Expecting the E.U. to stand in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan

Reshad Jalali and his family eventually fled for Europe in 2006. Now Jalali faces his biggest disappointment of all, watching the Taliban return to the streets of his home country while many in his adopted continent appear more consumed by the potential for another refugee crisis, rather than in the fate of the Afghan people.

“As an Afghan living in Europe, I’m shocked at what I have heard,”

says Jalali, who now lives in Brussels and works as a Policy Officer at the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, a collective of NGOs.

“I was expecting the E.U. to stand in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan rather than focusing on the narrow topic of migration.”

We may not overlook the fact that the European Union has a huge stake in Afghanistan’s past and future, given than most E.U. member states are also NATO allies and they have together pumped €4 billion in development aid into the country.

How its leaders now respond to the prospect of rising numbers of Afghan refugees will be a key test of how the bloc has absorbed the lessons of 2015, when the Syrian civil war sparked a movement of more than 1 million people into Europe.

writes Charlotte McDonald-Gibson in Time Magzine.

So far, the European response has oscillated between compassion for the fate of ordinary Afghans trapped under Taliban rule, and fear at the potential consequences at home. This was typified by French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech on Monday evening, when he spoke about both the need to

“protect those who are in the greatest danger” and “protect ourselves against large migratory flows”.

The tone had been set earlier in the month, when the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, and Greece sent a letter to the E.U. executive urging them to continue deportations of Afghans with rejected asylum claims, arguing that halting expulsions “sent the wrong signal”.

The six EU member states have warned the bloc’s executive against halting deportations of rejected Afghan asylum seekers arriving in Europe despite major advances of Taliban militants in their country. Those countries agree that

“Stopping returns sends the wrong signal and is likely to motivate even more Afghan citizens to leave their home for the EU.” {Austria, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and Germany said in an Aug. 5 letter to the European Commission.}

The insensitivity of the letter at a time when the Taliban were marching on Kabul sparked outcry, and some signatories backtracked. But it was reflective of the increasingly hostile policies in place since 2015, when Europe’s mismanagement of the crisis caused a surge in support for far-right and nationalist parties.

This new security-driven approach has seen E.U- backed missions accused of returning people to life-threatening situations in Libya and illegally pushing back boats which had reached Greek waters.

Afghans arriving in Europe bore the brunt of many of these harsher policies, with leaders reasoning that fatigue had set in about the “forever war” and Afghans could be sent back without much outcry.

Since 2015, around 570,000 Afghans have requested asylum in the EU, the letter from the six EU countries noted, 44,000 in 2020 alone, making Afghanistan the second most important country of origin last year. Strangely enough in the letter the countries admit that they

“fully recognise the sensitive situation in Afghanistan in light of the foreseen withdrawal of international troops.”

They added that an estimated 4.6 million Afghans were already displaced, many of them in the region. A senior EU official said some 400,000 Afghans have been internally displaced over recent months and in recent days there has been an increase in numbers of people fleeing to Iran.

In some cases, people forcibly returned to Afghanistan were killed within months of arriving.

It is through this prism that the Taliban takeover is viewed in much of Europe, with fierce debate over the likelihood of another refugee crisis. Former Portuguese diplomat Bruno Macaes, writing in Politico, claimed another refugee wave “now seems inevitable”, citing Afghan diplomats who told him:

“nothing can stop them – not even tanks”.

…

“We should have learned from the past crisis and be mobilized to swiftly react to the situation now,”

says Reshad Jalali. He agrees that supporting displaced people in Afghanistan and the surrounding region is key, but also points to measures that could be implemented immediately within the E.U, including approving all pending asylum decisions for Afghans, speeding up family reunions, and creating more pathways for resettlement.

 

Please read more about it: > Europe Sees a Migration Crisis in the Making in Afghanistan. Have the Lessons of the 2015 Surge Been Learned?

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Preceding

Grounded

Refugees At The Border- A Blessing Or Burden?

Bringers of agony, Trained in Belgium and Syria

The Iranian American Frieda Afary looking with (republican?) American eyes at Iran

Taliban conquest of Afghanistan a clock to turn back years

Worse Than Saigon

Afghanistan: international community statement

Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi

Afghanistan — What It Tells You

A reminder to what could happen to Christians in Afghanistan

Moving heaven and earth to get every last American in Afghanistan back to American soil

++

Additional reading

1. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
2. Social media a destabilisation tool in the Middle East and Syrian conflict
3. Is ISIS a product of American in-action or a product of direct action
4. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
5. Islamophobic hate crimes rise in UK following terror attacks
6. Summary for the year 2015 #1 Threat and fear
7. 2015 In the Picture
8. At the closing hours of 2016 #1 Looking down at terror
9. 2016 in review Politics #2 Persons of the year

Kolkende watermassa’s doorheen de straten

Sommige van onze leden hebben de “Slag om de Ardennen” of de “Slag om Arnhem“mee gemaakt, maar nu hoorden we mensen zeggen dat wat er hen eergisteren en gisteren overviel erger was dan de oorlog.

Enkele weken geleden hadden wij in onze dorpen ook het water en de modder zien stromen. Maar wat wij nu te zien kregen was “ongezien” en hebben de meesten van ons nog nooit mee gemaakt. In ons leven hebben we wel al overstromingen gekend of ogenblikken waar het water langs de electriciteitsleidingen naar beneden kletste op het bed en andere meubelen. Maar dit!

Vorige week werden via de televisie en media al waarschuwingen gegeven naar kampeerders om best niet langs rivierbeddingen te gaan kamperen of in laag gelegen gebieden. Op meerdere campings werd er met man en macht gewerkt om de campingwagens te verzetten naar een veiliger plek. Eergisteren en gisteren leken zelfs die veiligere plekjes hopeloze plaatsen, waar ze op dobberende lucifersdoosjes leken te worden herschapen voordat ze tot platte schijven werden geplet.

In Jalhay, in de provincie Luik, waren dinsdagavond een honderdtal scouts al geëvacueerd, en had de brandweer van de reddingszone 4, Vesdre Hoëgne en Plateau, meer dan 260 interventies uitgevoerd als gevolg van de hevige regenval. Al snel kregen Pepinster, Theux, Chaudfontaine en Spa hun portie water binnen.

In meerdere dorpen stroomde het water als een wilde rivier door de straten en daverde de huizen binnen. Wij konden getuige zijn van waterstromen die vanuit de eerste verdieping naar beneden klotste, terwijl het de meubelen op haar pad mee nam. Het ging er zo hevig aan toe totdat eerst de binnenmuren het begaven, om daarna het hele huis in een val mee te trekken. De bewoners hadden zich nog net op het dak van het aanpalende huis in veiligheid kunnen brengen. Anderen waren minder gelukkig en moesten het met de dood bekopen toen hun huis instorte en zij met de stroom werden mee getrokken.

Mensen lieten weten dat zij de hulpdiensten niet konden bereiken, of indien zij contact hadden, gevraagd werden om niet meer te bellen om de lijnen niet te overbelasten. En de lijnen waren inderdaad overbelast, doordat mensen geen raad meer wisten en naar het dak moesten vluchten, waar zij de nacht in koude natte weersomstandigheden vol angst door brachten.

Di Rupo wist te zeggen:

‘Wanneer huizen instorten, dan is dat te wijten aan de kracht van het water. Maar wanneer we niet in staat zijn om de slachtoffers van rampen te bereiken, dan moeten we daar lessen uit trekken.’

Di Rupo wees erop dat donderdagavond nog honderden mensen vastzaten en dat de hulpverleners op het terrein hen niet konden bereiken. Helikopters konden niet vliegen vanwege de slechte zichtbaarheid, terwijl de ingezette vaartuigen soms niet opgewassen waren tegen de kracht van het water. Wij konden zien hoe een reddingsbootje met drie brandweerlieden gewoon een speelbal in het water was geworden en van de ene zijde van de straat naar de andere tegen de huizen werd gekatapulteerd. Het bootje leek wel onderdeel van zulk een speelbal in een caféspel.

‘Zelfs op het niveau van het leger zijn er boten nodig met motoren die twee- tot driemaal krachtiger zijn’,

aldus Di Rupo.

‘Noch het leger, noch de Civiele Bescherming beschikte over het juiste materiaal.’

Vanuit Antwerpen en Vlaams-Brabant waren hulpdiensten ingesprongen en deden al het mogelijke dat ze konden met de hulp van vrijwillige moedige burgers. In slechte dagen kan men dan zien hoe er toch nog solidariteit kan zijn en hulpvaardigheid. Maar ook daar kon men zien dat niet alle hulp op tijd kwam of er zelfs niet toe kon geraken.

Een dame die met haar auto mensen naar het droge bracht, kwam op een punt dat ze nog één persoon uit een huis wilde gaan halen terwijl ze de anderen al op het droge had gebracht. Maar toen ze aan het huis was gekomen zag ze de watermassa door haar openstaande achterklep binnenstromen en als een speelgoedje haar auto verplaatsen. Zij zat nu mee gevangen in het huis.

In juni 2016 was er ook een grote overstroming. Die was veel minder vernietigend dan de huidige en leidde tot 27.000 aangiftes en 143 miljoen euro schade.
Wat wij nu te zien kregen is voor vele jaren zonder voorgaande. Als men al die meegesleurde meubels, koelkasten, diepvriezers en auto’s zag, net als de vele vernielde huizen moet dit zelfs voor grote verzekeringsmaatschappijen een echte ramp zijn. Tal van huizen stortten al in, en tientallen wegen en bruggen zijn beschadigd. Wallonië en Limburg zijn ernstig getroffen, maar het extreme weer hield ook lelijk huis in het oostelijke deel van Vlaams- en Waals-Brabant. Waver liep ook wel onder water, maar met hun halve meter op sommige plaatsen was dit niets tegenover Luik, waar het water op sommige plaatsen tot borsthoogte kwam, en in andere delen van Wallonië waar het water steeg tot aan de dakrand van huizen met drie vloeren (tot en met het tweede verdiep onder water). Pepinster lijkt wel het ernstigst getroffen. In Pepinster, in de provincie Luik, ging het donderdag namiddag mis toen de brandweer drie mensen wilde redden. Hun boot raakte stuurloos en belandde tegen een brug. De brandweerlieden en de bewoners belandden in het water. De brandweermannen konden gered worden, maar de drie burgers zijn nog steeds vermist.

Op diezelfde dag , 15 juli, werd, na crisisoverleg met de burgemeesters, in alle Limburgse gemeenten aan de Maas aan inwoners van de lager gelegen gebieden gevraagd om te evacueren. Door de hevige regenval van de afgelopen dagen staan de debieten op de Maas historisch hoog. In enkele straten van Lanaken ging het om een verplichte evacuatie.  De voorspellingen wijzen uit dat de situatie enkel zal verergeren, want water vanuit het zuiden (Frankrijk, Provincies Luxemburg en Luik) moet nog afstromen naar Belgisch en Nederlands Limburg. Er worden mogelijke debieten voorspeld tot 3.750 kubieke meter per seconde, wat al 100 jaar niet meer gebeurd is.

Een blik op Verviers, na de zondvloed

In West-Duitsland leken sommige dorpen wel door een orkaan plat gelegd. In het westen van Duitsland heeft men al weet van meer dan 100 mensenlevens die door het noodweer geëist zijn.  dit is slechts een voorlopige balans, want men beseft dat het nog veel meer zullen zijn omdat er nog vele vermisten zijn.

In het district Ahrweiler, in de deelstaat Rijnland-Palts werden gisteren al 18 doden geteld. In de stad Schuld in Ahrweiler zijn ‘s nachts vier huizen volledig en twee andere voor de helft weggespoeld. Ook andere gebouwen in het rampgebied staan op instorten.

“We hebben nog nooit zo’n catastrofe gezien. Het is echt verwoestend”,

zegt de regionale regeringsleider Malu Dreyer.

Er zijn ook nog altijd tientallen mensen vermist. Hoeveel van die mensen in nood verkeren, is niet duidelijk. Wellicht zijn ook heel wat mensen op vakantie, of hebben ze wegens het noodweer onderdak gezocht bij kennissen. Omdat het gsm-netwerk gedeeltelijk platligt, is het lastig om iedereen te bereiken.

De meeste doden in die deelstaat vielen in het district Euskirchen, waar volgens de lokale overheid zeker acht mensen om het leven zijn gekomen. In Keulen werden ook twee mensen dood aangetroffen in hun ondergelopen kelder. Daarnaast zijn ook in Solingen en Wuppertal twee mensen in hun ondergelopen kelder overleden.

Blessem, deel van de gemeente Erftstadt kreeg te maken met een grote aardverschuiving.

“Vanuit de huizen komen noodoproepen, maar voorlopig is redding niet mogelijk”,

schrijft de regionale regering op Twitter.

“Onze rampenbestrijding is ter plaatse.”

Op luchtfoto’s is te zien hoe huizen weggespoeld en verdwenen zijn door de aardverschuivingen.

Voorts zijn in Sauerland twee brandweermannen omgekomen bij hulpoperaties. Donderdagmorgen werd in Rheinbach, bij Bonn, ook een dode vrouw ontdekt op straat.

In Rijnland-Palts, een andere deelstaat die zwaar werd getroffen, is de precieze omvang van de ramp nog niet te overzien, zo meldt het regionale ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken. Een grootschalige reddingsoperatie is al uren aan de gang. Er worden politiehelikopters ingezet om mensen van daken te redden en het Duitse leger heeft er ongeveer 200 soldaten ingezet.

In al die plaatsen zal het nu heel wat tijd vragen om alles op te kuisen, maar ook om terug drinkbaar water, electriciteit en gas te voorzien. Betreft voedselvoorziening kijkt de regering ook op een hoop moeilijkheden om dat te voorzien, doordat sommige plaatsen zeer slecht of niet bereikbaar zijn en omdat mensen hun voedselvoorraad helemaal venrietigd is en voedselzaken werkloos zijn geworden door een schade die nog heel wat tijd zal vergen om hersteld te worden.

Een heikel punt bij deze ramp is ook de capaciteit bij verzekeraars om alle dossiers tijdig te behandelen. Heel wat schaderegelaars uit niet-getroffen gebieden zullen moeten bijspringen, alsook is er grote nood aan hulpverleners om op te ruimen en op te bouwen. Men kan slechts hopen dat mensen voldoende onkosten zullen vergoed krijgen. Bepaalde verzekeringsmaatschappijen hebben wel al laten weten dat zij ook de verplaatsingskosten voor herstellers die uit niet-getroffen zones komen helpen zullen betalen. Wat toch al een kleine troost mag zijn.

Wij wensen al die slachtoffers van deze ongeziene natuurramp veel moed en hopen dat zij spoedig een herstel en betere dagen mogen tegemoet mogen zien!

**

**

*
La Belgique est touchée par des crues et des inondations ces dernières heures. Au moins deux personnes ont perdu la vie ce mercredi en province de Liège. A Pepinster, plusieurs maisons se sont effondrées. Des évacuations sont en cours depuis tôt ce matin, notamment en province de Namur et en province de Luxembourg. Une grande partie de la Wallonie est désormais en alerte de crue.

➡ Spa sous eau et privée d’électricité
L’est de la province de Liège est particulièrement touché. Les communes de Chaudfontaine, Eupen, Polleur, Belleheid, Ternell, Spa et Jalhay sont passées en phase d’alerte de crue. Vers 10h15, une coupure d’électricité touche les habitants de la ville d’eaux. Sur sa page Facebook, la ville de Spa écrit “nous n’avons plus de courant en hyper-centre, (…), nous sommes donc injoignable”. Pareil pour la Zone de police fagnes et le CPAS de la Ville où “le niveau d’eau est arrivé à hauteur du bâtiment”. Theux est sous eau également, tandis que le lac de Warfaaz déborde. Selon source policière, une réunion de crise est en cours et l’évacuation totale de certains quartiers est en cours

➡ Scouts évacués à Jalhay
Une centaine de Scouts ont été évacués dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi à Jalhay, en province de Liège, indique l’échevin de la communication, Michel Parotte. Depuis mardi soir, les pompiers de la zone de secours 4, Vesdre Hoëgne et Plateau, ont effectué plus de 260 interventions en raison des fortes pluies.

🔴 Recommandations en cas d’inondations
Catherine Delcourt, Gouverneure f.f de la Province de Liège, rappelle aussi les recommandations suivantes en cas d’inondations: utiliser des sacs de sable, placer les meuble en hauteur, couper les arrivées de gaz et d’électricité mais aussi “photographiez les espaces inondés”, rappelle la Gouverneure f.f., un réflexe indispensable et qui servira à la constitution d’un dossier auprès des assurances.
*

**
*In Germany – the most severely affected country – dozens of people are still missing.*

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Vindt ook te lezen en te bekijken:

1. Beklijvende beelden uit Verviers tonen hoe bejaarde vrouw via gat in muur gered wordt
2. Heftige overstroming in Duitsland: huizen weggevaagd, doden en vermisten
3. Drone filmt ravage in Duitsland na zware overstromingen
4. Hevige regenval zorgt voor overstromingen in Zuid-Duitse plaats

++

16 Juli namiddag update:

Lees verder ook:

1. Wateroverlast in het midden van de zomer
2. Waterramp voor Wallonië, Vlaams-Brabant en Limburg
3. Maas niet bevaarbaar door drijfhout en de te sterke stroming

2016 look at food

From our forgotten & unpublished material

In 2016 the interest for the food programs seemed to heave reduced. Still much attention was given to the British Bake-off and the television consumer programs “Food rip-off” and “Radar” showed clearly that enough people are getting fed up with the way how lots of factories are presenting some food products, misleading the consumer, doing as if there is so much of something in the packet, like for example butter or fruit, which is not so much in it.

Unbelievable is to notice how the very unhealthy dishes of Jeroen Meus (‘Dagelijkse kost’ or ‘Daily food’) reached a very high popularity his books passing those of Pascal Naesens.
After five Daily Food -book and the anthology My 200 classics, Meus published again a book, since his departure from publishing Halewyck, where he sold a million books and walked out “because the soup was fat.” Meus signed a contract for three years and for at least as many books at WPG-Manteau. This publisher now releases his first more stylish book on the market with a hard cover that reveals some private photos of Meus.

In his book Meus continues to swear by what he calls wonderful ‘Flemish fare’ and to go “beyond all food hype”. On every night he brings some ordinary food dishes in the picture on the Flemish television. But the simple fare is no light stuff and we would not recommend to eat such meal regular with that amount of fat and salt he uses. Yet it is striking that Meus want to cook and eat

“without hurting or harming health. Everything in between is common sense. And thus allowed. So I live myself. Clean but sin. One day sausage with endive in white sauce and potatoes, the other day quinoasalade. And of course you need on Sunday to chicken cubes in sweet and sour sauce and roast pork can continue to order. But not every day.”

he says.

Exclusively for the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, the most popular Flemish television cook composed of five culinary province country guides: “Lekker onderweg met Jeroen Meus” (Nicely on the move with Jeroen Meus.
Until recently the books by Pascale Naessens were the best-selling books in Belgium, but now her friend Jeroen Meus came on the first place. Her first book continues to vie for the top spot. She has since become the figurehead of the pure and healthy food in Flanders. Several of her books have been translated into English, French, German and Chinese. She won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in Paris and Beijing.

