What 2022 brought to us and looking forward to 2023

Liberation

Lots of people thought 2022 would be the year of liberating us from that terrible virus which got the world in its grip. Though not a liberation became several people on their part, an even more senseless killing ‘disease’ came unto Europe.

The leader of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, who would love to find a renewed Soviet Union, said at the beginning of the year he would bring liberation to the Ukrainians. Instead, his “bloodstained” tyranny plunged Europe into the war on a scale not seen since 1945 as Russian troops advanced on Kyiv on Thursday night, February 24th.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is shocking and disgraceful. It is the latest terrible aggression by the Putin regime and the latest damaging conflict in our world, with so many people being killed or injured, losing loved ones and seeing their homes destroyed.

2022 has been a tough year to navigate, with a series of political and economic crises that continue to shape our world.

One powerful man

Who could have ever imagined that one man, from up north, would single-handedly turn the world upside down? However, he has succeeded very well in not only bringing black snow over several people, and literally turning the landscape blood-red, he has severely disrupted economic life in several countries.

Following two long pandemic years – with many still experiencing the effects – we’ve witnessed the outbreak of war in Ukraine and could feel in our purse how it affects us also in our region. We cannot ignore this war that has affected many citizens. At our new WordPress Site “Some View on the World” we have given a voice to those suffering in the conflict as well as reporting the situation on the ground and providing the expertise needed to understand geopolitics.

Picturing what is happening in the world

As best we can, we try to give a picture of what is happening in the world on the continuation of “Our World“. 2022 was another year of figuring out how we would be able to keep up with bringing political and religious news alongside our other spiritual websites. We hope to find that balance further in 2023.

By nature, I am not an easy person and have dared to clash several times by speaking my mind outright. Even in the articles, I publish here and on my other websites, my thinking is based on my personal opinion. One can agree or disagree with that view. I, therefore, appreciate that people also dare to express their opinions. But in general, there is a little reaction in that area. Still, I hope the articles brought, can make people think. For instance, I was happy to find that my op-eds on Christmas in the Daily Telegraph were able to bring a debate after all.

Hoping to expose wrongdoings

With the news we place at Some View on the World we do hope we also could be able to expose the mistreatment and deaths of migrant workers in Qatar for almost a decade as well as other wrong attitudes towards people as well as animals and plants. At my personal site and this site as well, in particular on “Some View on the World” we continue to bear witness to the climate crisis as it destroys lives, uproots whole communities and changes the course of our shared future. We hope for 2023 to be able to bring regular news about our environment.

The fallout from the January 6 hearings and Donald Trump’s presidency could get our attention, and we hold our hearts for the intentions of Mr Trump, wanting to come back as president of the U.S.A..

Independence of my websites

For all the reporting we do here, and on my other websites, I would like to remind you, readers, that there is no financial support from companies anywhere and that all reporting is based on personal and independent reporting, where I keep searching for this site among texts that appear on the net what could possibly be fascinating for you to read as well, and thus to reblog them here.

2022 could bring lots of blogs on the net of which we presented some selections over here too. At Firefox several could find their way into ‘Pocket’, like: Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid, How to Want Less, A Neurologist’s Tips to Protect Your Memory, Why You Should Really Stop Charging Your Phone Overnight, A Guide to Getting Rid of Almost Everything, a.o. most read.

Uncovering and unravelling

Whether on social, political or religious issues, we are eager to seek the truth and expose false reports. Exposing wariness is not always appreciated, but is very important in our view. To do that, we can count on several investigative journalists and some newspapers to join in the pursuit of that muddle, so that together we can make certain things known to the world while others would rather see them covered up.

At Some View on the World we have maintained round-the-clock coverage from several places, not always bringing nice news, like mass graves of Bucha, Izium and many war crimes.

The war accelerated a global economic slump, sending costs soaring, throttling energy supplies and raising the spectre of blackouts, malnutrition and a winter of discontent across dozens of countries. As global food supplies fluctuated, we reported on the hunger gripping the Horn of Africa and Afghanistan. In 2022, it became impossible to ignore those victims in poorer countries. But sadly, we had to observe how little the public cared about those people living far from their homes. And closer, many did not wish to have refugees, so we could speak of a refugee crisis again this year.

Here in Belgium, the influx of refugees seems completely uncontrollable and many, even with small children, shamefully had to sleep outside several nights through rain and wind. This while in Great Britain, the reception was also not going smoothly and people started looking for a housing solution in Rwanda, and proceeded to deportations.

Condition of mother earth

A lot of people do not want to realise that things are very bad for Mother Earth. To this, in 2022, several scientists again tried to make it clear to the world that we need to think seriously about this and take action. We were confronted with UK’s hottest summer, a very early and long great Summer in Belgium, drought in Europe, and the accompanying fires.

Heating the houses became for many difficult to keep in the household budget. It looked like mother nature felt the pressure on the energy market, as well. Everywhere in Europe, we had extremely high temperatures for the time of year. In Belgium 2022 became the warmest year since measurements.

The climate emergency ran as a constant thread through much of our Some View on the World journalism in 2022.

While many European countries were suffering from a shortage of water, they had it in other countries, like Pakistan, too much. Devastating floods in Pakistan, encountering one of its worst natural catastrophes, Sydney’s wettest year on record, ferocious heatwaves in the US southwest and the costliest Atlantic hurricane for years, could catch our attention.

At Cop27 in Egypt, the Guardian asked the tough questions. Though, we did not give so much attention to the changing tactics of activists, now more likely to throw soup at a painting as they are to glue themselves to a public highway.

Uprising

In my view, many other protests could get our attention earlier, as they were carried out in a more correct way. Coming from a not expected corner, sparked by the death in custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini.

Once again, we were able to conclude in Afghanistan and Iran that there is no improvement in human rights yet. The Iranian authorities tightly control reporting inside the country, so we counted on the teams of the Guardian to redouble efforts to reach protagonists to tell their stories. Social media remained also important for this, so it was satisfying to see the Guardian Instagram video on why Iranians are risking everything for change reach more than 2 million viewers.

It is impossible for me to have news sources everywhere, which is why we must also call on professional companies, for which we must also pay. Financial aid is therefore very welcome to cover these expenses. Nevertheless, we try to be as aware as possible of the general events, for which we also make further use of the known news channels and reliable TV channels and newspapers.

United States debacle

In terms of exposure, it was imperative to look at the Trumpists who still claim high and low that the US elections were forged.

The country which was formed on the idea that it could be a free world where everybody could express himself freely and would not be bounded by limitations through a government, in 2022 came to see deep political divisions, caused by a man who as 45th president of the U.S.A. did mutiny on that state and brought democracy in danger. His party made the ongoing climate crisis and racial, economic and health inequalities worsened. It was impossible to ignore the fallout from the January 6 hearings and Donald Trump’s presidency, as well as his willingness to come back as president.

The repeal of Roe v Wade provided a divisive backdrop to the November midterm elections. The conservative, or better said, the extremist Christians in the U.S., made it possible that women lost even the right to their own bodies. They also did not want to give an eye for mother nature nor for all those poor Americans who have no house or anywhere to live except on the streets, where many in the last weeks of the year found their dead by Winter storm Elliott. Buffalo got the worst hit by that bomb cyclone.

Political storms

In 2022 there were more significant elections in America which caught our attention. In Brazil, there were an anxious few weeks as Jair Bolsonaro wanted to do like his friend Trump, saying the votes were falsified. Finally, he suffered a chastening defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who completed a comeback from prison to the presidential palace.

To our annoyance, we in northern Europe had to observe an inverse movement towards South America. The far right in Sweden, Italy and Israel, could get most seats in parliament. Despite her political prowess, the 45-year-old from Rome, whose strong will and determination has drawn comparisons to Margaret Thatcher, Giorgia Meloni has spent three decades fighting her way to the top of Italian politics. She is clear evidence that go-getters win. In October last year, after Brothers of Italy managed to draw votes away from the Northern League in its northern strongholds in local elections, a secret recording revealed Matteo Salvini hitting out at Meloni, calling her a “pain in the ass”.

In Belgium, too, the newspapers disguised several polls, clearly showing that the right is making a strong rise and where voices can already be heard that NVA will have to make the choice to form a majority coalition with Vlaams Belang.

As for British politics, prime ministers came and went with alarming regularity and the nation buried the pound, Queen Elizabeth and its global standing in quick succession. For 10 days in September, the future of the monarchy dominated the newsroom. The crazy game of the English conservatives who wanted their leader to put his capsones under the benches and to ask the people to stay at home because of Corona and not to have parties seemed to think it normal that their leader could do that and lie about it too. The whole world could laugh at the blunders of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, while the British citizen seemed not to mind. In any case, they did not demand new elections and left it to the Tory members to elect the new prime minister.

In Australia Labour could note a historic federal election victory.

Economical storms

The struggle between Russia and Ukraine is also a struggle between the Putin regime and Western Europe.

The war accelerated a global economic slump, sending costs soaring, throttling energy supplies and raising the spectre of blackouts, malnutrition and a winter of discontent across dozens of countries. But we also noticed that certain companies were abusing the war in Ukraine to raise their prices.

Cereals and gas were not released enough by blockades from the Russians, which caused major food problems, especially in Africa. In Western Europe we felt our energy prices skyrocket due to the pressure on the export and import markets. In Belgium, it took forever for the government to take measures to mitigate the costs of its citizens. After several months of calls by the Labour Party PvdA/PtB to reduce VAT to 6% and by their appeals to the public to put pressure on the government, things finally came to a head.

Health matters

2022 received big leaps forward for Alzheimer’s treatments, bowel cancer prevention and understanding depression.

In several countries there was joy that people could come together again to party and that the elderly should no longer be separated from their children and grandchildren. The lockdown had made it very clear how important personal contact is. It was striking how in 2022 teenagers and twens still had many psychological difficulties, which were not resolved. Bad enough, many could not be admitted in time, causing unnecessarily too many young people to die, while this could have been avoided.

Post-pandemic in Europe in danger

For months Europe tried to combat Covid-19. We started the annual overview with the relaxation of the Corona measures. But at the end of December, they now appear to be endangered because Europe does not want to take strict measures for the Chinese who are now allowed by their government to travel outside China again, which will allow them to spread the increased disease further outside China. With the coming Chinese New Year, they could start a new pandemic as in Belgium, it started in Antwerp.

For much of the world, a sort of post-pandemic normality has resumed – with one striking exception: the country where it all began. Chinese leaders faced a rapid spread of public anger caused by their draconian Covid lockdown policy. Only after some activists could ignite a revolt against the lockdown and more people joined them on the streets, even coming to shout to get rid of the Chinese leader and communist party, the government got seriously afraid and eased the lockdown measures. After they had done that another hell broke down, the virus rapidly spreading and killing so many people the mortuaries could not handle it anymore.

While the Chinese seem to be in the first Corona wave, as it were, the rest of the world has gotten out over time and everyone is now looking forward to a shock-free 2023.

