veteranstoday--2019-04-02--War Producing Mixture of Religion and Government

When we think of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which states in part that the government shall “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” which Thomas Jefferson described as “a wall of separation between church and state” in his letter to the Danbury Baptists, we usually limit it to the US government respecting an establishment of religion on US soil.  In today’s world, the US government is, and has been since 1948, respecting the establishment of religion, and using American tax dollars to pay for it, in the Middle East. It took the form of financial loans to the religious Jewish state of Israel under Harry Truman in 1948.  Ever since then the vast majority of US politicians from both major political parties have realized that promoting Israel with American lives, limbs and BILLIONS of US tax-dollars from Americans, is money in the bank for them. Currently US politicians take from American tax payers and give to Israel $10.5 million EVERY DAY.  To understand how this is possible, and to get an accurate understanding of how the US “democracy” really works, watch this important video. The video is an abridged version of the undercover documentary The Lobby, which documents how the Israel lobby buys US politicians for the benefit of Israel.  Starting at 6:54 and going through 12:34 in the video, we get a lesson on the mechanics of buying “public servants” who are in reality nothing more than political whores/pimps who sell themselves and their constituents to the highest bidder. (What this short segment of the documentary shows should make everyone who sees it realize what a total waste of time, and what a scam, voting is.)  In this case the highest bidder is the Israel lobby, and in particular the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The American Representative Ilhan Omar, who was attacked by politicians from both parties for telling the truth about AIPAC and the Israel lobby buying US politicians with her statement “It’s all about the Benjamins baby”, is completely exonerated by this undercover documentary.  In the video at 10:10 – 21 we get an ominous message from David Ochs, a lobbyist for the Israel lobby. Ochs tells the undercover journalist James Anthony Kleinfeld, “We don’t ask a goddamn thing about the fucking Palestinians. You know why? Because it’s a tiny issue, that’s why. It’s a small insignificant issue. The big issue is Iran. We want everything focused on Iran.” US politicians are acting of this Israel lobby primary objective against Iran. Donald Trump’s recent official recognition of the illegally occupied Syrian Golan Heights as being part of Israel was done with Iran in mind.  Ochs, AIPAC and all of the Israel lobby work to accomplish what the Jewish state of Israel wants. Regarding Iran, Israel wants the same thing it wanted, and got, from US politicians for Iraq: regime change through the use/misuse of the US military. US politicians from both parties were happy to oblige regarding Iraq. As a former adviser to George W. Bush and the executive director of the 9/11 commission, Philip Zelikow said, “Why would Iraq attack America or use nuclear weapons against us?  I’ll tell you what I think the real threat (is) and actually has been since 1990 – it’s the threat against Israel. And this is the threat that dare not speak its name, because the Europeans don’t care deeply about that threat, I will tell you frankly. And the American government doesn’t want to lean too hard on it rhetorically, because it is not a popular sell.”  Neither would a US war against Iran be a popular sell with most Americans. A survey done in July shows that Americans oppose going to war against Iran by a margin of two-to-one. Unfortunately the war-pigs are very skilled at promoting war against the will of the people. A powerful example of this is how the Jewish Zionists maneuvered the US into WWI. This was all part of the Balfour Declaration which saved England from defeat by bringing the US into the war on England’s side, while promising to give land in Palestine to the Jews.  The largest segment of the US population that would be in favor of a US war against Iran are millions of Christians who believe the Bible is the word of God and who take seriously what the ancient Hebrew and Jewish authors of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament wrote in it. They wrote that God gave all of the land that is currently the Palestinian West Bank and Palestinian East Jerusalem to the Jews for the Jewish state of Israel to have for eternity.  In Genesis 13:14-15 God allegedly said to Abram, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” According to an article written by Christian clergyman Pat Robertson, the land God gave to Abram that was to become the Jewish state of Israel stretches from parts of modern day Egypt to parts of Syrian, Jordan and Iraq.  Believing the Bible requires sincere Bible believers to support Israel in all of its undertakings. Christian clergyman John Hagee, the founder of Christians United For Israel (CUFI), has a list of seven reasons why Christians need to support the Jewish state of Israel.  To undercut the damaging religious nonsense regarding Bible-based Jewish superiority, to put an end to the lie that God gave a gift of real estate to the Jews for the Jewish state of Israel and promised that Israel will rule the world (Deuteronomy 28:1), we must rely on our gift from The Supreme Intelligence/God of our innate reason. None of the man-made “revealed” religions can withstand the test of our innate God-given reason. The American Founder and Deist Thomas Paine wrote in The Age of Reason, The Complete Edition that we need a revolution in religion based on our innate God-given reason and Deism. Once Deism reaches enough people, this will remove us from being pawns of the Jewish Zionist warmongers and their Gentile dupes.


abcnews--2019-12-29--First responders say two people have been killed in a shooting at a church near Fort Worth, Texas, a

First responders say two people have been killed in a shooting at a church near Fort Worth, Texas, and a third is hurt First responders say two people have been killed in a shooting at a church near Fort Worth, Texas, and a third is hurt


bbc--2019-01-27--Jolo church attack Many killed in Philippines

Jolo church attack: Many killed in Philippines

Two bombs at a Roman Catholic cathedral in southern Philippines have killed 20 people and injured dozens more, local officials say.  The first blast happened as Sunday Mass was being celebrated at the church on Jolo island, where Islamist militants are active.  As soldiers responded, a second device was detonated in the car park.  The attack comes days after a majority-Muslim area in the region voted for greater autonomy in a referendum.  No group has so far said it was behind the attack. Jolo has long been a base for militants including those of the Abu Sayyaf group.  The local officials say the first blast happened at 08:45 local time (00:45 GMT) inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which has been hit by bombs in the past.  The second explosion was shortly afterwards on the doorstep of the church.  Local police initially put the death toll at 27 but later lowered it to 20, saying there was double counting in earlier official reports.  Most of the victims are civilians.  Images posted on social media showed the main road leading to the church sealed off by soldiers in armoured personnel carriers.  Some of the wounded were evacuated by air to the nearby city of Zamboanga.  Calling the attack a "dastardly act", Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana urged the local population to work with the authorities to "deny terrorism any victory".  "We will use the full force of the law to bring to justice the perpetrators behind this incident."  In last week's referendum, voters approved the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in majority-Muslim areas of southern Philippines.  But voters in Sulu province, where Jolo is located, rejected it.  The referendum was the result of a peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).  The authorities have previously expressed hopes that the vote could be a political solution to try to end decades of fighting between Islamist separatists and the Philippine army in the predominantly Catholic country.  More than 120,000 people have died in the violence.


jerusalempost--2019-11-21--Pope Francis meeting Thai king, Buddhist patriarch in visit

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unian--2019-08-05--Zelensky to meet with Erdogan Ecumenical Patriarch amid visit to Turkey on Aug 7-8

Zelensky to meet with Erdogan, Ecumenical Patriarch amid visit to Turkey on Aug 7-8

The president will also meet with representatives of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I amid an official visit to the Republic of Turkey on August 7-8.  Read alsoZelensky, Trump to meet at UN General Assembly in late September – media  "Negotiations between the head of state and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are planned as part of a visit to Ankara," according to the president's press service.  The president will also meet with members of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities.  In addition, Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul, it said.


aljazeera--2019-11-19--'Bonds of friendship': Pope Francis heads to Thailand and Japan

