lifesitenews--2019-11-21--Abp Viganò decries Pope-approved plan to build ‘Abrahamic’ religious site with Muslims, Jews

ROME, November 21, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has denounced plans approved by Pope Francis to erect a monument to “Human Fraternity” uniting Islam, Judaism and Catholicism, calling it “a Babylonic enterprise, designed by the enemies of God.”  The “House of the Abrahamic Family” (pictured below) will house a mosque, a synagogue, and a church symbolically united on one foundation.  In a Nov. 19 article published by Italian journalist Aldo Maria Valli on Duc in Altum, Archbishop Viganò writes: “In the garden of Abu-Dhabi the Temple of the World Syncretic Neo-Religion is about to arise with its anti-Christic dogmas. Not even the most hopeful of the Freemasons would have imagined so much!"  The “House of Abraham” project was presented to Pope Francis at the Vatican on November 15, during an audience with the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheik of Al-Azhar (main photo), members of the Abu Dhabi goverment, and representatives of the Higher Committee for achieving the goals contained in the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed last August.  Here below is an English translation of the article by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, published with the kind permission of Aldo Maria Valli.  This is how the Supreme Pontiff Pius XI expressed himself in the opening of his 1928 encyclical Mortalium animos, signed on the day of the Epiphany, when the Church remembers three wise Magi from the East, leading an endless processional caravan guided by a shining star that appeared in the firmament, when on earth the Son of God came in the flesh, the Only Savior, the center of the cosmos and of history.  Ninety-one years later, on Friday 15 November 2019 — as reported by Vatican News — Pope Francis received in audience the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, accompanied by various personalities and representatives of the University of Al-Azhar and the Higher Committee, all inspired by the desire to give form and concreteness to the contents of the Document on the Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, sealed last August in the wake of the historic Emirate Declaration, and signed by the Pontiff and the Imam during the Year of Fraternity.  With regard to the aforementioned Document, His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, as representative of the United Arab Emirates, had previously declared (Vatican News, 21 September 2019) that “in a world in which there are so many things that divide, the Emirates are committed to unite. Like a beacon of light, they wish to bring light into a dark world, bringing to light this document, the most important one signed in recent times”; as if to say that “the Light of the East” that has dawned upon us from on high like the Sun (Lk 1:78) is now eclipsed by a new “Luminous Lighthouse.”  The talks of the Vatican meeting were cordial, with words and expressive gestures of an already well-established friendship: let us remember that this is the sixth meeting between the Pontiff and the Great Imam. The Latin American warmth has thus prevailed over the long and rigid “frost” between the Apostolic See and that of the highest body of Sunni Islam. The meeting also offered the opportunity to present to the Pontiff a unique project whose concept has been presented through plans and 3D reconstructions.  Sir David Adjaye Obe is the creator of this architectural project, which will rise in the opulent and extravagant Abu Dhabi. It is the House of the Abrahamic Family, a sort of New Tent of Universal Brotherhood that evokes that other Tent of Reception in which the Old Testament Patriarch hosted three mysterious Angels (cf. Gen 18), the prefiguration of the Trinitarian God who was fully revealed to the legitimate Abrahamic posterity through faith in Jesus Christ.  Abrahamic Family House is therefore the name of this structure that will house a synagogue, a mosque and a church, naturally dedicated to the Poverello [St. Francis of Assisi].  Sir David’s project envisages the three different places of worship united by unique foundations and placed inside a garden, evoking a New Eden, a Gnostic and Masonic re-edition of the paradise of the First Creation.  As explained to Pope Bergoglio, this “structure ... will serve as a place of individual worship, but also for dialogue and interreligious exchange.” In fact, a fourth building is also planned, the headquarters of the Centre for Studies and Research on the Human Fraternity, whose objective, which is inferred from the Abu Dhabi document, will be to “make the three religions known.” The ceremonies for the presentation of the Human Fraternity Award will also take place here.  The building of the House of the Abrahamic Family seems like a Babylonic enterprise, designed by the enemies of God, of the Catholic Church and of the only true religion capable of saving man and the whole created from destruction, both present and eternal and definitive. The foundations of this “House,” destined to give way and crumble, precisely where, at the hands of the same builders, the Only Corner Stone is incredibly about to be removed: Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord, on whom stands the House of God. “Therefore,” warns the Apostle Paul, “let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 3:10)  In the garden of Abu-Dhabi, the Temple of the World Syncretic Neo-Religion is about to arise with its anti-Christic dogmas. Not even the most hopeful of the Freemasons would have imagined so much!  Pope Bergoglio is thus proceeding to a further implementation of the apostasy of Abu Dhabi, the fruit of the pantheistic and agnostic neo-modernism that tyrannizes the Roman Church, germinated from the Council document Nostra aetate. We are forced to recognize it: the poisonous fruits of the “springtime of the Council” are before the eyes of anyone who no longer lets himself be blinded by the prevailing Lie.  Pius XI had alerted us and warned us. But the teachings that preceded Vatican II were thrown to the winds as intolerant and obsolete. The comparison between the pre-conciliar Magisterium and the new teachings of Nostra aetateand Dignitatis humanae — to cite only those — shows a terrible discontinuity, which we must note, and which urgently needs to be amended as soon as possible. Adjuvant deo...  Let us listen to the words of the Supreme Pontiff Pius XI, when the Popes used to speak the language of Truth, chiseled with fire in diamond:  “For which reason conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians, even those who have unhappily fallen away from Christ or who with obstinacy and pertinacity deny His divine nature and mission. Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy, since they all in different ways manifest and signify that sense which is inborn in us all, and by which we are led to God and to the obedient acknowledgment of His rule. Not only are those who hold this opinion in error and deceived, but also in distorting the idea of true religion they reject it, and little by little, turn aside to naturalism and atheism, as it is called; from which it clearly follows that one who supports those who hold these theories and attempt to realize them, is altogether abandoning the divinely revealed religion … During the lapse of centuries, the mystical Spouse of Christ has never been contaminated, nor can she ever in the future be contaminated, as Cyprian bears witness: "The Bride of Christ cannot be made false to her Spouse: she is incorrupt and modest. She knows but one dwelling, she guards the sanctity of the nuptial chamber chastely and modestly” (Mortalium animos).  “Today more than ever … the Church needs strong and coherent doctrines. Amid the dissolution… the compromises become more and more sterile, and each of them takes away a shred of truth… Show yourself then… who you are in the end, convinced Catholics…! There is a grace tied to the full and integral confession of faith. This confession, the Apostle tells us, is the salvation of those who make it, and experience shows that it is also the salvation of those who understand it.” (Dom Prosper-Louis-Pascal Guéranger, The Christian Meaning of History).  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI recently broke his silence by making public his sorrowful plea for the Church in this troubled hour of its history: “Even today our faith is threatened by reductive changes to which worldly fashions would like to subject it, in order to take away its greatness. Lord, help us in this our time to be and to remain true Catholics — to live and die in the greatness of Your truth and in Your divinity. Give us always courageous bishops who may guide us to unity in faith and with the saints of all times, and who show us how fittingly to act in the service of reconciliation, to which our episcopate is called in a special way. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!”


lifesitenews--2019-12-04--UK bishop allows pagan Hindu festival to be celebrated on Catholic church grounds