We too look forward to an ending of the war in Ukraine and to a peaceful solution between Kosovo and Serbia.

At Some View of the World and at my other personal Space, we shall try to bring you up-to-date news of the happenings in the world, and here on this website, we hope we shall still be able to offer you and share with you, some worthwhile articles to read in this coming New Year.

 

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A sincere thank you to our readers and supporters – wherever you are in the world,
we wish you a wonderful end to 2022 and an optimistic 2023.

°°°

In case you like our work,
do not forget that we always can use your support.

To help us defray the costs
any gift is welcome at
Bankaccount: Giro: BE37 9730 6618 2528
BIC: ARSPBE22
With mention: support websites

For which we thank you wholeheartedly

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Additional reading

1. G7 agreed to ban or phase out Russian oil and gas imports
2. 2022 the year of fearing some wars

Afghanistan – A full-scale humanitarian crisis

Since the beginning of this year, more than half a million people have fled Afghanistan, bringing the total number of displaced people in Afghanistan to 3.5 million. Due to the rising cost of food, many of the Afghans forced to flee are struggling to survive. Many little children had to flee the increasing violence together with their families and are now living in a refugee camp. 80% of Afghans forced to flee are women and children.

Given the drastic increase in the number of people forced to flee, more help is urgently needed. The UNHCR priority is to make sure everyone has access to clean water, food and a safe place to sleep. To this end, they remain on the ground, working with local organizations to provide assistance where we can. Currently, they have access to all provinces. Every day, UNHCR colleagues on the ground assess what the most urgent needs are and how they can safely deliver aid. Meanwhile  they are also stockpiling emergency supplies in order to be as well prepared as possible for any changes in the situation.

You can help ensure that Afghan families get access to basic necessities.

•  Help UNHC: donate now
• Or gives us more means to help the refugees: BE37 9730 6618 2528 – BIC ARSPBE22 – Help Afghanistan

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

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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

Grounded

Daily we are surrounded by bad news-stories via the media (television and social media). All those terrible stories can weaken us and manage to bring fear to many (for no obvious reason, because they live far away from the trouble).

Often it is better to detach because it is not possible to live day to day if you spiral into all in the grief in the world. We have to be conscious about it, but may not close our eyes and ears for the beauties that are around us. And for sure there can be found a lot of beauty, even in the smallest thing.

Each of us can help to give others a feeling of safety and comfort in their own surroundings, accepting the wide variety of cultures that can go together anyway.
A person can not love the others without loving himself first and without wanting to share with others.

Today we can see that the fear for the unknown brings many to choose for extreme right wing political groups, which make use of the fear for other people and cultures, and bring the immigration in a wrong exaggerated light. Immigration, by the way, has been there for ages. It is nothing new. Every generation has come to know about some migration.

When we are willing to learn more about the world we and others live in we shall understand the different positions better and come to accept certain things much easier.

When each person is willing to come closer to the other, and is willing to open his mind to come to understand the other better, by willingness of openness of mind and heart the little environment we live in can change, but like a domino falling can bring something bigger changing too.

Let us always remember that a spiritual shaking is always safer than a real earth shaking.

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To remember

All through life when times get tough, when things start to run away with us or when things start to get too much we often hear the advice

“stay grounded.”

• to balance us, to remind of something solid, something steady

how exactly do we stay grounded when we can’t even trust the ground we walk on?

• on a little Greek island = best + worst moments of humanity play out on a daily basis => difficult to stay grounded

Facebook safety check icon > pictures of Parliament + London Bridge > horrors + pictures of frantic families trying to trace their missing children

• a family connected by love
• memories of places we love
• distract ourselves from terrorism on our doorsteps with the escalating rhetoric of nuclear war between North Korea and the US?
• watch white supremacists march the streets
• ongoing refugee crisis on shores of Italy + Greece
• hundreds of lives still lost in the Mediterranean
• hundreds of lives trapped in camps + detention facilities > endless wait for asylum in Europe.

=> pretty hard to stay grounded

=> have become so desensitized

= not go to denial but keep our heads?

• most important thing = not buy into all the hate.
• majority of people = kind + loving
• fear + when we are really scared => ignorance can lead to some pretty extreme standpoints on issues we never really felt too strongly about before.

== to stay grounded we need to start learning more about the world we live in + we need to discover how we can make change.

Stand together, show love where you find hate and don’t let fear win.

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Preceding

Going on holiday is… silence in your head

Summer holiday time to knock and ask, and time to share

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Additional reading

1. Uncertainty, shame and no time for vacillation
2. What is life?
3. Immigration consternation
4. Would you run
5. Mountains of information, disinformation and breaking away
6. Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory
7. Fear of failure, and fear of the unknown
8. I Am Not Alone – By: Kari Jobe
9. Emotional pain and emotional deadness
10. The soul has no rainbow if the eyes have no tears
11. Not fear or dread or blind compulsion
12. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
13. The chosen ones to fear or not to fear
14. Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) by Chris Tomlin
15. Prayer has comforted us in sorrow

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Further reading

1. What Makes Me Bern about Fear
2. Fear
3. “… Fears…”
4. Worry and Fear
5. Fear, Surprise, Relief, What’s Next?
6. Courage is not an absence of fear…
7. What Fear Can Do To You.
8. The Power Fear Holds Over Us
9. Overwhelmed
10. Anxious And Worried? Pray!
11. Celebrate Victories Daily
12. Change
13. Face Your Fears | Choose Joys
14. Italy: Migrants from Riace are to be resettled
15. Criminalization of aid puts migrant lives at further risk
16. Migration: 416,000 more people moved to Germany than emigrated
17. After the Crisis? Reflections on Migration Governance
18. Turkey slams developed nations over migration issue
19. The migration which is changing the demography of India : The illegal migrants of Bangladesh
20. The Year of Immigration theme seeks to create a renewed sense of community in College Park
21. Szijjarto rejects the UN Migration compact
22. Thousands flee due to crisis, Brazil deploys army to Venezuela border
23. Parliament condemns the Sargentini Report
24. Crosses Erected For Thousands Of Dead Immigrants Who Never Reached American Dream – Desert Graves

From Greece With Love

All through life when times get tough, when things start to run away with us or when things start to get too much we often hear the advice “stay grounded.” We are told to “keep our feet on the ground” to balance us, to remind of something solid, something steady that can help bring us down from those dizzying heights that challenging times can take us to. But what happens when that safety net fails, when you can no longer trust the earth to keep you steady?

Recently I experienced a rather nasty earthquake which has left this question playing on my mind. When we live in a world of such uncertainty, how exactly do we stay grounded when we can’t even trust the ground we walk on?

But this idea of losing trust in your surroundings goes further than a shift in tectonic plates, for me personally anyway. Over…

View original post 972 more words

Let me through- ReFuGe

Today’s thought comes from Divisha Rastogi who completed

an awesome existence of 16 years on 19th march,2016 {Pen Pals…You and me make a better world. – about}

who resides in a small town of north India, Faizabad.

From her sunny country she looks at what horrible things this world overcome.

Screams an cries the throats are dry
On parched ground you lay
Agony and pain, what did you gain?
Ad that war stretched by the day
Realise your worst fears as the end comes near
Your last breath’s a sigh
Regret or relief, what do you believe?
Is the fight worthwhile? {Is the war worthwhile?}

Living in that world she is also fully aware that

When things go wrong,

As they often will

we do have to

Keep holding on, to your strong will.

If life’s headed south, things will eventually turn north again,

Because the world is round my friend

What goes around, comes back around. {When things head south}

It is now already for some years that we do have a worldwide crisis of people fleeing the terror of war. Added to them shall even come more people fleeing the draught and consequences of climate change. The West seeing desperate people thinking they might find heaven on earth in the capitalist Western Europe.

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Related articles

• China admonishes U.S. for ambassador’s visit to disputed India-China border
• Chinese Media Makes Fun Of #BoycottChinese Campaign; Describes Investment in India as ‘Suicidal’
• Cauvery dispute, a grim reminder of India’s looming water crisis
• An uneasy Congress gears up to battle for its survival
• Recording Brother in Visakhapatnam taking care of 9 ecclesiae
• The Christadelphian Shunem Home, Hyderabad India Change of treasurer
• Editorial: Another Big Step on Climate
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• Travellers warned of fatal tick-borne disease in Western Europe

Save

Pen Pals

Let me through, will you?
For I seek refuge
Just for my child, some food and bed
I think I see a light ahead
Across the bars,
In someplace far
The vision is distant
But I do dream
Help me, will you please?
Urge, for my brother’s release
I seek asylum
For I am distraught
It isn’t done as easy as said
But I think i see a light ahead.

Beyond the Fence .

View original post

Destinations need to think out of the box

Travelling Mystery Guest (Pty) Ltd is aware that whether you are a tourist or a traveller, you want your visit to a tourism establishment to be perfect. Still we cannot ignore that many establishments struggle to meet their guests’ needs whilst individual and private organisations try to play with the new and ongoing trends.

Travelling Mystery Guest (Pty) Ltd (TMG) has been registered as a company in October 2012 and offers tourist destinations a variety of services, including workshops and sending a mystery guest to establishments to assess their quality of service.

Business trip to Switzerland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

TMG wants to assist tourism establishments to identify their market advantages to be able to walk the talk and can perhaps also help those who have plans for making an interesting holiday. All may find their website where lots of information is shared.

Hopefully or probably they are aware that the European travellers are not so pleased the last few years or got some nasty experiences with hotels, guesthouses and other travel destinations, in the southern continent of this globe. Internet created a new avenue for business travellers to plan their trip in advance and to check the venues where they are planning to stay. Professional travellers, if you may call them so, also got a little-bit bored by the cool ‘standard business hotels’ and we may find also some business travellers who love some places which stay ahead of the trends, so they also have something to tell about them when they return home

Our guestspeaker remarks:

The new business traveller’s needs have evolved; they are now looking for a temporary home-away-from-home paired with a fast, efficient and seamless experience that will enable them to work on-the-go. {The changing business traveller}

And shows us how this new trend goes hand in hand with certain needs.

Frequent business travellers will generally all agree that the average business trip is no fun. Business travel has little, if anything, in common with the typical holiday and, more often than not, business trips leave the traveller feeling exhausted and stressed out. Most corporate folk who regularly travel for work end up not even using all of their vacation days. There is, however, a solution to this predicament: Bleisure travel. {Bleisure – Combining Business with Leisure}

This is an ongoing trend that business travellers want again, like we saw this in the 1920ies, a lovely time when doing their job, and as such wanting some “Bleisure travel”.

This buzzword was created from the words “business” and “leisure” and refers to a business traveller who fits in some leisure time during a business trip. This is hardly a new thing, but it has only recently become newsworthy. In fact, for long there has been a segment of business travellers who have had the monetary means, as well as the professional flexibility, to include a few extra leisure days in their scheduled business trips. {Bleisure – Combining Business with Leisure}

To have some good climate to fulfil the business-talks assures a more successful business trip.