Nagasaki, Japan - Japan may have few Catholics, but the pacifist message of Pope Francis resonates keenly in the only country in the world to have suffered a nuclear attack.  As he prepares to make his first journey to the country this week, expectations are high the pontiff will make strong anti-war statements in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the United States dropped atomic bombs in the closing days of World War II.  "When John Paul II came the first thing he said in his message was: 'War is the work of man'," said Daichi Miyahara, newly ordained as a priest this year at Nagasaki’s Urakami Cathedral, referring to the late pope’s 1981 visit.  ''I expect that (Pope Francis) will give us the message that people should not fight but engage with each other," Miyahara added on a recent Sunday, standing outside the hilltop church, which was destroyed in the 1945 blast and later rebuilt, to greet parishioners after a mass.  Francis has been vocal about sympathy for victims of war and appears to have a special feeling for Japan.  In late 2017, he issued a small card with a photo of a boy carrying his dead brother to a crematorium in the aftermath of the Nagasaki bomb. Inscribed on the card were the words: "The fruit of war."  Pope Francis is due to arrive in Thailand on November 20 before heading to Japan on November 23. In video messages to the people of the two majority-Buddhist countries posted to the Vatican website ahead of the trip, the pope lauded peace and stressed the need to eliminate nuclear weapons.  He lauded Thailand for its dedication to "harmony and peaceful coexistence" and said he wants to "strengthen the bonds of friendship that we share with many Buddhist brothers and sisters".  To the Japanese, he said: "Together with you, I pray that the destructive power of nuclear weapons will never be unleashed again in human history. The use of nuclear weapons is immoral."  Among several events in Nagasaki, the pontiff is scheduled to make an address in a park that marks the epicentre of the explosion, while in Hiroshima he is expected to conduct an event themed on peace.  Catholicism has existed in Japan for more than 450 years and nowhere is that history more strongly felt than in Nagasaki, where the religion initially flourished to the point of the city being called "Little Rome" before being suppressed and finally re-emerging.  And while the total number of Christians from all denominations appear to account for no more than two percent of the population, Japanese seem to broadly welcome the moral authority the pope brings to calls for peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.  "The pope`s coming here gives encouragement to Nagasaki’s atomic bomb victims," said Masayuki Yamasaki, a non-Christian in his 70s who will sing in a choral performance during the visit and vividly recalls seeing John Paul II in the city on a snowy day in February 38 years ago.  One of those victims is 88-year-old Inosuke Hayasaki, who survived the bombing as a 14-year-old.  "The coming of the pope makes me feel truly what a peaceful country Japan has become," the spry Hayasaki said in Nagasaki’s Peace Park, where he discusses his experiences as a bomb survivor with visitors.  The spiritual leader of the world’s estimated 1.3 billion Roman Catholics becomes only the second pontiff to visit the two Asian nations. John Paul Il also visited Thailand in 1984.  Francis is no stranger to the region, having already travelled to countries including the Philippines and South Korea, both with significant Catholic populations.  European missionaries brought the religion to both Thailand and Japan in the 16th century, but it has faced serious cultural and political challenges recruiting followers.  The Christian population in Thailand is estimated at less than one percent.  The faith, however, has also managed to play an outsize role in spurring modernisation, education and social welfare in the countries.  "Most Thais are not Christian due to the incorporation of Buddhism into `Thai-ness`, the Thai national identity - so that being Thai means being Buddhist," Giuseppe Bolotta, an assistant professor of anthropology and an expert on the country at the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University in England, said in an email.  That and the status of the monarchy, Bolotta said, has led to the "Thai-ification" of the church in the form of compromises such as prayers in praise of the king, which have helped ensure cordial relations with the country’s Buddhist elite.  As a result, he thinks it unlikely that Francis can easily wade into controversial issues such as Buddhist-Muslim tensions in Thailand’s southern region or highlight the work of Catholic and Christian humanitarian efforts in the country.  "Nevertheless, the pope’s proverbial allergy to protocols, and his recurrent `improvisations` during public performances can result in unexpected surprises," Bolotta said.  In Japan, the faith was initially well-received with even some feudal warlords converting.  In his seminal 1951 book, British scholar CR Boxer dubbed those early years "The Christian Century in Japan" but suspicions the foreign creed was a vanguard for Spanish conquest ultimately led authorities to try and root it out.  The most infamous crackdown was the crucifixion in 1597 of 20 Japanese and six foreign missionaries - known as the 26 Martyrs - on a hill in Nagasaki where Francis is expected to pay homage.  Official efforts were of such ferocity that the religion was largely thought to have been eradicated.  But after Japan ended more than two centuries of isolation, French Catholic missionaries in Nagasaki in 1865 were astonished when local people claiming to be believers approached them and they discovered that the faith had been kept alive in secret for more than 200 years.  That history was highlighted in 2018 when a series of "Hidden Christian" sites in the Nagasaki region on the southern island of Kyushu were inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization  The late Shusaku Endo, a Catholic and author of the historical novel Silence - made into the 2016 Martin Scorsese film of the same name - famously characterised Japan as a "swamp," or a forbidding place for a new foreign faith to flourish.  Charlie Pomuceno, an Augustinian priest from the Philippines who has been in Japan for nearly nine years, acknowledges it is difficult for the church to win converts.  "You have to break the barrier,'' Pomuceno said in the office of his church in a quiet Nagasaki neighbourhood. But he adds that Catholics in Japan are exceptional in their devotion. ''The faith of the Japanese is very impressive," he said. "They really put this into practice.''  And he finds some solace in that the broader population, in his eyes, evinces Christian values even if they are not Christian in name.  "Despite that they are not Catholic by heart, but they are practising the Catholic way," he said. `For example, they are honest, they’re very honest."  Despite the paucity of Catholics and other Christians - protestant denominations began proselytising in the second half of the 19th century - adherents have played a prominent role in Japan’s modern history.  It has had around half a dozen Christian prime ministers and Christian figures in the arts and education have been notable.  Ikuko Suyama, a Buddhist who runs a small museum honouring St Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who was active in Nagasaki and later died while imprisoned at Auschwitz, says the days of religious persecution in Nagasaki are, thankfully, a thing of the past.  "Nowadays all kinds of barriers have been removed and everyone is tolerant," Suyama said.  "Not just in religion but in all things everyone has come together. That’s so important and must continue forever."


bbc--2019-02-03--Pope Francis to embark on historic visit to UAE

Pope Francis will arrive in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later on Sunday, becoming the first pontiff to visit the Arabian peninsula.  The Pope has been invited by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to take part in an interfaith conference.  He will hold a Mass on Tuesday that is expected to draw 120,000 people.  As he left, the Pope highlighted the plight of Yemen's people whose cry for help "rises up to God".  "The population is exhausted by the lengthy conflict and a great many children are suffering from hunger, but cannot access food depots," the Pope said.  Pope Francis has condemned the conflict, in which the UAE is involved as part of a Saudi-led coalition.  Last year, the pontiff appealed to the international community "to avoid a worsening of the already tragic humanitarian situation" in Yemen.  The UAE is also home to nearly a million Roman Catholics, most of them from the Philippines or India.  In a video message on Thursday, the Pope said: "I am happy for this occasion the Lord has given me to write, on your dear land, a new page in the history of relations between religions.  "Faith in God unites and does not divide, it draws us closer despite differences, it distances us from hostilities and aversion."  He paid tribute to the UAE as "a land that is trying to be a model of coexistence, of human brotherhood, and a meeting place among diverse civilisations and cultures".  While in Abu Dhabi, the Pope will also meet Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, which is the highest seat of learning for Sunni Muslims.  BBC Arabic's Murad Batal Shishani, who is in Abu Dhabi, says the Vatican hopes that the Pope's visit might loosen restrictions on the building of churches in the region, particularly in neighbouring Saudi Arabia where non-Muslim places of worship are forbidden.  Vatican officials say they need a stronger Church presence in the UAE to minister to the Catholic community there.  "We are really stretched. We need more churches. We need more priests," one official was quoted by Reuters as saying.


bbc--2019-03-31--Pope Francis visits Morocco

Pope Francis visits Morocco

Pope Francis has visited Morocco on his latest trip to a predominantly Muslim state.  He met migrants and Muslim leaders, and held a Mass for the country's small Roman Catholic community.  The Pope celebrated Mass in a sports centre in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Sunday.  Speaking in Rabat's cathedral, the pontiff warned Catholics against trying to convert people to their own belief, saying this "always leads to an impasse".  "Please, no proselytising," he told the audience.  On Saturday the Pope met migrants when he visited a centre run by the Catholic humanitarian organisation Caritas.  "The issue of migration will never be resolved by raising barriers," he had said in a speech earlier.  On Saturday, the Pope was welcomed to Morocco by King Mohammed VI.


bbc--2019-05-05--Pope Francis begins visit to Orthodox Bulgaria and North Macedonia

Pope Francis has begun a three-day visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia aimed partly at improving relations with the Orthodox Church.  The Pope met Orthodox leaders in Bulgaria on Sunday, but they had already rejected taking part in joint services or prayers with him.  The Vatican has long been pushing for unity between the two branches of Christianity, which split in 1054.  The two Balkan countries have tiny Catholic communities.  The pontiff's arrival in Bulgaria on Sunday marked the first visit by a pope to the country in 17 years.  The trip to North Macedonia will be the first by a pope and comes just months after the country ended a decades-long dispute with Greece by changing its name, and as it votes for a new president.  Central to the Balkan trip is the Vatican's desire to heal the 1,000-year-old schism that has divided Christianity.  The Pope met Orthodox Patriarch Neofit and visited an Orthodox cathedral in the capital, Sofia, on Sunday.  But the Bulgarian Orthodox Church rejected the idea of joining prayers or services with him.  In a statement last month, it explained its position, saying that the invitation for the Pope's visit was made by state authorities.  In what is being viewed as an effort not to upset other Orthodox churches, the Pope is not expected to meet privately with North Macedonian Orthodox Primate Stephen in his upcoming visit.  The Macedonian Orthodox Church declared its independence, or autocephaly, in 1967 but has not been recognised by other Orthodox churches.  Aside from moves to heal the rift with the Orthodox Church, the pontiff will meet the Balkan countries' minority Catholic communities.  Sister Elka Staneva, a nun in Rakovski, Bulgaria's largest predominantly Roman Catholic town, described the excitement there ahead of the visit.  "It is a great joy, a great spiritual experience, a feast of faith for the whole community here in Rakovski as well as for the whole country," she told Reuters.  There are an estimated 58,000 Catholics in Bulgaria and 15,000 in North Macedonia.  Speaking at the presidential palace in Sofia on Sunday, Pope Francis addressed the issue of low birth rates and high levels of emigration in Bulgaria.  "Bulgaria, like so many other countries of Europe, must deal with what can only be called a new winter: the demographic winter that has descended like an ice curtain on a large part of Europe, the consequence of a diminished confidence in the future," he said.  The Pope called on Bulgaria to "strive to create conditions that lead young people to invest their youthful energies and plan their future, as individuals and families, knowing that in their homeland they can have the possibility of leading a dignified life."  He also urged government officials "not to close your eyes, your hearts or your hands" to migrants.  Bulgaria is the European Union's poorest member state, and has seen some two million people leave the country since the fall of communism in search of new opportunities and better living standards.


france24--2019-09-05--Pope Francis visits Mozambique seeks to strengthen peace accord