The cookbooks reflect her personality and her many different talents. She creates all the recipes, writes the text and is solely responsible for the styling, design and layout of the book. She serves her dishes on ceramic pottery that she creates in her own workshop.

Her recipes offer healthy dishes without a long list of complicated ingredients, which has something extra for those who have to work for long hours and do not want or have not much time to spent in the kitchen. To prepare her lovely dishes which do not present complicated combinations, you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen, but she makes it possible still to prepare something surprising for dinner, making it still looks like you’ve been working for hours.

She says

As a result, people are eating better food with more flavour and, at the end of the week, much to their surprise, they find that they’re a couple of kilos lighter and healthier too, without having realized it. It’s all these factors together that make a difference.  I’ve also succeeded in proving that tasty and healthy needn’t be a case of boring or a case of having to eat ‘less’ on the contrary, it’s a case of ‘more’. You can eat more and above all get more out of life.’

 

*

• Dagelijkse kost boeken
• Jeroen stelt nieuw kookboek voor: ‘Dagelijkse kost, koken met gezond verstand’!
• Pure Pascale

+++

2021 update:

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Shall the American again being put to the test

In 2016 the United States of America was put to a historic test. there was a man who presented himself as the best one for the country. And many came to believe that hairdo of wayward youth of a bygone era, who was very fast to call others the bad guys and bringers of fake news.

Strangely enough the man of billion of dollars was able to being cheered by Republican dignitaries. The class hood, the bully and braggart, the guy revving his pink Chevy to make the pipes rumble, presiding over the student council. The world could see how the Americans favoured that C-minus guy who enjoyed bullying others. Like all bullies he never stopped doing that nor bragging, demanding all the time full attention.

Somehow ?!?  that man with blond hair and a big mouth could become the First Man of America. Some Americans may have thought

If the man is not defeated, then we are not the country we imagine we are. All of the trillions spent on education was a waste.

The churches should close up shop. {The Punk Who Would Be President}

Though warnings of many did not seem to reach the brains of most Americans. Europe could wonder how it could have been possible, when there were people enough who said

The nation that elects this man president is not a civilized society. The gentleman is not airing out his fingernail polish, he is not showing off his wedding ring; he is making an obscene gesture. Ignore it at your peril. {The Punk Who Would Be President}

With him the impossible is possible, so we should be very anxious, sitting on the corner of our chair, looking to what those people in the ‘Wild West’ might come to do for the coming years.

We should believe it is not fake news that he is still able to be president and that he really is hoping and going for running for president a second time.

We do not know if the North Americans are aware how in europe on many television stations the public is granted nearly in every news real some lovely expressions by Mr. Trump which can get us to laugh and relax when we accept it as part of a comedy show. With all his sayings and huge amount of Tweets Donald J Trump(the 45th president of USA)

ensured social media trolls to be screaming ‘Trump First’!! {Top 5 Most Outrageous Trump Comments!!!!}

getting the prize of the most tragic comedian and the host of an unsettling record of comments about women…, putting himself always first and being proud that what he does and permits himself to do with women, is desired by the women.

For him naturally women should not have the first place in the White house because they belong to the kitchen. According to him any woman running for the white house should be considered “a fake” and/or “liar”.

Photo from Top 5 Most Outrageous Trump Comments!!!!

The market of gadgets may be blooming by the activities and inspiration providing president. There are the balloons, puppets, but also the toilet brushes which may sell very good.

This brush is very demanded in market liked by people. It’s a handmade product which is from Newzeland. It is being sold in an online website. So far the all brush has been sold, its booking was closed after November 15 night. {“Donald Trump” toilet brushes come in the market, people buy fiercely}

It could be really ” ‘innocent humour ” if it wasn’t all that tragically realistic; Europe holds its breath for what may come!

 

+++

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5 years presenting articles for you

On the 26th of March 2014 this blog started with calling you welcome at “Guestwriters for you” at a site on which we hoped to offer readings from several writers with different ideas. Our hope was that both the lifestyle magazine Stepping Toes and this “Guest-speaker” corner would be able to find writings by different authors, who could deliver material of interest for many.

At Marcus Ampe his personal WordPress blog could be found his own personal political views and at his religious sites, like Our World and his ecclesia site Free Belgian Christadelphian Ecclesia people could find articles written from his Christadelphian view as a Brother in Christ. Though well aware there are not enough Christadelphians willing to share interesting writings and thoughts from non-trinitarian but also from trinitarian and even non Christian writers he invited others to join the platform to create a readers digest of interesting articles on the World Wide Net.

Five years later we can only say we are a little-bit disappointed that not many writers presented themselves to write about historical, ecological, science and lifestyle matters like fashion and architecture, but also none who wanted to write about arts and / or education. So many subjects are not yet tackled at this blog.

We still would love a variety of articles about many aspects which may concern us to build up a better life. Once more we call for people to join us and to share their thoughts. Together we can build at better living conditions for everybody around us, humans but also animals.

Become a Peaceblogger

Click on the picture to know more

We are convinced that whatever religion you may have, from whatever country you may be, whatever race you may have, we can and should be able to live together in peace. For that reason Marcus called for blogwriters to join the Movement Bloggers for Peace. But also there, not many were willing to connect.

At first we at the end of each article we presented a list of articles of interest by others. We stopped doing that, because of the continued complaints and several people asking us to take them out of the list (because the did not want to be associated with us – though they should not have to be associated with us). They should have been aware we provided free advertising for their writings and had many of our readers sent to visit their blog. This not being appreciated we thought it better then to keep our readers at our own place and at our own affiliated blogs.

In 2014 we had 234 articles published getting us 1847 visitors offering us 3 124 views. 296 articles the year after got 4 333 views and in 2016 7 782 views could be reached and 358 articles added. A dip in 2017 brought us 5 018 visitors for 395 articles, the site catching 6 888 views. With lesser articles for 2018 (366) we could reach 5 751 readers with 8 260 views. On February 9, 2018 we got our best views ever.

Up to today we have 1 736 posts which caught 22 211 visitors giving us 33 061 views. We are thankful we may count on 304 followers by Word Press and 3 per e-mail. – which is not much -. The 616 followers on Social Media do not always deliver readings, and as such we can not cunt on them really. We are in any case very grateful for those who are willing to take the time to read and to react at the writings. Thank You!

In case you know much about styling, fashion, gardening, interior decorating, inner being, psychology, anthropology, history, political analysation, arts, you are always welcome to present yourself as a guest-writer for us.  Even when you like to bring articles of other people to our attention you are welcome to let us know or to share them with us as an author presenting guest-writings.

Five years should be the sign we are getting out of our baby-years. You as reader may help us to grow.
Not only come to visit us regularly. Let this site be known by others. Let us know what you would love to see or find at this site, or give us some guidance to make this site better. All advice is welcome. Do also know that we do not mind some encouragement now and them. We are thankful for those few who do not mind to click the “Like” button. Thank you very much for that small but oh so important sign that can give us some encouragement.

On the 8th of April 2019 we still call everybody welcome who some way comes along this site.
Hopefully it shall not stay by a one visit.
May we look forward to more than one visit?

Welcome to this club of Bloggers for Peace and Understanding

 

Thank you very much for coming along this site and reading our articles.

Going to the end of our 5th year of presenting interesting views from different authors

On the 26th of March 2014 we presented our first posting on this site “From Guestwriters” with Guestwriters for you and Welcome to “From guestwriters” expressing our hope to find more people interested in working together to spread the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God but also to aim for a better world trying to get all sorts of borders out of the way.

My hope for starting this site was to present a sort of Readers Digest and to present some of the many articles published on WordPress which I thought would be worthwhile to be read. My idea was also to present articles with at the end of them links to some related articles. Soon I came to learn that not everyone was pleased to find themselves linked to. Several times we got requests to take away the link to their article, because they did not want to be associated with our community. It took already a lot of time to select articles to link to them and when requested to take those links away that involved once more some extra work. We hoped to help the readers but also the writers with such links, because those links could bring more readers to their article. But because not favoured by many, from this year onwards you shall be finding less links to articles from non-associated people.

Our intention was also to present articles from non-christadelphians and sometimes even from non-religious people. The matter to select the writings was their importance for the community and their relevance for adding to the peace process.

In the first year of this publishing platform we presented 234 posts, catching 3124 views. the year later we got 4333 views for an added 296 articles. In 2016 358 articles got published whilst the site received 7782 views. In 2017 395 articles were added but not so many views gained (6888). Last year we got 366 articles added, fetching 8260 views bringing the total of views to 30 437 for 1646 articles. The most popular day seemingly to be the Sunday with 18% of the views.

We do not have many followers but are pleased with the 304 followers on Word Press of which the Opinionated Man, C Washington, michelledipaola and The Mystic SandBox are subscribed from the first month and from the first hours. Our thanks goes to them and to those who followed. On Facebook we may reach 275 followers, whilst Twitter might catch 274 followers and Tumblr 121.
Thanks also for those who did not mind sharing our articles on social media. As such we got 670 times a share for those five years. (Not so magnificent, but something.)

We are also pleased to find some readers who regularly mention they “Liked” our writing.  Some of those regulars supporters are a.o.  which also present beautiful pictures of this world which also can be great and enjoyable. Such “Like” is very much appreciated and we are very thankful for that appreciated gesture which gives us also a feeling of support.

At this site we wanted to show people that the world is not just Black and White and that the political system is not linear. But also we wanted to point out that people can and should do much more than they think. Much more people should be aware of their possible power which has to come from them selves. The inner being by connecting to many others can present a greater power and be a rebuttal against the standard political parties. This site wanted to bring such possibilities more into the light. Therefore I had hoped to find many more writers willing to join us to write about positive elements in our life. There are already enough sites writing about the bad things in this world. As counter balance we could use some positive news. though that seems to be very scarce and hard to find.

Our offer for receiving voices who want to speak up and willing to bring some positive thoughts is till going.

We still miss a psychologist who can write about making a marriage life work of how to cope with one self and with others. We also could do with some historian who would like to compare what is happening now with what happened in the past, or who can shed a light on political situations in this world.

Wanting to be a lifestyle magazine we still can use some fashion freak or people who want to write about fashion, architecture and art.

In case you have already a blog on WordPress, do know that an extra writing platform can also help you to generate more readers to your main blog. At this site we do not mind, better … we also prefer you link also to other articles concerning the topic discussed, and as such you may also link to other articles written by you on your own or on other sites.

If you are a writer without a high opinion of yourself, able to write not very complex articles, not having too many hidden meanings or twists and turns, you could be the one we need. In case you are a  logical, rational thinker who tries to write that way as well, you too perhaps could be the one we are looking for. If you can play with words  and can create poems for sure such poetry should not stay in your own cupboard but could be shared on this platform.

All those who have much time to read, why do you not want to give those who have not so much time, a glimpse of what the written word has to offer? Why not telling others about what is interesting and a “should read”?

If you feel called, do not hesitate to contact me or to offer your services here. We love to find more writers willing to share positive news and lifestyle matters.

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Related

1. Goodbye 2018! ~It’s good to take a minute and look back over the year. My goals for this blog were to write about life in Israel
2. 2018 Year in Review While it’s true my plans for growing my blog readership didn’t happen which had everything to do with being overwhelmed with working to get my first book published
3. The end of year 2018
4. Looking Back
5. Recap of 2018
6. My Top 5 Most-Read New Posts in 2018
7. Reading Year in Review – 2018
8. 2018 Year in Review Thanks to all my readers and followers for a great year.
9. Looking Back at 2018 Writing
10. Year End Stats (2018) for MattsMusings
11. I’m a Man Of Many Words
12. Reading Year in Review: 2018
13. 2018 Wrap Up! (by the Bibliophile Chronicles)
14. 2018 Wrap Up! (by the Random Melon Reads)
15. My 2018 Reading in Statistics
16. 2018 Statistics
17. Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019!
18. 2018 Stats
19. First book tag and stats!
20. 2018 Statistics
21. Statistics of this Blog: Crossed 80.000 Views
22. 2018 Reading Year In Review + 2019 Reading and Blogging Goals
23. 2018 Reading Statistics and 2019 Goals
24. New 2019 year resolution goals.
25. Statistical resolutions

Quiz questions, views, left- and right-wing anti-Semitism

An Orthodox Christian got confronted by a friend who recently posted a link to an article on anti-Semitism which claimed that anti-Semitism of the left was more dangerous than anti-Semitism of the right. He found the article biased and tendentious for several reasons and writes

For one thing, the author seemed to characterise “the Left” in much the same way that antisemites characterise the Jews — with stereotypes based on innuendoes. Just as for antisemites there is no need to substantiate any accusations against “the Jews”, so for those authors there is no need to substantiate any allegations against “the Left”, because those are something that “everyone knows”.

Anti-semitism from which site it may come in whatever country it may be uttered is also something which is wrong and should not be accepted. the writer of the article may have been writing about the “the Left” in the American sense, which means still a very conservative group, because the left for Americans can be a group which belongs to the Democrats.

Steve Hayes aged 9

The writer of Khanya, Steve Hayes considers himself a a liberal who believes that theological liberalism leads to political conservatism and vice versa. According to him there is primary an ascetic struggle as part of the training and discipline we need in order to engage in other aspects of the struggle. {Thoughts on Spiritual Warfare (synchroblog)}

The primary aspect of spiritual warfare, therefore, is the struggle against the passions leading to theosis (divinisation, godliness). {Thoughts on Spiritual Warfare (synchroblog)}

When we look at today’s society we can see al lot of ungodliness and it is just because so many people are so far away from God’s rules that there are so many problems in this world.

Soon after seeing the anti-Semitism article, someone posted one of those quizzes on Facebook that purport to show whether you are left or right. Hayes questions

Is it accurate? I don’t know, but I thought it would be interesting to do it to see what the quiz authors regarded as “left” or “right” characteristics, which can itself be revealing of social trends.

Funny to see I had exactly the same result as him, getting following result:

Your political views:

You can take the test here,and compare your results with ours.

I can assure you I am not for Tax-increases but I am for a better distribution of wealth and a better differentiation for the wages and a better performance related pay.

Hayes is anti-war, anti-abortion and anti-capital punishment and writes

Most of those who claim to be pro-life are less than solidly so, and are rather full-of-holes pro-life. If you want a more accurate test to take your political temperature, try the Political Compass.

Having tried it myself it showed my Political Compass

Economic Left/Right: -6.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.67

My position plotted against the UK parties in the 2015 general election would be

which I think would not be a bad picture.

Hayes remarks

Be that as it may, very few of the characteristics ascribed to the left, either in the test or in the antisemitism article, appeared directly in the quiz questions. There was nothing about intersectionality (whatever that may be) or “identity politics” (which sounds like a pretty right-wing thing to me). But there were quite a lot of questions about Christian values. One of a group of four that I opted for was “kindness”, because it came closest to the Christian value of love, though whether the test counted that as “left” or “right” I’m not sure, but I noticed that it does place the Christian value of forgiveness on the left. {Anti-Semitism, anti-leftism and anti-Christianity}

I consider Jesus a “communist avant la lettre” and have seen several tests where the agapè love is considered to be “leftish”. The Christian value of forgiveness is also many times placed on the left.

Though what shocks me and troubles me a lot is that several people in the U.S.A. who call themselves “Christian” or “Born again Christian” have not much feeling for other people and or not much interested in sharing with those around them. Many of them oppose anything what has a smell of socialism or systems where is demanded that people help each other or provide money in a fund or system like Obama Care to help others. Lots of those so called Christians have also a very averse attitude to true or non-trinitarian Christians, Jews and Muslims. All that worship the Only One True God and not their Trinity seem to be people they would like to see to “burn in hell”.

Clearly when hearing lots of North Americans talking on the little screen, they give an impression all those who do not belong to their Christendom are disgusting people which should be thrown out of the country. Some have such weird ideas about other faiths that we in Europe can wonder if they did not learn about them in their schools and if the media does not give any good advice. Looking at some TV-station , like Fox, we see lots of de-information and no objective information.

In the American media we see a lot of anti-black racism and a lot of Islamophobia, plus the choice of many to consider those with a “white” skin (I would say an light tainted orange skin) superior to those with an other coloured skin. As such the Jew comes into the picture as well, having not the Caucasian looks. Jews all over the world comes in all shades — from blonde to black. In Israel the conflict between Jews and Palestinians isn’t about race. Nor are the tensions between Jews from Europe and those from the Muslim world — though activists and academics sometimes import the terms “black” and “white,” in defiance of their lying eyes. But on many American platforms the looks of the Jews bring sayings against them which I would prefer not to hear in a civilised country.

Already in the preparation for the previous American election we could find several lies about Obama his origin and birthplace. This was for us already an indication that there was more brewing and that a significant portion of Americans felt horror that an Afro-American could become president.

Race is the most pervasive reason that some Americans believe they can discriminate against and despise others. When you see certain Jews their body clearly shows certain marks, which are good enough a sign for those so called Christians to call them murderers of Jesus and to hate them.

Some may think anti-Semitism just isn’t as bad as other forms of racism, but it is. Worse is it when there is an attitude of

Jews don’t count as a group worth protecting.

Jonathan Taubes, a student activist at Binghamton University who worked with progressive campaigns in Binghamton, on and off campus, writes

Jewish people face bigotry in this country, and the history of institutional anti-Semitism here is real, but today we find ourselves mostly free of persecution. We should recognize that privilege and use it to fight for the vulnerable. {Dear Allies, Don’t Downplay Anti-Semitism in Trump’s America}

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) showed at the beginning of this year that the number of anti-Semitic incidents remained significantly higher in 2017 compared to 2016. In addition to the significant bump in the first quarter of this year, there was also a distinct increase after the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August.
Since 1979, ADL has counted anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. and reported the numbers in its annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents. It can be said that also in the U.S.A. the amount of injustices to Jews became too high. New York State (267 incidents); California (197); Massachusetts (117); Florida (69) and Pennsylvania (58) incidents of crimes against Jews for their race.

In August, ADL recorded a “meta-event” rarely seen in America: the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., which featured shocking and violent expressions of anti-Semitism and racism, including the display of swastika flags, chants of “Jews will not replace us!” and other overt anti-Semitic acts.

There seems such a fear that they would replaced by Jews and Muslims or that their world would become Islamic. Though then why do they not question their own religion and their own religious members. In case they would be strong believers there should be no fear that they would leave their faith. When they are standing strong in their faith they should even be able to come to witness to Muslims and Jews and have them to come to Christianity.

Anti-Semitic incidents spiked on and immediately following Charlottesville. Of the 306 incidents reported in Q3, 221 took place on or after the August 11 rally.

The Charlottesville rally was one of at least 33 public white supremacist events in the U.S. so far this year, which were supplemented with 188 incidents where white supremacists used fliers to spread their message to new audiences, especially on college campuses.

