples of what Muslim women must live under:

[1] There is no age limit for marriage of girls under Sharia. A man can pay a dowry and sign a marriage contract with parents of a toddler girl and consummate the marriage at age 9. Recent cases in Yemen and Saudi Arabia exposed this tragedy when 8-year-old girls filed for divorce from their over 50-year-old husbands. Not one Muslim authority challenged the Saudi marriage high official, Dr. Ahmad Al Mubi, who stated in 2008, in an interview that aired on LBC TV: “There is no minimal age for entering marriage. The Prophet Muhammad is the model we follow.”

[2] Islamic law states: “a Muslim will not be punished for killing an adulterer.” Islam, therefore, encourages honor killing of women. Since men have more sexual rights than women in Islam, it becomes harder to catch a man committing adultery. Thus women become more susceptible to becoming the victims of the above law, which allows vigilante street justice against adulterous women. I have never heard a Friday sermon stating that honor killing is forbidden in no uncertain terms.

[3] A rebellious wife is one who “answers her husband coldly” or refuses to go to bed with him. Rebelliousness on the part of the wife nullifies the husband’s obligation to support her and gives him permission to beat her (Shafi Law m10 and m11 p. 541-2). The Prophet said: “A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife”.–Sunaan Abu Dawud, 11.2142.

[4] Divorce is only in the hands of the husband and is as easy as verbally saying “I divorce you.” Thus the wife is divorced whether the husband had the intention to do it or not. Law n3.2 p 559.

[5] There is no community property between husband and wife in Islam. A Muslim wife would be lucky to inherit 20% from her husband. A man’s property after his death is not given to his wife, but is divided among many members of the family such as his parents, other wives; sons take double what daughters get.

[6] A man has the right to have up to 4 wives. Polygamy is not just a right, but loyalty to one wife is discouraged. Mohammed said: “The best Muslims had the largest number of wives,” Bukhari 7.62.7. A Muslim man does not vow loyalty to his bride in the marriage ceremony and the bride must not expect it. In the Muslim marriage contract itself, the husband is asked to give name and address of wife number 1, 2 and 3 if any. (See a copy of the Muslim marriage contract in my book, chapter 2 of Cruel and Usual Punishment.)

[7] Mutaa or pleasure marriage gives the right to a man to marry a woman for a fixed amount of time, from a few hours to several years. That takes away any holiness in the concept of marriage. The only condition is that the man must pay the woman money (dowry) in exchange for sexual rights over her body. This is simply legalized prostitution, exploiting needy and poor women. This form of marriage is not registered or regulated by the State.

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To read the rest of this article click here and scroll down to “Continue reading page: 1, 2” and then click on the number 2. (At the end of first page)

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My thought for today: - Werner
We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. Konrad Adenauer

Yawning explained.

A little mystery: Why do we yawn? This is a good question, and here you’ll find the answer plus other interesting facts about this involuntary mouth opening experience. We may be with friends or at a meeting, and inevitably, we start to yawn; we cover our mouth with our hand, out of courtesy, and this could cause others to yawn. It seems that yawning is contagious. According to Ethan Huff, yawning is also good for the brain, so, do your brain a favour and yawn frequently. - Werner

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Yawning is the best medicine for brain health.

By Ethan Huff,

Contrary to popular belief, yawning is not necessarily an indicator of boredom, restlessness, disinterest or even sleepiness. Yawning is actually an important function of the body that helps the brain both to function better and to maintain appropriate temperature.

According to researchers from New York University in Binghamton, yawning is the body's way of regulating the temperature equilibrium so that we can think better. This is why many people feel the need to yawn when sitting in warm rooms regardless of whether or not they are physically tired.

The research is contradictory to older research that pegged yawning as a response to reduced brain oxygen levels, and instead attributes it to a reenergizing process by which the body is able to transition from one state of mind to another, such as from being asleep to being awake.

"Yawning helps us relax," explains Patt Lind-Kyle, therapist and educator, in her book Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain. "It lifts our moods. It's good stuff. And it's free."