Not only the business manager is looking for resource optimisation. Today we also find people we cannot stay neutral in what happens in the world. They find we should play more an active role in the negative events of this world.

Digital photograph of Caminhos de Ferro de Mocambique, Railway Station in Maputo, Mozambique. Taken by myself, Justin K G Dumpleton, during business travel 12 March 2005. This is my own work and I release this image into the public domain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More and more we hear about people who want to go on vacation and at the same time want to do something positive or good for the local people. African voyages have become very popular in Belgium as well as the trips to the Greece islands to help the many refugees.

In Greece this may be working and not many locals are making mis-use of this situation. Differently in Africa we can see it has become a blooming business. Several Western organisations smelled money and are organising so called benevoluentary trips.

In any case certain people have become more aware of their possibility to enrich spiritually others at the same time as themselves and contributing economically to the needy population. Educational tourism or voluntourism are clearly in the lift and have a good future.

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• Turkey moves to improve trade with Zim

Travelling Mystery

Highlight what makes you unique and tap into travellers’ expectations.

We recently wrote about business travellers and the growing trend of them looking for destinations that are unconventional and adventurous. Yes, the standard hotel room is still number one on the list for business travellers, but this is mainly because they know they will get what they expect. Hotel groups normally also make this easier, as they have a standard room types, which provide guests with exactly the same whether it is in South Africa or London.

With the bleisure travel trend becoming more and more popular, the demand for more adventurous and unique accommodation options will also increase. This means that destinations will need to start thinking out of the box and tap into travellers’ expectations, which is ever changing and could be quite challenging, yet very exciting!

Out of the box thinking. (Image from: writerswin.com)

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January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

In the past there have been many discussion about the possibility man being good. When we look at the world today it seems not much has changed. Along all sides we can see people who do not want to share the luck they have with others. This has come to a high point with the refugee crisis. It is understandable that people want to protect their own goods and culture, but often they are too much afraid that their way of living would be in danger by others from far away coming to live in their regions.

Several people are convinced that people who are fleeing from war-zones can not be good and trustworthy people. According to several Christians it is even impossible for a human being to be good from himself and as such no one can be reliable.

A17th century Calvinist print depicting Pelagius. The caption says “Accurst Pelagius, with what false pretence Durst thou excuse man’s foul concupiscence, Or cry down Sin Originall, or that The love of God did man predestinate.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The controversial British monk Pelagius in the fifth century had taught that man’s nature was essentially good. This was not to the liking of the Catholic Church leaders who found that because of Adam’s sin all men were born with a strong tendency to sin. It is even for that reason that lots of Christians do say it is impossible for Jesus to be a man. Because he was without sin he should be God, according to them. This naturally is not at all true and makes of God a horrible Creator, having created human beings who can not decide for themselves to do good or bad. Worse it would also mean that God gave man commandments He knew they would never be able to follow.

Pelagius rightly said that an individual had the power to do right by choosing to do right and by beating the body into submission through ascetic practices. Traditional Christianity said that men could defeat their tendencies to sin only by the working of God’s grace in their heart. According to the churchleaders Pelagius‘s ideas meant that Christ‘s death on the cross served more as a moral example than as an atonement able to transform the soul from within by divine force, which meant against going their doctrine of sola fide.

Those who think that Old and New Testaments alike teach us that we cannot change ourselves have not very well read the Holy Book of books. In the many books which form the bible we do have many examples of people who have gone from bad to good but also from good to bad and sometimes returning to good.

Saint Augustine from a 19th-century engraving

The Christian philosopher and theologian St. Augustine or Augustine of Hippo (354-430), best known for “The Confessions” and “The City of God” was responsible for the excommunication of Pelagius.

While in Rome, Pelagius first heard of Augustine through his reading of a prayer from Augustine’s Confessions: “Give what Thou commandest and command that Thou wilt.” To Pelagius, the philosophy expressed in this prayer sounded like the total abandonment of human responsibility and a denial of the ethical dimensions of the Christian faith. If all moral action, thought Pelagius, depends solely on God — both the commanding as well as the ability to obey — God is either an arbitrary tyrant or else man is a creature deprived of free will. Pelagius conducted his teaching along these lines while he was in Rome, and it was to this teaching that an able lawyer, Caelestius, responded, leaving his profession of advocacy and becoming Pelagius’s disciple, companion, and the popularizer of his views.

Caelestius’s Pelagian views continued to spread, and soon Augustine was preaching and writing with intense fervour against this what he called a new heresy, arguing that the whole lump of humanity is infected with sin and that only the grace administered in baptism can wash away the guilty stain.

In spite of these admonitions from the Doctor of Grace, the controversy continued, and it was not long before the articulate bishop of Eclanum, Julian, stepped in to argue the Pelagian cause, forcing Augustine, by the clarity of his logic, into positions regarding the doctrines of grace and predestination that have been burdensome to Western Christendom ever since. {Encyclopedia of World Biography | 2004}

Today we still find many who do not want to see that man has a lot in his own hands. Today there are still lots of Christians who think it is impossible for man to live according to God’s Wishes and that he does not have to do any good works to enter the Kingdom of God because it is just impossible for him to do such good works.

According to Augustine it is not possible to lead a sinless life, with (for whatever reason, probably she had to carry the god son according to the Catholic Church) the exception of the Virgin Mary. For Augustine divine grace must precede every virtuous act and today many Christians are also still convinced we are all saved whatever what we have done and whatever we do in our life.

For such Christians who try to put sand in the eyes of searching people, the saying that we need works to enter the Kingdom of God is heresy. For them it is not only possible for man not to sin, they are not able to bring any change in the salvation of themselves.

The caricature of Pelagianism found in many orthodox textbooks and devotional manuals is hardly one that Pelagius would recognize. He never, for instance, denied the need for grace or for infant baptism; he never accepted the position that man can, by his own moral efforts, achieve his salvation. On basic doctrinal issues, Pelagius was certainly orthodox; and on matters of Christian morality his chief concern was to foster among Christian people a right regard for the ethical responsibilities he saw as inherent in the Gospel message. {Encyclopedia of World Biography | 2004}

The Christian attitude is a very important issue which was been tackled by rabbi Jeshua (master teacher Jesus Christ) with a lot of delicacy. The Nazarene Jew, who was not afraid to bring others to see they had no right to judge others, told his listeners many parables in which he tried to get them to understand that we must be very careful not to loose the right to enter the Kingdom of God.

Lots of Christians are mistaken to think they do not have to do any good works to enter Gods Kingdom. It is true that they are saved and have nothing to do to get under the Grace of salvation. But what they forget is that, though they received salvation for nothing, they can loose it when they do not work at themselves. The leaders of the Protestant Reformation, 1,500 years after the last books of the Bible were written wanted their flock to believe that Jesus paid the full prize or penalty for our sins, so that nothing had to be done or paid any more. They added their human doctrine, which is nowhere written in the Bible, saying that

Jesus paid the punishment for our sins, he having fully atoned for our sins and by saying “it is finished” he did what no human could do, make up for their sins and made an end to everything what had to be done.

But it was not finished by having to come to God (a work) or to follow God’s commandments (again demanding works).

It is totally wrong to think once new born and/or being baptised, we are cleared and have a free way to enter into God’s Kingdom, or what some are thinking to go to heaven. In case a person has fund Christ and has come to God several works are needed. First of all before finding Christ work has to be done to come to know him and his God. Once a person believes in Jesus Christ, the son of God, that person has to convert to Christianity which again is a work to be done. But once baptised it is not finished. Than the person has to work at his or her character and try to stay on the right track, following God’s commandments, which shall require again some, not to say ‘lots’ of works.

Every Christian must work to control themselves. Once having become a Christian that person should try not to lie, to steal, to betray, to fornicate, to murder and many other things he or she should avoid doing (which demands work). If none of these works are needed for salvation the person could have sex with as many persons or animals as he or she wanted no matter the gender. If no works have to be done a person could also continue to do fraudulent actions, without having to worry.

It is for the reason having so many Christian preachers trying to convince others they do not need to do any works, and because of the reaction by Grow Pastor, Minister to Men, Ken Miller to us, at his article That’s the Spirit!, that we think it opportune to warn people of the lack of understanding of the given grace.

Christ Jesus died for all people, sinners or not. By the works of faith he has done, we received the Grace of Salvation, but when we ignore his calling or his heavenly Father’s calling than we shall not be allowed to enter the Kingdom of god when we did bad things and did not repent about them. It is not by works of justice that we had done, but, in accord with the mercy of God, Him willing to accept the ransom offering of His son. Through Jesus Christ our Saviour we are been justified by his grace and are we allowed to become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

When Saul had become a follower of the Messiah he looked at the work of the master teacher and at the sacraments which were given to those who followed Jesus. The apostle wrote

Romans 3:27-31 The Scriptures 1998+  (27)  Where, then, is the boasting? It is shut out. By what Torah? Of works? No, but by the Torah of belief.  (28)  For we reckon that a man is declared right by belief without works of Torah.  (29)  Or is He the Elohim of the Yehuḏim only, and not also of the gentiles? Yea, of the gentiles also,  (30)  since it is one Elohim who shall declare right the circumcised by belief and the uncircumcised through belief.  (31)  Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.1 Footnote: 1See 7:12.

and gave the Romans to know that they thought or hold that a man is brought into right standing with God by faith and that observance of the law has no connection with it.

Saying that he did not confirm that

“by faith apart from deeds of the law” as meaning, “by faith alone”

but him affirming that we then not through faith make null and void the law; instead, we confirm it. It is by our faith that we shall do certain works according to the faith. Pelagius considered that sacraments are elements believers should keep taking throughout their life. For him it was like it is for us, that faith should be expressed and perfected in works. Submitting to Jehovah His works in the proper disposition, which is that of faith, is an action or a work to be done.

Too many Christians forget the importance of the feeling we should have about what we have done. If we do not feel bad by the wrong things we have done and do not repent for them, for sure the Bible shows us, we shall not receive an entrance in God’s Kingdom. Repentance and teshuvah demands a work. Staying a good person also demands work. All those that say we do not have to do any work of faith, are either forgetting what the Bible tells about it and are insinuating we can do whatever we want and shall still be saved.

On the other hand it is very strange that it are just such preachers who talk so ferociously about salvation and no works needed for salvation, who also preach about damnation in a hell, a place of eternal fire.

Luckily the Bible speaks about the end of our life by death, and that we once we die shall not be able to feel anything any more. No frustrations, no pain, no sorrow any more when we die. Then it shall all be finished, but then it shall also be too late if we did not choose for God and did not work at our own self.