Police departments and human rights groups across the United States of America and all over Europe show that there is a dramatically rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes. When the president’s chief counterterrorism advisor, Sebastian Gorka, was found to support a violent anti-Semitic militia in his parents’ native Hungary, there showed a situation where the left talks about white supremacy as if Jews aren’t affected and anti-Semitism is just a distraction from real issues – when, in fact, anti-Semitism is at the core of the white supremacist ideologies today’s leftist movements seek to upend.

The anti-Semitism article Hayes encountered, also has a significant comment on the Christian worldview — How Anti-Semitism’s True Origin Makes It Invisible To The Left – The Forward:

In addition to the belief in a shadowy group with the power to affect large-scale outcomes, conspiracy theories also reflect a worldview in which reality is the product of a timeless and cosmic struggle between good and evil. These kinds of dualistic narratives are especially enticing to groups that view themselves to be under existential duress, and as Elaine Pagels has shown, this has profoundly shaped Western culture. Jews under Roman occupation and early Christians under Jewish ostracism and gentile persecution developed theologies of the oppressed in which the devil and his demonic host squared off with God and his angels.

Hayes believes that there is a cosmic struggle between good and evil,

though I’m not sure that it is timeless. The Christian take on it is that in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the decisive battle was won by good, and we live in the last days of mopping up operations.

That we live in a time close to the end-times we may see in the signs given in the bible, which we can recognise clearly. But that should not have to mean we should let everything happen like it goes now.

Hayes thinks that

Western Christianity tends to be legalistic, to share the values of the Right rather than the Left, preferring punishment to forgiveness, and justice to kindness (in the left-right quiz mentioned above).

but than he forgets to see what real Christians preach.The real lovers of God recognise what the Nazarene Jew has done and do now that there is no such place as a hell to torture people for ever. Real Christians keep to the bible teachings and not to the human doctrines and human fear-mongering to have their flock under control. though Hayes recognises the appalling falsehoods that several Christian denominations

smack of perversity even to attack its perverseness.[1] And the conclusion is altogether evil. {Love the sinner, hate the sin}

For him is in his Orthodox theology the Church a hospital where sinners can be healed rather than a courtroom where they are to be judged. He should know that it is also in other Christian denominations, like the Christadelphians for example. In the Christadelphian faith it is even so that we consider no man to judge others, except those in function as judge, but still it being up to Jesus to give the end verdict.

He rightly says

if we are Christians we must love the sinner but hate the sin.

We must

• Love the oppressor but hate oppression

• Love the corrupt politician and businessman, but hate corruption

• Love the warmonger but hate war

• Love the exploiter but hate exploitation

and I would add that we should protect all those who have no voice and should come up for all those who are discriminated or done wrong.

Lest it seems that Hayes is saying that the line between good and evil runs between Eastern and Western Christianity, making “us” superior to “them”, he quotes a Western Christian, G.K. Chesterton, on this:

The whole case for Christianity is that a man who is dependent upon the luxuries of this life is a corrupt man, spiritually corrupt, politically corrupt, financially corrupt.

There is one thing that Christ and all the Christian saints have said with a sort of savage monotony. They have said simply that to be rich is to be in peculiar danger of moral wreck. It is not demonstrably un-Christian to kill the rich as violators of definable justice. It is not demonstrably un-Christian to crown the rich as convenient rulers of society. It is not certainly un-Christian to rebel against the rich or to submit to the rich. But it is quite certainly un-Christian to trust the rich, to regard the rich as more morally safe than the poor.

A Christian may consistently say,

“I respect that man’s rank, although he takes bribes.”

But a Christian cannot say, as all modern men are saying at lunch and breakfast,

“a man of that rank would not take bribes.”

For it is a part of Christian dogma that any man in any rank may take bribes. It is a part of Christian dogma; it also happens by a curious coincidence that it is a part of obvious human history. When people say that a man “in that position” would be incorruptible, there is no need to bring Christianity into the discussion. Was Lord Bacon a bootblack? Was the Duke of Marlborough a crossing sweeper? In the best Utopia, I must be prepared for the moral fall of any man in any position at any moment; especially for my fall from my position at this moment.

Geen groeiende moslimhaat in Europa, maar groeiende jodenhaat

Vandaag kijken wij naar een artikel van politicoloog, schrijver Freek van Beetz van het in 2015 opgerichte onafhankelijk opiniemagazine Opinie Z, “met confronterende, goed leesbare, niet politiek-correcte artikelen over politiek en maatschappij”.

Bewustzijnde dat ook in onze regionen de censuur ook toe neemt en het ons niet kan ontgaan dat migratie-kritische berichten, foto’s, video’s steeds vaker worden geweerd op Twitter, Facebook, YouTube … komt het er op aan dat wij bepaalde stemmen toch nog kansen geven om zich volledig te uiten en dat wij zelf onze stem niet verstillen of te bang worden ons gezicht te laten zien of om waarheden en feiten naar boven te brengen in het daglicht.

Weze het grote steden als Paris, Brussel, Antwerpen, Rotterdam of Amsterdam, overal beginnen sinds enkele jaren Joden zich minder op hun gemak te voelen en heerst er een dreiging van ongewenstheid. Die uiting van verwensing komt echter niet enkel van moslims maar veeleer van extreem rechtse groepen die in Frankrijk en de Benelux aan populariteit winnen door hun populistische visies.

Lange tijd wilden inzaten van die drie landen niet inzien dat er bepaalde bevolkingsgroepen uit hun eigen regionen verwenst werden of in de verdrukking kwamen.
Terwijl de media alsmaar de aandacht op een bepaalde terreurgroep wilden vestigen, brachten zij een vloek over de moslimgemeenschappen die wel vredelievend waren, maar deden ook het licht uit over de gebeurtenissen die een herhaling blijken te worden van wat er zich voordeed in de jaren 30 en 40 van vorige eeuw.

De politie heeft haar handen vol om zich zichtbaar op te stellen, maar intussen hebben zij het blijkbaar te druk met iftar, hoofddoekjes en offerfeestjes, om bepaalde haat uitingen tegenover inwoners van haar steden en gemeenten voor ernstig te nemen of om op te treden bij gevallen waarbij de eerbaarheid van de mens, zij het een kind, vrouw of man wordt geschonden.

De rozemutsenbrigade vindt het niet belangrijk. Te druk met woordjes als identity politics, mansplaining, manspreading in plaats van daadwerkelijke veiligheid. Het COA is te druk met het rondpompen van probleemmigranten. De rechterlijke macht is druk aan het navelstaren. Politici zijn druk aan het formeren. {Wordt het niet optreden tegen aanranding de norm?}

Politici en media zijn bang geworden om bepaalde dingen bij hun ware naam te noemen.

Zo komen we in Nederland anno 2017 in de situatie terecht dat een Hamas-conferentie geen Hamas-conferentie genoemd mag worden, ondanks overduidelijke banden en bevestiging daarvan door de Duitse inlichtingendiensten het verband blijven ontkennen. Hiermee geven zij een terreurorganisatie de ruimte om zichzelf in Nederland te profileren. Ten koste van de Joodse gemeenschap, want die heeft hier alles bij te vrezen. Dodelijk geweld tegen joodse burgers in Europa is de afgelopen jaren afkomstig uit één hoek: die van islamitische extremisten.

Na gruwelijke aanslagen op joodse kleuters en een leraar in Toulouse volgde de aanslag in het Joodse museum in Brussel en een jaar later op een joodse supermarkt in Parijs. Vervolgens wordt er bij elke anti-Israël demonstratie hardop in het Arabisch geschreeuwd dat Joden eenzelfde lot wacht als de joodse stammen die door de profeet werden uitgeroeid. En iedereen staat erbij en kijkt ernaar. {De politiek-correcte Fabeltjeskrant over de Hamas-conferentie}

Tanya Hoogwerf van het Nederlandse opinie blad is bewust dat lezers zo veilig in de bubbel blijven:

rechts is fout en potentieel gevaarlijk en links danwel islamitisch is goed en vredelievend. {De politiek-correcte Fabeltjeskrant over de Hamas-conferentie}

Jan Gajentaan schrijft dan weer dat het benoemen van islamitisch antisemitisme – dat net als christelijk antisemitisme eeuwenoud is – nog steeds not done is  in policor Europa.

De leidende gedachte van veel politiek-correcte geesten is nog steeds dat wij, “witte mensen”, de erfzonde dragen van kolonialisme en Holocaust. De enige manier om ons daarvan te bevrijden is Europa openstellen voor miljoenen islamitische migranten. Wie op de keerzijde daarvan probeert te duiden wordt uitgemaakt voor neonazi, of op zijn best iemand die de neonazi’s dienstig is. {De blindheid voor Arabisch antisemitisme}

Volgens Yves Mamou zijn de Joden in Frankrijk al jarenlang slachtoffer van moslimterreur. In het artikel van vandaag nemen wij niet enkel de meest recente voorbeelden van maart 2012 en mei en juli 2014 of oproepen tot

“Dood aan de joden”

welke te horen zijn in Brussel, Parijs en Kopenhagen waar Joden slachtoffer werden van moslim-fundamentalistisch geweld in Europa, anno 2016. Vraag is wanneer zekere islamietische jogeren roepen

‘Smerige joden, we hebben onze kalasjnikovs’

deze niet hardhandiger worden aangepakt of er niet meer wordt op gewezen dat dit een ontoelaatbare discriminatie is.

Op de ARD kon men de documentaire,gemaakt in opdracht van de Frans-Duitse zender Arte, Auserwählt und ausgesetzt – der Hass auf Juden in Europa zien waaruit duidelijk blijkt hoe antisemitisme in Europa in opmars is.

Wanneer zullen dromen en roze olifanten zichtbaar worden voor de uilen die niet zienen willen?

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Verder aanverwant

1. Europa’s medelevende haat tegen Israël
2. Over de ‘normaliteit’ van antisemitisme in Europa
3. Religiocide
4. U heeft niets te vrezen?
5. Het multiculturele ideaal bestaat toch!
6. Amsterdam huilt….
7. De Haat Tegen De Joden
8. Geen media-ophef over antisemitische ‘bruggenbouwers’
9. Al-Haddad in Utrecht: zijn meest controversiële uitspraken
10. Moslimterrorist wil ongelovige neersteken en maakt dan kennis met zijn ‘geheime wapen’
11. Linda Sarsour: NYC’s queen of hate
12. De Joden en het nazisme van de 21e eeuw
13. Imam in Dänemark ruft zum Mord an Juden auf
14. The UN’s Obsession against Israel
15. Kerken van Mill, Grave en Gassel beklad met hakenkruizen en satansster
16. Islamic State calls on Scottish Muslims to target businesses owned by Jews
17. Studie: Judenhaß unter moslemischen Schülern weitverbreitet
18. De eenzaamheid van Kuzu
19. Audioversie Bidstond Waddinxveen 8febr.2017
20. Attack on Israeli Embassy in Jordan
21. Bondi synagogue ban over terrorism risk leaves Jewish community shocked and furious
22. ‘Europe is lost’: Barcelona’s chief rabbi urges Jews to move to Israel
23. Vehicle attacks what to do if targeted in pedestrianized environments
24. MIND organization against internet discrimination.2016 rapport
25. Facebook like a Facistbook
26. Hamas in Rotterdam
27. Israel-ready-for-annual-training-cyber-attack

OpinieZ

“Ook buiten het VK groeit de moslimhaat. Islamofobie in Europa”, kopte de NRC vrijdag 23 juni. Ik moest even met de ogen knipperen. Heb ik iets gemist? Bij nadere lezing werd de alarmerende boodschap behoorlijk gerelativeerd en eigenlijk nauwelijks onderbouwd, maar het beeld dat de krant ons wilde opdringen was duidelijk: de moslims in Europa verkeren in groot gevaar.

Titelfoto: Screenshot door redactie OpinieZ van video ABS-CBN News

Ik geloof daar niets van, maar het is een beeld dat de media ons al jaren proberen voor te spiegelen: al die aanslagen door moslimextremisten, ach, een beetje vervelend, vooral voor de slachtoffers en hun nabestaanden, maar in het verkeer en thuis vallen veel meer doden (keukentrapje!) en de meeste moslims zijn vreedzame burgers.

Wegredeneren
Waar komt die onbedwingbare behoefte tot wegredeneren vandaan? Laat er geen twijfel over bestaan: de aanslag op moskeegangers in Londen is net zo goed…

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Anti-Semitic pressure driving Jews out of Europe

It can not go unnoticed, since a decade lots of Jews feel the pressure of the growing anti-Semitism and an aversion against the Divine Creator. Some even feel like it is again as in the 1930ies and the fear is great that Jews could be experiencing the most difficult situation they have encountered since the end of World War II.

Francis Kalifat, Président du Cirf

The Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France is fully aware of the bad situation and the 11th president of it looks at the present situation with Argus eyes. For him the Western world may not neglect the reason why we can see such a record emigration by Jews from France.

For him the year that lies before us is one full of challenges.

I hear pre-conceived ideas and dogma along with populist statements from some, and totalitarian reactions from more radical minds.

he says, looking at our society which is suffering and facing a climate of mistrust. Many French people are afraid or angry and democracy is on the back foot. According to an IPSOS survey taken in November last year, 32% of French people think that other political regimes would be equally effective. They long for a world of times gone by, looking for scapegoats and sweeping changes. This want to find a guilty one we can find back at several occasions in the past and today in many countries all over the world where the far right is gaining popularity.

Racist and anti-Semitic comments creep up out of the sewers, meeting an indifferent response or emerge from the online echo chamber of Facebook friends. And where there are disgraceful comments, there is always someone ready to laugh, offer approval or justification.

remarked Francis Kalifat, the Crif President at a speech at the annual Crif’s dinner 2017, where he said

When I take a step back, I am struck by a profound realisation: those in France who have a problem with Jews and Israel almost always have a problem with democracy, the rule of law and individual liberties. And vice-versa.

Ilan Halimi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Following the murder of Ilan Halimi in 2006 and the massacre at the Ozar Ha Torah school in Toulouse in 2012, anti-Jewish hatred once again reared its ugly head in France on 9^th January 2015 and thus reinforced the feeling of solitude and abandonment that had started to engulf the Jewish community.

Partly because of anti-Semitic violence that included hundreds of anti-Semitic incidents annually in recent years, and dozens of physical assaults, lots of Jewish brethren ans sisters found it wiser to look for other pastures.

Since 2012, attacks on Jewish targets by French Islamists in France and Belgium claimed the lives of 12 people. Last year, roughly 8,000 French Jews left for Israel — the highest number on record for any year, which made France for the second year straight Israel’s largest provider of newcomers.

We heard already of certain quarters which got French names, because so many French people came to settle over there. According to figures seen by AFP in total, 40,000 French Jews have emigrated between 2006 and the end of 2016.

“The aliyah (the act of moving to Israel) of French Jews has been significant over the last decade,”

said Daniel Benhaim, who heads the Israeli-backed group in France, and agreed that insecurity had been a “catalyst” for many Jews who were already thinking of leaving.

The French Jewish community is the biggest in Europe and is thought to number around 500,000 people. In the 1970ies there where also a lot of Jews in Antwerp, but their number has decreased a lot.

The Jewish Museum of Belgium, between the Sablon in central Brussels and Brussels South, pictured in 2009

The Jewish communities form the Benelux and France were shocked in 2006 by the kidnapping and brutal anti-Semitic killing of a young Jewish man, Ilan Halimi, in the Paris suburbs, which was followed by a shooting in a Jewish school in the southwest city of Toulouse in 2012.
Two years later on 24 May 2014, in Brussels a gunman opened fire at the Jewish Museum of Belgium, killing four people. Three died at the scene; a fourth was taken to the hospital and died on 6 June. The attack is being investigated as terrorism by Belgian authorities. Several more threats followed on Belgian as well as on French Jewish sites, often coming from people having links with radical Islamists. By those terrorists many youngster felt called to do horrible things, not even afraid to carry loads of bombs from one place to another. Home made bombs but also professional weapons switched hands easily, to bring fear and terror in name of Allah.

It also did not help that the problems of the settlers in Israel and the relationship between Israeli and Palestinian governement did not progress in the good direction. The anti-Israel resolution of the UN being considered by Israel as a “no” to the possibility of peace. Israel having the impression the UN gave a sign to continue on the path of terrorism and incitement.

Since the attacks of November 2015 the West of the European continent came to realise that it is the whole of our society has come under attack. It is not just any more about Jews, Israel, Christendom, Belgium or France but the citizens their culture, freedom, way of life and world view.

All French people are now aware that they are at threat and we are slowly but surely regaining our position on the national stage. We have always been vigilant and concerned and now we continue to be so. We remain alert and know that we are still the preferred target of Islamist totalitarianism. Today, we are no longer indifferent targets.

said Francis Kalifat.

Some now may have come to think it is more a battle against Islam. they should know fighting against Islam is as wrong as fighting against Judaism or Christianity. the world has to see it are just a few extremists who make life difficult for a whole group of people. Because the Brussels attacks of March 22, 2016 and later the Marseille and Nice attacks the governments focused Islamic terrorists and people where more afraid of such further terrorist acts. This made that 2016 saw a net drop in anti-Semitic acts and threats: a 58% reduction compared with 2015, though anti-Islamic acts also dropped by the same amount.

Kalifat warned that nevertheless, anti-Semitism remains at a historic high. Jewish people, who represent under 1% of the population, remained a focal point of over 30% of all reported racist acts committed in France throughout 2016, being subject to 335 anti-Semitic acts and threats.

The tell-tale signs of anti-Semitism never seem to be far away.

Probably less Jews where victims of harassment because the Jewish quarters had everywhere soldiers patrolling. The increased police patrols also made lost of place less vulnerable, which can also be seen in the lesser amount of robberies.

Leaders of French Jewry may have expressed both relief over the defeat of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential elections and concern over her receiving more than a third of the vote, they may not forget that those 11 million voters for the extreme right party can perhaps be only part of the many right wingers who would love all Jews and Muslims out of their ‘Catholic’ country.

Joel Mergui, the president of the Consistoire, was very fast to react on Sunday evening in a statement by his group, which is responsible for providing religious services to Jews to say he was happy with the result of Emmanuel Macron being elected president,

“which constitutes a veritable relief for all our nation and for the Jewish community of France”.

Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia, who is employed by the Consistoire, also spoke of his satisfaction from the vote. But in his statement, Korsia also referenced concerns over the support shown to Le Pen and those who would like to ban wearing Jewish and Muslim religious symbols in public, ritual slaughter and the provision of pork-free meals in school cafeterias, like they also have done in Belgium.

The ban for the religious symbols in the Belgian state schools is idiotic, because state-schools should just show they are free of any religious bias and that they are open to all sorts of religion. That ban is already some years in use by several Belgian schools and recently some complaints where made that elderly homes and prisons still provided pork-free meals. at first there was only a ban on ritual slaughter in private homes by ordinary citizens, but from 2017 onward there shall be a total ban of ritual slaughter in Belgium, which shall make it very difficult for religious Jews, Muslims and certain Christians to have kosher or halal meat from the own country. As long as importation would not be a problem, work of it can made that way, but it will also undermine the countries own economy.

