Wednesday, 8th

Wed. Aug 8th @ LGBT Center/Carriage House 3907 Spruce St.

9:30 Panel & Discussion: The Role of Faith & Spirituality

Cheikh Anta Babou joined the history department of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2002. Dr. Babou teaches African History and the History of Islam in Africa. His research focuses on mystical Islam in West Africa and Senegal and on the new African diaspora. Babou has published extensively on the Muridiyya Muslim order of Senegal and the Senegalese diaspora. His book, Fighting the Greater Jihad: Amadu Bamba and the Founding of the Muridiyya of Senegal, 1853-1913 was published by Ohio University Press in 2007. Dr. Babou’s articles appeared in African Affairs, Journal of African History, International Journal of African Historical Studies, Journal of Religion in Africa, Africa Today and other scholarly journals in the United States and in France. He has presented papers in international scholarly meetings on Islam and the transnational migration of West African Muslims. He is an editor of the Journal of African History circa 2011-2016, and is also affiliated to the African Studies Center and the Center for Africana Studies. His current research project examines the experience of West African Muslim immigrants in Europe and North America.

Deven Patel joined the department of South Asia Studies in 2007, where he is an Assistant Professor. His research and teaching interests includes Sanskrit language and literature (belles-lettres, epics, and drama); the history, aesthetics, and reception of Indian literatures; Indian philosophy; theory and the intellectual history of pre-modern South Asia; contemporary literary and cultural theory; Pali, Prankrit; Hindi and Gujarati language and literature; translation and translation theory in South Asia contexts. Dr. Patel earned a B.A from Columbia University, and completed his graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley.

11:00 Teaching Peace and Revolution through the Arts

Stanford Thompson is a musician and educator who is passionate about using music education and performance for social innovation. From 2004 until 2008 he was the founding Director of Operations for the Atlanta Trumpet Festival. He also serves as the President and Artistic Director for the Reading Summer Music Institute since 2008, Program Director of the Meru (Kenya) Music Project since 2009, founding Director of Tune Up Philly in 2010, and Executive Director of the El Sistema-inspired program Play On, Philly! in 2011. For El Sistema-inspired programs he has designed and consulted, Stanford has secured over $1 million in funding which has lead to the direct impact of thousands of children around the world. In Philadelphia, specifically, his students have performed on the stages of the Kimmel Center, Mann Music Center, and the Wanamaker Building and collaborated with students during the first national convening of El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States. The network of children orchestras in Philadelphia are expanding to diverse neighborhoods and steadily proving their impact on social ills the targeted communities face. Stanford is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music where he holds a Bachelor’s degree in performance and the New England Conservatory’s Abreu Fellows Program. He serves on the board of the American Composers Forum Philadelphia Chapter and recognized as one of Philadelphia’s top 76 Creative Connectors. He has presented at international conferences at TED, League of American Orchestras. Sistema Canada, and El Sistema USA.

12:30 Lunch & Discussion South Asian American Digital Archive

Samip Mallick is the Executive Director of the South Asian American Digital Archive. He was formerly the Director of the Ranganathan Center for Digital Information (RCDI) at the University of Chicago Library. He holds a M.S. in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois, a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan College of Engineering and has done graduate work in Ancient Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. He was also previously the Assistant Bibliographer for the Southern Asia Collection at the University of Chicago Library and has worked for the South Asia and International Migration Programs at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC).

1:30 Teaching Peace and Revolution through the Arts cont.

Lisa Jo Epstein (Master's & Ph.D. in Theatre, University of TX at Austin) is a professional theatre director, educator, community-based teaching artist and co-founder of Gas & Electric Arts. She is the only Philadelphia-area theatre teaching artist who trained extensively with Augusto Boal, founder of the Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) in both the US and at the Center for Theatre of the Oppressed in Paris France. She also trained in directing and physical theatre at the world-renowned French theatre company, the Théâtre du Soleil. As Gas & Electric Arts' Education Director, Lisa Jo brings over two decades of facilitating experiential TO workshops with many populations around issues of identity and empowerment, community-building, diversity and social justice. She has worked with teens and adults in diverse locations --nationally and internationally-- from community centers to colleges and universities, public and private schools, from halfway homes and residential treatment centers to social service agencies. As one of Boal's "multipliers," Lisa Jo has trained countless people in TO techniques through workshops, professional development (particularly for teachers) and residencies.
Gas & Electric Arts' Theatre of the Oppressed education is a core aspect of our mission to stimulate dialogue amongst youth and adults alike. For our company, Lisa Jo also created our immersive summer TO programs that normally run for 6 weeks, 4 times per day for at least 3 hrs per day. One is called "Power gRRRls" which is exclusively for teen girls, and the other is "Teens for a Change" (mixed group). Prior to founding Gas & Electric Arts, Lisa Jo was an Assistant Professor at Tulane University where she won awards for teaching and directing, inside the university and for her work in the community. In the Philadelphia area, she has taught at Swarthmore, Temple University, Arcadia, University of the Arts and Rutgers Camden.

3:00 Group Work

Tuesday Aug 7th @ Education Commons 233 South 33rd

Tuesday Aug 7th @ Education Commons 233 South 33rd
The Education Commons is located in Weiss Pavilion and attached to Penn's stadium on 33rd street between Walnut and Spruce. The entrance to the Commons is through the Fox Fitness Center. Take the elevator or stairs up one floor to level 3, and enter through the glass doors.