Pope Francis visits Mozambique, seeks to strengthen peace accord

Gianluigi Guercia, AFP | Pope Francis waves at the crowd next to Mozambican President Felipe Nyusi (R) upon his arrival at the Maputo International Airport on September 4, 2019.  After a jubilant arrival in Mozambique at the start a three-nation African tour, Pope Francis on Thursday will meet with political and civil leaders to encourage them to consolidate a fragile peace accord.  The pope's three-day visit to Mozambique comes a month after the government signed a historic peace treaty with the former rebel group Renamo, which is now the main opposition party.  Mozambique's 16-year civil war devastated the former Portuguese colony, killing around one million people, and Renamo had never completely disarmed.  Francis, the first pope to visit Mozambique since John Paul II in 1988, was whisked away in his popemobile after arriving on Wednesday as crowds waved and danced in welcome.  He starts Thursday with a private meeting with President Filipe Nyusi, who wants to run for a second term in an election scheduled for October 15. The two men had already met one year ago at the Vatican.  As well as discussing the peace agreement, Francis is expected to address the devastation caused by two back-to-back cyclones earlier this year in the poor southeast African country.  He will not travel to Beira, the second city of the country swept away in March by Cyclone Idai, which left 600 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.  Even six months on, many people are without shelter and food.  "Even if I can not go beyond the capital, my heart is with you and embraces you all, with a special place for those who live in difficulty," he said to the victims of the cyclone, before his trip.  On Friday, the pope will address a mass at the giant Zimpeto stadium in the seaside capital Maputo.  The pope may also address the issue of extremism in northern Mozambique where jihadist attacks have claimed more than 300 lives over two years.  Francis could also speak about climate change, a key topic for the pontiff who has organised in a global meeting of bishops in Rome dedicated to the Amazon, which has been hit by devastating fires.  According to the World Bank, Mozambique, with its more than 2,000 km of coastline along the Indian Ocean, is among the ten most threatened countries in the world due to the consequences of climate change.  The pope will later visit the large Indian Ocean island of Madagascar and its much smaller neighbour Mauritius -- both situated off the eastern coast of Africa.  Mozambique and Madagascar are among the world's poorest countries and Francis' choice to visit has been seen as act of solidarity from a cleric who was often in shantytowns of Argentina and is now called the "pope of the poor".


npr--2019-11-24--Pope Francis, In Visit To Hiroshima, Says Possession Of Nuclear Weapons Is 'Immoral'

Pope Francis, In Visit To Hiroshima, Says Possession Of Nuclear Weapons Is 'Immoral'  On the first full day of his tour of Japan, Pope Francis visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki and delivered a clear message: possessing or deploying atomic weapons is immoral.  "Peace and international stability are incompatible with attempts to build upon the fear of mutual destruction, or the threat of total annihilation," Francis said in an address in Nagasaki. He spoke at the site where the United States exploded an atomic bomb in 1945, killing 74,000 people by the end of that year.  The nuclear arms race wastes resources that could instead improve people's lives and protect the environment, the pontiff said.  "In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is squandered and the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons are an affront crying out to heaven," he said.  Pope Francis then traveled to Hiroshima, where the U.S. dropped the world's first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, killing 140,000 people. There, in the darkness, the pope held a meeting for peace.  The remembrances were a somber beginning to the first papal visit to Japan in nearly four decades. The pontiff also performed a mass on Sunday before some 35,000 people at a baseball stadium in Nagasaki.  Pope John Paul II also visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki on his 1981 trip to Japan.  In Hiroshima, the pope met with survivors of the bombings, including Yoshiko Kajimoto, who was a 14-year-old factory worker when the bomb exploded, causing the building she was in to collapse on top of her.  "No one in this world can imagine such a scene of hell," she said, describing her evacuation route, according to The Associated Press. "There were more and more people coming by. Their bodies were so burned and totally red. Their faces swollen to double size, their lips hanging loose, with both hands held out with burnt skin hanging from them. They no longer looked human."  Kajimoto's health has suffered greatly in the years since the bombing. She had most of her stomach removed in 1999 due to cancer, and she n0w has leukemia.  Francis appeared moved by her story, and he reiterated the stance he made on the subject two years ago.  "The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral," he said Sunday. "As is the possession of atomic weapons."  His 2017 declaration was a departure from the papacy's previous position, which held that nuclear deterrence was acceptable if it was in the service of eventual disarmament.  The pontiff specifically lamented the degradation of international arms control treaties. In August, the U.S. pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia, saying Moscow had violated the terms of the agreement.  Amid his prayers, Francis also gave a word of warning: "We will be judged for this."


rawstory--2019-11-11--Thai convent weaves ‘beautiful’ robes for Pope Francis visit

Sewing machines whir in a Bangkok convent as workers feverishly finish silk robes in brilliant golds and reds, made especially for Pope Francis and his entourage visiting Thailand this month.  The whirlwind November 20-23 trip will see the head of the Catholic Church meet top officials, host masses and visit the Catholic faithful in the Buddhist-majority country.  Seamstresses at the Praharuthai Convent in Bangkok are working hard ahead of the trip to ensure Pope Francis and his bishops, deacons and priests are decked out in the country’s finest threads.  “I feel happy and very proud that our convent has been selected to do this most honourable job,” said Sister Sukanya, who oversees the tailoring.  She and her team of about a dozen seamstresses have been working long days for two months on the more than 200 robes, many stacked neatly in the convent next to round handmade hats.  The two most important pieces — two matching robes for the pontiff — are ready to go, displayed proudly side-by-side on a pair of mannequins.  Embroidered with an intricate “kanok” pattern — a ubiquitous Thai motif seen on clothing, furniture and artwork — the custom-made gold and yellow design will be worn by the pope at his first mass on November 21.  The following day he’s set to sport a nearly identical robe in red and gold colors.  Thailand is renowned for its silk and the convent was selected for the job because it has been making custom-made religious garments for generations.  For the sisters at Praharuthai Convent, the job is an honor of a lifetime — and a chance to show off traditional tailoring.  “Our Thai style is a beautiful creation,” Sister Saengpradab told AFP, as seamstresses hunched under a Jesus statue nearby, measuring, cutting and sewing reams of silk.  It has been nearly four decades since a pontiff visited Thailand, and the trip will mark the 350th anniversary of the first official mission to the country.  The Pope is set to meet Thailand’s king and prime minister, hold two masses — and reunite with his second cousin, who runs a Catholic girls’ school there.  Today the country’s 388,000-strong Christian community makes up an estimated one percent of the population, the majority residing in the north.  After Thailand, Francis will travel to Japan until November 26, where he will visit Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima.  Since Francis’ election six years ago, he has made two trips to Asia, visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2014, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.


rawstory--2019-11-21--Pope Francis begins Asia tour with visit to Buddhist temple

Pope Francis will visit one of Thailand’s famed gilded temples Thursday to meet the supreme Buddhist patriarch, on the first full day of his Asian tour aimed at promoting religious harmony.  The 82-year-old pontiff is on his first visit to Buddhist majority Thailand, where he will spend four days before setting off to Japan.  His packed schedule a day after touching down in Bangkok includes a meeting with the king and the prime minister before leading an evening mass expected to draw tens of thousands of people from across Thailand, where just over 0.5 percent of the population is Catholic.  He also has an appointment with the Buddhist Supreme Patriarch at the glittering gold Ratchabophit temple in Thailand’s historic old quarter, built 150 years ago by Thailand’s former king mixing traditional and gothic styles.  It is a highly symbolic visit for the head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, who carries a message of peace, religious tolerance and nuclear disarmament on his sweep through Asia.  “Pope Francis always respects other religions, always treats his counterparts with respect… that’s why he would like to pay respect to the leader” of the Buddhist faith in Thailand, said Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, who helped with some of the visit planning.  Before arriving, Francis praised the Southeast Asian country as a “multi-ethnic nation”, and hoped his trip would strengthen the Catholic community’s bonds of friendship with “many Buddhist brothers and sisters”.  Earlier Thursday the Pope was met by Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Cha-O-Cha at government house for a red carpet welcome with dozens of top officials.  He was accompanied by his cousin Sister Ana Rosa, who has lived in Thailand for decades and will be accompanying the pontiff as a translator.  In a speech to civil society, officials and diplomats, he said the visit with the patriarch was “a sign of the importance and urgency of promoting friendship and interreligious dialogue”.  The Pope’s trip to Thailand is the first papal trip to the country since pope John Paul II visited in 1984.  It coincides with the 350th anniversary of the first Catholic missionaries who established the “Mission de Siam” in the late 17th century.  Pope Francis arrived Wednesday in the Thai capital where he was greeted by cheering worshippers who lined the streets hoping for a glimpse of the Catholic leader in his motorcade.  He heads to Japan on Saturday, where he will visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two cities devastated when the US dropped atomic bombs at the end of World War II in 1945.  The pope, who years ago had hoped to be a missionary in Japan, has made strong calls for the ban of the “immoral” use of nuclear weapons.  Since Francis’ election six years ago, he has made two trips to Asia, visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2014, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.


eveningstandard--2019-03-23--Christchurch terror attack Worshippers return to Al Noor Mosque as it reopens for the first time si

Christchurch terror attack: Worshippers return to Al Noor Mosque as it reopens for the first time since shooting

Worshippers have returned to Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch for the first time since dozens of people were killed in a deadly terror attack.  Hundreds of people visited the mosque to lay flowers and tributes, or pray, after police removed a cordon.  It is the first time people have been allowed back into the mosque to visit since 50 people were gunned down while at Friday prayers.  Crews had replaced windows that worshippers smashed in a desperate attempt to escape when the attack during Friday prayers. Bullet holes were plastered over and painted.  Shagat Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury, said they had not planned to open the mosque so soon but when they saw the crowds gathering after the police cordon was removed, they decided to allow people to enter in managed groups "so the mosque will be alive again".  "Those who lost their families are of course quite emotional," he said. "And those who were present here during the incident, of course the memories come back. The flashbacks."  A total of 50 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, in the country's worst terrorist attack.  Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with murder and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on April 5.  Abdullahi Ibrahim Diriye, the uncle of the youngest victim of the shooting, three-year-old Mucaad Ibrahim, visited the mosque with the boy's father.  Mr Diriye said: "Always he was a happy boy, and he liked every person he met, not only Muslims.”  Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, who travelled to New Zealand to pay his respects, hugged a man at the entrance of the mosque and told him to "be patient".  He said: “He was crying deeply from his heart for a loved one he had lost.  "And I was saying, this is God's will, be patient. Because only through patience can you endure."