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Please do find also to read:

1. Salvation and Righteousness
2. Elul Observances
3. God’s wrath and sanctification
4. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
5. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
6. Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions
7. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
8. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
9. Good and bad things in this world
10. Establish your hearts blameless in holiness
11. Myth 12: The Hyper-Grace Gospel Makes People Lazy
12. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
13. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
14. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
15. Humbleness
16. A race not to swift, nor a battle to the strong
17. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong
18. Being of good courage running the race
19. Bearing fruit
20. To Soar In The Spirit You Have To Be Hard Core
21. Our stance against certain religions and immigrating people
22. Religion, fundamentalism and murder
23. Daring to speak in multicultural environment
24. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
25. 2014 Religion
26. Disobedient man and God’s promises
27. From pain to purpose
28. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #17 Sorts of prayers
29. God’s forgotten Word 5 Lost Lawbook 4 The ‘Catholic’ church
30. Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
31. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
32. When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church

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Further reading

1. No one is saved by the law. Salvation is by faith through Grace.
2. The Justification of Abraham
3. St. Paul Didn’t Say Faith Alone
4. The Law of Diminishing Returns
5. A Call to Dare God
6. The Tangible Presence of God
7. Devotion for Monday After the Second Sunday in Lent, Year C (ELCA Daily Lectionary)
8. Grace is a soft gospel for soft Christians & The Hyper-Grace Gospel Makes People Lazy
9. Did God really say “Prevenient” Grace
10. Can someone who genuinely loves the God of Israel, prays to Him and trusts him go to hell? The New Testament says…
11. I was wrong – but I am right – Calvinists preach a false gospel.
12. The pain of radical grace
13. The power of grace
14. Seeing Christ
15. (12/04/2015) By More Than Believing
16. Faith Child – Forget the poor!
17. (01/13/2016) How To Treat Unbelievers?
18. Repent so that you can understand
19. Faithfulness
20. Faith Without Works (Pastor Joe Taylor)
21. Faith without Works ??? (1 Way to live)
22. Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life: Faith Alone Does Not Save
23. The Works
24. Faith in Action
25. Put Your Faith Into Action
26. Fashion advice?
27. Intentional God
28. The Sower of Seeds: A Parable of Jesus
29. Matthew 23:23 [Coming Soon]
30. Studies in Mark (Pt. 8)
31. Galatians 5:4 [Unfinished]
32. Galatians 6:7-9 [Unfinished]
33. Ephesians 2:8-9
34. Titus 3:5-7
35. NT Reading – October 5
36. James 1:14-20 — Faith that Works!
37. James, Part 2
38. The Book that Almost Wasn’t: Faith, Lists, and Works ~ James 2
39. Tuesday Devotional: Revelation 2
40. Faith Without Works Is Dead
41. Putting Legs to Their Faith
42. Are You a doer???
43. Are You Willing to do more???
44. Mincing no Words
45. Epistle for September 6, 2015
46. Tell it Tuesday w/ B.Parker|How To Pray When Life Isn’t Going Your Way
47. Tell it Tuesday w/ B. Parker| It’s 2am and No One is Answering…Who To Call?
48. Childish Thinking
49. Are You A Weed?
50. Sneaky Subjectivism
51. What Future?
52. Intentional Avoidance, Disconnected Ignorance, or Disinterested Forgetfulness?
53. We Are All Damaged Goods…
54. Just Sitting There
55. The Subnormal Christian Life
56. 14 How to Work Your Way to Hell
57. Faith Life Congruence
58. We pray and plead with you…”Do You Job!”
59. Gospel Doctrine 2015 – Lesson 42 – “Pure Religion”

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Related articles

• Did the Catholic Church Just Say That Jews Don’t Need Jesus?
• Jews for Jesus Denounces Vatican Statement on Jewish Evangelism
• Does the Pope Know Something The Rest of Us Don’t?
• News: Orthodox Rabbis Say Christianity is God’s Plan, Vatican Says Stop Evangelizing Jews
• Messianic Jews, Mission and the Vatican
• Receiving Christ no matter the season
• The Spirit Speaks – of the One Greater than the Church
• Anti-Christian persecution isn’t all about Islam…
• Thoughtcrime? College Professor Put on Leave for Saying Muslim & Christian God Are the Same – David Pakman Show
• Christian Genocide. Why is our govt ignoring the plight of Christians in Iraq?

Symbolic move to scare people away

Because Denmark found it had to need tighter immigration rules Martin Henriksen, immigration spokesman for the populist DPP, used the debate to call for an extension of the border controls that have currently been introduced on a temporary basis.

Copy of “the Independent” cartoon in the article about Human rights groups who also objected to measures delaying family reunifications (2016 January 27)

Do we have to say “After more than ” or “it took only” three hours of debate to have the minority Liberal Party government’s bill adopted by 81 votes to 27, with the support of the opposition Social Democrats and the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party (DPP)? One politician abstained and 70 others were absent.

This shows clearly how the majority of Denmark is feeling about people in need coming to safer places, like Denmark and Germany.

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, of the opposition left Red-Green Alliance, argued that the measures taken are

a symbolic move to scare people away.

The United Nations warned the measures would “fuel fear and xenophobia” but Danish politicians claimed they were

“about creating equality between migrants and Danes”.

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The tough measures such as confiscating refugees’ valuables to pay for their stay and delaying family reunification to three years, are not worthy for a free democratic state.

Denmark’s prime minister has warned that the 1951 United Nations treaty governing the rights of refugees might need updating. After Sweden imposed identity checks for travellers coming from Denmark, Denmark did the same along its border with Germany. Hungary had already built a razor-wire fence along its border with Croatia. {NYT}

Denmark and all the other European countries can and should take other measures to avoid the influx of refugees to the more wealthy countries of Europe. Last year, a record 21,300 refugees entered Denmark, one of the highest rates per capita in the EU, but Germany has to face more entrants and public opinion is also under pressure in that country.

Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote to Denmark’s immigration minister to oppose the property seizures.

“I believe that such a measure could amount to an infringement of the human dignity of the persons concerned,”

he said.

The family reunification delays have also been heavily criticised, with Denmark being accused of violating the European Convention on Human Rights.

Jonas Christoffersen, the director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera:

“The right of refugees to be reunited with their family is protected by numerous international conventions ratified by Denmark. We believe the government is overstepping international law by implementing this bill.”

Liberal and left-wing EU parliamentarians criticised the proposed bill and took aim at a new provision in Danish law that would delay family reunification for up to three years for people in need of temporary protection.

“This law … goes completely in the wrong direction,”

Cornelia Ernst, a far-left German politician, said on Monday.

Amnesty International said the country had started a “race to the bottom” as support for refugees continues to wane across Europe.

“To prolong the suffering of vulnerable people who have been ripped apart from their families by conflict or persecution is plain wrong,”

John Dalhuisen, its Europe and Central Asia Director said.

“This is a sad reflection of how far Denmark has strayed from its historic support of international norms enshrined in the Refugee Convention.

“European states must stop this dismal race to the bottom and begin to meet their international obligations, by upholding refugees’ human rights and dignity. Anything less is a betrayal of our common humanity.”

Liberal Party spokesman Jakob Ellemann-Jensen defended their proposition by telling CNN’s Christiane Amanpour last month:

“All Danish citizens and refugees coming here receive universal health care; you receive education from preschool to university, and you receive elderly care; you receive language training and integration training free of charge, paid for by the government.”

The only demand that we set to measure this is if you have the means to pay for your housing and for your food — regardless of whether you are a Dane or whether you are a refugee — then you should.”

Similar laws exist in Switzerland and Germany, according to officials there. Dozens of cases were reported in Switzerland of migrants’ assets being confiscated to fund their living expenses, although in Germany it was unclear if, or how widely, the policy was enforced.

According to CNN many in socially liberal Denmark say they are appalled by the law, which the U.N. Refugee Agency has called

“an affront to (refugees’) dignity and an arbitrary interference with their right to privacy.”

Wiebke Keson, a 72-year-old Danish refugee center volunteer, said she was “shocked” by the notion of confiscating jewelry.

“Since I’m German, I was immediately thinking about our own history,”

she said, voicing a common criticism that the policy echoes Nazi confiscations of Jewish valuables.

The refugee camp in Thisted (Photo the Telegraph)

A Syrian family was stopped by the police at Padborg Station in Denmark, near the German border, en route to Sweden last year. Credit Mauricio Lima for The New York Times

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Please do find to read:

A stain of shame for the European Union

Denmark votes in favour for a Discriminatory Nazi law

Denmark approves controversial refugee bill allowing police to seize asylum seekers’ cash and valuables

Danish MPs approve seizing valuables from refugees

Denmark adopts controversial law to seize asylum seekers’ valuables

Denmark approves law on seizing refugees’ valuables and delaying family reunions

Danish Law Requires Asylum Seekers to Hand Over Valuables

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Related articles

• Strasbourg court rules Hungary pension law violates European Convention on Human Rights
• Denmark’s government wants to seize valuables from Syrian refugees
• Migrant, refugee, or human? The unsettled issue of human rights in Europe
• European Union Combats Extremists Online
• The woman is simply deranged and drunk on her perceived power
• EU could be slapped down again by Danes in latest referendum
• Denmark defends plan to strip refugee valuables
• The Latest: Agency says arrivals to Europe to top 1 million
• Norway: Anti-immigrationist appointed immigration minister
• Danish PM backs David Cameron’s plan for ‘slimmer’ EU after referendum defeat

Denmark votes in favour for a Discriminatory Nazi law

On Tuesday the 26th of January 2016 it was good to see and hear that there was someone from a tiny country who dared to raise his voice against an outrageous and discriminatory Nazi law of which the Danes and some other East European countries would hope keep away other asylum seekers.

In 2008 Denmark had barely immigrants from the ‘other’ category, under which granted asylum requests also fall. In 2009 it rose, to 7.6 immigrants per 10,000 residents. That was the same as in the Netherlands, but the country was more desired and achieved in 2010 more asylum seekers than the Netherlands. The “other” category counted for Denmark in 2010, 9.7 against 7.2 for the Netherlands.

Danish politician Lars Løkke Rasmussen. (This image is a cropped version of File:Dmitry Medvedev in Denmark 28 April 2010-12.jpeg). Attribution: http://www.kremlin.ru. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen‘s center-right party Venstre presented his new cabinet in June 2015, it looked forward to a stricter policy to arrive mainly because the influx increased constantly.

On Tuesday, January 26th, it was the in December proposed plan toned down, that was accepted to be taken in a law.

The Danish government wants to make it clear that all rejected asylum seekers are immediately returned, but also wants to bring a dissuasion by taking the belongings of immigrants.

In Europe more and more Nazi ideology seems to get back coming up. By excluding certain groups of people travelling between the communities it creates a dangerous distinction. If one were to ask money to people to be allowed to settle in the country one could still accept it. But to just take the belongings from only one population group, refugees, is just unacceptable.

Following similar moves in Switzerland and southern Germany, Denmark’s parliament voted on Tuesday to allow police to search asylum-seekers on arrival in the country and confiscate any non-essential items worth more than 10,000 Danish kroner (about €1,300) that have no sentimental value to their owner. Who will also determine the handling of emotional value which may be retained and which are pricey to be saved? In any case, it also creates the possibility for the police force to hold back (steal) goods from those who are trying to enter the country and to have the confiscated goods disappearing in their own pocket.

