Report From Washington - July 1, 2011

Oil price goes up after Obama releases oil / Obama recognizes, talks with the Muslim Brotherhood / The non-Twitter Weiner scandal at State / Congressmen demand pro-Hamas activists be protected from Israel / Congress, NBC and Under God / Same Sex marriage in New York / Feisal Rauf associated with anti-Israel flotilla / Iraq's vulnerable religious minorities / Nigerian churchs install metal detectors / The Kabul hotel attack

 

NEW THIS WEEK: CHAIRMAN'S REPORT FOR JUNE 29th, 2011 - William J Murray reports on President Obama, Congress and terrorism. This issue includes Obama's drive to make us more dependent on energy from despotic nations and his release of oil from the Strategic Reserve. The genocide of Christians in the Sudan which Obama is also ignoring while assisting Muslims in Egypt is questioned. At the Capitol Peter King's hearings on radical Islam in our prisons and the Child Interstate Abortion Notification bill are investigated. On the international front the continued slaughter of Christians in Nigeria by the Boko Haram is discussed. Also covered is the continued push for sharia law in Egypt by elements of the Muslim Brotherhood.

PRESIDENCY 

ABOUT THAT OIL RELEASE - Last week I wrote that President Obama's attempt to manipulate the markets with a release of oil from the Strategic Reserve would do little except frustrate markets. His intention was to bring down the price of oil and "teach speculators a lesson." On the day Obama announced the release of a million barrels of oil a day, oil was trading for $92 a barrel and yes, it quickly fell -- for a few days. Exactly one week after the release of oil from our emergency reserve, oil traded for $95 a barrel. The amount of oil the United States government holds in reserve is not large enough to affect world prices for more than a few days. Final result: The oil in the reserve, which was bought at an average price of about $50 a barrel, must now be replaced with oil costing nearly $100 a barrel.  
RECOGNIZING THE BROTHERHOOD - The sworn objective and the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood is:
"Allah is our objective.
The Prophet is our leader.
Qur'an is our law.
Jihad is our way.
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." The Obama Administration has begun a relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood stating, "The political landscape in Egypt has changed, and is changing. It is in our interests to engage with all of the parties that are competing for parliament or the presidency," a State Department official told Reuters. Negotiate this: The only acceptable final agreement for the Muslim Brotherhood will be the surrender of our Constitution and the establishment of sharia as the law under a Caliphate.

THE REAL WEINER SCANDAL IS AT STATE - Congressman Anthony Weiner's twitter photo scandal exposed an even greater Weiner scandal at the State Department. Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, a close confident and adviser to Hillary Clinton and who holds a top security clearance, has open associations with the Muslim Brotherhood. It is more than likely that the decision to recognize the Muslim Brotherhood as a legitimate organization was orchestrated in her office. Considering her associations, can Huma Abedin be trusted or is she in fact a double agent? Human Events has published a recent article that sheds light on Huma Abedin.

 

THE CONGRESS 

CONGRESSMEN DEMAND PROTECTION FOR RADICALS ATTACKING ISRAEL - Six Democrat Representatives have signed a letter of concern to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that she protect "Americans" on the "Audacity of Hope" - a ship that is expected to cause violence and political trouble for Israel. The ship - filled with 50 anti-Israel activists - is to leave today. The goal is to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Members of Congress who are concerned for the safety of the pro-Hamas Americans include: Dennis Kucinich, (D-OH) Read more

CONGRESSMEN COMPLAIN TO NBC OVER "UNDER GOD" DELETION - 108 Members of Congress sent a Letter to NBC chastising the network for cutting "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance during its coverage of the U.S. Open this month. NBC aired a patriotic video montage that included children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and twice during the video "under God" was cut out of the Pledge. Congressman Randy Forbes, Co-Chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, and 107 other Members of Congress sent the bipartisan letter to Mr. Stephen Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal, expressing serious concerns. Read more 

 

RELIGION AND CULTURE 

SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN NEW YORK - When the New York legislature this past week passed a law allowing same sex marriage they claimed to have "protected" religious organizations. This is not true. Religious adoption agencies will be forced to close and private businesses will be forced to participate in same-sex marriages. There will also be a loss of access to professional licenses in counseling. Heritage. Heritage Foundation has produced an excellent analysis. In New York Catholic Bishops issued a statement saying they expect efforts to enact government sanctions against churches.