pravadareport--2019-03-19--Massacres of Muslim Worshipers in Christchurch Tragic Insanity at Place of Worship

Massacres of Muslim Worshipers in Christchurch: Tragic Insanity at Place of Worship

"And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."  (Howard Zinn, late American historian and distinguished scholar of peace, justice and humanity).  Killing of the innocent people undoubtedly is a crime against humanity. The global political consciousness is obsessed with terms like "terrorism", "Islamophobia" and "extremism", not knowing its reality and how and why it is happening across the globe. The 21st century global humanity is conscientious how some political propagandists besiege the people with false flags and imagery to incite hatred, violence and human destruction in societies having systematic liberal democracies. Often leaders make or break the abstract imagery of the merchants of catastrophic evils with racial overtones as if color and ethnicity are supreme than the equality of human norms.  The NZ suspect killer Brenton Tarrant was greeted at the AlNoor Mosque entrance - "Brother Assalamo-Alaikum" Brother welcome in Peace, but he gunned down the very person who welcomed him at the mosque. BrentonTarrant played a live portrayal of his insanity on social media for more than 30 minutes to entertain millions of sickening minds with cruel revenge and savagery on the innocent 50 Muslim worshippers at Christchurch two mosques. The men of God had no idea what was in-waiting for the ultimate insanity to be performed. There are 50 or so critically injured under treatment. It represented hatred and inhumanity in its worst form and action. Not surprisingly, his 'manifesto' corresponds to the prevalent policies and practices of the Far Right White Supremists in the Western societies as it does to the stance of President Trump. The attacker believed that Muslim refugees were there to take over the European culture and civilization. Islamophobia is not an abstract phenomenon but a highly organized socio-political pursuit in many Western cultures aimed at dehumanizing the Muslim population with fear and hatred across the board. Thomas Paine (The Rights of Man) said it wisely: "man is not the enemy of man but through the medium of false system of government....the wisdom of nation should apply itself to reform the system."  We, the People and We the Humanity  As informed rational global citizens, out of this unexcitable shadow of darkness we look for the unity of human consciousness in situations of abnormal crisis and bloodshed. An ideal specimen of humanity and compassion was extended by the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who took immediate action to protect the beleaguered Muslim community with sympathy, understanding and protective measures. It was convergence of all humanity on shared moral and religious sentiments that we are One Humanity before God and that benevolence and freedom of worship unites us in bonds common across the universal landscape. Contrary to the attacker's imagination and plan, the people of New Zealand, Australia, UK, Canada, USA, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia and Scandinavian countries and other parts of human civilizations poured in condolences and resolve that the mosque's killings were act of terrorism and unjustifiable and unwarranted in the civilized world. The global reaction appeared rational in a spirit of universal compassion and understanding.  What motivated the attacker to target Muslim worshippers at the two mosques in Christchurch?  The answer lies with a thorough police investigation currently in progress but the agenda and the manifesto of the attacker ( sent to the NZ PM) leaves no room for speculation except the reality of the Islamophobia pretext. The world we live-in, all human action are interconnected to the socio-economic and political environment that we encompass. Our thoughts, faculties and values are the possession and means by which we compose our outlook, behavior and priorities. If the attacker was inspired by the overwhelming Western pursuit of "Islamophobia" and wanted to secure some hallmarks by acts of sadistic brutality against the innocents, he was wrong and foolish, it demonstrated a global will and resilient to be united against the perpetuated evil and insanity. Instead, it revived a moral and intellectual capacity and passion to stand against the evil mongering, white supremacy and religious intolerance. Agreeably, the notion of evil does have an idea of force and power across the 21st century world that we live-in. We have seen it happening in America under the Trump Presidency and in Eastern Europe during the recent Middle Eastern refugee and migration crises.  Are We Seeing a Moral and Intellectual Decadent Human Culture?  Recall that during the Two World Wars in Europe, millions and millions innocent civilians had perished in aerial bombings, political tyranny and forcible displacements. History is living not dead.  We the 21st century conscientious and informed citizens must realize to eliminate insanity, tyranny of destruction, ethnic conflicts and religious bigotry.  Moses, Jesus and Mohammad preached the unity of mankind, respect and tolerance in adversity. None of the Messengers of God taught evil, intolerance and disrespect against the believers. If we are witnessing it in the 21st century liberal democracies and immature leadership, it cannot flattened the moral, intellectual and political landscape as " No Man's land" of the white-supremacists be it in America, NZ or elsewhere. Violence, killings and maltreatment of the citizens cannot be transformed into virtue of democracy or clash of fanaticism disguised in any political ideals of the individuals, political agendas or so called leaders. There is nothing good in evil for the mankind and it does not correspond to the Nature of things within the Universe that we co-exist except thoughts, shapes and forms of individual human behavior. If it was an overwhelming ethnic and religious hatred against the believers at the two mosques. Sanctity of human life and its sole purpose must be preserved. Brenton Tarrant should have known that Islam teaches respects, compassion and honor for the faithful in Judaism and Christianity and others. It reminds Muslims that you are all equal before God - the followers of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad and it is One Religion - One Ummah (Nation) to whom God enlightened with the Divine revelations, be it the Torah, the Bible or Al-Qur'an. You are One nation in the sight of your Creator.  The focal message of Islam (Al-Qur'an, Chapter 2:136) highlights the essence of natural bonds:  "Say ye, We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob; And the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to all Prophets from their Lord: We make no difference,  Between one and another of them: And we bow to God (in Islam)."  Towards Rebuilding Historic Flaws of Moral and Intellectual Gaps?  There are political tensions between the Western Powers and Muslim countries after the 9/11 tragedies.  The theory of "the Clash of Civilizations" has its own mythological impact. But for centuries, the Islamic world was victim of the European colonization. Its identity, culture and values were destroyed by the European imperialism and its borders were the outcome of planned Europeans polices of "divide and rule" across the larger part of the Islamic world. Muslims were subjugated to prolonged tyranny of domination and destruction. Those who convientenly blame Muslims and Islam for "extremism" and "terrorism" should rethink and read the living history for truth, honesty and justice. Western doctrines that led to colonization and terrorization of the Muslim people and their culture is unparallel in modern history. Yet, you will find across the 21st century Islamic people are open to communication, realist and compassionate to respect others and mend the bitter past for a better future and peaceful co-existence. We need to be people of reason and balanced between the obvious competing tendencies of political hegemony of any ethnicity and equality of all human beings as One before the Almighty God - a common belief and value amongst the Jews, Christians and Muslims of the Abrahamic Faith. We are living in a dangerous era of political change and exploitation and cynicism about politicians is endemic. It is a wake-up call to all believers to show their inner soul and strength that all believers stand together in unity and in peace to defeat the White Supremacy and its defined official policies and practices to purge the Far-Right White Supremacy's agenda.  Rationality needs objective reasons. Reflecting on the power of righteousness supplemented by demonstration of compassion and understanding that masses of the New Zealand, the Churches and Synegogs in NZ and Australia and public gatherings in other parts of the globe showed character of magnanimous forbearance and understanding rejecting the fallacy of Islamophobia and treacherous ambuscade of the attacker that Muslims were problematic in any rational context of contemporary affairs. We, the people, thinkers and scholars as the forbears of the message of human unity, wisdom and benevolence must reciprocate and build a universal capacity to usher message of peace, compassion and unity for the good of all everywhere in all mosques, churches and synegogs.  All intellectuals, politicians, societal thinkers and planners know the encompassing reality and imperatives of rational actions for human unity, societal harmony and peace: "if you think rationally, surely, you will find the solution."   Ferocity of killings, horrors of ethnic supremacy and religious-political animosity have no place in contemporary global affairs and are abject of degeneration and human blood should not be shed upon precarious motto of the white supremacy anywhere or by anybody.  Late Professor Howard Zinn outlined the futuristic imagination of humanity in the following words:  "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places-and there are so many-where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction."  Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution and international affairs with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution: Approaches to Understand the Current Issues and Future-Making. Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany, October 2017.


theblaze--2019-12-30--Bethel Church holds funeral for worship leader's daughter, Olive Heiligenthal

On Friday, Bethel Church in Redding, California, held a funeral for the 2-year-old daughter of worship leader Kalley Heiligenthal.  The child, Olive, passed away on Dec.14. The family asked the church and the public to pray for God to resurrect their daughter three days after her death.  What are the details?  Bethel worship leader Jenn Johnson delivered the news of the funeral on Instagram.  "Yesterday," she wrote, "our community buried little Olive Heiligenthal. The past two weeks I've been at a loss for words. Four of the past five years, Brian and I have contented for life with someone on our team or family during the holidays. One lived, three died."  Johnson wrote that she wasn't "angry" with God, but "at the great loss for our family at the holidays."  Kalley shared her grief in an Instagram post.     She wrote, "Olive, we miss you, love you so much and we'll see you soon. We know now more than ever that King Jesus is good and His every word is worth believing and following at any cost. That's the song we'll sing until we're with you again and we finally sing it together. We cannot wait."    "It's a new day, and we're awake for it. This is a victory story," she concluded.  A GoFundMe campaign page has been set up to benefit the Heiligenthal family. The crowdfunding page has received more than $72,000 in donations.


therightscoop--2019-06-25--Cincinnati Church holds drag queen reading time during Sunday worship service

