Reasons behind Obama’s absence in Paris Solidarity March

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Reasons behind Obama’s absence in Paris Solidarity March

While President Barack Obama was criticized for not attending Sunday’s solidarity rally in Paris in support of a satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, that was attacked by Islamic terrorists, the White House has cited three reasons Obama’s attendance was unworkable.

1. Timing

The rally came together in a short period of time. The White House only learned of the event on Friday night. Presidential appearances at public events in modern times require planning, and more than the short notice the White House was provided.

2. Security

Even though security was tight due to the many world leaders at the rally, the president of the United States has more stringent security requirements. Obama’s security needs were an “onerous and significant” reason he could not attend the event, Press Secretary Josh Earnest explained.

Speaking of both the timing and security issues, Earnest added, “We’re talking about a march that came together in about 36 hours, and a march that took place outdoors.”

3. He Would Have Been a Distraction

If Obama would have gone, his security needs and the fact that he would have been the most high-profile figure at the event would have been a distraction, an unnamed White House source told CNN.

“It is worth noting that the security requirements for both the President and [Vice President] can be distracting from events like this — for once this event is not about us!” he said.

Some media figures and Republicans criticized Obama for not attending the event.

NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell said the decision to not attend came “after a noticeable absence of really strong reaction after those horrors in France last week” and, citing a senior official, the decision “seemed ham handed.”

In an op-ed, CNN’s Jake Tapper wrote, “I say this as an American — not as a journalist, not as a representative of CNN — but as an American: I was ashamed [Obama was not at the rally]. … There was higher-level Obama administration representation on this season’s episodes of “The Good Wife” on CBS.”

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria called the White House’s explanation “pathetic.” It is “possible,” he added, that Obama could not attend due to the timing and security concerns, but a high level official should have attended.

“I thought this is why God invented vice presidents,” Zakaria said.

At a Monday press conference, Earnest agreed. “I think it’s fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile,” he said.

The highest level official at the event was the U.S. ambassador to France, Jane Hartley. Vice President Joe Biden was at his home in Delaware that day and had no public events scheduled. Secretary of State John Kerry was at an event in India. Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris at the time, but did not attend.

Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio agreed with the timing and security concerns and that Obama’s appearance would have been disruptive, while also arguing that a higher profile official should have represented the United States at the event.

“I understand that when the president travels, he brings with him a security and communications package which is intense. And I understand you drop that into the middle of something like this, it could be disruptive. There’s a plethora of people they could have sent. I think, in hindsight, I hope that they would have done it differently,” he said on “CBS This Morning.”

Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, on the other hand, argued that Obama should have been there. In an op-ed for Time, Cruz argued that his absence was “symbolic of the lack of American leadership on the world stage, and it is dangerous.”

“Our President should have been there, because we must never hesitate to stand with our allies,” he added.

Source: Christian Post

Man linked To Charlie Hebdo Massacre Arested in Bulgaria

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Man linked To Charlie Hebdo Massacre Arested in Bulgaria

A man believed to be linked to the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris last week has been arrested in Bulgaria, officials announced today.

Prosecutor Darina Slavova told ABC News that Fritz-Joly Joachim, 29, was arrested on Jan. 1 for allegedly trying to smuggle his 3-year-old son into Syria. Joachim is believed to be part of a terrorist criminal group and had been in communication with Cherif Kouachi, one of the Charlie Hebdo killers, before his attempt to enter Syria. He was arrested in Bulgaria for allegedly kidnapping his son, and a background check showed his association with the terrorist group.

Joachim converted to Islam 15 years ago and reportedly became radicalized just two years ago. He resides in Bobigny, a suburb of Paris and is expected to be extradited to France, where he will likely face charges in association with the massacre that saw 12 people initially murdered before the Kouachi brothers were taken down by police after a standoff.

Two other suspects, Amedy Coulibaly and his wife Hayat Boumeddiene, then murdered a police officer and eventually took several people hostage in a kosher grocery store before Coulibaly was killed by police. Five hostages were killed in the grocery store standoff.

Boumeddiene was able to escape to Turkey before the attacks took place, and she later crossed the border into Syria. It’s unknown if authorities will pursue her in the country or exactly what role she may have played in the attacks in Paris.

