Photos of ISIS flag at Sacred Places in Israel via Social Media is worrisome

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Photos of ISIS flag at Sacred Places in Israel via Social Media is worrisome

The chilling black flag of the Islamic State is popping up on social media in Israel, including one image of the terror banner snapped against the backdrop of the nation’s holiest site — prompting fears the ultra-violent jihadist group could have sympathizers inside the Jewish state.

A photo that recently appeared on Twitter showed the flag held aloft on the Temple Mount, the most sensitive religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem, that includes the Golden ‘Dome of the Rock’ mausoleum and the ‘Al Aqsa’ Mosque, sacred to Muslims, adjacent to the Western Wall, the holiest place for Jews. Other online postings have shown the flag being flown in Nazareth, where the fast-growing Muslim community lives side-by-side with Christian Arabs in a sometimes tense environment, and also in Acre, the ancient port city close to Israel’s border with Lebanon in the north. The images have stirred fears the terror group previously known as ISIS has sympathizers in Israel

“If you look at ISIS as a code, a brand name, or a symbol to identify with, then you can find people in the area [who identify with it] not just in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, but around the region, because it symbolizes some kind of victorious pro-active Islam — a compensation sometimes for a sense of disappointment, failure, or marginalization,” Yoram Schweizer, head of the Program on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told FoxNews.com.

The black flag predates Islamic State, but the terrorist army has co-opted it as a battle banner. The words inscribed on it, known in Islam as the Shahada, translate to “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

In another disturbing development that raised the specter of the Islamic State in Israel, a YouTube clip aired on an evening news program showing a young girl believed to be from the Israeli Arab village of Taibe. In the video, the girl is encouraged by an adult off-camera to decapitate a doll with a long knife to the cries of ‘Allah Hu’Akbar,’ The video ends with a photo of the moment immediately prior to the recent execution by ISIS of U.S. journalist James Foley, leaving the viewer in no doubt where the inspiration for the macabre indoctrination of the vulnerable child comes from.

In a written response to questions from FoxNews.com, Israel’s Justice Ministry confirmed that ISIS has been declared a terror organization, and that the ministry is “concluding the examination towards declaring ISIS an unlawful association”, a move that could render any support for the Islamic State illegal in the State of Israel.

Islamic State has vowed to expand its so-called caliphate into Israel and “liberate” Jerusalem.

“This is not the first border we will break, Inshallah [God willing]” an English-speaking Chilean recruit to ISIS, (who goes by the name of Abu Saffiya), states in a video allegedly filmed at an abandoned army post on the Iraq-Syria border earlier this summer and originally highlighted by the Jerusalem Post. “Abu Bakhr al-Baghdadi [leader of ISIS] says, ‘God will break all barriers… Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon…all of them until we reach Al Quds [Jerusalem].’”

Support for the bloodthirsty group is far more overt in the Palestinian-controlled territories of Gaza and the West Bank, where it may even be seen as an eventual threat to current Palestinian leadership. In June, Islamic State supporters held a rally in southern Gaza to celebrate the early successes of Islamic State in capturing key Iraqi cities such as Mosul and Tikrit,” according to the Tel Aviv-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

“During the support rally, held on June 12, 2014, ISIS and Al Qaeda flags were waved, and slogans were heard in favor of establishing an Islamic caliphate (the Islamic State), and against the Jews,” stated a report by the center. “The support rally was dispersed by the Hamas police.”

For now, experts who spoke to FoxNews.com do not believe Islamic State poses a clear and present threat to Israel, but they acknowledge the group’s appeal and rapid growth in the region is worrisome.

“Up to now we haven’t seen ISIS infrastructure in Israel, in Gaza, or in the West Bank” Schweizer said. “You may find it in future, but right now they’re too busy [in Iraq and Syria] to invest in Israel itself, or in the West Bank.”

Original Content from Fox News

6.4 Earthquake in Chile

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A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the region around Valparaiso, Chile on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage from the strong quake that occurred at 22:32 GMT (7:32 p.m. EDT), but electricity and telephone service was interrupted in some areas. Three aftershocks were registered in the area shortly thereafter.

The seismological service initially reported the initial quake’s magnitude as 6.6, but later downgraded it to 6.4.

A preliminary report showed the quake was centered in the Valparaiso area about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west-northwest of a community called Hacienda La Calera, around 118 kilometers (73 miles) from the capital of Santiago. It had a depth of about 32 kilometers (19 miles.)

Original Report by Worthy News

Large 6.9 Earthquake in Central Peru

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A large 6.9-magnitude earthquake has struck a sparsely populated area of central Peru, the U.S. Geological Survey said Sunday.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, said Mario Casareto, spokesman for Peru’s fire agency. He said authorities were still surveying the region, including the Ayacucho area where the quake was centered.

