More Encouraging News from dar al Islam

This first morning after the blessed mass of Christ we are pleased to present for your edification, enjoyment, and heartening TWO MORE examples of liberality and dedication to human rights from... guess who?

If you said "The Grand Ummah," you win a BIG prize.

First, courtesy of WorldNet Daily, there emerge blessed tidings of tolerance from the Sharia Capital of the Arab Middle East -- the Gaza Stripped. This is a nifty tale of Islamic interfaith dialog in action. That is followed by a heartwarming story of educational opportunity from our stalwart ally in "the War Against Terrorism," The Peoples Republic of Shariastan. Hat-tip to Morningstar.

Muslim grinches steal Christmas; Christians warned against celebration: 'We are living under a state of fear'

"We were warned not to celebrate in the streets or ring the church bells, otherwise Christians would be targeted. We are living under a state of fear," the Christian leader said."There is nothing we can do about the situation. We don't want to infuriate anyone," he said.

He said he had reason to believe the threats emanated with Jihadia
Salafiya, a Hamas-allied Islamic outreach movement in Gaza that recently announced the opening of a "military wing" to enforce Muslim law. The organization, which is not directly connected to Hamas but publicly supports it, has been suspected in a string of anti-Christian attacks, including the bombing of a Christian bookstore in November 2007 and the murder of the store's manager,
local Christian resident Rami Ayyad.

Contacted by WND, Abu Islam, chief of Jihadia Salafiya, denied making any threats against Christians.Still, Abu Islam commented, "Gaza is a Muslim state. Why do 3,000 Christians need to celebrate
openly in a territory of 1 million Muslims? Any celebrations are clearly for missionary purposes and must not be tolerated."

In the case of Ayyad, who managed the only Christian bookstore in Gaza, his body was discovered riddled with gunshot and stab wounds. Just before his murder, Ayyad, a Baptist, was
publicly accused by Abu Islam’s group of engaging in missionary activities.

Ayyad’s bookstore, owned by the Palestinian Bible Society, was firebombed in April 2007, after which he told relatives he received numerous death threats from Islamists. WND quoted witnesses stating Ayyad was publicly tortured a few blocks from his store before he was shot to death.The witnesses said they saw
three armed men, two of whom were wearing masks, beat Ayyad repeatedly with clubs and the butts of their guns while they accused him of attempting to spread Christianity in Gaza. The witnesses said that after sustaining the beating, Ayyad was shot by all three
men.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?a=PAGE.view&pageId=84518
Posted: December 24, 20088:50 pm Eastern
By
Aaron Klein© 2008 WorldNetDaily

ISLAMABAD (AFP)--Taliban extremists in Pakistan's troubled northwest Swat
valley have banned girls from attending school, threatening to kill any female
students, officials said Thursday.

The threat was delivered this week by local Taliban commander Shah Durran in
an address carried on an illegally-run radio station in the area, local
officials told AFP.

"You have until January 15 to stop sending your girls to schools. If you do
not pay any heed to this warning, we will kill such girls," one official quoted
the commander as saying. "We also warn schools not to enrol any female students;
otherwise, their buildings will be blown up."

The mountainous Swat valley was until last year a popular tourist destination
featuring Pakistan's only ski resort.

Durran said local Taliban leaders were determined not to allow girls to
attend school, saying: "We want to enforce the true Sharia in the area --
for this, we are fighting and laying down our lives." Swat residents said
Taliban fighters had already destroyed scores of government-run schools, leading
some to set up private schools in their homes to educate girls.

An official at the Pakistani education ministry said there are about 1,580
schools registered in Swat -- once known for its top-flight schools. But the
official, Naeem Khan, told AFP: "Already Taliban militants have destroyed 252
schools, mainly those where girls and boys were studying together." Education
has suffered badly in
Swat as a result of the ongoing fighting between
Taliban-linked militants and security forces, with only a handful of schools
still open in the region's main city Mingora, Khan
said.
http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/DJ/200812250412DOWJONESDJONLINE000357_univ.xml
Taliban Threaten To Kill Pakistani Schoolgirls - Officials12-25-08 4:12 AM
EST

My personal candidate for quote-of-the-day goes to the "local Taliban commander," that inestimable champion of equality Shah-Shah-Shah, Shah-Shah Durran: "...stop sending your girls to schools. If you do not pay any heed to this warning, we will kill such girls." And high time to take a stand on the issue, too, I say! Gloria Steinem, Nancy Pelosi, are you listening? This bell tolls for you.