Feisal Abdul Rauf
Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative

Feisal Abdul Rauf

Rauf is Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative and author of "What's Right With Islam Is What's Right With America."

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Obama Declares End of "Clash of Civilizations"

What's your reaction to President Obama's recent statements to the Muslim world that "the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam" and that "we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation"?

President Obama reached his Muslim audience in Turkey in a way unlike any previous American president. Maybe it was his childhood in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country. Maybe it was the legacy of his Muslim father. Maybe it came from the streets of Chicago where so many African Americans have turned to Islam.

Obama understood what his Muslim audience needed to hear to begin to dissipate the phony notion that the Muslim world and the West are embraced in an irreconcilable "Clash of Civilizations."

Obama made it clear that the United States is not at war with Islam, and never will be. President Bush tried to make that point, but his words never rang true with Muslims.

Obama backed up his words with deeds. He said America's relations toward Muslim countries should not be based on fighting terrorism alone. He has reached out to America's greatest adversary, Iran. He is pushing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite the opposition of the new Israeli government.

Disrespect and dishonor, which everyone abhors, are the flipside of respect and honor, values that non-Westerners are especially sensitive to and have been craving from America. President Obama's much covered "act of respect" to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the two Holy Sites of Mecca and Medina, was seen by most Muslims as a major and symbolic shift from prior U.S, administrations' attitude.

No less important was what Obama said about the United States: It is not a Christian nation.

America may not be a Christian nation. But America IS a nation built on the best of Christian values: Christians believe in love of God and love of neighbor: the two greatest commandments according to Jesus. Christian values include being compassionate, helping the poor, and in building a society that is religious and multi-religious. These are values Muslims share with Jews and Christians. This is the core of what we all believe; this is America's strength and is what makes America great.

And that is the point Obama was making. He recognized that America is now home to millions of Muslims who practice their faith freely, who believe in God and in helping one another, and who are full contributors to American society.

Many Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in Muslim countries, the president said. And he paused for emphasis to say, "I know because I am one of them."

His audience immediately grasped the connection.

The United States should be recognized as a religious country. Our government should use America's respect for God and religion to reach Muslims--and all religious people-- for whom religion and God are the core of their lives, their law and their political system. It is how the United States can best combat radical extremists in all religions who have corrupted their creeds by embracing violence.

After all, the principles of Islam and the principles established in America's founding documents are not that far apart. As I have amplified in my book "What's Right With Islam is What's Right With America," life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are Islamic principles, too.

An America that embraces its religious diversity shows how religious harmony, not clashing civilizations, is doable, and what a globalized world could and should look like. As Chairman of Cordoba Initiative, I know this is achievable because the work of my organization uses religion to heal divides through engaging women, empowering youth leadership, and finding commonality between Islamic and Western values.

In an April 12 editorial, The New York Times declared, "End of the Clash of Civilizations." My only question is: Why wasn't this bannered across the front page with World War II-ending headlines?

By Feisal Abdul Rauf  |  April 15, 2009; 2:54 PM ET
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Islam the barbaric religion needs to be extinguished.

Posted by: DebChatterjee | April 22, 2009 6:21 PM
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halozcel1:

What you quote from the book means that men are supposed to look on the ground and not stare at women.

Head scarf is part of the body and women voluntarily cover their bodies as well, meaning they are not supposed to wear halters, see-through shorts etc. In short, modesty is the norm.

Posted by: hsnkhwj | April 21, 2009 9:50 PM
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Also, just so there's an understanding between us, sir: just as it was in your ancestral lands before these books and ideas came, so it was in ours. Once our children are involved, or thought to be involved, there's no such thing as 'fighting dirty.'

What we need to stop is the idea that contesting some religious idea or other, is somehow the *same thing* as taking those gloves off.

Cause that's not what's happening here.

This is about men trying to 'ennoble' some kind of fight-with-no-rules. They call it 'God,' but it's not.

It's vanity.

Posted by: Paganplace | April 21, 2009 5:35 PM
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" He is pushing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite the opposition of the new Israeli government."