WIMBLEDON, UK, December 4, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – A London Catholic parish allowed a Hindu group to hold a “Diwali” pagan festival in its parish hall next to the church. The local archbishop defended the decision after a parishioner complained, but has also decided to review policy after LifeSiteNews reached out for comment.  On October 12, Sacred Heart Church in Wimbledon hosted the “Diwali Mela” festival which was put on by a group that aims to “promote and encourage” Indian culture. Diwali, called a “festival of lights,” is the most important Hindu religious festival of the year. Key rituals generally include lighting candles and often include worshipping Hindu pagan deities including Lakshmi (goddess of prosperity) and Lord Ganesha (god of intelligence). The Hindu religion holds itself to be the universal religion for the whole world.  Promotional material for the festival in the Catholic parish hall included colorful pictures of Hindu deities and children dressed up as Hindu deities to act out Hindu myths.  A member of the Catholic parish contacted the archbishop of Southwark, John Wilson, one month prior to the event to express concern about the event. In an email obtained by LifeSiteNews, the parishioner wrote: “Ecumenism, dialogue and hospitality notwithstanding, I can’t see how hosting a pagan festival on Church property is not contrary to the First Commandment.” The first of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses in the Old Testament states: “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The author of Psalms points out that “all the gods of the pagans are demons” (Psalm 95.5).  “If we ourselves have not faith in Christ and manifest our indifference to paganism by hosting this festival, then we should expect Mass attendance to decline in our country,” the parishioner added.  Archbishop Wilson, responding to the parishioner a week and a half later, indicated that he was satisfied that the event was “cultural” and not “religious” and pointed the parishioner to Church documents about “interreligious dialogue.”  In an email obtained by LifeSiteNews, the archbishop stated: “I have contacted the Parish Priest, Canon John Clark, who offered the following response after seeking clarification from the Hall Secretary: ‘The Mela is a purely cultural event open to all who would like to come along. This is the third Mela and all have been held here without any problems. We have approached the organising committee of the Mela and they have confirmed that it is a cultural not a religious event. They have made a summary of the programme for the day and none of it has a religious element. I enclose a copy of their response for your benefit. As far as I know their Mela is not operated by a commercial company. We have a number of contacts with the Hindu community as they often hold their wedding receptions and birthday parties here.’”  The archbishop continued: “Canon Clark also forwarded to me the response of the person organising the event: ‘Thank you for the call, I am attaching the poster for the event. It’s open to all and is organised for all. Mainly kids’ activities, food stalls and merchandise stalls. Kids’ activities include but not restricted to face painting, henna, and such. Food stalls for a feast of Indian food and non-alcoholic drinks. Merchandise stalls like decorative things for around the house or clothes. There’s no religious programme or activity intended. Actually an afternoon with family to enjoy with kids having fun and eating good food!’”  Archbishop Wilson concluded his letter, stating: “We must always be faithful to Christ and the teaching of His Holy Catholic Church.”  He added: “Alongside this, we must also pursue genuine friendship and dialogue with people of other religious traditions, in the service of the common good, as enunciated in the teaching of the Church and by St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.”  LifeSiteNews reached out to Archbishop Wilson asking if allowing a pagan religious festival on Church property undermines the Church’s claim that she alone offers the true religion and provides the only path to the Kingdom of God by means of her carrying on the work of Jesus.  The Church is committed to proclaiming the fullness of the Catholic Faith in Christ as the Saviour of the world. If I didn’t believe this I would not belong to the Church, nor spend my life trying to be a witness to Christ so that others might also know, love and serve Him. This is not mutually exclusive with seeking to sustain good and friendly relationships with people of different cultures and religions. This sense is expressed in the annual messages for Divali [sic] by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Bishops Conference of India. Indeed, it is often with people of other religious traditions that we find common voice in defending the values of human life and the family. In this particular situation, there appears to be a disagreement between the organisers of the event, who have hired the hall for the past three years without incident, and the person who raised a complaint this year. There also seems to be a difference concerning the understanding of what is cultural and what is solely and explicitly religious. When I sought clarification from the organisers of this event, I was told: “It’s open to all and is organised for all. Mainly kids’ activities, food stalls and merchandise stalls. Kids’ activities include but not restricted to face painting, henna, and such. Food stalls for a fast of Indian food and non-alcoholic drinks Merchandise stalls like decorative things for around the house or clothes. There’s no religious programme or activity intended. Actually an afternoon with family to enjoy with kids having fun and eating good food!” It was explained that it is called a Diwali Mela, a festival in the sense of a ‘fair,’ rather than an explicit religious celebration. The church hall is available for social and community use and there was not, and should not, be any compromise of any Church property consecrated for divine worship.  LifeSiteNews then asked how the Archbishop would respond to Catholics in the parish and in his diocese who are scandalized by the decision to allow this pagan festival to take place on Church property. He replied:  I have received one formal complaint from a parishioner about the hire of the church hall at Sacred Heart Parish in Wimbledon for a Divali [sic] fair and I am obviously sorry if anyone feels scandalised by this. In this context, the Catholic Church has a profound witness to give in our diverse society. First, to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beauty of the Catholic Faith. Second, secure in our identity and mission, to the importance of interfaith friendship, without compromising any truths of that Faith. I want all the parishes in our Diocese to be evangelising communities. I think we do this by positively proposing the truth we hold dear in a way that is respectful and engaging. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminded us, the Church grows by ‘attraction,’ ‘just as Christ draws all to himself by the power of his love.’ We are currently reviewing the documentation used for the hire of non-consecrated Church property.  The “Diwali Mela” festival, which ran on October 12 as scheduled, is hosted by a group called the “Social Spark Hub.” The group states on its website that it was founded in 2015 to “promote and encourage the Indian Culture” with the primary goal to “help children learn about different customs, religious and cultural beliefs.” This year, the group became part of the “Kailash Narain Mehrotra Foundation,” a registered UK charity. The Foundation states that its charitable object is to “advance religious harmony” specifically by “spreading Sanatan culture and Sanatan religious scriptures” and “encouraging observance and celebration of Hindu festivals.” “Sanatan” is another word for the Hindu belief system. Both "Social Spark Hub" and the “Kailash Narain Mehrotra Foundation” list the same contact phone number on the UK’s Charity Commission website.  Advisor to Archbishop: Hindu deities are ‘just manifestations of the divine’  The parishioner went on to respond to the archbishop’s original email, providing evidence from social media posts by “Social Spark Hub” that the group does, in fact, include a religious dimension to the “Diwali” event, including putting on a play at a previous festival in the same location called a “Ramleela", this particular one depicting the Hindu god Ram's life. The parishioner noted that “Ramleelas” are considered by Hindus to be a religious event in the same way that Christians would consider a Nativity or Passion play to be a religious event.  The parishioner wrote to the archbishop: “We should love the sinner but hate the sin. Hindus violate the First Commandment with their pagan worship, but they are not culpable, because they do not know Christ. We do know Christ, so we are without excuse. We should of course treat all Hindus with the utmost Christian Charity, but this does not mean allowing them to use the Sacred Heart Parish Hall to celebrate Diwali. It cannot be compared with holding a birthday party in the hall.”  The following day, the parishioner unexpectedly received an email from Deacon Jon Dal Din, who appears to have a special role within the archdiocese as advisor on interreligious dialogue. Deacon Dal Din was listed in 2015 as “Director of Westminster’s Interfaith agency.” The email, intended for Archbishop Wilson, appears to have been accidentally sent to the parishioner. The Deacon appears to be responding to the Archbishop’s request for guidance on how to deal with the parishioner’s concerns.  In an email obtained by LifeSiteNews, the deacon told the archbishop: “I think you have far more important things to do than waste time responding to these letters.”  “My understanding of a [Diwali] Mela is that it is an Indian cultural event and celebration, although there may be a religious element involved, in the same way that many people celebrate Chinese New Year and people of all faiths and cultures celebrate Christmas,” the deacon wrote.  “It is interesting how [the parishioner] has highlighted selected texts from the Hindu group and not others. I doubt [the parishioner] read the texts you attached. [The parishioner] quotes Pope Benedict. I fear [the parishioner] has a narrow view of mission, evangelisation, proclamation and dialogue. All must be done in a spirit of Love. Jesus’ new Commandment,” he added.  Deacon Dal Din in his email went on to quote at length a talk Pope Francis gave during his September 2019 visit to Africa where he answered questions about evangelisation and proselytism. During his talk, the Pope said he felt “bitterness” when he was introduced to Catholics who had converted from other religions.  Deacon Dal Din said, “[The parishioner] continues to call Hindus pagans. Well perhaps they are, from [the parishioner’s] perspective, because they are not Christians. [The parishioner] would probably feel the same if Sacred Heart were to offer Iftar to the Muslim community during Ramadan. [The parishioner] does not realise that Hindus believe in one God. Their deities are just manifestations of the divine, as indeed, all humans and creation itself are manifestations of the divine.”  “Allowing Hindus to celebrate Diwali Mela in the Church Hall is part of Dialogue of Life, being a good neighbour. Jesus did not mix only with the virtuous, but with sinners and outcasts. Like Pope Francis he reached out to the poor and those on the peripheries,” he stated later in the email to the archbishop.  Archbishop Wilson’s decision to allow the Hindu festival to run on Church property comes at a time when many Church leaders, including Pope Francis, have signaled that the Catholic Church may not contain the fullness of God’s revelation and may not be the only sure path established by God to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.  In February of this year, the Pope claimed in a joint statement with a Grand Imam that a “pluralism and diversity” of religions is “willed by God.” Despite backlash from concerned Catholics around the world, which included criticism from priests, bishops, and cardinals, the Pope has not recanted this statement. The Pope also alarmed Catholics around the world when he participated in events surrounding the recently concluded Amazon Synod in Rome that included the worship of the pagan idol "Pachamama."


lifesitenews--2019-12-09--Pope Francis petitions UN for new annual secular celebration of ‘human fraternity’

ROME, December 9, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — In the latest sign of the importance Pope Francis attributes to his contentious Abu Dhabi interreligious initiative, he has now united with the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mosque in Egypt, Ahmed el-Tayeb, in petitioning the United Nations to declare February 4 the annual World Day of Human Fraternity, the Vatican has announced.  February 4 is the anniversary of Pope Francis’s controversial joint declaration with the Sunni Grand Imam, seen by its critics as promoting religious indifferentism.  In a message delivered last week to United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, at the UN headquarters in New York, the Pope also invited the United Nations to organize, together with the Holy See and Al-Azhar University in Cairo, a World Summit on Fraternity, to be held in the near future.  The message was presented on December 4 to the UN Secretary-General by Christian, Muslim and Jewish members of the “Higher Committee on Human Fraternity,” established in August to achieve the objectives contained in the “Document on Human Fraternity and Living Together,” signed by Pope Francis and Ahmed el-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi, on February 4, 2019.  While the document laudably condemns “all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia,” it has also incited considerable controversy for its assertion that “the diversity of religions” is “willed by God” apparently in the same way as race, sex, and language.  Critics of this statement, such as Bishop Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary of St. Mary in Astana, Kazakstan, have said it is tantamount to “promoting the neglect of the first Commandment” and is a “betrayal of the Gospel.”  “However noble such aims as ‘human fraternity’ and ‘world peace’ may be, they cannot be promoted at the cost of relativizing the truth of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and of His Church and of undermining the first Commandment of the Decalogue,” he said in an interview with LifeSite following news of the establishment of the multi-faith “Higher Committee.”  Committee chairman, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, together with its secretary, Muslim Judge Muhammad Abd al-Salam, led the delegation at the December 4 meeting at the UN headquarters in New York.  Vatican News reported that Guterres “expressed his appreciation and willingness to take part in the initiative, stressing the importance of working for the whole of humanity.”  He also appointed Adama Dieng, UN special adviser for hate speech and the prevention of genocide, as UN representative to follow up on the proposed activities and work with the Committee.  In a September 27, 2019 interview, Dieng said that while there is no official definition for hate speech, the United Nations understands it to mean “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender or other identity factor.”  The World Day of Human Fraternity was discussed on September 11, 2019, at the first meeting of the “Higher Committee on Human Fraternity” at the Vatican. In a similar initiative, the following day, September 12, Pope Francis invited representatives of the main religions and international organizations such as the United Nations to gather at the Vatican on May 14, 2020 for the signing of a “Global Pact for Education” for a “new humanism.”