Other research indicates that yawning acts similarly to antidepressants in that it helps block the reuptake of serotonin in the brain so that these neurotransmitters can instead be more readily available for use in brain receptors.

Andrew Gallup, author of the 2007 study that made these discoveries, was cited in a recent Chicago Tribune article as saying that sleep deprivation can raise body and brain temperature as well, so there can be a connection between yawning and sleepiness.

While he encourages the sleep deprived to get more sleep, he also believes that doing things to cool yourself down, such as taking a cold shower or jumping in a pool, will help to alleviate yawning as well.

According to a January 2010 article at kpcnews.com, yawning is also associated with an increase in dopamine, the "pleasure and relationship-bonding" chemicals in the brain. Dopamine levels are raised in response to yawning, and vice versa, bringing about feelings of happiness and connectedness with the people around us.

Other Sources: Yawning has many benefits for the brain.
Why we yawn: To cool our brains.

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My thought for today: - Werner
Life is too short, and the time we waste in yawning never can be regained. - Stendhal

The iconic Brisbane Story Bridge.

The Brisbane Story Bridge, spanning the Brisbane River is one of the best known landmarks of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland Australia. When we drove over this bridge for the first time in 1958, on our way from Victoria to far North Queensland, we didn’t even know the name of it – it was just another bridge we had to cross. It had never occurred to me then that I would ever climb this bridge.
We flew to Brisbane in September to attend the wedding of one of our granddaughters. Our daughter, Sonja, in Brisbane rang me prior to our trip south, to ask me if I would be interested in climbing the “Brisbane Story Bridge” with her as a father’s day gift. I had no hesitation in saying, "Yes," but I asked her, "Are you sure that I will be up to it?" You know that I have just turned 80 years of age? "You are up to it," was her prompt reply; she had done the climb before and knew what was involved. Picture: Werner and Sonja Click on pictures to enlarge. The reason we got the "bristles" up was not because of fear of the height, but because of the wind at the top of the bridge.
We selected the twilight tour, which we considered to be the best of both worlds – going up in daylight and getting back down after two and a half hours at Night. The climb took place on the 15th of September 2010. We were lucky with the weather; it was a typical beautiful Queensland day with a blue sky and sunshine, and the only worry for me was the cold wind since I’m an inhabitant of Cairns in tropical North Queensland. However this little discomfort was greatly compensated by the beautiful sight that was unfolding in front of my eyes, and a panorama of 360 degrees at the top. This was a remarkable “adventure” and a wonderful experience that I’ll never forget. I can highly recommend it to anyone visiting Brisbane, who feels fit enough, to do a Story Bridge climb. The climb involves going up the southern arm to a viewing platform at the top, then down the cantilever arm, then down to the centre of the bridge, then across it, and up again and down again, and finally stepping off the last step, which was number 1132. Following are some interesting facts about the bridge. Click on picture to enlarge.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Brisbane Story Bridge, two of our older landmark bridges, which would have to be considered as absolutely outstanding engineering feats for Australia at that time. (The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in March 1932.) The construction of both bridges started from opposite sides and the two halves came together in the middle over the water. - Werner* * * * * * *

The Brisbane Story Bridge.The Story Bridge, opened in July 1940, was named after John Douglas Story - a public servant, and currently has 6 lanes of traffic, plus a footpath and bikeway either side. These days the bridge links Fortitude Valley with Kangaroo Point. At a distance of 777 metres long, it is a steel cantilever bridge. Apart from its historical significance, there’s the great pub that takes its name, which is almost under its span.

The 80 metre high climb above the Brisbane River takes two and a half hours and includes commentary from your climb leader on the history of the bridge, Brisbane and local landmarks. The breath-taking views stretch from the Glass House Mountains in the north, out to Brisbane's Moreton Bay and Islands and across the Scenic Rim down to the Gold Coast region.