Kalifat, who has lobbied intensively in favour of Macron in recent days, wrote optimistically on Twitter that everything starts now.

And that is what we can hope for … that a new start is made to bring non-Jews to come to understand why certain regulations are so important for the Jewish community, who want to put God’s mitzvot above the laws of man.

Also it is getting time that non-Jews come to see that there is a difference between secular (or apikorsim) – political Jews and religious Jews, who want to live according to the Law of God.

We only can hope that the new French president shall make work to bring Europeans of all sorts of religions together to live in peace and that he with the European Unions also shall try to get both parties Israel to come to negotiate directly in order to reach a point where they can live side by side in peace and security. All parties involved should recognise that as well as for Jews, Christians and Muslims, all having their faith build on the same root, our patriarch Abraham, that for all of them Jerusalem is a holy place. Real lovers of God, be them Jews, Christians or Muslims do know that Jerusalem in the end shall become the capital of the world. Therefore the lovers of God should also stimulate their politicians to get the political groups around the table to find a good solution for reconciliation and lasting peace.

I would love to see that all shall be able to come to believe that big picture Mr Kalifar wished to reiterate

that Israel is a democracy, a State respecting the rule of law and a country of freedoms. It is a democracy which has held 5 general elections since 2003 and now counts 13 Arab members among a total of 120 in the Knesset. This State, which respects the rule of law, is also home to a Supreme Court and judges whose independence is renowned and rulings are just.  It is a country where all are free to practice or change religion, or indeed not to follow one at all. It is a country where Jews, Christians and Muslims are afforded access to their holy sites within the ancient city of Jerusalem.  June 2017 will see the 50^th anniversary of that freedom. Previously, and for centuries, Jews could do no more than dream of and pray for as much.

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Preceding

Kindertransport

Apocalyptic Extremism: No Longer a Laughing Matter

Seeds from the world creating division and separation from God

What to do in the Face of Global Anti-semitism

The Rise of Anti-Seminism

If you’re going to be a hater, make sure you’ve done your homework.

Dr. Miller looking at Jews in France

Bringers of agony, Trained in Belgium and Syria

Bruxelles Ma Belle

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Please read also:

1. January 2015 Île-de-France attacks
2. November 2015 Paris attacks
3. At the closing hours of 2016 #1 Looking down at terror
4. Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting
5. Knife-trust in democratic sore back
6. Brussels bombings
7. Mediterranean bloodshed
8. 2016 Nice attack
9. 14 Year Old With Sack Full of Bombs Seized in Belgium
10. Danny Dannon Complete Smackdown of the Anti-Israel UN Resolution
11. Another 5,000 Jews quit France for Israel
12. ‘French Jews experiencing worst situation since 1945’
13. January 27 – 70 years ago Not an end yet to genocide
14. Hamas the modern Philistines
15. 25 Orthodox rabbis issued a statement on Christianity
16. The American clouds of Anti-Semitism
17. Donald Trump after declining numbers of people victimised for their religion managed to increase the numbers again
18. Incidents of hate have become commonplace in the U.S.A. anno 2017
19. Beware of Jews
20. French Jews worried over Le Pen’s success in presidential vote’s 1st round
21. Natan Sharansky (Jew) : There is no future for Jews in France
22. French Jews ‘relieved’ Macron won but worried over Le Pen’s electoral gains

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Other articles of interest

1. The Day France Refused To Surrender
2. France Says “Non”
3. Far-right nationalism is dealt a second blow, as Le Pen is defeated in France
4. What does the French Presidential Election Tell Us?
5. Make Ready the Elysian Fields: Globalization Wins French Election Thanks To Worst Turnout in 50 Years
6. Macron Wins In France
7. Macron wins French election, but Marine Le Pen wins a contest for legitimacy
8. the sixth republic
9. Open borders, migrant mayhem, c’est la vie!
10. The French Elections – What Now?
11. The French Election in Under 2 Minutes
12. Emmanuel Macron Wins French Presidency
13. France’s Le Pen to reform National Front, create ‘new political force’
14. What do Texas and France have in common?France: Emmanuel Macron, Useful Idiot of Islamism
15. Macron Beats Le Pen In French Election | EU Leaders Rejoice | Is France
16. Nigel Farage Discusses Le Pen’s Defeat in French Election
17. Nigel Farage: Le Pen will be French president in 2022. 8th May 2017
18. UMD Students Weigh in on French Election
19. Notes From Underground: Au Revoir, Marine Le Pen
20. The Quint: Macron Expresses Gratitude After Becoming France’s New President
21. Listen: Dr Myriam Benraad speaks about the election of Emmanuel Macron
22. Macron’s French win: Viva la dance!
23. Le Pen loses to Macron in the French Presidential election
24. Attacks on Holocaust survivors and pogroms in post-war Poland – a lecture by Dr. Edyta Gawron of Jagiellonian University
25. The New Leader Of France’s National Front Questioned The Existence Of Nazi Gas Chambers
26. Marine Le Pen’s party president, holocaust denier
27. The One Lesson of the Holocaust
28. Israel Indicts US Hacker Linked To Threats To Jewish Centers
29. Mugwump! – Election News In Brief
30. Multiculturalism and the Jews
31. There are more anti-Semitic posts on Twitter than Facebook, Instagram and YouTube combined
32. Jews Are Still the Biggest Target of Religious Hate Crimes
33. FTAC – Tip to the KGB’s Amplification of Middle Eastern Anti-Semitism
34. It’s Hard Helping You When You Are Anti-Semitic, Among Other Things
35. FTACT: Anti-Semitism and the Displacement of the Medieval Mode by a Developing Modern World
36. Anti-Semitic Acts In Massachusetts More Than Doubled In 2016Keith Preston: US using anti-Semitism excuse to cover up growing opposition to Israel
37. B’nai Brith records highest number of anti-Semitic incident in Canada in 2016
38. Israel’s New Cultural War of Aggression
39. Report: The link between the election of Donald Trump and resurgent anti-Semitism is now undeniable
40. Democratic Party Stands By Complicit As Violent, Anti-Semitic NYC City Council Candidate Rises
41. American Media Discriminate Against Jewish, For Muslim Single-Sex Pool Mark Regev at SOAS: a victory for free speech
42. Fighting Back Is the Best Way to Combat Antisemitism on College Campuses
43. UNESCO to fire another volley at Israel – on Independence Day
44. Memorializing terror victims, Netanyahu urges Abbas to stop funding

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Related articles

• Anti-Semitic incidents spike nearly 90 percent in 2017
• Watchdog: Anti-Semitic threats and vandalism rose after the election
• Rising anti-semitism in the UK fuelled by social media, report finds
• Marine Le Pen Calls French Election a ‘Revolt’ Against the Elite
• Marine Le Pen says French government is not to blame for WWII round-up of Jews
• Tim Farron sacks Liberal Democrat candidate David Ward in antisemitism row
• Trump condemns Holocaust deniers, anti-Semitism
• Official says Justice will aggressively pursue hate crimes
• YouTube’s biggest star is trying out Twitch

From Guestwriters 2016 in review

Each day million articles are published, looking to find a reading eye. Every day thousands of new articles appear on WordPress. In 2016 one hundred seventeen billion nine hundred thirteen million one hundred forty-eight thousand three hundred fifty seven words got published on WordPress. {Automattic WordPress year-in-review-2016}

2016 in view

The year that David Bowie and Prince passed away, like several very well known figures of the arts world, it looked like some people who made it in their life did not want to stay here any longer. It was also the year of lots of terrorism and political correctness, where those who are different than the mainstream (disabled, transgender, refugees, extreme religious and non religious groups, jihad fighters,) got lots of attention.
In the United States of America Obama Care which at last had become a reality came back under threat. North America saw in Boston in November, the Disability Policy Consortium accepted proposals and held a Disability Intersectionality Summit. Presentations included topics on the intersections of being undocumented, being LGBTQ+, being a person of colour, having mental health disabilities, on #DisabilityTooWhite – the hashtag and movement around the the disability community’s failure to represent racially diverse voices – and more. Lots of things came on the American roller-coaster, having Michigan banned non-emergency restraint and seclusion for disabled students and Georgia’s governor speaking in favour of Employment First policies for disabled people in Georgia.

Route of the attacker from west to east at the Promenade des Anglais, Nice

With the 15th anniversary of 9/11 the jihadi‘s made sure they would not be forgotten; ISIS/ISIL and BokoHaram being the new strongholders. In Europe the fear took so many people that politicians saw the opportunity to fuel the extreme right and come with absurd laws, like banning burkini‘s. All the fearmongering having fueled by the March 22 suicide bombings at Brussel’s Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station, leaving around 35 victims dead and 360 seriously injured, ISIS claiming responsibility.
America also got its portion of  ISIS-madness with a gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State opens fire at gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49, injuring 53 – one of the bigger mass shootings in the U.S.A.. September 17 a terror bomb in Chelsea, New York injured 29 people. Lots of Americans got so frightened of Muslim people, looking at them if they all would be terrorist, though they under their own white Christian population had more victims by weapon violence this year than by terrorism. Several times the world could see how racism is still a big problem in the States and how police can not keep themselves in control when arresting black people. (African American Alton Sterling shot by Louisiana police in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile shot by police in St Paul Black on July 6; American Keith Lamont Scott September 20)
The Islamic militants for sure where very active all over the world. Some events called for more attention worldwide, having foreigners also under the victims or by being considered the country’s worse terror attack for the year, like at a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where a fighter killed 20 hostages and 2 police on July 1. The next day (July 2) a large lorry bomb in Baghdad killing at least 125 people and wounding 150, Islamic State claiming once more responsibility.  On December 11 a bombing at a chapel in Cairo, Egypt, killed 25 and wounded 45. December 19 again a truck was used to kill many people, like in Nice on the 14th of July now the target was a Christmas market in Berlin killing 12, injuring 48.

Aftermath of the 2016 Berlin attack

In the States of America on January 17 the Fourth Democratic presidential candidates debate showed how Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed over healthcare and gun control in Charleston, South Carolina, and gave us an idea that though perhaps the best candidate of all Bernie Sanders would not going to make it to president elect. Two days later Sarah Palin officially endorsed Donald Trump‘s presidential bid at a Trump rally in Ames, Iowa. What nobody thought possible occurred when this man made it to the preselections, then to the selection to finally become what nobody would ever dreamed possible, him becoming president elect. November 8 Republican Donald Trump became elected President of The United States of America, defeating democrat Hillary Clinton despite Clinton winning 2.9 million more votes. Europe fell on its back for the second time, the first one having been the vote for the Brexit (June 23), who nobody had thought would come through. These two unexpected events show clearly how careful we must be when we think it not necessary to spend time on such personalities and situations.

Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

For that reason we should much more react on what is going on on ecological level. The Paris Agreement on climate change signed in New York (on April 22) binding 195 nations to an increase in the global average temperature to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C is only the beginning of a long road to run. Global warming is not only blamed the cause of many people having to flee for the rising water-level. On August 1 there was an anthrax outbreak in the Russian district Yamalo-Nenets, Siberia killing one and infecting 8 others, also killing 2,300 reindeer. Indian government declared levels of air pollution in Delhi an emergency situation, closing schools and construction sites on November 6.

Though 2016 seemed to be the year that people where more concerned about the whereabouts and the look of their friends on Facebook and Twitter. Social media being the major interest gainer of the year. Most people more concerned about their outfit, fashion, style and strangely enough books and films again.

Astronaut Scott Kelly

Lots of people running with their heads in the skies did not notice that US astronauts Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko returned to earth, on March the 2nd, after nearly a year (340 days), setting an ISS record. For the earthly matters it became time that the U.S.A. did something positive to restore the relations between them and Cuba. March 20 Barack Obama became the first US President to visit Cuba since 1928, arriving for a 2 day tour.

The ‘Big Joke of the year’ (in April) was to see how many politicians who said something had to be done against fraud and how people had to pay honestly their taxes, their names could be found on the 11.5 million confidential documents from offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca , the Panama Papers exposing widespread illegal activities including fraud, kleptocracy, tax evasion and the violation of international sanctions by the world’s elite in the world’s largest ever data leak.

On April 11 UN-backed ceasefire came into effect in Yemen conflict between Iranian-backed Houthis rebels and government forces.

June 7 with a car bomb attack on a police bus in central Istanbul killing 11 was just a beginning of a whole series of bombings in Turkey of which there is no clarity if they are orchestrated by some political forces to have Erdogan in an even stronger dictatorial position. June 28 presented again a suicide bombings and gun attacks, at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport killing 42 and wounding more than 200. We have no idea if the coup d’etat was something set up by Erdogan himself. It gave him way to hold a big clean up and to get rid of all those who stood in his way.

In Colombia more than 50 years of conflict came in its last stadium, the governement and Farc rebels signing a ceasefire agreement on June the  23rd, followed by many talks to have the rebels not being sued.

2016 for this platform

WordPress Administration (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of the 595,795,035 posts written on WordPress we only presented a mere 358 articles, hoping our humble little site could catch some interest by the many people who are scanning the worldwide internet for something interesting to read. From our tiny country not having any funds, not having serious backing and not able to afford much money on writers, designers or even having our own publishing space, just using the private limited funds of the editor and responsible publisher Mr. Marcus Ampe, we sincerely try to find some interesting literature on the net and present it to our readers and visitors. Because not having much GBites we are limited in re-blogging because pictorial content eats our internet data space, but when a must read is found with lots of photos we still do hope to be able to discuss it or to present it in one of our articles.

Stats on Cross-ideological Blogging (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We must confess that we did not catch many readers for the many work-hours we invest searching for additional and further reading material. Luckily this was the first year we did not very angry letters of people being onerous that we included their article in the listing. In 2016 for the first time we even got a letter thanking us for having brought 1000 readers to someone’s site. Though we put a lot of work in creating all the links in the articles and in the accompanying list of interesting articles, to our sense or liking not enough people make use of those links and referential titles. For that reason from now on we shall perhaps start putting less url-backgroundlinks to words or tags, but still shall continue to try to offer you a list of noteworthy article by other bloggers.

It is a pity we only could find 7 782 views of only 4 827 visitors coming along.
Officially opened to the public on 2014/03/2 we got 1 847 visitors the first year and 2 764 visitors in 2015, so we may be satisfied it is a line going upwards. Though published from Belgium in the European Union, our ‘home-country’ only delivered 269 views. The United States being at the top with giving us 3745 views, followed by the United Kingdom delivering 852 views and our northern neighbours the Netherlands offering us 532 views may encourage us to continue.

The home page caught 2 118 views, followed by 349 for the About page. Of the articles “Religious celebrations in May 2016” got the most views (only 103) and got only 4 likes.

People naturally have to find us. 1 437 do so by using search machines, whilst 783 use the WordPress facilities. 155 come along by Facebook. But we too are happy to find other WordPress users referring to us and bringing readers to our site. Naturally our own authors or own sites like our ecclesia site (9 views), the Belgian Biblestudents and the Bijbelvorsers (each 8) and Stepping Toes (7), but non connected writers like ridzerdvandijk.wordpress.com with 8 views and sneakytwistedlittlewildheart.wordpress.com (good for 6), entering the promissedland (5), discoveronething (5), eternalhunt (5) and some others bringing us each 4 or less viewers.

U.S. advertisement for the 11th edition from the May 1913 issue of National Geographic Magazine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The most used search terms were ‘hoopvolle slogans’ and ‘bezinningsteksten zelfkritiek’ with each 3 hits.
We ourselves brought 110 readers to our other site “Our World” and for for other sources Wikipedia got 56 readers from us, whilst the Collins dictionary got 21 and the very good Encyclopaedia Britannica only 18 views. Abortion and crime rates by wordlifeandlight managed to get 6 views from us and Lizaborstlap received also 6 visitors, as far as we can see from our statistics.

This last person who has always been a person with a to-do list is also one of the people who wanted to share some writing on this platform. But there were many days when she became a slave to her lists and she had to face that things don’t always happen as planned and that she would feel like a failure if she wasn’t able to cross out all the tasks that she allocated to a specific day.{a goal should scare you a little and excite you a Lot!}

She may perhaps had to become, like us, more specific and to be realistic in what she can (and can’t) achieve in one day; but we did want to reach so much and sometimes got frustrated not seeing our accomplishment for the day.

We are still looking for authors who would not mind to write about lifestyle, interior design, fashion, cooking, family life, gardening, nature and ecological matters and some persons who would not mind tackling the history and people who would love to write about education and health. There are so many subjects not covered yet by people who can tell more about it than we can.

From the end of 2016 onwards we added two viewpoints, namely two comparators, on one site the Muslim world and on the other site the Judaic world and traditions.

• The Lastige Vragensteller or Troublesome Inquirer – Vragensteller-Inquirer in the short time on this platform got 112 views,
• whilst the Jewish counterpart Immanuel Verbondskind with his two articles got 39 views.
• Success Insprirers’ world with N.Gobesingromanus offered some poems which gave him 3 views
• Also written contributed only one article which in 2016 only caught 4 views
• Liza Borstlap who presented some reblogs of her own site articles in Afrikaans got 40 views
• the Belgian Biblestudents could attract 99 views
• Relating to God drew to himself 120 views
• Bijbelvorser allured 177 views
• the Christadelphians getting 415 views
• Marcus Ampe writing under his personal name receiving 1325 views
• and reviews from us about writings and authors their work we wanted to share with you by the Guestpeaker got 3330 views
• Next, should your name not be here too? Are you not the one who can write about subjects which are not covered yet enough?

English: Monkeys Blogging Español: Simios bloggeando (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We do know that certain subjects are not tackled here. Marcus Ampe would love to find some one talking about family matters, family life being one of the cornerstones of our society. To his regret he must also establish that in 2016 not enough regard was given to ecological matters. Man having to live in surroundings which are too polluted and which are filled with buildings and cars, but not given the freedom to have enough green to bring enlightenment and fresh air to people. It is really getting time that more people warn others about us, man, to take care of mother earth, before it is too late.

Whilst on WordPress in general 112 million posts were liked, we did not have many likes. 8 billion e-mails were send on WordPress, but in those there are not counted the very many e-mails we got in our own e-mail box, instead of reacting on the blog articles themselves. This is a pity, because other readers can not read the reactions and oh so often we have to reply to very similar questions, which is more time consuming than having a reply which can be read by thousands on the internet.

For 2017 may we hope that if there are even more articles written on the internet than the 595,795,035 posted on WordPress in 2016 and the huge amount of comments, making it up to 457,596,906 comments on WordPress, you shall be able to  find some very interesting articles and comments here too.

Donald Trump enters the Oscar De LA Renta Fashion Show, New York. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 2016 we saw that it is possible that those with the biggest mouth and do not mind trampling over many can get their cause. 2016 may have been a disastrous year on several issues and lots of important issues where not even mentioned or got not the right attention. For this new year we love to repeat our call to get more people daring to come out for the poor and the maltreated. We also once more want to ask people to wake up the majority of the population who still keeps their eyes closed for what is really going on in this world. There is a need of more people who are willing to stand up to preserve and encourage the progress of humanity while resisting the forces that threaten to turn it backwards.