9:30 Breakout Workshops (Choose either A or B)

A.1) Think, Care, Act: Hands-on Peace & Human Rights Education for Elementary and Middle School

Susan Gelber Cannon is an American educator with 30 years of experience in elementary and middleschool classrooms. Her special fields of interest are character, global, multicultural, and peace education: developing teaching methods to help children to think, care, and act honorably and globally. Trained in moral development at Harvard Graduate School of Education, she teaches history and English, as well as Model UN, peacemaking, and debate at The Episcopal Academy, near Philadelphia, PA, in the United States. Cannon has also taught middle school students and trained teachers in China and Japan. She gives presentations and workshops on peace education at conferences globally. She and her husband (the artist J. Kadir Cannon) initiated a Citizens’ Peace Tour in 2006, to Japan, China, Canada, Denmark, and Norway. Cannon created www.teachforpeace.org to give teachers, parents, and students rationales and resources to teach and work for peace locally and globally. Her blog provides updates, news, and inspirations for teaching for peace. Cannon’s book, Think, Care, Act: Teaching for a Peaceful Future, details methods to teach for peace.

A.2 ) Anti-Bias Curriculum in Elementary & Middle School: Creating classrooms in which change is empowering, work is meaningful and community is genuine

Beverly Braxton is a veteran New York State public school teacher, education consultant and adjunct professor.  She has 28 years experience in Partners in Education (PIE), an alternative program she helped develop in the Warwick Valley Central School District. The PIE program is based on multi-age classroom practices, utilizes integrated curriculum, and encourages parent-teacher partnerships.  Beverly values democracy, diversity, and peace education in teaching practices and has extensive experience helping teachers create community and multicultural learning environments in their classrooms.  She is a graduate of the Humanistic/Multicultural Education Program at SUNY New Paltz. She also has training in mediation, conflict resolution, and NVC (non-violent communication) and incorporates these practices in her work with students and parents.  She has taught preservice and in-service teachers at the college level and in several school districts.  She is the recipient of numerous teaching awards, fellowships, and honors, and is currently a member of the Hudson Valley Writing Project.

B.) Peace Education & Human Rights for High School & Post-Secondary Levels

Charlotte DiBartolomeo received her Masters in Conflict Transformation with a specialty in Intercultural Service, Leadership & Management from The School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. She also holds a graduate certificate in civil society building. She has studied post conflict reconstruction in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and has served as an NGO delegate to the United Nations. She has been a trainer and facilitator for seventeen years working in both the corporate and governmental sector. In addition to her training experience, Charlotte was a crisis interventionist, mediator and peace educator for senior high school students for eight years. She also developed and instructs a graduate certificate in peace education at Arcadia University. In 2008 she founded Red Kite Project, a training and consulting organization dedicated to helping people move through conflict.

Zach Stone holds a degree in Counseling and Behavioral Health from Drexel University and certificates in crisis intervention, victim/offender conferencing, addiction studies, human services, and family home interventions.  He specializes in human behaviors, communications, conflict management, and violence prevention.  Zach has spent the last decade as a mediator, facilitator, and corporate coach.  He has worked in the Philadelphia justice system, corporate, government, and academic sectors. For the past 12 years Zach has worked with youth utilizing the Help Increase the Peace Program. He is on staff at Drexel in the behavioral health department and is a regular speaker with the Association for Conflict Resolution and the International Coaching Federation.

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Panel & Discussion: Youth Perspectives on Peace & Revolution
Jamal Alsarraj is a University of Pennsylvania undergraduate alumnus, who has participated in a variety of research and international development programming since graduating. Born in the United Arab Emirates from an Iraqi background and having immigrated to the United States early in his life, Jamal has always been interested in the social and political dynamics affecting transnational and multi-ethnic populations. He has previously reported on global developments affecting various refugee populations for the United Nations Online News Center and evaluated multi-sector trends for both an urban development firm and strategy think- thank. Most recently, Jamal has started collaborating with the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative on projects related to water resource management in the Global South. He continues to grow more interested in the nexus between environmental/resource security and political conflict.
Ayuen Ajok is originally from Bor, a small village in South Sudan. In 1987, an insurgent group from North Sudan attacked his village. Like many of his friends, he fled to Ethiopia, where they stayed as refugees for 4 years. In 1991, they traveled back to Sudan where constant attacks from the North led them to leave for Kenya the following year. In 1992, he became registered as a refugee at the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Ajok and his friends often went without food or water for long periods of time. The camp was often raided, and boys were routinely kidnapped. In spite of everything, they managed to learn from teachers who used the ground as a blackboard. After spending 8 years in Kakuma, Ajok came to the U.S. in 2000. He graduated from high school, Temple University, and most recently Arcadia University, with an M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. He is described as one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan," a term used for male refugee children from South Sudan who were resettled to United States. Ajok’s daily life and professional aspirations are motivated by the challenges and hardships he endured during Sudan’s civil war.

Jessica E. Lee is a Ph.D. candidate at Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.  Her research interests include acculturation and assimilation of refugees and immigrants, health care utilization, and health policy.  She received her M.S.S. from Bryn Mawr and an M.L.A. in Medical Discourse and a Certificate in Gender Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.  She is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow partnering with the Nationalities Service Center as well as the Philadelphia Refugee Mental Health Collaborative. The goals of her Schweitzer project are to help refugees with high medical needs to navigate the health care system in Philadelphia and to implement a refugee mental health-screening tool at refugee health clinics.

