Re: Jail is too good for Nigerian Pastors (Punch Newspaper, November 22, 2012)

In the article under reference, Adelakun Abimbola rants off idiotically with names of pastors, just because she  considers their claims to be incredible.  No crime, no complaints….not even a gossip to cite, other than the musing of some “undercover journalist” of Daily Mail – of all newspapers.  Yes, that’s the same newspapers that sent journalists to hound down their own country’s future king; using high zoom cameras, took his nude picture, and despite all reasonable entreaties, splashed the picture on their front page.  A feature article about Nigerian pastors in such a journal is the inspiration for Adelakun’s back page article in the Punch, and the basis for heaping abuses and insults on these honorable hardworking citizens – by name.  Even many that did not feature in the Daily Mail’s article were not spared.

Thank God Abimbola was not around when Elijah was meeting the widow of Zarephath!  If this lady-writer has problem believing in a God that works miracles, or that millions of we apparently naïve people do, does that now give her the liberty to start insulting people far more endowed and infinitely more honorable than her?

In any case, this is not to defend the men of God maliciously slandered by Abimbola.  I  guess if they are truly men of God, in the mould of Elijah, say, God knows exactly what to do.

My simple question however is could Ms Adelakun have dared to write such an article on Moslem clergies?  No, we are not talking Boko Haram leaders here; but even regular Islamic clergy, could she have written one percent of her imprudent article citing the name of one notable Islamic clergy?

The last time some Islamic mob beat up a local masquerade at Ibadan, killing the handler in the process, Adelakun still managed to turn her comment on the incident into an insulting piece on Christianity! (see Punch, July 12, 2012) The only mention of the word “Muslim” in the entire article was tucked in somewhere in the 5th paragraph and was quickly followed by the qualifier “youths” – suggesting the  problem was  more of youthful exuberance than an Islamic thing.  Of course the earlier paragraphs had much to say about paranoid Christians, who would embrace Santa Claus and Barney but resist any interaction with even just the children masquerade,Tombolo.

It’s really a shame that a national newspaper like the Punch will offer itself as a platform for someone who is quite obviously out on a personal vendetta against the Church.  Abimbola would applaud those trying to infest our land with homosexuality and such core humanist values.  She knows that the Church is the mortal enemy of such satanic ideas, and the loser that she is, vents off her frustration in rabid attacks on the Christian clergy.

Very soon, reasonable people will learn they could use their time better than continue reading Abimbola’s thrash.

Israel Will Continue to Take Whatever Action is Necessary, Says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon (Thursday, 15
November 2012), issued the following statement to the foreign press:

"In recent days and weeks, Hamas and the other terrorist organizations
in Gaza have made normal life impossible for over one million
Israelis. No government would tolerate a situation where nearly a
fifth of its people live under a constant barrage of rockets and
missile fire, and Israel will not tolerate this situation. This is why
my government has instructed the Israeli Defense Forces to conduct
surgical strikes
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6U2ZQ0EhN4&feature=youtu.be>
 against the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. And this is why /Israel
will continue to take whatever action is necessary to defend our
people/.

 <http://www.idf.il/1283-17570-EN/Dover.aspx>
I want to remind you that, seven years ago, Israel withdrew from every
square inch of Gaza. Now, Hamas took over the areas we vacated. What
did it do? Rather than build a better future for the residents of
Gaza, the Hamas leadership, backed by Iran, turned Gaza into a
terrorist stronghold. They fired thousand of rockets at our cities, at
our towns, at our civilians, at our children. They've smuggled
thousands of rockets and missiles into Gaza, and they deliberately
place these rockets and missiles in civilian areas: in homes, in
schools, near hospitals. This year alone, they fired over one thousand
rockets and missiles at Israel, including close to 200 rockets in the
last 24 hours.

I'm stressing this because it's important to understand one simple
point. There is no moral symmetry; there is no moral equivalence,
between Israel and the terrorist organizations in Gaza. The terrorists
are committing a double war crime. They fire at Israeli civilians, and
they hide behind Palestinian civilians. And, by contrast, Israel takes
every measure to avoid civilian casualties. 