We have to be very cautious for what certain people try to do with their nation but also with the world. As citizen we should be aware that politicians are nothing without their people and that folks if they really want can be much stronger than those politicians, who dare to look away from the citizen who needs help and encouragement. Those who call themselves Christian should be there to give a hand to all that need help, not forgetting nature, plants and animals who do not have a voice. therefore we do hope to find more blogs tackling their problem, and would love to have an author on ecology writing for us from this year onwards.

Without you reader we are nothing and can do nothing. We thank you for being here with us and for the followers we are grateful and do hope we can please you with a varied menu.

Wishing everyone a great 2017.

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Preceding article

2014 in review

In 2015 finishing our first year: From Guestwriters 2015 in review

Pokémon craziness

2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Children of Men

Max Lucado: I Had a Dream That Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Reached a Truce

Leaders in disguise

Looking at man’s closest friend

Looking at an American nightmare

The twist of politics and expression

Tribes Redux

Darkest just before dawn

Bruxelles Ma Belle

Mountains of information, disinformation and breaking away

Women in France running with naked bosom all right but with covered bosom penalised

An American Embassy to the Eternal Capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem

Humanity Quote for Pax Populi

When will it stop

Not limiting others but sharing peace with all

Not missing your appointment in 2017

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Additional reading

1. EU’s European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) asylum seekers and Eastern neighbours
2. At the closing hours of 2016 #1 Looking down at terror
3. At the closing hours of 2016 #2 Low but also highlights
4. Suffering brothers and sisters in Malawi, Mozambique and surrounding areas
5. Not much interest for English articles
6. From Bibles and other religious writings and those who witness for Jehovah
7. 2016 American Bible survey
8. On April 21 brother Nelson, in the world better known as Prince was lost
9. Social media, sympathy & shocks
10. Foreign workers and immigrants
11. A stain of shame for the European Union
12. Voted against their system
13. A sleeper cell of militants was said directing attackers sent back to France from Islamic State’s de-facto capital in Raqqa, Syria
14. Daesh hits heart of Europe
15. Islamism Rises from Europe’s Secularism
16. March 22 2016, attacks in Brussels at airport and metro
17. A Black day for Belgium – Brussels Airport ravage
18. Knife-trust in democratic sore back
19. For those who call the Brussels Airport attacks a fake or a conspiracy of the government
20. Terrorist attacks in brussels
21. Silence, devotion, Salafists, quietists, weaponry, bombings, books, writers and terrorists
22. US President, Barack Obama Condemns The Outrageous Brussels Attacks
23. What Associated Press released on Wednesday 23 March 2016
24. Mediterranean bloodshed
25. Nice attack, terror everywhere and coup attempt in Turkey
26. Is Europe going to become a dictatorial bastion
27. French showing to the whole world their fear and weakness
28. On French beach French police forces woman to undress in public
29. France and the Burkini
30. Secularism in France becoming dangerous for freedom of religion
31. Christians, secularism, morals and values
32. Listening to the lessons of the Bible and looking for ways to please God
33. Where’s the Outrage Over Nun Beachwear? – The Daily Beast
34. You are what you wear
35. Does Banning Face Veils Help Us Fight Terrorism?
36. Jews the next scapegoat for Donald Trump
37. The American clouds of Anti-Semitism
38. Blinded crying blue murder having being made afraid by a bugaboo
39. The clean sweeper of the whole caboodle
40. Trump has been buffetted by accusations of miscunduct
41. Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory
42. Are United States of America citizens going to show their senses
43. When so desperate to hold onto power
44. Some quotes Americans should remember when going to the ballot office
45. Brexit and British business
46. Brexit No. 2 Blow-up
47. Nigel Farage called Donald Trump’s victory ‘bigger than Brexit’
48. A strong and wise fighter who keeps believing in America
49. Bosphorus bloodshed
50. Belgian aftershock from the Turkish coup d’état

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Other WordPress bloggers looking back at 2016

1. 2016 Year In Review (by Hunter Bonner)
2. 16 things i learned in 2016
3. 2016 was lighting candles to mourn, but it was also carrying torches high
4. 2016: Year in Review (by Angela Classen)
5. Hasta La Vista 2016!
6. Top 10 Moments of 2016
7. 2016 in Review (by Pastor Zach)
8. A year in review
9. 2016 in Review: Your Favorites, My Favorites
10. 2016 Review (by Pliable)
11. Tater’s 2016 In Review
12. Best and worst reads of 2016
13. Reflections and Resolutions for 2017
14. 2016 Year in review book tag
15. V’s Reading Year in Review: 2016
16. 2016 Recap and 2017 Goals
17. A Look Back at 2016
18. 2016 in Review (by amanda)
19. 2016 in review (by Katrin Ilves)
20. My 2016 Freelancing Report: 28 Pitches Disappeared into a Black Hole (but I’m okay with that)
21. 2016 Year in Review (by Trip accomplice)
22. Honorable Mentions 2016
23. 16 in 2016: Results
24. 2016 Year in Review (by Abby)
25. Looking Back at 2016…
26. 2016 in the books
27. My 2016 in Books and Graphic Novels, Part 1 of 2
28. 2016 in Review (by Sarah)
29. Best and Worst of 2016
30. Sara Reads No. 17
31. Two Thousand and Sixteen
32. So Long 2016!
33. 2016: The Book Fight! Year in Review
34. Year In Review: Variety Edition
35. 216 of 2016
36. 2016 Year in Review (by Becker)
37. 2016 Year in Review: A Year in Outfits
38. 2016 In Review (by Leigh)
39. 2016; What a Year
40. A Look Back at 2016 and a Peek Forward at 2017
41. 2016: Year in Pictures
42. 2016 Year in Review – The Five Most Thrilling Action Scenes
43. Looking Back on 2016 (by sip of star)
44. 2016: Year in Review (by James)
45. 2016 Year In Review (by alex)
46. My Top Ten Books from 2016
47. Top Ten Blogs of 2016
48. vCloud Air: 2016 Year in Review
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50. 2016: My Year in Review (by lurking)
51. Things that were not garbage even though 2016 was
52. Adelaide Etc in 201
53. Looking at 2016
54. Blogging Lessons of 2016
55. 2017 New Year’s Resolutions
56. 2016 in Review (by dgobs)
57. 2016 – A Year in Review (by comics)
58. 2016 in Review (by the Cappucino traveler)
59. Highlights from 2016
60. Life of Lizzie: 2016 In Review
61. Top 10 Tuesday: Best Books of 2016
62. 2016 Year in Review (by Library cancuck)
63. The 2017 Post
64. The best 15 posts of 2016
65. 2016 Year in Review – Book Stats
66. 2016 by the Numbers (by Melissa)
67. Five 2016 singles that I find myself enjoying in 2016
68. Happy 2017 From Still Chasing Fireflies!
69. The Best Albums of 2016
70. My 2016 in Books and Graphic Novels, Part 2 of 2
71. 2016: Year in Review (by Natalieinne)
72. 2016 in Books (by Stories)
73. Year In Review: Kpop Edition
74. 16 Things I Learned In 2016
75. My Year In Re(ar)view
76. 2016: Year in Review (by Kai)
77. Foursquare/Swarm Year in Review
78. What i learnt in 2016
79. My Top Five Blog Posts of 2016 (and other highlights)
80. Dear 2017 (by Sophia van Gent)
81. Top Posts of 2016
82. 2016 Year in Review (by Styled by Summer)
83. The End Of Year Survey For 2016
84. 2016 Year in Review (by Angela Chau)
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87. 2016: A Bookish Retrospective
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89. Goodbye 2016
90. The scariest post I’ve ever written: my favorite reads in 2016
91. 2016 Year in Review
92. The Ups and Downs of 2016 – The Year in Review
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95. One of My Favorite Things
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98. Alt-Right 2016: The Current Year in Review
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100. 7 Global Health Breakthroughs: A Year in Review
101. ABC s of 2016
102. 2016 #DiversityJC – Ian’s Year-End Review
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104. “Reflecting on 2016” part 2 = My Biggest Disappointments
105. 9 Reasons Why 2016 Was Pretty Great
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108. 2016 Year In Review: The Good, The Bad And The Deaths
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110. Trump, Prince, and Queen Elizabeth: 2016’s most-read Wikipedia articles
111. 2016: Sustainable Nano Year in Review
112. Quiz of the Year Response!
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117. My Blog in 2016 (by MS.L. Wheeler)
118. 2016 Year in Review (by Ingrid Racine)
119. My Year in Books 2016
120. Best Books of 2016 (by Gwen)
121. 2016 in Review by Ellie Pelto)
122. 22: Books I read last year
123. Comics Update: My Current Lineup and 2016 Pros & Cons
124. 2016 #DiversityJC – Doctor_PMS’s Year End Review
125. Top Ten Books of 2016
126. Top 16 of 2016
127. 2016 in Film
128. Reader’s Room Winter Challenge
129. My Tweets in 2016 #MTBoS
130. 16 great things from 2016
131. Jim Ryan: Looking Back At The Year in Music
132. New Year : Noob Year
133. My One Word for 2017: Onward
134. New Year Blog – Revising 2016, and Looking Forward to 2017
135. 2016 Year in Books
136. 2016 Law Review
137. 2016 – A Year in Review (by Rob P)
138. Softimage mailing 2016 year in review
139. Top 8 of 2016: Art Highlights
140. Rowls- 2016 year in review
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143. Goodbye 2016 (by Allison Anti Quotidian)
144. 2016 Year in Review (by Kialtho)
145. A Year In Review
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148. 2016 Year In Review (It Sucked But I Read A Lot)
149. Tart ISBI: Year in Review, 2016
150. 2017 A Year of Light in Action
151. fifty things that made my year, 2016
152. You are (20)16 going on (20)17
153. 2016: Amazing Year in Review
154. Goodbye 2016
155. 2016 Book Archive
156. 2016: Stronger Together
157. a year in the life
158. 2016 Was interesting
159. 2016 Costuming Year in Review
160. Learn How to Better Engage Your Child with a Year in Review Activity
161. The Obsessive Viewer Podcast – Ep 199 – 2016 Year in Review – Best and Worst Movies of the Year and Viewing Stats
162. Looking back at 2016
163. 2016 in Music: Shock and Awe
164. Look back, leap forward
165. Were You Ready To Close Your Book?
166. 2017 (by Andrew Reynolds)
167. 2016 In Review (by Aaron Mallett)
168. My 2016 at the Movies, Part 1 of 2: The Year’s Least Best
169. Ten Moments in GH music: 2016
170. Anime of the Year: CJ Hitchcock’s Top 5 Anime of 2016
171. 2016 Reflections
172. Year in Review/Shit for 2017
173. 2016 Year in Review (by Dan Guido)
174. January 9: Warmer Weather Ahead, Looking Back At 2016
175. 2017 – a year in review
176. Annual Statement of Goals, 2017 Edition
177. 2016 Reading Challenge – final report
178. New Year, New baby, new outlook
179. 2016 Beer in Review
180. Happy 2017
181. NFL Year in Review
182. Tag – Year-end Superlative Tag
183. Yearly Wrap-Up! || 2016
184. 2016 in Books
185. End of Year Survey; 2016
186. 2016 Year In Review (by Run Wright)
187. 2016 Year in Review (a crazy year for bad literature)
188. Some Days in 2016
189. Twenty-sixteen: that’s a wrap
190. 2016 in review (by Mara Thang)
191. My 2016 at the Movies, Part 2 of 2: The Year’s Least Worst
192. 2016: A Yer in review (all in one)
193. My Writing Year – 2016 In Review
194. Endings & Beginnings
195. 2016 Year In Review! (by circling around the sun)
196. The year of many firsts
197. Goodbye 2016 – Hello 2017
198. 2016 – A Year In Review
199. Two Years Gone By
200. translate.wordpress.com in 2016
201. Welcoming the light
202. My Bookish Year 2016
203. 2016 Pop Culture Year in Review
204. Short stories I read and loved in 2016
205. Set It Off: My Writing Goals for 2017
206. Goodbye 2016
207. 2016 By The Numbers
208. 2016 In review (the Mic is the message)
209. 2016 in Review (by Cindy)
210. Erin Blogs 2016 in Review
211. High Five For 2016!
212. 2016 Round up
213. 2016: Year in Reading
214. 2016: looking back
215. So That Was 2016..Year in Review
216. 2016
217. Year In Review – 2016 (by atop the clouds)

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Uitkijkend naar 2017 en aankomende tijden

2016 leek wel een zeer gewelddadig jaar waarin de trend van 2015 werd voortgezet met nog meer terrorisme, misdaden tegen de menselijkheid en verhoogde angsten.

Men zag mensen de keel overgesneden worden alsof het niets was en politici die het goede voorbeeld zouden moeten geven tegen elkaar tekeergaan en mensen tegen elkaar opjutten. Er werd weer gesproken over een mogelijke Koude Oorlog terwijl andere oorlogen dagelijks onze huiskamer binnen drongen via een tegenwoordig groot scherm. De kleine kijkkast is totaal verdwenen en vervangen door grote platte schermen die het beeld haarscherp in de huiskamer vertonen alsof men er ter plekke alles mee kan volgen.

Al in zeer oude tijden is het de mensheid medegedeeld dat er een tijd zou komen dat men over oorlogen en oorlogsdreigingen zou horen en over mensen die anderen zouden gaan misleiden. Het geweld is dagelijkse kost geworden en vele mensen zijn er zelfs al een beetje ongevoelig voor geworden. Men moet al iets zeer ergs tonen vooraleer de mensen emotioneel gepakt worden.

2016 was weer eens een jaar waar orkanen en overstromingen veel leed bezorgden, maar wat opvalt is dat de intensiteit toegenomen is. Ook dreigt er verder water vele volkeren weg te drijven uit hun heimat doordat de waterspiegel stijgt wegens de opwarming van de aarde, die nochtans nog steeds door vele (‘blinde’) politici ontkend wordt. En daar waar mensen hebben getracht hulp te bieden zorgden corrupte bewindsvoerders dat de hulpgoederen eerder bij hun familie en vrienden terecht kwam in plaats van bij de hulpbehoevenden. Zo bleven ook velen achter met hun hongersnood en moesten zij natheid of droogtes trotseren.

Catástrofe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2016 bracht nog meer daklozen in de wereld, niet enkel door aardbevingen maar ook door dat zij op de vlucht moesten gaan voor al het geweld hen toegebracht door machtswellustelingen die alles maar gebruikten om hun doel te behalen, en er zich niet voor schaamden om weerloze mensen leed toe te brengen. Eerder overeen gekomen internationale verdragen werden in de wind geslagen.

Zoals het in oude boeken is beschreven ging de liefde verkillen en de wetteloosheid toenemen, waarbij de mens niet verlegen zou zijn om te liegen en te bedriegen en zich volledig in te zetten voor zichzelf zonder maar om te zien naar de ander.

De mensheid moet echter beseffen dat wij nu nog maar de weeën te zien krijgen of voelen, van wat er op de wereld zal afkomen.

Er komt een tijd dat vele mensen hun ogen zullen geopend worden maar zullen moeten beseffen dat het dan te laat is.

Bent U er klaar voor?

***

***

Ook al mogen wij veel slechts zien, is er hoop; Hoop voor nu en hoop voor de toekomst. Wij zullen er niet aan onderuit kunnen dat er een heel slechte tijd zal komen. Volgens de Heilige Schrift zullen wij ons aan een Derde wereldoorlog mogen verwachten. Die zal al de voorgaande overstijgen van wreedheid en ellende. Maar er staat ook beschreven dat er mensen zullen zijn die voorbereid zullen zijn. Zij die de tekenen waarnemen en de profetieën van de gezondenen van God voor waar en ernstig nemen.

Laat het nooit te laat zijn om u voor te bereiden op die bewuste eindtijden. Zorg er voor dat u de lessen van de parabels of gelijkenissen van Jezus Christus niet als te verwaarlozen fabeltjes ter zijde hebt gelegd, maar dat u de lessen er van begrepen hebt en uw voorzorgen hebt genomen.

Ook al willen velen er niet van weten dat Jeruzalem de hoofdstad van het Heerlijke Koninkrijk zal zijn, zal alles zo wel verlopen en zal iedereen Gods Volk moeten erkennen. en allen zullen moeten opkijken naar de wedergekeerde Verlosser, de Messias Jezus Christus die in naam van God zal regeren hier op aarde. Hij zal onze koning zijn.

Ook jij kan nu nog kiezen, maar wacht niet te lang.

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Voorgaande

Islamofobie is contraproduktief

Een moment van Bezinning, even maar

In tijden van gemeenschappelijk verdriet

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Aanvullende artikelen

1. Voortekenen voor Jezus wederkomst
2. Tekenen van de laatste dagen wanneer moeilijke tijden zullen komen
3. Newsweek vraagt zich af of wij nog onwetend willen houden
4. Is er een komende Eindtijd
5. Eindtijd
6. Bijbeldeskundige Allen Barber is eensluidend dat op het jaar 2017-2018 Jezus Christus zal terugkeren naar de Aarde
7. God Kijkt toe
8. Schepper en Blogger God 9 Een Blog van een Boek 3 Over Profetie
9. Kijken naar verleden, heden of toekomst
10. De Dag is nabij #1 Voortdurende moeilijkheden
11. 2015 het jaar dat ISIS duidelijk maakte dat het ook in Europa is – Vervolg 2
12. 2015 het jaar dat ISIS duidelijk maakte dat het ook in Europa is – Vervolg 1
13. 2020 jaar geleden werd de weg geopend
14. De Knecht des Heren #2 Gods zwaard en pijl
15. De Knecht des Heren #5 De Gezalfde gezant
16. Messiaanse tijd
17. Laatste dagen omroepers
18. Doemdagscenarios
19. Harold Camping komt met nieuwe dag op de proppen zonder verontschuldiging
20. De Wederkomst en de eindtijd #1 Dit geslacht zal geenszins voorbijgaan
21. De Wederkomst en de eindtijd #2 Blik op de nabije toekomst
22. De wederkomst en de eindtijd #3 Let op de Vijgeboom
23. De Wederkomst en de eindtijd #4 De komende toorn
24. De Wederkomst en de Eindtijd #5 De Verlosser uit de hemel
25. De Wederkomst en de eindtijd #6 De Dagen van Noach en Lot
26. De nacht is ver gevorderd 3 Studie 1 Zijn het de laatste dagen? 2 Wat betekent dit alles?
27. De nacht is ver gevorderd 4 Studie 1 Zijn het de laatste dagen? 3 Hoe pakken we het aan?
28. De nacht is ver gevorderd 17 Studie 3 Lessen uit het verleden 6 Wat er van ons wordt verwacht
29. De nacht is ver gevorderd 18 Studie 3 Lessen uit het verleden 7 Conclusie
30. Tekenen der Laatste Dagen
31. Een goddelijk Plan #3 Vervolmaking volgens blauwdruk
32. Oorlog in kerkenland
33. Wordt verlicht met betrekking tot de betekenis van de tijd waarin we nu leven
34. De Kerk waar de mens der wetteloosheid zich nestelt
35. Visie op Jezus’ wederkomst van invloed op vraag hoe met deze aarde omgaan
36. Geroepenen ontkomen
37. Lucas 21, 25-36 toegelicht door Augustinus
38. Blijf waakzaam nu einde nabij komt

 

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Verder aanverwante lectuur

1. Oma vertelt…
2. Wat met die vluchtelingen?
3. Hommeles
4. Dus leef
5. Ontmoeting
6. FKAG v Australië
7. Neither Heaven Nor Earth, Upstream Color, A Heavy Heart, [REC] en meer
8. Gezocht: nieuwe woorden voor een boze wereld
9. Dodenherdenking. (Opinie)
10. Zorgen maken
11. Zoals in de dagen van Noach
12. Het einde van Gods geduld
13. De wederkomst van Jezus Christus op aard
14. Video: eindtijd

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Not missing your appointment in 2017

Soon we will turn over the page of the dark year 2016.