The centre-right Danish government says the procedure is to cover the cost of each asylum-seeker’s treatment by the state, and mimics treatment of Danish citizens on welfare benefits.

The UN has nevertheless called the move concerning and regrettable, while an opposition party termed it “morally horrible”. This new legislation is ethically unsound and unworthy for a Union which want to carry the words democracy and freedom in its emblems. In the European Union all states should join hands to take care that human rights standards are kept high.

May we expect such a ague or getting the creeps by those in power in the European Union that measures will be taken to protect the right of those who are fleeing war and horror?

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Find also: A stain of shame for the European Union

A Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Denemarken zwicht onder druk van anti asielzoekers

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Related articles

• [Ticker] Ireland enters refugee relocation scheme
• Riot Erupts in Dutch Town over Plan to Build Asylum Centre
• European Council worries about the detention and reception conditions for asylum seekers
• Soini: Finland should follow Denmark’s tough stance on asylum seekers
• Half of Netherlands 52,000 asylum seekers are Syrian
• Merkel vows to ‘drastically decrease’ refugee influx, but rejects cap on asylum seekers
• U.N. refugee chief says fears for future of European asylum system
• Denmark’s government wants to seize valuables from Syrian refugees
• Danish PM slams new Swedish border checks
• Dutch refugee law echo’s Nazi seizure of cash, jewellery

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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UNHCR recommends measures for strengthening security and refugee protection

UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – on 18 December 2015, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva released guidance aimed at helping States deal with security concerns while maintaining vital standards of refugee protection.

2015 was a horrible year for millions of people who had to leave their own habitat, trying to find places where they could find some peace. The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide will far surpass a record 60 million this year.

With almost a million people having crossed the Mediterranean as refugees and migrants so far this year, and conflicts in Syria and elsewhere continuing to generate staggering levels of human suffering, 2015 is likely to exceed all previous records for global forced displacement, the UN Refugee Agency warned in a new report today.

The global refugee total, which a year ago was 19.5 million, had as of mid-2015 passed the 20 million threshold (20.2 million) for the first time since 1992. Asylum applications meanwhile were up 78 per cent (993,600) over the same period in 2014. And the numbers of internally displaced people jumped by around 2 million to an estimated 34 million.

The report by the United Nations refugee agency says one in every 122 humans today is someone who has been forced to flee their homes.

It notes that the figure includes 20.2 million refugees, the highest total since 1992.

The report says the numbers were mainly driven by the Syrian war, conflict in Ukraine and other protracted conflicts.

Persian Gulf states, which were not a party to the 1951 treaty, have not accepted refugees despite sharing a common language and geographic proximity in the Arabian Peninsula. Lebanon meanwhile hosts more refugees compared to its population size than any other country, with 209 refugees per 1000 inhabitants. And Ethiopia pays most in relation to the size of its economy with 469 refugees for every dollar of GDP (per capita, at PPP). Overall, the lion’s share of the global responsibility for hosting refugees continues to be carried by countries immediately bordering zones of conflict, many of them in the developing world. The United States (and Canada) has limited Syrian refugees to about 1500 since that country’s war broke out in 2011. However, the United States has provided more than $4 billion in humanitarian aid and almost one-third of the more than $574 million provided for the refugees. Reshaping the Middle East Exact numbers on population shifts are difficult to determine because of the chaos in both Syria and Iraq. While some four million Syrians have fled the country, another 6 to 7 million have been internally displaced.

“Forced displacement is now profoundly affecting our times. It touches the lives of millions of our fellow human beings – both those forced to flee and those who provide them with shelter and protection,”

High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said.

“Never has there been a greater need for tolerance, compassion and solidarity with people who have lost everything,”

he added.

Nearly 2.5 million asylum seekers have requests pending, with Germany, Russia and the United States receiving the highest numbers of the nearly one million new claims lodged in the first half of the year.

Currently, with growing polarization of political debate concerning refugees in some countries, the concern is that asylum-seekers and refugees could be victimized, and refugee protection – which has saved the lives of millions of people since World War Two – could be endangered.

Two important points to bear in mind here are that refugees are themselves fleeing persecution and violence, often including terrorist acts; and that the 1951 Refugee Convention explicitly excludes people who are combatants or who have committed serious crimes.

For us it is very difficult to know if between the refugees are also fighters or infiltrators. Lots of people are afraid that Muslim fundamentalists may also enter our regions that way. But this would be most likely. The conditions how the refugees enter our regions is so bad that the Muslim fundamentalists can use much better and more safely way to enter our countries.

With border controls, UNHCR understands the need of States to identify security concerns at the point of entry, for example through increased checks, including the use of biometrics such as fingerprints and iris scans. Its recommendations include practical guidance on ensuring that these and other measures are carried out properly and proportionately and subject to judicial control, and avoiding discrimination, for example based on nationality, race, ethnicity, or religion. Applications for asylum must be looked at individually.

With cases involving the exclusion of people for serious criminal or terrorist acts, the paper of the UNHCR recommends that a factual and legal assessment be done, if needed, by specialized exclusion units. Guidance is provided on this and related measures, including handling of extradition requests, and detention. It also notes that people providing funds to terrorist organizations could themselves be excluded from refugee status, depending on the individual circumstances.

Registration is a crucial part of the refugee protection process, and UNHCR believes that proper systems for this, plus identity and security screening are essential – including in situations of large-scale refugee influxes. As refugees are people at risk of their lives, information-sharing between States has to be done in line with established principles and standards on data protection.

Resettlement and other forms of admission remain a key tool for providing refugees with safety and a solution to their plight. In light of today’s record number of forcibly displaced people globally – some 60 million – the paper makes the point that it is more crucial than ever that resettlement and other forms of admission remain viable and effective options for the international community in dealing with refugees.

Resettlement programmes are handled between UNHCR and receiving States, which in many cases invoke far tougher screening than for almost any other form of admission to a country. Nonetheless, and to assuage concerns, UNHCR’s recommendations include support for continuing security screening – not least as effective resettlement programmes provide a regular and safe alternative to dangerous sea and other journeys that not only put refugee lives at risk, but also profit smugglers and make the jobs of border security forces even more difficult.

Arguably the biggest risk for any environment of insecurity is that of increasing xenophobia and vilification directed towards people fleeing violent conflicts. The paper calls on States to exert continued resolute leadership in de-dramatizing and de-politicizing the challenges associated with managing refugee flows.

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• Obama administration has admitted over 100,000 immigrants from Syria since 2012
• Obama Getting His Terrorist Homeboys New Jobs
• ODNI Confirms Terrorists Tried to Enter U.S. as Syrian Refugees
• Obama: Syrian asylum seekers are like Jewish refugees during the Holocaust
• Half of Netherlands 52,000 asylum seekers are Syrian
• EU members urged to take in more Syrian refugees
• Violence Against Asylum Seekers in Germany Doubles
• Frosty Denmark May Seize Syrian Refugees’ Assets
• 10,000 missing asylum seekers ‘too difficult to find’

4.1 million Syrians having fled their homeland

In December already more than 1 million refugees entered Europe. Some 4.1 million Syrians have now fled their homeland, according to the United Nations, victims of more than four years of civil war in their homeland. This is the latest war to redistribute people from ravaged countries.

After the two world wars the United Nations responded with the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol which clarified the rights of refugees and the obligations of the 148 members that became party to one or both of these instruments.These obligations have greatly burdened these countries in the current Syrian refugee crisis.

According to the United Nations, those countries in Europe absorbing refugees include:

• Turkey, which shares a border with Syria, has taken in almost half.
• Lebanon has taken in over a million, increasing its population by 25 percent.
• Jordan has taken in 629,000, with about 20 percent living in camps.
• Iraq has taken in 249,000 despite attacks by ISIS, which has captured portions of the country.
• Egypt has taken in 132,000. Billionaire Naguib Swiris has offered to buy an island from Greece or
  Italy as a new home for these refugees.

Besides the refugees entering these countries, Europe has received nearly 250,000 asylum requests, many of which will not be processed for several years.  The sheer number of migrants seeking refuge to Europe is so overwhelming and stretching the capacities of these countries that British lawmaker Nigel Farage of the Independence Party has labeled it a problem of  “biblical proportions.”

Israeli and Syrian flags (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Around half of Syria’s prewar population of 20 million has been forced from their homes.  A European Parliament resolution in March 2015 condemning attacks on Christians and other minorities said more than 700,000 of 1.1 million Syrian Christians were among those who fled the country. In Iraq, the pre-2003-war Christian population may have been as high as 1.4 million. Estimates today put it at fewer than 350,000.

In the past these situations were already foretold. The Book of books spoke about signs we should come to see. Today many of the signs spoken of should be clear for those who believe in the Only One true God.

The refugee crisis has followed years of unending battles among nations and within nations. Enemies change but the result is the same. Fear and uncertainty are now the norm. Governments in Europe and the U.S. ponder how commitments made long ago can be kept. They see no clear way out of the dilemma, and in many cases, put off inevitable crises with temporary fixes.

 

Read more about in “Today in Prophecy – Syrian Migrant Crisis“

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• World › U.N. refugee agency receives record pledges for 2016
• Life in a Refugee Camp, As Seen By Children
• The Refugee Crises: Project for Awesome 2015
• Lebanon PM Salam: Naturalization of Syrian refugees is out of the question
• Only 34 Christian Syrian Refugees Admitted Into U.S. in Last 4 Years
• Syrian refugees face a brighter Christmas after arriving in Birmingham
• Trail of despair: 60m people flee their homes to escape war and persecution
• Syrian Refugees from Civil War spiraling down into Extreme Poverty
• Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon snared in poverty – study
• Refugee count hits 60 million – UN

The Meaning of Paris

• Paris already reeling from January’s attack on Charlie Hebdo + a Jewish deli  > most recent attacks > breaks proverbial camel’s back.
• world’s fears come to fruition + Daesh (ISIS or Islamic State) claimed responsibility => French President François Hollande dubbed attacks an “act of war”
• act of terrorism > forced to reconsider, by political forces at home and abroad, military strategy.
• Will more airstrikes be a possibility? Will the President send more special forces? Will “boots on the ground” no longer be theoretical, but a reality?
• geopolitical implications>  current refugee crisis = most pressing since World War II.
• status of thousands of refugees = inexorably more complicated in wake of this attack.
• surge in support among anti-immigrant, Eurosceptic parties across Europe + National Front in France.
• broader societal implication of this terrible event in France = Islam
• social media show 2 specific trains of thought: 1.use this attack as referendum on Islam in its entirety + 2. claim “terrorism has no religion.”
• > both miss an important point.
• Assigning collective responsibility to a diverse group of over 1 billion people the actions of one specific militant group = tremendous error in logical and moral reasoning
• blaming this attack on Islam as a whole simply validates Daesh’s worldview of a battle between Islam and the West.
• Awoefully unwise to evade a pointed criticism of very particular strains of Islam > Wahhabism and Salifism
• call out these dangerous worldviews = brand of Islam Daesh dedicated to = outrageously antithetical to all the values of Western democracy.