lifesitenews--2019-12-24--When Pope Francis embraced an anti-Semite, and the media didn’t mind

December 24, 2019 (Turning Point Project) — John Cornwell's 1999 smear of Pius XII, Hitler's Pope, became a best-seller, lauded by reviewers and excerpted in major magazines. Cornwell portrayed Pope Pius as an anti-Semite, a supporter of Hitler, and an enabler of the Holocaust.  None of this is true, of course. Eugenio Pacelli despised Hitler, denounced Nazi ideology on numerous occasions, and – according to historian Martin Gilbert – was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Jews. During the German occupation of Rome, hundreds of Jews were housed within the Vatican, 3,000 found sanctuary in Castel Gandolfo, and at Pius's request, Roman convents and monasteries hid 5,000 Jews.  The book's calumny was captured in the cover photo, which shows Cardinal Pacelli leaving a government building and being saluted by two German soldiers. All meant to insinuate that Pope Pius XII has just emerged from an important meeting with Hitler. But the picture was taken in 1927, long before Hitler came to power. Nuncio Pacelli was leaving a reception for German president, Paul von Hindenburg, and the soldiers were members of the Weimar Republic, not the Third Reich. Pacelli never met Hitler. Indeed, when Hitler visited Rome in 1938, Pacelli, along with Pope Pius XI, publicly snubbed him by leaving town. No photo of Pope Pius XII with Hitler exists. If it did, the world press would probably feature it on a regular basis along with stories condemning Pius for anti-Semitism.  Jump ahead to the present, and what do we find? Why, it's a photo of Pope Francis kissing a well-known anti-Semite. No need to go digging to find it. In fact, there are several photos taken on several occasions of the pope embracing the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyeb. Yet, the Grand Imam's anti-Semitic views are no secret, and the pope must surely have been aware of them.  During the Second Intifada, al-Tayyeb said that "The solution to Israeli terror lies in the proliferation of suicide attacks that spread terror into the hearts of Allah's enemies." He added, "the Palestinians have the right to blow up everything they want."  Why, then, isn't an outraged press running the photo on the front pages accompanied by captions such as "Pope embraces anti-Semitic Imam"?  The short answer is that they're not outraged — at the pope or the Grand Imam.  The media, of course, does display outrage at anti-Semitism when it arises among groups or individuals considered to be white nationalists, Christian extremists, alt-right, or just plain conservatives. But other groups and individuals seem exempt from charges of anti-Semitism.  When leftists, liberals, and Democrats express anti-Jewish sentiments, the mainstream media tends to look the other way. The other exempt group is Muslims. They can't be blamed because...well, because it's a part of their culture. Besides, considering all the evils that the Jewish State has visited upon Palestinians, it's perfectly understandable that Muslims would respond with anti-Jewish sentiments — or, so the reasoning goes.  Since liberal journalists tend to favor Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and since they are very sensitive to cultural differences, it's not surprising that the Grand Imam, too, is given a free pass on his anti-Semitism.  Pope Francis also gets a pass because the liberal press correctly perceives him to be a fellow liberal. So, even if they thought the embrace of al-Tayyeb to be unfortunate (which they don't), it would be quickly forgotten in light of all of Francis's good deeds on behalf of the environment, the poor, migrants, and world peace. Indeed, the signing of the Abu Dhabi "Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together" would by itself, for liberal media, be enough to absolve both men of any prejudicial thoughts.  The media is friendly to Francis because he's part of the club of bien-pensants who only wish well for the world. The proof of their protective attitude toward Francis is that, although Francis's papacy is possibly the most scandal-ridden in modern history, with new scandals emerging on a weekly basis, most of the media has never looked deeply into the myriad charges.  The most serious charges have to do with cover-ups for abusive prelates in which Francis has been directly involved. How has the media responded to these cover-ups? Basically, with a cover-up of their own. Not that the press doesn't run stories about the abuse cover-ups, but they are strangely restrained and muted stories, often blaming "conservatives" for using the scandals to oppose the pope. By-and-large, they assign only minimal responsibility to Pope Francis. Just as the media wants us to believe that terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, it would also have us believe that the abuse crisis has nothing to do with Francis even when some of his closest collaborators are implicated.  Compare this to the media feeding frenzy that followed the 1963 premier of Rolf Hochhuth's play "The Deputy" — which vilified Pope Pius XII as a Nazi collaborator. For the next four decades, one sloppily researched book after another portrayed Pius as an anti-Semitic Nazi sympathizer.  The slur has never really gone away. It hangs heavily in the air waiting for the next scandalous book about the man who supposedly welcomed the Holocaust. As I wrote five years ago, "the 'Hitler's Pope' campaign was highly successful, with the result that the calumny against Pius is now almost universally accepted by the opinion-making elites and by plenty of average citizens as well."  Despite the fact that there now exist a number of well-documented books refuting the "Hitler's Pope" myth, there have been, as far as I know, no retractions or apologies by those who helped spread the myth. The myth has been so widely disseminated, that few know that, in the years after World War II, Pius XII was considered a hero by Jews throughout the world. And fewer still are aware that he was actually involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler.  The media seems to have a double standard about popes. They'll believe anything derogatory about the pope who was known to be a staunch defender of tradition and doctrine, and they'll forgive everything for a pope who shares their own liberal views. On the one hand, they're eager to display a "fake news" photo of Pius in what appears to be a compromising position; on the other hand, they're quite willing to ignore a photo of Francis embracing a contemporary anti-Semite.  None of this is meant to suggest that Francis himself is anti-Semitic, but it does suggest a certain carelessness on his part. Pope Pius XII knew enough not to give photo ops to Hitler. But Francis doesn't seem to understand that there is a problem with showering affection on a man with pronounced anti-Semitic views, so long as they are promoting interreligious relations.  Unlike Pius, he doesn't seem to appreciate the gravity of his office or the responsibilities that go with it. He does seem, however, to understand that the media will put a positive spin on just about anything he does. So, perhaps, he thinks he can afford to be careless.  This article originally appeared in the December 14, 2019 edition of The Catholic Thing. It is published here with permission from the Turning Point Project.


prisonplanet--2019-11-22--Pope Francis Cites Fictional French Epic to Prove Christians Are Violent

ROME — Pope Francis trotted out a scene from the 11th-century French epic poem La Chanson de Roland this week to prove Christians have tried to convert Muslims by the sword, just as Muslims have done to Christians.  “A scene from The Song of Roland comes to me as a symbol, when the Christians defeat the Muslims and line them up in front of the baptismal font, with one holding a sword,” the pope told an Argentinian interreligious dialogue group Monday.  “And the Muslims had to choose between baptism or the sword. That is what we Christians did,” he declared.  It did not take long for the French themselves to cry foul, reproaching the pontiff both for besmirching one of their most beloved pieces of epic literature and for using a fictional narrative to illustrate a point about how Christians supposedly behave.  “La Chanson de Roland is obviously not a historical chronicle of events, but an epic poem, a chanson de geste, the oldest and most complete manuscript, written in Anglo-Norman, and dates back to the early twelfth century, four centuries after the facts it is supposed to recount,” wrote Vini Ganimara Thursday for the French Catholic news site Riposte Catholique.  The Song of Roland was indeed inspired in part by a historical event, namely Charlemagne’s expedition to Spain in 778, Ganimara observes, but this expedition to Spain was actually undertaken at the request of several Muslim governors of Spain, in rebellion against the Emir of Cordova.  This article was posted: Friday, November 22, 2019 at 5:08 am


tass--2019-01-30--Russian Orthodox Church head calls on religious leaders to help resolve Karabakh conflict

MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. Orthodox and Muslim representatives can help politicians to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said at a meeting with Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, head of the Muslim Board for the Caucasus and co-chair of the CIS Interreligious Council, and Azerbaijan’s delegation.  "Had everything depended on clerics, I think we would have solved the issue long ago. But it does not hinge upon just us, so this joint opinion will have a favorable effect on politicians, urging them to solve the issue peacefully and for mutual satisfaction," the Russian Orthodox Church’s head said.  The highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Mountainous Karabakh) is a mostly Armenian-populated enclave inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan. It was the first zone of inter-ethnic tensions and violence to appear on the map of the former USSR in February 1988. Then, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region declared independence from Azerbaijan, a republic within the Soviet Union at the time. In 1992-1994, hostilities broke out in the region between pro-Baku forces and Armenian residents, which resulted in the Nagorno- Karabakh’s de facto independence. In 1994, a ceasefire was reached but the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been strained since then.  Russia, France and the US co-chair the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which attempts to broker an end to hostilities and the conflict.  In other media


tass--2019-11-14--Tatarstan leader discusses multicultural dialogue at Dubai summit