Parangkush Subedi (PK) was born in Bhutan. He lived for 17 years in the UNHCR managed refugee camps in eastern Nepal as a refugee and came to the United States in July 2008 under a refugee resettlement program in Clarkston, Georgia. He moved to Philadelphia in 2011 for his current job as a Refugee Health Coordinator at HIAS-PA (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). In 2009, PK was granted permanent residency status along with his family members. He eagerly awaits the year 2013 when he can obtain U.S. citizenship. PK completed an undergraduate degree in science in India, MS in Thailand and MPH from Emory University, Atlanta, GA. PK has teaching experience as well experience working with NGOs in the refugee camps in Nepal. PK’s family and over 100,000 Nepali speaking Bhutanese nationals were evicted from their homes between 1990-1993 by the Royal Government of Bhutan. The reason behind their sudden eviction is still mysterious; however, the King and his coterie used the peoples’ demand for human rights and democracy as an excuse to justify the expulsion. Today 1/6th of the total population of Bhutan lives in exile in different parts of the world (USA, Canada, Australia, Nepal, India, Netherland, Denmark, New-Zealand, UK).

3:00 Group Work

Monday 9:30

9:30 Registration & Welcome Middle East Center, Labaron Palmer South Asia Center, Raili Roy African Studies Center, Anastasia Shown Center for East Asian Studies, Melissa Jen DiFrancesco Peace Day Philly, Lisa Parker Teacher introductions 10:30 Major Revolutions in the Middle East, Asia and Africa Shahana Chattaraj is a postdoctoral researcher in Global Cities at the Lauder Institute for the 2012-2013 academic year. She holds a Ph.D. in public affairs (urban planning/sociology) from Princeton University and a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Shahana’s research interests are located broadly at the intersection of globalization, economic development and urbanization in emerging economies, with a particular interest in state-business-civil society relations in globalizing cities, the informal economy, and emerging patterns of socio-economic and socio-spatial inequality in urban centers. Her dissertation compares urban restructuring in the context of globalization in Mumbai and Shanghai, with a focus on the role of the sub-national state. While at Lauder, Dr. Chattaraj will be preparing an article for publication on the political economy of Mumbai, and working on a book manuscript based on her dissertation. She will also be leading a graduate seminar on Cities in the Global Economy, and co-teaching a City and Regional Planning course on urban poverty, as well as advising Lauder students in their own research. Dr. Chattaraj is also involved in a comparative urban research project on urban governance with the Center for Policy Research, New Delhi, and is collaborating with the Penn Institute of Urban Research on two projects. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Chattaraj has worked with the United Nations Population Fund and the World Bank as well as a community organization in New Delhi, where she grew up. 12:00 Lunch & Film Screening God Grew Tired of Us 1:00 Teaching Peace and Revolution Lesley Solomon Lesley Solomon is a "master" teacher who has worked previously with the Center for East Asian Studies providing teacher-training programs throughout the year (National Consortium for Teaching About Asia). Lesley is now a retired teacher but she taught world history, international relations, Asian history, and world literature at the middle, high school and college levels. She has earned in a PhD in International Relations. 2:30 Group Work

Pro-Free Speech in Stockholm

Anti-Islam protesters gather in Sweden by reuters

Caliphate? Saudi invites Iran for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

Caliphate? Saudis invite Iran for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

Rise of the Caliphate

Anita Moncref, ACORN Whistleblower

Part 1

Part 2

Immediately labeled as "domestic terrorism," Possibly Multiple Shooters in Wisconsin Incident and Feds on Scene

The shooter was on the Federal government's observation list.


WASHINGTON -- Federal investigators had “looked at” Sikh temple gunman Wade Michael Page more than once because of his associations with right-wing extremists and the possibility that he was providing funding to a domestic terrorist group, but law enforcement officials at the time determined there was not enough evidence of a crime to open an investigation, a senior U.S. law enforcement official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, would not say Monday which law enforcement agency had considered investigating Page, or when.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-investigators-kept-tabs-alleged-sikh-temple-shooter-20120806,0,2390104.story

"OAK CREEK - AUGUST 6: FBI special agent in charge, Teresa Carlson holds a photograph of a subject that the FBI wants to interview and is asking for any information as she speaks at a press conference on the shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin where yesterday a gunman fired upon people at service August, 6, 2012 in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. At least six people were killed when the shooter identified as Wade Michael Page opened fire on congregants in the Milwaukee suburb. The suspect who was a United States Army veteran was shot dead in a shootout with police. (Credit: Getty Images)."

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/presser-reveals-new-details-about-victims-timeline-of-sikh-shooting/

FoxNews reported that the person of interest was cleared of any involvement; however, there was no released information about why this non-Sikh person, on the scene, was not involved.

The shooter's mother stated "in the last 12 years I have not been in contact with him at all since his dad and I divorced."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184602/Wisconsin-temple-shooting-Devastated-mother-Sikh-temple-killer-Wade-Michael-Page-apologizes-sons-victims.html
The shooter was "trained in psychological warfare," had a recent break-up, and financially difficulties. He was discharged from the service because of working issues, and excessive drinking. "On July 15, Page moved to a duplex across the street. After the FBI searched that residence Sunday, Weins said he returned to the apartment and found only a computer desk, chair and an inflatable mattress." "Online records show Page had a brief criminal history in other states, including pleading guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief after a 1994 arrest in El Paso. He received six months' probation. Page also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Colorado in 1999 but never completed a sentence that included alcohol treatment, records show." "The FBI was leading the investigation because the shooting was considered domestic terrorism. The agency said it had no reason to believe anyone other than Page was involved." "Page was issued five pistol-purchase permits in 2008 in North Carolina, paying a $5 fee for each. The Cumberland County Sheriff's office declined to release his application form, which requires another person to affirm the applicant is of "good moral character." The forms also typically ask about military experience of applicants, who must pass a criminal background check." "Page did not have the additional permit needed to legally carry a concealed weapon."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SIKH_TEMPLE_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-08-05-15-14-22


"Page served as a "psychological operations specialist" between April 1992 and October 1998, ending his career at the base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home to the US Army's airborne forces and Special Operations Command.