These past days and the coming days lots of people had very important gatherings they would not like to miss. This time of season it are days of appointments which have us looking forward to pleasant cosy being together moments.

In the new year, people shall again make and keep lots of different appointments that they would never miss. For many the people are so important, they would never cancel. The circumstance may also be so pressing that those meetings cannot be put off.

The need so urgent, we cannot afford to overlook it. The desire so great, it cannot be denied or postponed. {Don’t Trade Away God’s Help Today}

But what about the most important meeting of the year, the season or even of the day?

Lots of Christians say this is the season of the year and that they are celebrating the birth of their god. Those Christians also say the bible is the word of their god, though most of those Christians do not read that Word of God. For sure then they would perhaps not worship Jesus as their god and would not take part in the heathen Christmas events.

Many Christians far too quickly dismiss their daily appointment with the God of the universe as soon as life gets a little busy. The other appointments stack up, and our time to sit with the Most High and heavenly Father of our Saviour, seems to fade away so quickly and easily. Not many of those Christians who have Jesus as their god know his words or know the Words of his heavenly Father. Though those Words are very important and each follower of Christ should know them very well.

Perhaps it is

Arrogance, because we don’t think we need God’s help and wisdom enough to consistently ask him for it (James 1:5). Apathy, because we’ve let other things drown out the call to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). {Don’t Trade Away God’s Help Today}

Not many people do know why and how important it is to come to read the Bible. Many have no idea how to start doing it. At my first series I look on this matter “Reading the Holy Scriptures“. In it I try to show how reading the Bible is a way of  hearing God’s Word and a way to let us be strengthened. It is a way to allow ourselves to grow whilst we are guided by the One Who knows everything. He is the Omnipotent Who is pervasive, extensive, omnipresent and willing to help us at any moment of the day and night.  He is the Most Trustworthy Supreme Being Who is prepared to be there for us whenever we need Him. He is the One Who can tell us how to prepare for life and is willing to show us what to do and how to serve Him. We can turn to the Bible in times of sadness, joy, worry or bereavement and receive comfort from Gods word.

Too many are not aware how easy it is to have the most super guidebook in the world and the most intense appointment with the Most High Person in this world. We may wonder why so many Christians miss such an appointment regularly. Because their God has asked them to remember Him and to take time for Him. He told them to take a Sabbath, a day of rest to give and share it with Him. But we do not see many accepting that invitation or going to that appointment.

Many Christian churches are running empty today. There are not many worship places where Christians are really worshipping the Most High Elohim. We may find lots of churches where false gods are worshipped, but also they are having difficulties to keep their members. Many Christian even have no place for God on the day that they say would be especially for Him. At Christmas most energy is put in the cooking and preparing for the festivities and the presents. But there is no place for many Christians and not much thought about the Most High Present, namely the Saviour Jesus Christ. That child in the mangler is mostly forgotten or a detail in their life which is consumed by all the material things around them.

Moshe had given a task, like Jeshua also has given a task to his followers. They told the task of the leader is to remove that Din and bring everlasting Chesed and Rachamim to us. We should do away with all wrong traditions, all heathen connections. Believers in, and lovers of God should be different than atheists. Their way of life should be pure and according to the wishes of the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, and to know those wishes God has given the best manual for life: the Bible, the Book of books. We should read it, making time to have close and fine words with the One who we should love and honour as the most Important One.

Taking up the Bible is taking up and keeping your appointment with God. Do not forget to meet Him and His Word in 2017.

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Please come to find following articles on Immanuel Verbondskind:

• Best to read and study the Bible
• How to Read the Bible
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 1)
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 2)
• Making time for God is crucial
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 3)
• and find sequels 4 and 5 later, in the New Year

***

Wishing you a happy and blessed spiritual New Year

***

Did you come to read already our Vision and mission. Have a look at our page: Our Vision and mission.

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Find additionally

1. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
2. Walking alone?
3. Try driving forward instead of backwards
4. Gathering or meeting of believers
5. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
6. God has not destined us for wrath
7. Hearing words to accept
8. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #3 A voice to be taken Seriously
9. Witnessing because we love

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Further reading

1. The Ten: Lesson 1
2. Summaries of Catholic Teaching Topic 31: The first commandment
3. Ethical Implications in the Ten Commandment
4. God of Our Relationships
5. The Loving Lawgiver
6. Better late than never
7. Never Can Say Goodbye
8. No Appointment Necessary
9. When will it be Your day?
10. Will I make the appointment? 
11. 10 reasons why I love my hospital appointments
12. Are You Engaged?
13. Calm the shit down 
14. Monday Morning Thoughts
15. I Am Alive
16. Measuring Time
17. I’m Getting What I Want and Now I’m a Little Scared
18. God’s Appointment
19. Sunday Appointment Pimpama
20. Our daily grateful post
21. The first appointment
22. Out of Eden
23. Happy New Year!
24. How Wide is the Saviour’s Catchment?
25. Repeat The Sounding Joy…All Year Long!
26. Teaching the Crowds, Instructing His Disciples
27. His Name Is…Prince Of Peace
28. Christmas Day At My Church
29. Light and Life to All He Brings
30. Five Ways To Revive Evangelism In Your Church
31. Repeat The Sounding Joy…All Year Round! Finale
32. My year long Bible adventure
33. Reading On Faith
34. Like John Taught His Disciples
35. Job 28:28 Wisdom And Understanding (Part 2)
36. How to Read the Bible
37. Healthy Leaders Can’t Lead On Empty

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An American Embassy to the Eternal Capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem

A dark moment in the year 2016 might be the election of the man of whom most people thought he would not even make it to the selection of president candidates. Though very cleverly playing on the fearing minds of radical and right wing Americans blackening all other candidates he managed to blackguard Hillary Clinton many started to cry to put her in jail and would not vote for her.

Donald Trump often turned with the wind and at one moment he was on the blacks and Jews calling them names and at other moments he said he respected Judaism but found all Jews have to live in their own country.

In some of the ads leading up to the campaign Trump clearly stated his position:

Trump Campaign Statement on Israel

I love Israel, and honour and respect the Jewish faith and tradition. It is important that we have a president who feels the same way. For me, respect and reverence for Judaism is personal. My daughter Ivanka, and my son-in-law Jerad are raising their children in the Jewish faith, always reminding me of the important values and lesson we learn about leadership, resolve, and families in Jewish tradition. My administration will stand side by side with the Jewish people and Israel’s leaders to continue strengthening the bridges that connect, not only Jewish Americans and Israelis, but also all Americans an Israelis. Together we will stand up to the enemies like Iran, bent on destroying Israel and her people. Together we will make America and Israel safe again.

During his a speech at AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Donald Trump waxed bold and direct regarding his position on Israel:

I speak to you today as a life-long support and true friend of Israel.

I am a newcomer to politics, but not to backing the Jewish state.

I came here to speak to you about where I stand on the future of American relations with our strategic ally, our unbreakable friendship, and our cultural brother, the only democracy in the Middle East, the State of Israel.

He laid out several of his policies with regard the Nation of Israel. He was very politically incorrect, as his usual style normally is. He addressed the issue of Iran, but also the problematic relationship between Israel, the United States and the United Nations:

“The United States can be useful as a facilitator of negotiations, but no one should be telling Israel that it should be, and really that it must abide by some agreement made by others, thousands of miles away, that don’t even really know what is happening to Israel, to anything in the area. It is so preposterous; we are not going to let that happen…. When I am president, believe me, I will veto any attempt by the UN to impose its will on the Jewish state.  It will be vetoed 100%.

During this speech Trump pointed out the track record of agreements that were imposed upon Israel in the past and his feelings on the reason for failure:

President Clinton with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at Camp David peace talks, July 2000.

To make a great deal you need two willing participants. We know Israel is willing to deal. Israel has been trying to sit down at the negotiating table without preconditions for years. You had Camp David in 2000, where Prime Minister Barak an incredible offer, maybe even too generous, Arafat rejected it. In 2008 Prime Minister Olmert made an equally generous offer, the Palestinians Authority rejected it also. Then John Kerry tried to come up with a framework, and Abbas didn’t even respond. Not even to the Secretary of State of the United States of America. They didn’t even respond. When I become President, the days of treating Israel like a second class citizen will end on day one!

Now many have treated his speech as simply electioneering and grandstanding. But as Donald Trump has been building his cabinet, and announcing the key roles, he has been building a team that is capable of realizing his campaign promises.

What has been most interesting this week has been the appointment by President Elect Trump of the American bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman, a 57 year old Orthodox Jew from New York, as the future Ambassador to Israel, which shall receive its residency not any more in Tel Aviv, but moves to Jerusalem.

Friedman helped advise Trump during the campaign and has assisted him in bankruptcy proceedings in the past. He is a supporter of Israeli settlement construction, has downplayed the need for a Palestinian state, and is considered a key force behind the incoming president’s relatively hard-line pro-Israel positions, including supporting moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Though in 1980 the Knesset had already declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel this law was declared null by the U.N., which called for the removal of the remaining embassies in the city. A statement from Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the resolution “unjust” and

“additional proof that the U.N. organization has been converted into an instrument in the hands of Israel’s enemies in their war against her existence and independence.”

With moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to a plot of land in Jerusalem which would be leased from Israel to the US for 99 years, for $1 per year since January 18, 1989, of the last days of the Reagan presidency, according to the agreement singed by US ambassador to Israel William Brown and Israel Lands Authority deputy director Moshe Gatt.

David Friedman was a major contributor to the Trump policy on Israel as he stated in a meeting with an Israeli delegation when meeting for dinner with them:

… anything where there is jobs or national security, the economy, immigration, everything is vetted through a policy committee. With regard to Israel there really isn’t a policy committee. Our relationship is so strong, that on matters of Israel, he’s really given Jason and I full authority to speak on his behalf.

The one thing that I’m proudest about, to date, is the Republican platform as relates to the state of Israel. The Republican platform on Israel is the strongest platform with regard to Israel that either party has ever developed in the history of this country. The way this was developed was a partnership between the Orthodox, within the Jewish community, the Israel lovers within the Jewish community and the evangelical community.

So from this platform, I would invite people to compare 2016 to 2012, there is no longer any reference to a two-state solution, there is an affirmative statement that Israel is not an occupier with respect to Judea and Samaria. There is a commitment to recognize Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Jewish people, undivided capital of the Jewish people, to move the embassy there.

When this platform was passed by the Republican platform committee, the Evangelical community, got up, not only did they get up and clap, but people were actually crying. That is how motivated, that is how happy they were. They for this was a day they would never see. 

This man is noted for his conservative political views, his belief that the “Jewish left” is a danger to the State of Israel, and that Jews who supported the nonprofit liberal advocacy group J Street, are

“just smug advocates of Israel’s destruction”

But it are just those advocates who try to bring peace in the region promoting American leadership to end the Arab–Israeli and Israel–Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically.
J Street’s stated aim is to provide a political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who believe that a

“two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israel’s survival as the national home of the Jewish people and as a vibrant democracy”.

J Street has a two-fold mission: first, to advocate for urgent American diplomatic leadership to achieve a two-state solution and a broader regional, comprehensive peace and, second, to ensure a broad debate on Israel and the Middle East in national politics and the American Jewish community.

The appointment of Friedman, who once compared a Jewish lobby group to concentration camp prisoner-guards, is a controversial one and some liberal Jewish groups in the U.S. as well as a senior Palestinian cleric have openly denounced the decision.

As believers in the Bible we followed the Iraq-Iran War, the present religious wars and terrorist acts, the Brexit and the American elections suspiciously, very intrigued and  now with appointment of David Friedman to the post of America’s Ambassador to Israel seeing how zigzaw puzzle pieces fitting the details given in the Bible.

We are fascinated to see the finger of God at work in the nations, as the prophet Daniel clearly stated:

“…the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” (Daniel 4:17)

God allows people to reign matters and to choose their own governments. God also allows events to take place in His time schedule. He may look at the United States and see how Donald Trump may take his position of power in America and the world. Bible students can become quite excited by this prospect, not because of the man, but because of his stated policies with regard to the State of Israel and with the events Donald Trump may bring into this world, where he is perhaps going to make it easier for the Jewish state to develop.

The president elect moving the American Embassy is one thing, but also calling it

“to the Eternal Capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem“

is giving the voice to what Jews and real Christians are looking forwards to for already many years. We do know that Jerusalem has to become the eternal capital of the world, but now a politician has called it with a clear voice “the Eternal Capital”. That is what more people shall have to come to recognise.

The movement of America’s embassy to Jerusalem is one step closer to becoming a reality.  It is the issue of Jerusalem that will cause the nations to come down to the land in the latter day, and bring God’s judgement upon them:

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, When I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, And will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3:1–2)

Zechariah also identifies Jerusalem as being the flashpoint:

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:3)

All nations who come against it will be destroyed. So when we see America, the most powerful nation in the world talking about legitimizing the Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it brings the issue to the forefront.

You may read more about this in the Christadelphian News-site: Bible in the News

Protesters outside of AIPAC conference at Washington DC Convention center. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Darkest just before dawn

Marcus Ampe when looking over the happenings of 2016 told his public that when we should have to choose a colour for 2016 it probably would be ‘black’. Even the darkest black colour you might find.

Certainly here in Belgium and neighbouring countries we have seen many black moments caused by people living very close to us. Hundreds of people who lived in cities like Brussels (Molenbeek district), Verviers, Charleroi, Mons, just to name some of the most mentioned living quarters of those who killed many in Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt and further away many cities in Syria. A so called liberation of human race was on their lips by causing so much agony in name for their sort of Islam which has nothing to do with real Islam, a religion which has ‘salam‘ or ‘peace‘ in its name.

2016 may have been the year where Bad came over Good and brought with it Hate over Love. Though many still may believe in

Good over Bad. Love over Hate. {When it looks like hate is winning}

May we really believe that

“Good always wins”?

When we look around us it seems just the opposite. Those who do not mind to swindle and do whatever they can to make themself rich without taking care of others, seem to win. Marcus Ampe warns us for the political scene which is changing drastically almost everywhere in the world, not for the good. He warns for the populism which is going over Europe and the United States as a virus. As a Christadelphian he likes to look at what is prophesied in the Bible and by looking at that sacred book is not at all surprised of what is going on. In his eyes we can follow the notated signs of those old writings and see that we are heading to a third World War, though it may still many years before us. He likes to compare the last few years with the 1920ies and showed us also how the present days are very much related to the 1930ies, which should sincerely worry us.

He does not speak of an apocalyptic change like certain Christians may do, but likes to warn us to prepare ourselves and our kids for the coming period where very right wing politicians may gain lots of votes and even come into power.

Perhaps Jyoti Chauhan Singh, an Indian lady who reads Tarot cards and came to live in the United States, perhaps thinks on similar lines, saying the same as Mr. Ampe that

it is happening in every corner of this world. People around the world are bringing this change by their votes, by their say, and by their actions. Be it Brexit or current US election, or stimulated political environment in my home country India. This change is too much. Too much for us to handle and accept, and to adapt to. {When it looks like hate is winning}

Is that not the danger we shall have to face in the coming months?

Are not many politicians going to make use of and are going to instigate people against others and nourish the fear many already have?

For Mrs. Chauhan Singh the present President elect in the States was

not elected against a virtuous leader. It was not the fight between good vs evil. It was just bad and worse fighting with each other. You guess which is worse and which is bad. But, it was never a winning situation for USA, no matter who would have won. {When it looks like hate is winning}

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I do not know why Clinton would have been so bad, because honestly her stupidity about the e-mails was not really a criminal act, like so many Americans would like us to believe. If they consider such stupidity already a crime or sin than the many frauds and bankruptcies of Donald Trump which many Americans never seemed to have remembered or noticed, would be “cardinal sins and death penalty crimes”

We also may notice that many people seem to have some nostalgia to some times they had it better, though at those times they ware hoping for better times and for having more material richness. But as we could know beforehand all those modern gadgets they can have today are not making them more happy. The opposite today lots of people are more lonely and feeling poverty more harsh than years ago, though we may see less poverty stricken people. Less tramps on the streets.

With a smiling or is it a sarcastic face Mr. Ampe may tell us that many people would love to go back to a time they are imaging there was, but which has never been so. Mrs. Chauhan Singh alsy pointing to the same fact

With this election, Americans have spoken very clearly that they want to bring back ‘good old days’. Doesn’t matter if those good old days are going to be good for rest of us or not. They want to go back. They want someone with traditional values, traditional promises. Although seeing the lifestyle of elect president I hardly think he is an epitome of traditionalism. {When it looks like hate is winning}

Mr Ampe analysed some body language of Mr. Trump and showed us how clever that man must be playing with his public. This cleverness should make us even be more alert. He also compare certain tactics with the way how Erdogan managed to come in his dictatorial position today. How he was patient enough to go from mayor of Istanbul, even having spent some years in prison after his mayorship to come stronger and more radicalised out of it, imposing the traditional Muslim values and going in against the civil state of the old creator of a dream state Turkey.

We shall have to wait and see  to know how Donald Trump is going to use his power and how Marine Le Pen is going to drive her wedge through France which seem to be the under the spell of Muslim extremism and Islam fear.

Mr Ampe, like Mrs. Chauhan Singh seems to do also says we may not loose hope and contrary to how lots of people are concentrating on their own self, we should look more to others and try to come up for the weaker ones.
Mrs. Chauhan Singh writes

Losing hope is never an option. If we are given this result, we must be hopeful that there must be something good coming out of it. Give him a chance. He has already shocked all of us; he may surprise us too. Do not lose hope. Instead hope for him to change his ways, his words, and his actions, for the betterment of this country. {When it looks like hate is winning}

One of Mr. Ampe his main teachings, also as a retired teacher of ballet history, is that we should learn from history and that we should make others aware of possible traps lots of people in the past did not notice but became victim of. According to him by knowing the past we can avoid the same mistakes, which have been repeated so many times, because people did not know their history.

We always shall look at things and would love to see things changed. Man is not easy satisfied.