Cincinnati Church holds ‘drag queen reading time’ during Sunday worship service

A Presbyterian church in Cincinnati yesterday celebrated Pride Month by holding a drag queen reading time during the actual Sunday worship service.  I honestly can’t imagine something so appalling, but that’s exactly what they did and they had children come up front for the reading.  CBN NEWS – The building caretaker of a Presbyterian church in Cincinnati, Ohio dressed up in drag to read a book in scheduled children’s time during the Sunday, June 16 worship service. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Dan Davidson dressed up as “Sparke Leigh” complete with a purple dress, makeup, high heels, and “a glitter beard” and stood at the Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church door greeting members and visitors. Following the song “God Welcomes All” by the church choir, Davidson walked up on stage and ready the book Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag to the audience. The story was intended for children, some of whom sat at Davidson’s feet during the reading. “Harvey dreamed that everyone — even gay people — would have equality,” Davidson read. “He dreamed that one day, people would be able to live and love as they pleased.” Davidson has performed as a drag queen in Seattle, Washington, before he moved to Ohio last month, according to the newspaper. At another point during the service, a man stood up and told the audience the story of his “coming out.” Mount Auburn Presbyterian, a member church of the PCUSA, is celebrating pride month throughout June, The Enquirer reported. Gay pride flags cover the halls and rainbow candles are on the church’s stage.  God’s heart must be breaking. This Presbyterian church reminds me of the passage from Romans 1 where it says “for although they knew God they did not honor him as God” and “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images” created by their hands.  To have such a disgusting display in the name of God just repulses me to no end. For a church to dishonor God in this way…well let’s just say I’m surprised the church didn’t just come down on top of them.  I wish I could say that this would never happen in my beloved Catholic church, and perhaps it wouldn’t to this horrific degree. But I regret that I have heard a few Catholics call into the Patrick Madrid Show this month complaining about parishes that hold “Pride” masses.


vox--2019-03-20--Christchurch helped turn my mosque from a place of worship into a place of fear

While you’re still horrified by the mosque shooting, I’m going to share something very personal. Because that feeling you have right now, where even a small, kindhearted country like New Zealand isn’t safe, won’t last. That fear is how many Muslims feel every time we set foot in a mosque.  Islamophobia isn’t as isolated as many want to believe. Violence against religious minorities happens everywhere — just look at the shootings at the Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Sikh temple and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh — and it’s getting worse. And while Jews and Muslims combined only account for 3 percent of the American population, 79 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes are perpetrated against Jews and Muslims. It’s happening not just in rural areas, but in big cities where people assume diversity means everyone is safe. It’s not safe — and I’ve actually had as many terrifying experiences in a large city as I have in the rural South.  I used to attend a mosque in a big city in California. It was a beautiful place where I felt completely at peace. Outside this place of worship, I experienced hate: I was spat on, shoved out of line at a grocery store, called a “towelhead,” and was even run off the road. But when I was in the mosque, I was safe. I took my young niece every week — she couldn’t wait to wear her hijab for Friday services, community, and a meal many of us would share together.  Then the hate started to seep in. It started small at first. There were hateful words muttered as people passed me on my way to the mosque. I brushed it off. Then one day, someone duct-taped firecrackers to several cars in our parking lot while we all prayed. Luckily, the cars didn’t explode, but it changed everything for me. Our safe space was now surrounded by security guards who kept watch while we prayed.  I stopped wearing hijab and started parking really far from the mosque. I walked alone down the winding streets, only stopping to cover my head just before I entered because I was so scared. I couldn’t listen to the imam without watching the door and wondering if today was going to be the day that someone would attack us while we prayed.  I later moved to rural Texas, and soon after, the shootings and the fires started. Mosques were burned to the ground, and the hatred became too much to ignore. The latest administration brought with it racists emboldened by President Trump. Even professionals who once kept their views to themselves feel free to spread their hate, including teachers. One day, our middle child came home distraught. The world cultures teacher had told the class that all Muslims were terrorists, no exceptions. The teacher got a slap on the wrist, though she freely admitted to her words. I was heartbroken.  We moved our daughter to a different school. But my heart still skips a beat when she comes out of the building and quickly takes off and hides her scarf because I don’t allow her to wear hijab outside of the mosque. I wonder: If she wore it at recess, would that make her a target? The answers devastate me to my core.  It took me a while to build up the nerve to attend jumah prayer, where Muslims gather on Fridays to perform the midday prayer, after we moved to Texas. The mosque here is beautiful, and the people are friendly. But every time I set foot inside, my anxiety skyrockets and I feel like I’m going to die. It feels like nowhere is safe. We are targets, especially women who cover their heads.  With every tragedy, including the Christchurch attacks, I find myself withdrawing more. I find myself hesitating before I step across the threshold, my hands trembling as I take a deep breath to calm myself before I enter the mosque. As with any religion, worshipping together brings so much peace. But it feels more and more like a place of fear and violence.  We can’t fool ourselves into thinking this is just some deranged loner in his parents’ basement. When Islamophobia is normalized, this could be anyone. And while there has been a definite surge in hate over the past three years, George W. Bush’s post-9/11 administration is also guilty of anti-Muslim abuses. From the no-fly list to sanctioning the torture of Muslim prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, that past administration stoked the fires of hate, and the current administration is fanning the flames. Throw in the negative portrayal of Muslims in pop culture and it’s no wonder we Muslims don’t feel safe in our mosques.  There are several studies that find a significant rise in hate crimes against religious minorities. Mosques and synagogues have taken to hiring security in an effort to prevent attacks like the Christchurch shooting. Armed guards should have no place outside a house of worship.  Everyone deserves a place to worship in peace. That we have allowed dangerous groups to turn them into spaces of fear is cruel and not who we are as Americans.  Vianna Goodwin is the pen name of a freelance writer and mother of four living in rural Texas. A Muslim and an activist against discrimination of all kinds, she uses her voice to champion the rights of all marginalized people.  First Person is Vox’s home for compelling, provocative narrative essays. Do you have a story to share? Read our submission guidelines, and pitch us at firstperson@vox.com.


bbcuk--2019-05-30--Leicester mosque crash Worshipper injured in hit-and-run

Leicester mosque crash: Worshipper injured in hit-and-run

A man has been seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash after leaving prayers at a mosque.  The man, in his 40s, had left Masjid At-Taqwa mosque in Leicester when he was struck in Humberstone Road at about 01:00 BST on Thursday.  The mosque said he had been hit by a car after leaving Taraweeh - prayers made during the month of Ramadan.  Leicestershire Police said the man was in a stable condition and a teenage boy had sustained minor injuries.  Officers currently believe the vehicle "did not deliberately drive at the pedestrians".  A bid to track down the car, which failed to stop at the scene, is ongoing, the force added.  In a statement on Facebook, the mosque said: "Last night after Taraweeh, [prayers] one of the brothers who prayed with us was the victim of a hit and run just outside the masjid [mosque].  "He is fighting for his life, and we implore any one reading this post to ask Allah the Lord of The Worlds to grant him a full and speedy recovery, and to grant his family plentiful patience to get through this very difficult time."  Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.


bbcuk--2019-06-03--Southall mosque Hammer attack man detained by worshippers

Southall mosque: 'Hammer attack' man detained by worshippers

A man was detained by worshippers at a west London mosque after he reportedly tried to attack people with a hammer.  Officers were called to the Darussalam Cultural Centre in Hayes Road, Southall, shortly after 04:30 BST.  The 38-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm. There were no reported injuries.  It was thought the man had been involved in a dispute with people who he believed were at the mosque the previous day, the Met Police said.


theindependent--2019-03-21--Birmingham mosque attacks Counter-terror police called in to investigate incidents at Muslim places

Birmingham mosque attacks: Counter-terror police called in to investigate incidents at Muslim places of worship across city

Counter-terrorism police have been called in to investigate a series of attacks on mosques across Birmingham.  Four mosques in the city had windows smashed with a sledgehammer during the early hours of Thursday morning, West Midlands Police said.  Damage to a mosque in Birchfield Road was first reported to officers at around 2.30am, before a further attack in Slade Road, Erdington, took place at 3.15am.  Police patrols around areas with mosques were then set up, during which damage was also discovered in Witton Road, Aston, and Broadway, Perry Barr.  Officers said the incidents were being treated as linked and although they appeared to be targeting the Muslim community, no exact motive had been determined.  The investigation comes at a time of heightened concern for the safety of Muslims in Western countries, following a terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 50 people died after a gunman opened fire at two mosques last Friday.  Counter terror police in the UK have stepped up monitoring activity at places of worship and other areas deemed at risk following the shootings.  Javid Iqbal, a spokesman for Witton Islamic Centre, one of the places of worship targeted, said the incidents were worrying given the New Zealand attack.  “We’ve had a white intruder strike in the middle of the night. He has arrived with a sledgehammer and smashed one window.  “The force of the swing has actually meant he had lost his grip and the sledgehammer ended up in the middle of the mosque.”  Mr Iqbal claimed the attacker returned half an hour later with another hammer, which he used to cause more damage.  “Whatever the case, it is just a minority of idiots that do not reflect the values of this city or this community, he said.  “Following the New Zealand terror attacks, we have seen people in that country from all faiths come together in solidarity.  “Many non-Muslims, whether they be Christians, Hindus, Jews or whatever religion have pulled together to support one another.”  Neighbourhood officers from are expected to be deployed to work closely with mosques across the West Midlands on Thursday.  West Midlands Police forensics experts are working to identify evidence at the scenes of the four attacks, while CCTV is also being examined.  “Since the tragic events in Christchurch, officers and staff from West Midlands Police have been working closely with our faith partners across the region to offer reassurance and support at mosques, churches and places of prayer,” the force’s chief constable, Dave Thompson, said.  “At the moment we don’t know the motive for last night’s attacks. What I can say is that the force and the Counter Terrorism Unit are working side-by-side to find whoever is responsible.  “At difficult times like this, it is incredibly important that everyone unites against those who seek to create discord, uncertainty and fear in our communities.”  We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.  At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.