He was a qualified parachutist who received several good conduct awards and a National Defense Service Medal, but never won significant promotion.

He had a general discharge and was ineligible for reenlistment, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards told reporters."

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/7-killed-us-sikh-temple-shooting-police-185640479.html


"Tattoos on the body of the slain Sikh temple gunman and certain biographical details led the FBI to treat the attack at a Milwaukee-area temple as an act of domestic terrorism."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-sikh-temple-domestic-terrorism-20120805,0,6094643.story
ABC reported that "the shootings are the work of a `white supremacist' or `skinhead.'"
http://abcnews.go.com/US/sikh-temple-oak-creek-wisconsin-officials-white-supremacist/story?id=16933779#.UB8uEP2iPqI



The evidence is stated so vaguely, including no details, this easily could be made up.
The "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 defines homegrown terrorism as the `use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.'”
Cf. GovTrack.us. H.R. 1955--110th Congress (2007): Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=h110-1955
No details on how the investigation has determined that this was domestic terrorism so quickly.
In contrast, despite his contacts with a known international terrorist, Nidal Hasan was not considered a terrorist.
"The FBI and U.S. Army determined that Hasan acted alone and as of yet have found no evidence of links to terrorist groups. They are satisfied that his communications with Awlaki, targeted in 2010 as a dangerous Al Qaeda leader, posed no threat at the time. The decision by Attorney General Eric Holder not to charge Hasan with terrorism was controversial, and it was widely debated as to whether Hasan could be called a "terrorist".[10] One terrorism analyst believed Hasan was "acting individually because he doesn't want to deploy overseas".[11] Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.[12][13"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidal_Malik_Hasan
The initial incident call went out at 10:30 am according to a police spokesperson: FoxNews, 5:15 p.m.

FoxNews reported possibly multiple shooters.
The shooting started about 10 a.m.
"Someone who sent a text message to a Journal Sentinel reporter shortly before noon said that there were two shooters with children possibly as hostages."
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/reports-of-people-shot-at-sikh-temple-in-oak-creek-qc6cgc0-165059506.html
"There were conflicting reports about whether another gunman had taken hostages inside the temple. Local news agencies, citing text messages from people inside have reported that two or more gunmen could have been involved."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/us/shooting-reported-at-temple-in-wisconsin.html
Though early reports had suggested there may have been more than one attacker, he said officers had not identified any other gunmen.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/wisconsin-temple-shooting/index.html
Police did not initially identify any additional gunman on scene, but did not rule out the possibility of additional shooters.
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/165061026.html
One witness told Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Dan O'Donnell that at least one, possibly four gunmen were hiding inside the temple after they started shooting.
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/165061026.html
Police say they don't think there is a second shooter involved.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/05/possible-injuries-after-shooting-at-sikh-temple-in-wisconsin/
Unidentified persons stated there were two or more shooters.
Yet, at least one source already concluded there was only one, crazed, gunman.
"Among the deceased is the gunman, who apparently acted alone."
The shooter was a white male in his 30s.
"We have no idea," one of the temple's committee members, Ven Boba Rihe, said of the motive. "It's pretty much a hate crime. It's not an insider."
How would he know the motive?
Information broadcast over a police radio frequency said one witness told law enforcement the shooter was a white male with a heavy build, bald head and wearing a sleeveless T-shirt.
http://oakcreek.patch.com/articles/several-people-reported-shot-at-sikh-temple
Numerous police agencies had responded to scene to assist Oak Creek, including the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force, a collection of federal, state and local law enforcement, was on the scene of the shooting by 1 p.m. Those task forces, several of which are situated around the country, typically work quietly to prevent terrorism attacks but also respond to mass shootings to help coordinate law enforcement. Sources said it was too early to say if this will be considered an act of terrorism.
U.S. Attorney James Santelle said he expected federal law enforcement will play a role in the investigation. Exactly what that role is remains to be seen, Santelle said.
In previous mass shootings, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives trace the gun or guns used in the shooting. FBI also may take on a general investigative role, as they have in the past, helping with search warrants or conducting out of state aspects of the investigation.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/reports-of-people-shot-at-sikh-temple-in-oak-creek-qc6cgc0-165059506.html

MEET THE WALL ST. BUSINESSMEN WHO STOOD UP TO THE PROTESTERS: ‘OCCUPY A DESK!’

MEET THE WALL ST. BUSINESSMEN WHO STOOD UP TO THE PROTESTERS: ‘OCCUPY A DESK!’

Conservative and Libertarian Tennessee Democratic is Senate Nominee, But Dems Diss

Mark Clayton

Guess Who Smashed Up Obama Campaign Office? No, It Was Not the TEA Party

Jihad is the Way by leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

Jihad is the Way by Mustafa Mashhur

Afterburner with Bill Whittle: Going Out of Business!

TWO CLASS SOCIETY: OBAMA POPULARITY SOARS -- IN DC!

Obama "is most popular in Washington DC, where his job approval rating is an astonishing 83 percent."

SENATE RULES COMMITTEE BLOCKS TEA PARTY DEBT COMMISSION FROM PRESENTING BUDGET PROPOSAL

SENATE RULES COMMITTEE BLOCKS TEA PARTY DEBT COMMISSION FROM PRESENTING BUDGET PROPOSAL

Upset about Romney's money?

SOLYNDRA UPDATE

The House Energy and Commerce Committee released its final report Thursday on the 18-month investigation of the failure of energy company Solyndra, that collapsed 2 years after receiving a $535 million loan grantee. Three subpoenas were issued in the investigation, with five hearings and the review of over 300,000 documents.