The seismological service initially reported the magnitude as 7, but revised it downward to 6.9 in a subsequent report. According to the survey’s updated figures, the quake occurred at 2321GMT Sunday and was centered about 43 kilometers (27 miles) east-northeast of an area called Tambo, and about 467 kilometers (290 miles) southeast of the capital of Lima. It had a depth of 101 kilometers (62.8 miles), the survey said.

Local media said that the quake was felt in parts of Lima and in many major cities of southeastern Peru, including Cuzco and Arequipa.

Original Report by Worthy News

Iranian Pastor Charged with the “Crime” of ‘Waging War Against God’

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Iranian Pastor Charged with the “Crime” of ‘Waging War Against God’

An Iranian pastor has been charged with “waging war against God,” a crime punishable by death, according to BarnabasAid…as reported by Worthy News

Pastor Matthias Haghnejad was arrested in July when intelligence agents raided his home in Bandar-e-Anzali. The officers also arrested two other converts from Islam: Mohammad Roghangir and Suroush Saraie. The agents then confiscated Bibles, Christian literature and the pastor’s personal computer.

In August, Matthias was charged with “Moharebeh” or “waging war against God” after being interrogated for hours. Moharebeh is a capital offence that previously has only been prosecuted in cases of criminal activity, armed protests, oppositional political activism and separatism.

Suroush and Mohammad are charged with “actions against national security,” “evangelizing” and “disturbing public order”.

Although Iran is a signatory to the U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it continually denies religious rights to some minorities. Iranian authorities systematically charge Christians — notably Protestants and converts from Islam — with religious crimes that are often presented as political or criminal in nature.

Convictions for converts are often a foregone conclusion and long prison sentences are not unusual.

Original Post by Worthy News

Georgia School Students Pray, Stand for Faith Despite Threat of Lawsuit from Humanist Group

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Georgia School Students Pray, Stand for Faith Despite Threat of Lawsuit from Humanist Group

Approximately 200 students at a Georgia high school and their parents gathered to pray on the football field Wednesday—with an even larger gathering on Thursday—in response to a letter from a national humanist organization that threatened possible legal action if the school’s coaches continue “promot[ing] Christianity.”

As previously reported, the American Humanist Association (AHA) sent a letter on Tuesday to the superintendent of Hall County Schools, the principal of Chestatee High School and the chairman of the Board of Education after it received any complaint from a local resident about practices at the school.

According to the letter, written by AHA attorney Monica Miller, coaches at Chestatee High School have allegedly been citing Bible verses on team documents and either leading or joining with the team in prayer.

“We have received reports that CHS coaches have joined players in prayer while standing in a circle, hands interlocked. At times, the head coach has led the prayers, which is an egregious violation of the Establishment Clause,” the correspondence reads. “Further violating the Constitution, a citation to Galatians 6:9 was placed at the bottom of workout log sheets given to players, and the citation and text of Proverbs 27:17 was written in giant letters on a banner used for a football team pregame entrance.”

“This type of religious activity, by government employees in the course of their duties as public school football coaches, is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause,” Miller asserted, demanding “that CHS coaching staff cease leading, participating in, or encouraging team prayer, and that the school remove all Bible verses and other religious messages from team documents and related materials.”

The organization threatened a possible lawsuit if the practices are not discontinued, requesting that a response be received in two weeks. District officials state that they are conducting an investigation into the matter.

“There certainly is no legal precedent that you can’t use a verse … that does not promote a particular religion,” Superintendent Will Schofield told the Gainesville Times. “Until I know exactly what text we’re talking about, we’ll have to investigate that. … [I]f some of our folks are doing what they shouldn’t, we’ll take care of it.”

But students at Chestatee High School decided to demonstrate their support for the football team on Wednesday by gathering together to pray on the field. According to reports, an estimated 200 students and their parents huddled on the field in solidarity, and a second gathering, which was said to have been even larger, was held on Thursday at another location on the campus.

“We choose to pray, they don’t make us pray,” Megan Ellis, a student at Chestatee High School told reporters.

“I think [the controversy is] really ridiculous. Every school does it,” added student Marlen Olvera. “Every school prays before football games and after football games. It’s not the coach’s decision; it’s the students decision.”

“I think it’s sad that you can be in a state prison, and you can have a Bible and read it all day long, and you can have a worship service inside that prison, but you can’t pray on a football field,” said parent Kevin Elrod.

Original Post by Christian News Network

Islamic State seizes Key Syrian(Tabqa) airbase

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Islamic State seizes Key Syrian(Tabqa) airbase

Fighters from Islamic State (IS) have taken control of a key Syrian government airbase, activists say.

The Tabqa airbase was the last remaining stronghold of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Raqqa province..

State TV confirmed that government forces had “evacuated” the airbase. Days of fighting there have reportedly killed hundreds on both sides.