KAZAN, November 14. /TASS/. President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov shared his experience in develpoing multinational and multireligious tolerance with the participants of the World Tolerance Summit in Dubai, said the presidential press service on Thursday.  “The Council under the President of Tatarstan on multinational and interreligious relations is working in the republic. We adopted a concept on national state policy. A scientific and expert council operates on the basis of Kazan Federal University. And of course, in our affairs we rely on our muftiate and metropolis which allows us to ensure peace, harmony and stability," said Minnikhanov.  The president noted that in total about 4 million people live in Tatarstan — representatives of 173 nationalities. According to him, the republic has extensive experience of muslims and orthodox christians living side by side. They have a mutual understanding them, he noted. A lot of mosques and cathedrals were lost during the Soviet period. Since the 90s to the present day, a number of religious sites are still being restored, noted the president.  "But our main task was to prepare people, theologists, who could properly build this system. At present, the Tatarstan Metropolis and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims make a huge contribution to strengthening tolerance and stability in the republic. All events in Tatarstan are held with the participation of our main religious figures," he added.  According to the Tatarstan leader, the republic simultaneously restoring both Muslim and Orthodox shrines. For example, the Kul Sharif Mosque and the Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral are located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The republic's fund for the revival of historical and cultural monuments did an enormous job to restore Ancient Bolgar and the island city of Sviyazhsk. Work on recreating the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is underway, the Bolgar Islamic Academy was opened.  The republic pays special attention to issues of religious education. "People can be swayed by different beliefs. Thus, we make sure that the system of Islamic and Orthodox education is structured and that various harmful trends do not cause any problems," said Minnikhanov.  The II World Tolerance Summit is being is held in Dubai on November 13-14 bringing together representatives of various states, religious institutions, educational institutions, cultural associations, non-governmental organizations and influencers. The summit is dedicated to tolerance and cultural understanding aimed at strengthening peace and mutual understanding between people. Special attention will be paid to enhancing cooperation to ensure security and stability all over the world.


theamericanconservative--2019-09-25--How Much More Christian Blood Must Our Interventions Spill

How Much More Christian Blood Must Our Interventions Spill?

Back in June, Islamic militants in Burkina Faso entered a village, forced everyone to lie face down on the ground, found four people wearing crucifixes, and summarily executed them. It was the second time in as many months that Islamists had singled out and murdered people wearing Christian imagery. At least 20 Christians in Burkina Faso have been killed in 2019 across five attacks that have targeted Christian communities. “The trouble began three years ago,” reports The Washington Post, when Islamic militants began trickling in from neighboring Mali. Many of them carried weapons stolen after the 2011 collapse of Libya, which, we should remember, was caused by a U.S.-led NATO intervention.  As we never seem to learn, American foreign adventurism has been terrible for the global Christian population.  The president of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger, Bishop Laurent Dabiré, warned in June that local Christians were in danger of “elimination” because of continued attacks by Islamic militants. “Their main target appears to be the Christians and I believe they are trying to trigger an interreligious conflict,” Dabiré noted. Christians are only 20 percent of Burkina Faso’s population, and the threat to African Christians by Muslim extremists connected to instability farther north is not unique to there. It has been observed in Mali, the Central African Republic, Niger, and Nigeria. It has included kidnappings, rapes, executions, and the beheading of a 77-year-old Spanish nun in CAR. “Africa is a continent where violence against Christians is exploding,” Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga told the German media outlet Deutsche Welle.  So…Libya. Eight years after the NATO intervention, the country is still a chaotic mess of competing violent militias. Millions of Libyan refugees now reside in other countries. Thousands of Libyan civilians, soldiers, and mercenaries from neighboring countries have been killed. Nor can we forget Benghazi, where Islamic militants dragged the body of a U.S. ambassador through the streets. Now we can add to that list the violence and persecution of Christians 1,500 miles away. Imagine the war in Ukraine causing tremors of violence in London.  We remain a nation with one of the most vocal Christian political communities in the West—still one third of America’s citizens deem her a Christian nation. One would think we would steer clear of conflicts that disproportionately harm Christians of other lands, especially where they are already vulnerable minorities. Yet we still invaded Iraq in 2003, and it’s proven disastrous for the ancient, venerable Christian community there. Before the invasion, approximately 1.4 million Christians lived in Iraq. Today, there are fewer than 250,000, an 80 percent drop.  Though the Islamic State, the greatest existential threat to the survival of Iraqi Christianity, has largely been neutralized (for now), new threats from Muslim ethnic militias remain. Power vacuums, it would seem, cause distress for minority groups. The Islamic State—whose creation can be traced back to instability set off by the invasion—have persecuted, abused, and murdered plenty of Christians in neighboring Syria. The Christian population of Syria, similar to that of Iraq, dropped from 1.7 million in 2011 to below 450,000 today. ISIS’s influence is still felt there.  We could also add to the list the state of Israel, to whom the United States gives billions of dollars every year. Estimates made by the British during their colonial rule in 1922 put the Christian population of Palestine near 10 percent, and near 8 percent in 1946. Yet huge numbers of Arab Christians fled or were expelled from Jewish-controlled areas of Mandatory Palestine during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Elias Michael Chacour, a former archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, and All Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, recounts in his book Blood Brothers how Yishuv forces expelled Christians from his village in Palestine. They then executed many of the village’s Christian men.  Also relevant is Vietnam. The United States encouraged hundreds of thousands of Catholic Vietnamese to flee communist North Vietnam in the 1950s for safety in South Vietnam. The South became a haven for religious liberty, and the Catholic population there flourished, until Washington endorsed the execution of Christian South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. After South Vietnam’s 1975 surrender to the communists—precipitated by America’s withdrawal of military and financial support—the persecution of Christians increased multifold. For example, then-archbishop of Saigon Nguyen Van Thuan was arrested and imprisoned—he would spend 13 years in prison, nine of which were in solitary confinement.  Yet while the United States’ record on protecting vulnerable Christian minority communities around the world is a disgrace, we are reticent to learn the relevant lessons. Senior members of the administration have been eager to pursue new military interventions. If it’s not conservative hawks demanding that we crush America’s enemies, it’s self-righteous liberal do-gooders like Samantha Power, who never see an international crisis that doesn’t merit U.S. involvement. Power, we should also remember, supported the Saudi intervention in Yemen—now among the worst humanitarian disasters of this century—during her time in the White House.  Whatever the character, and whatever the political party or ideology, the same thing always happens. Military adventurism inevitably causes instability, which immediately puts vulnerable communities—be they Christian, Yazidi, or Muslim—at greater risk. Thanks to a long, seemingly unlikely series of events, Christians in Burkina Faso now die because eight years ago we decided to bomb Moammar Gaddafi’s totalitarian regime out of existence. In the ensuing chaos, guns and militants flowed out of Libya across the African continent. How many more times must we do this before we learn our lesson?  Casey Chalk is pursuing a graduate degree in theology from Christendom College and is senior writer for Crisis Magazine. He covers religion and other issues for The American Conservative.


thedcclothesline--2019-05-13--Vatican Wishes Happy Ramadan to Those Who Continue to Slaughter Christians

Editor: I grew up Catholic and actually attended a Catholic High School Seminary for 3 years. This is not a Catholic Pope. He is trying to destroy the Church. What devious plan might follow is anyone’s guess, but it surely looks like Armageddon is upon us. -Dean Garrison  Why doesn’t he speak in defense of his flock? Outreach is all well and good but Ramadan is theseason of jihad — pure terror for non-Muslims living in Muslim countries.  ‘Jihad Is the Best Part of Worship’: Jihadis Gear Up for Ramadan  The month of Ramadan, which began this year on May 5, is “a month for strengthening the spiritual bonds we share in Muslim-Christian friendship,” reads the message from the Vatican’s office of interreligious dialogue bearing the title “Christians and Muslims: Promoting Universal Fraternity.”  “We Muslims and Christians are called to open ourselves to others, knowing and recognizing them as brothers and sisters,” the text states. “In this way, we can tear down walls raised out of fear and ignorance and seek together to build bridges of friendship that are fundamental for the good of all humanity.”  “We thus cultivate in our families and in our political, civil and religious institutions, a new way of life where violence is rejected, and the human person respected,” reads the message, which bears the signature of Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.  Our religions invite us to “remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; to re-establish wisdom, justice and love,” the text says, citing a joint declaration signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Ahmed a-Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi this past February.  That same declaration brought down heavy criticism on the pope particularly due to the assertion that the plurality and diversity of religions “are willed by God in His wisdom,” just as God wills a plurality of colors, sexes, races, and languages.  A number of Catholic theologians raised objections to the statement, insisting that it seemed to suggest that either God actively wills error, or that all religions are equally valid paths to God. The existence of a variety of colors, races, and languages in humanity is very different from a variety of contradictory claims about God’s identity and way of acting, they said.  In early April, Francis walked back the earlier statement, clarifying that in reality God only permitsthe existence of many religions without actively willing it.  The Vatican’s Ramadan message steers clear of such theological swampland.  “We are encouraged, therefore, to continue advancing the culture of dialogue as a means of cooperation and as a method of growing in knowledge of one another,” the message says.  The text also reaffirms the importance of religious liberty and the right of all people to worship God in freedom.  “In order to respect diversity, dialogue must seek to promote every person’s right to life, to physical integrity, and to fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of conscience, of thought, of expression and of religion,” it states. “This includes the freedom to live according to one’s beliefs in both the private and public spheres. In this way, Christians and Muslims – as brothers and sisters – can work together for the common good.”  Pamela Geller is the President of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), editor-in-chief of Geller Report and Amazon best selling author of the here FATWA: Hunted in America , The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America and Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance.  COMMUNITY LINKS: Visit Our Sister Site for Articles Not Seen Here | Browse our Store for Conservative Gifts & Apparel | Join Our Free Speech Social Media Network


thegatewaypundit--2019-02-03--JUST IN Pope Francis Arrives in Abu Dhabi First Pontiff to Visit Birthplace of Islam