Joined Friday by Tara Setmayer, communications director for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the ‘Real News’ panel discussed the latest developments in the Solyndra controversy and whether the scandal is still warranting the media attention it deserves.

Islamist Restricts American Military Votes

Previous to her working at the Department of Justice, Lema Bashir was a  legal adviser with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in Washington, D.C. The ADC:

• Opposes U.S. aid to Israel
• Opposes ethnic profiling of Arab Americans
• Supports Palestinian "martyrdom" campaigns in Israel

With the Justice Department, the Obama for America Campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the Ohio Democratic Party filed suit in OH to strike down part of that state's law governing voting by members of the military. Their suit said that part of the law is "arbitrary" with "no discernible rational basis."

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/02/obama-campaign-sues-to-restrict-military-voting

Tribute to the Legendary Mick Ronson | Guitar Hangar | Part One

Rick Tedesco has always been an infallible fan of Mick Ronson, from his early days with David Bowie to his later years as a solo artist so inevitably, after Ronson passed away in 1993, Rick decided to begin his search for all things Ronson.

With the Help of his good friend Ian Hunter, and some strategic investigative skills he was able to track down Ronson's infamous Gibson Les Paul and the rest, as they say, is history.

So we hope you enjoy this video we at Guitar Hangar put together for you, as Rick takes you on a journey through his collection of gear Mick Ronson used to develop his sound.

Screenshot, 3 August 2012

Screenshot from Tedesco interview illustrating Ronno's chronically broken guitar from an earlier period and using Ian as the almost naked model.

Police Drone in Houston: PSA Prepares

A Houston area law enforcement agency is prepared to launch an unmanned drone that could someday carry weapons, Local 2 Investigates reported Friday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in Conroe paid $300,000 in federal homeland security grant money and Friday it received the ShadowHawk unmanned helicopter made by Vanguard Defense Industries of Spring.

A laptop computer is used to control the 50-pound unmanned chopper, and a game-like console is used to aim and zoom a powerful camera and infrared heat-seeking device mounted on the front.

"To be in on the ground floor of this is pretty exciting for us here in Montgomery County," Sheriff Tommy Gage said.

He said the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) could be used in hunting criminals who are running from police or assessing a scene where SWAT team officers are facing an active shooter.

Gage said it will also be deployed for criminal investigations such as drug shipments.

"We're not going to use it to be invading somebody's privacy. It'll be used for situations we have with criminals," Gage said.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/29619788/detail.html

Is it just a coincidence but with a $200,000 federal grant Houston has produced a shooter PSA (similar to the Batman shooting)?

Cf. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/run-hide-fight-city-of-houston-releases-controversial-video-outlining-how-to-survive-an-active-shooter-crisis/

Romney's 9th Grade Report Card: Yet, the Media Can't Produce Any Obama Records

Part 2

Rock And Roll Queen [ Soundboard audio, Hammersmith Apollo '09 ]

Rock And Roll Queen [ Soundboard audio, Hammersmith Apollo October '09 ]

Fan filmed video matched to soundboard audio.

CHRIS CHRISTIE REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR HAMAS-LINKED IMAM AT RAMADAN DINNER

Filmmaker Joel Gilbert: Obama's Real Father Exposed!

‘A DIFFERENCE IN PHILOSOPHY’: PAUL RYAN GIVES EPIC SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF FREE ENTERPRISE

FATHER OF MUSLIM TERRORIST PLEADS WITH FLA SCHOOL BOARD TO BAN CAIR FROM SCHOOLS

Islamist flag often seen in various locations during the Arab Spring, "No god but God."

Armstrong and Desrosiers posit seven characteristics of revolutions for students of World History to study. They are:

1. The economic crisis immediately preceding the revolution
2. The elite and other classes
3. Spread of revolutionary ideas among the intelligentsia
4. Goals of the revolution and major revolutionaries
5. Establishment of dictatorship
6. National mobilization in response to foreign hostility
7. Main legacy of the revolution

In the concluding paragraph they state:

"Were the events of the Arab Spring the beginnings of true social revolutions in the Middle East? In America, many speak of the 1% vs. the 99%: some wonder if Marx is being validated in contemporary society? Are members of the Occupy Wall Street movement the vanguard of some new revolutionary movement?" (pp. 45-46, Armstrong and Desrosiers)

However, the authors do not attempt to apply the seven characteristics of revolution to either the Arab Spring or the Occupy movement. The application of their ideas is suggestive at best, if not argued. Nonetheless, if you do attempt to apply their ideas to the respective movements, they do not apply at all. It is possible to argue that there was a financial crisis in the U.S. in 2008, thus, point #1 may apply here; however, no one seriously contends that an economic crisis tipped off the Arab Spring; it may safely be stated that political unrest reached a bubbling over point which erupted.

In Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, an economic downturn may exacerbate a contentious internal situation but there was no "economic crisis immediately preceding the revolution."

In Tunisia on December 17, 2011, a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi protested the harassment he had suffered at the hands of police by committing suicide by setting himself ablaze. Since then, the governments of Tunisia and Egypt have been overthrown. A civil war has broken out in Libya. The king of Jordan has dismissed his cabinet and protests have taken place in Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran.

What happened?

A revolutionary crisis seems to have gripped most of the Middle East so we may responsibly inquire into its motivating factors. The "Khilafah Conference (USA) 2011 - (Revolution in the Muslim World: From Tyranny to Triumph" Khilafah [Caliphate] Conference America 2012 - Revolution: Liberation by Revelation) more accurately identifies the motivating factors, and they are religious sensibilities, a characteristic that can be evasive when analyzing contemporary political movements.