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Preceding:

Paris Attack and Ranting

Spike In Anti-Muslim Attacks Casts Spotlight On Government Policies

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris

Solidarité: The Paris Attack and the Refugee Crisis

A husband’s heartbreaking tribute to his wife killed in the Paris attacks

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Find also to read:

1. Paris attacks darkening the world
2. Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks
3. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
4. Massive police operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
5. French Muslims under attack
6. Do we have to be an anarchist to react
7. Wrong ideas about religious terrorism
8. Human tragedy need to be addressed at source
9. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for

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• Rights group says civilians harmed in Egypt’s Sinai campaign
• U.S. Marines Post BRUTAL Message That Sends Terrorists Running For Cover… MAKE THIS VIRAL!
• False Issues Cloud Real Threat of Radical Islam
• Editorial: U.S. refugee policy is not the least we can do, but it’s close
• Europe ‘must close its doors or risk far-right backlash’
• Non-PC Cartoon on Ben Carson and Radical Islam NAILS IT
• Will Europe fall apart?
• Croatia: 2,400 migrants arrive in 12 hours

Sportocracy

Barbarism has once again descended on the French capital. Yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, which have left 129 dead and hundreds others wounded, have unleashed a profound sense of panic as well as a mass mobilization of solidarity around the world for the victims that will – hopefully – serve as the antidote to the unprecedented terror that has now gripped the iconic city.

In events like these it is easy for well-intentioned individuals to want to avoid thinking about any broader social and political implications. But as these discussions will invariably appear, they must be considered.

Paris was already reeling from January’s attack on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish deli but these most recent attacks – again on locations that define “normalcy” for most Parisians: the national stadium, a concert hall and restaurant – may ultimately be what breaks the proverbial camel’s back.

Now that the world’s fears have come…

View original post 1,068 more words

Solidarité: The Paris Attack and the Refugee Crisis

To remember

• great paradoxical absurdity > appalling violence in Paris > parts of media + certain individuals + groups = advocating denial of sanctuary to refugees – people who have experienced very same violence (at the hands of very same fundamentalists) = as a daily reality
• one must empathise with those refugees fleeing violence and terrorism
• exploiting anger + fear felt by so many people across the world in the aftermath of these horrible attacks, purely to further own Islamophobic + xenophobic narrative = misdirected anger + hatred = inexcusable + entirely unhelpful.
• solidarité which must prevail
• our obligations > kind of violence + terror from which refugees are fleeing
• observe somewhat selective humanity + relative silence from same people in relation to events in Beirut + similar violence across the world
• emergence of refugee crisis + displacement of millions of people = considered a consequence, in part, of failings of incoherent + ineffective foreign policy of certain Western countries

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Preceding:

Paris Attack and Ranting

Spike In Anti-Muslim Attacks Casts Spotlight On Government Policies

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris

A husband’s heartbreaking tribute to his wife killed in the Paris attacks

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Find also to read:

1. Religion, fundamentalism and murder
2. Do we have to be an anarchist to react
3. Wrong ideas about religious terrorism
4. Massive police operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
5. French Muslims under attack

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• The Collapse Of Europe And The Western World
• Color Palette of the Week: Old Paris
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• If you want to better understand the Syrian refugee crisis, watch this video
• The West Suppresses Report on Ukraine’s Suppression of Journalists
• Bulgaria to Accept 852 Migrants Under 1st Stage of EU Quota Plan
• Syrian army uses new Russian jets to strike Islamic State – monitor
• Kerry to Open Doors to ISIS Terrorists

Reflections on Human Rights and World Affairs

The great paradoxical absurdity is that, because of the appalling violence in Paris on Friday night, parts of the media and certain individuals and groups are now advocating the denial of sanctuary to refugees – people who have experienced the very same violence (at the hands of the very same fundamentalists) but as a daily reality. For such people to express moral outrage and horror at the actions of the terrorists in Paris whilst simultaneously proposing that we withhold protection from refugees fleeing such violence in their own countries, it is entirely contradictory. If one genuinely feels outrage at the death of 129 people and injury of many more on Friday night in Paris, and empathises with the families of those killed, then one must empathise with those refugees fleeing violence and terrorism. Anything less is simply moral hypocrisy.

However, such moral outrage is not authentic, but opportunistic – exploiting the anger…

View original post 649 more words

What we don’t say about the refugee crisis?

The migrant crisis “risks bursting the E.U. at its weak seams,” said Stefano Stefanini, a former senior Italian ambassador now based in Brussels.

“It’s more dangerous than the Greek drama and more serious than the Euro, because it challenges fundamental European accomplishments and beliefs.”

When Europe is not able to proof to its citizens that it can control who is entering the European Union and we shall have more attacks on our society like last weekend in Paris than we shall have a bigger problem.

In the future we shall have to face emigration for other reasons than just the political ones, because our environment is changing so much that certain areas on this globe shall be unable to provide enough life chances for any living being (man, animal and plant).

We must calculate that also environmental factors often force people to migrate, to move from one country or region and settle in another, due to climate change, land degradation, and the lack of jobs in urban cities. The economical emigration shall not lessen in our society but become a reality also for people living in the Euro zone, having to look for work in other countries than the country of origin or birthplace.

The United States of America as well as Russia also shall have to take into account such change in local circumstances and having people moving around in their own state, just to find the right work or to have a decent income to be able to survive.

At the same time to avoid internal problems, because of the differences between locals and migrating people, in the education system it has to be build in that people shall have an open attitude for other cultures, traditions and faiths. To get social integration the minds of all have to be prepared to be open minded and to respect freedom of speech, thought and religion.

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Eritrean Semhar Haile reflecting on what’s missing from media coverage of the refugee crisis, and on how simplistic representations perpetuate old stereotypes about the global south.

‘refugee crisis’ =  one of the most talked about topic at the moment.

Western mass media’s attention to the ‘crisis’.

Fundamental reason for the displacement of refugees.

underlying reason for increasing displacement of many Eritreans

Often refugee crisis blamed on ‘ineffective states’ + states with an ‘authoritarian’ nature + lack of democracy > makes perfect sense to remove these ineffective or ‘failed’ states => in reduce flow of refugees from global south to north.

accusing ‘ineffective’ states as sole reason for displacement= simplifies various complex reasons leading to displacement.

ignoring legacy of colonialism, neo colonialism, global neoliberalism, + increasing inequalities

many structural causes of displacement often overlooked + environmental factors

global + domestic inequality increasingly widening

economy weakens day by day => not having the luck to survive through remittances = left behind.

important to have a wider understanding of the global political economy, and its role in the increasing mass displacement.

reason for displacement >refugee status > well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion => if displaced due to wider structural causes = almost impossible to grant refugee status ==> reproduce ‘the right story’ = to gain refugee status

Ali Farzat

 

Preceding articles:

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Poster: Please help the refugees

Real progress leaves nobody behind

Swallowed in the Sea but belonging to earth

The natural beauties of life

How to make sustainable, green habits second nature

Vatican meeting of mayors talking about global warming, human trafficking and modern-day slavery

Republican member of Congress from Arizona to boycott pope’s address over climate change

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Additional reading:

1. A smile of Steel and Moving forward in the European Union
2. Science, 2013 word of the year, and Scepticism
3. USA Climate Change Action Plan
4. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
5. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
6. Three pillars of sustainable development, young people and their rights

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Further reading:

1. Migrant Boat Overturns Near Greek Island, at Least Nine Dead
2. Why Climate Change Skeptics & Evolution Deniers Joined Forces
3. Teacher Outcry at Students Detention
4. bleeding heart
5. America’s Response to the Paris Attacks is Deplorable.
6. Paris, in Retrospect
7. Her name….Mother of Exiles
8. Reflections of an Agnostic Regarding the Current Crisis
9. Welcoming the Refugee – Choosing to Walk Away from Fear
10. Should Canada stop bringing in Syrian refugees because of the Paris attacks? Experts say no.
11. What Malcolm Tucker and the Refugee Crisis have taught us all.
12. Polish Patriots Marched Against The Muslim Invasion
13. Get Real
14. Key Republicans Call for Suspending Syrian Refugee Resettlements
15. Why Can’t We Take Out These Bastards CNN Reporter Asks Obama
16. If You Are Going To Watch This – Be Prepared To Be Blown Away #ParisAttacks #PrayForSyria ISIL
17. Gay Man Fears Mass Muslim Immigration
18. Syrian refugees: Quebec immigration minister says security won’t be compromised
19. Myth of Islamophobia after #ParisAttacks
20. Shorter Obama; Feckless Again
21. Feelings on Refugees, Post-Paris Attacks
22. Helga Zepp-LaRouche: We Need A Public Debate On The Real Interests Of All Nations
23. After Paris attacks, Syrian refugees shunned in U.S. over terror fears
24. Should We Even Get Involved? (refugee crisis thoughts, pt.1)
25. Prepare for war
26. Brussels Connection Under Spotlight After Paris Killings
27. In Justin Trudeau’s ‘Canadastan,’ you get arrested for speaking out against Muslim terrorist attacks in Paris
28. Polish football fans send clear message to muslims and islam
29. And now what?
30. Wholeness that knows no end
31. A Hotel runned by refugees
32. Children of Men
33. World leaders warn – it has begun: Welcome to World War III
34. Governor Rick Snyder: No more Syrian refugees in Michigan
35. The other side
36. The Meaning of Paris
37. A clarification
38. #ParisAttack Gives France The Opportunity Send Troops Into Syria After Fake Passport Found
39. Paris attacks: Passport linked to terrorist complicates Syrian refugee crisis
40. ISIS IS a problem but it ain’t the only one
41. Now Confirmed French Government Knew Extremists Before Attack
42. Solidarité: The Paris Attack and the Refugee Crisis
43. Be Not Afraid
44. Syrian Refugee Crisis
45. It’s the Muslims Who Suffer
46. Major Intelligence Failures By French Security Before #ParisAttack

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• Calling Out Rap’s Misogyny Makes One A Racist, Apparently
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• Counting the pages

Becoming adult

Semhar Haile reflects on what’s missing from media coverage of the refugee crisis, and on how simplistic representations perpetuate old stereotypes about the global south.

The ‘refugee crisis’ is one of the most talked about topic at the moment. In fact, many people only learnt about the existence of certain countries such as Eritrea due to Western mass media’s attention to the ‘crisis’. The Wall Street Journal dedicated a whole article on Eritrean refugees currently residing in Ethiopian refugee camps. The article, titled African Dictatorship Fuels Migrant Crisis, tries to understand the underlying reason for the increasing displacement of many Eritreans, and it attempts to look at the crisis from various perspectives, by interviewing refugees and some Eritrean government members. The article concludes by identifying the ‘Authoritarian State’ as the fundamental reason for the displacement of refugees.