JUST IN: Pope Francis Arrives in Abu Dhabi – First Pontiff to Visit Birthplace of Islam

The Pope’s trip to the Arabian Peninsula is historic; he is the first Pontiff to visit the birthplace of Islam.  The Associated Press reported that Pope Francis is seeking to turn the page in Christian-Muslim relations.  Pope Francis will also hold a giant Mass on Tuesday which is expected to draw 135,000 people in what many are calling the largest show of Christian worship on the Arabian Peninsula ever.  More from the AP:  Francis traveled to Abu Dhabi to participate in a conference on interreligious dialogue sponsored the Emirates-based Muslim Council of Elders, an initiative that seeks to counter religious fanaticism by promoting a moderate brand of Islam. It’s the brainchild of Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Islam that trains clerics and scholars from around the world. In a video message to the Emirates on the eve of his trip, Francis paid homage to his “friend and dear brother” el-Tayeb and praised his courage in calling the meeting to assert that “God unites and doesn’t divide.” “I am pleased with this meeting offered by the Lord to write, on your dear land, a new page in the history of relations among religions and confirm that we are brothers despite our differences,” Francis said.


themoscowtimes--2019-11-22--Islam and Orthodox Christianity Have the Same Values, Putin Says

The conference, titled "Orthodoxy and Islam — Religions of Peace," aimed to promote interethnic and interreligious dialogue between Russia and Kyrgyzstan.  Orthodox Christianity and Islam are based on the same fundamental values, President Vladimir Putin said in an address to a religious conference in Kyrgyzstan.  "Islam and Orthodox Christianity, just like other world religions, are based on fundamental humanistic values that are of enduring importance — on mercy and love for one’s near, justice and respect for human beings," the state-run TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying Thursday.  The address, which was read out to the conference by Russian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Nikolai Udovichenko, pushed for cooperation between government agencies and religious organizations to bolster "civil peace and accord" between the two countries.  The Russian president added that it is "essential" to preserve these ties for future generations and to “[enhance] the role of religious organizations in protecting and promoting spiritual, moral and family values.”  Islam is Russia’s second-largest religion behind Orthodox Christianity and its Muslim population is expected to more than double in the next 15 years. The majority of Kyrgyzstan's population is Muslim.


westernjournal--2019-02-04--The Latest Pope condemns violence in Gods name

The Latest: Pope condemns violence in God’s name

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.  ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (all times local):  Pope Francis and the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in Sunni Islam, have signed a statement with their hopes for world peace and human understanding.  The two signed the document Monday night during the pope’s visit to the United Arab Emirates. It is the first papal visit ever to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam.  The document describes itself as being in the name of “all victims of wars, persecution and injustice; . and those tortured in any part of the world, without distinction.” It also decried modern “signs of a ‘third world war being fought piecemeal.'”  The United Arab Emirates is deeply involved in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which faces widespread international criticism for airstrikes killing civilians and the conflict pushing the country to the brink of famine.  The document says: “We resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood.”  The statement also says countries have a duty to establish a concept of “full citizenship.” The UAE relies heavily on foreign laborers who have no path to naturalization.  The head of Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning has told an audience that includes Pope Francis and hundreds of other religious figures from around the world that Islam is a religion of peace that values human life.  At an event Monday evening during the first-ever papal visit to the Gulf, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the head of Al-Azhar, quoted numerous Quranic verses about the value of life, including one that says: “Whoever kills a person it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.”  The grand mufti said all faiths denounce terrorism in all its forms and that acts of terrorism are carried out by criminals, not by true believers of God.  The sheikh said that after the 9/11 attacks the media made Islam look like a “bloodthirsty” religion and that Muslims paid a heavy price for the acts of a few.  He spoke after the Muslim Council of Elders and the pope met for an interreligious dialogue that recognized efforts by the pope and al-Tayeb to foster peace.  Pope Francis has asserted in the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula that religious leaders have a duty to reject all war and commit themselves to dialogue.  Francis concluded his landmark speech to an interfaith gathering on Monday by saying: “God is with those who seek peace. From heaven he blesses every step which, on this path, is accomplished on earth.”  Speaking in Italian at the Abu Dhabi Founder’s Memorial, Francis cited the conflicts in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya in calling for leaders to resist the “floods of violence and the desertification of altruism.” The UAE is involved in the conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Libya.  Speaking to a gathering of imams, muftis, ministers, rabbis, swamis, Zoroastrians and Sikhs, Francis said: “Human fraternity requires of us, as representatives of the world’s religions, the duty to reject every nuance of approval from the word ‘war.’ Let us return it to its miserable crudeness.”  Pope Francis has called out the dangers of so-called “fake news” amid ongoing propaganda campaigns across Gulf Arab countries.  Francis made the comment in a speech Monday night, saying: “Young people, who are often surrounded by negative messages and fake news, need to learn not to surrender to the seductions of materialism, hatred and prejudice.”  The boycott of Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has seen such propaganda published since its start in June 2017.  The crisis began after Qatar’s state-run news agency was hacked and fake items were published.  In the time since, slanted or one-sided coverage in the dispute has been common in both Arabic- and English-language media outlets.  Pope Francis is visiting the UAE on the first papal trip ever to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam.  Pope Francis has condemned all violence committed in God’s name, telling an interfaith meeting in the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula that religious leaders must be beacons of peace and promote the dignity of all God’s children.  Francis warned that unless people of different religions come together to promote “concrete paths of peace,” the future of humanity itself will be in doubt.  He warned: “We will either build the future together or there will not be a future. The time has come when religions should more actively exert themselves, with courage and audacity, and without pretense, to help the human family deepen the capacity for reconciliation, the vision of hope and the concrete paths of peace.”  At the highlight of his 40-hour visit to Abu Dhabi on Monday, Francis also called for full religious freedom in this majority Muslim region, where restrictions are placed on non-Muslim expressions of faith.  Pope Francis has met with a group of Muslim elders at the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in what the Vatican says was a “particularly cordial and fraternal” encounter.  The Vatican says the private meeting lasted about 30 minutes, and was followed by a visit of the mosque alongside Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning. Francis later paid homage at the tomb of the founder of the Emirates.  The Vatican says that during the meeting Monday, Francis and the participants “emphasized the importance of the culture of encounter to reinforce the commitment to dialogue and peace.”  Francis is making the first-ever trip to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam, in a bid to strengthen ties with the Muslim world.  Human Rights Watch is urging Pope Francis to use his visit to the United Arab Emirates to press its rulers about serious human rights violations in the war in Yemen and their repression of critics at home.  The rights group released a letter on Monday at the start of the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula.  HRW says the Saudi-led coalition backed by the UAE has bombed Yemeni homes, markets and schools indiscriminately while impeding humanitarian aid from reaching desperate Yemenis.  The New York-based watchdog also says that the UAE authorities have targeted critics, political dissidents and human rights activists with arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances.  HRW called in the letter on the pope to lead international pressure to hold the UAE leadership accountable. It says that “despite its assertions about tolerance, the UAE government has demonstrated no real interest in improving its human rights record.”  Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince says he and Dubai’s ruler were “delighted” to meet Pope Francis for a meeting amid the pontiff’s trip to the United Arab Emirates.  Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan tweeted pictures of the meeting on Monday in what he described as “our homeland of tolerance.”  Sheikh Mohammed tweeted: “We discussed enhancing cooperation, consolidating dialogue, tolerance, human coexistence & important initiatives to achieve peace, stability and development for peoples and societies.”  He did not elaborate.  Pope Francis arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. His visit represents the first papal trip ever to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam.  Pope Francis has assured the people of the United Arab Emirates of his prayers and “the divine blessings of peace and fraternal solidarity.”  Francis signed a book of honor on Monday at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, where he met for private talks with the Emirati capital’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula.  Frances wrote in his characteristic tiny script, in English, of his “gratitude for your warm welcome and hospitality.”  The Emirates put on a remarkably grandiose welcome for Francis, complete with an artillery salute and military flyover by a country that is now at war in Yemen, where the UAE backs a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.  Pope Francis has arrived at the presidential palace to officially start his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates as canons boomed and a military aircraft flew over trailing the yellow and white smoke of the Holy See flag.  Guards on horseback escorted Francis’ tiny Kia car to approach the palace where a marching band, complete with bagpipers, was on hand on Monday for a red carpet welcome at the massive, domed structure in Abu Dhabi.  The capital’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was to welcome Francis, the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula.  The highlight of Francis’ day comes on Monday afternoon when he is to meet privately with a group of Muslim elders and then addresses faith leaders in a show of religious tolerance in a Muslim region known for its restrictions on religious freedom.  His 40-hour trip to Abu Dhabi culminates on Tuesday with the first-ever papal Mass on the Arabian Peninsula — a gathering expected to draw some 135,000 people in a never-before-seen display of public Christian worship here.  Pope Francis is opening his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates by meeting with the federation’s leader and a group of Muslim elders.  After that, he will address an unprecedented gathering of faith leaders in a show of religious tolerance in a Muslim region known for its restrictions on religious freedom.  Francis’ speech to the gathering on Monday evening is the highlight of his brief, 40-hour visit to Abu Dhabi.  His trip culminates on Tuesday with the first-ever papal Mass on the Arabian Peninsula. It’s expected to draw some 135,000 people in a never-before-seen display of public Christian worship here.  Francis arrived in the Emirati capital late Sunday and was greeted by Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.  We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


eveningstandard--2019-06-27--Woman arrested and charged with aposcontrolling behaviourapos for telling bodybuilder husband to