Well, we're also pretty tired of a number of things, and I don't think Obama's pushing for any 'solution' in particular, so much as people maybe accepting the idea of *any* solution.

Apart from trying to annihilate each other, that is, which never seems to really work out.

"Disrespect and dishonor, which everyone abhors, are the flipside of respect and honor, values that non-Westerners are especially sensitive to and have been craving from America."


Well, sir. Respect and honor have a way of saving lives and preserving crops among people who mutually-honor them. These are however, conventions from many heritages which *must* be predicated on the notion that there is something more important than 'winning' or 'conquering.'

Sometimes, honor demands you admit you can *lose.*

And I observe this brings you monotheists to much grief. It's the dark side of thinking there is only one God and that if you are not right and victorious, you cannot face that, even if it means innocents are hurt.

Respect and honor are mutual. Things done between warriors, chiefs, and peoples of all sorts. And within them.

It's not conditional. There are no excuses, qualifications, or exemptions in a holy book.

Just us. All of us.

You 'peoples of the Book' flatter yourselves to think you're exempt from that.

Honor is honor. It's not conferred or commanded by a book or a party or a nation. No one gets a special exemption from honor cause they believe the Gods are on their side by some authority. Honor is honor. It's what we face our Gods with, win, lose, or draw.

Posted by: Paganplace | April 21, 2009 5:27 PM
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Hello, Mr. Feisal Abdul Rauf, and welcome to our humble free-for-all. Good stuff, but I suggest in this forum, you gotta try and meet some Americans in kind with the mutual cultural tone-deafness. They may not thank you, but we're in an odd position with regards to the aftermath of old European colonialism and such. Islam as a political force actually looks a little like the British Empire to us in ways you may not fully appreciate.


Complicated things that tend to percolate down into simplistic stuff that seems to come out of nowhere...

"Obama made it clear that the United States is not at war with Islam, and never will be. President Bush tried to make that point, but his words never rang true with Muslims."

Bush's words never rang true with anybody. Even those that followed him anyway.

"Obama backed up his words with deeds. He said America's relations toward Muslim countries should not be based on fighting terrorism alone."

Yes, that's a good start. You have no idea how much joy the religious conservatives have brought us over here with the 'war on drugs' which of course assumes that if Granny lives downtown, she needs to be treated like a drug dealer. :)

" He has reached out to America's greatest adversary, Iran."

I really don't want to burst any bubbles, here, sir, but Iran isn't actually a 'greatest adversary.' Not people any of us would particularly trust with nuclear weapons, no, but, actually, just kind of a substitute for lingering fear of Commies whenever someone suggests we could possibly *do* something about getting ripped off by insurance companies. :)

I mean, you do realize, Iran isn't a 'great adversary?' Iran's ...a lunatic in a bell tower to us thinking God's sanctioning strapping bombs on himself for Jesus, Allah, or whatever.

Not the frickin' Persian Empire, with us as Athens. Just some maniacal dude in the hills somewhere saying Jesus told him he was righteously-overthrowing the world by having a bunch of battered spouses and some explosives.

That's not honor, never mind a 'greatest enemy.'

Sure, some Christians you may hear here don't want them abusing queers, non-co-religionists, and women *over someone *else's* version of a book...

But it's more like, 'We don't wanna have to shoot Iran with all those civilians around.'

Honor transcends these things, but it also involves not-pretending you don't have innocents holed up in a siege of your own device.

Posted by: Paganplace | April 21, 2009 5:13 PM
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hsnkhwj writes *They(muslim women) do not like other men to look at them with lust*
Yes,looking/stare at muslim women with lust(by muslim males).But,the book says *Tell the believing men to lower their gaze* 24.30
What a big Contradiction !

*They believe that only their husbands have right to look at their body*
Headscarf covers head,not body.