The above conclusion is not new. Often the refugee crisis is blamed on ‘ineffective…

View original post 564 more words

Swallowed in the Sea but belonging to earth

The response to the refugee crisis so far has also raised profound questions about a failure of European principles, a trembling of the pillars on which the bloc was founded more than 20 years ago.

The European Union’s reputation, and its faith in Brussels, have suffered in the past few months, with sharp and vocal divisions among member states and continuing doubts about Greek economic sustainability.

The migrant crisis “risks bursting the E.U. at its weak seams,” said Stefano Stefanini, a former senior Italian ambassador now based in Brussels.

“It’s more dangerous than the Greek drama and more serious than the euro, because it challenges fundamental European accomplishments and beliefs.”

Refugees enter a registration camp after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border on Nov. 11. (Robert Atanasovski/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

A translator by degree, who loves writing, thinks that every day we have a choice but that some others do not have a choice. Talking about the refugees he writes

every single day we have so many decisions and choices to make or take, but not them. {Swallowed in the Sea but belong to Earth}

Water of the mediterranean sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

though he forget that they made a very important life changing choice, which was for most of them not so easy to make. though it is true

When they’re in the middle of the sea, where nobody can hear or see them, except for the lord, their choices are, to get lost or get found, to get safe or swallowed by the sea. {Swallowed in the Sea but belong to Earth}

they shall be very limited in their choices, but not without.

Those who might fear those refugees coming to their regions should wonder why those people left their families and their country of birth. for many of them there not only shall be the confrontation with totally different people, a total different culture, but also a grey air, cold and wheat region. How they would not long for their sunny country which nice temperatures?

We should not be angry on them, but should be cross whit those fighters and human smugglers. We should look at the politicians and figures behind the scenes.

Syria is considered the tragedy of the century, and it has been swallowed by the sea of war for the past five years, therefore the Mediterranean Sea will never be an exception. {Swallowed in the Sea but belong to Earth}

Those confronted with an ongoing war had to make the hard choice to leave everything behind what they loved. They made the choice to go to unknown places or to place where they heard from and got some information about. But what were the sources which fed them and what was the reason of those sources to bring them to certain countries, like Germany. Can it not be that they are just used as pawns in a game of ‘Stratego’ or ‘Chess’ to destabilise a part of the world where some states are trying to make one strong Union to be able to stand strong in the stream of the Great Powers, the United States of America and Russia, and to be able to cope with the growing powers of the East, India and China. Could it be that ISIS is a product of American in-action or a product of direct action?

The inhabitants of Europe should realise that they were formed by generations of mixed people coming from one or the other place in Europe and having built a culture over the years which many of them do find in danger,but when they would be strong enough believers they should not fear. The people behind ‘Islamic State‘ are very well aware that those living in Europe have become victims of capitalism and are mostly people who have no strong believes any more. For the ones who want to create a big caliphate it seems best to polarize Western society — to “destroy the grayzone,” as it says in its publications. Islamic State is pushing at an open door to divide Europeans. The group hopes frequent, devastating attacks in its name will provoke overreactions by European governments against innocent Muslims, thereby alienating and radicalising Muslim communities throughout the continent.

The last few years we have seen several attacks by individuals are small groups. Last weekend attack are different in the way that they were very organised and well managed. They are a proof that ISIS is getting better organised in Europe as well as in their battle fields.

Since January, European citizens fighting with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria have provided online and material support to lethal operations in Paris, Copenhagen and near Lyon, France, as well as attempted attacks in London, Barcelona and near Brussels. Islamic State fighters are likely responsible for destroying the Russian airliner over the Sinai. These attacks are not random, nor are they aimed primarily at affecting Western policy in the Middle East. They are, rather, part of a militarily capable organization’s campaign to mobilize extremist actors already in Europe and to recruit new ones. {The Islamic State’s trap for Europe}

Some of those who entered Europe by the Mediterranean sea had also some other goals than the ones who were really hoping to find a better life in Europe. Those are also the ones we do find complaining about not having the right food or doing things which we consider not acceptable, like peeping in women’s shower cells or fighting with Afghans or others. They are in for their own selfishness and for stealing from the others. Their actions undermine the politicians their strategy to bring the refugees into different villages and to get them integrated. Such revolts against the people who are giving them a roof above their head makes the civilians angry and giving them a wrong picture of the Muslims and the refugees in general.

Harleen Gambhir writes in her opinion piece for the Washington Post

Unfortunately, elements of European society are reacting as the Islamic State desires. Far-right parties have gained strength in many European countries. France’s National Front is expected to dominate local elections in northern France this winter; on Saturday, Marine Le Pen, its leader, declared “those who maintain links with Islamism” to be “France’s enemies.” The Danish People’s Party gained 21 percent of the vote in national elections in June on a nationalist, anti-Islamic platform. The anti-foreigner Sweden Democrats is steadily growing in popularity. {The Islamic State’s trap for Europe}

The Syrians had to make a choice and had to bear the sea. Now the Europeans have to be careful not to be swallowed by an equally dangerous sea of treason and hate, by making the wrong choice.

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Preceding articles:

Israeli leaders delight in Europe’s cruelty toward refugees

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Poster: Please help the refugees

Real progress leaves nobody behind

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Additional reading:

1. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
2. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
3. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
4. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
5. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
6. ISIS a product of American in-action or a product of direct action
7. Complaining and fighting asylum seekers not giving signs of thankfulness
8. bORDER-Gastrofest
9. The New gulf of migration and seed for far right parties
10. Asylum seekers crisis and Europe’s paralysis
11. Britain’s position in an age of increasing globalisation
12. French Muslims under attack
13. Syrian but also Belgian connection to French attacks
14. Islamic State pushing at an open door to divide Europeans

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Further reading:

1. US, French Defense Ministers Discuss Campaign Against Islamic State
2. The Nihilistic Assaults On Paris – OpEd
3. Ordinary peace-loving person tries to make sense of terrorism
4. The Liberal Islam Problem
5. The France theater Attacks
6. Paris attacks: What we know so far about the victims
7. In Photos: As France mourns, Europe holds moment of silence in honour of Paris victims
8. Post About it, Be About it: thoughts on social media activism
9. Terrorists Infiltrated Europe Disguised as Refugees
10. Reuters: Islamic State threatens attack on Washington, other countries
11. Making ☮ : Where does the peace symbol come from?
12. Paris, Pussies And Pinterest
13. A Moment of Silence
14. Passport found near Paris suicide bomber shows few security checks exist for migrants in the Balkans
15. Facebook defends using Safety Check after Paris attacks
16. “We The People Speak” Marketing Campaign
17. When Compassion Imperils our Security
18. TV Quiberon 24/7 WORLD – Minute’s silence for Paris victims
19. I’m with you
20. Celebrities mourn Nick Alexander, merch manager killed in Paris attack
21. Anonymous declares war on Islamic State after Paris attacks
22. BidenJam Returns: Lame-Duck VP Brings L.A. Road Closures Monday & Tuesday
23. A Message About The Paris Attacks, And Also Peace
24. French fighter jets bomb ISIL capital in Syria as ‘massive’ retaliation for Paris attacks
25. Make no mistake, the Paris attacks were a result of Religious Fundamentalism
26. Paris attacks deepen Republican opposition to Syrian refugee influx
27. On the attacks in Paris.
28. Disturbing comparisons
29. Investigation on Paris attacks continues as authorities look for suspects

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Related articles

• Russian soldiers refuse to fight in Syria
• Russia to hold drills in the Mediterranean
• Most Read: Dam the Mediterranean
• EU decides on 120K refugees’ relocation and hardly anyone believes in the project’s success
• The Ballad of Aslan and Rose. Teen and Dog Flee Syria Together
• A Global Response to the Mediterranean Migration Crisis
• EU announces second phase of Mediterranean anti-trafficking operation
• Theresa May maintains tough stance on ‘economic migrants’
• EU refugee plan attacked on eve of crisis summit
• Hungary may consider ‘corridor’ for migrants to pass from Croatia if Austria and Germany agree and take responsibility for it, Hungarian PM says – @DailyStarLeb

Thematically Unhinged.

An endless procession of refugees passes through Europe towards many cities

The matter of the huge amounts of refugees is frightening lots of Europeans. Having also terrorists finding their way in Europe along this path is no help at all.

For those trying to flee the violence it is again a confrontation with what can happen when people want to have more power than others and like to dominate the world.

Many also forget that there is a clear Road, The Way indicated long long ago, but still not seen by many.

Most of those those people looking for some new habitat did not want to leave their ‘heimat’. In their escape for violence they found several places where they could not stay. In those places people called their own there is no room even on what they call “our streets”,  because

they are full of our own homeless, the poor, the lame, the sick.

 

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Preceding post:

Real progress leaves nobody behind

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Related articles

• Europe ‘must close its doors or risk far-right backlash’
• E.U. votes to distribute 120,000 asylum seekers across Europe
• Migrant Surge Tests Sweden’s Open-Door Policy
• Poland Criticizes EU Refugee Quota Plan Ahead of Summit
• VIDEO: On the ground at refugee hotspots
• European Union Votes To ‘Distribute’ Migrants Across Europe

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Four years into the Syrian civil war, the dramatic refugee crisis can no longer be ignored by European and American leaders.
The US administration, though deeply involved in the Middle East, has found it convenient for Syrian refugees to be seen as a European problem. And Europe’s response to date is far from the rhetoric of a union founded on the values of respect for human dignity and the protection of human rights. That has to change.

European citizens and their governments have to take up their responsibility. Many coming to West Europe do have “well-founded fear of persecution”. Coming from different countries and different cultures with different backgrounds and different religions they have to undergo a culture shock and find themselves facing contrasting religious thoughts.

Depressingly, they are but a fraction of the 20 million refugees and 40 million internally displaced people uprooted by conflict and persecution – the highest level ever recorded by the UN Refugee Agency.

write David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, and Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor of Germany, for the English newspaper Independent.

In “These are the steps Europe must take to solve the refugee crisis” they say

The causes of this human tragedy need to be addressed at source. There is a clear need for European Union leaders to use the bloc’s unique combination of diplomatic, political and development assets to re-energise moribund peace processes, and to expend the diplomatic capital necessary to stay the violence that uproots an average of 42,500 people every day. But decades-old instability in Afghanistan, Somalia and elsewhere will not be solved overnight, and it will be years before those who have fled Syria can even begin to consider returning home. So significantly increasing humanitarian and long-term development assistance to those uprooted by conflict and to refugee-hosting countries is vital.

Please do read the article: “These are the steps Europe must take to solve the refugee crisis” and find out that

The UN’s appeals for Syria and the wider region are just 31 and 40 per cent funded. The supply of food and basic medical treatment to refugees is in danger.

and that

We immediately need a joint European, American, and Arab donor initiative to boost the funding of those institutions that deliver help on the ground. Moreover, the machinery of international donor conferences needs to be turbo-charged to support an ambitious reconstruction and investment plan in the region.

We need a much more co-ordinated and fairer approach from Europe’s leaders. An effective strategy to manage the crisis will need to address the plight of those who have already reached Europe. Here, too, there are a number of steps that EU countries should urgently take.