If not a revolution in the definition of the authors, clearly there is a considerable movement afoot, one which I have identified as profoundly religious. In the Khilafah Conference video the Islamist revolution unites the Ummah. Ummah is an Arabic term denoting a grouping of individuals constituting a larger community with a single identity. The term is often translated as "community" or "people". For the community the revolution is assured with Aqeedah which refers to those matters which are believed in, with certainty and conviction, in one’s heart and soul. Opposition is to be found in non-Muslims or the Mushrikun which means polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah.

A Hizb ut-Tahrir video promoting the Islamic caliphate in Europe during 2011 asserts the same point.

The Arab Spring then is a religious revolution, not based in financial or economic difficulties although clearly chaotic conditions may be exacerbated by these issues.

Any number of recent debates in Egypt have taken up the points outlined above:

Debates in Egypt center around whether Egyptians should eliminate the Jews with the Caliphate, or remain content in their own territory, Egypt.

EGYPTIAN TV PANEL DEBATES CLERIC’S CLAIM THAT JERUSALEM WILL BE CAPITAL OF THE CALIPHATE, Safwat Higazi

Egyptian Sociologist States The Muslim Brotherhood Is "the seed of an Islamic caliphate"

Saadudin Ibrahim notes: "Of course, in 2012, this sounds like sheer fantasy, but all the major enterprises in history began as an idea. Some of ideas died while still in the cradle, while others developed."

Transcript

Tareq Sweidan of the Muslim Brotherhood states that first there will be the "oppressive Kingship," the Egyptian army in control, but thereafter, will be "Khilafah upon the Prophetic method." The hadith Sweidan discusses prophesies the Khilafah Rashida ("rightly guided" Cf. www.alislam.org/library/books/Khilafat-e-Rashida.pdf). Sweidan proposes an active promotion of the Khilafah Rashida.

His presentation on SlideShare.com illustrating four steps to the restoration of the caliphate.

The Egyptian Cleric Safwat Higazi claims that the Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate will make Jerusalem ‘THE CAPITAL OF THE CALIPHATE’

A translation of a book by the Muslim Brotherood’s leader sheds light on just how Egypt’s Brotherhood views itself and its mission. Jihad is the Way is the last of a five-volume work, The Laws of Da’wa by Mustafa Mashhur.

Hassan al-Banna, the movement’s founder, “felt the grave danger overshadowing the Muslims and the urgent need and obligation which Islam places on every Muslim, man and woman, to act in order to restore the Islamic Caliphate and to reestablish the Islamic state on strong foundations.”

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Qaradawi advocates establishing a "United Muslim Nations" as a contemporary form of the caliphate.

The Voice of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

God Is Not Great

One of our afternoon panelists commented that sometimes people tend to posit a simplistic victim-oppressor analysis. We examine the past and determine who has been victimized and who is oppressed. Some educators perform this exercise in the case of Egypt, and the Middle East generally: i.e., Mubarak, bad, what he is replaced with, good. This analysis suggests that if the Muslim Brotherhood replaces Mubarak this could be a good thing. But as I consider covering the Caliphate in my World History classes I am reminded of what is stated in, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens.

Hitchens states that the Koran is a rehash of Jewish and Christian myths. Islam, with no Reformation, and no internal self-critical tradition, is the least adjusted world religion to the obvious contradictions of living in the modern world with a pre-modern mindset. Any historical example to critically examine the claims of Islam has resulted in repression (p. 125). The accounts of Muhammad (d. 632) "are hopelessly corrupted into incoherence by self-interest, rumor, and illiteracy" (p. 127). "The first full account of his life was set down a full hundred and twenty years later by Ibn Ishaq, whose original was lost and can only be consulted through its reworked form, authored by Ibn Hisham, who died in 834" (p. 129). In addition, there is no way of determining how the competing accounts and traditions were collated and edited to form the text of the Koran. We are left with conjecture and hearsay as to the actual message of Muhammad.

The chaotic manner in which the Koran was assembled gave rise to the more pressing issue of succession, a controversy characterizing Islam and one in which Muslims have never solved. Continuously Islam has strenuously opposed critical examination of the Koranic text. The apparent unity of Islam masks a great insecurity and anxiety about the text not shared by other religious traditions (p. 126). "But Islam when examined is not much more a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require" (p. 129). With its lack of originality Islam nonetheless demands obeisance from non-believers yet "there is nothing--absolutely nothing--in its teachings that can begin to justify such arrogance and presumption" (p. 129).

The primary issue of a critical and scholarly account of Islam based on the Koran requires a similar willingness, as Jews and Christians have allowed and benefited from, to examine the Scriptural claims to objective, scholarly examination. The consensus of religious obscurantism though has precluded "free inquiry and the emancipating consequences that it might bring" (p. 137).

Meanwhile, rogues, terrorists, mullahs, and misguided Islamists predominate and prey unmolested upon unwary victims.

As a result, the question of authority looms large since there is no program to critically examine the Koran, religion poisons everything, but an institution could politically unify Islamists.

The Caliphate

It is important to understand what the caliphate is, its place in Muslim majority societies, and its significance historically, over time.

The cornerstone of Islamic theology, the caliphate, or khilafah, is the central, authoritarian government that was implemented after the death of Muhammad by his disciples in 632 AD. It derives its authority from and governs by Shariah law, and is presided over by a “caliph,“ or ”successor” who holds both legislative and spiritual power.