One also can wonder when  our world evolves if/ when and how many people would be ready for such changes, and if they are for the better or for the worse. In most cases lots of people are just not ready for the changes taking place.

Problem is not in these major changes but our inability to accept them. {When it looks like hate is winning}

One might also ask whether we shall be able to find enough people who shall be really wanting to pursue peace. To find enough people who really want to “raise awareness that peace in itself,” and willing to take steps with which to motivate others to go that track of peace making is something we should go for. Too many may be very confused and may not be sure which dreams might be the best for them. Though according to Mr. Ampe we should come to work together towards mutual peace and to the broadcasting of hope and positive thoughts, trying to take away the confusion there is today and putting right the wrong ideas about some people, religions and ways of life. He believes the change must come from each of us and that we are responsible for the evolution of the day. According to him, we ourselves are to convey the message and have even to adopt a certain attitude and should form a shining example. According to him, there also should be peace as a base in our own daily lives.

This peace will also make the connection with the other and this will be like a snowball effect to be implemented on this world.

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Preceding articles about overviews for 2016

Donkere periodes en het uitkijken naar vrede

From Guestwriters 2015 in review

Pokémon craziness

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Additional reading

1. Knife-trust in democratic sore back
2. Daesh hits heart of Europe
3. What Associated Press released on Wednesday 23 March 2016
4. Iranian media implicitly accuse Erdogan to have known of the Bruxelles’s attacks in advance
5. Hard questions
6. Terrorist attacks in brussels
7. Social media, sympathy & shocks
8. Europe unites to defeat terror
9. Silence, devotion, Salafists, quietists, weaponry, bombings, books, writers and terrorists
10. Declaration of war against Islam and Christianity
11. Is Europe going to become a dictatorial bastion
12. French authorities have shut down around 20 mosques and prayer halls
13. State of emergency and respect for human rights
14. Paris attacks darkning the world
15. Trump brand of migrant demonization
16. Trump brand of migrant demonization #2
17. Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks
18. Muslim Grooming (Rape) Gangs and Sharia
19. Amount of Muslims living in your country

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Further reading

1. Paris Attackers Had Already Appeared in the Islamic State’s Propaganda
   It has already been established that the on-the-ground leader of the Islamic State’s atrocities on Paris
2. Belgium knew in 2012 already that Paris suspects were plotting attacks
   Belgian authorities knew as early as 2012 that terrorists linked to the bloodshed in Paris were plotting attacks in the West. But little was done to disrupt the build-up of a network that subsequently became a cornerstone …
3. Fugitive Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam captured in anti-terror raid
   He was shot in the leg and arrested in a major police operation in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek
4. Paris Attacks Suspect Wounded, Arrested In Brussels Raid
   Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in the deadly Paris attacks, has been wounded and arrested, following a raid in the Belgian capital, Brussels, after four months on the run.
5. Hollande Chairs Emergency Security Meeting — France Determining Next Move After Arrest of Suspected Terrorist Salah Abdeslam, a French…
6. Muslims in Molenbeek are on the side of Salah against the belgian police. Take in more muslim immigrants so we enlarge the Salah’s Fan…
   The so called refugees are all muslims, I don’t see why we should let them in. Now that we know the destructive attitude of freemasonry we also know we mustn’t let them do what they ask.
7. One Paris attacker buried just a day before his brother was captured in Brussels police raid
   Brahim Abdeslam, who blew himself up in November’s attacks, was laid to rest the day before his brother Salah was captured.
8. Top Lawyers of Belgium, France in Suspected Terrorists Abdeslam Case — Focus on European jihadists
9. How Recent European Terror Wins Led to Abdeslam’s Capture
10. ISIS Launches Coordinated Attacks in Brussels Airport and Subway
    Early reports from Brussels are that two coordinated attacks have taken place with the first being at the Brussels Airport Departure Terminal and the second within the Brussels Subway system.
11. J’accuse ! L’attentat que les services craignaient
    Avec colère suite aux événements de ce matin, j’accuse la Belgique d’avoir été attentiste depuis des années et de n’avoir jamais donné les moyens aux services de Renseignement de faire leur travail professionnellement pour tenter de prévenir ce genre d’attaques.
    … Outraged about the events of this morning in Brussels, I accuse Belgium of having endorsed a “wait-and-see” policy for years and having never giving to the intelligence services the means to do their job professionally to try and avoid this kind of attack. …
12. Leighton: Terror cells are a lot bigger than Belgium authorities anticipated
13. Terror attacks in Brussels kill at least 34, story developing
    Terrorist bombings at a subway station in Maalbeek and at Zaventem Airport have killed at least 34 people and injured another 170. Two bombs, at least one of which is believed to have been a suicide bombing, struck the …
14. Bombing in Brussels!
    Today, once again, Islamic terrorists have attacked the west. This morning, Brussels became the latest city to come under attack with a bomb detonating on a metro train …
15. Islamofoobikot pitävät terrorismin voimissaan
    Ennen kuin Brysselin terrori-iskuista oli kiirinyt tieto Suomeen, Helsingin Sanomat kirjoitti viime syksyn Pariisin iskujen tekijöiden jahdista. Belgiassa 18.3. kiinniotettu Salah Abdesalam piileskeli kuukausien ajan
16. Islamofoobikot pitävät terrorismin voimissaan
    Ennen kuin Brysselin terrori-iskuista oli kiirinyt tieto Suomeen, Helsingin Sanomat kirjoitti viime syksyn Pariisin iskujen tekijöiden jahdista. Belgiassa 18.3. kiinniotettu Salah Abdesalam piileskeli kuukausien ajan …
17. Het raadsel, Salah Abdeslam
    Op 13 november vorig jaar reed hij zijn vrienden naar de Parijse plekken om toe te slaan. Dood en verderf te zaaien, angst aan te jagen, het leven te vernietigen dat hij met hart en ziel haatte.
18. Del estupor al sopor: atentados jihadistas, habituación europea, y jamais vu liberal-progresista
    Creo que estoy progresando. Esta noche, alrededor de las 3am, fui despertado por el zumbido de mi teléfono celular que se encontraba recargándose, apoyado sobre la mesita de luz.
19. The Religion of Peace Strikes Again
    This morning we awoke to the news of a deadly terrorist attack in Brussels. Isis claimed responsibility for the bombings at the airport and the Metro station.
20. Why Belgium?
    ISIS has claimed responsibility for separate explosions in Brussel’s Zaventem airport and a central metro station that killed 34 and wounded over 200.
21. Don’t Blame Whitey!
22. Belgium’s approach to immigration and security again under fire
23. CAIR Cannot Be Trusted To Police Radical Muslims
24. Brussels
25. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
26. After Brussels, Europe must abandon its safe space and face reality
27. Hidden in Plain Sight: Salah Abdesalam’s 120 Days on the Lam
28. Waking Up to the Brussels Bombs
29. Aboard the Eurostar to Brussels
30. Two belgian politicians elected in Molenbeek committed themselves to legalize Sharia in Belgium. That’s how Islam destroys Democracy when…
31. Molenbeek’s gangster jihadis – BBC News
32. Europe’s Muslims hate the West
33. CAIR Cannot Be Trusted!
34. Belgian Terrorism Suspect Salah Abdeslam Has Agreed To Provide Police With Full Information on Other Terrorists — “Turns Supergrass”
35. Brussels Suicide Attacks ‘Shocking But Not Surprising,’ Stanford Experts Say
36. The Muslim Problem and How Not To Solve It
37. Look at what I almost stepped in
38. We Are AfraidMerci, Thanks !Revolution: Jesus loves Every Jihadist
39. Perps of ‘Far-Right’ Hit-and-Run on Muslim Woman Were Muslims
40. Why Belgium is Ground Zero for European Jihadis
41. Een falend land, dát is het echte probleem, meneer JambonTerrorism From Brussels: A Report
42. Molenbeek and its cultural and creative dynamism – a (small) press review
43. A Close Look at Brussels Offers a More Nuanced View of Radicalization – The New York Times
44. «Il reste encore des éléments à neutraliser»
45. Europe: Suicide by Jihad
46. How Many Molenbeeks in France?
47. The truth about “no-go” Molenbeek
48. Open brief aan Jan Jambon door Selma Benkhelifa (advocate)
49. Getting Up Earlier.
50. Two Police Officers Attacked With Knife In Belgium, Unhurt
51. Knifeman attacks Brussels police
52. Tent Cities for questionable dwellers
53. L’Arc-en-Ciel presque au complet
54. Dec 16,
55. It has been an eventful year for me 2016
56. The Politically Correct Right
57. Bet you missed this #1
58. 2016- A Reflection
59. 2016 Recapped
60. Summarising 2016-Энэ оныг дүгнэх нь
61. 2016 in review
62. Christmas Countdown Blitz 2016 ~ Day 12
63. Not Goals. Plans.
64. Book Review: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
65. What India Searched in 2016
66. Saturday 17 December 2016 – Some famous people who’ve died in 2016
67. My 2016: August.
68. Movie Review: Rogue One (2016)
69. Things That Need To End In 2017
70. History tells us what may happen next with Brexit & Trump
71. Look East and Watch for the Light
72. Readjusting Expectations
73. revolutionary reflections | The Crisis in German Politics and the Rise of the Radical Right
    2016 has been a year in which right –wing and authoritarian agendas have been in the ascendant. With the French and German elections next year we will see if this trend continues.
74. Links for 16/12/16
    Black-White Earnings Gap Remains at 1950s Levels for Median Worker Donald Trump Should Know: This Is What Climate Change Costs Us How data maps are transforming the fight against malaria in Zambia South
75. Populist right – the mass appeal of “strict father” framing
    George Lakoff’s book, Moral Politics, popularised the idea that ‘rightwing’ politics stem from a particular moral worldview, which Lakoff called “strict father framing”.
76. What is Populism?
    Populism. It is everywhere in the news right now and it is one of those words that have so many vague meanings and yet describes itself so well. Populism is simply the revolt of the people against the political
77. Who do Western Australian populist voters second preference?
    Most draw support from across the spectrum when compared to the remaining small parties.
78. The Elites Are Fuelling A Backlash They Do Not Comprehend And May Not Withstand
    Accustomed to getting their own way and furious at being thwarted by mere democracy, the political elite are responding to recent setbacks by …The Future of Federalism in an Age of Populism
    Richard Eccleston, Helen Krever and Rick Smith explore the future of federalism in the 21st century.
    The two seismic political events of 2016, Brexit and the election victory …
79. The 3 Layers of Authoritarian Thinking
    There are three layers to unfreedom or authoritarian thinking that is sweeping the world today.
80. More than just populism: Renzi, the Italian Senate referendum and the perils of second chamber reform
    On 4 December Italians decisively rejected Matteo Renzi’s proposed constitutional reforms, which centred on reforming the Senate – leading to his resignation as Prime Minister.
81. Times of Uncertainty: The Rise of Far-Right Populism
    Uncertain times lie ahead. People have had their fill of neoliberalism and they’re looking for alternatives. So far, they’ve found dreadful ones. Trump was elected president of the US, Marine Le Pen
82. What is anti-establishment according to Donald Trump?
    People from Goldman Sachs, billionaires, top donors, Secretary of State from Exxon. It seems this is how the huge part of Trump’s administration will be established. What does it tell us about how Trump wanna
83. Policy corruption, vote buying and double standards
    The Constitution Drafting Committee has been hard at work hamstringing political parties to prevent them from ever “ruling.” Apart from simply being anti-Thaksin Shinawatra, the law is based on beliefs …
84. Cameron names his nemesis populism, but the Westminster set still refuses to accept that it was a rejection of self interest which was…
    As I stepped into the polling booth at a local church hall on the evening of 23rd of June and looked at the voting slip in my hands, the feeling that crossed my mind couldn’t have been further from the thought of
85. Why Did Trump’s Anticorruption Rhetoric Resonate? Three Hypotheses
    OK, I know I said in last week’s post that I would eventually get back to blogging about topics other than Trump, but not yet. After all, Trump’s election—a political and moral crisis on so many dimensions—
86. The Islamic and black populists of the Netherlands: a tyranny of the minority?
    DENK’s main representers. From left to right: leader Tunahan Kuzu, TV personality Sylvana Simons and co-founder Selçuk Öztürk. More than once, the Netherlands proved to be first in Europe to
87. The SNP is not like horror-show euro-populism. Mercifully.
    THE liberal Left hasn’t had much to celebrate recently, what with Brexit, Donald Trump and the rise of the alt-right. So there was understandable jubilation over the defeat of the far-right candidate …
88. On Populism
    It was Lord Acton who said power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But as citizens of a country and a nation, we have civic duties such as addressing corruption in government and empowering
89. Are France Next to Join the Nationalist Narrative?
    Last week saw Italy become part of the nationalist narrative in Europe after changes to their constitution were rejected. As a result the country’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi,
90. Brexit Britain turns against globalisation and modern technology, blaming it for low UK wages and inequality – The Independent.
    Post-Brexit Britain is in the throes of a major backlash against globalisation, blaming dwindling wages and rife inequality on the opening of the world’s economy, an exclusive poll
91. They Are All Populists
    ”Populism” is a loaded word and it is a rather strange one. It is used to express disapproval of certain forms of political activity, but unlike other such negative terms its basic reference would seem quite positive.

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Donkere periodes en het uitkijken naar vrede

In zijn overzicht van het jaar 2016 keek Marcus Ampe naar een zwart jaar. En donker mag men het wel noemen met al de aanslagen en ongelofelijke moordpartijen. Maar is er een mogelijkheid om er toch een lichtpunt in te zien?

Het leven lijkt soms wel op een boksmatch. – Ginty Vrede in Las Vegas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In ons tijdsbestel treffen wij een wereld die constant in verandering is en waar men kan vaststellen dat veel mensen elkaar veel dingen voor liegen. In deze wereld is het ook dat de mensheid

“de verandering vertegenwoordigt zoals u is uitgelegd en dat daarin ook de weg naar vrede ligt en wanneer deze vrede uiteindelijk collectief tot zijn eigen diepste worteling kan komen, dan zal daar ook wereldvrede uit kunnen ontstaan.” {Zal er wereldvrede zijn? En ja in welk jaartal?}

Vandaag de dag is er weinig van vrede en vredelievendheid te merken. Datgene wat momenteel in onze wereld zichtbaar is, geeft eerder weer hoe de mens in zijn eigen hebzucht uit elkaar is gegroeid en zijn toevlucht heeft gezocht tot zijn eigen ik, dat hij het liefst zo hard mogelijk vertroetelt.

Men kan zich ook de vraag stellen of er wel genoeg mensen te vinden zijn die de vrede echt willen najagen? Zijn er voldoende mensen te vinden die werkelijk met “Bewustzijn deze vrede in zichzelf creëren”, en het heft zelf in handen willen nemen om stappen te ondernemen om anderen mee te motiveren die weg op te gaan waarbij wij gezamenlijk willen streven naar onderlinge vrede en naar de uitzending van hoop en de positieve gedachten war Mr. Ampe zo graag naar wijst. Hij gelooft er in dat de verandering uit elk van ons moet komen en dat wij zelf verantwoordelijk zijn voor de evolutie van de dag. Volgens hem zijn het wij zelf die de boodschap moeten uitdragen door ook al een bepaalde houding aan te nemen en een lichtend voorbeeld te vormen. Volgens hem moet daar ook de vrede als basis in dienen te liggen in ons eigen dagelijkse  leven.

Deze vrede zal dan ook de verbinding maken met de ander en dit zal als een  sneeuwbaleffect op deze wereld zijn beslag gaan krijgen.

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Verdere lectuur

1. Gezocht: nieuwe woorden voor een boze wereld
2. Hebzucht
3. Absolute voorwaarde.
4. hardepad
5. Ek ontmoet ‘n Ou Vroutjie
6. Dankbaar
7. Zomaar een vrije middag
8. Negatieve emoties deel 2 en het positieve staartje
9. And the world will live as one.
10. Advent ( Nederlands)
11. Afreis
12. Dagens dagens
13. New Delhi
14. brandend lichaam
15. Motivatie en falen
16. Buitenmens
17. Véronique
18. Zij gelooft in hen: Lisanne Fons en het mbo
19. Ga ik wel of niet mijn droom achterna
20. Sometimes we need a time out! 
21. Today is a great day for me
22. Als leraren nou een klein beetje de mentaliteit van hun leerlingen zouden overnemen…

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2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

By the English daily newspapers we may find The Guardian which has an eye for the way human beings fit in the universe and how we can look at what is around us. They have in the week several themes looking at a certain aspect around building up the human being and about man’s relation with his environment.

For them it is necessary that man does something seriously to avoid climate change bringing us down. Without a balanced, comparative assessment of strategies to align energy use and industry with inescapable climate action, we won’t be able to choose the best possible future. Man also has to come to see how nature is an essential part making it possible for us to live nicely.

Stretching to a Full Harvest by Dan Frugalberg, talking about God Who tests us beyond our expectation but never beyond our strength.

Materialism in all its ghastly guises is pulling man down. To get them to better senses we need to show man the beauty of what is already there provided by the Divine Creator. We are pleased that there are also several bloggers on the net who appreciate what is around them and who do not want to keep it just for themselves but want to share it on their blogs which are available in a lot of countries. We can recommend a.o. Cindy Knoke, Dan Frugalberg, Pete Hillman, Mike Bizeau and Purple Rays (Jonathan Udo Ndah) who present regularly an insight on what nature has to offer to mankind. On the net several dreamers with some creativity in writing, who love nature and who are feeling very close to it, can be found. One such person who enjoys life and want to share his arts with each other brings the blog Magic nature poem. He recognises that we are are surrounded by energetic creatures and writes

Humans, animals, plants, earth, universe within planets, suns, stars, moons, everything.
We are all parts of something  very big.
Everyone is a part of a very big energy.
We all seem to be seperate
But that is not true.
We are all connected by our energies.
A network consisting of our individual energies.
We fulfill the universe. {Energy #4}

Flower ball by Magic nature poem

While the world goes around and around we have to find our position in it, making sure that we are not pulled down by the ravishing electronic speed and pushing commercial consumer society, where people live in a world, which lives faster and faster. In that world we have to stand strong on our feet, with our mind focussing on the right things. In that hectic life we do have to find moments to enjoy nature, to watch colours changing, flowers growing, animals jumping or flying around.

It is for people who want to reach their dreams, their plans that such writers and photographers may bring something enlightening. On this site we can not bring many photographs because our funds our very limited (not to say non-existent) but we would love to recommend to enjoy watching the above mentioned sites and the links we regularly offer you (our readers).

Each year the media looks at the magnitude of photo’s made and newspapers and press agencies present their photographer of the year.

Friday opened the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 52 exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London before touring internationally.

American photographer Tim Laman was named winner of the prestigious annual competition for his image Entwined Lives, showing a critically endangered Bornean orangutan in the Indonesian rainforest. The award is given for a story told in just six images, which are judged on their story-telling power as a whole as well as their individual quality.