Officials in the United States have placed new security restrictions to hopefully prevent further attacks and possible airplane bombings.

“This group, AQAP, is absolutely determined … to try to [carry] out an attack on a U.S.-bound airplane,” Matt Olsen, former head of the National Counterterrorism Center and ABC News consultant said of al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate, which is the branch that the Kouachi brothers belonged to and likely received training from before carrying out their attacks.

Source: Christian Post

Sister Donna Markham becomes First Female President of Catholic Charities USA

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Sister Donna Markham becomes First Female President of Catholic Charities USA

Sister Donna Markham has been named as the new president of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the first time a woman has occupied the post in the organisation’s 105-year history.

CCUSA, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is the national office of more than 160 local Catholic Charities agencies nationwide, all of which are working to tackling poverty in America.

Sister Donna is an Adrian Dominican sister and clinical psychologist. She has a PhD in clinical psychology and is currently president of the Behavioural Health Institute at Mercy Health, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the US.

“There can be no greater call than to serve and advocate on behalf of persons who struggle to get by in a world where they are all-too-frequently relegated to the margins of society and where they long for dignity, hope and compassion,” Sister Donna said in a statement.

“I feel blessed to walk among the many dedicated Catholic Charities workers across the country who daily make the Gospel come alive through their care for their sisters and brothers in need.”

Sister Donna, who will start her new role in June, previously served on CCUSA’s board of trustees for eight years.

The organisation reaches more than 9 million people in America each year, providing social services such as housing and family support services, regardless of religion.

The outgoing president, Father Larry Snyder, has been in post since 2005, and is moving to become vice-president for mission at the University of St Thomas in Minnesota. During his time as president he became a leading voice for the rights of the poor in US politics.

Source: Christian Today

Austrian Teenagers who planned to marry IS militants walk free from custody

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Two Austrian teenage girls intercepted on their way to marry fighters of the insurgent group Islamic State (IS) walked free from custody on Tuesday when a judge issued a preliminary ruling that they had committed no crime.

Prosecutors had asked a Salzburg court to place the girls, aged 16 and 17, in investigative custody pending an investigation into whether they were members of a terrorist organization.

The teens had returned to Austria from Romania, where they were picked up by authorities on a train on Dec. 30 as they tried to make their way to Syria to marry Islamic State jihadist fighters there.

But the Salzburg judge decided to release the girls.

“In her opinion the girls’ behavior is not criminal, not yet, because they were stopped in Romania and did not really get to join a terrorist organization,” a court spokeswoman said.

The court imposed no travel restrictions on the two, she added.

Prosecutors, who had wanted the suspects jailed to prevent them from fleeing, have 14 days to appeal against the ruling while the investigation continues.

Around 170 people, many from Islamic immigrant backgrounds, have traveled to the Middle East from Austria to join Islamist militant groups, the government says.

Around 60 have returned, raising fears they could launch attacks akin to the slayings in Paris last week.

The girls were detained in their homes in Salzburg and Upper Austria province after their return. They had Bosnian and Chechen family backgrounds, according to the APA news agency.

Source: Christian Today

Pope Francis blames massacre in France on “deviant forms of religion”

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Pope Francis blames massacre in France on “deviant forms of religion”

Pope Francis spoke to a large crowd last week to address the massacre in France and condemned “deviant forms of religion” for the shedding of blood.

“Losing their freedom, people become enslaved, whether to the latest fads, or to power, money, or even deviant forms of religion,” Francis said in an address to the members of the Diplomatic Corps. There is a “culture of rejection” that leads to “the breakdown of society and spawning of violence and death.”

Last week was one of the worst attacks in the city of Paris, with a total of 17 people left dead after persons loyal to the Islamic State murdered 12 persons, and another two people killed a police officer and several hostages in a standoff that ended on Friday. The three suspected killers were shot dead by police after the standoff. In the wake of the assault, Parisians and European leaders came together to send a powerful message that they would not cower to terrorists.

“We see painful evidence of this in the events reported daily in the news, not least the tragic slayings which took place in Paris a few days ago,” the Pontiff said. “Religious fundamentalism, even before it eliminates human beings by perpetrating horrendous killings, eliminates God himself, turning Him into a mere ideological pretext.”