NO 911 MOSQUE

GROUND ZERO MOSQUE PROMOTER HELPS FUND GAZA FLOTILLA -The main spokesman and promoter for the Ground Zero mosque, Imam Feisal Rauf, is also deeply involved with a leftist and Islamic group funding the Gaza flotilla mentioned above. For details on Rauf's radical international connections, and on the flotilla, especially the American boat "Audacity of Hope," read more at www.no911mosque.org.
 

INTERNATIONAL 

IRAQ'S VULNERABLE MINORITIES - Recent congressional hearings have entirely missed any discussion of how Al Qaeda and various Shi'a militias are active in Iraq and how, as a result, Iraq's most vulnerable ethno-religious minority communities are at greater risk of being annihilated when the U.S. leaves. Tina Ramirez of the Becket Fund has authored a report on the dangers to Christians and other minorities in Iraq as the United States withdraws.
  CHURCHES INSTALL METAL DETECTORS - Churches in predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria began installing metal detectors because of recent bombings. Churches are searching handbags for explosives as well. There have been several bombings of churches and church affiliated buildings by Boko Haram. On Christmas Eve, more than 80 Christians were killed. Boko Haram translates as "Western education is evil."
KABUL HOTEL ATTACK - At least eight Taliban armed with guns and bombs shot their way into the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan killing several Westerners this week. US troops had to be called to take the hotel back. The attack came just days after the Obama Administration announced it was in talks with the Taliban.

RELEASE ASIA BIBI NOW - Pakistani Christians are demanding the release of Asia Bibi, mother of five, who has been falsely accused of blasphemy and jailed for nearly two years. Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are used to blackmail Christians and steal their homes and land. This is just one more outrage. More at Pakistan Christian Post

 

CHRISTIAN INTERNET STORE 

VISIT OUR INTERNET STORE - Our Internet store has more than books and CD's. There is everything from candy to jewelry and all of it has a Christian theme. Unlike Amazon and other major Internet stores we do not sell porn and satanic materials right beside Christian books. Ours is a real Christian store with tens of thousands of items. Please take a look. The store is located at www.rfcstore.com

Week Ending May 16, 2008 - Washington, DC

Islamic rocket attack welcomes Bush to Israel / Bush killed in Islamic children's video shown on TV / Bush hands Lebanon to Islamists / Goodbye Hillary? / Pro-Life congressman to head GOP Platform Committee / Dems want Internet gambling / Military Honor and Decency / Horrible death toll in Islamic bombings in India / More on bombed home of evangelist in Israel

THE PRESIDENT

ISLAMIC ROCKET WELCOMES BUSH TO ISRAEL - Just as President George W. Bush prepared to speak at a May 14th event in Israel marking its 60 years of independence, 15 people were wounded, including a three-year-old, when a Grad rocket fired from Gaza hit the Hutzot Shopping Center in Ashkelon. (Jpost story) The President spoke about America's commitment to Israel without mentioning that his Administration pressured Israel into leaving the Gaza Strip, from which Muslims now fire dozens of rockets daily into southern Israel. The President now heads to Saudi Arabia to visit with the worst offenders of human rights in the world, and to beg them to pump additional oil to lower gasoline prices.

BUSH KILLED IN CHILDREN'S VIDEO - Numerous Islamic sites have threatened President Bush's life on his present Middle East trip. Yet, Bush hopes to convince Israel to give up more of its territory to help establish a Palestinian State. Meanwhile Palestinian TV just aired children's show in which the White House is turned into a mosque and Bush is stabbed to death by a Palestinian child using the sword of Allah.

BUSH HANDS LEBANON TO ISLAMISTS- Christians with enough money to do so are fleeing Lebanon, as Druse and Christian militias plead with the Bush Administration for arms to fight the Islamists. In reality the fight is over and the Bush Administration is so distracted with the prospect of Israel giving up land for a Palestinian state that they don't realize Lebanon is lost.

Sheik Yazeeb Khader, A West Bank political activist, does understand what Bush does not. This week he said, ""What happened in Gaza in 2007 is an achievement; now it is happening in 2008 in Lebanon. It's going to happen in 2009 in Jordan and it's going to happen in 2010 in Egypt." He continued, "We are seeing a redrawing of the map of the Middle East where the forces of resistance and steadfastness are the ones moving the things on the ground."

He is right; once Bush allows Lebanon to fall, land locked Jordan will be next. Full Story.