Woman arrested and charged with 'controlling behaviour' for telling bodybuilder husband to tidy the house

A woman has told how she was arrested and charged with “controlling behaviour” after asking her husband to help out around the house more.  Valerie Sanders, 58, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, said she was “treated like a criminal” for asking bodybuilder Michael, also 58, to spend a bit less time at the gym and a bit more time hoovering.  Mrs Sanders, a cleaning firm boss, said she had left notes for her him to do chores around the home they shared, but was stunned when police were called in.  Two vans and four officers reportedly turned up at the house to arrest her, taking her to a police station where she is said to have spent 17 hours in a cell.  The following day, Mrs Sanders was charged with “coercive or controlling behaviour”, a law usually used to protect vulnerable women.  Her case was thrown out this week before it went to trial, after what the shocked wife described as 14 months of “hell”.  “It’s outrageous it ever got to court,” Mrs Sanders told the Sun, insisting: “I’d leave a note asking him to vacuum parts of the house and clean the patio doors. We have two miniature dachshunds. But he would spend four hours cleaning his car – so of course I complained.  “Surely it isn’t controlling behaviour otherwise every married couple would be in court?”  But her husband, who she first met online, hit back: “I’m not sure if she should have gone to court or not. That was not my decision – but she was controlling. She was constantly on at me.”  The case was listed for trial at Teesside crown court on Tuesday but was dismissed before a jury was sworn in.  Mrs Sanders’ not guilty plea was accepted in return for a two-year restraining order.  The CPS announced the decision to drop the case, saying: “We prosecute cases where there is sufficient evidence of coercive and controlling behaviour.  "In this case, after a key witness decided to no longer support the prosecution, we concluded there was no longer sufficient evidence.”  The couple are now divorcing.  Mrs Sanders said: “17 hours in a prison cell broke my love for him. It’s such a relief it is all over.”


instapundit--2019-01-27--MUSCLE SCIENCE Muscles May Preserve A Shortcut To Restore Lost Strength Muscle physiology lore

MUSCLE SCIENCE:  Muscles May Preserve A Shortcut To Restore Lost Strength.  “Muscle physiology lore …

MUSCLE SCIENCE: Muscles May Preserve A Shortcut To Restore Lost Strength. “Muscle physiology lore has long held that it is easier to regain muscle mass in once-fit muscles than build it anew, especially as we age. But scientists haven’t been able to pin down how that would actually work. A growing body of research reviewed Friday in the journal Frontiers in Physiology suggests that muscle nuclei — the factories that power new muscle growth — may be the answer. Rather than dying as muscles lose mass, nuclei added during muscle growth persist and could give older muscles an edge in regaining fitness later on, new research suggests.”


instapundit--2019-10-12--EW.  Professional Cyclist Shares Shocking Pictures of His Leg Muscles.  I’ll stick with lifting, tha

EW.  Professional Cyclist Shares Shocking Pictures of His Leg Muscles.  I’ll stick with lifting, tha…

EW. Professional Cyclist Shares Shocking Pictures of His Leg Muscles. I’ll stick with lifting, thank you.


naturalnews--2019-04-16--Study reveals how vitamin E protects skeletal muscles

(Natural News) Aging is a complex biological process, and it’s one that can even lead to several muscular disorders. Recently, scientists from the U.S. and Taiwan focused on how age changes the health of our skeletal muscles and how vitamin E may be used to mitigate those changes.  Our skeletal muscles are the most common of the three types of muscles in our body, the others being cardiac and smooth muscles. They are voluntary, meaning they are under our conscious control. They are attached to our bones and they allow the movement of our body parts.  One of the effects that aging has on our skeletal muscles is sarcopenia, or the loss of muscle strength and mass. It comes from several causes which the scientists have identified as:  The researchers attribute these problems to:  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  The researchers also examined the current literature discussing sarcopenia, and it suggests to them that vitamin E may be able to reduce the effects of that disorder. It appears that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin E molecules may lessen skeletal muscle dysfunction due to age, while at the same time enhancing muscle regeneration.  Previous researchers have already done preclinical and human experimental studies which show that vitamin E supports:  A few human cross-sectional observational studies reveal positive links between levels of serum tocopherol (vitamin E in the blood) and muscle strength.  The researchers would like to see more long-term clinical trials, but they see promise in the potential of Vitamin E in protecting skeletal muscle.


newyorkpost--2019-01-17--James McAvoys muscles are the only strong thing in weak Glass

James McAvoy’s muscles are the only strong thing in weak ‘Glass’

M. Night Shyamalan, who specializes in twist endings, has no shortage of haters, but he’s managed to pull off some good ones almost as often as he’s botched it. His 2015 grandparent horror show “The Visit” was a sick, fun ride and 2016’s “Split,” though flawed, made great use of James McAvoy as a multiple-personality kidnapper. So, after revisiting 2000’s decent “Unbreakable,” I had medium-high hopes for “Glass,” which promised to tie in the characters from that movie and “Split.”  My optimism lasted about an hour, when I realized the film had nothing to say and nowhere to go. Its third act is so hopelessly inept, I’d have preferred the writer/director just default to a “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” ending, unceremoniously wrapping the film mid-scene: For the Pythons, it was lack of funds; here, it’s lack of anything resembling creativity. Marie Kondo would toss it out for not sparking joy.  And to think what could have been! McAvoy ably provides most of the entertainment, scrolling through the cast of characters in his head, including a 9-year-old boy, a matronly British woman and an animalistic killer who goes by the Beast. Still, as Shyamalan should know, the more you show a monster, the less scary it is. Eventually, you’re reduced to remarking on how ripped McAvoy has become, and worrying a little about his bulging neck muscles snapping like worn elastics.  Then there’s Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, a k a the mastermind Mr. Glass, confined to a wheelchair and nonstop sedatives — not a particularly dynamic part. Bruce Willis reprises his now-grizzled David Dunn, unwitting hero. They’re collectively imprisoned at a mental hospital of sorts by a therapist (Sarah Paulson) aiming to cure all three by convincing them they’re not super-beings. Anya Taylor-Joy returns as the abduction victim who survived the Beast, and Luke Kirby (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is wasted in a nothing role as an orderly.  The film tries to be clever by going meta: Once again, it’s rooted in Mr. Glass’ conviction that superheroes are real, and it repeatedly name-checks comic-book tropes that are reflected, languidly, in the movie’s own plot. But in the end, all it really reveals is a onetime visionary’s glass now half — no, let’s go with mostly — empty.  “Glass” aims to tie together the stories of 2000’s “Unbreakable” and 2016’s “Split.” Here’s a refresher on its three main characters.  In “Unbreakable,” Willis plays the sole survivor of a deadly train crash — who subsequently discovers he’s, well, unbreakable. With the help of a mysterious mentor (see next person on list), he gets in touch with his inner Superman and learns to embrace his gifts.  Born with bones so brittle they break while he’s still in the womb, Elijah Price grows up to be a fragile, obsessive comics collector who devotes his life to searching for real-life superheroes. He seeks out David Dunn — who learns Elijah may be a villainous mastermind.  In “Split,” we meet Kevin and his 23 other personalities, who emerged in the aftermath of his abusive childhood. He kidnaps three teen girls, whom his personalities warn about the emergence of his scariest side, “The Beast.”


rt--2019-02-10--If I can do it you can 75 yo bodybuilder defies the aging odds VIDEO

‘If I can do it, you can’: 75 yo bodybuilder defies the aging odds (VIDEO)

These days most 75-year-olds are settling into retirement and putting their feet up, not honing their perfectly toned bodybuilding frame and beating world records for pull-ups. One septuagenarian is seriously bucking that trend.  Iris Davis, an international bodybuilding champion and personal trainer from Georgia, became a world record holder for performing 21 pull-ups in a row on her 74th birthday.  Davis has racked up 11 bodybuilding titles over her 50-year career – a career that started after the depressed Irish-born fitness guru uprooted her life to move to the US following the death of her first child and husband.  Female bodybuilding is more popular than ever today, but Iris considers herself a trailblazer in the scene, given that during the 1960s most gyms in the US were still barring women from membership.  Ruptly caught up with the 75-year-old trainer as she led a workout class at the Beach Bodies Health & Fitness centre near Melbourne, Florida on Friday. The pensioner showed she’s far from retirement as she performed several impressive workout techniques and flexed her award-winning muscles.  “It’s never too late, I have women who start training with me when at age 70. Within two years they’re all bulked up and beautiful and fit and toned and strong,” said Davis, in a message to inspire others her age to get back in the gym. “I tell people if I can do it, you can do it.”  Like this story? Share it with a friend!


sottnet--2019-07-26--Strength training might come at the expense of endurance muscles