More than 191,000 people have now been killed in the three-year-old Syrian conflict up to April, the UN says.

IS, formerly known as ISIS, has expanded its reach into large parts of eastern Syria and northern Iraq in recent months.

The US has launched limited airstrikes against the group in Iraq but has not targeted them in Syria.

‘Heavy fighting’

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group with opposition ties, said clashes around the airbase were ongoing but added that the base was under IS control.

Hundreds of soldiers and IS fighters had died in the past few days’ fighting around the base, the Observatory said.

Syrian state television confirmed that government troops had lost control of the base.

“After heavy fighting by the forces defending the Tabqa airbase, our forces implemented a regrouping operation after the evacuation of the airbase,” it said.

Government forces were conducting airstrikes on the base after the troops evacuated, it reported.

The base lies around 45km (30 miles) outside Raqqa city, the main powerbase of IS, and is believed to hold dozens of warplanes, helicopters, tanks and artillery.

Analysts say the fall of the base is a significant blow for the Syrian government’s ability to project air power into the north of the country.

The base was the last remaining government outpost in the province, the BBC’s Sebastian Usher reports.

The militants have celebrated previous victories over two other bases by displaying the severed heads of soldiers in the middle of the town, our correspondent adds.

IS fighters have steadily taken over several government military bases in Raqqa province in recent weeks, including the Division 17 base just outside Raqqa town.

In a separate incident, Syrian government forces killed 32 rebels in an ambush in Deraa in southern Syria, activists said.

State media confirmed the attack, and said tens of fighters had been killed.

Opposition groups in Syria have been fighting President Bashar al-Assad since 2011.

Original Post by BBC

Fulton County Public Schools Ask for Assistance from Faith Community

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ot1lsduSbM

More than 50 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court banned public school prayer. That decision is still stirring debate, but it doesn’t mean schools and churches can’t work together.

In one Georgia town, this partnership is helping students succeed. Francella Perryman believes in the Church’s calling to meet the needs of the community.

Perryman is especially passionate about kids and practices what she preaches as outreach director for Mount Pisgah United Method church in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek.

“Jesus did not just sit in the pews, he was out in the community. And if we are to seriously be light to the world, you have got to get out into the community and support these children,” she told CBN News.

Making the Connection

When the Fulton County public schools asked for help from the faith community, Perryman immediately reached out to Hillside Elementary school, where many low minority and income students attend.

“I just went to the principal and talked to her, found out what her needs were and our need to be a light,” she explained.

It is a part of a plan put in place by Fulton County School Superintendent Robert Avossa after realizing that public schools under his helm could not meet the needs of the students in his district alone.

“With the school system of nearly a 100,000 students and almost half of which live at or below the poverty level, it was clear early on that no matter how many resources we had, we weren’t going to be able to reach every one of our children,” Avossa said.

Faith to the Rescue

The response from the faith community was overwhelming. More than 100 houses of worship, including churches, synagogues, and others offered services to public school in Fulton County, ranging from feeding programs to after school athletic camp.

Avossa said he was impressed by the help.

“I began to talk with community members. It became very clear that there were a lot of people in the community and our faith community, in particular, that were interested in helping,” he said.

But Dr. Avossa knew that going from talking about the plan to making it happen would be not be easy.

Local media questioned if he was allowing churches in the schools to change the way people believe.

It’s an issue Avossa said Fulton County has been careful about before proceeding.

“We brought in an attorney to share early on with our faith community the importance of working with schools, that this is a place of volunteerism, a place for people to help,” he explained.

Being a Light

Meanwhile, Perryman said the goal of Mt. Pisgah’s involvement with the school is to demonstrate help for students in tangible ways.

“We’re not so much focused on only having them attend our church,” she said. “It’s again being a partner with them and allowing them to see the light of Christ and supporting the schools.”

Students at Hillside are reaping tremendous benefits from the partnership.

Volunteers from Mt. Pisgah provide tutoring and mentoring programs during the school’s lunchtime and the church recently hosted a back to school event, providing backpacks and free school supplies.

Hillside Principal Dr. Maisha Ottway said partnering with churches and other groups simply makes sense.

“I think the biggest take away is our schools are supported and don’t always have to be supported by us,” she said. “There are community faith-based organizations that benefit from supporting us so why do we not need to tap into that resource?”

Mt. Pisgah also provides shuttle service to the school for parents interested in attending parent conferences but who have no transportation.

Dr. Ottway said attendance at school events have increased as a result.

Perryman added that parents want to be involved in school events but that if transportation is an obstacle, loaning out church vans is the least the church can do to help.

A Simple Thing

Ottway said the partnership with the church is making her job as principal easier.