GOODBYE HILLARY? - Virtually all the pundits now declare that the Democrats have their nominee and it is time for Hillary Clinton to step aside for Barack Obama. One voice calling for her to withdraw is that of Senator Ted Kennedy. Yet, when he ran for president in 1980 he refused to step aside even though he was 500 delegate votes behind Gov. Jimmy Carter. He carried his campaign to the floor of the convention. Senator Obama says he will have the delegates needed by May 20th to tell Hillary bye bye.

THE CONGRESS

PRO-LIFE CONGRESSMAN TO HEAD PLATFORM COMMITTEE - Republican National Committee chairman Robert "Mike" Duncan has named pro-life Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Platform Committee. Rep. McCarthy has a 100% pro-life voting rating from the National Right to Life Committee and will most certainly work to keep the pro-life plank in the Republican Platform, despite efforts by pro-abortion and pro-homosexual Republicans to "broaden" the appeal of the party

DEMS WANT TO WEAKEN INTERNET GAMBLING LAWS - House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced legislation (H.R. 5767) to derail enforcement regulations against unlawful Internet gambling. His bill would be detrimental to gains against Internet gambling achieved in the Republican controlled 109th Congress.

MILITARY HONOR AND DECENCY - The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 stated, in part, that "The Secretary of Defense may not permit the sale or rental of sexually explicit material on property under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense." However, broad definitions in the statute have created a loophole which allows publications such as Playboy, Penthouse, and similar material to be sold at military exchange stores. Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) has introduced the Military Honor and Decency Act, (HR- 5821) to close the loophole and stop all sales of pornographic material on military bases.

RELIGION AND SOCIETY

CALIFORNIA TO HAVE SAME SEX MARRIAGE - The California Supreme Court ruled 4 to 3 this week that marriage as the union of husband and wife is unconstitutional under the California constitution. The majority ruled that there is a fundamental constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and that by creating civil unions the state violated the equal protection clause of its Constitution. In other words states that create "civil unions" open up the gate for same sex marriage. (Text of Court ruling)

Senator Obama believes this is a great ruling. Senator McCain said nothing himself, but his spokesman Tucker Bounds said, "John McCain supports the right of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution sanctioning the union between a man and a woman, just as he did in his home state of Arizona. John McCain doesn't believe judges should be making these decisions."

NEW APRIL CHAIRMAN'S REPORTS AVAILABLE - The April, 2008 Chairman's Report from William J. Murray is now available online in PDF version. The Chairman's Report contains some material not seen in these updates. Click here to view.

INTERNATIONAL

THE ISLAMIC BOMBINGS YOU DIDN'T READ ABOUT - "This is not a crime; we are in the middle of a war," Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said on Thursday as her government dealt with 61 dead and hundreds wounded in Islamic bombings in Jaipur, a tourist destination in India. A series of bombs ripped through shops and squares this past week. Under the new White House guidelines of "never say anything bad about Islam" there was no mention of the Jihad attacks from the Administration and the media, including Fox News, ignored the bloody attack that occurred in a democratic nation friendly to us. Click here for report in the Times of India. (Video available at site) A list of other Islamic terror attacks the past week can be found here.

ISRAEL EVANGELIST'S SON RECOVERING FROM BOMBING - After six weeks in a hospital, ijncluding three weeks in intensive care, Ami Ortiz has been moved to a rehabilitation center. Evangelist David Ortiz reports to us that his 15 year-old son still faces a long recovery from his wounds after the bombing of their apartment in April. Ami has faced numerous operations and doctors who may not understand the healing power of Jesus have been amazed by his recovery. (Read latest family update from Israel) I have stayed at the Ortiz apartment many times and have sat at the table for dinner on which the bomb, hidden in a Purim basket, exploded. Please continue to pray for Ami's recovery. Click here for photos of the aftermath of the bombing. An address to send cards to Ami is located at the end of the power point presentation of photos. (If you don't have MS Power Point download the viewer here.

SUPPORT THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION

CHRISTIAN INTERNET STORE - There are literally tens of thousands of Christian theme items available at our affiliate store including jewelry from the Holy Land. It is a great place to shop for gifts. The store is located at www.rfcstore.com. Please help us with our various projects on Capitol Hill and in the Holy Land by shopping at our affiliate Christian Superstore . Contributions to the work of the Religious Freedom Coalition can be made at www.rfcnet.org.