Take a Dawn Climb on a Saturday morning. Watch the sun appear over Moreton Bay and light up the city. The still of the Brisbane River and the glowing city buildings make this an awesome experience. The 360° degree views on a Day Climb take in the mountain ranges to the islands with the bustling city and meandering river below. Experience the transition between day and night by watching the sun set over the city on a popular Twilight Climb. Take a Night Climb and see the city reflections. Watch out for the full moon days as this can be particularly spectacular.

Construction of the bridge began in 1935 and it was opened on the 6th of July, 1940 by the then Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson. The bridge is named after John Douglas Story, an influential public servant and vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland. Brisbane’s Story Bridge opened for operation on July 6, 1940. This date came five years after construction commenced and fourteen years after initial recommendations for a river crossing in the Kangaroo Point vicinity. Essentially, the Story Bridge was one of the then governments’ three major public works projects, creating years of employment for many men during the Great Depression. The Story Bridge is the largest steel bridge designed, fabricated and constructed in Australia by Australians. Click on picture to enlarge.

Historical Facts. Construction took five years, one year longer than planned. Queenslander, Dr John Bradfield was Consulting Engineer. His design team prepared 600 working drawings. The Story Bridge project cost £1,492,000.(Pounds) Seven years later, the State Government sold the Story Bridge to the Brisbane City Council for £750,000. (Pounds) Sadly, four men lost their lives during construction.

Bridge Specifications. The Bridge is 1,072 metres long from the southern to northern anchor piers. The river span is 282 metres long. The Bridge’s summit is 74 metres to ground, similar in height to a 22-story building. The width of the Bridge is 24 metres, including footpaths. The river clearance at low tide is 35 metres, or 10-stories.

Construction Facts. 39,100 cubic metres were excavated for foundations. 41,250 cubic metres of concrete used 12,000 tonnes of structural steel used 1,650 tonnes of reinforcing steel used 1,500,000 rivets were used to construct the bridge. Maintenance Currently the bridge is repainted every 7 years using 17,500 litres of paint There is approximately 105,000 square metres of painted steel surfaces.

Working under pressure. One of the most amazing features of Story Bridge lies hidden under Captain Burke Park at Kangaroo Point. The southern main pier, the arched concrete structure closest to the river at Kangaroo Point, supports the weight of the southern half of the bridge. Foundations for that pier, which at the time was one of the largest in the world, reach 40 m below the park. Open excavation to that depth was not an option because water seeping through the silt and sand would have filled the hole to river level. Work on this and the four smaller piers to the south was accomplished with an ingenious pneumatic caisson technique, utilising an upright hollow reinforced concrete cylinder with an air lock at the top and a steel blade around the circumference at the bottom.

Workers inside the cylinder would excavate the silt and sand, which would be pumped outside, while the weight of the cylinder would cause the blade to work its way down. In order to prevent water entering from the river, the air inside the cylinder was pressurised. At the start of their shift, up to 10 workers would enter the air lock from the top, close the hatch, and wait as compressors pumped air into the lock. Once the air lock pressure reached that of the working chamber below, the workers would exit via another hatch and climb down a ladder to the workface. At the end of their regulated time in the working chamber, the workers would re-enter the air lock for a period of decompression before exiting. At the deepest part of the excavation, a working chamber pressure of almost four atmospheres (four times normal sea level pressure) was required. This pressure necessitated a compression time for workers of 11 minutes and a decompression time of one hour and 43 minutes. After a cup of hot coffee and a shower, both of which the contractor was obliged to supply, a worker would return to the caisson for the second half of his shift.

The health risk for caisson workers was the bends, the same condition that threatens scuba divers. Under increasing pressure, nitrogen, which makes up 79% of air, dissolves to an increasing level in blood and body tissues. If the dissolved nitrogen is allowed to come out of solution slowly in a decompression chamber, no harm is done to the worker. If, however, the pressure drops too quickly, for example if a caisson worker exits the chamber without proper decompression, the dissolved nitrogen forms bubbles in the blood and tissues, much like what happens with champagne when the cork is removed. Too rapid decompression can cause cramps, dizziness, vomiting, convulsions and paralysis. With a total of 11,000 decompressions over the year of caisson work, there were 65 cases of the bends, all of which were treated successfully in a special on-site air lock hospital.