However, Francis did not limit his words of concern to the actions in Paris. He also addressed the kidnapping of young schoolgirls in Nigeria by Boko Haram and the “unspeakable brutality” of over 100 children by the Taliban in Pakistan. The Pope then spoke to the closing of Guantanamo prison, which he hopes will happen sooner rather than later, and the newly reformed relations between Cuba and the United States. Francis was instrumental in helping the two countries come together after years spent in seclusion.

The Pope is currently in Sri Lanka on a mission to pursue the truth and greet his followers.

“The process of healing also needs to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity,” Francis said after landing in the capital of Colombo. “The great work of rebuilding must embrace improving infrastructures and meeting material needs, but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society.”

This is the first papal visit to the country since 2009, when a deadly civil war finally ended.

Source: Christian Post

Archbishops of Canterbury and York warn that Church of England must reverse its decline

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Archbishops of Canterbury and York warn that Church of England must reverse its decline

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have warned that decline in the Church of England has to be reversed if it is to continue its nation-wide ministry.

In a paper prepared in advance of the forthcoming General Synod meetings next month, Most Revs Justin Welby and Dr John Sentamu say: “The urgency of the challenge facing us is not in doubt. Attendance at Church of England services has declined at an average of 1 per cent per annum over recent decades and, in addition, the age profile of our membership has become significantly older than that of the population. Finances have been relatively stable, thanks to increased individual giving. This situation cannot, however, be expected to continue unless the decline in membership is reversed.”

Average attendance at Sunday services has dropped by nearly half during the last 40 years and currently stands at around 800,000.

The archbishops also warn of a coming crisis in clergy staffing levels, saying: “The age profile of our clergy has also been increasing. Around 40 per cent of parish clergy are due to retire over the next decade or so. And while ordination rates have held up well over recent years they continue to be well below what would be needed to maintain current clergy numbers and meet diocesan ambitions.”

Of the Church’s 16,200 church buildings, 12,500 are listed. Of all England’s Grade I listed buildings, 45 per cent are cathedrals and churches. The archbishops say that the “burden of church buildings weighs heavily” on congregations. They add that there is “no central investment in reaching out into the digital and social media world” and say: “If the Church of England is to return to growth, there is a compelling need to realign resources and work carefully to ensure that scarce funds are used to best effect.”

The two archbishops praised four task group report calling for administrative changes in the Church in different areas, due to be debated by the Synod next month. They also signalled the possibility of an injection of funds from the Church Commissioners to enable reforms to be carried out, saying: “If all the above has to be done within the confines of current funding there will be a long period before its impact can be real, not least given the need to support dioceses through the transition from the present way in which national funds are distributed.”

They concluded: “We believe that these reports, to be discussed in February, provide a basis for developing and delivering a major programme of renewal and reform within the Church of England as a matter of urgency.”

Source:Christian Today

Islamic State claims to capture 21 christian crusaders in Libya

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Islamic State claims to capture 21 christian crusaders in Libya

Islamic State in Libya has claimed responsibility for abducting Christians there in a statement received by the SITE intelligence group, which monitors the electronic communications of jihadis.

The statement read: “Urgent. Soldiers of the Islamic State captured 21 Christian crusaders.”

Photoshopped pictures of several men were posted alongside the statement. A farmer from Minya in Upper Egypt, Bisheer Estefanos, said he recognised the faces of his brothers, Bishoy and Samuel. “All we can do is pray to God for help,” he said. “Their mother is tired of crying.”

Reports earlier this month said that 20 Coptic Christians in two groups, at least some of them from Egypt, had been kidnapped in the Sirte province over several days.

It was later reported that 13 of the men had been released, but this information was never confirmed.

The 13 were abducted when gunmen stormed a residence for expatriates in Sirte, according to Magdy Malik, a Christian activist in Egypt

Gunmen went room to room and asked for identification papers to separate Muslim workers from Christians, witness Hanna Aziz told The Associated Press.