Here you can view the winning images selected by the international jury. Wildlife Photographer of the Year champions ethical photography. Images are chosen for their artistic composition, technical innovation and truthful interpretation of the natural world > Gallery 2016

Adult and young awards

Browse the award-winning images from across the competition

Adult awards

Tim Laman, USA
Website: www.timlaman.com

Tim is a field biologist and wildlife photojournalist with a reputation for returning from the wild with shots of nearly impossible subjects. His pioneering research in the rainforest canopy led to a PhD from Harvard University and the first of many articles for National Geographic magazine. His work has garnered numerous awards, including many in Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

 

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>Young awards

Gideon Knight, UK

Gideon’s interest in nature began in his garden and soon spread to his local park and further afield. From the first moment he paid attention to nature, the natural world has never failed to amaze him. He hopes to have a future in conservation as a wildlife photographer to help raise awareness through photography.

• Website: www.gideonknightphotography.com

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Find also to read:

1. Nature photography – Landscape photographers
2. Underwater photographers –Underwater photography
3. 2016 wildlife photographer of the year – winners in pictures
4. Conventional thinking will not solve the climate crisis
5. Satellite Eye on Earth: September 2016 – in pictures
6. Environment section of The Guardian

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Further related

1. How to Be a Professional Outdoor & Nature Photographer
2. Conservation Photography
3. Wildlife Photographer
4. Wildlife Photographer – extraordinary things that happen behind the lens
5. Rakesh Sahai – Well known Indian wildlife photographer passes away
6. Photographing Wild Alaska and Japan’s Winter Wildlife, with Robert O’Toole
7. Nature Photographer of the Day – John Shaw
8. New on 500px : Wildlife Photographer by Philippe-De-Bruyne by Philippe-De-Bruyne
9. Longtime National Geographic photographer Steve Winter explains the umbrella effect of predator preservation
10. Joe Riis
11. It is My Enthusiasm for Wildlife that Drew Me to Photography: Anuroop Krishnan
12. She Married Her Stalker – Wildlife and Photography
13. Picture Parade One Hundred and Thirty-two
14. Picture Parade One Hundred and Thirty-Three
15. dil aj kal camera…
16. First Day in the Water – Wildlife Photography
17. Infographic: How to photograph Lions
18. Art Of Wildlife Photography with Tom Mangelsen
19. Nature Photography Color Workflow Revealed with Christopher Dodds
20. Night Photography – Tips for Perfecting Your Night Shots
21. Advanced Photography: Landscapes | Landscape 101
22. What are you looking at?
23. Living in harmony
24. Misleading names
25. Tsavo Man-Eaters strike again
26. The decline of the Red Colobus Monkey
27. Yellowstone & Grand Tetons: A Different Perspective
28. Vervet monkeys deserve a chance
29. How big is the illegal wildlife trade?
30. Charges: mock or real?
31. Giants of the plains
32. Highly revered, highly endangered
33. Majestic Soarer
34. Giddy up, Saddle Bill
35. Pocket-sized Antelope
36. Rock Jumper
37. Tea and Gaur
38. Wild Radish
39. Meet the Slugs – Stinging Rose Caterpillar
40. Amidst The Autumn Oak Leaves
41. Red Bellied Marmot
42. Common Scorpionfly
43. Trust your future
44. Cream Autumn Berries
45. Moose on the Loose: Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada
46. Yosemite National Park: Phenomenal Splendor
47. Mangiare … a Venezia!

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Related articles

• Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for 2016
• Rising ape
• This Week In Adorable News…
• WATCH: First ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ trailer released
• Are these the world’s most incredible wildlife photographs?
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016
• New Amphibious, ‘Horrific’ Centipede Discovered
• Cute Insect-Murdering Mammal Had Roots in Dinosaur Age
• What did the fox say?
• Asteroid that slammed into Earth 1.2 billion years ago may have been bigger than the one that killed off the dinosaurs

Pokémon craziness

The Japanese video game maker, once fiercely popular, may have been forgotten by many, but this month they were back on many lips. Though they were not the originators of the game which has so many, young and old, in the ban. It can be nice that even autistic now dare to come out in the open and talk to others. But we may not ignore certain dangers the game brings to the community.

Previous week the price of the shares went up but this Monday, Nintendo said that Pokémon Go’s runaway success is not likely to have a huge impact on its earnings. The company is slated to announce its results on Wednesday. It said, the income generated from Pokémon Go will be limited as it only holds a 32% stake in the affiliate Pokémon Company (Kabushiki gaisha Pokemon) which owns the licensing rights to the game, a Reuters report said.

Parents should not fall in the commercial trap buying this popular game to have their children enjoy a lovely Summer. They’ll better try to have more activities which bring more social activity between different players. In the previous article we looked already to the possibility for home stayers to socialise with the neighbours.

A happy neighbourhood can also be created by involving several neighbours in different and varied activities.

Youngsters may look forward to another summer of fun filled activities, and though they enjoy ebook devices like a E-reader, Nook, an iPad, tablet, laptop, or even a computer, and may want to use the libraries digital eBooks this summer, there are plenty of them who could be stimulated to have contact with youngsters of the same age or like-minded people.

In certain towns libraries make an effort to get the youngsters back behind the pages of a book. Parents play an important role for stimulating their kids to read some other stuf than their schoolbooks.

In case your kid is stuck to the Pokémon game it is not bad to try to get it away form that little screen. On television we have seen already stupid accidents having taken place because of gamers not being attentive when walking, but also driving on the streets.

The television companies with newspapers and magazines are warning players and parents to beware of financial, privacy and malware dangers that might catch players off guard when they are caught up in the game.

“While the game can be a blast and people are exercising because they have to get up and walk to look for a Pokémon, many concerns have arisen,”

nonprofit organization Better Business Bureau said in news release.

“Players are walking without the proper caution for being distracted with their mobiles. Authorities have indicated that people are congregating on public locations (such) as fire stations or even government offices when these places are closed to the public.”

The latest of the Nintendo franchise, launched at the beginning of this month, is a already a phenomenon worldwide. Unlike other installments in the Pokémon series, players in Pokémon Go do not battle wild Pokémon to capture them. In certain countries several users first got an illegal copy, when it was not available in their own country and later stood hours in the cue to get the new game.

In Belgium shops are paying the developers to have the Pokémon coming in their shop so that players would be lured into that shop. I wonder how they would react when there could be too many players rushing over the floor but not looking at the merchandise and not buying anything, but bringing damage to the shop. PokeStops are supposed to all be on public property (or cooperative private sites) and the private enterprises which look forward to find the Pokémon users in their neighbourhood hope that the players shall be respectful of others’ private property.

A mother of three children the author behind Positive parenting blog writes

Maybe your conspiracy radar is going off like a beacon because if Pokémon Go has really been downloaded that many million times and created such an interest … there must be something funny going on and you don’t want your children to be a part of that.

Maybe you just want to do better with the whole parenting thing this summer and seeing your kids with their faces buried in smart phones or tablets doesn’t give you the warm fuzzies.

She therefore gives eleven activities you can do with your children to escape summer blues … and avoid chasing Pikachus. > Eleven Alternatives to “Pokemon Go” … Stimulate Your Child’s Summer

Spoken word artist, poet, emcee, beatboxer and live loop creator from Northampton, now based in Leeds, finds

It’s time for flip-flops shorts and no sleeves,
Holiday booked, high pollen you might sneeze.
Long sunsets and caramel evenings,

Catch ups, old friends, new plans, big dreaming. {Summer July 25, 2016}

Wherever you are go outside, find some sunny place and make contact with those around you.

Find a roof terrace for cocktail sipping,
The sun working overtime before dipping,
In the ocean cool, playing the fool,
Knowing you never have to go back to school.
Some like the seaside, sandy beach cricket.
Some like the shade to ease back and kick it. {Summer July 25, 2016}

It would be nice if more parents would take the time to be active with their kids and even would not mind to be involved in activities with their neighbours.

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Preceding articles

Library of Love

How the Story Ends

2016 Summer holiday

Holiday time reading time

Summer Daze

Five Tips for a Happy Neighborhood

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Related

1. Pokemon Go is a rage but its success will have limited impact on Nintendo’s earnings
2. Latest Gaming News | July 26
3. Nintendo (TYO:7974) and Pokemon Go
4. Pokémon Go? More Like Pokémon NO
5. Pokemon GO and your library
6. Pokemon Go: How to Get Notifications When Pokemon Are Nearby
7. Pokemon Go Diary, Day 3: The Runaway Snorlax Debacle
8. Weekly Finds – Pokemon
9. Hva er Pokémon Go? Og hvordan får jeg det?
10. How to get guaranteed 1000+ CP evolutions
11. Kanto-Johto War: Week Four
12. Mimikyu lives its life constantly covered by its cloth
13. “U.S. urged to probe Pokemon Go’s spying on you”
14. The US Navy resorted to Pókemon Go as a recruitment strategy
15. Foreigners playing Pokemon Go in Japan
16. Moscow City Hall Creates Russian-Themed Alternative to Pokemon Go
17. Dear Niantic
18. Kubik Klan
19. Summer Days
20. Summertime Home Staging Tips.
21. Looking for a fun summer activity?
22. Parks Alive! is back in Kelowna
23. Rediscovering Summer
24. 5 Things to do this Summer
25. Finding activities for engagement
26. Summertime Things
27. Tips for Hiking with Toddlers
28. Fun ideas for a vacation at home!

From Guestwriters 2015 in review

From the start in 2014, April the 26th

On 2014 April 26 we started offering a readers digest to you. We wanted to have different writers presenting their selection of most interesting articles found on the net. We regret we did not find enough people interested in co-operating to create a free lifestyle magazine where people could find uplifting stories.

We started talking about the dreams we all have or have to have, because he who beams never walks in the dark, and looked at our position in this world and how positivism should enter this world more. Our invitation to you reader to share those read articles you liked is still counting. We would love to present more interesting articles people can find on the net. For this reason we started the Reblog section in 2014, when we looked if we or you have something to say or not.

At the opening of 2016 we would like to remind you that you too are invited to share with us. You too may be sharing your words with us and many more readers. You don’t have to stay in the shadow.

At this site we want to speak about feelings and started to look at the worst feeling, the one which pulls us down. Depression is when we can’t walk in the light of life any more. Our intention is to show that each of us matter in this world and that we can get fate in our change to positiveness. You and us we all can contribute and help to create a positive attitude. You have to get the right attitude of an unstoppable success, and once more we do bring a call to help to create a positive attitude.

You may consider your own journey in life but we dared to ask which kind of attitude you want to take. In 2014, when we started we asked our readers to begin their day by living their positive attitude and in started also to point out to look at the way to come to the truth. We went in defence of it. For that, we also started looking at Who should be your closest friend.

Though we may be lonely in the crowd we wanted to build up a place where many could find each other and could overcome hurt feelings. we do not ask people to be some one else, but would love to see you smiling and with a positive attitude or positive disposition.

Perhaps what we hope for is what you hope for. In September 2014 we repeated our call to come to write for us and to share what you think interesting. A year after our question what our readers are seeking we did not receive many answers. We expressed our love to find more contributors who could show ways of fulfilling our dreams. We do hope you could find inspiration here and follow your dreams.

In 2015 finishing our first year

On the first of January we, like many others looked back at the previous year and presented our first review: 2014 in review.

Our first year we got visitors from 71 countries in all. 13 countries were added in 2015 bringing the total to 84 countries in all, with most visitors again coming from The United States (2467). Netherlands (351) & United Kingdom (341) were not far behind. Based in Belgium we only could get the attention of 181 viewers in Belgium in 2015, which is not much, but which can be caused by not many writings being in Dutch, French or German. We are pleased we also got 141 viewers from Down Under.

Knowing that we need light on our path in life, near the end of 2015 we also started placing some reflections or meditations texts, which we shall continue to do. Because we did so often got questions why we referred to some ones website article, or got requests to take some listed article out of the list of “Further reading” we shall enter less references or note lesser further readings. Normally you would think people would be pleased when there is placed a link to their site, but at several of our websites we got an other impression, hearing people not being pleased they being mentioned on one of our sites. Not being appreciated we bringing others to their writings or commenting on their writings, plus they not understanding we are helping them to get more readers and to get higher on the Google ranking, whilst we take them away from our own website, we will not any more invest so much time in looking for appropriate articles worth mentioning. Therefore in the future you will find lesser links and we shall be pleased keeping you more to our own websites.

Treats, fear and discussions in 2015

2015 was again a year were many civil rights were tread under foot. The Syrian war continued for its fourth year and brought many war refugees into Europe, a region where many do not seem to know themselves very well because kindness to others seemed to be far off. Though we are born to shine, not to fear, lots of people got over-manned by fear. At a time where there is not much knowledge of the truth, but lots of doubt and/or blindness, we tried to convince that less is still enough.

While viral moments and trends or fads, that took up lots of people their time and their Twitter feeds included viral phenomenon The Dress, pizza rat, dad bods and adult coloring books we looked at the major refugee crisis in Europe as well as numerous instances of terrorism and mass shootings. Whilst July, Caitlyn Jenner made her big debut via a sexy and scantily clad Vanity Fair cover shot…and her new reality was officially underway we also look at how we human beings manage with birth, our being and our behaviour and acceptance or not of certain situations. Bringing articles around abortion and life we were pleased to have as our 5 most active commenter  Blackhorn33 who is Comanche – Irish and a half-breed that’s Full Blooded American, who with “Our Circle of Friends” met on Google and was willing to contribute about Child Abuse -The Facts, and show the world the importance of the unborn life.

A place for a Higher Being and for His Creation

“Stockholmsfyrens” ungefärliga utseende vid Ropsten med vy från hotell Forestas entréplan på Lidingö. Det runda 187 m höga tornet innehållande både bostäder och kontorslokaler är föreslaget att uppföras omkring 2014-2015. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With less for more we looked at one of the major discussed issues of the year, bringing global warming and climate change at the second place and the refugees at the first place as major topics for 2015. Pointing out that it is important that we do know that we have to find the meaning of life and reach a state of peace, of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something, we brought to the attention that we have our duties in this world and have to take our responsibility,making the right engagement in an actual two way conversation with your deities or more important to build up a good relationship with the Only One True God, the Divine Creator.

Throughout the year on this and our other sites we wanted to bring to understanding that we do have to come in a good relationship with others and with the Most High, even when we sometimes have to deal with the silence of God.

We asked not to forget that falsehood darkens the pure knowledge of God and that we should always turn to the Book of books, the Bible, to find the truth and Guidance. But to come to know the Creator and His creatures and creation, we do have to look with our eyes and to see with our heart. Some may think “God plays hide’n seek“, but He is always around us and sees everything we do.
The Almighty God above all other gods greater than all gods has given us His infallible Word, the Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct. Searching or overlooking God’s presence more people do have to find His Word and take up that book that is Written by inspiration of God for our admonition, to whom it shall be imputed if they believe.

2015 once more showed to the world that human beings need a lot of correction. It was good to see that in France many nations also came to conclusion we have urgently to take care of mother earth. In this world were many have to learn that stuff is just stuff, it became time that man takes his position about materialistic desires.

The terrors which came over Europe should make those who call themselves Christian to think and have them remind and hear God’s voice, bringing them into the habit of dealing with God about everything.

Statistics for 2015

In 2015, there were 295 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 525 posts. On the 12th of January in total 534 articles have been published on this site. 

The busiest day of the year was October 19th with 175 views. The most popular post that day was Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion. But the most commented on post in 2015 was Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct.

For 2016

We are thankful that you came along on this site and do hope to find you more than once at this and some other of our sites. We wish you all the best for 2016 and do hope you may be like a tree planted by streams of water.

Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts and don’t throw a curtain across tomorrow… the star of its performance just may be you !

There still has to be done a lot before we shall have sustainable, green habits as a second nature, but at this site we do hope to bring incentives to work at it.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,300 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Preceding: 2014 in review

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Additional reading

1. A look at materialism
2. Our you taking a step back to think
3. US must do more to protect its children
4. A year coming to its end and our Spiritual Senses
5. Summary for the year 2015 #1 Threat and fear
6. Summary for the year 2015 # 2 Strewn with corpses and refugees
7. 2015 In the Picture
8. 2015 Human rights
9. 2015 Health and Welfare
10. 2015 Ecology
11. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
12. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
13. Building a low-carbon world: the sixth industrial revolution
14. Republican member of Congress from Arizona to boycott pope’s address over climate change
15. Vatican meeting of mayors talking about global warming, human trafficking and modern-day slavery
16. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #1
17. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #2
18. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #3
19. 2015 Summit of Consciences for the Climate
20. A Miracle of Unity at COP21
21. Charlie Hebdo
22. Belgian Bible Students review of 2015
23. Bijbelvorsers Blogging annual report and 2015 in review
24. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
25. Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris
26. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
27. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
28. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
29. Hidden potential for helping others
30. Only one person who has the power to cast the deciding vote that will kill your dream
31. Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts
32. The inspiring divine spark
33. Healthy life can be found in sacred books
34. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
35. Written to whom it is about to be reckoned
36. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
37. By temptations, by signs, and by wonders we can see the Works of God
38. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
39. A heart in the right place and brightly burning faith
40. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness
41. If you want to go far in life
42. Spread love everywhere you go
43. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
44. The truest greatness lies in being kind
45. Kindness
46. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
47. Be kinder than necessary
48. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
49. Taking care of mother earth
50. No curtain placed over tomorrow

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Further about what happened in 2015

1. MSN 2015 in review
2. 2015 in review: Memorable Journeys on EP
3. 2015 Wrap Up!
4. My most difficult travel moments of 2015
5. The 2015 Eternal Hunt Awards, pt. 2: The Hobbyists
6. Stay within the lines – or not!
7. coloring to de-stress; I’ve joined the craze!
8. Art and the Holidays
9. Whatever Is Lovely
10. Intuitive Coaching 101–Zen & The Art of Coloring Books
11. Adults Coloring Kaleidoscopic Creatures
12. Unique Sugar Gliders Chinchillas Reptile Adult Coloring Books
13. Adult Coloring Worldwide & Tangle With Jessica Palmers Hidden Treasures
14. What Amazon’s 2015 Bestsellers Say About Us
15. Winter 2015: The rest of the field…
16. Grandad, I can smell you …
17. Kaleidoscope of 2015
18. Reflecting on 2015
19. My 2015 In Year Review
20. 2015 In Review… (adventuretimealpacamybag)
21. 2015 In Review (ingridandjimmy)
22. 50 Things that made me smile in 2015
23. The Year That Was…2015
24. Favorite-est things from #2015
25. Be Looking at 2015 in review
26. 2015 in Review: Paradise River, Dusk
27. The Obsessive Viewer Podcast – Ep 148 – 2015 in Review – Best and Worst Movies of the Year and Viewing Stats
28. Looking Back at 2015
29. Year in Review
30. New Zealand’s 2015: the year we hid from a world in need
31. End of the Year Survey 2015!
32. 2015 in transit
33. A New Year: 2015 In Review and Plans for 2016!
34. Bye bye 2015 and welcome 2016
35. Start 2016 with a Backwards Slide
36. Let’s Commence to Coordinate our Sights
37. Flee from Idolatry

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