, so that during strength training endurance muscle fiber number is decreased. Researchers at the University of Basel's Biozentrum have more closely investigated this factor, from the group of myokines, and demonstrated that it is produced by the muscle and acts on both muscles and synapses. The results published in PNAS also provide new insights into age-related muscle atrophy.Fitness clubs are booming: New gyms are springing up like mushrooms. More and more people are striving to build up and strengthen their muscles. But what exactly happens in the muscle during training? In their recent work, Prof. Christoph Handschin's research group at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has more closely studied strength muscles and the myokine brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays an important role in the formation of strength muscle fibers.Handschin's team has demonstrated thatGenerally, it is differentiated between two types of muscle, depending on the type of fibers they are made of:Christoph Handschin's team has now studied the hormone-like neurotransmitter from the myokine family in the. Myokines are released by the muscle during contraction. "It is interesting that BDNF is produced by the muscle itself and not only exerts an influence on the muscle. At the same time, it affects the neuromuscular synapses, which are the junctions between the motor neurons and muscle," explains Handschin.This remodeling of the neuromuscular synapses during strength training results in the body developing more strength muscle fibers. "However, strength muscle growth occurs at the expense of the endurance fibers.clarifies Handschin. This makes BDNF a factor proven to be produced by the muscle itself and to influence the type of muscle fibers formed.The new knowledge gained about the myokine BDNF also provides a possible explanation for the decrease in endurance musculature seen as a result of strength training. This correlation is already being taken into account in the training plan for high performance sports. Particularly inMoreover, in a follow-up study, the research group showed that


sputnik--2019-05-28--Russian Female Tennis Player Stuns Media With Her Muscles PHOTOS

Russian Female Tennis Player Stuns Media With Her Muscles (PHOTOS)

Vitalia Diatchenko, a 28-year-old Russian tennis player who recently took on Serena Williams during the French Open, has apparently managed to attract no small amount of attention to herself, and not just because of her skill.  Despite losing the match to her famous opponent, Diatchenko caught the eye of Yahoo Sports Australia who noticed how the athlete’s arms, while appearing “quite skinny while she’s relaxed”, display their true form when Diatchenko serves her shots.  "As you can see, the young Russian is welding some serious guns", the media outlet remarked, with a number of netizens appearing equally impressed.  Even though she managed to prevail in the first set 6-2, Diatchenko proved unable to triumph against Williams and lost the final two sets 6-1 and 6-0.


sputnik--2019-10-03--In Love With Curvy Fit Body Female Ex-Bodybuilder Embraces Glam Model Lifestyle

'In Love With Curvy Fit Body': Female Ex-Bodybuilder Embraces Glam Model Lifestyle

A 25-year old former bodybuilder from Germany named Nadine Kerastas has undergone a spectacular transformation after she ditched her fitness regimen in order to become a glamour model.  According to the Daily Star, the one-time bodybuilder now makes a tidy profit via her social media presence and even managed to become a Playboy Playmate.  As Nadine explained to the newspaper, she started doing bodybuilding while dealing with an illness caused by a tick bite, when doctors advised her to join the gym in order to take her mind off the pain.  "I went to the gym and my body changed more and more and I felt better and better with it. My coach became aware of me and asked me if I would be interested in championships and I saw it as a chance to focus on other things instead of my illness," she said. "I started with it and was successful very quickly. I started on many competitions around the world and was five years an International IFBB Bikini Competitor. It was a hard time but I loved it. I was very disciplined and a control freak with my meals and my training."  However, she eventually grew tired of this lifestyle and ditched it in order to embrace her curves and, eventually, to take on a modelling career.  "After I decided to stop with competitions, I got a curvier body and I loved it, so I concentrated on my modelling career with a body with more curves but fit too and I went to Los Angeles for a photoshoot. That has since that my life changed completely," Nadine said. "Everybody loved me so much with my curves and my Instagram was like an explosion. Then I was published in big magazines and was Covergirl & Playmate for Playboy, then FHM etc."  Now, Nadine boasts a 1.3 million-strong Instagram audience and claims that she can earn over £2,000 (about $2,480) per shoot, noting that she “worked really hard” to achieve this and that it is a “full-time job” which requires one “to be active every day and create new ideas and content for your fans and interact with them.”  All in all, she said that she says that leaving all the fitness competition stuff in the past was the right choice, fully embracing her appearance and lifestyle.  "I love my abs and waist. I feel very happy with my look. I don’t miss my hard- trained body, I’m so in love with my curvy thick fit body now and that I can eat my ice cream sometimes. Be in love with your life and do what makes you happy. Because at the end of the day, it’s you that has to live your life," Nadine stated.


thedailyecho--2019-02-05--After bodybuilding on a fruit only diet vegan Owen is tackling an 89 mile race

After bodybuilding on a fruit only diet, vegan Owen is tackling an 89 mile race

OWEN Gayle likes to take on a challenge.  He began competing in full contact martial arts competitions at the age of just five, but things have moved on a lot since then.  He's a former taekwondo champion with more than 40 fights under his belt a former Mixed Martial Arts fighter, and has numerous races, including two marathons and one longer distance race under his belt.  The co-owner of Move Training Centre in Southampton, Owen has also pushed himself with his diet, adopting the palaeolithic or caveman diet for five years, and sitting down to six meat meals a day, before turning vegan and even experimenting with trying to build muscle while only eating fruit!  He's currently in training for his latest challenge, an 89 mile overnight 'ultra' race in Snowdonia on February 22.  "I like to take on difficult physical challenges," says the 33-year-old from Regents Park, Southampton.  "I find it really motivating. I like to do things that people say are impossible, that no one could do."  This led him to follow a fruitarian diet, eating only fruit and nuts, from January to August last year, while attempting to gain muscle mass.  "I was already following a plant-based diet, and you hear about the variations on this, like raw and fruitarian," he says.  "When you look at pictures of fruitarians, they often look very thin, almost malnourished. I wanted to see if I could use my background in fitness and training to put on muscle while following that diet."  While Owen did succeed in putting on 3 kilos of muscle while reducing his body fat by almost 3 percent, his health suffered.  "After two to four weeks I became really tired, and had to take really long sleeps of at least two hours in the afternoons," he says.  "I had my blood tested regularly and by August my B12 levels had become really low. They wanted to put me on an immediate course of injections, but as it was a result of my diet, I just changed that."  Owen returned to his regular vegan diet, which he has been following since 2013, and his health returned to normal.  He's now set to embark on his next challenge, an ultra race, covering 89 miles, in Snowdonia on February 22.  Competitors are given up to 48 hours to complete the race, but Owen is hoping to cross the finishing line in half that time.  In preparation for the race, Owen has been going on regular 30 to 40 mile runs, and ran up and down Mount Snowdon twice in four hours, with time to take a few photos while he was at it.  "I found the training difficult at the beginning because I'm not a runner, and I was going out almost every day, but now I feel ready for the competition," he says.  Owen is fundraising for ARC Goa, an animal rescue centre in India, and has already reached his modest fundraising target of £300.  He was attracted to the charity in part due to an increased awareness of and interest in animal welfare issues, since he became vegan.  So what is next for Owen?  "Maybe some more ultras, maybe mountain climbing," he muses.  Whatever it is, Owen is sure to find something to push him physically and mentally. There's just the small matter of a race of almost 90 miles, with half of it run in the dark, to get through first.  * For more information and to make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/OGARC


thedailymirror--2019-02-15--Bodybuilding Tinder date became controlling monster who poured kettle over girl

Bodybuilding Tinder date became 'controlling monster' who poured kettle over girl

A steroid-using weightlifter subjected his ex-girlfriend to horrific domestic abuse - pulling her hair, spitting at her and even pouring a kettle over her head.  Body builder Garth Rees even broke into Bethan Thomas-Rees' home before “ramming” her dressing gown into her mouth and saying: “Try screaming now.”  Now Bethan has bravely spoken out against the 22-year-old, who she met on dating app Tinder, after he was jailed over the abuse dished out to her and another woman.  Bethan was smitten with the "charming" Rees when they first met, but says he turned into a monster when they moved into together just four months later.  Vicious Rees would "fly off the handle over the smallest inconvenience" and violently assault Bethan, she told The Sun.  "Garth had total control over me. He loved dictating who I could be friends with and he'd fly into a rage if I did something he didn't like," she said.  One day he fractured her ribs and told her she "deserved' the beatings he was dishing out.  Bethan said he spat in her face and called her "fat and ugly".  Eventually Garth met someone else and they split up - but the abuse didn't stop there.  In fact after a failed bid to win her back he broke into her parental house.  After she heard a loud bang she ran downstairs to find him in the hall shouting "You ruined my life, now I'm going to ruin yours" before punching her.  Bethan added: "He accused me of messaging his new girlfriend and poured the kettle over me – thankfully the water was cold.  "I screamed as he dragged me to the floor, stuffing the cord of my dressing gown in my mouth.  "He then stole my phone and ran out in the street before a passerby called police."  Rees, 22, of Bridgend admitted two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour and was jailed for 16 months as well as being given a five-year restraining order from Bethan and the other woman.  Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court last year, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: “Your behaviour demonstrates that you are a man of ungovernable temper – a bully who picks on people physically weaker than yourself.”  The court heard he met Bethan on Tinder in July 2017.  Janine Davies, prosecuting, said she initially found him “caring and friendly” but he became aggressive following an argument later that year.  Prosecutors said Rees turned “threatening and violent” after they moved in together in December, telling Ms Thomas-Rowlands: “Look at the size of you. If I wanted to kill you or hurt you I would.”  The court heard he made derogatory comments and called her a “slut”.  Three months later she described him pulling her off a bed by her ankles, pulling her hair, spitting at her, and strangling her.  Prosecutors said on another occasion he pulled her off a sofa then threw her against a wall and punched her in the chest, fracturing two of her ribs.  When she asked why he said: “It’s the only way to make you shut the f*** up.”  The court heard they separated in April as a result of his behaviour. She went to speak to him a month later and he punched her after she received a message from a man.  Prosecutors said he turned up at her home in July and banged on her door, accusing her of sending messages to his new girlfriend Lily Mainwaring.  Ms Davies said he lifted her up by her dressing gown then pinned her against the wall by her throat and “rammed” the dressing gown into her mouth and said: “Try screaming now.”  The court heard he grabbed her phone and took it to the bathroom where he held it under running water. She tried to calm him down but he held his forearm across her neck and spat at her.  Ms Thomas-Rowlands managed to attract the attention of a passer-by and used their phone to call the police.  The court heard he had a previous conviction in 2015 for causing criminal damage to his father’s car.  Rees, 22, from Hafan-Y-Bryn in Bridgend, admitted two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour.  Stephen Robson, defending, accepted there was “jealousy” and said his client was diagnosed with depression.  He accepted Rees was abusing steroids and suggested he had suffered an “emotional breakdown”.  Judge Jenkins described the offending as “callous and repeated violence” over a prolonged period of time.  Rees held his head in his hands as he was jailed for 16 months.  Brave Bethan said: "I was sorely disappointed by his sentence.  "He's a danger to himself and to the public – and I don't think he'll ever change."