“They were 15 armed and masked men who came in four vehicles,” he said. “They had a list of full names of Christians in the building. While checking IDs, Muslims were left aside while Christians were grabbed. I heard my friends screaming, but they were quickly shushed at gunpoint. After that, we heard nothing. I am still in my room waiting for them to take me. I want to die with them.” He said he escaped capture because he didn’t open his door.

Libya has descended into chaos after the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011 following a civil war in which Western air strikes were used to back his opponents. A weak central government has been unable to impose order on the various tribal and other factions which emerged after the war. Sectarian killings are commonplace and rival militias are battling for control of resources.

As many as 10,000 Egyptians work in the country, mainly in the construction sector. They are frequently targeted by extremists. In December a 13-year-old girl was abducted by armed men and killed in a suspected religiously motivated attack, while in February last year the bodies of seven Egyptian Christians who had been shot were found near Libya’s second city, Benghazi. The previous year, militiamen abducted and tortured several dozen others.

source: Christian Today

Islamic State release online pictures of their youngest suicide bomber

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Islamic State release online pictures of their youngest suicide bomber

Yesterday, Islamic State (IS) posted online pictures of a boy sitting in a pick-up truck filled with barrels of explosives, clutching a grenade and wearing an explosive vest. The boy has been identified as Abu al-Hassan al-Shami and is thought to be no more than 12 years old, according to The Times.

The bombing was carried out in the Iraqi province of Salahuddin. The boy is believed to be one of two Syrian fighters to carry out truck bombings in the area. The final photo in the series, which is entitled ‘Battle of Vengeance for the Mother of Believers (Aisha)’, shows a huge explosion.

The photos have been released amid a surge of other IS propaganda promoting child soldiers.

“ISIS does seem to be making their child soldier training a bit more prominent,” Charlie Winter, a researcher at the Quilliam Foundation think-tank, told The Times. “They are holding children’s training camps and running indoctrination centres, and they’re publicising it because they know it shocks the world.

“This is part of the group’s very calculated media strategy.”

The young boy’s actions have been praised by IS supporters on Twitter. One tweeted: “His youth didn’t prevent him from supporting his religion.”

Source: Christian Today

Bishop Heather Cook Remains in Jail as Judge Refuses to Lower $2.5million bail

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Bishop Heather Cook Remains in Jail as Judge Refuses to Lower $2.5million bail

Embattled Episcopal Bishop of Maryland Heather Cook, 58, who was formally charged with the drunk driving death of 41-year-old married father of two, Thomas Palermo, last Friday, spent the weekend in jail after failing to clear the hefty $2.5 million bail set by a district court commissioner.

In highlighting the charges Friday, Baltimore’s new State’s Attorney, Marilyn J. Mosby, said at a press conference that Bishop Cook, who’s the first female bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the second highest-ranking official in the diocese, had registered a staggering .22 blood alcohol level shortly after the Dec. 27 incident that killed the beloved father.

The charges, which include driving under the influence, causing an accident due to texting while driving, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, could see the bishop spending more than 20 years in prison and $20,000 in potential fines.

A representative at the Baltimore Detention Center confirmed with The Christian Post that Cook was being held at the Women’s Detention Center which was “on lockdown” at the time of our interview. It could not be confirmed if Cook had any visitors during the weekend, but the bishop has been talking on the telephone.

“She’s been talking to somebody. She’s been making phone calls. I don’t know who she’s been talking to but she’s making phone calls,” the representative who did not want to be identified told CP.

A spokesperson from Mosby’s office said Cook was scheduled for a bail hearing at 1:30 p.m. Monday but couldn’t comment on whether or not she might be offered some kind of plea deal to avoid a protracted trial going forward.

After the hearing Monday, the presiding judge denied a request to change Cook’s bail amount, according to The Associated Press. Her attorney said she would remain in jail because she cannot make the $2.5 million bail.

Pointing to her previous DUI conviction and the fact that she left the scene of the incident for 30 minutes, prosecutors argued that Cook was dangerous and a flight risk, and asked the judge to remove the possibility of any bail. Cook’s defense attorney argued for a lower bail amount saying she could go into treatment or remain under house arrest.

On the final day of a business meeting at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, on Sunday, the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church offered up prayers for Cook, the Palermo family and the Diocese of Maryland even though the bishop’s troubles were not part of the set agenda.