Posted by: halozcel1 | April 21, 2009 3:25 PM
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hsnkhwj

Thankyou for your realistic observation about the present day society.
I would like further that due to this lustful expliotive system a common man has lost his peace of mind. He is so much unsecure that the young men do not dare to lead a normal married life. They do not believe the women.The socio-economic sys cannot provide them with decent living conditions for expamle even they cannot own or afford a house to live in, it is in these circustance they young couple spend their time doing sex out of marriage, getting drunk and druged every weakend, thus the whole fiber of the society is being destroyed.
thanks again for pin-pointing an important issue.

Posted by: SPARK1 | April 21, 2009 1:48 AM
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ABHAB:

Yes, our women are "free" to be exploited by men. Have you watched the exploitation and mayhem against women on LIFETIME MOVIE channel--movies based on true stories?

Our girls in the West are socialized to display their bodies to get men. They are not taught to use their bodies rather than their brains.

Why do you think Mr. Sarkozy married another model for the third time?

Our women constantly suffer from the anxiety that their men will leave them for younger women. By the time they are in their middle 30s and start getting wrinkles, men do leave them for younger women. Why do we have such a high rate of divorce?

Why have we invented "prenuptial agreements" due to a lack of trust?

That is why women are not allowed to grow "old" gracefully. That is why we have endless grooming products and wrinkles creams--a multi-hundred billion dollars industry.

You think Muslim women are not "free" because they cover their bodies or wear head scarf. No, they do not like other men to look at them with lust. They believe that only their husbands have a right to look at their bodies. That too, in privacy.

Do give up your "freedom" crap.

Posted by: hsnkhwj | April 20, 2009 10:55 PM
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halozcel1

Can you show me any country where the rulers come up to the standards of the religion which they profess?

A long time before you have discussed this same matter with me and I gave you a satisfactory reply but being part of a Islam bashing compaigner you are again putting the same questions.

You are not a serious inquirer and this is a known fact.
Keep on enjoying you cut/paste profession.

Abu saif cannot show to a blind the colors of a rainbow.

Posted by: SPARK1 | April 20, 2009 12:41 PM
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Abu Saif,

You say *Leaders of Muslim Countries are not reflecting Islam values*
Is this Logical opinion ?

Would you show any Muslim Leader who reflects Submission Values ? If those Leaders are not reflecting Desert Rules Values,why dont submissiom followers/muslims overthrow or change them ?
Sample,Islamic Republic Iran.
Dont Iranian Leaders reflect islam(man can scourge woman,two women equals one man etc.) values ? If not,dont Iranian Nation know that their leaders dont reflect islamic values ?

Abu Saif,
You accept that *You may be right in most of what you have said*
In that case,whom do you critisize ?

If there is not Democratic Islam Country,why dont submission followers(believers of 1/6+1/6+2/3+1/8=1.00,women chapter 11-12) try to establish Democratic Land ?

Posted by: halozcel1 | April 20, 2009 10:18 AM
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abu_saif

Don't be upset by "false intellectual" who insult Islam and muslims.
Most of them are ignorant and mare propagandists doing cut/and paste.
Be like saif or Furqan and have the freedom to write honestly what you believe in.
Paper tigers are ofcourse paper tigers.

Posted by: SPARK1 | April 20, 2009 9:11 AM
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Hello, being a believer of the liberty and pluralism, you need to accept others word with ease. I am a Muslim, I respect all religions, what I would like to say, you may be right in most of what you have said. Islam country is not democratic has no justice. But, we need to be smart enough to differentiate between Muslims actions and Islam principle. Yes the leaders of Muslims country are Muslims, but definitely they are not reflecting Islam values. My clear message to you all, just be conscious to know not all Muslims are reflecting Islam, does Hitler reflect Christianity!!!???

Posted by: abu_saif | April 20, 2009 1:26 AM
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To say Islam is a peaceful religion is to say darkness is light.

Posted by: rddynar | April 19, 2009 8:13 PM
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Liberty as islamic principle ? Please,please....
Would you show any islamic country where Liberty exists ?

*What's Right with Islam is What's Right with America* Please,please...,absolutely not correct and not realistic.