For secure online booking: Click here, or if you would prefer to speak to one of our friendly reservation consultants’ call 1300 254 627. Brisbane Life, click here.

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My thought for today. - Werner

What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. - J. Sidlow Baxter

The Australian army’s top brass is betraying our soldiers in Afghanistan.

In war, loss of life or collateral damage is unfortunately unavoidable. I know all about it, I have first hand experience going through World War Two as a youngster in southwest Germany. I have seen relatives and friends killed, seen burning houses, I experienced the heart rending task of trying to rescue people buried under rubble from bombed buildings and failing. I have seen mutilated body parts from allied airmen strewn in our vineyards, a sight that is forever embedded in my mind. War is the biggest atrocity on humanity.

It is absolutely ludicrous to send our soldiers to fight in Afghanistan, then haul them before a court if, in the course of defending themselves, they accidently kill civilians who are often being used as human shields. I have the highest regards and admiration for our defence forces. They are the best there is. This is a futile, costly (in lives and resources) and an unwinnable war, and we shouldn’t be there in the first place. I have previously written in this forum: “Why on earth is Australia involved in Afghanistan?” To read it, click here.

Something is not adding up here. We are sending our soldiers to Afghanistan to fight, and get killed, while young Afghan men come to Australia illegally in boatloads seeking refuge. So far 21 of our young soldiers have lost their lives. The question begs, what for? Military prosecutions: Parliament must act now. By Prof. David Flint click here.

Going back to World War Two, the following springs to my mind. In February 1945, two months before the end of the Second World War, the German town of Dresden was filled with an estimated 240.000 women and children, fleeing from the Russian onslaught. The German army had already retreated westwards; there was not a single soldier left in Dresden, and the allied air command knew this. But nevertheless, they sent bombers there and flattened the town and killed all the women and children who had sought refuge there. Nobody was brought to justice about this atrocity. Pictures: Dresden before and after the bombing. Click on them to enlarge.

In comparison to the five civilians killed by our solders in self defence, or in the cross fire, pales into insignificance to the wanton and deliberate murder of women and children in Dresden. Our soldiers should never have been charged. I assume that the new rules of engagement in Afghanistan will be, “don’t shoot, run away as fast as you can.” Following is a great article by the Hon. Charlie Lynn MLC (Member of the NSW Legislative Council) I totally concur with Charlie’s sentiments. Source. - Werner

The great betrayal of our diggers in Afghanistan!

‘Stop firing’ screamed the Afghan interpreter metres away from a suspected Taliban leader as he emptied his magazine towards a small band of Australian commandos. As the walls exploded the insurgent responded by clipping on a fresh magazine and unloading it at them. The Australians returned fire and lobbed a grenade into the dark room. The firing ceased. As they crept into the room they noticed a sight that will haunt them forever. The suspected Taliban leader lay dead amongst a human shield comprising women and children.

Three of the commandos in the raid, doing what they were sent to do by the Australian government, now face charges of manslaughter. These young men have been double-crossed by our political leaders who have exposed them to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

Membership of the world court is a gold plated pass to the finer things in life for the international legal fraternity. First class travel, 5-star hotels, fine cuisine and vintage wine are standard fare for the elite in the justice system. The court provides a forum for eminent legal minds from Australia, Albania, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Tajikistan and others to discuss a new world order for law and justice.

Our major ally, the United States, is not a signatory to the world court. Neither are China, India or any of the major Middle Eastern nations. The conventions of the court are not recognised by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The United States has enacted an American Service-Members’ Protection Act to protect their troops against criminal prosecution by an international criminal court. Australia has failed to offer the same protection to our troops.

We have also failed to provide them with a system of justice that recognises and respects the unique nature of their role in combat i.e. to close with and kill the enemy. The enemy has a similar role. This was reflected in General George Patton’s address to his troops in Europe in WW11. ‘You don’t win wars by dying for your country,’ he urged. ‘You win wars by making the other bastard die for his country!’ Combat is not about group hugs and counselling sessions with your opponents. It’s about training, discipline, fear, courage, sacrifice, mateship and leadership. Only those who have experienced combat understand these human complexities. Strategies to prepare soldiers for combat operations have evolved over the centuries.