“Prayers were sent up for Heather Cook, the Palermo family and the Diocese of Maryland,” said Neva Rae Fox of the Episcopal Church’s office of public affairs.

She also explained that the meeting in Maryland was not triggered by Bishop Cook’s arrest and sought to clarify the coincidence.

“The meeting, the dates and the locations of those meetings (business meetings) were set two years ago. Two years ago it was decided we were gonna be in Maryland. Our meeting in Maryland had nothing to do with the Heather Cook situation. It was not discussed because the executive council is akin to a board of directors and so this is not their purview. We prayed for everyone involved but it was not a matter on the agenda and it was not discussed during the meeting,” said Fox.

As for the disciplinary proceedings that have been launched against Cook by the Episcopal Church, Fox said the charges against her will remain confidential, but once the church makes a decision on their future relationship with the embattled bishop it will be made public.

“The ecclesiastical charges are confidential … the proceeding remains confidential and the proceedings are going on and that’s according to the canon. As soon as a decision is made that will be made public,” said Fox.

Cook, who was elevated to her position last spring, was promoted despite a DUI incident in 2010 where she registered a .27 blood alcohol level and was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Delegates who voted to promote her to the position of bishop have since said they were not informed of Cook’s 2010 DUI charge and argued that if they had known they never would have voted the way they did.

Senior Episcopal Diocese of Maryland officials who knew of Cook’s struggles, however, said they were satisfied that the 2010 incident was an anomaly and though it better to forgive the bishop.

“One of the core values of the Christian faith is forgiveness. We cannot preach forgiveness without practicing forgiveness and offering people opportunity for redemption,” the Diocese of Maryland said in an earlier statement.

“As part of the search process, Cook fully disclosed the 2010 DUI for which charges were filed resulting in a ‘probation before judgment.’ After extensive discussion and discernment about the incident, and after further investigation, including extensive background check and psychological investigation, it was determined that this one mistake should not bar her for consideration as a leader,” it continued.

Source: Christian Post

 

France Defence Minister; IS must be wiped out

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France Defence Minister; IS must be wiped out

Islamic State fighters must be wiped out, France’s defence minister said on Tuesday, indicating that Paris would not pull back from military operations overseas after 17 people were killed by home-grown militants in Paris last week.

After the United States, France has the largest number of planes and troops involved in the coalition fighting Islamic State, which last year took control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

It also has about 3,500 troops and special forces operating in the Sahel-Sahara region hunting down al Qaeda-linked militants.

France intervened in Mali to oust Islamist militants from its former colony in January 2013 and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that two years later French forces were now fighting the “same threat” on home soil.

“It is the same enemy. Our forces are on the ground here because … for our troops it’s the same fight,” Le Drian told Europe 1 radio, referring to the 10,000 soldiers being deployed across France to secure key sites following last week’s attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Parliament will vote later on Tuesday on whether to extend France’s military mission in Iraq, four months after its launch. In a posthumous video, one of last week’s killers cited France’s operations abroad as one reason for his actions, but there have been no major calls in France for its troops to withdraw from operations against Islamic militants.

“The response is inside and outside France. Islamic State is a terrorist army with fighters from everywhere … it is an international army that has to be wiped out and that is why we are part of the coalition,” Le Drian said.

More than 1,120 French citizens are involved in jihadi cells linked to Iraq and Syria, of which about 400 are in the region.

The suspected female accomplice of one of the gunmen who attacked a Jewish supermarket last week fled to Syria ahead of the killings, Turkish officials said on Monday.

France has 800 military personnel, nine fighter jets, a maritime patrol aircraft and a refuelling plane at its base in the United Arab Emirates as part of its “Chammal” Iraq mission, as well as an anti-aircraft warship in the Gulf. It also operates six Mirage fighter jets from Jordan.

It is due to send its aircraft carrier to the Indian Ocean on Wednesday and Le Drian said in December Paris would send 120 military advisers to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

However, it has ruled out striking the Islamic State in Syria, where it provides equipment and training to “moderate” forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad. There was no indication of a change in that stance on Tuesday.

Source: Christian Today

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