*An America that embraces its religious diversity shows how religious harmony*
Muslims are less than one percent in US.Lets see what happens when they reach,at least,five percent.

Posted by: halozcel1 | April 19, 2009 12:40 PM
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3 of 3: Hassling over the word "NO" Vs. "YES"

.. So HOW are Ye potential HUEMATE(s) going to hold Ye LEADERSHIP(s), of the SYSTEM, to the meaning of the word "NO" & not a "YES", in the LAW(s) OF NATIONS and a GRiDARIAN CONSTiTUTION & through the VOTARY ASSOCIATION (s) genuinely IF YE {Humans, not us HUEMATEs} still follow the

ignorance of that Rabbi Yashua, Jesus , Jehovah, the PELEGian not Us JO{T}ANian, and suicidely "... Judge-not ... resist not Satan, Evil, Jinn ... LOVE Ye enemies ... bless them that curse/sineth Ye," Thus REWARDiNG 'EVIL...' with GOOD, BLESSiNG.. & Perpetuating it {not "IT"}?

So, look towards the "NEW {Song}" which always cometh from "OUR" {O.ne U.niversal R.eligion} OLD {song}. And Ye old time-religion(s), compete/hasstle over a name for 'My-god(s)' storys, is replaced with OUR "NEW--time religion. a "NON-{RE}VERSABLE" prophetic error?, Sin? Curse to be born in such WARMTH, Nakedly, of the HOLY-i-NO-MAN/WOMB PHOTONs/LiFE form(s) again?

AND since WE [i] art Together Forever W/"SOURCE-ONE", aka "IT" or "G-D" being "iTSELF" ,majestically, in and out of Us ALL, which hath'd atleast 1000+ names now & nomore by '99-names' from 1,400 years ago or +/- 6000 years therefrom Cosmically + Biblically!. And that

As STUDENTS {Forever} of that "OUR" 'Source-One' That; WE [i] US, YE NEVER GRADUATE from: "IT" but To: "IT"! aka G-D [aSIGULARiTY innate], not god(s) [aPLURALITY human-made] SYSTEM of belief, like a TRUE (opposite MYTH) Religion based on TRAN{S}FiNITY "iTSELF"! aka

OUR "TIME" {via HOLY-"TEMPERATURE"} justly, for a 'time' {man-made clock timing system} in "IT"s "Eternity Avoiding Lonliness" MIRACLE, thing, becoming what ONE is becometh'ng in and Of ALL US [i], We & YE, et al!. Note:

O.U.R. PHOTOFINITY begot O.U.R. BIOFINITY from the Holy-i Cosmic "Vibrations" thing 1st, then the Holy-i Cosmic "Flash" stuff 2nd & then the Holy Cosmic "Bang song 3rd" [&This]!

-- Interestingly:
In a way; "IT"s 'SEX' that makes the world go round and not LOVE that makes the world go on! Hence OUR miracle in motion where SEX is not Love, but LiFE, via HOLY-i PHOTONS stuff & Things, iS! Soo,

Abortion, same sex Couples acts etc.. is ANTi-HUEMATE(s), Anti-Future-Bound, Anti Space-Forth Active behavior... but then again,

maybe this true thinking/fact/reality does-not apply to Ye so called false denying {selfish} anti-HUMAN loving thinkers & using such "DOUBLE STANDARD PSYCHOSi's" to Situationally lie out or get-out of, ones-reality... TRUTH (opposite of MYTH) ALL because of sinful/curseth "Desires"?.