I saw today a picture of a bleeding Israeli baby. This picture says it
all: Hamas deliberately targets our children, and they deliberately
place their rockets next to their children. Despite this reality - and
it's a very difficult reality - Israel will continue to do everything
in its power to avoid civilian casualties. 

I have to say that from my talks with world leaders, I have the clear
understanding that they have a clear understanding of this. Yesterday
I spoke to President Obama and I briefed him on Israel's operations. I
want to express my appreciation once again to President Obama for his
unequivocal support for Israel's right to defend itself. I also want
to express my appreciation to the other world leaders I've had a
chance to speak to in the last 24 hours: to President Hollande of
France, to UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon, to EU Foreign Minister Catherine
Ashton and to Quartet representative Tony Blair. I want to thank them
for their understanding of Israel's need to defend itself, and
Israel's right to defend itself. 

In the past 24 hours Israel has made it clear that it will not
tolerate rocket and missile attacks on its civilians. I hope that
Hamas and the other terror organizations in Gaza got the message. If
not, Israel is prepared to take whatever action is necessary to defend
our people."

Punch newspaper calls President’s comment on Boko Haram an Outburst.

Punch newspaper makes little efforts to disguise its contempt for the President.  From the editorial team to the featured columnists, the refrain is that Goodluck Jonathan is nothing but a lucky incompetent in a high office.  Common experience has shown however that,  often, people who resort to uncouth insulting language when reviewing the performance of others are themselves utter failure in even more basic tasks.  For instance, people who have problems running personal lives or  families,  heap insults, not on policies, but on the persons of people far more endowed than them, occupying offices whose requirements and challenges, these critics can just not fanthom to start with. 

 Indeed, government officials need to be criticized - if only to put them on their toes; but those who do so with invective personal insults, often are only venting out their personal frustrations.

With Boko Haram now calling for dialogue – in far away moslem enclave of Saudi Arabia; with one of the most rabid opponents of the President being requested to be the chief negotiator, the Punch apparently believes these are minor points and the country should simply jump up in joy – that peace has finally come!  Yes, “Boko Haram” is no longer demanding upfront that all of us, starting from the President, must convert to Islam before they will allow peace, or that several states of the federation be Islamised.  All they are asking for, upfront, is that heavy financial compensation should be paid to them – presumably for the hundreds of innocent Christian lives they have claimed responsibility for snuffing out.  

It goes without saying also, that there must be a blanket amnesty for the killers.  All the talk about Boko Haram not being opposed to prosecution of the criminal aspects of their operation does not make any sense at all.  Which of their actions is not criminal – bombing of churches; raiding of banks, police stations, prisons; the shootings, etc?

With all these realities,  President Jonathan is still going ahead to play game with Boko Haram; but his description of the sect and their obvious political sponsors as “uncivilized” is what has most caught the attention of Punch editorial team.  See front page on Wednesday Nov 7, 2012.  In the full write-up on page 2, the Punch describes the president’s comment as an “outburst” that could possibly derail negotiations.  “Before the President’s outburst” the Punch wrote, “there had been indications that the government was already considering paying the compensation demanded and that it had began preparing for the talk with the sect”.  Punch must be seriously bothered that the compensation and talk might be in jeopardy, hence its labeling the president’s comment as an outburst. 

As for “Boko Haram”, what is the meaning of this new tactic?  Obviously with preparations for the 2015 presidential election in high gear, it’s obviously time to play conciliation and strengthen the hand of the man who publicly promised to make Nigeria ungovernable unless he is the one in power.  By nominating his arch rival from the North to play negotiation with the FG, Atiku is obviously trying to use one stone to kill two birds. Buhari will surely be politically weakened after serving as the chief negotiator in a Boko Haram – Government parley to benefit personally from the deal.  And even a baby can predict what the major, non-negotiable demand from a Boko Haram parley in Saudi Arabia will be:  nothing other than an agreement that Jonathan will not stand for re-election in 2015!  It’s so plain that only the Punch newspapers can’t figure that one out.

It’s amazing and sad to see Christians gullibly gulp in silly stories rolled out by organizations such as the Punch newspapers, with clear-cut mischievous agenda.