Per the tenets of Islam, this “state” is not limited to encompassing only Muslims across Muslim lands, rather, the goal is to ultimately establish a global caliphate that would mandate people of all walks to embrace Islam or to at least to submit to being governed by Islamic law. The khilafah is also the form of government endorsed by the Muslim Brotherhood.

In March 1924, reformer and president of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, constitutionally destroyed the “Khilafah State.” Today, an organization dedicated to the reestablishment of a global caliphate, Khilafah.com, stated that Ataturk’s move marked the end of “an illustrious era of Islamic rule” and that, since then, “the dark shadow of the West has engulfed the world.”

Prince Orhan Aal Othman, the Grandson of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II, blames Theodore Herzl, the Jewish Zionist, as the cause of the Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Caliphate

http://youtu.be/i5th9dylFPk

MEMRITV - The Middle East Media Research Institute

#3250 - Prince Orhan Aal Othman, Grandson of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II: Herzl Was the Cause of the Fall of the Ottoman Empire

Transcript

http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/3250.htm
To illustrate what Islamists believe regarding Islam and the caliphate, consider the following passage from one of their sources:

"We assert, without compromise, that it is only by the establishment of the Khilafah State, that the practical solutions of Islam can once again provide a real alternative for the entire world. The ‘Clash of Civilisations’ first discussed by Samuel Huntington is real and inevitable. We endorse the notion that there is a civilisational difference between Islam and the West and that the problem for the West is Islam and the problem for Islam is the West. By arguing this, we also maintain Islam, as a universal ideology, came for all of humankind, Muslim and Non-Muslims, and as such it is only Islam that serves as a Rahma (mercy) for all mankind."

Khilafah.com goes on to assert that “the only challenge” to encroaching Western dominance “must come from Islam.”  Thus, to Islamists, the caliphate is vitally important in their fight against Western democracy and to ensure the adoption of Islam and the implementation of Shariah law across the world.

SEN. COBURN vs. MSNBC PANEL, LESSON ON CONSTITUTION

TOPLESS AGAINST THE SHARIA

Court Upholds Domestic Drone Use for "terrorizing" by American Citizen Cattle Rustler

Rodney Brossart is charged with "felony terrorizing and theft of property charges and a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge."

The most interesting aspect of this case is the use of the word "terrorizing," as in terrorist for rather more prosaic crimes. Since the Judge characterized the infractions as terrorist activities, even when they obviously do not involve a terrorist, or terrorism, the door is wide open for American citizens to be spied upon without warrant. Brossart's lawyer argued that law enforcement's "warrantless use of [an] unmanned military-like surveillance aircraft" and "outrageous governmental conduct" warranted dismissal of the case which the Judge did not find convincing. John Villasenor, of the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution, says the legality of domestic drone use likely stems from two Supreme Court cases that allow police to use "public, navigable airspace" for evidence gathering.

DOOFUS COLLEGE LECTURER BERATES LOCAL CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEE AT THE DRIVE-THRU

Adam M Smith is an Adjunct Lecturer at Eller College in Arizona and he also is the CFO of Vante, a catheter manufacturing company.



The college students that Smith sees off in the distance and speculates are getting ready to stage a sit-in, were most likely waiting to get into the movie theater they were standing in front of.

• He tells the young woman working the window, “This is a horrible corporation with horrible values.”
• He also goes out of his way to stress ,”I’m a nice guy, by the way… totally heterosexual. Not a gay in me, I just can’t stand the hate.”

EGYPTIAN FILM DIRECTOR: MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MAY SOON MAKE US ‘MISS THE DAYS OF HITLER’

The director, Khaled Youssef, made the explosive statements on Al-Kahera Wal-Nas TV in Egypt on Monday.

#3516 - Egyptian Film Director Khaled Youssef: The Muslim Brotherhood Might Make Us Miss the Days of Hitler Al-Kahera Wal-Nas TV (Egypt) - July 30, 2012 - 01:28

FBI admits they had radical American-born terrorist al-Awlaki in custody in 2002... but let him go

American-born al Qaeda cleric, second only to Osama bin Laden on the world's most-wanted list, al-Awlaki was eventually killed in Yemen last September during a US drone strike.
The FBI released him from custody after detaining him at JFK Airport in October 2002.


At a hearing yesterday into the Webster report into the bureau’s intelligence failures leading up to the Fort Hood massacre, in which Major Nidal Hasan was accused of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in Texas, links were made between Hasan and Al-Awlaki.

In an exchange of 19 emails Hasan told al-Awlaki that he advocated using suicide bombers and that he believed it was OK to kill civilians to which al-Awlaki replied that Hasan should keep his contact details handy.

The Ugliest Newspaper in Britain, The Guardian, Pat Condell

The Most Important Press Conference Ever Held at Any Time in U.S. History

Part I

Trevor Loudon, author of Barack Obama and the Enemies Within

Konstantin Preobrazhensky, a KGB defector

Survey: 70% of Muslims say U.S. should legalize polygamy

MuslimLink.com

Obama Promotes Growth of Caliphate by Secret Order in Syria

Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels.

Somali comedian who poked fun at Islamists shot dead

Somali comedian who poked fun at Islamists shot dead

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19169024/somali-comedian-who-poked-fun-at-islamists-shot-dead

Sign of the Election

Manufactured Gaffes

Romney Correct About London After All; They are not ready

Is Alarming Rise in Autism Linked to 1988 Event?