thedailyrecord--2019-02-07--I might as well be done for murder Bodybuilder kissed bloodied hammer as he rained blows on OAP

'I might as well be done for murder' Bodybuilder kissed bloodied hammer as he rained blows on OAP

A pensioner feared she would die after a bodybuilder kissed a bloodied hammer and told her "I might as well be done for murder" as he rained blows on her head.  Cancer survivor Michelle O'Donnell, 72, was helpless on the floor as handyman Perry Redmond battered her in a rage because she had no money to lend him .  Redmond, 50, who lived in a camper van, first hit the petite woman with a heavy frying pan before returning to her home armed with a hammer.  Forcing his was in the 6ft 3ins thug dragged the 5ft 1in tall woman around by her hair while hitting her and demanding she begged for her life.  Despite suffering skull fractures, two broken ribs and a collar bone, severe facial injuries including smashed teeth, and hand and arm wounds, Mrs O'Donnell managed to escape.  And when police arrived he told them "I put my hands up, I done it. I nearly killed her, I don't regret what I have done. I know I've hit an old lady."  Mrs O'Donnell, of Kent, was taken by air ambulance to Kings College Hospital in London where she had five hours of surgery and still suffers panic attacks and flashbacks ten months on.  Speaking for the first time after Redmond was jailed for 22 years for attempted murder she spoke how she befriended her attacker.  The former professional singer said: "I thought he was a nice guy and even let him stay here while he was working for me because he was sleeping in a camper van."  The divorcee said it was when he asked to borrow money that Redmond turned nasty.  She said: "I told him I didn't have any on me, which I didn't, and he went off but returned in a very aggressive state and just went berserk.  "He got into the house and first hit me around the head with a heavy frying pan before leaving.  "But then soon returned and forced his way back in armed with a hammer and dragged me around by my hair while hitting me.  "I am only 5ft 1ins and he's 6ft 3ins and a body builder and must be at least 16 stone so I had no chance of fighting him off.  "He ordered me to beg for my life and I remember thinking that this is the moment I was going to die.  "I managed to get out into the road, hoping that a passing car would stop but I think it was neighbours who called the police."  When officers arrived, Redmond, from Boughton-under-Blean, was still in the street and made the comments.  But he later claimed he regretted saying what he had and said he had been drinking all day, was in a " bit of a rage" and a "red mist" descended on him.  On the week of the attack, Mrs O'Donnell had just been given the all clear from bowel cancer.  She said: "I should have been celebrating but then this happened to me.  "I don't think I'll ever get over it and it has just made me more edgy and much less trusting of people, which is sad.  "He's clearly a very dangerous individual who needs to be locked up."  But she thanked police for ensuring Redmond faced justice, doctors for saving her life and her friends and family including her twin sister Francine who she used to sing with in a duo called the Downie Twins.  "Everyone has been wonderful and I couldn't have got through it without them," she said  Redmond had denied attempted murder but was convicted following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court .  Judge Heather Norton ruled after his release, Redmond should serve a further five years on licence, adding he posed a "significant risk of serious harm" to others.  Speaking after case Detective Inspector Chris Greenstreet said: "This was one of the most savage attacks I have come across in my time as a police officer and it is a miracle the victim survived.  "The impact on her cannot be understated and it has affected her terribly. But I hope the outcome of the investigation brings her some small comfort."


thedailyrecord--2019-12-22--Abused wife hits out after bodybuilder ex gets ‘slap on wrist' after her three-years of hell

A woman subjected to a three-and-a-half year campaign of abuse by her bodybuilder ex-husband has slammed prosecutors over their handling of the case against him.  Rebecca Larkin suffered threats of violence and verbal abuse during her marriage to Imran Asif.  Asif, 32, was handed a two-year supervision order and told to wear a tag for four months after being convicted of abusing Rebecca.  But she is furious the Crown Office did not pursue assault charges against Asif, of Govan, Glasgow.  The Crown said there was a lack of evidence but Rebecca, 28, said crucial evidence including text messages, CCTV and medical reports on her injuries were not used.  She lodged a complaint but Crown officials wrote back to tell her it had not been upheld.  She said: “I’m disgusted at how I, as a victim of domestic abuse, have been treated.  “Imran walked away with a slap on the wrist after making my life hell. I feel so let down by the justice system.”  The couple met in 2013 through social media and were married the following year.  Rebecca says her husband quickly became controlling and aggressive.  The mum-of-one claims he threatened her with a knife and kicked in the bathroom door when she locked herself inside after she refused to make him food.  However, the allegation that Asif threatened her with a knife was deleted from the charge against him.  Asif had also faced an allegation that he pursued Rebecca with a blade as she carried their son but this was deleted from the list of charges.  Rebecca added: “He admitted in court that he attacked the bathroom door with a knife and kicked the door off the hinges but the line about holding a knife at me was removed.  “My question is, ‘Why was he kicking in the bathroom door?’”  Asif admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards Rebecca at addresses in Glasgow and Kilwinning, Ayrshire, between January 2014 and August 2017.  He repeatedly shouted, punched and kicked walls and doors, took radiators off walls, repeatedly struck a door with a knife and uttered threats of violence.  The thug also admitted to striking a door and causing it to hit Rebecca on the body while she was pregnant.  At his sentencing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week, he was also given a two-year non-harassment order banning him from contacting or approaching Rebecca.  A letter sent to Rebecca by prosecutors stated: “In this case, there was insufficient evidence about the assaults you reported to the police and for that reason the case did not proceed with charges of assault against the accused.”  The Crown Office said: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service takes a rigorous approach to crimes of domestic abuse.  “Decisions to prosecute are taken after consideration of the individual facts and circumstances of each case and where there is sufficient, admissible evidence of a crime and it is in the public interest to do so.”  The Sunday Mail put the claims made by Rebecca to Asif.  He said: “There were only certain things I got convicted of that were true.  “People can tell you whatever they want but it’s not what I got convicted of.”


theguardianuk--2019-09-05--Rafael Nadal flexes muscles to reach semis and remain on course for fourth US Open title

Rafael Nadal overcame a spirited challenge from Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman to win 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, staying on course for a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 19th major championship to move within one of Roger Federer’s all-time record.  The second-seeded Spaniard squandered double-break leads in the first and second sets, but recovered to win each of them with exquisite shotmaking and his trademark steel before closing out the match after two hours and 47 minutes.  “When he is under confidence he’s very difficult to stop,” Nadal said after reaching the semi-finals of a major tournament for the 33rd time. “Of course I made some mistakes, but I’m super happy the way I accepted the situation and I accepted the challenge. Here I am in the semi-finals. It’s super important to me. It means everything.”  Nadal led 4-love in the opener before an abruptly wayward forehand enabled the 5ft 7in Argentine to level at 4-all, prompting chants of “olé, olé, olé” from the rollicking late-night crowd in Queens. It was the same for the second set, where a sudden glut of misfires from the forehand side allowed Schwartzman to push it to 5-all from 1-5 down.  But the muscular Mallorcan, who pounded 35 winners and broke serve eight times, was able to clamp down on the critical points in each session to stake a commanding two-sets-to-none lead over the 27-year-old from Buenos Aires.  “Like a lion in the jungle,” Schwartzman said. “He’s a fighter. He knows how to play the important moments every single time. I played [him] eight times, and every important moment he played better than me.”  The 33-year-old Nadal was visited early in the final set by the trainer, who spent the changeover rubbing cream into his left forearm. He spent the next several games flexing the other forearm on the baseline, but fears of cramping were quickly dispelled as he won the last four games on the trot to wrap up a competitive but straightforward third and book a spot in the last four, where he will be the betting favourite to add to his 2010, 2014 and 2017 titles at the season-ending major.  “Physically I am fine,” said Nadal, who has reached the semi-finals of all four majors in the same year for the second time in his career and first since 2008. “Today was a very heavy day. Big humidity. I am this kind of player where I sweat a bit. Sometimes under these conditions it’s tough, but honestly I am happy that I had some critical moments at the end of the second and the beginning of the third.”  After both Federer and top-seeded Novak Djokovic were eliminated in upsets earlier in the week, Nadal’s win on a humid New York night ensured at least one of the sport’s Big Three would be represented in the semi-finals for a 62nd consecutive grand slam tournament.  The world No 2 advances to a Friday meeting with 24th-seeded Matteo Berrettini, who outlasted Gael Monfils in a five-set thriller earlier on Wednesday to become the first Italian man to reach the US Open semi-finals since 1977. The winner of their match will face either fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev or 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday’s final.  “Berrettini is having a great year,” Nadal said. “He’s in semi-finals, winning a lot of good matches, so what you can expect in a semi-finals of a grand slam match? You can’t expect an easy opponent. You can’t expect an easy match.”