Isis and Boko Haram; Women’s College Redefines “Women”...more

Syria’s Cultural Artifacts Are Blood Diamonds for ISIS

The destruction of Syria’s cultural heritage could have even more widespread ramifications than we realize, the Wall Street Journal reports. Christian C. Sahner takes a close look at the motivation behind the widely reported destruction of religious, historical, and cultural sites, arguing that “the nation’s heritage has been used as a weapon to finance bloodshed, to settle sectarian scores, and to erase entire chapters of the country’s past in the expectation of radically reshaping its future.”

 

As such, Syria’s cultural heritage is not a casualty of war, but a direct target of the ongoing attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Looted antiquities from museums and archaeological sites are being traded much like blood diamonds, providing ISIS with millions of dollars in funding to train and arm its fighters, supplementing its even greater income from selling oil and robbing banks (see “Is ISIS Bankrolling Terrorist Activities with Stolen Antiquities?“). ISIS then ups the profits by heavily taxing looters and smugglers...

First Things: We Must Fight ISIS with More than Missiles
The following testimony was given before Sub-Committees of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, September 10, 2014.
...Instead, these groups—from Al Qaeda to the extremist Ayatollahs in Iran—are motivated by a common belief that God is calling them to brutality and violence against the enemies of Islam, and to control territory in order to carry out this divinely-ordained mission. Over the long-term, while the use of military force will doubtless be necessary, stable self-government, grounded in religious tolerance and ultimately religious freedom, is the only reliable antidote to the toxic religious convictions of Islamist terrorists...

ISIS Giving Nigeria's Boko Haram Advice on Establishing African Caliphate "Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of ISIS's lightning advances in Iraq," The Nigeria Security Network warned.

Nigerian Church leaders report Boko Haram Islamic terrorists killed 350 Christians in One Week   ...“Boko Haram violence has been getting worse every day, and our members are fleeing the area by the thousands,” Dali said. “Recent attacks in Borno and Adamawa states where are our churches are located have seen Boko Haram take over the Army base. As a result, about 350 Christians have been killed.”...

Prayer Services Held Across the Nation as 9/11 Anniversary Approaches

Women’s College Redefines “Women”
Biologically born female; identifies as a woman.
Biologically born female; identifies as a man.
Biologically born female; identifies as other/they/ze.
Biologically born female; does not identify as either woman or man.
Biologically born male; identifies as woman.
Biologically born male; identifies as other/they/ze and when “other/they” identity includes woman.
Biologically born with both male and female anatomy (Intersex); identifies as a woman.

Obama Admin Renews Attempt to Force Little Sisters of the Poor to Obey HHS Mandate The Obama administration has renewed its attempt to force a Catholic religious order, the Little Sisters of the Poor, to comply with the HHS abortion mandate. The mandate compels religious groups to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

The Obama administration announced today it will continue its legal battle against the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order of nuns dedicated to serving the neediest elderly in society. This comes despite the fact that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby and another company in their bid to stop the HHS mandate...