Dr. Mercola

‘CRIMINALS’: FORMER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SPOKESMAN SAYS AMERICA WILL BE ‘BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES’

Elizabeth Warren Says America should be more like Communist China

All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople, Upgrade, a few more seconds at the beginning and end, live shot at 3:12

VIDEO: ROMNEY VS OBAMA ON JERUSALEM

EGYPTIAN PRES. CANDIDATE: OSAMA BIN LADEN A MARTYR WHO SPOKE ‘THE WORD OF TRUTH WITH POWER’

EGYPTIAN PRES. CANDIDATE: OSAMA BIN LADEN A MARTYR WHO SPOKE ‘THE WORD OF TRUTH WITH POWER’

A recent video featuring Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, an Egyptian candidate for president, adds to the concern that a virulent anti-American will be elected.

And Usama bin Laden—may Allah be pleased with him—may Allah take great mercy upon him. I ask Allah to accept him with the righteous and the martyrs, O Lord. Do not imagine that a martyr is only someone with whom you’ve always agreed throughout your life. If you had a different point of view from him, and then he was killed, this would not negate his martyrdom. Now this man (i.e. bin Laden) had religion wealth, and he was able to spend millions in the path of Allah, and speak the word of truth with power. However, he preferred to sacrifice his flesh, his offspring, his family, and his wealth, and go to the front lines to work in the path of Allah. The most glorious among us are always the martyrs. May Allah have mercy on him. The testimony which he obtained was a great fortune. I suppose that he—and Allah is his judge now—is among those of whom it is said, “If only my people knew,” Allah-willing. May Allah take great mercy upon him, and I ask Almighty Allah that the Muslims may soon be able to avenge him, as well as all of the martyrs of Islam, such as ‘Abdallah ‘Azam, Ahmad Yasin, and others, O Lord.

NAPOLITANO SAYS MEMBERS OF TERRORIST GROUPS ENTER U.S. FROM MEXICO ‘FROM TIME TO TIME’

“With respect, there have been — and the Ababziar matter would be one I would refer to that’s currently being adjudicated in the criminal courts — from time to time, and we are constantly working against different and evolving threats involving various terrorist groups and various ways they may seek to enter the country.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/janet-napolitano-says-members-of-terrorist-groups-enter-u-s-from-mexico-from-time-to-time/

Holder Cover-Up, Five ATF officials found responsible for Fast and Furious

“The devastating failure of supervision and leadership” at the Department of Justice and an “unprecedented obstruction of the [congressional] investigation by the highest levels of the Justice Department, including the attorney general himself.”

FEDERAL COURT: OBAMA APPOINTEES INTERFERED WITH PROSECUTION IN NEW BLACK PANTHER VOTER INTIMIDATION CASE

The Washington Examiner reports:

Obama’s DOJ had claimed Judicial Watch was not entitled to attorney’s fees since “none of the records produced in this litigation evidenced any political interference whatsoever in” how the DOJ handled the New Black Panther Party case. But United States District Court Judge Reggie Walton disagreed. Citing a “series of emails” between Obama political appointees and career Justice lawyers, Walton writes:

“The documents reveal that political appointees within DOJ were conferring about the status and resolution of the New Black Panther Party case in the days preceding the DOJ’s dismissal of claims in that case, which would appear to contradict Assistant Attorney General Perez’s testimony that political leadership was not involved in that decision. Surely the public has an interest in documents that cast doubt on the accuracy of government officials’ representations regarding the possible politicization of agency decision-making.”
…
“In sum, the Court concludes that three of the four fee entitlement factors weigh in favor of awarding fees to Judicial Watch. Therefore, Judicial Watch is both eligible and entitled to fees and costs, and the Court must now consider the reasonableness of Judicial Watch’s requested award.”

The New Black Panther party members threatened voters with a billy club and intimidated voters outside a Philadelphia polling station.

Townhall’s Katie Pavlich also provides video of DOJ whistleblower Christian Adams on Fox News, who resigned over the case:

MEGYN KELLY PANEL CLASHES ON OBAMA AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Fox News Monday during “American Live with Megyn Kelly featured a Rasmussen Report released Sunday found that just 14 percent of Americans expect that today’s children will be better off than their parents, with 65 percent of Americans participating in the telephone survey believing they will not be better off. Another Rasmussen Reports poll released last week showed similarly dismal results from Americans on long-term optimism about the U.S. Economy, with only 31 percent of American adults believing that the U.S. economy will be stronger in one year, 35 percent predicting a weaker economy by next year and 18 percent saying it will be about the same. These statistics opened discussion moderated by Kelly Monday between conservative radio host Mike Gallagher and Democratic Party strategist Simon Rosenberg.

Obama adviser persuaded him to hold off Bin Laden raid three times

Richard Miniter, “Leading From Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him.”

1981 Obama in Pakistan

"Apparently, according to the Obama campaign, In 1981 — the year Obama transferred from Occidental College to Columbia University — Obama visited his mother and sister Maya in Indonesia. After that visit, Obama traveled to Pakistan with a friend from college whose family was from there. The Obama campaign says Obama was in Pakistan for about three weeks, staying with his friend’s family in Karachi and also visiting Hyderabad in Southern India."

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/04/obamas-college/

"Fool Me Twice: Obama's Shocking Plans for the Next Four Years Exposed"

DOES CALIF. TOWN’S 10-HOUR PER DAY AIRPLANE SURVEILLANCE ‘RAISE SERIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS’?

DOES CALIF. TOWN’S 10-HOUR PER DAY AIRPLANE SURVEILLANCE ‘RAISE SERIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS’?

The Fourth Amendment

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Are the people secure against unreasonable searches? Are there particular descriptions of what is to be searched?

Watch this debate on the topic (Note: The portion of the segment on this topic is from start to 3:05):

Charlotte Laws on The Filter Nov 11, 2011 from Charlotte Laws on Vimeo.

Ret. Col. Lawrence Sellin Explains Why Identity Thief Barack Obama Is Not In Jail