theindependent--2019-05-03--Grand Camlica Mosque Erdogan inaugurates aposTurkeyaposs largestapos place of worship

Grand Camlica Mosque: Erdogan inaugurates 'Turkey's largest' place of worship

Turkish president Recept Tayyip Erdogan has officially inaugurated the country’s largest ever mosque, an elaborate Ottoman-style house of worship atop a storied Istanbul hill overlooking the Bosphorus Strait.  The Great Camlica Mosque is the most prominent of numerous Ottoman-style houses of worship built across Turkey under the 17-year rule of President Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP). Its enormous dome and four 107-metre high minarets are visible across much of the city of 16 million people.  During a speech attended by several international leaders and other luminaries, Mr Erdogan described the structure as a monument befitting contemporary Turkey.  “The mosque has many symbols that belong to our history, civilisation, and beliefs,” he said.  He also spoke out against a recent spate of attacks targeting religious institutions across the world, including attacks on mosques in New Zealand and churches in Sri Lanka.  “Those who attack mosques and those who target churches have the same dark mentality,” he said. “Massacring the innocent and bombing houses of worship is not jihad. It is terror, atrocity and murder.”  Camlica was built at an estimated cost of $100m (£76m) over the last six years. Resting atop a storied Istanbul hill, it accommodates up to 63,000 worshippers. It includes an educational complex, museum, gallery, and a conference centre.  It has been criticised for its remote location, at the top of winding road hillside away from any of the city’s neighbourhoods.  "Whose idea was it to build a 60,000-person mosque on the top of Camlica Hill?” Temel Karamollaoglu, leader of a small Islamist opposition party, quipped last month. “If they fill it even once, I'll kiss their hands.”  Turkey under Mr Erdogan has modestly expanded the number of mosques, building Ottoman-style houses of worship throughout the country and even abroad. His supporters say the country lacks sufficient numbers of mosques.  But critics point out that polls have shown Turks are becoming increasingly irreligious. The 3,400 or so mosques throughout Istanbul rarely fill up, except for Friday prayers.  The mosques, often using public funds, also are built by powerful and well-connected developers that are close to the AKP.  Turkey recently inaugurated a new airport, dubbed the world’s largest, and plans to build a new canal that cuts through far western Istanbul to connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Developers have also been trying to access publicly owned land to build luxury shopping malls and high rises in deals criticised as giveaways to political allies. But Camlica was reportedly funded by donations.


thesun--2019-06-03--Hammer-wielding man 38 arrested after trying to attack worshippers at Ealing mosque

Hammer-wielding man, 38, arrested after trying to attack worshippers at Ealing mosque

A HAMMER-wielding man has been arrested after trying to attack worshippers at a London mosque in the early hours of this morning.  The suspected attacker was stopped and detained by brave worshippers at Darussalam Cultural Centre in Ealing, West London, at around 4.30am this morning.  Police were called to the scene, where the 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted GBH.  The suspect is now in custody at a west London police station.  There are no reports of any injuries and the attack is not being treated as terror-related.  Cops say the man may have been involved in a dispute with people who he believed had attended the mosque the previous day.  A Metropolitan Police spokesperson wrote on Twitter: "Officers are on the scene following reports of an incident at a mosque in Ealing. Police were called at 04:33hrs on Monday, 3 June to a mosque in Hayes Road, Southall, following reports of a man armed with a hammer. Officers attended.  "A 38-year-old man is reported to have attempted to attack people. He was detained by worshippers prior to police arrival. He has subsequently been arrested on suspicion of attempted GBH and is in custody at a west London police station.  "No reports of any injuries. The incident is not being treated as terror-related. It is believed the man may have been involved in a dispute with people who he believed to have been attendees from the mosque the previous day. Officers remain at the scene. Enquiries continue."


russiainsider--2019-02-25--Russias Future Looks Bright Mental Mathematics Is Very Popular Among Russian Pupils

Russia's Future Looks Bright! Mental Mathematics Is Very Popular Among Russian Pupils

Mental arithmetic: half a thousand absolutely fantastic children with an amazing ability to calculate in their head in an instant met in Moscow.  They solve the most difficult problems in no time. They can do it faster than a computer.  - 78 plus 9 minus 61 plus 23 plus 5 equals?  - How do you calculate so quickly?  What seems impossible is not a miracle at all. It's mental arithmetic. It's when people easily deal with multi-digit numbers in mind: add, subtract, divide, and multiply.  - And how do you do it?  - Well. For example, 46 plus 89 and ten times like this.  It's an invisible intellectual battle of big minds, for which, it seems, nothing is impossible. They solved almost 200 problems in 8 minutes. Every child here is a composer who writes their amazing symphony - a mathematical one because instead of notes, there are numbers. And the main "musical instrument" is an imaginary abacus. It was invented in ancient China where mental arithmetic originated.  Not every adult can do what's simple for those children. They solve the most complicated puzzles as quickly as possible.


thedailymirror--2019-03-14--Pi Day 2019 What is pi and why is it so important to mathematics

Pi Day 2019: What is pi and why is it so important to mathematics?

Today is Pi Day 2019, when we celebrate the 'most important number in maths.'  Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 every year, due to the fact that this is depicted as 3.14 (the first three digits of Pi) in the American calendar.  In a rather strange coincidence, March 14 is also the anniversary of Albert Einstein's birth, as well as the Stephen Hawking's death.  The number is used in maths to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.  While this is roughly 3.14, Pi is actually irrational, meaning there's not a finite number of numbers when written as a decimal.  Pi was first devised by Ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes (287-212 BC).  However, it wasn't widely used until 1737, when it was adopted by Swiss mathematician, Leonhard Euler.  Those of you who did GCSE maths may remember some of these handy equations:  Where ‘r’ is the radius (distance from the centre to the edge of the circle).  Where ‘d’ is the diameter (distance from one edge of the circle to the other).  You may have heard about Pi Approximation Day, which falls on July 22.  The fraction 22/7 is a common approximation of Pi.  Writing in the New Yorker , mathematician Steven Strogatz said: "The digits of pi never end and never show a pattern. They go on forever, seemingly at random - except that they can't possibly be random, because they embody the order inherent in a perfect circle.  "Pi touches infinity in other ways. For example, there are astonishing formulas in which an endless procession of smaller and smaller numbers adds up to pi.  "One of the earliest such infinite series to be discovered says that pi equals four times the sum 1 - 1/3 + 1/5 - 1/7 + 1/9- 1/11 and so on."  Pi has been calculated to over three trillion digits beyond its decimal point.


theirishtimes--2019-11-07--The vastness of mathematics: No one knows it all

No one person can have mastery of the entirety of mathematics. The subject has become so vast that the best that can be achieved is a general understanding and appreciation of the main branches together with expertise in one or two areas.  In the sciences, old theories fade away as they are replaced by new ones. The older theories are then of interest mainly to historians of science. Mathematics is different: a theorem once proved remains valid forever. Occasionally, unifications are found, connecting disparate topics and embracing many old theorems in one more general result. But, overall, the body of mathematics expands inexorably.  An idea of the vast scope of mathematics can be gained by leafing through The Princeton Companion to Mathematics, an extensive overview of pure mathematics published about 10 years ago. The Companion has articles on the origin of mathematics, its historical development and the main branches of the subject. There are 100 essays on key mathematical concepts such as The Axiom of Choice, Cardinal Numbers, Dynamical Systems, Hamiltonians, Manifolds, Modular Forms, Wavelets and, ending like Finnegans Wake where it begins, with The Zermelo-Fraenkel Axioms.  The Companion also includes brief biographical sketches of 100 leading mathematicians. Although history is not neglected, the focus of the book is modern mathematics. In its over one thousand pages, it makes clear the utter impossibility for any single person to master the full range of mathematics. Even the titles of some branches are daunting.  The authors include some 130 of the world’s best mathematicians and, although selective rather than comprehensive, the book gives a good indication of the topics that are occupying the minds of leading research mathematicians today. This award-winning book also conveys the beauty and depth of modern mathematics. The final section includes an article, “Advice to a young mathematician”.  The Companion confines itself to what is commonly called “pure mathematics”. It is concerned with the subject itself and does not discuss the many applications of mathematics in any depth. This omission was deliberate, as the scope of mathematics is already so broad that it requires a large compendium to give even an outline of the major branches and central topics. However, the applications are of great interest, so a “companion-to-the-companion” was published in 2015.  The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics, also 1,000 pages in length, describes what applied mathematics is about and reviews some of the main themes of current research. Once again, an exhaustive treatment is impossible, but a general coverage, conveying the excitement and importance of the subject, is achieved.  The Companion to Applied Mathematics has short articles covering a wide variety of interesting uses of mathematics. A sample from the contents indicates the scope. There are 40 articles on techniques that enable solution of numerous practical problems: differential equations, perturbation theory, linear programming, pattern formation control theory and signal processing are examples. And application areas are surprisingly diverse, including aircraft noise, social networks, microchip design, medical imaging, airport baggage screening and many more interesting topics.  The tension in mathematics between expansion and unification is ongoing. A topic of great current interest is the Langlands Program, a series of major, potentially far-reaching, conjectures about intimate connections between geometry and number theory. Perhaps this will lead to another grand unification, but only time will tell.  Peter Lynch is emeritus professor at UCD School of Mathematics & Statistics – He blogs at thatsmaths.com


tass--2019-04-29--Global science gurus plot mathematical models to study early stages of planetary evolution