Not only the governments are responsible to have those who come in our regions to be treated with dignity and respect. The local inhabitants must let the “guests” feel welcome and give them their moral support, showing them the right ways to settle here in Europe for the time being. they have to teach the ways we live here and how we understand people have to relate to each other. Religious clashes like we have seen over the past few weeks have to be avoided by making it clear that when they tried to escaped religious fundamentalists, they should know and accept that there is, has to be and has to stay free religious thought in our regions. The inhabitants of Europe have to show them that they are open to different religious groups and are not prejudiced to Muslim people. But they also have to make it very clear they want to keep religious freedom and freedom of clothing, thought and speech as one of the treasured values of our community.

To keep a good balance and to keep peace in the minds of the European civilians the governments have to

establish a fair, comprehensive, common European asylum policy, which ensures that all asylum applications are processed according to international standards, and shares out responsibility for hosting refugees among all EU member states. Equally, the Juncker Plan is right, too, to highlight that those who do not have a claim to refugee status should be sent home. {These are the steps Europe must take to solve the refugee crisis}

the human solidarity does not have to be taken by just a few countries of the European Union, but all countries of the European Union have to show their solidarity and act in unity with all the members to help those displaced people, but making sure that no economical refugees misuse the situation.

In the end Europe together with the other world powers shall have to take care that there comes and end to the war is in Syria and to the wars in the African countries were work has to be done to end the in-equality for the citizens and to the fraudulences of those in power.

A refugee arrives at the Greek island of Lesbos AFP

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Preceding articles:

Refugees At The Border- A Blessing Or Burden?

Poster: Please Help The Refugees

The World Wide Refugee and Migrant Crisis and a possible solution for it

My two cents on the refugee crisis

Helping to create a Positive Attitude

Tolerance Ends When There Is No Tolerance Shown Towards Us

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Additional reading:

1. Propaganda war and ISIS
2. Wrong ideas about religious terrorism
3. Bringing into safety from Iraq and Iran
4. Meeting to focus on humanitarian issues for Syria
5. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
6. The world Having to face a collective failure
7. Disintegrating Syria whilst diplomatic talks and poker-play continues
8. Yazidi, they who were created
9. ISIS has released pictures of the destruction of St. Elian’s place in Homs and the Baalshamin Temple in Palmyra
10. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
11. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
12. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
13. A former war refugee’s views on the current refugee crisis
14. The New gulf of migration and seed for far right parties
15. Consequences of Mass Immigration in Sweden
16. Britain’s position in an age of increasing globalisation
17. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
18. Contribution – Contributie, bijdrage
19. The sin of partiality
20. See how you can use your skills, resources, and energy to help Syrians and other refugees in need
21. bORDER-Gastrofest
22. Complaining and fighting asylum seekers not giving signs of thankfulness

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Related articles

• Europe’s migrant crisis: what the EU is forgetting
• Migrant flows to Greek mainland unabated as island bottleneck eases
• ‘It’s a Genuine Tragedy,’ But We Won’t Take Syrian Refugees: US Spokesman
• US to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016
• US to accept “at least” 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016
• IRC Presses US to Accept More Syrian Refugees
• Google launches charity drive to raise money for European refugee crisis

Tolerance Ends When There Is No Tolerance Shown Towards Us

German TV channel ZDF documentary about people who arrive in Germany with the idea that their ideology stands above the German constitution

The documentary does question if Germans are maybe too tolerant towards immigrants from non-western and Islamic regions, and the documentary implies that they might be too tolerant because of the terrible history of Germany.

 

A community where people want to live in peace together requires respect from the citizens for each other and respect for the democratic rules of the ‘guest’ country.

We may not forget that respect also has to be earned and to say that tolerance ends where no tolerance is shown to us is creating a danger zone. Better is that there were no tolerance is shown to some one, to try to find out the reasons why there is such attitude against such people. Often no tolerance comes from taking a wrong attitude because there is a fear being fed by not enough knowledge about those people. Too many Westerners do have a wrong idea about Islam and have also prejudiced ideas about people fleeing the war zones in the Middle East.

Several difficulties between the different groups trying to come to the West have their seeds also in their will to stay strongly to their own believes and not willingness to open themselves to other believes or ideas.

From the beginning those who want to enter the European Union have to learn this has to be a place where there is demanded an openness to different ideas, different believes and where there is a demand to give everybody a fair chance to develop in total freedom, respecting the freedom of the others. Freedom can there only be when everybody is willing not to restrict the freedom of the other. Though there have to be some limitations which demands that there can be found a consensus so that everybody can live undisturbed.

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To remember

• documentary maker thinks: we should make every refugee understand that if they want to stay => they have to accept our system of values
• if they don’t => leaving the country
• having rights but also duties

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Preceding articles:

To find ways of Godly understanding

Refugees At The Border- A Blessing Or Burden?

Poster: Please Help The Refugees

The World Wide Refugee and Migrant Crisis and a possible solution for it

My two cents on the refugee crisis

Helping to create a Positive Attitude

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Additional reading:

1. Faith related boycotts
2. Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator
3. Migrants to the West #6
4. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
5. ISIL will find no safe haven
6. Wrong choices made to get rid of Assad
7. Doubting and going astray
8. Answering a fool according to his folly
9. Charlie Hebdo, offensive satire and why ‘Freedom of Speech’ needs more discussion
10. Being Charlie 7
11. Being Charlie 8
12. Being Charlie 10
13. Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
14. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
15. Our way of life
16. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
17. Propaganda war and ISIS
18. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
19. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
20. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
21. Because of doing too much social work put to silence
22. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
23. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
24. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
25. Europe’s refugees just follow the ancient routes for the peopling of Europe in the Neolithic

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Related articles

• BOOM: German Town Shows Surefire Way to Keep Muslims Out… This Is BRUTAL
• European Officials Says Migrants Can Help Stem Europe’s ‘Demographic Suicide’
• Commotions Erupt at Reception Site for Migrants in Croatia
• VIDEO: Why are migrants fleeing Middle East now?
• Isis, Refugees and the Expansion of Israel
• European ministers agree to relocate 120,000 refugees
• Russian EU ambassador: EU interested in broad anti-terrorist coalition
• John kerry and philip hammond to hold talks on defeating is
• Brazil Quietly Welcoming Syrian Refugees

Diary of Dennis

The German TV channel ZDF broadcasted a documentary that shows what kind of conflicts there are between immigrants and refugees that arrive from Islamic and non-western countries. Usually, I wouldn’t suggest to watch a TV broadcast from ZDF as they are often biased against German citizens, but over the last time they started to report more about conflicts that they denied previously, maybe because it’s no longer possible to hide the facts.

This documentary is about conflicts between immigrants or refugees, not so much about conflicts between them and German citizens, anyways, it gives you an impression what kind of effect this has on German citizens as well. The documentary is about people who arrive in Germany with the idea that their ideology stands above the German constitution, and the documentary does question if we Germans are maybe too tolerant towards immigrants from non-western and Islamic regions, and the documentary…

View original post 281 more words

My two cents on the refugee crisis

Freedom of thought can only be secured when everybody has access to unbiased quality education. All those fining asylum should have to learn that freedom and peace can only be there where every one respects the freedom of others inclusive the freedom of religion, in public places finding no restriction of any member of the community.

Ralie from the humble little country of Bulgaria, who believes in people’s power to use common sense and reach their own conclusions, presents a record of his life pre- and post-immigration brings his two cents worth of opinion

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To remember:

• Both sides of the debate flinging accusations on the entire scale from “xenophobes” to “betrayers of Europe”
• there aren’t many people thinking what to do with the refugees once they’ve arrived
• fearing they will “take our jobs” and “turn Germany into a caliphate”
• lot of sense in upholding European values of tolerance and solidarity <= they have stood the test of time and war, + have proven themselves invaluable in times of humanitarian crisis
• yes, build mosques, but respect the secular ideas which made your escape possible, keep your culture, but respect the people who gave you a new home on their own land.
• will their children remember secular Syria and the fundamentalist Muslims?
• Europe = a mess of different ethnicities, different moral codes + different cultures + tolerance, moral pluralism + compassion

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Preceding articles:

Still Hope though Power generating long train of abuses

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Refugees At The Border- A Blessing Or Burden?

Poster: Please Help The Refugees

The World Wide Refugee and Migrant Crisis and a possible solution for it

Social media and asylum seekers

Israeli leaders delight in Europe’s cruelty toward refugees

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Additional reading:

1. Concerning gospelfaith
2. Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
3. Do you believe in One God
4. Epitome of the one faith
5. Faith moving mountains
6. Full authority belongs to God
7. God is one
8. God’s design in the creation of the world
9. God’s promises
10. God’s measure not our measure
11. God’s promises to us in our suffering
12. God of gods
13. God’s hope and our hope
14. God’s salvation
15. Hope for the future
16. Incomplete without the mind of God
17. Is God hiding His face when He is seemingly silent
18. Israel in God’s purpose
19. Life with God
20. Looking for blessed hope
21. Meaning of life
22. Miracles in our time of suffering
23. Moving mountains
24. Not sure there exist a God
25. Nurturing a close relationship with God
26. Only one God
27. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
28. Our way of life
29. Plain necessary food of the gospel
30. Reasons that Jesus was and is not God
31. Sayings around God
32. Second exodus
33. Sects, why so many
34. Suffering
35. Suffering through the apparent silence of God
36. Suffering continues
37. Suffering leading to joy
38. Surprised by joy
39. Surprised by time in joys & sufferings
40. Words from God about suffering
41. Working of the hope
42. Seems no future in suffering
43. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
44. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #1
45. Meeting to focus on humanitarian issues for Syria
46. Men of faith
47. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
48. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
49. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
50. Faith related boycotts
51. Mocking, Agitation and Religious Persecution
52. Economic crisis danger for the rise of political extremism
53. Americans wrongly informed about situation in Europe
54. Fitting the bill in the North and in the East
55. The Protester named Person of the Year 2011 by Time Magazine
56. Cool Person of the year 2011
57. 2014 Social contacts
58. Rampaging, demolishing sacred sites and cultural heritage
59. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
60. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
61. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
62. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
63. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
64. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
65. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
66. Europe’s refugees just follow the ancient routes for the peopling of Europe in the Neolithic
67. Why Russia backs Assad: a view from Russia’s anti-imperialist left
68. Propaganda war and ISIS
69. African misery and women inequality
70. Because of doing too much social work put to silence

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• Germany, other European nations tighten border controls
• Refugee Crisis Is Not Just Europe’s Problem, Says UK Islamic Leader
• In ageing Germany, refugees seen as tomorrow’s skilled workers
• Why Muslim Refugees in Germany are Converting to Christianity
• EU ministers discuss sharing refugees among nations
• European migrant crisis: Young asylum seekers could be solution to Germany’s economic challenges
• World › Refugees spurn France in search for better life
• Syrian refugee family meets rude welcome in new German home