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 11:45 AM
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Part 2 of 3 Continued:

".. The 'SYNERGETICAL-EFFECT' of OUR new Productive Capability is becoming Much G.R.E.A.T.E.R. than the PRE-'GRiDARIAN' Sum of "IT"s independent parts because 'SYNERGY' = the Interactio of 2-two things or more> in such a way that the total-effect is always 'GREATER' than the sum of their effects, take INDEPENDANTLY!" ... [@ Book.2.4; 26.556] And

... Since the ELEMENTS of OUR-NATURE (not YE) are so difficult to FIGHT {H}umate{ly} or Humanly But, fighting them is so necessary to the PROGRESS OF 'OUR' CIVILIZATION (not only YE) that HUMANiTY only progresses as a WHOLE {contrary to HINDUists 'Reductionism') but en masse, when DRiVEN by the 'SPiRIT-Of-Progress' to do so; THEREFORE

the engines of WAR was necessary to DRiVE 'OUR' Species {inteli 'MEME's, See Dr. Richard Dawkins} into the FUTURE {aka unstopably 'Space-Forthng' & 'Future-Bounding' as Miracles in the Holy-i cosmic Motion via "IT"s stuff & things} with a "Productive Capability" sufficient for

INDUSTRiALIZATION Of THE NATiON(s) & those "MULTiNATIONAL CORPORATIONS that can produce the 'SPACE-AGE Technology out of which SHALL come the 'Productive Capability' for

'GRiDARIAN-DEMOCRACY' & 'WORLD-PEACE': aka; "T.R.A.N.{s}F.i.N.I.T.E---CiVILIZATION" ...

"As this Phenomenal change-over prophetically develops among US HUEMATES {no longer HUMAN(s)}, starting in U.S. & elswhere therefrom, that 'The-People' will begin to see Clearly that if YASUA/Jesus, the YAHUDE, had realy been the "ONLY BEGOTTEN SON" of YE {not OUR} SUPERNATURAL-ORiGINATOR as claimed by the Novel-Stars/Writers of YE {not OUR} Chumash/Bibles, Quran/Korans or Geeta/Kangyurs.. THEN

Mr. JESUS would have been able to See this 'SYNERGETiCAL-FUTURE' of the Earth(s) HUMANiTY(s) coming out of US eventualy (via the Cosmic-Arrow of OUR Holy-i "TIME" aka Holy-"TEMP"erature, not clock time ), AND

HE/Mr. Yashua Jesse JESUS {G-D or "IT" or being "iTSELF".. is never a HE/HIM/HiS nor is "IT" a SHE/HER} would NOT of Primitively say,

"JUDGE not ... resist not EViL/SATAN/JINN/KALI/DURGA .. LOVE Ye {not OUR} ENEMiES ... bleseth them that Curseth YE {not US}.." AND so Apocalyptically knowing, not Pre-Apocalyptically believing that

since there cannot-Never-be NO "TRAN{S}FiNITE-CIVIL{i}ZATION" based on such PRiMITIVE-TEACHINGS, as {i} WE {EKLAHTi-ON's, not OFFs} poinbted-out through [this] BOT {Book Of TRUTH, aka opposite of MYTHillogical stories."

Continued to 3 of 3

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 9:44 AM
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... Since the ELEMENTS of OUR-NATURE (not YE) are so difficult to

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 9:41 AM
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'SinERGY' = the Interaction of 2-two things or more> in such a way that the total{effect} is always 'GREATER' than the sum of their effects, take INDEPENDANTLY!" ... [@ Book.2.4; 26.556] And

Continued

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 9:35 AM
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".. The 'SYNER{G}ETICAL-EFFECT' of OUR new Productive Capability is becoming Much GREATER. than the PRE-'GRi{D{A}RIAN' Sum of "IT"s independent parts because


Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 9:31 AM
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test

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 9:22 AM
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Hello again Mr. RAUF et al; Part 1 of 3

Today; OUR Father & Prophet of "OUR" "Holy-i Cosmic Feelers Faith" {Ho-Co-Fe-Fa} and of many such great(s) coming from the arrow of OUR TiME past & Futurebinding;

Hir ALBERT EiNSTEiN [pbuh et al] died (decayed into something more...) 54 Years ago. AND so,

according to the Arcaya/teacher.. & Pasuks/Stanza/Surah/Scripture.. therein, that in "OUR"-BOOK'; aka

"Paratestament Of "IT" {G-D; not god(s); now hath 1,000 names & no-more 99 names} EXPLAINS under the Heading "STUDENTS FOREVER" @SEC.28, pg. 392/393:

"The 1st Purpose of HUMAN-war(s); not at all caused by Us HUEMATE(s), AND the 2nd Purpose of HUMAN-war(s) {not caused by Us HUEMATES} Apocalyptically sings like THIS:

"The 1st PURPOSE Of HUMAN-WAR has been to establish & protect National-Boundry Lines.... AND

The 2nd prupose of HUMAN -WAR has been to BUiLD-UP, within those boundry/lines, a "Productive Capability" which amounts to Machines {i.e. the Killer Machine, aka DIESEL ENGINES} that inturn also make more machines that produce ITEM(s) , via CHOICES (aka ECONOMICS) via Supply/Demand (goods & sewrvices) & Propensity to save/spend created in CIVILIZATION....

Hoever, after YE (not OUR most heated WAR(s) began to produce the TECHNOLOGY for SPACE EXPLORATION {hence WE art not alone} around & beyond Space-Ship Momma/Poppa Earth(s) of many like this ; That a NEW POWER-BASE for 'Productive Capabilitys' began to EVOLVE (Develop) among worldwide HUMANiTY and

This NEW TECHNOLOGical development is producing computers & other items G-R-E-A-T-E-R than produced by ANY WAR(s) ever waged between "HUMAN(s) of EARTH {unlike Us HUEMATE(s)} Thus rendering

The 2nd-SECOND PURPOSE of HUMAN {not HUEMATE} WAR NO longer neccessary for the progress of "OUR" {O.ne U.niversal R.eligion} CIVILIZATION/SOCIETY/UMMA et al!

Continued

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 18, 2009 8:24 AM
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Feisal says:
“Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are Muslim principles too.”

Let us leave "life" and "pursuit of happiness" aside for now. Liberty is a Muslim principle? What liberty you talk about? The liberty of men to treat women as chattel? Or the liberty to subjugateand humiliate non-Muslims living among you? Or maybe the liberty to denigrate those who do not follow your faith as dogs, donkeys and swine? Do you have the liberty to question your dogmas and practices? Or maybe the liberty to leave your cult? Try and market such nonesense on ignorant superstitious people from the failed fanatic societies that call themselves “Muslim countries”, but surely not here.

Posted by: abhab | April 18, 2009 7:56 AM
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Mr. RAUF & CO.; ON: "DURBAN-2" is Comming!?

Ex-Prez George W. Bush once reminded Us [Post 9.11 et al] that,

"Ye art either with US, U.S. & Friendly's or are against..!" [similarly said].

In many ways, Mr. BUSH & CO., was like the Neo-NAPOLIAN of the islamo Theocratic Middle-East, not christo Monorachic Europe.

Note: G.W.B. inherited 911 After DURBIN-1 of Spring 2011. This Month/Week DURBAN-2 will take place , so embrace Yeselves for 999 {090909).

And so , does this Prophecy? also means that Today's Mr. Prez B.H.OBAMA & CO., will be the newer, but gentler, NAPOLIAN of the Near/Far East this time round?

If for example; OBAMA sais, to Pakistan & Iran & others, "Drop or surrender YE Weapon's of Mass Destructions Or Else.."

will they {Sunni Pakistan & Shia Iran} give-up their NUKES in exchange for World-Peace, Islamic-A-Bomb free? So,

Here's an answer to genuine HEALING OF NATIONS & WORLD-PEACE to enjoy HUEMATE LIFE & LOVE as WE transmit & Transmute in HOLY-i Motion Islamic or Jewish or Christian or Hindu or Buddha FREE

VOTE: Abolish ALL, EVERY & ANY Pre-Apocalyptic Man-Made "THEOCRACY's" 1st & Man-Made MONARCHY's 1st & like wise! So,

THEREFORE: Beware The THREE-EVILS: Monarchy & Theocracy & their? Nuclear-Bombs. Abolish Theocracy & Monarchy, Then Peace At Last! This is the [SECULAR World]OBJECTIVE!

Posted by: INGOODFAITH | April 17, 2009 10:47 AM
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