It turns out that planetary masses less than 7-10 Earth masses are characterized by atmospheric gas losses.  An international group of researchers studying a planet revolving around a young star in the constellation of Scorpius has created a mathematical upper atmosphere model for various planetary hypothetical masses. Examining this planet makes it possible to study planetary evolution at early stages, Siberian Federal University’s (SFU) press service told TASS on Monday.  “In the spectral type M K2-33 star’s planetary system, the transit photometry method led to discovery of a very large planet, whose radius equals 5 radiuses of Earth. The system is extremely young (younger than 20 million years) which provides the researchers with an extraordinary opportunity to study the earliest phases of planetary evolution at a stage when planets are affected by the extremely intensive rays of a young star,” the press service stressed.  The scientists managed to calculate the lowest estimated mass of the planet, which is 10 Earth masses.  “This study featured numerical models of the planetary upper atmosphere for various hypothetical planetary masses, which varied from 2 to 40 Earth masses and different planetary temperatures from 850 to 1,300 Kelvins dependent on the internal heating  created by gravitational contraction,” the press service quotes Nikolay Yerkayev, an SFU applied mathematics department professor as saying.  The researchers found out that planetary masses less than 7-10 Earth masses experience fast losses of atmospheric gas, leaking out into space because the temperature is too high and the fact that the planet’s mass is insufficient to retain atmosphere. For larger masses, the intensity of these atmospheric leaks depends on the absorption of the high-energy rays produced by the star. “By cross-referencing the time it takes for the atmosphere to fully leak into space and the age of the system, we came up with the lowest estimation for the planet’s mass, which is around 10 Earth masses,” Yerkayev said.  Apart from the SFU scientists, experts from the Graz Space Research Institute (Austria), the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (Germany), Vienna University (Austria) and Institute of Computational Modeling SB RAS (Russia) also took part in the research. The results of which were published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics scientific journal.  In other media


thetelegraph--2019-02-06--Science world abuzz over bees maths skills

Science world abuzz over bees' maths skills

Bees understand mathematics and can navigate a series of puzzles using basic mental arithmetic, experiments have shown.  In a study which has stunned the scientific world, 14 honeybees developed a conceptual grasp of addition and subtraction, then proved they could put it to practical use.  The finding that such small-brained creatures can handle numerical cognition is significant because it suggests the ability may be shared far more widely among non-human animals than previously thought.  It also promises to enable the development of smarter artificial intelligence systems based on insights into the bees’ reasoning processes, researchers said.


vdare--2019-10-25--Steven D. Levitt: "Modern High School Math Should be About Data Science — Not Algebra 2"

Here’s a good oped in the L.A. Times from Steven “Freakonomics” Levitt and a co-author:  That sounds like it very much depends upon your definition of “data.”  So if, say, a copy of every phone call is now being saved in the federal government’s Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center (a.k.a., Utah Data Center), which was finished last May at a cost of $1.5 billion, then it’s data, whereas before phone calls weren’t data because they weren’t being saved except in the memories of the participants?  This is a rather epistemological debate, but my guess is that the amount of data created increases about as fast as the global population, while the amount of data saved is growing rapidly.  My dad used calculus at his first airplane engineering job after graduating from Pasadena City College, but he didn’t use it in his subsequent 40 year career at Lockheed. He remembered it fine 38 years after last studying it, helping me with my calculus homework in 1975.  On the other hand, some guys at Lockheed used calculus, such as Denys Overholser, one of the Lockheed employees who used Soviet mathematician Petr Ufimtsev's highly theoretical work to design the Stealth Fighter, which helped terrify the Soviets into making Gorbachev their leader. But at my dad’s less lofty level, engineers didn’t use calculus.  … We surveyed 900 “Freakonomics” podcast listeners — a pretty nerdy group, we must admit — and discovered that less than 12% used any algebra, trigonometry or calculus in their daily lives. Only 2% use integrals or derivatives, the foundational building blocks of calculus. In contrast, a whopping 66% work with basic analytical software like Microsoft Excel on a daily basis. When was the last time you divided a polynomial? If you were asked to do so today, would you remember how? For the most part, students are no longer taught to write cursive, how to use a slide rule, or any number of things that were once useful in everyday life. Let’s put working out polynomial division using pencil and paper on the same ash heap as sock darning and shorthand.  Well, maybe. On the other hand, it’s really important to find the small percentage of people, such as Denys Overholser and his math wizard Bill Schroeder, who can do this kind of math well. Our current system of obsessing over continuous math probably does a pretty good job of finding those who can do continuous math well.  Discrete math is, in my view, easier. I needed my dad’s help with calculus homework, but I was good at statistics.  What we propose is as obvious as it is radical: to put data and its analysis at the center of high school mathematics. Every high school student should graduate with an understanding of data, spreadsheets, and the difference between correlation and causality. Moreover, teaching students to make data-based arguments will endow them with many of the same critical-thinking skills they are learning today through algebraic proofs, but also give them more practical skills for navigating our newly data-rich world.  I’ve got some critical-thinking skills, as Dr. Levitt discovered in 1999 (here’s our debate in Slate over his theory that legalizing abortion cut crime; interestingly, Slate has since stripped our names from their debate and only attributes it to “By Authors”: but anyway, here is Levitt’s opening, my opening, his response, my response). Personally, I haven’t noticed that society really wants to encourage critical thinking.  But I do it anyway. It’s fun.  Data-based math courses allow students to grapple with real-life problems. They might analyze issues about the environment, space travel or nutrition. Students can examine the threat of wildfires or the ways social media is tracking their data, learning how to apply math to real-world issues. For this revolution to be carried out across the country, decision makers will need to hear from parents and other interested parties who recognize that our children deserve math instruction that is relevant to their lives.  I quite agree, but I recall reading an article in the L.A. Times around 1981 arguing for the same thing, so I don’t expect rapid change.


bbc--2019-03-19--Bubble maths researcher wins top award

Bubble maths researcher wins top award

One of the highest prizes for mathematics has been awarded to Prof Karen Uhlenbeck of the University of Texas in Austin, US.  Prof Uhlenbeck received the Abel Prize for her work on "minimal surfaces" such as soap bubbles.  She is the first woman to win the £530,000 award since it was established in 2002.  The award has been made by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo.  The chair of the award committee, Hans Munthe-Kaas, said that her work had "dramatically changed the mathematical landscape".  "Her theories have revolutionised our understanding of minimal surfaces, such as more general minimisation problems in higher dimensions," he said.  An everyday example of a "minimal surface" is a soap bubble with a fixed volume. They are interesting from a mathematical point of view in that they pull the soap film into the shape of the least surface - a perfect sphere.  Representing and manipulating soap bubbles mathematically enables researchers to model the behaviour of physical phenomena, such as electrical fields.  Prof Uhlenbeck's maths has given theoretical physicists the tools with which to tackle some of their greatest puzzles, such as the behaviour of sub-atomic particles and the unification of electromagnetism and nuclear forces.  As well as her ground breaking work, Prof Uhlenbeck has been a role model in her field, according to Prof Jim Al-Khalili, a physicist at Surrey University and broadcaster.  "Young mathematicians not only know of her work, but they also know how hard she has worked to try and promote maths and encourage young women to get into the field," he told BBC News.  Prof Uhlenbeck wanted to be a scientist when she was a young girl, but she became drawn to mathematics when she had started her degree at the University of Michigan.


fortune--2019-03-20--For First Time Ever a Woman Wins the Abel the Nobel Prize for Mathematics

For First Time Ever, a Woman Wins the Abel, the ‘Nobel Prize’ for Mathematics

Dr. Karen Uhlenbeck won the 2019 Abel Prize Tuesday—becoming the first woman to ever receive the prestigious award, which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of mathematics.  Seen by colleagues as a “maverick mathematician”, Dr. Uhlenbeck is an American professor emerita at the University of Texas at Austin and advocate for gender equality in mathematics and sciences.  “Karen Uhlenbeck is a founder of modern geometric analysis,” Abel Committee chair Hans Munthe-Kaas said, according to NPR. “Her perspective has pervaded the field and led to some of the most dramatic advances in mathematics over the last 40 years.”  “She did things nobody thought about doing,” Princeton mathematician Sun-Yung Alice Chang, also a part of the five-person committee, told the New York Times. “And after she did, she laid the foundations of a branch of mathematics.”  “I find that I am bored with anything I understand,” Uhlenbeck, 76, once said according to NPR.  Currently a visiting associate at the Institute for Advanced Study, Uhlenbeck found out she’d won after church Sunday morning after seeing Chan’s text asking her to accept a call from Norway.  The $700,000 prize is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and will be presented by King Harald V in Oslo on May 21.  The Abel Prize, first given in 2003, won’t be Uhlenbeck’s first accolade. She was given a MacArthur Fellowship in 1983 and became the second woman to give one the International Congress of Mathematicians highlighted plenary talks in 1990. (Of which there are 10 to 20 annually, virtually all of which used to go to men.)  “I am aware of the fact that I am a role model for young women in mathematics,” Dr. Uhlenbeck said in Princeton’s press release. “It’s hard to be a role model, however, because what you really need to do is show students how imperfect people can be and still succeed.”


npr--2019-03-19--US Mathematician Becomes First Woman To Win Abel Prize Maths Nobel