“I can’t do everything and I can’t provide everything for my kiddos. It doesn’t have to be grandiose, it just has to be sustainable and that’s what Mount Pisgah has done. And for me it’s just a simple, simple thing,” she added.

Both the school and the church said the partnership is working well and yielding benefits for all involved, especially the students.

“The better prepared kids are to be self-sufficient and to contribute to the community, the healthier the community,” Avossa said.

“And at the end of the day I think it’s a great place to focus,” she said. “It’s a win win for everybody.”

Original Content by CBN News

Australia to Spend $60M to Combat Muslim Extremism and Radicalization

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The Australian government said Tuesday it will spend 64 million Australian dollars ($60 million) on measures to counter violent extremism and radicalization as Islamic State continues to recruit foreign fighters to its ranks in Iraq and Syria.

The measures include strengthened community engagement programs aimed at preventing young Australians from becoming involved with extremist groups and new multi-agency investigation teams to disrupt foreign fighters and their supporters.

The Australian government is giving high priority to reducing the domestic terrorism threat created by homegrown extremists who travel to Syria and Iraq to fight.

Australia and the United States will raise at the United Nations General Assembly in September the need for governments to cooperate against the common threat.

“This is the highest national security risk that we face and we will not rest until we are sure that the Australian people are safe and secure from it,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Parliament.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at least 60 Australians were fighting for Islamic State overseas, and another 100 were working or fund-raising within Australia to support the al-Qaida offshoot group and other terror groups.

Islamic leaders have complained that Australia’s Muslim minority is being unfairly targeted by draconian counterterrorism measures, such as a proposed new onus on Australians traveling to terrorism hotbeds to prove that they had legitimate reasons for going there.

But Abbott said Muslims were not being targeted.

“I want to make it absolutely crystal clear that the enemy here is terrorism, it’s not any particular faith, it’s not any particular community,” Abbott told Parliament.

A poll published in The Australian newspaper on Tuesday found that 77 percent of respondents supported laws that would require travelers to prove that they had no contact with terrorist groups while overseas. Another 18 percent opposed the move and 5 percent were undecided.

The poll by Sydney-based market researcher Newspoll was based on a random, nationwide telephone survey of 1,207 voters last weekend. It has 3 percentage point margin of error.

Original Post by The Washington Post

Former President Jimmy Carter to speak at Annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America(ISNA)

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Former President Jimmy Carter to speak at Annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America(ISNA)

Former President, Jimmy Carter, 89, will be the keynote speaker at the Islamic Society of North America’s (ISNA) 51st annual convention in Detroit this weekend, the Toledo Blade confirmed Monday.

According to the Toledo Blade, the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA, is hosting the annual event.

CBN News has reported ISNA is the nation’s largest Muslim group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda and Hamas.

White House officials have praised the organization as a pillar of the American-Muslim community. ISNA leader, Mohamed Mageed, has also been an adviser to the Obama administration.

This year’s conference theme is “Generations Rise: Elevating Muslim-American Culture,” and speakers will offer ideas for advancing Islam in America over the next five years.

Carter will mostly discuss his latest book, “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power,” the Blade reported.

The convention will also host other politicians, including Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

Carter has come under criticism in the past for his critical views of Israel and U.S.-Israel relations.

In his 2006 book, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” Carter accused Israel of practicing a racist state policy similar to South African Apartheid. In addition, earlier this month, the former President called Hamas, the militant Palestinian group at war with Israel, “a legitimate political actor.”

Original Content by CBN News

If All Iraqi Christians Leave,Who would be the Salt and Light in Iraq?

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This past weekend I met with Ankawa Evangelical Church Pastor Ghassan Yalda who told me he is saddened when Iraqi Christians talk about leaving the country for America or elsewhere in the West…by Gary Lane of CBN News

“Christians are salt and light. If everyone leaves, who will be speaking the truth to the people who need us? Sin is everywhere, people are killing each other. “

Who will be left to ask God to pour out his mercy on Iraq?

But every displaced Christian I’ve met here has told me they want to leave. They say they can no longer live with Muslims when a percentage of them are trying to exterminate anyone who does not believe the way they do.

Yalda also told me he appreciates the partnership CBN Disaster Relief has made with his church to help displaced Christians and others. Each day church volunteers provide food and other necessities for 60-80 families. CBN has stood alongside them.

The daily demands on Yalda’s church body are overwhelming. Just two months ago their main effort was conducting a weekly church service and doing outreach work with Syrian refugees. Now, in addition to the daily outreach efforts, 100 Christian refugees reside at the church in Sunday school classrooms.

Pastor Yalda asks us to pray for more volunteers to come to Iraq to help and encourage the people here.

“We need each other,” the pastor told me. “And our country cannot be saved by military action. It can only be saved by Jesus Christ.”

Watch the full Video interview below:

Original Content by CBN

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