Soldiers also understand, better than most, that modern wars are not won on the battlefield. They are won within the hearts and minds of civilian populations. The historic decision to charge our commando’s with manslaughter as the result of a night combat operation in Afghanistan is a shameless act of betrayal by the Australian government. The decision will have far reaching consequences on the command and control of combat operations which require split-second decisions to meet changing or unforeseen circumstances. Soldier’s lives will be at risk if commanders hesitate as they weigh up the implications of their decisions against the laws of the International Criminal Court or the prejudice of an all-powerful Director of Military Prosecutions.

The traditional system of conducting military prosecutions by courts martial allowed for servicemen and women to be judged by peers with an understanding of the complexities of combat in a hostile environment. This system was replaced by a botched Australian Military Court in 2007.

The botched system sought to institutionalise the betrayal of our servicemen and women by our political leaders who would have been subject to trial by a civilian judge without a jury. The decision to prosecute was delegated to a new supremo, the Director of Military Prosecutions, who is not answerable to either the military high command or Parliament. Whilst the Australian Military Court was found to be unconstitutional in 2009 the Director of Military Prosecutions, Brigadier Lyn McDade remains as a supreme independent authority. Whilst McDade was awarded the title of ‘Brigadier’ and gets to wear a uniform she has never had to earn the rank and has no experience in combat.

Her military-political sympathies were revealed in an interview where she believed David Hicks had been badly treated because he trained with terrorists in Afghanistan.

Uniform and rank are an integral part of the military system. Both have to be earned and respected. Soldiers are comfortable with specialist officers such as medical doctors, nurses and padres wearing the uniform because they enlist to save lives and souls. They are more sceptical of the legal profession who often use their association with the military to enhance their status within their own fraternity.

They have forfeited their right to wear the Australian military uniform with the decision to charge our combat soldiers with manslaughter.

The Australian government should move swiftly to disband the Office of Military Prosecutions and withdraw from the International Criminal Court to protect the integrity of our command and control system. If our political leaders do not have the will or the fortitude to do this they should be banned from attending military funerals and not bother with meaningless motions of condolence in Parliament.

My quote for today. - Werner
War means blind obedience, unthinking stupidity, brutish callousness, wanton destruction, and irresponsible murder. ~Alexander Berkman

Australians don't want ‘fluoride’ - but the Government is persistent.

In this posting is a new fluoride update and two videos. I haven’t written much about fluoride lately, but that doesn’t mean I have forgotten about it. To the contrary, thousands of Australians are informed and educated constantly through our Australia wide networks, about this harmful poison the Queensland Labor government put in our water without consulting the people of Queensland. And, come the next state election, a lot more will make an informed decision, who to vote for, and I would like to mention that the gormless Leader of the opposition, JP. Langbroek is totally obsessed with water fluoridation, so there is no use voting for the LNP, at the next election if you are against fluoride in your drinking water, unless they change their policy. - Click on the pictures to enlarge.

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News Flash! EU Commission hearing exposes fatal flaws in water fluoridation. Click here to read about it.

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Fluoride update 24.9.2010 Today Tonight producer Frank Pangallo talks about the fight of the citizens of Mt. Gambier South Australia, who do not want their water fluoridated. An Independent member of parliament speaks out against it. Click here.

We in Queensland just can only wish, that we would also have members of parliament with the intestinal fortitude and come out fighting against this unwelcome act, inflicted on us Queenslanders by our totalitarian government. - Werner

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Di Buckland, a Queenslander and a strong advocate against fluoride asks Australians to wake up and reject Fluoride. Click here to hear what she has to say.

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Interview with Dr. Doug Everingham, Australian Health Minister 1972-1975, in regards to water fluoridation. Click here.

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A quote for today: - Werner
"Fluoridation is the greatest case of scientific fraud of this century, if not of all time." - EPA scientist, Dr. Robert Carton