U.S. Mathematician Becomes First Woman To Win Abel Prize, 'Math's Nobel'  "I find that I am bored with anything I understand," Karen Uhlenbeck once said - and that sense of curiosity is part of why she won the prestigious Abel Prize, from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.  Uhlenbeck, an influential mathematician who was for decades a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and who has sought to encourage women to study mathematics, has become the first woman to win the Abel Prize — often called the Nobel Prize of math.  Uhlenbeck's complex and wide-ranging work includes analyzing the "minimal surfaces" of soap bubbles and finding ways to unite geometry and physics through new mathematical approaches. She's widely respected for her work on esoteric topics, such as partial differential equations and the calculus of variations.  "Uhlenbeck's research has led to revolutionary advances at the intersection of mathematics and physics," said Paul Goldbart, a professor of physics who is also the dean of UT's college of natural sciences. In a statement about Uhlenbeck winning the Abel Prize, he added, "Her pioneering insights have applications across a range of fascinating subjects, from string theory, which may help explain the nature of reality, to the geometry of space-time."  The Norwegian academy said it recognized Uhlenbeck "for her pioneering achievements in geometric partial differential equations, gauge theory and integrable systems, and for the fundamental impact of her work on analysis, geometry and mathematical physics."  The Abel Prize includes an award of 6 million Norwegian kroner (around $700,000). Uhlenbeck will formally receive the prize from Norway's King Harald V, in a ceremony in Oslo on May 21.  "Karen Uhlenbeck is a founder of modern geometric analysis," said Hans Munthe-Kaas, chair of the academy's Abel Committee. "Her perspective has pervaded the field and led to some of the most dramatic advances in mathematics over the last 40 years."  As that statement implies, Uhlenbeck has been a star in theoretical mathematics for decades. She won a MacArthur Fellowship in 1983, after publishing a sequence of influential papers on harmonic mapping and gauge theory — some of which she wrote alone and some in which she collaborated with mathematicians such as Richard Schoen and Jonathan Sacks.  In 1986, Uhlenbeck became the first female mathematician to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. She was awarded a National Medal of Science in 2000. And the American Mathematical Society awarded her the Steele Prize in 2007, for decades of contributions to research.  As it recognized Uhlenbeck's work in advancing the understanding of theoretical mathematics, the Norwegian committee also noted her professional impact and her standing as a role model.  "As a child, she loved reading and dreamed of becoming a scientist," the committee said. "Today, Uhlenbeck is Visiting Senior Research Scholar at Princeton University as well as Visiting Associate at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). She is one of the founders of the Park City Mathematics Institute (PCMI) at IAS, which aims to train young researchers and promote mutual understanding of the interests and challenges in mathematics."  Within IAS, Uhlenbeck co-founded the Women and Mathematics program in 1993, seeking to encourage women's interest in the field.  "I am aware of the fact that I am a role model for young women in mathematics," Uhlenbeck said, according to a release from Princeton University, where she has also worked. "It's hard to be a role model, however, because what you really need to do is show students how imperfect people can be and still succeed. ... I may be a wonderful mathematician and famous because of it, but I'm also very human."  When she accepted the Steele Prize in 2007, Uhlenbeck said it was her work in education, not her mathematical theorems, that gave her the most pride. She also said that changing a culture that doesn't encourage girls and women to pursue careers in mathematics "is a momentous task in comparison" to her other accomplishments.  "I remain quite disappointed at the numbers of women doing mathematics and in leadership positions," she said. "This is, to my mind, primarily due to the culture of the mathematical community as well as harsh societal pressures from outside."  Uhlenbeck worked at the University of Texas at Austin for more than 25 years. She attended the University of Michigan and received her Ph.D. at Brandeis University in 1968.  Uhlenbeck has said the variety of fields she studied — and her knack for applying ideas from one area to explore concepts in another — stemmed from "an addiction to intellectual excitement."  Here's how she described her work in 1997:  "Mathematicians look at imaginary spaces constructed by scientists examining other problems. I started out my mathematics career by working on Palais' modern formulation of a very useful classical theory, the calculus of variations. I decided Einstein's general relativity was too hard, but managed to learn a lot about geometry of space-time. I did some very technical work in partial differential equations, made an unsuccessful pass at shock waves, worked in scale invariant variational problems, made a poor stab at three manifold topology, learned gauge field theory and then some about applications to four manifolds, and have recently been working on equations with algebraic infinite symmetries. I find that I am bored with anything I understand."  That's from Uhlenbeck's contribution to the book Journeys of Women in Science and Engineering: No Universal Constant, as quoted in the release from Princeton, where Uhlenbeck is currently a visiting scholar.


spiegel--2019-03-19--Hohe Auszeichnung in Mathematik Abelpreis geht erstmals an eine Frau

Hohe Auszeichnung in Mathematik: Abelpreis geht erstmals an eine Frau

Die norwegische Akademie der Wissenschaften hat die amerikanische Mathematikerin Karen Keskulla Uhlenbeck, 76, mit dem Abelpreis ausgezeichnet. Es ist das erste Mal, dass eine Frau geehrt wurde.  Der Abelpreis ist mit umgerechnet 620.000 Euro dotiert und gilt als eine der bedeutendsten wissenschaftlichen Auszeichnungen auf dem Gebiet der Mathematik. Vergleichbar ist er am ehesten mit dem Nobelpreis, der in den Kategorien Physik, Chemie, Medizin und Bemühungen um den Frieden verliehen wird.  Die ebenfalls sehr renommierte Fields-Medaille wird nur alle vier Jahre an Mathematiker verliehen, die im Jahr vor der Auszeichnung jünger als 40 Jahre alt waren. Als erste Frau hatte diese 2014 die inzwischen verstorbene Iranerin Maryam Mirzakhani erhalten.  Die Akademie ehrt Uhlenbeck für ihre bahnbrechende Arbeit in den Bereichen geometrische partielle Differentialgleichungen, Messtheorie und integrierbare Systeme. Uhlenbecks Arbeit in der geometrischen Analysis und der Eichtheorie habe die mathematische Landschaft grundlegend verändert, sagte der Vorsitzende des Abel-Ausschusses, Hans Munthe-Kaas.  "Ihre Theorien haben unser Verständnis von minimalen Oberflächen wie die einer Seifenblase revolutioniert." Als weibliche Mathematikerin sei Uhlenbeck außerdem ein Vorbild. Sie sei eine starke Vorkämpferin für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter in der Forschung und in der Mathematik.  2018 ging der Abelpreis an den kanadischen Mathematiker Robert Langlands. Er hatte im Alter von nur 30 Jahren eine neuartige Mathematik begründet, indem er enge Verbindungen zwischen zwei mathematischen Gebieten postulierte, die man damals kaum für möglich gehalten hatte (mehr dazu lesen Sie hier).  Anmerkung der Redaktion: In einer früheren Textfassung hieß es, Keskulla Uhlenbeck arbeite im Bereich der Maßtheorie. Richtig ist der Bereich der Eichtheorie. Wir haben den Fehler korrigiert.


theguardianuk--2019-10-08--Nobel prize in physics awarded to cosmology and exoplanet researchers

Three scientists have been awarded the 2019 Nobel prize in physics for groundbreaking discoveries about the evolution of the Universe and the Earth’s place within it.  The Canadian scientist James Peebles has been awarded half of the 9m Swedish kronor (£740,000) prize for his theoretical discoveries about the evolution of the universe. A Swiss duo of astronomers, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, will share the other half of the prize for their discovery of the first planet beyond our solar system.  James Peebles was rewarded for laying a foundation for modern cosmology, including his realisation that the faint microwave radiation that filled the cosmos just 400,000 years after the Big Bang contains crucial clues to what the universe looked like at this primitive stage and how it has evolved over the subsequent 13bn years.  Mayor and Queloz have been recognised for their joint discovery in 1995 of the first exoplanet 50 light years away in the constellation of Pegasus. The planet, 51 Pegasi b, is a gaseous ball about 150 times more massive than the Earth and with a scorching surface temperature of 1000C.  The discovery heralded a new era of astronomy, with astronomers having since found more than 4,000 exoplanets, with an incredible range of sizes, forms and orbits. Learning about these strange and varied world’s beyond our solar system has transformed our understanding of how planets formed and given new focus to the question of whether there could be alien life is out there somewhere.  Peebles is also credited with developing the theoretical tools that allowed scientists to perform a cosmic inventory of what the universe is made from, showing that ordinary matter makes up just 5% of its known contents, with the rest being dark matter and dark energy.  “We still must admit that the dark matter and dark energy are mysterious,” Peebles told the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Tuesday. “There are still many open questions...What in the world is this dark matter?”  Looking back over his career spanning half a century, Peebles, who is Albert Einstein professor emeritus of science at Princeton University, said that he never set out with a grand plan. “I could think of one or two things to do in cosmology. I just did them and kept going,” he said. “The prizes and awards, they are charming, much appreciated, but that’s not part of your plans. You should enter science because you are fascinated by it.”  Prof Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that chooses the laureates, said the three had made “contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe, and Earth’s place in the cosmos.”  Prof Sir Martin Rees, the astronomer Royal, described Peebles as the world’s “most   influential and respected leader of empirical cosmology with a sustained   record of achievement spanning half a century”.  “The study of exoplanets is perhaps the most vibrant field of astronomy. We   now know that most stars are orbited by retinues of planets; there may be a   billion planets in our galaxy resembling the Earth (similar in size and at   a distance from their parent star where liquid water can exist),” Rees added. “This takes us a step towards the fascinating question of detecting evidence for life   on the nearest of these exoplanets.”  On Monday, Americans William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza and Britain’s Peter Ratcliffe won the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine for discovering details of how the body’s cells sense and react to low oxygen levels, providing a foothold for developing new treatments for anaemia, cancer and other diseases.  The Nobel prize for chemistry will be announced on Wednesday, two literature prizes will be awarded on Thursday, and the peace prize comes on Friday. This year will see two literature prizes handed out because the one last year was suspended after a scandal rocked the Swedish Academy.